S1P27 - Meanwhile, What We Missed

A tip of the hat to Stephen Colbert. On his Late Show, he often does a segment after the monologue that he calls Meanwhile. The premise of the bit is that since the opening monologue usually deals with the big news items and issues of the day, a lot of minor items slip through the cracks. He then proceeds to joke about mostly absurd news blips. 

That sort of happens with our podcast. We tend to concentrate on a couple of big issues, often those that happened close to our recording date. That means that we skip over or completely ignore many news items and issues. Unlike Colbert's Meanwhile, many of the issues we skip over are actually very important. Because of the flood of news that Trump generates, I take notes almost every day between podcast recordings. Part of Trump's strategy is to overwhelm the news cycle so that we forget the bad stuff when the newer bad stuff comes out. Wash, rinse, repeat. 

My plan for my Meanwhile posts is to quickly list what we skip on the podcasts. These will be bullet items that may or not be accompanied by a short comment. Many will include links to news stories. I have already commented on some of these items at the time they occurred either in a separate blog post, tweet, and/or Facebook post. You can see the links to my other sites near the bottom of the right-side column. 

It is normal to have 40 or 50 separate notes prepared between broadcasts. I'm always amazed at the number when we try to distill it down for the recording. 

So here we go with the first MEANWHILE post:

These notes go with the S3E08 Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast

• Trump lies - No update. Still stuck on 10,796 lies in 869 days as of 06/07/19
• Trump golf - 201 visits in 132 weeks. 144 rounds.
• The opioid crisis and very disturbing numbers
• The flow of Chinese investments in US slows by up to 90%. An unreported fallout of Trump's trade wars.
• Trump jumps to action when Kanye West calls about A$AP Rocky’s arrest in Sweden. Seems less than a national crisis.
• Al Franken got fucked and caved too soon. Regrets. New Yorker piece.
• Ilhan Omar is Al Franken’s Congresswoman. 
• Trump continues to brag about Article II powers. Wrong. I doubt he has even read Article II.
• Trump’s Bronx golf course loses money. Blames the city 
• Watching The 80s on Netflix. Amazing how many fuckups & failures Reagan had. He also often wore light-colored suits. Considered an impeachable offense when Obama did it once.
• Republicans usually stay united and attack Dems. The Dems tend to stray and attack their own. 
• July 2019 was the Earth’s hottest month ever, beating July 2016

