Picture from www.bracestower.co.uk

Dear Talking Monkey,

I am not feeling it today Monkey…how about you?  Also, how about those…(dots) everyone seems to be using these days.  Is it just me or is everyone using more of the ….  lately.  Also, how do we know when to use three dots, four, when does it stop….Anyway, inquiring minds want to know.

Signed,
HOH

Hey HOH,

Great question.  I too have noticed the increased usage of the dot dot dot, and I am a repeat offender myself.  I believe three periods go together to represent a significant pause between thoughts.  Question marks and explanation points can be used in the same fashion to say, “I am questioning this 3x more than normal”, or “I am triple excited!”.   It is also accepted in casual writing to put as many periods as you want, to increase the length of your pause.  I believe Morris and Randy, from Sling Blade, do a great job of explaining the dot dot dot method. 

Peace and Love,

TM

Santa’s Private Reserve Ale

Rogue Ales

Newport, Oregon

Dark Amber color.

Sweet malt aroma with a touch of Spruce.

This beer is Christmas.  There are plenty of nice, warming Winter Ales out there with their heavy malt, their warming alcohol, and their cloves and spices.  All of these ales do comfort in Winter, but this offering from Rogue is a Christmas Beer.  It is huge and malty, warming and delicious, and stirred with a Christmas tree.  They used just the right type and amount of hops to remind you that this is Christmas, this is a Christmas beer.  I now understand how Santa gets it all done in one night…He’s gotta get back home to this!  I have a new holiday beer.  Go get yourself one…or six.  I’ve seen it available in 22’s and six packs.  Where are the half gallon growlers?  Now there’s a festive holiday gathering.  This is a wonderfully well balanced beer that leans toward the hoppy side. 

Saaalut!!!

9.5  Bananas!

Yellow Snow IPA

Rogue Ales

Newport, Oregon

Pale golden color, cloudy from dry-hopping.

Citrusy, piney hop aroma.

I knew what I was getting into with an IPA from Rogue, but whoooweee!  That is hoppy!  I know there is malt in here somewhere, but this beer is all about the hops.  It’s hops in the front, middle and back.  Not for the hop dabbler, this is full blown bitter.  I know there is plenty of alcohol in here, (a little tipsy after half a 22), but them boys out’in the Northwest know how to manip-ulate their hops.  Good stuff, but not for the feint hopp-ed.  As it warms in my glass, I’m starting to see where the name came from.  If you can’t get enough hops, then try this…You will.

Saaalut!!!

8.7 Green Bananas

It is not uncommon for me to look down and see the glowing orange, ‘trunk open’ warning light on, in the car I’m currently driving.  I’m always in and out of the trunk, retrieving sales materials, but I can’t imagine that I am not sufficiently closing the lid.  This morning, the ‘trunk open’ light came on right before I hit a speed bump.  I heard a loud thump, in the back of the car, as I bounded over the speed bump, confirming what the warning light said.  I quickly pulled over and jumped out, in the rain, to close the trunk.  Imagine my surprise, when I got to the back of the car to find the trunk was closed.

Hang in there.  I have said those 3 words more in the last year, than I ever have before.  I lost a friend, and some family this past year, and all I could say to their families was, “hang in there”.  I’ve talked to a lot of my friends and family,  going through hard times, and I said, “hang in there”.   I don’t mean to trivialize these 3 words, I’ve just been using them a lot lately…But I meant it, with all my heart, every single time .
  So, if you’re out there, and you’re going through ‘it’ right now, hang in there.  As for me, don’t worry…I’m a monkey.  Hanging in there is what I do!
Peace and love,
TM

Picture from www.bracestower.co.uk/

I just saw a painting of jumping fish, hanging over a urinal in a restaurant restroom.  The painting was numbered 220 out of 250.  I bet the artist was tired by then.  He probably started to cut a few corners.  I wonder if the late numbered pictures are cheaper than the earlier ones.  I bet the last few, maybe 245-250, are better too.  The artist probably catches a second wind, and paints with renewed vigor.  The next time I buy art, I think I’ll shoot for either 1-50, or one of the last few.

Unless this dude actually makes or repairs nets, then he is an A-1 dweeb!!!

Sorry about the picture quality, it’s hard to take pictures, cruising through stop and go traffic in the rain on I85.

The tag says NTWRKR, in case you can’t read it.

Photo provided by Harpo Inc.

Mike Tyson was on Oprah the other day, so I had to watch.  I think most sports fans, close to my age, probably have the same strong feelings that I have about Tyson.  There was a time during his peak, when I believed that no one on earth could beat Mike Tyson.  It was amazing to watch him turn his hips and body into a power factory and channel all of that energy into his devastating, fight ending, right hook, (or left for that matter).  My friends and I used to argue about how many millions of dollars it would take, for us to take just one punch from Mike Tyson.
Another great fighter, Evander Holyfield, was coming along at the same time and it appeared the two were on a collision course.  Then came Buster Douglas, Robin Givens, Mike’s posse, the Rape conviction, and it appeared this fight would never happen.  They did eventually fight a couple of times, but both fighters were well past their prime and the fights were disappointing, unless you’re into ear biting. 
So anyway, Tyson was on Oprah, spilling it all.  There’s a documentary out about him that is supposedly great, but he’s changed many of his opinions since then.  One of the topics Tyson and Oprah spoke about was biting Holyfield’s ears.  According to Tyson, he never legitimately apologized, and there was still tension between the two greats.  Either Evander was watching, or his people told him about Tyson’s comments, and he called Oprah and said he wanted to come on with Tyson.
A few days later it was surreal to see Tyson and Holyfield, sitting next to each other on the same stage, speaking semi-amicably.  You could tell there was still some tension between them, but overall it was a really nice moment.  I wish them both nothing but the best, and thank them for all the entertainment they provided us.  To me, boxing has really gone down hill since they left the scene.  I have to admit though, seeing those two sitting together, I kept thinking, maybe, just one more time.  You could see it in their eyes, they were thinking the same thing.