Purchase question
 

ScottW wrote:
dave weil wrote:

On Mon, 23 May 2005 16:19:22 GMT, Briel wrote:


In article ,

says...

"George M. Middius" wrote in message

Nath said:


Still spending your dole on ale for the mates?

At least we have real beer, not your **** flavoured attempt at

it...

American beers and ales are now the best in the world.

George, please tell me you were high when you made the above

assertion.

While I wouldn't go so far as George in his praise of American

beers,

there is no doubt that the craft brewing industry in the US has

created

a beer scene with more diversity and quality than any country

outside of

Belgium.

There are certainly areas in the US that are beer wastelands with
nothing available but Budmillorcoors, but visiting somewhere like
Portland OR will quickly change your mind about American beers.

First of all, ale IS beer.

Second of all, I would say that many American beers are now AMONG the
best in the world. There are planty of really fine beers being
produced here. Still, subject to the fact that this is opinion, the
most sterling examples of the different styles still reside in other
countries for the most part. Steam beer would be the only
counter-example that I can think of.

However, the beer industry in the US has come light years in the past
two decades. With beers like Sierra Nevada and Anchor Steam, it's

been

shown that America can mass-produce beers of world class quality.


Sierra Nevada is ****. Beer has to pass the aftertaste test and after
3 Sierras I'm wondering who puked in my mouth and kicked me in the
head. My sister-in-law left a case of Sierra Oktoberfest Ale in my
frig. I couldn't give that nasty crap away. I'd rather drink Killians
Red than Sierra Nevada.


I've never even heard of Sierra putting out an Oktoberfest Ale, but
their top beers are Pale Ale, Celebration Ale and their summer Pilsner.
Their Amber is good, but certainly not the best in its category.
California ales are incredible. Breweries worth nothing are North
Coast, Anderson Valley and Russian River, who makes great Belgium style
ales as well. Anyone who thinks California isn't one of the finest ale
producers in the world just doesn't know ale, period.

-JC

Purchase question
 

dave weil wrote:

I don't think revealing your annual compensation would disqualify
you
from commiserating with these disgruntled waiters. Might actually
make
them feel better about their situation.

Frankly, my making $40 grand a year here is far better than them
making their $50k (if they even make THAT),

$40K now.. wow... did you get a raise? Must be almost paying your
share of the federal budget. My kid was bussing last summer at a
pretty low end seafood place and he would have pulled in $25K full time
on his 15% of the tips share. Not bad for a part time summer job.. the
waiters and waitresses of course did better but most of them were
college kids. I don't think they were planning on making a career of
it.


since I can actually buy
scads of nice houses for under a hundred grand.

Really, if that is the case... why were you cramming those huge
Klipsch into your living room?


Since you guys have to
spend $300,000 for a starter house,

Last time we went over this you were claiming a trailer house was a
starter home. Anyway, now 300K might get you a condo. ASP for a
single family home was just about 500K in San Diego last month.

I think that puts me way ahead.

Lot of folks use that 500K for retirement.. whats your plan? Oh yeah,
you're a social security dependent. I hope it works out for you.

Plus, it takes me 8 minutes to get to work. Or downtown. Or out in
the
country.

8 minutes to everywhere. I see Nashville is a rapidly growing
community.

Hey, I'm not going to knock living in hicksville... it definitely has
its perks. Unfortunately (or fortunately for you) hi-tech job
opportunities isn't something Nashville is known for. If it was, those
nice houses would be a lot nicer and a lot more expensive.

ScottW

Purchase question
 

"JC Martin" wrote in message

I've never even heard of Sierra putting out an Oktoberfest Ale, but their
top beers are Pale Ale, Celebration Ale and their summer Pilsner. Their
Amber is good, but certainly not the best in its category. California ales
are incredible. Breweries worth nothing are North Coast, Anderson Valley
and Russian River, who makes great Belgium style ales as well. Anyone who
thinks California isn't one of the finest ale producers in the world just
doesn't know ale, period.

Agreed. Russian River is superb, Sierra is superb. Another cracking brewery
here in San Francisco is the Speakeasy.

Purchase question
 

On Mon, 23 May 2005 07:34:18 -0700, "Schizoid Man"
wrote:

[ . . .]

