A roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web (because even Al Gore, who invented it, doesn't have time to read them all)
Some believe Fernet Branca to be a hangover remedy, and others regard it as a cure-all. If you had an upset stomach and an Italian grandmother, it was administered to you as a child. Fernet is one of the most popular drinks in the exploding cocktail culture, which is baffling to the rest of us: The forbidding potion is an amaro, a bitter, black spirit, and its taste has been described as “licorice-flavored Listerine.”
A roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web (because even Al Gore, who invented it, doesn't have time to read them all)
Wine is a vocation that inspires second careers. When David Noto founded Altaneve and dedicated himself to making the planet’s finest Prosecco in 2013, his timing was impeccable: global sales of Prosecco had just surpassed Champagne for the first time, and they remain higher today. Even so, Noto had a steep mountain to climb. For many American consumers, the popularity of Prosecco was built on price. The wine was firmly planted in the $10-15 category, selling for one-third of the average NV Brut Champagne.
In and around Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, Al Young is a legend. He came to Four Roses in 1967 and has been there ever since. During his five-decade career he has served as production supervisor, distillery manager and (since 2007) as Brand Ambassador. In that role, he spends most of his time on the road educating consumers, retailers and restaurant personnel. “There’s always a fresh crop of bartenders to teach the Four Roses story to,” he says. He’s also the brand’s unofficial historian: his book, Four Roses: The Return of a Whisky Legend, came out in 2010 and is in its third printing.
A roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web (because even Al Gore, who invented it, doesn't have time to read them all).
Tulips were introduced into Holland toward the end of the 16th century. They became popular, then trendy, and mania soon set in. The flowers were bought and sold on futures contracts, and prices escalated to the point where a single bulb fetched the equivalent of ten times the annual salary of a skilled worker. In 1637 the tulip craze collapsed as mysteriously as it began, and the Dutch economy was in ruins.
Ardbeg is a single malt of dramatic proportions, a whisky that conjures images of an untamed, windswept Scottish coast. Located on the tiny island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides, it has been producing whisky since 1798. When we last reviewed them, one year ago, they had just released Dark Cove ($110), proclaimed to be “the darkest Ardbeg ever.” This year’s limited-edition whisky is Kelpie ($120), “an expression inspired by the myths and legends of the sea.”
A roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web recently (because even Al Gore, who invented it, doesn't have time to read them all).
If I ever get to Heaven (which seems increasingly unlikely), I suspect it will look a lot like the Grand Central Oyster Bar. There will be a raw bar with people shucking more than a dozen varieties of bivalves. Dozens of varieties of fresh fish will be available daily from all parts of the country. There will be a formal dining room, a saloon, and a series of counters facing an open kitchen, all housed in a building of incomparable beauty.
Our weekly roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web (because even Al Gore, who invented it, doesn't have time to read them all).
Many Americans are unaware of Leblon cachaca---or cachaça in general---even though it is the most popular distilled spirit in Brazil. An astonishing 175 million cases are produced each year, but most of it is consumed within the country; while no more than 10% is exported, the better versions are starting to turn up regularly in our bars and restaurants.
In the heart of Prosecco country---that stretch between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in the province of Treviso---there is no better location than the hill of Cartizze. Planted at 1000 feet, its 260 acres of vines are owned by 140 growers. Land here can cost as much as $2 million per acre, an unheard-of price in Italy, and the wine produced from this hill carries the designation of Prosecco Superiore DOCG. It is the Montrachet of Verona.
A roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web recently (because even Al Gore, who invented in, doesn't have time to read them all).
A recent story on drinksbusiness.com proclaimed that bourbon was enjoying a “historic renaissance,” and detailed the boom: In Kentucky, the industry is now worth $8.5 billion annually; sales have increased by $3 billion per year since 2008, and no end appears to be in sight.
In 1984 the universe of sparkling wine was very different than now. Prosecco was an unknown regional quaff in Northern Italy, and the French Champagne houses were just getting their joint ventures in Napa off the ground. Despite that, Gilbert Gruet---a man who had labored his entire life to create a Champagne label in Bethon, near Epernay---planted an experimental vineyard in New Mexico, of all places.
A roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web (because even Al Gore, who invented it, doesn't have time to read them all).
The original Il Mulino was (and is) located in the heart of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village at 86 West 3rd St. For over three decades, the restaurant has specialized in traditional seafood, pasta and veal dishes from the Abruzzi, served in elegant surroundings.
Somewhere along the line, Il Mulino morphed into a franchise. There’s now an uptown outpost and a steak house in New York as well as locations on Long Island, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Puerto Rico and South Florida (yes, all the outer boroughs). In addition, there’s a cluster of restaurants called Trattoria Il Mulino, serving the same signature dishes in more casual trappings.
A roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web (because even Al Gore, who invented it, doesn't have time to read them all).
The Billion-Dollar Tequila
The week’s most important story was the billion-dollar buyout by Diageo of Casamigos, a tequila brand founded four years ago by George Clooney and friends. The implications of this deal will be simmering for some time, and I explore the ramifications of it here:
Joe Donelan was a paper executive who believed in the power of reinvention. Like many successful people, he traveled in California and France and fell in love with wine---not wine by itself, but the culinary universe that accompanied it, along with the fellowship and bonhomie that wine culture inspired. That passion eventually caused him to actualize his belief in reinvention and pursue a career in the field.
Yesterday, beverage giant Diageo announced they were buying the Casamigos tequila brand for $1 billion: $700 million up front, and the rest in performance incentives. Casamigos was founded four years ago by George Clooney and his friend Rande Gerber, husband of supermodel Cindy Crawford.
A roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web recently (because even Al Gore, who invented it, doesn't have time to read it all).
Katz’s Deli is on the move:
Several weeks ago we reported that Katz’s, the legendary deli on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, was building a production facility in New Jersey and planning to ship worldwide (The Global Power of Pastrami). Now it seems they’ve opened in Dekalb Market Hall in Brooklyn, a culinary center showcasing 40 vendors “who reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the borough.”
Here’s one blogger’s account of a Katz’s pastrami sandwich in Brooklyn:
It’s not easy to bridge the gap between funk and fusion, but The Southern Steak and Oyster Bar in Nashville manages to do just that.
A roundup of the most interesting stories on the web recently (because even Al Gore, who invented it, doesn't have time to read it all).
The conventional wisdom is that Nashville is the new Charleston, but there are differences. In Nashville, the frenzied pace of high-rise construction is obliterating what’s left of the historic downtown. Like Charleston, though, restaurants exist on one end of a continuum: either rustic, down-home BBQ joints or temples of new-wave fusion.
By Ken Schechet
This is the last in a series of dispatches from our correspondent, who has been eating his way through Asia
I have been to Vietnamese restaurants in the United States, France, and several Asian countries. I recently spent two weeks eating my way from one end of Vietnam to the other and quickly realized that before I got here I had absolutely no clue what Vietnamese food was all about.
Like many foodies I have a Tony Bourdain addiction. I have followed him through three networks, actually ran into him filming in a butcher shop in Tuscany, and have seen every show he’s done from his favorite country, Vietnam. According to a recent New York Times Magazine story he seriously considered moving to Vietnam, specifically Hanoi, a few years ago. So Vietnam went to the top of my bucket list and I finally got there recently.
Speyburn was founded by John and Edward Hopkins, two brothers from Speyside, in 1897. They located their distillery near the town of Rothes and close to a pure water source, the Granty Burn, which was a tributary of the River Spey. John Hopkins appointed Charles Doig, the celebrated distillery architect, to design the plant, and Speyburn still has the classic pagoda ventilator for which Doig is best known.
Mention rum, and most people will think of Bacardi rather than Brugal. Small wonder: It’s the world’s largest rum brand, with distilleries around the world and annual sales approaching 20 million cases. In the Caribbean, though, rum is synonymous with Brugal, based in the Dominican Republic city of Puerto Plata.
By Ken Schechet
This is the second in a series of dispatches from our correspondent, Ken Schechet, who is eating his way through Asia.
Singapore is probably the most food obsessed place I’ve ever been. It is a constant topic of conversation. Cab drivers ask you where you’ve eaten. It’s a place where WTF stands for “Where’s the Food” (I didn’t make that up. It was on a billboard.) Being a major trading and banking center there are no end of fine restaurants, but what Singapore is famous for is street food.
By Ken Schechet
This is the first in a series of dispatches from our correspondent Ken Schechet, who is eating his way through Asia.
If you’ve ever been to South Philadelphia and are a foodie, you have probably been to the corner of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue where the two signature cheese steak joints, Pat’s and Gino’s, are directly across the street from each other and staring each other down constantly. Of course, you need to try them both. Rivalries like these are so delicious to me, on so many levels, that when I heard about two similar situations in Singapore I had to see them on a recent visit.
CUNE, or the Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana (the Northern Spanish Wine Company), was founded in the Rioja town of Haro in 1879. It was a heady period in the region. Marques de Riscal, the first major estate, had been established in 1850, and Marques de Murrieta had appeared on the scene in 1877. Most importantly, the great vineyards of Bordeaux had been ravaged by phylloxera about a decade before, and Rioja, for lack of other alternatives, was suddenly in great demand.
If you sat down to write a script about the creation of a craft distillery, you’d come up with something very close to Tuthilltown and Hudson Whiskey.
Craft distillers today are nearly as ubiquitous as smart phones. It was a very different story in 2001, when Ralph Erenzo and Brian Lee purchased the historic Tuthilltown Gristmill in Gardiner, New York. The mill had been converting grain to flour for more than two centuries, but no one had thought of making it into a distillery. Although there were more than 1,000 farm distillers in the state producing their own booze from local ingredients prior to Prohibition, the practice was unknown more than 80 years after Repeal.
It has been a rough decade for delicatessen. New York’s famed Stage Deli served its last overstuffed sandwich in 2012, and the Carnegie Deli closed last December. If two such icons can’t make it in the Big Apple, what hope is there for the provinces?
While the Stage and the Carnegie both had real estate issues of different sorts, the reality is that deli popularity has been declining for decades. Part of the downward trend is a general preference for healthier food, and some of it is generational: today’s consumers view a deli as a theme restaurant, while their parents and grandparents saw it as a place to get the food they ate every day. The further you get from the old country, the more sophisticated you become.
Summer doesn’t begin on June 21, or on the first real beach day. It begins on the day when you get the inspiration to make some punch. And---just like paying taxes and exiting the planet---you’ll end up doing it sooner or later.
The Napa Valley now has two restaurants that have received three Michelin stars (The French Laundry and The Restaurant at Meadowood), which means you have the opportunity to drop $1000 or more for two on dinner, just as you might in New York or San Francisco. The real dining discoveries, though, are at the more casual and lower-priced end of the scale, and these are the places that mesh better with the lifestyle of California wine country. Over the past five years a collection of chef-driven restaurants has opened with relaxed décor and delicious, market-driven menus. While most require a bit of advance planning, they don’t present the daunting reservation gauntlet of the Michelin-starred establishments. Check out these destinations for either a romantic dinner or an evening of communal fun:
Gin from Scotland, home of the world’s great single malts? At first it might seem that someone didn’t get the memo. Look closer, and you’ll find a visionary who read the memo, cheerfully tore it up, and went on to pursue his dream.
If you want to sell ice cream you usually start with vanilla and chocolate, and only after you develop a consumer following do you unveil your Macadamia Butter Brickle. Same thing with wine: most emerging wine regions break into the U.S. market with Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, the two fail-safe grape varieties that Americans can easily recognize and understand.
In 2017 it’s hard to believe that Italy was once an emerging wine region, but there was a time when perception of Italian wine quality in this country couldn’t have been lower. When I was growing up Chianti was poured from straw baskets, in restaurants with red and white checkered tablecloths. It was the cheapest wine on the list (or on any list, for that matter). The American perception of Chianti began to improve only when the Italian wine law was changed to allow for the inclusion of “foreign” grape varieties, notably Cabernet. Today it would be difficult to find a Chianti Classico with no Cabernet in the blend, and many Tuscan IGTs are fragrant with the aroma of Syrah.
Americans tend to regard Madeira wine as the drink of spinsters and maiden aunts. This is a shame, since they can be some of the world’s most glorious wines---delightful to sip on their own, and incredibly versatile with food.
The Hennessy firm dates to 1765, when founder Richard Hennessy established a trading firm in Cognac. Eight generations of the family have taken an active role in the business, despite the fact that the enterprise is now owned by the global beverage giant LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy). Equally crucial to the continuity of the brand is the Fillioux family, also involved for eight generations as master blender from 1800 onward.
While most of us are aware that Cognac is distilled from wine, this fact frequently gets lost when we drink it. For one thing, the grape of choice is Ugni Blanc, a variety which lacks a fashionable reputation in most circles (when was the last time you settled on a bar stool and ordered a glass of Ugni Blanc?). In all but the finest Cognacs, the high level of alcohol (40% by volume) tends to obscure the properties of the base wine.
Banfi is a familiar name to many American consumers, who long ago figured out that the best way to score a wine value was to avoid California. That’s not to say that there aren’t any number of outstanding bargains produced in the Golden State (see my Affordable Wine Guide to California and the Pacific Northwest, at the bottom of this page), but simply that the process of finding them is too convoluted and difficult.
Along with Spain, Italy stands out as a source of well-made and reasonably priced wine, provided you know where to look. The reason is simple: these bottles come from a culture where wine is regarded not as a trophy, not as a sign of status or sophistication, but rather as a beverage designed to be consumed with meals. The challenge is sorting through the sea of vowels to find the jackpot, and that’s one of the things we’re committed to helping you do.
In this era of fast-casual dining, few restaurants have sommeliers or dedicated wine professionals anymore. The ones who still have jobs will tell you that most consumers don’t have a clue about wine, although those who aren’t intimidated by sommeliers legitimately appreciate a thoughtful recommendation. If you’re lucky enough to be in a restaurant with a knowledgeable wine professional, don’t make that person play Twenty Questions. Tell the person what you like and what you’re willing to spend, and you’ll get the best bottle available.
Like most U.S. distilleries, George Dickel had an interrupted history. It was founded by its namesake, a German immigrant who became a successful merchant, in 1870, and flourished until Tennessee enacted Prohibition ahead of the nation (and two years ahead of neighboring Kentucky) in 1909. The Dickel brand survived Prohibition by being sold as a medicinal spirit. After Repeal, Schenley bought the rights to the recipes and sat on them for several decades. The distillery was finally rebuilt in 1958 by master distiller Ralph Dupps and is supervised today by his successor, John Lunn.
The inside story of Australian wine is a heartbreaking tale of boom and bust. Veterans still shake their heads over The Great Vine Pull of 1987: after five years of uncontrolled surpluses, the government actually paid growers to remove Shiraz vines and leave their land barren. The result was the loss of thousands of acres of the best old-vine Shiraz.
The industry recovered and another boom ensued, only to come crashing down in the recession of 2007-8. Then a strong surge in the value of the Aussie dollar made entry-level wines such as Yellow Tail no longer seem like appealing bargains. To make matters worse, consumers moved toward a preference for a cleaner, more natural style of wine, which further weakened the appeal of Barossa’s high-alcohol, overripe and heavily oaked reds.
Cruzan Rum (pronounced “kru-shun”) is made on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The island was “discovered” by Christopher Columbus in 1493---which implies that it didn’t actually exist until white people from Europe found it. What was waiting for Columbus when he landed was an abundant agricultural economy based on the production of sugar. That sugar, and the molasses derived from it, was already being turned into rum. Over the centuries the island belonged to Spain, England, Holland, France and the Knights of Malta, before being sold to the U.S. by Denmark in 1916.
Few liqueurs are as fabled as Grand Marnier. This famous concoction of Cognac, sugar and bitter oranges was invented by Louis Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle in 1880, and quickly became a sensation. It happened that he was a friend of César Ritz, who featured the liqueur in his hotels. After the chef at the Ritz in Paris (a guy named Escoffier) used it in Crêpe Suzette, a dish he invented for the future King of England, its popularity skyrocketed even further.
I first met David Ramey in 1992, when he was in charge of the cellar at Chalk Hill. He was obviously a winemaker of great talent, and just as clearly his future was going to be brilliant. That’s pretty much the way things turned out. After successful stints at Matanzas Creek, Dominus and Rudd, he founded Ramey Wine Cellars in 1996.
The Laphroaig distillery is located on the island of Islay, 25 miles off the Irish coast. The island has been described as wind-swept, and the term is probably accurate as well as poetic. It is the southernmost point in the Inner Hebrides, and became part of Scotland in the 18th century. It has 3000 inhabitants and two industries: agriculture and whisky.
Pimm's Cup is proof that premixed cocktails just won’t go away, despite the fact that no one admits to drinking them. They were never really stylish in America, since they conjured up images of brown bags, bums and convenience store parking lots; in this age of designer libations, they seem to suggest laziness, as well as a lack of imagination and taste. Even so, they turn up like the unwanted dinner guest. At the recent convention of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America in Las Vegas, one of the flashy “new products” was something called Twist In A Glass, which contained a precise amount of mixer (Margarita, Cosmo, etc.) in a cocktail glass, just waiting for the customer’s alcohol of choice.
The flamboyant Jean-Charles Boisset has always been a bit of a maverick. The scion of a Burgundy vintner, he was determined from an early age to move to America. When he ultimately settled in San Francisco in the early 1990s he managed the office of his family’s enterprise, Boisset America. A few years later he purchased Lyeth Estates, one California’s early pioneers in meritage wines (Bordeaux-style blends) and the first of his many U.S. properties.
Square One Organic Vodka tackles one of the most fundamental oxymorons: how, exactly, can booze be good for you?
If not, it's pretty close.
Some time back, I received a sample of the St. Francis Old Vine Zinfandel, along with a recipe for using it to make barbecue sauce. I’m very fond of this wine, and normally wouldn’t spend $25 to dump a bottle of it into a skillet, but under the circumstances (i.e., with nothing better to do) it seemed like an interesting and worthwhile adventure.
The landscape of Napa and Sonoma is littered with wineries that were once family-owned operations, independent and fiercely focused on quality. Over the past decade, many of those wineries were absorbed by the Jacksons and Foleys of this world. In most cases the scenario was the same: after decades of conscientious effort, the owners had achieved a measure of critical and financial success, only to come to a point where they had no children interested in carrying on their legacy. Do those properties still make good wine under their new ownership? The answer is generally yes, but they have lost the passion and spark that made them unique.
1982, when Jörg Rupf founded St. George Spirits in Alameda, California, the
craft distilling movement in this country didn’t exist. Like many other
visionaries, Rupf was at least several decades ahead of the societal curve. To
make matters more difficult, he decided to focus exclusively on eau de vie, a
spirit practically unknown among American consumers.
As the years passed, Rupf became the Godfather of American craft distilling. He won numerous awards for his eau de vie, and trained the next generation of artisan distillers, men such as Steve McCarthy (Clear Creek), Randall Grahm (Bonny Doon) and Fritz Maytag (Anchor Distilling). However, the pivotal moment in the history of St. George was probably the day in 1996 when Lance Winters turned up to apply for a job, with a bottle of homemade whiskey in hand as his resume.
When it comes to wine vintages, few statements are more compelling than the pronouncement that a specific region has experienced the Vintage of the Century. Marketing is easily fueled by superlatives, particularly when they seem to come from the mouths of experts, and hyperbole can help a wine triumph over a brutally competitive field.
Recently, though, the Vintages of the Century have been hurtling at us in clumps and at warp speed. Bordeaux is one of the best examples. Robert Parker proclaimed the 2000 vintage to be one of the best of all time, and his comments triggered an unprecedented gold rush. Since then, we’ve had three more VOTCs there: 2005, 2009 and 2010 were widely hailed as superlative, and the century isn’t yet two decades old. Now we’re hearing that the next VOTC in the making is 2015. In California, by contrast, every wine vintage seems to be VOTC.
Duckhorn Vineyards is one of Napa’s iconic wine estates. It was founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, at a time when there were a handful of wineries in Napa compared to over 500 today. From the beginning, it operated on a different philosophy from its neighbors.
Three decades ago, Casa Noble didn't exist---the concept of premium tequila was unknown in this country. In fact, it probably would have been considered laughable. Tequila in America was the drink of frat boys, bikers and bums. It was what you drank if you wanted to get obliterated as quickly as possible. It smelled like rotting compost, and tasted worse. In fact, the standard method of ingesting it---downing a shot quickly, along with a dose of salt and lime---had been developed specifically to mask the aroma and flavor of the stuff.
