Bears and grape growers prove a bad mix in wine country. AP 12/26/05. NAPA, Calif. - Grape-munching bears have caused bunches of trouble in Northern California wine country. Some winery owners have summoned authorities to trap and shoot black bears - as well as wild pigs, deer, turkeys and mountain lions - that plundered their vineyards. The killings have sparked debate over the future of wildlife in the nation's most famous wine-growing region. Read More.

Wine | |

It was a long time coming but The Spanish Matador's Union has suspended all contracts of Spanish Matadors fighting in Mexico, as well as suspending all contracts of Mexican Matadors fighting in Spain. Basically this is how and why it went down. The Spanish Matadors Union voted to break the agreement they had with Mexico in retaliation to the threat of Spanish Matador Antonio Barrera's pending five year suspension if Barrera was to participate in a 12/25/05 Corrida in Mexico City's Plaza Mexico. This was backlash to the controversy from the Corrida in Plaza Mexico on 12/11/05. Plaza Mexico Empresario Rafael Herrerias contracted Rejoneador Rodrigo Santos and Matador Humberto Flores to appear with El Fandi and Finito de Cordoba. Herrerias added Santos to the 12/11 Corrida knowing the Union of Mexican Matadors insisting on the 50/50 requirement Mexican/Foriegn Toreros be among Toreros on foot. Read More.

Toros | |

I am lost for words. At first I thought George W. Bush was just a dumb ass. I have always thought that of the people who drive around with "Bush Chaney 05" stickers. If it weren't for my recent conversion to spreading good karma, I'd still be flipping off every Right Wing ass wipe who crosses my path. But, after the shit Bush admitted to today you gotta hand it to him. W. really thinks he's above the law. This President who has out right stolen an election, sentenced 2100+ Americans to their death has now placed his balls on the table and in the face of every American and authorized the illegal spying of US citizens. "The American people expect me to do everything in my power under our laws and Constitution to protect them and their civil liberties," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "And that is exactly what I will continue to do, so long as I'm the president of the United States." Bush stated his actions were "consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution." Bush has not been reading the same Constitution I've have. Bush continued,"Yesterday the existence of this secret program was revealed in media reports, after being improperly provided to news organizations. As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk." Thus the spin has begun. Bush was re-elected primarily based on paranoia, and it is no doubt Bush's handlers will continue to convince Americans the President actually cares about them and if they don't approve of our government listening in on our business, terrorist will roam free and blow up all of us. Good God America, wake up and smell the oil! Click here to hear your President confess to yet another crime. Oh yeh, Bush steals music too (paragraph 4, line 1).

La Politika | |

T'is the season all right. Despite the crowds, the traffic, and the colder weather I can always find comfort in a big glass of cold eggnog. Someone recently referred to my sister's infatuation with the thick seasonal treat (an infatuation all my brothers and sisters share) as freaky. Speaking in defense of my sis, there is a history to our milk and eggy addiction. Growing up, making eggnog was an event in our house during the Holidays. My mother's eggnog recipe consisted of trekking to the drive-in dairy to purchase gallons of eggnog and stopping by Safeway to buy Canadian Whiskey. Once home my mom would fill the punch bowl with eggnog, fold in beated egg whites and whipped cream, and add the whiskey and other spirits I could not identify as a kid. Maybe it was because my first buzz I experienced as a kid was from my mother's eggnog. From this recipe I have developed my own recipe which I make every New Years. I've modified my mother's recipe a bit by making it from scratch and by using White Bacardi and Jack Daniels. So now as adults we continue to crave eggnog but now our cravings are more for the non-alcohol versions readily available. Of course you can find eggnog in many different forms such as but not limited to Starbuck's Eggnog Lattes, Eggnog Ice Cream, shakes and cakes. All these are great, but nothing beats a glass of cold store bought eggnog in the morning.

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Katrina Destroys Once Great Wine Cellar. NEW ORLEANS (AP) 12/10/2005. - In the dark, dank recesses of what was once one of the great wine cellars of the world, the fabled bottles sit. The 1870 Lafite Rothschild, the Chateau Moutons, Chateau Magaux - fine wines with enormous price tags, or at least they were. The wine cellar at Brennan's Restaurant, winner since 1983 of Wine Spectator magazine's Grand Award as one of the 85 top cellars in the world, has 35,000 bottles that since Hurricane Katrina have gone from vintage to vinegar. Read More

Wine | |

12/11/05 GUERRA ENTRE TAURINOS NUEVA YORQUINOS

Bullfights? Your Club or Mine? NEW YORK TIMES. 12/11/05. Here's something you don't see every day: 33 mostly middle-age New Yorkers sitting around a television set in a Midtown restaurant, watching a bullfight. The setting, on a recent Thursday night, was a Spanish restaurant in Manhattan where the New York City Club Taurino - an organization of bullfighting enthusiasts - holds its monthly meetings. On the television: a videotape of a 1982 bullfight known to aficionados as the Corrida of the Century because it featured six especially ornery and energetic bulls and some of Spain's most revered matadors, including Luis Francisco Esplá. Over tapas and a steady flow of wine, the group of women and men sat rapt for around 20 minutes, the silence punctuated occasionally by oohs and aahs, until Esplá pulled out the killing sword. The matador arched his back, tucked in his chin and narrowed his eyes ominously, staring down the blood-soaked beast before him. Read more.

Toros | |

I've come to a realization. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has their head up their asses. On Tuesday December 6th, 2005 FIFA announced the group seeds for the upcoming 2006 World Cup. Based on a archaic formula based on past performances in past World Cups and FIFA Rankings, the soccer governing body announced as group seeds Brazil, Argentina, England, Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Mexico. Say What? Mexico? Last time I checked Señores Fifones, Mexico was eliminated in 2002 by fellow CONCACAF member, the United States who reach the Quarter Finals. In 1994, the U.S. lost to Brazil in the Quarter Finals. The last time Mexico reached the Quarter Finals was in 1986. Consider this, Mexico not only came in second behind the U.S. in the recently concluded CONCACAF regional qualifying tournament, they watched the U.S. win the CONCACAF Gold Cup Championship in July 2005 from home. I don't get it. The U.S. has never been "ranked" ahead of Mexico in the FIFA World Rankings. Apparently these rankings carry more weight than do results from the pitch. If you think I'm just ranting about this, please read the ESPN article by Jen Chang. Also, although I pull for and totally support Spain each and every World Cup, I cannot believe FIFA seeded Spain. Spain barely qualified this time around on the last day of qualifying by defeating Slovakia in a playoff. On Friday December 9th the World Cup Draw will determine the groups for Germany 2006. We will then learn the teams the U.S. and Mexico will face in 2006. I hope FIFA keeps tabs on who will advance further next summer. I know I will. Update: U.S. draws Italy, Czech Republic and Ghana. Mexico draws Portugal, Angola and Iran.

Soccer | |

Have you ever had a day when you plan to do a list of things, not do them, and have it turn out to be a fine day? This happened recently to us. We wrote off Mass, in order to knock off the list of errands we had set for ourselves. So we headed north to Temecula to pick up our Wine Club shipment. The plan was to return to San Diego, do some errands, and put the Christmas lights up. Well, our mistake was we decided to do a quick tasting at Ponte Family Winery. Before heading back to San Diego, we decided to look for a couple of the newer wineries in Temecula. We decided to visit Doffo Winery. What a nice surprise indeed. Doffo is a petite winery on five acres owned and run by Marcelo Doffo. The five wines on the tasting list are different from most of Temecula's frustratingly similiar tasting wines, less Palumbo and Hart wineries. Marcelo is hands on all operations of the winery, and the wines really reflect his hard work. The Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Reserve is by far the best Cab in the Temecula Valley. Also worthy of note are Doffo's 2003 Shiraz and the delightfully light 2003 Late Harvest Muscat. After having lunch, we returned to San Diego by nightfall with a plan to finish the errands another day.

Wine | |

I'm bowing to pressure here. My kids are always asking me to post different items on DBB. I usually don't. Being it this close to Christmas and all, I thought I'd give in this time. A couple of weeks back a small video circulated at work which was just incredible. I was later forwarded the same clip from my brother, a constant source of side splitting internet humor such as this, this and this. I decided to go ahead and post the small clip out of the "Oh ya, see if you can top this" good neighbor files.

