I got a chance to see Avatar this week! The good news- It was an amazing film! The Bad news-I went to see it at a Imax theater. not thinking about the poor vision I have in one eye, I totally missed out on the 3D special effects. I was one sad little man! :( Time to get those glasses!
Does 'Avatar' Contain Hidden Messages?
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Who's packing your parachute? -Charles Plumb story
It's that time of year again. It's the season of goodwill. It's the time of year that we give thanks for everything in our lives that we are truly thankful for - I thought I'd say thanks to you by sharing this inspirational story with you. It's entitled....
**Who's packing your parachute?**
Charles Plumb, a US Naval Academy graduate, was a jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile.
Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.
One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"
"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.
"I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude.
The man grabbed his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."
Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb kept wondering what the man might have looked like in a Navy uniform. He wondered how many times he might have seen him and not even said good morning, how are you or anything, because you see, he was a fighter pilot and the man was just a sailor.
Plumb thought of the many hours that sailor had spent in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he did not know.
Now Plumb asks his audience,
"Who is packing your parachute?"
Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down. As you go through your week, month, and even New Year, recognize the people who have packed your parachute and enabled you to get where you are today!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your families!
**Who's packing your parachute?**
Charles Plumb, a US Naval Academy graduate, was a jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile.
Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.
One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"
"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.
"I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude.
The man grabbed his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."
Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb kept wondering what the man might have looked like in a Navy uniform. He wondered how many times he might have seen him and not even said good morning, how are you or anything, because you see, he was a fighter pilot and the man was just a sailor.
Plumb thought of the many hours that sailor had spent in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he did not know.
Now Plumb asks his audience,
"Who is packing your parachute?"
Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down. As you go through your week, month, and even New Year, recognize the people who have packed your parachute and enabled you to get where you are today!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your families!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Prescient Purchase
The Prescient Purchase
When Herve Fabre arrived in Mendoza in the late 1980s, he couldn't make sense of it. Money was beginning to stream into Argentina, most all of which ticketed for new vineyard plantings. Why were they planting new when they could buy old?
It didn't take Fabre much time to scout out what he wanted and by 1990, he had already secured several dozen hectares of old -- sometimes ancient -- vineyards. As Mendoza grew, the suburbs spread well out of town. Many of the old vines were ripped out to make room for more lucrative land use. As other wineries popped up, focusing on new plantings, Fabre waited, wondering when the world would catch up to the marvel of ancient vine Malbec. The world caught up faster than he could have ever imagined.
This is a monumentally concentrated, 100 year old vine Malbec drawn off the choicest of Fabre Montmayou's Lujan de Cujo holdings in the center cut of Mendoza. Massively concentrated, powerful, but silken, this is even richer and denser than the 92pt 2007 -- a wine that really needs 2 hours in a large carafe before serving. This powerhouse is modern in style (the influence of Michel Rolland and Paul Hobbs are in play), but in the end, it's all about those ancient vines and the prescient purchase.
What makes this Malbec so unique? There are hundreds of Malbec wines pouring into the US. Most are 'negociant' wines -- wines made from purchased fruit and juice, packaged with fancy labels and trotted out like they're the real deal. They're not. In those wines, the aromas are simple and primary, often breaking down after a couple hours of air. Here, it's the contrary. The Gran Reserva is deep, deep purple, but it's a touch closed when opened. You know there's incredible concentration from the color and the texture, but like many Right Bank Bordeaux, at the onset it's slightly shut down. That's ok, give it some time. Slowly the new wood melts into all that lushness and the wine starts to come together. We spent 48 hours with a bottle that we left OPEN on the kitchen table overnight, and it was just coming into its own at dinner on night 3. This is what Argentine Malbec is all about -- if you can find it!
One more thing. Herve's prices, at least for now, remain sensible (way under market value). The Bordeaux emigre has seen up markets and down. Even though the Gran Reserva sells out on release, he wants 'to keep it that way.' Just $17.99/bottle (on cases) for one of the top 2008 Malbec powerhouses. Shipping included on 6.
