Sittin here chillin after day 2 and jammin to Farmhouse (Phish). The weather is nice and the beers are cold. It's been a good first couple days.
I've spent most of my time meeting people, filling out paperwork and asking questions. It's been good. I got a large stack of papers yesterday that represent everything I need to learn about the processes I'm transferring from Tulsa, OK in the next few weeks. Process specifications, control plans and work instructions. All good stuff. I've also been reading up on the marketing materials for the product line (Motor Guide). I had no idea anglers needed so much control over their boats and positioning.
Saturday night was an amazing send off. I played my last show with None Like Us and it was insane. Diveplane opened for us, and being that they are very good friends that made it even more special. We tore the roof off and the crowd matched our intesity with every acceleration we gave them. Some emotional goodbyes followed a lot of picture taking but things were left well.
I made some amazing friends and did some amazing things in Florida. The greatest part is that no one can take any of it away from me. I have played rythm and lead guitars in a band, gigged regionally in northern and central Florida and recorded an EP. All in a matter of a year and a half. It gets me excited for the next project. I also did some great work and picked up some new skills that will serve me well in this next endeavour. Most importantly, I learned a ton about myself and what I want out of life. Now Meagen and I are taking steps toward that, and we're together, which to me is more important than anything.
Hopefully I'll be posting more frequently now that I have some internet access. I look forward to looking back.
-MtR
28 July, 2009
17 July, 2009
Did You Know?
A video link was sent to me by a coworker and I thought it was interesting. Then I read through the comments and found this:
"I, westerner, failed to notice that the easily acquired atrophies me, that I have become weak, that my struggling cousins are now much smarter than me, that my tomorrow resembles their yesterday." - JackThibs (YouTube user)
It's interesting to think about. Let it sink in. I think he's right.
Check the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY
Keep on Shinin,
MtR
"I, westerner, failed to notice that the easily acquired atrophies me, that I have become weak, that my struggling cousins are now much smarter than me, that my tomorrow resembles their yesterday." - JackThibs (YouTube user)
It's interesting to think about. Let it sink in. I think he's right.
Check the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY
Keep on Shinin,
MtR
15 July, 2009
Good Things on the Horizon
Well, I haven't done what I set out to do which was blog once a day since January 1. A lot of that has to do with the fact that I haven't had internet access at home since March. A lesser part is that it's hard to be witty everyday, but I'll work on that. Once the move is complete I'll begin anew! A lot has been happening though and so I thought I'd post something.
First, I've been listening to a lot of Phish. I remember being exposed to them back in high school (circa '97) but not really getting it. I have since played music, written music, been in bands and started to develop a style all my own. Somewhere in the process I stumbled back in to Phish and other jammers (read: Gov't Mule, Widespread Panic, Hill Country Revue, Umphrey's McGee, Tea Leaf Green, moe.) and have really started to enjoy the hell out of it. I find it influences my playing a lot. To John Middleton, thank you for reintroducing me and making me realize how great kicking back with a good beer and sharing in the Weekapaug Groove can be. I'm going to miss that.
Second, I've landed a new job with Attwood Corporation. That means that Meagen and I are moving home and closer to our family and friends. This is very exciting news for many reasons (which are far too long to list here) so just know that we look forward to it. The interview was tough but I got through it and scored a job in which I will be getting back to what I really love about engineering: manufacturing and process design. To Justin, thank you for handing my resume off to the right people. This wouldn't have been possible without you. I am so glad we were able to work past the differences a couple years ago and rebuild our friendship.
Last for now, is that I am preparing for my last gig with None Like Us. It has been such a fun ride and I'm walking away from some amazing friends and some amazing music. Who would have thought that the five of us (who are so completely different you'd never think we'd even hang out) could have done what we have. You guys are on your way to some next level, and I wish I could be around for it. Sometimes in life though you have to do things for yourself and this was one of those times. To Jake, thank you for inviting me to the Halloween party 3 years ago and insisting I jam with your band. Who knew I would soon become the rythm player for NLU? To Ian, thank you for inspiring me to become a better musician. It is because of you that I can now rip a lead that will melt the coldest of panties. It is also because of you I have much less money in my savings and much more gear than I need. Between you and I though I don't see that as a problem. You have the blues in you and I hope you find your way back to it some day.
I guess the point of this is that you can make decisions for yourself that affect you, but sometimes you can't do it by yourself. One thing I've learned in my time in Jacksonville is that you have to lean on people with more experience and wisdom from time to time and that is okay. The minute you stop listening and think you know everything is the minute you stop learning. It could also be the minute people begin losing respect for you and respect is a valuable comodity in life. Especially in a bad economy when people are beginning to remember that money isn't everything. Thank you Tim for looking out for me early in my career here. Your wisdom and insight will be invaluable to me as I move forward in life.
It turns out the Beatles were right, sometimes you just need a little help from your friends. I look forward to seeing and reconnecting with many of you soon.
O' Blah De, O' Blah Da
MtR
First, I've been listening to a lot of Phish. I remember being exposed to them back in high school (circa '97) but not really getting it. I have since played music, written music, been in bands and started to develop a style all my own. Somewhere in the process I stumbled back in to Phish and other jammers (read: Gov't Mule, Widespread Panic, Hill Country Revue, Umphrey's McGee, Tea Leaf Green, moe.) and have really started to enjoy the hell out of it. I find it influences my playing a lot. To John Middleton, thank you for reintroducing me and making me realize how great kicking back with a good beer and sharing in the Weekapaug Groove can be. I'm going to miss that.
Second, I've landed a new job with Attwood Corporation. That means that Meagen and I are moving home and closer to our family and friends. This is very exciting news for many reasons (which are far too long to list here) so just know that we look forward to it. The interview was tough but I got through it and scored a job in which I will be getting back to what I really love about engineering: manufacturing and process design. To Justin, thank you for handing my resume off to the right people. This wouldn't have been possible without you. I am so glad we were able to work past the differences a couple years ago and rebuild our friendship.
Last for now, is that I am preparing for my last gig with None Like Us. It has been such a fun ride and I'm walking away from some amazing friends and some amazing music. Who would have thought that the five of us (who are so completely different you'd never think we'd even hang out) could have done what we have. You guys are on your way to some next level, and I wish I could be around for it. Sometimes in life though you have to do things for yourself and this was one of those times. To Jake, thank you for inviting me to the Halloween party 3 years ago and insisting I jam with your band. Who knew I would soon become the rythm player for NLU? To Ian, thank you for inspiring me to become a better musician. It is because of you that I can now rip a lead that will melt the coldest of panties. It is also because of you I have much less money in my savings and much more gear than I need. Between you and I though I don't see that as a problem. You have the blues in you and I hope you find your way back to it some day.
I guess the point of this is that you can make decisions for yourself that affect you, but sometimes you can't do it by yourself. One thing I've learned in my time in Jacksonville is that you have to lean on people with more experience and wisdom from time to time and that is okay. The minute you stop listening and think you know everything is the minute you stop learning. It could also be the minute people begin losing respect for you and respect is a valuable comodity in life. Especially in a bad economy when people are beginning to remember that money isn't everything. Thank you Tim for looking out for me early in my career here. Your wisdom and insight will be invaluable to me as I move forward in life.
It turns out the Beatles were right, sometimes you just need a little help from your friends. I look forward to seeing and reconnecting with many of you soon.
O' Blah De, O' Blah Da
MtR
24 April, 2009
So it appears I can now blog via the mobile. So I'd like to share a story. A girl I work with is going to be having a baby soon so there's a shower at work today. Someone I work with brought in some muffins for it. The following is the conversation that took place one cube over.
Guy: There are boy and girl cupcakes. The boys are on top.
Pregnant co-worker: What's the difference?
Guy: The boys have nuts.
You can't make this stuff up people! I'm trying to be positive for now. Prospects in the first couple days look okay. We'll see what develops.
-MtR
23 April, 2009
Back on the Hunt...I Guess
Hammer dropped Tuesday afternoon. Biomet Microfixation will be moving the majority of it's manufacturing operation up to Warsaw, IN. The remaining bits will be going overseas to China. My responsibilities are changing as my job will soon be eliminated. It's all about the power of the almighty dollar. How do they do it? I guess some have said they choose not to think about the lives they are impacting because if they did they couldn't make the decisions that "have to be made".
I wish I could turn that filter off. I just look around and see the myriad stories that are about to take a very unexpected (and in many cases difficult) turn. People have families, homes, mortages, lives. None of this matters though. Just the dollar. The rich get richer, and the saga continues.
I could go on for pages here, literally. I could spew forth venemous thoughts about capitalism, greed and how small investment firms hungry for blood will more than likely be the downfall of our economy and nation with their greed. There are only so many jobs that can be sourced elsewhere. After that, where do they go for more money? It's like a game. How much more money can we make without regard for the people we lay waste to in the process.
But I won't do it, because this is public domain and I need the paycheck. So no slanderous remarks here. If you want to know how I and others have been treated in the process, just ask.
So now, one day at a time. We'll see where it goes. Life's a journey, and mine is about to take a turn. I'll be sure it's a good one.
-MtR
I wish I could turn that filter off. I just look around and see the myriad stories that are about to take a very unexpected (and in many cases difficult) turn. People have families, homes, mortages, lives. None of this matters though. Just the dollar. The rich get richer, and the saga continues.
I could go on for pages here, literally. I could spew forth venemous thoughts about capitalism, greed and how small investment firms hungry for blood will more than likely be the downfall of our economy and nation with their greed. There are only so many jobs that can be sourced elsewhere. After that, where do they go for more money? It's like a game. How much more money can we make without regard for the people we lay waste to in the process.
But I won't do it, because this is public domain and I need the paycheck. So no slanderous remarks here. If you want to know how I and others have been treated in the process, just ask.
So now, one day at a time. We'll see where it goes. Life's a journey, and mine is about to take a turn. I'll be sure it's a good one.
-MtR
21 April, 2009
It's been a while
No interwebs at home means it's difficult to keep a daily interweb journal. I felt it important to post today though.
There's a company wide meeting at 2 pm today at which a lot of us are expecting a big announcement regarding the fate of my company. A lot of things are going to China. There were a lot of meetings last week, many of which involved corporate folks who we should our shouldn't have known were in Jacksonville. There's been a lot of conjecture. Things are tense. Who knows what may happen.
I never thought at 27 I'd already find myself in this type of situation, but here I am. I'll post again later.
-MtR
There's a company wide meeting at 2 pm today at which a lot of us are expecting a big announcement regarding the fate of my company. A lot of things are going to China. There were a lot of meetings last week, many of which involved corporate folks who we should our shouldn't have known were in Jacksonville. There's been a lot of conjecture. Things are tense. Who knows what may happen.
I never thought at 27 I'd already find myself in this type of situation, but here I am. I'll post again later.
-MtR
13 March, 2009
Birthday Time
Yep. Headin out for drinks after a day off from work. Had a conference call at 7 a.m. but otherwise I was home and chillin. Got the computer up and running and got the studio equipment set up as well. Hopefully I can get to working on some ideas now. Except we have a house to get ready for the Meg's parents. Also tried to have DirecTV set up today but alas, no view to the south west so no dice. Looks like it's back to comcast.
So on the bikes we get to pedal ourselves to Kickbacks. As long as the neighbors don't secure their connection I'll be posting! Otherwise we'll have to pay and that's just not fun.
Peace and blues music.
