B Minus Show

Getting what you want is a pretty simple concept. You are reading this because maybe there is something that you want and it hasn’t come into fruition yet.

Listen to the supplemental podcast here!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/getting_what_you_want_-_3_steps.mp3

There is a whole lot of things that can come into play such as subconscious programming, reaffirming things, goal setting, reevaluation and the list goes on.

For the sake of time, I will briefly overview a process that many people (including myself) go through to getting what you want.

Since many of you like my online dating and dating advice (per download history), I will use women (or men) as a pivot point to make my point.

 1. Having a goal

Perhaps you want to get a girlfriend or get married one day. Knowing this is your first step. It gets more detailed when you start lining out what you want in a partner. For example, outgoing personality, disciplined, tall, dark and smart.

Cool. These are good goals. But do you really know you want this and how do you know this is what you want in a partner? If you came from a place where you experienced something that supplements or contradicts these attributes, you are on the right track.

If you based your goals on a guess or dart in the dark, you will have a bit more work ahead of you (and possibly trial and error).

2. Reevaluation

So you know what you want now and perhaps you have discovered you are getting more specific on some attributes and are able to either remain more flexible (going more general) on some of these. Perhaps you have decided you had experienced some of these attributes and need to make some tweaks.

I think it is important to keep a log, whether written or mentally, and reevaluate what you want. Things change over time, so keep that in mind and don’t be shy when it comes to making changes to your original goal.

I also think that the longer you go without reaching your goal, you actually can discover you do not want the same things you were going after in the first place!

Perhaps you got what you wished for. In this case, you will need to find things about what you have that you enjoy. Only at this point you can truly appreciate what you have and can focus your efforts onto your next task.

We all have a list of many things we want i.e. career, relationships, finances, hobbies, etc. Just make sure you are reassessing or reevaluating these goals if you haven’t reached them yet. Sometimes you will realize that you have all you really want!

3. Action

The above two steps are very loaded with many details I did not include for times sake (if you know me, I sometimes bust stuff out in segments versus a novel per post!).

If you are “shopping” and dating, just keep trying out different things and determine what works best. Look for the positive responses and learn from the negative or neutral ones.

If you have your goal, you will continue to tweak your actions. For example, if you are pursing a certain type of woman and she doesn’t respond favorably, make a change in how you respond and react.

Things vary if you are in more constant contact with the same girl (i.e. friend of a friend, etc.) or just seeing a bunch of new ones daily (college was great for variety and new opportunities!).

I believe if you truly, madly, deeply know what you want in a woman (or anything), you will get it over time. Just take a step whether it is making a goal to spark a conversation with a hottie or generalizing by just becoming more social.

Conclusion

Make a goal, reevaluate that goal over time and take action. It’s complicated, yet simple. If you are conscious of your development in pursuing a lady or anything in life, follow this process or something similar.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/dating_a_chick_with_a_kid_or_kids.mp3

I was asked the other day what I thought about dating a chick that has a kid. Although I have a soon to be step son, I never really contemplated answering the question for another person.

The short answer is that “it depends.”

I will try my best to sum up my thoughts on the matter here with a few considerations.

1. Age / maturity level

The guy who asked me this question is a younger guy, at least compared to me. He is about 26, and I am 39. I bring this up because I think age is something to consider.

With age, I really mean on how mature you are, regardless of your age. With my own experience, it took a lot of communication to make things work once I got to a serious level of dating with my significant other. More on this later.

On the flip side, when I was in my early 20’s, I was almost repelled at the thought of dating or hooking up with any chick with a kid.

2. Seriousness of the relationship

There are multiple perspectives on this subject. Generally speaking, some people don’t have a problem dating a chick with a kid casually. However, when things get to a more serious level, stuff kinda changes.

For example, you have to consider if there is baby daddy drama. Is the “real” dad involved in the kids life? Is he cool? Does he have his own life?

I bring this up because the kids dad is going to come up at one point. And you have to realize, you are not the “real” dad and never will be. However, you will share a grunt of responsibilities with sometimes minimal recognition from anybody (including the kid or his mom aka your GF).

I lucked out; my future step sons’ dad is a cool dude. YES, things get awkward at times, but it progressed and got easier as time passed. Fingers crossed that it continues that way.

