Thursday, December 22, 2005
Roast your own coffee for cheap!
Wow! I just discovered that its really easy to roast your own coffee at home! There are several websites selling coffee roasters for about $100-$200 (www.morebeer.com is one of them). I thought about that, but then I did a little poking on the internet, and I found that you can do it with a hot-air popcorn popper! I found the right kind at my local Goodwill, and paid 4 whole bucks. I then bought a pound of green Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans from MoreBeer (I was going there anyway for brewing supplies). Roasting took 15 minutes (including all the setup, the cleanup and stringing the extension cord outside and rolling it back up again when I was done). I had to do the roasting outside because the one downside to a popcorn popper is that it smokes like a chimney. Small price to pay - NOTHING compares to the coffee you roast yourself! For more information, also check out SweetMaria's.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
my2way
While I'm on the subject of music, what is up with The Cure? I'm pretty sure they're not together anymore, but how could they have had hits? Their music is great in the technical sense, but who else could write a tender love song ("I will always love you") that leaves wanting to slit your wrists?
Keith Anderson, NP
Monday, December 12, 2005
whoa!
Man. A 7 month hiatus. Got to stop doing that. Still brewing, not fencing so much. Just surviving right now. My son has been diagnosed as autistic by the folks at UCLA's autism center (and they should know...). We are currently beating our heads against the school district (their psychologist seems to think that her one Ph.D in school psych trumps the 3 Ph.Ds and a Masters of the UCLA team.) If we don't fight it, she gets to say that he is high functioning, and deny services. It may also screw us up when we go to the local regional center, because they too can pick and choose who to believe, and then they can deny services too. My wife (the pitbull) has determined that we have the right to have documents removed from our son's file if they are "inaccurate." Think just plain wrong is pretty inaccurate don't you? We've written to the school district twice now, with no answer. We may have to actually retain a lawyer, a thought that gives me the heebies.
Meanwhile, I brewed my first all-grain batch of beer in November, an oatmeal stout. For you brewers out there, its now in secondary with 3 vanilla beans. I plan to bottle around Christmas, to be ready by new years (the forced-carbonated stuff - the regular bottled stuff won't be ready until a few weeks after that.)
I think the next batch will be an all-grain version of the Scottish ale that was my first brew. My brew buddy and I both really liked that one.
Thats all for now, more later, hopefully less than 7 months next time.
Meanwhile, I brewed my first all-grain batch of beer in November, an oatmeal stout. For you brewers out there, its now in secondary with 3 vanilla beans. I plan to bottle around Christmas, to be ready by new years (the forced-carbonated stuff - the regular bottled stuff won't be ready until a few weeks after that.)
I think the next batch will be an all-grain version of the Scottish ale that was my first brew. My brew buddy and I both really liked that one.
Thats all for now, more later, hopefully less than 7 months next time.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
HomeBrew!
Wow! My buddy and I brewed out second batch of homebrew on Saturday. (An American Amber, using a kit from Beer, Beer, and More Beer, using Chico yeast scrounged from the local microbrew). Primary ferment was pretty sluggish, but I put a blow-off tube on just for principles sake. Good thing I did. The carboy has all its head-space full of krausen, and the tube is full of chunks. If I had just used an airlock, I would have been cleaning krausen off the kitchen ceiling, and trying to persuade my wife to let me brew again. The Beer Gods have smiled upon me once again.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Sorry for the Pause
Man! What a month!
Sorry to have been away for so long, but I've been busy. My 3 year old son was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, (more about that later) and I took up homebrewing. My car was damaged in a hit and run (We're all fine, thanks for asking), and my family room carpet was waterlogged by a leak after the torrential rains we've been having here in SoCal. All this while trying to maintain my fencing and work full time. *sigh* I'm tired.
Now that things are calming down, I'll try to post more regularly.
Sorry to have been away for so long, but I've been busy. My 3 year old son was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, (more about that later) and I took up homebrewing. My car was damaged in a hit and run (We're all fine, thanks for asking), and my family room carpet was waterlogged by a leak after the torrential rains we've been having here in SoCal. All this while trying to maintain my fencing and work full time. *sigh* I'm tired.
