Monday, November 28, 2005
W O U L D Y O U R A T H E R . . .
1) Pierce your nose or tongue: Septum
2) Be serious or be funny: funny
3) Drink whole or skim milk: neither
A R E Y O U . . .
4) Simple or complicated: simply complicated
5) Flowers or angels: ok
6) Grey or gray: dorian
7) Color or black-and-white photos: anything but sepia
8) Sunrise or sunset: sunset
9) M&Ms or Skittles: peanut m&ms
10) Rap or rock: WuTang or Wilco
11) Staying up late or waking up early: late
12) TV or radio: npr
13) Apples or oranges: orange juice
A N S W E R T R U T H F U L L Y . . .
14) Do you have a crush: crush reminds me of the Happy Day’s episode with the bully who crushes the cue ball with his bare hands…that was awesome!
15) Who is it: hello?
D O Y O U P R E F E R . .
16) Being hot or cold: cold
17) Tall or short people: people
18) Sun or moon: sun
19) Emeralds or rubies: emeralds
20) Left or right: left
21) Having ten acquaintances or one best friend?: one best friend
22) Sun or rain: rain
23) Vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream: if it’s plain chocolate, then I’ll take vanilla.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S . . .
24) What are your biggest fears in the world: violent death of a loved one
25) Kids or no kids: kids!
26) Cat or dog: dog
27) Half empty or half full: half full
28) Mustard or ketchup: mustard
29) Hardcover books or soft cover books: hardcover for the shelf, soft for reading
30) Newspaper or magazine? magazine
31) Sandals or sneakers:sandals
32) Wonder or amazement: amazement
33) Red car or white car: car
34) Happy and poor or sad and rich: happy and poor!
35) Singing or dancing: singing till Sara tells me to shut it.
A B O U T Y O U . . .
36) What time is it: 10:01pm
37) Number of siblings: 3
38) Birthdate: November 29, 1976
39) Height: 6’ 2”
40) Eye color: hazel
41) Hair color: brown
42) Piercing(s): I’ve had my share
W H A T D O Y O U W A N T . . .
44) How many kids do you want: we’re “playing it by ear”
W H I C H I S B E T T E R . . .
45) Two doors or four (on a car): 4
46) Coffee or ice cream: espresso
47) Bridges or tunnels: bridges
F A V O R I T E S . . .
48) Color of socks: black
49) Food: honestly, everything done in an interesting way gets me going…at the moment however it would have to be ribs…smoked and slathered.
50) Non-alcoholic drink: water
51) Alcoholic drink: yes please!
I A M . . .
52) Wearing: a t-shirt that says: “slurping, sucking + spitting since ‘97”
53) Listening to: Juliana’s squirmy noises
C U R R E N T S. . .
54) Hairstyle: messy
55) Annoyance: Beniy’s phone has major delay issues with text messages
56) Smell: shower tomorrow morning
57) Show: Craft Beer Radio
58) Book: Growing Up, Russell Baker
59) Refreshment: anticipating some choco-soy
60) Thought: dial tone
(7) comments
1) Pierce your nose or tongue: Septum
2) Be serious or be funny: funny
3) Drink whole or skim milk: neither
A R E Y O U . . .
4) Simple or complicated: simply complicated
5) Flowers or angels: ok
6) Grey or gray: dorian
7) Color or black-and-white photos: anything but sepia
8) Sunrise or sunset: sunset
9) M&Ms or Skittles: peanut m&ms
10) Rap or rock: WuTang or Wilco
11) Staying up late or waking up early: late
12) TV or radio: npr
13) Apples or oranges: orange juice
A N S W E R T R U T H F U L L Y . . .
14) Do you have a crush: crush reminds me of the Happy Day’s episode with the bully who crushes the cue ball with his bare hands…that was awesome!
15) Who is it: hello?
D O Y O U P R E F E R . .
16) Being hot or cold: cold
17) Tall or short people: people
18) Sun or moon: sun
19) Emeralds or rubies: emeralds
20) Left or right: left
21) Having ten acquaintances or one best friend?: one best friend
22) Sun or rain: rain
23) Vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream: if it’s plain chocolate, then I’ll take vanilla.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S . . .
24) What are your biggest fears in the world: violent death of a loved one
25) Kids or no kids: kids!
26) Cat or dog: dog
27) Half empty or half full: half full
28) Mustard or ketchup: mustard
29) Hardcover books or soft cover books: hardcover for the shelf, soft for reading
30) Newspaper or magazine? magazine
31) Sandals or sneakers:sandals
32) Wonder or amazement: amazement
33) Red car or white car: car
34) Happy and poor or sad and rich: happy and poor!
