Ska Grand Opening

I went to the Ska grand opening on Sunday and I was super impressed, the new brewery sits atop Bodo Park like a grand monument solely dedicated to providing great beer. The company underwent a $4.8 million dollar expansion. The new brewery is right around 20,000 square feet as opposed to the original 5,000 square foot building. With this huge increase in size they are projecting to be brewing around 20, 000 barrels annually each barrel containing 31 gallons, a major expansion compared to the 9,000 barrels they currently brew annually. The tasting room is huge, with long tables for big groups of friends, more intimate bar stool like tables, and a bar that stretches about 100 feet. From the tasting room you can see the huge stainless steel cylinders that stand a good 20 feet tall filled with heavenly tasting beer. The new place is really just amazing and a great place to hang out with friends and meet new people who share a common interest. They will also be carrying exclusive beers that are only brewed in small batches and are only available at the tasting room. "We're going to have a lot of exciting, interesting beers on tap," said Thibodeau the president/ co-owner of Ska. Barrel Aged Strong Scotch Whiskey was one of the new brews introduced along with Hoperation Ivy which is an India Pale ale, I thought the Barrel Aged was the best of the two; but you should just try them yourself and decide.
I highly recomend checking out their new facility, it is very cool and inviting. They really out did themselves with the brewery itself and the grand opening doubled as a fundraiser for the San Juan Citizens Alliance, the Durango-based environmental group, so in true Durango fashion you are most likely drinking for a good cause.

Fahrenheit 9/11

Cubs Clinch NL Central, and general rant

For the first time in 100 years the Chicago Cubs have won their division and locked down a playoff spot for two consecutive years. This team has been in the making for about 5 years now, and all the pieces are finally falling together. They made smart trades, stayed healthy, acquired the Babe Ruth of Japan, and threw some heat into their starting pitching rotation with Rich Harden. Having been a die hard Cubs fan all my life, growing up around the corner from Wrigley Field I know better than to say that "this is the year." Although I will say that this is the best team I have seen on that field since they blew it in 2003 when they were 1 game away from the World Series with one of our many aces on the mound, Mark Prior. I was at all the NLCS home games against the Braves when we chanted them off the field, I was also there for the darker nights against the Marlins that still give me nightmares to this day.

I know that everyone in Chicago knows who Steve Bartman is, he is one of the reasons we blew game 6 to go to the world series. He is the infamous Cubs fan who reached over the bleacher wall and interfered with a very playable ball to get out of the inning. So basically every single Cubs fan in America hates this dude, but I know and other people who know baseball and can actually focus on any other aspect of that particular game besides that can tell you that he is not why we lost the game. He was just the perfect scape goat, and I'll admit that I wanted him stoned and humiliated in the middle of the field but I have learned in time to let it go. Our pitching fell apart and Alex Gonzalez F-D up the easiest ground ball right through his legs when we could have been out of the inning and out of the game with a W. When Bartman reached over for the ball and people realized what had happened, you could hear a pin drop in the stadium. Immediately after the word spread, beers, hot dogs, and other miscelaneous items were thrown at Mr. Bartman and he was escorted by Wrigley personel. Here is a short clip from this incident.

Anyways the Cubs are finishing up the regular season with the second best record in all of the Major League and I wish I was home to feel the excitement. There is just nothing better than going to Wrigley Field with friends and loved ones, drinking Old Style, eating the best hot dogs ever, in the best city ever, with the best fans of all time, and when the seventh inning stretch rolls around it turns into a whole new ball game.

So even though we haven't won a World Series in 100 years, I'm liking where we are at right now and I'm hopeful for a strong Playoff Performance. I'm going to leave you with a clip of Harry Caray singing the 7th inning stretch he made so famous as well as a funny Budweiser commercial from the 80's, enjoy.

