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Aristus

Aristus's Journal
Aristus's Journal
June 27, 2026

Friday Night Vodka Buzz. Ask me anything.

Two shots to get the party started. Now, a Reflecting Pool. I was going to have a Melon Ball; vodka, Midori, and orange juice poured over ice in a chilled wine glass. But I discovered that if I float some blue curaçao on the top, it looks a lot like the Reflecting Pool cocktails people have been sharing online.

One unexpected bonus: the blue curaçao sank to the bottom of the glass, so it perfectly represents the “American Flag Blue” of Trump’s spectacularly incompetent vision for the National Mall’s Reflecting Pool.

Relaxing after a busy, but very good day in clinic.

I love you all…

June 26, 2026

"Billionaires work hard for their money and deserve every penny of it" is the modern Divine Right of Kings.

When you have wealth and power, gained through inheritance, theft, or exploitation, you have a powerful incentive to justify your riches, and solidify your claim to them.

I hope one day the bulk of the working peoples of this country will stop believing this crap.

June 21, 2026

Sampling a new find tonight: Glenmorangie. A Highland single malt.

Harrison Ford is their grumpy but loveable new spokesman. And Glenmorangie distilled a special new whiskey in his honor.

I don’t have the Harrison Ford version. I bought a bottle of their flagship whiskey and am giving it a try. Unlike Islay single malts, there’s no smokiness or peatiness in it. Instead, it’s smooth and fruity. My first sip had a nearly overpowering peach note.

Yummy!

Nothing will ever replace the peaty Heaven that is Lagavulin. But this is a nice whiskey; softer and less direct than the Japanese whiskey I use mainly as a mixer. And a bit of a departure from the sweet, cinnamon-y goodness of Washington State’s own Woodinville bourbon.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend…

June 20, 2026

The Reflecting Pool fiasco reminds me of an example of maintenance neglect and incompetence from my childhood.

I grew up in a Southern family, based mostly in Alabama and Georgia. My branch of the family lived in Texas. But, in stereotypical Southern fashion, had oodles of cousins all over the region.

Every few years, we would gather for a family reunion at a recreation area in Tallassee, Alabama. It had cabins, a lodge, and an outdoor swimming pool. The pool was popular with the dozens and dozens of kids who came with their branch of the family. Cooling off in the sizzling Alabama heat was the highlight of the reunion.

We skipped the family reunion a number of times if we were overseas on one of my Dad’s assignments, or too far away in the States to travel to Alabama.

One year we went back for a reunion, and while they still held the gathering, the recreation area was a shambles. Overgrown with weeds, paint peeling off the cabins, and the once popular and inviting swimming pool now gone green and slimy, and a lively home for tadpoles.

Don’t know why I thought of that. Maybe the maintenance contractor then exists today, and does shoddy work for Trump.

June 20, 2026

Friday Night Vodka Buzz. Ask me anything.

Two shots to get the party started. Now an Agent Orange. Vodka, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and orange juice. And if that’s not enough orange for you, it calls for a twist of orange peel. I don’t have any, so I added a dash of orange bitters.

Yummy! 😋

I love you all…

June 18, 2026

So Trump not only didn't drain the swamp, he created a literal new swamp.

Not hard to see how he went bankrupt owning a casino.

June 16, 2026

I'm crying watching Lawrence, Kansas welcome the Algerian football team to the U.S. Why can't it always be like this?

Such hospitality. Such warmth and love. Such excitement for people meeting each other who otherwise might not have had the opportunity.

This is the United States I want us to be. The United States we could be.

Anyway, I needed some joy, and this was it...

June 14, 2026

The people who screamed and yelled when Michelle Obama planted a vegetable garden at the White House

will be cheering what is essentially a bar fight with a referee on White House grounds.

I’m so over this trashy administration and its trashy supporters.

June 14, 2026

Enjoying a classic Moscow Mule tonight.

No new innovative cocktails tonight. No experimentation. No weird libations. Just a Moscow Mule. Vodka, lime juice, ginger beer, and ice. Yummy!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

June 13, 2026

Friday Night Gin Buzz. Ask me anything.

Two shots to get the party started. Now a Jamaica Glow. Gin, dry red wine, dark rum, and orange juice. Yummy!

Another successful but horrendously busy day in clinic. Time to relax and unwind.

I love you all…

Profile Information

Gender: Male
Hometown: Puyallup, Washington
Member since: 2001
Number of posts: 72,736

About Aristus

I truly believe that we will all live in peace and brotherhood someday. And so that I don't lose my faith in humanity, I will live my life as if that day had already happened.
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