Isn't it a bit rich of you to say something like this after blowing (please
do pardon the pun) your children's college fund on sexual tourism in
Amsterdam?


The real trick is getting someone else to pay for the trip. It's easy
if you know how.

Purchase question
 

On 23 May 2005 08:10:35 -0700, George Middius
wrote:


Don Pearce said:

Q. Why is American beer like making love in a punt?
A. They are both ****ing close to water.

You've changed the text without authorization. The original version referred to
Australian beer.

The folks in Oz know how to brew beer.

Purchase question
 

On 24 May 2005 09:46:23 -0700, "ScottW" wrote:


dave weil wrote:

I don't think revealing your annual compensation would disqualify
you
from commiserating with these disgruntled waiters. Might actually
make
them feel better about their situation.

Frankly, my making $40 grand a year here is far better than them
making their $50k (if they even make THAT),

$40K now.. wow... did you get a raise?

Actually I did.

Must be almost paying your
share of the federal budget. My kid was bussing last summer at a
pretty low end seafood place and he would have pulled in $25K full time
on his 15% of the tips share. Not bad for a part time summer job.. the
waiters and waitresses of course did better but most of them were
college kids.

Like I said, if they make $50K, then great, but let them try to buy a
house.

I don't think they were planning on making a career of
it.

That's a shame, because restaurants could use more career people.

since I can actually buy
scads of nice houses for under a hundred grand.

Really, if that is the case... why were you cramming those huge
Klipsch into your living room?

Because this is the house that I bought...for $49.5 BTW (now worth
about $75k). I didn't buy the house to put around a stereo system. Why
do YOU have YOUR listening room in a sub-optimal situation? Why?
Because you are working with what you have.

Since you guys have to
spend $300,000 for a starter house,

Last time we went over this you were claiming a trailer house was a
starter home. Anyway, now 300K might get you a condo. ASP for a
single family home was just about 500K in San Diego last month.

Thank you for putting an exclamation point on MY point. I was being
generous. Here, $500,000 will buy you an acre, 3500 SF, a swimming
pool and all of the nice touches.

I think that puts me way ahead.

Lot of folks use that 500K for retirement.. whats your plan? Oh yeah,
you're a social security dependent. I hope it works out for you.

Yes, it probably will. My needs have always been pretty simple.
However, how are your waiters going to get that $500,000 into a house
in the first place?

Plus, it takes me 8 minutes to get to work. Or downtown. Or out in
the
country.

8 minutes to everywhere. I see Nashville is a rapidly growing
community.

It is. I just don't like to live in the sprawling suburbs.

Hey, I'm not going to knock living in hicksville... it definitely has
its perks. Unfortunately (or fortunately for you) hi-tech job
opportunities isn't something Nashville is known for.

No, it's just home to a huge medical and music industry. I know tht
it's not as "hi tech" as building cell phones, but what the hey? We
only build cars here and run hospitals across the country and do
significant medical research at Vanderbilt, a school that is
considered the equivalent of Ivy league. We also sell billions of
dollars of music. Frankly, it's a great place to live. Just ask folks
like Mark Knopfler, Cher, Peter Framton, Ben Folds, and countless
other musicians.

I'll stick to "hickville" as opposed to living in a rather souless
place like San Diego. I'll give you one thing though - you have a
great zoo. Probably the best in the country.

If it was, those
nice houses would be a lot nicer and a lot more expensive.

Oh, we have our share of those as well. Lots of million dollar
mansions that would cost upwards of $10,000,000 there in San Diego. In
fact, a community only 5 miles from where I live is one of the
wealthiest in the nation. Belle Meade's average income is $190,000.
About 18,000 people live there.

Finally, one of the great things about living here - no state income
tax. And a state with a surplus. I'm quite happy here for the moment.

Purchase question
 

"dave weil" wrote in message

I'll stick to "hickville" as opposed to living in a rather souless
place like San Diego. I'll give you one thing though - you have a
great zoo. Probably the best in the country.

Compared to San Francisco, yes, San Diego is pretty dire. Typical suburban
sprawl.

If it was, those
nice houses would be a lot nicer and a lot more expensive.

