dodoblog

Pinball Mag Article

2011-09-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

'wrote this for PinGame Journal, a national print publication!

Full article here:

Clips from my last gig with Iritis

2011-09-15T14:55:00.001-05:00

Before leaving town, i played one last gig with Iritisback at the Velvet Lounge.

Here's your own private little virtual concert:

Intro

Caravan Instrumental

Our latest composition, Foolish Heart

Konfusion, written by Neguine

The closer, Gates of Dawn

There's more Iritis vids up here.

Meet the Tulip Snail from Sarasota, FL

2011-05-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

Cakerific

2011-04-06T17:32:00.002-05:00

Butterfly at The Velvet Lounge

2010-10-20T01:13:00.002-05:00

written by Neguine, based on poetry by Rumi

Bring it to PAPA: Pinball to the Max

2010-08-05T13:36:00.012-05:00

My very first trip to the annual Professional and Amateur Pinball Association (PAPA) event in Pittsburgh was a phenomenal time.

It was far better than anything I had envisioned:
the venue was larger, there were more games than i imagined (450 is just a number... seeing them all... wow), everything was well organized, the facilities were top notch, clean and modern, and the games were in great condition.

Sweet artwork by Mike Budai and Brian Holderman:

The place is just huge and comfortably spacious

The machines were in great shape. With several techs roaming (wearing the black shirt), any issues were fixed swiftly...

There were 3 overhead HD TVs where you could follow the action.
Watching some of the Masters do their thing was pretty darn impressive.

I left some High Scores behind and hope they will hold

Battling the silver ball for 12-15 hours a day was a grueling and blissful experience, i was aching but no way i was stopping!

I already can't wait till PAPA 14 next year.

Pre-Chewed

2010-04-19T12:03:00.001-05:00

Ash and Lightning over Eyjafjallajökull

2010-04-19T11:53:00.003-05:00

My Sister's First Sculpture

2010-04-15T01:26:00.003-05:00

Well she has been drawing for years.
But for a first sculpture it's just stunning.
yay sis!

A Dream Gig

2010-03-31T22:04:00.013-05:00

Just last summer I got to witness Ayurveda live for the first time.
While getting my CDs autographed I told the lead singer Tom how I'd love to get them to DC and have my band Iritis open for them...

With perseverance and lotsa hard work, it's happening!
And I enlisted local prog-metal phenoms Iris Divine to join us on the bill too.

A true dream gig. YES!

Iritis Rocks the Red

2010-03-12T18:26:00.003-05:00

Pj Harvey and Björk

2010-02-22T12:19:00.002-05:00

Icons Synergy
wow

Orianthi

2010-02-04T10:13:00.008-05:00

A gorgeous young woman who can shred like the best of them,
has played with legends already and is backed by PRS guitars.

With her power girl pop leanings and insane guitar chops,
she's about to reach a whole new audience and hopefully
get them into pure guitar like Santana did.

Watch out!
From the Land Down Under, this is Orianthi.

A Local Pinball Oasis

2010-02-02T12:19:00.009-05:00

Moving to my new neighborhood has been a spectacular pinball blessing. Not only is there's a classic dive bar not too far away with some 10 machines, but I also got to meet a fairly close neighbor with an incredible personal collection of pins.
He has 9 more machines not even pictured here!

He's generously had me over a few times and has been phenomenally helpful in introducing me to the surprisingly thriving national pinball scene. Under his expert friendly guidance I'm also learning lots about how to BUY a machine.
that's right baby.....

Stiletto

2010-01-26T18:28:00.003-05:00

"Sharing" the stage with Zakir Hussain

2009-09-07T12:46:00.007-05:00

Following our dream gig with Kehkashaan opening for the B-52's back in May, the members of Iritis have been hired back to support bollywood singers Minakshi and Simha for a couple more gigs.

One of them is at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst on November 7th. Get the event and tickets info here.

This event is organized by the Asian Arts and Culture center at UMass.
Another event they are hosting this season is an appearance by
Zakir Hussain and his Masters of Percussion.

So one *could* say that we'll be performing on the same stage as the one and only incredible virtuoso, teacher, trailblazer, innovator and master: Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Optimus Destructor

2009-09-01T16:39:00.006-05:00

It's a good idea to take the gas nozzle out before driving off.
This little adventure cost someone (wadn't me!) $125 although
I may or may not have been somehow involved in this adventure.

There is a perfectly good explanation for this.
The driver and passenger were distracted by this brand new purchase:

Rastafar Rye at the Blue Tusk

2009-08-17T15:09:00.013-05:00

The fantastic Blue Tusk in Syracuse, NY has some 69 great beers on tap in addition to excellent service, music and food. Definitely one of my all time favorite bars.

But this has got to be the greatest beer name and tap i've ever seen.
From Blue Point brewing in Long Island....

"Ever living, ever fearful, ever sure... JAH!" Rastafar Rye!

IRITIS Auditioning for New Lead Singer

2009-08-12T16:28:00.002-05:00

Greetings friends,

Nita is transitioning out of Iritis to pursue her solo career.
We wish her the best of luck and tremendous success.
Currently we're still practicing together for a couple of
big bollywood private gigs with Kehkashaan and also
still recording together to finish up our album.
Stay tuned for an upcoming farewell and CD release concert.

Our search for a new lead singer has already begun.
Here is the ad:

Experienced band replacing lead singer.
Vocalist with prog-rock or international music
background and gig experience preferred.
Playing keyboards, guitar or any ethnic instrument a big plus.
Creative musical and lyrical input encouraged.
Mandatory practice 2x/week currently held in Bethesda, MD.
Gigs at least 1-2x/month.
Existing and growing repertoire of all original music:
psychedelic rock with eastern influence and elements
of world, fusion, prog and metal.
We start gigging again as soon as possible.

Please contact iritisband_ at -gmail_ d0t -com
with a recording sample.

http://www.myspace.com/iritis
http://www.reverbnation.com/iritis

Grassroots Festival, Trumansburg NY

2009-07-22T13:15:00.008-05:00

We had a superb time at the Grassroots Festival this past weekend.

The above picture and video below are of Ayurveda.
Their prog rock fusion rocked the house and blew me away. This is the one band i really wanted to see and they far surpassed my expectations. At the end of this song the Tuvan musicians of Alash Ensemble join them for a little jam. Phenomenal:

Hey who's that in the crowd?

Another highlight for me was the easy going vibes of local faves the Sim Redmond Band and especially their new female singer's heavenly honeyed voice.

All around this was the nicest festival I've ever been to:
laid back atmosphere, all ages from rockin' grandmas to toddlers, very friendly people including! the vendors and the food was surprisingly scrumptious. Who would expect a memorable world-class felafel sandwich at a music festival!? And boy was it delicious. And you can't go wrong with samosas, Laotian! food, Cajun BBQ and made-to-order fruit juices.

