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When a restaurant "goes on vacation"
- c
- calabasas_trafalgar Feb 26, 2007 02:50 PM
Over the last few years I've noticed a few of my favorite places(Domenico's on Washington in Pasadena, Carmine's in Arcadia)have a week or two in the summer where the place is closed and the entire staff goes on vacation. Is this a common practice? Other than these two I've never encountered it.
i think a *gone fishin* break is likely more commonplace in Europe, but we're seeing more and more places just shutting down for a week or a month in the summer here in Toronto- everyone needs a break right?
I believe it is quite typical in Europe - and in New York, I've noticed that quite a few French restaurants seem to do that as well.
My favorite Italian resto in NYC used to go on vacation every August. I used to eat there at least once a week. The last week in July was always disappointing as I knew I was to go a month without my favorite pasta sauce. One year the owner cam over to my table and asked if everything was OK. I told him I really am going to miss the pasta and house sauce. He told me to go to Walgreen's buy a bunch of plastic containers and bring them back. At 5 o'clock I picked up a month's worth of sauce for my freezer. I was one happy customer.
Out here in the Hamptons (Long Island) the majority close during the month of Jan or/and Feb, obviously this a seasonal place, but even the "local" places close for a week or two around now for major lack of business. Then NYC closes down to some extent in August when everyone escapes to the country.
You'll actually lose money (on labor and utilities) opening during these slow times. Nowadays everything is computerized so they can look at last year's figures and say "let's take a break!" and save a bundle in the process.
When I used to bartend, a couple of places would do this over the summer (it was a college town), and the owners would take their vacation, but also have the place painted, cleaned, repaired,etc. It was a good move, b/c a manager would stay to make sure that stuff got done right, but it wasn't stuff you could really be open and have done. But boy was the place looking beat up by the time they closed for that week.
We have a family owned pizza place in our town that does it in the summer every year. They return home to visit family in their home country for about three weeks each June. We have it on our calendar to go in and get our pizza at the end of May before they leave town!
i've known quite a few places that do this. it usually means they're also pretty strict about staff taking other time off.
in seasonal places like nantucket and the vineyard, most places close for at least 3 months in winter. it doesn't pay to stay open.
I know several places that do this here in the NYC suburbs. They want to be able to give vacations to their long term staff and so close down for two weeks each winter and summer. This way they always have their best staff and cooks working at all other times. The owners feel that loss of revenue is better than not providing the best experience for their customers.
We have a restaurant on the coast of NC. Things here grind to a halt after New Years when it is cold, everyone is on a diet, gets there Christmas credit card bills and has all sorts of crazy resolutions. My husband and I are at the rest. 6 days a week. We take 10 days off in Jan. Honestly, our business is small and almost not worth being open at that time. We all get a break and can get projects done like deep cleans and repairs without having to worry if it takes all day or two. We have found that our customers who are regulars all come right before we close or right after so it compresses the business which is great for the staff.
re: wineandcheese
One of my favorite places does the same thing the week of the 4th of July.
At the NJ shore many restaurants close during the off season, prior to the start of the busy summer season or in the case of seafood restaurants during product availability changes.
One particularly popular seafood restaurant, with a loyal 30 year following, experiences a standing room only "welcome back" from customers every year when they return from their annual owner/staff cruise. I remember one year a gleeful customer arrived with flowers & balloons for the owners-which struck me as incredibly odd and sweet at the same time.
Customer loyalty is a beautiful thing.
I live in Philly and I think it's quite common for smaller family run places to close down for some number of weeks for vacation. Around here, they go "down the shore" or back to Italy.
It is common at a few places in DC during August- when congress is out of session and most of the annoying touristas are out of town as well. I love getting my city back even if I lose a few places to eat :)
In Napa Valley, a lot of restaurants close for the first week or two of January. January is a very slow month in Napa anyway, and it gives a nice break to the restaurant staff after the long holiday rush of November and December.
Not only do we take vacations but we " deep clean " and get all the maintenence done. Equipment can be disconnected and cleaned and the walls can be painted ....... Hoods and fans.......
Mitla Cafe in San Bernardino, CA (a Mexican restaurant) closes for a week or two on vacation every summer. They've been doing this ever since I can remember - and I've been going there for over 40 years. Everyone knows to get their "fix" before they close.
Yeah, growing up there were always a couple weeks in the summer when we couldn't go down to Bartlesville to Murphy's because they were on vacation. They always used to be closed the week between Christmas and New Year's, too, but the last time I was down there at Christmas and wanted a hot hamburger we called and found them open.
I've seen it in St. Martin, during the low season. We were there in September, and all the guide books said St. Martin was the culinary capital of the Caribbean, but all the recommended restaurants were closed for the month, so we were disappointed. I guess when things are slow, the whole staff uses the time to go on vacation, or work on restaurant renovations.
It's mud season now! The restaurants in ski towns will be closing all over, and now they get to go on vacation. River trips, moutain bike tours, and climbing treks with amazing food cooked over fires. They'll open back up in a couple of weeks.


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November 26, 2014
Posted Wednesday, July 3, 2013 --- 10:51 a.m.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) -- That was no burrito.
Three people who ordered food at a Taco Bell drive-thru in western Michigan got something more valuable: $3,600 in cash.
A Taco Bell employee mistakenly passed the cash to the trio instead of their food Saturday. The money was returned a short time later.
Kennidi Rue told WZZM-TV that she and two friends thought about keeping the money but decided they'd feel guilty if they didn't return it. Grand Rapids police Capt. Jeff Hertel confirms the incident, telling MLive.com that an officer was called to assist.
The money was in a store bag for deposit at a bank. A message seeking comment was left with Taco Bell.
Rue, boyfriend Grant Kruse and another friend, Luke Postma, got their meal when they returned the money.
Copyright 2013: Associated Press
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Object storage: The blob creeping from niche to mainstream
Storage dull? Dry? Uninteresting? Not a bit. Everybody and everything uses data storage. Without we'd be lost. And thanks in part to the growth of cloud computing and big data, storage has risen up the agenda. In the big data universe, things are changing. Our methods of naming, storing and retrieving filesystems need to be …
"the guesswork of capacity planning is eliminated"
Any time I hear someone telling me that planning is no longer necessary, I cringe.
Here, we are being told that we no longer have to worry about a single application taking up 80% of the shared storage space.
I beg to differ. If a single application takes up 80% of my allocated storage, I think I'd pretty damn well better know why and have planned for it beforehand, because if this is a surprise, then it puts in question the whole data structure that I have put in place.
Sure, I understand that all I have to do is subscribe to an additional block of shared storage. That doesn't mean that I shouldn't have planned it beforehand.
Planning is never an option.
Re: "the guesswork of capacity planning is eliminated"
I can see you missed the point of this.
When the storage pool is 80% full, your ex-boss will get a friendly call from EMC/IBM/HP/HDS* quoting him for more capacity, and he'll have all the money he used to pay you to buy it with.
* Delete as applicable
Re: "the guesswork of capacity planning is eliminated"
> I can see you missed the point of
Adding more capacity on a whim? From the likes of EMC? For only the cost of a single employee?
Surely you've never actually had any experience with this sort of thing.
Object: It's not just about storing stuff...
Interesting piece, Adrian. Good to see more discussion relative to the object technology space...finally. Just wanted to mention a feature I didn't see in the article, and in my opinion, one of object's most valuable, its capabilities in providing a foundation for information management. So much potential with this, but the architecture has to be right and you're correct that the products on the market today differ quite a bit in architecture. Having spent over 15 years in this space I've evaluated/competed with all of them and there's tremendous opportunity to really disrupt the storage industry; primarily file systems with that "right architecture".
Object won't obviate the need for file systems, but will substantially impact their use. As the advanced computing team from a major US university said during an executive briefing last year "...the file system has pretty much reached the end of its useful life", but also recognized it would continue to occupy a place in the environment (though much smaller in size). We'll also see object adoption move faster when SW engineers really begin to recognize what they can do with object and start using it as a development platform to deliver apps. Good to see Ms. Collier is in agreement on this point (worked with her in the past, Hi Lynn!).
The new paradigm of storing and interacting with information has emerged from the community networks and content sharing sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Shutterfly, etc.) that rely on relationships, links, associations and "likes" (tags/metadata) where those relationships hold as much, if not more value than the actual content. The new generation of consumers, corporate users and technologists understand this paradigm far more than the stodgy, block-based, folder/file hierarchical technology of yester-year. Object technology provides an infrastructure that can persist and protect that data while enabling the creative "bit twiddlers" to take advantage of it in unique and exciting ways.
Re: Object: It's not just about storing stuff...
Anything that displaces the conventional file system is likely to require that same displaced file system under the covers. It may be invisible, embedded in some highly proprietary storage layer. However, sooner or later something is going to have to address it in conventional terms. That might even be the end user or admin. Less abstract elements of systems don't suddenly go away when a better abstraction is found.
A file name (or something like it) will likely continue to remain the most efficient path to an object regardless.
Re: Object: It's not just about storing stuff...
Yes and no to the "still need a filesystem under the covers". You can pretty much chop the directory tree off a traditional UNIX filesystem and use inode numbers as object IDs. For instance, the Object Storage Targets inside Lustre can be mounted locally on the storage servers for maintenance when the cluster filesystem is down, and what you then see is a placeholder filename for each inode in use, hashed into a containing directory tree to keep the directory sizes manageable. When the cluster filesystem is mounted, most operations refer directly to the inodes - it's only when a new object is created that its placeholder filename has to be added too.
As for efficiency: if you expose inode numbers to the filesystem layer, bypassing the directory tree and addressing inodes directory is certainly no *slower*...
Re: Object: It's not just about storing stuff...
Have you seen what we are developing by any chance?
Re: Object: It's not just about storing stuff...
A file name (or something like it) will likely continue to remain the most efficient path to an object regardless.