General | |

The wine world has taken a violent turn in the past month. Read below:

ETA detonates bomb at Rioja Alta winery in La Rioja. November 11, 2005. Read
Beaujolais festivities turn violent. November 18, 2005. Read
Basque police find bomb debris in a Basque wine cellar. November 22, 2005. Read
Violence returns to south of France. December 1, 2005. Read
Family tragedy on wine farm. December 1, 2005. Read

Wine | |

We celebrated Thanksgiving 2005 by visiting family in San Jose, California. We of course took advantage of the drive up from Chula Vista by stopping by some wineries for tastings. We actually had planned to drive up to the Days Inn Windmill in Buellton and trace the steps of Miles and Jack from Sideways. Kinda geeky, but that was the plan at least. An unexpected flat tire delayed our arrival, but we finally made our way to some of the wineries featured in the film. We visited the overrated and quite snobbish Sanford Winery and Vineyard. The employees were not to friendly and the wine was pretty forgetful. A real disappointment considering how much Miles raved in the movie about Sanford. We then visited Kalyra Winery. In the movie, Jack pours on his boyish charm toward the wine pourer, Stephanie. Kalyra's Australian theme is a distraction and was as equally unspectacular as the wines and the barking resident dogs. We were pressed for time with a van full of kids, luggage and the suegra. We had lunch at the Solvang Restaurant on Copenhagen Drive where Jack vows to Miles he will get laid. The Split Pea Soup and Danish Sausage hit the spot. After lunch we managed to get lost trying to locate Andrew Murray Vineyards, and ended up outside of Lompoc. We than stumbled upon Curtis Winery. Curtis specializes in Rhone style wines. The 2003 Grenache was by far the best wine of the day. They also had a 2002 Mourvèdre which was a little light in flavor but good, and a nice 2003 Roussanne. We finished up rushing to Melville, but arrived just has they closed. Bummer. In conclusion, with more time we could have visited more wineries but overall we were disappointed by the wineries we did visit. We are always willing to giving it another try in the future. By night fall, we continued onto San Jose where we spent a nice Holiday with family.

Wine | |

Mexico's small industry sees rebound, luring consumers with award-winning varieties - UNION-TRIBUNE 11/21/05 VALLE DE GUADALUPE – When the market for Mexican wines plummeted 20 years ago, growers in this valley northeast of Ensenada started ripping out their grapevines. But now a new breed of vintner has arrived, and the distinctive wines they're creating are capturing international medals, drawing aficionados and boosting tourism. "They're planting grapes that produce a high-quality product," said Michael Farres, co-owner of downtown San Diego's Wine Bank. "People are coming in asking for them. I can't get enough."A few years ago, there were only a handful of wineries in the area's three wine valleys 65 miles south of San Diego. Now there are 20, and more are starting all the time. Cabernet sauvignon, grenache, tempanillo, merlot, and an array of other grapes are being planted and vines are being grafted onto stock that survived. Hot and dry days, cool Pacific breezes at night and several microclimates are helping the vintners create varietals and blends with intriguing, complex personalities. Instead of the cheap, bulk wines that used to be associated with Mexico, the new wines are upscale, averaging $20 to $50 per bottle. Read More

Wine | |

You can surf my site and see I have a particular liking for Flamenco at this point in my life. I use to be a hardcore Reggae listener. I went to all the concerts of the big stars during the 80's and 90's from Peter Tosh to Black Uhuru. One regret, Bob Marley had just died as I got into Reggae so I never had a chance to see him. I was also into the Dancehall styles of Yellowman and Eeek-a-Mouse. While watching TV a couple of weeks ago I was introduced to a new act. Matisyahu is a Hasidic Jew who chants in Dancehall MC Style. Take it from me, his interpetation of a classic Reggae MC riddum is the real thing. Matisyhu keeps true to his faith and doesn't compromise the MC style. Check him out.

General | |

On Saturday 11/12/05, we attended the San Diego Bay Food & Wine Festival at the Embarcadero. It was a fine San Diego day to be out in the sun and trying many different wines. Although billed to offer "100 wineries, pouring 500 wines", it was obvious the organizers fell way short of that goal. Of the notable wineries which did attend, the best wines were the 2000 Mon Rouge from Clautiere Vineyards and 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon from Peju Province. Some old favorites were there such as Bonny Doon, Peachy Canyon, Palumbo and Tobin James. I tried to concentrate on lesser known wineries such as Salerno Winery from Ramona CA. Temecula and Valle de Guadalupe wineries were well represented too. All in all it was fun, but way to much wine to sample in such a short time. Check out some pix.

Wine | |

Winery to produce Larry Bird wine. BOSTON (AP) - You might not be able to play a little one-on-one with Larry Bird. But you will soon be able to drink with him. A California winery is teaming with the Boston Celtics Hall of Famer to produce a line of wines called "Legends". Cosentino Signature Wineries plans to roll out the line beginning next month. Winery founder Mitch Cosentino says prices will range from about $20 to $70 a bottle. Bird's spokeswoman says the basketball great has been dabbling in growing grapes since retiring from the Celtics. Bird is the president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers.

Wine | |

An interesting article on advanced medical procedures in Bullfighting related injuries was published recently in of all places the Wall Street Journel. It's a very interesting article which highlights the modern day torero's evolution of risk of injury versus recovery from life treatening gorings.

Spain's gory pastime creates market for surgeons. 11/10/2005, Keith Johnson, The Wall Street Journal. Madrid. In late August, a half-ton bull gored matador Antonio Barrera in the chest, tossing him into the air and snapping his collarbone in two places. It was the peak of the season, and the matador had a score of fights that would pay more than $100,000 still ahead of him. Severe gorings had shortened each of his previous three seasons, and this year seemed finished too. Instead of calling it quits, Mr. Barrera turned to one of bullfighting's newest stars: Angel Villamor, a 39-year-old orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Villamor, who honed his skills rebuilding injured motorcycle racers, crafted a custom-fitted plastic sleeve that he bolted around Mr. Barrera's shattered bone in place of a cast. Read More

Toros | |

Dear Mr. Bush,

Have you ever been to the U.S. Virgin Islands? I hear St. Croix is one of the must see locations in the world. Well, I urge you to visit very soon. The U.S. Virgin Islands is a Territory of the United States. There are some interesting facts about the U.S. Virgin Islands. The residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands have been U.S. citizens since 1927. Although taxpaying citizens, residents of the islands have no vote in U.S. national elections. This means not one resident of the U.S. Virgin Islands voted for you Mr. President. When you do visit, the islands will be missing one of its natives. Have you ever heard of Jose E. Rosario? He was born in St. Croix. Incase you haven't heard Mr. Bush, Spc. Jose E. Rosario was one of three soldiers killed when their Humvee was struck by enemy fire during patrol operations in Balad, Iraq, on October 19, 2005. To help you remember even further, Spc. Jose E. Rosario was the 2000th U.S. Casualty in your personal war against terrorism Mr. Bush. Spc. Jose E. Rosario was 20 years young. So when you do visit St. Croix, make sure to stop by his parents home and personally thank them for the sacrifice of their son. You can rest easy knowing 2000 American lives have been sacrificed in order to etch your name in history as the President who preserved American Imperialism in the name of Freedom and The War on Terror, and at the same time gained control of the precious Iraqi Oil Fields you and your Saudi brothers covet and protect at all costs.

p.s. I know you found Saddam, but have you found the WMDs you were looking for, or does it matter?

Bruno Simon Valdez

La Politika | |

Vineyards pop up in southeastern part of county. San Diego Union-Tribune. 9/27/2005 DULZURA – The grapes are not yet planted, but Greg Buckner has big plans for the wine he'll produce once his 30 acres of land become a vineyard. The La Mesa resident wondered for 20 years what to do with his family's Dulzura acreage. Looking to get out of the bail-bond business, he intends to establish a vineyard, winery and tasting room starting early next year. He aims to "work with my hands and then drink good wine," he said. "The best way to learn is to dive right in." Not far south, Mexico's Guadalupe Valley is a respected winemaking region. To the north, serious vintners and growers set up shop around Temecula and Escondido. Growers like Buckner think southeastern San Diego County – known more for its ranches and campgrounds – is a viable area for grapes, too. Acre by acre, they are joining what some call a surge in small vineyards around the county. Read More.

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Millions of dollars in wine destroyed in fire. 10/14/2005 (Scripps Howard News Service). Tens of millions of dollars' worth of vintage wine were believed to have been destroyed by a fire Wednesday at a huge Vallejo, Calif., warehouse that was considered one of the most secure places for wineries and individuals to store prized collections. The three-alarm fire at Wines Central sent plumes of smoke more than 700 feet high that could be seen for miles. Firefighters' efforts were hindered because the Mare Island building -- a 1942 structure that once housed Navy torpedoes -- had steel doors and 3-foot-thick concrete walls and a concrete roof that could not be penetrated. Wines Central converted the old military fortress three years ago into a 240,000-square-foot specialty warehouse that stored more than 500,000 cases of rare vintages believed to be worth up to $100 million, officials said. Clients included wineries, private collectors and some other businesses. One firefighter was taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion, but no other injuries were reported in the blaze, which depleted the resources of Solano County's fire departments.

