Woodstock CT Café

by John

The current approach to managing a global influenza pandemic for all 6,781,243,583 people on the earth (as of September 1, 2009; http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html) involves small groups of health officials, influenza scientists, and company executives mostly from industrialized nations (paraphrased from David Fedson’s paper published in March 2009 in the journal “Emerging Infectious  Diseases” which can be found at the following CDC url http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/15/3/pdfs/365.pdf ). In this paper Fedson makes a compelling plea for a more global perspective on dealing with the much over-hyped influenza pandemics that circle the earth such as the H1N1 swine flu. Fedson points out that there will be only enough doses of any influenza vaccine to vaccinate 700 million of the 6+ billion population and that this number of vaccinations is less than the combined population of the nine countries that produce flu vaccines.

I discovered quite by accident that there may be other ways to receive protection from the flu that have not been talked about during the annual media blitzes which balance sensational fears with bureaucrats covering their derrieres.  This was another paper by Fedson published in a July 2006 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases (vol 43 pages 199-205) entitled “Pandemic influenza: a potential role for statins in treatment and prophylaxis.” The title surprised me because statins like Lipitor and the generic Lovastatin are well known cholesterol lowering drugs … and they work well.  In fact Pfizer’s Lipitor is the top selling drug worldwide with over $11 billion in sales projected for 2009. There may be more adults taking cholesterol-lowering statins than any other kind of drug. The fact that generic forms of statins also work well suggests that the 6+ billion could have access to these cholesterol-lowering drugs at low cost.

So how does this relate to influenza? Read the rest of this entry »

 I like to serve corn on the cob at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and have corn for dinner occassionally during the winter. I started growing Silver Queen back in the Spring of 1975 on our property in Howard County Maryland where Spring comes 2-3 weeks earlier than in Woodstock. I planted some rows too early and lost the first planting due to frost except for one stalk; but by early July I had a fine crop of Silver Queen growing. Naturally I kept an eye on that one early stalk that had two plump ears maturing. I checked it on a Friday night and made a conscious decision to pick my first ear of corn for Saturday night dinner. On Saturday morning I went out to the garden to tour the vegetables and view my pride and joy. We had already gotten a ton of zucchini, broccoli, and crookneck squash. When I got to the place where my first ear was to be waiting, I found only a mangled stalk and fragments of my beloved ears. This was the only corn stalk damaged.

It turned out my early spring friend, a groundhog, was watching the same corn stalk and knew exactly when to pick it.

That summer I learned from an Episcopal minister in Catonsville the best way to freeze corn … and he knew what he was talking about.

It’s very simple. In September, I buy the corn that I am going to freeze, either Silver Queen or Butter and Sugar from Morse. This is when the corn is mature and plump. Note of caution: Mirai does not freeze well because it’s to too watery when thawed; so don’t waste your time.

I put eight ears or less per one of Morse’s large durable plastic bags and seal with a twist-tie. I then speed home and plop the bag of corn without husking or removing the stems into the bottom of my minus 20 degree freezer. That’s it!

We usually freeze 30-50 ears this way. To thaw, I remove ears from the freezer several hours before cooking and I husk them right before cooking. I usually pressure cook them ever-so-briefly but if I am cooking for a large group, I plop them into boiling water for a short boil. The reason we need to cook corn is to kill any aflatoxin (liver carcinogen) that mold may have deposited; but this is more of a problem in the southwest.

When eaten, you will find this frozen and thawed corn almost as tender as fresh corn because it has been frozen in the husk. 
 Click to see closely

from Sarah Hamby 

Residents of seven Connecticut towns can drop off packaged, new boxers or briefs at their local town halls as part of a campaign to support the dignity of homeless veterans.

Connecticut Department of Veterans’ Affairs Board of Trustees member and Brooklyn resident Sherri Vogt is working to assist military veterans in the simplest manner — by providing them with the most basic of garments.

Mrs. Vogt, known for her community and military service, has spoken to WWII POWs who shared their stories with her. “We didn’t change our underwear for a year,” they said to her. “We were POWs … hygiene was never discussed.”

In response, while some gather much-needed warm winter coats, Mrs. Vogt is on a mission to collect “something you never think of, something completely at the core of who we are as far as dignity is concerned … maybe something that slips through the cracks.”

Mrs. Vogt noted the cooperation of leaders in Killingly, Canterbury, Brooklyn, Hampton, Putnam, Pomfret and Woodstock. Besides at town halls, donations of new briefs or boxers can also be dropped off at WINY Radio in Putnam. Mrs. Vogt will collect all donations and take them to the Rocky Hill Veterans Home on Sept. 10. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a re-post of a June 12, 2008 article in response to a comment by Con.

Mr. Foye justifies the need for more athletic fields because “students participating in athletics at the Academy equates to nearly 50% of the student population.” He also says that athletic participation is increasing the demand for more athletic fields. I took a look at his 50% participation number by counting the number of athletes listed for each team. I found that in the year ending 2006 there were 15 boys teams including JV teams and one freshman football team, and 16 girls teams including the cheerleaders. This is an impressive number of teams. There can be no question that the number of team players increased because of the advent of the football team. It’s often stated by the football booster club that having football provides a sports program for 80 students.