35) Singing or dancing: singing till Sara tells me to shut it.
A B O U T Y O U . . .
36) What time is it: 10:01pm
37) Number of siblings: 3
38) Birthdate: November 29, 1976
39) Height: 6’ 2”
40) Eye color: hazel
41) Hair color: brown
42) Piercing(s): I’ve had my share
W H A T D O Y O U W A N T . . .
44) How many kids do you want: we’re “playing it by ear”
W H I C H I S B E T T E R . . .
45) Two doors or four (on a car): 4
46) Coffee or ice cream: espresso
47) Bridges or tunnels: bridges
F A V O R I T E S . . .
48) Color of socks: black
49) Food: honestly, everything done in an interesting way gets me going…at the moment however it would have to be ribs…smoked and slathered.
50) Non-alcoholic drink: water
51) Alcoholic drink: yes please!
I A M . . .
52) Wearing: a t-shirt that says: “slurping, sucking + spitting since ‘97”
53) Listening to: Juliana’s squirmy noises
C U R R E N T S. . .
54) Hairstyle: messy
55) Annoyance: Beniy’s phone has major delay issues with text messages
56) Smell: shower tomorrow morning
57) Show: Craft Beer Radio
58) Book: Growing Up, Russell Baker
59) Refreshment: anticipating some choco-soy
60) Thought: dial tone
(7) comments
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Myles Standish
This has to be one of my favorite names. To begin with it just feels good to say. Say it now, with pride and majesty, out loud, Myles Standish. See, it feels good to say the name. The name rolls right off your tongue and kind of hangs in the air for hours afterwards. But what i really value in this name is the images it evokes, and believe me I have no idea why, but it just does. The name calls to mind various and sundry items like, mustache, helmet, and freshly pressed pants. Lastly, in pondering Myles Standish I have to wonder why there is not a single band out there who has yet to choose this name to adorn there jackets. Seriously, I would buy every single album from a band named MYLES STANDISH. As they say, YMMV.
(4) comments
This has to be one of my favorite names. To begin with it just feels good to say. Say it now, with pride and majesty, out loud, Myles Standish. See, it feels good to say the name. The name rolls right off your tongue and kind of hangs in the air for hours afterwards. But what i really value in this name is the images it evokes, and believe me I have no idea why, but it just does. The name calls to mind various and sundry items like, mustache, helmet, and freshly pressed pants. Lastly, in pondering Myles Standish I have to wonder why there is not a single band out there who has yet to choose this name to adorn there jackets. Seriously, I would buy every single album from a band named MYLES STANDISH. As they say, YMMV.
(4) comments
Friday, November 18, 2005
Wow.
While it may be the three hours of sleep that I am currently operating on, this little anecdote from Rade certainly knocked me out of my chair this morning. Please honk twice if I'm not crazy for being floored by this.
Though I can't for the life of me remember where I read it, I recall reading of a priest who once, in front of an open coffin when no one else was around, made the sign of the Cross and said, "Arise." He wrote afterwords that he didn't expect anything to happen, yet at the same time he was terrified with the prospect of what if something did happen, and at the same time incredibly awed at Him who could say "Arise." to a dead man and have it be so.
(3) comments
While it may be the three hours of sleep that I am currently operating on, this little anecdote from Rade certainly knocked me out of my chair this morning. Please honk twice if I'm not crazy for being floored by this.
Though I can't for the life of me remember where I read it, I recall reading of a priest who once, in front of an open coffin when no one else was around, made the sign of the Cross and said, "Arise." He wrote afterwords that he didn't expect anything to happen, yet at the same time he was terrified with the prospect of what if something did happen, and at the same time incredibly awed at Him who could say "Arise." to a dead man and have it be so.
(3) comments
Pretty Much...
You are Gonzo the Great.
You love everyone, and still you get shot out of a
cannon on a regular basis. Oh, and you are
completely insane and have a strange
fascination for chickens.
ALSO KNOWN AS:
The Great Gonzo, Gonzo the Great, Just Plain Weird
SPECIES:
Whatever
HOBBIES:
Tapdancing blindfolded on tapioca while balancing a
piano on his nose, backwards, five times fast.
FAVORITE MOVIE:
"From Here to Eternity...with no brakes."
FAVORITE TV SHOW:
"Touched By An Anvil"
QUOTE:
"No parachute? Wow! This is so cool!"