Wine | |

There's a saying in Bullfights, "Si los toros no embistan, no hay fiesta". Well, lets just say, I got all dressed up for a party, and I was stood up. On Saturday, October 8th I participated in the 4th Festival de Aficionados Practicos in Tijuana's Cortijo San Jose. This year the bulls were from Hernando Limon. This years Festival suffererd a little bit from disorganization. More so than years past. Case in point. A couple of weekends ago I dragged my kids to the lifeless scortched back country of Tecate, Baja California and onto Hernando Limon's ranch in order to hand select my bull, as did most of the other participants of the Festival. We went so far as to name our selections as we have done in previous years. I named my animal "Manzanito", in honor of my fellow employees who were gonna trek to TJ and watch me fight. I hustled the last 4 weeks before the Festival, ordered a new Traje Corto (below, left), split the cost of a cow for some practice, and got in a little bit of training on the side. Well fast forward to the day of the Festival, and things didn't roll out exactly as planned. When I was to fight my bull, I was pumped up and ready to go, but they released the wrong bull. I had to wait for some guy to finish before I could perform. This seems like no biggy, but the sooner you fight on a card the better. It's seniority based, so its kinda lame when you perform after someone who is making their debut, and you have years under your belt. So I go on to fight my animal. He started good with the Capote, but he was manso (cowardly) with the Banderillas and Muleta. Let me rephrase the latter. He sucked with the Muleta. I tried to remove him from his querencia, but he got worse the more I tried. I dispatched with him as soon as I could. To top off my misfortune, it turns out the bull I had hand picked (#42) actually had been released first, and I ended up fighting "Cositas Dos" #22. BTW, "Manzanito" had bad habits but was not the worst of the afternoon as "Cositas Dos" was. Misfortune happens like this everyday in Bullfighting, but when you fight one or two times a year, drop a load on a new suit and a bull, it kinda sucks. I gotta mention I was very satisfied with my cape work. I executed some of the best Veronicas I've ever done, and I succesfully performed a quite of Navarras (below, center). Sweet. Check out the video and pics.

Toros | |

A couple of month's back I exercised my senority and swooped up a killer camera at work. I came across an opportunity to procure a new Canon Digital Rebel SLR for a insane price. Nevermind that it was a model being replaced, hell its a freggin great camera. A friend described the best thing about having a camera like this is you can experiment all you want, and cost of film is not an issue. Of course I admit I'm sort of a photo retard, but this camera really makes it easy to take some nice pictures. Enjoy some of my favorite pix so far.

General | |

'Makeover' sued over woman's suicide. 9/20/05 Los Angeles, California (Reuters) -- A Texas woman has sued ABC's popular reality show "Extreme Makeover" for more than $1 million claiming among other things that an abrupt cancellation of her appearance on the program led to her sister's death. Deleese Williams of Conroe, Texas, claims she came to Los Angeles to be a contestant on the show after undergoing a series of medical exams to determine if her crooked teeth and droopy eyes could be fixed and her small breasts enhanced, according the suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The suit starts with the blunt description: "Deleese Williams is considered ugly" and says one doctor promised her "a Hollywood smile like Cindy Crawford." To prepare for the show, the producers sent a crew to Texas in January 2004 to interview Williams and her family. The suit claims the "Extreme Makeover" crew manipulated Williams' sister, Kellie, into making cruel statements about Williams' looks. The night before Williams was to begin her makeover, the show's producers told her it would take too long for work on her jaw to heal. They canceled her appearance and sent Williams home where Kellie, distraught over what she had said about her sister, eventually killed herself, according to the suit. "Sometimes Deleese blames herself for Kellie's death," the suit said. An ABC spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment. This isn't the first time a TV show has been linked to a death. In 1995, the "Jenny Jones Show" syndicated talk program became the center of controversy after one guest murdered another who revealed his homosexual "secret crush" on TV.

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Chelsea Boss Ponders Italian Wine
Spoleto, 09/18/05 - (ANSA) The Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich could be planning to extend his business interests from soccer and oil into wine, according to reports from this central Italian town. Abramovich, best known as the boss of British soccer champions Chelsea, has stopped at several of Italy's top wine cellars during a visit in recent days. Rumours of a possible purchase started circulating last week at the 'I Vini Nel Mondo' wine fair in Spoleto, which was attended by 200 top vintners. Abramovich is reportedly after a location with enough room for an olive orchard as well as a vineyard. Although only 38, the Chelsea boss would have no problems affording any site he sets his heart on. In March he was listed by Forbes Magazine as the richest Russian and the 21st richest person in the world, with an estimated fortune of 13.3 billion dollars. He has poured cash into Chelsea since acquiring the club in 2003, investing in a string of expensive players that have helped bring the team to the top of Britain's soccer ranks. The Russian oil magnate started his wine tour at the Lungarotti winery in Umbria, the first in Italy to be run by two women, which is famous for its Rubesco. He also stopped at the Sassicaia and Ornellaia wineries, which are perhaps even more well-known abroad. These both produce some of the finest so-called "super Tuscans", revolutionary reds created using modern techniques. If the latest rumours about Abramovich are borne out, he would be joining a long line of celebrities that have cashed into the Italian myth and taken up winemaking in recent years. Simply Red's flame-haired leader singer, Mick Hucknall, has a vineyard on the slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily where he successfully produces a red Nero d'Avola wine which he has named Il Cantante, The Singer. Another music celebrity, Jim Kerr of Scottish rock band Simple Minds, also bought a Sicilian vineyard recently. French actors Gerard Depardieu and Carole Bouquete have a vineyard on the island of Pantelleria where they make their own version of its famous dessert wine 'passito'. Depardieu, who comes from a winemaking family, is said to have become a connoisseur of the wine during his frequent holidays on the island between Sicily and Libya. Most recently, an Italian red signature wine produced at the request of the legendary US singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has proved a hit. Created by the Le Terrazze winery in the Marche, it was named after his 1974 album Planet Waves.

Soccer | Wine | |

Monday September 12th I was awoken by the sounds of an intense cat fight. I wiped off the sleep, threw my pants on and rushed out the door and broke up a fight between our fat cat Khaki and the neighborhood bully Tabby. There was black and white hair all over the place, so Khaki basically kicked his ass. I was proud of my fat boy. He chased the other cat out of our yard and greeted me all proud and puffed up. But, a couple of days later he was smelling fuchi like and oozing puss. Sure enough, he had been bitten on the neck. He spent the night at the Vet and returned a Sutured Hero. He promptly returned to his favorite watering hole and shady spot.

General | |

La Politika | |

Incase you missed it, on Saturday September 3rd the U.S. National Soccer Team qualified for its fifth straight World Cup. The Americans secured a slot for Germany 2006 by embarrassing arch rival Mexico 2-0 in Columbus, Ohio. Although it was a sweet victory over the "shit talking" Mexicans, it could have been a complete blow out if it not for two unfortunate misses by Landon Donavan and DeMarcus Beasley. In typical fashion, the Mexican Players, Coach, and Media blamed the loss on a lackluster performance by the Mexican Players, not once admitting they were completely outplayed by the gringos. Mexico's Argentine coach Ricardo LaVolpe went as so far as to say "Here, everyone's interested in baseball and American football and many people didn't even know that a soccer match was being played today," said LaVolpe. "So it's easy for them, because they aren't playing under any pressure. My mother, my grandmother or my great grandmother could play in a team like that." To borrow a line from Deon Sanders, "Scoreboard baby." UPDATE: Damn it! On 09/07/05 Mexico beat Panama 5-0 to book passage to Germany 2006.

Soccer | |

In all it's distruction and misfortne for many, Katrina was a blessing for us. Having spent the whole Summer in Foley, Alabama, Eva was set to return at the end of August. Needless to say Katrina expidited that process. A day before Katrina made landfall, Eva got word to evacuate. She spent the afternoon driving to Mobile to catch one of the last flights out. After numerous delays and worsening weather, she finally made it out and landed in San Diego Sunday night. Mobile ended up getting Bitch slapped by Katrina in a big way.

General | |

So the kids and I were driving through the lifeless hills of Tecate, Baja California on our way to help pick the bulls for the next Festival de Aficionado Practicos in October. My sweet daughter informed me my beloved Apple issued hat fell out of my truck in a parking lot in Tecate, California USA before we crossed the border. Her suggestion was to check the parking lot upon our return. Once my depression subsided and we crossed back into the US of A, we checked out the parking lot. I'd like to thank the Tecatians (Tecatecos, Tecatences...) for taking care of my hat and leaving it right were it spilled out of my cab.

