My Earth Day Special: Vampire Appliances

Have you heard of Vampire Appliances? Me neither. Despite my Ford Explorer, I like to think myself green-'ish'. I probably have a lot of work to do before I meet Bio-diesel burning folks standards. So, since I am not now or ever getting rid of my SUV, I am going to try to look at other things I can do better. I was surprised to find out about all the little Vampirish machines we have in our homes constantly sucking energy ala Strahd when we aren't looking.
"Vampire" Appliances -- They Suck Electricity Even When Switched Off -- Cost Consumers $3 Billion A Year, Says Cornell Energy Expert According to the article, standby electricity can consume anywhere from 10-25% of home's total electricity bill. A satellite receiver or DVD player can consume 9$ per year. When you start thinking about all the things in your house that have 'standby' or clocks/timers it adds up. I have 2 DVR's, 1 DVD, a Wii, clocks, radios, microwave, oven and other appliaces that all have standby modes. Since most of our electricity comes from fossil fuel, this contributes to greenhouse gases and air pollutants.

So, what can we do? Here's tips from the article:
o If timers and other features aren't being used, consumers can turn off their most wasteful appliances by plugging them into fuse-protected power strips (also known as surge protectors) that, when turned off, can disrupt the flow of electricity when the appliances aren't being used.

o Consumers can encourage their U.S. representatives to support legislation that would require labeling of appliances with their standby energy requirements.

o When choosing a new appliance, consumers can research if it uses less than 1 watt of standby power by accessing web sites such as http://standby.lbl.gov/data/1wproducts.html at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

Shower Shock Caffeinated Soap: On a completely unrelated side note, they are now making caffeinated soap. Mmmmmm.

AirCare Month for Peltgrande

Hey Mav, Goose here. Locked, loaded and ready to go.
Kinnick from the air. We were circling around to land. I like this pic because you can see the practice fields and baseball field in the back.
Flying back from Muscatine at dusk with a sick neonate we saw some beautiful views of the sky.

Dave Jennings skibums art

So, I took India class at UNI with Fogarty. I sat next to a guy named Dave Jennings. Excellent artist, and I always used to bug him to draw different stuff. I ended up talking to him for a while the other night and he sent me a pic he recently drew. I thought it was pretty cool so I posted it. Dave, what's the story behind the pic?

Will the real David Skorton please stand up?

Just in, The University of Iowa hired Todd Lickliter of Butler to be the next men's basketball coach, or did they? Rewind. Curiously, he looks strangely like former University of Iowa Cardiologist and University President David Skorton. Coincidence? I think not. Is Todd Lickliter really leaving Butler? Well, there is no spoon.

It has been Skorton all along. Skorton the Cardiologist. Skorton the University of Iowa President. Skorton the Cornell University President. Skorton the Butler Basketball Coach. But even him, the mastermind of deception couldn't pull off the big one. He couldn't pull off being a cardiologist, a president of a Big Ten University and the Iowa Men's Basketball Coach all at once. But, he's wiley. Welcome Todd Lickliter, born unto Skorton's ultimate dream, coaching the Iowa Hawkeye Basketball team. So he does the simplest thing. The thing so obvious that we would all miss it. K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple Stupid. He created Todd Lickliter, began coaching Butler to build a basketball resume, and then conveniently took the Cornell President job. Skorton, now out of sight, out of mind.

Several people have information suggesting Skorton may have cut a deal with Bowlsby before he left to ensure Alford's departure, but this is merely speculation, unlike the facts I present.

Now, "Lickliter", successful basketball coach with resume, gets hired as The University of Iowa Basketball coach. LOOK again, look at the pictures. Another pre-arranged deal with Bowlsby and/or Barta? Chances are yes. My bets are President "Skorton" reitres in the next few days from Cornell University. Well, we do have to consider other possibilities. Maybe there is no SKORTON, and Lickliter is the mastermind. However, no matter who is the chicken, or who is the egg, they ultimately are one, and they, I mean he, is the NEW University of Iowa Basketball Coach.

I will leave you with this, which really summarizes my findings:
"entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem",
or, if you can't read pig-latin:
"All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one."

Nostalgia

My parents built a new place, and so this weekend we went through some of our old stuff. I found many interesting items. We found my dad's previously thought lost collection of comic books from the late 1960's. Spiderman, Superman, Archie, Sgt Rock and some others. Besides that, I found the first cassette tape that I ever bought. KISS, Crazy Nights. I still have a cassette player, so I rocked a little Crazy Crazy Nights. I have never been much of a KISS guy, but it was kind of fun to break back out.
I had almost totally forgotten about our little goblinoid friend. Brandon drew this after one of our gaming sessions. The funny thing is, I bet everyone who played that night can picture him leading us for a little gold. Remember his name?
I also found some old newspaper articles. The good 'ol Midland Times. Cory is going to Meistersinger Honor Band, it says, (but wasn't it really Meistersinger Honor Choir?).

