Bud Light Wheat... It's Here.

Something new from A/B has hit the shelves. They seem to notice how Coors' Blue Moon has been a big hit. This is their version, or light version of that wheat beer sensation that's sweeping the nation (or night clubs & bars). At least I think it is, again, I'm no expert.

Well, how does it taste? I don't mind a regular Bud Light once in a while, they're okay when ice cold. I am also not a snotty beer person, I will drink whatever ya got as long as it's cold, but I do prefer pale ales and other micro brews. Getting back to the question, this isn't bad at all.

At first, it tasted like someone dropped a bunch of cheez-its into the beer and let them soak. It sounds gross, but it has a nice flavor to it. Although it seems that if you drink these all night, ya might get some funky garlicky breath. But after my 2nd one, it is a smooth drink with a salty-like flavor. I am trying desperately to taste the oranges and coriander. I can barely taste any coriander, and a very light orange taste. I expected the flavor to come through like Wicked's Strawberry Blonde, where you instantly taste strawberries.

I generally love to mix Clamato Juice with my Bud Light and add a splash of lime and some hot sauce (called Michelada in Spanish). Bud Light wheat for some reason seems similar to it, but a very very light version of it. Anyways, Bud Light Wheat is a step up from it's regular beer, more of a delight that I think may stick with men and women alike. For a light wheat lager, I give this a 3.5 out of 5.

Pictures: Pollution in China

This article from China Hush: Stories From China made me sick to my stomach. It's the side we don't really see here in the USA. This pollution affects us all. This is what such things as lower prices at Walmart brings. We need to understand the damage we are doing to our world and ourselves. It's so frustrating that we're so stupid to expand our minds and look deeper into things. Fortunately, there are people out there trying to do this for us. They don't have the power of a corporation to make us believe whatever they're selling. But still, I am thankful for photographers like Lu Guang, who somehow manage to get these things out.

Here are some examples of this silent pollution:

Guiyu, Guangdong province, (广东省贵屿镇) rivers and reservoirs have been contaminated, the villager is washing in a seriously polluted pond.
November 25, 2005:


In Ma’anshan, Anhui province (安徽马鞍山), along the Yangtze River there are many small-scaled Iron selection factories and plastic processing plants. Large amounts of sewage discharged into the Yangtze River
June 18, 2009


Jiangsu province Changshu City Fluorine Chemical industry land sewage treatment plant (江苏省常熟市氟化学工业园污水处理厂) was responsible for collection and processing of the industrial sewage. However they did not, the sewage pipe was extended 1500 meters under the Yangtze River and releasing the sewage there.
June 11, 2009


For more the whole article: CLICK HERE

Q3 Foreclosure Update

The latest word is that there's some good news out regarding foreclosures.


Well, guess what? It's the exact opposite, in fact, for the 3rd Quarter of 2009, there were a total of 937,840 homes foreclosed. Yes, you read that right. 1 in every 136 homes NATIONWIDE received a foreclosure filing!

According to this article from the consumerist, in California that means 1 in every 53 homes! And poor Nevada, they get 1 in every 23! Check out the following chart:

(Click image to enlarge)

Looking At The Garden With A Fisheye

Got a new toy for our camera, a 0.35 HD fisheye lens! Went out for a quick test in the garden this afternoon. Here are 2 images, edited slightly for color:

(click image to enlarge)


This thing looks like it's going to be fun!

Nah, They'd Never Take Advantage Of Me...

Good Advice Business Card

Tower IPA & Red Trolley Ale

After dropping my son off for his evening football practice in La Verne, I decided to stop by North Pomona's Albertsons, located on Foothill & Garey. I Picked up some home necessities as usual. And as I always do, took a stroll by the beer section. Took a look, some decent brews displayed. Saw the great Stone Brews for $10 a 6-pack. Nah, look for a bargain, there must be one somewhere.

Wait? What's this? Red Trolley Ale? Hmm, I remember the Red Trolley in San Diego when I used to visit relatives as a kid. I looked closer, and San Diego it is! Right next to it, an IPA named Tower 10, by the same brewer Karl Strauss of San Diego, CA. To my dismay, on sale for $7.99 a 6-pack. Done, it is purchased and hauled off home for a taste of the ol' Skrip palate.

According to Karl Strauss, The Red Trolley Ale is "A bold red ale with a toffee maltiness and slightly sweet finish."

