29 Sep 2006 10:38:40

David The Hamster Malone

OT: Startup?

Since there isn't much else going on... :-) Last night was the 16th anniversary of our first meeting, so Mrs Hamster and I decided to use it as an excuse to eat out. I'd noticed a brand new restaurant on Markham road which was in an unusual wedge shape building and obviously Italian (judging by the name). I don't usually like to patronize 'start-ups' but this looked classy and we decided to give it a shot. We were promptly seated beside a window and I was pleasantly surprised to see expensive linen and top quality silverware on the table. The wine list was short, but well thought out, and I picked a middle-of-the-road Cabernet Sauvignon. This arrived shortly with, to my amusement, two wonderful but inappropriate Riedel Montrachet (Chardonnay) wine glasses. I knew this for a fact because I have the identical glasses at home. I asked the waitress if she had any Bordeaux glasses and she said, "We have hundreds of glasses... I'm afraid I'm not up on which glasses go with which wines. I've only been doing this for a week or so." I described a suitable glass with my hands and she went away and came back with two huge Pinot Noir/Bergundy glasses. Curious now, I said, "Maybe I should go have a look...?" and she said, "Sure." They did have literally hundreds of wine glasses - all Riedel and dozens of each variation. They were hung in rows from a huge oak layered rack and must have cost a fortune since an average machine-made Riedel is over $30 CDN each. My hand-blown Sommelier series ones are three times that. I asked her if she had labels and she came up with a roll of white sticky ones and we labeled the rows with grape varietals for the ones I was familiar with. I know nothing about white wines, port, cognac, etc. so there were lots still unlabeled... the rest she'll have to talk to the chef or look up Riedel on the web. I got a peek at the kitchen which was top-of-the-line stainless everywhere - it looked sparkling clean. Someone had spent some real money on the best of everything for this new restaurant. That settled, Mrs Hamster and I toasted each other with our hard-won Bordeaux glasses... The food menu was odd. There's no other way to describe it. The dishes were described in questionable English and there were integer numbers way over on the far right hand side of each entry. You needed a ruler to see which numbers corresponded to which descriptions. For a joke, I said to the waitress, "I'll have number 13...". She looked puzzled again and then laughed and said, "No... that's the price!" I said, "Really?" The prices actually were remarkably inexpensive given the decor and the wine-glasses. She bought sliced Calabrese bread accompanied by freshly made hummus liberally doused with olive-oil. A nice touch. The butternut squash soup was spicy and excellent. The vinaigrette Caesar salad was fresh and beautifully decorated with paper thin cheese coated wafers. As it turned out, the main meat and pasta courses were only average IMHHO but still looked fabulous. The chef had obviously spent as much or more time plating them up as he did cooking the entrees... desserts were excellent and made on the premises. Not the best Italian meal I've ever eaten but not bad for a start-up. Would I go back... maybe. But I'll give it a few years and see if it survives first. I have my doubts. David "The well-fed Hamster" Malone

29 Sep 2006 13:21:16

Ron Hudson

Re: OT: Startup?

