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Tag Archives: Mediterranean Solar Plan
The human cost of business in North Africa
In geopolitical terms, it was a lifetime ago… when Col. Muammar Gaddafi was just about tolerated (responsible as he was for 10% of Italy's natural gas), the European Investment Bank was lending 313 million euros to Tunisia for public transit … Continue reading →
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Tagged Accountability, Afghanistan, Arab Awakening, Côte d'Ivoire, Civil rights, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP), Corruption, Desertec, Development, Egypt, European External Action Service (EEAS), European Investment Bank (EIB), European Union (EU), Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), French Institute of International Relations, Good governance, International financial institutions, Jean-Michel Charpin, Levelised Cost of Energy, Libya, Medgrid, Mediterranean Solar Plan, Middle East, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Morocco, North Africa, Ouarzazate, Morocco, Patience, Paul van Son, Profitability, Reputational risks, Stagnation, transparency, Tunisia, Union for the Mediterranean
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200 Level Microbiology and Immunology
CELS 191 and HUBS 191 will have provided you will a taster of Microbiology and Immunology and if you are keen to explore more then 200-level Microbiology and Immunology papers will be for you.
Our 200-level Microbiology and Immunology papers provide a comprehensive introduction to core Microbiology and Immunology. At 200-level we offer three papers MICR 221, MICR 222 and MICR 223.
The first semester paper MICR 221 Microbes to Medicine provides an introduction to core Microbiology and Immunology.
The semester 2 papers (MICR 222 Microbes in Action and MICR 223 Infection and Immunity) show the diversity of Microbiology and Immunology. MICR 222 will examine the diverse microbes involved in environmental and industrial microbiology while MICR 223 explores medical microbiology and immunology.
All our 200-level papers involve 32 lectures per semester and fortnightly 4-hour labs.
To find out more about our 200-level papers click on the papers below:

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GOP Legislators Share Highlights Of 2012 Legislative Session
By: Stephen Crews
Updated: May 17, 2012
movement toward responsible, conservative government made major
in the second year of Republican leadership in the Legislature, with
several landmark reforms and job creation measures successfully passing
in the 2012 Regular Session.
House Speaker Mike Hubbard and members of the House Republican leadership highlighted many of the legislative accomplishments Thursday at a State House news conference. From pension reform to repealing the legislative pay raise, and from rewriting the state's constitution to making strides to improve public schools, lawmakers' achievements make the 2012 Regular Session a major success, Speaker Hubbard said.
"The days of the 'do-nothing' Legislature in Alabama are over," Speaker Hubbard said. "Alabama now has a 'do-something' Legislature, and I'm proud that we built upon our momentum this year and passed even more conservative reforms. We passed bills that are already creating jobs and lowering Alabama's unemployment rate. We overhauled our state's pension system, cut red tape for consumers and small businesses, and streamlined government agencies to remove unnecessary bureaucracy.
"When you look at the body of work that was accomplished, there's no question the 2012 Regular Session was a major success."
Below and attached is a list of successfully-passed bills that highlight just some of the major accomplishments of the 2012 Regular Session.
Back to Work in Year Two:
What the conservative majority accomplished in 2012
movement toward responsible, conservative government didn't stop with
last year's
successful "Republican Handshake with Alabama." In the 2012 Regular
Session, Republican lawmakers built upon their momentum and passed
several conservative reforms that will help create jobs, allow local
communities more tools to improve education, and reign
in wasteful government spending and debt.
Job Creation
Legislative Leadership made it clear from the start that their top
priority in 2012 would
be job creation and economic growth. That's exactly what happened, as
lawmakers wasted no time passing pro-growth jobs bills that are already
beginning to have a positive effect on Alabama's economy.
Here's a list of jobs bills that were successfully passed by the Legislature and signed into
law by Governor Bentley (unless otherwise noted):
o Enhanced
Incentives to Recruit Job-Creating Coal Mining Projects, House Bill 144 sponsored by Rep. Bill Roberts (R-Jasper)
new law enhances the state's ability to recruit coal mining companies
by allowing them to qualify for certain existing tax incentives
currently available
to manufacturers and other businesses.
a direct result of this law, this month Walter Energy announced it will
build a $1.2 billion facility and bring more than 530 jobs to Alabama.
o The
"Heroes for Hire" Tax Credit Act, House Bill 152 sponsored by Rep. DuWayne Bridges (R-Valley)
wars winding down in Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of Alabama
veterans will soon return home to a difficult economy in which it is
hard to find a job.
This new law offers Alabama businesses a $2000 tax credit for hiring a veteran recently returned from war.
Aviation and Aerospace Economic Incentives, House Bill 39 sponsored by Rep.
Paul Lee (R-Dothan)
new law provides for a special tax incentive allowing Alabama to target
aircraft manufacturers and aircraft parts manufacturers.
o Alabama
Film Incentive Enhancement Act, House Bill 243 sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur)
has long trailed behind other states in the film and television
production industry because our state lacked the incentives other states
have to help
attract these job-creating productions here.
2011 law that included television productions in Alabama's film
incentive statute has already rendered great success as the popular
shows "Rocket City Rednecks,"
"Big Shrimpin'" and "Sweet Home Alabama" all based their productions in
new law expands Alabama's film/television production incentive cap from
$10 to $15 million, making Alabama more competitive in the industry.
law also doubles the amount productions could spend and count toward
tax incentive rebates from $10 million to $20 million. This would help
Alabama attract
larger productions that will in turn create more jobs.
o The
Alabama Data Processing Center Economic Incentive Enhancement Act, House Bill 154 sponsored by Rep. Dan Williams (R-Athens)
processing centers are key components of the 21st century economy.
These centers employ a skilled workforce, provide high-paying jobs, and
have a low
environmental footprint. Alabama is uniquely positioned to compete for
jobs in this growing industry.
new law expands the scope of certain tax incentives in order to focus
on recruiting more data processing centers to Alabama.
o Spurring
Investment in Struggling Communities, House Bill 257 sponsored by Rep. Jamie Ison (R - Mobile) *not yet signed into law
new law would encourage economic investment and job growth in low
income areas by leveraging available federal tax incentive


text: 04/02/2013 FSU Hangs on to Defeat FGCUStephen McGee's grand slam in the sixth gives FSU the lead for good. 03/30/2013 FSU Survives Game One of DH, Downs VT 11-10Bryant Holtmann pitches 2.1 scoreless innings in relief to pick-up his second win of the season. 03/26/2013 FSU Victorious Over Florida In JacksonvilleLuke Weaver ties a career-high with nine strikeouts in 6.0 innings Tuesday night. 03/24/2013 FSU Rallies Past Georgia TechThe Seminoles erase a four-run deficit with two runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings on Sunday. 03/22/2013 FSU Rebounds With 11-3 Victory Over Georgia TechFreshman DJ Stewart drives in a career-high six runs as the Noles roll in the second game of the doubleheader. 06/05/2013 Noles Host Indiana in 2013 Super Regional03/27/2013 Bats for Beats03/13/2013 First Road Series on Deck for Noles Against Maryland03/09/2013 Big 2nd Inning Propels Noles to 9-4 Win over BC02/28/2013 Noles Host Villanova06/21/2012 Florida State vs. ArizonaFlorida State vs. Arizona 06/15/2012 FSU vs. Arizona - CWSFSU vs. Arizona - CWS CAREER ACCOLADES: 2012: Led all Seminole freshmen with a .267 batting average recording 35 hits in 131 at-bats...finished with 10 doubles, 19 runs scored and 20 RBI...appeared in 59 games making 37 starts - 30 in right field, six as the designated hitter and one in left field...became an everyday starter following the series finale at Georgia Tech...hit. 306 in league play with five doubles, 12 RBI and eight runs...scored three runs through the first four games...first collegiate at-bat came on opening day against Hofstra (2/17)...collected his first career RBI on a sac-bunt in the opening game against Maine (3/2) and earned his first collegiate hit in the series finale at Duke (3/11)...hitting a double to left to score two runs...finished with a season-high three hits twice - in game one of a doubleheader at Clemson (5/14) and in the Super Regional against Stanford (6/10)...drove in a career-high three runs in FSU's 6-2 victory over NC State (5/19)...put together a season-high six-game hitting streak halfway through the season...named to the Tallahassee Regional All-Tournament team after finishing the regional hitting .400 in three starts in right field...collected four hits and drove in two...hit .500 in the Super Regional against Stanford with four runs, two RBI...started all four games in right field at the College World Series...doubled and scored a run in the opening game against Arizona (6/15)...recorded a base hit against UCLA (6/19)...finished with a perfect fielding percentage converting on all 69 of his fielding attempts...recorded two outfield assists. HIGH SCHOOL: Garnered All-County honors and was named team MVP at Bartow High School following his senior season...hit .428 with three home runs and 20 stolen bases as a senior...named Polk County Male Student-Athlete of the Year as a senior...Honor Roll student and graduated in the top 10 percent of his class in terms of GPA...member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Club, Anchor Club and Frisbee Club at Bartow High. PERSONAL: Son of Tim and Patricia Delph...full name is Thomas Josh Delph...father played semi-pro baseball, while grandfather played college baseball...member of the 3.0 GPA Club at FSU (Fall 2011)...played summer ball in 2012 with the Peninsula Oilers of the Alaska Baseball League...majoring in Social Sciences Education....born November 9, 1992.


