tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44737386556094729242024-03-13T12:52:51.176-04:00Counting BeansRusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-30421970437090675062011-02-28T22:34:00.000-05:002011-02-28T22:34:44.153-05:00The Road Goes Ever On...<dl><dd><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i0QAIgPigok/TWxmYPpLByI/AAAAAAAAAOw/f7unV6_--jY/s1600/2-27-11+117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i0QAIgPigok/TWxmYPpLByI/AAAAAAAAAOw/f7unV6_--jY/s320/2-27-11+117.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">A favorite verse of mine that I often think about as I head out for a run:<i> </i></div></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"><i>"The Road goes ever on and on</i></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"><i>Down from the door where it began.</i></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"><i>Now far ahead the Road has gone,</i></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"><i>And I must follow, if I can,</i></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"><i>Pursuing it with eager feet,</i></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"><i>Until it joins some larger way</i></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"><i>Where many paths and errands meet.</i></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"><i>And whither then? I cannot say."</i></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"></dd><dd style="text-align: center;"><i>J.R.R. Tolkien</i></dd><dd><i> </i></dd><dd><i> </i></dd></dl>Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-52223510378776089782011-01-22T16:54:00.000-05:002011-01-22T16:54:54.957-05:00Road Ends 5Mile<a href="http://www.trailmarathon.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=61">trailmarathon - Road Ends</a>: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"<br /><br />This will be my first official trail race. I'm really looking forward to it.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-25430293180276388902011-01-22T15:55:00.000-05:002011-01-22T15:55:29.554-05:00Rising from the Ashes...Wow, it's about time to resurrect this blog, dust it off and do something with it. First thing is to decide what it will be about. Assorted randomness? Stuff I think about while running? Coffee roasting, brewing and drinking? All of the above?Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-46379560422211398112010-04-02T18:15:00.000-04:002010-04-02T18:15:18.236-04:00The Hockey SongAppropriate for this time of year. Thank you Stompin' Tom Connors :-)<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><span class="txt_1"><div class="KonaBody"><div id="div_customCSS">Hello out there, were on the air<br />
it's hockey night tonight!<br />
The tension grows,<br />
the whistle blows,<br />
and the puck goes down the ice.<br />
The goalie jumps,<br />
and the players bump,<br />
and the fans all go insane.<br />
Someone roars:<br />
"Crosby Scores!"<br />
At the good old hockey game!<br />
<br />
(chorus)<br />
Oh!<br />
The good old hockey game!<br />
Its the best game you can name!<br />
And the best game you can name,<br />
is the good old hockey game!<br />
<br />
Second Period.<br />
Where players dash,<br />
with skates a-flash,<br />
the Red Wings trails behind.<br />
But they grab the puck,<br />
and go bursting up,<br />
and their down across the line.<br />
They storm the crease,<br />
like bumblebees,<br />
and they travel like a burning flame.<br />
We see them slide the puck inside,<br />
its a one- one hockey game!<br />
<br />
(chorus)<br />
Oh!<br />
The good old hockey game!<br />
Its the best game you can name!<br />
And the best game you can name,<br />
is the good old hockey game!<br />
<br />
Third Period.<br />
Last game in the play-offs too.<br />
Oh take me where the hockey players<br />
face off down the rink,<br />
And the Stanley Cup,<br />
is all filled up,<br />
for the champs who win the drink!<br />
Now the final flick,<br />
of a hockey stick,<br />
and a one gigantic scream:<br />
"THE PUCK IS IN! THE RED WINGS WIN!"<br />
At the good old hockey game<br />
<br />
OH!<br />
The good old hockey game!<br />
Its the best game you can name!<br />
And the best game you can name,<br />
is the good old hockey game!</div></div></span></center>Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-34633560722722297352010-03-29T21:38:00.000-04:002010-03-29T21:38:50.475-04:00LOL<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/saZETkviq4o&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/saZETkviq4o&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
If the Red Wings had lost, this wouldn't be so funny. Since they won, it's hilarious. Enjoy!Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-5772608253974237522010-03-28T22:59:00.000-04:002010-03-28T22:59:23.658-04:00More Geocaching Adventuring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S7AVjhT9kUI/AAAAAAAAALA/IA882THHVMI/s1600/3-28-10+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S7AVjhT9kUI/AAAAAAAAALA/IA882THHVMI/s320/3-28-10+041.jpg" /></a></div><br />
"Dad, we like geocaching with you".<br />
<br />