-MtR
So on the bikes we get to pedal ourselves to Kickbacks. As long as the neighbors don't secure their connection I'll be posting! Otherwise we'll have to pay and that's just not fun.
Peace and blues music.
-MtR
12 March, 2009
You know, I get more requests for this and I never have written it down anywhere. So I thought this would be a good place. In the event the interwebs are destroyed someday I'll just have to remember it. It's a recipe for the salsa I make occasionally. It's pretty good and has a good bit of heat without killing it. Of course you can change that if you like.
1 medium red onion, peeled and diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2-3 jalapeno peppers, diced with seeds removed
1 16.5 oz can diced tomatoes (I use the ones with green chilis for flavor)
Chopped garlic to taste
Chili powder
Onion powder
Cumin
Salt
Juice of 1/2 lime
Pinch of sugar
Start with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of each of the spices and adjust it to your taste. Be careful with the cumin as it gets hot quick and can take over the flavor if overdone. Make it in a food processor for restaurant style salsa or just throw it together and mix well for something more chunky. I personally process the onion and cilantro down first, add the peppers and process again, and then add the rest and process down to a fairly smooth texture (think Chili's salsa, it was the inspiration). It tastes great right away, and even better after sitting for a day. It will keep for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
So for today it as a recipe. It's cool. I'm looking forward to the weekend. Tomorrow is the birthday so I get the day off from work. I do have to lead a conference call with corporate at 7 a.m. though, but it's all good. DirectTV comes tomorrow as well. I'm thinking maybe NBA league pass for the rest of the season could be a good idea. I can catch up on my Pistons game watching. Hmmmm...
-MtR
1 medium red onion, peeled and diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2-3 jalapeno peppers, diced with seeds removed
1 16.5 oz can diced tomatoes (I use the ones with green chilis for flavor)
Chopped garlic to taste
Chili powder
Onion powder
Cumin
Salt
Juice of 1/2 lime
Pinch of sugar
Start with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of each of the spices and adjust it to your taste. Be careful with the cumin as it gets hot quick and can take over the flavor if overdone. Make it in a food processor for restaurant style salsa or just throw it together and mix well for something more chunky. I personally process the onion and cilantro down first, add the peppers and process again, and then add the rest and process down to a fairly smooth texture (think Chili's salsa, it was the inspiration). It tastes great right away, and even better after sitting for a day. It will keep for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
So for today it as a recipe. It's cool. I'm looking forward to the weekend. Tomorrow is the birthday so I get the day off from work. I do have to lead a conference call with corporate at 7 a.m. though, but it's all good. DirectTV comes tomorrow as well. I'm thinking maybe NBA league pass for the rest of the season could be a good idea. I can catch up on my Pistons game watching. Hmmmm...
-MtR
11 March, 2009
Oh how I miss thee
The blog that is. I know, I have mistreated you and have not been a good friend. I promise to try to be around more.
Meg and I have been busy. Moved last weekend to the new place. Check out her blog for some pictures. More to come soon! We are stoked to be in the new digs though. Going from 900 to 1550 square feet gives the classic '70's lyric "movin on up!" new meaning, let me tell you.
Just thought I'd rant a minute this morning though as I've been full of that lately and needed to share this. In the news this week is a story about a Brazilian girl who was raped by her stepfather and decided she wanted an abortion. I guess the Catholic church there which they attend forbid the abortion and had the little girl and her mother excommunicated. Oddly, the stepfather that did the raping of the girl and her sister it turns out was not excommunicated. That's jacked. Of course this was after much concern from doctors that the 9 year old girl....let me rewind that...the 9 year old girl could die as a result of complications from carrying the children.
The church does a great job of furthering my opinion of organized religion. Opiate for the masses I believe it's been called. Brainwashing for certain.
In other news, I saw Milk last night. Amazing film. I could write volumes about the feelings it evoked. Sean Penn did an amazing job and I felt the direction and writing was superb. It really portrayed Harvey Milk as a lover of people and all things. He was a politician yes, but one who genuinely cared for those he chose to represent. This was evident in his relationships both personal and public. It was a tragic story the way it all turned out for him, but what a movement he started. It's a shame that people who are uneducated or afraid turn to persecution first. Fear mongering is a terrible tactic and unfortunately it's still alive today.
I told Meagen I think that those who are uneducated think that gay men are just going to walk up behind them and try to have sex with them. Ridiculous. Live and let live I say. There are too many other issues to worry about. Maybe the economy. Stern brought up a good point this morning. Tax the churches! That would probably solve our economic crisis altogether. Their a big business just like anyone else.
At any rate, I hope any who read this have a pleasant day. Talk to you soon.
-MtR
Meg and I have been busy. Moved last weekend to the new place. Check out her blog for some pictures. More to come soon! We are stoked to be in the new digs though. Going from 900 to 1550 square feet gives the classic '70's lyric "movin on up!" new meaning, let me tell you.
Just thought I'd rant a minute this morning though as I've been full of that lately and needed to share this. In the news this week is a story about a Brazilian girl who was raped by her stepfather and decided she wanted an abortion. I guess the Catholic church there which they attend forbid the abortion and had the little girl and her mother excommunicated. Oddly, the stepfather that did the raping of the girl and her sister it turns out was not excommunicated. That's jacked. Of course this was after much concern from doctors that the 9 year old girl....let me rewind that...the 9 year old girl could die as a result of complications from carrying the children.
The church does a great job of furthering my opinion of organized religion. Opiate for the masses I believe it's been called. Brainwashing for certain.
In other news, I saw Milk last night. Amazing film. I could write volumes about the feelings it evoked. Sean Penn did an amazing job and I felt the direction and writing was superb. It really portrayed Harvey Milk as a lover of people and all things. He was a politician yes, but one who genuinely cared for those he chose to represent. This was evident in his relationships both personal and public. It was a tragic story the way it all turned out for him, but what a movement he started. It's a shame that people who are uneducated or afraid turn to persecution first. Fear mongering is a terrible tactic and unfortunately it's still alive today.
I told Meagen I think that those who are uneducated think that gay men are just going to walk up behind them and try to have sex with them. Ridiculous. Live and let live I say. There are too many other issues to worry about. Maybe the economy. Stern brought up a good point this morning. Tax the churches! That would probably solve our economic crisis altogether. Their a big business just like anyone else.
At any rate, I hope any who read this have a pleasant day. Talk to you soon.
-MtR
04 March, 2009
Back on the horse
Alright, March, let's try to do a better job of logging and blogging, shall we?
We're moving! That's right. Meg and I sign the lease on a 3/2 1550 sq. ft. house on Friday afternoon. Shortly after, the boxes start making their way from Regency to Riverside. I am so amped about moving to Riverside. I'm equally amped about the fact that it's a house with 3 bedrooms and original hardwood. It has a front and back porch! It has a fence for Dozer! Dozer doesn't even know how excited he is yet. But he will soon.
In other news the previous weekend with Mitch and Jen was excellent. This is how most times spent with those two are. I had a certain affinity for dry irish stouts such as Guiness and Murphy's over the weekend. I'm not mad about it. We grilled some fantastic food, had some laughs and good conversation and went to hang with Mickey Mouse for a day. I look forward to more of that in the future.
Until later!
-MtR
We're moving! That's right. Meg and I sign the lease on a 3/2 1550 sq. ft. house on Friday afternoon. Shortly after, the boxes start making their way from Regency to Riverside. I am so amped about moving to Riverside. I'm equally amped about the fact that it's a house with 3 bedrooms and original hardwood. It has a front and back porch! It has a fence for Dozer! Dozer doesn't even know how excited he is yet. But he will soon.
In other news the previous weekend with Mitch and Jen was excellent. This is how most times spent with those two are. I had a certain affinity for dry irish stouts such as Guiness and Murphy's over the weekend. I'm not mad about it. We grilled some fantastic food, had some laughs and good conversation and went to hang with Mickey Mouse for a day. I look forward to more of that in the future.
Until later!
-MtR
01 March, 2009
Just Another Day
"Over and out, she said, from the hospital bed. For what it's worth, it doesn't hurt so please don't cry".
I miss you.
-MtR
I miss you.
-MtR
24 February, 2009
Pahken the Cahr in the Yahrd to have a Beah in Bahstan
Yeah I said it, what?
So I know it's been a couple of days coming and here it is. I find that I have to be in the mood to blog. And being that this is really more of a journal for my own reflection (I have only 2 followers, one of which I live with) I'll do what I want. That being said...
Boston was a great trip. It was cold as hell on Friday when we arrived. It wasn't so much the temperature that bothered me but the wind. I haven't felt cold like that since working as a public safety officer directing traffic in the middle of a Grand Rapids winter storm at GVSU. It was freezing! Nothing that couldn't be overcome though by some good friends, good drinks and good times.
We did lunch at a barbecue joint (the name eludes me) and it was pretty good. Started the day of with an IPA and it hit the spot. From there we headed to the Samuel Adams brewery for a tour. For me the tour was a bit disappointing. This is likely because I'm an aspiring brewer and I've done my research. I wanted to hear more about the mash tuns and how they work. How is the sparging done? Tell me about the temperatures, times, all the good stuff. Oh well. It ended with a 45 minute tasting. Of course we tasted the Lager. We also got a crash course on beer appraisal. Appearance, nose, taste, mouth feel, etc. One thing I learned was that in Boston, if you're served a Sam that looks cloudy, you can demand your money back.
They hit is with the seasonal (white) and an experimental beer as well. The experimental should stay that way. It had some off flavors in it for certain. I imagine that's why it was saved for us tourists. All in all a good experience though. I picked up a couple of Samuel Adam's Perfect Pints for the road and we headed out for appetizers, drinks and later dinner. We ended up at the end of the night at place in little Italy called Bricco. Mafioso for certain. It was fun though and I had a chance to catch up with my sister and Ted which was nice. Meagen got to see a college friend and catch up with her as well.
Saturday of course was focused on the Extreme Beer Festival, but first some pictures for Amanda and Ted. We hit the streets and walked to Boston Common for some engagement shots. Meagen did a wonderful job as usual, and after some Shop and Light Room touch ups the pictures will be amazing. I can't wait to see the finished products.
And the festival. Let me just say that it was a great time. I'm going to list a few highlights but I don't have enough time to give you the whole story. If you want to hear it sometime just ask and I'll tell you about it.
For the stouts, Founders came through for me with a special edition Canadian Breakfast Stout. Being that I love coffee and dark chocolate flavors in beer, this espresso spiked monster hit the spot. The nose had a ton of espresso and a bit of chocolate and toasted oats. Taste was velvety smooth and heavy. Founders also came through with their Double Trouble IPA which is hard to beat for me. I love the grapefruit aroma and taste of this beer. The generous amount of hops is balanced well (but not too far toward the sweet) and finishes nice and clean. To be fair though, Crooked Tree did a Double Dark Horse which was great and F.X. Matt Brewing Company is rivaling Founders for my favorite IIPA. Their Sarnac was brewed with 12 different hop varieties and had the citrus and floral aroma I love.
There was a good bit of barrel aged beers left over from the previous evening and I had a chance to sample a few. Bells had an aged stout that was good. The collaboration brew from Dogfish was also interesting. The winning name was "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, B, A Select. It had everything but the kitchen sink in it and was aged in oak barrels. Great stuff.
