Check Out Woot–Whiskey Stones

As spotted by Simon today – Woot.com has SPARQ USA Soapstone Ice Rocks on sale, a set of 9 for $5.99.

Now I reviewed the two premium products on the market (Whiskey Disks vs Whisky Stones), but I never tried SPARQ.  In looking at their website, it appears that they do more than just Ice Rocks, but also Soapstone Shot Glasses, a Soap Stone Griddle and a Soapstone Thermal Appetizer Plate.  Kinda cool.

The Woot Price  seems quite the deal at almost 75% off the MSR of $19.50.

Since I already have two sets of stones (pun intended), I probably won’t be picking these up….but it might be a good stocking stuffer for the whiskey drinker in your life. 

That being said, if SPARQ wants to send me a set, I would be happy to do another comparison – Their product against the other two.

What do you say SPARQ?

Cheers-

Guinness and Cornflakes

 

I will say for the record……the lyrics are not even remotely safe for work and could be offensive to people who do not like rough language.

Monday Quick Hits

It’s Monday again – so lets see some of the insanity that came in through the weekend.

To start things off, how about Lt. Saavik (Kirstie Alley herself) demonstrating her secret weight loss plan.

To me, I could care less.  I think if smoking works for you, let me pass you a lighter, but of course the media has to be in her grill.

So, if that is your thing – head over to the Daily Mail and check out the rest of the pics.

Since we are on the subject of smoking, how about an article that “Smoking may be beneficial to long distance runners”.

-Serum hemoglobin is related to endurance running performance. Smoking is known to enhance serum hemoglobin levels and (added bonus), alcohol may further enhance this beneficial adaptation.
-Lung volume also correlates with running performance, and training increases lung volume. Guess what else increases lung volume? Smoking.
-Running is a weight-bearing sport, and therefore lighter distance runners are typically faster runners. Smoking is associated with reduced body weight, especially in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (these folks require so much energy just to breath that they often lose weight).
In the discussion, Ken goes on to point out that:
Cigarette smoking has been shown to increase serum hemoglobin, increase total lung capacity and stimulate weight loss, factors that all contribute to enhanced performance in endurance sports. Despite this scientific evidence, the prevalence of smoking in elite athletes is actually many times lower than in the general population. The reasons for this are unclear; however, there has been little to no effort made on the part of national governing bodies to encourage smoking among athletes.

Another tobacco article in the news (wow – three in a row) just goes to one step further to make Baseball Dead to me.  You see, MLB is enacting a new rule about Chewing Tobacco -

Major League Baseball announced it would no longer allow the use of chewing tobacco when fans are present. If you've got it, says the league, you've got to conceal it.

Really?  Kids don’t chew tobacco because big leaguers do…they do it because their friends and parents do (and yes, I knew some women that did).  MLB needs to focus on regulating steroid use and allowing Pete into the hall…..but tobacco enforcement is the least of their worries.  What would the Babe think?

On other news, Boone County Police released Gary Pinkel’s dash cam footage from his arrest.  I will refrain from my standard commentary and just let you make your own judgment.

Finally, on a lighter note…..I’ve stolen a picture off a friend on FB.  Justin pinged me this morning to let me know he liked the blog, and in going through his pictures – I found a good one, especially if you are tired of dodging all the deer this year. 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and stayed safe….and Justin, check out Crystal Head.

Since its the Holiday Season

It seems the people over at Wodka brand Vodka have shown some extremely poor taste in billboard advertising. 

Hey, I’m not above a little tongue in cheek joke (just ask Steve) – but even I thought this was a little crass (although funny)

This Day in History

I give you a hijacking! 

Come on, did you really expect something about Thanksgiving?

Instead, we have a little tidbit about D.B. Cooper.  I’m sure are we have all heard of how he hijacked a Boeing 727, received $200K in ransom and then parachuted in the November 24th 1971 night sky.

Some of you might even be aware that some ($5800) of the money was found in 1980, leading most to believe he died in the jump.

But did you know that he ordered two bourbon (some say Jim Beam) and waters, paid for them and even left a tip for the stewardess.  All this AFTER he hijacked the plane.

I won’t get into whether he was a criminal or hero…..but I will say he had some nuts.

So, as you have your turkey today – maybe think of a silent toast to the crazy brave…..I know I will have bourbon and water.

