Dogdish Steering

I'm not most people.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:31:00 +0000

John Palmer says (though I paraphrase), "Most people, once they try all-grain brewing, say they can't believe it's so easy." Riiiiiiiiight.

Of course, most people don't have a giant earthquake in the middle of their first-ever fly sparge. Ok, so that didn't really have any impact on the process, it just sounded dramatic.

It took me seven hours, start to finish. For someone with ADD, that's a very long time to keep paying attention. But I did it, and amazingly, somehow I managed to achieve my target gravity of 1.050 the first time. I'm not sure my efficiency was really where it ought to be, mostly because I have no idea how much wort I had. Yeah, I know, that's really dumb. But I was using the beautiful new pot my buddy gave me, and unlike my other pot, it is unmarked. I think I only boiled 5 gallons, and lost 2 to boil-off so I had to top my pot off with water after all. But I honestly have no idea.

I used the yeast nutrient he gave me, and a brand new aquarium burbler to oxygenate... And had the slowest yeast start I've had in two years with the lowest volume of krausen I've ever had. Coulda been the yeast, obviously, but still a little disheartening. I'm concerned I'll have to re-pitch to get a full attenuation.

My first attempt with the grain mill the night before was hilarious. It's a Ferminator Grain Gobbler that uses a power drill to run it.... I got it set up (I thought)in a workable manner, started grinding, and grain pretty much was flying everywhere. Only about half of it was even cracked after this first go-round. I cleaned up the rat buffet from my garage, and thought about it overnight, coming up with a much more sturdy set-up. This time, I had both the drill and the rollers in a better position and achieved full grinding. Pulverizing in some instances. But now I know what to do with this item.

I will be truly surprised if this beer turns out at all. But hey, it was a learning experience. And there was some stuff that went really well - no stuck sparge, for example, and the aforementioned OG target. Hopefully this rotgut will evolve for the next batch into something more drinkable.

-Cheers!

In the glass: Nuffin'. I'm at work. Shhhhhh.
In the fridge: Alaskan Amber I don't want, and maybe one bottle of Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous
In the primary: the maiden all-grain pale ale. Working title: Brackish Pond.
In the secondary: My amber - it needs a name.
In the kegerator: The Arrogant Bastard, depleting steadily. Racer 17 the IPA clone, carbonating. It taps tomorrow!

More beer. No, really, a lot more beer.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:09:00 +0000

Well, it seems that last blog post started something... Because I've been on fire with beer stuff ever since. Many developments, including...

The amber. I backed off my assertion I was making an alt-style and went instead with something that is supposed to be closer to Anderson Valley Boont Amber. I drank half a six-pack of Alaskan Amber and was forced to admit I just plain don't like it. At least I like Boont Amber, even if I don't usually choose it when I'm out. I did it sort of off the cuff, with hops I had on hand and a fairly simple grain bill. My last extract brew? Perhaps... Anyway, it's got another week of secondary before it's going in the keg and the kegerator for conditioning.

More importantly, I received a critical text last Tuesday night - yes, my friend was bringing over the all-grain gear. Huzzah! I spent today washing everything up, getting it ready... Cleanliness is next to godliness, I think we can all agree... Anyway... I bought all the grain I need... I'm ready to jump in next weekend. Gotta figure out how to operate the grain mill, the sparge arm, the plate chiller.

Oy, don't be intimidated... Don't be intimidated...

Cheers!

In the glass: Stone Arrogant Bastard. Like me!
In the fridge: Eel River Organic IPA / Alaskan Amber I don't want
In the fermenter: The amber
In the kegerator: Did I mention it's a keg of Arrogant Bastard? Oh yeah. And the Racer 5 clone is conditioning.

Racer5ish... And ready for the next one.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:42:00 +0000

Long months later, an update. This will be... A beer update. Hoorah.

I've got a nice Racer 5 clone finishing its ferment in the closet over there. Based upon a recipe I found online and then promptly recopied incorrectly, it has, nonetheless, been delivering a host of pleasant aromas each time we open the door. Turns out that So CA in the winter has a perfect ambient temp average of 68 degrees so my ale needs nothing but darkness to shine. Darkness, and proper sanitation, and I'm feeling pretty good about the latter now that I've switched to Star San.

So that little Prez Day project has me stoked to do some more. For the first time ever, I've decided to go ahead and brew a style that is not my favorite. I want to see if it's just other folks versions I don't like, or if there's something inherent in it that doesn't fly with me. And, my old boss really likes this style so I'll bottle it up for him if I don't like it. What, you're asking, what is this style so reviled? Amber ale. Alt-style. Alaskan Amber for a commercial example.

