Hoppy minus the brew - food review

Hoppy minus the brew



By rewarding voters with a free brew on election night, Hoppy Brewing Company had a Tuesday night packed like a Friday.

Located on 65th and Folsom, Hoppy had a pretty good variety on the menu for a brewery, but many of the choices were a bit pricey for a broke college student. Anything over the $6 dollar Chipotle burrito is a special occasion for me so I took dinner advice from Jake Corbin, a Hoppy regular.

I went with the greasily-famous Philly Cheese Steak for just under the double-digit dollar price of $9.75. It’s been awhile since I had one and the grilled onions, bell peppers and steak seemed like the fail-safe investment of the night.

The sandwich was greasy as expected and in fact a little bit too greasy since the bottom of the sourdough roll was a bit soaked leaving a glossy coat of evidence on my fingertips. Of course some roll-bottom saturation can be excused when taken from a standard foil-wrapped Philly Cheese Steak, but for almost $10, I want perfection!

The fries that occupied the other side of the plate didn’t last long even though they tasted the same as 95% of other restaurants. The fries weren’t anything special, but they got the job done for someone who can never turn down fries as a side.

I’ve been telling myself I’m on a diet, but it’s just too hard to eat a salad with my girlfriend not around. Greasy was the topic of the night for my appetite, but I did try to make myself feel less guilty by choosing the steak instead of the ground beef in a Hoppyburger.

After eating greasy foods, my head always seems to feel “clogged” or hazy which prompts a response to drink excessive amounts of water. The waiter seemed to be juggling around six tables at once which granted me only one water refill.

I know I am a camel when it comes to water sometimes so I didn’t even bother interrupting the waiter since I know what it’s like to be understaffed. Considering the unlikely full capacity, the waiter did all he could to keep a fresh supply of ale to others.

Even though the word “free” made grabbing a brew very tempting, I had to pass on it because I have been taking 2400mg of ibuprofen daily for about the last 6 months due to hand tendinitis. I felt a bit juvenile lifting my glass of water among the crowd of ale-drinkers during a toast, but it just wasn’t worth ignoring my doctor’s warning by trying a pint of Hoppy beer. Plus, I never really drank much beer as a beverage; only as a bridge to inebriation.

As far as Philly Cheese Steaks go, I’d give it a B+, but as far as $10 sandwiches go, I wouldn’t repeat it. I am El Cheapo when it comes to food unless I am sure to have a good box of left-overs (i.e. Buca Di Beppo a.k.a. the best leftovers ever). Nevertheless, the chat and the lively environment made my visit to Hoppy a fun time. Next time I’ll try a Heff-a’s-weizen brew.

more info >> www.hoppy.com

Matt Taibbi: Loose Cannon

Matt Taibbi: Loose Cannon

“The 52 Funniest Things About the Upcoming Death of the Pope.” Yes, that’s the work of Matt Taibbi. As a writer for Rolling Stone magazine and a political correspondent for Real Time with Bill Maher, Taibbi’s style can be described as comical, witty, and often controversial. He’s the “Eminem” of journalism who isn’t afraid to say anything he feels like even if it will tick off half of America.

#52 on the pope list reads: “Pope pisses himself just before the end; gets all over nurse.” Taibbi loves pushing his limits, but he went too far by making fun of one of the world’s favorite old men. The pope is well-respected by many and as expected, he received a lot of criticism for publishing the list. Making fun of the condition of an old man is mean and cruel, but that didn’t stop Taibbi’s attempt at humor.

He describes himself as a “dissolute, drug-abusing anarchist” and his writing resists mainstream journalism as he is not afraid to cover controversial and touchy subjects such as race and religion. His writing is uncensored and raw as he sensationalizes his views to get attention.

Another notable work of Taibbi’s was when he entered a church as an undercover atheist. Taibbi mocks the churchgoing culture by buying the “very gayest blue-and-white-striped Gap polo shirt I'd been able to find that afternoon” to help him fit in with the stiffnecks.

