Muddy Mo

French Holiday Beer

2011-09-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

The style name is Bière de Garde, but when a stronger version of this style is brewed in the winter, it is often called Bière de Noël .

I'm calling this one Bière de Vacances, which is mangled French for "Holiday Beer" -- a regular strength BdG that should be ready to drink in December.

The wort is currently bubbling away in the fermeter. With the help of my co-brewer, ChuckleCharles and a little luck, we will wrangle this beast into about 600 ounces of tasty goodness.

The second of a two step starter (Wyeast 3725-PC Biere De Garde):

It is in the carboy and sitting on a Disney movie beach towel (Hunchback of Notre Dame, très approprié, non?):

The recipe is on BeerTools.com. All of the malts came from the Franco-Belges Maltser and the second hop addition is French Strisselspalt, which has a very unusual aroma that we couldn't put our finger on until ChuckleCharles nailed it: Cantaloupe.

Tale of the tape:

Stark & Teutonic

2011-08-23T06:37:00.000-07:00

Clever Brit take on a German style:

Our DoppelHop is a pale Bock Bier brewed, of course, in full accordance with the Bavarian purity law (the Reinheitsgebot - actually pretty much all our beer is brewed in accordance with this anyway) whereby the only ingredients allowed are water, yeast, malt & hops. As with many Oktoberfest Biers it is slightly on the strong side. But unlike most it is dryish, and very hoppy. We've used proper imported Bavarian Pilsner, Vienna & Munich malts to give the beer a full body, allowing us to hop on the 'refreshing' side.

Serving Suggestion:

Barley, Rosemary, Sage and Yeast

2011-08-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to try all the beers I had hoped to at yesterday's UNICO Microbrew Festival. I missed out on the Boulevard Dubbel Nommo, the New Belgium Super Cru and the Green Flash Summer Saison. But I also didn't walk away with double vision and a splitting headache the next day, so there's that.

Ms. Mo and I met up with DJ Beer and Dubbel Blonde. We were later joined by Just Belgian. Here, Dubbel Blonde demonstrates how to properly shoot from the hip:

I did get to try the Deschutes Conflux No. 2 side by side with the Boulevard Collaboration No. 2. I prefer the Conflux over the Boulevard version by a wide margin, which makes me sad for my hometown brewer.

One of the other stars of the show was a beer I might have passed up if Ms. Mo and Dubbel Blonde had not raved about it so much: Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat. It is important to note that Ms. Mo's go to beer is MGD 64. So, when you make a stout that Ms. Mo raves about, you have really accomplished something.

We did spent some time scoping out the style preferred by Just Belgian:

Since Doodle Brewing was there, we headed that way and tried the Dubbel Doodle which we really enjoyed.

I was excited to meet the founder of Doodle Brewing, Nick Vaughn. I asked him if he is still self-distributing, and he reported that he now has a Missouri distributor for Jackson, Clay and Platte counties, which is excellent news.

The highlight of the day was when I asked Nick if he had any other beers in the pipeline and he said, "Funny you should ask" as he reached down and produced a 22 oz. bottle and proceeded to pour samples for me, DJ Beer and Just Belgian. It was a dark beer and poured with a fairly thin tan head. It had a malty aroma. The big surprise was in the taste. First, I guessed oregano and Nick waived me off. Then I guessed rosemary, and Nick confirmed it had rosemary and sage. Nick explained this beer, "fits perfectly with the style of a Belgian Spiced Porter". Nick's tongue was sitting squarely in his cheek as he said this.

I have never had a beer with this level of herbs, so at first I was a bit taken aback, but I quickly warmed to the flavor and went back for a second sample. This is audacious brewing at its best and something I would really like to try again.

Cleaning House

2011-06-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

I've decided to move most all of my non-beer, non-kc blog links to my previously dormant site, Bentway Meltality

KC HopFest 2011 - Part II: "Tap Control"

2011-06-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

Update 6/24/11: This post has been modified from the original after I became uncomfortable with the caustic nature of some of my criticisms. - MM

I left off my previous post heading out to try another special KC HopFest offering: Left Hand Brewing TNT

The line is short. I can see the TNT tap. I am looking forward to this. I've enjoyed many Left Hand brews: Milk Stout, Sawtooth and 400 Lb Monkey come to mind. I try to make eye-contact with the fellow behind the table and say, ~~"Gimme shum uh dat TNT shit man!"~~ "I'd like the TNT, please." Without looking up, the guy says, "Do you know what it is?"

I suppose the MO Bev guy was just trying to warn off an unsuspecting HopFest participant from an unpleasant craft beer experience, but I don't think his approach could be more douchey. Sadly, the guy upped the "D" quotient by only serving me about one ounce, even after I assured him I knew what I was asking for.

When I went back and said, "~~gimme sum fukin moar!~~", "Its good, can you top it up this time?" He still only gave me half a glass. All this without ever looking up. Way to show off that St. Louis charm, MO Bev!

Happily, I can say this was the only truly negative experience I had, and I can't put any blame on the hosts of the event. It was really a small incident in the grand scheme of things.

Left-Hand describes TNT as a Weizen Doppelbock. Originally, I thought I was getting a Dunkelweizen, but I did recall that Molly said it was smokey. The great revelation for me was that I REALLY liked it! The Lapsang Souchong Black Tea is the source of the smoke flavor; From Wikipedia: "lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires". The smoke is not overwhelming, it complements the roasty malts and helps to mask the 7.2% ABV.

Next up, Part III: "Many Beers Had I"

KC HopFest 2011: The Beginning

2011-06-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Tickets to KC HopFest was my Father's Day present from Ms. Muddy. Thanks honey!

Arrival: I didn't have the VIP tickets, but when I arrived the crowd is still sparse. There is a big tent with chairs and tables. I like this set-up. I stake my claim to a corner chair by laying out my program and placing my Swisher Sweets and lighter on top. I meet Tom and his wife Cindy. Tom is a homebrewer from New York who likes IPA style beers. Great conversation ensues.

My first sample is Boulevard Hoppy Wheat -
It is hard to find the specs for this brew. When Beer Kitchen had the Boulevard Beer Dinner back in April, the beer was described as, "high-gravity Falconer's Flight dry-hopped Unfiltered Wheat - 5.2%; a new test brew for Boulevard, sessionable wheat beer with an herbal & citrus hop character"

Falconer's Flight is a new hop released in March 2011. It is a dual use hop with a flavor profile of Tropical Fruit, Citrus, floral, lemon and Grapefruit character. The additional hops take the Boulevard Wheat into a completely different realm. The typical American wheat tartness is melded with the citrus of the hops for a very refreshing taste. Boulevard should bottle this brew. I submit my label suggestion for Boulevard Hoppy Wheat:

I finish my first sample and see that Tom and Cindy have left, but there are still plenty of chairs available so I feel confident I will not lose my place as I head out for a new sample. I look for a short line and find one on the North side at Tallgrass. This gives me a chance to get my question answered about their Halcyon wheat beer, "Is it brewed with Halcyon malt?" (no, it is not).

I go for a sample of the Tallgrass Oasis, described as an ESB/IPA hybrid or a Double ESB, which is not an existing classification. It takes some cajones to claim your beer is in a category all by itself. This 7.2% ABV, 93 IBU concoction has a strong hop and caramel aroma. The flavor of pine and citrus hops up front is subdued by bready English maltiness. While BeerAdvocate has this in the same class as Dogfish 90 and Pliny, is not anywhere near Barleywine territory. So very drinkable. Maybe it is in a class of its own?

Just as I finish the Oasis, a new group sits down at the table. A pretty redhead is raving about the Left Hand TNT.

I ask her about it and she describes a DunkelWeisen brewed with Black Tea. Will Molly and her friend protect my spot? YES! I double time it to the Left-Hand booth. This is where I run into my first unpleasant experience.

More on that in Part II, "The Douche and the Dirtwater Distributor"

Fork in the Road

2011-04-16T21:17:00.001-07:00

Lyrics to Neil Young's "Fork in the Road" Performed in January 2009:

Got a pot belly.  It's not too big.  Gets in my way  when I'm driving my rig.  Driving this country  in a big old rig,  things I see  mean a lot.  

My friend has a pickup.  Drives his kid to school.  Then he takes his wife to beauty school.   Now she's doin' nails.  Gonna get a job.  Got a good teacher.

 There's a fork in the road ahead.  I don't know which way I'm gonna turn.  There's a fork in the road ahead.

Forgot this year,  to salute the troops.  They're all still there  in a fucking war. It's no good.  Whose idea was that?  

I've got hope,  but you can't eat hope.  I'm not done.  Not giving up.  Not cashing in.  Too late.

There's a bailout coming but it's not for me.  It's for all those creeps watching tickers on TV.  There's a bailout coming but it's not for me.

I'm a big rock star.  My sales have tanked,  but I still got you.  Thanks!  Download this.  Sounds like shit.

  Keep on bloggin' 'til the power goes out,  and your battery's dead.

Twist and Shout.  On the radio.  Those were the days.  Bring 'em back.

There's a bailout coming but it's not for you.  It's for all those creeps hiding what they do.  There's a bailout coming but it's not for you.  Bailout coming but it's not for you.

Got my new flat-screen.  Got it repo'd now.  They picked it up.  Left a hole in the wall.  Last Saturday.  Missed the Raiders game.

There's a bailout coming but it's not for you.  There's a bailout coming but it's not for you.  It's for all those creeps hiding what they do.

I Love The Smell of Lupulin In the Morning

2011-04-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

Get in mah nostrils!

Goose Island's New Big Stout

2011-04-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

Goose Island's newest release reminds me of the popular country song about "Big John". It was originally performed by Jimmy Dean, but I remember Johnny Cash's version. I hate song's performed by Johnny Cash. Not to worry, there's an a cappella version:

Plastic Tornado

2011-03-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

Anchor Bock: Better Than an Oyster Shell Hat

2011-03-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

When it comes to giant oyster shells worn as a fashion accoutrement, I have to say I hate the way it looks. When it comes to Anchor Bock Beer, I have to say I don't hate the way it tastes, but it is not a pretty picture.

Very dark with a nice tan head and a bready, smokey aroma. But the flavor is just a jumbled mess. The initial taste of the dark breads and smoke hints that this is going to be a rich experience, but that all gets lost in a thinnish, slick mouthfeel followed by a hop finish with a pronounced orange flavor. I did not really enjoy this beer at all.

The tale of the tape from Anchor Brewing doesn't shed much light: 2 Row Malts, Wheat Malt, Whole Hops.

Traditional Bock beers are brewed with German Munich and Vienna 2-row malts, the wheat malt seems a little out of place here. There are some hops that people report have a strong orange flavor, such as the New Zealand Pacifica hops used in the SN Southern Hemisphere fresh hop seasonal.

And I just remembered Anchor also has a hay bale beer I didn't enjoy.

Dream Team Sixer

2011-02-17T18:08:00.000-08:00

Billy Brew asks,

"What if you could buy a six pack of the best beers your state had to offer?"

I've limited the choices to packaged beers available in 12oz containers. I am not limiting the choices to only those styles I enjoy or to year round offerings.

In no particular order:

________________________________

Schlafly Export IPA
- This seasonal offering is an excellent English Style IPA, which can be difficult to find.

Drunk Monkey sez,

"Smell has a malty sweet base with added citrus fruits. The citrus is prominent, but not overpowering. Maybe more of the blossom than the actual fruit. Taste is equally fruity like tangerines. This is very interesting because it is different. Usually citrus flavors are lemon or orange which can easily get unbalanced. This tangerine flavor is bold but not over powering. Nice! It does finish up in the back with some hops bitterness. Mouthfeel is light/medium body and very clean. Very refreshing and quaff-able, even though the higher ABV puts it out of the "session" category."

________________________________

Boulevard Tank 7
- World-Class.

Even our cross-state rival, STL Hops is amazed,

"...you may remember my drunken tweet of, “Tank 7 from Boulevard was well worth the price of Microfest VIP ticket.” While the message may have been sullied by a drunken blogger, it was absolutely accurate. Tank 7 was my favorite beer of the festival and I went back three or four times to keep getting samples.

As many readers of STL Hops know, I’m not a fan of big hop aroma and flavor and Belgian yeast, the combination just doesn’t work for me. But somehow Boulevard found a way to pull it off and make a wonderfully refreshing summertime beer."

________________________________

O'Fallon Smoked Porter
- Not one of my favorite styles, but it took gold at 2004 GABF.

Marty Nachel, Author, Homebrewer and Chicago Craft Beer Examiner reviewed it for Viewpoints,

"This version of smoked porter is among the best in this country, if not the world."

________________________________

Boulevard Bully! Porter
- Can you believe in a hoppy porter?

Andy made a video:

________________________________

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
- Hey Mom, I learned to like vegetables!

"This show has nothing to do with turkey, but goddamn that Schlafly Pumpkin Ale is good shit."

- DJ for GaragePunk.Com comments on Savage Kick podcast #45

________________________________

Boulevard Sixth Glass
- Ever had a Quaffable Quadruple?

Dallas Craft Beer Examiner, Paul Hightower likes how the name comes from a Hans Christian Andersen parable about the evils of alcohol and he REALLY likes the beer,

"...this is a style known as strong dark Belgian ale, and with one sip you know the difference. Immediately, you can taste an ester-heavy dark roast with a light tartness combined with elements of caramelized sugars, raisins, figs, molasses, chocolate, raspberries… the flavor complexity goes on and on."

Quaffing on Sunshine

2011-02-15T21:17:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent value: A 22 oz bomber can be had for about six bucks including tax at Cosentino's Downtown Market.

Demolition has everything you expect from a fine Belgian golden ale for half the price of the imported versions. The commemoration on the bottle explains the name, "...to honor the brave soles who kept our brewery open while wrecking balls tore down the mall around us."

"Demolition" also is a fitting description of the effect this concoction had on me. It is a billowy blonde brew, with aromatics and citrus in the nose, sweet fruit on the tongue and a surprisingly spicy finish.

I'm sure I heard the sounds of harps and strings as I poured the final drops of that second glass. Not long after, the 7.2% wrecking ball of an ABV made short work of my higher brain functions.

