I should mention right from the outset that if things don't go my way tonight, I will lose my Facebook pool to a guinea pig.
That's right, my asshat roommate decided to have some fun and have Mimosa, the house guinea pig, make selections for the NCAA Tournament. Now, some of Mimosa's picks were off base - she did have Oral Roberts in the Elite 8 - but a lot of them were on point. The crux of the discussion is this: Because I have terrible luck, and overthink almost all of my picks at Tournament time, if Ohio State wins tonight, I will lose to Mimosa. Here's to hoping that doesn't happen. So now, here's how the games breakdown, as I see it.
(2) Georgetown vs. (1) Ohio State
This game should be one for the ages. There are not two better matched teams in the entire tournament. And, it's the first game of the night, so the first half should be fairly slow, keeping the game close. It is going to be a battle of the big men, and we will see if both Greg Oden and Roy Hibbert can stay out of foul trouble. If that part of the game gets disrupted, Ohio State wins going away on the strength of guard play led by Mike Conley, Jr. However, I believe that Hibbert will have the presence of mind to play Oden close, perhaps even drawing a couple fouls off him, while staying out of trouble himself. That will allow him and Patrick Ewing, Jr. to control the tempo and Georgetown to eke out a close victory late in the game. And, seriously, I'm not just picking against the Guinea Pig.
Prediction: Georgetown 82, Ohio State 78.
(1) Florida vs. (2) UCLA
There are a lot of "if's" here for UCLA. IF Afflalo stays hot, and IF the inside game doesn't get too disrupted by Al Horford and Joakim Noah, and IF other guys can pick up the perimeter shooting, then UCLA is probably the best team in the country right now. However, IF one of those aforementioned possibilities doesn't come through, the Gators will win going away. The fact of the matter is that UCLA was overmatched against Kansas and came out on top, and IF that same team shows up tonight, they'll play for the national title on Monday. I believe that team will show and the Gators will - FINALLY! - be shut down.
Prediction: UCLA 71, Florida 65.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Brooklyn Pizza Gossip
Last night, I had one of the great experiences of my life, and not only because it allowed to love Tufts University by hating Tufts University. Mike Doughty (which, if you are not familiar with his work by now, you, sir or madam, are simply not paying attention to me) graced Walnut Hill with his presence for the rather conspicuously titled "Jumbo Jam" held in Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall.
That's right, one of the great poets and musicians of our generation, a man tortured by genius and drug abuse (though fastidiously living the clean life these days, and making better music for it) played in the very same place where I have been eating PB&J sandwiches to cure hangovers for the last five years. Concert Board, however, is some combination of Lo-Fi and Bush League. By the time Doughty, clad in what he described as a "clean" shirt, and old school DC kicks, and Andrew "Scrap" Livingston took the stage at 9:30 there were less than forty people in the room. This mostly due to the fact that Concert Board kept this show a closely guarded secret. Seriously, you wouldn't have known this show was even happening unless you happened to see the ONE advert they placed in the Tufts Daily. Their shortcomings were enunciated by a skeptical Doughty who took the stage and thanked us for the invite to "Jumbo Jam" informing us that since we brought the Jumbo, he would bring the Jam. Thank god he didn't phone it in.
The show opened with "Put It Down" one of Doughty's newest concoctions, a song which needed some tightening to be sure, but has a lot of promise. I can't wait to hear it on the new record. He and Scrap then launched into a grab bag of his greatest hits, reaching all the way back to Ruby Vroom with True Dreams of Wichita and later Janine, along with some of his solo greatness with selections like Thank You, Lord, For Sending Me The F Train and Madeline and Nine. The set was action packed and pleasing to the superfan like me, despite the fact that my demands for a rendition of "Firetruck" were not met.
But, it was after being asked where the rest of the band was that the show got real interesting. He made a joke that Scrap had eaten them. Now, this joke brought in a new wrinkle. Doughty had mentioned several time on his blog (which is linked on the blogroll) that he and his bandmates - including the aforementioned man of mystery, Mr. Livingston - enjoyed the pizza at Brooklyn institution DiFara's. In the course of my blog reading last week, I came upon an article at SliceNY saying that DiFara's had been shut down, apparently for health code violations. It later turned out those violations had to do with rat feces being found in the food prep area. Anyway, cut back to the show, James decides to shout to the stage, in reply to the Scrap eating the band joke that Scrap was hungry because he couldn't get a slice at DiFara's as it was closed. Doughty laughed, and said "No, I think it's open." At this point, since no one else in the room was really paying attention, Mike Doughty and I start having a conversation. It is reproduced below, in its entirety:
Me: "Oh, really? Did they reopen it?"
Doughty: "What? RE-open?"
Me: "Yeah, the Board of Health shut it down."
Doughty: (obviously shocked and horrified) "WHAT!?!?"
Me: "Yeah, two weeks ago."
(Insert a very uneasy look between Scrap and Doughty here)
Doughty: (realizing the audience is still in the room) "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm sorry, I need to engage in some Brooklyn pizza gossip."
We then agreed we would talk more about it after the show.
So, when Doughty was done with his masterful set, punctuated by Looking at the World From The Bottom of the Well, James and I stuck around to give him more information about DiFara's. He was agog to learn. Scrap was mortified, saying to me "I eat there like every day when I'm in Brooklyn." And Doughty informed me that he would google the incident as soon as he got back to Brooklyn.
Anyway, that was my brush with fame. I shook both their hands and thanked them for a great set as they headed back to Brooklyn to celebrate Scrap's daughter, Larry, and her birthday. In a way, I feel like I know what it must have been like for Bernie Gilmore, my old College Bowl advisor, when, at Yale in the early '80s, informed a young woman on the quad that President Reagan had been shot. That young lady was Jodie Foster, the object of affection for John Hinckley, and the point behind his rampage.
In any case, it was a great show. Zox followed. They were really terrible. And Concert Board made me remember why I hate this university so very, very much.
That's right, one of the great poets and musicians of our generation, a man tortured by genius and drug abuse (though fastidiously living the clean life these days, and making better music for it) played in the very same place where I have been eating PB&J sandwiches to cure hangovers for the last five years. Concert Board, however, is some combination of Lo-Fi and Bush League. By the time Doughty, clad in what he described as a "clean" shirt, and old school DC kicks, and Andrew "Scrap" Livingston took the stage at 9:30 there were less than forty people in the room. This mostly due to the fact that Concert Board kept this show a closely guarded secret. Seriously, you wouldn't have known this show was even happening unless you happened to see the ONE advert they placed in the Tufts Daily. Their shortcomings were enunciated by a skeptical Doughty who took the stage and thanked us for the invite to "Jumbo Jam" informing us that since we brought the Jumbo, he would bring the Jam. Thank god he didn't phone it in.
The show opened with "Put It Down" one of Doughty's newest concoctions, a song which needed some tightening to be sure, but has a lot of promise. I can't wait to hear it on the new record. He and Scrap then launched into a grab bag of his greatest hits, reaching all the way back to Ruby Vroom with True Dreams of Wichita and later Janine, along with some of his solo greatness with selections like Thank You, Lord, For Sending Me The F Train and Madeline and Nine. The set was action packed and pleasing to the superfan like me, despite the fact that my demands for a rendition of "Firetruck" were not met.
But, it was after being asked where the rest of the band was that the show got real interesting. He made a joke that Scrap had eaten them. Now, this joke brought in a new wrinkle. Doughty had mentioned several time on his blog (which is linked on the blogroll) that he and his bandmates - including the aforementioned man of mystery, Mr. Livingston - enjoyed the pizza at Brooklyn institution DiFara's. In the course of my blog reading last week, I came upon an article at SliceNY saying that DiFara's had been shut down, apparently for health code violations. It later turned out those violations had to do with rat feces being found in the food prep area. Anyway, cut back to the show, James decides to shout to the stage, in reply to the Scrap eating the band joke that Scrap was hungry because he couldn't get a slice at DiFara's as it was closed. Doughty laughed, and said "No, I think it's open." At this point, since no one else in the room was really paying attention, Mike Doughty and I start having a conversation. It is reproduced below, in its entirety:
Me: "Oh, really? Did they reopen it?"
