another letter and a response

Stop the slaughter in Burma. Call in the American Civil Liberties Union. Burma news says as many as 10,000 people - many of them monks who led the demonstrations, have been rounded up for interrogation in recent days. We have been lectured time and time again about how the ACLU defends our liberties. Here is the perfect time for them to show what they are made of.
I call for a delegation to immediately pack their bags and get to Myanmar aka Burma and demand that the killing stop, for the people only want freedom and democracy. And who better to defend peace and freedom than the ACLU? I am sure that if the ACLU argues long and hard, the murderous leftists will have a change of heart and stop dragging thousands of people into the jungle to be gunned down and left to rot. And if all else fails, the boycotting of Chinese goods will surely push them over the edge. Do not buy those Chinese stuffed teddy bears and you will drive the ruling junta into immediate capitulation. Now if Halliburton were doing work in Rangoon, the ACLU would be on the next flight.

From, John T.

My response.

" A new low for Partisonship "

John T , had a letter published in the AJ on October 6th, using the horrors in Burma, as a backdrop to write a satirical argument, lambasting the ACLU (yet again).

What kind of sad excuse for a human being would endeavor to use twisted humor referencing Burmese Monks being slaughered and dragged into the streets, as a foundation to take a shot at the ACLU?

This is partisonship gone mad. John T., despite the fact the ACLU is one of your favorite whipping boys, your letter is unconscionable. What staggers the imagination is that the ACLU, again, is solely in existance to protect the Bill of Rights!

Have you lost your mind? Isn't there a more productive way to explain your viewpoints?

Where is the outrage from our Conservative community? Silence is unacceptable.

It's Time

I haven't posted in awhile. My latest letter to the editor was published today, after sitting in queue for almost three weeks.

Harvest report. It's been an odd growing season, but I have started the harvest. The sugar levels are down this year. Typically I like to harvest grapes with a brix level of 26 - 28, this year, I will harvest 22 - 24. This will still make nice wine, it will just end up being a "lighter" style.

To date I have harvested about 400 lbs of Zinfandel, and 75 pounds of Cabernet. I'm making some White Zinfandel for the first time this year, so after destemming the grapes, I'm extracting some of the "free run" grape juice, and making the White Zin from this. The remaining Zinfandel grape must will now have a higher ratio of skin to juice, so this will help extract darker colors, and a more fully flavored wine (in theory anyway).

The rest of the Estate grown grapes will be harvested this weekend.

I'm making white wine for the first time too. I have purchased 1000 lbs of Vermentino, which is a grape native to Sardinia. The initial tastes after fermentation are quite promising. I also have purchased 500 lbs of Roussanne. The Vermentino will be bottled 2 months after fermentation, while the Roussanne will be aged on Oak for probably 6 months before bottling.

It's been a few years since I made Tempranillo, but I'm doing so again this year, in addition to Petite Sirah, Syrah, Barbera, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon.