There is no denying that this time of year brings a certain magic to the air. Everyone seems just a bit nicer. The charity’s coffers are bit bulgier. We all smile just a little bit longer. While there is no doubt that there are those who suffer during this time, I think the world collectively feels better this time of year, even while we hope and pray and help those who do suffer. There is no shame in feeling good during this holiday season. We at the PubGuys hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Almost as good as Bikini soccer is Lingerie Football when a fight breaks out! OK, so it’s better…

A&M to the SEC

As the official College Sports PubGuy I have a few thoughts on A&M’s potential move to the SEC.

For those of you who don’t live in Texas, or are like Kyle and just don’t care about college sports, allow me to give you just a little bit of background. Texas A&M University is like the pimple ridden little brother who followed his better looking, captain of the football team, class president big brother through high school. They are always in the shadow of The University of Texas. This analogy is just a bit off since every Aggie will gladly point out that A&M is older than UT by 9 years (1876 vs. 1883). However, since the Republic of Texas wrote its first constitution in 1836, The University of Texas was meant to be THE university of Texas as indicated by the authors setting aside 40 acres in the newly established capitol of Austin in 1839. The  University of Texas campus is still known as “The 40 Acres”.

All of that aside, A&M has always felt equal, if not better, than brother UT. An attitude that is clear in any conversation between former students of these institutions (listen to PubCast #10 for a prime example), but A&M has never been able to convince the general public of this. That is why the impartial observer in me says a move to the SEC by A&M is perfect. It allows the Aggies to finally, at least on paper, spread their wings and stand on their own. But, as you know, I am anything but impartial when it comes to college sports.

So why are the Aggies ready to leave the nest? They are mad. They a pissed off. They are furious at UT over the Longhorn Network. It is the proverbial last straw in a relationship full of hay. It’s the pouring of the blood over the Aggies’ heads at the prom. They have had enough and they are not going to take it anymore.  One might think this all boils down to money, it doesn’t. The Aggies don’t really need the money; they are 10^th in the nation in endowments. It is all about the rivalry. It is about the Aggies being able to look their Longhorn neighbor in the eye and say we are better than you. The Aggies THINK going to the premier (arguable) conference in the NCAA will give them that opportunity. Once again, this is the thinking of a jealous little brother.

If the Aggies jump ship they will be jumping from third string to waterboy. If they think the rednecks in the SEC give a rats ass what happens in Podunk Texas, they should really ask Arkansas how it will go. Right now the SEC is about three teams, Alabama, Florida, and LSU. NOBODY else matters. I’m sure folks from the SEC will argue that point, but it is the perception of the College Sports World that the Aggies are trying to change and that perception is that the SEC is three teams right now. Yes it is all cyclical. Yes Tennessee, Georgia, or Ole Miss may rise again. But so will the Big 10, Pac 10, and maybe… just maybe a Big 12 with newly added teams Arkansas, Houston, and dare I say it… Notre Dame.

Hopefully (and I mean that) the Aggies will sit down to a family supper and realize that blood is thicker than water and that although brothers fight, they love each other and rely on each other to make both stronger. A&M and Texas are irrevocably linked and a move by one without the other will not kill that. However, if it does happen, it will harm A&M way more than it will harm Texas.

Greetings to the PG Nation!

Last night the DFW area was pounded by some severe storms.  As a loyal PG1 I thought I would give the following advice on how to deal with your insurance company on making a claim.   It does help that I am an insurance agent when offering this advice!

1. Make sure you have enough damage to make a claim! Have a LOCAL roofing company come to your home and give you an estimate on the damage. They will get up on your roof and tell you that there is enough damage to justify roof replacement.  What you do not want to do is call the insurance company to send an adjuster to see if you have enough damage. What happens is the insurance will start an official claim and document everything. So if you only have 1000$ dollars worth of damage but your deductible is 1500$ they will tell you that there is nothing to pay out and close the case. However, the next storm will come through and you get hit again. They will require you to show that you got the 1000$ worth damage fixed before they will pay a new claim. This way you make the claim when you are sure there is enough to justify the full replacement.
2. If you can wait to get repairs you should.  I know this sounds strange, but if you have hail damage on your car you should wait until about August to get it fixed.  The reason why is we are having a terrible hail season. There is huge chance more hail will damage your car. So if its drivable wait until the season is over then report one claim. Because every time you get your car fixed you have to pay your deductible. So try to only pay it one and get it fixed once.
3. USE LOCAL PEOPLE!!!!!!  The roaches will be scrambling to get people down here to make money off the damage. Make sure anyone you use is local and insured.  If they disappear and repairs have to be done again because of their crappy work the insurance company will not cover it.  So make sure you are using a good company.

Every claim is different and every situation is different as well. If you have questions about if you should make a claim or not, call your agent. They can give you advice without starting official claims.  If you don’t have an agent then give me a call and I will give you the best advice I can. Or just email me at Curtis@thehainesagency.com

Have a great week and stay safe in these storms!

Curtis Haines

The Haines Agency

In yet another highly controversial PubGuys list we present the top 5 snobbish sports fans.

5. Professional Golf Fans

There is a need to separate golf players from professional golf fans. We are talking those that have the ability to sit down and watch countless hours of PGA coverage. Never, I mean NEVER, try to engage these people in a bar conversation while they are watching Thursday coverage of some random Tour stop. One of two things will happen, they will look at you as if you just interrupted the birth of their first child or they will ask you your opinion on D.A. Points win at Pebble Beach. Either way, you lose.

4. Soccer Fans

This might be completely different if we were anywhere other than the United States but looking out my window I see the Stars and Stripes. Soccer fans, or as they are very quick to point out to you… football fans just can’t seem to understand why Americans don’t like their sport and they are very quick to dismiss you as inferior when you inform them that you don’t care for it.

3. College Football Fans

This could be extended to all college sports fans.

