jfields

From all the gun debates, you won't be surprised to know that I disagree with part of this. I think suing the gun manufacturer is a load of crap. They did nothing wrong. (That isn't the part where I disagree.) The dealer on the other hand, did violate a lot of laws and contribute to the death of the victims. Not that they couldn't have gotten guns elsewhere, but there negligence seemed to contribute, which is liability enough. The analogies to suing people that sell water, kitchen knives and stuff are juvenile. Those items aren't subject to the same federal regulation as firearms. This isn't a debate about that, but since the laws do exist, they should be obeyed and enforced. Like any other lawbreaker whose actions contribute to further crimes, they should get nailed. This particular debate isn't about gun control, it is about responsible retailing in accordance with the law. Had the store done everything by the book, they wouldn't have any real liability. The people might still sue them, but in that case, I'd agree it was frivolous.

SpeedRacer, Yeah, I remember your comment on the lambics. Perhaps when I feel ready to give them a shot, I'll go over and do them at my mother in law's house or something. It isn't like she'll be brewing other beers that could get contaminated by lambic yeasts. So far, I've only tried one of your beers. It was the blonde ale. Very good! I have a feeling that I'll try the others this weekend. Once my beer is done, I'll send some samples your way. Right now, my brewpots are small. They are about 5 and 6 gallon enameled canning pots. They have lots of drawbacks, but they are super cheap ($18). I also have a huge (20 gallon?) pot, but I don't want to brew in it because it is aluminum. Why make home brew to have it taste like it came out of a can?

I have no idea what you are talking about, and even if I did, I wouldn't view it from work.

No, but it seems like a generally good idea for all of humanity, don't you think?

Nope. We could declare war because they have a empty runway, that might oneday have a plane that might one day have a weapon that might oneday fly and drop a bomb that might one day actually hit something.

Check out this site: http://www.liddil.com/culture/culture.html Talk about compulsive! But I bet the beer is stellar. I'll check it out this weekend.

Back to the lab, you! Go... go... devise more effective TENS machines or something.

I don't have that one, but I have their other book, "Beer Captured". Got that one too, and the "Brewer's Companion" as well. It sounds like you have a nice setup going! I have a decent sized spare fridge, but I don't know that I'll mod it for lagering. Made the copper wort cooler and it does work wonders. That is a thought. The only downside of that is that a decent amount of the bottles I give away never come back, and I don't want to keep replacing Grolsch bottles. I may get a case and bottle half with regular and half with Grolsch bottles. I see the benefit at bottling time. Good tip.

Like I care about Frank? You could flog me, but that would require permission from my wife and an airline ticket, neither of which is likely to be forthcoming.

Quiet, you! This is for her enjoyment, not yours.

Hey, I said it was a good reason to visit the west coast. Don't let yourself get dejected. If you feel sad, just flog your employees an extra time or two.

TheBrewerFormerlyKnownAswlie, I'm starting back up doing partial mash. I'd like to get to all-grain, but it will take awhile, if it ever happens. There are tons of different styles I like to make. The frustrating thing is that one of the kinds I like to drink the most is the hardest to make. I love lambics. To make a decent attempt at a lambic-style (can't be "lambic" because I'm not brewing it in a certain part of Belgium) requires way more time, dedication and money than I have to devote. Raising my own yeast, buying oak barrels, and letting beer ferment for years is just beyond my patience. So I may stick to vaguely similar, but easier things than that. The batch I'm starting up will be a raspberry ale, but brewed as a flavored ale, rather than a lambic. My next batch is likely to be a chocolate stout. That is awesome about your wedding brew. Congrats on getting married too.

Dave, I assume you know about these folks: http://www.stpats.com/ They have recipes (and kits) for Texas-style bock beers, which I seem to recall you obsessing about with great regularity.

Well, it depends... For all the people that like the Lite, Bud, Coors, etc. beers of the world, it is a definite waste of time. Most anything they made would have too much flavor for their tastes. If you really like good beer and a limitless variety, then homebrewing is the only real way to get it. You can make anything you want, even if you've never found it in a commercial beer. You can also mimic famous beers for a fraction of the price, without worrying about whether your podunk local beer store caries your esoteric favorite. When you make it yourself, it is also fresher and tastier. It is a good amount of effort, but lots of people think it is worth it.

Okay, credit where it's due... I haven't brewed in like 6 years, but SpeedRacer got me interested in it again when we were having dinner at a brewpub and talking beer. I picked up all my brewing equipment from my parents' basement. I chucked all the ingredients, then began cleaning the rest. Of course, I'm hobby-obsessive, so I jumped in with both feet. Local homebrew association membership, more brewing books from Amazon, etc. Now I have the ingredients for my first (fine, a case o' beer, what the hell do you think we are talking about, anyway?) batch in a long time. I have more ingredients on the way via mail order, so I'm gearing back up. Who else out there brews? What kind of brewer are you? Extract, partial mash, or all-grain? Traditionalist, or adjunct-freak? How often do you brew? Looking forward to enjoying real, inexpensive beer suited to my tastes again. Yum!

Obviously a different spelling, Paul. As for the rest, yet another reason I need to get out to the west coast sometime.

What is that about being pole-worthy?

Actually, we don't all have them. I sure don't. Perhaps guys are less susceptible to this. I get up every day and pretty much disregard how I look. The only time all day that I look in the mirror is when I'm shaving. The only person that cares how I look is my wife. If she isn't critical, neither am I. There are more important uses of my few remaining brain cells.

Damned good question, Mike. I don't know the answer. The video w/ voice I heard this morning clearly shows that they fired before the clarification. But if they thought they were under attack, maybe the rules call for that. Regardless of their individual actions, the whole incident does illustrate major problems with the information flow in the combat area. Sad result, in any case, for both the Canadian soldiers and their families, as well as the pilots. It doesn't seem like they did it intentionally, and they'll have it on their consciences forever.

Ditto. Very good book, even if it is about a bunch of squids. Hooah! Go Army!

Did you know that the area of landfills in New Jersey is EXACTLY the same as the land area of the state of New Jersey? Coincidence? I think not! New Jersey, the armpit of America. (But I like Cross Keys. )

Since we are including impractical things like the space shuttle and the concorde on the list, I'll have to toss in another few. I want to jump from the something historical. The Spruce Goose! I don't care about the rate of climb, or if the thing only made one flight. It was way cool! Or how about the Wright Flyer? The U2 spyplane?

Tom, Thanks for the link to a non-media accounting. As expected, it is very different. I'll politely withdraw my earlier comments on notice and responsibility, though I still stand by them in relation to the initial post and "facts" it presented. New facts, new opinions. As with any interesting court case, the details provide the real differentiation between the contrasting sides. The first media version and the court-cited facts are enough different that I'd probably support her case based on the information. Of course, I still think all three of them were totally irresponsible. That hasn't changed.

Bill is an evil genius with his own lab. He is Soooo beyond mere tinfoil.

I don't think it so much matters which species, as long as it is something other than human. So maybe they are equivalent. Maybe they should swap ewe for goose and compare.