Tour de Fat

Tour de Fat was put together to celebrate the bicycle and raise money for local charities, it also spreads the word on ways to minimize your own personal waste stream, holds games, provides live entertainment, a parade, and contests such as the Car Bike Swap. The Car Bike Swap is exactly what it sounds like, a local person donates his or her car and the proceeds go to charity. In return they are handsomely rewarded with a one of a kind New Belgium cruiser bike so they can live vehicle free for a year, or longer if one chooses to do so.

Everyone comes out in crazy costumes with their bikes decorated, some with custom home-built or modified bikes. They have great live music, dancing, a parade, lots of crazy things to see and cold beer. All the proceeds from the beer also go to charity and other not for profit organizations so you are drinking for a good cause. It is a lot of fun and a good way to meet people who are interested in the same ideals. I personally can't wait to dress up in come crazy get up and ride my bike around drinking some Fat Tire.

Here is some helpful information below in regards to this weekends Tour de Fat. Along with a video from the Chicago stop this past June and the Ten Commandments of Tour de Fat.

Durango Itinerary

Posted on 3rd July 2008 by the rev

Date 9/20/08
Venue La Plata Fairgrounds
Sub Venue Parking Area
Ride Registration 9am-10am
Ride Times 10am-11am
Revival Times 11am-4pm

Benefitting

San Juan Mountains Association www.sjma.org
Trails 2000 www.trails2000.org

Sustainable Support

Fort Lewis Environmental Center www.fortlewis.edu

Performances by:

March Fourth Marching Band www.marchfourthmarchingband.com
Paper Bird www.myspace.com/paperthebird
Squirm Burpee Circus

The Ten Commandments of the Tour de Fat:

1. Put no means of transport before thy bike: Come by bike because not only are bikes fun, but they help stave off some of our most wicked ills: Traffic, obesity, and pollution. Tour de Fat has a solution: ride this day, every day, and definitely when Tour de Fat heads your way.

2. Honor all other bikes: All bikes are good bikes, and all those who ride them are good people. This is the one Bike Festival that cherishes bicycle diversity on our Cruise-ade through town.

3. May every generation come forth: This is a family friendly event. Costumes, bikes and a parade? We were thinking like kids when we created Tour de Fat.

4. Thou shall come as a participant not a spectator: It’s a costumed celebration of human-powered transportation. Muscles not motors, coasters, v-brakes and rotors. Come in your favorite alter ego, because when everybody’s weird, no one is.

5. Thou shalt not bring booze; But enjoy the supplied malted adult refreshments responsibly: Please do not bring any outside alcohol on the ride or into the park. It could result in getting the event shut down…don’t be that guy. And when you imbibe in our tasty brews, remember this is a Bicycle Festival with beer, not the other way around.

6. New Belgium shalt not profit: Our goal is to raise money for bicycle and environmental charities. New Belgium Brewing Company does NOT retain any of the events’ proceeds. Please think of your $5 beer tokens as donations to a worthy cause. All sales are final; beer tokens do not expire and will be accepted next year.

7. Remember the purpose, and bring not your pooches: No canine friends allowed this year. We’re a dog-loving Brewery, but sadly not all municipalities and parks are. Please leave your best friends at home for their safety and the safety of others. Besides, it’s not much fun for dogs with all the noise and crazy people around.

8. Keep the day true with thy good juju: The ride is free, but we suggest a $5 donation to the good bike advocates who are putting it on for you. If you give more, you will not incur flats, mechanical troubles, or dry skin for a while…maybe. This is a celebration of the bike, not an anti-car rally. All tools have their place.

9. Thou shall rise early: Since Tour de Fat is a free show, we sometimes get more folks than we can accommodate. Once we’re full, we will handle overflow like a restaurant or bar: one in, one out. We reserve the right to determine the appropriate crowd size in the name of safety and enjoyment for those inside.

Thou shalt not steal thy neighbors’ bike: Don’t even think of leaving with a bike that doesn’t belong to you. Modern-day horse thieves will be dealt with by angry mob, pitchforks, and torches.