Taibbi flirted with the race card by noting “a few scattered weather-beaten black folk in secondhand clothing whom I immediately pegged as in-recovery addicts.” After the complaints came in, Taibbi apologized and explained that his aim wasn’t racist and that he in fact is an in-recovery addict himself. Taibbi says that since he also is one, that he should know one when he sees one. Brutal honesty is what Taibbi is famous for and he’s not afraid to expose his own shortcomings.

Later in Taibbi’s experience of faux spirituality, the pastor wanted the crowd to cast out demons "in the name of Jesus." As churchgoers next to him began to cough and commence in spiritual barfing, Taibbi asked for a bag in an attempt to mask his inability for spiritual cleansing. A man yelled, "in the name of Jesus, I cast out the demon of handwriting analysis!" as Taibbi held the bag to his mouth and Taibbi found laughter easier to achieve than filling the bag.

His latest blog or should I say rant is about Sarah Palin where he described her as the “most half-assed fraud imaginable, 20 floors below the lowest common denominator, a character too dumb even for daytime TV.” Taibbi proves to be a maverick himself and attacks the infamous soccer mom.

Attacking Palin for her lack of qualifications has been the dead horse of the media and Taibbi’s blog was his attempt to resuscitate the dead horse to only beat it again. Of course, Taibbi brought it up a notch by hurling harder stones at the VP. However in this case, the Palin punches are commonplace as of lately and Taibbi’s are the closest he has come to mainstream journalism in awhile.

Check out his latest tirades in his blog “The Smirking Chimp” at:

www.smirkingchimp.com


THE ARTICLES MENTIONED:

THE 52 FUNNIEST THINGS ABOUT THE UPCOMING DEATH OF THE POPE
http://www.nypress.com/18/9/news&columns/taibbi.cfm

The full “Jesus Made Me Puke” story can be read here:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/20278737/jesus_made_me_puke/print

The scariest thing about Sarah Palin isn't how unqualified she is - it's what her candidacy says about America
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/17504

Placing the Blame: The McCain/Obama Debate

It’s easy to point the finger regarding the current nadir of the nation. Obama and McCain faced off Tuesday night covering tax reform, new energy, oil dependence, and foreign affairs.

McCain is aware that many blame the Republicans for America’s recent problems and stated numerous times that he differed from many of the decisions that led to the recent problems. Obama on the other hand blamed Washington for the “worst financial crisis since the Great Depression,” which he feels, McCain supported along with Bush.

So to be brief, McCain says don't blame me while Obama says blame the Republicans. This is politics and neither will accept the blame no matter how wrong their senator stances were in the past.

However, both also agree that reducing “energy dependence” will help reduce the effects of the recession, but the two seem to differ on most of the remaining issues at hand.

McCain feels drilling offshore and nuclear power are the solutions to the oil crisis while Obama stated that clean coal production and increased production of fuel-efficient cars within the U.S. are the solution. Both didn’t give many details on exactly how this was going to work, but the implied stimulus is MONEY.

All the problems mentioned eventually boil down to money. McCain wants to eliminate the “greed and excess” in the economy’s top-tier businesses by deregulating the system. Obama feels that deregulation is the cause of the problem and that we must have “strong oversight” and “crack down on CEOs” in order to revive the economy.

In order to put money in the hands of the consumers, McCain wants the treasury to buy up unaffordable mortgages and renegotiate them with the people. According to McCain, the “most innovative workers in the world” can benefit from an increase in tax exemption from $3,000 to $7,000 per child a year.

The majority of America is made of the middle class and both candidates made them a priority. McCain stated that walk-in clinics and a $5,000 refundable tax credit would help make health care more affordable.

Obama countered McCain’s solution and said he preferred to use a “scalpel” opposed to a “hatchet” to cut taxes to only those who really need it. Obama said that McCain’s proposed $300 billion tax cut would benefit the big companies the most and not trickle down to those who actually need help. Obama was more direct on the tax cut concentration stating that Americans making less than $200,000 will receive the most tax refunds in his plan.

Both acknowledged the failure in Iraq and McCain wanted to return troops in “victory, not defeat” while Obama wanted to shift the military’s concentration to Pakistan where terrorism is now a more major issue. Both stressed that establishing strong allies is essential for the foreign problems.