According to legend, vermouth was invented in 1786 in Turin, Italy, the hotbed of mixology at the time. Antonio Benedetto Carpano infused wine with a mixture of 30 herbs and spices, then spiked it with spirit for good measure. He referred to it as wermut, implying that it contained wormwood as a primary ingredient. Carpano’s shop was located across from the royal palace, and his potion became one of the King’s favorites. Carpano vermouth is still the gold standard more than two centuries later, the benchmark against which all others are measured.
When I first heard that Moet Hennessy was going to make a super-premium red wine in China, I was skeptical. China is certainly the Wild West of the wine business these days, the one market that everyone in the trade wants to penetrate. It’s true that Moët already had a foothold in the country, with their Chandon China operation producing sparkling wine for domestic consumption.
This, however, was different. Rumors began to surface six years ago that Moet Hennessy was seeking land in the foothills of the Himalayas to make a Bordeaux-style red that would be on a par with the great wines of the world. It seemed like a tall order. Despite rapid economic development, China is not the Napa Valley or the Médoc. Then, in 2012, Moet announced they had found their Shangri-La---literally.
Ever wonder what the Bacardi family drinks when they relax at the end of a long day? If you're willing to pony up, you have the chance to find out.
A wine collection may seem like an odd thing to fantasize about, but many of us do. We visualize ourselves to be English lords, living in an ivy-covered country estate surrounded by a retinue of faithful retainers. Of course the basement houses a formidable wine collection. As the dinner hour approaches and guests assemble in the drawing room, we dispatch one of those retainers down a flight of rickety stairs to fetch the evening’s wines: a mature white Burgundy, a perfectly aged claret to pair with our well-hung grouse, perhaps a Sauternes for the cheese course and a vintage Port for dessert.
Back here on planet Earth, there are wealthy individuals who attempt to create a modern version of this scenario, with varying degrees of success. We’re going to look at the pitfalls and rewards of having your own wine collection, explore the why and how of wine storage, and hopefully help you determine if this endeavor is for you.
Disclaimer: In the world of craft spirits and whiskey geeks, this issue has been debated ad nauseam for several years. The following post is geared toward average consumers, who may not be aware of certain industry practices.
Craft spirits are one of the hottest trends in America, but a large proportion of those spirits are produced at the MGP warehouse in Lawrenceville, Indiana.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is deeply intertwined with the history of California wine. Without Stag’s Leap, in fact, California wine might not exist in the form it does today. Here are the details, for those too young to remember:
If you believe that Canadian Club was your father’s whiskey, think again.
To be sure, he probably drank it, but that doesn’t mean that the appeal of Canadian Club is old-fashioned or dated. It works brilliantly as a component of classic cocktails, and appeals to anyone who is craving both flavor and affordable luxury. Strangely enough, like the late Rodney Dangerfield, this remarkable whiskey gets very little respect in the modern era. Not so long ago, it was the most popular whiskey in the world---six million cases were purchased worldwide in 1964, with four million sold in the U.S. alone. Today, many people in the industry refer to it as “brown vodka,” a term of derision.
Commodities tend to go up and down in price, thus creating confusion about what they’re “worth.” Gold, for example, is supposed to be a safe haven with great intrinsic value. If so, how do we explain the fact that it sold for over $1800 per ounce in 2011 and $1200 two years later?
The truth is probably that commodities are worth what people are willing to pay for them. This seems unfair in the case of wine, since there are fixed costs tied to its production. Some wines cost $50 or $75 to make and sell for thousands of dollars. There are also wines that cost $15 to produce that consumers won’t pay $10 for, or even purchase at all.
The interesting thing about the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection is that until recently, there was no small batch Bourbon at all. Once upon a time, everyone in Kentucky made the same type of whiskey. Distillers were aware that superior barrels existed in each warehouse, but it never occurred to them to isolate those barrels---primarily because the demand for a more exclusive Bourbon didn’t seem to exist.
Some wine lovers view blind tasting as a serious and intriguing pastime, while others dismiss it as a parlor game for geeks. Either way, the exercise can be more than a platform for demonstrating how bright and clever a taster really is. Beyond the triumph of correct identification is the insight gained from penetrating into the nature of a wine, without knowing the pedigree, without realizing how much it cost and how impressed we’re supposed to be. Blind tasting can be a humbling experience as well, particularly when your conclusion is wrong.
Musicians are cool, surfers are cooler, and people who drink rum are coolest of all. That’s the philosophy of Toby Tyler, self-styled rum savant and the creator of Afrohead.
When I first started reviewing wine in the early 1990s, I took some controversial positions. I quickly learned that controversy stimulated discussion and readership. It’s possible that I overdid it in a few cases.
One of my more interesting positions concerned irrigation. Watering vines was against the law in most European countries, and in my view those wines were far superior to what was being made in California. I extrapolated that American vintners shouldn’t be irrigating either. In a situation where it was too warm to be growing wine grapes without adding water, I suggested those grapes shouldn’t be grown at all. One of my favorite targets in this crusade was Sonoma County.
The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s famed restaurant in Napa Valley, reopened yesterday after an extensive renovation. It is one of nine in this country to hold three Michelin stars, and is widely regarded as the best restaurant in America. With only 60 seats, it’s also one of the hardest tables to get. When the renovations were first announced, most observers assumed that Keller would be enlarging his dining room to accommodate more customers.
Leftover wine isn’t much of an issue around my house, but I know that many people struggle with how to preserve it. The problem is simple: oxygen is the enemy of wine, and once you open that bottle the clock is ticking. The issue becomes more acute when the wine is expensive or older (although an older wine, nowadays, generally means one year or more past its vintage date).
Few experiences are more emblematic of the Florida Keys than a visit to the famed Tiki Bar at Islamorada’s Postcard Inn Beach Resort (formerly known as Holiday Isle). Once you get south of Key Largo, it’s clear that you’ve entered a strange and beautiful territory, a place where individual freedom is prized above all---a place the late Norman Mailer might have referred to as the Wild West of the Southeast.
Years ago, when inexperienced diners visited fancy restaurants for the first time, one of their biggest fears was what to order. How could they possibly navigate through a long and complex menu containing dishes described in a foreign language? For many people, the challenge of choosing something they might like was more daunting than how much to tip or which fork to use.
Today that situation has been resolved for customers in high-end restaurants through the miracle of the tasting menu. You pay a set price and receive a predetermined number of dishes in a fixed order. The only choice you need to make would be wine, but many restaurants also offer a “sommelier’s wine pairing” in which a glass of wine accompanies each course, for an additional fee.
Americans have known about the health benefits of red wine since November 17, 1991.
On that date, 60 Minutes aired a segment on something called The French Paradox. The term had been floating around for a few years prior to that, but Morely Safer’s report catapulted it into the consciousness of millions. The French Paradox referred to the fact that the French had a much lower incidence of coronary heart disease than we did, despite consuming a diet much higher in saturated fat. It was based on research done by a scientist at Bordeaux University. The report---or more accurately, Safer---suggested that red wine was a possible contributing factor in the so-called paradox. Since the theory emanated from Bordeaux, the grape variety responsible was identified as Merlot, which composed a large part of the blend on the Right Bank.
It’s that time of year: if you don’t drink a Manhattan cocktail now, you probably never will. Don’t think you need snow on the ground and a roaring fire. If you live in the tropics, as I do, simply crank the A/C down to 55 and enjoy yourself.
La Tartine is my favorite Parisian wine bar. It’s located at the lower end of the rue de Rivoli in the first arrondisement, at number 24---the part of the street that used to be seedy and declassé. Today the building is one of the many gems of the Marais neighborhood, a section of town that has become chic (and expensive) beyond words. The exterior bears the simple legend Marchand de Vin (wine seller), and the small terrace houses a handful of tables and the inevitable chalk board inscribed with the specials of the day.
The Catena family of Argentina has frequently been compared to the Mondavis, but that analogy doesn’t give them enough credit. For more than a century they have been involved in the relentless pursuit of quality, and arguably have done more to secure their country’s place on the international wine stage than anyone else.
You could fairly divide American mixology into two camps. On one side you have the purists, concocting classic pre-Prohibition cocktails from three or four ingredients, and using top-shelf spirits with proven levels of consumer identification.
Then you have the mavericks, the edgy guys who embrace experimentation. They’ll create the signature drink with eight or ten obscure elements, the cocktail you could never describe to anyone else (much less understand on your own). These folks embrace the new, the cutting-edge, the trendy.
Those are the guys who are likely to feature a cocktail with activated charcoal this year, and they’ll probably use Stolen Rum as the primary spirit.
Despite what some partisans want you to believe, fake news is not a new phenomenon. It’s as old as news itself. The only real change, as I pointed out recently (Food and the 24-Hour News Cycle), is the proliferation of news outlets. Between the Internet and cable news, there’s now an unprecedented tsunami of reporting, and there’s no more real news on any given day.
The massive and phantasmagoric Mai Kai pays homage to the Polynesian craze that swept America during the post-World War II era. It is the Taj Mahal of the tiki culture, an improbable place that somehow hangs together and exercises a timeless appeal. One of the current members of the management team referred to it as “an escape from everyday life,” which is similar to saying that a private jet or a stretch limousine is a transportation vehicle.
Tipping still remains a mystery for many restaurant diners. Given that the current standard for good service is 20%, and that number can be computed by dividing the check by five, it’s difficult to see what all the confusion is about. It’s true that some customers are addled by alcohol, and others come from cultures where tipping is included in the check. If you ask the wait staff, however, they’ll tell you that those folks are simply cheap.
If Tennessee’s George Dickel is the smallest producer of premium spirits in the country, Jack Daniel’s stands at the opposite extreme---it is the largest distillery in the U.S. and the best-selling whiskey in the world, with an annual output that exceeds 10 million cases. It is also an icon in the realm of American spirits, as well as a pilgrimage point for lovers of Tennessee whisky.
Angelo Gaja almost single-handedly brought Italian wine into the modern world. When he took over his family estate in Barbaresco in 1961, Italy wasn’t even on the fine wine radar screen. The wine universe was dominated by France, and particularly by Bordeaux. From the beginning, Gaja’s position was that there was a place for Italy not just at the bottom of the scale, but also at the top.
In the wine world, there are pieces of conventional wisdom about food and wine pairing that have been repeated and burnished until they have reached the status of Gospel.
Unfortunately, many of them aren’t true, but neither are they likely to be challenged anytime soon. Aspiring sommeliers do not readily contradict the people training them, nor do consumers generally feel confident enough to question “experts” in their fields. And so these chestnuts roll on, year after year and generation after generation, acquiring the importance of commandments engraved on stone tablets.
Here are some examples:
The Bitter Bar opened in 2009 under the improbable name of The Happy Noodle. At the time, it was an Asian noodle joint that also served craft cocktails; the assumption was that both trends were hot, so why not? The two motifs didn’t blend together as seamlessly as originally thought, and the cocktails eventually pushed the soba and somen out the back door.
When I first started working in the restaurant business, several hundred years ago, the world was a different place. There were no chain restaurants, gastropubs or fast-casual establishments. In each major city there were a handful of “good” restaurants, and these were primarily French or Continental. They tended to be grand palaces of fine dining with flocked wallpaper, elaborate chandeliers and tuxedoed waiters dish, where customers could watch going up in flames. Those customers were very different as well: they were affluent, well-traveled and belonged exclusively to one social class. Ordinary people went to diners, as there were no fast-food outlets back then.
If you travel in Italy’s Piemonte region and visit a traditional Barolo producer (assuming you can find one), you may be offered a Chinato. Production of Chinato dates to the late 19th century. It usually consists of an old Barolo that has been infused with the bark of a South American cinchona tree and then flavored with cinnamon, coriander, vanilla or mint, according to the secret recipe of the winery. The final product, slightly bitter and distinctly herbal, is usually consumed before or after dinner.
When we talk about North by Northwest, we're not referring to Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock and a tale of espionage and mistaken identity---rather, to a Washington State wine you can drink while watching the movie on DVD.
When I conduct consumer tastings and other wine events, which I do frequently, the most common question I get from the audience runs something like this: “I’m allergic to sulfites, and wine gives me headaches. Which wines should I buy, and which ones should I avoid?”
Located off the lobby of the vintage Roosevelt Hotel on Bayonne Street, the Sazerac easily the best bar in New Orleans and one of the finest in the country. As soon as you walk in, you get the comforting feeling that you’ll be in good hands. The décor is as appealing as the cocktails. All the wood paneling lining the walls came from a single African Walnut tree. Decorating those walls is a haunting series of murals painted by Paul Ninas in the 1930s for the WPA program, depicting waterfront scenes and local street life. The long bar contains several dozen stools, and there are comfortable groupings of leather sofas and armchairs in which groups can relax.
You may not have heard about one of the latest and hottest food crazes, and you may be better off.
There’s a place in Brooklyn called The Bagel Store, where baker Scot Rossillo has been making rainbow bagels as a novelty item for 20 years. Business Insider recently produced a video about them, which went viral and was viewed 65 million times. As a result, demand became so intense that Rossillo had to close up shop for ten days to reorganize his operation.
According to an urban legend, sparkling wine from the South of England is just as good as Champagne. Unfortunately, there's no way to prove it on this side of the pond. English wine isn't exported to the U.S. (or more accurately, it's not imported into the U.S. due to a general lack of interest). Yet there's no doubt that climate change is creating some strange vineyard bedfellows. Taittinger bought a chunk of land in Kent in 2015, and they're far from the only wine estate to invest in the region.
Where can you find the best cookie in Los Angeles?
What is the most underrated pastry shop in Montreal?
If you could only have one doughnut in Portland, what would it be?
What’s the best lobster roll in Maine?
The last one does have some merit---the worst lobster roll in Maine, after all, is probably going to be the best one you’ve ever had. But doughnuts in Portland (Oregon, not Maine)? Do we need a new version of the Michelin Guide, As Told to Homer Simpson?
You may not have the resources to mount an expedition to Antarctica, but you can drink like the explorers who got there.
In 1907, Ernest Shackleton and his men set out for the South Pole on their ship, the Nimrod. They were forced to evacuate in 1909, about 100 miles from reaching the Pole. Even worse, they had to abandon a stash of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Whisky, leaving it under a floorboard in their expedition hut.
Slowly but inexorably, Sonoma is turning into Napa. Upscale spa resorts are replacing rustic bed and breakfast inns, and the grizzled winemaker in overalls is morphing into the Silicon Valley entrepreneur. Yearning for the old Sonoma? Pay a visit to The Fremont Diner.
We have a dear friend who prefers her beef well done. Going to a restaurant with this poor, lovely woman is a minor form of torture. Here’s how it usually goes: upon receiving the order for the well-done steak, the server will appear discomfited, as if he/she had been asked to ingest the business end of a porcupine. He/she usually explains that the kitchen prefers to serve the steak medium rare. After much explanation and negotiation and discussion, the server finally agrees to this woman's request.
Parker Beam, one of the legendary figures in Bourbon country, passed away earlier this week after a long battle with ALS. He was 75.
Today, January 11, is National Hot Toddy Day, which reminds us that hypochondria has its unsung benefits: There are people who pretend to be sick just to have an excuse to drink hot toddies. I suspect there are also individuals who visit ski resorts for the same reason, although this seems to be an expensive and unnecessary course; better to just take to your bed and feign a hacking cough. While there’s no evidence that Baron Munchhausen was a fan of the drink, these concoctions have been around for a very long time.
The wine world was stunned last week by the announcement that Bonneau du Martray, an iconic Burgundy estate, was sold to an American by the name of Stanley Kroenke. While people in Burgundy are easily stunned by outside influences, or even by the presence of an outsider in their sphere of orbit, this sale seemed to represent a quintessential culture clash.
Williams and Graham is a modern American speakeasy located in the Lower Highlands neighborhood of Denver. There is a true speakeasy entrance, an anteroom posing as a bookstore. The friendly hostess verifies your reservation and checks your ID, and you enter a dimly lit space that is a beautiful recreation of a 1920s saloon. A long bar of reclaimed wood holds 15 stools, and five booths of tufted black leather line the other end of the room. Sconces mounted on the wood-paneled walls provide barely enough light to see the back of your hand.
Back in my collector days, we used to drink a lot of Chablis. The flavor profile appealed to my Old World palate: flinty, mineral-infused, with excellent acidity and true Chardonnay fruit. It also didn’t hurt that the category was a bargain when compared to the best New World Chardonnay, and certainly far cheaper than its famous neighbors further south in the Côte de Beaune.
I no longer collect wine because my lifestyle has changed. I still write about it, which involves tasting through an onslaught of samples that arrive on a regular basis. For a special occasion, though, I’m now in the same position as everyone else: I get in the car and head to the local wine shop in search of something suitable. We normally celebrate New Year’s Eve with caviar, a tradition that goes back at least 15 years. My wife doesn’t drink Champagne, so my thoughts naturally turned to Chablis.
Human beings share a number of fantasies: we’re convinced our dogs are smart, we know our children are well-behaved, and many of us believe we make the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. Having spent six months of my life baking chocolate chip cookies for resale, I harbor the last illusion.
However, the guy who really makes the best cookies on the planet is probably Francis Nelson Beebe of Gold Canyon, Arizona. Mr. Nelson, as he is known to his growing legion of fans, is a classically trained chef who now works in his own commercial bakery. He turns out 24 dozen cookies per day, four days each week, and sells them only online. They cost $5 apiece, and may be ordered in batches of six or 12---provided you log onto his site before they sell out for the day (mrnelsonscookies.com).
Hospitality (noun): The friendly and generous entertainment of guests, visitors or strangers (Oxford Dictionaries)
During last year’s tumultuous political season, impassioned and sometimes hateful diatribes became standard. Those of us active on social media had to listen to them daily. This is a free society, fortunately, and everyone is entitled to their beliefs: regardless of which side you’re on, you can state them frequently and vigorously.
As with many American classics, the origins of oyster stew are obscure. Native Americans supposedly taught settlers how to make the dish, but dairy products were not part of their diet. Chesapeake Bay residents would probably scoff at New Englanders and call the concoction their own. When seeking out an authentic version, remember that geography is no guarantee of quality. My brother-in-law, who has lived in and around Boston his entire life, makes the worst oyster stew I’ve ever tasted. By contrast, many aficionados believe that the definitive rendering may be found at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in Manhattan, where it's referred to as an oyster pan roast.
McSorley’s in New York's Greenwich Village is the city’s oldest continuously operating saloon. It was founded in 1854 by John McSorley, an immigrant who fled Ireland’s potato famine, and functioned for many years as a workingman’s pub. Abe Lincoln, Woody Guthrie and John Lennon supposedly drank there. The Irish laborers are long gone from the neighborhood, but McSorley’s presumably still looks the way it did a century ago: sawdust on the floor, yellowed newspaper clippings on the walls, and cheerful personnel providing a refuge from the world.
Heading out today or tomorrow to buy a bottle of bubbly for your holiday celebrations? Dip into the archives for some recommendations:
A few days ago, just in time for New Year’s Eve, research scientists debunked one of the most endearing and enduring myths in the world of Champagne:
Tiny bubbles are not a sign of quality.
When Justin Baldwin arrived in the countryside of Paso Robles in 1981 there were four wineries in the area. Paso itself had been a tourist destination of sorts for nearly a century, due to the perceived healing powers of its thermal springs. Still, Baldwin’s location on Chimney Rock Road could fairly be described as the middle of nowhere. Today there are more than 200 operating wineries in the vicinity, and the region has gained fame as the epicenter of Rhone-style production in California.
Proof on Main is regarded as an essential stop on downtown Louisville’s Urban Bourbon Trail. The bar is attached to the 21C Museum Hotel, opened in 2006 by philanthropists and art collectors Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson. Brown and Wilson wanted to help reverse the pattern of suburban sprawl by rejuvenating the city’s downtown area (and, presumably, to make money in the process). The overall feel of the place is similar to living in the MOMA; the hotel’s public spaces are filled with changing exhibits of the type of art many people used to make fun of, while some still do.
We've known for a long time that wine has health benefits when consumed in moderation. But who knew that the external application of wine to the skin could be healthful as well?
Apparently, Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas realized this back in 1993. During the harvest at Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, her family’s estate in Bordeaux, she was chatting with Joseph Vercauteren, a professor of pharmacy. “Do you know that you are throwing away treasures?” asked the professor, as seeds, stems, skins and other grape refuse was discarded by the ton. Vercauteren explained that the leftover grape products were high in antioxidants and helped promote exfoliation.
Two years later, the couple launched Caudalie, a line of skin treatments based on grape polyphenols.


