Today’s New York Times takes a look at the ethanol woes in the United States. For a more technical review of the issue, see “Ethanol: President Obama and the EPA Face A Tough Decision Soon.”

U.S. Unlikely to Use the Ethanol Congress Ordered

By MATTHEW L. WALD

WASHINGTON — Two years ago, Congress ordered the nation’s gasoline refiners to do something that is turning out to be mathematically impossible.

To please the farm lobby and to help wean the nation off oil, Congress mandated that refiners blend a rising volume of ethanol and other biofuels into gasoline. They are supposed to use at least 15 billion gallons of biofuels by 2012, up from less than seven billion gallons in 2007.

But nobody at the time counted on fuel demand falling in the United States, which is what has happened during the recession. And that decline could well continue, as cars become more efficient under other recent government mandates.

At the maximum allowable blend, in which gasoline at the pump contains 10 percent ethanol, updated projections suggest that the country is unlikely to be able to use all the ethanol that Congress has ordered up. So something has to give.

“The market is full,” said Jeff Broin, chief executive of Poet, a company in Sioux Falls, S.D., that produces ethanol.

In theory, the Environmental Protection Agency has the power to solve this problem by tweaking the mandates imposed by Congress, and it may act as early as next week.

Each potential solution would anger one interest group or another, so the agency has been subjected to fierce lobbying, including from members of Congress lining up behind various factions. One possibility is to raise the maximum proportion of ethanol in gasoline to 15 or 20 percent.

But that idea is opposed by some carmakers and pollution experts. They contend that high ethanol blends can cause damage to cars, including making catalytic converters run hotter.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers says it believes this could cause the converters, components that help control pollution, to fail at around 50,000 miles. They are supposed to last for 120,000 to 150,000 miles. “We are sensitive to the issues facing the ethanol industry, but the government must make decisions based on sound science,” said Dave McCurdy, president and chief executive of the alliance, in a letter to the E.P.A.

Another possibility is that the agency could waive the mandates requiring use of a large volume of biofuels. But that would anger farmers, who sell a great deal of corn to ethanol factories, and the members of Congress who represent them. It might also undermine the efforts of companies that are investing millions in factories to make ethanol from waste materials, like corncobs, straw and garbage.

“Ethanol is the only viable, competitive alternative to foreign oil,” said Tom Buis, chief executive of Growth Energy, the ethanol trade group that filed the petition with the E.P.A. to increase the blending percentage. “If we’re going to become less dependent on foreign oil, we’ve got to move forward.”

A third possibility is that the E.P.A. could announce that it is waiting for more data on how cars perform at higher blends, but that would merely put off the hard decision.

When Congress wrote the rules, in 2007, gasoline consumption had been growing for years, and it looked as if the nation would be able to use considerably more ethanol in the future. Gasoline consumption hit a peak of 3.4 billion barrels that year.

But gasoline demand fell in 2008, after soaring gas prices early in the year were followed by the economic crisis. Consumption was slightly less than 3.3 billion barrels last year, and it could end 2009 at about the same level.

With consumers buying more fuel-efficient cars these days, and carmakers rushing to bring even more of those to market, gasoline demand may not recover much in coming years, even as ethanol production soars.

As of yet, not all gasoline is blended with 10 percent ethanol, but that saturation point is rapidly approaching. Under the present rules, the nation could hit the upper limit of its ability to consume ethanol in 2011.

Mr. Buis and others argue that Congress or the E.P.A. must do something if the country is to move to a new generation of biofuels that do not compete with food crops. The possibilities include ethanol made from wood chips, waste paper or agricultural waste like straw and corncobs.

Congress has also passed mandates for the blending of this type of fuel, so that the nation’s total consumption of all renewable fuels, in vehicles and other equipment, is supposed to reach 36 billion gallons in 2022.

Perhaps the easiest way for the country to absorb all the excess ethanol would be to make wider use of an ethanol blend called E85, which contains 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Most cars on the road cannot use it, but in recent years, millions of “flex-fuel” cars have been sold, especially by General Motors. (Any car with a yellow gasoline cap can use E85.)

