Beer of the Week

The beer: The Thing With Feathers

The brewery: New Anthem Beer Project, Wilmington, North Carolina

Description (from Untappd): "Hazy NZ/American Hop Liquid. Motueka, Citra and Nelson. Tropical Citrus Blend with touch of Blanc Grape. Lime, Citrus, Gooseberry."

(Not exactly the most eloquent of descriptions.)

Would I buy it again? This is the sort of IPA I like and appreciate. Hoppy, but with the focus more on the beer's juiciness rather than bitterness. That makes this actually pleasant to drink, if a bit on the thick side. This beer is VERY hazy. I wouldn't rush out to buy more, since I'm not one to voluntarily buy IPAs for the fun of it, but I wouldn't say no to another one.

Need Some Protein? Try A Beer!

It's pretty safe to say that beer is a pretty ubiquitous beverage, with about 50 billion gallons brewed every year across the world. Countries from every continent sit in the world's top 25 beer producers. And while humanity's shared love of alcohol is a beautiful thing, brewing that much beer comes with some negative consequences. And not just for the collective health of our livers, but for the health of the planet itself.

Gilles Tran / AFZ

The beer brewing process, unfortunately, is not a wasteless one, with malted grain being the chief byproduct. This grain, usually barley but occasionally other things, is usually thrown away after it serves its role in brewing, and with so much beer being made, you can bet that there's a lot of grain being thrown out. A lot to the tune of 35 million tons. And while some of it is repurposed into things such as animal feed or biofuel, most of it ends up in landfills, where it generates a plethora of greenhouse gases. 

Enter a team of researchers from Singapore, who have developed a way to extract protein from this spent brewer's grain. This recovered protein is safe for human consumption and could be used in both supplements and in plant-based food normally low in protein.

The process is pretty straightforward: First, the grain is sterilized before being exposed to Rhizopus oligosporus, a fungus typically used to ferment soybeans in the production of tempeh, a food common in southeast Asia. Here, the fungus breaks down the grain's structure, making the protein more easily accessible. After the fermentation period, the grain is dried, crushed, and spun through a centrifuge to separate the protein. As much as 20% of the grain's total mass can be recovered, and while that still leaves a lot of waste, any amount of recycling is better than no recycling.

Beyond the recycled protein's obvious potential as a food supplement, the researchers also found them to be very high in antioxidants, pointing to potential as an ingredient in cosmetics. Antioxidant-rich proteins help protect skin against pollutants and can also extend the shelf life of things like lotions and moisturizers. These products likely wouldn't be cheap, but as the researchers note, two-thirds of people are willing to pay a premium to purchase products they view as being sustainable, good for the environment, etc. 

And you know what? That's honestly fair. We all like to think we're better than the common masses, but if Troeg's ever came out with a lotion or something that incorporated spent grain from their Troegenators, I'd probably be first in line to buy a bottle. Or five. Everything is better if it has beer in it. That's just a fact of life.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Soft Serve - Neapolitan Twist

The brewery: Big Oyster Brewery, Lewes, Delaware

Description (from the website): "Introducing 'Twist' our neapolitan stout loaded with fresh cocoa beans, vanilla bean and subtle hints of strawberries. This unique twist on our soft serve series will have you running to Big Oyster for more."

Would I buy it again? This is one of those fancy dessert stouts that are technically perfectly tasty and good to drink, but it's been so packed full of flavors that it ends up not really tasting like much of anything beyond generally sweet. I've never had neapolitan ice cream, but I shared one of these with someone who has, and I have it on good authority that this doesn't taste like that. I probably would not buy this again.

Review: Dauphin Highlands Golf Club (Part 2)

It's time to take a look at the back nine at Dauphin Highlands, go here to see the front.

The tenth hole is a short drive and pitch par 4 playing up a slowly rising hill. There's a bunker about 250 yards out; if you can clear that, you'll be left with a little pitch to a wide-open green. If you can't clear that bunker, however, you may be better off not using driver at all, as hitting out to the left leaves you with a slightly awkward three-quarter wedge over the corner of a front-left greenside bunker. Laying back and using a full wedge on the second shot lets you approach the flag more aggressively than from 75 or so yards. The green slopes from back right to front left, and there's also a pair of small bunkers behind the green that are best avoided.

