Beers with Bloggers - Derek of Insomniac's Lounge

This week's Beers with Bloggers feature is with Derek of Insomniac's Lounge....Derek is a graduate of U.C.L.A. with a degree in biology....he lives in a suburb of Los Angeles and is currently on sabbatical to spend more time with his five-year-old son...when he is not busy with his son, Derek does a solid job writing for his blog...here is our interview with him...

Q1. Why do you blog? How long have you been doing Insomniac's Lounge?
A. Back in October of 2005, I was trying to remember some of the outrageous things that Freddie Mitchell had said during his press conferences. So I did a Google search, and one of the first things that popped up was an article over at themightymjd. That was my first exposure to blogs, and I was hooked immediately.

I used to write quite a bit before I went the science route, and I was missing it. I've found that blogs provide a great outlet to write what you want, when you want, and occasionally, even have a reader or two. Also, it gives me an excuse to surf the net for pics of college-aged girls in various states of undress. Can't ask for more than that.

Q2. What are your strengths at blogging? Why is Insomniac's Lounge a good blog?
A. Some people might argue with the premise of that question. When I first started my blog, like many others, I had zero readers. So I only wrote with the goal of entertaining myself. I still write with basically that same approach, which I think minimizes the amount of "filler" you'll find on my site.

If someone stumbles upon my site, I want them to crack a smile- either because I provided a slightly different spin on the day's story, a picture that they particularly enjoyed, or rarely, some insightful commentary. I don't want people to feel like they wasted their time when they clicked over to my site(assuming I actually had a new post that day). My feeling is that it's a personal blog, so give it some personality. Although Michael David Smith has been rather successful in the blogosphere and his writing has the personality of a vegan's stool, so what the hell do I know?

Q2a. I have to ask, do you suffer from insomnia?
A. Nothing that's been clinically diagnosed, but the only way I can fall asleep is essentially by collapsing from exhaustion. Generally that means going to sleep anywhere between 3 am and 6 am.

Q3. The NCAA Tournament is fast approaching. Who are your picks to make the Final Four and why?A. I just know that I'm going to end up picking some teams that end up in the same region. Also, I should mention that I never pick UCLA because of superstition. I'll go with:
- North Carolina: Playing in Raleigh and Charlotte is one hell of an edge. Being the best team in the country doesn't hurt either.
- Texas: Point guard play is always a factor in the tournament, and DJ Augustin is as good as they come on the college level.
- Kansas: Did I really just pick a Bill Self coached team to go to the Final Four? That pretty much undermines my credibility.
- Wisconsin: They'll be my UCLA surrogate pick. A defensive-minded, grind-it-out team that will always have a chance to win in the last five minutes of the game.

Q4. Real quick - who is the MVP in the NBA this year - LeBron or Kobe? Why?
A. Ya know, if Chris Paul were white and Canadian, he'd be the winner in a landslide. But since he isn't a choice, I'll go with Kobe because he's going against much tougher competition in the Western Conference.

Q5. Brett Favre just retired. Who are your all-time Top 10 quarterbacks of the last 30 years?
A. I'm going to exclude Staubach from my list since he was at the tail end of his career 30 yrs ago, but still include Bradshaw since he won 2 Super Bowls within that time frame:
1. Joe Montana
2. John Elway
3. Troy Aikman
4. Tom Brady
5. Peyton Manning
6. Dan Marino
7. Steve Young
8. Dan Fouts
9. Terry Bradshaw
10. Brett Favre

Q6. Hypothetical Question - You are in charge of the Miami Dolphins. What do you do with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft - keep it or trade it? If you keep it, who is your pick; if you trade it, what do you realistically want in return?
A. The Dolphins haven't had a QB that was the face of the franchise since the days when they had the sixth best QB of the last 30 years. For that reason, it's very tempting to go with Matt Ryan and build around him. But the Dolphins need so many pieces that trading down makes sense too. If it were up to me, I'd start a public love affair with Ryan and hope that the Falcons became jealous and offered up some nice picks to move up. If so, then I'd move down and snag Chris Long at #3. If the offer doesn't come and I was left with the #1 pick, I'd take Ryan. How's that for hedging an answer?

Q7. Joe Torre is now managing the Dodgers and Joe Girardi is with the Yankees. What are your thoughts about how each will do this season?
A. Well, when those dry Santa Anas come blowing into LA, it's really going to make Torre's boogers crusty. He may end up with a few extra bloody noses from scratching until he gets used to the new climate. I really don't see Joe Girardi and Alex Rodriguez as a very good match. I think at some point in the season, Girardi might make ARod cry.

Q8. I have to ask a non-sports question - Obama, Clinton, or McCain? Why?
A. Obama, because he believes we can, and I believe we can. And if we can't, we can pay some people in India 10 cents on the dollar to do it for us.

Q9. Who are the five hottest women in sports and/or broadcasting?
A. Tanith Belbin, Valeria Ochoa, Heather Mitts, Ana Ivanovic, and of course, the UCLA Dance Team.

Q10. Last question, this segment is called "Beers with Bloggers." So what are some of your favorite brews? What are some beers that you like that may not be well known nationally?
A. Negra Modelo is one that you can usually find in my fridge. Karl Strauss Red Trolley Ale is a San Diego beer that I really like, but it might just be because it reminds me of hanging out at Pacific Beach. Up here, I've discovered that they have it on tap at the Burbank Hooters, so that gives me another reason to visit that fine establishment. Abita has quite a few good brews; and it's based just outside of New Orleans, so you're helping rebuild the economy with each buzz.

Thanks for the questions. Go Blue! (For some reason, many UCLA fans have a kinship with Michigan. I think it's because we both keep getting our butts kicked by SC in football.)

Once again, I want to thank Derek for his time....and BTW - I love that UCLA Dance Team too!!!...