What Muppet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
(2) comments
You are Gonzo the Great.
You love everyone, and still you get shot out of a
cannon on a regular basis. Oh, and you are
completely insane and have a strange
fascination for chickens.
ALSO KNOWN AS:
The Great Gonzo, Gonzo the Great, Just Plain Weird
SPECIES:
Whatever
HOBBIES:
Tapdancing blindfolded on tapioca while balancing a
piano on his nose, backwards, five times fast.
FAVORITE MOVIE:
"From Here to Eternity...with no brakes."
FAVORITE TV SHOW:
"Touched By An Anvil"
QUOTE:
"No parachute? Wow! This is so cool!"
What Muppet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
(2) comments
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Dear Life...
I'd like to take another opportunity to plug the hell out of one of the world's most crushing writers, Bill Mallonee and his latest album Dear Life. Bill is a hard working musician playing about 160 shows a year. Take a minute to check out some of the free samples on his site and at Paste Music.
"Dear Life (***) This ex-Vigilantes of Love frontman is full of faith even when he's short on hope -Mallonee writes vulnerable, insightful songs that make those who fall under their spell yearn for a next installment. On this country-tinged album, Mallonee sings as if he has more on his mind than he can possibly express in the time he has. Mallonee's songs give words to shadowy fears of intimacy, of its loss, even of the value of what he feels compelled to do."
—USA TODAY
"Dear Life depicts a campfire singalong on the front cover and Mallonee in a cowboy hat on the inside booklet, and the music resembles the sweetened country-rock of Neil Young's Harvest album. That sound takes the edges off Mallonee's peculiar tenor and fits his musical meditations on a love that is both unreliable and indispensable."
—Washington Post
(0) comments
Monday, November 14, 2005
My Beer in Review
I’ve been brewing beer for a little over a year now and thought it would be a good time to reflect on all that has come of it by looking at all I've brewed...well, almost all.**
American Amber Ale (extract brew)- This was my first solo brew and seriously the most exciting time I have had brewing…just Sara and I, fumbling through all of the instructions trying to get everything right. As for the final results, the beer turned out surprisingly drinkable and catapulted me into the hobby as a permanent member. It reminded me of a pitcher of amber ale I had with friends in a pub in NYC, I was 20 at the time and I never caught the breweries name. The beer was malty with a very subtle balance of hop action.
Oatmeal Stout (mini-mash brew)-Having completed my first beer I was ready for more; as in more complexity in the brewing process and overall a more complex beer. This beer seemed to be just the ticket. Basically, instead of dumping malt-extract syrup into the boiling water, you take several pounds of grain, convert the starches to sugar and extract them yourself, a process known as mashing. Then, being a neophyte, you dump several pounds of malt extract in to the boil for good measure. The beer turned out, as I had hoped, much better than the first and was difficult to keep around with friends and family quaffing with joy. Luckily, I came across two lost bottles about six months later. The beer was incredible and really bummed me out…I should have aged the whole batch this long.
Porter (extract brew)-For Nativity I brewed up an extract brew of Porter. I had labels made that turned out to be almost too nice, many people that I gifted the beer to thought that it was a from a commercial brewery, until upon closer inspection of the label noted the brewery name, Sweet Basil Brewers. The beer itself was good, but not nearly where I had hoped it would be.
Witbier (mini-mash brew)- “The grain bill, (grain portion of recipe) includes Oats and Flaked Barley, which, when combined with a very special non-flocculating yeast leaves a cloudy, almost-white appearance.” Wit is Flemish for white. This is a Belgian style ale but I dubbed my version to be a “California Belgian”. The style calls for the addition of bitter orange peel and coriander at the end of the boil. It sounded good to me, but I was a bit nervous because these additions replace the hops that would normally be added at this time. This beer turned out to be wonderful! Probably the best I had brewed up to that point.
Extra Special Bitter (mini-mash)-This beer turned out to be special indeed! It was an organic brew from Seven Bridges in Santa Cruz. They suggested the addition of 1-2lbs of honey, and feeling adventurous I went for it. 2lbs of Mesquite honey from Trader Joe’s was added at the boil. Not only does this sweeten the beer slightly, but it also dries the finish of the beer and increases the alcohol by 1% for every pound added. I brewed the batch in the beginning of August, racked it to the secondary two weeks later, and didn’t bottle it till the beginning of October. This was a big beer and it needed to time for a lot of the flavors to mellow and balance out. It was worth every single day of the wait! This is by far the best beer I have brewed. The head on this was a creamy off white and the beer was a light copper. Beautiful hop aroma, nicely malted for a rich full mouth-feel, fruity, noticeable hops, and a dry finish thanks to our little winged friends. The alcohol was right around 6.7-6.8% ABV, but the beer didn’t exhibit any alcohol warming on the tongue. I’ll definitely be putting another batch of this together soon. Anyone for a pint?
