Nugget Nectar

Today I went to the Troegs brewery to get some fresh Nugget Nectar. This is their spring seasonal, and it is very excellent. I am not usually a fan of beers that have such high hop content, but Troegs finds the way to blend the hops with taste so that it is not overwhelming.

I already have a Nugget Nectar glass, so of course I would use it for drinking this beer.

According to the glass, 7.5% alcohol and 93ish IBUs. I highly recommend trying this beer, as I will drink it regardless of the hop content.

Sam Adams...Goes Down Smooth

By now I am sure you have heard that the Portland, Oregon's mayor is in some hot water over a relationship with a teenage intern. Well, whenever there is a story, there is a profit to be made. At Penfifteentees.com (great name, btw), you can purchase the following shirt for $20:




I am a big fan of this shirt, and may have to purchase one. Gave me a good laugh at the office today during lunch. The story has also provide my coworkers and I plenty of pun opportunities. The t-shirt website has some other great t-shirts for you to check out.

The Dark Knight Gets Dissed

The Oscar nominees were announced today, and a great atrocity has occurred: "The Dark Knight" was snubbed for Best Picture and Best Director. While admittedly I have not seen all of the films that are nominated for best picture, the success of the film and positive reviews should have placed it into the Best Picture category. This film was excellently put together, and I have not heard or seen many poor reviews of the film.

Furthermore, the CNN blog article linked above states:

"The film had done well among the motion picture guilds -– producers, directors and writers -– and had both critical praise and big box office in its favor."

So if all aspects of the Hollywood industry gave the film high honors, why did the Academy not include it in its list of Best Picture nominees? Couldn't they have at least nominated it and saw how the voters for the Oscars reacted? I think it's time the Academy removes its grudge against superhero films, especially ones that are very well made. In the words of Stephen Colbert, "The free market has spoken." Therefore, "The Dark Knight" is the best film of the year.

I'd suggest boycotting the Oscars this year, but I assume they will have a tribute to Heath Ledger, especially after he wins Best Supporting Actor. Heath deserves every honor he receives for this film. In honor of him, I will still watch, but not be happy about it.

Tickle Me Pink- Typical

Tickle Me Pink |MTV Music

A new band for you all to check out is Tickle Me Pink.  The band is from Fort Collins, Colorado, and recently released their debut album, Madeline. The video I linked is "Typical", which is a very awesome song. I am a big fan of the lyrics, especially in the chorus. However, the best song on the album in my opinion is "I Can't Breathe". Be sure to check this band out, as they really rock out.

Christen the White House?

Does anyone else think that after the inauguration, a parade, and a ball, that the Obamas took the time out of their evening to christen the White House? Just a thought.  It only seems right that a President and First Lady usher in a new Presidency in this manner. I'm just saying I would.

ESPN Dropping Primetime Thursdays

According to the SportsBusiness Journal, ESPN is dropping the regular MLS Primetime Thursday in favor of a flexible schedule. My first reaction to this was that it was not a good sign for the league. However, after reading the article, it seems ESPN is trying to broadcast more favorable matchups (who can blame them?) and adjust the schedule around other highly watched sports. While in this country the sport is not huge, trying to adjust the schedule so that the casual fan may watch the sport because nothing else is on is very favorable for the growth of the league.

So while the initial thoughts after reading this article spell doom and gloom, the league may actually be more watchable to some people. The ratings last year were pretty terrible, and this adjustment could help. Maybe I should have been watching from home rather than at the bar. 

Seven Mary Three- Cumbersome

Seven Mary Three |MTV Music

The next installment of the Throwback Song goes to Seven Mary Three's "Cumbersome". I am a big fan of the guitar riff and the song really rocks out.  Enjoy the memories!

Voting Begins

Voting begins today for MLS Philly's nickname. The link to vote can be found here.

Flight 1549 Crash Video

This pilot is a hero. He managed to land the aircraft in water without anyone dying, and then proceeded to get everyone off of the plane, women and children first. This video shows the actual crash and the moments after that got everyone off the plane. Excellent footage.

