Time to drink your gin-and-tonic-ah

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally Posted by PresentTense Pirate Penske

I saw no fights, but I did get laid by some revelrous frauleins; although having said that, I will note that I am historically a lover not a fighter, so the result was virtually pre-ordained.

Prost!

[Jack Manfred]

Is there a website that provides easy information on what wines should be drunk now and which ones need to be cellared? The last time I was in my favorite wine store, the proprietor mentioned that the 2001 cabernets I had needed to rest for 5 years before I could open them. I could have drank them shortly after buying them, but now they needed to lay fallow. I was hoping a website could provide similar advice on a wider scale. Assume all wines are domestic and red.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally Posted by Jack Manfred

Is there a website that provides easy information on what wines should be drunk now and which ones need to be cellared? The last time I was in my favorite wine store, the proprietor mentioned that the 2001 cabernets I had needed to rest for 5 years before I could open them. I could have drank them shortly after buying them, but now they needed to lay fallow. I was hoping a website could provide similar advice on a wider scale. Assume all wines are domestic and red.

Wine Spectator. Looks like this will be updated soon:

http://www.winespectator.com/content...intcardWEB.pdf

[greatwhitenorthchick]

Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)

Wine Spectator. Looks like this will be updated soon:

http://www.winespectator.com/content...intcardWEB.pdf

And please remember that a subscription to Wine Spectator makes a really nice Festivus gift for the wino in your life. (my friend is the managing editor there and the magazine, as with all magazines these days, is on thin ice)

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally Posted by greatwhitenorthchick

And please remember that a subscription to Wine Spectator makes a really nice Festivus gift for the wino in your life. (my friend is the managing editor there and the magazine, as with all magazines these days, is on thin ice)

Are they offering free previews of the online version any time soon?

[greatwhitenorthchick]

Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)

Are they offering free previews of the online version any time soon?

Probably not, as far as I know. The only free content I think you are likely to get is the front page.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally Posted by Jack Manfred

Is there a website that provides easy information on what wines should be drunk now and which ones need to be cellared? The last time I was in my favorite wine store, the proprietor mentioned that the 2001 cabernets I had needed to rest for 5 years before I could open them. I could have drank them shortly after buying them, but now they needed to lay fallow. I was hoping a website could provide similar advice on a wider scale. Assume all wines are domestic and red.

Can't you just ask Penske?

[ThurgreedMarshall]

So, no comments on Dexter yet? I thought, once again, they did a great job in building to a climax they stretched out over two episodes. I'd like to have seen more interaction with Dexter and Trinity at the end, but I was satisfied with the ending. Thoughts? Hank? Barely?

TM

[barely_legal]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

So, no comments on Dexter yet? I thought, once again, they did a great job in building to a climax they stretched out over two episodes. I'd like to have seen more interaction with Dexter and Trinity at the end, but I was satisfied with the ending. Thoughts? Hank? Barely?

TM

I don't have HBO so I only catch up on the series on DVD. That being said, the ending was spoiled for me by an article on Salon. Not having seen the entire season, I don't have an opinion, but I'm not really thrilled with what I know.

Coincidentally, I'm about 3/4 of the way through the latest Dexter novel. It's completely different from the series at this point except for the fact that Dexter is married to Rita. The fourth book, thank goodness, is much better so far than the third book, which was almost bad enough to make me give up on the future novels.

[dtb]

Originally Posted by greatwhitenorthchick

And please remember that a subscription to Wine Spectator makes a really nice Festivus gift for the wino in your life. (my friend is the managing editor there and the magazine, as with all magazines these days, is on thin ice)

Speaking of Festivus (and really, who isn't?), what was the acronym from way back for this time of year? I want to say GWFGGH, but I don't think that was it. Did it have an R?

I know part of it was "Generic Winter Festival" and another part was "Gift-Giving" but I'm hazy on the specifics.

[Cletus Miller]

Originally Posted by dtb

Speaking of Festivus (and really, who isn't?), what was the acronym from way back for this time of year? I want to say GWFGGH, but I don't think that was it. Did it have an R?