While their love for their school is admirable, no one really wants to see you dressed in all maroon from head to toe while you are picking up donuts on a random Wednesday in June. The only saving grace about college sports fans is they usually only focus their snobbery on other college sports fans.

2. Tennis Fans

It seems that only rich people are true tennis fanatics and therefore their true snobbery comes flowing forth. I guess it is because only rich people seemed to play tennis in their youth so it is no surprise that they grow up to be big tennis fans. Unlike some of the other sports in this list, they can’t really help being snobs, they’re rich.

1.  Formula 1 Fans

This is a no brainer. F1 fans are so must more snobbish than every other sports fan they belong in a class by themselves. I have never met an F1 fan that is not overly condescending about every other form of racing. At the mere mention of NASCAR they will fly from across the room to bash it. They are the true champion of snobbery.

Ever wonder what words the PubGuys use the most in communicating with you, our loyal fans, with the written word?
Yeah, me neither.
But, Wordle thinks this kind of stuff is cool, and I do like the art it produces.

Go on. Make your own Wordle over at Wordle.net

Here at the PubGuys we don’t really care about March Madness…

ahem…

Right. So, that’s me – PGKyle – that doesn’t really care about March Madness. That’s right. Basketball is a sufferable sport only barely and when it comes to the collegiate level – well, it’s my personal (and I should re-iterate here – personal) opinion that college should be about education and NOT athletics. But, since it’s not, I figured I’d put together my own bracket based around the yearly NCAA March Madness. So, I mapped my four personal favourite go-to beers to the four #1 seeds in this year’s tournament (e.g. Guinness, Shiner Bock, Smithwicks and Iron Thistle) and my four least-favourite, but amazingly pervasive, beers to the #15 seeds (e.g. Coors Light, Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra and Bud Light). The remainder of the slots were randomly filled in by beers I either had available in my beer-fridge or, as in the case of Corona and Rolling Rock, easily available at my local grocer.

Our PubGuys Beer Bracket is mapped to the official NCAA bracket so keeping up should not be too hard.

To that end, I present the PubGuys 2011 Beer Bracket. I will be celebrating each and every win by drinking the winning beer.

I hope you play along at home with me and may the best beer win!

Download your bracket now:
2011_Beer_Bracket

Or, if you want to create your own, here’s a blank version you can fill in:
2011_Beer_Bracket_blank

Let us know how you do in the comments.

In an astonishing display of self-aggrandizing wish-fulfillment I request this:

PGTerrill already has one and I cannot be left behind – but my budget is shot.
So, in reply to my years of servitude and humour putting together this PubGuys thing, couldn’t someone please buy me one?

Of course, I’m kidding. But, it is a very cool home-bar device that will, someday, grace my home bar.
Cheers.
PGKyle

Whether you like it or not, crashes are a part of the NASCAR sport – just as much as fighting is a part of hockey and flopping is a part of soccer. We’d rather not see it happen, but it does. Unlike the flopping allegory, however, when crashes occur, it can be pretty spectacular.

Here’s a compilation to help you get ready for the 4 day wait before the next race.

None were fatal, everyone survived.

The song is “Focus Shall Not Fail” by All That Remains.

One hundred and seventy-five years ago today a letter was written pleading to the people of Texas and the United States to send aid and reinforcements to the small band of men, women, and children hold up in the Alamo Mission.

Most of us know at least a little of the story of the Alamo but many of you have probably never read the now famous letter written by Lt. Colonel William Barret Travis, commander of the Alamo. When the letter was written Travis had just 150 men to defend the mission against Santa Anna’s vastly superior Mexican army consisting of thousands of trained soldiers. The letter was written on the second day of the siege, February 24, 1836.  It was then carried to Gonzales by Captain Albert Martin. There it was copied and forwarded to populations centers in the province.

The Travis Letter is considered one of the most powerful and awe inspiring battle field letters ever written. Here is the text of that letter:

Commandancy of the Alamo -
Bejar, Fby. 24th 1836

To the People of Texas and all Americans in the world

Fellow citizens and compatriots. I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna. I have sustained and continual bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and not lost a man.

The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise the garrison are to be put to the sword if the fort is taken. I have answered the demand with a cannon shot and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall never surrender or retreat.

Then I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism and everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all dispatch. The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days.

If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor and that of his country.

Victory or Death

William Barret Travis
Lt. Col. Comdt

Very little help came. Outside of a band of 32 volunteers from Gonzales, all other troops were held in reserves. The men of the Alamo held the Mexicans for 13 days, giving General Sam Houston the precious time needed to set the stage for the Battle of San Jacinto where Houston would defeat Santa Anna and win independence for Texas.

Travis along with the legendary Jim Bowie, David Crockett and nearly 200 hundred brave men died in the battle.

On this day, 175 years later, I humbly ask you to Remember the Alamo.

In the interest of full disclosure, I see a LOT of music. I have been the webmaster for many bands over the years and currently am the webguy for three different musical acts. I go to a lot of Renaissance Festivals, Irish Festivals and Scottish Festivals all over the U.S. and keep my ear close to the local music scene. Consequently, I have seen a LOT of music in my life and in the case of the festivals and local bands, I’ve seen most of them way more than once – some of them I’ve seen hundreds of times (The Rogues, The Blarney Brothers, Queen Anne’s Lace and Iris & Rose come immediately to mind). These are NOT the groups that this post is about; they deserve their own post. I’m talking specifically about national or even international acts that you have a pretty good chance of hearing on the radio and that I, personally, have paid good money to go see in concert more than once. Likely, because I’m getting older and will as a matter of course forget some, this will not be comprehensive; But, it’s guaranteed to be diverse.

Ohh, and please do your PubGuys a favor. It’s expensive to keep us in beer, so if you want to buy some music through iTunes, I’ve included some handy links for you. If not, that’s fine, too. We’ll happily accept PayPal donations or even beer in person.
Brave Combo
I know I said this was not about local acts but Denton isn’t really local. And, the chances of hearing them on the radio are pretty good – if you listen to KTX or KNON or (back in the day) KERA.

Morrissey
I include Morrissey more out of frustration than anything else. While I love his music, his concerts leave something to be desired. I have seen him twice with each concert lasting less than 45 minutes.

The Beach Boys
There was an eight year stretch where the Beach Boys came through Arlington to play at the old Rangers ball park. The ninth and final year they played at the Starplex in Dallas. During that stretch they did a series of solo shows, but they also brought amazing opening acts that I’d have never gotten to see without the Beach Boys.

The Monkees
I saw the Monkees first when they opened for the Beach Boys. Great show, perhaps even better than the Boys themselves. When they next came through, I saw them at Starplex where Davey Jones was definitely showing his age. I don’t believe they toured again after that.

Neil Diamond
The first time I saw Neil Diamond was with my parents in 1976 or ’77 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. I was 9 or 10 years old and thus was I introduced to the wonders of live music. I have since seen Neil Diamond perhaps another dozen times and he remains one of my favorite live artists of all time.

Van Halen
Van Halen I have seen several times. I saw them with David Lee Roth and I saw them with Sammy Hagar. Completely different style shows, but put me squarely in DLR’s camp – who I have also seen when he came through solo.

U2
I saw U2 first at the Bronco Bowl when they came through with their very small, but my gods energetic, October tour. Some years later, I saw them at Tarrant County Convention Center for the excellent The Joshua Tree tour (they filmed part of Rattle and Hum that night). The next time I saw them was at Texas Stadium with Zooropa. Their shows got better and better over the years and never faltered in energy.

Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen played 2 nights at the Cotton Bowl in 1986 or ’87. I got tickets and went to the first night’s show as I had tickets the following night to see Tears for Fears at the Bronco Bowl. Unfortunately, my date went into labor about 1/2 way through the Boss’s engagement and I had to rush her to Baylor Hospital. She felt so bad (it was false labor, by the way) that she bought us tickets to return to the show the next night. So, I’ve seen Bruce Springsteen twice, but have never seen Tears for Fears.

The Cure
First time I saw The Cure in concert, I fell asleep and someone lit my shoes on fire. I had to go back and see them again after that.

Meatloaf
Meatloaf is a local Garland boy, so it’s no surprise that I’ve seen him several times. I’ve managed both free shows and paid shows with this amazingly entertaining performer. My only sadness from his shows is that he seemingly refuses to perform that Rock standard Hot Patootie from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Styx
Styx were one of my first great rock loves. I saw them every time they came throughout the 80s. When my wife and I got married we discovered a common love of the band and when Styx started their several year streak of reunion concerts, we went – every time.

Rush
Great studio musicians. A little boring in concert, but they sure are loud! Saw the Moving Pictures and Power Windows tours. Almost went to Roll the Bones, but chose not to at the last minute.

Kansas
Another of those bands that my wife and I share a common love for and have together seen a few times. We caught a free show in West End Marketplace in Dallas very early in our courtship.

R.E.M.
I have seen these guys exactly twice. The first time I saw them at the State Fair Bandshell with 300 or so other fans. I played frisbee with them before the show not realizing with whom it was that I was throwing the disc. That was Lifes Rich Pageant. Later on, I saw the Green tour. And, while that second concert was excellent in its own right, that first experience in such a small venue will forever be one of my favorite concerts.

That’s it for now. As I mentioned up front, I’m sure I have forgotten some – probably several. And, I have not included all the festival and local acts I have seen multiple times over the years. That’s for a separate post.

Have your own bands you’ve seen a few times? Leave them in the comments.

Cheers.

See you at the next concert.
PGKyle

One of my locals, the Trinity Tavern, has a limited selection of beers (Coors Light, Bud Light, Stella Artois and Shiner Bock being the 4 on draught). They recognized this early on as a shortcoming, so they purchased a keg-o-rator at a local auction and they rotate specialty beers through that one tap. Their most recent acquisition is the excellent Hoegaarden Witbier from Belgium. A conversation ensued and I was asked a question to which I had no ready answer. Research was done, now I know, and I impart it to you, the PGNation, because we want you to be the most well-informed beer-drinkers out there. So, to that end, I discovered that what we know as Wheat Beer can be broken into four distinct types of Wheat Beer.

