#3. no more alc for at least a week or two to see if that's got anything to do with it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jackrrabbit · 4 years

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College AU drinking HCs /// Dabi, Shigaraki, & Overhaul x f!Reader (18+)

A/N: A little background for this college AU—imo the PLF would be a social frat and the Shie Hassaikai is a professional frat (pre-med). Sooner or later I’ll write general college AU headcanons for them…

Tags/warnings: implied dubcon/drunk sex, alcohol, problematic frat culture things, pressure to drink, brief mentions of public sex/exhibitionism, drug use, a tiny bit of degradation, Hawks is vaguely in it too

Dabi

A basic frat bitch who drinks beer 80% of the time

Surprisingly he can’t tolerate cheap beer and is kind of a snob about people who drink shitty beer but he doesn’t bring it up enough to be annoying about it. Constantly blowing the frat’s alc budget on bottled beer instead of cans, not the super expensive craft bullshit but a step above Natural Light at least, right guys? Come on

Dabi always volunteers to go with Keigo (the frat’s social chair) to pick up the keg because both of them have a crusade against the cheap stuff—Keigo because he wants people to get drunk on it at parties and Dabi because he wants to drink it himself. They lowkey have a bromance over it and sometimes go to breweries together to fuck around and daydrink. The two of them are always trying new beers and will generally keep a different sixpack in the fridge every day—if any of the other brothers drink their overpriced IPAs by accident there’ll be consequences

Speaking of Keigo, him and Dabi are both into making jungle juice. They both get really excited about it, it’s kinda wholesome except they’re both just plotting on how to get cute girls like you as drunk as possible without realizing. They’ve spent a bunch of weekends together trying different mixes and recipes for the best flavor/alcohol content combination

Dabi is a whole ass heavyweight. He’s been getting drunk since he was like 11 so a couple rounds of shots are basically water to him. He can’t even remember the last time he was really, really drunk, he just gets tipsy now. And believe he absolutely uses this to his advantage

You’re drinking together? He’s going to fill up your cup every time he fills up his own, so before you realize how much you’ve been drinking, you’re five drinks in and swaying on the spot while Dabi is completely unfazed. He’ll tease you about having no tolerance to make you drink more

Drinking games!! Once again his tolerance gives him an advantage. He’ll pull some fake chivalrous shit like offering to drink for you on the first round of beer pong and then after that he’s just going to demolish you until you’re so plastered he basically has to carry you up to his room (which has empty liquor bottles lined up on the shelves as “decor” because he’s such a stereotypical frat bro)

Ok this is kinda weird but bear with me—Dabi actually dislikes that alcohol makes you less responsive/makes it harder for you to cum. Doesn’t mean he’ll hesitate to get you drunk but he wants you to feel everything he’s doing to you and alcohol isn’t really conducive to that

Very laid-back when he’s tipsy, you can barely tell the difference from when he’s sober ♡

Shigaraki Tomura

A liiiiiiiightweight. 3 drinks and Tomura’s out bruv, out like a goddamn lightbulb, I said what I said

Although tbh it’s more like he gets drunk really quick and then sobers up really quick. Like he’ll be nodding off at the pregame but by the time the party starts, he’s ready to get going again

A wimp when it comes to alc preferences. Hates the taste of strong liquor and will never take shots without a chaser. Prefers to mix vodka and tequila rather than doing shots, preferably with root beer/sprite. Gets pissy if the party runs out of shit to chase with. The frat has a steady supply of amaretto and kahlua because of Tomura, he really likes sweet drinks

Genuinely hates beer and will take white claw over beer any day of the week. But he’s a frat president so he avoids talking about it bc it’s pretty embarrassing

Don’t tell anyone but…Tomura doesn’t really like drinking? Since he’s the president he has to be in charge of a lot of shit when they have parties. Drunk freshmen puking in the backyard? Tomura has to tell Dabi (recruitment chair) to find some pledges to clean it up. Fight breaks out? Tomura has to make sure no one gets hurt enough to get the frat in trouble with school admin. Undercover cops? Tomura’s the one who has to announce that they’re out of alc and shut it down

It’s annoying enough for Tomura to deal with that shit (not to mention get Keigo to stop fucking freshman girls and pull his weight as social chair) when he’s sober, and it’s 100x worse when he’s drunk

On the other hand, when Tomura gets drunk he’ll get really drunk. Doesn’t dance so he’ll just sit on the couch and maybe play handheld games, and he’ll get super annoyed bc he’s shit at games when his vision is blurry and his hands are shaking

Pretty suggestible when he’s been drinking. If you’re dating Tomura you can get him to do all kinds of crap after you get a few shots in him. Make him do your skincare routine with you and put face masks on together :,) He’ll never admit it but he likes being taken care of when he’s wasted

ON THE OTHER HAND THO…….if you’re not dating and instead just some random chick at one of his parties? Tomura will absolutely use being drunk as an excuse to creep on you. e.g. at kickbacks he’ll get you to play never have I ever/truth or dare so he can ask invasive questions

Are you a virgin?

How old were you when you lost it? Oh wow, you’re a slut/prude.

Body count?

Do you like sucking cock?

Ever let a guy tie you up/choke you/cum inside?

You keep answering because he seems super detached/disinterested, like he doesn’t really care about your answers or he’s just joking around. Little do you know…

Honestly a sneak creep—Tomura seems like he doesn’t give a shit about you until he’s groping you under your shirt on the dance floor, hands squeezing your tits before he shoves them into your shorts and tells you he’s going to wreck this little pussy as soon as he gets you alone ♔

Chisaki Kai

You know Kai drinks, but you never really see him drinking? It’s weird…he’s always holding a bottle when you run into him at parties but he never takes off the cloth mask he’s wearing

Brings his own alcohol to parties because no fucking way he’s going to be drinking the same nasty shit that the hosts are providing. Jungle juice? You’ve got to be fucking kidding. Do you have any idea how unsanitary that is? Even thinking about it makes Kai want to throw up

Highkey a drug dealer although he doesn’t do much himself except maybe coke or adderall…Kai can sell you basically anything and all his shit is that high-quality you can’t usually get from a campus dealer

At the same time, if Kai’s planning on fucking you he probably won’t give you that much because he doesn’t want to babysit you when you get crossed

Likes Asian liquors, very on-brand for him. Baijiu, shōchū, sake, that kind of thing. Drinks a fair amount of soju but he exclusively buys boring flavors like “fresh” or “classic”

When it comes to Western liquor, Kai has better taste than most students. Would rather drink vinegar than any alcohol that came out of a plastic bottle, box, or bag. He likes top-shelf whiskey and gin and he’s good with strong alcohol; if you wince after taking a shot he’ll definitely look down on you

Prefers afterparties and kickbacks to big parties, and will take roof/outdoor events over crowds. Hasn’t set foot inside a social frat since he was a freshman and doesn’t plan to. Very much the “let’s get out of here, I have something stronger at my place” type

Fuck, you’re so trusting when you’re drunk…he could probably put a leash and collar on you and you’d thank him. It’s sort of baffling how bubbly and sweet you are when Kai gets a little liquor in you; he can’t decide if it’s annoying or a turn-on

Kai has average tolerance but unbelievable self-control and awareness, so he’s careful not to get too drunk himself

Likewise, if he’s interested he’ll keep a close eye on how much you’re drinking and how trashed you are, because when he gets around to fucking you he wants you to be fuzzy enough that he can easily take advantage but not too sloppy. Wouldn’t want you gagging on his cock after all

Loves watching you stumble around and fall over shit while he’s just shy of sobriety. Only time you’ve ever seen Kai laugh is when you drunkenly asked him for help walking once. No way. If you can’t walk by yourself you should just crawl

When Kai actually gets drunk, he’s pretty much the same except a little more sleepy/lazy. If he’s sitting down he has a habit of nodding off in the middle of conversations. It’s lowkey cute but Setsuno brought it up once and Kai got pissed so don’t mention it to him ♢

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theycallmebeccawrites · 5 years

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Chris & Ellie Series: Episode 10

With Tumblr holding my original writing blog @beccaheartschrisevans captive (aka flagged as explicit), I have made a secondary writing blog and may end up closing the other all together. In the meantime, I am reposting all of my stories on my new blog.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Ellie Spencer (OFC)

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: n/a

Episode Summary: This episode takes place in October 2013. Chris, Ellie and Scott go to Boston for the World Series.

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

The Chris and Ellie series is primarily chronological. It begins with a flash forward to 2016 and has a few other scenes in the future. However, the majority of their story is told in chronological order starting in 2013 and going through 2017. Each episode starts with a date to help you place it within the story.

The Chris & Ellie Series Masterlist | Chris & Ellie Masterlist

Episode 9.5

Episode 10: Red Sox Win!

October 19, 2013

Ellie sat on the edge of the couch, biting her lower lip as she watched Game 6 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) between the Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers. She, Chris and Scott had spent nearly every evening during the last two weeks in front of the TV watching the Red Sox advanced first through the American League Division Series (ALDS) and now through the ALCS. Tonight, however, it was just her and Chris as Scott had had a scheduling conflict.

The Sox were up 5 to 2 on the Tigers thanks to a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning. If they could hold onto the lead, they would advance to the World Series; if they couldn't, they'd be playing a seventh game tomorrow.

Chris sat quietly next to Ellie, his eyes focused on the TV just like hers. Both of their phones sat on the coffee table in front of them, each opened to a text message to Scott, who they had been taking turns updating on the game.

The eighth inning came and went in quick fashion, three up and three down for both teams. The Sox were just three outs away from going to the World Series. The top of the ninth started with two quick outs, but then one of the Detroit players got on base.

Full of nervous energy, Ellie let out a slow breath as the Detroit player took second base. She moved her hands from her lap and shook them out.

As she made to put her hands back in her lap, she felt Chris grab her left hand. He tucked it into his much larger hand and squeezed it. A shiver raced up Ellie's spine as her eyes moved away from the TV and to their hands. His hand was strong and warm, but the way he held hers was gentle and oddly comforting.

The sound of the ball hitting the bat met Ellie's ears and she yanked her eyes back to the TV.

"Foul ball," Chris breathed. "One strike away."

As they watched, the pitcher threw the ball and the batter swung, missing the ball entirely.

The roar of the Fenway Faithful echoing from the TV as Chris and Ellie both jumped up from their seats on the couch to celebrate after he let go of her hand.

"WE'RE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!" she exclaimed. She gave Chris a hug and then turned to grab Daisy by the face and planted a smooch on her dog's head.

"I should probably -" Chris stopped talking as they heard the front door slam close and quick footsteps above.

"I'M HERE! I'M HERE!" they heard Scott shout. He appeared on the steps a second later and cursed when he saw that the game had already ended. "Damnit. I ran for nothing."

"We're going to the World Series!" Ellie exclaimed. "I'd run for that and I hate running!"

"Can't say I blame you," Scott said and he held his hands out in front of his chest as if mimicking the size of her chest. "That must hurt."

Ellie flipped him off and threw a pillow at him. She made to lunge over the couch, but Chris grabbed her from behind.

"Let's celebrate together, shall we?" he chuckled. "Scott, grab us a couple beers, would you?"

"You can let go of me now," Ellie said half-heartedly. Truth was she didn't actually mind the fact that the Chris was holding on to her, his strong arms wrapped around her waist.

"Oh, right," he said. He let go of her and backed up slightly.

"I can't believe I fucking missed this game," Scott muttered as he brought over beers for them. "I am never promising to do something for someone during the postseason again." He twisted off the lid of his beer. "I missed a freaking grand slam. A grand slam!"

Chris twisted off the caps to his and Ellie's beers and then held his beer out. "To the Red Sox!" he toasted. "May they win the World Series!"

"To the Red Sox!" Ellie and Scott chorused. They carefully clanked their bottles before taking sips.

The three of them sat down on the couch and watched the clubhouse celebration and postgame interviews. In between that footage, the station showed the highlights from the game, which both pleased Scott and made him groan about how he'd missed the game.

As the footage shifted to the crowded streets around Fenway, Chris and Scott both sighed.

"Makes me wish we were in Boston right now," Scott muttered. "Remember 2004? We couldn't get tickets to the game so we went to a bar near the ballpark and watched it there?"

"You kept getting carded," Chris said with a chuckle. "He had just turned 21, like the month before. So he was super excited to flash his driver's license to anyone who asked for it."

Ellie let her eyes shift from one brother to the other. She knew it wouldn't be as fun if they went back to Boston while she stayed here, but it was their home. "Maybe you two should go back there," she suggested. "I'm sure your mom would love to see you."

"And miss watching the games with you?" Chris asked, looking at her.

"Not on your life," Scott finished for his brother. "Win or lose, you're stuck with us for the rest of the post season."

Four nights later, the trio once again sat on the couch, this time waiting for the start of Game 1 of the World Series featuring the Red Sox vs the St. Louis Cardinals. Thanks to the American League winning the All-Star Game, the Red Sox had home field advantage meaning that they got to host the first two games of the World Series. The next three games would take place in St. Louis. Since it was a best of seven games series, it would return to Boston, if needed, for games six and seven.

With all of Boston behind them, the Red Sox pulled to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first inning and two more in the second. Four scoreless innings for both teams followed the early scores and it wasn't until the bottom of the seventh that the Red Sox added to their lead with David "Big Papi" Ortiz hitting a two run home run. They scored one more run in the bottom of the eighth to take an 8 to 0 lead going into the ninth inning. The Cardinals managed to get a run in the ninth, but it was too little too late.

Game 2, the night after the big win, and Game 3, a couple nights later, were both losses for the Red Sox. In Game 2, they lost 4 to 2, unable to score after the Cardinals put three runs on the board in the seventh inning. After a day for travel, Game 3 took place in St. Louis and the Red Sox managed to tie the game up in the eighth inning, only to have the Cardinals win it in the ninth.

With the Cardinals up in the series two games to one, the Red Sox had to win at least the next three games to win the World Series. If they lost one game, they'd have to take the series to Game 7 to try win. If they lost two games, it would all be over for them and the Cardinals would win the World Series.

They won Game 4 with a score of 4 to 2, managing to get their runs early and keep the Cardinals from scoring. They took the series lead three games to two, the next night, after beating St. Louis 3 to 1.

It was during Game 5 that Chris brought up the idea of them going to Boston for Game 6.

"Do you think you can get the time off from the bookstore?" he asked Ellie.

"Wait, you're inviting me to go with you guys?" she asked.

"Of course!" Scott laughed. "Did you really think we'd leave you here by yourself?"

"Can you still get tickets for the game?" she asked.

"I'm trying," Chris told her. "But even if we can't, we'd still be in Boston and could be part of the celebration."

"Then yes, I'd love to go!" Ellie nodded her head. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow," Chris told her. "I'll go buy the tickets."

Less than twenty four hours later, Ellie sat next to Scott with Chris across the aisle from them as their plane landed in Boston. They'd flown in First Class and she had enjoyed all the free perks that had been offered to her, much to the brothers' amusement.

"Mom is picking us up," Chris told her as they made their way through the airport thirty minutes later. They had all packed in carry-on bags; her because she was only there for a couple days, and the brothers because they kept clothes at their mom's house. "Normally we'd grab a taxi, but mom insisted on picking us up."

"Obviously she loves you more than she loves us," Scott chuckled.

"I told her I'd bring her some new romance novels," Ellie shrugged then with a smirk added. "Extra steamy ones, too."

The brothers made sounds of disgust as they made their way out to the pickup area.

"That was just mean," Scott muttered.

"I thought you two had relationships with your mom where you could talk about anything," Ellie said, sweetly. "She doesn't tell you about what she reads?"

"If it's anything like the trashy novels you leave lying around the house, I don't want to know," Chris muttered.

"I see mom," Scott announced.

Ellie waited until Scott was out of earshot before she muttered, "Funny how those books always end up disappearing for a day or two and then reappearing in the strangest places."

Chris's face flushed slightly and he put his hand on the small of Ellie's back to guide her to his mom's minivan. Scott had already claimed the front seat by the time they got there, so Chris helped Ellie into the van then loaded their suitcases in the back. He closed the back and then climbed into the open sliding door.

"Hi mom," he greeted as he closed the door and then put his seatbelt on.

"I was just telling Scott and Ellie that I am so excited the three of you are here," Lisa beamed at him from the front seat.

While Chris, Scott and Lisa chatted, Ellie watched out the window as they made their way to the town they lived in. She'd never been to the East Coast before, but had always dreamed about it.

"Oh, I nearly forgot, Chris, you had a delivery this morning," Lisa told him. "It was from the Red Sox's front office." The others in the van stopped breathing waiting to find out where she was going with this. "As you know, you've given me permission to open such things for you while you're out of Boston."

"Mom!" Scott whined. "Just tell us already!"

"Oh, you do ruin all my fun," she said, shaking her head. "They've provided you with three passes for tomorrow's game."

"Oh my god!" Ellie gasped, slapping her hands over her mouth.

"Breathe," Chris chuckled from next to her.

"I'm going to Fenway Park," she whispered, constantly reminding herself to breathe. "I'm going to see the Red Sox play." She breathed. "And they're going to win the World Series and I'm going to be there."

"Yes you are," Chris smiled. "And Scott and I will make sure one of us catches you if you pass out."

A short time later, they arrived at the Evans' family home and it was everything that Ellie had imagined it would be: warm, welcoming and the perfect place to grow up. It reminded her of the house she'd grown up in and it made her feel a little homesick.