I also know a couple dudes that had shitty baby daddies, i.e. the ones who act entitled, give you hell, want to fight and don’t even contribute a penny and hardly any time or share of the real responsibilities (like taking the kid to school/practice or chipping in for new shoes).

There are numerous variations of situations to consider before moving past casual dating.

3. Communication skills

I almost didn’t want to make this a point, but some people don’t know what this means. I think you need some great verbal judo and skills in order to maintain a relationship like this.

I remember countless nights of disagreements and misunderstandings pertaining to how the kid should be raised, how to discipline, you know, shit like that.

It paid off though because I finally feel we found a great combination of compromise, understanding and stuff like that. My price was (besides financially you right brainers) late night discussions, many times when I wasn’t in the mood.

Some situations are easier and some aren’t. I just think you have to be able to speak with your partner well about your feelings and thoughts and find a happy medium. Oh, I also read a book and a few articles to feed my mind, but that was only supplementary to my efforts.

4. Attraction levels

I think attraction is likely the most important piece of the puzzle. I mean, if you were dating a chick just because she has a kid and you didn’t actually like her or thought she was fine as shit, you have issues.

I think you should get in a relationship with a person because you are attracted to them and want to be with them often. Yes, she is hot, but you can’t omit the child if you want to be in it.

Some people magically think the kid will disappear or something because the kid is with dad when you are having individual dates with your hot date. Well,

Here is a 20 minute update on my life. I took a few weeks off and am back. Thanks for your support.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/b_minus_report_8-17-18.mp3

My downloads and page views keep going up, even when I’m gone. That shows I am growing and doing something right.

That reinforcement motivates me to continue to provide this free podcast and blog for you! 

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Check out the B Minus Show website, it is a podcast and blog all about: self help, brewing beer, making and playing music, etc.

Also subscribe or follow for $0.00 (free) on youtube or itunes, facebook, google play,stitcher, and/or twitter

Check out my band The Mean Muggers on facebook and reverbnation.

Podcast: Music stuff w/ guest Matt S.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/music_and_stuff_with_Matt_S_7-28-18.mp3

This podcast is a natural conversation that leaned towards the discussion of all things musical in our lives.

Matt is a very talented musician with an artistic background.

Listen and enjoy our conversation after we bbq’d and swam with our family just before we decided to embark on a podcasting voyage.

I honestly can recall much of what we discussed, but most of it should be about music. There are a couple cuss words in this one!

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Check out the B Minus Show website, it is a podcast and blog all about: self help, brewing beer, making and playing music, etc.

Also subscribe or follow for $0.00 (free) on youtube or itunes, facebook, google play,stitcher, and/or twitter

Check out my band The Mean Muggers on facebook and reverbnation.

The B Minus report + 7-3-18

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/the_b_minus_report_7-3-18.mp3

Kettle Sour Beers

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/kettle_sour_beers.mp3

Well, I just learned a shit ton about making sour beers. My first crack at it is still pending in the fermenter.

For those of you who don’t know, a sour beer is a beer that is, well, sour. It will have more acidity and a lower PH level, usually around 3-4 PH vs. your typical beer that is around 5-6 PH.

Don’t confuse sour with hoppiness or bitterness. Sour is really fucking sour, like tart, lemon, etc.

I have been researching on how to make a sour beer.

A lot of it has to do with using bacteria and shit that can jack up any brewing gear it touches; hence many brewers have separate gear to make sours.

You just have to be careful when doing this or all your future beers could end up tasting like a sour – infected beer.

You may have heard of a kettle sour beer, right? It’s kind of another beer craze as of 2017 ish.

But I’ll go into that more later.

There are a few ways to make sour beers. I know of two. I will break it down to the traditional way and the easy way.

Traditional sour beer making

So, this is my first try. I basically made a wort with two row and am aiming for a final gravity of 1.06, or about a 6% wort beer.

I didn’t pitch any hops in.

So I made the wort then fermented it with safale-05.  I added some old hops into the later stage of fermentation.

After that, it’s time to pitch the bacteria; which I bought from morebeer.com. It will have to age in a carboy / fermenter for around a year.

There are various variations to making sour beer the traditional way, but this is my first take.

It is encouraged to make another batch in a few months, and repeat this process continually for the purpose of “blending.” Blending is basically mixing the sour beers to get the right flavor.

For example, let’s say my first sour turns out way to damn sour, like a PH of 3.0 (hellllla sour). My next one comes in at 3.6, and the other 3.3.