Thank you, it's nice to read a comment which is written by someone who understands storage. Maybe next time you can ask them a searching question about it as well, something about how they intend to maintain block pointers without a filesystem type of structure, and therefore make optimal use of the underlying storage technology?
Re: Object: It's not just about storing stuff...
As for efficiency: if you expose inode numbers to the filesystem layer, bypassing the directory tree and addressing inodes directory is certainly no *slower*...
Ummm I hate to have to point this out... but the inodes are the fucking filesystem. The directory tree is only a dictionary of inode assignment. So your object storage model is a filesystem without an inode dictionary.
Ceph? Eucalyptus? GlusterFS?
Why mention OpenStack Swift but none of the alternatives?
Techy Buzzword Generator
"each unit benefits from an extended metadata identifier"
"the desire for information quality is driving data ingest 'granularity'"
"his firm's Simpana 10 product exists in this space as a hardware-agnostic software storage solution"
"we can intelligently expose data for more use cases through API integration"
"service-based virtualised computing architectures"
Centera is still the best object platform
Centera was one of the first and is still the best. That is why almost every financial institution and thousands of health care and other companies have it. EMC tried to replace it but it it is so sticky because customers love it and it just keeps selling. Long live Object. Long live Centera.
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Top 40 Acts To Catch At Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is celebrating its 20th anniversary this August 5-7 at Chicago's Grant Park, and with such an amazing lineup of artists, it's hard to pick and choose which bands to watch. Don't fret; we've done some work to help festival goers out by narrowing down the 140 hot acts to the top 42.
Friday, Aug. 5
Britain's leading buzz band the Vaccines offer a superb way to start off Lollapalooza with their blistering and raucous guitar rock. The band is touring in support of the Arctic Monkeys this summer, performing material from their debut album, What Did You Expect From the Vaccines? They'll be kicking things off at 12:45 p.m. on the Music Unlimited stage.
Denver-based rock duet Tennis will be performing at the Google+ stage from 1:00-1:45. The husband-and-wife duo will captivate you with their sweet, retro-sounding melodies off their first studio album, Cape Dory. The album is based on the couple's experiences during a 7-month sailing expedition aboard their ship, the Cape Dory.
|Two Door Cinema Club
Make your way to the Sony stage from 1:30-2:15 to get your dose of New Zealand indie rock by The Naked And Famous. This is a great chance to catch them live before they head out on a massive European tour.
Austin-based band Electric Touch will be rocking the BMI stage from 2:00-2:30. Check them out if you're in the mood for authentic, adrenaline-raising rock with a British flair.
Take in Long Beach-based band Delta Spirit from 2:15-3:00 at the Music Unlimited stage to get the best in live entertainment and music. This band combines everything from trash cans to orchestral bass drums for a boisterous mix of roots-rock.
We expect a stellar performance from Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at the Bud Light stage from 2:30-3:30. This quintet's music is a beautiful marriage of soul-funk-hard rock sounds. Plus, we're big fans of their bassist and Girl Rock Nation artist Catherine Popper.
Foster The People is a can't miss! Swing by the Sony stage from 3:00 – 4:00 to hum along to their hit "Pumped Up Kicks" and to listen to more tunes from their debut album Torches. To get more of this indie-electronic rock band's music, stop by the Filter Lollapalooza After Party on Saturday night at the Hard Rock Hotel, where they will be playing alongside Phantogram.
Manhattan indie-pop band Cults hit the Google+ stage from 4:45-5:30, where they are sure to perform "Go Outside," the balmy track that gained them indie stardom. This is one of the hottest underground bands going right now, so if you can't make their Lolla set, they will also be playing at the Filter Magazine After Party at the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday night.
Two Door Cinema Club reached indie prominence with hit song "What You Know," off debut album Tourist History. Some of our friends in the music industry proclaim, "Forget Coldplay; I want to see those guys." They'll be at the Sony stage from 5:00-6:00 if you're curious about the hype.
The indie-rock bonanza continues over at the Playstation stage at 5:30 with the Mountain Goats, a California-based trio that delivers a nice dose of explosive folk-meets-indie songwriting.
Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz returns home to Chi-town with his new project the Black Cards, appearing on the BMI stage from 5:30-6:15. This reggae-electro pop duo sounds totally unlike anything you've ever heard Wentz do before.
A Perfect Circle live performance is hard to come by. Given all of the side projects for Tool and Puscifer's Maynard James Keenan, like wine making in Jerome, Arizona, these guys don't find much time to tour or write new music. However, they've now got new track "By and Down," and will be delivering their stylistically diverse rock-metal on the Music Unlimited stage starting at 6 p.m. sharp.
Get the best of folk, indie-rock and electronica by checking out the Bright Eyes from 6:30-7:30 on the Bud Light stage. The trio will blow you away with material from their latest album The People's Key, deemed by music critics as the "best record the Bright Eyes have ever made."
If you're looking for some serious talent, check out Girl Rock Nation artist Christina Perri from 6:45-7:30 at the BMI stage. This young, singer-songwriter captivated thousands of people across the globe with her raw and emotional song, "Jar of Hearts." Perri writes all of her own songs, usually centered around love and loss, and has a truly unique voice that connects with an ever-growing audience.
Anyone in need of a rock and electronic fix needs to catch OK GO at the Google+ stage beginning at 7:15. These viral sensations appeal to many musical palates, from indie fans to power-pop cheerleaders.
Coldplay and Muse virtually go head-to-head as the evening's headliners. Muse's set starts at 8:15 at the Music Unlimited, just 15 minutes prior to their fellow English superstars. Coldplay, who will appear on the Bud Light stage, continue to surprise the masses with unique and innovative music that has withstood the test of time. The legendary act settled on an industrial/electro-pop direction on their upcoming album and have been debuting new tracks all summer long. Muse always blow minds with their extravagant live show and ultra-energizing progressive-alternative rock jams.Take your pick as either closer promises to be memorable.
Saturday, Aug. 6
Phantogram released Eyelid Movies last year and continue to receive rave reviews for their ultra-successful debut album. Stop by the Sony stage at 1:30 and you'll be in for a nice mixture of electronica and hip-hop jams from the New York-based duo, such as cut "Mouthful Of Diamonds." For some more Phantogram action, fender.com will be streamlining their Filter After Party set live.
Cruise out to the Google+ stage at 2:15 to witness a performance by one of Chicago's very own, Maps & Atlases. Some call it pop rock, others call it math rock. We like to call it awesome rock. In fact, we love it so much, we're also going to stream their live set from Filter's After Party on fender.com.
|My Morning Jacket
It's no surprise that The Drums rocketed to fame with the release of their up-beat track "Let's Go Surfing." This Manhattan-based indie-pop/post-punk trio will get you tapping your feet and nodding your head with feel-good tracks from their new album Drums. Check them out at 4:45 on the Google+stage.
Take part in music history with a show by British post-punk band Big Audio Dynamite. The band's frontman is legendary ex-guitarist and singer Mick Jones from The Clash, so come on over to the Music Unlimited stage at 4:30 to get your punk rock on!
Patrick Stump returns home to the Windy City with material from his upcoming solo debut album Soul Punk. The Fall Out Boy frontman will showcase his amazing and versatile songwriting abilities, as seen with his first single "This City." This upbeat electronica track features acclaimed rapper Lupe Fiasco, and makes us want to hear more. Stop by the BMI stage from 5:00-5:45.
The Deftones are back stronger than ever after a hiatus following former bassist Chi Cheng's tragic, coma-inducing car accident. With new member Sergio Vega from Quicksand on the bass, and the release of their lush and evocative comeback album Diamond Eyes, this metal band is playing more heavily and melodically than ever before. They'll be at the Playstation stage from 5:00-6:00.
Hailing from the L.A. music scene, the indie rock-psychedelic band Local Natives are known globally, thanks to the release of their debut album Gorilla Manor. Swing by the Sony stage at 5:30 for a taste of unique chanting, three-part harmonies and percussion-centric songs.
If you think a young actress and model can't rock, think twice! Actress and model Taylor Momsen will play with her band The Pretty Reckless on the BMI stage at 6:15. This multi-talented, 16-year-old rocker cites everything from Led Zeppelin to Muddy Waters as some of her band's influences.
Wrap up your evening at the Bud Light stage with My Morning Jacket and the deeply moving vocals of frontman Jim James. The band's latest release, Circuital, is an album that is meant to be performed live in front of the masses. My Morning Jacket has been opening most shows with the album's exploding leadoff track "Victory Dance," the perfect tune to kick off a giant rock party. Their headlining set starts at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 7
Titus Andronicus' 2010 emotion-filled album The Monitor is action-packed with everything from compelling, heartbreak songs to raucous Irish-like punk jams. The New Jersey-based quintet is sure to put on a show just as exciting as their album, so stop by the Music Unlimited stage at 12:45 for some musical debauchery.
|Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Joy Formidable have soared to new heights with the release of The Big Roar. The Welsh-trio's eclectic mix of electronic and rock music gained them a headlining slot at this year's Glastonbury's main stage. They continue to receive worldwide praise with their latest E.P. Roarities. Catch them at 1:00 on the Bud Light stage.
Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses are best known for Bingham's Academy-award winning track "The Weary Kind," the theme song for motion picture Crazy Heart. This soulful Texan guitarist will captivate you with his soothing Americana, roots and blues rock music. This just might be the one of the best band's you've never heard of, so get over to the Music Unlimited stage at 2:15.
Noah & The Whale aren't afraid to cross boundaries. This British quintet reached international stardom with their big-hit "5 Years Time," in which they incorporate stylistically diverse elements like the fiddle and ukulele to add a nice touch of folk to their feel-good jams. They'll be on from 2:30-3:15 on the Bud Light stage.
