Nov 17, 2009
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest…
Nov 3, 2009
It shouldn't be too difficult to send back a glass or a bottle of wine that your server delivered to your table. After all, if you are worried about what your server will think just keep in mind they are not responsible for the production of the wine so it's not likely they'll take offense. But what about when you send back a mixed drink, a cocktail, because you don't like the way it was made and therefore is not…
Oct 30, 2009
Most people understand the cost of smoking. These costs tend most often to be measured in years taken off a smokers life. For reasons I think you can understand, I prefer not to think of the costs of my 20+ years of smoking in these terms. However, there are ways to appreciate the cost of smoking that not only I but my wine loving readers CAN appreciate: The financial outlay. Let's assume I'm cheap and buy a pack and a…
Oct 28, 2009
“We have a system set up in this country for distribution (of wine) that is designed to create accountability and responsibility. Amazon to their credit tried to abide by the laws that created accountability. When they found out they were unable to do so in a cost effective way, then they had to at some point bail out. The larger issue is if Amazon and its resources couldn’t do it legally, obviously these other companies aren’t doing it legally and…
Oct 28, 2009
Dreams. The kind you have when slumbering. I can say without equivocation that one of the effects of having quit smoking so very recently is an enhanced vividness of my nighttime dreams. I know they are vivid because even now, a couple hours after waking up, I can still recall the brand, varietal and vintage of the wines that were in my dream last night. This is for me, to say the least, unusual. 1997 Peter Michael "L'apres Midi"1990 Foppiano…