CLEVELAND, Ohio - Outside the Beachland Ballroom Friday night, the mercury said 16 degrees and it was COLD. But inside? Inside, the Heat was on, and it was turned up to boiling.
Specifically, the Reverend Horton Heat, the Dallas-based psychobilly trio fronted by guitar-slingin Jim Heath (the band's name is both an homage to the great Johnny Horton and a shortened version of Heath's own name).
Heath, whose flying fingers oft-times turned his Gretsch hollow-body electric guitar into a weapon of mass eruption, took the sold-out crowd back to the days when rockabilly was king, albeit with surf and punk as members of the court.
For two solid hours, the charismatic Heath and his bandmates - stick-twirling, fleet-footed drummer Scott Churilla and upright bass-thumping "Nature Boy'' Jimbo Wallace - kept the crowd bouncin' to tunes like "Smell of Gasoline,'' "Let Me Teach You How to Eat'' and the wonderful "Zombie Dumb.''
The thing about a show and music like this is that if you like it, it's impossible to wipe the smile off your face . . . and your heart. But more than that -even better than that - is that it's more impossible NOT to like it.
Heath doesn't have a Pavarotti voice, but really, the only person who did is dead. What he has is the ability to command a stage, and make every single person in the audience feel like we're all in on the same colossal joke. And ain't nobody sharing it with the mainstream world!
That's the other thing about the gig Friday night: Heath and his openers, the legendary "rockabilly filly'' Rosie Flores and "Ameripolitan'' genre creator Dale Watson, make no bones about the fact that they hate what is peddled under the country music label today.
Real country to them is someone like Hank Williams Sr. or Merle Haggard - the silver-pompadoured Watson even covered Hag's "Ramblin' Fever'' tune in his much-too-short set, which also featured an ode to the late George Jones called "Jonesin' for Jones.'' (The best line of the night belonged to Watson, who said that "George Jones' voice will never die as long as long as there are pedal steel guitars.'')
So they're not country, not in the sense that Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift or Blake Shelton - names that slipped off Heath's tongue with the bitterness of syrup of ipecac -- are country.
You won't hear their music on the local radio stations, and that's too bad. Flores, who valiantly fought her way through a throat problem, gave the appreciative crowd driving songs like "Get Rhythm,'' "This Cat's in the Doghouse'' and the beautiful "Boxcar.'' But - and this is what separates this cadre of likeminded friends from mainstream country - she also offered up her stunning cover of the Sex Pistols' "Get Vacant,'' complete with a wry "Bet you didn't think you'd hear THAT one tonight, did you?''
Watson's Ameripolitan - a genre that combines honky-tonk, rockabilly, western swing and outlaw styles of music - boasts clever lyrics, clean Telecaster guitar, a sweet bit of pedal steel by bandmate Lorain native Don Pawlak and a groove that screams two-step.
You aren't going to hear a song like "My Baby Makes Me Gravy'' or "Sayonara Sucker'' coming through the car radio, and you CERTAINLY won't hear lyrics like "Don't let the screen door hit ya / where the Good Lord split ya.''
Unless, of course, truck driver Watson brings his friends back into town, and some club cranks up the Heat.


