Cubs Fans....Take one for the Team (aka the Human Race)

I mentioned this a few years ago.  It was at the time a light hearted observation but now I am concerned.  Deeply concerned.

In one of my all time favorite short stories W.P. Kinsella - he wrote the book that became the move Field of Dreams - made a chilling prediction.

It appears in the story The Last Pennant Before Armageddon.  The premise is that the long suffering Chicago Cubs are finally within reach of the National League championship.  And their manager begins having disturbing, prophetic dreams....

"It was on the sixth night God spoke.  Tiller was certain that Al Capone was one of the lobbyists that evening.  He had always thought of Capone as a White Sox fan."

"God cleared his throat before he spoke; his voice sounded as if it were emanating from an echo chamber.  My dreams are like 'B' movies, or bad television,  Al Tiller thought.  I couldn't let anyone know about them without apologizing for their quality.  When God did speak he sounded to Al Tiller a little like a senator."

"'I appreciate your interest,' God said. 'I want to assure you that I hold the Chicago Cubs in highest esteem.  I have listened to your entreaties and considered the matter carefully from all angles.  I am aware of how long it has been since the Cubs have won a pennant.  I think you should know that when the Cubs next win the National League Championship, it will be the last pennant before Armageddon....."

Game one of the National League Championship tonight.  Pray for a Cubs collapse.  If it does not happen, I suggest prayers on a more wholesale basis.

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Somebody wrote a play based on this story.  It had a short run in 2003 and has not been put on since. Maybe it is time?

Combat Robot Class 2015 - Second Report

The middle school class for three pound combat robots is moving along.  My attention for it has been a bit less this year as there is the concurrent task of getting a serious, non combat robotics program together at the high school level.  I don't know if this distraction is "contagious" but my middle school students this year also seem a bit unfocused.  Oh well, everyone gets something running by the time of the mid November tournament.  Here are some works in progress.

Several kids utilizing cardboard this year.  No particular reason I suppose, just that the class room we are working in has a lot of it lying around.  I have mentioned to them that the arena hazards as well as some of the opposing robots have the ability to make shreds out of this material.  They thought this would be fun to watch.  Actually, with a little reinforcement at key points they might do OK.

A sheet metal pushing ramp.  The cartoon colored zip ties will be trimmed off.  This arrangement allows function if/when the robot gets flipped over.  As these machines are more or less running at turtle speeds they should at least not have a turtle's main design flaw.

We always have a few robots with vicious looking weaponry.  It generally does not work out well for these "apex predators" as the kinetic energy involved can be as damaging to themselves as to their opponents.  But we keep on trying.  The large hole in the front of the robot was kind of "my bad".  I was working that day without my usually Igor/assistant.  Dashing from place to place trying to help kids or at least keep them from harm I told this student where to place the wheels.  Opps, the round cut out was where the weapon motor was supposed to be.  But this looks cool and we trimmed off an ounce or two.  Three pounds happens sooner than you might think.  I always tell the kids that the true enemy is the scale.

The Bat Cave Dilemma

There is no question that visiting brewery caves now is harder than it used to be.  Some have simply caved in.  Others are underneath new development.  But a large number have simply been barricaded off for liability reasons.

Hey, I get it.  Caves attract young foolish people and tragic results can be expected.

But every once in a while competing forces of the modern world are in opposition, and sort of cancel each other out.

I have written earlier about the problems bats in the Midwest are having with "white nose syndrome". It continues to spread and makes preserving bat habitat an urgent matter.

So, what happens when a cave that could be filled in with tons of No Fun cement for liability reasons actually harbors a bat colony?

Bats trump lawyers I guess.

Consider a cave I have visited previously.  I keep in touch with the DNR when I encounter bats and this one was found to harbor some nice specimens.

The lower levels of the cave had the usual evidence of human visitation.  Very pretty stone striations.

This cave is not entirely safe anyway, so the DNR has now installed a special "bat gate" over the entrance.

This is the sort of thing that really bothers some of my more intrepid "explorer" friends, but to be honest it is a real world trade off.  The bats need the cave.  So the lawyers can't cement it shut.  And visitors will be allowed on a special basis during the summer months when our squeeky little pals are not in residence.

