DALLAS, Texas – GRAMMY, CMA, and Dove award-winning pop, country, and gospel singer B.J. Thomas revealed today that his doctors have diagnosed him as having stage four lung cancer. Thomas is receiving treatment in a local health care facility in Texas, and is hopeful for a complete recovery. “I just wanted to take this unique …
Vodka isn’t Russian Vodka was first created in the Middle Ages in what is now Poland, and the first written mention of it is from 1405. It didn’t enter modern day Russia for almost a century, and like all alcohol of the day was used primarily as medicine. Polish physician Stefan Falimierz wrote in his 1534 book on herbs that vodka should be “used to …
In case you were wondering, this train wreck occurred at Paris’s Montparnasse train station on October 22, 1895. The sole casualty was the wife of a newspaper vendor, who was crushed by falling masonry. The accident was a combination of human error (the engineer cruised into the station at full speed because the passenger train …
Pet Tracking Cats are curious, dogs are playful. And you quickly lose sight of them. With a pet tracker, you could locate them again. But how reliable are these devices? Many dog owners like to let Bello and Co. off the leash in the forest and park. Most cats are naturally free-roaming and are therefore out of control. No wonder that …
We tend to take ice for granted. Even our great, great grandmother’s and grandfathers had easy access to ice. But for most of human history, ice was only seasonally available, and even then, a luxury that most could not afford. The requirements for an alcoholic drink to be called a cocktail are that it contains a spirit, sugar, …
Eating from your yard tip~Helianthus tuberosus commonly called Jerusalem Artichoke or Sunchokes is a hardy beast that grows over seven feet tall with yellow Rudbeckia-like flowers. You can harvest the tubers after the first hard freeze, but I think they taste better if you wait until spring to dig them. My grandson and I dug …
While most bartenders throughout history have labored their entire careers in obscurity, some have become famous for their skill behind the stick, some because they wrote significant books on drinks and mixology, some because they were alchemists with mixers and spirits, and some because they were incredible self-promoters – attaining an almost superstar status. But the skill that …
Motown Records’Black Forum label has reissued Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Why I Oppose The War In Vietnam. The landmark speech was recorded in April 1967 at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. Originally released on vinyl in October 1970, Why I Oppose The War In Vietnam was the first album from the then-fledgling label. Throughout 1967, Dr. King took a …
Fusing contemporary reggae with elements of soul, hip-hop and dancehall, breakthrough recording artist Lila Iké teams up with rising dancehall talent Skillibeng for a powerhouse remix of “Thy Will.” Both hailing from Jamaica, these two distinct vocalists continue to gain notoriety as the island’s new generation of promising stars. Today, they unleash the song’s brand new …
Architecture of the Cocktail: Swilling the Planters with Bumbo – Happy Presidents Day! by Bill Stott
In 1755, 23 year-old George Washington decided to run for the Virginia House of Burgesses. He chose to take a principled stand and buck the longstanding British election practice of offering free alcohol to voters on election day, in essence buying their vote. He believed there were too many taverns in town, and even complained to the Virginia Governor that …
In the impeachment homestretch, with apologies to AC/DC and one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time… Hells Bells I’m a rolling ass clown, a pouring rainI’m comin’ on like a hurricaneFake news flashing across the scrollYou’re only young but you’re gonna troll I’ll give you black sedition up and down your …
I haven’t been going out much at night this winter. Look what I’ve been missing right outside my door Hope you are well! We are in an attic freeze with snow and more snow. – J. in Lincoln, Nebraska And here’s a similar light discovered in East Portland on 2/11/2021, the first night of the …
The Tequila Shot Every college student and football tailgater knows that chant. You lick the skin on the back of your hand between the thumb and pointer finger and shake salt on, then grab a lime wedge with the same hand. With your free hand, you grab a shot of tequila and in time with …
On Saturday, I heard an interview on my favorite radio show, This Is Hell, hosted by Chuck Mertz on WNUR (89.3 FM in Chicago), with Flint Taylor and Jeffrey Haas. These two guys founded the People’s Law Center. Go to episode 1288 to listen to the interview. https://www.thisishell.com/Haas wrote a book about the Fred Hampton murder. The …
The Daiquiri As America rocketed toward the end of the 1800s, new cocktails were being produced at a dizzying pace. Bartenders were looking to all types of new ingredients to add to old standbys, and to create new and unique drinks. Gins, vermouths, and champagnes were all trending dry, while liqueurs were being used to replace sugar. …