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Subscribe Online Now!
Cover photo by Ron Richardson
2011 Photo Contest Winners From frogs to fishing and everything in between, here are the winning images in 10 categories: Birds, Scenic/Pictorial, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Wild Flora, Nature-based Activities, Mammals, Other Wildlife, State Parks, Youth Ages 6-12 and Youth Ages 13-18.
Photos as they appeared in magazine (pdf)
Individual photos
Managing Our State Parks Although it may not be initially attractive, timber harvesting has resulted in healthier and more diverse forests, wildlife, aesthetics and recreational opportunities while also improving safety, visibility and accessibility to Alabama's state parks. By Forrest Bailey and Don Burdette
Oyster Relay With oyster harvest at one of its lowest levels in the last 60 years, an oyster "relay" is helping revive Alabama's oyster industry and restore the tasty mollusks to the marketplace. By David Rainer
Message from Commissioner Guy
In Memory of Vernon Minton
Conservation News
Watchable Wildlife Bobcat By Phil Miller
About Us | Contact | Links | Commissioner's Corner | Photo Gallery | Alabama.Gov | Legal Information | En Español
Official Web site of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources©2008 Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources | 64 N. Union Street, Suite 468 - Montgomery, Alabama 36130


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Tag Archives: Nantucket beach vacation
Nantucket Vacation Rental Property #41962
This pretty, well maintained, four-bedroom house is located two miles from the beach and one mile from town. A welcoming front porch opens to a combined living room/dining area/kitchen, with a fireplace (so nice to have on a chilly evening!) … Continue reading
Nantucket House Rental with a Pool! Property #43844
This pretty, four-bedroom home has a wraparound porch and sits on a large and private wooded lot. An in-ground pool was constructed in 2011, making this a very desirable property to rent! There are two bedrooms, which share a bath, … Continue reading
Nantucket House for Rent Property #23689
This two bedroom, one bathroom house with a loft is located in Cisco, one of Nantucket's best surf beaches, and features expansive views of the water. Town is a 15 minute drive, with Bartlett's Farm, Cisco Brewery (a favorite meeting … Continue reading
Nantucket Vacation Rental Property #45930
This pretty, sun-filled, five bedroom home is located near Surfside Beach, less than a half-mile to one of the best surf beaches on Nantucket! There is an open floor plan, living room with vaulted ceilings, dining area and updated kitchen … Continue reading
Perched on a Bluff Above Tom Nevers Beach – Property #23026
The quarterboard reads "Just Bluffin," and the reason why is clear: perched on a bluff above Tom Nevers beach, this upside-down house offers sweeping, 180 degree views of the ocean! When you are ready for a swim, the beach is … Continue reading
Nantucket Beach Vacation! Property #39095
This roomy, upside-down style home is located in desirable Brant Point, close to town (and all the shops, galleries and restaurants) and the island's north shore beaches, which are great for swimming and fireworks in July! Having undergone recent renovation … Continue reading
Plan your Nantucket Vacation! Property #32557
With town just an easy ten minute walk and the beach even closer, this gorgeous, six bedroom home has it all! Located in the prestigious Brant Point area, the house has a large, grassy lawn, a sizable screened-in porch and … Continue reading
Nantucket Cottage for Rent Property #40017
This charming, three bedroom, two bath cottage is located on a very quiet lane in town, very close to the galleries, shops and restaurants of the core historic district. A white picket fence encircles the house, which also has a … Continue reading
Nantucket Vacation Rental with a View! Property #40497
"Le Chant de la Mer" sits on seven acres, high on a hilltop, with sweeping views of Wauwinet, Coatue, Great Point Lighthouse and Polpis Harbor. With five, nice-sized bedrooms, this home, in an estate setting, would comfortably accommodate eight people. … Continue reading
Nantucket Vacation Rental Property #37341
You'll every moment of your summer vacation in this sunny upside-down style house, located in Brant Point and convenient to town and north shore beaches. The kitchen features new stainless steel appliances, cherry cabinets and granite countertops. Additionally, the house … Continue reading


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Steve Pavlina Discuss ideas, articles, and podcasts from StevePavlina.com. New threads are automatically generated for Steve's latest blog posts. |
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Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006
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| Invasion of the Purple Tribbles?
Okay, this question has been begging to be asked. Just what on Earth is this: http://stevepavlina.com/favicon.ico Normally I don't have favicons on so I didn't notice it, but over the past year I've been wondering what this purple guy means. Is this something Steve made? Something related to Dexterity perhaps? I've run it through the handy Daltonizer and it seems that because the creature is purple, Steve would only see gray. I suppose he would use the RGB eyedropper... What's the story? Thanks. |
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Second time we have stayed here and as always it is a haven of tranquility. Not far from Taormina ( but you do need a car ) but we enjoyed to stay at the hotel and relax. What a shame though the Spa was not open - we had such a wonderful experience last time we visited ( lovely English... More
- Also Known As:
- Castello Di San Marco Charming Hotel And Spa
- Castello Di San Marco Calatabiano
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- Welcome to Castello di San Marco charming hotel & SPA, a boutique romantic hotel immersed in a luxuriant park, on the glittering Jonian sea, between Taormina and the volcano Etna, this noble castle represented a splendid example of Sicilian Baroque architecture and well describe a part of the Sicilian History. The unique beauty of Castello di San Marco is timeless and is adapted to romantic and relaxing holidays, with its tranquil exteriors and elegant, softly lit interiors.30 elegant and charming suites take place in the park surrounding main building, SPA & beauty center , fine restaurant, wine lounge with a selection of 250 fine wines, very large swimming pool, private beach, tennis court, private parking, mediterranean park. ... more less
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Orbitz, Splendia, Agoda, Venere and Priceline so you can book your Castello di San Marco Charming Hotel & SPA reservations with confidence. We help millions of travellers each month to find the perfect hotel for both holiday and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.


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Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have confirmed a limited run of shows at the Venetian Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The pair has revived their Soul2Soul tour name for the residency, which kicks off on December 7 and 8. They will appear in the intimate Venetian Theater, which holds just under 2,000 fans.
Tickets for the run will begin pre-sale on August 13 and will run between $95 and $295. There will also be special VIP packages including tickets in the front two rows and dinner at one of the hotel's restaurants for $1,000. The shows will take place on December 7-8 and 14-15, January 18-19 and 25-26, February 1-2, 15-16 and 22-23, March 1-2 and April 12-13 and 26-27. "I feel like it's going to be one of the most remarkable experiences for us, as well," Hill said in an official statement, with Tim adding: "It's going to be a moment in time for us and the fans."
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: firstname.lastname@example.com
Entertainment News


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The recall is categorized by the FSIS as "Class I": a health …
Updated: Thursday, 19 Jul 2012, 12:26 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 19 Jul 2012, 12:22 PM EDT
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Xavier and Yolanda should be their names, call em 'X' and 'Y' for a while until the big reveal. :|
Xavier and Yolanda should be their names, call em 'X' and 'Y' for a while until the big reveal. :|
Thank you to Sworn Metalhead for the banner! Much appreciated!
Fanfiction: Tumblr/Black & White/Iridescence
Isn't Yellow's real name something that's not Yellow as well? My bets are on that the main characters will have "actual" names but for whatever reason they will be called X and Y which would be their nickname or codename or whatever but their official manga name would be X and Y, like Yellow and N. And also, I was kinda afraid for the manga starter tradition as well due to a majority of Fire-types not "befitting" of a female character (god I'm gonna get so much hate for that comment) but it seems like Gen 6's Fire-type actually is somewhat befitting of the female Dexholder. So yeah I have a feeling that the starter tradition will live on, with the male character getting Froakie, the female character getting Fennekin and the rival getting Chespin.
Image removed for making the signature too tall, too wide and over the 150,000 pixel limit.
It would be cool if X and Y were like agents working for the professor to take down the evil team and those were their code names
The secret agent in france thing sounds cool actually. PokeSpecial hasn't really done that angle fully yet. Be cool if they did. I'm just wondering the lenght of BW2 now. BW2 in general still feels kind of new to me, heck I still don't have the games, and now XY is stealing the Pokemon spotlight. Not that I mind, this is the most excited I've been for Pokemon since Gen 4. I know PokeSpecial won't disappoint me. The main story chapters never have. Can't say the same for all the remake and sister arcs, but the main storys are always good for me so I'll look forward to it. This would be the 12 Chapter right? Unless BW2 is still the 10 chapter.
Pokemon Left version and Pokemon Right version. They are coming soon.
