Dealcoholizing Wine

I got bad news from 23&Me, the gene sequencing service, they told me I a bad gene for Alzheimer's disease. Now old people are afraid of losing their minds. A lot of older people than I can't remember anything. When you can't remember you can't take care of yourself, and it is pathway to an early death. 

My daughter, not surprisingly, also has bad Alzheimer's genes, and she found medical research proving that the bad gene with alcohol was far worse. Most of the bad gene's effect was for alcohol drinkers. 

I have been wine making for 15 or 20 years, and it is one my main hobbies. I don't care for being drunk really; mostly because after-while it makes me sleepy. I drink a glass of wine a day, and I'd drink it slowly to savor it. I have about 50 gallons in the basement -- that is about 250 bottles worth. Most of it is still aging in carboys and demijohns. 

So I get this bad news on the  drinking. Here is an example: Midlife Alcohol Consumption and Later Life Cognitive Impairment: Light Drinking is Not Protective and APEO Genotype Does Not Change This Relationship. The title tells the story, and it is a 2022 article so related articles are in the endnotes.

I decided it is better to not drink and delay losing my mind by a few years. I don't think it is a tough choice. I mean drinking isn't that fun. 

Dealcoholized Wine

I am planning to dealcoholize my homemade wine. It is easy to do that.

1. Put the wine in the top of a double boiler with water in the bottom. 

2. Monitor the temperature at about 180F you will see the alcohol boiling off. (I am not making any effort to collect the alcohol and make brandy. Maybe someday.)

3. As it boils off the temperature will go up to about 195F, and stop boiling. The double boiler is almost incapable of boiling in the upper pot. Hold it there for a few minutes. 

4. That's it. Turn off the heat and let it cool. 

5. I find that I lose about 30% of the volume in this process. That is a lot. 12-14% is alcohol and the other 16-18% is water boiling away. You could add water back. Commercial dealcoholized wine is diluted back, often with grape juice. My thought is that a full-bodied red may benefit from dilution with water, and that a white may benefit from concentration. 

I have noticed the pH dropping after dealcoholization; not sure what the chemistry is there.  My theory is that we are releasing acetic acid that had been bound up some how. Acetic acid boils at 244F.

Brooks Launch

 

    

I was looking at the wear on my old shoes, and I decided I needed new ones. I went to the store and was looking for roomy toe box, and pretty good cushioning, but not ridiculous. I came home with these Brooks Launch. It was somewhat cheaper than my older Levitates because it has EVA midsole rather than polyurethane. This means it won't last as long, but I liked the fit and the feel better -- it also cost less. 

In size 11 these shoes weighed 256 g, and far lighter than my recent shoes.

Weights of my recent shoes

Nov 2022 Brooks Launch         256g

Jan 2022 Asics Gel Venture 8    340 g

Nov. 2020 Nike ReAct Legend 341 g

August 2020 SolarBoost        319 g

March 2020 Solar Boost ST    338 g

Brooks Levitate 2                 365 g

Brooks Ghost 9                     335 g

2018 Pure Boost                    335 g

2015 Boost SuperNova          335 g

2012 Energy Boost                300 g

ASICS Gel Venture 8

 We had a snow storm about a week ago, and after the trail had been well-trodden by hikers, I went running on it. I wore generic Yak-Traps rubber grippers on my old running shoes. At about mile eight of my nine mile run, I found I only had a gripper on my left foot, and the right one was lost somewhere on the trail. 

First I ordered a ASICS Gecko, and it was far too small. I usually order 11 in athletic shoes and 10 in street shoes. The 11 was long enough and even wide enough, but the shoe pressed down on my hallux MTP joint enough that it hurt. (Hallus is a latinate word for big toe, and MTP is what people say when they really mean metatarsophalangeal.)

Ugly Nike Pegasus Trail shoe

I poked on running websites, and I found most people just run in their trail running shoes with no metal spikes -- they just take it easy on the ice.  

I ventured to Dick's Sporting Goods which in my community has the undersized shoe department. (Some large Dick's have supersized shoe department depending on the market.) They only had one men's trail runner shoe which was a Nike Pegasus adapted for trail running with an aqua blue rubber sole. While I have had Nike Pegasus shoes, they are not really my favorite Nike. And it was at full price at $159, but worst of all it was ugly. 