General | |

While I was typing my latest post on how Americans are buying more wine instead of beer, I was enjoying a homemade White Chocolate Cappuccino while working on the computer, and watching a Bullfight live from Spain on the Internet. Although the image was very pixelated, its live television! This turned out to be a special morning. My current favorite Matador Manuel Jesus "El Cid" was performing in Anteguera with Cesar Rincon and Enrique Ponce. The third bull of the afternoon was "Gimnastico" #23 from the Ganaderia María José Barral. "El Cid" and "Gimnastico" put on the best performance I've seen in a long time. "Gimnastico" was brave with the horses, destroyed a burladero, consistent in his charges, and would not stop charging. "El Cid" was in the zone with "Gimnastico" and despite two avisos, he continued to extract and display the brave animal's extraordinary qualities. Only after the whole crowd in Anteguera was ready to riot, the plaza Judge granted the Indulto to "Gimnastico". It was great and it all unfolded on my desktop. The Internet has added many aspects to many people's lives such as Banking, Current Events, Music etc. For me, the fact I can watch a good bullfight live from Spain, well it doesn't get better than that! Pics

Toros | |

Wine edges beer as Americans' libation of choice.
08/19/05 (Dallas Morning News) -- For the first time, wine has edged out beer as the alcoholic beverage of choice in Gallup's annual Consumption Habits poll, conducted in July. Thirty-nine percent of American drinkers named wine as the alcoholic beverage they drink most often, while 36 percent go for the gusto with a cold brew first.That's a dramatic switch from 1992, when beer was named by 47 percent of those surveyed, and just 27 percent said wine. In the same time frame, there's been no change in the number who say they prefer spirits first (21 percent). Gallup says the reasons are more complicated than people simply switching from beer to wine. For one, minorities and women are driving up the wine numbers, according to the report. And age is a factor. Wine and beer are preferred about equally in the 30-49 age group, while wine surges ahead for those 50 and older. And while beer is still the drink of choice for 18- to 29-year-olds, "it appears that young adults are trading in their beer mugs for martini glasses," helping to maintain spirits' place in the poll.

Wine | |

Grant's brewery faces eviction again
YAKIMA, Wash. 08/16/05 (AP) -- The brewery that makes Bert Grant's Real Ales faces eviction for the second time in less than a year after falling behind on its rent. Yakima Brewing & Malting Co. owes $34,650 in back rent and penalties for the 20,000-square-foot brewery built in 1990 to expand production capacity, according to a complaint filed in Yakima County Superior Court by the property owner, International Wine & Spirits Ltd. The brewery was served a "pay rent or vacate" notice on July 28 and has been ordered to appear in court Aug. 26 or be evicted. Paul Brown, Yakima Brewing's vice president of operations, said his company plans to pay the rent it owes. The delinquent payments stem from "cash flow concerns" related to the company's growth, he said. "We're really trying to catch up," Brown said Monday, remaining optimistic about the company's future. "We're going to be around and continue producing beer." Brown said the company is currently focusing on brewing as much of its popular Mandarin Hefeweizen as possible. The eviction threat is the latest in a string of problems for the brewery. Yakima Brewing's Grant's Brewery Pub was evicted from its longtime North Front Street home last October after amassing more than $85,000 in debt owed to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. The brewery pub moved to a new location. Also last year, the brewery was charged with issuing securities without a license, misrepresenting its financial condition to investors and other violations of state securities laws. The Washington Department of Financial Institutions called the brewery "a threat to the investing public." Brown, co-owner J. Gregory Tranum, and Yakima Brewing face fines of up to $10,000 for each violation. Three state agencies have filed tax warrants against Yakima Brewing this year. Bert Grant founded the company in 1982. Grant, who died in 2001, sold the business in 1995 to Stimson Lane Vineyards & Estates, which later became Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. Brown and Tranum purchased it in 2001.

Wine | |

There will be no harvest, blessing, crush, fermenting, bottling or drinking of darkbrownbucket's Hacienda Valdez 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. It seems we've lost the fight against Powdery Mildew in a big way. I've heard the Coastal Southern California Region was difficult to grow grapes but this is ridiculous. Yes I have contributed to the failure of this years harvest by installing a lawn under the vineyard. It looks awesome, but it ain't good for the grapes. I can't blame it all on the sod though. The Zinfandel had the same issues this year with no sod under them. It started out to be promising, but too many overcast days have contributed to a lost crop. Back to the drawing board it is. Heck, I'm even toying with the idea of wacking all the tops off and grafting all Zins for next year. If so, watch out neighbors because the chemicals will be flying. I will not be defeated two years in a row!

Wine | |

Ever since I returned from my trip to España last year and having attended Bullfights in Haro, Burgos, Segovia and Madrid, I have found it very difficult to get motivated enough to drive 10 miles south to Tijuana and attend any Bullfights. As a matter of fact, the last Bullfight I attended was one I participated in. Last September 18th, 2004, I took part in a Festival in Playas de Tijuana along with many of the San Diego/Tijuana region's Aficionado Practicos. I do not like missing Bullfights in Tijuana, but after España, I realize just how much disrespect for La Fiesta Brava there is in Tijuas. Disrespect might be a little strong though, because it really is ignorance of the Cross Border crowd which attend the Corridas in Tijuana. The lack of knowledge of what is happening in the ring is a major distraction, and really drains the value of the ticket prices and is not worth dealing with the Post 9/11 Border Crossing Drudgery. El Juli opened the 2005 Season on May 1st, but his presence was not enough draw for me. A friend of mine who I ran into at work confirmed my feelings about the Juli fight and informed me it was a total Zoo, and not worth the price of admission. It's really too bad, because there really is a knowledgable base of Aficionados in Tijuana, many of which I consider friends. Of course there are not enough to fill the stands. When you can't bring the crowds, you can't bring the stars. The Empresa which runs Tijuana, Espectáculos Taurinos de México, S.A. de C.V. runs other rings in Mexico, mainly Mexico City. The disrespect starts there. The Empresario Rafael Herrerías is a Mafioso who will sign Spanish Matadors El Juli, Enrique Ponce, Matias Tejela, etc, for Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Aguacalientes but he will not mention them in the same breath with Tijuana. This really sucks. So away I stay. Now staying away keeps me out of the loop as well. This week I became aware of a Festival which is taking place in Tijuana on Saturday August 13th. I started receiving phone calls from friends this week asking if I was gonna be there. Hell I didn't know it was being held. But thats O.K. I really can't afford to buy a bull and new Traje Corto at this point. We just paid for a new Pool and new Patio Furniture. Today, the local rag ran an article on a longtime friend of mine who will be fighting Saturday. I used to train with El Estudiante when I was a teenager and trained all last Summer with him for the Festival we participated in last September. The late news of Saturday's Festival and the article in the Trib, did accomplish one thing. El Gusano is alive and kicking. I will be fighting in Tijuana in October 2005, which of course will be the first Bullfight I attend since... Hell, September 18th, 2004.

Toros | |

On Sunday July 31st, 2005 our most favorite Chinese Food Restaurant closed its doors forever. We've been going to Yeung Lews in Chula Vista, California for 20 plus years. Eva first introduced me to Yeung Lews back in 1987. Our kids have grown to up with an appreciation for Chinese Food because of Yeung Lews. But like an old friend, there comes a time when you have to say goodbye. Now comes the hard part. Wanted: A Chinese Food Restaurant in the Chula Vista area which can be part of our family for the next couple of decades.

General | |

Soccer | |

Have you ever wondered what exactly goes on during a Bullfight? Well, I stumbled across a website by a group of Fiesta de San Fermin enthusiast from Los Gatos, CA. Thier site, World Adventure Pamplona 2005 posted daily Podcasts of the recent concluded Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. On the site I came across a particular Podcast of thier experience of attending a Bullfight. I found it very interesting in its explanation and perscpective of the Bullfight. It addresses concerns of newbies to the Fiesta, and quite accurately goes into the detail of the events which unfold inside the bullring.

Toros | |

I've always wished I could be a great photographer. One day recently, I came across some of my favorite old pictures. Some of these pics date way back to the 70's. The most recent are of the kids while we lived in Tucson in the late 90's. As I looked over these pictures, I recalled the background dialog, sounds, and in some cases cold air. Some are studio shots, but they too have stroies behind them. Like the studio shot of our kids. It was taken on my son's birthday, the same day Michael Owen burst onto the world soccer scene versus Argentina in France '98. I look at the picture of Eva with the 2 Pacificos on our Honeymoon and my heart races knowing moments before the picture was taken our boat almost had capsized. How about my favorite picture of all time. The Coverse and Cami shot. As I took the picture, my Mother was really giving my brothers, sisters and I the business. There's the Bullfight shot in Spain. It was the first time I visited Plaza de Toros Las Ventas in Madrid, the Mecca of Bullfighting. The Black and White shot of Eva was taken with an old Polaroid camera I purchased at a Yard Sale. We had just bought the only film I could find in all of San Diego. Of course we found it at Nelson's, the best Camera Shop in SD. Like I said, all these picture have special meaning. Click here and let me know what you think.

General | |

I swear this will be the last post for now about our new pool. I put together a small (kinda big) pictoral movie about the start to finish of the pool building process. Enjoy.

Pool | |

This is becoming all to familiar. A couple of month's ago I was a victim of an emerging type of crime. We had our vehicle broken into, and the only items stolen were my 10 and 20 Gig iPods. Earlier I posted a story of the Memphis iPod Murder. Now I read a case out of New York which makes me sick:

Teen slain for his iPod
NEW YORK , 07/03/2005 (AP) — Two teenagers were under arrest Sunday on suspicion of killing another teen for his iPod portable music player, police said. An Apple iPod portable music player created a rift among teens ending in murder. The boys were facing charges of murder, robbery and weapons possession in the death of 15-year-old Christopher Rose, police said. Rose and three friends were accosted by a group of young men Saturday evening in Brooklyn, police said. Members of the group demanded Rose's iPod and stabbed him twice in the chest when he resisted. The group fled, taking Rose's iPod and a backpack, police said. Police also have reported a wave of iPod robberies on city subways, saying in April that 50 iPods had been stolen this year, compared to none over the same period last year. Authorities believe that most robbers kept the devices, which can retail for about $100 to $500, for personal use rather than selling them.

