Zywiec Porter...

I figured it was time for another beer review. And, seeing I have just drunk this 9.5% ABV porter, this is going to be it.

How I came to drink Zywiec Porter (and stout, very stout as a matter of fact) beer is a little non-climactic. Tonight was pizza night for dinner, we rarely eat pizza but when we do we eat Dominos. This is probably a lingering loyalty thing as I used to work there.

Normally, while I wait for the pizzas, I go and pick them up, I duck into the bottle shop that is next door. While I was wondering around and checking out the beer fridge, I came across the subject of tonight's review. It retails, at least where I bought it from, for a reasonable AUD 5 per bottle or a much more generous AUD 20 for a six-pack (that's bottles not abs). In hindsight I should have gone for the six-pack.

The beer is produced by Grupa Zywiec S. A. in Poland. From reading about the beer, it is one of the last true Baltic porters. "True" in the sense of being brewed in a Baltic area. I am not sure that should make much difference, but apparently it does.

I am not sure whether this is a sign of my greater appreciation for beer, but the aroma on this beer was complex. There were hints of chocolate, liquorice, coffee, and a little caramel as well. There were also plenty of fruity aromas. Generally, black fruits and blackcurrant was the most dominant of those.

Interestingly, as the beer warms there are additional flavours that make an appearance. The beer takes on a distinctive smokey flavour as it warms. Kind of pleasant to be honest. Although, I really could of done with a second bottle that I could have lingered over a little longer as this might have afforded me more time to see what happens to the beer over a longer period.

There is a strong after-taste that lingers. It is an interesting one as it has elements that are both bitter and sweet  simultaneously. This can go one of two ways; people will be disappointed that it does not finish clean and leave you ready to move onto something else or, like me, the lingering taste leaves you feeling that you wish you had not been such a cheap bastard and bought the six-pack rather than a single bottle.

This is a 9.5% ABV beer. I would be guessing that knocking back a few bottles in a row would creep up on you and then slap you on the upside of the head. This beer conceals its ABV well. I really did not feel like I was drinking such a high ABV beer. The ability to mask the high alcohol content in a beer is a skill in and of itself. Not that this is a good enough reason to pull this beer out of the bottle shop fridge by itself, but it needs to be a consideration.

All things considered, I rate this beer as an 18/20 or an A. This is an excellent beer. It is one of the best porter beers that I have had the pleasure of enjoying. I highly recommend it. I will also be heading up to the bottle shop tomorrow to grab the other 5 beers in that six-pack!

Poland, Divine Sex, the Karma Sutra, and the Catholic Church

A Polish Friar by the name of Ksawery Knotz has become a bit of a guru in advising couples, married of course, in how to practice divine sex. Now, I am guessing divine sex would climax with a divine orgasm for both parties at the same time. But I am just guessing because I am not the guru on this one, Friar Knotz is!

It goes without saying that this assistance has seen the good Friar dubbed the "High Priest of Catholic Karma Sutra", nice title if one can earn it I suppose. The Friar is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin in Stalowa Wola, southern Poland.

The sessions with Friar Knotz start out with the need to ensure that couples are praying to God for a good and happy sex life. I reckon I would become a believer if such a prayer were possible and was granted. Unfortunately, for me the sex life is good and happy, but if I were in desperate or dire straits then perhaps a trip to Poland might be warranted.

If you are wondering about the popularity of Friar Knotz's services, then you should probably make a booking as the Friar and his service are fully booked for the next 12 months. That's right, 12 full months!

Since 2000 the Friar has had more than 3000 couples enjoy the trip into sex and spirituality through his workshops. These sessions have the approval of the Church and many therapists are also praising the work that the Friar is doing.

According to Friar Knotz, "If you believe in God, then you believe God is involved in life, in love, marriage and in sex and sexuality -- it seems natural to talk about sex to remove taboos and the label of sinfulness."

