posted Jun-07-2006 08:24 AM               

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Originally posted by randymar:
As I stated on page 1, I am in the process of compiling the previous BEER threads into one mega-volume.

If any of the newbies (RunMonkey, that means you) are interested in how the BEER thread got started way back when, shoot LT your info and we can e-mail a PDF of what I have transcribed so far.

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OK, I will sometime today and then waste valuable work time reading a .pdf of beer reviews. I'm worth EXACTLY what they pay me.

We're really poor and last night drank Molson Canadian. I thought it was fine--I grew up with it and it tastes like hockey and alienation. I grew up in Buffalo. The whole city tastes like beer, hockey, and alienation. Oh, it tastes like "poor," too. And empty factories.

Also I learned on Good Eats that ales, which I have been defining as 'light bodied' are actually 'full bodied' which makes me wonder whether I understand 'body'. I've always taken 'body' to mean how thin or thick a substance is -- ales seem light and crispy to me, particularly my beloved Sierra Nevada, therefore light bodied. But now it seems I have it wrong and lagers (which thanks to Good Eats I now know are bottom-fermented compared to top-fermented) are light bodied and ales, full bodied. Oh, well.

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posted Jun-07-2006 08:35 AM            

Well done.

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posted Jun-07-2006 11:04 AM            

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Originally posted by randymar:
When I'm done with the sharks, I got some Vonnegut to read (that should only take a day or two, if memory serves me right), then I'll dive into ["Travels with Barley"].

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I finished the shark book, and will have to skip over the Vonnegut and Beer to tackle this one:

"Top of the Class: How Asian Parents Raise High Achievers - and How You Can Too"

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From Amazon.com
Stressing involvement, encouragement, discipline and more involvement, the authors reveal the 17 "secrets" Asian families use to create straight-A-earning, Ivy League-bound children, though some readers may balk at the generalities the book treats as facts. (The opening sentence reads: "Have you ever sat next to an Asian student in class and wondered how she managed to consistently get straight A's while you struggled to maintain a B-minus average?") That said, much of the advice isn't, contrary to the book's title and tone, culture-specific and is just as likely to be overheard at parent-teacher conferences in Dubuque as read about in this book: be enthusiastic when your child asks for help, set goals and reward positive performance. The book employs a we vs. you tact, and many readers will find the implied superiority off-putting or snide. Readers willing to separate the substance from the hollow pomp will find helpful tidbits (extracurricular activities are good, but in moderation) mixed with mercenary exhortations ("Forget the 'Do Whatever Makes You Happy' Mentality"), but wading through the stereotypes might be too much to ask/

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Just because.

Mariel will finish Kindergarten next week. I hope it's not too late to repair any early damage we may have done.

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Life is Short ... Make Fun of It.

400 Beers

[This message has been edited by randymar (edited Jun-07-2006).]

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posted Jun-07-2006 11:37 AM               

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posted Jun-07-2006 11:44 AM            

quote:

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Also from Amazon

In a post-Jaws/Discovery Channel world, unearthing fresh data on great white sharks is a feat. So credit Susan Casey not just with finding and spotlighting two biologists who have done truly pioneering field research on the beasts but also with following them and their subjects into the heart of one of the most unnatural habitats on Earth: the Farallon Islands. Though just 30 miles due west of San Francisco, the Farallones--nicknamed the Devil's Teeth for their ragged appearance and raging inhospitality--are utterly alien, which may explain why each autumn, packs of great whites return to gorge on the seals and sea lions that gather there before returning to the Pacific and beyond. That Casey, via her biologist buddies Peter Pyle and Scot Anderson, can even report that sharks apparently follow migratory feeding patterns is a revelation. Throughout The Devil's Teeth, Casey makes clear that year upon year of observing the sharks have given Pyle and Anderson (and by extension, us) insights into shark behavior that are entirely new and too numerous to list. The otherworldly Farallon Islands, meanwhile, also dominate Casey's engaging tale as she charts their transformation from ultradangerous source of wild eggs in the 19th century to ultradangerous real-life shark lab and bird sanctuary today. Despite the plethora of factoids on offer, Casey's style is consistently digestible and very amusing. She also has a knack for putting things into perspective. Take this characteristic passage:

The Farallon great whites are largely unharassed. They might cross paths with the occasional boatload of day-trippers from San Francisco, but they're subjected to none of the behavior-altering coercion that nature's top predators regularly endure so that people can sit in the Winnebago... and get a look at them. This is important because despite their visibility at the Farallones, and despite the impressive truth that sharks are so old they predate trees, great whites have remained among the most mysterious of creatures."

By book's end, it's hard to know what's more captivating: The biologists' groundbreaking data, Casey's primer on the evolution of the Farallones, the islands' symbiotic relationships with the sharks, the gulls and sea lions they attract, or the outpost's resident ghosts. Frankly, it's a nice problem to have.

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Highly recommended, by me anyway.

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posted Jun-07-2006 12:03 PM               

Should be on a sign somewhere......

I taste like toothpaste.

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posted Jun-08-2006 08:32 AM            

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Originally posted by randymar:
... shoot LT your info and we can e-mail a PDF of what I have transcribed so far.

