Saturated, dense black ruby-purple. Decadent nose of overripe blackberries, vegetal cigar leaf, graphite, and oak. Soft, mouthfilling flavors of deep, dark fruit and wood. Loads of tannin, but it's extra soft and ripe. Not a complex, elegant damsel, but more like a cross between Elvira, Anna Nicole Smith, and Tyra Banks. 90. $19 at Spec's on Smith. Drink over the next year or two.
2005 Tait "The Ball Buster" (82% Shiraz, 9% Cabernet, 9% Merlot) (Barossa Valley, Australia)
If the winery was looking for a risque name that fit this voluptuous, rich, silky wine, I could have thought of something much more fitting. (I won't say what because this is a family blog!).
Saturated, dense black ruby-purple. Decadent nose of overripe blackberries, vegetal cigar leaf, graphite, and oak. Soft, mouthfilling flavors of deep, dark fruit and wood. Loads of tannin, but it's extra soft and ripe. Not a complex, elegant damsel, but more like a cross between Elvira, Anna Nicole Smith, and Tyra Banks. 90. $19 at Spec's on Smith. Drink over the next year or two.
Saturated, dense black ruby-purple. Decadent nose of overripe blackberries, vegetal cigar leaf, graphite, and oak. Soft, mouthfilling flavors of deep, dark fruit and wood. Loads of tannin, but it's extra soft and ripe. Not a complex, elegant damsel, but more like a cross between Elvira, Anna Nicole Smith, and Tyra Banks. 90. $19 at Spec's on Smith. Drink over the next year or two.
2004 "2 Up" SHIRAZ (South Australia)
Not bad, but a tad over-acidified, perhaps? Deep black brickish ruby. Minerally nose -- lots of crushed rocks and scorched earth -- with graphite and cassis (kind of like a stereo with lots of bass and treble but no mid-range). Austere but fairly intense flavors of minerals, dry cassis, and lemony acidity. Would be nice with pasta or meats in tomato-y sauces, but otherwise the acidity would stand out too much. 85. Was about $12 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.
Red State Update: The Candidates' Wives (and Husband)
Jackie Broyles and Dunlap discuss Vilsack's drop-out, the rising price of bumper stickers, and the pros and cons of the candidates' spouses. Plus stick around for a new Jackie '08 commercial.
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vilsack, barack , obama, michelle obama, hillary clinton, bill clinton, john edwards, elizabeth edwards, mitt romney , giuliani, mormon
Red State Update: Paparazzi, Vaginas, Etc.
Jackie and Dunlap on the paparazzi and the vaginas. Originally shot for The Fizz, back in the good ol' days when Britney Spears was only showing off one shaved part of her body. The Fizz airs on The 101 on DirecTV.
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paparazzi, vagina, photographs, pictures, britney spears, red state update
Red State Update: Lowering the Drinking Age
Red State Update on "Choose Responsibility", the new movement to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18.
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lower , drinking age, choose responsibility, beer, liquor, red state update, eighteen, twenty-one, drunk
Red State Update: Global Warming
Jackie and Dunlap discuss global warming. Originally filmed for The Fizz, airing on The 101, only on DirecTV.
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global warming, climate change, bush , science, weather, red state update
Red State Update: American Idol
Jackie and Dunlap discuss American Idol and partying with Paula Abdul. Originally shot for The Fizz, airing on The 101, only on DirecTV.
QuickTime iTunes
american idol, paula abdul, emilio estevez, drunk , drugs, red state update
QuickTime iTunes
american idol, paula abdul, emilio estevez, drunk , drugs, red state update
Notes from "America Alone"
This is one that needs to be on your reading list...thought I would share some highlights with you:
“AMERICA ALONE: The End of the World as we Know It.”
By Mark Steyn
This is an excellent review of the demographic problem facing most of the civilized world. This sobering look at the emergence of a steadily procreating, radicalized Muslim majority in places like Russia and most of Europe should give everyone pause. America stands alone according to Steyn because we continue to have a positive replacement birth ratio. Here are the fertility rates in Europe (1.3 is considered the lowest possible rate…no human society has ever recovered from rates at or below that level):
-Greece – 1.3
-Italy – 1.2
-Spain -1.1
-Germany – 1.3
-Ireland – 1.9
-England – 1.6
-Russia – 1.14
The highest in Europe? Albania – 15.08…also a Muslim country.
Some others of note:
-Canada – 1.5
-USA –-2.1 (just above replacement rate)
-New Zealand – 1.9
-Australia – 1.7
Couple this demographic decline with a generous (and unsustainable) public welfare system and you have a dangerous situation. Add to that a zealous and radicalized religion and disaster awaits. Steyn formulates it as follows: Age+Welfare = Disaster for you // Youth + Will = Disaster for whoever gets in your way.
Steyn lays Europe’s decline on two factors. The first is the post World War II defense structure set up by the United States. In the face of the Cold War, we forward deployed forces to Europe to guarantee the safety of our “allies.” As a result, Europe never had to “grow up” and defend themselves. Spending a ridiculously low portion of their GDP on defense freed them up to create massive social welfare programs. This created the second factor in Steyn’s analysis- the European states took over all the responsibilities of adulthood from their citizens. It “effectively severed its citizens from humanity’s primal instincts, not least the survival instinct.”
Add to this mix, the corrosive effect of “multiculturalism” and you have a society that views itself as the same as any other, not worthy of continuation. Take away all responsibility and all hope and you have a culture on a terminal glide path. In Steyn’s analysis, Russia is a “dead man walking.” Most of Europe isn’t doing any better and the situation is worsening as they deal with the basic labor needs of a dying society by importing Muslim labor from disadvantaged countires in the Middle East and Africa. “Islam is now the principal supplier of new Europeans, and currently the second biggest supplier of new Canadians.”
Steyn feels one of America’s strengths is our enduring sense of self sufficiency. Despite a steady growth in the Federal Government, we have not lost our sense of independence: “…on September 11, 2001, when big government flopped big-time and the only good news of the day came from the ad hoc citizen militia of Flight 93.” I would add that this sense of self worth and importance is a product of our Judeo-Christian heritage…our view that we are all children of God and worthy of His love.
