Make something out of nothing

The world is cluttered with mediocrity, when good enough can quickly become great thanks to overzealous fans, Likes and Google+ buttons. 

Case in point is Peanut Butter Cup Porter, a popular seasonal beer from Karl Strauss Brewing Co. I've had many a beer and tasted my share of exotics, but had never heard of the candy-bar mashup until a stop at Breakwater Brewing Co. in Oceanside, Calif.  

After starting with a solid Old Blue Eyes American Ale, I was ready to close with BB's Biere du Jour on the recommendation of the seasoned skateboarder sitting next to me at the bar. That was until my eyes spied the Peanut Butter Cup Porter pull handle in front of me. 

A tasty variation of Karl Strauss Peanut Butter Cup Porter served at Breakwater Brewing in Oceanside, Calif.The woman bartender told me it that while it wasn't one of her favorites, it was more popular than you can imagine. She poured me a sample and … I can't recall a more disappointing beer. Instead of a mouthful of warm flavors melting in my mouth, I was left with …. nothing. Nothing good, nothing bad. Just meh. 

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Feeling righteous

There's confidence and then there's CONFIDENCE. 

And few businesses have the swagger of Stone Brewing, whose most famous beer brand is "Arrogant Bastard Ale.

But the name of the beer is just the start. As any fan of Stone will tell you, the labels on their bottled beers are where the fun starts. For example, the back-of-the-bottle screed on Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale starts with an in-your-face blast: "We're brewers whose substantial mettle and idiomatic approach to brewing allows us to consistently create works of art ..." 

"'Yes, we damn well know our stuff here at Stone, and it would be irresponsible of us not to acknowledge how remarkable this heavenly creation of ours is. Thus the name we are compelled to give it -- Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale -- serves as a reminder of just how good we are, in both liquid and verbal form." 

Love it.  

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Interviewing Monsignor Braun on Californian Radio

I guest-hosted Californian Radio on Monday and had the pleasure to talk with Monsignor Michael Braun of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Bakersfield just a few hours after Pope Benedict's stunning decision to retire. 

Braun shared some sharp opinions about challenges facing the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict's legacy and what to expect in the papal selection process. 

In the last segment, I also touched on password hygiene in the wake of separate recent issues I've had this month with Chinese hackers and the theft of credit-card information. 

You can download or listen to the podcast here.