Cryptoquote Spoiler – 02/09/17

“A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault.”   —   John Henry Newman

(Being perfect sure ain’t easy!  Beleive me, folks!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 02/09/17

Visual Description:  Hipster hissy fit.

DANYH  =  HANDY,  VEEWA  =  WEAVE,  BREEKU  =  REBUKE,  NOCHES  =  CHOSEN   —   Giving us:  HAWARBHE

Clue/Question:  When the beer makers argued over who made better beer the result was a – – – 

Answer:  “BREW–HAHA“

(Vunderbar!  I’ve been a beer drinker all of my life.  It’s part of my heritage!  Started on my daddy’s – and grampa’s – knee, as a toddler.   Genesee, Standard Dry and Ballentine were my earliest malted barley brews.  I graduated to some – formerly – great Canadian brews.  Unfortunately, most of them aren’t what they used to be either.  I moved on to some great English and Irish beers and ales.  Ambers, Porters, and Stouts.  Also, some German, Belgian and Dutch beers.  Mainly Pilsners and Lagers.  Even a few good Asian beers.  I have some mixed feelings about the current craft beer craze, that’s been going on for the last few years.  It’s really kind of  more the recent trend, to all these “flavored” beers and the WAY overdone hoppy IPAs.  Ugh!  That crap is not even beer – or ale – to me.  I’ll tolerate a chocolate or coffee porter or stout, on occasion, but save the fruit for the sangria and punch.  They have no place in real beer, in my opinion.  A small amount of hops blends with the other ingredients that produce the beer/ale flavor, and act as a natural preservative.  The British created Indian Pale Ales – IPAs – when they found out that when they shipped traditional beers and ales to colonial India, they would usually arrive stale, or tasteless.  They added the extra hops, so when the beers and ales arrived they’d still be fresh and drinkable.  Today, that point is moot.  The craft beer folk just like to play around with various exotic hops to make the flavor of their beers stand out from traditional beers and ales.  But, they overdo it.  Hops are a kind of flower.  And, when you add too many hops you get a very flowery taste that, for me, just spoils the beer taste.  I’m of a generation where my mother used to wash my mouth out with soap, if she heard me swearing.  When I taste some of these hoppy brews I taste soap!  These craft people would do better to keeping it real.  Beer is the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage . . . for good reason.  Adding flavors, just because you can, has corrupted one of life’s simplest – and greatest – pleasures.

No new clue words today, but all of the jumbles seem to be new.  I didn’t struggle with any of them.  The answer letter layout was a dandy of a jumble.  It made for a great pun.  Great cartoon of some hipsters!  Enough with the overly bushy beards already!  And these ponytails and topknots have to go, too.  I guess yer uncle is a little cranky today.  Hey, you kids.  Git offa my lawn!  LOL!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR