Novels, Short Stories, and Interruptions

These thoughts were inspired by an entry at Stomping on Yeti.

Much as I love them, short stories really slow down my reading. There is, for me, an acclimation period in starting to read a book, or short story. When I sit down to read a novel I've never read before, I go through fifty pages before I put it down. After that many pages, I have a feel for the writer's style and can tell if the book is holding anything of interest for me.

It's very difficult to find a similar arbitrary page count for short stories. Ideally, I'll read a short story in one sitting (anything around 100 pages or so.) That's a combination of my reading preference and finding the time to knock it out. That acclimation period for short stories in anthologies or collections from multiple authors makes getting through the collection that much longer than it should for me; even if the stories are great.

I don't mind interruptions in reading a novel, past that first fifty pages, and while I try to stop at the end of a chapter it doesn't always workout that way. Short stories, seem to take more time; add in any of lifes interruptions and it can be really jarring.

This is especially troubling as the list of short stories of interest to me coming out this year alone is staggering: Stories ed. by Neil Gamin and Al Sarrantonio, Leviathan Wept by Daniel Abraham (if it ever gets here!), The Secret History of Fantasy ed. Peter S. Beagle, Wings of Fire ed. by Jonathan Strahan and Marrianne Jablon, Rachel Swirsky's Through the Drowsy Dark, Swords and Dark Magic, ed. by Jonathan Strahan and Lou Anders, The Ammonite Violin and Other Stories by Caitlin R. Kiernan (the latter two pending if Subterraean Press can ship Leviathan Wept before, Kiernan's ship date...) The Way of the Wizard, by John Joseph Adams, and Occultation by Laird Barron.

And those are only the collections I'm aware of; with my short story reading difficulty, it could take me the rest of the year to only read short stories; not even mentioning the novels I already have/want. Much as Patrick asked in the above post, anyone else have this problem?

Rum Reviews: The Fifth Installment

Welcome to the fifth entry in my continuing series where I will give you the skinny on the good, the wretched, and the divine concerning what you should be drinking: rum.

It was currency in the Caribbean in the old days, George Washington demanded it be served at his inauguration, Ernest Hemingway lived off a diet of rum and shark flesh during his stint in Cuba, and now I'm here to help you navigate the top, the bottom, and all shelves in between concerning one of the world's greatest treasures.

Nothing fruity here, no flavored spirits to hide terrible production, or inept craftsmanship, just the booze. Feel free to suggest what you will for future installments and liquor representatives are more than welcome to provide me with your product concerning tasting and review.

Anniversario

It comes in short chubby bottle that's hard to describe as anything but cute, and this bottle is enclosed in a leather pouch for no apparent reason. Odd packaging aside, this is tasty stuff. I'd call this one a man's rum. It's a rich, full-bodied 'old world' style rum. Heavy-ish, but that it's well made is unquestionable. It is a bit chaotic on the palette; there are some very unfocused flavors, but not to the point of being offensive.

It's sweet as hell…

Having said that, the upfront burn still makes this saccharine treat a mans drink. After a long hard day at work when you need something stronger than beer, the Anniversario is a great muscle relaxer.

Verdict: It's missing the final bit of refinement that would make it 'top shelf' but the price tag is also missing the top shelf extra $20. It really didn't mix particularly well, but if you play to it's strengths, is it great at what it does.

Appelton's Jamaican Rum Special

This one is in limbo: somewhere between the bargain and budget rums; I'll come up with new nomenclature shortly. It's all around good, but not a stand out in any one area. It is decidedly mixing rum (think Mai Tai). It's medium bodied, goes well with everything, adds a nice color, and is soft enough to not scare anyone away, but has enough bite to let you know your drinking liquor.

There are others in Appleton's portfolio that I want to try and this is obviously their cheap seat as far as entry is concerned. It's not bad, but hard to justify considering the price of what a few dollars more or less could offer.

Verdict: Decide ahead of time, what you're buying rum for. If it's a party and you're on a budget buy something a bit cheaper or a handle of something else at the same price. If you're buying rum to sit in the pantry for a while so you can relax with an occasional drink from time to time with friends, spend a few more dollars (unless your friends are cheap bastards…) I'll conclude with, while it seems like I'm saying 'avoid,' I'm not; it's good but there is too much competition in the market place for this one to standout.

