Author Archives: bilborg

About bilborg

I am who I am, there's plenty of data on this site to tell you more. Briefly, I'm a husband, computer geek, avid reader, gardener, and builder of furniture.

Afghanistan claims more blood

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Our condolences to the families and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Spc. Scott D. Smith, 36, of Indianapolis, Indiana, died June 17 at Khowst province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident.
  • Pfc. Brian J. Backus, 21, of Saginaw Township, Michigan, died June 18, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire.
  • Pfc. Gustavo A. Rios-Ordonez, 25, of Englewood, Ohio, died June 20 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
  • Sgt. James W. Harvey II, 23, of Toms River, New Jersey, died June 20 in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Alvin A. Boatwright, 33, of Lodge, South Carolina, died June 18 in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered during a vehicle roll-over.
  • Sgt. Edward F. Dixon III, 37, of Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, died June 18 in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered during a vehicle roll-over.
  • Staff Sgt. Alan L. Snyder, 28, from Blackstone, Massachusetts, died June 18 in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered during a vehicle roll-over.
  • Spc. Tyler R. Kreinz, 21, of Beloit, Wisconsin, died June 18 in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered during a vehicle roll-over.
  • Lance Cpl. Jared C. Verbeek, 22, of Visalia, California, died June 21 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Pfc. Joshua L. Jetton, 21, of Sebring, Florida, died June 20 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire.
  • Spc. Levi E. Nuncio, 24, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, died June 22 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire.
  • Cpl. Gurpreet Singh, 21, of Antelope, California, died June 22 from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Spc. Nicholas C. D. Hensley, 28, of Prattville, Alabama, died June 24, in Landstuhl, Germany from injuries sustained in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on June 15 when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

T-Minus Four Days

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It seems that Jerry’s moved over to the new host, with Rick Hellewell’s capable assistance. I’ve got one or two more sites to flip over, then I think nearly everything’s off of Zidane. Checking, I see a couple of remaining problem children besides mine. So I’m sending a few emails to remind people that the box goes away on Thursday, 6/30.

Now I should move Marcia’s last site, and set up some posting methods for her. Ciao!

Commercial news

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I saw a Lexus commercial accidentally while watching Mythbusters. The context is appropriate because … I’ll return to that thought. Anyway, the takeaway concept is also found on this automaker page:

Lexus vehicles, now, and certainly in the future, could be powered by a whole range of different energy sources. Lexus Hybrid Drive can be used to optimize any power source, whether it’s an internal-combustion engine like we have today or some future power source.

My initial thought after dropping a bit of anti-matter into the fuel tank is … where’d the car go? Fast, eh? Or not. And now we’re back to Mythbusters, and why my immediate reaction to that statement was so appropriate to the context. The funny part is that this was one of the less-exciting non-exploding episodes.

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Pfizer is in court to extend the patent-coverage of one of the corporation’s most lucrative drugs by several more years by claiming that it’s covered by a second patent that doesn’t expire until 2019. This would have an upward-enhancing effect on Pfizer’s revenues, but an additional (some might say “off-label”) effect of making Teva’s earnings limp along for about seven years.

I thought I had a funny joke about this topic relative to former Congressman Weiner (whose page is still up at the moment – oh, “up”, eh? There’s a connection, eh, nudge nudge, wink wink.) Something related to publicly available prior art … but any activities in the last couple of years certainly isn’t very prior.

*   *   *

Time to walk the dog. I’m on call for a few extra days, for several different reasons that seemed good to someone (else) at some time in the recent past. Between that and school, I’m actually pretty whacked. I might try to get to sleep before 11 tonight. Ciao!

When there are no tomatoes

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Potatoes and zucchini

Potatoes and zucchini

When the tomatoes are still two or three weeks away, eat what’s coming out of the garden. So, some potatoes and zucchini, a couple of small serrano peppers, and an over-grown green onion (all that out of the garden) with a chunk of garlic and a bit of left over pork, all simmered together … well, that  makes supper and two lunches. Yow, and those peppers are HOT!

What? No, I used just two of the smaller zucchini, and about 1/3 of the potatoes. Going to have to think of more stuff, because unlike salsa, I don’t see zucchini as a breakfast food.

Eleven more

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Our condolences to the families and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Capt. Michael W. Newton, 30, of Newport News, Virginia,died June 11 at Faryab province, Afghanistan,of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident.
  • Lance Cpl. Joshua B. McDaniels, 21, of Dublin, Ohio, died June 12 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Lance Cpl. Sean M. N. O’Connor, 22, of Douglas, Wyoming, died June 12 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Lance Cpl. Jason D. Hill, 20, of Poway, California, died June 11 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Staff Sgt. Nicholas P. Bellard, 26, of El Paso, Texas, died June 13 in Wasit province, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
  • Sgt. Glenn M. Sewell, 23, of Live Oak, Texas, died June 13 in Wasit province, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
  • Staff Sgt. Jeremy A. Katzenberger, 26, of Weatherby Lake, Missouri, died June 14 in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire.
  • Pfc. Eric D. Soufrine, 20, of Woodbridge, Connecticut, died June 14 in Farah province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.
  • Pvt. Ryan J. Larson, 19, of Friendship, Wisconsin, died June 15 at Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
  • Sgt. Mark A. Bradley, 25, of Cuba, New York, died June 16 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Spc. Marcos A. Cintron, 32, of Orlando, Florida, died June 16 at a medical facility in Boston, Mass., of wounds suffered June 6 at Baghdad, Iraq, when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire.