"I just realized I didn't tell anyone other than work that I was going to Boston," she said after Chris and showed her to the guest room. "I should probably call my parents at least. Maybe my cousin Phoenix, too."

"Go right ahead," Chris told her. "I'll be in the kitchen helping ma get dinner ready." Ellie quirked an eyebrow at his words. "Ok, so I'll be in the kitchen keeping the kids out of ma's hair while she gets dinner ready."

"That's what I thought," Ellie laughed.

After he left the room, Ellie called her mom and told her where she was. Her mom was excited for her, but reminded her to be cautious at the same time. They talked for a few more minutes before Ellie hung up and called Phoenix. Her cousin was thrilled that she'd gone away with Chris for the weekend, even if his entire family was there too, and encouraged her to take advantage of the fact that they were someplace new.

Once she'd finished her phone calls, Ellie ventured out into the heart of the house and found Chris holding his niece in one arm while having a sword fight, using empty paper towel rolls as their weapons, with his nephews. The sight made her laugh, but also made her heart tighten a little bit. He looked so at home with his niece and nephews.

Dinner was a loud affair with all ten of them around the large dining room table; another thing that reminded Ellie of home. Instead of feeling homesick, however, she found herself enjoying it. The four Evans siblings teased each other lovingly with the brothers even pulling their brother-in-law into the mix with a couple well timed jokes. He dished it right back at them and soon they were all laughing again.

By the time dinner was done, Ellie was struggling to stay awake. They'd gotten up early for their flight and the jet lag was catching up to her. She said her goodnights to the others then made her way back to the guest room. She showered and then got into bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

She slept in until ten the next morning and woke up feeling refreshed. She got dressed and then ventured into the main part of the house, finding it nearly empty as the kids had gone to school and daycare while Chris's sisters, brother-in-law and mom had gone to work. She found Chris and Scott in the living room reading.

"We were wondering when you were going to get up," Chris smiled at her.

"I was going to wake you up two hours ago, but he wouldn't let me," Scott told her.

"Mom thought you might like to go see some Boston sights before the game," Chris told her.

"I'd love to," Ellie nodded.

"Did you bring a heavier jacket than the one you wore yesterday?" Chris asked.

"It's my heaviest jacket that I had in LA," Ellie stated.

"That's what mom figured," Chris said. "She left a jacket out for you to wear today."

A couple hours later, Ellie found herself being guided around Boston with the Evans' brothers as her guide. She quickly caught on to the fact that their knowledge of history was a bit iffy and that she couldn't believe half of what came out of their mouths. Nevertheless, they kept her entertained as they led her through the Boston Commons.

When they came upon the finish line for the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street, they joined a few others that had come to pay their respects to those who had been killed and injured in the bombing earlier that year.

With a few hours to go before the gates opened at the ballpark, the brothers lead Ellie to the small coffee shop their aunt owned. Not wanting to cause a scene in the front of the store, they cut through the alley behind the shop and knocked on the backdoor. Their aunt must have been aware they were stopping by, because she greeted them with hugs and then motioned them up the back stairs to apartment she lived in.

Upon arriving into the small second floor apartment, they found a small tray of goodies and a thermos of coffee waiting for them. They each ate one of the treats before finding a place to lay down for a quick nap. Scott claimed the bed while Ellie took the sofa and Chris stretched out on the floor.

They slept for nearly an hour and a half before the alarm on Chris's phone went off. They took turns filling paper to go cups with the coffee their aunt had provided and then helped themselves to a couple treats before they said their goodbyes and thank yous.

Yawkey Way was already bustling with activity when they arrived at the ballpark and they joined the masses that had already gathered there. They got in line for some food and drinks then found a vacant space to eat while they listened to the live music and people watched.

After they finished eating, they followed the steady stream of people into the ballpark and made their way to their seats on one of the upper levels. Ellie kept her eyes open wide as she took in the sights, sounds and smells of the ballpark and the brothers ended up sandwiching her between them to keep her from getting lost in the crowd, Chris leading the way while Scott brought up the rear.

A Fenway Park guide lead them to the suite and Ellie was shocked when she realized it was the Owner's Suite. She plastered a smile on her face as she was introduced to more people than she knew she could remember the names of. Several of them asked how she'd become a Red Sox fan and she shared the short version. The fifth time it happened, Chris took pity on her and explained that it was her first time at Fenway Park and that she had been dying to go out and see the park.

He and Scott led her through the crowded suite and out to the outdoor seats. Ellie felt tears pool in the corners of her eyes as she looked out at Fenway Park. It was everything she imagined it would be and more. She could feel the history of the place and the nervous excitement that was building as the fans filed in.

As the game started, Chris, Ellie and Scott grabbed seats outside and settled in. It was a crisp 49 degrees Fahrenheit as the game got underway and they kept warm by clutching hot cups of coffee. The first two innings didn't give them much to celebrate, but the Red Sox scored three runs in the bottom of third and the ballpark was rocking.

The energy in the ballpark was sizzling just an inning later when the Sox scored three more runs to lead the Cardinals 6 to 0 going into the fifth. It wasn't until the seventh inning that St. Louis managed to get on the board.

Chris, Scott and Ellie sang along loudly with the rest of Fenway as "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" played over the loudspeakers during the seventh inning stretch. They sang again during the break in the eighth inning as all of Fenway broke into "Sweet Caroline."

As the ninth inning got underway, the Fenway Faithful were on their feet cheering their "Band of Bearded Brothers" on. The first two batters hit fly balls to left field, but both were caught. The Cardinals' final batter struck out swinging.

The crowd erupted as the final out was made and the game ended with the Red Sox winning the World Series; their third in nine years.

Chris, Ellie and Scott cheered along with them, tears running down their faces. Ellie gave Scott a big hug and then turned to give Chris a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up, so her feet were off the ground.

Ellie stared into the face of the man who had become one of her best friends and let her eyes linger on his lips for a moment before she flicked them up to his eyes.

Chris licked his lips and then leaned in, letting his lips brush hers gently. He started to pull away, but she pressed her lips back against his. He lowered her feet back to the ground, so she could support herself, and then he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue in between her lips.

Episode 11

Want to find me off tumblr? I’m @beccatheycallme on twitter. I also post my stories on AO3.

My tag list is always open, just let me know if you’d like to be added!

#chris evans #theycallmebecca #beccaheartschrisevans #theycallmebeccawrites #chris evans fanfic #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fan fiction #chris and ellie series #chris and ellie #chris evans x ofc #chris evans x original female character

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wineanddinosaur · 4 years

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VinePair Podcast: How Craft Beer Can Thrive in the Pandemic

Covid-19 has presented real challenges for all segments of the alcohol industry, but perhaps the area most dramatically affected has been craft beer. Breweries that largely sold their beer through their own taprooms and other on-premise locations have had to pivot quickly �� bottling and canning their beers and attempting to find space on crowded store shelves — while certain styles of beer that rely on extreme freshness have required a bit of rethinking.

That’s the topic for this week’s VinePair Podcast, as Adam Teeter, Erica Duecy, and Zach Geballe take a look at the state of the craft beer industry, discussing how breweries can continue to create communities even with limitations on in-person consumption, as well as other strategies for long-term survival.

Listen online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or check out our conversation here

Adam: From VinePair’s New York City headquarters, I mean my apartment in Brooklyn, New York. I’m Adam Teeter.

Erica: From Jersey City, I’m Erica Duecy.

Zach: And from the satellite campus in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the VinePair podcast. I really did want to say VinePair’s New York City Headquarters, even though they’re still closed.

Z: I mean, it might as well be the headquarters at this point.

A: No, because that would also be Keith’s apartment, and Josh’s, and Danielle’s, and Erica’s. It would be everybody’s, it’s crazy. There’s one room I’m sitting in in my house that really does feel like it just has been taken over by VinePair, and I think Naomi’s getting really sick of that. I’m really excited about today’s topic but first, as always, we have to shout out to the sponsors. This week’s podcast is brought to you by Wild Turkey 101. Wild Turkey 101 is the high-proof bourbon ideal for enjoying classic cocktails how they were intended to be when they were invented. Aged longer for more character and using the same recipe since 1942, Wild Turkey 101 adds flavor and body to the Old Fashioned, the number one consumer cocktail. Never compromise, drink responsibly. Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey, 50.5-percent ABV, 101 proof, copyright 2020 Campari America, New York, New York. Have to love that legal language at the end. I think Wild Turkey is a pretty delicious bourbon.

E: Yeah, it is good. I agree.

Z: Yeah. We’ve been running some cool “top lists” of whiskeys and Wild Turkey’s one of those, it’s not that expensive, it makes a great cocktail. It’s not, maybe, the thing that I would turn to absolutely first to just sip on its own, but in a cocktail and Old Fashioned — definitely delicious.

A: Wild Turkey 101 makes awesome cocktails. Speaking of drinks, let’s talk about what you guys are drinking this week.

Z: Tied into today’s theme, to some extent, I’ve been drinking a lot of craft beer, but a specific brewery because it fits my inactive lifestyle very well. I interviewed Bill Shufelt, who’s the founder of Athletic Brewing, which has focused on non-alcoholic beers and I’ve been drinking a lot of Free Wave, it’s a double hop IPA. I have tried a lot of non-alc beers running beverage programs, you end up buying and tasting them because at least I took that part of my job seriously, but it’s actually pretty convincingly beer. I find their hoppier styles are more beer, I guess it’s just that delivery of bitterness and aromatics that I appreciate. I’ve been drinking that, it fits that “I need something that’s more interesting to drink than water at 3:30, but I still have to deal with my son when he wakes up from his nap” part of my life.

A: I’m so interested. I have to say you’re now the second person who told me you actually think it’s good. Athletic Brewing, if you’re listening, you can send it to myself and Erica, because I’m super suspect. I’ve listened to their ads on tons of other podcasts, I think, and what I’ve always thought was really interesting is they’ve never really advertised alcohol. I hear them a lot on tech podcasts, “Do you want to get up in the morning and be able to do your presentation? If so, drink Athletic.” And I’ve always wondered if it’s any good. Cat also says it’s very good. I actually feel I need to try it now because you are now the second person who said, “Yeah, it’s not beer, but for a beer replacement it’s very good.”

Z: I would say it’s beer. What’s interesting, I think to me, is where I noticed that it doesn’t have the alcohol is halfway through the beer when I don’t feel any of the buzz. If I’m drinking a double IPA normally, it’s seven, eight, nine-percent alcohol, a lot of times. And by the time I’m halfway through a can or something, I can kind of feel it. It’s sort of weird, I don’t necessarily mind, it’s kind of nice too, to have the beer and not have the effect. But it is true that, as we talk about on this podcast, we do drink alcohol for the effect. And so I’m not saying I’ve given up alcohol, but it is nice. It gives me something more interesting to drink than water or something along those lines, if I’m not ready for it yet, more coffee. It’s a nice kind of alternative in the afternoon. I don’t drink it all day, every day but it’s a nice alternative.

E: Nice. I was really excited yesterday to be on the phone with Heather Green, who is the CEO and master blender of Milam & Greene Whiskey. She is based out of Texas, but they are now working, with a master distiller on their team at Marlene Holmes, who was at Jim Beam for her entire career. Man this whiskey, they just nationally released last night, it’s the Milam & Greene Triple Cask Strength bourbon whiskey, it’s fantastic. I was totally blown away and it’s so cool to see a woman owned and led whiskey company doing such great work. They’re a young company, so they are sourcing some of their juice but they’re also distilling in Texas and Kentucky, as well as finishing other whiskeys. I tried this, it was so smooth and a 94 proof spirit, it had such a kind of presence and depth to the character. I was totally floored.

A: There’s nothing specific that I’m super excited about this week like I was with the Negronis. I will say that over the past week, I’ve drunk a few things. One is, I did go back to Heaven Hill Bourbon, the Seven Year Old, which is a pretty delicious overproof. And I had that last night while watching the debate and cheering on the fly.

Z: Did you drink the whole bottle?

A: No. I think this debate was basically what they’re supposed to be, which is normal. Except that, one of the candidates lied a lot and evaded questions, but besides that, it was a pretty standard debate. There wasn’t as much of a desire for me to feel I needed to just down an entire bottle of bourbon. Also, I think I would not feel great afterwards. And then last weekend — gosh, it’s so weird that with corona it all blends together — I will say I actually had a terrible bottle of wine. I’m not going to name the producer, but I want to talk about what happened. And I want to get your opinion. We were at one of my favorite restaurants. I don’t want to talk about them because I think the food is amazing, I think this was the server’s fault. But it was Naomi’s birthday, and we haven’t been going out, but it was her birthday. We’re going to go out for dinner. We had outdoor seats, all this stuff. And I knew that this restaurant had lost their wine person a long time ago, and that basically it’s a hodgepodge of people buying the wines: The chef, manager, et cetera. And I know because of where we are in Brooklyn, it’s been leaning very dirty, natural — not just natural, but dirty natural. And so there were two wines we were looking at and Naomi said she really wanted a red. Not a bigger red, but something that had some nice acidity that would go really well with all the food, and it was Mediterranean. There was this Pinot Noir from Baden. And so I asked them about that bottle and they were like, “Oh, it’s really funky, totally grungy dirt.” And we say no and ask about this Nero d’Avola and she was like, “Oh, this is perfect. It’s classic Nero d’Avola and is one of our bestselling bottles. It pairs perfectly with all the food.” And I’m like cool. So she basically described the wine as being classic. So the bottle comes out and she pours me a taste. And I literally looked at Naomi and, if I didn’t know that this was natural, I would say that there was something wrong with it. Because it, of course, was natural and it was the dirtiest, just riddled with faults, and it was totally unpleasant to drink. But at this point we were just like whatever, screw it, I don’t know what else to do. And so we drank it. And it was not fun. The faults were so clear, and it was so off-putting that it kind of ruined that part of the meal. There were other parts that were great, we had a really nice glass prior that was delicious, as a way to toast her birthday. But whose misunderstanding was it here? And I didn’t want to get into it with her and say, “Hey, basically you made this sound like this was a totally conventional bottle of wine, but this is actually very dirty and natty and not a good wine, because there are natural wines that I do like but this is definitely not one of them.” And so that’s why we just drank it, because we didn’t know how to handle this situation. And we were just going to take one for the team and drink the wine. And of course when we looked at the import on the back, it was some importer we’d never heard of before based in Bushwick.

E: That’s a challenge. I mean, Zach, from the professional perspective of someone who’s worked on the floor a lot, what would you have recommended?

Z: Oh my God. This whole story made me almost break out in hives. I understand your general approach of “take one for the team,” but as a wine director, nothing can make me sadder than hearing customers talk that way. Especially when you’re out celebrating your wife’s birthday. Obviously these times, most people are not going out all the time. I would have loved for you to have said, “This is not what we’re looking for,” and again, restaurants are different and there are different approaches to this. From a restaurant side, I would just, graciously as I could, take that bottle back and say, “Hey, we get it. We’re saying sorry. Let’s try and find you something else. ”It’s hard for me, because I never ran a program where a lot of the wines we were selling were faulted. So I’m not really familiar with how you convince someone that a wine that’s flawed is good. I just tried to sell good wine. And that’s still a subjective thing, and different people have different tastes, but if a wine had an obvious fault and we opened it, it was of course going back. I was sending it back to the distributor and trying to walk a line there. What I would say is that, yeah maybe the server’s not super knowledgeable, but in the end, if they’re recommending food to you and it sucks — “Oh, we don’t have anything spicy,” and they bring out something that’s loaded with spice — that’s not your fault, you don’t take that one for the team. You don’t have an incrementally unpleasant dining experience because they did a s***** job. No, you tell them, “Look, this is super spicy. We don’t want it. We want something mild.” If you want something super spicy and they bring out something bland as hell that’s not your fault, that’s the server’s fault and the restaurant’s fault. They should be able to communicate to you the basics about the wine program. And if you say, “Hey, we don’t want funky, dirty wine,” either they can say, “Well, unfortunately, we don’t have anything that meets your needs.” You can decide what you want to do then. Or they can bring you a wine that isn’t funky and dirty. I would just say they failed. And I totally understand not wanting to be the person who says “excuse me,” but, all of you listening out there, be the person who says “excuse me.” Restaurants want you to leave happy, not to go on your podcast the next week.

A: True. I mean, there was so much there. We’ve talked about this before, about us realizing what a privilege it is to be dining out, and I was also thinking about the server and how she may not want to be there, but she is. And I’m not going to be the person that does this right now, but it sucked. I get that there is that movement. And now there also is this weird thing where it’s “what can you trust?” Because if it says Nero d’Avola, and it’s from the area where I know it’s going to usually be very good in Sicily, I was going to assume it was what I thought we would want. And when she said it was typical. Do you know what typical narrow Nero d’Avola tastes like? Or have you only tasted very natty ones at this restaurant? Which also then becomes hard, because then you have the issue of what is the word typical? I would say the word typical is what the majority of people would agree is what the grape tastes like. Not what a few people at some super hipster places think the grape tastes like. It was a bummer because even Naomi — she’s the one in the relationship that loves the natural wines more than I do — even she tasted something bad.

Z: And in the end, that’s the problem. That should not be your experience walking away from a drink or a meal, being like, “This was bad.” That’s hopefully not what anyone’s aiming for.

E: That sucks.

