Saturday, December 26, 2015

What's Jayme drinking?

Last week we had a White Elephant gift exchange at work. In addition to the kitschy Christmas novelties that dominate these things, bottles of wine have become popular amongst my coworkers in recent years. I didn't get a bottle of wine this year. Instead, I came away with a bottle of Strange Land Brewery's "The Old North Road," English strong ale brewed with vanilla, rum and oak. I can assure you, there were several people quite envious of my steal (yes, I stole it--score me!). I mean, how could anyone who appreciates complex, interesting beers not be? Strange Land's based out of Austin and seems to be a newcomer on the local craft brew scene. They've got some interesting stuff on the shelves--braggot, saison, dubels--but as you know, potential and ambition can only carry a brew so far.

It poured a clear, dark tea color. Much lighter, in fact, than I expected. And much darker than it appeared in my mug--a dense, chocolaty darkness with a faint hint of red. The head, goodness gracious, I've never seen anything like it. The head billowed up quite aggressively despite my attempts to keep it under control, and formed a central peak extending at least an inch above the rim of my glass. The, very slowly, the sides of the head subsided leaving a thick, blotchy network of lacing all along the sides. The central column persisted a good 20 minutes, like a foamy Devil's Tower. I've never seen any kind of beer behave like this.

The nose is surprisingly subdued. Faint hints of chocolate, a tinge of alcohol, maybe vanilla... not much else. For a robust ale with a super-aggressive head, it simply doesn't have much scent. So, there's nothing to it but to drink. Lots of oak and dark chocolate hit me on the first sip. There's some woodyness apart from the oak--cedar maybe--plus the usual dark fruits, plum and cherry. There's almost a cherry cordial thing going on here, although it's not sweet beyond the restrained maltiness. The aftertaste is boozy, a little more than the 8.9 percent alcohol level would lead me to believe, and here's where the fleeting hints of rum appear. I'm not one that really goes for liquor, but I must confess a soft spot for rum, and I do wish that flavor was more pronounced in this ale.

It's an interesting beer, but not quite as interesting as it should be. It shares many traits with some of the strong Belgians that I like so much, but lacks that distinctive Belgian yeast identity. Of course, this is an English ale, so a Belgian profile isn't to be expected. Still, I feel it's missing something. If anything, I'd like a little more hops here, a touch more bitterness to counteract the dark fruit. Anyone who knows my taste in beer is probably on the floor right now, as I despise IPAs and am in no way a hop-head. But the Old North Road, while enjoyable, is almost, but not quite, there yet. A little bit of tweaking the recipe and I suspect Strange Land will nail it. Until then, I've got my eye on trying some of their braggot.

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Friday, December 25, 2015

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

It's not Christmas without the Kinks. Have a good one, folks.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Straight No Chaser.

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Monday, December 21, 2015

Babylon 5: Survivors

I am re-watching the entire Babylon 5 television series. I had not seen a single episode since B5 completed its tumultuous run. Does J. Michael Straczynski still have the touch? Come along and find out.

In Valen's Name: Earth Alliance President Luis Santiago is visiting Babylon 5 in several days, and bringing along a new fighter wing for the station. Naturally, there's an explosion in one of the hangar bays. Obviously, not good. Although initially thought an accident, it quickly begins to look like sabotage. What's more, evidence--including a medlab accusation by a dying construction worker injured in the blast--points to Security Chief Michael Garibaldi being behind it. Major Lianna Kemmer, the president's security overlord, arrives to investigate. This is bad for Garibaldi, because her farther, Frank Kemmer, had befriended Garibaldi back during his drinking days on Europa, and Garibaldi indirectly contributed to his death. Naturally, Major Lianna blames him for it, and wants to pin the sabotage on him, convinced of his guilt. Her assistant, Cutter, finds blueprints of the hangar bays and a bag of Centauri money. Garibaldi goes to ground, and convinced nobody will believe he's being framed, crawls into a bottle. He's captured, but "Homeguard" materials--the xenophobic anti-alien political faction--are found in the quarters of the dead worker. This is the first evidence that his claims of being set up are true. Garibaldi convinces Lianna to make a personal inspection of the hangar bays, and Cutter attacks them, knocking Lianna out before Garibaldi subdues him. Cutter is a Homeguard plant as well, and placed bombs in the hangar to go off when the fighter wing launches to greet the president. Lianna then lets her hair down and she and Garibaldi reconcile.

