April 30, 2008

Wednesday's Wine - Yalumba Y Series Viognier, 2007

We're moving from Eastern Australia to Southern Australia and from my preference for red wines to a very nice white wine. I told a chef friend of mine that I preferred the reds to the whites when it comes to wines. And that, while I like fruit flavors in my reds, I don't like them sweet. She met me last summer at Paris on the Platt, a wine bar with a lovely patio facing a newly renovated neighborhood. We had a Viognier, but I do not recall the actual vintage. Nevertheless, I found a white wine grape I could totally get my mind and my palate around. The Viognier is a variety of the Rhone grape (which means I need to try that next). I think I've had three different Viognier wines and what I like is the crisp clean taste. These wines had a vaguely citrus bite without being too dry or too sharp (or sour like lemons). Viognier's go well with chicken and fish entrees or is great all by itself on a warm spring evening on the porch (or the balcony in my case).

For today's wine, I'm recommending Yalumba Y Series Viognier, 2007. I've bought this wine several times and it's currently my favorite white wine. It's very tastey and is generally available on sale regularly around here (Denver) for under $10.00 (which, as you all know, is my favorite price!). I picked up two bottles last week for $16.00 total. Regularly, it's available for $12.00 to $15.00. So you know what I think of how it tastes. Here's what Yalumba says about their wine:

The 2007 Y Series Viognier has aromas of fresh ginger and candied grapefruit with hints of white flowers. The palate is full-bodied with grapefruit and apricot flavours, and displays a persistent finish, matched with typical silky and harmonious viognier texture. This wine will reward when enjoyed with dishes containing goats or rich fetta cheeses.

Doesn't that sound good!?! It's enough to make me run right out and buy some goat cheese! Actually, now that I think about it, it would totally be the right wine to drink while enjoying a greek salad. Mmmmmmm...food and wine... Enjoy!

April 29, 2008

Tuesday's Time Waster - Sudoku

I play Sudoku in the paper everyday. Although, I am likely to end my subscription soon. Awhile back when I was bored with blogs I discovered Web Sudoku. And time wasting was taken to a new level. Of course I like to provide options, so yesterday I found Number-Logic and promptly wasted an hour working on the Sudoku for the day (I finally gave up and went back to work). Have fun!

April 28, 2008

Make My Monday - A Woman's Turn

If you read Sunday's Surf, you saw a man's Craig's List Ad, selling his 1964 model wife (for $500 or a trade up to a 1984 model) and metaphorically describing her like a run down car. Over at Feministing the readers are commenting away about the misogyny of it all. As I said, I took it more in the vein of stand up comedy and saw the humor in the ad the same way I would when a woman hits a man where it hurts, if done in an equally humorous way. Oddly enough, in today's episode of Lesbian Pirates from Outer Space we have an example of a woman's approach to putting a man in his place. Be sure to read the Captain's Log below the comic to the left of the comments. By the way, right at very bottom of the comic frame is a place to click "First" and that will take you to the beginning of this fun online comic.

April 27, 2008

Sunday Surf - Craig's List Ad

As you aware by now, I have some favorite websites...see the list to the right called "Links I Like". I enjoy them as they are primarily women centric (and the rest of my world isn't). But I also enjoy some because they often have links to other websites, which have links to other websites, which have links to other websites...etc. I think my brother did a whole study on this phenomena but I forget what he called it (note to self, finish reading specially bound copy of brother's Ph.D. thesis, or his autographed book on blogging). Anyway, today it didn't take but one link to get to this funny Craig's List Ad. But you know how it is with these sorts of things. If someone buys the item, the ad will be removed. So here's a cut and paste of the contents:

Originally Posted: Mon, 14 Apr 02:09 PDT

For Sale—One (1) Wife, slightly used, 1964 Model


Date: 2008-04-14, 2:09AM PDT


Needs muffler, as it is currently VERY LOUD. Intake valve is stuck in the open position.

Rear end needs major overhaul. A crack there has grown monstrously large.

Needs re-wiring—Many wires are currently crossed.

Lots of little dings in the body, which have been covered up with too much paint in a failed effort at camouflaging them.

Needs re-upholstering—Carpet has turned a dingy gray.

Needs front-end work--Tits are too close to the ground, and knees are too far apart.

May not pass emissions test, as it currently produces foul clouds of malodorous gases on a regular basis,

Heater works great. Hot air is never in short supply...

Asking $500 or trade for 1984 model.