The problem is that at current prices, E85 does not make economic sense for drivers, and most of them use regular gasoline in their flex-fuel cars. That means gasoline stations have little incentive to install pumps for E85. The fuel can be found in the Corn Belt but is not readily available elsewhere in the country.

Gasoline was selling on average Thursday for $2.63 a gallon, while E85 was selling for $2.23 a gallon. That might make E85 sound like a bargain, but cars go fewer miles on a gallon of ethanol than of gasoline. Adjusted for that factor, E85 on Thursday was effectively 31 cents a gallon more expensive than gasoline.

A return of $4 gasoline might change things, by making E85 a relative bargain and spurring wider use. So would an unexpected spurt in total fuel demand. Otherwise, it is not at all clear how the nation’s coming surplus of ethanol can be absorbed.

Gregory M. Scott, executive vice president of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, drives a flex-fuel car in the Washington area, but said he had never put E85 in it.

He said the amount of renewable fuel that Congress had mandated refiners to use, and the amount that can be blended for conventional automobiles, were on a collision course.

“At some point,” he said, “those two lines cross.”

During the 16:th to 18:th centuries the art of distilling plants had grown to become an every-day matter. Every mansion had its own distillery and the pharmacies of the time distilled essential oils for medicinal purposes. The doctor would make out a recipe, and the pharmacies would blend the medicines.

In this time herbal medicine grew immensely with the founding of the Royal Society in Britain, the plant classifications by Linnaeus and the great herbals by, amongst others, Culpeper, Gerard and Parkinson. By the end of the 18:th century, essential oils were widely used in medicine alongside herbs, essential oils being the strongest form of medicine in existence.

The late 19:th and early 20:th century saw the flourishing of chemistry as a discipline. As plant cures and essential oils could be synthesized in a laboratory – the cures both stronger and faster in action, essential oils began to lose their place in the pharmacopoeiae.

In the early 1900’s a French chemist, René-Maurice Gattefossé – the father of aromatherapy, rediscovered the effectiveness of essential oils when he after a severe burn dipped his hand in pure lavender-oil and noted the speed of recovery; the pain was instantly subdued, there was no infection nor scarring. This made him devote himself to the study of esssential oils. He discovered that the oils could penetrate the skin to access the blood-stream and chemically interact with the chemistry of the body. In 1937 he published the book “L’aromathérapie” that became the first textbook on essential oils.

Dr. Jean Valnet followed in Gattefossé’s footsteps. He was an army-doctor during WW2. As antibiotics were hard to come by in wartime, he used essential oils with great success. After the war he opened a clinic where he success-fully used essential oils for both physical and psychological healing. Much of his work was based on the antiseptic properties of essential oils. In 1964 Dr Valnet published a book; “Aromathérapie se soigner par les essences de plantes”.

At this stage aromatherapy began popping up all over Europe; Italian doctors Gatti and Cojola start researching the psychological effects of essential oils in the 20:s; In the 70:s their work was followed up by Professor Paolo Rovesti at the University of Milan.

Mme Maury, an Austrian cosmetologist, introduced the idea of massage combined with essential oils in the 50:s. Not being a doctor, she was looking for other ways of administering the essential oils. By blending – or diluting – them with vegetable oil, the resulting blend was milder and could be used directly on the skin without irritating it. Most of her clients were healthy women that wanted beauty-treatments and the results of the aromatherapy was astounding; not only did it make the skin look better, it also had other effects such as relief from rheumathic pain, stronger libido, better and deeper sleep and an overall mood-enhancing effect. In the early 60:s Mme Maury opened her first clinic in London where she also held workshops and training. Some well-known names trained for her in the late 70:s; Robert Tisserand, Shirley Price and Patricia Davis are some of them.

The final break-through for aromatherapy as a valued alternative health practice came in the late 80:s and early 90:s when it finally became a recognized profession in many countries. In Britain and Sweden the training is state-supported and sometimes subsidized.

the story

Charles: I’ve always said that beer and tea are similar, but you guys at Dogfish Head are killing me with this Sahtea brew. I never thought of chai tea and beer coming together, but leave it to you mad scientists over there to think of it before I do. I don’t know what to say guys… You truly left me speechless. It’s a deep beer with real opinions. Speak on beer. Speak on.