They had an impressive recycling/compost set-up all over the grounds. And it was BYOB! So we gladly obliged with some Grassroots Saison Ale from Great Lakes brewing, great cans of Sly Fox Weiss and Pils, and the worthy local session beer Genesee Cream Ale.
Behold! The craft can brewing revolution is in full swing!

Vids from our B-52s opening gig with Kehkashaan

2009-06-24T10:09:00.004-05:00

Check out the pictures!

SAVOR

2009-06-04T14:47:00.003-05:00

a nice intimate little evening with 1,700 of my fellow beer lovers and the whole firmament of craft brewers...
For an event in only its second year, SAVOR was a resounding success again!

There were many improvements over last year's maiden event, the gorgeous National Building Museum was a much more spacious venue than last year's Mellon auditorium. Food, beer and restrooms were plentiful and the lines were never prohibitive. And when the DJ spun Welcome to Jamrock evret'ing was all-right.

Food was excellent and even included a diverse selection of superbly revelatory Wisconsin cheeses and a deservingly popular oyster bar.

Of course the $90 ticket is pretty steep, that's why we volunteered to help out at the event, which means we did not get to fully enjoy the proceedings or even try half of the offerings but we did have some nice special access...

Can't wait till next year's repeat!

First Veggies of the Year

2009-05-31T15:02:00.003-05:00

Opening Gig for The B-52s!!!

2009-05-15T15:30:00.008-05:00

It was one extraordinary day on May 12th 2009.
My band Iritis was hired to back up singer Minakshi
for an opening gig at the National Harbor...

...for the One and Only...

What a blast!!!

the rest of pictures from the event are posted here.

Watch the videos!

The March of The Barchan Dunes

2009-04-20T13:21:00.009-05:00

Definitely a good album title

Martian Barchan Dunes

Arabian Barchan Dunes

Tickets to Jollity

2009-03-21T11:43:00.007-05:00

This is the pleasing sight that greets me every time i walk by the fridge.

It announces an exciting spring season full of great concerts and events:
- top notch world fusion with Balkan Beat Box at the legendary 9:30 club, and Orange Blossom at the Lisner with its excellent acoustics;
- the best of the best in advanced jazz fusion with the one and only John McLaughlin, Chick Corea and an all star line-up at the superb Strathmore hall;
- the always fantastic annual Cheese tasting extravaganza at the National Geographic with the erudite and immensely opinionated and entertaining Steve Jenkins, the first American to be honored as a Chevalier du Taste Fromage;
- and the kick ass nordic metal assault of Opeth.

Last but not least, this spring my bandmates from IRITIS and I might also be opening for a hugely world renown band. I hope to have some actual news to share soon....

Bernard Purdie: Supremely Effortlessly Funky

2009-03-19T11:38:00.000-05:00

Kennedy Center Millenium Stage Performance

2009-02-23T20:11:00.010-05:00

Contradiction Dance invited us to perform on the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage with them last April.

Ahmed and I wrote a song which they choreographed. We then also performed these two other original compositions written for the occasion: "Aoutar" and "Risha".

Here is the full 1-hour long podcast of the whole dance performance.

Back from Colombia

2009-02-22T17:16:00.006-05:00

We're back from a terrific vacation under the warm Colombian sun,
"where the only risk is wanting to stay."
This picture sums up a lot of things about our trip:

Check out our pictures or this slideshow:

Eggies in a Basket

2009-02-19T10:19:00.003-05:00

This fast, easy and scrumptious breakfast has become a staple at home.
I usually melt a thin slice of cheddar on top for extra deliciousness.
Fresh coarsely ground pepper is a must.

'gotta love all the different names for it:
egg in a window, egg in the hole, pirate's eye, toad in the hole, Adam and Eve on a raft, bird's nest, bull's eye, cave entrance, camel's eye, eagle eye, egg castorini, egg in a blanket, egg in a frame, egg in a hat and a coat, egg in bed, egg inside of a hollowed-out piece of bread, eggy toast, eye of the beholder, gaslight eggs, hobo toast, hole-in-one, lidless eye, nest egg, o'johnnies, plus-three bullet of smiting, submarine egg, sun's drop of dew, victory egg, Rocky Mountain toast, toaster spurtals...

and my faves: yolky pokey, egg-holey-o!

I'm forever thankful to Mr. Franklin C. for cooking my friend Brett and I our first encounter with this dish many years ago.

mmmmm eggies!

Shapes and Sizes

2009-01-14T03:49:00.003-05:00

i am related to one of them...

First batch of homemade pasta!

2009-01-12T19:36:00.002-05:00

Dogfish Head Brewery Pilgimage

2009-01-05T00:33:00.011-05:00

A little while back we headed out to Delaware to visit one of our favorite breweries, Dogfish Head. They were recently profiled in an excellent article about the founder Sam Calagione in New Yorker Magazine.

Their slogan is "Off Centered Beers for Off Centered People. As you can imagine, the Dogfish beers are odd, potent, unique and often delicious. They use more hops per barrel than any other brewery in the world. And they often use unorthodox ingredients in their beers such as saffron, cocoa nibs, a variety of grapes, annatto (fragrant tree seeds), chrysanthemum flowers, figs...

One of Beth's favorites DFH concoction is Heaven & Hell. It's an insane black & tan you make yourself with 18+% World Wide Stout and 20% 120 Minute IPA. It packs a punch in many different ways...yum....

A piece of brewing history!

Sir Hops Alot is the quirky brainchild of Sam Calagione.

"Typically, brewers only add hops during two points of the brewing process - once in the beginning to impart flavor and bitterness and then again at the end for aroma. Once upon a time, Sam was watching a cooking show and the chef was preparing soup. The chef on the show emphasized the importance of slowly and continuously adding the pepper throughout the cooking process. He said that continuously peppering the soup would yield better flavor than just adding it all at once.

And then a light bulb went off in Sam’s head … instead of adding the hops all at once, why not try to continuously hop the beer over a set period of time? This is how the 60 minute ale was born. The first time Sam brewed 60 Minute IPA he used an old vibrating tabletop football game that he found at a garage sale. He put the game over the brew kettle and covered the surface with hops. The little plastic football players shook and spun their way down the field, continuously distributing hops into the kettle over a 60 minute time period.

The old plastic game from the 80’s didn't last very long for the continuous hopping process. So Sam decided to build his own apparatus to do the job. The first model was SIR HOPS A LOT."

When they moved from a 50-bbl brewhouse to a 100-bbl brewhouse, Sir Hops Alot was retired and was replaced by the bigger and badder Sofa King Hoppy.

Dem nutty DogFish peeps built a monster wood tank from a crazy bullet proof Panamanian wood.

"Now nestled in the High-Gravity Cellars at our Milton, Delaware brewery are three great, big wooden tanks. Two of the 300-bbl tanks are made with White American Oak, the third is made from Palo Santo wood (that's the one in the foreground of the photo).