What Jayme Says: This is the "Michael Garibaldi" episode of season one, part character study, part info dump wrapped around political intrigue. Trouble is, when people accuse Babylon 5 of having bad acting, this is one of the episodes they point at. I could say Elaine Thomas, the actress who plays Lianna, is wooden, but that would be an insult to wood and wood by-products everywhere. She's stiff, stilted, tense and monotone. That undercuts the entire episode, and for the life of me, I can't get beyond it. This episode backfills a lot more of Garibaldi's history--until now, all we know is that he's screwed up on a series of jobs and this is his last chance at redemption, courtesy of Commander Sinclair. We also learn that it doesn't take a whole lot to push him off the wagon--I mean, really, how stupid is it to get stinking drunk when you know there's a conspiracy out to get you? This is also the first hint we get that various political factions vying for power are willing to potentially endanger the Earth Alliance president's life. I mean, blowing up half of Babylon 5 upon the president's arrival isn't exactly the model of restraint. Nothing is particularly clever or subtle in the script. Apart from Garibaldi's detour into drunkenness, the story moves in a very linear fashion--Garibaldi's set up, Garibaldi exposes the conspirators, happy ending, the end. All in all, not an episode I'm craving to revisit.

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Friday, December 18, 2015

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is probably the most tedious Christmas song ever inflicted upon the English language. It's not the worst, but it still gets pretty old, fast. That's why it's so ripe for parody, with Bob and Doug McKenzie, Bob Rivers and a host of other folks doing funny riffs on it. To arrange the song in a way that's new and distinctive, and not a parody, however, takes a type of inspiration that's on an entirely different level. That's what we get with Straight No Chaser. Not only is their interpretation acapella, it's also a mashup of many familiar holiday songs (as well as one very non-holiday song) in an inventive and entertaining way.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde

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Monday, December 14, 2015

Babylon 5: Believers

I am re-watching the entire Babylon 5 television series. I had not seen a single episode since B5 completed its tumultuous run. Does J. Michael Straczynski still have the touch? Come along and find out.

In Valen's Name: A mother an father of the Onteen race have, in desperation, brought their terminally ill child to Babylon 5 to seek medical treatment. Dr. Franklin assures them that while their son's condition is serious, he can be saved with a simple surgical procedure. The parents recoil in horror at this idea. Their religious beliefs hold that the soul resides within the body cavity, and that any surgical incision would allow the soul to escape, rendering the child a soulless abomination. There's much back-and-forth on ethics and morality, with Dr. Franklin appealing to station Commander Sinclair for support and the boy's parents appealing to the various ambassadors. In the end, Dr. Franklin operates on the boy against orders and against the parents' wishes. The parents subsequently kill their "cured" child in a ritualistic manner, ending his life as an abomination.

What Jayme Says: This was the very first Babylon 5 episode I ever saw. Looking back, I probably caught it on its original air date. I'd known about the program before then, obviously, but I'd missed the pilot and wasn't aware the series proper had begun until this point. My initial impression was that this episode was very Star Trek-like, and all these years later, that impression still holds. The fact that it was scripted by David Gerrold, who contributed memorable scripts to both the original Star Trek and Star Trek the Animated Series and served as story editor the first season of Star Trek the Next Generation. While this episode feels very much like a Trek episode to me--indeed, perhaps the most Trek-like of all the B5 episodes--there are clear differences. I can't recall any Star Trek character receiving such brutal comeuppance as Dr. Franklin receives at the end of the show. Nor can I recall any Trek character operating with such smug self-confidence. Dr. Franklin is incredibly arrogant here, although, to be fair, his arrogance comes from the best and noblest of intentions. I can't see this narrative playing out the same were it Dr. McCoy or even Dr. Crusher in his situation--they're both much more mature than Franklin is, both personally and professionally. If anything, this feels like a moral quandary Commander Will Riker might face on TNG.