Zafra Master Reserve

This is what scotch drinkers would drink if they weren't so high and mighty as to try something other than scotch. It's an out-of-nowhere effort that claims to have been aged a true twenty-one years. I didn't expect such a product from Panama. It's a new-age rum, one catering toward American palettes. It's just as well made as the Mount Gay extra old, but not rooted in the old world flavor, but something a bit lighter.

It's as full bodied as they come; and you may want to give those ice cubes in your glass a moment to disperse all the flavors before sipping as to get maximum enjoyment.

Verdict: It's not everyday sipping stuff; it is--possibly--the best bottle of high end rum you'll find.

You'll want to check out previous highlights if you missed them (January, February, March, April ) and while this may be a temporary end to the rum reviews feel free to use me as a reference should you have questions concerning rum: what you should be drinking.

Rum Reviews: The Fourth Installment

Welcome to the fourth entry in my continuing series where I will give you the skinny on the good, the wretched, and the divine concerning what you should be drinking: rum.

It was currency in the Caribbean in the old days, George Washington demanded it be served at his inauguration, Ernest Hemingway lived off a diet of rum and shark flesh during his stint in Cuba, and now I'm here to help you navigate the top, the bottom, and all shelves in between concerning one of the world's greatest treasures.

Nothing fruity here, no flavored spirits to hide terrible production, or inept craftsmanship, just the booze. Feel free to suggest what you will for future installments and liquor representatives are more than welcome to provide me with your product concerning tasting and review.

Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum

Without doubt, this is the most innocuous rum ever. That is not to say it is without character, merely that this one blends so well as to not even know that it's there. You could almost trick people with this offering from Cruzan. Make someone you know doesn't like rum a Cuba Libre with the Cruzan Single Barrel Estate and they may just think it's a coke with some lime juice in it.

It's sweet, rich, and lingers on the palette. It is also heavy. Not what I would call thick--it has a very smooth texture--but it's so intense that drinking it straight makes me think it needs to be turned down a notch. Something about it's character is so dominate that you only really want a little bit at a time.

Verdict: Top shelf mixing rum… Yeah, I don't really know what that means either. It's really, really well made, but a little less barrel aging may be in it's favor when it comes to drinking it alone, that, or the strongest element in the blend needs to be removed. If you're mixing drinks and have the top shelf funds (which is just plain incongruous to me) this is probably your finest option.

Old Mount Gay Eclipse

This is easily the hardest rum of all I've had to talk about. As I said for Bacardi, “It’s rum.” Nothing more nothing less. It is a little easier to take straight than Bacardi as it is in my opinion a little better made, but it has even less character. It’s something better than a standard rum yet not enough so to justify the price of a 750ml bottle for what you could get you a handle of something else. Talking about this one makes me think of the many well made Vodka’s out there. The better the quality, the less personality the Vodka; so when Hangar and Square One max out at about $40, why would you pay more for some of the designer crap out there? Granted, Mount Gay Eclipse won’t run you that much but you’re gonna mix this one. You might as well use something that cost less. Even if whatever else you use isn't as well made; after all... you're mixing.

Verdict: A victim of it’s own quality. The absolute best, standard, nothing-special-about-it rum on the market.

Myere's Rum Original Dark

It's good.

They aren't joking about the dark part, but the color doesn't really lead to and equally intense flavor. This one is hard to talk about. There are a lot of flavors; no one is stronger than another as to dominate. This is rum for a those who enjoying the age old sport of drinking for nothing more than the sake of drinking. (I have no doubt so many of my literary archetypes would love this rum.) You can't hide it's taste in a drink and the color is gonna come through and tint anything you mix it with a dark brown. I've been trying to write this one off as nothing special from the first sip but something about it stays with me.

I don't want to drink it straight as the flavors are too unfocused, and I'd never ask for it in a mixed drink because it's too pronounced. Yet I like it. I just wish I could tell you why.

It's good...

Verdict: Worthy of a sample. I'd understand if someone said they didn't like it, but I bet they'd have a hard time saying what it was they didn't like.

