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  • Sean
    • Sep 29, 2017

Cheers to the Weekend! September 29, 2017


If anything, this week is about success. Success for bucking the trend of a blog lasting past 4 weeks (the average lifespan). It's an interesting thing to write in more detail about what you read and drink; to somehow connect with the reader (you) and provide value. With so much information out there it can be easy to dismiss the newsletter, and this blog, and just more noise. So thank you for sticking with it and as we grow I intend to bring some interesting new content (it's a surprise!) and contests that I'm currently working on as we speak.

What I'm Reading:

This book was a complete surprise to me (if you haven't already surmised). Isn't this what a book sale find is all about though? A $1 book, purchased at a charity book sale this past summer, with no previous history with the author or even knowing who he was. It turns out this is the former Liberal candidate for Prime Minister of Canada (I should have known that being Canadian ...) and former journalist involved in many different campaigns throughout the 1990's and early 2000's. I spoke quite a bit last week about his one essay The Narcissism of Small Differences which everyone should have to read. A required reading if you must. The rest of the book dives into some really difficult topics about morality and ethics especially when it comes to war. It is easy for me to sit here on the couch watching events unfold and commenting on what should happen. Then you see how difficult it can be to replace someone like Kim Jong-Un and what that means for the country.

To Michael's credit, he points out the fact that if a dictator is toppled it leaves room for everyone else to scramble for power. With the easy access to weapons in today's day and age, suddenly everyone is willing to fight and kill for that spot.

This book is a good lesson in going with your gut on book purchases because you never know what you may find.

Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian Slowly making my way through this one. Perhaps not the best 'before bed' read given some of the content. I'm surprised I don't wake up with nightmares. Cormac doesn't disappoint with his writing style and I'm a fan. Where is this one going though? A tail that starts out without any real direction and so we wander together. I'm not sure where we will end up!

Give me your thoughts on this one! It seems like a polarizing novel for sure.

What's On Tap:

​

Alley Kat Brewing's Pumpkin Pie Spiced Ale

Oktoberfest came and went this past weekend and I had the opportunity to visit and try some great fall beers including this one. The pumpkin pie spice in this one really stood out and paired great with the beer soaked bratwurst and red cabbage slaw meal. Notes of cinnamon and ginger and a 5.4% ABV makes for a great fall beer. Pumpkin flavor is here so we should all just embrace it!

Check out more detials here!

Sound Brewery's Mortal Kombat X Scorpion Imperial Stout

Powerful 8.0% stout with spice coming off the tongue from the Southwest chilies that were infused. A nice vanilla note off the top though you wouldn't know that there is spice in there until you take in that first big breath. Let's also point out this awesome label art and theme! Mortal Kombat fans out there? Scorpion is one of the all time classics if you ask me and this Stout brings the fire. This one came as a trio although I didn't have a chance to try out the Raiden Imperial Saison but did enjoy the Sub-Zero Imperial IPA.

The Beer Connoisseur did a write up about the trio last year when they were released...yea it took me a while to get to it!

What I'm Listening To:

Contemporary philosophy meets pro skater Nick Riggle in this interesting look on what being awesome means and what sucking means. It occurs to me as I get older that I'm probably more in the suck column but hopefully when I'm done this book I can absorb some rays from those out there who are awesome. There is only so much awesome that an account on Books and Beers can provide. Wait wait? Books and Beers are Awesome! Neither of these things suck. Therefore, by default, I must be awesome.

It's too early to give final judgment. Next week shall reveal all but I will say this. I started listening to this one and though "Oh great, another how to start a business for dummies book" and slowly it's been growing on me. The examples used and the daily schedule, once past the initial stages, have provided some really great insight. So a good example of why we (and by we I mean me) needs to stick to a book to see how it plays out.