Doughty: "What? RE-open?"
Me: "Yeah, the Board of Health shut it down."
Doughty: (obviously shocked and horrified) "WHAT!?!?"
Me: "Yeah, two weeks ago."
(Insert a very uneasy look between Scrap and Doughty here)
Doughty: (realizing the audience is still in the room) "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm sorry, I need to engage in some Brooklyn pizza gossip."
We then agreed we would talk more about it after the show.
So, when Doughty was done with his masterful set, punctuated by Looking at the World From The Bottom of the Well, James and I stuck around to give him more information about DiFara's. He was agog to learn. Scrap was mortified, saying to me "I eat there like every day when I'm in Brooklyn." And Doughty informed me that he would google the incident as soon as he got back to Brooklyn.
Anyway, that was my brush with fame. I shook both their hands and thanked them for a great set as they headed back to Brooklyn to celebrate Scrap's daughter, Larry, and her birthday. In a way, I feel like I know what it must have been like for Bernie Gilmore, my old College Bowl advisor, when, at Yale in the early '80s, informed a young woman on the quad that President Reagan had been shot. That young lady was Jodie Foster, the object of affection for John Hinckley, and the point behind his rampage.
In any case, it was a great show. Zox followed. They were really terrible. And Concert Board made me remember why I hate this university so very, very much.
Dropping the Ball
I'm going to have a much longer post later today (or tomorrow...or something) about what I did last night. Needless to say, it was AMAZING! But you will hear more about this later. Right now I need to focus some anger on Major League Baseball.
A story posted on Boston.com this morning shows why the organization of baseball has gone completely beyond the pale. Johnny Pesky, the man who actually embodies what it means to be a Boston Red Sox, a man who waited literally his entire life - he was born in 1919 - to see his team win a World Series, a man who has given his life to our Nation, is being barred by Major League Baseball from wearing a uniform and sitting in the dugout.
I still get tears in my eyes when I watch the video of Johnny Pesky, sitting in the clubhouse watching Keith Foulke stab a grounder from Edgar Renteria, and underhand it to Doug Mientkiewicz to bring the World Championship to Boston for the first time in 86 long years. Pesky himself had suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. For years, he was blamed - unjustly - for double-clutching on the relay throw which might have gotten Enos Slaughter at the plate and saved the Red Sox' chances of winning the 1946 World Series. He has spent literally the rest of his life making it up to Red Sox Nation. He hits fungoes in Spring Training. He is a mentor to young players, a skill which is invaluable even in today's game. And for years he has been the face of the organization.
Major League Baseball needs to get its head out of its ass on this one. They have been trying to get Pesky out of the dugout for years to little or no avail. The man is 88 years old. He should be treated like a national treasure for what he has done with his life, not given the bum's rush in the name of "rules and regulations."
P.S. I know I didn't do a wine review this week. My apologies.
A story posted on Boston.com this morning shows why the organization of baseball has gone completely beyond the pale. Johnny Pesky, the man who actually embodies what it means to be a Boston Red Sox, a man who waited literally his entire life - he was born in 1919 - to see his team win a World Series, a man who has given his life to our Nation, is being barred by Major League Baseball from wearing a uniform and sitting in the dugout.
I still get tears in my eyes when I watch the video of Johnny Pesky, sitting in the clubhouse watching Keith Foulke stab a grounder from Edgar Renteria, and underhand it to Doug Mientkiewicz to bring the World Championship to Boston for the first time in 86 long years. Pesky himself had suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. For years, he was blamed - unjustly - for double-clutching on the relay throw which might have gotten Enos Slaughter at the plate and saved the Red Sox' chances of winning the 1946 World Series. He has spent literally the rest of his life making it up to Red Sox Nation. He hits fungoes in Spring Training. He is a mentor to young players, a skill which is invaluable even in today's game. And for years he has been the face of the organization.
Major League Baseball needs to get its head out of its ass on this one. They have been trying to get Pesky out of the dugout for years to little or no avail. The man is 88 years old. He should be treated like a national treasure for what he has done with his life, not given the bum's rush in the name of "rules and regulations."
P.S. I know I didn't do a wine review this week. My apologies.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Thirsty Thursday: 2005 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir, New Zealand
Well I have returned from New York to the friendly confines of Hillsdale Road in Medford and it's time for your weekly wine review. Usually I enjoy sitting back on a Thursday night, the bulk of my week's work at an end, and enjoy a fine glass of wine. Tonight however will be dominated by basketball and beer, so we're turning back the clock to Tuesday night when Luke, Jill, Megan and I watched American Idol at Luke's Upper East Side apartment with a few bottles of wine purchased around the corner. We decided not to keep Luke's usual tradition of wine drinking, and not break the bottle open on the street and drink with the hobos. Instead, we gathered around the old plasma screen with a bottle of NZ Pinot and watch Sanjaya caterwaul and make little girls cry, while we all sat gnashing our teeth in disbelief. Anyway, on to the review:
This wine was disappointing, as I'd heard a lot recently about Pinot gaining strength down under. Instead, we were met with a limp, flavorless offering with very few redeeming qualities. The nose was light and airy with barely a hint of berry flavors. The palate tastes were flat and disjointed with overbearing sensations of terroir. The finish was nearly non-existent and did not add anything the character of the wine.
Overall: 82, Purchased at Vintage Grape, 2nd Avenue at 84th Street, New York City, $15
This wine was disappointing, as I'd heard a lot recently about Pinot gaining strength down under. Instead, we were met with a limp, flavorless offering with very few redeeming qualities. The nose was light and airy with barely a hint of berry flavors. The palate tastes were flat and disjointed with overbearing sensations of terroir. The finish was nearly non-existent and did not add anything the character of the wine.
Overall: 82, Purchased at Vintage Grape, 2nd Avenue at 84th Street, New York City, $15
Monday, March 19, 2007
Mitt Romney: Buffoon
This lovely chestnut comes to us from the Miami Herald about the esteemed jackass former Governor of the Commonwealth Mitt Romney and his halting attempts to run for Vice President. It seems that in a speech given to the right-wing fanatical Cuban-American population of Miami, Romney closed his remarks by saying, "Patria o muerte, venceremos," a phrase which roughly translates to "Fatherland or death, we shall overcome."
Now, of course, just on the basis of sheer ridiculousness, this one takes the cake. However, even better than the prima facie explanation, Romney tried to explain his choice of words as speaking out against Venezuelan strongman leader Hugo Chavez who has co-opted the phrase to his own ends. Romney explained that this aggression cannot stand and that the phrase really belongs to the Cubans who are fighting against Castro.
And, of course, that statement is completely, 100% false. "Patria o muerte, venceremos: is the popular phrase that Castro has closed his rambling orations with for the last half-century as a means of coalescing his power base. So not only is Mitt Romney an idiot, but he cannot even read, write or listen to speeches. Which, unfortunately, as he is a member of the GOP, qualifies him to be President of the United States.
Now, of course, just on the basis of sheer ridiculousness, this one takes the cake. However, even better than the prima facie explanation, Romney tried to explain his choice of words as speaking out against Venezuelan strongman leader Hugo Chavez who has co-opted the phrase to his own ends. Romney explained that this aggression cannot stand and that the phrase really belongs to the Cubans who are fighting against Castro.