You'll want to check out previous highlights if you missed them (January,February,March ) and be sure to check back next month as I will bring you more of the best, worst, and the in between. All things concerning rum: what you should be drinking.

Non-Fiction and Fun (Or the lack there of…)

Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov, A Brief History of TIme by Stephen Hawking Ph.D., Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks by Ethan Gilsdorf and Structural Power and the Construction of Markets: The Case of Rhythm and Blues by Timothy J. Dowd Ph.D., an article published in Comparative Social Research, Volume 21: of all of these, I think I enjoyed the latter the most.

I don't read a lot of non-fiction so perhaps I don't know what to look for to judge it's merits and faults, but in terms of what was the most fun, or what would I recommend to someone else, I have to go with Gilsdorf. If you make it through the free online preview without laughing, then I doubt our reading interest will ever coincide. I wish I'd taken notes while reading the Hawking, my retention would then have been much higher. I should have known that Nabokov would be the most cerebral and intellectual of the bunch with his command and elegant mastery of the English language. As for beautiful writing, Nabokov again wins in terms of prose and sheer creativity in presentation of a memoir. (I still think the, 'best' bit of writing within Speak, Memory was Nabokov's 'review' of the work at the end. It is much like the forward to Lolita except greatly expanded.)

I think non-fiction has some form of reader engagement that is, at the present, foreign to me. I can't say I ever, 'got into' any of these books except for the Dowd article--which covers a subject that I knew going into would have great immediate interest to me. Perhaps I'm going about things incorrectly and I need to follow some sort of primer as to how best enjoy non-fiction, and as always, I'm open to suggestions, but at the moment, I'm at a loss to see how book stores stay in business carrying as little fiction as they do. How does non-fiction sell as much as it does?

What am I missing? Why is the fiction market so tiny and yet that is what holds all my reading interest outside of academic writing concerning sociology? I once heard that the average person reads seventy pages in a book and then puts it down forever. If that statistic took into account non-fiction I kinda understand. I'd love to know further details of that study. To all the non-fiction lovers out there, I'm not hating, but have you heard of Arturo Perez-Reverte, John Connolly or a host of other I-have-read-everything-by-this-person-ever writers?

I've never been in with the 'in crowd' and I don't take the side of the minority 'just because,' but I'm missing (or have missed) the point when it comes to most non-fiction.

Rum Reviews: The Third Installment

Welcome to the third entry in my continuing series where I will give you the skinny on the good, the wretched, and the divine concerning what you should be drinking: rum.

It was currency in the Caribbean in the old days, George Washington demanded it be served at his inauguration, Ernest Hemingway lived off a diet of rum and shark flesh during his stint in Cuba, and now I'm here to help you navigate the top, the bottom, and all shelves in between concerning one of the world's greatest treasures.

Nothing fruity here, no flavored spirits to hide terrible production, or inept craftsmanship, just the booze. Feel free to suggest what you will for future installments and liquor representatives are more than welcome to provide me with your product concerning tasting and review.

Mount Gay Extra Old

Wow. We’re in wine country here folks. Put on your Sunday finery and brush up on your pretentious sounding phrases. The Mount Gay Extra Old is that good. A special occasion or a night of sheer debauchery is in order to crack this bottle open. $35 may be a bit much just to get you loaded for the weekend but every cent is justified. The nose on a glass of this is amazing. Few spirits achieve this kind of balance and even less come near the amount of finesse that the Extra Old displays. I could go on with the superlatives indefinitely here. This one adds instant sophistication to any mixed drink while setting you apart as one “classy motherfucker” should you drink it alone.

Verdict: There is something to be said for the experience of more than 300 years, and the Mount Gay Extra Old makes that statement. Why aren’t you drinking this? Run, don’t walk. Go buy it.

Bacardi Superior

I’m pretty sure there are fumes coming off this one. The world’s most popular spirit is what it is: booze; not bad, and not good. With that in mind, I say it needs to be mixed. It is soft enough to take alone, in fact it is not as bad as you might think; there is a very subtle--nigh undetectable flavor of ‘something’ on the palate--but let’s be honest: this is what you drink when you need to get the party started. It does the trick, a handle fits in with the budget, and everyone you know will be comfortable drinking it. I’d like to say more, but what else is there? It’s Bacardi… it is the default rum: world leader in budget, brand name booze.