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When it comes to food, we Malaysians take pride in the dishes we have to offer. To many people including tourists, Penang has been named the food capital in the country, or even in South-East Asia. But more often than not, Johor gets overlooked for good eateries to dine at. The southern peninsular state is more than just a neighbouring land to the fully-developed island of SIngapore. Johor has some of the best food spots to offer. Whether you’re a landlord or a tenant residing in the state, here are 5 Recommended Places to Eat in Johor.
1. Otak-Otak Cheng Boi
When you’re in Johor you know you cannot count out the dish that it is known for; otak-otak, a spicy and savoury traditional fish dish. The best place that is recommended for good authentic Johor otak-otak is Otak-Otak Cheng Boi in Muar, Johor. Cheng Boi’s otak-otak is highly loved by locals and visitors because they are generous with the mackerel fish they use, indicating they do not take shortcuts when making their dish. Hence, ensuring the best quality and taste.
2. Restoran Hua Mui JB
Another good food place that’s highly recommended in Johor is Hua Mui in Johor Bahru. Hua Mui specialises in Malaysian Chinese cuisine or as we call it “kopitiam” food! And the best part is it is also halal certified for our Muslim friends, since many Malays also dine at Hua Mui. The most popular dishes here are their Hainanese chicken chop and their roti bakar aka Malaysian toast paired with runny half-boiled eggs.
3. Selera Senibong Seafood
Another place in Johor that is a highly recommended place to eat is Selera Senibong Seafood. If you’re a seafood lover, this place is a must try when you’re in Johor. Selera Senibong offers a wide selection of fresh seafood to choose from such as crabs, squids and freshwater fishes. Some of the dishes that were recommended by satisfied diners are the seafood fried rice, salted egg fried squid and their butter tiger prawns. On top of tasty and affordable seafood, you also get to enjoy your meals with a scenic waterfront view while dining in.
4. Mee Bandung Abu Bakar Hanipah
The fourth recommended eatery in Johor is known for their flavourful Jawanese food. As their name implies, Mee Bandung Abu Bakar Hanipah in Muar is highly touted for the mee bandung, a Jawa style noodle dish coated in robust gravy. Quite a number of food enthusiasts have recommended this dish for its authentic flavour and spiciness. On top of that, this place is said to serve some good satay skewers too.
5. Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory
And finally, what better way to end a tasty blog than with sweet dessert! Johor natives will likely be more familiar with Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory. The star of this place is the famous banana cake which has been baked over wood-fire for the last few decades! Aside from that they also have a variety of delectable pastries to choose from for anyone with a sweet tooth.
And there you have it! The 5 places to eat in Johor. So if you’re ever in Johor for a trip, or if you are moving or residing there, be sure to check out these tasty spots and be on a lookout for many more eateries to explore. With such a rich and diverse heritage of food, and the nostalgia of most of these old but gold eateries, Johor truly is a place with many gems when it comes to food.
Did you know, some of these delicious food spots have nearby units which are available for rent on our platform! Want to find a good rental nearby a food haven?
And Landlords, having popular restaurants with good reviews could boost your likelihood to find a tenant! Do you have a place for rent near a famous eatery spot?