He excoriates the ignorance of the left in all countries that merely view Islam as an alternate culture and lump Evangelical Christianity in with the Islamonazis (my term not Steyn’s). “It’s the feminists and the gays who will have the tougher time. If say, three of the five judges on the Massachusetts Supreme Court are Muslim, what are the chances of them approving “gay marriage…”
Steyn sites Bosnia as the pre-cursor for Europe. In thirty years, Bosnian Serbs declined from 43 to 31 percent of the population while Bosnian Muslims went from 26 to 44. “In a democratic age, you can’t buck demography – except through civil war. The Serbs figured that out- as other Continentals will in the years ahead: if you can’t outbreed them, cull ‘em. The problem Europe faces is that Bosnia’s demographic profile is now the model for the entire continent.”
One of our problems we have in dealing with the Islamonazis is our inability to call the criminals by name for fear of being ethnically “insensitive.” This is a worse crime, in the liberal dictionary, than being killed. Organizations like CAIR craftily use our own freedom of speech against us and argue that Muslim calls for destruction of the infidel are just “alternate viewpoints.” Steyn argues that it is time we start calling this what it is: true hate speech and something that should be monitored and acted upon just like the person yelling “fire” in the crowded auditorium.
The book becomes somewhat repetitive towards the end, but it is a fine (and chilling) read overall. I would put it on a short list of “must read” books for people who truly want to appreciate the depth of the problems we face. It also sheds a frightening light on Europe and helps explain their lack of participation in our “war on terror.” The enemy is already well ensconced in their societies and has metastasized like a cancer.
“AMERICA ALONE: The End of the World as we Know It.”
By Mark Steyn
This is an excellent review of the demographic problem facing most of the civilized world. This sobering look at the emergence of a steadily procreating, radicalized Muslim majority in places like Russia and most of Europe should give everyone pause. America stands alone according to Steyn because we continue to have a positive replacement birth ratio. Here are the fertility rates in Europe (1.3 is considered the lowest possible rate…no human society has ever recovered from rates at or below that level):
-Greece – 1.3
-Italy – 1.2
-Spain -1.1
-Germany – 1.3
-Ireland – 1.9
-England – 1.6
-Russia – 1.14
The highest in Europe? Albania – 15.08…also a Muslim country.
Some others of note:
-Canada – 1.5
-USA –-2.1 (just above replacement rate)
-New Zealand – 1.9
-Australia – 1.7
Couple this demographic decline with a generous (and unsustainable) public welfare system and you have a dangerous situation. Add to that a zealous and radicalized religion and disaster awaits. Steyn formulates it as follows: Age+Welfare = Disaster for you // Youth + Will = Disaster for whoever gets in your way.
Steyn lays Europe’s decline on two factors. The first is the post World War II defense structure set up by the United States. In the face of the Cold War, we forward deployed forces to Europe to guarantee the safety of our “allies.” As a result, Europe never had to “grow up” and defend themselves. Spending a ridiculously low portion of their GDP on defense freed them up to create massive social welfare programs. This created the second factor in Steyn’s analysis- the European states took over all the responsibilities of adulthood from their citizens. It “effectively severed its citizens from humanity’s primal instincts, not least the survival instinct.”
Add to this mix, the corrosive effect of “multiculturalism” and you have a society that views itself as the same as any other, not worthy of continuation. Take away all responsibility and all hope and you have a culture on a terminal glide path. In Steyn’s analysis, Russia is a “dead man walking.” Most of Europe isn’t doing any better and the situation is worsening as they deal with the basic labor needs of a dying society by importing Muslim labor from disadvantaged countires in the Middle East and Africa. “Islam is now the principal supplier of new Europeans, and currently the second biggest supplier of new Canadians.”
Steyn feels one of America’s strengths is our enduring sense of self sufficiency. Despite a steady growth in the Federal Government, we have not lost our sense of independence: “…on September 11, 2001, when big government flopped big-time and the only good news of the day came from the ad hoc citizen militia of Flight 93.” I would add that this sense of self worth and importance is a product of our Judeo-Christian heritage…our view that we are all children of God and worthy of His love.
He excoriates the ignorance of the left in all countries that merely view Islam as an alternate culture and lump Evangelical Christianity in with the Islamonazis (my term not Steyn’s). “It’s the feminists and the gays who will have the tougher time. If say, three of the five judges on the Massachusetts Supreme Court are Muslim, what are the chances of them approving “gay marriage…”
Steyn sites Bosnia as the pre-cursor for Europe. In thirty years, Bosnian Serbs declined from 43 to 31 percent of the population while Bosnian Muslims went from 26 to 44. “In a democratic age, you can’t buck demography – except through civil war. The Serbs figured that out- as other Continentals will in the years ahead: if you can’t outbreed them, cull ‘em. The problem Europe faces is that Bosnia’s demographic profile is now the model for the entire continent.”
One of our problems we have in dealing with the Islamonazis is our inability to call the criminals by name for fear of being ethnically “insensitive.” This is a worse crime, in the liberal dictionary, than being killed. Organizations like CAIR craftily use our own freedom of speech against us and argue that Muslim calls for destruction of the infidel are just “alternate viewpoints.” Steyn argues that it is time we start calling this what it is: true hate speech and something that should be monitored and acted upon just like the person yelling “fire” in the crowded auditorium.
The book becomes somewhat repetitive towards the end, but it is a fine (and chilling) read overall. I would put it on a short list of “must read” books for people who truly want to appreciate the depth of the problems we face. It also sheds a frightening light on Europe and helps explain their lack of participation in our “war on terror.” The enemy is already well ensconced in their societies and has metastasized like a cancer.
Pottymouth in White House in 08?
We all know about Bill Clinton's famous temper.
Hillary might have him topped. Her stone cold image is eloquently illustrated with her verbal tirades. [Hat Tip: Say Anything] If a conservative said a few of the things Hillary has uttered, they would have been stoned to death by the bias media. I can only imagine what she must have said when she found out that Obama got all that Hollywood money. But according to the collection of quotes assembed on SayAnything: She might have said the following to Terry McAuliffe: "Those M*ther f*ing backstabbing J#ws. You don't doublecross Hillary and live to talk about it."