The new kid on the block was the sours. I had never tried these previously and I'm going to be curious to investigate them further. Hopefully Steve at Kickbacks can get a hold of some Gargamel from Allagash. Light amber in color, it was very tart but balanced with raspberries and some other sweetness. The nose was full of vinegar and wine. I don't know quite how else to describe it as it was so new to me in style. Worth a go for anyone though. I'm going to enjoy checking out the sour ale style.
One of my favorite (and most inspiring) tastes came from a gruit style ale. A gruit is a concoction of spices that were used to balance beers sweetness prior to the discovery of hops. Hops of course are the bittering agent in today's beers. This particular beer used a combination of orange and lemon zest, coriander, green and pink peppercorns, cinnamon and some other spices to accomplish the balance. It was very good! It has me inspired to try my own.
We wound the day down with some Italian and good conversation. All in all I really enjoyed this trip and I'll be back to Boston soon. I'd like to go in the summer to see Boston Common in full bloom and just walk more of the city. The trip has also inspired me to get brewing, and soon. I have too many ideas right now for the space we have though, so some of them will have to wait. I'll keep posting as the beers hit the fermenter in the future.
Respect Beer! Support your local breweries! Drink a homebrew!
Until next time
-MtR
So I know it's been a couple of days coming and here it is. I find that I have to be in the mood to blog. And being that this is really more of a journal for my own reflection (I have only 2 followers, one of which I live with) I'll do what I want. That being said...
Boston was a great trip. It was cold as hell on Friday when we arrived. It wasn't so much the temperature that bothered me but the wind. I haven't felt cold like that since working as a public safety officer directing traffic in the middle of a Grand Rapids winter storm at GVSU. It was freezing! Nothing that couldn't be overcome though by some good friends, good drinks and good times.
We did lunch at a barbecue joint (the name eludes me) and it was pretty good. Started the day of with an IPA and it hit the spot. From there we headed to the Samuel Adams brewery for a tour. For me the tour was a bit disappointing. This is likely because I'm an aspiring brewer and I've done my research. I wanted to hear more about the mash tuns and how they work. How is the sparging done? Tell me about the temperatures, times, all the good stuff. Oh well. It ended with a 45 minute tasting. Of course we tasted the Lager. We also got a crash course on beer appraisal. Appearance, nose, taste, mouth feel, etc. One thing I learned was that in Boston, if you're served a Sam that looks cloudy, you can demand your money back.
They hit is with the seasonal (white) and an experimental beer as well. The experimental should stay that way. It had some off flavors in it for certain. I imagine that's why it was saved for us tourists. All in all a good experience though. I picked up a couple of Samuel Adam's Perfect Pints for the road and we headed out for appetizers, drinks and later dinner. We ended up at the end of the night at place in little Italy called Bricco. Mafioso for certain. It was fun though and I had a chance to catch up with my sister and Ted which was nice. Meagen got to see a college friend and catch up with her as well.
Saturday of course was focused on the Extreme Beer Festival, but first some pictures for Amanda and Ted. We hit the streets and walked to Boston Common for some engagement shots. Meagen did a wonderful job as usual, and after some Shop and Light Room touch ups the pictures will be amazing. I can't wait to see the finished products.
And the festival. Let me just say that it was a great time. I'm going to list a few highlights but I don't have enough time to give you the whole story. If you want to hear it sometime just ask and I'll tell you about it.
For the stouts, Founders came through for me with a special edition Canadian Breakfast Stout. Being that I love coffee and dark chocolate flavors in beer, this espresso spiked monster hit the spot. The nose had a ton of espresso and a bit of chocolate and toasted oats. Taste was velvety smooth and heavy. Founders also came through with their Double Trouble IPA which is hard to beat for me. I love the grapefruit aroma and taste of this beer. The generous amount of hops is balanced well (but not too far toward the sweet) and finishes nice and clean. To be fair though, Crooked Tree did a Double Dark Horse which was great and F.X. Matt Brewing Company is rivaling Founders for my favorite IIPA. Their Sarnac was brewed with 12 different hop varieties and had the citrus and floral aroma I love.
There was a good bit of barrel aged beers left over from the previous evening and I had a chance to sample a few. Bells had an aged stout that was good. The collaboration brew from Dogfish was also interesting. The winning name was "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, B, A Select. It had everything but the kitchen sink in it and was aged in oak barrels. Great stuff.
The new kid on the block was the sours. I had never tried these previously and I'm going to be curious to investigate them further. Hopefully Steve at Kickbacks can get a hold of some Gargamel from Allagash. Light amber in color, it was very tart but balanced with raspberries and some other sweetness. The nose was full of vinegar and wine. I don't know quite how else to describe it as it was so new to me in style. Worth a go for anyone though. I'm going to enjoy checking out the sour ale style.
One of my favorite (and most inspiring) tastes came from a gruit style ale. A gruit is a concoction of spices that were used to balance beers sweetness prior to the discovery of hops. Hops of course are the bittering agent in today's beers. This particular beer used a combination of orange and lemon zest, coriander, green and pink peppercorns, cinnamon and some other spices to accomplish the balance. It was very good! It has me inspired to try my own.
We wound the day down with some Italian and good conversation. All in all I really enjoyed this trip and I'll be back to Boston soon. I'd like to go in the summer to see Boston Common in full bloom and just walk more of the city. The trip has also inspired me to get brewing, and soon. I have too many ideas right now for the space we have though, so some of them will have to wait. I'll keep posting as the beers hit the fermenter in the future.
Respect Beer! Support your local breweries! Drink a homebrew!
Until next time
-MtR
19 February, 2009
Just a quickie
So it's been a few days. I know. Some days there's just not much to write about. I'm sure over the course of the year though I'll still amass a good amount of things to look back on and reflect.
So the dog ate my glasses. Well, he didn't actually swallow them, but did a good number. They're fairly mangled, and I hope they can be fixed. It was timely though. I do need to get in to get the old eyeballs checked out and probably update my prescription. Good thing I have a back up pair. As Meg pointed out, this is really the first thing of value he's gotten a hold of. Usually it's toilet paper or socks. Too bad the glasses cost $500. After Boston he's getting neutered though. So I guess we'll be even.
Speaking of Boston, we fly out tomorrow! I'm pretty excited. The food that will be eaten, the beer that will be tasted and the good times that will be had by all will make for a great mid-winter get away. It's something I've been in need of in recent weeks. It will be nice to get away from the stress of work.
I tasted the beer for the first time last Saturday. This was after 6 days of aging. It had a bit of what is called a medicinal taste. Think of how a band-aid smells after a days wear and then put that in your mouth (don't actually put the band-aid in your mouth of course, that's not healthy). Apparently that taste comes from phenols and is considered an off flavor in some beers but not in others. I got some advice from a friend who brews and he told me to age it another week or two to let the flavor develop. I was excited, what can I say! The good news is that it poured a dark amber and not very cloudy. It also held a good one inch head and laced the glass a bit. So we may have a successful first beer after all. In the mean time I'm going to get ready to brew an American pale ale and a porter. More about that when the time comes.
Last but not least for this one, check out Porter Batiste Stoltz. They have been a support group for many New Orleans favorites for years. I just discovered them yesterday on Sirius Jam On. I picked up their album Moodoo on iTunes and if you're a fan of funky rock and roll with a blues twist, this could be for you. Check out tracks 3 and 7 (I Get High and Check Out Your Mind respectively) for some awesome jamming.
Until next time (from Boston!).
-MtR
So the dog ate my glasses. Well, he didn't actually swallow them, but did a good number. They're fairly mangled, and I hope they can be fixed. It was timely though. I do need to get in to get the old eyeballs checked out and probably update my prescription. Good thing I have a back up pair. As Meg pointed out, this is really the first thing of value he's gotten a hold of. Usually it's toilet paper or socks. Too bad the glasses cost $500. After Boston he's getting neutered though. So I guess we'll be even.
Speaking of Boston, we fly out tomorrow! I'm pretty excited. The food that will be eaten, the beer that will be tasted and the good times that will be had by all will make for a great mid-winter get away. It's something I've been in need of in recent weeks. It will be nice to get away from the stress of work.
I tasted the beer for the first time last Saturday. This was after 6 days of aging. It had a bit of what is called a medicinal taste. Think of how a band-aid smells after a days wear and then put that in your mouth (don't actually put the band-aid in your mouth of course, that's not healthy). Apparently that taste comes from phenols and is considered an off flavor in some beers but not in others. I got some advice from a friend who brews and he told me to age it another week or two to let the flavor develop. I was excited, what can I say! The good news is that it poured a dark amber and not very cloudy. It also held a good one inch head and laced the glass a bit. So we may have a successful first beer after all. In the mean time I'm going to get ready to brew an American pale ale and a porter. More about that when the time comes.
Last but not least for this one, check out Porter Batiste Stoltz. They have been a support group for many New Orleans favorites for years. I just discovered them yesterday on Sirius Jam On. I picked up their album Moodoo on iTunes and if you're a fan of funky rock and roll with a blues twist, this could be for you. Check out tracks 3 and 7 (I Get High and Check Out Your Mind respectively) for some awesome jamming.
Until next time (from Boston!).
-MtR
15 February, 2009
V-Day and 26.2 with Donna
Just a quick note about valentines day and dinner. Meg and I went to a place called 1171 near the Riverside/5 points area and it was fantastic. The service was incredible. Our server was very personable but not overly friendly. She kept it professional all the way. She was very attentive to our needs and was right there to clear one course just before the next was ready.
I had a sesame encrusted and seared Ahi Tuna steak over wasabi mashed potatoes with artichoke hearts and fresh ginger. Meg had a grilled chicken breast over whipped potatoes with sliced yellow squash, zucchini and red peppers. Both were delicious. Our appetizer included a 5 year aged Gouda and an Irish sharp cheddar with Guinness. Dessert was a slice of key lime pie. The portions were perfect and we left feeling full but not stuffed. Very satisfied. The only thing I wanted that they didn't have was a cappuccino. For me, nothing seals a good meal like that like a dry cappuccino. Unfortunately they didn't have it, but that's okay. All in all I give this place a solid 8.5 out of 10. It has definitely made it on to our short list.
Today we volunteered at the 26.2 with Donna, a marathon whose proceeds go toward the research and fight against breast cancer. As any who read this probably would know, my mother fought and ultimately fell victim to this terrible disease last year. So we volunteered with a local non-profit and handed out water to the runners at mile 19.
We actually had a very good time despite having to be there at 4:45 a.m. to help set-up prior to the race. It was inspiring seeing these people running. Of note to me was the fact that many people elected to have their names on their numbers. To me this signifies the fact that this disease has a name, and for many of us it's the name of a close friend or family member. Many of the people who run in this race have been touched by the disease in some way or another. So we had some laughs, tossed the football with friends and spent some time giving back. It was an enriching experience, and one I hope to repeat more often this year. We both want to get more involved.
In fact, we've started talking already about running it next year. For both of us it would be more than a personal accomplishment. It would be a tribute to my mother and the drive to fight something that hurts so many. More of a symbol than anything else. And if a thought like that can't give you the strength to run a few miles what can?
I wanted to mention too that we saw a very young woman who had survived. She couldn't have been more than 35. It seems that it has no preference for age. Or gender. There was a man or two who had survivor markers on their numbers.
Here's to another week. A short one. I'll be in Boston on Friday for the Extreme Beer Festival. Lot's to write about with that I'm sure.
