It feels as though some of you may be more upset that I did not make the "Top Ten" of the Dream Job than I am.

Here are a few honest thoughts running through my head at this moment...

- Maybe it was because I am not a PR person. I'm a social networker and people person (among other things). Most companies still do not understand the difference.

- Maybe it was because I'm older and they wanted a younger face.

- Maybe they didn't want someone who couldn't be there Feb.8-11 because of the prior commitment of the cre:ate Arts Conference. In fact, I told the recruiter that issue was a "deal breaker".

- Maybe my religious aura scared them.

- OR, more likely, they know what they want and I'm simply not it.

I'm okay with that AND I wish the finalists all the luck in the world! They are a multi-talented group of people. And they worked very hard to make the Top 10. A heart felt congratulations to them all!

So, I know that the sting I feel is my competitive nature. If you know me, you know that I am VERY competitive.

What I also know is:

-Absolutely I gave it my best shot. That is my nature. My family helped me produce an excellent video.

-Absolutely there will be something better, in fact, my life would be hard pressed to be more great (not good) than it is. I am a blessed man. One of my friends jokingly says that I have a golden horseshoe stuffed up my rear end.

-Absolutely this will not discourage me in trying for other dreams. I have been a dreamer all my life and have had more dream jobs than any one human has the right to have. Especially now. But, If you don't go for dreams, if you are afraid of losing, you will never attain the best.

-Absolutely if something around the corner is not better, then it will be more important. One of my dear friends was puzzled about my pursuit of this "dream job". He could not conceive that anything I do is more important than what I am doing this part of my life. And that is influencing influencers. That life mission has not changed.

-It has definitely exponentially increased the numbers of my Twitter and Facebook followers

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So, THANKS. Thanks to all of you who are disappointed and obviously love me so passionately, and have been influenced by me, my social networking, this blog, consulting and whatever else I have been able to contribute.

My next big dream is a redemptively controversial book proposal that is as of this writing being shopped to several publishing houses by my extraordinary literary agent, John Eames. 

Oh yeah, and more Kalein events, more One-On-Ones, more cre:ate Conferences, more mentoring, more LifeWork Seminars, more creative and social networking consulting, more "From Wine To Arts" Wine Tastings, more family time, more painting with watercolors, more travel...well, you get the picture.

Wine Spectator Magazine reports the 2007 vintage for California Zinfandel is the fourth in a series of strong harvests for the variety. What distinguishes the best of these new Zinfandels is a greater sense of balance and focus than in vintages past, as winemakers are achieving complexity and richness without overripe fruit, high alcohol levels or harsh tannins. There's no doubt that the 2006 and 2007 growing seasons played a significant role in this rising quality.

Value Zinfandels abound on retail shelves, but you will need to shop carefully because many lack distinctive character. One of the best you'll find is the Buehler Napa Valley 2007 (90, $19), an elegant but complex wine, with juicy plum and spicy cinnamon flavors. Similar style versions include the Quivira Dry Creek Valley 2006 (89, $20), which is briary but well-balanced, and the Murphy-Goode Sonoma County Liar's Dice 2006 (89, $21), a vibrant and supple red that delivers black cherry and toasty vanilla notes. Both are worth searching out.

For a more expensive option, consider the 2006 Zinfandels from Turley by one of my favorite winemakers in Napa. The winery's celebrated Zinfandels of the mid-1990s were rich, ripe and powerful reds, but in certain ways the 2006 wines are better. They are more balanced and refined, while retaining the earlier wines' depth and richness.

A good example is the Turley Napa Valley Hayne Vineyard 2006 (92 points, $75), which is bold and well-structured yet remarkably supple. "We use a lot less new oak," winemaker Ehren Jordan says. "And we've gotten heavily involved in farming. We own or lease more of our vineyards—about 80 percent of our grapes—and it has made a big difference."