  • it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 641609489


UPDATE: I thought the above Craig's List Ad was funny, but then I do have a weyrd perspective. I took it in the same vein as I take women's railing about men...especially in stand up comedy. That said, I thought I would provide the link to the website where I found the link to the above, so you all could participate (or not) the debate about misogynistic humor at Feministing.

April 24, 2008

Thought for Thursday

I finally got around to watching "Cruel Intentions" this afternoon while doing paperwork at home. If I had had a frenemy like Sarah Michelle Geller willing to give me kissing lessons when I was in High School... Finish that thought for me, huh?

April 23, 2008

Wednesday's Wine - Hardy's Stamp of Australia

Most of my friends know that I love red wine and I hate to spend "too much" money. So I'm always on a mission to find a really good value in wine. In particular, I look for full bodied reds under $10.00. I consider it a particularly good day when I find something here in Colorado for under $5.00, especially when it tastes like a $15.00 bottle. So after a few years of regularly looking for great deals in wine, I thought I would share. This week, I'm starting with a current find, but in future weeks I'll cover other favorites and I'll even talk about some white wines, too (the things I'll do for you, my faithful 3 readers!).

There are two places in my neck of woods (suburbs of Denver) that I usually go to for my wine selections. Occasionally I'll venture to other locations, but not that often. The main place I go is a nearby liquor store called 3 S Liquors (I have no idea who or what the 3 S's are). I go there because it's next to the grocery store and I'm pretty friendly with Joe and Bob the wine guys (mostly with Joe...if his wife ever asks, it's purely about the wine...really). Bob is an older very knowledgeable fellow, but he usually isn't there when I pop by. Since I most often go there on Saturday afternoons, Joe is my wine guy. He knows I prefer the bolder reds and he also knows I'm a cheapskate (I think I've mentioned that previously). The other place I go is a huge warehouse style liquor store. The place is full of everything, but mostly it's wine, wine, wine! It's set up by countries and then somewhat by type of wine. They also send me emails when something new is on special and they usually have slightly better prices than 3 S. On the other hand it's about 20 miles round trip (which is $2.50 to $4.00 in gas depending on which car I'm driving that day), whereas 3 S is about 2 miles roundtrip. Therefore, the wine has to have a great price or be something unique before I drive all the way to Applejack.

This week's wine pick is actually three picks from Hardy's Stamp of Australia line. This is a really really good value in wine. Right now these are selling at 3 S for $4.99 a bottle and at Applejack for $3.99. These are no Two Buck Chuck's (the nickname for a cheap, but tasty red blend found in California and whose real name I actually can not remember). These wines are from Eastern Australia, an area best known for Shiraz.

So let's start with Hardy's Stamp of Australia Shiraz, 2006. Most wine labels have a description of what the wine tastes like and might say something else such as food pairings or something about the vineyard. Hardy's has several lines of wine and their Stamp of Australia line is for export to the U.S. and appears to be aimed at average American wine drinkers. Depending on the part of the U.S. in which you live, this wine typically ranges in price from $12.00 to $16.00. I chatted with a friend in Connecticut about Hardy's and she found it there in the $16.00 range. Therefore, I feel very fortunate, that both 3 S and Applejack got the line at awesomely discounted prices! Even at $16.00 or so, this is a very tasty Shiraz and the label description is quite accurate: "rich plum, dark berry, and velvety chocolate flavours". The Hardy's folks recommend this wine goes well with grilled beef and I would agree. It was quite yummy.

I also tried the Stamp of Australia Cabernet Sauvignon (which I think is also 2006). It's not a typical Cabernet, as it actually tasted similar to a Shiraz. Where most bottles of Shiraz have obvious fruit flavors, Cabernet's tend to be a bit dryer and less fruity, although still bold. This Cabernet was unusual as it had some definite fruit flavors going on. I liked it quite a bit, but I would not choose it if I wanted a traditional Cabernet Sauvignon. The label is similar to the Shiraz bottle but instead of purple, it's red. I'd tell you what the label said, but I drank it already and it ended up in the recycle bin. Oh, and did I mention this line is all screw tops. Yeah...I know, it seems tacky. However, wine makers are looking for alternatives to cork for several reasons. First of all, cork is getting expensive and second, if it rots for some reason it ruins a good bottle of wine. Third, if you're like me and live alone, then having the ability to put the lid back on the bottle is great because it limits the wine's exposure to oxygen. Oxygen is not your wine's friend. That's also why more companies are putting mid and higher range wines in boxes. These days, as you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, you shouldn't judge a wine by it's container.

