Plan for Tomorrow, Live for Today! - Life Commentary by a 30 Something Male!
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Monday, 15 April 2013
How to Format a Broken heart
Thank you Sunday Times Sunday Tech.
To read, right click image, choose view image and then zoom in with left click.
To read, right click image, choose view image and then zoom in with left click.
Monday, 8 April 2013
Dont Drink This!
Pre-amble:
This article was published in the Sunday Times on 7th April 2013, (thank you Sunday Times), but due to space restrictions they couldnt include all the drinks. Therefore below is the original article, with the image from the Times attached at the bottom.
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“I feel bad for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.” ~ Frank Sinatra
Of course Frank did it in his own way but I have to confess I also share a love of an evening tipple, a lunchtime glass of bubbly and an early morning chaser. Inparticular wines and spirits are very close to my heart and indeed liver. Its me that orders the weird cocktail from whichever bar I happen to be frequenting and then posts it to my facebook profile to see what reaction I can get from my more-sober friends. If you are like me you may have a small selection of what you call your favourite nightcaps, at least the ones you consume the most. But I'm willing to guess that, like me, this selection probably doesn't stretch much further than what is available at your local Saloon.
Published Article
Below is an image of the published article in the Sunday Times.
This article was published in the Sunday Times on 7th April 2013, (thank you Sunday Times), but due to space restrictions they couldnt include all the drinks. Therefore below is the original article, with the image from the Times attached at the bottom.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I feel bad for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.” ~ Frank Sinatra
Of course Frank did it in his own way but I have to confess I also share a love of an evening tipple, a lunchtime glass of bubbly and an early morning chaser. Inparticular wines and spirits are very close to my heart and indeed liver. Its me that orders the weird cocktail from whichever bar I happen to be frequenting and then posts it to my facebook profile to see what reaction I can get from my more-sober friends. If you are like me you may have a small selection of what you call your favourite nightcaps, at least the ones you consume the most. But I'm willing to guess that, like me, this selection probably doesn't stretch much further than what is available at your local Saloon.
Most countries have their own idea of what consists a normal drink. In Malta for example they have prickly pair liqueur which to some could be considered rather strange indeed. Whereas in Canada they have the Caesar which is basically a Bloody Mary where the tomato juice is replaced with Clamato. This is a tinned soft drink made from tomato juice and clam broth. Can't imagine it? Just think of tomatoes with a hint of fresh fish. Not my favourite to say the least.
These drinks are fun but they don't really surprise me or further my knowledge of worldwide drinking habbits. To truly push the envelope of what is possible, acceptable and in some cases down right un-drinkable, we have to travel much further and deeper into the global culture of getting tipsy, than I have dared go before. Beware, what lies ahead is not for those with a weak stomach.
Moonshine - USA
If, like me, you have brewed your own private brand of liqueur or wine in the garden shed, you could be branded a moonshiner, but to really earn this title you would have to refine your fermenting and distiling technique until you had something known as white lightning, tennessee white whiskey, or simply moonshine, which is strictly illegal. This illicit liquor was made as a black market beverage during the USA's prohibition era. Traditionally it is made from cornmeal but today some moonshiners use commercial hog feed because it's mostly made of corn and is easy to buy without attracting a lot of attention. It is still distilled in the backwoods of Appalachia where shiners evade the law and, hence the name, brew their alcoholic concoctions by the light of the moon.
Pulque - Central Mexico
Pulque is a milk-colored, somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the Maguey plant. The drink's history extends far back into the Mesoamerican period, when it was considered sacred, and its use was limited to certain classes of people. After the Spanish Conquest of Mexico however, the drink became secular and its consumption rose. You can still find a glass of Pulque if you look hard enough in the small street bars but its use has dropped hugely since the introduction of beer.
Agwa de Bolivia (Coca Leaf Liqueur) - Amsterdam
Coca leaves are best known as the source of the drug cocaine, but Bolivians chew the leaf in its natural state because of its apparent energy giving properties. The coca leaves used to make Agwa De Bolivia are shipped, under armed guard from Bolivia to Amsterdam where they are de-cocainised before being infused with alcohol and 36 other natural herbs and botanicals including guarana and ginseng. The result is a 60-proof electric-green liqueur renowned for its unique taste and legal buzz.