Wow, I can't remember which glasses are for Bordeaux. Are those the ones that look like Mason jars, or are they the ones more like jelly glasses? Ron On 29 Sep 2006 10:38:40 -0700, "David The Hamster Malone" <malone@ca.ibm.com > wrote: >Since there isn't much else going on... :-) > >Last night was the 16th anniversary of our first meeting, so Mrs >Hamster and I decided to use it as an excuse to eat out. I'd noticed a >brand new restaurant on Markham road which was in an unusual wedge >shape building and obviously Italian (judging by the name). I don't >usually like to patronize 'start-ups' but this looked classy and we >decided to give it a shot. > >We were promptly seated beside a window and I was pleasantly surprised >to see expensive linen and top quality silverware on the table. The >wine list was short, but well thought out, and I picked a >middle-of-the-road Cabernet Sauvignon. This arrived shortly with, to my >amusement, two wonderful but inappropriate Riedel Montrachet >(Chardonnay) wine glasses. I knew this for a fact because I have the >identical glasses at home. I asked the waitress if she had any Bordeaux >glasses and she said, "We have hundreds of glasses... I'm afraid I'm >not up on which glasses go with which wines. I've only been doing this >for a week or so." I described a suitable glass with my hands and she >went away and came back with two huge Pinot Noir/Bergundy glasses. >Curious now, I said, "Maybe I should go have a look...?" and she said, >"Sure." > >They did have literally hundreds of wine glasses - all Riedel and >dozens of each variation. They were hung in rows from a huge oak >layered rack and must have cost a fortune since an average machine-made >Riedel is over $30 CDN each. My hand-blown Sommelier series ones are >three times that. I asked her if she had labels and she came up with a >roll of white sticky ones and we labeled the rows with grape varietals >for the ones I was familiar with. I know nothing about white wines, >port, cognac, etc. so there were lots still unlabeled... the rest >she'll have to talk to the chef or look up Riedel on the web. I got a >peek at the kitchen which was top-of-the-line stainless everywhere - it >looked sparkling clean. Someone had spent some real money on the best >of everything for this new restaurant. That settled, Mrs Hamster and I >toasted each other with our hard-won Bordeaux glasses... > >The food menu was odd. There's no other way to describe it. The dishes >were described in questionable English and there were integer numbers >way over on the far right hand side of each entry. You needed a ruler >to see which numbers corresponded to which descriptions. For a joke, I >said to the waitress, "I'll have number 13...". She looked puzzled >again and then laughed and said, "No... that's the price!" I said, >"Really?" The prices actually were remarkably inexpensive given the >decor and the wine-glasses. > >She bought sliced Calabrese bread accompanied by freshly made hummus >liberally doused with olive-oil. A nice touch. The butternut squash >soup was spicy and excellent. The vinaigrette Caesar salad was fresh >and beautifully decorated with paper thin cheese coated wafers. As it >turned out, the main meat and pasta courses were only average IMHHO but >still looked fabulous. The chef had obviously spent as much or more >time plating them up as he did cooking the entrees... desserts were >excellent and made on the premises. Not the best Italian meal I've ever >eaten but not bad for a start-up. > >Would I go back... maybe. But I'll give it a few years and see if it >survives first. I have my doubts. > >David "The well-fed Hamster" Malone

29 Sep 2006 11:28:56

David The Hamster Malone

Re: OT: Startup?

Ron Hudson wrote: > Wow, I can't remember which glasses are for Bordeaux. Are those the ones that > look like Mason jars, or are they the ones more like jelly glasses? YCLIU.... here's a look at all of them... http://www.winestudio.ca/Riedel%20Wine%20Glasses.htm What the heck are jelly glasses? David "The Hamster" Malone

29 Sep 2006 12:29:37

JohnA - Kent,WA.

Re: OT: Startup?

"David The Hamster Malone" wrote > What the heck are jelly glasses? > LOL - I can remember as a kid we had many sets of those glasses. Welches were my favorite. Who cares if one got broken. You just cleaned up the next one destined for the trash. My Mom would even put milk in the strawberry ones just before throwing them in the trash. Ah yes,... strawberry milk drinks. Brings back some memories. -- JohnA(Kent,WA)

29 Sep 2006 14:33:12

Ron Hudson

Re: OT: Startup?

On 29 Sep 2006 11:28:56 -0700, "David The Hamster Malone" <malone@ca.ibm.com > wrote: >What the heck are jelly glasses? I can understand you not knowing since it sound like you don't get out much, what with needing an anniversary as an excuse for your recent sworay. Completing a bi-monthly lawn mowing qualifies at our house. Anyway, your regular run-of-the-mill burger emporium around here serves iced tea in jelly glasses. Only the really uptown BBQ restaurants use mason jars. That way they are able to offer quantity as well as quality as a part of their fine dining experience. Here's some examples. http://www.tias.com/8102/InventoryPage/1597170/1.html These aren't just the plain old ones either. They are pretty classy. I prefer the roadrunner model myself. Ron

29 Sep 2006 19:41:48

John W. Pierce

Re: OT: Startup?

"David The Hamster Malone" <malone@ca.ibm.com > wrote > > YCLIU.... here's a look at all of them... > > http://www.winestudio.ca/Riedel%20Wine%20Glasses.htm > > What the heck are jelly glasses? Ah, David, David, David.... you're revealing your patrician roots.... Many years ago, it was common among the "other classes" (and may still be for all I know) to buy "Welch's Grape Jelly" (a jelly-like muck made from, probably, petroleum by-products and artificial color and flavoring) which, in combination with a substance called "Skippy Peanut Butter" (peanut butter being what it vaguely resembled, or would have resembled if you could have gotten all of the sugar out of it, which would have reduced the bulk by 50% at a minimum), was spread on flat, thin, square pieces of fluffy partially dried styrofoam substitute called "Wonder Bread" (for no known reason, since it bore no resemblance to bread whatsoever), to make "peanut butter and jelly sandwiches" that were foisted off onto unsuspecting children as "food" (and, unfortunately, those children often believed what they were told, which explains much of the problem with the middle and southern portions of the United States today). This "Welch's Grape Jelly" came in glass containers with pressed-on (rather than screwed-on) lids (they therefore had only a slight rim around the top edge of the glass instead of screw threads) of approximately 12-ounce capacity. When these became empty, they were washed (usually, anyway) and saved for use as drinking glasses, especially for children to use for water, milk, Kool-Aid (about which the less said, the better), etc.. As for the glasses at the link you gave, while they're quite nice, I must strongly disagree with the use of the "Chianti Classico" for zinfandel, and I also have my doubts about the "Sauternes" glass. -- jwp

29 Sep 2006 13:13:39

David The Hamster Malone

Re: OT: Startup?

John W. Pierce wrote: > Many years ago, it was common among the "other classes" (and may still be > for all I know) to buy "Welch's Grape Jelly" (a jelly-like muck made from, > probably, petroleum by-products and artificial color and flavoring) So if somebody 'welched' on a deal, they were covered in this grape jelly stuff? Sounds awful... > This "Welch's Grape Jelly" came in glass > containers with pressed-on (rather than screwed-on) lids (they therefore > had only a slight rim around the top edge of the glass instead of screw > threads) of approximately 12-ounce capacity. When these became empty, they > were washed (usually, anyway) and saved for use as drinking glasses, > especially for children to use for water, milk, Kool-Aid (about which the > less said, the better), etc.. Aah... I think I understand. It was a working class sort of thing then? > As for the glasses at the link you gave, while they're quite nice, I must > strongly disagree with the use of the "Chianti Classico" for zinfandel, and I have to confess that at home I tend to use the Classico - we use it as a tasting glass - for just about anything I make myself (usually Italian wines such as Amerone, Sangiovese, Barolo, but also non-Italians such as Shiraz and Zinfandel). I know... I'm a rube. I only roll out the 'real' glasses for Pinot Noire and Cbernets. > I also have my doubts about the "Sauternes" glass. It does rather look like a pear on a stick... David "The pear-shaped Hamster" Malone

29 Sep 2006 18:02:11

Dan White

Re: Startup?

"David The Hamster Malone" <malone@ca.ibm.com > wrote in message news:1159551520.292848.42680@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com... > Since there isn't much else going on... :-) > > This arrived shortly with, to my > amusement, two wonderful but inappropriate Riedel Montrachet > (Chardonnay) wine glasses. "Inappropriate glasses"? Well Jebus Christ our hamster sucks water out of a tube with a ball bearing in it, and he's just fine with that. Talk about putting on airs! dwhite

29 Sep 2006 19:04:38

Jack Stein

Re: OT: Startup?

David The Hamster Malone wrote: > Since there isn't much else going on... :-) > The wine list was short, but well thought out, and I picked a > middle-of-the-road Cabernet Sauvignon. This arrived shortly with, to my > amusement, two wonderful but inappropriate Riedel Montrachet > (Chardonnay) wine glasses. Sounds like the perfect place to go after banging a few around at COGNAC AND CUES... How far are you from that pretentious Chicago Pool Parlor? ...and all this time I thought you was a beer drinker... -- Jack http://jbstein.com

30 Sep 2006 01:06:07

John W. Pierce

Re: OT: Startup?

"David The Hamster Malone" <malone@ca.ibm.com > wrote > > John W. Pierce wrote: >> >> I also have my doubts about the "Sauternes" glass. > > It does rather look like a pear on a stick... Right! Would you *really* pour your Chateau d' Y'Quem 1937 in such a thing? I think not!! Now the Schott Zwiesel Enoteca version is a different story: http://www.wineware.co.uk/Enoteca+Sauternes+Wine+Glass--109585-details.htm That's so classically tulip-shaped that I'm told the Dutch trade futures in them.... -- jwp

01 Oct 2006 03:04:57

tdodge

Re: Startup?

"David The Hamster Malone" <malone@ca.ibm.com > wrote in message news:1159551520.292848.42680@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com... > Since there isn't much else going on... :-) friggin' wine nazis. Upstate NY is infested with them, what with numerous wineries in my neck of the woods. One master gave me the true secret.. wine is mouthwash, nothing more, nothing less...the rest is smoke and mirrors, and elitists trying to impress each other. Ya' oughta hear the vocabulary...hilarious! One of the wineries is now brewing the nastiest beer I've ever had, and passing it off as something special. It's unique, I guess. /gimmie a good single malt, if you please, in a little fat glass with ice.

01 Oct 2006 01:45:21

pltrgyst

Re: Startup?

