The trophy awarded to the winner of the Big Ten Championship game will no longer be called the Paterno-Stagg trophy (or whatever amalgamation of the two names it was).
Big deal.
Amos Alonzo Stagg, along with being one of the most important coaches in the history of college football (nay, all football), was fundamental to the foundation of the Big Ten. He coached for the same number of games as JoPa. He made numerous contributions to pre-T formation football such as the 7-2-2 defense (which could be considered a forerunner to today's 3-4 defense).
Joe Paterno was an active coach when the trophy was named -- not a fan of that kind of thing, just throwing that out there (think about it, he could have won a trophy that had his name on it already; the Lombardi Trophy wasn't named until Vince was way done with fooball, possibly even life). Plus, Paterno isn't even memorable as a Big Ten coach. He made a name for himself, had all of these undefeated and one loss teams -- including two national titles -- as an independent. After joining the Big Ten, he has only 3 conference championships or co-championships, 1 undefeated season, and 2 completed one loss seasons (he had only one loss this season before being fired). His lifetime Big Ten record is only 63.8%, compared to his overall of 74.6%. Between 2000 and 2004, he had only one winning season -- wherein Larry Johnson rushed for over 2,000 yards and averaged about 8 yards a carry.
Is Joe Paterno important to the history of college football? Yes. Is he important to the history of Big Ten football? Not Really.
I guess what I'm saying is -- is it that big of a deal that Paterno's name is being taken off a trophy that I'm really not sure he deserved to have his name on in the first place?
-- Knuttel
11.10.2011
Why Joe Paterno Needed To Go
As most are aware, Joe Paterno, head coach of Penn State for 46 years and coach for 61, has been fired due to the connection to the Sandusky scandal. Some people are upset by this, as evinced by the riots in streets of State College last night.
Joe Paterno had to go though. Maybe for most coaches, not following up on a report that a GA gives you on one of your longest serving and most trusted coaches doing something heinous could be something to be ignored. The fact of the matter is Joe Paterno isn't that kind of coach, and he doesn't run that kind of program. To expect a coach who would suspend and dismiss players who aren't getting good grades, a coach who would suspend key players for difficult games, a coach who would suspend his star wide receiver for an entire season, not to be held accountable for something like this is an embarrassing double standard. Coach Paterno always seemed to run a tight ship, and his program occupied the moral high ground of college football because of it. To even have knowledge of a circumstance like this existing should have warranted more action than reporting it to the AD by a coach like Paterno.
Mike McQueary, the then GA who saw the actions in 2002, should be judged, but not in as strong a light. Should he keep his job at Penn State after the season is over? Probably not. But he was just a GA at the time, with aspirations of becoming a head football coach. Ratting on JoPa and Sandusky would pretty much kill that goal from ever happening. With a coach like JoePa, it shouldn't have even come to that point, it should have been trusted to have been taken care of. If McQueary had seen the incident recently, where he holds the much much more esteemed positions of wide receivers coach/offensive coordinator/recruiting director/assistant head coach, then yeah, by all means it would be a huge obligation on his part to make sure the observation did not go ignored.
The only reason I can think of for keeping him, is the fact that Joe Paterno is Penn State. He occupies a unique position within college football where his cult of personality identifies him not as a supporter or member of the university, but rather the university itself. To think of Penn State is to immediately think of JoPa. The only circumstance which can even come close to that is Bear Bryant's association with the University of Alabama -- but he hasn't coached in 3 decades, has coached at many other schools (Kentucky and Texas A&M to name a few), and the black and white houndstooth he made iconic is a far more identifiable and imitable image than rolled up pant legs and thick glasses
So many students and alumni just can't imagine Penn State football without Joe Paterno; so many students and alumni just can't imagine Penn State without Joe Paterno.
That he is brought down with what amounts to strong hearsay is really a tragedy, but his inaction frankly lost him the right to call his own departure. The board had asked him in 2004, in the midst of some very painful seasons, to retire. He said no. There are no other coaches who are able to do something like that. Earning the right to say when you leave is virtually impossible for a football coach to do, maintaining that amidst many powerful people who want you to leave is even more impossible. I'm not saying the board was looking for a reason for him to leave, but there was simply no reason for him to stay.
Yes, the main screw ups in this affair are all administrative, but any involvement in a case that is growing to this magnitude simply has to be recognized and dealt with. No, JoPa didn't touch any young boys, but he had the power to stop it and he didn't.
On a personal note, I'm pretty pissed with Schulz. Curley may have done more to cover this up, but Schulz was head of the the University Park police (for those who don't know, University Park is the entire campus of Penn State, and State College makes up the town around it) and instead of stopping a known child molester, he waged an excessive war against underage drinking and the like. Maybe Penn State does have a reputation as a party school that the administration doesn't necessarily want, but where are your fucking priorities?
I don't think the program deserves the death penalty. Many of the issues were administrative and only tenuously connected to football. Not to mention, I don't think the team itself committed any NCAA violations or infractions, I don't think any of the issues dealt with players themselves involved in the cover up, and the cover up doesn't directly give the players any sort of competitive advantage. Giving Penn State football the death penalty might be cathartic, but it won't solve any problems and it only hurts fans and players of Penn State Football. House does need to be cleaned though.
Allegations against Sandusky are about to get stronger, and this situation will only get messier. Paterno needed to be thrown out of the mud because he's too senile right now to understand he should've walked out when these first came to light.
The one fact nagging at me about this whole situation is Sandusky's retirement in 1999 -- which followed a 1998 University investigation into the matter (findings were "inconclusive"). I can't help but think Paterno knew what was happening and offered a clean slate if he retired. This makes the 2002 report all the more troubling. That Paterno wouldn't know that his number 2, his heir apparent, was getting investigated by the University itself is a fact that I simply can't grasp -- it doesn't make any logical sense.
It's really a shame something like this has come to engulf my alma mater.
"May no act of ours bring shame/to one heart that loves thy name/may our lives but swell thy fame/dear old state, dear old state" - the Penn State Alma Mater, Fred Lewis Patee
-- Knuttel
Joe Paterno had to go though. Maybe for most coaches, not following up on a report that a GA gives you on one of your longest serving and most trusted coaches doing something heinous could be something to be ignored. The fact of the matter is Joe Paterno isn't that kind of coach, and he doesn't run that kind of program. To expect a coach who would suspend and dismiss players who aren't getting good grades, a coach who would suspend key players for difficult games, a coach who would suspend his star wide receiver for an entire season, not to be held accountable for something like this is an embarrassing double standard. Coach Paterno always seemed to run a tight ship, and his program occupied the moral high ground of college football because of it. To even have knowledge of a circumstance like this existing should have warranted more action than reporting it to the AD by a coach like Paterno.
Mike McQueary, the then GA who saw the actions in 2002, should be judged, but not in as strong a light. Should he keep his job at Penn State after the season is over? Probably not. But he was just a GA at the time, with aspirations of becoming a head football coach. Ratting on JoPa and Sandusky would pretty much kill that goal from ever happening. With a coach like JoePa, it shouldn't have even come to that point, it should have been trusted to have been taken care of. If McQueary had seen the incident recently, where he holds the much much more esteemed positions of wide receivers coach/offensive coordinator/recruiting director/assistant head coach, then yeah, by all means it would be a huge obligation on his part to make sure the observation did not go ignored.
The only reason I can think of for keeping him, is the fact that Joe Paterno is Penn State. He occupies a unique position within college football where his cult of personality identifies him not as a supporter or member of the university, but rather the university itself. To think of Penn State is to immediately think of JoPa. The only circumstance which can even come close to that is Bear Bryant's association with the University of Alabama -- but he hasn't coached in 3 decades, has coached at many other schools (Kentucky and Texas A&M to name a few), and the black and white houndstooth he made iconic is a far more identifiable and imitable image than rolled up pant legs and thick glasses
So many students and alumni just can't imagine Penn State football without Joe Paterno; so many students and alumni just can't imagine Penn State without Joe Paterno.
That he is brought down with what amounts to strong hearsay is really a tragedy, but his inaction frankly lost him the right to call his own departure. The board had asked him in 2004, in the midst of some very painful seasons, to retire. He said no. There are no other coaches who are able to do something like that. Earning the right to say when you leave is virtually impossible for a football coach to do, maintaining that amidst many powerful people who want you to leave is even more impossible. I'm not saying the board was looking for a reason for him to leave, but there was simply no reason for him to stay.
Yes, the main screw ups in this affair are all administrative, but any involvement in a case that is growing to this magnitude simply has to be recognized and dealt with. No, JoPa didn't touch any young boys, but he had the power to stop it and he didn't.
On a personal note, I'm pretty pissed with Schulz. Curley may have done more to cover this up, but Schulz was head of the the University Park police (for those who don't know, University Park is the entire campus of Penn State, and State College makes up the town around it) and instead of stopping a known child molester, he waged an excessive war against underage drinking and the like. Maybe Penn State does have a reputation as a party school that the administration doesn't necessarily want, but where are your fucking priorities?
I don't think the program deserves the death penalty. Many of the issues were administrative and only tenuously connected to football. Not to mention, I don't think the team itself committed any NCAA violations or infractions, I don't think any of the issues dealt with players themselves involved in the cover up, and the cover up doesn't directly give the players any sort of competitive advantage. Giving Penn State football the death penalty might be cathartic, but it won't solve any problems and it only hurts fans and players of Penn State Football. House does need to be cleaned though.
Allegations against Sandusky are about to get stronger, and this situation will only get messier. Paterno needed to be thrown out of the mud because he's too senile right now to understand he should've walked out when these first came to light.
The one fact nagging at me about this whole situation is Sandusky's retirement in 1999 -- which followed a 1998 University investigation into the matter (findings were "inconclusive"). I can't help but think Paterno knew what was happening and offered a clean slate if he retired. This makes the 2002 report all the more troubling. That Paterno wouldn't know that his number 2, his heir apparent, was getting investigated by the University itself is a fact that I simply can't grasp -- it doesn't make any logical sense.
It's really a shame something like this has come to engulf my alma mater.
"May no act of ours bring shame/to one heart that loves thy name/may our lives but swell thy fame/dear old state, dear old state" - the Penn State Alma Mater, Fred Lewis Patee
-- Knuttel
11.08.2011
Rye-se To See You
My first attempt at actual brewing produced a rye beer, so I decided to go back into this well to create my next session beer (I've decided it's probably a good policy to have a session beer on hand, something you can drink a few of without getting obliterated). I've used rye in other beers since then (being a favorite grain of mine), but both Lycanthropic Lager and Sasquatch Stout (oh god, the alliteration) don't have hugely significant amounts of it.
You see, rye can be a difficult grain to brew with. It is husk-less, like wheat, and is high in beta-glucans. Both of these can create an especially sticky mash that is especially susceptible to getting stuck. Both Lycanthropic Lager and Sasquatch Stout have low enough proportions that this isn't a huge issue, but this beer's grist was made up of about 40% rye, definitely enough to jam some stuff up.
To tackle this issue, I used a mash schedule I found in Brewing With Wheat that's designed for whit beers (malted wheat has a decent amount of beta-glucans, with flaked wheat and unmalted having even more) that called for a protein rest and two saccharification rests. I also added a pound of rice hulls just to be sure (compensating for the lack of hulls in rye). The downside to the mash is it can be complicated to pull off, changing temperatures by adding hot water at specific intervals. The downside to the rice hulls is it can hold sugars back during the sparging process, bringing down efficiency.
The results were awesome. The sparge ran cleanly (though I only had the valve open half-way, just to be sure) and my efficiency actually exceeded my past efficiencies in my newer, larger mash tun.
I hopped it with French Strisselspalt hops, which had a nice sweet smell to them, definitely unique among hops. The alpha-acid on them is ridiculously low, so it should only be bitter enough so that the beer doesn't taste like sugar. The beta-acids were surprisingly high, so it should retain a stronger aroma. I'm using a kolsch yeast to ferment it, so it will be closer to the cleaner tasting American rye beers, as opposed to the German roggenbiers, which use the weizen yeasts and thus have the distinctive clove and banana flavors.
You see, rye can be a difficult grain to brew with. It is husk-less, like wheat, and is high in beta-glucans. Both of these can create an especially sticky mash that is especially susceptible to getting stuck. Both Lycanthropic Lager and Sasquatch Stout have low enough proportions that this isn't a huge issue, but this beer's grist was made up of about 40% rye, definitely enough to jam some stuff up.
To tackle this issue, I used a mash schedule I found in Brewing With Wheat that's designed for whit beers (malted wheat has a decent amount of beta-glucans, with flaked wheat and unmalted having even more) that called for a protein rest and two saccharification rests. I also added a pound of rice hulls just to be sure (compensating for the lack of hulls in rye). The downside to the mash is it can be complicated to pull off, changing temperatures by adding hot water at specific intervals. The downside to the rice hulls is it can hold sugars back during the sparging process, bringing down efficiency.
The results were awesome. The sparge ran cleanly (though I only had the valve open half-way, just to be sure) and my efficiency actually exceeded my past efficiencies in my newer, larger mash tun.
I hopped it with French Strisselspalt hops, which had a nice sweet smell to them, definitely unique among hops. The alpha-acid on them is ridiculously low, so it should only be bitter enough so that the beer doesn't taste like sugar. The beta-acids were surprisingly high, so it should retain a stronger aroma. I'm using a kolsch yeast to ferment it, so it will be closer to the cleaner tasting American rye beers, as opposed to the German roggenbiers, which use the weizen yeasts and thus have the distinctive clove and banana flavors.
11.06.2011
The Legacy of JoPa
Shortly after becoming Division 1's all time winning-est coach, Joe Paterno's program, and the entire administration of Pennsylvania State University appears shaped up for a drastic change.
Longtime former Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky is being tried of about 40 counts of various child abuse -- sexual abuse, corruption of minors, etc -- I don't feel like getting into legalese. He was recently released on bail, and the charges are still going through the legal process, though it appears at least 10 of the charges have hard evidence and will stick.
That's all I'm really going to say about Sandusky's part. I don't like getting into that gossippy he did this, she did that kinda thing. If the person is guilty, then hopefully the courts will be able to prove that.
What bugs me is the timeline of this whole situation and how it affects the Penn State football program and athletic departments. Both the Athletic Director and University Park Chief of Police are being convicted of perjury on the matter -- for not willingly ignoring the situation, but enabling it to continue. The charges go back to 1994. Sandusky retired in 1999, and now it seems apparent he was forced out due to this situation -- despite being an awesome defensive coach and heir apparent to JoPa, he never coached again. JoPa, for his part, acknowledges one instance in 2002 (Sandusky was allowed to continue using the facilities and kept an office by JoPa's), and given how the AD and Chief of Police were both complicit on the matter, JoPa's reporting to the AD of the instance, and any (if at all) follow-up would have went nowhere. The thing is, though, if this is really the only instance that JoPa knew of, then why did Sandusky retire? It is possible Sandusky was just tired of waiting for JoPa to move on, and maybe he really was done with coaching, but it just seems bizarre.
The thing I want to know is, why, if people, including many higher-ups, knew about this, was it allowed to continue? Why, if he was no longer a coach for the team, or an employee of the university, was he allowed to use the facilities to do these things? Why was it covered up for so long? If it had been nipped in the bud early it simply would be "Longtime JoPa assistant diddles kids, JoPa and program move on". Now it's "Longtime JoPa assistant diddles kids, JoPa and program are done".
I guess the one thing to take away from this, that is very easy to forget, is that the one person in Penn State who even approaches the "untouchability" of JoPa is Sandusky, innovator of Penn State's vaunted Cover-3 defense.
While the roles of the AD and Chief of Police have been made clear in this, I kinda want to know the role of JoPa in this. I feel like he knows more than the '02 incident, but kinda wants to be left out of it. He hasn't really had much of a role, or power, in Penn State Football for most of the decade, so if he did know, his inability to do anything isn't much of a surprise. Anyone who's watched him coaching can tell you that -- He is one of 4 offensive playcallers, the only one of the 4 who doesn't wear a headset, and Bradley and the position coaches run the defense themselves. In 2004, LB Dan Connor told me Paterno's role on the team was pretty much just to bust balls.
Anyways, it looks like JoPa might be done because of this -- though if I had to bet, he'll wait until the end of the season. What is Paterno's legacy?
Joe Paterno has almost no coaching tree to speak of -- this article points out that the only one of them with a winning record was UVA's George Welsh, though Al Golden and Greg Schiano both spent time turning around really crappy teams (Temple and Rutgers, respectively), and Jim Caldwell has had success as coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Adding former players, the only one that comes to mind is former Quarterback John Hufnagel, who is now Head Coach of the Calgary Stampeders.
His professional player output is also not very impressive, especially considering how long he's been coaching. There's the running backs Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell; but Curt Warner never amazed, and everyone afterwards seemed to either always be hurt or wash up. With the exception of Kerry Collins, most of the qbs spent their careers as backups. Really the only positions that could produce something of consistent NFL-quality players were Linebacker and Offensive Line.
So Paterno's Legacy is Happy Valley. It is Penn State. Nothing more, nothing less. Penn State was a semi-successful .667ish team before Paterno, and Paterno's all time winning percentage is around .750. That's not that huge of a change, but the scale of the wins is exponentially greater. Paterno took more advantage of the independent status, scheduling tough opponents, and playing big bowl games. Paterno is the only coach to win all 4 of the current bcs bowl games (though he's only won the Rose bowl, the berth for the Big Ten, once) and still has the record for both bowl wins and appearances (though given his overall wins record, that shouldn't be a huge surprise). Penn State was never really a terrible football school before Paterno, but it was never a big one.
The harder part will be figuring out how/if this Sandusky scandal changes his legacy.
Longtime former Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky is being tried of about 40 counts of various child abuse -- sexual abuse, corruption of minors, etc -- I don't feel like getting into legalese. He was recently released on bail, and the charges are still going through the legal process, though it appears at least 10 of the charges have hard evidence and will stick.
That's all I'm really going to say about Sandusky's part. I don't like getting into that gossippy he did this, she did that kinda thing. If the person is guilty, then hopefully the courts will be able to prove that.
What bugs me is the timeline of this whole situation and how it affects the Penn State football program and athletic departments. Both the Athletic Director and University Park Chief of Police are being convicted of perjury on the matter -- for not willingly ignoring the situation, but enabling it to continue. The charges go back to 1994. Sandusky retired in 1999, and now it seems apparent he was forced out due to this situation -- despite being an awesome defensive coach and heir apparent to JoPa, he never coached again. JoPa, for his part, acknowledges one instance in 2002 (Sandusky was allowed to continue using the facilities and kept an office by JoPa's), and given how the AD and Chief of Police were both complicit on the matter, JoPa's reporting to the AD of the instance, and any (if at all) follow-up would have went nowhere. The thing is, though, if this is really the only instance that JoPa knew of, then why did Sandusky retire? It is possible Sandusky was just tired of waiting for JoPa to move on, and maybe he really was done with coaching, but it just seems bizarre.
The thing I want to know is, why, if people, including many higher-ups, knew about this, was it allowed to continue? Why, if he was no longer a coach for the team, or an employee of the university, was he allowed to use the facilities to do these things? Why was it covered up for so long? If it had been nipped in the bud early it simply would be "Longtime JoPa assistant diddles kids, JoPa and program move on". Now it's "Longtime JoPa assistant diddles kids, JoPa and program are done".
I guess the one thing to take away from this, that is very easy to forget, is that the one person in Penn State who even approaches the "untouchability" of JoPa is Sandusky, innovator of Penn State's vaunted Cover-3 defense.
While the roles of the AD and Chief of Police have been made clear in this, I kinda want to know the role of JoPa in this. I feel like he knows more than the '02 incident, but kinda wants to be left out of it. He hasn't really had much of a role, or power, in Penn State Football for most of the decade, so if he did know, his inability to do anything isn't much of a surprise. Anyone who's watched him coaching can tell you that -- He is one of 4 offensive playcallers, the only one of the 4 who doesn't wear a headset, and Bradley and the position coaches run the defense themselves. In 2004, LB Dan Connor told me Paterno's role on the team was pretty much just to bust balls.
Anyways, it looks like JoPa might be done because of this -- though if I had to bet, he'll wait until the end of the season. What is Paterno's legacy?
Joe Paterno has almost no coaching tree to speak of -- this article points out that the only one of them with a winning record was UVA's George Welsh, though Al Golden and Greg Schiano both spent time turning around really crappy teams (Temple and Rutgers, respectively), and Jim Caldwell has had success as coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Adding former players, the only one that comes to mind is former Quarterback John Hufnagel, who is now Head Coach of the Calgary Stampeders.
His professional player output is also not very impressive, especially considering how long he's been coaching. There's the running backs Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell; but Curt Warner never amazed, and everyone afterwards seemed to either always be hurt or wash up. With the exception of Kerry Collins, most of the qbs spent their careers as backups. Really the only positions that could produce something of consistent NFL-quality players were Linebacker and Offensive Line.
So Paterno's Legacy is Happy Valley. It is Penn State. Nothing more, nothing less. Penn State was a semi-successful .667ish team before Paterno, and Paterno's all time winning percentage is around .750. That's not that huge of a change, but the scale of the wins is exponentially greater. Paterno took more advantage of the independent status, scheduling tough opponents, and playing big bowl games. Paterno is the only coach to win all 4 of the current bcs bowl games (though he's only won the Rose bowl, the berth for the Big Ten, once) and still has the record for both bowl wins and appearances (though given his overall wins record, that shouldn't be a huge surprise). Penn State was never really a terrible football school before Paterno, but it was never a big one.
The harder part will be figuring out how/if this Sandusky scandal changes his legacy.
10.24.2011
On Occupy Wall Street, etc
One term that irks me is "free market". It implies that there is some sort of alternative wherein the market would not be free, or that the market can only be free if it is completely untethered. To me, simply "market" would be a better term. The economic situations exist because of the people involved, period. "Market" is also more inclusive, enabling one to include every single actor (including national governments, international governing bodies, and government agencies). Business types like to disregard these actors as simply getting in the way, but they get in the way as a function of the market. They act to improve it, not to hinder it.
Think of America about 100 years ago, before Roosevelt, before the Spanish-American war made it a burgeoning empire. Income disparity was huge, working conditions were awful, living conditions were awful, etc. There weren't any regulations in place, and as such, lower incomed peoples, who had little effect on the consumer market, bore the brunt of it. Do you think anyone who was in the market to buy a Pullman train car would actually care about the conditions of the people who physically make them? The same could be said for any modern equivalent -- care would only exist within the realm of charity cases one could make public. The workers then, as a market reaction, demand more. Having no actual power (another pool of employees could easily be brought in -- at least we're working) the government (or some actor, though it's hard to think of another) has to step in and say this is not cool, you guys.
The fact is, given a comparable result, give an industry the option to make something as cheaply as possible or the option to make it for more, but make sure everything is done "right" -- workers treated fairly, minimal to no environmental damage, etc -- most would pick the former. And the consumer? Who's to say they'd actually care the research the difference? Chances are they won't, and the more they end up being relatively the same price, the more it gets closer to a coin flip.
But enough of that. It was merely a defense of regulations, a defense of government acting within the market rather than staying aloof.
The modern equivalent of the industrial conditions of the late 19th century is the banking industry. Most western nations have seen their manufacturing economy replaced with the service economy, the backbone of which is banking. Regulations have slowly been taken away since the 1980s (making every government since then at fault, not just Bush or Clinton). This has been done under the auspices that regulation and taxation make them too cautious (as if wanting to stop an industry from losing money could be a bad thing).
Apparently we are now being led to believe that taxation stops companies from hiring more and expanding. Because taxes stop people from doing things? How could expansion and the increased revenues from expansion not be worth the taxes that would inevitably come with it?
Let's create a hypothetical scenario here. There is a man who makes his living hunting deer. Hunting was previously the only profession that was not taxed. The government wishes to add a tax so that 1 out of every 10 deer the hunter kills goes to the government. The hunter does not hunt for subsistence, he turns a profit selling extra meat and furs that he himself does not need. If this tax is imposed, would that stop the hunter from hunting? Would he hunt less? Neither of those is logical. Sure, paying taxes sucks, but everyone does it, and the threat of one existing isn't an economic deterrent in and of itself.
The other problem right now, and this is an issue that is probably larger within the tea party than the occupy movement, is how the industries themselves are ending up writing their own regulations. This is also wrong on so many levels, but i don't feel like coming up with any cute little allegories about why. I'll just say the end result -- the industry status quo is kept; up and comers within an industry may face actual regulations, while long timers face none, effectively monopolizing power (though given it's spread amongst a few partners, oligopoly would be a more precise term).
I'll prolly write something about patent and copyright law, and how it's holding back innovation later, but this is good for now.
-- Knuttel
Think of America about 100 years ago, before Roosevelt, before the Spanish-American war made it a burgeoning empire. Income disparity was huge, working conditions were awful, living conditions were awful, etc. There weren't any regulations in place, and as such, lower incomed peoples, who had little effect on the consumer market, bore the brunt of it. Do you think anyone who was in the market to buy a Pullman train car would actually care about the conditions of the people who physically make them? The same could be said for any modern equivalent -- care would only exist within the realm of charity cases one could make public. The workers then, as a market reaction, demand more. Having no actual power (another pool of employees could easily be brought in -- at least we're working) the government (or some actor, though it's hard to think of another) has to step in and say this is not cool, you guys.
The fact is, given a comparable result, give an industry the option to make something as cheaply as possible or the option to make it for more, but make sure everything is done "right" -- workers treated fairly, minimal to no environmental damage, etc -- most would pick the former. And the consumer? Who's to say they'd actually care the research the difference? Chances are they won't, and the more they end up being relatively the same price, the more it gets closer to a coin flip.
But enough of that. It was merely a defense of regulations, a defense of government acting within the market rather than staying aloof.
The modern equivalent of the industrial conditions of the late 19th century is the banking industry. Most western nations have seen their manufacturing economy replaced with the service economy, the backbone of which is banking. Regulations have slowly been taken away since the 1980s (making every government since then at fault, not just Bush or Clinton). This has been done under the auspices that regulation and taxation make them too cautious (as if wanting to stop an industry from losing money could be a bad thing).
Apparently we are now being led to believe that taxation stops companies from hiring more and expanding. Because taxes stop people from doing things? How could expansion and the increased revenues from expansion not be worth the taxes that would inevitably come with it?
Let's create a hypothetical scenario here. There is a man who makes his living hunting deer. Hunting was previously the only profession that was not taxed. The government wishes to add a tax so that 1 out of every 10 deer the hunter kills goes to the government. The hunter does not hunt for subsistence, he turns a profit selling extra meat and furs that he himself does not need. If this tax is imposed, would that stop the hunter from hunting? Would he hunt less? Neither of those is logical. Sure, paying taxes sucks, but everyone does it, and the threat of one existing isn't an economic deterrent in and of itself.
The other problem right now, and this is an issue that is probably larger within the tea party than the occupy movement, is how the industries themselves are ending up writing their own regulations. This is also wrong on so many levels, but i don't feel like coming up with any cute little allegories about why. I'll just say the end result -- the industry status quo is kept; up and comers within an industry may face actual regulations, while long timers face none, effectively monopolizing power (though given it's spread amongst a few partners, oligopoly would be a more precise term).
I'll prolly write something about patent and copyright law, and how it's holding back innovation later, but this is good for now.
-- Knuttel
10.13.2011
CFL legend gets respect south of the border
Montreal Alouette's QB Anthony Calvillo passed the All-Time Football passing yards record this weekend, and the only QB in the top 5 who didn't take part in any way of the event was Brett Favre. What an asshole.
Maybe Favre feels inadequate because he retired short of Damon Allen's mark, and no hope of beating Calvillo, who can still play for another year or two. Maybe Favre feels superior because no one will ever beat his interceptions record (though he's only second there too, coming short to the CFL's Ron Lancaster -- who played in the days when qb's were purposely not awesomely careful with the ball, treating interceptions as only somewhat shorter punts.)
Whatever the reason, he's the odd one out. I think the passing record will remain in the CFL for some time, but records are still made to be broken.
Montreal Alouette's QB Anthony Calvillo passed the All-Time Football passing yards record this weekend, and the only QB in the top 5 who didn't take part in any way of the event was Brett Favre. What an asshole.
Maybe Favre feels inadequate because he retired short of Damon Allen's mark, and no hope of beating Calvillo, who can still play for another year or two. Maybe Favre feels superior because no one will ever beat his interceptions record (though he's only second there too, coming short to the CFL's Ron Lancaster -- who played in the days when qb's were purposely not awesomely careful with the ball, treating interceptions as only somewhat shorter punts.)
Whatever the reason, he's the odd one out. I think the passing record will remain in the CFL for some time, but records are still made to be broken.
Most Awesome News of the Year
Proof of Bigfoot? Scientists in Siberia Say Yeti Exists - TIME NewsFeed
Sasquatch, we know your love is real...
-- Knuttel
Sasquatch, we know your love is real...
-- Knuttel
10.07.2011
Knuttelbrau Is Received
I recently entered some of my awesome Knuttelbrau into a homebrew competition -- malt madness to be exact. The judging occurred on Sept 24, and I got my results back today. I entered Lycanthropic Lager as both a Schwarzbier and a Robust Porter. You can usually enter one beer into several categories, but not several beers into one category. I linked the descriptions so I don't have to describe them, but I created the beer with a somewhat Schwarzbier-ish intention, but thought it might have too much flavor and aroma hops to actually work as a textbook example.
Without further ado...
Scwarzbier -- 34.5
review 1
Aroma 8/12: light roast, light coffee, munich
Appearance 3/3: off white low head, very dark
Flavor 12/20: light roast, munich taste, grainy a little, light on dryness, some lingering hop bitterness, low in chocolate bitterness
Mouthfeel 5/5: crisp, moderate carbonation
Overall Impression 6/10: I would bring more of the chocolate bitterness out of it and tone down on the burnt
33/50
review 2
Aroma 10/12: Moderate roasted aroma, clean yeast profile, strong munich malt
Appearance 1/3: dark brown, slightly hazy with somewhat persistent head
Flavor 13/20: some burnt roast flavor with moderate chocolate roast and moderately low munich malt. dry finish
Mouthfeel 5/5: medium lite body with moderate high carbonation. nice smooth finish with no astringency
Overall Impression 7/10: nice example of style except for burntness and bitterness of malt. everything on point except for burnt profile
36/50
Robust Porter -- 31.5
review 1
Aroma 5/12: citrus hop/hop/ and hop
Appearance 3/3: very dark brown light tan head clear
Flavor 10/20: floral and citrus hop. moderate bitterness. mild chocolate moderate roast. did i mention hops
Mouthfeel 4/5: medium body. medium/high carbonation. hop bite
Overall Impression 8/10: while i really enjoyed this beer it would have done better as a black IPA. wish i could score this higher
30/50
review 2
Aroma 8/12: deep rich malty character is present. a hint of chocolate aroma present
Appearance 3/3: deep brown color with light tan head that is persistent. some lacing present
Flavor 12/20: Hop bitterness dominates this beer. while i like this characteristic it is not to category. maltness and dark roasty character took a back seat to the bitterness. getting hints of chocolate and toffee as well.