The tenth hole.

The tenth green.

The eleventh hole is 410 yards and plays slightly uphill along a line of trees right. The fairway is pinched pretty severely in the landing area by three bunkers; trying to thread the needle with a driver is basically going to come down to luck. The smart play is to lay up short and settle for a longer second shot. That will leave a mid or short iron into the green, which is open to run-up shots, though there are bunkers short left and back right.

The eleventh hole.

Approaching the eleventh green.

The eleventh green.

The twelfth hole is a 520-yard par 5, and so long as you avoid the right-side fairway bunker, the tee shot's pretty simple. The bunker's not too far out, so even a half-decent drive can carry it. For those who can't get to the green in two, there's a small fairway bunker left of the fairway about 100 yards; to get the best angle for the third, you'll want to challenge that bunker. The green is pressed pretty close against the tree line, and there's a steep falloff right and long, along with a greenside bunker right.  

The twelfth hole.

Approaching the twelfth green.

The twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole is a pretty simple hole, courtesy of an incredibly wide-open fairway. We're talking about 75 yards of completely open space without bunkers, water, or trees. A good drive will leave a shortish iron slightly up the hill to a slightly boomerang-shaped green with a small bunker left.

The thirteenth hole.

Approaching the thirteenth green.

The thirteenth green.

The fourteenth hole is 375 and plays down and back up out of a valley. Using driver gets you to the bottom of the hill and a fairly level stance, but the fairway is also at its narrowest point there. You have more space if you lay further back, but the fairway is pretty sloped from right to left, which is never something you really want to have. The green is on the smaller side and pretty undulating, with three small bunkers in front.

The fourteenth hole.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is a mid-length par 3 playing over a valley. There's a pond at the bottom, but unless you hit an enormous chunk or top, it's not an issue. What is an issue is the green, which is sloped severely from back to front, with the front third separated by a significant tier. Missing long is not something you want. There's also a couple of bunkers protecting the green, and while the front right bunker is more intimidating, the back left bunker is the one you really want to avoid.

The fifteenth hole.

The sixteenth hole is the longest hole at Dauphin Highlands, and it's an ... interesting proposition, mostly because you can't use driver on the tee. Beyond the 250-yard point, the fairway ends in dense trees and a steep falloff; not only that, you also need to favor the left side of the fairway. If you're too far right, your second shot will be blocked out by tall trees covering the corner of the dogleg. If you find position A, you're left with a very, very long and not particularly interesting second shot to a fairway sloped hard from right to left. If you're not in position A, then you either have to curve a shot around trees or deal with a couple of bunkers about 150-200 yards out from the green. It's a tough green as well, with multiple tiers and a couple of deep bunkers, alongside the steep falloff left and long.

The big issue with this hole is that, while it has a ton going on, it doesn't really use those features in an interesting way. You play this hole long iron, long iron, wedge. There's no opportunity to take on a risk and find a reward from it. It's all punishment if you don't hit the prescribed shot. The green is okay, but the sixteenth is just a slog before that point. 

The sixteenth hole.

Approaching the sixteenth green.

The sixteenth green.

The seventeenth hole is pretty similar to the fifteenth (and the eighth) in a lot of ways. Both holes play over a valley (admittedly, this one is a lot more dramatic), both holes are about 190 yards, both have back-left greenside bunkers you don't want to be in, and both feature a green with a significant back-to-front slope. The green is more interesting on 15, but this hole has a lot more visual flair to it. Of course, I'd rather three of the four par 3s not be copies of each other, but it's a classic golf course design trick to have par 3s cross valleys that would be inconvenient for other holes to negotiate. A bit of distance variation would be nice, though.

The seventeenth hole.