domain: food


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Whether you intend to join us for half or full day camp, we have something for everyone!
ALBERTA SCHOOL OF MUSIC – MUSIC, ART, DRAMA
Join us for a music, art and drama camp! Explore crafts, activities, games, and experiment on different instruments! This is the perfect opportunity to be creative in a casual, fun setting! Campers will have the opportunity to sing, dance, act, paint, play games and much more. No experience necessary. Collaborate with your peers in small groups and put on a showcase at the end of the week to show what you’ve learned!
Half day (9am-12pm) or (1pm-4pm) – $125/week
Full day (9am-4pm) – $250/week
Pre-care (8am-9am) – $25/week
Post-care (4pm-5pm) – $25/week

domain: artistic


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MDC president Nelson Chamisa has vowed that he will never join the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD), a grouping of presidential candidates in last year’s elections.
This was revealed by an academic and political commentator, Pedzisai Ruhanya, who posted on Twitter claiming that he spoke to the opposition leader. He wrote:
We see things and stupid propaganda machinations ahead of time. That Nelson Chamisa and MDC should join the wretched POLAD, a Zimbabwe/Rhodesia like set up was the agenda of the system through Mbeki. I just spoke to Chamisa and he said IT CANT, IT CAN NEVER BE.
… Chamisa and the MDC can only join POLAD and its captured and coopted wannabes in dreamland, in the CIO offices and state media newsrooms’ imaginary and pathological hallucinations.
Meanwhile, MDC deputy national spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, has revealed that former South African President Thabo Mbeki met Chamisa twice within 24 hours during his recent visit to Zimbabwe. Tamborinyoka wrote on Twitter:
If the POLAD platform was adequate to address the country’s crisis, why did Mbeki have to meet the “inconsequential” Nelson Chamisa twice in 24 hours? Why engage him twice if, as presumed, he is irrelevant to Zimbabwe’s political moment?
This follows a story in the State-owned daily publication, The Herald, which claimed that Chamisa was set to join POLAD.

domain: news


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I have a long list of restaurants to try, but Kishimoto wasn’t one of them. During car free day on Commerical Drive, Es S and I were originally going to go to the place next to Kishimoto’s, but due to the lack of service, (we stood for for a while and no one acknowledged us) we went to Kishimoto instead. Es S said she heard good reviews about Kishimoto, but I’ve never even heard of the place, so I went in with no expectations. When we were seated at the sushi bar, I noticed that the restaurant is run by Japanese people, which is not very common in Vancouver. After the meal, I was glad that we went here instead because I had a good experience.
After looking at the menu, here is what we ordered:
The first item to arrive was the tunta tataki salad. The melt in your mouth tuna rested on top of a bed of greens dressed with a tangy dressing. This had a nice balance of flavours and I enjoyed it.
Next came the Kishimoto roll- scallop, salmon, radish, sprouts, soy paper. This was beautifully presented, one of the nicest sushi presentations I’ve seen so far. The taste was equally as impressive as the presentation. The ingredients tasted fresh and the whole roll tasted great.
The oyster motoyaki came next. Again, this was presented nicely and I enjoyed how it was accompanied by wooden spoons. The oysters were on the small side, but they were delicious.
If there’s okonomiyaki on the menu, I’m most likely to order it. I went for the plain okonomiyaki. At first glance, this looked great. It was thick, fluffy and filled with cabbage. Along with the sauce, mayo and bonito flake, this is my new favourite place for okonomiyaki because it was just so good!
The last item to arrive was the salmon hot stone bowl. Pictured above is the “before” picture, before the waitress pours the sauce and mixes everything together, resulting in a delicious concoction. I forgot to take a picture of the “after” picture, but the heat from the bowl cooks the egg and salmon, resulting in pieces of cooked egg and salmon mixed in with the saucy rice. Another impressive dish and a great way to end the meal.
Overall, I was very impressed with the food here. Although the prices are a bit higher and seating is limited, I highly recommend this place for some good Japanese food.