Add The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart to your "must-watch" list if you're an indie-pop fanatic. With the release of their second LP, Belong, this New York-based quartet offers a contemporary twist of music reminiscent of the Cures and the Smiths. Catch them from 3:00-4:00 at the Sony stage.
It's hard to believe that Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is only made up of two band members. This Detroit-based duo combines rock and electronica with a slight hint of pop into their music, creating everything from soothing jams like "Nothing But Our Love" to ultra-energizing, raucous music that sounds like a giant army of musicians. They're on from 3:15-4:00 on the Google+ stage.
This American classic, power-pop, rock band needs no introduction! Take a stroll back in time with The Cars as they perform from 4:00-5:00 on the Music Unlimited stage. The quartet is expected to play everything from classics like "Just What I Needed," to new material from their 2011 reunion album Move Like This.
Brace yourself for some Flogging Molly from 4:15-5:15 at the Bud Light stage. Concertgoers are in for some Celtic-music-carnival madness with this Los Angeles-based punk-rock band's Irish influences. They're sure to play material from their latest album, Speed Of Darkness, which debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 charts.
For the best in singer-songwriting, check out Girl Rock Nation artist Lissie from 4:30-5:15 on the Google+ stage. This young, American folk-rock artist has captivated thousands around the world with her latest album Catching A Tiger. She will seduce you with her rich, soulful voice and emotion-filled lyrics. This girl is pure raw talent.
Portugal. The Man have been around for a while, but none of their previous albums have brought them as much fame success as In The Mountain In The Cloud. Their latest record just debuted at #42 on the Billboard Top 200, and has been widely accepted and embraced by music critics and fans worldwide. Check out the Portland-based rockers from 5:00-6:00 on the Sony stage.
|Foo Fighters
Cage The Elephant live up to the lyrics from their big-hit "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" with their high-energy level performances. We last saw the band at Coachella, where frontman Matt Shultz sported a dress and enjoyed a few stage dives into the audience. Check them out from 5:15-6:15 on the Playstation stage to see what "shakes down."
There aren't many bands quite as diverse as Best Coast. This Los Angeles-based band plays everything from feel-good surf pop to indie pop-rock. The band's 2010 Crazy For You and recent iTunes session release are loaded with tons of good vibes and California surf rock tracks. This show is one of the trio's last tour dates for the summer, so catch them from at 5:45 on the Google+ stage.
Suck It And See has landed the Arctic Monkeys a very solid spot in the British rock music scene, quickly becoming one of the most wildly successful, contemporary rock bands. If you want to see what all the buzz is about, check them out from 6:00-7:00 on the Music Unlimited stage.
Manchester Orchestra is quickly reaching prominence in the indie rock scene with the release of their latest and successful effort Simple Math, which pairs sprawling and emotional ballads with upbeat ragers. Come see why music critics worldwide have named the rock band to their "best new music" lists. Catch them from 7:00-8:00 on the Google+ stage.
Foo Fighters continue to amaze fans with their fun, ever-changing rock songs that have earned them a solid and respectable spot in rock music history. Their 2011 album Wasting Light is filled with boisterous songs that you'll get hooked on. Witness this must-see act from 8:00-10:00 at the Music Unlimited stage to close out Lollapalooza with one of the best lives shows you'll ever see. They're expected to play everything from classics like "Everlong" to their latest hit "Rope."
Long Beach-based band Cold War Kids became one of the most popular indie-rock bands with their wildly successful hit "Hang Me Up To Dry" from the 2006 album Robbers & Cowards. With the release of their latest effort Mine Is Yours, the band has gained breakthrough acceptance into a more mainstream arena. They're on at 8:30 on the Google+ stage.
Click here for the complete Lollapalooza schedule.


text: I wore a pair of Merrell slip-on mules throughout 4 seasons in Quebec for almost 15 years and I still wear them around the house. They are the greatest. I kept shopping around and could'nt find them anymore until it dawned to shop online. I find, however, that the recent models which I ordered on line are a little larger than my old ones in the same size.


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Q4 IS SAVED: Rihanna's popped a bit of a new song onto the internet
Why you really keep mishearing that Taylor Swift lyric
There's an interesting piece on NYMag.com about 'Blank Space', the Taylor Swift song that recently broke a chart record but would have broken at least one other record ('MOST AMAZING SINGLE EVER RELEASED') if it had been 'Style'.
Anyway, the interesting piece concerns something we all know exists but rarely acknowledge in public: the fact that in 'Blank Space' the line "long list of ex-lovers" sounds so much like "lonely Starbucks lovers" that many people think Taylor's actually singing about a coffee emporium-based romance scenario.
According to our notes from the album playback we, too, made that mistake when we first heard the song. In fact a portion cut from our 1,989 word album review (in order to get it down to 1,989 words) says this:
Lady Gaga declared that 'ARTPOP' would provide what she described as a 'reverse Warholian expedition', but with considerably less fanfare Taylor offers a few expeditions of her own: a reverse Sondheimian expedition with 'Out Of The Woods', a reverse Orwellian expedition with privacy banger 'I Know Places', and an espresso-fuelled Shakespearean expedition with 'Blank Space', in which the 'star-crossed lovers' you so often find in pop lyrics somehow end up in Starbucks.
It is just as well we chopped that bit out because as well as being a terrible piece of writing it was also wrong about the Starbucks bit.
So why does everyone hear the line incorrectly when, once you know what she's singing, it's totally obvious what she's been a-warbling all along?
Well, the interesting piece goes into all sorts of things. According to a linguist quoted in the article, misheard lyrics are mostly about what you think you're going to hear. The interesting piece explains that part of your understanding comes from what you're actually hearing, and the rest comes from "our minds — from our expectations, in other words".
What the interesting piece doesn't explain is why anyone would actually expect to hear 'Starbucks lovers' in a Taylor Swift song. 'Starbucks lovers' is not, as they say on the internet, 'a thing'.
But 'star crossed lovers' is a thing. It's a thing from a Shakespeare romp called Romeo & Juliet, which was a love story, which inspired a love song, which was called 'Love Story', which was by Taylor Swift.
If you are listening to a Taylor Swift song you are subconsciously expecting something to do with Romeo & Juliet.
Jordin Sparks has popped a new song onto the world wide web
Olly Murs never wants to innovate or do anything different
Some words of advice for Only The Young
Hello Only The Young.
There's a picture of you at the top of this letter in case you've forgotten what you look like.
We were sad to see you go out of The X Factor on Saturday night. It's unusual for your sort of act to do very well when it comes to the live finals so you did a good job to get to this stage, but it's also a shame you ended up getting the boot as a result of a weird format quirk without getting to sing. If you'd been singing against 'Stevi' in a normal Sunday night boot-off debacle, you'd probably still be in the show.
But let's not dwell on what's happened. Instead, let's look ahead to what comes next.
You will almost certainly find yourselves bound by X Factor contractual nonsense, meaning you can't release anything for a while. You probably want to just get on with everything. But actually, it's fine. There's no rush. People won't forget about you. Well, they might. They might not think about you on a daily basis. But it won't take much to remind them when the time's right. And sometimes it's good to let the dust settle.
The next few months are critical, and they're not about what you do. They're about what you don't do.
Don't do anything rash, don't do anything shit. The best popstars achieve what they achieve by saying no to nearly everything. By all means, turn on a few Christmas lights if you want to. That is allowed. But don't say yes to much else. Don't become known as the sort of band who'll turn up to anything. Ask yourself what Jake Quickenden would do. Then do the opposite.
Think of yourselves as a Wall's Viennetta. Imagine that you are amazing, which shouldn't be hard because you are, indeed, amazing. And imagine that you are in the freezer. You will still be amazing when you're taken out of the freezer in six or eight months. You'll probably last a year, if you want to stay in the freezer that long. The point is that everyone will go bloody berserk when you come out of that freezer. They'll want you so much that they won't even want to let you defrost for a while like it suggests on the box. But what if you're taken out of the freezer and shown around to loads of people, carted around the country to rubbish local radio roadshows and dodgy product launches before your big first single's ready? You will melt and became rubbish. You can try and get back in the freezer but you'll just be a frozen brown puddle. Who's going to want to eat a shit Viennetta a year from now? Nobody. The Viennetta will be in the bin.
This is a picture of a Wall's Viennetta.
Screengrab this picture or save it to your 'camera rolls'. Remember the Viennetta.
Obviously, you need to get a record deal. (The Viennetta principle is important here, too. Decent labels don't like melted and refrozen Viennettas.) Syco will get first refusal, and maybe you know already whether they're going to be interested. They'd do a good job on you if they wanted you, but if they don't then that's not the end of the world. If your contract says you have to stick with Sony, RCA are probably a good bet.
You are brilliant, but because of the sort of act you are, it would be easy for you to seem crap. During the X Factor live shows it seemed like a few poor decisions were made regarding song choices and staging. They were choices that unfairly pigeonholed you as a really naff band before you'd even had a chance to prove that you weren't.
Obviously, you're not very cool. Not in an 'oh let's go and eat some street food in Deptford while pretending to like PC Music more than we actually do' sort of way. That's fine – you might not hear this from anyone in the media, or anyone working at record labels, but the secret is that most teenagers aren't that cool either. (Here's another really big secret that most people at labels won't tell you – most teenagers DON'T EVEN LIVE IN LONDON!) But not being cool doesn't mean you're uncool. It just means you exist. People who exist is a good demographic. Continue reading 'Some words of advice for Only The Young' »
Rihannawatch: Threat Level Critical
This morning we have taken the step of shifting the Rihanna Single Threat Level to Critical status.
Please remain calm and read the following words.
An explanation of the Rihanna Single Threat Level system
As you well know, nosiness experts MI5 have in place a system of threat levels based on potential problems vis-a-vis the whole national security thing.
It's split into five stages. We've basically copied those off the MI5 website and changed 'an attack' to 'a Rihanna single'.
