"I do solemnly swear..."

Whether you are Red, or Blue or White (meaning anything not Red or Blue),
whether you participate or not, whether you agree or not, one thing is

certain...on this date one year from today someone will say "I do solemnly swear
that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to
the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

That being said - Inauguration day falls on a Sunday* in 2013
(assume here that the world does not end on December 21st 2012) so
whether to cheer or jeer - I can think of no better reason to drink than that.
The true pomp and circumstance will probably take place on the following Monday,
but Hell, the fact that it's only a year away is a reason for me to drink today!

Inaugural drinking games abound on the net, but they all boil down to this. Gather friends,

(hopefully like minded so the cheers or jeers will be in unison for greater effect)
open up the booze, sit in front of the flat screen and -

Drink Every Time Someone Says:

• “Historic”
• “Monumental”
• “Kennedy”
• “Lincoln”
• “Change” (as a noun)
• How unusually warm/cold it is.
• The name of a celebrity who thinks their opinion matters.

By about 3pm, your living room should pretty much look like this.

The Historical Inebriant:  Inaugural Orange Punch

3 parts fresh orange juice
1 part fresh lemon juice
1 part mulled orange syrup
1 part dark rum
1 part cognac
2 parts soda water

Combine in a punch bowl with a large block of ice.
Serve in punch cups with a little crushed ice,
and give each glass a dash of Angostura bitters.

Want to know more:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215760361192597.html


*  THI does not publish on weekends.  If you need a reason to drink on
    a weekend, you are definately doing it wrong.  

Edgar Allen Poe

Edgar Allen Poe, the American poet and short story writer was born on this day in 1809. A visionary who invented the detective story and mastered the art of the macabre died at age 40.  The story goes it was an overdose of Laudanum, a popular drink of its time as was its younger sister Absinthe, that caused his early death.

Laudanum’s recipe is simple:  take one part Opium, dissolve into ten parts
alcohol and add sugar to taste.  It’s the type of drink to have when you want a bit of a kick, but don’t plan on having more than one.

Typically Laudanum would be THI’s choice as drink of the day, but we realize how hard it is to get good Laudanum in 2012.  Instead, lets toast with a drink that is normally left on Poe’s grave on this day.  Remember to light a candle and sip slowly.

The Historical Inebriant:  Cognac

Want to know more:

http://19thcentury.wordpress.com/2008/03/02/laudanum/

http://www.portitude.org/literature/poe/index.php

Can the cloud really go dark???

If some reports are true, the internet will go dark today.
A Wiki blackout is predicted, and the storm brews for
a number of other sites.

I know how to prepare for a number of natural disasters;
(most of which I learned on the internet) how much food
or water to have on hand, how many batteries, how much
cash and gas, where to meet up with friends on higher ground.

I know nothing of how to prepare for a life without
the internet. I do not know if I have any stamps and I

haven't seen my checkbook since Clinton was in office.

Can I get my Pandora to play on one of those wind-up

disaster radios? No Netflicks?...are there still Blockbusters

around? Does anyone know if there is a version of 

"Words with Friends" that doesn't need 4G?


What will we do if the internet goes down?
I have a suggestion...it starts with a glass and maybe
some ice.

The Historical Inebriant: A Dark & Stormy

http://www.esquire.com/drinks/dark-and-stormy-drink-recipe

Want to know more:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-internet-shutdown-20120118,0,5284397.story

http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/English_Wikipedia_anti-SOPA_blackout

  

Three Islands...11,000 Virgins

On January 17th, 1917 the United States purchased the 

Virgin Islands from Denmark.  Upon learning that, in fact,
there were no virgins on the island the US tried in vain to 
back out of the deal but finally took possession of the 
islands of St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas
on March 31, 1917. 

The Historical Inebriant:  Virgin Mary - Vodka optional

Want to know more:
http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/history/

Prohibition begins

On this day in 1920 the United States would begin what would be known as The Great Experiment, Prohibition. Beginning on this day it was illegal to manufacture, import, transport or sell or alcoholic beverages.  The end of alcohol had come by a vote in congress and with 36 states ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.  It would be almost 14 years before the sale of drink was again legal in the US.  That is a long time between refills my friends! 

What can I say? It's over, we made it, so let's drink to those poor souls who missed out in the 20's
and remember their sacrifice! Let's also do a shot for those ingenious enough to have survived without missing a drop!


For more information on Prohibition visit here:

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/

http://www.neh.gov/humanities/2011/septemberoctober/feature/going-dry

The Historical Inebriant:  Any American draft beer

“I am sure the Americans can fix nothing without a drink. If you meet, you drink; if you part, you drink; if you make acquaintance, you drink; if you close a bargain, you drink; they quarrel in their drink, and they make it up with a drink. They drink because it is hot; they drink because it is cold. If successful in election, they drink and rejoice; if not, they drink and swear; they begin to drink early in the morning, they leave off late at night; they commence it early in life, and they continue it, until they soon drop into the grave."

-Captain Frederick Marryat, British Royal Navy on the apparent drinking habits of Americans

404 - The requested webpage was not found

For the past few months, I have been thinking about writing...not actually writing
mind you... but definitely thinking about it.  In fact, thinking about it so much that after months of deliberations, I have decided to start a blog.  

Considering my ADD and limited writing skills, a blog seemed to be the most accessible of the different modes of writing.   Mind you, I said I started a blog, I’m not really blogging yet - more like a runner slowly stretching prior to a race or a golfer deliberating a green before a put - but I have started a blog (which is really more like a page a day calendar for drinkers and since I’m currently on my cleansing a blog about drinking seemed like the perfect thing to do) and I am thinking about writing on the aforementioned blog.

Which brings me here.  Advertising the blog where I do not currently write.  Most likely you received a cryptic email from me directing you to a blog with a name that
makes no sense and where there is not really any writing.   Were I you - I would be
very annoyed, like clicking a broken link on a web page then floating in limbo
between different sites until you reach the inevitable 404 message, but fear not -
for soon, oh so very soon, something will happen....film at 11.