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Summer Reading Fun with Absinthe And Flamethrowers
USB Absinthe Spoon Makes You Think It Has a Function

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DeusExMach wonders what the hell happened to his stapler.
08/10/09

In reply to Summer Reading Fun with Absinthe And Flamethrowers
Well, I DO enjoy both explosives and hallucinogens.
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AmphetamineCrown
08/10/09

In reply to Summer Reading Fun with Absinthe And Flamethrowers
I think this is the guy that also did backyard ballistics. In this vein, I'd also recommend Theodore Gray's Mad Science. That guy has some rather twisted home experiments to try.

And, can someone tell me what the deal is with absinthe? I know that at one point true absinthe was illegal. But now, you see it in liquor stores. Is it fake, or did the feds in some bizarre plot decide to de-schedule it as a narcotic or something? What did I miss? And, for those that have tried it, is it anything remotely special?
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Edited by AmphetamineCrown at 08/10/09 9:23 AM AmphetamineCrown was starred AmphetamineCrown was unstarred

Andy Scott
08/10/09

@AmphetamineCrown: The near-100 year ban on absinthe was lifted in 2006. It was likely banned as a sacrificial lamb to appease the prohibitionists who would've otherwise gone after beer and wine which would've disrupted major indistries overseas, esp. France and Germany. Absinthe isn't a drug, but it does have wormwood which can have psychotropic effects if taken in ridiculously large quantities. If that much is taken, absinthe might cause instant kidney and liver damage (as well as alcohol poisioning.) Absinthe sold today is virtually the same as pre-ban absinthe - the same amount of wormwood, fennel, and anise. So many people are disappointed when they try it - they don't get high and think it isn't the same as pre-ban absinthe. The stuff you find in liquor stores stateside is okay, the amount of anise toned down for American tastes, but to get the really good stuff, you have to order French and Swiss absinthes online.
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SinisterBill promoted this comment Andy Scott was starred Andy Scott was unstarred

SinisterBill prints in color on both sides
08/10/09

@Andy Scott: Wormwood does not have psycotropic properties of any kind. Thujone is the ingredient speculated (and proven wrong) to have caused hallucinations in Absinthe. Things that do cause hallucinations, like paint thinner, are what gave cheap Absinthe it's reputation in the 19th century. It also got an advertising boost due to the likes of Oscar Wilde, making it was one of the first "hip" drinks.

You've already had anise anyway, it's what makes Ouzo, Jägermeister and black licorice taste like, well black licorice. Nothing magical about it.

As for the "Good Stuff" it's not so much a matter of country of origin, the Czech stuff is horrid, while as much as it pains me to say this, Mansinth (bottled by Marylin Manson), is not all that bad. It's just too young an industry at this point to have gotten much respect. It takes decades to build a good distillation recipe and the current upstarts just haven't had enough time yet, because of that, I stay away.

Besides, if your going to spend $60+ on a bottle of spirits, good God man, buy a single malt Scotch or an Irish whiskey!! I will happily recommend many bottles of superior liquor.

Please, read the Wiki on Thujone, Anise, and Absinthe. I'm not relying on a marketing campaign for my data.
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SinisterBill promoted this comment Edited by SinisterBill prints in color on both sides at 08/10/09 7:42 PM

Curves
08/10/09

In reply to Summer Reading Fun with Absinthe And Flamethrowers
I think that people who would buy this and live that dangerously, dont read directions anyway. That being said, the flamethrower seems like something I might want, but I will just find the directions on line.
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deanbmmv
08/10/09

In reply to Summer Reading Fun with Absinthe And Flamethrowers
Don't you pick this book up in Fallout 3?
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