Hey, Hillary this might help.Conservative Kids need a better role model in the White House in '08.
We need Fred Thompson.
Tiki and the Articulation of Jim Crow Laws
In my January 12th post, I stated that Tiki Barber was a role model for conservative kids. I also reported wrongly that Tiki had inked a deal with ESPN / Good Morning America. Seems he just signed a deal with the TODAY show and NBC Football.Anyway, I was reading my earlier post and I noticed that I called Tiki articulate. At the time of the post, I did not know that it was an insult to call an articulate black person articulate. So, Tiki, please accept my apologies.
Apparently, the issue with using the term articulate when referring to an African American person is that this term, by rule*, can only be used in comparison to other blacks and not to the general population. I guess I missed that chapter in the writer's guide, Strunk and White's Elements of Style.
So when someone like Bush or Biden says that Obama is articulate they are not saying he is articulate compared to other presidential candidates, but by rule, that he is articulate compared to most blacks that they happened to see or hear from their ivory towers. (By the way, Biden is an idiot and Bush is not the most articulate president we have ever had.)
At the risk of being called a racist, I am going to again call Tiki Barber articulate.
At the risk of breaking the only Jim Crow law still on the books, I am going to state for the record, that Tiki is articulate in comparison to all people because in general very few people are articulate. In fact I am going to state that Tiki is a stronger communicator than the white, anti-American and immature Katie Couric. An anchorwomen who is only comfortable interviewing Grover or Elmo.
But to appease the blacks who think that the term articulate can only be used in comparison to others in the same race and not broadly. I am going to state that Tiki is articulate compared to Michael Irvin. Micheal Irvin brings a lot of nothing to a football broadcast. He just spews incoherent, incomprehensible, baffling, undecipherable, unintelligible noise. And I can say that the ex-gun toting drug addict is no role model for conservative kids.
Tiki, I hope that your articulate (damn I said it again, sorry) conservative style will keep left leaning Lauer (nice job Albany Media Bias Blog) honest. I will switch from Fox and Friends to the TODAY show if you do.
The Tiki Barber Fathead poster hanging on my son's wall is a constant reminder of a positive role model for my kid. I hope he grows up to be as articulate, positive and successful as Tiki.
* Rule developed by some hypersensitive black people artciulated beautifully here.
You Can't Teach Self-Reliance to a Lazy Learner
As a conservative dad, I believe very strongly in self-reliance. I demand it. I believe that the world is a cruel place and that you need to be prepared for it.
As a result, I wrongly diagnosed my son as a lazy liberal even after a pediatrician concluded that my son at a young age had ADD (without testing). I always thought that ADD was over diagnosed - still do. We resisted medicating our son and went with teaching and consequences.
Despite our best efforts, my son continued to struggle. Another expert thought ear infections, which led to speech delay, was the main problem. Tubes fixed the problem. Educational experts concluded after IQ type testing that my son would catch up and it should not be concerning.
Third grade discipline problems surfaced again. The experts said, "Oh that's just the boy in him no worries".
My son stumbled through school, but was moving ahead until he hit a wall in 7th grade. The educational experts said, "Oh he is just a teen he will be fine". I was not convinced, so I finally pushed for tests.
He was diagnosed with ADD at the end of the school year and was taking some strong medication. (He had been on and off of meds for 2 years) In eighth grade, we were on his teachers like white on rice to adhere to our son’s special needs. All of the sudden, mid year his grades were great. But I had my suspicions that something was not quite right because he was still not applying himself. He graduated middle school. We were hopeful even though we remained skeptical. In HS (9th), my son failed 4 of 7 classes the first semester and 5 of 7 with 2 D(s) the next semester. What I realized too late was his teachers in middle school gave him a free pass. These teachers did not want to be bothered by a kid with special needs and two persistent parents. . He was not prepared for the rigors of HS.
So my advice to all who will listen, if your kid is misbehaving and underperforming and basic parenting discipline and teaching are not working - make sure you get the right diagnosis as quickly as possible. And know the laws so you can get the maximum support available to help you help your kid.
Musings of a Distractible Mind has some good thoughts on this.2004 Marquis Phillips SHIRAZ (Southeast Australia)
Another excellent value from this consistent producer of FLAVORFUL wines.
Deep, dark ruby garnet color. Decadent, intensely oaky and fruity nose: sweet blackberries, smoky oak, minerals, overripe lemons. Rich, deep, salty and jammy flavors of dry blackberry preserves and graphite. Very powerful and full-bodied. A real mouthful. With a tad more complexity this would have been amazing, but it's excellent as is. 89. Drink by end of 2007. (Interestingly, I'm not sure that I liked this any better than its cheaper sibling, ROOGLE RED, reviewed previously here.) $14 at Spec's.2003 Thierry et Pascale Matrot MEURSAULT "Les Chevalières" (White Burgundy, France)
This wasn't bad for a relatively cheap ($18) Meursault, but it reinforces my theory that there simply aren't ANY good values in Burgundy's Côte d'Or region.
Elegant but somewhat low-key nose of honey and pear, with some stony earthiness underneath. Nice, simple flavors of smoky minerals and pear skin. Decent but somewhat short finish. Not a particularly distinguished white burgundy ("Les Chevalières" is not a premier cru vineyard), but I don't get to taste Meursaults that often, so it was worth the flyer to try it. 86. Got it at flickingerwines.com.
Elegant but somewhat low-key nose of honey and pear, with some stony earthiness underneath. Nice, simple flavors of smoky minerals and pear skin. Decent but somewhat short finish. Not a particularly distinguished white burgundy ("Les Chevalières" is not a premier cru vineyard), but I don't get to taste Meursaults that often, so it was worth the flyer to try it. 86. Got it at flickingerwines.com.