A: Let’s talk about the state of craft beer, because it’s craft beer month at VinePair and we’ve devoted a large amount of our content for the month of October to the world of American craft beer — which has been a very exciting world of beverage for quite a long time. Within the last decade, prior to 2020, it was really a massive boom time. Every year, hundreds if not thousands of new craft breweries were opening across the country. But now, it seems that of all three of the areas of alcohol, the one that’s being the most impacted by Covid is craft beer. It also seems, all of a sudden, maybe there’s a little bit less interest in craft beer than they’re used to. So we thought it’d be fun if we chatted about this area, and what we think is really happening in craft beer right now. What’s exciting, and what needs a little bit of a jolt to become more exciting.

E: From my perspective, I will be the first to say that craft beer, or any beer, is not my area of expertise, so where I can help is providing some statistics. According to the IWS, craft beer is down 12 to 15 percent overall for the first half of this year. That is largely because of the many on-premise closures and capacity restrictions. When you think about the different categories, craft beer, especially, is focused on-premise. Bart Watson, the chief economist for the Brewers Association, says on-premise sales account for about 45 percent of craft beer volume before Covid-19, about half. Without that channel, we are seeing the off-premise sales up between 11 and 16 percent, according to Nielsen data, during the Covid affected period. But that doesn’t cancel out the widespread losses from sales at bars and restaurants. That’s kind of the bigger picture that we’re looking at here.And there’s been a lot of challenges for craft brewers who are looking to pivot into canning from what they’ve previously been doing — kegs for example — which is tough, operationally. If you’re not set up for a high volume of canning, you may have to rely on mobile canning lines that may only be available in higher-density areas. Not as much in rural areas. There’s been this ongoing aluminum can shortage. And that existed before the pandemic. But Covid has exacerbated that because of the growing demand for aluminum cans, not just in beer, but also in wine cans, seltzer, et cetera. So those are some of the challenges that craft beer brewers are facing right now.

Z: I think the other thing that goes along with what you’re saying, Erica, is for a lot of craft breweries, especially ones on the very, very small nanoscale, all the way up to the medium-sized craft breweries, much of their profit — not necessarily gross revenue, but profit — comes from a taproom. And in most of the places in the country, the best you’re able to offer is limited capacity, or your taproom was closed for some amount of time, or it’s still closed. You can have some limited outdoor seating, but maybe not nearly as much as what you had before. And every brewer and brewery-owner that I’ve talked to in this period points to this very real fact that the smaller you are, the more dependent you are on that often one location where you’re generating a whole lot of your revenue. And if it’s closed or even limited (and again, maybe people have been okay through the warmer months and as most of the country heads into fall and winter and outdoor seating is a lot more complicated, if it’s even an option), a lot of them are looking at real challenges to the central piece of their model. Along with that, I think is this other real central conceit to craft brewing, which is that for so long, the selling point for craft beer, along with of course the quality of the product, was the convivial nature of beer. We think of beer as this hyper-social beverage, even maybe more so than wine or spirits. And whether it’s in a brewery, at a beer bar, at a tailgate, all these ways of getting together and enjoying beer are greatly curtailed for most of us, if not completely off-limits. And beer may just have a harder time fitting into the existing models for consumption that we have, especially if it’s smaller scale and not readily available at the grocery store or online. You guys can listen to some of the interviews we’ve had and have coming up on the Next Round part of this feed, but there’s lots of interesting things going on where brewers are experimenting with ways to continue to keep that connection with their customers alive. But it’s more challenging, I think, for beer than anyone else.

A: I think this is interesting. Some of the points you’re raising, Zach, reinforce this theory that I have that’s a hot take. I think the biggest trend in craft beer of the past four to five years is the reason craft beer is suffering now. And that trend is the hazy, because for those beers, which are so amazing, freshness is key and limited supply is key. And so when you build a brewery that initially is all built not on distribution to grocery stores — which is where all of us wound up in the pandemic — we reencountered Lagunitas, which some of us hadn’t drunk in decades. Or we reencountered bear Bear Republic, or some of these other OG craft breweries. And if you relied on line culture — people who would be willing on a Saturday or Sunday morning to come and line up at the brewery and wait for the beer and then have that community that we talked about, and you relied on really being very, very vigilant when it came to shelf control (and that’s why a lot of retailers never wanted to stock some of these beers, because a lot of the breweries were actually really hard on the distributor who was really hard on the retail) it means that when a pandemic happens, people aren’t willing to wait in line and you’re not set up to know how to do delivery, because you haven’t had to do that in the past. I think a lot of breweries fell behind because they became known for this style of beer that is absolutely delicious. Cat jokes and says that I’m a “haze bro.” I love hazy beers. I think they’re delicious. But they’re harder to find. At least in the first two to three months, the grocery store that I went to had none of them besides Threes, and Threes is one of the exceptions. Shout out to them, their infrastructure, and the way that they do their business in New York City. A lot of people could learn from them. I think the way that they handle getting the beer still into all the larger retailers is pretty unique. But I think, for the most part, all those other breweries had a very hard time, and now the opposite has happened. Now they all flooded retail. We talked about the beers that we’ve all enjoyed during the pandemic, and Josh was saying he’s gotten to drink beers that he never would have gotten to be able to just walk down to the corner bodega and buy, because he would have had to go to the brewery to get it. And now they’re so desperate to get it into retail, and a lot of them are also being a little bit less vigilant about those “buy on” dates. They’re not as worried anymore that the beer has to be consumed within a week of canning, which is what a lot of people used to think. That was the whole allure of the fresh, hazy IPA. If it wasn’t fresh, that haze diminished — it kind of fell out of the beer. It didn’t have the pillowy mouthfeel everyone was obsessed with. And the fruitiness. All that stuff that made that beer so mind-altering to so many people who had drunk crappier beer for so long. That’s my first hot take. My other hot take is: I think the other thing that happened at craft breweries is a lot of them got into seltzer, and White Claw and Truly kicked their a**. That, again, is a supply issue. And a lot of craft breweries started making seltzer when the breweries were packed to have something else on tap that they could serve to people who didn’t want a ton of these massively high-alcohol beers we talked about at the beginning. How many IPAs can you drink? But now that we’re in a pandemic, White Claw and Truly are everywhere. and this obscure hard seltzer that probably wasn’t that much of a focus for the brewery but helped pay the bills when they were open is not going to be the thing that people reach for. So I think that those things align with everything else you’re saying, it’s just harder for them than for almost anyone else. And no one has figured out how to create this beer that took the beer world by storm as a shelf-stable product yet. Hazy Little Thing really isn’t that. Sierra Nevada says it is, it’s not. The question is this new Dogfish beer that just got announced, which is going to have oat milk in it. It’s the oats that are actually going to make it hazy. Is that going to be it? Because that’s the only way you’re going to recreate these beers without relying on freshness. There’s going to have to be something else chemically that happens that makes them hazy and pillowy and what I refer to as what eggs look like when you add milk to them and you scramble them. I don’t know. It’s going to be interesting. I think it’s going to be tough because that style of beer is what made Other Half famous. It’s what made Grimm famous. I remember, Erica, when we had the staff picnic and I was talking to Jonno, your husband, and he mentioned one of the OGs of that movement, I can’t remember which one it was, but it was one of the beers everyone was excited about.

E: The thing I see more than anything is fruited sours and just fruit beer everywhere. I don’t know how fresh those have to be, though. I’m thinking of the Dogfish Head SeaQuench and all those sorts of beers that have really pronounced fruitiness to them. Do those beers have to be as fresh? What’s the situation there?

A: Not that I know of, but I’m curious what Zach thinks here. I think that sours are polarizing, and I think what was so interesting about the hazys was that they’re incredibly welcoming to almost anyone, it tastes like f***ing orange juice, and that’s why I’ve always been a big IPA fan. I used to think of Racer 5 as one of my top beers. I love that IPA. That beer is amazing. Also Bell’s Two Hearted is an amazing beer but that was a style of IPA that was for people who like bitterness. I could never get Naomi to drink IPAs, but she loves hazys. I think that sours are the same. Naomi loves sours. I’m going to give you guys a little TMI, but I have massive acid reflux. That’s also why I don’t like natural wine. I can’t do it. The Brett inside those beers, I can have one but I could never think that I’d go and invest in a six pack, but I don’t know exactly. What do you think?

Z: I think that it’s really interesting that we’re talking about the freshness of beers because I think, in general, that’s something that even outside of hazys and beers where, especially in the Pacific Northwest, we’re in the midst of fresh hop season and those beers are, again, another thing where you want that beer fresh from the tank, if possible. And if not that then in the can for as little time as possible. But all beer, with the exception of maybe some darker beers that are designed to age, almost all beer benefits from being consumed pretty fresh. One thing that we’re just seeing is that breweries of all scales, but especially on the craft side, are really trying to figure out how to get product in people’s hands. For the most part, you’re not going to go buy a 24 pack of your favorite craft beer. You probably don’t want to drink the same one of those every day or two of them a day for 12 days or whatever. But also the beer just isn’t as good, as enjoyable, at the end of that. One of the challenges that I think that craft brewing has had is the compulsion that people had, especially earlier in the pandemic, to get as much of everything as they can. “I got to pack my house, my apartment, whatever, with everything that I could possibly need.” And I think people have come out of that a little bit, but still there’s that challenge of — if you’re only going to the store once a week, or you’re going to go to a brewery to stock up but you’re not going to go every week, you’re going to go once a month or every two months — you kind of have to find this balance of what is going to be shelf-stable enough to last through that period. I also think with the sours, the other problem for beers is that we are seeing a shift (and again, this is where I come back to the closures or limitations on taprooms, where the current contexts for drinking these beverages is different)m and so one of the reasons why I think the hazy has become so popular. Not just because of what Adam said, or maybe in conjunction with what Adam said about how welcoming it is, it’s also a great beer to just drink by itself. That’s a complete thing unto itself. Whereas, to me, a sour, whether it’s fruited or otherwise, that’s a beer I need to eat something with. The same way that a high-acid wine — I don’t really want to drink those things. I don’t have the same issues with the reflux, but still I don’t want to drink a really high-acid anything without something to go along with it. And so those higher-acid beverages, I think, are more shelf-stable. I would bet just chemically that it has to be part of the problem for a hazy. You don’t have that acid balance to keep the thing fresh. Milk is going to go bad faster than lemonade, just the reality of it. But it’s something that people could revisit, if they haven’t done it in a while, because for those of us who are consuming at home, maybe thinking about having beer with food, that’s where those drinks shine. They’re their brightest in that context, where you can use a meal or snack or something to balance them out. Whereas, I think a hazy or something, you can just crush that, watch Netflix, it doesn’t need anything else to make it enjoyable. I don’t know that it’s something I would say that, necessarily, I’m going to go back to some of the beers that I used to drink as much. But that is where I think really bitter IPAs and sours, those more extreme ends could perhaps come back and do a little bit of prominence. Because I think they’re both more shelf-stable and they’re also more enjoyable in the setting that most of us are consuming things: At home, with a meal or snacks.

A: I think that there’s the same craft beers kind of really influx right now because I really feel even two or three years ago, maybe even a year ago, it was the area of alcohol that a lot people would have said was the most exciting. It was working on becoming more open — it still was predominantly beer bros, but it was working on becoming more open. There was an accessibility, at least when it came to people who were drinking, that it felt people would get into it more easily than other areas of the drinks world. The branding was always really interesting. A lot of people I’ve talked to think that now a lot of those natural wine labels were influenced by craft beer. And a lot of wine people want to have their cool craft beer area of the wine world. I think everything we’ve said here is true. The business model, that’s the gray, it’s just suffering more than any other area of alcohol I can’t think of. I love craft cocktail bars. But those aren’t, to me, a third space. I can’t sit at a craft cocktail bar and pay $15 a drink for very long. Whereas you can sit at a brewery all day and have $6 to $8 pints and have a great time. And usually there’s a food truck. And the same for wine bars. I know there’s a lot of them, but are they really a place that you’re going to just hang out with your buddies and catch up in the same way? Probably not. And wine, to me, has always been much more of a restaurant thing or an at-home thing, which is what I drink most often. I think that’s what it is. And it’s sad, because I think it’s going to take longer for it to come back than the others. It’s just not going to be as quick as everything else.

E: I agree. I’ll just put in one little fact here, which I found interesting, as of June 30th there were 8,217 active craft breweries in the U.S. That was up 100 percent from a year ago. It takes a lot of time to open a brewery, several years, People are still opening. But what I found interesting was that between Q2 and Q3 of this year, there were still 219 new brewery permit applications. It’s the slowest amount of growth in 11 quarters, but it’s still growing. So I think people still see craft beer as a possible area where they can make money, or maybe it’s all the people in finance who’ve said, “Screw it, I’m done here and I’m just going to go open a brewery.”

Z: I will say my one bit of silver lining for this whole conversation is that statistics say that homebrewing has taken off again in a big way during the pandemic. I do think that one cool possibility coming out of this is that you will have had a lot of people who either had more time to do homebrewing or took it up for the first time. And I mean, again, homebrewing is where the craft beer movement was born. It’s still how it mostly gets its start. Many people who start breweries start out by brewing at home. It’s relatively easy to do that. Adam, you have personal experience, and I think in general it’s certainly possible that when we’re talking to brewers five or 10 years from now and how they got started, a lot of them probably will say, “During Covid, I decided to take the plunge: I’m going to try homebrewing. I’m going to give it a shot.” And from this opportunity, maybe some of the great breweries of the 2020s will be born.

A: That’s actually really true. I’m not going to open a sourdough bakery, but I could. And seriously, Erica, I’ll let you plug it. We got a great homebrewing column, guys.

E: It’s a really wonderful column. If you haven’t checked it out it’s called BIY: Brew It Yourself, and Mandy Naglich, she is a pro home brewer. It’s a really highly read column so people seem to be engaged. It’s been growing during the pandemic. So I think there’s a lot of interest in people saying “I’ve graduated from sourdough. Let me try homebrewing.”

A: Yeah. And she even has a column where she writes about how to make a hazy, which I thought was really interesting because it’s actually going to teach you how to do that. I never, when I was brewing, thought I could have attempted that. But I think it shows people are willing to try these things. I think you’re very much going to be right there, Zach. I think we’re going to have a lot of breweries that open up, and when you ask why, they’re going to say, “We left whatever city we lived in, we moved to this place, we got more space, we started homebrewing, and we realized ‘Oh, this will be a nice life.’” And they opened. I can totally see that.

E: Yeah. Me, too.

A: Well, guys, this has been another amazing conversation, as always. I think every time we talk this stuff out, we go into it thinking, “Okay, is this going to be something that should be all doom and gloom?” And then I come out and I feel really positive about everything. Thank you guys very much.

Z: Just here to brighten your day.

A: Thanks, guys. Well for everyone listening, we’re here to brighten your day as well, which is why we’d love you to leave us a review, tell your friends, rate us on iTunes, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts. It definitely helps other people discover the show. Erica, Zach, I’ll see you right back here next week.

E: Talk to you then.

Z: Sounds great.

A: Before we officially go, a word from the sponsor of this week’s podcast, Wild Turkey 101. Wild Turkey 101 is the high-proof bourbon ideal for enjoying classic cocktails how they were intended to be when they were invented. Aged longer for more character and using the same recipe since 1942, Wild Turkey 101 adds flavor and body to the Old Fashioned, the number one consumer cocktail. Never compromise, drink responsibly. Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey, 50.5-percent ABV, 101 proof, copyright 2020 Campari America, New York, New York.

Thanks so much for listening to the VinePair Podcast. If you enjoy listening to us every week, please leave us a review or rating on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever it is that you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show. Now, for the credits. VinePair is produced and hosted by Zach Geballe, Erica Duecy and me: Adam Teeter. Our engineer is Nick Patri and Keith Beavers. I’d also like to give a special shout out to my VinePair co-founder Josh Malin and the rest of the VinePair team for their support. Thanks so much for listening and we’ll see you again right here next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: How Craft Beer Can Thrive in the Pandemic appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/podcast-craft-beer-pandemic/

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johnboothus · 4 years

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VinePair Podcast: How Craft Beer Can Thrive in the Pandemic

Covid-19 has presented real challenges for all segments of the alcohol industry, but perhaps the area most dramatically affected has been craft beer. Breweries that largely sold their beer through their own taprooms and other on-premise locations have had to pivot quickly — bottling and canning their beers and attempting to find space on crowded store shelves — while certain styles of beer that rely on extreme freshness have required a bit of rethinking.

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Adam: From VinePair’s New York City headquarters, I mean my apartment in Brooklyn, New York. I’m Adam Teeter.

Erica: From Jersey City, I’m Erica Duecy.

Zach: And from the satellite campus in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the VinePair podcast. I really did want to say VinePair’s New York City Headquarters, even though they’re still closed.

Z: I mean, it might as well be the headquarters at this point.

E: Yeah, it is good. I agree.

A: Wild Turkey 101 makes awesome cocktails. Speaking of drinks, let’s talk about what you guys are drinking this week.

Z: Did you drink the whole bottle?

E: That’s a challenge. I mean, Zach, from the professional perspective of someone who’s worked on the floor a lot, what would you have recommended?

Z: And in the end, that’s the problem. That should not be your experience walking away from a drink or a meal, being like, “This was bad.” That’s hopefully not what anyone’s aiming for.

E: That sucks.

A: That’s actually really true. I’m not going to open a sourdough bakery, but I could. And seriously, Erica, I’ll let you plug it. We got a great homebrewing column, guys.

