beerdrinker.org is a beer drinker http://www.beerdrinker.org Beer is Good Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:08:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Instant Replay in Soccer http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/06/19/instant-replay-in-soccer/ http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/06/19/instant-replay-in-soccer/#comments Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:07:59 +0000 rick http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/06/19/instant-replay-in-soccer/ After the US’s disappointing (yet thrilling) tie against Slovenia, you can be sure that there will be a clamor for instant replay in soccer. On the surface, it seems like a great idea. Matches will end with the true winner victorious, honor will be restored to the game.

This is a terrible idea. There is a purity about soccer. 23 men on the pitch, and only a few rules on how to play the game. All you need is a ball and some friends to play.

It’s true, there are a lot of bad calls. Sometimes the referee is biased, sometimes, he’s bad, and sometimes he gets emotional. But bad calls are a part of the game. You can’t interrupt the fluidity to stick your face into a replay booth every time someone is unhappy with a call. Because the review would overturn the call too often.

In a soccer game there are 22 players on the pitch, and they are subject to the rule of one man: the referee. If the referee decides that the game should last for 112 minutes and kicking with your left foot is a foul, that’s how the game will be played. People may not be happy with it, and the ref will likely not be invited back, but that is the game that was played.

]]> http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/06/19/instant-replay-in-soccer/feed/ 0 GQ’s best brews http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/04/23/gqs-best-brews/ http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/04/23/gqs-best-brews/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:45:01 +0000 rick http://www.beerdrinker.org/?p=832 Lisa the beer goddess has called my attention to an article in which GQ calls out the 50 best beers. These things are such a matter of opinion and experience it doesn’t make sense to argue much, but I think they hit a lot of good ones.

I’ve previously mentioned the Duchesse as a favorite. I’m also a fan of Southern Tier who didn’t make the list. Que sera.

]]> http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/04/23/gqs-best-brews/feed/ 1 SxSWi was a good time http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/19/sxswi-was-a-good-time/ http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/19/sxswi-was-a-good-time/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:11:15 +0000 rick http://www.beerdrinker.org/?p=830 and I learned a lot. And met some nice people.

There were a lot of major themes. I was happy to see the internet future includes thoughts on how all this stuff will work inside business too. As a corporate lacky, this is valuable stuff for me, and for a long time it has seemed neglected. The main focus here was around corporate culture and the roles of communities and community managers. Interesting conversations with Saul Colt and Mallory Messina. A particular surprise was the huge value I got from a brief chat with Capt. Broshear or the USAF. Challenging concepts to translate from military to business, especially in regards to openness!

Search is one of my favorite topics, and I saw a few talks on the subject. Peter Morley, author of Ambient Findability, spoke on Search Patterns. Pretty interesting stuff.

And then there is the whole where am I where are you do I care wtf do I do with that? set of presentations. Geolocation is huge and going to get much huger. Great stuff from Adam Duvander who happens to be geolocated right down the street from me, as well as Skyhook and SimpleGeo. Truly, these people get it. It was great to see, hear, and spin on this stuff.

It was great to connect with the local Portland crew. There are some good folks out there. I liked the Macallan samples and the other free stuff too!

Thanks Texas!

]]> http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/19/sxswi-was-a-good-time/feed/ 0 SxSW – what’s a beerdrinker to do? http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/09/sxsw-whats-a-beerdrinker-to-do/ http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/09/sxsw-whats-a-beerdrinker-to-do/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:10:54 +0000 rick http://www.beerdrinker.org/?p=827 N and I are heading down to Austin shortly to catch the SxSW interactive conference and spend some time with her sister who moved there from somewhere I didn’t want to visit about 6 months ago. So I think I can find my way around a conference. But what about the city? Any tips…beer, BBQ, texmex, or whatnot. Cheers.

PS. Just saw the Tron Legacy preview and it looks pretty awesome.

]]> http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/09/sxsw-whats-a-beerdrinker-to-do/feed/ 3 How not to get shot by the police http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/02/how-not-to-get-shot-by-the-police/ http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/02/how-not-to-get-shot-by-the-police/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:38:35 +0000 rick http://www.beerdrinker.org/?p=824 okay, police violence sucks. It’s a drag that unarmed people get shot. Lately, I’ve been putting together some tips I’ve picked from my years of experience not getting shot at by the police in an effort to help people avoid the short barrel of the law.

First, you can take a preemptive strike and keep the police away in general. Try to avoid situations in which housemates and loved ones feel the need to call the police in regards to you. Sometimes it’s easiest to just go to bed and apologize in the morning.

Now, it might happen that you can’t avoid the police. Like you were speeding or made a bad lane change. In that case, it’s easy to avoid getting shot at. Stay in the car. In the seat that you have been in the whole time. Keep your hands on the steering wheel. Listen to the instructions. They’ve been trained to make them simple. Things like “step out of the car” and “don’t reach for the glovebox” are good ones to act on. Slowly (we will return to this).

A really good way that I’ve learned to not get shot is to not hold a gun. You may even be able to make it through life (the long version) without owning a gun. They’re rentable, and in many places they are not actually requisite for safety. However, I appreciate your preparedness for survival after the fall. I think that it is completely possible to not get shot by the police and still own a gun. All you need to do is follow one simple rule: only get the gun out if you intend to use it. Mardi Gras parties and community theater do not count as legitimate uses.

Keep in mind that once you’ve been tagged as “having a gun” you’re going to have a tough time shaking that rep. So leave it in the shoebox away from the kids. Guns are scary to a lot of people when they pop-up in unusual situations like “watching Jeopardy”.