I wonder how Viz will do the XY manga. If they do a repeat of BW, they'll have RS, DP, HGSS, BW, and XY all being published at the same time. That is, honestly, a bit of a mess.
My OCD wishes that Viz would have stayed faithful to the Japanese numbering, but a 43+ volume series is a bit hefty for children to collect, I suppose. Breaking it up makes it easier to digest.
Let's Survive.
This secret agent thing sounds like something out of a bad fanfic.
I've heard people complain that Pokespe sounds like a bad fanfic already. If that happens, I'll have to agree with them for once.
Pokemon Left version and Pokemon Right version. They are coming soon.
I am almost certain that X will be the boy, and Y will be the girl. To continue the pattern, I am guessing X is getting the Water starter. I want X to maybe be just a calm noble gentleman, because I don't think we have seen that out of our main characters based on male players yet.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but looking at the pattern with the main paired games in the series, all the games listed first become the male main characters. Like RED and Green, GOLD and Silver, RUBY and Sapphire, DIAMOND and Pearl, and BLACK and White. Since this has been going on since the beginning, I am almost certain the game listed first (X) will be male.
Due to Generation VI being close, I'm getting kinda afraid that there will not be much time for BW2 as hoped. I was actually expecting BW2 to be as long as the first chapter in each generation (so 6-8 volumes) since unlike third versions and remakes BW2 have new plots and elements throughout rather than at a few points and solely post-game that could be fit into three volumes. I'm really hoping that BW2 won't be rushed. They could do what they did with HGSS and cut it short in magazine runs and finish it in volumes which can come out years after the games did just fine.
Going back to topic. I do like the idea of the secret agents thing although something tells me that won't happen (that is too predictable and Kusaka NEVER goes with the predictable). And about the version names, I have a feeling that it'll have to do more with geometrical coordinates rather than sex chromosomes. Generation VI introduces Pokemon gameplay to 3D so coordinate geometry references are more likely imo. And then when sequels come out (yes I'm betting on sequels rather than third versions/remakes) it'll be XZ and YZ versions which complete the 3D coordinates (and looking how it goes from Porygon2 to Porygon-Z, the Z will probably follow up with the 2).
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Xander and Yuliana. I'm quick for Xander because it's my brother's name.
And to comment on the whole "dexholders have strange names" discussion, Ruby, Sapphire and Crystal all are girl's names, albiet they are uncommon.
"It's not who I am inside, but what I do that defines me."- Batman. Started by GreatGonzales


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[S.l. : s.n., 1857?]
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Document Record | |
Creator |
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Committee Appointed to Inquire into the State and Condition of the Countries Adjoining to Hudson's Bay.
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on the Hudson's Bay Company. |
Title | Papers : extract from the report from the Committee Appointed to Inquire into the State and Condition of the Countries adjoining to Hudson's Bay, and of the trade carried on there, 1749. |
Pages | 7 |
Published | [S.l. : s.n., 1857?] |
Identifier | 49182 |
Subject |
Dobbs, Arthur,1689-1765.
Hudson's Bay Company. Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson. Northwest Passage -- Discovery and exploration. Nord-Ouest, Passage du -- Découverte et exploration. |
Document source | Scanned from a CIHM microfiche of the original publication held by the National Library of Canada. |
Notes |
At head of title: 1. Select Committee on the Hudson's Bay Company, 1857.
"23 February, 1857." "[Great inconvenience having arisen from the publication of minutes of evidence ... ]" Title from title screen. 3, [1] p. ; 33 cm. |
Collection |
Hudson's Bay Company
Language | English |
Media | Text |
Permanent Link | http://eco.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.49182 |


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Winemaker Anna Schafer and her family migrated east from the Seattle area to found aMaurice winery out on Mill Creek Road near the excellent Abeja winery. We ran into her father Tom who was pouring the libations in the tasting room. Tom told us what an emotional experience it was to finally make wine from their very own estate grown grapes. The 2006 Chardonnay was round, fruity and balanced, but lacked that incredible stoniness and minerality of the first Chardonnay bottling. The 2006 Syrah is somewhat schizophrenic in style. Perhaps this is because of its parentage with grapes coming from Lewis and Boushay vineyards. It appears there is a step-father involved, too, 15% Grenache from Minnick Vineyard. This androgenous combination is smooth on the one hand and a little rough on the other. It will be interesting to see how it evolves. The 2006 Malbec is a beauty with a deep rich color and and great fruit. The 2006 Red Blend, named after artist Tsutakawa is a masterpiece - a totally awesome blend of the cinq cepages of Bordeaux - Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Frnac, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Just up the hill is Walla Walla Vintners a consistent producer of reliable wines. The wines seem to be a little more tame than in the past. The Cab Franc used to be my fave, but this time around the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Select took the prize. The '07 Sangio blended with 14% Syrah and 9% Malbec was not bad either.
Even farther east is Spring Valley Vineyard, but they apparently have decided that they are too far out, so they have opened a tasting room right in downtown next to Trey Busch's Sleight of Hand winery. Spring Valley manages to turn out more than 5,000 cases of wine and still maintain consistently excellent quality. Uriah is usually my favorite from this winery, but this time it was surpassed by the deep dark, purple 2006 Frederick, a blend of the Bordeaux five. The 2006 Muleskinner, 100% Merlot, had a slightly too acid finish for my taste and the 2006 Nina Lee left me unmoved as it usually does.The 2006 Derby, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon,had a wonderful nose with round berry fruit flavors - delish. Winemaker Serge Laville makes fabulous wines, but one wonders how Spring Valley will sell five thousand cases at a $50 price point.
Back at the airport, we visited a French Chateau. Le Chateau Winery has a very impressive "Trompe d'Oeil", faux facade spread over a particularly long wall of an airport building. What fun! Unforunately, the winemaker seems to have achieved the same effect with his wines. With chateau level prices, they just don't seem worth it. The 2007 Castle White, a Sauvignon Blanc /Semillon blend was not bad. The 06 Sangiovese had a green quality I found unappealing. The 2005 Castle Red was not really fit for a king with it's hot finish. One questions the provenance of the 2006 Red Masterpiece. Was it really a Titian or just a copy. The giveaway? A hot finish. I don't believe these are remediable defects that will go away with ageing - too much acid and astringent tannins. The whole facade is enough to make you believe that the Emperor is wearing clothes, but is he? Well, yes, in one instance. The 2006 Cabernet Franc was well balanced with good fruit. This time Cab Franc was King instead of Cab Sauv.
We ended our trip East with a stop at Sygygy where Zack, a fellow New Yorker, still has all his astray bodies lined up in a straight line even though he no longer sell the thongs to put on those bodies. The three reds we tasted were all excellent with good fruit and lively interesting flavor profiles. The 2006 Columbia Valley Red, a blend of 56% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Malbec was very smooth , friendly, interesting and a good value at $24.
Next up we go south to visit some old friends and two girls from Portland.
I got an invite from fellow blogger, Lisa Halpern inviting me to experience Wine Wednesdays at Intiman this Wednesday the 22nd. I couldn't go, but you can! I get to go to the next one on September 9th - The Year Of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. You can beat me to it! Don't miss the held over New York-acclaimed production of Othello and for a mere fifteen bucks extra you get to taste four wines from Washington winery Maryhill and hors d'oeuvres from Center House Bistro. You can probably make a pre-theatre meal of it. I 've always said that wine and the arts go together. Taste the art of the playwright and the winemaker in the same evening. To get tickets call 206-269-1900. Plan to arrive at 6:30. Let me know what you think.
Where did all those wineries west of Walla Walla come from. They came from the incubator, No, I'm not saying they are chickens. I'm saying some of them came from the "incubator" at the Walla Walla airport. The Port of Walla Walla has been offering space to new wineries for quite some time. Just east of where commercial flights actually land, most of the Quonset huts have been occupied by pioneering new winemakers. This is very convenient as you can get off a Horizon flight from Seattle in the morning head over to the wineries and fly back the same evening, but why wouldn't you want to linger to check out the more than one hundred wineries in Walla Walla. Recently, the Port decided to build a special new incubator putting up five new attractive wineries facing an open field at the end of the Quonset huts. Who are the special five? Cavu, Adamantine, Lodmell, Trio, and Kontos clockwise in the semicircle. The quality varies, but the spirit doesn't.
Cavu Cellars, as distinguished from Cavu Winery, a start up in California, appears to be a father/son operation. The '08 SB is balanced and well made, the '06 Horizon a blend of Cab Sauv juiced up with 7% Petite Verdot is fairly big and dynamic. The Barbera will not be released until August 2009. It is deep and dark, definitely a food wine, nowhere near as rough as some of the Italian versions can be - very appealing. The Cab Sauv will be released in 2010. The fruit comes from the Les Collines Vineyard in the Blue Mountain foothills. It's a real winner.
Adamant has lost its baby fat and is now a healthy two year old. It has become even more shapely and Adamant wines are selling out like hotcakes. I seem to have lost my notes on the wines, but trust me, you can't go wrong with one of Steve's wines. Steve's wife Deborah is a very talented artist. It appears they are both artists. Last year I said this was a winery to watch. You had better get on their mailing list.
Lodmell Cellars offered three wines - a balanced 2006 Sauv Blanc, a round strawberry-rhubarb flavored Rose, and a deep dark squid's ink 2006 Syrah with fruity, round ripe flavors and hints of spice, everything a Syrah should be.
Trio Vintners was founded by three winemakers who somehow seem to cooperate. This the best new kid on the block. We were introduced to Trio by our friend Mary who brought us a bottle of the 2006 Mourvedre - an authentic wine that reminded us of the Rhone and the south of France. All the other wines we tasted were of high quality. The 2007 Riesling was classic with striking peach flavors. The 2007 Rose was sweet tasting and pretty.The 2006 Sangiovese was round soft and very appealing. The 2006 Zinfandel was round and fruity. Altogether a winery to watch.
Kontos at two o'clock on the semi-circle offered four wines. Our favorite was the 2006 Boushay Syrah. Boushay Syrah is almost always more elegant and refined than most other Washington Syrah.
There are many more wineries at the airport. Eric Dunham, for example, has just not not been able to tear himself away. Next time we will visit other airport wineries including a chateau and then drive out east to aMaurice and a few others.
Living in Washington state, we are so fortunate to have such an abundance of fresh seafood, especially oysters. Once again the Taylor Shellfish Company announced the results of its annual Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Awards and, guess what, five out of ten wines were from Washington
and roughly two thirds of the judges were from California, San Francisco and L. A. to be specific. One hundred thirty-two wines were submitted, so one out of thirteen winners is not a bad ratio. The Taylor Shellfish Company itself is a winner with it's Totten Oysters and Kumomotos. The poor judges had to suffer only having Kumomotos to taste with the wine. Here are the 2009 Washington State winners.
2008 Airfield Estates Thunderbolt Sauvignon Blanc
2007 Cedargreen Sauvignon Blanc
2008 Ch. Ste. Michelle Pinot Gris
2007 Covey Run Pinot Grigio
2008 Hogue Pinot Grigio
What is an oyster wine? It seems that dry crisp, tart whites go best with the briny little bundles of flavor. That's probably why even California judges preferred the Washington State wines. With longer days, and less sunshine, it is easier to produce dry, crisp wines in Washington than in the sunshine state. We are talking here about raw oysters, an acquired taste for many of us, but worth acquiring. I think that a wider variety of white wines go with cooked oysters such as Oysters Rockefeller. Red wines with oysters seem to yield an unpleasant metallic taste. The good thing is both the Ch. Ste. Michelle and the Hogue wines are widely distributed around the U.S. and may even be available overseas. The bad thing is that they are not dry enough for my taste. Just to show that I am not a chauvinist, my favorite oyster wines come from France, Italy and Spain. Muscadet and Entre-Deux-Mers are my faves from from France. They are Sauvignon based and generally of good quality. Wines made from the Albarino grape in northwest Spain are also perfect with oysters, and the "real" original Pinot Griglio from Italy works well, too. The widely distributed Bella Serra Pinot Grigio is searingly dry for those who want something to rough up that oyster. BTW, as most of you know, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are that same grape, although I think I've noticed that wines named Pinot Gris are less dry. As always you can drink anything you like with oysters. Buty or Amaurice Chardonnay are not bad with Kumomotos, for example. My favorite oysters, apart from Kumomotos, are our local Quilcenes, pleasure in a shell.
July 4th we had a great time with Maxine and Al. We started by visiting one of our favorite wineries - Palouse. Linda tasted us down the entire list starting with the '07 Viognier, an appealing wine with a hint of butterscotch added to the profile. Great with summer fare, fish and seafood. The '07 Riesling is classic off dry with a little more body than typical and the usual suspects in the flavor profile. The "Dynamique" name for the Cab Franc is clever pun combining the names of the two vineyards, Dineen & Meek from which the grapes were sourced.
Unfortunately, this bottle had a hint of that "prune" quality in the nose - a tip-off that the bottle has been open too long, but in the mouth there was good fruit accompanied by a hint of tobacco and chili pepper. The '05 Eclipse was it's usual good self, full of beautiful fruit. The '06 Solitaire was a little too bright for my taste, but good nevertheless. The "06 Ahh Syrah is sourced from three Yakima Valley vineyards - Portteus, Dineen, and Meek. One sip of this deep dark beauty will evoke oohs and ahhs. Although deep in color and big in the mouth, this is no monster, having that certain smoothness associated with Yakima Syrah. The 06' Cab Sauv is Linda's fave. She sure got it right! It's our fave, too! Sourced from Dineen Vineyard it another deep dark beauty full of exciting black fruit. With these two, George more than achieved his goal of "smooth, round and voluptuous." The '06 and '05 "Black Pearl" Petite Sirah are excellent, too, George's favorites, but they suffer by comparison with the outstanding 2004 Black Pearl. I guess Linda wins this round. The 100% Cabernet Sauvignon seems to be this year's winner.
What about Jasnieres, you say? What is Jasnieres? What's Jasnieres got to do with Vashon? What's the rolling hills of the Palouse got to do with Vashon, for that matter? Instead of checking out other wineries, we went to Vashon Thriftway which has a spectacular wine selection. This destination supermarket is worth a trip to the island, just to check out the wine. Of course, you might want to take your bike, too. Then you will save almost enough on the ferry fare to buy a bottle of Jasnieres at Thriftway. Since the 2006 Jasnieres from Pascal Janvier is a Kermit Lynch Selection distrubuted in the Seattle area, you can probably find it without the ferry trip. How fortunate, though to find it on Vashon. It was perfect with the beautiful salmon dinner Maxine prepared.
Ever since tasting Jasnieres at the font, at the Hermetagerie, near Grand Luce, in the Loire Valley, I have been searching despairingly for it in the states, and while the Jasnieres by Janviers isn't exactly Jasnieres by Gigou, the best IMHO, it is still quite wonderful. Made from the Chenin Blanc grape, it is so much drier than its more famous and flabbier cousin, Vouvray. The unusual combination of fruitiness and dryness is fascinating by itself and perfect with salmon. The Janviers finishes with just a hint of citrus which picks it up and will pick you up on a summer afternoon.
What ever happened to the rest of Walla Walla? Look for posts on the airport, the stateline area and others. Look for Back To The Future - Paso Robles, Foxen Road etc., in coming posts.
Dear Catie,
Thank you so much for a wonderful dinner at Bistro Four. It was so good to see you. As usual, the conversation was great, the food was delish, and the wine interesting. Better to be at a simple bistro, than a pretentious wannabe like 26 Brix. You seemed to love your Croque Madame and although I craved the Duck pizza, it was not to be. The salad Nicoise was excellent although with my carb fears, there were too many potatoes. The Spanish Barbadillo was such an excellent dry white, and so inexpensive. At first I thought I was hallucinating, back at the old Nick's in McMinnville where wines were marked up only $8. Imagine - an $8 corkage fee. Well, Bistro Four actually seems to have reasonable prices and if you purchase to take home, you get ten per cent off, so , in effect, a ten percent corkage or markup in the restaurant - very reasonable! The service by Nathaniel was great, and while the menu is somewhat limited, this is a great place to eat at reasonable prices, don't you think? Christophe tells me that the owner is a single mom. She bought the place from the owner of Grapefields which was the previous incarnation of this venue where she had been chef. Great to see such entrepreneurship and guts, yes?
So, despite the good wine and food, the most interesting thing was our discussion of the next venue for the third annual Wine Bloggers Conference. This year is a repeat of Sonoma. Much as I would like to see my wine blogger friends, a return to the same old venue seems boring and why would I want to leave Seattle at the end of July which is the perfect time to be here. So you told me that there seems to be some sort of contest between Walla Walla and Woodinville for next years conference. I have to say, that, while there are excellent wineries in Woodinville , this would be a very limited sampling of Washington State wines and I don't actually know of a venue that can support a conference of 200 some odd participants in Woodinville, other than the Willows Lodge, but I don't believe they have the accommodations for 200 participants. Limiting the tastings to Woodinville would be a shame since that would exclude Quilceda, the South Seattle Artisan group, Yakima, Red Mountain and Walla Walla to say nothing of Snipes, Horse Heaven Hills, the Gorge, and Lake Chelan.
My first intro to Walla Walla was a Society of Wine Educators conference held at the Hilton in Bellevue, but there was a pre-conference trip to Tri-Cities and Walla Walla that was great. I think the best plan would be similar. A Bellevue or Seattle conference venue, but with extensive pre-conference side trips to SSAW, Yakima, Red Mountain, and Walla Walla. The Marcus Whitman in Walla Walla would be a great venue for a conference and there are more than enough motels for overflow. Maybe Christophe would volunteer to knock their socks off! There are so many great Walla Walla wineries, and besides, no one would get to see our fabulous Eastern Washington vineyards. After all, while there are close to a hundred excellent wineries in the Puget Sound area, all the the grapes come from eastern Washington. Holding the event in Woodinville would be like holding an event in Paris or a Bordeaux suburb without visiting the Medoc, St. Emilion, or Pomerol, for example. I look forward to a Wine Bloggers conference in Washington, but I do hope it won't be limited to one narrow corner of the state. Have fun at the second annual Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma and say hi to Joel for me.