Oh, we have our share of those as well. Lots of million dollar
mansions that would cost upwards of $10,000,000 there in San Diego. In
fact, a community only 5 miles from where I live is one of the
wealthiest in the nation. Belle Meade's average income is $190,000.
About 18,000 people live there.

Even so, I don't think the best of Southern California compares what we have
up here. The Bay Area really is ridiculous. Forget places like Pacific
Heights or any of the trendy San Francisco neighborhoods, a cookie cutter
house out in the wilderness of Fremont (east of the city) or Mountain View
(south of the city) will set you back by at least $500,000.

It's even worse if you head up north into Marin, being the wealthiest county
in the country now.

Finally, one of the great things about living here - no state income
tax. And a state with a surplus. I'm quite happy here for the moment.

True. But then, we have Lake Tahoe in the winter, Monterey in the summer and
Napa Valley all year round, great weather and the beers in the nation.

Purchase question
 

In article ,
says...

I don't think Belgium beats the UK for variety.

Well, I do - but I'm not knocking UK beers: Cask bitter is my favourite
beer style (and it's one that American brewers generally don't do well).
But you can go into a cafe in most towns in Belgium and select from
close to 300 beers! imo it's beer nirvana :-)

There are even small
bars in London's West End with their own brewery on site. They tend to
specialize in bitter beers heavy in hops, toasted to their own recipe
for a "house" flavour.

Well, what American brewers tend to do well is brew heavily hopped beers
- occasionally too heavily and out of balance, but when the balance is
right they are really superb.

But British brewers are the world's best at brewing low gravity (or
ordinary) bitters with astonishing complexity and balance for the
strength.

Cheers,

Bill

Purchase question
 

In article , dweil2
@bellsouth.net says...

First of all, ale IS beer.

Of course...


Second of all, I would say that many American beers are now AMONG the
best in the world. There are planty of really fine beers being
produced here. Still, subject to the fact that this is opinion, the
most sterling examples of the different styles still reside in other
countries for the most part. Steam beer would be the only
counter-example that I can think of.

I'd largely agree with that - I just got back from the Czech Republic,
and the pilseners and dark lagers there were better than any American
versions that I've tried.

Likewise, I have yet to find American cask bitter as balanced as what I
find in the UK.

But you can find examples of virtually all styles of beer brewed
somewhere in the US today.

While not distinct styles per se, there are several "sub-styles" that
have evolved in the US and are fairly unique. APA (American Pale Ale)
has evolved from English pale ale, but is generally much hoppier and
always uses very distinct American hops (the signature American hop is
Cascade which has a very citrusy nose and flavour). I think APA is a
terrific beer style/

I also happen to think that US IPAs are the best in the world - some
English IPAs simply aren't hopped enough to warrant the title.

btw, In case you are interested in beer styles, a good source is the
beer judge certification org: http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.html

--
Bill

Purchase question
 

Schizoid Man wrote:
"dave weil" wrote in message

I'll stick to "hickville" as opposed to living in a rather souless
place like San Diego. I'll give you one thing though - you have a
great zoo. Probably the best in the country.

Compared to San Francisco, yes, San Diego is pretty dire. Typical suburban
sprawl.

If it was, those
nice houses would be a lot nicer and a lot more expensive.

Oh, we have our share of those as well. Lots of million dollar
mansions that would cost upwards of $10,000,000 there in San Diego. In
fact, a community only 5 miles from where I live is one of the
wealthiest in the nation. Belle Meade's average income is $190,000.
About 18,000 people live there.

Even so, I don't think the best of Southern California compares what we have
up here.

I hate the So Cal & No Cal term though I have used it. Kind of
implies Monterey and Oakland are on par. Or San Diego and Compton.

The Bay Area really is ridiculous. Forget places like Pacific
Heights or any of the trendy San Francisco neighborhoods, a cookie cutter
house out in the wilderness of Fremont (east of the city) or Mountain View
(south of the city) will set you back by at least $500,000.

Is this a good thing?



It's even worse if you head up north into Marin, being the wealthiest county
in the country now.

Finally, one of the great things about living here - no state income
tax. And a state with a surplus. I'm quite happy here for the moment.

True. But then, we have Lake Tahoe in the winter, Monterey in the summer and
Napa Valley all year round, great weather and the beers in the nation.

and a teachers union spending 18 million on political self interest :)

ScottW