Verdict: You’ve had it before. There is a lot better and there is exponentially worse. Bacardi is as far from offensive as it is really good.

Bonus Rum Barcardi Select

Select of what I'm not sure, but it cost as much as the Bacardi Gold and Superior White. I sense some heavy food coloring. This stuff made me feel bad… I didn't get sick, only I felt nauseated. It was akin to having an oily meal forcibly made to settle on your stomach or the cloying richness of a dessert made with 97% butter.

The color is disconcerting, the nose is plain awful, and the taste makes the bathtub rotgut of old sound like ambrosia of the gods.

I have nothing good to say about the Bacardi Select.

Verdict: …

Tommy bahama Golden Sun

The Tommy Bahama is in an increasingly large category of rums that are fast becoming an exceptional value for the consumer. It's a sign of the times: the high end niche manufactures are having a hard time pushing their product in the economy of no-consumer-money-spending.

It's a blend, aged for three years in oak. If you can find it for the ridiculously low price of twenty dollars as I did you will be very please with your purchase. Perhaps a bit lighter and not as 'dirty' as the Ron Bacelo, it's equally well made only going in a different direction. The Tommy Bahama is a rum you'll amazed to find yourself sipping straight considering the price.

Verdict: Ron Barcelo and Tommy Bahama are championing a new category. It's not budget drinking, rather value drinking.

You'll want to check out previous highlights if you missed them (January, February) and be sure to check back next month as I will bring you more of the best, worst, and the in between. All things concerning rum: what you should be drinking.

The Month In Review and of Things to Come

The End is Nigh! At least for February. Feb-rue-air-e. Worst word in any language, ever. I thought it would be a slow month for reading, considering the limited days and that I was busy finishing a bookcase--the stacks on my floor finally started to bother me.

I made it through five books this month, which is one more than normal for me.

Guy Gavriel Kay's Finovar Tapestry has helped to restore some of my faith in heroic fantasy, previously my favorite genre. It's a trilogy in which none of the three books felt superfluous and the dialogue wasn't cringe inducing. While it leaned heavily on Tolkien's The Silmarillion (of which Kay was the unofficial ghostwriter) it was fun to read in the familiar, 'comfort zone' of fantasy so to speak. It felt like a great writer's first effort. I don't know how the Arthurian legend got introduced in the second book, and I'm not sure it lent any real strength to the story, but I'm looking forward to checking out more of Kay's offerings.

I can't put together a litany of praise long enough to talk about how much I loved Harlem Redux by Persia Walker.

The last book I read this month was The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes. It was weird in a Neverwhere Neil Gaiman kind of way: good weird, though not Gaiman good. Not painful by any means, but underwhelming to the end. I don't say this as a bad thing, but to me, it felt decidedly, "English," if you know what I mean. If the awesomeness of the title triggered your imagination to think something awesome, keep looking. Sadly, the awesome that the title suggested to you is not in between these covers. In consolation of awesome there is, however, a good story.

The Ron Barcelo Imperial Rum along with another I'll be reviewing in March were easily this month's greatest discoveries. And speaking of next month, I'm going to try a little something different; not with the drinking, rather my reading: Non-fiction.

Kinda foreign territory for me. Steven Hawkin's A brief History of Time is of true interest to me because I'm a nerd. It is also the only book with more reprints and hundreds of different editions than the Christian Bible. Nabokov's Speak, Memory is surely more than the greatest title for a memoir ever. And Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks by Ethan Gilsdorf made me laugh out loud just reading the preview. Any one have any crucial non-fiction suggestions for me?

I plan to sneak some fiction in there as well. I have three relatively short volumes that I think I can add to my reading load without cause for worry.

Oh, yeah, I also plan to not buy any books in March as a cost saving venture… we'll see how well that goes.

Rum Reviews: The Second Installment

Welcome to the second entry in my continuing series where I will give you the skinny on the good, the wretched, and the divine concerning what you should be drinking: rum.