We had another nice day spent in the woods looking for caches. We saw some nesting ducks, a chipmunk and a robin. Not much else though. These little girls chatter about as much as the chipmunks, so most wildlife cleared off long before we got there. That's ok though. I'm glad they were chattering with me. Oh, and we were 2 for 2 on the caches we went looking for. One had some nice treasure to trade for, the other was just a book to sign. Real nice scenery at both.<br />
<br />
On the way back, we took a break. The little ones were munching on fruit snacks:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S7AXR9GhdnI/AAAAAAAAALI/9M9IVGoy1Q8/s1600/3-28-10+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S7AXR9GhdnI/AAAAAAAAALI/9M9IVGoy1Q8/s320/3-28-10+046.jpg" /></a></div><br />
There were being very wiggly. I wish I could bottle the energy they have and save it for later.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-27374827008376617712010-03-23T13:10:00.000-04:002010-03-23T13:10:10.651-04:00My new hockey heroJimmy Howard is my new hockey hero. Howard is now a Red Wings goalie in the tradition of Mike Vernon.<br />
<br />
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s06plozx9Q4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s06plozx9Q4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-11502652718053824702010-02-21T00:19:00.008-05:002010-02-21T12:08:43.047-05:00First Geocaching Experience[Note to Facebook users: You will need to go to the original post at my blog (michaelsmith6.blogspot.com) to see the pictures]<br /><br />Today I thought it would be fun if my eldest daughter and I tried geocaching. There are quite a few caches in and around our community, so I figured it would be easy to try and a good way to get outside for a bit.<br /><br />At first, I don't think the eldest daughter was so sure about this idea of her dad's.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S4DDIUfwYTI/AAAAAAAAAJY/j9vkXNid6Pk/s1600-h/2-20-10+248.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S4DDIUfwYTI/AAAAAAAAAJY/j9vkXNid6Pk/s320/2-20-10+248.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440562897571832114" border="0" /></a><br />While we tramped around in the snow, she really wasn't sure this would all be worth it in the end. The trail seemed to just go on and on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S4DLdNqNZ4I/AAAAAAAAAJw/9PYqM2iff3A/s1600-h/2-20-10+250.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S4DLdNqNZ4I/AAAAAAAAAJw/9PYqM2iff3A/s320/2-20-10+250.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440572052606904194" border="0" /></a><br />But, once we found the cache she discovered we could trade for small toys. All of a sudden this was the coolest thing ever! She had something in her pocket that she traded for a game:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S4DKlUFKS5I/AAAAAAAAAJg/qoCHG1mmnDw/s1600-h/2-20-10+249.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S4DKlUFKS5I/AAAAAAAAAJg/qoCHG1mmnDw/s320/2-20-10+249.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440571092257885074" border="0" /></a><br />By this time it was getting late in the afternoon, and we were losing daylight and it was time to hit the trail for home.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S4DK_EsOi8I/AAAAAAAAAJo/57xAFHT_CgE/s1600-h/2-20-10+251.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/S4DK_EsOi8I/AAAAAAAAAJo/57xAFHT_CgE/s320/2-20-10+251.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440571534803372994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now, she wants to go geocaching with her dad again. She was even going to start a small stash of trade items to bring along for next time.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-43320624196241795262010-02-12T07:10:00.002-05:002010-02-12T07:14:49.561-05:00The Truth About Frivolous Tax ArgumentsIn a recent <a href="http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=219104,00.html">press release</a> the IRS sets out to debunk frivolous tax arguments. The document is a good read. Discussions include items on the voluntary nature of the Federal income tax system, the meaning of income and constitutional amendment claims. IRS also notes that the penalty for frivolous tax arguments has increased from $500 to $5,000.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-44630063500175227412009-11-08T19:51:00.001-05:002009-11-08T19:52:54.601-05:00Monty Python and the Holy Grail in LegoI love this stuff. Lego animations are one of my favorite things about YouTube.<br /><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fIXByCAIzos&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fIXByCAIzos&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-29095400745668168352009-11-03T22:07:00.002-05:002009-11-03T22:10:56.527-05:00Some random fall colors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SvDwj48GmMI/AAAAAAAAAIw/gnh8QlFMOKo/s1600-h/10-11-09+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SvDwj48GmMI/AAAAAAAAAIw/gnh8QlFMOKo/s320/10-11-09+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400080452587788482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SvDwjT-s5JI/AAAAAAAAAIo/1a7IOU8aqcc/s1600-h/10-11-09+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SvDwjT-s5JI/AAAAAAAAAIo/1a7IOU8aqcc/s320/10-11-09+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400080442666574994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SvDwizCdTBI/AAAAAAAAAIg/-EzpHpLQLeY/s1600-h/10-11-09+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SvDwizCdTBI/AAAAAAAAAIg/-EzpHpLQLeY/s320/10-11-09+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400080433823960082" border="0" /></a><br />Just some random fall color pics. These were taken a couple weeks ago on the one pleasant fall day that we had.