Why Whiskey Is Like American Foreign Policy

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Chin chin, you Jan Kees, Johnnys, good ol’ boys and Aunt Jemimas. Being an American, with your loud and proud swagger, ability to tote a few guns and endless bounds of patriotism, can be pretty sweet. Just as sweet as the sharp and fragrant notes of a decadent whiskey.

The similarities don’t stop at character alone. Your foreign policy can be just as brassy, loud and gun-totingly nationalistic as a barrel full of fine rye.

So raise your glasses in the air and celebrate the reasons why your whiskey-driven alcoholism is exactly like your attitude to international affairs.

1) You’re at every party…even when others wish you weren’t.

 Like the spike in a prom night’s punch bowl, American defense forces, their allied conglomerates and a procession of aid organizations are more often then not present in international conflict.

Your reckoning for being the dill in every broth is due to the positioning of the United States in the post-WWII era. As the undisputed hegemon, America became the watch dog of the world with a responsibility to protect the delicate fabric of world peace.

However, much like the time uncle Rudie passed out drunk at your Grandma’s wake, this can place you in situations where you not only aggravate the conflict but further create insecurities.

Just ask Iraq.

On the flip side, when you’re not present, inaction can have dire and fatal consequences (Rwanda anyone?).

For those that don’t believe a lack of whiskey could have dire and fatal consequences, I implore you to visit a bar after its been drunk dry….

2) Y’all came late to the party and now you can dominate the market.

This is certainly not a dig at the personal sacrifice made by those who engaged in the scourge of WW1, rather praise to the tactical maneuvering of American economists and political advisors.

By staving off engagement, America was able to secure a boom through ramping up their economic war effort, the manufacturing/purchasing of U.S goods, along with reaping the rewards of obtaining a flush of gold through state-on-state credit.

And the good folks at Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam managed to do the same.

While the Scots brewed and perfected their batches of whisky (yes, Yankees even spell it differently) for centuries, you guys managed to perfect the craft in 300 years and race up the beverage ladder.

Up until the acquisition of Beam Inc. by Suntory, the mega-mixer managed to dominate 10 per cent of the market.

You clever clogs, you.

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Blue Marlin Fishing – The Ultimate Catch

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History

Blue marlin are considered one of the world’s biggest game fish.  Fully grown fish surpass 150 kilograms (330 lb). It is worth noting that females have the ability of reaching far bigger sizes than males, passing 1,000 pounds (450 kg). A Pacific blue marlin, documented in 1970 to be weighing 1,805 pounds (819 kg), was caught by a group of fishermen out of Oahu, Hawaii. Vast blue marlin have customarily been amongst the most profoundly prized catches, with a fish weighing 1,000 pounds (or 450 kg). This weight is noted by blue and black marlin fishermen as the benchmark for a genuinely remarkable catch. Today, much exertion is coordinated towards focusing on the huge blue marlin.

Atlantic blue marlin

Blue marlin can be found broadly in the tropical maritime waters of the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific, with numerous fish making regular migrations into the calm waters of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It is believed that such migrations are with the aim of exploiting those waters in spring and summer. Blue marlin have a restricted capacity to thermoregulate, with the lowest temperature resilience noted to be around 20 °C (68 °F), albeit singular fish have been documented to exist in cooler temperatures. Blue marlins are diverse feeders going after an extensive variety of prey species and sizes. Exploratory examination of blue marlin stomach substance has yielded life forms as little as scaled down filefish. 

Fishing Techniques

Regular draw fishing

The pioneers of blue marlin utilized regular draws fixed to skip and swim. Today, fixed traps, especially Spanish mackerel and horse ballyhoo are generally utilized for blue marlin. Trolling for blue marlin with fixed traps, consolidated with a fake draw or skirt to make bait mixes, is still generally used, particularly along the eastern seaboard of the United States and in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Venezuela.

Counterfeit bait fishing

Blue marlins are fish that react well to the sprinkle, bubble trail, and activity of an all around introduced fake bait. Trolling with draws is the most famous strategy utilized by blue marlin teams today. Hawaii is perceived as the origin of draw trolling for marlin, with captains working from the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii creating numerous plans still utilized today. The most punctual marlin baits were cut from wood, cast in beverage glasses, or produced using chrome shower towel pipes. In addition, they were evaded with elastic inward tubes or vinyl upholstery material cut into strips. Today, marlin draws are delivered in a tremendous assortment of shapes, sizes, and hues, mass-created by substantial producers and exclusively made by small scale, custom creators.

Live-trap fishing

Live-trap aimed for blue marlin typically utilizes fewer fish species, with the skipjack instrument considered the best formation of the trap. As trolling rate is restricted in light of the fact that snares must be trolled gradually to stay alive, live-goading is ordinarily picked where angling zones are moderately and effortlessly secured.

