September 29 is the Feast of the Archangels — St. Gabriel, St. Raphael and St. Michael. These are trying times for Christianity. Governments around the world, our own included, our creating laws to restrict the free practice of religion. The satanic …

Reprinted from September, 28, 2012Today is the feast day of St. Wenceslaus, who is regarded as a patron Saint of Czech brewers.St. Wenceslaus, duke of Bohemia, was born about the year 907 at Prague, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). His father was…

Today marks four years since my mother passed away. It’s cliché sounding I know, but it really doesn’t seem that long ago. Her smile and her extended bear hugs remain fresh in my memory. I still get the brief thought to tell her about something exciti…

We’ve long been fans of Blue & Gray Brewing, especially the brewpub. In fact, this post is the 103rd time I’ve posted about the local brewery. There’s been so much Blue & Gray news here that the Musings have frequently been mistaken for a …

I was going to post this earlier, but I forgot.A study at the  Linus Pauling Institute and College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University found that Xanthohumol, a type of flavonoid found in hops and beer, has been shown to improve…

After some fun competitive shooting on Saturday, Sunday brought a change of gears, and gear, when Colleen and I, along with “Checkered Flag” attended the “Street Encounter Skills” course put on by John Murphy of FPF Training. This ten hour defensive sh…

Now that it’s officially Fall, I figured it was time to crack open a Pumpkin Ale. After dinner the other evening I grabbed a bottle of Fordham Brewing Spiced Harvest Ale from the fridge. I received the sample bottle from the brewery last month but hadn…

Define: POMPOUSpomp·ous?pämp?s/adjectiveaffectedly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important.”a pompous ass who pretends he knows everything”synonyms: self-important, imperious, overbearing, domineering, magisterial, pontifical, senten…

Like most craft beer fans, I love a good Coffee Stout. A dark Stout flavored with roasted coffee or espresso is a treat for the palate and the nose. Yet, the thought of a beer flavored coffee from Starbucks doesn’t hold the same interest for me.Starbuc…

Saturday morning I headed to the Cavalier Rifle and Pistol club for the monthly USPSA match put on by the Greater Richmond Blasters. I had not even touched my gun, other than to clean it, since the Fredericksburg match two weeks ago, so I was really lo…