Wine Tasting Experiment

Had a little wine tasting experiment in our loft after a small party. Gave everybody blind tastings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. We were drinking mid priced wines and trying to identify, describe, and nose the differences between these three. Being that we just got back from a trip to Napa, we thought we'd share a little knowledge. For you novice wine drinkers out there, you should be able to tell the difference between all three of these wines based on smell, taste, and mouth feel alone. Try it sometime!

LA Live Insider Peek

As a South Park resident, I was invited to a presentation by AEG on the ongoing LA Live project. I have a special interest in this area as my loft is only two blocks away. Anyways, it was very reassuring to learn what kinds of businesses will be my neighbors. Some of the most exciting facts include: a high end grocery store which will likely be a Whole Foods or Gelson's, a Lucky Strike bowling alley, Deluxe Regal Cinemas, and numerous high end and mid range restaurants and nightclubs. At first I was skeptical that this whole deal would end up looking something like CityWalk...which is an Uber cheesy faux town at Universal Studios. I am now feeling pretty good that LA Live will be a unique experience as it develops its own flavor and feel.

LA is the 3rd bloggiest city in the US...or so they say.

There is a fairly thorough listing of all the different blogs that downtown LA has at blogdowntown. In fact, this blog is mentioned on the August 14th post of blogdowntown. According to Celia, of the blog 5th and Spring, LA even has blogs that are sent from DOGS! What the hey? Celia also mentions that Downtown LA is the 3rd bloggiest city in the USA via this link.

DJ Braller

Went to Mr. Smith's Lounge in SF last night to check out DJ Brent Quon Hall's set. All I can say is that the set was tight, and the crowd was lovin' it. If anybody needs a DJ that can throw down an eclectic mix that your feet can't help groovin' to, DJ Brent is your man...if you can get him. Check out the setlist he played last night on his blog (Aug. 11 entry) or check it out just to find out more about the SF music/art/culture scene.

Brent Hall's Blog

Ms. Pac Man at the Elbo Room

Checked out a really tasty Peruvian restaurant in the Mission of SF called Limon. The ceviche was extraordinary. But what really stood out tonight was playing Ms. Pac Man and Centipede at these small arcade tables in the Elbo Room Bar. Brent broke the record and got to a level I never knew existed...the ghosts no longer turned blue after eating the power pellet - they continued to chase you! According to his score tonight, he would have beaten the 16th highest score ever recorded at an official Ms. Pac Man tournament (109,200 Jim Lennon, Staford, NJ, May 19, 1992). See link below for official Ms. Pac Man record scores.

Ms. Pac Man

Save the Sea Otters!

Went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and saw the sea otters. Learned an interesting fact: Cat poop kills sea otters! If your cat feces enters the sewer system, there is a bacteria called Toxoplasmosis in the poop which then gets flushed out to sea and is absorbed by sea urchins, crabs, oysters, mussels, etc., which the sea otter then eats. This kills sea otters once they are infected. Humans can also get infected by shoveling the tasty slimy critters down your throat without cooking them first...but I'll risk it to eat these tasty invertebrates! BTW...that's why pregnant women can't eat raw seafood or sushi. "a Toxoplasma infection of an unborn child may cause birth defects, blindness and brain damage."

By the way, another interesting fact is that the entire coast of California used to run rampant with the cuddly creatures, but they were hunted by fur traders to near extinction in the earlier part of the 19th century. They are now an endangered species and number close to 3000! They are currently confined to the central California coast; whereas they used to live along the entire California and Baja California coastline. So where are all the sea otter coats now?

Find Out How to Save the California Sea Otter