Finally, I tried the Stamp of Australia Merlot, 2006. This is also very good. Now before I wrap up about this wine, I should mention that I am generally not a fan of Merlot. Most of them tend to be wimpy in my estimation. In fact, I've heard Merlot referred to as a "starter" red wine. Most seem watery or thin to me and generally they taste pretty mild... not too much fruit, not too dry. Merlot does go well with pork and less spicy dishes. Since I love my food spicy, I find they're not usually a good option for me. However, Joe at 3 S told me I would really like this one. And since he is rarely wrong, I gave it shot to make me love it. And I did! Here's what the label says: "ripe berry and plum fruit flavours complement the spicy characters". I'd have to agree. This is not a thin wine. While it does have a tad more fruit than a typical Merlot, it's not like the big fruit flavors of a Shiraz. The "spicy characters" kind of pushed up the boldness, which of course was perfect for my palate (otherwise known as my taste buds). The Hardy's folks recommend pairing this wine "with a big slice of pizza". I may do just that tonight, as I still have some wine left in the bottle!

April 22, 2008

Tuesday's Time Waster - Color of Your Mind

I've been enjoying myself over at the Blog Things site. However, if you go there, stay away from the IQ score thing. It's a scam to generate junk email, etc. And if you try to skip all the "FREE" offers, it won't compute your IQ (based on a quiz that was kind of interesting). Since I evaluate kids intellectual functioning on a regular basis, I thought it would be interesting to see if these short online things generate results anywhere near what the full blown evaluations do. Alas, I still don't know. Oh well. On the other hand I now know the color of my mind:




Your Mind is Yellow



Of all the mind types, yours is the most intellectual.

You crave mental stimulation, and your thoughts tend to very complex.

Your thoughts tend to be innovative and cutting edge, though many people don't understand them.



You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about science, architecture, and communication.



So what color is YOUR mind?

April 21, 2008

Make My Monday - 3WayTV

I was thinking about having a regular Monday blog on random topics. Then I remembered my whole blog is random. Anyway, you all (all 3 of you...or maybe there's only 2 of you now) may have noticed the list to the right called "Links I Like". It's not there so I can conveniently go to all my favorite websites you know. Okay, it is for my convenience. But since it's there, I thought I'd tell you about one of the links, in case it hasn't occurred to you to actually click on any of the links. I'm talking about 3Way, the online serial. New episodes "air" almost every Monday, with extras "airing" on Thursdays. The show is the brainchild of Maeve Quinlan and Nancylee Myatt of "South of Nowhere" fame. You can read an interview with Nancylee at AfterEllen.com to get the background scoop on the show. Then go to 3WayTV.tv to watch. Just click on Video's. From there you'll see that the video's are grouped by categories which included Episodes and Confessionals. I recommend watching those in order (for those of you who are not technically savvy about web page arrangements, that means scrolling to the bottom of the page to find the first ones ). You may be wondering why you should go visit this site. I have three words for you: Hot. Funny. Women. Of course, there are plenty of other fun things to occupy your Monday while you're there, so I'll forgive you if you don't make it back here until Tuesday.

P.S. If you like Hot. Fast. Women. then read about Danica Patrick's big win!

April 20, 2008

Sunday Surf - Helen Mirren

My Sunday's generally start out the same way now. I get up, I visit the bathroom, I maybe make my bed right away, I add a layer of warmth to my outfit and go turn on my laptop. I start the coffee, come back to the laptop and cue up the latest Brunch with Bridget (BwB) on AE, and then make breakfast (I'd call it brunch, but usually this all occurs before 10am and doesn't qualify for the brunch title). After making my breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast and coffee) I bring it to the coffee table (really it's a giant corporate end table) and watch BwB while I eat. I usually finish eating way before Bridget and her guest ever get to the pillow fight at the end, but this allows me to drink a second cup of coffee and digest. That's how my Sunday's start.

Next on my list of Sunday activities is to surf the net for a bit to catch up on the news and other fun things. Later, I'll spend the rest of the morning reading the Sunday paper. However, the Sunday paper reading may soon come to an end as I am having ongoing subscription problems. On the other hand, it's spring and I may just go to the corner box every week and buy one. Good excuse to take a walk after breakfast (which also aids in digestion).