I can mix all those bad boys together for a balances 3.3 PH sour. There is way more than I know to blending, but that’s the gist.

That’s about it for now on the traditional sour beer making method.

The easy(er) way to making sour beers; Kettle sour

The first step to making a kettle sour is to make your wort, just like a traditional sour or any beer.

You don’t add hops though.

You then cool your wort to 110 degrees F, then add your lactobacillus, which is basically milk bacteria or something.

You can get this from probitic pills or yogurt, or buy it from morebeer.com.

You then keep that temperature to 100-110 for 24-48 hours. You will then have to check your PH and once you are in your ideal range (3-3.6), you then boil the wort, hops and proceed to cool and fermentation just like a normal beer.

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Check out the B Minus Show website, it is a podcast and blog all about: self help,

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/As_A_Man_Thinketh.mp3

As a Man Thinketh – Book Reading

This is a very inspirational book written by James Allen in 1902. The principles in this book are timeless.

I am admitting to not being the best narrator of all time here, I know, humbling. There are a few flaws in my reading, but don’t let that distract you from the main points of the book.

It is a short book, 7 chapters with an intro and narrative.

But damn, 1902?? This book continues to inspire people, including me, around the world.

Give it a listen.

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Check out the B Minus Show website, it is a podcast and blog all about: self help, brewing beer, making and playing music, etc.

Also subscribe or follow for $0.00 (free) on youtube or itunes, facebook, google play,stitcher, and/or twitter

Strength: the definition series

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/strength.mp3

Definition:

Strength: (per merriam-webster)

:  the quality or state of being strong :  capacity for exertion or endurance

:  power to resist force :  solidity, toughness

Famous quotes pertaining to strength:

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”

― Friedrich Nietzsche

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

“Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength.”

― Napoléon Bonaparte

“We acquire the strength we have overcome.”

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Joy is strength.”

― Mother Teresa

My analysis: 

Strength has a variety of different meanings. It can mean physical gusto, mental comprehension or spiritual toughness.

It is something that can be cultivated. While it is true that there will always be someone “stronger” than us, you can always find a way to make yourself stronger, which is what should really matter.

I got punked or bullied a few times during late middle school and early in high school. This led me to build up my body with working out and also developing a tough guy attitude.

Out of high school, the same tactics didn’t apply in the real world. I had to learn to develop my “muscles” in other ways such as dealing with rejection, bouncing back from shortcomings (failure) and feeding my brain with good information.

I also had to learn to hang out with the “right” crowd as some of my older friends were not helping me grow.

I also learned to deal with heartbreaks, discrimination and all kinds of other shit. All this stuff has helped me to grow and learn.

The truth is it feels like life is just one big opportunity to develop your toughness. The will to succeed, grow and learn is one of the greatest things us humans can strive for. It takes a strong person to thrive and be happy.

Strength has many different forms and shapes. Just when we are at our weakest, we are actually at our strongest moments.

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Milkshake beer (aka fancy NE IPA)

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/milkshake_ipas.mp3

Milkshake beer is a recent trend in craft brewing, and for a good reason. They are tasty as hell. They range in flavor from vanilla, chocolate to strawberry.

The only style I have seen so far in regards to milkshake beer is an NE IPA, and for good reason.

Just like my glitter beer article, I will point out the brewing considerations, cons and pros to this style of beer (as of spring 2018) and sum it all up.

Brewing considerations

The main differences of a milkshake NE IPA vs. a non milkshake one has to do with a couple simple ingredients.

Lactose sugar is used, which is a non fermentable sugar derived from the same shit as milk is. It adds sweetness and body to beer without adding extra alcohol.

This sugar is also used in stouts to make the milk stouts. So that is one main ingredient.

The flavoring is really dependent on what you want it to taste like. Vanilla beans, strawberry extract or peanut butter extract are popular common ingredients to add to the boil or at flame out.

Flaked oats and yeast are the last important steps in making this beer. Use around 15% of your grain bill with flaked oats for more body and a NE IPA yeast like London Ale III from Wyeast or a Vermont Ale yeast.

Con’s

Well, just like glitter beers this style of beer tends to raise flags on the “trendy” beers, which may give craft beer a bad name if the style isn’t pulled off properly.

