Seasonal Wines From North Dakota's Maple River Winery

North Dakota's Maple River Winery announces the release of its seasonal wines.

 

Maple River Winery proudly introduces its new seasonal wines, Apple Mint Wine, Honey Apple Wine, and Honey Raspberry Wine.

 

/24-7PressRelease/ - CASSELTON, ND, December 19, 2005 - The Maple River Winery, located in historic downtown Casselton, North Dakota is proud to release three more handcrafted North Dakota wines. The winery that originally brought you the world famous Apple Jalapeno Pepper Wine as well as the traditional Chokecherry and Rhubarb wines, proudly presents to you our Apple Mint Wine, Honey Apple Wine and Honey Raspberry Wine.

 

North Dakota Apple Mint wine is a careful blend of hand-picked North Dakota apples with North Dakota commercially grown peppermint and spearmint from a farm near Northwood, North Dakota to produce this semi-sweet wine. It is the perfect wine for entertaining guests or serving with light pasta dishes.

 

North Dakota Honey Apple Wine is a semi-sweet wine created with a delicate blend of 60% honey wine and 40% apple wine. With North Dakota ranking either 1st or 2nd in honey production annually, Maple River Winery's Honey Apple Wine has become a very popular wine in the Midwest. It is the perfect wine for serving with heavy pasta dishes as well as many varieties of salads.

 

North Dakota Honey Raspberry Wine is a semi-sweet wine produced with North Dakota honey and farm-fresh raspberries. Maple River Winery's Honey Raspberry Wine is perfect for romantic nights as well as enjoying with white and light red meats.

 

Maple River Winery provides online secure ordering via its website at www.mapleriverwinery.com. Phone, fax and mail orders are also accepted with more information available on Maple River Winery's website.

 

For more information about North Dakota Apple Mint Wine, Honey Apple Wine and Honey Raspberry Wine and other North Dakota handcrafted traditional wines, contact Greg Kempel at greg@mapleriverwinery.com or 701.347.5900.

 

North Dakota winery producing unique wines with native North Dakota fruits.

Getting Beyond Wine Ranking

Appellation America: Getting Beyond Wine Ranking to a Taste-of-Place

 

Appellation America launches Discovery Tasting Program to help explore wines and the significance of wine producing regions in North America.

 

/24-7PressRelease/ - SAN FRANCISCO, CA, January 29, 2006 - AppellationAmerica.com, a leading internet wine portal, today announced the launch of its Discovery Tasting Program, which aims to explore the agricultural and environmental factors that come together to differentiate the more than 200 officially designated winegrowing regions in North America.

 

According to Appellation America's Managing Editor, Adam Dial, the strength of the North American wine industry is found in the diversity of its winegrowing venues and the resulting wines.

 

"There are many factors that come together to create an identity for wine and wine making regions that simply cannot be calculated numerically," said Dial. "It is the aim of the Discovery Tasting Program to explore each of these regions, with the depth and scope that they deserve."

 

Currently available on AppellationAmerica.com are findings from Discovery Tastings held in Sonoma Green Valley, Dry Creek and Anderson Valley in California, as well as Hermann in Missouri and the Nova Scotia Appellation in Canada.

 

The Appellation Discovery tastings are not competitions, but rather discussion and notated descriptions about common and interesting taste themes in the wines. Wines are not scored or individually ranked. Well crafted wines which express the typicity of the region are grouped together under the designation Appellation Signature Wines. In short, it's all about the place, not the individual wines.

 

The Appellation Discovery Program seeks to identify threads of regional commonality and to pinpoint terroir based and regional stylistic signatures in the wines of each appellation, if such commonality exists, or is developing. The Discovery Process is centered on highly structured blind tastings, organized by AppellationAmerica's regional correspondents and undertaken by leading winemakers of each region.

 

Appellation America's Dial maintains that such a process of evaluation, where numbers are exchanged for words, allows for a much more thorough appreciation of wine.

 

"Our approach is to systematically explore for the taste of place and to make those discoveries an integral part of the public image and appreciation of each appellation," says Adam Dial.

 

About Appellation America

 

AppellationAmerica.com is an online wine portal covering all wine regions in North America. Its mission is to work with the industry in each region to identify and develop distinct appellation identities, and then to build appellation consciousness in the broader wine consuming culture. With a unique focus on Appellation - wine place of origin - the site offers dependable, trustworthy descriptions of regional qualities, independent of ratings or spin, along with easy access to the wines that exemplify those qualities.

First International Winefest By Amateur Wine Maker

Amateur Wine Maker Holds First Ever International Winefest Even in Denver, Colorado First ever www.WinePress.US international WineFest for amateur wine makers supported by major players in the industry with their presenations, products and product tastings. Belleville, IL, July 27, 2005 --(PR.COM)-- Joel Sommer of the small town St. Libory, IL has been making home made wine for almost five years and was in charge of an international gathering of wine makers and grape growers for three days of events in Denver, Colorado just this past weekend. Sommer owns the website www.WinePress.US; which is the largest winemaking and grape growing discussion forum on the entire Internet. It has over 1,700 members, which puts it about 1,000 MORE members than the largest ones that Yahoo, MSN, Google and other discussion groups may have related to wine making. Did you say International? Yes, that’s right, members of the www.WinePress.US forum came from all over the United States, Canada and as far away as West Yorkshire, England for the festivities. Also present were the top two wine kit manufacturers in the world (one of which presented three seminars), a cellar construction expert, an Executive Wine Somellier from the International Wine Guild, a chemist who makes sterilization powders, local winemaking shops, professional winemakers, a filter manufacturer, the owner of the largest international winemaking magazine and many more. Sommer put on the event with the help of members of the Winepress.US discussion forum in the Denver, CO area and also had assistance from family members. The events started on Thursday evening with a general get together for a chance for members to finally meet after making friendships over the past years helping each other out with their winemaking questions. Friday was filled with seminars at a hotel conference room to accommodate over 100 attendees. Seminars started with Joel Sommer talking about the history of his wine making and how he began building the web site www.WinePress.US. This included a live online demonstration on navigation on the forum and other aspects of the WinePress.US site, such as the live web cam, where winemaking events can be viewed for free such as crushing / destemming of grapes, pressing of skins, racking of wine, bottling and other simple winemaking related procedures. “The fact that product manufacturers and industry leaders chose our event to offer their knowledge and share their time, is an indication that our group is truly recognized by the industry.” Sommer said. The following presentations were on the importance of sterilization and cleaning, wine cellar construction, the history of wine kits, grape wine making and a full introduction to wine tasting. This seminar included actual tasting of individual items to train your senses and assist in identifying certain items that wine judges identify. During the seminars, judges were tasting 140 wines, which were brought in for the winemaking competition for members of the forum. Once the judges were done, all attendees where then invited to taste the remaining wines with the new wine tasting knowledge they just received. Dinner, which was included, shortly followed along with countless attendance prizes. Saturday events were held at a local winery just a few miles from the hotel at Balistreri Winery, where a pig had already started roasting the night before. The seminars were held in a large tent just outside the winery. Events included actual demonstrations where wine kits were started, and then auctioned off. A demonstration was performed using a filter unit and that too was later auctioned off. Additional seminars included fresh fruit wine making, ensuring success with your wine kit, information on what it takes to go from amateur to commercial, vineyard and winery tour, followed by wine tasting of the Balistreri and Garfield Estates wines. The hog roast buffet was served, and followed by announcements of the wine competition winners, more attendance prizes, a couple of items were auctioned off, and final words of appreciation were said. As this was going on, Jon Balistreri offered a personal private stock Port wine for all to taste, as it was just ready to be bottled. He filled a few flasks with wine straight from the barrel. Will there be another next year? Yes, there is already discussion on the www.WinePress.US forum as to where, when and who will assist to put it on. Many of the manufacturers have already committed to attending again, with others showing interest as well. WinePress.US is the largest wine making & grape growing discussion forum on the entire Internet. The site has been receiving over 3 million hits roughly for the past 8 months with approximately 900,000 banner views each month as well. There are no annoying click thru or pop up advertisements. The site is clean, easily navigated and free for all members to register. Sommer keeps the operation costs offset by a rotating banner ad program for supporting companies, in order to keep it free for all who want to register as members to share their knowledge in wine making and grape growing. For more information and photos, go to www.WinePress.US and register for free or contact Joel Sommer at joel@winepress.us or via cell phone 314-368-1464. ###

Contact Information

WinePress.US Joel Sommer 314-368-1464 joel@winepress.us www.WinePress.US

Georgetown University Heroes

Kudos, bravo! January 24, 2006: Georgetown University students turned their backs on the Azteco-american Attorney General/torturer/Constitution trampling toad with the typical split Aztec tongue his ancestors so often carved into the pyramids they used to cut out the still-beating hearts of their sacrificial victims as he was giving yet another double-speak lecture on why Bush doesn’t need the Patriot Act to spy on U.S. citizens. According to Alberto González, Bush can continue to use Patriot Act techniques even if Congress allows the act to expire.

Further, this Aztec-haired guy whose nose is so brown from being perpetually up you know where, says that Congress gave Bush the power to set his own rules for counter terrorism investigations when it authorized the president (from whence comes the brown on the Aztec nose) to use ‘all necessary and appropriate force’ against Al Qaeda. The reason those students, whom we all should salute, turned their backs on the author of the memos approving the use of torture and eavesdropping on U.S. citizens, is that U.S. citizens do not want the Orwellian butcher from Crawford, Texas listening in on us.

What those students understand, and Bush and his toad wish we didn’t understand, is that you need to get warrants before you go to the NSA (National Security Agency) to listen in on the conversations of U.S. citizens.

Wow, you don’t think those students are going to get in hot water now, do you? I mean, is this the United States or is it the Third Reich stuck between Canada and Mexico?

General Motors and Ford, Sinking Like the Titanic?

General Motors and Ford, Sinking Like the Titanic?
Sad news of epic proportions, the slow demise of Titans General Motors and Ford. For almost a century, these two companies have been the bellwether for how the country as a whole is doing, and if their present crisis is any indication, we’re all in a lot of how water. Thanks George, for your brilliant grasp of Economics 101, but then, you probably used Daddy’s money to help you get out of that course also, didn’t you?

Ever been to Detroit? Regardless of your social standing, you don’t drive foreign-made cars up there. No sir, you drive U.S. made cars and trucks. It’s kind of like being patriotic, buying the products that your neighbors and relatives help manufacture. Pity, that our government doesn’t do more to promote such U.S. brand loyalty, and that we, as a nation, are so willing to ship our dollars abroad while our own people are starting to feel the pinch of this idiocy.