Stylewise, McCain was more aggressive against Obama than Obama was against McCain and his McCain's replies were more of attacks than disagreements at times. McCain referred to Obama as "that one" and would slip in little remarks to undermine Obama’s debate. Obama appeared more mature and defensive instead of offensive.

Obama's stance was more professional since it mainly focused on the changes to be made instead of defeating the opponent. The election isn't about a title bout, but instead of choosing the right leader for the country.

McCain stressed that his "record" would make him a better president while Obama would be in “on-the-job training” if elected. McCain may have had more involvement with government, but that can also be a negative thing especially with the recent mess the government is in.

The main premise I found is that McCain attempted to escape the blame placed on Bush’s unpopular tenure while Obama stressed that change is what will bring America back to a better position in many aspects as it was when Bill left.

Show Review: 90210 - Teens can't help it

What do bright-colored, sugary, fruity cereal and the new 90210 have in common? They’re both for kids!

The original 90210 which was immensely popular through the 90s was not only before my time, but not the type of show I liked to watch when I was growing up. I caught a few glimpses of the adult equivalent, “Melrose Place” as my mom got her weekly fix, but the program sparked zero interest as I started up the tube in the other room watch South Park or an NBA game instead. Even without knowing much about the first show, it’s safe to say that the second 90210 is keeping the tradition of catering to hormonal teens.

I definitely wouldn’t be watching the show if my girlfriend didn’t insist on doing so, but it’s actually a show I can stomach. I like it better than “The Hills” which is similar to 90210 since it mainly focuses on relationships and drama. I sometimes can get into MTV’s “The Real World”, but “The Hills” is just too boring. At least in Real World they have assignments which sensationalize the show a bit, but “The Hills” on the other hand is just a bunch of spoiled kids making drama out of the smallest things.

The new 90210 is centered on a Kansas family who just moved to Beverly Hills as they attempt to adjust to the culture shock of the new materialistic world. After only a handful of episodes, the drama and love triangles seem more like love carousels as the relationships get changed more than a baby’s diapers.

The main girl, Annie, is the main character and even though she’s hot, she seems to have the most problems with guys. She’s definitely the “it” girl and can’t choose who would make the best boyfriend between Ethan the lacrosse player who can’t stop coming back to his ex and Ty who is extremely rich and hard for her to fit in with.

Of course there is always a villain and in 90210, Adrianna is the scandalous young actress who envies Annie and has already used lies to ruin Annie’s night with Ty after Annie’s standout performance in the school play. Adrianna’s foil in “The Hills” is Heidi who also had much tension with the main character, Lauren. Adrianna is the drama queen and is definitely the character you love to hate.

Most of the mingling is between high school teens, but Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty return from the original cast mainly to serve as role models to the experimenting high schoolers. Even though parents and teachers have some screen-time, the show is clearly about teens and for teens. However, high school was the glory days for many and that is why the older audience still might enjoy the show.

It’s the kind of show that sucks you in and gets you hooked especially if you think one of the characters are cute/fine/sexy whatever you want to call it. The girls in the show have been getting criticized for being too skinny, but I don’t see them as any skinnier than most teen shows out there. They are thin, but at least they aren’t Nicole Ritchie status which is definitely a major turn off in my book.

After seeing Tori Spelling’s show, it’s clear that attractiveness of the characters is key for the show’s survival as it was for the old show and boy bands like New Kids on the Block.

The debut did well and fans are ready for a full season of 90210. Would a brand new show without any ties to the former success of “Beverly Hills: 90210” have been such a success? I doubt it. Fans of the past and even people like me who never liked the original show are just too curious to see the return of one of the most popular shows ever.

p.s. It's kind of funny that my girlfriend's name is Annie and my stage name is Ty just like the main couple in the show. I guess I have to watch it now.....

A trip to L.A., another step into adulthood

A trip to L.A., another step into adulthood

In mid-July, me and my girlfriend took a road-trip to L.A. where we stayed for a week while dog-sitting my Aunt and Uncle’s two young golden retrievers. We had wanted to visit L.A. together for awhile and this was our chance to hit Star-land for a week without paying for a room! It was more than just a vacation for us. It was a retreat from our busy summer lives which hardly give us a break even though the time was called Summer Break.

