Graff 101: Handstyles To Whole-Cars

Pregame preperations... 

     Nine years ago, the graffiti documentary "Infamy" dropped, and is debatably the most influential graffiti movie to occur since "Style Wars..." It's opening sequence has TKO's TLOK (TOOMER at the time) explaining how graffiti is simply making your mark... He references how Mt. Rushmore was created by people who wanted to do just that, how they disregarded that the property they left their mark on wasn't theirs to deface... For those who don't know, the land was occupied by Cheyenne and Sioux tribes until foreign settlers found gold in the Black Hills and encroached on their land, eventually engaging in battle over the land they felt they needed to possess... He then sums it up nicely, saying "They wanted to leave a mark, they said 'These people right here - They are our founding fathers!! So we're gonna put their big faces on this mountain, and fuck who don't like it!!'" In relation to graffiti, I feel that it's a great comparison, that some people are willing to take a piece of property, transform it into a piece of art and ignore the fact that somebody else might not appreciate the medium of the art or the "canvas" which it was created upon...

XII's - Bare Bear X Uncle Jacob's Stout

     It's always a difficult task when deciding which brews to choose when doing a "XII's" (Twelves) review... For those who don't know, XII's is where I review two beers which have been distributed to the masses in vessels that are 12oz or less... Usually this is a fun venture and allows me to view the brews I often look over when solely searching for a bomber... But, lately I've been running into quite a few of duds when searching amongst the smaller containers, and it's frustrating because often times it's not just a single beer I've invested in... Though it does sometimes suck ass to have five beers left of a sixer to get through before I can justify going to get something new, it's all part of the journey, and helps me appreciate the brews which are truly exceptional...

     I had initially gone into this edition of XII's with the idea that I'm gonna go for beers with exceptionally high ABV's!! I had my Avery "Uncle Jacob's Stout" alongside my DogFish Head "120 Minute IPA" for a quick while before I got to sit down and begin these write ups, and then it happened... I don't usually take the time to point out the beers I don't overly enjoy, but why the 120 Minute receives that much praise is beyond me!! Nevertheless, that brew received a healthy scratch for this write-up and Off Color's "Bare Bear," with it's weird, sexually charged graphic, filled the slot...