Mouthfeel 3/5: Medium body with a hint of creaminess. slight astringency is not out of character for this category
Overall Impression 7/10: overall i think this is a very nice beer! the largest distracting character of this beer is the hop bitterness
33/50
What to take away -- I was not expecting the hoppiness to be more of an issue to the porter group than the schwarzbier group. That being said, it only had an intented IBU of like 28. 1 oz of low-medium AA hops for the hour boil, another oz for 10 minutes, and dry hopped with an ounce of cascade -- if hop character is picked up, it's not for its bitterness. The porter group must've just gotten a hop bomb before mine and had trouble getting the taste out of their mouth. I don't see that as anything IPA-ish like the one judge said. The grainy-ness commented on by the schwarzbier group was highly intended. I could easily fix that by switching the pale malt to pilsner malt and drop the rye malt all together -- but then it wouldn't be lycanthropic lager. I definitely do agree on the toning down the burntness though -- I'll switch from using Carafa III to Carafa I, same proportions. I am also going to try and ferment this colder (though still at ale temps using a lager yeast) and make a starter. Hopping shalln't change. The dry hop character mellows out a bit during the lagering phase, as does the rye malt, but both are still there. I may also substitute some of the pale malt for munich malt or something on those lines. I will keep the decoction mash (the munich malt was picked up by both the schwarzbier judges, and I can't help but think this has at least something to do with it) but may mess with the scheduling a little bit to try and get better clarity. I am glad for this feedback because I am looking to make this one of my beers to have on hand -- the other being spider-man, of which I currently have a lot.
I have another competition on saturday, where I entered my bier de garde that was created on the brewday from hell (though tastes very lovely). Looking forward to more feedback, and if I'm lucky, prizes.
-- Knuttel
Without further ado...
Scwarzbier -- 34.5
review 1
Aroma 8/12: light roast, light coffee, munich
Appearance 3/3: off white low head, very dark
Flavor 12/20: light roast, munich taste, grainy a little, light on dryness, some lingering hop bitterness, low in chocolate bitterness
Mouthfeel 5/5: crisp, moderate carbonation
Overall Impression 6/10: I would bring more of the chocolate bitterness out of it and tone down on the burnt
33/50
review 2
Aroma 10/12: Moderate roasted aroma, clean yeast profile, strong munich malt
Appearance 1/3: dark brown, slightly hazy with somewhat persistent head
Flavor 13/20: some burnt roast flavor with moderate chocolate roast and moderately low munich malt. dry finish
Mouthfeel 5/5: medium lite body with moderate high carbonation. nice smooth finish with no astringency
Overall Impression 7/10: nice example of style except for burntness and bitterness of malt. everything on point except for burnt profile
36/50
Robust Porter -- 31.5
review 1
Aroma 5/12: citrus hop/hop/ and hop
Appearance 3/3: very dark brown light tan head clear
Flavor 10/20: floral and citrus hop. moderate bitterness. mild chocolate moderate roast. did i mention hops
Mouthfeel 4/5: medium body. medium/high carbonation. hop bite
Overall Impression 8/10: while i really enjoyed this beer it would have done better as a black IPA. wish i could score this higher
30/50
review 2
Aroma 8/12: deep rich malty character is present. a hint of chocolate aroma present
Appearance 3/3: deep brown color with light tan head that is persistent. some lacing present
Flavor 12/20: Hop bitterness dominates this beer. while i like this characteristic it is not to category. maltness and dark roasty character took a back seat to the bitterness. getting hints of chocolate and toffee as well.
Mouthfeel 3/5: Medium body with a hint of creaminess. slight astringency is not out of character for this category
Overall Impression 7/10: overall i think this is a very nice beer! the largest distracting character of this beer is the hop bitterness
33/50
What to take away -- I was not expecting the hoppiness to be more of an issue to the porter group than the schwarzbier group. That being said, it only had an intented IBU of like 28. 1 oz of low-medium AA hops for the hour boil, another oz for 10 minutes, and dry hopped with an ounce of cascade -- if hop character is picked up, it's not for its bitterness. The porter group must've just gotten a hop bomb before mine and had trouble getting the taste out of their mouth. I don't see that as anything IPA-ish like the one judge said. The grainy-ness commented on by the schwarzbier group was highly intended. I could easily fix that by switching the pale malt to pilsner malt and drop the rye malt all together -- but then it wouldn't be lycanthropic lager. I definitely do agree on the toning down the burntness though -- I'll switch from using Carafa III to Carafa I, same proportions. I am also going to try and ferment this colder (though still at ale temps using a lager yeast) and make a starter. Hopping shalln't change. The dry hop character mellows out a bit during the lagering phase, as does the rye malt, but both are still there. I may also substitute some of the pale malt for munich malt or something on those lines. I will keep the decoction mash (the munich malt was picked up by both the schwarzbier judges, and I can't help but think this has at least something to do with it) but may mess with the scheduling a little bit to try and get better clarity. I am glad for this feedback because I am looking to make this one of my beers to have on hand -- the other being spider-man, of which I currently have a lot.
I have another competition on saturday, where I entered my bier de garde that was created on the brewday from hell (though tastes very lovely). Looking forward to more feedback, and if I'm lucky, prizes.
-- Knuttel
10.05.2011
Wherein Knuttel Points Out "X-Men: First Class" Raises More Questions Than Answers
I recently saw the movie mentioned in the title, and I'm just gonna keep saying movie from now on to save time and reading and etc; anyways, I saw it, and it raised soooo many more questions than it answered. As a prequel, it is supposed to do the opposite -- fill in back-stories and flesh out character and plot points from earlier movies. It sets the stage after the fact. I'm going to try and do this all as within movie context as possible -- I shouldn't try to judge it against Marvel comics or any other medium because, well, each medium deserves to exist as its own entity.
Without further ado, let's dive into this--
Why does Charles speak in a British accent? He's from New York. He's upper crust, sure, but that would mean a bi-coastal accent, like Kelsey Grammer or Franklin Delano Roosevelt, if anything not purely American.
Continuing with languages, how does everyone in the cast seem to know, equally well, English, Spanish, German, Russian, and French?
Why did the Hugh Jackman Cameo last longer than 5 seconds? That scene was done almost immediately, and yet it lingered as if Quinten Tarantino was directing it.
How does Hank McCoy find shoes big enough for his feet? If they are truly like hands for feet than he would need like Shaq sized shoes, which would definitely be by custom order in 1962. Unless expert shoemaking is one of his mutant abilities, someone else would know he is a mutant.
How does Moira McTaggert get to stay with the X-Men after they leave the CIA compound? She is CIA and the project was terminated by the government. She should be effectively gone.
How does Magneto crack Emma Frost's diamond form? If diamonds are the hardest substance then the metal rods of a bed stand should never be able to crack it.
How does Mystique know about Shaw's telepath proof helmet? He hasn't shown it to anyone outside of his team at this point besides Magneto.
How does Shaw know the helmet makes him immune to telepaths? How did he test it? Is there another telepath that the Soviets keep locked up? If Shaw is doing this all to help mutant kind, he probably would have rescued this telepath and made him/her part of his cadre. Emma Frost is in his team, but knows not of the helmet or its abilities.
Either Mystique physically shows ageing or she doesn't -- she is a shape shifter. So any age of shape shifting characters should be available to her, or only age appropriate ones.
Havoc's energy blasts were completely unexplained. Nothing further.
If Darwin's power is "reactive evolution", he should be able to withstand any amount of energy Shaw throws at him -- perhaps not do anything with it afterwards, but survival seems to be key to this power (like maybe in order to hold the energy back he is stuck in stone or metal form for a very long time, or even permanently, but shattering definitely seems to be out of the question).
If Cerebro helps them track down ALL of the mutants on earth at that point, what made them settle on that particular group? Were they the only ones who didn't say no?
How is Hank McCoy completely oblivious to his physical speed and strength besides being able to hang off things with his feet?
Why is Angel the only mutant to defect to Shaw's group? Mystique has shown a much larger identity issue at this point.
Why did Angel have to undo the back of her top to let her wings out, despite not having to do this later, and how would her top stay on completely ungrasped and untethered?
Charles and Erik's deep relationship of the previous movies seems boiled down to a business partnership in this movie -- a business partnership that Erik never had any intention of holding onto. Where did all the Charles and Erik time go?
Did anyone direct January Jones' acting? She seemed bored throughout the whole thing, and not bored in that upper-class "is that all there is, I've seen better" kind of character she is -- bored as in "I am reading my lines for the first time off this cue card".
Trying to explain how Banshee uses his screaming power to fly only raises questions about who's idea was this in the first place (actually throwing this one back on the source materiel instead of the movie).
How does Magneto throw everyone around at the end? He's shown no propensity for being able to do this before hand, and no one is really running slowly, so it can't really be metal in the new suits.
The "Children of the atom" theory has no basis within the context of the movie. Shaw already has his powers as an adult, and Raven, Charles, and Erik have theirs as children all DURING the war (not to mention Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is showing being in-universe, and was born in the 19th century)-- predating any atomic bomb being detonated. It would only apply to characters under the age of 17.
If Havoc is in prison, arguably for the terrible things he can do with his power, why do the upper levels of the CIA doubt the existence of beings with mutant powers?
Yeah, I'm done with this. It wasn't bad -- in the top 3 as far as X-Men movies are concerned, but almost everything is better than either Wolverine or X-3.
-- Knuttel
Without further ado, let's dive into this--
Why does Charles speak in a British accent? He's from New York. He's upper crust, sure, but that would mean a bi-coastal accent, like Kelsey Grammer or Franklin Delano Roosevelt, if anything not purely American.
Continuing with languages, how does everyone in the cast seem to know, equally well, English, Spanish, German, Russian, and French?
Why did the Hugh Jackman Cameo last longer than 5 seconds? That scene was done almost immediately, and yet it lingered as if Quinten Tarantino was directing it.
How does Hank McCoy find shoes big enough for his feet? If they are truly like hands for feet than he would need like Shaq sized shoes, which would definitely be by custom order in 1962. Unless expert shoemaking is one of his mutant abilities, someone else would know he is a mutant.
How does Moira McTaggert get to stay with the X-Men after they leave the CIA compound? She is CIA and the project was terminated by the government. She should be effectively gone.
How does Magneto crack Emma Frost's diamond form? If diamonds are the hardest substance then the metal rods of a bed stand should never be able to crack it.
How does Mystique know about Shaw's telepath proof helmet? He hasn't shown it to anyone outside of his team at this point besides Magneto.
How does Shaw know the helmet makes him immune to telepaths? How did he test it? Is there another telepath that the Soviets keep locked up? If Shaw is doing this all to help mutant kind, he probably would have rescued this telepath and made him/her part of his cadre. Emma Frost is in his team, but knows not of the helmet or its abilities.
Either Mystique physically shows ageing or she doesn't -- she is a shape shifter. So any age of shape shifting characters should be available to her, or only age appropriate ones.
Havoc's energy blasts were completely unexplained. Nothing further.
If Darwin's power is "reactive evolution", he should be able to withstand any amount of energy Shaw throws at him -- perhaps not do anything with it afterwards, but survival seems to be key to this power (like maybe in order to hold the energy back he is stuck in stone or metal form for a very long time, or even permanently, but shattering definitely seems to be out of the question).
If Cerebro helps them track down ALL of the mutants on earth at that point, what made them settle on that particular group? Were they the only ones who didn't say no?
How is Hank McCoy completely oblivious to his physical speed and strength besides being able to hang off things with his feet?
Why is Angel the only mutant to defect to Shaw's group? Mystique has shown a much larger identity issue at this point.
Why did Angel have to undo the back of her top to let her wings out, despite not having to do this later, and how would her top stay on completely ungrasped and untethered?
Charles and Erik's deep relationship of the previous movies seems boiled down to a business partnership in this movie -- a business partnership that Erik never had any intention of holding onto. Where did all the Charles and Erik time go?
Did anyone direct January Jones' acting? She seemed bored throughout the whole thing, and not bored in that upper-class "is that all there is, I've seen better" kind of character she is -- bored as in "I am reading my lines for the first time off this cue card".
Trying to explain how Banshee uses his screaming power to fly only raises questions about who's idea was this in the first place (actually throwing this one back on the source materiel instead of the movie).
How does Magneto throw everyone around at the end? He's shown no propensity for being able to do this before hand, and no one is really running slowly, so it can't really be metal in the new suits.
The "Children of the atom" theory has no basis within the context of the movie. Shaw already has his powers as an adult, and Raven, Charles, and Erik have theirs as children all DURING the war (not to mention Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is showing being in-universe, and was born in the 19th century)-- predating any atomic bomb being detonated. It would only apply to characters under the age of 17.
If Havoc is in prison, arguably for the terrible things he can do with his power, why do the upper levels of the CIA doubt the existence of beings with mutant powers?
Yeah, I'm done with this. It wasn't bad -- in the top 3 as far as X-Men movies are concerned, but almost everything is better than either Wolverine or X-3.
-- Knuttel
9.18.2011
The White House Brews Its Own Beer
It's nice to have something in common with the white house besides "places where someone has choked on a pretzel". It doesn't matter that it wasn't an accident, or that he totally got what was coming to him, or that no ambulance was called and it might be considered manslaughter in some states. Now I can just say the beer thing!
It's nice to have something in common with the white house besides "places where someone has choked on a pretzel". It doesn't matter that it wasn't an accident, or that he totally got what was coming to him, or that no ambulance was called and it might be considered manslaughter in some states. Now I can just say the beer thing!
8.26.2011
The NFL and the Cult of Superstar
I'm going to start this off by saying I am reconsidering my almost 3 year long boycott of the NFL (yeah, it's really been that long). My demands simply aren't going to be met and other leagues are mimicking the NFL for exactly the same things I left it. The NCAA may be an exception, but they have their head so far up their ass, at least organizationally, that they're really not worth defending.
So why not simply address and try to understand why the league acts the way it does (in this blog post, that is, stating the issue to the NFL themselves would endear you to them much as Pete Rose endears himself to Bud Selig).
The NFL does all of these crazy rules because of their cult of superstar.
You can't hit the quarterback -- because they're the superstar.
You can't chop down a wide receiver with your helmet -- because they're the superstar.
Note: I actually kind of agree with the last one, but not because a football player should not be on the receiving end of a tackle, but because tackling at the NFL level is really subpar -- running at high speed and hoping it makes the other person fall down.
But it continues with new rules they've been putting in place even more recently since the lockout ended.
Two-a-days are now a relic of the past -- despite being the standard in High School and College. Why? If you're already an awesome player, you don't need the extra time to get more awesome -- you're just more likely to get hurt. Nevermind that borderline players need the extra time to make their case for a roster spot -- make their case for a pay check -- we can't risk losing a whole season of Chad Ochocinco quips because he tweaked his knee running that extra route.
The other rule change is the kickoff being moved 5 yards closer to midfield. Basically this means every single kickoff will be a touchback. "Oh, but Knuttel, aren't kick-returners superstars too?" This is where it gets tricky. A very excellent kick returner may get to the level of celebrity of a regular starter within the team's fanbase, but it is rare that it extends beyond that. Kick returners are usually listed as the 4th or 5th wide receiver on the depth chart, or the 3rd runningback, some back up defensive back -- you get the picture. They are on the field for only a handful of plays. It's like if kickers had athleticism -- and no one likes kickers. Basically this eliminates the position -- the roster need of a pure athlete, someone who could work on his route running, his catching, his tackling, but in the meantime, can run and juke like a motherfucker, so you want to get him on the field some. The thing is, not a lot of players get beyond that, even the good ones. For every Steve Smith, who began his pro-bowl wide receiver career as an undersized pro-bowl kick returner, there's a million Brian Mitchells and Eric Metcalfs that can't put everything else together on an NFL level.