This Is Kaka-esque

Well this just made my day. Just when I thought "I'm on Setanta Sports" was done forever, it looks to be returning as "Special 1 TV". This episode makes me a happy boy.

Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go!

On playoff eve, I pass on this awesome photo.  Enjoy!  As found on Mondesishouse.

Also, look out Ed, Hines is coming!

Bube's Brewery

I decided to check out Bube's Brewery last night. The brewery is located in Mount Joy, PA.  When we walked in, they seated us in the Bottling Works. This was my first experience there, and after talking with some people who have been there, I wish they would have asked us where we wanted to sit. Apparently, the place to eat is in the Catacombs, which includes the tour of the brewery. But alas, I was unaware of this going into the restaurant. 

The Beer

I was a little shocked when I asked the waitress what beer they had, and her reply was, "We have our own beer and we have..." She began to list all of the beers they had on draft, without putting emphasis on Bube's beers. So I had to ask her again specifically what beer the brewery had on draft. After listening to the list, the first beer I had was the Vienna Lager.

From 1-16-09 Bube's Brewery

This beer was excellent. It had a very smooth taste with a good caramel taste. It was similar to Yuengling Lager, but it definitely tasted of a higher quality.

The second beer that I had was the Dunkelweizen.  

From 1-16-09 Bube's Brewery

This was a very flavorful beer. My taste buds were put into shock when I first sipped this beer. As my boy Adam pointed out, you could tell that this beer packed an alcoholic punch. My favorite part of this beer is its lack of filtering, as you can see from the picture above, light does not pass through this beer.

I basically stayed with these two beers, as I wasn't enticed too much by the limited selection of the other beers. I tried my boy Mike's Cream Ale.

From 1-16-09 Bube's Brewery

This beer was terrible. I have never has a beer like this, but there was too much cream put into this beer. It felt like the beer was foaming in my mouth.  The taste was very similar to cream soda.

My boy Adam tried the Belgian Strong Pale Ale. 

From 1-16-09 Bube's Brewery

I did not sip this beer, but Adam liked it at first, and then said the aftertaste really got to him. So much so, he did not order another Belgian, but elected to go with the Vienna Lager.  In my opinion, I think the lager is Bube's best beer that I have tried.

The Food

I ordered the Tuscan Chicken, and I thought it was excellent tasting. However, when I was done eating, I did not feel satisfied. I felt for $18, the meal could have been a little more filling. The side of mashed potatos was excellent. For the money, my Boy Mike seemed to do the best by getting a chicken wrap that only cost $9.  

Overall

I thought overall that Bube's Brewery was a nice place, but I think my expectations were too high. I would be willing to give it another chance if I got to eat in the Catacombs. However, I would rather eat at Appalachian Brewing Company, as it has a more robust portion of food and a much longer draft list. And the draft list at ABC is comprised of only ABC beers.

Watchmen

I'm am very excited today. The "Watchmen" dispute between Warner Brothers and Fox has been resolved, and it looks like the movie is going to be released on time. At least both sides could come to an agreement and think about the fans. This movie is going to have a decent cult following, and it may pick up some mainstream viewers due to its advertising before "The Dark Knight" and on ESPN. I plan on being at the IMAX theatre March 6 to watch this long-awaited film.

Kaka Transfer

According to Sky Sports, Manchester City's transfer offer for Brazilian Kaka has been increased to £107 million ($157 million).  While the midfielder is very talented, I am not convinced that any player is worth this much money.  The downside to the new Arabic owner with his vast oil wealth (over $1 trillion) is that other teams will not be able to match their pockets.  The only saving grace for the "poorer" teams is that Manchester City does not have the historic appeal of Manchester United, Real Madrid, or Barcelona.  So, while some players will resist going to The City of Manchester Stadium, the owners are going to make it very difficult to resist the money that they will throw at players.

RBNY Flyer

How weird does the flyer for Red Bull New York look with "Western Conference Champions" pasted across the top?  I believe this flyer alone makes the argument to remove the current conference system and go to a single table.  Playoffs can still be played with a single table: just take the top eight teams.  But seeing a New York team as a Western Conference champion is a little ridiculous.