The Nintendo Wii makes it debut at Peltgrande's House

I am doing some major spring cleaning and house repairs in getting the house ready for sale. Paul came over to help me, and he got a hold of 2 Nintendo Wii's recently, so I bought one. Absolutely love it. The controls are a blast, and it is playing video games in a whole new way. My love for Nintendo has returned.
We played tennis, raced on cows, bowled and snowboarded.
Next on my game list is Zelda, which is fantabulous from what I've heard. You get to shoot the bow using your controller and nunchuk.
What is really sWiit is that the Wii is fully backward compatible with the Nintendo GameCube and includes four built-in GameCube controller ports and two GameCube memory card slots, and an SD slot for additional memory storage. Wii also features Nintendo's Virtual Console, a library of games from the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, and Turbografix-16 systems. Games can be purchased and downloaded over Nintendo's online Wii Store, where they are stored on the Wii's system memory or SD card. Chad Fields, this means you can have your cake and eat it too. You get a Wii, can still play all your Gamecube games on the Wii, and can get Golden Axe Sega Genesis style. I am drooling thinking about all this. Mmmmmmmmm.

Mr. Accidental Scrub Out Guy

General Surgery rotation? So this is how Vint got out of every surgery. That and the staff thought both him and I were the same person, so he was always there.

Mr. Really Bad With Children Guy

I am pretty sure this was the reaction was the same most kids had with Sam.

Great Interview on Colbert Report....

Colbert is great at what he does. The guy who wrote the book claims liberals are the root cause of 9/11. It amazes me that someone can actually maintain a position like that. He is probably right though. I bet liberals are the cause of 9/11, and terrorism everywhere. Liberals are probably the cause of starvation in Africa, Global Warming and the recent death of any of your pets.

The Nature of Things

Exhibit A
You can see here in Exhibit A a beagle forced to wear a christmas sweater and pose in front of the Christmas Tree. Despite her photogenicity, the fact is she is a beagle. This means she would much rather be outside rolling in something dead or chasing rabbits.

Exhibit B Revenge

HYPOTHERMIA!!!

With this cold spell, I have had a lot of questions and visits to the ER with Frostbite and hypothermia.

Hypothermia occurs when a person’s core body temperature decreases to below 35°C/95°F. The onset can be subtle and creep up on the person. Hypothermia can occur in temperatures below or above freezing.
As tissues cool, their cells do not work properly: The brain and nerves work more slowly, muscles contract with more difficulty and may cramp more easily, and the heart becomes prone to fatal dysrythmias, (irregular beats).

As the core temperature drops, the body diverts warm blood into the core of the body (the trunk), allowing the arms and legs to become even colder. If the extremity tissue temperatures fall below 15°C (59°F), frostnip begins and can lead to frostbite. Drinking alcohol increases a person’s chances of developing hypothermia.

You can see the distinction between frostbite and hypothermia. You can stick your finger in a vat of liquid nitrogen, get frostbite but still not be hypothermic. Hypothermia refers to your CORE temp. (Best taken rectally, just as Tony prefers.)

For most cases of mild hypothermia, you can just use Passive External Rewarming. This is basically removing wet and cold clothes, getting warm blankets and sitting in a warm room. For more severe cases, you use Active External Rewarming, with warm IV fluids and warm water immersion. (You have to be careful about rewarming the extremities too fast in warm water, as the colder blood that is in the extremities can rush to the core and cause what is called Core Afterdrop. This is basically sending a bunch of really cold blood to the heart really fast and risking a fatal heart rhythm. In general, bad.) Finally, for extreme cases of hypothermia, (<30 C) you can use Active Core Rewarming, where you can put patients on cardiopulmonary bypass, stick tubes into their chest and abdomen and flush warmed saline in and out to warm the core. Gentle handling of severe hypothermia is warranted, as just bumping them the wrong way can send them into a deadly rhythm.

There is also a saying regarding hypothermia that no one is dead until they are WARM and DEAD. This basically means when someone comes in dead, like from an icy pond, you keep working on them until their body temperature is in the normal range, as patients have come back from brief periods of death in severely cold environments. Now get out there and enjoy the cold.

El Chupacabra? In Thailand?

El Chupacabra?
El Chupacabra - Means "the goat sucker" in Spanish.

Named because of the way it sucked all the blood from Puerto Rican goats, the Chupacabra has been leaving fear in its tracks for many years now.

