tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38362431980765326902024-03-21T19:05:17.021-04:00mattypA Blog about exploring Beer and Beer styles.Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-17793727169513633792017-01-05T16:00:00.000-05:002017-01-06T23:03:43.172-05:00A Beer to Try Ep. 2 - British Pale Ale<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ok, yes it's been a long time (please don't go and check), but I'm back with another instalment of "A Beer To Try", This week: British Pale Ale.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About the Style</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is one of my <i>favourite</i> styles of beer! British Pale Ales are beers meant to be enjoyed in large quantities. These are the everyday drinking beers of the working man, in the pubs enjoying times with friends, while still being able to stand up after a few pints. That means 2 things, 1)they are balanced and smooth, no palate tireing flavours, and 2)they are lower alcohol. Traditionally found at around 3.5% to 5% ABV, but plenty of examples are higher than that. You'll find a balance of malt, hop, and yeast flavour. Caramel toastyness from the malts, mild bitterness and earthy aroma from the hops, and a touch of fruitiness from the yeast. Overall a balanced drinking experience with nothing jumping out at you.</span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6LWgaTyEwpUpYlNwaRW9rNdBu7FSlttDDwGk1Mo0f7EftYnSExDiTiRdksdSLKfiXFoVyPLgOiBR2m3L9jgTxjf5_ingBSLlXIF6zLKSBNicwYp2vpYLI_JPxcC-Ru4HaFdqkZy8EhH9/s1600/cq5dam.web.1280.1280-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6LWgaTyEwpUpYlNwaRW9rNdBu7FSlttDDwGk1Mo0f7EftYnSExDiTiRdksdSLKfiXFoVyPLgOiBR2m3L9jgTxjf5_ingBSLlXIF6zLKSBNicwYp2vpYLI_JPxcC-Ru4HaFdqkZy8EhH9/s320/cq5dam.web.1280.1280-2.jpeg" width="240"></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About The Beer</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My selection this week to try is Wellington Brewery's SPA (Special Pale Ale) <i>(</i></span><span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif;"><i>Guelph Ontario)</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. A great example of a British Ale. Smooth and creamy texture, lower carbonation than what you are probably used to (as most British beers are). Wellington uses an in-house yeast that really brings out the malt flavour and add an interesting mix of fruit and sweetness. Best of all it is sold in cans, which is by far the best method to transport and store beer. It's only 4.5% ABV so you may as well get a few ;) </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you ever get a chance to try this 'on cask' I highly recommend it! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbDlq1WncNm3ADK5nNCirx0f3ZJXRqmxPXA7lBLx502CORSK8FLxmRv__7U7se2UYo-VbjmQ4iHR-43C4ma7jkleAeTE3afGguOQU2zYgFRQSSeWPvgUJIAPOhbYfMaLKOwDSjMZhDyuH/s1600/cq5dam.web.1280.1280.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbDlq1WncNm3ADK5nNCirx0f3ZJXRqmxPXA7lBLx502CORSK8FLxmRv__7U7se2UYo-VbjmQ4iHR-43C4ma7jkleAeTE3afGguOQU2zYgFRQSSeWPvgUJIAPOhbYfMaLKOwDSjMZhDyuH/s320/cq5dam.web.1280.1280.jpeg" width="240"></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Second Choice</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really love Maclean’s Pale Ale <i>(Hanover, Ontario)</i>. Again such a balanced beer, but slightly drier than Wellington's SPA. The extra ABV adds a bit more punch, and the aforementioned dryness.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a British Pale Ale brewed in Canada, you don't get much more authentic than this!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Food Pairings</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could cheap out here and say 'British Pub food' and honestly, that's pretty accurate. British Pale Ales are meant to be enjoyed with dinner, so Burgers, Barbecue, and almost anything fried would go great.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Links</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.wellingtonbrewery.ca/?Page=Our_Beers&Beer=1" target="_blank">Wellington Brewery </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://macleansales.ca/" target="_blank">Macleans Brewery</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><b>In the LCBO:</b></u></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/wellington-special-pale-ale/190439" target="_blank">Wellington SPA</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/macleans-pale-ale/464081" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Maclean's Pale Ale</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Also Try:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/fuller-s-london-pride/470757" target="_blank">Fuller's London Pride</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/abbot-ale/16329" target="_blank">Abbot Ale</a> - (a personal fav!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/the-collingwood-brewery-kingpost-esb/440925" target="_blank">The Collingwood Brewery Kingpost ESB</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you get a chance to try any these beers, as always drop a comment and let me know what you think.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next Week - Russian Imperial Stout</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the other end of drinkability, Russian Imperial Stouts pack a lot of flavour - and alcohol. </span></div>
Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-53805506242271716102014-07-21T14:14:00.002-04:002014-07-21T14:14:54.242-04:002 years!For starters, I'm not dead...<br />
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I debated waiting a few days before posting this, but it has been 2 years since I last posted here. Sorry to leave you all hanging. I believe an update is in order.<br />
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<b>Brewing:</b><br />
I've progressed in my brewing career quite well, in that I've reached a level I am happy with as far as my process goes, and my results as well. I can reliably brew a few styles of beer that I quite enjoy, and feel confident enough to brew almost any style. Recently I won a gold medal in the Canadian Amateur Brewing Association competition for a Porter my brother and I brewed, and a Bronze in the IPA category at the Because Beer festival. <br />
Are there a few things I like to upgrade? Sure. But right now I can haul out my gear and brew great beer without compromise.<br />
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<b>Projects:</b><br />
My big project ongoing now (aside from the perpetual project of ripping up potions of my backyard and replacing it with gardens or patio) is a fermentation chamber. This will allow me to ferment my beers at very precise temperatures, something that is essential to repeatedly good results (I'm told). I'll post another entry on that once I am complete...hopefully before the next 2 years are up. Also I just ordered a keg setup, so that's going to be fun.<br />
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<b>Other stuff:</b><br />
I started playing guitar a lot more lately. It feels good (my fingertips may disagree). I even started playing at my church on Saturday nights. I also coach rugby again and am looking at possibly playing again next year. Funny how things come full circle.<br />
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<b>The Future:</b><br />
I think for all intents and purposes this blog should have a bit more direction to it. So I will focus more on beer and beer culture. I'lll still post the odd bit about my general doings and transpirings, but I'll try to focus things a bit more in the hopes of more frequent posts.<br />
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Stay tuned!<br />
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<br />Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-39812085756247630432012-07-26T11:29:00.001-04:002012-07-26T11:29:48.126-04:00Must be something in the water...Home-brewing beer is a great hobby, here's an update on some recent transpirin's<br />
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Over the past 8 months I've been developing a product designed for homebrewers who were frustrated with their water. Water chemistry plays a huge part in the final beer, and I was looking for a way to make an easy solution to the question "What's in my water?". There are MANY issues I won't go into here, but the short story is I came up with a way for homebrewers to guarantee accurate water chemistry by using pre-mixed packets of ions and RO or distilled water. <br />
