Gibson's Zero History

Zero History by William Gibson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Gibson at his strongest yet, and his least science fiction. If anything, he's a writer of cultural thrillers, where the action is perched on the edge of a precipice created by the intersecting trajectories of technology, fashion, media, and culture. This is a part of the now that the reader can only guess at, because it happens in a lofty place where individual players only know their roles in a vast web of tangled concepts and goals. The reader isn't fully satisfied, but neither are the characters, who feel very alive, yet at times materialize out of a fog.




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Best. Part of. Thanksgiving.

Listening to Big Black's "songs about fucking" while waiting for family and friends to finish spinning near the beach in Florida.

Thanksgiving

November hasn't been what I had hoped for, but there are always things to be thankful for, and a good old Feldman family recharge sounds nice.  I need it emotionally. Hate saying that, but it is true.

History

Sometimes it seems like everything I do and like is informed by my obsession with history.

The Music Project

I've been listening, at home only, to my music collection from Z-A. Playing all the stuff I really know or want to check out but haven't gotten around to it enough. Started August 1. It's now October 12th, so that 74 days.

Just getting to Sunny Day Real Estate (but all The... bands are in the Ts) so I think it's safe to say we're looking at a year long project. So much music appreciation has come out of this, and the counterbalancing daytime listening.

I touched the ocean...

I touched the pacific ocean. Besides any spray that hit my face while on a cruise 10 years ago, this was the first time I got to drag my fingers through it, and walk on its sand.

The Besnard Lakes - Like the Ocean, like the Innocent, Pt. 1 and 2

The West

As my plane descended today toward Ontario, ca, I gazed out the window westward, toward sunset.  I pretended I could see the Pacific and that it lapped at the farside of the mountains that reached toward the seemingly slow moving plane.   

Great American Beer Festival Winners

Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year: Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA, Noah Regnery


Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year: Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA, Pizza Port Brew Guys


Brewpub Group and Brewpub Group Brewer of the Year: TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA, Victor Novak


Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year: Mad River Brewing Company, Blue Lake, CAMad River Brewing Company


Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year: Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UTUBC Brewers


Large Brewing Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year:

Blue Moon Brewing Company, Denver, CO Dr. David Ryder


Category: 79 Barley Wine-Style Ale – 57 Entries

Gold: Flying Mouflan, Troegs Brewery, Harrisburg, PA

Silver: Old #23 Barley Wine, Bristol Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO

Bronze: Jack Hammer, The Brew Kettle Production Works, Strongsville, OH


Category: 78 Old Ale or Strong Ale – 38 Entries

Gold: Fourth Dementia Olde Ale, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren, MI

Silver: Curmudgeon, Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI

Bronze: Outback X, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR


Category: 77 Scotch Ale – 34 Entries

Gold: Reed’s Wee Heavy, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Silver: Wee Willy Scotch Ale, McCoy’s Public House & Brewkitchen, Kansas City, MO

Bronze: MacPelican’s Wee Heavy Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR


Category: 76 Imperial Stout – 50 Entries

Gold: Russian Imperial Stout, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE

Silver: Night Rider Imperial Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Bronze: Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout, Weasel Boy Brewing Co., Zanesville, OH


Category: 75 Oatmeal Stout – 39 Entries

Gold: Backside Stout, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO

Silver: Naked Oatmeal Stout, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO

Bronze: 825 State Stout, Epic Brewing Co., LLC, Salt Lake City, UT


Category: 74 Sweet Stout – 29 Entries

Gold: Kickstart Stout, Barley Brothers Brewery & Grill, Lake Havasu City, AZ

Silver: Oil Change Stout, Flat Branch Pub and Brewery, Columbia, MO

Bronze: Portsmouth Brewery Milk Stout, Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth, NH


Category: 73 American-Style Stout – 27 Entries

Gold: Liberty Stout, Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Co., Hays, KS

Silver: Disorder Stout, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR

Bronze: Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR


Category: 72 Foreign-Style Stout – 33 Entries

Gold: Fade to Black, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO

Silver: Whiteface Stout, Great Adirondack Brewing Co., Lake Placid, NY

Bronze: Tsunami Stout, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR


Category: 71 Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout – 23 Entries

Gold: Hyde Park Stout, Augusta Brewing Co., Washington, MO

Silver: McLuhr’s Irish Stout, Dillon DAM Brewery, Dillon, CO

Bronze: Port Truck Stout, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA


Category: 70 Robust Porter – 53 Entries

Gold: Pig Iron Porter, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Wilmington, DE

