#can u answer me who is president and vp right now

[fairuzfan]

BEGGING dems to stop saying this. Please. Enough. I can't take it anymore

[razrbladekiss]

Tyrants | Chapter Seven - Fix You

WORD COUNT: 6.1k

WARNINGS: Gun talk, mentions of murder, The usual SOA shit. 

An almost unsettling fog blanketed Charming tonight, amplifying the sinister aura that’d been drifting through the town since Stahl had made her mark.

Since June Stahl had made it her mission—her whole purpose—to destroy the Sons Of Anarchy, and anybody that laid in her path.

She was doing a damn good job of that, too.

Isla wasn’t sure what her hasty arrival would mean for the club, but she knew that it wasn’t going to end pretty. She was aware that the bitter agent was just as stiff-necked as Clay, and wasn’t going down without a fucking fight.

Which, a fight, the Sons could do. It was whether they’d all make it out alive that Isla couldn’t predict.

She wouldn’t want to put her money on it either, actually.

“Any word on Bobby?”

“No.” Gemma’s sigh was sad, exhausted. “Rosen swung by just after you left with the she-devil. Said there’s a witness in a safe house willing to testify against Bobby and Ope in court. And if he does stick to his word, they’re going down for murder.”

Choosing to ignore her comment about Tara, Isla continued to pace the room. She held her cell tightly between her pink fingertips, hoping it’d light up and vibrate with a call from Jax, or Tig, or even Happy.

“Shit.” She hissed, mindful of the fact that there was a sleeping baby in Wendy’s arms and any offensive sounds would rouse him in an instant. “Did Clay tell you what their next move was?”

“Yeah. But I don’t think you’re gonna like it, sweetheart.”

She didn’t have to be privy to the plan to know that their next move involved one witness, three men, and a handful of shrapnel bullets.

“Jax know about this?” Almost concerned, Wendy asked. Isla’s ears perked up at that, too, because she wanted to know.

The VP was brutal, he was domineering and harsh when he had to be, but he wanted minimal blood shed. He didn’t host that same massacre mentality as Tig or Clay, and he definitely didn’t desire the sick thrill of gunning down a witness being protected by the fucking ATF.

“I’m assuming that he doesn’t.” The blonde uttered for Gemma after noticing that she was taking a painfully long time to respond. “Clay sent Happy, Tig, and who else? Juice?”

“Not Juice.”

“Did Clay go?” A little bit condescending, like she already knew the answer, Wendy asked. She rocked Abel back and forth as she did so, penetratively glaring at her ex-mother-in-law.

Isla swallowed thickly, stuffing her cell into the back pocket of her jeans when she realized what Gemma was trying to say.

Clay never did his own dirty work—it was always the Sgt. At Arms and whoever else was willing to get the blood on their hands. And her father, the forward-thinking, strong-willed Scotsman, never shied away from a task of this nature.

“It’s okay.” She spoke aloud, elucidating her innermost thoughts. “It’s fine. They’ve got Hap—he’s never been caught before—he knows what he’s doing.”

“And Tig, too. Y’know what he’s like.”

“Yeah.” Reflectively, she spoke. “At least they’d go through with it if my dad couldn’t.”

“You saying that your old man is weak?”

“No.” Isla spat at Wendy, glaring at her. “I’m saying that he has a conscience. Hap and Tig are a little bit hasty with the trigger and don’t tend to think before they execute somebody.”

In agreement, Gemma nodded.

“But it’s gotta be done.” She concluded, sitting on the arm of the couch. “The witness has gotta be dealt with—even if Jax doesn’t know anything about this.”

She felt her heart constrict at the thought of nobody telling the Vice President about their plans to get rid of that man.

The man that had the power to take down Opie and Bobby, and leave a club without their brothers.

Two families without their fathers.

And though it was inherently wrong to commit murder, Isla had been brought up knowing that the Sons got rid of their problems by planting bullets in the skulls of their enemies.

It was bad and immoral, and she couldn’t think of a way to excuse it to anybody on the outside. But to SAMCRO, it was habitual. It was what they did because it worked. Every single time.

“Wait a second.”

“What’s the matter, baby?”

Isla pulled a hand through her hair. “How is Clay so sure that they’re not gonna get caught? Y’know, ‘cuz this witness is being protected by the ATF—“

She was cut short by a delicate, albeit firmer than usual, knock at the door. Isla piqued a brow when Gemma got up to answer.

“They’ve got it covered.” Was all she managed to muster out before she went to see who’d decided to turn up at that hour.

Isla’s brain was doing cartwheels. She was nervous, she was pissed, but, most of all, she was upset that Chibs hadn’t told her where he was going tonight.

She snapped herself out of it, though. When Gemma scoffed as she opened the door and trailed back to her spot on the adjacent couch, Isla’s interests had been roused.

“It’s kinda late for a house call.” Her eyes rolled.

Tara trailed in behind her, feeling uneasy at the mere sight of the SAMCRO Queen and Jax’s ex-wife—but Isla being the only friendly face eased her a little bit.

“I was on my way home from work. Just thought I’d stop by and check in.”

“That’s sweet.” Isla smiled at the brunette, offering her the space next to Wendy. “Here.”

“It’s okay, I’ll stand—“

“No, I insist.” She protested softly, getting up. “It’s been a long day for you, sweetie. I’ll sit by mama bear over there.”

Gemma snorted, trying to figure out just what had happened between the pair for Isla to suddenly be so kind and considerate toward the woman she loathed for the best part of a decade.

But she was drawing a blank, because she realized how stupid that would’ve been to wonder—she was just like that. Nothing had to happen for her to be that way.

Isla was the kind of woman that Gemma wanted to be, while simultaneously being her exact double. She was a cleaner, kinder, brighter version of the matriarch, though she hosted that flicker of something that’d tie her to the battle axe that raised her.

And maybe calling the woman a “battle axe” was a little bit harsh, but it was true—on almost every single count.

Gemma was strong-willed, stubborn, martinent, and she took no shit from anybody. Isla wasn’t like that. She wasn’t a doormat, and she didn’t let people walk all over her, but she never went out of her way to demand respect.

Even though she’d been brought up to know she was better than the other women that lived among the Sons Of Anarchy.

“Is he here?”

“Does it look like he’s here?” Gemma’s lips twitched.

“No, I just…I guess I miss him, you know?”

Wendy nodded, tending to a fidgeting Abel. “Yeah, I do.”

Isla looked between the pair—sadly. She watched two of the most important people in Jax’s life sit side-by-side, meditative and wondering about the positions they had both been thrust into.

He had lived two completely different lives with each woman, and she was grateful to say that she had been present in both.

But to see Jax struggle—to see his heart break twice—was too much for Isla to think about, really.

She had watched Tara walk away, right out of his life without a second glance or even a second thought. And it was painful to discern. Painful to know that her best friend had lost the love of his life because she felt that she was too good to stick around for him.

Isla knew that wasn’t the entire truth, and that Tara was just doing a good thing for herself. But, at the time, she was young and stupid and extremely closed-minded when it came to the people that wronged the ones she loved, and all she wanted to do was hate that woman.

She’d grown up a lot since then, though. Isla was a different person entirely—a better version of herself—and she understood each reason behind every last thing Tara did when she did it.

Even if Jax’s mother couldn’t get to grips with it—couldn’t think about trusting her—Isla could.

It was a little bit difficult now, however. To see Tara and Wendy in the same room—trying to coexist peacefully in Jax’s life—was hard.

The lull was boisterous. The sheepish silence was deafening, and the thwacking of Isla’s heart against her chest was vociferous enough to be heard by Gemma across the way.

It was a position she didn’t want to be thrust into, but she wasn’t willing to get up and leave had anything been said.

She sat beside the older woman, watching her watch them like a fucking hawk, until her phone vibrated in her back pocket.

Isla shifted, pulling the cell from the denim and flipping it open.

Janet: Can u make it in for 9 tomorrow morning?

Her eyebrows pinched together, looking up a little confused. Isla swore that she sent Janet a text message that told her she wouldn’t be able to work in the morning.

She couldn’t miss Donna’s funeral. She didn’t want to, either.

“Who is it?” Gemma spoke inquisitively, peeling her eyes away from the conversion between Wendy and Tara.

“My boss.”

“Janet?” She nodded. “What’d that bitch want?”

“For me to work tomorrow morning—”

Gemma turned to her, grimacing. “But it’s the funeral. You told her that, right?”

Once again, Isla bobbed her head while fiddling with the buttons on her cellphone.

“She’s not gonna let me take another day off.” Her throat hitched at the realization. “I’m just gonna have to go with you, ignore her calls, and tell her that I didn’t see the text she sent to me tonight.”

Lying to and ignoring the woman that paid her at the end of every month, the woman that had helped her financially for the last five years, wasn’t what Isla wanted to do today.

But it was the only way she could pay her respects to Donna, she thought.

“You’re not gonna go in, right?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m just gonna call her after the funeral and apologize—“

“Don’t apologize.” Gemma chastised, knitting her eyebrows together. “If she can’t understand that you’ve got a funeral in the morning that you can’t miss, then she can go to hell—“

“Alright, Gem.” Her chuckle was hearty as she put her hand against her purse, pulling it to sit against her shoulder.

“What’re you doing?”

“I’m gonna head home.” She rose to her feet smiling over at Tara and Wendy. “It’s getting late and we’ve gotta be out early tomorrow.”

“Alright, baby.” The older woman stood with her, pushing her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “Call me when you get there?”

Isla smiled, pecking her cheek. “Of course.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” She directed toward Tara—not particularly giving a damn if Wendy would be there or not.

The doctor simply smiled and nodded, giving her the answer that she not only wanted, but needed. She needed her there by her side in the morning. Isla feared she wouldn’t be able to get through it without her, actually.

But she was dreading the day. To see those men hold themselves together—to see Opie strive not to crumble—was something that she didn’t want to have to witness tomorrow.

So many funerals had she attended, so many friends and family members had been seized from her reach throughout the course of her life, but she hadn’t seen anything like this before.

She hadn’t ever seen a friend lose his one true love, the woman that brought him unintelligible happiness and two beautiful children to cherish with his entire being.

She hadn’t seen Opie suffer so much before. The man that was strong and willing and would hastily blow shit up with little to no regard for consequences, was disintegrating before her very eyes.

And Isla didn’t fucking know how to help him cope with that. She didn’t even know if she could help him to cope with that.

Her anxiety was still present on the drive home, too.

Even after getting into bed and recounting the events of the afternoon, Isla was still nervous as to what’d happen next. Because Clay’s reaction to Bobby getting arrested didn’t inspire much confidence, either.

And the way that Piney had disappeared earlier to seek vengeance, to hold a fucking pistol to the head of Laroy Wayne—the man that allegedly played a role in the murder of Donna Winston—was also prickling away at her thoughts.

Something was going to go wrong, wasn’t it?

No matter how well thought out their plans might’ve been, or how seamlessly they carried out the crime, something always went wrong. Somebody was always caught out, or hurt, or just felt bad about what they were doing.

Isla could’ve written that shit, now. After so many failed hits, failed attempts, and unfortunate events, Isla was almost a pro at predicting what the future would entail.

Almost as if she’d manifested it by merely thinking, her attention was piqued by the hastening roar of a motorcycle engine—clearly pulling up to her place.

It was wonderful to know that Gemma hadn’t decided to follow her home tonight, but the rough din could’ve led to any of the others.

She hoped it wasn’t Jax, and she really hoped it wasn’t her father or Happy.

As she slid out of bed, Isla reached for the pink robe with the daisies on it that rested against the back of her bedroom door, and shrugged it on over her silky pajamas.

It was great that she lived in such a small house, really, because she was able to get from point A (her bedroom) to point B (the front door), in a matter of seconds, or before the person outside got angry that she was taking too long.

He hadn’t knocked the door yet, but she knew that he was about to.

Isla rummaged around the little bowl beside the entrance for her front door key, suddenly realizing that she had way too many of them—her house key, a key to her mailbox, keys to T M, keys to her dad’s place, her car keys, she had somebody’s bike keys, too.

The little chain that hosted a few pieces of metal, a cherry keychain, a tiny motorcycle, and an old beaded bracelet that Chibs had given to her for safe travels, was hastily being shoved into the lock and twisted counterclockwise.

“How’d you know I was out here?” Tig asked from about a foot away, barely visible to her as the streetlights were out, for some reason.

“Literally couldn’t hear myself think over the sound of your bike.” She chuckled, leaning against her door frame. She squinted, trying to focus on him—but it was no use. “What’re you going here, Tigger?”

He stepped further toward her—reluctantly. The dim glow of her living room light suddenly illuminated the space a hell of a lot more, hitting Tig square in the face as Isla shifted a little to her left.

Her heart clenched.

“I need you to play nurse again.” Bashfully, he smiled.

There were tears of pain trickling from those crystalline hues, his left hand firmly planted against his ribcage, and she suddenly heeded the dried blood underneath his nose, his lips, and a bruise forming against his cheek.

“Tig…” Her words broke away from her tongue, the lump in her throat constricting her airways because seeing him so beaten and exhausted hurt her.

“You should see the other guy.” He tried to joke, but the humor was lost on her.

Lost on him, too. He didn’t think it was funny, but he hated the way she was looking at him.

“Sorry to bring this here.” Tig sniffed harshly, squinting as the pain suddenly started to hit him. “I’ll—uh—I’ll go—“

“No. No, you’re not going anywhere.” She stated firmly, stepping out of the house and down the path. “You’re gonna come in, I’m gonna fix you up, and you’re gonna tell me what happened.”

“Isla…”

“Please, Alex.”

Tig couldn’t help that little smile pulling at the corners of his lips, always liking that she’d say his name so softly. Anybody else referring to him that way would’ve gotten a swift kick in the fucking gut—but she was different.

Isla was a comfort. Always had been.

He stepped inside, following closely behind her as she made a beeline for her bathroom. But she instructed him to sit at the dinner table, stifling a laugh at the way she tried her hand at being the authoritative figure.

She’d even told him to help himself to the Jack Daniels she kept for when Chibs called ‘round.

“You’re so lucky dad taught me how to treat wounds.” She called from the end of the hallway, shuffling across the carpet in a pair of sparkly pink slippers.

“I know.” He agreed, thankful. “He did a good job, too.”

“I’ll tell him you said that.” Isla smiled, putting her first aid necessities atop the table. “But don’t tell him that I’m about to ask you to take your shirt off, or else he’ll beat the shit outta you.”

“What?”

“Take your shirt off.” She smiled again, gesturing to the part of his body that his hand had subconsciously taken purchase against. “I’m not tryna make you do a strip tease for me, Tig, I just need to see if you’ve got any cuts there or if it’s just a bruise.”

“I think it’s just a bruise,” he mused, shrugging off his black zip-up, and starting to unbutton the cotton shirt adorning his torso.

Isla bit her bottom lip as she fiddled with the tube of antiseptic cream, wondering how she would broach the topic. She wanted to know what had happened—because whatever it was clearly did not go to plan—but she didn’t want him to think that she was trying to force it out of him.

“See.” Tig ran his hand over the red marks, lines, and the small flecks of yellow surrounding his rib cage and lower abdomen. “All good.”

“Not all good.” She halted him as he tried to reason with her, furrowing her eyebrows. “Where did they come from?”

Nobody could lie to her. Ever.

Nobody had to lie to her, really, because Isla Telford tried not to ask any questions—but she was worried tonight.

Worried about Tig and the various messes that he’d found himself entwined in over the last day and a half. Worried that he was in trouble, that he was tormenting himself over something out of his reach—his control.

She was just worried about him, really.

His sigh was throaty, hurt palpable. “You want the whole truth, or the dumbed-down version?”

“The whole truth.” She retorted instantaneously, letting him button his shirt before she started to clean the blood from his face. “And don’t try to lie to me, because I know you too well for that.”

Like last night, he felt pathetic. He felt that twinge of vulnerability poke through again, and he hated it.

He hated the thought of Isla seeing him this way—in pain, downtrodden and exhausted—and he hated the thought of her knowing that whatever it was he did today had gotten to him so much.

“The witness that was gonna testify against Ope. Me, Hap, and your old man went to go ‘n handle him,” Tig sucked in a deep breath when the alcohol pad nicked at a cut he was unaware of.

“I know about that part.” Easily, she followed on. “So what happened? Was he too fast?”

His head shook, an airy chuckle escaping his lips. “He was a she. A teenage girl—“

“Jesus, Tig.” Almost disgusted, she took a step back. “You didn’t…”

“No.” He reassured her, letting her soften a little bit before coming out with; “but me and Hap were gonna.”

“You’re kidding?”

If there was one thing that Isla knew SAMCRO did not do, it was kill women. Ever.

There had been accidents that saw innocent girls caught in the crossfire—last night, for one—which was inevitable. But the club never went out of their way to end their lives.

“Wish I was, Isla.” Tig’s eyes watered, but she didn’t do anything. She didn’t say anything, either. “I dunno what's happening to me.”

I don’t either, Tiggy.

“I was gonna put that bullet in her and if it wasn’t for Jax—“

“Jax was there?”

“He stormed in after someone must’ve told him we were gonna off the “man” that saw Ope and Bobby kill Hefner at that complex.”

“Oh.” She nodded along, cleaning out the wound she had literally only just fixed yesterday.

But the cogs inside of her brain were slowly turning.

“Oh…” Isla quickly looked down at him, piecing the puzzle together. “Tell me he didn’t do this to you.”

He winced as the whiskey left a searing trail down the back of his throat, barely making eye contact with her before she snapped.

“Tig! Talk to me—“

“Alright, fine! Yeah, he did this!” He raised his voice at her, watching anger flit across her delicate features. “He held his glock to my goddamn head and I was ready for him to pull the trigger, but he didn’t.”

She blinked at him, uneasy at the thought of what Jax had started to morph into. Who he had started to morph into.

“We ended up fighting and I got a few hits in, but the asshole punched me in the fucking face and threw me onto a table—that’s probably where the bruises came from.”

“And this was because of the girl, right?”

“Right.”

“But Happy and my dad were there, too…Why did Jax beat the shit outta you?”

“You know why.”

“No, I don’t,” she grabbed the tumbler from his right hand so he couldn’t silence himself with anymore alcohol, and put it atop the table.

“Because he stormed in when I had the gun to that kid’s head, and I was gonna pull the fucking trigger.” He recounted, sobbing as he spoke.

She was seething. Oh, Isla was fucking furious—but she didn’t want to spook him after this, because he was unpredictable and really unstable. She didn’t want him to do anything stupid.

“It’s alright.” The damp pad was discarded, tossed to the middle of the table when she grabbed gently at his chin and forced him to look upward. “You didn’t kill her, I’m assuming Jax handled it some other way, and you’re outta the blue, okay? It’s fine.”

Maybe Isla was so quick to forgive him for something that he didn’t do because she was also toiling with the idea of coming to terms with an act just as—if not more—treacherous than Tig’s.

She seeked that reassurance, that “it’s okay” talk from somebody after what she had done with her best friend, but she knew that the only person that’d give it to her was Jax. Because he was also trying to accept it.

The guilt was hefty and Tig knew all too fucking well what that’d entail, but he had no idea that Isla was suffering that same thing, too.

“You didn’t know the witness was a kid. None of you were to know that if Rosen didn’t specify.”

“But I was still gonna do it.” He added. “After I found out she was a kid, I was still gonna kill her.”

“But you didn’t.”

He was making it difficult for her to get through to him.

“It was horrible and I know that what you were going to do was bad, but you weren’t the only one there, about to do what you had to for your brother.” Isla’s thumb ran softly underneath his lower lip, hoping the tears welling in her eyes weren’t about to fall to the apples of her cheeks.

Because that’s all that Tig was doing. He was doing this for his brother. For the man that had already sacrificed so fucking much for his club, he deserved every last sliver of prosperity and protection that SAMCRO could offer.

And, perhaps, Tig wanting so desperately to pull that trigger was a way for him to solidify the fact that Opie wasn’t going to be sent away—wasn’t going to suffer more after his wife had been “mysteriously” killed. But Isla simply saw that as him wanting to do an inherently evil thing that’d see the greater good ensue.

Looking past the fact it was a teenage girl, however, was something she had to work on for the sake of her own fucking sanity.

“Thank you.” Tig broke the silence, getting to his feet. He towered over her a little bit as he did so. “See you tomorrow—“

Isla didn’t have enough time to think about what she was doing, but that phrase triggered something inside of her. She grabbed at his hand as he went to slip away, looking up at him with that almost heart-wrenching innocence of hers.

“I did something bad, too.” She blurted, letting her tears fall freely. “I can't say what I did, but it was bad and I regret it every fucking day because I can’t sleep properly, and it’s the only thing on my mind, and I just—“

He silenced her when he wrapped both arms around her trembling frame, holding her impossibly close to his chest as she weepeed into the navy cotton, and he gradually moved a hand upward to twist into her hair.

“It’s alright, baby, let it out.”

Mentally, he commended himself for being the one person that Isla trusted enough to confide in—to crumble before. But it was also sickening because the woman was so fucking stubborn and rarely ever shed a tear in front of a Son.

Chibs was the only one that saw her like this, really.