The Church is not an institution that you would associate with the open and frank discussions on sex and love making that the Friar's workshops are sure to entail. However, the Friar sticks to the good ol' Catholic doctrine of marriage being a union between a man and woman, and that the sexual relationship is one which springs from this union.

The Friar has published a book and maintains a website. The book "The Act of Marriage" and the website a "Chance to Meet" (http://www.szansaspotkania.net/) are in Polish and English. This means that a non-Polish speaker like myself can get online and enjoy the Friar's graphic depictions of divine sex.

I am not quite sure how the Friar knows this considering he has taken a vow of celibacy, but his book includes a passage titled "theology of the orgasm". In this passage the Friar likens an orgasm to an experience similar to meeting God. How he knows this I do not know. Yet, I could not imagine anything more embarrassing than meeting God and then climaxing on his sandals, but once again what do I know of these things?

The fact that the Friar is celibate should not mean that what he has to say and how he helps people is irrelevant because he does not have the "hands on experience" of sex to be able to discuss it authoritatively. This is like saying a shrink cannot counsel the psychologically challenged among us who rape and kill because they do not have the hands on experience of being a rapist and killer.

I would agree with those that say, if people think that the services provided by the Friar work for them then, why not?

Poland -- Drinking and Giving Birth

Nah, there is stupid and then there is "stupid". This story comes out of Otwock on the outskirts of Warsaw in Poland. A mother turned up at the hospital to give birth and a blood test revealed that she was drunk in a legal sense with a blood alcohol reading of 1.2 grams of alcohol. Apparently, this equates to a bottle of wine or about 2 litres of beer.

What does this mean for the baby girl that this woman eventually gave birth to on Monday? It means that the baby girl was born with a blood alcohol reading that was at least 15 times the legal limit for an adult in Poland! In an adult this kind of alcohol limit is not likely to be fatal. It might leave you a little under the weather but is unlikely to kill you.

However, in a baby the impacts are wide ranging, long term, and only likely to manifest as the baby grows. The most likely of these is to developmental delays as a consequence of the damage the high concentration of alcohol may have done to the infant's brain.

In Poland the law provides that the mother is subject to penalties which include a term of imprisonment of up to five years.

Exploitation and the Sexualization of Children

Nah, who decides here what is in the best interests of the child in a case where that child can be commercially exploited whether that be in the fashion world or on TV or anywhere else for that matter. This issue has come to a head in Australia when a 14 year old Polish model, Monika Jagaciak, was invited to be a part of Fashion Week.

What should be the minimum age for models to work in the industry. In a technical sense anyone under the age of 18 is a child and therefore the legal capacity to enter into contracts and the like is restricted. The legal functions are normally fulfilled by a parent or guardian of age who can make these legal decisions on behalf of the child. So, in this case, if a 14 year old Polish model has the permission and support of her parents and all things are above board then what is the problem?

If we are going to institute a minimum age for certain professions then this is a slippery slope. What should the minimum age for a child actor be? Let's face it, child actors are exploited in much greater numbers than children working as models. Child labor is a serious issue and one that must be addressed on a global scale and in a comprehensive manner because there is child labor and then there is "child labor". This is not a case of a young girl being forced into work breaking stones or stitching shoes to make ends meet for a family living below the poverty line.

Once again assuming that everything is above board and that she is earning what she deserves for the work she is doing in comparison to other models, then who should make the decision on whether this is in the best interests of the child?

Yet, the real issue here might not be the exploitation or the sexualization of children (although this is a serious problem in its own right) but rather the peer pressure that teens, particularly teenage girls, are under with regards to body image. It is often cited that these body image pressures lead to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

For me though the issue is one that where kids start working at a young age they miss out on being kids. They do not get to enjoy life like other kids and it is these experiences in these formative years that colour your views of the world in your adult life!

This particular issue blew-up because there is also a provocative picture of the then 13 year old Monika Jagaciak in a swimsuit being hosed down. Once again though if the standard is that a photograph that may be used in an ad campaign of a child in a swimsuit is exploitation of the child then who should make this determination? The parents? A guardian? The Government?