I promised you all a big announcement coming at the end of the week, so here goes.
My roommates and I have decided to start a daily website where we can share our thoughts and opinions on the world of sports. The name of the website is JV Backups, a title that accurately represents our athletic skill levels, while also including some sports feel. To be honest, we came up with that title while we were all absolutely trashed.
The contributors to the site will be myself, and then the rest of my roommates: Sev, Mike, Len and Doze. I hope we can provide some humorous background, while also giving you something to keep refreshing during the work week.
We're looking to make this a serious thing, so you can actually expect much more attention being thrown to this website instead of A Lean Night, which was quite frankly run very lazily.
I hope you guys can make the switch, or at least give us a shot. We are hoping to get the site up off the ground level, so any comments you can make would be much appreciated. Again the website is www.jvbackups.com. No blogspot this time, how about that?
Today's song is a semi-cliche pick, but it's so damn good I don't care. "Break on Through," by The Doors.
Wish me luck on the new website, and I hope to see you there and commenting frequently.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Beer Winner & End of Summer
Folks, it took long enough, but I had to try some of the beers again. The Beer of the Week winner for this summer goes to Jack Whacker's Wheat Ale. It is a great summer beer and it all came down to the ability for this beer to put me in great spirits. Or maybe it was because I was already 11 deep before having it again. Either way, Jack Whacker's really rocked. I highly recommend it, and although it is a bit pricey for you Busch Light loving wahoos, it's worth it. The taste is fantastic, and it doesn't leave you with a full stomach.
This marks my final night back home in the region, as tomorrow I head out for Bloomington to start my final year. I am almost nervous that it can't live up to the great summer I have had, but needless to say I am excited to go back. Last night was the absolute perfect ending to this summer, as Scott's sister Sarah got married. It was truly a joyous event, and everyone was so happy to be there. In turn, we repaid this with heavy drinking that lead to some of the best dancing of our time. Everyone looked great, everyone was happy, and as a result, everyone had the time of their lives. Congrats to Sarah and Varun, and I hope they have a happy marriage. If the reception is any symbol, this is going to be a great future for these two. I wish them the best.
A side note to be added, I guarantee I have never looked as good as I did last night. Decked out in the Mendoza special (his suit, tie, etc.), I went on to give love to all. Great time.
I can't speak enough about the Cubs play right now. Granted, I blew up after Friday's bullpen implosion, but the Cubs have now won 8 series in a row. Simply remarkable and the first time that has been done since 1937. In addition, as our record stands now at 80-50, we are 30 games over .500, the highest mark since our 1984 season ended at 31 games over .500. This team is rolling and I truly hope we can stay on this rush for the rest of the season. Keep it going Cubbies.
My record this season is 8-4, 7-4 at home. I am headed to Cincinnati in a few weekends to see the Cubs play again, and hopefully I can catch another game down the stretch. Last year I caught 20 games...this year appears may end up closer to 15. All due to me being down at school for an extra six weeks. Nice decision.
The song of the night is going to go to a song I requested last night. I'll take Joe Cocker's version because it's my favorite. Here she goes, "With A Little Help From My Friends." To top it off, it's his performance at Woodstock, just awesome. Enjoy it, it sums up my entire summer.
P.S. A big announcement is coming from this blog in the following week. Keep tuned in to find out; there may just be a big decision about my future.
This marks my final night back home in the region, as tomorrow I head out for Bloomington to start my final year. I am almost nervous that it can't live up to the great summer I have had, but needless to say I am excited to go back. Last night was the absolute perfect ending to this summer, as Scott's sister Sarah got married. It was truly a joyous event, and everyone was so happy to be there. In turn, we repaid this with heavy drinking that lead to some of the best dancing of our time. Everyone looked great, everyone was happy, and as a result, everyone had the time of their lives. Congrats to Sarah and Varun, and I hope they have a happy marriage. If the reception is any symbol, this is going to be a great future for these two. I wish them the best.
A side note to be added, I guarantee I have never looked as good as I did last night. Decked out in the Mendoza special (his suit, tie, etc.), I went on to give love to all. Great time.
I can't speak enough about the Cubs play right now. Granted, I blew up after Friday's bullpen implosion, but the Cubs have now won 8 series in a row. Simply remarkable and the first time that has been done since 1937. In addition, as our record stands now at 80-50, we are 30 games over .500, the highest mark since our 1984 season ended at 31 games over .500. This team is rolling and I truly hope we can stay on this rush for the rest of the season. Keep it going Cubbies.