E: Yeah. Me, too.

Z: Just here to brighten your day.

E: Talk to you then.

Z: Sounds great.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: How Craft Beer Can Thrive in the Pandemic appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/podcast-craft-beer-pandemic/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/vinepair-podcast-how-craft-beer-can-thrive-in-the-pandemic

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thesportssoundoff · 7 years

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Ten incomplete thoughts on UFC 216

Due to work, I missed the main card except for the main event which I managed to get home in time for. Anyways here’s what I got based off of the prelims and the FX card.

1- Demetrious Johnson is our ugly baby

This is a Jerry Jones-ism so forgive me but I think it fits if you think about it. Have you ever seen a couple that just had a baby---and the baby's ugly? To everyone on the outside, the baby is absolutely hideous looking but to THEM, to those parents, it's the most beautiful thing ever because its THEIR baby. Demetrious Johnson is our ugly baby. For some fight fans and casual consumers, Demetrious Johnson is a midget who has boring fights against limited competition with a weird personality. He lacks a demographic, a definable fanbase by which an organization can capitalize on his gifts. He's destined to be the guy or the man who fight fans have no interest in. His mere PRESENCE on a card or an event signifies skippable to them. He is almost a fan repellant at this point. He is, in many ways, an ugly baby.

But he's our ugly baby. He's the best fighter in the world as of right now. Where as other see boring fights over limited competition; we see dominant performances vs good fighters who would be great in a world where he doesn't exist. Whereas they see the hit but don't get hit style as boring, we see endless activity through a variety of channels designed to minimize risk BUT still promote action. He finishes fights. He challenges himself to be better. His dominant reign has never featured two fights alike and while you can be bored with the dominance, it's still dominance. It's still one man dominating a host of opponents of various shapes, sizes and styles. All of which unique, all of which remind you that what you're seeing is special and what everybody else sees is irrelevant. Who gives a shit if he's an ugly baby, he's YOUR baby.

Mighty Mouse, in a climate where fighting often and fighting consistently on TV isn't really worth as much as it should, will never be respected for what he is. He's our ugly baby; the thing only we can truly appreciate. You just gotta go with it.

2- The Uniqueness of Combat Sports; Good and Bad; was on display.

We begin with the good. The 1 v 1 nature of MMA (and boxing and etc) makes it so much more free flowing as to the how and why we get the matchups. There is no set schedule---so when Derrick Lewis hours before the show can't go? You just get another guy on display! Out comes Walt Harris who had a fight scheduled previously who gets bumped up the card. That's the fun thing about MMA; it's never always laid out to perfection but 9/10, it ends up being just fine. Instead of not getting a Werdum fight, we get Werdum vs Walt Harris on like six hours notice. That's really cool.

And the negative? Well in no other sport would an obvious matchup not happen on account of money. The brackets are what they are, the Yankees and Red Sox don't immediately get to play one another in the ALCS. Who wins is who wins. Tony Ferguson vs Conor McGregor is the fight to make under all categories except for one----which happens to be the biggest one. At the risk of upsetting the Nate Diaz fans, imagine if the Lakers last year took the place of the Spurs to ensure that the NBA would garner the biggest ratings for their playoffs. It'd be stupid---but MMA is a stupid sport sometimes. So we'll sit and wait to determine whether the right title fight will take place or whether the most economical title fight will take place. Either one will do.

3- Mighty should SERIOUSLY think about retiring.

There's a theory that flyweight would've had a better chance of surviving had it not been for Demetrious Johnson, the aforementioned ugly baby of MMA. Let's test that. Mighty Mouse should seriously consider pulling a GSP. Just take off for a while, work on the Fox team/whatever network is next team and provide analysis from a distance. When the opportunity arises for him to come back aka when there's a title fight that makes sense, he should return. Let's see if HE is the problem of it the division itself is a problem.

4- Tony Ferguson is a once in a decade type fighter

No, I don't mean that in the sense that he's a prodigious athlete or some special draw. He's not Conor or Ronda or whomever else has been tabbed with such a label. I'm talking about a guy who is a fighting freak; one of those fucked up type of guys who has these fights that the average human being couldn't fathom and even pro fighters would try to avoid. He began the third round shouting at Kevin Lee about how this was going to be his round and he legit just marched dude down, ate whatever fire was coming his way, got up from takedowns and then when shit got hairy on the ground, he went elbows into armbar into triangle. Tony Ferguson fights with this unrelenting confidence and this air of inevitability. "At some point, I'm going to get you. And when I do? You aren't going to do shit about it." Ferguson isn't just a great fighter, he's a savage sadistic will breaker. You don't see guys like that come along, not in today's MMA where fans think fighters play it safe more than ever before.

5- Greg Jackson had a bad night.

I didn't see any of the main card fights beyond the main event but this goes to the Duquesnoy and the Ray Borg fight. In the former, it felt like any adjustments after the first round were nil for Duquesnoy. Unorthodox only works when fighters are afraid of it and you execute it with near perfection. The unorthodox offense and footwork of Duquesnoy was figured out pretty quickly by Stamman and the adjustments were....I unno. MAYBE Duquesnoy got some great advice and he just didn't execute on it. His third round was abysmal from start to finish and outside of Stamman nearly giving him the fight by virtue of being an idiot, it was not the performance we expected from a top prospect. As for Ray Borg? WHEN has clinching with Mighty Mouse ever worked. I watched a bushel of Demetrious Johnson fights in a row and pointed out that the clinch is where he excels---so Borg clinched and wrestled. Even if Ray Borg isn't a good striker, you have a better chance of starting something on the feet. Furthermore, you HAVE to tell your fighter to never go for the neck on Mighty Mouse. Everytime he takes guys down, they chase that desperation guillo because he feeds it to them. Every single write up I read involved some form of "Borg chases a guillotine" but that never works. NEVER. The gameplan didn't seem to give Borg a single shot. Also felt like Lando Vannata engaged far too much vs Bobby Green BUT I'm not gonna hold dude responsible for that.

6- I think Kevin Lee is making a right choice jumping up to 170 lbs

I made the comparison of Gray Maynard for Kevin Lee at 155 lbs. I think that's still apt---but I think Lee going UP in weight is the right idea. Kevin Lee said he weighed 185 lbs or more vs Tony Ferguson and so that gives you an accurate window of what MOST 155 lbers are weighing after rehydration and etc etc etc. Lee will not be at that big of a size and strength disadvantage vs guys at 170 lbs. Look at how MOST 155ers who have moved up have been able to hold their own vs genuine welterweights. The difference is not that massive and so I figure Lee with better cardio will pop into that top 10 discussion.

7- I need a good reason why there's no 165 and 175 lb divisions

Just curious what the excuses are. I understand it might not curtail weight cuts but it can't hurt for sure. Unless you're going to tell me 185 lbers are going to try to kill themselves to make 175 lbs but if thats a concern, just establish a weight percentage rule. Weigh more than 15% of your intended weight class? Move up or move out! If you're concerned about MMA watering itself down then I mean are you not realizing the quality of talent between 155 lbs and 185 lbs? That's a stupid excuse. The quality of fights will improve because people aren't dying to make weight that intensely. You're at least TRYING something. Two more titles? 99% of you people don't even care who the champ is anyways if he's not a star so how does it impact your ability to enjoy MMA?

8- Brad Tavares is quietly becoming really good.

I've been harsh on Tavares because I feel like he's better than what he's put out recently. Over the past two fights though, he's shown some serious improvements. He's more aggressive while still being his usual composed and patient self. He's got a great jab, he can wrestle with just about anybody. In many ways it felt like he always knew his chin was a little questionable and so he fought to protect that. Recently though it feels like he's more aggressive than usual and that's a good thing. I just think he needs to get that finish which has eluded him so far in the UFC.

9- Magomed Bibulatov losing is a bummer.

Yes yes yes yes. I know. Try to hear me out here for a second will ya? The one thing we keep hearing about guys at 125 lbs is that they're all basically the same guy. The idea that they're all just fighters fighting the most boring guy in the world. Bibulatov had a teensy bit of buzz on him and John Moraga, a dude who at this point is your gatekeeper to the stars, smelted him. Woooof.

10- The Anik, Rogan and Cormier team seemed to have an idea of how to work together.

Don't know if it was the week or whatever the case may be BUT thesse guys were all on their game. Cormier seemed to fit in better and have a better understanding of what he should or should not be calling and their jokes actually seemed to work for once. Most of all, all three guys seemed to be in the zone with very little moments of "Wow that was stupid!" Good night fo rthis new commentary squad.

#MMA #UFC #UFC 216 #Ferguson #Lee

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junker-town · 5 years

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7 players who could be the difference in the World Series

Getty Images

There are plenty of stars in the 2019 World Series, with Cy Young-laden pitching staffs, a former AL MVP plus two MVP-candidate third basemen this season. But they aren’t alone!

Here are seven impact Washington Nationals and Houston Astros who will enhance your Fall Classic viewing.

Getty Images

Yordan Alvarez

Coming into the postseason, it would have been difficult to envision a scenario where Yordan Alvarez would be considered a liability — he did nothing but mash baseballs over his first 87 games as a big leaguer. If baseball really was just a silly spreadsheet game where the best algorithm always won, then the Astros would have no qualms with sticking with a guy who hit .313/.412/.655 with 27 homers over just over half-a-season’s worth of work.

However, baseball is a game with a bunch of flawed humans and it almost never goes exactly according to plan. Instead of seeing the 22-year-old slugger continue to hit baseballs hard and often, we’ve seen him languish through a bleak postseason at the plate. Alvarez is only hitting .171/.227/.244 with an astronomical strikeout rate of 43.2 percent over 44 playoff plate appearances. He’s scuffling right now and it’s a testament to just how deep Houston is that they’ve reached this far.

A.J. Hinch isn’t giving up on him for the World Series, though. Alvarez will be starting for the first two games but there’s a question of whether or not he’ll get the start once the series shifts into the NL ballpark. A big breakout night at the plate before the series moves to Washington would make that decision an easy one for Hinch and it would also be a sign that things are going great for the Astros. They’ve already had consistent production at the plate throughout this postseason and if Yordan Alvarez can come alive, that would be huge for Houston’s chances of winning a second World Series in three years.

— Demetrius Bell

Michael Brantley

It’s just nice to have Michael Brantley fully healthy for the postseason, after several star-crossed years in Cleveland.

The talented outfielder finished third in AL MVP voting in 2014, then followed that up with another productive season in 2015. But when the Indians made their World Series run in 2016, Brantley was limited to just 11 games all season because of a shoulder injury — one that required surgery the offseason prior — and he missed the playoffs.

In 2017 he made the all-star team again in a wonderful comeback year, but then he missed 50 games with an ankle injury. He was rushed back to play in the postseason after playing just the final two games of the regular season, then was just 1-for-11 in Cleveland’s ALDS loss. He had ankle surgery after the season.

This year Brantley signed with the Astros, adding depth to an already formidable lineup. He was an all-star for a third straight year after a typically solid Brantley season, hitting .311/.372/.503 with 40 doubles and 22 home runs while providing above average defense in left field.

He made a crucial defensive play in Game 6 of the ALCS, following up a sprawling catch in left field with a strong, accurate throw to first base for a rally-killing double play.

Have a feeling we are going to be watching this for a while. pic.twitter.com/voWjyNaKfv

— MLB (@MLB) October 20, 2019

Brantley has started all 11 postseason games for Houston this year. He has been relatively quiet offensively, though he homered in the ALDS and hit .304 (7 for 23) in the ALCS. Brantley has also been very selective at the plate, seeing more pitches than anyone else this postseason, averaging 4.30 per plate appearance.

— Eric Stephen

Sean Doolittle

Washington’s bullpen was mostly bad during the regular season, ranking 29th in relief ERA (5.68), ahead of only the execrable 108-loss Orioles. Sean Doolittle was a bright spot though, and shortly after the all-star break stood out with his 2.72 ERA. He allowed only three home runs in his first 44 appearances, but then went through a rough patch, surrendering seven home runs in his next 10 games, more than he allowed in any of his seven previous major league seasons.

That landed Doolittle on the injured list with right knee tendinitis, and after a two-week rest he was refreshed. He allowed all of two runs in eight innings in September, and has allowed two runs in his 7 playoff innings, giving him a 2.35 ERA since his return with 13 strikeouts and two walks. That’s much more in line with his career numbers entering 2019: a 2.83 ERA and 2.40 FIP, the latter ranking ninth among major league relievers.

Daniel Hudson has emerged as the Nationals closer this postseason, but Doolittle saved Game 1 of the NLCS when Hudson was on paternity leave and also got the final three outs to close out the NLDS against the Dodgers. Those two have been the most reliable relievers in the Nationals bullpen, with Doolittle looking a lot like his former self these last two months.

As a bonus, the better the Nationals do, the more likely we are to see Doolittle bust out his lightsaber.

The force is strong with Obi-Sean Kenobi. pic.twitter.com/2vsqvcUjoD

— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2019

— Eric Stephen

Zack Greinke

Zack Greinke has made the postseason in six seasons on four different teams, but this will be his first World Series appearance. And if the Astros are going to succeed, they’re going to need Greinke to pitch more like he does in the regular season than he has in the playoffs.

In 14 postseason starts, Greinke is 3-6 with a 4.44 ERA. Compare that to his career .625 winning percentage and 3.35 ERA and it seems a bit peculiar. It gets a lot more bleak if you remove his postseason appearances with the Dodgers, where he was quite good. In his eight non-Dodgers playoff starts he’s got one win, an ERA of 6.64, and he averages about 11 H/2.5 HR/3.43 BB/ 7.78 SO per nine innings pitched. All of which is starkly worse than his career numbers.

In this postseason alone, he’s allowed 15 hits, five home runs and five walks in 14 innings. He’s also struck out 16, which shows an almost uncanny ability he has to average almost exactly as many hits as he does strike outs.

But, and I feel like this needs to be emphasized, he is actually a very good pitcher in the regular season. I’m not the type of person who believes in “clutch” or “choking” — I feel like those terms imply that a player can control exactly how well they play in the moment and I think that outside of conditioning and practice, that’s just not the case. Especially for pitchers. You can be in excellent shape and be a perennial Cy Young candidate and sometimes, you’re just not going to have control of your pitches.

That said, he was very good in his appearances with the Dodgers in the postseason, so it’s not necessarily a hopeless case. And if he can limit the contact while keeping up the strikeout numbers, he will be a very important factor to Houston’s success in this series.

— Sami Higgins

Getty Images

Yuli Gurriel

So far this season the Astros first baseman is hitting just .209/.239/.302, and in the ALCS he was just 3-for-24 (.125). But look a little closer, and you’ll see Gurriel has been tattooing the ball. Nine of his 20 balls in play against the Yankees were hit 95 mph or harder.

Gurriel hit into outs on balls that, according to Statcast based on how hard and where they were hit, had expected batting averages of .820, .720, .620, .620, .550, .430, .420, and .410. He was robbed by Gio Urshela in Game 2, by Aaron Hicks in Game 3 and Game 4, then by Aaron Judge in Game 5, to name a few.

In the Game 6 clincher, Gurriel finally broke through with a three-run home run in the first inning, followed by a 101-mph single in the eighth. Factor that in with the fact that Gurriel has yet to strike out this postseason in 46 plate appearances, and he sure seems like somebody ready to bust out in a big way.

— Eric Stephen

Howie Kendrick

Howie Kendrick is coming off of an absolute monster series in which he was named National League Division Series MVP at the age of 35. Including him on this list might be a bit obvious, but the Nationals are going to need him to carry that performance into the World series in order to stand a chance against the Monstars Astros.

Washington is the underdog in this matchup, but if players like Kendrick can continue to get on base with regularity, they have proven that they can capitalize on those opportunities, even against top-tier pitching.

It was Kendrick’s grand slam against the Dodgers that sent the Nationals to the championship series, seemingly against all odds, and his MVP performance that helped them sweep the Cardinals. So it seems almost expected that he will make a big contribution to this series to cap off one of the best seasons of his lengthy career.

— Sami Higgins

Anibal Sanchez

With all the talk surrounding the three-headed monster of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin, you have to remember that another pitcher who has come up huge for the Nationals has been Anibal Sanchez. It’s a testament to how strong those three have been throughout the playoffs that a guy who had everybody on “No-Hitter Alert” during the NLCS isn’t a lock to get a start in the World Series.

However, if the Nationals do turn to Sanchez then they can at least be confident that he’ll keep up the same level of pitching that the Nats and their fans have become used to during this postseason. Also, he’s got World Series experience under his belt — he went seven innings in Game 3 of the 2012 Fall Classic and only gave up two runs while striking out eight batters. The Detroit Tigers happened to lose that game to the San Francisco Giants, but it’s hard for a pitcher to lead his team to victory when said team scores a grand total of zero runs.

This is always the time of year where unsung heroes become the legends that you talk about in the future — even if it’s in the vein of “Hey, do you remember this guy?” If Anibal Sanchez is called upon again, maybe he’ll deliver a start that puts him in that particular territory.

— Demetrius Bell

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scorpioslut-blog1 · 7 years

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Welcome Week

So it’s Tuesday, we’ve been doing this whole college thing for a straight week now. Didn’t do much but party. Seven nights. In a row.

Some nights were better than others but I guess they all had their own flavor or vibe. It was fun, whatever. Yakked for two nights, the first and the last. Not fun.