Silver: Moonlight Porter, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO

Bronze: Blimp Hangar Porter, Tustin Brewing Co., Tustin, CA


Category: 69 Brown Porter – 33 Entries

Gold: Total Disorder Porter, Ram Production Brewery, Tacoma, WA

Silver: St. Charles Porter, Blackstone Brewing Co., Nashville, TN

Bronze: Pullman Brown, Flossmoor Station, Flossmoor, IL


Category: 68 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale – 54 Entries

Gold: Revelations, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Silver: Brother David’s Double, Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, CA

Bronze: Hells Keep, Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT


Category: 67 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale – 76 Entries

Gold: Nectar Des Dieux, Bastone Brewery, Royal Oak, MI

Silver: Golden Slumber, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN

Bronze: Three Philosophers, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY


Category: 66 Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale – 33 Entries

Gold: Oude Tart, The Bruery, Placentia, CA

Silver: Coolship Resurgam, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME

Bronze: Le Serpent, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY


Category: 65 Belgian- and French-Style Ale – 46 Entries

Gold: Allagash Blonde, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME

Silver: Bastogne Blonde Ale, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO

Bronze: Domaine DuPage, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL


Category: 64 French- and Belgian-Style Saison – 52 Entries

Gold: Saison Vautour, McKenzie Brew House, Malvern, PA

Silver: Colette, Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Bronze: Belgian Summer Ale, Great Adirondack Brewing Co., Lake Placid, NY


Category: 63 Belgian-Style Witbier – 45 Entries

Gold: TAPS Belgian White, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA

Silver: Whale Tail Wit, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO

Bronze: Allagash White, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME


Category: 62 German-Style Wheat Ale – 29 Entries

Gold: Hefelightzen, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery, Huntington Beach, CA

Silver: Wowzenbock, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Bronze: Capital Weizen Doppelbock, Capital Brewery Co., Inc., Middleton, WI


Category: 61 South German-Style Hefeweizen – 65 Entries

Gold: Stoudts Heifer In Wheat, Stoudt Brewing Co., Adamstown, PA

Silver: U-Boat Hefeweizen, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO

Bronze: Wintergreen Weiss, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA


Category: 60 German-Style Sour Ale – 23 Entries

Gold: Berliner Weisse, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY

Silver: Tiny Bubbles, Hollister Brewing Co., Goleta, CA

Bronze: Beer Gone Good, Terrapin Beer Co., Athens, GA


Category: 59 German-Style Altbier – 37 Entries

Gold: GestAlt, Haverhill Brewery, Haverhill, MA

Silver: Bismarck Altbier, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO

Bronze: Sticke Alt, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO


Category: 58 American-Style India Black Ale – 53 Entries

Gold: Turmoil, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR

Silver: Go Figure, Big Rock Chop House & Brewery, Birmingham, MI

Bronze: Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA


Category: 57 American-Style Brown Ale – 47 Entries

Gold: Sweet Josie, LoneRider Brewing Co., Raleigh, NC

Silver: Redrock Nut Brown Ale, Redrock Brewing Co, Salt Lake City, UT

Bronze: American Brown Ale, Big Rock Chop House & Brewery, Birmingham, MI


Category: 56 English-Style Brown Ale – 46 Entries

Gold: Old Elk Brown Ale, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO

Silver: Good Grief Brown, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Bronze: Eclipse Brown Ale, Equinox Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO


Category: 55 Irish-Style Red Ale – 23 Entries

Gold: Red Trolley Ale, Karl Strauss Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Silver: River Falls Red Ale, Thomas Creek Brewery, Greenville, SC

Bronze: Ragtop Red, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO


Category: 54 Scottish-Style Ale – 22 Entries

Gold: Highland Courage, Rock Bottom Breweries, Louisville, CO

Silver: Saint Arnold Oktoberfest, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Bronze: Laughing Lab Scottish Ale, Bristol Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO


Category: 53 Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter – 42 Entries

Gold: GAR Pale Ale, Great American Restaurants, Centreville, VA

Silver: Saint Arnold Elissa IPA, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Bronze: Bachelor ESB, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR


Category: 52 Ordinary or Special Bitter – 47 Entries

Gold: Rio Blanco Pale Ale, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX

Silver: DBA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Bronze: Drop Top, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR


