It Comes In Pints

I have to say that Mrs. Nod is the Best. Wife. Ever.

She actually let me get it. So cool. She said after these several years of homebrewing she figured it wasn't a "fad" with me. If you are wondering what "it" is, then feast your eyes:

Kegco K309B-2 Dual Faucet Digital Kegerator - Black Matte Cabinet, double gauge regulator, and Stainless Steel 2 Faucet Tower with Perlick 630SS forward sealing taps! Integrated drip tray, locking casters, fan-forced air, CO2 canister shelf and clip, and stainless steel guard rail.

If this means nothing to you, then just know that this means two kinds of awesome beer served from a handsome dispenser at-your-service.

It's like I'm an excited teenager swooning over the latest sports car or something. Well, this is my hot-rod. 

And it's digital! You set the temperature you want and you get it. None of this temperature trial and error. Temperature makes a big difference when you are trying to dispense beer from a tap. Too cold and you get ice crystals, too hot and all you get is a glass of foam.

The CO2 also dissolves differently in the liquid at different temperatures. Don't need a mouth full of bubble prickles because the temperature and pressure are all out of whack.

This baby can hold up to 3 home brew corny kegs (5 gallon) or a full-sized commercial keg. Or a small child (heaven forbid!). Note to self -- Next on the buy list: door latch and tap locks.

All right-y then: who wants a pint?

Mission: Accomplished

Had the pleasure of attending the Lenten mission at St. Leo the Great in Fairfax this week given by the fabulous Fr. Dwight Longenecker. (May I call you fabulous?)

A Parish Mission has the purpose of refreshing and invigorating your faith, especially during the Lenten season as we prepare ourselves for the "newness" of Easter. Often, guest preachers are brought in so that you can hear the familiar with a "new voice" and a new understanding.

If that's the case then Mission: Accomplished.

Father Longenecker is a fun and compelling speaker and yet very down to earth. While I was there I picked up his latest book The Romance of Religion: Fighting for Goodness, Truth, and Beauty.

Fighting for goodness, truth, and beauty? What red-blooded man doesn't want to do that?

Being a life-long fan of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, I have to say that I enjoy this way of exploring the Catholic faith most of all: by myth.

C. S. Lewis said that Christianity works on us like every other myth, except it is a myth that really happened. Dwight Longenecker grabs this idea and runs with it, showing that the Christian story is the greatest story ever told because it gathers up what is true in all the fantasy stories of the world and makes them as solid, true, and real as a tribe of dusty nomads in the desert or the death of a carpenter-king.

Myth has the advantage of being able to present reality in another guise so that we can actually perceive it more clearly by removing the patina of familiarity.

Do yourself a favor and read it too!

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Last Windows XP Patches

Yesterday (April 8, 2014) was the last day of Microsoft's public support for Windows XP.

Windows XP was launched on October 25 2001 and still accounts for more than 25% of the installed operating systems in 2014 according to NetMarketshare. (You can tell by the screenshot; these are my last Windows XP patches.)

13 years ... not bad.

So long, Windows XP, we knew ye well.

Pinball Wizard: Black Knight 2000

This is possibly the most exciting non-family event in a looooong time: The Pinball Arcade released their port of Black Knight 2000 on Valentine's Day this year. I know I'm in love!

I am a pinball nut. Note this is different than actually being good at it. But I love the lights, sounds, and the feel of pinball. I sunk many never-to-be-retrieved quarters into pinball as a starving college student. Black Knight 2000 was my object d'amore.

I have seriously considered buying a full-size no-kidding Black Knight 2000 pinball game for my house. Sadly, with 6 Nodlings to feed, I don't have $3000 extra dollars lying around.  But that's how much I love this game: I considered doing it.

Purists will argue that it's not the greatest table, that it's too reliant on the right flipper, and so on. To them I say: you have no soul. It is the essence of what a pinball table should be: fun, engaging, with just enough challenge so that you want to do it again and again. "Every flipper, bumper, sound effect, and display pixel has been painstakingly emulated in astonishing detail!"

It's got a great theme, very catchy sound track, clever phrases, two playing fields, etc. It's even got a freaking drawbridge for crying out loud!

And now Black Knight 2000 is available in all its glory for a pittance. Or as close as you can get without full haptic (touch) feedback -- but it does have Tilt sensors on the iPad and you can "bump" the table.

I'm in heaven.

http://www.pinballarcade.com/TablePacks/

Black Knight 2000™ (1989): The Black Knight rides again in this brilliant sequel to the Steve Ritchie hit from 1980. Players take on the role of good versus evil as they battle the Black Knight in high velocity gameplay. The game is all about speed and quick reactions, highlighted by features such as an upper and lower level, repeating U-Turn and Skyway Loop shots rewarding accurate shooters and a Drawbridge that lowers to reveal a ramp.

The patented Magna-Save™ feature from the original game is back. This allows players to activate a ball saving magnet preventing balls from draining. Great scores are achieved by collecting Lightning Wheel Awards, scoring Hurry-Up bonuses and playing the three awesome Multi-Ball rounds, including The Kings Ransom Wizard mode. 5,703 units of this table were produced.

A Pilgrimage To The Shrine

Today I was lucky enough to be a chaperone for #2, Blynken, as she and her class took a pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

I had forgotten just how beautiful and awe-inspiring this church is. We had a one hour guided tour which was way too short to see all the splendor in this Basilica. Afterward we heard Mass downstairs in the Crypt Church (also gorgeous).

Great art and great architecture doing what it is supposed to do -- lift your mind, heart, and spirit up to God. Blynken said she felt as if she was floating up to heaven. I don't blame you, girl.

Although the church is dedicated to Mary, the Immaculate Conception, it has my favorite picture of Christ in Majesty and Triumph of the Lamb. I can never remember the title, so we just call it the "Buff Jesus" icon. Hey, carpenters are strong, right?

And since it was St. Joseph's feast day, there's a picture of him at the Shrine also, taking care of the infant Jesus and generally looking out for families.

Blynken and I had a great time together and we were both awed by the Basilica's beauty. This more than justified taking the day off from work. Can I do it again? Huh, can I? Oh, please!

If you're ever in the neighborhood, do yourself a favor and stop in. Plan to spend some time. Oh yeah.