• The Weissbier (Weißbier) is a specialty Bavarian beer in which a not-insignificant portion of the malted barley is replaced with a different cereal: malted wheat. Weissbiers are top-fermented (see Top 14 Beer Styles by Fermentation Type) as required by German law and specialized strains of yeast are added to produce the banana, clove and apple notes that are common to the style. There are sub-categories of the Weissbier also. For instance, the most common type of Weissbier in the U.S. is the Hefeweizen (vulgarly known as “Hefe“). In the Hefewiezen, the yeast is not filtered out which creates a thick, white cloudy appearance. Also popular in Bavaria (less so, here in the U.S.) is the dunkles Hefeweiss (Dunkelweizen elsewhere in the world). This beer is brewed with very dark malts and results in a very dark, bready beer. The Kristallweiss, on the other end of the spectrum, is heavily filtered resulting in a very clear beer. The last two sub-varieties of the Weissbier are the Weizenbock and the Weizen Eisbock. The Weizenbock is typcially a strong (Starkbier or “strong beer”) beverage enjoyed during the cold winter months; it can also be referred to as Weizenstarkbier (literal translation: “Wheat Strong Beer”). The Weizen Eisbock uses a freezing proces similar to that used in an Eisbock to remove some of the water thus concentrating the result.
• The Witbier (White beer) is very similar to the Weissbier but is brewed primarily in Belgium. It, too, is a top-fermented beer and is generally served unfiltered leaving the yeast in a semi-suspension imparting a cloudy or hazy appearance to the beer. The primary difference between the Weissbier and the Witbier is a causality of the Reinheitsgebot which dictates, in Germany, that no ingredients other than water, barley and hops can go into the brewing of a beer (yeast was a natural by-product and was not known to be part of the process until the 1800s so was not included in the original text of the law). While the Reinheitsgebot has long since been replaced by the Provisional German Beer Law, many German breweries still abide by the standards set forth in it. A similar law existed in 14th Century France (Belgium was at the time, a French territory) outlawing the use of hops in beer. Therefore, the Belgians had to experiment with ingredients other than hops. The modern Witbier is descended from those experiements and replaces hops with gruit - a mixture of coriander, orange, hops and bitter orange – resulting in a much less hoppy, and slightly more fruity beer. Since it’s an unfiltered, top-fermented beer, it continues to ferment after bottling.
• The Berliner Weisse is a sour beer (Sauerbier) of around 3% ABV. In the 19th century, this cloudy beer was the most popular alcoholic beverage in Berlin and it is estimated that nearly 700 breweries in Berlin produced it. That number has since dwindled to only two. The name is protected, so a proper Berliner Weisse is one that is brewed in Berlin. However, the protection only extends to Germany, so you may find a Canadian or U.S. produced Berliner Weisse if you look hard enough.
• The last Wheat Beer type is the Lambic which is a very distinctive type of beer brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium. Most beers are fermented by using carefully cultivated yeasts and introducing them carefully to the process. Lambics, however, are produced through spontanteous fermentation by exposing the beer to wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Senne valley. This highly distinctive and unusal process gives the beer a dry, cidery, almost wine-like taste with a slightly sour finish. Most modern Lambics go through a second fermentation prior to bottling.

There you have it. The four parent types of Wheat Beer and their children. The next time you go have a Wheat Beer of any sort, you now know where it come from and what the proper name is. For what it’s worth, I place them in this order in terms of my palate.

1. Dunkelweizen (Weissbier)
2. Weizen Eisbock (Weissbier)
3. Witbier
4. Weizenbock (Weissbier)
5. Weissbier
6. Hefeweizen (Weissbier)
7. Kristallweiss
8. Berliner Weisse
9. Lambic

Cheers.
PGKyle

Here’s to the World, and the women we adore
Both with problems, hard to ignore
But solutions are plenty
With a beer (or twenty)
And the musings of the PubGuys four

St. Patrick’s day is just around the corner and the PubGuys Drinking Team shirts are ready (http://bit.ly/eF9MzC).

Can you write a better PubGuy limerick?

I’m a traveller. I like to travel whether it’s a solo trip, a business trip or (best option) a trip with my wife. When I do travel one of the things I love most to do is scout out local beers and breweries and drink what the locals drink. I have also found over the decades, that saying just the single word in a questioning manner will get you exactly what you want. So now, my good friend and fellow PubGuy, PGTerrill is soon to take a trip to a place that neither he nor I have ever been. Therefore, between my love for travel and his heading off to a new, exotic(ish) locale, I put together this list of words so that no matter where he goes, I go or you go in this large, strange, wonderful world, you can say beer in the native language.

If the alphabet is Cyrillic or Greek, I have attempted to provide a pronunciation. For the rest, you’ll have to muddle through with the pronunciation just like I do. A couple of beers always helps.
Or, you can print it out and just point. I’ve provided a handy PDF for you to do just that. The PubGuys are here to help!
Download: PubGuys Guide: How to Say Beer in 49 Languages

And, now for a couple you’ll never use but are fun to know anyway.

Drink the good drink!
Cheers.
PGKyle

10 Movies That I’ve Seen More than 10 Times
Everyone has favourite movies. Even if you don’t really like movies all that much, you still have a favourite or two. You probably also have movies that you have seen over and over again whether through choice or happenstance. I’m hoping that your favourite movies are in that list of rewatches, but maybe they’re not. Below are 10 movies that I have seen more than 10 times and an approximate count. I’m not nearly so OCD that I have actually catalogued which movies I have seen multiple times and their counts. It’s also very possible that there are other movies that I have seen more than the 10 listed here. But, these are 10 movies, in no particular order, that I can definitely say without a doubt I have seen more than 10 times. Go ahead, rent these movies through iTunes. I’ve added the links for you.
In the meantime, leave your most-watched movies in the comments!

