Archives for the ‘Blog Entries.Local’ Category

Saint José Sánchez del Río: A Martyr’s Faithful Witness

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Feb 10th, 2025
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
Today, February 10, marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint José Sánchez del Río. On this day in 1928, a 14-year-old boy was executed by Mexican government forces for refusing to renounce his Catholic faith during the Cristero War. This period of brutal persecution, led by Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles, was poignantly depicted in the film For Greater Glory.

Saint José was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on November 20, 2005, and canonized by Pope Francis on October 16, 2016. Despite his young age, his courage and unwavering faith have made him an enduring symbol of religious freedom and devotion.

Saint José’s story is tragically underappreciated, particularly among American Catholics. Yet many may unknowingly recognize his face. A famous photograph of the boy standing alongside Cristero fighters often adorns the walls of Mexican restaurants in the United States. Few diners realize that this young man, who fought and died for his faith, is now a canonized Saint.


After being captured by government forces, José was subjected to unspeakable torment. Forced to witness the execution of fellow Catholics, he was repeatedly pressured to denounce his faith and cry, “Death to Christ the King.” He steadfastly refused.

On the day of his execution, José was forced to walk barefoot to his grave after the soles of his feet were cut. Along the way, he was repeatedly stabbed with bayonets, yet he continued to proclaim, “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long live Christ the King!).

When he reached his grave, the soldiers shot him. Even then, José drew a cross in the dirt with his own blood as a final act of faith and defiance. Enraged by the boy’s resistance, the commander shot him in the head.

The Cristero War, during which countless Catholics were killed for their beliefs, is a dark chapter often ignored in history books in both the United States and Mexico. It is a story of oppression and heroism that all freedom-loving people should know.

Saint José Sánchez del Río is a powerful model of faith, courage, and resistance against tyranny. His steadfastness in the face of unimaginable suffering is a challenge to all of us to stand firm in our beliefs, no matter the cost.

May we draw strength from his example when our own faith is tested.


Saint José Sánchez del Río, Pray For Us!



[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Revisiting my Music Collection – The Knees

Author: From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Feb 9th, 2025
   Category: Blog Entries.Local

This is an ongoing series in which I dig into the dustier corners of my MP3 folder.

The Knees - Sexual Radio

Yet another Aime Street find, from 2008 if the dates in the MP3 metadata can be trusted.

I think this was an all-woman band. The music is very much in the pop-punk vein. They basically don't exist online. Another band started using the same name in 2020 and even Last.fm has the two bands confused. I found the album uploaded to YouTube, but beyond that there is no Facebook page, no website, no reviews of the album, no trace of the band at all.

The album is okay. The music is catchy, but after the first couple of songs they start to all sound the same to me. Which, to be fair, is not a unusual issue with debut records. Songwriting, like everything else, typically improves with practice. The two songs I shared below are bangers, though.

If you know anything about this band, please share.

Sick of Being Stoned

Can't Stop Now


Sunday Links #6

Author: From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Feb 9th, 2025
   Category: Blog Entries.Local

It's Super Bowl Sunday, and I don't care. I'm not watching the game. We bought my wife a new iPhone today. She needed one, and we decided to pull the trigger now before prices go up 10% due to Trump's tariffs. Everything went fine except regaining access to her Google account. That took me an hour to figure out. I wish I could get her off Google, but she hates change, and it's not a hill worth dying on. One secret to staying married for 33+ years is understanding which battles you can't win, or are not worth winning. Like the computer in Wargames said, sometimes the best move is not to play.

10 Things We Can All Do to Protect Democracy - We being US residents, although I think a lot of this is generally applicable.

4 Things to Do Right Now to improve your online security posture.

Aloha- Waiter Rant was possibly the first blogger to score a book deal back in the day. He hasn't been a waiter for almost 20 years at this point, but he is still one of the most thoughtful writers around.

WikiTok - A TikTokish interface for Wikipedia. Bookmark this on your phone and instead of doom-scrolling you can learn something when you have a few minutes to kill.

Buffy is coming back - Some good news to offset, well, everything else.

Attend a protest safely - Seems like good stuff to know.

The Field Notes Thing - I can't make taking notes last more than a week or two. This guy has 13 years of notebooks, all scanned and organized too.

