Things To Do Before I Die 1

I plan start a periodic series where I list the things I want to do or accomplish before I die. I will post five at a time and they will be in no particular order as I will post as they come to mind. They'll range from truly grand feats to small mundane tasks and everything in between that I would like to do just once. I'll generally try to stay away from the cliche things but you'll find one on my list every so often.

1. Have a school named after me. Nobody knows who Jane Hambric is but if you have a school named after you, you know you did something worthwhile along life's journey.

2. Knock somebody out. Not just punch someone but knock them out cold.

3. Go camping alone. Just get away to the middle of nowhere and be on my own at least for a weekend.

4. Give someone advice that they'll remember for the rest of their life in one sentence. You don't always need to deliver a moving speech to get your point across and sometimes shorter really is sweeter. I may not know if I accomplish this since someone might not tell me that they'll remember something I said for the rest of their lives.

5. Approach and hit on a girl that is completely out of my league. I'm talking a Vegas 10 type. I may crash and burn but you never know and it's always worth the try...


Feel free to leave your thoughts on my list and post any of your own things to do in the comments section.

Rush Limbaugh

Below is the first in a series of videos on who I believe is one of the most misunderstood men in America. Many people I've spoken to about Rush Limbaugh say they have strong feelings of dislike for him yet when I ask if they've ever listened to his show even once, they answer no. They make their decision based on hearsay and various 5-second sound bites that are taken out of context and trickled down to them. Take a few moments out of your day to watch these videos on a speech he gave to the Conservative Political Action Conference. They show why I admire him and listening to this may give you a different perspective on someone who is constantly labeled as a bigot and hatemonger. This isn't the same guy that's portrayed in the media. He pretty much sums up my political views and the conservative position as a whole. His speech outlines why I am proud to call myself a conservative and the great love I have for this country.

Rush Limbaugh Speech to CPAC

The Wrestler and Oaked Arrogant Bastard

Spent the majority of Valentine’s Day as I do all Saturday’s - at my grandma’s house with family. I had nothing better to do later that evening so I decided to treat myself out to a movie on this “special” day. I’ve been to the movies by myself with no problem before but I admit it was a little awkward given that it was Valentine’s Day and there were couples everywhere. I decided to check out the much-hyped The Wrestler to get acquainted with more of the films nominated for the upcoming Oscars. This movie has been getting plenty of hype from critics praising the performances of Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei and it is well-deserved. I think their performances are what really elevate this movie. The story is about a washed-up wrestler who has become a lovable loser since he left the top of the wrestling world and follows his attempt to get back to the top and get his life together. As you see obstacle after obstacle keep him from doing so, you really start to feel for him. However, you can also see that the type of lifestyle he lives is so ingrained in him that he can’t change no matter how much he wants, the ring is his life. By the end of the movie you see the contrasting way in which things in the ring are so much better for him than in the real world and no amount of work will elevate him to the status he maintains in the ring. I’d say this is a great film but I would still rank it behind Slumdog Millionaire in terms of award-worthy. You should still check it out if you’re looking to catch up on your movies for Oscar night. Oh, the excessive Marisa Tomei nudity is a huge bonus! I’ve had a thing for her since My Cousin Vinny and didn’t expect to see this much boobage from her.

Went home and decided to end the night with a beer I’ve had sitting in my fridge for awhile and thought today would be as good a day as any to enjoy it. Life is but a flash in the pan so enjoy things while you can right? Arrogant Bastard is probably my favorite beer and when I spotted this oaked variant at Buddy’s I immediately snatched it up. I poured myself a glass of Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale and boy am I glad I did. Coincidentally I poured it into a glass I received as a Valentine’s Day gift a couple years prior. I enjoy a bit of sweet irony with my beer. The color was a dark brown, caramel shade and produced a nice big fluffy head. Just the look of it is intimidating and the smell did nothing to change that either so I’m sure the taste won’t disappoint. A whiff gave me a wonderful blend of oily hops and high-quality malt. The beautiful thing is that there is also a woody mahogany smell that follows along with the obligatory alcohol kick for a beer of this level. A heavenly smelling brew indeed! First sip is packed with a complex mix of flavors. I’m going to have to take a few more sips to pick out all the subtleties in there but this is definitely all Arrogant Bastard. First thing that hit me is the nice hop bite that leaves a bitter grapefruit flavor followed by the rich caramel malt that perfectly compliments it. After the swallow, I was able to pickup the “oaked” flavor in the namesake and of course the alcohol kick that immediately made this a top notch brew. The mouthfeel is thick and soft. There is just the right amount of carbonation present making it a very drinkable beer but I wouldn’t want to be making this a session brew because a couple of these will really mess you up as Tim learned the hard way. The beer also leaves some of the best lacing on the glass that I have seen in any beer and I later regretted not snapping a pic of that. This is the type of beer you want to be drinking on a special occasion and is a great way to start a night. You will want to take it easy on this and not rush anything because this beer can easily in a mataleon. I think it has more kick than the regular Arrogant Bastard which is saying a lot. As my glass started to look more and more empty, I picked up more of a woody flavor in the beer which was a nice compliment to the brew. This beer is definitely not for the faint of heart and only the bravest tongue should try taking this one on because the level of flavor present is astounding! Highly recommended cerveza.