Low: A Rihanna single is unlikely
Moderate: A Rihanna single is possible, but not likely
Substantial: A Rihanna single is a strong possibility
Severe: A Rihanna single is highly likely
Critical: A Rihanna single is expected imminently
When we moved into Q4 almost two months ago, the Rihanna Single Threat Level (RSTL) moved from Substantial to Severe. As the days and weeks have ticked by, that threat has intensified.
As you can see, by moving the Rihanna Single threat level to Critical, we are acknowledging that a new Rihanna single could appear at any minute – and for this reason we suggest all readers remain on high alert. Actually is 'high alert' a different classification system to the threat level one? And where do RED ALERT and DEFCON 1 fit in? You get the idea, anyway.
Our intelligence
MI5 base their threat levels on "the assessment of a range of factors" including current intelligence, recent events and what's known about intentions and capabilities. Our intelligence is bloody rubbish to be honest but the recent events and known intentions and capabilities provide COMPELLING EVIDENCE.
- Someone we know said they'd heard the single would appear on November 24.
- Another person we know said they'd heard it would be November 25.
- The latest Rihanna has ever debuted a new single during Q4 is October 27, meaning that her new arrival is now a month overdue. If this was a baby they would have induced it a fortnight ago.
- Obviously we all know she has been recording music, and Rihanna has confirmed that an album exists. David Guetta, Ne-Yo and DJ Mustard are among those who've recorded with her. Furthermore Calvin Harris recently announced that his submissions won't appear on the album, suggesting that a tracklisting has been finalised.
- Anyway we're not here to talk about the album, all we want is a single.
- Recent reports suggest something's coming soon.
- It's not Q4 without Rihanna.
- She's not going to want to release it too close to Christmas because everyone loses all sense of reality from December 16 onwards.
There are loads more bits and bobs floating around but you don't need this spelling out. Unless something goes horribly wrong or something annoying has happened, Rihanna could release a single at any moment. Continue reading 'Rihannawatch: Threat Level Critical' »


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But what about a hostile bailout? I wouldn't have believed it myself until the news arrived, forcing me to rewrite this column at press...
is: How far should legislatures go in enabling the restructuring process as opposed to prescribing outcomes? "[On some issues] political judgments need to be made. We've identified one with our legislature and that is how to treat the shortfall in property tax revenues that some communities may experience if generating plants located in those towns are devalued as a result of the shift to competition."
Q. Are industrial and residential consumers pressuring you to deregulate? How do the grassroots politics in your state differ from elsewhere; what defines your political climate?
A. "Yes, certainly. The principal pressure has been coming from industrial consumers. And there are, in fact, many residential consumers who question why we have to go forward with this restructuring process. There was a big political outcry earlier this year when our commission did approve a discount for one of our largest industrial customers, notwithstanding the fact that we made the commitment that the utility involved would not be able to collect the revenue shortfall from other customers."
The grassroots politics question is "a very difficult question, and one I'm almost a little reluctant to address. We are a high-cost state, but we're also a state where there's a sincere and deeply held concern about protecting and advancing environmental values. We've lost a significant amount of industrial load over the past 10 or 12 years and there's significant rate disparity between the utilities that operate in the state. All of those factors contribute to a very lively debate. . . . There's no clear consensus. But I would have to report a growing sense among those who are familiar with the issue that some type of reform is necessary."
Q. What are the pluses and minuses of U.S. Rep. Dan Schaefer's restructuring bill?
A. "Clearly the Congress is not in a position to move on the issue of restructuring this year, but I do think it has been useful to generate reaction to that bill. I think what's right about it is it identifies a critical issue that's affecting people from throughout the nation. And it is serving as a catalyst to spur forward the efforts of the states. What's wrong about it is although electric industry restructuring is an issue of national importance, that does not make it a per se federal issue."
Q. You've been involved in a coordinated restructuring process with neighboring states. Is this a model for others or could you have done it better and faster had you done it alone?
A. "In New England, there's no choice. We have to do it this way. We are six states that constitute a single market area, the New England Power Pool. Also, we are six states with, in many respects, a common political culture. . . . The kinds of markets that need to evolve have to reflect the physical, technological, and market realities.
"Transmission is a regional service, and I fully anticipate if this restructuring is to move forward successfully that what we'll see emerge is large, regional markets that cover several states. And it's


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939087088852583826.post4379877668716705730..comments2014-11-28T19:12:25.298-05:00Comments on The LastPass Blog: Help Us Celebrate "National Change Your Password Day"!Amber Gotthttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939087088852583826.post-85101532416467056722012-03-27T03:06:29.752-04:002012-03-27T03:06:29.752-04:00google knows it :-Dgoogle knows it :-DMich9http://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939087088852583826.post-15921502679371881652012-02-02T13:35:06.779-05:002012-02-02T13:35:06.779-05:00This program is just as stupid as all other create...This program is just as stupid as all other created password programs, it is meaningless because it does not do what it should do.
I have more work than before.
It is best to copy and pastes, which costs at least no nerves.
And I wanted to relieve myself and the browser, but it has again proved to be shit-test.
There is no program that can really take it with login pages, because what makes last pass, that makes all browsers already internally and sometimes better not recommended!

But I can well imagine that my comment is deleted, because that is mostly Sun
Because nobody likes a negative rating.

Yours sincerely,
B. Schwab (schwab.de.to)firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939087088852583826.post-32779367868518800372012-02-02T00:37:04.957-05:002012-02-02T00:37:04.957-05:00it'd be nice if somehow lastpass could help fa...it'd be nice if somehow lastpass could help facilitate periodic changing of even good secure passwords that it stores. Also if it could perhaps inspire a common and secure (hopefully someday standard) API to do so.xenoterracidehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939087088852583826.post-17294328407119138622012-02-01T17:20:32.682-05:002012-02-01T17:20:32.682-05:00Funny, I decided to change my year old master pass...Funny, I decided to change my year old master password a couple of days ago. :)Matthewhttp://email@example.com


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Skip to content
and found 2 items
Michael Guy,
29 January 2008 16:00
If you've ever wondered why race team managers choose ageing has-been's or inexperienced rookies to ride in their team and think you could do better selecting your own dream team line up – then here's your chance. By playing MCN's free Fantasy Road Race competition in association with eBike Insurance – voted No.1 Best Internet Service in the 2007 Rider ...
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The stats say no. Here's hoping the stats lie.
In the fickle world of NFL fandom, the Cowboys' QB has one more year to prove himself.
Yes, thanks for asking, I am indeed ready for some football. And tonight we'll all get a smidge, in the form of Cowboys-Broncos in Arlington at 7:30. Jason Garrett said he plans to play his starters a series, or about 8 to 12 plays. Same with the Broncos and their new coach John Fox. ... More >>
The Cowboys had exactly 10 practices in pads in San Antonio. In this weird, truncated preseason of NFL football, that makes a training camp. After a walkthrough this morning at The Alamodome, Dallas headed north and will tomorrow night begin its four-game exhibition season against the Bron ... More >>
10. Total attendance at camp will soar over 90,000 after this afternoon's final open-to-the-public practice. The Cowboys have issued 279 media credentials for camp and on Monday Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings attended practice. The Cowboys' contract with the City of San Antonio is up after ... More >>
10. To accommodate the veterans who will practice with the team for the first time tonight and to give those fans who get off work later a chance to see their 'Boys, the team has moved its 2:30-5:30 practice this afternoon to 6:30-9:30 tonight at The Alamodome. Players like Doug Free an ... More >>
10. Impressed yesterday that -- on a players day off -- 6th-round draft choice and receiver Dwayne Harris was running sprints and routes. All by his lonesome. 9. Mat McBriar isn't exactly Rob Ryan, but he's departing pudgy and heading toward fat. McBriar pulled his hamstring running in ... More >>
10. Was it just me and Fox 4's Mike Doocy, or was owner Jerry Jones choking up a bit yesterday when talking about the voyage that was lockout negotiations? "We took the boat out into a perfect storm and got the boat back home." The older he gets, the more sentimental and emotional Jerry get ... More >>
Well, are you ready for some?Arrived in San Antonio this morning and will attend owner Jerry Jones' State of the Franchise press conference at 3 p.m. in The Alamodome. (After an off-season of relative silence and so many topics to cover, this baby could go 90 minutes.) In the post-lockout ... More >>


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September 4, 2013
Is this thing on?
I'll have to figure all this out at a later time. I'm back at work right now after jury duty, on which I spent four days on a trial. I was even the jury foreman! (First time on three juries.)
So far without doing a lot of research.
What's a "quickpress"?
What's "get shortlink"?
"Categories" must be like "tags." I already had a very seriously cross indexed blog archive. Do I have to do this all over again manually?
My whole collection of photos from my latest Photopost aren't showing up. (Possibly those images still haven't been "migrated".)
I have to "approve" comments. I hope I'll be able to "add subscribers and friends" to a master list so I don't have to 'approve' each comment I get from someone I already know.
Seems to be lots of spammers already, but I can send their comments to a "spam folder" before they show up on my blog.
I'll have to find out how to "customize" my own theme, so my site and blog look similar. I hope I can import my own HTML. (Probably not javascript, Xanga stopped that long ago. But flash and standard links should still be able to be inserted into a sidebar.)
The ability to "get in" or "sign in" seems to be iffy right now. Sometimes the blogs will "show up". Sometimes the "Xanga 2.0 is coming" screen appears.
Why can't I recommend entries anymore? (I possibly have to "turn this on" on my own blog? So far I haven't been able to find any blogs on which I can "recommend" or "like" even. That's a damn shame. I didn't do it all the time, but I "like" the opportunity to "like" something. LOL.
Well, gotta get to work.
