Scott

Jewish Learning Exchange

2008-03-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd announce another project that I have just completed: The Jewish Learning Exchange. The JLE is a Jewish outreach organization serving the Los Angeles Jewish community. They offer free Judaism classes for people of all levels of observance and backgrounds as well as user-friendly services and Shabbat hospitality.

Pandion Website Finally Live

2008-01-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

After nearly a year I've finally managed to complete the homepage for my web development company. Check it out and let me know what you think:

Pandion Development Corporation

Pandion offers the following services:

Custom Website Design

Database Development

Software Programming

Business Analytics & Reporting

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

I hope that all of you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. I have posted photos from the Thanksgiving feast that we hosted last night. Unfortunately I was so busy preparing things that I forgot about taking photos until about halfway through so there isn't even a photo of our whole turkey that I so beautifully roasted or the amazing first course of deliciously pareve eggplant parm and pasta that Nicole slaved over. Nevertheless, feel free to check out the latest photos.

My Latest Site

2007-10-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

I just completed my latest website project, this time for my older sister's new startup business. The site offers for sale one-of-a-kind hand-knit gifts and accessories. I invite you to check it out and let me know what you think of the design. Heck, maybe you'll find something you want to buy while you're there as well, after all the holidays are rapidly approaching.

Check it out at www.99lollipop.com

If I Only Had a Brain: Part Duex

2007-09-24T18:31:00.001-07:00

Lifted from DodgerBlues.com:

"The team played very good today," Grady Little said. "We got a lot of production all up and down through the lineup, and it was good to see."

Let me just run that statement through the bullshit translator... hang on a second... okay, here's the translation: "I think we won today. At least that's what one of the coaches said. Frankly I wasn't paying attention because I was staring at Esteban Loaiza's beard. And I think I saw a mouse in it. Is Brett Tomko still on my team? I haven't seen him in a while. Do you think Chin-Lung Hu should bat cleanup? I like peppermint."

If I Only Had a Brain

2007-09-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

Lifted from DodgerBlues.com:

"The team played very good today," Grady Little said. "We got a lot of production all up and down through the lineup, and it was good to see."

Let me just run that statement through the bullshit translator... hang on a second... okay, here's the translation: "I think we won today. At least that's what one of the coaches said. Frankly I wasn't paying attention because I was staring at Esteban Loaiza's beard. And I think I saw a mouse in it. Is Brett Tomko still on my team? I haven't seen him in a while. Do you think Chin-Lung Hu should bat cleanup? I like peppermint."

The Final Hammer Blow

2007-09-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

Less than a week ago the Dodgers gave their fans a renewed sense of hope by winning four straight and at one point coming to within a game-and-a-half of the National League wild card. Tonight all hopes for the 2007 season have all but vanished.

In a melancholly way I was actually happy to learn that it was Takashi Saito who permitted the Rockies to win tonight's game. It was as if terrible news had just been delivered by a dear old friend. The blow was somehow lessened. All you had to do was look at Takashi's face the moment the batter made contact and you knew what every Dodger fan was feeling. We were all on the mound with him at that moment.

As I trolled the baseball forums I realized that not even the harshest of fans could find anything negative to say about Saito's peformance. Rather, the comments were sympathetic, more akin to words of condolence than typical sports banter. In less than two seasons Takashi Saito has earned true respect among Dodger fans, and deservedly so. So thank you Takashi, thank you for being the one to break the news. We'd much rather hear it from you than from Loaiza, or Hernandez, or Hillenbrand.

And although there are still a handful of games left in the season, I'm going to say "See you in 2008!" with hopes that I'll be eating my words this October.

Happy New Year

2007-09-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

I'd like to apologize for the gap in activity here over the past couple of weeks and use the (Jewish) new year as a time to kind of reset my life. I've been so overwhelmed by work, school, and family responsibilities lately that I've fallen behind in nearly all of those very things. To my fellow Jews (and anyone else willing to accept the greetings), I'd like to wish you all a very happy and healthy new year (L'shana tova!).

This week I have exams in both my Chemistry and Biology classes. Unfortunately, I've fallen behind in studying for both classes but am going to try exceptionally hard from this point forward to stay on top of things and manage my time better.

As far as baseball goes, because of the Rosh Hashanah holiday I was unable to watch any of the Dodgers four consecutive victories. However, I am now convinced that my fanship is harming the Dodgers just as much as Grady Little's inept management. No sooner had I been able to finally watch a game did the team decide to throw in the towel. What an emotional rollercoaster of a season the Dodgers have put their fans through.