I don’t know. College is amazing, but it’s very different than I expected. And living in Clark Kerr, literally the white housing, I’m a little too reminded of home. It’s also pretty draining sometimes, constantly being social and friendly and outgoing. But alone time is hard to come by and just not the same as being home in your room by yourself. It’s chill, though. I love my room mates and floor mates and building mates and have met a lot of awesome people. Although the implicit racism is real.

On floor 3, there’s these really awesome girls named Michelle, Eve, and Ship. They’re probably the best people I’ve met, besides Ariel. Anyways, they’re literally the chillest, most down to earth yet fun, sweet, cool people ever. I really vibe with all of them. It’s funny; I met Ship because I was walking upstairs looking for a place to FT Megan. So basically Megan’s helping me make friends. Anyway, then I passed her GIANT ASS beautiful dorm room and HAD to walk in, which is how we became friends. She’s also the only other bi person I know in CK (besides Rocky), and definitely someone I could be friends with for a while. Also, we made out the other night hahahah. Michelle is also amazingly amazing and smokes Camel Crushes like me, which I take as a sign that our friendship will most definitely last. And Eve is... Eve. She’s fucking crazy and super fun and just charismatic. They’re all super rad in their own way.

Ariel is another very cool friend--she has all these cool tattoos and big goofy brown hair. AND she's from Florida so she gets the east coast conservative culture struggle. She’s cool as fuck, and literally my ONLY friend not rushing which I really respect. Which leads me to the sad fact that I AM rushing. Whatever. For fun. Oh also I got a tattoo of the ulzii, a Mongolian and Buddhist symbol for eternity. I can’t believe I fucking did it, but I did. And it’s big and visible and my parents are gonna kill me and I’m sure I’ll regret it at some point but I just said yolo and fucking did it. It’s funny cuz we keep making all these plans while we’re drunk for the next day and NEVER do it. But me and Ariel fucking did it so we went to Oakland and got fucking tattoos. She got this cute little broccoli and bumble bee to complement her current Buddhist Star Wars tat on her wrist. She’s dope as fuck and it’s crazy how quickly we became friends.

Also, cigarettes are fucking TEN DOLLARS here and you have to be TWENTY ONE. I hate my life. My ONE freedom, my one vice, and California TAKES IT AWAY FROM ME. Well, there had to be that one fatal flaw, since everything else about California is so fucking awesome. Like weed. It’s SO accessible here. Everyone smokes and everyone has weed, so I’m always at least a little high at some point in the day. People just fuckin give you some. Also I bought my first pipe. It’s this cute little cream ivory whatever white piece I got on the street from a guy from Burma. That sounds more shady than it actually was.

Here’s a funny high story: I was getting into an Uber with Ariel to go to Oakland, well waiting for Ariel, and I ran into Alex, one of Vinita’s friends I met on Cal Day. He was just walking around Unit 2 with his friends smoking a jay, and as I said hi to him, his friends just passed the jay and let us smoke. Even the Uber driver took a hit. I LOVE California. One thing I haven’t done is go to San Fran though, or get any decent really nice photos for the Gram. We’ve taken a LOT of pics, but nothing REALLY aesthetic. I also haven't hooked up with any guy. Got a LOT of Snaps but I don’t know.

Julia’s practically got herself a boyfriend, and Annabelle’s been talking to all sorts of guys. Then there’s me. The Gaysian DUFF. I hate my life. Every once in a while when we’re out it really bums me out about how ugly and fat and Duff-like I am, so it’s a little hard to keep the party going some nights. I’m trying to keep the confidence up, since I know I’m hot and confident with myself and my body and my sexuality, but being surrounded by beautiful skinny blondes really is NOT helping. So I sort of fucking hate college and everything about my life. I need my own weed. And cigs. Cigs I’ve figured out, but I want a medical card for my fucking “compulsion” since I have a fucking medical history. Alc is not a problem, but I DO want my own fake.

While I LOVE Berkeley and California and always being fucked up and being in a beautiful crunchy liberal artsy place, and I’ve made my life into somewhat of a dream, or whatever, I do miss home a lot. I miss my family a lot. I miss Chuck. My mom. Even my brothers. And I miss Karla and Marc and Megan and whoever else I didn't fucking cut off before skirting out of NoVa. I miss the seasons too, but I also love weather in Berkeley sooo much. The whole god damn thing feels so surreal. I can't believe I fucking moved across the country. Everything feels so different. And I don’t know.

I’m rushing, but sure as hell am not joining a sorority. Which I think Ship is doing too. I just can’t fade the idea you know. The whole thing really disgusts me. Ok now I’m regretting rushing but it’s too fucking late so. And FOMO. And it’s an experience or whatever. It’ll be fun, and it’s something to do I guess. We’ll see hahahaha. Maybe I’ll meet other non-sorority-esque people. Because some people you vibe with and others you don’t, so you never know. Anyways, I’m getting sick of writing because I could literally write forever but I definitely will be doing this fucking Tumblr blog stuff for a while just because it’s 2017 and journals are just a little less logical in this day and age. This is nice and convenient and efficient and easy to maintain. So peace out. Classes start tomorrow, we’ll see how that goes.

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myflowerfriends · 4 years

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Final Blog Posts

Blog 7: Unsaturating the World

Figure 1: Saturation in boardwalk photo, https://www.adorama.com/alc/0008627/article/100-in-100-Dont-be-a-super-soaker-saturater

In photography, to saturate an image is to edit it so that all of the visible colors are intensified against the white; the right side of Figure 1 is saturated to bring out the vibrancy in the greens and blues. The lowest form of saturation is greyscale, where the photo loses all colors and becomes simple variations of white and blacks. I kept thinking of this term, saturation, while doing the readings for this week. It feels like humanity has taken hold of the saturation scale in Adobe Photoshop and is steadily turning the world greyer. This week’s post looks at the causes of biodiversity loss and extinction, particularly in chapters 9 and 10 of the textbook.

One of the first times I really felt a deep empathy for the environment was when I must have been about eight years old, and I was flipping through a magazine in my dad’s dental office. On the cover there was a polar bear, and on the inside there must have been an editor’s note that stressed how sad and absurd it was that the editor’s children might live to see a world where polar bears go extinct. It completely blew my mind. Polar bears going extinct?! But they’re such iconic animals!

Figure 2: Polar Bear on Time Magazine, 2006. Not sure if this was the exact magazine I was flipping through, but it carries the same energy. http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20060403,00.html

What I didn’t realize then was that every twenty-four hours, between 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird, and mammal go extinct.[1] And according to Miller and Simmons’ text, “20-50% [is the] percentage of the earth’s known species that could disappear this century primarily because of human activities.”[2] The guilt on the shoulders of humankind should be there, but it is not. There is hardly any action being taken to preserve these species, or at least ease their suffering—and hardly any action being done to do the same for our human sisters and brothers.

“Given the pace and scale of change, we can no longer exclude the possibility of reaching critical tipping points that could abruptly and irreversibly change living conditions on Earth.” [3]This quote comes from the World Wildlife Populations Down 50% in Last 40 Years video, which explains just what the title says. There are critical tipping points that are coming closer and closer to being reached each day, and very little being done to reduce the strain of these.

One way to remember the reasons that are causing this biodiversity loss is through HIPPCO: Habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation; Invasive (nonnative) species; Population growth and increasing use of resources; Pollution; Climate change; and Overexploitation. Habitat destruction is at this time the most common damaging action being taken, and is a difficult one to stop. It can be difficult to realize too; people in industrialized parts of the United States took great pity on the wildfires being burned in the Amazon Rainforest in late 2019, but were hypocritical to the land that was destroyed so that their city or suburb could be built.

This also reminds me of an interaction I saw on Instagram the other day. There was a post by National Geographic on how salmon are being overfished and losing their wild habitat. One of the top comments stated something along the lines of, “this is why we need to farm salmon! Stop fishing in the wild, it’s the only way to protect them!” And it made me think, because if the problem is that isolated—salmon in the wild are disappearing, so just eat the ones that are farmed—then that would work, maybe. But the issue with salmon, or any species, is that they do not exist in a vacuum. They are an integral part of ecosystems in their natural habitats; farming salmon would eliminate a lot of the benefits that salmon have in the wild.

I was just having a discussion with my brother about this too, and we started making a list of things: what if cows were wild? Would they look the same or had hundreds of years of domestication made them softer and bigger, as chickens have become? Farms make evolution work differently.

As do zoos. Is there any real chance of zoos integrating animals back into the wild? I support animal education, and I get that it’s easier to study animals in zoos than in the wild sometimes.

Figure 3: A photo I took in February, 2019 of the South African Lion and Safari Park website where they acknowledge that they do not feel comfortable with their own lion-petting exhibits but continue to have them for economic purposes. The website has since been renovated and this page was completely removed.

But zoos tend to really get me questioning their ethics. Are they necessary for people to understand why it’s necessary to protect them, or is watching high quality documentaries enough to give humans a change of heart? I had a huge fallout with some friends of mine while we were studying abroad in South Africa because they went to a Lion Park where lions are bred and adults are euthanized. I heard lots of, “but you connect with the animals! You learn to respect them for their conservation! They do scientific research there!” And then the question is, how different is using horses for entertainment? Is it not practically the same as breeding lions for human entertainment? This isn’t the section of the course dedicated to philosophy, but the unanswered questions remain, bring the choice back to whether we will keep the turning the world grey or work on brightening its diversity.

The Critical Thinking Question #5 on page 218 is a tough one: what would you do if a wild boar invaded and tore up your yard or garden?

Currently my dad is having an issue where these strange moth-type bugs build cocoons on the pine trees separating our house from our neighbors. They’re killing the pine trees, because when they make their cocoons, they eat the needles. My dad asked me, as an environmental studies major, what the best option would be: let the bugs take over the trees and once they turn brown, cut them down? Or use pesticides to kill the trees?

Critical Thinking Question # 5 on page 250 asks: Are you in favor of establishing more wilderness areas in the United States?

To that I say: YES TO MORE WILDERNESS AREAS!!!! More old growth forests means more biodiversity! Any disadvantages would just be hidden advantages; for example, less room for suburban sprawl would give more space for the earth to heal.Less private space allows for more public space, which can be used by humans, vegetations, and wildlife.

WC:1189

Question: It is interesting too, that some species are considered accidentally introduced/invasive. Are humans accidentally introduced to places, or do we make possible the ability to sustain life on any corner of the earth because we were designed to do that?

Blog 8: Eat or Be Eaten.

Aquatic Biodiversity Loss and Extinction

Figure 1: Lake Erie, 2015, https://www.nps.gov/piro/learn/nature/images/Waves-on-shore_1.jpg?maxwidth=1200&autorotate=false

Unless you have seen one of the Great Lakes with your own eyes, you cannot fathom what they are really like: vast, powerful bodies of water, with big waves and long stretches of sandy beaches; comparable to an ocean. I grew up living about a block away from Lake Erie, and when I was younger, I really hated my hometown. I wanted to live in a big city. My parents countered my arguments by emphasising how lucky we were to live in the Great Lakes Basin. It wasn’t until I attended a March for Science that I realised how important it was to protect the lakes — see me pictured below with my generic sign, and my friend Max holding a sign that my mom crafted; she’s the one taking the photo.

Figure 2: Cleveland’s March for Science Protest, 2017. Photo by author.

Part of my love of the Great Lakes, and of open bodies of water in general, comes from me living so close to them. But as Sylvia Earle is quoted in the beginning of chapter 12, “With every drop of water you drink, with every breath you take, you are connected to the sea, no matter where on Earth you live” (253).[1] Even if you live in a desert, every decision you make can in some way affect aquatic ecosystem services. Take, for example, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Figure 3: Eastern Great Pacific Garbage Patch, 2019.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottsnowden/2019/05/30/300-mile-swim-through-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-will-collect-data-on-plastic-pollution/#4b2a7f36489f

There are actually two large garbage patches with some connecting debris in-between them; the greater of these patches is just off the coast of California, and is about 600,000 square miles, and in some areas, several feet deep. It is an island floating on the surface of the water, made up of plastics and microplastics. Because plastic is not biodegradable, the Garbage Patch continues to grow, and many animals, such as the albatross pictured below, die due to ingestion of these plastics, which Chris Jordan documents hauntingly well in the film Albatross.[2]

Figure 4: Albatross Bodies with Plastic, 2018,

https://www.albatrossthefilm.com/ourstory

One thing that I think could have been better written about in this chapter is water distribution. I stumbled through this very briefly in my presentation while explaining biophilia and the damaging effects of trying to make Las Vegas into an oasis in the desert. I understand that this chapter is focused more on the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems, but I still think that concept 11.5 of this chapter could go more in depth with the ownership rights of water sources, or perhaps the section on the Great Lakes in the previous section could explain how although the Great Lakes are the largest collective body of freshwater in the world, water diversions are pretty much limited to regions within the Great Lakes Basin, and why it is important that it stays that way.

Critical Thinking Question #2, p. 280:

Three Greatest Threats to Aquatic Biodiversity

1. Ocean Acidification

2. Plastic Pollution

3. Coastal Wetland and Watershed Protection

4. Overfishing (if there are fish left after the above 3 are increased!)

The list above is my answer to the Critical Thinking Question for this chapter. All of them are caused by humans on the land. The greatest threat according to me is that of ocean acidification, or the increasing amounts of heat and acidity in the oceans. This stems from increased Co2 in the atmosphere. One of the main factors contributing to that, is animal agriculture.

Soil, Agriculture, and Food

Figure 5: You Can Smell the Methane in This Photo, 2014

https://www.wilderutopia.com/health/cowspiracy-animal-agriculture-despoils-land-water-and-climate/

Chapter 12 in the textbook discusses the effect of food production on the environment. I act like I know a lot about this when people ask me why I’m a vegetarian, but this chapter was full of great information and details that I didn’t fully understand until now.

The issue with animal agriculture is not only that Co2 is basted into the atmosphere through gasses released form the animals and humans which eat them, and the clearing of land for the animals. With the depletion of biodiversity to allow animals grazing land, vital natural habitats for other species are lost, as shown in George Monbiot’s brief video on rewilding the countryside and rural areas.[3]

Truthfully, I expected the chapter to be much more focused on animal agriculture alone. But other forms of farming are nearly as bad, as pictured below.

Figure 6: Effects of Food Production of Any Sort

https://slideplayer.com/slide/6187595/

I’m also glad that the chapter covered a comparison of overnutrition and malnutrition. I found the quote: “We live in a world where, according to the WHO, about 795 million people face health problems because they do not get enough nutritious food to eat and at least another 2.1 billion (29% of the human population) have health problems stemming largely from eating too much sugar, fat, and salt.”[4] The greed of modern civilization never ceases to amaze me.

Critical Thinking Question #1 p. 320

Figure 7: Vertical Harvest of Jackson Hole, 2013.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2056017617/vertical-harvest-of-jh-a-growing-system-for-change

If I were a member of Growing Power Inc. and in charge of turning an abandoned shopping center into an organic farm, I would begin by getting a perfect team together; potentially including some of the students in this class (networking!). I’d do my best to dismantle the concrete and debris of the shopping center, and reuse whatever I was able to on the spot. As it is in the Case Study, my farm would be powered partly by solar electricity and solar hot water systems, and would be structured like a green house to keep the produce supported year round. As it is in Jackson Hole’s Vertical Harvest organic urban farm, my employee positions would first be open to disabled peoples who are working on communication skills, training in this center for jobs elsewhere.[5] We would be deeply integrated into the community, selling our produce locally and donating to food banks and soup kitchens whenever possible. That sounds too good to be true, but we’ll leave it at that.

Question, and I think about this every day: which is better for the environment, to be vegan and avoid animal products entirely but eat non-local tofu or other forms of meatless protein; or to eat only locally sourced food which would make animal products more of a staple to the diet?

WC: 1156

[1] Miller, G. Tyler, and Scott E. Spoolman. Living in the Environment. Chapter 11: Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. 19th ed. Boston, MA: Engage Learning, 2020.

[2] Jordan, Chris. Albatross. https://www.albatrossthefilm.com

[3] Smith, Peter. “George Monbiot on reqilding countryside and rural areas” YouTube, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1KW-0YbO3Q

[4] Miller, G. Tyler, and Scott E. Spoolman. Living in the Environment. Chapter 12: Food Production and the Environment, p. 286. 19th ed. Boston, MA: Engage Learning, 2020.

[5] “Vertical Harvest Jackson Hole,” Vertical Harvest, https://www.verticalharvestjackson.com/our-mission.

Blog 9: Fight the System by Appreciating Soil and Supporting Local Farmers !

Symphonies of the Soil

Figure 1: Cover Artwork, 2012, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2229397/

When I began watching this documentary, I braced myself for what I thought was going to be a long, boring hour-and-a-half. But by the end of it, I think it may have changed the trajectory of my summer plans.

The first half of the documentary is an almost meditative description of different types of soils found across planet earth, backed by an orchestral score. Ironically, one of the first phrases of the narrator is: “most of the planet is non-living.”[1]And it is. As my sister pointed out, even humans are mostly CHON: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Yet plots of land are not 100% soil; half of it is the compounds that make up soil, and half of it consists of spaces for air, water, and microorganisms which use soil to survive.

Figure 2: Andy Foraging for Mushrooms in Washington, 2019, photo by author.

This point leads to another: you cannot grow good produce in a void. If you were to strip a type of soil down to its purest form and attempt at planting anything in it, it likely would not be successful. This seems to be the thesis of the second half of the documentary: farmers need to feed soil the natural ingredients it needs to be nutritional.

