From the January 7, 2009 New York Times article, “Data Analysts Are Mesmerized by the Power of Program R”:

"I think it addresses a niche market for high end data analysts that want free, readily available code," said Anne H. Milley, director of technology product marketing at SAS. She adds, "We have customers who build engines for aircraft. I am happy they are not using freeware when I get on a jet."

Anne Milley, you’re doing it wrong.

This past weekend, Leah, Casey, Molly, and I attended the second session of the 2009 American Craft Beer Fest held in Boston. It was a beer lover’s dream: 75 American craft breweries offering unlimited samples of 300 of their finest beers (at 2 ounces at a time). This is the place in a beer lover’s dream, a place where the last rule about the event was “Respect Beer” with a capital B, a place where one of the most distinct differences between America and the rest of the lot was celebrated, and a place where being a hot Asian girl ______________ .

Below is a list of the beers we sampled. Italics indicates that it was really damn good. Admittedly though, I don’t think there was a beer that I wouldn’t mind having again.

• Anderson Valley Brewing Company Summer Solstice: American Cream Ale
• Bear Republic Brewing Company Crazy Ivan: Belgo/American Amber Racer 5 IPA: California IPA
• Berkshire Brewing Company Nitro Coffee: Nitrogenated porter with organic coffee beans
• Cisco Brewers Indie: IPA The Grey Lady: Belgian Wheat with citrus zest Whale's Tale Pale Ale: English style pale ale
• Flying Dog Brewery Double Dog: Double Pale Ale Old Scratch: Amber Lager Woody Creek White: Witbier
• Foothills Brewing Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout: Imperial Stout infused with cocoa nibs
• Honest Town Brewery Southbridge Ordinary Bitter: Ordinary Bitter
• John Harvard's Brew House Mobay Stout: Jamaican Swestrong Stout
• Kennebec River Brewery Kennebec River Porter: Kennebec River Summer Ale
• New Holland Brewing Company Dragon's Milk: Oak Aged Ale
• Opa Opa Brewing Co Watermelon Ale
• Prstrongty Things Beer and Ale Project Jack D'Or: Saison Americain Saint Botolphs Town: Northern English Brown
• Shmaltz Brewing Co Coney Island Human Blockhead: Imperial Amber Barleywine-style Munich Vienna Lager HE'BREW Bitterswestrong Lenny's RIPA: Rye-based Double IPA HE'BREW Rejewvinator: Half Dopplebock, Half Belgian Inspired Dubbel brewed with date juice
• Terrapin Beer Co. Special Taco Mac 30 Year Anniversary Ale: Brewed with 30 ingredients
• The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery Barrel Aged Porter: Aged in 23-year old Pappy Van Winkle barrels Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout: Milk/Swestrong Stout Duck-Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout
• Watch City Brewing Co ClockWork Summer Ale: Fruit Flavored Kolsch
• Woodstock Inn Brewery Kanc Country Maple Porter: Brewed with maple syrup Pigs Ear Brown Ale