My record this season is 8-4, 7-4 at home. I am headed to Cincinnati in a few weekends to see the Cubs play again, and hopefully I can catch another game down the stretch. Last year I caught 20 games...this year appears may end up closer to 15. All due to me being down at school for an extra six weeks. Nice decision.
The song of the night is going to go to a song I requested last night. I'll take Joe Cocker's version because it's my favorite. Here she goes, "With A Little Help From My Friends." To top it off, it's his performance at Woodstock, just awesome. Enjoy it, it sums up my entire summer.
P.S. A big announcement is coming from this blog in the following week. Keep tuned in to find out; there may just be a big decision about my future.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Final Beers of the Week: Three Floyd's Alpha King Pale Ale & Great White
The final entries into the Beer of the Week battle come in two completely different tastes. First, Munster, Indiana's Three Floyd's Alpha King Pale Ale reminds me directly of Week 1's Mad Anthony. This is most definitely due to both being pale ales. However, Three Floyd's entry provides a very full flavored taste. Fans of a more hoppy taste will love this ale, and the light brown color makes the pour very smooth. Alpha King Pale Ale gets 3 out of 5 stars.
The second beer being reviewed today is Great White. Great White is brewed by Lost Coast Brewery in California, who definitely provides the beer with its' citrus summer flavor. The beer pours out in a light golden brown color, absolutely beautiful. The taste resembles something you would get out of a light beer, while still providing a very good taste. I sincerely enjoy the flavor, and would definitely recommend this if you plan on drinking all night. Great White gets 4 out of 5 stars, and definitely reminds me of a light calorie Blue Moon.
You may have noticed a re-design of the website today. My good friend and roommate Mike Cochran decided to play around with it, due to our craving to dive deeper into the blogging world. Our current plans are to start a new website before September 2, and to make this site much more focused. Hopefully, this can give us a solid start to a possible career in journalism or reporting.
The Cubs are flat out rolling, and our sweep of yesterday's doubleheader gives us seven straight road games won. Unfortunately, the Brewers have recovered from what may have appeared as a dagger to the heart, their four game home sweep vs. the Cubs. They have now reeled off eight straight wins and kept within three and a half games of the Cubs. It should be a blast down the stretch.
Tomorrow wraps up my final day at Bekan Insurance Group, and in all honestly I am really going to miss the people here. For four years I have had a great time working here, and tomorrow it will all be wrapped up. To all of you, thanks for helping me grow up. From a shy, clean cut kid, to the long-haired wish he was a rebel, back to the semi-older person I am now, you all have actually had a big impact on my life. Thanks a lot.
Today's song "I Want You," by Third Eye Blind. It really is an awesome song, from an even better album, their self-titled debut. The video is kind of creepy, I can't figure out why it is focused on this girl the entire time. Either way, hope you enjoy, and I'll see you soon to give you a wrap up on the winner of the Summer Beer of the Week.
The second beer being reviewed today is Great White. Great White is brewed by Lost Coast Brewery in California, who definitely provides the beer with its' citrus summer flavor. The beer pours out in a light golden brown color, absolutely beautiful. The taste resembles something you would get out of a light beer, while still providing a very good taste. I sincerely enjoy the flavor, and would definitely recommend this if you plan on drinking all night. Great White gets 4 out of 5 stars, and definitely reminds me of a light calorie Blue Moon.
You may have noticed a re-design of the website today. My good friend and roommate Mike Cochran decided to play around with it, due to our craving to dive deeper into the blogging world. Our current plans are to start a new website before September 2, and to make this site much more focused. Hopefully, this can give us a solid start to a possible career in journalism or reporting.
The Cubs are flat out rolling, and our sweep of yesterday's doubleheader gives us seven straight road games won. Unfortunately, the Brewers have recovered from what may have appeared as a dagger to the heart, their four game home sweep vs. the Cubs. They have now reeled off eight straight wins and kept within three and a half games of the Cubs. It should be a blast down the stretch.