All three of the tanks were build on-site by our friends at Arrow Tank in Buffalo, NY. Each one holds 300-barrels of beer (that's 600 kegs or 9300 gallons). The Palo tank is for conditioning Palo Santo Marron. The oak tanks will be conditioning Immort Ale, Burton Baton, Red & White, 120 Minute IPA, World Wide Stout, Fort, and Olde School Barleywine.

Sound cool? We put together a short movie about the Palo wood tank project, click here to watch."

thirsty yet?

Impermanence

2008-12-31T13:36:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year!

Odetta 1930-2008

2008-12-04T21:28:00.013-05:00

"Rosa Parks was her No. 1 fan, and Martin Luther King Jr. called her the queen of American folk music. Odetta's stage presence was regal enough: planted onstage like an oak tree no one would dare cut down, wearing a guitar high on her chest, she could envelop Carnegie Hall with her powerful contralto as other vocalists might fill a phone booth. This was not some pruny European monarch but a stout, imperious queen of African-American music. She used that amazing instrument to bear witness to the pain and perseverance of her ancestors. Some folks sing songs. Odetta testified." (full Time article)

"Odetta sang at coffeehouses and at Carnegie Hall, and she became one of the most widely known and influential folk music artists of the 1950s and '60s. She was a formative influence on dozens of artists, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Janis Joplin. Her voice was an accompaniment to the black-and-white images of the freedom marchers who walked the roads of Alabama and Mississippi and the boulevards of Washington in quest of an end to racial discrimination."(IHT obit)

Here is her searing live rendition of House of the Rising Sun
on A Prairie Home Companion (12/8/07):
Special thanks to Doc Bogz for this priceless rare gem.

Moroccan Treats

2008-12-04T20:41:00.006-05:00

more food!

Straight from Al Bled, courtesy of Ahmed:
chebbakia, cornes de gazelles, palmiers,
and some fantastic foliated pancakes "mssm'n"

Fresh Fun With Grains

2008-12-03T11:39:00.016-05:00

The Rise of the Breads

30 minutes later... Fresh, Warm and Delicious

We made a spectacular bread last night. Using the spent grains from brewing and some whole wheat flour and local honey. YUM!

The beer we brewed this weekend is happily fermenting. It's a "Home for the Holidays Ale" with a little ginger and allspice, masterfully formulated by our zymurgy sensei Wendell.

The Skies Are Smiling

2008-12-03T11:26:00.009-05:00

Click on the image for the full effect

"At sunset, [the] western sky showed off stunning colors and dramatic clouds reflected in Brisbane Water on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It also featured the remarkable conjunction of the crescent Moon, Venus, and Jupiter forming a twilight smiley face."

From the Great NASA Astronomy Pix of the Day Site.

Rockville December Sky

2008-12-03T11:24:00.001-05:00

Shop Till You Drop

2008-11-26T12:03:00.002-05:00

Doing our part to keep the economy a'rollin' and getting ready for some turkey madness!

Spanakopita!

2008-11-19T15:16:00.002-05:00

It is time for me to give many thanks when I get back from band practice and there's some fresh warm homemade spanakopita waiting in the kitchen for me.
YUM!

"Obama, Yey, Yey, Yey"

2008-11-05T18:41:00.007-05:00

"Your victory has demonstrated that no person... should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place"
- Nelson Mandela

Kenya has declared a national holiday of celebration.

I went to 4 different stores today to try to buy extra commemorative copies of the Washington Post and the New York Times. All stores were completely sold-out.

Here's a sweet sweet track from Extra Golden, a Kenya/US band collaborative. I've been blasting this song all day! It was written to thank some Illinois Senator help them clear their final tourist visa hurdles so they could come perform and record in the US in 2006.

Lyons Classic Pinball, Colorado

2008-10-20T15:19:00.015-05:00

Seeing four pinball machines at Oskar Blues was already a treat. Well, just around the corner was this little piece of heaven called Lyons Classic Pinball.

I walked around in a gleeful daze.
36 games of pinball.
3 rooms chock full.
In the last few years, I have hopelessly watched as pinball has been quietly disappearing from establishments all over.
So this chance find was momentous.

We ended up chatting up the knowledgeable and hospitable owner for a while even though he politely passed over my offer to effusively hug him in gratitude for having such a place. There is no doubt this is a labor of love. I wish him all the best and I can't wait for our next trip out to friendly Colorado.

A quiet moment of prayer and giving thanks

"The Audacity of Hops"

2008-10-17T00:12:00.009-05:00

One of my favorite bars is now The Oskar Blues Restaurant and Brewery in Lyons, Colorado. They call themselves "The Little Brewery That Cans." These fun folks were the first microbrewery to can their beers since 2002. Besides being very practical to take along outdoors, cans are actually better for beer than bottles since they block out all harmful sunlight. Cans are also easier and more efficient to recycle and to ship that bottles. And you can crush them on your forehead if you choose to do so.

Their colorful brewpub is a treasure of a place, full of character and liveliness. When we visited there was a top notch Honky-Tonk band downstairs tearing it up with upright bass, pedal steel guitar and harmonica. The food was outstanding. I had the superb Blackened Redfish Washday on a bed of rice and beans.

But most importantly they had a full arcade room, with not 1, 2, 3 but FOUR pinball machines. When I profusely thanked the hostess for the uncanny perfectness of the place she told me all their pinball machines were actually supplied from a shop right next door....

Modular Star

2008-10-14T02:52:00.002-05:00

While most of us were at work, someone stayed home sick and made this impressive origami out of 30 different pieces. It took more than 3 hours apparently!

Permanent Vacation

2008-09-23T16:36:00.012-05:00

I'm back from vacation and still trying to catch up with everything.
My glasses however are still enjoying the Basque beaches of Southern France.

A complicit sneaky wave allowed them to escape and off they were,
never to be found again. I guess I cannot really blame them, Cap Breton does offers some of the best surfing in Europe.
I can't very well, but see for yourself.

Mac Pro Delight

2008-08-16T11:00:00.005-05:00

It's christmas in August for me at work. To supplement my dual 20' PC, I just received a 30' loaded! Mac Pro. It is a beast. Processing is blazingly fast and it's just so smuv and slick.

Zina hits 200,000

2008-08-16T10:53:00.005-05:00

My trusty 1992 Acura Integra GS-R just hit 200K and she's still doing great. 300K here we come.

The Dale's Way

2008-08-11T15:59:00.007-05:00

Beth and her dad hiked the Dale's Way in England for a week.
Pints of bitter, rolling hills, rustic farms, charging bulls, B&Bs, friendly publicans, ancient stone bridges, big blisters, rain, and then more rain, hearty ales, all spell good times.