As General Motors and Ford go, so goes the country. Well, how goes the country? Gee, do you think Dubya’s going to tout GM and Ford’s economic health at his little State of the Union address, or will he, à la “you’re doing a great job Brownie” casually forget to mention the Titanic sinking of these two harbingers of things to come?

Elizabeth G.

Bush as Dictator

Bush As Dictator
Bush, always pressing for extensions to his length of stay in the White House, was blatantly missing from a hilarious account in the insert of my Sunday newspaper. In this Sunday’s magazine insert, the cover story was titled: “Who is the World’s Worst Dictator?”

I almost fell over backwards out of my rocking chair I laughed so hard. What a wimpy story. Nowhere did the article mention that a bunch of those so-called dictators are personal friends of George W. Bush, the wanna-be dictator and of his esteemed family. Heck, a couple of them are in cahoots with the Bush family and the Riggs Bank in ‘ol D.C. along with 41’s brother, Jonathan J. Bush.

Remember the famous story: “When he [Bush] quipped he had no problem with dictatorship as long as he was the dictator, he really wasn’t kidding.” What, however, made this Sunday magazine article so vacuous was the omission of sheer lethality: None of those third-rate dictators can match the slaughter brought on the world by our very own little Führer!
Alex G.

Naked Wine Short Film Personifies the Social and Emotional Sides of Wine

“The Naked Wine” Interactive, Short Film Premieres; Personifies the Social and Emotional Sides of Wine. From Roessler Cellars and Masters Wines. Wine Direct Marketing can have as Much Personality as the Product: “The Naked Wine” short film allows viewers to participate in the plot, choosing alternate endings as well as collaborating with friends to solve a mystery. Sponsored by Roessler Cellars and created by Masters Wines, the program introduces a new style to conveying the attributes of wine, as New Yorkers can now purchase directly from wine producers. It can be seen at www.masters-wines.com/direct/nakedwine . New York, NY, January 24, 2006 --(PR.COM)-- A new, interactive film breaks with tradition and injects the personality of wine into direct communications with New York consumers. “The Naked Wine” short film is premiering and allows viewers to participate in the plot, choosing alternate endings as well as collaborating with friends to solve a mystery. The team of people that successfully solves the thriller is treated to a personal wine tasting hosted by the winemaker. Sponsored by Roessler Cellars and created by Masters Wines, the program introduces a new style to conveying the attributes of wine, as New Yorkers can now purchase directly from wine producers. The online film can be seen at www.masters-wines.com/direct/nakedwine . The short film alludes to the film noir classic “The Naked City,” and it uses the setting’s mood and characters’ emotions to help communicate the characteristics of wines. The Naked Wine was developed for specialty Pinot Noir producer Roessler Cellars of Sonoma, CA, by communications and technology company Masters Wines based in New York City. “Wine has personality, is best enjoyed socially with friends, and traditional tasting notes just aren’t able to share those added dimensions,” said Roger Roessler, founder of Roessler Cellars. “New Yorkers are savvy and witty, and this is a much more fun way to communicate with them.” “Roessler wines are emotional and moody, ranging from spicy to brooding, just like people,” adds J. R. Miller of Masters Wines. “Digital video is a great means to convey that spectrum. Why try and talk about wine the same way you would about something dry like pharmaceuticals, as has previously been done.” The interactive film is in multiple segments with the first installment introducing the characters, each representing a different wine. At the end of the first segment, the characters are in a heated argument only to be disarmed by agreeing to share a bottle of wine. However the pressure is next on the viewer to make the choice of which wine, impacting the outcome of the thriller. Roessler said, “The project was a labor of love by the whole team, with the actors and director doing it in only two days, although you sure couldn’t tell by seeing it.” The online film also encourages viewers to collaborate with friends to discover clues, decipher their meaning, and determine who committed the deception and why. The winning team will join Roessler for an intimate wine tasting, hosted in New York City, to discuss the creation of the story and the wines. Roessler Cellars wines have been called “compulsively drinkable” by Food & Wine magazine , and are available in New York City restaurants such as Le Bernardin, Gotham Bar & Grill, The Four Seasons, Union Square Café, Jovia, and others. They are now available directly to New York consumers. Roessler wines are priced from $26 for Red Label, a blend of Sonoma County Pinot Noirs, to $42 for Savoy, a single-vineyard selection from Anderson Valley, CA. New York City metro area residents can have wine delivered to them from $20 for five cases, while shipping is also available for upstate residents. Roessler wines are hand-crafted, unfiltered, and could be considered “naked” wines. They use natural fermentation without the addition of cultured yeasts and bacteria, with a minimum of intervention in order to feature the individual expression of the land on which the grapes were grown. “The Naked Wine” interactive film is a nontraditional approach to communicating the characteristics of wine, since New Yorkers can now purchase directly from wine producers. For additional information, see www.masters-wines.com/direct/nakedwine . About Roessler Cellars: Roessler Cellars is a specialty wine producer based in Sonoma, CA, dedicated to creating hand-crafted, unfiltered wines. The company primarily produces single-vineyard Pinot Noir from grapes farmed to their specifications by growers who maintain a shared focus on quality. From the small beginnings of a 250-case harvest of Pinot Noir in 2000, Roessler Cellars has grown to 5,300 cases of single-vineyard wines from the 2004 harvest. For more information, visit www.RoesslerCellars.com . About Masters Wines: Masters Wines is a technology and communications company that works to connect more people, with more good wine, more economically. Services include multimedia entertainment and education content which helps consumers learn about wine. Masters Wines also offers business services that network wine producers with wholesalers and retailers, improving efficiency with distribution channel integration and inventory/operations automation solutions. For more information, contact info@masters-wines.com . ###

Contact Information

Masters Wines J. R. Miller 267-757-1613 JRMiller@masters-wines.com www.masters-wines.com/direct/nakedwine

Alberto Gonzáles and the Obsidian Knife

Tonight I watched one of the most bizarre interviews I’ll ever have the misfortune to watch. Take it from one who knows, liebchen, I know a pure-blooded Aztec when I see one. You know those little pyramids in Teotihuacán? Well, their tip-tops weren’t built for mooning the stars, they were built to cut out the beating hearts of defeated enemies with obsidian knives. Punto final; period. 

 

And thus, for centuries, that primeval need has been passed down through untainted bloodlines to Alberto Gonzáles. Problem is, he’s no longer down south where he belongs, but, rather, in Washington, helping Bush do the same evil his Aztec forebears did. Spying on U.S. citizens? Azteco-alberto doesn’t see anything wrong with it.

 

Well, of course he doesn’t; the obsidian knife is permanently etched into the palm of his Aztec hand. Does this offend so-called Hispanics in this country? Tant pis, cherie; if you are “Hispanic” you must be Iberian. Or, you are the product of some Latin American Indian people, perhaps Aztec people? No matter, we have no need, in this country, for blood-thirsty Aztec theories of politics as believed in by both Bush and his bedfellow, the Aztec, obsidian knife-wielding Alberto Gonzáles.

 

By the way, the proper spelling of Gonzáles is González, but try teaching that to an obsidian knife-wielding Aztec.
Robert G.

Ann Richards Says George W. Bush Is Not Entirely Stupid

Ann Richards, a lady who should hate George W. Bush, the infamous little dubya, more than anybody, avows that the guy, thought twisted, is not entirely stupid. Granted, then, he’s not entirely stupid. Unread, virtually illiterate, and cut off from the real world, yes, but thoroughly stupid, we have to grant, no.

 

Yet, now that the Abramoff scandal has reared its ugly head, such a Republican head, little ‘ol Lady Macbush’s twisted little son says he has no recollection of ever having met Abromoff, though the news media has umpteen hundreds of photo shots of the two at the same functions.

 

But then, Ann Richards never said Bush ever spoke the truth, only that the dysfunctional son of the worst parents in the world was not a total idiot. But you know what? If I had a mother like Barbara Bush I’d be sorta warped too. Problem is, this warped one has been unleashed upon the world, dreams of Crusades against the Muslim world and all.

 

Bob G.

Restoration of Honor and Dignity in the White House

Restoration of Honor and Dignity in the White House

 

Whew! Who let the skunk in the house and poked it with the stick? George Bush, or as he’s known down south, the Butcher of Huntsville, under tremendous pressure from the Real Honorable John McCain, signed papers banning torture and demeaning treatment of detainees, then, he turned around and squirted McCain in the face, like the skunk that he is, by immediately also signing what is known as a “signing statement.” In other words, he can sign any bill he’s pressured into signing, but he has no honor and therefore is not honor-bound to abide by the bill he signed.

 

A professor of political science at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, said that Bush’s squirting his skunk spray in McCain’s face, was Bush’s way of saying: “The structural changes are nice, but I don’t have to listen to anybody in particular.”

 

Honor. McCain has it in spades, and Bush has no inkling of what the word means.

 

Wonder how they say regime change in Crawford?

 

Bob G.

Ossama BinLaden on Al-Jazeera

Ossama BinLaden on Al-Jazeera
So, the guy who tweaks Bush’s nose so effectively comes on TV and announces that he is offering a truce. Like that toy you had as a child, out comes like a Jack in the Box the official White House Buffoon, who sounds so much like Baghdad Bob, proclaiming, every so lamely, that the administration doesn’t bargain, because they “get” the enemy. Well, if they “get” them, how come Bin Laden is still out there making Petulant Bush pee in his knickers?

 

Sad, isn’t it, that a grown man like the Buffoon Scott McClellan can stand in front of a huge group of reporters and spout drivel? Drivel or outright lies. How many Al Qaeda authentic terrorists has Bush actually captured? Sure, the torture chambers are chock full of nuts, but bona fide terrorists? Not very many, probably. Guantánamo is probably more full of shepherds than terrorists, so what is it that McClellan is so proud of, his One Tough Grandma Mamma down in Texas?

 

By the way, why does the United States have to put up with two McClellans, aren’t we mired in the dung pit enough? The one lies to the press and the other abysmally administrates Medicare and Medicaid. Don’t we deserve better?
Liz G.

