Author: Austin Vegas

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The Joy of Wine Drinking

While in California we went to Napa and Sonoma for some great French Bistro food and wine tasting. One of the unique spots in the valley is Castello di Amorosa, a castle on the other side of the hill from Sterling Vineyards. Although Sterling was having a 50% off sale and all their wine was excellently priced, this bottle of rose (Gioia), a grape I rarely like or drink, was excellent.

Although I help run a pubcrawl group, I’m not the drinker I once was in college – and even then I tended to take more care than most of my friends. In a pursuit to be healthier for 2010, I’ve vowed to drink less, concentrate on more craft beer and wine than hard liquor. This I hope helps two fold: assist my liver’s extended life and reduce my over whelming expense of inebriation in this city.

The Replacements – Red Red Wine
[audio:http://cowsarejustfood.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/replacements-red-red-wine.mp3]

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Walk Away From Your Debt!

This NY Times article hails home owners that are well underwater on their homes, to walk from their mortgage. If the big banks can walk from their debt, why shouldn’t you? Well Henry M. Paulson Jr. declared that “any homeowner who can afford his mortgage payment but chooses to walk away from an underwater property is simply a speculator — and one who is not honoring his obligation.” (Paulson presumably was not so censorious of speculation during his 32-year career at Goldman Sachs.)

Of course this action has serious credit repercussions, but cares to hold onto property that won’t reach it’s paid value for 60+ years. If the banks can liquidate bad debt like tossing out a bubble gum wrapper, why shouldn’t you right! We’re no longer a country of risk anymore. Go ahead and buy that new car, on credit even! You can’t afford it but you really really want it (and have convinced yourself you deserve it too).

Phil Collins – “Take Me Home” (12″ Extended Version)
[audio:http://homepage.mac.com/cavecybernation/media/blog/2009/12/PhilCollins_TakeMeHome_ExtendedVersion.mp3]

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Christmas again today

Ridiculous al a cart airline pricing prevented my from taking home any of the holiday gifts I received from friends and family this past year. So this year I shipped everything to myself and flew back empty handed. Today, however, I get Christmas morning all over again as the UPS man huffed up 4 large packages of my loot. As I sliced open boxes filled packed well with bubble wrapped wine, cookbooks, and of course socks (the below are not my feet), that childish smile returned as I have new reading material for the month and a new grill pan for those left over Omaha Steaks I have in the freezer.

Jack Johnson – Bubble Toes
[audio:https://austinvegas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/06-Bubble-Toes.mp3]

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