First spotted in Puerto Rico, the Chupacabra has since migrated off the island and has recently been spotted in many locations including South America as well as the US. Although it was named because of its choice of goat-blood as a meal, the Chupacabra has reportedly attacked and devoured the blood of a wide variety of animals including dogs and sheep.

Due to the distinct technique the strange animal has of killing its prey, it is very easy to tell if the Chupacabra was involved in an animals death. Animals are found with puncture wounds in their neck and most of their blood removed. Often, the victim's organs have disappeared even though the only wound is a small hole in the animal's neck. Reports of laser-like cuts on the victim's ears are also common.

Although some people say they have seen the Chupacabra's tracks, in many cases there are no signs of blood or tracks around the dead animals. There is also believed to be a sect of undead chupracabra in Thailand. These are repelled by typical undead weapons, especially Clerics of Pelor.

Dragon Warrior and Little Superstar

I was tired of looking at the same thing on my blog, and I came across this. Ok, so I watched this and I was immediately taken back to the pleasant memories of sitting in my dorm watching Cory play video games. It unfortunately is in a different language, but you still get the good 'ol Dragon Warrior feeling of 8-bit RPG's. Also, for anyone that has battled a slime, man, they can be slippery. Especially the metal slimes. And for everyone who hasn't played Dragon Warrior....

Also, I had to repost this. It is still my favorite. I can watch it over and over.

Jander, Servant of Pelor

Jander Peltgrande
Born to the house of Lord Garrett Peltgrande, a land owner who prided his fields, but his family more. Jander had two older brothers, Narah and Saget ages 6 and 7. In the year of Janders' 4th birthday, an rash of disappearances had been occurring. Stories varied. Some say it was bugbears controlled by a wight in the north, surely a strange relationship if it ever existed. Others spoke of things more worrisome. A cleric of Nerull, who controlled undead making raids had been rumored to have been behind the disappearances.

Lord Garrett continued to deny any danger to his family, and although many neighbors had taken up in the Inn in the local town of Farist, Garrett and his family stayed at the farm. No one knows exactly what happened, but after a week of no word from the outlying farms, a search party was sent out. None of the other farms had been touched, but Lord Garrett's had been burnt to the ground. The search party found the bodies in the yard, except for Jander and Narah. Next to the bodies lied an open trunk, empty. Only a small shed was left standing, and there they found Jander, 4 years old, unable to speak of what he had seen. He was taken in by the Clerics of Pelor, Narah was never found.

Jander grew and studied under the Clerics of Pelor, coming to resent everything he knew that opposed the tenets of Pelor, especially undead. He found serenity in The Shining One, and came to be a favorite among the Clerics in the temple. Hard working, and even harder studying the tenets of Pelor and mastering his ability with his mace.

You can often find Jander in a quiet alcove beneath an emblazoned shining symbol of Pelor, self affirming, "I am merciful, just as the Sun of Mercy shines on me."

Several years ago the temple received word that Narah lives, and may be with the Nerull clerics in the North. No one has confirmed this, but even the thought of it drove Jander to make the decision to leave the comfort of his temple and group to venture out and actively seek out these abominations of nature.

Winter Corn

I just really liked this picture and wanted to put it up. Makes me ready for some snow.

Star Trek Inspirationals

These are great. There is a bunch more, check them out here.

Back from Boot Camp

Eric Sitzman, my brother-in-laws younger brother just got back from boot camp in Southern California at the Recriut Depot with the Marines, where Brando went. He was with Platoon 3047 above. As you know, my brothers and close friend Brando have all been through boot camp. As such, I have heard the many stories and feel this is a huge accomplishment. Eric is now at Camp Pendleton, on to the next step. This is a huge commitment and sacrifice by the people who do and have done this. Both my brother, Tyler, and Brandon have been to Iraq and Eric may have to go too. So, thank you guys, and Hoooaaahhh, or something.

Ultimate Fighting, Daisy Style

Nowell came and stayed at our house this weekend while his owner was out of town. Being huge fans of the UFC, Daisy and Nowell practiced their technique. Flawless, horrifying, here's your Dog UFC.

Trauma Nights, and Pink Lemonade Slushies

Last month, these were the cats you saw between 5:30pm and 5:30am pretty much every day of the month if you happened to wreck your car or let a tree fall on you. Nick Pauly, sitting down, gracefully handled hundreds of nearly pointless floor pages. Example: "Dr. Pauly, Mr. SoandSo's blood sugar is 112. The orders say to call for blood sugars over 140, but I thought I should let you know." Ahhhhhhh! Our only reprieve was frequent trips to the ER for pink lemonade slushies.

Chad Caves ran the ER several nights while I was on the trauma team.

Our night doc, Dr. Aguilar, master of Woot's special deals.

