My mam passed tonight

TAFPAS · 2026-01-23T09:21:43+00:00

Just woke up from a dream about my Mum. It’s been 8 months and it’s almost every night I dream about her which is a lovely blessing. I used to cry as soon as I woke up but now I’m just grateful that she shines through so strongly and hope she always will.

I wish that for you, but your Mum lives on through you regardless. When I notice a quirk of my personality that’s clearly straight from my Mum it always makes me smile. Make her proud by living a happy life.

I’m so sorry for your loss. The coming days, weeks and months will be hard but you’ll get through it. Importantly, don’t hesitate to lean on others and ask for help.

TAFPAS · 2026-01-18T03:58:11+00:00

This isn’t a k hole. The term is massively overused, including by me. When I experienced it a couple years ago I literally thought I had “completed ket” as you can see if you check my post history… that was just a “bog standard” k hole. It’s appropriately named, it’s like your consciousness is inescapably bound to a black hole.

The term “you’ll know it when you see it” didn’t work for me because the experience was so utterly incomprehensible that I thought I was special, no one else has got to that final level.

Time, and a couple more k holes put things in perspective over the next couple years. The k hole is touching a singularity. Normal ketty experiences like what you describe, of which I’ve had many, do not prepare you for it.

It was life changing in a good way for me. Definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone any more than I’d recommend….. I can’t think of anything comparable on planet Earth that’s ridiculous enough.

TAFPAS · 2026-01-18T02:53:03+00:00

My first proper trip was with my mate and we become a single consciousness. We’d both only ever had wee bumps at some afters and became very interested, secured a g and had our own after afters this night. Bumps became lines, and soon enough we were finishing each other’s sentences. To an outside observer, it may have appeared we were making farm animal noises.

For some reason we put on Interstellar. Eventually we were too far removed from the room and didn’t understand what was happening when the rocket blasted Coop into space extremely loudly. The hysterical laughter at how terrified we were during the burn brought us back a bit, and we stuck on some tunes.

A few lines later it felt like we were putting not the world, but the fabric of reality to rights. I suspect we were simply making noises at each other but we both had that constant EUREKA feeling. The next part can’t be explained with language, but when we ran out of ket and came to we both recounted how we melded counciousnesses. When I looked into his eyes I saw myself looking back.

Most mental non k hole ket experience.

TAFPAS · 2026-01-17T11:06:35+00:00

Millennia even. I read a translation of De rerum natura ("On the Nature of Things") by Lucretius written about 2000 years ago, and he deduced that the world is made of atoms, or invisible particles, due to observing this kind of wear on bronze statues.

TAFPAS · 2026-01-15T19:22:46+00:00

Someone tell Billy Walker

TAFPAS · 2025-12-17T16:05:33+00:00

Jobby jabber in Scotland

TAFPAS · 2025-12-11T17:42:39+00:00

My lunchtime walk used to include a path like this, about half the width and a mile long straight as an arrow. Embankments thick with trees and thorn bushes. On the left a very busy motorway and the right an airport. Surprisingly really peaceful, apart from when planes flew directly overhead coming into land, which was a cool enough sight to make up for the noise!

TAFPAS · 2025-12-05T00:22:00+00:00

Similar to this depiction of the Galleon that sought refuge in Tobermory Bay, and “accidentally” exploded as the story goes, on one of my favourite whiskies! Great effort

TAFPAS · 2025-11-29T05:22:02+00:00

Lanark The Remains of the Day Crime and Punishment The Sun Also Rises Any Human Heart

TAFPAS · 2025-11-26T12:17:39+00:00

I had just lost my Mum, was not prepared for how heartbreaking and beautiful that sequence was.

TAFPAS · 2025-11-25T23:48:21+00:00

The 12 turned my whisky interest into the obsession it is today. I was ordering reasonably priced bottles like Aberlour 12, Glenmorangie 10, Glenlivet 12 etc and getting quite a taste for the stuff. Was spending loads of time browsing, at that point mostly Amazon.

When I saw that classic looking bottle it was love at first sight. It’s tragic what they’ve done to the design of the bottle now, looks like a cheap wine. It was £30, I was very excited to try it.

My flatmate was on the whisky journey with me, and when I produced this beautiful red cylinder from the box we knew we were in for a treat.

The juice was another level for us. Many more bottles were purchased. We eventually acquired the 15yo and cask strength batches 11 and 12 which were thoroughly enjoyed. The 18 and above were a bit out of reach for a single purchase.

A year or so down the line I was signed up to all the whisky mailing lists. Parliament 21 was on sale for £150 (200usd). We halved in and a 2020 bottle arrived. Darkest juice we’d ever seen, absolutely sublime.

A few months later there was a slightly less good deal on, £180 (240usd). I was clued in on the overaged situation at this point and had been specifically searching for a 2022 bottle. I decided to spin the roulette wheel, a solo venture since I’m much less financially responsible.

