A little late for Halloween...

It's a month late for spookiness, but I felt an eerie chill when I read this earlier:

Obama Meets With Wal-Mart's Duke to Discuss Economy

I can only imagine the conversation....

"Hey, why don't we outsource the role of government to China - yeah, that would save us some money?!"

Or, what about this one: "Thank you Mr. Obama for letting us corporations continue to have our way. You ought to get an Oscar for all that 'Hope' act you put on back in 2008 - you're a keeper! You ever thought of becoming an Exec down in Bentonville when we throw you out in 2012? You know what, we'll even give you the corner office, where you can proudly display your token Nobel Prize jingamajiggy!"

Man, I'm so glad that we're calling on the top capitalistic brass for ideas on fixing the disastrous mess they've created. With any luck, despite lots of us not having jobs, we'll bail out this sinking ship and keep this whole economy afloat by buying cheap, unnecessary, toxic trinkets and imported food from god knows where. Now there's a plan for economic recovery!

Here's to surprises!

I'm seldom surprised anymore. So, today when I racked over a batch of IPA into a secondary fermenter and discovered the moderate aroma and flavor of spice I was a bit surprised. I am obsessive about cleanliness and sanitation in my brewing and cider making, but today I was reminded sanitation doesn't take care of residual aromatics and flavor compounds left over from previous batches. What was to be a hoppy India Pale Ale may now be my first inadvertent attempt at a Christmas Ale, due to carry-over spice flavor in my plastic fermenter from my last cider. It will be a few more weeks before I know for sure how nicely the infused phantom spice either complements or dominates my IPA, and I am somewhat hopeful the Amarillo and Chinook dry-hop addition will bring my end product back to this side of spicy. But, if it doesn't, the spice just might serve as a nice winter warmer that will be ready to drink just about the time Christmas rolls around!

Cheers to the holidays!

Detour

Riding my bike in to work this morning, I encountered a train crossing where I usually travel. No problem, I thought, as there are many more crossings to connect me to my route as I paralleled the tracks. As I rode, it became apparent that this was a long, slow train, and I would not be crossing and continuing on my usual route as thought. So, I traveled on until I could cross over the tracks after the train had passed. My detour took me down some streets I don't usually travel, either by foot, bicycle or automobile. It's not that there was amazing scenery, or that where I was traveling was really noteworthy at all. But, what it did offer was a change in mood and thought for a few minutes and some distraction to the fact that I was pedaling against cold wind and rain. In this distraction I found the most simplistic pleasure - my voluntary detour had allowed me a chance to do something different, to look and think about things alternatively, and be sucked out of the the mundane and alerted to the fact that there is more going on than would normally be noticed if you take the opportunity to capture it.

...like a flaming arrow through a wet goat

OK, OK....yes, I'm one of those people that get primed before going to see a show by listening to all the songs that the performer is going to hopefully play - would you like to join?

http://soundcloud.com/bobby-bare-jr/01-your-goat-is-on-fire-1

I have been waiting for Bobby Bare, Jr to come through town, ever since I heard a live full set of him broadcast on KEXP from his September show during Portland's MFNW.

A reliable source says that his show last week with Jay Farrar in St Paul was great. So, here's to the priming and anticipation!

The Morning After

I propose we all declare that, from now on, the morning after election day in America be an excusable 'sick' day. Because that's how I feel as I think about the days, years to come...

But alas, I haven't the corporate funding to get my special 'day of sickness' to a societal vote, nor get a real passionate, human, non-puppet candidate to campaign on my idea.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll spread my sickness and disdain to people on the street, and we'll all be sick and pissed off enough to make a difference and offset the centers of gravity..! Or, maybe another shiny new thing will catch our attention, and we'll go on about our day and wait for the great change to come and tap us on the shoulder and let us know that a big revolution has started, where it is, and what popular kids are hosting it (be sure to check Facebook for details on the big party, via sponsored links from Pepsi, Halliburton, and Chevron to be sure you're getting the right info!).