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The new year brings our 23rd monthly Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, crashing into being like a newborn. The previous year is often portrayed as old, decrepit man and the new year a bouncing baby, filled with the infinite possibilities that youth brings with another 363 days of 2008 stretching out in front of us. And that essentially, is what this Session is about. Hosted by Brewmiker (a.k.a. Beerme) at Beer and Firkins, he wonders aloud what the new year will bring to the world of beer and what lessons you may have learned in the year just past, though I’ll let him tell you what he means.

It seems that change is a theme the entire world is dealing with at the moment. Hope for a better future seems also to be on the minds of many. The topic for the next edition of The Session, hosted by [Brewmiker], will be a New Year theme. I would like to write about the yearly mix of the hope for the new rising out of the ashes of the old, as it relates to … beer.

Specifically, what will you miss about 2008 (feel free to list your tasting notes, if that item is a particular beer) and what do you expect will excite you most in 2009, in the “Beer World”? (again, if that is a beer, what about it is special and worthy of being excited about?)

I confess that I’m not entirely certain how to even approach this question. I don’t think I ever consider the transition from one year to the next in terms of what beers I had last year or which I think I might like to try the next. I tend to take them as they come. Unlike wine and some spirits, they’re aren’t very many beers that are vintage dated. So I rarely find myself lamenting the loss of some vintage beer, though it does happen. I wouldn’t mind a few more bottles of Russian River’s Damnation Batch 23, or a Thomas Hardy 1977, for example. But by and large, beer doesn’t change that much from year to year. In fact that consistency is what most brewers strive for. Of course, there are plenty of small batch one-off beers, that is beers that are only made once and are very limited. Some are anniversary beers, some are collaborations and some are just for the hell of it. While I very much enjoy the opportunity to try one of these, and will often go out of my way to track them down, there are very few I anticipate unless I’ve heard about one from someone else or from a press release (which are notoriously absent for limited edition beers).

While I am eternally fascinated with calendars, dates and anything, really, to do with time, I just don’t think of beer in those terms.

Is there a mood of phoenix-like hope this year? Probably for some people, as the words “hope” and “change” have been thrown around politically for the last several months leading up to our most recent Presidential election. For me, I can only muster cautious optimism. As pleased as I am with the change in administrations looming — and I am pleased — I also fear that the problems our new Prez will be facing are too daunting to respond to quick or inexpensive fixes. The outgoing regime left behind a nation in shambles (including many 11th hour parting gifts). Has there ever been a greater eight-year swing from surplus to deficit? And no matter what he does to raise money to reduce it, Conservatives will say Obama is the tax and spend liberal they’ve always accused him of, contracting a severe but convenient case of political amnesia as to who caused those problems. That’s my prediction for the new year’s political landscape; things will get worse before they get better, assuming that will in fact actually get better. I’m hopeful, but only in the classical sense of Pandora’s Box. When all the evil has been unleashed into the world, hope is all that remains. For some reason I’ve always been drawn to that story. As cynical as I am (and have almost always been) the concept of hope has usually allowed me to avoid sinking into abject nihilism. But the very fact that hope is essentially at the forefront of political thought I find oddly discomforting, precisely because it’s an emotion of desperation. When there’s nothing left to cling to, hope is all there is.

Or perhaps that should be “hops” is all there is. One possible positive effect of the economy bottoming out is beer will become the affordable luxury for millions of people looking for a little temporary joy in otherwise bleak times. If craft brewers can seize the opportunity and work to present and persuade people that their hand-crafted artisan beers are the equal of many wines — but at a fraction of the cost — then perhaps small boutique brewers can increase their market share. It may seem counter-intuitive but selling less at a higher price (and at higher margins) will yield higher profits. That’s what wine and spirits have been doing for years, while big breweries who rely on volume have convinced most people that beer is a cheap commodity unworthy of true premium pricing. But now the conditions may be ripe for the rise of craft beer in the time recession, a.k.a. 2009.

There’s little I’ll miss personally from 2008, a miserly little year that took more than it gave. I still have a garage full of beer that needs to be sample before summer begins baking it. That should keep me busy for a few months and I’d certainly rather be writing about the beer than the politics, business and neo-prohibitionist issues that seem to be occupying so much of my time lately. I suppose that’s my overall resolution for the coming year. More beer, less not beer.

 

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The new cahier

The perfect complement to ION's Drum Rocker kit, dreamGEAR has unveiled the WarBeast wireless guitar controller for PlayStation 3 and PS2. It's compatible with Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Rock Revolution games and features a removable faceplate for customization and removable neck and headstock for easier transport. Officially licensed by B.C. Rich, the company is touting this axe as the first and only full-sized guitar controller on the market -- although we bet Starpex and maybe even Gene Simmons would beg to differ. It's now available on the company's website for $130, though if you can't afford that Rock n' Roll lifestyle, Amazon's got it for $90. They've also got a new Quad Dock Xbox 360 controller charger and some refreshed versions of their PS3, Wii lineup, which aren't out yet -- according to Electronista they'll go for around $30 or $40.

