Russwbeck: The Blog

12th Annual State College Microbrewers Expo

Russ Beck — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:13:35 +0000

This past Saturday, I had the unique opportunity to spend 4 hours drinking beer.

Sounds like every single Saturday at Penn State right? Well, the average college student never expands his horizons in terms of beer much past Miller, Coors, Bud, Natty (I think some fraternities still believe Natty is the only beer in the world). I, however, can honestly say I have broken this mold (+1 for not being “just another number”).

The 4 hours of beer drinking was of sampling good beer, not of gorging on frat water. 20 breweries piled into the Penn Stater Conference room and opened a few beer samples to around 300 guests. In my opinion, the event could not have gone better. Some of the highlights follow:

1. Unibroue Brewery. Based in Canada, this brewery puts its own spin on traditional Belgian brews. My notes say I hit the stand 3 times, my taste buds wanted me to never leave. Specifically I enjoyed La Fin du Monde (French for “The End of the World”). A Tripel checking in with 9% ABV and a little more spiciness than similar brews.

2. Troegs Brewery. A go to brewery for me already, my group got lucky as we got to the table before all the VIP drinks were gone. We got to try a seasonal beer called Troegs Flying Mouflan. Another high ABV drink (9.3%), this strong ale packs more than 100IBUs, making it very hoppy, but in a good way.

3. The food. Full buffet style and the best the Penn Stater had to offer. After about 2.5 hours of liquid, my body was hurting for a hearty lunch to reset before the final run on drinks. Chicken and rice, pork loin, ziti, salad, and bread sure did the trick.

4. Bullfrog Brewery. Hand crafted wooden taps opened up to one of the most unique brews at the expo in my opinion: The Local Harvest Fresh Hop Ale. Brewed using 67 pounds of fresh, local, hops, this “wet-hopped” red ale was surely no disappointment.

All in all, I hope that this event carries on in the future and that I can continue to attend. Well worth the price, and a wonderful way to spend the afternoon with some friends.

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IST THON, Welcome Back

Russ Beck — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:20:52 +0000

We have completed the first week as an organization for IST THON and the progress is really refreshing. I hope we don’t lose steam when classes end.

But first, I’ll provide some background.

After THON this year I was reflecting on how at a IST Student Government meeting Sophomore year, we talked about how we had lost our Dancers and needed to re-focus our THON initiative to start over. Approaching the end of my Junior year, I realized we had failed again as a college to raise any money for the cause. The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences cracked the Top 10 in independent organizations, why can’t we do it too?

Enter IST THON. After talking with the Student Government, it was decided that we move forward with a new THON committee, with me as its Executive Chair. After pouring over the THON website, I called for a “meeting of the minds” to talk through what we needed to do. This brings us to Monday a week ago, where we elected a Vice-Executive Chair, a Canning Chair, a Fundraising Chair, an Inspiration Chair, a Website Chair, and an Alumni Relations Chair. We also decided to get a Faculty Advisor, a website (coming soon!) and an email for FAQs (THON@ist.psu.edu) and set a goal for how much we could feasibly raise.

$10,000

So over the summer we will be preparing for action. Designing a website, facebook fan page, logo, t shirts, a whiffle ball tournament, working with interested companies and the IST Alumni Society would be a good start I think. We can’t fund raise until the fall semester is in full swing, which gives us time to prepare, to start from scratch essentially. It looks like we have the people in place to do just that.

The key to this committee isn’t succeeding this year, it is to set in place a base that future IST THON committees can draw from, improve upon, and ensure that IST doesn’t go dormant again.

So start saving up readers! I will place a link for donations when it is created. Until then, For the Kids!

THON Mission Statement

The mission of the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon is to conquer pediatric cancer by providing outstanding emotional & financial support to the children, families, researchers, and staff of the Four Diamonds Fund.

www.THON.org

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Upgrade Hard Drive on Macbook w/ Time Machine

Russ Beck — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:35:27 +0000

Recently I came to the realization that I was out of space on the 150GB Hard Drive my Macbook came with. So I was in a bit of a pickle. Do I migrate everything to an external? Do I delete stuff? What are my options? I have old external hard drive set up as my Time Machine so I decided to head over to trusty Newegg.com and buy a new internal hard drive.

I was in luck, the 640GB Western Digital Scorpio was on sale so I made the purchase while preparing for the Super Bowl last Sunday. Tuesday afternoon rolled around and I already had my hard drive so I began this amazingly easy process. I will break it down in steps below:

Step 1: Hardware

Follow Apple’s instructions on how to physically remove the old and input the new here http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/MacBook_13inch_HardDrive_DIY.pdf

NOTE: You need a really small Philips Head screwdriver to take out the Ram door.

