DRINKING CHIANTI WINE A TOTALLY FULL FILLING FIASCO

One of the great minor ambitions in my life has been to discover the finest drinking wine on Gods Planet Earth. I have not taken this commitment lightly. This ambition has consumed me,
rather than me it, for the best part of the last four decades!

I have travelled hither and yawn across vast distances, and have stayed close to home and off the road entirely during experimental imbibing.

I have drunk way more than my share of white wine from time to time, mostly to be sociable around the ladies.

Red wine however, made its mark on me very early on, as well as some of my furnishings. I have found that white wine, used as a solvent, can remove red wine from white carpet if you hit it real quick!
It's best to keep a bottle or two of white around for the inevitable eventualities, and of course to impress the ladies with your consideration, sensitivity, and possession of useful household skills.

Recently, some scientists have been made honorary members of that esteemed organization known as SWINE,

(Seniors Wildly Indifferent about Nearly Everything) for their particular faithfulness to my most favorite of minor ambitions.

First; for their persistent belief that red wine is good for you and their tenacity in finding something that proves it.

Second; for the discovery of resveratrol. It's some kind of little bug in a bottle of good Chianti. Empirically red wine is good for you. Yes sir, scientifically good for you!

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"The elixir's formula echoes recent scientific studies that credit resveratrol, a compound which is found in the skins of red grapes, with helping to prevent heart disease and other age-related illnesses." "Red wine does help prevent cardiovascular disease and may prevent other diseases of aging. It's still not clear if there is enough resveratrol to have the same kind of anti-aging effects in humans as we see in mice, but it is thought that a combination of resveratrol and other plant 'polyphenols,' as well as a bit of alcohol, are beneficial to health," David Sinclair, a pathology professor at Harvard Medical School, told Discovery News. Sinclair pointed out the eldest-ever man, Antonio Todd, was an Italian, who died at age 116.

Oh, thank God for this great man and the gift he has bestowed on us. Rejoice! All has been made right on Earth as it is in Heaven.

If you don't believe me just click on those embedded blue words. While we give thanks, don't forget Bill Gates or Al Gore or who ever it was that invented the Internet, and other research scientists that allow us to learn so much GOOD, so easy, with just the help of a little mouse.

Now, I may not have known the names of the chemicals, but I knew that red wine, and Chianti in particular, had therapeutic properties," I always feel psychologically better just thinking about it! I for sure feel better physically in the morning after a good bottle of Chianti and a long restful sleep.

"S"-WINE

Sangiovese

Sangiovese is the kind of grapes grown in the region near Sienna, Italy.

I spent 280 euros trying different varieties of this fine red wine till I found the formulation perfect for my particular palate. I went immediately to a city nearby to order a couple of cases shipped to my home so I was sure to have an ample supply for continuing my work. The shop keeper mocked me and tried to reason with me this way. "Why senior' would you spend so much money on Chianti?" "It's like the national drink around here!" It would be like you shipping Coca Cola from Atlanta Georgia to Portland Oregon.

"It's a secret formula, like Coca Cola's recipe" said Dr. De Munari. The good Doctor is another recent devotee to the ever increasing population of red wine drinkers joining SWINE; Seniors Wildly Indifferent to Nearly Everything while drinking S -Wine

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If you would like information as to how to join SWINE

Keep the address listed above and log on after each Sunday We'll keep you posted.

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An uncredited statement made on behalf of our former sponsor

HOT DOG TRAVELLER A self described expert in food vessels and transport, now partnered with the federal government of the United States of America.

"Chianti is a famous red wine of Italy, which takes its name from a traditional region of Tuscany where it is produced.[1] It used to be easily identified by its squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called fiasco ("flask"; pl. fiaschi); however, the fiasco is only used by a few makers of the wine now; most Chianti is bottled in traditionally shaped wine bottles. Low-end Chianti is fairly inexpensive, with a basic Chianti costing less than US$10 a bottle. More sophisticated Chiantis, however, are made and sold at substantially higher prices. Today, Chianti is generally consumed at room (technically "cellar") temperature, like most other red wines.