He felt horrible. Not because she was so upset but because she had so obviously been harboring that emotion, that pain and anguish and she didn’t know how to express it without crying.

“I’m scared, Tig.” Isla mumbled sadly into his chest, trying to sniff back the horrid emotion but failing miserably.

“Of what?”

“Myself. And these stupid things that I can’t stop thinking.”

“Thoughts are normal.” He reassured her, running a hand up and down her back. “Intrusive thoughts are normal. Don’t you worry—“

“You can’t tell me not to worry, because that’s gonna make me worry.” Her words were plied in a weak laugh. “And when I worry, I cry—obviously.”

“Don’t cry.” He chuckled, too, using the pad of his thumb to brush across her cheek. “You’re too pretty to cry this much.”

“And you’re too much of a mean old man to be this comforting.” Tig feigned offense, gasping dramatically at her words. “So, what was it? What pulled at your heartstrings so much that made you think you had to try and make me feel better?”

“It’s my good deed for the day.” Her lips curled upward into a grin when his expression softened.

“Do you think you can extend that good deed?”

He grunted, nodding. “Suppose so. What’d ‘ya want me to do?”

“I was just gonna ask if you’d stay with me again tonight.” All irreverence in her tone had melted away, promptly replaced by a borderline debilitating sincerity. “You don’t have to because we’ve gotta be out early for the funeral tomorrow, and that’d mean you’d have to leave earlier to get yourself fixed up, but—“

“I can leave a little earlier.” He cut her short, still swiping at the tears that wouldn’t quit flowing from her eyes. “If you get your ass up and ready before eight, you can leave with me too.”

“Yeah?” Hopefully, she asked. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Tig confirmed, slinging his arm over her shoulder when she pulled away and pointed toward the end of the hall. “And I guessed that you didn’t wanna head to the garage alone—and Gemma would probably beat the shit outta you if you were late—so if you come with me, you’ll be on time.”

Isla just hummed, thankful for the genuine intentions behind Tig’s actions. He was sweet when he wanted to be.

“Where am I sleepin’?” He asked with a little grunt, a twinge of pain prickling against his ribcage. “I’ll take the couch—“

“Oh, shut up. You’re not sleeping on my couch after getting your shit rocked.”

Tig glared at her, but she simply raised an eyebrow. She gestured to her bedroom.

“Y’know, if we keep spending the night together then people are gonna get a little suspicious.”

“Eh. Let ‘em.” Isla stated offhandedly shimmying her shoulders out of her robe, and throwing it onto her vanity stool as she got to her room. “I don’t care what Gemma thinks.”

“Not so much Gemma.” They shared a knowing look, but he followed her into the room and sat at the edge of her bed regardless.

Isla sighed, sitting beside him.

“If you’re worried about my dad because of how he was this morning, then you don’t need to be. I think he’s just a little bit spun out after last night, and feels bad for Ope—‘cuz, y’know, he’s been through this too.”

Tig’s heartbeat hastened to an almost debilitating tempo, wondering how Isla knew the similarities between Diane and Donna. But she blew those thoughts right out his brain when she built on her response.

“He lost his wife and was left with a kid,” she pointed to herself, “and didn’t know how to navigate this life without the woman he’d depended on for so long. It’s just heavy at the moment.”

“Yeah,” he shook his head a little, looking at his hands bunched together in his lap, “you’re probably right about that.”

“It’s all that it is. He’s just feelin’ it a little more than what we are.”

I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Isla.

“Anyway.” She perked up a bit more. “If you wanna freshen up, I’ve got some shampoo and lotions that don’t smell like roses in the bathroom—and I think there might be some razors in one of those cupboards, too.”

“You gonna join me?”

The tips of her ears began to blaze, stippling heat across her cheeks and down to her neck until she could almost feel how red she was getting.

Despite knowing that was a joke—the habitual banter shared between them—it still forced a feeling to swell in her stomach.

A feeling of something that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Maybe tomorrow.” Isla chuckled at the playful pout tugging at his lips, urging him to step into the en suite before she physically fucking exploded.

He grabbed a towel from the pile, walked in, and shut the door behind him, and she threw herself against the top of the comforter with a groan.

At what point had Tig’s harmless flirting turned into something more for Isla, she wasn’t entirely sure. What she did know, however, was that she was definitely enjoying it a little bit too much now.

And that would complicate things, she was certain of it.

But she strived not to let it get to her, and slid underneath the unkempt covers for the second time tonight.

When Tig emerged from the bathroom, he was thankful to see that she’d covered herself up because the tiny crimson cami and shorts combo was killing him.

He wasn’t able to pinpoint just what it was that’d made him feel so differently about that this evening, but he knew that he wasn’t able to get the image out of his fucking head.

“Was that nice?” She asked from the left side of her bed, barely opening her eyes as he stepped onto the carpet.

“It was.” Tig answered softly, picking his jeans up from the ground.

“You can’t seriously be wearing those to sleep in?”

“I’ve slept in more uncomfortable outfits.”

Isla huffed out a breath, gripping the covers and pulling them back. “Wait here.” Begrudgingly, she left the bed again and traipsed toward the cabinet at the end of her hallway.

He watched her saunter away, heeding the crow tattoo on her lower back that he’d never noticed before. He wondered who she’d gotten that for, and he also wondered if anybody even knew about that—because he certainly did not.

“These are clean, you can wear them.” She threw a pair of pajama pants at him from the doorway, hoping he wouldn’t make a face.

Cautiously, he held them out in front of him. “Whose are these?”

“Nobodies. I just learned—from Gemma—to always keep spare shit at my house. Like the shower stuff and razors, and I’ve got things for whoever might need them.”

He smiled, forgetting that she was so thoughtful.

Tig unzipped his pants and slipped into the checkered cotton as Isla rummaged around the bottom drawer of her closet, pulling out a couple of pillows.

“You do this a lot?” He quizzed, getting into bed. “Take care of us guys, I mean.”

“Not really. Only when one of you needs it.”

He nodded, taking one of the two pillows from her.

“Aside from stitching you up two days in a row, the last time I took care of somebody was when Jax and Wendy split and he let her live at his place.”

“He never said.”

“‘Cuz Gemma would go nuts if she found out that he came to me and not his mommy.” She chuckled, settling beside him before flicking the lamp off. “And he only stayed with me for a couple weeks because he didn’t wanna sleep at the clubhouse.”

“So you were harboring Jax from her, huh?” He nudged her, prompting Isla to shift closer to him.

“I guess so.” She joked back through a yawn. “I felt bad for him because she’s such a hardass sometimes. He just wanted somewhere to stay, and somebody to keep him company that wouldn’t ask an abundance of overbearing questions.”

“And you were that somebody.”

“Yup. I was.” Tig turned onto his side to face her. “And I liked it because I hate being alone. It was nice to have somebody around.”

“You? Not wanting to be alone?” Sarcastically, he let out.

Had he not already been hurt, she would’ve slapped the smugness off of his face for that comment.

“What’s that all about, huh?”

“The being alone thing?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know, really.” She mused quietly, pursing her lips. “I think I just got used to being around my dad, and whenever I wasn’t with him I was with Gemma—and I didn’t move into my own place until I was twenty-three, so…”

“So you always had somebody.”

“Yup. I guess I have some attachment issues.” Isla chuckled, silently thanking him for not ridiculing her the way she thought that he might’ve.

But Tig was always so thoughtful when it came to her, and he probably wouldn’t have been able to find it in himself to make fun of that sentiment.

He had his own issues, too. He wouldn’t dream of mocking that she didn’t like to be alone.

“Is it Jax’s?” He asked out of nowhere in reference to the crow. “The tattoo you got.”

Isla froze. She didn’t know that he’d seen it tonight.

Only Tara knew about that. Only Tara knew about a lot of things, it seemed.

“No.” She rasped, hating the way her words became lodged at the back of her throat.

Tig raised a brow. “Whose is it? Is it Juice’s—“

She snorted at his words, and he smiled because he had finally gaged a more positive reaction. Her smile—though barely visible—was most certainly as beautiful as ever.

“It isn’t anybody’s. It’s just a SAMCRO crow.” The smile was weak, now. Faded and pained, but it was there.

She wasn’t lying, but it felt like there was more to the story than what she was letting on, and he was happy with the answer that he’d gotten. So he didn't push it.

“Would you ever get a crow for someone?” A question that he never thought he’d be asking Chibs’s daughter, but a question that he had to acquire an answer to.

After mulling it over for a few seconds, Isla nodded. She laid her hand atop Tig’s that was resting against his pillow, and flicked her eyes upward to meet his gaze as he yawned.

“Maybe one day. But, right now, I’m happy knowing that my little tattoo represents my dedication to the club as a whole—not just refined to one person.”

[prorevenge]

Be a jerk about fixing my car? hope you and your manager enjoy unemployment thanks to my dumb luck

Okay so, Few things to start. Im sorry this is long, but its a lot of information to lay out the story. i think the revenge is pretty sweet tho.

Secondly, English is my first language but I never did well with grammar, sorry.

Okay so the story.

In Jan. 2018, my best friend, his girlfriend and I all went out. we took my car, but I got drunk so my best friend drove us home. As we were approaching a round about, a driver from a side street pulled out in front of us then slammed on their brakes, causing my best friend to swerve, and hit the concrete median with both drivers side tires. We parked the car in a parking lot, and ubered home.

Next day I had the car towed to my personal mechanics shop. Insurance guy asses the damage and my mechanic gets to work.

He does everything he thought it needed, put it on the alignment rack, and found out that the engine cradle had been bent in the impact and it needed a new one. He didnt have the capability to do this, so they sent my car to a different company. lets just call it "ABC Repair".

ABC repair outsourced the engine cradle replacement to "Di*kweed shop AKA DS". Car goes, takes forever because the first cradle they got was bent, so they had to order another one from California. dude ordered the wrong parts originally. Dude gets the cradle in on the day my rental car coverage expires. as a single dad, i needed my car. Also, this whole time the manager of ABC Repair shop was not keeping me up to date on any of this, was dodging my calls, and anytime i did get him, he was rude to me.

So, guy busts rear to get it in that day, test drove, and returned it to ABC repair right before closing time, where i was waiting to pick it up. DS gave it a clean bill of health and handed over the keys.

HERES WHERE RUDE SHIT BEGINS

so the minute i left ABC shop that night, there was something wrong with the car. Since i have a bit of auto mechanic experience i assumed it was a wheel bearing. Next morning i call my insurance adjuster who tells me to take it back to DS and see whats up.

So i call him up, and say hey, its the dude with the engine cradle job, uhhh i think theres something wrong with one of the bearings.

DS : yeah, i knew about that.

ME : uhh... so why did you give it a clean bill of health?

DS: i was being rushed to return it, so i just said it was fine. It wasnt critical, so whats the big deal?

Me: uhh. okay, well this needs fixed. Are you sure you know exactly whats wrong?

DS: 100% right rear wheel bearing.

ME: okay, ill call adjuster and get it approved for repair. I have no more rental coverage, but i am going out of town this weekend and will not need my car thurs - sunday. I can drop it off then, does that work?

DS: sure no problem, see you thursday morning.

DS orders the bearing with ins. approval, and all is well. I go in thursday morning to drop off the car, and the convo goes roughly as followed.

ME: hey there, heres the keys. Now, if its actually not what you think it is, or theres more, PLEASE call me right away. ill call INS adjuster and get it approved since this is the only time i dont need my car for transporting my child.

DS: no worries. im positive its what i think it is. but if not, ill call.

I head out of town. have a great weekend, no call from DS.

Monday morning comes around, and i am about to head to pick up the car, when i get a phone call from my adjuster. He tells me he just got off the phone with DS and he was informed that no work was done on my car all weekend. I. was. livid. i asked why, and ins adjuster said he didnt know, head down there and talk to the guy myself. so i did.

I walked into the shop and dinged the bell. He walked into the office and said "can i help you?" as if he didnt even know who i was. Followed is the convo.

Me : Yeah, Ins guy tells me you didnt touch my car, what the hell happened?

DS: well, it was the right front not right rear bearing like i thought. so i couldnt do it work since the right front wasnt approved.

ME: but i asked you to call me if it wasnt what you thought it was, and you said you would. why didnt you call?

DS: well, whos paying for this, you or insurance?

ME: that doesnt matter, i asked you to call so i could get it approved while i was out of town. why didnt you call me?

DS: i dont have to answer you. it wasnt the approved work. i didnt do it. end of story.

ME: WHY DIDNT YOU CALL. I COULD HAVE GOTTEN IT APPROVED LIKE I SAID BEFORE I LEFT FOR OUT OF TOWN!

DS turns around, grabs my keys off the counter behind him, hands them to me, and says "take your keys, take your car, im done dealing with you"

I walk out, pissed, and across the street to his managers office and ask to talk to manager. on vacation until wed. i leave my number and ask manager to call me. In the meantime, i get car to original mechanic, who starts bearing repairs on all 4 tires ( approved by ins as a "were sorry" for DS shop experience) He also noticed that DS used the wrong strut in my car when he replaced the engine cradle, and didnt put the rivets back in the plastic wheel well liner, causing the tire to burn a hole though it. which insurance approved replacing both with the correct parts.

manager finally calls me at 445pm on wed after being busy doing "payroll all day"

ME: so do you know anything about why i am calling you?

DSM : no clue whats going on?

ME: begins to explain what happened when i returned from out of town, then state the strut was wrong and the liner was ruined.

DSM " interupts me he couldnt of ruined the liner by replacing the cradle

ME: oh so you do know who i am, what actually happened. (i never mentioned engine cradle replacement)

DSM: well, ill apologize for wasting your time, but i dont know what else you want me to do. sorry. hangs up on me

THE REVENGE

Remember that trip out of town? Well, on my return trip, i was bumped off my original flight, then bumped from that flight, to the one that finally took me home. I get on the plane, find my seat, put in my headphones and start to settle in. now mind you, i was out of town for a party, and i was wearing a themed onsie. a gentleman in a business suit sits down next to me. Im naturally an outgoing person, so i strike up a conversation.

ME: hey there, heading to destination for business or pleasure?

HIM : Business.

ME : what do you do?

HIM : im the regional vice president for ABC Repair company.

my eyes got huge. it was destiny. So i begin to tell him my current experience up to me leaving for out of town. the A-hole manager at his shop to the DS jerk they were subletting business too. VP was taking notes on my entire story, i swear his jaw was on the tray table. he was furious. He gave me his personal cell and email and told me he would be having a talk with the manager. he also had his company pay for 5 more days for a rental car since they ordered a used cradle and not a new one, which A-hole manager decided, didnt even ask my adjuster or me. which wasted 5 days.

The next afternoon, after i pick up my car and had that experience, i got a call from VP. He waned to make sure my car was fixed, and that he also found out there were more complaints about his manager who treated me poorly. the manager was hiding the complaints and they never reached cooperate, so he was fired.

I then tell him about my experience that morning with the guy not doing any work on my car while i was gone. That pissed him off too. He said he would be in touch.

after i talked to DSM on wednesday, i called VP back and told him what happened. He said thank you for the information and hung up.

About a month later, i had a question for VP not related to any of this, so i called him up, and i learned that they stopped giving their work to DS shop, and when the owner of DS found out why, he fired both DS mechanic, and DSM.

So thats my story. hope yall enjoyed. Moral, dont be a d-bag, be honest, and you wolnt get bit by karma.

(source) story by (/u/MajorMoron0851)

[whiteliesuk]

White Lie: Kamala Harris is the progressive queen we have been waiting for; as the first black, Indian, female VP all things will inevitably change for the better! Sit upon your pedestal Madam Vice President!

The reality:

Should anyone doubt the effectiveness of the US political propaganda machine, they need only look at how successfully it whitewashed Kamala’s abysmal track record as prosecutor. Our Madam VP elect is very far from the progressive her campaign slogans and your Instagram stickers have made her out to be.

I’ve been holding back from writing this post: I didn’t want to put out the sordid details of Harris’ record before the election in case I inadvertently convince some undecided voter to go the wrong way (lol at me thinking I had any such influence!) Or have someone accuse me of being a Trump supporter, heaven forbid. I also didn’t want to write this post too soon after the election, as people rightly celebrate the result after days, even weeks, of anxiety and stress. I don’t want to be that much of a party pooper! But… I did spend much of the post-election evening grinding my teeth at the multitude of ignorant Instagram posts screeching ‘KamaLove’, ‘Yes we Kam!’ or of her shimmying some dance moves. Worst of all was the widely shared video of Kamala’s post-election victory speech, where she declared:

“I am thinking about… the generations of women – Black women, Asian, white, Latina, Native American women – who, throughout our nation’s history, have paved the way for this moment.’

In Kamala’s case, women of colour paved the way in a very different sense: she figuratively stepped on them to make it as VP.

I fully acknowledge and appreciate the empowerment that comes from representation: it means a lot to have someone that looks like you rise to a position of power, especially when it is ground-breaking and breaks thick, bullet-proof glass ceilings. To be the first black, South Asian, daughter of immigrants to become VP in the US is huge. But representation only goes so far, particularly if said person has a track record of supporting or exacerbating systems that discriminate against minorities and the working class. We, in Britain, with the likes of Margaret Thatcher, Priti Patel, and Saji Javid should really know this by now.

To eradicate any doubt, I invariably wanted the Democrats to win the US election; I am still rejoicing at seeing the physical embodiment of Agent Orange lose. But while I celebrate the end of the Trump administration, I am not necessarily looking forward to a Biden-Harris one. Biden’s shortcomings appear to be widely accepted; heck, with a slogan like ‘Settle for Biden’ even the Biden presidential campaign acknowledge he’s far from perfect. But what baffled me was the wholesale acceptance of the message that Kamala Harris was ‘IT’: there was such fervent feeling that she was a progressive saviour; a progressive queen, who’s reign would mark the beginning of a progressive new age. And all her campaign had to do was repeat the word ‘progressive’ enough times for everyone to believe it.

There is nothing that irritates me more than public figures being put on pedestals they don’t deserve. This hero-worship tends to arise from ignorance, often by design, of said person’s full history. As such, it’s another example of a dangerous white lie that serves to maintain a harmful status quo. This is certainly the case for Kamala: her presidential campaign, and later vice-presidential campaign, pedalled the incomplete and erroneous message that she is a through-and-through progressive. When in fact, she has a history of being another run-of-the-mill, tepid-in-the-face-of-injustice, neoliberal candidate that perpetuated the status quo, particularly within the sphere of criminal justice and actions against the police. I hope the events of this past year, particularly those arising from George Floyd’s death and the BLM protests, has made it self-evident that we really want to move on from the status quo.

Now, I’d hate to be hypocritical by painting her as entirely ‘bad’. Kamala has largely been on the right side of history during her time in the Senate: she introduced a bail reform bill with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) that would encourage states to reform or replace standing bail systems that currently jails hundreds and thousands of people for simply not being able to pay their bail; alongside Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC), she introduced a historic bill that made lynching a federal crime; Kamala has also signed on to Booker’s marijuana legalisation bill, in a drastic U-turn on her stance on the matter; she also voted for the First Step Act, a significant (although limited) federal criminal justice reform bill that would ease very punitive prison sentences at the federal level.

Even before then, she started the ‘Back on Track’ program as District Attorney, which allowed first-time drug offenders to obtain a high school diploma and a job instead of doing prison time. Her handling of California’s ‘three strikes’ law as DA was also head of its time: under the law, someone who committed a third felony could go to prison for 25 years to life, even if their third felony is a nonviolent crime (America is a wild and incredibly draconian place). But Harris required that the San Franciscan DA’s office only charged for a third strike if the felony was a serious or violent crime. Harris also unveiled the Open Justice portal, a website that contained data on arrest rates and deaths in custody, going some way in addressing the lack of a national database for these figures and therefore accounting for the use of deadly force by law enforcement.

But then some of what she did was just tepid. When the BLM movement took off, for example, Harris introduced and expanded ‘first of its kind training’ to address racial bias within the police. However, officers had to sign up voluntarily and were only required to attend 8 hours of training – I somehow doubt this’ll do much in overturning a deep-seated and institutional racism problem within the police. As Attorney General, Harris made the California Department of Justice the first state-wide agency to require body cameras, but she stopped short of endorsing state-wide regulations on their use, leaving it free to local forces to decide how and when they could be used. Doesn’t really instil accountability, does it?

Then there are parts of Kamala’s track record as prosecutor that is plain old regressive; reminiscent of a ‘tough on crime’ era that subjected people of colour to heavy handed policing and insurmountable institutional road blocks throughout the criminal justice system. It’s not merely the fact that she was a prosecutor that’s problematic: although there are those like Briahna Gray (American political commentator and lawyer) who argue that ‘to become a prosecutor is to make a choice to align oneself to a powerful and fundamentally biased system’, I am open to the possibility that tangible and radical change can be effected from the inside. As Harris said in the New York Times Magazine in 2016, she wanted to work within a system she wanted to change, to be ‘at the table where the decisions are made’ (however, I am also equally open to the possibility that eradicating institutional racism requires a more drastic overhaul of the entire system). But rather, it’s what she did and enacted as prosecutor that makes Kamala’s image of progressive saviour so deeply hypocritical.