Dead Trees, Grand Sable Dunes, Michigan

2008-08-06T14:35:00.004-05:00

We're on a pretty pix rampage.
Here's the National Geographic Picture of the Day

Photograph by Phil Schermeister, 1991

"Long-deceased trees cling stubbornly to the steep flanks of Grand Sable Dunes in Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The precipitous dunes, left behind by ancient glaciers, rise some 300 feet (90 meters) above Lake Superior and spread over 5 square miles (13 square kilometers)."

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Big Lost Country," March/April 1991, National Geographic Traveler magazine)

Milky Way

2008-07-29T17:40:00.006-05:00

NASA's astropix of the day

I have not seen the milky way in too long.

"Sometimes, after your eyes adapt to the dark, a spectacular sky appears. Such was the case earlier this month over Ontario, Canada, when part of a spectacular sky also became visible in a reflection off a lake.

To start, the brightest objects visible are bright stars and the planet Jupiter, seen as the brightest spot on the upper left. A distant town appears as a diffuse glow over the horizon. More faint still, the disk of the Milky Way Galaxy becomes apparent as a dramatic diffuse band across the sky that seems to crash into the horizon far in the distance. In the foreground, a picturesque landscape includes trees, a lake, and a stone wall. Finally, on this serene night in July when the lake water was unusually calm, reflections appear. Visible in the lake are not only reflections of several bright stars, but part of the Milky Way band itself.

Careful inspection of the image will reveal, however, that bright stars leave small trails in the lake reflections that do not appear in the sky above. The reason for this is because the above image is actually a digital composite of time-consecutive exposures from the same camera. In the first set of exposures, sky images were co-added with slight rotations to keep the stars in one place."

Volcanic Lightning

2008-07-24T21:22:00.005-05:00

Thanks to my bud Ed for letting me steal this amazing picture from his desktop. This is the eruption of Chaiten Volcano in Southern Chile in early May.

"Lightning can happen as a result of a volcanic eruption. As the hot ash rises through the cooler atmosphere, transfer of charge occurs. This excess of electrons within the cloud makes it act like a capacitor, and should the conditions be correct, huge electrical discharges may be observed as bolts of lightning during volcanic eruptions."

More pix and long article here.

Thorn in The Moon

2008-07-21T17:43:00.009-05:00

Our lead singer Nita contributed vocals
and piano to a track by Matt Vucic.

simply gorgeous.

A Nation of Whiners in Mental Recession

2008-07-19T15:37:00.002-05:00

Egg on Your Face

2008-07-18T16:37:00.004-05:00

My cell phone has been pretty unreliable for the last few weeks. Since i'm still holding out for a possible new fancy gizmo, I just bought a used phone for $20 on craigslist to tie me over a few more weeks. Here's a random picture that was still on it:

Bethesda Trolley Bike Trail

2008-07-18T09:33:00.009-05:00

Yesterday we stumbled upon a brand new-to-us bike trail going from the White Flint Metro area to the very heart of old downtown Bethesda.

Some section are on roads through residential neighborhoods and the worst part was on the sidewalk along Old Georgetown past the NIH. But the rest was pristine trail pavement going through leafy areas. There are also 2 nice overpasses over I-270 and I-495. I gleefully waved to the stop and go traffic below as we zoomed past, all downhill.

There are still more development planned on this pretty new trail: additional trail markers, map kiosks, wayside reststops, etc. yet it's already a very convenient trail and for the time being, one of DC's best kept secrets.

Here are the original pdfs with
the full map and interesting historical info.

Metro Spirit Iritis Write-Up

2008-07-02T13:28:00.008-05:00

We're written up in the Augusta Metro Spirit ahead of our show at the Red Lion pub this saturday.

"A giant eye stares out at the audience, with squiggly serpent-like shapes fleeing its center. The tapestry hanging on the stage behind the band forces the audience to pay attention, making people feel less like they are sitting in a bar and more like they are chilling in a basement listening to a groovy record. Once the psychedelic rock band Iritis starts playing, the eye draws you in even more, making everything flow seamlessly together in a magical harmony."

full article here.

Minor correction: our album is not completed yet. We have not even really started it. Look for it later this year.

Bamberg Bike Trip Route

2008-06-30T12:03:00.002-05:00

In the planning stages of a little summer trip... The region around Bamberg in Germany is reputed to possibly be the very best bike and beer tasting area in the world.

Five Rivers Planned Route
Find more Bike Rides in Nürnberg, Germany

Now Dance!

2008-06-26T11:13:00.005-05:00

This is one of the quintessential classic french fables. It just came up in conversation with a friend and i found this excellent English translation.

Here it is, followed by the french original:

The Cricket and the Ant
by Jean de La Fontaine
translation by Don Webb

The cricket had sung her song
all summer long
but found her victuals too few
when the north wind blew.
Nowhere could she espy
a single morsel of worm or fly.

Her neighbor, the ant, might,
she thought, help her in her plight,
and she begged her for a little grain
till summer would come back again.

“By next August I’ll repay both
Interest and principal; animal’s oath.”

Now, the ant may have a fault or two
But lending is not something she will do.
She asked what the cricket did in summer.

“By night and day, to any comer
I sang whenever I had the chance.”

“You sang, did you? That’s nice. Now dance.”

La Cigale et la Fourmi
by Jean de La Fontaine
Fables, livre I (1668)

La cigale ayant chanté
Tout l'été,
Se trouva fort dépourvue
Quand la bise fut venue :
Pas un seul petit morceau
De mouche ou de vermisseau.
Elle alla crier famine
Chez la fourmi sa voisine,
La priant de lui prêter
Quelque grain pour subsister
Jusqu’à la saison nouvelle.
« Je vous paierai, lui dit-elle,
Avant l’août, foi d’animal,
Intérêt et principal. »
La fourmi n’est pas prêteuse :
C’est là son moindre défaut.
« Que faisiez-vous au temps chaud ?
Dit-elle à cette emprunteuse.
— Nuit et jour à tout venant
Je chantais, ne vous déplaise.
— Vous chantiez ? J’en suis fort aise :
Eh bien ! Dansez maintenant. »

Rock Star Get-Up

2008-06-23T19:40:00.005-05:00

Our show at the Grog went very well.
Thanks to all our fans who came out to support us and a big thanks to D from the band Bliss who lent us his sweet Marshall amp stack when one of our amps was misbehaving.

This was our second gig with our new singer Nita and we're all getting a better hang of this whole performing thing.

We need some improvement in terms of our stage presence and showmanship. Some of us may suffer from a rock style dysfunction. So here's an idea for a new stage get-up for our lead guitarist:

Cell Phone Recycling

2008-06-23T18:56:00.008-05:00

I'm wrapping up a cell phone recycling initiative at work.
It was a great success, we were able to collect 42 phones!
That's the magic number.

