what i'm into right now, part deux...BEER.

love it. mean it. dream about it. seriously. so i got that goin' for me. which is nice.

i've recently gotten into homebrewing, which is without question the...Greatest...Hobby...Ever. i can't even begin to tell you how satisfying it is to drink a beer you actually made yourself, and better yet, have it taste fantastic. it's also pretty damn cool to share it with other people and see the look on their face when they discover with their very own tastebuds that you can produce beer. perhaps it's a messiah complex - you know, turning water into wine and that type of thing.

if you've ever wondered about making beer, i would absolutely recommend that you give it a try. it's really not that expensive to get started, and with this book (a.k.a. the bible of homebrewing), any moron can figure it out. there's also a very cool community of people out there that will help and support you in learning how to make great beer.

first of all, you will develop a special bond with your local homebrew store proprietor (my guru is a dude named barry in south philly). then, once you get going -- and develop the inevitable brewing addiction -- you'll really begin to appreciate some of the awesome people and resources that are out there. i can't say enough about james spencer, a guy from arkansas who runs a weekly brewing podcast called basic brewing radio. he's just so freakin helpful. james personally answers every single brewing email question that people send to him, and if he doesn't know the answer, he'll totally hook you up with an expert who does. it's just amazing how helpful and nice this guy is, and he's a great example of the people you'll find out there in the homebrewing community.

sorry if i'm proselytizing, but it's a cult, and i get extra cigarettes if you join.