Kamala Harris was anti-sex work

There are people I know who would balk at this first point and think, so what? I’m anti-sex work. For a moment I thought I would give in to this sentiment and miss out this point. But that moment passed very quickly; because to do so would overlook the women of colour Kamala Harris harmed as District Attorney, and women of colour have been overlooked enough.

To address those who are choking on their tea: it is now a progressive stance to be pro-sex work, catch up with the times my friends! It’s long overdue we fully respect any man or woman’s choice to undertake sex work, as long as it’s consensual. “But but but uggghhh!!! It’s so vulgar! So unsavoury and demeaning!! How could you be for it! It’s so disrespectful to women!’ yada yada yada. Sex work is not invalid just because it’s not work you’d personally undertake. I, for one, respect and value myself and others too much to ever debase myself by becoming a management consultant, but there are people who do and they’re not criminalised for it (despite their exploitation of the working class). And you know what’s even more disrespectful to women? Telling them what they can and cannot do with their bodies or how they should make their money.

While I accept the reality that some sex workers are vulnerable and, having grown up in Southeast Asia, I can’t deny that sex trafficking is a very real problem that needs to be addressed. But I do not believe that criminalising sex work is the answer to helping the marginalised and exploited. Rather, they should be protected and given safe options of redress. Moreover, there is a difference between exploitation and consensual sexual work. And that is fundamentally where Kamala got it wrong: although she presented herself as an advocate for victims of sexual exploitation, as District Attorney and prosecutor she often conflated ‘trafficking’ with consensual sex work.

For instance, she waged a war against Backpage.com, an advertisement website used by sex workers, during her time as District Attorney of San Francisco. Many in the industry argued that it made their work secure in more ways than one: the website not only provided a steady stream of more reliable income, but also meant sex workers no longer had to take to the streets to find clients, and provided a means by which they could vet clients or make complaints against them. Harris’, on the other hand, called the site ‘the world’s top online brothel’ and pursued pimping charges against the website’s operators even after a judge tossed out the initial case on free speech grounds. Backpage’s closure left many sex workers strapped for cash to pay for their housing and medicines and even forced some sex workers to turn to more precarious kinds of work to make up for lost income. Harris continued her opposition to the website as Senator and supported legislation that further criminalised sex work across the internet.

Harris made matters worse by making sex work unsafe more generally, most notably by voting against Proposition K – a bill that would’ve decriminalised prostitution in San Francisco. Prop K would’ve redirected city resources once spent on arresting prostitutes into education and health outreach for sex workers, providing access to an array of the city’s medical and legal services, therefore opening up avenues for sex workers to report violence committed against them and improve their public health.

Harris vehemently disagreed. In a public statement (video here) she equated Prop K to ‘roll[ing] out the welcome mat to prostitutes and pimps to come to San Francisco. It would impede and interfere with our ability to investigate and prosecute cases of human trafficking…’ Moreover, she claimed that ‘Proposition K pretends to be about compassion, when in fact it is completely the opposite… it is not compassionate to the families who live in the neighbourhoods where these activities are occurring… If you want to go see Pretty Woman, go rent it.’ That’s a very long-winded way of saying that outdated phrase we’ve come to hate so much: ‘tough on crime.’

Instead, the San Franciscan Police Department and DA’s office were using the presence of condoms as evidence of prostitution and other criminal activity, which in turn posed a significant barrier to the routine use of condoms by sex workers: to avoid criminal charges, many were reluctant to carry condoms or keep them at their place of work. Evidence shows that sex workers are more likely to use condoms and have lower rates of sexual transmitted diseases where payment for sex is permitted, as in Austria, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Thailand. In the early days of the AIDs epidemic, there was an agreement between the San Franciscan DA and Health Department not to use condoms as evidence for this very reason; but this was well and truly gone as Kamala waged her war against ‘Pretty Women’.

Besides the moral and public health standpoint, there was evidence to suggest that criminalisation of sex work was ineffective – only 9 cases went to trial in 2009, the year before Prop K was proposed, and no convictions resulted from them. Even more problematic was police culpability in the ‘crime’ Kamala was so staunchly against: a 2012 USFC medical study found that 1 in 5 sex workers in San Francisco reported that police officers paid them for sex. Horrifyingly, 1 in 7 were threatened with arrest by police officers unless they had sex with them. Kamala was directing her ire to the wrong place.

Prop K would have been a more humane and effective approach to sex work, but Kamala was so against it that she maintained her position even during her ‘progressive’ stint in the Senate. Our so-called progressive champion championed a policy that is already viewed by many as backwards and unethical.

Kamala threatened to jail parents of kids who missed school

The well-being of children is perhaps less controversial and a cause that the majority of society can rally behind… Well, unless you’re a Trump supporter who doesn’t mind seeing children caged; a Tory who initially allowed children to starve during their school holidays; or you’re Kamala Harris and implemented a program that threatened to jail parents in order to solve California’s truancy problem.

Throughout her political rise, Harris has upheld her anti-truancy program as an example of her ‘smart on crime’ approach. Before the implementation of this new program, parents could be cited and fined but never faced the threat of jail time. Harris, however, thought truancy was a problem that could only be solved with an iron first. She argued that truancy was a criminal justice issue, declaring that ‘if we don’t educate these kids in the classroom, they’re going to be educated in the streets’; stating that 94% of San Francisco’s young homicide victims and two thirds of prison inmates are high school drop outs. As such, rather repressively, her anti-truancy program upped the ante by threatening parents with prosecution and adding the possibility of jail time: parents of children who are chronically truant can be found guilty of a misdemeanour and face a series of fines and punishments, starting with $100 fine for the first conviction and ending with a $2,000 fine as well as a year of incarceration. She first implemented the program in 2008 as San Francisco’s District Attorney, but later implemented it as state-wide law in 2012 as California’s new Attorney General.

To Kamala’s credit as District Attorney, the threat of prosecution was only used in extreme truancy cases, involving weeks or months of missed classes, and only after parents had been offered help by relevant support providers. Typically, when a student was found to be regularly truant, the school district would first get involved by sending out letters to parents telling them that their child was missing class. The school would then invite parents to a meeting with school staff and, sometimes, support service providers would attend to get to the root of the truancy. The next step was a meeting with the school attendance review board – in which various government agencies and social services, as well as school staff, would attend – to better understand how to prevent the truancy issues. That meeting typically concluded with a contract that dictated who was going to do what to make sure the child could attend class. Harris’ supporters have emphasised how this framework ultimately helped families struggling with poverty, homelessness, mental illness, and substance abuse gain access to the supportive services they need.

Harris, in her memoir The Truths We Hold, argued that this was the point of the program all along: ‘even today, others don’t appreciate the intention behind my approach; they assume that my motivation was to lock-up parents, when of course that was never my goal. Our effort was designed to connect parents to resources that could help them get their kids back into school where they belonged. We were trying to support parents, not punish them – and in the vast majority of cases, we succeeded.’ There is indeed evidence to show that school attendance rates did rise in San Francisco after the program’s implementation: San Francisco Unified School District data showed that the percentage of chronically truant students had fallen to 2.5% from 4% from 2007/8 to 2010/11; habitual truancy rates and overall truancy rates also fell. However, it’s unclear if the program can be credited for the change, as the school district also carried out various other efforts at the time to improve attendance rates.

But there is so much wrong with Harris’ anti-truancy approach. Firstly and unsurprisingly, it disproportionately affected children of colour: Los Angeles implemented a ticketing version of the anti-truancy program, in which children outside of school hours were ticketed and fined $250 or more, with a mandatory court appearance, for their first offence. These punitive measures were not only drastic, economically costly, and caused students to miss more school for court appearances, but had also highly racialised consequences: a Latinx student in the Los Angeles Unified School District was twice as likely to be ticketed and arrested at school than a white student, and a black student is almost six times more likely to be ticketed and arrested than their white counterparts.

Worse still, Kamala Harris as District Attorney specifically targeted children of colour in implementing the program: her office spent $20,000 on a campaign advertising a hotline and urging San Francisco residents to call if they spotted kids ‘playing hooky’ during school hours. The ad campaign targeted three historically black and Latinx neighbourhoods. Big Sister, Kamala Harris, is always watching… But only if you’re black or brown.

Secondly, if the point was never to imprison parents or punish them, and to ultimately work towards reducing the number of people who pass through the criminal justice system, then why did the possibility of prosecution and imprisonment exist at all? It is illogical to me that one would use prosecution and imprisonment as a solution to the very thing that prosecution and imprisonment brings about: punishment and increasing those who pass through the criminal justice system. In fact, a punitive approach to truancy only threatens to fuel the prison pipeline. Moreover, it is after all possible to implement the positive elements of the program – namely the framework and processes that connected struggling families with the support services they needed – without prosecution or imprisonment being a possible end point. Indeed, this would’ve probably put the program outside of Kamala Harris’ remit as District Attorney and Attorney General, and it would’ve instead fallen to the leader of the San Francisco Unified School District to implement it, but so be it.

Harris and her supporters have made pains to highlight that no parents were jailed during her time as District Attorney. Katy Miller, who helped implement the program as prosecutor working under Harris, states that at most 20 parents are prosecuted in a typically year in San Francisco, and none have been jailed. But the implementation of the anti-truancy programme state-wide has meant more conservative (read: punitive) parts of the State have not been as considerate towards families’ needs: in Hanford, California for example, one mum was sentenced to 180 days in jail in 2012 for not sending her kids to school. This is an unwelcome outcome even by Harris’ standards.

This therefore begs the question as to whether truancy should be criminalised at all? Firstly, all involved, including Harris – the anti-truancy program’s very own architect – acknowledges that criminalisation is an undesirable and unwelcome outcome. Secondly and more principally, prosecutors, the criminal justice system, and criminal punishment are far from being the answer to many social ills, truancy being one of them.

Jyoti Nanda, a law professor who runs a youth justice clinic at the University of California, Los Angeles, said she had been ‘deeply disappointed’ by Harris’ ‘fearmongering’ on truancy. And fearmonger Harris did: in a 2010 video, she boasted that a mum warned her kids, after seeing a letter from the prosecutor’s office, that ‘if you don’t go to school, Kamala’s going to put you and me in jail.’ Nanda has described the approach as ‘completely the opposite of best practices’ to help students. Furthermore, the way Harris framed truancy as the individual fault of poor parents fed into old, ugly, stereotypes about poor families and families of colour (which is, again, very reminiscent of a ‘tough on crime’ approach!) Nanda highlights that student truancy is not necessarily the problem of bad or neglectful parents, but a system of broader problems, the chronic underfunding of California’s State schools being one of them. ‘It’s using a crime lens to address what’s really a public health issue,’ Nanda says.

The reality is that more often than not issues stemming from or exacerbated by poverty are at the root of truancy – the program itself acknowledges this by putting families in much needed contact with the various support services they need. It’s therefore incredibly draconian to criminalise the issue: the threat of prosecution, imprisonment, or a fine could hurt an already struggling family financially, or take a parent out of a child’s home. A child who is a truant is probably not getting sufficient parental support or contact, because they or their parents are juggling multiple jobs, struggling with health issues and care, are homeless, in the criminal justice system already, and/or are generally struggling to make ends meet. As summed up by James Forman Jr, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book Locking Up Our Own, in a series of tweets: ‘you’re essentially threatening people with prison when there’s underlying poverty issues that are potentially preventing them from having their kids show up to school on time.’ The last thing a child in these already difficult circumstances needs is for their parent to be prosecuted, jailed, and incur the financial and practical long terms costs associated with this. How is that mum from Hanford going to drive her kids to school if she’s in jail, or if she can’t afford transportation due to hundreds or thousands of dollars in fines? In the longer term, the criminal record she incurs could harm her future job prospects. These collateral consequences only inhibit a parents’ ability to support their children and get them to school; the program therefore carries the potential of hurting the children it intends to help. And it really need not to.

Kamala defended mass incarceration

In this time of greater awareness regarding the racism and brutality of the criminal justice system, thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement, a defence of mass incarceration is unarguably a non-progressive stance. Credence must be paid to the fact that Harris’ put forward an ambitious criminal justice reform plan during her bid for the Democratic nomination – policies that aimed to end the war on drugs and, most notably, scale back on mass incarceration have now been adopted into Biden’s presidential campaign. However, this reformist stance is the antithesis of Kamala’s own track record as Attorney General, when she defied the US Supreme Court’s order to reduce overcrowding in Californian prisons.

California’s mass incarceration problem was both chronic and infamous: at its peak, the State’s prison system was at 200% of its designed capacity. The situation was so dire that in one prison, 54 prisoners shared a single toilet; suicidal inmates were locked in telephone-booth sized cages for 24 hours at a time; and beds and medical personnel were at such a shortage that preventable deaths due to substandard and overstretched medical care occurred every five to six days. Constitutional protections for prisoners against cruel and unusual punishment is enshrined in the Bill of Rights, but for decades successive Republican and Democratic administrations ignored the problem.

It speaks to the seriousness of the problem that a federal District Court held in 2009 that no other plausible solution existed for getting the State to conform to a constitutionally reasonable standard other than prison release – federal courts are typically reluctant to consider prisoner release and see it as a measure of last resort. A pledge to quickly build new prisons was considered but found not credible in the midst of a recession and given California’s limited finances. The District Court therefore mandated that the State enact a series of decarceration measures to reduce the prison population to 137.5% of its designed capacity within two years (i.e. mass incarceration would continue, but at least to a lesser extent. Yay!)

However, the case (Brown v Plata) was taken to the US Supreme Court when the State appealed the District Court’s ruling. Again, the severity of California’s mass incarceration problem was highlighted when the conservative leaning Supreme Court’s judgement found California’s prison system to be in violation of prisoners’ Eighth Amendment Rights and identified prisoner release as the most effective method of ending the State’s constitutional violation in a timely manner. The verdict was split 5-4, with the conservative Justice Anthony Kennedy joining the Court’s liberals: in upholding the lower-court mandate, Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in the case, adding gruesome details from inside California’s prisons, and condemning the State for facilitating “needless suffering and death.” I’ll keep mum of the hypocrisy of this coming from a judge who ruled in favour of the right to bear arms for now.

By the time this judgement was released on 23 May 2011, Kamala Harris was newly appointed California’s Attorney General and the ruling would therefore have to be enacted on her watch. Every six months, the State needed to show that it had decreased its prison population in compliance with a threshold overseen by a three-judge District Court panel: 167% of capacity by the end of 2011, 155% by June 2012, finally arriving at the target level of 137.5% by June 2013. But, with Harris at the helm, it soon became clear that the State would not easily comply with the judicial order.

It’s worth noting that Harris was acting on behalf on behalf of California State Governor Brown, who preceded her as State AG and was notorious for his position on the issue. I’m sympathetic to Harris for having to defend an unsavoury client in this case: all lawyers have experience of this and I have no doubt that I’ll have many a client I strongly disagree with; but so often our hands are tied behind our backs, due to regulatory and ethical codes, and despite strong vehemence to our clients’ stance we have to defend them nonetheless. But it’s the way she conducted the case, which lawyers do have scope in determining, that I take issue with: Harris, on behalf of Brown, acted in complete defiance of the Supreme Court ruling.

Little to no progress had been made on the decarceration mandate and, by 2012, a report surfaced that proved the State actually intended to increase its prison population. In May of that same year, Harris’ office ‘confirmed their intent to not comply with the Order but instead to seek its modification from 137.5% design capacity to 145%,’ a modification that was not granted to them. The District Court ended up extending the decarceration compliance deadline to the end of 2013. But by April 2012, just two months before the initial deadline given in the Supreme Court decision, California still had 9,636 prisoners more than the court-imposed ceiling. The State submitted a proposal that involved relocating inmates to fire camps to fight wildfires, and prevent out-of-state prisoners from being returned. But after reviewing these proposals, the three-judge panel found that that still left California’s prisons some 4,170 prisoners over the hard limit.

Again, the three-judge panel acquiesced and arrived at a solution: the expansion of ‘good time’ credits for nonviolent offenders, shortening stays often by just a handful of months. This effectively involved increasing the sentence reductions minimum-custody inmates can earn for good behaviour, instead channelling them into rehabilitation and education programs. The State’s own expert witness had testified years prior that he did not oppose good credit measures, and that there was no correlation between length of stay and recidivism, meaning that the public was not at risk. States such as Washington, Illinois, and even tough-on-crime New York had implemented these programs with success. The Court found that the expansion of good time credits would make some 5,385 inmates eligible for release and therefore solve the problem at hand.

But Governor Brown, with Harris steering the ship, did not agree. Harris’ office launched into a campaign of all-out obstruction, refusing to answer why they could not simply comply with the request to release low-risk, nonviolent inmates in order to conform with the Supreme Court’s request. Harris office relented further: they claimed on behalf of the State that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to even request such a release, refusing to answer questions as to how they would implement the Supreme Court ruling, and courting a constitutional crisis. Any lawyer reading this will be clutching their pearls right now – the audacity to refuse the final ruling of the highest court in the land, can you believe!!!!

Unsurprisingly, the three-judge District Court panel replied with a stunning rebuke in their June 2013 ruling: when asked by what date the State could provide a list of prisoners who are unlikely to reoffended, the judge wrote that the ‘defendants defiantly refused and stated, somewhat astonishingly, that our suggestion that we might order defendants to develop a system to identify low-risk prisoners, a system that the Supreme Court had suggested we might consider ordering defendants to develop ‘without delay,’ is a prisoner release order that vastly exceeds the scope of the Court’s prior orders.’ The Supreme Court had in fact ruled that the three-judge District Court panel had exactly that authority in its 2011 ruling. ‘In tortured logic, the defendants suggested that the Supreme Court’s statement ‘did not authorise the early release of prisoners, or even the consideration of that question.’ The ruling went on to say that Harris’ Attorney General’s Office ‘continually equivocated regarding the facts and the law,’ to the point that the panel strongly considered holding the State in contempt.’  Ladies and gentlemen, gaslight tactics were indeed deployed by Harris’ office to the extreme.

The panel, however, did not hold the State in contempt, primarily because it would have delayed the release of nonviolent inmates further, and therefore aided the State’s obstructionist tactics. The manipulation! And all this to prevent the release of only 5,000 nonviolent offenders, whom multiple courts and experts had presented as next to no risk of reoffending or threat to public safety. Instead, the State decided to spend the time seesawing back and forth between dubious legal fillings and flagrant disregard.

Harris’ legal tactics also drew rebuke from legal commentators, who saw her legal motions as obstructionist, done in bad faith, and nonsensical. Barry Krisberg, long-time president of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, said that ‘the legal arguments that the State was putting forward make no sense.’ Andrew Cohen, Senior Editor at the Marshall Project and fellow at the Brennan Centre for Justice, believes that Harris’ behaviour may have put her in breach of California’s legal and ethical standards, which forbid filing a motion ‘for an improper purpose, such as to harass or cause unnecessary delay.’

In an endorsement of the exploitative prison labour complex, the State at one point argued that nonviolent offenders needed to stay incarcerated, because they worked as groundskeepers, janitors, in prison kitchens with wages that range from 8 cents to 37 cents per hour, and were needed in fire camps in the wildfire-plagued State. If they were released, then prisons would lose an ‘important labour pool’. Harris has recently distanced herself from these arguments, claiming that she had no knowledge of it and telling BuzzFeed News that she was ‘shocked’ by the argument. But Alexander Sammon, writer of The Prospect article ‘How Kamala Harris Fought to Keep Nonviolent Prisoners Locked Up’ casts doubt on the notion that Kamala was ignorant of legal arguments put forward in this case: generally, she was known to run an extremely centralised AG’s office, with few things coming in or going without her express sign off. Specifically, this was the highest-profile case she managed as AG, involving a ruling from the highest court in the land, concerning a decarceration order her office spent years resisting. As if any of the arguments put forward escaped her notice before they got to court.

This dogged and callous opposition to decarceration hardly conveys Kamala as being on the side of racial and justice reform. Moreover, as Sammon points out, ‘putting someone with a history of defying the Supreme Court on the Democratic ticket would significantly undermine the Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s pledge to return to the pre-Trump ear of governance, where the three branches of government are seen as coequal and the courts are respected.’

Kamala isn’t looking so progressive now, is she? A lot to take in, I know. And it’s gut wrenching to come to the realisation that someone you pinned so much hope on is disappointing in so many ways. So, let’s take a breather.

Or, are you not convinced yet? Fear not, next time we look into Kamala’s history of upholding wrongful convictions and inaction in the face of police brutality and prosecutorial misconduct.

[wineanddinosaur]

We Asked 30 Beer Pros: Are New England-Style IPAs Overrated?

There’s no denying the popularity of hazy, juicy, New England-style IPAs. While some members of the industry are pushing craft lagers, IPAs remain the most popular craft beer category among consumers on the whole. It’s also the most-entered category in the country’s biggest beer competition, the Great American Beer Festival, since the “Juicy or Hazy” category was introduced in 2018.

We tapped beer industry members from Denver to Denmark to answer the million-dollar question: Are NEIPAs overrated? Here’s what 30 beer pros had to say.