Now that things are calming down, I'll try to post more regularly.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
More info on fencing
I hope I have piqued your interest in fencing. For more information, I strongly recommend that you check out a few websites:
United States Fencing Association (USFA)
Fencing101
Lastly, for those of you in Southern California, here is the Salle (French for "room") at which I fence:
Salle MacBean
United States Fencing Association (USFA)
Fencing101
Lastly, for those of you in Southern California, here is the Salle (French for "room") at which I fence:
Salle MacBean
Friday, January 21, 2005
Electronic scoring
All three weapons are now scored electronically at pretty much any event above the club level (and a fair number of club events are as well). That is not to say there is no room for interpretation. Remember that two of the three weapons have right-of-way, so even when one person's scoring light comes on (indicating a touch to valid target), that person still may not be awarded a touch, if they did not have right of way.
Scoring for foil is done with the use of a lame (there should be an accent over the 'e' and it is pronounced lamay), which is a vest made of a metal mesh that is worn over the regular uniform, just covering the torso. The fencer also feeds a cord with two wires up his or her sleeve that plug into a socket inside the bell guard of the foil. Those 2 wires, plus a third clipped to the lame, connect to a socket on the end of a cable wound on a spring loaded reel at the end of the strip. As the fencer moves down the strip, cable feeds out, and it rewinds as the fencer retreats. The reels are connected to a scoring box. So, when fencer A touches fencer B, a button on the tip of his foil is pressed, opening a circuit. If the button is depressed against B's lame, a new circuit closes, and the box registers a valid touch. If the button presses against another part (not lame), the box registers a "white light" or off-target touch. The fencer's bell guards and (at higher levels) the floor of the fencing strip are grounded, so a touch to either place registers nothing. The director has to keep an eye on both fencers and the box, in order to determine who touched who, and who had right of way.
Epee is a little simpler - no lames, as the whole body is target. This time depressing the button on the tip of the epee closes a circuit that is open normally. No white lights, as nothing is off-target. I believe that epee was the first weapon to be scored electronically, possibly even back in the late 1800's.
Saberist have to wear lames (they cover the torso and arms, and there is a glove piece that covers the forearm of the weapon hand that is called a manchette). As the mask is also target, they have a little wire that attaches the back of the mask to the lame making it part of the same circuit. The system has to be a little different from here on. Saber stikes with the edge of the blade as well as the tip, so a simple button won't work. Originally, there was a device built into the guard of electric sabers called a capteur, that had a spring loaded ball bearing in it. It was designed to only complete the circuit if the touch was strong enough to move the ball bearing, and was in the correct orientation (in other words you had to hit hard enough and with the edge or tip, but not the flat, of the blade.) This was great in theory, but in reality, the capteurs would jam up, or be too sensitive, or one of a thousand other problems. Because of that, the fencing organization did away with capteurs, leaving just the blade. What this means is that the sabereur now holds what amounts to an electrified stick that he had to touch his opponent with above the waist. Touches made with the flat of the blade count just as well as tip or edge touches. Not being a sabereur, I can't comment on what this has done to the sport.
In his book "Magnum Libre D'Escrime" ("The Big Book of Fencing"), Dr. Rudy Volkman makes a comment that "Someday some one will hold a meet at which there are absolutely no problems with any of the electrical equipment. I suspect that the news of this event will be buried back on page eleven of the newspapers, however, with the first ten pages taken by the news that Hell has frozen over."
Electrical scoring is both a boon and the bane of many a fencer's existance. It has helped end squabbles along the lines of "You didn't touch me! Yes I did!" However, the failure rate is such that fencers can be penalized for showing up at the strip without at least 2 complete
sets of weapons and body cords in working order.
That being said, there is nothing sweeter than stepping in and attacking an opponent who way outclasses you, hearing the telltale "BZZZZT!" and looking over to see your light is the only one lit.
