Sometimes you just gotta dance...

And sometimes people will join you.

I was directed to this video through Mack Collier's The Viral Garden. Mack is what some people might call a 'Social Media Expert.' I get his emails a few times a week, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on his speaking engagements, and I usually just browse through them just looking for tidbits of information. Today's was a bit different though. Today it linked me to Matt J McDonald's blog that featured an interesting video (see below).

You'll have to watch this video to see what I really mean by what I'm about to say, but read first and then watch to see if you follow what I mean. (After re-reading my post, you might skip to the video if you want... my post isn't that exciting, but whatevs.)

Let me start by saying that I love to people watch. I think that's one of my favorite parts about going to the casinos here in Kansas City, and especially in Vegas. You have rich people, poor people, skinny people, fat people, black people, white people and every other type of person and everything in between. You always have something new to observe. You wonder to yourself "what are they doing?" "what were they thinking?" "why? just why?"

Typically when we observe someone that is different from us we jump to a conclusion, typically negative, and judge the person for whatever reason and for whatever they're doing. We mock them. We stare at them. We laugh at them. And on occasion, we become jealous of them.

The video you're about to see is one of those instances where mocking comes into play. The first man to join in this video appears to be mocking the original person. However, things change. Quickly. Others join in and enjoy the freedom of expression that the original man shows at the beginning of the video.

I observed this video from two different angles. First, are we all like this inside? Do we all have something built up that we just want to let out and we don't care what other people think? I think so. Typically I care too much about what other people see of me. It's not the best way to go through life, but I think we're all cautious most of the time. I wish I was like this guy more often... not caring what people think. I mean really, is it so bad that sometimes we just have to be ourselves?

Second, I saw this video from the angle of a leader... and someone who just wants to have fun. Sometimes we just have to go out there and keep pushing along until someone else gets on board with us. Whether its in our jobs, relationships, friendships, etc., we all have had experiences where we want to just do something and we're willing to keep doing it until someone hears us, sees us or joins us. I think this is the best approach to this video. I like to think of this guy as someone who is trying to have a good time in his own fashion and doesn't care if people mock him or if people get on board with him. Either way, he's moving forward with what he feels comfortable doing and clearly he enjoys the way he's doing it.

Welp, I've determined this post was lame and really all I care about is the video. So if you read this much, sweet. Otherwise, it's on to the video.

Note: the video is somewhat shaky and the audio isn't the best, so don't get your hopes up too much on expecting Oscar quality cinematography or anything...

Boulevard Pilsner... just what the doctor ordered

I love beer. Like really, really love it. I don't know what it is about being 26, but for some reason my beer taste buds are on fire. During years 24 and 25 I was all about whiskey. I would choose it over just about anything else... even air at times. I started drinking finer varieties and spending big bucks on bottles of rarer whiskey. I'd drink it with Coke. I'd drink it on the rocks. I just really wanted whiskey over most other types of alcoholic beverages.

But something changed when I turned 26. Maybe I got wiser. Maybe I wanted to get fatter. Whatever the reason is, I really have been focusing on beer. Maybe it was the Boulevard Brew Tour I took on a nice 75 degree day in February (that's rare in KC), or maybe it was the excellent selection of tasty bottles that went along with the amazing burgers at Blanc Burgers + Bottles. Whatever it was, things have definitely taken a turn.

This is a turn that I'm really happy with. I've always liked beer. I've always especially liked Boulevard, mainly their Unfiltered Wheat. However, once they started putting out their Smokestack Series, I started focusing more on varieties of beers. I've even started keeping a bottle from every six-pack that I've bought... and I've amassed quite a collection in a short period of time. Which can only mean one thing... I've consumed a ridiculous amount of calories in the last 7 months.

Now to focus on what this posting is really about. The new, amazing, tasty, flavorful, refreshing Boulevard Pilsner.

This beer is just what the doctor ordered... assuming your girlfriend is a doctor and she doesn't have any problems with you buying beer (thanks babe!).

But really, this beer is great. It's smooth, refreshing and just what you expect a beer to taste like on a warm summer night. Typically Boulevard focuses a bit more on their craft beers, packaging them in special cardboard boxes that block extra light from hitting the bottle and making sure that each beer is extra special. Just under 50% of their beers are seasonal and rotate through the seasons.

This new beer is something different. It's something special. It's a traditional Pilsner, so it's clean and crisp. And, it's not packaged in your regular Boulevard package. It's a good-ole American beer, covered with a simple, modest label and packaged like your favorite domestic beer, in an open sixer, waiting to be unloaded in a cooler or that special fridge you keep in your garage just for beer.

I could go on talking about this beer for a long time. I could describe notes, flavors and quality, but I won't. I'll just give you my word that it's exactly what you think about drinking after you mow your yard on a Saturday morning when it's 95 out and you're trying to get it done before the heat of the day sets in. It's the beer you drink when water just doesn't sound refreshing. It's the beer that will replace Bud Light in my beer fridge this summer. And, at $5.97 a sixer, just like BL, it's the kind of beer that you can stock up on and not feel guilty or feel like your wallet is deflating.

To wrap this up I'll describe in one way that you can probably understand. It's the kind of beer you think of when you see Andy Dufresne and Red mopping tar on the roof in the movie Shawshank Redemption. If you don't know what I mean, go read this entry on the KC Beer Blog and you'll get it. Special thanks goes out to Bull E. Vard for the post about Andy and Red.

Cheers!