Random Thoughts:

Random Shoutout: A shout out to History in Five (@history_in_five) over at the IG. Bringing history to the forefront because we all need a bit of history in our lives. Can you name the last history book you have read and did you enjoy it? Folliow along for some great history reads coming down the pipe. Case in point; Walter Isaacson's Leonardo Da Vinci. From the man who brought you Steve Jobs' incredible biography is the story on Leonardo himself. I have this one in my hands and will give you an update next week!

A Quote:

"I am in the present. I cannot know what tomorrow will bring forth. I can know only what the truth is for me today. That is what I'm called upon to serve, and I serve it in all lucidity." - Igor Stravinsky

Something that we need to remind ourselves every day. Staying present, as often as we can, to everything going on around us should be a goal we set for ourselves everyday. Today is the day where everything is both possible and impossible. If we stay present with ourselves and don't get bogged down in what our mind is telling us that this week will be a little more possible than last.

Final Thoughts: What does a guy got to do to get a drink around here?!

I'm looking for new beers to try keeping in mind that I'm up in Canada so sourcing can sometimes be tricky (I'm pointing at you Eastern U.S. breweries!!). Let me know what your favourite beer is though and I'm going to try my hardest to get my hands on it.

Send me an e-mail: Books & Beers Follow along on Instagram: @books.and.beers Follow along on Twitter: Books & Beers Share your beers on Untappd: Books_and_Beers (You'll have to search for this one!)

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  • Sean
    • Sep 22, 2017

Cheers to the Weekend! September 22, 2017


Welcome back to Cheers to the Weekend! I hope you are as ready for it as I am. This week I got a bit bogged down in work and busy evenings but a couple of beers were enjoyed and books were read!

What I'm Reading:

As this week continues on I'm about halfway through this book and love the seemingly random assortment of topics covered that I've never really spent any time learning about. The fascinating discussion over Indian trails was incredible. To think that most of our roadways here in North America were simply overlaid overtop of old Indian trails that were likely the result of Indians following herds of buffalo over the plains. The loss of culture that is almost gone now and yet lives on in pockets that Robert visits and discovers. Being in Calgary, Deerfoot Trail now makes a lot more sense!

From within the pages, consider this idea that really shows that many cultures share the same ideas of being centred and balanced:

"According to Tom Belt, the words osi and tohi have no direct translation in English. Osi refers to the quality of a person who is poised on a single point of balance, centred, upright, and facing forward. Tohi denotes something, or everything, that is moving at its own speed, utterly at peace."

A summer book sale purchase, this book has surprised me with some insight not expected. As a read the essay entitled The Narcissism Of Minor Difference in which Michael covers the nuances of the Serbian-Croatian War back in the 1990's. What was chilling was how people lined up on opposite sides through small differences stoked by leaders who played on people's emotions and the idea of nationalism. Let this quote sink in and consider where we are as a society today.

"When a polity is broken up into ethnic clans who communicate only with each other in the language of collective threats and ultimata, it is on the brink of civil war. What prevents such a breakdown is not just trust but the kind of individualism that can survive only in conditions of trust: when individuals feel sufficiently free of fear that they do not need to depend exclusively on their ethnic, religious, or tribal groups to secure their basic interests."

The language we see in today's media and by politicians is concerning. We must look beyond these divisive issues and remember the humanity in each and every one of us. As the splits grow larger the trust falls away and that becomes the most important thing.

What I'm Drinking:

Collective Arts Brewing Saint of Circumstance

A nice citrus blonde ale, this one is definitely an easy drinking beer. These were two cans I picked up, one with artwork depicting a hand holding a melting ice cream cone and the other with a spaceman, in space, riding a horse. Lots of nice citrus notes in this one but not overpowering. This one came in at a reasonable 4.7% ABV. Originally paired this one with

Check out their amazing can artwork here!

Modern Times City of the Dead

This 7.5% bourbon barrel-aged coffee stout from Modern Times out of San Diego California. Relatively new on the scene up here, this one packs a lot of flavor, especially on the chocolate side. The bourbon barrel flavor aged coffee really comes through with nice coffee notes and an underlying bourbon flabor that provides a nice balance. I'm always a fan of the balanced stouts that don't get too bitter and pack a nice flavor. The chocolate in this one is right there on the first taste! Good stuff! Previously paired this with Daniel Goleman's Altered Traits here.

