Grubulub: dirvish’s Blog

I escaped the heat and smoke last week with a couple trips west. First was a trip to Santa Rosa for a wedding, which included a side trip to Bodega Bay. We hit up two breweries on this trip.

Third Street AleWorks - Santa Rosa
Food: Good. Favorite was the parmesan garlic fries.
Atmosphere: Good. Downtown Santa Rosa is pretty groovy…view is of a big ugly building though. Inside of brewpub is nice.
Beer: Good. We tried the Pale Ale and the IPA. Both were good; nothing mind-blowing though.

We took the long way home and swung through Sacramento for dinner.

Rubicon Brewing Company - Sacramento
Food: Good. Favorite was the spicy BBQ sauce on the Rubi—Q Burger.
Atmosphere: Good. Seating was cramped. Enthusiastic sports fans at the bar. Helpful waitress answered questions about local night life.
Beer: Excellent. We tried the Monkey Knife Fight Pale Ale, their IPA, and the Hop Sauce. I had their IPA at the Brewfest in Chico and it was at least as good at the brewery. The Pale Ale was good as well. The highlight of the trip was the Hop Sauce, a strong ale with a huge variety of hops. It was delicious.

After a couple days at home we headed Northwest to Humboldt County where we visited three more breweries.

Lost Coast Brewery - Eureka
Food: Meh. Nothing really stood out here, nothing was bad but it was all a little boring.
Atmosphere: Great. Cool artwork.
Beer: Good. We tried their wheat, apricot wheat, tangerine wheat, rasberry brown, and the Alleycat (Amber). I usually don’t like fruity beers but I enjoyed their apricot wheat. I would even dare say that I like it better than Pyramid’s apricot brew. The other beers were good as well, though I wasn’t crazy about the other fruity beers. If you haven’t had Lost Coast’s brews before don’t miss the Downtown Brown or the Indica (IPA).

Six Rivers Brewery - McKinleyville
Food: Good. Favorite was the cheese burger. I’m not sure what they spiced it with but it was tasty.
Atmosphere: Good. This seemed to be the townie hangout. The large bar was packed with locals making for a noisy atmosphere. I definitely dug the local vibe.
Beer: Excellent. We tried the IPA, the Raspberry Lamblic, and their strong ale Sasquatch. The IPA was good, nothing too exciting though. The Raspberry Lamblic was a little sweet for me, kinda tasted like Kool-Aid. The Sasquatch was superb. Being from Chico I “accidentally” called it Bigfoot when I ordered it. It is a fairly good comparison though. Although not as aggressively hopped or flavorful as Bigfoot the Sasquatch is just as strong and much smoother. Dangerously smooth for such a strong brew.

Eel River Brewing - Fortuna
Food: Good. Salad and fish were good. Garlic cheese fries were kinda ruined by the mounds of cold shredded cheese.
Athmosphere: Great. Lost of cool old stuff on the walls. Large outdoor garden and dining area. Friendly cats (organic pest control) roamed the grounds. Cool motto: “Be Natural - Drink Naked”
Beer: Only had the chance to try one of their beers, the organic IPA. It was good, nothing too exciting though. Most of their beers are organic.

Where are the terms and conditions I’m supposed to agree to? Not on this page, and there is no link…

I wrestled this guy a few times in High School. He wrestled for Lincoln High and was a really cool guy. Needless to say, he always beat me.

Probably the closest I came to beating him was when he pulled an illegal move (he claimed he did it accidentally and I believe him). The move is illegal in collegiate/HS wrestling because if it is done wrong it could paralyze someone. He did it perfectly so I wasn’t hurt in the least. If I had claimed that I couldn’t continue the match I would have won since you can’t win a match my injuring someone with an illegal move. It wasn’t an important match and I wouldn’t pull that anyways so I continued the match, and lost.

I had no idea he was into MMA, let alone one of the stars. A friend started telling about this bad ass featherweight from California and I realized it was the same guy I remembered from High School.