[Via Electronista]

Read - dreamGEAR WarBeast product page
Read - Amazon WarBeast product page

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

dreamGEAR unveils Warbeast guitar controller, Quad Dock controller chargers originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pandemic have released the PC system requirements for upcoming Middle Earth kill-em-all LotR: Conquest. Going by the install size and specs, looks like a straight console port. Which is OK. Means...

90-Minute IPA became my cooking buddy in 2008 It was recently announced that Dogfish Head and BeerAdvocate had teamed up to collaborate on a special "extreme" beer, to be brewed in preparation for February's Extreme Beer Fest in Boston, MA. In my mind, there's nothing more telling about the state of affairs in the beer world (and as a reflection on all of our situations in general) that this literal icon of extreme-ness-osity, coming from a brewery most famous for it's 20% alcohol (that's 40 proof, and nearly twice as strong as the wine we've got in the fridge) 120-Minute IPA, and a ratings publication with a top 100 list dominated by strong beers, imperial stouts and the like, typically exceeding 10% alcohol, this juggernaut of in-your-face Amerigasm full-throttle brewing ferocity, one spiked with ingredients such as chestnuts, green peppercorns, and Korean corn tea (aka "Oksusu-cha"), is going to rock your extreme socks at the tune of 8% alcohol by volume. Now I'm not saying that abv is the measure of beer extremitude, nor am I saying that this is a harbinger of the "year of the session", but it does hint to the fact that 2009 for everyone, everywhere, with almost everything, will be the year of scaling back.

Here, 2008 was a year of virgin tastings - many, many tastings - of some of the most hyped, expensive, storied, and exciting beers we've had the chance to experience. There was, in no short order, gluttony and excess. No expense was spared in getting sips of some legendary stuff, and for the most part, no expense was spared in keeping the home stocked with so much top shelf ale that each week presented a foray into as yet unexplored tastes. Of course, it didn't hurt that we got some new beers distributed to the area, along with some new places to buy it, and some new friends to share them with. But 2009 promises to be very, very different. Gluttony, for sure, if that's possible to achieve amidst modesty and restraint.

Like I said before, "scaling back" looks to be the big theme for 2009. But that's not really a fair answer to this month's Session, one that asks "what do you expect will excite you most?" Hard to truly muster excitement in the face of the Awesome Depression with a mortgage statement in one hand and a toddler in the other. That said, it's exciting to foresee a return to the simple, earthy, daresay mundane aspects of the beer experience. Reminding oneself that the act of making beer is only one step away from making bread. Homebrewing. Drinking locally, seasonally. Simple pints, well poured. This looks to be a year stepping outside the din of the auditorium of hardcore beer geekdom, buzzing with its one-off specialties from Calvados barrels, heraldry of its curious obscurities from far-off lands, under a blanket of noise from excessive hops, coffee, barrels, spices, and mystery. Once the tinnitus has finally cleared, we'll most certainly be wandering back in.

2009 will be a great year, but a great year tempered by uncomplicated, lucidity. Here's hoping I can compose intelligent commentary in the absence of snifters of 22% alcohol, tobacco-infused Italian handcrafted ale. (Just in case, I have, behind a plate of glass marked "in case of emergency", a bottle of Isabelle Proximus. Just in case, like I said.) To what's next, cheers.

The Session is a blog carnival originated by Stan Hieronymus at Appellation Beer. This month's party is being hosted by Beerme at Beer and Firkins. For a summary of the Sessions thus far, check out Brookston's handy guide.

Business Research firm Market Share have released statistics outlining global internet browser share. Internet Explorer and Firefox are obviously the two largest, but what about the PlayStation...

Filed under: Meta (about Joystiq)

Welcome to 2009, ladies and gentlemen. The world has changed very much in the last 24 hours -- we hear Zunes work again, for example.