After some research, I opted to go through the non-profit Eco-cell which partners with the National Zoo for three great reasons:
- For each phone they'll contribute up to $15 to the Friends of the National Zoo which provides support to wildlife conservation programs at the Zoo and around the world.
- All phones, batteries and accessories are refurbished if possible, otherwise they are recycled under strict EPA guidelines. This complete No Landfill approach prevents the leaching of toxic chemicals and heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium and lead into the environment.
- Cellphone recycling also helps protect the lowland gorillas of Congo who are threatened by the mining of columnite-tantalite (coltan) used in cell phones.

This last point is how I actually got started on all this.
A friend's father asked me for help with mapping some areas of Congo as he was looking to acquire mining rights for coltan. Unfortunately when i researched it a bit, i found out how in Congo it is mined in the middle of endangered gorilla and elephant habitat. These animals are often killed by rebel bands of natives mining this ore. The UN reported that for the past five years, the eastern lowland gorilla population in Congo has declined by 90%.

After we met for this mapping and GIS work, I'm not sure how far he pursued his efforts but at least i have him to thank for indirectly bringing to my attention the adverse consequences of cell phones.

And why stop now, next up I'm kicking off a battery recycling initiative at work too.

Tinned Gold

2008-06-17T23:49:00.003-05:00

The last time i came back from Morocco in 2003,
i painstakingly lugged home a whole case of sardines,
a most precious loot to be carefully aged and rationned,
my sunny childhood memories deliciously evoked one can at a time.

To my great delight, more and more great sardine brands
have been showing up at my local grocery stores.
I might soon even venture beyond my Moroccan bias
and try some of the European, Asian and American offerings.

An added bonus is that sardines are packed with B12, vitamin D,
omega-3 fatty acids and calcium. They are also low on the food chain
and fast-growing, which makes them among the safest fish from overfishing.

Iritis at the Grog and Tankard

2008-06-13T00:09:00.001-05:00

So Decadent

2008-06-11T18:18:00.005-05:00

At a beer tasting held in a church complex,
the ladies looove Ska Brewing's Decadent Imperial IPA,
hand carried from Durango, Colorado just for this tasting.

It's a hard job to taste all these but someone has to do it.

Having a lively discussion about the merits of triple decoction, flux capacitor yields and stuff.

If it don't fit....

2008-06-10T00:12:00.005-05:00

In the continuing saga of my recent car issues...
I have learned a few important lessons this weekend:

- when you start hearing a flapping sound on the highway, it's a good idea to slow down presto to check it out.
- a spare tire and wheel that actually fit the car would be preferable.
- on an interstate you get a good feel for a 107 heat index, despite the nice breeze from Mack trucks zooming by a few feet from your person.
- and finally, unproperly maintained old cars mean lotsa problems such
as a thrawted trip to hike in the mountains.

Red Lion Pub Flyer

2008-05-14T15:22:00.002-05:00

greetings y'all

my apologies for being out of touch for so long.
I was waiting to get some nice videos to post
but it's taking much longer than anticipated.

In the meantime below is a new poster i just
made for our next upcoming big show.
cheers

Crazy Clouds

2008-04-13T12:29:00.008-05:00

As we emerged from the basement after a great Iritis band practice session, the sky above us was otherwordly.

Pizza Pizza!

2008-04-07T14:52:00.010-05:00

The 32-inch pizza slices from Pizza Mart are not only a true DC institution, they taste like heaven at 2 in the morning.... or after a 4-1 rout by our DC Capitals over the Carolina Hurricanes to grab the first spot in the division. OV! MVP!!!

Long gone are the raucous evenings when the monster slice would only set you back $2.25. These days there are food riots in Egypt and Haiti. The cost of flour and rice has sometimes tripled from China to Mozambique. So $4.50 is not bad at all for a slice that's almost a foot and half long and weighs in close to 1 pound. It also packs 1,117 calories.

mmm..... there's only one Pizza Mart.

Black and Tan Craze

2008-03-18T22:29:00.011-05:00

The marketing wizzes at Anheuser-Busch are giving away a free beer toy!!
I'm a sucker so i signed up of course.
It must be part of their aggressive push in the market since
they took over distribution rights for the European InBev brands (Bass, Stella Artois, Beck’s and Hoegaarden)

Local beer writer Greg Kitsock wrote in his recent discussion
of Black and Tans in the Post:
"It works, but you must pour slowly, because the creamy
stout foam tends to gum up the holes."

So my ol' trusty versatile Guinness spoon might have an edge here.
Plus the MBAs at A-B probably figured it was a great way to gather
information on beer drinkers and force them to buy glassware that will actually fit the brolly. 'sure looks like it is sized only for the new sexy Bass glasses. ....of course i want a couple of those too.

Now I'll just need to get my hands on one of these Brütül LagerHead Turtles to conduct a full comparison test...

Cheers!

A St Patty's Breakfast

2008-03-18T13:51:00.005-05:00

Say!
I like Green Eggs and Spam!
I do! I like them, how lucky-I-am!
And I would eat them in a boat surely
And I would eat them with a goat curry.

A Thirst Quenching Encounter With a Pundit Icon

2008-03-10T10:18:00.006-05:00

Stephen Colbert, born 1964

"Stephen Colbert, the mock pundit for the Comedy Central show The Colbert Report recently contacted the National Portrait Gallery hoping to donate this portrait of himself from his show. While this triple portrait is not one that would typically be accessioned into the Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection, NPG agreed to go along with the joke and hang the portrait for a limited time.

In episodes of The Colbert Report that aired on January 10, 14, and 15, 2008, Colbert tries to convince the Smithsonian that he should be considered a national treasure. He attempts to donate his portrait to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, but the museum’s director suggests that perhaps Colbert should speak to the National Portrait Gallery. Finally, after much "discussion," the director of the National Portrait Gallery finds an appropriate place to hang Colbert’s portrait, in between the bathrooms and above the water fountain.

This portrait will only be here through April 1, so refresh yourself at the drinking fountain while contemplating this portrait of Colbert while you can."

Falu

2008-02-26T19:20:00.008-05:00

'Had the chance to see and meet the lovely, talented and radiant Falu and her crew this past week at their show at the National Geographic.

I've loved her singing and her music after discovering her on myspace a few months ago. But they were even better live!

The rhythm section was rock solid and more forward than on the CD and that was a very very good thing. I was in awe at the masterful musicianship. Absolute control, and supreme tightness. What a show.

They have a perfect blend of "Indie Hindi Rock". Much like we're trying to achieve with Iritis and Middle Eastern music. Except we have a long way to go.....

Here's a glimpse of Falu live!

Beer Can-dle

2008-02-23T17:10:00.004-05:00

With Dremo gone we hit up some of the other ol' haunts. I hadn't been to Galaxy Hut in years, the initial manifestation of the essence of Bardo. I bumped into one of the bartenders from Dremo while there.
Tap selection was as great ever. Pictured here is Stoudt's Fat Dog Oatmeal Stout and Rogue's Charlie 1981, a pretty potent American Strong Ale.
Gotta love the aluminium can candles they had all over the place.