But, the real question is, why the sudden resurgence of brewing, when I had kinda taken a break for awhile? Two reasons. One, I think I gotta stop buying bottled beer. I mean, mine tastes just as good most of the time. Mine's cheaper. And when it's on draft I can have smaller amounts and enjoy it just as much. Two, a colleague has told me he's entrusting his all-grain gear to my care.

This is an amazing development. All-grain brewing is a significant investment of both time and money - the gear can be expensive and the process is more labor intensive. To be able to learn the process without shelling out for my own gear is a terrific opportunity. And, supposedly, he's got the full set - a grain mill, an aquarium pump aerator, a plate chiller.... Not sure he's giving me that part, but what the heck is he going to do with it? Use it as a desk bauble? He even has a fermenting fridge - and I sold mine when I left Tucson because I didn't think
I had room for it. Well, I do need something for the summer temps. And I cleaned the garage up aaaaalllll niiiiiiiceeeee.... We'll see if I'll be allowed to keep the fridge too.

Cheers!

In the glass: the dreaded Alaskan Amber. Gotta learn the style before I brew it.
In the fridge: Eel River Organic IPA
In the fermenter: My new Racer 5 clone.
In the kegerator: Nada. Yep, I suck.

Where's Heather?

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:31:00 +0000

Hey y'all -

Thanks for dropping in on the Dogdish Steering blog. Some of you are likely visiting because you're following me on Twitter and checked my profile. Sweet! What you've probably figured out, though, is that I don't have the attention span to update more than one thing at once so I've been more focused on Twitter and haven't updated here in awhile. Sorry 'bout that.

I foresee a time when I will get back to authoring thoughts longer than 140 characters, though, so do keep visiting. You never know what sort of info you might find here. In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/semperfifi

Possibly the best user-generated brand love I've ever seen.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:45:00 +0000

Heard about this on Twitter courtesy of @davidhenderson RT @db:

The competition.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Don't want to do it my way? You can do it this way instead!

Ahhaaaaahahahaha!!!

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:12:00 +0000

Jewel Quest Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:47:00 +0000

IF you have an addiction to Jewel Quest, you need to try this one: Jewel Quest Mysteries: Curse of the Emerald Tear. If you want to do so at a discount, consider buying through this link:

Get 40% Off All Download Games at iWin.com! Simply enter coupon code OCT0840 at check out. Click here! Offer ends 11.01.08.

Tina Fey - Outta the Park

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:22:00 +0000

If you haven't seen it, here's the opening sketch for SNL's first episode this season featuring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton.

File under, "Damn, why didn't I think of this?"

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:16:00 +0000

Crazy squirrel Gary Vaynerchuk and his brother AJ have spawned a new t-shirt search engine: PleaseDress.Me. Pretty much a great idea... They still need some work on the product offering and making sure that it meets their target demographc - this is easily fixed with some licensing agreements with some other companies that have their finger on the pulse. Right now, when I search for something like "cat" I get, like, crazy cat lady shirts full of sleeping fluffy kittens and american flags.

Looks like they are trying to do the sales part themselves rather than an affiliate relationship (purchase on manufacturer's site)... They need to hook up with Torso Pants, Threadless, ThinkGeek, Archie MacPhee....

You can find their search box widget on the right side toward the bottom. Everyone needs a widget, right?

I'm a practice player. I'm not very good at that.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:31:00 +0000

Back to ultimate for a change. Geez, I've been remiss. Too much work crap showing up on the blog and not enough actual crap.

Anyway, as my 12 readers know, I was one of the captains for Mucho Gusto last year, and this year I decided to retire from competitive ultimate and focus on other activities... Like not depleting my bank account with plane tickets, not sprinting when it's 107 degrees, not kvetching about things I can't control.

So, new for 2008, is Practice Heather. PH is slow, uncoordinated, and can't do a stupid weave drill right to save her life... But PH also can't seem to stop coaching and telling people what to do. PH senses a knowledge gap (or at least a teaching communication gap), and can't stand to not fill it.

I think these communications are generally well recieved - I focus them on fundamentals and core competencies rather than on strategy and execution of specific offensive and defensive sets the captains have installed. And I try to target the greener members of the crew and their individual "teachable moments." But I am concerned that I will piss off the veterans (more than I already have by retiring) and stick my foot in it by incorrectly correcting someone who actually doesn't need my peanut gallery commentary.

So as a practice player, the biggest thing I need to practice is shutting my mouth.