-MtR
I had a sesame encrusted and seared Ahi Tuna steak over wasabi mashed potatoes with artichoke hearts and fresh ginger. Meg had a grilled chicken breast over whipped potatoes with sliced yellow squash, zucchini and red peppers. Both were delicious. Our appetizer included a 5 year aged Gouda and an Irish sharp cheddar with Guinness. Dessert was a slice of key lime pie. The portions were perfect and we left feeling full but not stuffed. Very satisfied. The only thing I wanted that they didn't have was a cappuccino. For me, nothing seals a good meal like that like a dry cappuccino. Unfortunately they didn't have it, but that's okay. All in all I give this place a solid 8.5 out of 10. It has definitely made it on to our short list.
Today we volunteered at the 26.2 with Donna, a marathon whose proceeds go toward the research and fight against breast cancer. As any who read this probably would know, my mother fought and ultimately fell victim to this terrible disease last year. So we volunteered with a local non-profit and handed out water to the runners at mile 19.
We actually had a very good time despite having to be there at 4:45 a.m. to help set-up prior to the race. It was inspiring seeing these people running. Of note to me was the fact that many people elected to have their names on their numbers. To me this signifies the fact that this disease has a name, and for many of us it's the name of a close friend or family member. Many of the people who run in this race have been touched by the disease in some way or another. So we had some laughs, tossed the football with friends and spent some time giving back. It was an enriching experience, and one I hope to repeat more often this year. We both want to get more involved.
In fact, we've started talking already about running it next year. For both of us it would be more than a personal accomplishment. It would be a tribute to my mother and the drive to fight something that hurts so many. More of a symbol than anything else. And if a thought like that can't give you the strength to run a few miles what can?
I wanted to mention too that we saw a very young woman who had survived. She couldn't have been more than 35. It seems that it has no preference for age. Or gender. There was a man or two who had survivor markers on their numbers.
Here's to another week. A short one. I'll be in Boston on Friday for the Extreme Beer Festival. Lot's to write about with that I'm sure.
-MtR
13 February, 2009
Pictures
To my one loyal follower asking about the pictures. There probably won't be any soon. Turns out the photo's we thought would be free are being held ransom for a sum of $250. This is a shame because some of them turned out pretty good. I was surprised and impressed. However, I was under the impression this was a favor for a friend (our bass players girlfriend). I guess the shoot was free. Pics are gonna cost us. Whatever. Trust when I say that this is something that can not be rectified on a sunny Saturday afternoon with another photographer I know and love.
I also wanted to mention how much I dig my Epiphone Les Paul. Not only is it strikingly beautiful, but it plays so nicely. The neck feels great and it's weighted very well for me. Loads of sustain. I've started delving in to the tonal possibilities with the pickup selector in the middle position (which splits the humbuckers). Clapton achieved his famous "woman tone" in this way by turning the tone knob on the neck to 0 and the tone on the bridge to 10 whilst turning both volume controls to ten. It's milky and smooth. Not the same of course because he was playing gibsons at the time through vintage era amps that can't be recreated. But I'm getting some interesting results none the less. I feel a bit guilty for not playing the Gibson lately. But it is (what it is?). BJ? Yes!
Tomorrow I'll hopefully blog about the great new beers I had at Kickback's tonight. Plus I'm looking forward to the two year bottle aged 120 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head. It will be hoptastic and maltabulous at the same time I'm sure. Peace in the middle east.
Oh and I spelled the word violets playing scrabble on my phone today. For those keeping score that was a 7 point word (50 bonus points for clearing your rack) on the first play (double word score) yielding a total of 72 points. Needless to say I smacked the computer down town to china town. Again, peace.
-MtR
I also wanted to mention how much I dig my Epiphone Les Paul. Not only is it strikingly beautiful, but it plays so nicely. The neck feels great and it's weighted very well for me. Loads of sustain. I've started delving in to the tonal possibilities with the pickup selector in the middle position (which splits the humbuckers). Clapton achieved his famous "woman tone" in this way by turning the tone knob on the neck to 0 and the tone on the bridge to 10 whilst turning both volume controls to ten. It's milky and smooth. Not the same of course because he was playing gibsons at the time through vintage era amps that can't be recreated. But I'm getting some interesting results none the less. I feel a bit guilty for not playing the Gibson lately. But it is (what it is?). BJ? Yes!
Tomorrow I'll hopefully blog about the great new beers I had at Kickback's tonight. Plus I'm looking forward to the two year bottle aged 120 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head. It will be hoptastic and maltabulous at the same time I'm sure. Peace in the middle east.
Oh and I spelled the word violets playing scrabble on my phone today. For those keeping score that was a 7 point word (50 bonus points for clearing your rack) on the first play (double word score) yielding a total of 72 points. Needless to say I smacked the computer down town to china town. Again, peace.
-MtR
12 February, 2009
A Quick Social Commentary
Isn't it all social commentary from me. A lot of the time it is, but it's what I think about.
A-Rod. Or A-Roid. Or A-Hole. Whatever. How about this one: Who Cares? The amount of time and taxpayer dollars that are being spent investigating whether or not baseball players are doing steroids is sickening to me. A grand jury in front of Congress?! Come on people. And meanwhile our economy falls apart. Is it going to affect my life (or most of our lives) one way or the other if Clemens doesn't make it in to the hall of fame? Or if his stats now have Shift+8 by them? No. So again I ask: Who cares?
Now if any baseball fans ever run across this, I'm sure you'll be upset. You're watching sports center with baited breath to find out what the story is and if they'll ever play again and blah blah blah. Because your world revolves around it. It's almost as bad as the NFL letting Michael Vick back and those who defend it. This guy is the poorest excuse for a human I can come up with at the current moment, but because he can throw touchdowns, we'll just look the other way while he force breeds pit bulls in dire conditions, pulls their teeth out so they can't fight when being forced to breed and kills them by very inhumane means when they lose a fight. Never mind just shooting them. Let's smoke some weed, do some coke and drown them instead! Let me go on record. Mike Vick, you're a fuck. I should type his name in this post about a million times so it's the top hit on Google. But that would be wasting time I could spend worrying about what baseball player is going to be indicted on charges of using steroids next.
I digress. I saw the pictures from Saturday. They came out good. I'll be getting some copies and post them up as soon as I can. I'm hoping today is going to be productive. I need one of those. Happy Thursday!
-MtR
A-Rod. Or A-Roid. Or A-Hole. Whatever. How about this one: Who Cares? The amount of time and taxpayer dollars that are being spent investigating whether or not baseball players are doing steroids is sickening to me. A grand jury in front of Congress?! Come on people. And meanwhile our economy falls apart. Is it going to affect my life (or most of our lives) one way or the other if Clemens doesn't make it in to the hall of fame? Or if his stats now have Shift+8 by them? No. So again I ask: Who cares?
Now if any baseball fans ever run across this, I'm sure you'll be upset. You're watching sports center with baited breath to find out what the story is and if they'll ever play again and blah blah blah. Because your world revolves around it. It's almost as bad as the NFL letting Michael Vick back and those who defend it. This guy is the poorest excuse for a human I can come up with at the current moment, but because he can throw touchdowns, we'll just look the other way while he force breeds pit bulls in dire conditions, pulls their teeth out so they can't fight when being forced to breed and kills them by very inhumane means when they lose a fight. Never mind just shooting them. Let's smoke some weed, do some coke and drown them instead! Let me go on record. Mike Vick, you're a fuck. I should type his name in this post about a million times so it's the top hit on Google. But that would be wasting time I could spend worrying about what baseball player is going to be indicted on charges of using steroids next.
I digress. I saw the pictures from Saturday. They came out good. I'll be getting some copies and post them up as soon as I can. I'm hoping today is going to be productive. I need one of those. Happy Thursday!
-MtR
09 February, 2009
Having the Properties of Someone That Is Edgy
Just wanted to discuss the Grammy Awards briefly. U2 is a great band. In the age of one hit wonders and Disney Channel pop tarts you have a group of guys who have been together for a long time. And they're still making relevant music. Now to my point.
Did anyone see The Edge's rig last night. I mean really. You've been brought in to play one song. Do you really need two racks full of gear to get the job done? It's ridiculous. And when did he start being called "The Edge"? Does Bono introduce him as "The Edge". More importantly, does he introduce himself that way? And what does it all mean anyway? Maybe it is supposed to convey that he is one having the properties of someone that is edgy. I guess it's just a minor annoyance for me.
Otherwise I thought it was a good show. Better than recent shows in memory. I personally thought Lupe had a better album than Lil' Wayne this year, but when you're talking widely accepted commercial success I guess Mr. Carter probably was the clear winner. There are many hip-hop fans who wouldn't have the slightest clue who Mr. Fiasco was if you asked. Of course then I would ask if they are truly fans of hip-hop.
I also bottled the first beer last night. Color was a good amber and the smell was strong of malt and a bit of hops. Measured Original Gravity was about 1.036 and the finish gravity was 1.010. That equates to approximately 3.4% ABV. It's a bit less than expected. The estimated OG was supposed to be in the neighborhood of 1.055, so mine was a little light. I didn't follow the box recipe to the letter though. I went with the recommendations in the Palmer book I have regarding adding the malt extract to the boil. Instead of tossing all 6 lbs in for the duration I added half at the beginning of the boil and the other half in the last 5 minutes. None the less in about two weeks I'll let you know how it turns out.
-MtR
Did anyone see The Edge's rig last night. I mean really. You've been brought in to play one song. Do you really need two racks full of gear to get the job done? It's ridiculous. And when did he start being called "The Edge"? Does Bono introduce him as "The Edge". More importantly, does he introduce himself that way? And what does it all mean anyway? Maybe it is supposed to convey that he is one having the properties of someone that is edgy. I guess it's just a minor annoyance for me.
Otherwise I thought it was a good show. Better than recent shows in memory. I personally thought Lupe had a better album than Lil' Wayne this year, but when you're talking widely accepted commercial success I guess Mr. Carter probably was the clear winner. There are many hip-hop fans who wouldn't have the slightest clue who Mr. Fiasco was if you asked. Of course then I would ask if they are truly fans of hip-hop.
I also bottled the first beer last night. Color was a good amber and the smell was strong of malt and a bit of hops. Measured Original Gravity was about 1.036 and the finish gravity was 1.010. That equates to approximately 3.4% ABV. It's a bit less than expected. The estimated OG was supposed to be in the neighborhood of 1.055, so mine was a little light. I didn't follow the box recipe to the letter though. I went with the recommendations in the Palmer book I have regarding adding the malt extract to the boil. Instead of tossing all 6 lbs in for the duration I added half at the beginning of the boil and the other half in the last 5 minutes. None the less in about two weeks I'll let you know how it turns out.
-MtR
08 February, 2009
Slumdog
Meg and I went to see Slumdog Millionaire last night. I just want to say that it was refreshing seeing a good film in a theater for a change. To me, it was a great story about a kid that came up from the slums, rose above everything else around him and succeeded. But even on the brink of his big success someone was trying to tear him down. It's just like society to do that with it's rules. You're from the slums, you must be stupid ergo you are cheating at this game. This is a movie everyone should see because it has an important lesson that's very American at heart. Even though it takes place in India, the kid rises above everything to make something of himself. That is the American way folks. I can't remember the last time I felt that way leaving the theater.