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-23671255468745893552009-04-03T10:18:00.002-04:002009-04-03T10:26:52.747-04:00World Ideologies as Explained by Reference to CowsMy dad sent me this today. It brought a smile to my face. I hope it does the same for you.<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />World Ideologies as Explained by Reference to Cows<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Feudalism</span><br />You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pure Socialism</span><br />You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all the cows. The government gives you all the milk you need.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bureaucratic Socialism</span><br />Your cows are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You have to take care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as much milk and eggs the regulations say you should need.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fascism</span><br />You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them, and sells you the milk.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pure Communism</span><br />You have two cows. Your neighbours help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Real World Communism</span><br />You share two cows with your neighbours. You and your neighbours bicker about who has the most "ability" and who has the most "need". Meanwhile, no one works, no one gets any milk, and the cows drop dead of starvation.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Russian Communism</span><br />You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk. You steal back as much milk as you can and sell it on the black market.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Perestroika</span><br />You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the Mafia takes all the milk. You steal back as much milk as you can and sell it on the "free" market.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Chinese Communism</span><br />You have two cows. The government takes both and shoots you.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Militarianism</span><br />You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Totalitarianism</span><br />You have two cows. The government takes them and denies they ever existed. Milk is banned.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pure Democracy</span><br />You have two cows. Your neighbours decide who gets the milk.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Representative Democracy</span><br />You have two cows. Your neighbours pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">British Democracy</span><br />You have two cows. You feed them sheep's brains and they go mad. The government doesn't do anything.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bureaucracy</span><br />You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. Then it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pure Anarchy</span><br />You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbours try to take the cows and kill you.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pure Capitalism</span><br />You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Capitalism</span><br />You don't have any cows. The bank will not lend you money to buy cows, because you don't have any cows to put up as collateral.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Environmentalism</span><br />You have two cows. The government bans you from milking or killing them.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Political Correctness</span><br />You are associated with (the concept of "ownership" is a symbol of the phallo centric, war mongering, intolerant past) two differently - aged (but no less valuable to society) bovines of non-specified gender.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Surrealism</span><br />You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">AIG Capitalism</span><br />You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank. He then executes a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island company secretly owned by your CFO who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company. The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on six more.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-20891947809576694572009-03-19T22:18:00.002-04:002009-03-19T22:19:39.146-04:00Filler MaterialI have some plans for some upcoming actual content, but until then here's something to fill the space:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xMpDHEVaI1k&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xMpDHEVaI1k&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-6170407076323456892009-03-08T14:58:00.010-04:002009-03-08T20:57:09.574-04:00Roasting Coffee is Easy!Whenever I tell someone that I roast my own coffee they look at me like I just dropped in from Mars and then they ask "How do you roast your own coffee? Isn't it hard?".