Perhaps the most damaging aspect of this culture in the NFL though is the huge lack of creativity. Any new ideas are crushed at the first sign of failure. The most recent breakthrough in offense is the West Coast offense of the early 80s -- most offenses simply do a variant of that. The two biggest defensive fads (cover-2 and 3-4) have their roots in the 70s and 80s likewise. There's two reasons for this -- owners and gms are short-sighted, and short term failure all too often leads to long term failure in their logic; and the stars of today MUST be compared to the stars of yesterday.
This about it. You can think of any star player nowadys, and you can probably draw some sort of comparison to any other player since offensive linemen were allowed to engage blocks with their hands. If someone baffles THAT much, you can just combine two. All sports coverage reinforces this concept. The game can never change too much, because if it does, then how are we going to know if Dan Marino really was the greatest quarterback never to win a super bowl?
Frankly, I don't get it. Developing new ideas prevents the other teams from predicting what you're going to do, and my god, have there been any decent running backs after 30 besides Emmit Smith in recent history? Isn't that an alarming trend the league should look into? Or is the damage too drawn out to cause a sudden dip in stardom?
And with only 32 teams, we need to see new ideas executed. This isn't baseball, where there are only so many ways to run in straight lines around the bases. This is football, there's an entire field width-wise and legnth-wise, and theres 4 downs to get 10 yards (3 if you're in Canada). I want to see an NFL coach who refuses to run the ball like Mike Leach, or refuses to throw the ball like Paul Johnson (the fun part about ignoring one of the two conventional ways of moving the ball is you have to then move it the other way unconventionally).
Come on
-- The Knuttel
So why not simply address and try to understand why the league acts the way it does (in this blog post, that is, stating the issue to the NFL themselves would endear you to them much as Pete Rose endears himself to Bud Selig).
The NFL does all of these crazy rules because of their cult of superstar.
You can't hit the quarterback -- because they're the superstar.
You can't chop down a wide receiver with your helmet -- because they're the superstar.
Note: I actually kind of agree with the last one, but not because a football player should not be on the receiving end of a tackle, but because tackling at the NFL level is really subpar -- running at high speed and hoping it makes the other person fall down.
But it continues with new rules they've been putting in place even more recently since the lockout ended.
Two-a-days are now a relic of the past -- despite being the standard in High School and College. Why? If you're already an awesome player, you don't need the extra time to get more awesome -- you're just more likely to get hurt. Nevermind that borderline players need the extra time to make their case for a roster spot -- make their case for a pay check -- we can't risk losing a whole season of Chad Ochocinco quips because he tweaked his knee running that extra route.
The other rule change is the kickoff being moved 5 yards closer to midfield. Basically this means every single kickoff will be a touchback. "Oh, but Knuttel, aren't kick-returners superstars too?" This is where it gets tricky. A very excellent kick returner may get to the level of celebrity of a regular starter within the team's fanbase, but it is rare that it extends beyond that. Kick returners are usually listed as the 4th or 5th wide receiver on the depth chart, or the 3rd runningback, some back up defensive back -- you get the picture. They are on the field for only a handful of plays. It's like if kickers had athleticism -- and no one likes kickers. Basically this eliminates the position -- the roster need of a pure athlete, someone who could work on his route running, his catching, his tackling, but in the meantime, can run and juke like a motherfucker, so you want to get him on the field some. The thing is, not a lot of players get beyond that, even the good ones. For every Steve Smith, who began his pro-bowl wide receiver career as an undersized pro-bowl kick returner, there's a million Brian Mitchells and Eric Metcalfs that can't put everything else together on an NFL level.
Perhaps the most damaging aspect of this culture in the NFL though is the huge lack of creativity. Any new ideas are crushed at the first sign of failure. The most recent breakthrough in offense is the West Coast offense of the early 80s -- most offenses simply do a variant of that. The two biggest defensive fads (cover-2 and 3-4) have their roots in the 70s and 80s likewise. There's two reasons for this -- owners and gms are short-sighted, and short term failure all too often leads to long term failure in their logic; and the stars of today MUST be compared to the stars of yesterday.
This about it. You can think of any star player nowadys, and you can probably draw some sort of comparison to any other player since offensive linemen were allowed to engage blocks with their hands. If someone baffles THAT much, you can just combine two. All sports coverage reinforces this concept. The game can never change too much, because if it does, then how are we going to know if Dan Marino really was the greatest quarterback never to win a super bowl?
Frankly, I don't get it. Developing new ideas prevents the other teams from predicting what you're going to do, and my god, have there been any decent running backs after 30 besides Emmit Smith in recent history? Isn't that an alarming trend the league should look into? Or is the damage too drawn out to cause a sudden dip in stardom?
And with only 32 teams, we need to see new ideas executed. This isn't baseball, where there are only so many ways to run in straight lines around the bases. This is football, there's an entire field width-wise and legnth-wise, and theres 4 downs to get 10 yards (3 if you're in Canada). I want to see an NFL coach who refuses to run the ball like Mike Leach, or refuses to throw the ball like Paul Johnson (the fun part about ignoring one of the two conventional ways of moving the ball is you have to then move it the other way unconventionally).
Come on
-- The Knuttel
8.25.2011
The Knuttel Returns
So obviously I took a long break from updating this blog which no one reads.
Why leave? Why return?
Short answer: who cares. Long answer: there isn't going to be one.
So let's just straight into business.
Issue number one which has prompted me to return to this thing -- The Libyan rebellion has reached the city of Tripoli, the seat of Ghadafi's power.
Top Ten Myths about the Libya War | Informed Comment
There's some good reads.
This revolution is really one of the most remarkable things to happen in recent history. Despite all odds, the rebels seem to be on the verge of gaining control of the country. The rebels are largely untrained civilians, and NATO air support only goes so far. While I don't doubt the existence of special ops units (American, British, and/or French) in Libya, a revolution like this requires many many people on the ground.
I frankly can't think of any reason that one would support Ghadafi without an ulterior motive in this year, 2011. Even his western nations tour and UN appearance not too long ago seems just strange. The man has always trampled civil liberties (the only liberties any one can ever be guaranteed) and has long since betrayed the ideals he used to spur his coup. Claiming NATO simply wants a share of its oil makes no sense because NATO already had access to Libyan oil (in agreements where Libya would be paid for said oil), and spurring a revolution against the seated government can only jeopardize the oil in Libya -- physically, as oil is a very combustible substance (anyone remember Saddam torching oil wells in his retreat in 1991) and economically, as uncertainty about access to oil can only drive prices up (and up they have only been since NATO has helped).
Maybe the rebels will take Tripoli and end Ghadafi's regime, maybe they'll get pushed back, but I don't see Ghadafi recovering from this. Even if he wins this battle of Tripoli, all he really has left is artillery. A lot of his military has defected and shelling cities like the whole thing is a military target can only lose him supporters (and it seems that was his strategy in Misrata).
Ah, Post-post-colonialism, it truly is a wild ride.
I anticipate the end of Ghadafi happening on Maury -- "You are NOT the leader" (cue music)
-- Knuttel
Why leave? Why return?
Short answer: who cares. Long answer: there isn't going to be one.
So let's just straight into business.
Issue number one which has prompted me to return to this thing -- The Libyan rebellion has reached the city of Tripoli, the seat of Ghadafi's power.
Top Ten Myths about the Libya War | Informed Comment
There's some good reads.
This revolution is really one of the most remarkable things to happen in recent history. Despite all odds, the rebels seem to be on the verge of gaining control of the country. The rebels are largely untrained civilians, and NATO air support only goes so far. While I don't doubt the existence of special ops units (American, British, and/or French) in Libya, a revolution like this requires many many people on the ground.
I frankly can't think of any reason that one would support Ghadafi without an ulterior motive in this year, 2011. Even his western nations tour and UN appearance not too long ago seems just strange. The man has always trampled civil liberties (the only liberties any one can ever be guaranteed) and has long since betrayed the ideals he used to spur his coup. Claiming NATO simply wants a share of its oil makes no sense because NATO already had access to Libyan oil (in agreements where Libya would be paid for said oil), and spurring a revolution against the seated government can only jeopardize the oil in Libya -- physically, as oil is a very combustible substance (anyone remember Saddam torching oil wells in his retreat in 1991) and economically, as uncertainty about access to oil can only drive prices up (and up they have only been since NATO has helped).
Maybe the rebels will take Tripoli and end Ghadafi's regime, maybe they'll get pushed back, but I don't see Ghadafi recovering from this. Even if he wins this battle of Tripoli, all he really has left is artillery. A lot of his military has defected and shelling cities like the whole thing is a military target can only lose him supporters (and it seems that was his strategy in Misrata).
Ah, Post-post-colonialism, it truly is a wild ride.
I anticipate the end of Ghadafi happening on Maury -- "You are NOT the leader" (cue music)
-- Knuttel
5.31.2011
Knuttelbrau sees the lager picture
See what I did there? Eh?
Anyways, yes, I have brewed my first lager. It is dubbed "Dr. Knuttel's Lycanthropic Lager" (though I am neither a Doctor or a Lycanthrope).
Lagers, unfairly, have gotten a bad rap due to the saturation of the market (especially in the America) of the so-called Macro-lager -- a lighter take on the pilsner beers of Bohemia and, to a lesser extent, southern Germany. America has its Budweiser, its Miller, its Coors -- and chances are wherever you are in the country, it would not be difficult to find at least two of the three, if not all of them. Elsewhere there are still Molsons, Labatts, Heinekens, Stella Artoises, Mooseheads, Amstels -- but they're all pretty much variants on this macro-lager style.
Anyways, yes, I have brewed my first lager. It is dubbed "Dr. Knuttel's Lycanthropic Lager" (though I am neither a Doctor or a Lycanthrope).
Lagers, unfairly, have gotten a bad rap due to the saturation of the market (especially in the America) of the so-called Macro-lager -- a lighter take on the pilsner beers of Bohemia and, to a lesser extent, southern Germany. America has its Budweiser, its Miller, its Coors -- and chances are wherever you are in the country, it would not be difficult to find at least two of the three, if not all of them. Elsewhere there are still Molsons, Labatts, Heinekens, Stella Artoises, Mooseheads, Amstels -- but they're all pretty much variants on this macro-lager style.
5.16.2011
Lady Gaga, as she were, May 2011
Anyone who knows me and my tastes in music knows that amongst the vast sea to which I listen, waves crashing upon the shore, Lady Gaga is certainly a larger wave. More to the point, anyone who has read these two past articles (seeing as how the older one, a review of The Fame, is from 2009, I'm clearly digging).
Hah, remember when I used to open all of my posts with quotes from old plays and literature. Those were the days, or I think it only lasted like a month or two, whatevs, it was a fun time. It was just getting too forced and, well, difficult to keep finding apt quotes for whatever I was writing. The Gaga one, however, was hella apt.
Hah, remember when I used to open all of my posts with quotes from old plays and literature. Those were the days, or I think it only lasted like a month or two, whatevs, it was a fun time. It was just getting too forced and, well, difficult to keep finding apt quotes for whatever I was writing. The Gaga one, however, was hella apt.
5.04.2011
Symptom of the Brew-niverse and other beer-ings
I bottled my saison earlier today (Saisons dans l'abime).
My previous dealings with gushers were caused by one of two things -- too much priming sugar or not enough sanitation.
I decided to focus on the sanitation issue. I made sure everything was cleaned twice, and I also sanitized my previously untouched bottle caps (I guess I thought they were too small to make a difference).
My previous dealings with gushers were caused by one of two things -- too much priming sugar or not enough sanitation.
I decided to focus on the sanitation issue. I made sure everything was cleaned twice, and I also sanitized my previously untouched bottle caps (I guess I thought they were too small to make a difference).
5.02.2011
Osama Bin Laden...
So, as most of America (and probably the world) knows, Osama Bin Laden was killed last night during an attack on his compound. A tip was given on his whereabouts last fall, following up on this, the attack order was given. So I thought I'd give a few thoughts on the matter.
-- The reactions for this happening were varied, sure, but moreso than I thought they would be. Elation was common, and not entirely uncalled for -- finding him has been an endeavor that has been going on full time for just under 10 years, and at least part time since the other WTC bombing in 1994. So yeah, this has been going on for three administrations, not two. Obama may (and rightfully so) get the credit for ending this, but it has taken a long concerted effort from three Presidential administrations and a whole score of people in the intelligence field.
-- Seeing such elation from the death of one man is still kind of strange to me though. I guess I was just expecting something a little more along the lines of relief. That being said, with the exception of the more uncouth elated remarks, I was more disconcerted by the ultra-pacifist anger of, well, killing him. Misdirected anger definitely could be done away with, but I guess I just have an understanding of the world as a violent place, in pretty much any capacity. Competition happens whether you want it to or not, and getting rid of someone who has actively gunned for the eradication of the western world (ironically since being supported by them to get rid of the soviets) would definitely fall under much more of a plus than a minus.
-- I wonder how much planning and plotting he has been able to get done while being on the run from so many different people. I also wonder if he has been able to groom a successor in the 10 years since 9/11.
-- I find it kind of funny that he was found in a compound in a relatively affluent suburb of Islamabad when we've been given this image of him cave hopping across Waziristan.
-- I like how they gave him a proper Muslim burial (within 24 hours, no cremation), and doing it at sea was smart to prevent his grave from becoming some sort of shrine to his cause. Not having any pictures of the event prevents an outrage from happening regarding this, but similarly it makes me feel like I am kind of taking this news for granted.
-- For anyone who cares, the mission was apparently to apprehend Bin Laden, preferably alive, though dead would also be acceptable. More than being in custody, he personally needed to be stopped. Capturing him and putting him under trial/in prison would have been a nice touch but apparently it was unfeasible.
-- I'm bemused by anyone who tries to attribute/divide credit among the administrations. Clearly Bush had been doing this longer than Obama, but the end was in Obama's administration, so really he is the only one who can get any hard credit (both the operation and the intelligence tip to his whereabouts). To try and figure out how much work was actually done under each administration would be long, pointless, and petty. The deed is done, leave it at that.
-- I haven't heard anything about how the Muslim world has reacted to this. Arguably he has killed more Muslims than Westerners, but those who align with him identify themselves as Muslim.
-- So there have been a lot of goings on in the Muslim world, period, these past few months. From a western standpoint, this may be the apogee of these events, but hopefully this doesn't stop. The civil war is still raging in Libya, and there are still rumblings in Syria.
-- Knuttel
-- The reactions for this happening were varied, sure, but moreso than I thought they would be. Elation was common, and not entirely uncalled for -- finding him has been an endeavor that has been going on full time for just under 10 years, and at least part time since the other WTC bombing in 1994. So yeah, this has been going on for three administrations, not two. Obama may (and rightfully so) get the credit for ending this, but it has taken a long concerted effort from three Presidential administrations and a whole score of people in the intelligence field.
-- Seeing such elation from the death of one man is still kind of strange to me though. I guess I was just expecting something a little more along the lines of relief. That being said, with the exception of the more uncouth elated remarks, I was more disconcerted by the ultra-pacifist anger of, well, killing him. Misdirected anger definitely could be done away with, but I guess I just have an understanding of the world as a violent place, in pretty much any capacity. Competition happens whether you want it to or not, and getting rid of someone who has actively gunned for the eradication of the western world (ironically since being supported by them to get rid of the soviets) would definitely fall under much more of a plus than a minus.
-- I wonder how much planning and plotting he has been able to get done while being on the run from so many different people. I also wonder if he has been able to groom a successor in the 10 years since 9/11.
-- I find it kind of funny that he was found in a compound in a relatively affluent suburb of Islamabad when we've been given this image of him cave hopping across Waziristan.
-- I like how they gave him a proper Muslim burial (within 24 hours, no cremation), and doing it at sea was smart to prevent his grave from becoming some sort of shrine to his cause. Not having any pictures of the event prevents an outrage from happening regarding this, but similarly it makes me feel like I am kind of taking this news for granted.