The main page of Xanga (www.xanga.com) (I don't know if that will show up as a link, I'm not going to "tell" it to be a link in HTML just to see if the program "recognizes" links, like on FB for instance.) shows where to go to log in and gives some instructions on what to do, so perhaps some of my questions may be answered there. I do hope I will at least be able to "allow" all comments from friends/subscribers without having to "approve" each one, and that I can "acknowledge" by "recommendation" or "like" (we don't need "boost or stars" again, please) an individual entry on someone's blog. I even think WordPress allows "likes" of some kind.
Well that's it for my first Xanga 2.0 post. Not even an image. And the "title" is the first thing I ever wrote in a blog back in 2002, and also the first thing we always used to say into the microphone back in "radio class" or whatever it was called back in High School.
I guess Xanga 2.0 IS on, and I look forward to moving the furniture around so I'm a bit more comfortable!
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
(oh, neat, a word count. Now how do I 'post' the entry, eh? Answer: Blue "publish" button to the right.)


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Adios, John Mackey.Whole Foods CEO and chairman John Mackey stirred the pot in an August Wall Street Journal op-ed criticizing President Barack Obama's health-care plan."The problem with socialism," he insisted, "is that eventually you run out of other people's money." It was a bold -- and so ... More >>
The other stores can eat their hearts out: Whole Foods Market has arrived.


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Yoga Classes in South Bend, Indiana
| Yoga Classes in South Bend Indiana
|Yoga for Your Life Teacher-Training
|Contact:Kim Sellers E-RYT500
|Po Box 942, South Bend, Indiana 46624
|Yoga Style: 200-hr Hatha
|Send Message
|Yoga For Your Life 200 & 300 hour Yoga-Alliance recognized Yoga Teacher-Training programs in Mishawaka IN, the greater South Bend area. Area's most experienced faculty, vey comprehensive curriculum. Next ses .. More about Yoga for Your Life Teacher-Training
|Update listing
|Yoga is for Humans
|Contact:John Baldwin
|South Bend, Indiana 46614
|Yoga Style: Ecclectic
|Send Message
|Bringing mind and body wellness to the humans of South Bend, Indiana area through an accessible, persistent, and balanced practice of yoga.
|Update listing
|Unity Church of Peace
|Contact:Linda Hardy
|905 East Colfax Ave., South Bend, Indiana 46544
|Yoga Style: Mindful Yoga classes
|Send Message
|Love offering on Mondays at Unity Church of Peace. Sug. $5
|Update listing
|Jamie Robinson
|Contact:Jamie Robinson, E-RYT200
|Mishawaka, South Bend, Indiana
|Yoga Style: Hatha
|Send Message
|Jamie Robinson teaches yoga in South Bend, IN and is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher through the Yoga Alliance. Jamie has studied yoga extensively with Tias Little and assisted him during several work .. More about Jamie Robinson
|Update listing
|Dhanwantari Center for Yoga & Well-Being
|Contact:Stephanie Chrisman
|402 W. Washington St., South Bend, Indiana 46601
|Yoga Style: Vinyasa
|Send Message
|Dhanwantari Center offers daily yoga classes in downtown South Bend, IN. A primarily vinyasa studio that also includes Iyengar-inspired, Yin, and Pre-Natal yoga.
|Update listing
|The Living Room at Therapeutic Indulgence
|Contact:Suzette Vandewalle
|904 E Jefferson Blvd, South Bend, Indiana
|Yoga Style: Hatha, Yin
|Send Message
|Now offering privates and small class yoga In The Living Room at Therapeutic Indulgence or at my home on Birch Lake. Contact me for information.
|Update listing
|Peace and Happiness Yoga
|Contact:Kim Teska
|1710 Hass Drive, South Bend, Indiana 46635
|Yoga Style: Hatha
|Send Message
|I teach Hatha Yoga in South Bend at 121 S Niles at the Dancehipology Studio weekends at 8:30 AM and as part of the Yoga Association of Michiana with Yoga on the Green at Howard Park June thru August and YA Y .. More about Peace and Happiness Yoga
|Update listing
|The Way To Whole Health
|Contact:Annastasia Stewart (Lorri Ann)
|113 W Monroe Street, South Bend, Indiana 46601
|Yoga Style: Kundalini, Daoist Medical Qigong, and Yin
|Send Message
|We at The Way To Whole Health offer an elegant, natural, energizing yet calming, gentle, combination of Traditional Oriental and Classic Daoist Wellness Modalities. We specialize in sessions which may inclu .. More about The Way To Whole Health
|Update listing
|the studio at olivet
|Contact:Elouise Thomas
|719 N. Notre Dame Avenue, South Bend, Indiana 46617
|Yoga Style: hatha
|Send Message
|A certified teacher (200 hour ERYT), I teach walk-in or sign-up yoga classes, from hatha-style to yin yoga. Classes are Tuesday night at 8:00, Wednesday evening at 5:30, and Saturday morning at 8:30. All cla .. More about the studio at olivet
|Update listing
|Peace and Happiness Yoga With Kim Teska, RYT200
|Contact:Kim Teska
|121 S Niles, South Bend, Indiana 46617
|Yoga Style: Hatha
|Send Message
|Every Saturday and Sunday morning at 8:30 in the Dancehipology Studio over looking the St. Joseph River, I instruct with a focus on moving every joint, strengthening muscles, improving alignment and centerin .. More about Peace and Happiness Yoga With Kim Teska, RYT200
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text:
Burning Desire to Share
AA has a few words to offer on the on the only requirement for membership and our primary purpose. It has a large library of words telling us how to deal with situations we don't like and the danger of not using them. They leave it to us to choose which brings us joy.
I'm sure Tired of Hearing about Drugs is going to get lots and lots of responses on this forum. It's a perennial topic.....I don't agree with the writer, and I strongly object when people with drug use in their backgrounds (almost any alcoholic under 35 has also used illegal drugs) are made to feel unwelcome at AA meetings.
BUT I appreciated this writer's honesty when he said that he "doesn't feel safe" around "the criminal element drug addicts bring into the group...I'd trust a drunk over a drug addict any day." I think he put his finger on the strong reactions some people have. Sometimes people say "Drug talk undermines my recovery" or "Drug talk undermines the newcomer's recovery" or "Drug talk is a distraction" or "Drug talk violates the Traditions." They rarely complain that the addicts are criminal or not respectable (unlike us alcoholics). Yet that underlies a lot of the discomfort, I think. I don't think this writer believes he is going to be robbed *during* the meeting. I think that some people genuinely believe that being an alcoholic is better (more respectable, more law abiding) than being a drug addict. I may have drank for many years and ruined my life and my family's life, but by God I never broke the law!
I'm glad that people that have broke the law can join AA. Didn't Bill W and Dr Bob both drink during prohibition.
I am an alcoholic who later became addicted to prescription pain killers that was prescribed by a doctor. I'm not a criminal I pay taxes and I love my country. So don't put all addicts in that category. How many alcoholics drink and drive?,but I don't say they all do. Someone who is working and living the program should know better then to judge others. Love don't judge.
Never drove too work in the morning still impaired or just drove drunk.Never been drunk in a public place? Come on some people need to get off there high horses.
I was the one who wrote that statement, "I may have drank for years and ruined my life and my family's life, but by God I never broke the law!"
I meant it to be sarcastic. I am very sorry about the misunderstanding! I wrote that statement to point out how ridiculous it is for some alcoholics to believe they are superior to drug addicts. My belief is that some of the old timers, who object to people talking about drugs in AA meetings, secretly (or not so secretly) have disdain for drug addicts because drug addicts are from "the wrong side of the tracks." The original writer I was responding to really spelled it out. He talked about how drug addicts are the "criminal element" and how he would "trust an alcoholic over an addict any day."
Sometimes these old timers talk about how "drug talk dilutes the message" or "drug talk distracts the newcomer." That may be the motive for some, but I believe that for many that's just a cover for what they really object to. What they really can't stand is that drug addicts are different from them. Never mind that it would be impossible to find an alcoholic under 35 who did not use drugs.
I have 3 sponsees under 35 that are alcoholic and did no drugs. They had a hard time relating at AA meetings that broke our 5th tradition of singleness of purpose. Can you imagine, an alcoholic coming to AA to find recovery from alcohol who is not sure he is alcoholic hearing about meth, coke, crack, speed, and lsd? He is already looking for a reason to be different and when we talk about other addictions in AA, we are giving him a reason to leave and die. That's why there are around 200 twelve step groups, for identification for the newcomer.
I do believe there is a difference in the mind of an alcoholic and an addict. If you took 10 normal adults and had each shoot heroin every day for 1 year, at the end of the year you would have 10 drug addicts. If you took 10 normal adults and gave them a drink every day for 1 year, at the end of that year 1 would be an alcoholic and he would deny he had a problem with alcohol.
Your making assumptions about opiat users there's lots of people who take pain killers (heroin) every day for years and are not addicts. Stop making judgements about people. Stop judging and start loving these resentments towards people is not the way for us alcoholics in AA, we can't afford it.
Thanks for your explanation I have been a little sensitive lately about feeling not as good as pure alcoholics. After meetings I've been told more then once not to introduce myself as alcoholic addict. I got the impression that if I have other problems then take it to the other fellowship. The problem is the other fellowship is not very well established in my area and my sponsor who I really admire is in AA. I think your right almost all young alcoholics are cross addicted. If the old timers keep making the young crowd feel like they are less then, the numbers who join AA will become less and less. I've heard that the city next to us the AA meetings attendances are dropping off and the other fellowship is growing. Coincidence I think not. What gets me is in Dr Bob and the old timers it says that Dr Bob had a pill problem. I myself don't want to go to the other fellowship. I think my best chance for survival is with AA and it is a life or death situation. So I'm not going anywhere I'm here to stay and long live AA.
In the big book on page 7 and page 22, drugs are mentioned. In those days, sedative=opium and was was available over the counter. Cocaine, in a famous soft drink, was available at a soda fountain or the grocery store. Some people introduce themselves by saying they are Doctor Bob's alcoholic addicts.