Immigration wiki for transpeople - Seems like the info they are gathering is somewhat universally useful for Americans.


Sunset, Smoke, and a Sip: Le Carême Pastelitos & Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Feb 8th, 2025
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
Mother nature is teasing with brief interludes of pleasant weather — between reminders that it is still winter. During a recent afternoon that hinted at spring, I reached for a Crowned Heads Le Carême Pastelitos LE 2023 for a quick smoke. Seeking a milder bourbon to accompany it this afternoon, I selected a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select.

I picked up this bottle of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select a couple of years ago, more out of curiosity than anything else. The 375ml bottle is attractive and takes up little space on my crowded shelves. Jack Daniel’s is classified as a “Tennessee Whiskey.” It meets all the legal requirements of bourbon before undergoing an additional filtering process through sugar maple charcoal—known as the Lincoln County Process — to enhance its smoothness. No additional flavoring components are added. In my opinion, it still falls into the bourbon category, though enthusiasts on both sides of the debate have strong opinions.



Bottled at 94 proof, a step up from the classic Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, this whiskey offers mild aromas of freshly baked bread and caramel. The charcoal filtering results in an exceptionally smooth mouthfeel and a soft flavor profile. Even at its moderate proof, it drinks quite mildly. Sweet caramel, oak, and butter cookie impressions coat the palate, making for an easy sip.

The Crowned Heads Le Carême Pastelitos LE 2023 is a special format of one of my favorite cigars. I’ve enjoyed the Le Carême in various vitolas and with a range of beverage pairings. This limited-edition Pastelitos, released in 2023, is a compact 4 x 54 Robusto-sized stick. Despite my fondness for the cigar, I still have a couple left from my April 2023 purchase, now well-aged in my humidor.

The dark chocolate-colored USA Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper encases an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and Nicaraguan filler. The Pastelitos is adorned with a small pigtail twist on the cap. Given its small size, a large portion of the cigar is covered by bands, so I removed the first two before lighting up.

The Le Carême Pastelitos delivers a well-balanced smoke, rich with creamy, sweet chocolate and nutty notes. A mild cedar spice emerges later in the session. The cigar burned evenly, providing about 45 minutes of smoking enjoyment.

Always a pleasure, the Le Carême line pairs well with milder bourbons and even coffee. While the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select is certainly a mild whiskey, I found it perhaps too mild — even for this creamy cigar. Despite multiple tastings, whether on its own or alongside a cigar, it has yet to leave a memorable impression.

Nonetheless, the experience on the deck was enjoyable. The timing of my smoke coincided with sunset, and as the sun dipped below the horizon, the shifting colors in the sky and fading light added to the peaceful ambiance of the evening.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Revisiting my Music Collection – The Highballers

Author: From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Feb 8th, 2025
   Category: Blog Entries.Local

This is an ongoing series in which I dig into the dustier corners of my MP3 folder.

The Highballers - The Highballers / Soft Music and Hard Liquor

I owe both albums by this band. They were playing a local club in Fredericksburg on a night we were looking for something to do. I went home with a CD. I'd call this cow punk. They play loud, they like twangy Gibson guitars, and they write great songs about heartbreak, drinking too much, and breaking hearts while drinking. This is classic honky-tonk stuff. They are still playing a few gigs a year around the DC area, so if you have a chance definitely catch them live. They got shut down early for being too loud the first time I saw them.

I Didn't Mean to Get Drunk Last Night

Doing Time in Pennsylvania

Live to Let You Down

No songs with over 500 plays on YT Music. That ain't right.


Revisiting my Music Collection – The Heyday

Author: From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Feb 8th, 2025
   Category: Blog Entries.Local

This is an ongoing series in which I dig into the dustier corners of my MP3 folder.

The Heyday - The Heyday

This band was another Amie Street find. It was released in 2007. It's straight ahead power pop, with catchy hooks and melodies that suck you in. I think they may have been just out of high school when they did this record. Unfortunately, they couldn't maintain the momentum. Their Bandcamp has the debut album, an EP released in 2011 that takes a bit of a Keith Urban country pop turn, and a single in 2012. They seem to have given up in 2013.

This record is better than most of what was released in 2007.

