Archive for July, 2009
More Liquor reviews!
Posted by Zeno in Wine & Liquor on July 23, 2009
Wine – Liberty Creek – Merlot (Unknown Year)
This was some Dirt cheap wine I found basically in the “bargain bin” corner of the shop the other day, and anyone that has been reading my reviews know I usually go for the cheaper side of the spirits 
This wine unfortunately isn’t as good as the Crane Lake which is actually cheaper on average for the same amount, but since this wine came in 1.5L sizes and I had a couple of people to drink on it, I figured to give it a shot. However, even for a cheap wine this one hits lower marks. Strong bite, almost like a fortified wine, and almost no lingering finish whatsoever, which isn’t great considering even though it isn’t listed on the bottle, this wines alcohol content is very low, which even after 750ml I could probably have finished the liter and a half and barely blown an illegal limit for driving! I couldn’t list the year of make either since that is also missing from the bottle, the only thing missing from this cheap wine is a box or a screw on lid! 2/10 ($7.99 avg – 1.5L)
Liqueur – Chambord
This was purchased for a friend of mine, who doesn’t drink much and “liked the look of the bottle”. I only purchased the mini-bar sized serving as this liquor is very expensive and she drinks Very little, (although she found she loved the “Exotic Fruit” White Zinfandel wine I purchased, but since I haven’t tried it, I haven’t reviewed it, maybe at another time.
This is a relatively expensive liqueur out of France, and the best way both of us could find to describe it was like Jägermeister mixed with a fruity red wine, almost cough syrupy, but sweeter. I personally don’t fancy this drink at all, couldn’t think of anything I would want to mix it with, and for it’s price it would be a waste to mix it with anything anyways. If you like Jägermeister and red wines, especially the almost cough syrup and thick run of Jägermeister, you will probably enjoy this, however neither me or my friend enjoyed it much, and far as I am aware, not even half of the mini-bar sized bottle was finished. 2-9/10 (matter of taste) – $4.69 avg – 50ml.
Gin – New Amsterdam
I don’t drink gin much, but had just enough vermouth to make a martini or two and just picked up a mini-bar sized bottle of gin, of which this was the last one of this brand, and was only .50 cents. Even for it’s price though, considering the gins I have tried, this was quite good, very sharp juniper taste, and a nice aroma, which any gin lover should enjoy immediately. Considering that I am far from a professional taster, and usually steer clear of gin anyways, this gin to me tasted almost as good as the Bombay Sapphire which is supposed to be one of the best gin brands on the market. If you are only making martini’s for yourself sitting around the house, I highly recommend giving this brand a try. 7.5/10 – $50 cents – 50ml.
Another wine, another review
Posted by Zeno in Wine & Liquor on July 22, 2009
After spending twenty minutes browsing the red wine room at my favorite spirits store, the owner recommended a new brand I hadn’t yet tried. I’ve been trying to pick up at least one new wine per week to give it a try, especially for those like me, who aren’t wine connoisseurs, and know little to nothing about it
Wine – Trapiche (Oak Cask) – Cabernet Sauvignon (Year 2006)
Like all the wines I try to review, and with my limited budget, this is another wine under the $20 price mark. This wine came with a tag on the neck showing it to be a “Best Buy” from The Wine Advocate. I would agree with Robert on that mark, for it’s price range this is an excellent Cabernet. This wine comes out of Argentina with the rear label mentioning the grapes being grown the Andes, and with at least twelve 
months of aging in oak barrels before being bottled for sale. As all Cabernet Sauvignon wines are, you can expect a dry, crisp flavor from this one, which goes excellent with red meats and other spicy dishes. The finish of this wine is quite long and pleasant, making it a great pick as well for sipping on while you enjoy leisure activity around the house. Highly recommended as a first pick for those trying out a Cabernet for the first time, or for those looking for a good house wine to keep around the house. 9/10 ($12.99 avg – 750ml)
Scotch – Johnny Walker “Red Label”
I can’t review this much myself as it is the first time I’ve every tried a scotch whiskey. The owner apparently doesn’t like scotch himself as he said that like beer you needed to develop a taste for it, as it wasn’t a very pleasant spirit in his opionion. I wanted to start with the Black Label scotch next to this one, but it’s about three times the price of the red label, and since I was only getting enough to have a taste I didn’t want to throw down the money.
