While I was in Seattle last week I got the chance to visit two of the breweries that were downtown, Elysian and Pike. I also was able to try another local brewer called Hale’s. From each brewer I partook in IPA style of beer. This is my favorite style so I thought it would be easier to compare them with other IPA’s I have tried.

From left to right: Hale’s Mongoose IPA, Pike India Pale Ale, The Immortal IPA

The first beer I had as soon as I got settle was a Hale’s Mongoose IPA, this quickly became my beer of choice while I was in town. I found it to be a balance and easy to drink, since it was not as strong as the Dogfish IPA’s I am used to. It’s what I call an session IPA since you can drink a lot of it. If I can find this in Pittsburgh I plan to drink this one again.

The next beer I tried was after stumbling in to its brewery while I was lost in the underground market. I sat down at the bar and simply asked for an IPA assuming that they would have one, they did. It was the Pike India Pale Ale. I felt this beer was a little weak in flavor; it didn’t have the same flavor explosion that East End’s Big Hop does. It was a good beer but not something I would seek out when I am not in Seattle.

The last beer I had while I was in town was Elysian’s Immortal IPA, sadly by the time I order this beer I already had a few others so I couldn’t really taste it. From what I could tell it had a nice hoppy flavor and good color but that’s about it. I guess next time, I am going to have to give this beer a try sober.

I really enjoyed Seattle’s beer and food and I can’t wait to go back and try everything I missed the first time. If there’re any brews from Seattle that you think I should have sampled let me know. We have a few nice six pack shops in Pittsburgh, so I should be able to find it.

Every time I got a new video game, my roommates would complain that I didn’t hang-out with them anymore. After while learned to only purchase multiplayer games while living with them. That why no one would feel neglected.

We recorded this show on Tuesday since I was leaving for Seattle the next morning. Even with the time change we still had a nice live audience in our chat room. If you want to be part of the show sign up for an account at Talkshoe.com and join us at our normal time.

On the show we talked about:
Tuesday Show, Seattle trip, Twitter and Flickr, bacon check, chicken BLT, Arby’s, Sean tries the Angus, test market, radio is changing the world of bacon, Wendy’s still sucks, talk to the chat room peeps, bacon vote, Obama is a bacon person, bad radio ads, BaconFreak.com is stealing my content, beer chat, Sam Adams still rocks, Miller Lite, no shot bar, Best Buy and Circuit City…

If you have suggestions or topics please share via a comment or join us live!

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Listen LIVE Wednesdays at 7 pm EST or download past shows at Talkshoe.com!

If you have lived with roommates you will appreciate this comic. Every time I needed to use the bathroom it seemed my roommate would destroy it right before I needed to go. If you need to live with a roommate here is a tip, rent a place that has more than one bathroom.

This week I will be heading to Seattle to take video and photos of a conference my day job (sorry, I am not doing to tell you where I work, people get fired for doing that) is putting on. I will be there for 5 days so that should be enough time to find and enjoy bacon in Seattle.

Like other trips I will be updating my twitter and flickr accounts throughout the trip. That way if I find any pressing bacon news on my trip you will not be left out. This is the first time I will be in this city so I’m pretty excited about it.

If you live in the area let me know if there are any places (like the Archie McPhee store) I need to check out. I will have access to the internet so just leave a comment or email me your suggestions.

Also, when I get back next week I have some big bacon news about new products I am making by hand. I think everyone is going to enjoy them and I plan to sell them on this site. Just in time for that bacon lover on your Holiday shopping list.

A lot of you will remember when I started my online comic, Blue Monster Fire. I promised to have a new comic everyday. Well that didn’t happen because I didn’t realize how hard it was marking a comic. I then decided to make a new comic every Monday but then that was difficult too.

After some time my friend Matt Gondek said that he would help and we started making comic history together. But I still was having trouble keeping up with it all. Managing two different websites was proving to be difficult with my growing work load from my day job.

After about a month of neglecting my web comic’s website I came up with a solution. I am going to move the comic to Mr.Baconpants. Since the comics was about Mr. Baconpants to begin with it seem like the right choice. So for the next few weeks I will post the old comics here every Monday. Then starting next year I will have new comics to post.