Ok, WNBA.... You've got the tiger by the tail...

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:17:00 +0000

... so what are you going to do about it???

After the big fracas last week between LA and Detroit, the WNBA has enjoyed an unprecedented level of attention from the media and the public. But even more importantly, the fans have become completely dialed in and engaged in the product, writing pages of vexed commentary, posting blog entries right and left (like this one!), and just generally tossing in the moss. So I ask again, what is the WNBA going to do about it? How can they harness all this terrific energy that the fight/flashpoint has generated and turn it into the marketing juggernaut that it should be??

When the incident first occurred, I turned to the girlfriend, and after a few "Are you freakin' kidding me"s, said, "This could be the greatest thing to ever happen for this league." Why? The poster child of women's hoops, Candace Parker, just showed us that she's a human being (and a young one at that), and reflected back to us all the emotions and the drama that sports represents. These ladies are passionate, and they work hard, and if they perceive disrespect, they let you know.

I don't have a problem with it. I have a problem if we think that just because these players are women that means they have some sort of super-human temper controller that makes them impervious to anger. Just 'cause they're ladies, doesn't mean they aren't players. Speaking from experience, it is nearly impossible not to react to physical contact that is perceived as extra-curricular to the game. I have been there many times - not in a fight - but I have reacted very angrily to hard fouls... I completely understand where both CP and Plenette were coming from.

Back to the original question, how is the WNBA going to keep all these newly engaged audience members from losing interest? For one, they have to break out of the party line. Members of the WNBA have to be able to speak on the subject. I haven't seen a single blog post out of anyone in the league responding to the event, which tells me Donna O. prohibited anyone from speaking about it. That is exactly the wrong idea. In my business, that would be considered bad customer service.

It's the new media age - let the customer (the fan) interact with the brand (the players, staff, etc.) about what the product (the league, the games, the teams) means to them, and how the fracas affected them. Let the brand speak to its own value and let the customer affirm it. I would bet the players share equally divergent viewpoints on whether the dust-up was good or bad for the league - let 'em share with us! The fans will feel like they participate in the development of the brand, and the brand will be stronger for it.

UPDATE: A columnist for the LA Times feels much the same way that I do...

Pandora and the iPhone... The perfect storm.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:14:00 +0000

I am an enormous fan of Pandora. If you aren't familiar with it, it's a site that allows you to "build" a radio station by specifying songs or artists as the "seeds." Once you set the seeds, the Pandora database searches for matching characteristics of the songs/artists you seeded, and then populates the radio station with other music that matches. You can also rate the songs that Pandora plays on your radio station, and the system uses that information to further refine the accuracy of the database's selections to more closely match your taste. You can have lots of stations, depending on your mood, but just like a real radio you can't go backwards and replay, and you don't actually get to choose specific songs to play.

I have been introduced to some terrific artists that I'd never heard of through this service - music that I've gone ahead and bought just from hearing it on Pandora (and, of course, it's really easy to do this at their site - buttons are available that take you straight to iTunes, Amazon, etc.). Best of all, the whole thing is free, and the only ads are visual ones on the webpage, no audio ads like I used to get on the old Spinner (like 10 years ago now).

The only thing more amazing than Pandora is Pandora available somewhere other than your computer, and that day has come: Pandora is available as an application on the new 3G iPhone. I had seen the ads and thought what an amazing option this was; well, apparently everyone agrees as Pandora is the third most popular app download for the new iPhone so far. Details here courtesy of Adweek via my friend Mike at Heartbeat Digital.

Testing out some PopShops action

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:08:00 +0000

Marketeering content ahead. Ignore. Or buy some plus-sized clothing from Lane Bryant Catalog. It's up to you. Why the hell is this here? Answer: here.

PopShops™ affiliate stores

The world is full of things I need.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:34:00 +0000

This tune is pretty sweet. UPDATE: You can buy it here .

Guilty Pleasure.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:11:00 +0000

I probably don't even need to introduce or explain this at all... But I think I've always been a solitary man...

I can't wait for my next hot August night.

Hangin' 'em up.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:16:00 +0000

I did it. I pulled the plug on competitive ultimate in my life. Folks are responding in a variety of stunned ways... Mostly because we'd already had our team kickoff meeting and I'd helped lead that meeting as if nothing was going on.

Truthfully, though, even then I was weary of continuing... And as the weeks went on I realized that I didn't have the requisite drive to complete the season in the way I would expect of myself, and that my teammates would have expected of me.

I am ready to do some other things with my time and my money. And the fact that my back is a total mess is not helping. Also not helping is my girlfriend, who really would like to be the number one priority in my life and who would like to not have to guess when I might be available to hang out.

Long story short, it's time. I am disappointed that it's time, which is something I can't explain to folks very well. I don't know how to articulate this complicated state of mind. I wish that I was a super-stud who could push through every obstacle and whose physical limitations can be overcome with additional hard work. But I'm really not that person, not now, not at 37 years old after 15 years of roaming the pitch. I'm ready to accept the me who loves beer and tv, who has to watch her weight, who likes golf and hiking, and who is terrified of sustaining a serious injury. The me who plays ultimate for the people not the game.

Hopefully the people will understand that; the game doesn't care one way or the other.

BEYOND TIRED of sexist homophobic crap on RSD

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:27:00 +0000

And this time, the inflammatory posting is coming from a woman.

I guess a player for Wisconsin Bella Donna took exception to the dance-off that took place at Centex a couple weeks ago. Read her post and the endless lame responses here. I am ready to skewer the cocks-for-brains who keep posting about how women's ultimate is somehow rendered less legit because women undertake dancing as a way to have fun with their teams and their opponents. And especially those who post homophobic breakdowns of how anyone who supports women's ultimate, or who supports women's athletics in general must be at worst a faggot ('cause gawd, that would be the worst thing in the world to be), or a patronizing joiner who only cares because he/she knows someone on the team.

Sports are enjoyed by people not just because they display great feats of human skill and achievement but because they represent a common human need for competition, and they resonate among people with a common human spirit of struggle and the ability to overcome obstacles. If it's true that only 27% of Americans graduate from college, then there's no way all those people who root for Duke are alumni.... They love what the students at Duke show them about hard work, bad luck, the struggle to overcome adversity, and the feeling that on any given Sunday any team can win. Guess what? Those same struggles are present in Ultimate, and they are present in women's ultimate just as much as they are in men's ultimate. And there are people who like to watch it, follow it, appreciate it, and celebrate it just as they support men's Ultimate.

If it weren't true, then the people who are completely threatened by women's Ultimate wouldn't have to rage against it EVERY time it's brought up in a public forum. It would be irrelevant, too small to acknowledge, insignificant.

The thing that makes me the most sad though is when women who participate in women's ultimate are so brought down by some people's attitudes that they feel like some dancing on a Saturday night actually has the power to destroy the fragile fabric of legitimacy that women's ultimate has fought to achieve. And I'm sorry, but do you know what does 100 times the damage? Dropped discs. Stop turning it over, and you'll be legit. Dancing doesn't have shit to do with it.

Ulty Media Alert

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:03:00 +0000

I am very excited this week, as the one and only reputable source of news specific to women's ultimate is back in action: Inside College Ultimate. Obviously, it's college-focused, but it's a great site for keeping up with the happenings with the next generation of superstars. There's also a related blog, and on the blog they talk about all sorts of women's ultimate stuff. If you haven't seen it, check it out immediately.

The other new site of note is MSSUI.... It's only been live a few weeks and has already generated more content than any other site I can think of - three or four new (long!) articles a week. This site is player-oriented but fan-friendly, and has lots of stuff about both women and men. Kudos to them as well as IC Ultimate for diligently delivering news, and for totally disrupting my work day.

If I get fired it's your fault.

Up with made-up-words

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:56:00 +0000

Everyone knows I'm a Hilarist... However, there is still time to Obafluence my opinion.

NUMP/Beer/Work

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:41:00 +0000

NUMP #2 is out. Arizona is unranked, despite beating Colorado 12-6 in Tempe last weekend. Even if Colorado was split X-Y at New Year's Fest, wouldn't you think that beating part of their squad would make you worthy of at least an honorable mention, since KALI is ranked #7 this week? At least the Not-Actually-Playing UCSD is out of the poll.

Beer: I have been trying to deal with a leak in my CO2 system in my kegerator. Since this is the first that I have used the thing, I have no idea what to expect, and consequently I am on my third 10lb bottle of CO2. Dammit. I think I've isolated the leak to one side (I have a dual output regulator and two kegs set up) but I can't tell yet if it's the plumbing or the keg itself. I replaced all the rubber parts 'cause they were all soda-ey when I bought the kegs; this might be the problem. Or??? All the methods mentioned online to check CO2 leaks have not yet shown the culprit. So, for now, my Kolsch is offline while I drink up the porter. This was not the point of having two kegs for sure.