The current GOP agenda will take America backwards and must be stopped.
In order to work together to achieve this goal, we must model the values of inclusion, respect and fairness.
* An arm of the national INDIVISIBLE movement.
* A nonpartisan coalition, focusing on common issues.
* Advocates for holding all elected officials accountable.
* People with a right - an obligation - to be active in our democratic process.
We Stand For:
* Justice - Economic, Political and Social.
* Security of civil rights for all.
* Promotion of civility in political and community activities.
* Protection of our planet for generations to come.
* Provide information about political agendas and legislation.
* Communicate with public officials to assure that our voices are heard.
* Publicly demonstrate to raise public awareness of issues.
* Serve as an advocate, a platform, for common ground political action.


The Manchester United star says the former Real Madrid defender has already established himself as a leader at Old Trafford.
Raphael Varane joined Manchester United on a £34 million deal from Real Madrid this summer. The World Cup winner is still adapting to his new club, but Bruno Fernandes says he has already displayed his unique qualities as a player.
The Portuguese midfielder toldUnited Review
"Of course, he’s a winner. Everyone knows that. He’s a nice guy and works really hard and is always pushing everyone to do better.
"I think he has a great mentality but, at the same time, we cannot forget the other players. Rapha has been brilliant, but Victor [Lindelof] has had an amazing, brilliant beginning to the season. Eric [Bailly] comes later because of the Olympic Games, but he’s a player we trust a lot. ‘H’ [Harry Maguire] we already know is doing really well.
"At the same time, we have Phil [Jones] coming back to start playing with the Under-23s – we are really happy to have him back after a long, long stop for him. It’s been difficult for him, being out of the team for a long time.
"Rapha is really important for us, and has been really important for us. But the main point is everyone being okay to do the best that they can. In football, we all have different qualities, and Rapha has different qualities to Victor, H, Eric and Phil, but they can all add different things.
"Still he’s a little bit shy in some ways, because it’s the beginning for him at United, but I think he’s a leader. I think he can help in that part of the game."
Varane was part of Real Madrid’s incredible run of domestic and European success in recent years. The Frenchman won four Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles at Real Madrid before deciding to continue his career in the Premier League.
The experienced center-back is set to feature in his second European match with Man United when the Red Devils face Villarreal on Wednesday.
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Tuesday’s winners included the MHS boys and girls and the North boys and girls.
McKinney High 83, Wylie 55: AJ Moutry and the Lions (14-8, 5-1) recuperated from last Friday’s harrowing 62-61 loss to Highland Park with a blowout of the Wylie Pirates (8-11, 1-5) Tuesday at the Lion’s Den. But the road to recovery for the Lions wasn’t as smooth as perceived.
The Lions took the court looking like they’d just rolled out of bed. Shots weren’t falling, and eventually MHS fell to an eleven point first quarter deficit. However, midway through the second, the Lions found a way to best Wylie’s once overwhelming 2-3 defense. Thanks to stellar performances by junior forward Nate Higgins and senior guard Moutry, MHS bounced back to gain a 36-29 halftime lead. It was all MHS from there.
By game’s end, the Lions touted a 28-point lead—the Pirates couldn’t handle AJ Moutry and his team-high 28 points.
The Lions take on Rockwall-Heath (8-15, 1-5) this Friday, Jan. 20 at Heath, at 7:30p.m.
— TSB contributor Quinn Murray contributed this report
McKinney North 52, Wylie East 38: Juilon Pearre scored 38 to lead the Bulldogs to the victory.
Rowlett 65, McKinney Boyd 58: The Broncos led 30-23 at halftime but Rowlett rallied in the second half. Martez Butler led Boyd with 16 points, Daylon Markham added 13 and Mikel Parish 12.
Dallas Lutheran 56, McKinney Christian 54: Kaelen Malone scored 19 for MCA in Tuesday’s loss. The game was close throughout, tied 20-20 at halftime and Luthern led 37-34 going into the fourth quarter.
McKinney High 56, Wylie 47: The Lionettes won behind Mariah Mitchell’s game-high 26 points. Breana Smalls added 12.
McKinney North 76, Wylie East 37: The Lady Bulldogs won in a route. For Mike Bruu’s full game story on the TSB Game of the Week click here.
Dallas Lutheran 46, McKinney Christian 39: The Lady Mustangs (3-1 in district) lost a battle for first-place in the district as Lutheran (4-0) got the edge. Kaitlyn McAdams led MCA in scoring with 16.
Rowlett 46, McKinney Boyd 43: Haley Carruthers scored 18 for the Lady Broncos, who trailed 25-21 at the half but rallied to take a 35-34 lead going into the fourth quarter.


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Bite Into Maine serves six types of lobster rolls, including a Connecticut-style roll with hot butter, and others tossed with chipotle or wasabi mayo, and they’re some of the best in Portland. Regardless of when you go, both of their locations will be slammed (there’s a second trailer located at the Allagash Brewery), and each roll will cost you just under $20. But if you’re truly on a quest for the most Maine experience possible, a visit to this food truck parked next to a lighthouse at Cape Elizabeth is a must.
Where we've featured it
More Seafood spotsSee more
When you’re looking for a Portland classic where everything is cooked over a giant open hearth, go to Fore Street.
Island Lobster Company
Only reachable by ferry on Peaks Island, Island Lobster Co is where you should grab a lobster roll before biking and exploring the beach houses.
Central Provisions in the Old Port does small plates better than most, with a wide-ranging menu and a bar downstairs.
Suggested by our writers
Eventide Oyster Co.
Come to this small oyster bar for an excellent twist on the lobster roll and some of the best, most interesting takes on seafood in town.
The Portland Hunt + Alpine Club
We’re not sure whether to call the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club a bar or a restaurant, but fortunately this Scandinavian spot works well as either.
When you need to get away from the Old Port, head to Isa in Bayside for pasta, seafood, and some quiet.
Filter and browse restaurants near you
Text us for personalized recommendationsLearn more


The 210i provides a powerful and extremely user-friendly programming menu that includes instantaneous flow rate, positive total, negative total, net total, velocity, date & time, and daily flow results. Its 2 gig SD memory card promises high capacity data logging and its rechargeable lithium ion battery supports continuous operation for up to 16 hours.
A fully field portable, lightweight, yet rugged and totally self contained flow measurement package, the 210i comes standard with a sturdy and convenient carrying case, non-invasive clamp-on transducers installed into compact mounting racks (magnetic & chain strap mount), coupling compound and a start-up CD. And it’s easy to use. It sets up in five minutes or less.
Unique Product Features:
- Accuracy +/-1% of Reading; repeatability +/- 0.3% of reading
- Wide operating temperature range -40F to +176F (-40C to 80C)
- One meter for a wide range of pipe sizes: 1″ – 48″
- Power Supply: 11 Vdc rechargeable lithium-ion battery (up to 16hrs continuous operation)
- Wide bi-directional Flow range of 0 to 40 fps
- Magnetic sensor clamping fixture with slip gage (chain straps incl. for non-magnetic pipes)


Update (22 October 2020):
This recent report on a new roundabout proposed in Horsham has unfortunately resulted in some confusion.
To be clear, Bicycle Network has never reviewed, nor endorsed the plans for this intersection. Our report on the council announcement of the project was not meant to imply Bicycle Network involvement.
We understand that this project dates back to 2017, but was not proceeded with at that time. Now it has been resurrected.
The TAC, which is co-funding the project with the local council, has undertaken to investigate the current design and ensure that it complies with contemporary practice.
8 October 2020
One of Horsham's busiest intersections is being upgraded to incorporate bike lanes and improve safety for roundabout riders.
The Hamilton-Firebrace Street roundabout will be upgraded by the end of the year to include green bike lane treatments to highlight and allocate space in the roundabout for bike riders.
Hamilton Street already has on-road bike lanes, but in the current design these disappear at the intersection, causing bikes and other vehicles to merge together, sometimes dangerously, as they negotiate the roundabout.
The new design, which is commonly used in Melbourne and other rural cities such as Ballarat, has been approved by the Transport Accident Commission safety audit and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Chief Executive Officer of the Horsham Rural City Council said the project was a key priority of the Horsham Bicycle Advisory Committee.
“Hamilton Street has on-road bicycle lanes each way but riders are forced to merge with vehicles at the roundabout,” Mr Bhalla said.
“Due to the number of community facilities located on Hamilton Street and its role as a connector to off and on road paths, the bicycle committee has identified this route as a priority.
“This is first step in Council’s goal to have more visible cycling pathways around the city as identified in the Horsham Urban Transport Plan,” he said.
The project is being jointly funding by HRCC and the Transport Accident Commission.
This article was made possible by the support of Bicycle Network's members who enable us to make bike riding better in Australia.