Mamajuana - Dominican Republic
Could brewers droop be a thing of the past? The locals in the dominion republic think so as they describe this drink as liquid Viagra. Mamajuana is made by steeping tree bark and herbs in a bottle with rum, red wine and honey. You can buy Mamajuana in two ways: Either in a bottle, or a bag of the key ingredients (leaves, twigs, shellfish and the private parts of a sea turtle). If you buy it this way you have to add your own rum and honey and take care of the curing and maceration process yourself. Or, you can buy Mamajuana as a ready-made drink, either from traders on the sides of the Dominican streets or since 2005 there has been a ready-to-drink mamajuana available to buy online that complies with international standards.
Arkhi - Mongolia
If all this talk of spirits and wine has left you feeling dizzy then maybe a good dairy product would return a winning smile to your face. Why not fill your half pint glass with Arkhi? Distilled from mare's milk, Arkhi is still a favourite drink among rural Mongolians and is around 12 percent alcohol. Traditionally the Mongolians were nomads and didn't settle in one spot long enough to grow vegetable products, instead they fermented the milk from their working horses in their temporary homes. Historians believe Arkhi has been enjoyed by nomadic tribes since at least fourth century BC.
Moutai - China
Moutai is practically unheard of in the west, but on the opposite side of the globe it is known as the national spirit of China, and at 144-proof it will certainly put hairs on your chest. Moutai is distilled from fermented sorghum (a cereal grain), and is classified as sauce flavoured because of its soy-sauce like fragrance and bold flavour that some say is comparable to lighter fluid, rotten cabbage and stinky tofu. Its alcohol content tops out at 53 percent. In 2010, a bottle of 1958 Moutai sold for a record price of 1.45 million yuan (€176,000) at auction. Legend has it that the White House officials warned President Richard Nixon to avoid the stuff during his 1972 visit to China.
Snake Wine - Asia
With a sense that shock value is more important than clever distillering, Snake Wine is typically produced by infusing entire snakes into a base rice wine that is similar to Japanese sake. Made mainly in Asia, the snake they use is said to add medicinal properties to the alcohol that can improve everything from hair loss to sexual virility. Although I'm sure most would argue that they are a bit of a gimmick. Disgusting, but still a gimmick.
Baby Mouse Wine - China
What would be the worst thing you could imagine adding to your wine in order to give it that certain j'ne sequa flavour? Well, I'm sure baby mice would not come too far off? Baby mice wine is a traditional Chinese health drink, which is brewed by drowning alive baby mice, maximum three days old, in rice moonshine and leaving them to ferment in the bottle for about a year. According to local Chinese belief, mouse wine is a cure to just about any illness imaginable, including asthma and can you believe it, liver problems.
Seagull Wine - Arctic Circle
We finish with a drink that tops all the rest in terms of shear nastiness and desperation. This drink stands as a testament to the pursuit of getting drunk at whatever lengths.
Limited somewhat by their chilled environment, the Inuit didn’t have much to work with when they wanted to create a fine vintage. So the recipe for this wine is simple; stuff a dead seagull into a bottle of water then leave in the sun to ferment for a good while and bingo, you've got yourself some seagull wine. Now all you have to do is travel to the very depths of despair in order to drink it.
These drinks are fun but they don't really surprise me or further my knowledge of worldwide drinking habbits. To truly push the envelope of what is possible, acceptable and in some cases down right un-drinkable, we have to travel much further and deeper into the global culture of getting tipsy, than I have dared go before. Beware, what lies ahead is not for those with a weak stomach.
Moonshine - USA
If, like me, you have brewed your own private brand of liqueur or wine in the garden shed, you could be branded a moonshiner, but to really earn this title you would have to refine your fermenting and distiling technique until you had something known as white lightning, tennessee white whiskey, or simply moonshine, which is strictly illegal. This illicit liquor was made as a black market beverage during the USA's prohibition era. Traditionally it is made from cornmeal but today some moonshiners use commercial hog feed because it's mostly made of corn and is easy to buy without attracting a lot of attention. It is still distilled in the backwoods of Appalachia where shiners evade the law and, hence the name, brew their alcoholic concoctions by the light of the moon.