And, of course, that statement is completely, 100% false. "Patria o muerte, venceremos: is the popular phrase that Castro has closed his rambling orations with for the last half-century as a means of coalescing his power base. So not only is Mitt Romney an idiot, but he cannot even read, write or listen to speeches. Which, unfortunately, as he is a member of the GOP, qualifies him to be President of the United States.
Noo Yawk, Quick Thoughts
Some people go to bright, sunny locales for Spring Break, surrounding themselves with beautiful people sunbathing amidst crystal blue waters and such. For me, I was just happy that they cleared the storm drains in the New York by this morning so my feet could finally be dry as I went for a morning walk on 5th Avenue. Anyway, I don't have a full post here, so here are some quick hits from my extended weekend in the Big Apple.
- Obviously, first, I have to talk about the NCAA Tournament. Not exactly March Madness (unless you count the half hour of excitement on Saturday night with Vandy and Pitt). There were about 45 boring games last weekend, and all we learned (and, to be fair, I spent a lot of time roaming around NYC and not enough time watching hoops, so I may not be the most informative critic here) was that the Tournament is still up for grabs. Sure, I've got Kansas, but that's not a sure bet, as good as they looked whipping a bad Kentucky team yesterday. None of the #1 seeds looked dominant in their two wins over the weekend. Ohio State BARELY survived against a really, really, really bad Xavier team, while nearly giving Gus Johnson a simultaneous heart attack/sportsgasm. So pay attention next weekend, we'll see if any more secrets of the hardwood get revealed.
- I was very disappointed in the Holy Cross loss to SIU Friday night. I really thought the 'Saders had what it took to go on a little George Mason-esque run. Didn't get a chance to see the game, thanks to the magnificently intoxicated Villanova fans at the Waterloo Pub on 2nd Avenue who refused to give up 1 of the 5 TVs that were tuned to the Kentucky-'Nova yawner. Thanks guys. P.S., Need a cheap drink on the Upper East Side? Go to the Waterloo. The decor ain't much and the clientele are not exactly New York's chicest, but Luke, Megan and I got rip-roaringly tipsy on some brews and delightfully heavy drinks and got change back from $50. For all of us. Marvelous.
- Besides basketball, I've been culturing up this weekend. Spent a glorious day with Megan yesterday exploring the Met, then had a nice walk this morning to the MoMA and back up to the Guggenheim today. All three are, of course, impressive. I must say I was quite taken with the sometimes-maligned new MoMA, but then, I like modernism more than a lot of people. It was nice to see works like Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon, Onement 1, and Mondrian's Compositions up close and personal. The Met, too, was fun. I hadn't been there since my early childhood, and it was fun to go back and see Emanuel Leutze's rendition of Washington Crossing the Delaware, if for no other reason than that it reminded me of the first joke my mom ever told me. I was three years old and thought it was the height of comedy. The thing is, it's still funny. I'll leave you to ponder on its hilarity.
"What did George Washington say to his men before crossing the Delaware?"
"Get in the boat."
Timeless.
- Obviously, first, I have to talk about the NCAA Tournament. Not exactly March Madness (unless you count the half hour of excitement on Saturday night with Vandy and Pitt). There were about 45 boring games last weekend, and all we learned (and, to be fair, I spent a lot of time roaming around NYC and not enough time watching hoops, so I may not be the most informative critic here) was that the Tournament is still up for grabs. Sure, I've got Kansas, but that's not a sure bet, as good as they looked whipping a bad Kentucky team yesterday. None of the #1 seeds looked dominant in their two wins over the weekend. Ohio State BARELY survived against a really, really, really bad Xavier team, while nearly giving Gus Johnson a simultaneous heart attack/sportsgasm. So pay attention next weekend, we'll see if any more secrets of the hardwood get revealed.
- I was very disappointed in the Holy Cross loss to SIU Friday night. I really thought the 'Saders had what it took to go on a little George Mason-esque run. Didn't get a chance to see the game, thanks to the magnificently intoxicated Villanova fans at the Waterloo Pub on 2nd Avenue who refused to give up 1 of the 5 TVs that were tuned to the Kentucky-'Nova yawner. Thanks guys. P.S., Need a cheap drink on the Upper East Side? Go to the Waterloo. The decor ain't much and the clientele are not exactly New York's chicest, but Luke, Megan and I got rip-roaringly tipsy on some brews and delightfully heavy drinks and got change back from $50. For all of us. Marvelous.
- Besides basketball, I've been culturing up this weekend. Spent a glorious day with Megan yesterday exploring the Met, then had a nice walk this morning to the MoMA and back up to the Guggenheim today. All three are, of course, impressive. I must say I was quite taken with the sometimes-maligned new MoMA, but then, I like modernism more than a lot of people. It was nice to see works like Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon, Onement 1, and Mondrian's Compositions up close and personal. The Met, too, was fun. I hadn't been there since my early childhood, and it was fun to go back and see Emanuel Leutze's rendition of Washington Crossing the Delaware, if for no other reason than that it reminded me of the first joke my mom ever told me. I was three years old and thought it was the height of comedy. The thing is, it's still funny. I'll leave you to ponder on its hilarity.
"What did George Washington say to his men before crossing the Delaware?"
"Get in the boat."
Timeless.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Thirsty Thursday: 2005 Layer Cake Shiraz, Australia
I'm taking a (very) short break from NCAA tournament action to do the weekly wine review.
Ok, but first, full disclosure: I ended up switching my pick on tonight's game to VCU over Duke. And for once, I couldn't be happier that Duke lost. VCU stayed with them all game and deserved to win after DeMarcus Nelson INEXCUSABLY forced a score too early on their final legitimate possession and left the door open for Eric Maynor (who, by the way, is a total stud with NBA potential) to hit the game winning shot from the stripe.
Anyway, tonight I have selected Layer Cake Shiraz for the review. And I chose it for a very specific reason: it's a screwcap wine. DO NOT BE AFRAID! Wine in a bottle with a screwcap does not necessarily mean you are getting plonk. In fact, some of the world's finest wines are converting to screwcaps (and even, dear God, boxes). So let tonight be a lesson, just because you don't need a wine tool to open it, doesn't mean the wine won't be above average, as indeed tonight's selection was. And with that, on to the notes!
Lovely chocolate and white pepper on the nose are met with a velvety smooth coffee and fresh fall spice dominated palate. The finish seems to linger for days and leaves no impression that this wine, young as it is, is 14.5% alcohol by volume. The wonderful tastes are further accented by the layered textures and flavors of this tight, concenrated wine.
My rating: 94, Purchased at Mall Discount Liquors, Cambridge, $14.99
Ok, but first, full disclosure: I ended up switching my pick on tonight's game to VCU over Duke. And for once, I couldn't be happier that Duke lost. VCU stayed with them all game and deserved to win after DeMarcus Nelson INEXCUSABLY forced a score too early on their final legitimate possession and left the door open for Eric Maynor (who, by the way, is a total stud with NBA potential) to hit the game winning shot from the stripe.
Anyway, tonight I have selected Layer Cake Shiraz for the review. And I chose it for a very specific reason: it's a screwcap wine. DO NOT BE AFRAID! Wine in a bottle with a screwcap does not necessarily mean you are getting plonk. In fact, some of the world's finest wines are converting to screwcaps (and even, dear God, boxes). So let tonight be a lesson, just because you don't need a wine tool to open it, doesn't mean the wine won't be above average, as indeed tonight's selection was. And with that, on to the notes!
Lovely chocolate and white pepper on the nose are met with a velvety smooth coffee and fresh fall spice dominated palate. The finish seems to linger for days and leaves no impression that this wine, young as it is, is 14.5% alcohol by volume. The wonderful tastes are further accented by the layered textures and flavors of this tight, concenrated wine.