Milk is also playing at our home theater and I'd like to see that. Maybe today. The Wrestler is coming soon to a theater near me, or at least that's what the trailer said. Being that I'm a fan of Daren and his directing I'll probably have to see that as well. Gran Torino is also on my list. Benjamin Button? I just don't think I'll be able to sit through it. I don't know. I love Brad Pitt in films like Fight Club and the Ocean's trilogy, but I'm not sure about this one. I think I loved him in Burn After Reading, but the jury's still out on that one for me. I need to see it again.
Time to do the taxes today. I'm trying to get an early jump on things this Sunday. Typically we sleep in (late) and by the time we've hit the grocery store and done the other things we want to do the day has gotten away. I want to mic the Peavey Vypyr today. I bought it for a practice amp because the Vox wasn't cutting it anymore in the small space we practice in and the 100W tube head is too much. It's a pretty cool little modeling amp. Rewind. I can't believe I just said that. But it is. I like Peavey gear but traditionally don't like effects or solid state type stuff. It's built like a tank and sounds pretty good to my ears. I'm hoping I can record it with an SM57 at a moderate volume without killing the neighbors and still get a good track. I love experimenting!
Otherwise, the band took pictures yesterday. As soon as I see them I'll share them. Happy Sunday to my two readers!
-MtR
Milk is also playing at our home theater and I'd like to see that. Maybe today. The Wrestler is coming soon to a theater near me, or at least that's what the trailer said. Being that I'm a fan of Daren and his directing I'll probably have to see that as well. Gran Torino is also on my list. Benjamin Button? I just don't think I'll be able to sit through it. I don't know. I love Brad Pitt in films like Fight Club and the Ocean's trilogy, but I'm not sure about this one. I think I loved him in Burn After Reading, but the jury's still out on that one for me. I need to see it again.
Time to do the taxes today. I'm trying to get an early jump on things this Sunday. Typically we sleep in (late) and by the time we've hit the grocery store and done the other things we want to do the day has gotten away. I want to mic the Peavey Vypyr today. I bought it for a practice amp because the Vox wasn't cutting it anymore in the small space we practice in and the 100W tube head is too much. It's a pretty cool little modeling amp. Rewind. I can't believe I just said that. But it is. I like Peavey gear but traditionally don't like effects or solid state type stuff. It's built like a tank and sounds pretty good to my ears. I'm hoping I can record it with an SM57 at a moderate volume without killing the neighbors and still get a good track. I love experimenting!
Otherwise, the band took pictures yesterday. As soon as I see them I'll share them. Happy Sunday to my two readers!
-MtR
07 February, 2009
Before I Lose It
I just wanted to share this as a follow up from my great beer experience last night. This is a quote from Don Russel's article titled "Altbier - Germany's pale ale?" that appears in Beer Advocate Volume III Issue I. With reference to the style, Mr. Russel relates,
"Others will take a big gulp and reach for the dreaded 'D' word: drinkability. Smooth and dry, each sip encourages you to take another.
Unfortunately, 'drinkability' has been co-opted by Bud Light to describe the total lack of flavor and body of its watered-down diet beer."
I love it. I'm a snob. So what. I'm okay with that. Take your yellow beer and go home.
Otherwise I'm taking photo's with the band today and spending some time in Logic. I need to. I have too many ideas and too much invested in it not to do something. So I'm going to start trying to tackle Ultrabeat to put together some drum tracks for some of my ideas. Wish me luck!
-MtR
"Others will take a big gulp and reach for the dreaded 'D' word: drinkability. Smooth and dry, each sip encourages you to take another.
Unfortunately, 'drinkability' has been co-opted by Bud Light to describe the total lack of flavor and body of its watered-down diet beer."
I love it. I'm a snob. So what. I'm okay with that. Take your yellow beer and go home.
Otherwise I'm taking photo's with the band today and spending some time in Logic. I need to. I have too many ideas and too much invested in it not to do something. So I'm going to start trying to tackle Ultrabeat to put together some drum tracks for some of my ideas. Wish me luck!
-MtR
06 February, 2009
Kickbacks Gastropub
I just have to say that I think I've found the best bar in Jacksonville. Kickbacks Gastropub. Not only did Meg and I have an absolutely fantastic time at this bar tonight with some friends, but the beer was incredible. Sixty beers are on tap and they boast over 170 bottles. I saw the list. It spans pages. Here's my rundown.
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (on tap)
Bells Hopslam (Bottle)
Flying Dog Wild Dog - Bourbon barrel aged Gonzo Imperial Porter (25.4 oz Bomber, shared with Dan).
And let me tell you, the Wild Dog was incredible. Nose was ever so sweet with a bit of smokiness and toasted malt. Mouth feel was silky smooth with tastes of malt, smoky peat, toasted oats, coffee and a slight bit of citrus from the hops. The head retention on this beer is incredible. I'm still developing my palette and its sensibility and this one was a challenge. Pours black as hell with a thick brown head that laces the glass all the way down. You can't see shit through this beer. I also made a great recommendation to Dan's girlfriend in the Weyerbacher Quad. She loved it.
This is making me look very forward to Boston and the Extreme Beer Festival in two weeks. We met Steve who I think handles the procurement of beers. We talked about how we love Bell's beer (Kalamazoo, MI) and how we're sad that Founder's beer (Grand Rapids, MI) is not distributed in Florida. We also talked of how we love Dogfish Head. He shared that he has cases of two year old 120 minute IPA. He also shared that next time we're in he'll split one with Dan and I. I can't wait until next Friday.
All the best,
MtR
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (on tap)
Bells Hopslam (Bottle)
Flying Dog Wild Dog - Bourbon barrel aged Gonzo Imperial Porter (25.4 oz Bomber, shared with Dan).
And let me tell you, the Wild Dog was incredible. Nose was ever so sweet with a bit of smokiness and toasted malt. Mouth feel was silky smooth with tastes of malt, smoky peat, toasted oats, coffee and a slight bit of citrus from the hops. The head retention on this beer is incredible. I'm still developing my palette and its sensibility and this one was a challenge. Pours black as hell with a thick brown head that laces the glass all the way down. You can't see shit through this beer. I also made a great recommendation to Dan's girlfriend in the Weyerbacher Quad. She loved it.
This is making me look very forward to Boston and the Extreme Beer Festival in two weeks. We met Steve who I think handles the procurement of beers. We talked about how we love Bell's beer (Kalamazoo, MI) and how we're sad that Founder's beer (Grand Rapids, MI) is not distributed in Florida. We also talked of how we love Dogfish Head. He shared that he has cases of two year old 120 minute IPA. He also shared that next time we're in he'll split one with Dan and I. I can't wait until next Friday.
All the best,
MtR
05 February, 2009
Dozer is...
...growing in to his name. Little guy hopped on the scale at Petsmart last night and settled out at a whopping 40.6 el bees. That's crazy! Unfortunately he's still a bit of a wiener. But I think he's growing out of that too.
I had a thought yesterday while watching one of my favorite artists rip some funk nasty blues licks on his guitar. (I'm talking about John Mayer, from his Leave the Light On DVD). Consider this: The stock of guitar players coming out these days seems to be less steallar in terms of playing ability and it got me wondering why. When did really being able to play stop being important? I think it could be the birth of the internet. Humor me a moment here.
Before the internet, kids who had access to guitars would sit locked in their rooms all day long and listen to records and play guitar. Wikipedia any great guitar players bio and you'll read the same story. Being that they studied heroes of the time, their playing started to develop along those lines and eventually fused in to what is their own style. Take Mayer for example. I hear Albert and B.B., Buddy and Muddy and some Stevie and Jimi in his playing. He puts it all together with his 8 years of solo acoustic noodling and it turns in to this incredible style which to me is just captivating.
So did the internet ruin good guitar playing? Probably not. I just didn't have the patience as a kid to study the way some do and now I wish I had. But I do think if I wasn't fascinated with the birth of the interweb I may have spent more time with my guitar. I have however resolved to try to get better this year. I just need to expand my references. It's something I enjoy, so why not slow down and take the time.
-MtR
I had a thought yesterday while watching one of my favorite artists rip some funk nasty blues licks on his guitar. (I'm talking about John Mayer, from his Leave the Light On DVD). Consider this: The stock of guitar players coming out these days seems to be less steallar in terms of playing ability and it got me wondering why. When did really being able to play stop being important? I think it could be the birth of the internet. Humor me a moment here.
Before the internet, kids who had access to guitars would sit locked in their rooms all day long and listen to records and play guitar. Wikipedia any great guitar players bio and you'll read the same story. Being that they studied heroes of the time, their playing started to develop along those lines and eventually fused in to what is their own style. Take Mayer for example. I hear Albert and B.B., Buddy and Muddy and some Stevie and Jimi in his playing. He puts it all together with his 8 years of solo acoustic noodling and it turns in to this incredible style which to me is just captivating.
So did the internet ruin good guitar playing? Probably not. I just didn't have the patience as a kid to study the way some do and now I wish I had. But I do think if I wasn't fascinated with the birth of the interweb I may have spent more time with my guitar. I have however resolved to try to get better this year. I just need to expand my references. It's something I enjoy, so why not slow down and take the time.
-MtR
03 February, 2009
HOPSLAM IS HERE! (And Christian Bale Flips Out on Set)
Yes folks, in case you haven't heard the buzz, I guess the Dark Knight had a flip out on the set of the new terminator movie. I heard the rant on Stern this morning and I must say it's pretty damn funny. I tooled around the internet looking for audio and came up with this. Keep in mind this is not for the faint of heart. This guy is worse than a sailor in this!
Christian Bale Flips Out
Now for those who enjoy a good Double India Pale Ale, Bell's seasonal offering is available now until about the end of February or while supplies last. While walking in to Total Wine tonight to find a Terrapin ale or two I stumble across cases of this. I was stopped in my tracks, mouth agape and watering thinking of the last time I had this hoppy monster. I've never had it bottled. Once I crack one I'll give a little review. In the meantime I'm going to enjoy a Bold City Brew that's quickly becoming a favorite of mine: Rye Pale Ale. Dry, spicy, hoppy and oh so tasty. Enjoy your hump day.
-Mike the Ryan
Christian Bale Flips Out
Now for those who enjoy a good Double India Pale Ale, Bell's seasonal offering is available now until about the end of February or while supplies last. While walking in to Total Wine tonight to find a Terrapin ale or two I stumble across cases of this. I was stopped in my tracks, mouth agape and watering thinking of the last time I had this hoppy monster. I've never had it bottled. Once I crack one I'll give a little review. In the meantime I'm going to enjoy a Bold City Brew that's quickly becoming a favorite of mine: Rye Pale Ale. Dry, spicy, hoppy and oh so tasty. Enjoy your hump day.
-Mike the Ryan
02 February, 2009
Fried Macaroni and Cheese
Went to a Superbowl party last night where the theme was fried food. Meg and I thought it a good idea to fry macaroni and cheese ala Paula Dean, so after watching a quick three minute video on the food network we embarked on a journey to Walmart to get provisions and get in touch with our southern chef.
Now, Paula made it look easy and very delicious in that three minutes. It went something like this: Cook the macaroni, refrigerate it so it sets together, cut it in to squares that you will wrap in bacon and then bread it. We fried it in vegetable oil. It tastes well and good. What Paula failed to point out was that because the macaroni sets in the fridge, it forms a bit of a solid layer on the bottom thus trapping any residual oil from the fryer in it. What you end up with is breaded macaroni full of oil. Not so good once digestion ensues.