As I don’t have a very strong science background, some of this went over my head, such as the part about the lupines and nitrogen fixation. This summer, as long as the pandemic settles down, I hope to get an internship or job working in permaculture or vertical harvesting. It’s very odd to me that I can talk so much about the environment but know so little about it in a physical way. Although I try to shop mostly locally or from farmers markets, the development I grew up in didn’t allow gardens aside from flower beds, so I have had very little connection to soil or the ground I live on.

A critique I have of this film is that they paid very little attention to indigenous practices of cultivating soil, or hunter-gatherer ideas. They looked at how the harmful processes began, with civilizations in Europe flattening out the hillsides and beginning monocrop farming during the agricultural revolution, and they did discuss the Law of Return, but I thought there might be more references with how the soil had been used in previous human populations, and perhaps a discussion on primitivism. The discussion that was had in the film was more focused on finding a structured form of rewilding agriculturally, which I support, but still I thought the film could show the other side, and give more credit to the indigenous groups that have been pushing for this rewinding for centuries.

Figure 3: Stone Age Reenactment Group, http://www.jutulskinn.no/stone-age-gathering.

No matter how far you think society should dive into with a return to primitivism, the message of this video is clear: we can do a better job at how we farm, in order to produce healthier more sustainable products. It feels as though this shouldn’t be too difficult—but with the rigid constraints set forth by the corporations involved in the agricultural industry, farmers have very little say in how their crops get produced, and animals have become far removed from from the agricultural process, removing a great source of natural fertilizer as well. The next film explains that a bit more.

Food, Inc.

Figure 4: Food, Inc. Cover Image, 2008, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1286537/mediaviewer/rm3514966016.

Food, Inc. uses various segments to explain the systems put in place to produce food, and how rigid those constraints are within the law-and-order system of the United States of America. These segments range from showing statistics, interviews, and video clips of what the world of agriculture is really like.

I found the Polyface Farms clips to be fascinating, because it was so difficult to watch and listen to, but was still the best possible scenario for meat farming. The cattle fertilize and mow the variety of greens they eat; there are no shipments of corn that have to be made. As Joel says, “it’s all real solar dollars….we’re every bit as efficient, especially if you plug in all of the inefficiencies of the industrial system.” [2]

Figure 5: Joel at Polyface Farms, http://www.temeats.com/polyface-farms/.

I think this will be the hardest connection for people to make, especially because we need food to sustain ourselves. Someone can be addicted to nicotine and cut it out of their lives, or can choose to avoid it altogether. But they cannot simply ignore food. People can ignore bad food, but the temptation is always lingering as a possibility, and if you grew up like I did—eating processed foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until I was about sixteen and realized I needed to be healthier—breaking away from those habits can feel like the single most challenging thing to accomplish. And when fast food is the only option due to income levels, the cycle gets even more challenging to break.

Figure 6: Elk in Wyoming, https://content.osgnetworks.tv/petersenshunting/content/photos/bull-elk-bugling.jpg

I am reminded of an argument that put me on bad terms with my boss at my summer job as a waitress at a guest ranch near Jackson, Wyoming. Elk lived in the meadows just outside the property and were hunted and sold locally. One of our most popular items on the menu was elk tenderloin, and once I had a guest ask how local the elk we served was, a reasonable assumption as our website says that our kitchen sources locally and is as sustainable as possible, even though the menu does not specify what is or is not local. Upon speaking with the head chef I learned that the elk was actually shipped in, frozen, from Austria. The more getting-into-everybody-else’s-business that I did, the more I realized that the only ingredients we used that weren’t shipped in from Sysco were a weak amount of herbs from the farmers market. That guest was from Philadelphia and could have had fresher elk had he shipped it from Austria to Pennsylvania rather than Austria to Utah to Wyoming.

Along with that, our menu was incredibly meat-and-potatoes based, following exactly the prediction that humans are hard-wired to crave salt, fat, and sugar.

Something my mom makes fun of me for saying all the time is “it’s supply and demand!” as if all the problems in the world could be that simple. But in truth, they can be. And I hope that just as my generation has severely damaged the tobacco industry, the next generation can put an end to big corporations controlling the food industry, so that 30% of the United States’ land base will not be corn, and the choice between medication or buying vegetables will be unfathomable, and local food companies will overrule the 4 major meat companies in charge now.

A critique I have of Food, Inc. is that there is very little said about the dairy and fishing industries. I felt that there could have been an additional segment on those in the film—perhaps they aren’t as bad as the meat and corn industries, but I do not feel as though they are righteous enough to be counted out of this conversation.

I also am a bit confused by the Monsanto segment and hope to discuss that in our class time.

Question: Food, Inc. is very focused on the United States of America. What are food systems like in other parts of the world? Is there a correlation between colonized places having more fast-food?

WC: 1257

[1] Garcia, Deborah Koons, director. Symphony of the Soil. YouTube, 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDZVKMe2FTg.

[2] Kenner, Robert, et al. Food, Inc. 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smk2xq2l3Ig

Blog 10: The Health of the Environment, The Health of Humans

Figure 1, COVID-19 illustration, https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/11/disease-caused-by-the-novel-coronavirus-has-name-covid-19/

This week’s focus is on hazards and waste on human health and the environment. Chapter 17 in the textbook begins with a discussion on diseases stimulated from biological and chemical hazards and how these can be linked with environmental causes. The chapter ends with a discussion on risks, and how decision making can affect the world around us.

One of the most frustrating, common, and powerful diseases is cancer. Cancer’s direct cause in an individual is unknown. The title of the article “Breast Cancer: prevention or Cure? Why Is Breast Cancer Awareness/Cure Run By Major Chemical Companies?” gives good insight to the confusion around cancer research. The article goes on to explain the intricacies behind cancer research and bring to light the distrust that many people rightfully have towards corporations that are in control of cancer funding and research. Again, I see these problems tying so deeply into capitalism: individuals finding ways for their own selves to be as successful as possible without working towards the greater good.

Ethics always comes in to play and is very noticeable in this chapter. If malaria is such a murderous disease, and malaria is spread by mosquitoes, how bad would it be to just completely wipe out the mosquito population? I admit that I will appreciate any bug that lands on me, or gently flick them off, unless they are a mosquito. I do not like the inconvenience of mosquito bites, and killing mosquitoes gives me a weird sort of satisfaction that I could not achieve from the death of any other living being. In my biology class last semester, we looked at a case study of several scientists who were considering wiping out mosquitoes entirely in areas of the world susceptible to malaria. After long debates, no conclusion was reached. It feels wrong to eliminate a species that is annoying to us—if this is possible, then who’s going to stop the wolves in the western United States from eating cattle on ranches encroaching on their wild territory? At the same time, this could be a heroic achievement and an extreme stress-reliever for humankind.

These things seem like such simple solutions: page 455 of the textbook lists some ways to avoid exposure to hormone disrupters. Yet the article of the man who eliminated plastic from his life yet still got microplastics from his milk which was stored in a mason jar but filtered through a plastic lining proves that even when trying desperately to follow that advice, it is still just about impossible to be rid of them completely.

Figure 2, Microplastics Diagram, https://www.java-biocolloid.com/event/the-threads-of-microplastics-in-food-8721

I recently read the chapter “The Indian Healer” out of The Indian Giver, a book by Jack Weatherford in which he goes through the various ways that Native American peoples have contributed to modern medical technology or found the basis for medications. Native American practices of healing should be can be used to encourage well-being in medical practices, so as to put into action ways that advance views on the interconnectedness of community, the environment, and medicine overall.

I can’t help but think of what it felt to be alive before the industrial period began. I generally do feel better when I have spent some time in fresh air—but any fresh air in this day and age still has toxins in and around it, and no food nor water is completely free of microplastics or

A quick critique I have about all the extra informational videos and articles is that although they are very interesting, they are quite outdated. In other classes I am not allowed to cite articles older than five years old, and all of these are from the mid 2000s. I understand needing to learn the history of how we perceive chemicals in the body, but there was no range for that either. I’m curious as to what research has been put out within the last few years—or months.

CTQ #7 on p. 468 asks to name some risks that I face and how to eliminate or reduce those risks. This causes me to check my privilege once again; even when I come across pollution, I will likely have access to the best healthcare to heal me from whatever risks may concern me. There are risks that I can avoid, but that I still choose; I have chosen to live in Manhattan, with all its pollution, instead of living in a pristine area out west. Yet perhaps my education in New York will allow me to strengthen my ties with academia so that I can preserve those lands out west.

Solid and Hazardous Waste

I also recently read Waste Seige: the Life of Infrastructure in Palestine by Sophia Stamatopoulou-Robbins, who’s covering the discussions behind environmental, economic, and social issues that in occupied Palestine. Through illegal occupation, Israeli settlers are forcing neo-capitalist practices in the area, leading to more forced consumption, leading to more waste in an area that cannot contain it, and does not have the finances nor the leadership to create more sustainable waste options, such as those shown in the textbook. Palestine has become a literal dumpsite, and the effects of the toxins in the various wastes infiltrating the area is murderous. There is an ironic “Polluter Pays Principle” in use, where the governmental organizations have Palestinians pay higher taxes because technically they are the ones who are polluting—it is their sewer systems overflowing, their land that has the burning dump sites, and their people who are being cheap, non-sustainable products. Ironically, the sewers are flooding because Israeli-settler waste flows directly into them as well; landfills in that region are almost all located in designated Palestinian areas; and the suffocation of the economic process in Palestine keeps their people from having any upward mobility.

Figure 3, Landfill in Palestine, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-israel-s-solution-for-expelled-bedouin-between-garbage-and-junkyard-1.6158225

CTQ #1 p. 600: List three products you use and make them cradle-to-cradle.

The past two years I have begun having an immense feeling of guilt if I purchase something that isn’t made sustainably, or that isn’t able to be recycled or composted. When I need to buy something new (key word: need), I spend a lot of time looking into which company I can trust. I get most of my products from Package Free Shop. But as I keep saying, it goes back to economics. I’m sure anyone who uses their shampoo and conditioner bars and natural face oils would prefer it over whatever drugstore brand they use currently, but that price difference is what makes it so unreachable. To circle back, this is highlighted in Chapter 17’s discussion on HIV: lifesaving drugs are expensive, and simply cost too much to be used widely both in less-developed countries and in impoverished areas of industrialized countries.

Question: With marijuana becoming a much more common recreational and medicinal drug, I would have appreciated an unbiased discussion of it in this chapter, instead of it being left out completely. Does smoking marijuana affect your lungs as badly as smoking tobacco? Are there any studies being done on dab pens, which include THC but don’t include nicotine like traditional vape pens?

WC: 1105

Blog 11: Water (cont.)

Had I been patient with blog 8, I may have realized that there would be a whole other blog dedicated to water, filling in the gaps that I felt were left out in the previous readings—chapter 20 really digs into the inefficiencies of Ohio water treatment. This is that blog post, looking at chapters 13 and 20 in the textbook.[4]

Figure 1. Water Dispersal, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_resources

Chapter 13: Water Resources

Water is stored in many ways in the earth’s surface, but only 0.024% of the earth’s water is readily available as a liquid freshwater. Due to climate change, areas that are dry are becoming drier, and areas that are oversaturated are becoming wetter and with saltwater, not freshwater. With that small percentage of water that is usable to humans, about 70% is used to irrigate cropland and raise livestock.

Industrialized nations in particular treat water as if it is free; Miller and Spoolman note that “we have no substitute for this vital form of natural capital” (325). Things that don’t seem to be made of water need large amounts of it in order to be produced, such as blue jeans and lettuce; producing a quarter-pound hamburger takes about 2,400 liters of freshwater. “About 66% of the freshwater used in the world and about 50% of the freshwater used in the United States is lost through evaporations, leaks, and inefficient use” (342). Water really is our most necessary resource, and we absolutely take it for granted.

The United States has lots of freshwater resources, particularly in the eastern states. The book reads, “the United States has more than enough renewable freshwater to meet its needs. However, it is unevenly distributed and much of it is contaminated by agricultural and industrial practices” (329). Freshwater shortages are becoming more common and will continue to expand as climate change increases. Aquifers are losing their water faster than the rain is refilling them—in some parts of the United States, four times as fast—and much of this water being taken out is going to waste. There are other frightening results that come from too much groundwater being pulled out of the earth, such as sinkholes, as pictured in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Sinkhole in Guatemala City, 2007. https://www.businessinsider.com/giant-sinkhole-photos-2014-9

There is an option of tapping deep aquifers that lie beneath the surface of the ocean, but this is dangerous in that they are nonrenewable on a human timeline, little is known about what effects doing this may have, no international treaties govern these areas yet, the costs are unknown, and the water is likely still contaminated with some salt, arsenic, and uranium.

Dams are also not an ideal way to increase water supplies, because even though they help humans in many ways, they can destroy the natural environment in many ways, which in turn brings destruction to humans after a matter of time. Desalination is another option, albeit a costly and perhaps inefficient one, though more research is being done in the search to find better desalination technology.

The 4 R’s of recycling (refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle) may be the best way to work with water. Refusing unnecessary amounts of water, and reducing one’s usage of necessary water, are two prime first steps to take when trying to heal water issues. Part of what will make this easier for people to remember to follow is if water is treated by society as a necessity, through higher prices of freshwater (and perhaps a Universal Basic Income – style user pays approach) and redirecting government subsidies to being more efficient. Simple household changes, such as installing low-flow toilets, fixing leaks as soon as they are noticed, and redesigning lawns and outdoor spaces with vegetation that suits the ecoregion can also help limit the amount of freshwater wasted. Vaster options can include incorporating infrastructures in communities that reuse greywater in areas that are able.

Water has no substitute. Sure, you can drink LaCroix or Coke Zero and treat that as your liquid intake for the day, but freshwater is at the base of those items. Without some form of h2o in our systems, humans would not survive for more than a few days.

Chapter 20: Water Pollution

The previous chapter had its focus on freshwater, and how to be efficient with it. This one focuses on what happens if that freshwater gets polluted. In some parts of the world, mercury, pathogens, metals, and other nutrients can kill people drinking the water if it is not treated properly. In some areas, this does not directly affect humans intake, but can affect humans lives in other ways—for example, all of northeast Ohio becoming a laughing stock when the Cuyahoga River caught on fire in the late 1960’s (see Figure 3).

Figure 3, Cuyahoga River fire recolored, June 1969. https://1960sdaysofrage.wordpress.com/2019/03/18/burn-on-big-river-cuyahoga-river-fires/

But in the textbook, Miller and Spoolman start this discussion of as saying that the Cuyahoga River fires were a success story. I rode my bike by the Cuyahoga River just the other day and it was not ablaze—there were fishermen and ducks in it. Still, most of the world’s major riverways are heavily polluted, with “80-90% of the raw sewage in most cities in less developed countries [is] discharged directly into waterways” (548). Yet there is hope that these rivers can heal, though it will take a tremendous amount of strength from the humans who have caused this incredible pollution in the first place.

Balance is another important factor into keeping water clean. No water, not even the “clean” water humans drink, is pure h20—that would kill us. We need small traces of other elements in it too. Too many nutrients, though, can lead to eutrophication, which is when a shallow body of water has too many nutrients, causing dense growths of organisms which decompose and suffocate the body of water, giving it a greenish-teal color.

Question: Why are some mountain lakes so brightly colored? Does it have to do with eutrophication, even if they are pristine?

WC: 1112

Blog 12: Future, No Future

Figure 1: Protestors rally against pipelines being put into Wet’suwet’en land in Canada

First off, I would like to disagree with Justin Trudeau’s statement made at the Houston Energy Conference in 2017 where he says that “No country would find 173 billion barrels of oil in the ground and just leave them there.” I would like to believe that I, and many people with unselfish morals dedicating their lives to environmental justice, would let those oil barrels STAY IN THE GROUND.

I was surprised that Trudeau was the one to say it, as when I was younger, I thought he could do no evil; I was quite a little liberal. But now I see his desire for economic greed showing through his attempted democracy, just as I thought the Paris Climate Agreement was exactly what the world needed, and now see that there’s a lot of flimsy rhetoric in there. But we’ll get to that in a minute. First, the reading:

Chapter eleven of Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin’s The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocenetells how there are three possible future for the world: continued consumer capitalist development, collapse, or a new mode of living. [5]

Continue

Figure 2: Consumerism, http://links.org.au/node/1972

I think it’s interesting that they even gave continued consumer capitalist development a chance—I feel as though they could have just grouped that with collapse. I recognize that not many people (ie. My family who I am quarantined with) think the way I do, so I am glad they gave the explanation. Business as usual cannot continue. We are heading for collapse.

I suppose in some kind of sense, you could say that it can continue. But that’s because what’s continuing isn’t really capitalism in the first place. The small changes are already being had. For example, our right-wing president is dishing out monetary stimulus checks to bolster the economy, which smells a lot like socialism to me (delicious).

Lewis and Maslin explain our current economic system as being driven by positive feedback loops which end in fundamental changes. The factors which underlid all human societies are changing faster and faster as time moves onwards—it is true exponential growth. It is consumers acting as though we have infinite resources even while living on a finite planet. It is contradictory. But even in it’s core, our current system is one of change.

