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
4.20.2011
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
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