Regrind Coffee for Better Flavor

 

I use a moka pot to make my coffee.

my moka

 In my moka pot I like to use ultra fine grind coffee.

Sometimes I get a can of ground coffee and the grind is not quite right. I do roast and grind my own beans but a can of this can be nice to get. It has the taste of home and I'm not living in North America right now. I am thinking about Tim Horton's coffee now.

I have a choice:
a) do I drip brew it (ummm no)
b) brew it in my moka pot, (weak coffee).

c) I choose to regrind it to get it to the fineness that is right for my moka pot.

my grinder and the grinds

Before, a coarser coffee

After, a finer coffee

 I find the finer coffee works better in my moka producing better crema and it tastes better. The hot water does not have a lot of time to mix with and extract the coffee in a moka so in using a finer grind I seem to be getting a better extraction. (That's Basic Chemistry)

The Ghetto Tape Tablet Handle

A simple handle for a tablet can be made out of wide plastic tape.

Roll some tape, sticky side out around your hand to make a ring. stick in in a comfortable position on your tablet. Put another piece over top of the loop and a few inches on either side for extra stick. Add one more section of tape through the loop for a firm grip for your tablet. It costs almost nothing, sticks very well, does not get in the way as it is flat, and gives you a couple more options when holding your tablet.

One finger in the ring thumb on the bottom.

hand in the ring.

Used as a handle.

 

Here is a movie of the handle being made.

How to Flush a Public Toilet. 

This will change your life.

I remember when I was very young my brother took me to the bathroom. I used the toilet then I flushed it.
"What the heck are you doing," he said to me.
"What do you mean," I said.
"You don't flush a toilet like that. Never touch that with your hand," he said.
 "You do it like this," he said.
Then he showed me the "correct" way to flush a toilet.

"Ewwww," I said. "I will never touch a toilet handle with my hand again."

Years later when studies came out showing the handles were dirtier than the toilet seat I thought, "gee what a no-brainer." Now if you search the Internet many places use the flush handle as the de-facto place for germs.

Now you are left with a choice. Perhaps there are some people like me. Perhaps there are many. Unless you are at a U.S. border crossing what you do inside a cubicle is your own business. I'm sure some lack the balance to flush with their feet. I feel pity on them. They will have to use a tissue.

You will have to decide:
a) Do I flush with my hand and hope washing will get those floor germs off.
b) Do I waste paper and use it as a barrier between my hand and the foot germs on the handle.
b) Do I flush with my feet and wash my hands.

Note: You will find out in a minute if there is any soap.

What is the difference between a supersonic plane and a non-supersonic plane?

As far as I can tell there are three main differences aside from the fact planes that fly faster than sound are faster and more powerful.

1. Supersonic planes have fully moving tailplanes. This is also known as a an all flying tailplane. In flying faster than sound shock waves from the leading edge make the conventional tail functionally useless.

2. Air going into the jet engine needs to be slowed down so the engine is not destroyed. This is hard to do because you want to slow down the air enough. Most jets have ducts that move to slow the air depending on the speed of the aircraft.

3.When flying faster than sound the center of lift of the wing will change location. As a result the center of gravity needs to be changed in some way to balance the aircraft. Some planes have used movable weights to take care of this.

You want that to stick to a dirty concrete wall?

Sometimes I have to stick up something. It has to go there? Really? How do I stick that to a dusty concrete wall. Even if I brush off the dust tape will not work.

Things you need:
1. Something to stick up. (a poster, a wire, some kind of hanger)
2. Duct tape (A tool every man has at hand)
3. Instant glue (cyanoacrylate)

The trick here is simple. Coat the sticky side of the tape with cyanoacrylate then use it to put your stuff up on the dusty dirty concrete wall. Careful it might get hot on contact. Don't use this in any place you want to clean afterwards.

Reviving a pen

 

Although pens are cheap and plentiful often I find myself having to use one that is uncooperative. I must coax it into helping me out. Here is the procedure to making a stubborn pen work.

1. Shake it hard holding it at the butt end. Is butt end the proper technical term for that part? Be careful some pens will leak ink. This also works well with felt tip markers on their last legs. Never shake an uncapped marker though.
2. Lick the tip. Your spit will lube and soften the ink gel. Note: I won't do this with a public pen as I don't know who else has used it. Also note: Ink is probably not good for you. Though some blue ink is being used as an anti radiation medicine. It also works in removing heavy metals from the body. Prussian Blue is usually taken orally in 500mg doses.
3. Give it mouth to mouth with another pen. Just try to put a bit of ink on the tip. This will work a little better than the spit method of #2.
4. Cook it in a flame for a second. Then quickly try to write a bit with it. This only works if you have access to a lighter or fire. Unfortunately many of us now live prehistoric lives and will worship those priests with the ability to use a Zippo lighter after December 2012.
5. Curse it for not bearing fruit. Break it in half as punishment and put it in the bin.

The Box method For Uncluttering

Here is my cluttered desk. It seems to gradually reach this stage over the space of a couple of days.
Yes I have a problem.

Here is the solution for my cluttered desk.

An empty box.

I put everything away. The things which don't have a place go in the box.
Pretty soon my desk is clean.

The homeless junk is now boxed.

I have found this is a wonderful method for clearing my desk and making my wife happier.

I did not invent this method. I think my mom taught me this one crazy stormy Saturday morning. Though I did not feel like I was learning anything at the time. This method has been detailed and immortalized by Stan and Jan Berenstain in the book "The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room" published by Random house in 1983. If you have not read it I'm sure you can imagine what your mother would do after stepping on sticky airplane cement in the middle of your cluttered room.

There is a problem with this that you should be aware of:
If you live in a small apartment with limited space eventually you will run out of space for the boxes of junk. My workbench is an example of this.