CRAZY

Yah. The 2008 legislative session is crazy. CRAZY. Hence the lack of posts. I'm here to tell you that it's crazy. The governor and the legislature are facing off, continually one-upping the other. The legislature got a couple good jabs in with the veto override and the boot to transpo commish Molnau. "Oh yeah?" responded the governor. "Here's a serving of some program cuts AND a tax cut!"

And while that is forefront on the media's radar, lots of other stuff is going on.

Like making beer.

Homebrew update

The first mai bock is quite tasty, but still could use a few more weeks. The chinook mai bock is in the keg, and the third bock is still bubblin' away. All from the same yeast.

We added some molasses to the schwarz bier, and I cracked my first one tonight. Whoa. Want a cookie? This one gets a few more months in the bottle. The porter--from the same yeast--was thick as hell when we transferred it, and in need of some serious age, 6 months at least. Maybe we'll find a bourbon barrel or something. We took the yeast from this one and made a dopplebock, which will sit until next fall as well.

The liberty lager was waaaaay fruity, like an apple, when we bottled it (with our new capper!). Good summer beer I hope.

Speaking of summer, time to start some ales and get the hop rhizomes in the ground.

Moving to...Mississippi?

By now you've probably seen the new Pawlenty for Governor TV ad...it's flashy, short, positive, and generally a great ad.



It should come as no surprise that T-Paw can produce a good ad, given the fact that he has $2 million in the bank--I saw the ad and thought to myself, "Oh f**k." Not so much because Mike Hatch has a lot to compete with, but mainly because it's filled with BULLSHIT.

As Roving Reporter recently pointed out:

" 'Funding schools at record levels' is technically accurate, but if he wanted it to be technically and literally accurate, he would need to add the word 'low' between the words record and levels. Tuition at the U has increased nearly $20,000 in the time T-Paw has been "funding schools at record levels." But I guess this was a stroke of campaign genius, because since we have a less educated workforce, we have a lot of new minimum wage paying jobs replacing all the high paying professional jobs this state once attracted. So, yes, we probably have more jobs than we did when he took office, but the number of jobs that pay a liveable wage has gone down dramatically under his watch.

If he wants to be governor of Misissippi, I encourage him to move there, and not bring their standards of living to this once great state."

Well said RR, well said.

Pawlenty to students: 'I'm sorry'

Tim Pawlenty: "Yeah, we balanced the budget on the backs of college students, and I'm sorry, and I promise I'll fix it if you re-elect me."

Ok, he didn't really say that, but close: "The tuition-level increases were too high. Keep in mind that we had a budget crisis of historic magnitude in 2003. It's now 2006, and we've gotten to the point where we are adding back to higher education, and we will again." Read the full story here.

Hoping that 18-21 year olds are forgetful and disengaged (read: stoned and irresponsible), and won't remember the double-digit tuition increases imposed on them come November, the Governor is now trying to make good and redeem himself. First he proposes free tuition for the top of the class, and now he says it's time to forgive and pay 'em back.

Ok, I say, but what about all the kids and families you booted off health insurance? What's your plan for them, Timmy? Oh right, some of them can't vote. And if they did, they wouldn't be voting for you.

Oh, that Timmy is a sly one. Let's not him get away with this. Make sure students remember who their friends are, make sure they know cute news conferences and empty promises don't pay for a four year degree.