Early Results

With one person's opinion on the books, and some sketchy recollections of travel times, the early standings look like this. Cloister Andechs looks like an early favorite due to positive reviews and its relative proximity, while at least one reviewer doesn't feel that the beer (and view) at the Eagle's Nest justifies 8 hours of travel. More data is needed, and feel free to add destinations not listed.

Regarding Day Trips

To facilitate the day trip discussion, I have devised the following equation:

((9 - TravelTime) * X) / 9

TravelTime includes the total time needed to gather, walk to train stations, wait for trains, ride on trains, walk from train stations, etc etc. - basically, everything that doesn't involve drinking beer and eating pork.

The all important X factor is the quality of the beer drinking/ pork eating experience once we arrive at our destination, expressed as a multiple of the beer/pork experience in Munich. X can include the splendor of the view from the place we are drinking, the history of the establishment in which we a drinking, the quality of the beer and pork itself, and whatever else enhances the interest of drinking there rather than in Munich. In any case, it should be more than one, because if it isn't, then why are we going there?

I assigned the constants assuming that we would be setting off no earlier than 8am (damn it), and that we would want to be at the tents no later than 5pm to attempt to secure a place inside. This gives us 9 hours per day trip.

The formula can be used to compare day trips against one another, and even to eliminate them, as a rating less than one indicates that the time would be better spent sleeping in/drinking in Munich.

So, for each day trip we need a) an accurate estimate of total travel time, and b) a composite rating of the beer drinking/ pork eating experience at the locale in question. The latter is subjective, of course, so I encourage everyone who has been there before to give their own rating, and we can use the average. Or something.

I'll start:

Cloister Andechs
TravelTime= I don't remember
X = 3

Guess who is the real Puhba?

just one more quiz. a, b, or c

The real BEER Quiz

Question 1 of 10:
Lowenbrau means

a)Stallion Beer
b)Cattle Foot
c)Lion's Brew
d)Eagle Potion

Question 2 of 10:
Alex, the Stroh's Beer Dog of the 1980's, was a

a)Purebred Rotweiler
b)Golden Retreiver & Irish Setter Mix
c)Alaskan Husky & Irish Terrier Mix
d)Bull Terrier

Question 3 of 10:
This movie was famous for toga parties and John Belushi's hilarious performance as Bluto Blutarsky

a)Happy Days
b)Gladiator
c)Julius Caesar
d)Animal House


Question 4 of 10:
Barney, the Great Pyrenees figurehead of Sea Dog Brewing Company in Maine got the nickname "Sea Dog" because

a)He rescued his owner from a capsized boat
b)He began sailing at 3 months and was a boating "enthusiast."
c)He was born in Main but was afraid of the ocean.
d)He carried beer onto his owner's sailboat before each trip


Question 5 of 10:
Flying Dog Brewing Company, with a litter of 8 brews named in honor of dogs, is located in

a)Denver, Colorado
b)Manchester, England
c)Milwaukee, Wisconsin
d)Portland, Oregon


Question 6 of 10:
These famous animals are a traditional symbol of Anheuser-Busch
a)Avondales
b)Clydesdales
c)Chippendales
d)Cocktails

Question 7 of 10:
In August 2004, a bear emerged from the woods at Baker Lake Resort and guzzled 36 cans of this beer

a)Ranier
b)Coors Light
c)Busch
d)Pig's Eye Pilsner

Question 8 of 10:
The mascot of Hamm's Beer in 1952 was

a)Lassie
b)Bertie the Bunyip
c)Scout
d)An animated Bear

Question 9 of 10:
These animals on the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts descend on the beach bars during "happy hour" and steal sips from the patrons' cocktails.

a)Sea Gulls
b)Monkeys
c)Squirrels
d)Bar Cats

Question 10 of 10:
Smuttynose Brewing Company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire named Old Brown Dog Ale after their loyal companion. Her name is

a)Olive
b)Ellie
c)Turpo
d)Mabel

Some ZOO (beer) fun!

Keep your hands off my beer!
Just a Cola Light?

day trip report Mallorca

It was a tough job; but I have done my tasting in Spain at the terras of Purobeach (www.purobeach.com) in Palma de Mallorca.
Also have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxFq79G_EuQ Also made at Purobeach.

Talking about details !

When looking more into details of John's collection, you will see that he owns a minibar. Problably filled for free collected during all his travels. Next to this he has his spare bottle of "light" beer. Yes guys I am back on the blog!

New Oktoberfest game... Know Your Landmarks !

This new game is intended to refresh your memory of The Fatherland, and begin to get you primed for this year's visit. Each week (except next week), 3 -5 aerial views of Deutschland will be displayed, and you must determine the name of the landmark. The first poster to get all of that week's landmarks correct, will accumulate 3 points. Prior to leaving on this year's trip, the wionner will be announced. I wanted to give the second person 1 point, but all you would need to do is wait for the first person, Duh ! !

Anyway, this week's quiz is decidedly easy. Need to get you "in the groove". So, have it game show contestants. Here are this week's landmarks:

Place #1

Place#2

Place #3

Place #4

Details

Almost every day we abstract, we generalize, we average. When we speak business, it's a target market - not an individual at a particular moment, making a personal decision. When we talk finance, it's average return, trends. Politics, well - you can imagine.

The picture is a small display, twenty or so items, of 287. Items collected over thirty years. Items representing early industrial efforts - research, practical application, and practise.

One of Browning's original pinhole cameras. One of Edison's wax cylinder recordings. A coal miner's kerosene lantern. A Bakelite static generator, a precision scale.

I've been in business almost all of my career. When it comes to these items I am faced with an uncomfortable reality. Average doesn't work, nor generalization or target markets. These items are not particularly valuable, but cannot be dismissed. Each means something and is worth something to someone - but not to me.

Selling them makes sense, but how does one sell 287 unique pieces? How does one describe, even discover, the piece - each one?

I don't have an average family, average cars, normal friends, or live in an average city or country. Everything has specifics; specifics that make them unique, that make them special. Generalizing allows one to cruise through life - handling multiple decisions, numerous items of work, a variety of studies, even casual relationships - without really getting to the intensely intimate details.