Here it is the last day of 2007. What a busy and event-filled year it has been, and also what a fast year!
My resolution for 2008: To improve at identifying specific scents and tastes in the wines I drink and to be able to describe them better. Right now I don't feel as though I do an adequate job. I can definitely remember an aroma or taste that I have had before but when it comes to describing it that's when things fall apart.
To that end, when I scrape together some $$$ after the recent wallet-debilitating Christmas gift season, maybe I should spring for a Le Nez du Vin kit.
So you may be wondering why the picture of a lizard for a wine blog. That's an Ameiva, to be specific, and I used to have one of those. Actually it was for the kids and we kept it inside of a fish tank. It looks kind of ferocious but the one we had was a big chicken. It would go nuts if anyone tried to touch it, much less pick it up.
Anyway, either the lizard or the tank had a certain smell to it. Then one day we were having dinner with my wife's family at a Chinese restaurant and one of the dishes they ordered was chicken in black bean sauce.
The dish smelled exactly - and I mean exactly - like the lizard/tank. I started laughing out loud when I took a whiff of the food.
Now you probably thought I was going to say that it was Ameiva instead of chicken in the dish but nope, a pound of that lizard cost more than a pound of chicken so unless it happened to fall in the pot that was not the case.
The point is, I do remember aromas, but I just can't describe them too well. However, if anyone should ever ask me what an Ameiva smells like, I can confidently tell them, "like chicken in black bean sauce."
"...like chicken in black bean sauce." Too funny. Although I'm pretty sure I can never order that dish!
Well just think, if you ever want an Ameiva but can't find one, just use the picture I posted, put it in a tank/cage and place a dish of chicken in black bean sauce behind it..
My posts have become much less frequent, although I did act like the Eagles or Sean Connery and learned never to say "never again," having returned to posting after bidding adieu.
Since cutting way back on my activity, I've noticed that the number of page hits has escalated greatly. Hmm.. is that like those artists and writers who can't seem to sell a painting or a book until they drop dead? Haha.. turning this into an abandoned blog seems to have generated a lot of traffic. Maybe they want to verify I quit.
Well I still have for the most part but I thought I would update you about how those two Emerson wine coolers are doing, the ones I bought back in the summer of 2007 and referred to as my "Emerson Suites" for my wine bottles - 8 per cooler.
Knock on wood, they are still working fine! The indoor/outdoor thermometer I use to monitor the temps inside shows that one averages 55-56 degrees and the other 57-58 degrees. Even during our protracted, ridiculously hot summer the temps averaged only a degree or so higher. Again, knock on wood.. I hope I didn't jinx them by writing this, or that they will get the idea they can relax and slack off after getting kudos from me.
Meanwhile, until next time.. (ooh, I hope I didn't jinx the Emerson Suites as well as the page views for this blog! I promise I will stay away from here more often)
I'm back for another infrequent appearance. I had to put in a good word for the bottle of wine I'm telling you about today..
I paid $13.99 for this bottle of Chablis from Garagiste. You'd be hard-pressed to find a bottle of chardonnay this good for anywhere near the price. It had obvious Chablis character - the steely, flinty aspect, crisp, well balanced acidity, and a green apple peel / lime / mineral taste. The color was a lovely light greenish gold.
If it had any shortcomings, it would be that the aftertaste didn't linger on and on. It was decently long, nothing to complain about, but if I had to complain about something that would be the only thing I can think of. This was a great bottle of wine for the price, and definitely worth drinking no matter what the price consideration.
I know I bid farewell from this blog but every now and then I'll post something when I run across a wine worth writing about and I feel like writing about it - notice the "and" rather than "or" clause, haha. That second part is the real qualifier because I still don't feel much like writing anything yet.
This is the economy version of the blog - no pictures and no YouTube matching video. I'm just too lazy!
The Twisted Oak 2004 Petite Sirah is one that I wanted to let you know about because I enjoyed it very much. It had nicely perfumed aromas that enticed me to take a sip. On the palate there was a nice balance of cedary wood and slightly tart, but ripe black and red fruits held together by gripping tannins. The tannins added texture, rather than making my mouth pucker. I liked the flavors and concentration in this wine that I purchased from WineQ back in 2007 sometime. It's definitely a wine worth trying.
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Jesus Takes The Wheel balladeer Carrie Underwood was asked whether she has a difficult relationship with Taylor Swift during an interview with CBS’s This Morning. Carrie replied, “No! Not that I know of at least! In every magazine, in pretty much every newspaper, or on gossip TV shows, they can just get away with (saying there’s a feud) by saying, ‘a source said’ or, ‘a friend said’ or, ‘an insider said’. I read the most ridiculous things about myself when people do that.”
During the interview, Carrie was also asked to choose her favorite Swift recent single. She said, “My favorite Taylor Swift song, oh my gosh, I really like ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’. It sounded a lot different to her and I liked the branching out, trying some different sounds.”