Tomorrow wraps up my final day at Bekan Insurance Group, and in all honestly I am really going to miss the people here. For four years I have had a great time working here, and tomorrow it will all be wrapped up. To all of you, thanks for helping me grow up. From a shy, clean cut kid, to the long-haired wish he was a rebel, back to the semi-older person I am now, you all have actually had a big impact on my life. Thanks a lot.
Today's song "I Want You," by Third Eye Blind. It really is an awesome song, from an even better album, their self-titled debut. The video is kind of creepy, I can't figure out why it is focused on this girl the entire time. Either way, hope you enjoy, and I'll see you soon to give you a wrap up on the winner of the Summer Beer of the Week.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Beer of the Week: Pilsner Urquell
Today's beer comes from the Czech Republic, which may be the only good thing to ever come out of this country. Pilsner Urquell is actually a pretty damn good beer. The green bottle immediately brings visions of Heineken or Beck's. The taste also resembles these beers (although much more similar to Beck's), a slightly bitter hoppy taste that manages to still be very enjoyable. Overall, I give Bruce a pat on the back, and give Pilsner Urquell with a 4 out of 5 stars. Check it out at a liquor store near you.
To keep you posted, we only have one week left in our Beer of the Week contest, as my summer work will be ending. Our beers in the running for tops of the year are Jack Whacker's Wheat Ale, Keo, Shocktop, Bad Elmer's Porter and today's beer Pilsner Urquell. A few of them didn't make the cut. Our summer winner will be announced in two weeks.
In other notes, I bought a harmonica last week for some God-forsaken reason. Well, this led my brother and me to learn "Heart of Gold" by Neil Young, which we shredded. I just learned how to play last night, and we recorded our version last night. I have to say, it wasn't half bad for a first time out. It'll be fun to see where I can take my newfound musical talent to.
Song of the day has to be Neil Young's "Heart of Gold," just because I learned it yesterday. Real cool song. Can you imagine being in the crowd here, the first time he's ever played it live? Wow!
To keep you posted, we only have one week left in our Beer of the Week contest, as my summer work will be ending. Our beers in the running for tops of the year are Jack Whacker's Wheat Ale, Keo, Shocktop, Bad Elmer's Porter and today's beer Pilsner Urquell. A few of them didn't make the cut. Our summer winner will be announced in two weeks.
In other notes, I bought a harmonica last week for some God-forsaken reason. Well, this led my brother and me to learn "Heart of Gold" by Neil Young, which we shredded. I just learned how to play last night, and we recorded our version last night. I have to say, it wasn't half bad for a first time out. It'll be fun to see where I can take my newfound musical talent to.
Song of the day has to be Neil Young's "Heart of Gold," just because I learned it yesterday. Real cool song. Can you imagine being in the crowd here, the first time he's ever played it live? Wow!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Beer of the Week: Keo
Well folks, today we have a lot more than just beer to talk about. Trade Deadline action, Cub dominance in Milwaukee, and maybe a little music as well. However, we'll start with the Greek made Keo.
Keo is brewed on the island of Cyprus, Greece and has 4.5% alcohol. Keo has a very crisp taste, and when served ice cold is unbelievably refreshing. It was recommended by one MoPete, and it lived up to the hype. He first tried it at GreekFest in Merrillville and brought it in this week. Very good call. Keo is slightly reminscent of Heineken, in the sense of imported lagers but doesn't have the same skunky taste as some imports. Overall I give Keo 4 stars out of 5, but that could possibly be pushed up to 4.5 if you are very thirsty (like me today). Go out and grab yourself a six pack.
The MLB Trade Deadline passed at 3 CST today, and there was a huge late splash made by the Red Sox, Dodgers and Pirates. As I'm sure you will all read the Pirates sent Jason Bay to the Red Sox, ManRam went to the Dodgers, and the Pirates got 4 minor leaguers. Good pull for all.
The Red Sox managed to rid themselves of their problem child, and in the process pick up a legitimate middle of the order hitter in the process. The Dodgers got themselves the big bat they needed to solidify the middle of their order. And to boot, the Pirates got themselves a cornerstone player in 3B Andy Laroche, a good young OF Brandon Moss, RHP Craig Hansen and another minor leaguer. This results in at least five years of a solid 3B and RF, to go along with a possible future closer. Not a bad return for any of them.
The Cubs were absolutely dominant in Milwaukee this week, thrilling fans and writers alike. This writer attended last night's game in Milwaukee, and after the four hour car ride, had a show put on for him. The Cubs completed the sweep today, giving them a 5 game lead on their toughest opponent. Keep it rolling boys.