I'm Not Jealous

2011-02-12T19:58:00.001-08:00

Dear Boulevard Chocolate Ale Consuming Cocksuckers,

Due to a series of unfortunate events (furnace went out), I lost track of the fact that 2.8.2011 was the release day for the Boulevard Chocolate Ale. By the time I realized my oversight on 2/9, it was really too late. Of course you Cocksuckers are keenly aware of this fact.

I called around anyway and was told a certain Hy-Vee was getting a delivery on 2/11. On Friday I called the Hy-Vee and confirmed they had it and planned to begin selling it at 1:00, but over 100 people lined up at 11:00 AM. They already sold the entire stock to the first 41 Cocksuckers.

Some of you Cocksuckers said that Central States website/Facebook had info about who had it on tap. O'Dowd's in Zona Rosa, some Cocksuckers said. So on the evening of 2/12 I called O'Dowd's and the pleasant little hostess laughed and said I was the fifth call they had received about BCA. Of course, you Cocksuckers had already drained their kegs.

I am a big fan of the long ago discontinued HBO series Deadwood. I had it on my Amazon wishlist. When Amazon sent me an e-mail last week with a one time offer of the complete Deadwood series on DVD for 50% off, I bought it. Did any of you Cocksuckers get the complete Deadwood series for 50% off? I didn't think so.

Minksy's Pizza has a great Italian steak sandwich with fries for $6.29. They also carry a very hard to find Vatted Scotch: Sheep Dip. I went there and ordered the sandwich to go and while I waited, I had a Smithwick's along with a shot of Sheep Dip, something I like to call, I'm not Jealous, you Cocksuckers.

As I write this, I have finished the sandwich, which I washed down with a Sam Adams Noble Pils. After I publish this post, I am going to open a bottle of Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, which will leave my stock at two 12 oz bottles. If any of you Cocksuckers want to trade, send me an e-mail.

Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale: Subtlety is Lost on Many

2010-10-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

Graphic from enochbolles.blospot.com, a website dedicated to the art of Enoch Bolles

When I popped the top on the bottle of Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale, I had no idea what to expect. It had been only a week since I made a phone call to Gomer's North to secure my 6-pack, after reading about it's release on KC Beer Blog. Then, I purposely avoided doing any research on the beer. I wanted my first impression to be untainted by any hype or prejudice.

Of course, untainted by prejudice is a tall order for me when it comes to Bell's Brewery Inc. My experience is one of a long unbroken streak of excellent tasting beers from Bell's, so I will always give them the benefit of the doubt. Which is why I had no qualms about plunking down whatever Gomer's wanted to charge me for the six-pack, which ended up being north of $15. So yea, my expectations were very high.

I poured it into the perfect beer glass: the ones Jim Koch reportedly spent $100,000 to design and produce.

(Pardon the aside, but the SA glass is perfect because it makes it so easy to pour the beer slowly down the side to suppress excess foam, but when you bring the glass upright for the final pour, straight into the glass, a healthy head will form and not spill over: because of the brilliant design!) (Pardon a second aside: for those addicted to glassware, here is some porn.)

The perfect pour revealed a healthy, but not overpowering head. The beer had a clear and beautiful amber hue. My first impression of the aroma was traditional American hops, but I have have learned not to trust the initial aroma of a just poured beer. The smell you get while the head is spraying microscopic droplets can be deceiving. As the sprites calmed down, the aroma changed. Was that orange? Orange and, and, was that vanilla? I took a sip and was rewarded with a nice creamy mouthfeel, the sweetness of toffee, followed by a bit of alcohol warmth mixed with subtle floral hops in the finish.

The head quickly settled down to a thin foam on top with very little lacing. The warm, rich malt flavor lingered and mixed with the tingle of the hops. I went in nose first to hoover up more aroma and found the orange/vanilla combination oddly familiar. Apricot? Yes, definitely apricot, which lasted throughout the rest of the session. The flavor of the toffee became more complex with bready malts coming to the fore. Hints of dark fruity plum and dates would rise and fall only to give way to the apricot blossom and piney counterpoint of the hops. This has a strong English ale character. A very complex and subtle interplay of many elements. A symphony of flavors and aroma.

About 3/4 of the way through the glass, I started checking the reviews on Beer Advocate. There were 136 reviews with an overall rating of B+. BA lists the style as American Strong Ale (which puts it in the same class as Sam Adam's Utopia). The ABV is listed at 8.5%.

Some of the comments:

Overall, this is a very smooth and mellow beer; a little too mellow actually, as it just never takes off.

Aroma is mild, and unfortunately pretty standard for an American strong ale. Nothing out of the ordinary

Flavor is pretty good...but not great. I guess I expected a lot considering Bells brews some great solid beers!

I expected to be really blown away, which unfortunately I wasn't, not in a "once every 25 years" way

I looked at the top five rated American Strong Ales on Beer Advocate and their ABV:

Double Bastard Ale: 10.5%
Firestone 13 Anniversary Ale: 12%
SA Utopia: 27%
The Angels Share-Bourbon Barrel Aged: 12%
The Angels Share Grand Cru: 12%

Bell's 25th is currently ranked #30. Out of the top 25 beers, all but 6 carried an ABV of over 9%, twelve of them exceeded 10%. The ABV "tale of the tape" is firmly entrenched in the online beer rankings.

Admittedly, I've only tried one of the top 25 beers in this category, which is Lagunitas' Whiskey Tango Foxtrot ranked #21 with 361 reviews. I like WTF, WTF is a good beer, but WTF is no Bell's 25th Anniversary.

Land of Beige

2010-10-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

Drunk Monkey's foray into the Land of Beige inspired me to dredge up a post from the Muddy archives. It is sort of an ode to Beigians.

While you read, think of Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen"

Way back when,
In ninety-three.
You were the dandy,
Of gamma chee.
Sweet things from KC,
So young and willing,
All pledged at the Sororities.
Hell yea, cha ching!
Hey 662 nineteen,
Didn't need to dance together.
Didn't need to talk at all.
Just took them along,
Once you knew they would slide on down.

Hey 662 eighteen,
That's Monkey Ward
You don't remember,
The king of retail.
You can't believe how hard
it is to travel without the perpetual Blockbuster, Target, PetSmart, Chipotle,
market-tested spiel.

Hey 662 fifteen,
Have we got anything in common?
Can we can talk at all?
Why don't you invite me along,
As you head south on US 69?

The patrol cars trimmed in gold
The undocumented Columbians.
Still don't get why 95th and Nall's such a wonderful thing.

No you can't chance us being seen together.
No we can't talk at all.

Europa Rising

2010-10-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

From Michael Benson's Beyond: Visions of Our Solar System

Breathtaking slideshow.

welcome to my 19th nervous breakdown

2010-10-06T04:50:00.000-07:00

I'd like my future thin-sliced with a side of digital immortality, please.

Mild Consternation

2010-09-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

The Hartlepool Right Mild has been bottled and party pigged. Hurray!

But for me this is the worst part of the home brewing experience. I can't know for sure if the result will be worth all the expense and effort; and I won't know for three more weeks.

I always have concerns about carbonation and there are numerous issues with this batch that could lead down the path of disaster:

I only pitched one packet of dry yeast, it should have been two. I ended up pitching the second packer 24 hours later.

The krausen dropped after only 24 hours of active fermentation.

After 8 days in the primary, it was still only half way to the final gravity target.

After racking to the secondary fermentation vessel and waiting another 7 days, the gravity reading never budged.

So, I could either end up with bottle bombs from the excess sugar that never fermented before I firmly sealed it up it in small glass containers,

Or a keg of beer that only dispenses glasses full of foam,

Or, if there isn't enough viable yeast left, flat beer!

The good news is, I am enjoying my first taste of Sierra Nevada's fall seasonal brown ale, Tumbler. It is really, really good.

Hartlepool Right Mild

2010-07-02T22:50:00.001-07:00

Andy Capp might enjoy a couple or twelve pints of these during an extended night of snooker at the pub in Hartlepool.

Based on Joe Walt's recipe posted at OshKosh Beer

Neglected Blog

2010-07-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

Poor Blog. I will make up for it in July.

Paradoxically Quintessential: Organic English Ale

2010-05-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Samuel Smith Brewery. Tadcaster, England. Two hundred plus years of traditional brewing with a Yorkshire Square.

Photo by andrewhammond

Two hundred plus years of using dray horses to deliver beer.

For some, it might seem odd for such a traditional British enterprise to place emphasis on a line of "organically produced" products.

Photo by Josua Lurie at Food GPS

Whether you subscribe to the benefits of organically produced food products or not, that method of production is the traditional way of producing crops, not the Monsanto-dominated, "Roundup Ready" method which is leading to the oh, so unexpected rise of herbicide resistant superweeds.

But here in the buckle of the bible belt, products sporting an "organic" label and the people who purchase them are often stereotypically lampooned as wacky, new age, over the hill hippies and lefties and seen as suspect by self-appointed torch bearers for traditional American values. As the quintessential British Chef Gordon Ramsey might say, "Unbelievable. Absolutely effing moronic. No?"

I gave Samuel Smiths Organically Produced Ale an A- rating on Beer Advocate. More and more I find myself drawn to these English style beers: Low ABV, caramel and biscuit malts, English ale yeast adding fruity esters, low hop aroma and bitterness. Nice and affordable, for all-grain home brewing!

The Saint is Back

2010-04-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Anytime is a good time to post photos of Elisabeth Shue. I like to call her "Lizzie", she doesn't mind, just ask her.

Since Lizzie co-starred with Val Kilmer in the "The Saint" and Odell Brewing has announced the 2010 release of St. Lupulin extra pale ale, the occasion couldn't be more appropriate.

From the press release:

A dry-hopped extra pale ale, St. Lupulin is light in color, but offers a vibrant hop character. Cascade, Perle, and Centennial hops create a citrusy floral aroma and balance the slightly sweet malt character. At 6.5% ABV, the beer has a crisp and clean finish.
St. Lupulin was named one of the best new beers of 2009 by Modern Brewery Age: "Fresh, bright and lively," said Gregg Glaser, contributing editor. "Grapefruit in the nose carries into the flavor."

Overbearing Scotsman

2010-04-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

"Ahhh, 'rrrruff!' that's the way your mother likes it, Trebeck." Ahhh, Hah, Hah Hah, Hah!

Photo by Stuart Crawford at http://flickr.com/photos/potatojunkie

Founder's Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale

It is plain to see Founder's is the current "It" brewery by the product ratings handed out for offerings that are not all that remarkable. The ruby hue is visually appealing and the nutty, oak and molasses aroma is intriguing, but the flavor does not live up to the hype. You've got your familiar Scotch Ale notes and a hint of hop bite, but it all gets washed away by the boozy finish. This is doubly disappointing because I could have gone with a sixer of Schlafly Scotch Ale or Odell 90 Shilling, and saved $2.00.

Boss Muddy's Special Double Creamy Beer Reviews & Koch's Oligarchapalooza

2010-03-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

I'm all in on this post to commemorate having accomplished my goal of posting each and every day in the month of March.

Boss Tom's Golden Bock

I am a bit chagrined that I am just now getting around to trying my hometown brewer's most recent 6 pack offering. In my defense, the last six pack I purchased was for Saint Patrick's Day and that, of course, was Boulevard Irish Ale. So, when it came time to purchase another sixer, Founders Dirty Bastard caught my eye and I confess I fondled the Left Hand Milk Stout, but I came back home for the Golden Bock.

Show-Me Beer did a great review of BTGB. In fact, it earned a link from Pitch blogs. I mention this because I want to post Drunk-Monkey's gorgeous picture, which puts my picture to shame.

Drunk-Monkey was also spot on when he said this beer would be great with a heavy meal. I had it with my dinner of Chicken Alfredo Florentine; it was the perfect compliment.

In general, I find the Maibock style of beer somewhat of an enigma, and Boss Tom was no different. Visually, the beer is stunning. The deep golden color and robust carbonation provides the classic beer image. But the aroma is muted and the initial taste not all that inspiring. Then, as I enjoyed the creamy pasta dinner dish, I found myself very much looking forward to each sip. The carbonation gives it a nice bite on the front end, followed by a slight caramel sweetness, then a nice warming finish from the +6% ABV. As I finished the beer I came to the conclusion that this is a damn good beverage.

Bell's Special Double Cream Stout

The picture is crappy, but the beer is good, even though it was not what I expected. It pours absolutely black with no translucence and topped by a dark brown foam that dissipates quickly. Strong chocolate and coffee aroma. Bell's web site refers to it as a dessert beer, so I was expecting something similar to Left Hand's Milk Stout. This was NOT sweet, this was more like unsweetened chocolate with a slight bitter hop finish. But the body is silky smooth and I enjoyed it very much.

Koch (pronounced "coke") Industries = Vomitous Disinformation PR Machine (AKA "Have Cocksuckers. Will Travel")

GreenPeace: Koch Industries Secretly Funding Climate Denial Machine

Via DeSmogBlog.com

The company’s founder, Fred Koch, once earned $5 million building oil refineries in the Soviet Union during Joseph Stalin’s reign.
Fred Koch was a co-founder of the John Birch Society.
Charles G. and David H. Koch, two of Fred’s four sons, each now own 42% of the company’s stock. According to 2009 Forbes rankings, the Koch brothers are tied for the 19th richest person in the world, and for ninth richest American, each worth between $14 and $16 billion
Koch Industries has bankrolled Americans for Prosperity (AFP) to the tune of over $5 million since 2005.
AFP – known primarily for its role in organizing the tea party movement in the U.S. – brought notorious climate denier Lord Christopher Monckton to the Copenhagen climate summit as its guest speaker. Despite Lord Monckton’s reprehensible behavior in Copenhagen – where he repeatedly compared college students advocating for a clean energy future to “Hitler Youth” and “Nazis” – Americans for Prosperity continues to host Monckton at its events in the United States, including a recent appearance in Wisconsin.
While in Wisconsin on AFP’s dime, Monckton booked a side gig at a GOP fundraiser where he described President Barack Obama as a “monster.”
Koch was also one of the funders of the 2007 polar bear junk science “study” authored by prominent climate deniers (including Sallie Baliunas, David Legates and Tim Ball) that claimed to prove that polar bear populations were not affected by anthropogenic climate disruption in the Arctic.
Funded the Institute for Energy Research, which was behind the Danish study that attacked the viability of wind power.