General | |

It's that time of year again! The annual Running of the Bulls starts tomorrow in Pamplona, Spain. This year will be the second with no live TV coverage in the U.S., but you can watch live on the net here, and always catch up with all the craziness past and present at the official Pamplona website here. Stay tuned. The Bulls run for eight days, starting every morning at 7 A.M. Spanish time...

Toros | |

Father's Day June 19th, 2005 marked the debut of Lake Valdez! After Brunch at Shakespear's Pub, the family rushed home to enjoy the just completed pool. At 16:01:56, Veronica Alicia Valdez was the first person to jump in. Soon the whole family was enjoying the long awaited and documented (part 1 and part 2) backyard oasis. Since then we've hosted a couple of get togethers and plan to host more. It's been quite a learning experience. We also enjoyed our new lawn. On 6/18, the family installed 530 SQ. FT of new Marathon Sod. To date, the zacate and alberca are doing great.

Pool | |

I've been following an interesting exchange between a Winemakers Discussion Group saboteur and the Wine Geek "Sideways" level responses. Enjoy

Tristan Beeline, Jun 14, 8:48 pm
How to turn wine into a high-explosive ??? I'm a mad scientist and I want to blow up the planet. How can I turn wine into an explosive, that will nuke the whole solar system ?
 
kirkmitchell@gmail.com, Jun 14, 9:19 pm
Good!  I've noticed it seems to have deflated a bit over the years.  I just didn't know anyone with big enough lips and lung capacity to reinflate the poor thing.  Thanks for volunteering!  B-{) How can I turn wine into an explosive, that will nuke the whole solar system ? The only wine that might suffice for that is the fine Pinot Grand Fenwick from the Duchy of Grand Fenwick.  It makes a great rocket fuel, and with some tinkering, you might make it blow up. Unfortunately, the Fenwick production levels probably won't support nuking the solar system.  Sorry. I'll let you get back to adding your hot air to the planet!  B-{)
Kirk

Ray Calvert, Jun 15, 2:58 pm
I don't know the answer but I will forward your query to Homeland Security. I believe they will be very interested in helping you.
Ray  

Mike, Jun 15, 7:21 pm
The 'padded wallpaper' establishment has shown interest in getting to know young Tristan as well...but in order to assist, he may like to look at cabbage wine. With the aid of plastic bag collectors, he'll soon have enough methane to cause a stir.
Mike

Sam Wigand, Jun 15, 4:34 pm
Well, I've heard that tomato wine can be jolly unpleasant. Apparently onion can be a bit iffy while its fermenting.

Dick Adams, Jun 15, 5:02 pm
Wine will not convert into an explosive, but vinegar will. For a small-level demonstration, do this on your kitchen counter so you can dump it into sink. Pour 4 oz of vinegar into a plastic cup. Add 1 tsp of red pepper. Add 1 raw egg (crack it open and do not let any of the shell fall in). Stir vigorously for 15 seconds. Place the egg shell on a paper towel, roll up the paper towel, and break the egg shell into several pieces. Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Add the mashed up egg shell. As the egg shell contacts the liquid it give a short pop.
Dick

WannabeSomeone, Jun 15, 11:25 pm
You distill enough wine into pure alcohol. You drench the whole planet Earth with those alcohol, and you light a match to it. The whole planet Earth will go WHOOOOOM and burst into a humongous fireball and then whooooshing around in space like a run away rubber balloon and knock out all other planets in the solar system.
Wannabe

Rob, Jun 17, 4:34 pm
You can always ferment in a really tightly sealed container. Couple problems with that - you don't know when it'll go, and it's a ltille tough to get enough grape juice to take out the solar system.

Wine | |

I remember in Novermber 2004, we came up with this crazy idea of digging up our backyard and filling the hole with cement, tile and water. It seemed so long ago. On Thursday, June 16th 2005 we reached the final construction phase of our new pool. The Plasterers came and did their thing. It was really quite impressive. First, I was impressed at the time these guys were willing to start their day. It was 5:50 A.M. when the truck rolled up. By 6:30 the guys were scraping the pool and waking the neighbors. Soon after that the pump was going full blast, and in no time the guys had the plaster up and finished. It took them about 3 hours and 50 minutes from start to finish. This effort was tarnished by early morning butt crack from one of the plasterers. It was way too early for that, but a great source of laughs in the evening. We finally we able to fill the pool with water. It took a total of 12 hours and thirty minutes to fill it. I can't wait to get that bill. The kids are hating life because they cannot swim until Monday. The filter needs to do its job and get rid of all the debris in the water and make it the safe pool we are paying for! Check out some photos of the process...

Pool | |

iPod Used In Domestic Homicide
March 5, 2004 Posted: 4:50 PM EST (1450 GMT) MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE (HLN) - A Memphis woman was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after she bludgeoned her boyfriend to death with an iPod. Arleen Mathers, 23, was arrested Thursday morning after she called Memphis Police and said she had killed her boyfriend, according to a Sheriff’s Department report. When deputies arrived at Mathers’ apartment at 528 Poplar Avenue, Mathers led them to the body of her boyfriend, Brad Pulaski, 27. Brad Pulaski had died of blunt trauma to the head after being repeatedly bludgeoned with an iPod, a popular MP3 player produced by Apple. Police said no motive has been confirmed, although evidence suggested the murder was the result of a domestic dispute after Pulaski erased the contents of Mathers’ iPod. According to law officers, Mathers was hysterical when police arrived and told them that she killed her boyfriend only after he accused her of illegally downloading music and erased about 2,000 of her MP3s. Mathers complained that it took 3 months to build her music collection. An autopsy performed Friday afternoon at Methodist Hospital showed that Brad Pulaski had been beat multiple times in the face and chest by a blunt metal object, and died of internal bleeding, said Dr. Felix Klamut, deputy coroner. According to Apple’s website, the iPod is partially made of a hard metal plate that’s been praised for it’s resistance to regular wear and tear, like drops and coffee spills. “It took him a while to die,” Dr. Klamut said. “She must have stabbed him 40 to 80 times with that iPod. His death was not instantaneous, that’s for sure”. Arleen Mathers was arraigned Friday night by a video hookup from the county jail. Municipal Court Judge Simon Lambert set her bond at $600,000 and scheduled a preliminary hearing for March 9.

General | |

I've never been one to argue the existence of Bullfights. When discussing Bullfights with people who are not familiar with the Fiesta, if I detect any animosity or discontent I'll end the conversation. It's my choice, It's my pasion, and I am not in the position nor will I put myself in the position to shove it down anybody's throat. I understand the view of people who campaign against Bullfights. I strongly dissagree, but I do understand. Some PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) members on the other are are taking it where it should not go. Click here and see why some people are losing their shorts over it.

Toros | |

It looks as if the original target completion date for the pool is becoming more of the reality. We were first given a End of June completion date. Well, we were cruising, but ran into delays with the gas passing inspection and the Electrical taking one week longer than expected. The day finally arrived when the cement guys came to prep the yard for the cement decking. I laid out the plan for the guy, and one week later they were pouring the cement decking. Overall, I'm pretty pleased on how this pool thing is turing out. One thing though, I've taken a weeks vacation to take care of my end of the yard design. By weeks end, I should have Sod, Irrigation, Vines, Roses, and Decomposed Granite installed and finished. Of course this is all a plan. What remains on the pool is plaster and a couple of inspections. By then it looks like it will be the end of June. Click here to see pictures of the Cement Decking, Irrigation and Lanscaping in progress.

Pool | |

The day finally came when the guys came out to do the coping and tile work. I'm finally over the fact how they smushed our roses and messed with our vineyard. Were shooting for a End-Of-May date on this pool thing. The rain has been cooperative, so we just might make it. They showed up a couple of days after I purchased our new Digital Rebel, so I captured some interesting photos of one of the final stages of the construction of our new pool. Next electrical, cement decking and plaster. More pics.

Pool | |

Have you ever wondered why wine smells the way it does? A Molecular Biologist down under has been awarded a grant to study the origins of the different aromatics of wine. Lucky. Click here for the audio story.

Wine | |

Woman murdered for drinking partner's wine
Robertson (South Africa) A man who allegedly murdered his girlfriend after she drank the last of his wine will appear in the Robertson Magistrate's Court today, police said. Bernadine Steyn, a police spokesperson, said Sahra Pietersen (43) died at her home after she was she was stabbed in the neck just before 1am on Saturday. The couple lived on a farm in the heart of the country's wine growing region. Steyn said it appeared Pietersen upset her partner (45) by drinking his wine and when he woke at 12.50am he allegedly stabbed her. - Sapa.