Presidential Contender Daniel Imperato Speaks Out On What Is Terrorism

Daniel Imperato on Terrorism, Bush, and Belafonte

Press Release by: Imperato For President 2008

Published on openPR 01-16-2006 10:16 am - CET PR Agency: i1connect

2008 Presidential Contender Daniel Imperato

(openPR) - West Palm Beach, FL - After comments from Harry Belafonte calling President George W. Bush a ‘terrorist’, 2008 Presidential Contender Daniel Imperato spoke out on what exactly is terrorism.

“I would like to take a moment to bring out what I feel is an issue that needs to be evaluated and dissected pertaining to what is terrorism,” stated Imperato

Imperato described what made him think of the question, ‘What is terrorism?’

“While I was in my Palm Beach home, preparing a dinner for my lovely wife, which I will still do when I am president, I heard that our president George Bush was arriving in Palm Beach and heading to the island to meet with his 40 ‘Rangers’ which each have each raised over 250,000 for the GOP. I tuned into CNN to find out more and out came Harry Belafonte and a picture of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez calling Bush a terrorist. I must tell you that as an American citizen and a person who has traveled the globe, I have been involved in many situations in my life that are directly related to terrorism,” expressed Imperato.

According to Imperato the definition of terrorism extends beyond a bombing.

“Terrorism in my opinion is an act that takes place or an evil that does harm to an individual or a property of an individual or a combination of both, or to a country or to a soldier, or even derived from a natural disaster. Terrorism goes all the way down the line and what I mean by that is terrorism is measured differently by and between the people of the United States of America and the people around the world,” explained Imperato.

Although Harry Belafonte’s words were greeted with much criticism, Imperato felt it best to be introspective regarding the issue.

“I must say that hearing Harry Belafonte calling our president and our administration particularly George Bush a terrorist really hit home. In conjunction with Belafonte’s terrorist accusations on George Bush, the same accusations in a different manner were placed on George Bush by Bin Laden pertaining to the similarities of the Bin Laden organization and the Bush administration pertaining to power and money in Bin Laden’s most recent message to the world,” commented Imperato.

Imperato then went on to illustrate what he thought was terrorism, and how it applies to everyday people.

“The fact is that terrorism could actually be thinking that your phones are tapped and that people are listening to your private conversations. This act creates fear, and fear is the very root of terrorism. If a young girl or a young boy is assaulted, that person along with their family devastated and terrorizing. For the families that are losing their soldiers, the men and women in Iraq, this is their form of terrorism because the terrorism that effects the families who lose their loves ones is fear, hurt, distress and loss. So not only is a suicide bomber blowing up a street café, or a solider shooting another soldier, or innocent citizens of other countries losing lives because of war, terrorism, but these other things as well,” asserted Imperato.

Recently the dialogue in America has focused on what exactly is terrorism. Is it a suicide bomber or making a child live in fear? Imperato mused on the topic.

“So what is terrorism? Terrorism could be as little as a small child living at home that is afraid and has fear to sleep at night because of a feeling of impending harm.. Terrorism is when a mother or father abuses a child or abuses themselves in front of a child. Terrorism is also a suicide bomber. I believe that our country and our people and the majority of the people around the world are not for terrorism in any way shape or form. I call on our administration and our president George W. Bush to really look at and evaluate what is terrorism,” stated Imperato.

Imperato called on our administration to clearly define the topic.

“I would like our president to address that in a public speech and I would like to point out to our president and administration that terrorism in any way shape or form is detrimental to anyone who experiences a form of terrorism. What may be small terrorism for one may be huge terrorism to another. What may be a small loss to one may be a great loss to another. So I say stomp out terrorism and keep peace and not war and I say that our administration and our president must project to the rest of world peace and harmony and not terrorism,” stated Imperato.

Imperato also wanted to remind our nation that terrorism is something that is felt all over the world.

“Terrorism for some is the Israeli children being pulled out of their homes in Gush Katif; terrorism to others are the Israeli soldiers attacking the terrorists themselves. Terrorism to all is a form of fear and needs to be done away with,” expressed Imperato.

Imperato went on to conclude his remarks with the following: “I look forward to working with the United States and the rest of the world to create a forum for peace by and between the people and amongst countries and the leadership of the countries that truly understand that terrorism can be in so many different forms and so many different ways. We all need to look in mirror at each other and look at our children and our citizens and realize that there is no place for terror in our society.”

About Daniel Imperato
Daniel was born in Boston, Mass ( 1958 ), and began his business career in 1977 transforming the manufacturing facilities in Israel through adapting them to the global marketplace along with bringing financing to the factories for global expansion. He also operated a trading company in Singapore and owned a manufacturing company in Belgium. Daniel brings over thirty years of experience in global business planning and development and has personal relationships at high levels around the world. Daniel has consulted for Fortune 500 corporations, with a mix of product lines, consisting of telecommunications products and services, telecommunications equipment including v-sat terminals and handheld mobile satellite telephones, along with passport and identification cards services and secure documents for foreign governments around the world. He is currently a Papal Knight with honors from the Vatican, and a board member for the African Center Foundation, a United Nations NGO.

Daniel has been a resident of West Palm Beach, Fl for over 10 years, and has devoted his time towards many worthwhile causes including our youth, and HIV/AIDS. He has unique value, explosive energy and has the ability to achieve what most others cannot. Daniel is also a dedicated honorable businessperson with morals and values that are based on trust and integrity. Presently, he has organized a Presidential Exploratory Committee in order to gauge support for a possible run at the White House in 2008.

***This Release was approved by Imperato For President 2008, the Official Presidential Exploratory Committee for Daniel Imperato.***


For Press Inquires Contact:
Dan Mangru
i1connect
561-305-0519
dan@imperiali.org

Heil China, Our Celestial Owner

Indebted to the Chinese For All We're Worth
We had wanted to light the large braziers on the porch and sip our cocktails out there by the warmth of the braziers, but it was too chilly, and so we gathered by the fireplace in the great room instead. Schuyler fixed us a drink he called Rosita. By now you've noticed that we all like drinks made with Campari, a liqueur that some find hard to get used to, but once you do, it's impossible not to love it. With some Corazón Silver Tequila, and both red and dry Martini & Rossi vermouths, this is a strong but delicious highball.

 

The redness of the Campari reminded us of China, a country, Bob told us, to whom we are so heavily in debt that they practically own us. He explained to those of us who seemed not to comprehend the importance or the magnitude of what he was telling us that under the Clinton Administration, the United States had been left a legacy of a budget surplus, but that very, very soon after President Clinton left office, the new administration started hocking the United States to the highest bidder. Only problem is, Bob told us, that highest bidder is not particularly an ally, though not an enemy either, making for strange bedfellows.

 

The Dragon Awakes and Catches George Bush Off Guard
I don't know about you, but I'd just as soon not wake up with a scorpion in my boots or a rattler poised, ready to strike, Bob continued, but how stupid would you have to be to put the scorpion in your own boots or tease the rattler into biting you? That's no way to live on a ranch or on a farm. It's like living in Indonesia and teasing the Komodo Dragons, which, weighing hundreds of pounds and being almost ten feet long, can eat a cow, horse or man. Now, Terry and Art said, that on their visit to Indonesia they had seen these monsters and their instinct for self-preservation alone had warned them of the dangers these dragons pose.

Bob said that just like the scorpions, rattlers and Komodo dragons posed danger to fools not clever enough to know how to stay out of their way, somebody who has a ranch close to Waco, Texas had fed his country to another dragon, which while it slept for decades, is now waking and moving fiercely and quickly, like the giant dragon it has always been. Now, it is eating wildly. It's main item of consumption? U.S. Treasury bills, fed one by one by Dubya to the tune of roughly 800 billion dollars. Now, Bob asked us, what if the Waking Dragon decided it wanted more dollars, or wanted to regurgitate them and dump them all at once? Well, any Economics 101'll tell you that would be catastrophic for the United States, but that smarty pants rancher-wanna-be doesn't have the natural ranching or farming smarts that keeps the rest of us alive and thriving. His papa told him it was o.k. to tease the critters.

 

U.S. Financial Markets Shaken to Their Core
If you "ranch and chop cedar" in Crawford it's more than likely you don't quite know how to walk and chew gum at the same time, so you'd likely be unable to quite grasp the import of China's dumping 800 billion dollars of U.S. Treasury notes on the market, but the financial markets have been jolted off their collective butts by China's Central Bank's announcement that "China's foreign currency regulator said its plans for 2006 include widening the foreign exchange reserves investment scope." Which might be Chinese for we can dump those notes and bankrupt you, George Bush.

 

Anything China does in the direction of selling these notes could influence bond and currency markets, as well as any move China might make to shift reserves to gold, which is at its highest price since March 1981. Any move that China makes with these vast holdings of our Treasury notes will deeply affect the United States, and lest we forget, the Dragon already reared its head just this past July, when it was attempting to buy oil giant Unocal Corp, and angrily snapped at Congress to not interfere. In the end, China backed away from the acquisition, but it should have shown any smarter man the dragon does have teeth. And teeth bite. Art, who recently returned from Mexico, told us the dragon was fast making friends in left-leaning Latin America, becoming quite chummy with people like Hugo Chávez, president of Venezuela. It seems, Art told us, that while George Bush has been asleep at the wheel all around the world except Iraq, China has been busy making alliances with many countries that really don't like us all that much, and buckaroo, that's a lot of countries.

 

The Welcome Dinner Gong
Art and Terry paired up to prepare our dinner tonight, with help from Max. They have the organic herb and produce farm down the road, and have enormous greenhouses that even in winter allow growing of some produce. Because their farm also produces artisanal goat cheese, whenever they cook for us we know we'll be getting some pretty special, healthy food.

To begin our dinner, they served us some excellent, small quesadillas made with their goat cheese and fresh zucchini blossoms, onion and a touch of Serrano peppers. From Mexico, Art had brought back the very small yet hefty little glasses people in Mexico use to sip their tequila from, and each of the adults was served some Tequila Corazón Añejo to sip with our quesadillas. We have all grown to love those squash blossoms used so much in Southwestern fusion cuisine.

 

The next course that Terry had prepared was a seemingly simple mushroom broth, made with mushrooms from their farm. The teenagers are always going over to Art and Terry's farms, fascinated by the art of growing mushrooms. The trick to having a simple broth or even chicken consommé Art said was to just squirt a small amount of lime or lemon juice in the broth bowls. Paired with an Amontillado sherry, the mushroom broth was perfect.