I personally think scotch is a fine liquor, in my view it has a better flavor and drinkability to it than that of a regular bourbon, but that of course is all a matter of opionion. Since I have never had scotch before, I can’t say one way or the other how good this would be compared to others, but anyone I’ve spoken with said the Red Label was of very high quality, with only the Black Label (from the same maker), being better. As most scotch is, it’s realitivly expensive, but I do recommend those that enjoy bourbon to give scotch a try if you haven’t already. (No score as no experience to judge on) – $3.49avg – 50ml
New favorite Dvd encoding application!
I am always looking for new and easy to use Dvd encoding applications as my workload in that regard is usually quite high, with children on the loose destroying purchased Dvd’s in a few days time, I am not going to spend 24.99 + tax on a Dvd to buy another one in 48 hours because the kids scratched it to pieces.
The software that I ran across is called ConvertXtoDVD. This software is incredibly easy to use, and offers quite a lot of features. This is not freeware, but the company (VSO-Software) does recommend to try their trial version before purchasing, as I would also recommend as you never know how it will stack up against what you have. I have in the past had the unfortunate habit of “acquiring” software, especially if I plan on only testing it out, or using it for a one time project. However after picking this software out of some torrents (and picking off the usual trojan viruses that accompany such things), I decided to purchase the software legit after only a couple of days.
I have ran into a few offerings from VSO in the past, but never found much use for their products. When recently looking for something I could teach a new friend of mine how to use in encoding Dvd’s and such for use by the kids, I gave this one a try. As far as software goes, you cannot get easier than this one, literally “drag-n-drop” the file you would like to burn to Dvd onto the file area and your off.
This software will out of the box encode .avi’s converted from previous Dvd’s and will encode Blu-Ray rips some of you might “cough” be picking up off the net including the newer .mkv file format. By default it inserts chapter stops every 5 minutes, but this like every option you could think of is adjustable. There are several pre-set menu screens to choose from, or if you want to spend the time, you can construct your own. I have personally just kept to naming the title, and using the default included menu system, which is quite usable, including a scene selection area with animated scenes.
If you are creating more professional Dvd’s from personal movies or avi collections, you will not miss features here, being able to pick lead-in / lead-out animation points for all scenes and custom times on all scenes. The menu also is almost completely customizable with only features missing for those used to constructing Dvd’s in more professional level setup’s. Setting up a custom animated menu with a lead-in / lead-out animation is very fast and easy to manage, as well as custom audio to use during the menu and scene selection screens. Audio, subtitle and such are also easily selectable for defaults etc, root menu default or auto-playback, and other small features that other software that advertises feature-sets such as this one usually tend to forget or leave out altogether are also included by default. Besides being able to select lead-in / lead-out for menu and scene selection animations from the film you are encoding, you can select previously set up animations from premier pro or other such encoding software for a more professional feel.
This software will also burn straight from the program, offering true “drag-and-walk” functionality, (as I have always called it). I personally prefer to handle heavy encoding jobs during the night when I am asleep so that I am not cutting into my CPU time during day working hours, and this software will easily let you drag a file over, pick a few settings, throw in a blank disk, and walk away. However it is very able to do most encoding jobs quite quickly since this new version includes multi-core support. A heavy encoding job working from a 12 GB blu-ray rip to 4.2 GB Dvd-R on Excellent conversion quality takes around 20mins to 1 hour depending on the CPU time available and the cores available for the software to take advantage of.
