Fuck 2009.

Dear God. I hope 2010 is better than 2009. I, along with a lot of other people had a pretty miserable year. I lost a job, along with my identity, self respect and professionalism; and did not find work for 4 months. I took a job which was soul crushing and shitty. I was professionally marginalized and meagerly compensated for pouring a lot of myself into the organization. I was slightly relieved to get laid off, except for the impending doom feeling. I had some medical issues, and I am still trying to get back on the right track.

I am not sure if everyone reading this can empathize, but I know a few can. 2009 was a shit roller coaster, and I think we are all hoping for a new beginning in 2010. Happy New Year.

Theres a storm brewing.

Yeah, thats right. I did something that fit right in my wheel house. No one was surprised. On Saturday, my buddy and I brewed some beer. We like to drink expensive, craft brewed beer, so we took the next step and made our own. Hopefully it comes out well. We went to a place that provided equipment and guidance. WE bought our ticket and took the ride. Right now, we are waiting for it to ferment, so we can go bottle it. My buddy and I chose a Belgian type triple ale, for a few reasons. The first being its relatively high alcohol content. Thats right, the shit will get you drunk. It has twice the octane on traditional american lagers and pilsners like Budweiser or or Coors. Second, it tastes pretty good. It does not taste like Old Dirty Homeless Guy Shoe Ale. Not too hoppy, and not too bitter. It will taste like beer, not like shattered dreams. The experience was pretty good, with the exception of my brewing partner letting the kettle boil over. The brewmasters at the spot were very helpful, and they offer a huge variety of recipes. So, if you are ever wanting to go brew some really awesome beer, get your ass to Gallaghers, Where U Brew. http://www.whereubrew.com/

Suck it Trebek.

Its been too long

Hey there folks. I am sorry I have not posted in a while. I can't use the excuse of being busy, because I lost my job. One business day after I was eligible for benefits. Funny how that works. It almost seems like they might have planned that layoff for a specific period of time. Huh. Three days later I received the invitation to the company Christmas party. Somehow I doubt I will be attending that one. Nice they could do that before the holidays. I do not want any of that pesky disposable income getting in the way of Christmas shopping. It just complicates decisions. Its really the thought that counts.

Now that I have my petty bitching out of the way, I have a serious issue to discuss. Recent tragedies make my horseshit pale in comparison. It has been a week since the execution of four Lakewood Police officers in a coffee shop. The perpetrator has been subsequently killed by a Seattle Police officer.

All of this could have been avoided, had the legal system done its job. Mr. Clemons was serving a 108 year sentence for a series of violent crimes, and Mike Huckabee granted him clemency on his sentence, pretty much because he "found god" and he planned on leaving the state, because he had "job prospects" and family in Washington. Had he stuck with his original crimes of robbery, assault and child rape, Arkansas' plan to get him out of their hair would have been just peachy. He was wanted in Arkansas for another string of crimes on top of the 108 year sentence that was forgiven; but when he was inevitably arrested in Washington for child rape and some other nonsense, Arkansas chose not to extradite. Imagine that. They did not want another low life within their borders. They decided to dump this asshole on Washington. That is about where Mike Huckabee's and Arkansas' responsibility ends. Now that Mr. Clemons was in Washington, a judge allowed him to post bail. Apparently this judge did not read, or did not place any credence in the extensive dossier of legal kerfluffles that Mr. Clemons found himself entangled in. Now, in addition to the failure of this judge, a bondsman posted a bond for Mr. Clemons. The bondsman took a gamble, and now will have egg on his face, if he keeps his business. All of this could have been avoided, had the state of Arkansas not given Mr. Clemons a premature release. If that failed, there were two other stops in place, the judge, and the bondsman. If either of these jokers had done their homework, none of this would have happened. If the judge had looked at the case file for this career criminal, accused of sexually abusing a 12 year old girl in the state of Washington (among other things), and wanted on 8 warrants in Arkansas, and shown some JUDGEMENT, and some judicial common sense by denying bail to this degenerate, 9 kids in Lakewood would still have their parents tonight. This horrible tragedy is an example of a complete and utter failure of the system. Arkansas completely abrogated responsibility for one of its citizens, and a judge glossed over the detailed history of an inveterate criminal. Now four officers who served their community honorably are dead. WE have plenty of laws on the books to prevent this sort of crime from occurring, however, laws are useless if they are not enforced by diligent members of society.