Elliott C. Back: Internet & Technology

Today I had the pleasure of a man dressed in a black skirt introduce me to a men’s cologne which combined vanilla, amber, and musk to attract a maximum number of ladies. My reason for being at Macy’s was actually to acquire a pair of shoes that a lady could appreciate, so I let him stop me and spray his expensive french cologne over various limbs.

It was then that I realized that a musk-based cologne simply simulates the odor produced by a sweaty male body. Wikipedia writes on the topic:

Musk is the name originally given to a perfume obtained from the strong-smelling substance secreted by a gland in the abdomen of the male musk deer, and hence applied to other animals, and also to plants, possessing a similar odor.

It was at that point that I wondered why–besides the hot euro-salesmen in black skirts–would anyone buy the stuff. Personally, I prefer a much more subtle scent.

My habit seems to be to enjoy a glass of wine before I roll into bed, with a book. Right now I’m reading a book in which the author appears in character as himself, which is quite distressing. Even worse, he writes about his fictional character as him through the hindsight of fame, but before he (in this world) became famous. The final straw is that he suggests that works of fiction are real narratives dictating life and events in other worlds. This distresses my free will, and so I sip Pouilly Fuisse.

The other night I made myself a martini for the first time. It was a bit strong, but not at all half bad, and I think I’ll try improving on the theme tonight:

Here’s a recipe, so you can make your own Martini:

Ingredients:
6 Parts Gin
1 Part Extra Dry Vermouth
2 Green Olives

Instructions:

Chill a martini glass until cold. Pour gin, vermouth into a drink shaker packed with ice. Shake until condensation forms on the outside of the shaker, then strain and pour into the martini glass. Garnish with olives (can be frozen), and enjoy the mixed drink! Since the dryness of the martini depends on the amount of vermouth you add, some sources suggest swirling a dash of vermouth in the chilled glass, pouring it off into the sink, and then mixing the gin and ice, pouring into the vermouth-coated glass, and garnishing again with olives.