• Rocky Horror Picture Show: This one probably shouldn’t count because it’s not so much that I’ve seen the movie more than 10 times; it’s more that I participated in the movie 100s of times. At the Forum 303 Movie Theatre in Grand Prarie, I started a year and a half run as Frank-n-Furter on Halloween eve 1987. Every Friday and Saturday night for those 18 months I donned the appropriate costume (if you’ve seen the wretched flick you know what I’m talking about) and acted out the scenes in front of a theatre full of rowdy high-school and college kids. My tally for this movie is in the hundreds – I have lost track.
• Highlander: This one possibly shouldn’t count either. I worked at the Loews Theatre chain in Arlington when this movie came out. I would sneak in on every break and watch it. I would stay after my shift was over or come in early and watch it. I spent many an hour wasting my life in front of a Scotsman playing an Egyptian alongside a Frenchman that can barely speak English playing a Scotsman while learning to fight each other with swords. After all, “there can be only one!” The soundtrack by Queen was a bonus. My tally for this movie is certainly above 50, and probably closer to 100 than to 50.
• Sound of Music: I grew up on this movie. I’ve been to that house. I’ve walked out on the frozen lake that the Von Trapp family singers boated on. I’ve toured the many places where the movie was filmed. And, like every child of an age, I’ve performed “So Long, Farewell, Auf Weidersehen, Good Bye” for politely nodding and smiling adults. This movie was a yearly staple on the telly and when it was re-released into theatres in the late 70s, my mum and I would walk to the theatre every day during the summer to watch it again. My tally for this movie is greater than 25.
• Dangerous Liaisons: This is my favourite movie. Period. I love everything about it (except Keanue Reeves who is at least not horrible). I love the animosity between John Malkovich and Glenn Close. I love the tender young body of Uma Thurman and the striking beauty of Michelle Pfeiffer even as she was having her heart ripped out by John “it’s beyond my control” Malkovich as the brilliantly scheming Valmont. Other movies have tried to tell this story, Valmont and Cruel Intentions come to mind, but none can compare to the brilliance that is Dangerous Liaisons. My tally for this movie is north of 50.
• Cars: What can I say? The movie is brilliant and both my wife and I will sit and laugh with each other every time this movie comes on. It’s one of a handful of movies we own that either of us can reach for and pop in with no argument from the other. It’s a great date-night movie. Tally is around 20
• The Wizard of Oz: If you are my age (just over the hill) then you remember gathering as a family and watching the Wizard of Oz as it came on network television once a year. It was standard fare in the house because it’s, quite frankly, excellent family viewing. As a youngster the flying monkeys scared the beejeezus out of me. As a teenager, I was impressed by the special effects. As a young adult, I really wanted to know what it would be like to fall asleep in a field of poppys. As an adult, I was seeing horses of a different color of my own accord. Tally is close to 50.
• The Breakfast Club: This movie came out during the end of my high school years and right in the middle of my very intense Ally Sheedy crush. Of course, I could identify with pretty much all of them (except Molly Ringwold who is an incredibly non-attractive dolt in every movie). The Brat Pack ruled! This was a huge date movie, too. Tally is around 20, but I don’t think I ever once watched it alone. I watched it again recently, and while the message is still relevant, the characters are very dated and oh, so very John Hughes.
• Weird Science: This movie brought Kelly LeBrock into my life never to go away. Of course, it also brought the vision of Anthony Michael Hall with a bra on his head – also to never go away. ATM’s scene in the blues bar is one of my favourite scenes in any movie ever. This movie proved that even geeks and nerds could be cool. It’s all in the name of science. Weird Science. Tally is around 15
• Star Wars: In 1977, my father bundled my sister and I into the car and we drove to downtown Salt Lake City to a theatre at Trolley Square where we stood in a queue that was huge. My memory says we waited for hours; I have no idea what the reality was. What I do know is that my little 10 year old brain could only barely comprehend what was going on on that huge silver screen, but what it did comprehend, it LOVED. It loved with a fervor and a passion that is only possible in the minds of ten year olds. This was ground breaking and so, so real! My next years were molded on the fact that I was a Boy Scout and I was going to be one of the first people in space. I was going to be Luke Skywalker! Instead, I’m a PubGuy – but that’s ok, too. Movie viewing total is near 50.
• Empire Strikes Back: Screw Star Wars. This is the Empire Strikes Back and it kicks Star Wars nuts all up and down the block. What an amazing movie. I was no longer young enough to believe that I could really get into space, much less be a light-sabre wielding whiny bitch boy like Luke Skywalker. Hell no. But, what I could be was a scruffy nerf-herder like my new hero, Hans Solo! And, I was going to marry Princess Leia. No doubt about that. Oh the dreams that are created by movies. Count: 40-50

That’s it for now. Those are 10 movies that have been watched by me 10 or more times.

Cheers!
PGKyle

Probably my favorite Belgian beer… Sweet start with a bitter end. Only slightly hoppy.

Everyone’s gone to the bar and had a beer that just was not right, but you couldn’t quite finger what exactly was wrong with it. Well this list will help you explain to the hapless barman just exactly what is wrong with your beer and what you’d like done about it.

Foggy or cloudy in appearance but with a taste of fresh apples or sulfur

Cause: It’s a fresh cask (keg) that hasn’t settled.
Solution: Suck it up, it won’t hurt you.

Warm to the tongue

Cause: Slow turnover and/or warm beer lines.
Solution: Get a new beer.

Warm to the touch

Cause: Generally caused by a newly washed glass.
Solution: Get a new beer – in a new glass.

Flat , dull and generally lacking in character

Cause: It’s an old cask (keg).
Solution: Get a different beer.

Cloudy with undesirable tastes

Cause: Caused by an old cask where the yeast or bacteria is in suspension.
Solution: Get a new beer.

Unusual or undesirable tastes (e.g. sweat, celery, sour)

Cause: Bacterial infection.
Solution: Get a new beer – at a different pub.

Tastes like sewers, wood, plastic or creosote

Cause: Caused by a wild yeast infection.
Solution: Get a new beer – at a different pub – in a different town.

Cheers!
PGKyle

UPDATE: This is a list of the top 5 selling craft beer styles in the U.S.

The Symphony IRI Group released some stats that encapsulate the consumption of beer styles from 1 January – 31 October 2010. These stats are based on the purchase (scanned sales only) of said beer types from retail outlets (Grocery stores, liquor stores, convenience stores) througout the US. I also provide names of what I personally think are excellent examples of each type. Please go, check out the beers if you can. So, in descending order, the top 5 beer styles (and their attendant market share) purchased in the US are:
5. Amber Lager (8.5%) Red by Rahr & Sons or Old Scratch by Flying Dog
4. Amber Ale (10%) Annie’s by High Noon Saloon or HopBack by Troegs
3. India Pale Ale (10.4%) Rickard’s by Molson or Fuller’s by Fuller, Smith & Turner
2. Pale Ale (15.3%) Butler’s by Niagra Brewring Company or Dale’s by Oskar Blues
1. Seasonal (18.1%) Winter Warmer by Rahr or Spring Seasonal Bock by Mendocino

I know, it’s a trick, right?
“Seasonal” isn’t really a beer type. A seasonal could be an ale. It could be a porter. It could even be a pilsner. But, it certainly speaks to the strength of that market segment. I know my wife always asks the bartender/waitress, “What’s your seasonal?” before settling on a beer for the evening. And, it’s certainly a truism to say that my current favourite beer is a seasonal in the shape of Rahr Brewery’s goddamn good Winter Warmer which just won the World Beer Championship’s Gold Medal with a Rating of 91.

