The Magic is gone.

My Belgian Pale Ale came in 1st Place at the Wort Hog contest.  That's two 1st places in a row.  One for my Double Chocolate Stout and now this one.  The next contest has me making an exciting Amber.  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz   I won't win this one unless I brew it again. Problem was I was brewing during a thunderstorm and I didn't get the evaporation I was hoping for during the boil and the beer will be 5-10% weaker. ...

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The house is a rockin as Thor comes a knockin

WOW - a couple big lightning strikes this morning.  Not THAT close either.  The kind that is so bright you jump and wait for the CLAP!!!  that never comes until just after you let your guard down and then BAM!!! the house just ROCKS!!! 6:00AM in Columbus Last night I was watching the weather and there was no rain anyway and Bob Lindlier go all excited at the very end and pointed to a teeny tiny little green dot, barely visible...

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Brewers / Rain

Columbus only received 0.48 inches of rain in the last 24 hours compared to Madison who generally seem to be in the 2.10 inch range.Columbus has had 5.25 inches of rain this money or, 142,500 gallons of water per acre.Madison is about 1.25 inches more then Columbus at 6.57  inches. But when you start getting to those levels does it really matter?I would think that lawn care businesses are hurting.  I know K&B called me up to see if...

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White Squall and TV and disc golf

I watched a movie the other day called White Squall.  I had never heard of this 1996 movie and loved it.The film is based on the fate of the brigantine Albatross, which sank on 2 May 1961, allegedly because of a white squall. The film relates the ill-fated school sailing trip led by Dr. Christopher B. Sheldon (Jeff Bridges), whom the boys call "Skipper".I love all movies with sailing ships and one of the main actors I recognized but could not...

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O'Boy - a new obsession!!

To answer a question yesterday.  I'm not sure if my brother can actually arrest anybody, even if he is an historical reconstruction architect, but I was hoping the authoritative figure in my face would not know that.If that didn't work I was going to tell him my best friend AND Governor of the great State of Wisconsin, Scott Walker was about to BUY the Springfield Power Plant and move it to Wisconsin be cause we are open for business now.  ...

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Me? A Terrorist? You really want my memory card?

It was quite an adventure going to see my mom in Springfield ILL.Among the highlights, a Canadian biker gang,  authorities insisting I give them my memory card as I'm now an assumed terrorist, meeting a world famous artist (I guess) Michael J Mayosky and taking photos of him at work, buying ANOTHER disk for 18 holes of disk golf and losing my car in the process (well, I was lost, the car wasn't), and almost getting hit by lightning on the highway...

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On the Road

After I type this blog I take off for sunny Illinois for a few days to see my mom.  My t-shirts are packed and . . . .well . . . that's about it actually.    I was going to take a laptop but then I see it does not have Excel, but I thought I can use it for photos but then I see it does not have a special slot for that cameras memory card.  It DOES have a USB port and I think my camera also has one . . . hmmmmm.Yes, yes it does,...

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Weather Forecast - "D" for theweekend.

GAME OF THRONE'S FANATIC STABS BOB LINDMEIER IN HEART WITH HIS OWN UMBRELLA FOR FAILED FORECAST. Well, from my yard this weekends forecast got a big fat "F".  But I'll give the talking head weather forecasters a "D" since they missed on the good side.  All week the headlines were.  HALF THE WEEKEND WILL BE GOOD.  No hedging bets here.  Sunny Saturday and rain and more rain with embedded thunderstorms Sunday.   Cancel everything for Sunday. WELL. Sunday was bright sunny and 82 degrees in Columbus. BETTER then Saturday. ...

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Braun and the House of Cards

Don't forget to to downtown tonight for the NEW HOT DOG CART.  WHOO HOOOYou know you live in a small town when a new hot dog cart is the big attraction on a Friday night.  West James Gallery is open until 8:00 tonight!In other news, I'm working on trying to get those barricades moved in a little so people can walk on the sidewalk next to the bulging building downtown.  I'm also working on solving this mess in a calm way and have been...

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Short and sweet here

Most of my efforts went into me NEWS FROM COLUMBUS WISCONSIN blog.But a couple sidepoints1. I have now watched Behind the Candelabra and it's very good.  DJ and I, after reading all the good reviews decided to give it another chance and - it's darn good. 2. For any of you with smart phones - Sid Meire- the superstar of computer gaming (Civilization), has finally created his first tablet game. Ace Patrol, a turn-based WW1 airplane dogfighting game.  It's pretty darn good and mostly free.  3. MY CANVAS GUY IS BACK FROM HONDURAS!!! OK...

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Downton Abby vs. Game of Thrones - who has the biggest shocker!

I was giving a presentation to the 6th graders at the Middle School and it was time for them to show me what they had done.  There were some pretty . . . . . interesting effects and a few were REALLY good and one girl did a very nice job with a Justin Bieber image.  However, as soon as it appeared on the screen 95% of the class started booing.There is hope.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Label...

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