Believe Me When I Tell You!

A lot of what I read, especially about personal finance, consists of articles online that seek to convince me that something is true or false. For example check out these headlines from actual articles: Five Stock Market Mistakes to Avoid Now! or When Your Stock Price Drops, What Happens to the Money? or this one: The Perils of Herding to Cash.

When I see a headline like this, the first thing I always ask myself is who wrote this and/or what does this company do, what are they interested in (put bluntly, how do they make their money), or who are they aligned with or working for? Funny thing is that I was not always this way.

While I'm all-in in terms of the free exchange of ideas, I do weigh who's expressing these ideas as I read them.

Is objectivity lost? Was it ever there? Is it important or not?

Drinking Guinness `n a 4-leaf clover--At Home

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Are you sitt'n at home wit yer Irish Lass (or Lad as the case may be) tonight sipp'n a Guinness?

I heard on The Closing Bell this afternoon from the CEO of Diageo (owner of among other things, the Guinness brand) who commented on the fact that they're seeing people entertaining at home instead of at the pub. Presumably because of the economy.

In this the 250th anniversary year of Arthur Guinness' brewery, wherever ye at, let's raise one to `im and his fabulous gift to us.

Sláinte!

Amtrak

So. I found myself in Savannah with five choices for how to get home. I could fill in the hitch-hike-home box, and never get there. I could take a bus and perhaps get back in a week. I could take a plane and be home in a few hours. I could take a train and hmm who knows when I'd get home. Or more likely, I could be forced into some odd combination of all these. I ended up taking the combination of first train, then bus, and automobile.

L dropped me off at 10:00 P.M. at the Savannah Amtrak Station. After I picked up my boarding pass from a self-service kiosk ala the airport, I learned that the train was not to leave until later. So, I waited in a pleasant waiting room with other passengers: families, individuals, and college students going on Spring Break. I boarded the Silver Star and settled into my coach class seat, about 12:30 A.M. Friday morning. The train had sleeper rooms if so desired at the front of the train, a dining room, cafe or lounge car in the center and coach class seating cars at the rear. Coach class seating was equivalent to business class seating on an airplane to give you an idea of the amount of space available in a seat. I didn't venture into or eat in the dining car nor observe the occupation levels in the sleeper cars.

It's been almost 30 years since I rode Amtrak my first and last time and frankly I wanted to experience it again. It didn't have much if anything to do with going green, even though Amtrak's on-train magazine Arrive informs us that taking a train is 21% more efficient than taking a car and 17% more efficient than taking a plane, on a per-passenger-mile basis. And since it's about to receive more taxpayer largess, I'd like to describe my experience and intersperse some opinion. It's not black and white in my mind as to whether more support is warranted--but from my experience, I think it's needed. I'll try not to argue for or against but just comment on the idea.

What is good, really GOOD, about taking a train? Well for one, you have an opportunity to meet people. I'm not one to talk about that ancient thing called meeting and chatting, as I spend way too much time in front of a computer for my work and personal pursuits. These are very solitary endeavors, i.e. I don't interact directly, face to face with other people much. But on a train you have people on all sides, from different places, each carrying different bits of news and ideas.

The lounge car is the central meeting place on the train--it's a comfortable, spacious place with tables and booths, and a little underused to my observation. It's a place you can walk to, get a snack and refreshment, and then sit down to talk or just watch the world go by. (Some trains have planned activities in this lounge area, but alas not this one.)

It was in the lounge car that I learned from the lounge car attendant, a combination: bartender, snack salesman, stand-up comedy act, and truth and information purveyor extraordinaire, that this train makes the Miami to New York trip in 30 hours. After arriving in New York's Penn Station, it is refueled and serviced overnight and makes the return trip the next day departing just before lunchtime. Since I met this fellow in my pursuit of a quenching Sam Adams Boston Lager Friday afternoon, I'll call him the bartender. He informed me that he works the 30 hours straight will little or no rest, sleeps in New York overnight, then does the same back to Miami at which time he has four days off. Lather, rinse and repeat. This bartender (a Steelers fan!) was a font of information and fun. He definitely made the trip more enjoyable for me.