On the whole though it was a good day. The commercials were okay. I was mainly excited for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. That's gonna be great. The career builder commercial was good too on many levels. The game didn't go the way I would have liked, but I didn't really care anyway. It was a good game with some great plays and that's what matters I suppose. Now I get to hear everyone bitch about how long it's going to be until football is back again in September.
Random bit for the day. I guess when Flavor Flav has been on VH1 with whatever reality show he's doing he has had some of the highest ratings on network or cable TV. Really? What am I missing?
-Mike the Ryan
Now, Paula made it look easy and very delicious in that three minutes. It went something like this: Cook the macaroni, refrigerate it so it sets together, cut it in to squares that you will wrap in bacon and then bread it. We fried it in vegetable oil. It tastes well and good. What Paula failed to point out was that because the macaroni sets in the fridge, it forms a bit of a solid layer on the bottom thus trapping any residual oil from the fryer in it. What you end up with is breaded macaroni full of oil. Not so good once digestion ensues.
On the whole though it was a good day. The commercials were okay. I was mainly excited for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. That's gonna be great. The career builder commercial was good too on many levels. The game didn't go the way I would have liked, but I didn't really care anyway. It was a good game with some great plays and that's what matters I suppose. Now I get to hear everyone bitch about how long it's going to be until football is back again in September.
Random bit for the day. I guess when Flavor Flav has been on VH1 with whatever reality show he's doing he has had some of the highest ratings on network or cable TV. Really? What am I missing?
-Mike the Ryan
01 February, 2009
Scratch Game In January
I must say, living in Florida does have some distinct advantages. We have the Atlantic Ocean not more than 15 minutes away. It's generally sunny most of the year. The winter is very mild. Oh yeah, and you can golf in January, which is exactly what I did yesterday.
Meg and I played in a best ball scramble for a friends birthday. This is the fifth year he's done it and the third year I've played. Our foursome ended up even after 18 holes which was surprising considering none of us had touched a golf club in over 3 months. I hit some long drives, some decent iron shots and even made a couple of clutch puts. Not bad. In addition to the golfing there were drinks to be had and golf carts to work out.
Maybe the best scene from the day for me was the 7 cars chasing after one another on 14 with people cart surfing on the tops. This I'm sure is not behavior condoned by the course, but evidently no one saw it. They did however see the broken 100 yard marker on sixteen but I won't incriminate anyone here. Blogs are public domain.
Today will bring the dog park, Bold City for a growler and a super bowl party where the theme is fried food. I have no preference on the game, but I know the Arizona Cardinals were an underdog all season, so I think I'm rooting for them. As for the food, I don't know what we're taking yet. I'm sure I'll google something right after I post this.
GO CARDINALS!
-Mike the Ryan
Meg and I played in a best ball scramble for a friends birthday. This is the fifth year he's done it and the third year I've played. Our foursome ended up even after 18 holes which was surprising considering none of us had touched a golf club in over 3 months. I hit some long drives, some decent iron shots and even made a couple of clutch puts. Not bad. In addition to the golfing there were drinks to be had and golf carts to work out.
Maybe the best scene from the day for me was the 7 cars chasing after one another on 14 with people cart surfing on the tops. This I'm sure is not behavior condoned by the course, but evidently no one saw it. They did however see the broken 100 yard marker on sixteen but I won't incriminate anyone here. Blogs are public domain.
Today will bring the dog park, Bold City for a growler and a super bowl party where the theme is fried food. I have no preference on the game, but I know the Arizona Cardinals were an underdog all season, so I think I'm rooting for them. As for the food, I don't know what we're taking yet. I'm sure I'll google something right after I post this.
GO CARDINALS!
-Mike the Ryan
30 January, 2009
A Taste of the Cask
So I went to Bold City Last night for a drink after work. They tapped a cask aged Chinook IPA. For those who don't know, this is a beer that has undergone secondary fermentation in a wooden barrel. The sugar sources for this particular secondary fermentation came from honey and grapefruit, and man was there some grapefruit taste in the beer. It was good. Not particularly as balanced a profile as I like in my IPA, but I do love me some grapefruit so that was okay. The malt was there in the nose, but on my tongue I struggled to find it. When I think of this beer in my mouth it evokes images of enormous grapefruits pummeling my tongue with flavor.
So enough about the grapefruit already. NLU plays Tampa tonight. It's Super Bowl Weekend and the big show is in Tampa this year, so I'm hoping for a good turn out. I'm going down and back in the same evening (it's 3.5 hours away) with my bass player and drummer along with a couple of friends in a two seater cargo van with our gear. It will be a fun time with acoustic guitars in the back. I'll be sure to post about the fun tomorrow.
I've also realized that this is not so much a daily blog maybe, but rather an every other day thing. I mean, I'll post daily when the spirit moves me, but some days not much really goes on (read: I forget).
To my readership (which is like, 2 people really), have a wonderful weekend. I sure will try!
-Mike the Ryan
So enough about the grapefruit already. NLU plays Tampa tonight. It's Super Bowl Weekend and the big show is in Tampa this year, so I'm hoping for a good turn out. I'm going down and back in the same evening (it's 3.5 hours away) with my bass player and drummer along with a couple of friends in a two seater cargo van with our gear. It will be a fun time with acoustic guitars in the back. I'll be sure to post about the fun tomorrow.
I've also realized that this is not so much a daily blog maybe, but rather an every other day thing. I mean, I'll post daily when the spirit moves me, but some days not much really goes on (read: I forget).
To my readership (which is like, 2 people really), have a wonderful weekend. I sure will try!
-Mike the Ryan
28 January, 2009
Beating a Dead Horse
And this ones been beat to death. At work. Why is it that people can't just do what they're asked. If you are one of those individuals who are payed by the hour that doesn't, then maybe you should be sent home for a couple of days with no pay to think about it. It's starting to get old preaching the same old mess each day about following the process that's been implemented. It's pretty simple.
Just venting. I've had enough for one day and it's time to go home now. Show on Friday, Golf on Saturday, Superbowl on Sunday. The weekend is looking good.
Part Two (added later, after the previous part, of course)
Just to expand on my previous post, I guess there's some guy that was involved in the plane that crashed in to the Hudson River a couple of weeks ago that is suing the airline. Yeah. It turns out the $5000 check he already received was not enough as he broke his nose in the crash and suffered irreparable emotional damage. Are you kidding? You should be happy you're alive and thankful your family didn't have to suffer some real irreparable damage. Of course I suppose being your family they would then sue the airline for negligence or something like that.
People are disgusting. Stay tuned as I'm sure he won't be the first. Take your five grand and pay off some debt or something, maybe buy your kids and wife something nice. Greedy Americans.
-Mike the Ryan
- Follow the process to the letter (because it's been proven and validated to work)
- Continue to follow the process so that we might observe and identify issues and variation
- If a one time issue starts to recur, bring it to the team and we will work on fixing it
- Change process
- Repeat steps 2 - 4 indefinitely
Just venting. I've had enough for one day and it's time to go home now. Show on Friday, Golf on Saturday, Superbowl on Sunday. The weekend is looking good.
Part Two (added later, after the previous part, of course)
Just to expand on my previous post, I guess there's some guy that was involved in the plane that crashed in to the Hudson River a couple of weeks ago that is suing the airline. Yeah. It turns out the $5000 check he already received was not enough as he broke his nose in the crash and suffered irreparable emotional damage. Are you kidding? You should be happy you're alive and thankful your family didn't have to suffer some real irreparable damage. Of course I suppose being your family they would then sue the airline for negligence or something like that.
People are disgusting. Stay tuned as I'm sure he won't be the first. Take your five grand and pay off some debt or something, maybe buy your kids and wife something nice. Greedy Americans.
-Mike the Ryan
25 January, 2009
3 Walmarts. 5 Times.
The day went something like this.
Wake up and get a grocery list together. Shower and get ready to head to Walmart. On the list were vacuum bags as we were out. While at Walmart looking at said bags, Meg and I discussed the state of our current vacuum cleaner and how it could be time for a new one. We settled though on getting the new bags, cleaning the existing cleaner up and seeing if it worked better. It didn't.
So later in the day, back to Walmart we go. We settle on a nice yellow Eureka with a furniture attachment good for dealing with pet hair. Being that we have a dog this sounded good. It also had a duster attachment which was kind of cool and it was on sale. So we buy the vacuum. Fast forward to getting it out of the box. No duster attachment is present. We head back to Walmart.
As Meagen is standing in line I go look for a replacement. They don't have any more of that model. So we get the money back and head to Walmart number 2.
Walmart number 2 does not have our vacuum either. It seems the price was too good for many to resist. Off to Walmart number 3 where we find the vacuum. I open it to be certain after purchasing that everything that is promised on the outside of the box is present. It is.
What's the moral for today? Well, Walmart is simply the same no matter where in the country you are. It's also the same when there are 4 within a 10 mile radius of your current living situation. It's amazing that they're able to keep the consistency between stores. It's especially amazing the level of consistency in the help and type of people employed there (and at Sam's Club). Any of you reading who have ever patronized a Walmart appreciate the satire in this story. Enjoy your week.
-Mike the Ryan
Wake up and get a grocery list together. Shower and get ready to head to Walmart. On the list were vacuum bags as we were out. While at Walmart looking at said bags, Meg and I discussed the state of our current vacuum cleaner and how it could be time for a new one. We settled though on getting the new bags, cleaning the existing cleaner up and seeing if it worked better. It didn't.
So later in the day, back to Walmart we go. We settle on a nice yellow Eureka with a furniture attachment good for dealing with pet hair. Being that we have a dog this sounded good. It also had a duster attachment which was kind of cool and it was on sale. So we buy the vacuum. Fast forward to getting it out of the box. No duster attachment is present. We head back to Walmart.
As Meagen is standing in line I go look for a replacement. They don't have any more of that model. So we get the money back and head to Walmart number 2.
Walmart number 2 does not have our vacuum either. It seems the price was too good for many to resist. Off to Walmart number 3 where we find the vacuum. I open it to be certain after purchasing that everything that is promised on the outside of the box is present. It is.
What's the moral for today? Well, Walmart is simply the same no matter where in the country you are. It's also the same when there are 4 within a 10 mile radius of your current living situation. It's amazing that they're able to keep the consistency between stores. It's especially amazing the level of consistency in the help and type of people employed there (and at Sam's Club). Any of you reading who have ever patronized a Walmart appreciate the satire in this story. Enjoy your week.
-Mike the Ryan
24 January, 2009
The Age of Aquarius
I just woke up (I know, I know...my band had a show last night okay) and I wanted to share a dream I had before I forget it. It was the most vivid dream I can remember having in a long time, and it was equally as strange.
Back story. I like a good conspiracy. One might go so far as to say that I love them. I also like to research things sometimes, and in this case I'm talking about the potential impending end of the world in 2012. I've done a good bit of reading about it and there's a lot of interesting theories as to what could happen on December 21 of that year. It turns out the Mayan calendar ends on that day and so it got people thinking. I won't get in to it too much, you can do that for yourself if you have an interest. Google 2012. One other point before I go on. If you follow the zodiac and are in to astrology, we are entering the age of Aquarius very soon. From Wikipedia:
Ages are believed by some astrologers to affect mankind while other astrologers believe the ages correlate to the rise and fall of mighty civilizations and cultural tendencies. Aquarius traditionally "rules" electricity, computers, flight, democracy, freedom, humanitarianism, idealists, modernization, rebels and rebellion, mental diseases, nervous disorders, and astrology.