Opened the Red Trolley instantly after gnawing on some chicken wings. First impression, whoa, this is a bit heavy and sweet. I don't know about a slightly sweet finish, in fact its a bit past the medium of sweetness. It comes on very sweet at first. I don't know if this is one brew to drink quick. This is a slow drinking beer no doubt. It feels as if they tried to put too much flavor into this, in a cheap way. Not your backyard BBQ brew for sure. A bit too forced of a flavor. This baby gets a 3 out of 5.

The next day, I tried the Tower 10 IPA. Karl Strauss says this brew is "An American-style India Pale Ale with a citrus and pine hoppiness, followed by a dry balanced finish."

Hmm, okay this one tastes better. Indeed, it has that hoppiness and bite that most IPAs offer. It is a little bit thicker than the better IPAs. But the flavor isn't bad at all. Maybe the bitterness goes a bit overboard, oh so slightly. But if I had to choose between this and the Red Trolley, I'd take the IPA. This one gets a 3.5 out of 5.

This Sunday In Pomona For Art, Music & Skate Fans!

MIRAMAR & 5IFTYBUCKS GALLERY will be hosting a fun filled day this Sunday for all. Many artists' work will be feautred and tons of cool bands performing. Skateboarding will also be taking place. I personally will be helping out for the event. Hope you can all make it! Click on the below pictures for more info:

The official invite for all:



The list of performing bands and their scheduled times:



Featured Artists:



Event Sponsors:


Doesn't get any better than this!

A Japanese Bird Cooking Spaghetti

This is perhaps the world's greatest website. NOT!

A website dedicated to showing you a picture of a Japanese bird cooking spaghetti. And nothing else. What's the address? Glad ya asked.. its:

WWW.JAPANESEBIRDCOOKINGSPAGHETTI.COM

Strange stuff, but in a cool way. Just weird stuff that's out there. No point to this posting tonight.

Quote Of The Day

"Libraries didn't put bookstores out of business.

Public schools didn't take away a parent's choice to send Junior to a private school.

The USPS didn't get in the way of FedEx or UPS.

Public transportation doesn't discourage people from buying cars.

Why then are people afraid of a public health insurance option?"

posted on Erin's Blog.

L.A. To Pomona And Beyond, Like San Diego

And nothing about that headline has to do with my blog. Oh, wait, yes it does.

But this time I am talking about something different. I'm talking about High-Speed trains coming this way. A 220 mile per hour train is what I mean. It currently takes about 3 hours on an Amtrak train from L.A. to San Diego (it is also not direct, it stops at other places on its way). With this new train, we're talking around an hour and 18 minutes to the same destinaton and some stops! Not bad...

"Rail planners have identified three potential paths for the bullet trains between Los Angeles and Pomona: along the existing Union Pacific tracks through Commerce, Pico Rivera and Industry, or either parallel to or in the center of the San Bernardino (10) or Pomona (60) freeways.

California legislators have passed a law that the first leg of the $40 billion, 800-mile statewide system will be a route from Los Angeles down to Anaheim."

Read the full article here: CBS2.com

Ain't This The Truth?

Wall St Mart

Happy Friday

A long and busy day for me today. Let me see, in the order I did them: Exercise, Shower, Shopping for kids-dog-home, Oil Change, Bought Flagstone for the yard, Haircut, Pick up kids from school, took them to eat, unloaded Flagstones, Shopping for food items, nap, some TV, internet email, and soon hitting the ZZZZZ's.

And tomorrow it's another long day. Double sports in the morning, sports pictures, pick up 1 kid from saturday classes, a bday party, and of course, the Pomona Art Walk.

Phew, I'm done for the weekend just thinking about this... don't even get me started on Sunday.

The Recycle Trash Bandits

Is it just me or is there an uptick in recycle trash can digging? No, I'm sure there's an uptick, as the economy is in the crapper and some people need to eat... I guess. They are thieves, as they are technically stealing from city property.

When I first bought my house, I didn't pay much attention to these thieves. I let these thieves do their thing. My mentality was, heck this city doesn't do a thing for me, let these people make money. At least I know and can see who it's helping. I am from Los Angeles and naturally, this is a common attitude.

At that time, due to ignorance, I thought this city had been a bygone in the way of old Huntington Park, Maywood, Compton, for example. I basically thought it had mostly no hope left, it was done. Gone to the history books as a once thriving town. As I lived here longer, actually drove around and became more involved, I realized that while I'm here, I need to help my city however I can. There are alot of people around here trying to change things.