My rating: 94, Purchased at Mall Discount Liquors, Cambridge, $14.99
Sunday, March 11, 2007
It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year
There is no day like today. Ok, maybe opening day of the baseball season, but really Selection Sunday carries an incredible sense of anticipation. 65 teams have been handed their tickets to the ball. A few of them will have the Cinderella experience, their dreams kept alive, others will have their runs cut short, their dreams crushed. And all of it transpiring in front of a nation, enraptured by it all.
But what did we learn today? Here are some major storylines.
1) The Syracuse snub is pretty much beyond the pale. They deserved a #6 seed (probably the one that Duke got, but I'll get to that in a minute) at worst, especially the way they have been playing the last few weeks before slipping up in the Big East tournament. No way Xavier, from the biggest joke of a conference this side of the Southland, deserved to get into this tournament. Or Stanford for that matter. Sure, their pre-conference schedule was its usual Big East-style easy pickings, and most of its big wins came at the Carrier Dome, but the win over Georgetown at the end of the regular season most assuredly should have guaranteed the 'Cuse a spot amongst the 65. The Committee really blew it.
2) A lot of you know I'm a HUGE Duke fan. And for obvious reasons, they're winners with a great coach in Mike Kryszewski and a storied history. But this year's team pales in comparison to teams from the past. I hate saying it, but they simply did not deserve the high #6 seed they got. They're overranked by virtue of their history, not the recent past. They were terrible down the stretch and had no opportunity to show their wares in the ACC tournament by virtue of running into a driven and very well-coached NC State. As you'll see in the breakdown, I have a hard time believing this team will get past VCU in the first round (even if I am still picking them).
3) A lot of people are disagreeing with Texas being ranked at #4. However, if you take Kevin Durant out of the equation, Texas is maybe, MAYBE, a 15-win team. Abrams and Augustin do not a contender make. Durant is a difference maker to be sure, his 37 points against Kansas today were scored in about 15 good minutes, but he cannot carry the load for 40 minutes night in and night out. They deserved to be a protected seed, but to me, #4 is right.
4) As an aside, watch out for Kansas. For once, Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk might actually be dangerous.
5) Finally, the one thing the Committee got right were the #1 seeds. Florida, Ohio State, Kansas, and, sadly, UNC, are the best teams in the nation.
And now, let's take a more in-depth look at the brackets.
MIDWEST REGION (St. Louis)
Florida received the overall #1 seed in the tournament by virtue of their recent play and their returning starters from last year's championship run. They had a shaky middle part of the season, but if their SEC tournament run is any indication of how they will fare, Florida is nearly a shoe-in for the Final Four and has an edge over the better part of the field. However, SEC teams have a tendency to be oversold in the run-up to the Big Dance, and Florida is no exception. Also, they most likely will not be tested until the Regional Final, when they will most likely be playing Pac-10 Champion Oregon, who have not been getting enough press. So while the Midwest on paper could be setup for a Florida run, don't be so sure.
1st Round Upset special: Winthrop over Notre Dame
Sleeper: Georgia Tech
Game to Watch: Sweet 16, Oregon vs. Georgia Tech
Regional Champion: Oregon over Florida
WEST REGION (San Jose)
The West region seems to be the least competitive of the four regions, with Kansas primed for a run to the Final Four. They certainly impressed me coming back from 22 down in the first half against Texas in today's Big 12 Championship. They are an incredibly deep team with the ability to slam their game into a whole other realm when challenged. A probable Sweet 16 date with Virginia Tech and/or Regional Final matchup with UCLA could prove thorny, but Kansas looks to be on another level going into the Dance.
1st Round Upset Special: Holy Cross over Southern Illinois (and, MAYBE, VCU over Duke)
Sleeper: Virginia Tech
Game to Watch: Second Round, Duke vs. Pittsburgh
Regional Champion: Kansas over UCLA
EAST REGION (Meadowlands)
North Carolina survived an impassioned run by the Wolfpack to win the ACC tournament earlier today. With 7 teams entering the field of 65 from the ACC, this was one of the better years in recent memory for College Basketball's best and most competitive power conference. The masked wonder Tyler Hansbrough and company are poised for a deep run, but the East Region should provide some remarkable game action all the way to Atlanta. Watch out for sleepers in this region especially, this year's George Mason could be making a run through East Rutherford.
1st Round Upset Special: Arkansas over USC
Sleeper: Vanderbilt
Game to Watch: Sweet 16, Vanderbilt vs. Georgetown
Regional Champion: North Carolina over Vanderbilt
SOUTH REGION (San Antonio)
This entire region is a toss-up. Ohio State looks strong, but Big 10 teams are always eminently beatable at Tournament time, so I am wary of picking them too deep. The #2 seed Memphis is a joke and will get upset by the second round. All respect to John Calipari, but this team is not UMass in 1995. They come from a mid-Major conference and had ZERO challenges in their pre-conference schedule. At 3, 4 and 5, Texas A&M, Virginia and Tennessee are all a little green, though Bruce Pearl may be able to work some magic with the Vols, so look out for them.
1st Round Upset Special: Your guess is as good as mine. Don't be shocked if Creighton or North Texas pull it off.
Sleeper: Tennessee
Game to Watch: Sweet 16, Ohio State vs. Tennessee
Regional Champion: Tennessee over Texas A&M
FINAL FOUR (Atlanta)
Kansas over Oregon, North Carolina over Tennessee.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Kansas 87, North Carolina 74. Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk.
But what did we learn today? Here are some major storylines.
1) The Syracuse snub is pretty much beyond the pale. They deserved a #6 seed (probably the one that Duke got, but I'll get to that in a minute) at worst, especially the way they have been playing the last few weeks before slipping up in the Big East tournament. No way Xavier, from the biggest joke of a conference this side of the Southland, deserved to get into this tournament. Or Stanford for that matter. Sure, their pre-conference schedule was its usual Big East-style easy pickings, and most of its big wins came at the Carrier Dome, but the win over Georgetown at the end of the regular season most assuredly should have guaranteed the 'Cuse a spot amongst the 65. The Committee really blew it.
2) A lot of you know I'm a HUGE Duke fan. And for obvious reasons, they're winners with a great coach in Mike Kryszewski and a storied history. But this year's team pales in comparison to teams from the past. I hate saying it, but they simply did not deserve the high #6 seed they got. They're overranked by virtue of their history, not the recent past. They were terrible down the stretch and had no opportunity to show their wares in the ACC tournament by virtue of running into a driven and very well-coached NC State. As you'll see in the breakdown, I have a hard time believing this team will get past VCU in the first round (even if I am still picking them).
3) A lot of people are disagreeing with Texas being ranked at #4. However, if you take Kevin Durant out of the equation, Texas is maybe, MAYBE, a 15-win team. Abrams and Augustin do not a contender make. Durant is a difference maker to be sure, his 37 points against Kansas today were scored in about 15 good minutes, but he cannot carry the load for 40 minutes night in and night out. They deserved to be a protected seed, but to me, #4 is right.
4) As an aside, watch out for Kansas. For once, Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk might actually be dangerous.
5) Finally, the one thing the Committee got right were the #1 seeds. Florida, Ohio State, Kansas, and, sadly, UNC, are the best teams in the nation.
And now, let's take a more in-depth look at the brackets.
MIDWEST REGION (St. Louis)
Florida received the overall #1 seed in the tournament by virtue of their recent play and their returning starters from last year's championship run. They had a shaky middle part of the season, but if their SEC tournament run is any indication of how they will fare, Florida is nearly a shoe-in for the Final Four and has an edge over the better part of the field. However, SEC teams have a tendency to be oversold in the run-up to the Big Dance, and Florida is no exception. Also, they most likely will not be tested until the Regional Final, when they will most likely be playing Pac-10 Champion Oregon, who have not been getting enough press. So while the Midwest on paper could be setup for a Florida run, don't be so sure.