• Alexander Sliwinski: Despite GameFly allegedly having sent Prince of Persia on Monday, it's still not here. Hopefully, I'll get it tomorrow. The main weekend plan was to explore the Wasteland in Fallout 3 more. My second foray into the game is going much smoother and hours just melt away playing it.
• Christopher Grant: Need to wrap up some of 2008, before I start my "To Be Played In 2009" pile. Got a little left of Mirror's Edge, about half of Far Cry 2, and the majority of Prince of Persia. Still, I'd rather be playing Fable 2 ... some more ... but there's almost nothing left for me to do in Albion. Where's that DLC, Lionhead?
• Griffin McElroy: I'm going to either try to finish Metal Gear Solid 4, or instead download the Metal Gear Solid DLC for LittleBigPlanet, which I imagine will create a remarkably similar experience. When away from my beloved home consoles, I imagine I'll spend a great deal of time Triggering my Chronos.
• Kevin Kelly: I'm still living in the non-electronic realm and itching for my consoles bigtime. I did tour Game Over Games in Austin thanks to a reader tip (thanks Adrian! Photos and report forthcoming) and it was awesome. Been playing a lot of Electronic Catch Phrase and tomorrow is board game night with some peeps - Power Grid and Agricola. Then Sunday... back to gaming bliss on my systems. Whew.
  
• James Ransom-Wiley: Post-Christmas shopping spree! I got Microsoft Points, PSN bucks and *gulp* Wii Points to redeem ... suggestions? (I'm thinking save my Wii Points for Cave Story.)
• Jason Dobson: Writing our "Best of the Rest" posts reminded me that I still have a few races to complete in GRiD, so I'll be getting back behind the wheel and trying to take the checkered flag.
• Justin McElroy: I'm going to be playing some more Killzone 2 and finally trying to finish the last gasps for Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia.
• Ludwig Kietzmann: is in the future and not willing to look back.
  
• Randy Nelson: I'm already going through my fellow Joystiqers' "Best of the Best" lists for ideas on what to play next. I'll definitely be playing more Far Cry 2 -- my current addcition -- but really want to catch up on some of the less high-profile gems I inadvertently passed by: BoomBlox, GRiD, and, on Alexander's recommendation, Sins of a Solar Empire.
• Ross Miller: Just got a shiny new 24-inch monitor for my PC, so it's time to play catch-up. Too bad I just missed the Steam sale, it seems. Also, I've got 1600 MS points and am not sure what to get. Help!
  

WRUP: Hello, ought-nine edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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MOVIE BUZZ: The upcoming Norwegian horror film Dead Snow (aka Død Snø) has all the elements - zombies, Nazis, and of course, sexy students - for the makings of a great horror film. In the movie, which is currently playing at Sundance, a hoard of Nazi zombies get all riled up when a bunch of students come to party up in their mountains, where they've held out since World War 2. It releases September 09.

Contribute: Add an image, link, video or comment »

The Best Links:

1. Dead Snow’s Nazi Zombie Clips Will Rip Out Your Pigtails
2. Dead Snow Movie Trailer - A Norwegian Nazi Zombie Film
3. Gettin’ Busy Where The Business Is Done (Clip 2)
4. Zombie Nazi’s Hate Pigtails (Clip 1)
5. Dead Zombies Invade Norway
6. Dead Snow on IMDB
7. DeadSnow.com

These are the top posts from Friday, January 2, 2009.

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Knowing that it is very hard that Apple would ever release an iPhone Pro with physical keyboard, Mat Brady from planetmat has sent me another image of a potential accessory. It looks great. ...

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Increasing obesity has prompted an Australian state to seek larger planes for the country's famous "Flying Doctor" service, ambulance and government officials said Saturday.

What if I told you that there was a magical place where you could buy single bottles of hundreds of craft beers in bottles ranging from 12 ounces to 750ml? What if I told you that place had a walk-in beer color that carried these same beers at ready-to-drink temperatures? What if I told you this place also had brewing supplies, from liquid yeast to propane burners? What if I told you that this magical place was in Iowa?

Why, you’d call me Beer Crazy.

Beer Crazy is no Belmont Station, but it is pretty impressive by midwest standards. As a rule, most places I’ve visited in Iowa are loathe to break up a six-pack, even higher-end grocery stores (don’t even think about asking at a liquor store). Sure, you can buy a tall-boy of Bud Icy Freeze at the suggestively-named Kum-N-Go (believe it!), but ask to make a mixed six at Gateway Market, and the clerks look at you as if you’d asked to borrow a puppy for target practice.

Cleverly hidden away in a strip mall in suburban Urbandale, Iowa, Beer Crazy stocks a wide variety of brews, from Belgian standards like Chimay and Duvel, but really shines in their regional offerings. I made up a couple of six-packs containing beers from Bell’s (Michigan), Left Hand (Colorado), Breckenridge (Colorado), Fort Colins (Colorado), Millstream (Amana, Iowa), Old Capitol (Iowa City, Iowa), Boulevard (Kansas City, MO), and Brau Brothers (Lucan, Minnesota).

Of these, the Bell’s beers were far and away my favorites. I picked up some Kalamazoo Stout (had a dry smokiness I wasn’t expecting, but enjoyed), Special Double Cream Stout (again, a little on the dry side, and a wee bit bitter, but tasty), Christmas Ale (similar to Bridgeport’s Ebeneezer, a little spicy on a malty dark base, maybe a bit weaker), and my go-to Midwest IPA: Two Hearted Pale Ale (fabulous in a bottle, even better on tap).