Via PublicIntegrity.org

Bigger in size than either Microsoft or AT&T, Koch Industries tends to fly under the public radar screen. Yet as the Center has previously reported, Koch — which owns refineries that can process over 800,000 oil barrels a day, and operates some 4,000 miles of pipeline — is a prolific political donor. Today, Koch is the second-largest privately held company in America.

While Koch has a long history of pushing libertarianism through its grant-making, more recently, the company has established itself as an aggressive opponent of climate legislation and a major funder of climate skeptics — including the libertarian Cato Institute.

Co-founded by Charles Koch in 1977, in recent years, the Cato Institute has hosted numerous D.C.-based briefings featuring various climate skeptics. A briefing book Cato distributed among members of the 107th Congress dismissed the Kyoto protocol and further asked, “Is the way the planet warms something that we should even try to stop?”

Though Cato’s funding has diversified since its early days, it’s thanks to Koch that the think-tank exists at all: According to Gregg Easterbrook, in its early years, the “largest portion” of the Cato Institute’s bills were paid by Charles Koch.

While Cato takes the battle for public opinion on global warming to the pages of the Post, Koch has conducted a quieter scrimmage behind the scenes. Last year alone Koch Industries spent $7.4 million to lobby Congress on global warming and other issues. Meanwhile as the Center noted in September, in recent years, Koch has stepped up its funding of other global warming skeptic groups as well. From 2004-2006, the Koch Foundation increased such funding to $5.3 million, an increase of 93 percent in just those two years alone.

Koch Industries, making the world safe for Oligarchs.

Keeping the Faith...

2010-03-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

...Separate from the Government.

Blog Against Theocracy is April 2-4.

Blog up and be counted.

Details here.

Thanks to Blue Gal for the reminder.

Bonus Beer Contest: We Have a Winner! WTF?

2010-03-29T18:27:00.001-07:00

In yesterday's "After-SMaSH" post I offered bonus points to anyone who could name the beer in the foreground of the posted picture.
~J offered "WTF is that?"

Winnah!

It was a bottle of Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot. I snagged the last two at Gomers in Parkville last Saturday. WTF is a malty +7% concoction that RateBeer places in the American Strong Ale category:

Not a style, per se, but the only logical category to incorporate the plethora of strong, stylistically vague beers coming from American micros these days. Some are related to English Strong Ales, but with more hop, while others are ultra-strong variants on the IPA theme. But no matter how varied their origins or characters might be, all are intense, potent, with generous quantities of hops and malt.

KC Beer Blog did an excellent review of this brew last February.

So Jay, tell us, what does ~J win?

Choice of any one of the following beers to be delivered at ~J's specified location.

But Wait! I just remembered I have a bottle of this stuff. It's kind of old though, so I don't know if ~J would be interested.

Simcoe, Bloody Simcoe: The After-SMaSH

2010-03-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Aftermath of Simcoe, Bloody Simcoe brewday. (bonus points if you can name the bottle of beer in the foreground)

Simcoe, Bloody Simcoe is in the carboy. Brother DJ and I had a wild ride while hitting some important milestones.

Brewday Firsts:

Used 24 qt kettle (no H2O "top up" for our SMaSH beer's wort!)
Used No Malt Extract (couldn't call it SMaSH beer if we had)
Used Maris Otter pale malt (the Single Malt in SMaSH)
Used Maris Otter crystal malt (still M.O., so still SMaSH beer, ha!)
Used Flaked Barley (this is not malt, so still SMaSH beer, ha ha!)
Used Simcoe hops (the Single Hops in SMaSH)
Used bottling bucket for sparging
Used FermCapS foam control in the boil
Used Whirlfloc tabs instead of Irish Moss to help with cold break
Eliminated back-breaking "pour & funnel" method for wort transfer

As expected, things didn't go quite as expected. This time we had to shut off the water for the guy who was putting down linoleum in the bathroom. This with 20 minutes left for the mash to finish!

Our efficiency was about 65% which is ok, but even after adding a pound of corn sugar, the starting gravity was only 1.055, so the ABV won't be any greater than 5.7%.

6% ABV would have been better. With the IBU's this beer is sporting, higher alcohol means friends and family who try it get a quick buzz, which helps take their minds off the hop assault.

It's Billmon, Baby

2010-03-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Billmon, the greatest political blogger ever, whose self-imposed exile I still have not recovered from, on occasion posts to his diary at Daily Kos, which is one of the few reasons I visit that site.

The most recent event of sufficient interest to warrant Billmon's comment was how Eric Cantor's responded to violent acts and threats against Democrats by saying, well who knows what the hell he said, it was complete gibberish.

However, if you are so inclined, pull up a stool and sidle up to the bar, while a consummate connoisseur of right wing distillations recites the recipe for Cantor's little concoction. Something Billmon likes to call, Spock with a Beard.

Here is Cantor's statement as reported by the Atlantic.

There've been a lot of reports and the potential for violence against members of Congress over the past several days. Let me be clear: I do not condone violence, there are no leaders in this building, no rank and file members in this building that condone violence, period...

I've received threats...not only for my positions, but also because I'm Jewish...

Just recently I have been directly threatened. A bullet was shot through the window of my campaign office in Richmond this week...

I want to stress this, and it's very important. Legitimate threats should be treated as security issues, and they should be dealt with by the appropriate law enforcement officials. It is reckless to use these incidents as media vehicles for political gain. That is why I have deep concerns DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine in particular are dangerously fanning the flames by suggesting that these incidents be used as a political weapon. Security threats against members of Congress is not a partisan issue, and they should never be treated that way. To use such threats as political weapons is reprehensible. I'm not naive enough to think that letters, statements, or press releases will prevent anyone disturbed enough to commit violence from acting. But I do know that such letters, statements and press releases can very easily fan the flames by ratcheting up the rhetoric. Some will only inflame these situations to dangerous levels. Enough is enough, it has to sop. We need to move forward and get back to addressing the important issues facing our nation and let law enforcement handle these situations.

To: emawkc & Bull E. Vard

2010-03-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

A hairball from a Maine Coon cat (about 4 in/10 cm long).
Photo by Derek Jensen (Tysto), 2005-December-22

In response to yesterday's post, the indomitable emawkc and unflappable Bull E. Vard responded with some excellent arguments.

emawkc:

"The cost part of the equation has been ignored"

Because everyone knows it and no one wants to talk about it. A good way for a politician to become marginalized during this debate would have been to complain about how Doctors and Hospitals charge too damn much money.

It's a Hairball.

But it was in the subtext when Obama used the phrase, "bending the cost curve" and when Republicans suddenly became champions of Medicare and wrung their hands about draconian reductions in physician reimbursements. And my central argument was that people like Mr. Freedom Lover drive costs up when they consume vast amounts of trauma care services and never pay for them.

Bull E. Vard:

"Good work, you've successfully made an argument for the health police."

A bit of a stretch, I think. Mr. Freedom Lover indicts people who support HCR as just a bunch of freeloaders, while channeling some Randian Hero fantasy and pounding his chest about being no teat sucker he,

"Anybody who knows me and my convictions knows I practice what I preach."

So I held his hypocrisy up to the light, then dipped it in some gruesome detail for dramatic effect.

I understand our political landscape and the state of our society doesn't preclude the potential for Health Police. But barring some catastrophic collapse of Western Civilization, we won't have a society where people like Mr. Freedom Lover are denied emergency medical treatment and those people do drive up costs and I don't have to explain to you the economics of insurance and the diffusion of risk and the fact that a majority of our fellow citizens don't want to live in a society where children with treatable leukemia are allowed to live or die based on the size of their parent's bank account.

It's a Hairball.

The approach taken with the HCR legislation is based on a not unreasonable calculus, and is the kind of compromise we get in a representative democracy largely co-opted by powerful economic interests who now have full citizenship after Citizens United v.

Mr. Freedom Lover

2010-03-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

Over at Logtar's Blog, his post about the recently passed Health Care Legislation, Privilege Vs Right has touched off a heated debate.

A commenter who strongly dislikes the legislation started his first reply with the statement, "The problem is that it's easy to spend someone else's money." Then went on to argue passionately that this policy is wrong because it is impinging on his freedom. He reveals his bent that justice should be of little concern for our society when he states, "I’d rather just be free to make the choices that lead to my success or failure." He confirms one of his choices by stating, "I waive health insurance and I do not want it. Up until yesterday I had the freedom to choose."

All very well and good, I suppose, except in a later comment, while trying to refute Logtar's contention that the government has a valid interest in curtailing citizen's freedom through traffic regulations, this freedom loving individual wrote, "choosing to speed can be enforced with a fine because [..] I am putting society in danger by doing so. [...] not having health care [insurance] does not put society in danger."

Really?

This commenter seems to share a blind spot with many individuals I meet who bitterly complain about having to pay taxes and having their freedom taken away, while simultaneously behaving in ways that threaten society and cause our taxes to be higher and requiring more regulations. Not having health insurance absolutely puts society in danger, by causing medical expenses and insurance premium increases to absorb the costs of treating uninsured individuals who can't pay for their treatment.

But I suppose I could be wrong. I suppose if we lived in a society that let everyone have the freedom to succeed or fail, no matter what, and the commenter were involved in some mishap and sustained life threatening injuries and an ambulance arrived, but the EMT refused to treat him because Mr. Freedom Lover chose not to carry health insurance, I suppose as the EMT snapped the laryngoscope back into its protective case, if the EMT were observant, he might see a hint of a smile at the corners of Mr. Freedom Lover's blood covered mouth, as Mr. Freedom Lover aspirated his own blood, a hint of a smile from the satisfaction Mr. Freedom Lover felt knowing he was living in a society where he had the freedom to suffocate on his own blood because he chose not to carry health insurance.

Big Question: What Did Tea Party Cowboy Say to African American Legislators?

2010-03-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

There is a video on YouTube posted by DefendGlenn titled, "Big Lie: Video Shows Black Lawmakers Lied about 'Racist' Assault".

At about the 27 second mark, some curious action occurs. A fellow wearing a white cowboy hat comes into the frame. He lifts a cupped hand to his mouth and just as the individual closest to him walks by, leans in and spouts something.

The audio quality is too poor to pinpoint exactly what was said, but if you have headphones you can tell it was short, quick and spoken just loud enough that only the people directly in front of him would have a chance to hear the message. When I watch the video, his body language pretty much telegraphs what kind of message he delivered.

Legislator Snapshot: Jo Ann Emerson R-Cape Girardeau

2010-03-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

There is a post on Gone Mild about the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Eighth District, Jo Ann Emerson, and her antics last weekend during the debate on health care reform legislation. When I reached the end of the post, I noticed that Dan had failed to provide any links to support his opinion, which is not like him, so I decided to see what I could find.

The Perry Bacon, Jr. piece at WaPo is is probably the most widely circulated report on Rep. Emerson's role as an active cheerleader for the protesters. It includes the reports of the ugly incidents that occurred on Saturday. Bill Lambrecht's stltoday.com report confirms Rep. Emerson helped lead the crowd's chants of "Kill the Bill". While the picture at the top of this post does not include Rep. Emerson, it is likely the same vantage point from which she rallied the troops.

After the reports on the ugliness that ensued on Saturday, there is no indication that Rep. Emerson publicly denounced those actions before going out help stoke the crowd further. Interestingly, Rep. Emerson generally communicates in measured tones and refrains from participating in the Republican's crazy reindeer games.

Last summer, she participated in some events with Emanuel Cleaver.

Back in March 2009, she praised Barack Obama for his "passion on the [health care reform] issue" and declared health care reform had been a passion of hers for 13 years.

Back in 2007, she was one of four Republican members of the House who supported legislation that would have required U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq within one year.

Her criticism of the HCR legislation has generally been specific to the policies, if not always accurate. In this audio interview she gives these objections to the HCR legislation:

$500 Million in Cuts in Medicare

Insufficient reimbursements for Doctors in rural areas

Sweetheart deal for Big Pharma

Boon for Insurance Companies

Prefers a Bi-Partisan approach: Claims Republicans not included whatsoever.

I share Rep. Emerson's objections to bullet points three and four. I am ignorant about physician reimbursements in rural areas. That leaves the first and last points. The first one is accurate but misleading, since the plan reduces the payments to private insurers providing Medicare Advantage coverage which is subsidized by regular Medicare recipients. If Rep. Emerson really doesn't like government policies that are a "boon for insurance companies" she should support this aspect of the HCR legislation.

The last bullet point is balderdash. From the the web site of the Republicans on the House Energy Committee, which crafted the initial legislation, here is a list of Republican amendments that were approved by the committee (including one from Rep. Greg Walden which would benefit her rural constituents):

Cliff Stearns, R-FL., would prohibit the Government plan from receiving a 'bailout' from taxpayer funds.
Anna Eshoo, D-CA., Jay Inslee, D-WA., and Joe Barton, R-TX., would create a pathway for non-pioneer drug companies to manufacture 'follow-on' biologics.
Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., would prevent the new "Center for Quality Improvement" created under this bill from developing methodologies for rationing care.
Phil Gingrey, R-GA.,would prevent government bureaucrats at the new Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CCER)from dictating to physicians what treatments they can or can't offer.
Rogers, R-MI., would prevent the Federal government and private insurers from using Federal comparative effectiveness research for care rationing or limiting reimbursement levels. T
Tim Murphy, R-PA., would require the new Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research and the new Health Choices Commission to consult with the specialty colleges and academies of medicine in determining any official recommendation or standards for best practices.
John Sullivan, R-OK., would require the HHS Secretary to eliminate duplicative government programs, reducing waste and inefficiency in the realm of government healthcare.
Michael Burgess, R-TX., would authorize States to create an option under Medicaid to allow individuals already on Medicaid that have annual prescription drug costs of over $200,000 to hold employment and be productive members of society.
Anna Eshoo, D-CA., and Mike Rogers, R-MI., allows the primary physicians, under section 1301 of the bill, to be eligible regardless of specialty.
Michael Burgess, R-TX., would ensure that all qualified health plans (including the public plan) under the bill will have a reasonable and accessible utilization review and appeals process so that insurance companies (or the public plan) aren't allowed to deny needed care and step in-between a patient and their doctor.
Ed Whitfield, R-KY., would place a moratorium on the reimbursement cuts to 10 of the top 11 procedures performed by interventional pain physicians in an Ambulatory Surgical Setting.
Rep. Greg Walden, R-OR., offered two amendments en bloc.
The first amendment would help ensure that the demographics of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) more accurately represent the demographics of Medicare recipients.
The second amendment would help ensure that the new "Health Benefits Advisory Committee" established in the Democratic legislation accurately represents the interests of rural Americans. Currently 21 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas. Mr. Walden's amendment would ensure that at least one quarter of the Committee's members be practitioners who have legitimate experience practicing in a rural area for at least a five-year period preceding their appointment. .
Rep. Steve Buyer, R-IN., offered two amendments en bloc to protect veterans' access to health insurance
One amendment would allow the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to retain sole authority over their respective health care systems.
The other amendment would allow veterans enrolled in the VA health care system to obtain coverage through the new Health Insurance Exchange in addition to their VA coverage.
Shimkus, R-IL., would add language to the bill ensuring that there is no religious discrimination for patients seeking spiritual care under plans in the new Health Insurance Exchange.

