Tommy's better half gets the knife as described in a letter to Brother Dave

Dear Dave, At the conclusion of a tough week and the beginning of a new one, I am sitting in the sun room at our house with your sister, my better half, sipping a cask strength 111.7 (Lagavulin, from Islay.). I chose wisely. The whisky expression was harsh, with a strong taste of iodine and antiseptic. It reminded me of the smell of Betadine, a surgical scrub soap swabbed on Jill's neck seconds before the business end of a stainless steel number 15 scalpel blade expertly plunged into her neck stopping a millimeter short of her spinal cord. I personally feel more comfortable in an operating room of a hospital than in most social settings. Especially, ones attended by JAG/kinder garden teacher whom I thought was quite rude in retrospect. Perhaps she saw my written critique of her meatballs. Seriously, who makes Mexican Italian meatballs? In any event, Jill's nerves are healing nicely and she should be 100% in a few weeks. Meanwhile I'll continue to soothe my neves with this fine whisky. Wish you were here. Slainte, Tommy Maaltman.

Community Organizers and historic parallels.

Several years ago an obscure minority became exceedingly facile in his ability as a community organizer. Through the years he rose through his party ranks to become leader of his country. As the leader he radically changed the course of a nation into one of socialism, collectivism and communism. Do you know who I am talking about? Some might say Barak Obama but I am actually referring to Josif Djugashvili, better known as Joseph Stalin! The similarities are uncanny. To settle my nerves I decided to have a very large dram of 22.28 (Glenkinchie) a Lowlands and the President's choice. No not Obama's, Allan Shane's. It pays to be in the President's club of the SMWS. The whisky was smooth, warm, mellow and had a taste of honey. Very easy to drink and enjoy. The perfect dram to calm things down when you get agitated. Let me know if you plan on visiting Michigan this summer. It's getting close to whisky tasting on the shores of Lake Michigan season. Slainte, Tommy Maaltman

Dentists, anesthesia, an Islay and Tommy remembers loosing his two front teeth.

While I was pondering the Time Square act of terrorism, I enjoyed a large dram of cask strength single malt from the Distillery, Bowmore, an Islay. If you have ever been anesthetized with ether, you will never forget the sickening smell of old rubber and phenol as you drift off into a disturbed sleep. That is exactly what the dram tastes like when cut with a few drops of water. It reminded me of when I was three or four and was administered ether by an old alcoholic dentist with a severe Parkinson's tremor prior to pulling out my two front teeth. It brought back fond memories of being asked mockingly at Christmas time, Tommy will you sing All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth?, until the permanant ones finally grew in several years later. As you know, I am a big fan of the Islays, but I must admit not Dentists, and this was a remarkable whisky. With this most recent act of terrorism I can't help but wonder, are we the American public becoming anesthetized to these assaults on our way of life? I hope not. Slainte, Tommy Maaltman