On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 03:04:57 GMT, "tdodge" <NOSPAMbluesman@stny.rr.com > wrote: >friggin' wine nazis. Upstate NY is infested with them, what with numerous >wineries in my neck of the woods. One master gave me the true secret.. >wine is mouthwash, nothing more, nothing less... Some of us actually drink wine with every supper, unless it's something that cries out for ale, such as highly-seasoned Asian or Mexican food. >the rest is smoke and mirrors, and elitists trying to impress each other. >Ya' oughta hear the vocabulary...hilarious! Vocabulary is the most difficult aspect of discussing any food or drink, so it often seems stilted. >gimmie a good single malt, if you please, in a little fat glass with ice. If you drink a single malt over ice, the only function of which is to dull the taste buds, you're dumber than a post -- and you don't really appreciate whisky. -- Larry (who has *never* tasted any New York wine which seemed drinkable. Socially laudable, in the case of Bully Hill, but never enjoyable.)

01 Oct 2006 09:37:43

Roger Orsulak

Re: Startup?

"pltrgyst" <pltrgyst@spamlessxhost.org > wrote in message news:13luh2htkmajmmk2c73nse5gttamtevjde@4ax.com... > On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 03:04:57 GMT, "tdodge" <NOSPAMbluesman@stny.rr.com> > wrote: > > If you drink a single malt over ice, the only function of which is to dull > the > taste buds, you're dumber than a post -- and you don't really appreciate > whisky. > > -- Larry (who has *never* tasted any New York wine which seemed drinkable. > Socially laudable, in the case of Bully Hill, but never enjoyable.) OK, Larry. It's time I asked. Give me a lesson about Scotch whiskey and the significance of single malt vs. ?. Roger - in search of knowledge.

01 Oct 2006 10:09:54

Jack Stein

Re: Startup?

tdodge wrote: > /gimmie a good single malt, if you please, in a little fat glass with ice. You can put ice in wine, who cares, but ruin a good brew with ice... It's blasphemous! -- Jack http://jbstein.com

01 Oct 2006 13:10:14

Roger Orsulak

Re: Startup?

"Jack Stein" <jbstein2@comcast.net > wrote in message news:ZL2dnZL-_LquUYLYnZ2dnUVZ_qKdnZ2d@comcast.com... > tdodge wrote: > >> /gimmie a good single malt, if you please, in a little fat glass with >> ice. > > You can put ice in wine, who cares, but ruin a good brew with ice... It's > blasphemous! > > -- > Jack > http://jbstein.com Jack: I think he's referring to Scotch. Does your admonition still hold? Roger

01 Oct 2006 17:54:58

pltrgyst

Re: Startup?

On Sun, 1 Oct 2006 09:37:43 -0400, "Roger Orsulak" <normorsulak@cox.net > wrote: >OK, Larry. It's time I asked. Give me a lesson about Scotch whiskey and >the significance of single malt vs. ?. > >Roger - in search of knowledge. Drinking is the best teacher! 8;) Well, Scotch is properly (and legally) referred to as "whisky". Whiskies made elsewhere (bourbon, rye, etc.) are generally called "whiskey" in the singular (there are a very few misguided exceptions, from North America and Asia, which specifically use the "whisky" spelling on their labels.) A good intro is here: http://www.smwsa.com/whisky.html. To sum it up: Scotch whisky produced at a specific distillery, from either malted barley or grain, is called, respectively, single malt or single grain whisky. It may contain distillate produced in one or more years (e.g., Macallan, The Glenlivet, Talisker, Ardbeg). A blend of single malts is called a vatted malt (e.g., Pot Dhubh, Glen Salen, Sheep Dip, anything described only as "pure malt"). A blend of single malts along with single grain whisky is called a blended whisky (e.g., Johnny Walker, Famous Grouse, Chivas Regal, etc.). Slainte! -- Larry

01 Oct 2006 18:14:14

JimBoCt

Re: OT: Startup?

Hamster saz: Blah,blah,blah You my good sir are a glass snob andd in these parts we'd serve your swine in paper cups. Jim <-------Likes the big red plastic keg party cups

02 Oct 2006 06:25:35

David The Hamster Malone

Re: Startup?

Dan White wrote: > "Inappropriate glasses"? Well Jebus Christ our hamster sucks water out of a > tube with a ball bearing in it, and he's just fine with that. Your hamster has no class... he may as well be a gerbil. David "The Hamster" Malone

02 Oct 2006 06:29:57

David The Hamster Malone

Re: OT: Startup?