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Pop open a can of GENERAL CHOW you'll find Chianti pairs well with our very fine food product!

WORKING STIFFS CAN REALLY SPOIL A POLITICAL PARTY

Last Sunday morning some members of the S-WINE group were slashing down some cheap Chianti while watching political pulpit pundits reintroduce us to the idea that Government and publicly owned Corporations were going to "partner in the future" to form, I guess, a more perfect union.

Partner up?

Yes, partnerships between government people and--------other-----------------------people!

Nancy Pelosi delivered this message to me earlier in the morning through her Tele-Vision broadcast on the Charlie Rose show. She gets her Tele-Vision from "HIS GREAT HOLINESS" the DALI LAMA I think. She mentioned him several times. I like him too but he does not seem to be sending me the same messages.
There were all sorts of other telecasts that kindly reminded the entire S-WINE group throughout the balance of Sunday morning and late into the afternoon of the new partnership. They drank on and on, willingly watching one show after another that this was, most assuredly, about to happen!

It's the best way to get us out of all the trouble that has mysteriously befallen us.

I THINK WE HAVE ALREADY HAD QUITE ENOUGH!

PARTNERING THAT IS, THANKS, BUT NO THANKS!

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I think I may have been in the fourth or fifth grade when I first snuck a peak at the two of them coupling in the back of the bus. I remember the embarrassment I felt right then and there for not speaking up and "shoeing" them away. I had hoped by the time I grew up this dirty little political partying would have stopped altogether. The collusion between the two was so in your face.

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"S"-WINE CLUB

"Oh yeah, that promise of even more political partying sure has improved my adult attitude."

"Done me right proud alright, sure, yes sir!"

"I am so anxious to take my place among men standing all around the world waiting in line for another stand up screwing."

Pour another Chianti.

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So here's the deal; we could really spoil this party if nobody came!

Have you ever been to a successful party where nobody came?

So; we have the Republican Party in charge of all the corporate interests, and the Democratic Party in charge of delivering all the labor for that interest through and by the federal government.

How about, let's not play political party!

Let's not even come to the party!

The national economy is about 12 trillion dollars a year right?.

Corporations do about a third of that right?

Government runs on about 40% right.

Where is the Chianti?

We working stiffs run the rest of it right?

We private enterprise people run all the rest of it!

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Yes you do!

You with the little cabinet shop, and you with the building business, and you the lumber yard owner, and you with the auto body shop, and you with the 50 employees making Hawaiian shirts, and you with the 300 guys growing flowers for a more lovely world, and you and you and you;

and you there, with that bottle of Chianti. Bring that right over here

because you run America.

NOT CORPORATE OR GOVERNMENT SERVICE AMERICA?

Nope you.

Don't be so anxious to support bigger and bigger government with bigger and bigger corporations. It is hard to get a real job now. Why make it worse.

Make America mean and lean. Be generous with your earnings and keep plowing back the capital into your own little system.

Be careful what you you wish for. Offering your successful company up to be sold to the public, held and run by corporate board members and heads of government know it all's may not be as much fun of a party as you think.

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IF YOU NEED SOMETHING DONE RIGHT

DO IT YOURSELF

IF YOU CAN'T DO IT BY YOURSELF GET SOMEONE TO HELP YOU

NOT THE GOVERNMENT NOT BIG CORPORATIONS

"MAKE YOUR OWN LIFE UP IF YOU WANT TO--- ANY OLE LIFE THAT YOU THINK WILL DO". Sweetwater

DO IT YOURSELF

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE TWO KIDS IN THE BACK OF THE CORPORATE/PUBLIC SCHOOL BUS FEELING EACH OTHER UP ARE GOING TO STOP AND HELP YOU?

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Our sponsors anxiously await your attention to their point of view! I DEFER

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We at HOT DOG TRAVELER have had some trouble marketing our product successfully. It seems no one knows for sure what our product is, or what it does, or why anyone would need one.