The shoe I ended up buying was a ASICS Gel Venture 8, which had plenty of space for my hallus MTP, and pretty good cleats on the bottom as you see below. 

The yellow outsole seems to be a rubber. Clearly the middle sole is a low density foam probably EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) and is marked "GEL", and the innersole seems to good quality - perhaps polyurethane. 

In size 11, the shoe weighed 340 grams. This is close to the 338 of my current shoes, Adidas Solar Boost.

Five Principles of Design

 https://bonfx.com/five-principles-of-design/

Macho Sayings

 Sleep when you are dead.

Food is for the weak. 

Thirst is ?

The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman

The Hill We Climb

 

When day comes, we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?The loss we carry. A sea we must wade.

We braved the belly of the beast.

We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what “just” is isn’t always justice.

And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it.

Somehow we do it.

Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.

We, the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one.

And, yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect.

We are striving to forge our union with purpose.

To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.

And so we lift our gaze, not to what stands between us, but what stands before us.

We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.

We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.

We seek harm to none and harmony for all.

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true.

That even as we grieved, we grew.

That even as we hurt, we hoped.

That even as we tired, we tried.

That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious.

Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.

Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid.

If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made.

That is the promise to glade, the hill we climb, if only we dare.

It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit.

It’s the past we step into and how we repair it.

We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation, rather than share it.

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith we trust, for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.

This is the era of just redemption.

We feared at its inception.

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour.

But within it we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves.

So, while once we asked, how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe, now we assert, how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be: a country that is bruised but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free.

We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation, become the future.

Our blunders become their burdens.

But one thing is certain.

If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children’s birthright.

So let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left.

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.

We will rise from the golden hills of the West.

We will rise from the windswept Northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution.

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the Midwestern states.

We will rise from the sun-baked South.

We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover.

And every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful, will emerge battered and beautiful.

When day comes, we step out of the shade of flame and unafraid.

The new dawn balloons as we free it.

For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.

If only we’re brave enough to be it.

Nike Legend React

I injured my right root and my Adidas Solar Boost were not able to protect my feet well enough. It was an injury of the forefoot, and seemed more forward than Plantar fasciitis usually is. 

Neither pair of my Adidas Solar Boost are worn out, but they couldn't protect my foot, ease the pain in each step, or promote recovery as well as some old pairs that were collecting dust in the garage. 

I started using my 2011 Nike LunarGlide 3's because even though they were worn out, the high arch support and large mass of foam felt good on my injured feet. The 2011 LunarGlides did not last long in running service because I thought the foam was too soft and after more running it just provided less and less support. On the other hand, they felt best with my current injury. 

I did a little research and found that Nike had introduced a new ReAct, and is promoted as a good shoe for injury recovery. I went to my local store, and while they had the new ReAct 3, they didn't have it in my size. I wanted a shoe today instead of ordering online, and so I got the React 2 and in black with odd green highlights. 

The ReAct in size eleven is 341 grams, which makes it among my heaviest shoes, which makes sense because it has a giant chunk of foam in the sole. 

Weights of my recent shoes

Nov. 2020 Nike ReAct Legend 341 g

August 2020 SolarBoost        319 g

March 2020 Solar Boost ST    338 g

Brooks Levitate 2                 365 g

Brooks Ghost 9                     335 g

2018 Pure Boost                    335 g

2015 Boost SuperNova          335 g

2012 Energy Boost                300 g

Covid 19 in Rock County and in Wisconsin

I have been tracking Covid 19 cases in Wisconsin. These numbers are ultimately from the NYTimes, but I pick them up from Google. I have plotted them, and calculated the seven day rolling average. 

Cases really ramped up in the beginning of October, and the most recent days have been the highest ever. Covid cases were already sky-rocketing before the Trump rally on Oct 17, so it hard to blame that rally for the problem.

Wisconsin cases have also gone up aggressively since early September - perhaps because that is when school started. The press blamed the spike on cases at universities. 

 realize that not being at the meeting makes it hard to perform the Treasurer’s duties, and I am hoping that John Sarnow, our assistant Treasurer could possibly help. I am willing to continue with other Treasurer’s duties. 

