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On November 16th, 2024, the Texas Craft Brewers Festival took over Fiesta Gardens, running from noon to 6:15 PM. VIPs enjoyed early access at 12:00 PM, while general admission folks like me entered at 2:00 PM. With live music, numerous food trucks, and a fantastic variety of craft beers, it was an event beer enthusiasts wouldn't want to miss.
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Getting There: A Tale of Tacos and Transit
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The wonderful beer blog [Craft Beer Austin](https://craftbeeraustin.com/tcbf2024-in-photos) captured lots of good photos since I am not yet sure how to get pictures in here properly ;).
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**Getting There**
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Despite a less-than-perfect experience with the bus from the Airport when I got back from a recent trip to Seattle, I decided to give public transit another try. Leaving my house around 12:10 PM, I aimed to arrive at the festival by 1:30 PM, well before the 2:00 PM start for general admission. Navigation apps suggested leaving for the bus stop by 12:30 PM, so I figured I had just enough time to grab a quick bite from the taco shack nearby.
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@ -32,43 +35,61 @@ The food court anchors one end of the festival, offering plenty of sustenance be
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What sets this festival apart is the sheer variety of breweries representing Texas, from big players to smaller gems. It's a reminder of the vibrant craft beer scene that extends well beyond Austin. You can checkout the full details on [their site](https://tickets.texascraftbrewersfestival.org/e/texas-craft-brewers-festival-2024).
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Beer Sampling: My Highlights
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**Beer Sampling: My Highlights**
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The festival operates on a ticket system: your entry includes 10 tickets for 10 beer samples, and you can buy more for $5 per set of 10. Each sample comes in a small 2–3 oz plastic cup. After each pour, rinse your cup at water stations to keep flavors distinct.
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Here are some of the beers I tried, along with my thoughts:
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Twin Peaks Brewing (Irving, TX): Drop Dead Red. A malty red ale that was enjoyable but didn't blow me away.
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Twin Peaks Brewing (Irving, TX): Drop Dead Red. A malty red ale that was
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enjoyable, but didn't blow me away.
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Prost Ale House (Pflugerville, TX): Blitzbahn German Pilsner. Crisp with a pleasant hop profile. Prost is celebrating their anniversary on December 21st, so I might stop by for more.
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Prost Ale House (Pflugerville): Blitzbahn German Pilsner. Crisp with a
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pleasant hop profile. Prost is celebrating their anniversary on
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December 21st, so I might stop by for more.
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Pecan Street Brewing (Johnson City, TX): Tried both their Resin Project IPA and 13-Degree Czech Pilsner. The Pilsner stood out for its strong yeast flavor, making it one of my favorites.
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Pecan Street Brewing (Johnson City): Tried both their Resin Project IPA and
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13-Degree Czech Pilsner. The Pilsner stood out for its strong yeast flavor,
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making it one of my favorites.
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Jester King Brewery: Their German Pilsner featured their signature yeast notes.
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Jester King Brewery: Their German Pilsner featured their signature yeast
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notes.
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Bird Creek Brewing (Temple, TX): Ghost Beach Rice Lager. This was a surprise hit - sweet, refreshing, and easily my favorite rice-based beer to date.
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Bird Creek Brewing (Temple, TX): Ghost Beach Rice Lager. This was a surprise
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hit - sweet, refreshing, and easily my favorite rice-based beer to date.
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Saint Arnold's Brewing Company (Houston, TX): 2013 Pumpkinator. A high-ABV delight, full of rich flavors. It was delightful. I slammed it!
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Saint Arnold's Brewing Company (Houston, TX): 2013 Pumpkinator. A high-ABV
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delight, full of rich flavors. It was delightful. I slammed it!
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Live Oak Brewing (Austin, TX): Death Putt Cold IPA. A straightforward cold IPA that lived up to its name.
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Live Oak Brewing (Austin, TX): Death Putt Cold IPA. A straightforward cold IPA
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that lived up to its name.
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Ghost Note Brewing: Foeder-Aged Farmhouse Ale. A high-ABV beer with a balanced flavor - not too sour, not too heavy.
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Ghost Note Brewing: Foeder-Aged Farmhouse Ale. A high-ABV beer with a balanced
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flavor - not too sour, not too heavy.
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Southern Roots Brewing Company (Waco, TX): New Zealand Pilsner. Crisp, clean, and easily my favorite Pilsner of the day.
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Southern Roots Brewing Company (Waco, TX): New Zealand Pilsner. Crisp, clean,
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and easily my favorite Pilsner of the day.
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Brutarium: Confabulator Doppelbock. Sweet, malty, and dark - a classic Doppelbock at 8.3% ABV.
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Brutarium: Confabulator Doppelbock. Sweet, malty, and dark - a classic
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Doppelbock at 8.3% ABV.
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Vector Brewing: Tamave Pivo 13-Degree Czech Lager. A dark, malty lager with a
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smooth finish, reminiscent of earlier Czech-style beers I sampled.
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Vector Brewing: Tamave Pivo 13-Degree Czech Lager. A dark, malty lager with a smooth finish, reminiscent of earlier Czech-style beers I sampled.