Here are the first few comics that started it all, I did them on scraps of paper I found on my desk. In the last comic in this post show the first time Matt starting drawing Blue Monster.

I hope you enjoy this new addition to my website. If you would like to be a guest artist next year let me know via email.

While I was listing to the show again to write the show notes I started laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. I really hope you guys are enjoying the show as much as we are. I didn’t really think we would have this much fun talking about bacon, beer, and technology.

On the show we talked about:
Sean’s show prep, Eat n’ Park, NEWS, bacon, Din Din, McDonald’s bacon, bacon boycott, my screen saver, Carl Jr’s and Hardees, Guacamole Bacon Burger, Extreme fast-food, Burger King, vote bacon, murder mystery, feathers and water, exploding turkey and toilet paper, Halloween, buffalo chicken dips, bring home the bacon, BLT with Dad, floating chair, ketchup, canned pork, Samuel Adams Beer, fruit beers, Bacon Radio on Tuesday next week.

I would like to thank everyone that listens live. You are the reason the show is so much fun. If you have suggestions or topics please share via a comment or join us live!

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Listen LIVE Wednesdays at 7 pm EST or download past shows at Talkshoe.com!

Last week I told you about the event the guys from BaconSalt were putting on to launch their new product, Baconnaise. Well today I just found some video from the event and it looks like bacon won!

This was a tasty victory for bacon lovers everywhere. I wish I could have been there to witness the event.

Last month I was asked to beta test an online golf game called, World Golf Tour (WGT). They told me that if I would write about my experience with the game, they would sponsor a blog post on my site. I hope after you read this post you will be able to tell that my opinions were not swayed by the sponsorship.

Now that I got the disclaimer out of the way, it’s time to talk about that game. WGT is a multiplayer flash game that you play in your browser (IE or Firefox). It also has a social network site that goes along with the game that keeps track of your scores and standings in tournaments.

The game is very solid and it feels like hybrid between an arcade and a simulation. The graphics and interface look impressive and they are on par with the other golf games you know and love. The swing controls are decent but I found putting to be difficult (it just takes practice). If you like other golf games you should be satisfied with the gameplay.

Here is a video of the swing controls:

Since the game is still in beta there have been a few bugs that I came across. The biggest one I found was that the games doesn’t launch in Safari, so if you’re a Mac user you will to have to download Firefox to play. The only other major bug I found was the game would intermittently fail to load the next hole. This was frustrating because it wouldn’t save your progress when it happened. These bugs are to be expected and once its passes beta they should be fixed.

Closing Comments:
Would Golf Tour is the best looking and playing online golf game I have seen in a long time. It’s just like playing a game you have installed on your computer, it has all the gameplay options you expect to see in a retail version. I only have two complains: the lack of Safari support and the lack of sound effects. I would like to hear a few more sounds like birds, wind, and clapping when you make a good shot while I am playing the game (I am sure they are coming in the future). Once this game is complete, it will set the standard for all of online golf games that come after it.

Be sure to give the game and try and share your thoughts about it via comments. I would like to know if you’re just as impressed as I was about the game.

The past few months I have been voicing my complaint about fast-food bacon. I find it to be chewy and unsatisfactory. Well last week a commenter and Sean told me about the McDonald’s Bacon and Cheese Angus burger, and said the bacon was not that bad. So last Friday I gave one a try to see if I agreed.

On my lunch break I went to the nearest McDonalds and ordered the Bacon and Cheese Angus meal. It was kind of expensive, the total was $6.19 plus tax. I then took my burger back to the office where I proceeded to examine the bacon. I would like to note that this burger only had two pieces of bacon. I like to see at least four pieces on my burgers, so the Angus was already starting to disappoint me.

The bacon looked appealing and it had a nice texture, not too soft and not too crispy. I then took a bite of the burger. To my surprise it was not that bad. The bacon didn’t feel or taste like jerky. In fact, it was kind of a hybrid between chewy and crispy bacon. Which makes sense since McDonald’s is trying to appeal to all bacon lovers. The bacon also had a nice smoky flavor that didn’t get lost in the cheese and condiment flavors.