Perhaps it's a sign of the times, but this episode resonates more today than when it first aired. There's been a steady stream of stories in the news these recent years where various parents of fervent religious belief allowed their children to die rather than take them in for simple medical treatment to "prove" how much faith they had in God, children beaten to death or starved to "force demons out" and even parents who refuse to allow their children to attend school because the Rapture is coming soon and therefore any education would be a waste of time. For all that, I thank God we live in a civil society, although far too many people would rather see it become a theocracy. I have no problem with people believing any off-the-wall thing they want (some would find my personal beliefs ludicrous, no doubt), but draw the line when they want to impose those ideas on others who don't share them. Likewise, the imposition of certain beliefs and practices upon children amounts to little more than child abuse. As a parent, this is not an academic hypothetical for me--I come down squarely on Dr. Franklin's side (although, given the rapid pace of medical technology, several work-arounds to the parents' objections come to me as a way to address the purposefully-vague ailment suffered by the boy). Were that the extent of it, there wouldn't be much of a story. But the alien family comes from a sovereign world, and Babylon 5 is intended as neutral territory. Commander Sinclair's actions in ordering medical treatment of Ambassador Kosh in direct defiance of Vorlon orders is thrown back in his face, and he's faced with the quandary of creating an interplanetary incident by overruling the parents' wishes, they themselves members of a minor race that has very little sway in galactic politics. A cruel complication to an already cruel problem.

All in all, my initial impression was that this episode was very much following in the footsteps of the formula well-established by Star Trek, but that the series was trying to push the boundaries within that formula. That impression would hold for the better part of the remainder of season 1.

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Saturday, December 12, 2015

What's Jayme drinking?

Tonight, as I settle down for another exciting night of index-preparing for Texas' Legendary Chicken Ranch, I've poured myself a mug full of Real Ale Brewing Company's Black Quad, an imposing beer in the Belgian style. I'm a big fan of their Devil's Backbone Belgian Tripel, so I'm optimistic about this one going in. It pours a dark cola color, not quite as dark as I'd have expected however. There's little head at first, but after a bit a foamy caramel head of about a finger's width grows over the course of a minute the veeeeery slowly subsides, leaving prominent lacing behind.

The nose is not as bold as I'd have thought, either. There's some coffee, a little malt but the overall impression is yeasty. First sip is sweet caramel with plums, dark cherries and a sharpness reminiscent of... cranberries? It quickly transitions to dark chocolate then with a coffee-bitter aftertaste that grows quickly before subsiding. Subsequent sips reveal more complexity of flavors--there's banana and vanilla underlying everything, with maybe a hint of oak. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, not quite a robust as I'd expect (I'm saying that a lot, aren't I?). Unlike others of this type I've had, the malty sweetness isn't so prominent as to disguise the 10.5 percent alcohol content. There's a definite alcohol burn present throughout, so this isn't a brew that's going to sneak up on you.

Overall, it's well-balanced and competent, nothing here to complain about, but nothing that makes me sit up and say "Wow!" It's a decent beer at a very nice price, but not operating at the same level as Devil's Backbone, and as such, a little bit of a disappointment. I'd drink it again, but Backbone is definitely a superior interpretation of a Belgian classic.

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Friday, December 11, 2015

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

Let's start the Christmas season off with a newer song that's, well, more tangentially about the holiday than most. But it's still wistful and nostalgic as many of the best Kinks songs are. Here's Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde in a rare duet, "Postcards from London."

Previously on Friday Night Video... Tim Wheeler.

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Thursday, December 10, 2015

A very Chicken Ranch Christmas!

Since I'm still working on pre-press preparation of my long-promised history book, Texas' Legendary Chicken Ranch: Truth Lies and Legacy of a Lone Star Whorehouse (coming this summer from the History Press), it's easy to overlook the fact that I already have another book on the Chicken Ranch in print: Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch. I bring this up because Blurb, the publisher, currently has a deal going where you can save 30% off purchases with the coupon code: GIFTS30. Enter that code during check-out and you save a bundle.