-Keith
Scoring for foil is done with the use of a lame (there should be an accent over the 'e' and it is pronounced lamay), which is a vest made of a metal mesh that is worn over the regular uniform, just covering the torso. The fencer also feeds a cord with two wires up his or her sleeve that plug into a socket inside the bell guard of the foil. Those 2 wires, plus a third clipped to the lame, connect to a socket on the end of a cable wound on a spring loaded reel at the end of the strip. As the fencer moves down the strip, cable feeds out, and it rewinds as the fencer retreats. The reels are connected to a scoring box. So, when fencer A touches fencer B, a button on the tip of his foil is pressed, opening a circuit. If the button is depressed against B's lame, a new circuit closes, and the box registers a valid touch. If the button presses against another part (not lame), the box registers a "white light" or off-target touch. The fencer's bell guards and (at higher levels) the floor of the fencing strip are grounded, so a touch to either place registers nothing. The director has to keep an eye on both fencers and the box, in order to determine who touched who, and who had right of way.
Epee is a little simpler - no lames, as the whole body is target. This time depressing the button on the tip of the epee closes a circuit that is open normally. No white lights, as nothing is off-target. I believe that epee was the first weapon to be scored electronically, possibly even back in the late 1800's.
Saberist have to wear lames (they cover the torso and arms, and there is a glove piece that covers the forearm of the weapon hand that is called a manchette). As the mask is also target, they have a little wire that attaches the back of the mask to the lame making it part of the same circuit. The system has to be a little different from here on. Saber stikes with the edge of the blade as well as the tip, so a simple button won't work. Originally, there was a device built into the guard of electric sabers called a capteur, that had a spring loaded ball bearing in it. It was designed to only complete the circuit if the touch was strong enough to move the ball bearing, and was in the correct orientation (in other words you had to hit hard enough and with the edge or tip, but not the flat, of the blade.) This was great in theory, but in reality, the capteurs would jam up, or be too sensitive, or one of a thousand other problems. Because of that, the fencing organization did away with capteurs, leaving just the blade. What this means is that the sabereur now holds what amounts to an electrified stick that he had to touch his opponent with above the waist. Touches made with the flat of the blade count just as well as tip or edge touches. Not being a sabereur, I can't comment on what this has done to the sport.
In his book "Magnum Libre D'Escrime" ("The Big Book of Fencing"), Dr. Rudy Volkman makes a comment that "Someday some one will hold a meet at which there are absolutely no problems with any of the electrical equipment. I suspect that the news of this event will be buried back on page eleven of the newspapers, however, with the first ten pages taken by the news that Hell has frozen over."
Electrical scoring is both a boon and the bane of many a fencer's existance. It has helped end squabbles along the lines of "You didn't touch me! Yes I did!" However, the failure rate is such that fencers can be penalized for showing up at the strip without at least 2 complete
sets of weapons and body cords in working order.
That being said, there is nothing sweeter than stepping in and attacking an opponent who way outclasses you, hearing the telltale "BZZZZT!" and looking over to see your light is the only one lit.
-Keith
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Fencing Primer #3
Saber
The third and final weapon of the three is saber. Saber is the lightest and fastest of the three weapons. It is a right of way weapon and the target area is the entire body from the waist up, including the mask. It's blade has a triangular cross-section, and the guard extends from the bell around to the pommel, thus protecting the knuckles. Unlike foil and epee, saber may attack with the edge of the blade as well as the point. Cuts are also allowed with the back of the blade, but only the third or so closest to the point. Saber is derived from the Hungarian cavalry saber (hence the target area - thats the only area of a mounted cavalryman you can hit without hitting his horse, which was considered bad form...), and the Hungarians did dominate the sport for many years. Saber is the only weapon of the three that the US has medaled in at the Olympics in many years (Peter Westbrook took bronze in '84, and then Mariel Zagunis took gold and Sada Jacobsen took bronze in '04, the first time women's saber was offered as an olympic sport). Saber was also one of the last weapons to be scored electronically. That will be my next topic - electronic scoring.