2004 "Vivir, Vivir" (Ribera del Duero, Spain)
Eh. Saturated black ruby color, with hints of magenta seems promising, but the nose and taste fail to deliver. Nose closed, with a few parts per million of high-toned cherry/raspberry fruit and vaguely minerally scents. Tight, somewhat high acid flavors of cherry, scorched earth, and minerals. Substantial, somewhat coarse tannins and a bitterish finish. A couple of years in the bottle may soften up the texture a bit, but I can't guarantee that. 80. Was $8.13 at Spec's on Smith.
Civil War Part II
Red State Update presents Civil War Part II, the new music video from Jackie Broyles and Dunlap. Both yankees and normal people can bop along to this toe-tapper!
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red state update, civil war, part II, cowboy troy, thriller, republican, democrat, blue state, liberal, conservative
QuickTime iPod
red state update, civil war, part II, cowboy troy, thriller, republican, democrat, blue state, liberal, conservative
Congressman Johnson (R-TX) Floor Speech (02.16.07)
A grim reminder to the left of what Vietnam wrought. They yearn for the return of the protests in the street, the steady erosion of the will encouraged by the press. This is war, and it is a war we dare not lose...sadly, the left cannot afford to have us win. It will cost them their precious power.
Shame, shame, shame.
A Trip to Bond with Dad
Every year I take each of my kids on a separate trip alone with dad. My nine year old and I share the passion of baseball, so we go to spring training each year. We go to about 4 games each trip. We get to each game about 2 hours early to watch batting practice and get foul balls. I really enjoy watching my son manuever to gather autographs. This annual trip is special because we visit my dad, who also has the love of baseball in his DNA.
Last year, I took my daughter to the red carpet premier of the DVD release of Cinderella in NYC. This included a Cinderella Ball after the Disney premier. My daughter dressed up in a Cinderella gown. I think that she really felt like a Cinderella princess because many New Yorkers stopped to ask her if she was the real Cinderella. I will never forget that day as long as I live.
I older son loves to fish, so our last trip was a fishing trip. (I hate fishing.) We decided to go to beautiful Seattle to fish Silver Salmon on the Sound. We got a private boat and a captain. After 4 hours, we had 5 fish and lots of laughs. I was thankful that my son got the biggest fish. He was so proud about that that he bought a T-shirt to tell the world that his fish is bigger than his dad's fish. He needs wins.
This weekend my older son and I are in Chicago. His other love is cars. So we are at the 2007 Autoshow. I like cars more than to fish so I am happy. We listened to Michael Savage on the way up. He got his first dose of conservative politics. I was surprised how attentive my son was and that he did not want to change the channel for some rap music. He even commented that Michael Savage should run for President to protect this nation.
My wife is a stay at home wife and gets a lot of individual time with the kids. These trips allow me to bond each kid. I highly recommend it.
Last year, I took my daughter to the red carpet premier of the DVD release of Cinderella in NYC. This included a Cinderella Ball after the Disney premier. My daughter dressed up in a Cinderella gown. I think that she really felt like a Cinderella princess because many New Yorkers stopped to ask her if she was the real Cinderella. I will never forget that day as long as I live.
I older son loves to fish, so our last trip was a fishing trip. (I hate fishing.) We decided to go to beautiful Seattle to fish Silver Salmon on the Sound. We got a private boat and a captain. After 4 hours, we had 5 fish and lots of laughs. I was thankful that my son got the biggest fish. He was so proud about that that he bought a T-shirt to tell the world that his fish is bigger than his dad's fish. He needs wins.
This weekend my older son and I are in Chicago. His other love is cars. So we are at the 2007 Autoshow. I like cars more than to fish so I am happy. We listened to Michael Savage on the way up. He got his first dose of conservative politics. I was surprised how attentive my son was and that he did not want to change the channel for some rap music. He even commented that Michael Savage should run for President to protect this nation.My wife is a stay at home wife and gets a lot of individual time with the kids. These trips allow me to bond each kid. I highly recommend it.
Electricity, Ice, Life, and Fear
An ice storm knocked out our electricity and cable (phone, internet and TV). I am in constant awe of nature. Perhaps more impressive is the power of electricity. Electricity has the power to keep families separated with distractions. On this cold, icy, stormy night, my wife, my three kids and I played the game of Life without distractions. I enjoyed this time tremendously.
As I reflect on the game. I realized that this board game quite accurately illustrated our real lives. My nine-year-old son won. Life comes so easy for him. My six-year-old daughter insisted on doing everything herself as she laughed her way through a very successful life. My older son, who struggles with real life as he battles ADD, struggled in this board game as well. His first spin was a 1. His second spin was a 1. His third spin was a 1. He started off slow and as a result struggled to catch up. He ended up with the least amount of money and then blamed his misfortune on everyone else. My older son did not speak a word until he was about three. He has been catching up in real life and blaming others for his misfortunes ever since.
Truth be told. My older son is the reason I started this Blog. I could not reconcile the vast differences in my kids. I also struggled to understand my son’s issues. He looks like a normal kid on the outside. I can only image the pain he has on the inside. I struggle to understand him because I am so different from him.
We are like night and day. I was a hardworking kid. I made money from the time I was 10 years old. I had so much money at age 12 that my dad and mom borrowed money from me when they needed help with a down payment on a new home. I brought that work ethic to school as a result I did better at school than I really should have.
Fear was my motivating factor. I never wanted to disappoint anyone including myself. I also feared looking stupid. This particular fear did not dissipate as I achieved more and more, in fact, the better I did in school the more fearful I became. Which makes sense because the expectations by me and others always seemed higher. This fear drove me to succeed from my days in elementary school until I graduated with my a Ivy League Masters Degree.
I remember the first fearful day of engineering college. It started with a speech from the dean. He said look to your right and look to your left, those people will not graduate with an engineering degree. There were 628 students in that auditorium non more fearful than me. True to the dean's word, about 210 graduated. I worked my ass off and graduated 26th in the College of Engineering and 5th in Mechanical Engineering. But it came with a price. I sacrificed fun and friends to succeed in college. As a result I made no good lasting fun friendships. But fear is no fun so I didn't really have a choice.
So you can understand why I struggle to understand my son's lack of motivation in school, in forging and maintaining friendships and in the real game of life.