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The product is called BrewEQ. A simple and cost-effective solution to a complex problem. The REAL question for me was how much of a difference does the 'right' water make? I didn't want to sell a product that doesn't work well, so I decided the best way would be to brew it, and get tangible results.<br />
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<b><u>The Experiment</u></b><br />
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I decided to brew 2 identical batches of an American IPA, the only difference is that one batch will be brewed with BrewEQ IPA water, and the the other with BrewEQ Stout water. Both batches were brewed on the same day, bottles and otherwise treated identically. The result was 2 surprisingly different beers. But how different? Was the IPA water beer actually <i>better</i>?<br />
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To find out, I submitted BOTH beer into the Canadian Amateur Brewing Association's 2012 Competition. This competition has certified beer judges, and I would get written feedback on the 2 beers, including scoresheets and notes on each one.<br />
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<b><u>The Results</u></b><br />
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The 'Stout Water' IPA scored totals of 28/30/28 (28.6 avg) (each beer is judged by 3 different judges), which is in the 'Good' range. Comments included:<br />
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<li>'faint hop aroma'</li>
<li>'need more hops to be true to style'</li>
<li>'surprisingly low hop impact on palate'</li>
<li>'roasted coffee note with lingering bitterness'</li>
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The 'IPA Water' IPA scored much higher - 33/33/35 in the first round, and 35/37/33 (34.3 avg) in the second round. Obviously it did much better in order to proceed to the second round. So good in fact that it won me a Silver Medal in the very competitive category! Comments included:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSQwx-Y2suaph3iMXkikGknSB4hgxTwjS8GWYsgei4JDinSX_Kzko_DUsQJjRNiiJHiHtbuwjBRNSa6b4u9DnHFG2R0Qpk2E_Q1V4JHNT1wHbtp-Jlk3Cnz8Ce8Q-JlhUw79UDZby-8H8/s1600/CABA+2012+Silver+BrewEQ.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSQwx-Y2suaph3iMXkikGknSB4hgxTwjS8GWYsgei4JDinSX_Kzko_DUsQJjRNiiJHiHtbuwjBRNSa6b4u9DnHFG2R0Qpk2E_Q1V4JHNT1wHbtp-Jlk3Cnz8Ce8Q-JlhUw79UDZby-8H8/s320/CABA+2012+Silver+BrewEQ.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some hardware to go with the hard work.</td></tr>
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<li>good, clean hop aroma</li>
<li>nicely balanced</li>
<li>very refreshing, nice clean hop balance</li>
<li>very nice malt/hop balance</li>
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<b><u>The </u></b><b><u>Conclusion</u></b></div>
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So there it it, how much of a difference does the 'right' water make? Quite a bit it turns out. My personal brewing skill aside, the <i>difference</i> in scores is the key. An almost 6 point increase is significant. It is the difference between a Good beer and a Very Good/Excellent beer. If I had any worries about the effectiveness of BrewEQ, they are definitely put to rest now.</div>
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If all else proceeds as planned, BrewEQ should be set for sale this Fall.</div>
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If you want more info, you can check out <a href="http://www.breweq.com/" target="_blank">BrewEQ.com</a></div>
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<br />Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-80671131379738665872012-07-11T10:20:00.000-04:002012-07-11T10:20:18.995-04:00Standing Up *UpdateJust an update on my standing situation.<br />
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I'm 3 weeks in and still standing, so far that's an accomplishment I guess. Here are my notes to myself:<br />
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<li>hard to want to stand on Monday morning (earlier summer hours don't help)</li>
<li>need better shoes (or anti-fatigue mat)</li>
<li>need to raise up keyboard more (done) now it's just above my belt, much more comfortable but a little less stable.</li>
<li>added a connection to use the TV as a computer screen. It's nice but I haven't really wanted to use it for much. </li>
<li>need to find a better place for my chair!</li>
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ok so nothing too dramatic. I sit when I want to, and stand when I can. I'd say I'm up about 60% of the day now. Do I see any weight loss/fitness increase? No, but i'd been sitting for 13 years, I'll update after a decade and let you know if I notice anything.</div>Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-4518927503000818052012-06-20T12:11:00.000-04:002012-06-20T12:11:18.513-04:00Stand Up if you want to live (past 55)The other day I was perusing Flipboard (<a href="http://mattpavone.blogspot.com/2012/01/its-not-often-i-flip-for-something.html?utm_source=BP_recent" target="_blank">which I often do</a>) and came across an article about sitting. You can read the guts of the article<a href="http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/13/the-dangers-of-sitting-at-work%E2%80%94and-standing/" target="_blank"> here</a>, but the short of it was that sitting all day increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and death, by an amazing 54%. That's not a small number. The study covered more that 17,000 people over 13 years (also not a small sample size). <br />
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In my job I'm seated all day, sometimes for 4-5 hours straight. I sit in the car and sit when I get home. About the only time I don't sit during the day is when I take a leak. After thinking about all this sitting I decided to try and convert/modify my workstation to allow me to work standing up, at least for a portion of the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2emAhaOs911nY2QGsHdseUtGi5mNCvoEYutOp4XH4-02lrxjc45PnbvWHoMTHuwNp899m5PzoCN7Nz6xntIlHCOlFlOb_lUOFMNQbj2YUcJCp-AecYyvGaDsv7Yk_A_WXIqZ4wu920XD/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2emAhaOs911nY2QGsHdseUtGi5mNCvoEYutOp4XH4-02lrxjc45PnbvWHoMTHuwNp899m5PzoCN7Nz6xntIlHCOlFlOb_lUOFMNQbj2YUcJCp-AecYyvGaDsv7Yk_A_WXIqZ4wu920XD/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My workstation (the board where the keyboard and mouse are is the standing addition)</td></tr>
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So far this setup has worked quite well. I find my energy level is higher throughout the day, without the dips in the late afternoon. I also find I focus a bit better on completing tasks. <br />
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There are some downsides, for one, my screens are a bit low, so I have to tilt my neck down slightly. Also I recommend getting an anti-fatigue mat, or good shoes, as your feet will need some extra cushion. There are some increased health risks with standing ALL day, but I think that applies to construction workers, and those who literally only get to sit when they drive home.<br />
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I don't stand all day now, nor do I plan to, but I try to go through the morning without sitting, stand for meetings, etc. Most of my 'critical listening' has to be done sitting, as my speakers are at that level. It's been great so far and I feel much better at the end of the day. Having a boss that supports this shift is also a plus. Besides, sitting is for weekends! <br />
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<br />Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-66270749851359911892012-02-10T13:08:00.000-05:002012-02-10T13:13:04.534-05:00A Beer to Try Ep. 2In the fledgeling series of 'A Beer to Try', I'm trying to suggest beers for those of you who are less familiar with the various varieties of beers and what their tastes involve. It's an intimidating world, and those who are interested in expanding their horizon past Coors Light are met with a complex world of choice. Here is my recommendation for this week: An American IPA<br />
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India Pale Ales (or IPAs) were traditionally brewed in England for the Royal troops in India, and as such needed a higher level of hops in order to preserve the beer for the long sea voyage. There are 2 varieties, generally: American and English IPAs. An IPA is an 'aggressively' hopped beer, firmly bitter, and having a nice aroma of hops. American IPAs are generally more hoppy than the English style, with the English having some additional flavours added by the strains of yeast used. Have one with some pizza, or nachos, or even some mild cheese. IPAs started the beer revolution, and more than any other style symbolize the difference between craft beer and mainstream mass produced beer.<br />
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Muskoka Brewery's Mad Tom IPA<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HCR3Yidp1oA4u4npDa2w16XJuO0LLK0ieOH40DpULvWIZ4aWWwgvVrdhUEGVhKuXB4no8gK25BQTejmcjXx6BIEOMsnf467CSrEfcB7-osBnqEVqucVz9LUv5QiGP0m6NoW5j3wC72hyphenhyphen/s1600/beer-mad-tom-ipa-lg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HCR3Yidp1oA4u4npDa2w16XJuO0LLK0ieOH40DpULvWIZ4aWWwgvVrdhUEGVhKuXB4no8gK25BQTejmcjXx6BIEOMsnf467CSrEfcB7-osBnqEVqucVz9LUv5QiGP0m6NoW5j3wC72hyphenhyphen/s320/beer-mad-tom-ipa-lg.jpeg" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mad Tom - Clean and hoppy, like a white bunny on Easter morning</td></tr>
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Mad Tom pours a light golden colour, and the aroma bursts of fresh hops. In flavour it is bitter, yes, but refreshingly so. Personally it is to me a perfect example of what an IPA should be. There are hoppier beers for sure, but this one is very drinkable, and doesn't get overwhelming by the end of the bottle (or six pack).<br />
For the IPA newbie it will definitely be a step away from the ordinary. Pour it in a glass and enjoy the smell before taking a sip.<br />
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One last note on Mad Tom: he's not hard to find. Available in almost every LCBO in Southern Ontario, and perhaps farther as well. Pick up a six pack and let me know what you think.<br />
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Want to try something more? If Mad Tom is not enough for you, there is another great Ontario IPA available in most LCBO outlets: Flying Monkeys' Smashbomb Atomic IPA. <br />
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Like Mad Tom, Smashbomb is an American style IPA, with firm bitterness and a solid (perhaps intimidating) hop punch. Flying Monkeys loves their hops, and this beer is probably their best showcase for them. The beer is darker than Mad Tom, more of a burnt orange or caramel colour. There is more of a malt flavour as well, but it's the hops you will notice. Smashbomb is a bit more extreme on the hop side, but as my brother-in-law said 'it's ruined other beers for me'. It does try to balance out the bitterness somewhat with some malt sweetness, where Mad Tom just lets the clean hops shine through.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSL6oJU4UJm5Tm3SQIs9kXl9dPsoaiRw5NEfToUZ4iTdWxZg3Fr7T9TJV6fHa__g_Wb7f0N9oedBZThl-zxuSP6s7fxzPWVxIHPH7OK8wLLPmZ8IKCvSYuSlTsNoPicuhz9KQRQN6CwXD/s1600/hops.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSL6oJU4UJm5Tm3SQIs9kXl9dPsoaiRw5NEfToUZ4iTdWxZg3Fr7T9TJV6fHa__g_Wb7f0N9oedBZThl-zxuSP6s7fxzPWVxIHPH7OK8wLLPmZ8IKCvSYuSlTsNoPicuhz9KQRQN6CwXD/s320/hops.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hooray for Hops!</td></tr>
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How do these beers get that aroma and flavour of hops? It's through a technique called 'dry hopping', where another batch of hops is added to the fermented beer, just before carbonating and bottling it. (Traditionally, hops are added while boiling and brewing the beer, before fermentation only.)<br />
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If you try any of these let me know what you think. It's a big step forward in flavour, so don't feel bad if you don't care for the bitterness, but that hop aroma fueled a revolution - so at least you can say it's a history lesson with 6% ABV.<br />
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<br />Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-89490726445194157032012-01-30T16:45:00.000-05:002012-01-30T17:03:27.937-05:00It's not often I flip for something...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGf_o_92uErBmaQXPnuzAaRXBvG0vulW02ZwW1f_zmgfN_9qmbs0ZM43olSH0MJiFAnZtYQTYfONyrVEpzMKDrlUyhIkH72Ug4xeyPOhNasOs9k2xBXJUY0VOhhkASTinDAn0ifakqoVwV/s1600/flipboard-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGf_o_92uErBmaQXPnuzAaRXBvG0vulW02ZwW1f_zmgfN_9qmbs0ZM43olSH0MJiFAnZtYQTYfONyrVEpzMKDrlUyhIkH72Ug4xeyPOhNasOs9k2xBXJUY0VOhhkASTinDAn0ifakqoVwV/s1600/flipboard-logo.png" /></a></div>
Last week I spent some time catching up on my reading list. Specifically the few blogs I read I had gotten quite far behind. After spending time reading in from of my computer I looked down to my desk and saw the most interesting little device... "<i>Maybe THIS can help me keep up with all these blogs"</i> I pondered aloud, much to the irritation of my co-workers. That device: my iPhone.<br />
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So I'm an idiot - I hadn't thought of using my phone to read up on my blogs. I do a quick App Store search for an RSS reader (most blogs provide an RSS feed) and WHAMMO!! I was dramatically underwhelmed at the options. Either too clunky, ugly or expensive (expensive in this case is anything > $0). <br />
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Enter Flipboard<br />
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Quite possibly the most beautiful app on the iPhone, both in it's simplicity and design, Flipboard is an information centre where you can flip (literally) through all the info you want. What info? Anything you choose. Twitter stream? Check. Facebook? Check. RSS feeds of blogs? Local newspaper sports section? Instagram feed? Check Check Check. Coupled with my google reader account, I could literally add any updating page to my Flipboard and get my news/info fix in once app. All in one place. Check it out:<br />
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Other features include Cover story, basically it picks what type of info is popular at the time, either Facebook photos or tweets or blogs or news stories, and bunches them all on the from page for you to flip through. One of my favourite features is that any tweet or post with a photo or video link is automatically displayed, thus the pretty flipping you see in the demo. It's fast too, no waiting for additional data to load. Plus you can post tweets, FB updates and comments right from Flipboard.<br />
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There are a couple of quirks, getting all the pages you want on there took a bit of figuring, also the updates from Facebook seem to skip a few once in a while (admittedly it's a bug, but I'm not much of a FB guy, so if I miss a post about someone's kid's new PJ's, I'll live). Also you won't be able to put EVERYTHING on there unless you use Google reader, therefore needing a (free) Google account.<br />
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All your info in one place, fast, looks great, and well designed layout. All for the low price of $0.00. Sorry to be pitching an ad here, but it's really changed the way i use my phone, which is saying something indeed.<br />
<br />Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-30106474763203457102012-01-20T15:54:00.002-05:002012-01-20T15:54:31.003-05:00Happy Brew Year!Even though it's now mid/late January and most people have already broken their New Year's resolutions, (and those that haven't are probably realizing that it's not going to last) I figured I'd take a second to let you know my own Brew Year's Resolutions - essentially my goals for this upcoming year as far as brewing goes. Here we go....<br />
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<ul>
<li>Sour Beer - I aim to make at least one batch of sour beer this year. I'm eyeballing a Berlinerweiss, and hopefully soon so it will be ready for the summer barbeque. For those that don't know, sour beers are fermented (either wholly or in part) with bacteria instead of yeast. It yields a sourness to the beer, as well as massive depth of flavour.</li>
<li>IPA - The more traditional homebrew: I want to brew up a batch of REALLY hoppy pale ale. I haven't figured exactly what I want yet, but it'll be hoppy for sure. I've already secured a couple pounds of hops for this beer (Amarillo and Columbus)</li>