Recently Carrie admitted that they are not close to each other but explained that it’s just because they never get to spend any time together. Both country singers are focusing on their work and ignoring any rumors of an alleged feud.
Grammy award-winning artist Toni Braxton has declared that she is retiring from the music industry and admitted that she has lost some of her passion for music.
The Un-Break My Heart balladeer said, “For what I do I have to love it. I have to feel that excitement and it’s gone. I’m just not going to do any albums anymore; maybe touring occasionally here and there because I love performing, but not as much as I did in the past. But no new projects.”
She added that she prefers to focus on acting and her desired role is to perform as lesbian on screen. “I would like to play a lesbian. I don’t know why. And do a whole make-out scene and the whole thing; just something completely different than people would expect from me. Not a lipstick lesbian, either,” she says.
Braxton has become known for her distinctive voice and a widely-known actress for US reality TV series Braxton Family Values. However, she revealed: “That’s just not what I wanted to be when I grew up.”
You guys still remember that time when Beyonce hinted of a possible Destiny’s Child reunion at the upcoming Super Bowl on February 3? It seems like it’s never gonna happen after all, according to fellow former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams, that is.
When asked about reports of a potential comeback of the chart-topping former girl group will perform together at Sunday’s halftime show, the We Break the Dawn singer responded “That’s not confirmed. It is rumored. I’m going to be in the musical Fela. I hate to disappoint the people and tell them that it’s not true.”
OK, so it’s not really a flat out denial but rather more of just a clarification that it is just a rumor, but you have to admit that the way she responded to the question kind of leaves one feeling only less excited than before about the potential get together.
And it didn’t help bring the excitement back either when she said, “But we did record a song with each other before the holidays.” OK, but that still doesn’t reaffirm the story that the three of you will be seen performing together in New Orleans, does it?
But there’s still a glimmer of hope for fans though. Despite Williams saying that she’s going to be in the musical Fela, she didn’t specify which show dates she’ll be appearing on. Why would that matter, you ask? Because according to the show’s website, Williams isn’t scheduled to appear in the show from January 31st to February 3rd. So basically, it’s Williams’s word against the production’s website. Which one will it be for you?
C’mon Michelle, Beyonce already said it herself weeks earlier that you three are performing at the Super Bowl so you don’t have to build up any suspense anymore.
Posted in Artists, Events, Interview, News	| Tagged Destiny's Child, interview, Michelle Williams, Super Bowl	| Leave a reply
In a new interview, former teen pop queen and Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus declared that her new album will feature a contribution from rapper and record producer Tyler, The Creator. Her new album will be released sometime in 2013.
The Odd Future is also featured on Cyrus’s new single, on which she collaborated with Grammy Award-winning R&B/hip-hop diva Mary J. Blige. She hinted that the new album would be a combination of country, hip-hop and metal.
“I wrote this song with Mary J. Blige, and Tyler, The Creator heard it and said, ‘I am obsessed with this song, and I will guest on it if you promise me that you will keep it on the album.’ And he killed it! I really didn’t want to make a hip-hop record, and I’m not trying at all to be a Rihanna or a Nicki Minaj. That’s not my vibe. When I was growing up, my older brother would sneak me Nelly CDs, my dad had me listening to Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash, and my mom is a complete metal head. So this record is a weird mixture of all that,” she said in an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, where she also gushes about being married to Liam Hemsworth.
Two years have passed and the reunion is still going strong: Soundgarden continues to play good tunes together and are very likely to create more new music in the future.
With the band finally releasing King Animal, its first album in 16 years, there are some media members and even peers that question their motives for getting together again, and guitarist Kim Thayil has slammed their accusations.
During an interview with The Phoenix, Thayil stressed that the reunion happened in an organic way, and that it was not a ‘cash grab’ but a way to preserve their legacy.
He credited drummer Matt Cameron for starting it off by offering the band fresh material. “Matt brought it up,” Thayil said. “He had some songs which he had demoed that he wanted us to learn. He thought these songs were Soundgarden-like and that they might have been more appropriate for us than Pearl Jam and he wanted to hear us play them so we said, ‘Sure; we’ll go to the studio and learn your ditties.’ And we did and we had a blast and we love the songs and other ideas were coming out. Chris had some, I had some, Ben had some and we just started jamming.”
Rita Ora has just recently released a new music video for her new US single Radioactive, from her Roc Nation debut studio album ORA.
The sexy sci-fi video features Ora in an extraterrestrial scene where she shows off her tight bottom and toned legs in a futuristic outfit. Now it is said that she may have deliberately released the video as a saucy comeback to her ex-boyfriend Rob Kardashian, after he allegedly dissed her on Twitter.
Rita apparently saw it from a different view. “I’m not going out with Rob. We were close for a while, but it didn’t work because I was never there. I was like a ghost. I used to get so frustrated with myself and then wonder why I was angry, so I decided it was best to keep it friendly – especially at the moment, when there’s so much going on,” she said in an interview with Glamour UK.