I planned to visit a cemetery this morning on the north side of Chicago, situated less than six miles from my house. On Thursday I called the office to obtain lot information. However, as I drove amidst the works of art, aka grave markers, I realized my incomplete coordinate was no reason to search endlessly. …
I burst into tears this morning, reading that another bit of my childhood was gone. It surprised me at first, my brief waterfall, but then I realized that I couldn’t be the only one. It has been said that you could tell that The Hammer (never to be confused with another iconic slugger, Hank “The …
When I was little and we would go out to eat (which wasn’t often) and my parents were in a celebrating mood, they would order a cocktail. And sometimes when they were getting a drink, I was lucky enough to get a Shirly Temple ‘cocktail’ to sip along with them. I loved that combination of sweet cherry and 7UP. And best of all was finishing and still having …
PORTLAND, Ore. — Allen Ginsberg’s first public reading of his epic poem “Howl” took place at San Francisco’s famous Six Gallery in October of 1955. Along with Ginsberg, the evening included readings by Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, Philip Lamantia, and Michael McClure. Poet and anthologist Kenneth Rexroth was the emcee, and Jack Kerouac, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Neal Cassady were in attendance. Unfortunately for literary history, …
Likely like most of you, I grew up thinking rum was always clear, and came in a clear glass bottle with a bat on the label. You made three things with it. You could get really fancy and make a daiquiri, you could add it to Coke, or you could add it to juice. There were exceptions; Long …
2020 needs to go to a corner and think about what it did this past year. What ill would next befall the land? Well, on December 37th, which was the first day of Epiphany where we pray for a shining light to guide us through the darkness, a rabid, repulsive, and revolting mob of insurgents …
What have we learned: 1. Terrorists can act with impunity so long as they are white; they can attack police, lay siege to any capitol, openly carry guns to legislatures, plot kidnappings, kill, and even dress like dystopian Price Is Right contestants while doing so, and will calmly walk away, unscathed, toting mementos. 2. Not …
The Incredibly abbreviated history of Punch In the beginning, God gave man beer – and it was good. Well actually, it took a while. And the beer was horrible. The first known use of a straw as a tool was by the Sumerians in 3,000 BCE, and used it to get down through the semi-solids to the liquid in a container …
“What one rum can’t do, three rums can” – Don Beach Johnny Quong’s The Hawaiian When I was a kid, I was a pretty picky eater. We lived in Salt Lake City for four years in the early 1970s, and on the rare occasion that we went out to eat, the one place that I was always …
Eggnog. Not the most attractive name. Some people love it, and it is an integral part of their Christmas tradition. But some people hate it. The thought of drinking a thick mixture containing raw eggs disgusts them. Perhaps we should tell them that eggnog is basically melted ice cream (raw eggs, milk, and sugar) with alcohol included. The origins of eggnog are obviously unknown, …
When I was in high school, I got my one and only cocktail lesson from my dad. While making a drink, he turned to me and asked if I knew the difference between a dry martini and a very dry martini. He grabbed the (dusty) dry vermouth bottle from under the sink – probably next to the Comet and dish soap – and told me for …
A couple months ago I wrote about volunteering at a food pantry on Friday or Saturday morning. In this connection, the Greater Chicago Food Depository distributes food supplies to more than 700 pantries and soup kitchens. Even though I live in the richest nation on the planet, food pantries exist to partially fill a gap in the …
People ask me all the time. What do you do with bitters? Or – what are bitters for? The short answer is they are to cocktails what spices are to food. Chef and author Samin Nosrat says of salt, “Salt’s relationship to flavor is multidimensional: It has its own particular taste, and it both balances and enhances the …
I started tinkering around with cocktails the summer of 2019, on a search for the best cocktail of the summer. Mostly to give myself something to do. Summer turned into fall, and fall into winter, then in 2020 I decided that I had made enough cocktails that I need to keep them someplace or I would forget …
Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock “We could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beere.” – from the diary of William Bradford The story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving is an interesting one. Black and white clad Puritans sitting down with half naked natives and sharing a meal to celebrate the thankfulness of the harvest. It is a tale fabricated sometime in …