Salt

A Chenin Blanc from Where?

Today I had a wonderful wine at L'Ecole - a fairly crowd pleasing lightly fruity, somewhat dry, velvety white wine from... India. (the lunch was excellent as well).   My surprise made the wine even better.  Here is another review.

Marijuana Lobbying Underway

Its incredible the amount of money we spend locking up people who wouldn't be dangerous to society if their desires weren't illegal.  It's illegality that makes drug use dangerous, not always the use itself.  Hard to understand for some, but easy to prove.  Apparently 500 economists and other smart people are suggesting that congress look at the facts.  It's mildly utopian, but these persons share the same religion as congress, the religion of the free market, which like most religions, is one we praise with our lips, although our hearts are elsewhere.  Maybe they'll be convincing.  Hard to get my parish on board.  Apparently one of my predecessors had the munchies just a little too often. 

One economist remarked: 

"If we banned Ben & Jerry's ice cream, there'd be drive-by shootings over Ben & Jerry's." We'd have a militarized sugar industry.

Another economist said, "We're split down the middle on everything, but you don't see us split down the middle on drug prohibition. It's a case where it's clear that the costs of prohibition exceed the benefits."

Vacation, the Pope, etc

Been having a good time.  My friend [who is the new chaplain at Keble college] and I went along the south bank.  I bought two used books:  religion and the rise of capitalism and death in holy orders.  We had a pint before coming home.  He had confessions and mass in his current job, curate at All Saint's, Margaret St. 

Tonight my friend Wednesday, had us all over for dinner - she served a delicious ceviche and a good soup with chorizo.  We listened to Michael Jackson, considering his guilt and innocence.   

Last night, my friend's wife took us to Hakkasan and Moro.  She is an interior designer, and both restaurants had reputations for being fairly innovative.  I complained about modernism:  where are the curves and decorations?  I made my case for the decorative arts - for frills and flowers and patterns.  Still, there was other sorts of eye candy.   Beatrix, her friend, enjoyed the techno.

So tomorrow Leicester.  So far, I've been enjoying getting up late; the coffee; the walks; the pints; the walks; the cheese; mass; then another pint or two and then a nightcap with a cigar, discussing the future of the church and theology.

tomorrow, I go to work.

Christians are the Worst Tippers

I report this so that ye might correct your wayward ways, my bretheren.

"As a lapsed Christian I have taken Jesus as my savior, but little pieces of paper that aren't actual money don't pay my fucking rent. I continue telling her similar stories about how stingy Christians are especially on Sundays. You couldn't pay me fifty dollars an hour to wait tables on Sunday morning right after church. Everyone is a complete asshole."

Speaking of Gin

This winter, I gave three bottles of gin away.  One to a friend who graciously hosted me this summer who loves martinis [he actually named his kid after me - <gush>]; another to my accountant; and one to the owner of the local saloon, who seems to have instructed the bartenders that my account is always paid for [I suspect he's a guilty Catholic of some sort], as the bartenders always wave me off when I am ready to pay.   I chose this Gin, which has now been mentioned in Wonkette.  I discovered it after taking my lady to this restaurant.  And now it will be the next big thing. 

[Sigh].

Chocolate Beer

In winter, I often enjoy a good Chocolate Stout.  No, they aren't unusually sweet - only in the beginning - you might even miss it.  The light sweetness is finished with a captivating, slightly bitter, roasted coffee taste that is thick and hearty.  They are a lot like Oatmeal Stouts in their richness.

Sam Adams has now made one.  The finest Chocolate stout, however, is Rogue which, conincidentally, has a photo of a family memeber on it.  Brooklyn's is also excellent.