<br /><br />Roasting coffee yourself is easy. Really. If a person can make popcorn, they can roast coffee. There are many methods to roast coffee at home. There are even appliances dedicated to home coffee roasting. The method I use and will describe is with a hand crank popcorn popper. Some call it the "Whirly-Pop".<br /><br />Required equipment: Coffee beans, popcorn popper, stainless steel colander, scale or measuring cups, a heat source and if indoors, a vent that pulls the smoke outside.<br /><br />The first step is to acquire some green coffee beans. There are many sources to obtain green coffee beans. Some that I have used and like include <a href="http://www.sweetmarias.com/">Sweet Maria's</a>, <a href="http://catesgreencoffee.com/">Cate's Green Coffee</a>, <a href="http://baldmountaincoffee.com/">Bald Mountain Coffee</a>, <a href="http://www.smithfarms.com/coffee.asp">Smith Farms</a> (Hawaiian Kona direct from the farm), or <a href="http://www.highergroundstrading.com/">Higher Grounds Trading Company</a>. As you can see below today's batch is from Higher Grounds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SbQVkASSJMI/AAAAAAAAAHI/Vwy7JX1Azs8/s1600-h/02-02-09+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SbQVkASSJMI/AAAAAAAAAHI/Vwy7JX1Azs8/s320/02-02-09+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310893568872817858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />First, I put the "roasting vessel" on the stove to pre-heat. It takes a few minutes to get the pan hot enough. At this point it might be appropriate to mention that I am looking for good heat control, not just a lot of heat. Too much heat will scorch the beans, too little will bake them instead of roasting them. It's a balance that a person develops a feel for. Burning a batch or two on the way to getting the right amount of heat is common. The pan is pre-heated so when I drop the cold beans in, the pan can recover quicker and spend less time recovering.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SbQX96ywKlI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/7cWtdQbks8A/s1600-h/02-02-09+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SbQX96ywKlI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/7cWtdQbks8A/s320/02-02-09+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310896213098244690" border="0" /></a><br /><br />While the pan pre-heats I measure out the beans I am going to roast and set them aside. Here I've measured out about 2/3 of a pound. For those without a scale this is a little more than 2 cups. Through experience I've found that is about what I drink in one week, so that's what I roast. Coffee will lose about 15-20% of it's weight while roasting. So, to end up with 1 pound roasted will require approximately 1.25 pounds green.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SbRAhqDsTmI/AAAAAAAAAHY/hnOv0nkMtYE/s1600-h/02-02-09+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SbRAhqDsTmI/AAAAAAAAAHY/hnOv0nkMtYE/s320/02-02-09+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310940807546293858" border="0" /></a><br />When the roasting vessel has pre-heated (the air just above the bottom of the pan should be about 350 degrees) and I have my beans measured out it's time to get roasting. I drop the beans in the roasting vessel and start cranking. No need to crank wildly, just crank constantly. It's important to keep the beans moving so they don't scorch.<br /><br />About 4 minutes after dropping the beans in puffs of steam will start to appear. Soon after that the aroma will become very floral. After 6-8 minutes the aroma will become increasingly coffee-like and the beans will begin popping. The sound is something like the sound of stepping on a large stick when walking in the woods. This popping will continue for a minute or so. Then, all will become quiet again. This is what is known as first crack. A person could stop the roast here, dump the beans to cool and have a nice lighter roast. At this stage there will be more bean flavors and not many roast flavors. However, we can continue roasting.<br /><br />After about a minute or two the aroma will change again to something best described as burnt toast. The beans will begin popping again. Only this time the popping is softer. It sounds more like walking through dried leaves. This is what is known as second crack. I usually stop the roast and dump the beans just as second crack gets started. This makes a nice medium-dark roast with plenty of bean flavor and some nice carmel notes starting to appear. If pushed farther, the bean flavors disappear and roast flavors completely dominate. If pushed too far, the beans will experience third crack, which is flaming.<br /><br />Note that roasting coffee will generate quite a bit of smoke. It's best to roast coffee outside or under a vent hood that will pull the smoke outside.<br /><br />To cool the beans, I dump them into a stainless steel colander. Why a stainless steel colander? Because the beans are about 440 degrees when coming out of the roaster. They would melt a plastic colander.