Post Graduate Studies at LMU

I graduated from Loyola Marymount University in May 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering. On that fateful day, I vowed that I was through with college. No more studying for me! My newly minted bullshit (B.S.) was enough.

Five years later, I made a liar out of myself and enrolled at USC to pursue a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. So I toiled for what seemed like ages until December of 2006 when I graduated from USC's Viterbi School of Engineering. My perseverance has allowed me to add More Shit (M.S.) on top of my B.S. Just like before, I vowed that I've had enough shit; I don't want it Piled Higher and Deeper (Phd).

In January of 2008, I received an e-mail from LMU inviting me to continue my post graduate studies. I thought about it; I slept on it; I took 2 hr dumps while I contemplated.

I thought to myself, "I'm not getting any younger. I might as well do it while I can handle it."

So I replied to the e-mail, "Yes, I would like to attend...

and I will be bringing a guest."

To the South Bay Alumni Beer Tasting Event hosted by the LMU Almuni Association!

Oh, come on! Did you seriously think I'd pursue a doctorates in EE? Maybe in psychology, pottery, photography, or even gynecology but fuck engineering. I've sat in enough classes full of nerdy asian dudes to last me two lifetimes. Show me the dumb blondes!

And no, I did not have to contemplate long on this decision. My attendance was never in question.

It was a great time. It took place at Sangria on the Hermosa Pier. We had the entire back room to ourselves. There were beer enthusiasts of all ages; newly-grads, yuppies like myself, and moms and dads. The things I learned! The beer I tasted! It was legen......dary!

At the tasting, information sheets were handed out that listed the beers to be poured as well as some beer related terms and facts. Since, this sheet provided such useful information - some of which I've wondered about in the past - I thought it be a good idea to share the knowledge that I have gained. The following info is pilfered from the sheet that was handed out. I did not dig this up myself and I do not take credit for it. All credit belongs to the LMU Alumni Association.

First off, some general terms:

• Balance: This is the malt to hop proportion in a beer.
• Cask/bottle conditioned: Beer with yeast still in the brew to complete fermentation.
  
• Hops: Considered the spice of the beer that can add bitterness and/or aromas.
• IBU: International Bitterness Unit - this is the unit of measurement in a system designed to quantify the hop-induced bitterness of finished beer. Higher IBUs equals more hop flavor. Some refer to this flavor as hoppiness. I call it bitterness.
• Malted grains: Gives beer its smooth, rich flavor. Although barley is normally used, other grains may be substituted e.g. wheat. Ergo, beers that use malted wheat instead of barley are called wheat beers. Duh...

There are two main styles of beers out there: Ales and Lagers. The main difference resides in the type of yeast used in the brewing process. Ales are brewed with a fast acting yeast that leaves that leaves behind residual sugar. This fast acting yeast is top fermenting and works its gaseous magic at room temperature. Lagers, on the other hand, use a slower acting yeast that leaves behind less sugar and results in a dryer beer. This strain of yeast is bottom fermenting and requires colder temperatures. For more information, see this wikipedia page on beer. Ales and lagers are further divided into subcategories such as the following:

Ales:

• Bitters: This is an English Ale brewed with a lot of hops. Our US equivalent is the pale ale.
• Pale Ale: An amber/copper colored ale that tastes like a poorly wiped ass. Okay, that's just my opinion but the majority of pale ales I've had do taste like ass. However, I still retain an open mind to trying them. Just don't expect me to pay for it.
  
• IPA: Indian Pale Ale - an over-hopped (bitter) ale that was originally brewed in the 1700's. This style of brew was made for British troops serving in India. The excess hops in the beer allowed the ale to survive the months-long journey. W/o the excess hops, the beer would spoil before it reached its destination and that would have been an extremely heinous party foul. Like the pale ale, I think this tastes like a poorly wiped ass - one that dropped a deuce in London, half-heartedly wiped, and then placed on a boat where the dingleberries could marinate on its sea voyage to India where English blokes could savor its bitter poo-ness. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not a big fan of the IPA.
  
• Porter: A very dark ale first brewed in London in 1722.
  
• Stout: Formerly known as Stout Porter, this tends to be darker, richer, and hoppier than porter.
  

Lagers:

• Bock: A strong lager traditionally brewed in the winter to celebrate spring. It's full bodied and malty.
• Maerzen: Pale lager that dates back to the 17th century. I don't know squat about this one but if you would like to sponsor a study into this brew, I would be more than happy to oblige.
• Pilsner: Like maerzen, I got nothing.
  

The above list is most likely not conclusive. I'm sure there's a lot of different styles of beers that I haven't mentioned and I'm too lazy to chase down every category. Believe it or not, I'd much rather learn about beer via experience, not a book.

One other noteworthy style of beer is the Belgian Ale. These tend to be fruity, bottle conditioned ales with high alcohol content. So not only will it kick your ass, but it'll taste good while doing it. They tend to cost a little more per bottle but are very worthwhile if you ever have a chance to try one.

Since this post is getting much longer than I intended, I'll end it here. I'll discuss the beers that were poured that night in another post. In the mean time, go forth and comsume beer. Cheers!