Just stumbled across this post over at Joel Spolsky's programming blog.

The importance of eating together with your co-workers is not negotiable, to me. It’s too important to be left to chance.

So, a few days ago, I took it on myself as director of nonsense to post a graphic from "illustrator and wise-ass" Dyna Moe's hipster animal tumblr. I thought the artisanal charcuterie pig captured something about the eerie way sausage makers are suddenly a lot cooler than they used to be, with a nod towards the rather hipsterish meme of mascots who eat themselves.

Along with the blog post, I sent out a tweet asking why there wasn't an artisan cheesemaker version. This got picked up by somepigseattle (don't know why he chimed in-- he already had his pig), and our collective badgering prompted a reply:

The judges have returned their verdict

After extensive deliberations over tax day menus, both pathetic and mouth-watering, we have selected the winners:

Attention Foodies,

Illustrator and wise-ass Dyna Moe has supplied us with a tumblr of hipster animal archetypes: the full-time Etsy crafter owl, the social media branding analyst bluejay, etc.

While working on a post about yogurt, I stumbled across this marvelous, demented commercial out on YouTube-- hadn't seen it in the wild, but it's running on TV somewhere:

April 15th 18th is fast approaching!*

culture readers, what will April 16 19th look like? Will you celebrate your rebate with Champagne and Epoisses, or tighten your belt with tapwater and dry rinds?

We're giving away a pair of prizes to spur your bacchanal or help loft you over the lean times!

Post your ideal apres-filing menu, along with your estimated payment or return (the contest is anonymous, but you wouldn't cheat on your taxes, right?). A crack team of financial experts headed by culture's own long-suffering bookkeeper Roland Timmons will select one winner each each from the most luxurious, and the most abject proposals.

Another couple candids from the brewer's conference in San Francisco...

Just a couple of quick pictures from the exhibition floor: there are over 4,000 folks crammed in here, all of them brewers except me (and Steph).

Just caught this little bit of inspiration via the Jerusalem Post of all places.

The response to our V-day contest has been tremendous: thanks to everyone who sent in their verse. We've read the entries, and it was a tough choice selecting the winners of the Capriole Farmstead Bourbon Chocolate Hearts.

Limericks dominated the field: Kira Jefferson's cheese mite ditty recalled John Donne's classic "The Flea", while bridgette submitted an autobiographical verse which somehow seems universal.