National

1. Congress and WH agree to a two-year budget that will raise the debt limit and increase the deficit. Raises spending by $320 billion
1. What happened to the fiscally responsible GOP?
2. 07/25 - House passes the budget bill
2. 07/22 - Trump expands power of ICE. Can deport without immigration judges or any due process.
3. 07/22 - Trump brags that he could wipe Afghanistan off the face of the earth
4. 07/22 - DOJ sends warning letter to Mueller concerning his testimony before Congress
5. 07/23 - Senate confirms Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper
6. 07/23 - Senate passes the 9/11 first responder bill. Thanks to Jon Stewart and public pressure on McConnell.
7. Trump gets punked at Turning Point rally by fake Presidential Seal
8. 07/24 - Muller testifies before Congress
1. Full transcript 
2. For someone who said they probably wouldn’t watch the proceedings, Trump sure had a lot of tweets. Over 20.
3. Not exonerated
4. Maybe no conspiracy with Russia but certainly cooperation
5. Russian interference was to benefit Trump
6. Russia did and is interfering with our elections. Others too.
7. Did not subpoena Trump because he would fight the subpoena and prolong/distract the investigation.
8. DOJ policy stopped Muller from subpoenaing and indicting Trump
9. Trump lied to investigators
10. Trump could be prosecuted for obstruction once out of office
11. Investigation not a witch hunt or a hoax 
9. 07/24 - A federal judge blocks Trump's latest asylum ban attempt.
10. 07/24 - Trump vetoes Congress’s ban of arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, again.
11. 07/24 - Puerto Rico governor, Ricardo Rosselló, will resign next week.
12. 07/25 - Major auto companies strike deal with California for mileage/climate goals. In opposition to Trump’s new guidelines. 
13. 07/25 - DOJ plans to resume executions of death row inmates, ends a 16-year moratorium. The pro-life party.
14. 07/25 - House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena White House work communications sent via personal devices and accounts
15. Only one Republican showed at NAACP convention. Bill Weld
16. 07/25 - Senate Intelligence Committee report. Russia targetted election systems in all 50 states. Overly redacted report
1. Yet McConnell continues to block election security legislation
17. 07/26 - US economy slowed in the 2nd quarter to 2.1% growth
18. 07/27 - Supreme Court allows Trump to use $2.6 billion of military funds to build the wall while litigation continues. 5-4 vote.
19. 07/27 - Trump says he has asylum, safe third country deal with Guatemala. No details plus legal challenges in that country.
20. Trump trashes Fox News because one of their polls showed Biden ahead of Trump. Again, facts don't matter if they differ from Trump's beliefs.
21. Trump trashes Baltimore and Elijah Cummings.
1. Jared Kushner owns many substandard rental properties in and around Baltimore.
22. 07/28 - Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, will step down.
1. Trump will nominate John Ratcliffe, (D-TX) as the replacement. An unqualified Trump sycophant. 
2. A move to politicize the intelligence community
23. GOP to hold annual retreat in Baltimore in September.
24. 07/28 - Gilroy shooting. White nationalist. 
25. 07/29 - Trump again tries to pretend he was at ground zero during a bill signing for 1st responder benefits. No Dems or Jon Stewart at signing. Fuck You. 
26. New California law requires release of tax returns for presidential candidates in primaries.
27. 07/30 - ACLU says over 900 children have been separated at border.
28. The Fed cuts interest rates ¼% to 2.25%. The first cut since 2008
29. US imposes sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
30. The Senate confirms Kelly Knight Craft as UN Ambassador
31. 08/01 - Senate passes a huge 2-year budget. $320 billion increase.
32. 08/01 - Trump to impose tariffs on another $300 billion of Chinese goods on 09/01. This round includes consumer goods such as cell phones.
33. 08/01 - Trump instructs new DOD Secretary Mark T. Esper to review a DOD cloud computing contract because Amazon might win the bid. Very swampy.
34. 08/01 - Texas Representative Will Hurd, says he will not run for reelection. He is the only Black Republican in the House. 
35. #MoscowMitch, #LennigradLindsey are trending hashtags
36. 164,000 jobs added in July
37. 08/02 - John Ratcliffe either withdraws or is dropped by Trump as Director of National Intelligence. Another personnel bust and lack of vetting. 
38. Afghan troop withdrawal proposed. Sketchy details.
39. 08/03 - El Paso mass shooting. Another white supremacist targetting immigrants,
1. Fox News coverage was terrible. Softpedaled type of weapon and white nationalist angle. This is not the time to politicize the gun control issue. Brought up Islamic terrorist possibilities. Seemed to be behind on breaking info.   
40. 08/04 - Dayton shooting

International

• 07/19 - Iran seizes British oil tanker
• 07/23 - Boris Johnson becomes British PM. Elected only by Tories. About 13 cabinet ministers dismissed or resigned. 92,153 votes to Jeremy Hunt’s 46,656. Total UK population 66M. 
• Will Scotland vote to leave UK? Boris has denigrated the Scots i n the past plus they voted against Brexit.
• 07/24 - North Korea fired two projectiles off their east coast.
• And again a week later
• Hong Cong protests escalate
• Moscow demonstrations

Texas

• 07/22 - Wendy Davis officially announces for House District 21
• Wascom’s “fetus asylum” law causing division in the community.
• Ron Wright diagnosed with lung cancer. US rep from 6th district, Ellis & Navaro counties plus part of southeast Tarrant including most of Arlington, Mansfield, & southwest FW. 
• Empower Texans and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and GOP Caucus Chairman Dustin Burrows are having a dustup over media access and targetting some incumbents.     