On a happier note, I just read an article about my favorite pitcher, Takashi Saito, and his phenomenal performance this year. Check it out by clicking here. Incidentally, word is that Saito has agreed to come back for the 2008 season if the Dodgers want him.

This Week in Review

2007-08-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

Last week the Fall school semester began and as a result I've been MIA for the most part. This semester I'm taking General Chemistry and Cell Evolutionary Biology. In conjunction with work, both classes promise to keep me extremely busy over the next 16 weeks.

This week was also one of sweeps. The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Washington Nationals to hold onto a shot for the NL wildcard. Of course, since no one ahead of the Dodgers seems to want to lose, their wildcard deficit holds at three. The Angels swept the Seattle Mariners, pulling ahead of them by five games. And last--but certainly not least--the New York Yankees dealt a devestating blow to Boston Red Sox fans by sweeping them in this week's series at Yankee Stadium. Chen Ming Wang demoralized Boston by pitching 7 shut-out innings, 6 1/3 of them hitless.

Not only was this a big week for the Dodgers, Angels, and Yankees, but it was also a big week for my buddy Sid McHenry, a freelance writer who had his first article published at MLB.com. If you haven't read it already, please check out his article on baseball caps and then be sure to keep an eye on his blog, Angels in the Outfield: Muses From the Nosebleed Seats. Congrats, Sid!

As August draws to a close September promises to be one wild ride. Intradivision play is underway and the final push for spots in those precious October games is in full swing.

Rethinking Resuscitation: Does CPR Kill?

2007-08-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

I'm going to shift gears for a moment and focus my discussion away from baseball and on to medicine.

IMPORTANT: This blog entry is based on preliminary research as I understand it. Please read the links at the bottom before drawing your own conclusions. DO NOT WITHHOLD CPR from your cardiac arrest patients in any circumstance. Alternative treatments do not yet exist outside of the research and clinical trial setting. CPR is still your patient's best chance of survival in a cardiac arrest situation. Please refer to your local protocol and AHA CPR guidelines.

No matter what you do for a living odds are you are in some way familiar with Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Whether your knowledge comes from a formal source such as the American Heart Association or from Hollywood, you probably know that it is the gold standard in the treatment of cardiac arrest.

Now what if I told you that new research suggests that our original thinking may be wrong? What if I told you that CPR kills? Now imagine my dismay when one of the program coordinators at the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care told me just that.

So I decided to a little research of my own. Since I don't have the education or the resources to perform my own clinical studies I opted to let Google do the research for me, and that is when I came across several fascinating articles that supported what the UCLA instructor had told me during my EMT refresher class.

Of course, saying that CPR kills is a gross generalization. However, the research does show that CPR may only be effective within the first 10 minutes of a cardiac arrest. Beyond 10 minutes, CPR becomes fatal. In the next few paragraphs I'm going to attempt to explain why this is in simplistic terms.

Three Phases of Cardiac Arrest

According to Dr. Lance B. Becker and Dr. Myron L. Weisfeldt, cardiac arrest can be divided into three time-sensitive phases:

Phase 1: The Electrical Phase

The first four minutes of a cardiac arrest are the most critical. During this phase the damage to cells and organs is minimized and the heart is likely to respond to defibrillation ("shocking"). Dr. Becker points out that the high success rate of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) (like the one that Vice President Dick Cheney has) underscores the importance of this period of time as well as early defirbrillation. During this phase difibrllation (if indicated) should precede CPR.

The growing availability of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) is a very important aspect of increasing survivability from cardiac arrest. By the time paramedics arrive on scene a person has usually been without a pulse for significantly longer than this phase and the odds of their survival decrease with each passing minute.

Phase 2: The Criculatory Phase

From four minutes to approximately 10 minutes of ventricular fibrillation (VF) the patients best chances for recovery lie in receiving traditional CPR and defibrillation per current standards. It's important to note that the AHA CPR guidelines that took effect in 2005 address the recommendations for this phase of resuscitation.

Phase 3: The Metabolic Phase

This is where it gets really interesting, and where the shocking reality of CPR takes hold. "After 10 minutes of cardiac arrest, the effectiveness of both immediate defibrillation and CPR followed by defibrillation decreases rapidly and survival rates appear poor." (Becker)

At this point, cells begin to go into what can be understood as a sort of hibernation state. As they become oxygen-deprived the cells begin to die, but it seems that new evidence shows that the process of cell death from oxygen deprivation occurs much more slowly than has always been believed.

