TIL: Today I Learned

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TIL of the tapetum lucidum. It's a membrane that reflects light into the eye and lets some animals see better in the dark. It's also why sometimes cat eyes glow.
 
TIL of the tapetum lucidum. It's a membrane that reflects light into the eye and lets some animals see better in the dark. It's also why sometimes cat eyes glow.

Well, technically it reflects light back into the eye. Light that has already passed through the retina gets reflected back for a second chance at interaction with the receptors. And yes, if it doesn't interact the second time it will continue right on out through the lens and create that glowing eye effect. Oddly, brown eyes glow yellow, but blue eyes glow red.
 
I have known for a long time that a chaser is having a spirit with your beer. I have for a long time wondered if one is supposed to drink the spirit or the beer first. Before I thought of the revolutionary research technique known as googling, I have subjected it to extensive practical experimentation, and found both work, possibly with better spirits best drunk after the beer, and cheap rough spirits better drunk before.

Today I googled it, and it seems it can be either way, but what makes the difference is if you are American (spirit 1st, and the other drink may not be beer) or British (beer 1st). I wonder if this is another legacy of prohibition and the very rough spirits that accompanied that.
 
I have known for a long time that a chaser is having a spirit with your beer. I have for a long time wondered if one is supposed to drink the spirit or the beer first. Before I thought of the revolutionary research technique known as googling, I have subjected it to extensive practical experimentation, and found both work, possibly with better spirits best drunk after the beer, and cheap rough spirits better drunk before.

Today I googled it, and it seems it can be either way, but what makes the difference is if you are American (spirit 1st, and the other drink may not be beer) or British (beer 1st). I wonder if this is another legacy of prohibition and the very rough spirits that accompanied that.

When I was a university dipsomaniac, a beer and a vodka chaser was combined into something called a Depth Charge.
 
I have known for a long time that a chaser is having a spirit with your beer. I have for a long time wondered if one is supposed to drink the spirit or the beer first. Before I thought of the revolutionary research technique known as googling, I have subjected it to extensive practical experimentation, and found both work, possibly with better spirits best drunk after the beer, and cheap rough spirits better drunk before.

Today I googled it, and it seems it can be either way, but what makes the difference is if you are American (spirit 1st, and the other drink may not be beer) or British (beer 1st). I wonder if this is another legacy of prohibition and the very rough spirits that accompanied that.
What does "work" mean here?
 
What does "work" mean here?
Good point. Are an enjoyable way of drinking alcohol. Or perhaps more accurately neither way round was obviously more enjoyable than the other.
 
Good answer. :)
 
:cheers: As I understand the term, a Depth Charge was a mug of beer, with a shot of bourbon, glass and all, dropped into the mug and then chugged. :crazyeye:

Bingo.
I have known for a long time that a chaser is having a spirit with your beer. I have for a long time wondered if one is supposed to drink the spirit or the beer first. Before I thought of the revolutionary research technique known as googling, I have subjected it to extensive practical experimentation, and found both work, possibly with better spirits best drunk after the beer, and cheap rough spirits better drunk before.

Today I googled it, and it seems it can be either way, but what makes the difference is if you are American (spirit 1st, and the other drink may not be beer) or British (beer 1st). I wonder if this is another legacy of prohibition and the very rough spirits that accompanied that.

Whichever you drink second is the "chaser." That's the only point in the definition.
 
What if I have a merlot with a chaser of cab sav?

And what if I'm talking bottles, not glasses?
 
:cheers: As I understand the term, a Depth Charge was a mug of beer, with a shot of bourbon, glass and all, dropped into the mug and then chugged. :crazyeye:
It varies from country to country, I guess. In Australia it was:
Pint of beer + shotglass of vodka = Depth Charge.
Pint of beer + shotglass of whiskey = Boilermaker.
 
It varies from country to country, I guess. In Australia it was:
Pint of beer + shotglass of vodka = Depth Charge.
Pint of beer + shotglass of whiskey = Boilermaker.

In USian, at least back in my day, a Boilermaker was the shot of whiskey and the beer, separate. You slam the shot and follow with the beer. The Depth Charge is where you dropped the shot into the beer mug, glass and all, and you specified a Vodka Depth Charge or a Bourbon Depth Charge or whatever else suited your purpose. The Depth Charge idea seems great until you chip a tooth, then you wonder exactly what the glass in a glass is really doing for you, which is why I preferred the Boilermaker approach.
 
Today I learned how Mr KB makes a grilled cheese sandwich: he toasts two slices of bread (he likes his "beer cheese bread"), then he puts them on a paper towel and loads up shredded cheddar on each side. Then he microwaves it for 30 seconds and then puts them together.

It ... actually tasted pretty good. It was neither greasy nor dry, which can often easily happen with grilled cheese.
 
Today I learned there's a Russian island called the October Revolution Island. Part of it is separated by the Red Army Strait.

Very subtle choices in name. :think:
 
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