I went and saw Julie and Julia as the matinee today. Very good movie. It's about food, blogging, and constant drinking. Play the "I drink when they drink" game when this comes out on DVD. You'll pass out before the film is half-over.
This is the kind of movie that can have two side-effects. People will be inspired to try to do something difficult, and blog about it. Others will stop because they suddenly feel inadequate. It's the Michael Spinks vs. Mike Tyson syndrome. You think that you are good, and then you get "knocked the fuck out" in round one.
I've cranked out 66 posts and this movie has me feeling self-reflective. Self-reflection is also an unfortunate side-effect of alcohol. At the moment, I'm stone sober. By the time I get to the end of this post, I'll probably have a small buzz. It's a drinking blog. What do you expect?
Back on topic. What in the hell is the point of this blog? I do a lot of reviews, but I don't consider myself a critic. I do critique/make fun of/rip mercilessly the marketing attached to the products. My smart-assitude (not really a word) is my hook. Who wants to read "This wine is good. I give it a B." over and over again?
Friends have said that I am a connoisseur, which is a word from which I shy away. (Proper grammar moment, at least I think so.) That word carries expectations, makes you out to be an expert, which I am definitely not. I enjoy and have opinions.
So what am I trying to do? I think that I'm trying to help people that are intimidated by the sheer number of choices out there. I'm fortunate to have a market near by that does weekly beer and wine tastings every weekend. I try 4 new wines and 4 new beers almost every week at a very cheap price. That's also why you don't see too many bad grades on this site. I don't make too many blind purchases.
Why else am I doing this? Ego is surely part of it. I hope that it's more than that. I'm the kind of person who feels good when he's made something. It can be a good meal, or a home improvement project, or db stuff for work. When you've done something well, it feels good. I kind of get that feeling from writing too. There is a small sense of accomplishment when you hit "publish post".
There's one more thing. I obviously enjoy drinking. There are so many specialized blogs for wine, beer, or cocktails. I don't want to limit myself. I'd be missing out on too much.
Update from Nov 09: I've read about half of the Julie/Julia blog. I can't say that I still feel inadequate as a blogger. Gotta give her props for cooking all of those dishes in one year. I'm just not that impressed with the material.
Didn't you promise a beer review mister sensitive? Yes I did. Thanks voice in my head.
Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu
Label stuff: Malt bevarage brewed with honey and hawthorn fruit & fermented with grape concentrate. More details can be found here. Apparently, Indiana Jones was involved.
How does it taste? It's the Welch's grape juice of beer. If you like grape juice, this is the beer for you. It's not for me. Try their "Black & Blue" or "Red & White" instead.
Cost: $8.99 for 1 pint 9.6 fl oz.
Grade: D This was a rare blind purchase.
Cost adjusted Grade: I'm probably going to dump the bottle. Nuff said.
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