Check out the website here! This bomber is available year-round as one of their two all season bomber beers.

What I'm Listening To:

If you have any interest in artificial intelligence than this book should be a required reading. I've read a few other books on the topic and this one brings a level of depth on the issues I'd not previously seen before. The scenario building and thought process that Max puts into this book is incredible and goes way beyond the evil A.I. scenario that everyone is accustomed to reading. The nuances of intelligence are covered including a deep dive into what is consciousness in humans and how that may manifest into artificial intelligence one day. One of the cool ideas that Max discussed was substrate-independence. It's the idea that although a computer intelligence may run it wouldn't know what it was running on similar to the notion that we are operaitng here in this world but may not know what it is this world really is (ala The Matrix).

Check out the full idea in an article written by Max Tegmark on Edge.org here!

Dopamine and Serotonin. The two powerhouse chemicals that drive so much of what we do to try and find happiness. This book covers the gamut when it comes to these two chemicals in the brain and how we are going down the path of self-medication through the foods we eat. Alcohol is also mentioned but this is Books & Beers so it gets a pass. I'm bias! Sugar though; you are in my sights! It's a book that has a lot of great information and I'm only 2/3 of the way through so can't comment on what the solution is but I think we all know where we land on the spectrum of sugar addiction. Sugar drives us down the path of dopamine which our brain absolutely craves and can be equated to many of our deepest addictions. Good listen for sure although he does step over his own knowledge in certain cases and it does feel like we have hammered home the point that sugar is the culprit.

Random Thoughts:

Random Shoutout:

A shout out to Book Success (@book_success) over on Instagram. He is doing great things and bringing the spotlight to some great self-help and business books that everyone should read. Insightful and always working hard. Go check him out and give his website a visit if you like what you see!

A Quote:

This quote comes from Michael Ignatieff's book The Warrior's Honour and arguably one of the most thought provoking essay's I've read in the past year.

"To the degree that individuals can ever learn to think for themselves - and so become true individuals - they can free themselves, one by one, from the deadly dynamic of the narcissism of minor difference. In that sense, the function of liberal society is not merely to teach the noble fiction of human universality, but to create individuals, sufficiently robust in their own identity, to live by that fiction."

This type of thinking, written almost 20 years now encapsulates what we see before us in the current politics and human landscape. We must not allow the views of others to cloud our own individual beliefs in humanity. To be friends with a person, as an individual, must trump the notion that we belong to a bigger group or religion in order to break down these barriers we see going up. We are not a colour or a religion but an individual passing through this world. If we are friends with the next person who is a different colour or religion then those two things cannot preclude us from being friends. Insert any difference you want. Religion, sex, sexual orientation, politics, etc.

Final Thoughts:

Snow is falling in September. It must be Calgary. Stay warm out there this weekend if you are facing snowfall or stay ... normal if you are every where else in the world!

Send me an e-mail: Books & Beers Follow along on Instagram: @books.and.beers Follow along on Twitter: Books & Beers Share your beers on Untappd: Books_and_Beers (You'll have to search for this one!)

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  • Sean
    • Sep 16, 2017

Cheers to the Weekend! September 16, 2017


Week 3, this must be the dip week. Things are going to feel really tough before they get better and I'm going to have to grind it out now. How long does the grind last? 10 - 15 years? 1 week?!

What I'm Reading:

Altered Traits was a great read. As someone passionate about mindfulness and meditation and who has seen the benefits personally this book provided insight I'd never even considered before. A lot of hype can be made about the benefits based on all of these different studies however this book takes all of those studies and explains which ones are realistic and which ones aren't. It also provides insight into the types of meditation and their impact on the brain. Definitely worth a read if you are a mindfulness/meditation junky like myself or if you have been skeptical and want to read a book that truly lays out the science. The story about the yogi brain scan results will blow your mind!