The third and final weapon of the three is saber. Saber is the lightest and fastest of the three weapons. It is a right of way weapon and the target area is the entire body from the waist up, including the mask. It's blade has a triangular cross-section, and the guard extends from the bell around to the pommel, thus protecting the knuckles. Unlike foil and epee, saber may attack with the edge of the blade as well as the point. Cuts are also allowed with the back of the blade, but only the third or so closest to the point. Saber is derived from the Hungarian cavalry saber (hence the target area - thats the only area of a mounted cavalryman you can hit without hitting his horse, which was considered bad form...), and the Hungarians did dominate the sport for many years. Saber is the only weapon of the three that the US has medaled in at the Olympics in many years (Peter Westbrook took bronze in '84, and then Mariel Zagunis took gold and Sada Jacobsen took bronze in '04, the first time women's saber was offered as an olympic sport). Saber was also one of the last weapons to be scored electronically. That will be my next topic - electronic scoring.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Google AdSense
Google pulled the plug on my AdSense account. They said that I clicked on ads from within my blog, which is a no-no. I may have - I can't remember. I'm still trying to figure out how everything works. Anyway, no more adbar. I don't think I'd made more than a few bucks anyway, and its not like it cost me anything. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Maybe I'll see if anyone else is offering a similar service.
I think I'll try a new blog template as well, just for ha-has
I think I'll try a new blog template as well, just for ha-has
Thursday, January 13, 2005
my2way
BWAHAHAHA! Bow down ye puny mortals! I now possess a Gmail account! A full gigabyte of storage. Nothing can stop me!
Keith Anderson, NP
Keith Anderson, NP
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Fencing Primer #2
Epee: The Weapon of the Gods!
OK, so maybe I'm a little biased. Epee is generally the second weapon a fencer learns, but the rule is no longer hard and fast. Some people go straight to epee or even saber, but the generally recognised course is foil -> epee -> saber. Epee is the heaviest of the three weapons, with a blade that is triangular in cross-section and a larger, deeper bell guard that covers the whole hand. It is, like foil, a thrusting only weapon, with points only being scored with the tip. However, the whole body is target area, from the top of the mask, to the soles of the feet (yes, it's been done, I've seen video - the guy on the right kicked up his front foot to lunge, and the guy on the left dropped his tip and nailed him on the sole of the foot). There is also no right of way in epee! If both people land touches within 1/25th of a second of each other, they both get a point (1/25th of a second after one person touches, the scoring box locks out any further touches). In epee, you parry less and counter-attack more, bearing in mind that if you are down a few points, scoring double touches will win the bout for your opponent.
Epee is supposed to be a tru(er) representation of rapier dueling - I want that guy dead, and I'm willing to die (or at least take a hit) to see that happen. Foil, on the other hand, represents dueling with small swords in a more enlightened time when a mere nick (first blood) was enough to satisfy honor. This explains the right of way - I'm not going to risk taking a wound when all I have to do is nick the guy - I'm going to block before I attack. What is weird about this is that in epee, the most common target is the weapon hand and arm, which is much less likely to yield a lethal wound, while foil only attacks the torso, where all the vital organs are. Go figure.
Next time:
Saber
OK, so maybe I'm a little biased. Epee is generally the second weapon a fencer learns, but the rule is no longer hard and fast. Some people go straight to epee or even saber, but the generally recognised course is foil -> epee -> saber. Epee is the heaviest of the three weapons, with a blade that is triangular in cross-section and a larger, deeper bell guard that covers the whole hand. It is, like foil, a thrusting only weapon, with points only being scored with the tip. However, the whole body is target area, from the top of the mask, to the soles of the feet (yes, it's been done, I've seen video - the guy on the right kicked up his front foot to lunge, and the guy on the left dropped his tip and nailed him on the sole of the foot). There is also no right of way in epee! If both people land touches within 1/25th of a second of each other, they both get a point (1/25th of a second after one person touches, the scoring box locks out any further touches). In epee, you parry less and counter-attack more, bearing in mind that if you are down a few points, scoring double touches will win the bout for your opponent.
Epee is supposed to be a tru(er) representation of rapier dueling - I want that guy dead, and I'm willing to die (or at least take a hit) to see that happen. Foil, on the other hand, represents dueling with small swords in a more enlightened time when a mere nick (first blood) was enough to satisfy honor. This explains the right of way - I'm not going to risk taking a wound when all I have to do is nick the guy - I'm going to block before I attack. What is weird about this is that in epee, the most common target is the weapon hand and arm, which is much less likely to yield a lethal wound, while foil only attacks the torso, where all the vital organs are. Go figure.