I am actually happier climbing around knowing they are not at home anyway.

Things I am going to do when I retire

In no particular order, just things that occur to me.  When the list gets long enough I guess I shall print it off, retire and start at the top.  Or the bottom, or the middle.

1. Our State University system allows mature (i.e. long time taxpayers) individuals to take a limited number of classes per semester at a really cheap rate.  As in, free after age 60.  No college credits earned - who needs 'em? - and on an as available basis.  Somehow I doubt that the subjects I find interesting will be immediately filled with aspiring young scholars who need certain pre-requisite classes.  I do so look forward to trouncing the young and distracted on exams.

2. Travel for longer stretches of time.  When you go to Europe or Alaska for instance, the big ticket item is, well, the ticket.  If I/we are going to spring for airfare it makes sense to stay for a month or longer instead of the lesser sojourns that even a flexible work schedule permits.  Of course travel can be pricey on a day to day basis, so more walking holidays, maybe hostel stays.  I am compiling a comprehensive list of all my overseas friends with notations on the availability of their sofas and on their general gullibility!

3. Get a dog.  Work and travel together don't fit with responsible pet ownership.  I want a loyal, yet eccentric, canine side kick.  This one is a provisional item, it may be that grandchildren will be more fun, with the side benefit being that the cleaning up after them side of things can be mostly "sub contracted".

4. Work in a brewery.  In my current work as an Emergency Room doctor I have to handle an enormous array of wants and demands, and work out complex decision trees to arrive at the correct diagnosis.  Working the tap room at one of the small local breweries seems much easier.

     Patron; "I want a beer."
     Barkeep: "Here ya go."

My patient satisfaction scores are not bad in my current role.  But in my new career I think I could hit 100%.

5.  Have a "local".  This is more of a U.K. term I guess.  It means have a pub/bar that I visit often enough to be recognized as a regular.  You can't really do this when you are a practicing physician. Upon retirement you can.  And will likely get the nickname "Doc".  Just stop in a few times a week for one beer, that's all.

6. Speaking of names I suppose I could write under my birth certificate issued moniker.  Nom de plume is prudent in some ways but would not be a necessity when I no longer have a Reputation to protect.

7. Do more volunteer work with the local school system.  I have had a lot of fun for many years teaching in the after school program.  The Alternative School needs help.  There should be a high school level robotics program.*  These things can be done.  A modicum of meeting attendance could be tolerated in worthy pursuits.

8. Probably UnRetire a time or two. lets be realistic here.

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*Dear Lord, my bluff has been called on this one.  Per a recent post the alumni from my middle school class have banded together to form a high school FIRST team.  This throws me right into the maelstrom!

The Hogwarts Letter

FIRST Robotics is a big deal.  High level robotic engineering and a competition to boot. In terms of student and coach time commitment it is on a par with being on the football or basketball team.  In terms of recognition, a little less.  In terms of  future employment prospects, a lot better.

Honestly, we went fishing.  Were there enough kids at our high school interested in robotics to the point that they will dig in and work five or six sessions a week to build a competitive robot?  We put together a list of "alumni" from my middle school robotics class and tossed in additional suggestions from our sources in the high school.

Here is my personal invite to the kids on "The List".  A general invite followed.....

Dear _____________

Sorry that this letter could not be delivered by owl.

Because it is a little like getting an invitation to Hogwarts.

After many years of discussion we will be having a FIRST robotics team at XXXXX in 2015/16.  FIRST is the premier robotics event for high school students and has grown to approximately 3,000 teams competing at local, regional and eventually, world events.

The specifications for the competition change every year.  On January 9^th the competition details are announced, the kit of standardized parts is delivered, and teams have exactly six frantic weeks to complete a robot that will do….well, we won’t know until January 9^th, but typically they navigate mazes, shoot balls into hoops, move objects from one place to another, all with a time limit and a scoring system.

This is top of the line robotic technology, and the sort of thing that looks very good on a resume for people pursuing a career in technology.

You might be getting this letter for a variety of reasons.  We hope that alumni of Dr. XXXXXs middle school robotics programs will be the core of the team.  But we have also gotten suggestions from other sources who tip us off to students with skills that could be put to good use.