THEREFORE we are very anxious for the Government to "partner with our corporation" so we are able to slip one of these must have products into every one's purchase plan to stimulate America's economic libido.

GENERAL CHOW warns that private / public partnering has not worked at all in his country or at the very least it hasn't been a lot of fun trying to make it so.

That is kind of "why I came to America" to produce this fine food product.

NOW, if America wants to explore this collective private public partnering in earnest here, General Chow will certainly return to his homeland who now owns about a third of American debt contracts anyway.

General Chow reminds us his homeland has just lately taken up the policy of "free enterprise zones" where he is confident he could produce enough of his very fine food product to supply food lines emerging all across America.

RELIGOUS ZEALOTS PREY ON FAMOUS PRAYER

I'm kind of like Jesus when it comes to demonstrative praying!

I don't like praying to the public any more than Jesus did.

If you want to read up on public praying try The new testament King James version of Mathew.

6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask

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You can't go anywhere anymore without seeing a public display of misplaced reverence. I have heard about "religious groups" that dance around with copperhead and rattlesnakes in their hands and hair. Some throw ashes at each other and make a public spectacle of themselves in all manner of things. I heard of an outfit that took to rolling around on the ground above the graves of ancient loved ones. They do most all this stuff in the daytime of course, while others are sure to be there to watch.

I guess for reasons of their own they seek their reward from the attention.

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In the church that I have gone to all my life I see these people now with their palms turned upward and their arms raised to scoop up an extra dab of Gods love.

Some guy is singing a pretty hymn written in early America by a reformed Shaker, while the Preacher is monotonously repeating a phrase written originally by a Roman Catholic who was trying to advertise his newly formed religion and the congregation whirl like dervish's speaking in tongues.

Just a little while back I saw a bunch of folks doing some public praying at the dinner table down there in Las Vegas at Harry's Hamburger Heaven!

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There have been a lot of Bibles written before the King James, and someday there will more Bibles written in good faith after the King James version than before it.

Everybody who writes a new version are pretty sure that they can better tell you about God than the last guy.

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The King James version is a real nice version written in the 17th century (1604 or so) in the style that Shakespeare made so popular.

Mathew probably wasn't written by Mathew the disciple, because it seems clear to those who study these things that it was written about 85 years after Christ hiked the country around Syria and Galilee.

They figure someone in the early church was asked to remember just what the story was all about and tried to write it down word for word. He was so taken by Mathew that he put his name on the assignment instead of his own when he turned it in.

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I have an interpretation about the LORDS PRAYER myself inspired by my reading of Mathew. There is a Luke version too, but I don't have an opinion about Luke that I'm proud enough of to write about. So here it goes.

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Jesus and his band of followers went back packing all over the country and when night time came they camped out in state and local parks.

They would warm themselves by the fire and stare into it's flames to revel in it's spirit, like anyone who knows camping has done. Before Jesus ate a bite of barbecued chicken or steak or something cooked over the open fire he would go out beyond the light of the fire all by himself.

One or another of the guys would prod him to tell them what he was doing out there in the dark. They could hear him talking or singing to himself or something. This went on a number of days. They asked him in every which way they could think of; what in hell he was doing out there by himself?
They so taunted him that finally , Jesus told them he was "praying."

Praying? Teach us to pray, they demanded.

Jesus said hey, I can't teach you to pray; you are prayer. You are Gods great work. It is like asking me to teach you to think or to breath.
I can't teach you to be what you are!
They said; come on, we can hear you carrying on out there. You're doing something besides thinking and breathing. What are you saying in this singing and all this praying.
OKAY, OKAY, Jesus said, sometimes-- when I pray-- I say this at the same time.


Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever.
Amen

Lords Prayer, from Aramaic into Old English Translationby G.J.R. Ouseley

Our Father-Mother Who art above and within:
Hallowed be Thy Name in twofold Trinity.
In Wisdom, Love and Equity Thy Kingdom come to all.
Thy will be done, As in Heaven so in Earth.
Give us day by day to partake of Thy holy Bread, and the fruit of the living Vine.
As Thou dost forgive us our trespasses, so may we forgive others who trespass against us.
Shew upon us Thy goodness, that to others we may shew the same.
In the hour of temptation, deliver us from evil.
Amun.

