Menu

Obligatory (Belated) Birthday Reflection

Wednesday last, I turned the big three-four. As has been my habit since launching A Mild Voice of Reason in February 2006, I post an annual reflection on the year gone and the year ahead. Herewith some points of interest.

  • The last year has been much like the Catholic observance of Advent: A time of watching, waiting and purification; a period of excitement for something not-yet-come. Like most Catholics, I’ve chosen to pass the hours idly than to focus on the pending joy, but still — the last year has seen a deepening of understanding about friends, family, life, the universe and everything. Remaining optimistic when the world nudges you toward cynicism requires a high degree of focus and good cheer.
  • You never really appreciate how few people have your back, until your expectations diverge in the midst of conflict. At this point in my life, the number of people I trust implicitly — that is, the folks I think I could call at 3 a.m. with an emergency and expect a swift and non-grudging response — has declined to an all-time low. But that’s OK. I don’t mind fair-weather friends (or family) as long as I know I have a circle I can rely on no matter how violent the storm may grow.
  • Dreams, once dreamt, become the soul’s chief prosecutor.
  • I’m less optimistic about human nature than I used to be, but I think I’ve done a decent job of avoiding being bitter about it. Part of it may be that my patience has increased. Spending more time walking around instead of driving made me witness people in a different way, so my typical “elitist, materialist” demeanor has faced a major gut-check. This is for the good.

All for this year. I will continue to watch, and wait.

Beer Review: Éphémère (Apple)

BEER REVIEW: Éphémère (Apple) Ale BeerAdvocate overall review: B (797 reviews to date). This Canadian ale (brewed by Unibroue with apple juice, coriander and curacao peels) tastes like green apples. The scent reminds me of green apples, and the ale is definitely tinged with the flavor. What makes this ale unique, however, is the aftertaste — which […]

Continue Reading

Cigar Review: Macanudo Cafe Crystal

Few things are as enjoyable in life as a quiet evening on the back porch, with a delicious adult beverage in one hand and a fine cigar in the other. This evening, I reveled in a quiet sunset through the pine trees, with a gentle breeze cooling the low-90s air and the German Shepherd stretched […]

Continue Reading

Beer Review: Samuel Smith’s, The Famous Taddy Porter

As part of the ever-increasing portfolio that my dear readers have come to expect from A Mild Voice of Reason, today I inaugurate a new feature to this humble blog: Vice reviews. Yes. At long last, and by pseudo-popular demand, you now may revel in knowing my opinion about various beers, wines, liquors and cigars. […]

Continue Reading

Beer Review: Samuel Smith's, The Famous Taddy Porter

As part of the ever-increasing portfolio that my dear readers have come to expect from A Mild Voice of Reason, today I inaugurate a new feature to this humble blog: Vice reviews. Yes. At long last, and by pseudo-popular demand, you now may revel in knowing my opinion about various beers, wines, liquors and cigars. […]

Continue Reading

A Not-So-Bad August

August hasn’t been half-bad: This weekend was fairly pleasant. Today was spent in the office, preparing catch-up reports and working down my personal queue of Service Desk tickets, and now I sit at Biggby drinking mocha and writing. Yesterday, I got a haircut, got a massage from the Chinese people, bought some specialty craft beer, […]

Continue Reading

The Final Four Pages

Yesterday I finally finished the regrettably too-short A Short History of Ethics by Alasdair MacIntyre. The book served as a delightful survey of the major points in Western ethical thought from the pre-Socratics through Moore and Sartre. For readers interested in a solid, not-too-technical overview of how moral theory has developed over the centuries, MacIntyre’s […]

Continue Reading

Michigan Politics: Post-Primary Edition

The results of Michigan’s August primary are in, and the situation is … interesting. Governor The results from the AP: Republican primary 5,715 of 5,732 precincts – 99 percent Rick Snyder 379,245 – 36 percent ¶ Pete Hoekstra 278,584 – 27 percent ¶ Mike Cox 238,858 – 23 percent ¶ Mike Bouchard 126,807 – 12 […]

Continue Reading