The eighteenth hole is a surprisingly tame way to finish the round, especially considering how much the last two holes had going on. Sure, there's a pond in play on the drive, but the hole is only 390 yards, so there's no need to use a driver and take that water on. A 3 wood or long iron will stop short; alternatively, there's a lot of room left of the pond if you're not hitting driver. A solid 3 wood will still leave you with just a wedge or short iron into the green. While there are two bunkers short and the green's not large, it's also a pretty flat green, so birdie is definitely a possibility. This is decidedly not the stereotypical, hopelessly difficult long par 4 with water finishing hole.

The eighteenth hole.

Approaching the eighteenth green.

The eighteenth green.

During the middle of the round, I said to my brother that Dauphin Highlands reminded me pretty strongly of Worthington Manor, just with less interesting greens. It has the same generally open, mostly treeless layout, it feels modern in design, it has some interesting strategic choices, but it's not mind blowing or revolutionary in any way. And while the last few holes get away from that general design philosophy a bit, I'm going to stick with my original assessment. It's a solid course with some interesting greens, but there are also quite a few greens that don't have much going for it. Also, the sixteenth is just a really awkward, boring hole.

In terms of value, Dauphin Highlands is pretty solid. $48 to play on a Saturday isn't too bad at all, though it would be nice if the price was reduced if you walked. However, I do have to mention the pace of play. It took 4 and a half hours to play, and while that may not sound terrible for some, I'm pretty sure it's the slowest round I've gone through since the pandemic started in 2020. And that's purely down to the 8-minute tee time intervals, which is just not enough. If you don't want pace of play issues, 10 minutes between tee times is the minimum, 12 minutes is better, and 15 minutes is best. With 8-minute tee times, you've got nearly twice as many golfers on the course as you would with 15 minutes, and it can be felt. 

That's an argument for a different time, so I'll just end by saying that I would play Dauphin Highlands again, just not during a busy and incredibly nice afternoon on a weekend. It's an above-average golf course, and definitely worth playing if you're in the area.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Dirty Bastard

The brewery: Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Description (from the website): "The beer that puts us on the map, it’s so good it’s almost wrong. With dark ruby in color, Dirty Bastard is brewed with seven varieties of imported malts. This beer has a complex in finish, with hints of smoke and peat, paired with a malty richness and a right hook of hop power to give it the bad attitude that a beer named Dirty Bastard has to live up to. Ain’t for the wee lads."

Would I buy it again? I think I had this beer a couple times back in college, but I'd kind of forgotten about it, and college was a depressing number of years ago at this point. So, I was expecting "malty sweetness" when I took my first sip, as the front of the bottle advertised. 

That is not what I received.

Dirty really is a good adjective to describe this beer. There is definitely a smoky, peaty taste to it, and it is hoppier than you'd expect. Quite frankly, this is a challenging beer; not easy to drink, and harsh to the taste. But I don't know, there's something strangely appealing about it. Sometimes it's interesting to have a challenge, and this is definitely a well-made beer. I wouldn't rush out for another one, but I could definitely be persuaded in the future.

Movie Review - "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire"

I think it's pretty fair to say Godzilla is currently having a bit of a pop culture "moment." Not only did "Godzilla Minus One" exceed literally every expectation at the box office, it just won an Oscar, the first time in the 70-year history of the franchise. 

©Warner Bros

That goodwill has certainly benefited "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," which has done extremely well since its release on March 29. That success will surely result in more movies in the Monsterverse, but before we think about the future, let's take a look at this movie. Obviously, it's not as good as "Minus One," but is it a good movie on its own?

Uhhh ... sort of? Spoilers to follow. You've been warned.

Let's talk about the positives first, and there are quite a few. First and foremost is Kong. Everyone's favorite giant ape is really the center of this movie; he gets an honest-to-goodness character arc that really does him justice. He starts off alone and clearly despondent, as he's been searching for others of his kind for years now, and he ends up leading an entire kingdom of kaiju apes. This would be the new empire in the subtitle. Really, all the Kongs (giant monkeys? kaiju apes? What do you call Kong's species, anyway?) are done very well. Obviously, not all of them get personalities, but the major ones do, and this is honestly probably the movie's greatest strength: It's able to tell a story about these titans who don't speak. There's no dialogue, no subtitles, the story is conveyed entirely through body language. And it works very well. You know exactly what the apes are thinking. It does help that they have human-like faces capable of human-like expressions, but credit's where it's due.