<li>Solara Brewing - I have a 54L demijohn (two in fact) from my grandfather sitting in my basement, and my goal for them is to fill them with beer, and each year bottle a portion of it, while brewing another batch of the same beer and topping it back up. The goal is to have essentially 'aged' beer fresh every year, while not having to wait so long to get the last year's batch to age. What beer you ask?.....</li>
<li>Westvleteren 12 - I've never had it, (I have tried the 8 however, and it was incredible) but if I am going to brew a beer to drink all year long, THIS would definitely be worthy of my time. Look up any top 10 list of greatest beers, it's there. I've come across a group who worked out a recipe quite close to the original, and my goal is to brew this beer for the demijohns.</li>
<li>Competitions - Lastly, I'd like to enter at least one of my beers in a competition, big or small. It just would be nice to get some feedback on how my brewing compares with others. I'm not in it for the recognition, just to better my beer by knowing how it stacks up against others.</li>
</ul>
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So there it is, hopefully by putting it in print I will be more motivated to make these happen. If I don't get around to them all I won't be disappointed, just maybe a little thirsty.</div>
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<br /></div>Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-23686721329304727342011-09-30T16:21:00.001-04:002011-09-30T16:21:12.723-04:00Rugby World Cup - For North Americans<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">For those of you who don't live in the south eastern part if the world, or those who don't realize, the rugby world cup is going on in New Zealand right now.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">Now most North Americans have little if any exposure to rugby, slotting it somewhere between soccer-with-hands and football-without-pads. And really, that's a shame. It may be one of the best sports not only to play, but to watch. Here's my top 6 of what rugby does right over other, more traditional, North American sports:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">1: TV timeouts</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">There are none. Well not true, there's one, it's called "halftime". The game flows almost seamlessly in open play, even when the ref blows the whistle play resumes very quickly, very little downtime at all.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">2: Halftime</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">Speaking of halftime, it's a short 15 minutes from whistle to restart. Not the 45 minute commercial-fest we get with NFL games.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">3: Mics on the refs</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">Yes the head ref is mic'd up, but not the terrible on/off the NFL gives us, but a constant ear in the game. Every word the ref says to anyone is broadcast. Player discipline? You hear it. Talking with a sideline official? You hear it. Great way to bring the observer into the game.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">4: TMO</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">Rugby is ruled by 3 officials like soccer. One on field and one on each sideline. However there is a fourth official called the Telvision Match Official. Anytime the head ref needs an extra look at a close play, he simply talks (remember he's got a mic on) to the TMO and asks him to review it. A few seconds later the TMO reports the results and away we go. Reviews only take a few seconds, usually around 30, occasionally as long as 60. But not the agonizing 3 minute reviews the NHL and NFL are known for.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">5: Game length</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">A game of football is timed at 60 minutes play, and takes about three times that to complete. Same goes for hockey. A game of rugby is 80 minutes, and is over in one hour forty-five minutes, IF it runs long.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br />6: Kiwi Announcers</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">Firstly they don't pander to the rugby novice by explaining every rule and law (see: NHL on NBC for an example), but the accents and phrases are unique, and honestly I sometimes don't even know what the hell they are saying. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">So do yourself a favour and catch some rugby, especially in the knockout stages. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">2 rules to keep in mind: You can't pass forward, and you can't be involved if you are in front of the ball. That should get ya started.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><i>Note: Canadian fans may want to avoid the Canada-New Zealand game if that's their first view, it may get ugly. New Zealand beat 13th ranked Japan by 83-7. Canada is ranked 12th.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><br /></span>Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-36579593362336486782011-07-07T10:58:00.000-04:002011-07-07T10:58:38.777-04:00Summer updateLast post was March? geez I hope you haven't been waiting here the whole time...<br />
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Anyhoo I got busy, no time to blog, but here's whats happening in the world of Matt:<br />
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New Brewing! I've brewed a couple more beers, the latest 2 being all-grain batches (using only grain and not extract syrup) and so far so good. One is a pale ale that turned out great, the other is a 'Blonde Ale' which I will have ready for our big cousins' BBQ early August. That one I brewed for the Coors/Canadian/Budweiser crowd, it's a light flavoured lager-type beer. It should be more what most people expect from a bottle, not the flavour bombs that I personally enjoy. We'll see how it goes. I got the recipe from a friend in my brewing club.<br />
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Oh right, I joined a brewing club (pause for laughter) and it's basically a bunch of guys who get together once a month and bring their beers for others to sample, we ask questions, see what each other does for techniques etc. I'm always impressed at the number of awesome beers they bring. REALLY excellent stuff, better than you can buy in most cases. Plus they are all good guys (and girls). My wife thinks it's nerdy, but hopefully she'll like the Blonde Ale, and ease off the teasing a bit.<br />
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Camping! We took the family on a 10 day camping adventure in eastern Ontario. The stops being 2 provincial parks (Ontario Parks are a treasure, more people should go) and Ottawa for Canada day. If you've never been to the capital for July 1st, it's a must go. AMAZING to see all the people, the party, the atmosphere, it's just incredible. And it's cheap to boot, just the cost of food. Insanely crowded, but well worth the hassles. We brought our dog, and he was the star, i don't think we went 5 minutes without someone asking about him. But that's another post for another time....<br />
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Want faster updates? Follow me on Twitter @mattpavone , or just come by for a beer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQv-gQ0vZ6aNbmdJ1Rnyh-rFF4JRHK7APvWbWU7bcG1Hx0bMi4FyPR5q-pBnh9o_YPV-WW0TwZQcJGkYW0sElwkrWjElmW968IaH-1kWN84dZai3ghjG-XLgj5j_0dLx0GWMyPPqIiT2H/s1600/Ottawa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQv-gQ0vZ6aNbmdJ1Rnyh-rFF4JRHK7APvWbWU7bcG1Hx0bMi4FyPR5q-pBnh9o_YPV-WW0TwZQcJGkYW0sElwkrWjElmW968IaH-1kWN84dZai3ghjG-XLgj5j_0dLx0GWMyPPqIiT2H/s1600/Ottawa.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You could say there were a few people there....<br />
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</div>Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-2740207719661373532011-03-20T16:24:00.000-04:002011-03-20T16:24:05.444-04:00While They Were Out A few months ago as my daughters were getting ready for school one fall morning, I though to myself "these girls are really getting too old to be sharing a room". It wasn't as though we didn't have the room available, right next to the room they shared was a 3rd bedroom in our house that was used by the girls' as a toy room, which as they are now 11 and 8 years old, was getting to be more of a dump room that toy room, as the toys we getting smaller and more electronicky. So I had the idea that maybe we should give them their own rooms.<br />