Next time:
Saber
Monday, January 10, 2005
Fencing Primer #1
Foil: Foil is generally the first weapon a beginning fencer learns. It has a rectangular cross-section, and a round guard. Points may be scored by thrusting with the tip only (in competition there is a button on the tip that completes a circuit). The valid target area is the torso only (front and back) from the shoulder seams in, and down to the groin. Foil is also a right-of-way (ROW) weapon. This means that if one fencer has initiated his attack by extending his or her arm AND threatening valid target, the other fencer may not counter-attack until somehow dealing with the incoming attack. This can be by parrying (blocking) or simply moving out of the way. Note that the arm must be extendED, not extendING to constitute an attack. If one fencer sees the other starting to move and gets his or her arm straight first, then he or she gets ROW.
It seems complicated, but really it isn't. The hard part is learning to spot who had their arm out first. Oh, and footwork. That's hard too. Oh yeah, point control can be a bitch too... OK, maybe it is a little complicated, but then so are the rules to football. Its still fun.
Next primer:
Epee: The Weapon of the Gods!
It seems complicated, but really it isn't. The hard part is learning to spot who had their arm out first. Oh, and footwork. That's hard too. Oh yeah, point control can be a bitch too... OK, maybe it is a little complicated, but then so are the rules to football. Its still fun.
Next primer:
Epee: The Weapon of the Gods!
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Fencing Friday
I went to open floor fencing last night. What a Blast - I'm still sore! Managed to fence 4 or 5 bouts to 5 points in an hour. Got my ass kicked most of the time (no surprise there), But I did manage a few sweet single light points (I was fencing epee). I've noticed that if I fence foil for a week or two and then pick up an epee, I can't hit anything for the first three bouts or so. Then I nailed somebody in the mask and pulled a sweet disengage to touch on the bicep of someone else. Still lost both bouts, but I made them work for it. I have about 4 decent bruises to show where I walked right into attacks though.
I guess I'm going to have to include a primer on fencing in the next few posts, and I'll include a few links for anyone that is interested. I have too much other stuff to do right now (yes, even on a Saturday night.) Sigh.
-Keith
I guess I'm going to have to include a primer on fencing in the next few posts, and I'll include a few links for anyone that is interested. I have too much other stuff to do right now (yes, even on a Saturday night.) Sigh.
-Keith
Friday, January 07, 2005
Blog reformating
Well, I have the ad bar and the search bar at the top now. Please use them to search or to click through to a sponsor. I need the cash. If you are interested in total joint replacement, I suggest you search for : total knee (or hip, or shoulder, whatever) arthroplasty, or look for the major manufacturers - DePuy, Stryker-Homedica-Osteonics, Zimmer, Encore, etc. Most of them have very educational websites. You can also look at the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons' website. They will help you pick a surgeon.
-Keith
-Keith
Thursday, January 06, 2005
interesting ads
Interesting. Google looked at the blog and came up with nursing and NP educational stuff (Cool!) and lawyers trying to file lawsuits about a certain drug beginning with V and ending with X. Lets try something else. Has anyone seen the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?" I loved it. What about "Hero?" The cinematography was stunning. "The Matrix Reloaded" was kind of Blah. I rented from blockbuster, but I'm thinking about trying netflix. Any comments?
-Keith
-Keith
Email posting
I just received a comment about posting by email. If you are blogging on blogspot.com (I think it is now blogger.com), there is a section under setting where you get to set up a secret email address based on your signon that lets you post by email. Since you can send emails from practically anywhere these days (cellphones, pagers, RIM Blackberries, a laptop in Starbucks) you could (if you wanted to be obsessive-compulsive about it) post every few minutes throughout the day and night.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Signed up with Google's AdSense program. Take a look down at the bottom of the page. There is a banner ad there. Click on something, I get paid. Not a lot, but every bit helps. Supposedly Google is going to make the ads relevant to what I talk about, so lets check it out. I should be able to talk about Bextra, Celebex, Vioxx and Mobic (all excellent choices for osteoarthritis, unless you have other health problems), and I should start seeing ads for Pharmacia and Pfizer, or online drug stores, or the national arthritis foundation. We'll see what they come up with next time the site is crawled.
