Monthly Archives: August 2025

Tasting Tuesday: The Rye Showdown Begins — The Play-In Round

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

It’s bracket season on the blog — but instead of basketball, it’s rye whiskey. I’ve rounded up 11 ryes from my shelf and set them against each other in a blind-tasting tournament. Over the next three weeks, they’ll battle head-to-head … Continue reading →

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My Top 10 Favorite Movies (Plus 2 More, Because 10 Just Isn’t Enough)

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

I tried to make a Top Ten list. Really, I did. But once I hit nine, I had four films all clamoring for that last spot — all too good, too personal, or too meaningful to cut. So, here we … Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Tuesday, August 19, 2025: Subjective Truth

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Read John 14:1-11 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 Reflect One year when I lived in Atlanta I volunteered to help the political campaign of … Continue reading →

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What Writing Gives Me That Nothing Else Can

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

From childhood plays to newsroom deadlines, writing has always been at the heart of my life. It’s how I find clarity, share stories, and connect with others—the one gift I couldn’t imagine living without. Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Monday, August 18, 2025: What About Dinosaurs?

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Read Genesis 1:1-31 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. … Continue reading →

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The Sunday Pour: The Angel’s Share — What Remains After Loss

Posted on August 17, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

In bourbon, the angel’s share is loss that deepens character. In life, our losses do the same—shaping what remains into something richer. Continue reading →

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Finding My Why in Jacksonville

Posted on August 17, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

If I’m being honest, Jacksonville isn’t the most interesting city in America. We’ve spent decades chasing development projects only to watch them go elsewhere (Disney and Six Flags, anyone?). Our downtown is mostly quiet, though there are some recent signs … Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Sunday, August 17, 2025: Unto the Least of These

Posted on August 17, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Read Matthew 25:31-46 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:40 Reflect David Menasche loved teaching English. … Continue reading →

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Happiness, Love, and the Grace to Be Thankful

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

I feel a lot of emotions, and not always the positive ones today’s question asks about. Honestly, I do feel a lot of happiness and positivity—probably because I inherited my mom’s way of looking at life. She always taught me … Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Saturday, August 16, 2025: Hidden in Plain Sight

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Read John 21:15-25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:25 Reflect James Smithson lived … Continue reading →

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