Pulque is a milk-colored, somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the Maguey plant. The drink's history extends far back into the Mesoamerican period, when it was considered sacred, and its use was limited to certain classes of people. After the Spanish Conquest of Mexico however, the drink became secular and its consumption rose. You can still find a glass of Pulque if you look hard enough in the small street bars but its use has dropped hugely since the introduction of beer.
Coca leaves are best known as the source of the drug cocaine, but Bolivians chew the leaf in its natural state because of its apparent energy giving properties. The coca leaves used to make Agwa De Bolivia are shipped, under armed guard from Bolivia to Amsterdam where they are de-cocainised before being infused with alcohol and 36 other natural herbs and botanicals including guarana and ginseng. The result is a 60-proof electric-green liqueur renowned for its unique taste and legal buzz.
Could brewers droop be a thing of the past? The locals in the dominion republic think so as they describe this drink as liquid Viagra. Mamajuana is made by steeping tree bark and herbs in a bottle with rum, red wine and honey. You can buy Mamajuana in two ways: Either in a bottle, or a bag of the key ingredients (leaves, twigs, shellfish and the private parts of a sea turtle). If you buy it this way you have to add your own rum and honey and take care of the curing and maceration process yourself. Or, you can buy Mamajuana as a ready-made drink, either from traders on the sides of the Dominican streets or since 2005 there has been a ready-to-drink mamajuana available to buy online that complies with international standards.
If all this talk of spirits and wine has left you feeling dizzy then maybe a good dairy product would return a winning smile to your face. Why not fill your half pint glass with Arkhi? Distilled from mare's milk, Arkhi is still a favourite drink among rural Mongolians and is around 12 percent alcohol. Traditionally the Mongolians were nomads and didn't settle in one spot long enough to grow vegetable products, instead they fermented the milk from their working horses in their temporary homes. Historians believe Arkhi has been enjoyed by nomadic tribes since at least fourth century BC.
Moutai is practically unheard of in the west, but on the opposite side of the globe it is known as the national spirit of China, and at 144-proof it will certainly put hairs on your chest. Moutai is distilled from fermented sorghum (a cereal grain), and is classified as sauce flavoured because of its soy-sauce like fragrance and bold flavour that some say is comparable to lighter fluid, rotten cabbage and stinky tofu. Its alcohol content tops out at 53 percent. In 2010, a bottle of 1958 Moutai sold for a record price of 1.45 million yuan (€176,000) at auction. Legend has it that the White House officials warned President Richard Nixon to avoid the stuff during his 1972 visit to China.
With a sense that shock value is more important than clever distillering, Snake Wine is typically produced by infusing entire snakes into a base rice wine that is similar to Japanese sake. Made mainly in Asia, the snake they use is said to add medicinal properties to the alcohol that can improve everything from hair loss to sexual virility. Although I'm sure most would argue that they are a bit of a gimmick. Disgusting, but still a gimmick.
What would be the worst thing you could imagine adding to your wine in order to give it that certain j'ne sequa flavour? Well, I'm sure baby mice would not come too far off? Baby mice wine is a traditional Chinese health drink, which is brewed by drowning alive baby mice, maximum three days old, in rice moonshine and leaving them to ferment in the bottle for about a year. According to local Chinese belief, mouse wine is a cure to just about any illness imaginable, including asthma and can you believe it, liver problems.
We finish with a drink that tops all the rest in terms of shear nastiness and desperation. This drink stands as a testament to the pursuit of getting drunk at whatever lengths.
Limited somewhat by their chilled environment, the Inuit didn’t have much to work with when they wanted to create a fine vintage. So the recipe for this wine is simple; stuff a dead seagull into a bottle of water then leave in the sun to ferment for a good while and bingo, you've got yourself some seagull wine. Now all you have to do is travel to the very depths of despair in order to drink it.
Below is an image of the published article in the Sunday Times.
