Nothing much of substance here, unless you would like to see the weather for my first week (of two) that I’ll be having out in the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina
Beach Weather Forecast
Can I Barter With Las Vegas? Lets find out!
Emily and I have bought out plane tickets for Las Vegas, September 24-27, with only one major question left for us to find out. Where are we going to stay? On previous trips, I’ve lodged at the Imperial Palace (bargain casino) but never anywhere nicer. So I am now challenging myself, through priceline, hotwire, twitter, e-mails, phone calls, etc, to get a fantastic rate. Targets? Thinking about Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, The Venitian or Mandalay Bay. If anyone has tips on getting good room deals, or at least, good passes/tickets to various Vegas clubs/shows – let me know, I’ll give them a shot and see if it works. The experiment starts soon, all blog posts about it will be tagged as “Vegas Experiment”
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Sweet! But….
Check this out! New observation area at the Sears Tower in Chicago has GLASS FLOORS and GLASS WALLS – kinda taking that trick from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to the next level – Read Here – but, if you read to the bottom, they sneak in something that I must have missed recently…
The balconies are just one of the big changes coming to the Sears Tower. The building’s name will change to Willis Tower later this summer.
I must have missed something… really? This didn’t make news anywhere? As a boy from Chicago, it was strange to see Marshall Fields become Macy’s, but changing the name of the Sears Tower? I just don’t see it. It’s like trying to change the name of Wrigley Field to something else. Like how the football stadium in Denver is supposed to be called something other than Mile High – anyone know or care what the naming rights to it are?
According to Wikipedia,
However, in March 2009 London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, Ltd., agreed to lease a large portion of the building and as part of the agreement obtained the building’s naming rights. In summer 2009 the building will be renamed Willis Tower.
Ok, so, open letter to you Willis Group Holdings, Ltd. You’re from England, so perhaps you don’t understand. I think you’ll find that the only people calling it the Willis Tower and A) The Media, who have to call it what it is ‘technically’ named and B) The people you pay to work there and call it the Willis Tower
I mean, Willis? To paraphrase… What you talkin’ bout?
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Random Rumblings
St. Matthews team #2 remained undefeated in style once again winning my mercy rule, 12-2 after 5 innings versus St Stephen UMC #1. Next game is Monday, @ Mason Wallace Part at 6:15pm against Living Savior Lutheran.
Had a nice little Saturday, went and laid by the pool for a few hours (gotta get ready for the sun at the Outer Banks Beach in Duck or I’ll lobsterfy myself) went to the Teeter for “Super Double Coupons” (For a few more days, they’ll double coupons up to 1.98 instead of the usual .99) and left with a treasure trove of food. Think I’m gonna do a little steak grilling tonight – got a piece of prime angus marinating right now.
And, in the TV world, catching up on Season 1 of Dexter (Showtime) – recommended. Also, if you hadn’t heard, Three Sheets will return in July on FLN, as Zane Lamprey continues to travel the world in search of places and different alcohols to drink. Set the DVR to record if you haven’t heard if it, a great show (and also a drinking game). Tomorrow, USA vs. Brazil in the Confederations Cup (on ESPN, I think at 2:45). Anyone give us a shot?
Then Pops in the Park tomorrow as well.
So, if celebrity deaths come in threes, who is the odd celebrity out (or are two more due? Or did I miss more)? David Carradine, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson?
Be Careful Discussing Jackson’s Legacy on Mass Transit | They don’t make Video Game Storylines like they Used to | Thanks to Kirk for Showing me this – “Press Hop” featuring A. Iverson (Steve Porter remix) featuring Mora, Green, Namath, Gundy & T O | Obviously, there are deeper underlying issues in this relationship besides Snack Foods
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Charlotte Symphony Pops Donations Fall
Little late on this update, but it took awhile to track down the information! After donations on the 14th of June exceeded those of the 7th and tallied over $29,000 I was sure that the concert goers would be prepared to push the total over $30,000. Unofficially, it seems, we fell far short. According to my source in the Charlotte Symphony, about $21,000 was raised on the 21st – certainly nothing to sneeze at but much less than previous weeks. So – if you’re heading out to Pops this upcoming Sunday, June 28th, please make sure you donate to the cause – get your friends to do the same. If you haven’t been, you should consider checking it out, one of the best things to do in Charlotte during the summer. Below is a picture of the stage from our blanket this past week.
June 21 Pops in the Park
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Beer Review! Sierra Nevada’s Brown Saison
Made my way out to Pizza Peel tonight for what they said was 1 of 12 kegs in the state of North Carolina filled with Sierra Nevada’s Brown Saison. Before the review, let me say that I like Sierra Nevada’s brews, but I’ve never been a huge fan.
Also, I’ve never heard of Saison-style before, a quick Wikipedia search gave me:
Saison (French, “season”) is the name originally given to refreshing, low-alcohol pale ales brewed seasonally in farmhouses in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, to refresh farm workers during harvest season. Modern-day saisons are also brewed in other countries, particularly USA, and are generally bottle conditioned, with an average range of 5 to 8% abv, though saisons at the more traditional 3.5% strength can still be found.
Although saison has been described as an endangered style, there has been a rise in interest in this style in recent years, with Saison Dupont being named “the Best Beer in the World” by the magazine Men’s Journal in July 2005.
Historically saisons did not share identifiable characteristics to pin them down as a style, but were rather a group of refreshing summer ales. Each farm brewer would make his own distinctive version. Modern saisons brewed in the USA tend to copy the yeast used by Brasserie Dupont, which ferments better at blood warm temperatures (85 to 95 Fahrenheit) than the standard 65 to 75 Fahrenheit fermenting temperature used by other Belgian saison brewers.
So, definitions and confessions aside, let me simply say that I loved this beer – beautiful brown draft pour, with the perfect slight head to top it off. The beer itself, upon tasting, was pretty complex. Definitly a lot going on and the spice flavors and ale tastes combined nicely. The big payoff came on the finish, where it was unexpectedly dry and delicious. I almost felt as if the taste evaporated off my tongue, encouraging me to have another sip. Remember I’m drinking this at a place where the Beer Club gives points for trying different beers… I wound up ordering nothing but the Sierra Nevada Brown Saison for the rest of the evening. If your local pub is serving it, give it a try. If you’re in Charlotte, check it out at the Pizza Peel in Cotswold.
Rate: 9.5 of 10 - One of the best, if not the best, Brown I’ve ever had.
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Softball Keeps on Rolling
Chalk up another one, 24-5 win over Christ Lutheran, bringing St. Matthew’s TEam #2 to 5-0-1 on the season!
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