1st Round Upset special: Winthrop over Notre Dame
Sleeper: Georgia Tech
Game to Watch: Sweet 16, Oregon vs. Georgia Tech
Regional Champion: Oregon over Florida
WEST REGION (San Jose)
The West region seems to be the least competitive of the four regions, with Kansas primed for a run to the Final Four. They certainly impressed me coming back from 22 down in the first half against Texas in today's Big 12 Championship. They are an incredibly deep team with the ability to slam their game into a whole other realm when challenged. A probable Sweet 16 date with Virginia Tech and/or Regional Final matchup with UCLA could prove thorny, but Kansas looks to be on another level going into the Dance.
1st Round Upset Special: Holy Cross over Southern Illinois (and, MAYBE, VCU over Duke)
Sleeper: Virginia Tech
Game to Watch: Second Round, Duke vs. Pittsburgh
Regional Champion: Kansas over UCLA
EAST REGION (Meadowlands)
North Carolina survived an impassioned run by the Wolfpack to win the ACC tournament earlier today. With 7 teams entering the field of 65 from the ACC, this was one of the better years in recent memory for College Basketball's best and most competitive power conference. The masked wonder Tyler Hansbrough and company are poised for a deep run, but the East Region should provide some remarkable game action all the way to Atlanta. Watch out for sleepers in this region especially, this year's George Mason could be making a run through East Rutherford.
1st Round Upset Special: Arkansas over USC
Sleeper: Vanderbilt
Game to Watch: Sweet 16, Vanderbilt vs. Georgetown
Regional Champion: North Carolina over Vanderbilt
SOUTH REGION (San Antonio)
This entire region is a toss-up. Ohio State looks strong, but Big 10 teams are always eminently beatable at Tournament time, so I am wary of picking them too deep. The #2 seed Memphis is a joke and will get upset by the second round. All respect to John Calipari, but this team is not UMass in 1995. They come from a mid-Major conference and had ZERO challenges in their pre-conference schedule. At 3, 4 and 5, Texas A&M, Virginia and Tennessee are all a little green, though Bruce Pearl may be able to work some magic with the Vols, so look out for them.
1st Round Upset Special: Your guess is as good as mine. Don't be shocked if Creighton or North Texas pull it off.
Sleeper: Tennessee
Game to Watch: Sweet 16, Ohio State vs. Tennessee
Regional Champion: Tennessee over Texas A&M
FINAL FOUR (Atlanta)
Kansas over Oregon, North Carolina over Tennessee.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Kansas 87, North Carolina 74. Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Hypocrisy In Government? It's Spelled G-I-N-G-R-I-C-H
Oh, this is too good to pass up.
As awful and revolting as the idea of Newt Gingrich having sex is, he was having it. With a woman. Who was not his wife. Not news, you say? Here's the kicker:
The affair took place while that loudmouthed jackass was on every media outlet within ear and eyeshot of the American people, castigating the President of the United States, Bill Clinton, for having an illicit affair of his own.
I mean, just, can you even possibly be serious anymore? These people have officially lost their minds. I thought "Conservapedia" (where, when we don't like the facts, we change 'em) would the most ridiculous Conservative-related item of the week. But, oh Newtie, you came and you gave without taking...
Good luck running for President yourself, you consummate jackass.
As awful and revolting as the idea of Newt Gingrich having sex is, he was having it. With a woman. Who was not his wife. Not news, you say? Here's the kicker:
The affair took place while that loudmouthed jackass was on every media outlet within ear and eyeshot of the American people, castigating the President of the United States, Bill Clinton, for having an illicit affair of his own.
I mean, just, can you even possibly be serious anymore? These people have officially lost their minds. I thought "Conservapedia" (where, when we don't like the facts, we change 'em) would the most ridiculous Conservative-related item of the week. But, oh Newtie, you came and you gave without taking...
Good luck running for President yourself, you consummate jackass.
Thirsty Thursday: 2005 Firesteed Pinot Noir
Ok, so first a disclaimer. I know I said I would do this as a regular feature. And I really did mean it. However, the last time we met in this space to talk wine, there was a rather unfortunate incident. See, I was typing away, minding my own business, tasting some nice (if young, as you'll remember) French wine, when the unthinkable happened. I managed, heroically, to spill a small quantity of wine on my keyboard. The trusted iBook is luckily none the worse for ware (after a quick keyboard replacement to the tune of $130), but I was still a little gun shy about keeping wine near my pride and joy. However, tonight I decided to throw caution to the wind and enjoy some fine Oregon Pinot Noir. I also decided I should drink it away from the computer. How very low-fi.
And now, on to the tasting notes!
Bright, ruby color in the glass is met with strawberries and cherries on the nose, accompanied by some faint earth tones. Lovely fruit on the forward palate is concentrated with very low acidity. Hard cheese taste on the long, lingering finish which completes the very balanced nature of the wine.
My rating: 91. Purchased at Downtown Wine and Spirits, Davis Square, Somerville, $17.
And now, on to the tasting notes!
Bright, ruby color in the glass is met with strawberries and cherries on the nose, accompanied by some faint earth tones. Lovely fruit on the forward palate is concentrated with very low acidity. Hard cheese taste on the long, lingering finish which completes the very balanced nature of the wine.
My rating: 91. Purchased at Downtown Wine and Spirits, Davis Square, Somerville, $17.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Bye, Scooter
I. Lewis "Scooter" (and, really, to whomever gave him that moniker, the thanks of a grateful nation be upon you) Libby, former chief counselor to Vice President, and Commander in Chief of the Army of Darkness, Richard B. "Dick" Cheney, is going for an extended stay to Club Fed. Possibly for thirty years, but at least until he is pardoned by President George W. "W" Bush when the heat dies down. Libby, of course, became the sacrificial lamb in the CIA Leak case in which Ambassador Joe Wilson's hot, hot, CIA operative wife, Valerie Plame, was outed as such by the administration, and subsequently lost her job as a covert agent. What we learned from the verdict, however, is that while the administration has lost a lot of legislative power in the face of the past mid-term elections, they are still very adept at protecting the chief architects of this sham of a government when push comes to shove. So for those of you who would like to see this administration crash and burn through impeachment or what have you, remember: they always find someone just low enough on the food chain to take the fall and keep them out of the shit.
Anyway, Scooter, enjoy your time away. Perhaps you can work on another lewd, ridiculous novel about skiing or whatever it is that you do. Also, don't forget, it's shank or be shanked.
Anyway, Scooter, enjoy your time away. Perhaps you can work on another lewd, ridiculous novel about skiing or whatever it is that you do. Also, don't forget, it's shank or be shanked.
Monday, March 05, 2007
You Make The Call
So I'm reminded tonight of these old commercials they used to run during football games in the 1980s. The premise would be that they would show some kind of interesting play from an earlier game, one with a disputed call, and then give the audience a couple of options on how the play should have been called by the referees on the field. Then they would break for another 10 seconds or so and hock some product (it may have been Budweiser, but I honestly can't remember) then come back and tell you what happened. All in good fun. Sometimes these plays had two possible outcomes and you had to chose the crazier, zanier one, which was usually how the play was called. To wit, I provide you with two "real-life" (read: Hollywood) situations from over the weekend, and try to answer which wacky scenario takes the cake.
1) Britney Spears' latest attempt at rehab which abruptly ended with her screaming "I am the anti-christ!" and feigning a try at suicide before publicly begging the Distinguished Gentleman, Mr. Federline, to re-marry her and make him a baby daddy once again.
2) On the subject of satanic spawn, Ann Coulter opened her mouth again this weekend, when, over the deafening cries of the misbegotten which follow that wench around whenever she tries to speak, she managed, somehow, to drop the F-Bomb on John Edwards at some Conservative event.