Gingerman

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Quick Vid

"Boston Market" Haha, been there.

Oooh Girl - Honest R&B

Slumdog Millionaire

Went to watch Slumdog Millionaire last night. Thought I’d check it out because of all the hype it’s been getting from it's Golden Globes wins and Oscar nominations. Having not seen any of the other films that are nominated for movie of the year (I still need to make time to catch The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), I cannot comment on who I believe should win but this film showed me why it was nominated. On a side note, I am a little disappointed that The Dark Knight got snubbed in many of the main categories but am glad to see Heath get the much deserved nod for Supporting Actor. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he takes the award even though there’s some tough competition out there.

The way the story unfolds is very cleverly handled. Basically, the main character is on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He’s one question away from the grand prize but is taken away on suspicion of cheating. The story progresses with him explaining how he knew the answers to each of the questions through a past experience of his, beginning in his childhood. You later come to find out that the whole reason he’s on the show in the first place is to reunite with his long lost love that fate has managed to keep from him time and time again. This movie has a little bit of everything: action, comedy, romance, drama. As more and more of the character’s back story begins to present itself, you can’t help but begin to grow attached to them and root for them to end up together and be happy after all that they’ve been through. The interaction between the characters and the way their development is handled from childhood to adulthood is masterfully done. Many of you may not know this but I have an uncanny 6th sense to see the ending of a movie coming and as a result have ruined many a movie for people watching with me. I didn’t necessarily do that here, but I did enjoy the look on my date’s face when I leaned over and told her what the final question was going to be. It wasn’t too difficult to spot and if you’ve been paying attention it’s pretty easy to see it coming. I still got the chills when the question I predicted popped up because I wasn’t 100% sure. This movie may not be for everyone but if you enjoy a strong character-driven plot, you will enjoy Slumdog Millionaire.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Since I still haven’t gotten a camera to get my reviews back to full force, I decided to go through my catalog of photos on the computer and post reviews with whatever pics I could find that had a beer in them. These reviews do not capture the ambiance when I reviewed the beer but are just pictures where I happen to have a beer in my hand. Enjoy the eye candy gentlemen! I know you can't really see the bottle well in one of the pics but is that really what you're looking at?

I thought I’d start with the beer that I consider my go to brew in the clutch, my Larry Fitzgerald if you will. No matter the circumstance, I can toss my taste buds up and this brew will always go up and come down with results. Whenever I find myself out in a club with a less than shitty selection, I always fight with myself on whether to get a Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. All other things being equal (i.e. price) I’ll usually go with the Sierra Nevada. It is a little more in line with the type of beers I prefer than Sam although both are solid in the clutch. I always turn to this brew when I’m in the mood for drinking and not craving any particular style. Again, the choice usually comes down to this one, Sam Adams Boston Ale or Boston Lager.

Sierra Nevada as a brewery is also very dependable. I don’t think I’ve had a brew from them that I haven’t liked and I’ve probably had the greatest variety brews from them than from any other brewery, other than maybe Sam Adams.

Now to the review: The bottle itself is fairly unique among other brews in that it is a short stubby bottle which I prefer to other bottles for the simple fact that these are easier to store when I save bottles to be later filled with Fierrote brew. That’s neither here nor there. When I took a whiff of this brew the first thing that I noted was the beautiful hop smell. There is a fresh Cascade flowery/piney hop upfront with a citrus, doughy background. This is a really beautiful smell for any beer, much less one you can find at any decent bar. The mouthfeel is smooth and even, just the perfect amount of carbonation. This beer has the perfect balance of malt and hops for the style. Neither one really stands out but I have had a few of these bottles that occasionally taste hoppier than others. I guess that’s the beauty of the microbrewery. The hops have a nice leafy kick to them and the beer finishes with a sweet flowery taste that lingers on the palate. As is the norm with this style, the bitterness goes up slightly as it warms but other than that stays consistent until the end. The moderate alcohol and smooth taste make this the perfect session beer. Many a nights have a finished an entire 6-pack by myself while surrounded by great company, New Years being the most recent example. As I said earlier, this is one of my go to beers and will not hesitate to pick it up when the evening calls for anything from casual drinking to intense, all-night bouts of Pterodactylgories.