We need:

People with robotics experience.

People who have machining, design and building skills.

People with programming abilities.

People who are good at strategy and games theory.

People who like to tinker.

We also need people with skills that might not be obvious.  We could use one or two  with good graphics design skills, because looking good counts for something. We really need people who are good at multiple things but maybe not great at any of them.  “Utility Infielders” who can fill in on several areas probably make the difference for successful teams.  On a team of (we hope) 15 to 20 students you could probably find a place for somebody whose sole jobs are keeping the tools straight and picking up the pizza.  We expect lots of pizza.

If you have interest and can consider a significant time commitment in January and February (with competition in March), please contact XXXXXXX at _________ or come to the upcoming organizing meeting on ____________.

We also will need adult help.  If you are a welder or a machinist or a programmer or an engineer, or just somebody who has an interest in seeing science and technology get the same level of recognition and respect as sports…..we want to hear from you. 

Looking forward to a very busy, very fun, very worthwhile robotic campaign…

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And the answer was: While I would have been willing to undertake this venture with six motivated kids.  I would have been happier with 12 and ecstatic with 20.  We had 44 kids turn up for the intro meeting.

This poses many unexpected challenges and even more unexpected opportunities.

Hang on for the ride, its gonna be a fun one!

Forgotten Brewery Caves - Johnny Walnutseed !

The Klein Brewery in Decorah Iowa is one of those places whose later history is a bit more interesting than its fairly brief run as a functioning brewery. Here is the site when we visited in August of 2015.  It is about as easy to find as you can get, right there on "Ice Cave Road" near the entrance to Dunning Springs Park.

The photo is a bit washed out by the dazzling sunshine but you can see a smaller, open cellar door on the left, a larger entrance in the middle, and up above just a hint of a red brick house.  This belonged to the brew master and it is said that the larger door leads to a 100 foot long tunnel with a branch extending to the basement of the house.  So much for the current overview, here is an image from 1875.

You can see a small cave entrance to the left of the brewery.  This could either be the similar structure you see today, or perhaps a less accurate rendering of the larger cave.  In this view the brew master's house is not present and is presumably a later addition.

Before we discuss the history of the site further, a couple more pictures.

Here is the exterior of the main cave.  Note the curved stonework.  I think this is different enough from the 1875 view that it makes an entrance arising from inside the brewery to be most likely. There was a random scattering of brick and stone going off to the right that represents the ruins of the structure.  The smaller cave, which is standing open, has its side wall on the left of this picture.  Here is a shot of the entrance to it.

Old wood always photographs well.  And peeking inside you see, in miniature, a nice little storage cave complete with a small vent hole in its brick arched roof.

The pairing of a small cave next to a much larger one is an enigma.  In theory the former could have been an earlier cave from a smaller establishment but I think it more likely that this had a purpose other than ageing beer.  It would have been difficult to keep the temperature low enough on a consistent basis.  So perhaps storage for hops?  Or as a convenient temporary storage cave for beer that was ready to be loaded for delivery?  Another possibility is that this was where they stored beer prior to bottling.

The history of Iowa breweries in general is a challenge.  They were constantly under the threat of closure by narrow minded Legislatures.  In particular the Decorah area was heavily Scandinavian, so the usual base of community acceptance you find in German towns was not there.  So what there is out there for information is skimpy.

Decorah had two breweries, this one and one started by a man named Addicken in the pre-Civil War era.  One source I read felt the Klein brewery was a continuation of Addicken's venture but that is a bit of an puzzler. Tax records show the two existing contemporaneously into the 1880s.  An 1882 county history says that Addicken built a new brewery in 1865 but in a location that may or may not fit that of the Klein establishment.  It also notes that Addicken died in a riding accident in 1875 and that the business was being carried on by his  daughter and "competent assistants"  In the brewing industry we find many examples of brew master's widows remarrying to carry on the enterprise, was this a similar situation?

In any case the Klein brewery quite likely goes back further than the first tax records in 1874 (when Addicken was still safely on his horse), and the illustrated view from one year later shows a well established business.