I say that first one in the shower most mornings.

Even though I know prayer to be it's own reward I have some darned fool reason for wanting you to know.

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Today's Sunday go to meeting could be accomplished with greater good if you carried along a HOT DOG TRAVELER for that quick get up and go after a boring and lengthy sermon

Our Other sponsor asks us to remember to thank God that we have GENERAL CHOW for that weekend spiritual camp outing!

GUARANTEED ENLIGHTMENT FOR A BUCK

Once I had an great idea for a business that couldn't miss.

ENLIGHTENMENT GUARANTEED FOR A BUCK.

I would set up a small canvas tent in some popular tourist town where a lot of people can be found walking around aimlessly with that wide open dull eyed stare that folks get when they have been on vacation a couple of days too long.

I would set up a makeshift throne inside by the back exit of the tent and then drape curtains here and there to direct the movements of the folks on their pilgrimage. I would then man the throne with some great sage of a guy with a grey beard and the wisdom of the ages in his eyes.

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I would do the carnival type barking at the door.

"GET YOUR ENLIGHTENMENT RIGHT HERE, STEP RIGHT UP, ENLIGHTENMENT, GUARANTEED FOR JUST A BUCK"

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Visualize now, if you will, a long line of folks with a single dollar bill held in their hand. Standing there in a long line they anxiously await their meeting with the elderly white haired scholar. They would receive, as the Norwegian barker at the door claimed, the great gift of "ENLIGHTENMENT" -------------GUARANTEED; FOR GODS SAKE IT'S GUARANTEED! --------- YEP, for only a buck!

A pall of silence occupies the semi-sacred space just inside the door. The compelling reverence is overwhelming. The Holy Man sits there seated in a lofty position on the sacred make shift plywood and velvet throne at the termination of the line. He holds a little red cedar shingle in his hand. The recently recruited devotee places his buck in a little hand tooled box, then kneels at the feet of the master.

The Omnipotent master then begins to very gently tap the applicant on the top of the head with the shingle. The process continues, the tapping turns to slapping, then to pounding, then to downright physical abuse. The pounding continues on the supplicants head with a little stick, growing progressively harder increasing the religious experience and the degree of instruction.

Till finally they "GET IT"

ENLIGHTENMENT THAT IS!

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How many people would go to the trouble to retrieve their tribute while receiving a strong whacking on top of the head from an old man with a shingle for a magic wand? Fearful of the mocking they would surely receive from the big long haired Norwegian barker at the door, they would get up from the Masters feet and run out the exit as fast as possible, embarrassed and a little hurt .

A little sign would be affixed to the exit door stating that they have just received this great insight simply by getting a "little common sense knocked into their heads."

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Our sponsor General Chow wants me to personally appeal to your inherent common sense.

Use your head during this trying economic time.

Buy a bunch of General Chow and haul it along with HOT DOG TRAVELLER at this years SPRING BREAK!

PEARLS FROM----S.W.I.N.E.

One genius thing my father taught me was, when you are trying to learn how something might work, "Ridiculously imagine it exaggerated to it's naturally extended end result" that way you can pretty quickly figure if what you're thinking is worth trying out at all.

Another genius thing I learned came from Italy's Leonardo da Vinci. When asked how he sculpted such a beautiful horse from a single piece of marble he replied, " I just kept chipping away at everything that didn't look like a horse."
One more thing, for the record;
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Written in 1887 by an Englishman "Baron" John Emerich Edward Dahlberg Acton whose parents named him, not having ever heard of my father's theory on the exaggeration of something to a ridiculous end!

I bring these things up because it has come to my attention that there has been rampant criticism, just lately, that the SWINE blog never offers a "positive solution" to issues!

Now, that right there demonstrates a clear misunderstanding of the whole notion of the above stated genius, and the mission purpose of SWINE in the first place. "Seniors wildly indignant about nearly everything."