“If you want to do my job, you have to suck it up, because it goes hand-in-hand with what you’re doing,” she also says of her career interfering with her personal life. “At the end of the day, the media are helping you – they’re what you need. You can turn around and punch a paparazzo in the face, or you can keep moving and let them get the shot, but that’s not what you should be worried about. The main concern should be getting respect for your music.”
Despite the rumors, the 22-year-old UK pop singer had her breakthrough this 2012 and is scheduled to go on tour in the U.K. starting January 28.
Great news for all fellow 90’s rock fanatics out there! Nine Inch Nails are working on a new song, and this has been confirmed by frontman Trent Reznor while adding some finishing touches to the upcoming record by his new group How to Destroy Angels. The band, known for its industrial rock music, is returning after a long three-year break.
Reznor revealed in an interview that “there are some things in the works” with NIN. “All signs point to yes,” he said.
He added that “there will be new music.” Asked in an interview by RollingStone if there will be live gigs by the group, he said, “If it feels right, it’s a possibility. I never said that that wasn’t going to happen, just that it couldn’t go on as it was. Having a few years doing other things, I’ve enjoyed them and I’m enjoying doing How to Destroy Angels, and there will be a place for stuff that falls in the Nine Inch Nails column of things. It’s a different kind of work.”
Posted in Albums, Artists, Interview, New Releases	| Tagged new release, news, Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor	| Leave a reply
In a recent interview with Spin, Dinosaur Jr frontman Joseph “J” Mascis Jr revealed that he came close to becoming a member of legendary alternative rock group Nirvana, not just once but twice! Mascis said that the first offer came when Kurt Cobain spoke to him after a show at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey, back in 1989.
“Nirvana was playing Maxwell’s and after the show I was talking to Kurt and [Sonic Youth’s] Thurston Moore,” Mascis recounts. “Kurt said, ‘You should join my band.’ I think he was sick of the guy Jason [Everman] who was in the band at the time, and thought I should play guitar. I didn’t think much about it.”
The second invitation from Kurt came when they needed a drummer for an upcoming single (Sliver, which was released in 1990). Mascis added, “Later, there was also talk of playing drums on a single they were doing, but it ended up being [Mudhoney drummer] Dan Peters.”
It was Dale Crover who eventually filled the spot and performed with the band for a number of tour dates before Dave Grohl eventually became the band’s permanent drummer.
It wasn’t just Nirvana that once tried to recruit Mascis. Doug Martsh of Built to Spill also asked Mascis to join him and his group as a drummer for their 1997 record Perfect From Now. Martsch said of Mascis, “He was willing to do it, but then I kinda decided it wouldn’t be a good idea.”
NBC has recently announced that it has decided to air an additional third episode to the premiere week of its singing reality competition, The Voice. That means that it will be sharing the same time slot with Fox network’s X-Factor, created by Simon Cowell, as it also makes ist premiere on primetime Wednesday, September 12 (both shows air at 8/7c).
“I think it’s mean spirited,” said Cowell about the rival network’s decision, “And I hope and I pray that it backfires on them because this is one of the best shows we’ve ever made and I am pissed off about it.”
He also believes that NBC’s move was personal rather than just a simple viewership and ratings strategy; especially after his other show Britain’s Got Talent crushed The Voice in terms of ratings when the two went head-to-head in the U.K.
It’s “a cynical, cold-hearted, unprofessional way of doing business,” he said, that will force fans to pick between the two shows – and possibly reignite a rivalry between Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. “Britney’s not going to appreciate the fact that Christina – who has been a bit of a rival – isn’t allowing Britney to have a night of her own.”
He went on further to saying that, “The reason they’ve done this is they don’t want people to see X Factor because they’ve heard how good the series is. They don’t want their audience to see Britney Spears. They don’t want their audience to see Demi Lovato.”
Pete Townshend of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame English band The Who is set to release his autobiography Who I Am that covers all the craziness and destructive habits surrounding the band from sex to recreational drugs, to Mods to smashing instruments to obliterating hotel rooms, and his bandmates Roger Daltry, John Entwistle and Keith Moon.
Townshend has been writing his memoir since the mid ‘90s and after a number of delays, the long-awaited book will finally hit the shelves in October 8 in the US, October 9 in Australia and October 11 in the UK.
He has previewed selections from his autobiography before when he started a blog in 2007 but has shut the site down that redirects to The Who’s official site up to present.
He explained on starting the blog, ‘The backbone is complete, all the research is in place. And yet, because my creative and professional life is still so active, I feel I will never catch up with the present unless I retire simply to write. To retire, simply to write, when I am already a writer, presents a contradiction. So rather than endlessly write, I am going to publish.’
Townshend says in a press conference about the release, ‘I am lucky to be alive and to have such a crazy story to tell, full of wild adventures and creative machinations. I am happy that I am able to write my book myself, in my own ′voice′ that many readers will be hearing for the first time. I am not my favorite subject, that will always be art and music, but whenever I write about my life and work I learn something.’