wjh

S1P26 - Beer Review - Sierraveza

These are the beer notes from the S3E08 Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast

Sierra Nevada Brewery

• Started in 1980 by Ken Grossman. Hand-built brewery. Chico, CA
• Started homebrewing in 1969
• Opened Home Brew Shop in 1976
• Build new (current) brewery in 1987
• Expansion in 1997
• Built their second brewery in Mill River, NC
• Other Beers:
• Pale Ale - the original beer
• Torpedo - Extra IPA
• Hazy Little Thing - Hazy IPA
• Summerfest - Crisp Lager
• Brut IPA
• Oktoberfest
• Bigfoot - Barleywine style ale
• Narwal - Imperial Stout
• Southern Gothic - Unfiltered Pilsner
• About 30 different brews
• Beers are available everywhere from 7-11’s to bars

Sierraveza

• Easy drinking lager
• Available in 12 oz. cans
• $8.99 6 pack cans @ Kroger
• 5% ABV
• 18 IBU
• 154 calories, 12.8g carbohydrates 
• Malts - Carmelized Pilsner and wheat
• Sterling hops
• Lager yeast

Keeping things light and bright, like sunshine in a can.

Inspired by the classic cervezas served ice cold by the beach, we created our own take on those light and easy beers born south of the border. Sierraveza is golden and crisp, with a balanced malt flavor and a hit of floral hops that will have you calling out for another round.

Review

Dennis and I both agree with Sierra Nevada's description. This beer is golden and crisp with a subtle floral hops background. It would be a good sessionable beer for a summer BBQ, during a round of golf, after working in the yard or in my case after a bike ride. Have two, Sierraveza goes down easy. Both Two Old Guys rate this brew a solid three (3) bottle caps out of five (5). Give it a try.

wjh

S1P25 - New Baseball Rules

We briefly discussed some of these rule changes during the S3E07 Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast.

Prior to the 2019 baseball season, MLB and the independent Atlantic League entered into a three-year agreement. The Atlantic league would implement various rule changes that MLB wanted to evaluate. While some of these changes may never make it into the major leagues, we may see some fairly soon. The changes in the Atlantic League, for the most part, are more drastic than those also being tested in the minor leagues controlled by the major leagues. Some of these experimental rules sound ridiculous, others seem reasonable. For any of these changes to make it to MLB, they will have to be worked out in contract negotiations with the owners, players, and umpires. So, while the fans pay the freight, we don't get a vote. 

The experimental rule changes for the 2019 season are:

1. Home plate umpires are assisted by TrackMan. This is a system of cameras and radar that track all kind of action during the ballgame including the strike zone. Besides game statistics, it is used for evaluating and developing players and scouting. Now it will call balls and strikes.  
2. No mound visits. MLB has already limited mound visits since 2018. The limit is currently five (5). 
3. Pitchers must face a minimum of three batters. There are exceptions like the end of an inning and injuries. 
4. Increase the size of first, second and third base by 3 inches. The rationale is that this gives the runner a bigger target, especially when sliding. It encourages more aggressive baserunning. A downside is that more hit balls will be deflected by the bases.
5. Require two infielders to be on each side of second base when the pitch is released. This eliminates drastic shifts. 
6. Time between innings is shortened. MLB has already reduced the time a little.
7. The mound is moved back 2 feet. This rule was initially set to go into effect for the second half of the Atlantic League season. They decided not to implement it at all this season. We'll have to see if it gets resurrected for the 2020 season.