The Vigilance of LimBeckelleMaklin

2010-03-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

When I saw this, I thought it might make a good blog post.

I was overjoyed to see that Mr. Destructo was already on the case. Yea, he was feeling it. Like all good Americans, he knows we can depend on Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin to ferret out the bamboozlers, to tell us who loves freedom and who doesn't. When they sized up Marcelas, LimBeckelleMalkin found him lacking,

"Raise your hand if you love freedom, Notice Your Dead Mom didn't move a muscle, kid."

Clearly just another freeloader. And a whiny one at that.

Health Care Reform Legislation Enacted

2010-03-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

Just watched the historic vote in the US House of Representatives on health care reform. I am one of those people who would have told a pollster that I did not support this health care reform legislation. Not because I did not support health care reform, but because the legislation did include a robust public option.

So, while being disappointed that it lacks provisions for a robust public option, I applaud the reforms that will end some of the most egregious practices of the private health insurance industry. I look forward to a time when I no longer have to worry about my family being denied coverage for pre-existing illness and no longer have to worry about having my insurance canceled or run out when I need it the most.

SMaSH Beer Home Brew Recipe

2010-03-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

SMaSH stands for Single Malt and Single Hop. Most beer is made using a variety of malts and hops and commercial brewers rarely use this approach. Home brewers have popularized SMaSH beers as a way to experience the full flavor of each ingredient. This recipe uses 10 pounds of Maris Otter malt and 6 ounces of Simcoe hops.

Maris Otter is a 2 Row English barley cultivar developed in 1996 at Cambridge. Maris Otter Pale Malt makes up 80% of the malt bill. The base malt contributes the sugars that will be converted to alcohol by the yeast. The other 20% of the malt bill is Crystal Maris Otter. Crystal malt is barley that has been roasted with a special process that partially caramelizes the sugars in the grain. The sugars from this grain add flavor and color to the beer, but are not converted to alcohol by the yeast.

Simcoe is a cultivar bred in Yakima Washington and first released in 2000. It has a pine-like aroma and a taste with a slight hint of citrus.

Technically, using crystal malt should disqualify this recipe from being considered a SMaSH beer, partly because it's rare for a home brewer to know what type of barley was used to create the a crystal malt. However, Simpson's recent introduction of Crystal Maris Otter now makes it possible to have a SMaSH beer sweetened by the caramelized sugars of a crystal malt.

How to Succeed as an Ayn Rand Character

2010-03-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Hats off to Cracked

"Lucky Me Lucky Mud" Just Another Love Story

2010-03-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

I remember when tumbler was introduced in 2007. Tech savants pondered the significance; silicon angels flogged of google essence; a fellow blogger created some Bullshit. All a distant memory until a fateful decision to play blegger me this, whereupon my marginal utility almost ebbed away in the effluence of FuckYeah, Tattoos!

Ahh, to slip the surly cables of our Extenze News Network so I might leisurely spend my days basking in the warm glow of Lego Porn...

Enough of that! Back to our regularly scheduled program cuz there's bills to be plaid:

Holy Jebus! Holy Jebus! what is that hideous tiny clinched fist with black chipped nail polish floating before sister neon blue surprise about to beat down da plaid fetish midget OR phantasm's prophetic call to the coming Apocalypse?

Boulevard Irish Ale: "Yea, It's Just That Damn Good"

2010-03-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

My contributions for St. Patty's Day 2010: Pictures of the beautiful, Irish lassie, Deborah Ann Woll, who plays the teenage vampire Jessica Hamby on HBO's True Blood. And, accolades for the beautiful Irish Ale produced by my hometown brewery, Boulevard Brewing.

Irish Ale is the BEST beer that Boulevard produces on a regular basis. I heartily endorse the grassroots effort to convince Boulevard to make Irish Ale all year long.

What Would You Do For a Pliny?

2010-03-16T23:04:00.001-07:00

Hey, hopheads, how much beer would you bottle by hand in order to get your hands around those bodacious tap handles?

For Peter Estaniel at BetterBeerBlog, it was 12.5 barrels of Russian River's Concecration. One drawback: your hands will be useless bloody stumps by the time you finish. I would guess drinking Pliny from a straw diminishes the experience.

Consecration is brewed with the wild yeast Brettanomyces, which makes it unsuitable for bottling using the regular bottling equipment due to the risk of contamination.

Here is a little primer on Brettanomyces:

Brettanomyces (also known as Brett) is feared by most brewers and winemakers alike. In fact, there are some local winemakers who will not set foot in our brewpub in Downtown Santa Rosa due to our use of Brettanomyces. Brettanomyces is actually yeast, it ferments and acts the same as every other "conventional" yeast, it just has the propensity to continue fermenting through almost any type of sugar, including those natural sugars found in the wood in an oak barrel. Brett is very invasive and if not handled properly can become out of control in a winery or brewery, but, if used properly with care, it can add rich aromas and flavors of earthiness, leather, smoke, barnyard, & our favorite descriptor-wet dog in a phone booth.

Our Gang, episode 1: "Government a la Ayn"

2010-03-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

We have to end a system in which those at the top are never held accountable for the harm they inflict on the rest of society.
- Dean Baker, Commentary in the Guardian regarding Obama's picks to fill vacant spots at the Federal Reserve.

Spanky: "Miss, did you warn anyone about the dangers of the housing bubble?"
Darla: "Well no officer, I didn't."
Spanky: "Are you shewwwwwwr?"
Darla: "I'm shewwwwwwr."
Spanky: "OK. One more thing: You DO agree with Ayn Rand's assertion that, 'the essence of femininity is hero-worship', correct?"
Darla: "By hero worship, do you mean worship as an abstract emotion for the metaphysical concept of masculinity as such—which I experience fully and concretely only for the man I love?"
Spanky: "I shewwwwwwr do."
Darla: "Then yes, officer, I DO agree."
Spanky: "Then you would make a super vice-chair of the board of the governors at the Federal Reserve!"
Darla: "Yippee! Will there be ice cream?"
Spanky: "Shewwwwwwr! Every Sunday after Church!!!"

Debating Free Market Evangelists

2010-03-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

I have several libertarian leaning friends and relatives. Debates about politics and economic policy often occur. I sense a great many arguments for the curative power of unfettered capitalism are based more on dogma that fact. But, without any formal education in economics, I'm at a bit of a disadvantage.

I liken myself to be a rationalist and willing to change my opinion if I have sufficient evidence. I've generally been a left-leaning moderate (less and less moderate every day, btw) so, I did not support Ronald Reagan in 1980 or 1984. But over time I came to see his administration's tax policy combined with Paul Volcker's fed policy were conducive to the economic recovery in the 80's and beyond.

While government policies supporting private enterprise have been a significant factor in the economic prosperity of Western nations, the notion that support for democratic institutions and social justice are also important foundations is widely shared. Most of my libertarian opponents subscribe to the economic theories of Milton Friedman and argue that unfettered free markets are the only way to achieve a just society. When pressed, most will concede such an economic system is not compatible with representative democracy. Exactly how one could judge whether a society was just, when its members lack the power to chose its leaders, remains a sticky question.

Over the past few years, my arguments in favor of government involvement to mitigate or reverse trends such as de-industrialization, dependency on foreign imports, job losses to low wage labor in developing countries, and a consumer driven economy financed with foreign debt were met with derision and expositions on economic theories that I was hopeless to counter.

Recently our country seems be lagging behind several other nations economically. Nations sporting highly "fettered" economies. Nations with government involvement in industrial policy. Nations with government controls absolutely antithetical to the prescripts for economic growth and widespread prosperity espoused by free market evangelists. Why would that be? How could that be? Could our laissez-faire approach to national economic policy be a factor? Even if true, where would I find someone who would concur? Someone acquainted with economics and economic policy, someone who spoke presciently about the dangers?

There is a great line near the end of the movie, "Ocean's 11". Danny Ocean has been caught robbing the MGM Grand and is confronted by the owner, Terry Benedict. Benedict asks, "Where's my money".

Danny says,

"I know a guy."

Well, there's a guy who is the President of the Economic Strategy Institute, which he founded. A guy who served as counselor to the Secretary of Commerce in the Reagan Administration. A guy who has led many U.S. trade and investment negotiations. A guy who has served as vice chairman of the President's Committee on Trade and Investment in the Pacific and sits on the Intel Policy Advisory Board and the U.S. Export-Import Bank Advisory Board.

Clyde V. Prestowitz, Jr. has a B.A. with honors from Swarthmore College; an M.A. in East-West Policies and Economics from the East-West Center of the University of Hawaii; and an M.B.A. from the Wharton Graduate School of Business. He also studied at Keio University in Tokyo. He is fluent in Japanese, Dutch, German, and French.

Mr. Prestowitz wrote this back in 2005:

"America needs to recognize that many of the assumptions guiding its economic policy are at odds with the realities of today's global economy. Its performance in a broad range of areas--including saving, education, energy and water conservation, critical infrastructure and workforce upskilling--is far below the standard of many other nations. America needs to understand that its refusal to have a broad competitiveness policy is, in fact, a policy. And it gives leading U.S. CEOs no choice but to play into the strategies of other countries. This policy, according to its proponents, leaves decisions to the unseen hand of the market. Actually, however, it leaves them to the highly visible hands of lobbyists and foreign policymakers. It is a policy that ultimately leads to impoverishment."

It's great when you know a guy.

The Great Philly Beer Frenzy of 2010

2010-03-13T20:49:00.000-08:00

You have to hand it to Philadelphia, they know what's important. Philly.com has a full time beer reporter; A beer blogger named Joe Six-Pack.

Joe's been working overtime lately, what with the landing of the 2010 Pliny the Younger and the Philadelphia Liquor Control Board conducting raids to stop the sale of unregistered beer.

Turns out, the two events might be related. Jealously over who got the Pliny and who didn't?

These owners got pinched when the PLCB agents decided they possessed unregistered Duvel!

Of course, the list the agents used to determine what beers are registered is worthless.

You know people are pissed cuz the event spawned a Facebook Page.

What's worse, the release of a new beer might be delayed.

One good thing came out of this, though. I found three new quality beer blogs to follow:

The Brew Lounge

Shut Up About Barclay Perkins

Joe Sixpack

I Used to be a Pie Baker

2010-03-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

h/t BLCKDRGD

He stepped on them pies. Doubled that pie weight, tried to make it back. But them pies cut with powdered sugar, yo. Now he outta business, gotta take that last pie package and trade it in for a full-auto. This a pie corner. Mr. Destructo

Don't Mess with Bell's Winter White Ale

2010-03-11T20:32:00.000-08:00

Bell's Brewery's Winter White Ale
had a German hefe nose,
And if you ever tried it,
you might break out the lederhosen.

Lots of BeerAdvocate reviewers,
Want to gag and call Winter White Ale names.
They won't consider Witbier,
claim hefe's just for summer games.

Then one soggy March Thursday,
Muddy came to say,
all you rubes with your nose uptight,
I hope you choke on your Miller Lite!

Then the shallow-minded slaggers,
shouted out with glee,
"Winter brews must be dark 'n heavy"
or the grade we put down is a D!

Beer Advocate usually attracts a higher caliber of reviewers compared to RateBeer, but the bunch weighing in on Bell's Winter White ale is giving me second thoughts. Why don't people consider the style before hacking away at a review. Or maybe read the brewer's notes?

"A Wheat Ale brewed with American Wheat and a proprietary blend of Hefe and classic Belgian-style yeasts. A refreshing winter alternative created from the subtle fusion of two classic flavors."

It compares with some of the best belgian ales at less than $10 for a sixer! I have to wonder why a person would take the time to be a member of Beer Advocate then trash a well brewed beer just because it doesn't conform exactly to their perceived concept of how a beer should taste. Seems narrow minded and contrary to the spirit of being, you know, an advocate for beer.

The aroma is of a nice hefe, the appearance is not cloudy. On the tongue there is a subtle wheat flavor which succumbs to the tartness of the belgian yeast then finishes with fruity overtones and a lingering spiciness. The silky mouthfeel and 5% ABV make it eminently drinkable.

This beer delivers great taste at a great price. Another masterpiece from Bell's.

Dennis Kucinich (D-OH): Mass Murderer

2010-03-10T19:03:00.000-08:00

Let's tally up the Administration and Congress' track record on Health Care Reform:

[X]Single-Payer dealt away before negotiations even begin
[X]Mandated payments to private insurance companies
[X]IRS is collection agency for private insurance companies
[X]Backroom deals with Big Pharma
[X]Performing Yo-Yo tricks with the Public Option
[X]Double-fisted stroking of Blue Dog Democrats, for no good reason
[X]Rahm calling progressives fucking retards
[X]Buying votes with custom legislation for Nebraska and Louisiana
[X]Double-fisted stroking of Republicans, for no good reason
[X]Losing Ted Kennedy's seat

That seals it for me. I guess Moulitsas is right , if this health care legislation fails, the blood of 40,000 Americans will be on the hands of Dennis Kucinich and only Dennis Kucinich.