Step 2: Software

If you are like me and have Time Machine set up, plug it in and insert the disk of the operating system you are using (I cannot stress this enough, using a Leopard disk to restore a Snow Leopard Time Machine will NOT work). Go to Utilities and select ‘Restore from Time Machine.’

Step 3: Wait

It normally takes between two and three hours for the backup to complete, so go play Modern Warfare 2 or something like I did.

Step 4: Restart

And you’re done. Time Machine backs up your system so well that it even saved my browser history and Firefox opened to the exact page I was on. Amazing.

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Facebook Limits News Feed

Russ Beck — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:45:18 +0000

Facebook only wants us to have 250 friends, or so the new update leads us to believe.

In a new setting (at least a setting that I just learned about), Facebook has limited your news feed to 250 random people you are friends with. I have roughly 524 friends, which means that I won’t see updates from more than half of the people I ‘know’ on Facebook. I didn’t choose what 250 I would see, meaning I could see updates from people I don’t care about and miss out on my best friends. There is a list of ‘Recommended Friends’ but I don’t care who they recommend, I want to see everybody!

The important part, how to get rid of it. It’s very simple. Scroll down to the bottom of your news feed and you will see an ‘Edit Options’ button. Click and on the bottom left of the screen that pops up it will say “Control how many friends you want shown in Live Feed,” tell it 5000, which is the maximum amount of friends Facebook allows you to have.

Happy Facebook-ing

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Happy Valley: Spring 2010 Edition

Russ Beck — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:43:15 +0000

Well I am entrenched in Syllabus Week (WooHoo!) and figured it was time for an update.

I have 15 credits this semester, a pretty normal workload for the normal student. While I am doing way more work than in Fall 2009, it is still a slower semester for me. I am taking:

Security and Risk Analysis 468: Visual Analytics for Security Intelligence

Econ 302: Intermediate Micro-Economic Analysis

English 202D: Business Writing

Criminology 100: Introduction to Criminal Justice

Information Science and Technology 432: Legal and Regulatory Environment of Information Science and Technology

I would say that I am most worried about Econ 302 as I am no economics major, but I don’t think it will be all that bad. One of the big projects for English 202D is creating a blog (gasp!) about my professional work. Sadly neither this one or my previous blog (russwbeck.wordpress.com) will count, so attempt number three at blogging looks to be in the works. After preliminary glances at my syllabi I have a few busy weeks ahead of me (3 midterms in 3 days for instance), but also should only have one final. Here’s to hoping it isn’t on Friday!

I hope the rest of you Penn State students have a great semester, but for now, let’s celebrate Syllabus week before we actually have to do real work!

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The Steelers and Cutting Edge Therapy

Russ Beck — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:48:38 +0000

Last season Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu suffered from injuries that could have sidelined them from playing in crucial playoff games. Polamalu never missed a game and Ward was able to play in the Super Bowl because of a new and innovating treatment being used by not only those two, but also by a few MLB and Soccer players along with thousands of recreational athletes.

What is the treatment, you may ask? Steroids? A new exercise? Nope. This completely legal and cutting edge treatment option is called Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy.

This surprisingly straightforward option involves injecting portions of a patient’s blood directly into the injured area, which catalyzes the body’s instincts to repair muscle, bone and other tissue. As a bonus, the technique appears to help regenerate ligament and tendon fibers, which could shorten rehabilitation time and possibly obviate surgery.

“It’s a better option for problems that don’t have a great solution — it’s nonsurgical and uses the body’s own cells to help it heal,” said Dr. Allan Mishra, an assistant professor of orthopedics at Stanford University Medical Center and one of the primary researchers in the field. “I think it’s fair to say that platelet-rich plasma has the potential to revolutionize not just sports medicine but all of orthopedics. It needs a lot more study, but we are obligated to pursue this.”

Platelet-rich plasma, initially used over 20 years ago in the Dental community to enhance wound healing in cancer patients with jaw reconstruction, is derived by placing a small amount of the patient’s blood in a filtration system or centrifuge that rotates at high speed, separating red blood cells from the platelets that release proteins and other particles involved in the body’s self-healing process. A teaspoon or two of the remaining substance is then injected into the damaged area. The high concentration of platelets — from 3 to 10 times that of normal blood — often catalyzes the growth of new soft-tissue or bone cells. Because the substance is injected where blood would rarely go otherwise, it can deliver the healing instincts of platelets without triggering the clotting response for which platelets are typically known.

