Another "non-chase" but this afternoon was noteworthy in that these convective showers were popping up all over the area. This is one of them approaching from the northwest. I saw some more impressive tops south of here but didn't get any photos of them. There is hope for the SDS-afflicted soul!

I've previously posted about the new Devils Backbone production brewery. This week I got to experience the benefit of the expanded distribution of the brewery's beers. Devils Backbone was the featured brewery for Tuesday's Steal the Glass Night at Capital Ale House. I rarely get to take advantage of this weekly event, as I have prior and regular commitments on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Tuesday evenings of every month. But the January calendar had five Tuesdays! On top of that, I was taking a couple days of vacation this week. And, on top of that again, Devils Backbone! What more could I ask?

Two beers were featured, Vienna Lager and Eight Point IPA. I opted for the IPA. It was served in a nice looking logo glass, which I "stole." The beer was a golden amber in color with a small head. Copious, and very sticky lacing was left behind on the glass as I enjoyed my drink. The mild aroma was floral hops and malt. I was suffering with a head cold, so my perceptions were likely a bit muted. The flavor was well-balanced. The beer was not too bitter but had a refreshing citrus and floral hop bite to it.

Needless to say I was excited to get a chance to try the Devils Backbone beer, and to enjoy a rare Tuesday evening at Capital Ale House's STG Night.

Did you know that only an attorney can legally represent you in traffic court? Your parent, spouse, or friend aren’t allowed to. You certainly can speak for yourself, but if you want help in front of the judge, you need to hire an attorney.

Video Transcription

Hello, my name is Andrew Flusche. I’m a Virginia traffic attorney. Today I wanted to talk to you about something very simple, that some people don’t understand about court. If you’re not an attorney, you’re not allowed to talk for somebody else in court. That’s the way the laws work in the United States; that in order to speak for someone else, you have to be an attorney.

If you have a traffic case and you want to be able to present something about your case or about you or your driving record, you either need to be able to explain everything to the judge yourself– which you are certainly allowed to do, you can talk for yourself–or you need to hire an attorney to come with you to court, or go for your to court.

I see people quite often come into traffic court with a spouse or a parent or a friend trying to speak on their behalf, and unfortunately, unless that person is a licensed attorney who is licensed to practice in Virginia, they can’t speak for you. That’s just an unfortunate way the laws work. In order to speak on someone’s behalf in court like that you have to be a licensed attorney.

It’s really intended to protect consumers, so you make sure that if you have someone coming to court, if you paid them, that you’re getting someone who knows what they’re doing. That’s really the whole goal of licensure for attorneys. But unfortunately it does have the kind of unintended consequence of surprising people sometimes.

The best rule of thumb is that if you need someone to speak on your behalf, or for you in court, you need to consult with an attorney and hire them to come with you to court. Sometimes we can even take care of the case without you even being there. We can present the argument that you would like to present and explain to the judge what you would like them to hear about your case. If you have a case around Fredericksburg, Stafford, or Spotsylvania, I’d be happy to talk to you about it and see if it’s a case that I could help you with.

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Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2012 Andrew Flusche. Only Attorneys Can Represent You

Today, February 1 is the Feast Day of St. Brigid of Ireland. Few beer lovers would disagree with the Saint's prayer "I'd Like A Great Lake Of Beer For The King Of Kings. I Would Like To Be Watching Heaven's Family Drinking It Through All Eternity."

Interestingly, my original post on St. Brigid of Ireland remains on of the most popular posts on the Musings.

Will you be my Valentine? Treat your sweetie with these delightful cherry chocolate cookies made from 100% goodness! Nothing says lovin' like cookies from the oven! :)


Low-Point Cherry Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter (I used Imperial stick butter for this recipe), softened but still cool
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 4 tsp. maraschino cherry juice
- 1/4 tsp. almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- Red food coloring (as much as you need for your desired color)
- granulated sugar, for sprinkling the cookies
- 53 Brach's Chocolate Stars or Hershey Kisses
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Reduce speed and beat in powdered sugar and salt. Add cherry juice and almond extract and combine. With the mixer on low add the flour slowly, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Rolls the dough into 1" balls and place on a baking sheet. Press the center of the cookie with your thumb until the dough is about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle cookie with a little bit of sugar and bake for about 10 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Once removed from the oven, gently press a chocolate star or Hershey Kiss in the center of the cookie. Let cool and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 53
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 1.5

Blogging about your blog is sort of like setting up mirrors facing each other and standing between them. But, if we're honest, blogging is pretty much like staring in mirror anyway.