Change of Plans: Sierra Nevada Unfiltered Wheat

2010-03-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

On a recent visit to Bubbles to stock up on beer for a special occasion, I picked up the following items:

1 Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, 22oz
1 Sierra Nevada Estate Brewers Harvest Ale, 24oz
6 Bell's Special Double Cream Stout, 12oz
A mixed sixer of:
2 Bell's White Winter Ale, 12oz
2 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, 12oz
2 Sierra Nevada Unfiltered Wheat, 12oz

My list was shaped in consideration of our guest, who is not a big fan of highly hopped ales and has only reached legal drinking age 14 months ago. I wanted to keep the ABV in a reasonable range.

I had the performance choreographed perfectly: The Double Cream Stout was penciled in as the headliner; the lead-up would be the Rogue coming after Bell's White Winter Ale as the bridge from the SN Wheat, which would pull yeoman's duty as the warm-up act. The SN Estate and Celebration might even make unexpected walk-on appearances!

Of course, such a careful plan could never come to fruition: We started with the Double Cream Stout, then off to the casino, then back home to finish off the Rogue. Now I've got to start making a dent in this inventory.

Sierra Nevada has always had a well choreographed line-up of beers, but in the past year there has been a change of plans and the Unfiltered Wheat was discontinued and replaced with a Kellerweis Hefeweizen. Smart move, because there is nothing particularly bad about this beer and nothing particularly good. It has a lemon scent and a light mouth feel. Sweet up front with a dry finish. There is not much wheat character at all. The best feature is the lingering spicy aftertaste, which allowed me to gain an appreciation for the type of flavor Spalt hops brings to the table.

Duly noted.

Borg & Klarup's Lupulin Lunker IPA

2010-03-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

I had two reasons to fear I wouldn't like Mikkeller Simcoe Single Hop IPA:

I have already proclaimed my next brew to be a Simcoe hopped SMaSH beer

I dropped $5.49 on a 11.2 ounce bottle.

Mikkeller Brewing is in Denmark and was started by two friends who brewed beer as a hobby. They quickly became the Danish Ben & Jerry of beer brewing. Their website describes this offering thusly:

The first in a new series of single hop IPA's from Mikkeller. Brewed with Simcoe, known for many great US micro-brews. An extremely fresh-hopped IPA.

It poured cloudy with a thick creamy head. Nice start. It smelled like grapefruit juice. Not overtones, not just strong and citrusy. Grapefruit Juice. Now I'm nervous.

When I held the empty bottle up to the light, I could see some residue in the bottom of the bottle. When I held the glass up to the light, I could tell some residue ended up in the glass. But not really residue. These are chunks. I mean there were some real lunkers flopping around in there. Some were so big I was tempted to start giving them nicknames.

This was a case where the Sam Adams etched bottom glass may have not been the best choice. As Global Killer and his little buddies angrily churned away, I noticed brown streaks on the foamy head. For this I paid $5.49? To have skid marks on my beer foam? Sikke noget pis!

Waiting for things to settle was not going to be an option, so I took a sip, being careful to avoid the skid marks. It was...nice. Another sip and it was better than nice, it was good! The grapefruit smell translates to a dominant citrus flavor on the tongue, along with a little pine. The bitterness was not as great as I feared. It is pleasant and only slightly increases as the beer warmed, as did the 6.9% ABV alcohol burn, but neither were overpowering.

The mystery to me is the malt and yeast character, which is very little, but the body and ABV are right in line for an IPA. There is a slight sweet/bready quality on the back end that does a nice job of taking the edge off the hop bitterness. But no carmel or roasty or grain or smokey. Nothing to get in the way of enjoying that fantastic Simcoe hops flavor.

This is a very good beer, but very pricey. I now have the proper motivation to clone it. I'll start with the SMaSH batch then start working my way toward it.

Git Ur Econ Geek On

2010-03-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

Last February, the Kauffman Foundation hosted the first ever Economics Bloggers Forum.

Granting that econ geeks are few and far between, if you are a local blogger and care even a wit about world events you should have stumbled across the blogs of at least one of the attendees listed below and perhaps share my sense of wonderment as to how the event passed us by with little or no fanfare.

Alison Schrager http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/
Amity Shlaes http://www.amityshlaes.com/
Bob Cringely http://www.cringely.com/
Brian Carney http://www.Opinionjournal.com
David Warsh http://www.economicprincipals.com/
Gregg Gordon http://www.smirkingchimp.com/author/gregg_gordon
Mark Thoma http://economistsview.typepad.com/
Mark Perry http://mjperry.blogspot.com/
Matt Schreiber OM III Capital Management
Scott Jagow http://www.publicradio.org/columns/marketplace/scratchpad/
Seth Ditchik http://press.princeton.edu/
Sramana Mitra http://www.sramanamitra.com/
Steve Malanga http://www.realclearmarkets.com
Tim Kane http://www.growthology.org
Tyler Cowen http://www.marginalrevolution.com/
Bob Litan http://www.growthology.org
Arnold Kling http://econlog.econlib.org/
Ben Wildavsky http://www.kauffman.org
Carl Schramm http://www.kauffman.org
Charles Johnson http://www.growthology.org
Chris Lester http://www.kansascity.com/
Dane Stangler http://www.growthology.org
Don Boudreaux http://www.cafehayek.com/
EJ Reedy http://www.kauffman.org
Jeff Cornwall http://www.drjeffcornwall.com/
John McIntyre www.realclearpolitics.com
Lynne Kiesling http://knowledgeproblem.com/
Matt Rees http://www.whwg.com/thefirm/staff.php/46/Matthew__Rees
Matthew Yglesias http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/
Michael Anton http://www.kauffman.org
Michael Mandel http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/economicsunbound/
Mike Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/
Paul Kedrosky http://paul.kedrosky.com/
Virginia Postrel http://www.dynamist.com/weblog/index.html
Wendy Guillies http://www.kauffman.org
Yves Smith http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/

Other than the Kauffman Foundation, the only local media coverage I could find was at KC infoZine. We even got scooped by The Dallas Morning News.

And it's not like there weren't local cultural angles; Tyler Cowen had a battle of the Kansas City barbecue joints post.

ebTDesignForum.com asks if Kansas City might become the post-Globalization version of Mont Pelerin, because they're coming back!

John Adams was a Traitor

2010-03-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

You know the all Founding Fathers of the United States were dedicated Patriots who steadfastly labored and sacrificed in order to free our nation from the yoke of the British Crown and all those who truly love this country revere their names and their legacies. Right?

Wrong. John Adams actually defended people who massacred American patriots. He even used legal loopholes to get the sentences reduced for men convicted of murdering innocent Americans.

John Adams gave legal counsel to agents working for a foreign government dedicated to keeping Americans subjugated and oppressed. This is confirmed in his own words!.

March 5, 1773:

"I. . .devoted myself to endless labour and Anxiety if not to infamy and death, and that for nothing, except, what indeed was and ought to be all in all, sense of duty. In the Evening I expressed to Mrs. Adams all my Apprehensions:That excellent Lady, who has always encouraged me, burst into a flood of Tears, but said she was very sensible of all the Danger to her and to our Children as well as to me, but she thought I had done as I ought, she was very willing to share in all that was to come and place her trust in Providence.

"Before or after the Tryal, Preston sent me ten Guineas and at the Tryal of the Soldiers afterwards Eight Guineas more, which were. . .all the pecuniary Reward I ever had for fourteen or fifteen days labour, in the most exhausting and fatiguing Causes I ever tried: for hazarding a Popularity very general and very hardly earned: and for incurring a Clamour and popular Suspicions and prejudices, which are not yet worn out and never will be forgotten as long as History of this Period is read...It was immediately bruited abroad that I had engaged for Preston and the Soldiers, and occasioned a great clamour....

"The Part I took in Defence of Cptn. Preston and the Soldiers, procured me Anxiety, and Obloquy enough. It was, however, one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested Actions of my whole Life, and one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country. Judgment of Death against those Soldiers would have been as foul a Stain upon this Country as the Executions of the Quakers or Witches, anciently. As the Evidence was, the Verdict of the Jury was exactly right.

"This however is no Reason why the Town should not call the Action of that Night a Massacre, nor is it any Argument in favour of the Governor or Minister, who caused them to be sent here. But it is the strongest Proofs of the Danger of Standing Armies."

Now you know the truth. No need to thank me.

P.S. I'm sure these TRUE PATRIOTS will soon ask for the traitorous John Adams to be tried and convicted posthumously.

Simcoe, Bloody Simcoe

2010-03-05T18:17:00.000-08:00

Smash Brewing is beer brewed with a single malt and a single hop.

Typical Recipe:

13.00 lb. Maris Otter Pale Malt
2.00 oz. Simcoe (12.2%) FWH (84.1 IBU)
1.00 oz. Simcoe (12.2%) 20 min. (23.2 IBU)
1.00 oz. Simcoe (12.2%) 5 min. (7.6 IBU)
2 pkgs. SafAle US-05 yeast

This will be my next brew. Now all I have to do is figure out how to do it indoors with two 5 gallon brew kettles.

Hat Tip to Beer in Japan, where I first discovered Thrash Zone.

More Types of Bitches

2010-03-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

I read this( h/t ) and instantly knew how to place it into proper perspective thanks to Jeff Simmermon laying another treasure at my feet.

Don't be confused, just click the link and reap the rewards.

Jon, We Hardly Knew Ye.

2010-03-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

Sad news. The fabulous blogger, Jon Swift, is Dead

Jon Swift was a personal hero of mine long before I found out he was the brainchild behind Blogger Amnesty Day.

I'm gonna miss him.

Three Pistols v. White Lightning

2010-03-02T19:47:00.001-08:00

Unibroue Trois Pistoles (draught)@ Harry's Country Club. This strong dark Belgian style brew is well worth the $6.86 tab.

Good enough to even make that George Jones' song bearable. Almost.

Obama Loves Him Some Godless Heathens

2010-03-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

Chilling description of a White House event (h/t) from the NewsWire:

President Obama invited a coven of devil worshipers from the Secular Coalition for America to the White House today. Mr. Obama said he was moved by their passion as they ritually sacrificed young virgin girls for his amusement. The event was held in Red Room (where else?).

The SCA members were disappointed when the President announced he must leave to give a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and would be unable to partake of the lovely, succulent roasted cherubs. As he left, the President encouraged everyone to enjoy the "feets". The POTUS malapropism brought hearty guffaws from many of the attendees.

We know the White House will demand the MSM lose the evidence of this event down the memory hole, but thanks to the doggedly open reporting policy laid down by the previous administration, Obama has no choice but to publish all visitors to the White House. The evidence for this (and other things) will be there for anyone who cares to look:

Bell is a Bitch

2010-01-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

Enough with the Bell's Hopslam orgy, already. I didn't get any and I'm married and used to not getting any, but this is just pissing me off.

In retaliation, I am dipping my wick in some SN Wet Hop Ale. Damn good stuff for only $3.69 per 24 OZ at 6.7% ABV. That's 7 cents less per ounce than that overpriced Hopslag.*

And to take my mind off of this tragedy, and in the spirit of orgiastic eruptions, I am reading 6 Reasons Homemade Porn is a Worse Idea Than You Think.

* I'll pay up to 25 cents an ounce for a bottle of the stuff.

Crystal Maris Otter?

2009-12-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

Rebel Brewer has a new malt available: Crystal Maris Otter.

Brand New malt from the good folks at Simpson's The first in the all new Simpson's Heritage series. The worlds first Crystal Maris Otter. Now you can make that all Maris English Pale you've been waiting to brew.

Would the M.O. cultivar really bring any unique qualities to a crystal malt or is this just some gimmick from the bowels of the marketing department at Simpson's?

Ninety-Eight Percent Asshole Free

2009-10-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ken Grossman (right) commenting on the camaraderie among the members of the craft brewing industry: "Sam, I think you coined the phrase '98% percent asshole free'."

Sam Calagione: "Actually, it was 99%, but I think Jack Joyce brought it [down] 1%. And he would admit to that."

Sam and Ken seem like good guys. View the entire video here.

Anyone with insider connections know if this will be coming to KC?

WELCOME TO THE MACHINE

2009-10-20T04:44:00.000-07:00

I've been know to throw around the term "proto-Oligarchy" to describe our current model of governance. Turns out, some "Mad Toads" at Citigroup have whipped up a a nice analysis which shows me to be all wet in that department. It's not "proto" anything. It's here and it's called a PLUTONOMY.

Well, excuse the fuck out of me!

Sac Envy

2009-10-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

Dave at Seven Pack Beer Blog recently wrote a review of Sierra Nevada's newest year round offering: Torpedo Extra IPA. It is interesting to note that Dave seemed to have trouble finding this offering. I've considered this beer, but for some reason never pulled the trigger on a sixer.

Dave was curious about a whole cone dry-hopping device described in an SN press release as the "hop torpedo". SN's Bill Manley was kind enough to satisfy Dave's curiosity:

The torpedo essentially works like a giant coffee maker, except instead of coffee grounds they are hops, and instead of hot water, it is cold beer.

Sierra Nevada's got sacs made of stainless steel! What say you, Boulevard?

Nutcracker Sac pic stolen from KC Hop Head

Mixed Emotions

2009-10-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

I don't know if Mick Jagger had mixed emotions when he climbed into those aerobic tights back in 1989, but they could not have been greater than the ones I felt at 4:15 p.m. on October 3rd, 2009.

At that moment, I was standing in the the driveway of Mr. & Mrs. Wort Hog with three homebrew operations going on simultaneously: A rarely seen Rogen Weizen being brewed by the hosts was about ready for the wort cooler, the sparge was starting on Hop Frog's Tangerine IPA, and kchophead was in the middle of the boil for a Double IPA styled after Avery's Maharja which was constantly getting hop additions that were going to total over 1 pound; behind me was a house with a fantastic buffet of German food; in my belly was a an 18 month old Saison-Brett courtesy of Jeremy 'Noodles' of Boulevard Brewing; and in 1 hour and 45 minutes, I had plans to sit down to dinner with my long lost college attending Daughter who I had not seen since June.