So, let’s say you haven’t been able to avoid the police paying you a visit. Whether it’s your house or a bank robbery, the same principles apply. First, when you’re caught you’re caught. At this point, the cops are not on your doorstep to make a judgment. They’re there to diffuse a situation. Don’t try to sweet talk out of it, and yelling isn’t going to help. Be easy to work with. Move slowly. Steady, following instructions. If they say get down, they don’t mean dance. Keep your hands visible. To the police. Avoid sudden movements like running, reaching for things, turning. And if you have a weapon, let them know with words.

You need to keep in mind that the police really don’t know what you’re thinking. When their guns are drawn, it’s because they think they may need to use them to protect themselves or innocent bystanders. At that time, it’s your job to not give them a reason.

Tomorrow’s a new day. You can sort it out then.

I’m not copaphile. They’d better have a damn good reason for pulling that trigger. I’m not happy to see cruisers on the street in general. But if someone’s incapable of following these simple steps and a tragedy occurs, it’s pretty tough for me to point a finger.

]]> http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/02/how-not-to-get-shot-by-the-police/feed/ 1 up again http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/02/up-again/ http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/02/up-again/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:56:20 +0000 rick http://www.beerdrinker.org/?p=822 2010 hit like an angry bull in a brillo tornado. Well, not that bad, but it’s been pretty freakin’ nonstop. Work’s been crazy. Picked up some tech reading on the side. Been finishing the basement. A few ski trips. Daily-ish gym trips, yoga, and cycling. Lots of brewing. Sorry I haven’t been sharing. I’ve been somewhat holed up in many ways.

Anyways, I apologize. It’s not you, it’s me. But I hope to be visiting more often again. Remember the good times we’ve had?

]]> http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/03/02/up-again/feed/ 0 Barrel Projects http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/01/06/barrel-projects/ http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/01/06/barrel-projects/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:44:58 +0000 rick http://www.beerdrinker.org/?p=820 Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some outstanding homebrewers on some barrel projects. Basically, we get 10 or so people to each brew a batch(es) of a particular beer, then we get together to siphon it into a bourbon barrel. The beer then ages over a month to many months, changing in character and gaining oak and bourbon flavors.

So far I’ve reaped the benefits of a baltic porter and an imperial IPA. The porter was outstanding, creamy and rich. The IPA was good. It came out with a deep citrus bite that opened to a summery floral taste.

I got to same the Oud Bruin last night, it’s been aging for 8 months or so, and has begun souring nicely. Basically, each contributor brewed a strong brown ale of their choice with little regard for consistency. When we transferred to the barrel, wild yeast and bacteria were added with the intention of souring the beer. Last night it was smooth and delicious at about halfway. It has a bizarre white layer of rot floating on top of it. This is by design for this beer. The barrel we used had already turned, souring beers that were not intended for that.

Last night we filled a barrel with an imperial alt, it’ll probably be pulled in a month or two after picking up the oak from a freshly charred barrel.

Currently, I’m looking for about 5 gallons to go into a dubbel barrel very soon. If you are interested, drop me a line via email or in the comments, and I’ll send you a recipe. cheers!

]]> http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/01/06/barrel-projects/feed/ 0 Happy New Year! http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/01/01/happy-new-year/ http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/01/01/happy-new-year/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:55:55 +0000 rick http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/01/01/happy-new-year/ It’s a new year and I have a lot of resolutions on my mind, and I’m working through what I want to really focus on. But two really stick in my mind as relevant and important. The first is to continue on the path that I set out on mid-year last year, cultivating relationships and habits that really help me move forward. The second is to make and drink more of my own beer, and specialty beers, and to spend less time drinking commodity beers, even from the great microbreweries.

These are the adventures that I will be sharing over the course of this new year in this space, I hope that you will join me!

cheers,
rick

]]> http://www.beerdrinker.org/2010/01/01/happy-new-year/feed/ 0 Visiting Portland Guide: Crawl #1 http://www.beerdrinker.org/2009/12/18/visiting-portland-guide-crawl-1/ http://www.beerdrinker.org/2009/12/18/visiting-portland-guide-crawl-1/#comments Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:30:59 +0000 rick http://www.beerdrinker.org/?p=817 Jeff at Beervana poses a question: what five beers are a connoisseur’s must-haves visiting Portland. I might have to tackle that, but really, Jeff is really on top of that in his post. I suggested a different route, a road trip around Mt. Hood. But I also threw in a crawl that I think is really worth sharing with your Portland visitors.

Begin at Rontom’s. If it’s nice out, enjoy the patio. If not, squeeze in and grab a pint. Next, move on to B-side, for a quick pint. Then, The Farm for dinner if you’re hungry. Eat light, because Noble Rot has great snacks too. Work off the meal with a light stroll up to Union Jack’s. You’ll need a few bucks for cover to this strip club. Then head up to Doug Fir and Voodoo Donuts to see how the hipper half live. Maybe there’ll be a great show downstairs. Finally, cruise up to Sandy Hut where they’ll be happy to pour you something potent while you wait for a cab.

]]> http://www.beerdrinker.org/2009/12/18/visiting-portland-guide-crawl-1/feed/ 1 madman brewing http://www.beerdrinker.org/2009/12/15/madman-brewing/ http://www.beerdrinker.org/2009/12/15/madman-brewing/#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:54:39 +0000 rick http://www.beerdrinker.org/?p=815 wow…current inventory in the basement: 10 gallons imperial alt (carboys), 10 gallons dubbel (carboys), 5 gallons IPA (carboy), brown, IPA, porter (cornies). The 10-gallon batches are destined to go into barrels for aging.

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