Category: 51 English-Style Mild Ale – 27 Entries

Gold: Business Time Mild, Boulder Beer Co., Boulder, CO

Silver: Skidmark Brown, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA

Bronze: No medal awarded


Category: 50 Imperial Red Ale – 43 Entries

Gold: Lumberyard Imperial Red, Lumberyard Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ

Silver: Red Eye PA, The Brew Kettle Production Works, Strongsville, OH

Bronze: Deranger, Laurelwood Brewing Co., Portland, OR


Category: 49 American-Style Amber/Red Ale – 83 Entries

Gold: Red Nectar, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Silver: Hop Back Amber Ale, Troegs Brewery, Harrisburg, PA

Bronze: Red Rock, Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse, Berkeley, CA


Category: 48 Imperial India Pale Ale – 97 Entries

Gold: Doheny Double IPA, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA

Silver: Hop Crisis!, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA

Bronze: Decadence Imperial IPA, Trinity Brewhouse, Providence, RI


Category: 47 American-Style India Pale Ale – 142 Entries

Gold: “Pseudo” IPA, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA

Silver: Head Hunter IPA, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH

Bronze: Lumberyard Extra IPA, Lumberyard Brewing Co.,


Category: 46 American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 84 Entries

Gold: Himalayan IPA, Yak and Yeti Brewpub, Arvada, CO

Silver: IPA Nectar, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Bronze: 7 – Fity, Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse, Berkeley, CA


Category: 45 American-Style Pale Ale – 109 Entries

Gold: Mission Street Pale, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Silver: Pale 31, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Bronze: Puddle Jumper Pale Ale, Third Street Aleworks, Santa Rosa, CA


Category: 44 English-Style India Pale Ale – 32 Entries

Gold: Beech Street Bitter, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Silver: Illusion Dweller, Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery, Boulder, CO

Bronze: Samuel Adams Latitude 48, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA


Category: 43 Classic English-Style Pale Ale – 29 Entries

Gold: Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Silver: Summit Extra Pale Ale, Summit Brewing Co., Saint Paul, MN

Bronze: Ska Special, Ska Brewing Co., Durango, CO


Category: 42 English-Style Summer Ale – 35 Entries

Gold: 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL

Silver: Pacific Daylight, Dale Bros. Brewery, Upland, CA

Bronze: Sandbagger Gold, Montana Brewing Co., Billings, MT


Category: 41 German-Style Kölsch – 46 Entries

Gold: Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Houston, TX

Silver: Colorado Kolsch, Steamworks Brewing Co., Durango, CO

Bronze: Kolsch 151, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA


Category: 40 Golden or Blonde Ale – 55 Entries

Gold: Kiwanda Cream Ale, Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR

Silver: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA

Bronze: Heavy Seas Gold Ale, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD


Category: 39 Baltic-Style Porter – 21 Entries

Gold: 3 Dog Night, Chama River Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Silver: Collaborative Evil – Triple Rock, Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse, Berkeley, CA

Bronze: Reverend Potter’s Baltic Porter, The Prodigal Brewery, Effingham, NH


Category: 38 German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 25 Entries

Gold: Carbonator, Glenwood Canyon Brewing Co., Glenwood Springs, CO

Silver: Gordon Biersch Eisbock, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants, Chattanooga, TN

Bronze: Dominator Dopplebock, Sun King Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN


Category: 37 Bock – 36 Entries

Gold: Hellats Good Beer, Pug Ryans Brewery, Dillon, CO

Silver: Troegenator, Troegs Brewery, Harrisburg, PA

Bronze: Maibock, Ram Restaurant & Brewery – Salem, Salem, OR


Category: 36 German-Style Schwarzbier – 31 Entries

Gold: Redrock Black Bier, Redrock Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT

Silver: Annie Schwarz, Haverhill Brewery, Haverhill, MA

Bronze: TAPS Schwarzbier, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA


Category: 35 American-Style Dark Lager – 20 Entries

Gold: Michelob AmberBock, Michelob Brewing Co., St. Louis, MO

Silver: No medal awarded

Bronze: Schwarzbier, AC Golden, Golden, CO


Category: 34 European-Style Dunkel – 19 Entries

Gold: Dunkel, AC Golden, Golden, CO

Silver: Dunkel Lager, Triumph Brewing Co. of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Bronze: Dark Side Lager, C.B. Potts Restaurant & Brewery (Fort Collins), Fort Collins, CO