In my quest to help my son, I met a man who is now a successful computer programmer. This man suffered or I should say suffers from ADD. Through telling me about his life experiences, he has opened my eyes that this is a real learning disability that requires real and unique strategies. I am in the camp that ADD and ADHD is over diagnosed. But I am now firmly in the camp that ADD and ADHD are real and they can be debilitating.
Fear may be my son's motivating factor too, except he is not motivated by it in a positive way. He is fearful that he will fail, so he does not try at all. Like I said, we are so different.
Now that I have finally announced this, I will share more on this subject in the future
2004 Cline "Ancient Vines" MOURVÈDRE (Contra Costa County, Cal.)
This wine is pretty consistently an excellent value. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, I think that Cline used to call this wine the "Oakley Cuvée." Sometime in the 1990s, they started calling it by its current name. I still remember the 1990 Oakley Cuvée, which I bought at a wine shop for about $8 while visiting San Francisco in November 1993. In the last several years, I've had the 2000 (excellent), the 2001 (very good), the 2002 (eh), and the 2003 (chunky but simple). The 2004 is back to excellent!
Dark black ruby. Rich nose of blackberry/blueberry juice, high-toned fragrant wood smoke, and steely minerals. A broad, voluptuous mouthfeel with deep flavors of salty, mulled red fruit, peaty earth, and sandstone. Long finish. Balanced, deep, and lots of fun to drink. An excellent value at $12.71 at Spec's on Smith. 89.
Dark black ruby. Rich nose of blackberry/blueberry juice, high-toned fragrant wood smoke, and steely minerals. A broad, voluptuous mouthfeel with deep flavors of salty, mulled red fruit, peaty earth, and sandstone. Long finish. Balanced, deep, and lots of fun to drink. An excellent value at $12.71 at Spec's on Smith. 89.
2004 Marquis Phillips ROOGLE RED (80% Shiraz 20% Cabernet) (South Australia)
Another ridiculous value from Australia, this wine has tons of character for the money.
Dark, saturated black ruby color. In-your-face nose of cassis, blackberry liqueur, fragrant wood smoke, and graphite. Rich, dense, full-bodied flavors: blackberry extract, scorched earth, pencil lead, minerals. Long finish. No tannin left, to speak of. Drink over the next year for maximum intensity fruit. Superb. 90. $10.65 at Spec's on Richmond.
Dark, saturated black ruby color. In-your-face nose of cassis, blackberry liqueur, fragrant wood smoke, and graphite. Rich, dense, full-bodied flavors: blackberry extract, scorched earth, pencil lead, minerals. Long finish. No tannin left, to speak of. Drink over the next year for maximum intensity fruit. Superb. 90. $10.65 at Spec's on Richmond.
Islam Teaching Hate
I blogged tongue in cheek about the Islamic curriculum of hate on Jan 15, 2007. I wanted to share more evidence that Radical Islam is raising a generation of hate mongers. Watch this 12 minute video Obsession Radical Islam's War Against the West.
I am not sure how Murtha or Clinton or Obama or Kennedy or Kerry or Reid can watch this video and not change their stance. I also wonder how they can put their ambition for personal power ahead of the safety of our children.
You are probably wondering what you can do to protect your conservative kids. I think that now more then ever we need a strong president. Newt or Rudy or Fred Daulton Thompson need to win in '08.
I am not sure how Murtha or Clinton or Obama or Kennedy or Kerry or Reid can watch this video and not change their stance. I also wonder how they can put their ambition for personal power ahead of the safety of our children.
You are probably wondering what you can do to protect your conservative kids. I think that now more then ever we need a strong president. Newt or Rudy or Fred Daulton Thompson need to win in '08.
Red State Update: Mormon President? Obama Not Black?
Jackie and Dunlap on Barack Obama's official announcement, Mitt Romney's official announcement, and Napoleon Dynamite.
Plus a new announcement from the Jackie Broyles '08 Exploratory Committee.
barrack, obama, mitt, romney, mormon, richardson, president, 2008, hillary , clinton, red state update
Red State Update: Liberal Oscars 2007
Jackie and Dunlap on the 2007 Liberal Oscars: Brad Pitt's a pussy in Babel, something has snapped in Clint Eastwood's mummy head, and Liberal Hollywood loves movies about the Enemy. But Eddie Murphy in a fat suit? Always funny.
oscars , academy awards, liberal, letters from iwo jima, dreamgirls, babel, eddie murphy, departed, little miss sunshine, the queen
Anna Nicole Smith Martyr for Liberalism
I was listening to talk radio yesterday. The 2 1/2 minute Fox news capsule at the top of the hour led with the death of Anna Nicole Smith live at the autopsy, then went on to other less important national issues.
The 1 1/2 minute local news capsule followed immediately. They usually talk about a local murder, a fire or how much salt is left in the road salt pile, but on this day they led with the same Anna Nicole Smith story. Same facts.
While heroes are dying in Iraq fighting terror on foreign soil so we do not have to fight terror here, our media dwells on the death of a drug addicted cover girl. What does this tell our kids?
But I know why.
Anna Nicole was the poster child (or pin up girl) for liberalism. She did not want to work too hard so she decided to take money from the rich (bilking billionaire J Howard Marshall). When that did not work she looked in the liberal handbook and went to Plan B, the courts. She even went a far as the supreme court to sue for her bounty. Then of course, no liberal story would be complete without portraying a pole dancing, drug addict as a victim. But when a hero dies in Iraq or Afghanistan you hear a number.
The media fuels the fire of Islamic Extremism and Murtha by giving them hope that America is going to quit the fight. Soon American women even the ultra sexy ones like Anna Nicole will be wearing burqas thanks to the media. Maybe then Ted Turner will wake up and rally the troops in defiance of his seditious wife. Or perhaps, Bill Clinton will walk down the hall and knock on his wife's bedroom door in the White House and urge Madam President to do something.
Amy Proctor tells of American success in Iraq not covered in the mainstream press.