-- For anyone who cares, the mission was apparently to apprehend Bin Laden, preferably alive, though dead would also be acceptable. More than being in custody, he personally needed to be stopped. Capturing him and putting him under trial/in prison would have been a nice touch but apparently it was unfeasible.
-- I'm bemused by anyone who tries to attribute/divide credit among the administrations. Clearly Bush had been doing this longer than Obama, but the end was in Obama's administration, so really he is the only one who can get any hard credit (both the operation and the intelligence tip to his whereabouts). To try and figure out how much work was actually done under each administration would be long, pointless, and petty. The deed is done, leave it at that.
-- I haven't heard anything about how the Muslim world has reacted to this. Arguably he has killed more Muslims than Westerners, but those who align with him identify themselves as Muslim.
-- So there have been a lot of goings on in the Muslim world, period, these past few months. From a western standpoint, this may be the apogee of these events, but hopefully this doesn't stop. The civil war is still raging in Libya, and there are still rumblings in Syria.
-- Knuttel
4.23.2011
Beer Updates
First things first
I have completed construction of my first wort chiller!
For those who do not know, a wort chiller is a device that is used to rapidly decrease the temperature of boiling wort so one may pitch the yeast into it, thus beginning the fermentation process of beer. This is done for two reasons -- 1) Beginning the fermentation and sealing the tank earlier prevents other unwanted organisms (bacteria and such) from also taking hold in your sweet sweet wort juice. 2) Bringing the temperature down faster helps improve clarity. Before I had the wort chiller, I used ice in various forms (but always barriered, you cannot let foreign water into your beer). The first all-grain brew, if anyone remembers, used the snow that was still on the ground, except we ended up losing a lot to evaporation and had to re-add bottled water to bring it back up (and somehow we only ended like.1 off target gravity).
I have completed construction of my first wort chiller!
For those who do not know, a wort chiller is a device that is used to rapidly decrease the temperature of boiling wort so one may pitch the yeast into it, thus beginning the fermentation process of beer. This is done for two reasons -- 1) Beginning the fermentation and sealing the tank earlier prevents other unwanted organisms (bacteria and such) from also taking hold in your sweet sweet wort juice. 2) Bringing the temperature down faster helps improve clarity. Before I had the wort chiller, I used ice in various forms (but always barriered, you cannot let foreign water into your beer). The first all-grain brew, if anyone remembers, used the snow that was still on the ground, except we ended up losing a lot to evaporation and had to re-add bottled water to bring it back up (and somehow we only ended like.1 off target gravity).
4.20.2011
Knuttelbrau goes public
Ah, so it has been a week or two since I last wrote in this (I really don't know why, either) but what better way to get back into the swing of things than to talk about beer. What's better than beer? Nothing. Nothing is better than beer.
So, this past weekend was Blue and White. We tailgate every year, so what better venue to show the fruits of my homebrewing labor?
I brought down roughly 2 cases of "Spider-man" and the third case was approximately split between "Doppeldecker" and "Heart of the Sun-Ryes".
"Spider-man" is an American Amber Ale. It is brownish (amber) in color, has a sweet bready malt backbone and a strong but not too assertive hop character.
"Doppeldecker" is a doppelbock. I realize it looks like I bucked the tradition of ending doppelbocks with "-ator" but the full title has it, I assure you. At 8% ABV it can knock you on your ass. Due to the decocted mash, the malt is front and center in flavor and it has good head retention.
"Heart of the Sun-Ryes" is a roggenbier. It will be changed in future iterations due somewhat to the impossibility (both physically and willingly) of me repeating the exact circumstances of it being created and due to its overwhelming thickness (70% of the mash was flaked). The flavor is very good though, coming mostly from the rye and wheat.
Flavors were overall commended. I did well there.
The issues were bottles foaming or fizzing too much (one even ended up being a bottle rocket) and clarity. The foaming is rather inconsistent though.
Foaming could be by either over-carbing in the bottling process. I bottle condition my beers, carefully measure the right amount of sugar and mix it totally in the bottling bucket before filling the bottles, so I don't think it's that. The other cause is not sanitizing enough, and I think this could be the issue. I guess I'll find out after my next batch.
The clarity issue is due to not cooling my beer very rapidly and not letting the yeast fall from suspension. I could solve this by using a wort chiller (under construction) to cool it down faster and a bright tank in secondary fermentation to let more yeast fall from suspension. I don't really care about the clarity of the rye beer, I kind of want it to be cloudy like a hefeweissen, but the other two definitely need to be clearer (murky brown doesn't exactly have an appealing look).
So that's where I am at. I am currently making a wort chiller to fix the cooling issue, and may be in the market for a glass carboy to use as a bright tank. My next brew will either be an attempt at re-doing/fixing the rye beer or doing a saison or something else I've been working on.
-- Knuttel
So, this past weekend was Blue and White. We tailgate every year, so what better venue to show the fruits of my homebrewing labor?
I brought down roughly 2 cases of "Spider-man" and the third case was approximately split between "Doppeldecker" and "Heart of the Sun-Ryes".
"Spider-man" is an American Amber Ale. It is brownish (amber) in color, has a sweet bready malt backbone and a strong but not too assertive hop character.
"Doppeldecker" is a doppelbock. I realize it looks like I bucked the tradition of ending doppelbocks with "-ator" but the full title has it, I assure you. At 8% ABV it can knock you on your ass. Due to the decocted mash, the malt is front and center in flavor and it has good head retention.
"Heart of the Sun-Ryes" is a roggenbier. It will be changed in future iterations due somewhat to the impossibility (both physically and willingly) of me repeating the exact circumstances of it being created and due to its overwhelming thickness (70% of the mash was flaked). The flavor is very good though, coming mostly from the rye and wheat.
Flavors were overall commended. I did well there.
The issues were bottles foaming or fizzing too much (one even ended up being a bottle rocket) and clarity. The foaming is rather inconsistent though.
Foaming could be by either over-carbing in the bottling process. I bottle condition my beers, carefully measure the right amount of sugar and mix it totally in the bottling bucket before filling the bottles, so I don't think it's that. The other cause is not sanitizing enough, and I think this could be the issue. I guess I'll find out after my next batch.
The clarity issue is due to not cooling my beer very rapidly and not letting the yeast fall from suspension. I could solve this by using a wort chiller (under construction) to cool it down faster and a bright tank in secondary fermentation to let more yeast fall from suspension. I don't really care about the clarity of the rye beer, I kind of want it to be cloudy like a hefeweissen, but the other two definitely need to be clearer (murky brown doesn't exactly have an appealing look).
So that's where I am at. I am currently making a wort chiller to fix the cooling issue, and may be in the market for a glass carboy to use as a bright tank. My next brew will either be an attempt at re-doing/fixing the rye beer or doing a saison or something else I've been working on.
-- Knuttel
4.04.2011
Beer-Fest 2011
I had the pleasure of attending Atlantic City's annual Beer-Fest last Friday night, April 1st.
The beer vendors could both be described as voluminous and varied. It was mostly represented by American craft breweries, though there were some foreign brewers there (Unibroue, Spaten) and some of the bigger boys were also there (Sam Adams, Yeungling).
I was looking forward to Dogfishhead's offering, as they have often released very experimental beers (experiments which often go right), and are always pushing new stuff out. Sad to say, they only had 2 beers there, one of which I already had (raison d'etre). The beer I had was extremely thick and flavorful, though I forget its title. We were beckoned there by the man who had offered to be my host for the night, and he is an even bigger Dogfishhead fan than I, so it made for a satisfactory first beer.
I was also looking forward to Unibroue's offerings. They brought 4 kinds of beers, and I periodically kept stopping by to try more and more of them. I've already had their most famous beer "La fin du monde" (the end of the world), so I skipped that, but they also had "Trois Pistoles" (three guns) and a whitbeer whose name escapes me currently.
Flying Dog also had some excellent brews available. They perhaps are more known for their "gonzo" imagery, but it's all backed up. They had a coffee stout and a rauchbier available. Both of these beers were perfectly balanced -- the coffee stout not tasting too much like either coffee or beer, and the rauchbier not tasting like a cloud of smoke.
Of course I feel compelled to mention Yards' and Victory's excellent offerings as well, but I don't feel much need to go further than that. I did go back for a second sample in both though.
In the "ok, I'll go with it" category, I was kinda shocked to see displays of both Four Loko and Colt 45 (who wasn't showing their classic malt liquor, but rather a four loko kind of beverage). Technically they are both malted beverages, so i cannot say they couldn't be there. It was just interesting to see. I couldn't really get a straight answer from either of them about the caffeine content though. Worth mentioning is the replacement of Billy Dee "goes down smooth" Williams with Snoop Dogg as the spokesman of Colt 45.
Besides that, most of the booths were offering I guess what I'd call "an IPA plus 1". The American IPA has simply dominated the American craft brewing scene -- it's so simple yet so complicated, mess with the hops. Imperial Stouts and various Belgian styles are also starting to cut their way into the scene. What do the three have in common? They all can have really strong flavors and really high gravities (of course this doesn't apply to all the beers of Belgium, but you get my point).
I wish every day were Beer Fest
-- Knuttel
The beer vendors could both be described as voluminous and varied. It was mostly represented by American craft breweries, though there were some foreign brewers there (Unibroue, Spaten) and some of the bigger boys were also there (Sam Adams, Yeungling).
I was looking forward to Dogfishhead's offering, as they have often released very experimental beers (experiments which often go right), and are always pushing new stuff out. Sad to say, they only had 2 beers there, one of which I already had (raison d'etre). The beer I had was extremely thick and flavorful, though I forget its title. We were beckoned there by the man who had offered to be my host for the night, and he is an even bigger Dogfishhead fan than I, so it made for a satisfactory first beer.
I was also looking forward to Unibroue's offerings. They brought 4 kinds of beers, and I periodically kept stopping by to try more and more of them. I've already had their most famous beer "La fin du monde" (the end of the world), so I skipped that, but they also had "Trois Pistoles" (three guns) and a whitbeer whose name escapes me currently.
Flying Dog also had some excellent brews available. They perhaps are more known for their "gonzo" imagery, but it's all backed up. They had a coffee stout and a rauchbier available. Both of these beers were perfectly balanced -- the coffee stout not tasting too much like either coffee or beer, and the rauchbier not tasting like a cloud of smoke.
Of course I feel compelled to mention Yards' and Victory's excellent offerings as well, but I don't feel much need to go further than that. I did go back for a second sample in both though.
In the "ok, I'll go with it" category, I was kinda shocked to see displays of both Four Loko and Colt 45 (who wasn't showing their classic malt liquor, but rather a four loko kind of beverage). Technically they are both malted beverages, so i cannot say they couldn't be there. It was just interesting to see. I couldn't really get a straight answer from either of them about the caffeine content though. Worth mentioning is the replacement of Billy Dee "goes down smooth" Williams with Snoop Dogg as the spokesman of Colt 45.
Besides that, most of the booths were offering I guess what I'd call "an IPA plus 1". The American IPA has simply dominated the American craft brewing scene -- it's so simple yet so complicated, mess with the hops. Imperial Stouts and various Belgian styles are also starting to cut their way into the scene. What do the three have in common? They all can have really strong flavors and really high gravities (of course this doesn't apply to all the beers of Belgium, but you get my point).
I wish every day were Beer Fest
-- Knuttel
3.31.2011
Mallrats answered
Hooray Journalism: Someone Asked Stan Lee About The Thing's Junk
I think it's more interesting to see he goes on to mention Reed Richards. Clearly he's been thinking about it all along. Maybe I should have done that entire blog devoted to this kind of stuff -- I mean, who doesn't think about the implications of Jamie Madrox being able to multiply penetrate someone singlehandedly with his ability to split into many many people.
I think it's more interesting to see he goes on to mention Reed Richards. Clearly he's been thinking about it all along. Maybe I should have done that entire blog devoted to this kind of stuff -- I mean, who doesn't think about the implications of Jamie Madrox being able to multiply penetrate someone singlehandedly with his ability to split into many many people.
RIAA says "Please sir, I'd like some more"
I find this funnier and more pathetic than anything else.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9215074/RIAA_request_for_trillions_in_LimeWire_copyright_case_is_absurd_judge_says
Talk about an industry that has simply not adapted to something that's so commonplace as ... the internet.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9215074/RIAA_request_for_trillions_in_LimeWire_copyright_case_is_absurd_judge_says
Talk about an industry that has simply not adapted to something that's so commonplace as ... the internet.
Death to Monsanto
Group Challenges Monsanto's Patent on Genetically Modified Seeds - Slashfood
I hope it holds this time. I do have to give them credit for basing a business model on how slutty plants are, but how it was ever legal is beyond me. Not to mention Monsanto represents scientific hubris at its worst. Like the injunction claims -- growing efficiency is down, microbes are catching up to the changes faster than the scientists are, and more money is being spent on fertilizers than before. Not to mention I doubt anyone ever thought it was healthy to eat vegetables that have been soaked in herbicide (of course being genetically engineered to be immune to Monsanto's own roundup), sure the plants survive, but what are the long term implications for people? Assuming we've only been doing this since they claimed their patent in 1982, that's just under 30 years of this.
Like I said in the previous post -- corporation vs individual.
-- Knuttel
I hope it holds this time. I do have to give them credit for basing a business model on how slutty plants are, but how it was ever legal is beyond me. Not to mention Monsanto represents scientific hubris at its worst. Like the injunction claims -- growing efficiency is down, microbes are catching up to the changes faster than the scientists are, and more money is being spent on fertilizers than before. Not to mention I doubt anyone ever thought it was healthy to eat vegetables that have been soaked in herbicide (of course being genetically engineered to be immune to Monsanto's own roundup), sure the plants survive, but what are the long term implications for people? Assuming we've only been doing this since they claimed their patent in 1982, that's just under 30 years of this.
Like I said in the previous post -- corporation vs individual.
-- Knuttel
United States and Conservatism
The Conservative States of America - Richard Florida - Politics - The Atlantic
An interesting article, to be sure, this is.
I, too, find alarming the homogenization that has been occurring geographically, which exacerbates things such as political views.
If someone goes their entire life hearing about one political view, then they are very inclined to agree with it. If they do not agree with it, they are likely to be ignored and/or move to an area where people would agree.
The sad thing is this nation is too large to be governed by either the left or the right. Recent primaries have done a good job of eliminating moderates -- both Specter's party switch and subsequent primary defeat were directly because of this.
Honestly, I think the old left/right liberal/conservative paradigm is fundamentally changing, as is the whole international political scene.
Statehood based on the Westphalian model is becoming increasingly outdated with the ever growing reach of globalization.
The four keys of this are territorial integrity, border inviolability, supremacy of the state, and lawmaking supremacy of the sovereign (yeah, I stole that from wikipedia, but I don't feel like looking it up in Leviathan, so sue me).
Territorial integrity and border inviolability are the most rapidly decaying from all of this. Borders simply don't matter that much nowadays -- USA and Canada is not defended at all, Europe exists more as a series of states than sovereign entities, and global corporations carve out their own niches independent of borders.
Going with the latter point, these corporations dig at both the supremacy of the state and the lawmaking supremacy of the sovereign. Using lobbyists to write their own laws and pass them, they gain more and more influence over governments, and have an increasingly large stake in the state's lawmaking abilities.
Thus the shifting paradigm is no longer the state vs the individual or the state vs the federal, but rather the corporate vs the individual. The state is becoming more and more meaningless, more and more toothless. The healthcare insurance industry wrote the "Obamacare" health care bill themselves, then trashed it when they realized they could do better without it, and perhaps more importantly, realized they had a very good chance of taking it down. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a result of corporate negligence that should have been picked up by regulators, but the regulators are often past and future employees of these entities, and curry favor more than report instances.
