Shackleton’s Whiskey
Posted in wordpress, Opinion, Entertainment on March 5th, 2010 by Stanford MatthewsOne has to turn attention to matters other than public affairs, politics or current events these days simply to maintain sanity. Conditions in the economy as well as legislative and policy decisions being considered at all levels of government take a toll on mere mortals. A little diversion from time to time provides some needed respite.
So another story that has been languishing in the bookmark file is released here on its own recognizance. Whether your preferences lean toward history or science or stories of adventure this recent (02/05/2010) report contains a little something for just about anyone.
If you have ever been in a liquor store and observed prices of aged whiskey or other such products as compared to the uncivilized offerings you may have uttered the word ‘ouch.’ And if you indulge in a libation from time to time you may not find the superior product worth the superior price. But it’s hard to argue the more expensive alternative is not impressive.
Rather than the typical 12 or 21 year old examples how about 100 year old whiskey? If nothing else you should be curious about how it would taste after all that time. But then, being buried in polar ice is probably not the best way to store it. As the article states those involved believe they can extract the recipe for these liquors that have since been lost but no date has been set for sampling the find.
Which raises the obvious question as to why Shackletons’ expedition chose to transport five cases of liquor on a voyage that may otherwise be looking for ways to shed weight? C’mon, at one point during the voyage the crew had not stepped foot on solid ground for 497 days. So they shouldn’t tip one now and then? JUst like this post one has to have a diversion from time to time. And of course there’s always the excuse it was for medicinal purposes.
You may want to watch the news for an announcement of a new product based on the previously lost recipe for this historic beverage(s). You know someone must be thinking about it.
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
The report states ‘newly released photos’ but that is only because astronomer Marc Buie waited to announce his ‘findings.’ It is difficult to tell from the AP account if the delay was from fear of being wrong or if it took all that time to perform the analysis. Which raises the natural questions of what do scientists get paid for and how do they perform their tasks relative to the rest of us?
The mainstream media has fallen on hard times. You may recall it being the subject of another list of targets to ‘bailout’ as Washington politicians continue to spend money we don’t have. But it is understandable they would not want the only collective voice supporting their nonsense to disappear. How else would they be able to quote writers as their only argument in favor of that which is largely opposed?
The last word for Rainey’s article (from here) suggests he may have it backwards. The quality and quantity of what passes for journalism in the mainstream media and elsewhere may be the real reason for hard times in the writing trade. An inability to deal effectively with a changing market and allowing public criticism of bias to be ignored may be the real cause.
Media organizations lament the rise of citizen journalism and the fall of their business model. As more and more newspapers and other mainstream media outlets lose advertising dollars to support their enterprise criticism is misplaced. Many blame the internet and free resources rather than to perform an introspective analysis focusing on lack of integrity.
What the hell are these people thinking? Enough noise was made by the public this year that even POLS with hearing impairments should have received the message. A return to basic common sense American values is long overdue and more necessary for survival than previously thought. If those connected to the GOP are as unresponsive as their political opposition from the other major party then one thing remains clear.
Here’s a suggestion for evaluating the soon to be televised (on Cspan) health summit hosted by the White House. You may recall President Barack ‘Mr Transparency during the 2008 campaign’ Obama was complicit in efforts by the Democratic party to exclude the Republican party from the business of crafting so-called healthcare reform legislation. Correction, that is now ‘health insurance reform.’
International criticism and commentary aside there have been other suggested culprits throughout the long history of actions leading to the economic problems Americans now face. Senator Chris ‘Countrywide’ Dodd as well as sputtering Congressman Barney Frank are but two politicians connected to the banking industry. There are many more who helped themselves to the profits available in the mortgage industry during the run up to disaster and one such person is none other than Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s Chief of Staff. The President’s choice for Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, also has dirt on his hands from his tenure at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
This story and the items mentioned above point to the central theme of this post. Political rhetoric and ‘after the fact’ reactions are all too common. It is the evidence that proves what most of us already know about government and those who run it. They govern poorly allowing events to occur that could have been prevented. Where were all these people before the problems referenced here took place? Certainly most of them were in office before the so-called global financial crisis emerged.
Criticism of the Tea Party phenomenon is limited to familiar rants. During last summer’s townhall meetings any attendees raising opposition to the liberal agenda were labeled as paid political thugs or racists or bigots clutching their bibles or guns. Frequently those dismissing the current public outrage over the growth of government, debt, deficits and taxes describe the opposition as mostly white. Yet you can likely compile a list of those opposing the current political climate featuring a significant number of non-white participants.