Another thing that I liked, oddly enough, was the human storyline. Bad human drama is hardly a Monsterverse-only problem, but between 2014 killing off the movie's best actor halfway through, King of the Monsters' "My God" "... Zilla" moment, and Godzilla vs. Kong's extreme overabundance of characters and plotlines that go nowhere, GxK made the excellent decision to trim the fat and focus on a small group of people doing one specific thing: Getting Jia (Kong's human companion) down to a tribe of people living in the Hollow Earth so she can resurrect Mothra. It's a completely bonkers and silly storyline, but it's a bonkers and silly movie, and the people never get in the way of the monster action. It can't hold a candle to "Minus One," obviously, but it's serviceable, and you can't ask for more than that.

©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

Now, I think, it's time to get into something a little more contentious, and that's Godzilla. You know, the main character of the franchise, the first monster named in the title, star of nearly 40 movies over 70 years. Kong may be older, but Godzilla's a lot more prolific. 

Yeah, Godzilla's not in this movie very much. And when he is, he's doing stuff, but it's not exactly the most compelling. Basically, to make a long story short, the Iwi tribe (the people living in Hollow Earth) have sent out a psychic distress call warning that Scar King (the evil Kong leading the tribe at the start of the movie) is close to breaking out of his prison and reaching the surface. Oh, and he's got a gigantic ice-breathing lizard called Shimo at his beck and call, courtesy of what's basically a pain collar. Godzilla hears this distress call, decides that he's going to need a power-up to deal with this threat, and spends the movie absorbing a nuclear power plant, killing two titans that are in his way, and reaching a so-called "evolved" state. This pink-colored form is ... interesting; he's much thinner and has spikes at the end of his tail. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either.

Anyway, the problem with Godzilla in this movie is that he's ridiculously overprepared and really doesn't do much in the big final battle. See, he does all this prep work because he thinks he'll have to take on Scar King and Shimo on his own. Something he's already done, according to the movie. He's the one who put Scar King in his prison to begin with. But, of course, Godzilla's not alone. Kong and Mothra (who's been resurrected for the hundredth time) are both there to help (and so is Kong's mini-Kong friend he made along the way). This kind of saps the tension out of the big finale. Kong and Godzilla don't ever feel like they're threatened, and Mothra doesn't even bother coming along for the portion of the fight that takes place on the surface, staying in Hollow Earth to do, uh, something. Godzilla's only there to occasionally tackle Shimo when she fires off her ice breath at Kong, who ostensibly can't deal with that attack. And then when Kong finally destroys Scar King's hold over Shimo, the fight is over, as Shimo immediately turns on Scar King. 

©Warner Bros

I hesitate to call a giant monster fight lame, because the action and choreography is very cool, but the fight does just sort of end, and I was definitely like "is that it?" Ninety-plus minutes of tension and build-up for Scar King to die like a little punk. At the very least, the ending does place Kong in a good place, with his story concluded. Hopefully the next movie lets him live in peace and we can follow Godzilla again, since Godzilla's story isn't at an end.

My other big issue, and this is a fairly common perspective, is that Hollow Earth presents a tricky dilemma for giant monster battles. Do you want to know why Godzilla always does his thing in cities? Well, other than it's cool seeing big buildings get destroyed, it's helpful for perspective. Godzilla feels enormous when wandering through skyscrapers; we know the scale of a city, and seeing Godzilla peering over a skyscraper is awe-inspiring. Hollow Earth lacks that sense of perspective. Too often it felt like Kong was just a normal-sized ape, a problem not helped by the "Planet of the Apes" preview that played just before the movie. Obviously, these monster battles are all just massive animations, elaborate cartoons, but when they take place in human cities, there's an illusion of verisimilitude. That illusion is broken during the Hollow Earth segments. It's a shame, because I like the idea of Hollow Earth in theory, but practically, it needs to be used sparingly.