This is not the best bacon I have had, but for fast-food bacon it sets the standard. All other fast-food chains will need to reverse engineer the bacon so they too can be off the bacon boycott list. As much as I hate to say it, “I’m lovin’ it” when it comes to McDonald’s attempt at bacon (they just need to put more on the burger).

If you know of any other fast-food chains that have improved their bacon let me know so I can try it. We need to get more fast-food options off the boycott list.

I think we finally got it right, the show went without a hitch yesterday. We are also starting to get a few more live chatters in the talkshoe chat-room. Also during this show Sean and I had our first smooth transition into another topic, just like a real radio show. I bet after a few more shows we will start making millions. This show contains extreme language and bacon, you have been warned.

On the show we talked about:
Cutting out under control; East End Brewing; Shootings in Pittsburgh; Growlers of Beer; Growler hour; Brew Pubs; Oktoberfest; Beer Maidens; Three Sheets; Eat n’ Park; Bacon Check; BaconSalt, Big Bacon Sandwich; Baconnaise; bacon and egg ice cream; NetFlix; Macs; movie box; shoes; iphone update; MyKey, Giant Eagle; Buffalo Chicken Dip; Cheesecake Factory; iPhone buddies; Apps vs EXEs…

If you have suggestions or topics please share via a comment!

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Listen LIVE Wednesdays at 7 pm EST or download past shows at Talkshoe.com!

Tomorrow October 30th, 2008 the creator of BaconSalt will be celebrating the release of a new product, Baconnaise. If you can’t tell what this is already, its bacon flavored mayonnaise. So to kick off the launch of this amazing product they are having a mayonnaise wrestling extravaganza at Heaven’s Nightclub in Seattle (I wish I could be there).

At the event they will have FREE BLT’s, $3 tequila, and Mitch Morgan’s (whiskey with a bacon garnish). The main attraction of the event is a no-holds barred wrestling match between a giant slice of bacon and a giant jar of mayonnaise. For some added fun the wrestling ring will be filled with 200 gallons of mayonnaise.

Event Information:
Date: October 30th, 2008
Place: Heaven’s Nightclub in Pioneer Square in Seattle
Time: 7pm

If you are lucky enough to go bring a regular jar of mayonnaise and exchange it for a jar of Baconnaise, available in Regular or Lite. Also be sure to take video and photos so you can email them to me to post.

I am sure a lot of bacon lovers have this problem: you pack your lunch for work and put it in the communal fridge. Then when its time for lunch, you find out that someone ate your BLT. The allure of bacon is so strong that even law-abiding citizens will be tempted to steal your lunch.

Well, to stop the epidemic I found an easy solution. It’s called the Anti-Theft lunch bag, they are not for sale yet but the concept is easy to copy. All you need to do is paint some nasty green splotches on the outside of the bag. Then when your BLT is sitting in the communal fridge no one in their right mind will try to eat it. Thus saving your lunch from evil lunch thieves.

If you have any lunch saving tips or a story about how you nabbed someone stealing your lunch. Please share them via comments or email.

The following video just proves my point about fast-food bacon. No human will eat it, and it seems that only thing that will is a mutant head of lettuce.

If you know of any fast-food bacon that is good let me know. That way I can try it and if I agree, I can lift the fast-food bacon boycott.

[video via blogadilla]

Sean and I host bacon radio again with still a few jitters to work out. Before the show TalkShoe.com was having some issues with us calling in. Then about 30 minuets in to the show it started to cut out the audio intermittently. I should have a better way to record the show by next week. This show contains extreme language, you have been warned.

On the show we talked about:
Talkshoe; Podcamp Pittsburgh; Twitter; micro blogging; Flickr; MTV sucks; Sean is a lurker on message boards; 6-4-9, old school blog; lazybored; bacon update; Mc Donald’s; long hair; new HP notebook; Matt Gondek; Mac vs PC again; bacon pants; Apple Store; Sean sleeping, show starts to cut out…

If you have suggestions or topics please share via a comment!

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Listen LIVE and download past shows at our Talkshoe.com page!

