1. Wow--the second week of January already. Time is already flying.
2. Strange week in the news--new Congress, new White House Chief of Staff, same old taxes though. And it is tax season.
3. Be happy where you are. It's hard sometimes because I want to be somewhere I'm not.
4. Do palm trees grow in North Dakota? Answer. Yes, in a greenhouse.
5. Football playoffs have begun with some shocking surprises. Won't it be sad next year after the NFL owners have strangled the golden goose not to have football? Way to go Ravens--the only favored team that actually won.
6. Saturday--a new definition: a day to accomplish all of those things that were put off during the week. A 12-hour work day is anticipated so that returning to the day-job on Monday will seem like taking a day off.
7. Out of control. I dreamed the other night of sliding down a snow-covered hill on the old runner sled that I had when I was a kid. I realized that when I was a kid I loved that out of control feeling of careening down the hill barely able to steer. Now--I need to be in control and I don't think I'd find it much fun. Sad.
8. The house looked empty yesterday when we got up and Christmas was all packed away. We are still finding the little things we missed though.
9. Quote of the week from Jax made while we were playing with a big truck during Lucas' party: "Poppop, you go hide and I'll get the gas." He was playing two games at the same time.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 -- Review
I reviewed the 2006 vintage of this wine and that review at this link: 2006 MA Cab-Sav. I really enjoyed the 2006 vintage and highly recommended it. I was excited about sampling a bottle of the 2008 vintage.
The 2008 vintage of the wine has a nice deep color, which is very pleasant to experience. It has a nose full of dark berries and cherries with a hint of vanilla for some sweetness. The initial taste confirms the nose--the berries and black cherries are definitely there as well as the vanilla and a hint of tobacco and pepper. The wine has a nice feel in the mouth, silky. The tannins are very light. The taste, however, did not linger and the wine has no finish. It just ends after the initial excitement of the nose and taste.
I was disappointed with the finish and the overall balance of the wine. There is no complexity to support the taste and the flavors. It is an easy drinking wine, but there are a lot of wines like that for much less cost. I was not convinced that this wine would get any better with age. It doesn't have either the tannins or structure to perform in this manner.
RECOMMENDATION: At about $18 per bottle, I think there are better wines out there to enjoy. This is a nice, easy drinking wine but it lacked complexity and balance.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Taxing churches and non-profits?
Way to go Mission, Kansas.
An article in on the presidential prayer team website offers some insight into how the government of Mission, Kansas is trying to subvert the tax-exempt status of churches and non-profits with a new "fee."
Mission, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, has a new twist on taxes – a fee that charges churches based on the number of worshipers and their number of trips to church each year. In this mid-sized, mid-America city usually associated with conservative and pro-Christian viewpoints and policies, this fee has caused an uproar among area churches and other nonprofit groups, resulting in a lawsuit against the city by two of the churches.
Diann ends her article with the following paragraph:
Mission, Kansas is not the only city in America that has tried to institute such fees: the Idaho and Florida Supreme Courts have both ruled in similar cases that such “fees” are, in fact, taxes. “This case will boil down to whether the courts consider this a fee or a property tax,” Stanley told nbcactionnews.com. “We’re confident that, based on what the Kansas Supreme Court has said many times over and the difference between a fee and a property tax that, in reality, what the city of Mission has done here is to institute a property tax and subvert the property tax exemptions for churches, charities and other nonprofit organizations, simply because they want more money.”
I urge you to click on the title and read the entire article.
We live in an era , it seems, when local governments will stoop to new levels to improve the cash flow. Fees are not reviewable like taxes, but they are a tax just the same. Be on guard!
An article in on the presidential prayer team website offers some insight into how the government of Mission, Kansas is trying to subvert the tax-exempt status of churches and non-profits with a new "fee."
Churches being levied on their number of worshipers
by Diann NolesMission, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, has a new twist on taxes – a fee that charges churches based on the number of worshipers and their number of trips to church each year. In this mid-sized, mid-America city usually associated with conservative and pro-Christian viewpoints and policies, this fee has caused an uproar among area churches and other nonprofit groups, resulting in a lawsuit against the city by two of the churches.
Diann ends her article with the following paragraph:
Mission, Kansas is not the only city in America that has tried to institute such fees: the Idaho and Florida Supreme Courts have both ruled in similar cases that such “fees” are, in fact, taxes. “This case will boil down to whether the courts consider this a fee or a property tax,” Stanley told nbcactionnews.com. “We’re confident that, based on what the Kansas Supreme Court has said many times over and the difference between a fee and a property tax that, in reality, what the city of Mission has done here is to institute a property tax and subvert the property tax exemptions for churches, charities and other nonprofit organizations, simply because they want more money.”
I urge you to click on the title and read the entire article.
We live in an era , it seems, when local governments will stoop to new levels to improve the cash flow. Fees are not reviewable like taxes, but they are a tax just the same. Be on guard!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Trees against a Fiery Sky
Some mornings now, as I drive to work after playing racquetball, I am treated to some breath taking beauty.
But I was driving at high speed on a busy freeway with too many other sleepy drivers to even attempt using the camera in my cell phone.
I found something similar on the Internet--but, alas, it is not my work--but it provides an approximation of what I witnessed.
But I have it in my mind.
If only I could paint--
but then, in a manner--I just did using words instead of canvas.
Tuesday morning it was a pre-dawn red sky silhouetting the bare trees. I wanted to take a picture to remember this sight as there were also dark clouds reflecting the red rays of the still below the horizon sun which added their own unique beauty to the scene. The trees stood tall and black with the red of the sky filling in around them. They were still--there was no wind. It reminded me of a Wooster Scott painting. I think I know where she got her inspiration.
But I was driving at high speed on a busy freeway with too many other sleepy drivers to even attempt using the camera in my cell phone.
I found something similar on the Internet--but, alas, it is not my work--but it provides an approximation of what I witnessed.
But I have it in my mind.
If only I could paint--
but then, in a manner--I just did using words instead of canvas.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Updated Huck Finn?
Really? They can do that? They can change a classic to make it politically correct?
I read the following in an article titled: Huck Finn will lose the "N" Word. I was interested in the reasoning behind the change--but I wonder what other classics will be next? And maybe as a result history itself will be rewritten?
Revisionist history and political correctness have gone too far this time.
The problem with changing the words to make the book more acceptable is that the greatest aspect of Mark Twain's writing was that it recorded the style of the day. It was in context with where we were in America at that time. How people spoke, interacted, and thought. Changing that, to make it acceptable to modern readers loses historical value. It is the same as retouching an old photograph to remove or add items or people and dubbing over an audio track. Twain's writing is an image and a sound-byte into real America at that time. It is gritty and real and we need to hear and read it to understand how far we have come in America in terms of accepting ethnic diversity.
I agree with the online dictionary that this word has become probably the most offensive word in English. There are lots of mundane and offensive words that I have, sadly, been known to use and abuse--but I would never consider using this particular word in any manner and I even refuse to write it for fear of the consequences and contextual extractions which might result.
That written, however, I believe we lose more than we gain and future generations of Americans will lose touch with the real, earthy America of which Twain wrote. I also disagree with their updating of the word to reflect "slave" as I do not believe it is the correct word to use. Slave was not a definition listed in the on line dictionary. But, it has been a long time since I read the book.
By the way--the word is also used in Gone with the Wind--although not to the same extreme that Twain wrote it. I wonder if that book is next to be revised.
Next, someone will be trying to update the language in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
I read the following in an article titled: Huck Finn will lose the "N" Word. I was interested in the reasoning behind the change--but I wonder what other classics will be next? And maybe as a result history itself will be rewritten?
Revisionist history and political correctness have gone too far this time.
The problem with changing the words to make the book more acceptable is that the greatest aspect of Mark Twain's writing was that it recorded the style of the day. It was in context with where we were in America at that time. How people spoke, interacted, and thought. Changing that, to make it acceptable to modern readers loses historical value. It is the same as retouching an old photograph to remove or add items or people and dubbing over an audio track. Twain's writing is an image and a sound-byte into real America at that time. It is gritty and real and we need to hear and read it to understand how far we have come in America in terms of accepting ethnic diversity.
I agree with the online dictionary that this word has become probably the most offensive word in English. There are lots of mundane and offensive words that I have, sadly, been known to use and abuse--but I would never consider using this particular word in any manner and I even refuse to write it for fear of the consequences and contextual extractions which might result.
That written, however, I believe we lose more than we gain and future generations of Americans will lose touch with the real, earthy America of which Twain wrote. I also disagree with their updating of the word to reflect "slave" as I do not believe it is the correct word to use. Slave was not a definition listed in the on line dictionary. But, it has been a long time since I read the book.
By the way--the word is also used in Gone with the Wind--although not to the same extreme that Twain wrote it. I wonder if that book is next to be revised.
Next, someone will be trying to update the language in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
World to End in May: On Prophets and Prophecy
As if we hadn't just started the year, now religious groups are predicting that there will be no Christmas in 2011.
In the AP article: End of Days in May? Christian group spreads word. Yes, it seems that even after the movie 2012 predicted the end of life last year, now Christian groups want to scoop even the Mayan calendar.
So May 21, 2011 is it then. Well--so was 1984, and 1844 and a lot of other times in between have been touted as the date of the end of the world.
Our world has so many prophets in it these days--it is hard to tell who is really a prophet and who is a fraud. Remember, true prophet has a 100 percent accuracy rate. I wonder what the accuracy rate is for the group predicting the end of the world on May 21st. You know the old saying--even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.
Good could from this--but, more likely, nothing good will result and on May 22nd--these people will be lumped together with other Christians by the world and we will all be considered crackpots.
And I was just thinking the year had gotten off to such a great start!
In the AP article: End of Days in May? Christian group spreads word. Yes, it seems that even after the movie 2012 predicted the end of life last year, now Christian groups want to scoop even the Mayan calendar.
So May 21, 2011 is it then. Well--so was 1984, and 1844 and a lot of other times in between have been touted as the date of the end of the world.