Jack Stein wrote: > Sounds like the perfect place to go after banging a few around at COGNAC > AND CUES... How far are you from that pretentious Chicago Pool Parlor? If a restaurant is pretentious, they need to get it right. Or a Pool parlor come to that. > ...and all this time I thought you was a beer drinker... I drink wine with my dinner. Frankly it makes the food taste better. I drink beer anytime because I like it... playing pool for instance. David "The I'll drink anything Hamster" Malone

02 Oct 2006 06:34:42

David The Hamster Malone

Re: OT: Startup?

JimBoCt wrote: > You my good sir are a glass snob Is that anything like being a cue snob? :-) > andd in these parts we'd serve your swine in paper cups. Don't you go getting my swine drunk... there's nothing worse than a hog with a few drinks in him. Sheesh. David "The Hamster" Malone

02 Oct 2006 09:36:26

pltrgyst

Re: Startup?

On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 18:02:11 -0400, "Dan White" <dwhite300@comcast.net > wrote: >...Well Jebus Christ our hamster sucks water out of a >tube with a ball bearing in it, and he's just fine with that. Well, sure -- he's probably afraid that if he complains, you'll nail him to a little cross. -- Larry

02 Oct 2006 09:39:01

Jack Stein

Re: Startup?

>>tdodge wrote: >>>/gimmie a good single malt, if you please, in a little fat glass with >>>ice. >>You can put ice in wine, who cares, but ruin a good brew with ice... It's >>blasphemous! > Roger Orsulak wrote: > Jack: > I think he's referring to Scotch. Does your admonition still hold? Nah, but then I normally stay far away from all non carbonated drinks unless it's water. Beer, water, thats about it. An occasional Bloody Mary if hot enough. So, the admonition changes to a YUCK! -- Jack http://jbstein.com

02 Oct 2006 06:41:07

David The Hamster Malone

Re: Startup?

pltrgyst wrote: > Well, sure -- he's probably afraid that if he complains, you'll nail him to a > little cross. That would make me a little cross... David "The Hamster" Malone

02 Oct 2006 09:42:51

pltrgyst

Re: OT: Startup?

On 1 Oct 2006 18:14:14 -0700, "JimBoCt" <jimboct@aol.com > wrote: >... in these parts we'd serve your swine in paper cups. So that's the new business venture that's been keeping you away from RSB -- "JimBo's Cup o'Pork [and drive-through synogogue]." -- Larry (with apologies to the "First Church of the Gooey Death and Discount House of Worship" and Billy Bob Briggs...)