Wine | |

For a long time the United States 1-0 victory over England in the 1950 World Cup was considered the most important event in US Soccer History. Since then other events have had equal or more relevance. Paul Caligiuri's long range volley against Trinidad & Tabago in 1989 sent the US to Italia 1990, the first appearence of the US in a World Cup since 1950. It was considered "the goal heard around the world". The defeat of highly favored Colombia in Pasadena in the 1994 World Cup was significant for the US, but tragic for Colombia. Andres Escobar whos own goal gave the US the victory, paid the ultimate price when he returned to Colombia. The US defeat of Portugal and Mexico in 2004 rank up there as well. Personally, anytime the US knocks Mexico out of the World Cup is a great event in itself. The US to this day is still ranked behind Mexico in the world rankings, yet ahead of Portugal. Judge for yourself. "The Game of Their Lives" is a film about the 1950 US team. The film details the rag tag team which was assembled hastly and sent to Brazil. Its the first big time soccer film since "Bend it like Beckham" and Sly's "Victory". Oh yes a side note, the US vs England full squad Rematch/ Friendly May 28th 2005 (ESPN 12PM PST).

Soccer | |

On May 20th, the Ken Theater in San Diego will show the French film Mondovino. This film is making waves around the wine world for uncovering wine conclomerates efforts to squeez out the small time wineries. Filmed over a three year period and across the globe from France to Napa, filmaker Jonathan Nossiter gets under the skin of such wine legends as Robert Mondavi, Robert Parker, Michael Broadbent in his own Michael Mooresque manner. Parlez-vous français?, Check out the trailer.

Wine | |

When the iTunes Music Store went international, I could hardly hold my water I was so excited. Since then, I feel teased. As you might have guessed by now, I'm a huge fan of Flamenco music. The iTunes Music Store USA has an extremley miniscule collection of quality Flamenco music. Of course there is an over abundance of Paco de Lucia available, and your token Ketama, and Tomatito. Thats it! As of now, any iTunes surfer can enter the many international stores. If you go to these stores though, you can look, but you can't buy. This blows. In the Spanish store, I have found so much music it hurts. It's so close, yet I can't have it. ARGHH!! Montse Cortes, Niña Pastori, Dieguito El Cigala (see what I mean), and Vicente Amigo are all in the Spanish iTunes Music Store. I finally broke down and purchased some music from my favorite source of Flamenco, Discoweb. It cost alot more than iTunes, but at least I'll have the music in hand. ¡Chingado!

Flamenco | |

I wanted to back track and review some wines we've tried in the past couple of months. These wines are not exactly wines of the month, but in some cases they are worth the price. DBB's point scale is a 5 point grade system (*****). This is important stuff...

Sequiot Tempranillo 2003. From Valencia, this is fine little Tempranillo from an appelation know for Oranges. Its plum front is supported by typical Tempranillo structure. Good for the price, $4.99 at Trader Joes, it would improve by bounds if it were blended with a hearty Granacha.**
Torres Sangre de Toro, 50 Aniversario 2003. I'm a big fan of Torres wines. For the price $4.99 at The Wine Bank, Sangre de Toro is always a nice way to lower the average price per bottle per case. Unfortunately 2003 does not live up to past vintages. You can taste the tradional Granacha and Mazuelo varietals, but this vintage doesn't finish like past vintages. *
Concha yToro Casillero del Diablo Carménère 2004. Good stuff. The 2003 was very good, and the full flavored follow up is no disapointment. 85% Carménère, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Syrah, this lost Rhône grape has up front heavy berry qualities and finishes nice with balanced tanins. The 2004 will get better in the next two years. $6.99 at Trader Joes. ***
Eberle Full Boar Red, No Vintage. A fun little wine from a fine winery. Our recent trip to Paso Robles yielded us 3 bottles of this stuff. Only available in the tasting room and online for $10/$8 Wine Club. This is a clearing house blend of Cabernet, Sangiovese, Barbera and Chardonnay. The Cab-Barbera combination is spicey almost Zin like. This goes great with a big juicy steak! ***
Orfila 2000 Six Cepages South Coast Cuvee Royale. This small winery in the San Pasqual Valley (AVA) in Northern San Diego County out performs any winery in Temecula to the north. Six Cepages is a "international blend of Rhône varieties: Mouvedre, Grenache, Gamay, Cinsault, Syrah and an added touch of Zinfandel". We visited the winery last year and finally had the Six Cepages about 7 months after. It is well rounded and is supported by the Mouverde and Grenache backbone. At $16, its a little high in price, but if you find yourself headed towards Temecula, take the Wild Animal Park exit and stop by Orfila. It is a perfect measuring stick by which all Temecula wineries should strive for. ***

Wine | |

Consider this, we've had excavators, plumbers, and gunite teams over the past month turn my backyard from a work in progress to a plot with a cement creator and displaced dirt and trenches. Through this, our "garden" has endred some slight damage. The excavators wanted to breakup my cement rosebed edging. I wasn't having it. The plumbers followed up with their trenches to and fro'. They did some slight damage to a couple of roses. Most notably "Robert's Rose", an "Angel Face" we planted as a family in honor of our slain nephew Roberto Escoto Jr.. That was forgiveable considering the proximity to the digging, the damage was minimal. The gunite guys got cement everywhere, but no damage recorded.

Enter the Troglodyte Gas guys. These Mo Fo's made a colossal mess. In the 3 to 4 hours they took to dig their trenches and lay their gas lines they caused more damage than the previous months combined work. Consider the following:
1) They uprooted my Vineyard Trellis System. Not just a weekend project of mine, we are in year three of developing the vineyard. I have grapes clusters forming for a bumper first year harvest and their hairy knuckels almost fucked up the whole thing in a couple of hours.
2) When we came home three rose bushes were completely covered with dirt, including "Roberts Rose". Another rose bush was 90% thrashed. My "Vista" mini rose is the furthest from all the action, yet these Neanderthals managed to destroy it. How'd they do that, and why?
3) I asked if they could run the trench along the fence avoiding the sodded vineyard rows. Nope, the dorks trenched right through my Marathon. The option was there.

I might be getting a little picky, and I do understand the scale of work going on here. I also must say this is no reflection of the builders we went with, Blue Fountain Pools. These are contracted workers who don't give a shit. All we're really asking is simple courtesy. To top it off, as I was writing this post, the Building Inspector came out and did not pass the work these Gas guys did. Go figure...

Pool | |

One thing I've learned is, let my wife handle the details. The pool guys first laid out a date for the completion of the pool for some time in late June. Well, at the pace Eva is going, we'll have our first party by mid May. The pool guys said we'd get the Gunite about 3 week after the plumbing. I let Eva know and two days later the trucks rolled up and started sraying. You gotta love her!! Click here to see the progress, and here to see a short movie of the Gunite action.

Pool | |

Two weeks after the massive hole was created in my backyard, the rebar and plumbing guys were out to do there thing. In phase 2, the rebar was bent into shape and installed in the hole. We could now start to visualize what the pool is gonna look like. It took 2 days for the rebar to be installed. The next day all the trenches for the plumbing, gas, and electrical were dug out. The equipment and PVC was installed too. All this is fine and dandy. What blows is the mess the dudes left behind. Trampled and broken roses everywhere. Have they no shame.

Pool | |

Not that everybody wants to hear about our wine tasting trips abroad, but the following is a review of our trip to Paso Robles and a rating of the wineries we visited. Last time we made a wine excursion, we flew. We decided we'd drive the next time to maximize the bring back potential. It's a 5 1/2 hour drive from San Diego to Paso Robles. On Friday we drove into Paso just in time to visit the Tobin James Winery. It's a winery with a western theme. OK, fun place, but a little less than memorable wines, except for the Port style dessert wine "Liquid Love". An unfairly rich wine which the ladies can't resist. Hence the two bottles we left with. Our first full day started at Justin. Overrated in Wine Spectator, the wine is OK. After Justine, we headed to Tablas Creek Vineyard and Nursery. I bought some Grenache and Mourvèrde vines to add to my backyard vineyard, and a bottle of Côtes de Tablas Blanc. The best white wine of the weekend. We then stopped by Adelaida, Wild Coyote, and Zenaida wineries with no great wines to mention. We finished the day visiting Castoro Cellars and Peachy Canyon Winery. Castoro is a very fine winery specializing in Italian varietals. Peachey Canyon was good, but kinda anti-climatic to Castoro. By the end of the day our pallets were fried. A midday trip into town for lunch helped the metabolization effort.

The second day started at Martin & Weyrich. No one showed up to open at 10AM (time change), so we left. We then drove up to Sylvester Winery, but no one was up there to open as well. It was 10:45 AM, we were thirsty, so we settled for J. Lohr. Just as expected, not good. I was impressed with the 2004 J. Lohr Estates Wildflower Valdiguié. A very interesting French varietal. Floral, magenta colored wine as light as Pinot, almost Grenache-ish. After J. Lohr we drove to Robert Hall Winery. "That's what I'm talking 'bout". Good Zinfandels, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. On to Eberle, the best winery in Paso Robles. Wow. Great Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. We snatched up a 2003 Remo Belli Zinfandel, some Full Red Boar Table Wine they make with Chardonnay and did the cave tour. Before leaving town finished up at Wild Horse Winery. The 100% Grenache stood out. All in all, we had a great time and we recommend the trip to anyone interested.