Peace Symbol Turns 50

2008-02-21T13:50:00.008-05:00

"...the peace sign turns 50 years old today. Over the past five decades the peace sign has become one of the world’s enduring icons. The original peace sign was developed in1958 by a British textile designer and conscientious objector named Gerald Holtom."

"He created the symbol by combining the semaphore letters N and D, for nuclear disarmament. [...] The symbol soon began to be used in anti-nuclear protests across Britain and then spread across the globe." (DN!)

The image of a peasant before a firing squad in Francisco Goya's "The Third of May 1808" is also cited as one of his inspirations.
"The white of the victim's shirt represents innocence and purity [...] He alone looks straight at the faceless enemy. Though on his knees he is a giant who towers above all at the very moment before his death."

Memories of Dr Dremo's

2008-02-09T23:35:00.003-05:00

It's gone, it's really gone.
My favorite bar is no more.
Here are some great shots for posterity.

These pix ripped with gratitude from here.

Rats!

2008-02-08T15:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year of the Rat

My nieces:
This is one ol' pix..... Paris, 1996

Miller Pong

2008-02-04T17:46:00.000-05:00

Miller Lite is currently market testing its Miller Lite Brewers Collection – "a triumvirate of craft-style light beers": an Amber, a Wheat and a Blonde Ale.

A review on BeerAdvocate predictably describes the beers as "inoffensive and bland". Quite appropriate as Michael Jackson used to joke "Let me grab a sip of my Miller Lite" when he drank some good ol' H2O.

My bud DP had this to say:
"If nothing else, this will address the long standing need for craft beer to play beer pong with."

"Czech Room Service"

2008-01-30T17:08:00.000-05:00

Czech Pub Mural snagged by a fellow BURPer.

Iritis @ Dr Dremo's

2008-01-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

After all the tremendous build-up to our very first gig,
the day finally came and went.

It was an absolute blast, we had a turnout of at least 50
kind supporters despite the NFL conference finals.

The owner Bill Sr. just gave us complete free reign over the back room and we held fort all night. Our friend Marc came through and helped us out with the sound set-up. We blasted through our set twice.

All the feedback has been enthusiastic and positive. The most glowing endorsement probably came from my father who said "you are much better than I expected".

Thank you all friends, old and new, from close and far,
for showing up and supporting us in our tribute to Bardo/Dr Dremo's,
a mere week before they shut their doors.

Dr Dremo is Dead
Long Live Dr Dremo's

Click below to browse the pictures or check out the slideshow:

Iritis @ Dr Dremo's

Sand Dunes, The Dalles, Oregon

2008-01-24T10:25:00.000-05:00

From the National Geographic Picture Of The Day

"In a curious juncture, a wrinkled span of desert dunes pours into the Columbia River Gorge in The Dalles, Oregon. Eons of erosion by the mighty Columbia River carved this dramatic 80-mile-long (130-kilometer-long) gorge into the Cascade Range. Declared the nation's first National Scenic Area in 1986, the area is known for its 4,000-foot (1,220-meter) canyon walls, lush rain forest, and dozens of waterfalls."

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "A River Dammed," April 2001, National Geographic magazine)

Photograph by Jim Richardson

Why Do I Give Away Some of My Music by Steve Coleman

2008-01-15T13:11:00.000-05:00

Steve Coleman is an avant-garde composer and saxophone player. He has played with the likes of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Big Band, the Sam Rivers Big Band, Cecil Taylor's Big Band, David Murray, Doug Hammond, Dave Holland, Mike Brecker, Cassandra Wilson and Abbey Lincoln. full bio here.

"Steve Coleman is a renaissance man for the left wing of jazz" - Thom Jurek, All-Music

This was originally posted here.

Many people have asked me what are my reasons for giving away music for free. Well, why not? Why should everything always cost something? For me music is organized sound that can be used as sonic symbols to communicate ideas. Since my main goal is the communication of these ideas to the people, then why not provide this music for free and thereby facilitating the distribution of this music to the people. However the distribution of music in this way is not in the best interest of commercial music companies, i.e. record companies, music distributors, retail stores etc.

My reasons for providing free music comes from my belief that musical ideas should not be owned by anyone. I believe that ideas should be free for anyone to use (but not to necessarily sell to others or make others pay for the use of these ideas). The concept of a commons area where ideas can be used for the benefit of all but for the profit of no one may seem like an unrealizable concept in the world today. Basically greed runs the world today and it is because of this that the concept of ownership exits.

There would be no need to own something exclusively unless the use of it was restricted to the owner for reasons of conservation, or the owner wishes to rent out the use of the item to others for a fee. The concept of wealth also stems from ownership and control of resources.

I believe that ideas should be an area that is common to all people. It has been proven that real progress is made when ideas are shared and developed collectively. The ancient Egyptian society is one example of this and the development of the Internet is an example in modern times. The growth of the Internet is definitely due to the concept of open-source software, freeware and shareware. For the most part commercial development has inhibited growth by introducing concepts of ownership, exclusive or restrictive ideas, and the concept of paying for information which in many cases is available for free elsewhere.

Although it is not practical in the present society to have a situation where all ideas and information are available for the use of all, there should be areas where ideas and information are free for the use of everyone. This is especially true of creative ideas and inspired thought.

However people have asked me "if you are going to give away music then how will you survive and make a living?" It does cost money to make recordings, engineers and musicians have to be paid and materials needs to be purchased. However it is not necessary to have the mentality that we need to make a profit from all that we produce. If a person has a strong conviction and a reason for what they are doing, that alone should be enough motivation for the action to be consummated.

Money is not real in the first place, it is an agreed upon concept, in fact just another idea. This particular idea has no value unless everyone agrees on its worth. And generally speaking the desire for, striving for and acquisition of money almost always has a negative effect on the mind. The quest for money, and material acquisition in general, is a barrier to spiritual development.

Giving some ideas and music away does not mean that all needs to be given away for free. But there are some people who either cannot pay for the music or would never even listen to it in the first place if they had to pay for it. For this group of people, and for all the others who have purchased and supported the music in the past, there should be an area where they can go to listen to the music at no charge. I envision a situation where maybe one third to one half of the music that I create and make available to the public will be free of charge. The same would apply to other ideas about the music, general information, music theory, philosophy, etc.

There are still live performances that people can come to and these cannot be free as I need, at a minimum, to pay band members and my management team. Sometimes I personally make a profit on performances that my group does, sometimes I break even, other times I actually lose money. Overall I manage to make a living. When we go out on the road there are no big road crews, sound people and equipment. It is not a big operation and no one is becoming wealthy. Any extra money that I do make goes back into research, development of ideas and trips to places that have infrastructures that make it nearly impossible to make money. As a group we have made several trips to countries like Cuba, Senegal, India etc. and in almost all of these cases the expenses have been paid by myself.

