Beer!

[SteveS]

My friends and I try to drink the beers according to the alphabet, but didn't even make it halfway the letter "A".

Now - this seems like a worthwhile pursuit, and one that I could be seriously talked into joining.  And they say atheists don't have any purpose in their lives!    

One style of beer I really like is German Alt (or altbier, "old beer" - basically German ale instead of lager, made the "old" way - hence the name).  I've heard that the Altstadt in Dusseldorf is a beer-lovers paradise.  Again, I probably will never have the opportunity to go there, but if I ever do I plan to make the most of it!

[Kona]

Tom,

Maybe I should start thinking about heading to Amsterdam for the holidays this year instead of seeing my family.  I'm sure they would understand.  "Mom....I know I promised, but......but......but.....950 beers!  What if Amsterdam gets hit by an asteroid or attacked by terrorists and the place is gone?  How could I ever feel happy again?"  

[jrosebud]

Well, I don't disown you, jrosebud, simply because you dislike beer.  I will think you're weird, though....  

Have you ever watched Multiplicity?  I'm always in the mood for pizza when I see your screen name...

[SteveS]

No, I have not seen Multiplicity (with Michael Keaton & Andie Mc-what's-her-name, right?).  What's the pizza link?  I'm curious.  I frequently have a craving for pizza, and now I'm wondering if this could be due to an underlying cause.  Previously, I've just blamed this on the ease of finding good deep-dish pizza in the Chicago area....

This reminds me of a humorous moment from my collegiate life.  I had once made a prediction to a friend of mine that if I had a beer, I could eat any pizza.  And likewise, if I had a pizza I could drink any beer.  He took me up on the challenge the morning after a dorm party by producing a warm, flat beer (of low quality to begin with) and a cold Hawaiian pizza (ham & pineapple) that had been sitting out all night.  At first I thought this was unfair, as I had been sort of assuming a "good" beer + any pizza, or a "good" pizza plus any beer, but since I failed to specify I agreed to try.  While I would not recommend this experience, I was surprised to find that it didn't gross me out nearly to the degree I thought it would.  I was able, without having to struggle, to both drink the beer and eat the pizza.  It wasn't actually all that bad.

Ultimately, this belies a truth: either there is some validity to the beer + pizza thing, or I'm just a lot less discriminating and a lot more disgusting then I otherwise would have wanted to believe!

[jrosebud]

In Multiplicity, Michael Keaton's character clones himself because he's feeling stretched a little thin at home and at work.  The first copy is a manly man; he covers for the main character at his construction job.  The second is rather efeminate; it helps out with the kids and the cooking.

The testosterone clone and the stereoypically gay one make an additional guy.  Apparently, DNA decays as it's passed along (the show's absurd - I was ten? when I saw it), so the third guy is one twist short of a slinky.  Number 3 always refers to the main character (I can't recall his name) as "Steve."  He's often found eating pizza and offers to share.  "Wan' some pizza, Steve?"

That line is one of those moments from childhood that stuck.  It's served with every pie I purchase.  (And, I imagine, if we ever get a male cat, we'll name him "Steve.")

Cold Hawaiian and flat beer?  Oh my...

I'll stick to my fizzy caffeine and New York cheese pizza, Steve.  

[SteveS]

Ah - got it.  Makes sense now!  Yeah, I don't really recommend the flat-beer warm-Hawaiian combination either.  I like a good hop-spicy Pilsner along with a Chicago-style stuffed pizza for my beer & pizza combo-of-choice.  One just has to treat stuffed pizza with moderation --- too easy to get fat eating too much of it!