Category: 33 American-Style Amber Lager – 39 Entries

Gold: Manana, Del Norte Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Silver: Schell’s Oktoberfest, August Schell Brewing Co., New Ulm, MN

Bronze: Foothills Oktoberfest, Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, NC


Category: 32 German-Style Märzen – 41 Entries

Gold: Flor Hosen, The Sandlot, Denver, CO

Silver: Oh! Fest!, Schooner’s Grille & Brewery, Antioch, CA

Bronze: Munsterfest, Three Floyds Brewing Co, LLC, Munster, IN


Category: 31 Vienna-Style Lager – 35 Entries

Gold: Chuckanut Vienna Lager, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA

Silver: Clueless Beer Writer, The Sandlot, Denver, CO

Bronze: Heavy Seas Marzen, Clipper City Brewing Co., Baltimore, MD


Category: 30 American-Style Specialty Lager or Cream Ale – 42 Entries

Gold: Hamm’s, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WIS

ilver: Rainier, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL

Bronze: Old Style, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL


Category: 29 American-Style Lager or Light Lager – 53 Entries

Gold: Miller Lite, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI

Silver: Old Milwaukee, Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL

Bronze: Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI


Category: 28 Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 21 Entries

Gold: Summerbrau, Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT

Silver: Noble Stuff Export, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Aurora, CO

Bronze: Rolling Thunder Dortmunder, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY


Category: 27 Munich-Style Helles – 42 Entries

Gold: What in the Helles?, Steamworks Brewing Co, Durango, CO

Silver: Longboard Island Lager, Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona, HI

Bronze: Cowboy Lager, The Covey Restaurant & Brewery, Fort Worth, TX


Category: 26 Bohemian-Style Pilsener – 42 Entries

Gold: Boathouse Pilsner, Titletown Brewing Co., Green Bay, WI

Silver: Golden Pilsner, Morgan Street Brewery, St. Louis, MO

Bronze: Bridge Creek Pilsner, Silver Moon Brewing, Bend, OR


Category: 25 German-Style Pilsener – 48 Entries

Gold: Trumer Pils, Trumer Brauerei Berkeley, San Antonio, TX

Silver: German Pilsner, AC Golden, Golden, CO

Bronze: Chuckanut Pilsner, Chuckanut Brewery, Bellingham, WA


Category: 24 American-Style or International-Style Pilsener – 27 Entries

Gold: Gold Leaf Lager, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA

Silver: Random Luck, The Sandlot, Denver, CO

Bronze: Gold Country Pilsner, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA


Category: 23 Smoked Beer – 38 Entries

Gold: Alaskan Smoked Porter 2009, Alaskan Brewing Co., Juneau, AK

Silver: Yazoo SUE, Yazoo Brewing Co., Nashville, TN

Bronze: Gordon Biersch Rauchbier, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants, Chattanooga, TN


Category: 22 Kellerbier/Zwickelbier – 24 Entries

Gold: Kolsch, Hale’s Ales, Seattle, WA

Silver: Kellerbier, Triumph Brewing Co. of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Bronze: Summer Teeth, Columbus Brewing Co., Columbus, OH


Category: 21 Aged Beer – 30 Entries

Gold: John Barleycorn Barleywine ‘06, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA

Silver: Cherry Baltic, Bend Brewing Co., Bend, OR

Bronze: Bell’s Expedition Stout, 1995, Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Galesburg, MI


Category: 20 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 54 Entries

Gold: Le Serpent Cerise, Snake River Brewing, Jackson, WY

Silver: Temptation, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA

Bronze: The Jaspers, Bullfrog Brewery, Williamsport, PA


Category: 19 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 34 Entries

Gold: Bourbon Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout, Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, NC

Silver: Remy, TAPS Fish House & Brewery, Brea, CA

Bronze: Bourbon County Brand Stout, Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL


Category: 18 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 77 Entries

Gold: Barrel Aged Big Island, Island Brewing Co., Carpinteria, CA

Silver: HE’BREW RIPA on RYE, Shmaltz Brewing Co., San Francisco, CA

Bronze: Melange a Trois, Nebraska Brewing Co., Papillion, NE


Category: 17 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 32 Entries

Gold: Velvet Merkin (100% Barrel Aged), Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Silver: Humidor India Pale Ale, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL

Bronze: Bluegrass Brown, Thunder Canyon Brewery, Tucson, AZ


Category: 16 American-Style Sour Ale – 39 Entries

Gold: Brute, Ithaca Beer Co., Ithaca, NY

Silver: Eric’s Ale, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO

Bronze: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA


Category: 15 American-Belgo-Style Ale – 47 Entries

Gold: Ryevalry, Bear Republic Factory Five, Cloverdale, CA

Silver: Simcoe Silly, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren, MI

Bronze: Pete’s Support Belgian IPA, FireHouse Grill & Brewery, Sunnyvale, CA


Category: 14 Gluten Free Beer – 13 Entries

Gold: Celia Pale Ale, The Alchemist, Waterbury, VT

Silver: Gluten Free, Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Bronze: 3R Raspberry Ale, New Planet Beer Co., Boulder, CO


Category: 13 Out of Category – Traditionally Brewed Beer – 66 Entries

Gold: Fathom IPL, Ballast Point Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Silver: Mötley Brüe RyePA, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Tempe, AZ

Bronze: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA


Category: 12 Experimental Beer – 43 Entries

Gold: Key Lime Pie, Short’s Brewing Co., Bellaire, MI

Silver: Estate Homegrown Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA

Bronze: Wild Lemon Wheat, Great Basin Brewing Co., Sparks, NV


Category: 11 Other Strong Beer – 48 Entries

Gold: Sierra 30 Jack and Ken’s Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA

Silver: Panzer Pilsner, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA

Bronze: Imperial Oatmeal Stout, Boundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WA


Category: 10 Session Beer – 30 Entries

Gold: Squatters Wit, Utah Brewers Cooperative, Salt Lake City, UT

Silver: Endurance IPA Jr., Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI

Bronze: King’s Peak Porter, Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City, UT


Category: 9 Specialty Honey Beer – 24 Entries

Gold: Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat Ale, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Silver: Truck Stop Honey Brown Ale, Back Forty Beer Co., Gadsden, AL

Bronze: Samuel Adams Honey Porter, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA


Category: 8 Rye Beer – 32 Entries

Gold: BMB Rye IPA, Black Market Brewing Co., Temecula, CA

Silver: Portsmouth Brewery Rye Not, Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth, NH

Bronze: Roggenbier, Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA


Category: 7 Specialty Beer – 23 Entries

Gold: Belipago, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, MI

Silver: Coconut Porter, Pagosa Brewing Co., Pagosa Springs, CO

Bronze: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Ales, Newport, OR


Category: 6 Coffee Flavored Beer – 52 Entries

Gold: Baltic Coffee, Devils Backbone Brewing Co., Roseland, VA

Silver: Coffee Monster, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Bronze: Big Shot Espresso Stout, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO


Category: 5 Herb and Spice or Chocolate Beer – 91 Entries

Gold: Rosemary Swamp Fox, Moon River Brewing Co., Savannah, GA

Silver: Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle, Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA

Bronze: Super Chili Pepper Madness, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA


Category: 4 Field Beer – 28 Entries

Gold: Frog’s Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Co., Akron, OH

Silver: Dark o’ the Moon, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA

Bronze: Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Weyerbacher Brewing Co., Easton, PA

Bronze: Raspberry Tart, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI

Bronze: Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR


Category: 3 Fruit Beer – 75 Entries

Gold: Chardonnay Blonde, Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver, CO

Silver: Apricot Ale, Pyramid Breweries, Seattle, WA

Bronze: Raspberry Tart, New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI

Bronze: Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR


Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast – 43 Entries

Gold: Point Horizon Wheat, Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI

Silver: American Hefeweizen, Flat Branch Pub and Brewery, Columbia, MO

Bronze: Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, OR


Category: 1 American-Style Wheat Beer – 23 Entries

Gold: Sandy Bottom, Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton, VA

Silver: Shredders Wheat, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR

Bronze: County Seat Wheat, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS


‎2010 Great American Beer Festival Pro-Am Competition Winners

Gold: Red Velvet, Eagle Rock Brewery, Los Angeles, CABrewmaster: Eagle Rock Brewery Brew Team, AHA Member: Donny Hummel

Silver: Ryed Hard & Put Away Wet, Rockyard Brewing Co., Castle Rock, COBrewmaster: Jim Stinson, AHA Member: Adam Glaser

Bronze: Robust Porter, Wormtown Brewing Co., Worcester, MABrewmaster: Ben Roesch, AHA Member: Keith Antul

