Yes, this is me. Just an average beer geek. This was at the NHC in Las Vegas (2004). If you've never been to the NHC or if you're not a member of the AHA, you really should be.
1) They're fighting to protect your rights to brew and to have access to craft brew.
2) They have a great magazine, Zymurgy, which comes with the membership.
3) They have a ton of other benefits that pay for the membership.

This was in Baltimore (2005). I'm up on stage there with some of my brothers and sisters from my homebrew club, QUAFF. The members of QUAFF are some of the kindest, most generous people you will find. My words do not do them justice. What a great group. I love these people.

This is from NHC Las Vegas (2004) again. I had won the Ninkasi and one of the prizes was a bottle of 2003 Utopias signed by Jim Koch. It must have had a value exceeding the $150 you see it selling for on the internet, but I cracked it open and poured it for all who wanted a taste. Someone asked me, "Why in the world are you sharing this with everyone? Don't you know how valuable that is?" I replied, "I want to share this with special people at a special time in my life. That moment is right now with homebrewers." What a wonderful evening that was for me.

More pouring of the Utopias. That is my dear friend and another incredibly great judge, Gordon Strong, in the back ground behind me and slightly to the right.

My dear friend, Harold Gulbransen, receives another well deserved medal at the NHC. Harold is an incredible brewer. His brewing and judging talent is only surpassed by his generosity and kindness. (I'm Attila the Hun compared to Harold.) That is Charlie Papazian shaking Harold's hand. Charlie is a really nice guy too.

A shot from the judging at NHC Las Vegas (2004). That is my dear friend and another Master judge, John Tull, sitting at the table helping register judges. John and the rest of the Reno guys in WZZ have also been very kind and helpful. They are so great, I'm a member of their club just to show support for their good deeds if nothing else.

Jon (from morebeer and the brewing network) and me in Baltimore during the awards. Jon is also a really nice guy. He has rapidly improved his brewing technique by learning from others. I like to think I helped him in some tiny way and therefore have paid back the brewing karma bank at least a little.

Jon is also a member of DOZE, which is another club of really great homebrewers. I'm also a member, in support of all the great things they do to promote homebrewing.

My prediction is that Jon will whip my butt in the next NHC (2006). Jon knows that if there is anything I can do to help make that prediction come true, I'll do it.

This is a shot of the judging sessions at NHC in Las Vegas. I didn't realize it at first, but now I know that this is the smoked beers category being judged. At this table was Ray Daniels, Geoff Larson (they literally wrote the book on smoked beers), Tony Simmons, Harold Gulbransen, Jeff Gladish, and Joeseph Spangler.

The really cool thing is that I won a silver for my Smoked Porter. Geoff Larson of Alaskan Brewing (Alaskan Smoked Porter is one of the ultimate examples of the style) tasted my smoked porter and thought it was worthy of a silver medal! That was very cool.