The CrapMonkey Podcast Episode #125

Tilt PhoneIt’s 2008 and I’m starting the new year off with new toys.  In addition to upgrading to the released version of Windows Home Server and adding an Xbox into the mix, I’ve also updated my mobile phone to a Tilt.  As such, I thought I’d share my favorite mobile applications (Shozu, Windows Live Search Mobile, NewsgatorGo).  Also, my favorite blog aggregator, Feeddemon, is now free – so download your copy today.

A new bar is opening in Ballard this week that you are going to want to check out.  It’s called Ocho and is on the corner of 24th and Market (also worth mentioning, it will be opening with Diamond Knot IPA on tap).  Another cool location in the Ballard area is a new sake bar on 65th called TigerTail.  Don’t worry if you aren’t into sake because they also have an excellent beer selection (including Rogue’s Chocolate Stout on draft).  I welcomed TigerTail into town the only way I know how, with a CrapMonkey Restroom Review.

The Song of the day is “Beautiful Lie” by Beth Thornley.  The website of the day is The Beer Connoisseur multi-media beer school put out by HeresToBeer.com.  The show closes on a song called “Happy New Year” by Wind is Mindblowing.  Thanks for listening and Happy New Year.

POC #13: Brouwers Bigwood Festival

BrouwersBrouwers Cafe in Fremont is in full swing with their Bigwood Festival.  Over 40 excellent beers that have been conditioned in wood make this festival a must attend event.  The beers were rolled out Thursday night and will continue until supplies run out – so get there sooner than later. 

In this Piece of Crap, we are hanging out at Brouwers and enjoying some fine beers conditioned in bourbon barrels.  We also chat with manager and bartender, Chris Cavanaugh, to find out a little more about the Bigwood Festival, bourbon, and the Brouwers Cafe in general. 

Also, don’t forget, tonight is the last night of the Washington Winter Beer Festival.  Given that it is being held at Hales Brewery, only a stones throw from Brouwers, this could be the night to check them both out.

Show Beer a Little Gratitude this Thanksgiving

Turkey and BeerThanksgiving is just around the corner and many of us will be joining friends and family for festive dining and cheerful imbibing.  Although I suspect that wine is the most traditionally served drink on this festive occasion;  this year I’d like to  encourage you to include Craft Beer in your holiday menu.  While beer may not be a common part of your family tradition, even the Pilgrims were Ale drinkers and it is widely believed that beer had a place on the table at the first Thanksgiving.

The notion would make sense since beers  accentuate the typical Thanksgiving feast even better than most wines. Caramelized and toasted grain flavors in many beers complement the flavors of roast turkey. Furthermore, the carbonation, fruitiness and balanced bitterness of many craft beers allow them to stand up to creamy, butter-rich preparations like mashed potatoes and creamed corn.   According to Brewers Association Spokesperson Julia Herz, “Many styles of beer both complement and contrast the food they are paired with, whereas wine mostly contrasts. The holiday dinner table is a very appropriate place for beer made from America’s small, independent and traditional brewers.”

A lot of terrific seasonal ales hit the shelves this time of year so be sure to spend some time in the Craft Beer isle of your favorite grocer before making your way to meet your host.  If you’re hosting this season, click here to get some ideas on how to pair and serve like a pro.  Still not conviced? Below is a brief interview with Garrett Oliver, Brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery and Author of the Brewmasters’ Table, that I recorded in 2006 at the Craft Brewers Conference in Seattle.     

The CrapMonkey Podcast Episode #124

owed In

Fun times with beer are just around the corner.  This weekend you’ll want to check out the Pyramid Snowed In Party at the Seattle Brewery.  The Presidents are the Friday night headliner and the Dandy Warhols are Saturday’s attraction (besides the SnowCap of course).  Click here for more details.  On November 30th and December 1st, don’t miss the Winter Beer Festival at Hales Brewery.Omaha in Ropes

In this podcast I have a couple of audio clips from the Podcast and New Media Expo.  At the Wizzard Media party, I ran into Omaha Sternberg of MacRadio getting tied up by GrayDancer, producer of the Ropecast (who was there on behalf of TwistedMonk.com).  Photos are on Flickr.

The song of the day is There She Goes by Brother Love and the website of the day is the Association of Downloadable Media.  The show closes on Two Years Down by Stonehoney

The CrapMonkey Podcast Episode #123

Convention CenterIt’s day 2 of the Podcast and New Media Expo and the energy out here is excellent.   Podcasting has definitely had its up and downs in the last couple of years, but the drive and enthusiasm of media content creators is as strong as its ever been.  This episode is intended to quickly catch you up on my travels and it also contains a restroom review of the facility just outside the pool area at the Marriott.

The song of the day is The Hold Music Song by yours truely and the website of the day is the Seattle Podcasting network blog.  The show closes with On A Podcast, by Cruisebox.