The lounge bar had a selection of macro lagers, said Sam Adams, and mixed drinks, sodas, juices, and such. Suffice to say that I could be very happy drinking at this bar.

Also in the lounge car, I met a fellow from Cary North Carolina, on his way to visit relatives in Washington D.C. We got to talking on a wide-range of subjects like education, the financial difficulties in America right now, Jon Stewert versus Jim Cramer, and of all things we found some common ground on beer. Yes, beer! We talked about the laws governing beer and alcohol in general and he informed me that his grandfather sold the ingredients to make beer, hops and barley, during Prohibition, with the express and openly displayed purpose that you could take these ingredients home and make beer. Now you couldn't make it for a person and sell them the finished product, but you could sell them the ingredients and tell them how to do it themselves. This was perfectly legal and not some underground commerce activity. He related how his grandfather displayed various quality levels of ingredients with which one could make regular, premium, and ultra premium varieties.

Back in my seat, sitting in the seats in front of me, I met a mother and son traveling to New York to visit the son's father. We kept up a happy game of peek-a-boo the last portion of the trip from Baltimore to Philly. He learned my name as Tony and he soon gave me the moniker of Tony the Tiger. Just as fast I learned his name, Omar and after some time, prescribed him the nickname: OK Omar.

I suppose that there are as many stories like this as there are people, if you only open your eyes and ears and make the effort to engage and listen. And on a train there are ample opportunities for both as there's ample time and people.

At some point in North Carolina, the track changed from the clickety-clack type to an unbroken silver ribbon that was smooth and almost silent. I could not fathom the reason for this other than thinking that this might be the point where Amtrak had to stop upgrading for lack of money. After leaving Union Station in Washington D.C. track quality seemed to improve yet again (was it that we were now riding Acela rails?) and I noticed for the first time banked corners. It was here when the engineer brought the hammer down and where I guessed we reached our maximum speed of about 100 miles per hour. I would say that the maximum speed on all the other portions of the route were perhaps 65 MPH.

Even though my ticket said we were to leave at 11:30 P.M. Thursday, we left Savannah 12:30 A.M. Friday, causing me to worry would I still be able to make my Martz bus connection at 5:00 P.M. Friday afternoon in Philly. The worry was needless as we pulled into Philadelphia at about 3:45 P.M. Friday, 15 minutes late. Put another way, across a 30 hour trip we arrived within .8% of the scheduled trip time. Not bad. Amtrak Joe being in Union Station Friday afternoon probably delayed us a little!

I think that selection of an automobile (model, color, etc.) is an individualistic one, much like the choice of a horse which it replaced (and the trains that it replaced, by and large, for that matter). A means, like a mirror, of telling the world something about our individual characteristics, itself a declaration that we are individuals, valuable and special. And nothing says America more than its love of the open country and a car with which to go wherever the hell we please to explore it. On this basis alone, taking a train could be viewed as anti-individualism and a country fed on Westerns will always have a hard time going seemingly backwards and accepting the togetherness aspect of train transportation.

In Eastern PA it was the exception where the 1000 person `burg didn't have passenger train service. Shickshinny for heaven's sake had a train station and you could get anywhere in the country from there! What am I trying to say: trains once had a much vaster network of rail than they do now. (Thankfully, much of the right of way is still here.) I don't have data that would tell us though, if the companies running the trains back then made money at it. That would be interesting to research and find out though. Suffice to say the physical network could be enhanced to provide service to more people if we so chose to do that.

I don't think we'll soon reach a point of widespread mass train transit in this country. I do think that what we have can be made more efficient in terms of saving energy. It does seem to be excellent for short distances city-center to city-center. It is viable for longer distances, if you can afford the time. Are we as a people ready to accept slower transport for the benefit of less energy consumed? I wonder if it ultimately comes down to that? Is time in human terms dynamic in nature in the sense that if I don't have a job, I have all the time in the world for other things and if I do, I don't and have to do other things like get around, faster?