We planned it months ahead of time and saved money from both of our jobs so we could vacation comfortably and come back with some cool stuff. By the end of the trip, we both had to have spent almost a month of wages on clothes even though we didn’t plan to. We were able to find the newest styles of clothes which we couldn’t quite find in the Bay Area or Sacramento.

The Santee Alley was our favorite spot which earned us two visits because of its great deals in a flea-market atmosphere. I picked up around 15 blank white t-shirts for $2 each which I usually pay around $5 back at home.

After our trips around the city, we would come home to the sound of heavy, furry paws clawing on the back door. The pups would barge in once we gave in and they kept our engines warm when we were really trying to relax. Even though it didn’t utilize the benefits of being in L.A., relaxing at home while playing Wii games was one of the highlights of the trip. Sometimes the simplest things can make a couple grow closer.

The trip not only allowed me and my girlfriend to grow closer as a couple, but also gave me a higher regard of independence from my parents. Even though my mom helped me with gas money and packed a bunch of food for us, being able to embark on my first long trip without my parents or a lot of friends made me feel more grown-up.

Even after 22 years of growing, I still feel dependent on my parents because they pay for my tuition and rent and this trip brought a sense of independence and readiness to jump into the real world. We chose our own itinerary and met up with my family down there which is usually something my mother always plans out.
The week went by so fast and I felt like I could really get used to living in L.A. I thought traffic was going to be horrible all the time, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I dreaded driving through grid-locked traffic with cars zooming by, but it ended up being nothing I couldn’t handle.

Even though we have been living together for 2 years now, I noticed that my girlfriend and I would get annoyed with each other especially during the long drives to and from L.A. We got lost a few times trying to find restaurants or Starbuck’s and ended up blaming it on each other even though it’s probably normal to get lost in unfamiliar cities.


Besides coming back with a higher sense of independence, we also developed an addiction for Pinkberry frozen yogurt. Pinkberry is a fad down in L.A. and the chain hasn’t spread to Norcal yet so after we got back, my girlfriend and I spent several visits to Pinkberry alternatives to satisfy our craving. We found the best fix at Mochii in downtown Sac, which is even better than the original Pinkberry and ever since, we insist on driving across town every week for our dose of nonfat, fruit-topped deliciousness.

The Media’s Ashley Dupre Part 2?

The Media’s Ashley Dupre Part 2?

Natalie Dylan. She’s another young woman selling her body to “advance her career.” Doesn’t this sound familiar? Lately, it seems as if the media has a recurring infatuation with young prostitutes.

Earlier this year, the exposing of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution scandal birthed what seemed a month-long fixation of Ashley Dupre. Her musical career and past with Girls Gone Wild added to the fire to keep her in the headlines. There are plenty of young prostitutes out there being “resourceful” with their bodies, but what made the Spitzer case so juicy was that New York taxpayers were the ones paying for Dupre’s services. Also, Dupre attempted to use the media spotlight to advance her music career to no avail. I guess music fans didn’t find her as orally-talented as Spitzer did.

So this time we have a less-experienced prostitute flaunting her v-card to pay for school. She is expecting close to $1 million so I don’t buy the notion that she is screwing for school. She goes by the fake name of Natalie Dylan, but with her picture buzzing all around the net, what’s the point? Plus if she claims to be so proud of what she’s doing and truly feels that she is “empowering” herself by selling her virginity then why hide her real name?

In this case, Dylan said she didn’t expect such a big response, but we can be sure she doesn’t mind since she is truly “capitalizing” off all the buzz. She didn’t quite make “Dupre status“ yet, but making it to Fox News and US magazine shows America’s love for putting prostitutes on the spot. Let’s face it, there are many prostitutes out there, but most are ashamed of it and most succeed in keeping it pretty much under the rug. People are sinners themselves and like having a scapegoat they can point the finger at and that’s why Dupre and Dylan got so much attention.
After news broke about Dylan, Raffella Fico, a 20-year-old Italian model also decided to sell her virginity for $1m euros.