Lionel: There are certain things in life that are questionable. Tea and beer together? Surprisingly, after the first sip, I paused and said “wow”, then I took another to confirm that this beer is amazing. (Ed. Note: I don’t remember hearing this) I’ve never tasted anything quite like it.

Andriis: I recently went to my (semi-) local beverage supplier in search of beers to enjoy in honor of this new tradition me and my brother started: Tuesday Night Beers (“It’s like Monday Night Football, but with more testosterone” according to Charles. I disagree, but it’s okay. We both love beer.). I picked up Magic Hat Roxy Rolles (a seasonal brew), and two Dogfish Head varieties: Raison D’etre and Sahtea. There’s a reason why I picked up two Dogfish Head brews. These guys are top-notch. They also seem to be out of their minds. Who would make a beer that tastes like tea? And who would’ve thought it’d taste so good? And from me, that’s saying a lot. I’m not a tea person. I’m told it has chai and jasmine in it. I don’t particularly care. All that matters is the taste. If you’re a tea person and a beer person, though, you’re in for double the pleasure.

Price: $12.99

ABV: 9%

It made Lionel's world spin.

The ethanol industry is stepping up its advocacy seeking a change in the U.S. tax code that will give gasoline retailers a substantially larger incentive to install ethanol blender pumps, a change that the gasoline retailers are also supporting. For more, see EnergyWashington.com (subscription required).

Spain’s Bodegas Navarro Lopez  has a history that dates back over 100 years. Current owners Don Doroteo and Navarro Donado purchased the property in the 1980’s. Between that original property and two others acquired in the 1990’s they have over 150 hectares of vineyard land. A majority of their holdings are planted to Tempranillo, Garancha and Macabeo. Today I’ll look at one of their blends under the Granrojo designation.

The Rojo 2007 Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon is produced using fruit from the Valdepenas region of Spain. The vineyard site is 700 meters above sea level. This offering blends 90% Tempranillo and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. 3,000 cases of this vintage were imported and the suggested retail price is $10.99.

Violet and rose petal aromas are joined by both red and black fruit characteristics in the nose of this Spanish blend. The palate of this wine is beautifully dry with cranberry, cherry and hints of strawberry all playing a role. Spice notes really kick in about halfway through with white pepper leading the charge along with a bit of nutmeg. The story of the finish is told primarily by what can be best described as an avalanche of mineral notes. These are joined by some earth and together they help provide good length. Firm acidity frames this offering. This wine will be a great match for grilled sausages or cured meats.

Finding wines that are worth drinking in this price range is fun and can be rewarding. they’re out there to be sure. However this selection kicks things up a few pegs. The mineral component on the finish is both generous and compelling. When you factor that in it sets this wine apart. A lovely little wine and an even better value for the money.

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Growth Energy, a new corn ethanol lobby group, put our a press release today calling on Congress to ease the installation of pumps that dispense mid- and high-level ethanol blends. According to a letter written to the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees, the organization says the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, which should allow fuel vendors to recapture up to $50,000, or 50 percent, of the total cost of installing alternative fuel dispensing systems is being undermined by an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) interpretation that retailers are only allowed to take credit for a portion of the new pump – instead of the entire pump.

If the biofuels sector continues its expansion to meet the renewable fuels mandate, big oil companies and midstream businesses may have to change their practices, according to a report from Standard & Poor’s. The development of advanced biofuels could change conventional refinery requirements and distribution programs, and rack and terminal facilities may need more tanks and mixing equipment to allow for new blends, S&P analyst Mark Habib said. Different specifications for pipelines may also need to be developed or current ones retooled to serve regions where the alternative fuels would be produced, he added.

not that kind of spork silly!

To help me gather new examples, I’ve started a hashtag thread on Twitter as part of my hunt for linguistic blends new and old.