The mixed emotions didn't last more than a moment. Brew Day 4.0 was fantastic! I had a great time, the beer was totally amazing, you guys are the greatest.

Gotta Go!

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition."

2009-09-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

Chris Floyd details how Obama and the Military are singing from the same hymn sheet in his post Obama Fires Diplomat For Urging Fraud Probe in Afghan Vote

New Belgium Hoptober

2009-09-29T16:15:00.001-07:00

This recently introduced brew is now on tap at the Flying Saucer. The name implies an Octoberfest style, but it's actually a Golden Ale. Since I was expecting an Octoberfest, I was disappointed when I saw the light color.

When served, the 16 oz. tall draw sports a healthy 3 finger head, a slight haze and a dominant citrus hop aroma. This has lots of carbonation, in fact it is almost fizzy. The head dissipated quickly after the first strong swig. At 6% ABV, there was some warming effect, but no alcohol burn. The hop flavor is up front, but the impact was not as strong as I expected, which was somewhat disappointing. There was some bitterness in the middle palate, with a dry biscuit finish.

I was ready to write off this New Belgium offering as a bland misnomer, but as it warmed up a subtle malt/wheat/rye aroma appeared and began to subdue the bitterness. I enjoyed this development along with the silky mouth feel and the ample carbonation. Before any malt sweetness could take hold it was swept away by the dry finish and an immediate desire to take another sip.

While this style of beer is not likely to evoke a desire to write sonnets in praise of it, I'm glad I was able to put aside my initial disappointment and enjoy this very refreshing beer.

Military Muscle

2009-09-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

...Nice Presidency you've got there, sir. Be a shame if somethin' were to happen to it...

...or...

...oops, did one of my medals poke you in the eye? I'm sorry about that Mr. President.

In his post, Happy Junta Grounds:Militarist Machiavellis Maneuver for More War, Chris Floyd doubts that Obama is having buyer's remorse over the war in Afghanistan, but that is really the only difference of opinion he has with Tom Englehardt's How to Trap a President into a Losing War.

Floyd includes this excerpt,

If McChrystal and his allies get their way, we’ll have deployed over 135,000 troops to Afghanistan — on top of the roughly 130,000 troops still in Iraq — for the purpose of rounding up fewer than a dozen bad guys. Daffy Duck and Wiley Coyote could come up with a better strategy than that. Our military leadership and its supporters are a thundering herd of buffoons whose only real objective is to keep the cash caissons rolling and the gravy ships afloat and the wild blue budget sky high.

Floyd follows with his own observation,

And to keep the power, privilege and dominance they have come to exercise over our society -- a position of rulership to which they now feel entitled, and which whole generations of Americans are now growing up to believe is the natural order of things.

Then Floyd points to Gary Wills' recent piece in The New York Review, Entangled Giant and excerpts this indictment,

The monopoly on use of nuclear weaponry, the cult of the commander in chief, the worldwide network of military bases to maintain nuclear alert and supremacy, the secret intelligence agencies, the entire national security state, the classification and clearance systems, the expansion of state secrets, the withholding of evidence and information, the permanent emergency that has melded World War II with the cold war and the cold war with the "war on terror"—all these make a vast and intricate structure that may not yield to effort at dismantling it. Sixty-eight straight years of war emergency powers (1941–2009) have made the abnormal normal, and constitutional diminishment the settled order....

Can we really go on pretending that the United States is a Constitutional Democracy?

Billy Dee to Blaine to Danario to Jared

2009-09-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Missourah! became a Billy Dee Williams beer blog!

Seven in Seven: Pale Ale

2009-09-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

I had such ambitious plans for my next homebrew project. But after some reflection and consideration of my brewing skills, decided spending more than $1 per serving on the ingredients could not be justified.

So, I've been on the hunt for a good amber ale recipe, something with a nice color and a balanced flavor. I plan to give some away to friends and family and with any luck, start the process of weaning them from their slavery to American conglomerate beers.

I picked up a few Amber ales at Bubbles and Gomers, but the offerings are all over the map. Many American craft brewers tend to throw hops at their Amber ales at a rate similar to an IPA style. Others treat Amber ale as an opportunity ring up high unit margins by skimping on the malt and hop bill.

I eventually abandoned a taste search and just built a recipe using the calculator at beertools.com and various examples I found online until I arrived at a balanced formula at an acceptable cost:

Looking ahead, I envision said friends and relatives knocking down my door for more of my fermented manna, after being blown away by my Allegory Amber. Therefore it would be prudent to have something on hand to fulfill this demand. I feel a good choice might be an English style IPA, which I would expect to not be overly hoppy, have a nice malt backbone and a fairly dry finish. I think a dry finish helps make an ale acceptable to the delicate palates of my BudMillerCoors Light drinking brethren. Over a seven day period, this quest led me to try 7 different pale ales.

I began my endeavor at Gomers. I would pick up a Samuel Smith India Ale since there was no doubt about the style. After that, my approach was reduced to surmising the style from the packaging. I should have considered the sage advice about books and their covers, because it mostly applies to beer also.

When I saw the Schalfly Export IPA I was pretty sure this would be an English style. Just look at that label! The sun never sets on the British empire, mateys!

That label and well, the blurb on the package:

This full-bodied traditional English-style ale is brewed with a high gravity and extra hops, which originally helped to preserve the beer on long voyages from England to India.

I left Gomers with a 22oz Samuel Smith India Ale and a sixer of the Schlafly Export IPA.

Day One: Samuel Smith India Ale

DanielDanza at BeerAdvocate has a nice review of the Samuel Smith:

Pours a nice amber with a good fluffy head, with typical light carbonation. It improves in flavor as it warms; I'd love to try this on cask. The hop profile is tame by American standards although it is not an overpoweringly malty beer. The flavor is somewhat fruity with a definite cereal note which is not at all unpleasant.

I agree with all of the above, including the presence of "a definite cereal note." Unfortunately, I found this to not be pleasant at all. I'll not be trying to clone this beer.

Day Two: Schlafly Special Reserve Export IPA

This is much darker than the Samuel Smith and has a nice malty aroma, cookies and caramel. Really well balanced, the cookie sweetness is backed up with a nice hop spice finish. Good stuff. It seemed likely it might fit the bill for my next brew.

The next day I volunteered do some grocery shopping at HyVee, knowing I could peruse their single 12oz bottle offerings and perhaps build a choice six pack. This day the selection was fantastic. I picked up one each of Southhampton IPA, Grand Teton Lost Continent Double IPA, O'Dells St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale, Avery IPA and Bell's Two-Hearted Ale.

Day Three: Southampton Publik House IPA

The Southampton description really raised my expectations:

Balance. That’s what separates India Pale Ales. And that’s the difference between the Southampton IPA and most others.
Southampton IPA is balanced between the hopped-up West Coast-style IPAs and the Old World characteristics of a traditional European IPA. You could say that Southampton IPA is located somewhere between Europe and California, figuratively and literally.
It features more balance than any other IPA brewed in America. The result is an American-style IPA with the Old World characteristics of a traditional European IPA.

With two English style IPA's already tested and the one in my hand touting its balanced profile, I really felt like I was on a roll. It poured golden and bright with nice carbonation, but immediately the aroma was troubling. There was no malt aroma or hop aroma either, just alcohol. The first sip confirmed this. The taste was positively medicinal. Did they arrive at a balance by taking out the malts from the English style, the hops from the American style and just leaving the ethanol? BeerAdvocate gave it fairly good ratings, so I'll just chalk it up to a bad bottle. That is a risk when buying single bottles, they are rarely the freshest beer. Oh well.

Day Four: Grand Teton Lost Continent

I'm not familiar with Grand Teton and after the disappointment with the Southhampton, I approached this beer with some trepidation. I was drawn to the bottle by what looked like a world map, which I felt might be an English style indicator. Of course the "Double IPA" style is American inspired and the map is of an imaginary continent, not India, but I knew that to arrive at the high ABV of the Double IPA style, they could not skimp on the malt bill. Hopefully this would result in a balanced profile.

A drawback to purchasing single bottles of unfamiliar beer: Without the cardboard carrier, you're likely to miss out on some of the brew's published characteristics: This is on the Grand Teton Brewing website:

In recent years, American brewers have created a new style: “Imperial,” or “Double” IPA. Our version is brewed with twice as much malt and hops as our everyday Sweetgrass IPA, dry hopped with American Cascade and Amarillo hops, and fermented to 7.5 percent alcohol by volume. The hops provide citrusy, resinous spiciness, making this beer a great match for any bold, flavorful food.

Uh, that sure didn't sound like an English style. Gueuzedude from BeerAdvocate describes the flavor well:

The taste is not quite as sweet as the aroma would have suggested and actually starts out with a clean hop character. Towards the finish the cloying crystal malt provides muddy caramel notes and ample toasty malt flavor before a light for an IPA bitterness is able to kick in. The malt never leaves the finish though and comes to make the palate forget the bitterness existed at all. Sticky caramelized orange zest flavors, stewed grapefruit and some sweetened pine needle flavors struggle through the murky malt character here. The hop character provides a green, somewhat astringent, herbal, pine biting bitterness throughout the flavor profile; this makes a valiant attempt at cutting through the malt focus, but in the end isn't quite up to the task.

Pine and stewed grapefruit! It's not an English style by any means. I was not bothered so much by the malt focus, but I knew I wouldn't be trying to clone this beer. So far Schlafly is still the front runner.

Day Five: Avery IPA

Nice "Old World" map and they don't even use the IPA acronym. There is the whole word "India" spelled out in a nice, Kiplingesque, India Tea style font. The opening page of Avery's website touts their eccentric ethos:

...we brew what we like to drink--with utter disregard for what the market demands-- and search out fans with equally eccentric palates.

One sniff and I knew this was going to be a highly hopped American style-pale ale. It is fine to push the limits of style, but why put it in a package that screams traditional English style IPA? Can't you give a fellow a clue? Perhaps an "Old World" style map of Colorado. Or maybe a glowing green hop bud replacing all instances of the lowercase letter "a" in "India Pale Ale".

Here's garthicus from RateBeer,

Appearance: Golden yellow with a nice amount of carbonation and a nice white head. Aroma: Ahh cat piss! Lots of hops, bitterness is mouthwatering, malt, peaches - very nice. Flavour: Cat piss again, delicious, lots of dry bitterness and a pine resin in the finish.

Gotta love a beer that tastes like cat piss! Actually it is a good pale ale, a good American Pale Ale.

Day Six: Bell's Two Hearted Ale

I've tried this before and I knew this was not the style I was after. Even though they call it an IPA, they put a trout on the bottle and claim Hemmingway might have toted this brew around. No chance anything reminding you of Rikki Tikki Tavi is going to come out of this bottle. Since I thought I was carting home a bunch of English style beer, it seemed reasonable to have something familiar for comparison.

This is a very good good beer, beautiful color and the citrus aroma is wonderful. Hops are up front, but it is tempered by the malt without being sweet. It finishes dry but not bitter. Very good, but I don't think it deserves the 100 rating on RateBeer.

Day Seven: Odell's St. Lupulin

The label was somewhat ambiguous and the "Extra Pale Ale" moniker somehow did not register with me. The wordcraft on the label was intriquing though,

A mystical legend echoes in our brewhouse - that of St. Lupulin(loop-you-lin) the archetypal hophead. He devoted endless summers to endless rows of hops, tending to the flowers and the beloved resin within - lupulin Extraordinary oils in this yellow resin provide this dry-hopped extra pale ale with an undeniably pleasing floral aroma and clean, crisp finish. One sip of this seasonal summer ale and you too, will believe.

HarseBrau of Kansas City tried it on September 9th and wrote this on RateBeer:

Sliced thin aroma of floral and hop normalcy. Oak wood color minus any grain plus a touch of caramel. Flavor is hoppy bitter with gnashed up flower stem aftertaste. It is crisp and fruity at the start though and the combo isn’t bad.

Isn't bad? Good god, HarseBrau, that "gnashed up flower stem aftertaste" is pure heaven. The complexity of the hops aroma and flavors in this beer are the closest thing to an LSD trip this side of the latest Prius commercial.

I did not want to stop smelling this beer and the only thing that could compel me to drag my nose out of the glass was my brain screaming at me, "Take another drink, damn it! Take another drink!" So I would start drinking and the explosion of citrus hop flavors of orange and a hint of lemon would hit my mouth and I reflexively braced for the pain of the hop bitterness except just enough malt sweetness would well up to compensate, then a flowery aroma would fill my nostrils and throat with a nice dry finish. Then I would start sniffing again...

The beer pours a beautiful pale gold color (HarseBrau said Oak?) with a fizzy head that laces and never completely dissipates. As the beer warms up the hop resins become more assertive and a slight bitterness creeps in and lingers at the back of the throat. Lingers and beckons, lingers and beckons. More sips and an alcohol warmth combined with the spicy hop resins begin to rise up in the cheeks, brow and ears.

Ok, screw the English style IPA, I need a case of this stuff!

This beer was a revelation. The symphony of flavors and smells swirling, rising and falling finds me grasping for descriptions. Like a fine musical composition, each serving a performance with nuances waiting to be discovered at every turn.

I will still brew my modest amber this go around, and I'll probably try my hand at an English style like the Schlafly Export IPA after that, but this beer will be calling my name the entire time and I will be that much more diligent in my efforts so that someday, perhaps, I might concoct a brew even half as enchanting as St. Lupulin.

41 Beers Left on the List

2009-09-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

This may be old and weary for some people, but The Brew Site's 50 Beers to Drink Before You Die made me stop and read to find out my status. I like the idea; I have some issues with the particulars of the list.

Finding Sam Adams Utopia alongside Sapporo is a head scratcher.

Would 50 places to visit before you die have the Taj Mahal followed by Harrah's? SA Utopia runs around $400 a bottle available only on E-Bay. Why can't "the greatest beer in the world" at only $35.00 a bottle find a place at the table?