Four additional rule changes will be in effect for the second half of the season:

1. Pitcher required to step off the rubber in order to attempt a pickoff.
2. 1 foul bunt is permitted with 2 strikes before strikeout is called.
3. Check swing rule made more batter friendly.
4. Batters may steal 1st on any pitch not caught by the catcher

For the Atlantic League all-star game, all the pitches were called by TrackMan except for a few when there were technical pitches. There was a home plate umpire who relayed the TrackMan calls sent to him via an earpiece. He took over when the system hiccuped and also made any other home plate umpire calls. There were very few complaints by the batters. The robot strike zone is much more consistent but it does differ from what humans normally call. 

My thoughts on these changes are mixed. I have no problem with the "no mound visits", the "larger bases", or "time between innings" rules. 

I think if you watch enough baseball, you realize how inconsistent the strike zone is. It certainly varies from one umpire to the next. More aggravating is when it varies in the same game by the same umpire. We have all heard umpires being referred to as a "pitcher's umpire" or a "hitter's umpire". If the technology can be worked out, I'm open to more experimentation with a goal to work through the various levels of the minor leagues and maybe eventually implemented in the majors. That is a change intended to improve consistency and get the calls right within the current rules of baseball. Similar to the current use of the replay system.  

I am undecided on the "no shift" rule. While the use of the shift has increased dramatically in recent years, it has been used for decades to some extent. Many teams used a shift against Ted Williams. He only had a .344 career batting average. I think there are ways for players and teams to reduce the effectiveness of the shift. It may require some new skills and a change in attitude. 

I see the time benefits of the "three batters" rule. My concern is that it changes how a bullpen is constructed. Any change would have to have a couple of years lead time. A few specialists may be out of a job.  

I hope the "move the mound back" rule is never implemented in my lifetime. That significantly changes the fabric of the game. All pitching and hitting records prior to the change would be rendered obsolete. More importantly, how can you change something so drastically for athletes who have thrown from 60'6" all their life? The extra length doesn't just reduce the effective velocity, it changes where and when the pitches break. Sinkers will be bouncing a foot or so in front of the plate, curves and sliders will break before they get to the batter. The only way this seems feasible at all to me is with about a 10-year phase-in that all levels of organized baseball buy in to. Kids start playing on a regulation size field at about 13 years old. All those fields would have to phase in the change. Babe Ruth and other youth leagues first, then high schools and American Legion, then colleges, then minor leagues, and finally the majors. You may also want to move Little League mounds back a bit too. That means almost every baseball field in the world would need to be modified. That is tens of thousands of fields in the US. If and when implemented in the majors, the statistics for all hitting and pitching categories would have to start over. You would then have the 60'6" era records and the new length era.  

As for the second half changes, I don't see how a pitcher could ever pick off a runner. An extra foul on a bunt attempt is not outlandish but really not necessary either. I don't understand the checked swing change, it was not fully explained. So now you can steal first. How do you score that? Is it a force out at first on the "steal"? What if first is occupied? Will sinker ball and other breaking ball pitcher become obsolete? Will teams have to move the best athlete from shortstop to catcher? 

It is obvious that these rules are designed to increase hitting and running at the expense of the pitchers. I think the pitchers will begin feeling like the NFL cornerbacks and safeties. All offense and screw the defense. Based on the current scoring levels in baseball, do we really need to encourage more offense? 

I look forward to the post-season analysis of the Atlantic League changes. Let's hear from the players, umpires, coaches, owners, and importantly from the fans. 

Take me out to the ballgame or whatever game they are now playing.

wjh

S1P24 - Beer Review - Milk Stout Nitro

These are the beer notes from the S3E07 Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast

Left Hand Brewery

• Longmont, CO - about 25 miles NE of Boulder
• Incorporated September 1993
• Daily brewery tours 
• Tasting room - open 7 days a week 11:00am-9:00pm
• Food truck 7 days a week. Rotates vendors
• First batch of Milk Stout - 1999
• 2011 - Nitro bottles
• 2016 - begins canning
• 2017 - Nitro cans
• Other beers:
• Milk Stout - regular stout
• Good Juju - Light ale with ginger
• Fade to Black Vol. 1 - Stout
• Polestar Pilsner
• Wake Up Dead - Imperial Stout - Regular & Nitro
• Oktoberfest Marzen
• Sawtooth Ale - Regular & Nitro
• Hard Wired Nitro - Porter with coffee
• A Blessing and A Curse - Double IPA 9% ABV
• Let’s Flamingo - No discription
• Flamingo Dreams Nitro - Super smooth & refreshing subtle zing from berry notes with a striking pink color
• Death Before Disco - Porter
• Pixen Pepper Porter
• and others

Milk Stout Nitro

• Style: Sweet Stout
• Color: Black, 47 SRM
• Body: full
• ABV: 6%
• IBU's: 25
• PLATO: 15.5° -  is an empirically derived hydrometer scale to measure density of beer wort
• PKG: 4-pack Cans, 6-pack Bottles, Nitro Keg
• Malt: Pale 2-row, Crystal, Munich, Roasted Barley, Flaked Oats, Flaked Barley and Chocolate
• Hops: Magnum and US Goldings
• Other ingredients: Lactose

SUPER SMOOTH WITH SOFT ROASTINESS AND MOCHA FLAVORS.Taking America Back. Dark & delicious, America’s great milk stout will change your perception about what a stout can be. Pouring hard out of the bottle, Milk Stout Nitro cascades beautifully, building a tight, thick head like hard whipped cream. Milk Stout Nitro is also good to go from the can with widget inside technology, or like a pro in a glass. The aroma is of brown sugar and vanilla cream, with hints of roasted coffee. The pillowy head coats your upper lip and its creaminess entices your palate. Initial roasty, mocha flavors rise up, with slight hop & roast bitterness in the finish. The rest is pure bliss of milk chocolate fullness.

• Their best selling beer
• $11.49 six-pack bottles at Kroger
• Click this link to see a video of the technology behind the nitro can.

The Rating

Well gang, we really liked this beer. I was a little concerned with the "milk" part of the name and the "sweet stout" description. I shouldn't have been. There is no milk taste or sweetness. It is a creamy smooth beer though. The rather long and flowery marketing description is pretty accurate. After a couple of average to bad beers to review, the Two Old Guys are back on track and have a smile on our faces. Dennis and I both rated Milk Stout Nitro a solid four bottle caps out of five. Pour a glass, relax and enjoy this very good beer.

wjh

S1P23 - Baseball Food

Globe Life Park 2019 Food

These are the new food items the Texas Rangers are offering this final baseball season at Globe Life Park. Dennis and I discussed these briefly at the end of the baseball segment of the S3E06 Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast. There are not a lot of healthy choices in this list nor are there many bargains. Be prepared for diabetic shock and coronary distress. The usual food items like hotdogs, nachos, pizza, ice cream, BBQ, etc. are all still available. You will have to look long and hard for salads or fruit. You can wash all these items down with a large selection of beverages.

• Fowl Pole - 2 lb chicken tenders, deep fried & served with ranch dressing and honey mustard and waffle fries. $27.50
• RWB Dog - spiced sausage with red & blue dyed relish & white onions. Chips on the side $11
• Fried PB&J - crustless bread $10
• Bacon wrapped chicken wings - fries on the side 10.75
• Street tacos - pork, chicken or beef. Three for $12.50
• Vegan street tacos - Three for $10
• Vegan burgers - $15
• Breakfast on a stick - sausage, wrapped in bacon, battered and deep fried. Served with syrup $8
• Belgian waffle sundae - $13.50
• Right Field Bacon Bomb - Deep fried provolone wrapped in bacon $11
• State Fair corn dog - foot long ⅓ lb dog battered and fried

Bring money and an appetite. I'm sure the Rangers will have several new food items next season when they move into the new Globe Life Field with its retractable roof. Enjoy!

