Beyond the Margin

NFL Football in Los Angeles: Jerry Brown’s Jobs Plan

2011-09-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

Today California Governor Jerry Brown fast-tracked AEG’s (Anschutz Entertainment Group) plan to build a 72,000-seat NFL stadium in downtown Los Angeles by signing into law a bill that limits lawsuits that could delay the project. Brown claimed that it is time “for big ideas and big projects” to help California escape its stubbornly high rate of unemployment. Along with the stadium project, a

2011 Nike U.S. Open of Surfing: Kelly Slater Scores Another Title

2011-08-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Women's Champion Sally Fitzgibbons (left) and Runner Up Lakey Peterson The 2011 Nike US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach once again featured a line up of star studded champions and some of the best rising young stars. The Sunday finals featured a closely contested Women’s final between US Open Pro Junior Champion Lakey Peterson of Santa Barbara, CA against World Tour Title runner-up

Global Standards of Excellence in Wine: Bordeaux and Barolo

2011-07-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

The incredible showing of the 2005 Pichon-Baron and 2000 Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra Barolo at the Napa Rose Restaurant necessitated a more in depth blind tasting of the premier wines of the Bordeaux region France and the Piedmont region of Italy. After extensive planning and preparation, six exquisite bottles were selected to be blind tasted by a select panel of experienced connoisseurs.

Burger Craze New Zealand Style: Fergburger Queenstown

2011-03-21T23:39:00.000-07:00

The pervasive invasion of new burger joints across America has been attributed to a craving for “comfort food” among a populace that has been bruised by one of the most significant recessions in modern history. Established brands such as In-n-Out Burger maintain a loyal following while rising stars such as Five Guys and Shake Shack have grown rapidly by focusing on quality ingredients and a

The Cray Pot Restaurant – Jackson Bay, New Zealand

2011-03-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

A small fishing village on the western coast of the New Zealand South Island, Jackson Bay could easily be overlooked by travelers faced with a seemingly endless array of sights, activities, and natural attractions. The picturesque bay on the Tasman Sea was a booming fishing port when European settlers hunted whales to supply oil and fish for food, but since is notable only as the end of the

2003 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Cubillo Crianza - Rioja

2011-03-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

The fine 2003 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Cubillo Crianza from the Rioja Alta subregion of the Rioja DOC in Spain has a light edge that shows its age with a light ruby brown color and a nose of oak and cherry. With the typical light palate of Rioja wine, the Lopez de Heredia has a nice balance of fruit, oak, and leather with medium tannins and a tinge of acidity. The Lopez de Heredia has a smooth

Bordeaux and Barolo Face Off at the Grand Californian’s Napa Rose Restaurant

2011-02-13T12:53:00.000-08:00

The two giants in wine production, Italy and France, are the top two global producers and feature some of the most heralded and expensive wines of the world. Speculation and excessive exuberance often inflate the values of the best vintages in Bordeaux due to the unique sales system involving “futures” sales of wines that have yet to be released, but the finest Italian wines are also highly

2008 Bordeaux Vintage - Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux Tasting - Santa Monica, CA

2011-01-22T21:59:00.000-08:00

Many of the most respected Bordeaux chateaux proudly offered their soon to be released 2008 vintage to a large and eager crowd in the Barker Hanger of the Santa Monica Airport Saturday January 22, 2011. The 2008 vintage was afflicted by early weather issues that reduced yields to levels not seen since 1991, but nevertheless it finished strong with a warm September and a dry harvest season. An

The Wine of Bordeaux: Bernard Magrez Tivoli 2005 - Médoc AOC

2010-10-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

With a cloud of snooty extravagance and a classification system that favors the most prominent châteaux, often owned by large multinational corporations, Bordeaux has lost favor among many younger wine fanatics who crave the individuality and uniqueness that discovering a bottle from a small family owned grower provides. Additionally, the desire for immediate gratification of younger generations

Revitalizing the U.S. Economy through Unemployment Reform

2010-10-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

With almost 15 million officially unemployed Americans and many million more that have simply given up, we are overdue for creative solutions rather than the same tired old rhetoric. Democrats propose more stimulus programs despite the complete failure of the original $800 million package that has seen unemployment increase by 2% since it was implemented. Republicans continue to espouse

Atlantic City Resurgence Depends on the Borgata

2010-08-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

While the economy continues to struggle under the weight of the worst economic crisis in decades, the gaming industry has lagged any semblance of a recovery that may exist. Heavy room discounting and a decline in casino “win” in virtually all major markets outside of Macau leads one naturally to assume that consumer deleveraging and high unemployment have induced more conservative behavior among