It was currency in the Caribbean in the old days, George Washington demanded it be served at his inauguration, Ernest Hemingway lived off a diet of rum and shark flesh during his stint in Cuba, and now I'm here to help you navigate the top, the bottom, and all shelves in between concerning one of the world's greatest treasures.

Nothing fruity here, no flavored spirits to hide terrible production, or inept craftsmanship, just the booze. Feel free to suggest what you will for future installments and liquor representatives are more than welcome to provide me with your product concerning tasting and review.

Ron Barcelo Imperial

This bottle is a gem. Initially, I was gonna try to sound impartial, but I couldn't keep all the positive feelings inside. It's not so thick as to give you problems getting it down, but it does have some texture. It's flavors and richness is balanced by a thin fiery punch that lets you know your drinking. It mixes well in everything, and gives you the impression of drinking something much more expensive than it really is. This one was a gift and possibly the best gift ever; twenty dollars and I'd never heard of it before. Bacardi maybe be more economical at the same price for a handle, but this is something special.

Verdict: Quality for your dollar there may be nothing better. Hell, for many many many more dollars you can do a lot worse. Wow.

Cruzan Aged Rum

It's good… If you take out the cringe inducing quality inherent in Bacardi you'd have this particular Cruzan. To be aged two years there aren't a lot of substantial characteristics to talk about. Pretty middle of the road stuff. Price may be an (good) issue in making the purchase, it cost me $11.99 for a 750ml bottle (awesome). As is evidence of it's two year age this particular rum is light brown in color. There was also a two year old clear rum from Cruzan that I passed on. I guess it had been aged, then filtered and bleached… or something like that. On principle, I'd be wary that bottle. This is a party-starting, budget rum of a slightly better quality than Bacardi but no real renown.

Verdict: No reason to drink it alone, but price is what we're looking at here. It's nothing to write home about, but I'm also not complaining.

10 Canes

I call this "New Age" rum. Much in the same fashion as new New Age wine. There are wines being made with less barrel aging, which lead to decreased tannins which ultimately leads to sooner approachability. Consumers don't have to buy their vino and put it in a cellar for years, before they attempt to enjoy a drink, it's ready to go much faster. The final product is also a bit lighter and less intense in flavor and the cost is generally more favorable than the traditional "Olde World" vino. End wine tangent.

In terms of rum, this is lighter than a typical aged rum and a bit cleaner in taste without so many flavors going on. It's not so aggressive on the palette. This new style is not really my thing in general, but to the goal the producers were trying to reach, I'd say they succeeded. In the case of 10 cane, there is not a lot--if any--barrel aging going on.

At first taste I felt it had more in common with cachaca (a Brazilian stepchild) than rum. I think it's well done for what the manufacturer is trying to achieve, but it's not to my liking. It's in the style and flavor of the Depaz but done to a much better extent across the board. It's a bit too light, too much alcohol taste, and not enough flavor for me. Drinking it alone you may not think you're drinking rum and mixed it has a very peculiar aftertaste that isn't altogether unpleasant but is a distraction from the enjoyment of your beverage.

Verdict: If it weren't for the price ($35) I'd say, "meh." All things considered, it cost too much to be only what it is… "Stay away." Perhaps if it had nine canes, or eleven canes…

You'll want to check out last month's highlights if you missed them and be sure to check back next month as I will bring you more of the best, worst, and the in between. I promise to even feature a high end product worth the price. All things concerning rum: what you should be drinking.

Book Sellers and Liquor Stores: What one can learn from the other.

I'd been wanting to do a survey of book stores in my area and although I didn't plan it, today was the start of that journey. I was primarily going to mention independent books stores as they are businesses I like to support, but in defense of the big boys who are helping to put the little guys out-of-business: their bargain book selection rocks.

I could be wrong, and I'll definitely look and ask about it when I visit independent books stores soon, but I don't think the independent stores can manage this angle of the publishing industry. I wish I could support writers to the fullest and pay every cent they ask for a book, but the reality is I read a lot, I abuse my library, and there is only so much I can really commit to my personal collection. So if it is something I just have to have on day one, like Elizabeth Kostova's The Swan Thieves (I didn't even know she had a new book coming out until this past Thrusday) I don't mind going to a local book seller and getting it… because that is a very rare act for me. But concerning my backlog of books that comprises my "to be read list…"

Books-a-Million really shines. There selection of bargain books is huge. I mean, really Huge. Some title were a couple years old, others were five to eight years old, everything I saw was in great condition, and the highest price paid was $6.99. An hour of browsing (tangent alert: does 'hour' get an, 'a' or an 'an'?) and $28.49 later I escaped with six hardback books. No shipping fees; negligible milage and gas expense.