If you fry it they will come.

wjh

S1P22 - Beer Review - Texas Blonde

Texas Blonde

These are the beer notes from the S3E07 Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast

The Brewery - Wild Acre Brewery

• 1734 East El Paso St. Suite 190, Ft. Worth
• Opened about three years ago
• Tap Room - Open Mondays & Thursdays 5:00pm-8:00pm
• Open Saturdays 11:00AM-6:00PM
• Open Sundays 11:00AM-4:00PM
• Next to Joe Risky’s BBQ for food
• Zoning Commission approved a second location in Ridglea Hills. 
• Construction underway @ 6479 Camp Bowie Blvd.
• Brewery & restaurant
• Named after Ft. Worth’s Hell’s Half Acre
• Other Beers
• Soul Pleasure - Southern Stout
• Billy Jenkins - Bock
• Tarantula Hawk - Red IPA
• Moonlight Shine - Golden Ale
• Sip n Go Pils - German Style Pilsner - March to July
• Happy Fill - West Coast IPA - August to December
• Mondlift - Oktoberfest style - September to October
• Snap’d - Gingerbread Strong Ale - November to December
• Super Hawk - Double IPA
• Available at:
• Kroger -$8.99
• Twisted Root
• Danny’s Celtic Pub
• Crazy Cowboy
• Rusty Taco
• Target
• Whole Foods
• Market Street
• Goody Goody’s

The Beer - Texas Blonde

• ABV 5.7% on website, 5.4% on can
• IBU 10

Texas Blonde is the latest year-round brand release from Wild Acre Brewing Company. Texas Blonde naturally possesses pineapple and mango notes from the addition of coveted Azacca Hops. It is light, refreshing, low in bitterness, and perfect for the hot Texas climate.

Rating 

A very average beer. Hoppier than expected in a blonde. Floral/fruity notes with some aftertaste. Not our favorite flavor profile. We both rated this a low 3 bottle caps.

wjh

S1P21 - Beer Review - Bikini Atoll

Bikini Atoll

These are the beer notes from the S3E06 Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast

Manhattan Project Beer Co.

• Located at 2215 Sulphur St, Dallas. No taproom.
• Started in 2010 as a hobby project to design a beer for the founders, Karl & Misty Sanford’s, wedding. That brew became Inception, a Belgian Dark.
• Entered their first competition in 2013. Taking first place in American IPA with a light, crisp IPA called Hoppenheimer.
• Other Beers: matte finish cans, mostly white or black
• Raspberry Bikini Atoll
• Atomic Alliance - Pina Colada IPA
• Particles Collide - Hazy IPA
• 10 Nanoseconds - Milkshake IPA
• Wise Monkeys - Belgian Golden Strong  
• Half-Life - Hazy IPA
• Hoppenheimer - West Coast American IPA
• Plutonium-239 - Coconut Porter
• Necessary Evil - Pilsner
• Black Matter - Coffee Stout
• Double Half-Life - Hazy IPA

Bikini Atoll

• Gose - a warm fermented beer that originated in Goslar, Germany. Dominant flavours in gose include a lemon sourness, a herbal characteristic, and a strong saltiness.
• 5.2% ABV, 6 IBU
• Cans and draft
• $10.99 @ Goody Goody
• With its low hop bitterness, saltiness, and citrus flavors, the Bikini Atoll is often a favorite amongst our friends that think they don’t like beer. In contrast, the beer snobs out there love it as well. It is light and effervescent with high carbonation.
• Summers at the pool inspired this beer. There is nothing more refreshing in the Texas heat than a crisp and tart Gose.

The Review

This beer is sour and salty. Not exactly our favorite flavor profile. There is also a less than outstanding aftertaste. I can not imagine drinking more than one at a time. Unless you like sour salty beer, leave this one at the store. Not quite as sour or salty as Miller House Brewing Salty Lady, which we rated a one (1). There are plenty of good beers available. Dennis and I both rated this brew a two (2) bottle caps out of five (5).

wjh