First World War Offiicially Ends

Image via Wikipedia

Signing of Treaty of Versailles

The first World War, "The war to end all wars", ended for most of us in 1919 at the Treaty of Versailles. After 92 years, it will end on Sunday. I love military history, but this one eluded me. The article in the Telegraph:First World War officially ends, has more details, and it is an amazing story. Congratulations to Germany for repaying their reparations. I appreciate their tenacity, and sense of responsibility. There are a number of "Allies" which borrowed extensively from the U.S. during both wars that still have yet to pay their debts back. Germany which had many reasons not to do it has "done the right thing".  Unfortunately this lesson in responsibility will be lost on most Americans, especially the current generation.

Congrats Germany (Deutschland) on doing the right thing, and let us all put the "War to end all wars" behind us, and look forward to the future.

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Russian Soyuz Finally All-Digital

Image via Wikipedia

Soyuz TMA-6

The IEEE Spectrum had a story about the final upgrades being done to the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to make it finally all digital. Our standing as a space nation will take a major blow when the Space Shuttle fleet is placed in retirement. The Russian Soyuz (over 40 years old) will pick up the slack with more missions to keep the International Space Station manned.

These final upgrades on the Soyuz will hopefully keep it operational while the U.S. determines the next launch vehicle to replace the Space Shuttle.

A Digital Soyuz

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Book Review: Out of the Silent Planet

Cover via Amazon

I read the C.S. Lewis book called Out of the Silent Planet this weekend. It was a quick read. The book was written prior to actual space flight, and planetary exploration. As such, a number of the science fiction elements are not believable in our modern world. When the book was written, its fanciful depiction of life on Malacandra was probably more believable.

The book has a couple of subtle, and not so subtle undertones. One of the topics was discrimination. I guess it would be more apt to call it Xenophobia. The other topic is an extension of manifest destiny of mankind.

The book is not as well known as Mr. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. Today's fantasy relevance is questionable, but the intellectual and social topics of manifest destiny, and discrimination are universal; pardon the pun.

As I read the book, and figured out which planet in our solar system it represented, I decided to move it to another planetary system like Alpha Centuri to make it more relevant.

It is something worth reading if you are a sci-fiction fan, and it is an extension of H.G. Wells "First Man in the Moon" which I previously reviewed.

I don't want to spoil the read so I will not say anything about it per se. I would note that some of the fiction turns out to not be such fantasy. I love reading old science fiction, and seeing where the authors predictions have come true, or fallen short. Take a read and let me know what you found that has come to pass.

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Exploding Manholes

Ornate Manhole Cover - Freiburg im Breisgau

I just read an article in CIO Magazine in the section called finish. The article is called "Don't Blow Your Top". The short article details some of the work being done by Columbia University and ConEd to detect potential issues in the underground utility spaces like the build-up of explosive gasses.

The article reminded me of the real dangers with these underground utilities. The issues like fires, and explosions usually do not make the news, but are real dangers. I remember as a kid that they were tearing down an old utility station in Chicago. I was walking past with some friends, and we witnessed first hand what an underground utility explosion was like. Fortunately, the explosion was a manhole "popper", but did not do any visible (surface) damage. It was smoking, and smoldering so we ran away.

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Embarrasingly Hot...Remind Your Children

Datil Pepper

I love hot peppers. My oldest son, Ethan, loves them too. Ever since he was 4 years old, or so and I gave him some wasabi, he has been hooked. This is much to the chagrin of my wife who does not see the fascination in such seemingly painful hobbies.

I have always told my kids (both boys) that if you eat hot peppers, or anything spicy, to always spend at least five minutes scrubbing your hands like a surgeon before going to the bathroom. All it takes it one thermonuclear wing night with a font of eternal beer to convince you of this. Why? Well, hot wings to create the opportunity for pain, and beer for the lack of concentration on scrubbing. A lesson hopefully you learn once.

Roll forward...