Cheers and have a safe Thanksgiving Weekend

Monday Quick Hits

It’s been awhile since we’ve done an update, and for this I apologize.  Work has been a bear and family life thrown in makes for little time for blogging.  Hopefully we can get back to business and start putting some regular updates out there again.

So, I though a Monday Quick Hit is a great way to get things going again.

Enjoy -

Remember Onyango Obama (HERE), well it appears he is STILL in country and still working at a liquor Store.  It must be nice to have a famous Nephew.  Head over to TMZ.COM to see more pictures.

For something really different, check out the “Worlds Fastest Beer Drinker” in Japan.  I have no idea if it is a guy or gal, plus I don’t think its fair to wrap your mouth around the glass….but damn it is fast.

How about Atlanta…finally coming into the 21st Century and allowing citizens to buy alcohol on Sunday.   About time…..and BTW, they have this great invention called electricity….maybe you should check that out too.

Finally, two pieces of advice…..don’t give your kids booze (do people still drink Wine Coolers?  If you do, don’t tell anyone.  Finally, if you see you sister doing….don’t smack her, or else you will ALL end up in Jail.

First DUI and Damn IU

Submitted from JC and sourced HERE

On September 10, 1897, a London cabdriver named George Smith slams his taxi into a building and is the first person to be arrested for drunk driving. He pled guilty and was fined 25 shillings.

Police officers knew that Smith was drunk because he acted drunk (he had driven that cab into a wall, after all) and because he said he was, but what they lacked was a scientific way to prove someone was too intoxicated to drive, even if he or she wouldn't admit it. Blood tests were soon introduced, but those were messy and needed to be performed by a doctor; there were urine tests, but those were even messier, not to mention unreliable and expensive. In 1931, a toxicologist at Indiana University named Rolla Harger came up with a solution--a device he called the Drunkometer. It was simple: all the suspected drinker had to do was blow into a balloon. The tester then attached the balloon to a tube filled with a purple fluid (potassium permanganate and sulfuric acid) and released its air into the tube. Alcohol on a person's breath changed the color of the fluid from purple to yellow; the quicker the change, the drunker the person.

The Drunkometer was effective but cumbersome, and it required a certain amount of scientific calculation to determine just how much alcohol a person had consumed. In 1954, another Indianan named Robert Borkenstein invented a device that was more portable and easier to use. Borkenstein's machine, the Breathalyzer, worked much like Harger's did--it measured the amount of alcohol in a person's breath--but it did the necessary calculations automatically and thus could not be foiled or tampered with. (One tipsy Canadian famously ate his underwear while waiting to take a Breathalyzer test because he believed that the cotton would somehow absorb the alcohol in his system. It did not.) The Breathalyzer soon became standard equipment in every police car in the nation.

Even in the age of the Breathalyzer, drunk driving remained a problem. In 2007, more than 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving while intoxicated, and a Centers for Disease Control survey found that Americans drove drunk 159 million times. That same year, about 13,000 people--more than 30 percent of all traffic fatalities--died in accidents involving a drunk driver.

Quote of the Day….and some music

From our friend Jen-

"Don't you know there ain't no devil, it's just god when he's drunk.”~Tom Waits

LOL–It sucks to be in Sweden

Winos Rejoice

From TommyG via FB

I have mixed feelings about this article. As a wino, I love cheap wine. But I think the $3 target the author mentions is a little low. One would never write an article scoffing at craft beer stating that you should never pay more than $3 for a six pack of beer. Well… someone might. I would believe it if he said $6-8 is a reasonable “cheap wine” range to shoot for.
But beyond these quibbles… WINOS REJOICE! Lets bathe in inexpensive wine! (Of course CoMO would need a Trader Joes for that to really be an option for me, but still.)

SLATE – Drink Cheap Wine

Try this experiment: Walk into the nearest wine shop and ask for an “everyday wine” recommendation. Refuse to give a price range, and see what the merchant suggests. My guess is you’re out 15 bucks. Critics seem to be pushing this price point as an appropriate range for “everyday wine”—Slate is as guilty as any publication—even though the phrase can’t possibly be taken literally. If you and your significant other were to drink five bottles of wine a week, at $15 per bottle, your annual wine outlay would approach $4,000. That’s more than the average family spends on groceries.

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