The accommodations are an absolute plus and in fact may be unmatched--really the only thing coming close to this in transportation is the ultra-high end international flights with sleeping rooms, four star dining, etc. The intangibles like meeting people and learning new things are also a plus, to me.

Savannah Beer Adventures

I arrived a little early in Savannah, as L was still taking her last final, so I decided to make a quick stop at Moon River Brewing Company on West Bay Street to try out their liquid fare. I didn't have a lot of time on this, my third trip to Savannah, but just enough time to make my first visit to their fine establishment.

Now if you've been to Savannah you can skip this paragraph but if you haven't and want to visit, read on. Savannah is laid out along and to the south of the Savannah River of all things. There is a more or less pedestrian cobblestone streeted tourist area down by the river, along what is called River Street, consisting of various eateries, shops, bars, clubs, and such. The elevation change from the river's edge to Bay Street which is really the first proper street paralleling the river, is probably on the order of 50 feet or so and there are various access stairways and ramps from the upper area of the city, down to the river. Along Bay street you'll find various hotels, restaurants, and strangely enough a pretty area where they keep the government buildings. Bay Street divides into East and West sections at Bull Street which is one of the streets perpendicular to Bay Street that leads directly to one of the amazing park squares. Other streets perpendicular to Bay Street also extend to other squares. Each is differently landscaped with various species of trees and flowers, so if your a horticulturalist, these are a must see. There is on-street metered parking but it can be difficult to locate close to Bay Street. Of course, parking wherever you can find a spot is encouraged, as this is a walking city.

I was able to find a spot and park on a square a few blocks away and enjoyed a stroll over to Moon River. This being Savannah after all, there were tourists and students out and about in shorts and sandals, enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.

As I approached, ancient, open double doors not unlike those you might see along South Franklin Street in W-B, beckoned me to come inside. One step up from the sidewalk deposited me inside the doors where I faced the square bar with seating for perhaps 30--20 stools being occupied at 4:30. I was able to find a stool and sat down to survey both the beer menu and the interior.

There were a number of intriguing selections including a sessionable Wit, but I hadn't much time. What now? A Porter? Next time. Then my eyes fell to the Sly Fox IPA coming in at a clever 7% which I opted for, and which arrived quickly and with just the right amount of bravado. The color was unusual for an IPA more to the straw end of amber, but wow was the flavor and taste spot on.

As I sipped, I perused the room. The bar has an arch over the front and back bars and the sides were traditional. The brewery is to the left standing inside the front doors. The right side of the room has tables and chairs for eating. A flat panel graced each wall at the back corner of the bar, just high enough to see Penn State playing in the Big 10 tournament.

Being in the 70s, I had an awful thirst which was slaked in epic fashion by the Sly Fox. I quickly finished and left, striding jauntily back to my car--prepared to take on whatever Savannah would next provide.

The Last Dance

I have discovered it hard to say goodbye to the vehicles I have owned. This is due to the relationship I form with each one. Some have been one-way relationships where I asked and received much more of and from them, than they ever asked of me.

In others I have found myself the codependent in the relationship, pouring more and more money and oil into them, hoping upon hope that just one more fix would make everything OK, but in the end, I was only the enabler of their dysfunctional behavior.

The relationship I had with my 2003 Explorer was a good one overall and lasted 5.5 years and 188,000 miles.

The pairing started out great--we met on my birthday and had a few blissfully transcendent weeks together. The honeymoon ended quickly though when an unruly junkyard dog of a rear differential chewed through its speed sensor and got out, causing erroneous ABS application. Little did I know at the time, but just replacing the chain wasn't gonna soothe this raging beast--this dog was hungry as hell and soon broke the chain again and started howling not just at the moon but whenever I took it out for a walk. I ended up having to give that dog away and replaced it with another from eBay. This one's temperament was just right and continues to faithfully do its job to this day.