Work: I am in San Francisco for one of those horrible networking events that I am so inept at. I can put on my game face for a little while but the expectation for tomorrow is that I will be collecting business cards from total strangers from 8:00am until 6:00pm without a break. Considering how much I prefer to be alone usually, this is like some kind of Stepford world that gives me the heebee geebies. Ah well. They pay me. And I got to get drunk and sing karaoke at one of my favorite neighborhood bars last night. "You're a rich girl, and you've gone too far..." It IS a bitch, Girl.

Unranked.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:21:00 +0000

The pre-season women's NUMP poll is out. University of Arizona is unranked again. Even UCSD makes the poll, though (last I heard) they are suspended for the entire season and don't technically have a team.

That's ok. I can't truly complain yet, because we all know it's gotta get proven on the field, not on RSD.

Looking at snow, thinking about disc.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 19:31:00 +0000

I'm sitting in the office at my parents house in Idaho, looking out the window at the beautiful snowfall and admiring the children across the street who are hard at work making... well... I can't tell what they're making but they're doing it quite vigorously and with much squealing.

It's time to continue my thoughts on the last season, though that time seems so far removed from this amazing winter scene I'm observing now.

Mucho Gusto is a really interesting combination of people. Let me take a moment and talk a little bit about the teammates themselves, because when you meet us on the field, I don't think you realize how diverse we are, or how interesting everyone is. Of the 18 on the roster, 9 are students at the University of Arizona, and 8 of those play with the college team, Scorch. We have been working hard with these women during the past few college seasons, and we really encouraged them to come out for the Club season, because we knew it would expand their experience tenfold. One of interesting parts of this "youth movement" on our team is that the age range of our players is enormous. We have one player who was 18 during the season, and another who was 41.

More interesting factoids: of the 9 of us who aren't students, 7 work in some sort of service-oriented or non-profit realm. I think that says a lot about how community-oriented Tucsonans really are. One of the students, and (I think) 5 of the non-students, have advanced degrees. Our students are super-smart: a doctoral student in neurobiology, undergrads majoring in biochemistry, veterinary science, physiology, and screenwriting, among other things. They smart, I'm tryin' to say.

Me? I sell polyester pants to little old ladies over the internet. I guess you could call that a service. But really, I am one of the very few money grubbers in the group.

One of my favorite things about Mucho Gusto is that we don't really look like the "typical" women's ultimate team. I mean, look over there at that pic on the side - do we look like the usual ultimate clones? Nah. Even when we're wearing matching uniforms we still look a little rag-tag. And I wouldn't trade that attitude for ten Riots or Rare Airs. We're goofy. And when we're able, we're pleased to beat you!

Oh I keep digressing. I guess I'm not much good at tournament recaps - all I want to talk about is "feelings." I'm thinking that's too touchy-feely, even for me.

Holiday!

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:17:00 +0000

Merry Christmas everybody - Happy holidays all round.

Thoughts on a summer devoted solely to ultimate.

noreply@blogger.com (H2AZ) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:57:00 +0000

I suppose it's about time I write something about the season (and Regionals), considering that it's been over for three months or so. I guess it takes me a long time to recover from emotional experiences and to digest my thoughts.

When we started this season, I was "nominated" to be a captain of the team. There weren't exactly a ton of volunteers. Despite that, I still believed it to be an honor to have been chosen - it reflects a trust that your teammates have that you'll steer the ship as true as you can. What I didn't know was how much anxiety would come along with the honor. I'm a perfectionist - pitfalls discussed here - and a control freak; these are qualities that probably help me be a better ultimate player but may not be especially supportive of my mental health. So as the summer wore on I found myself to be more emotionally exhausted than physically, which is really saying something when you realize that I am 37 years old and no spring chicken.

I found myself doing a lot of reading over the summer of various blogs and sites trying to get insight into how to be a better motivator, and how to cope when not everyone on your team shares the same sense of commitment that you do. But for all the mental strain that this put on me, it turned me into a much better player. Why? Because you can't expect your team to do workouts you won't do, to execute and understand offenses if you don't, or to attend tournaments that you won't. So I freakin' did everything. And doing everything made me better. This is no shock to people who accustomed to that level of commitment in ultimate, but I'VE never done it before. In 13 years of playing.

I'll write a review of regionals in the next couple of weeks. I just wanted to first set the context for the write-up because my perspective on it can't be taken out of context of the rest of Mucho Gusto's season.

And BTW, thanks to Peter Jamieson for the blog link on Cultimate Opinion... I suppose this means someone may actually be reading this once in awhile, so I better get writing!