Coast to Coast and Neurotheology

I was driving early this morning, and caught one of my favorite radio shows- Coast to Coast with George Noory. I use "favorite radio show" very loosely. It's can be really entertaining, and you feel like you have been transported to an entirely different culture when you listen to the callers. You can learn a little about the content here: Coast to Coast.

Anyway, the topics vary from UFO's to ghosts to conspiracy theories. You can imagine this brings in some very "interesting" callers. Today they were talking about Neurotheology, and had an author that wrote one of the main Neurotheology books out there. I have never heard much about this before, and maybe Eric could shed some light on the subject if he has delved into this at all. It, in my understanding, is an attempt to connect a materialistic approach like neuroscience to spirituality. Wikipedia has a nice summary of Neurotheology. You'll have to let me know what you think. It is at least an interesting concept.

Beck - Clap Hands - Live on SNL

Here's Beck performing "Clap Hands" on Saturday Night Live.

I really thought this was an incredibly original performance where Beck's band is seated at a dinner table playing bottles, plates and glasses as percussive instruments, puppets mirroring the show and some break out harmonica playing. This is maybe the most enjoyable performance I've ever seen on Saturday Night Live. Plus I'm biased, because I think Beck rules. Check it out.

Hawkeye turned Green Bay Packer Abdul Hodge great first start...

Hawkeyes are making a good showing for Green Bay in Seattle tonight. Kampman is having a great year, Cole is playing and Hodge returned this fumble for a TD in his first start.

Diet Coke and Mentos, A Deadly combination

This seems like something Paul Brady and I would have done in high school and somehow gotten ourselves in trouble for it.

This is taking it to the next level.

Trauma Surgery, Beck and Vampire Beagles

I am Trauma Surgery this month. Cruddy hours, but fun cases. This is a case of a fracture/dislocation of the talus, and I did some conscious sedation while my ortho colleagues tried to reduce the fracture.

If you don't believe in vampires, I at least present proof of Vampire Beagles. A rare breed, they don't transmutate into bats but rather very small rhinos. Not really all that useful if you ask me.


I also wanted to share the new Beck cover. It comes blank, and you get to decorate it ala Trapper Keeper style. If you have the album, send me your pics and I will post it.

Fall Pictures, makes me miss home...

I took these pics from my deck the other day. Growing up on a farm, it's a little nostalgic. I am not sure what it is, but a lot of people probably look at pictures of a combine in a field and are bored, for me, they really can be beautiful. It's probably just the tie to growing up around them, but every year I enjoy a drive around to see the harvest.

Drew Tate, Dodgeball Style.

I'll still wear the Number 5 jersey with pride.

Dancing superheroes make me smile....

Seraph for hire, Contact Peltgrande with contract questions

Fear the Seraph.

Iowa versus Northern Illinois in the Skybox

HalloWeeN!!!

What a great Saturday! Chad had his annual Halloween Party, so I dropped a few pics for you to see. Cullen had really nice udders, and as you can see RW liked them too. Everyone had fun costumes and it was good to see all of you. You can also see Paul Brady made friends with a can of spam. I also had to include Nicole and I watching the game from one of the skyboxes, cuz that's just plain sweet.

CHUTTON!!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! So, it's Halloween time. Time for scary stories. Some of you know the scariest of them all. Chutton's story. Here is the condensed version... The year was 1994, the setting a 100 year old farmhouse. Out comes the Ouija. Strange things happen, and a spirit who identified himself as David Chutton speaks to the scared youngsters. Doors won't open. Sounds are coming from upstairs, but no one is up there. One of the girls starts to cry. David Chutton maybe isn't so friendly. Well, the scared kids left the house. No one knew who David Chutton was, but they knew they didn't want to be around him any more. The next week, Chad and I were working at the Olin Cemetary with Don Woodley. And guess who's grave we passed by? David Chutton? No. But the grave we saw neither of us had ever seen before, and had always made me wonder about that night. Not Chutton, but David C. Hutton. (creepy music, Hooohaaahahaoooohooohhahahah, creepy music).

Hawks are back on track....

...And this guy loves it. I actually know this kid from an ER visit.... Can't tell you about that, but I can tell you he is funny as hell. He was at the Gameday visit and Tony Cooper took this pic. You can check out the rest of Tony's gameday pics here. Hawkeye's thumped Purdue last weekend, I will try to get a few pics from that game up.

Anybody else really dig the Eels?

If you don't like the Eels, you probably haven't listened to Blinking Lights and Other Revelations.... Check em out.

Sorry, forgot to attach the link, now click on it above. Also, you can borrow my CD's if you want. Brandon, you could also borrow or just have this white bust of David I have.

Don't worry, he's safe.

You can see DAVID in LIVE ACTION HERE

David, Caesar, same difference....

Hmmmm...