Oh, and that's not to say these towns I previously mention have ZERO hope, it's just so darn small. Anyways...

This leaves me with the question, do I report these people? What do you do? I'm stuck in the middle.

The part that says no is getting weaker though. But still, I'd hate to have someone arrested for picking up recycles and actually RECYCLING. And this city's recycle truck is always late, usually by the afternoon. So it's also their fault. I have witnessed the night before trash digging from 11pm-2am. I have also seen it the same day around 10-11am, while the regular trash and green waste had been picked up earlier.

The part that says yes is getting stronger. I mean, there can be personal info in there, such as a FedEx box, paper, mailings, etc. Also, some of these thieves leave a mess and drop trash. Although, I have seen one who actually puts everything back and places the trash container back correctly. Continuing on yes, if nothing is done, this is only going to generate more zombies around the streets at night. Some might disguise themselves as recycle thieves and go further, perhaps vehicles or lawn ornaments. It is creepy seeing these people going through my trash at night. How is the city supposed to generate extra money with this happening constantly?

So I sit back and do nothing yet. Well, I actually do not take out the recycle the night before and wait til about 10am on trash day. This way I don't hurt anyone nor do I get angered/scared. How bad is your area in dumpster diving? What would you do or what do you do?


Update: Took the trash out around 9:30am, went for a walk around 11am, and wallah...
caught one!

Ah! What Nice Weather

I have been sitting in my backyard after some minor flagstone layout work earlier, and now enjoying some refreshing ice cold Long Hammer IPAs (about 3 so far). I am so relaxed right now enjoying the cool/cold air hitting me it feels great! I can smell fireplaces burning already. The riff-raff that almost every block has, even if just one house, is all inside and off the street. A few of my good neighbors are out there taking a walk together or walking their dogs. I can hear and see the wind blowing through the trees. Oh man, this is Fall!

Ten Strange Places

"Our planet Earth has many strange and often beautiful places that retain the power to inspire and mystify. They remind us that even in this age of technical and technological marvels there are still amazing places to be discovered."

Aquiziam.com has put together a list of 10 Strange Places with a small write up on each one. Despite all the pollution and disaster man has wreaked on this planet, it is nice to see that beautiful and mystifying places can still exist.

HELL'S DOOR - TURKMENISTAN:


MOERAKI - NEW ZEALAND:


Click here for 10 strange places @ Aquiziam.com

California: America's 1st Failed State?

As I had my cup o'coffee and did the internet senseless job hunting thing this morning, I came across an article from The Guardian. A very interesting read regarding our state's woes. There is some optimism towards the end of the story, but this little excerpt starts it off:

...the state that was once held up as the epitome of the boundless opportunities of America has collapsed. From its politics to its economy to its environment and way of life, California is like a patient on life support. At the start of summer the state government was so deeply in debt that it began to issue IOUs instead of wages. Its unemployment rate has soared to more than 12%, the highest figure in 70 years. Desperate to pay off a crippling budget deficit, California is slashing spending in education and healthcare, laying off vast numbers of workers and forcing others to take unpaid leave. In a state made up of sprawling suburbs the collapse of the housing bubble has impoverished millions and kicked tens of thousands of families out of their homes. Its political system is locked in paralysis and the two-term rule of former movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger is seen as a disaster – his approval ratings having sunk to levels that would make George W Bush blush. The crisis is so deep that Professor Kevin Starr, who has written an acclaimed history of the state, recently declared: "California is on the verge of becoming the first failed state in America."

Full story: Click Here.

Old Baldy As Seen From Los Angeles

Now, look, even I know you can't see it this good from Los Angeles, this looks more like a view from Claremont or Upland. Even with a decent telescope, you couldn't. But wait, this card is definitely very old, so it might be possible with no smog, pollution etc. Interesting though, maybe they didn't really count the tiny towns that we now know as cities/suburbs in between back then.

It's all Los Angeles anyways...

Not The Right Book Store?

While we're on the subject of silly names for businesses, here's another one. This time it's a bookstore... it certainly can't be the right one, can it? And do you have to be so angry?

I Dunno, Would You Eat Here?

I'm sure there are a ton of places with questionable names to eat out there. The famous Golden Shower restaurant is one of them. Here are 3 that I found today with funny names, especially from a kid's perspective. Trust me, I had my 9 year old daughter read them and she laughed. She didn't really laugh at 'My Dung', since we never use that word around here. I did, I mean, I thought as the owner telling people, "Come check out My Dung, you will love it!"