Our world has so many prophets in it these days--it is hard to tell who is really a prophet and who is a fraud. Remember, true prophet has a 100 percent accuracy rate. I wonder what the accuracy rate is for the group predicting the end of the world on May 21st. You know the old saying--even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes.
Good could from this--but, more likely, nothing good will result and on May 22nd--these people will be lumped together with other Christians by the world and we will all be considered crackpots.
And I was just thinking the year had gotten off to such a great start!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Back to the Grind--some not so random thoughts
Wow--I really felt it yesterday afternoon.
The holiday let-down hammered my about 2:30 PM.
Back at work, the holidays behind us and nothing but a long winter ahead of us for the next 75 days until Spring arrives. At least the daylight is growing longer every day and we are soon coming out of the "dark times."
I was even thinking of getting my passport renewed so that I could go to St Lucia later this year!
I've been putting that one off for a long time.
I was in the bookstore one day last week looking at Caribbean travel guides--but decided not to buy the 400-page volume with only about 20 pages devoted to St Lucia.
Soon enough it will be warm.
I think I will make my reservations for Spring training in Sarasota soon. That is March at least.
The holiday let-down hammered my about 2:30 PM.
Back at work, the holidays behind us and nothing but a long winter ahead of us for the next 75 days until Spring arrives. At least the daylight is growing longer every day and we are soon coming out of the "dark times."
I was even thinking of getting my passport renewed so that I could go to St Lucia later this year!
I've been putting that one off for a long time.
I was in the bookstore one day last week looking at Caribbean travel guides--but decided not to buy the 400-page volume with only about 20 pages devoted to St Lucia.
Soon enough it will be warm.
I think I will make my reservations for Spring training in Sarasota soon. That is March at least.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday Musings - January 3, 2011
1. Happy New Year--I bet you haven't heard that before.
2. I have had most of the past week off to relax and do things around the house. It was nice.
3. Football is a fickle sport. The Ravens certainly did not deserve to win, but as it turns out, the Bengals did not deserve to win more.
4. With the arrival of the new year--we have begun to remove the Christmas decorations. The Snow Village has been returned to its boxes in the attic and the exterior lights rare down. We still have two trees decorated though--because the Christmas Season is not over.
5. I had the unique opportunity this past week to build a bird house with Ethan. It was good to smell the newly cut pine in the garage again.
6. Well--it is back to work or school for all of us normal working people. Ugh.
7. New Congress this week--wonder what they will do to us in the name of trying to make things better.
8. Banned words for 2011? Check out the list at Lake Superior State University. Viral and epic are two words on the list.
2. I have had most of the past week off to relax and do things around the house. It was nice.
3. Football is a fickle sport. The Ravens certainly did not deserve to win, but as it turns out, the Bengals did not deserve to win more.
4. With the arrival of the new year--we have begun to remove the Christmas decorations. The Snow Village has been returned to its boxes in the attic and the exterior lights rare down. We still have two trees decorated though--because the Christmas Season is not over.
5. I had the unique opportunity this past week to build a bird house with Ethan. It was good to smell the newly cut pine in the garage again.
6. Well--it is back to work or school for all of us normal working people. Ugh.
7. New Congress this week--wonder what they will do to us in the name of trying to make things better.
8. Banned words for 2011? Check out the list at Lake Superior State University. Viral and epic are two words on the list.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Hockey Night in the House
Who would have ever thought that it might be too warm for hockey, outdoors in Pittsburgh, PA in January? But that is the way it almost happened as the afternoon game between the Capitals and the Penguins was moved to 8PM for hopefully colder temperatures and better ice.It was a great night for the guys--jerseys, hockey, and beer.
But, alas, the Capitals wanted the game more than the Penguins and the final was Caps 3 - Pens 1. Although it was fun to see the Penguins goalie, Fleury, get an assist on the lone goal.
Patrick and I wore our game jerseys to see a movie earlier in the day and ran into some Capitals fans--the meeting ended graciously with handshakes all around. Good sportsmanship is essential at all levels of play--from the ice, to the stands, to the sofa.
We did muse, during the game, that this time next year if there is a lock-out in the NFL and a players strike in the NBA that hockey could be the only professional game in town. You really have to hand it to the owners of the NFL teams--the are certainly trying to find a way to strangle the golden goose.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year 2011
And so it begins--
Full of promise, hope, and a clean slate.
2010 was quite a year and I know that 2011 will follow closely on its heels.
There will be changes and events that we cannot even begin to imagine.
As we slide across the threshold into the new year--stop for a moment and count your blessings. Hug your family. Kiss your significant other or spouse. Sip some wine to wash away the tears of last year and let the bubbles lift your spirit as we head off into the unknown.
And so for family and friends that I could not be with--and for those with whom I am present
Full of promise, hope, and a clean slate.
There will be changes and events that we cannot even begin to imagine.
As we slide across the threshold into the new year--stop for a moment and count your blessings. Hug your family. Kiss your significant other or spouse. Sip some wine to wash away the tears of last year and let the bubbles lift your spirit as we head off into the unknown.
And so for family and friends that I could not be with--and for those with whom I am present
Happy New Year 2011
God Bless You and Your Family
Tonight and all Through the Year
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