 

Perhaps because of our love for mushrooms, Terry and Art next prepared Grilled Salmon with Chanterelle Mushrooms. Anything grilled is food for Art and Max, and they had the grills going on the porch, ready for the salmon and the vegetables they would also grill in their little wire grill baskets. Tonight, Art and Terry brought over some bottles of a Pinot Noir they thought we'd enjoy with the salmon, the smoky 2003 MacRostie Carneros from California.
After the salmon, and before the meat course, Art and Terry served us an amazingly good and fresh salad, Boston Lettuce with Grilled Mushrooms and Goat Cheese, once again providing us with bounty from their farms.

Max and Art paired up to grill Lamb Steaks with Chile Salsa. Together with the lamb, they served some of the same vegetables they had grilled an served with the salmon, and presented us with a wine we'd never tried before but that was perfect for the grilled lamb, a 2004 La Posta Malbec from Argentina by winemaker Luis Reginato.

For dessert, Terry made a Creamy Ricotta Pine Nut Tart and served with some sweet Italian Vin Santo.

Just before rejoining the teenagers, Liz told us something Sir Winston Churchill had said about China in 1952: "The Chinese said of themselves several thousand years ago: 'China is a sea that salts all the waters that flow into it.' There is another Chinese saying about their country which is much more modern, it dates only from the fourth century. This is the saying: 'The tail of China is large and will not be wagged.' It sounds, Liz said, like somebody in Washington needs to keep Sir Winston Churchill's words in mind.

 

The Teenagers Learn Chinese
When we returned to the great room to spend some time with the teenagers, they reminded us that Chinese was quickly becoming "The" foreign language to study in their schools. Fully a third of them were enrolled in Chinese as a Foreign Language Courses, lending further credence to some of the issues we had discussed earlier. Strange, that our children should be smarter than many politicians in Washington.

 

Summary
The Dragon awakes, and it's tail can snap the foundations of the economy of the United States. George Bush is ignoring the waking dragon. He is ignoring the fact that China's Central Bank is changing its position vis à vis its tremendous holdings of U.S. Treasury notes, and Bush has ignored the significance of China's warning the U.S. Congress to back off during the period when China was seeking to buy U.S. oil giant Unocal.

---

Blazing Mouse Sets Fire To House -  An 81 year old man who threw a mouse onto a pile of burning leaves could only watch in horror as it ran into his house and set the building ablaze.

 

---

©Copyright 2006 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

Experience World Class Wines When Visiting Los Angeles

Visitors to Los Angeles can now experience world class wines in one sitting

Press Release by: All Corked Up

Published on openPR 01-11-2006 05:27 pm - CET

(openPR) - The Tuscany old-word style establishment can be found nestled within the scenic hills of the Santa Clarita Valley and conveniently located in the new Center Point Business Park. Upon entry to the establishment, a 29-foot long wine tasting bar, plush lounge and the wall of collectible wines combine to create just the right atmosphere for any wine activity.

First timers are always welcome! No need to be intimidated in this warm and friendly place.

A representative from All Corked Up reports, “The weekly tasting events, featuring guests and wineries that are leaders in the wine industry, allow everyone to taste, learn and enjoy the many varietals in our extensive inventory. Selection, price and education are the hallmarks of All Corked Up. That's why we search the world to find the best tasting wines at the best values possible.”

Events for the month of January include:

January 10th 6 - 8 pm “White Wines 101” Join Wine Master, Yoon Lee to taste and explore white wines. Distinguish white wine varieties by color, aroma, flavor, and texture. Identify the grape type, region, and vintage with ease Explore the California wine revolution-from Riesling to Muscat. Discover fine American wineries, from coast to coast. Uncover the secrets of European white wines.

January 17th 6 - 8 PM “Red Wines 101” Join Wine Master, Yoon Lee to distinguish red wine varieties by color, aroma, flavor and texture. Identify the grape type, region, and vintage with ease. Explore the wine revolution-from Beaujolais to Port Discover fine American wineries, from coast to coast. Uncover the secrets of European red wines.

January 24th 6 - 8 PM “Cabernet Sauvignon vs. Meritage” A special evening dedicated to tasting true Cabernets and beautiful blends that make a memorable Meritage.

January 31st 6 - 8 PM “Let's get sideways!” In the spirit of the flick, join the staff in a tasting and comparison of some fine Pinot Noirs and Merlots.

About the Author:
At All Corked Up, regular wine events involve a wonder mix of visiting and in-house Wine Masters, their own Le Cordon Bleu Chef and live Blues music. Learn some extraordinary culinary skills and enjoy some fine gourmet meals by attending one of the cooking classes held twice a month.

All events are $25 - $30 per person. For inquiry or event reservations, call (661) 799-7979 or visit www.allcorkedup.com .

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Kathy Crone
All Corked Up
661 799-7979
www.allcorkedup.com

Pat Robertson, The Merchant of Venice? No, à la Ken Lay, Merchant of Virginia

Prosperous, Those Televangelists. Christian? Doubtful.
Subjects of The Lord? The Lord Dollar, yes, the Lord God, any God? Indisputably, no. Exquisite torture to our ears, the unctuous, undertaker's whiny voice of mincing Pat Robertson. However, may all glory be shed on him who is wise enough to fool millions of the extreme religious right; they have gotten what they deserve: a multimillionaire shyster who scams even the senior citizens of the country as sinisterly as Ken Lay bilked investors in Enron. Bernie Ebbers and the like? Truly slimy Jack Abramoff? Slippery Tom DeLay? Mere children in comparison; innocents, in comparison. For truly evil, there is one glorious, shining, mincing whiny-voiced spawn of the devil himself.

Wow. Can a so-called voice of the faithful be scummier than Tom DeLay? You betcha! He makes a mockery of that passage from Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness."

 

Hmmm. Right at this point, after Elizabeth pointed these things out to us, before divulging some really damning facts about dear old Pat, she helped her husband Schuyler prepare Salty Dogs for us. Iffy drink for those with high blood pressure because of the salt on the rim of the highball glasses and the grapefruit juice which interferes with some medications. A friend in Texas sent Schuyler and Elizabeth a couple of bottles of Tito's Handmade Vodka. Vodka from Texas? As a matter of fact, a prize winning vodka.

Elizabeth said, about Pat Robertson's voice, that he really did sound like an undertaker pretending to "feel your loss; now here's a slightly better and more expensive casket, but you won't regret it."

 

In the annals of snake oil salesmen, it appears there is nobody lower than this fescennine caricature of a man, who, if all goes well and is one day imprisoned for gross malfeasance, will one day make a nice handmaiden for a grotesquely sadistic prison cellmate; after all, even cellmates deserve ill-gotten gains, or so might have said Billy Graham, n'est-ce pas? Not a bad fate, considering that he has defrauded not only God, but the entire idea of religion and millions of poor, ignorant people who despite example after example after example, have not learned that all "church" people who make piles of money are dishonest. At least, Terry said, people like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly don't go around calling themselves "reverend."

 

Avaricious, Covetous, Mercenary, Rapacious "Reverend" Pat Robertson
Well, why all the venom on our part? Simple. We find it revolting that "a (pseudo) man of the cloth" should be more reverential to the Dollar than to God. He has founded, and makes money from: the American Center for Law and Justice, the Flying Hospital, International Family Entertainment, Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (with and emphasis on the 'corporation') and Regent University. He is the "host" (read money-reaper) of the 700 Club and is a very wealthy man, with an estimated net worth of 140 million.

 

He lives in a huge mansion on a mountain in Virginia, and owns the Ice Capades, so though he professes to hate gays, I guess the boys that skate for him in the Ice Capades are o.k. gays as long as they bring in the bucks. Funny, isn't it, how somebody who supposedly works on only non-profit causes can amass that kind of obscene wealth? Well, what isn't funny is how he has scammed his way to greater wealth with his worthless (to his suckers) American BenefitsPlus/Kalo Vita, a multi-level marketing scheme on the order of Amway and Avon in which scores of elderly have lost thousands. And, oh, you did know that Robertson was a crony of brutal dictator (now-deceased) of Congo Mobuto Sese Seko, partnering in diamond mines. My, how devout. Must make his Lord proud. I know that Bubba and Bubbette think Pat Robertson can walk on water.

 

Liz, Sweet Liz and Her On-the-Mark Quotes
British journalist Katherine Whitehorn wrote in 'The Observer' in 1979 something that Liz thinks holds especially true today, and especially when you think of Shyster Robertson: "Why do born-again people so often make you wish they'd never been born the first time?" As some say, Hallelujah!

 

Marie Christine and Jean-Paul Prepare Dinner
The teenagers had their fireplace in the great room, where they eat, and we had ours going in the dining room, but the real glow would come from this couple's amazing cooking skills. They are amazing horse-breeders and trainers, and superb cooks.

 

For the first course, they served us Shellfish Gratinéed in Scallop Shells. They made them with medium-sized mussels, littleneck clams and shrimp, spiced with shallots, Dijon mustard, bay leaves and thyme. The bread crumbs were perfectly golden brown and the presentation was flawless. They chose a sparkling wine from the Spanish winery Codorníu, a Pinot Noir Cava Brut. Not only is it a great value sparkling wine, but its Pinot Noir grapes makes this wine, with a light salmon color, have a ripe plum nose, followed by dry, harmonious, crisp tart strawberry notes with a hint of lemon on the finish.

 

Our next course was Cremini and Portobello Mushrooms and Tarragon Soup. Marie Christine and Jean-Paul used a good sherry in the making of the soup, and accompanied it with small sherry glasses of a good Lustau sherry, "Jarana," which is a light fino sherry, light and dry, with pecan and brazil nut aromas.

 

They wanted us to try a similar but yet somewhat different sherry as long as the sherry glasses were on the table, so they prepared a very simple but perfect dish, Giant Prawns in Sherry, served on a bed of wild rice. Cooked with sherry, they served another Lustau delight, their "Solera Reserva" Puerto Fino sherry. It also has a nutty aroma, but this time the aroma is of walnuts and has a touch of brine that made it a perfect match for the shrimp. This sherry, also, is a bit weightier than the Jarana.

For a very French flavor, since Marie Christine and Jean-Paul are French, after all, they prepared Trout Poached in Champagne (well, sparkling wine.) Prepared with clam juice, celery, onions and bay leaves, the trout was magnificent. Plated with simple garlicky roasted new potatoes and the tenderest of asparagus, they naturally poured us an excellent Schramsberg Vineyards full-bodied Blanc de Blancs.