Best Winery - Eberle. Runners Up... Tablas Creek, Robert Hall and Castoro.
Best Wine - Robert Hall 2003 Sauret Vineyard Zinfandel
Best Food - Robles Tacos. Street tacos on Spring Street. Just as if we were on Calle Revolucion
Don't bother Wineries - Wild Coyote, Zenaida and J Lohr.

Wine | |

This morning I was being good and saving money by making my own Caramel Cappuccino on the Espresso machine I received for Christmas. I was puckering up to have that first taste, always the best part of a perfectly made Cappuccino. I timed it well with all the other morning routine stuff. All of a sudden, I heard this screeching sound. I thought I might have left on the steam on the Espresso machine again, but the screeching sound had a more desperate sound to it. Then I saw him. Cosmo, my black short hair cat came racing into the kitchen through the kitty door with a huge bird in his mouth. It was bigger than any other bird he's ever caught. Cosmo proceeded to show me his prize. I yelled at the kids to close the doors to the bedrooms. For a minute or two it was chaos as I tried to corner the still alive bird when it escaped from Cosmo a couple of times. Feathers were everywhere. Cosmo was meowing. The kids were screeming. Cosmo has settled into this pattern of making a kill about twice a week. Last week it was a small birdie and a good sized mouse. I'm still impressed by the 2 rats he brought into the house show me. A couple of weeks back, I was awaken by a click-click-click sound coming from under the bed. It was a Humming bird. In a sick parental kinda way, I'm sort of proud of Cosmo. At least he takes the time out to show me what he's up to. I know this is not all that rare, but what makes it whimsical is Khaki, my other cat. Khaki (Fat Cat) has never made a kill. He practices with flies and knats, but the closest he has come is his morning routine of practicing pouncing on Q-Tips, and ripping the fluorescent pink feather duster to shreds! Oh yeah, I had to nuke my Caramel Cappuccino. Its just not the same.

General | |

SONOMA (KRON) March 28, 2005 -- About 5,500 gallons of wine splashed onto state Highway 12 near Sonoma on Monday morning when a big-rig truck overturned, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Steven Bard. The big rig blocked traffic in the northbound lane of Highway 12 near the intersection of Highway 121, Bard said. A tow truck was dispatched to remove the big rig. The road was expected to open around 6 p.m. Monday and would already have been open, were it not for environmental damage surrounding the road, Brewer said The California Department of Fish and Game is cleaning the areas around the road, he added. The California Department of Transportation was prevented from opening the afflicted portion of Highway 12 because there is so much clean up equipment in the vicinity, Brewer said. The northbound lane of Highway 12 near the intersection of Highway 121 has been closed since about 11:30 a.m. Monday. The clean up process involves pumping wine out of a nearby creek, said CHP officer Steven Bard. Bay City News contributed to this report. (Copyright 2005, KRON 4. All rights reserved.)

Wine | |

My co-worker and Paisano Siciliano, Anthony was finally able to get me some prints of my fight in September 2004. As I looked over the pics, I once again was taken back by the pictures he took of me when I dedicated my bull to my friend Nicolas Ortuño. Nico was my sister's High School boyfriend. But more than that, he was a brother to me. Some of my most memorble times were with Nico. I'll never forget the time Nico, some freinds and I drove to Guadalajara, Mexico in 1986 to go to the World Cup. They swear I pulled down my pants looking for my ticket I had lost while eating birria outside the staduim in Leon. I'll never forget when Nico was in my wedding party even though he and my sister had decided to move on. I'll never forget the times Nico would bring my brother Vicente, and I Orange Danish Rolls from his job at the grocery store. How about the time, while in Mexico in '86, we sat on the beach outside of Puerto Vallarta sipping cerveza, while the waiter who took our order actually put on some swim fins, jumped in the water and emerged with our order of fresh oysters. Nico taught me the game of soccer. He was a hell of a player. Nico's laugh was unique and in itself hysterical. I write about Nico in this manner because upon my return from Spain last July, I learned Nico died of Cancer. Ironically, Nico was a Doctor and treated Cancer patients in Tijuana. He died on 6/30/04. That was my sons 12th birthday, and I remember calling my him from Salamanca, wishing him a Happy Birthday. All the Taurinos I was with wished him a Happy Birthday as well. It was memorable because we toasted to my son with a round of Cañas de San Miguel. Little did I know a dear friend had died on the very same day. Upon returning from Spain and learning of his passing, I decided to say goodbye to Nico the best way I could. To this I say Thank You Anthony, and Adios Nico, Amigo Mio...

Va por ti, Nico... Cordobesa dedicada

Toros | |

Pool | |

All I can say is we signed the papers back in November to have a swimming pool installed starting end of January. But, as you know this has been one of the most wet winters in Southern California in decades. So after all the floods, sink holes, road closures and fallen Eucalyptus trees, we finally started the freggin pool today, 3 months and 3 hours late. As per my Bro's advice, I'm finna document, photograph, and film all stages possible of this project. Check out the first installment. As I write this post, I'm sore, tired, and crampy. Hell, all I did was supervise.

Pool | |

General | |

A couple of weeks back, I was actually reading the 02/27/05 online version of the conservative rag, The San Diego Union/Tribune (SignOn San Diego). I never do this. Anywho, I ran across an article written by Nina Garin about the movie "Sideways". Garin basically dogs the movie for being too realistic. I couldn't help but respond. My e-mailed letter was published on 03/13/05. Read it below.

From: bsvaldez@cox.net
Subject: Sideways
Date: February 27, 2005 10:05:15 AM PST
To: nina.garin@uniontrib.com

Nina,

Congratulations! The points you make about the movie, the points that you hate, are the exact message of the film. Of course the film is about things that happen in real life. Who doesn't know someone who has gone through a messy divorce. We all know someone who has just a little too much to drink, and makes a total scene. Isn't that what Cinema is about. Watching unfortunate souls manifest depression, desperation, disagreements on the big screen, while for those 2 hours you can forget your own? You have succeeded in highlighting what makes "Sideways" a great film. We are all like Miles and Jack. Welcome to a depressed, desperate world in disagreement!

Bruno Simòn Valdéz

Now check out the online published version and the other dumb shit letters who which supported Garin's views. Needless to say I was pissed Paul Giamatti was not even nominated for an Oscar. He won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his portrayal of a depressed, divorced, out of luck writer. It was the best portrayal of a head trip I had ever seen on screen. You could see the voices in his head. The Wine Speak was absolutely accurate, and pretty damn funny. The humor was subtle. Reading all the negative feedback which supported Garin's opinion, basically made me realize the differences between people who go to the Theater to see a movie, as opposed to the ones who go to see a film. Cris Rock really nailed it on Oscar Night when he was interviewing movie goers at the Magic Johnson Cinemas. That cross section of patrons would never see the humor in Sideways. You know, just as I typed that last sentence, I realized, why would I expect anything more from them, Nina Garin, and all her silly ass supporters.

Wine | |

Some recent headlines from the Wide World of Calcio:

Batigol ya se va. After a long and productive career, Gabriel Batistuta is retiring. Read.
My favorite player of all time and tocayo, Bruno Conti is named the new coach of Roma. Read.
The British are coming, the British are coming. Not to San Diego though :( Read.
Diego Armando Maradona, belly be gone. Read.
Paolo Di Canio fined €10,000 ($US13,400) for Fascist Salute. Read.
U.S. Keepers in opposite FA Cup Semis, could meet in FA Cup Final. Read.

Soccer | |

03/10/05 PINCHE PC USERS

I belong to a Bullfight Mailing List where Bullfight enthusiast all over the world discuss all kinds of stuff relative to Toros. I know personally many participants on the list. Others I don't know, and like other cross sections of society, it's best to keep my distance. For months now I've been reading messages of downright computer illiteracy, arrogance, and archaic dumb ass Old World views. The other day I finally broke down and mixed Work with Bulls. There's this one viejo seco who just doesn't get it. He complains about his dumb ass PC which is always out of commission due to viruses. He's been paying out his ass for repairs for a while now. Remember this is a mail list about Bullfights. I finally posted the following message:

"Gentlemen,
I apologize in advance, but I can't take it anymore. It pains me to read the computer troubles of fellow aficionados. While I have silently battled not mixing " Work" with "Toros"; I'm Bruno Valdez, Aficionado Practico (some of you know me already), and I want to ask you a few questions. Wouldn't it be great to live in a world where there would be a computer which didn't get plagued with viruses, and thus have no need for Anti-Virus software? It would be a dream to have a computer in which you could compose an E-mail with your favorite Toro pictures with one click of the mouse. How about seamlessly incorporating your digital pictures into a small movie that you can post on the internet so you could share with the Taurine world? How about a computer you could buy for $500, and use the monitor and mouse from your old source of frustration!? A computer where you would overcome the fear of simplicity. Ever wished for an Operating System that does not crash? I repeat an Operating System that does not crash. Is there such a machine?...Like I said, I can't take it anymore. Send me an e-mail at the address below or see it for yourself at www.apple.com. I can only say, I have virus free, crash free, and worry free peace of mind. Pardon me Stanley ... and now.... back to La Fiesta Brava!"