I know part of it was "Generic Winter Festival" and another part was "Gift-Giving" but I'm hazy on the specifics.

Is it not "gwfgwf”: “generic winter festive gathering with food”?

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

So, no comments on Dexter yet? I thought, once again, they did a great job in building to a climax they stretched out over two episodes. I'd like to have seen more interaction with Dexter and Trinity at the end, but I was satisfied with the ending. Thoughts? Hank? Barely?

TM

SPOILER ALERT

eta more spoiler space




















Great buildup. Good ending.

I'm sort of glad Rita is out of the picture now -- the Dexter-Rita relationship imported some writing flaws that the show never worked out. For example, Rita thinks Dexter is in rehab for a heroin addiction. But he bails out after, what, a few weeks? And she never asks if he's going back? Never presses him about finding another meeting?

And she never seems to wonder much about why he's always out all night. Yeah, he says it's work -- but Rita regularly talks to Deb, and occasionally Matsuka -- does the subject of "Dexter seems to work a lot of late nights" never come up? On a related point, I'm starting to wonder when SOMEONE (other than Quinn) is going to question Dexter's work schedule.

Still and all, I like the show (which I only started watching a few months ago, and have since caught up on -- so my head is a little marinated in Dexter now) and I expect to keep watching.

[dtb]

Originally Posted by Cletus Miller

Is it not "gwfgwf”: “generic winter festive gathering with food”?

That could be it -- though I could have sworn it had "gift giving" in there somewhere.

Hank, I hate to say it, but Cletus is schooling you on "most helpful".

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by barely_legal

I don't have HBO so I only catch up on the series on DVD. That being said, the ending was spoiled for me by an article on Salon. Not having seen the entire season, I don't have an opinion, but I'm not really thrilled with what I know.

Coincidentally, I'm about 3/4 of the way through the latest Dexter novel. It's completely different from the series at this point except for the fact that Dexter is married to Rita. The fourth book, thank goodness, is much better so far than the third book, which was almost bad enough to make me give up on the future novels.

The problem with Dexter is that the first two seasons set the bar so high that anything short of that standard feels disappointing. But I have no real complaints (other than my consistent ones about the crappy female characters) about this season. I enjoyed it.

And I stopped reading the books because you told me the third one was so bad. Now I have to catch up.

TM

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

SPOILER ALERT

eta more spoiler space




















Great buildup. Good ending.

I'm sort of glad Rita is out of the picture now -- the Dexter-Rita relationship imported some writing flaws that the show never worked out. For example, Rita thinks Dexter is in rehab for a heroin addiction. But he bails out after, what, a few weeks? And she never asks if he's going back? Never presses him about finding another meeting?

And she never seems to wonder much about why he's always out all night. Yeah, he says it's work -- but Rita regularly talks to Deb, and occasionally Matsuka -- does the subject of "Dexter seems to work a lot of late nights" never come up? On a related point, I'm starting to wonder when SOMEONE (other than Quinn) is going to question Dexter's work schedule.

Still and all, I like the show (which I only started watching a few months ago, and have since caught up on -- so my head is a little marinated in Dexter now) and I expect to keep watching.

There are a few flaws with the writing, but nothing I'm too focused on. Dokes was the guy wondering what the hell was going on with Dexter in the beginning. Now it's Quinn (and maybe his sister soon). I imagine Quinn ain't long for this world. But I can see Dexter getting away with the shaky hours. He's good at his job, gets it done and is completely under everyone's radar. Plus, the awful departmental romance has LaGuerta and the Sarge focused on other things.

I think the writers do a great job of throwing in twists. I usally anticipate them, but I never saw the reporter as Trinity's daughter, or the ending coming. And despite the fact that I know Dexter can't and won't get caught for his murderous ways, I still get nervous when he gets (uncharacteristically) careless or when someone gets too close to catching him. I think that speaks volumes for the writers.

Did you watch the interview after the finale? I'm looking forward to the darker Dexter next season. And I'm wondering what the hell they're going to do with those kids.

TM