Feeling as self-satisfied as I was, I walked into Barnes and Noble on the way home. It's not favoritism, but the difference between the industry giants was black and white. I'm only focusing on bargain books: their selection was tiny in comparison and the display was prohibitive. Upon leaving Barnes and Noble, which didn't take long, I was still happy and went to buy some rum. Upon entering your average run-of-the-mill liquor store everything about my book buying experience was apparent to me.

It's all about presentation. This is what Books-a-Million had a grasp on that Barnes and Noble was in the dark about. The former had all their bargain books displayed face front. It was fast shopping through their mammoth selection and easy on my eyes--making me more inclined to stay there longer. Barnes and Noble had all their bargain books with only the spine showing, making consumers squint at the hundreds of titles on a shelf.

Your bottom shelf--well--hooch is occupying a floor display and a lot of space, like Stephanie Meyer's books: its a huge seller and expedites shopping by making what's in demand readily available and easy to find. The Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of The Brothers Karamazov is tucked away on a bookshelf, not in the most traffic heavy part of the store, much like Cruzan's single barrel estate rum: not because the product isn't any good, rather is it niche. Books-a-Million has managed to apply this same simple logic to display it's bargain books. The ease of shopping combined with the quantity of what they had certainly won me over.

As to what I bought: Innocents Aboard by Gene Wolfe (a collection of short stories I'd never heard of) The Sun over Breda and The Kings Gold which will usher me into Arturo Perez-Reverte's writing--whose praise I can no longer ignore, M is for Magic, by Neil Gaiman, who I have a true love/hate relationship with, The book of Lost Things by John Connolly, (which I've already read, this copy was a gift) and Pickles to Pittsburgh, a children's books that was actually the most expensive purchase of the day.

I am very happy with myself today, and excited to find a similar happy inducing trait at local independent books stores in the future. Now, my master plan is to convince all liquor stores to sell the top shelf booze at the bargain bin price.

Any suggestions?

Rum Reviews: The First Installment

I've neglected this nook of my blog long enough. In point of fact, this is my first visit. I am here now to remedy that situation. In the following series I will give you the skinny on the good, the wretched, and the divine concerning what you should be drinking: rum.

It was currency in the Caribbean in the old days, George Washington demanded it be served at his inauguration, Ernest Hemingway lived off a diet of rum and shark flesh during his stint in Cuba, and now I'm here to help you navigate the top, the bottom, and all shelves in between concerning one of the world's greatest treasures.

Nothing fruity here, no flavored spirits to hide terrible production, or inept craftsmanship, just the booze. Feel free to suggest what you will for future installments and liquor representatives are more than welcome to provide me with your product concerning tasting and review.

The Rum Reviews I

Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Argicole

This rum immediately comes off as a bad French liquor: cognac, armagnac, or some manner of brandy gone terribly wrong. I’m well versed in the ways bottle tipping and so I don’t write these words casually but there is little redeeming quality here. It’s thin and fiery. Third world peasants would do well to acquire as much as they can in an effort to keep warm in the winter because I’m not sure the burn is good for anything else. The aroma is pleasant enough to make you think there is some substantial flavor but sharp and painful are the only words that come to mind.

It’s hard to recommend Depaz as sipping the ninety proof booze is nearly toxic and the top-shelf price (about $35) is too high to justify keeping your coke company considering other, cheaper, less napalm-esque tasting options. It comes in a pretty bottle, with a nice label and an enticing scent but the truth remains: ya can’t polish a turd. Like a cheap Vegas whore; your money is better spent elsewhere.

Verdict: Avoid at all cost.