Trail system looks to the future

I was very disturbed to hear that Horses Gulch and the surrounding trails such as Carbon Junction are at the mercy of development. Horses Gulch is an area just over the ridge from campus composed of 30 plus miles of single track goodness. I was informed in my Environmental Policy class that they want to develop the hell out of it. I found a good article on the subject on http://www.durangotelegraph.com/04-03-25/cover_story.htm.

Trails 2000, Durango’s trails advocacy group is doing all they can to make sure that new trails will be created in the wake of the development as well as preserving the original trails. There is no stopping change and development, and they are already building a new place called Grandview, which will soon be the new sight of 2,200 homes on 682 acres as well as the new Medical Center on a massive 35 acres. There is talk of them buliding a four lane highway bypassing walmart from behind the new hospital through Horses Gulch popping out onto Goeglein Gulch Rd. As well as building a multitude of new stuff in the pristine gulch meadow.

I can't believe that this was the first I had heard about the horrible news, so I decided to share it and raise awareness of the huge development plans that are coming to Durango. Durango will not be the place that I once fell in love with, but an overcrowded overpriced overdeveloped clone of what happens to amazing places when spoiled by undeniable development.

Horses Gulch would be a huge loss for this town and I assume the beginning of a downward spiral in terms of losing land to the overwhelming development.

All THAT!!!

The media paper that was just assigned to us is the sole inspiration for this entry. I was sitting at my desk the other day writing down all the shows I remember watching as a kid and it was a blast. I was just sitting there laughing thinking about all the good memories of being a kid, when All That popped into my head. The skit comedy show comprised of all teenagers, sort of a Saturday Night Live for kids around my age. This was one of my favorite shows on Nickelodeon.

When the idea popped into my head I went straight to YOUTUBE to find some classic memorabilia from the show. As soon as I saw the big yellow face with black hair and a huge black hole for a mouth shouting ALL THAT out of it, it was all coming back to me. Kenan and Kel, orange soda, that Lori Beth chick that did her news show, and most of all the theme song with TLC that was so gangster. I loved that song when I was younger so I found it of course on non other than YOUTUBE and it turns out that its still tight as ever.

I hope that this short but sweet post helps you all remember the amazing shows we were fortunate enough to have on when we were growing up. I feel bad for the new generation because I feel like their t.v. kind of sucks compared to the classics we had. I could go on for hours talking about old shows like Are you afraid of the dark, Doug, Angry Beavers, Ren and Stimpy! are you serious? Legends of the hidden Temple, Saved By The Bell, Pete and Pete, Family Matters, Rugrats. We had it really good for sure.

Whats a Grolar Bear?

I heard from a fellow classmate that some where out in the Canadian Arctic some hunters claimed to have shot and killed a polar bear grizzly hybrid.  I got home from class that afternoon and I found the article on National Geographic News dating back to May 11th 2006 confirming the news positive with DNA confirmation.  

In the article the local polar bear expert with the Canadian Wildlife service was stunned that a breeding between these two animals could take place in the wild.  It was stated that the polar bears and grizzlies both undergo an ongoing mating ritual.  With this in mind it was concluded that this was not some chance encounter.

"It's of interest because it's rare, but that's kind of it," stated Rosa Meehan, the chief of marine mammal management with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Anchorage, Alaska.  Rosa is currently overseeing how changing environmental conditions in the Arctic are affecting polar bears.  She claims that the hybrid doesn't prove the species' possible endangered status or on global warming's potential role in the decline of the polar bears.

David Paetkau the president of Wildlife Genetics International confirmed the bear is indeed a hybrid, but states its just one instance and that it is too early to conclude anything about the discovery. 

 According to Ian Stirling, a research scientist and polar bear expert grizzly bears have been showing up in the polar bears' territory for the past 50 years.  The hybrid, he said, is "definitely not" a sign of climate change.