Date: Wednesday August 29, 2012
Time: 8pm
Location: High Noon Saloon (map)

Ruminations of a Former Beef Princess

Summary: We face a lot of options when we arrive at the grocery store meat counter. Besides different cuts of meat available, there can also be different grades and certifications assigned. In my talk I will explain what some of these credentials mean, such as the USDA’s grading criteria and the qualifications required for the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Program – such as how beef does not have to be from an Angus animal in order to qualify as CAB! Finally, after visiting the meat counter I will move on to the rest of the grocery store as I touch on the many beef by-products stocked outside of the meat department..

Presenter bio: Caroline’s family has been raising Angus cattle since 1923, and beef cattle in general for a bit longer. Her parents met in the meat lab at Ohio State and will still occasionally process their own animals when the weather allows it, leading to the garage becoming a make-shift butcher shop during the winter months. While Caroline’s chosen field of study is chemistry, growing up she was active in the beef community and held such titles as Allen County Beef Princess, Black Swamp Angus Queen, and Miss Ohio Angus.

 

Sex and the Sick Bee

Summary: Using the beloved and timeless characters of the HBO comedy series as our guide, we will explore the beautiful evolutionary journey from single egg-laying sawflies to honey bee orgies. But it’s not all sex and nectar drinking in our honeycomb city, and just as Samantha had her breast cancer (SPOILER!), so too must the honey bee deal with her Colony Collapse Disorder. It’s a story of sex, drugs, deception, exploding males, and zombies. Just like any other episode of Sex and the City, only with three times the shoes.

Presenter bio: Ben Taylor is the Assistant Director of Education for the UW Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, but, even more so than jamming words into his job title, his real passion is for bees. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in entomology from the UW-Madison, Ben worked on a nine-month research project focusing on native bee pollination in Wisconsin’s apple orchards. Yes, he has been stung in the face. No, it was not a pleasant experience.

 

Coffee: Frag Faster, Brew Better, Sleep Never!

Summary: Do you worship the Holy Brew? Can’t start a day without it and wish they would hurry up and invent a coffee I.V.? Sick of constantly putting up with crappy coffee but not sure what to do about it? You’re in good company! This is a tribute to the Bitter Brown Bean’s care and preparation, and will enable you to take your own love affair to new jittery heights!

Presenter bio: Mike Rolfs is your average computer geek/musician/chef/gardener/woodworker/ fabricator/lumberjack/…actually no, he’s not much of an average anything. Mike is originally from Minnesota and after passing through Santa Fe, El Paso, Boston, he has come to rest in the Rolfs-family stronghold of Madison. These days he’s a network administrator by day and a roller derby referee by night, with a million plus other hobbies sprinkled throughout. And as we’ll soon discover, he’s a SERIOUS coffee addict.