Perhaps the change requires all cars to be electric, but the increase in demand for electric cars requires an increase in demand for the lithium mined in Bolivia. Maybe there is no realistic, futuristic plan to put in place that will efficiently and sustainably save the world. Maybe I just need to read up more on this. Lewis and Maslin do offer some good suggestions, though, including Universal Basic Income and Half-Earth.

A New Way of Life?

Figure 3: Half-Earth website screenshot, https://www.half-earthproject.org

Universal Basic Income (UBI) and the Half-Planet theory are the two most clearly stated pathways for success of our planet that we have studied thus far.

UBI: I know a lot of professors don’t like to talk about their politics, but I was trying to figure out where yours lie as someone who knows so much about the interweaving’s of politics and the environment. A few months ago you dropped that you were a big proponent of UBI, and I thought, “aha! so Andrew Yang is the one who will save the environment!” But my impression of Yang’s UBI felt more focused on Artificial intelligence—I really just didn’t know a lot about UBI in general. (side note: I am REALLY excited for it to be summer so I can stop having deadlines and start just immersing myself in the random topics I want to learn more about. This course gave me a lotta suggestions.) After reading about it in this chapter, I think that UBI is really promising. Lewis and Maslin state that, “[UBI] breaks the link between work and consumption; we could work less and consume less and still meet our needs…those working in the fossil fuel industry would have the security of income to retrain” (406). This sounds incredibly promising, but there are still questions involving culture (some people feel more “manly” working in a coal mine) and how this would play out with refugees and non-citizens residing in the United States, etc. Still, I think a solid attempt at integrating this into our economy would help the world in lots of ways.

Half Earth: I am very interested in the idea of giving half the earth to other species, and perhaps indigenous groups as well. Again, I look at the suburbs and think of how seemingly easy it would be to develop rewilding techniques. All it would take is one popular suburban mom changing her front lawn from monoculture bluegrass to being a large garden—or whatever a local environmental rewilding consultant would suggest—and the rest of the neighborhood would follow suit. Half-Earth may seem like an enormous task to take on, but I genuinely have faith that it is possible.

Collapse

Figure 4: Quarantine Meme That My Mom Thought Was Real, https://www.boredpanda.com/nature-healing-quarantine-jokes/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

As an environmental studies and anthropology double-major, people would ask me where those two overlap. I even felt that I was choosing two very different subjects because I was so scatter brained—I’d study a little about the environment, a little about humans, and figure out what I was going to do with that somewhere along the way. I let myself feel belittled for choosing two of the “easiest” subjects—no intense economics, no organic chemistry to work through. Just a lot of thinking too much about things which some people may consider completely irrelevant, a task which I am very good at. So it made me feel a lot better when, I believe it was you Dr. Kindervater, who said: “These two scientists think there is time for economic and political changes to save human kind. Culturally, though, do we believe it?”

For a long time I really thought that collapse was the only path our planet was headed towards—that Jane Goodall was bullshitting us all with her Reasons For Hope, and that if Bernie Sanders didn’t become president and begin balancing out the wealth gap and making changes to environmental legislation, then we might as well all be dead now and let whatever remaining species reclaim the earth before we make them go extinct too. I guess, if you’re someone who prefers life over death, (and I suppose we are all those types of people as even if we want to kill ourselves, we haven’t done it yet!) the we might as well have hope for the future, and continue working towards the new path.

“With great power comes great responsibility” is a quote from Uncle Ben in the Spiderman series, which Peter Parker/Spiderman keeps close to his heart as he begins to realize his powers, and is constantly questioned with the choice to use them selfishly or for the greater good. With increased technology, humankind collectively has the power to transform the earth or destroy it. I hope that soon we recognize what is at stake with our planet, and learn how to efficiently reduce the destruction being caused. It might not bring dolphins into the heat ponds of Washington D.C., but it would certainly allow for a lot of other miracles to happen.

Question: My concern with UBI is, how can you make sure that people aren’t spending it irresponsibly? Would it be better to just raise the minimum wage, or expand the amount available for people to get food stamps and free healthcare? Would UBI allow people to get their basic needs met, or would it provide for spending money on sustainable/fair trade products?

WC: 1251

[1] Vidal, John. “UN Environment Program: 200 Species Go Extinct Every Day, Unlike Anything Since Dinosaurs Disappeared 65 Million Years Ago,” Huffpost May 2011. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/un-environment-programme-_n_684562

[2] Miller, G. Tyler, and Scott E. Spoolman. Living in the Environment. Chapter 23: Economics, Environment, and Sustainability. 19th ed. Boston, MA: Engage Learning, 2020.

[3] https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26ybub

[4] Miller, G. Tyler, and Scott Spoolman. Living in the Environment . 19th ed. S.l.: Cengage Learning, 2018.

[5] Lewis, Simon L., and Mark A. Maslin. “Chapter 11: Can Homo Dominates Become Wise?” The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene, Yale University Press, pp. 367–416.

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truesportsfan · 4 years

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Where Yankees stand with Luis Severino, James Paxton injuries

TAMPA — With the Yankees’ fingers firmly crossed that Luis Severino’s upcoming battery of tests on the right forearm, which begin Monday, don’t uncover a serious problem, they received positive news on James Paxton’s progress from back surgery earlier this month.

According to Paxton, he has increased his rehab workload following the Feb. 5 procedure and could be playing catch in 10 days.

“Ten days puts it at four weeks. It depends how I respond to the treatments the next 10 days,’’ Paxton said during the Yankees’ 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays in the exhibition season opener Saturday at Steinbrenner Field. “Everything has been going really well. I am optimistic.’’

When the Yankees announced Paxton could miss 3-4 months, many began doing the math from the start of the season, which is March 26. However, more in line with that prognosis was the rehab starting immediately after the surgery. That means if Paxton continues to progress, he could be back as soon as early May.

When it comes to Severino, the Yankees can’t be optimistic or pessimistic because after two MRI exams and a CT scan in the offseason that were clean, the soreness in the right forearm resurfaced this past week — when the right-hander threw change-ups but not when the fastball and curveball were delivered. Severino flies to New York on Sunday and will begin three days of tests at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

According to manager Aaron Boone, the Yankees are in a holding pattern with Severino, who received soft tissue treatment Saturday.

Luis Severino (l) and James PaxtonCharles Wenzelberg/New York Post

“We are kind of waiting to see how the early week unfolds,’’ Boone said.

Paxton has progressed to the point where his program has increased.

“We are upping the exercises each day,’’ Paxton said before Saturday’s game. “Monday we are going to add resistance to leg exercises. I am moving along really well. No setbacks so far.’’

Depending on what three days of testing find out about Severino’s cranky right forearm, Paxton making it back in early May as opposed to later in the month would be a plus either way. If Severino’s problem isn’t serious and Paxton makes it back in early May, the Yankees are in good shape. If Severino is forced to miss extended time, it would benefit the Yankees to get Paxton back before he was expected.

Severino missed the first five months of last season due to an inflamed rotator cuff problem and a lat injury while rehabbing the rotator cuff. He appeared in three September games and made two starts in the ALCS against the Astros.

As for Paxton, he obviously is looking forward to participating in a simple game of catch, which millions of people do every day.

“At least the ball will be in my hand,’’ said Paxton, who went 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA in 29 starts and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Paxton described his post-surgery pain as “pretty normal and it has gone away quickly.’’

Boone knew Paxton might be able to play catch in 10 days because that was in the original timeline laid out when the process started.

“Hearing how he was responding to the surgery the days after and to this point, I feel that is kind of the timeline,’’ Boone said. “He should get built up. I feel like he is doing really well. Each day has been good. He is moving around more. I think the good thing with this, which kind of nagged him a little bit toward the end of the season and into the postseason and obviously into the offseason, I feel like that is probably behind him now.’’

source https://truesportsfan.com/sport-today/where-yankees-stand-with-luis-severino-james-paxton-injuries/

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bharatiyamedia-blog · 5 years

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This Is The Yankees’ Finest — And Final — Likelihood To Win A Title In The 2010s

http://tinyurl.com/y5sqfdp9 Most franchises could be envious of a decade just like the one which the New York Yankees have loved throughout the 2010s. The Bronx Bombers’ file of 872-669 is one of the best in baseball over that span, and the staff’s scoring differential of +987 is 100 runs higher than another membership. New York has made the playoffs six times — with the overwhelming likelihood of a seventh journey this season — and has superior to the American League Championship Collection 3 times. Solely three groups have appeared in additional postseason video games this decade than the Yankees. Alongside the best way, they’ve seen the ends of a number of Corridor of Fame careers (Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera), or at the very least Hall-worthy ones (A-Rod), and have introduced up among the brightest stars of the subsequent technology (Aaron Decide, Gleyber Torres, Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez), as nicely. And but, within the Bronx, this isn’t adequate. Just one accomplishment issues to a staff that touts “27 World Championships” at Yankee Stadium in every single place the attention can see. The Yankees have someway gone nearly your complete decade of the 2010s with out profitable a World Collection. If that holds via this season, the 2010s will be part of the 1980s as simply the franchise’s second title-less decade for the reason that staff got here into its personal as baseball’s most dominant beginning within the 1920s. The strain is actual; as a Yankee-fan good friend fretted to me the opposite day, “We will’t go the entire decade with out a ring.” Luckily for New York followers, this yr’s staff might be the one to finish the drought on the eleventh hour, even when it isn’t with out its flaws. This present post-Jeter/Rivera/Rodriguez Yankees period has been marked with plenty of promise, although it has solely sometimes scratched the floor of its full potential. The 2017 staff featured large breakout seasons from Decide and Severino en path to an ALCS look, however New York was unable to capitalize on a 3-2 series lead towards the Astros, dropping Video games 6 and seven in Houston by a mixed rating of 11-1. Final season, the Yankees have been once more spectacular relative to nearly all of MLB, however they couldn’t ever muscle previous the rival Pink Sox, who dispatched them in an ALDS that was (largely) nearer than the 3-1 collection margin would counsel. New York had its possibilities each years, but in addition ran up towards a few historic buzzsaws in these Astros and Pink Sox. The Yankees are relying on this yr to be completely different. And though a massive spate of early injuries threatened to derail the 2019 season earlier than it had scarcely begun, the staff’s stand-ins have finished a comparatively good job of holding down the fort within the stars’ absence. Right here’s how the Yankees’ role-shuffling to plug damage holes has labored out, in line with wins above replacement: The Yankee stand-ins have finished a reasonably good job Amongst members of the 2019 New York Yankees, incumbent regulars from final yr who’ve missed important enjoying time, and the gamers who changed them 2018 starter 2019 starter Pos Participant WAR/162 Participant WAR/162 1B Greg Chook -0.3 Luke Voit +3.2 2B Gleyber Torres +2.4 DJ LeMahieu +7.5 SS Didi Gregorius +4.4 Gleyber Torres +5.3 3B Miguel Andujar +2.5 Gio Urshela +1.8 LF Brett Gardner +2.6 Cameron Maybin +1.6 CF Aaron Hicks +4.8 Brett Gardner +2.9 RF Aaron Decide +5.3 Clint Frazier +0.7 DH Giancarlo Stanton +4.1 Kendrys Morales -0.8 SP Luis Severino +5.1 Domingo German +2.4 RP Dellin Betances +1.7 Adam Ottavino +2.4 WAR is as of July 1, prorated per 162 staff video games Sources: Baseball-Reference.com, FanGraphs New York has positively missed the standout performances of Decide, Severino, Giancarlo Stanton and firm. However issues might have been a lot worse with out the nice play of Torres (who shifted to shortstop throughout Didi Gregorious’s damage) and Luke Voit (who took over full-time at first base this yr) — each of whom got here on sturdy late last season. And the actually out-of-nowhere manufacturing has come from names like Gio Urshela at third base (changing Miguel Andujar) and Domingo German within the rotation, the place German has been the staff’s second-best starter by WAR behind Masahiro Tanaka. (Voit and German are themselves injured now, however German ought to return this week and Voit will have the All-Star break to get well from the belly pressure that landed him on the IL.) On the identical time, the Yankees have managed to pluck productive veteran hitters from different groups for surprisingly low prices. Earlier than the season, New York signed former Colorado Rockies second baseman — and 2016 NL batting champ — DJ LeMahieu to a two-year, $24 million deal. All LeMahieu has finished is hit for the AL’s finest common (.341) and put up a team-leading 3.7 WAR in a half-season of play. Moving on quickly from designated hitter Kendrys Morales, who hit .177 after becoming a member of New York in mid-Might, the Yankees additionally snagged AL home run leader Edwin Encarnacion from Seattle for a younger pitching prospect. Yankee pitching has suffered with out Severino and Dellin Betances, as offseason commerce pickup James Paxton and free-agent returnee J.A. Happ have dissatisfied within the rotation early, and reliever Chad Inexperienced has fallen off. The staff’s pitching has dropped from second general in WAR in 2018 to 11th this yr, and depth on the mound remains an area of concern for the staff because it appears to be like forward to the second half of the season. Nonetheless, the Yankees are enjoying like arguably the best team in baseball right now, even with Stanton still on the injured list. They only swept the Pink Sox in a high-scoring weekend series in London, and have received 13 of their final 15 video games. By way of Elo rankings, New York’s present 1579 mark is the second-highest it’s been via 83 video games for the reason that fabled 114-win 1998 team, trailing solely final yr’s squad (which confronted a fraction of the identical damage issues). One of the best Yankee groups via 83 video games, in line with Elo All-time New York Yankees groups with an Elo ranking of at the very least 1579 via 83 video games, by season Season Wins Losses Win proportion Elo Score 1939 60 23 .723 1618 – 1937 55 26 .679 1604 – 1998 63 20 .759 1603 – 1928 60 23 .723 1596 – 1927 58 24 .707 1590 – 1954 54 28 .659 1590 – 1932 56 27 .675 1589 – 1947 56 26 .683 1588 – 2018 55 28 .663 1588 – 1957 55 28 .663 1586 – 1956 57 26 .687 1585 – 1938 51 29 .638 1585 – 1933 53 30 .639 1585 – 2019 54 29 .651 1579 – Supply: ESPN A yr after setting the all-time record for residence runs in a season with 267 bombs, the Yankees are literally going yard extra steadily in 2019 (as soon as each 20.Four at-bats) than they did final season (20.7). And once more, that’s with out Decide, Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Encarnacion for a lot of the season. At full energy, the sheer quantity of energy in pinstripes might be nicely past something we’ve ever seen in the identical lineup earlier than. By way of established gamers on board, this roster might stand proper subsequent to the 2009 Yankees as one of the crucial spectacular collections of uncooked expertise within the fashionable period. However none of that may imply something if this yr’s model can’t replicate that 2009 staff’s postseason success. Whereas these Yankees have the potential to be as dominant as any staff, the competitors stays stiff on the high of the main leagues. Our mannequin gives the Yankees a 17 % probability of profitable the World Collection, which ranks second solely to the Dodgers’ 24 % odds. New York will most likely win 100 video games, and so they’ve obtained an 82 % probability of profitable the AL East. The entire trappings of previous Yankees success ought to be there by season’s finish. However will that translate to October? One factor is for sure: That is one of the best probability New York has had in years to interrupt its ring-less streak and put a title within the books for the 2010s. Take a look at our newest MLB predictions. Source link

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browanger55-blog · 5 years

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Thoughts on the 2018 season now that it’s in the history books

When the Boston Red Sox began the 2018 season on a 17-2 run, we should have known the eventual World Series winner was almost pre-ordained.

While Boston did have competition for the A.L. East title for a while in the late spring — they were in second place as late as June 26 — they went 57-29 after July 1 and were never seriously challenged after the All-Star break.

And we definitely should have known this was the likely result once the Red Sox finished the regular season with 108 wins. Even if the Cubs had managed to win the wild-card game and get through a division series and the NLCS to play them, they likely would have lost the World Series to Boston. 108-win teams are quite rare in Major League Baseball. That’s winning two-thirds of your games (or, prior to the 162-game schedule, more than two-thirds). In the 116 seasons since the World Series as we know now was created, just 12 teams have won 108 or more games. Here’s how all those teams did in the postseason.

108-win teams in the World Series era

Team Year Wins Result

Cubs 1906 116 Lost WS Pirates 1909 110 Won WS Yankees 1927 110 Won WS Indians 1954 111 Lost WS Yankees 1961 109 Won WS Orioles 1969 109 Lost WS Orioles 1970 108 Won WS Reds 1975 108 Won WS Mets 1986 108 Won WS Yankees 1998 114 Won WS Mariners 2001 116 Lost ALCS Red Sox 2018 108 Won WS

Eight World Series winners. Three World Series losers (none since 1969). And one team that inexplicably played its worst baseball of the year at the worst possible time to not even get to the World Series, the 116-win Mariners of 2001.

Winning 108 games is really hard to do — you’ll note it’s happened just three times since 1986. This year’s Red Sox were simply relentless, getting strong pitching when they needed it most, and getting hitting from a guy — Steve Pearce — who was so little thought of this year that the Blue Jays sent him over to Boston for a minor leaguer who might never play in the big leagues. Now Pearce has a ring and a World Series MVP trophy.

Because baseball. Even in this utterly dominant Red Sox season, you could see how things might have gone differently. What if Andrew Benintendi doesn’t make that great catch to end Game 4 of the ALCS? The Astros likely win that game (the bases were loaded and all three runs probably score, which would have given the game to Houston) and then the ALCS is tied and who knows, maybe it’s Houston vs. L.A. What if the Cubs win one more game before September 30, or the Brewers lose one more? Maybe the Cubs get back to the World Series.