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Ramblings Of A Traveler – SE Asia #1

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RAMBLINGS OF A SOUTHEAST (SE) ASIA TRAVELER: Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam

#1  IN THE BEGINNING

Where to go in SE Asia:

Everyone asks me, “How do you know where to go when you travel?” Well, let’s admit it right here, I am a traveling fool. If I haven’t got at least 3 trips planned at one time, I breakout in a very itchy rash. In addition, I am not writing a travel guide here, but I can tell you it doesn’t matter where you go. I sincerely advise and hope you keep some of my ramblings in mind wherever you go because I have experienced what no one should have to. Here are my top 5 suggestions:

1. Do THE tourist things (get a good guidebook, i.e. Fodor’s, Lonely Planet, other)
2. Be seen at THE tourist places
3. Eat/drink THE tourist food/beers/cocktails (forget the water)
4. Stay at THE tourist accommodations making positively sure there is a working     air conditioner somewhere at the place you stay (hopefully in your bedroom).
5. Wear THE tourist garb (don’t try to hide the fact you are a real tourist)

YOU ARE A TOURIST & YOU MUST ACT LIKE IT – Wear your tourist status like a fine spandex bikini. The locals expect it, your country expects it, and your friends and loved ones you left at home expect it.

TRAVELER HINT: 1. Something to keep in mind & believe me you won’t forget, SE Asia is so hot and steamy you’ll feel like you are in a never-ending sweat hell – that’s why the working air conditioner is almost your lifeline to sanity, and 2. always, always, always, always be generous and tip often. You never know when you will need help with transportation, directions, translation, whatever from the local person you just befriended with a tip. In SE Asia, the larger the tip, the more the local person will help you when in need. If you don’t tip or tip small, expect huge language barriers and other unforeseen hurdles. Something to keep in mind: The approximate average MONTHLYsalary for a laborer in USA dollars in Thailand is $180, Cambodia is $195, and Vietnam is $185. Honest, I did not leave out any zeros.

Making sense of what to pack – 5 MUST HAVES in your bag in SE Asia

TRAVELER HINT: DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN YOUR TRAVEL BAG THAT CAN BE DEFINED AS NEEDLESS OR USELESS (which is most everything you think you need, but really don’t). We will also skip any mention of clothing as clothing just makes the daily climate worse, but since nudity is strictly forbidden in SE Asia, I’ll leave any clothing decision up to you.

First and foremost: Secure your passport in a slash-proof pouch that can fit nicely around your neck and under your shirt. Always carry the pouch with you on airplanes, buses, and ships; but leave your passport in the hotel safe if possible unless you really want to stay in SE Asia for the rest of your life. Make at least 3 passport copies (1 might be enough depending on your level of forgetfulness) and pack in your travel bag, shoe soles, or underwear. Also, it’s a good idea to include 1 Master or Visa credit card in the pouch around your neck & under your shirt. As an aside, the world DOES NOT like American Express, Discover, Travelers Checks for good reason, but that’s another rambling discussion.

Second most important: USA toothpaste & toothbrush. On a long trip greater than over night, maybe 2 or 3 toothbrushes should be packed. Do not rely on the free toothbrush and toothpaste they give you on the long flight or the freebies at the hotel. I did several times and ended up with a mouth full of bristles and toothpaste with the taste & consistency of glue (some sort of a design flaw I never figured out). Always keep in mind that no one likes to be around you or will answer any of your dumb ass tourist questions if you have bad breath. The local SE Asia people can tolerate a lot from a tourist, but bad breath is NOT one of them.

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Traveling To The Exotic Fiji Islands

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Brief history

As per Fijian legend, the colossal boss Lutunasobasoba drove his kin over the oceans to the new place that is known as Fiji. Most powers concur that individuals came into the Pacific from Southeast Asia through the Malay Peninsula. At this point, it is believed that the Melanesians and the Polynesians blended to make a created society sooner than the landing of the Europeans. It is worth noting that the European revolutions of the Fiji gathering were unintentional. It is noteworthy to highlight that these disclosures were made in 1643 by the Dutch adventurer, Abel Tasman and English pilots, including Captain James Cook, who cruised through in 1774, that led to further investigations in the eighteenth century.

The real credit for the revelation and recording of the islands went to Captain William Bligh who cruised through Fiji after the insurrection on the Bounty in 1789. The main Europeans to arrive and live among the Fijians were wrecked mariners and runaway convicts from the Australian correctional settlements. Sandalwood dealers and ministers dropped by the mid nineteenth century. Human flesh consumption is believed to have been honed in Fiji around that time and immediately vanished as preachers picked up it’s impact. This is noted to be at the point when Ratu Seru Cakobau acknowledged Christianity in 1854. From 1879 to 1916, Indians came as contracted workers to chip away at the sugar manors. After the obligated framework was abrogated, numerous remained focused as free agriculturists and specialists. Today they contain 43.6 for each penny of the populace.