Smidgits

POC 12 – LightSnake USB to XLR Cord Review

LightSnakeMy friend Drew loaned me his latest purchase, a LightSnake Luminescent USB to XLR Microphone Cord.  I figured that the best way to test it out would be to record a podcast, so that’s what this Piece of Crap is all about.  You can’t get much better than this when it comes to simplicity.  Plug-n-Play ensures that it is instantly recognized on the computer and installed so that you are ready to record in a flash.  For a podcaster, this is great as it easily lets you plug into your home PC or laptop without additional equipment or even a sound card.  If the simplicity and sound quality is not enough to sway you, perhaps the green glow illuminating from the USB and XLR connectors at either end will provide enough cool factor to win you over.  At only $40 on Amazon, I’d say this is a worth while addition to the podcasters’ tool kit.  (Beware though, no phantom power means this may not be a universal solution for everyone).  Click below to listen to the podcast recorded using the Lightsnake:

CMP-8-26-2007: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 122

iriverIt’s Sunday afternoon and a very busy summer is coming to an end.  In this episode, I am proud to say I’ve put my iRiver back into the CrapMonkey Mix.  I upgraded to the M-Audio microtrack a long time back, and my ability to capture spontaneous moments has suffered ever since.  Having the iRiver back on board is already starting to pay off.  On Saturday night, outside of a bar in lower Queen Anne, I caught a great rendition of the Big Mac drive through rap (performed by some of the Seattle Pyramid Alehouse crew).  Not sure where this rap came from?  Check it out on YouTube.

This episode also boasts a guest restroom review of the Heritage Hall in Vancouver B.C., brought to us by Cosmo G. Spacely of the Clubside Breakfast Time Podcast (aka – Jacob Stewart).  The urinal in this review is truly unique, so check out the images here.

Beer lovers, we are on our way to brewfest bliss.  Here are a few to think about over the next couple of months:

The song of the day is Here with You, by Tracy Hoyt and Jeff Fielder, the website of the day is NoonHat.  Today’s program closes with “Seahawk’s, Give It All You’ve Got” by Keith Sexton.

Want to chime in?  Send an email to Travis@crapmonkey.com.  Audio comments are welcome.

CMP-6-30-2007: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 121

Can you believe we are half way throught 2007 already?  In this episode, I chat a bit about Seattle Mindcamp and the iphone.  I also share a little bit of beer news.  TurboNegro has released a new album called Retox, so I thought I’d dust off an old Spool Sample from Party Animals.

The song of the day is The Hold Music Song by yours truely, and the website of the day is mp3tunes.com.

Also, I forgot to mention it in the episode, but The Clintons were trying their hand at being funny a little while back with their spoof of the Sopranos (the purpose being to get people to submit campaign song suggestions).  I can’t say that they actually achieved humor, but at least they gave it a shot.  They did prove one thing I’ve always suspected… Democrats don’t know how to deinterlace video.

CMP-6-23-2007: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 120

Guinness SurgerThe CrapMonkey was hacked and I had a few virus issues, but I’m working my way back.  In this episode, we chat a bit about post Sopranos HBO (Flight of the Conchords is a great show!) as well as the new Surger product from Guinness.  We also have a restroom review at the Funhouse.  Just for fun, I thought I’d include a few links to humurous beer ads as well:

The song of the day is Desire by Red Sauce Number Nine and the website of the day is Popfly.com.

POC 11 – Memorial Day Weekend Camping

Memorial Camp Site

For Memorial Day Weekend we went out to Lyons Ferry Park for a little rest and relaxation.  While out in the Palouse, we visited the Palouse Falls and Dayton (including the Dayton Days Rodeo and the Skye Book and Brew).  Images from the trip are available on Flickr.  Audio is available by clicking the player below.

Bucked Child

CMP-5-5-2007: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 119

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  In this episode, I share a little beer news (mark your calendars for the Washington Brewer’s Guild’s Fathers Day Beer Festival).  Also, if you are a buttrocker at heart, you may want to plan to head to Rocklahoma in July.  You’ll have a chance to see all of your favorite hairbands in one crazy weekend in Oklahoma.

The song of the day is Guacamole by Comfy Chair and the website of the day is visitmix.com.  The show closes on a song called Beer Toast by Bobby Chitwood.

CMP-4-28-2007: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 118

Vegas

Believe it or not, the CrapMonkey is back on the air!  It’s been a while since I’ve gotten a show posted, but there’s been a lot going on.  Saw some decent shows recently, including Jeff Fielder at the Showbox and Zach Harjo at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard.  A week ago, I was in Las Vegas for the National Association of Broadcaster’s Conference (NAB) so I have a few clips to share from that trip.

The song of the day is Rollin’ and Tumblin’ by Jeff Fielder and the website of the day is TexttheFish.com (though you should also check out karatekidpose.com.  The show closes with a song by StoneHoney called Two Years Down.