Monday, 1 April 2013
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Cow Tipping - A Load Of Old Bullocks
I grew up on a farm in Devon, England. An area traditionally known for its agricultural heritage and beautiful countryside. At school many of my class-mates came from a similar background, but the larger percentage were from non-agricultural families, still the general knowledge on the subject of farming by many was far greater than that in a city environment. This was proved this when my best friend from a city I lived in previously came to visit me and explained that he didn't like the milk my mum served with cornflakes, (fresh from the cows udder), because he preferred the milk they had at his house, the type that was made in and came from a factory and not a living creature! Oh dear!Its a common playground tale of boys and girls creeping out at night, slowly and silently creeping up to cows as they stand whilst sleeping. Not disturbing them before pushing hard and toppling them over, all in all a sport / pastime named cow-tipping! I am sure you have heard of it before, and if not then you surely know someone who has. I asked my folks and they had also heard this tale as children. In fact type it into google and you will see a whole range of text on the subject.
I believed every tale I heard about this, never to try, but often wondering if I should join in by running out to our own herd one evening and join the craze. It was only when I got older and re-thought this hilarious idea that I could see all the gaps in the story. Now, I am not saying that it is impossible to tip over a cow who is standing, but lets face it, cow-tipping is complete bollocks. Firstly, cows don't sleep standing up, FACT. why would they? Cows are like any other grass eating mammal and prefer to be warmer rather than colder, they sit, and sometimes roll onto their sides like horses to rest for the evening, but certainly don't stand up. I knew this but still as a kid couldn't see this massive hole in the theory. Secondly, have you ever tried to push a cow over? I can say for a fact that every kid at school who claimed to have taken part in this after school-hours activity was clearly lying. they lived in built-up areas and non of the farming children ever claimed such a thing. Funny that! I once tried to push a cow to one side as it stood in my way in a barn. With all my might I pushed this cow, it was an immovable object that simply just rocked slightly as my whole body leaned with all my strength against it. Cows are heavy and even if you did catch one off guard, it would soon know you were there and probably kick you in the face before legging it to the rest of the herd making a loud thud as its hooves damaged the soft ground. You could maybe try a calf, but they are skittish and even more likely to kick you, plus they are quick to move and have a great sense of balance.
So I give to you the breaking of a myth. Cow tipping as a popular pastime is surely nothing but a load of old bullocks!
Water! The Wonder Drug??
I decided to experiment, I would try to meet my 8 pint daily recommended intake. This was to be difficult as I already drink a hell of a lot, alcohol mainly, with a lot of coca-cola mixed in, which I know is bad and to be honest don't even enjoy, but there's only so much apple or orange juice you can drink. That is without reaching an overzealous 18+ of your 5-a-day fruit and vegetables. I didn't want to curb the evening boozing, but by interspersing each drink with a glass of water I felt a clear way to managing this some-what silly intake of clear tasteless lubricant.
So as I begin my experiment all I could report was bloated-ness! a constant need to run to the toilet and generally a slight feeling of woozy! But to what I presumed was to no-avail, I pushed on. by day 3 I had got used to the water, especially the taste as I have to say water is the most boring drink known to man. By day 4 I was easily flying through the glasses. making the experiment not so much a success, but an easy challenge to place upon myself.
Then things started to get interesting, Day 5 and suddenly I wake up in the morning with a clear head, an empty pint glass by my bedside and a thirst for even more water prior to my ritualistic cup-of-tea. I was starting to feel a positive effect from the water. Day 6 and I start digesting my food more easily, the headaches, especially those caused by alcohol were becoming smaller and I was sleeping more easily and getting tired at a reasonable time of the night.
Could water be the wonder drug to many of our most commonplace light health problems? I am no doctor but I have to say that as I reached day 7 I was totally convinced that this was the way forward. I don't mind admitting that the ability to drink without a hangover was a clear push for me to continue this routine, but I could also think clearer, solve problems at work quicker, rest better, plus there were a whole range of other less obvious but positive side-effects the water brought with it. Can you solve a problem with a glass of water? No, but apparently with 8 you can!
I now live in Malta, where the days are hot and the nights aren't much cooler. Drinking water has become a must to survive here and I never go to bed without a bottle next to me. I have now turned to sparkling, something that previously disgusted me. It tends to quench the thirst quicker and have a faster lubricating effect on the body. That is after you get over the strange carbon-like taste that comes with it. Its a good job water is only 18c a bottle over here instead of the nearly 70p in the UK, else good health might also translate to empty bank accounts.
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