Experts said they had used the procedure as a first option before surgery. There is little chance for rejection or allergic reaction because the substance is autologous, meaning it comes from the patient’s own body; the injection carries far less chance for infection than an incision and leaves no scar, and it takes only about 20 minutes, with a considerably shorter recovery time than after surgery.

The possibilities of platelet-rich plasma are certainly apparent to the Steelers. Polamalu had the procedure for a strained calf after last year’s playoff game against the Chargers and, although the injury was not considered particularly serious, he returned healthy enough the next Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens to return an interception 40 yards for a touchdown in the AFC Championship Game.

The technique played its most glaring role with Ward, who left that Baltimore game in the first quarter with a sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. The next day, he was injected with a form of PRP therapy called autologous conditioned plasma, which features different proportions of platelets and other cells. Along with strenuous rehabilitation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Ward recovered enough to make two catches in the Super Bowl.

“I was next in line, the next guinea pig,” Ward said, referring to Polamalu’s experience with platelet-rich plasma. “I think it really helped me. The injury that I had was a severe injury, maybe a four- or six-week injury. In order for me to go out there and play in two weeks, I don’t think anyone with a grade-2 M.C.L. sprain gets back that fast.”

It is also speculated that Polamalu used PRP after this recent knee injury, from which he returned and got re-injured, but missed the majority of the season. It seems as if the NFL could benefit from the Steelers’ practices with PRP and you could see a severe decrease in time spent in rehab and amount of knee surgeries performed on football players, an area of great concern to the league.

The video below is from the 2009/2010 season and aired on ESPN during pregame discussions of Week 2.

Polamalu did return 4 weeks later, only to re-injure the knee after 5 weeks.

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R.I.P. Clara Himes

Russ Beck — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:39:09 +0000

While I was in Orlando, my Great Grandmother sadly passed away. What was weird was that my cousin and I were just talking about her and how she wasn’t doing so well, less than 30 minutes later I got the call. My Great-Grandmother’s first husband, my Great-Grandfather by blood, died in the Battle of the Bulge in 1945. She was born with a heart condition that at the time (1920) killed more than 90% of those born with it, but she lived. She had a stroke in her 80s, and wasn’t supposed to ever move again. One night my Grandmother and Aunt were with her in the hospital and asked God for a sign that we shouldn’t pull the plug, at that moment the power in the Altoona Hospital flickered, went out and came back on…we let her live and she not only moved again, but talked and moved back to her house to live on her own for a few more years until being placed into a home. She once bought coffee from Hooters and only complained that the coffee was cold. She was married for 61 years when my Great-Grandfather died.

I can only hope to live a life as full as she has. Rest in Peace Great-Grammy!

Below is her obituary. I am one of her 23 Great-Grandchildren through her daughter, my Grandmother, Kathleen Glunt.

Clara M. Himes
March 9, 1920 – Jan. 2, 2010

Clara M. Himes, 89, Riggles Gap, died Saturday morning at Valley View Home.

She was born in Altoona, a daughter of the late Charles P. and Clara R. (Oswald) Bettwy. She first married Theodore E. Brobeck Oct. 24, 1936, in Altoona. He was killed in January of 1945, at the Battle of the Bulge. She then married Paul Silas Himes Aug. 2, 1947, at St. Mark’s Church, Altoona. He preceded her in death April 25, 2009.

Surviving are a son, Theodore E. Brobeck and wife, Sonja, of Julian; three daughters: Kathleen M. Glunt and husband, Hank of Riggles Gap, Mary Louise Burton and husband, Dr. Carl Burton, of Gap and Rosene Ann Minster and husband, Larry of Jim Thorpe; 11 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and a brother, Charles E. Bettwy of Bellwood.

She was preceded in death by a sister, Anna Roberta Bettwy; a brother, Jack Bettwy; and a great-granddaughter, Mikayla Marie Glunt.

Mrs. Himes was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Bellwood. She was also a member of Catholic Daughters of America St. Rita’s Court, Tyrone.

Clara loved shopping and enjoyed traveling.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010, at Jon C. Russin Funeral Home, Bellwood, where a vigil for the deceased will be held. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Bellwood, with the Rev. David H. Roesch as celebrant.

Committal will be held at Logan Valley Cemetery, Bellwood.

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Capital One Bowl

Russ Beck — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:45:36 +0000

Now that I am a few days removed from my trip to Orlando, I figured I would share some thoughts.

