Month: November 2014

  • Music Appreciation – Keith Emerson

    Music Appreciation – Keith Emerson

    When two progressive rock (prog rock) fans get together, there is really only one question that matters. Wakeman or Emerson.

    If neither of these names rings a bell with you, then you might as well navigate away now.

    The question is who do you prefer, Rick Wakemen (keyboard player from Yes, and who has had a prolific solo career with probably 100 albums), and Keith Emerson, master of the modular Moog. Two different styles, yet inextricably linked to the genesis of the Progressive Rock phenomenon of the 1970’s.

    Keith Emerson

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  • Time – How barbaric is DST

    Time – How barbaric is DST

    Having lived for 11 years in the civilized enclave that is Arizona, my first cycle back to barbarism is today. I speak of the biennial changing of the clocks.

    Today is supposed to be the “good” switch, where you gain an hour. At 2:00AM the time is magically 1:00 and you get this extra hour of sleep. And you get to hear all the people at work say how they “gained an hour” over the weekend.

    Balderdash, you gained nothing, because in the spring you set the clocks ahead, and lose an hour. That week you hear nothing but grumbling about the hour that they lost when the clocks switch ahead.

    Of course the common misperception is that Benjamin Franklin was the father of DST, and that it was instituted to serve the farmers of our agrarian population. Again, more bollocks.

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  • Saying goodbye to an old friend

    Saying goodbye to an old friend

    Today, I lay to rest an old faithful friend. She joined our household for Christmas in 2007, and has been a faithful servant ever since. Alas, the end must come for all, and that day is today.

    Of course, I am talking about our Capresso coffee maker. Back when I bought her, it was the “best” insulated carafe coffee maker for the domestic market. At least according to what was available (not many options), and what the reviews were.

    Your typical cone filter drip coffee maker, it had a timer (which we never once used), a charcoal filter, and it made great coffee.

    My recollection is that it cost about ~$110 back in 2007, so for about $15.71 a year, + coffee it made over 2,500 pots of coffee. Not a bad life.

    However, the base of the unit was beginning to corrode (ok, rust), and the stainless of the carafe was also beginning to rust.

    I was happy to live with those blemishes, as it still made great coffee. Yet, as the end drew near, I began to notice that the full pot cycle wasn’t brewing a full pot, leaving 3-4 cups in the reservoir. A deep cleaning and descaling failed to rectify that condition, and thus her fate was sealed.

    She can go to her recycling bin rendezvous knowing that she was appreciated.

    Betsy, our new coffee makerThe replacement maker, a Bonavita unit, with a vacuum carafe (keeps the coffee hot longer) arrived yesterday. This morning it brewed its first pot. Ahhhhhh. The reviews on Amazon were right. It does make an awesome pot of coffee.

    It is a bit more minimal than the Capresso. There is no timer, no small batch mode, and it doesn’t even have a pause and serve mode. It has an on button (with auto off), the vacuum insulated carafe, and that is it.

    But it makes fabulous coffee.