Voltron

It really was.

Pork chop with bacon, apple, carrot, etc. Sauce and mashed potatoes. Yum.

For science!! Growing Old Cocktail 2oz Cynar 1oz Rye (Russell's 6yo) 1 pinch Salt 2 Lemon zest (expressed) Herbsaint (rinse) Instructions Combine the Cynar, rye and salt in a mixing glass and stir briefly to dissolve the salt. Express the oil from the lemon peels and drop into the mixing glass. Add ice and stir, then strain into an Herbsaint-rinsed cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel. Even better than the Scotland Yard.

Forgot that I was going to respond to this earlier today. The proper way to distinguish red from white vermouths is Italian and French. The Italian vermouths can be more or less spicy, herbal, sweet, etc., and like champagne, there are more dry and less dry French vermouths. I think of blanc vermouth like a blanc de blanc champagne, which is typically lighter and somewhat less dry than a typical brut/extra brut. Anyway, Dolin blanc is sweeter than Dolin dry, and that will be the same with other French vermouth brands that have more than one style.

Scotland Yard Cocktail 1.5oz Cynar .75oz Scotch whisky .5oz lemon juice Shake and strain. Oddly delicious and very drinkable. Would be better with the Springbank that was recommended but alas it is not handy.

You've nearly gone through 12 Elders already?! You ARE a fantastic parent!

Any way that is really from JB? Kind of like that fake Sprite ad with the bj.

Sorry elnero, that sucks. Ric, I hope today is your lucky day and the 6th set is the charm!

OK, thanks. Good enough for me. And you're probably right.

I probably should have just gotten the BDP-93, and I am actually re-thinking my order. I don't really need the dedicated 2-channel audio output, although I am thinking of using the Luxman P-1 as a means to watch TV with headphones and for others in the family to listen to music on headphones more easily. In my setup I will be using the Arcam AV8 simply as a preamp into the McCormack HT-5 5-channel amp. I may add a Gallo at some point, as I mentioned. The HDMI output will only be for video into the plasma.

If you had lime, you could have used one of your knives. Did you ever think of that?

Craig got a typically spastic but ultimately very favorable review in 6Loons: 6Moons BA Review While I agree that documentation and labeling need to be improved [and realize that not everyone can have Craig over to their house to explain how the single-ended loop out works as a switcher even without power ] but Srajan goes off the deep end over the issue. The fact that he then gives the BA a Blue Moon Award demonstrates his nutiness even more.

Thanks guys. I am intrigued/confused by your 4.1 or 4.2 system ideas, Dusty. Is it for video and audio? Why no center channel? I am excited to hear the Stradas and want to audition the 3.5s soon just for fun. I may well get a Gallo sub but I want to hear them without it first. I had a 5.1 with Dues (and then a Reference Center for center) and Ref 3s without a sub, and then I tried the Gallo Subwoofer amp with the Ref 3s but didn't think it was worth the effort. Anything will be better than what is left: just the Reference Center. Nice setup Mike! Mac Mini is the shiznik for music.

Diego El Cigala --Cigala & Tango

The Cave Singers -- No Witch

Also got some new [used] Gallo Strada speakers to go along with the Oppo: One of these: And a pair of these: All in Dusty-approved black on black.

I sure hope Posty isn't wrong about this beast.

The first two sound good, in theory, but that last part kinda wrecks it, Stretch. A nice trip stateside is just the thing for South African ennui, so the Great American Beer Fest in Colorado in the Fall sounds like the perfect cure! In the meantime, post more here and we'll all be happier.

Dan and DannyB share the same name and birthday, isn't that sweet?! I hope yours is fantastic, Dan, and that birthday month bon temps roll on. Cheers!

Raj is good stuff. Blanc is just more sweet and less dry, so act accordingly.

I like martinis but the Jupiter sounds good except for the oj. Might sub some orange bitters instead and see how that plays. Left my Raj in Tahoe because I had no room in the car. I'll have to wait a couple days until Claire returns because no other gin here either.

Nice Shelly! That's a good one! And a nice pic for someone who doesn't know how to take pictures.

The secret is that I have 3 more bottles of each of the three main 50/50 2010 Eclipse. Shhh!

You're going to crack, I just know it! Finishing up the FiftyFifty Rye-PA growler now that I am back in SF. I have to say that their beers are pretty damn good, and the Eclipse is outstanding.