People like to have ways to excuse away their actions without taking personal responsibility. "The dog ate my homework!" is the classic, but tonight, you have one of the best excuses for running amok: a total solar eclipse.

[Photo: Luc Viatour]

Follow up:

This quote from Phil Hazlewood (Yahoo News) sums it up nicely:

"...Indian astrologers are predicting violence and turmoil across the world as a result of this week’s total solar eclipse, which the superstitious and religious view as a sign of potential doom. (...) Pregnant women are advised to stay indoors to prevent their babies developing birth defects, while prayers, fasting and ritual bathing, particularly in holy rivers, are encouraged."

The Sun produces energy equal to 1000 watts/square meter on the surface of the Earth. From careful analysis of the path of the eclipse over South Asia, it's clear that our loss of energy will exceed 1.21 gigawatts. I know what you're thinking, "What the hell is a gigawatt?" Well without getting too technical, it's over 9000 watts, so we're definitely in for trouble.

Should we, by some odd chance, survive tonight's loss of the Sun, I promise we'll celebrate tomorrow with the Cocktail of the Week. And with the looming shadow of our potential doom, we're going to go back... way back, in cocktail history to bring you the first cocktail. That's right, the original; the cocktail that Adam served Eve before she found that apple and mixed up an appletini. This is the progenitor of all other cocktails.

Total solar eclipse: The End or just a great excuse to have a cocktail? Wednesday can't get here soon enough, in my opinion.