That's right, America, tell us who the biggest loser is. YOU Make the Call!
And now a message from our sponsor:
(This is the part where I openly thank City Slicker Cafe for posting my musings about the Shrimp and Bacon Pizza in their fine establishment. Kudos to you for singling me out and spreading the word about this blog. I'll be in to collect my free lifetime supply of pizzas soon...)
And now, America decides as YOU Make the Call.
The answer of course, is that we are all sad and disgusting people for lending any sort of credence to this claptrap. Both Britney Spears and Ann Coulter should just go away. We should stop listening to them, or caring about them. And thus, like all shebeast celebutantes of Hollywood and Washington, they will soon fade into our collective memories.
At least, we can hope...
1) Britney Spears' latest attempt at rehab which abruptly ended with her screaming "I am the anti-christ!" and feigning a try at suicide before publicly begging the Distinguished Gentleman, Mr. Federline, to re-marry her and make him a baby daddy once again.
2) On the subject of satanic spawn, Ann Coulter opened her mouth again this weekend, when, over the deafening cries of the misbegotten which follow that wench around whenever she tries to speak, she managed, somehow, to drop the F-Bomb on John Edwards at some Conservative event.
That's right, America, tell us who the biggest loser is. YOU Make the Call!
And now a message from our sponsor:
(This is the part where I openly thank City Slicker Cafe for posting my musings about the Shrimp and Bacon Pizza in their fine establishment. Kudos to you for singling me out and spreading the word about this blog. I'll be in to collect my free lifetime supply of pizzas soon...)
And now, America decides as YOU Make the Call.
The answer of course, is that we are all sad and disgusting people for lending any sort of credence to this claptrap. Both Britney Spears and Ann Coulter should just go away. We should stop listening to them, or caring about them. And thus, like all shebeast celebutantes of Hollywood and Washington, they will soon fade into our collective memories.
At least, we can hope...
Monday, February 26, 2007
Mike Doughty Brings Us The New Hotness. Again.
If you're not reading Super Special Questions and listening to the music of Mike Doughty, it's about damn time you start. If you are reading it, then you would have seen today's long update post (he's into that recently) about his preparations for the Knitting Factory show (which, alas, I am not going to), his forthcoming trip to Berlin, the songwriting process for his next album which cannot come soon enough, and relinking with Andrew "Scrap" Livingston, international man of mystery. In and of itself, a great post.
But contained in the bottom of the text were some recommendations from Doughty. First, that we should all see that German movie that won the Best Foreign Film Oscar last night. More importantly, however, he introduces us to Sean Hayes, an independent singer-songwriter from San Francisco. I just downloaded his latest two albums, "Big Black Hole and Little Baby Star" and "Alabama Chicken" from iTunes, and let me tell you, I don't think I've heard downbeat folkrock this good since I heard Damien Rice's "O" way back on the campaign trail. Hayes released these two albums on his own label and has lent his personal touch to them. Stirring arrangements are accompanied by his haunting vocals, a cross between the aforementioned Rice, Amos Lee (who, also, if you're not listening to him, you're worse off for it) and, at times, Thom Yorke. All the while, Hayes incorporates the country sensibility he learned growing up in North Carolina into a very mature, folky, unique sound.
In short, go buy these albums now. And enjoy them.
You can thank me (and Doughty) later.
But contained in the bottom of the text were some recommendations from Doughty. First, that we should all see that German movie that won the Best Foreign Film Oscar last night. More importantly, however, he introduces us to Sean Hayes, an independent singer-songwriter from San Francisco. I just downloaded his latest two albums, "Big Black Hole and Little Baby Star" and "Alabama Chicken" from iTunes, and let me tell you, I don't think I've heard downbeat folkrock this good since I heard Damien Rice's "O" way back on the campaign trail. Hayes released these two albums on his own label and has lent his personal touch to them. Stirring arrangements are accompanied by his haunting vocals, a cross between the aforementioned Rice, Amos Lee (who, also, if you're not listening to him, you're worse off for it) and, at times, Thom Yorke. All the while, Hayes incorporates the country sensibility he learned growing up in North Carolina into a very mature, folky, unique sound.
In short, go buy these albums now. And enjoy them.
You can thank me (and Doughty) later.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
No, You're Right, Of COURSE Strom Thurmond's Family Owned Al Sharpton's Ancestors As Slaves. This Makes Perfect Sense.
If this is a joke, it is the funniest joke I have ever heard. If it's not, and it is in fact true, then it is the funniest thing I have ever heard, period. I've linked the article, but here is the crux of it:
Strom Thurmond's Great-Great Grandfather owned slaves, much as the younger Thurmond (which, I'm sure the late, great racist gentleman from South Carolina has not been called in a VERY long time) would have liked to do in his own life. One of those slaves was a man named Coleman Sharpton. And yes, you guessed it, Coleman Sharpton is a direct ancestor of the one, the only, Rev. Al Sharpton.
I mean, can you conceive of a more hilarious circumstance than this? I'm thinking about writing a sitcom about it, for christ's sake.
Strom Thurmond's Great-Great Grandfather owned slaves, much as the younger Thurmond (which, I'm sure the late, great racist gentleman from South Carolina has not been called in a VERY long time) would have liked to do in his own life. One of those slaves was a man named Coleman Sharpton. And yes, you guessed it, Coleman Sharpton is a direct ancestor of the one, the only, Rev. Al Sharpton.
I mean, can you conceive of a more hilarious circumstance than this? I'm thinking about writing a sitcom about it, for christ's sake.
Friday, February 23, 2007
DJ
Dennis Johnson died last night. He was 52. It's almost ironic, because I had spent a goodly portion of this week thinking about Dennis Johnson specifically, and the '86 Celtics in general. You know, the Pats are done for the year and the Red Sox won't start ramping up until next week, so my mind wanders, inevitably, to the glory days of the past in Boston sports. Also, NBATV (the newest hotness) has been showing NBA's Greatest Games from 1986 a lot lately. I forgot how truly stacked that team was. Bird, McHale, Parish, Ainge, and DJ. All 5 of them all-stars. All 5 of them (as Bill Simmons writes today in his elegy for Johnson, which you all should read, because he'll say this much better than I ever could) SHOULD be Hall of Famers. Of course, Johnson will get there, but now it will be only in memoriam for the great player he was.
Anyway, read Simmons, because he breaks this down much better, but the one thing people forget is how DJ's greatest play (of many great instinctive plays he made over his career) is completely overshadowed by a Legend and a call. Watch it below.
Remember plays like this one when the Celtics next stink out the joint against Golden State or some damn thing. In any case, thanks DJ, you provided the Celtic faithful with many, many great moments. And you will be missed.
Anyway, read Simmons, because he breaks this down much better, but the one thing people forget is how DJ's greatest play (of many great instinctive plays he made over his career) is completely overshadowed by a Legend and a call. Watch it below.
Remember plays like this one when the Celtics next stink out the joint against Golden State or some damn thing. In any case, thanks DJ, you provided the Celtic faithful with many, many great moments. And you will be missed.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Shrimp. Bacon. Pizza. Heaven.
I openly wept at the sight of it.
About six months ago, as many of you may know, the culinary bastion of goodness known as Urban Gourmet burned in a tragic fire which left all of us who loved the venerable greasy spoon, and had elevated it to an almost cult-like status, shocked and saddened. Over the weekend, I received word that the owners had pooled their resources into a new location, which they dubbed City Slicker Cafe. As they were closed Sunday and Monday, I had to wait a few more days until last night to renew my love for Urban. But, oh boy, the wait was more than worth it.