Broaden your palate and widen your taste.
Cheers,
PGKyle

Texas Brewpub Legislation
Two bills have been introduced in this current state legislative session that could have a pretty serious impact on the archaic Texas brewing laws
The bills are: HB 660 and HB 602.

HB 660 is sponsored by San Antonio Representative Mike Villarreal (D) and seeks to allow brewpubs the option of bottling their beer and distributing it for off-premise consumption. This is something that current Texas brewpubs are not allowed to do. One of the larger, more sweeping changes is that the bill would also allow them to wholesale the beer both inside and outside Texas. Current brewpubs in Texas cannot sell their beer except on their own premises and only on draught. Were that brewpub to pull up stakes and move to, say, New Mexico, they could then sell their beer on-premise in New Mexico and bottle and ship that beer to consumers in Texas. These archaic laws have kept the Texas beer industry under a tight, restrictive blanket preventing growth. For a state that, in 2010, consumed 37.4 million gallons of beer*, we have one of the lowest number of brewpubs (15 as of 2010) and breweries (25 as of 2010) in the nation. For goodness sake, lawmakers, wake up!
In short, HB660 would:

• allow Texas brewpubs to sell to both distributors and wholesalers
• allow Texas brewpubs to increase their total production to 75,000 barrels per year
• allow Texas brewpubs to sell up to 5,000 barrels per year directly to consumers at the brewpub, itself
• allow Texas brewpubs to self-distribute their product to retailers so long as their total production is less than 10,000 barrels per year
• allow Texas microbreweries to change their license to a brewpub so long they meet the qualifications above

On the other hand, HB602 which is sponsored by Houston’s Representative Jessica Farrar (D) seeks to change the way the breweries can interact with their customers.
HB602 would:

• allow Texas breweries – NOT brewpubs – to charge admission for a tour
• allow Texas breweries to give away to tour participants up to two cases of beer to take for off-premise consumption so long as the beer is in 12oz bottles
• not allow Texas breweries to sell beer directly to the ultimate consumer

Really? This is the second go ’round of this bill. It was weak the first time and remains weak. The saving grace for many Texas breweries may be the provision in HB660 that would allow those breweries to change their license from “brewery” to “brewpub” so long as the provisions listed above are met.
What a byzantine methodology.
My question to the lawmakers is this: “If it’s good for wine, why can’t it be good for beer?” The lawmakers relaxed similar restrictions for the wine industry a number of years ago and the Texas wine industry has reaped those rewards going from a $1 million per year industry to (last year) a $1.2 billion industry. Why not allow the beer industry the same chance?
While it is just the opinion of this PubGuy, I heartily endorse both bills as, at the very least, a stepping stone to a proper relaxing of laws. While you’ll find my voice stronger behind HB660, then behind HB602, that’s only because HB602 is so weak and watered down that it’s passage would amount to little change. It should be passed – I’m all in favor of that. However, it needs to be considerably more robust if we expect the Texas craft beer industry to grow.

Cheers,
PGKyle

*Stats provided by Beer Institute
Graph provided by PGKyle based on the above stats:

This is a blog post from my personal blog at TerrillR.com. The views reflected here do not necessarily represent the views of the PubGuys. Believe it or not, they can speak for themselves. – PG Terrill

The 82^nd Texas Legislative Session is in full swing and two bills have been introduced to ban smoking in all public places. Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) introduced Senate Bill 355 and Rep. Myra Crownover (R-Denton) submitted House Bill 670. Both bills seek to ban smoking in ALL public places and businesses.

This is an emotional issue to be sure. I think we all know someone who smokes. While most of these smokers have resigned themselves to stepping outside or only smoking in their cars or homes, there are many more that are very boisterous and highly placed among Texas elite and they will fight hard to prevent this legislation from becoming law.

Many non-smokers are against the ban as well. Some bar and restaurant owners believe that a ban would mean their smoking customers would opt to stay home and hurt business. Other non-smokers just have a strong belief in individual rights of the property owners to decide what occurs on their land.

So why should you support a smoking ban? Let’s look at the issues.

1. Second Hand Smoke Kills – Studies by the World Health Origination and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conclude that second hand smoke is “chemically similar to the smoke inhaled by smokers” and causes 600,000 deaths per year.
2. Levels the Playing Field – many municipalities have already banned smoking within its borders. This creates an unlevel playing field with businesses near the borders of towns that have no smoking ban. The Texas Restaurant Association supported the ban during the last session and will likely support it again this session.
3. A Smoking Ban Does NOT Hurt Business – There have been hundreds of studies on the impact of a smoking ban to businesses. It seems every time a state or major city considers a ban they fund a new study on their local economy. While conclusions do vary somewhat and some studies will leave your statistical mind shaking its head, most seem to conclude that the overall impact, positive or negative, is minimal. In other words, people will keep going out for a drink or a bite to eat regardless of their ability to smoke. Some of the major studies are: CDC, OSU, NYC. A comprehensive review of Smoking Ban economic studies done by the Minnesota House of Representatives can be found here.
4. Smoking Ban will Reduce Health Care Costs – Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit recently released a study that concludes that if there were a national ban on smoking in public places it would save the nation $90 million in health care cost and could prevent over 18,000 hospitalizations for heart attacks. Other research has had similar results the study claims.
5. Non-smokers’ Rights Outweigh Smokers’ Rights – This is still Texas and perhaps more than any other state we do what we want here. No one is proposing that we remove the right to smoke. Smoking in a private residence or car will and should never be infringed upon (the rights of children notwithstanding). But the right to not smoke or to breathe second hand smoke while in a public place outweighs the right to smoke. Smokers choose to light the cigarette and until and unless a contraption is invented that will 100% remove the byproduct of that cigarette, the air around the smoker gets polluted. When air is shared, everyone around the smoker has no choice but to breathe that smoke.