Come In of Stay Out - 4000 stream on YT Music. It's by far their most popular tune.

Turn Me Around - My favorite tune off the album.


Road Trip Relaxation: Cigars, Coffee, and Good Company

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Feb 7th, 2025
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
My wife had an appointment in Winchester, VA, recently and asked if I’d make the two-hour drive with her. Since there’s a cigar lounge in town that I follow on social media, I had an extra incentive to play chauffeur for the day. (Of course, her asking was already reason enough.) After the drop off, I headed over to Long Ridge Cigars.

Long Ridge Cigars is a stand-alone building with the traditional wooden Indian stands tall by the front door. After parking in the back, I was greeted by another morning patron, a regular at the shop. We chatted for a bit before the door was unlocked.



I took a quick tour of the walk-in humidor before settling on the Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Maduro in the Toro vitola. I was familiar with the cigar by name but had never smoked it. When the shop attendant mentioned they had recently received a few boxes of this limited release, my decision was easy. I grabbed one to smoke now and another “to go.”

The Aganorsa Leaf Aniversario Maduro is a Nicaraguan puro featuring a Nicaraguan Shade Grown Maduro wrapper, along with a Nicaraguan binder and fillers. In addition to its striking black and silver bands, the cigar comes wrapped in decorative tissue paper that covers most of the 6 x 54 stick. After sliding off the sleeve, I cut the cap and wasted no time lighting up. I anticipated the cigar would provide a solid two-hour smoke — about the time I had before meeting back up with my wife.



From the start, the Aniversario Maduro delivers a bold pepper spice note. After a few puffs, flavors of rich dark chocolate, coffee, and a toffee-like sweetness come into play. The overall profile is flavorful, bold, and well-balanced. Despite being a full-bodied smoke, it never overwhelmed, even as a morning cigar. The burn was flawless, producing copious, thick smoke throughout.

Before arriving at the lounge, I had picked up a cup of chain-store coffee. I finished that quickly and was pleased to discover the lounge had a large urn of fresh, delicious coffee available. I refilled my cup and continued my enjoyment of the bold coffee and cigar pairing.

While I smoked, I struck up friendly conversation with another patron and the proprietor. One of the great things about cigar lounges is how easy and enjoyable it is to meet fellow enthusiasts. Time passed too quickly, and soon I received a text from my wife that she was ready to be picked up. I replied that I needed “another 5–10 minutes” and enjoyed a few more puffs of the cigar. At about the 90-minute mark, I estimated there were at least another 20 minutes left when I finally set the cigar down.

Before heading home, we met a local friend for a delicious lunch at a German restaurant — a perfect way to cap off the morning smoke.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Long Ridge Cigars. The shop boasts a wide selection of cigars and a spacious, comfortable lounge. Outside, the backyard features tables and a fire pit, which seems to be a popular gathering spot. In fact, I’ve already told my wife I’d be more than happy to chauffeur her to any future appointments in Winchester.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Revisiting my Music Collection – Cabin Creek

Author: From https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/ • Feb 6th, 2025
   Category: Blog Entries.Local

This is an ongoing series in which I dig into the dustier corners of my MP3 folder.

Cabin Creek - Cabin Creek

Cabin Creek is/was a "modern folk" band in Fredericksburg VA when I lived there. I think I first encountered them busking on a street corner, and I eventually saw then live several times in the bars in Fredericksburg. Their eponymous EP is solid. It's 5 songs that I'd put more in the bluegrass category than folk. They don't appear to be particularly active these days. I think they were college students or maybe recent grads when I first encountered then in 2014ish. So 10 years later they probably have careers, kids. etc., so it makes sense that the band is back-burnered. It's a shame though, because they had some songwriting chops.

The EP I have does not exist on YouTube Music. I found this iPhone quality video of one of the tunes that'll give you the flavor of the album.

Peace

Verdict: It's a keeper.


Winter’s Intermission: Bourbon, a Cigar, and 50° Bliss

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Feb 5th, 2025
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
It was a warm weekday in the late afternoon, with the temperature climbing above 50° — a worthy cause for celebration, especially in February. The sun still hung above the horizon as dinner wrapped up, so I quickly grabbed a cigar and poured myself a bourbon.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the ground was still blanketed in snow during my last cigar session on the deck. This unexpected break in the weather was an opportunity not to be missed.