There is also a Google search box down there too, so If you want to do further research on something I'm talking about, please look it up.
There is also a Google search box down there too, so If you want to do further research on something I'm talking about, please look it up.
my2way
California's new controlled substance prescibing law is KILLING ME! What was supposed to make life easier (NP's can write for Schedule II drugs, no more triplicates), is, in fact, making my life miserable. Turns out that ALL controlled substances have to go on a new "secure" prescription, and no one wants to buy them for me (but I can't buy my own...) Fun, Fun, Fun.
Keith Anderson, NP
Keith Anderson, NP
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
A word on Recalls
I wanted to comment on medical device and drug recalls. I work in orthopedics, specializing in total joint replacements (mostly total hips and total knees). When Sulzer had to recall a batch of total hips, it rocked the orthopedic world. Lawsuits flourished, and I believe that Sulzer ultimately had to spin their implant wing into a separate company to stop the payouts taking down the whole company (this is heresay, and I don't know if it is actually true - do your own research).
Then came Vioxx. While there are at least 2 other COX-2 inhibitors on the market (Celebrex and Bextra, and if you believe the drug reps, Mobic as well), it forced us to change our practice. The increased heart attack risk from Vioxx has tainted the other COX-2s, and people are getting paranoid. The thing to remember is that all drugs have side-effects (anyone who says otherwise is lying, clueless, or selling something). Many of those drug side-effects are at least potentially lethal. The question to ask yourself is: "Do the benefits outweigh the risks?" Stay informed, research your medications (google is my search engine of choice), and talk to your healthcare provider. Remember that if you think your medication is causing a side-effect, tell your healthcare provider or pharmacist to report it. The FDA keeps track of these things through what they call ADRs or "Adverse Drug Reaction" reports. It is through this process that the FDA gathers information. From this data they can add or change warnings, notify healthcare providers about new findings, or order recalls.
Then came Vioxx. While there are at least 2 other COX-2 inhibitors on the market (Celebrex and Bextra, and if you believe the drug reps, Mobic as well), it forced us to change our practice. The increased heart attack risk from Vioxx has tainted the other COX-2s, and people are getting paranoid. The thing to remember is that all drugs have side-effects (anyone who says otherwise is lying, clueless, or selling something). Many of those drug side-effects are at least potentially lethal. The question to ask yourself is: "Do the benefits outweigh the risks?" Stay informed, research your medications (google is my search engine of choice), and talk to your healthcare provider. Remember that if you think your medication is causing a side-effect, tell your healthcare provider or pharmacist to report it. The FDA keeps track of these things through what they call ADRs or "Adverse Drug Reaction" reports. It is through this process that the FDA gathers information. From this data they can add or change warnings, notify healthcare providers about new findings, or order recalls.
my2way
Hi all. Just testing to see if I can post by email. Things could get interesting if this works. The joy of wireless conectivity means I could post from practically anywhere. The possibilities are mind-boggling.
Keith Anderson, NP
Keith Anderson, NP
Monday, January 03, 2005
Hello all!
Hi folks. This is my first attempt at a blog, so we'll see how things go.
A little about myself -
I'm married (12 years!), just turned 37 in December, and I have one son, aged 3. I work as a nurse practitioner in southern California (in orthopedics), and I fence (no, not chainlink, the kind that involves a foil, epee, or saber, lightning speed and cat-like reflexes... more on that later)
Anyway. I will sign off this first entry, and be back soon. Maybe tomorrow.
A little about myself -
I'm married (12 years!), just turned 37 in December, and I have one son, aged 3. I work as a nurse practitioner in southern California (in orthopedics), and I fence (no, not chainlink, the kind that involves a foil, epee, or saber, lightning speed and cat-like reflexes... more on that later)
Anyway. I will sign off this first entry, and be back soon. Maybe tomorrow.
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