Luckily there isn’t as much crap in these beers like “glitter.” But man, some of the labels on these beers are cool, but some are out of hand.

Some of the labels (not just for this style, but other styles of beer as well) straight up rip off popular things movie themes and such.  But that’s another subject.

These beers, like many hoppy or high gravity beers, are also costly to make, but the extra cost is usually worth it in regards to how good they taste.

Also, the attention this style of beer garners can also attract the attention of the big breweries, leading to more buyouts and dilution of true craft beer.

That’s about it for cons from my take.

Pro’s

This style of beer is taking a trend (NE IPA’s) and taking that trend to the next level. While the bigger craft brewers (Sierra Nevada and Samuel Adams) were a tad late (understandably so, they have a lot more to lose in releasing new beers based on a trend) on the hazy / NE IPA beer style train, smaller breweries are already moving this trend onto the next level.

A respectful praise for innovation on this style of beer.

This style of beer may also attract new customers and retain existing customers. It’s just another tool in the arsenal for craft beer to stick around and take market share.

Summary

Milkshake beers (NE IPa’s) are a very innovative and a great advancement in the craft beer world.

Yes, some of the labels and names of the beers are super chic, trendy and also try too hard.

Yes, craft beer may be attracting an unintended crowd. But all in all, this style of beer is only helping craft brewers, it is helping the underdogs.

Get your ass to a brewery that serves this beer and try it before you knock it. Get a taster or sample if you don’t want a full one and be your own judge.

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Glitter beer

http://traffic.libsyn.com/bminusshow/glitter_beer.mp3

Have you ever heard of glitter beer? Maybe you have drank it before?

It’s the latest craze as of early 2018. You can add it to the crazy latest trends in craft beer. But is it here to stay?

My take is it will be released as a special beer at certain breweries from time to time.

Many people, including me, don’t like the idea of adding anything “artificial” knowingly to my body. Will I give it a try? Hell yes!

I haven’t had one yet, but being an avid beer maker, I could tell you how to make it and what issues this beer could face in the future.

How to brew a glitter beer

You make your beer as usual and simply add edible food grade, pearlized sparkle to your keg. That’s it!

Of course, you beer should be a lighter color in order to showcase the pearly glitter.

Pretty simple.

I read that purging Co2 into the keg before serving a beer will kick up the fairy dust and distribute somewhat evenly during serving.

In regards to bottling, I would imagine you would add the glitter to your fermenter/bottling vessel, give it a gentle, sanitized sppon stir or Co2 blast (to avoid oxidation) then distribute into your bottles.

You may have to pour off the yeast sediment to get the glitter when serving the bottle, but at least you will get glitter in your glass.

Cons?

1, I haven’t heard any real issues with the glitter wreaking havoc on keg lines or fermenters, but I could see how that would be a concern.

This will add an extra concern for a brewer in regards to cleaning.

2, The other issue is eating this shit. I’m sure there will be minimal concerns with having a couple of these beers here and there, but to drink it as a daily staple could build glitter in your stomach and out of your ass.

But maybe you don’t care?

3, This beer could potentially add to the downfall of craft brew. More shit in our beer tends to feed into the trend of making the “latest and greatest” selling thing.

You don’t see the big dogs of brewing or larger craft breweries jumping on trendy things like glitter. That’s probably for a good reason (cost and potential blowback).

Pros?

1, This can actually be a good thing for craft breweries and beer. Yes, it seems glitter may be a fad, but it also shows an emergence of pushing the envelope.

Innovations can lead to new breakthroughs, which could lead to another beer revolution.

2, In addition, it generally supports the craft beer movement and gives more acclaim to craft beer and takes it away from the beer monopolies.

More people will be attracted to new types of beers like this, so it will draw in new crowds. That means more business for the underdog. I’m all for that.

Summary

Glitter beers are pretty damn cool. I think I’m going to brew 10 gallon batch of a hazy / New England style IPA then keg half with glitter and the other half without.

By doing this, I will be able to do a taste and visual comparison to conclude my own thoughts on the matter.

I think glitter beers will stick around for a while. I could see the originators of the style (one brewery in Colorado and one in So Cal, I think) keeping the style year round as long as it sells, and many other breweries serving it as a seasonal release.

There are a few pros and cons to glitter beer, but that won’t stop people from trying at least one. I just hope the glitter beers attract more drinkers than it repels.

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