The Real Killer: Oxygen

Although counter-intuitive, research is showing that the real damage to cells occurs largely after they are re-oxygenated. During CPR the oxygen level in the blood increases (especially if performed correctly). Cells that were in the process of dying are now reinvigorated with oxygen and their metabolic activities resume. The problem is that cells are inherently designed to commit suicide when they become damaged. This process of programmed cell death is known as apoptsosis.

It is be lived that apoptosis can occur as part of body's natural defense against cancer. When cells sense that they are damaged they sacrafice themselves in order to protect the rest of the body. Normally this works very well because cells don't tend to die en masse. However, during cardiac arrest all of the body's cells suffer from what is known as ischemia, or damage due to oxygen deprivation. Once oxygen is restored (reperfusion), large groups of cells realize that they have been damaged and initiate the process of apoptosis simultaneously. Obviously, this isn't a good thing.

The Bottom Line

When all is said and done the bottom line is that rapid reperfusion (which can occurred as a result of CPR and successful resuscitative efforts) actually causes cells to die more quickly than if they were deprived of oxygen.

So how do you resuscitate someone without killing their cells?

The answer seems to be surprisingly simple: keep them cold...induce hypothermia.

Studies are showing that an approach involving induced hypothermia (lowering the body's core temperature to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit) as well as other therapies which reperfuse the body in a more controlled manner can raise survivability to as high as 80%.

Of course, more research is needed before we know what the best approach to resuscitation is. However, one thing is for sure, over the next few years we will be forced to rethink what it means to be dead.

*****
Links:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19751440/site/newsweek/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18368186/site/newsweek/
http://erc.uchicago.edu/documents/ResuscitationafterCA.pdf

Takashi Saito: 34 Saves and Counting!

2007-08-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of USA Today

Ask me who my favorite active player is and you won't be surprised to learn that it's Dodger closer Takashi Saito. After coming in last year to fill Eric Gagn�'s (legendary) shoes, Saito quickly became one of the most dominating closers in the game today. Earlier this moring Saito recorded his 34th save of the season and helped bring about a much-needed victory against the Phillies.

Saito only has three pitches: a fastball, a curveball, and a nasty slider. According to Dodger's radio broadcaster Charlie Steiner, players throughout the league have reported that they simply can't pick up on Saito's release point. By the time they know where the ball is going, it's already lights out.

At 37 years old Saito probably won't be around for very long. Once he's gone, Dodger fans--for the first time in years--will realize how spoiled they have been by the quality of their closing team.

First Game at Angel Sadium: Yankees Win!

2007-08-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

Today's game at Angels Stadium (photos) brings my list of ballparks to four: Dodger Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, and Angel Stadium. Can you believe that I visited all four parks within the past month?

I must admit that of these four ballparks, Angel Stadium was certainly the best overall experience. The renovations make it difficult to remember that the park was built during the 1960's era of ugly urban stadiums (see: Shea Stadium). Angel Stadium seemed significantly smaller than the others I have visited (I'm told it seats about 45,000), and the uppermost section where we sat (literally the highest row) offered a vantage point roughly equal to the Reserve section at Dodger Stadium. The seats were comfortable, the corridors well-lit and clean-smelling. A good all-around baseball experience. Kudos!

If I had to make a list of the stadiums in descending order of desirability it would be as follows:

1. Angel Stadium
2. Dodger Stadium
3. Yankee Stadium
4. Shea Stadium

Of course, paint does not a ballpark make and Yankee Stadium will always hold a special place in my heart while Dodger Stadium will always be home. Angel Stadium is a nice place to visit and Shea deserves its fate.

What UPS Brought Today

2007-08-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Late nights, the Internet, ShopMLB.com, and a credit card. A few nights ago those elements conspired together to fuel my impulse to buy something that I really didn't need but that I'm now glad I have: baseballs autographed by young Dodger first baseman James Loney and All-Star Dodger catcher Russel Martin.

Both of these future hall-of-famers embody what baseball can and should be. They show a drive that is equally matched by their talent, and while I don't consider my purchases an investment in the traditional sense, I am thrilled to hold a piece of what will surely become a part of baseballs long and rich history.

Now if I could only find an authentic Takashi Saito baseball...