Upcoming Brews-For Nativity this year I’ll be brewing up an Oatmeal Espresso Stout, with some home-roasted shots of the nectar in the primary fermentor. Talk about instant breakfast! In anticipation of a great summer, I’m brewing up a Saison that includes Porto blackened raisins!
**I've done several brews with my friend who initially taught me to brew. I've also done a hard cider from local unpasteurized cider.
(8) comments
I’ve been brewing beer for a little over a year now and thought it would be a good time to reflect on all that has come of it by looking at all I've brewed...well, almost all.**
American Amber Ale (extract brew)- This was my first solo brew and seriously the most exciting time I have had brewing…just Sara and I, fumbling through all of the instructions trying to get everything right. As for the final results, the beer turned out surprisingly drinkable and catapulted me into the hobby as a permanent member. It reminded me of a pitcher of amber ale I had with friends in a pub in NYC, I was 20 at the time and I never caught the breweries name. The beer was malty with a very subtle balance of hop action.
Oatmeal Stout (mini-mash brew)-Having completed my first beer I was ready for more; as in more complexity in the brewing process and overall a more complex beer. This beer seemed to be just the ticket. Basically, instead of dumping malt-extract syrup into the boiling water, you take several pounds of grain, convert the starches to sugar and extract them yourself, a process known as mashing. Then, being a neophyte, you dump several pounds of malt extract in to the boil for good measure. The beer turned out, as I had hoped, much better than the first and was difficult to keep around with friends and family quaffing with joy. Luckily, I came across two lost bottles about six months later. The beer was incredible and really bummed me out…I should have aged the whole batch this long.
Porter (extract brew)-For Nativity I brewed up an extract brew of Porter. I had labels made that turned out to be almost too nice, many people that I gifted the beer to thought that it was a from a commercial brewery, until upon closer inspection of the label noted the brewery name, Sweet Basil Brewers. The beer itself was good, but not nearly where I had hoped it would be.
Witbier (mini-mash brew)- “The grain bill, (grain portion of recipe) includes Oats and Flaked Barley, which, when combined with a very special non-flocculating yeast leaves a cloudy, almost-white appearance.” Wit is Flemish for white. This is a Belgian style ale but I dubbed my version to be a “California Belgian”. The style calls for the addition of bitter orange peel and coriander at the end of the boil. It sounded good to me, but I was a bit nervous because these additions replace the hops that would normally be added at this time. This beer turned out to be wonderful! Probably the best I had brewed up to that point.
Extra Special Bitter (mini-mash)-This beer turned out to be special indeed! It was an organic brew from Seven Bridges in Santa Cruz. They suggested the addition of 1-2lbs of honey, and feeling adventurous I went for it. 2lbs of Mesquite honey from Trader Joe’s was added at the boil. Not only does this sweeten the beer slightly, but it also dries the finish of the beer and increases the alcohol by 1% for every pound added. I brewed the batch in the beginning of August, racked it to the secondary two weeks later, and didn’t bottle it till the beginning of October. This was a big beer and it needed to time for a lot of the flavors to mellow and balance out. It was worth every single day of the wait! This is by far the best beer I have brewed. The head on this was a creamy off white and the beer was a light copper. Beautiful hop aroma, nicely malted for a rich full mouth-feel, fruity, noticeable hops, and a dry finish thanks to our little winged friends. The alcohol was right around 6.7-6.8% ABV, but the beer didn’t exhibit any alcohol warming on the tongue. I’ll definitely be putting another batch of this together soon. Anyone for a pint?
Upcoming Brews-For Nativity this year I’ll be brewing up an Oatmeal Espresso Stout, with some home-roasted shots of the nectar in the primary fermentor. Talk about instant breakfast! In anticipation of a great summer, I’m brewing up a Saison that includes Porto blackened raisins!
**I've done several brews with my friend who initially taught me to brew. I've also done a hard cider from local unpasteurized cider.
(8) comments
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
My Dear One...
Today is Sara's 26th Birthday! Please stop by the Bluecanopy or send her an e-mail and wish her a happy day.
(1) comments