First off, driving was definitely the way to go. With four capable drivers, Tom-Tom, and a Blackberry, we navigated around traffic and to the hotel with little to no issues. On the way down, we stopped at my Uncle’s house in North Carolina and my friends got introduced to barbecue chicken with coleslaw on top. Let’s just say their eyes were opened to a new way to eat. We drank double-hop brewed South Paw, a Miller product that you drink in the South with your left hand. We spent about $225 in gas to cover the 2200 miles, never paying below $2.49/gallon and always getting gas millage better than 22. The cheapest gas was in Columbia, South Carolina, the most expensive was in Tyrone. We stayed at The Lodge (our name for the Econo Lodge we used to make it sound nicer) for $46 a night. It is about 15 miles from the Citrus Bowl and just a few minutes from Universal Studios. We went to Universal’s City Walk, running into some of the Blue Band, for New Years which was an amazing decision. The alcohol was reasonable and the atmosphere was fun. We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, which apparently is the biggest one in the world unbeknownst to us. After toasting Champagne and grabbing a few hours of sleep, we departed for the Capital One Bowl.

One word best describes January 1st, 2010. Rain. Lots of it. Here I thought Florida would be sunny and warm. Somehow the crappy weather that plauged Penn State’s entire season followed us to Orlando. Dressed in a t-shirt and without a poncho, I froze my ass off in pre-game and the first quarter.

The View from the Penn State Student Section

We sat pretty close to the Blue Band, which was nice because we could hear everything they played. We were right at the LSU goal line, where Penn State kicked the game winning field goal. The field was crap, the refs did their best to rival it however. How can you say it’s fourth down after an intentional grounding on first (which was iffy at best) and a run play on second? Then, they forgot that when the defense accepts a holding penalty the offense gets the down back so it would still be second down. Also, Penn State’s game winning field goal was snapped from the 4 yard line when it should have been snapped from the 3. These were Conference USA refs…what the heck were they doing reffing a Big Ten SEC game?? Give us some ref officials please! We kept joking that they were going to call icing on Joe Paterno and give LSU 3 more points. After a much closer game than I expected after the first half, the Lions proved to be the better team edging the Tigers 19-17. It felt good to see Darryl Clark get the MVP after the signature win of his career. After watching him, Sean Lee, and Navorro Bowman direct the Blue Band, our group headed to a local sports bar to catch the rest of the games.

We drove straight back to PA the next day. Leaving Orlando at Noon and arriving in Tyrone at 8am. I watched the sun set and rise in the same car ride. We left 50 degree Orlando and ended in 0 degree Tyrone, a rude awakening to say the least.

Before food each person ended up paying $176 dollars, you can’t beat that for two nights in Orlando and a good football game.

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My Trip to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl

Russ Beck — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:23:22 +0000

Well today is the day. I am leaving Tyrone for a few days to head down to Orlando to see Penn State take on LSU in the Capital One Bowl. We got in line for tickets earlier this month at 5am in frigid temperatures, we planned hotels and driving arrangements, now it is time for the fun. We will depart Tyrone somewhere between 10 and 11 and arrive at my Uncle’s House in North Carolina around 8pm. Follow me on Twitter as I tweet the experience as it happens.

So, Happy New Year and Go Lions! Beat Tigers!

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Top Ten Sporting Events of the Decade

Russ Beck — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:13:54 +0000

I watched a lot of sporting events in the last decade. I was 12 when the clock turned from 1999 to 2000 and found humor in thinking I was the first person in the new millennium to say that the Steelers would win the Super Bowl. With that said, here is my list of my top sporting events since then. These are in chronological order, and they are admittedly heavy on the later part of the decade as I aged and usually include my favorite team winning.

2003 BCS Fiesta Bowl (2002 BCS National Championship Game) – Ohio State Buckeyes (31) vs. Miami Hurricanes (24) (2OT)

2005 Big Ten Football Game – Penn State Nittany Lions (17) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (10)

2006 BCS Orange Bowl – Penn State Nittany Lions (26) vs. Florida State Seminoles (23) (3OT)

2006 BCS Rose Bowl (2005 BCS National Championship Game) – Texas Longhorns (41) vs. Southern California Trojans (38)

2007 BCS Fiesta Bowl – Boise State Broncos (43) vs. Oklahoma Sooners (42) (OT)

2008 Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 – Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs. Detroit Red Wings (3) (3OT)

2009 Super Bowl XLIII – Pittsburgh Steelers (27) vs. Arizona Cardinals (23)

2009 NCAA Big East Basketball Tournament Quarterfinal – Syracuse Orange (127) vs. Connecticut Huskies (117) (6OT)

2009 Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 – Pittsburgh Penguins (2) vs. Detroit Red Wings (1)

2009 Women’s Volleyball NCAA Championship – Penn State Nittany Lions (3) vs. Texas Longhorns (2) (22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-13)

Here’s to a new decade full of excitement.

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