If you haven't checked out The Arete Mind be sure to check it out this week as there is a full write up on this book and some thoughts about meditation

This book is fascinating and like many of the other essay style books I've loved so far.  If I were to classify it I'd say a philosophical, scientific memoir of sorts. Covering topics that all weave in and around the idea of trails that we come across in our lives. Robert Moor has done a really great job of crafting a compelling set of essays put together in a cohesive manner that extends from early civilization to now. From the way ants form trails to sheep herding to our highway system. All based on the idea of trails being formed; something we don't often consider in our day to day lives but nonetheless critical for our humanity.

What I'm Drinking:

Dandy Brewing Company's Bright Young Things

Always bringing the good small batch beers, this one is no different.  A seasonal English Summer Ale meant to keep you cool on a hot summer's day. It's been hot around these parts as of late; this one went down smooth.  A nice dry ale with a bitterness that comes across as a mild sour perhaps. Fruity and well balanced. It reminds me of a very subtle sour beer but not quite there with some clean citrus flavours.

Check out Dandy's rotation of beers: Dandy Brewing Company

Innis & Gunn's Latitude & Longitude: 001 Raspberry Barrel Aged Saison

This was actually a pleasant surprise. I'd read poor things about this beer (not enough raspberry flavour being one of the biggest complaints) but I found the pairing of barrel aged and raspberry to be quite nice. The balance was spot on

with some nice sharpness in there too.  Poured a nice and bright orange as well with a subtle raspberry flavour coming to the nose. Good beer to try out for sure!  Getting this in your hand also feels special because it comes in a nice box as well!

Check out more details over at the Innis & Gunn Page

Beau's Blood Simple

This was a refreshing treat. Peruvian cacao beans and California blood oranges are both infused into this Witbier. I thought it had the smell of a PB&J sandwich when I first opened it.  Has a great summer taste to it and a nice wheat undertone to really balance out the flavour.  Not overpowering in any measure. A fitting summer beer as the temperature here drops and fall is now being felt. I'm not sure we will return to the summer highs at this point! Beer will be my escape.

Check out more over at Beau's site!

What I'm Listening To:

This book serves up an important message that seems to get lost in the shuffle of our advancing technology and seemingly busier lives. Before our eyes we have watched companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon grow into monopolies of the highest order and this book's premise is based on how the information we receive is slowly becoming filtered into these narrow bands of information. A fascinating and thought provoking look at the influences these companies now have on our minds.

If the prologue to this one doesn't scare the shit out of you then you need to go back and revisit all of the artificial intelligence non-fiction books you can. Wow; I could feel the anxiety creeping up on this one because there is a sense of truth and reality behind this innocuous story that Max lays out. This could easily be placed on the shelf of a science fiction section with so many scenarios considered and discussed. Really enjoyed the thinking associated with this one. As I write this I'm thinking about how there is enough power in quarks, when combined, to create a Big Bang type energy. It's not even artificial intelligence related and my mind is still blown. Science.

Random Thoughts:

Random Shoutout: 

Today's random shoutout goes to Ellison (aka @bookbully) over on Instagram! Always providing some interesting reading ideas she is also one of four co-hosts on the AMR podcast! Very cool and thanks for following along! Go give her a follow over at Instagram and check out her podcast!

A Quote:

Herbert Simon, Nobel laureate, and a pioneer in many of today's scientific fields had the following to say about information:

"What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention, and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it."

It's not lost on me the time it takes to read these posts and follow along so I appreciate your attention truly. That's why I'm always interested in how to make things better and improve. Your input can help turn this blog into something great.

Final Thoughts:

When I started this post earlier this week it was 28 degrees celsius. As I close this post it was 3 degrees celsius. Started writing in the summer and finished in the fall.  That's an odd thought. 

Send me an e-mail:  Books & Beers Follow along on Instagram: @books.and.beers Follow along on Twitter: Books & Beers Share your beers on Untappd: Books_and_Beers   (You'll have to search for this one!)

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