The best response I received was: "I fundamentally disagree with you, but since this is a taurine forum I will not follow up. E.G."

Subtle, yet typical. Oh well, enjoy your viruses, crashes and, and Longhorn was it? ¡Ignorantes!

If you enjoy a good Tequila every once in awhile, I think I found some interesting reading for you. Have you ever noticed all Tequila is Mexican. Duh. Mexican Tequila is protected by Mexican Laws. It is illegal to export the "Agave Tequilana" plant used its production, and to use the label "Tequila" unless certified by the Mexican government. These are items incorporated in the Revolutionary Principles which use to protect the Mexican Oil Industry. Priorities right? A guy in Temecula, California has produced a product to take on the Aztec Nation! Please read.

Wine | |

I can see it now. A black and white Mexican cinema classic. Pedro Infante and his sidekick, Piporro sitting in a cantina, washing away their sorrows with a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. ¿Que dices? When one thinks of Mexico, and what Mexicans drink, wine is not considered. Mexico is synonymous with Tequila, Mezcal, Cerveza, Pulque, and even Brandy. When talking wine, many other countries are acknowledged before Mexico. Canada, South Africa, Germany, Greece, and even New Zealand are noted for their wine much more than Mexico. Did you know Mexico is the oldest wine producing country in the Americas? San Diego, California has the good fortune of being smack in the middle of 2 wine producing regions. Everyone knows of Temecula 60 miles to the north. The Guadalupe Valley some 60 miles to the south in Baja California is an up and coming wine producing region. I've tasted both L.A. Cetto's and Monte Xanic's Calixa Cabernet Sauvignon. They share a characteristic which is unique to Baja California wines, and at the same time their main criticism, saltiness. The Los Angeles Times ran an interesting article on the Mexican wine industry. It's a nice introduction into the background and state of Mexican Wine. If you live in San Diego, the best source for these wines is the Wine Bank. I urge you to stop by.

Wine | |

I have a new favorite soccer team! Palermo from the Italian Serie A are the talk of Italian Soccer. After 31 years, Palermo finds itself in the top flight treatening to qualify for a spot in the Champions League next season. I've just seen them defeat Roma 2-0 live from Sicily on GolTV. There's a couple of points I have to make here. My Great Grandfather was born in Palermo, Sicily. So my affiliation with Palermo is naturally solid. The most coolest thing about joining the Forza Parlemo is the cool Pink and Black uniforms Don't be surprised if you see me sporting a new jersey pretty soon. It might have to wait though. With the way the dollar is performaning overseas, I can spend the money on some wine. Maybe some from Sicily.

Soccer | |

"I downloaded Christina Aquilera's new album. Now my iPod has a itchy rash." Triumph The Insult Comic Dog.

General | |

I picked up a copy of the 2005 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. The reason I actually bought a copy was because we had caught the SI Swimsuit Model Search marathon on TV Super Bowl Sunday. Alicia Hall, the eventualy winner was the girl I had picked to win the whole thing. My wife thought she was a bitch, but later admitted she way outclassed the other girls. Well, her pictorial turned out kinda lame. I was a little disapointed with the rest of the issue too. I mean, there is plenty of beach shots, body painting, and lost bikini tops. What happened to the sports? I stopped buying SI because they cover soccer like, like, not. I even remember buying the Swimsuit Editions and there actually being some kind of sports articles included. Am I really getting that old.

General | |

Man killed in wine tank blast
Bonnievale (South Africa) - A farm worker was killed on Tuesday morning when a wine tank exploded on a Western Cape farm, police said. Captain William Reid said the man was sitting on the wine tank on the Mooi-uitsig farm in the Bonnievale area when the accident happened. At the time he was mixing the contents of the tank with an electrical mixer. "Apparently a spark came from the mixer and the gasses inside the tank ignited, causing an explosion. The cement top of the tank was blown off, Reid said. The worker was found dead inside the tank after the blast.

Wine | |

I'm sitting here listening to two grown men argue at each other. I mean these two guys are seconds away from throwing blows. I've seen these guys do this before, but in the end they always end up friends. They always do this. They argue about the silliest shit too. Funny thing is, they're Father and Son. Can you guess who I'm talking about? American Chopper on The Discovery Channel. I'm embarrased to say I'm hooked on this show. Hell I've never even riden on a motorcycle before.

General | |

Its been about seven years now. When I lived in Tucson, I had my paintings posted on a previous website of mine. Follow this link, and take a look at a side of me not a whole lot of people know about.

Toros | |

Isn't it great when friends send you nice holsom e-mail attachments such as this one, and this one.

General | |

On Saturday February 5th, a bull in Mexico City was given the indulto. Trojano has stirred up emotions in the bullfight world. Please follow this link for some special pictures of this great toro. I will buy the video on this one!

Toros | |

Since November 2nd I have pretty much kept my mouth shut. It wasn't humility, shame or a concession. It was me gathering my thoughts, feelings, and views. More than a gathering, it was a refining of my genuine hatred towards George W. Bush and all his lying puppeteers. I had it out with a family member before the Election (and after), and what I took from the Election and those "discussions" was, people will in the end believe what they want to believe. Citizens of Dumbfuckistan don't see his arrogance, his callousness, his dumb ass wit, and his lack of genuine compassion. Machievelli said "the end justifies the means". The problem is, the "means" is producing body bags, and there is no "end" in sight. Jed is on the horizon. Year seven and eight will consist of Senior and W. positioning Jed to continue the message. God help us all.

La Politika | |

As I sit here and listen to my new iPod Shuffle, and watch a game on the new Fox Soccer Channel, I review the kind of day it was. Super Bowl Sunday saw the favorite Patriots beat the Eagles in a mediocre game with mediocre commercials. Janet's boob really had a lasting effect. I used this balmy Super Sunday to hobble around my kitchen with my bum ass knee and brew a batch of beer. This time around its a hoppy English Red Ale which should end up with 3.5% Alcohol. Although way outta date, I named it "Cranky English Red Ale", in honor of the great Silver Screen legend. Not a bad day...

Homebrew | |

In this day and age, sometimes I feel we are judged as parents by our Digital Capture Rate (DCR). Wouldn't you know, something always comes up. This time it was my daughter's first Guitar Recital. My DCR Average took a dip when we discovered the batteries for my video camera were dead. Enter my Canon PowerShot S110. Not bad, but trust me when I say she is the one just to the right of her teacher, Cruz. You Go Girl!!

Familia | |

What we all want is safety and security for our homes, right? In a world of misunderstanding, resentment, violence, and all around negativity, this link comes in handy. Heed the warnings...

General | |

My Bro' sent me this the other day. Check it out, then check this out. I don't know what to think. I think it's kinda funny, but kinda lame at the same time. The same makers of the ad put out this ad last year. That looks like my Fat Cat...

General | |

Gol TV available on DirecTV starting February 22
January 11, 2005. Gol TV will be available to DirecTV and DirecTV Para Todos subscribers on February 22. DirecTV and DirecTV Para Todos subscribers can get Gol TV in English on channel 614 by subscribing to the premium DirecTV Sports Pack for an extra $12 each month...
FOX Soccer Channel to debut on February 7
January 11, 2005 (updated January 26, 2005). FOX Sports World (US) will be renamed FOX Soccer Channel on February 7 at 12:01am Eastern Time (February 6 at 9pm Pacific Time), when FOX Soccer Channel will air a 1-hour launch special program...

Soccer | |

1984 via reverse osmosis! iPods rule the world. Check out the future. Or is it the present.

General | |

I remember the first time I heard the term "Tsunami" was on Gilligan Island. My generation of "Single Mom" households produced the original generation raised by the television. Gilligan taught me a lot. Who can deny the lustfull memories of Ginger, and the innocent appeal of Mary Ann! Gilligan taught me future social issues such as the differences in classes with the Howells, the before his time geek Professor, and the in the closet, overweight, abusing Skipper. Other shows of that era had influences like Room 222, Mod Squad, and Welcome Back Kotter, but Gilliagan and all his goofiness was the mold of my generation. The Asian Tsunami reminded me of that time. The episode was a hard to believe story of a surfer who rode a Tsunami from Hawaii to the Castaway's Island, and back to Hawaii to escape the shananigans of Gilligan and Co. I was reminded of the episode when I read some articles (1, 2, 3) of this actually happening more than a couple of times. With all due respect, I think its bullshit. Lovey would be appalled!

General | |