The 1 1/2 minute local news capsule followed immediately. They usually talk about a local murder, a fire or how much salt is left in the road salt pile, but on this day they led with the same Anna Nicole Smith story. Same facts.
While heroes are dying in Iraq fighting terror on foreign soil so we do not have to fight terror here, our media dwells on the death of a drug addicted cover girl. What does this tell our kids?
But I know why.Anna Nicole was the poster child (or pin up girl) for liberalism. She did not want to work too hard so she decided to take money from the rich (bilking billionaire J Howard Marshall). When that did not work she looked in the liberal handbook and went to Plan B, the courts. She even went a far as the supreme court to sue for her bounty. Then of course, no liberal story would be complete without portraying a pole dancing, drug addict as a victim. But when a hero dies in Iraq or Afghanistan you hear a number.
Hello America, this is Katie Couric. There was an American Tragedy today. Anna Nicole Smith our liberal soul sister died a martyr for our cause. Followed by a 20 minute lovefest of pictures and interviews. In other news, number 3,115 died today in Iraq.
The media fuels the fire of Islamic Extremism and Murtha by giving them hope that America is going to quit the fight. Soon American women even the ultra sexy ones like Anna Nicole will be wearing burqas thanks to the media. Maybe then Ted Turner will wake up and rally the troops in defiance of his seditious wife. Or perhaps, Bill Clinton will walk down the hall and knock on his wife's bedroom door in the White House and urge Madam President to do something.
Amy Proctor tells of American success in Iraq not covered in the mainstream press.
2004 Sipacha GARNACHA (Calatayud, Spain)
I think this is a made-up name for another bottling from the San Gregorio co-op that operates in this region. I'm sure I've seen that name on another Calatayud-region Garnacha in the past.
Anyway, this is another winner. I love the Grenaches (a/k/a Garnachas) from Calatayud. At their best, they have a spicy, piercing raspberry fruitiness and an intense rock-dusty mineraliness -- and this one is a textbook example. Great balance, persistence, and character for the price. Very food-flexible. 88. Was $9.99 at Central Market. UPDATE (3/09/07): I was right. The other label this co-op uses is Tres Ojos, the 2003 of which I previously reviewed here.
Red State Update: Who's Running For President Now?
Jackie and Dunlap have a conversation with Hillary, discuss Obama's middle name, and handicap Brownback and Kucinich. Learn what qualifies Joe Biden as an expert in articulateness. And stick around 'til the end for a special announcement from the Jackie Broyles '08 Exploratory Committee!
iPod QuickTime
obama, clinton, biden, kucinich, brownback, 2008, red state update, hillary, barack, hussein, penguin, enzyte, elections, articulate
iPod QuickTime
obama, clinton, biden, kucinich, brownback, 2008, red state update, hillary, barack, hussein, penguin, enzyte, elections, articulate
Red State Update: What's In Jackie's Fridge/ Spic and Span
It's time to clean out Jackie's disgusting, festering refrigerator. And you know what else it's time for? A song!
iPod QuickTime
red state update
rotten
spic and span
gross
disgusting
food
iPod QuickTime
red state update
rotten
spic and span
gross
disgusting
food
Pelosi Wants An Umpa Lumpa Right Now
I can't believe that the person 3rd in line for the Presidency is whining and crying like a spoiled brat. Nancy, please try to set a better example for America's kids.Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House from the same party that gave us the multi-mansion owning, private jet flying, global warming alarmist, Al Gore, wants an Air Force Plane to fly around in. And not the little plane that former Speaker Dennis Hassert had, she wants a big one. And if she does not get her way, he is going call Mr. Bush a big fat sexist.
After 9/11, a person of this stature needs the protection of a private plane, but she does not need a jumbo jet.
Nancy, I guess you did not learn the lesson that Willie Wonka was trying to make. Bad kids get kicked off the chocolate factory tour for misbehaving. Good pure conservative kids get the prize. I always remind my conservative kids that good things happen to good kids.
Red State Update's MyState of the Union
Red State Update was one of four finalists chosen in
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MyState of the Union Contest
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MySpace's MyState of the Union contest.
MyState of the Union Contest
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In The Studio with Rick Rubin and Ray Stevens
iPod QuickTime
It ain't a Red State Update, but it does got Ray Stevens in it. I'm glad he's back in the studio!
-Dunlap
Rick Rubin
Ray Stevens
Johnny Cash
Metallica
Grammy
Columbia
Conservative Kids Like Green Snow
A major snow storm blanketed my city today. I left work at 3:15 to start my 25 mile commute home. After Three treacherous hours, I arrived at home. I decided to work off some of the frustration and tension of the long drive by shoveling the driveway. I asked my 9 year old son if he wanted to make a few bucks. He jumped at the chance.While we were working, I asked him a simple question, "What color is the snow today". He turned and gave me a strange look and said, "It's white, today and it's always white."
I said, "Not true, when I was a kid, snow was green."
He said, "Green?, no way dad"
I said, "Well every time it snowed, I would go out and shovel driveways and make money, green money."
"How much?"
I told him that when I had a shovel I used to make about $50 every snow. But when I got a snowblower, I used to make $200 per snow.
"Can we could get a snow blower?"
I told him that I bought the snowblower with the money I made mowing lawns.
"Cool, I am going to buy a snowblower next winter. (He and his 11 year old buddy were recently contracted to cut a neighbors lawn this spring and summer.)
After we finished our driveway, my son teamed up with his neighbor buddy and shoveled three more driveways. They each made $40.
When I put him to bed I asked him if it felt great to earn that much money. He grinned from ear to ear and said, "Dad, I sure hope it snows again tomorrow."
Conservative Kids Need Balls to be Great Today.
Yesterday morning, I was in a warehouse breathing in the exhaust from a kerosene heater. I was in that warehouse turned indoor baseball training facility to watch my nine year old son's private hitting lesson.
When I was young, I played baseball all the time. When I was not playing baseball, I was playing whiffle ball. When I was not playing whiffle ball, I was playing stickball. In the winter, my best friend Joe and I would play ruler ball, an indoor baseball game played with a rolled up piece of tinfoil and a ruler. When we tired of that, we played Strat-o-matic baseball.
