I am currently attending a Whisky event in Glasgow.Yesterday, I sampled at least nineteen whiskies in just under six hours.This was not respectful to the wonderful whiskies I tried towards the end of the day, and it was not respectful to my body and mind, both of which are wracked with pain today.Somehow, I managed to keep tasting notes for all (or at least, the first nineteen) whiskies I tried.Okay, so the last few notes appear to be in Japanese, or to have been written by a man in the throes of an epileptic fit, but they exist nonetheless.None of this is big or clever.But since it marks the height of maturity compared to the juvenile behaviour on the boys' weekend trip to Amsterdam which just preceded this, I'm just glad to be heading in the right direction.Which is towards painkillers,...
Did you enjoy your decade of gombeen government?I hope you did, because the bill just arrived:1% 'levy' on all earnings.2% over 100K.HSE middle management axed; review of public service to find more job cuts.Decentralisation paused till 2011.8c a litre on petrol, 50c on pack of fags, 50c on bottle of wine.'Review' of pension reserve fund (he's going to raid it later.)Dublin Metro on pause.Over 70s med card axed for those who don't qualify - but they'll get a 400 euro donation towards med costs in its place.Capital gains tax up.10 euro tax on airport departures, 2 euro for 'shorter' journeys.Tax on second homes and let homes, but not on homes for sale but not sold (got to look after those poor builders).Child benefit halved for 18 year olds, and to be scrapped in a couple of years.When...
When the neighbours are banging on the walls because you're playing Ethiopian jazz too loud.It fucking rawks, though.(Or else the whiskey does. Or probably both do. Together.)You should get yourself some of each and annoy your neighbours too.Must go. The cops are at the door again......
Following on from my nigh-legendary guidance on drinking in general, here's a few pointers about Irish whiskey just in time for St Patrick's Day.1. It's whiskEy not whisky. With an 'E' and it's Irish, without and it's Scotch. Some Yanks like to spell their Bourbon the Irish way, with the E. This is a mistake, since the vast majority of Bourbon isn't proper whiskey at all. In my opinion, of course.2. Unlike the Scots, who cleverly kept most of their distilleries open, we stupidly shut nearly all of ours. Therefore, there are really only three distilleries left. To make up for that, they distil a bewildering display of whiskies to make it look like there are lots more than there really are.3. Scots tend to make the most sought-after single malts. Irish distilleries make some excellent malts...
As a prelude to sitting down and properly looking over the many excellent Irish blogs to be found on the long lists for the Irish Blog Awards, I thought I'd share with you some of the more unusual, but interesting non-Irish blogs I've come across recently.For Girls Who Can't Do Football - A bit of untruth in advertising here. The splendidly monikered Georgina Best strides that fine, previously unknown, line between gurly life rambling blog (second biggest blog category in the whole 'sphere apart from cat blogs) and footie fanatic blog. Quality result! The girl done well.Chatsoccer - Not strictly a blog, though it has group blog-like qualities. I mentioned them a little while ago, when they were still all new and pink with that lovely baby smell. Now they're already toasting the mainstream...