So the dream went something like this. Meagen and I went out to the beach to watch the sunrise. When we got there we sat down at a picnic table with two other people, a man and a woman. We did not know them. We were making small talk and the conversation went something like this.
Woman [to me]: What is your sign?
Me: Pisces.
Woman: Ah, Pisces. Welcome to the age of Aquarius!
Man [to Meagen]: How about you?
Meagen [extends hand to greet him]: I'm a Virgo, nice to meet you!
Man [pulls away]: Ah, we wouldn't get along too well.
So we continue to sit there and the sun starts to rise. As this happens, I look out in to the ocean and the waves start to increase in period and size. Soon I see dolphins and whales jumping out of the water and moving toward the shore. As the sun continues to rise the waves get bigger. At this point I'm thinking something very strange is happening. The sun makes its final push over the horizon and at that point I see a very large tidal wave approaching. We all stand up.
Me [thinking to myself]: Oh my god we have to run.
Then I become calm.
Man: Time to say your goodbyes.
Then I woke up. One other thing I learned this morning before posting is that it is currently the age of Pisces, which happens to be my sign Again, I did not know this before this morning. I did some checking because I want to make sure my posts are factual. The reason I thought it was important is that the woman made a point of recognizing that I was a Pisces and welcomed me to the new age.
Who knows what it means. It probably means that I read too much about this. Or it might mean I'm starting to come to grips with my own mortality. It's something I've been thinking about lately. We all will die at some point. It's just a matter of how, when and where. At this point in my life I don't care for that. It makes me sad to think of all that I'll miss out on. Or maybe not. Who knows.
-Mike the Ryan
Back story. I like a good conspiracy. One might go so far as to say that I love them. I also like to research things sometimes, and in this case I'm talking about the potential impending end of the world in 2012. I've done a good bit of reading about it and there's a lot of interesting theories as to what could happen on December 21 of that year. It turns out the Mayan calendar ends on that day and so it got people thinking. I won't get in to it too much, you can do that for yourself if you have an interest. Google 2012. One other point before I go on. If you follow the zodiac and are in to astrology, we are entering the age of Aquarius very soon. From Wikipedia:
Ages are believed by some astrologers to affect mankind while other astrologers believe the ages correlate to the rise and fall of mighty civilizations and cultural tendencies. Aquarius traditionally "rules" electricity, computers, flight, democracy, freedom, humanitarianism, idealists, modernization, rebels and rebellion, mental diseases, nervous disorders, and astrology.
So the dream went something like this. Meagen and I went out to the beach to watch the sunrise. When we got there we sat down at a picnic table with two other people, a man and a woman. We did not know them. We were making small talk and the conversation went something like this.
Woman [to me]: What is your sign?
Me: Pisces.
Woman: Ah, Pisces. Welcome to the age of Aquarius!
Man [to Meagen]: How about you?
Meagen [extends hand to greet him]: I'm a Virgo, nice to meet you!
Man [pulls away]: Ah, we wouldn't get along too well.
So we continue to sit there and the sun starts to rise. As this happens, I look out in to the ocean and the waves start to increase in period and size. Soon I see dolphins and whales jumping out of the water and moving toward the shore. As the sun continues to rise the waves get bigger. At this point I'm thinking something very strange is happening. The sun makes its final push over the horizon and at that point I see a very large tidal wave approaching. We all stand up.
Me [thinking to myself]: Oh my god we have to run.
Then I become calm.
Man: Time to say your goodbyes.
Then I woke up. One other thing I learned this morning before posting is that it is currently the age of Pisces, which happens to be my sign Again, I did not know this before this morning. I did some checking because I want to make sure my posts are factual. The reason I thought it was important is that the woman made a point of recognizing that I was a Pisces and welcomed me to the new age.
Who knows what it means. It probably means that I read too much about this. Or it might mean I'm starting to come to grips with my own mortality. It's something I've been thinking about lately. We all will die at some point. It's just a matter of how, when and where. At this point in my life I don't care for that. It makes me sad to think of all that I'll miss out on. Or maybe not. Who knows.
-Mike the Ryan
23 January, 2009
Bold City Brewery
Can I just say how excited I am that there is a microbrewery now open in Jacksonville?! They brew beer. That's it. No menu is a part of the experience at this establishment, just beers that run the gamut from a Rye Wheat to an India Pale Ale to a Porter.
I stopped in there yesterday and wanted to mention it because as I said, I am very excited. It's a small tap room, a modest operation, but the beer was really good and has big potential in my opinion. They are debuting a new cask ale next weekend, a barrel aged Chinook IPA. It's an IPA fermented with honey and grapefruit and hopped with nothing but Chinook hops. How excited am I? Very.
I'm going to be telling everyone I know about this place. In addition to having good beer, we'll be supporting the local economy which is important right now. It's a family run operation as I understand and though I only interacted with the bar tender, she was very nice. All new patrons get a free sampler to try too! How excellent is that.
Bold City Brewery. Go check it out if you're in the area and take home a growler or two.
-Mike the Ryan
22 January, 2009
Not much for today. I know the purpose of this is to chronicle the days and look back in a year. It sounds like Disney is cutting a lot of employees. I can't say that I'm surpirsed but it's saddening in a way. The happiest place on earth is affected by the economy as well.
The band plays Freebird tomorrow. I've been wanting to play there ever since we started playing live. Now we're opening and we're going to slay it. I'll post pictures on Saturday. Cheers to all and I'll talk to you soon.
-Mike the Ryan
The band plays Freebird tomorrow. I've been wanting to play there ever since we started playing live. Now we're opening and we're going to slay it. I'll post pictures on Saturday. Cheers to all and I'll talk to you soon.
-Mike the Ryan
21 January, 2009
The Relationship As It Relates to Hearing a New Record (or albums that fit like sweaters)
So I put in a new record today, something I've had but haven't listened to. Glasvegas. Darn good band many say. I was listening to it on the way to band practice tonight. It made me think of how funny it is to hear an album for the first time. It's like the beginning of a new friendship or romantic affair. At first you get to know eachother. They talk, you listen. You ask questions and they provide answers. It's a learning experience.
The next couple of listens will either make it or break it for you. You either begin to fall in love with what they're doing or you don't. Will this be a fast and furious but torrid affair? One that is short lived and doomed to crash and burn. Or will it be more like that slow falling in love when you've found that special someone you just can't imagine being without. You spin it over and over because you can't get her smell out of your head.
Within a few listens you know this. The album will either become part of your regular rotation or it will be relegated to a spot in a sleeve in a book you don't ever really open come to think of it.
Some albums are like a favorite sweater for me. They're old friends I keep coming back to time after time. They just fit in the right moments that call for them. And I look good in those sweaters. Others are good for the moment and get placed in the archives (or dresser droors) only to come out when placed on a genius playlist or party shuffle. You're happy to see them sure, but by the end of the night you may be reminded why they were put there in the first place.
More recently I've been really digging the british pop / rock scene. Bands like The Wombats, The Kooks, Arctic Monkeys, Glasvegas and The Zutons seem to make fantastic genius lists. Don't believe me? Try it. You'll shake it till your pants fall down. Another favorite of the moment is Thriving Ivory. Something about his voice. And speaking of favorite sweaters, try on The Working Title or some of Lovedrugs earlier material (I'm not a big fan of the new album, it just didn't fit right). The Cool Kids provide some good Hip-Hop and I feel like Santogold just can not be ignored right now.
At any rate, happy hump day to anyone reading. See you tomorrow.
-Mike the Ryan
The next couple of listens will either make it or break it for you. You either begin to fall in love with what they're doing or you don't. Will this be a fast and furious but torrid affair? One that is short lived and doomed to crash and burn. Or will it be more like that slow falling in love when you've found that special someone you just can't imagine being without. You spin it over and over because you can't get her smell out of your head.
Within a few listens you know this. The album will either become part of your regular rotation or it will be relegated to a spot in a sleeve in a book you don't ever really open come to think of it.
Some albums are like a favorite sweater for me. They're old friends I keep coming back to time after time. They just fit in the right moments that call for them. And I look good in those sweaters. Others are good for the moment and get placed in the archives (or dresser droors) only to come out when placed on a genius playlist or party shuffle. You're happy to see them sure, but by the end of the night you may be reminded why they were put there in the first place.
More recently I've been really digging the british pop / rock scene. Bands like The Wombats, The Kooks, Arctic Monkeys, Glasvegas and The Zutons seem to make fantastic genius lists. Don't believe me? Try it. You'll shake it till your pants fall down. Another favorite of the moment is Thriving Ivory. Something about his voice. And speaking of favorite sweaters, try on The Working Title or some of Lovedrugs earlier material (I'm not a big fan of the new album, it just didn't fit right). The Cool Kids provide some good Hip-Hop and I feel like Santogold just can not be ignored right now.
At any rate, happy hump day to anyone reading. See you tomorrow.
-Mike the Ryan
20 January, 2009
Harmony
Wow. What an historic day it has been. They say you will always remember where you were when....
Well for me it was in my car, listening to the inauguration on Sirius CNN. People came from all over the country, check that, from all over the world to see him. People watched and listened from everywhere imaginable. And his speech? Inspiring. Calling Americans to take responsibility for themselves, their nation and the world in which they live. But I won't go on about this. There are plenty of other bloggers who will take care of that for me.
For those of you not familiar, BJ Frost, a great friend of mine, does excellent things with film. Check out his blog. More to my point though, a piece of video he posted inspired me to share with you a creation of my own.
This picture was created for my dad and his partner as a thank you for giving Meagen and I a place to stay over the Christmas holiday. There's a lot of symbolism in the photo for me. The contrast in clothing represents the differences they share while the hands on the keys represent their commitment to moving through life together. The reflection of the hands represent the past and the upturned corner on the piece of music represents those things still to come. The music speaks to the bond they share and how without the both of them playing in unison, the song might be unrecognizable.
I hope it might mean something to you as well. More importantly, I encourage anyone reading to find beauty and meaning in things you might ordinarily pass by. There's so much to appreciate in life and most of the time we move so fast we don't take time to reflect on it. Thanks to BJ for reminding me of that this morning.
All the best to all of us as we move forward with a renewed sense of promise tonight. Bravo, Barack. Bravo.
-Mike the Ryan
Well for me it was in my car, listening to the inauguration on Sirius CNN. People came from all over the country, check that, from all over the world to see him. People watched and listened from everywhere imaginable. And his speech? Inspiring. Calling Americans to take responsibility for themselves, their nation and the world in which they live. But I won't go on about this. There are plenty of other bloggers who will take care of that for me.
For those of you not familiar, BJ Frost, a great friend of mine, does excellent things with film. Check out his blog. More to my point though, a piece of video he posted inspired me to share with you a creation of my own.
This picture was created for my dad and his partner as a thank you for giving Meagen and I a place to stay over the Christmas holiday. There's a lot of symbolism in the photo for me. The contrast in clothing represents the differences they share while the hands on the keys represent their commitment to moving through life together. The reflection of the hands represent the past and the upturned corner on the piece of music represents those things still to come. The music speaks to the bond they share and how without the both of them playing in unison, the song might be unrecognizable.
I hope it might mean something to you as well. More importantly, I encourage anyone reading to find beauty and meaning in things you might ordinarily pass by. There's so much to appreciate in life and most of the time we move so fast we don't take time to reflect on it. Thanks to BJ for reminding me of that this morning.