That's all for today. I saw a quite hilarious movie the other night in Step Brothers. I'll write a review of that and The Dark Knight sometime in the next week. Hope you all have a good weekend, I have a scramble golf outing tomorrow. Maybe I'll hit 'em straight.
Song of the day - "Time to Pretend" by MGMT. Such a cool electric sound, I can't get enough of it. Listen up.
Keo is brewed on the island of Cyprus, Greece and has 4.5% alcohol. Keo has a very crisp taste, and when served ice cold is unbelievably refreshing. It was recommended by one MoPete, and it lived up to the hype. He first tried it at GreekFest in Merrillville and brought it in this week. Very good call. Keo is slightly reminscent of Heineken, in the sense of imported lagers but doesn't have the same skunky taste as some imports. Overall I give Keo 4 stars out of 5, but that could possibly be pushed up to 4.5 if you are very thirsty (like me today). Go out and grab yourself a six pack.
The MLB Trade Deadline passed at 3 CST today, and there was a huge late splash made by the Red Sox, Dodgers and Pirates. As I'm sure you will all read the Pirates sent Jason Bay to the Red Sox, ManRam went to the Dodgers, and the Pirates got 4 minor leaguers. Good pull for all.
The Red Sox managed to rid themselves of their problem child, and in the process pick up a legitimate middle of the order hitter in the process. The Dodgers got themselves the big bat they needed to solidify the middle of their order. And to boot, the Pirates got themselves a cornerstone player in 3B Andy Laroche, a good young OF Brandon Moss, RHP Craig Hansen and another minor leaguer. This results in at least five years of a solid 3B and RF, to go along with a possible future closer. Not a bad return for any of them.
The Cubs were absolutely dominant in Milwaukee this week, thrilling fans and writers alike. This writer attended last night's game in Milwaukee, and after the four hour car ride, had a show put on for him. The Cubs completed the sweep today, giving them a 5 game lead on their toughest opponent. Keep it rolling boys.
That's all for today. I saw a quite hilarious movie the other night in Step Brothers. I'll write a review of that and The Dark Knight sometime in the next week. Hope you all have a good weekend, I have a scramble golf outing tomorrow. Maybe I'll hit 'em straight.
Song of the day - "Time to Pretend" by MGMT. Such a cool electric sound, I can't get enough of it. Listen up.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Duel Beers of the Week: Shock Top & Wild Blue
Two polar opposites show up in this week's Beer of the Week column.
Our first one is Shock Top Belgian White, which quite frankly tastes to me like Blue Moon with an orange already squeezed into it. Honestly, I can't give you a more detailed analysis unless you've tasted Blue Moon. Additionally, since I enjoy Blue Moon, Shocktop is right up my alley. The light orange finish to the crisp brew is very refreshing and worth a purchase. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
The second beer this week is Wild Blue (Blueberry Lager). At 8% alcohol and the fruitiest female taste I've had in quite some time, there is no way I can give this a positive review. The beer got some rave reviews from the ladies in the building, but most men in the office did not enjoy. When poured into a glass, the "beer" appeared to be more of a wine with its' purple-red color. If you are not a beer fan, you may enjoy this, but in my case I must give Wild Blue a 2 out of 5 stars.
For what it's worth, both of these beers are brewed by Anheuser-Busch. Interesting.
The Cubs are in a bit of trouble folks, only 1 game up on the Brewers with 4 games up in Milwaukee starting Monday. Yikes, we'll see where we can go from here.
That's all for today. Hopefully I can get into the lab again to post something else this week, but if not, I'll see you next week. Song of the day - "Free," by Donavon Frankenreiter. Real easy going song that reminds me of the summer. Have a good night and pray for the parlay.
Our first one is Shock Top Belgian White, which quite frankly tastes to me like Blue Moon with an orange already squeezed into it. Honestly, I can't give you a more detailed analysis unless you've tasted Blue Moon. Additionally, since I enjoy Blue Moon, Shocktop is right up my alley. The light orange finish to the crisp brew is very refreshing and worth a purchase. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
The second beer this week is Wild Blue (Blueberry Lager). At 8% alcohol and the fruitiest female taste I've had in quite some time, there is no way I can give this a positive review. The beer got some rave reviews from the ladies in the building, but most men in the office did not enjoy. When poured into a glass, the "beer" appeared to be more of a wine with its' purple-red color. If you are not a beer fan, you may enjoy this, but in my case I must give Wild Blue a 2 out of 5 stars.