The king of pop may be dead, but the king of the stones lives. In fact, Christophe Baron rules both in his domain at Cayuse and in the surrounding cailloux ( French for stones). I must admit to a certain amount of skepticism about all the apparent hype and spin around Cayuse. Commenters on the Seattle Wine Blog argued that Les Cailloux and other Cayuse vineyards should be included in The Top Ten Washington State Vineyards at the same time complaining that Seven Hills is in Oregon. As Bob Tovey would say, common folks, which is it? All the Cayuse vineyards and the studio/atelier/winery are in Oregon even though Cayuse maintains a downtown Walla Walla presence and Christophe lives in Walla Walla, Washington.
Christophe very graciously received us at the studio, and finished regaling us with the official story already started by his able assistant, Trevor. Christophe comes from an old winemaking family in Champagne. Unfortunately, this Champagne is not available in the States. Christophe earned his stripes in Burgundy and came to the U.S. planning to make Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley. He visited a friend in Walla Walla and "on his way" to the Willamette Valley, " just happened upon" the stony soil in the southwest quadrant of the Walla Walla AVA.
"Cailloux!", he exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the stony soil of the apple orchids along Sunneyside Road (Actually there were already plantings of grapes in the stones when Christophe arrived. The old Seven Hills vineyard, now called Wildrow was there along with some others). That was the beginning of the end for Christophe - no more Willamette Pinot for him. Roughly thirteen years ago he set down roots among the stones of Walla Walla AVA and has never looked back. I asked him if regretted not going on to the Willamette. His answer - not at all. I would have been just one of many Frenchmen making Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley and here I am unique." Kathy Tovey remembered Christophe as a somewhat scrawny young man peddling his wine at a country fair in Oregon in the mid-90s. Christophe has come a long way since then.
Now, Christophe has a domain consisting of many vineyards, and has recently discovered "biodynamique." This suits him perfectly, since in its purest form, biodynamique is about an ecological microcosm, a self-sufficient domain. Christophe took us on a tour of his home base,
Armida Vineyard. He told us that he has 25 full-time permanent employees to maintain the vineyards and in the winery. Most of them probably work in the vineyards and in keeping with the sustainability ethos of Oregon they have health insurance. My guess is that, as usual, they are Hispanic , and to produce my own stereotype, hard-working. conscientious and productive. Walking on "cobblestones" trodden by others, one still has a wondrous sense of something "sauvage" and yet "pastorale." As we walked among the stones, Christophe regaled us with tales of his conquests in Walla Walla. Christophe told us that others had said he would break his machinery on such rocks, but the "Bionic Frog" persevered. Finally, we arrived at a plot of Grenache planted 3ft.X3ft. Rows with spaces not wide enough for most overweight Americans, let alone a motorized cultivator. Horses! Christophe will cultivate this plot with the help of several Belgian horses. Beyond this plot, piles of manure, excuse me, organic fertilizer.
And then, the producers of this fertile pile - les vaches (the cows). To the south, an organic cherry orchid rejected by commercial buyers because the cherries didn't conform to grade. Perhaps this is the best description of Christophe. He doesn't conform to grade. This non-conformist thinks and lives outside the box.
Back to the studio/atelier/winery. As we entered the "studio" we had a lively discussion of order and disorder. This was triggered by the incredible flying pig hanging from the ceiling of the winery. Starting with a pinata purchased by Christophe, his artist friend painted it over, adding two jet engines and other paraphernalia. Christophe insists they are Boeing engines and not Airbus. My guess is that Airbus represents the uptight, buttoned up, stultifying cadre of France with their inhibiting rule-bound society as opposed to the fresh air of America for a French person. Disorder is "necessaire" for creativity, originality and limnality. On the other hand, order is a necessary foil for disorder and it is necessary to define "a thing." So we enter the inner sanctum - a frigid place of order! Rows of barrels, "eggs," cement fermenters, neatly laid out. But many of the barrels are turned with their provenance and stats unavailable to the naked eye. Christophe is both ebullient and charismatic, on the one hand, and private and secretive, on the other.
As he explained early on, "terroir" is everything. He described himself as primarily a "vigneron," a grapegrower, but the implication was of an artist united with the soil (see my D.H. Lawrence quote on the masthead). Christophe, the artist, reminded me of Picasso and Gauguin. I asked him if he was a guardian of the vineyards. "Not at all! Maybe in a hundred years, in a thousand years." Now he is a pioneer, a discoverer, an explorer, an experimenter, an adventurer. Christophe has the personality of Lewis Hyde's "Trickster." Hermes, he is! Egoist, narcissist, yes, but his charisma is real, not some put-on persona. I once heard a French teacher describe her job as "seduire." To seduce, is to teach. Christophe is very seductive, very charismatic. A seller of Gentiane at a market in southwest France, once told us that his product would make anyone "drop his pants" or was it "her pants." That's Christophe!
You were wondering about the wine? Exceptional! These wines are giants. Bigger than most California wines, yet not jammy. Bigger than most Australian wines, yet not linear. Bigger than most French wine, yet not classic. Bigger than most Washington wines, yet not soft. These are big wines in big bottles, but really they are amazingly over the top, really nothing like them in intensity. Huge expansive wines, just like Christophe! How does Christophe do it? Apparently he has many secrets, but the most obvious trick is in the vineyard - keeping the yields low, dropping clusters down to five or six per vine, or in the case of the 3x3 Grenache maybe three per vine resulting in yields of significantly less than two tons per acre, like 1.2 or 1.5 tons per acre. This is amazing when you consider that three tons per acre is considered low by the mere mortals growing grapes in other vineyards.
From the cask - '06 Grenache - Armida, '06 Syrah -Armida, '06 Syrah -Cailloux, '08 Bionic Frog. The 2006 Armida Grenache is big, dark and inky, smelling of spices and tar, tasting of rhubarb and strawberry. A huge, smooth, seamless wine -plus d' agreable. 2008 Armida Syrah - incredibly dark, perfection in a bottle, deepest, darkest Walla Walla. The flagship Cailloux vineyard was founded in 1997 - super-intense, liquid tar, somewhat like the tar and roses of a traditional Barolo, but so much more intense. This is not your average aperatif, maybe an acquired taste. For me, incredible! The 2008 Bionic Frog blend is from the Coccinelle vineyard and has a pretty nose - complex, spicy and herbal, in the mouth - round, soft, seductive and approachable - closest to the gout Americain, thus very popular. BTW, Coccinelle means ladybug in French, but also is the name of a pioneering transsexual and a line of handbags.
From the bottle - 2007 Widowmaker, 2007 Bionic Frog, 2007 Impulsivo. The 2007 Widowmaker is a killer Cabernet Sauvignon from the En Chambertin vineyard. Once your man drinks this liquid cassis and blueberry pie that tastes like a spice rack, it won't be long 'til you get to finih the bottle in peace and quiet by yourself. The 2007 Bionic Frog is big, spicy and complex. The 2007 Impulsivo is 100% Tempranillo from the En Chambertin vineyard. Deep, black, incredibly intense, without being jammy. The beautiful image on the label says it all - the last tango, to die for, or from! Truly a tour de force.
Are the wines representative of the terroir. Without a doubt! They are so different from each other.. This was especially illustrated by four different Syrahs from four different vineyards. Are they only terroir? I don't think so. As usual, the winemaker has left his stamp, his signature, on the wine. Christophe is both a terroiriste and an artiste - a "vigneron!" Christophe's wines are gigantic like Christophe who is un geant de la terre. I was forced to read Giants In The Earth in high school and hated it. Now the name has served me well in describing this amazing French winemaker who has spread his seed in the fertile soil of Walla Walla. The "Rock" Star exceeded my expectations and his reputation. Stones R Us, or rather, Stones R Him.
Christophe tells me he has 4500 people on the waiting list, but I have a feeling people are dropping off the mailing list like flies due to the horrendous economy. Sign up, you never know, you might get to the head of the list faster than you think, and by that time maybe your finances may have recovered enough to be able to pay the price for a bottle paradise (or is it hell?) in a bottle. Trust me, it's worth it. Spend your last red cent on an impulse and die happy. Despite my reticence I was totally seduced by Christophe and his incredible wines. Cayuse rocks!
Okay, so this isn't so real-time, but it's still the latest poop on Walla Walla West. Graduates from the Walla Walla Airport incubator, tend to end up on Highway 12. Reininger and Cougar Crest are classic examples. In fact, it has seemed to me that Reininger went downhill when they moved, but recent evidence suggests a recovery. Cougar Crest seems to have made the move without ill effects. Waterbrook was never in the incubator and came up with some wonderful surprises - great values.
