Zack Mariscal

Tech and Science are my interest. Advocating for better health care and coffee.

[zackmariscal]

It's happening!

I just got off the phone with more sources tonight. It's done. Jim Harbaugh is coming to Michigan - and his friends are flying in Monday.

— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) December 28, 2014

[zackmariscal]

Death

One of our really good friends wife is dying. As much as I’d like to admit she isn’t, she is and it is difficult to admit that. She is one of the strongest people I know. Years of chemo and cancer have changed her physically, but she’s still has so much joy and love when we are around her. I found myself wrestling with wanting to believe a miracle could happen and wanting to come to the realization it’s getting closer to say goodbye.

My wife and I can relate to them as we’ve shared health crises that have come up for us. They are friends who have been on the battlefield with us. As life has thrown mortar shells at them and bullets were whizzing by their heads, to see them go through these challenges with each other has been inspiring. Once you’ve been in a battle with someone who has faced death a special of bond takes place.

Everyday I wish them daily victories to connect with each other. It is these moments that put life into perspective and make you hold your love one tighter and appreciate life.

[zackmariscal]

HESI Review

I recently took the HESI assessment exam for one of the nursing programs I applied to.  I thought it'd be helpful to post the anatomy physiology and biology study guides I made.  I hope you find them helpful, I know they led me to having great success on the test.  Good luck!

WBC

Meiosis and Mitosis

Tissues, cavities, hormones

HESI Review

Anatomy Review

Biology Review

[zackmariscal]

I love coffee.

[zackmariscal]

Great way to learn about coffee.  I didn't know what wet process meant but this showed me.  If you're interested in coffee give it a look.

[zackmariscal]

I'm a bit surprised where people chose to have their coffee.  But one thing is certain, people love coffee.

[zackmariscal]

It's so hard to find an affordable coffee subscription.  It's cheaper for me to  buy coffee from my local shop.  I just bought 12 oz of delicious Verve coffee for around $15.  Hopefully someone can invade this space so I can get more variety in my coffee consumption.

[zackmariscal]

Geek Answers: Would it really be so bad if we killed all the mosquitoes? | Science! | Geek.com

It seems like there MUST be something wrong with the idea, yet some experts say we ought to do it. Should mankind exterminate mosquitoes?

Kill them all.

[parislemon]

Gates Spends Entire First Day Back in Office Trying to Install Windows 8.1

Andy Borowitz:

After failing to install the upgrade by lunchtime, Mr. Gates summoned the new Microsoft C.E.O. Satya Nadella, who attempted to help him with the installation, but with no success.

While the two men worked behind closed doors, one source described the situation as “tense.”

“Bill is usually a pretty calm guy, so it was weird to hear some of that language coming out of his mouth,” the source said.

A Microsoft spokesman said only that Mr. Gates’s first day in his new job had been “a learning experience” and that, for the immediate future, he would go back to running Windows 7.

So good.

[zackmariscal]

This sounds about right.

[zackmariscal]

Generosity begins a ritual

A year ago I made a decision to try and drink my coffee black. It was a financial decision because my daily mocha was adding up. So when my wife suggested I go every other day, I figured there was something I could do to maintain my morning ritual. I looked at the prices of regular coffee and decided I could do this and save some money. Then came a promotion Tonx coffee ran, they offered a Hario V60 and a free sample of their coffee. This began the journey of loving coffee.

I dabbled with the Tonx beans and didn't know where to start after my free trial ran out. My local cafe did pour overs so I started picking their brains, but then realized they were a bit limited in their knowledge. So I decided to take my questions to twitter and after some quick back and forth I figured I should get into the entry level market to do my own pour overs. My wife bought me a refurbished Baratza grinder and I began doing hand crafted coffee. I slowly started putting together what seemed like a chemistry set.

Today my setup is very different than I started with but it is because of the generosity of Tonx that I enjoy coffee at the level I do today. Without something like a free V60 I would have never ventured into the coffee world. Tonx is an amazing company, they mirror a lot of the industry. I've reached out to Able Brewing and have received expert help with how to dial in a great cup of coffee. I love coffee and it's because companies in this space don't just want to sell you their products they want you to love coffee and they are willing to go the extra length to do so.

[parislemon]

You know, the oddest thing about what’s happening right now is that we’ve stopped living our lives and we’re just recording them.

George Clooney, recalling what he told President Obama during a fundraiser in which no one wanted to shake their hands, they just wanted to take their picture. (via parislemon)

[zackmariscal]

Fist bump for good health

Bumping fists has a negative bro-stigma, but it's better than shaking hands in that it transmits significantly fewer bacteria. At a time of global concern that our antibiotics are becoming obsolete, new research shows how fist bumping could save lives.

Love this.

[zackmariscal]

Rockstar is expanding their target group.  How these women drink this stuff I have no idea.

[zackmariscal]

A great guide for coffee newbies like myself.

[zackmariscal]

To help out my fellow Michigan fans I’d like to direct you to this chart. I compared coach Hoke to other notable coaches and coaches I want him to be like. So you won’t find Les Miles or Urban Meyer, rather men who I feel have the character necessary to be a “Michigan man.”

When looking these other coaches I see Hoke needs to find himself. I think there is no greater example than Jim Harbaugh of then Stanford. He took over a program that was in total disarray and had no identifty. Now we see Stanford with a Harbaugh foot imprint of tough nose football and dominating both lines of scrimmage. One could argue Michigan was in a better situation with the type of players they had, but the identify of this team was offense first and defense as an after thought when Hoke took over.

Hoke needs to hit the restart button right now, Borges needs to be let go and we need to find an offensive coordinator that believes in starting the fight in the trenches. Don’t be wary and give this man time, I believe he has the right mind and motivation to get this team to the next level.

Go Blue!

[zackmariscal]

Contraband coffee bar in San Francisco. Delicious coffee from Mexico.

[zackmariscal]

Quest for the perfect cup

Making a cup of coffee in the morning has been a recent ritual for me. I have read a lotof blogs who suggest different methods and was fortunate to receive a free V60 from Tonx coffee. This initially started the journey.

Since then I’ve purchased a high grade grinder and a goose neck kettle. The V60 has been a work in process and I feel that I’ve been successful in extracting a full body cup of coffee. However, I have decided to go after the Chemex. It is a beautiful glass funnel where delicious coffee will be the end product. I’ll keep you update with my recipe and other things worth noting.