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**Beer Notes and Brewing Insights**
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Chatting with fellow festival-goers and brewers, I picked up some interesting tidbits:
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French hops, like Strisselspalt, are worth exploring for their unique flavor profiles.
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Higher mash temperatures can leave residual sugars for sweetness, but cutting fermentation too early can lead to diacetyl flavors.
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Longer boiling times increase the starting gravity of the beer, impacting its strength and flavor.
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French hops, like Strisselspalt, have interesting unique flavor profiles.
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Higher mash temperatures can leave residual sugars for sweetness, but cutting
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fermentation too early can lead to diacetyl flavors.
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Longer boiling times increase the starting gravity of the beer, impacting its
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strength and flavor.
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Wrapping It Up
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**Wrapping It Up**
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After tons of samples, great conversations, and soaking in the lively atmosphere, I called it a day. This year's Texas Craft Brewers Festival reminded me of how diverse and exciting the Texas craft beer scene is. From traditional Pilsners to experimental ales, there's truly something for everyone.
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content/posts/blog-posting.md
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content/posts/blog-posting.md
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---
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title: 'Is it me?'
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date: 2024-11-19T22:59:30Z
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draft: false
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series: "Fun Center"
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summary: "Marcus shares his blog writing process."
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tags:
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- meta
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- how-i-did-it
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- technology
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---
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I've always loved talking to people. Whether it's at work, at home, or out with friends, connecting with others and hearing about their passions brings me so much joy. There's nothing better than a conversation with someone excited to share what they care about.
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I have plenty of interests and experiences I'd love to share with others. But writing them down? That's where things get tricky.
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For years, I've struggled to translate my thoughts into coherent blog posts. I've tried journaling, writing exercises, and reading advice on improving my craft. While those efforts got me to write more, they didn't necessarily help my words flow or make my stories easier to follow. My drafts often felt disjointed, like puzzle pieces that didn't quite fit together.
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Despite this, I've always had the itch to keep trying - and recently, I found a workflow that's actually working for me.
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---
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*How Mac Whisper Changed the Game*
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The first breakthrough came when I discovered Mac Whisper, a voice dictation app powered by AI. While it's not open source, it is freeware, and the free version has been more than enough for my needs.
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Mac Whisper lets me dictate my stream of consciousness directly into text. It feels natural - like I'm telling the story to a friend. I don't have to worry about typing, editing, or overthinking. I just talk, and the app captures it all.
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---
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*Turning Ideas into Stories with ChatGPT*
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Once I have the raw, unfiltered text from Mac Whisper, I use ChatGPT to help shape it into something structured and readable. The AI assists me in organizing my thoughts, refining my ideas, and cutting through the noise to create a story worth sharing.
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It's not perfect, and I do plan to explore open-source tools for this step to keep everything local. But for now, ChatGPT has been a game-changer in helping me turn rambling thoughts into polished posts.
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---
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*Why This Matters*
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Sharing this workflow feels a little strange - almost like admitting I need "help" to write. But I know I'm not alone in this struggle. Writing can be intimidating, and it's easy to feel like your words aren't good enough. Tools like Mac Whisper and ChatGPT don't replace your voice; they enhance it. They help you find clarity and make it easier to share your story.
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I'm still figuring out how to condense my stories - long story short is rarely short with me - but this process has made a huge difference. If you're someone who struggles to write but loves to talk, I highly recommend giving this workflow a try.
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At the end of the day, connecting with people through stories - whether written or spoken - is one of life's greatest joys. And now, I finally feel like I can do it in a way that works for me.
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content/posts/cloud-atlas-pancake.md
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---
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title: 'Cloud Atlas Pancake'
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date: 2024-11-20T14:49:23Z
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draft: true
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series: "Frank's Couch"
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summary: "First post about a Master Pancake movie. Cloud Atlas was confusing but it was fun!"
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imdb: "tt1371111"
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tags:
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- CYOP
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- mueller
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- no-pizza
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---
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{{< imdbposter >}}
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| Date watched | 2024-11-1 |
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|---------------------|-----------------------|
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| Show Time | 5:55 pm |
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| Theater | Mueller |
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| Theater Number | 4 |
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| Pizza | No |
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| Tickets | Friend |
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| Letterboxd Rating | 7.4/10 |
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| Crew | Me, RRa, RRj |
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{{< /imdbposter >}}
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**Introduction to Master Pancake Theater:**
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Master Pancake Theater is an Austin-based comedy troupe known for their live movie-riffing performances. Combining quick-witted commentary, live sketches, and audience interaction, they hilariously deconstruct films, from beloved classics to cult favorites. The group started at Alamo Drafthouse and has become a staple of the city's comedy scene, celebrated for their ability to turn even the most serious movies into laugh-out-loud experiences. Their unique blend of humor and cinema makes every show a memorable event for film lovers and comedy fans alike.
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**Brief synopsis of the movie**
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An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.
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**Now to the Movie**
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Players -
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Voting -
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Issues -
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