Post Office

I'm no expert on the works on Charles Bukowski, but Post Office is the the third Bukowski novel that I've read in the last two years. I started reading his novels (I'm not too interested in his poetry) after I had read something on the internets that suggested that Chuck Palahniuk's fans wouldn't know a good book if it bit them on the ass so they should pick up Bukowski's Ham on Rye. Seeing as I couldn't stand the Palahniuk novel I was reading at the time, that sounded like a pretty good idea. Post Office is Bukowski's first novel to feature his semi-autobiographical stand-in Henry Chinaski, though it focuses on a period of his life that comes after the events of later novels such as Ham on Rye and Factotum. I'll avoid ending this review with any hyperbolic praise for Bukowski, as most of his fans are wont to do, all I'll say is that there is already another Bukowski title lined up on my Amazon wish list.

Rating: 90%

(Image from jodi.vox.com)

Finger Jug of Teacher's Whiskey

I was going to say that I don't drink Teacher's just because I'm a teacher, but that's not quite true.

RATING: 40% alcohol









(Image from www.argonautliquor.com, but it's the wrong size.)

The Reserve [yellow tail] 2008 Shiraz

"The [yellow tail] 'Reserve Shiraz' has intense concentrated fruit flavors with aromas of ripe cherries, blackberries, chocolate and mocha. Delving deeper into this complex wine, cracked pepper and spice fragrance are apparent with with sweet French oak aromas always present. The vanilla softness on the nose takes you into a full palate crammed with ripe fruits reminiscent of a basket of sweet summer berries. Seamless and well structured tannins complete this full bodied red wine."

I want some of whatever those Australians are smoking. My own well-trained palate, on the other hand, detects notes of bitterness, anxiety, frustration, loneliness, and American Spirit cigarettes. Delving deeper into this colourful yellow bottle, a bouquet of sour grapes and alcohol marks a smooth transition to bleary, fleeting relief. Goes well with an undercooked grilled cheese sandwich.

RATING: $3 more than the other shiraz.

(Image from www.wjdeutsch.com. And just how is one supposed to delineate "ripe cherries [and] blackberries" from a "basket of sweet summer berries," anyway?)

Distillerie Vinet-Ege Le Tourment Vert Absinthe

Clearly, I am not the booze expert around here, so the best I can offer you is a laywoman's review of this here green fairy drink. Let's see, a tiny one drink bottle cost me $7, it smelled and tasted kind of like cough syrup, and I had a vicious hangover the next day (although that probably had just as much to do with the several white russians and beers I had after). So yeah, not loving my absinthe experience so much. In case you were wondering, I did not pour it over sugar or whatever. I did what the liquor store guy told me, which was "put it in a glass with two pieces of ice, stir it, and drink it when it turns white." And it took about 300 years to turn white, so points off for that. In conclusion, fun novelty experience, pretty bottle, would someone please pass me another russian already?

Rating: 64%