For what it's worth, both of these beers are brewed by Anheuser-Busch. Interesting.
The Cubs are in a bit of trouble folks, only 1 game up on the Brewers with 4 games up in Milwaukee starting Monday. Yikes, we'll see where we can go from here.
That's all for today. Hopefully I can get into the lab again to post something else this week, but if not, I'll see you next week. Song of the day - "Free," by Donavon Frankenreiter. Real easy going song that reminds me of the summer. Have a good night and pray for the parlay.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Beer of the Week: Jack Whacker Wheat Ale
Hey hey! We have an early favorite for best beer of the summer. Tommyknocker's Jack Whacker Wheat Ale has a great taste with a lemony finish. Located in Idaho Springs, Colorado, Tommyknocker has a stable of beers to taste, although Jack Whacker Wheat Ale has been a 2000 North American Brewers Association Gold Medalist. Jack Whacker has a very smooth taste, and good flavoring that leave you with a packed finish. I finished this beer in about five minutes and didn't even realize it.
This beer is right up your alley if you enjoy some flavor in your beer, and luckily for me I do. My best comparison would be something from Leinenkugel, the flavor brewers. This beer gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from yours truly. Try it at your local liquor store.
Well, the days off from baseball have been killing me. I've rented movies, tapped into a few books, even written a few stories, but nothing can get me going like baseball does. I am patiently waiting for tomorrow to come so I can watch my Cubs again.
Going into the second half I obviously love where we are, and lots of things could help this half be even better. The main thing will be getting back a healthy Alfonso Soriano, whom I have bashed before. This will give Edmonds and Fukudome more time off in the outfield, saving them for the stretch run. Kosuke's struggles have become present lately, and some time off scattered throughout August and September could be very big for us.
Being 4.5 games up on the Cards, and 5 over the Brewers will be big for us. We play 10 more games against St. Louis and 9 more against Milwaukee, so these standings can change fast. I know it has been said before, but a hot start to the 2nd half could give us a huge boost in making the playoffs. Our road play will be important in doing so.
I've been listening to Coldplay's new album religiously over the past week or so, after Sev left it in my car this past weekend. I'm addicted, and my new favorite song on the album is "Lost!" Great tune. My past weekend was so ridiculous that I have written a story about it, maybe I'll get around to posting it on here sometime. But for now, it's far too inappropriate to post on here.
The song of the day comes from Bruce Carey. His choice, "Baba O'Riley" off of the Who's Next album. Maybe the Who's most popular song, I'm sure you all know this one. Enjoy.
This beer is right up your alley if you enjoy some flavor in your beer, and luckily for me I do. My best comparison would be something from Leinenkugel, the flavor brewers. This beer gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from yours truly. Try it at your local liquor store.
Well, the days off from baseball have been killing me. I've rented movies, tapped into a few books, even written a few stories, but nothing can get me going like baseball does. I am patiently waiting for tomorrow to come so I can watch my Cubs again.
Going into the second half I obviously love where we are, and lots of things could help this half be even better. The main thing will be getting back a healthy Alfonso Soriano, whom I have bashed before. This will give Edmonds and Fukudome more time off in the outfield, saving them for the stretch run. Kosuke's struggles have become present lately, and some time off scattered throughout August and September could be very big for us.
Being 4.5 games up on the Cards, and 5 over the Brewers will be big for us. We play 10 more games against St. Louis and 9 more against Milwaukee, so these standings can change fast. I know it has been said before, but a hot start to the 2nd half could give us a huge boost in making the playoffs. Our road play will be important in doing so.
I've been listening to Coldplay's new album religiously over the past week or so, after Sev left it in my car this past weekend. I'm addicted, and my new favorite song on the album is "Lost!" Great tune. My past weekend was so ridiculous that I have written a story about it, maybe I'll get around to posting it on here sometime. But for now, it's far too inappropriate to post on here.
The song of the day comes from Bruce Carey. His choice, "Baba O'Riley" off of the Who's Next album. Maybe the Who's most popular song, I'm sure you all know this one. Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
