Been awhile

Its been awhile since I posted, lets get up to speed:

1 - The Utes went undefeated in college football and went on to blow out Alabama in the Sugar Bowl
2 - I was appointed Sr. Deacon of Wasatch Lodge #1 F&AM SLC, UT
3 - Barack Obama was elected president
4 - I went back to school to get my MBA at Weber State University
5 - The Phillies won the world series
6 - The Jazz have been riddled with injuries and have struggled all season
7 - I got a new lap-top for Christmas
8 - My girlfriend started teaching and she got a full time job

Things are going well and I think I have settled into a groove. Hopefully I can keep this blog up. School gives me a lot to think about especially because I am enrolled in an ethics class.

Bill Cosby: Write in Candidate

I heard about this on the radion yesterday, so I looked it up on the net today:

His platform is a hoot!

Campaign issue No. 1

"Press 1 for English" is immediately banned. English is the official language; speak it or wait at the border until you can.

Campaign Issue No. 2

We will immediately go into a two-year isolationist posture to straighten out the country's attitude. No imports, no exports.
We will use the Wal-Mart policy: "If we ain't got it, you don't need it."

Campaign Issue No. 3

When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it.

Campaign Issue No. 4

All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border (a six month tour).
They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens.

Campaign Issue No. 5

Social security will immediately return to its original state. If you didn't put nuttin' in, you ain't gettin nuttin' out.
Neither the president nor any other politician will be able to touch it.

Campaign Issue No. 6

Welfare checks will be handed out on Fridays at the end of the 40-hour school week and the successful completion of urinalysis test and a passing grade.

Campaign Issue No. 7

The FIRST time you check positive for professional athletes steroids, you're banned for life.

Campaign Issue No. 8

We will adopt the Turkish method when it come to crime. The first time you steal, you lose your right hand. There are no more life sentences. If convicted, you will be put to death by the same method you chose for your victim; gun, knife, strangulation, etc.

Campaign Issue No. 9

One export will be allowed. Wheat. The world needs to eat.
A bushel of wheat will be the exact price of a barrel of oil.

Campaign Issue No. 10

All foreign aid using American taxpayer money will immediately cease and the saved money will pay off the national debt and ultimately lower taxes. When disasters occur around the world, we'll ask the American people if they want to donate to a disaster fund, and each citizen can make the decision whether it's a worthy cause.

Campaign Issue No. 11

The Pledge of Allegiance will be said every day at school and every day in Congress.

Campaign Issue No. 12

The National Anthem will be played at all appropriate ceremonies, sporting events, outings, etc.


In his closing remarks, Cosby apologizes in advance with an upbeat comment:

"Sorry if I stepped on anyone's toes but a vote for me will get you better than what you have and better than what you're gonna get. Thanks for listening and remember to write in my name on the ballot in November."

God Bless America !!!!!!!!!!!
Bill Cosby!!!!!!!!

I read on a website that this is false, but I like his platform.

Progress Lodge Master Mason Degree

I am helping out Progress Lodge #22 in Salt Lake City tonight to confer the Master Mason Degree on a lucky candidate. I will be playing the part of Second Fellowcraft. Its been awhile since I have traveled to another lodge, it has been even longer since I helped another lodge do degree work. I just hope I do Wasatch Lodge #1 proud.

Raspberry Wheat Beer

So I tried the raspberry wheat that I started a few weeks ago. It was flat, but other than that I thought it tasted awful. I think I have fixed the carbonation issue. I have read previously that the raspberry extract that I used can cause a soapy flavor. That was exactly what I tasted. I am hoping that the beer will "grow" out of it. It definitely doesn't taste like tasty natural raspberries should. I think if I do fruit in beer like I am with the apricot wheat, I will only use fresh fruit, or fruit pure going forward, those flavorings are nasty.

I also started the beer for an apricot wheat ale. It was going to be a heffeweizen, but The Beer Nut didn't have a heffe kit. I did a wheat beer instead, it should be basically the same, I am using a heffeweizen yeast. Speaking of yeast, I also used a liquid yeast rather than dry yeast. Supposedly the liquid yeast will make the beer that much better. I am planning on adding the apricots to the secondary fermentor. Right now the apricots are frozen. When I am ready for them, I am going to thaw them, mash them, and bake them for about a half an hour at 150 F to pasteurize them. It will have to taste better then the soapy raspberry flavoring.

The amber ale I first kegged keeps getting better. My first brew, the American Brown Ale tastes awesome. I cracked open a bottle this weekend, and didn't want to stop drinking it. I think that my next beer will be a stout or something else with some body to it.

That's all on the beer front for now.

Bottled: Brown Ale
Keg 1: Amber Ale
Keg 2: Raspberry Wheat
Keg 3: empty
Secondary: Cream Ale
Primary: Apricot Wheat
On deck: Irish Stout

Giambi-stache

Since I started growing a moustache last week in honor of Jason Giambi, the Yankees have gone 4-0. I think it is a sign. The stache stays. pics may come later

Shriners

One of the first things that I noticed after I joined the El Kalah Shrine in Salt Lake City, Utah, was that they are desperate to recruit new members. I think this is fine, but where are the new members coming from? I would say that they are going to come from men my age or younger. My question is, what does the Shrine have to offer men like me?

I went to a free Steak Fry on Saturday sponsored by the El Kalah Shriners. The food was good, the company was good, but I wouldn't call it a great event. The advertisement said games and socializing at 4 dinner at 5. This is great, but the games consisted of bingo and a raffles. These are fine in small quantities. It was an outside event, we could have played some music and gotten some classic summer activities going. Volleyball, horse shoes, croquette, these would have all been fun. I have no complaints about the food, I'll take a free steak any day of the week (and twice last Saturday).

Probably one of the most frustrating things for me was when a brother noble who is fairly new called up his wife and told her not to come because there were no other kids there. He was affraid I think that his kids would be bored. We need to promote families more. Shriners is one aspect of Masonry that families can and should be encouraged to attend.

So I go back to the question, what does Shriners offer a man like me? Other than helping with the hospital I would say not a lot. I know it is important to maintain the ties to our past, but half of the purpose of Shriners is to have fun, and a lot of what they do now isn't necessarily what I would prefer to do. Even in the Shrine Band, I think one of the reasons we have a hard time recruiting is that it is irrelevant to a younger crowd. I almost feel that we need a club for men under 40. I don't think we would exclude anyone from the activities that the club did, however, it would be totally directed by younger men. I would also like to start a shrine band not for marching, but more just to perform some rock and roll and have fun.

These were just some thoughts and observations from this weekend.

Promotion

I accepted a new position with UTA today. Beginning on or about July 28, 2008 I will be a Grants and Contracts Administrator. I am looking forward to it. I will be making more money which is nice and I will relocate to the Meadowbrook office which is less of a commute. I will be stuck in the office a lot more, which I think will be okay. Right now I am trying to get my Real Estate Projects wrapped up so I will probably be back and forth for a while. Anyways, we'll see how it goes.