There should be some ideas and concepts that are available for all to use, to contribute to the advancement of all.

Dr Dremo's Farewell Night of 101 Elvises

2008-01-09T15:30:00.000-05:00

A grand fun ol' time was had by all at this local signature event.

Here are pix from On Tap Magazine. Full gallery here

Eastern Europe Trip

2008-01-07T22:34:00.000-05:00

Our fun little jaunt through Munich, Budapest,
Bratislava and Praha in early december.
Cheaper prices, less crowds, it was a perfect
time of year to visit. Browse the pix:

Iritis @ Dr Dremo's

2008-01-07T15:59:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, January 20th, my band Iritis will
be performing its very first public show at Dr Dremo's.

This venerable and quirky Arlington institution
formerly known as Bardo nurtured my love for adventurous
delicious craft beers and has been my favorite watering hole
for more than 10 years.

It will be shutting its door for good and the building
torn down at the end of the month.

Merry Xmas

2007-12-23T18:04:00.001-05:00

Mmm... beer...
Mmm... 1050 beers!

Cheers

A special thought for JB and Oscar Peterson.

M-Audio Firewire 410 For Sale - $199

2007-12-23T16:53:00.001-05:00

add posted on Craiglist:

M-Audio Firewire 410
4-in/10-out Mobile Recording Interface

Extremely Portable and Professional Sound Quality

Like New, Factory Refurbished and
Fully Bench Tested by M-Audio Labs, Irwindale, CA on 12/10/2007

Use the same rig as guitar legend John McLaughlin!

----------------
Top Features:

- 2 x 8 24-bit/96kHz analog I/O; 192kHz stereo out
- 2 mic/line ins w/ preamps and phantom power
- 8 line outs to mixer or direct surround output
- S/PDIF digital I/O w/ PCM, AC-3, and DTS support
- 1 x 1 MIDI I/O
- includes Ableton Live Lite music production software

FireWire 410 is a FireWire-compatible audio/MIDI interface that has it all—power, flexibility, compact size and low price. FireWire 410’s 4-in/10-out configuration complete with preamps is perfect for personal recording, routing discrete outputs to a mixer, or directly driving a surround sound system. The on-board ASIO 2-compliant mixer and software control panel provide total routing flexibility—including monitoring with external effects. You also get ultra-low latency software monitoring and near-zero latency hardware direct monitoring—and two headphone outs with independent level controls let you collaborate with a partner anywhere, anytime. FireWire 410 can even be completely bus-powered for total mobile operation (6-pin FireWire port required)

Link to Official Product Presentation, Manual/Driver Downloads

Happy Holidays from Iritis

2007-12-20T13:52:00.001-05:00

Wishing you rockin' holidays and a fantastic New Year.
We'll be hosting a tiny little World Premiere private show next week.
If you mention this posting and manage to get in touch with me directly I'll try to bribe the bouncer into letting you in.

Iritis means business

2007-12-13T16:29:00.000-05:00

We gots business cards now!
ya dig?

Things are shaping up nicely with the band,
i'm finally ditching my capricious M-Audio Firewire 410
recording hardware. It might be good enough for John McLaughlin
but it has been a serious headache in our set-up.

So i went out and got meself a Line6 TonePort UX8.
This baby is rock solid and it's just a whole new dimension
to have 8 real inputs instead of the misleadingly advertized 4 inputs
on the firewire that turned out to only be 2.

It's going to be fun playing with this new toy.
Even if it seems that more gear beget$$$ even more gear....
The quality of our recordings should vastly improve.

As to the quality of our playing... well we're getting there.
There are quite a few news song sketches I recently posted on myspace. And watch out! You might just get invited to some
private house party soon for our maiden live show...

Quote of the Day: Wendell Wisdom

2007-11-12T10:08:00.000-05:00

"This whole technology and computer thing is a fad. It won't last."

-My zymurgy sensei Wendell after sending his first cell
phone text message, it was blank. He is now an seasoned pro
at sending picture messages.

zy·mur·gy:
the branch of applied chemistry dealing with fermentation,
as in winemaking, brewing, the preparation of yeast, etc.
syn: zy-mo-lo-gy

2007 Arctic Sea Ice - January through September

2007-11-07T17:28:00.000-05:00

"The 2007 Arctic summer sea ice has reached the lowest extent of perennial ice cover on record - nearly 25% less than the previous low set in 2005. The area of the perennial ice has been steadily decreasing since the satellite record began in 1979, at a rate of about 10% per decade. But the 2007 minimum, reached on September 14, is far below the previous record made in 2005 and is about 38% lower than the climatological average." Original Nasa Webpage

I have to throw in this other NASA video too.
It's a riotously geeky a cappella ode to Noctilucent Clouds...

Ok, here's another naughty extra. This was one of the recommended videos
after watching "Noctilucent Clouds". Go figure. I'm just speechless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6aXAvUj2Kk

Transformers

2007-11-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween

2007-10-29T22:13:00.001-05:00

Sam Adams Glassware

2007-10-26T13:50:00.000-05:00

As a member of the American Homebrewing Association,
i just received my two free unsolicited newly designed
glasses from Sam Adams. It sure pays to be an AHA member:
Nice discounts at brewpubs all over the country
and now free beer glasses. You should join AHA too!

This new vessel has all kinds of fancy features, the purpose is ambitious:
"delivering sweetness from the malt;
maximizing the hops aroma and flavor;
maintaining the ideal temperature;
supporting a rich and creamy head;
and sustaining the right amount of carbonation."

They teamed up with "Tiax, a Boston-area company that
for decades has worked with food, beverage and pharmaceutical
companies to create and enhance products. [...] "They spent almost
three months on the project before handing over a 300-page report."
They then sent this over to the German glassware specialists Rastal
and this is their new baby:

The marketing materials sure look great right?
So once i received them, it was time to put'em to the test.

Well right out of the box, the new glasses were underwhelming. The marketing pictures just looked so much nicer, big and shiny. I passed on the SA Boston Lager and I picked up Sammy's O'fest instead, which by the way they claim is the widest selling o'fest beer in the world... hmm... I grabbed a snifter glass which i tend to favor, which are good for malty brews such as the o'fest.

The "constant aroma releasing laser-etched circle" on the bottom on the glass is a little hard to see but pretty nifty. It's fun to try to see the circle of bubbles rising up through the brewksi.

The shape was pleasant to hold. Also I could try to imagine a small improvement in terms of aroma, and to a lesser extent for taste and mouthfeel, but I couldn't really tell decisively if there was any difference at all.

What I did enjoy was the curved lip. It was just a very confortable and natural fit. All glasses should be like that! That curvature was definitely an improvement with the more pronounced curve that on the Gulden Draak glasses i like too.