That’s how close things can be in the wild-card era. Remember that even in the Cubs’ dominant 103-win season in 2016, they were one ninth-inning rally from having to face Johnny Cueto in a Game 5 of the division series, and they trailed two games to one in the NLCS and three games to one in the World Series. Those comebacks are what makes the Cubs’ World Series title that much more special.

The Red Sox just had one of those seasons. Next year’s storyline for them will be: “Can they repeat?” And the answer, as of now, is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Because baseball.

Now we enter winter and the baseball free-agency season, which will be interesting to watch based on last offseason’s almost total lack of movement until very late. Will Bryce Harper get the huge-money deal everyone’s been assuming he will? Manny Machado didn’t do himself any favors in free agency with his poor postseason performance (.227/.278/.394, 15-for-66, with 18 strikeouts, a lack of hustle and a couple of first basemen’s feet stepped on).

Here is the timeline for free agency this week:

As of 9AM this morning, all players whose contracts ran out with the 2018 season are, technically, free agents. People will still call them members of their last team, but that’s not true in a technical sense;

Players with contract options or with opt-outs have to make those decisions by Wednesday. If it’s a team option, the team has to make that decision by then too;

The deadline for teams to extend qualifying offers to free agents who last played for them is 5PM on Friday. Players have until November 12 to accept or reject the qualifying offer. Here is everything you need to know about qualifying offers. For the 2019 season, the qualifying offer is $17.9 million;

Teams have an exclusive window to negotiate with the free agents who last played for them between now and Saturday. Beginning on Saturday, players can negotiate and sign with any team.

The Cubs have the following free agents and players with options:

Cole Hamels, $20 million team option. Will likely be picked up. Brandon Kintzler, $10 million team option, $5 million player option. The team option will likely be declined, but he likely picks up his player option. Maybe the Cubs can then trade him. Justin Wilson: free agent. Probably gone. Jesse Chavez: free agent. Could be worth retaining. Jorge De La Rosa: free agent. Probably gone. Daniel Murphy: free agent. Probably gone. Jaime Garcia: free agent. Probably gone. Bobby Wilson: free agent. Bobby, we hardly knew ye.

The six free agents mean the Cubs will immediately have six open spots on their 40-man roster. Four of those get filled right away, as the four players on the 60-day DL (Yu Darvish, Drew Smyly, Justin Hancock and Mark Zagunis) have to be restored to the 40-man. It’s possible Hancock and Zagunis will be outrighted to Iowa, off the 40-man with (likely) spring training invitations. Other players probably off the 40-man: Mike Freeman and Taylor Davis, and possibly Allen Webster and Jen-Ho Tseng. That should leave the Cubs somewhere between six and eight open spots on the 40-man. Some of those will be filled with guys the team wants to protect from the Rule 5 draft, others will be left open for free-agent signings or trades.

The Cubs don’t have anyone who will get a qualifying offer this offseason. Murphy is not eligible for one because he was traded during the season (and also because he has previously received a qualifying offer, from the Mets after 2015).

Hang in there. It’s just 116 days until the Cubs take the field in Mesa against the Brewers in the 2019 spring opener and 150 days until the regular-season opener against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas.

There will be at least one more game thread here in 2018. I’m going to run a game thread this coming Saturday for the Arizona Fall League’s “Fall Stars Game,” their All-Star game, which will be televised on MLB Network at 7 p.m. CT November 3. And if the Mesa Solar Sox, where Cubs prospects play, win their division and get into the AFL championship game, we’ll have another game thread here Saturday, November 17.

Hang in there. There will be plenty of baseball to discuss over the winter, and 2019 spring training will be here before you know it.

Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/10/29/18037486/2018-season-history-books-red-sox-world-series

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thegloober · 6 years

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A Half-Season of Greatness and a Half-Season of Knee Trouble for the Closer [2018 Season Review]

The Yankees’ Five Longest Home Runs of 2018

(Getty)

Aroldis Chapman’s first full season as a Yankee was up and down. Early season shoulder trouble and inconsistent performance meant Chapman finished with a 3.22 ERA (2.56 FIP) in 50.1 innings last year — those were his highest marks since 2011 — before he rebounded late and pitched well in October. The strong finish gave everyone hope we’d see vintage Chapman in 2018.

And vintage Chapman we did see, at least in the first half, before his left knee injury became too much to bear. In 51.1 innings this year Chapman posted a 2.45 ERA (2.09 FIP) with a 43.9% strikeout rate, the second highest mark of his career. The strikeout rate leaderboard (min. 50 innings):

Josh Hader: 46.7%

Edwin Diaz: 44.3%

Aroldis Chapman: 43.9%

Dellin Betances: 42.3%

Corey Knebel: 39.5%

Chapman was selected to his fifth career All-Star Game this year and he did finish strong in late September and the postseason, though the knee injury sabotaged his second half. Even when he was deemed healthy enough to pitch following the All-Star break, Chapman struggled. The injury was a real bummer. Time to dig into his season.

The Dominant First Half

Late last season Chapman attributed his strong finish and postseason to a grip change. He reportedly switched from his usual fastball grip, which was more like a cutter grip, to a true four-seam grip. The velocity and life returned, and Chapman was better able to locate the pitch as well. That success carried over into this season.

Chapman went 26-for-27 in save chances in the first half — the Yankees came back to win following the lone blown save too — and was just overwhelming. Six runs and 33 baserunners in 40 innings with 68 strikeouts. He held opponents to a .126/.234/.207 batting line and never once in 41 first half appearances did Chapman allow more than one run.

For me, the most memorable moment of Chapman’s season came on May 3rd, in the final game of the four-game series in Houston. The Yankees scored three in the top of the ninth to take a 6-5 lead, then, with the tying run on second and the go-ahead run at first, Chapman blew Jose Altuve away on three pitches to end the game. Look at this at-bat:

?? Goodness. All-Star closer and the hardest throwing pitcher in baseball history against the reigning AL MVP with the game on the line? That’s as good as it gets right there, and Chapman completely overpowered Altuve. That game was in the middle of a stretch in which Chapman struck out 15 of 25 batters faced across six appearances.

The Yankees signed Chapman to what is still the largest reliever contract in baseball history two offseasons ago because they wanted dominance in the ninth inning, and although they didn’t really get it last year, Chapman was more than up to the task in the first half this season. He was excellent and he was rightfully selected to the All-Star Game, though he had to sit out the game because of …

The Lingering Knee Injury

We first got wind of Chapman’s left knee issue in June. He threw a pitch during his June 8th save against the Mets, hobbled around a little bit, and trainer Steve Donohue came out to check on him. Chapman remained in the game and finished things off, then revealed he’d been pitching through left knee tendinitis for several weeks.

“I don’t think it’s that much of a concern. It’s been something he has been dealing with,” said Aaron Boone following the game. “Every now and then when he is running around, backing up, we get a lump in our throat, but it hasn’t been something that has affected him at all throwing and it hasn’t been something he has said is an issue for him other than staying on top of it and getting the proper treatment. I feel he is good to go moving forward. Any time any of our players have an issue, it’s a concern, but I don’t think it’s anything that’s affecting his pitching right now.”

Chapman continued to receive treatment and continued to pitch — he got another save the very next night — and there were no indications the knee was giving him trouble. In 14 appearances between that June 8th outing and the All-Star break, Chapman allowed four hits and five walks in 13.1 innings. He struck out 22. It would’ve been impossible to tell he was pitching hurt had he not limped a bit following a pitch during that June 8th game.

It wasn’t until Chapman’s first appearance following the All-Star break that something was clearly wrong. He faced five batters on July 21st and went walk, single, walk, walk, hit-by-pitch. Nineteen pitches, three strikes. Chapman came in with a 7-3 lead and left with a 7-5 lead and the bases loaded and no outs. Chasen Shreve came in and managed to close out the game. Felt like a miracle.

In his first nine appearances after the All-Star break Chapman walked eleven batters in seven innings, and the Yankees gave him as much rest as possible. Know how late-inning relievers will sometimes get into a game simply because they need work? Not Chapman in late-July and August. At one point he made only five appearances in 21 days, and three times he pitched with six days rest.

On August 21st in Miami, Chapman entered with a one-run lead — it was his first appearance in six days — and had to exit the game after six pitches. The knee had become too painful. Chapman went for an MRI the next day and headed to the disabled list with what the Yankees called knee tendinitis.

“I felt that it was a good decision to stop pitching at that time. The (pain) intensity was higher and you kind of ask yourself, ‘What’s really going on?’ So that’s why I called the trainers, because I felt that it was a good idea to stop pitching,” Chapman said. “We don’t have a set time (to return). Right now, I’ve got to see how it goes and kind of get a better idea as the following days go by. That’s what you hope for, that it’s only ten days and you take this time to recuperate and get back to being 100%. That’s definitely what you hope for.”

Chapman spent about a month on the disabled list. He exited the Marlins game on August 21st and his first game back was September 20th. That first outing was a disaster (three runs and two outs), but Chapman was nails the next four times out (3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K) as the Yankees eased him back into action as a middle reliever. He resumed ninth inning duties in the postseason and closed out the Wild Card Game and ALCS Game Two wins, and also threw a scoreless inning in the ALCS Game Four loss. The knee was no longer an issue.

Emphasizing The Slider

For what I am sure is several reasons rather than one big reason, Chapman’s velocity was down in 2018. His heater averaged 99.3 mph this season, which is obviously excellent, but is down considerably from 100.2 mph last year and 101.1 mph the year before. The 104s and 105s were replaced with 100s and 101s. Chapman’s average velocity the last five years:

Ten times in his final 20 regular season appearances Chapman’s fastball averaged under 98 mph. He did that 16 times total in 298 appearances from 2013-17. Yeah. Chapman turns 31 in February and has a lot of innings on his arm, and Father Time remains undefeated. Every pitcher loses velocity with age, especially once they hit 30, and Chapman is no different.

In this case though, there’s also an injury to consider. Chapman’s injury was to his left knee, his push off knee, and he may not have been able to push off properly and generate his trademark velocity. Or maybe he held back some in an effort to prevent further pain or damage to the knee. That’s something that can happen subconsciously. When you’re hurting, it’s only human nature to protect the injury.

Whatever the reason, Chapman lost some velocity this season, and sometimes it was very noticeable. He compensated for the velocity loss by throwing more sliders, in some cases many more. Chapman even had three outings in which he threw more sliders than changeups. That never used to happen. The slider was featured more this season than ever before, and you know what? It worked very well. Some slider numbers:

% Thrown Avg. Velocity Whiffs-per-Swing GB% 2015 16.5% 87.6 mph 51.2% 27.8% 2016 15.3% 88.7 mph 51.9% 42.1% 2017 19.8% 87.8 mph 44.3% 42.9% 2018 25.5% 86.7 mph 60.2% 57.1%

Slider usage is up — the fact Chapman increased his slider usage last year and again this year leads me to believe this has been in the works a while rather than be a spur of the moment thing in response to the knee and velocity loss — and wow look at those results. This season the MLB averages were 35.5% whiffs-per-swing and 43.9% grounders for sliders. Chapman was well above both marks.

It makes sense though, right? Chapman has a pretty good slider and, even with his diminished velocity this year, the hitter still has to respect the 100+ mph heater. When hitters are gearing up for a triple-digit fastball and get a mid-to-upper-80s slider like this …

… dropped on them, well, it can lead to swings like that. The slider went from show-me pitch in the past to a legitimate weapon for Chapman this season. He threw it more in all situations. Behind in the count, ahead in the count, with two strikes to righties and lefties, whatever. The Yankees and Chapman changed the scouting report a bit this season and that slider allowed him to remain (very) effective even while hobbled and with something less than his peak velocity.

The thought that Aroldis Chapman, the guy who most stands out for his velocity in this era of big velocity, is losing velocity is kinda scary! At 102-105 mph, he’s untouchable. At 97-98 mph, he’s a bit more human. What happens in a year or two when he might be 95-97 mph? Eek. The fact Chapman successfully emphasized his slider this year and turned it into a weapon is encouraging to me. He’s made an adjustment and found a way to get outs (found a way to still dominate, really) even without being able to throw 105 mph by everyone. I was glad to see it.

What’s Next?

Next season is the third year on Chapman’s five-year contract and it’s a big one, because he can opt out next offseason. He’d walk away from two years and $34.4M. It is way, way, way too early to say whether Chapman will opt out. If the knee and everything else hold up next year and he dominates, my guess is he’d opt-out, even with the velocity loss. Chapman could wind up with more guaranteed money, even if he takes a pay cut annually.

The opt-out isn’t really worth worrying about right now. It’s so far away and so much can happen between now and then. Brian Cashman recently told Brendan Kuty that an offseason of rest will “clean up” whatever’s wrong with Chapman’s knee, which is good, because avoiding surgery is always preferred. With a full no-trade clause and the Yankees valuing a deep bullpen, there is no reason to believe Chapman will be anything other than the team’s closer going into next season.

The Yankees’ Five Longest Home Runs of 2018

Source: https://bloghyped.com/a-half-season-of-greatness-and-a-half-season-of-knee-trouble-for-the-closer-2018-season-review/

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flauntpage · 6 years

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Angelo Cataldi is at it Again

I’ll take the bait.

It’s a slow news day anyway.

Angelo writes a weekly column for Philly Voice, or maybe it’s twice a month. I’m not sure. I go over there to read Kempski, Neubeck, and Mullin.

This week’s column is titled, “It’s only preseason, sure, but Eagles have shown they’re far from perfect.” That part of the article is fine but Angelo then goes back to the 24-4 Phillies loss from last week, the first game of the double-header.

At the time, Angelo called the use of Scott Kingery and Roman Quinn as pitchers “disgraceful,” claiming that he was “embarrassed” to be a Philly sports fan the following morning. BWanks sort of shut that shit down – as Negan from The Walking Dead would say – in a story he wrote later that day.

The short explanation is that the Phillies were getting blasted in the first game and needed to save their bullpen for the second game to give them a chance to at least break even on the day.

Not good enough for Cataldi, who writes:

“The fact that the Phillies won the second game did nothing to stifle the rage fans felt the next morning, when complaints by baseball fans overwhelmed the usual flood of football calls after an Eagles game. As he is known to do, Kapler made the situation much worse by opening his mouth.”

Yeah, well, they played like shit in the first one. The rage should have been reserved for the myriad defensive errors the Phils committed that allowed the game to spiral out of control in the first place.

“You guys are going to spin this however you want to spin it, but the fact of the matter is, in the fifth inning when we’re down 11 runs, we started to prepare for the second game,” (Kapler) said. “We used strategy to best position the Phillies to win games. We’re going to continue to do that.”

Correct. The first game was lost. So you put yourself in a position to salvage the second half of the double-header.

Translation: We quit. In the city of Rocky Balboa, Gabe Kapler gave up. This is the same Game Kapler who played on the Boston team in 2004 that staged the greatest comeback, down 0-3 to the Yankees in the ALCS, in baseball history.

That’s the ALCS, not a regular season double-header. It is not the same thing. If Kapler blows every bullpen arm to miraculously erase a double-digit deficit, what exactly is left for the second game? Nothing. They win the first game, then get blasted in the next one. You arrive at the exact same position: one win and one loss.

Plus, everybody know that this Phillies team isn’t an offensive juggernaut. How many times has a club scored 12 or more runs to come back and win a game?

Anyway:

It was an astonishing admission, made much worse by the slow-pitch softball approach of erstwhile pitcher Kingery. What Kapler doesn’t understand — and may never understand — is that Philadelphia sports fans are wired differently than any others. Yes, there was some logic to the manager’s thinking. But not here. You don’t quit in Philadelphia. Ever.

“But not here.”

We don’t use logic in Philly. It’s heart before brain. That’s what he’s saying.

Again, this is not “quitting,” it’s foresight, awareness, common sense – the ability to see the bigger picture and not become blinded by some myopic “never say die” caveman cliche. I give Kapler credit for admitting that they were moving on to game two, instead of trying to save face with some half-assed “we gave it our best shot” quote. He was honest with the fan base and didn’t bullshit his way through it.

Finally:

Equally worrisome for Kapler is the perception that he really doesn’t care how the fans feel, a fatal mistake made by many managers and coaches who have preceded him here. Ultimately, Andy Reid was pink-slipped when his contempt for the paying customers got to be too much for owner Jeffrey Lurie to tolerate. Even a hero like Doug Collins signed his own death warrant when he asked fans to pray for slovenly center Andrew Bynum.

You can’t really care about fan opinions.

Sure, you want everybody to appreciate the team and get on board with the plan, but at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what the fuck the fans feel. You’re the coach. You believe in your system, your style, and your process, and when you stray from that, it starts to go downhill. You have to trust yourself more than anything.

Plus, there were a bunch of “fans” that wanted to fire Kapler after the season opener. Now the team is 12 games over .500 and fighting for a playoff spot.

Likewise, there were a bunch of Eagles fans that disagreed with Doug Pederson’s fourth down aggression last season. Guess how that turned out?

I know Angelo is just trolling for callers or readers at this point, and I plucked the low-hanging fruit, but we’ve got to evolve from this bogus blue-collar, lunch pail cliche and show some situational awareness here. There was plenty of logic in what Kapler decided to do on Thursday, and we should appreciate that instead of defaulting to the “Philly tough” fake outrage that we’ve been spewing since 1975.

The post Angelo Cataldi is at it Again appeared first on Crossing Broad.

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