“No beers are overrated. We’re a bit tired of talking about overrated beers — all beer styles deserve to be treated with love and respect. Of course, you can discuss whether the beer is good craftsmanship or not. But in our opinion, it does not make sense to talk disparagingly about beer styles, just because you don’t like the style. To us, enjoying beers is also about challenging yourself, experiencing new tastes, and being curious.” — Lars Carlsen, CEO and Founder, and Alberte Jannicke, Chief Communications Officer, People Like Us, Copenhagen, Denmark

“Definitely not. Anyone who thinks that likely doesn’t make a good one, frankly. Hazy beers have been around as long as people have been making beer. Clean beer is a modern invention — technology like filtration and lagering have, in some cases, stripped beer of its true potential. Haze is awesome and it’s here to stay. If you haven’t found a hazy IPA that blows your mind, you aren’t trying.” — Colby Cox, Co-founder, Roadhouse Brewing Co., Jackson Hole, WY

“There’s a lot of great science going on in NEIPAs. Techniques used in these styles work to utilize bio transformations of certain hop compounds to get a bunch of that juicy aroma packed into the beer. I don’t think they’re overrated because a lot of people love the low bitterness, soft mouthfeel, and fruit-forward aroma.” — Kelly McKnight, Brewer, New Belgium at The Source Hotel, Denver, CO

“I think the popularity of the New England style is the result of the high IBU IPAs that previously flooded the market. The pendulum has now swung the other direction, where some of these popular, hazy, soft, sweet IPAs resemble more juice than beer. No style is overrated. However, I am hoping drinkers’ palates return to seeking out beers with balanced profiles.” — Jen Newman, CEO/Co-owner, Young Lion Brewing, Canandaigua, NY

“Yes. While a ton of them have amazing flavors and aromas, just because it’s hazy doesn’t mean it’s any good.” — Yiga Miyashiro, Senior Director of Brewery Operations, Saint Archer Brewing Company

“NEIPAs deserve as much recognition as any other style, it’s just a matter of personal preference. I personally enjoy the aroma and flavors found in many of the hops commonly used on these recipes, their citrus and refreshing profile combined with such soft and smooth mouthfeel makes them a great drink choice year-round.” — Val Lang, Head of Finance, SingleCut Beersmiths, Queens and Clifton Park, NY

“We have enjoyed a great run with NEIPAs and have made five to six of them. We consider them to be more of a summer beer. We do not think NEIPA is overrated, but perhaps coming near the end of its big run. I am certain we will continue to offer one next summer.” — Carrie Fischer, Co-owner and Brewer, Bottomless Brewing, Geneva, NY

“I think the beers themselves, when done right, are delicious and worthy of the praise, even if it’s hard to tell two well-made ones apart. I think the hype comes from the chase for the beers rather than from the beers themselves, and that’s why people are so keen to label them overrated. The market saturation of this style is hard to overstate, however, and the well-made hazies are surrounded by beers that are downright abominable. I think we’re spilling lots of ink and emotion for these beers, when we could be doing much more to actually broaden the palates of the consumers entering the craft beer market through this style.” — Joe Connolly, Director, Springdale Beer, Framingham, MA

“By the definition of the word? Yes. I enjoy hazy IPAs, but it seems like many beer drinkers only drink that style and often compare all other styles to it. It’s an unfair comparison because the characteristics of different beers can differ so much. A German Helles is very different from a hazy IPA; they aren’t really meant to be compared. There are so many different styles of beer, all offering different and great flavor profiles, that limiting your drinking to only hazy IPAs because those are what are most popular is doing yourself a disservice.” — Adam Denny Golab, Head Brewer, Bent Water Brewing, Lynn, MA

“Maybe over-hopped, but not overrated! The idea of juicier IPAs, using fermentation dry-hopping, higher-mouthfeel grains, and lower IBUs is not overhyped and will last for a long time. The insane overhopping and rushing of the cellaring/conditioning I believe will drift away. The ‘hop burn’ will slowly fade, just as the old trend of searching for the most ‘extreme’ IBU beers. People barely even ask about IBUs anymore.” — Jason zumBrunnen, Co-founder and Head Brewer, Ratio Beerworks, Denver, CO

“I think the NEIPA craze is just another iteration of IPA, and it is just what is happening right now with hop-forward beers. That being said, it certainly can be a very nice beer to drink, but just should not be the only beer you brew; there needs to be balance.” — Brian Grace, Head Brewer, Thirsty Monk, Asheville, NC

“Overrated? No. Done for the wrong reasons? Sometimes. Listen, these beers are selling a lot right now. I remember when having hazy beers was restricted to only unfiltered wheat beers. As long as we all take our time and approach this new style correctly, there’s a lot of potential to bring new drinkers into the craft world.” — Stephen Hale, Founding Brewer, Schlafly Beer, St. Louis, MO

“I don’t think the style is overrated at all! I’ll admit, it’s not my personal go-to, but I love what it’s done for the beer lovers who previously thought they didn’t like IPAs. One of my best friends used to tell me ad nauseam that she did not like IPAs. After years of her insisting she does not like the style, I got a random text one day: ‘Jess, I LOVE New England-style IPAs!’ I love how the style is opening minds. Besides, who am I to judge if something is overrated? If you find a craft beer you love, then you be you and order it!” — Jess Baker, Editor in Chief, CraftBeer.com, Boulder, CO

“I think like all IPAs, they are popular because they are just another IPA. IPAs are all the marketing rage! It’s a buzz term that I believe consumers (who are not beer nerds) don’t truly understand. … From a nerdy perspective, the style or technique of crafting NEIPA is very interesting. The fact that all the IBUs can be achieved without losing the hop aroma is the best part. That aroma is so alluring. … The haziness, juice bomb thing, that’s the overrated part. I mean really, I read bartender feeds where they talk about adding flour to beers to make them hazy. Yuck!” — Danii Oliver, Founder and Brewer, Island to Island Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

“Plenty of beers are overly fussed about. The popularity of NEIPAs is complicated. Scarcity or perceived scarcity is an important factor. They tend to be bombastic as well. I think people generally like that. The juicy, sometimes sweet flavor profile is another. Because there is little if any bitterness, they are easier to drink. I wonder if perhaps NEIPAs strike a subconscious chord in some, meaning it reminds them of juice and childhood and more carefree times.” — Phil Markowski, Brewmaster, Two Roads Brewing, Stratford, CT

“I don’t think they’re overrated, but going through the typical hype curve. For the drinkers, it’s driven by the existing obsession with hoppy beer and is just the newest iteration of the beers they already love. For brewers, it’s a bit of keeping up with the Joneses, showing off their brewing prowess and matching the drinker demand. The hype will subside and a new brew ‘style’ will come in its place. But NEIPA is distinct enough that it will continue to exist well after it peaks.” — Merlin U. Ward, Co-founder, Wartega Brewing, Brooklyn, NY

“Are the Beatles, Michael Jackson, U2, Taylor Swift, or Drake overrated? Pop gonna pop.” — Augie Carton, Founder, Carton Brewing Co., Atlantic Highlands, NJ

“Overrated? That’s difficult to say. They’re popular, and brewers need to brew beer that people want. Personally, I love the low IBUs and high aroma, but I’m over the orange-juice-ness.” — Jeff Joslin, Director of Brewing, Left Hand Brewing, Longmont, CO

“Hazy/juicy/New England-style IPAs have developed a strong following among a group of craft beer drinkers and serve as a change-of-pace versus traditional IPAs. … They utilize a broad variety of hop styles and grain components and provide a unique taste experience. Brewers are also constantly evolving their hazy offerings. In our case at Garage Brewing, we’re up to Hazy #9, so it gives consumers new, fresh options. So ‘overrated?’ No. Hazies are an interesting alternative as part of a well-balanced craft beer portfolio.” — Allan O’Neil, VP of Sales and Marketing, Garage Brewing Co., Temecula, CA

“The category itself – maybe. Like any beer style, there are thousands of brewers making this style with varying levels of quality and consistency. But it is tough for us to argue that a well-made hazy NEIPA is anything other than delicious. And while IPAs continue to be the leading style in craft beer, there is a bitterness that has always alienated a portion of beer drinkers. Hazy IPAs invite more drinkers in with soft flavors of fruit and citrus, but with lower bitterness.” — Brett VanderKamp, President and Founder, New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI

“I don’t think any style can be ‘overrated’ since everyone’s palate is so unique. I also think that the current focus on the ‘haze craze’ is just another step in the long and winding road of innovation. If you consider, nearly every beer style has had its moment on top of the beer world, even dating back to the end of the 17th [and] start of the 18th century, when porter came about and was king in places like England and Ireland. Right now, more than 200 years later, really rich, flavorful stouts, descendants of those early porters, are one of the more popular styles in the American craft scene. The beer industry seems to be incredibly cyclical.” — Ryan Wagner, Guinness Brewery Ambassador, Baltimore, MD

“I love a great hazy when they are well made. While they’ve been popular in the Northeast and other parts of the country for some time, they’ve more recently become a really popular style in the Northwest. I think the big problem with hazy IPAs, and what’s led to this thought that they’re overrated, is that so many breweries are making them that the style is flooding the market. With so many different hazy IPA options available, the competition can make it hard to move them and the shelf stability time for the style is super short. The result is that more often than not, you’re getting a beer past its prime, especially if it’s hitting mass distribution.” — James Long, Co-founder and Head Brewer, Barbarian Brewing, Boise, ID

“Not at all. … With so many great hop varietals in the world, the opportunities to experiment and create new hazy IPAs are endless. This style is here to stay.” — Tom Vogel, CEO, Belching Beaver Brewery, San Diego, CA

“I wouldn’t say that the style is overrated, but definitely overhyped. That being said, I think the style is great, and I drink NEIPAs and enjoy them when I do. What I don’t like is that the style is being used as a standard to signify a good brewery, which is unsettling for the industry in my opinion. There are so many great styles out there, ones that require varying skills to brew, and to put all of the weight behind NEIPA just doesn’t do a brewery justice.” — Matt McCall, Head Brewer, Coney Island Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

“Probably. Like anything, there are well-executed versions and some that take certain aspects of the style to unnecessary extremes. It would be great if New England IPAs actually used malted grains and hops from the region to justify the name, wouldn’t it? I’m not sure I think of it in terms of being overrated because there are understandable reasons for brewers to continue making them and the consumer to keep seeking them out.” — Barry Labenz, Founder, Kent Falls Brewing, Kent Falls, CT

“I think it’s interesting how the IPA has evolved from a style that was designed to be shipped from England to India without spoiling to a style focused on freshness and with limited shelf stability. I rather enjoy NEIPAs, personally. We have some very high-quality ones being brewed in Nashville and middle Tennessee. If done well, they taste great and can be very appealing to look at, but I would not qualify them as overrated. I think their popularity draws attention to the craft beer scene. If someone gets turned on to craft beer by NEIPA, that’s good for the craft beer movement!” — Carl E. Meier, Founder, The Black Abbey Brewing Company, Nashville, TN

“I’ve never taken issue with hazy/NEIPAs. Growing up on the East Coast meant Heady Topper was the holy grail of beers, Harpoon did their UFO (unfiltered) series, and local Baltimore spots had hazy IPAs. It wasn’t even a style, it was just unfiltered. Granted, today’s hazy IPAs are more than unfiltered beer, but seven or eight years ago, it was never seen as lazy or trendy. I personally dig the style, and I think you’re doing your taproom staff a disservice if you don’t have one.” — Chris Gilmore, Brewer, Lone Tree Brewing Company, Lone Tree, CO

“No. Brewers typically don’t overrate a beer style because it is a personal preference. The style is great for the homebrewer and new taproom. Not a lot of complexity. They can quickly get into beer-making and enjoy the experience of a ‘job well done.’” — Tom Fiorenzi, Director of Brewing, Shiner, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX

“I wouldn’t describe the New England-style/hazy/juicy IPAs as overrated. This new trend has created a lot of interest in craft brews. I do think that the varieties of the style may have made the style less specific. However, it has allowed for some creative brews. I think the trend will continue, but may lose some popularity as time goes on.” — Sallee Ten Eyck, Co-founder and Majority Partner, Summerhill Brewing, LLC, Summer Hill, NY

“A nice juicy IPA can be a wonderful beer to behold and enjoy. If executed properly, it is truly a skillful accomplishment. Phenomenal flavors are being uncovered and spotlighted through progressive techniques and the utilization of new products. Unfortunately, many are done poorly. This leads many to believe overall they are overrated, but I believe they are more commonly misrepresented.” — Rhett Dougherty, Head Brewer, Veza Sur Brewing Co., Miami, FL

The article We Asked 30 Beer Pros: Are New England-Style IPAs Overrated? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/we-asked-30-beer-pros-are-new-england-style-ipas-overrated/

[johnboothus]

We Asked 30 Beer Pros: Are New England-Style IPAs Overrated?

There’s no denying the popularity of hazy, juicy, New England-style IPAs. While some members of the industry are pushing craft lagers, IPAs remain the most popular craft beer category among consumers on the whole. It’s also the most-entered category in the country’s biggest beer competition, the Great American Beer Festival, since the “Juicy or Hazy” category was introduced in 2018.

We tapped beer industry members from Denver to Denmark to answer the million-dollar question: Are NEIPAs overrated? Here’s what 30 beer pros had to say.

“No beers are overrated. We’re a bit tired of talking about overrated beers — all beer styles deserve to be treated with love and respect. Of course, you can discuss whether the beer is good craftsmanship or not. But in our opinion, it does not make sense to talk disparagingly about beer styles, just because you don’t like the style. To us, enjoying beers is also about challenging yourself, experiencing new tastes, and being curious.” — Lars Carlsen, CEO and Founder, and Alberte Jannicke, Chief Communications Officer, People Like Us, Copenhagen, Denmark

“Definitely not. Anyone who thinks that likely doesn’t make a good one, frankly. Hazy beers have been around as long as people have been making beer. Clean beer is a modern invention — technology like filtration and lagering have, in some cases, stripped beer of its true potential. Haze is awesome and it’s here to stay. If you haven’t found a hazy IPA that blows your mind, you aren’t trying.” — Colby Cox, Co-founder, Roadhouse Brewing Co., Jackson Hole, WY

“There’s a lot of great science going on in NEIPAs. Techniques used in these styles work to utilize bio transformations of certain hop compounds to get a bunch of that juicy aroma packed into the beer. I don’t think they’re overrated because a lot of people love the low bitterness, soft mouthfeel, and fruit-forward aroma.” — Kelly McKnight, Brewer, New Belgium at The Source Hotel, Denver, CO

“I think the popularity of the New England style is the result of the high IBU IPAs that previously flooded the market. The pendulum has now swung the other direction, where some of these popular, hazy, soft, sweet IPAs resemble more juice than beer. No style is overrated. However, I am hoping drinkers’ palates return to seeking out beers with balanced profiles.” — Jen Newman, CEO/Co-owner, Young Lion Brewing, Canandaigua, NY

“Yes. While a ton of them have amazing flavors and aromas, just because it’s hazy doesn’t mean it’s any good.” — Yiga Miyashiro, Senior Director of Brewery Operations, Saint Archer Brewing Company

“NEIPAs deserve as much recognition as any other style, it’s just a matter of personal preference. I personally enjoy the aroma and flavors found in many of the hops commonly used on these recipes, their citrus and refreshing profile combined with such soft and smooth mouthfeel makes them a great drink choice year-round.” — Val Lang, Head of Finance, SingleCut Beersmiths, Queens and Clifton Park, NY

“We have enjoyed a great run with NEIPAs and have made five to six of them. We consider them to be more of a summer beer. We do not think NEIPA is overrated, but perhaps coming near the end of its big run. I am certain we will continue to offer one next summer.” — Carrie Fischer, Co-owner and Brewer, Bottomless Brewing, Geneva, NY

“I think the beers themselves, when done right, are delicious and worthy of the praise, even if it’s hard to tell two well-made ones apart. I think the hype comes from the chase for the beers rather than from the beers themselves, and that’s why people are so keen to label them overrated. The market saturation of this style is hard to overstate, however, and the well-made hazies are surrounded by beers that are downright abominable. I think we’re spilling lots of ink and emotion for these beers, when we could be doing much more to actually broaden the palates of the consumers entering the craft beer market through this style.” — Joe Connolly, Director, Springdale Beer, Framingham, MA

“By the definition of the word? Yes. I enjoy hazy IPAs, but it seems like many beer drinkers only drink that style and often compare all other styles to it. It’s an unfair comparison because the characteristics of different beers can differ so much. A German Helles is very different from a hazy IPA; they aren’t really meant to be compared. There are so many different styles of beer, all offering different and great flavor profiles, that limiting your drinking to only hazy IPAs because those are what are most popular is doing yourself a disservice.” — Adam Denny Golab, Head Brewer, Bent Water Brewing, Lynn, MA

“Maybe over-hopped, but not overrated! The idea of juicier IPAs, using fermentation dry-hopping, higher-mouthfeel grains, and lower IBUs is not overhyped and will last for a long time. The insane overhopping and rushing of the cellaring/conditioning I believe will drift away. The ‘hop burn’ will slowly fade, just as the old trend of searching for the most ‘extreme’ IBU beers. People barely even ask about IBUs anymore.” — Jason zumBrunnen, Co-founder and Head Brewer, Ratio Beerworks, Denver, CO

“I think the NEIPA craze is just another iteration of IPA, and it is just what is happening right now with hop-forward beers. That being said, it certainly can be a very nice beer to drink, but just should not be the only beer you brew; there needs to be balance.” — Brian Grace, Head Brewer, Thirsty Monk, Asheville, NC

“Overrated? No. Done for the wrong reasons? Sometimes. Listen, these beers are selling a lot right now. I remember when having hazy beers was restricted to only unfiltered wheat beers. As long as we all take our time and approach this new style correctly, there’s a lot of potential to bring new drinkers into the craft world.” — Stephen Hale, Founding Brewer, Schlafly Beer, St. Louis, MO

“I don’t think the style is overrated at all! I’ll admit, it’s not my personal go-to, but I love what it’s done for the beer lovers who previously thought they didn’t like IPAs. One of my best friends used to tell me ad nauseam that she did not like IPAs. After years of her insisting she does not like the style, I got a random text one day: ‘Jess, I LOVE New England-style IPAs!’ I love how the style is opening minds. Besides, who am I to judge if something is overrated? If you find a craft beer you love, then you be you and order it!” — Jess Baker, Editor in Chief, CraftBeer.com, Boulder, CO

“I think like all IPAs, they are popular because they are just another IPA. IPAs are all the marketing rage! It’s a buzz term that I believe consumers (who are not beer nerds) don’t truly understand. … From a nerdy perspective, the style or technique of crafting NEIPA is very interesting. The fact that all the IBUs can be achieved without losing the hop aroma is the best part. That aroma is so alluring. … The haziness, juice bomb thing, that’s the overrated part. I mean really, I read bartender feeds where they talk about adding flour to beers to make them hazy. Yuck!” — Danii Oliver, Founder and Brewer, Island to Island Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

“Plenty of beers are overly fussed about. The popularity of NEIPAs is complicated. Scarcity or perceived scarcity is an important factor. They tend to be bombastic as well. I think people generally like that. The juicy, sometimes sweet flavor profile is another. Because there is little if any bitterness, they are easier to drink. I wonder if perhaps NEIPAs strike a subconscious chord in some, meaning it reminds them of juice and childhood and more carefree times.” — Phil Markowski, Brewmaster, Two Roads Brewing, Stratford, CT

“I don’t think they’re overrated, but going through the typical hype curve. For the drinkers, it’s driven by the existing obsession with hoppy beer and is just the newest iteration of the beers they already love. For brewers, it’s a bit of keeping up with the Joneses, showing off their brewing prowess and matching the drinker demand. The hype will subside and a new brew ‘style’ will come in its place. But NEIPA is distinct enough that it will continue to exist well after it peaks.” — Merlin U. Ward, Co-founder, Wartega Brewing, Brooklyn, NY

“Are the Beatles, Michael Jackson, U2, Taylor Swift, or Drake overrated? Pop gonna pop.” — Augie Carton, Founder, Carton Brewing Co., Atlantic Highlands, NJ

“Overrated? That’s difficult to say. They’re popular, and brewers need to brew beer that people want. Personally, I love the low IBUs and high aroma, but I’m over the orange-juice-ness.” — Jeff Joslin, Director of Brewing, Left Hand Brewing, Longmont, CO

“Hazy/juicy/New England-style IPAs have developed a strong following among a group of craft beer drinkers and serve as a change-of-pace versus traditional IPAs. … They utilize a broad variety of hop styles and grain components and provide a unique taste experience. Brewers are also constantly evolving their hazy offerings. In our case at Garage Brewing, we’re up to Hazy #9, so it gives consumers new, fresh options. So ‘overrated?’ No. Hazies are an interesting alternative as part of a well-balanced craft beer portfolio.” — Allan O’Neil, VP of Sales and Marketing, Garage Brewing Co., Temecula, CA

“The category itself – maybe. Like any beer style, there are thousands of brewers making this style with varying levels of quality and consistency. But it is tough for us to argue that a well-made hazy NEIPA is anything other than delicious. And while IPAs continue to be the leading style in craft beer, there is a bitterness that has always alienated a portion of beer drinkers. Hazy IPAs invite more drinkers in with soft flavors of fruit and citrus, but with lower bitterness.” — Brett VanderKamp, President and Founder, New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI

“I don’t think any style can be ‘overrated’ since everyone’s palate is so unique. I also think that the current focus on the ‘haze craze’ is just another step in the long and winding road of innovation. If you consider, nearly every beer style has had its moment on top of the beer world, even dating back to the end of the 17th [and] start of the 18th century, when porter came about and was king in places like England and Ireland. Right now, more than 200 years later, really rich, flavorful stouts, descendants of those early porters, are one of the more popular styles in the American craft scene. The beer industry seems to be incredibly cyclical.” — Ryan Wagner, Guinness Brewery Ambassador, Baltimore, MD

“I love a great hazy when they are well made. While they’ve been popular in the Northeast and other parts of the country for some time, they’ve more recently become a really popular style in the Northwest. I think the big problem with hazy IPAs, and what’s led to this thought that they’re overrated, is that so many breweries are making them that the style is flooding the market. With so many different hazy IPA options available, the competition can make it hard to move them and the shelf stability time for the style is super short. The result is that more often than not, you’re getting a beer past its prime, especially if it’s hitting mass distribution.” — James Long, Co-founder and Head Brewer, Barbarian Brewing, Boise, ID

“Not at all. … With so many great hop varietals in the world, the opportunities to experiment and create new hazy IPAs are endless. This style is here to stay.” — Tom Vogel, CEO, Belching Beaver Brewery, San Diego, CA

“I wouldn’t say that the style is overrated, but definitely overhyped. That being said, I think the style is great, and I drink NEIPAs and enjoy them when I do. What I don’t like is that the style is being used as a standard to signify a good brewery, which is unsettling for the industry in my opinion. There are so many great styles out there, ones that require varying skills to brew, and to put all of the weight behind NEIPA just doesn’t do a brewery justice.” — Matt McCall, Head Brewer, Coney Island Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

“Probably. Like anything, there are well-executed versions and some that take certain aspects of the style to unnecessary extremes. It would be great if New England IPAs actually used malted grains and hops from the region to justify the name, wouldn’t it? I’m not sure I think of it in terms of being overrated because there are understandable reasons for brewers to continue making them and the consumer to keep seeking them out.” — Barry Labenz, Founder, Kent Falls Brewing, Kent Falls, CT

“I think it’s interesting how the IPA has evolved from a style that was designed to be shipped from England to India without spoiling to a style focused on freshness and with limited shelf stability. I rather enjoy NEIPAs, personally. We have some very high-quality ones being brewed in Nashville and middle Tennessee. If done well, they taste great and can be very appealing to look at, but I would not qualify them as overrated. I think their popularity draws attention to the craft beer scene. If someone gets turned on to craft beer by NEIPA, that’s good for the craft beer movement!” — Carl E. Meier, Founder, The Black Abbey Brewing Company, Nashville, TN

“I’ve never taken issue with hazy/NEIPAs. Growing up on the East Coast meant Heady Topper was the holy grail of beers, Harpoon did their UFO (unfiltered) series, and local Baltimore spots had hazy IPAs. It wasn’t even a style, it was just unfiltered. Granted, today’s hazy IPAs are more than unfiltered beer, but seven or eight years ago, it was never seen as lazy or trendy. I personally dig the style, and I think you’re doing your taproom staff a disservice if you don’t have one.” — Chris Gilmore, Brewer, Lone Tree Brewing Company, Lone Tree, CO

“No. Brewers typically don’t overrate a beer style because it is a personal preference. The style is great for the homebrewer and new taproom. Not a lot of complexity. They can quickly get into beer-making and enjoy the experience of a ‘job well done.’” — Tom Fiorenzi, Director of Brewing, Shiner, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX

“I wouldn’t describe the New England-style/hazy/juicy IPAs as overrated. This new trend has created a lot of interest in craft brews. I do think that the varieties of the style may have made the style less specific. However, it has allowed for some creative brews. I think the trend will continue, but may lose some popularity as time goes on.” — Sallee Ten Eyck, Co-founder and Majority Partner, Summerhill Brewing, LLC, Summer Hill, NY

“A nice juicy IPA can be a wonderful beer to behold and enjoy. If executed properly, it is truly a skillful accomplishment. Phenomenal flavors are being uncovered and spotlighted through progressive techniques and the utilization of new products. Unfortunately, many are done poorly. This leads many to believe overall they are overrated, but I believe they are more commonly misrepresented.” — Rhett Dougherty, Head Brewer, Veza Sur Brewing Co., Miami, FL

The article We Asked 30 Beer Pros: Are New England-Style IPAs Overrated? appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/we-asked-30-beer-pros-are-new-england-style-ipas-overrated/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/we-asked-30-beer-pros-are-new-england-style-ipas-overrated

[isaiahrippinus]

We Asked 30 Beer Pros: Are New England-Style IPAs Overrated?

There’s no denying the popularity of hazy, juicy, New England-style IPAs. While some members of the industry are pushing craft lagers, IPAs remain the most popular craft beer category among consumers on the whole. It’s also the most-entered category in the country’s biggest beer competition, the Great American Beer Festival, since the “Juicy or Hazy” category was introduced in 2018.

We tapped beer industry members from Denver to Denmark to answer the million-dollar question: Are NEIPAs overrated? Here’s what 30 beer pros had to say.

“No beers are overrated. We’re a bit tired of talking about overrated beers — all beer styles deserve to be treated with love and respect. Of course, you can discuss whether the beer is good craftsmanship or not. But in our opinion, it does not make sense to talk disparagingly about beer styles, just because you don’t like the style. To us, enjoying beers is also about challenging yourself, experiencing new tastes, and being curious.” — Lars Carlsen, CEO and Founder, and Alberte Jannicke, Chief Communications Officer, People Like Us, Copenhagen, Denmark

“Definitely not. Anyone who thinks that likely doesn’t make a good one, frankly. Hazy beers have been around as long as people have been making beer. Clean beer is a modern invention — technology like filtration and lagering have, in some cases, stripped beer of its true potential. Haze is awesome and it’s here to stay. If you haven’t found a hazy IPA that blows your mind, you aren’t trying.” — Colby Cox, Co-founder, Roadhouse Brewing Co., Jackson Hole, WY

“There’s a lot of great science going on in NEIPAs. Techniques used in these styles work to utilize bio transformations of certain hop compounds to get a bunch of that juicy aroma packed into the beer. I don’t think they’re overrated because a lot of people love the low bitterness, soft mouthfeel, and fruit-forward aroma.” — Kelly McKnight, Brewer, New Belgium at The Source Hotel, Denver, CO

“I think the popularity of the New England style is the result of the high IBU IPAs that previously flooded the market. The pendulum has now swung the other direction, where some of these popular, hazy, soft, sweet IPAs resemble more juice than beer. No style is overrated. However, I am hoping drinkers’ palates return to seeking out beers with balanced profiles.” — Jen Newman, CEO/Co-owner, Young Lion Brewing, Canandaigua, NY

“Yes. While a ton of them have amazing flavors and aromas, just because it’s hazy doesn’t mean it’s any good.” — Yiga Miyashiro, Senior Director of Brewery Operations, Saint Archer Brewing Company

“NEIPAs deserve as much recognition as any other style, it’s just a matter of personal preference. I personally enjoy the aroma and flavors found in many of the hops commonly used on these recipes, their citrus and refreshing profile combined with such soft and smooth mouthfeel makes them a great drink choice year-round.” — Val Lang, Head of Finance, SingleCut Beersmiths, Queens and Clifton Park, NY

“We have enjoyed a great run with NEIPAs and have made five to six of them. We consider them to be more of a summer beer. We do not think NEIPA is overrated, but perhaps coming near the end of its big run. I am certain we will continue to offer one next summer.” — Carrie Fischer, Co-owner and Brewer, Bottomless Brewing, Geneva, NY

“I think the beers themselves, when done right, are delicious and worthy of the praise, even if it’s hard to tell two well-made ones apart. I think the hype comes from the chase for the beers rather than from the beers themselves, and that’s why people are so keen to label them overrated. The market saturation of this style is hard to overstate, however, and the well-made hazies are surrounded by beers that are downright abominable. I think we’re spilling lots of ink and emotion for these beers, when we could be doing much more to actually broaden the palates of the consumers entering the craft beer market through this style.” — Joe Connolly, Director, Springdale Beer, Framingham, MA

“By the definition of the word? Yes. I enjoy hazy IPAs, but it seems like many beer drinkers only drink that style and often compare all other styles to it. It’s an unfair comparison because the characteristics of different beers can differ so much. A German Helles is very different from a hazy IPA; they aren’t really meant to be compared. There are so many different styles of beer, all offering different and great flavor profiles, that limiting your drinking to only hazy IPAs because those are what are most popular is doing yourself a disservice.” — Adam Denny Golab, Head Brewer, Bent Water Brewing, Lynn, MA

“Maybe over-hopped, but not overrated! The idea of juicier IPAs, using fermentation dry-hopping, higher-mouthfeel grains, and lower IBUs is not overhyped and will last for a long time. The insane overhopping and rushing of the cellaring/conditioning I believe will drift away. The ‘hop burn’ will slowly fade, just as the old trend of searching for the most ‘extreme’ IBU beers. People barely even ask about IBUs anymore.” — Jason zumBrunnen, Co-founder and Head Brewer, Ratio Beerworks, Denver, CO

“I think the NEIPA craze is just another iteration of IPA, and it is just what is happening right now with hop-forward beers. That being said, it certainly can be a very nice beer to drink, but just should not be the only beer you brew; there needs to be balance.” — Brian Grace, Head Brewer, Thirsty Monk, Asheville, NC

“Overrated? No. Done for the wrong reasons? Sometimes. Listen, these beers are selling a lot right now. I remember when having hazy beers was restricted to only unfiltered wheat beers. As long as we all take our time and approach this new style correctly, there’s a lot of potential to bring new drinkers into the craft world.” — Stephen Hale, Founding Brewer, Schlafly Beer, St. Louis, MO

“I don’t think the style is overrated at all! I’ll admit, it’s not my personal go-to, but I love what it’s done for the beer lovers who previously thought they didn’t like IPAs. One of my best friends used to tell me ad nauseam that she did not like IPAs. After years of her insisting she does not like the style, I got a random text one day: ‘Jess, I LOVE New England-style IPAs!’ I love how the style is opening minds. Besides, who am I to judge if something is overrated? If you find a craft beer you love, then you be you and order it!” — Jess Baker, Editor in Chief, CraftBeer.com, Boulder, CO

“I think like all IPAs, they are popular because they are just another IPA. IPAs are all the marketing rage! It’s a buzz term that I believe consumers (who are not beer nerds) don’t truly understand. … From a nerdy perspective, the style or technique of crafting NEIPA is very interesting. The fact that all the IBUs can be achieved without losing the hop aroma is the best part. That aroma is so alluring. … The haziness, juice bomb thing, that’s the overrated part. I mean really, I read bartender feeds where they talk about adding flour to beers to make them hazy. Yuck!” — Danii Oliver, Founder and Brewer, Island to Island Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

“Plenty of beers are overly fussed about. The popularity of NEIPAs is complicated. Scarcity or perceived scarcity is an important factor. They tend to be bombastic as well. I think people generally like that. The juicy, sometimes sweet flavor profile is another. Because there is little if any bitterness, they are easier to drink. I wonder if perhaps NEIPAs strike a subconscious chord in some, meaning it reminds them of juice and childhood and more carefree times.” — Phil Markowski, Brewmaster, Two Roads Brewing, Stratford, CT

“I don’t think they’re overrated, but going through the typical hype curve. For the drinkers, it’s driven by the existing obsession with hoppy beer and is just the newest iteration of the beers they already love. For brewers, it’s a bit of keeping up with the Joneses, showing off their brewing prowess and matching the drinker demand. The hype will subside and a new brew ‘style’ will come in its place. But NEIPA is distinct enough that it will continue to exist well after it peaks.” — Merlin U. Ward, Co-founder, Wartega Brewing, Brooklyn, NY

“Are the Beatles, Michael Jackson, U2, Taylor Swift, or Drake overrated? Pop gonna pop.” — Augie Carton, Founder, Carton Brewing Co., Atlantic Highlands, NJ

“Overrated? That’s difficult to say. They’re popular, and brewers need to brew beer that people want. Personally, I love the low IBUs and high aroma, but I’m over the orange-juice-ness.” — Jeff Joslin, Director of Brewing, Left Hand Brewing, Longmont, CO

“Hazy/juicy/New England-style IPAs have developed a strong following among a group of craft beer drinkers and serve as a change-of-pace versus traditional IPAs. … They utilize a broad variety of hop styles and grain components and provide a unique taste experience. Brewers are also constantly evolving their hazy offerings. In our case at Garage Brewing, we’re up to Hazy #9, so it gives consumers new, fresh options. So ‘overrated?’ No. Hazies are an interesting alternative as part of a well-balanced craft beer portfolio.” — Allan O’Neil, VP of Sales and Marketing, Garage Brewing Co., Temecula, CA

“The category itself – maybe. Like any beer style, there are thousands of brewers making this style with varying levels of quality and consistency. But it is tough for us to argue that a well-made hazy NEIPA is anything other than delicious. And while IPAs continue to be the leading style in craft beer, there is a bitterness that has always alienated a portion of beer drinkers. Hazy IPAs invite more drinkers in with soft flavors of fruit and citrus, but with lower bitterness.” — Brett VanderKamp, President and Founder, New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI

“I don’t think any style can be ‘overrated’ since everyone’s palate is so unique. I also think that the current focus on the ‘haze craze’ is just another step in the long and winding road of innovation. If you consider, nearly every beer style has had its moment on top of the beer world, even dating back to the end of the 17th [and] start of the 18th century, when porter came about and was king in places like England and Ireland. Right now, more than 200 years later, really rich, flavorful stouts, descendants of those early porters, are one of the more popular styles in the American craft scene. The beer industry seems to be incredibly cyclical.” — Ryan Wagner, Guinness Brewery Ambassador, Baltimore, MD

“I love a great hazy when they are well made. While they’ve been popular in the Northeast and other parts of the country for some time, they’ve more recently become a really popular style in the Northwest. I think the big problem with hazy IPAs, and what’s led to this thought that they’re overrated, is that so many breweries are making them that the style is flooding the market. With so many different hazy IPA options available, the competition can make it hard to move them and the shelf stability time for the style is super short. The result is that more often than not, you’re getting a beer past its prime, especially if it’s hitting mass distribution.” — James Long, Co-founder and Head Brewer, Barbarian Brewing, Boise, ID

“Not at all. … With so many great hop varietals in the world, the opportunities to experiment and create new hazy IPAs are endless. This style is here to stay.” — Tom Vogel, CEO, Belching Beaver Brewery, San Diego, CA

“I wouldn’t say that the style is overrated, but definitely overhyped. That being said, I think the style is great, and I drink NEIPAs and enjoy them when I do. What I don’t like is that the style is being used as a standard to signify a good brewery, which is unsettling for the industry in my opinion. There are so many great styles out there, ones that require varying skills to brew, and to put all of the weight behind NEIPA just doesn’t do a brewery justice.” — Matt McCall, Head Brewer, Coney Island Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

“Probably. Like anything, there are well-executed versions and some that take certain aspects of the style to unnecessary extremes. It would be great if New England IPAs actually used malted grains and hops from the region to justify the name, wouldn’t it? I’m not sure I think of it in terms of being overrated because there are understandable reasons for brewers to continue making them and the consumer to keep seeking them out.” — Barry Labenz, Founder, Kent Falls Brewing, Kent Falls, CT

“I think it’s interesting how the IPA has evolved from a style that was designed to be shipped from England to India without spoiling to a style focused on freshness and with limited shelf stability. I rather enjoy NEIPAs, personally. We have some very high-quality ones being brewed in Nashville and middle Tennessee. If done well, they taste great and can be very appealing to look at, but I would not qualify them as overrated. I think their popularity draws attention to the craft beer scene. If someone gets turned on to craft beer by NEIPA, that’s good for the craft beer movement!” — Carl E. Meier, Founder, The Black Abbey Brewing Company, Nashville, TN

“I’ve never taken issue with hazy/NEIPAs. Growing up on the East Coast meant Heady Topper was the holy grail of beers, Harpoon did their UFO (unfiltered) series, and local Baltimore spots had hazy IPAs. It wasn’t even a style, it was just unfiltered. Granted, today’s hazy IPAs are more than unfiltered beer, but seven or eight years ago, it was never seen as lazy or trendy. I personally dig the style, and I think you’re doing your taproom staff a disservice if you don’t have one.” — Chris Gilmore, Brewer, Lone Tree Brewing Company, Lone Tree, CO

“No. Brewers typically don’t overrate a beer style because it is a personal preference. The style is great for the homebrewer and new taproom. Not a lot of complexity. They can quickly get into beer-making and enjoy the experience of a ‘job well done.’” — Tom Fiorenzi, Director of Brewing, Shiner, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX

“I wouldn’t describe the New England-style/hazy/juicy IPAs as overrated. This new trend has created a lot of interest in craft brews. I do think that the varieties of the style may have made the style less specific. However, it has allowed for some creative brews. I think the trend will continue, but may lose some popularity as time goes on.” — Sallee Ten Eyck, Co-founder and Majority Partner, Summerhill Brewing, LLC, Summer Hill, NY

“A nice juicy IPA can be a wonderful beer to behold and enjoy. If executed properly, it is truly a skillful accomplishment. Phenomenal flavors are being uncovered and spotlighted through progressive techniques and the utilization of new products. Unfortunately, many are done poorly. This leads many to believe overall they are overrated, but I believe they are more commonly misrepresented.” — Rhett Dougherty, Head Brewer, Veza Sur Brewing Co., Miami, FL

The article We Asked 30 Beer Pros: Are New England-Style IPAs Overrated? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/we-asked-30-beer-pros-are-new-england-style-ipas-overrated/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/188363961319

[newagesispage]

                                                                MAY   2019

PAGE RIB

 ***** Illinois pot growers say that if more licenses aren’t issued to growers, there could be a shortage if recreational weed is legalized. Studies show that medical cannabis demand is under reported. ** Support Senate Bill 7 to legalize recreational marijuana. It is the early stages and has not yet been fleshed out but the bare bones of it passed the committee 12-4. Let’s go!

*****With the presentation of the Peabody award, Rita Moreno will become the third PEGOT winner on May 18. She will join Barbra Streisand and Mike Nichols on that list.

***** Harvard and Yale text book writing U.S. rep in California, Katie Porter is really shaking up the congressional hearings. Go Go Go!!

***** Could Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker have a way of keeping Trump off the ballot? Are the Dems getting as creative as the GOP?  Illinois is looking into forcing candidates to show the last 10 years of their tax returns or their name will not appear on the ballot.

***** Michael Shannon and Audra McDonald are the newest to play Frankie and Johnny on Broadway.

***** Watching the clueless old white politicians on the Sunday morning shows (yea, you John Barraso) makes me a little queasy. ** And I get so tired of the talking heads speaking for the ‘middle of the country’.  Most of the people I know care deeply about the Mueller report. Who the fuck are they talking about? Talk about special rules for our rich President as we remember Nixon and the Clintons. Why should Scary Clown 45 get such great treatment?  I am always hearing about the ‘middle of the country’ worrying about feeding our families and fixing our cars and not knowing or caring about issues in Washington. It is true that so many are living the paycheck to paycheck dream and are burdened with health care and other emergencies they can’t afford but they pay attention to the political problems of this country too. Since citizens don’t have the time or the power or money to be in Washington, they rely on those they voted for to keep each other in line.  Quit letting the shady shit go on. Have some backbone and do not let things slide. Simple rule: DO WHAT IS RIGHT.

***** Word is that Somebody paid off Brett Kavanaugh’s $92,000 country club fees, $200,000 credit card debt and 1.2 mil mortage. Seems like someone might own him.

***** Maria Butina was sentenced to 18 months.

***** The Man in the High Castle will end after season 4.

***** I love the way Abigail Disney is standing up to CEO’s.  The points she makes are ones that the corporation heads always hope you won’t think about. Shouldn’t employees be treated fairly? If a CEO is motivated by their own bonus they are far more likely to overlook things like environmental damage, human rights violations and worker’s rights. Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz agrees.

***** When will the press (local and worldwide), give equal exposure to ALL candidates that run for office, especially President? We want to be informed. I do research but not everybody does and needs it to be easily accessible. Sometimes you have to spoon feed but why is it so hard to be fair? Enough with the agendas!!! There also needs to be more places to look for local issues. I hear so many citizens that tell me they don’t know what will be on the ballot. The info can be hard to find but USA Facts helps. Check it out!

***** Four days after confirmation, secretary of interior, David Bernhardt is under investigation for ethical misconduct.

***** Rod Rosenstein is out! His good bye included praise for the Pres and thanking him for all the personal conversations!! What He is the Deputy AG. What??

***** Jordan Klepper did a great gag on comedy central with the Clintons about Hil doing the audio book of the Mueller report. Yes!!

***** The Trumps are suing Deutsche bank and Capital One so they won’t turn over financial records to congress. Aren’t these actions obstruction of congress?

***** Indivisible is getting voters and candidates to sign a pledge to make the primary constructive and support the ultimate democratic winner.