Those are the major highlights and lowlights of the movie, but one little thing that I liked and wanted to point out is Godzilla turning the Colosseum into his personal cat bed; he starts off the movie curled up inside it, asleep, and he ends it curled up inside the Colosseum, asleep. It's a cute moment, and I immediately thought, "I wonder if it reminds him of his old home, the temple that got blown up during KOTM." An ancient megastructure, the one such building big enough to house him, it made sense. So much sense that apparently the novelization confirms exactly that; Godzilla likes Rome because of the giant ancient architecture. I'm not sure if that will help or hurt Rome's tourism business. I'd go to Rome to check out a sleeping Godzilla. 

Anyway, I think that's pretty much all I have to say about this movie. It's definitely fun in a turn-your-brain-off blockbuster sort of way, even if the conclusion is a bit foregone. I think, in terms of rating, I'll give it a 6.5 out of 10, slightly better that Godzilla vs. Kong, but not on the same level as 2014 or KOTM. 

Review: Dauphin Highlands Golf Club (Part 1)

The state of public golf in the Carlisle-Mechanicsburg-Harrisburg corridor of central Pennsylvania is less than stellar. Sure, Royal Manchester is pretty good, but that's much closer to York than Harrisburg. Beyond that, we've got some real winners: Cumberland Golf Club (boring), Rich Valley (boring), Carlisle Barracks (boring), and Eagles Crossing (not boring, but boy is it silly). And no, I'm not counting Hershey Country Club as a public course like Golfweek does. I am not spending $300 a night to stay at a participating hotel just for the opportunity to maybe play Hershey Country Club.

Point is, Dauphin Highlands – located just south of Harrisburg – is a welcome change of pace in a mediocre public golf region. According to both my brothers, who played the course multiple times during their junior golf days, the course is, at the very least, better than average. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but I'll take better than average, especially when it comes to a new course in an area I've played a lot of golf in. 

*Note: Dauphin Highlands is over 7,100 yards from all the way back. Since I'm confident very few people are using those tees, we're going to use the next set up, which is a more reasonable 6,800 yards.

The first hole is 400 yards, with the tee shot dropping 20 or 30 feet to a very wide playing corridor. The direct line between the green and tee is guarded by a large fairway bunker, though I think long hitters can clear it. That will leave just a little wedge into the green. If you don't have the length, you'll have to go around, meaning the second shot will be 50 yards longer. The green is medium sized and pretty undulating, and it's protected by three bunkers. Not a difficult hole, especially considering how wide open the fairway is, but it's not a pushover either.

The first hole.

Approaching the first green.

The first green.

The second hole is just 290 yards, and while it does play uphill, it's still definitely reachable from the tee. However, to do that you'll have to completely clear a large cluster of bunkers or settle for aiming at the very left portion of the green. Now, that's great if the flag is cut left, but this green is very wide and has a massive tier running through the middle. Good luck getting a putt from the left side close to the hole if it's over on the right. Honestly, there are quite a few circumstances where you won't be able to go directly at the hole at all. Of course, you can also lay up and that's certainly a way to play this hole, but come on, that's no fun. The green's so close, it's so difficult to resist. It lures you into making an unwise play and leaving yourself a very difficult and awkward bunker shot. You can make anything from birdie to quadruple bogey from those bunkers, and that really does make the hole interesting. 

The second hole.

The second green.

The third hole is decidedly less interesting than the previous hole. It's fairly long at 425 yards, but it plays downhill the whole way, especially on the tee shot, which mitigates quite a bit of that distance. Also, the fairway's very wide and completely hazardless, unless you manage to hit the biggest hook of all time. A good drive will leave you as little as a wedge into the green, which is also bunkerless. At least the green has some undulation to it, otherwise this hole would really have nothing going for it.