As I said, it is an emotional issue and both sides have legitimate arguments to support their views. However, the recent trend among states and municipalities is undeniable. As of January 2011, only 11 states have not enacted any type of smoking ban. 27 states have banned smoking in all enclosed public places. Texas is behind the times. Which is odd considering Texas was one of the first states to sue tobacco companies to recoup Medicaid spending on tobacco-related illnesses. I think a smoking ban is inevitable and is the right thing to do. Let’s do it this session!

Contact your senator or representative to urge support of the ban.

Circle Brewing Co.in Austin, Texas rolled out their first beer – BLUR Texas Hefe – last week and became the latest addition to a fast growing brewery collection in Texas. Austin and Houston have been adding new breweries at a breath taking pace as have many smaller towns and communities in the state. Many of these producing award winning brews! Will Texas rival the North West or Colorado soon? It just might!

Everyone loves lists so the PubGuys proudly present the sure to be highly controversial list of the hottest weather women in America.

#10:  Jennifer Carfagno – The Weather Channel

What is not to like about that skirt!

#9: Stephanie Abrams – The Weather Channel

You have see Stephanie on PubGuys.com before… not only is she extremely easy on the eyes but she has a very saucy delivery.

#8: Amy Freeze – WFLD – Chicago

WFLD is not afraid to parade Amy around the Chicago’s sporting events… I wonder why?

#7: Indra Peterson – KABC – Los Angeles

LA sure loves their weather chicks and Indra does not disappoint. There are better images out there, but I just couldn’t resist this one… makes you just want to get close and keep her warm.

#6: Elita Loresca – KNBC – Los Angeles

Like I said, LA knows weather girls. Guess when the weather is the same year around you need something to attract an audience… Elita does the trick nicely.

#5: Jillian Barberie (Reynolds) – Fox Sports

An important part of any football game is the weather. Thank goodness Fox Sports’ NFL Sunday saw fit hire Jillian to let us know what to expect. I’d call her anytime.

#4: Maria Molina – Fox News

Fox does it again with this foxy addition to the news. Fair and balanced indeed.

#3: Jackie Johnson – KCBS – Los Angeles

Not to be outdone by the other channels KCBS hits a three pointer from way down town with Jackie.

#2: Domenica Davis – WNBC – New York

There is no shortage of great images of Domenica out there and it is easy to see why she is so popular. Wow.

#1: Jackie Guerrido – Univision

No translation needed here. She speaks a language every guy understands.

Did we leave out your favorite? Post link here!

Proudly show your love of the old country and your love of their most famous export – Guinness – in one flag. Fly it tall and proud.

Ireland Guinness Flag Polyester 3 ft. x 5 ft.

• 3×5 Guinness Irish Soccer Ireland Football Flag Flags
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3 x 5 ft Polyester flag with 2 brass grommets. These polyester flags not recommended for prolonged outdoor use. For outdoor use, we recommend our nylon flags.

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This is one of the best, most comprehensive looks at the hard edge behind the Arsenal success story.
~PGK

Rebels for the Cause: The Alternative History of Arsenal Football Club (Mainstream Sport)

Arsenal’s on-field success has been well documented. But what has never been written before is the equally remarkable history of Arsenal’s rebels, both on and off the pitch. Spanning almost 120 years, and set against a backdrop of turbulent social and political change, Rebels for the Cause assesses the legacy and impact of Arsenal’s most controversial players, officials, and matches. From hard men like ’30s player Wilf Copping to the reformed wild ones of recent years such as Tony Adams, Jon Spu

List Price: $ 18.00

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As readers/listeners of the PubGuys you’ve likely gleaned by now that music is important to me. Very important. I lack the talent to play an instrument. I’m not a terribly good lyricist, although I do like to dabble. I don’t have the classical training to understand things like chord progressions. All of these things come naturally to so many of my friends and idols that I just sit back and drop my jaw in awe. So, I have to live vicariously through their talent and retreat into the relaxing tone baths that they so effortlessly create.

All that brings me to the purpose of this article: Gregg Gillis a.k.a. Girl Talk.
This man takes the lovingly crafted works of others and in a series of broadly brilliant strokes mashes them together into a wall of sound that is impossible to ignore. Girl Talk released his fifth album, All Day, last week, and like so much of the work he does, he’s giving it away for free. This is, simply put, a helluva an album. Go. Get. It.
It’s 71 minutes long and contains over 400 samples of music from all over the music genre map.

And, if that’s not enough, Benjamin Rahn, the founder of ActBlue and MixApp created a visual roadmap of the samples. Now, you can view – in Technicolor – the incredible amount of work that goes into a mashup album while you revel in its brilliance.

Download the album

Watch the album

Curtis Brown, the much traduced Texas punt returner, revealed that he has a 1 year old baby of the verge of death. That is very sad news and probably explains why his head was not completely in the games in which he has muffed multiple punts. But it does not explain why Mack Brown, knowing of this, actually played him. He should have given Curtis all the time he needs to put his family first and ensured him his spot on the team was secured and started someone else. Just another example of why Texas, this year, is one of the poorest coached teams in the NCAA. Not to mention the incredible ineptitude of Greg Davis and the somewhat surprising schizophrenic defense of Will Muschamp.

People are calling me a knee jerker, and perhaps I am.I understand off years, I understand rebuilding, and yes, I’m happy that Texas has done so well over the last decade and I will ALWAYS bleed burnt orange and I will always stay to sing the Eyes. But I will not sit quietly while watching a team with incredible talent go to waist while the coaching staff just makes lame excuses. If these loses were to great teams and we just got beat while playing at or above our talent, then OK, I can take that. But that is not what is happening. We’re Texas! We are not the Cowboys. We don’t due excuses.