OK, the events of that fall morning may have been a tad different - I think it started with one little foot being on someone else's bed, some yelling, and POSSIBLY some throwing of stuffed animals and whatnot....and maybe my wife mentioning if I don't let them have their own rooms I may have to find an alternate sleeping arrangement for myself (up to this point I had been against the idea, as I had shared a room with my brother up until I was 18).<br />
So the idea sprang up the we should not only grant their wish of separate rooms, but surprise them with the swap. sort of a 'While You Were Out' makeover. We arranged for the girls to spend the week at Grandma and Grandpa's while my wife and I spend my week off of work scraping wallpaper, painting repairing walls and cleaning carpets. Did mention painting? All the while we were wondering just how they would react, would they like it? Sure, but could 8 and 11 year olds really appreciate the work and sacrifice we put into making this surprise happen? We though that even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter as that wasn't why we were doing it, but I also thought that one day when they are parents they will remember that we did this for them, and hopefully think that it was pretty cool of us to do this for them (and then feel guilty enough to visit us in the old-folks home, at least thats what I hope).<br />
Anyhoo when the girls came home and saw what we had done, after some initial screaming (for joy I assumed) they were incredibly grateful. Despite what you may think of your own children, I really do have the best kids ever in the history of the universe, sorry to disappoint you.<br />
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Here's my home vid of the reveal:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pQwxVVbOPXU?fs=1" width="425"></iframe></span>Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-44863922712052021952011-01-21T15:15:00.000-05:002011-01-21T15:15:55.447-05:00When life gives you hard lemons.....So I've been a bit brew-crazy the past few months, I've successfully brewed 2 beers in the month of November, which I am now enjoying, or about to enjoy, and my wife has been just wonderful about the amount of gear that brewing necessitates, as well as the time it consumes on my part. So as an attempt to get her to appreciate my hobby more, I decided to brew something she would actually like, a Hard lemonade.<br />
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I heard rumour that Mike's Hard Lemonade is actually a malt beverage, meaning it is actually a lemonade flavoured weak beer. Although my last look at the label says it's a vodka drink, I'll presume they changed the recipe on account of Russian investment...who knows? I decided to take that approach, as I thought it'd be closer to a brewing process I was familiar with. Also my main complaints about commercial hard lemonades is that they are way too sweet, and generally have too much alcohol in them. I was hoping for something a little more refreshing and lower on the alcohol. I figured with a weak beer I'd be able to keep it suitable on both counts.<br />
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So the general procedure is to brew up a weak wort of pale malt extract, add some concentrated lemonade, and cool. Once cool add your yeast and let ferment (all accounts point to a 3-4 week fermentation period.) I also decided to add in about 20% raspberry juice to cut the tartness of the lemonade.<br />
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After brewing it up, it tasted good, if not a little too sweet. The yeast eat the sugar and turn it into alcohol during fermentation, so I wasn't worried about it being too sweet in the end, however after adding a bit more lemonade to balance out the raspberry flavour, the extra sugar pushed the potential alcohol to almost 8%. OK WAY to high for what I was hoping for, I was hoping around 4%. Not the worst thing that could happen, but I would probably alter the recipe in the future.<br />
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For now it's fermenting away, as my wife said on facebook "it'll be a long month'. I guess that means I've got her interested, hopefully the finished product delivers.<br />
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I'll update with a tasting when completed.Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-90130209214558611852010-12-22T21:53:00.001-05:002010-12-22T21:59:57.359-05:00Live NHL Hockey! Online!Live sports...on the internets? It's true! Well I've been promised the wonderment of live sports online ever since I ditched my old 33.3 kb modem (if you don't know what that is, just believe me that it's been a while). In reality however, the live broadcasts haven't materialized like I had hoped. For a while I was stuck with re-streamed feeds from justin.tv or similar 'stream your own' websites. The quality was beyond poor, and choppy, and dropped out constantly. In short it just was not worth the effort.<br />
But that was then.....<br />
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Now I've finally stumbled on Yahoo! Sports' "Hockey Night on Yahoo! Sports". They stream at least one, and frequently two games per night, all a good assortment of teams too, which is great for a fan of an out-of-market team like myself. The games are of good quality or better, very few hiccups, even on my moderately-high speed service, and best of all, completely free. Yes free, which is saying something, because Yahoo is really pushing their 'NHL Gamecentre" where you can watch any game online any night in HD. OF course THAT service is $169 CAD for the season, a bit hefty if you only want to catch a game or two a week. That's where the Hockey Night on Yahoo! is great, a random game every night, but free.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZtxs7CpjmBpRNRnPXyhJLwLWUPuVm_FC5A7Tro8RxFpv3qZnQCYq6lN8xOKeBKAzEFkl7-V4KeMgijDus3dmzdWtFlisr_r_oGhGQoOuVvQBX3T1jaDQjZ4qyQ3rCGBY6SlVT_XZeHV7/s1600/Y%2521+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZtxs7CpjmBpRNRnPXyhJLwLWUPuVm_FC5A7Tro8RxFpv3qZnQCYq6lN8xOKeBKAzEFkl7-V4KeMgijDus3dmzdWtFlisr_r_oGhGQoOuVvQBX3T1jaDQjZ4qyQ3rCGBY6SlVT_XZeHV7/s320/Y%2521+.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Perfect right?<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"></div>Well almost, the one catch is, that the Hockey Night games aren't available in Canada, where most hockey fans are, including me. The site scans your IP address and if it finds you are in the great white north, you are blocked from watching the stream. So what is a fan to do? <a href="http://www.hotspotshield.com/">Hotspot Shield.</a> A simple little app (for Mac and PC) that blocks your IP address from the internet. Switch it on (or click 'connect') and surf on over to the Hockey Night stream, and there you are! Easy, simple and issue free. Seldom do things like this work so well, especially when there is money to be made. <br />
For the record, I don't consider this stealing, as the stream IS free, you can't buy it anywhere, it's free in the USA and elsewhere, just not available (probably due to broadcasting rights) in Canada.<br />
On another note, this trick also works for sites like adultswim.com, and comedycentral.com where you can't watch shows or programs from those site due to international rights and blah blah blah.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusmv4KBTbYyYTU8hlAFGDu5VhN8evvuijn9fMiF_JllpY_10DsDr2hMTG1u4ZyaAWrryIF3U8qHtcx0itmQ02dEi-UVTB5NvC9WHB3xya6c7upJRCFXGhg1KFYuYeXvtDUJCNiQyh9n93/s1600/Aswim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusmv4KBTbYyYTU8hlAFGDu5VhN8evvuijn9fMiF_JllpY_10DsDr2hMTG1u4ZyaAWrryIF3U8qHtcx0itmQ02dEi-UVTB5NvC9WHB3xya6c7upJRCFXGhg1KFYuYeXvtDUJCNiQyh9n93/s320/Aswim.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dear international buddy....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Hope this helps someone enjoy some previously-unavailable programming online!Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-68133175597598354782010-11-01T15:22:00.000-04:002010-11-01T15:22:07.030-04:00Crazy Schemes Part 2 - An updateAfter a few convos with folks, here's an update on the yogurt front:<br />
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Some were asking how exactly I made the yogurt. Well here's how:<br />
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I bought 4L of Homo milk. Why homo?cause I think it would taste better and make thicker yogurt. Buy whatever you want, just not lactose free milk (lactose is needed for fermentation), also I avoided filtered milk. <br />