The third hole.

Approaching the third green.

The third green.

The fourth hole features the largest bunker in human history. Well, probably not, but it is seriously enormous, stretching from the back edge of the green all the way to the front tee. Well over 100 yards of sprawling sand. I'm not entirely sure why, but it is quite memorable, which I suppose is a good enough reason. The green is angled about 45 degrees left to right on the other side of the bunker and is filled with plenty of small but noticeable undulations.

The fourth hole.

The fourth green.

The fifth hole is slightly over 500 yards, and while there's a lot of room to play with, if you want to hit driver you'll need to squeeze the ball between marsh left and a bunker jutting in from the right. It's definitely not a tight squeeze, but after going through 1 and 3, it does feel narrower than it actually is. About 125-150 yards from the green, the fairway splits, with the two halves separated by rough and sand. The green is somewhat of a boomerang, with a large bunker digging into the middle of the green. I think it's pretty clear that you're supposed to approach this hole differently depending if the flag is on the right or left side of the green. If it's left, you should hug the marsh and tree line left of the green to set up the best third. If it's right, challenge the bunkers right of the driving zone and near the green.

In practice however, no golfer's going to willingly lay up near marsh and trees when the hole is very wide open right of the green. Sure, the third shot won't be easy if the flag is left, but you can still get a pitch from the right side within 20 feet. Easy par, potential birdie, with very little risk. There's just no reason to ever be left on this hole. The risk's not worth the reward.

The fifth hole.

Approaching the fifth green.

The fifth green.

The sixth hole is 370 yards, and this is the first time in the round where you can't almost literally hit the ball anywhere, which makes the drive in particular feel more claustrophobic than it actually is. If you hit a long iron, you have plenty of space to work with in between the marsh left and trees right. The fairway does tighten up significantly beyond the 250-yard point, so if you want the best view and angle into the green, you'll need to risk going in the water. The green is angled from right to left and is closely guarded by a pond left and a bunker right.

The sixth hole.

Approaching the sixth green.

The sixth green.

The seventh hole is a pretty long par 5 at 560 yards, especially as it also plays uphill. The big feature of the hole are the pair of trees about 300-350 yards out from the tee covering the corner of the dogleg. If you want a decent shot at the green with your second (or even if you want to set up a short third), you do not want to be on the left side of the fairway. You can technically hit a high fade around those two big trees and over a group of shorter trees further left, but that's not a shot most golfers can pull off consistently, especially not with a long iron or fairway wood. Play to the outside of the dogleg, and you'll have a much easier time, though you will have to negotiate two bunkers in the lay-up zone, and the green is pretty shallow from that angle (and also has three bunkers in front). Unlike the fifth, this par 5 almost certainly gives up relatively few birdies. It's not an easy hole.

The seventh hole.

Approaching the seventh green.

The seventh green.

The eighth hole is the longest of the par 3s at Dauphin Highlands, playing just over 220 yards. It's slightly downhill, but not by much. The green is benched into a hillside; shots that end up in the patch of fairway short will likely roll quite a ways down toward the bottom of the valley. It's also a pretty shallow green, with a bunker short left and one long, as well as a significant falloff into trees left. Miss right, and you'll bounce toward the green. Miss left ... well, you're going to be in some trouble.

The eighth hole.

The ninth hole is a sprawling 430-yard par 4 with five fairway bunkers in play on the tee shot, including one interior fairway bunker in the left middle portion of the fairway. Challenging the three bunkers left and the interior fairway bunker will get you the best angle into the green. (Although not necessarily the hole, as I discovered. Did everything right on the tee, still had to go for the middle of the green. Tragic, I know.) The right side is more open if you're looking to avoid sand, as long as you don't miss too far right (there's a big falloff and a line of trees about 20 yards right of the fairway), but you'll have a tougher angle over a bunker with less green to work with. 

The ninth hole.

The ninth green. The green is very accessible from the left side, but that left hole location? Not so much.

That's it for this week, next week we'll check out the back nine.