I mention this only because we're in the middle of the biggest gift-giving season of the year. I've been assured by people who've taken the plunge that they make excellent Christmas presents. It's available in both hardcover and softcover. Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch takes readers on a photo tour of the existing ruins, so for those planning on pre-ordering Texas' Legendary Chicken Ranch when it's available, overlap is not something to be concerned about. These are two very different books. In case you wondered. ;-)

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Monday, December 07, 2015

Babylon 5: Deathwalker

I am re-watching the entire Babylon 5 television series. I had not seen a single episode since B5 completed its tumultuous run. Does J. Michael Straczynski still have the touch? Come along and find out.

In Valen's Name: Na'Toth attacks an alien, recently arrived from Minbari space, accusing her of being the war criminal "Deathwalker" from the Dilgar War 30 years prior. Deathwalker was a cruel and sadistic mass murderer and medical experimenter along the lines of Josef Mengele. Rumors spread throughout the station, and it is soon revealed that the woman in question is indeed Deathwalker, the last of her species (Earth Alliance's entry into the war turned the tide and drove the Dilgar back to their home system, where their sun conveniently went nova). And here things become tricky. The League of Non-Aligned Worlds demand she be tried for her crimes, but the Narn, Centauri and even Minbari had collaborated with either Deathwalker or the Dilgar during the war (despite being victimized and/or repulsed by the Dilgar's ruthless tactics) and block the trial. To make matters worse, Deathwalker claims to have invented an elixir that grants immunity from age or disease. All the major powers are locked in a bidding war for it, as Deathwalker's ageless appearance seems to validate her claims. Prior to departing the station, Deathwalker gloats that the elixir can only be created through the death of living beings, so essentially one must die for another to live forever. Thus, whichever race gains the secret to her elixir will become savage and hated throughout the galaxy for farming other races to fuel their immortality. As she flies away, a Vorlon warship pops out of hyperspace and blows her up. The end.

What Jayme Says: Talk about a heavy-handed metaphor. There are no heroes here among the alien races, as even Earth tries to gain control of the elixir despite Deathwalker's abhorrent history. That's cool. I like morally ambiguous, no-win scenarios as much as anyone, but the show takes the cheap way out with the Vorlons eliminating the macgffin, justifying their intervention by saying the younger races aren't ready for immortality. No mention of moral or ethical concerns is mentioned by the Vorlons, so I can only assume had they deemed one of the younger races "ready" then enslavement and harvest of other species' lives would've been hunky-dory with them? And that doesn't even being to address the fact that all the proof Deathwalker offered that her little vial of elixis was genuine was the fact that she appeared 30 years younger than she actually was. I mean, maybe she'd found a really good plastic surgeon and filled that vial with her own piss in a grand "F- you" gesture? It's just absurd. Every one of the alien races is ready to go to war at the drop of a hat over this Deathwalker, a decision based solely on rumor and speculation. What a mess. The subplot of the episode, of Vorlon Ambassador Kosh hiring telepath Talia Winters to mentally scan a cyborg (who is secretly recording said telepathic scans) is weird and intriguing but ultimately irrelevant. It's a particularly attractive piece of parsley garnishing the main dish.

All in all, very much a by-the-numbers, wrap-it-up-in-45-minutes episode. Skip it and you don't miss much, other than the fact that Vorlons are weird and powerful. Yet we already knew that.

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Friday, December 04, 2015

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

This summer's most-overlooked animated movie, Shaun the Sheep, is now out on DVD. If you like Aardman's stop-motion animation work, Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run and the rest, you owe it to yourself to check out this silly, cute film. Although there's not real dialogue in the film, it's got an excellent soundtrack, and what has got to be the standout song is "Feels Like Summer" by Tim Wheeler. It's an infectious, catchy song, which is good enough. But it's a note-perfect period pastiche, sounding for all the world like something you've heard before but forgotten in the intervening years. It's an original composition, but feels like it sprang to life several decades ago. With the weather turning colder as winter approaches, it's a good song to warm things up with.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Ray Davies.

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