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Reduce Salt and Sodium in Your Diet
Healthy American adults should reduce their sodium intake to no more than 2400 milligrams per day. This is about 1 teaspoon of sodium chloride (salt). To illustrate, the following are sodium equivalents in the diet.
What are the common sources of sodium?
Watch for both natural and added sodium content. Ordinary table salt is sodium chloride — 40 percent sodium by weight. Read the labels when you buy prepared and packaged foods. Watch for the words "soda" (soda refers to sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda) and "sodium" and the symbol "Na" on labels. These products contain sodium compounds.
Some drugs contain large amounts of sodium. Make a habit of carefully reading the ingredient list on the label of all over-the-counter drugs and the warning statement to see if sodium is in the product. A statement of sodium content must appear on labels of antacids containing 5 mg or more per dosage unit (tablet, teaspoon, etc.). Some companies now make low-sodium over-the-counter products.
Most spices contain sodium in very small amounts.
What foods help reduce sodium in the diet?

domain: chemistry


text:
Using historical FEHBP
and commercial group insurance HHIs at the state level as instruments further decouples them from current, county-level Medicare product entry decisions.
, touted as a model by many proponents of this approach, includes broad coverage of sexual and reproductive health care and has a requirement to cover the full spectrum of contraceptive methods.
PPOs paid substantially different prices for hospital inpatient and physician services across metropolitan areas in the United States.
and MSAs have the same philosophy for consumers:
Notwithstanding such warnings, the House, in one of its last actions before recessing for the Memorial Day weekend, voted to extend the FEHBP
option to a demonstration group of up to 70,000 Medicare-eligible retirees.
Rated the best value of any fee-for-service plan by the Washington Consumer Checkbook's Guide to the FEHBP
, the Mail Handlers plan has 510,000 enrollees and covers 1.
53) Walton Francis, Putting Medicare Consumers in Charge: Lessons from the FEHBP
(Washington, DC: AEI Press, 2009), www.
8) The legislation specifies that the age/gender adjustment to the threshold equals "the excess (if any) of the premium cost of the Blue Cross/ Blue Shield standard benefit option under the FEHBP
if priced for the age and gender characteristics of all employees of the individual's employer, over that premium cost if priced for the age and gender characteristics of the national workforce.
In 1983, Congress imposed a ban on FEHBP
funds from being used to pay for insurance plans that cover abortion, except where a woman's life is in jeopardy.
is often held up a "successful" federal health care program, which has managed to modernize its benefit structure while moderating premium increases (Butler and Moffit 1995).
The cost to the government of providing health benefits under the FEHBP
has risen by more than 65 percent between 1999 and 2005.
Opponents also warned that federal employees who serve in the reserves would have an incentive to abandon the federal employee health benefit program (FEHBP
) and sign up for the cheaper TRICARE system, which would drive up FEHBP
costs for others.

domain: economics


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Megan and Koby… Where do I begin?
They had the most wonderful day at One Barn Farm in Mifflinburg. They deserved this beautiful day so dang much!
These lovebirds have been THROUGH it. They’ve only come out stronger, together.
Take a look at their wedding day bash!
ABP has adored getting to know Becca and Tom over the course of 2 years while planning a wedding through covid. It’s true, good things can come from unexpected places. I’ve enjoyed getting to them more and more throughout this journey! Relationships mean the world to me and I love building them with clients turned friends, like Becca and Tom.
Hi gang! Welcome back to the featured blog. I always adore photographing weddings. There’s so much love in the air and the bride and groom spent so much time carefully planning all the details. It was not any different for Kearsten and Jim’s wedding, either! The wedding was at The Manor at Mountain View and […]
“It was a warm summer night in 2013. Their eyes locked, and Francesca, in the heat of the moment, felt the need to let Kyle know that her birthday was that coming Thursday. Now, if you are familiar with the deep Kyle and Francesca lore, you will know that they share the same birth date. […]
It’s HERE! Let me tell you, this has been a dream for so long. When I first started photographing women empowerment sessions, 6+ years ago, I truly never thought this day would come. I was photographing clients in their homes, working out of hotel rooms and eventually, designed a studio space in my own home. […]
To first look or not to first look. THAT is the question. A “first look” at a wedding is when the bride and groom decide to see one another right before their wedding ceremony, rather than waiting to see them at the altar. A lot of couples are unsure if they’d like to have a […]
Kayla + Dave have known each other since elementary school. These two didn’t start dating till their college years while Dave was attending Penn State. He enticed Kayla with those Penn State football games and who can say no to that?! I met Kayla’s family a few years prior when I photographed her sisters senior […]
Lets reverse back to 2 weeks ago, a better time, when I didn’t have COVID (insert sad laugh). I photographed Katie and Justin’s Halloween wedding at The Barn at Greystone Farm in Watsontown, PA. It was a beautiful laid back day filled with lots of family, friends and snuggles. Seriously, it was frigid. Aside from […]
Hi gang! Welcome back to the blog. The most anticipated wedding date of 2020…. 10.10.2020. I think we got at least 50 inquiries for this date and Jamie secured it 2 years prior! Way to be ahead of the game, girl! I always love photographing weddings. There’s so much love and emotions. It wasn’t any […]


Transmission Electron Microscopy
ExpressMed Laboratories has imaging facility to perform the full comprehensive Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Cryo-TEM, Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM). Our services include biological science, clinical research, and soft material research. Our qualified and experienced scientists in electron microscopy technology are available to provide guidance in experiment design for appropriate sample collection, preparation and evaluation. We also offer professional interpretation on the images and results.
What is electron microscopy?
- Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is a technique in which high energy electrons are transmitted through ultrathin sample (~100nm thickness). These thin samples interact with the electrons as it passes through it and images are formed.
- Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) is a similar method to TEM but STEM is distinguished from TEM by focusing the electron beam into a narrow spot which is scanned over the sample in a raster. By using TEM or STEM, a high-quality image could be generated at atomic scale resolution which is around 3-4Å. The images are applied in clinical diagnostic, cancer research, virology, material science and other basic research.
- Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy (Cryo-TEM) is a powerful tool for macromolecular structural determination in the entry level of biological and material sciences research. The specimen is maintained in a near-native environment (without chemical treatment) within a thin film of vitreous ice and imaged in a transmission electron microscope (TEM).
- Electron Tomography (ET) is a Three-dimensional (3D) structural analysis that is essential to understand the relationship between the structure and function of an object. ET retrieves 3D structural information from a tilt series of 2D projections, and is gradually becoming a mature technology with sub-nanometer resolution. This is one of the most popular analytic tool and has been widely used for structural analysis in both physical and biological sciences.
- ExpressMed laboratories offer above services with high quality and excellent technical and professional support. Our customer services team is available to help to achieve your specific research goals.
Highlights of the Electron Microscopy Facility
- Thermo scientific(FEI) Talos L120C G2
- TEM operating voltage 20-120kV
- Beam source: LaB6 filament.
- TEM line resolution ≤ 0.204 nm
- TEM point resolution ≤ 0.37 nm
- STEM HAADF resolution with LaB6 (nm) ≤ 1.0 nm
- High-quality imaging, 4k × 4k Ceta CMOS camera provides a large field-of-view and live digital zooming with high sensitivity and high speed
- Transmission Electron Microcopy (TEM)
- Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM)
- Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy (Cryo-TEM)
- 2D and 3D Electron Tomography
Life Science and Clinical Applications
- Pathology specimens (Renal biopsies, muscle biopsies, and nerve biopsies)
- Biology with its different branches including:
- Cell biology and biophysics
- Developmental biology
- Genome biology
- Structural and computational biology
Material Science Applications
- Nano particles characterization, size, core/shell investigation.
- Defect analysis
- Colloidal dispersion of liposomes, polymerase, emulsion
- Soot particle analysis
- Catalyst study
Cutting Edge Sample Preparation Lab Equipped RMC Boeckeler Instruments, USA
- Produce high quality semi- and ultra-thin sections for TEM, SEM.
- Specifications: Specimen thickness range from 5nm to15 µm .
Cryo Ultramicrotome- LN Ultra
- Sectioning of both biological and industrial materials can be achieved with the LNUltra, a liquid nitrogen-cooled cryochamber attachment for the PowerTome series of ultramicrotome. Mounted onto the PowerTome, the LN Ultra provides optimal thermal stability necessary for producing cryosections. Capable of holding temperatures from +40°C to -185°C, the stable environment of the LNUltra is perfect for sectioning and planing a variety of samples. These may include rubber and soft polymers, or biological cells and tissues; used for example, for immunolabelling using the Tokuyasu technique or CEMOVIS (Cryo Electron Microscopy of Vitreous Ice Sections).
Diamond Knife for Ultra-Thin Sections
Automated EM Tissue Processor
- For tissue processing and resin embedding, automation is the safest and most reproducible route, minimize cross contaminations.
Automated EM Stainer
- After Ultramicrotomy, most sections require contrasting with lead and Uranyl salts. QG3100, capable of contrasting up to 40 grids in one run.
Here how we can help
Timely TEM service
- We can turn around your TEM sample in a day or two with priority support, or about one week with normal support. Either way you get numerous crisp & clear TEM images and a brief, but comprehensive analysis report. That’s responsive service.
Saving you money
- We keep our overhead costs low, so we can pass the savings on to you. We offer great introductory rates and volume discounts that can save you a significant amount of money. We help you stretch your budget dollars.
- We want to establish and maintain long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with our clients. This will insure your success, as well as ours. Our clients’ continuing success is the foundation of our company.
Helping you hit your targets
- We are committed to helping you to meet your targets. Whether that means helping you enhance your yield so you can hit your production targets, or by helping you further your research endeavors. We will be there by your side, working with you


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Ballet Dancer Paul James Rooney Releases Heart Wrenching Single ‘Save My Soul’
International ballet dancer and choreographer Paul James Rooney is back with a new tear-jerking song ‘Save My Soul’. His debut single ‘Shine’ was featured in many international LGBTQ+ publications and received rave reviews.
‘Save My Soul’ is Produced by American producer Paul Coultrup and is written by British songwriter Stephen Sims – release date 19th February.
Exploring issues of hurt, distress and verbal and psychological abuse in a past relationship, ‘Save My Soul’ brings up issues we rarely discuss. Sticks and Stones may break our bones but words cut even deeper.
Paired with an emotionally raw music video, we see Paul James Rooney dancing an impassioned ballet solo in a dance studio. The troubles and heartbreak of the song are perfectly matched with the beautiful minimalistic video showcasing not only Paul James Rooney’s talents as a singer but as an exceptionally talented and stunning ballet dancer.
Bringing ballet into modern media and music videos is a dream that Paul James Rooney is fulfilling, after a successful appearance on the Danish version of the TV show ‘The Greatest Dancer’ (Den Vildeste Danser) – where he performed on national TV and brought ballet into everyone’s living room. Paul James is continuing his dream of introducing more people to ballet, and showing the world that ballet is still very much alive and can also have a place outside of the theatre.