All the best to all of us as we move forward with a renewed sense of promise tonight. Bravo, Barack. Bravo.
-Mike the Ryan
Post posting
So I got sidetracked yesterday, my mood was foul, plain and simply I did not post because I did not feel like it. I was just in a funk last night and didn't want to spew forth my anger on the interweb.
So to recap yesterday I worked. I did some training at work for Microsoft Outlook 2007. It turns out not much has changed, just the fancy interface and some ribbon bars. What was interesting to me however, was the fact that they put so much time in to redesigning the front end, but many of the pop-up menus and dialog boxes remain in the Windows 95 era. For examply, I pressed the fancy new spell check button with all of it's animation and contouring, and the dialog box I get is cold, grey, blue and boring. What a let down. Same program, just repackage.
In other news, it sounds like my beer is going to be okay. It turns out the grommet on the fermenter lid breaks often. I should have wet it first before attempting to insert the airlock. You live and you learn. It was bubbling vigorously yesterday though. The promising sign of yeast feasting on sugars and creating carbon dioxide in the process. Bottling day is now only a few days away. I'll keep you updated.
At any rate, there will be much more exciting things to blog about this evening. And as Meg pointed out to me in my previous post, I spelled Barack wrong. My apologies. GO OBAMA! GO AMERICA!
-Mike the Ryan
So to recap yesterday I worked. I did some training at work for Microsoft Outlook 2007. It turns out not much has changed, just the fancy interface and some ribbon bars. What was interesting to me however, was the fact that they put so much time in to redesigning the front end, but many of the pop-up menus and dialog boxes remain in the Windows 95 era. For examply, I pressed the fancy new spell check button with all of it's animation and contouring, and the dialog box I get is cold, grey, blue and boring. What a let down. Same program, just repackage.
In other news, it sounds like my beer is going to be okay. It turns out the grommet on the fermenter lid breaks often. I should have wet it first before attempting to insert the airlock. You live and you learn. It was bubbling vigorously yesterday though. The promising sign of yeast feasting on sugars and creating carbon dioxide in the process. Bottling day is now only a few days away. I'll keep you updated.
At any rate, there will be much more exciting things to blog about this evening. And as Meg pointed out to me in my previous post, I spelled Barack wrong. My apologies. GO OBAMA! GO AMERICA!
-Mike the Ryan
18 January, 2009
The First Beer
No post for yesterday. For that I apologize. Scrabble was played, and some highlight words follow.
Grafting
Zenith (as in the apex of a mountain)
Operand
Sunday was spent looking for a new place to live with a fenced in backyard and brewing my first beer. Things went really well for the first 3 1/2 hours. At the last step (placing the airlock in to the lid of the primary fermenter before securing it) the grommet in the lid pushed through and broke. After some careful searching via google it looks like all is not lost. However I won't know until I check in with my local home brewing supplier tomorrow. Beginners lack of luck I suppose. I'll let you know how it all works out tomorrow.
Until then, I look forward to the impending inauguration of one Barack Obama. Peace and love.
-Mike the Ryan
Grafting
Zenith (as in the apex of a mountain)
Operand
Sunday was spent looking for a new place to live with a fenced in backyard and brewing my first beer. Things went really well for the first 3 1/2 hours. At the last step (placing the airlock in to the lid of the primary fermenter before securing it) the grommet in the lid pushed through and broke. After some careful searching via google it looks like all is not lost. However I won't know until I check in with my local home brewing supplier tomorrow. Beginners lack of luck I suppose. I'll let you know how it all works out tomorrow.
Until then, I look forward to the impending inauguration of one Barack Obama. Peace and love.
-Mike the Ryan
16 January, 2009
It was a good week
Just a quick one for today. The week was good. I got a good bit accomplished at work and I'm feeling good heading in to the next week. I'm looking forward to some much needed downtime with Meg this weekend. I'm also going to make my first attempt at brewing beer on Sunday. I'll post pictures for sure. In the mean time, enjoy this.
There's just something terribly endearing about a cat holding a pistol. Thanks Dan.
-Mike the Ryan
There's just something terribly endearing about a cat holding a pistol. Thanks Dan.
-Mike the Ryan
15 January, 2009
Bro-dar
brodar |brōˌdär|
noun
a system for detecting the presence, direction, distance, and speed of bros, frat guys, and other short spiked haircuts, by sending out pulses of high-frequency electromagnetic waves that are reflected off the object back to the source.
• an apparatus used for this.
ORIGIN early 21st Century: from bro d(etection) a(nd) r(anging)
This is a term I coined tonight whilst talking with Meg and cleaning the kitchen. I'm sure I'm not the first to coin it, but I hope I'm the first to define it in terms of a derivative of the term radar. This came up for a couple of reasons.
First, we were at a bar on Saturday after my bands gig and you couldn't have gone from one extreme to another in a bigger way. I drive from a metal club full of really cool punked out rock people where I just played a great show to a bar full of dudes in either a.) Surfer cuts and t-shirts or b.)Button downs and short spiked hair wearing sunglasses inside ala "My New Haircut" (see you tube if you don't know what I'm talking about).
Second, Brody Jener, the super cool guy made famous for being the love interest of Lauren Conrad (of The Hills) who was formerly a friend of one of the girls on Laguna Beach (a terrible take on reality TV on MTV) was on Howard yesterday morning. I mean really?! When did it become that cool to be like this guy? And as Meagen has pointed out, who the fuck is this guy to begin with? And now he has a show called 'Bromance' on MTV in which several guys (read: bros) vie to win his friendship and adoration. Now I think my Gaydar is going off.
The moral of this story is, I appreciate my true friends for who and what they are. Not what they have or what their status is. I hope they feel the same about me. Those who know me well and have been around have stuck by me through a lot, both good and bad. Many times they've told me how much of an idiot I am when I needed to hear it most. They've also been around to celebrate good times and pick me up when I'm down.
And they'll be around for years to come because real friendship like that can't be won on some game show. How shallow must that guy feel...
-Mike the Ryan
noun
a system for detecting the presence, direction, distance, and speed of bros, frat guys, and other short spiked haircuts, by sending out pulses of high-frequency electromagnetic waves that are reflected off the object back to the source.
• an apparatus used for this.
ORIGIN early 21st Century: from bro d(etection) a(nd) r(anging)
This is a term I coined tonight whilst talking with Meg and cleaning the kitchen. I'm sure I'm not the first to coin it, but I hope I'm the first to define it in terms of a derivative of the term radar. This came up for a couple of reasons.
First, we were at a bar on Saturday after my bands gig and you couldn't have gone from one extreme to another in a bigger way. I drive from a metal club full of really cool punked out rock people where I just played a great show to a bar full of dudes in either a.) Surfer cuts and t-shirts or b.)Button downs and short spiked hair wearing sunglasses inside ala "My New Haircut" (see you tube if you don't know what I'm talking about).
Second, Brody Jener, the super cool guy made famous for being the love interest of Lauren Conrad (of The Hills) who was formerly a friend of one of the girls on Laguna Beach (a terrible take on reality TV on MTV) was on Howard yesterday morning. I mean really?! When did it become that cool to be like this guy? And as Meagen has pointed out, who the fuck is this guy to begin with? And now he has a show called 'Bromance' on MTV in which several guys (read: bros) vie to win his friendship and adoration. Now I think my Gaydar is going off.
The moral of this story is, I appreciate my true friends for who and what they are. Not what they have or what their status is. I hope they feel the same about me. Those who know me well and have been around have stuck by me through a lot, both good and bad. Many times they've told me how much of an idiot I am when I needed to hear it most. They've also been around to celebrate good times and pick me up when I'm down.
And they'll be around for years to come because real friendship like that can't be won on some game show. How shallow must that guy feel...
-Mike the Ryan
14 January, 2009
The Merits of Dropping Out of High School to Pursue a Professional Career in Video Gaming
So on my way to work this morning, the idea of blogging about how my dog woke me up three times last night to turn on a thunderous outpouring of liquid duece seemed like a great topic. You know, go on and on about the joys of owning a puppy but talk about how he does things like getting in to the bathroom trash to chew on Zeus knows what (use your imagination here). Following said chewing of course the madness of doggie diarrhea ensues. And of course once he's done it once you know you have to wake up to let him out when he whines because if you don't, well, we just don't need to go there.
However, while listening to Howard Stern (as I typically do on the way to work these days - bless Sirius and all satellite radio)I heard about young Blake Peebles, the 16 year old kid whose parents allowed him to drop out of high school to pursue a career in professional gaming playing Guitar Hero (Google). Now this story broke some time in July so I'm late but hear me out.
Parents any more (or at least it seems to me) are coming issued out of the box with a fundamental flaw. They love the idea of being a parent, but they want nothing to do with raising a kid. Another great example is that of babysitter Arielle Smith of Harvey, LA. She put a five month old baby in a dryer and turned it on because the baby was allegedly getting in the way of her TV watching. Now she too is of course a mother. As reported by the Dallas Morning News Crime Blog:
Nineteen-year-old Arielle Smith, of Harvey, La., near New Orleans, is facing murder charges for putting 5-month-old Andre Jenkins in a dryer and locking his 18-month-old brother and her 1-year-old son in another room.
The baby was in the hot dryer for at least three minutes and received skull fractures and burns, according to authorities.
Initially, the teen said the baby was burned by scalding water. She then admitted putting the baby in the dryer during a hide and seek game, but blamed her 1-year-old son for turning it on.
"Pressed further by detectives," the Times-Picayune reports, the teen said the children were "rambunctious and interfering with her television show."
After pulling the unresponsive child out, she called her boyfriend and the baby's mother before dialing 911, the paper says.
Of course then the saga continues and she admits to the TV thing and turning it on. Really? This is ridiculous. People that aren't ready to raise children need to stop having them. And don't even get me started on religious reasons for not using contraception. Those poor kids won't even have a chance so just stop having sex. I call for reform! Maybe Obama can help to pass a bill requiring a thorough examination of any two people hoping to conceive.
Now that I'm off of my soapbox, I'm pumped to go to band practice tonight. I feel a renewed energy with them. Come to thin
k of it, I'm feeling a renewed energy for a lot of things. I'll leave you with a picture.It's of my new guitar. Yeah I bought an Epiphone. It still plays like a dream. Finish. Honey Burst. Mmmmmmm....Honey. Love that thing!
-Mike the Ryan
13 January, 2009
Being a rockstar is the intersection of who you are and who you want to be
Or it went something like that anyway. Slash. I'm a good third of the way in to his autobiography and I must say it seems that the rock and roll cliche' holds. Not that it isn't interesting. It's an entertaining read. So far the kid has been in to alcohol, marijuana, blow, heorin and a number of other things I can't recall right now. And he's only nineteen. The beginning of Guns & Roses, one of my favorite bands.
Slash is definitely one of the reasons I picked up a guitar to begin with. Appetite is one of my favorite albums and his guitar tone is one of the best in my mind. It's fun to get lost in someone elses life. But then again, it's a reminder of how nice things are in my own.
Give it a read if you have the time
Michael the Ryan
Slash is definitely one of the reasons I picked up a guitar to begin with. Appetite is one of my favorite albums and his guitar tone is one of the best in my mind. It's fun to get lost in someone elses life. But then again, it's a reminder of how nice things are in my own.
Give it a read if you have the time
Michael the Ryan
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