The past week has been a maelstrom. At work I labored through my birthday to re-build our stack with a new security model at the cost of a lingering cold that has left my nose tingling and my eyes with a sandy itch that I cannot seem to rub out. Certainly looking forward to this weekend to lay my head down and not exercise any mental facilities beyond what is necessary.

My avoidance of news with political content proves to be a challenging endeavor. When I do encounter it those raw feelings of bitter disappointment, barely constrained anger, and hopelessness are difficult to tamp out. It is a sad time when your elderly parents hold more hope for the future than you can muster on your best day with your life spread out before you. There was a time when I was invigorated and filled with optimism and energy for the direction of this nation and the planet but the last ten years have worn me down to the barest stump. My new political philosophy boils down to this: trust no public officer, do what it is necessary to ensure the health and safety of your family, to hell with the rest. Sad.

Back to work.