The state had its opportunity in both of these circumstances to right a wrong, and failed to correct a lot of major problems in both of them.
The issue isn't more government or less government. Less government gives corporations carte blanche to do whatever they want. More government lets them write the laws to do whatever they want.
No, what needs to happen is a fundamental take-back, a declaration of individual sovereignty.
An interesting article, to be sure, this is.
I, too, find alarming the homogenization that has been occurring geographically, which exacerbates things such as political views.
If someone goes their entire life hearing about one political view, then they are very inclined to agree with it. If they do not agree with it, they are likely to be ignored and/or move to an area where people would agree.
The sad thing is this nation is too large to be governed by either the left or the right. Recent primaries have done a good job of eliminating moderates -- both Specter's party switch and subsequent primary defeat were directly because of this.
Honestly, I think the old left/right liberal/conservative paradigm is fundamentally changing, as is the whole international political scene.
Statehood based on the Westphalian model is becoming increasingly outdated with the ever growing reach of globalization.
The four keys of this are territorial integrity, border inviolability, supremacy of the state, and lawmaking supremacy of the sovereign (yeah, I stole that from wikipedia, but I don't feel like looking it up in Leviathan, so sue me).
Territorial integrity and border inviolability are the most rapidly decaying from all of this. Borders simply don't matter that much nowadays -- USA and Canada is not defended at all, Europe exists more as a series of states than sovereign entities, and global corporations carve out their own niches independent of borders.
Going with the latter point, these corporations dig at both the supremacy of the state and the lawmaking supremacy of the sovereign. Using lobbyists to write their own laws and pass them, they gain more and more influence over governments, and have an increasingly large stake in the state's lawmaking abilities.
Thus the shifting paradigm is no longer the state vs the individual or the state vs the federal, but rather the corporate vs the individual. The state is becoming more and more meaningless, more and more toothless. The healthcare insurance industry wrote the "Obamacare" health care bill themselves, then trashed it when they realized they could do better without it, and perhaps more importantly, realized they had a very good chance of taking it down. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a result of corporate negligence that should have been picked up by regulators, but the regulators are often past and future employees of these entities, and curry favor more than report instances.
The state had its opportunity in both of these circumstances to right a wrong, and failed to correct a lot of major problems in both of them.
The issue isn't more government or less government. Less government gives corporations carte blanche to do whatever they want. More government lets them write the laws to do whatever they want.
No, what needs to happen is a fundamental take-back, a declaration of individual sovereignty.
3.23.2011
Annual Coin Flip Bracket 2 part 2: Sweet 16
OK, so here's the updated coin flip bracket results after the first two rounds
Yeah, it's pretty ugly. I only have 2 elite 8's remaining, and one final four -- the coin's selection of UConn as the national champion.
Like last year, I decided to do a retake after the sweet 16 had been set for the same reasons -- a more competitive field should produce more 50/50ish results. Plus I had like no one left, I had to do a retake. This time I used an old school JFK half-dollar, though the heads/tails rules were the same.
So this time, BYU is winning it all. Kinda weird to see Kansas leave already, and BYU as a 3 seed just seems weird to me, I dunno why.
-- Knutel
Yeah, it's pretty ugly. I only have 2 elite 8's remaining, and one final four -- the coin's selection of UConn as the national champion.
Like last year, I decided to do a retake after the sweet 16 had been set for the same reasons -- a more competitive field should produce more 50/50ish results. Plus I had like no one left, I had to do a retake. This time I used an old school JFK half-dollar, though the heads/tails rules were the same.
So this time, BYU is winning it all. Kinda weird to see Kansas leave already, and BYU as a 3 seed just seems weird to me, I dunno why.
-- Knutel
New Brew -- Spider-man
So monday I decided to make another batch of beer (full batch + this time -- 6 gallons).
I decided to make it in the style of an American Amber Ale.
The history of the style is rather contrived if you ask me -- coming not as a result of supply, but rather business need. It has its roots in the brewpubs and microbreweries of the west coast. A lot of them had very dark beers and very light beers, but not many in between -- maybe a pale ale crept its way darkly up to the lower shades of amber, but that was it. In order to create an appealing trinity of beer colors they created the amber ale. Never the less, I like amber colored beers, and I kind of wanted to do something simpler and straightforward than my last two.
I decided to make it in the style of an American Amber Ale.
The history of the style is rather contrived if you ask me -- coming not as a result of supply, but rather business need. It has its roots in the brewpubs and microbreweries of the west coast. A lot of them had very dark beers and very light beers, but not many in between -- maybe a pale ale crept its way darkly up to the lower shades of amber, but that was it. In order to create an appealing trinity of beer colors they created the amber ale. Never the less, I like amber colored beers, and I kind of wanted to do something simpler and straightforward than my last two.
3.20.2011
Muammar Gaddafi, Libya and the End of Post-Colonialism
Post-colonialism is something I personally define as beginning in the mid 20th Century when lands that were controlled (directly or indirectly) by Western powers were re-appropriated by the native populations.
Libya, which had been held by the Italians since about 1911, was administered by the French and English for a few years after World War II (news flash, Italy lost) before it was returned to Libyan rule, where a monarchy was established. Gaddafi led a military coup in 1969 and has held power since then.
Libya's colonial history goes way way back though -- it has pretty much been a perennial colony. The Phoenicians and the Greeks were the first to set up colonies in modern Libya, in order to establish trade with the native Berber people. After them it was the Romans, then the Arabs (who brought Islam), then the Ottoman Turks, who were a decaying entity by the time the scramble for Africa enticed Italian interest in the region.
Libya, which had been held by the Italians since about 1911, was administered by the French and English for a few years after World War II (news flash, Italy lost) before it was returned to Libyan rule, where a monarchy was established. Gaddafi led a military coup in 1969 and has held power since then.
Libya's colonial history goes way way back though -- it has pretty much been a perennial colony. The Phoenicians and the Greeks were the first to set up colonies in modern Libya, in order to establish trade with the native Berber people. After them it was the Romans, then the Arabs (who brought Islam), then the Ottoman Turks, who were a decaying entity by the time the scramble for Africa enticed Italian interest in the region.
3.18.2011
The Second Annual Coin Flip Bracket (2011 edition)
I followed the same rules as last year (I think) -- tails is the higher seed, and heads is the lower seed. The tails side of a quarter usually weighs more than the heads side, though I have no idea how the whole state quarter thing affects that (I believe the quarter i used was a Texas State quarter, though clearly it's from San Antonio, as all the love was for UTSA, and it gave none to traditionally good Texas (Austin)).
I'll put an updated bracket up once the first two rounds are through (I realize the first round is almost through as I post this, but I assure you, and you can clearly tell by looking at it, that I flipped prior to any of these games being played, play-ins notwithstanding).
-- Knuttel
3.14.2011
Extolling the Virtues of Cold Brewed Coffee
As perhaps it is known (though more likely unnoticed and therefore unknown), I am an avid drinker of coffee beverages. It can also be attested that I dislike hot coffee (mainly because it is, well, hot). Using ice cubes to bring the temperature down waters the coffee down, requiring a delicate balance of creating mud-like coffee to be diluted with the right amount of ice. Even when planned perfectly, it can end not well. Leaving coffee out can make it stale sometimes.
There has to be a better way.
Well, while doing research for using coffee in beer, I came across a method that is known as "cold-brewing".
Basically, one lets coffee grinds sit in cold water for an extended period of time. Substituting water, one can cold brew coffee in beer in a secondary fermentation. Basically, though, cold-brewed coffee can be added in any part of the brewing process (substituting for parts of water or simply being added by itself).
Enough about coffee in beer, cold-brewed coffee is a very different drink from regular coffee -- hot coffee has more in common with its concentrated brother, expresso, than cold-brewed coffee. By using a cold-brewing process, the acids from the coffee are not extracted, making the final product not as bitter as regular coffee (the reason people add sugar and/or cream to it). The final product is also more concentrated than regular coffee, so it can be added to something like milk as a flavoring.
In order to make cold brewed coffee, you need a container (mason jars are perfect), a filter of some kind, coffee grounds, and water.
-Add 4 parts water to 1 part coffee to the container (for example, for every cup of water, add 1/4 cup of coffee)
-Make sure all of the grounds are in contact with the water
-Place container in the fridge for a minimum of 3-4 hours, though overnight works best
-Filter coffee grounds out by pouring the container through a filter into a different container. Repeat as necessary
And boom, it's there, concentrated not-bitter coffee
Adding ice to this beverage works moreso as a pure temperature regulator than a diluter, making this a perfect choice for iced coffee beverages.
-- Knuttel
There has to be a better way.
Well, while doing research for using coffee in beer, I came across a method that is known as "cold-brewing".
Basically, one lets coffee grinds sit in cold water for an extended period of time. Substituting water, one can cold brew coffee in beer in a secondary fermentation. Basically, though, cold-brewed coffee can be added in any part of the brewing process (substituting for parts of water or simply being added by itself).
Enough about coffee in beer, cold-brewed coffee is a very different drink from regular coffee -- hot coffee has more in common with its concentrated brother, expresso, than cold-brewed coffee. By using a cold-brewing process, the acids from the coffee are not extracted, making the final product not as bitter as regular coffee (the reason people add sugar and/or cream to it). The final product is also more concentrated than regular coffee, so it can be added to something like milk as a flavoring.
In order to make cold brewed coffee, you need a container (mason jars are perfect), a filter of some kind, coffee grounds, and water.
-Add 4 parts water to 1 part coffee to the container (for example, for every cup of water, add 1/4 cup of coffee)
-Make sure all of the grounds are in contact with the water
-Place container in the fridge for a minimum of 3-4 hours, though overnight works best
-Filter coffee grounds out by pouring the container through a filter into a different container. Repeat as necessary
And boom, it's there, concentrated not-bitter coffee
Adding ice to this beverage works moreso as a pure temperature regulator than a diluter, making this a perfect choice for iced coffee beverages.
-- Knuttel
3.09.2011
Libya Stuff
In non-Charlie Sheen news, there's a civil war going on halfway across the world, looking to oust one of the longest serving dictators in the world. For some reason I was stockpiling a bunch of links on the matter.
Against Libya's rebels, Gadhafi controls the skies - Yahoo! News
Congressional leaders push Obama administration for more aggressive Libya response
Gadhafi forces barrage rebels in east and west - Yahoo! News
U.K., France draft 'no-fly' resolution for Libya - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com
aaand one article that vaguely has to deal with the issue
Yes, the world still has plenty of oil, but ... - Business - Oil & energy - msnbc.com
-- Knuttel
Against Libya's rebels, Gadhafi controls the skies - Yahoo! News
Congressional leaders push Obama administration for more aggressive Libya response
Gadhafi forces barrage rebels in east and west - Yahoo! News
U.K., France draft 'no-fly' resolution for Libya - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com
aaand one article that vaguely has to deal with the issue
Yes, the world still has plenty of oil, but ... - Business - Oil & energy - msnbc.com
-- Knuttel
And Here We Have...
NASA Scientist Finds Extraterrestiral Microbial Life In Meteorite [PIC]
I wish this had a legitimate article attached or linked to it so I could follow the actual story. It would definitely be interesting if true, but this is just a series of sourceless pictures so far.
... yeah, so reading the comments section...
and the link
http://journalofcosmology.com/Life100.html
I bet there's already alien life on earth, but cos of these dipshits we'll never know. They totally have the scientific secrets we're looking for too, like string theory and penis enlargement.
-- Knuttel
I wish this had a legitimate article attached or linked to it so I could follow the actual story. It would definitely be interesting if true, but this is just a series of sourceless pictures so far.
... yeah, so reading the comments section...
"Correction: Scientist finds formations that sort of suggest former presence of microbial life in meteorite, but the formations may have been caused by a number of other forces that are not a life form. Author has published a similar paper 14 years ago. Article was published in The Journal of Cosmology, a now-bankrupt publication with questionable peer-reviewing standards."
and the link
http://journalofcosmology.com/Life100.html
I bet there's already alien life on earth, but cos of these dipshits we'll never know. They totally have the scientific secrets we're looking for too, like string theory and penis enlargement.
-- Knuttel
I Don't Think My "Comparisons to Ohio" Tag Does Enough Here
Ohio St suspends Tressel 2 games for violation - Yahoo! News
Seriously? Does the NCAA have no teeth whatsoever?
Cam Newton's father sought explicit verbal consent for his son to play football for certain schools. That's one step away from being able to broadcast Major League Baseball Games (just get it written).
This is weaker than when a group of Ohio State's players were suspended for the first few games of next season for improperly receiving benefits for football related services (in this case, tattoos for merchandise), as opposed to the bowl game these allegations appeared a few weeks before.
You see, when I first heard this story (the tattoo one, not Tressel), I was working under a few assumptions -- This had just happened recently, mid-season at the latest, nobody was aware they were violating any codes, and Jim Tressel and the University were both completely (or at least very) unaware of the whole thing.
Seriously? Does the NCAA have no teeth whatsoever?
Cam Newton's father sought explicit verbal consent for his son to play football for certain schools. That's one step away from being able to broadcast Major League Baseball Games (just get it written).
This is weaker than when a group of Ohio State's players were suspended for the first few games of next season for improperly receiving benefits for football related services (in this case, tattoos for merchandise), as opposed to the bowl game these allegations appeared a few weeks before.
You see, when I first heard this story (the tattoo one, not Tressel), I was working under a few assumptions -- This had just happened recently, mid-season at the latest, nobody was aware they were violating any codes, and Jim Tressel and the University were both completely (or at least very) unaware of the whole thing.
3.08.2011
Voting Ages and Other Items
In states, parties clash over voting laws that call for IDs, limits on where college students can cast ballots
Ahead of the 2012 campaign, states debate voting rights - Yahoo! News
This is an argument that can't really be won by the "old" contingent.
First among the reasons why is the end result would be directly taking away a person's right to vote in some cases, or merely limit their abilities to do so in others. To raise the voting age would be regressive. To raise it because they're "too liberal" is even more regressive and silly. To continue on this tangent would be pointless; I've never supported revoking the voting rights of old people because they no longer contribute as much to society or cling to the past.
So let's jump into a different facet of this story. Two important facts dominate here -- assuming this is directed at college students -- 1) election day is in November, which would mean a college voter would likely have to cast an absentee ballot if he is only able to vote at "home". 2) A student spends around 9 months of the year at the college campus, or otherwise not at "home", this isn't even taking into account summers spent possibly elsewhere for internships and co-ops.
Point number 1 -- absentee voting is essentially voting in name only. You get the physical satisfaction of voting and having a ballot and everything, but really it only gets counted if the election is close. It's like having half a vote -- your vote only counts if they decide they need it.
Point number 2 -- If a person is spending more than half of their year at a particular location, wouldn't being able to vote in those local elections be more important than those of where you grew up? Sure, you may be more familiar with the local politics of your hometown, but couldn't the same be said for anyone that moves? Logically this means anyone who relocates should still be forced to vote as if they lived in their old town for at least a few years, you know, so they can understand better where they live now. In addition -- supposing a particular town has a bad relationship with its nearby college population -- what better way to foster a relationship than by forcing them to work together politically?
Young people don't vote a lot anyway.
Besides the "stupid, young, liberal, votes with their feelings" thing is a very hyperbolic stereotype -- I've known many a conservative youth, and the first national election where 18 year olds were allowed to vote had Nixon win in a landslide that hasn't been seen since.
I could say a few comparisons, but I would regret going so far with a statement, so I'll refrain.
-- Knuttel
God forbid we let young people vote, they know how to use computers!
Ahead of the 2012 campaign, states debate voting rights - Yahoo! News
This is an argument that can't really be won by the "old" contingent.
First among the reasons why is the end result would be directly taking away a person's right to vote in some cases, or merely limit their abilities to do so in others. To raise the voting age would be regressive. To raise it because they're "too liberal" is even more regressive and silly. To continue on this tangent would be pointless; I've never supported revoking the voting rights of old people because they no longer contribute as much to society or cling to the past.
So let's jump into a different facet of this story. Two important facts dominate here -- assuming this is directed at college students -- 1) election day is in November, which would mean a college voter would likely have to cast an absentee ballot if he is only able to vote at "home". 2) A student spends around 9 months of the year at the college campus, or otherwise not at "home", this isn't even taking into account summers spent possibly elsewhere for internships and co-ops.
Point number 1 -- absentee voting is essentially voting in name only. You get the physical satisfaction of voting and having a ballot and everything, but really it only gets counted if the election is close. It's like having half a vote -- your vote only counts if they decide they need it.
Point number 2 -- If a person is spending more than half of their year at a particular location, wouldn't being able to vote in those local elections be more important than those of where you grew up? Sure, you may be more familiar with the local politics of your hometown, but couldn't the same be said for anyone that moves? Logically this means anyone who relocates should still be forced to vote as if they lived in their old town for at least a few years, you know, so they can understand better where they live now. In addition -- supposing a particular town has a bad relationship with its nearby college population -- what better way to foster a relationship than by forcing them to work together politically?
Young people don't vote a lot anyway.
Besides the "stupid, young, liberal, votes with their feelings" thing is a very hyperbolic stereotype -- I've known many a conservative youth, and the first national election where 18 year olds were allowed to vote had Nixon win in a landslide that hasn't been seen since.
I could say a few comparisons, but I would regret going so far with a statement, so I'll refrain.
-- Knuttel
God forbid we let young people vote, they know how to use computers!
If Only...
BCS Conferences, Players Quietly Negotiating New Collective Bargaining Agreement - SportsPickle News
But alas, the players have few rights and the distinction between bcs and non-bcs within division 1-A remains arbitrary.
ah, satire
But alas, the players have few rights and the distinction between bcs and non-bcs within division 1-A remains arbitrary.
ah, satire
3.06.2011
pills are good
Drug company R&D: Nowhere near $1 billion. - By Timothy Noah - Slate Magazine
Fun fact, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the few places where competition actually raises prices.
god bless capitalism
Fun fact, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the few places where competition actually raises prices.
god bless capitalism
Shit's heating up
Libya forces try to halt rebel move toward capital - Yahoo! News
This uprising is definitely becoming a revolution, and is well on the way to becoming a civil war.
But in obviously more important news, Charlie Sheen did something.
This uprising is definitely becoming a revolution, and is well on the way to becoming a civil war.
But in obviously more important news, Charlie Sheen did something.
This is kind of funny
Alaska Oil And Gas Association Sues Feds Claiming Polar Bear Protected Habitat Too Large
I wonder what would have happenned if BP sued for the shrimp wildlife protective area was too big.
-- Knuttel
I wonder what would have happenned if BP sued for the shrimp wildlife protective area was too big.
-- Knuttel
Spiders
Wandering spiders lead Mazda to recall 65,000 cars - Yahoo! News
Spiders in their cars? That is pretty metal.
Isn't there a car called the spider or something?
Spiders in their cars? That is pretty metal.
Isn't there a car called the spider or something?
something about football or something
16 Arrests? Just Call Us Criminal-U « Victory Bell Rings | A Penn State Nittany Lions blog
So Sports Illustrated just ran that article about criminals at division I college programs.
Does it really matter?
No, not really. I mean, there are too many factors involved, and I think you also have to look at how all the criminal records were committed etc.
For example, most of the 16 convictions against Penn State are alcohol related. Despite Penn State's reputation as a party school, the cops are very strict, underage drinking and other alcohol related offenses are treated harshly when found.
If a school does not have a good relationship with its town, or even if the police are more strict than in other places, then yeah, there will be more convictions. It's just a matter of execution. Some places look the other way on certain offenses.
Whatevs, rambles. 'twas probably a fluff piece to begin with.
-- Knuttel
So Sports Illustrated just ran that article about criminals at division I college programs.
Does it really matter?
No, not really. I mean, there are too many factors involved, and I think you also have to look at how all the criminal records were committed etc.
For example, most of the 16 convictions against Penn State are alcohol related. Despite Penn State's reputation as a party school, the cops are very strict, underage drinking and other alcohol related offenses are treated harshly when found.
If a school does not have a good relationship with its town, or even if the police are more strict than in other places, then yeah, there will be more convictions. It's just a matter of execution. Some places look the other way on certain offenses.
Whatevs, rambles. 'twas probably a fluff piece to begin with.
-- Knuttel
3.04.2011
Knuttellian Beer News, March 4, 2011
Yeah, so I'm gonna just start filing these under regular beer news.
My first all-grain batch is done and bottle conditioned
And yesterday I brewed a Doppelbock (was considering making it a series called "I'll be bock")
But the truth of the matter is, at the moment now I could have any number of beers going, and blogging about one at a time, well that could get choo choo choosy.
Besides who wants to hear about what music I play every day to my beers? My collection is immense, it could be anything.
And for anyone who was curious, here is I guess my base of operations ... my closet
--Knuttel
My first all-grain batch is done and bottle conditioned
Yeah, the lighting sucks, it's more of a yellowish, it definitely does not look like chocolate milk
And yesterday I brewed a Doppelbock (was considering making it a series called "I'll be bock")
Look at that sweet ass decoction
But the truth of the matter is, at the moment now I could have any number of beers going, and blogging about one at a time, well that could get choo choo choosy.
Besides who wants to hear about what music I play every day to my beers? My collection is immense, it could be anything.
And for anyone who was curious, here is I guess my base of operations ... my closet
Perhaps coming soon, a picture of my second base of operations ... my basement.
Airline Peanuts, part 2
So the other day I went on some bitchy (not really bitchin) rant about the airline industry.
Well these articles make me feel slightly more vindicated.
No more pretzels? Airlines ditch free snacks - Travel - Travel Tips - msnbc.com
Carry-on bags costing TSA millions a year - Travel - News - msnbc.com
Fucking Jeff Smizek
-- Knuttel
Well these articles make me feel slightly more vindicated.
No more pretzels? Airlines ditch free snacks - Travel - Travel Tips - msnbc.com
Carry-on bags costing TSA millions a year - Travel - News - msnbc.com
Fucking Jeff Smizek
-- Knuttel
3.03.2011
Space: one of the next frontiers
Cosmic census finds crowd of planets in our galaxy - Technology & science - Space - msnbc.com
As an aspiring astronaut, this news pleases me.
The fact that there are so many planets out there, so many tangible bodies to explore, some of them even rocky and solid like earth, it pleases me.
Maybe now I shall complete those designs I have for a homemade rocket ship. Whatevs, I'll never do that. You have to launch from close to the equator to get an efficient takeoff; God knows I how much I hate the state of Florida.
-- Knuttel
As an aspiring astronaut, this news pleases me.
The fact that there are so many planets out there, so many tangible bodies to explore, some of them even rocky and solid like earth, it pleases me.
Maybe now I shall complete those designs I have for a homemade rocket ship. Whatevs, I'll never do that. You have to launch from close to the equator to get an efficient takeoff; God knows I how much I hate the state of Florida.
-- Knuttel
Supreme Court Stuff
The Supreme Court always seemed so mysterious to me. Maybe it is because so much of the hearings are secret and closed off. What happens? Do they just flip a coin? Are there monkey knife fights (Furious George, what happened to your face? Smithers, this monkey will need most of your skin)? What happens? All we have are transcriptions, sometimes.
Supreme Court's Thomas goes 5 years without questions - USATODAY.com
Is John Roberts the funniest Supreme Court justice ever? - By Dahlia Lithwick - Slate Magazine
-- Knuttel
Supreme Court's Thomas goes 5 years without questions - USATODAY.com
Is John Roberts the funniest Supreme Court justice ever? - By Dahlia Lithwick - Slate Magazine
-- Knuttel
3.01.2011
What's the Deal With Airline Peanuts?
Man, that joke is so outdated. They would never serve those nowadays, the anti-peanut contingent is too strong. God they control waaay too much. Why can't we all just admit what we all want -- peanuts are delicious in any way, shape, or form. Besides, pretzels and peanuts both make on equally thirsty. Anyone remember the Seinfeld line "These pretzels are making me thirsty?" Maybe that's what they're really trying to accomplish. By getting one thirsty, they make one reliant upon the refreshment cart, where they can begin pushing charged items upon the passengers.
And so we sit, legs restrained, depraved of even our basic right to peanuts.
Thus, it is important to extol the virtues of the train, and why true high speed rail should be constructed.
My journey was to Phoenix, the largest metropolitan area in the country without a train station. Even if I had wanted to train it all the way to Phoenix, traveling from the East coast, the journey would take probably 2 days of straight travel, not counting layovers.
As of now there is a high speed rail going up the east coast -- Accella, but everything is so dense it rarely gets up to full speed. Traveling once by train to Chicago, I was on a regular speed train between there and Washington, DC.
Even if Airlines were made to be more comfortable than trains, there is still the issue of fuel. Airplanes require a shitton of fuel to run. Trains take comparatively none. Not to mention, think of the infrastructure of having a comprehensive track system.
Whatever, I think I'm getting way off point. Maybe I was just pissed that I didn't have any leg room cos I had to put my carry on bag underneath the seat in front of me on the way back because EVERYONE carries full luggage as a carry on because they nickel and dime you for everything, most notably checked baggage.
-- Knuttel
And so we sit, legs restrained, depraved of even our basic right to peanuts.
Thus, it is important to extol the virtues of the train, and why true high speed rail should be constructed.
My journey was to Phoenix, the largest metropolitan area in the country without a train station. Even if I had wanted to train it all the way to Phoenix, traveling from the East coast, the journey would take probably 2 days of straight travel, not counting layovers.
As of now there is a high speed rail going up the east coast -- Accella, but everything is so dense it rarely gets up to full speed. Traveling once by train to Chicago, I was on a regular speed train between there and Washington, DC.
Even if Airlines were made to be more comfortable than trains, there is still the issue of fuel. Airplanes require a shitton of fuel to run. Trains take comparatively none. Not to mention, think of the infrastructure of having a comprehensive track system.
Whatever, I think I'm getting way off point. Maybe I was just pissed that I didn't have any leg room cos I had to put my carry on bag underneath the seat in front of me on the way back because EVERYONE carries full luggage as a carry on because they nickel and dime you for everything, most notably checked baggage.
-- Knuttel
2.23.2011
The Middle East etc
Damnit Peter Cetera.
Anyways, I was planning a post about all the crazy riots/uprisings/revolutions occurring across North Africa and Southwest Asia, and then, well, Libya happened, which just had to show up all the other ones.
Pro-, anti-govt supporters clash at Tehran funeral - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - Iran - msnbc.com
Libya awaits 'day of rage' rallies after rare clashes - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com
Protests spread across Yemen, demonstrator dies - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com
Obviously this was all post-Egypt.
But yeah, things got really crazy over the weekend.
Report: Libya fighter jets attack protesters - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com
Yeah, shit is gonna get real serious in Libya real soon.
Fun fact, Gaddafi has been in power since like 1969 or something.
As there are clearly two+ sides to every story, I found it particularly amusing that NBC News ran a story about how all the trouble in the middle east was raising gas prices, and that is why everyone should settle down.
A) It really only postpones any issues that are going on there. All of this stuff has to be resolved, and be resolved fully.
B)Gas price stories are such fluff pieces. They don't even mean anything anymore.
C)The price of crude oil only makes up like half of what we pay at the pump.
D)Is big oil supporting both NBC and the dictatorships in the Muslim sphere?
E)That's something I'd expect more of Foxnews, but I don't watch a lot of that.
F)I should stop listing things in this letter format.
G)Seriously, I think I'm done here.
Seriously
-- Knuttel
Anyways, I was planning a post about all the crazy riots/uprisings/revolutions occurring across North Africa and Southwest Asia, and then, well, Libya happened, which just had to show up all the other ones.
Pro-, anti-govt supporters clash at Tehran funeral - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - Iran - msnbc.com
Libya awaits 'day of rage' rallies after rare clashes - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com
Protests spread across Yemen, demonstrator dies - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com
Obviously this was all post-Egypt.
But yeah, things got really crazy over the weekend.
Report: Libya fighter jets attack protesters - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com
Yeah, shit is gonna get real serious in Libya real soon.
Fun fact, Gaddafi has been in power since like 1969 or something.
As there are clearly two+ sides to every story, I found it particularly amusing that NBC News ran a story about how all the trouble in the middle east was raising gas prices, and that is why everyone should settle down.
A) It really only postpones any issues that are going on there. All of this stuff has to be resolved, and be resolved fully.
B)Gas price stories are such fluff pieces. They don't even mean anything anymore.
C)The price of crude oil only makes up like half of what we pay at the pump.
D)Is big oil supporting both NBC and the dictatorships in the Muslim sphere?
E)That's something I'd expect more of Foxnews, but I don't watch a lot of that.
F)I should stop listing things in this letter format.
G)Seriously, I think I'm done here.
Seriously
-- Knuttel
About That Engine
So I had a post a while back about the engines on the F-35.
House votes to kill expensive jet fighter engine - Yahoo! News
So yeah, looks like common sense prevailed.
-- Knuttel
House votes to kill expensive jet fighter engine - Yahoo! News
So yeah, looks like common sense prevailed.
-- Knuttel
Curveball
Talk about a real "curveball". Who calls themselves curveball anyway?
'Curveball': I lied about WMD to hasten Iraq war - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com
yeah, it's old news, get over it.
'Curveball': I lied about WMD to hasten Iraq war - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - msnbc.com
yeah, it's old news, get over it.
2.22.2011
Knuttel Makes Real Beer: Day 9, bottling
So I haven't really been playing my beer music since I started taking gravity readings. All the movement just kinda makes it inconvenient to keep putting the speakers back and such.
Regardless, today, Presidents day 2011, was bottling day.
I determined it was bottling day by confirming that fermentation was done by taking gravity readings on 3 consecutive days. If it is the same, this means it is done. If there is a change, then fermentation may have went dormant for a day or two then restarted. If bottling is done before fermentation is complete, then you end up with a bottle bomb -- a bottle filled with so much air and pressure that it can explode into many pieces, sending glass shrapnel, upon opening.
During one of the gravity readings I snapped a picture of a sample on my phone, but presentation gets an F-, so the picture is not getting put up.
I have also determined, using gravity readings from before fermentation and after, that the beer is around 5% abv.
It definitely has a distinct rye smell, very "spicy". Perhaps I shall name it "Heart of the Sun-Ryes" after the Yes! song of the similar name.
I produced 31(.5) bottles, before I started picking up sediment and other unsavory things.
Next up will likely be an idea for a doppelbock I have. Man, I can't wait till spring is actually really here, so I can try out making a saison.
-- Knuttel
Regardless, today, Presidents day 2011, was bottling day.
I determined it was bottling day by confirming that fermentation was done by taking gravity readings on 3 consecutive days. If it is the same, this means it is done. If there is a change, then fermentation may have went dormant for a day or two then restarted. If bottling is done before fermentation is complete, then you end up with a bottle bomb -- a bottle filled with so much air and pressure that it can explode into many pieces, sending glass shrapnel, upon opening.
During one of the gravity readings I snapped a picture of a sample on my phone, but presentation gets an F-, so the picture is not getting put up.
I have also determined, using gravity readings from before fermentation and after, that the beer is around 5% abv.
It definitely has a distinct rye smell, very "spicy". Perhaps I shall name it "Heart of the Sun-Ryes" after the Yes! song of the similar name.
I produced 31(.5) bottles, before I started picking up sediment and other unsavory things.