Adidas Solar Boost Shoes (Aug 18 Pair)

I liked my current Adidas Solar Boost ST so well that I got another pair. This is called simply SolarBoost, with no ST. I will alternate between these pairs for a while. Both Solar Boost shoes have more support in the forefoot than the Brooks shoes that I had been using. Even one day in my old, but low-milage Brooks Levitate 2's makes my big toe hurt.  

Initially the new Solar Boost pair seemed to be identical to the March 2020 Solar Boost ST pair. The sole is beige instead of black, so I hope it wears as well. The fit is just as good. I really like the Solar's upper. Link to Solar Boost ST's review.

The weight of one SolarBoost shoe is 319 grams. This compares to 338 grams on the March 2020 SolarBoost ST pair, which is 5.6% lighter. My reaction is lighter is better, but I hope the durability holds up. 

Weights of my recent shoes.

August 2020 SolarBoost        319 g

March 2020 Solar Boost ST    338 g

Brooks Levitate 2                 365 g

Brooks Ghost 9                     335 g

2018 Pure Boost                    335 g

2015 Boost SuperNova          335 g

2012 Energy Boost                300 g

After seeing the weight difference, I looked back at differences in construction, and there is a slight difference in the over-molded heel cup on the upper. On the new SolarBoost, the nylon* overmolding is smaller and covered by a piece of the elastomer which joins the midsole and the upper. 

Below is a photo of the SolarBoost ST for comparison with above. 

*It looks like nylon/polyamide to me, but of course I didn't analyze it. It could be a similar rigid engineering plastic. 

Adidas Solar Boost ST: March 13 2020 Pair

So many of my shoe purchases start out with sore feet. In this case it was a sore left bunion, and maybe it is caused by my too-small pair of Brook Ricochets or maybe my worn out Brooks Levitate 2s.

In any case, I went to my local shoe store, and checkout the Brooks Levitate 3's, but they are built as a slip-on shoe without shoe tongue, and so the laces cannot be used to adjust the tightness of the upper. I had a pair of shoes like once (PureBoost ZG), and while they was comfortable for standing in, they could NOT be held tightly enough on my foot. My toes either hit the front of the toe box, or the knit fabric puckered when I tightened down on the largely decorative shoe laces. Eventually I took the laces off, and used them as slippers around the house. They are still comfortable to stand in.

I read some reviews, and decided to try Adidas Solar Boost ST. I selected them because they seem to address the problems that I had with my last Boost shoes, which is too little structure, and generally floppiness to them. Of course, the Boost sole is springy and does a great job of protecting my foot. They also last a long time.

Solar Boost has somewhat less Boost expanded polyurethane and two structural features. It has a thermoplastic olefin bead between the midsole and the upper for support, and it has a dumbbell shaped nylon insert that keeps the shoe from twisting. The higher-end Boost shoes always had nylon inserts, and this version has an even larger one.

It has a knitted upper that is stretched comfortable. While the styling isn't the flashiest, this color isn't so bad.

In size 11, the SolarBoost weighs 338 g, which is 27g or 7% less than the Brook's Levitate 2s they replaced. They are about the same as my old Brooks Ghost 9's (335g). More numb

2020 Solar Boost          338 g
Brooks Levitate 2         365 g
Brooks Ghost 9             335 g
2018 Pure Boost            335 g
2015 Boost SuperNova  335 g
2012 Energy Boost        300 g


In the view below you can see how the white polyolefin elastomer near the heel provides some support and protection, but does not extend around the back of the heel.

In the following photo, one can see the nylon support that prevents twisting. This shoe sole has the Continental Tire logo. Continental has a cooperative agreement with Adidas since 2007. My 2017 Pure Boost shoes has a similar looking black rubber outersole, but no Continental logo. My Boost SuperNova has a different style outersole.

In the photo below, one can see the triangle of the nylon stabilizer extending around on the inside heel. Maybe this is for some sort of added support, or maybe it is a styling feature.

The photo below shows the weaving in the upper. It really looks like a sock in this image.

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August 2018 Update

I now have 500 miles on these shoes, and they are still doing well. They are my favorite pair of shoes now. I like them so much that I bought another pair. In the summertime, my shoes get wet from sweaty and I like to give them a day to dry out. 

Here is a link to my latest pair of Adidas SolarBoost shoes.