Weingut Reinhold Haart – Piesport / Mosel, Germany

2010-08-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

Reinhold Haart is a smaller producer (~50,000 bottles per year) located in the highly regarded Piesport region of the Mosel. Johannes Haart, the young winemaker that spearheads efforts and Reinhold Haart, has focused production primarily on Kabinett and Spätlese, forgoing the late harvest wines that are subject to the uncertainty of the late fall and early winter weather. An inopportune rain

Weingüter Mönchhof & Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben – Ürzig / Mosel, Germany

2010-08-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Mönchhof has been a fixture in Ürzig for centuries, with their estate dating back to 1177 when it was a monastery. A cellar located under the beautiful building lies under the high water line of the Mosel and reliably floods every winter. When the cellar was still in use, the barrels would be strapped to hooks in the floor in order to prevent the flood water from damaging the barrels or tossing

Dr. Loosen Winery (Mosel Valley) – Bernkastel-Kues, Germany

2010-08-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

During more the 200 years of family ownership, Dr. Loosen has compiled a scattered collection of plots in some of the best vineyards of the Mosel Valley. Dr. Loosen has plots in the Ürziger Würzgarten, Erdener Treppchen, and Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyards, which are among the best of the region. When Ernst Loosen took over the estate in 1988, he sought to capitalize on the mature vines from

German Riesling and the Wines of the Mosel

2010-07-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

With over 1300 breweries, Germany is a country that cherishes its beer. Only the Czechs and the Irish consume more beer per capita. In contrast, the German wine industry has experienced mixed success over the years as consumer preferences change and evolve. While German Rieslings are some of the most celebrated white wines, characterized by fragrant aromas and an elegant fruity palate, the

Independence Day: Freedom from Failed Policies

2010-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

President Obama was swept into the White House on a wave of hope and optimism. Mired in a devastating recession, the people wanted to believe that his prescription for “Change We Can Believe In” would be the recipe for economic recovery. Under his leadership, the government has intervened in all aspects of our economy, created new unfunded entitlements, and offered special interest incentives

Cambria Winery 2006 Clone 23 Pinot Noir - Santa Maria Valley Appellation

2010-06-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

Santa Barbara wine country, a generic term used generally to describe the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valleys, gained fame from the movie Sidewaysand is most well known for Pinot Noir. I am neither a Sidewaysfanatic nor overly enamored with most Pinot, many of which I find bland and lifeless, but nonetheless I have been to this Central California wine region three times in the past nine months.

Complete the Danged Fence!

2010-05-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

Alabama Ag Commissioner? Why stop there. We should send this guy to Washington to flush out all the real thugs and criminals that sell us lies and waste our hard earned money on bailouts of the rich and connected…Enjoy :)Or perhaps we should consult the immigration reform experts from Arizona? John McCain, what do you think about thugs and criminals? BRING IN THE NATIONAL GUARD! :)Just think

The Populist Revolution

2010-03-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive

The Fantasy of U.S. Government Debt Funding

2010-02-07T08:31:00.000-08:00

In the absence of foreign buyers, increases in government fiscal deficits and the concurrent borrowing requirements induce higher domestic household savings to cover government spending. In such an environment, all of the government IOUs become assets of households, which have been conveyed implied benefits, if not immediate gratification, from the additional government spending. It is, however,

The Sovereign Debt Crisis: Money for Nothing

2010-02-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

Click Here to Expand Image (Source: Bloomberg)For the next 5 years, there will be $50-80bn per MONTH of U.S. Treasury maturities that will need to be rolled. That amount is just to refinance the existing marketable debt (e.g. not Social Security / Medicare "Trust Fund" obligations). It is safe to say that there won't be any budget surpluses in the foreseeable future so this monthly funding

Barack Obama: Our Economic Savior

2010-01-24T00:16:00.000-08:00

Morality and Society

2009-12-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

"Morality isn't something we can leave up to the individual. People have all kinds of crazy ideas about what is or isn't moral. It's up to the government to settle on a common moral code for society." "It is the citizen's responsibility to support the government's decision, even if he or she personally disagrees." "So, yes, most definitely, if congress passes a law requiring taxpayers to fund

A New Era of Feudalism in America

2009-11-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

He [King George III] has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.- The Declaration of IndependenceThe growing reach of both the state and federal government, recently under the guise of preserving jobs and stimulating the economy, stands to burden our economy with unfathomable levels of debt and growth inhibiting

The Evolution of Social Interaction in the Digital Age

2009-11-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

iPods. Blackberries. Cell phones. iPhones. Portable gaming systems. These electronic devices have become ubiquitous in today’s digital age, but they have drastically altered the nature of social interaction. Gone are the days when your younger sister would tie up the family phone line gossiping with her friends; today 10 year old kids have cell phones. The friendly banter with an