I got seminared in Sacramento yesterday so that I can “be an effective supervisor.” Most of the material was really good and the trainer was an energetic and often humorous speaker. My only real problem with the training was that the whole thing seemed to be based on creating a defensible position in relation to labor law. Not bad information to know, but not really applicable to my situation. I have my own supervisors and an HR department to worry about labor law issues for me. That and the trainer tended to be combative with the class, at one point apparently threatening me with violence:

Trainer: Relating a story about helping his daughter find material for managing a bank. “I just typed in [name of some standard HR form that I don’t recall] in Google and up came 1.7 million results. And the great thing about all these documents is they are all in the public domain. You are free to use them however you want.”

Me: Raised eyebrows, head tilted to the side.

Trainer: “What’s going on over here? I sense some negativity over here. What do you have to say?”

Me: Not feeling up to debating copyright law with a combative and overbearing professional speaker in his class. “Um, nothing.”

Trainer: Points at biggest guy in the class. “Jim stand up. Keith, I want to introduce you to my brother Jim.”

Jim: Stands up, looking confused.

Class: …

Cricket: “Chirp.”

Me: Look of incredulity changes to look of confusion/annoyance.

Found on Quentin’s Blog, orginally from the Chicago Tribune:

In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines.

In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. (They provide medical assistance to the Marines as well as to Navy personnel.)

The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian and became a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was assigned to the Navy’s premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital, as a member of the commander in chief’s medical team, and helped care for President Lyndon B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery. For his service on the team, which he left in 1967, the White House awarded him three letters of commendation.

What is even more remarkable is that this man entered the Marines and Navy not many years after the two branches began to become integrated.

While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections.

Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beat the system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice something or those who merely talk about their love of the country?

After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained as a minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one of America’s biggest cities.

This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, who has been in the news for comments he made over the last three decades.

Since these comments became public we have heard criticisms, condemnations, denouncements and rejections of his comments and him.

We’ve seen on television, in a seemingly endless loop, sound bites of a select few of Rev. Wright’s many sermons.

Some of the Wright’s comments are inexcusable and inappropriate and should be condemned, but in calling him “unpatriotic,” let us not forget that this is a man who gave up six of the most productive years of his life to serve his country.

How many of Wright’s detractors, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly to name but a few, volunteered for service, and did so under the often tumultuous circumstances of a newly integrated armed forces and a society in the midst of a civil rights struggle? Not many.

While words do count, so do actions.

Let us not forget that, for whatever Rev. Wright may have said over the last 30 years, he has demonstrated his patriotism.

Everything on the menu would have four levels of spiciness: mild, medium, hot, and Yo Mamma. To order something at the Yo Mamma level you tell the waitperson a yo mamma joke. It should be as tasteless and offensive as possible. The waitperson will then relay your joke to the chef (for whom it is actually intended) who will spice your dish according to the quality of your joke. If he is actually offended he will try to kill you with spiciness. At the chefs discretion you may get your meal free if you manage to eat all of your horribly spicy dish.

Yo mama’s so dumb, that the Psychic Friends only charge her half price to read her mind!

Here are my totally uneducated picks for the NCAA tournament, subject to change in the event of some (unlikely) education or (likely) random whim. So far I’m playing it pretty safe…I don’t think there are any major upsets in there.

Opening Round
*Mt. St. Mary’s

Second Round
*NC
*Indiana
*Notre Dame
*Washington
*Oklahoma
*Louisville
*Butler
*Tennessee
*Kansas
*Kent
*Clemson
*Vanderbilt
*USC Kansas State
*Wisconsin
*Gonzaga
*Georgetown
*Memphis
*Mississippi
*Michigan
*Pitt
*Marquette
*Stanford
*Saint Mary’s
*Texas
*UCLA
*Texas A&M
*Drake
*Conn
*Purdue
*Xavier
*West Virginia
*Duke

Sweet 16
*NC
*Notre Dame
*Louisville
*Tennessee
*Kansas
*Vanderbilt
*Wisconsin
*Georgetown
*Memphis
*Pitt
*Stanford
*Texas
*UCLA
*Conn
*Purdue
*Duke

Elite Eight
*NC
*Tennessee
*Kansas
*Wisconsin Georgetown
*Memphis
*Texas
*UCLA
*Duke

Final Four
*NC
*Kansas
*Memphis
*UCLA

National Championship
*UCLA Memphis
*Kansas

Champion
*Kansas

I’m not convinced that Hillary is the demon spawn that many make her out to be, and as far as Republicans go McCain isn’t the worst…but I think Obama blows them both out of the water. I’m not a phone calling dude either (I talk on the phone more than enough at work), so I’ve taken Ryo’s challenge and contributed to his mini-fund raiser. I’ll post an update if Ryo gets back to me on how to say “yes we can” in Japanese.