The news magazine Bacon Today is really starting to impress me. Their bacon related stories are really starting to catch my eye. When I first saw the site a few weeks ago I thought it was just going to be another blog aggregator. This is not the case; these guys are writing and finding some really great original content.

For example Mr. B, a writer for the blog, shares with us an amazing bacon recipe, Bacon Cinnamon Rolls. It’s so simple anyone can make them.

While grocery shopping the other day I picked up a tube of ready-to-cook cinnamon rolls and thought hey, I wonder how these would taste with bacon. As I read the back of the package I was reminded that the rolls are actually un-rolled when you remove them. – Continue reading for the gripping conclusion.

I am so excited about this finding that I may have to stop at the store and pick up a pack of cinnamon rolls. If you don’t have Bacon Today added to your must read list, add it now. I can tell already that a lot of tasty news will be coming from there.

This weekend I attend Podcamp and had a great time. I meet a lot of new faces and caught up with some old ones. Just like last year I only attended sessions, but I think next year I will work up the courage to teach one. I now have plenty of experience under my belt and after listening to the comments people had, I think I have an idea of what people want to hear.

Here are my tweets from the event, with links to their corresponding picture on flickr:

10:13 AM Oc 19th: I helped pick the name for the new burgh blog and meet a guy that loves bacon! It’s a good day at podcamp so far.

2:04 PM Oct 18th: Skipping the session. I am all learned out.

1:05 PM Oct 18th: In the grass roots podcasting session weeeee! (the photo shows the 649, its the shot I learn about in this session)

12:07 PM Oct 18th: At the new media planing panel.

10:04 AM Oct 18th: At the Success panel. Should be fun.

8:58 AM Oct 18th: At the Activism session. Might learn something for talkobjectivism.com

8:24 AM Oct 18th: At podcamp. Had coffee and a muffin. Thanks! @afogato

After going over my tweets I noticed that my twitter activity drop on Sunday. I think this has to do with the fact I was busy trying to network with at many people as I could this day. I find it rude to tweet in the middle of a conversation.

I cannot wait till next year and we do this all over again. Oh and next year there will be BACON (the food) for breakfast. I was really disappointed that bacon was neglected this year at Podcamp.

I will be attending Podcamp this weekend, if you want to see what I’m up to check out my Twitter and Flickr feeds. I will be updating both via iPhone while I am there.

Not sure what Podcamp is here is the definition:

PodCamp Pittsburgh is a FREE community UnConference, run by and for people who create, enjoy or are interested in learning more about social media.

Just to prove it’s not a nerd fest here is a video of from the guys of my favorite craft beer podcast “Should I Drink That”.

Here is a post I did when I was at last years. The “Bacn” fiasco was started on the last day of the UnConference. I wonder what fun will come from this year at Podcamp.

Last week I told you about the idea I had for Bacon Radio, a podcast about the things this blog is about. Well we just finished recording it and things got a little out of hand. My Co-Host Sean took conversations to places I never thought possible. This show contains extreme language, you have been warned.

On the show we talked about:
Mr Baconpants cooking bacon at work; Cinnamon bacon travesty; women love bacon too; no microwave bacon; Cajun bacon; new Macbooks; Sean’s hate for Apple; iPhone; fast food bacon; Eat n’ Park; Sean’s bathroom attack; what if Steve Jobs dies; bacon cooker; beer; the Sharp Edge; beer cost and taste; beer Sean likes…

There was a lot more things we talked about, but that’s all I felt like writing. I hope by next week we figure out a format and do more show prep work. If you have suggestions or topics please share via a comment!

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Listen LIVE and download past shows at our Talkshoe.com page!

The fine folks at Blogadilla recently reported about minor travesty they had involving the Wendy’s Baconator. The photo above is from their website and it illustrates their complaint really well.

It was like when I found out that Santa Claus wasn’t real.

All the ingredients were there, but they didn’t look like the advertisement photos and they tasted like greasy sadness.

This is why I am still boycotting fast-food bacon, its giving good bacon a bad name. There are even people out there, like this guy, which thinks fast-food bacon is yummy. I will have to believe he has never had real bacon, because if he did, the Baconator would have been a travesty for him too.