I went to a CAMRA festival last night. CAMRA is an organisation which CAMpaigns for Real Ale. Given than there are hundreds, if not thousands, of ales, bitters and stouts brewed across the UK, it is a shame that you can only get Green King at one in five pubs.

I've always been a stout man myself. I like it dark and a little sweet, although I can appreciate a nice IPA from time to time. The best stout I tried last night was a Whitstable Oyster Stout. Very nice, rich but not overpowering. I started out with the Wentworth Oatmeal Stout which was a little too sharp for my liking. The Fullers London Porter was also nice, but not as nice as the Oyster stout.

Also tried some ciders as well. I enjoyed Janet Jungle Juice, and not only because the name.

The people at these kinds of events are best described as socially awkward in every circumstance other than this, and possibly Star Wars conventions. Ironically, I was the socially awkward one at this event. I didn't have the requisite long, stragly hair. I wasn't missing any teeth, and the teeth that I do have are the normal color. I wasn't wearing any 80's heavy metal t-shirts or, my personal favorite, a shirt that can only be described as a pseudo-medieval man-blouse made of crushed velvet with lace up arms. As my friend said, he was taking dress down Friday to a whole new level. I responded that it is dress down Friday, not dress like an dork Friday.

Technorati tags: CAMRA, beer festival

Oddities of the commute: oh crap!

When I get out at the Thameslink station, I have to make my way up Pentonville Road. If there is one distinguishing feature of Pentonville Road, it is dog excrement.

Yes, dog shit is caked here and there along the entire length of the street. There is one particular clump which has drawn my attention as of late. It is just near the corner near my office. It has been there for a very long time. It should have washed away by now, but perhaps this particular canine has some sort of GI problem because that thing has staying power.

What makes this parcel so interesting is that it has gone through periods of being frozen, dehydrated and, just take my work for it, fully hydrated. It was a bit chilly a couple of weeks ago and there the clump sat, as frozen as a deer in headlights. Over the next few days, it managed to thaw and relax (some might say it was chilling out -- pun intended). Then we went through a very dry patch and the fecal matter was bone dry and somewhat grey in color. Then the rains came and it soon returned to its brown glory.

It managed to dehyrate and rehydrate a number of times before it was finally swept away. I was sad to see it leave.

That pile of tenacious dog feces will live on, forever more, in a small place in my heart.

Technorati tags: Commuting, London, Underground, Dog crap

Table tennis hyperbole

Just woke up and watching some of the BBC coverage of the Commonwealth Games. Table tennis this morning, Paul Drinkhall of England versus Zi Yang of Singapore. Drinkhall had a very good shot, kind of a backhand slice about four feet off the table. The announcer said it was a "shot of pure audacity."

What?!

Technorati tags: Commonwealth Games, Table Tennis, BBC, hyperbole

Betrayed 30 years ago

Just watched a pretty moving segment on Channel 4 news about an Iraqi man who was tortured by Saddam Hussein's men. 30 years ago, Karzan Sherabayan refused to give up the names of people the police were looking for. He should have been killed, but he was spared. Karzan was captured by the police after another man in the village named him. After 30 years, Karzan confronted the man who turned him in to Saddam's police.

Click here to watch to report, which aired on Channel 4 news.

Technorati tags: Channel 4, torture, Iraq