I put in my order at around 6pm after my torturous Postmodernism class wrapped up late and I got books from Tisch for my paper due on Thursday. The last six Urbanless months had prepared me for the final wait, but I still kept bouncing my leg while staring at the clock in anticipation. When the doorbell rang, I (quite literally) bolted out of my chair to the door and received my pizza, now dubbed the Surf 'n' Turf by City Slicker. Running back to the couch, I didn't even wait to get a plate or a glass of milk or anything. I put the box down on the ottoman and opened it. And stared.
Honestly, pizza, or really food of any kind, should not make me do this. But there I sat, in awe of the beauty which sat smoldering in front of me. It was just as I remembered: thick, flaky crust, lush toppings, bubbling cheese. I admired for a minute what I had so long desired. And then I took my first, breathless bite.
The taste was just as I remembered. Buttery and soft, the shrimp and bacon flavors dancing across my palate, all the while thinking, "if there is a god, and he ordered a pizza, it would be this."
I ate six slices and I didn't care that that made me a fatass. It was worth it. Because when a man thinks he's lost his favorite pizza forever, there's nothing in the world like getting it back.
About six months ago, as many of you may know, the culinary bastion of goodness known as Urban Gourmet burned in a tragic fire which left all of us who loved the venerable greasy spoon, and had elevated it to an almost cult-like status, shocked and saddened. Over the weekend, I received word that the owners had pooled their resources into a new location, which they dubbed City Slicker Cafe. As they were closed Sunday and Monday, I had to wait a few more days until last night to renew my love for Urban. But, oh boy, the wait was more than worth it.
I put in my order at around 6pm after my torturous Postmodernism class wrapped up late and I got books from Tisch for my paper due on Thursday. The last six Urbanless months had prepared me for the final wait, but I still kept bouncing my leg while staring at the clock in anticipation. When the doorbell rang, I (quite literally) bolted out of my chair to the door and received my pizza, now dubbed the Surf 'n' Turf by City Slicker. Running back to the couch, I didn't even wait to get a plate or a glass of milk or anything. I put the box down on the ottoman and opened it. And stared.
Honestly, pizza, or really food of any kind, should not make me do this. But there I sat, in awe of the beauty which sat smoldering in front of me. It was just as I remembered: thick, flaky crust, lush toppings, bubbling cheese. I admired for a minute what I had so long desired. And then I took my first, breathless bite.
The taste was just as I remembered. Buttery and soft, the shrimp and bacon flavors dancing across my palate, all the while thinking, "if there is a god, and he ordered a pizza, it would be this."
I ate six slices and I didn't care that that made me a fatass. It was worth it. Because when a man thinks he's lost his favorite pizza forever, there's nothing in the world like getting it back.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Thirsty Thursday: 2005 Chateau Clos de la Chesnaie, Lalande de Pomerol
Welcome to a new feature over here at Theory in Practice. Each Thursday night, as the college weekend and drinkathon begins, I'll be posting tasting notes for a new wine each week, both to continue my lovable but pompous ranting and to help educate you, dear reader, on the wonderful world of wine.
We begin this week with a 2005 Chateau Clos de la Chesnaie, a Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Oenophiles have been holding their collective breath in anticipation of the wonders the 2005 Bordeaux vintage will unleash, and we are just now getting our first peek into the peak of the world's best known wine region. Scholars wonder whether 2005, with great vintages like 2000 and 2003 barely in the rear-view mirror, will gain that most sought-after title of reknowned year in Bordelaise history. Futures have skyrocketed, and the world's collectors have begun snapping up the best. But for me, the small quaffer, and thousands like me, we may still experience that perfection of a confluence of events so rare as to create memories for years to come. There are wonderful, accessible Bordeaux wines still out there, so get searching!
And now on to the tasting. Earth tones and lovely Merlot berry flavors on the nose, tempered with just hint of smoke and oak. Rather astringent in the mouth, even after aerating, but with a flourish of strawberry and black cherries. Finish is very acidic, clearly the wine needs much more time to mellow in the bottle.
Overall: 87 now, 89-91 at peak. $14.99 on sale at Mall Discount Liquors, Cambridge, MA
We begin this week with a 2005 Chateau Clos de la Chesnaie, a Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Oenophiles have been holding their collective breath in anticipation of the wonders the 2005 Bordeaux vintage will unleash, and we are just now getting our first peek into the peak of the world's best known wine region. Scholars wonder whether 2005, with great vintages like 2000 and 2003 barely in the rear-view mirror, will gain that most sought-after title of reknowned year in Bordelaise history. Futures have skyrocketed, and the world's collectors have begun snapping up the best. But for me, the small quaffer, and thousands like me, we may still experience that perfection of a confluence of events so rare as to create memories for years to come. There are wonderful, accessible Bordeaux wines still out there, so get searching!
And now on to the tasting. Earth tones and lovely Merlot berry flavors on the nose, tempered with just hint of smoke and oak. Rather astringent in the mouth, even after aerating, but with a flourish of strawberry and black cherries. Finish is very acidic, clearly the wine needs much more time to mellow in the bottle.
Overall: 87 now, 89-91 at peak. $14.99 on sale at Mall Discount Liquors, Cambridge, MA
Sunday, February 11, 2007
'Bosch is Better
Though I am still in the recovery process from yesterday's Boston Wine Expo, I have a few quick thoughts on the dazzling event, and some comparisons to my favorite wine event, the Stellenbosch Wine Festival.
First of all, event hough they say it opens at 1pm, we clearly needed to be there well before that. Unfortunately, James and I were detained at his house trying to buy Red Sox opening day tickets (we didn't get them, got Yankee tickets for April 21st instead) and didn't leave Cambridge until 12:30. Nevertheless, as we exited the Silver Line stop at World Trade Center station at 1pm on the nose, the gathering herd had...well, gathered. The line stretched in a serpentine fashion all the way out past the Seaport Hotel. And that was just the line to get into a another line to get your ticket taken! The entire process took more than a half an hour. Luckily, it was rather a warm day and we were appropriately dressed.
When we arrived inside the hall, the sheer magnitude of the event captivated us. Acre upon acre of wine, wine-related products, and food splayed out in front of us. We didn't know where to begin. After 10 minutes trying to find the coat check, which we never found until about an hour and a half later, when it was full, we decided to make our first tasting experiences in the Sonoma County booths, starting with Ravenswood Sonoma County Old Vines Zinfandel 2004. I much prefer the Mendocino County Zin by Ravenswood, which is not to say their Sonoma County offering is bad - it's not, it was actually some of our favorite wine of the day - but it will definitely benefit from more time in the bottle. From Sonoma County, we made our way to the South African wines, tasting some Haute-Cabriere Pinotage, a Franschhoek favorite, as well as Diemersdal Pinotage from Durbanville, which I well remembered sharing with Caitlin over mussels at Theo's in Camps Bay. After the stroll down memory lane, we made our way to the Sake booth, which was surprisingly unpopular. Of course, this allowed James to talk about his favorite Sake pairings - "I like to pair with an ice cold Kirin Ichiban, placing the Sake at the bottom and drinking rapidly" - but also allowed us to sample some very fine wine. The exhibitor there was also the best of the day by far. He really knew about the process and clearly loved explaining it to wine people who many times do not give Sake its due. Their unfiltered offering, Kikusui Funaguchi, was my favorite, a viscous, cloudy and rich tasting offering in a can which checks in at 19% alcohol by volume.
After our first round of tasting, having made our towards the celebrity chef kitchens, we started walking through the food displays, enjoying many new treats along the way. However, after about 15 minutes we decided food would not get us drunk, so it was right back to the tasting floor. By now, at about 2:30, the hall was packed with wine people. It was also during this period that many of the serious wine writers, tradesmen and true oenophiles were making their rounds. Which, of course, means they were hogging up all the good tables wanting to talk about esoterica with the merchants. We did manage to slip into some smaller places along the way, however, including the intriguing Clos de Lachance, a small, single-vineyard winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Central California. Their "hummingbird series" zinfandel and syrah had clearly benefited from the careful handling of a small vintner's touch. After this visit to California, we jumped over to Portugal and indulged in some very big, bold and fruit-forward wines. My favorite was the Ferreira 10-Year Tawny Port, with wonderfully rich fruit and oak flavors that seemed to linger for almost half an hour after tasting. Certainly made me want to visit Portugal for real and sample some contemporaries.