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Or me (she'll be busy today).

I turned my e-mail on.

This is a limited time offer.

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posted Jun-08-2006 09:01 AM            

Enjoy, laugh and learn.

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posted Jun-08-2006 11:41 AM               

You are the first Cool Running person to know my human name! I have been mildly sketchy about posting my actual email address in my profile, because from it and from my posts anyone could track me to my front door. I don't worry about you beer thread people, because you are inherently safe (you people have spent the last three years talking about beer--what's to worry about?)

I think there's a lot of hysteria about the 'safety' of the internet and privacy issues, but I still haven't gotten to the point where I say what the hell and use my real name online. But I'm thinking about it.

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posted Jun-08-2006 11:52 AM            

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posted Jun-08-2006 12:02 PM               

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Originally posted by TrailOBite:
Hey, Runmonkey! I live in the Buffalo suburbs,and do NOT
taste like hockey and alienation! That was an amazing statement though......
"The whole city tastes like beer,hockey and alienation".

Should be on a sign somewhere......

I taste like toothpaste.

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Oh, it's just the beer that tastes like hockey and alienation. And the broken dreams of football fans.

Unfortunately the only sign outside of Buffalo reads, "Buffalo. An all-American City". What does that even mean?

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posted Jun-08-2006 12:15 PM            

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posted Jun-08-2006 12:27 PM               

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Originally posted by randymar:
It means that it's not half in Canada like people think it is.

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See, though--that would make a much better sign.

Welcome to Buffalo: It's not half in Canada like people think it is.

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posted Jun-08-2006 01:09 PM            

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posted Jun-08-2006 01:30 PM               

That makes even less sense. I know it says that.I was stuck
there,right there,before, and it made me crazy. (Lack of beer
made me crazy but the sign was plain idiotic).

Everyone around here is Yuengling crazy lately. Tastes like
Genny Scream Ale to me.......yuck.

Well,today I taste like orange listerine! Yum! Hi Beer people!

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posted Jun-08-2006 02:29 PM            

"Ale a muffin acrobatically" or "I affectionally maul a crab"

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posted Jun-09-2006 08:58 AM            

June 7, 2006 - The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution commending America's craft brewers for their contributions to the nation's communities, economy, culture and history.

Under the leadership of two friends of the craft brewing community, Representatives Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY[Brooklyn]) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR [Rogue]), and with 70 additional Congressmen co-sponsoring the measure, House Resolution 753 achieved passage in just 60 days.

"This is an important and significant step in our effort to raise the profile of craft beer and brewing in Washington," said Brewers Association president Charlie Papazian. "The amount of support we received from members of Congress was extremely gratifying and was due in large part to the efforts of individual Brewers Association and American Homebrewers Association members calling and writing their Congressmen to ask for their support of the resolution."

The resolution, which also recognizes the establishment of American Craft Beer Week (held for the first time this year May 15-21), was a featured element of a Capitol Hill Congressional reception held on May 16. The reception featured American Homebrewers Association and BA members serving BA member craft beers from across the country paired with a variety of artisinal foods. At this event, Congressmen Boehlert and DeFazio were publicly recognized and thanked for their outstanding support of America's craft brewers.

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posted Jun-09-2006 10:51 AM            

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Originally posted by TrailOBite:
Actually, it says "Buffalo An All America City"

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I take umbrage at this sign - and will do so in about 10 hours as I roll into the Buffalo area

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posted Jun-09-2006 11:10 AM               

Welcome to Buffalo! Big Art Festival this weekend,by the way.

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posted Jun-09-2006 11:25 AM            

Have you ever heard of "Them Jazzbeards"?

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posted Jun-09-2006 11:32 AM            

An item of interest - there is a cross-dresser who frequents the bar. He stays home when there is a game on. I now understand his reasoning.

There were four of us in folding chairs in the corner. Any seats that were vacated were immediately taken by some glassy eyed baseball fan. Our favorite bartender took pity on us and sent us over some food - on-the-house.

Oh yeah – the Bear Hop Rod Rye was very good, but I don’t have time to go into the details. You will need to see for yourselves.

Randy – nice anagram

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posted Jun-09-2006 11:33 AM               

Not sure if I will go Sunday, as we tend to drink more beer than look at art.

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posted Jun-09-2006 11:36 AM               

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Originally posted by La Tortuga:
Yes I heard - this will not be the first time I have stumbled across the Allentown Art Festival. Shouold be fun.

Have you ever heard of "Them Jazzbeards"?

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LT! You have to go to the Anchor Bar and have buffalo wings. (If you eat meat, that is.) I recognize the name Them Jazzbeards, but it was a long time ago when I lived there. I remember going to the Allentown Art Festival...

Allen Street is a nice area. I understand that much of that part of Buffalo has been gentrified since I left. Chippewa Street, which used to be hooker central, is now (I understand) yuppie bars.

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posted Jun-09-2006 11:42 AM            

Next thing you know they'll "family up" Las Vegas!!!

Huh???

No Way!!!

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posted Jun-09-2006 11:44 AM            

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Originally posted by La Tortuga:
Randy – nice anagram

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Thanks, Muffin.

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