My oldest son never showed much interest in Baseball. Soccer was his passion. My youngest son, on the other hand, has an unbridled passion for baseball and skill to match. At the age of two, he could hit anything that you threw at him. At five, he was able to hit in a 35 mph batting cage with consistency. It made me proud every time someone looked at him in awe and asked me how old he was. Once organized ball started, he led his team and perhaps the entire league in hitting each and every year.
In the off season he would drive me nuts asking when baseball would start again. So I started taking to the batting cages once a week in the winter. Last year, I hired a highly regarded hitting instructor to keep him sharp in the off season.
So there I am watching him hit ball after ball of one hour with a kerosene heater screaming in the background. The situation triggered a memory of a bio I saw during the Olympics about a Russian gymnast who worked out in an old warehouse 2,000 kilometers from her parents and her home town. Can you even imagine sending your kid away on the hope they will be that one in a million kid to make it? But the world is full of fanatical parents who push their kids to pursue Olympic sized dreams. Or should I say wacky parent's dreams?
This is new right? Big money and ESPN fame must be driving this phenomenon. Right?
Well you may be surprised to know that parents have perhaps always been a little nutty when it comes to their kids.
Since the early days of the Catholic Church, Popes have looked for singers with unusually high voices for the Vatican choir. St. Paul forbade women from singing in church so any church musical piece that was scored for a very high voice required a prepubescent boy or a man straining to sing a high falsetto.
One day, someone realized that boys who were castrated (had their testicles removed) retained their high-pitched voices into manhood. Pope Clement VIII started employing the services of Castrati (castrated sopranos) around 1600. The Vatican Chapel choir used them up until 1902. (Three hundred years.)
The practice of castrating boys became totally acceptable in Italy by the eighteenth century. The Castrati were highly prized by opera companies. A successful soprano could become very rich. As a consequence, many poor Italian families with a young son possessing an exceptional soprano voice would have him castrated in hopes of becoming a big star in adulthood. Even though most did not find fame and many died of infection.
So after the hitting lesson, in the freezing cold warehouse at 9:00 o'clock in the morning when every missed hit ball stung his hands, I asked my son how the lesson was. It was a gut check to make sure I was not pushing him. He said, "Dad that was awesome. When is the next lesson?"
As long as he's having fun, I'll continue to build his confidence, I'll give him strategies to get better and I'll give him the financial support and resources to meet his goals. And I will sit back and watch him go balls to the walls to achieve his dreams whatever they may be.
When I was young, I played baseball all the time. When I was not playing baseball, I was playing whiffle ball. When I was not playing whiffle ball, I was playing stickball. In the winter, my best friend Joe and I would play ruler ball, an indoor baseball game played with a rolled up piece of tinfoil and a ruler. When we tired of that, we played Strat-o-matic baseball.
My oldest son never showed much interest in Baseball. Soccer was his passion. My youngest son, on the other hand, has an unbridled passion for baseball and skill to match. At the age of two, he could hit anything that you threw at him. At five, he was able to hit in a 35 mph batting cage with consistency. It made me proud every time someone looked at him in awe and asked me how old he was. Once organized ball started, he led his team and perhaps the entire league in hitting each and every year.
In the off season he would drive me nuts asking when baseball would start again. So I started taking to the batting cages once a week in the winter. Last year, I hired a highly regarded hitting instructor to keep him sharp in the off season.
So there I am watching him hit ball after ball of one hour with a kerosene heater screaming in the background. The situation triggered a memory of a bio I saw during the Olympics about a Russian gymnast who worked out in an old warehouse 2,000 kilometers from her parents and her home town. Can you even imagine sending your kid away on the hope they will be that one in a million kid to make it? But the world is full of fanatical parents who push their kids to pursue Olympic sized dreams. Or should I say wacky parent's dreams?
This is new right? Big money and ESPN fame must be driving this phenomenon. Right?
Well you may be surprised to know that parents have perhaps always been a little nutty when it comes to their kids.
Since the early days of the Catholic Church, Popes have looked for singers with unusually high voices for the Vatican choir. St. Paul forbade women from singing in church so any church musical piece that was scored for a very high voice required a prepubescent boy or a man straining to sing a high falsetto.
One day, someone realized that boys who were castrated (had their testicles removed) retained their high-pitched voices into manhood. Pope Clement VIII started employing the services of Castrati (castrated sopranos) around 1600. The Vatican Chapel choir used them up until 1902. (Three hundred years.)
The practice of castrating boys became totally acceptable in Italy by the eighteenth century. The Castrati were highly prized by opera companies. A successful soprano could become very rich. As a consequence, many poor Italian families with a young son possessing an exceptional soprano voice would have him castrated in hopes of becoming a big star in adulthood. Even though most did not find fame and many died of infection.
So after the hitting lesson, in the freezing cold warehouse at 9:00 o'clock in the morning when every missed hit ball stung his hands, I asked my son how the lesson was. It was a gut check to make sure I was not pushing him. He said, "Dad that was awesome. When is the next lesson?"
As long as he's having fun, I'll continue to build his confidence, I'll give him strategies to get better and I'll give him the financial support and resources to meet his goals. And I will sit back and watch him go balls to the walls to achieve his dreams whatever they may be.
Super Bowl Wines
Just some truncated, non-scored notes from memory (while my memory's fresh).
1999 Père Pape CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE "La Crau de ma Mère" -- I think this was a year or two past its prime. The rich grenache fruit I expected was replaced by very earthy, resiny flavors, and the texture was drying out a bit. Still very good, but paled by comparison to the next wine.
2002 Ridge GEYSERVILLE (84% Zinfandel, with Carignane and Petite Sirah) (Alexander Valley, Cal.) -- I had this one last around Thanksgiving 2005, and, contrary to my expectations, it was showing better now. In 2005, I noted that this wine tasted more like an Amarone than a Zin, but this time, the rich, deep, earthy Zin character of the Alexander Valley was singing. Definitely at it peak, this was a superb wine. Depth, length, complexity, balance. Everything. Made manly food -- Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches (from scratch -- there's a great recipe in The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian) to go with the wines in honor of the Super Bowl.