Russel Martin

James Loney

One Season, Four Parks

2007-08-22T01:59:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow evening I will be attending the Yankees vs. Angels game at Angels Stadium in Anaheim along with Nicole and my buddy Sid McHenry. This game, my first at Angels Stadium, will bring the number of major league ballparks that I have had the privilege of visiting this season to four. It has been quite a baseball summer with my having attended games at Dodger Stadium, Yankee Stadium, and Shea Stadium.

Petco Park in San Diego and AT&T Park in San Francisco are two additional parks that I'd like to visit this year before the end of the season if possible, though I'm not sure how realistic a goal that is right now.

Earlier this month I also visited Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY, which is billed as "the birthplace of baseball." Although not a major league ballpark I think its status in history justifies its inclusion in this entry.

Stay tuned for a new photo gallery sometime tomorrow night after the game featuring photos from Angels Stadium.

Dodgers in Philly

2007-08-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

The National League wildcard race is in full swing and after a much-needed day off the Dodgers head to Philidelphia in an attempt to gain some ground. This season has been a typical Dodgers rollercoaster. It's hard to believe that just about a month ago the Dodgers had the best record in the National League and now are in danger of having to sit on the sidelines come October.

After Saturday's exta-innings dissapointment and Sunday's electrifying save (thank you Saito!), it's anybody's guess how the series against the Phillies will turn out. One thing's for sure, there's plenty of blame to go around when it comes to trying to figure out what caused the embarassing slide from first place. Still, I think that Grady Little deserves the brunt of the criticism for his notoriously schizophrenic lineup management as well as his unwillingness to rest players when they need to be rested or play them when they need to be played.

Update: Well, the Dodgers blew it again and now fall deeper into the hole. As of tonight Tomko is now 2-11 for the season, why Grady chooses to start him given this horrific record is beyond me. With such an awful win-loss ratio we'd be better off letting just about anyone in the minors come on up to fill his shoes.

Baseball Cards: Reconnecting

2007-08-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I was standing with my fianc� in line at Target. Next to me was the store's trading card display. Behind me was another shopper, in his late 20's. He noticed as I studied a box of Topps baseball cards.

"Those used to be so much fun." he said.

"Yeah, I can't believe how many different types of cards they have nowadays. They even have Sponge Bob cards," I replied as I turned to him.

"I used to buy the complete Topps set every year...but I threw most of 'em away, they were all worthless."

He hadn't noticed the box of cards that had already been placed in our shopping cart. "Yeah, I just recently started getting back into it, in fact I'm gonna buy a box today."

He seemed surprised. "You're buying a box?"

As a kid I wasn't much of a baseball fan. I collected cards mainly because my friends did, the same reason most kids do things. My knowledge of players was limited to household names or those discussed around me at school. I soon made new friends and found my own hobbies and my meager baseball card collection found a home under my bed where it would sit collecting dust for nearly a dozen years.

Then a few years ago, I rediscovered baseball...and how! No longer was the sport tainted by the undertone of trying to fit in with a school clique that had no place for me. Baseball was no longer just a sport and soon became a passion.

In some ways I'm thankful for my nearly 12 years of baseball amnesia. My memories of the baseball strike and of the various scandals during that time are limited. Having had no real emotional investment in the sport I was fortunate to avoid much of the devastation that so many kids faced during those years. I believe I have returned to baseball just as--to borrow my friend Sid McHenry's idea--the sport has entered a "new golden age."

The cashier handed me my receipt. I was the proud owner of my first box of cards in nearly a dozen years. And, in some way, I think that the hobby missed me as much as I now realize I missed it. When I returned home I found that the box I purchased contained two relic cards: an Aaron Boone autograph and an Anthony Reyes jersey. A kind gesture.

For me, baseball card collecting isn't a business venture. I didn't make today's purchase to pay for my future children's college education. While other sports and entities begin manufacturing trading cards at the urging of their marketing departments, baseball cards will continue to transcend the sheer commercial aspect. For the true fan there's a feeling you get when you tear open that foil, a feeling that must be experienced in order to be understood.

New Website

2007-08-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? I finally got off of my butt and redesigned the site. The old layout served me well for a long time but it was finally time for a change. I hope you'll leave your comments and tell me what you think of the new look and feel.

Cooperstown, Yankee, and Shea

2007-08-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

I know I'm super-lazy and have gone a few months without updating the site (despite my previous promises to not slack off). Nevertheless, I've been in New York (staying on Long Island and also having made a couple day trip upstate to Rochester and Cooperstown) since the 5th of August and have posted a number of new photo albums.