A blend is an amalgamation of two words to create a new one. A Classic examples that springs to mind is ‘brunch.’  Others include Peter Andre’s seminal (ahem!) album from the 1990s ‘Insania;’ the more recent ‘Freakonomics‘ from Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt book of the same name (I also heard more recently from the Wall Street Journal ‘Obamanomics’); and the more workaday ‘motel.’

So far I have received several examples including those from @Dan_Jellinek: ‘moobs’ (man + boobs); from @Bigfishysea: ’spork’ (spoon+fork), my personal bete noir of blends ‘webinar’ (web + seminar) and an original blend, ’shocks’ – shoes so comfy they feel like socks.

spork

That’s the beauty of language, it’s in constant flux because people have been inventing new words and phrases to suit their needs since time immemorial.

To add to this repository please use the hashtag #blends on Twitter. My ID is @melpoluck.

And for a blendtastic (sorry, couldn’t resist) fable containing 75% blends and rising, come back soon. . .

Spork Family tree by Doug Savage via Adam Bradley

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should permit 11% or 12% ethanol in gasoline if it cannot rule on an industry proposal to increase the blend wall to 15% by Dec. 1, said Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa). The comments by Sen. Grassley, who is perhaps the biggests supported of corn ethanol in the Congress, come amid reports that the EPA will extend the review period for E15 to conduct more tests, he added. Iowa accounts for roughly 26% of U.S. ethanol production, making it the country’s biggest manufacturer of the fuel, the state’s Renewable Fuels Association said.

According to a report in E&E today (subscription required), automakers are questioning the long-term durability issues. “We expect to have the answers in the next 12 months or so. And at that point, we would be comfortable,” Candace Wheeler of General Motors said yesterday at the InfoCast Cellulosic Biofuels Summit in Washington, D.C.  The executive at GM (which sought Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection earlier this year!) said that given questions of “durability,” suggested EPA should consider delaying or rejecting E15 until they can be certain that all 240 million vehicles in the United States would run fine with E15.

A few moments or so from now, you could be building your opt-in list faster and more effectively than ever before.

Have you noticed recently how all of the most successful sites and lead capture pages feature prominent, highly graphical opt-in boxes?

The reason for this is simple – it gets attention!

The fastest way to increase your response rates is to attract more attention to what you want the visitor to do.

People are skimmers, if you don’t draw their eyes to what you want them to do, they just might pass it over altogether!

If you are building your list, you want people to notice your opt-in box. If your visitors don’t clearly see your opt in offer or it blends in to the rest of your page you have just lost a potential opt-in and the opportunity to build a relationship with that customer.

Continue Reading…

The Indian government is trying to get the industry to achieve the country’s 5% mandatory ethanol blending in gasoline target. Last week, the government set up a group made up of officials from the oil, renewable energy, food and consumer affairs ministries to ensure the 5% ethanol blending target, first introduced in November 2006, can be met. That’s right, the Indian biofuels target was set in three years ago!

A mandatory blend of 5% ethanol and optional blending of another 5% would not only make gasoline cheaper and environment-friendly, but also help the state sugarcane co-operatives to become viable business ventures, ethanol producers say. India’s oil marketers have floated buy tenders for 680 million liters of ethanol this year, but only around 40% of this has been secured, reports said. With drought affecting cane production in India, soaring sugar prices have capped ethanol supplies, pushing market prices for ethanol above the government-fixed price. Storage and supply logistics have also proved problematic.

After months of wrangling over competing bids, Florida’s Broward County decided to restart the process to select an investor to upgraded its idled 960,000-barrel Port Everglades bulk liquid storage facility. Those who invested time and money up to now are disappointed but it appears that not all would be be lost if the county can rebid the project quickly. Florida is using 10% ethanol in its gasoline, the third largest transportation market in the country

According to an earlier report from Platts, the county has been offering to lease the Port Everglades tank farm for 20 years. The committee was considering bids from Magellan Midstream Partners and Brazilian ethanol group Cepemar World Renewable Fuels. Each company was seeking a 30-year lease. In April, the committee selected Cepemar, but in early October reversed its decision and selected Magellan. On October 13, the committee called for more information from both companies. On November 3, the committee scratched the whole bidding process and sent the matter back to the county’s procurement department.