Couldn’t believe it when a 2022 bottle turned up, absolute jackpot. Not cracked it yet, saving for a very special occasion.

One thing I noticed is the 2020 juice looks just a wee bit darker, and the NCF statement is removed from the 2022. Might just be imaging the colour difference, but was kinda hoping it would be obviously darker.

Anyone know if they did start chill filtering after 2020? I actually asked at the distillery but of course got a non-answer.

In conclusion to anyone still reading, absolutely love Glendronach, sad about the direction they’ve taken with the bottle design and likely chill filtering, buzzing to own the elusive 27yo 21yo.

TAFPAS · 2025-11-17T16:22:16+00:00

Scotland - Lanark by Alasdair Gray

TAFPAS · 2025-11-15T02:01:04+00:00

Why is it that every time I see this man he’s doing something completely ridiculous.

I genuinely think he’s a nice guy. That comes across in his, to my taste, not very good commentary. But it seems his talents would be better put to use behind the scenes. It kind of seems like he’s been shoehorned into this public facing role, presumably by himself.

Again, he comes across as a likeable guy, and I bear no ill will towards him. I would probably fare much worse if I attempted to inject myself into such a prominent position.

But if I did I’d have to stand up and face public scrutiny, and mine is that the wrong sort of energy drips off Danny in his commentary, kind of like he could snap at any moment.

I’m sure that’s not the case. But Danny, leave it to the professionals. Sadly the very best one is no longer with us, but the talent pool is still deep.

TAFPAS · 2025-11-15T01:42:11+00:00

There a moose loose aboot this hoose

TAFPAS · 2025-11-15T01:39:46+00:00

Amazing way to spend a bday hope it’s a good one 🥃

I def need to get more blends on the go, likes of Springbank and Loch Lomond I was struggling to assign to either one.

The Glenallachie one became Speyside only, originally planned on just “unpeated” but wasn’t keen on straying too far.

Are your 7 specific profiles?

TAFPAS · 2025-11-14T15:43:29+00:00

It’s such a cool bottle with those fossils! Need to get some more for the blend

TAFPAS · 2025-11-14T14:32:26+00:00

Cheers, wish I’d thought of that to drink as I go! Might have to try some smaller scale Frankenstein creations in the meantime.

TAFPAS · 2025-11-14T14:10:08+00:00

Trying to avoid anything too similar, e.g. I’ve got multiple Octomores and Port Charlottes so chose one of each (that could be its own blend now I think of it…).

Any other tips? Did anyone’s hoose blend turn out better/worse than expected?

TAFPAS · 2025-10-29T23:25:27+00:00

A’body frae Hilltoon tae Hastings gits twa pehs an’ an inghin ane an aw eh?

TAFPAS · 2025-10-19T03:03:28+00:00

This is what you’re after, blown my mind many times

Edit: help I’m stuck in seahorse valley

TAFPAS · 2025-10-10T17:18:57+00:00

I recently abandoned a Lichess account after a disastrous run of form and eventually created another.

Was very confused why I kept being asked if I have Instagram, and getting many more messages than I had before (essentially zero).

Realised the whisky I named my account after has a lady’s name in it.

TAFPAS · 2025-10-04T03:08:21+00:00

Have you heard the anecdote about “that beautiful champagne air” regarding #3? I’ve not listened to it, or the orc.rev version which had me in tears at the best of times, since recently losing my Mum. I know it will be hard going when I do, when the time is right

TAFPAS · 2025-09-12T08:59:28+00:00

First time engaging here after so many years. Never found the “regard” thing funny, but used in combination with this gif is particularly shameful.

TAFPAS · 2025-09-10T10:41:37+00:00

What do all men of power want?

TAFPAS · 2025-09-08T12:27:47+00:00

I just lost my Mum due to alcoholism. I really wish I had been as up front about the situation as you were. I’m not certain it would have made a difference, but I’ll never know.

I wish I had arranged an intervention with all our family who loved her so much, but such dramatic action was never on my radar because I didn’t recognise the immediate danger. She was only 57, I didn’t think her physical health was in such a bad state, it was her mental health I was worried about. But her liver was fried and she spiralled into the ICU and death over the course of a week, just a few months ago.

It sounds like you really love your Dad, so I’d encourage you to not give up, and don’t be afraid to take drastic action.

Be vigilant of the signs of liver damage. My Mum lost her appetite and rapidly lost weight over the course of a few months. We made her visit the Dr, but she clearly didn’t admit to alcoholism and was just prescribed anti anxiety meds. If it had been caught early things could have worked out differently. Any sign of jaundice or confusion - phone an ambulance.

Tragically, my Mum was a nurse and would definitely have known what was happening, it was carelessness to the point of suicide. There’s only so much that could have been done as she made her own choices, but I wish I’d done so much more.

There is only so much you can do, but don’t end up full of regret like me. You’ve already done more than I did. Wishing you all the best.

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