Anyway, I've decided to be a tad more organized since procrastinating on my taxes until Tuesday (April 15th). On Sundays, should I discover something fun during my surfing, I will be sharing what I find on my cyber journeys. Today I bring you a link to a nice email interview of Helen Mirren by Liz Smith (out bi journalist) over at one of my new favorite websites: wowOwow. If you love women (whether you're the random straight man who accidentally found my site, or one of my 3 loyal readers...yes, I'm guessing on that number) then you'll love this site. Anyway, I loved learning that Helen Mirren, who lives mostly in the U.S., watches reality TV (at least she's watched some of "Make Me A Supermodel" and knows what Bronnie is) and then reading her answer to what kind of DAME she is. So, if you're a fan of Dame Helen Mirren, check out wowOwow.

April 14, 2008

How to Procrastinate When Doing Taxes

I decided to read up on my favorite websites, as well as the paper, before getting really deep into the remainder of doing my taxes. Yes I know, I shouldn't have waited so long. But the thing is, I'm going to owe more than usual this year. Being self-employed has it's unexpected benefits and...um...costs. So anyway, I found a nice little time waster I thought I'd share called "What Finger Are You?" And here's what finger I was observed to be:




You Are a Ring Finger



You are romantic, expressive, and hopeful. You see the best in everything.

You are very artistic, and you see the world as your canvas. You are also drawn to the written word.

Inventive and unique, you are often away in your own inner world.



You get along well with: The Pinky



Stay away from: The Index Finger



Have fun and definitely let us all know what finger you were observed to be (and any other observations you care to share). By the way, those are NOT my fingernails.

April 13, 2008

Spashley U wrote to me...

Hello, I'm Stokley, one of the admins from SpashleyU and I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for adding a link to our site on your blog. We are getting ready to launch our Trevor Project Donation Drive on April 18th and every link really helps, So thank you so much.

Also, I wasn't familiar with your blog until today and I have to say, it's very entertaining. I loved the last post about the grade level of your blog, good stuff indeed. I have random Ellen Page sightings as well, too bad they turn out to be false too. Again, thanks for your support.

Stokley
SpashleyU.com, Admin

Isn't that nice of them!?! You know, in today's society, the art of thanking others is dying out. I work in an industry where we need to say thank you a lot. And even I forget to send out the thank you notes sometimes. So, it's nice to get a thank you even when you weren't really doing anything in particular to merit a thanks!
If you've enjoyed the show South of Nowhere or would like to get a donation to the Trevor Project then check out SpashleyU.com. They've been mentioned a few times on AfterEllen.com, so hopefully SpashleyU is as reputable as they appear to be. As I always tell my clients though, when it comes to services that I don't provide directly, do your own research. And that applies when making donations to worthy causes. I'm only responsible for providing the research on my own services.

By the way, did you notice that I'm not the only one to think I've had an Ellen Page sighting? As Ms. Snarker said in her last email to me, "All those baby dykes, they're so hard to tell apart. ;)."

April 11, 2008

Education Level Needed to Read My Blog

I went to visit Smartassbian's (one my blog pals) other site (see her link list for a link to that site) and I was looking at ALL of the blog awards she's gotten. Well, I made the mistake of scrolling down too far. And found that her other site had a High School Reading Level rating. Obviously I just had to know what reading level MY site required.

blog readability test

Movie Reviews



I think I'll just go read the dictionary right now...the old fashion kind...that comes in book form...sigh.

April 10, 2008

Ellen Page Sighting (or rather false sighting).

I'd like to thank Ms. Dorothy Snarker for putting her time into researching my question on Ellen Page and my hallucination that she was in the current Gardasil commercial. After several emails, google inquiries and viewings of YouTube Gardasil commercials, I finally gave up yesterday. Then this evening, while watching TV with one eye (other eye, along with all my fingers, was writing psychological reports) I saw the commercial again. This resulted in my leaning forward and putting both eyes on the TV. AND...nope, it wasn't Ellen Page after all. Just a lookalike. The young lady in question had the same baby dyke quasi shag hair style that Ellen wears, but in a lighter shade of brown. So ends the mystery. Clearly I was hallucinating. I'll be visiting my own psychologist...as soon as I get one lined up.

April 2, 2008

Open Email Message to Ms. Dorothy Snarker

Wondered if, with your resources, you could confirm what I think I saw. I was just stretching out on my bed this morning trying to wake up while channel surfing the morning news shows when I accidentally left one on long enough to watch a commercial. I'm pretty sure I saw Ms. Ellen Page in a Gardasil advertisement. Probably filmed before Juno, but the combo is kinda funny...like Ms. Page is a bit focused on female reproductive anatomy in her work choices.

I'm just observin' (or hallucinating).

LA

I'll give you an update when I find out. Just 'cause inquiring minds wanna know...