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I also bought 1 tub (750g) of plain yogurt. I chose Baltic style, as it has the least amount of crap in it. Again, buy whatever you want, but make sure it lists 'active bacterial cultures' as an ingredient.<br />
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You'll also need a thermometer and a cooler. And a stove, containers and running water. I used old yogurt containers, but I'd recommend anything that seals tight, small glass containers would be great. Salsa jars, mason jars etc.<br />
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So start by taking your plain yogurt out of the fridge. Pour 2 bags of milk into a large pot (2.66L if you are counting) and SLOWLY start warming it up. Also put your thermometer into the milk and keep track of the temp. Keep stirring it to avoid scorching.<br />
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While that's heating up, get out your containers. You'll need to sterilize them, so either boil them in water, or fill them with boiling water from a kettle. Also fill a bowl and put the lids in there. It is VERY important that anything that touches the warm yogurt be sterilized, or else infection can occur. This includes the spoon you will be mixing the yogurt with, so add it to the water now. Cleanliness equals consistent results.<br />
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Keep stirring the milk it and get the temp to 180 degrees. Try not to go over. As you are heating the milk, fill your sink with some cold water and put some ice in there. When the milk is at temp., sit the pot in the icy water and GENTLY stir it. Now we need the milk to get down to about 110-100 degrees. Once it's there, stir in the plain yogurt. I used 1/2 the container of yogurt. <br />
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Now that it's at 100 degrees or so, fill your containers with the milk (empty them of the hot water first (save the water for the next step)) .<br />
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Now that you have all your containers filled and closed, put them in the cooler, along with a bottle of hot water. Hot tap water will work great, I started with the boiled water i used to sterilize with. We want this to incubate @100 degrees for 4-8 hours. It helps to put your thermometer in there. The longer it sits, the firmer and more tart the yogurt will be. I went with 6 hours. You may have to refill the hot water after a couple hours, but try not to peek too often.<br />
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After 6 hours I put it in the fridge, and that's it! I had somewhat tart and firm yogurt, about as firm as the Balkan style I bought. Tastes great and good for me. 1 hour setup and cooking, 6 hours in the cooler and I have yogurt for a few weeks! <br />
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One question I was asked "How long is it good for?" Well I was told (or I read) that it is easily good up to the expiry date on the milk, so go with that for a safe standard.<br />
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** A word on sweetening your yogurt<br />
What I've been doing for this 1st batch is using a few different methods to flavour my yogurt. Here's what I've learned:<br />
Commercial flavoured yogurt is CRAZY sweet - i only need to add a bit of sugar to make it just right. 2 tsp of maple syrup or honey in about 300-500 ml is about right. Even less if you have some other flavour in there (Vanilla is good, soon to try cocoa)<br />
Jam seems like a natural, flavour and sweetness in one, but I haven't tried it yet.<br />
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Ideally I will have the flavour added into the yogurt from the start, as I like my yogurt firm and stirring it in later defeats the work of making it firm. Just keep in mind any flavouring you add in before incubation must also be sterilized. What I plan to do is make a syrup up on the stove while the milk is heating, making sure to boil it so as to kill any bacteria in there. I think a mixture of Jam/water will work. Or a syrup of honey and vanilla.<br />
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Update #2<br />
I'm sure you are also wondering how my lawn is doing, well it's still fuzzy and green, what did you expect? We had frost today!Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-45940883483979490062010-10-28T13:18:00.000-04:002010-10-28T13:18:32.528-04:00Crazy schemesSomething my wife never planned on putting up with me, was my crazy schemes. Never a 'get rich quick' scheme, more of a pointless exercise that consumes my thinking for an undetermined amount of time. Hey, my brother tried to warn her at the wedding, but by then it was too late.<br />
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The beer making would qualify for sure, as would the slot car track, the smoker, the garden, the list goes on. Sure, some of these have turned into great hobbies and great results. The smoker my wife actually does more often than I do now, and she definitely gets more consistent results. The beer I've been very happy with, and she's encouraged my quite a bit. Here's the latest 2 things I've gotten myself obsessed with.<br />
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Yogurt<br />
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I love yogurt. Those little cups don't hold enough, I could eat a big tub each day. So since I tried my hand at fermented food already (beer) I figured I could take a stab at homemade yogurt. I figured it'd be a great way to eat healthy, plus save money. So after reading up on the internet, I finally bought some extra milk and went at it. It only took about 1 hour to make, then about 6 hours to incubate. Put it in the fridge and it's ready to eat. Very easy to make (compared to beer) and it turned out VERY good. For the 1st batch I just did plain, as it keeps the variables down if something goes wrong. Next time I plan to make a vanilla and possible a fruit flavour as well. <br />
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Bentgrass<br />
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OK 3 years ago I bought myself a new mower for Father's day. I went with a reel-type mower, no gas, no electricity, powered by Matt. It's awesome, I love it. Cutting the lawn is much more enjoyable with that machine, let me tell you. PLUS it's much better for the lawn, and as such I've become more obsessed with keeping the lawn nice-looking than ever. Most of that is limited by the effort I'm willing to put forth, but something happened this year that may change everything.<br />
What happened was bentgrass. Considered a weed in most lawns, bentgrass is the stuff golf courses use for fairways and greens. Why is it avoided in residential lawns? Because it is high-maintenance requiring special equipment. Equipment like a reel mower. Maintenance, like it needs to be cut twice a week Funny, <b><i>I</i></b> have a reel mower and I cut my lawn twice a week. <br />
So early this spring I noticed a patch of grass on my lawn the seemed to cut so much better with my mower than rest of the lawn. As the patch grew and got bigger, and I researched what kind of grass it was, learned about bentgrass and all it's drawbacks. I decided to use this patch as a test bed, hoping it would thrive and I could go ahead and re-seed my front lawn. By the fall the grass still looked great, and I found a dealer who would sell me bentgrass seed. After the salesman gave me all the warnings, I had my seed. All I needed to do was tear up my lawn,prepare the area and seed. I spent about 10 hours getting about a 15' by 10' area ready (i decided to only do a section of the yard, just in case) and seeded. That was 3 weeks ago, and now I have fuzzy green blotches sprouting up on the dirt. I probably won't get to mow it until spring, but I'l keep you all posted on how this goes.Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-8671685596871233642010-09-22T14:08:00.000-04:002010-09-22T14:08:35.104-04:00A Beer To Try Episode #1: HoegaardenNew to the mattyp blog is 'A Beer To Try'. It will be a regularly occurring feature where I will sample and recommend certain beers or styles for those who, like many, are intrigued by the variety of brews available, but are unsure of where to begin. This inaugural episode will feature a style called "Witbier'.<br />