Hands down, this is my new favorite Dvd authoring software, letting users quickly and easily convert .avi, .mkv,.mp4 and other files downloaded from common torrent searches as well as home movies and other DV files you may have laying around to a professional looking Dvd in a few minutes. So far I have not found a file format I use constantly that this software will not readily encode to Dvd with outstanding quality. If anyone runs across files this software cannot handle, post in the comments by all means.
10/10 – $49.99 from http://www.vso-software.fr/
More alcohol reviews
Posted by Zeno in Wine & Liquor on July 13, 2009
Picked up a new wine today, yet another cheapie being I am always so broke At least those reading this will have an idea what cheap-as-hell wine is worth the money and what would be better avoided.
Wine – Merlot – Copperidge
This is another wine out of California, with the rear label listing Modesto as the city of origin. Even for cheap wines, the label on this brand is incredibly sparse, not even listing a year of origin, perhaps they are so new they don’t have previous years yet. I’m not familiar with it, and like everything I review, I look up nothing on the net regarding them as to have a completely unbiased review. This wine is more tart than most, but still preserves what anyone picking a Merlot would look for. The tones are less earthy than Fetzer or related, but this is still a decent buy. Recommended for casual drinking. 7/10 – $6.99 (750 ml) avg.
Vodka – Burnett’s
This vokda is priced around the “gut-rot” level, but is surpirsingly good for it’s price point. It’s a bit more harsh than the French imported Pinnicle, having a bit more bite to it, and no where near as sweet as Sobieski. There is a touch of the usual unpleasant after-taste associated with cheaper liquors, but for something to mix up cocktails and such for casual drinking, it certainly beats the honest to goodness “gut-rot”. For casual, cocktail related drinking Recommended, for straight shots, spend a bit more money. 6.5/10 – $7.99 avg / 750 ml.
Funny Ass Product!!
Who the fuck comes up with this shit. In all my days I would have never bet that I would see such a product as this… but I thought Anyone reading this would get a fucking laugh.
Bliss’s FatGirlSleep…. WTF@!!!… Who comes up with these products…
Taken from the actual items description:
Product Description
Get a full night’s ‘booty’ sleep with this supercharged sister to our famed FatGirlSlim. Formulated with our encapsulated slenderiZZZe complex that releases dimple diminishers and soothing lavender for up to 6 hours, this ultra-rich cream helps make the most of your body’s overnight restorative process. Good night, sleep ‘tight’ and don’t let the beg ‘blubs’ bite. Recent studies have shown that not enough shuteye can cause weight gain, as sleep deprivation causes an increase in the hormone that makes you want to eat, and a drop in the one that tells you you’re full. And since the National Sleep Foundation found that just 25 of Americans get at least eight hours of sleep on weekdays, chances are you?re one of the bleary-eyed 75% who could be sabotaging your own slenderness by burning the midnight oil.* Since the odds are so seriously stacked against you, you need all the help you can get. FatGirlSleep not only helps you fight the good fight against cellulite overnight, but it?s also infused with a lavender scent, which has been shown to have a relaxing, aromatherapeutic effect. Sweet ?creams?! *Results reported in the January issues of Allure and Self magazines.
Sure… I really need “booty” sleep, and if you are overweight and Really think some bullshit rubbing cream like this expensive ass shit will actually make your cellulite disappear and make you slimmer,, you deserve what you get. I understand that the weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and all but, are there really that many ignorant people to believe something like this will make them lose weight while they sleep??
Just for reference here guys.. EXCERSISE + DIET (not starvation,, actual diet) = Weight Loss. Yes,, you HAVE to work for it,, you will NOT get it in your sleep with a magical pill or body rub bullshit. For some reason this seems lost on like 50% of the American population, for reasons I will never understand why, unless 50% of the nation is retarded… which wouldn’t surprise me at all in fact..
4th festivities and a new wine!
Posted by Zeno in General, Wine & Liquor on July 7, 2009
I hope everyone had an enjoyable 4th of July. I have been so busy afterward, that I haven’t had much time for blogging, but am working on new stories and articles to post up for those reading them I did try a new wine this weekend that I thought I would post up here anyways.