***** Thank you to Tricia Newbold who is the WH whistle blower who let us know about Trump overriding security clearances. Rumor is that to punish her they took advantage of her physical limitations and purposely put files high and out of her reach. Wow! That is right out of high school.

***** Julian Assange was taken into custody and it seems he has turned into some sort of odd Howard Hughes character.

***** Hollywood is putting on a fundraiser for Mayor Pete. The event will be co-hosted by Ryan Murphy and hubby David Miller, Matt Bomer, Jess Cagle and hubby Matt Whitney and Billy Eichner among others. Murphy also hosted Kamala Harris on April 12. Some of Pete’s major donors have been Ryan Reynolds, Jane Lynch, Mandy Moore, Bradley Whitford and James Murdoch.

***** The Webby awards have been announced. Some winners are Billy on the Street, James Corden, Schitt’s Creek, Pod Save the People and Jimmy Kimmel’s mean tweets. Best music video went to Donald Glover for This is America and The Daily won for its onald J. Trump presidential twitter library.

***** Better Call Saul will call it quits after season 6.

***** Charlize Theron and Seth Rogan star in Long Shot, a political rom com out May 3.

*****& Sara Gilbert joins season 3 of Atypical!!!!!

***** Mushroom season is here and it looks like our friend Kavin is sure bringing ‘em home.

***** The shower toga looks like a great get for the festival scene.

***** Barry has been picked up for season 3. Hell yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

***** The state of Georgia wants to make any embryo a fully legalized citizen. An embryo would count on taxes and be able to receive child support.

***** Please let the immigrant children out of their cages!

***** Stacey Abrams has a best seller, Lead from the Outside.

***** Did Harper Lee write ‘The Reverand?’ Oh how I wish I knew!!

***** When will the Bob Geldof story make it to the big screen and can Pete Davidson play him please??

***** Tuca and Bertie from Netflix looks awesome. It has to be good with stars Ali Wong and Tiffany Haddish!!

***** John Lithgow is about to release a book with his poetry about the President which will carry the title of his pet name (everybody seems to have one for Trump), Dumpty.

***** The Sultan of Brunei owns the Hotel Bel-Air in L.A. and the Beverly Hills Hotel. His country will now stone gay people to death. BOYCOTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*****

***** Tim Ryan is running for President.

***** Seth Moulton is running for President.

***** Joe Biden is running for President.

***** What the hell is happening to Steak ‘n Shake??

***** What the hell is the matter with Senator Mike Lee? He makes a ridiculous presentation with a flying Reagan and all and now he says that babies may be the answer to climate change. He says we need to be free and develop. What is this gut talking about? Why are people like this getting into office?

***** There is a new podcast called Analysis of a killer.

***** Marianne Williamson is running for President.

***** Eric Swalwell is running for President.

***** The notion that Trumps twitter is like a national nanny cam makes perfect sense.

***** Can’t wait to read Seth Abramson’s, Proof of collusion.

***** The question isn’t really collusion. The redacted Mueller report is out and we now see why the team itself did not draw conclusions. All the evidence is there and a sitting President can’t be indicted…. Or can he? There are, however, multiple examples of corruption.  It didn’t cost as much as other independent counsel reports because of all the fines that were charged to Manafort and others pretty much paid for it. Mueller called and wrote to Attorney General Barr and told him he created confusion with his memo and that it didn’t really tell the story.

***** In about 12 years Mueller Probe will be a cool name for a band. –Sarah Silverman

***** Federal appellate judge Maryanne Trump Barry, sister of the President has officially retired at age 82. She was put on the U.S. court of appeals by Bill Clinton. And with that, so ends the investigation into her alleged violations of judicial conduct rules because of participation in fraudulent tax schemes with her siblings in the 90’s.

***** I loved the mash up of Trevor Noah taking over the chair and interviewing Colbert on the Late Show.

***** Oliver North and Wayne LaPierre have been fighting amongst themselves at the NRA. Blackmail? Was North trying to get LaPierre out? The board is standing by the VP while North seems aligned with a public relations firm that some board members disagree with. There are many financial questions as  well. Once again the NRA held its annual convention which does not allow guns. At the end of April North was forced out

***** The Universe is about a billion years younger than we thought according to astronomer Adam Riess. This is causing experts to look into rethinking dark energy and dark matter. Total mind blow!!!

***** People have taken to wearing Free Britney T’s. Her fans held a protest in L.A. to free her from the facility they believe she was forced into.

***** It seems fads lately are all about internet speak like. “felt cute ….” And etc. like that.

***** They are working on a Beauty and the Beast themed bar in Florida.

***** Seymour, Indiana recently uncovered pieces of a mastodon.

***** Mia Farrow has a cute little blue headed bird that visits here every morning. Is it Sinatra?

***** U go Grace Jones, showing us how to do it at 70!!!!!!

***** J Lo and Owen Wilson will star in Marry Me about a pop star who marries a random man in the crowd.

***** Magic Johnson resigned as President of the Lakers. The Owner and general manager were supposedly bad mouthing him.

***** The sweetest moment in the inductions on this year’s rock and roll hall of fame was the love shown for Rick Allen, the drummer for Def Leppard.

***** So twice as many companies don’t pay taxes now thanks to all the tax cuts. Some even get refunds. Scary Clown sure is making it work for the big guys!!

***** Former President of Peru, Alan Garcia shot himself before his arrest for corruption.

***** Wendy Williams and Howard Stern seem to be having a little war of words. She claims he has gone Hollywood and he called her a cunt. She has filed for divorce from this apparently nasty hubby of hers. I thought I heard her say just weeks ago that they were fine.

***** Joel McHale is in the new season of Santa Clarita Diet.

***** Has anybody checked out John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg  ( Wow! Talk about getting the whole treatment) lately ? John F’s only grandson, better known as Jack Schlossberg , has a bright future ahead.

***** Lori Lightfoot has been elected the first black, openly gay woman as Mayor of Chicago.

***** Dave Tilley beat out John McCarty, who passed away in February, to become Spring Bay, Il. Village President.

*****Britney Spears’ Father is in ill health and Britney checked into a facility.

***** Zachary Quinto stars in the new NOS4A2.

***** It’s funny to me that when a true crime story hour begins, you never hear that he (cuz 9 times out of 10 it is the male spouse who is the culprit), was an atheist or an agnostic. No, it is always that he or the family attended church regularly or that they were close to God. This is just a pattern I have observed, totally my own thoughts.  Sometimes it gets way outer limits with the Fathers who sort of run their own cult out of the house. Of course this is not a blanket statement for we see wonderful things being done in the name of the Lord.  It just seems like there is a fine line where religion can be used as a way to hold their power and hide secrets. JS

***** Herman Cain and or Stephen Moore on the Federal regulatory board?  Well, Herman Cain dropped out.

***** Andrew Yang is running for President. Join the Yang Gang!! He wants to free all prisoners with non -violent marijuana offenses, free healthcare for all and every adult gets $1000.00 a month.

***** The Criminal Minds cast is ending their run. I think they should get together one more time and do a sort of Agatha Christie whodunit.

***** Secretary of Homeland security, Kirstjen Nielsen is out.

***** Acting ICE director, Ron Vitiello is out.

***** Dislike the elite? Nobody is more elite that Trump. How do so many people not get that?

***** Every woman should be able to tell her truth and who knows what makes a person uncomfortable but I think Joe Biden is going thru some bullshit. I don’t agree with everything he has done thru the years but I trust Biden and think he would be a great President.  I do think, however that his moment has passed.

***** Check out the behind the scenes book of Washington, ‘The Hill to die on’ by Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer. More proof that Trump just looks at everything as just a big show with his quote,“ There are ratings for everything.”

***** The Profiles in Courage award this year goes to Nancy Pelosi.

***** I have seen the pharmaceutical reps while at some recent Dr.visits, buying elaborate catered affairs for the medical staff.  It is a weekly thing. They sure have some money to throw around. No wonder everybody is hooked on something.

***** Real National emergencies: The electoral college, the discrepancies between the rich and the poor which makes it impossible to achieve the American dream, climate change and healthcare.

***** The co- founder of Home Depot, Ken Langone has seen to it that medical school students at NYU are given free tuition always. YEOW!!

***** We should take a lesson from Sudan. They have ousted President Omar al-Bashir, the butcher of Dafur. The protests have led to his indictment for genocide and crimes against humanity.

***** We never stop learning: Archaeologists have discovered an extinct human species they have never known in the Phillipines that they are calling homo luzonensis.

***** Is Cody Fern teasing us on Instagram about season 9 of American Horror Story:1984?

***** Rumple Buttercup by Matthew Gray Gubler hit #1 on the NY Times bestseller list.

***** As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Tarantino’s Palme d’or win in Cannes, he is busy editing Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It isn’t clear if he’ll get the film to this year’s event. Word is coming out that it is fantastic though.

***** I am a little bit sickened that the worst cooks show actually has Jimmie Walker and Tonya Harding on the same show.  Can’t the world find something better for a talent like Walker?? Come on!!

***** Is Stephen Miller and Fox news really running this country?

***** R.I.P. Mildred Mercy Tomes, Christine Marie Rinehart, Sen. Ernest Hollings, Dan Robbins, Shag Sheckler, Charles Van Doren, Georgia Engel, victims of the Sri Lanka shrine and hotel bombings, Lyra Mckee, David Brion Davis, MyLecia Naylor, Shelley Lazar, Mark Medoff, Warren Adler , Lori Kaye, John Singleton, victims of the University of North Carolina shooting and Ken Kercheval.

[robgrayofficial]

GOOOD AFTERNOON PATRIOTS!Happy Saturday! This is u/ivaginaryfriend here to help kick off this Saturday recap style! But before we get started on that, just a reminder we have a MAGA rally coming up later on today in Elko, NV @ 2:00 OM ET!!!!As always, if you guys wanted to catch up on any past recaps, you can check them out here!Now, onto the recap!Sunday, October 14th:🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:NBC News has totally and purposely changed the point and meaning of my story about General Robert E Lee and General Ulysses Grant. Was actually a shoutout to warrior Grant and the great state in which he was born. As usual, dishonest reporting. Even mainstream media embarrassed!Princess Eugenie of York was a truly beautiful bride yesterday. She has been through so much, and has come out a total winner!Thank you!Thank you to NBC for the correction!I will be interviewed on “60 Minutes” tonight at 7:00 P.M., after NFL game. Enjoy!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Gay Pede Here That Loves Trump and The Second Amendment!!!Getting redpilledA page with 3.7 million followers on Instagram called “rap” posted this wonderful piece of education. After quickly amassing 100k likes it was taken down. Just imagine the incredibly positivity and change we’d see if we weren’t constantly being silenced. KEEP IT UP, PEDES! MAGA!STOP RACIAL DISCRIMINATION! RACE SHOULD NOT HURT ANY RACE IN THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS AT A JOB OR IN COLLEGE! WHITE, BLACK, ASIAN, LATINO! We should pick based on MERIT!🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:All I’m offering is the truth.Hahahahahah 😂When NPC meets Dragon EnergyMy kids asked me why my pumpkin looks so stupid this year.Monday, October 15th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Trump Delivers a Statement Upon DeparturePresident Trump and the First Lady Arrive at the Lynn Haven CommunityPresident Trump and Governor Rick Scott Deliver Remarks at Eglin Air Force Base🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:“The only way to shut down the Democrats new Mob Rule strategy is to stop them cold at the Ballot Box. The fight for America’s future is never over!” Ben ShapiroThe crowds at my Rallies are far bigger than they have ever been before, including the 2016 election. Never an empty seat in these large venues, many thousands of people watching screens outside. Enthusiasm & Spirit is through the roof. SOMETHING BIG IS HAPPENING - WATCH!Will be leaving for Florida and Georgia with the First Lady to tour the hurricane damage and visit with FEMA, First Responders and Law Enforcement. Maximum effort is taking place, everyone is working very hard. Worst hit in 50 years!Just spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened “to our Saudi Arabian citizen.” He said that they are working closely with Turkey to find answer. I am immediately sending our Secretary of State to meet with King!On our way to Florida and Georgia!Just arrived in Florida. Also thinking about our GREAT Alabama farmers and our many friends in North and South Carolina today. We are with you!(Retweeting The White House) Thank you to the law enforcement, first responders, and state, local, and Federal officials who are helping in recovery efforts following #HurricaneMichael.Open enrollment starts today on lower-priced Medicare Advantage plans so loved by our great seniors. Crazy Bernie and his band of Congressional Dems will outlaw these plans. Disaster!TOGETHER, WE WILL PREVAIL!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Cherokee Nation BTFO Warren's claims & DNA test, saying they are "inappropriate and wrong", "a mockery", "dishonoring" & "undermining Tribal interests"Elizabeth Warren's DNA Results Disqualify Her from Cherokee TribesJudge dismisses Stormy Daniels lawsuit against Trump. Has to pay his attorney fees! Good job Avenatti, you hack.President Trump Signs Bill Requiring Airports To Provide Spaces For Nursing Mothers. You know, because Trump Hates WomynHOLY SHIT!!!!!!! DONALD TRUMP OWNS ELIZABETH WARREN. SHE OWES THE COUNTRY AN APOLOGY. HAHAHHAHA🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Would you hang this in your house? Yes or Hell Yes?I bought an old Jeep, I call it Elizabeth Warren. Its all white but says its a CherokeeLesley Stahl asked President Trump if he will make a pledge to not shut down the Mueller investigation. Trump responded: “I don’t make pledges to anyone, and if I was going to make a pledge it wouldn’t be to you”. This man is a GODSEND."MY DNA TESTS ARE BACK, I'M 0.1953125% MEXICAN!!! TACO BOWLS FOR EVERYONE!Tuesday, October 16th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individuals to Key Administration PostsPresident Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration PostsPresidential Memorandum on the Delegation of Authority under Section 1604(b) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019President Trump and Governor Scott Visit the FEMA Aid Distribution CenterPresident Trump and the First Lady Visit Florida and GeorgiaPresident Trump Delivers Remarks at the Georgia Operations CenterPresident Trump Delivers Remarks to Red Cross WorkersPresident Trump's Message on Medicare🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Pocahontas (the bad version), sometimes referred to as Elizabeth Warren, is getting slammed. She took a bogus DNA test and it showed that she may be 1/1024, far less than the average American. Now Cherokee Nation denies her, “DNA test is useless.” Even they don’t want her. Phony!Now that her claims of being of Indian heritage have turned out to be a scam and a lie, Elizabeth Warren should apologize for perpetrating this fraud against the American Public. Harvard called her “a person of color” (amazing con), and would not have taken her otherwise!Thank you to the Cherokee Nation for revealing that Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to as Pocahontas, is a complete and total Fraud!“Op-Ed praises Trump Administrations efforts at the Border.” @FoxNews The Washington Examiner States, “Finally, the government has taken steps to stop releasing unaccompanied minors to criminals and traffickers.” This was done by the Obama Administration!The United States has strongly informed the President of Honduras that if the large Caravan of people heading to the U.S. is not stopped and brought back to Honduras, no more money or aid will be given to Honduras, effective immediately!“8X more new manufacturing jobs now than with Obama.” @FoxNews @cvpayneFor the record, I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia (or Russia, for that matter). Any suggestion that I have is just more FAKE NEWS (of which there is plenty)!Incredible number just out, 7,036,000 job openings. Astonishing - it’s all working! Stock Market up big on tremendous potential of USA. Also, Strong Profits. We are Number One in World, by far!“Federal Judge throws out Stormy Danials lawsuit versus Trump. Trump is entitled to full legal fees.” @FoxNews Great, now I can go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer in the Great State of Texas. She will confirm the letter she signed! She knows nothing about me, a total con!“Conflict between Glen Simpson’s testimony to another House Panel about his contact with Justice Department official Bruce Ohr. Ohr was used by Simpson and Steele as a Back Channel to get (FAKE) Dossier to FBI. Simpson pleading Fifth.” Catherine Herridge. Where is Jeff Sessions?Is it really possible that Bruce Ohr, whose wife Nellie was paid by Simpson and GPS Fusion for work done on the Fake Dossier, and who was used as a Pawn in this whole SCAM (WITCH HUNT), is still working for the Department of Justice????? Can this really be so?????REGISTER TO http://bit.ly/2HIbOFb ! #MAGA🇺🇸Just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate. He was with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo... ... ...during the call, and told me that he has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter. Answers will be forthcoming shortly.WOW, John James is making headway in Michigan. We are bringing jobs back to the State, and the People of Michigan appreciate it. Debbie Stabenow has been no help, if anything, a major hindrance. John James is a star, I hope the voters see it. Polls are tightening!(Retweeting Fox Business) TONIGHT: @POTUS talks 2020 election in an exclusive interview with @trish_regan. Don't miss the full interview on 'Trish Regan Primetime' at 8p ET on Fox Business Network.I will be interviewed tonight by Trish Regan on @FoxBusiness at 8:00 P.M., right after the great Lou Dobbs!We have today informed the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador that if they allow their citizens, or others, to journey through their borders and up to the United States, with the intention of entering our country illegally, all payments made to them will STOP (END)!Anybody entering the United States illegally will be arrested and detained, prior to being sent back to their country!Elizabeth Warren is being hammered, even by the Left. Her false claim of Indian heritage is only selling to VERY LOW I.Q. individuals!Stock Market up 548 points today. Also, GREAT jobs numbers!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:9 Events in 6 Days!! President Trump (MT, AZ, NV, TX), VP Pence (OK, IA, WV), Donald Jr (MI, IN)President Trump reelection campaign has $100 million head start over DemocratsU.S. Is World’s Most Competitive Economy for First Time in a DecadeKeith Ellison's lead vanishing amid domestic abuse allegations🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:ROFLMAO! YES! MAGA!That Awkward Moment When Even FakeNews Drops YouDNA and Me - Find out if you're 1/1024th American Native too!Real Results! Jobs not Mobs!HAHA. #horseface is trending on Twitter. You know what to do.I'm thinking Trump knows exactly what he is doing...Wednesday, October 17th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration PostsPresident Trump Meets with Workers on “Cutting the Red Tape, Unleashing Economic Freedom”President Trump Presents the Medal of HonorVice President Mike Pence and Karen Pence Visit GeorgiaPresident Trump Hosts a Cabinet Meeting🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:“Trump could be the most honest president in modern history. When you look at the real barometer of presidential truthfulness, which is promise keeping, he is probably the most honest president in American history. He’s done exactly what he said he would do.” Marc Thiessen, WPostWatched the debate last night & Beto O’Rourke, who wants higher taxes and far more regulations, is not in the same league with Ted Cruz & what the great people of Texas stand for & want. Ted is strong on Crime, Border & 2nd A, loves our Military, Vets, Low Taxes. Beto is a Flake!Ted Cruz has done so much for Texas, including massive cuts in taxes and regulations - which has brought Texas to the best jobs numbers in the history of the state. He watches carefully over your 2nd Amendment. O’Rourke would blow it all! Ted has long had my Strong Endorsement!AP headline was very different from my quote and meaning in the story. They just can’t help themselves. FAKE NEWS!August job openings hit a record 7.14 million. Congratulations USA!“Network News gave Zero coverage to the Big Day the Stock Market had yesterday.” @foxandfriendsHard to believe that with thousands of people from South of the Border, walking unimpeded toward our country in the form of large Caravans, that the Democrats won’t approve legislation that will allow laws for the protection of our country. Great Midterm issue for Republicans!Republicans must make the horrendous, weak and outdated immigration laws, and the Border, a part of the Midterms!(Retweeting The GOP) TODAY is the LAST day to register to vote in Massachusetts and Wisconsin!(Retweeting The GOP) You can cast your ballot before Election Day in:➡️KS➡️NC➡️TN Get out and vote ➡️ http://gop.cm/6016r7aje“President Donald J. Trump is Following Through on His Promise to Cut Burdensome Red Tape and Unleash the American Economy”(Video)(Video)(Video)(Video)College educated women want safety, security and healthcare protections – very much along with financial and economic health for themselves and our Country. I supply all of this far better than any Democrat (for decades, actually). That’s why they will be voting for me!Congressman Neal Dunn (@DunnCampaign) of Florida has done an outstanding job at everything having to do with #MAGA. Now working hard on hurricane relief and rebuild. Strong on Crime, strong on Borders, loves our Military and our Vets. Neal has my highest Endorsement!LIVE from the White House: Sgt. Maj. John Canley becomes the 300th Marine to receive the Medal of Honor.This afternoon, it was my great honor to present @USMC Sergeant Major John Canley the Medal of Honor in the East Room of the @WhiteHouse!Ever since his vicious and totally false statements about Admiral Ron Jackson, the highly respected White House Doctor for Obama, Bush & me, Senator John Tester looks to be in big trouble in the Great State of Montana! He behaved worse than the Democrat Mob did with Justice K!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:State Department provided 'clearly false' statements to derail requests for Clinton docs, 'shocked' federal judge saysUS Treasury employee arrested on charges of leaking reports to mediaPresident Trump to withdraw from UPU treaty, ending the ridiculous US Postal Service subsidy of Chinese package shipments into the US! Chinese knockoffs BTFO! US business and trade wins again!!!Black lady is laying down some bombs.WOWWWEEE. This lady needs going to the top. She's savage. Link to tweet in comments.REAL Pocahontas decedent demands apology from Elizabeth Warren...WEW LADSU.S. Steel workers set to get biggest pay raise in yearsPRESS BRIEFINGS, INTERVIEWS, RALLIES:WATCH PARTY: Texas US Senate Debate - Cruz vs O'Rourke - 10/16/18🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:"you can't do that, it's dehumanizing.... "HAHAHAHAHHAHA how many times do we see headlines like this?A Large Herd is approaching the USA Border. Take Shelter immediately.We're reaching satirical levels previously deemed impossibleThursday, October 18th:🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:I am watching the Democrat Party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S..... ... ....In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught - and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!.. ... ....The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA. Hopefully Mexico will stop this onslaught at their Northern Border. All Democrats fault for weak laws!Congressman @DaveBratVA7th is one of the hardest working, and smartest, people in Washington. He is strong on the Border, Crime, the Military, our Vets and the 2nd Amendment. He is a powerful vote for MAGA and loves the Great State of Virginia. Dave has my Total Endorsement!Secretary of State Mike Pompeo returned last night from Saudi Arabia and Turkey. I met with him this morning wherein the Saudi situation was discussed in great detail, including his meeting with... ... ...the Crown Prince. He is waiting for the results of the investigations being done by the Saudis and Turkey, and just gave a news conference to that effect..@StateDept @SecPompeo outside of the West Wing after our meeting this morning in the Oval Office...See you tonight Missoula, Montana! #MAGARally🇺🇸All Republicans support people with pre-existing conditions, and if they don’t, they will after I speak to them. I am in total support. Also, Democrats will destroy your Medicare, and I will keep it healthy and well!Can you believe this, and what Democrats are allowing to be done to our Country?Look forward to being there. Something’s happening! #MAGAThank you Mexico, we look forward to working with you!Prime Minister @AbeShinzo of Japan has been working with me to help balance out the one-sided Trade with Japan. These are some of the investments they are making in our Country - just the beginning!Will be landing soon. Looking forward to seeing our next Senator from Montana, Matt Rosendale. He will represent our Country well, far better than Jon Tester who will vote with Cryin’ Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi - never with us!The only thing keeping Tester alive is he has millions and millions of dollars from outside liberals and leftists, who couldn’t care less about our Country!Thank you Missoula, Montana. Get out and VOTE for @MattForMontana and @GregForMontana!! #MAGA🇺🇸 http://bit.ly/2Akiepn …Jon Tester says one thing to voters and does the EXACT OPPOSITE in Washington. Tester takes his orders form Pelosi & Schumer. Tester wants to raise your taxes, take away your 2A, open your borders, and deliver MOB RULE. Retire Tester & Elect America-First Patriot Matt Rosendale!#JobsNotMobs!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:US, Mexico agree on plan to handle migrant caravan from Central AmericaJason Chaffetz with the spice!Breaking: Rep Meadows after FBI lawyer James Baker's testimony today: "Rod Rosenstein should resign immediately".MEME WAR UPDATE: The left is creating accounts with pictures of believably-ok looking women and DM'ing to ask about the NPC thing. They are sending compliments and then asking you to connect with them via real (personal) accounts "just in case the NPC account gets deleted." This is likely DOXING.SUPREME COURT: First Amendment May Be Expanded – Supreme Court Takes Case That Could End Internet Censorship, Expand First Amendment – the case could force Facebook, and other companies, to protect users First Amendment rights!PRESS BRIEFINGS, INTERVIEWS, RALLIES:WATCH PARTY: President Trump & Matt Rosendale - Missoula, MT - 10/18/2018WATCH PARTY: MISSOURI AND NORTH DAKOTA SENATE DEBATES 10/18/18🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:He is!BWAHAHAHAHA!!! BEAUTIFUL RED PILL ON R/ALL!I’ve been conservative for one year now. The_Donald helped me get my mind back to normal after 13 years of living in California, with brainwashing from Universities and Hollywood. Life is so much better not being consumed by leftwing propaganda that made me hate the rich and America. Love you pedes!Ridin' that Red Wave feels good.When you say anything remotely positive about Trump on /r/politicsFriday, October 19th:TODAY'S ACTION:President Trump Delivers a Statement Upon Departure#JobsNotMobsPresidential Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the WestPresidential Proclamation on National Forest Products Week, 2018Presidential Proclamation on National Character Counts Week, 2018🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Congressman Andy Biggs is doing a great job for Arizona and our Country!When referring to the USA, I will always capitalize the word Country!Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was never given or shown a Transcript or Video of the Saudi Consulate event. FAKE NEWS!Beto O’Rourke is a total lightweight compared to Ted Cruz, and he comes nowhere near representing the values and desires of the people of the Great State of Texas. He will never be allowed to turn Texas into Venezuela!#JobsNotMobs!This is what it is all about for the Republican Party! #JobsNotMobsWOW - Mesa, Arizona! Look forward to joining everyone soon. Something’s happening!! #MAGA🇺🇸On my way - see you all shortly! http://bit.ly/2CwSrvQ was outside of the massive totally full hangar tonight in Mesa, Arizona! http://bit.ly/2HIbOFb #MAGA🇺🇸Beautiful evening in Mesa, Arizona with GREAT PATRIOTS - thank you! http://bit.ly/2HIbOFb #MAGARally🇺🇸replay: http://bit.ly/2AkieFT …[]()SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:ACOSTA CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣BREAKING! (Literally) Horde Of VIOLENT INVADERS Break Down Gate In Front Of Armed Police To FORCE Their Way Into Mexico!Beto O'Rourke supporters can't name anything he's done...Child Rape Gang Trial Which Saw Tommy Robinson Jailed Over Reporting Restrictions Sees 20 Abusers JailedScott Adams Predicts 'Greatest Turnout by Republicans, Maybe Ever' in MidtermsPRESS BRIEFINGS, INTERVIEWS, RALLIES:WATCH PARTY: President Trump & Martha McSally Rally - Mesa, AZ - 10/19/18WATCH PARTY: WISCONSIN 1st CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT & GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE 8:30 ET & 9:00 ETWATCH PARTY: Massachusetts, Nevada, AND Wisconsin Senate Debates🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:SABO STRIKES AGAIN! MAD MAXINEJOBS NOT MOBS!We all won the lottery when this man became PresidentThe President of the United States just tweeted my artwork. Wow. Thank you everyone.Saturday, October 20th:🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:If the Democrats would stop being obstructionists and come together, we could write up and agree to new immigration laws in less than one hour. Look at the needless pain and suffering that they are causing. Look at the horrors taking place on the Border. Chuck & Nancy, call me!Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be a great governor. He has been successful at whatever he has done, and has prepared for this very difficult and complex job for many years. He has my Strong Endorsement. His opponent is totally unqualified. Would destroy a great state!Get out and Early Vote for Brian Kemp. He will be a GREAT GOVERNOR for the State of Georgia!Ron @RonDeSantisFL DeSantis is working hard. A great Congressman and top student at Harvard & Yale, Ron will be a record setting governor for Florida. Rick Scott gave him tremendous foundations to further build on. His opponent runs one of the worst & most corrupt cities in USA!Rick Scott is known as easily one of the best Governors in the USA. Florida is setting records in almost every category of success. Amazing achievement-the envy of the World. Ron DeSantis will build on this success. His incompetent opponent will destroy Florida - next Venezuela!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:77,000 Red Wave non Russian bots sign up for a Trump rally for Cruz. Venue only holds 18K. Red Partaaaay in the parking lot!!Mathematically Impossible!!!!This will never get old. Happy anniversary you glorious bastards!🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Thanks to Democrats, Republicans have a winning election slogan.No Mega Million winners? That's ok.TRUMP IS MAKING ELECTIONS GREAT AGAIN!WEEEEEEEEEEEW LAD!!!!!!! STILL NOT TIRED OF WINNING!Without further ado, some tunes to get you jamming through all this WINNING:Good For GreatYou're So Last SummerLessons LearnedMakeDamnSureGood Ol' Fashion NightmareSink, Florida, SinkMAGA ON PATRIOTS! #robgray