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This is a smooth beer, light golden in colour, and light in taste. The biggest feature worth noting is the cloudiness - there is a lot of yeast added into the beer, and in this case it is the yeast that adds the characteristic flavour. Don't let that scare you off, as it balances a sweeter side with a bit of spice flavour. It's also brewed with wheat grain, and it has low hop bitterness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwyRLOcBfWXBZmtO2nbdUc2cI8o_fE-w0f2YEL79gSYiLAqMryiP08bgniDA8lfIyJ5fvQtsKSRmy9iPAaRHQ9Hy1Gwkb_woPN4X-faW-xzqPp6aDLnsjPEiwFjfD-9e2nyecZH7DxcyG/s1600/hoegaarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwyRLOcBfWXBZmtO2nbdUc2cI8o_fE-w0f2YEL79gSYiLAqMryiP08bgniDA8lfIyJ5fvQtsKSRmy9iPAaRHQ9Hy1Gwkb_woPN4X-faW-xzqPp6aDLnsjPEiwFjfD-9e2nyecZH7DxcyG/s1600/hoegaarden.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoegaarden with it's traditional hexagonal glass</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
If you are going to try a 'wit' for the first time, I HIGHLY recommend Hoegaarden (pronounced 'Who-garden') which is brewed by Inbev at the Labatt brewery in Toronto. It is a classic belgian wit, with a nice aroma of banana and clove. That may not be what you are expecting from a beer, but the taste is very clean, low on hop bitterness, with the yeast adding a grainy-cereal flavour, and balancing our the sweetness. Do yourself a favour though, when pouring, stop 2/3rds of the way through and give the bottle a swirl to stir up the yeast sediment, then pour it on into the glass. (That brings me to another point, if you truly want to experience a beer, you gotta drink it out of a glass. I don't drink every beer from a glass, but I ALWAYS pour out the ones I really want to enjoy. Simply put: it's better out of the bottle.)<br />
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After a few sips you may notice the citrus-like taste, or the banana coming through a bit more. You may also notice you are almost done and will reach for another. It's a very good beer to drink on it's own, and doesn't have any harsh flavours tp it, which is why I recommend it for 1st time 'real' beer drinkers.<br />
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Where to get it? Luckily the LCBO carries it in a 6 pack, and sometimes you can find single bottles as well. If you are in the Brantford area, the pub around the corner from my house the <a href="http://www.oxfordcircus.ca/">Oxford Circus</a> has it on tap, which is probably the best way to enjoy it. Let me know if you are in town and I'll join ya!<br />
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There are other brewers who make this style, Alexander Keith's makes a 'White' which is just awful, i would avoid it. Mill Street makes a Belgian Wit which is very good however. Also look for a German 'hefewiessen', it's very similar.<br />
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It may be a step or two beyond Canadian or Blue, but if you DO try this wonderful beer, do me a favour and leave me a comment, let me know if you enjoyed it, or what your thoughts were.Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-44378666866842471022010-09-13T13:04:00.000-04:002010-09-13T13:04:54.534-04:00My Beer Addiction: A ConfessionI love beer. There's nothing better that sitting down to a perfectly cooked steak with a glass, or sitting down on a Sunday afternoon with a pint, or out on a hot patio with a cold bottle. Beer can compliment almost and situation as far as I'm concerned. <br />
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Now before I book myself into AA, let me clarify. I love GOOD beer. I love unique, flavourful and masterfully crafted beer. And I don't enjoy more than 1, maybe 2 at a time. I'm not a beer guzzler, but a beer drinker. It really is amazing the different styles and flavours brewmasters can create, some extreme and other subtle. If you've ever been in my kitchen, you've seen my "Ring of Honour". The cans and bottles of some of my favourite examples of beer from around the world.<br />
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Like all obsessions, this one can get pricey. One Christmas my wife bought me a 'Beer-a-Day" calendar which featured a recipe every Sunday. I had never even considered making my <i>own</i> beer before. I have memories of my Dad's experience at a 'U-Brew" place. That awful stuff in the green plastic bottles, I'm sure everyone's known someone who had offered to share some. They must, God knows they couldn't drink it all alone. I was hesitant but thought I'd give it a go. But it had to be done right. That meant brewing at home, without pre-made kits. My friend Adam was into the idea too. We thought a) we could split the cost of the equipment and make it easier to get started, and b) <i>if</i> it turned out really awful, we each only had to drink 1/2 a batch. After a trial run at a U-brew place, we decided to go for it.<br />
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Brewing is not that difficult, in theory. Get some sugar (from grains like malt) boil it, add some hops for flavour, cool it down, add some yeast and let it sit for a week or 2. Of course in practice there is a lot more to it. I'll spare you the details, but like anything I do, I researched my butt off, bought the gear and ingredients, and were finally ready for brew day, about 18 months after I first had the idea to try this.<br />
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#1 question: How does it taste?<br />
Well the first batch I was willing to admit we were going to do <i>something</i> wrong. We did. It was nothing major, nothing that <i>really</i> would affect the beer. Cleanliness is probably the most important aspect of brewing, and we learned a few lessons, even being as cautions as we were. For our first batch I was willing to lower expectations to "something drinkable". As long as I could stomach it, I would be happy. Well it turned out much better. I can't describe how please I am with that batch. Now that it's a few months older, it keeps improving. I'd rank it somewhere above Good, but short of Great. The downside is, I only have about 8 bottles left.<br />
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Now here is where the obsession really takes hold. There are thousands of styles of beer, and hundreds that I can realistically brew at home right now. Each with a delicious flavour or uniqueness to it that I am just dying to try. These styles are sometimes available at the LCBO in the beers section, but some you just can't find unless you fly to Belgium and climb the mountain to a monastery. This is my addiction to beer, a world of variety not found anywhere else, where skill and art merge to create something special that can truly be appreciated by all.Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-70706935791292254672010-09-06T19:00:00.000-04:002010-09-07T11:48:42.166-04:00Audio Lesson #1: Acoustic GuitarIn an attempt to make this bit of the web-i-verse <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>(</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>©mattyp 2010</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>)</i></span> useful, I'll be posting bits of knowledge from my years as an audio engineer. Most of this stuff I picked up in school, with a few years of experience to fine tune the techniques. Today's lesson: Recording an acoustic guitar.<br />
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OK so miking an acoustic guitar is pretty straightforward, or at least it can be. Throw your best mic in front and let 'er rip. Done. <br />
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Want a bit more? Fine. I like using 2 or 3 mics, usually a large diaphragm condenser near the butt of the guitar, not in front of the sound hole. usually the sound hole placement, while loudest, sounds too boomy and loses low end definition. I like the mic placed slightly to the side of the guitar, aimed across the soundboard. The other mic I like to use is a pencil condenser, or AKG 414 or similar, anything with good clarity. I put this about 1-2 feet in front of the headstock, aimed at the 12 fret. This picks up nice sparkle, and surprisingly really deep bass tones as well. Play with the phase, pan and EQ a bit to separate the channels, and thee you are.<br />
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This really works well for almost all guitars however sometimes I do add a mic directly overhead centre, to help add a bit of room tone, especially if recording in a nice sounding large room.<br />