The fireworks this year were good as we’ve come to expect from our small town. Because Knoxville does their large fireworks display on Memorial Day (called Boomsday), they do not have a show for the 4th. Because of this, and the general all day festivities that they have in town, including all day boat races from racing boats around the south-east, custom craft vendors and local artisans, and usually a car and motorcycle show (which was missing this year, though they did have a small motorcycle show with awards). My girlfriend and I were lucky this year in that when picking out our alcohol for the weekend, the proprietor of the spirits store had VIP passes as an event sponsor that she wasn’t going to be using. I’m not sure why she picked us out of the hundreds of customers that came into the store that day (there were at least 10-15 that came in just during our 15 minute visit) but I am very appreciative. While I am not sure, I believe that to get sponsorship you had to donate one thousand to fifteen hundred dollars to the event, and there were very few others in the VIP area. We also received VIP parking that was very close the the festivities (usually you end up walking almost a mile from where you park to the actual events).
Unfortunately, not only was our four year old in tow instantly terrified of the concussion of the fireworks (they were being fired less than 150 yards from our location), but I also wasn’t
White Burst Shell
familiar with working the fireworks / long shutter time of my camera and ended up with nothing but a few very blurred photos of the show. Only one which you see here turned out halfway decent, with the rest looking like some bad acid trip from a grateful dead show
I hope everyone else had a safe and eventful 4th of July as well as a great weekend!
Wine – Night Owl – Merlot (Vintage 2004)
This wine was a gift from my girlfriend for the 4th holidays that she picked up because she liked the bottle This wine is out of Monterey County in San Bernabe California. This is a bold wine, but is also very smooth tasting as well, with the usual blackberry and plum flavors that you would expect from a merlot. Right off I found this to be a very good wine, with a less earthy but smoother tone than what you get from the Fetzer, (which has been my recent favorite merlot), and for it’s price range, which is still under the $20 mark, this wine comes highly recommended. 9/10 – $12.49/avg for standard bottle.
New guitar tab to come soon!
I’ve played guitar for over a decade and then quit for several years after losing my guitar and just not getting a new one. After way too much time, I’ve started picking one up again, and in trying to find accurate tabs around the net for various artists, I’ve found that most are anything from horribly inaccurate, to just being off a few notes. I’ll probably be submitting tab to the popular tab sites as well to fix others mistakes, but have found writing tab with the correct musical notation and speeds to be more difficult that I had expected (I do not know how to read or write actual music).
So, once I get tabs written I will be posting them here, and will start a new category for them. At the moment I only have an acoustic guitar to work off of, so I am avoiding songs that either don’t translate well to acoustic or have extensive solo work played above the 12th fret. I hope someone finds what will be posted useful, and if anyone has any requests for tab they either cannot find in accurate notation, or cannot find at all, I will see what I can do, however my time is very pressed at the moment.
Vika Yermolyeva and her amazing piano work!
I have been a subscriber to this girls channel in YouTube for quite a while, and wanted to share for anyone that happened upon this blog to check it out. She has more songs, improvisations and covers than I could begin to post here. She is professionally trained, playing since the age of 4, out of Ukraine / Russia, and very beautiful as well.
She is unbelievably open with her music, allowing anyone to use it for most anything, or just to download for loading on their iPods. She does ask for recognition for which I should hope Everyone would be very willing to give to this amazing pianist.
Vika playing Truenorth from the album Schoolyard Ghosts
Her homepage is http://www.vkgoeswild.com. Support her by donating for a copy of her CD.
Her YouTube channel location is: http://www.youtube.com/user/vkgoeswild?blend=1&ob=4
Twitter: http://twitter.com/vkgoeswild
She also offers sheet music downloads (that she writes completely on her own), for most of the covers and improvisations that she does, as well as having a few tutorials and other things. Her channel is completely for fun, and she does not take requests for covers etc, but does offer to transcribe (some) music for a fee, see her site for details on that. Her YouTube channel has links to her many outlets around the net, check her out, you will not regret it!