Best Of
Re: WANTED: Prizes & Prizemaster for Expo 2017
Last year I crocheted some Pokemon. Any requests for prizes this year?
Re: EPIC 2017 Beer Tasting - Know When to Fold 'Em
Featured beer #2 comes to us from 2010, when Schmaltz Brewing Company was celebrating its 14th anniversary. Among the ways they celebrated were releasing their Jewbelation 14, and this beer:
He'Brew Vertical Jewbelation
To make this they blended 7 of their anniversary beers, starting with Jewbelation 8 all the way through 14, and aged it in 6 year Sazerac rye whiskey barrels.
It's part stout, part barleywine, a chimera that defies description. A strong ale, to be sure.
RyanMM
Re: WANTED: Prizes & Prizemaster for Expo 2017
I am bringing 3 pairs of fun slippers!
- 1 pair grey dragon USB heated slippers
- 1 pair teal dragon light up slippers
- 1 pair white unicorn light up slippers
Re: Announcing Expo 2017!
BREAKING: ICHQ will have GIGABIT wibbles for Expo!
Rocketfiber is being installed that Monday.
Linc
Peacemaker and Other Stories
My latest book, Peacemaker and Other Stories is out today!
The new volume begins with "Peacemaker", a newly refinished novella that I originally wrote back in 2009. The story won the R.M. Miller Award for Outstanding Fiction in 2010, but the award did not include publication (it's a scholarship award for fiction writers), so this book is the first place this story has seen print. It's about a Prince in the clockwork kingdom of The Dominion who discovers a dark family secret, and must choose where his loyalties lay. (If you're familiar with the mythology of my fantasy stories, this takes place during the Clockwork Era, which is the era of relative peace that followed the turmoil of the Shadow Era.)
Following the novella is 31 (31!) SF/F flash fiction stories, a few of which have never before seen print.
I'll be reading from this book, and have copies available, at EPIC this year, if you want to pick one up. If you won't be there this time, there is always Amazon!
And stay tuned: I've got another book coming out in time for EPIC. I'll give you a hint: It's made almost entirely from recycled material. 
CB
Re: Rest in peace, Chris Cornell
At work this afternoon, after setting up the sound system for tonight's event and powering on the four 1000 watt speakers I had placed carefully around the room, I decided to play "Getaway Car" from Audioslave's self titled album as a test track. After walking the room to see how the room sounded I paused for a few moments and just took in the music for once. Soon I noticed a staff member at the museum had walked up behind me and was listening with me as well. Another guy came about corner and paused as soon as the guitar solo ended and Cornell's vocals came back to the forefront for the key change. A few moments later the song ended. The guy behind me said "thanks for playing that, man." The other guy just gave me a nod and went back to wherever he came from. All three of us shared a little moment tonight thanks to Chris. Just another cool memory to add to the many I already have thanks to him and the excellent musicians he surrounded himself with.
Sonorous
Re: PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS
I'm officially having fun with this game, even when losing. But today my friend and I won a duos match. 
Re: WANTED: Prizes & Prizemaster for Expo 2017
Count me in for something per my usual I'll bring it with me instead of shipping it, as I normally screw up and ship it to myself anyways.
Sonorous
Re: EPIC 2017 Beer Tasting - Know When to Fold 'Em
Because I actually have my shit together this year, and because we're not doing a blind horizontal or vertical as a core part of this year's tasting (I will not rule out some mini-blinds, because that's how I roll), I have the unique opportunity to show you in advance some of the gems we'll be tasting.
First up: Bell's Batch 9000!
This beer was brewed in early 2009 to celebrate Bell's 9000th batch of beer. Legend goes that during the brewing process, they somehow miscalculated the amount of fermentables needed, which sent the brewers on a mad scramble for malts and adjuncts to add to the brew. As a result, the recipe for the beer wasn't properly documented, and they don't think they'll ever be able to make it again.
The ABV came in at 12.5%, and the beer was subsequently very boozy at first, so much so that Bell's sat on it for another 9 months waiting for the right time to release it. Finally, in January 2010, they bottled it and sent it out for distribution.
The beer was divisive fresh, some folks finding the flavors too aggressive, but I was personally a huge fan. This is a beer I remember buying nearly a case of at the time. I definitely remember sharing some with fellow Icrontians around St. Paddy's 2010.
So this beer is going on 8 years old, 7 in the bottle, but despite that, I can say that having had it fairly recently, it's still holding strong at or near its peak flavor. I'm excited to drink the last bottles I have with folks who can join me in a month.
If you want more detailed info (TASTING SPOILERS) you can read the tasting notes from some folks were crazy awesome enough to buy enough of it to do a cellar review every 6-12 months.
RyanMM