I didn’t explore the homebrew supplies too much, but from what I could see, there was a robust selection of yeast in a sliding-door cooler, and about 20 feet of equipment on shelves 8-10 feet high, and an equal amount of ingredient/kit storage. It’s no Portland/St. Paul homebrew store, but what it lacks in homebrew supplies, it more than makes up for by selling delicious craft brew on premises.

I don’t want to get my mom too excited by saying so, but Des Moines is getting a heck of a lot more livable than it used to be, with great beer bars like El Bait Shop and the Red Monk, and a really uniquely awesome combination bottle/homebrew store in Beer Crazy. I’ll definitely be back (to visit).

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Gaming

SKIGYM simulator lets you break a hip from the comfort of your living room originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lego Middle Earth brewery? Check. Lego beer, check. Drunk Lego knights and peasants, check (me included). Glowing Lego ogres, check. Half naked Lego pole dancer that actually moves her booty around?...

Been a while since we heard from WET. Probably because it was being published by Sierra, and then left in limbo after the whole Activision-killed-Sierra thing. It's still due for release this year,...

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii

Report: PS3 leads Wii ... in web browsing originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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Toward the end of my college days, I read Roots, by Alex Haley. It quickly shaped and inspired my affection for my family and ancestory. I did quite a bit of research into my family’s genealogy, and found myself to be nothing but a mutt. With English, Scottish, Irish, German and Norwegian blood, I am [...]

2006. Isn't it still 2006? I got all woozy about 1998 and really never been right since about the year it is. And I have to admit that I gave up worrying about numbers when I last left Chaldea. Numerology is a bit of a mug's game and don't we all know that New Year's Eve parties prove it. But, given the hope that The Session will return to its original program in about 30 days, who am I to break my string of postings? So my look back and look forward.

[Ed.: ...make wavy fading spinning images like a bad 70s TV sci-fi show transition sequence....]

Missing About 2008?

Nutting much. Never liked it as soon as I had a good look at it. Calls for lighter flavourable session beers went unheeded. IPAs like Minwax contested with ashtray stouts. Who needs it? And anything I liked I would do again so I ain't gonna miss it. Folks can come visit from time to time if they bring good beer. You know, I didn't travel as much as in 2006 or 2007 and I want to hit the road more. But generally people are nice and I was happy to get fine samples, surprising support from advertisers and sponsors and also humped kegs for the first time in years. See? Nothing much worth anything is expected to go. Remember: life is one warm bath once you hit 43 or so...well, until the Years of Crap begin that is.

Looking forward to 2009?

I have no frigging idea. It is not here yet. I could say I look forward to doing stuff I can't really imagine but that is not very detailed. Yet that is what happens year after year. I don't have any trips planned, I am running low on the good stuff and sooner or later I will panic and dash to New England or Ohio but most likely the same places in NY to stock up again. Hey - maybe I won't have 50,000 extra maltose-based calories that I don't really need. Like that'll happen. Not much chance of that. Hmmm...there gotta be something. Vlogging! That's it!!!

[Ed.: ...more wavy fading spinning images like a bad 70s TV sci-fi show transition sequence....]

So there you go. A veritable Carol Burnett show of warm feelings and walks down memory lane. Where's my Barbara Streisand albums? "Memories...like the corners of my mind...misty water-coloured memories...." See you next month when we get back on track. How about some posts about, you know, a beer style? That'd be good. Can't wait.

Buffalo Bills safety and former Gamecock
Ko Simpson was charged with hindering police after he refused to leave
officers alone while they were arresting another man at a Rock Hill bar
on New Year’s Eve.

Rock Hill police officers pulled over a car for speeding in the parking lot of the Celebrations bar at around 2:00am Thursday.

An
incident report says the driver of the car, 28-year-old James Hart, was
arrested for disorderly conduct for arguing with officers.

The
report says at that point a passenger in the car, 25-year-old Dyann
Linen, got out of the car and began yelling at the police, and punched
an officer in the back of the head. Linen was arrested for disorderly
conduct as well.

Officers say as Linen attempted to kick out
the window of the patrol car in which she was being held, 25-year-old
Simpson, who was also a passenger in the car, began yelling at
officers, saying, “I’m Ko Simpson with the Buffalo Bills, I’m worth
millions!” before walking away.

However, the report says
Simpson soon returned and attempted to get to Hart, who was in police
custody. Simpson began screaming at officers again, and was arrested
for hindering police activity.

Simpson was taken to the Rock Hill jail and was freed on a $470 bond.