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/2971511/Italian-model-plans-to-sell-virginity-for-1m-euros.html

This shows the impact of the Dupre and Dylan episodes on an international scale and shows that not only Americans are so drawn to the subject. Like Dylan’s terms, Fico’s offer contains an asterisk which allows her to approve of the winner instead of solely deciding by who’s willing to put up the most money. I guess both prostitution prospects are willing to possibly sacrifice some cash to avoid eloping with an ogre, but at the end of the day, they are still whores whether they are first-timers or not.

Dylan’s promoter, Bunnyranch.com, already has a feature where her male fans can make an appointment with her for sloppy “seconds.” It’s clear that prostitution is at least a plan B for Dylan who claims she only intends to do it to get her Master’s degree.

Dylan’s unconventional approach to achieving success was her choice and she probably feels like she is now in over her head. Everyone knows she is a Sac State alum. Even though she supposedly missed out during her stay at Sac State by not “hooking up,” students, teachers, family, and friends probably can’t resist sharing their own experiences with the new “star.” Talking about star status, take a look at this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270276028523

A piece of fried chicken that supposedly looks like Dylan is currently going for over $900 on eBay. After staring at the thing for nearly a minute at all the possible angles one can realize how ridiculous this whole thing has gotten. Bill Gates or Oprah should just cut the check and bring an end to all of this madness and let her screw whoever she wants.

WHAT'S MY AGE AGAIN? - BIG BROTHER'S WATCHING

A quote from deceased rapper 2pac reads, “And did you ever stop to think? I’m old enough to go to war, but I ain’t old enough to drink.” The USA Patriot Act gives the government authority to monitor everything from telephone conversations to financial records if they suspect any American is involved with terrorist activity. Rules are made by the people and for the people in order to maintain order, but they often backfire and create limitations on the same body of people that create them.

The legal drinking age of 21 in the U.S. was set to discourage underage drinking, but in reality, the law doesn’t stop rebellious teens from getting saturated. In fact, some feel that having the legal age set at 21 makes underage drinking more frequent in America especially in college. Underage drinking is not good and can lead to alcoholism and DUI’s, but making alcohol the “forbidden fruit” is not the solution. This is because the age of 21 in America is older than most international countries, but America remains one of the worst countries regarding alcohol abuse among youth.

The legal drinking age law in America is ineffective and appears even more excessive when compared to the age required to join the military. At the age of 18, the same kid who can’t legally get faded with his friends at a party can be enlisted, pick up a gun and hit the battlefield. Shouldn’t armed combat require more responsibility than alcohol consumption? Thank God we don’t have a military draft where an 18-year-old can legally die in battle before he or she gets his or her first legal beverage.

Another ineffective law is the USA Patriot Act which basically gives big brother full access to nearly all communications that Americans enjoy. This is a violation of privacy for the non-terrorist Americans which are thankfully the mass majority of our country. Where does the government draw the line when determining if a person is a potential terrorist or not? The law will justify and increase racial profiling by authorities and ultimately strip privacy from America. All our emails, voicemails, and financial records are at risk of being reviewed which doesn’t sit well with many Americans.

Ever since September 11th, Americans have felt more apprehensive about national security, but the Patriot Act may be creating more uneasiness. The 4th Amendment which requires a warrant for search is basically thrown out the window as it acts as an extension of the probable cause rule which gives authorities the right to search without a warrant.

Essentially, authorities can bend the law by “tapping” anyone and blame it on terrorism. What happens if the person isn’t a terrorist, but instead reveals non-related illegal activity? There is no set way to gauge the possibility of terrorist activity. Basing the law on the authority’s discretion gives them the freedom to search anyone’s personal records and that’s unfair to the innocent Americans which the law was made to protect.

Of course Americans want all the terrorists caught before they threaten our national security, but not at the cost of their own privacy. The law is on the right track in fighting terrorism, but should be adjusted to limit the authorities’ power to monitor unrelated records.

Rules are made and rules are broken when people figure the benefits of breaking the rules outweigh the possibility of getting caught. Rules can also conflict with each other making them less effective as a whole. Humans aren’t perfect and it’s only natural to have some bad laws still floating around. And remember breaking the rules isn’t what’s bad, it’s getting caught!