You belong!
I'm starting to realize AA is a living thing. As a living thing it is subject to evolution. If a living thing doesn't evolve it will slowly die out. As a group conscience I think we're evolving with the times. Without change we can't grow. I'm starting to also realize some people are still fear driven they think that if there is any change, AA will die out when in reality it's the opposite. Thanks for your making me feel loved and like one not different then. Love can conquer over fear every time THANKS for your love.
If you think you are on the same track as Doctor Bob, great, just stay on it. Open your home as a free halfway house for those like yourself with drug problems as well as alcoholism. You'll likely get the wonderful results he did after a few years.
Don't worry sorry some people take longer then others to get the program.
Maybe I should it's what Dr Bob would have done and look what he accomplished. Remember what he said in his last speech love and service.
What's your point sounds like a jab. Where did they say anything about what your talking about.
I guess you've already opened your house to people in the program since you suggested it. Stop with the negative innuendos towards people. Why don't you say what you mean or would that put in in an unfavourable light. I'll say a prayer for you love not hate.
I recently hit my 365 day mark in the program. I have been feeling very isolated though. I have not been contacting my sponsor due to resentment I am having. I have not been going to meetings. I feel more alone and scared than my first day. I know that I am feeling this way as a result of not going to meetings, being of service and working the program but every time I feel like I should get up and go to a meeting I just make an excuse or crawl back into bed. I realize I have to be the driving force behind my own sobriety but I just don't where my willingness went and how to get it back. At the end of the day I am not drinking which I know is what I need to be doing but I just want to find some peace and serenity. I don't just want to be "dry"
If you are able to pray, you might want to consider asking God to be the driving force behind your sobriety. You also can ask for willingness to do whatever is necessary to stay sober.
I get to feeling the same way every 6 - 18 months, and I have been sober for over 25+ years. It somewhat natural to go through this feeling at the one and give year point, and I base that on what I have heard share at meetings or from the fellows I have sponsored.
I can only tell you my experience. Once I have found myself feeling that way, I think what were the things I did when I felt great in this program. Then I start doing those same things again. Like going to enough meetings, or spending time with my sponsor, or making a set time each night to read the B B or 12 + 12 or back issues of the Grapevine .......or when all else fails, start working with a newcomer. Like Dr. Bob would say, "You have to keep in touch with those fellows on the ward" (that being the ward in the hospital)
Now after 365 days, you have most of the tools, you just have to use them.
Hugh H
London, Ontario
I'm patrick, I've been sober for 22yrs, I understand what you are saying, just know that you are dealing with fatal and progressive disease that is out to kill you and you are supplying the ammunition by isolating, get busy by getting involved in a home group, resentments are a waste of time that we can't afford, stop hiding out, there is nothing to fear, I had to pray for willingness to have a sponsor that would tell me what I need to here, not what I want too hear, get out of that bad neighborhood Your Mind, Do Not Isolate! Easy does it ! Get up Now
Congrats on achieving a year sober and for being honest about your situation Thankfully there is a forum such as this where you can get some help. I've seen lots of great comments here. I'd just say we all struggle with ups and downs in regards to meetings, sponsors, work, relationships, life...The key for me is to do what you've done here and be honest about what's going on and share that with my Higher Power and with others. There is tremendous power in that act and it tends to relieve the isolation. I learn that I am not alone; that many others have experienced what I'm going through.
It sounds like you know what you need to be doing but are having trouble doing it. Early sobriety for me was full of mood swings, depression, anxiety...I had to learn to use every tool available to navigate the minefield. This included everything in AA...prayer, meditation, Big Book, meetings, steps, sponsor, service.
I also had to learn how to live with a new body/mind that was no longer anesthetized. I could actually feel things again in an unfiltered way. This presented new challenges. Diet and exercise began to play a critical role in how I felt. SLEEP became and remains hugely important. I treasure a good night's sleep and how it revitalizes me and clears my mind.
There are tremendous gifts in sobriety. But I need to keep walking one step at a time hand hand with my brothers & sisters on the road to happy destiny to discover them.
Thanks again for sharing so honestly.
Muster all the strength you have, call your sponsor and tell them what you told us. If the resentment is about your sponsor, don't worry, they have enough sobriety to be your sponsor so they can handle whatever you have to say, it's about you anyway, right?! :-) Getting humble gives me the energy I need to ask for help...
Maybe a little depressed?
There have been many times when I have had to pray for the willingness to do the next right thing in my AA step and meeting life.
Resentments got velcro on them. They stick in my head and mess up my thinking. The old timers told me that 3 things lead to a drink...resentment, fear, and insane thinking about relationships. The only time I have wanted a drink since I got sober, was on a blazing resentment....on top of a bunch of old blazing resentments.
Doing steps 4-9 repeatedly is necessary for me to deal with my angry way of life. It made me feel very crazy to try to change my ways. But my life settled down quite a bit. At 24 years sober, I have mostly stopped shooting myself in the behind with my behavior. But, I'm a rascal, and have to be vigilant. I have wanted that daily reprieve from the insanity, and have been given the willingness that I ask for.
I woke up this morning feeling much the way you describe.
I went back to bed.
At about one year in the fellowship, I felt very much the
way you describe. I had a personal commitment to an AA
member and decided that after that commitment was completed
I would go back to drinking. I guess I had forgotten what
my last drunk was like.
The chore was done by someone else, but by that time
the decision to drink was gone. The funk had lifted.
Bill W. wrote about being depressed. He wrote about
being under emotional strain since AA started. On page
274 in The Language of the Heart book Bill wrote: quote
"I had a neurotic depression that lasted from 1943 until
1955, one from which I never fully surfaced. About three
years of this was suicidal. But the release from alcohol
had been so thorough that I was never tempted during this long siege to resort to drink. end quote.
I am grateful to Bill for writing that message for the
May 1962 issue of the AA Grapevine for us. I am grateful to you for reminding me of the article.
Bill did not drink during those years. He trudged along
and actually wrote the 12 & 12 and set up the General Service Conference in those years. I did not drink and hope to complete my 44th year on Saturday.
Bill wrote that resentment is our number one offender.
Try to remember that all of us are ill in some way. If
you are a believer of the Christian faith, you could try
praying for the person who bothers you.
In your year in the fellowship, hopefully you have a
couple of phone numbers of AA friends. If not, try to
connect with a sober member at your next meeting. Develop
a friendship. Someone you can really talk to. That is what
I did and it worked for me. Eventually I developed a network of friends. I look forward to seeing them at meetings, and in the supermarket. Don't put too much faith in sponsorship. That concept is just too limiting.
I am still looking for more peace and serenity. I don't
want to be just "dry". But I am convinced that dry is
better than wet. ANONYMOUS
Your post contains both the problem and the solution, so you simply need to do what you realize you need to do. When I get into a funk (aka depression), I recall Bill's story about fighting his depression, noting that when all else failed, work with another alcoholic would save the day. But if that solution is not enough, outside help may be appropriate, as AA is not a cure for clinical depression - in my experience.
I read in the Grapevine this month about health problems with smells like perfume and after shave etc. No where in that article did I read that the person had thought of starting a new, smell free, meeting. I think they should think about that as most of us will continue to use after shave and hair tonic with smells. I have become me and part of me is to use things my father and grand father used. These hair tonics and after shaves are part of me. This person has to learn that you cannot control others and needs to turn it over and then find ways to solve the problem like starting a new meeting and not trying to change people. Neil V. S.
"I have become me and part of me is to use things my father and grand father used."
Big Book, page 62: "Selfishness - self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles."
My father drove an automonile with no seat belts, an AM radio, manual transmission and no turn signals. He Lathered his face with a shaving brush and soap and shaved with a straight razor. Do you suggest I buy and antique auto and shave the way he did?
A frien lives in an area with a small AA population and only three meetings per week, all of them smoking meetings. She has resperatory illness and can't stand smoke, so she can't attend the meetings. and there aren't enough non smoking AAs there to start another meeting. What's your answer for her?
Some of the local meetings have started announcing at the end of the meeting that those who wish to smoke please move into the parking lot and not congregate near the door. There are those who defend their right to smoke whenever and wherever they please and 'those who have probles with smoke (or scents) can start their own meetings.'
Rather then attack others we must admit we are powerless. No way no how is everyone going to stop using hair tonic and after shave or smelly perfume. Please don't even mention the smelly coffee lately which iterates me.. Starting a smell free meeting is the only real answer. You just can't control people.... I've learned. I might even try the smell free meeting but it would be difficult.
Dear Neil V.S. If the perfume or after shave is making
another AA member uncomfortable, to the point where that
member could possibly stop coming to meetings, would
you come to meetings smell free? Personally I would.
I think we all should be considerate of everyone else
and love them enough to care for them. Note: I do not
use any aftershave. Most of those products contain alcohol
and I don't want that poison on my skin. ANONYMOUS
Yes I would consider going smell free but I guess my real point is it is easier to start a smell free meeting then to change a couple million alcoholics. We are powerless after all. No smell on my clothes from dryer sheets, no hair tonic, no after shave and I noticed lately some very strong smelling coffee at meeting. Really bad.
"Yes I would consider going smell free but I guess my real point is it is easier to start a smell free meeting then to change a couple million alcoholics."
since 1935 AA has changed more than 'a couple million' alcoholics.
It may be easy to start a smell free, or any other type meeting, in those localities with large numbers of sober alcoholics. But contrary to popular belief, there are many who don't have that luxury. Example: A friend lives in a large city with three meetings per week, all smoking meetings. She has resperatory problems and can't tolerate smoke so she can't atend those meetings. She started a non-smoking meeting which soon closed due to lack of willing alcoholics to give up their tobacco for an hour.
So I repeat, "Selfishness - self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles."