02 Oct 2006 08:23:39

How to drink scotch like a real man

Allow me to put my 2 centavos in here. You boys are beginning to go after each other but that does not take much as RSB is like a kennel of pit bulls having a bad hair day. You are mostly banditos with bad attitudes. 1st I am the leading RSB expert on this subject having drank 100,000 shots of scotch, experience do count in this puppy big time. Pissing down the toilet a half million bucks now bothers me some but at the time it seemed like the cool thing to do. No worries mate, fortune 10 companies I worked for gave me an unlimited expense accounts and they paid for most of it and me American express platinum card billed to them. My life was in sales and drinking with clients was a big part of that. I wrote over $50,000,000 in sales on bar napkins drunk in a bar. The other $50,000,000 I closed on a golf course or in the country club bar after the round. It's always been the big three to me, the 3 P's, panther piss, pussy and pool in that order. Get those 3 right and you live a life of fun and enjoyment. All the rest don't matta no how as Lamata youse to say. I drink me whiskey laddies in a Ball Mason Kerr jar 5" tall & 2 l/2" across at the top & because I drop them a lot and they bounce and don't break easily. They are thick and strong. Yes I have fine crystal I use when nice people come over. I just broke a long nice wine glass with a 6" long stem on it when I laid it down in the sink drainer it cracked. If I had been drinking my Cabernet in my Kerr jar that would not have happened. I had guests and put out the good stuff and you guessed it, she-yit happens. My favorite glasses for scotch I buy at the Masters in Augusta which are 4" tall and 3" across at the top. If you want to make an on the rocks it works well. When I want to make a strong drink I use this glass. Drinking it neat or on the rocks is bull she-yit, do that a lot and long term you will burn a hole in your Esophagus and die, or destroy the lining of your stomach. Fill the glass up with ice and water so the whiskey goes thru with out damage to your liver, which is why after 100,000 my liver still checks out fine which totally amazes me, I should be fookin dead long ago. In 1972 my doctor told me son how did you get in this condition, if you don't stop drinking you wont live to see 1980. Since then I have out lived 9 doctors who were teetotalers and the stress killed them all. I was taught how to drink scotch by the RAF ace who flew in the Battle of Britain and hired me to run his company in the mid 60's. He wanted to go fight and the Americans were sitting this one out so he went to Canada, became a spitfire pilot and asked to be shipped off to the RAF to fight the Jerries. The Jerries shot him down twice and when he crashed he broke both legs so they shipped him off to Scotland to protect him as pilots were their most valuable asset. 6 months later he heals, goes back up, takes out 3 jerries, they shoot him down and he breaks both legs again. It saved his life for when he healed it was all over and the Americans brought him home as at the time they needed hero's to sell war bonds and to tour. Of the original group, only 7 survived. It was a sucide mission but the lads were defending their families and their way of life, Johnnie became the techinal adviser on the war movies being made in Hollywood during the war and drank with one of the biggest scotch drinkers ever, Errol Flynn. His best pal, Craig Stevens was breaking into the movies and later became the immortal Peter Gunn. Many times the 3 of us went through a bottle of J&B which was what they both liked to drink. Never in the course of human history, had so many owed so much too so few. They were out of everything in those dark days, even pain killing morphine. We were sending over supplies and the Kraut U boats were sinking it all. They were going down and it looked like nothing could save them from fatso's Luftwaffe. They would sit a bottle of scotch by his bed and say, laddie drink this and soon you will be feelin no pain. You can have all you want. The distillery is only a mashie niblick away. The Luftwaffe consisted of air units that made up the majority of the German airforce, as well as Fallschrimj=E4ger units, Luftwaffe Field Divisions, the elite Herman G=F6ring ground formations, thousands of smaller anti-aircraft, engineer, communications and security units, and a fair number of Luftwaffe naval vessels and formations as well. Between 1939 and 1945 over 3.4 million served in the Luftwaffe. Over 165,000 were killed, over 155,000 went missing and over 192,000 were wounded. Of the 7361 men awarded the inital grade of the highest German combat honor of WWII, the Knights Cross, 1785 were from the Luftwaffe making up 24% of the total awaded. Initially the Luftwaffe ruled the skies but thereafter fought an increasingly futile war of attrition which when combined with vital mistakes in aircraft production and utilization, was its death knoll. In the face of this the Luftwaffe produced the most successful air aces of all time. As well, the feats of the Fallschirmj=E4ger in the first airborne operations in history are as heroic as they are tragic. German paratroops suffered appaling losses on Crete and essentially never saw large scale airborne operations again. Some Luftwaffe ground units fought well during WWII, such as certain Luftwaffe field divisions and the elite Hermann G=F6ring formations, while other units simply served. Ultimately the structure of the Luftwaffe was a grand relfection of its commander, Hermann G=F6ring. He strove more so than any other branch to create a personal army with responsibilities as far reaching as possible. It was partly due to this that the Wehrmacht was ultimately defeated. The strain on resources and man power such political manuvering had was far reaching. The Luftwaffe was offically disbanded in August of 1946 by the Allied Control Commission. The Battle of Britain is about to begin...Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'" Address to the House of Commons Winston Churchill 1940 As a prerequisite to the invasion, Hitler ordered that the RAF be eliminated before any ground troops be landed. Therefore, the Battle of Britain was not fought by land forces, but in the air. In August of 1940, the German Luftwaffe (air force) began daylight raids and attacks upon England. The attacks concentrated upon ports where the Royal Navy had ships and on airfields where the RAF was based. The German Luftwaffe was able to throw large numbers of fighter and bomber planes at a small number of British fighters. The tactics took a terrible toll on the RAF pilots and planes, but radar stations along the coast aided the British. The radar stations allowed the British to identify and track German movements. This allowed the RAF to put valuable planes in the path of German bombers. The tactic allowed the RAF to rest pilots, and defend England, during the most important threats. Frustration at not being able to eliminate the RAF caused Hitler to change tactics. He ordered that his bomber attack civilians in the cities of England. It was hoped that the English people would be terrorized and would call for a peace treaty. The change in tactics allowed the RAF to replace losses and pilots. The British people refused to be intimidated and give in. The failure of Luftwaffe bombers to bring England to her knees forced Hitler to call off the invasion 17 September 1940. "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" Tribute to the Royal Air Force Winston Churchill 1940 I was born during this war time in American and me mom had a tough delivery and lost a massive amount of blood. She remembers the nurse telling the doctor if we don't give her a transfusion she will die. The doctor said, we are out of blood as it's all going to the boys over seas and we have none for the civilians. All we can do is pray for the lady. She survived but it took her a year for the blood to rebuild and for her to regain her strength. I followed Johnnie's advice and after 40 years of drinking I am still in fine shape. Always measure your shot which I use a jigger 1.5 ozs. My daily limit is now 4 and I never drink until after 5pm. You must control it, or it will control you. Single malt is for snobs trying to impress some lassie and most of these bozos do not know she-yit about drinking. The entire idea of scotch is to blend a dozen single malts into a taste that is pleasing. If you are a laddie sitting on the river next to the distillery then you drink the single malt closest to ya because it's cheap. The entire single malt is just another marketing campaign to sell cheap shit to yuppies and charge them an arm and a leg over what the real fair price should be. If they advertise it enough, you ass holes will buy it, i.e. case in point Corona that she-yit is formaldehyde embalming fluid. You can't drink that she-yit with out the lime. Try and put a lime in a long neck bud and see what it now tastes like? That has been the two biggest cons in booze pushed on us in decades, single malts and corona. You guys wanna be cool and have the latest thing in their hands and marketers know this and play you boys like a fiddle. Get a good blend and be happy. The best ones there. Drink cheap, old smuggler, fine whiskey, very dark and not watered down and the best one for the buck out there. Most can not tell it from Johnny Walker which I like the red, hate the black, love the gold and the blue is beyond description. Swing and or Dimple are my favorite and in a 12 Pinch rules. I have some really nice expensive scotches and cognacs in my house but no single malt. FL, REAL MAN, NO YUPPIE. Go into www.poolchat.net and open up fastlarry reviews column. There I review everything, including whiskey and beer along with pool things. =20 www.fastlarrypool.com