Mount Gay Original Reserve Barbados Rum

Mount Gay claims to be the oldest distillery of rum in existence: 1708. I’m inclined to believe them as they seemed to have perfected the craft and turned it into an art. The odd color is perhaps the most striking thing about this rum; not a perfectly clear nor a true brown or amber. The lack of wood is also apparent in the nose, where there is virtually no scent outside of a standard alcohol smell. But the taste more than delivers for any of these perceived short comings.

This bottle is what standard rum everywhere should taste like. Mount Gay Original Reserve should be the bar. Like the Depaz it is thin and slightly fiery but with a wonderful soft flavor--highlighted by a gentle sweetness--that can be enjoyed and appreciated all by itself. A mixed drink here wouldn’t be out of line but perhaps a bit decadent. Assuming you get the rest of the drink right, this rum will make the cleanest most refreshing Mojito ever. This rum is to be enjoyed by those who can appreciate life’s simple things done to near perfection.

Verdict: Well worth more than the price of admission.



Pyrat Rum XO Reserve

Pyrat Rum is brought to us by the Patron Spirits Company and while it is more than solely good marketing (if only a little more) it is difficult to decide what to do with this one. While it maintains the standard 40% volume alcohol this is a rum for those who like Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum without sacrificing any of the alcohol. Initially there is a lot of flavor going on for Pyrat, but about a half second after swallowing it dissipates into nothingness. There is a gentle lingering on the palette but not enough to call true ‘aftertaste.’ The most standout feature of this one is the perceived sweetness--diabetics beware! A 750ml bottle will set you back twenty bucks making the price right for the overall product. Drinking it straight is a little like taking a straw to molasses and enjoying the sugar rush, but if you're gonna party with fruity mixed drinks it blends well, taste great, and the bottle stands out on your counter top to give you a free conversation with any inquisitive females in attendance.

Verdict: I’d have to grade this one a favorable, “D+,” if such a mark were possible in school. As long as you know how to use it (mixed with sweet flavored fruit juice or any saccharine drink in general) things will go well, but woe betide any who go on a bender armed only with Pyrat, you may fall overboard.


Be sure to check back next month as I will bring you more of the best, worst, and the in between concerning rum: what you should be drinking.

The Institution of Dry Cleaning

Forty-two extra long, athletic cut it isn't a common measurement if you are a male looking to purchase a suit. All things considered, pants are easy, but a coat or even a shirt can present a significant problem. The breadth of my shoulders--more specifically the measurement across my chest--is an anomaly in the fashion world.

So when I finally find something that fits, which is an effort that most people-women in particular--will never fully appreciate, the cleaning of this particular garments present some internal problems.

Who do you trust when it comes to taking care of your can't-just-walk-into-a-store-and-take-another-one-off-the-rack-should-something-go-wrong article of clothing? I spend money on the suit and alterations, and a good deal of time in an effort to find nicer clothing that both fits and is affordable. Then I'm supposed to give some guy I don't know all of ten bucks and trust him not to mess the summation of all my shopping efforts in a weeks time at the cleaners.

I'd like to think I'm doing something wrong. I have to be skipping a step somewhere. Surely there is more to the process, some research I should be doing a on specific cleaner and what qualifies them to handle my clothes, a liability waiver at least.

What of those with their bespoke Savile Row apparel? Do they take there thousand dollar clothing back to the tailor when they need it cleaned?

I'd be grateful to any that can shed some light on this topic for me. What am I missing?

Where are the women on my book shelf?

I’m going to assign myself a challenge: seek out the best female writers regardless of genre and… read their books. I don’t think I’m sexist--actually I like women a lot--but for whatever reason the only book I currently own written by a woman in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. And so, I turn to you dear readers…

I’m open to suggestions. My prefenreces in reading lean toward nineteenth century Russian literature (for whatever reason most stuff written by English speaking writers from the same time frame really turns me off: Wilde, Dickens, Conrad, ect.) I like intelligent fantasy--which I find increasingly more difficult to come across--anything that can make me laugh out loud, and whatever else might define a good book. My ideal love story is Bram Stokers’ Dracula, I love things that make me question my own life upon completion and anything I, the reader, get to take an active role in the reading process. I hate writers who spoon-feed me everything.

I won’t allow Toni Morrison as a suggestion as I already plan to delve into her works. I have tried Patricia McKillip and Mary Gentle and both were strike outs for me.

Suggestions?