CMP-2-18-2007: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 117

Well, the weekend is coming to an end.  In this episode we have an audio snippet from our night on Ballard Avenue and there is also a restroom review of the CHAC (reviewed during the Ignite Seattle event).  Need a little nude art to go with your beer?  Perhaps barearts.com has what you need.  There are a few things of interest going on in the not too distant future: Wintergrass Festival, Spitfire and SIFF Oscar Party, The Buttrock Suites, and a Kristen Hersh in-store top the list.

The song of the day is Amway by Fanny Alger and the website of the day is actually the CES coverage on Geek News Central’s Video Podcast Feed.  We close the show with On a Podcast by Cruisebox.

CMP-1-30-2007: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 116

Travis on SkateWell, January is almost behind us already!  In this episode we chat about the upcoming Seattle Podcasting Network Meetup, which will be providing some podcasting coverage to Seattle Ignite 2.0 on February 13th.  Ready to move to Vista?  If so, you’ll want to check out the Vista site first to ensure your hardware is ready.  Also, if you happen to be a Tori Amos fan, don’t miss your chance to be a part of a Tori Amos tribute billboard and enter to win her latest box-set.  We also have a brief interview on wheels from the Skate King in Bellevue (additional video here).  Finally, find out how to share happy hour with your dog in this episode.

The song of the night is Alive by the Deadline and we close the show on Movie, by Katie Davis.  The Website of the day is Zunebeams.com.

CMP-1-21-2007: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 115

It’s Sunday night and I’m sipping a Mactarnahan’s Blackwatch Porter.  Wendy and I checked out Bodies: The Exhibition in Seattle this weekend and I recommend it to anyone who is able to get there.  Last Thursday the Seattle Podcasting Network Meetup featured a discussion on portable media, podcasting and user generated content that is available for download. Need an idea for Valentine’s Day?  What about a night out at Hales Brewery? Also worth noting: the 8th Annual Washington Cask Beer Festival is coming up in March and tickets will go fast. Following are a couple of fun links:

The song of the day is Agony in June by Sunday Morning Music (buy the album on Amazon) and I close the show on a song by Phil Hurley.  The website of the day is vanishingpointgame.com (following the website of the day, I go on a brief tangent about WPF/E and the Microsoft Expressions Suite).

By the way, CrapMonkey now has a MySpace site… want to be friends?

CMP-1-11-2007: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 114

New Year's Day

What’s your New Year’s Resolution? In this episode, we find out what folks are resolving to do in 2007.  Additionally, there are a couple of beer related events coming up that are not to be missed.  The first is Hops and Props at the Museum of Flight and the second is the Port Townsend Strange Brew Festival.

The Song of the day is Stories and Fables by Zach Harjo and Jeff Fielder and the website of the day is beermapping.com.

Want to chime in?  Call the voice mail line at 206-984-4292or email me at Travis@crapmonkey.com.

CMP-12-28-2006: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 113

Sheep

Happy Holidays from the CrapMonkey Podcast! What are your New Year’s Eve Plans?  Call the CrapMonkey Voice Line at 206-984-4292and let me know how you usher in the new year. If you end up being the designated driver this year, check out some of your options in the world of non-alcoholic brew.  In this episode, we chat a little about beer news (including an interesting little beer tap back-pack).  You may also wish to check out the “50 Beers to Drink Before You Die series on The Brew Site.

The Song of the day is Gut Bucket by the late, great, James Brown and the website of the day is theSheepMarket.com (no, this is not a dating service).  The show ends with Fistful of We Three Kings by the High Balls, found on the Lee Harris Christmas Compilations album.

Want to chime in?  Call the CrapMonkey 206-984-4292or email to Travis@crapmonkey.com.  If you are interested in finding out more about Seattle Podcasting, vidit the Seattle Podcasting Network and keep an eye on the latest happenings at the Seattle Podcasting Meetup Site.

CMP-12-12-2006: CrapMonkey Podcast Episode 112

Well, it’s Christmas time again. We spent a great weekend in Leavenworth, and the weekend before that we attended the Winter Brewfest at Hales.  I share a little audio from both events in this episode.  After a little beer news (including a reference to Santa’s Butt), we listen to a Restroom Review from Uber.

The Song of the day is On the Rocks by Speakeasy Junction and the website of the day s beertools.com.

 

POC 9 – CrapMonkey Podcast – Pieces of Crap #9

Travis BrewsIn this fairly lengthy Piece of Crap, my friends and I take to brewing some beer.  We went up to Cellar Home Brew and bought all the equipment needed to start brewing our own beer.  In addition to the gear, we picked up the necessary ingredients to whip up a porter (which we dubbed Schrodinger’s Porter – give us a break, we’d had a few beers by then).  After getting all the gear home, stocking up the fridge with Dechutes, and downloading a few how-to articles from the Internet; Matt, Mr. Mark and I step into the wonderdul world of home brew.  Images are available on my Flickr page.