Check out the photos section of the site and you will find a huge collection of images taken from the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY as well as images of Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium from my first Yankee and Mets home games respectively.

Chemistry

2007-06-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

After months of struggle and worry I managed to get an A in Chemistry! Too bad I have 4 more chemistry classes to take before I'm finally done with the subject. :( At least I have until fall to have to worry about it again. What a relief!

Thanks NBC

2007-05-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks I had really gotten into NBC's new detective drama, Raines starring Jeff Goldbloom. I had been waiting for my DVR to record the season finale which never seemed to air, so I decided to look it up. Turns out NBC has already axed the show. I guess The Biggest Loser and some American Idol knockoff show are far better choices than a relatively intelligent, darkly funny, well-written show like Raines. It's amazing how they couldn't even let the show run out its season; after all, they only had 7 episodes anyway.

Networks don't stand by their shows anymore. If TV had been run the way it is now years ago shows like The Simpsons and Seinfeld never would have made it either. What a shame, now there really isn't anything to watch on TV. Thanks NBC.

Improved Photo Gallery Interface

2007-05-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

I have implemented a new interface for the photo albums. You probably won't notice a huge difference at first, but go ahead and click on a thumbnail in any album and you will see a much improved way of viewing larger photos. No more popups!

Also, clicking on the right side of the expanded photo (or the left) will cause you to automatically load the next (or previous) photo respectively. Give it a try and let me know what you think by adding a comment to this blog entry.

Birthday in San Diego

2007-05-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

For my birthday Nicole took me for a weekend in San Diego. I hadn't been to the San Diego Zoo since I was probably about 6 or 7 years old so it was a nice treat...especially since we got to see the pandas!

I have placed an extensive photo album online with pics from the zoo as well as the San Diego Mission and a few shots from riding the San Diego MTS Trolley (light rail) system. There are also links to three video clips I've placed on YouTube, look for them on the right-hand side of the photo page.

Click here to view the San Diego pics and videos!

I've also restarted my Photo-A-Day project which can bee accessed at http://sgtwyatt.photoblog.com.

Coming Soon: A new color scheme for this site! Stay tuned...

New: RSS Feed!

2007-03-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

So, it was only a few months ago that I promised major updates to the site. I haven't forgotten and I have a million excuses for the lack of activity here. I won't bother conveying them since it all boils down to one thing: I've been slacking.

Anyway, my goal is to get out from the overwhelming pile of work that is preventing me from pursuing my creative outlets such as photography and writing. I'm not going to promise a timeframe this time, but I'm going to try (yet again) to get some new content up here.

Subscribe to my XML feed if you wanna be notified when I make good on this promise (or just check my AIM profile for the update times).

Project 365

2007-01-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

Lisa (my sister) sent me this article which piqued my interest in doing my own daily photo project. So I've decided to give it a try. I'm using January 1 as the starting point which is a little unfortunate since today is the 4th. I just so happened to take a photo on New Year's Day which will suffice for the project, unfortunately there is currently a gap until today. I guess that makes this project 363 for me.

Anyway, here's the link to where the project is being hosted (for now, unless I come up with a better place for it):

My Project 365 Photoblog

2006-12-17T16:14:00.000-08:00

Big Career Announcement

Those of you who know me also know that for a long time I have been pursuing a career in EMS. Well, over the past several months I have taken stock of my life and realize that my vision of what being a paramedic should be, and the reality of what it is (in the parts of the country where I would ultimately end up staying), have turned into two completely different things. Ultimately I would have been forced to choose between mediocrity or living god-knows-where and earning $12/hr.

After much soul searching I have decided to go back to school and pursue a dream that I have had since I was a little kid: I am going to become a doctor.

Yes, I know that I have a LONG road ahead of me and yes I know that it's going to be a life of hell until I eventually finish my residency, but deep down inside I know that it's the only thing that I will be truly happy doing. So, after completing Human Anatomy at Santa Monica College this past semester (and doing rather well I might add), I've decided that it's time to dive head first into the whole "pre-med" thing and waste no more time.

So, for now I have a lot more time left at Santa Monica College making up for my original liberal arts path. Unfortunately, when you're majoring in history you don't need to take calculous, physics, chemistry, or biology so other than getting a bunch of general eds out of the way, I'm pretty much starting from scratch. Well, at least by the time I'm an intern I won't *look* like a brand new doctor :-|