“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to prosper”

-Benjamin Franklin 18^th century

“Narragansett is further proof that God loves us and wants us to prosper.”

-Me today

Lets be honest, in this day and age of finely crafted micro brewed barely wines, quadruple IPAs, and sour mashed snaggle toothed fish head amber bock bombs, its nice to grab a simple, bland, American style crappy macro brewed domestic once in a while. Makes you feel a little redneck inside. Sure the saying goes “As American as apple pie” but couldn’t that also say “As American as Bud”? .

Since the dawn of time when dinosaurs didn’t exist and the earth was brand new and Mosses was out in the back working on that junky boat he got from his neighbor who was going to throw it out, we Americans reached for domestic suds to quench our thirst and we didn’t have to think much about it. The choice was limited, and you had your favorite which was often dictated by your budget. Lets just say Piels had traction on college campuses at the end of the semester when the timed honored couch harvesting season began.

Those were simple times. Days of care free hours spent leisurely filling out the FASFA forms and strolling the town wondering where you parked last night, a time when your only concern was “Why didn’t someone tell me that archeologists don’t make any money.”

Fast forward to 2005: like a phoenix emerging from the ashes and riding the national wave of patriotism, and the success of Family Guy, and all things by the Farley Brothers and Rhode Island, reemerged Narragansett Beer. Move over Pabst and Schlitz, there’s a new kid on the block and he’s got a fist full of bottle rockets, a sling shot and lots of silly putty. Once affectionately refered to as Nastygansett it was the choice beer during “lean times” in the 50’s and 60’s but sadly faded from the scene in 1981.

The big boys’ (Bud, Miller, et al) message is clear “Yes you can dance, yes your hot and yes that sexy glistening vixen will be making you bacon and eggs tomorrow morning. For a boat load of fame, chicks and a hot body reach for an ice cold (insert macro brewery name here)”, Narragansett’s message is slightly less encouraging but somewhat more comforting. The label suggests “Hey, laundry can wait, no you didn’t spend too much money on food and booze this weekend, yes tomorrow is a much better day to start going to the gym, oh and that hangover is from the Jaeger bombs, not me, definitely not me”.

Actually the logo says “Made on Honor Sold on Merit.” Strikingly bold! If that motto was a movie star it would be jumping on couches, pretending to be straight, marrying child actresses and heading a cult based on space aliens and science fiction novels. Where is Honor by the way?

So yet another label has graced our local packies. Narragansett is here to stay in my opinion. It was quickly picked up by the legendary and delicious Red Bones in Davis Square, Somerville and seems to be the rage! I’m a fan and in my world that means a LOT.

Now for the nitty gritty: I’d characterize the flavor as medium bodied or let’s say “not dry”. And it tastes very much like a regular old American Lager. To bloviate on and on about bouquet, nose, mouth feel, after taste, etc would dishonor the tradition in which this beer was crafted. So to sum up, next time you’re reaching for a cold domestic brew, consider Narragansett.

Issue: Am I a total fool to write such a glowing endorsement of a product that not only I’m not endorsed by or paid to write about but often makes me sick and hung-over? Andy Collins, you capitalist sell out pig!

Disclaimer: Andy Collins is not a capitalist sell out pig. And no, Narragansett did not pay me to write this. Although I would hope beyond hope that if they do read this they might send me a free case. I’d be happy to QA/QC it personally, every last bottle.

GoBots:www.youtube.com/watch?v=07-Qfo_JNHY

The internet is an amazing place. As Senator Steven’s of Alaska once said [The internet is a series of tubes] and we should be thankful that those tubes have produced some of the most entertaining fodder in decades.

Firstly I’d like to recognize Ze Frank for being arguably the most amusing video blogger on the net. For the uninitiated I strongly suggest you visit his site and check out the videos. Sadly, his 1 year v-blog experiment, or “internship” as he calls it, ends in two weeks. So get while the gettin’s hot.

I’m considering a major career change. Currently I work as a structural engineer at VHB, which is a great company but I’m just not cut out for the office/corporate life, at least not in the traditional sense. So after being miserable for the better part of the last decade I finally decided to MOVE ON. In part that is that catalyst for this blog, moving on.

I’m considering a few options. Firstly, I’ve begun the application process for the preservation carpentry program at the North Bennet Street School here in Boston. After the two year program I’d have to skills required to work on old timber structures, such as homes, historic buildings, barns, etc. I’ve had a long time interest in this line of work and coupled with my engineering skills, I think it would be a nice fit.

Option two is Treadcrumbs.com. It’s a bit top secret at the moment but keep checking it to see the evolution. The sweetened condensed explanation is that it is a place for people to go share their adventures in the outdoors by supplementing the traditional blog with maps of their trips. GPS will play heavily into it.

Fact: The Delmonico steak from the Capital Grill is delicious.

Fact: Bistro 5 in West Medford is one of my favorite restaurants.

Lastly, if you haven’t heard, the markets are tanking today due in large part to China’s 9% market dive, Cheney’s near miss in Afghanistan, and Alan G.’s comments from Hong Kong that the US may be headed for a recession. WTF Al, WTF Taliban!

Update 4:30 pm: That loud crashing noise you heard today was the Dow tumbling over 500 points. After a slight recovery (if it could be called that) the Dow finished down 415 points. Ouch! I suppose we should expect more selling tomorrow.