<br /><br />This batch I pushed a little farther into second crack for a somewhat darker roast. I stir the beans and hold the colander up to the hood vent fan to pull air through the beans to cool them quickly.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SbREERrXRfI/AAAAAAAAAHg/RmApiVTHcx0/s1600-h/02-02-09+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SbREERrXRfI/AAAAAAAAAHg/RmApiVTHcx0/s320/02-02-09+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310944700832105970" border="0" /></a>Once cooled I put the beans in mason jars for storage. I keep the mason jars in a dark spot in the cupboard where the temperature doesn't change too much. Light is as bad for coffee beans as it is for beer. While the coffee will be really good right out of the roaster, the peak flavor will start about 24-36 hours after roasting and hold for 7-10 days. After that the flavor will decay pretty rapidly.<br /><br />It's important to note that the chaff will remain with the coffee using this roasting method. It doesn't hurt anything. Some other roasting methods will separate the chaff as the coffee is roasted. If the chaff is bothersome, take the colander outside and blow on the coffee while agitating it. Most of the chaff will blow off this way.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-16663622577554001882009-03-04T11:00:00.000-05:002009-03-04T11:00:51.223-05:00Resource Investor - Should You Put Gold into Your IRA?<a href="http://www.resourceinvestor.com/pebble.asp?relid=49142">Resource Investor - Should You Put Gold into Your IRA?</a><br /><br />Holding gold (or other precious metals) in an IRA is easy. But, it's not for everyone. This is a nice article with some things to think about when deciding whether to hold gold in an IRA.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-21495757987412206572009-02-21T07:46:00.000-05:002009-02-21T07:46:13.067-05:00Tony's Restaurant of Birch Run wanted for Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" - Mid-Michigan Business News - Flint, Saginaw, Bay City Business - MLive.com<a href="http://www.mlive.com/business/mid-michigan/index.ssf/2009/02/tonys_i75_restaurant_in_birch.html">Tony's Restaurant of Birch Run wanted for Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" - Mid-Michigan Business News - Flint, Saginaw, Bay City Business - MLive.com</a><br /><br />Man, I gotta get there. Sounds wonderful.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-18512246147817007822009-02-09T20:23:00.002-05:002009-02-09T20:33:32.888-05:00Quote from the FederalistLately I have been reading through The Federalist Papers. The other day I came across some great quotes from Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 8 first published Tuesday, November 20, 1787:<br /><br /><blockquote>Safety from external danger is the most powerful director of national conduct. Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates. The violent destruction of life and property incident to war, the continual effort and alarm attendant on a state of continual danger, will compel nations the most attached to liberty to resort for repose and security to institutions which have a tendency to destroy their civil and political rights. To be more safe, they at length become willing to run the risk of being less free.</blockquote>And further...<br /><br /><blockquote>The perpetual menacings of danger oblige the government to be always prepared to repel it; its armies must be numerous enough for instant defense. The continual necessity for their services enhances the importance of the soldier, and proportionably degrades the condition of the citizen. The military state becomes elevated above the civil. The inhabitants of territories, often the theatre of war, are unavoidably subjected to frequent infringements on their rights, which serve to weaken their sense of those rights; and by degrees the people are brought to consider the soldiery not only as their protectors, but as their superiors. The transition from this disposition to that of considering them masters, is neither remote nor difficult; but it is very difficult to prevail upon a people under such impressions, to make a bold or effectual resistance to usurpations supported by the military power.</blockquote>The entire paper can be read <a href="http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa08.htm">here</a>. These are thoughts that made me pause and think. Are we willing to be less free in order to be safe? Are we elevating the military state above the civil? Alexander Hamilton seemed to be seeing far into the future when he penned these words.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-84799980964672215492009-02-01T22:29:00.002-05:002009-02-01T22:31:36.956-05:00Advanced Presspot Techniques from Coffeegeek<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DfN116i4mVg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DfN116i4mVg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />This video demonstrates some presspot techniques that I haven't tried before but might be worth a shot. Pulling the grounds off before pressing will make for easier cleanup if nothing else.