If you add up the number of boys listed on all of the boys teams, there appear to be 302 positions; for the girls there appear to be 262 positions. So there are as many as 564 positions on teams, close to Mr. Foye’s 50%. However, if you are familiar with the names on these teams, you see that there are quite a few players that are on two or three teams. I estimate that a third of the team slots are filled by multiple sports players. For example, you will find that most players on the boys and girls basketball teams are also on the soccer, cross-country, tennis, track, or softball and baseball teams; likewise, wrestlers will also be on the football team; and soccer players will also play multiple sports. The players on the Indoor Track team are probably the very same players that are on the Outdoor Track team with the exception of the shotput, javelin, and discus throwers who would break too many windows. Multi-sports athletes are found for the girls as well as the boys. If you take into account this one-third and subtract it from the 564 total positions, the actual number of students participating in sports is about 33% or about 376 (out of 1135 students), still a substantial number. But, of course, the Academy has established a pattern of inflating the numbers whether in scholarship or sports. At the bottom of this article I have placed a table listing the counted numbers of participants on each sports team.

The inference in Mr. Foye’s letter published earlier this week (an article below) is that 50% of the student population will benefit from the expansion of the athletic fields. Of course, this is not true. There are only about 80 (at most) football players between the varsity, JV, and freshman teams, or 7% of the student population.

The top picture (below) shows an aerial view of the current athletic fields. These fields contain a football field, a soccer field, a lacrosse field, a baseball field, a softball field, tennis courts, track team areas, and even a place to launch the shotput, javelin, or discus. So what’s missing? Read the rest of this entry »

See Matt Sanderson’s article in tomorrow’s Villager about Chriss and Don Krowchenko’s NewCo in Woodstock called “Energy Cinch”. Congratulations to the Krowchenkos on their invention of this great new energy-saving product and their contribution to the greening of Woodstock, New England, and the World. The Cafe wishes them unimaginable success in their endeavor.

Their company website is: energycinch.com .

My concerns with this continue to be what they have always been. This is a large project that will likely run into millions of dollars. We have heard indications that the WA will fund this through private donations. However, the WA has a comparatively small endowment and has no history that I know of doing fundraising on this level.

With no core competency in fundraising at this level, even with the best of intentions, there is a valid concern about what will happen if and when they cannot meet this new commitment through fundraising alone. In such a case they will have no choice but to pass along their increased expense to the sending towns through tuition payments.

The Woodstock Academy tuition payments come straight from the Woodstock Public School’s expense budget. This budget is capped by Prop 46 and so it is axiomatic that any increase in the Woodstock Academy tuition will reduce the available funds for other K-12 programs. So while the WA may not be constrained by Prop 16, the overall WPS is so constrained.

We have not heard specifics on what such a construction project will cost or heard estimates on what impact it will have on per student tuition. It could be a small amount or a very consequential one but it is prudent for us to be concerned about it.

I don’t have a problem with sports programs and understand their value. However, I have always been of the opinion that we must consider academics as our primary responsibility for the entire k-12 system.

Thanks,

Kevin

This post represents my personal opinions and in no way should be considered an official act of the BOE or that I am speaking on behalf of the BOE in any way.

 by Anonymous

Thank you teacher. That is the point I was trying to make. Its amazing how conservative this town is when it comes to education, but for sports and fire toys, its spend, spend, spend. Us women should take particular offense to this chauvanistic charade. Gee, we get to be cheerleaders!! Whoopdeedoo. Just what I want my daughter to do. Or maybe the rest of the 900 kids could work in the concession stand?

How many kids get scholarships to play football? How many kids play football after the age of 30? How many kids go on to become professional football players. Less than 0.1% is my guess. My husband played football in high school and college and now has the total knee replacements and shoulder injuries to show for it. No volunteer fightfighting for him! He regrets it now and wishes he spent more time in the library instead. My advice to all of you is to get your priorities straight. There are very few jobs out there and its really competetive. Get good grades. Sports are overrated and will distract you from school work. Besides, the Academy offers a host of other sports that that teach the importance of being physically fit, discipline, and hard work, so that’s a dumb argument. There are also an abundance of clubs that do the same thing. My son was on student council and that helped him get into a good college. But if we are going to expand, why not better tennis courts or a pool. That way maybe the whole community could use these facilities: all ages, all sexes.

As far as the mean comments by DB, firefighter,and frankenscence, you should all be ashamed of yourself. How dare you make such nasty accusations. I pay my taxes and have lived in Woodstock longer than you have been alive. I have every right to my opinion as much as you do and don’t deserve to be called names for stating it. Is this what you are teaching the kids on the football field?

Oh, and if you haven’t guessed, I’m not a “he”. I happen to be a strong woman who does not cheerlead!