We had small dollops of cantaloupe sorbet to change into a meat course palate, waiting anxiously to see what this couple of magnificent chefs would serve us next. They managed to keep all the adults seated at the table and had engaged a few of the teenagers to help them with last minute preparations and plating for the meat course.

 

Marie Christine and Jean-Paul thought some of the flavors in their next course would remind some of our new neighbors a bit of home cooked meals back in the Middle East, and generously prepared a dish that wasn't too French, Individual Lamb, Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomato Tartlets, (Tourtières d'Agneau aux Aubergines, Courgettes, et Tomates.) The spices, cumin, curry, thyme and black pepper were incredibly delicious, but did call for a good, strong wine. So, strong is what we got! From the Southern Rhône region of France, they poured us a Gigondas. This wine is sometimes referred to as "black-hearted, with a lot of tannins, and quite alcoholic." Nevertheless, it did pair perfectly with the spicy Lamb Tartlets.

 

End of a Glorious Meal
For dessert we were served simple, perfect, sublime Vanilla Madeleines, which we shared with the teenagers. Max prepared our after-dinner coffee, a task he enjoys because it gives him a chance to blend his "secret blends" and surprise us. Right before leaving, with the theme of charlatan Pat Robertson still on our minds, Liz gave us this to think about:

 

"As I grew up I got cynical. I'd see Mother enthusiastic and involved with charlatans. Numerologists and astrologists who charged five hundred dollars for a 'reading' which was so vague you could twist the meaning any way you wanted. "
Anya Seton

 

A charlatan, Liz said, that only a Republican would hold up as the gold standard for "men of the cloth."

 

Summary
Über-rich and getting more so by the minute, smarmy televangelist and Republican darling Pat Robertson continues to spew garbage, and in so doing, continues to laugh all the way to his bulging bank. Republican Bubbas and Bubettes think he can walk on water, so you know what side of the aisle you want to walk on.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

Culture of Religious Hatred

A Follower of the Dalai Lama
The recipe for Bellinis came from the famous Harry's Bar in Venice and was first concocted in the 1940's. Schuyler mixed up a batch for tonight, using exquisite fresh peaches, crème de pêche (a peach liqueur) a dash of peach bitters and sparkling wine, Prosecco in this case. It's a good thing we have a strict limit of one cocktail per person only, otherwise many of us would have lined up for seconds. Delicious.

 

We didn't have a lot of logs in the fireplace because we got a break in the weather and had a fairly mild day, but the night seemed charged with pent up emotions, mainly Bob and Judy's. They went home for the holidays, and during one of their meals they excitedly and fondly told the story of one of our neighbors who is basically a shut-in. This neighbor has had a pretty rough time of it, and depends, to his regret, on the kindness of the neighbors. Well, Bob and Judy told their family that this rough and tumble grizzled farrier had the kindness and generosity, not to mention goodness of heart you don't often associate with tough old farriers, to once a week call our neighbor to make sure that he is o.k., that he has heat and enough to eat.

 

Immediately, Bob and Judy's relatives and friends, all born-again "Christians" remarked about what fine qualities this guy possessed and what a kind and Christian spirit this man was guided by. Then, the fireworks! Bob and Judy interrupted the born-agains while they were praising the farrier, to report that actually he was a follower of the Dalai Lama and routinely spent time at Tibetan retreats in New England. Apparently, for a second you could have heard a pin drop, Judy said, but an instant later there was this horrendous, obscene, cacophony of violent, explosive, near-emetic sounds of disgust as all the gathered guests started to reveal their immense hatred for the kind-hearted farrier and his faith.

 

Well, Bob explained, the farrier's humane and decent concern for an older and weaker neighbor was admirable just while the guests sitting with Bob and Judy thought this man had to be a born-again Christian, but as soon as they found out what his faith really was they were totally repulsed by him and in an instant scorned him and derided him; the kind gestures had lost their importance. Judy of course, said she doubted even one of those guests would have been kind enough to look in on this neighbor on a regular basis, year after year.

 

The Moral Compass of the Republicans?
If these people, Max said, are the ones supposedly setting the moral compass for the Republican Party, it's no surprise things are turning putrid in Washington. Buddhism encompasses performing positive actions, as the Democrats do; it encompasses avoiding negative deeds, which the Democrats try bravely to avoid; lastly, Buddhist morality is underscored by the principles of harmlessness, as in not depriving the poor, the poor elderly, the very young or the people with disabilities benefits that go beyond the paltry bare minimum.

 

Charity and Compassion
Liz, with her inexhaustible supply quotes, told us what British politician Neil Kinnock once said: "Compassion is not a sloppy, sentimental feeling for people who are underprivileged or sick; it is an absolutely practical belief that, regardless of a person's ability, or ability to pay, he should be provided with the best that society has to offer."

 

That, Liz said, sounded rather like the Democratic Party, our Tibetan farrier, and kind people everywhere. It didn't, she said, sound like anything a Republican would feel. Perhaps, if the born-again Christians followed our farrier friend's moral compass, they wouldn't be so judgmental and cruel.

 

Startled by the Dinner Gong and Spurred On to a Wonderful Dinner
We'd gotten so engrossed in Bob and Judy's horror story that we'd forgotten the teenagers were going to be hungry, and when that was brought to our attention, we realized we too were ready for dinner.

 

Art and Terry prepared some flawless Spinach Gnudi, a dish of Tuscan origin, which naturally seemed to go well with a Tuscan wine like a Vernaccia di San Gimignano and 2002 Rocca delle Macìe, with clean and lemony mineral flavors. It's hard to explain exactly what the gnudi are, but perhaps the simplest description would be a comparison to spinach, tomato, garlic and ricotta all mixed up and made into tiny little dumplings.

 

An hour after we declared that it wasn't very cold, it did start to get a bit chilly so we were glad to see that Carmen and Jim had made a hearty Provençal Vegetable Soup. To make a long list of vegetables short, just imagine a delicious vegetable, and Carmen and Jim had put into this hearty peasant soup. Paired with a just-chilled Fino sherry, the soup was exactly what we needed after the gnudi.

 

Remaining in the slightly Italian mode the dinner began with, Art and Terry prepared Pork Chops with Kale. The kale and the fennel seeds used in the dish married perfectly, and to top it all off, Art and Terry had brought over some wine we instantly liked, a Renato Ratti Monferato Villa Pattono 2000. This wine has fresh and fruity flavors with hints of berry, currants and tobacco. It is medium-bodied and now, in 2006, ready to drink.

 

We had an inkling that Carmen was going to serve us individual ramekins of Crème Brûlée and were hoping the rumors were true, since that is one of her classic desserts. Sure enough, after our wonderfully prepared pork chops, Carmen brought out terrific ramekins of Crème Brûlée with perfectly caramelized tops. When we asked her how she achieved these beautiful, crusty tops, she confessed that she had used one of her new tools, a fairly salamander rod. She said she'd rather get the job done quickly, so she had several of these salamander rods keeping red hot on a bank of indoor charcoal grills that Max had set up for her. Basically, they are like small hockey pucks, made of steel and with a long handle, sized to fit perfectly inside the perimeter of the individual ramekins once they salamander is red-hot, thus caramelizing the desserts. We bought ours through that amazing culinary Nirvana, Sur La Table.com.

Coffee with The Teenagers
After-dinner coffee, courtesy of Max and his gorgeous, antique espresso machine, we had coffee back in the great room with the kids. They too had enjoyed Carmen's glorious dessert, and were sad to hear that no, there were no seconds. We thought she was super brave just to caramelize almost 50 individual desserts. With sweaters on and ready to go home, we all felt comforted by the knowledge that our kids, whatever their faith, would not laugh at or deride anybody who was kind to another person.

 

Summary:
Charity, compassion and concern are a better moral compass than depriving the poor, the poor elderly, very young children or people with disabilities of desperately needed benefits and help. A culture of hatred in religious matters has no place in our country.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

Epiphany: The Day of The Three Wisemen

Imagine if 59,054,087 Americans Had Been Wiser
Tonight Schuyler, hoping to make us glow along with the fireplace, made us a delicious drink, a Blue Blazer, which he made with whiskey, boiling water and a sugar cube. On the drinks table he also had some spiced decaf tea for those who didn't want a cocktail.

Judy and Elizabeth had begun a conversation that quickly caught our attention. They were discussing January 6, which is Epiphany or the Day of The Three Wisemen, celebrated in many countries, and the day when many children throughout the world actually receive their presents.

 

Because some of our gang are Europeans and some Latin Americans, we know that we'll have some sort of celebration, but that isn't exactly where Judy and Elizabeth were going with their conversation. Instead of celebratory foods and presents for the children, they were talking about wisdom, and wisdom Judy said, included the concepts of honor, decency and principles. Liz, always ready with a good quote or a good definition, thought it would be good to define wisdom. She said it encompassed: having discernment for what is true, right, judicious, and having common sense, sagacity and good judgment. Also it includes being highly educated and being prudent and sensible.

Well, Elizabeth suggested, which parents do you think would raise the most promising children, wise parents or loose cannons? Teresa Heinz Kerry is as principled and wise as anybody could be. Her amazing organizational skills, wisdom and knowledge make her one of the country's most highly principled philanthropists. Laura Bush, on the other hand Elizabeth told the hushed but excited group, isn't particularly well-known for giving away money, and other than being known for once having been a librarian, hasn't really shown much aptitude for the appreciation of good music, good art or especially fine literature. Her mothering accomplishments of course pale in comparison to Mrs. Heinz Kerry's, who single-handedly raised three extremely fine, respectable, responsible and principled sons who will likely contribute to society.

Terry jumped into the discussion, saying that John Kerry, who was not the nouveau-riche, parvenu that George Bush is, also single-handedly raised two fine, distinguished, responsible daughters who are well on their way to achieving success in their respective fields. So his smile didn't beguile people the way George Bush's perpetual smirk did? So people found him too patrician? Terry pointed out that most of this country's greatest statesmen have been patrician, and being patrician, have always been above corruption, scandal and petty vendettas. Put another way, Art said, the patrician statesmen that founded this country, and the patrician presidents who have led us since, could never have the label of poor white trash pinned on them, as this present just-barely elected president can.

 

Epiphany: A Revelatory Moment and A Sudden Flash of Recognition
The young Heinz men, and the young Kerry women are responsible, respectable, prudent young people with principles and the desire to do good and to be productive citizens. And that says a lot about their parents, but more important: it tells us how this country might have been better nurtured toward continuing greatness had Mr. and Mrs. Kerry become the residents of the White House. The way they took care of their children, and the remarkable way their children have turned out, speaks volumes for how they would have taken care of this country.