This being my first 4 by 4 relationship, I guess I never realized just how high maintenance she'd be. For example, the front wheel bearings on `er have been replaced a number of times. Seems like she gets tired of `em every fifty thousand dances or so. The first time, I had `em professionally replaced but thereafter I did it myself. I thought I could do a better job of taking care of her.

And oh does she love shoes! And ankle bracelets too! I won't even go into how many pairs she's gone through.

Now, she didn't like surgery much (or was it me procrastinating due to the amount of pain she'd have to endure), and resisted it even when under the knife. Her bones were strong as steel--I should know I spent two hours once amputating the bolt connecting a shock to the lower control arm. But in the end, she had new shocks and thanked me for it by acting like a young colt let to frolic in the pasture for the first time.

I neglected her at times and took her for granted. I'm not thrilled by that. I thought that I could make it up to her by giving her fresh oil and flowers. But she always forgave and accepted my attention.

On Thursday, I had one last dance with her, 781 miles worth, to Savannah to turn her over to L. I had promised her her, if she did well at school and she has beyond my expectations. She's well deserving.

Craft Beer Hegemony--not like Bud

Wouldn't you say that the macro beers have influenced us beer drinkers for years, by getting the majority of tap handles, prime shelf space, getting into all the distributors, and being able to afford the prime Super Bowl spots?

This has had a direct influence over what we've come to drink, and aligned the playing field such that the craft beers have had to pick up the crumbs of what is left, being forced into smaller venues, slower uptake, retarded adoption, and low revenues.

Further, I think there has always been a copy-cat approach used by the macros--when the big guy came out with a light beer, everyone else dimly followed.

But do you really see this in craft beer? Do you think that anyone making craft beer is at all influenced by these behemoths in terms of beer quality or business model? I don't think so, and in fact I can't even think of one craft brewer trying to influence the craft beer industry in anything but positive ways. That is, being adventurous and creative in what the produce, pushing the envelope, and letting the consumer joy in the results.

You might say that some of the big craft brewers do and have had some influence over the smaller. But this is mostly in pushing the bounds of what's possible in the creative endeavor of brewing and not dominating what is sold in a particular market.

I think of this as the true democratization of beer which might even serve as an example of what we should all be striving for in work and life.

Beer Safes for Sale?

With safecracker-safe safe sales sailing higher these days, I wonder if there are beer safes that provide both climate control and beer bandit protection? Hmmmmm.

Belly Ready Stimulus Spending Ideas

Some states are asking their residents for ideas on spending the stimulus largess. I like this idea:

One Virginia resident proposed a "shovel-ready" idea to lift small business development by giving a six-pack of locally brewed beer to every adult in the state. The cost would be $48.6 million with the assumption that the beer's price would average $7.99.

Vegas

I was surprised a little to see how little the recession has effected gambling. The casinos were all very busy, especially in the evenings. I don't have anything to compare this against however, not having been there at any height of irrational exuberance--for example, at the height of the dot-com bubble.

The average age of gamblers seemed to be in the 30s as opposed to Mohegan Sun/Atlantic City where it's probably 55 to 60. This could have more to do with the lower median age of people out west compared to those in the northeastern U.S., than with younger people having more disposable income to play with. But it could be due to the younger generations having more of the psychological yearning to hit it big in one shot without having to work for it--the gold-digger mentality of those in California and Nevada, if you will.

Almost every casino and the city itself subscribes to the notion of making getting around and away from a casino very difficult. What with the only way to get across the street, sometimes requiring crossing three streets (and three opportunities to go into three other casinos along the way); with casinos internally designed like a rat maze of gaming areas; and casino signage that varies greatly in quality making the New York subway signage look good.

There are bargains to be had. In hotel rooms--they are probably subsidized to a certain degree by the associated gaming in the casino. Restaurants--lots of deals advertised, where you can get a complete dinner for 10 bucks or so.

I'm always struck by being able to drink a beer as you walk around. I'm not sure we need more places that allow this, though.