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Revolutionary? Naw, but it works. It also helps if you can cement the guitar player in place to avoid having to reposition mics every time he needs another cup of coffee. As for EQ, i have no rules, other than keeping it fairly unmodified before it's recorded. I'm not going to list what gear you should run it through, I'm sure you can figure out to run it in your best stuff, whatever that may be. Acoustic guitar doesn't really need compression while being recorded, but if you have outboard comps, now would be the time to use 'em.<br />
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Hopefully you find this useful. If you use it, let me know what you think, or if you have any different ideas please feel free to share in the comments.Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-71984966582870712582010-08-17T15:21:00.000-04:002010-08-17T15:21:34.494-04:00Youth Sports as a Microcosm of Society, or "Why it's Great to be a Coach"As my kids have grown up, we've eventually realized they needed some sort of competitive activity to prepare them for life as an adult, or we just wanted them out of the house for a few days a week during the summer. Either way, being Italian in heritage, and having played for years myself, soccer was the sport of choice. Also the extreme amount of running and low equipment costs were attractive. <br />
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Let me warn you, if you don't have kids, of you do and they have not yet played on a team of any sort, you will be amazed at the emotion that comes out of even the meekest people once their kid gets on the field. I am not meek, so naturally I had a hard time watching my daughter's soccer team play. Even worse were the practices. No wind sprints? How is a six year old going to build endurance without a few laps before and after practice? After all, these are my memories of playing when I was a lad. So after one season, I took it upon myself to coach my daughter's team. Ever see "Kicking and Screaming"? That movie is a lot funnier when you are a coach. <br />
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This season I coached Sophia's 8 year old team. I'd like to think I'm a lot softer on the kids than my coaches were. No laps, but I do get them to do some sit-ups and leg lifts. When they learn the mental part of the game, and seeing them get rewarded for doing what was asked of them is probably the best feeling as a coach. Example: During our last game, the smallest girl on the team, instead of following the ball to the corner, took off to the front of the net where she got a great pass and scored. You just don't get any happier for a kid than that.<br />
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Anyway, it IS a lot of work, so a general pat on the back to all of you who coach youth sports, and those of you who have kids in sports who appreciate your coaches.Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-20323770433416983642010-08-11T10:31:00.000-04:002010-08-11T10:31:13.009-04:00Happy Matthew Day!I'm sure everyone is aware of the security issues with Facebook. Posting so much of your personal info on a mildly secure site should make everyone a bit nervous. If not, think of it as leaving your bank card in your backyard all night, sure there's a gate to jump, and they'll need you PIN #, but there is valuable info there for the taking.<br />
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Same thing with Facebook, or really, any site that asks for more than your email address. Don't get me started on how badly companies and advertisers want your contact info. They pay money for it, that's the reasoning behind all these "sign up to win" promotions. They want your # and they want it bad.<br />
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So in an effort to protect myself, I altered my birthdate on my facebook profile. No, you wouldn't be able to walk into a bank and say "My name is Matt Pavone, my birthday is Aug 10, gimme my money please". But financial institutions sometimes use your date of birth as a way of checking that they are dealing with the actual client. So if someone was trying to steal my identity (and who wouldn't want it? I have my own blog!), knowing my date of birth puts them one step closer.<br />
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So to those of you who wished me a happy birthday this week, thank you, my birthday is only a couple days away, so I appreciate the early wishes. I admit when I altered the date, I failed to realize I would get a slew of messages on my false birthday (or as my sister called it "Matthew Day"). Good thing I at least went with something close to the actual date, and not sometime in March.<br />
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On a side note, I have an identical twin brother, and after sharing 30ish birthdays with someone, it was kinda nice to have one to myself.<br />
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Happy Matthew Day!Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-86084515160398324002010-08-09T15:30:00.001-04:002010-08-10T09:02:37.951-04:00The Cousins' Bar-Bee-Cue! The Origins:<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before you get all insulted, I am aware that the title is not the preferred spelling of Barbecue. </span></i><br />
<div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div>A few years ago, I had the idea that my wife and i should move out of our hometown of St. Catharines, and to a place called Brantford, about 1 hour away. We did. After settling in for about 4-5 months, we realized that very few of our family were popping in for visits, so we decided to have a 'housewarming' party that summer. We did. More on this later.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Unfortunately for my wife, my brother happened to give me a book that Christmas called "Championship Barbecue" by Paul Kirk. It explains why food cooked over hot coals for 18 hours is so good (called 'smoking'), and how to do it. After tasting some pork my brother Mike had made, I was sold. I went and bought a Weber kettle grill, the same grill in every backyard in the 1950's. This began a habit of cooking all day, smelling like smoke, and eating at 11:30 at night. </div><div><br />
</div><div>What does this have to do with our housewarming? Well not being prepared to cook in competitions just yet, I figured a big party was the way to show off a bit of what I had learned. Of course by now I had my wife involved, she being the cook in the family she's had no problems making the best food off the pit. So between the two of us we started smoking almost a week ahead of time, never really sure we knew what we were getting ourselves into. We don't have a big yard, so we had to limit the guests to just our siblings, cousins,and their kids. No aunts, uncles, parents or grandparents allowed.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The party went off great, we had about 50 people crammed into our backyard, on one of the hottest days of the year. Although the food was good, the biggest surprise was how great a time we all had. Food aside, it's all about great times with family. Five years later and the BBQ is now an annual tradition, and it's the highlight of our year. Yes it is a lot of work, but having all grown up now, I don't get to see my cousins very often, so this was a great way to stay in touch. Plus everyone is so appreciative. That's europeans for ya.</div><div><br />
</div><div>There you are, the story of why/how we started having this thing we call "The Cousin's BBQ". The family keeps growing, as does the guest list, and my wife and I wouldn't have it any other way.</div><div><br />
</div>Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-82355512141263451272010-08-05T16:04:00.000-04:002010-08-05T16:04:04.594-04:00Blog up and Running...er, walking.Ok so it's here, and I'm posting. Having said that IF you are reading this post, good for you, you have nothing better to do than read nonsense, but hey, that's the web. Come back time after time to re-read this spectacular piece of writing, and possibly more on bits of info on anything from food to sports and whatnot.<br />
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Also, I like this site, not that I'm paid to like it, it's well done, and rare to find sites such as this.Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836243198076532690.post-83183384402728462962010-08-01T12:32:00.000-04:002010-08-11T13:09:38.550-04:00Blog Cold StoragePut out to pasture, these literary gems are still worth reading and reviewing from time to time. Enjoy!Matt Pavonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13638426219023015505noreply@blogger.com0