02 Oct 2006 08:33:19

Re: How to drink scotch like a real man

May God bless and peace be with you. May there now be peace between us. If you are a real pool player, then fast truly loves you. May the wind be always on your back and all 9 balls fall. VENI VIDI VICI, OMNIA VINCIT AMOR. "Latin for "I came, I saw, I conquered, love conquerors all. Yes I really did do it all and you can believe it, or not. If you don't believe it, C'est La Vie. " Shoot straight, innovate, never give up, just run out on the other guy then there is no way for you to lose. believe it, or not. If you don't believe it, C'est La Vie. " "Winners make things happen. Losers let things happen."Winners NEVER QUIT, QUITTERS NEVER WIN. They say FL can not play. Then explain why he is on the Upa web site ranked 35th in the world in mid 2006. All truth passes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Second it is violently opposed. Third it is accepted as being self-evident. - Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 ******************************************************************** Lead me, follow me or get the hell out of my way. Do one of the three please? Come celebrate the wonder of this beautiful game with me and become a student of it. Be my friend, walk my way, flow with what I teach you and you will soar like the Eagle into levels of excellence you never dreamed possible. Play by feel, not by systems; do not make a simple game complicated. Go with what you know, go with what is natural. "Winners make things happen. Losers let things happen." In the words of Vince Lombardi, "When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened." Vince said you've got to pay the price. Winning is not a sometime thing, it's an all the time thing. Winning is a habit, unfortunately so is losing. Vince Lombardi once said, "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of profession or endeavor. Fast Eddy said about the same thing in the color of money. Winning is everything. Winning is the only thing. If you can dream it, see it, believe it, you can do it and you can be it. You can perform totally out of the box deep into the Zone, one with the shot, freewheeling fast and loose with no fear. Then you are a person with no limits who can achieve anything he can imagine that a human body is capable of producing. "FL" Show me a guy who does not mind losing and I will show you a sausage. Show me a good loser and I will show you a loser. "FL" "Nice guys finish last" quote from Lou Durocher "Do, or do not. There is no 'try'." - Yoda Conquer your fear and you conquer the game, the battle, your life and your fear of death. There is nothing impossible to him who will try. Alexander The Great 320 BC. When you play, repeat over and over, No fear. Just freewheel and let the good times roll. Keep holding the cue as lightly as possible and keep saying, fast and loose. It is all about visualization, focus, concentration and playing in the zone. You just see it, feel it, do it: It does not get any deeper than this? Play pool with an empty mind. "FL" "Flow with what ever may happen and let your mind be free: Stay centered by accepting what ever you are doing and what ever comes your way." Chuang-Tzu. Opportunities multiply as they are seized." - Sun Tzu Fortune favors the brave. Virgil, Aeneid Roman epic poet (70 BC - 19 BC) Conquer your fear and you conquer the game, the battle, your life and your fear of death. There is nothing impossible to him who will try. Alexander The Great 320 BC. For a man thinks within himself, so he is." Proverbs 23:7 "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 In order to master pool you must first learn how to master yourself and your emotions. "For to conquer in battle a thousand men a thousand times, means you have now conquered yourself and you are now the greatest of warriors" Dharmapada. This is a feel game and a mind game. When the mind is pure, pure perfect pool will follow. Perfect pool comes from being taught how to practice perfect. Being in dead punch is the ultimate trip and reward from that. "FL"

