So on Wednesday night, in a new low, I left my BlackBerry in the pocket of a pair of pants I ran through the washing machine. Disaster ensued. But thanks to the amazing mutant powers of the man called Forge –a/k/a Tom Lee — all has been recovered and replaced. I am still learning the ways of my new device, so if you’re someone with whom I have a text-or-email-based relationship, please continue bearing with me through this time of transition.

Everyone should have a friend like Tom, a man about whom Rudyard Kipling would have written a poem, absent all the uncomfortable stuff about imperialism. Not only are his tech skills unsurpassed, he also records video at beer events and espouses sensible opinions about beer.