Join us tonight! Rieslings from the Finger Lakes 2012 Vintage Part 1
Taking a break from my Burning Man writing and research to do a little wine blogging–up tonight, newly released Rieslings from the Finger Lakes AVA in New York!
Sometimes when it rains it pours–wine that is!
Following Friday’s phenomenal Franciacortatasting of six sparkling Italian wines, today it’s time to switch gears and open up five newly released Riesling from the Finger Lakes in NY, followed by Tuesday’s Touraine tasting of five different examples of Sauvignon Blanc form the Loire Valley.
Tonight’s tasting will be streamed live on USTREAM (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/finger-lakes-wine-virtual-tasting-series) where wine makers and winery reps will share their expertise and answer our previously submitted questions as well as respond to questions and comments on twitter using the hashtag #FLXWineVT.
View original post 251 more words
Burning Man: Huge Mainstream Media Hit
It’s not like the mainstream media is just discovering Burning Man or anything. In 1995 and 1996, I wrote about the event for the Ojai and Ventura Voice, and then in 
1997, I wrote about it for the Ventura County Star, a traditional daily paper in a conservative California county.
But this year it seems like EVERYONE is reporting on Burning Man–in print, online, you tube and television. Pictured is Rosel sewing on the sTeVe show in the mobile studio with a live studio audience on (in?) the live television set TMSL: Deluxe Model 2013 during Burning Man 2013. (Lots more exciting news on this! Steve Knauff, Rosel and I, with help from many more, are teaming up to bring this giant TV mutant vehicle to LA Decom Oct 4 and next year’s Burn!)
There is so much mainstream media coverage this year that even Jack Rabbit Speaks included a listing of some of the articles in the recent newsletter (see below).
Instead of reporting on Burning Man Read more…
Burning Man 2013: Why the Nose
LEO at Burning Man clown nose by Tex Allen
Here’s this year’s “Why the Nose” video by Mark Day– “the unicorn” edition.
I love how his videos capture the spirit and energy of the citizens of Black Rock City as you can see from his video above and “Why the Nose” from Burning Man 2012.
Mark says that he “used to make comedy videos. Now he mostly films and edits stuff from Burning Man, the Edwardian Ball and other events.”
But it seems that it may be Tex Allen I should credit for the proliferation of clown noses… or at least for this photo of a LEO wearing one!
More videos, photos and stories from Burning Man 2013 about the Pedal Bump cars, the giant TV, the Temple Burn, the Man Burn, a scenic flight over Black Rock City, discussions of the 10 Principles, Black Rock Wine Cellar, lamplighting, Black Rock Scouts, and more.
Don’t miss out–subscribe!
Why don’t you write me–at Burning Man? with apologies to Simon and Garfunkel
Why don’t you write me,
I’m out on the playa
I’m hungry to hear you.
Send me a card,
I am waiting so hard
To be near you.
(La, la, la)
There is something especially poignant about getting mail at this year’s Cargo Cult Burning Man. Maybe it’s the sense of being lost in space or trapped on a desert island, a stranger in a strange land, John Frum there in the Pacific far away from him (as in “I’m John from Denver or Los Angeles or…)
Besides, everyone loves getting something in the mail that’s not a bill!
If you’d like to send or receive mail at Burning Man, you’ll see it is as easy to send mail to someone in Black Rock City as it is to send mail to anyone else anywhere else in the world
as long as you have their address. Read more…
As someone who does a lot of camping year round and who generally avoids campgrounds when possible, I was thrilled to discover this portable firepit called a Firefly.
Back in the day, you could build a fire anywhere and no one cared. I mean, there’s nothing like sitting around a campfire with friends and family, roasting marshmallows and telling stories.
To build a fire, when you went camping, you just circled up some rocks, threw in the wood that you found laying around, lit a match or 10, and let it roar.
At Burning Man, folks just burned stuff, all kinds of stuff, where ever they wanted. Read more…
Wanna play? All you have to do is set your alarm for 3:15am, ride that half-awake/half-asleep place of consciousness called a hyponogogic or hypnopompic state, write down what comes to you, and, if you can wait that long, in September see what you wrote, transcribe it, and post it on the 3:15 Experiment website when the 2013 page is ready!
This year, we are encouraging people who are attending Burning Man to join us–writing now or while you are out there. Participating in The 3:15 Experiment is even listed in the Burning Man Who What Where When Guide that’s online now (and you can print it to read it and highlight while you travel!) and that Burners get in a printed version at the gate.
You don’t have to write at exactly 3:15am– Read more…
Don’t Forget: 7 Last Minute Packing Tips for Burning Man
The gates at Burning Man open on Sunday August 25.
Which means that 60,000 Burners are madly packing for the Playa.
So if nothing else, what should you be doing to prepare for Burning Man?
That’s Burning Man Information Radio–the Voice of the Man! Read more…
The Return of Wine Blogging Wednesday: #80 is Dry Roses
Coming up this Weds Aug 14 is Wine Blogging Wednesday #80! So check out this post for all the details and get your Dry Rose on this Wednesday!
Guess what the theme is for #wbw80 ? No it’s not naked ladies –although they are in bloom too! #summer#rosepic.twitter.com/HEmPwwSbLz
— Gwendolyn Alley, MA (@ArtPredator) July 22, 2013
Once again Lenn Thompson of LENNDEVOURS (now New York Cork Report) and Tim Elliott (of Winecast) have resurrected Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW). Hatched in 2004 by Lenn, each month a different blogger “hosts” a virtual tasting by developing and publicizing a theme. Participants write on that theme and post the results on their blogs on the designated Wine Blogging Wednesday and let the host know. Then the host posts a summary soon after linking to the participating blogs.
Wine Blogging Wednesday seemed to run smoothly enough for about five years then it ran out of gas. (See my December 2010 posts about whatever happened to Wine Blogging Wednesday.) WBW was tuned up, but again seemed to be…
View original post 380 more words
UPDATE: FAABRIKA is having another sale on TUESDAY AUG 13! Call for details! Faabrika
310-597-3727 or Sweettart 310-925-2621.
Some people consider this year’s Burning Man theme of Cargo Cult too complicated (as expressed by none other than Hitler in this parody).
But many will be rising to the occasion.
Will you?
There are five main directions to go, in my opinion, in terms of thematic clothing. None of them include a Utilikilt! And they don’t depend on knowing how to solder el wire.
1. Retro-Futuristic 50s Space
2. Aliens
3. Tiki
4. Faux furry people from the Planet Rave.
5. Animal Planet.
6. Steampunk.
7. Military.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some creative clothing ideas (better not call them COSTUMES) but this post is dedicated to Retro-Futurist Read more…
Burning Man 2013: Cargo Cult’s Bike Cult
Going to Burning Man this year? Have you got your bike in gear? Have you been riding it around –day and night? Got lights?
You may still have time to make yourself this Cargo Cult bike and bike trailer!
Honestly, I think you’d do better on the playa with rubber tires but hey, this bike’s got a lot of potential!
This year will be our first year in a long time that we won’t have our Burley trailer. At nine, our son doesn’t quite fit in it like he used to.
If we had more room, we’d bring it anyway. Read more…
art predator 