For my cigar, I selected a Tatuaje Cojonu 2015, one of three Tatuaje cigars included in the December 2024 Luxury Cigar Club shipment. It had been resting in my humidor for about six weeks. The Cojonu line from Tatuaje typically has a scheduled release every three years, though the 2015 edition was delayed until 2022.



To accompany the smoke, I poured a glass of Bowman Brothers Small Batch Bourbon from Fredericksburg’s A. Smith Bowman Distillery. This flavorful 90-proof bourbon has become a go-to for an easy-drinking daily pour. Unlike the distillery’s John J. Bowman Single Barrel Bourbon, this one is readily available and comes in under $35. Noting the low level in my bottle, I made a mental note to pick up another soon.

Bowman Brothers Small Batch offers a mild, slightly floral aroma with hints of brown sugar and cinnamon. The full-bodied flavor profile delivers notes of toasted oak, vanilla, and dark fruit, rounded out by a peppery spice on the finish.

As expected from a Tatuaje, the Cojonu 2015 delivered a full-bodied smoke, rich with notes of coffee and cocoa. Earthy undertones mingled with a subtle sweetness, and at first light, I wondered if the cigar might overpower the bourbon. I needn’t have worrie, despite its bold character, the subtle spice of the bourbon held its own, making for a well-balanced pairing.



As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky was painted in shifting hues of orange and red. The landscape, now free of snow, added to the tranquil ambiance of my time on the porch. When the 80-minute smoke finally came to a close, the temperature was still comfortably above 50° — a rare gift for a February evening.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Seeking Warmth and Flavor at the Cigar Lounge

Author: From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Feb 3rd, 2025
   Category: Blog Entries.Local
It’s been an extremely cold couple of weeks—so cold that I haven’t felt the urge to step outside for a cigar. Fortunately, I managed to make it over to Hogshead Cigar Lounge a couple of times to enjoy a smoke in warmth and good company.

Since I hadn’t explored Hogshead’s extensive selection in a while, I took my time wandering through the humidor during my visit two weeks ago. The sheer variety made choosing even harder. Eventually, I grabbed a handful of cigars and headed to the counter. When the proprietor asked, “What are you smoking today?” I made a quick decision: the New World Puro Especial. The rest went into a bag for my home humidor, reserved for warmer days.



The 5 1/2 x 52 Robusto is a Nicaraguan puro created by A.J. Fernandez, using tobaccos from his farms in Estelí, Nicaragua. Right from the first draw, I was impressed by its full yet balanced flavor profile. Notes of cedar, coffee, mixed nuts, and cocoa unfolded, all tied together by a subtle creamy sweetness.

I enjoyed every minute of the one-hour smoke, though I found myself wishing for more. I told myself that next time, I’d opt for a Toro to extend the experience.

With an overload of medical appointments this past week, I wasn’t sure if I’d squeeze in another lounge visit. But when my schedule opened up on Friday afternoon, I took the opportunity for a relaxing smoke before dinner.

Walking into the humidor, I had the New World Puro Especial on my mind—but I couldn’t quite remember where I had found it among the shelves. A quick glance around didn’t help, and, in typical guy fashion, I wasn’t about to ask for directions. Instead, I grabbed a My Father La Opulencia that was right in front of me.



This time, I chose a 6 x 54 Toro for a longer session. Like the New World Puro Especial, the La Opulencia features Nicaraguan binder and filler, but it’s wrapped in a Mexican San Andrés leaf. The elaborate double bands add an ornamental touch to the softly box-pressed cigar.

The La Opulencia starts off bold, with an immediate burst of black pepper spice. The smoke is earthy and rich, with notes of pepper, chocolate, and leather. It’s a powerful and intense cigar—less nuanced than the New World Puro Especial but equally full of flavor.

I paired both cigars with bottles of S.Pellegrino Sparkling Water. The carbonation was refreshing, keeping my palate clean and receptive to the full-bodied flavors. Naturally, a good bourbon would have been a perfect companion for either cigar, but I saved that indulgence for later—after dinner, in my living room, sans cigar.

Cheers!


[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

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