2005 Paringa SHIRAZ "Individual Vineyard" (South Australia)
This winery frequently puts out some very good values. This one is an excellent value in a flavorful Shiraz that's more complex than is usually available for under $10.
Dark black ruby/violet. Nice nose of deep, ripe berries, lemons, and graphite. Rich, but not jammy like many other Aussie Shirazes, on the palate. More on the lean side. Cassis and smoky mineral flavors. Very good length. Lots of wine for the money. It will hold for a year or two, so grab a few bottles now. 88. Was $8.17 at Spec's on Richmond.
Dark black ruby/violet. Nice nose of deep, ripe berries, lemons, and graphite. Rich, but not jammy like many other Aussie Shirazes, on the palate. More on the lean side. Cassis and smoky mineral flavors. Very good length. Lots of wine for the money. It will hold for a year or two, so grab a few bottles now. 88. Was $8.17 at Spec's on Richmond.
2004 Pierre-Marie Chermette (Domaine du Vissoux) FLEURIE "Les Garants" (Beaujolais, France)
I was disappointed with this one, which is made by one of my favorite Beaujolais producers.
Medium garnet-ruby. Light intensity nose of freshly-mowed grass, grapes, and granite. Light-bodied, fresh flavors of minerals, granite, and tart grapes. A little underripe in my view and not terribly concentrated. The salty, minerally finish was more intense than the flavors on entry. 83. Was $19 and change at Spec's on Smith.
Medium garnet-ruby. Light intensity nose of freshly-mowed grass, grapes, and granite. Light-bodied, fresh flavors of minerals, granite, and tart grapes. A little underripe in my view and not terribly concentrated. The salty, minerally finish was more intense than the flavors on entry. 83. Was $19 and change at Spec's on Smith.
Conservative Kids Groundhog Day
Another great Groundhog Day has come and gone.
Like all good conservative families, on Groundhog Eve we fasted from sun up to sun down. Then we had our traditional Groundhog Eve dinner with the family. The kids were undoubtedly excited and could not sleep, so we stayed up and watched Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day. I can watch that movie everyday. Can't you.
On Groundhog Day morning, the kids got up around 5:30a and ran into our room to wake us up. My wife reminded them that Puxsutawney Phil can not predict anything until the sun comes up on Gobbler's Knob. But we got up with them because we remember how excited we were on Groundhog Day when we were a kids.
Following family tradition, we turned the lights on and did shadow puppets. I did a few of
the classics, Lincoln, Reagan and Charleston Heston. My two boys started to do a Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky shadow puppet skit, but we did not let that go to far. My six year old daughter did the best one of the day, at first we thought it was a snake, but it turned out to be Hillary giving a concession speech after losing the '08 election to Fred Daulton Thompson.
Then we watched Phil come out of his hole. It was a tense few minutes. Then fortunately Phil did not predicted 6 more years of democratic control. We all breathed a sigh of relief.
Our extended family of conservative grandparents and cousins all gathered later in the day to celebrate and to eat a big Groundhog Day feast.
Like all good conservative families, on Groundhog Eve we fasted from sun up to sun down. Then we had our traditional Groundhog Eve dinner with the family. The kids were undoubtedly excited and could not sleep, so we stayed up and watched Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day. I can watch that movie everyday. Can't you.
On Groundhog Day morning, the kids got up around 5:30a and ran into our room to wake us up. My wife reminded them that Puxsutawney Phil can not predict anything until the sun comes up on Gobbler's Knob. But we got up with them because we remember how excited we were on Groundhog Day when we were a kids.
Following family tradition, we turned the lights on and did shadow puppets. I did a few of
the classics, Lincoln, Reagan and Charleston Heston. My two boys started to do a Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky shadow puppet skit, but we did not let that go to far. My six year old daughter did the best one of the day, at first we thought it was a snake, but it turned out to be Hillary giving a concession speech after losing the '08 election to Fred Daulton Thompson.Then we watched Phil come out of his hole. It was a tense few minutes. Then fortunately Phil did not predicted 6 more years of democratic control. We all breathed a sigh of relief.
Our extended family of conservative grandparents and cousins all gathered later in the day to celebrate and to eat a big Groundhog Day feast.
Hillary: An Embarrassment to Conservative Kids
My Daddy the Dancer
One day a fourth-grade teacher asked the children what their fathers did for a living.
All the typical answers came up -- fireman, mechanic, businessman, salesman, doctor, lawyer, and so forth.
However, an ultra conservative kid, Justin was being uncharacteristically quiet, so when the teacher prodded him about his father, he replied, "My father's an exotic dancer in a gay cabaret and takes off all his clothes in front of other men and they put money in his underwear.
The teacher, obviously shaken by this statement, hurriedly set the other children to work on some exercises and then took little Justin aside to ask him, "Is that really true about your father?" "No," the boy said, "He works for the Democratic National Committee and is helping to get Hillary Clinton to be our next President, but I was too embarrassed to say that in front of the other conservative kids."
My bother-in-law, a proud police officer who projects his city from drug, thugs and illegal immigrants every day, sent me this email joke. I thought it was funny and it fits my blog theme. Kudos to the writer of the joke.
One day a fourth-grade teacher asked the children what their fathers did for a living.
All the typical answers came up -- fireman, mechanic, businessman, salesman, doctor, lawyer, and so forth.
However, an ultra conservative kid, Justin was being uncharacteristically quiet, so when the teacher prodded him about his father, he replied, "My father's an exotic dancer in a gay cabaret and takes off all his clothes in front of other men and they put money in his underwear.
The teacher, obviously shaken by this statement, hurriedly set the other children to work on some exercises and then took little Justin aside to ask him, "Is that really true about your father?" "No," the boy said, "He works for the Democratic National Committee and is helping to get Hillary Clinton to be our next President, but I was too embarrassed to say that in front of the other conservative kids."
My bother-in-law, a proud police officer who projects his city from drug, thugs and illegal immigrants every day, sent me this email joke. I thought it was funny and it fits my blog theme. Kudos to the writer of the joke.
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