domain: entertainment


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Apple's first original show, "Vital Signs," will star rapper and Beats Electronics co-founder Dr. Dre.» Read More
Quartz contributor Jason Lynch, discusses the battle among networks for viewership on Sunday evenings.
China has approved the first major foreign-owned theme park in the Chinese capital.
Actor William Shatner told CNBC fundamentals in the U.S. are good and boardroom battles are boring.
49ers QB Colin Kaepernick wore Beats headphones at a press conference and got fined for flouting the league’s ban on the headgear, Re/code reports.
Stephen King, Dave & Buster's CEO, discusses the company's Nasdaq debut and plans for expansion in the U.S. and internationally.
A comedian has launched a new PSA and crowdfunded campaign to fight the gender pay gap.
CNBC's Julia Boorstin reports JK Rowling is working on a screenplay based on the book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
Talent agency The Wall Group has launched an online publication featuring Hollywood, TV and fashion.
Here's why the judge had to throw the book at "Real Housewives" stars Teresa and Joe Giudice, explains former US assistant DA Mitchell Epner.
A league source claims that the NFL will send one or two teams back to Los Angeles within the next 12 to 24 months. NBC Sports reports.
Patrick Moorhead, Founder, President & Principal Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, discusses Softbank's strategy in acquiring a 10 percent stake in film studio Legendary Entertainment.
Walt Disney has extended the near decade-long tenure of Bob Iger, granting its chairman and CEO a contract extension through June 2018.
Twenty-five years from now, the distinctions between, say, watching a movie and playing an game will blur.
Thomas Farrell is more than just the CEO of Dominion Resources. He's adding writer and producer to his resume with new Civil War flick.
FCC commissioner Ajit Pai doesn't expect the NFL to rush to pay TV now that TV blackouts are banned.
Jimmy Kimmel is more than a talk show host. He's also the most dangerous celebrity to search for online, according to a cybersecurity firm. Who are the others?
The American Gaming Association's first report on the industry's impact on the economy found that, despite big money, gaming firms have had to adapt.
Threshold Entertainment has announced plans to develop a feature film based on Tetris, the shape matching arcade game that launched 30 years ago.
Oculus’ improvements in virtual reality tech may innovate gaming but sanitation may prevent VR arcades from becoming a reality, Re/code reports.
Guernsey's will be auctioning off items from musician Waylon Jennings' collection including Willie Nelson's braids.


Yesterday's squad session saw further inclusion from Paul O'Connell as he continues with his rehabilitation which is a work in progress according to Rob Penney. "He seems to be progressing nicely. There's always a bit of a buzz for the other guys when Paul is involved and it's nice to have him well, but we're just drip fed the information from the medics because they don't want us to get too excited."
Niall Ronan also took a further part in training following his limited inclusion last week, and is in contention to line out for his club side Shannon this weekend in the AIL.
Munster take on Treviso at 2pm Irish time on Sunday, the same time as the Scotland/Ireland clash and TG4 are showing delayed coverage at 5.15pm. Munster will tweet match updates from Stadio di Monigo and you can follow us here.


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The 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor said he wanted his daughter to trust him, and didn't want her experimenting at a party.
Teague and her pirate ghost were legally married by a shaman on the Irish coast, but now, she claims to be seeking a divorce.
Woman describes R. Kelly cult; Johnny Depp bought a $7000 couch from KUWTK.
Gossip: Rob Kardashian And Blac Chyna Are Back Together; Johnny Depp Emails Reveal He Knew He Was In Financial Trouble
The latest celeb gossip from our friends over at NG: Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna are back together; Johnny Depp emails reveal he knew he was in financial trouble.
The latest celeb gossip from our friends over at NG: Taylor Swift keeping relationship private; Johnny Depp’s pirate days over.
The new trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is here, and it looks like it has everything in it...
That’s right. Anita Thompson, widow to famed writer Hunter S. Thompson, announced she would soon be cultivating and selling marijuana strains cloned from Thompson’s personal stash.
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I’ve been to that site many times, lol, that’s you? So would I want to go with the vesc V4. 12 or the ollin v1. 1? I’m not sure what the difference is between them…?
that’s @chaka’s website. id go with the ollin esc, upgraded and 100% worth it if you’ve got the money
How many would i need for a 4WD Carvon V4’s setup? Just 2, or would I need… or could I even do 4…?
For every motor, there needs to be a vesc.
I think he sells an adapter for 4wd. I look forward to your build thread!
at this point I’m pretty much his marketing team with how often I promote his stuff lol
Lol you should make him pay you! So would I be able to have them connected with each other so I could have a sort of traction control, AWD sort of smart drive system?
yea, if you know what canbus is, it is 4 of those soldered together so all the vescs “talk” to eachother
Lol, I originally was just going to buy an Evo 4WD, but figured for that price I could make a custom board with the V4’s and make it just as good if not better, for much less, and I’m doing some rough adding up here and everything so far (not including a board, I haven’t chosen one yet) and I’m at about $2700 haha. The board I’m considering is like $900, so this could easily turn into a 4k build… This is gonna be sweet!
#1 like = 1 vote for @chaka paying me!
I think you got some stuff from @psychotiller too, don’t forget about him! How’s that tacon motor treating you?
Tacon is still going strong! It’ll be retired soon though since I am almost done making my 10s6p pack. It has served me well!
Psycho actually gave me a mount and an enclosure lol.
unfortuanetly both the mount and the enclosure from @psychotiller will also be retired soon
I went to order them this morning, Now unavailable =( Making a Home Depot/Lowes/Harbor Freight Run later today.
Would this be a better - safer - reliable setup with riser pad wire organizer? It seems that’s the only way I can position the motor. The blue tape is where I would put a tie down to the deck. Theres enough play for max left and max right movement.
Thanks for all the help!
That doesn’t look like there will be enough slack. Electrical tape also works as a temporary solution. I’m sure those tie downs will be back in stock.
Maybe you can swap the wires from one side to the other like me? So left motor goes to right esc
I like the thinking behind Chakas & scepys method, how ever you do it the closer you get to the hangar pivot and to a minor extent the kingpin, the less movement and subsequent strain it will have on the wires as they provide the axes for movement.


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Regarding “The Case Against Masks for Children” (op-ed, Aug. 9) by Drs. Marty Makary and H. Cody Meissner : As pediatric pulmonologists, we feel strongly that universal masking for children is appropriate and needed to counter the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends masking precisely because it has been shown to reduce transmission. Further, much of the student population isn’t currently eligible for vaccination.
A cohort study conducted in Italy among children 24 months to 12 years old found that mask wearing wasn’t associated with significant changes in either carbon-dioxide or oxygen levels. There is no study showing that masks cause increased resistance to inhalation or exhalation.
In denigrating mask-wearing by children, Drs. Makary and Meissner cast doubt on an economical, effective and judicious public-health measure. The same analogy and reasoning could argue against the use of parachutes or seat belts. There are enough good-quality studies with convincing evidence to tilt the risk and cost-benefit ratios of wearing masks strongly in favor of the benefits to children. The alleged risks articulated by the authors, such as fogging of eyeglasses, severe acne, increased resistance to breathing, increased CO2, masks becoming vectors for pathogens and deformation of facial structure, are far-fetched speculations not borne out by evidence or peer-reviewed publications.

domain: literature


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We spent a week here and LOVED it. The staff was awesome. Very pleasant and helpful. The condo was very clean and the ocean front view was ***! There is nothing like waking up to the beach
Thank you for making our vacation perfect! We will return soon and will definitely be staying here again!

domain: travel


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GHOST AGENTS RETURNS TO KICKSTARTER WITH A NEW FLIPBOOK FEATURING FRITZ LANG’S METROPOLIS!
On the back of six wildly successful Kickstarter campaigns to publish their first two volumes, the ongoing GHOST Agents project takes things to the next level with a brand new treasury-sized flipbook entitled GHOST Agents/Metropolis.
Hot on the heels of the news that Fritz Lang’s futuristic art-deco masterpiece, Metropolis, has entered the public domain, Rocko Jerome and his team have found a clever way to adapt the cult classic to the comic book page while sowing potential links to the expansive GHOST Agents universe at the same time.
“I’ve always been a fan of Fritz Lang’s visionary work,” says writer, creator and producer, Rocko Jerome, “and the subject matter feels eerily prescient at a time when ‘artificial intelligence’ poses a real threat to our world as we know it. Being able to draw on that inspiration and share its influential themes with a new generation of readers, as we weave it into the wider tapestry of GHOST Agents, is an absolute dream come true.”
Published by Cosmic Lion Productions, GHOST Agents is an art-forward anthology series made up of short, self-contained pieces; where every story exists in the same world, and characters reoccur throughout the centuries spanning narrative. If you read it all, a rich overarching storyline will emerge, but you aren’t required to do that, and readers are encouraged to dip in as they please.
As with previous releases, this latest volume comes in the iconic treasury-sized format on newsprint paper – measuring a whopping 8.7 x 13.3 inches! Fans who are new to the series can pick up the earlier volumes (Apocalyptico and Crimson Reckoning) as add-ons to the campaign, in addition to exploring a whole host of new tiers and unique offerings that will suit all tastes and budgets.
“One of the most exciting things about this new campaign – other than the introduction of Metropolis – is the debut of our very first GHOST Agents action figure in collaboration with Super Joe,” adds Jerome. “This 9-inch depiction of Max Almond: Agent X-44 explodes onto the scene with wild, fully poseable energy. Will he battle your other toys… or seduce them? YOU DECIDE!”
At no extra cost, this campaign also contains two additional pieces of lore from the GHOST Agents archive: the previously out-of-print original versions of Lost In The Nowhere Zone, the Barry Tan story that first introduced May Zero and Jack Infinity; and Acid Reign, where Ben Perkins went full maximalistic.
An ever-constant place to find up-and-coming artists, this instalment of GHOST Agents also features Mark Maddox, Harry Hickle, Sean Luke, Caspar Schumans, Miguel Galindo, Sam J. Royale, Chris Anderson, Adam Lemnah, Jerome Cabanatan, Robert Norton, Eli Schwab, Renel Roque, Michael Fitzgerald Troy, Jamie H Lee, Dave Praetorius, Ben Perkins, Dave Howlett, Raymar Brunson, Chris Fason, Danny Nicholas, Sean McMillan, Groucho P. Trout, Timothy Aymar, Edmund Kearsley,Gilbert Leiker, Christopher Nolen, Anton William Blake, Rick Lopez, and Craig CK, all from stories by Rocko Jerome.
GHOST Agents/Metropolis launches its Kickstarter campaign on October 3, with fulfilment planned for the first quarter of 2024. You can find out more and register to back the project at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ghostagents/ghost-agents-metropolis-and-the-max-almond-action-figure