I've added some new blog links for you to check out. You can find them under the Shooting & Freedom tab:

The Smoothing Plane
Kerry blogs about wide range of subjects, from woodworking to self-defense to politics. All the while keeping his faith at the forefront.

Down Range Report
Duke posts his observations on guns, self-defense and politics, from the point-of-view of a retired combat vet.

Barrel Smoke
The blogger sums himself up thusly:"So, here's the thing: I love to cook and I love to shoot. Nothing like smoke on a brisket and smoke from a barrel." And he does the occasional beer review too!

Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership
No one knows the dangers of a government out to destroy a faith better than these folks. As Obama begins his open attacks on the Catholic faithful, we should be heeding the dire warning from Jewish history. See this post in particular.


In other news, there are a lot of new folks joining the Musings using the Google Friend Connect link in the right hand column. At last look the count was up to 80. Welcome to all my new friends! Those folks represent a wide range of interests. A lot of them have blogs as well, so check them out.

I write a lot about exercising your rights in traffic stops and how you can refuse things like road-side DWI tests. But does that mean you should be rude to the officer?

NO!! Here’s three reasons to always be polite to them, even if you refuse to do what they ask:

1. Law enforcement officers are just folks like you and me who are trying their best to do their job. Sure, there are some bad apples out there. And some departments have reputations as being particularly tough. But overall, I have a lot of respect for law enforcement personnel. Just like anybody you encounter in your daily life, they deserve respect.

2. The officer has a lot of power in your case. He is usually the person who decides what you are charged with. And he can also put in a good (or bad) word for you with the Commonwealth’s Attorney when the case comes trial. Do you really want to tick off the officer?

3. Many prosecutors and judges take a dim view of defendants who are rude and disrespectful to the officers. Your demeanor with the officer could make a huge difference in the outcome of the case. Being polite won’t get the case dismissed, but being a jerk certainly can make it hard to get a break from the judge.

The reasons could go on, but surely you get the point. I always suggest to NOT allow the officer to search your car if asked. And it usually makes sense to refuse roadside DWI tests. But you certainly should exercise your rights politely.

Photo by pixieclipx

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Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2012 Andrew Flusche. Be Nice to the Officer!

This evening at 6:39PM central Virginia experienced a 3.2 earthquake. Mild in comparison to the 5.8 quake that hit last August, but still a subtle reminder that we are not the ones in charge.

And Twitter moves almost as fast.

What was really interesting about this event was how fast I got confirmation that it was indeed an earthquake. I had just sat down in a chair and could both hear and feel the rumble. About the same time my wife called down the stairs, "Do you feel that?" and I answered in the affirmative "Yes", a Twitter alert popped up on my laptop from a friend exclaiming "Aftershock!" I don't think the rumbling had even stopped.

We had one heck of a lunch today! This amazing bruschetta with sautéed tomatoes and garlic, fresh prosciutto, and mozzarella was thoroughly enjoyed by all! Very easy to make and definitely one worth repeating!


Low-Point Prosciutto and Mozzarella Bruschetta
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 4 thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1 1/2 cups chopped grape or cherry tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- kosher salt and fresh pepper
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
- I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
- fresh basil
- 2 Steak Rolls, halved (I bought Maier's Italian Steak Rolls)
Preheat broiler on high. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto slices and cook for several minutes on each side just until they begin to get a little bit crisp. Remove prosciutto to a plate, cut or break into pieces, and set aside. Add minced garlic, tomatoes, and a little salt and pepper to the same skillet. Saute' for several minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften. Take one half of the steak roll and spray with butter. Toast roll until golden brown. Top rolls with tomato and garlic mixture, prosciutto, and a little bit of mozzarella cheese. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and place rolls on the baking sheet. Place in broiler oven just until cheese begins to melt. Remove, top with fresh basil and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 4
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 4