by nothingness on Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 | Inspiration, News, Products Review | No Comments

Palin Syrah, a small organic wine from Chile, has found itself embroiled in the turmoil surrounding the Republican campaign in the US presidential race.

The wine, linked, for obvious reasons, with Republican vice-president candidate Sarah Palin, has drawn media attention in the US. News organizations in the country are tracking sales of the brand and connecting the label’s fortunes to the popularity of Palin’s right-wing politics.

Chris Tavelli, a partner in San Francisco’s Yield Wine Bar started serving Palin Syrah before Republican presidential candidate John McCain asked Palin to be his running-mate.

Following Palin’s nomination, sales of the wine plummeted in liberal San Francisco. But Tavelli is reluctant to take it off his wine list.

‘It’s good, organic and affordable,’ he said.

The bar’s proprietors have invited customers to write in their own impressions of the wine. Recent popular descriptors include ‘moosemeat’, ‘gunpowder’ and ‘hockey mom’ – all words associated with Sarah Palin.

According to Fox News, however, sales of the wine in the more right-wing town of Houston, Texas have been strong. The news organisation added that the wine was popular in the Democrat heartland of New York City, although for different reasons.

‘The reason is that some people are going to buy it and cross out her name and maybe write Obama,’ said Scott Pactor, who sells the wine in his shop Appellation Wine & Spirits.

Palin (pronounced Pay-LEEN), only in its second release, is named after the ball used to play an indigenous Chilean sport similar to grass hockey. Palin Syrah, Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon are made by Alvaro Espinoza, a leading Chilean proponent of biodynamic and organic winegrowing. He’s best known for his highly-regarded Maipo Valley red blend, Antiyal.

by Tim Teichgraeber, and Oliver Styles from decanter.com

This reminds me on a recent comment made by an associate of mine.  He said:”Do research on artificial inteligence.  There is no point of doing research on human.  I have given up on humanity.”  The catch is: he is a Mathematical Psychologist (translation: an expert of human behaviors who has given up on human) =).

Tags: election, humanity, palin, wine

by nothingness on Thursday, September 11th, 2008 | Dating, Humour, Relationship | 9 Comments

because you live in the wrong coast!  See for yourself.

Tags: Dating, gender, map, sex, single

by nothingness on Sunday, August 31st, 2008 | Humour, Life | 2 Comments

Pic snapped at the Google cafeteria by jimibendrix.

The ultimate junk food: Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheeseburger.  Pair with Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill for the ultimate thrill of flavor: “Regarded by most as the king of all flavors of Boone’s Farm, Strawberry Hill has a rich, vibrant strawberry flavor with a just a hint of hill. Oh, and it has a bite. It’s alcohol content is slightly higher than most Boone’s Farm flavors” (99 points by fans).

Tags: alcohol, joke, junk food, nasty

by nothingness on Friday, August 22nd, 2008 | Entertainment, News | 2 Comments

I like Punk Rock so I have got this suspicion that Heath Ledger acted as Joker based on Johnny Rotten (now known as Mr. John Lydon), the lead vocalist of Sex Pistols. I turned out to be correct:

HEATH LEDGER based his portrayal of psychotic villain The Joker in the new Batman movie The Dark Knight on the lead singer of punk rock band the Sex Pistols.

Writer-director Chris Nolan said Sex Pistols vocalist John Lydon, also known as Johnny Rotten, had been Ledger’s inspiration in developing The Joker for the film, which opens in Australia on July 17.

Nolan told Sci Fi Wire online news service: “We very much took the view in looking at the character of The Joker that what’s strong about him is this idea of anarchy.”

Nolan said he spoke often to Ledger about the negative energy of the punk rocker. “We wanted to show the pure anarchy of someone who wants to do harm purely for its own sake.”

Actor Christian Bale, who plays Batman, denied rumours that Ledger was negatively influenced by the character he played.

MANUEL MITTERNACHT

Source: The Sun-Herald

You can see one of Rotten’s action here to see the uncanny resemblance to Ledger’s Joker character.

by nothingness on Saturday, August 16th, 2008 | Friendship | 1 Comment

photo by AP

Eleven-year-old Nada Lutfiyyah , 12 (was 8), is an Aceh tsunami survivor who lost her both parents in the disaster.  Maggie Hamilton, 13 (was 9), of Charlevoix, Michigan wrote a sympathetic letter expressing her concerns to the victims of the disaster.  Not knowing where to address the letter, Maggie sent the letter to the White House.  The letter was then passed to Nada’s school via the Indonesian government.  Nada then received the letter along with a bracelet made by Maggie that was included in the letter.  Nada replied the letter and also included a hair band that she made.  They have since become penpals.

President Yudhoyono read those letters in an event in the White House on May 25, 2005.  Maggie then was invited by the Indonesian government to visit Indonesia.  Both girls first happily met on Aug 15, 2008 in Jakarta.  Nada will take Maggie to visit Aceh on August 20 to show Maggie her school.  They are also scheduled to meet President Yudhoyono to give both of the bracelet and the hair band to him.

Tags: aceh, Friendship, tsunami

by nothingness on Thursday, August 14th, 2008 | Knowledge, Life | 10 Comments

(photo by AFP/Getty images)

That is “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” Some of you might remember this slogan from your elementary education in Indonesia. Yet, this is more than just an empty jargon.

Ever wonder why South Korea is rapidly progressing? Once a South Korean told me: “If the Japanese work 12 hours a day, we have to work 16 hours a day to surpass them.” This is a country whose people have enormous wills. Look at these grandmas. They are in their 60s and 70s yet they pick up Taekwondo and join the Grandma Taekwondo Federation (watch their actions here!) as a way to keep their body and mind sound so that they can still be productive at later ages.

This reminds me of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Not exactly in the practical sense of the rights to keep and bear arms, but in the spirit, that is, it is hard to oppress and conquer a nation whose people have strong will and mean to fight. One arrow is easy to break, but plenty of arrows tied together are not.

A great nation consists of great and strong minds from healthy bodies.

Tags: body, grandma, health, mind, nation, taekwondo

by nothingness on Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 | News, Sports | No Comments

(image via AP)

Watch it here!

Japan’s female Judoka, Ayumi Tanimoto, won by a throw against France’s Lucie Decosse.  This throw results in an immediate win by a score of ippon.   Decosse, who is taller, attempted a technique called uchi mata, which is the inner thigh sweep to throw the opponent forward.  Keep in mind that this technique, which is one of the most flamboyant and specialized techniques in the arts, suits a taller person better.  While it failed, she attempted ouchi gari, which is a leg reap and hook technique to throw the opponent backward.  Ouchi gari is a common and logical follow-up technique for uchi-mata.  Usually in ouchi gari, when the reap fails, the proponent will try to hook the opponent’s leg to make her lose the balance.  In this case, all attempts by Decosse, the current world champion, failed.  It is amazing how Tanimoto managed to escaped the leg hook.  Then, Tanimoto, the 2004 Olympics gold medalist for this weight class, reacted with an AMAZING reflex and countered also with a BEAUTIFUL uchi mata.  Skill or luck?  Simply beautiful!  On a lighter note, the look in Decosse’s face is simply priceless.

Tags: judo, martial arts, olympics, sport