Otherwise known as Ruminsky van Drunkenberg in my wasted and misspent youth, I am an unapologetic champion of the great ambrosias from the West Indies (long may their cricket team endure) as opposed to the Old World peats. Equally unapologetic elitist wretch who sees the organization as a chance to discuss books and improve our minds, while drinking and doing our best to reverse the process. Books under discussion are fiercely researched and points drawn up for discussion, debate or merciless dissection. I love books the way a starving kid loves Angelina Jolie's tit. I look for strife and chaos and controversy in the choice of literature, and will unhesitatingly challenge prevailing wisdom and sloppy thinking, or equally wussy excuses for books. The choice of reading materials must be defended by all (including me). It's not enough to just "like" a book -- I "like" my mother in law after a pub crawl: it doesn't mean I want to discuss her all night. I like teetering on the edge of sobriety while not lurching over the abyss into drunkenness: I prefer to pass my time somewhere in between either of these two precipitous extremes. I love photography, art, travel (for which I think I should be paid), good writing, and an elegantly crafted argument. Depending on my state of sobriety I speak between three and six languages, but can say vulgarities in at least seventeen. Rum preferences are fairly ecumenical. Since I bastardize most of them with (horrors!) coke, it's gotta be pretty good to have me drink it neat. Thus far, only the Trinidadian "Zaya" and the 15-yr old "London Harbour" from Antigua have made the cut. My baseline used to be Bacardi Black, but these days it's the Appleton 12-year old from Jamaica. Everything I drink is either better or worse than this one. Fluor 12 year old from Nicaragua comes in for honourable mention, but be warned...it's a bit on the sweet side. Good body though. Goes well with coke :-). Calgary being what it is, it's a bit of an issue to find new rums here, but Jah will provide, I'm sure.