Tasting Notes from the WineAccess Travel Log
2008 Fabre Montmayou Malbec Gran Reserva Mendoza
"Deep purple/black in color. Deep powerful aromas, but closed at first, laced with fairly heavy toast new wood. Hugely concentrated, packed with dark purple/blue fruit, silken in texture, compact. Fine, firm finish. Day 2: Beginning to show off its huge, sweet fruit core, still silken, more refined on the palate, wonderful long finish. Day 3: Fully open and opulent, lush and sweet, the wood completely integrated into the wine. Lots and lots of muscle. Pair it with a grilled New York Strip and just forget about it. Drink now after two hours in a carafe or age for up to a decade in a cool cellar."
When Herve Fabre arrived in Mendoza in the late 1980s, he couldn't make sense of it. Money was beginning to stream into Argentina, most all of which ticketed for new vineyard plantings. Why were they planting new when they could buy old?
It didn't take Fabre much time to scout out what he wanted and by 1990, he had already secured several dozen hectares of old -- sometimes ancient -- vineyards. As Mendoza grew, the suburbs spread well out of town. Many of the old vines were ripped out to make room for more lucrative land use. As other wineries popped up, focusing on new plantings, Fabre waited, wondering when the world would catch up to the marvel of ancient vine Malbec. The world caught up faster than he could have ever imagined.
This is a monumentally concentrated, 100 year old vine Malbec drawn off the choicest of Fabre Montmayou's Lujan de Cujo holdings in the center cut of Mendoza. Massively concentrated, powerful, but silken, this is even richer and denser than the 92pt 2007 -- a wine that really needs 2 hours in a large carafe before serving. This powerhouse is modern in style (the influence of Michel Rolland and Paul Hobbs are in play), but in the end, it's all about those ancient vines and the prescient purchase.
What makes this Malbec so unique? There are hundreds of Malbec wines pouring into the US. Most are 'negociant' wines -- wines made from purchased fruit and juice, packaged with fancy labels and trotted out like they're the real deal. They're not. In those wines, the aromas are simple and primary, often breaking down after a couple hours of air. Here, it's the contrary. The Gran Reserva is deep, deep purple, but it's a touch closed when opened. You know there's incredible concentration from the color and the texture, but like many Right Bank Bordeaux, at the onset it's slightly shut down. That's ok, give it some time. Slowly the new wood melts into all that lushness and the wine starts to come together. We spent 48 hours with a bottle that we left OPEN on the kitchen table overnight, and it was just coming into its own at dinner on night 3. This is what Argentine Malbec is all about -- if you can find it!
One more thing. Herve's prices, at least for now, remain sensible (way under market value). The Bordeaux emigre has seen up markets and down. Even though the Gran Reserva sells out on release, he wants 'to keep it that way.' Just $17.99/bottle (on cases) for one of the top 2008 Malbec powerhouses. Shipping included on 6.
Tasting Notes from the WineAccess Travel Log
2008 Fabre Montmayou Malbec Gran Reserva Mendoza
"Deep purple/black in color. Deep powerful aromas, but closed at first, laced with fairly heavy toast new wood. Hugely concentrated, packed with dark purple/blue fruit, silken in texture, compact. Fine, firm finish. Day 2: Beginning to show off its huge, sweet fruit core, still silken, more refined on the palate, wonderful long finish. Day 3: Fully open and opulent, lush and sweet, the wood completely integrated into the wine. Lots and lots of muscle. Pair it with a grilled New York Strip and just forget about it. Drink now after two hours in a carafe or age for up to a decade in a cool cellar."
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
John Q. on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads
listening to my boy dave on guitars from John Q!
John Q. on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads
John Q. on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Wine Library TV: Gary Vaynerchuk's daily wine video blog
My hero, Gary Vaynerchuk tries 2 Bordeaux wines from the 2005 vintage in this final head to head blind tasting.
Wine Library TV: Gary Vaynerchuk's daily wine video blog
Wine Library TV: Gary Vaynerchuk's daily wine video blog
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