Fun times in Flagstaff of late, good weather for the most part...they say we expect snow, but all I saw was a bit of slush on my way out of work. The newly brewed beer while very similar in background is a completely different taste of the one I brewed last year. If finances improve it will be my goal to recreate the Raven Black Ale from last year because frankly it is one of my favorite beers in the last few years. Mild brown ale with strong honey start and chocolate finish, the hops while seeming agressive when we bottled, mellowed to a nicely balanced beer. It reminds me I need to work on recording my beer's birth more efficently, just for the sake of keeping the better ones. I currently have the next generation brown bottled and it's a young yeasty beer, which was not my intent while still tasty, I think the aging I allowed the batch last year was a major factor. Since Sunday when I bottled I had a few assistants, I pushed ahead and brewed a dunkle weizen which is currently happily gurgling away in the fermenter like only a brewer could appreciate.

Other news I hit my year anniversary with work today, it has gone fast as I knew it would I wish I was out of working in the clean room, but soon enough with a bit of luck.

In Flagstaff news the city just passed a law outlawing smoking in bars, which in the city council's wisdom will doom the downtown area's effort for summer family environment to hit a major roadblock, if not kill. See in the summer all the smokers will be outside and I expect passing families will be offended enough to leave and not spend dollars downtown. A friend relayed to me a while back that in the Summer she would walk home in the warmth in New York City until all the smokers standing outside offended her enough that she stopped. I suspect local buisnesses will see similar effect.

Ultimately it's not just that, while I enjoy the occasional cigar or tobacco pipe, but I frequent a nonsmoking bar. If the City Council had truely wanted to promote a smoke free environment they could have they could have offered a tax benefit say of charging nonsmoking bars the tax rate of restaurants rather than the bar rate. In going with a complete ban they don't just enact a Nanny state attitude, shades Prohibtion anyone, but they take the choice from the small business owner ultimately the driver of jobs in the city. They argue it was the sake of employee health but let's be honest with a ban of smoking in all restaurants there are plenty of places for a potential waitress to work that always need labor.

Enough of a rant for tonight, I suspect the blog is angling more for Flagstaff news in the future. As connectivity improves, still no phone or internet at home, expect more regular blogging.

A quick web reference here are a number of wireless access points available around Flagstaff. This will be revised or reposted as updates dictate. A number of hotels have started offering wireless around town I hope to include them in time.

Format is location (website if available), neighborhood, address; speed/strength; and other information.

Free Wifi
Bookmans, South Milton, 1520 S. Riordan Ranch Rd; Good strength and high speed; Used bookstore and coffee shop, comfortable sofa seating.

Buffalo Wild Wings, Walmart Plaza, 2700 S. Woodslands Village Blvd; Good signal strength and but slow speed; It is one of the few restaurants in town offering food after 10pm. The speed does seem slower than it has been previously, but it could be the podcasts I am downloading*(5/11/06)

Flagstaff Brewing Company, Downtown, 16 East Route 66; Decent speed but I have had connection problems while there, perhaps due to interference in the wireless spectrum. You may have to try multiple times to access websites and may have occasional drop of service; Great beer and atmosphere, I enjoy sitting at the bar and watching the trains go past.

Flagstaff Mall, 4650 N. Hwy 89; The Mall with it's renovation now offers free Wifi, at least in the food court and perhaps in the whole Mall. I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but the seating is far more comfortable after the recent remodeling than it used to be.*(1/24/08)

La Quinta Inn & Suites, South Milton, 2015 South Beulah Blvd.; unknown quality.

Late for the Train, Downtown, 107 N San Francisco St, Good speed and signal strength. Cozy intimate environment. Other locations, unknown quality, but well regarded in 'Best of Flagstaff 2005' which just hit the stands, expect a more detailed listing soon.*(12/10/05)

Macy's Coffeeshop, Downtown, 14 South Beaver Street; Decent speed, but low signal strength; Vegetarian restaurant and coffeeshop.

Mogollon Brewing Company, Downtown, 15 N Agassiz St; unknown, Brewery and Arizonas only distillery, due to state law you can't get their vodka on site currently. Some folks feel the emphasis on vodka has taken away from the quality of the beer. But there is a new brewer onsite who seems to be trying some new things. *(10/20/06)

NAU Cline Library, NAU Campus, unknown quality. *(1/11/06)

NAU Union, NAU Campus, University Union; I have yet to receive a dependable signal in the building, it may be because of the steel and unusual shape. I have tried many times with no reliable result. Bookmans is a block away with far better results.; Otherwise typical student union.

NAU Wireless, NAU Campus, unknown quality.*(1/11/06)

Pay N' Take, Downtown, 12 West Aspen; Good speed and signal; Coffeeshop/bar/convince store, alittle bit of everything with a good crowd and atmosphere. Small, but has a nice patio that is comfortable in the summer months.

Radisson Hotel, West Flagstaff, 1175 West Route 66, Unknown quailty, but a recent guest had a good experience using it.*(12/10/05)

Rendezvous Coffee House/Martini Bar, Downtown, 100 North San Francisco, Good Quality and Speed, great classy martini bar atmosphere. *(1/1/06)

Tiffany Tree Lounge, Little America Hotel, 2515 East Butler Ave, Not yet tested. *(1/24/08)

Uptown Billiards, Downtown, 114 N Leroux St, unknown, pool hall and great bar, a regular haunt of mine for years, due to computer issues I haven't had a chance to test out the service but I will update ASAP. *(10/20/06)

Pay Wifi
Campus Coffeebean, South Milton, 1800 South Milton #24; Unknown; Decent coffeeshop, but unless you are a Boingo, iPass, Surf and Sip, or Trustive account holder why bother paying when you can go a block down the road and get free at Bookmans.

Barnes and Noble, Route 66 & Milton, 701 S Milton Rd; Service provided by SBC/Freedomlink unknown quailty. The biggest problem with this location is access, even under the best conditions it can be difficult to get in and out of this location.*(2/15/05)

J&H RV Park, East Flagstaff, 7901 N. Highway 89; Airpath Wireless, unknown quality.

Ramada Limited, Walmart Plaza, 2755 Woodlands Village Blvd; Airpath Wireless, unknown quality.

Starbucks, East of Downtown, 1426 E. Santa Fe Ave #101; T-Mobile Wireless unknown quality.

* updated entry on (date)

Wifi tips or suggestions to check out email me at geistbear(at)yahoodotcom

Since the move I have been pretty quiet, mostly because a lack of internet access at the new location though friends and I were discussing the benefits of pringles can WiFi at New Years.

Truth is it has gone well, Bandit (the loyal pup) has more room to run and while I had some issues during our last rain storm I can work through it.

In a few words "I love it" ....only two blocks from this internet access point and a few others around.

This meeting may be the most important one Kofi Annan has had recently, I hope he listened for the good of the US, the UN, and frankly the world. But like most things political, only time will tell.