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-78613271265882270702009-01-30T21:04:00.000-05:002009-01-30T21:04:29.429-05:00Official Gmail Blog: New in Labs: Offline Gmail<a href="http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-in-labs-offline-gmail.html">Official Gmail Blog: New in Labs: Offline Gmail</a><br /><br />This is pretty cool. Next up on the wish list: offline calendar and Google Docs. Google is very close to making it completely unnecessary to install an office (e.g. MS Office, OpenOffice, etc.) software suite on my computer.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-57818968015222176312009-01-29T22:16:00.000-05:002009-01-29T22:16:04.667-05:00FT.com / US & Canada - Obama slams Wall Street over bonuses<a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/97872994-ee3c-11dd-b791-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1">FT.com / US & Canada - Obama slams Wall Street over bonuses</a><br /><br />Sending these clowns a no-strings attached bailout was bad enough. Now they are just adding insult to injury. When the banks are paying these bonuses out of their own profits, that's one thing and I'm OK with that. It's a tried and true method to attract and retain top talent. But, when they start paying these bonuses with our tax dollars that's something else entirely. It's just not right.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-62735518021904222622008-12-21T18:08:00.004-05:002008-12-21T18:12:50.947-05:00First Day of WinterIt's the first day of winter. Somehow it looks a lot like the last four weeks of fall. Here are some pics from the neighborhood:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SU7M92ctzQI/AAAAAAAAAEU/QtcF2_7Yhdk/s1600-h/12-21-08+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SU7M92ctzQI/AAAAAAAAAEU/QtcF2_7Yhdk/s320/12-21-08+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282384775912213762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SU7NWuNuD2I/AAAAAAAAAEc/UQlilw8cRWI/s1600-h/12-21-08+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/SU7NWuNuD2I/AAAAAAAAAEc/UQlilw8cRWI/s320/12-21-08+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282385203198562146" border="0" /></a>Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-86332281081962078292008-12-03T22:59:00.004-05:002008-12-03T23:09:34.274-05:00First SnowFriday morning, November 21st I woke up to our first real big snow of the season. We'd already had several smaller snows. Nothing compares to the first really good snowfall though.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/STdWTFHWZRI/AAAAAAAAAD8/DqytLxg959w/s1600-h/12-2-08+054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/STdWTFHWZRI/AAAAAAAAAD8/DqytLxg959w/s400/12-2-08+054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275780374278333714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/STdWTp06VSI/AAAAAAAAAEE/dbFFvscZQmQ/s1600-h/12-2-08+055.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iSWKRIVeVJU/STdWTp06VSI/AAAAAAAAAEE/dbFFvscZQmQ/s400/12-2-08+055.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275780384133109026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Of course, now that it's been a couple of weeks of repeated dumpings like this, the novelty is wearing thin. By the time Christmas is past us, I'll be ready for the snow to go away altogether. But, like an unwelcome guest the snow will hang around until early April.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-88397942383192387752008-12-03T16:24:00.003-05:002008-12-03T16:28:34.077-05:00I voted!<A HREF=http://fanballoting.nhl.com/><IMG SRC=http://hockeytownusa.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/drw-all-star-badge1.jpg></A><br /><br />I voted for my picks for the 2009 NHL All Star Game. Have you? Go here to vote: <a href="http://fanballoting.nhl.com/vote">http://fanballoting.nhl.com/vote</a>.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-18486554440722861922008-12-03T10:47:00.000-05:002008-12-03T10:47:58.795-05:00Grand Rapids high school students cannot get failing grade under new policy - Grand Rapids News - The Grand Rapids Press Online - Michigan Newspaper - MLive.com<a href="http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/12/grade.html">Grand Rapids high school students cannot get failing grade under new policy - Grand Rapids News - The Grand Rapids Press Online - Michigan Newspaper - MLive.com</a><br /><br />What? I thought this was a joke at first. What happened to failure being the best teacher? We are becoming a nation of lazy, do-nothings that expect to be bailed out at the first hint of trouble. Sheesh.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4473738655609472924.post-5248902915452914432008-11-13T21:17:00.000-05:002008-11-13T21:17:34.021-05:00Ex-Tiger Mason named pitching coach for Beach Bums | The Detroit News | detnews.com<a href="http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081113/SPORTS0104/811130431/1129/rss15">Ex-Tiger Mason named pitching coach for Beach Bums | The Detroit News | detnews.com</a><br /><br />This is kind of neat to have a Tiger connection with the Beach Bums. Not that I didn't already enjoy a nice summer evening lounging on the outfield berm at Wuerfel Park.Rusty Shacklefordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01866085953233253500noreply@blogger.com0