Irony, Sarcasm, and Ethanol

So here I am again after many many months off - blame it on apathy and lack of anything to say.  Anyway,  our family received a brief message today from a friend concerned about how America is sliding deeper and deeper into Socialism.  I guess this means he will be quitting his job that is entirely taxpayer funded.  Either that or he will need to find a dictionary and look up irony.  I actually have some of the same concerns, but allowing people to purchase their own health insurance from the provider of their choice is NOT socialism.  As far as the mandate part goes, look no further than the insurance companies for the blame.  The mandate was driven by them; they were the ones who have been using the mantra We will be happy to insure everyone if everyone has to buy insurance  for decades.  All the executive and legislative branches did was call their bluff with a little help from the judicial branch.  A smaller version  of this mandate related to senior citizens and catastrophic coverage was even supported by Ronald Reagan in a 1987 radio address.

It also seems that the NHL and NHLPA are working hard to save my family a few hundred dollars this year and are succeeding.  I may need to watch the Sun Dogs - tickets are half that of the NHL, the arena is an hour closer, the food and lodging there are cheaper,  and the players are there to play hockey.  So I save on ticket prices, gasoline, food, and hotel rooms.  There is nothing like millionaires arguing with other millionaires about who has a tougher life.  The employees who work the food stalls at the arenas feel the pain of the owners and players.

I started home brewing again about 2 months ago after a 20 year hiatus.  Fermentation still works.  Beer is still good.  Brewing  at home still gives great results,  and my 13 year old daughter brewed a batch of birch beer and is hooked. All we need is for Toby Keith to write a song about a red fermenter spigot.  It could start like this:

Red fermenter spigot
You're get me hot
Let's brew some more beer
The time is now near...

I'll await Nashville's call.