How to get there from the USA

Step 1: Utilize a travel web index. The best webs to be utilized are, for example, Kayak.com or Expedia.com that aid to hunt down airfares to Fiji from the state one is in. Generally, the distance between USA Fiji is 6747.3 miles, translating into approximately 12 hours of flight time. Nadi International Airport is situated on the island of Viti Levu, Fiji and has the air terminal code NAD. It is important for the traveler to note that they will cross the International Date Line on your approach to Fiji. Thus, it is essential that each traveler confirms their entry and takeoff dates

Step 2: Check the sites of aircrafts that go to Fiji, for example, Air New Zealand, Qantas Airways, Air Pacific, Pacific Blue, and Korean Air, to look at airfares. These air carriers, once in a while, have extraordinary rates or offer conservative bundle bargains that incorporate both airfare and lodging remains. Thus, they may be beneficial to the traveler hence save a lot of money that can be used as entertainment once in the islands.

Step 3: Buy your airfare. Consider buying travel protection and/or universal medicinal protection too. These will aid in covering unforeseen illnesses that may be very costly if you can’t refund your ticket.

What to see, What to do, Best time to go

The best time to go is in the middle of April and early-October. The sun will not be specifically overhead, hence less warmth and stickiness. Additionally, it is not the stormy season amid those months. April/May and October/November are the greatest months in Fiji. Water temperatures are charming without the chill you get from June to September. Keep in mind, climate in Fiji is a precarious creature when enjoyed at the appropriate time. An ideal opportunity to go truly relies on upon your explanation based on voyaging.

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Vodka – A Versatile Spirit

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Vodka traces its origins to the eastern region of Europe. Russia as well as Poland claim to be the first producers of vodka. The word vodka stems from voda or woda which means water in both the countries. The physical appearance of the drink may have been the reason why it was called water, or probably because it was drunk with such ease and it was almost as common as water.

Vodka is now popular around the world but it took a long while for the drink to reach the rest of the world. The spirit can be produced from a variety of agricultural materials. In the EU, vodka is mainly produced from grain or molasses while potatoes and rice are usually used for the production of vodka in Eastern European countries.

History

Distilleries at Khylnovsk that bear evidence of the first production of vodka date back to the 12^th century although the first documented production in Russia was around the end of the 9^th century. Assertions from Poland date back the history of the drink to the 8^th century but the first Polish vodkas emerged during the 11^th century.

The use of distilled liquor during the middle ages was primarily for medicinal purposes and for the production of gunpowder. Russia produced various qualities of vodka starting from plain to high quality. With the crude production methods used in the vodka distilleries, the drink often had impurities which were masked by the distillers by flavouring it with fruits, herbs and spices.

During the 18^th century, a professor in St. Petersburg used charcoal filtration to purify the spirit. The awareness of vodka spread across many parts of Europe and production methods continued to improvise. The increasing popularity of vodka escalated the production of the spirit.

Towards the end of the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks seized all private distilleries that operated in Moscow. Emigration of the population led to many Russian vodka makers taking their recipes and skills to new places.

One of those emigrants began production in Paris under the French version of his family name – Smirnoff. The distiller did not meet with much success in the beginning, but soon he collaborated with a Russian émigré from the USA. They set up a distillery in 1934 and the vodka produced from this distillery was sold to a US drinks company.

This is how vodka was introduced to the western world and today it is considered as one of the most versatile spirits. The ability of vodka to mix easily with a variety of drinks is the reason why you will find it in the shelves of all the pubs and bars around the world.

Top Vodka Producing Countries

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Motorcycle Hill Climbing – Vertical Adventure

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Adventure is loved by everyone, but when it gets extreme, all of us may not be up for it. Imagine hills covered with motorcycles racing to reach the top. It includes a daredevil attitude and a motorcycle that can pump enough power to reach the top first. Motorcycle hill climbing is an extreme sport which has a long history. It has been around for a notable period of time and the sport is gaining popularity as more riders join the community of hill climbing partly for the adventure and partly for the risks it involves.

History

The sport began as a mere case of showing off the abilities of a powerful motorcycle built by Indian. The founders wanted to use an innovative way of advertising the new ride so they called the press to the steepest hill in Springfield, Massachusetts. The bike zoomed up to the top of the hill leaving the press in awe of the prototype. News of the bike’s abilities augmented the sales and Indian accomplished what it wanted through this thrilling stunt.

Image credit: dualsportalchemy.com

This made clear that hill climbing on a motorcycle was no longer a difficult job so it became a sport for the adventure-seeking motorists. Riders began to use their usual motorcycles and located the steepest hill in the region. They staged meets and then raced each other to the top of the hill.

Bike manufacturing companies catered to the growing needs of hill climbing riders, but the group of hill climbers remained a small community. Hill climbing started getting more recognition when the Daytona Motorsports group took over professional motorcycle racing from AMA. The AMA became the sanctioning body of the sport. DMG was created to run, promote and govern top-class motorsports. The PHCA and DMG partnered to bring motorcycle hill climbing championships to the world.

Top Championships

1. Widowmaker Hill Climb

The widowmaker hill climb is held annually or semi-annually in Croydon, Utah. It has become a popular event among the locals as well as nationwide. The popularity grew because of the difficulty level that it portrays for the riders.

2. Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

It is also known as the Race to the Clouds. It is an annual motorcycle hill climb to the summit of Pikes Peak Colorado. With more than 150 turns, the track measures 12.42 miles. The race has been taking place since 1916.

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