Next up will likely be an idea for a doppelbock I have. Man, I can't wait till spring is actually really here, so I can try out making a saison.
-- Knuttel
2.19.2011
Knuttel Makes Real Beer: One week hence
So it's been a few days since I last put any updates about my beer.
I took some gravity readings today, to make sure its all good and fermented, and if I get the same numbers tomorrow and Monday, then bottling is a go.
So beer music, well it's been a few days, so my memory may be a bit foggy on the matter. Today I played it Pink Floyd's Echoes. Yesterday I gave it the Beatles' Revolver and Radiohead's the Bends. The day before that I think I gave it The Sword's Age of Winters. I don't know what else. I think i played three albums one day, but that might have been earlier in the week. whatevs.
T minus beer = soon.
-- Knuttel
P.S. totally taking suggestions for my next brew
I took some gravity readings today, to make sure its all good and fermented, and if I get the same numbers tomorrow and Monday, then bottling is a go.
So beer music, well it's been a few days, so my memory may be a bit foggy on the matter. Today I played it Pink Floyd's Echoes. Yesterday I gave it the Beatles' Revolver and Radiohead's the Bends. The day before that I think I gave it The Sword's Age of Winters. I don't know what else. I think i played three albums one day, but that might have been earlier in the week. whatevs.
T minus beer = soon.
-- Knuttel
P.S. totally taking suggestions for my next brew
2.16.2011
Knuttel Makes Real Beer: Day 4
So the beer is definitely fermenting. I didn't feel like peering through the side walls to see how much krausen is forming. Earlier today, it was bubbling at about 1 large bubble every 7 seconds. Yes, it is going very well.
Today's beerlist was made of Lady Gaga's The Fame (still the best album of modern pop history), The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Axis: Bold As Love, and later Helmet's Betty, though because that one was playing off my phone, the tracks went in alphabetical order instead of tracklisting. Yeah, some of the albums on my phone are tricky like that. It's just a little weird cos instead of having "Wilma's Rainbow" near the beginning, it's the last song. I always forget about their noise rock cover of the jazz standard "Beautiful Love", good ol Dizzy Gillespie. I realize Meantime might have their super-recognizable track, "Unsung", but I think Betty is overall a better album. Arrgh, this is a beer post, not a music post...
-- Knuttel
Today's beerlist was made of Lady Gaga's The Fame (still the best album of modern pop history), The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Axis: Bold As Love, and later Helmet's Betty, though because that one was playing off my phone, the tracks went in alphabetical order instead of tracklisting. Yeah, some of the albums on my phone are tricky like that. It's just a little weird cos instead of having "Wilma's Rainbow" near the beginning, it's the last song. I always forget about their noise rock cover of the jazz standard "Beautiful Love", good ol Dizzy Gillespie. I realize Meantime might have their super-recognizable track, "Unsung", but I think Betty is overall a better album. Arrgh, this is a beer post, not a music post...
-- Knuttel
2.15.2011
Puck the System?
Nah, that idea totally failed. I simply don't watch enough hockey to follow the entire league closely and bestow upon the world my witty thoughts and observations.
That doesn't mean I can't write about hockey anymore.
Sidney Crosby is a bitch, and it's hurting the league.
Fantasy Hockey News » Lemieux on the NHL: “It Failed”
That's Lemieux angrily venting about his team sucking and playing like cheap bitch ass punks cos their two star players are hurt.
Let's establish a few things -- I am not opposed, per se, to certain players getting special kinds of protection. I am opposed when it interferes with the other team trying to play hockey. Granting these special players some sort of magic injury protection helps keep them, and fan interest on the ice.
That doesn't mean I can't write about hockey anymore.
Sidney Crosby is a bitch, and it's hurting the league.
Fantasy Hockey News » Lemieux on the NHL: “It Failed”
That's Lemieux angrily venting about his team sucking and playing like cheap bitch ass punks cos their two star players are hurt.
Let's establish a few things -- I am not opposed, per se, to certain players getting special kinds of protection. I am opposed when it interferes with the other team trying to play hockey. Granting these special players some sort of magic injury protection helps keep them, and fan interest on the ice.
Atlas Shrugged, Updated
McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Atlas Shrugged Updated for the Current Financial Crisis.
In honor of the trailer for Atlas Shrugged getting released at CPAC.
In honor of the trailer for Atlas Shrugged getting released at CPAC.
Talk Like an Egyptian
In Egypt, Christians, Muslims find common ground - USATODAY.com
This should be interesting to watch play out. Personally, I hope it turns out to a secular kind of republic, a la Turkey. I don't see any need to persecute people because of their religious beliefs. It's an unnecessary effort, and counterproductive in a lot of cases. Not to mention the Christian and Islamic worlds are not necessarily on best of terms right now, if one were to shut out the other, it could be catastrophic.
I just hope this isn't like the Iran situation of a few years ago where the elections were disputed by the Western Media, when in fact they were only really talking to people in Tehran and its suburbs. Well yeah, if you only go where the opposition is, and the two parties are that opposite of each other (when really, they weren't, but damnit did they like to believe so, sounds familiar) then you are going to hear only words of bloody revolution.
Would it be responsible to go to a tea-party rally and ask about Obama's direction for our country? No, that would be foolish and one dimensional.
I wonder what the Egyptian countryside thinks about this -- not Mubarak, the religion issue. I don't think anyone liked Mubarak.
By the way, whatever happenned to the Zoroastrians/Mazdaists in Iran? Did they all run to America?
-- Knuttel
This should be interesting to watch play out. Personally, I hope it turns out to a secular kind of republic, a la Turkey. I don't see any need to persecute people because of their religious beliefs. It's an unnecessary effort, and counterproductive in a lot of cases. Not to mention the Christian and Islamic worlds are not necessarily on best of terms right now, if one were to shut out the other, it could be catastrophic.
I just hope this isn't like the Iran situation of a few years ago where the elections were disputed by the Western Media, when in fact they were only really talking to people in Tehran and its suburbs. Well yeah, if you only go where the opposition is, and the two parties are that opposite of each other (when really, they weren't, but damnit did they like to believe so, sounds familiar) then you are going to hear only words of bloody revolution.
Would it be responsible to go to a tea-party rally and ask about Obama's direction for our country? No, that would be foolish and one dimensional.
I wonder what the Egyptian countryside thinks about this -- not Mubarak, the religion issue. I don't think anyone liked Mubarak.
By the way, whatever happenned to the Zoroastrians/Mazdaists in Iran? Did they all run to America?
-- Knuttel
When Even the "Good" Plane Sinks the Economy
F-35 engine shows challenge of belt-tightening - USATODAY.com
The F-22, while being a major feat of aeronautics and engineering, is pretty much unneeded today. Even if we were to get involved in a "traditional" war with, let's say, China, Russia, or some other European power, most of the planes that get shot down would likely get taken down from the ground. Dogfighting is largely a thing of the past, negated by increasing speeds, maneuverability, and stealth technologies. Even as bomber escorts, they seem futile; any missile, ground or air, could target any singly aircraft, escorts would merely be sacrificial vessels at best.
In any case, I digress. The point is, the F-22 was to be the military's superweapon of the future. Tactics have rendered it obsolete since its initial design, but the project was so huge, tied to so many companies, so many states and districts, and requiring so many subsidies, that nobody was going to let it fail. Even though it's maintenance cost is astronomical, and it has shown a weakness to rain, nobody was going to shoot the project down -- it was political suicide.
The F-22, while being a major feat of aeronautics and engineering, is pretty much unneeded today. Even if we were to get involved in a "traditional" war with, let's say, China, Russia, or some other European power, most of the planes that get shot down would likely get taken down from the ground. Dogfighting is largely a thing of the past, negated by increasing speeds, maneuverability, and stealth technologies. Even as bomber escorts, they seem futile; any missile, ground or air, could target any singly aircraft, escorts would merely be sacrificial vessels at best.
In any case, I digress. The point is, the F-22 was to be the military's superweapon of the future. Tactics have rendered it obsolete since its initial design, but the project was so huge, tied to so many companies, so many states and districts, and requiring so many subsidies, that nobody was going to let it fail. Even though it's maintenance cost is astronomical, and it has shown a weakness to rain, nobody was going to shoot the project down -- it was political suicide.
title?
The Paradox of Corporate Taxes in America - NYTimes.com
Sooooo, looks like not that much is getting cut from the budget ... and everyone is unwilling to raise taxes or close deductions. So how exactly is the budget gonna balanced?
I look at it this way, these corporations are paying a portion of this money (not all, that would be ridiculous) to employ people who know these loopholes and can exploit them.
Not to mention anyone who's in the top tax bracket is also probably very much aware of these tax breaks. I still remember a moment in the 2004 Presidential debates where Kerry called Bush out on not paying a lot of taxes due to his status as a small business owner, having a small logging business or whatever. The specifics aren't really necessary here, and to my recollection, they weren't even proven or refuted back then; they became a throwaway line.
So how can we have it both ways like this? How can the government get accused of unfairly levying exorbitant taxes upon the wealthy people and corporations, only to have them pay a token cost.
I wonder how much they'd actually bitch and moan if we cut their subsidies too. Free handout welfare whores my ass, they're just as guilty. It would balance the budget...
-- Knutel
Sooooo, looks like not that much is getting cut from the budget ... and everyone is unwilling to raise taxes or close deductions. So how exactly is the budget gonna balanced?
I look at it this way, these corporations are paying a portion of this money (not all, that would be ridiculous) to employ people who know these loopholes and can exploit them.
Not to mention anyone who's in the top tax bracket is also probably very much aware of these tax breaks. I still remember a moment in the 2004 Presidential debates where Kerry called Bush out on not paying a lot of taxes due to his status as a small business owner, having a small logging business or whatever. The specifics aren't really necessary here, and to my recollection, they weren't even proven or refuted back then; they became a throwaway line.
So how can we have it both ways like this? How can the government get accused of unfairly levying exorbitant taxes upon the wealthy people and corporations, only to have them pay a token cost.
I wonder how much they'd actually bitch and moan if we cut their subsidies too. Free handout welfare whores my ass, they're just as guilty. It would balance the budget...
-- Knutel
Oh, Jersey Shore
Walk like a man: Gorilla strolls on hind legs - Technology & science - Science - msnbc.com
Haha, someone put Ronnie in a zoo
Haha, someone put Ronnie in a zoo
Will They or Won't They
So I began the idea of writing this by reading up on the issues on tvtropes, and well, as things happen on tv tropes, I got hella sidetracked. So here are I guess three links to form the basis of what I'm talking about.
So now that that's out of the way, rant on...
I hate it when television shows succumb to this styling of plotting and drama. I watch few enough shows as it is to prevent seeing this kind of thing happen, but it almost always comes into play.
Any show whose plot revolves around creating sexual tension between the cast members to an infuriating "will they or won't they" level, or even just feels the need to pair up all the cast members in relationships fails on so many dramatic levels.
The obvious reason is it's one dimensional, effectively taking any dramatic depth from a dramatic show.
But on comedies it drags them, and makes them unfunny. This is really where it kills. WTOWT single handedly turned Friends from a mediocre but sometimes watchable comedy into a half-hour long torture session of half-hearted dramedy (half).
Maybe I'm just a romantic, who thinks that comedies should be pure -- a saturated mess of realism and surrealism, made of so many layers of jokes there is no space for a laugh track, packed so densely you don't want to laugh lest you miss the next joke.
As a comedic device, it can sometimes work (emphasis on sometimes). The problem is, well, depending on I'm willing to blame at any time, either producers for mistaking these jokes for actual plot bits and forcing them along, or writers for losing ideas and resorting to these sort of cheap tricks to drag the show to its far away grave.
In dramas, well I've seen the worst. By the time I had stopped watching new episodes of Degrassi, it was only about who was hooking up with whom. There wasn't anything else to anything, and anything that might be something else was inexorably tied who was hooking up with whom. I'll always have seasons 1-8.
-- Knuttel
So now that that's out of the way, rant on...
I hate it when television shows succumb to this styling of plotting and drama. I watch few enough shows as it is to prevent seeing this kind of thing happen, but it almost always comes into play.
Any show whose plot revolves around creating sexual tension between the cast members to an infuriating "will they or won't they" level, or even just feels the need to pair up all the cast members in relationships fails on so many dramatic levels.
The obvious reason is it's one dimensional, effectively taking any dramatic depth from a dramatic show.
But on comedies it drags them, and makes them unfunny. This is really where it kills. WTOWT single handedly turned Friends from a mediocre but sometimes watchable comedy into a half-hour long torture session of half-hearted dramedy (half).
Maybe I'm just a romantic, who thinks that comedies should be pure -- a saturated mess of realism and surrealism, made of so many layers of jokes there is no space for a laugh track, packed so densely you don't want to laugh lest you miss the next joke.
As a comedic device, it can sometimes work (emphasis on sometimes). The problem is, well, depending on I'm willing to blame at any time, either producers for mistaking these jokes for actual plot bits and forcing them along, or writers for losing ideas and resorting to these sort of cheap tricks to drag the show to its far away grave.
In dramas, well I've seen the worst. By the time I had stopped watching new episodes of Degrassi, it was only about who was hooking up with whom. There wasn't anything else to anything, and anything that might be something else was inexorably tied who was hooking up with whom. I'll always have seasons 1-8.
-- Knuttel
Totally Blanked On A Title, Who Cares
For D.C.'s few tea party residents, home can at times feel like enemy territory
Kinda refreshing to see tea partiers who actually aren't just more conservative Republicans. When they first appeared, this is kind of what I thought they would be -- a mouthpiece for libertarianism, caring only about the size of government itself, reducing spending and taxing; not fearing for a military with gays serving or dithering about whether the President is a Muslim, a foreigner, or both.
Frankly I have a hard time understanding how smaller government parties in recent history have usually been "let's invade people's private lives" parties. It just doesn't seem to mesh at a philosophical level.
------------------
And while we're on the topic of conservatives and Libertarians
CPAC 2011: The crowd loves Ron and Rand Paul, but does the party? - By David Weigel - Slate Magazine
Maybe it's just the generation I'm in, being more open on social issues, but I wonder why Ron Paul has always been brushed aside by the party's base, if the big issue is usually boiled down to the size of government (period). Frankly, I disagree with a lot of what he says, and perhaps even more of what his son says, but damnit I liked the foment behind his 2008 campaign. It had a real fire to it, a substance that was only really matched by Obama. But unlike Obama, Paul wasn't taken seriously, and despite being a late hanger on in the primary, he was mainly just a thorn in the side, like Kucinich for the Democrats.
-- Knuttel
Kinda refreshing to see tea partiers who actually aren't just more conservative Republicans. When they first appeared, this is kind of what I thought they would be -- a mouthpiece for libertarianism, caring only about the size of government itself, reducing spending and taxing; not fearing for a military with gays serving or dithering about whether the President is a Muslim, a foreigner, or both.
Frankly I have a hard time understanding how smaller government parties in recent history have usually been "let's invade people's private lives" parties. It just doesn't seem to mesh at a philosophical level.
------------------
And while we're on the topic of conservatives and Libertarians
CPAC 2011: The crowd loves Ron and Rand Paul, but does the party? - By David Weigel - Slate Magazine
Maybe it's just the generation I'm in, being more open on social issues, but I wonder why Ron Paul has always been brushed aside by the party's base, if the big issue is usually boiled down to the size of government (period). Frankly, I disagree with a lot of what he says, and perhaps even more of what his son says, but damnit I liked the foment behind his 2008 campaign. It had a real fire to it, a substance that was only really matched by Obama. But unlike Obama, Paul wasn't taken seriously, and despite being a late hanger on in the primary, he was mainly just a thorn in the side, like Kucinich for the Democrats.
-- Knuttel
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