Overall I'd have to say it's certainly a very nice glass. I've
also read an enthusiastic endorsement online from a guy who
enjoyed the practical nice fit of the upside down glass over
a beer bottle. I doubt it will become my go-to glass, but
it is assuredly a nice new addition to my collection. And
it might just call for a lot more experimentation....

Cheers and thank you Mr. Jim Koch!!

For more info:
Article from Realbeer.com
Boston Beer Company presentation

Crab Fest '07

2007-10-22T10:39:00.000-05:00

Jorge was not kidding around

We got down to business

Check out the slideshow

Or browse all 22 pix here:

See y'all next year again!

Atisu et copains

2007-10-11T15:02:00.001-05:00

It was the year I turned 20
studying abroad in the South of France.
In the bleak worn hallways of the student dorms,
I heard Atisu singing.

Cathal was already penning gorgeous songs for her

David and I were more than happy to join up with our guitars.
'tis' found us a few gigs around town and for local radio shows.

Here are a few songs from the local Toulouse airwaves:

Even When It Rains

Fade Away

Wicked Scene

Namibia and Cape Town

2007-10-03T12:06:00.000-05:00

Our NamibiMobile
Notice the rooftop tent, unfolded and ready in minutes.

Hoba Meteorite.
At 60 tons, the largest known meteorite.

Elephants at Halali water hole, Etosha National Park

Twyfelfontein Petroglyphs
With over 2,000 figures, it's one of the largest collections
of rock engravings in Africa dating from the Late Stone Age.
Also Namibia's first UNESCO World Heritage site, declared in 2007.

Keepin' cool

Dune Playing in the Skeleton Coast

Dune Topper near Walvis Bay

Desert critter

Dead Vlei, Sossusvlei

Whale watching in Hermanus, South Africa

Ciao

Slideshow (all 164 pictures)

Quote of the Day: Eunuchs

2007-10-02T09:48:00.000-05:00

"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how its done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves."

Brendan Francis Behan (1929-1964), Irish Poet

National Toast for Beer Writer Michael Jackson

2007-09-24T14:07:00.000-05:00

Michael Jackson passed away in his London home last month.
The world of craft beer mourns and celebrates its single greatest advocate.

His beer tasting sessions were always insightfully illuminating
and thoroughly entertaining. With his impressive knowledge of
the complete universe of beer, he was a masterful orator,
frequently digressing with countless anecdotes but always somehow
getting back to expertly showcasing the wonderful beers.

He often promoted the sense of place.
He would tell us about the place where the beer was brewed:
the actual room, the building, the town, the region, the country.
He regaled his appreciative audiences with stories about the people who made the beer, about the complex history behind the different styles of beers.

There were also some pretty good stories about the master storyteller himself. My single favorite one was relayed by fellow BURPer Tim Artz. He first posted it on our local beer discussion group and it was then reprinted in this months' BURP (Brewers United for Real Potables) newsletter. Here it is, shamefuly without any express permission of any kind:

"Many years ago when the AHA Conference was in Manchester, NH, I found myself in the hotel elevator with Michael Jackson. He inserted a key card to go to the penthouse level of the hotel and mentioned that it was nice to have such things paid for by the Discovery Channel folks.

I asked him about some of the unusual homebrews he had tried during the week. He mentioned that he really expected in New England to see more homebrews made with maple syrup, and he wanted to try some maple syrup beers. I replied that I had some Maple Syrup Old Ale in my room, and I would fetch a bottle and meet him back in the ballroom. I tracked him down with my bottle, and his eyes widened when he tasted the beer. He commented on the sherry notes and then was swamped by others getting him to try their brews. Several times throughout the evening, I would turn around, and there he was with glass extended looking for another sip.

The Manchester conference hotel did not permit us to have hospitality suites, parties in rooms, or even consume alcohol outside of the ballroom. Each evening was a ritual of shuttling beer from rooms to the ballroom. One night, my future wife and I ended up staying up til sunrise with the Chicago Beer Society guys, Kinney Baughmann, and Greg Noonan. When I finally went to turn in, two young women in hot pants, hip boots, and halter tops jumped in my elevator to go up. They produced a key card for the penthouse suite, and rode up. I thought, "Hmm....Discovery Channel account." The next day, we barely made it out of bed for the luncheon where Michael Jackson was the keynote speaker. I nearly fell off my chair when his first words were, "Just a few hours ago, I learned that lust is much better than love!"

Brew-pub'in' Montréal

2007-07-27T16:11:00.001-05:00

Here is the much delayed account of our jaunt up to
gorgeous and lively Montréal. Even the daily downpours
could not possibly tame the Québécois vivaciousness.

Things started off superbly when I spotted Le Cheval Blanc
brewpub as we were pulling into the bus terminal coming
from the airport. Beers were all clean and solid.
The friendly waitress was a doll and even bought us a round.
The hefeweizen with a lime! was admirably thirst quenching.

Over the following days I got to visit with a dear ol'
friend and even randomly bumped into an even older friend
I had last seen 16 years ago on a different continent.
T.A. will forever be that cool cat that lent me a tape
with Led Zeppelin I on one side and Led Zeppelin II on the
other. As a 14-year old living in North Africa, that just
blew my mind. I wore out that tape non-stop for weeks until
he finally made me my own copy from his dad's LPs.

While up there we of course visited a plethora of brewpubs
and beer bars. They ranged from quaint unassuming little jewels
such as Montréal's oldest bar Le Vieux Dublin to sparkly
soul-less mega-chains.

I was delighted to revisit old favorites such
as the impressive patio at St Elisabeth Pub.
And it was exciting to see some newcomers such as
Brasserie Bénélux which had a terrific porter.

A good place to stock up is Super Marché Rahman,
Le Paradis de la Bière, 151 Laurier West,
it's just a couple blocks west of Dieu du Ciel.
We also hit up Brutopia, Le Réservoir, and L'Amère à Boire.

We rented a couple bikes for the pleasant 40 mile
roundtrip ride to picturesque Chamblis for a pilgrimage
to Unibroue's must-visit Fourquet Fourchette restaurant.

We checked out the wonderful Atwater Market to load up on
fresh fruits and a wondrous selection of Québec cheeses.

Scrumptious mussels and gourmet pizzas were on the menu (not pictured...) at Le Sergent Récruteur and Bières et Compagnie.

All in all this was a fantastic trip. We did stay away from
cheese and beers for a little while after getting back...
Montréal is as fun place to visit as ever and the jazz fest
was outstanding as always.

Happy Independence Day

2007-06-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

As with almost every year around this time
I'll be heading up to Montréal during the holidays
for the fantastic Jazz Festival and to bask
in the city's fun multicultural vibe and cool hipness.

So happy 4th of July y'all,
don't let little dubya and his pals ruin the country

any more while I'm gone.

God Bless America!