Where My Lazy Ass Finally Posts About Brew Day 3.0

2009-09-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

I attended BrewDay 3.0, organized by Wort Hog & KC Hophead and graciously hosted by Kegerator Merlin and his lovely better half. But, you would never know it from reading this blog.

Yes, this blog is called Muddy Mo, but not due to the blogger's proximity to a famous Missouri tributary, but due to the atrocious manner in which the proprietor drags his brogans, as if he was using them to dredge up a river bed.

The Brew Day 3.0 experience was fantastic and all those I met, to a person, were the most congenial, interesting, smart and passionate people I could ever hope to find in one location. And that location was loaded with great beer!

One of the BD3.0 sponsors, KC Hophead, is Google friend of this blog. What does he get for his effort? Posts few and far between, often political screeds that make no sense to anyone but the procrastinating author. Yet his demeanor is hale and hearty and he greets me with a rich Oatmeal Raisin Stout and later unfurls the much prized Pliny the Elder. A tip of the racking cane to you, kind sir.

And what of the incomparable Wort Hog, brilliant beer and homebrew blogger/auteur/multi-tasker? With one hand she offers a delicious Dark Belgian from BD1.0 while brewing a Braggot and Mead with the other. After all that, you would think I could find a way to get one little post out in a timely manner. I have a Boulevard Smokestack bomber with you and Mr. Wort Hog's name on it. Think Spin! Pizza in the OP.

I learned alot and had a great time with people like Cornelius Blogger, who is a Curious Case. This "anonymous" journalist's knowledge of brew tech was only surpassed by his amazing --uncarbed!-- double IPA. Cornelius, I think that stuff started making me grow younger.

And who could forget the game of washers against KC Hophead and Rye & Ale, which lasted almost as long as the movie 2001-A Space Odyssey. I should have listened to my partner, U.J.N. when he said that AE35 unit was going bad.

I really enjoyed hearing about English ale from a fellow attendee CAMRA, who has been blessed with the experience of quaffing that sweet nectar from the source. We talked about the company that bought Guinness and I couldn't remember the name, even though I have blogged about it.

When the Lost Abbey 10 Commandments got passed around, I knew I was in a special place. I heard someone say "rosemary" after they tasted it. I got no rosemary, but I swear that stuff finished with a hint of blood, which kinda freaked me out.

The gracious host, Kegerator Merlin, who brewed an Amber Ale, took me on a tour of his nice brew gear. I bet that Amber turns out great. Thank you KM, I'm curious to find out if fermenting at lower temps gets good results. And thank your wife, Saint Gwendoloena, who handled the invasion of your manor with great aplomb. Let's start planning Brew Day 4.0!

P.S. to Drunk-Monkey: I finally added Show-Me Beer to my blog list. You've got a nice blog. Don't neglect it like yours truly does. I see from your Blip, that you got the Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen prize.

Talk to Your People

2009-09-08T21:46:00.001-07:00

I usually like to have a picture with my posts, so I searched Google images using the phrase, "Hammer in Cranium" (don't ask) and found this interesting photobucket juxtaposition:

The Problem With U.S. Public Education System

2009-09-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

The hipster again has another nice post: "A Liberal Education vs. Conservative Education"

This gives me the opportunity to roll out one of my favorite old saws that will likely lead to my untimely death, when Ms. Angel-Mo plants a hammer in my head after having heard it for the 1,843rd time:

"The problem with the U.S. public education system is that it is run by education majors."

I am a staunch believer in the concept and goals of the classic liberal education, I just don't know if there are enough education majors capable of delivering such an education to our children.

Endangered Species Alert! Republicans with Backbone

2009-09-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

From the Republican Party of Florida, I give you Jim Greer:

"As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology. The idea that school children across our nation will be forced to watch the President justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other President, is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power."

- 9/1/2009

From Salon.com, I give you Joan Walsh:

The hysteria Obama inspires in his far-right foes is primeval, primordial. From the Birthers' obsession with the facts of his birth -- which lets them obsess about his origins in miscegenation -- to the paranoia that he's coming for the children, there's a deep strand of irrational paranoia that can't be anything other than racial. These people don't merely disagree with him, they distrust and dislike him viscerally. He's not merely wrong, he's scary; even terrifying.

- 9/4/2009

The purveyors and cheerleaders and sycophants of this movement were ready with Gephardt's complaint about a 1991 George W. Bush speech. If you click on that link you will find that the Democrats claimed Bush41 was attempting to force school children to be indoctrinated with a vile, anti-American extremist political ideology and they organized a campaign to keep children home from school to protect them from hearing a speech by the President of the United States. Go ahead, click on it to discover the horror that was the Democratic complaint in 1991.

Granted, the Democrats did not distinguish itself with that bit of political theater. But Jim Greer is not complaining about misuse of government funds, now is he? Obama's speech will not cover his policy on health care, banks, automobile companies or taxes. Most people knew that. But I don't think Mr. Jim Greer is trying to reach most people. I think most people know what kind of people Florida Republican Party Chairman Mr. Jim Greer is trying to reach. He's trying to reach the ones who are waiting for that sweet moment.

When a leader in the Republican party of Florida tells people it is dangerous for children to hear Obama speak, it is beyond mere political gamesmanship. This is a vicious attack on the very foundation of our pluralistic society. Are there ANY Republicans left with the backbone to call out these anarchists who gleefully stoke irrational paranoia? Anyone?

"What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists, be blood brothers on this thing."

- Michelle Bachmann 8/31/2009

"[Obama has] a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture."

- Glenn Beck 7/28/2009

"Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate"

- Rush Limbaugh 8/5/2009

Any Republican with a backbone should heed Dan Savage:

I really do think the Michelle Bachmanns of the world and the Glenn Becks of the world are actively and, consciously or subconsciously, trying to get, I’m just gonna say it, trying to get the President killed.

9/1/2009, on MSNBC Countdown.

Jesus H. Christ on a Pogo Stick!

2009-08-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

A glimpse of the world after Obama passes health care reform: Indoorcycling will replace the National Football League.

From the 2009 European Junior Indoorcycling Championships,
Carla Hochdorfer & Henriette Hochdorfer - Artistic Cycling

Don't thank me, thank BLCKGRD

Suicide by Canada

2009-08-20T11:21:00.001-07:00

Fugitive reality TV freak Ryan Jenkins has fled to Canada. Guess we can close the case now, cuz' the Canadian Health Care system will kill him inside of a week.

Old Rasputin Clone & Being in the German Army

2009-08-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to decide on a recipe for my next batch of homebrew and have been leaning toward trying to clone my favorite stout, Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.

I have found the recipe to be extremely difficult to pin down since there are competing versions and the exact ingredients are not easy to find. Of course, the greatest obstacle is the fact that I am a novice who doesn't really know what the hell he is doing.

But if I am going to put in all the effort required for homebrewing, I want to put it towards something I really like to drink, so I have been searching for all the information I can find. I've gotten some good tips, such as Ted's conclusion that one of the background flavors comes from Licorice Root, which is not listed in any of the various formulations discovered so far.

I also found several excellent homebrew websites, like Tasty Brew and Home Brew Talk. Then I came across a gem, totally unrelated to my original quest, at Brew Monkey: A 2005 interview with the brewmaster at Dogfish Head, Andy Tveekrem. There is some great stuff in that interview for people who would love to learn more about how Dogfish Head is able to deliver such fantastic beer.

My hat is off to the interviewer, he did a great job. And Andy's answers are generally straight and to the point, exactly what you might expect from a craftsman who has spent most of his life meeting impossible production deadlines. But when the interview got around to his bio, he came up with a perfect description for the time spent at the job he liked the least,

Q: Every brewer has high and low points... what are yours?

A: The high point was getting hired at Great Lakes and realizing I could make my hobby become a life-long career. The whole Frederick thing was a low point.
It was like being in the German army... no matter how well you fight the battle, you're still going to lose in the end.

I think most of us working stiffs can relate to that feeling.

Andy is still the brewmaster at Dogfish Head, which may be the most daring, creative and successful craft brewery in existence, making Andy one the top brewmasters in the world. However, when Andy took the job at Fredrick Brewing Company in early 2000, he had been working in relative obscurity for nine years at Great Lakes Brewing, a micro-brewery in Cleveland. Frederick Brewing had already made quite a name for themselves in the craft beer industry with their 1997 launch of Hempen Ale and Hempen Gold, the first legal U.S. beers brewed with hemp seeds.

The brewery subsequently received even more press when Drudge posted the rumor that President Clinton allowed Hempen Gold to be served on an Air Force One flight in February of 1999 (nothing to click on the POTUS story, cuz Muddy no linky stinky Drudge).

The move would seem to be an indication that Andy has always had a penchant for out of the ordinary places to ply his skills. But when he joined Frederick, the original founders had sold the business to the Snyder International Brewing Group of Cleveland Ohio. In any case, it must have been exciting for Andy to land the Frederick gig, with its $8 million dollar, three years young,, state of the art plant.

Perhaps Andy should have been tipped off by the prominently grandiose "International" in the company's name. Maybe Andy's folks never warned him to never trust anyone who only uses the first letter of their first name. In January 2004, Andy's boss, C. David Snyder was characterized in a WaPo piece as a high-tech entrepreneur from Cleveland with lots of cash and a taste for full-bodied beer, who dreamed of building a new Anheuser-Busch. But by then, the company was in receivership. There is even a quote from Andy that illustrates how Snyder larded up the business with overhead,

“There used to be six vice presidents over me. And they were all in Cleveland,” said Andrew Tveekrem, the plant’s brewmaster.

Going from what he thought would be a dream job, to a nightmare scenario in less then three years must have been tough. But he got out of that hell-hole, landed at Dogfish Head and now has what I would consider the best brewmaster job in the world.

Good for you Andy Tveekrem, and good for us!

Andy is the the one ~~with the beer~~ ~~the tall one~~ the tall guy with the long hair.

Hipster's Excellent Post on Henry Gates, Jr.

2009-07-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

Xavier Onassis, aka Hip Suburban White Guy weighs in
on the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and does a fine job of sticking to the facts while making some keen observations based on his own life experience and his plentiful, plentiful years observing human nature.

Here he speculates on Gates state of mind,

...he had just returned from a trip to China. [skip] I used to do a lot of business traveling. I know that even after an overnight trip that only involved a 3 hour flight, all I wanted to do was get home and sleep in my own bed. Anything that stood between me and that was the enemy and had to be defeated.

Abundant comments follow and they are moderated well. You should really go read the whole thing.

I do have a point of contention, though, with XO's oft stated point:

Bottom line...neither one of us were there so we don't know what happened other than what we read in the news.

I contend we already know the most important facts about the event based on the report of someone who WAS there, Officer Jim Crowley:

At no point did Gates physically threaten, contact or impede Officer Crowley, because if he had it would be in Crowley's report.

Crowley states in his report that he had already established that Gates was the owner of the home before he arrested him.

Bottom line...Officer Crowley arrested a citizen who was standing on the front porch of his own home in the middle of the afternoon because that citizen made the mistake of berating Officer Crowley in a very loud voice in front of Officer Crowley's fellow officers and other onlookers.

I've seen various comments online by good ole' boys reminiscing about the attitude adjustment they received when they mouthed off to a cop and how Gates should realize that cops will sometimes haul you in if you just breathe in their direction.

Complete, total and utter frickin' BULLSHIT! Simply hurting an officer's feelings should not be a goddamn crime subject to arrest.

But that is where we are today and that is a fact. A NY Times article captures the attitude of some law enforcement,

“I wouldn’t back down if there’s a crowd gathering,” the Brooklyn officer said, in part out of concern of sending a message of weakness that could haunt another officer later. “We’re a band of brothers. We have to be there to help each other out. If there’s a group and they’re throwing out slurs and stuff, you have to handle it.”

A 13-year veteran of the Denver police force, who did not wish to give his name, said likewise. “We’re not going to take abuse,” he said. “We have to remain in control. We’re running the show.”

I wonder if the NYT reporters received fractured skulls when they asked for the officer's name?

Screen actor Jeffrey Wright and Josh Brolin learned their lesson last summer, outside a Shreveport, LA. bar.

Jeffery Wright took the occasion of Gates arrest to discuss his unfortunate interaction with law enforcement. Very interesting reading.

Kevin Spacey: Twitter Critter in London...

2009-07-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

... and part-time actor.

Kevin Spacey is one of my heroes. This is to be expected, since he is a member of my cohort who became a superstar in Hollywood while sporting a middle-aged mug and an accountant's physique.

Beyond that, however, I feel Kevin and I have a special connection, since I knew him before he was Lex Luthor,

before he became our generation's Willie Loman,

before he tortured/was tortured by, Frank Whaley,

Way back when he was Mel Profitt:

Kev--I'm one of the few who can get away with calling him that--masterfully loomed the woof and warp of a paranoid, psychopathic (and incestuous), crime syndicate boss, simultaneously repulsive and irresistible, presaging Tony Soprano by a dozen years.

And now look at him: Living in London since 2003, working as a theater director, sending tweets while being interviewed by Letterman and starring in the new indie, Shrink, premiering 7/24.

Of course he breaks new ground: It should come as a surprise to no one that Spacey is the only person with the sac to tackle the job of psychoanalyzing Robin Williams.

WTG, Kev!

Dear Goldman Sachs,

2009-07-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

Dear ~~Angel of the bottomless pit~~ Goldman Sachs,

I like Mike Morgan's blog http://www.goldmansachs666.com. But I would never have known about it had it not been for your recent C&D.

I now get all my news about ~~Beelzebub~~ Goldman Sachs from http://www.goldmansachs666.com and http://twitter.com/goldmansachs666.

I know http://www.goldmansachs666.com is not affiliated with ~~Black Donald~~ Goldman Sachs in anyway. How does one know that ~~the Cloven Hoof~~ Goldman Sachs is not affiliated with http://www.goldmansachs666.com?

Simple.

When one clicks on the website's URL, one is not overcome by the foul stench commonly given off by progeny of proto-oligarchs like ~~Belial~~ Goldman Sachs.

You should know that thanks to http://www.goldmansachs666.com, Goldman Sachs 666 now gets 7000+ hits on Google.

h/t:lolfed.com

And with the help of http://www.goldmansachs666.com, the Goldman Sachs 666 book is sure to be a best seller.

