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Damor

Certifiably Surly
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Posts posted by Damor

  1. I've nearly given up on politics (I don't think I've ever posted in this forum), but I personally love Amash.  I'd love for him to run as a libertarian, as I agree he's head and shoulders above what they usually put forth.  I anticipate he'd face some stupid purity tests and grumbling from unrealistic anarchist weirdos, but while he has no chance at winning, he has the best chance of anyone in the past or near future to jump start some support for an actual, viable third party.

    Whether or not you agree with his politics, I think his WaPo Op-ed is well worth reading, and does a good job of calling out Congress for abdicating its Constitutional responsibilities in favor of predetermined outcomes and Pyrrhic victories.

    • Like 7
  2. I'm driving to Crested Butte on Friday for a week in the mountains.  Does anyone have some recommendations for breweries/bottle shops to hit up in Gunnison County?
    I have a very sentimental attachment to High Alpine in Gunnison, but I think I can say relatively objectively that their kölsch is on point imo, and that their pizza is outstanding as well (I think I added other spots to the Surly Road Trip map and thread as well). That town is one of my favorite on Earth.

    The High Mountain liquor store on N Main has a decent regional selection.

    Don't know CB as well, but the Eldo is fine, and Secret Stash Pizza has a good tap list, good pizza, and an awesome Meat Candy appetizer.
  3. I'll pile on with the Costas on steepandcheap recommendation.  Be sure to check their parent site backcountry.com as well, as occasionally they may be even a little cheaper.  Also, if you play the credit cards rewards game, both sites offer multiple points/$ on some portals.

    • Like 1
  4. 41 minutes ago, tbone_ said:


    My 12yo loved Bohemian Rhapsody and wants to see this one. But I hear it’s much less sanitized. Is that true?

    I haven't seen Bohemian Rhapsody, so I can't give you a direct comparison, unfortunately.  But Rocketman has a lot of clearly depicted cocaine/prescription drug abuse, a suicide attempt, some pretty emotionally brutal parent/child dialogue, and doesn't shy away from dudes making out with each other.  No wangs are on display (no boobies, either, for that matter), but still my 14yo loudly whispered "swordfight!!!" to the 11yo during one scene.  We're pretty much done sheltering them from anything that's not gratuitous/meaningless sex or violence at this point, though.

    It was interesting at the least to see their reactions, since they went into this movie knowing very little about Elton John and had no idea what to expect.

  5. I was down to the Rachio or the Hunter Hydrawise when we put ours in.  My installer was more familiar with Hunter systems, so that's what I went with.  The general features are pretty similar I think, as far as app control, several adjustment rules you can set up based on local weather stations/sensors, etc.

    I think you can play around with a demo at their website, I've found it pretty easy to use.  I suppose the best endorsement is that I don't think about it that much -- although that got bad once, when we were out of town for a couple weeks last July and it got booted off my wifi network.  The lawn and plants did not appreciate it, but hey, low water bill.

  6. While we're asking lager questions... I've had my first attempt on the yeast at 50* for a week, and bubbling in the airlock is slowing down, so I'm going to go back up on the temp for a diacetyl rest.  Palmer and a lot of places I've seen online say to go up 10*, though this would take me out of the prescribed range of 50-55* for my yeast (WLP 840).  I'm good on that, correct?  Looking for some reassurance, since this is new to me.

    wayne's world we fear change GIF

  7. I can't find the post to give rep, but someone recommended Hernan Diaz's In the Distance.

    41mtPv+sdnL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

    Just finished it this morning -- that was a fantastic read, one of the best books I've read in a while, and thanks to this thread, I've read a lot of good ones lately.  I really do appreciate all the great recommendations in here.

    Up next, going on a WWI tangent with Goodbye to All That, then rereading All Quiet on the Western Front.

  8. I haven't heard anyone else around here chime in about the Mash & Boil or other similar things like the Robobrew or Grainfather.  If you have any questions I'll be happy to try to answer, but admittedly you'll be getting the opinion of a homebrewing noob who hasn't done all-grain any other way.

    I'll say that I've been very satisfied so far.  I did my fifth brew on it today (AHS Irish summer ale), and I'm still feeling a few things out.  There have been a lot of discussions online about tweaking water volume, sparging techniques, circulation techniques/mods, and using bags to improve efficiency.  I tried some of the volume changes and circulation recommendations (haven't modded anything) with mixed results.  The beer has been good, but efficiency has been variable, and I've been off gravity measurements by as much as 10 pts.

    Today I went with an updated recommendation of using 0.3gal strike water/lb of grain from the official M&B blog designed to improve efficiency, and I hit the OG spot on, so I'll stick with that for a while (though the mash seems super thick) and see how the next few batches turn out.

    For reference, here are some links to discussion boards that I've found helpful, and may be useful to you:
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/brewers-edge-mash-and-boil.489551/
    https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/brewers-edge-mash-boil.595987/
    https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/would-anyone-buy-the-robobrew-over-the-brewers-edge-mash-boil.648880/
    https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/79a524/brewers_edge_mash_and_boil_first_use_thoughts/
    https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/99nxh1/tips_for_brewers_edge_mash_boil_setup/

     

  9. Many thanks for all the tips.  My wife has too much grad school stuff going on, so it'll be me and the boys.  I got a good deal at the Westin, which looks like a great location.  Padres tickets acquired.  Multiple restaurants and breweries saved on my map, unfortunately way too many for only 3 full days.

    We'll definitely do the Midway, but if they wanted to get to see more of the modern naval stuff, has anyone done any of the harbor cruises?  I'm generally skeptical of that kind of stuff, but since there are no public tours at the military installations, I was considering that.

    Also, I figured we'd get some good seafood while we're out there (I have Ironside on the short list), but my boys have also recently decided they are sushi fans -- can anyone recommend a good place in the downtown area? 

  10. Thanks -- please pardon the ignorance (I just started thinking about this trip a couple hours ago), I was looking at Gaslamp for what looked like walking proximity to Petco and the Midway.  I'm presuming Gaslamp is oriented to more adult tastes, but do you recommend against it for reasons of kid disinterest or bad parenting (like when my wife forced the older one to  pose for pictures in front of all the titty bars on Bourbon Street)?  Are there other downtown areas or landmarks you'd recommend looking around?  I'll look in those other areas you recommended as well, thanks!

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