In the recent past, Reininger seemed to me to have lost its way. Apparently, highway 12 is disorienting. You can get wound up and twisted into a double helix. The Helix wines used to be great values, but at $30 a throw, that is no longer an accurate description. Nevertheless, many of Chuck's regular bottlings are quite interesting and delicious. The 2003 Cima, tasting a little old (or had it been open too long), was quite beautiful. The 2005 Merlot, despite the grapes from Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills vineyards, was light - enough to confirm "Miles" opinion of Merlot. The 2005 Cab Sauv had great fruit and tasted a little like what a Merlot should taste like. The 2008 Ash Hollow Syrah had nice tobacco and pepper notes. The 2006 Carmenere was probably the most interesting wine. As I read over this paragraph, it appears that I had a negative impression of Reininger wines. This is not true. Most of these wines had character and interest. Reininger survived the jinx of route 12 and Codi ably poured all these wines with a great running commentary on each. It was obvious that she is really into wine. She is a student at the enology program at the community college and I predict she will become a great winemaker in her own right in just a few years.
Deborah and Dave Hansen survived for the longest time in a "Quonset Hut" at the airport. So far, their move to route 12 seems to be liberating. Sooo much more space! Both have deep roots in Walla Walla and, in fact own several vineyards. They tore up apple orchids and own vineyards in the stones just over the border in Oregon to the west of highway 125. They sold a vineyard to finance their beautiful new winery on highway 12. Dave is a farmer, a vineyardist who is happiest on a tractor or a forklift. Deborah is an outstanding winemaker. Cougar Crest is one of the most consistent labels around. This is a great help in a restaurant when you are unsure what to order from the wine list. The 2006 Walla Walla Viognier is an outrageously good wine. Viognier at its best - dry, stony, with good subdued fruit - to my gout. The Grenache Rose is pleasant, a cut above most American Roses. Dedication is a delicious wine dedicated to the hospital that saved the life of Dave and Deborah's daughter after near fatal injuries. The 2006 Walla Walla Valley Anniversary Cuvee is fairly light , but totally great for chocoloholics. The 2006 Walla Walla Valley Cab Sauv is a delicious blend and the 2005 Walla Walla Syrah is an outstanding wine. Virtually all Cougar Crest wines are made from estate grown grapes. Since moving into their new digs on highway 12, Dave and Deborah couldn't quite let go of their original hut at the airport, so they've started producing a new line to sell there - Walla Walla River Winery. This is their opportunity to explore various varietals from grapes sourced from all around the Columbia Valley. I didn't get to taste these wines, but I'll bet they are good.
Waterbrook just opened a new winery on highway 12. This high tech building is spectacular and is home to Precept Brands in all of its manifestations. I must admit to not expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Melange Noir and White, to say nothing of the Sangiovese Rose and a perfectly typical, classic Riesling all at very reasonable prices. I found the higher priced wines to be somewhat disappointing for the price, but Waterbrook is producing some fabulous value with great price points.
So the western entrance to Walla Walla is a good introduction to Walla Walla wines, but the best is yet to come south of town and at the airport.
Amazing! This is almost real time blogging from Walla Walla. Today we checked out wineries West of Walla Walla on Highway 12 as you come into town from Seattle. One could imagine a game of hopscotch among wineries trying to be the first to greet wine tourists on the road into Walla Walla. Such a game of musical chairs would be so 1990s, so California, but I can hardly imagine the down-to-earth folks of Walla Walla playing such a game. As it turns out Woodward Canyon is first and they have been there for quite a while, founded in 1981 by Rick Small.
Next up is L'Ecole #41, founded in 1983 by Marty Clubb. I got to talk with Marty about his newest interest - Ferguson vineyard, 18 acres above Pepper Bridge or was it Seven Hills. Like so many other winemakers he has been bitten by the "sustainability" bug.
As I tasted through L'Ecole wines, they all seemed lighter and friendlier(too friendly?) than they used to be, but it seems to me they used to have more character. The Semillons are less intense, the reds less deep. The Fries Vineyard Semillon goes with tuna. The 2008 "Walla Voila" Chenin Blanc shows lots of interest with a floral spicy nose, round and fruity body, and a hint of spice and citrus in the finish. Much more enjoyable than 99% of Chenin Blanc based Vouvray from the Loire Valley. The 2006 Walla Walla Cab has great fruit in the nose an is an altogether satisfying wine. The 2006 "Apogee" is the apogee of the the L'Ecole line up. Fortunately, the Perigee is not the perigee but not as wonderful as the Apogee. The 2006 Columbia Valley Syrah was pretty good, too.
Moving right along, we come to the new kid on the block - Glencorrie, owned by Ronn Coldiron and ably managed by Heidi Harrison. Wow! Awesome! Ronn is a geologist who runs a consulting firn in California. With the help of Charlie Hoppes, Glencorrie has fashioned it's first wines from Stillwater and Gamache grapes. The 2006 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a medium bodied wine with very appealing fruit and lots of character. It gets your attention. It stands out from so many ever so pleasant wines. As usual the Walla Walla version of Cab ( Widrow & Dwelley) is more upright, more serious - a good food wine. The 2006 Cuvee Marquis is the gem in the show - round, soft, but exciting! Sourced from multiple vineyards around the Columbia Valley. This is an up-and-comer. A winery to watch! The next new thing! Get on their mailing list. BTW, they are having an Open house June 29th in the evening. Call 509-525-2585.
Retailers of the world, more specifically, of Washington and Arizona, wake up, you have nothing to lose but your sales. We have heard many reports of wineries increasing sales out of their tasting rooms, consumers ordering direct from the winery, because you are not carrying Washington state "boutique" wines that consumers want. It is time to think outside the box instead of hunkering down and folding up the tent. Follow in the footsteps of Kent Jeppesen at "the wine station." You are the bottleneck between eager consumers and eager wineries. Where are those Washington wine end displays? Right out in front of Australia? If you don't lower your prices and offer the wines that consumers want, you may be cut out of the loop. Cheers!
Move over Trader Joe's, Costco, Total and Bevmo. Here comes the Wedgewood Shell Station! The what? Yeah, it's a gas station in northeast Seattle. What's a gas station got to do with wine? I told you you could find one of the best buys in the world, Columbia Crest "Two Vines" Chardonnay and Merlot, at gas stations all over Washington state, but Kent Jeppesen, owner of the Wedgewood Shell station (9501 NE 75th Street, phone 206-384-48440), has taken gas station wine sales to the next level. He had the business acumen to realize that wine has an excellent markup and that people want wine for under $10. When it comes to wine, you can get get anything you want, almost, at the Shell Station. Washington, Australia, France, Chile, you name it and chances are they have it. You may not be able to find the pepperoni or the chips, but you can find a decent quaff for the night at less than ten bucks. Kent keeps his prices right. He buys closeouts from distributors and sometime has a lower than normal markup to give you a good value. Soon, or maybe already, wine may contribute more to gross revenue and profit than that other necessity, gasoline, at the "Wine Station."
Living in Washington state, you can't help but become a strawberry lover. Of course, the best strawberries are local ones from places like Spooner Farm and Sakama farm. The season for these is a few scant weeks in June, but good strawberries can be had at other times of the year. When I am desperate for a strawberry, the overly firm, last forever, simulacrum from Watsonville will do, but if you want something with real flavor look to Mexico and other California venues. IMO, Santa Maria produces the most flavorful commercially grown fruit, followed by Santa Ynez, Oxnard and Salinas.
Strawberries are great by themselves and, of course, dipped in chocolate. Try strawberries with prosciutto or cold smoked salmon. Strawberries and semi-soft cheese are the perfect accompaniment to wine. Semisweet wines such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer work well, as do almost any dessert wines. I've never had a bad match with red or white wine, but a real Northwest eyeopener is Washington Strawberries and Oregon Pinot Noir, though I wouldn't object to a California Pinot or a Red Burgundy.
Thunderbird or MD20/20? Well, not quite that bad. How many times have you ordered wine on a flight only to be disappointed? Even in First Class? The last wine I had in First Class was a not so first class Viognier from California. I vaguely recall having some good wine in Business Class many years ago. At least in steerage you can buy those little six ounce bottles. Water is probably a better choice and sometimes offered free on some airlines. Anyway, I decided to see which of those 187ml bottles offered the best chance of a decent quaff on a plane, not that you really have a choice on a given flight. We only tasted Chardonnay. Sutter Home was sweet and flabby. Gallo was acceptable. Delicato anything but delicate, but workable, Stone Cellar from Beringer was not bad at all, well balanced with a (oh, no!) slightly stony quality, and good fruit. BTW, This is available at Trader Joe's for only $3.99 ( four buck chuck ?) and it is a lot better than Charles Shaw Chardonnay. Too bad you can't BYOB. I am so far behind on my posts that I thought I would send this little post along just to remind you that I'm still in the game:)
BULLETIN: FWC (Federal Wine Commission) to bailout wine industry. The FWC is a little known division of the Federal Reserve. Fiat will take control of Deageo and the Federal Government will own 60% of Constellation Brands. Deageo and Constellation will let go of over 50% of retailers and restaurants. Constellation will sell a significant portion of it's portfolio of wineries to buyers in China and Japan. Congressmen have complained of a lack of oversight, arbitrariness, unregulated rule by fiat, lack of clear and sound guidelines and criteria, and the impact on local communities. Some may have to drive more than 100 miles to get some wine. This will be beneficial to state budgets as the number of DWIs will increase. Goldman Sacks has indicated an interest in securitizing these debts (DWIs & DUIs), even under the regulation of the Federal Reserve (too bad Hank ain't around no more). A certain amount of wine in large formats with be held in Reserve for the Feds' own use. Already there has been a populist outcry over these outrageously oversized last minute bonuses.