Aside from gambling and nightlife (and great places to have a brew), there's a lot today within a quarter-day drive of the city. There's the Valley of Fire State Park and Lake Mead to the northeast that can be driven through, hiked, and has some great rock formations and indian petroglyphs. There's the Hoover Dam which is some engineering achievement and turns out to be a fine example of Art Deco architecture. And of course there's the desert and Death Valley which can also be hiked and/or driven through. Based on the waterline of Lake Mead and at the Hoover Dam (behind Lake Mead), they're going through a drought out there. The waterline behind the Hoover Dam was a good 50 feet below the rim of the dam.

Important Life Contemplations

As he stood on the scape, was he contemplating life, or just whether to go that way to find the next great beer?

Bottling of the New Prez I.P.A. complete

I just finished bottling the commemorative, celebratory, paean, which I've been calling the New Prez I.P.A.

This one is loaded with hops including Simcoe®, Cascade, and Amarillo. Dry-hopped with homegrown whole Cascade hops, Amarillo, and more Simcoe®.

In a week or two it should be ready for alpha trial. Beta to follow a couple weeks after that.

This brew is one for the ages--I can just feel it.

Weekend in Vegas

Just got back from a weekend in Vegas. Yeah baby! We hit a lot of beer bars/microbreweries/draft houses and I'm here to tell you each and every one was great. Vegas is a great town for beer and don't let anyone else make you think otherwise. And you can reach most via a short crawl of the Strip. That's S holding some salt from the floor of Death Valley which she used to rim a Margarita....

In no particular order:

Pour 24--just inside the New York New York casino (a short campaign from the Excalibur via walkway), and next to Coyote Ugly. A very good looking rectangular bar overlooking the game floor, and if you can take your eyes off the coyote babes skulking around long enough to have a look at the beer menu, you'll see where it gets it's name as it boasts at least 24 bottles and 24 beers on draught. I had a hard time deciding on one, as many varied styles were represented (someone obviously thought about great beers when building this menu), but I ended up with Big Sky I.P.A. from the Big Sky Brewing Company out of Missoula Montana. I had never tried this one before and it kicks in with just the right amount of hops to keep things interesting but not too much to blow the sucker--call it a hop firecracker. A great place to hit before or after you hit it big downstairs.

Chicago Brewing Company--an oasis if you have a car and want to get away from the Strip. This large place is sitting in one of those suburban shopping complexes that require you to act like a rat in a maze to get in and out of. They have vid poker right at your stool and they make a mean I.P.A. too. Play and the drinks are on the house. Lots of their own beers on draught, but decided on the Hardway I.P.A. which made losing 20 bucks really easy. Oh. I took this picture as I back-crawled back to the car.

Big Dog's Draft House-- Another great microbrewery/bar/casino to visit if you have transpo. This is the cheeseheads paradise for all of Las Vegas as evidenced by the Packers memorabilia scattered around the place. They serve snacks in of course, dog dishes, and the tap handles are what else: fire hydrants. Open 24/7 with video poker right at your stool. As this is Vegas, after all, I had the Dirty Dog I.P.A. which was excellent. A medium hoppy nose and taste. Take my woof for it: the slots are as loose as a pooch and this is the place to go if you want to have fun with the big dogs.

Tenaya Creek Brewery--another oasis requiring caravan by car to get to. Being away from it all ensures that you won't be bothered by any babe-trading-card flicking hucksters like you're want to be if you stick like a fly to that ribbon of asphalt they call the Strip. Great looking, high-ceilinged, U-shaped granite bar, making and serving some great beers. I was swept away by the Monsoon I.P.A. served in a chalice. Can you tell I like I.P.A.s? Poker at the bar, pool tables and brewery in the back. Picked up a copy of the sister-ship to the Mid-Atlantic brewing news: the Southwest Brewing News. So that gives you an idea of the vibe of the place. They know, make, and love great beer.