[wineanddinosaur]

We Asked 30 Beer Pros: Are New England-Style IPAs Overrated?

There’s no denying the popularity of hazy, juicy, New England-style IPAs. While some members of the industry are pushing craft lagers, IPAs remain the most popular craft beer category among consumers on the whole. It’s also the most-entered category in the country’s biggest beer competition, the Great American Beer Festival, since the “Juicy or Hazy” category was introduced in 2018.

We tapped beer industry members from Denver to Denmark to answer the million-dollar question: Are NEIPAs overrated? Here’s what 30 beer pros had to say.

“No beers are overrated. We’re a bit tired of talking about overrated beers — all beer styles deserve to be treated with love and respect. Of course, you can discuss whether the beer is good craftsmanship or not. But in our opinion, it does not make sense to talk disparagingly about beer styles, just because you don’t like the style. To us, enjoying beers is also about challenging yourself, experiencing new tastes, and being curious.” — Lars Carlsen, CEO and Founder, and Alberte Jannicke, Chief Communications Officer, People Like Us, Copenhagen, Denmark

“Definitely not. Anyone who thinks that likely doesn’t make a good one, frankly. Hazy beers have been around as long as people have been making beer. Clean beer is a modern invention — technology like filtration and lagering have, in some cases, stripped beer of its true potential. Haze is awesome and it’s here to stay. If you haven’t found a hazy IPA that blows your mind, you aren’t trying.” — Colby Cox, Co-founder, Roadhouse Brewing Co., Jackson Hole, WY

“There’s a lot of great science going on in NEIPAs. Techniques used in these styles work to utilize bio transformations of certain hop compounds to get a bunch of that juicy aroma packed into the beer. I don’t think they’re overrated because a lot of people love the low bitterness, soft mouthfeel, and fruit-forward aroma.” — Kelly McKnight, Brewer, New Belgium at The Source Hotel, Denver, CO

“I think the popularity of the New England style is the result of the high IBU IPAs that previously flooded the market. The pendulum has now swung the other direction, where some of these popular, hazy, soft, sweet IPAs resemble more juice than beer. No style is overrated. However, I am hoping drinkers’ palates return to seeking out beers with balanced profiles.” — Jen Newman, CEO/Co-owner, Young Lion Brewing, Canandaigua, NY

“Yes. While a ton of them have amazing flavors and aromas, just because it’s hazy doesn’t mean it’s any good.” — Yiga Miyashiro, Senior Director of Brewery Operations, Saint Archer Brewing Company

“NEIPAs deserve as much recognition as any other style, it’s just a matter of personal preference. I personally enjoy the aroma and flavors found in many of the hops commonly used on these recipes, their citrus and refreshing profile combined with such soft and smooth mouthfeel makes them a great drink choice year-round.” — Val Lang, Head of Finance, SingleCut Beersmiths, Queens and Clifton Park, NY

“We have enjoyed a great run with NEIPAs and have made five to six of them. We consider them to be more of a summer beer. We do not think NEIPA is overrated, but perhaps coming near the end of its big run. I am certain we will continue to offer one next summer.” — Carrie Fischer, Co-owner and Brewer, Bottomless Brewing, Geneva, NY

“I think the beers themselves, when done right, are delicious and worthy of the praise, even if it’s hard to tell two well-made ones apart. I think the hype comes from the chase for the beers rather than from the beers themselves, and that’s why people are so keen to label them overrated. The market saturation of this style is hard to overstate, however, and the well-made hazies are surrounded by beers that are downright abominable. I think we’re spilling lots of ink and emotion for these beers, when we could be doing much more to actually broaden the palates of the consumers entering the craft beer market through this style.” — Joe Connolly, Director, Springdale Beer, Framingham, MA

“By the definition of the word? Yes. I enjoy hazy IPAs, but it seems like many beer drinkers only drink that style and often compare all other styles to it. It’s an unfair comparison because the characteristics of different beers can differ so much. A German Helles is very different from a hazy IPA; they aren’t really meant to be compared. There are so many different styles of beer, all offering different and great flavor profiles, that limiting your drinking to only hazy IPAs because those are what are most popular is doing yourself a disservice.” — Adam Denny Golab, Head Brewer, Bent Water Brewing, Lynn, MA

“Maybe over-hopped, but not overrated! The idea of juicier IPAs, using fermentation dry-hopping, higher-mouthfeel grains, and lower IBUs is not overhyped and will last for a long time. The insane overhopping and rushing of the cellaring/conditioning I believe will drift away. The ‘hop burn’ will slowly fade, just as the old trend of searching for the most ‘extreme’ IBU beers. People barely even ask about IBUs anymore.” — Jason zumBrunnen, Co-founder and Head Brewer, Ratio Beerworks, Denver, CO

“I think the NEIPA craze is just another iteration of IPA, and it is just what is happening right now with hop-forward beers. That being said, it certainly can be a very nice beer to drink, but just should not be the only beer you brew; there needs to be balance.” — Brian Grace, Head Brewer, Thirsty Monk, Asheville, NC

“Overrated? No. Done for the wrong reasons? Sometimes. Listen, these beers are selling a lot right now. I remember when having hazy beers was restricted to only unfiltered wheat beers. As long as we all take our time and approach this new style correctly, there’s a lot of potential to bring new drinkers into the craft world.” — Stephen Hale, Founding Brewer, Schlafly Beer, St. Louis, MO

“I don’t think the style is overrated at all! I’ll admit, it’s not my personal go-to, but I love what it’s done for the beer lovers who previously thought they didn’t like IPAs. One of my best friends used to tell me ad nauseam that she did not like IPAs. After years of her insisting she does not like the style, I got a random text one day: ‘Jess, I LOVE New England-style IPAs!’ I love how the style is opening minds. Besides, who am I to judge if something is overrated? If you find a craft beer you love, then you be you and order it!” — Jess Baker, Editor in Chief, CraftBeer.com, Boulder, CO

“I think like all IPAs, they are popular because they are just another IPA. IPAs are all the marketing rage! It’s a buzz term that I believe consumers (who are not beer nerds) don’t truly understand. … From a nerdy perspective, the style or technique of crafting NEIPA is very interesting. The fact that all the IBUs can be achieved without losing the hop aroma is the best part. That aroma is so alluring. … The haziness, juice bomb thing, that’s the overrated part. I mean really, I read bartender feeds where they talk about adding flour to beers to make them hazy. Yuck!” — Danii Oliver, Founder and Brewer, Island to Island Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

“Plenty of beers are overly fussed about. The popularity of NEIPAs is complicated. Scarcity or perceived scarcity is an important factor. They tend to be bombastic as well. I think people generally like that. The juicy, sometimes sweet flavor profile is another. Because there is little if any bitterness, they are easier to drink. I wonder if perhaps NEIPAs strike a subconscious chord in some, meaning it reminds them of juice and childhood and more carefree times.” — Phil Markowski, Brewmaster, Two Roads Brewing, Stratford, CT

“I don’t think they’re overrated, but going through the typical hype curve. For the drinkers, it’s driven by the existing obsession with hoppy beer and is just the newest iteration of the beers they already love. For brewers, it’s a bit of keeping up with the Joneses, showing off their brewing prowess and matching the drinker demand. The hype will subside and a new brew ‘style’ will come in its place. But NEIPA is distinct enough that it will continue to exist well after it peaks.” — Merlin U. Ward, Co-founder, Wartega Brewing, Brooklyn, NY

“Are the Beatles, Michael Jackson, U2, Taylor Swift, or Drake overrated? Pop gonna pop.” — Augie Carton, Founder, Carton Brewing Co., Atlantic Highlands, NJ

“Overrated? That’s difficult to say. They’re popular, and brewers need to brew beer that people want. Personally, I love the low IBUs and high aroma, but I’m over the orange-juice-ness.” — Jeff Joslin, Director of Brewing, Left Hand Brewing, Longmont, CO

“Hazy/juicy/New England-style IPAs have developed a strong following among a group of craft beer drinkers and serve as a change-of-pace versus traditional IPAs. … They utilize a broad variety of hop styles and grain components and provide a unique taste experience. Brewers are also constantly evolving their hazy offerings. In our case at Garage Brewing, we’re up to Hazy #9, so it gives consumers new, fresh options. So ‘overrated?’ No. Hazies are an interesting alternative as part of a well-balanced craft beer portfolio.” — Allan O’Neil, VP of Sales and Marketing, Garage Brewing Co., Temecula, CA

“The category itself – maybe. Like any beer style, there are thousands of brewers making this style with varying levels of quality and consistency. But it is tough for us to argue that a well-made hazy NEIPA is anything other than delicious. And while IPAs continue to be the leading style in craft beer, there is a bitterness that has always alienated a portion of beer drinkers. Hazy IPAs invite more drinkers in with soft flavors of fruit and citrus, but with lower bitterness.” — Brett VanderKamp, President and Founder, New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI

“I don’t think any style can be ‘overrated’ since everyone’s palate is so unique. I also think that the current focus on the ‘haze craze’ is just another step in the long and winding road of innovation. If you consider, nearly every beer style has had its moment on top of the beer world, even dating back to the end of the 17th [and] start of the 18th century, when porter came about and was king in places like England and Ireland. Right now, more than 200 years later, really rich, flavorful stouts, descendants of those early porters, are one of the more popular styles in the American craft scene. The beer industry seems to be incredibly cyclical.” — Ryan Wagner, Guinness Brewery Ambassador, Baltimore, MD

“I love a great hazy when they are well made. While they’ve been popular in the Northeast and other parts of the country for some time, they’ve more recently become a really popular style in the Northwest. I think the big problem with hazy IPAs, and what’s led to this thought that they’re overrated, is that so many breweries are making them that the style is flooding the market. With so many different hazy IPA options available, the competition can make it hard to move them and the shelf stability time for the style is super short. The result is that more often than not, you’re getting a beer past its prime, especially if it’s hitting mass distribution.” — James Long, Co-founder and Head Brewer, Barbarian Brewing, Boise, ID

“Not at all. … With so many great hop varietals in the world, the opportunities to experiment and create new hazy IPAs are endless. This style is here to stay.” — Tom Vogel, CEO, Belching Beaver Brewery, San Diego, CA

“I wouldn’t say that the style is overrated, but definitely overhyped. That being said, I think the style is great, and I drink NEIPAs and enjoy them when I do. What I don’t like is that the style is being used as a standard to signify a good brewery, which is unsettling for the industry in my opinion. There are so many great styles out there, ones that require varying skills to brew, and to put all of the weight behind NEIPA just doesn’t do a brewery justice.” — Matt McCall, Head Brewer, Coney Island Brewery, Brooklyn, NY

“Probably. Like anything, there are well-executed versions and some that take certain aspects of the style to unnecessary extremes. It would be great if New England IPAs actually used malted grains and hops from the region to justify the name, wouldn’t it? I’m not sure I think of it in terms of being overrated because there are understandable reasons for brewers to continue making them and the consumer to keep seeking them out.” — Barry Labenz, Founder, Kent Falls Brewing, Kent Falls, CT

“I think it’s interesting how the IPA has evolved from a style that was designed to be shipped from England to India without spoiling to a style focused on freshness and with limited shelf stability. I rather enjoy NEIPAs, personally. We have some very high-quality ones being brewed in Nashville and middle Tennessee. If done well, they taste great and can be very appealing to look at, but I would not qualify them as overrated. I think their popularity draws attention to the craft beer scene. If someone gets turned on to craft beer by NEIPA, that’s good for the craft beer movement!” — Carl E. Meier, Founder, The Black Abbey Brewing Company, Nashville, TN

“I’ve never taken issue with hazy/NEIPAs. Growing up on the East Coast meant Heady Topper was the holy grail of beers, Harpoon did their UFO (unfiltered) series, and local Baltimore spots had hazy IPAs. It wasn’t even a style, it was just unfiltered. Granted, today’s hazy IPAs are more than unfiltered beer, but seven or eight years ago, it was never seen as lazy or trendy. I personally dig the style, and I think you’re doing your taproom staff a disservice if you don’t have one.” — Chris Gilmore, Brewer, Lone Tree Brewing Company, Lone Tree, CO

“No. Brewers typically don’t overrate a beer style because it is a personal preference. The style is great for the homebrewer and new taproom. Not a lot of complexity. They can quickly get into beer-making and enjoy the experience of a ‘job well done.’” — Tom Fiorenzi, Director of Brewing, Shiner, Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner, TX

“I wouldn’t describe the New England-style/hazy/juicy IPAs as overrated. This new trend has created a lot of interest in craft brews. I do think that the varieties of the style may have made the style less specific. However, it has allowed for some creative brews. I think the trend will continue, but may lose some popularity as time goes on.” — Sallee Ten Eyck, Co-founder and Majority Partner, Summerhill Brewing, LLC, Summer Hill, NY

“A nice juicy IPA can be a wonderful beer to behold and enjoy. If executed properly, it is truly a skillful accomplishment. Phenomenal flavors are being uncovered and spotlighted through progressive techniques and the utilization of new products. Unfortunately, many are done poorly. This leads many to believe overall they are overrated, but I believe they are more commonly misrepresented.” — Rhett Dougherty, Head Brewer, Veza Sur Brewing Co., Miami, FL

The article We Asked 30 Beer Pros: Are New England-Style IPAs Overrated? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/we-asked-30-beer-pros-are-new-england-style-ipas-overrated/

[robgrayofficial]

