Coffee and Contemplation: National Rum Day

Today offers several celebrations. It’s National Tell a Joke DayNational Roller Coaster Day, and National Airborne Day. If you know anyone who was in the Airborne division of the military, thank them for their service and offer to listen to a story they’re willing to tell. If you don’t know what Airborne means, I recommend you look it up. Today is also National Rum Day and that’s what I want to discuss. Of all the liquors, rum is my favorite followed by whiskey. I’m specific about the kind of rum I drink, however. 

My rum of choice is the Kraken Black Spiced Rum. There are many dark rums but they’re often not black. Of the few black rums I’ve found, the Kraken has the best flavor in my opinion. I’ve even learned they have a rum infused with coffee which I plan to buy in celebration of National Rum Day. If you’ve never tried it, I recommend the Kraken. If rum isn’t your thing, then we can’t be friends. 

Did you know rum has been produced since the third century BCE? It didn’t become popular until the 17th Century when colonizers began growing sugarcane in the Caribbean. Molasses came from sugarcane and was used to make rum as well as contribute to the slave trade. In 1764, the British Crown placed a tax on sugar, molasses, and rum on the American colonies. This tax was called The Sugar Act of 1764. It was instrumental in the unrest that finally became the American Revolution.

Have yourself a rum cocktail this evening in celebration of rum. Also celebrate that rum today is slave free. I enjoy having rum on the rocks with nothing else added. How do you enjoy your rum or other cocktails? Did I mention I wrote a poem about the Kraken and it was featured on the Kraken Rum Instagram page? Check it our below.

Dead Men Tell No Tales

The large arm lifted higher
Than the masthead
Shiny and black with
Hooks pushing out of each sucker
The ship crushed in twine
A large beak like a bird
Rose from the water
Catching the crew of the lost vessel
The rest of the beast hidden
We watched from the safety of our ship
As our sister ship was devoured
By the merciless black titan

What’s New Wednesday: Aug 5

It’s a new month and we’re getting closer to being finished with the year from Hell. What’s new with me? I’m hoping to move into a new apartment by the end of September. I also need to catch up on my reading as I’ve gotten a few new books. What’s new with the blog? Well every Saturday this month I’ve scheduled some Protest Poetry. This is my version of nonviolent resistance with the current events happening in the United States. A couple of these poems are unpublished so this is the first time anyone will read them. I’m excited. Are you excited?

As usual, I have all my other poetry posts and Wacky Wednesdays will continue. I’m focusing on a few other holidays for the Coffee and Contemplation segment. I enjoy having some coffee and talking about these things. I also plan to have one post detailing some of my work I post on here. I want to explain what’s new and what stuff is old and I plan to never post again once I get through it all. I’m curious to know what you all think. Do you want to see more of one thing and something different? The goal is to continue building up this blog until I have at least three posts every day. That’s a lot for me right now. So, tell me what’s new with all of you.

Wacky Wednesday: July 29

For the final Wacky Wednesday of July, we have not two but three words. Well, one is more a phrase as it has two words. Anyway, our first word is a verb. Bibble means to eat and/or drink noisily. Many fictional characters have used this as their name including Sio Bibble from the Star Wars franchise. Our next word, Cabotage, is a noun. It refers to the right to operate sea, air, or other transport services within a particular territory. It’s pronounced like sabotage. Finally, we have Doodle Sack. This noun is another name for bagpipes. Simple but fun to say. Do you play the Doodle Sack?

Once again most of our national holidays today involve food. National Lasagna Day and National Chicken Wing Daymay not sound appealing together, but you can eat one for lunch and one for dinner. Chicken wings are commonly referred to as buffalo wings, hot wings, or just wings. Chickens have two wings per bird, but the wings can be broken down into a wingette, drumette, and a tip. Today is also National Lipstick Day. Lipstick was banned in British Parliament in 1770. It was called a devilish attempt to trick men into marriage. It has even been associated with witchcraft. Whatever your gender, try a little lipstick to feel empowered today.