Mix: Binary Songs

All songs are 01, 10, 11 on their respective album.
In order:

11 – Swamped and Agitated
1 – Yppah – Son Saves the Rest
10 – Bear in Heaven – Casual Goodbye
10 – Jawbox – Empire of One
1 – The Drift – If Wishes were like Horses
10 – The Dismemberment Plan – 8 ½ Minutes
10 – Hood You’re Worth the Whole World
1 – Grizzy Bear – Alligator (choir version)
1 – Four Tet – Angel Echoes
11 – No Age – Ripped Knees
11 – Obits – Milk Cow Blues
10 – Red Red Meat – Taxidermy Blues in Reverse
1 – Rex - Gathered

William Gibson

One of my favorite writers happens to be such a personable person to hear speak about his own writing and writing process.  He isn't modest per se, but confident and unarrogant about his successes.  His science fiction literacy surprised me, yet his breakdown of old influences made perfect.  Most specifically Alfred bester. 

The chapter he read from the middle of Zero History created an urge to dig into his recent work again.  And to see it differently.  Will do so while waiting for the trade paperback.

August 2010 Mix

1. Young Widows - Swamped and Agitated
2. Destroyer - The Fox and the Hound
3. The Timeout Drawer - What Looked like Morning was the Beginning of Endless Night
4. Wolf Parade - Cloud Shadow on the Mountain
5. The Joggers - Since You're Already Up
6. Untied States - Not Fences, Mere Masks
7. The xx - Shelter
8. Pinebender - Broadcast All Your Dreams
9. Atlas Sound - Quick Canal (w/Laetitia Sadier)
10.Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Which Way to Go
11.Dan Deacon - Snookered
12.Radiohead - Fog
13.Crystal Antlers - A Thousand Eyes
14.Disappears - Old Friend

Pitchfork Roundup

Pitchfork was exhausting, and now I know why. Saw 15-20 minutes of 25 acts, plus a few I just heard/tried to ignore because I wasn't close enough or the band sounded lousy.

Friday:
El-P - the 20 minutes I saw were pretty entertaining, and I'm wary of hip hop I dont know and hip hop live in general.
Liars - fantastic
Robyn - I didn't know I liked Swedish pop this much, or had a thing for tiny swedish blondes
Modest Mouse - good stuff. not enough old stuff though.

Saturday:
Free Energy - not my cup of tea, but apparently good dudes
Netherfriends - a little boring
Real Estate - maybe the second biggest surprise for me, I really dug this set
Delorean - good for a festival, need to check out their music more
Titus Andronicus - bad ass punk live
Raekwon - not bad. special Wu Tang guests would have made this better.
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - they're still alive, and they still rock out
Wolf Parade - not impressed with the live sound, but I do like their record
Bear in Heaven - amazing. fresh noisy takes on a lot of 80s music (Duran Duran, Phil Collins drumming, etc)
LCD Soundsystem - dance party, Seth DANCE Party even

Sunday:
Alla - well crafted psych rock, ethereal vocals
Cave - psych-kraut mind numbing jams
Best Coast - another pleasant surprise - Patsy Cline over indie rock
Washed Out - seriously chill, too chill for a festival, but I want to listen to this at home
Local Natives - really good set, wish I'd been a bit more focused
Lightning Bolt - brought some clarity to records
St. Vincent - at times, I really liked what I heard, but some boring songs too
Major Lazer - insane show, but do they even do much mc-wise? the music was good.
Big Boi - best hip hop of the weekend, awesome Outkast songs thrown in
Pavement - fantastic

Why the hell not - My NFL Predictions for 2010

AFC
East Champion - Miami Dolphins (I'm biased)
South Champion - Indianapolis Colts
North Champion - Cincinnati Bengals
West Champion - San Diego Chargers (this division is so weak, they'll do it again)

Wild card 1 - Houston Texans
Wild card 2 - New York Jets

Conference Champion: Cincinnati Bengals

NFC

East Champion - Dallas Cowboys
South Champion - Atlanta Falcons
North Champion - Green Bay Packers
West Champion - SF 49ers

Wild card 1 - Minnesota Vikings
Wild card 2 - New Orleans Saints

Conference Champion: Green Bay Packers

Not quite 3:00AM

Now reading: Haruki Murakami - Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

There's a strange emotional weight to being alone late at night, after booze, cigarettes, and so on. Murakami notes in one of the stories in the above collection that every animal thinks things over at 3am."