 

Barry, usually one of the two or three very quiet members of our gang jumped into the conversation also, saying that the qualities of parenting between these two families were quite evident since the Kerry's had raised magnificent children, and the Bush's, at best, raised two daughters who find greater delight in beer than they do in accomplishment of any kind that would be appreciated by the country at large. At her age, Jenna Bush should not be sticking her tongue out at the media, the way her father flips them the bird. Because their parents are very definitely not philanthropists, and their grandmother has on numerous public occasions derided the less fortunate, these two girls have learned nothing of value. Their father, a loose cannon who has unleashed unspeakable horror in the Middle East and publicly derides his own father, is certainly no paragon of virtue, which in the White House, would be quite refreshing.

 

So, probably, we'll be celebrating one kind of Epiphany for the younger European and Latin American children in our group, and we will continue talking about the epiphany of realizing that Mr. Kerry would have been a much better nurturer and custodian of our country than the loose cannon who has firmly planted us in a quagmire that is sucking our treasury dry and killing the youth we needed to do wondrous things with their youth, vigor and enthusiasm.

 

The Three Wisemen: We Counted a Few More
Yes, in the Bible we learn of the Magi, but here in the United States, what we should have had all along is the collective wisdom and goodness of Teresa Heinz Kerry and her three splendid sons, and that of Senator John Kerry and his two highly respectable daughters, in other words, a family that represents the best values of this country, Democratic values of the highest level. Republican values apparently are founded on un-called for invasions of unprovocative countries, corruption and scandal at the highest levels, and the total, abysmal desecration of our Constitution.

 

Max and Charlotte, Aided by Others, Prepare Dinner
Charlotte, as soon as we were all seated, served us small plates with Toast Points with Slivered Almonds and Manchego Cheese Shavings. She served us an Hidalgo Jerez Amontillado Napoleón sherry, with this course. The sherry had marzipan and tangerine scents and was dry but succulent and juicy.

Charlotte and Max thought this cold night would be great for a hearty Chicken, Leek and Celery Soup. Charlotte made it with generous quantities of dry white wine, cream and pancetta. She confessed that her job was made immeasurably more easy by not having to carry a huge stock pot full of soup to a blender, but instead used one of our new KitchenAid immersion blenders in order to blend the soup right on the stovetop. She and Max believed that the same sherry would pair well with the soup, and it did.

Charlotte always amazes us by her ingenious presentations. She and Beatrix both believe that no dish is too complicated or not worth the effort to prepare for us, so we were mesmerized by her Phyllo Tartlets with Garlic Prawns. The tartlets were both spicy and buttery, so Charlotte and Max elected to serve a white Italian wine that was a blend of vernaccia and some chardonnay, a Teruzzi & Puthod 2003 Toscana Terre di Tufi. The wine, slightly chilled and with its mild nectarine flavors was a perfect and enjoyable choice for the Prawn Tartlets.

Charlotte gave each of us a dollop of persimmon sorbet to prepare our palates for the next course which Max had prepared, Medallions of Liver Milanese with a medley of braised mushrooms, pearl onions and garlic smashed potatoes. The strong-flavored liver needed a very strong wine, and Charlotte and Max brought some bottles of Thierry Puzelat 2003 Touraine Pineau d'Aunis, which was a full and ripe wine with an abundance of tannins that paired perfectly with the liver.

 

For dessert, Charlotte served us a very simple dish of ripe peaches and cream. Here, we considered the fresh peaches a luxury in the middle of winter and enjoyed them vastly, together with her pairing the peaches with an Italian wine, a Vietti 2004 Moscato d'Asti Cascinetta, whose banana scents truly paired well with the peaches and cream.

 

Return To The Great Room
To finish our evening, we re-joined the teenagers in the great room and had our after-dinner espresso that Max enjoys making for us. The kids had gathered bits of what we had discussed tonight, so they were interested in this quote from Thomas Jefferson from 1774 that Liz gave us to top off the evening: "The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest." Well, Liz asked us all, between the parvenu Bush's and the patrician Kerrys, which couple do you think would be the most prone to be honest? We thought the answer was pretty evident, considering everything that's in the news every day now. And now, home to take care of animals, pets and homework, but it was a productive conversational night.

 

Summary:
If 59,054,087 Americans had been wiser in their election of a snide and pouty upstart, and had instead voted to bring in to the presidency a fine father and husband, whose principles are unassailable, today the world would be a safer world and we would not be as vastly hated as we are. Epiphany is both a special day observed by Christians, and a word that signifies awakening and realization of great truth, and our great truth is that the nouveau-riche, poor white trash George Bush has dragged us into an expensive quagmire that we can ill afford.

 

Key words:
Epiphany, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Senator John Kerry, George Bush, Democratic values, Republican values, corruption, scandal, Hidalgo Jerez Amontillado Napoleón, KitchenAid immersion blender, Teruzzi & Puthod 2003 Toscana Terre di Tufi, Thierry Puzelat 2003 Touraine Pineau d'Aunis, Vietti 2004 Moscato d'Asti Cascinetta

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

The Rise and Fall of 43

The Just Bare Rise and Precipitous Fall of a Would-Be Dictator
Excitement in the air; Judy and Bob were really geared up for something, we could tell. As we waited for the entire gang to arrive, Schuyler was busy preparing our cocktail for tonight, a Brazen Hussy. Not as brazen a hussy as W, but the cocktails were just-strong enough. We had heard so much about a vodka being made in Texas, that Schuyler decided to use it tonight: Tito's Handmade Vodka, winner of significant prizes. He made the Brazen Hussy with this vodka and Cointreau, and for others, he made Mocktails, so we all had something to sip, and judging from Judy and Bob's vivacity, we knew we'd do some pretty snappy sipping.

 

Bob said he wasn't going to hog the floor tonight, he was just going to tell us a few details about some guy who thought he was the Chief Capo of the world. He had just finished re-reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and several volumes on the life of Benito Mussolini, both gentlemen who thought they owned the world and that the world owed them because they had so much political capital. Both, of course, loved preening and posing for the press in their little military outfits.

 

Of another gentleman, Judy began her descriptions. Somewhat wistful, somewhat slyly, she began describing the third gentleman she wanted to talk about tonight.

 

She said first that he variously had been described as a genius, full of charisma, vision, evil, manipulativeness, leaderhsip and single-mindedness. Alas, for the world, he was followed slavishly by sycophants, ditherers and brutes, all ready to fill the rail cars with loot, plunder and ill-gotten gains.

Bob said it was beyond comprehension that the country permitted bullying of never before seen proportions, with even his generals cowing and deferring to him out of fear of getting sacked if they disagreed or defied him. His rage, once imminent defeat was obvious, was inevitably directed at his generals and entourage in general.

 

However, Judy emphasized, like any bully, he ignored and understimated the will of the press to bring truth to light, even if the citizenry had long-ago fallen into lassitude, lethargy and complacency. The press' unflagging efforts became necessary Judy said, because of this guy's innovative, sytematic and extremely successful use of deception, corruption and paid-for propoganda to further his nefarious goals. Under him, Judy mentioned, even the press had to be very careful because of the powers this guy showered on himself even up to and including the power to kill what he might consider an enemy of the state. His legal advisers stop at nothing, deluding him into thinking that indeed, his powers supercede all others, and in truth, he has used his powers in myriad unsavory ways, such as seeing to the incarceration of innocent citizens who happen to gather to voice their concerns.

 

Liz interjected that she was also terrified at the loathing this man felt for other societies. His heinous lack of concern for the life of either citizens of his country or foreigners was truly repulsive, as was his use of hermeneutics to support all his theories. He told the country that he received his marching orders from God; how's that for hermeneutics? Well, Liz said, those little voices trumpeted in his famous ears: Crusade, Crusade, Crusade.

 

Jane, a bit quietly, said she thought Judy and Bob had to be talking about Hitler, who else could have so many traits that shouldn't see the light of day? No, Judy and Bob told her, William L. Shirer could really write the same book and just change names by hitting search and replace: Hitler for Bush, and the book would read the same. Heck, they even say Eva Braun had a brain like a bird's! But, Jane said, where are the likes of Hermann, Goebbels, Himmler, etc.? And Judy, wisely retorted, don't forget Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Alberto Gonzáles, Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, there, you'll find the rest of the henchmen.

 

At Last, The Teenagers Ring the Dinner Gong
Marie Christine enjoyed making our first course tonight, tapa-style: Chilean Chorizo and Herb Fritatta (or tortilla, as they say in South America.) We all assumed that she would be serving the fritattas with our usual slightly-chilled Fino sherry, but she surprised us by saying that if the fritattas were from Chile, she thought a Chilean wine would be a nice change, and poured us a hearty, red wine with fruit and spice, a 1999 Santa Rita Rapel Valley Reserva.

 

Though the change from white to red wine at the beginning of a meal surprised us, we were delighted with her choice and served to make a point:there really aren't set-in-concrete rules anymore. More and more connoisseurs are just drinking whatever wine they really love, rather than what some wine maven might try and dictate. Even our chronicles of our delicious meals for all the gang shouldn't be taken as dicta, they are just choices of wines that please us, that we feel go with our meal, and that fit our price range. You can always move upwards in terms of price from the range we usually stay in, but don't choose wines too much further down the rung; you won't be getting something really enjoyable.

 

Jean-Paul next served us an amazing Prawn and Lobster Chowder. We've often had a Prawn Chowder or a Lobster Chowder, but never the same together. Just as Marie Christine likes to be adventurous, Jean-Paul does too, hence the blend of crustaceans, but what a chowder. He did, however, return to what we are used to, a lovely Amontillado sherry from the house of Lustau in Spain. Personally, since they breed and train beautiful Andalusian horses, I think that's why at some point in the meal both Marie Christine and Jean-Paul enjoy sherry, or "jerez" as it is know in Spain. The sherry probably reminds them of Spain, which because of horse-buying trips, they visit often.

Max had the grills going in order to prepare us a succulent Mesquite Grilled Swordfish with Árbol Chile Salsa. Piquant, yes, but delicious. Max and Charlotte brought some bottles of a nice Sauvignon Blanc, a fruity, rich 1999 Inama Sauvignon Veneto Vulcaia Fumé from Italy. On the side, he served us some beautifully grilled corn on the cob.