Alas for the fortunes of an Iowa brewer.* State wide Prohibition hindered the business the whole way and finally got Klein out of brewing altogether, probably in the late 1880s.  The building was later used as a creamery, this being a common metamorphosis in a state where milk enjoyed more official approval than lager. A mention of The Farmers Ice Cave Creamery in 1918 gives us a later business name.

Of the later uses for the Klein brewery cave we know nothing for many years.  Mechanical refrigeration made cold storage available in more convenient locations so I suspect it sat idle for many years.

But in the 1960s we find the cave being used by a marvelous character named Robert W. Daubendiek, or more familiarly as "Johnny Walnut Seed".

Born in 1918 Daubendiek's family was in the telephone business but also owned 60,000 acres of timber land in Mexico until it was confiscated by the government.  Trained in forestry he "retired" from the utility business in 1949, a few years after his military service in the Signal Corps.  He purchased some farm land in north eastern Iowa and began growing walnut trees. After a while he worked out a way to grow them on a large scale basis.  It worked something like this.  He hired kids to collect walnuts, something on the order of 5,000 bushels a year.  He planted them temporarily to get them to germinate.  The walnuts were then floated in water to separate out the viable from the dubious.  The latter were placed out as a huge squirrel offering so as to keep them away from the nursery plants!  That must have been a sight to see.  The seedlings were then planted in long trenches. The seedlings could grow to a certain size in this fashion but needed a climate controlled place to ride out the winter season.  The brewery cave in Dubuque was perfect for this, so beginning in 1960 he used to annually to store hundreds of thousands of young walnut trees.  In the spring they were hardy and ready to be sold.  Some went to nurseries, others to private growers.  Daubendiek had a crew of 11 men working to plant them every spring.

By the early 1970s he was something of an apostle of walnut cultivation, selling a million seedlings a year.  He claimed that this was more than the number sold by all other walnut nurseries in the world...combined.  He would even custom plant small acreages with walnuts, selling them later to investors as a combination hunting and recreation land that just happened to have a valuable timber crop growing.

Daubendiek died in 1975.  His tombstone reads: "Iowa's Johnny Walnut Seed. He who plants a tree plants hope."  He seems to have been a pretty good guy.  I find passing mention of him being severely wounded in France during the war.  And poiginantly his walnut growing plantation and summer home near Harpers Ferry Iowa was called Andy Mountain Camp after his only son, who died young.

Remarkably his widow, Mae, lived to the age of 96 and passed away only a few months ago. She was a former telephone operator - must have married the boss's son! - and has written a number of books including an account of her husband's work with black walnut trees.

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*Times are sure better now.  In fact a very fine microbrewery Toppling Goliath is just up the road from the Klein Brewery ruins.  Alas, when on a road trip tippling is not an option but their products come very well recommended.  Joseph Klein smiles somewhere off in the malt scented Great Beyond.

Inside the Perimeter !

Its cooling down now, and a few leaves are starting to turn.  Time for an annual experience that never fails to startle me.

I step into our attached garage and come face to snout with a chipmunk.

Sometimes they just scurry off.  Other times, trapped by the geometry of our back porch, they have no escape and leap right at me.  Its kind of alarming, even if my adversary only weighs a few ounces.

You just did not see it coming.  You figure:  Indoors: me  Outdoors: nature.  But once a year, when they are looking for a nice warm new home, they breach the perimeter defenses.

And always in the same way.  There is an area down near the ground where the little vermin can crawl up under the boards and gnaw on insulation until they come out inside the garage, right where the drywall meets the foundation.

Once there is a sighting it is easy to just go over and check.

Yep.  Shredded insulation.

And...there's where they broke through.

I have it down pat now, just take some chicken wire, wad it up and jam it in there.  It usually ends the incursions for the season.

But it bothers me on some level.  It reminds me of the scene in the movie Aliens where the Colonial Marines are tracking motion signals that can't possibly be right.  "They're inside the perimeter....They're inside the room!!"  Eventually the troopers have a horrid insight and lift up the roof tiles to see ravenous, drooling, inhuman monsters approaching...

Yeh, pretty much the same scenario.