Somehow, a Murakami story made me think of Arthur Rimbaud. I think the story really meant to reference a general Jim Morrison like character perhaps though.

A few random thoughts

1 - Vigilance isn't inate. You must prepare yourself for it. Study the situation and KNOW how you are going to act. Plan, when it is necessary. Strategize. Teach yourself. Train to be vigilant for each challenge.

2 - I got really obsessed at some point a week or two ago with the concept of entropy. What is it really? How does it "work" in a sense? What is immune to it, if anything?

Quests...

Life is about choices. Those choices lead to many paths, and eventually you have to take one to find what it is that makes you happy, and what it is that makes you successful, and they're linked. I'm pretty sure my father would agree on that account. Every failure, bad choice, accident, mistake, and success leads you further on that path and aids you in keeping that connection between the two alive, as you find your way in a world of absurdity, conflict, challenge, and the overcoming of obstacles. Vigilance is importance. Relying on luck, the road to failure. You make this path yourself, with your decisions, and your tenacity. You shape this path as you choose, and when you think you've chosen wrong, you must think, analyze, and decide again. When you know you've chosen wrong, you certainly must do those things, all in the name of finding a peace amongst all the apparent chaos and randomness.

You must choose, and you must act like each choice might be the blow of an expert pugilist upon your chin, and your chin must be iron and without fear of the pugilist that is the absurdity of life. You are the forger of your own order, and your will is the hammer. Hammer away. Shape things as you want.

Resurrection

The title refers to the blog...consider it so...I have too many thoughts, I should capture a few every now and then for mass consumption.

Recently. I feel like I've read a fortune cookie that tasted awesome, and I know the date of its very cryptic fortune (it's in June)...and the anticipation burns...

confederacy of dunces

I keep seeing this book being read on the train, mentioned on various internet spots, etc. Is there some resurgence of interest in toole? I know I read it quite a bit after it came out, but its strange to keep running into it now.

Boris - Akuma No Ata (2003)

This album pretty much captures everything good about heavy rock n roll from the beginnings of Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to stoner metal and 21st century instrumental/experimental metal (for me, since I'm new to the latter part of that).

A Cover...

Not sure the world needs it, but I'm slowly composing/rearranging/covering Lay Lady Lay, just me and the guitar for now (since I have nothing to record with and no legitimate percussion; drums turned into side tables don't count). It's going to be very Bedhead/Codeine-like.

In my head, no. 1

Woke up kind of groggy to noise from the neighbors (very common occurence any given day between 615 and about 9). Started playing guitar while watching Lost Season 5, just messing around with a riff in my head, that, eventually, as the coffee cleared my mind, I realized was a Sebadoh riff.

Sebadoh - Mind Reader

Not even in my top 10 Sebadoh songs, and not even a band I love, but I really dig the way this song starts.

Nirvana

Find it remarkable how certain Nirvana songs (tonight, "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter") are shockingly still relevant, and should be influencing a lot more bands than my other favorites from 1994.

P.S. Going to post more, seriously, need to make room in my brain for a lot of other thoughts.

The Top Records of 2009 (in my world)

I'm just listing everything I abused the play button with this year. Another way to put it would be they were all 8.0s or better in my own little bubble of the world. This list is going to grow, because some records I've just acquired and yet to give enough listens to for making this list. Everyone should do something similar so I can then make a list in March of all the stuff I missed and discovered through friends. In no particular order...
* = Chicago-based band, I'm biased...

1.The Antlers – Hospice
2.The Poison Arrows – First Class, and Forever *
3.Japandroids – Post-Nothing
4.Crystal Antlers – Tentacles
5.Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer
6.The Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
7.Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
8.Dan Deacon – Bromst
9.Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
10.Obits – I Blame You
11.From Monument to Masses – On Little Known Frequencies
12.Tortoise – Beacons of Ancestorship *
13.Clues – s/t
14.Yppah – They Know What Ghost Know
15.Califone – All My Friends are Funeral Singers *
16.Baroness – Blue Record
17.Wooden Shjips – Dos
18.Cave – Psychic Psummer *
19.Russian Circles – Geneva *
20.Disappears – Live over the Rainbo *
21.Isis – Wavering Radiant
22.Sleepy Sun – Embrace
23.The Mercury Program – chez viking
24.Slaraffenland – We're On Your Side