 

Max next served us Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Bell and Chipotle Peppers. He served us fluffy wild rice and fava beans, and poured us not the Malbec we assumed he would serve with the grilled pork, but instead he and Charlotte brought some bottles of a rustic wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, a Corbières from Château les Palais. The red wine was rustic but quite good, and was creamy, full, supple with impressive fruit and a touch of oak.

For dessert, Shelley and Cathy served us bowls of mixed berries and some of their homeade ice cream and poured a delightful Dindarello 1998 Maculan Moscato Veneto.

 

Winding Down with the Teenagers
Tonight had been a troubling night because of our discussion. It seems that there is a veil of darkness and evil covering Washington right now. It seems daily more scandal comes out of this White House, the one that had promised us a return to dignity. Well, Hitler didn't bestow dignity on Germany, and Bush and Cohorts Inc. are not bestowing anything remotely resembling dignity on the United States. We don't like to hide facts from the teenagers, but tonight, we were glad they were too busy comparing holiday experiences to listen to our conversations and views on the evil awash in Washington.

 

Summary:
William L. Shirer's Book, "The Rise and Fall of The Third Reich" with just a few modifications, for example in the names of the main protagonists, could easily become "The Rise and Fall Of 43 and The United States." Our Congress is asleep at the wheel, allowing a megalomaniac assume powers that rightfully belong to We, The People. Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels and their like were obviously not the last unspeakably evil people in politics. Today, we have Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Gonzáles and Rove.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

Fling the Elderly, Poor, Disabled or Just Confused Over A Cliff

The Holidays Could Have Told a Story
Tonight Schuyler planned to introduce us to a rum we hadn't tried before, 10 Cane Rum from Trinidad. He mixed up a batch of delicious Daiquiris, which went a long way toward warming us up on this chilly evening.

 

We were all gathered by the fireplace, glad to be our normal, rowdy "gang" again. Liz did mention that as wonderful as the holidays can be, if you were observant, she said, you must have noticed a slight stench in the air, no matter where in the world you were this year. If, during your holiday,you spent time with Grandpa and Grandma, your very much less-affluent friend Tim, your cousin Trish, with the severe disabilities, your old college roommate who had had a good career but had fallen on hard times and couldn't find a well-paying job anymore, well, you caught a whiff of that foul air wafting around.

 

Funny, Liz said, that foul breeze really got an uplift in a rather unusual and expensive way. It seems that serious cuts to the budget were going to be made by the Republicans to our over bloated budget. Dick Cheney, who was on an expensive and supposedly important mission to Iraq, was called home by buddy George when it appeared that even some Republicans thought that cutting the budget by throwing Grandpa and Grandma, your very much less-affluent friend Tim, your cousin Trish, with the severe disabilities, and your old college roommate over the cliff to fend for themselves was a bit too draconian, even for Republicans. It seems mol George realized he would need Sweet Dick to cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate, so down the drain went the mission to Iraq, despite the thousands of Americans who have died there: cutting benefits for the aged, poor and disabled were a higher priority for our revered leader.

 

Bob and Liz told us that with the Holidays hanging over the country, that kind-hearted team, Bush-Cheney, wanted to effect draconian cuts in benefits to Medicaid, which serves low-income and disabled Americans. They were also threatening to cut food stamps. They were planning also on severe curtailments to many programs that are vital to the welfare of low-income families and the poor elderly.

 

So What if Over Two Thousand Americans Have Been Killed? The Cliff.
You would think that if it was so important for Vice/Cheney to go all the way over to Iraq, with a resplendent entourage, there would be a reason for him to stay there and complete his mission, supposing he knew what his mission was. But no, Brownie, there's a more important job to take care of on the homefront: denying those least able to care for themselves benefits to guarantee at least a little more than the minimum benefits necessary to barely keep body and soul together. Worse, Liz said, she knew in her heart that if he could, Bush really would round up this troublesome group and throw them over the cliff. They're so nettlesome, those needy people.

 

More Nettlesome People and Those Confounding Medicare Drug Benefits
Another bad odor permeating the Holiday air was Bush's scaring seniors and those with disabilities with the message that they had to sign up for Medicare Prescription Benefits by January 1. Pray, tell, if you are already suffering from some symptoms that make understanding rocket science just a tad difficult, how are you supposed to sign up for a program with myriad variables that no computer program to date has been able to master? And worse, for Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, once you're signed up for a program, that program can tell you they're not going to cover the meds you need after all, and you, Bush's sucker, don't have the right to change plans for a whole year! Now, is that the work of a scheister or what? The cliff, redux.

 

First Day of School And The Teenagers Are Hungry
Several of us are contributing to dinner tonight. Preparing dinner here is really a breeze, and Judy thought it was because we don't have any of the usual family-induced tension that rears its ugly head during the holidays. Here, we meet for dinner and conversation every night because we enjoy each other's company, not because bloodlines force us.

 

Jeremy and Alex were discussing the advantages and disadvantages of having tequila or Fino sherry with our tapa-style appetizers, those little morsels we've come to grow used to and always look forward to having. Apparently, because in Spain you would be served a slightly-chilled Fino Sherry with your tapas, the vote was taken and we decided to continue serving sherry, choosing to limit our tequila to Schuylers incredible cocktails or for sipping after dinner.

Charlotte prepared little Manchego, Tapenade and Radicchio Quesadillas, a different combination, but one that turned out amazingly delicious. They paired the tapas with a wonderful Lustau Fino sherry, one of Spain's finest. Having opened the sherry bottles, Charlotte thought she'd serve the same sherry with tonight's creamy Lobster Bisque. Charlotte's bouquet garni was perfectly made to produce an exquisite bisque, and as you know, here we don't believe in torturing animals, so she chilled the lobsters until they were comatose, then quickly killed them before boiling them.

 

Max too was over his jet-lag and was ready to go back to the grilling we appreciate he's so happy to do for us. Tonight he grilled Cedar Planked Salmon, brushing the salmon with both olive oil and an Asian barbecue sauce. He and Charlotte thought that the lemongrass and ginger aromatics in Riesling would match perfectly with the Asian barbecue sauce and its lingering smokiness. We were delighted with their choice of an Alsatian Trimbach Riesling and thought that the next time we had the plank-grilled salmon we would try it with a Jacob's Creek Reserve Riesling from Australia. Taking advantage of the grills' being on, Max also baked us some of his flawless Cowboy Grilled Cornbread, which we enjoyed with both the salmon and the meat course.

 

Jeremy prepared a Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Pecan Crust. Jeremy thought some Collard Greens Braised with Garlic and some Broccoli Steamed with Ginger would be nice on the plates. The wine he chose was carefully thought out. Being from Britain, and now living in the United States, Jeremy likes to chose wines from the U.S.or at least from the New World so instead of the possibility that I had suggested, a 1997 Querciabella Camartina, he chose an extremely hearty, ripe and structured Alta Vista Malbec Mendoza Grande Reserve Terroir Selection 2003, which on top of being perfect for the roast, was an affordable wine. Malbec is always a favorite up here, as is any beef one of us prepares with Argentina in mind.

 

Beatrix, who doesn't consider the real Christmas Season to end until January 6, the Day of the Three Wise Men (Epiphany) still wanted something pretty festive for tonight, so she prepared her specialty for this time of year, English Trifle, or as it's better known in other countries, Sopa Inglesa. In the spirit of festivity, she selected an inspired sparkling wine, a Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut Rosé, which has flavors full of cherry and red fruit, from the Pinot Noir from which it is made

 

After-Dinner Coffee
We returned to the great room to spend some time with the teenagers. They were busy chatting up a storm, as many had gone abroad with their parents for the holidays, while others had traveled to other states, and some lucky few had been given their choice of some of the foals born in 2005, an unbeatable gift for horse-crazy teenagers.

 

Liz, right before everybody left, gave us this quote which helped explain Bush's contempt for the unfortunate. It is from Charles Grant Allen, and from 1894, but still apropos:

 

"Conservatism [Republicanism] I believe, is mainly due to want of imagination. In saying this, I do not for a moment mean to deny the other and equally obvious truth that Conservatism [Republicanism], in a lump, is a euphemism for selfishness."

 

Liz, as usual, was right on with her quote of the day.

 

Summary:
With thousands of dead and wounded U.S. troops in Iraq, Dick Cheney was sent to Iraq on a mission, but once there, Bush called him back to the U.S., his Iraq business left unfinished, for the sole purpose of using Cheney to help Bush win passage of a bill that would decimate help for the least fortunate people in this country. His message was clear: all those dead troops are not as important as bringing back Vice/Cheney to implode the already Dickensian world of the unfortunate in the United States, whom Bush would like to throw over the edge of a cliff.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

Fake Online Political Race Site Launched - Pay To Compete and Site Owner Wins

 

FacePace.com: Revolutionary Online Political Race Launched

FacePace, a new online political race located at http://facepace.com, aims to connect advertisers with viewers while providing one of the most captivating races ever.

(PRWEB) January 4, 2006 -- FacePace is a new and revolutionary online political race that was launched on December 31, 2005, by James Young. The site is located at http://facepace.com

FacePace involves a pro-Bush team “Dubya Pride” and an anti-Bush team “Dubya Fried." Both aim to raise enough points to surpass George W. Bush’s total votes cast in both his presidential campaigns, 112,496,612. The first team to surpass this total is declared the ultimate winner of FacePace.

Points will be contributed to each team with advertisers purchase them to publish their ad on FacePace. The purchase of points, which are sold in sets of 537—the either beloved or dreaded number that represents Bush’s 2000 margin in Florida—grants the purchaser to submit an ad for publishing on FacePace. Ads purchased with the most points will be featured first and foremost on the Contributors page. Those who choose to be Neutral will have their points contributed to both teams.

The FacePace concept is unique because it makes the viewing of ads a captivating experience by associating it with politics, an area that generates intense fervor and interest and has caused a distinct divide around the globe. Viewers will constantly flock to the site to check the progress of the competition. Therefore, advertisers are promised tremendous exposure as the contest progresses and everyone is guaranteed intense competition as the point total for each team elevates towards the goal.

Although FacePace was launched less than a week ago, numerous advertisers have already purchased points and submitted their ad to begin the competition. The ads may be viewed on the Contributors page at http://facepace.com/contributors.php

Many predict that FacePace will transform into one of the most revolutionary, heart-rending, and captivating political competitions in the history of the Internet, as it utilizes the political fervor that is ingrained in most individuals and applies it to practical means.