Dear noduis, Every meeting I attended in the seventies
and eighties were smoking meetings. I would leave my
clothes in the garage when I arrived home. It seemed that
I was the only non smoker in A.A. After developing a second
hand smoker's cough, around 1990, I started a non smoking
meeting. It was a small meeting with less than a dozen
each week. I found it ironic that most of them were
smokers. They just smoked outside the building.
Our state of Connecticut finally passed smoking
restrictions, and all of our regular A.A. meetings became
smoke free.
If your friend lives near you, I would ask you to
please consider helping her to re-start the meeting or
help start another smoke free meeting. Would it not be
wonderful if Alcoholics Anonymous could become
the altruistic society it was designed to be? Bob H. Seymour, Ct.
I remember some of the things we tried, half room smoking other non smoking breaks and I must admit even saying people wont come if we stop smoking years later AA still alive and well!
I have always felt that AA coffee is the best in the world.
I describe it as a "quality never before tasted". ANONYMOUS
I would like to see AA return to being an altruistic
society, where we were more concerned about our fellows
than about ourselves.
Hello I am fairly New to the program and recently there are some folks that have been in the program longer than myself(6mos) this Month. Every meeting I go to this 1 person seems to be saying the same things about thehigher up Ppl and conventions and Granted I think the conventions are Great idea. But is it necessary to mention gsr's and meetings closing and all it takes is 9 dollars a year from every single person to support our Groups? I know this is a program about sobriety, and there are no dues or fees. I am unemployed and have been for the past year or so and I kind of feel like this is a stab towards myself. I attempt to say hello to this person and get no response. I help out whenever I can and I share in the meetings. Sometimes I have to bite my tongue and not say anything in the meeting because it really gets to me sometimes.I clean up every meeting and I feel that this is my contribution to the facility and the group. Any Thoughts?
One of the greatest things I learned from the meetings is to not take things personally. Right or wrong, that person is sharing for them self. When I take myself out of it, I am able to hear what they (really) say and it might make sense. I try to get something out of every share - perhaps if you look for something positive this person wont upset you so much :-) I have grown to love people who at first really drove me crazy!!
I once spoke with a newcomer who had hit the bars nearly every evening after work. She was avoiding AA meetings because there were a couple of people who talked too much and said the same thing at every meeting. Having spent a bit of time in bars, I asked if everyone she encountered in the bars was pleasant and glib and a joy to be around. Of course not.
AA is full of personalities. Some we like and resonate with and others we don't. It helps if I focus on what's good about a meeting, what I get out of it and what I can add to it.
That is the result of sharing by "show of hands". Thirty
members can share in an AA meeting using what I have heard
called "Round Robin". When we ask "anyone got a burning
desire?", the talkers will talk and talk. Simply go around
the room. Advice from a real "Know It All".
I found out that the Higher Power isn't going to fix all the jerks so that I will be comfortable. Bummer..that would have made things so easy!
I have to be available to HP to be fixed and protected from drinking. The prayers on the top of page 67, and on page 552 do work in dealing with my lack of tolerance of other people's habits. They change my own energy. Also I have to be humble enough to sincerely receive the answers about what I am supposed to do in any situation. Sometimes I am not particularly grateful for the answers until after I do the footwork.
All you can do is keep your side of the street clean. Just remember that we all have so many character defects and his may just be showing thorough. You are doing a lot to help and contribute. It doesn't have to be just money which your not able to right now and that's ok. Know that you are doing your part. Hope this helps.
is this your home group? you need to find a place that is willing to listen and has that great after meeting. You can stay or go. if you decide to stay then turn it over to the god of your understanding and keep up with the service. Someone will come into your life. just don't drink and go to meetings. good things will happen, if you turn it over and let it go. This is a great vehicle to meet people. Take care, Karin
AA's membership represents a cross-section of personality types, and thus our membership includes folks who are holier than thou. The "12 Steps and 12 Traditions" describes some manifestations of those who have been around a while, including the "bleeding deacons." I try to keep in mind that whoever got up earliest this morning has been sober the longest. However, I have found meetings frequented by those on whom the steps have imparted a little humility, a lot of gratitude, and a lot of tolerance - may you find such meetings yourself. The meeting I first walked into had monitors that would typically say as they passed the basket, "Throw a buck in if you have one; if you don't, keep coming back and someday you will." That was just a small part of the hope they gave me.
Read "Tradition accountability" posted in Traditions on this site. Excellent information.
Nobody in AA is bigger than that sign on the wall which tells us among other things:
Tradition 3 "The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking."
So is there a requirement for paying dues? No.
Are you a member if you say you are and have a desire to stop drinking? Yes.
Is your GSR required to be recovered, friendly, well, polite or even sane? No. In fact, if you think about it, all of us are here because of our shortcomings not our assets. Aren't we? "Yeah, but he should…" just like frogs should have wings so they don' bump their little butts on the ground but they don't. If we admit that we can't manage our own lives we sure can't manage his. If we take his viewpoint for a minute it is easy to see a room full of people who have been spending thousands every year to stay drunk that have it but won't spend a few bucks to get what they need to stay sober. In general, that's true. If he can't see the occasional exception them he's got a problem. Leave it with him. He could be mad because he used to have hair like yours before he went bald. How are your mind reading skills in the rest of your life?
Maybe when you get to your fourth step, and hopefully soon, you will take a look at being oversensitive. You are willing to hurt yourself with a growing resentment because you think someone has unrealistic expectations for you. We are told on no uncertain terms that's something we can't afford.
June 10, 1935 is considered the birth date for A.A. That was the day of Dr. Bob's last drink.
Personally, I would consider that AA was born in mid December 1934. That is when God relieved
Bill W. of the compulsion/obsession to drink. That was THE gift. God instilled the belief in
Bill that this Gift could be carried to other alcoholic sufferers. After nearly six months of
what Bill called violent exertion and repeated failures, a method was found which became the
accepted method of transferring that message of recovery to others. That method is described
in detail on Page 70 in the Brief History of AA, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age. In weakness
and with humility, a successful method of carrying the message was discovered. The idea for
that successful method/technique came from A.A.'s great, friend Dr. William Silkworth. Bill several
times, simply called it the "cart before the horse idea". Bill W. wrote that without that IDEA,
A.A. could not have been born. Today we have the cart in front of the horse. We stumble along,
moving at a stagnant pace, all the while holding in our hands the solution to sobriety for
the suffering multitudes. ANONYMOUS
I'm sure that most of us have encountered someone who had or perhaps thought they had a charismatic experience that changed their life. Sinner to saint overnight. If not personally then we've seen fringe religious venues filled with them. If we are in a good frame of mind we try to be kindly tolerant. If not in a good mood that day they can quickly pull the worst out of us. They don't give up easily. Nothing could be more real to them; what it was like, what happened and what its like now. We in AA don't have an exclusive on that triad, it's being repeated in storefront churches, missions and mega churches in finest suburbs every day. The single charismatic experience is completely out of proportion to any mundane, problem solving plodding that they might have done. Anything except THE BIG THING is forgotten. The logic of their outreach isn't particularly faulty. You were alike; they asked and THE BIG THING happened to them, it can happen to you if you simply ask for it.
Someone with some education in the subject and some professional distance can see the rest of the story, so to speak. All of the unlearned lessons from all the misbehavior were really learned. Denied, buried, but still there. All of the unconnected pieces of all the attempted solutions were there. Somehow the missing pieces were added that tied all of the solution together. BANG. THE BIG THING.
That was Bill Wilson in 1935 in Townes hospital. The White Light. Bill wanted everyone who had suffered as he had to have it. He tried his best to give them the formula "Just ask God free you from the alcoholic obsession!" For six months he failed dismally. Enter Dr William Silkworth. Knowing the psychology, knowing Bill's history, detox, Silkworth's beating into him the hopelessness and disease concept; he knew many of the pieces of the puzzle behind Bill's spiritual experience and Bill's follow-up work in the Oxford Group keeping him sober. He saw Bill desperately telling drunks "Just ask, like I did."
Silkworth told him in effect "Bill, God's intervention was the cart that carries you. Everything else was the horse that pulled it. If you are going to help alcoholics, help them find the horse."
And that boys and girls is the Doctor Silkworth's story of the cart before the horse.
There seems to be an abundance of posters with a "just one thing" solution for alcoholism that is AA's message.
"Just don't pick up that first drink."
"Just throw out reading How it Works"
"Just listen to what Dr. Silkwoth said.."
Oops, is that going to fix "our liquor was but a symptom"
or "They are restless, irritable and discontented.." So all you have to do is walk around feeling like that for the rest of your life.
or how about a quote from the all-knowing Dr. Silkworth, "We physicians have realized for a long time that some form of moral psychology was of urgent importance to alcoholics..."
Raise your hand if you like that one true message.
I had to smile when I read this one. "just one thing" is
being criticized, and then the "one true message" is offered. My hand is down. ANONYMOUS
I am having emotional issues, stressed about my job and just plain feeling unhappy. I know Not drinking or smoking pot is the way to handle this, but obviously I am not used to handling my emotions without it as it was the way I handled things before and wish I could get out of the funk. My head is really messing with me.


text:
Good Sipp'n Rum
There have been a few recommendations here for Rhum Barbancourt 5 Star Reserve Speciale. So I thought I would try it today. It's a great price and a nice bottle.
But... I wasn't too happy with the way it tasted and nosed; neat. Barbancourt has a very strong "cane sugar" taste and smell and it's border line "finger nail polish" for my taste. There are a few Tequila's that I am the same way about, like Patron.
After I mixed it with some Diet Pepsi and lime it got a whole lot better, but it still has a pretty strong "cooked sugar cane/ finger nail polish" taste though. So I will most likely use it as a mixer.
So anyway, my question is. I don't like Capt. Morgan's and or Bacardi. I've tried Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, which is another pretty good mixer.