Since Woodstock is going green with the efforts of the Green Team, I thought I would put in my own 2 cents on the subject of the impact of human activities on the environment. Yesterday, I drove behind a diesel truck spewing black exhaust and wondered why the driver was not arrested. I have to confess that I have little expertise in this complex field. There’s no question in my mind that conservation of the environment through reduction of fossil fuel combustion is inherently good; the guy who picks up roadside trash is also inherently good; and then there is Al Gore who, after inventing the Internet , took a revolutionary step in promoting environmentalism. All of this is good. It would be nice to know as much as possible about the potential impact of man’s pollution of the Earth so this can be addressed most effectively. John

The carbon that enters the global carbon cycle due to fossil fuel combustion (human activity) is estimated at 5.5 gigatons of carbon per year. Contribution of humans to the carbon cycle, often referred to as “anthropogenic” carbon flux, is mostly due to burning of fossil fuels, cement production, and alteration of land use. The 5.5 gigaton/yr of carbon (GtC) figure is widely accepted among environmentalists (NASA (2008) http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/CarbonCycle/carbon_cycle4.php ). 

Figure 1 below is one of many diagrams that can be found on the Internet from authoritative sources all of which say basically the same thing. I chose this schematic because it is easier to read; but wherever one looks the quantities of carbon in storage reservoirs and fluxes are more or less the same (therefore, there is no controversy in these numbers).  The numbers in black in Figure 1 are GtC in storage reservoirs and the numbers in purple represent the amount of carbon (GtC) in fluxes between the source of emissions and the reservoirs (atmosphere, surfaces of oceans, deep oceans, vegetation, soils, sediments and unspent fossil fuels, etc.).

Figure 1: The global carbon cycle

[Source: http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/global-carbon-cycle.html ]

But controversy arises when one tries to determine the impact of anthropogenic carbon flux on the environment. Read the rest of this entry »

by Frankincensed

Why would you want to scrap a program (speaking to Anonymous) that provides an opportunity to 100 plus students to participate in an activity that teaches the importance of being physically fit, discipline, and hard work. This program has engaged students that were formerly idle during the Fall. Sure it’s an expensive sport but the benefits are many. Students who are “connected” are more successful in school. The Football program has provided “connection” to many kids. It has also added to WA school spirit. That means a lot to a school. In addition, the infusion of Football parents has also benefited the Booster club which raises funds for athletic equipment. The more the Boosters can raise, the less $$ coming from the school.

Face it. Football is here to stay and is becoming a part of the fabric of WA. The coaching staff is doing a great job not only teaching the players the importance of being physically fit but more importantly concentrating on their academics first.

As for Football serving only boys, this is not entirely true as girls can participate if they choose. Most will not. There are also opportunities for cheerleading and being supporters of the program. I believe that John and Becky’s daughter was very involved with the team as a trainer in the early years. As in all schools, there are sports that women can participate in such as track, basketball, softball, volley ball, field hockey, etc…

You also make a reference to “…fields used for maybe half the year.” I assume this is in reference to the Field Project. Yes Football only uses the fields in the Summer and Fall but what about Soccer, Baseball, Rec. programs, Softball, Sports clinics, etc… The need for expanded fields goes way beyond Football. Read the rest of this entry »

by Pencilneck

The health care plan is about rationing - these are the utilization reviews that are critical to bringing down costs, if that is the objective. And the “crisis” is the lack of care for the uninsured, for which an entitlement of one sort or another is being proposed. The reform bill is an attempt to capture savings from utilization reviews (”rationing”) and use it to pay for the care of the uninsured in either private or public insurance pools.

Feldstein and other economists are right when they say increasing health care expenditures are not by definition a sign of a crisis. The country is buying a good that it wishes to buy - like housing, cars and other goods - in increasing proportions. But if rising costs are not a problem, as TP advises, then why does he propose alternatives reforms to control costs? There are problems with some of these alternate reforms:

1. Interstate competition - Health insurers are regulated by the states, not the Federal government; they have resisted Federal regulation for many, many decades because state regulation is weaker. If some states are not allowing some providers to sell in their states, there is a reason for it based on past misconduct. This “solution” is exaggerated as there are many competitors in all states. The problem with rising costs is not lack of competition, so increasing competition is not the solution. And of rising costs are not a problem at all, then it doesn’t matter.

2. Tort Reform - Someone who is wronged has a right to sue for damages; there are serious constitutional issues here that cannot be waived off by a blogger; such reforms will face serious legal challenges. Moreover, studies (Harvard Medical School) show only 1 in 8 malpractice claims are pursued and that plaintiff awards have remained stable at 1/2%; 1% (Public Citizen) or 2% (CBO) of total healthcare costs. As for cost of malpractice insurance, I would say the insurers are no better at estimating malpractice claims than they are at practicing medicine. So malpractice claims are not the cause of rising costs, and so cannot be the solution. And if rising costs are not the problem, then it doesn’t matter. Read the rest of this entry »