Saturday, November 28, 2009

No Comment



Anybody there? I'm starting to wonder, as I haven't gotten any comments recently (even when I give you beer). The ol' 'sitemeter' says folks are stopping by, mostly looking for the Boobies, but nobody comments. Consider this post a "de-lurking" beg, asking for feedback (even if it's just telling me how boring the blog is, or that the boobies aren't as young and firm as you had hoped for). Any comments?

Friday, November 27, 2009

More Beer News - "Tactical Nuclear Penguin"

Beer "news" is my favorite kind of news. And when I read about a beer setting a new world record, with a name like "Tactical Nuclear Penguin", I must share it with you:




The BrewDog team have pulled off our most audacious and ambitious project to date, and smashed a world record in the process. We have today, Thursday 26 November 2009, set a new world record after creating the strongest beer in the world. Weighing in at an ABV of 32%, BrewDog’s ‘Tactical Nuclear Penguin’ beats the previous record of 31% held by German beer brand Schorschbraer.


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This beer is about pushing the boundaries, it is about taking innovation in beer to a whole new level. It is about achieving something which has never before been done and putting Scotland firmly on the map for progressive, craft beers.


This beer is bold, irreverent and uncompromising. A beer with a soul and a purpose. A statement of intent. A modern day rebellion for the craft beer proletariat in our struggle to over throw the faceless bourgeoisie oppression of corporate, soulless beer.’


The Antarctic name inducing schizophrenia of this uber-imperial stout originates from the amount of time it spent exposed to extreme cold. This beer began life as a 10% imperial stout 18 months ago. The beer was aged for 8 months in an Isle of Arran whisky cask and 8 months in an Islay cask making it our first double cask aged beer. After an intense 16 month, the final stages took a ground breaking approach by storing the beer at -20 degrees for three weeks to get it to 32%.


For the big chill the beer was put into containers and transported to the cold store of a local ice cream factory where it endured 21 days at penguin temperatures. Alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water. As the beer got colder BrewDog Chief Engineer, Steven Sutherland decanted the beer periodically, only ice was left in the container, creating more intensity of flavours and a stronger concentration of alcohol for the next phase of freezing. The process was repeated until it reached 32%.


A warning on the label states: This is an extremely strong beer, it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. In exactly the same manner that you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost.


You can buy yours here: http://www.brewdog.com/product.php?id=46


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http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article.php?id=214



If any of you were wondering what to give me for Christmas, well, a bottle would be much appreciated. I promise to drink it responsibly.
(added: they only made 500 bottles, so I'm being facetious in asking)
(dedicated to badtux the snarky penguin)

Black Friday Boobies

Left Boobie: "Thankfully, we wont be shopping today."
Right Boobie: "And, thankfully, nobody mistook us for turkeys."

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

(not a Turkey)

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I'll be spending the day with a gathering of friends at the home of the Flagsquatch*, as I did last year. I'm about to start cooking several side dishes to contribute to the potluck, which is a good thing. Griselda (my bird in the pic above) finds my cooking extremely entertaining and exciting, and she's already voicing her opinion on my kitchen activities. Thanksgiving is always a wonderful excuse to indulge my culinary creativity. Let's see if I can surprise some folks.
Thanksgiving used to be traditionally spent with family, but over the years the family has dwindled to the point that we're too few to gather. My sisters live in different states, and we really don't enjoy each others company enough to travel on a holiday. Exchanging polite phone calls is much easier.
It's always fun to join in a group of friends for a feast and some football (too bad this years games are such turkeys), and there will be beer. Hope you all have plenty of food, fun, and loved ones to share today!
Added: for my Native American friends, Happy "watch your immigration policy" day!

* the Flagsquatch is a rare local curiosity. He's larger than the traditional Yeti, but not quite as hairy.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

A Turkey Story

Flagstaff icon and master storyteller Scott Thybony, with a fun one for Thanksgiving; the story of "Kathy", a wild turkey who lived in the Grand Canyon: Phantom Thanksgiving Well worth a listen.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thought

In all the Kabuki theater that is the debate about health care reform, the republican position would best be summed up as "don't let the government come between you and your leeches."
That, or "death to the poor."

Marketing Bad Ideas

When you're selling a bad idea, I suppose that hiring a proven liar is a sensible marketing strategy:

College football's Bowl Championship Series, the system for selecting which two teams will compete in the national championship game, has hired former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer to improve its tarnished image among football fans.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/bcs-hires-ari-fleischer-to-improve-image.php?ref=fpb


The BCS system is pretty much universally hated by most college football fans. I doubt that even Ari can come up with a grand enough lie to make it popular.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Spending



Any questions?

11/22/1963


John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)