Like a cork on water, I followed the latest installment in the Man vs. Machine saga. Following shortly on the heels of Fox’s special of similar name (M vs M, that is), Kasparov and Deep Junior, a chess machine of Israeli origin, squared off in New York. The match was to consist of six games. And it did. The prize for each was some odd hundred thousands of dollars depending whether you win or lose, plus Kasparov got aroung half a million just for showing up.

Having been a science guy and geek, this whole space shuttle Columbia disaster has been on my mind a bit. There’s so much to think about and to say. So many facets of the human experience uncovered. Of course there are the teen-age vigils that bring tears to GWB’s eyes, and the bizarre press coverage of people finding helmets and wheels. Also, the whole hero thing and the family’s stories. And NASA playing CYAssa.

Finally! The beer is ready to be tasted. And I don’t mean the stray cheat that I’ve been sneaking since last weekend, but it should be sufficiently aged at this point. So, here I go. The pour yields a thick creamy head, with slightly uneven bubble distribution. Whatever that means, just calling as I see ’em. The ale is fairly dark, and slightly anber-hued. So far, so good. The aroma is is distinct with that unfiltered scent so often associated with homebrew…perhaps slightly unpleasant to those new to it, one quickly becomes accustomed, possibly even nostalgic with it.

Blue Ridge’s amber lager pours a nice, amber hued beer. The head dissipates quickly, making the fine carbonation of this beer visible. The aroma complements this tangy beer nicely, of which both the scent and flavor have a home-brewed element to them. The body of this lager is full, introducing itself immediately to the tongue with a rich sweetness, and leaving behind a gentle bitter aftertaste. All the while, the flavor is integrated nicely with the carbonation.

The Catheters rock. Nedra pointed out their album at a listening booth at Tower Records when I was getting my stereo replaced after some jerk broke into my car and stole pretty much the whole center console, along with the air bags. I only listened for a couple minutes before deciding to buy the album, as it rocked really hard. They have a bit of that rock-n-roll rhythm blended with some searing punk-rock vocals.

It truly does. Once again. In bold. Portland Radio Sucks. Bigtime. I could stop this story right here, and probably have said all that I need to, but then what would be the fun in that? I am just freakin’ so sick and tired of all the damn commercials and the stupid DJ’s mackin on strippers for 47 minutes out of each hour. And the three songs that I do hear…if my timing was good and I get to hear any on my commute…are the same ones by the same ‘artists’, rotating between Rage Against the Machine, tool, System of A Down, Korn (sorry deep guys can’t do that kewl ‘K’ thing they do), with maybe a bit of Metallica blended in.

My eyes grew wide at the first drink of this Pale Ale. A nice full flavor, complemented by its mild fruitiness makes for a fine, smooth drink. A gentle bitterness from fine Cascade hops blends well with with the pale malt, making an all-around pleasant beer. The color of this beer is, as implied by the name, quite light hardly even darkening the glass. The light, fresh qualities of this beer make it a fine choice for any occasion.

Yesterday was Nedra’s birthday, and the festivities were rolling. We spent most of the day doing bday related odds-n-ends. Like how I took Augie out to play soccer with me for a few hours, or how I slept in late because I’d been out bar hopping late the night before. I would’ve been in big troube if I’d woken with a disabling hangover. Anyway, it was great fun. Nedra and some of her girlfriends made a crapload of Asian food like phad thai, sushi, garden rolls, and all sort of other good stuff.

I came across this link, which happily reveals all the garbage in my collection for me that I should sell. These guys are doing a real service for humanity here. I’m just fed up with having to hear some of these albums again and again, and have gotten to the point where I can barely stomach seeing some of these albums lying idly on the shelf. I am going to miss my Beastie Boys and Chili Peppers albums though.