Today, I had some of my wife's homemade chili. It is really good, and extremely flavorful. Only one issue, if you read the first paragraph you probably figured it out: MILD. I needed to spice it up a little. I had acquired some Datil peppers this weekend. They are the fourth hottest peppers in the world. I sliced the peppers up into little 1mm wide rings. I rinsed them off, and added them to the chili. So far so good.

I ate the chili, and it produced the expectant fire that I was looking for. Awesome! Having consumed a couple of fire extinguishers (not beer: milk). I had to go.

I scrubbed my hands for about 5 minutes, and then went.

The Fire...

About two minutes later, it began. The sudden realization that Datil pepper oil was now where it should never be. My wife starting watching me writhe in pain, and starting laughing. It was obvious what the issue was. Between chuckles, she managed to get out the word: shower.


When a Good Idea...becomes a Bad Idea...

The slight cooling effect was not enough to overcome the pain. I decided to soap up and rinse extensively. The problem is that the capsaicin is oil soluble. Soap works by emulsifying oils. This "fun soap" fact is brought to you by PAIN.

Okay, so now I have an oil emulsion that I am spreading evenly over my body. Are you getting the picture. I would like to call this new method of torture: spreading the love.

Eventually, about 30 minutes and a bar of soap later, I managed to get the pepper oil off enough so that it is a "warm" sensation.

I decided to share this funny story for entertainment, and to provide a lesson.

1. Use gloves when cooking, or otherwise manipulating any peppers on the top ten list.
2. Also wash for at least ten minutes with a focus on the underside of your nails.
3. Avoid putting your hands on your face especially near your eyes. (This was not the case with me. I put them someplace else...perhaps worse.)
   

Laugh..and enjoy.

Product Review: Technivorm Mochamaster KBT-741

Technivorm Mochamaster KBT-741

I purchased a Technivorm Mochamaster KBT-741 (Thermal Carafe). This coffee maker with a funny name is one of the best coffee makers I have ever purchased. For those of you who know me, I am...well let's just face it... a coffee snob.

My Krups thermal carafe coffee maker finally died. Don't buy the current generation of Krups thermal carafe coffee makers, they are awful. The first cup is OK, and then it goes down hill. If you don't believe me, check the reviews.

Anyway, I needed a new coffee maker. I read a bunch of reviews, and looked at a number of machines at various shops, but did not find a good fit. Finally, I called one of the online coffee retailers, and they told me about the Technivorm coffee makers. I had never heard Technivorm, and was a little reluctant to purchase one. I read the reviews on them, and was surprised that I had not heard of them before. Especially with the positive reviews. Unfortunately, there were not many reviews to consider. I decided to bite the bullet and get one.

What I like:

1. The coffee is stored in a thermal carafe which has an extended fill cap. The cap allows the coffee to fill the carafe near to bottom reducing thermal shock.
2. It has a separate plug for the carafe once the coffee is done brewing, and you expect it to not be consumed immediately. I don't use it often, but a nice feature.
3. The thermal carafe keeps the coffee warm for a long time.
4. The water reservoir and heated water lines are clear. You can see how much water is left, and if the brewer is still on.
5. Automatic brewer cut-off when brewing is complete, or if the carafe is removed from the brewer.
6. Sprinkler head form water injection. This evenly spreads the water over the grounds from proper steeping, and reduces thermal shock.
7. The filter has a closure so that you can fill one cup of coffee while it is brewing.
8. The filter has settings for off, 1-5, or 6-10 cups of coffee to control the steeping of the grounds.
9. The filter can contain the entire reservoir of water including coffee in case it becomes clogged, or you shut it off. This prevents messy overflows.
10. It brews a divine cup of coffee.

What I don't like:

1. It does not have an automatic mode to set it to run on a schedule. This is my biggest gripe.
2. It has a lot of parts to clean.
3. If the non-brew plug is in the carafe, it does not fit in the brewer.

In summary, I would recommend the Technivorm Mochamaster KBT-741 coffee maker to any coffee aficionado. The simple and functional design not only make a fantastic cup of coffee, but can be a beautiful conversation piece in your kitchen.