This is too close to the truth.

This weekend brought rapture to the Texas Rangers nation, for after 11 years of absence, the Rangers will once again bask in the glory that is post-season baseball – as Champions of the American League West nonetheless.  Now I realize, those who are a bit more spoiled (read Yankees, Red Sox, and Longhorn) fans, mere participation in the post season isn’t necessarily cause for a day of celebration.  Unless of course you are a fan of one of those teams whose presence in October baseball is the exception much more than the rule.  Such as it is, my Rangers wrapped up the division this Saturday with a 4-3 win over the Oakland A’s.

The scene in the locker room (albeit the visitor’s locker room) was one of joy and celebration.  Beer and champagne were escaping theirs packages in rapid often explosive manners.  For players like Michael Young, who has been a Ranger his entire time in the big leagues..this has been a long time coming.  For players like Vladimir Guerrero , it is yet another chance at glory.  Conspicuously absent from this locker room celebration with Rangers teammates, was team MVP Josh Hamilton.  While his teammates bask in the glory of their accomplishments, Josh was in self-mandated seclusion, in an adjoining dressing space.

As is well chronicled, Josh is a recovering addict (alcohol, drugs, and tattoos), and in a keen demonstration of self-awareness…plain and simply Josh doesn’t trust himself.  Concerned so much with the possibility of relapse into his vices, Josh elected to remove himself from the situation entirely.  As the local media surrounded him, I was struck with how melancholy he looked.  Here is a guy, who for a great part of the year, almost single handedly willed this team to victory.  Now at their moment of glory, not only was he not on the field (due to injury), but it seems like he was robbed of some of the spoils of celebration.  After seeing, what seemed to me like a guy who was pretty bummed considering the circumstances, I asked Anthony Andro (@aandro) if the Rangers were concerned at all about Josh’s morale.  Anthony noted that Josh was very upbeat the next day, and his teammates did what they could to include him.  So perhaps I am just overly sensitive.

Regardless, I come away with two thoughts.  First – Way to go Josh!  There are not many of us who have the self awareness and/or control to keep ourselves away from those things that are our undoing.    Secondly – I think everyone to a man in that locker room loves the guy for what he has done for the team, and hopes the next time they celebrate, he will be able to participate…on the field.

~PGBryan

This week in college football featured the first real set of “tests” for some of the key programs with most doing what they had to do… but that is what the talking heads tell you… for some real insight, the PubGuys are proud to present – PubGuy Terrill’s Top Ten Observations For The Week Of College Football… number 3.

1. It was a very ugly game in Lubbock but anytime you leave there with a win, thank your lucky stars.
2. Lots of opinions on Texas struggling in Lubbock. While I will admit to being a homer when it comes to Texas, I’ll leave you with this stat: Since Mack Brown took the reins in Austin he is 4-3 in games in Lubbock. The rest of the Big 12 South is 3-15 with 2 wins by OU and 1 by TAMU. (thanks to Kirk Bohls for the tid bit)
3. How many of us wish we could have been the Ohio Bobcat mascot as he tried to beat the roots out of Brutus the Buckeye?
4. The talking heads are quick to point out that TCU beat the crap out of a Big 12 school… tap the breaks folks, it was Baylor.
5. Denard Robinson had a bit of a scare with UMass as Michigan joined the ranks of big time programs struggling with the under classes. Hell, it only accounted for 345 yards of offence, by himself. Wimp.
6. How the mighty fall… Cincinnati lost their head coach over the summer after a Big East title and a BCS appearance. Now they are 1-2 with its lone win over lowly Indiana State.
7. Best team not ranked in the AP – Oklahoma State. They are 1^st in Passing and 2^nd in points in FBS with wins over decent, but not good teams.
8. Speaking of decent teams, the Aggies are 3-0. However they are headed north to Stillwater (see #7)
9. Dodge ball may have just gotten the kiss of death at North Texas. The AD Rick Villareal released a statement that he supports coach Todd Dodge. It’s never good when your boss has to issue statements about your job.
10. Notre Dame is set to Play Navy in Dublin, Ireland in 2012. Gee, wonder who the home team will be.

The PG Terrill’s Top Ten Observations From the Weekend of College Football

Ladies and gentlemen, please turn your bibles to Psalms to chapter 147 verse 6 and read it with me… “The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.”

Thus the them continues in week 2 of College Football. So without further ado:

1. Is Virginia Tech that bad or is this just the beginning of the end of the FBS? Yet another FCS team ups and beats a supposed powerhouse. Don’t these teams know their place?

2. With the James Madison defeat of Virginia Tech, don’t you have ask how significant was the Boise State win over the now 2 loss Hokies?

3. Poor ACC, they entered the weekend with 4 ranked teams and left the weekend with only Miami remaining in the poll after all four teams lost. The other three were Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Florida State.

4. Colorado got beaten like a three legged dog by future PAC 10 (11) buddy Cal. I bet Washington State can’t wait for the Buffs to collect the PAC 10 (11) doormat.

5. Lee Corso needs to hang it up. I feel bad for the guy but it is just painful to watch. ESPN did the right thing trying this out last year, but should have ended it then.

6. Even with Corso’s stroke mouth and confusion he is still light years better than Desmond Howard.

7. Desmond is just a smidgen better than that mush mouth leprechaun Lou Holtz.

8. I’m sorry Kansas, for wanting to give you away to the Big 10 (12). Impressive win over ranked Georgia Tech. Forgive me?

9. Hey Big 10 (12) Iowa State is available.

10. Mike Leach started announcing games for CBS. Since I have not seen a press release from CBS firing him, I assume he has been a good boy. But it is only a matter of time.