 

Zucchini

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Zucchini from the garden

Zucchini from the garden

The zucchini – the smallest is 3/4″ diameter by about 5″ long, and the cup measure partly visible in the upper right corner yields more scale for your eyes. Good to harvest out so that the plant keeps working at new veg, rather than making monsters (which we’ve done in the past). Not much else to say – school work this evening after spending some of yesterday at work, and the balance of the day helping the folks from Cottonseed Glory set up Marcia’s new Handi Quilter machine into the evening. Marcia == v.v.happy! Ciao!

Save Ferris

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Roasting Panamanian

Roasting Panamanian

Yeah, there’s crappy news from around the world, but I’ll just keep trying to make lemonade. Or at least a really good cup of coffee. The bright spot in visiting CNN today was seeing a picture of the young Matthew Broderick, and thinking to myself, “SAVE FERRIS!”

On the coffee front, there’s Sweet Maria’s to help me with that. Tonight I roasted a pound of Panama Las Flores de Boquete using my Behmor 1600 roaster, profile P4, D mod. I let it run the full 23 minute roast cycle, and it took the coffee about a minute past first crack, which is right in the center of the recommended range for these beans. They’ll rest for the next day and a half, so my first pot from this batch is Friday morning.

While I could brew from this tomorrow, it’s generally been my experience (reinforced by the information from @sweetmarias) that the flavor of unburnt coffee really develops considerably when it’s rested for 24 hours or more after roasting. Yes, brewing from it tomorrow, it would taste like coffee. But on Friday, it’ll taste like really, really good super yummy coffee, and may stay on the upslope of flavor change for 3 or 4 days before starting on a slow decline. By then, I’ll be two days from roasting the next batch – I generally get 6 days or a week out of a roasted pound of coffee, depending on bean size and how much coffee Marcia wants me to brew. I can get a week of 10-cup pots from almost any pound of beans.

Be well.

June weather visits for a bit

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Potatoes and zucchini

Potatoes and zucchini

When I go out into the back garden after work, it’s a good time to let Lexi roam back there for a bit.  We’re concerned that she’ll discover and widen a rabbit gap, and make her great escape. So she doesn’t get unmonitored play time in the back yard. I suppose I should do something about that one of these days. Not today, but maybe in the fall. Meantime, the garden is becoming productive. Frankly, those potatoes look yummy. Red potatoes have always been more visually appealing, but fresh out of the ground is a world of difference compared to the dirty brown/reddish color of the store-bought ones. Count me as super-pleased on this experiment.

Today: the second day of June weather. Previously, we’d been “enjoying” late July weather, with overnight lows in the mid-80’s. For this week, we’re barely breaking into those temps for highs! And better yet, this is supposed to last for the week. If only we’d get a couple of good soaking rains.

Tonight: Relational Algebra and Relational Calculus: I sure know how to party, eh?

In Harm’s Way

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Our condolences to the families and units of these fallen warriors:

  • Cpl. Paul W. Zanowick II, 23, of Miamisburg, Ohio, died June 3 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Sgt. Christopher R. Bell, 21, of Golden, Mississippi, died of wounds suffered June 4, in Laghman province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
  • Sgt. Joshua D. Powell, 28, of Quitman, Texas, died of wounds suffered June 4, in Laghman province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
  • Spc. Devin A. Snyder, 20, of Cohocton, New York, died of wounds suffered June 4, in Laghman province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
  • Spc. Robert L. Voakes Jr., 21, of L’Anse, Michigan, died of wounds suffered June 4, in Laghman province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
  • Chief Warrant Officer Kenneth R. White, 35, of Fort Collins, Colorado, died June 5, in Khost province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered as the result of a helicopter crash.
  • Chief Warrant Officer Bradley J. Gaudet, 31, of Gladewater, Texas, died June 5, in Khost province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered as the result of a helicopter crash.
  • Sgt. Joseph M. Garrison, 27, of New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, died June 6 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Cpl. William J. Woitowicz, 23, of Middlesex, Massachusetts, died June 7 while conducting combat operations in Badghis province, Afghanistan.
  • Spc. Emilio J. Campo Jr., 20, of Madelia, Minnesota, died June 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire.
  • Spc. Michael B. Cook Jr., 27, of Middletown, Ohio, died June 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire.
  • Spc. Christopher B. Fishbeck, 24, of Victorville, California, died June 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire.
  • Spc. Robert P. Hartwick, 20, of Rockbridge, Ohio, died June 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire.
  • Pfc. Michael C. Olivieri, 26, Chicago, Illinois, died June 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with indirect fire.
  • Cpl. Matthew T. Richard, 21, of Acadia, Louisiana, died June 9 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
  • Pfc. Matthew J. England, 22, of Gainesville, Missouri, died June 8, in An Najaf province, Iraq, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.
  • Lance Cpl. Nicholas S. O’Brien, 21, of Stanley, North Carolina, died June 9 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.