But that's about the extent of my Rum experience.
So, I'm looking for a good spiced rum that I can drink neat. Any suggestions? My price range is from $16.00 to $30.00.
A few that I'm looking at are:
Appleton Special Jamaica Rum or Appleton Estate Reserve Rum
Cruzan Estates Single Barrel
Mount Gay Eclipse
re: cocktailqueen77
my local liquour store has the 750ml XO on special for $14.99. To the OP question. There are many good rums for under $30 but depends on what state your're in as taxes vary greatly. I'm a big fan of El Dorado 12 and 15. Both under $30 in my area. I would also suggest moving away from spiced rums for sipping. Rums can be enjoyed on their own without flavorings added. A dash of water or a couple of ice cubes can help round it out for those that are not use to drinking spirits neat.
Okay, just did a quick Google search...
Pyrat is available for under $30...
Description from site:
"Pyrat XO Reserve is a select blend of fine, 15 year old Caribbean rums. It's smooth taste and delicious flavor is complimented by it's rich amber color. Pyrat XO Reserve is excellent over ice with a twist of lemon or as an ingredient in a premium rum drink."
The bottle presentation is beautiful as well. The "charm" that comes with it means "protector of bartenders", gotta love that.
re: cocktailqueen77
I've read that Pyrat XO has mango notes but the bottle I have comes across to me more like a prune juice kind of heavy fruit note. Too heavy fruit for my tastes. I use it for baking. Beautiful bottle though.
re: AlbertaHound
Agree with 10 Cane as well. As a mixer, Gosling's Dark is good.
re: cocktailqueen77
I love 10 Cane, both for sipping and for mixing.
My next bottle might be Oronoco for its even richer mouthfeel, though I think it runs closer to $40.
re: AlbertaHound
Marketing is indeed a wonderous thing, 10 cane in the 70's and 80's used to be called "Drummer Boy" and came in a cheesy decanter for the tourist trade at the airport in Trinidad. In those days it went for $14.00 tt/ $5.00us. Then as is the case with the industry, rum became the flavour of the month, as vodka, tequila and gin before it. Then came the new bottle, the new press, and in turn the new devotees, at $32.00 a bottle. To me It's still Drummer Boy.
There was a good article on quality rum ("Rum Gets Serious") in the 4/25/08 issue of the SF Chronicle.
re: 2top
I agree, but authentic 15 year old is hard to find. About 10 years ago the distiller was labeling it's 5 year old as 15 years aged in barrels when they fell onto some hard times. This fact was well known in the Guyanese population and at that time was also a way for the government to charge more duty.I understand this practice has since stopped but there are a lot of infant rum in teenage bottles out there.
re: currymouth
Just to go with your post, most producers find it hard to believe and are very skeptical, even if they aren't vocally so. Most agree that aging rum that long is a tough task as it evaporates rather quickly and very little would be left after a decade in the tropics.
re: Icantread
Exactly. Thus the price difference between a standard bottle and a "Aged" spirit.Having grown up in the WI and exposed to rum of all ages it is still very hard for me to tell which is truly a 10/15/20 year old rum for the simple fact that there are so many imposters out there. Mind you I don't claim to be a authority on rum but having drank my share of the spirit, I can pretty much guess when I am being sold a "pig in a poke"
I haven't met a really good spiced rum except Sailor Jerry, and flavored rums are, as a category, pretty awful in almost every case.
While many of the premium aged rums can be enjoyed neat like a cognac from a snifter, I tend to find they are much better on the rocks with a splash of water to lower the proof and so release more flavors.
Prices vary so much depending upon the part of the country and local availability. Try any of the aged rums, and rum agricole. Some good ones that come to mind are: Mathuselem, anything by Rhum JM or Clement, anything by Pyrat, almost any of the Plantation rums, St Theresa, Diplomatico, Cruzan, Mount Gay Extra Old, Pussers, Depaz, Cockspur, Zacaya, Zacapa, etc.
If you want to know about rum go here. http://www.ministryofrum.com/index.php
i know i'm repeating myself
but Old Monk from India is one of the best sipping rums i've ever had. i also like gosling's black seal
I'm with the crowd who would criticize you for mixing Barbancourt with any cola. I do like it, and I drink it neat or witha few rocks, or rarely some tonic. I also don't notice the flavor notes you do in it.
Your three choices of things to try are all on my list of rums i am willing to drink neat, but the Cruzan would be my choice, followed by Appleton. I like Mount Gay too, whihc is what got my drinking rum back when I was racing sailboats. Mount Gay sponsored a lot of stuff. But not a one of these is a spiced rum.
Two other spiced rums of which I am aware and have not been mentioned are Capt. Morgan Tattoo and Three Palms Spiced.
One more you might try it Ron Barrellito. However, the best way may be to find a bar with a good selection and keep trying different ones. Alternatively, find some friends to help you sample and split the bottles.
re: Captain
I'm going to have to do some research into rum.
I don't even know the difference between "spiced" rum and other darker rums.
I'm a novice rum drinker.
There is a Rum website where the two guys that do all of the reviews really really like mixing their rum with diet Coke or Pepsi. That's where I got the idea.
All I know is that I don't really like the Barbancourt much. I do like Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum though, it's just a little one dimensional and hot for sipp'n neat for me though.
So, I guess I might try 10 cane and maybe Cruzan first. We'll see. :)
Thanks for all the replies and I promise never to mix good rum with Cola again. :)
re: theginguy
As far as mixers with rum, I've been a fan for years of tonic and ginger ale. Ginger beer is another common mixer. Depending on the rum, tonic may need squeeze or twist. Ginger ale really needs nothing else.
Some good rum sites:
re: theginguy
Maybe a day (or ten) late, but given that you didn't like Barbancourt, 10 Cane might not be the best choice. It's another agricultural rum, and there will be marked similarities in the flavor profile. The Cruzan may be the most accessible of all the rums listed here, and is very good. But try something a little fuller-bodied, too.
Well, if you dislike the Captain and Bacardi, you're off to a good start. But there are such a variety of rums out there, it's hard to know where to start. Maybe a trip to a local watering hole is in order.
Given that you didn't like the Barbancourt, you may want to avoid "agricultural" rums (aka Rhum Agricole) which are made directly from sugar cane juice and have a distinctive flavor and aroma. But since the vast majority of rums are made from molasses, this shouldn't be much of a limiting factor for you. Spiced rums (which are--you guessed it--rums with spices added) are another thing entirely. I'd say ignore them too for the time being.
If you want to get some good basic information about rums, here's a good article. http://www.ministryofrum.com/articles... The website also has reviews of a variety of rums. Just use the search engine on the home page.
Of the rums mentioned here, I'm not a fan of Pyrat XO. The rum is a little too candy-like for my taste. YMMV. But nobody can argue that the marketing is annoying and cheezy. Cruzan Single Barrel is on the light-bodied end of the spectrum. El Dorado is its polar opposite; dark and thick and smoky. Both are delicious in their own ways. The Appleton Estate is in the middle, and is also very tasty. My favorite lately is the Ron Matusalem Clasico (from the Dominican distillery--although I'm sure the Cubans make good stuff, too). Medium to full bodied, with hints of nuts, toast, vanilla, toffee, and coconut. Wonderful.
Try 'em all!
re: alanbarnes
What do you think of Barcelo from DR?
re: currymouth
Haven't had the pleasure. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen it in California. Definitely not at BevMo, where I've been working my way through their various options over the last several years.
re: alanbarnes
I have had the pleasure to taste several bottles over the years brought in by a friend. And find it to be smokey, dense, almost silky. As with the case with good rum, drink only with 2 cubes of good ice, nothing more. Back in the WI, we could pick out the tourist by the coke they insisted in mixing in good rum. That is what young rum is for.
re: SuperCorona
I second Zaya and add Diplomatico - nice white chocolaty nose - from maybe Guatamala.
I do like the Barbancourt very much, but taaste is non disputandum(sp? latin was a long time ago.) others I like to sip: Appleton 15 yo, R.L.Searle 10 y/o(Barbados), Diplomatico(Guatemala), Anniversario Reserva(Venezuela), and when I'm feeling indulgent, a little sip from a bottle of pre-Castro Cuban Bacardi Reserva 10 y/o, that I inherited from my grandfather, a man of great taste and foresight, who brought a case of it in 59 and didn't serve it to guests
It may be hard to find, but the best sipping rum I've had is Barrilitos 3 Star from Puerto Rico. It sells for ~$25 around Miami and as cheap as $13 in PR. Pampero Aniversario from Venezuela is also decent as is Pyrat XO. I would consider Mount Gay a very good mixing rum (tonic, seltzer w/lime, etc.) but not so much a sipper.
I like the Mount Gay. I got into that while sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. It seemed to be the drink of choice among the sailors. I bought a bottle of Bacardi Anejo while at the plant in PR That was pretty good but I haven't seen it for a few years. Maybe they don't make it anymore.
re: PeterB
Zaya rum from Guatamala is my favorite sipping rum. Although it may seem taboo we keep it in the freezer and slowly drink it from snifters. My second is Appleton.
I remember doing an elementary school project about the American Revolution and becoming (prematurely) enamored of "rich, sweet rum" that was shipped in barrels and served in pewter tankards. As I became of legal age and tried several different brands, something kept nagging me about the "richness and sweetness" from my fifth grade assignment I had yet to discover. Not until I bought a bottle of Gosling's dark Bermuda rum about 15 years ago was this fantasy fulfilled. That's one I can sit and sip for a loooooong time. Appleton's is a close second.
re: Chefpaulo
For "Rich & Sweet" try this.
Pyrat XO Reserve Planters Gold
Brown rum distilled from molasses. Aged in used whisky and bourbon barrels. Pyrat is a blend of Caribbean rums as old as 15 years chosen for their richness, full flavor with overtones of orange fruit and a slight spice finish.