On Wall Street there has been a huge rally in the stocks of American bucket manufacturers. In pre-market trading American Bucket(ABC), Kick The Bucket(KICK), and Bucket List(LIST), have risen 24%, 39%, and 103%, respectively. A little known earmark in fine print specifies that only American buckets from Arkansas and Kansas are to be used to drain the lake of wine in the U.S. resulting from excess inventories of cult wines and and wines priced at $14 and up. Like housing, there has recently been noted a slight increase in consumption by entry level buyers and those who have had to scale down during the "worst Recession since the Depression of the 1930s". Wines priced at the high end have suffered the greatest drop in sales and anyone who has a few bucks left can get on virtually any "list". "Allocated" wines can now be allocated to YOU, if you want them. Overseas, Asian and European bucket makers fell on the news. Several Asian CEOs and one French CEO kicked the bucket on the news. Interestingly, very few top level bucket makers had the decency to kick the bucket. Instead they seem to have taken out their bucket lists and are flying around the world checking off items at a rapid rate.
President Obama made it perfectly clear that he had no intention of nationalizing the wine industry or the bucket industry. He stated that it was necessary to bailout the wine industry because the country is drowning in a lake of high-priced wine. At his speech in Napa, he noted that roughly half of the countries in the world, including many Muslim countries, produce wine. He stated, unequivocally, that countries must abide by the Non-Proliferation Treaty and that, while no country could or should dictate the wine-growing behavior of another country, non-producing countries must sign the treaty and abide by its provisions. He also pointed out the absurd maze of state regulation and the intra-state attempts to coerce the behavior of individuals living in particular regions. He called for an end to the checkerboard of dry and wet counties found in some regions. Conservative Senators accused Obama of being unduly influenced by what they called a special interest group - Free The Grapes. Former Vice President Cheney virtually accused Free The Grapes of socialism and terrorism
Returning to the international arena, he said that the peaceful use of wine for domestic consumption enhances the GHP (Gross Happiness Product) of individuals and countries, but that threats of overproduction from rogue terroiristes are unacceptable and will be met with firm opposition by the international community. Terroiristes who turn in their plows will be welcomed into the community of nations. He expressed optimism that in the long run, the American wine industry could recapture it's lead by cutting prices and increasing innovation. He said that he understood the long suffering of the followers of Bacchus and Dionysus and history of hostility between them. He acknowledged how difficult it will be to overcome decades of cultism, but said that we must, and will, be guided by our moral obligations to do the right thing. While acknowledging the rights of teetotalers, he asked the world to unite in celebrating diversity, and asked us all, within the bounds of our various values and religious beliefs, to eat, drink, and be merry which is a universal human desire and a human right!
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THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
I have just published a four-part series for SQLPerformance.com on the Halloween Problem. Some of you will never have heard of this issue, and those that have might associate it only with T-SQL UPDATE queries. In fact, the Halloween problem affects execution plans for INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE and MERGE statements.
This is a topic I have been meaning to write about properly for years, ever since I read Craig Freedman's 2008 blog post on the topic, which ended with the cryptic comment:
"…although I've used update statements for all of the examples in this post, some insert and delete statements also require Halloween protection, but I'll save that topic for a future post."
That future post never materialized, sadly, so I thought I would have a go. The four parts of the series are summarized and linked below, I hope you find the material interesting.
As always, I appreciate your comments and feedback.
Paul White @SQL_Kiwi firstname.lastname@example.com
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Good article, makes our SQL skills improve fast.
awesome!! thanks for your sharing. From Taipei, Taiwan


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I picked up this deal and ordered it Saturday at 2am (it was late and I was exhausted, but had to stay up), should've known better than to order anything while that tired. The deal was great, BuyDig got it to me yesterday! You'd think I'd order it 2-day or something, but no, that was standard shipping, great job BuyDig!
Pros: Feels well built. Thick metal posts above each ear make me think I won't be having the same problem I had with my last pair, some cheaper Sennheisers, that broke at that exact spot. Unfortunately all I really have to judge audio quality with is my laptop. However, games, Pandora, and YouTube videos seem clear. The "open ear" design is nice for the office when you have to be able to hear people (especially your boss) calling your name, although local chatter also interferes more. Have to take the good with the bad, but if background noise is a concern, don't get these.
Cons: They don't fit to the side of the head at all. If you want the cuffs to lay flat against the side of your head, you should have a head the size of a basketball. The metal post I mentioned allows the cuffs to turn side to side (front/back) a few degrees, but there's no Y-axis hinges, so you can't turn them up or down at all. Right now the bottom of the cuff touches just after my chinbone below my ear, but I can fit a couple of quarters in the gap of the cuff above my ear. This is a little strange feeling. Not uncomfortable yet (after 30 minutes), but if they were hinged I could get the speakers a little closer to my ear (if I put pressure on them I can do this and there's noticeable difference). This is definitely something I will keep in mind the next time I'm headphone shopping. I didnt realize how important that simple feature was until now.
For open-ear office listening, I can't complain. We'll see if the oddness of the ear cuffs gets on my nerves.
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Post by Vasilios Sahinidis on January 7, 2011 How do I get the numbers on the left? Thanks. | |
Post by Carolina DaSilva on January 10, 2011 when I save it under .html , open it, and click option/command/u I see more than just the text I have on the page. It actually has html... | |
Post by Alena Matsiukhina on February 7, 2011 When I do it in TextEdit, the tags do not highlight in blue. Why? What wrong? :( please help. | |
Post by Suzanne McCord on March 5, 2011 I don't know what you mean by "Hit option command u in your browser". | |
Post by Suzanne McCord on March 5, 2011 My operating system is Window 7. What is my Text Editor called? I can't bring one up to even get started. | |
Post by Silas Stanley on August 18, 2011 Mr.Brenton, | |
Post by Khloe Zelenko on January 14, 2012 Hello. I am stuck on the photo too. I did start a file titled HTML and I saved my Notepad document and my photo in the same folder. I just get a box with a red X in it where my photo should be. The picture is saved as a jpg. Any thoughts on how to fix this problem? | |
Post by isaac N harper jr on March 5, 2012 This lesson make sense after taking the HTML lessons. The lectures like this one where you explain the code with demos as you go along work best fro me.Thank you very much! | |
Post by Callistus Elue on April 17, 2012 Having followed you step by step developing my web page by working within my texteditor, how do I now look it all up as my web page and thus my first website? | |
Post by Suresh Manchala on September 1, 2012 I have zero knowledge about coding. What is the pre-requisite to learn HTML ? | |
Post by paul shrubb on October 18, 2012 How can i skip forward to where i left off. The progress bar wont let me | |
Post by Ricardo Autida on November 9, 2012 Hi I am using Macbook Pro and my browser is Safari I only used w3schools.com website to type codes not on my windows 7 because it is really small but my problem is the video keep repeating so I switch to Mozilla Firefox any help will do just answer me plesae thanks because the video keep repeating and it stop | |
Post by Rishabh Kasarla on January 12 at 09:53:16 PM Hi! this lecture was awesome, I already built a website!! | |
Post by kent chau on February 3 at 07:03:50 PM Hi, I am trying to read the answer for question posted by others. Y does it need me to log in again and again even I already logged in? | |
Post by Michael Trow on February 7 at 06:19:06 AM <img src="me.png"> the photo is not uploading I am just getting a little white box on the website. What can I do? | |
Post by Michael Trow on February 7 at 08:37:57 AM only the first website on the list is loading up | |
Post by sushma penmetsa on April 22 at 10:19:52 PM Mr. Brenton Strine, | |
Post by Harry Hayes on May 3 at 12:47:51 PM Professor Strine, | |
Post by binti farah on May 9 at 11:30:06 AM could you please recommend me a book which is related this topic | |
Post by sushma penmetsa on May 27 at 02:25:12 PM Mr. Brenton, |
Your First Web Page
Lecture Slides are screen-captured images of important points in the lecture. Students can download and print out these lecture slide images to do practice problems as well as take notes while watching the lecture.