Ellis Island Casino and Brewing Company--one block behind Bally's you'll find a place where you can get cheap beer and a steak dinner for $6.99, which really can't be beat. Every tap sported a handle screaming EIB and I had a hard time picking between the Hefe and the Amber Ale. But EIB Amber Ale it was and what a great choice that turned out to be. A very clean, balanced ale that made me think I was a lager drinker. Red tufted, naugahyde booths in the dim taproom reminded me of Frank Sinatra in a Vegas-kinda way.

Freakin' Frog--Freaking dark college beer joint is what this is, next to a hydroponic gardening shop. Ehh? Reminds me of the Rathskeller in State College. This place is a longish but not overbearing walk from the Strip near the UNLV campus with a Whisky (or is it Whiskey) school upstairs (for when you're too hungover to attend real classes) and where the professor teaches spirits and beer school. Here they had some nice imports on draught but as this was one of the first places we hit, I wanted to stay local, so I picked the Tenaya Creek Winter Seasonal which was a nice, spicy treat. Of course, winter in Vegas is more like October in NEPA, so I was a bit flavor confused, but it was great anyway. A nice dark ale with a nice malt kick to the forehead. Kick it!

Crown and Anchor--Roit! This place is a trip back to that quaint place they call England, old chap--old wood bar and exposed timber framing. Rugby and Football on the big screen, and 30 mostly imported beers on the big back wall. I had a Tetley Ale here from the tap which was good in a very English kind of 3.5% way if you know what I mean. (Is it just me or are all their beers session beers under 4% ??? Can you say: lightweights?) S sort-of enjoyed a Pilsner Urqell--which was the first time for her. No amount of forearm scratching, lunatic raving by me could convince her it was a great beer and that she'd like it. To each their own, I guess. A London cab sits out front for an imaginary ride home if you've had too much.

Barley's Casino and Brewing Company--Ahh, our first stop. We were on the way back from the Valley of Fire State Park where we had fired up an awful thirst so this place fit the bill perfectly. (It does require some ground transportation to get to as it's not in Vegas but Henderson.) This is a brewery/casino. Sheesh! Does it get any better than casinos and beer? No I.P.A. on draught right now, so opted for the Boulder Gold Hefeweizen over the Doppelbock. Hard choice but it turned out well as the Hefe hit all the right banana and clove notes on my sense piano. Had some pizza from their flame-fired oven which was good. The pieces were thick, wedgy, and gooey with cheese, and unlike what I'm used to in NEPA pizza. Was this Chicago style? Anyway, great with the beer.

Monte Carlo Pub and Brewery--tried to get in here at 9 (a.m. that is) to try one of their brews but they were closed. And I thought Vegas never slept! Did manage to get in later that night when, much to our dismay we discovered they no longer make their own beer. Nonplussed, we ran around in circles for a while trying to decide whether to stay or go but decided to stay and choose something from their small draught selection. I chose the Sin City Stout from the Sin City Brewing Company which was a nice change of pace from all the I.P.A.s I had been quaffing. It was a clean tasting, nippy not biting version with a subtle tinge of coffee.

Hits
Big Dog's Draft House--beer, vibe, and 24/7 service makes this a must.
Tenaya Creek Brewery--another great microbrewery with a nice bar and pool--mid-scale in the luxe factor making it a great date place.

Misses
We missed Gordon Biersch which is east of the Strip, one or two blocks over, near Flamingo street on Paradise. Next time.... Also missed BJ's, the Yard House south end of the strip with a colossal 160 taps, and Triple 7 downtown (take the bus to get to this one if you don't have a car).

Hey, great idea, let's have a month dedicated to Strong Beer

Just happened upon this cool idea for a month (February) dedicated to strong beer. The triple I.P.A. looks deadly. Strong Beer Month.

Bacon Explosion and Beer--Steelers Super Bowl Party Time

As you may know, I have an intense love of bacon and beer.

What sort of beer do you think would go good with the Bacon Explosion. I'm thinking I.P.A. The more imperial the better.