The best beer I ever had

Portland, Oregon

The year was 1992. I was attending MLC in NW Portland and one day me and a buddy took a tour of the Blitz Weinhard brewery on West Burnside. It was like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory for the adolescent male. The shining steel vats that held the malts dazzled our eyes. We savored the pungent aroma of the hops as it assailed our nostrils. All the secrets that went into the crafting of the delicious nectar we loved were revealed! And then! Then, a creaking sound like some mischievous yet benevolent banshee called out to us. We turned to see two large oaken doors swing wide to reveal an inner sanctum. Into the shadows we stared. Could it be? Yes it could! The friendly staff beckoned us into the tasting room! The dark stain of the polished fir bar adorned with brass rails hid the spoils of the room like a pirate's chest overflowing with gold, but the treasure it offered was golden hops tailored to a tasty perfection! We had our pick of brews to sample. Henry's classic? Henry's Dark? What'll it be? Asked the bartender. We answered in the manliest voices we could muster....... Blitz, please.

We may have entered the brewery that day as boys, but when the exit doors opened onto West Burnside Street to reveal a rare glimpse of pacific northwest sunshine, we did not squint. We did not shy away from the light. We proudly strolled out those doors with our heads held high. We emerged as men!

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I'm not a catalyst I'm a catfish

cat·a·lyst

ˈkad(ə)ləst/

noun

1. a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

   • a person or thing that precipitates an event.

     "the governor's speech acted as a catalyst for debate"

     synonyms:

     stimulus, stimulation, spark, sparkplug, spur, incitement, impetus "the governor's speech was a catalyst for debate"

   
   

Sometimes after making a statement you realize that the opposite is true. Maybe we tell ourselves things sometimes that are not true to convince ourselves that they are.

I don't think I'm a catalyst because even though I may want to change things I will also be changed by my experience. A catalyst, in a chemical sense, isn't.

Maybe I'm more of a catfish. Catfish has taken on a new definition because of the movie catfish that came out in 2010 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catfish_(film)

SPOILER ALERT. please go watch this movie it's good.

the definition has become someone who misrepresents themselves online or uses fake profiles to mess with people. If you watch the movie, that's not really what it says. 

The definition comes from a story in the movie (on wiki page) Vince, relays a story of how when live cod were shipped to Asia from North America, the fish's inactivity in their tanks resulted in only mushy flesh reaching the destination. However, fishermen found that putting catfish in the tanks with the cod kept them active, and thus ensured the quality of the fish. 

This is the definition I like better. Basically someone who stirs shit up.

So I'm not a catalyst, I'm a catfish.

Categories: film blogging 99823 99843 

Evolve

Population boom and tech boom have exploded, but evolution takes a long time. There's no way evolution is keeping up. Stephen Hawking says we have 100 years to colonize another planet or perish, I'm inclined to agree.

Some people are skeptical of being able to colonize mars, and argue that we should just save Earth. It's made for us, we're already here, etc.. and those are good points.

But that's assuming we can control population growth and become sustainable, which is a dubious proposition knowing human nature, how short-sighted and tribal we are.

Colonizing Mars might not be the thing that saves us. It's how colonizing mars will change the way we think and act. As soon as we start sending people to mars, two things happen.

1. We start thinking and acting as a species, instead of as an Oregonian, an American, a Mexican.. we start thinking and acting as HUMANS. This is the mindset we need to take on climate change here at home. Mars could save us in this way.

2. On a ship, on Mars, in a really inhospitable environment, sustainability is a requirement that cannot be ignored. We simply will have to be sustainable. Recycle and reuse every resource or perish. Control population growth or perish. THE SAME THINGS WE NEED TO DO ON EARTH but in a much more tangible, immediate way.

think about it.

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DIY philosophy

I see a lot of DIY projects online and there's not doubt there a lot of really creative people out there, but I want to share my criteria for a really awesome DIY project.

In my opinion, the main reason to do it yourself is to save money and/or time. If it takes a lot of time and money, it defeats the whole purpose. You could have just paid someone else to do it for you.

Many DIY projects I see start off with purchasing a bunch of materials and tools, again, in my opinion, defeating the purpose.

I would say a truly great DIY project meets these criteria;

It is cheaper than paying someone to do it for you.

It does not require a lot of materials or tools. Ideally it can be completed with stuff you already have laying around the house, saving money and time spent running to the store.

It comes off as good OR BETTER than if you would have paid someone else to do it.

Maybe I'll start a category for judging my own and other DIY projects based on this criteria.

Categories/tags: DIY philoshopy 99829 99843