Much of the rest of the afternoon was spent tasting American wines, which but for MacRostie's fantastic Pinot Noir and the Central Coast Zinfandel offering from Pietra Santa Winery, were less than thrilling. In all, James and I guessed we tasted around 75-100 wines in less than three hours, which made the cold walk back slightly more bearable. Nonetheless, while impressive and large, the Boston Wine Expo pales in comparison to the stellar Stellenbosch affair. Now, of course, it is a much different type of wine celebration, with the best of the best from across the world gathered here in Boston, while Stellenbosch is a celebration of one region, however formidable. Still, I much prefer the smaller celebrations in that we could taste our way through the entire region and really get a sense of it. With a lack of a clear strategy in Boston, we sort of found ourselves all over the map, so to speak, and while we certainly had some dizzying highs, they were fewer and further between. There was also a much more rushed feel to the Boston event. With only three hours to taste and 1800 wines available, we ended up having to make choices based on availability and timing, much more than in Stellenbosch. It was a much more closed in feel to be sure. Finally, and I believe most regrettably, for whatever reason, there was no way to buy any of the wines we sampled at the Wine Expo. At Stellnbosch, when we finished tasting after four or so hours, we could go into the shop pick up the ones we liked then retire to the field behind the Paul Roos Centre and in the shadows of the mountains drink sundowners and relax. In Boston, when we were done tasting, the event was over, no room to further discuss what we found or enjoy some spoils of tasting. Still, the event, while certainly more of a trade show than a festival, is worth every penny to go to in order to beef up your education about wine.
First of all, event hough they say it opens at 1pm, we clearly needed to be there well before that. Unfortunately, James and I were detained at his house trying to buy Red Sox opening day tickets (we didn't get them, got Yankee tickets for April 21st instead) and didn't leave Cambridge until 12:30. Nevertheless, as we exited the Silver Line stop at World Trade Center station at 1pm on the nose, the gathering herd had...well, gathered. The line stretched in a serpentine fashion all the way out past the Seaport Hotel. And that was just the line to get into a another line to get your ticket taken! The entire process took more than a half an hour. Luckily, it was rather a warm day and we were appropriately dressed.
When we arrived inside the hall, the sheer magnitude of the event captivated us. Acre upon acre of wine, wine-related products, and food splayed out in front of us. We didn't know where to begin. After 10 minutes trying to find the coat check, which we never found until about an hour and a half later, when it was full, we decided to make our first tasting experiences in the Sonoma County booths, starting with Ravenswood Sonoma County Old Vines Zinfandel 2004. I much prefer the Mendocino County Zin by Ravenswood, which is not to say their Sonoma County offering is bad - it's not, it was actually some of our favorite wine of the day - but it will definitely benefit from more time in the bottle. From Sonoma County, we made our way to the South African wines, tasting some Haute-Cabriere Pinotage, a Franschhoek favorite, as well as Diemersdal Pinotage from Durbanville, which I well remembered sharing with Caitlin over mussels at Theo's in Camps Bay. After the stroll down memory lane, we made our way to the Sake booth, which was surprisingly unpopular. Of course, this allowed James to talk about his favorite Sake pairings - "I like to pair with an ice cold Kirin Ichiban, placing the Sake at the bottom and drinking rapidly" - but also allowed us to sample some very fine wine. The exhibitor there was also the best of the day by far. He really knew about the process and clearly loved explaining it to wine people who many times do not give Sake its due. Their unfiltered offering, Kikusui Funaguchi, was my favorite, a viscous, cloudy and rich tasting offering in a can which checks in at 19% alcohol by volume.
After our first round of tasting, having made our towards the celebrity chef kitchens, we started walking through the food displays, enjoying many new treats along the way. However, after about 15 minutes we decided food would not get us drunk, so it was right back to the tasting floor. By now, at about 2:30, the hall was packed with wine people. It was also during this period that many of the serious wine writers, tradesmen and true oenophiles were making their rounds. Which, of course, means they were hogging up all the good tables wanting to talk about esoterica with the merchants. We did manage to slip into some smaller places along the way, however, including the intriguing Clos de Lachance, a small, single-vineyard winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Central California. Their "hummingbird series" zinfandel and syrah had clearly benefited from the careful handling of a small vintner's touch. After this visit to California, we jumped over to Portugal and indulged in some very big, bold and fruit-forward wines. My favorite was the Ferreira 10-Year Tawny Port, with wonderfully rich fruit and oak flavors that seemed to linger for almost half an hour after tasting. Certainly made me want to visit Portugal for real and sample some contemporaries.
Much of the rest of the afternoon was spent tasting American wines, which but for MacRostie's fantastic Pinot Noir and the Central Coast Zinfandel offering from Pietra Santa Winery, were less than thrilling. In all, James and I guessed we tasted around 75-100 wines in less than three hours, which made the cold walk back slightly more bearable. Nonetheless, while impressive and large, the Boston Wine Expo pales in comparison to the stellar Stellenbosch affair. Now, of course, it is a much different type of wine celebration, with the best of the best from across the world gathered here in Boston, while Stellenbosch is a celebration of one region, however formidable. Still, I much prefer the smaller celebrations in that we could taste our way through the entire region and really get a sense of it. With a lack of a clear strategy in Boston, we sort of found ourselves all over the map, so to speak, and while we certainly had some dizzying highs, they were fewer and further between. There was also a much more rushed feel to the Boston event. With only three hours to taste and 1800 wines available, we ended up having to make choices based on availability and timing, much more than in Stellenbosch. It was a much more closed in feel to be sure. Finally, and I believe most regrettably, for whatever reason, there was no way to buy any of the wines we sampled at the Wine Expo. At Stellnbosch, when we finished tasting after four or so hours, we could go into the shop pick up the ones we liked then retire to the field behind the Paul Roos Centre and in the shadows of the mountains drink sundowners and relax. In Boston, when we were done tasting, the event was over, no room to further discuss what we found or enjoy some spoils of tasting. Still, the event, while certainly more of a trade show than a festival, is worth every penny to go to in order to beef up your education about wine.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Bourdain is God, God is Bourdain. The Two Are One.
A lot of you know of my fascination and utmost respect for Chef-Hero, Anthony Bourdain. I mean, after all, this is the man who truly spurred my own desire to cook and has made cooking a soulful pursuit again. He is also one of my favorite writers, with a talent for description of even the most mundane things, both in and out of the kitchen, sublime. In a guest post over at Ruhlman.com, he takes the Food Network to task for its current crop of celebrity chefs. Those of you who have read his seminal work, Kitchen Confidential, know of Bourdain's distaste for the entire idea of the celebrity chef - though, of course, he has become one along the way, albeit with a style unmatched in the industry. Here, he essentially bemoans the loss of the soul of cooking, a soul which he, himself, has been credited with saving over the last decade at Les Halles, and as he lamented in an earlier guest post about this year's Top Chef. As always, Bourdain's musings are spot on. Read and enjoy. Also, if you haven't read Kitchen Confidential, The Nasty Bits or any other of Bourdain's earlier work, go to Amazon and buy them now.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Marry Me, Speaker Pelosi
Check out this link from the Corpus Christi Caller. On the official House Democrats Events Calendar, there is a notation on February 11:
Dick Cheney Hunting Incident (2006).
Amazing.
Dick Cheney Hunting Incident (2006).
Amazing.
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