But wait, there's more!

Courtesy of http://www.goldmansachs666.com, I know that ~~Mephistopheles'~~ Goldman Sachs' employees like to dine on a little something called "Baked Gia" at the end of each quarter.

And it it was illuminating to find this blog post at http://www.goldmansachs666.com which confirmed ~~Abaddon~~ Goldman Sachs has the technology to manipulate markets.

If you could see clear to answer one question: What percentage of the latest ~~Mammon~~ Goldman Sachs bonuses were from the return on that Armageddon SCDO tranch?

Sincerly,
Muddy Mo

P.S.
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Wall Street II?

2009-06-27T20:20:00.001-07:00

Bill Maher had Oliver Stone on this week. A vapid, disappointing exchange. Much kissing of the ring by Maher. The only interesting bit was when Stone talks about his current project, Wall Street II.

This Man Knows Good Beer

2009-06-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

When the man who swam through 500 yards of shit thinks Lagers from the big three are skunky, what does that tell ya?

Should Beer Taste Like a Bale of Hay?

2009-06-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

In Rancho Cucamonga, Omaha Jack's Grillhouse & Brewery has an offering called "Hay Bale Pale Ale." This is to be expected for a BrewPub trying bring a little bit of Bugahaw to the Cali rubes. I'm confident it doesn't taste like baled hay.

I've been a big fan of the Anchor Brewing Co. I love Anchor Steam and Liberty Ale beer. So, when I saw the Anchor Summer on tap at the Flying Saucer--at happy hour prices-- I was eager to try it.

Beer Advocate has Anchor Summer as a B- overall, but I could only find two reviewers who tried it from the tap. After a tour of the Anchor Brewing Co. JDV said, "there was a flavor in this that once I picked up, I couldn't really enjoy it any more." Yea, I also picked up that "flavor" and couldn't enjoy it anymore, because I've never really enjoyed munching on bales of hay.

Just to make sure, Bull tried it and corroborated the distinctive hay character. I asked Matt G., the manager on duty, if the beer was supposed to taste like baled hay. He sampled the tap and declared that it was not spoiled beer. Matt also offered to bring me a different beer. (The Flying Saucer is all about making the customer happy.) I declined. If that was the way it was supposed to taste, I wasn't going to make them eat the cost.

I usually like to try a beer twice before I declare it undrinkable, but I'm making an exception for Anchor Summer.

2009-04-13T12:01:00.001-07:00

Bagram, Afghanistan: Obama's Gitmo? Http://opiniojuris.org/2009/04/11/is-there-tea-at-bagram

In the Moog for a Beer?

2009-04-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Lee,

I had plans today. Plans to be productive. Well, thanks to you, that is out the window. The window that has turned into purple candle wax and is slowly dripping down the wall on to my carpet which is completely covered with writhing snakes.

I don't know where you dredged up that Moog/Schaefer Beer video, but the flashbacks started shortly after my unfortunate viewing decision. The Door's Moonlight Drive is currently pounding my temporal lobes into mush.

I'll get you for this.

P.S. For all you kiddies out there, the Moog was the first commercially successful modular voltage-controlled analog synthesizer. (Note: at first glance, "Moog" appears as if it should rhyme with "mood", but the proper pronunciation rhymes with "rogue")

The Moog synthesizer was used extensively by Keith Emerson, the keyboardist for the greatest prog rock band ever, Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Emerson holds the tile of the greatest rock and roll synth virtuoso in history. To support my contention I offer, Karn Evil 9, First Impression, Part 2:

(Best enjoyed with Koss K-6LCQ 4 channel headphones. Trust me.)

2009-04-10T10:19:00.001-07:00

IMPEACH OBAMA! If the President himself confirms his intent to actively circumvent the 4th amendment, he deserves the same scorn Bush received. #nosatire

Sermon on the Mounted

2009-04-03T21:10:00.000-07:00

This is some Bible thumpin' I could get used to.

2009-03-23T12:43:00.001-07:00

Amazing! It has only taken Obama 10 weeks to wreck the economy.

Hey Rocky! Watch Me Pull a Rabbit Outta My Hat

2009-03-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

I had a difficult time settling on a title for this post which is a response to the commenter, Jules, who is in high dungeon over my post "Charles Schumer: Confessions of a Jewish Hit Man". Jules considers that in this day and age, such a post is unacceptable and is disgusted that I would deny Jews the right of free speech.

The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show has always been one of my favorite cartoons. Now I can see them on Joost:

<a href="http://www.joost.com/007000x/t/Rocky-and-Bullwinkle-Jet-Fuel-Formula-10-of-40">Rocky and Bullwinkle - Jet Fuel Formula 10 of 40</a>

The Rocky and Bullwinkle episode is always shown in two parts, with the first part ending with a cliff hanger. In this episode, Rocky and Bullwinkle are about to get crushed between a cruise ship and the dock when the narrator intones, "Don't miss the next episode... Summer Squash or He's too flat for me."

The original title for this post was:

"Big AIPAC Attack OR Jules in High Dungeon"

But I decided that without the Rocky and Bullwinkle reference, it wouldn't make much sense. Besides, it was fun looking up those old cartoons. and the current title accurately portrays Jules' magic trick attempt to discredit my opinion.

Now suppose Jules, after reading this article by Steven Rosen--which kicked off this little circle jerk--had called up Senator Schumer's office and told the intern who answered the phone, "Charles Freeman is a dastardly Snidely Whiplash who would like nothing more than to see Israel tied up on the train tracks like Nell Fenwick!" Well, that would be significant example of exercising free speech.

Or, suppose the author of a blog posted a satirical portrayal of Chuck Schumer's actions in this affair; A blog so obscure that trying to measure its popularity would render even the finest U.S. weights and measures' micrometer as but a blunt instrument. That would be another significant example of exercising free speech.

Certainly Senator Schumer retains his first amendment rights, but this was essentially Chuck making the Obama administration an offer they could not refuse. I don't think that is enshrined in the Bill of Rights. The fact that this started with a seed planted by AIPAC and ended when Schumer declared the nomination nonviable and the fact that Schumer bragged about it, pretty much tells the story, which Charles Freeman captures perfectly:

"I believe that the inability of the American public to discuss, or the government to consider, any option for US policies in the Middle East opposed by the ruling faction in Israeli politics has allowed that faction to adopt and sustain policies that ultimately threaten the existence of the state of Israel. It is not permitted for anyone in the United States to say so. This is not just a tragedy for Israelis and their neighbors in the Middle East; it is doing widening damage to the national security of the United States."

2009-03-14T13:33:00.001-07:00

Hope for the Future! So many incredibly talented High School students competing @ National Forensic League Heartland District in Parkville, Missouri

2009-03-12T13:31:00.001-07:00

Tax cuts for Transparency? We should give businesses the option to reduce their tax rates when they meet stringent transparency guidelines. Win/Win

Chuck Schumer: Confessions of a Jewish Hit Man

2009-03-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

“He was da wrong guy for da job. Youse shoulda hert somma da tings he was sayin. So, when da boss sez somebody atta dooz sumpinabaddit, well, I sez yea, I'll do sumpinabaddit.”

-- In an exclusive interview with Muddy Mo Media, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer talks about having Charles Freeman's nomination for Director of the NIC whacked on orders from AIPAC.

Finger On The Button or Up the Butt?

2009-03-09T06:12:00.001-07:00

Recent HRC twitter: "I gave Minister Lavrov a gag gift & got the Russian word for 'reset' wrong. My bad! LOL

Prick Me, I'm Irish!

2009-03-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

I volunteered to be a judge a a High School debate tournament. Geez, the posters have changed alot since I was in school.

2009-03-08T15:02:00.001-07:00

I can send 150 characters with mobile blogger. Twitter only allows 140. I am becoming intoxicated thinking about how I will use those ten extra cha

2009-03-08T14:27:00.001-07:00

MuddyMo mobile blogged a mess of mundane memos. If MuddyMo mobile blogged a mess of mundane memos, how many mundane memos did MuddyMo mobile blog?

Sluts or Not? When GOP No Means Yes

2009-02-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

Pete Hoekstra (MI-02), along with all of his Republican colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives, closed ranks to vote against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. But when he got home and slipped into something more comfortable...

...Petey loves him some stimulus!

Like Battlestar Galactica's Gaius Baltar sittin' in the barcalounger after a couple of bourbon and branches, that vision of Caprica 6 becomes irresistible. But Pete apparently hasn't learned about the dangers of drunk twittering:

"If you know of someone thinking of buying first home, now may be the time. Stimulus incentive is very generous! Up to 8k! Check it out."
-[Representative Pete Hoekstra's Twitter page; 2/18/09]

The DCCC documents other House Republicans who voted against the economic recovery bill in DC, then praised it at home.

This has been another installment of Saturday Page View Pimpin'

Meet the New Oligarchs, Same as the Old Oligarchs

2009-02-19T20:24:00.000-08:00

If I was only allowed to choose one blog for keeping up with the current financial crisis it would be BaseLineScenario.com

One of the blog's co-founders, Simon Johnson, was on Bill Moyers Journal last week.

Johnson related his past experience managing economic crises in Third World nations to the current crises in the United States and drew some parallels. Chiefly, that one of the largest obstacles most nations must overcome in this situation is breaking the power of the people who got them into the crises. Moyers then proceeded to tick off five key players in the Obama administration who built their careers as muscle for the banking industry. Between them, I wonder how many CDO financial products they were personally involved in designing and bringing to the market?

This would be sorta like PETA hiring butchers straight off the Hormel kill floor to work on next year's biggest fundraiser.

Harvey Keitel: How Do I Love Thee?

2009-02-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

Bad Lieutenant, starring Harvey Keitel, is the best movie I've never been able to watch from beginning to end. A reviewer on IMDB described it as "cringe-inducing."

Um, yea. Let's just say if I provided a laundry list of all the scenes that make most people wince it would be, well, "Très Brutal."

This gives me a great excuse to pay tribute to and totally rip-off the talented Devious Bloggery.

Allow me to illustrate using a verse inspired by Elizabeth Barrow Browning:

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Bad Lieutenant, how are you cringe-inducing? Let me count the ways...

Bad Lieutenant, how are you cringe-inducing? Let me count the ways.
I cringe to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when Jesus' spouse
Is chaste-jacked near the altar and
Suffers holy icon's phallic consummation,
Yet does not relinquish her ideal Grace.
I am induced to crawling skin
By the detective's malevolent, putrid needs
And hopelessly fidget as gentle nudge
Puts door ajar for peaked voyeur's eyebrow
To sup the broken lamb's naked smoothness and numb stare
In the sanitized glow of the examination lamp.
I recoil in fascination from the street side detention ploy
To debauch girlhood from erect distance,
Beating under the sulfur lamp's high refraction.
I frown at furtive liaison with bookie muscle
For double-down in the shadow of a daughter's communion.
I grimace while siren song cruiser barrels down borough's lanes,
Steered by the crushed and whimpering Strawberry lover,
Nose filled with the smell of cordite
From recent AM target practice.
Invariably, I feel an urge to put to use
My other station's offer, and with childish faith,
Stray for a moment, intending to return;
But time and perhaps subconscious intent,
Becomes the better
And soon the bond is broken.

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Below is a version of the most famous scene from Bad Lieutenant, dubbed in French, which makes it much less cringe-inducing and somewhat amusing. It comes from the Daily Motion website posted with this french language title:

"Policier pervers prend son pied"

Babel Fish translation:

If the thought of seeing Harvey Keitel "take his foot" disturbs you, don't click on this video:

policier pervers prend son pied (extrait de bad lieutenant)
Uploaded by guitonio

Update: In the comments, mark h suggests I may have found a niche. This caused me to consider perhaps a more profitable niche: The "HK" line of T-Shirts, with popular and obscure Keitel quotes. I bet this one would sell out immediately.

2nd Edition of, "What Would Jesus Do?", Tuesday

2009-02-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, my Mother called me with news that her brother had died. It was not unexpected, but depressing nonetheless. My Mother is advanced in age and healthy, but she could not remember many of the details from the call she received. So, it was up to me to make a call to gather this information so I could convey the news to various relatives. My Uncle was 81 when he passed. The person I had to call was his wife, Holly, who is 41.

You see, Uncle Bob was a very successful businessman who had accumulated a substantial nest egg before he met Holly when he was in his late 60's. Soon after, Holly had a baby and said it was his. He accepted paternity and began paying child support. When Uncle Bob was in his mid 70's, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Soon after, to his family's surprise, he married Holly and they moved to Florida. Soon after that, Uncle Bob's nest egg moved to Florida, too.

When I got Holly on the phone I explained why I was calling. She proceeded to gave me a lengthy, almost breathless account of all the details of his last days and hours and concluded by saying he would be cremated. I thanked her for the information.

Unfortunately, Holly had failed to provide several critical details, such as the date and time of death, where he was when he died and where he would be interred. When I started asking these questions, I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was becoming agitated. When I asked what city the hospice where he died was located, Holly curtly replied, "Why do you need to know that? I can send you a death certificate if you want one!"

WWJD?

In the Face of Adversity

2009-02-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

The Aussies are showing their spirit in the face of adversity. Beer Bloke says,

"Have a nice beer and raise a glass to those who can't."

After you have that nice beer, use the link at the top of the sidebar to contribute to the Victorian Bushfire Fund.

Congressional Republicans Unified in Victory

2009-02-16T21:59:00.000-08:00

Sam Adams Finally Nails a Berry

2009-02-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of Sam Adams beer, but their track record with fruit beers, such as Cherry Wheat is atrocious.

So I approached the Blackberry Witbier with some trepidation.

Poured into a pint glass it has a cloudy peach colored hue with a thin head that builds up for a bit with the sparkling carbonation then dissipates. There is a distinct, pleasant, but not overpowering aroma of blackberry mixed in with bready grain. On the palate, the blackberry is more subtle and well balanced with the hints of orange and coriander and a slight hop crispness.

This would be a great summer session beer and very accessible introduction to those you love and want to convince that they should try to wean themselves from the weak offerings of our American beer cartel.