That an issue needs a "positive solution" may be THE ISSUE!
Critical comments by SWINE need not be made at all if the simple genius of the generations past were better understood! If one does not understand that, then pause to reflect for a moment on the phrase "pearls before swine"

HERE IS WHAT SWINE IS ALL ABOUT AND HOW THINGS OUGHT TO BE.
Too much stuff is big and getting bigger! Stuff is getting too big to manage, too big to be understood, too big to be trusted. Too big to be any good for anyone at all.

Stuff needs to be smaller!
Power more diverse.
Liberty needs to be held in many hands.
For example:
There is a place outside Portland, Oregon called "HAPPY VALLEY." A decade ago you could go to Happy Valley and picnic on a hallock of freshly picked strawberries and watch horses, cows, and sheep frolic in the meadows, while birds chirped and winged their way through this magic little land.

Happy Valley now has about a bazillion people inhabiting it. It has a neighborhood association, chaired by one or two "do gooders" who are dedicated to the "happy-ness" of the occupants of the valley. They are assigned by the developers, and politicians, who work for the bankers that built all the houses, that were sold to people in China as collateral for loans so we could go on living the good life and the American dream. Nothing there now has the least little bit to do with happy!

SWINE chips away at everything getting bigger.

Let's do some ridiculous imaginative thinking and see what happens.

Before I was married I used to burn steaks outside on the grill as much as I could. I microwaved oysters when I had them, and boiled crabs in a pot down at the dock pretty regular. I deep fried shrimp in tempura batter for a whole house full of company as often as I could afford it. I used just about any excuse or occasion to justify this practice and made a hell of a mess in the process. I was at LIBERTY to do so.

I am now married to a wonderful woman who does not like spending a lot of time and money making a hell of a mess of everything, everywhere, all the time, and doesn't like seafood or red meat at all!
I don't indulge in those extravagances anymore as I am not so much at liberty to do so. However, I defer to this limit on my personal liberty for a much greater good. Together we have a wonderful and more prosperous life than I could ever have had alone.

So exaggerate for a moment many things that come together for the bigger picture and greater good with Liberty increasingly marginalized as a result.

Say you take a Man and a Woman into consideration. Add a little girl, then a little boy into the mix. As time goes by along comes a dog, and then two more puppies, and a stray cat starts calling your house home. Then the banker says you can get a bigger home for all the family if you just sign here. Then you get a "BIGGER BETTER" full time job. Oh, and then, if you sign some additional papers, which you have to do anyway, you can have a car, so you can also drive to the part time job you need to buy the car in the first place. You need to drive yourself to that first job because, you need to take care of all the world that needs you in its life way beyond that big party time that served steak and seafood regularly.

KEEP GOING, USE YOU IMAGINATION!

Then along comes a company hiring folks who know how to get contracts to work for the Federal Government. They claim they can handle really of a lot of essential services that you need because you haven't got time to do them yourself because, well because.
Because, there is the little Village and the City and the County and the State and commonly held ownership of the Corporation that you need to help pay dividends and taxes to help support the Federal House of Representatives and the Senate and the President that hire a huge staff that all work as a team benefiting you and your wonderful life. Now, half of all the people in the United States of America are acting on your behalf; each one taking away a bit of your original Liberty.

A compromise for the greater good EXAGGERATED TO THE RIDICULOUS!

There is a point where this gets really ridiculous, and the power of those wielding control over your Liberty becomes bigger, more powerful and more corrupt than you could have ever imagined it would.

It is in this effort that these inevitable realities become "at issue" and that SWINE must just keep chipping away.

Somewhere the beauty, will emerge in between the simple things and the compliicated, recognized, without zealous reverance to a big unchiseled reality.



WHEW! THE END


This weeks blog has been brought to you by:

HOT DOG TRAVELLER
Who reminds you no animals are harmed in the manufacture of this very fine product.

and by

GENERAL CHOW
Who simply ask you to open a can of this fine processed food product and give a piece a chance!