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GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT SPORT? OSIC has answers! Email firstname.lastname@example.com
Call for Nominations: 2012/13 Pacific Sports Awards, due 15 July 2013. Visit the Pacific Games Council online for more details.
New book: "Oceania, An Odyssey to the Olympic Games" features stories of Oceania athletes who participated in the London 2012 Olympic Games. From July it will be available in bookstores. Amazon will offer it in print, ipad and Kindle formats .
Fiji Rugby Centenary Conference, 1-2 July at USP in Suva, Fiji. For more details contact: firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Beading store opens
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Bird Tail Beads, a retail beading store, has opened at 1519 130th Ave. NE, Bellevue.
The store carries an inventory of semi-precious stones, pearls, glass beads, wire and findings, tools and supplies.
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VFS Global is pleased to announce the opening of the Canada Visa Application Centre (CVAC) operated by VFS Global Services Nigeria Limited on April 2, 2013.
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First off, the MPSSAA is for high school. No one gets "red shirted" in privates in high school, so that's not an issue. When kids repeat grades, it happens in middle school. Something the MPSSAA has no say so whatsoever over in publics and wouldn't with any private. But this is a non issue, McDonogh and Gilman I promise you have no interest in joining.
All schools should play in the state tournament in football and basketball .. all open enrollment, magnet and private schools should be in an open classification division(5a) 11game regular season schedules in football. Allow games to be played on Sunday and allow basketball to be played 4days a week and in special tournaments
Publics have to play the teams in their conference/division. Doesn't Gilman and McDonogh have to play the teams in their conference?
The point system, I believe, is what drives the coaches away from playing privates. Anyhow, the start date of practice is one huge restriction and summer workouts is another in my mind. What would be wrong with an August 1st date?
Privates start 4 days before publics and play a game a week before, so they obviously they have to start practicing for a game a week earlier.
Yes Gilman plays teams in their conference but they also play four OOC/OOS games. If they joined some open division for states, they would be forced to play state teams in that division. Something Gilman has no interest in doing.
The privates only start a few days before publics and they also start a week earlier for games. I really dont think most privates would mind. It is schools like Gilman, GC, Dematha etc that would not join because they want to play a national schedule. That is perfectly fine so let them be independent and devise their own schedules.
I hear what you're saying man and I know we have disagreed about the redshirting thing and when it should happen. I was just looking for an area where the privates could compromise but to me the onus is on the public schools to do the following if they want the private schools to join:
1. lift the restriction on oponnents. To me this is a no brainer, those that can afford to travel will, those that can't won't. Additionally just because you don't travel doesn't mean you will be unsuccessful.
2. eliminate the ridiculous point system
so if the vote was 5-2, clearly Loyola and CHC were not in the minority here.
No, but they were the ringleaders. The Catholic schools are the majority. McDonogh and Gilman are the minority. Anything Loyola/CHC wants will be passed by the other Catholic schools. That's why it was good to have Georgetown Prep in the A Conference. They were an independent vote that wasn't influenced by either side.
You do know that GP is a Catholic Jesuit institution that left the MIAA due to Gilman's move to the semi-professional ranks? I say let all the non-private schools in the MIAA create their own league. Good riddance! Gilman has perverted what the MSA/MIAA was anyway with their redshirting, FedEx envelopes full of cash and unaccredited boarding school.
Non-private schools? You mean non-catholic schools. You do know that Gilman isn't doing anything different than what they have been doing for years right? What's wrong with helping kids who aren't ready for the Gilman Upper School by repeating the 8th grade? I can tell you that as a kid from an inner city school system coming straight to Gilman that it was a HUGE adjustment and I definitely started from behind the 8 ball. And I was a straight A student coming into Gilman. It's a very difficult school and many non athlete kids have been asked to repeat grades in the middle school. This is a normal practice and also happens at other schools like BL and St. Paul's. Since CHC doesn't have a lower and middle school, you wouldn't know about.
Lets just say what it really is, CHC and Loyola realize that they can't compete with Gilman and throwing in the towel! McDonogh is the only school that has the balls to want to compete with Gilman and they are doing it on the recruiting front. CHC(Loyola is a non factor) is now lagging behind McDonogh on that front as well.
By the way, the Dark Ages as you call CHC's past might not come around in that form anytime soon but even if they luck up and beat Gilman again it will not matter because now the MIAA title is definitely a paper champ. It means nothing anymore. OOC games now mean even more than they ever did. But it's ok, CHC plays GC on a down year and will still get beat.
Prep is a Jesuit school in name only, they always voted their own interests. They see themselves as academic betters of Loyola and especially CHC and the WCAC schools.
Prep always had more in common with McD/Gilman than any of the other MIAA schools. There is a reason McD plays Prep annually in football, basketball, and lacrosse.
In forming a new conference, I would look to go regional and I wouldn't care about historical success in football as much as how much money a school has to spend. Schools with money always have the potential to get better. Using this as a blueprint, I would invite:
Current MIAA:
- McDonogh School (endowment $80 million)
- Gilman School (endowment $65 million)
- Saint Paul's School (endowment $30 million)
- Boys' Latin School of Maryland(endowment $31 million)
- Severn School (endowment $32 million)
- Friends School of Baltimore (endowment $22 million)
Current IAC: Episcopal School (VA) (endowment $153 million)
Current Independent: Georgetown Preparatory School (endowment $80 million)
Current VISFA Division 1:
- Liberty Christian Academy (VA) (supported by Liberty University; endowment $54 million)
- Woodberry Forest School (VA) (endowment $254 million)
Current Inter-Academic League:
- Haverford School (PA) (endowment $35 million)
- Episcopal Academy (PA) (endowment $30 million)
- William Penn Charter School (PA) (endowment $54 million)
- Germantown Academy (PA) (endowment $27 million)
Current Mid-Atlantic Prep:
- Mercersburg Academy (PA) (endowment $131 million)
- Lawrenceville School (NJ) (endowment $310 million)
- Peddie School (NJ) (endowment $210 million)
- Hill School (PA) (endowment $115 million)
Current DE Independents: Saint Andrew's School (DE) (endowment $200 million)
I limited my list to schools in MD, VA, PA, WV, NJ, and DE with endowments of greater than $20 million. If you could get 10-12 of those 19 schools you could have a league divided into A and B Conferences or North/South Divisions with the potential to be the best academic & athletic league in the country.
I love this idea! I hope the powers that be are thinking in this direction. To be honest, the schools should have left the MIAA after CHC/Loyola shot down the merger with the WCAC. I have a strong feeling that something big is on the rise. Gilman and McD will not just take this sitting down.
Of course it helps kids physically but not the reason why Gilman does it and that's what you don't get. There was a huge recruit recently from a city school that was in Gilman's Summer School before 9th grade and was set to go to Gilman but was asked to repeat the 8th grade because he wasn't academically ready for Gilman's Upper School. This said kid was a physical specimen and definitely didn't need any extra year to develop. He ended up not coming to Gilman but had an All everything career.
Of course the MANY Championships Gilman won means something but when you decide to go the way of a playoff system, you can't go back after that! Makes no sense and makes the conference look like a total joke. The MIAA-A is officially the joke conference of the state.
Maybe these said schools dont want to blow all their money for football. There are more important things in life rather sinking an astronomical amount of $ into football and reliving your school days. I say good riddance to Gilman and if McD wants to go down that same road than good riddance to them as well.
I believe you when you say that Gilman does this for many students (athletes and non-athletes) with an emphasis on academic development prior to the 9th grade year but you can't tell me that it has never been abused or used solely to keep a stud around for additional physical development. Any time a loophole can be used in any institution it usually is at some point. The fact of the matter is that Gilman can do what they want, they are a private institution but I think it is a little misleading to say that they always redshirt a kid for purely academic and noble reasons. No institution is perfect or does the right thing all the time.
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- Ni Hao, Kai-lan (3)
- The Backyardigans (6)
- Wonder Pets! (2)
- Blue's Clues (1)
- Olivia (1)
- More Shows (3)
Race, rescue, fly, dive, explore, and more!
Guppies X Marks the Spot GameAhoy, matey! Join Molly & Gil on their hunt for buried treasure |
Dora's Magic Adventure GameHelp Dora retrieve the magic wand and turn Boots back into a monkey! |
Umi City: Mighty MissionsReady for action? Check out all the games for UmiFriends to play! |
Bubble Guppies Firefighter GameHelp these brave firefighter knights and Bubble Puppy protect the kingdom! |
Lonely Rhino Friend Finders!Kids cruise through the zoo, helping Molly & Gil find a friend for Monty! |
Dora's Alphabet Adventure GameTravel through Alphabet Forest gathering letters with Dora and Boots! |
Peter Rabbit Downhill Dash GamePeter and his pals need help collecting fruits & veggies before it gets dark! |
UmiCar's Shape Race GameCollect super power shapes, avoid obstacles & speed past Dump Truck to win! |
Diego's Fiercest Animals GameAnswer animal distress calls, drive Diego's rescue rover & save fierce animals |