07 Oct 2006 19:19:23

Roger Orsulak

OT pltrgyst & whisky

"pltrgyst" <pltrgyst@spamlessxhost.org > wrote in message news:oid0i2p3qtqs5gh02htej2h4iuic9204p5@4ax.com... > On Sun, 1 Oct 2006 09:37:43 -0400, "Roger Orsulak" <normorsulak@cox.net> > wrote: > >>OK, Larry. It's time I asked. Give me a lesson about Scotch whiskey and >>the significance of single malt vs. ?. >> >>Roger - in search of knowledge. > > Drinking is the best teacher! 8;) > > etc. snip a lot of good stuff > Slainte! > > -- Larry > > First opportunity to say thanks for the direction ("Drinking is the best teacher!") Still confused about the "hierarchy" of snobbishness among single malts, vatted malts, and blended whisky. Is there one? It seems that the words single malt seems to pour off the lips of those in the know as the most desirable. Now, I must sa that I did manage to have some "blended whisky" Johnny Walker Blue Label that was left under an airplane seat and it was very nice indeed. Roger

07 Oct 2006 23:04:19

pltrgyst

Re: OT pltrgyst & whisky

On Sat, 7 Oct 2006 19:19:23 -0400, "Roger Orsulak" <normorsulak@cox.net > wrote: >First opportunity to say thanks for the direction ("Drinking is the best >teacher!") You're welcome. >Still confused about the "hierarchy" of snobbishness among single malts, >vatted malts, and blended whisky. Is there one? You've got it right there. But drinking single malts anywhere but in Scotland is a comparatively recent (since 1970) development. Before that, all the highest regarded Scotches were vatted. >It seems that the words >single malt seems to pour off the lips of those in the know as the most >desirable. It's a cult thing. But most of the people who drink single malts would be appalled at the idea of drinking all the component wines of a great Bordeaux separately. 8;) Now a few single grain whiskies are available as well, but they haven't caught on. They're decidedly an acquired taste. Most of the single malt drinkers I know experiment with creating their own vattings, using less-favored singles, or the ends of bottles. I do that a lot -- but then I tend to blend wines and beers a lot too (drives my wife nuts when I blend beers, especially if one of them is hers!) We actually have a club in the DC area which meets frequently (in an Irish pub, I'm sad to say) for the express purpose of creating and tasting whisky blends. It's a lot of fun. >Now, I must say that I did manage to have some "blended whisky" >Johnny Walker Blue Label that was left under an airplane seat and it was >very nice indeed. That's like found money! JW Blue is indeed very nice, if greatly overpriced. It is a vatting (technically, rather than a blend, since there is no grain whisky in it) which was created explicitly by JW to separate Japanese air travelers from their money. For the first few years of its existence, it was available only on trans-Pacific flights to preserve its cachet. Now its well-established everywhere. Enjoy -- Larry (headed to Chicago tomorrow, home of Binny's and Sam's Liquors. There may be a new bottle or two in my short-term future...)

07 Oct 2006 20:21:57

Re: OT pltrgyst & whisky

only outer barbarians make their wiskey out of corn laddies. Any man who has JW blue across his lips gains my respect.

08 Oct 2006 09:27:25

Roger Orsulak

Re: OT pltrgyst & whisky

"pltrgyst" <pltrgyst@spamlessxhost.org > wrote in message news:l0qgi2te1dlfqegkt32pe7gd4gddvmmajc@4ax.com... > On Sat, 7 Oct 2006 19:19:23 -0400, "Roger Orsulak" <normorsulak@cox.net> > wrote: > s a lot of fun. > >>Now, I must say that I did manage to have some "blended whisky" >>Johnny Walker Blue Label that was left under an airplane seat and it was >>very nice indeed. > > That's like found money! > > JW Blue is indeed very nice, if greatly overpriced. It is a vatting > (technically, rather than a blend, since there is no grain whisky in it) > which > was created explicitly by JW to separate Japanese air travelers from their > money. For the first few years of its existence, it was available only on > trans-Pacific flights to preserve its cachet. Now its well-established > everywhere. > Yeah, a buddy and I finished it off over two flights, but only after asking the pilot if it was finders-keepers. Phil and I kept it a secret from the others. Thanks for the explanation. This is what I was looking for. Roger - prefers his Negronis with Bombay Sapphire and Punt E Mes.