# # #

Press Contact: James Young
Company Name:
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 415-812-9257
Website: http://facepace.com

Resolutions for The New Year

Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account. - Oscar Wilde

 

"There is nothing which we estimate so fallaciously as the force of our own resolutions, nor any fallacy which we so unwillingly and tardily detect. He that has resolved a thousand times, and a thousand times deserted his own purpose, yet suffers no abatement of his confidence, but still believes himself his own master; and able, by innate vigor of soul, to press forward to his end, through all the obstructions that inconveniences or delights can put in his way." - Samuel Johnson

 

All the neighbors have returned, safely, thankfully. Beatrix and Jeremy went all the way to England, Charlotte and Max went to Belgium to be with her family, and Marie Christine and Jean-Paul went to France, while others traveled to other states but didn't leave the country. We are so used to having the house full of people for dinner and conversation. Remember, we normally have around 50 people gathered here for dinner every night, so when some of the couples and their children leave for a while, the house seems wistful, as if it too missed the controlled pandemonium of our large "gang." We're glad so many were able to travel to be with their families, but we're vastly happy that they're back. Schuyler kindly, as always, prepared our cocktails. Tonight, the first night we've all been together again after the holiday hiatus, he made a simple but pure vodka "martini," called a Kangaroo. Always the purist, he only let the vodka look briefly at the vermouth, and stirred, never shook, the cocktails. As usual, he had nonalcoholic choices for those who prefer not to have an alcoholic beverage.

 

Now, About Those Pesky New Year's Resolutions
Many of us had, probably in the spirit of the holidays, decided that some of our dialogues had become profoundly critical and negative and hoped to be more positive beginning with the ringing-in of the New Year. Well, up here on the farm, we don't have any Pollyannas, and those "kill the U.S. Constitution" people in Washington just won't stop, so we reached a real cononundrum. How can you be all "sweetness and light" when Washington right now is all "darkness and evil?"

 

I, for one, resolved that the topics of our conversations would center more around the positive than the negative aspects of politics and the way we are governed. After all, I thought, amazingly wonderful things do come out of Washington, right? Well, as you can see, my New Year's Resolution lasted, give or take a second, twenty-four hours. I don't know if that's a record, but in just the week that I decided the above-mentioned kind-hearted decision, and decided that our group would be more gentle in our opinions about the government, Washington just kept rearing its nasty snout, reminding me that we were promised by the smirking, squinty-eyed Commandrix-in-Chief, that under his administration we would have a more dignified administration. Yeah, and I still believe in Santa Claus, so, buddies, up here on the farms, it's going to be business as usual. Up to and even including the subject of impeachment.

 

Message From Abroad: We Are Truly Hated
Those who traveled to different parts of the globe for the holidays returned with chilling accounts of how deeply, how profoundly hated we are everywhere. Sadly, it's probably not the United States that is so horrifically hated, but rather the hatred is most likely aimed squarely, with no exceptions, at every member of the administration. But, even Bubba would have to admit that the administration is the face of the nation (and we've already told you that as kids, each person in this administration was so repulsive their mothers had to tie rib-eye steaks around their necks just so 'n the dogs would play with 'em.) So; and even the commander-in-chief-mired-in-corruption-scandals should appreciate the fact that we're back at the O.K. Corral and it's back to no holds barred.

 

Scary Holiday Visits Because of Hate-Mongering Born-Agains
Finally, Alex and Jane, although they had really looked forward to visiting their combined families over the holidays, returned completely horrified and repulsed by what they had witnessed. Seems their holiday was ruined by the near-insane, unbelievably repulsive aggressiveness of their "born-again Christian" relatives. They gave us just two brief examples, but we very quickly understood why they had returned so saddened by relatives whose religions should have brought nothing buy joy. We've mentioned that we have a deeply psychologically scarred neighbor we all look after. Well, a rough and tumble über-macho-type farrier who takes care of our neighbor's horses' shoes is always concerned about the welfare of our neighbor and very kindly, calls him weekly to check on his health, comfort, food needs and mood.

 

To us, this farrier is like an angel (a rough, grizzled angel, but an angel nevertheless), but when Alex and Jane mentioned that the farrier was a Tibetan monk in soul if not in practice, their relatives just up-chucked their dinner in disgust. If he wasn't a "born-again Christian" then no amount of kindness this man bestowed on our beloved but quite disabled neighbor counted. Needless to say, Alex and Jane were incredulous at this degree of extreme right wing "religion."

 

Also, they told us, it proved that if these modern-day zealots met the real Jesus, they'd find him quite repulsive, since he believed in acts and not labels or bible-babble. The only other faux pas during their stay was Jane's mentioning something about having been lucky during the hay-growing season, and that too set off her relatives into paroxysms of disgust; apparently, these people hate the word "luck." Everything is pre-ordained. If you dare say the word "luck" in their presence, well, you're damned. So, the gang agreed that just as with the present administration, we will have to continue to deal with these out of control fanatical religious zealots who, given the chance, would set off World World III.

 

Just imagine, Liz said, if the born-again Christians are hell-bent on conquering the fanatical Muslims, who are hell-bent on annihilating every non-Muslim, where is it going to end? And then, do we really need a "president" who always has the word Crusade, on the tip of his slimy tongue?

 

No More Resolutions: Just Dinner
While so many of the gang were away, we didn't use the dinner gong, but tonight, with all the teenagers back, arguing about whose turn it was to bang it, we realized how much we had missed the sound of the dinner gong.

 

As is our custom, because there are so many of us sitting down for dinner at the same time, the adults head to the separate dining room and the younger set remains in the great room, at the dining table set up for them there.

 

Liz and Judy's Dinner
Tonight, both Liz and Judy wanted to be in charge of most of the dinner preparations. Max, still suffering from a bit of jet lag didn't object, and let the ladies take over for tonight.

 

Their first course was Provençal Toast Points, served as a Tapa, with an excellent just-chilled Lustau sherry. The dish, though it sounds simple, involves many delectable ingredients, such as anchovies soaked in milk and rinsed, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, capers, olives and potatoes. The addition of tuna was an excellent finishing touch that brought the appetizer to sublimity.

 

The next course was a delight that Liz and Judy had just read about on our friend Peter Hertzmann's exquisite French food web site. It was an interesting salad of Scallops with Apples that was just perfection. If you're interested, you can find it at http://www.hertzmann.com/articles/2006/pommes/
We had our salad with a bone-dry, assertive, high-acidity Alsatian Riesling from Zind-Humbrecht.

 

The next surprise Liz and Judy served delighted not only the adults, but also the teenagers, who are all "gourmets-in-the-making." They served Prawns In Zucchini Wraps. The prawns were pan-grilled with a touch of goose fat and cooked to perfection. On the plates, Liz and Judy served braised porcini and shiitake mushrooms with very tender haricots verts. Paired with the dish was a magnificent dry white wine from Burgundy, a Puligny-Montrachet. You could also serve the dish with a good California Chardonnay

 

After dollops of mango sorbet, Liz and Judy surprised us by the perfection of their Roast Chicken Stuffed with Lemon and Garlic. Instead of opting for a red wine, tonight they elected to serve us a delicious Spanish white wine from Rioja, a Finca Allende 2003 Rioja Blanco with pronounced oak flavors.

 

Carmen had baked some more than exquisite Vanilla-Orange Zest Madeleines which we joyfully sipped with some 2004 Moscato d'Asti from Palladino, a dessert wine with apricot and kumquat flavors with a dry finish.

 

Winding Down
We had after-dinner coffee in the great room so we could spend some time with the kids. We enjoyed hearing their views on how the holidays had gone for them. Since they have dinner over here every night, they're pretty much a family, and so they enjoyed seeing each other after the holiday break. In a day, they'll be back in school, and in a day we'll settle back into our regular farm and ranching routines. Sorry about those New Year's Resolutions promising to be Pollyanish about the world, but Washington just isn't interested in keeping its nose clean, and Liz told us via this quote from Mark Twain, those resolutions just aren't meant to be. Here is the Mark Twain quote Liz told us about:

 

"Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual - New Year's is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly call, and humbug resolutions."

 

To all of you, we wish you a very, very Happy New Year!

 

Summary:
New Year's Resolutions, wonderful flights of fancy with a tenuous hold on reality or on the ability to see them through an entire year. Here on the farm, our resolution to be kind and gentle with those in power lasted just under 24 hours, meaning that the New Year just rang-in the same curmudgeon host of a group of highly intelligent neighbors who give national and world affairs a high priority in their lives. The White House could have cleaned up its act over the holidays, but they chose not to. And, voilà.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

PetitionSpot.com Gives Virtual Voice to All

 

PetitionSpot.com Gives Virtual Voice to All

Creators of online petitions spread word about causes -- near and far -- while collecting signatures via PetitionSpot.com.

RANCHO CUCAMUNCHA, Calif. (PRWEB) January 2, 2006 -- Virtually everybody has a voice now, thanks to online petition generator PetitionSpot.com.

The site, online since November 2003, allows members to create online petitions for free, which then may be forwarded to anyone with an e-mail address. Signing the virtual dotted line is a simple way to show support for a cause -- whether global or local.

According to Patrick Thona, owner of PetitionSpot.com, membership has grown to nearly 20,000 members, with 100 to 200 new members joining on a daily basis. The petitions now online are gathering approximately 5,000 to 10,000 signatures each day in circulation.

Popular petitions now online include an appeal for the release of four members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams, taken hostage Nov. 26, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq. The petition, titled An Urgent Appeal: Please Release Our Friends in Iraq, has received nearly 40,000 signatures since its creation. It also is featured on the site MichaelMoore.com.

Other petitions now in circulation include: two appeals to People magazine and Oprah Winfrey to help expose puppy mills (amounting to almost 60,000 signatures), along with pleas to save the television shows Arrested Development (nearly 33,000 signatures) and Wonderfalls (almost 24,000 signatures).

“Petition creators now have more powerful tools to help manage their petitions, including a swear filter, and an e-mail validation system, so you can ensure your petition has valid signatures,” according to the site.

Articles also are available on the site to assist members in writing successful petitions.

“PetitionSpot.com is easy to use, and offers a comprehensive set of tools for petition creators who want to spread the word about a cause that is meaningful to them -- granting it exposure in the global marketplace,” Thona said.

For more information, visit the site at http://www.petitionspot.com.

###

Press Contact: Patrick Thona
Company Name: PetitionSpot.com
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 714-606-2659
Website: www.petitionspot.com