HAPPPPPPY SATURDAY, PATRIOTS!This is your girl u/IvaginaryFriend here and I'm back at it again with a weeks worth of spice for you lovely Deplorables! (◠‿◠✿)Before we officially get this recap started, if you happened to miss any past recaps you can catch them hereSunday, July 29th:🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Tom Homan, fmr ICE Director: “There is nobody that has done more for border security & public safety than President Trump. I’ve worked for six presidents, and I respect them all, but nobody has done more than this Administration & President Trump, that’s just a stone cold fact!”Wow, highest Poll Numbers in the history of the Republican Party. That includes Honest Abe Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. There must be something wrong, please recheck that poll!Do you think the Fake News Media will ever report on this tweet from Michael?Please understand, there are consequences when people cross our Border illegally, whether they have children or not - and many are just using children for their own sinister purposes. Congress must act on fixing the DUMBEST & WORST immigration laws anywhere in the world! Vote “R”Democrats, who want Open Borders and care little about Crime, are incompetent, but they have the Fake News Media almost totally on their side!The only things the Democrats do well is “Resist,” which is their campaign slogan, and “Obstruct.” Cryin’ Chuck Schumer has almost 400 great American people that are waiting “forever” to serve our Country! A total disgrace. Mitch M should not let them go home until all approved!Congressman David Kustoff has been a champion for the Trump Agenda - I greatly appreciate his support. David is strong on crime and borders, loves our Military, Vets and Second Amendment. Get out and vote for David on Thursday, August 2nd. He has my full and total Endorsement!Had a very good and interesting meeting at the White House with A.G. Sulzberger, Publisher of the New York Times. Spent much time talking about the vast amounts of Fake News being put out by the media & how that Fake News has morphed into phrase, “Enemy of the People.” Sad!The biggest and best results coming out of the good GDP report was that the quarterly Trade Deficit has been reduced by $52 Billion and, of course, the historically low unemployment numbers, especially for African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Women.I would be willing to “shut down” government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!When the media - driven insane by their Trump Derangement Syndrome - reveals internal deliberations of our government, it truly puts the lives of many, not just journalists, at risk! Very unpatriotic! Freedom of the press also comes with a responsibility to report the news... ... ...accurately. 90% of media coverage of my Administration is negative, despite the tremendously positive results we are achieving, it’s no surprise that confidence in the media is at an all time low! I will not allow our great country to be sold out by anti-Trump haters in the... ... ...dying newspaper industry. No matter how much they try to distract and cover it up, our country is making great progress under my leadership and I will never stop fighting for the American people! As an example, the failing New York Times... ... ...and the Amazon Washington Post do nothing but write bad stories even on very positive achievements - and they will never change!There is No Collusion! The Robert Mueller Rigged Witch Hunt, headed now by 17 (increased from 13, including an Obama White House lawyer) Angry Democrats, was started by a fraudulent Dossier, paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC. Therefore, the Witch Hunt is an illegal Scam!Is Robert Mueller ever going to release his conflicts of interest with respect to President Trump, including the fact that we had a very nasty & contentious business relationship, I turned him down to head the FBI (one day before appointment as S.C.) & Comey is his close friend.. ... ....Also, why is Mueller only appointing Angry Dems, some of whom have worked for Crooked Hillary, others, including himself, have worked for Obama....And why isn’t Mueller looking at all of the criminal activity & real Russian Collusion on the Democrats side-Podesta, Dossier?SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Fellow American telling Yankee Stadium what’s upBecause being against raping kids is a far-right position.LOL! Therapists say they've seen a rise in anxiety under Trump: report🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:An typical week for TRUMP...and for non-binary dickless liberals.Trump Supporters Sitting In Front Of Starbucks Drive Through Line, So Everyone Has To See Their SignsNo Fucks Given...The difference between Trump and ObamaMonday, July 30th:TODAY'S ACTION:Presidential Proclamation to Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and For Other PurposesPresident Trump Meets with the Prime Minister of the Italian RepublicPresident Trump Hosts a Joint Press Conference with the Prime Minister of the Italian RepublicSwearing-in Ceremony for the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:We must have Border Security, get rid of Chain, Lottery, Catch & Release Sanctuary Cities - go to Merit based Immigration. Protect ICE and Law Enforcement and, of course, keep building, but much faster, THE WALL!(Retweeting Ronna McDaniel) “David Burritt, U.S. Steel's president and CEO, said the company was experiencing a ‘renaissance’ and credited @realDonaldTrump’s actions for the steel industry's revival.”It is my great honor to welcome Prime Minister @GiuseppeConteIT of Italy to the @WhiteHouse!🇺🇸🇮🇹Congratulations to General John Kelly. Today we celebrate his first full year as @WhiteHouse Chief of Staff!@Troy_Balderson of Ohio is running for Congress - so important to the Republican Party. Troy is strong on crime and Borders, loves our Military, our Vets and our Second Amendment. Troy will strongly protect... ... ...your Social Security and Medicare! Cast your early vote, or vote on August 7th, Election Day. He has my full and total Endorsement!@JohnJamesMI, who is running in the Republican Primary in the great state of Michigan, is SPECTACULAR! Vote on August 7th. Rarely have I seen a candidate with such great potential. West Point graduate, successful businessman and a African American leader... ... ...John is strong on crime and borders, loves our Military, our Vets and our Second Amendment. He will be a star. He has my full and total Endorsement!Congratulations to Judge Jeanine on the tremendous success of her new #1 best-selling book, “Liars, Leakers, and Liberals – The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy!”Illegal immigration is a top National Security problem. After decades of playing games, with the whole World laughing at the stupidity of our immigration laws, and with Democrats thinking... ... ...that Open Borders, large scale Crime, and abolishing ICE is good for them, we must get smart and finally do what must be done for the Safety and Security of our Country!Thank you to @RandPaul for your YES on a future great Justice of the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh. Your vote means a lot to me, and to everyone who loves our Country!A highly respected Federal judge today stated that the “Trump Administration gets great credit” for reuniting illegal families. Thank you, and please look at the previous administrations record - not good!MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:How fake news works....Well done Starbucks! They went from plastic straws wrapped in paper to paper straws wrapped in plastic.Donald Trump: Europe Should Follow Italy’s Immigration ExampleOnly took 18 paragraphs to find something verifiably true.GOP lawmaker wants answers on FBI's alleged Southern Poverty Law Center ties🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Trump's Views on HomosexualityMy how the tables have turned.This Racist Picture Never Gets Old.NEW BEN GARRISON: "FAIR AND BALANCED"Wait for it...Tuesday, July 31st:TODAY'S ACTION:Ten Nominations Sent to the Senate TodayPresident Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration PostsVice President Pence Delivers Remarks at the DHS National Cybersecurity SummitPresident Trump Speaks on Workforce Development and Participates in the Signing of HR 2353🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I never sought their support because I don’t need their money or bad ideas. They love my Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judicial picks & more. I made..... ... [....them richer. Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn. They want to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed, I’m for America First & the American Worker - a puppet for no one. Two nice guys with bad ideas. Make America Great Again!]()https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1024239166429769729)(Retweeting Doug Mills) .@realDonaldTrump pumps his fist after his new Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie is sworn-in by @VP Mike Pence in the Oval Office. At left applauding is Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis. Holding the bible is Julie Wilkie. #Veterans(Retweeting Doug Mills) .@realDonaldTrump walks with Giuseppe Conte, Prime Minister of the Italy following a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House.Rush Limbaugh is a great guy who truly gets it!One of the reasons we need Great Border Security is that Mexico’s murder rate in 2017 increased by 27% to 31,174 people killed, a record! The Democrats want Open Borders. I want Maximum Border Security and respect for ICE and our great Law Enforcement Professionals! @FoxNewsCollusion is not a crime, but that doesn’t matter because there was No Collusion (except by Crooked Hillary and the Democrats)!I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense!Will be in Tampa tonight. A big year for @RepDeSantis, who will be a great governor for Florida. Strong on Crime, Borders and our 2nd Amendment. Big help on Tax & Regulation Cuts. Loves our Military & our Vets. Has my Full & Total Endorsement!The Fake News Media is going CRAZY! They are totally unhinged and in many ways, after witnessing first hand the damage they do to so many innocent and decent people, I enjoy watching. In 7 years, when I am no longer in office, their ratings will dry up and they will be gone!Congressman David Kustoff has been a champion for the Trump Agenda - I greatly appreciate his support. David is strong on crime and borders, loves our Military, Vets and Second Amendment. Get out and vote for David on Thursday, August 2nd. He has my Full and Total Endorsement!.@SenJohnBarrasso has a Primary on August 21st. He doesn’t need any help because he is absolutely outstanding in every way, but I hope the great people of Wyoming will go out and show their support anyway. John is absolutely top of the line & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!I don’t care what the political ramifications are, our immigration laws and border security have been a complete and total disaster for decades, and there is no way that the Democrats will allow it to be fixed without a Government Shutdown... ... ...Border Security is National Security, and National Security is the long-term viability of our Country. A Government Shutdown is a very small price to pay for a safe and Prosperous America!On my way to Tampa, Florida. Look forward to seeing everyone soon!President Trump Delivers Remarks on Workforce DevelopmentThank you Florida. I love you!(Retweeting Eric Trump) #Truth @AcostaSIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Trump tweeted the most badass video everMedia gave Trump's 400k salary donation zero coverage.THE MADMAN SAID IT - “IT IS TIME FOR VOTER ID!”CNN wasted again - drops in ratings below .... wait for it ..... Shark Week. Nom, Nom.BREAKING: Kelly Agrees to Remain Chief of Staff Through 2020 at Trump’s RequestPRESS BRIEFINGS, INTERVIEWS, RALLIES:WATCH PARTY: President Trump Rally - Tampa, FL - 7/31/18🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:HAHAHA. ACOSTA is getting destroyed in Florida. HAHAHA he'll be in tears on fake news soon. Good work Florida"Crossing the Swamp" by Jon McnaughtonMFW I realize Trump only has 7 more years in officeToo Late, The jig is up, the news is outWednesday, August 1st:TODAY'S ACTION:President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Personnel to a Key Administration PostThree Nominations Sent to the Senate TodayPresident Trump Meets with Inner City PastorsVice President Pence Delivers Remarks at an Honorable Carry Ceremony🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:“FBI Agent Peter Strzok (on the Mueller team) should have recused himself on day one. He was out to STOP THE ELECTION OF DONALD TRUMP. He needed an insurance policy. Those are illegal, improper goals, trying to influence the Election. He should never, ever been allowed to..... ... .....remain in the FBI while he himself was being investigated. This is a real issue. It won’t go into a Mueller Report because Mueller is going to protect these guys. Mueller has an interest in creating the illusion of objectivity around his investigation.” ALAN DERSHOWITZ.... ... ..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!Paul Manafort worked for Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and many other highly prominent and respected political leaders. He worked for me for a very short time. Why didn’t government tell me that he was under investigation. These old charges have nothing to do with Collusion - a Hoax!Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX. The Democrats paid for the phony and discredited Dossier which was, along with Comey, McCabe, Strzok and his lover, the lovely Lisa Page, used to begin the Witch Hunt. Disgraceful!Looking back on history, who was treated worse, Alfonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and “Public Enemy Number One,” or Paul Manafort, political operative & Reagan/Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement - although convicted of nothing? Where is the Russian Collusion?“We already have a smoking gun about a campaign getting dirt on their opponent, it was Hillary Clinton. How is it OK for Hillary Clinton to proactively seek dirt from the Russians but the Trump campaign met at the Russians request and that is bad?” Marc Thiessen, Washington PostIt was my great honor to be joined by leading pastors and faith leaders from across our Nation today at the @WhiteHouse!#PledgeToAmericasWorkersJoin me tomorrow night at 7pmE in Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania for a MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY! Tickets: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/rallies/wilkes-barre-pa-august-2018/…“Private payrolls boom in July, increasing by 219,000 vs 185,000 estimate: ADP”Incredibly beautiful ceremony as U.S. Korean War remains are returned to American soil. Thank you to Honolulu and all of our great Military participants on a job well done. A special thanks to Vice President Mike Pence on delivering a truly magnificent tribute!“Worker pay rate hits highest level since 2008”Congratulations to @GreggJarrett on The TREMENDOUS success of his just out book, “The Russia Hoax, The Illicit Scheme To Clear Hillary Clinton & Frame Donald Trump.” Already number one on Amazon. Hard work from a brilliant guy. It’s the Real Story of the Rigged Witch Hunt!Thank you to Chairman Kim Jong Un for keeping your word & starting the process of sending home the remains of our great and beloved missing fallen! I am not at all surprised that you took this kind action. Also, thank you for your nice letter - l look forward to seeing you soon!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:BREAKING: Tommy Robinson has been released from prisonBREAKING: The Democratic National Committee is refusing to play the Republican National Committee in their annual softball game this year.Ontario ends basic income experiment. "Unsustainable". "Quite Expensive". Socialism BTFO. Again.[Surprise, Surprise!!] Noncitizens find it easy to register to vote, cast ballotsPRESS BRIEFINGS, INTERVIEWS, RALLIES:Press Beating🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:I'm an American!Take it from the Lord.Reporter To Sarah: "President Trump Said You Have To Use A ID At The Grocery Store, Well I Have Never Had To Use A ID At The Grocery Store" Sarah Sanders Response: "Have You Ever Bought Beer Or Wine?" They Are Not Sending Their Best FolksHere’s an honest question... Since June 16, 2015, have you ever seen this man sick or unhealthy? How about ever even lost his voice? At 72, God is truly protecting this man 🙌🏻🇺🇸TAMPA RALLY 2018Thursday, August 2nd:TODAY'S ACTION:Vice President Pence Participates in the Honorable Carry Ceremony in HawaiiVice President Pence Delivers Remarks at an Honorable Carry Ceremony🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Charles Koch of Koch Brothers, who claims to be giving away millions of dollars to politicians even though I know very few who have seen this (?), now makes the ridiculous statement that what President Trump is doing is unfair to “foreign workers.” He is correct, AMERICA FIRST!Wow, @foxandfriends is blowing away the competition in the morning ratings. Morning Joe is a dead show with very few people watching and sadly, Fake News CNN is also doing poorly. Too much hate and inaccurately reported stories - too predictable!Working hard, thank you!Looking forward to being in the Great State of Pennsylvania where we had a tremendous victory in the Election. Will be campaigning hard for an original supporter, Lou Barletta, to replace a weak an ineffective Senator, Bob Casey. Lou is tough and smart, loves PA and our Country!Pennsylvania has to love Trump because unlike all of the others before me, I am bringing STEEL BACK in a VERY BIG way. Plants opening up in Pennsylvania, and all over the Country, and Congressman Lou Barletta, who is running for the Senate in Pennsylvania, is really helping!When the House and Senate meet on the very important Farm Bill – we love our farmers - hopefully they will be able to leave the WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR FOOD STAMPS PROVISION that the House approved. Senate should go to 51 votes!Looking forward to being in the Great State of Ohio on Saturday night where I will be campaigning hard for a truly talented future Congressman, @Troy_Balderson. See you all then! Tickets: http://bit.ly/2LOT1L7 …They asked my daughter Ivanka whether or not the media is the enemy of the people. She correctly said no. It is the FAKE NEWS, which is a large percentage of the media, that is the enemy of the people!Thank you Pennsylvania. I love you!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:"Your network said I should be harassed for life" Sarah Sanders acosts Jim Acosta and refuses to not call him a enemy of the state instead lists off all of the harassment she takes on a daily basis by the very people in the room asking her questions and stands firm that they are the enemy.Promises made are Promises kept. UFC Colby Covington Brings the belt to The White HouseTommy Robinson gives powerful interview with Tucker CarlsonPOLL: TRUMP APPROVAL 50%..!The NYT hires a new editor. Why am I not surprised!PRESS BRIEFINGS, INTERVIEWS, RALLIES:WATCH PARTY: President Trump Rally - Wilkes-Barre, PA - 8/2/18Press Beating🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:RACIST.When your parents just don't understandPacked! This never gets old.I'm not allowed back on twitter until I agree to delete my tweet about Jim Acosta. After I agree, only then will a 12 hour suspension timer begin counting down. Worst than censorship. This is physchological warfare/manipulation attempting to drive me to agree that my post was bad & self-censor.We are an unstoppable AMERICAN force and the Left knows itFriday, August 3rd:TODAY'S ACTION:Weekly Address🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Congratulations to Bill Lee of Tennessee on his big primary win for Governor last night. He ran a great campaign and now will finish off the job in November. Bill has my total and enthusiastic Endorsement!Congratulations Marsha!(Retweeting Rasmussen Reports) Today’s @realDonaldTrump approval ratings among black voters: 29% This time last year: 15%“Pastor praises Trump as 'pro-black' at prison reform event”Marsha Blackburn had a BIG win last night in the Tennessee primary for U.S. Senate. She is an outstanding person & great supporter of mine. Congratulations Marsha, we need you very badly in the Senate to vote for our agenda. Your next opponent will vote against all we are doing!July is just the ninth month since 1970 that unemployment has fallen below 4%. Our economy has added 3.7 million jobs since I won the Election. 4.1 GDP. More than 4 million people have received a pay raise due to tax reform. $400 Billion brought back from “overseas.” @FoxNewsNASA, which is making a BIG comeback under the Trump Administration, has just named 9 astronauts for Boeing and Spacex space flights. We have the greatest facilities in the world and we are now letting the private sector pay to use them. Exciting things happening. Space Force!“The media are good news fire extinguishers!” @greggutfeld @TheFiveAlmost 500,000 Manufacturing Jobs created since I won the Election. Remember when my opponents were saying that we couldn’t create this type of job anymore. Wrong, in fact these are among our best and most important jobs!Great photo from Ocean City, Maryland. Thank you. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!Congratulations to Gregg Jarrett on his book, “THE RUSSIA HOAX, THE ILLICIT SCHEME TO CLEAR HILLARY CLINTON AND FRAME DONALD TRUMP,” going to #1 on @nytimes and Amazon. It is indeed a HOAX and WITCH HUNT, illegally started by people who have already been disgraced. Great book!(Retweeting Dan Scavino Jr.) “Pro-Trump pastor: Trump is ‘the most pro-black’ president I've ever seen”(Retweeting Dan Scavino Jr.) ✅”US workers see biggest pay, benefit increase in 10 years”“Private payrolls boom in July, increasing by 219,000 vs 185,000 estimate: ADP”...Dianne is the person leading our Nation on “Collusion” with Russia (only done by Dems). Will she now investigate herself?(Retweeting Vince McMahon) Grateful for our special #MakeAWish guest at @WWE HQ. Thanks for visiting us, Tyler … and for making yourself comfortable in my chair! See you at #SurvivorSeries!Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Hi everyone, I'm Sean Spicer, Former White House Press Secretary to President Trump and author of The Briefing: Politics, The Press, and The President. Ask Me Anything!Betsy DeVos to require all colleges to publish stats on grad income and debt BY major.Eric Trump: Family members have all been threatened with ‘white powder’; media is hypocriticalTRUMP STOPS WHEN WOMAN FAINTS AT RALLY — HIS IMMEDIATE REACTION SENDS THE CROWD TO THEIR FEET. Could you love DRGEOTUS more??!!!The Secret Service proved The Guardian's reporting wrong, and they ran the story anyway🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Sarah Jeong is a perfect example of what Michelle Malkin is talking about.According to CNN, do I have this about right???Fired vs Hired - The Left Keeps Showing Us Their Double StandardsLooks like a good readSaturday, August 4th:🔥🔥TRUMP TWEETS🔥🔥:Will be going to Ohio tonight to campaign for Troy Balderson for the big Congressional Special Election on Tuesday. Early voting is on. Troy is strong on Crime, the Border & loves our Military, Vets & 2nd Amendment. His opponent is a puppet of Nancy Pelosi/high taxes.Troy Balderson, running for Congress from Ohio, is in a big Election fight with a candidate who just got caught lying about his relationship with Nancy Pelosi, who is weak on Crime, Borders & your 2nd Amendment-and wants to raise your Taxes (by a lot). Vote for Troy on Tuesday!HAPPY BIRTHDAY @USCG!SIGNIFICANT TWEETS AND NEWS:Scott Adams on meeting POTUSDELINGPOLE: Tommy Robinson Abused, Tortured with Complicity of British StateDid anyone catch this at the rally? Crowd was yelling "lock her up" and Trump said "Some things just take a little longer. Things are changing.""Trump-Free Zone" sanctuary city Chicago is now begging GEOTUS for help due to record-breaking violence. Mayor Rahm Emanuel guaranteed 'safety' for ILLEGAL ALIENS but not for its own American citizens, especially within the Black Communities!🐸 TOP SPICE OF THE DAY 🐸:Lebron. To the faceWhy didn't they notify the public that senator Dianne Feinstein had a Chinese spy working for her for 20 years?That Face You Make When You Find Out You Have Been Demoted to the SECOND Dumbest Man on Television.“I Like Mike!”This is what we're up against.SO MUCH WINNING!!!! STILL NOT TIRED OF IT!!!!Without further ado, some tunes to get you jamming through all this winning:Sink, Florida, Sink!Breakfast At TiffanysEvery MorningOne WeekSlideMAGA ON PATRIOTS!! #robgray