Drug induced dreams night 3:

I don’t remember any dreams from last night as well as the ones from previous nights. The one I vaguely recall involved me scoring my first triple double in the NBA. My team lost despite my efforts.

A relative forwarded me the following email:

TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AND READ THIS LETTER. THESE ARE STRONG, POWERFUL AND COURAGEOUS WORDS COMING FROM A RETIRED COLONEL. AND READ WHAT LINCOLN HAD TO SAY AT THE END. WOW! 33 Senators voted against English as America ’s official language on June 6, 2007. Of the 33, only one is a Republican and two are Independents; the rest are Democrats!

On Wednesday, June 6, 2007, at 23:35:23, Colonel Harry Riley, USA-Ret. wrote:

Senators:

Your vote against an amendment to Immigration Bill 1348 to make English America’s official language is astounding. On D-Day, no less, when we honor those who sacrificed in order to secure the bedrock, character and principles of America , I can only surmise your vote reflects a loyalty to illegal aliens.

I don’t much care where you come from, what your religion is, whether you’re black, white, or some other color, male or female, Democrat, Republican or Independent, but I do care when you’re a United States Senator representing citizens of America and you vote against English as the official language of the United States.

Your vote reflects betrayal and political surrender. It violates your Pledge of Allegiance, dishonors historical principle, rejects patriotism, borders on traitorous action and, in my opinion, makes you unfit to serve as a United States Senator. Impeachment, recall or other appropriate action is warranted or possibly even worse.

Four of you voting against English as America ’s official language are current or former presidential candidates: Senator Biden, Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd and Senator Obama. You are and were four Senators vying to lead America, but you won’t or don’t have the courage to cast a vote in favor of English as America’s official language when 91% of American citizens want English officially designated as our language.

This is the second time in the last several months this list of Senators have disgraced themselves as ‘political hacks’ unworthy of being Senators and certainly unqu alified to serve as the President of the United States.

If America is as angry as I am, you will realize a backlash so stunning it will literally ‘rock you out of your pants’ and, preferably, totally out of the United States Senate. The entire immigration bill is a farce. Your action only confirms this really isn’t about America , it’s about self-serving politics and it’s despicable at best. It has been said, ‘Never argue with an idiot. They’ll drag you down to their level!

The following Senators voted against making English the official language of America :

Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE) (Unsuccessfully ran for President)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Clinton (D-NY) (Wants to be President)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT) (Unsuccessfully ran for Pre sident)
Domenici (R-NM) (Coward. Protecting his Senate seat.)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI) (Not unusual for him!)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA) (Unsuccessfully ran for President)
Kerry (D-MA) (Unsuccessfully ran for President)
Kohl (D-WI))
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (I-CT) (Disappointment here.)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL) (Wants to be President)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV) (Senate Majority Leader)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)

President Abraham Lincoln stated, ‘Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged!’

PLEASE KEEP THIS GOING AROUND THE UNITED STATES UNTIL THE ELECTION!

Breaking my normally strict rule of NEVER responding to or forwarding chain letters I did ~5 minutes of research and sent the following response (hopefully I got my facts right):

The issue isn’t as simple as the email makes it sound. The democrats in question voted for a similar amendment sixteen minutes earlier. Some of the language of the cited amendment contradicted the first, but the spirit behind both amendments seems the same. It doesn’t make much sense to vote for an amendment that contradicts another you just voted for.

The only problem I see here beyond the usual political shenanigans on both sides is the confused souls who voted for both amendments thus potentially making the bill in question very unclear.

It also shouldn’t be assumed that there really is a Colonel Riley and that he really sent this email. A similar email went around based on a bill that actually passed in 2006: http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/englishvote.asp

Keith

I kept it mellow since I was also breaking my rule of NEVER talking politics with family, but I felt like it needed some response.

Also, Lincoln didn’t really say that.