Delays in the project has cost the seaport approximately $1.2 a year in lost lease payments alone. The venture is expected to take at least a year to build and will cost an estimated $35 million. The tanks were built during World War II to store molasses.

The Irish Government recently approved the Biofuels Obligation, a new regulation requiring that fuel suppliers include a 4% blend of biofuels in the country.

Irish Energy Minister Eamon Ryan announced that as of July 2010, the blend has to include biofuels that produce 35% less greenhouse gases when compared to gasoline or diesel, and meet EU sustainability criteria, such as not being produced in carbon sinks – rainforests and savannahs.

Minister Ryan said that Irland needs “an alternative to fossil fuels in order to secure energy supply in the future. Biofuels can provide part of the answer.”

For the complete press release, click here.

In an interview with Reuters’ Tom Doggett, the heaf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that the agency may not meet a December 1 deadline to decide whether to approve an industry request to boost the amount of ethanol that can be blended into gasoline.

Earlier this year, corn ethanol producers asked EPA to allow gasoline to contain up to 15 percent ethanol by volume, known as E15, from current 10% limit. Today, EPA’s Administrator Lisa Jackson said the agency may have to work past the December 1 deadline because it is still reviewing test results on how the higher blend rate would affect engines “across the board” — including cars, trucks, snowmobiles, motor boats and lawnmowers. “One of the issues is … lots of concern about how E15 plays over a range of engines,” Jackson said in a interview at EPA headquarters. “So having the data to be able to answer those questions once and for all is going to be, I think, key to making a decision that is rigorous and holds up.”

Espero que les guste!!! Besos!!

~Puupi

Perfect wine doesn’t have a single definition.  There will never be a machine that can turn out ‘perfect’ wines.  There are too many variables and it is the uniqueness of each artful release that brings forth a worthy story rather than a homogenous, measurable string of proper qualities. 

That being said, it is possible to hedge bets toward fantastic releases.  It requires attention to a number of variables:

• Buy the best grapes available from the areas most skilled grape growers (a step that requires longstanding relationships as well)
• Buy the most technologically advanced equipment and finest traditional barrels
• Enlist the help of the finest and most experienced oenologists, practiced using the grapes found in your final release

This is the basis for Long Shadows Vintners. 

Founder Allen Shoup has earned an influential placement at the pinnacle of Washington’s wine industry.   He began with humble beginnings at Gallo in California and rose through vast achievement to CEO of Stimson Lane (owner of Chateau Ste. Michelle & Columbia Crest), Washington’s largest wine company.  With his broad assets of professional relationships, prime properties and ample finances, he’s been able to pair Washington’s best grapes with the world’s finest talent to create tremendously well-made expressions of our Northwest’s best.

Through these efforts come the 2006 rendition of Saggi, the Long Shadows “Super Tuscan” style blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  Shoup has invited the talents of the Tuscan winemaking father and son team of Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari to craft the wine using grapes grown in the Horse Heaven Hills and Alder Ridge vineyards.

The added bonus of this wine is an additional year of age in the bottle.  The 2007 has been released, but the silky smoothness of the 2006 is showing through with increasing balance and contemplative layers.

Dark cherry aromas and flavors combine with a hint of nutmeg in this Super Tuscan style blend. An elegant entry in the front of the mouth reveals refined tannins with focused concentration, enhanced by the wine’s silky mouth feel and lengthy finish.

This wine is regularly sold for $36.99, but is available to wine club members for only $31.99!

• Visit the Long Shadows Vintners website
• Read a few more specifics about Super Tuscan wines
• Check out a clickable map of the castles of Tuscany
• Learn about Horse Heaven Hills, one of Washington’s newest appellations

• Take your pick of Pasta Recipes from the Italian Chef.com
• Here’s a video on how to make Moroccan Chicken Casserole
• Jamie Oliver can help with fantastic Pizza Recipes

Have you tasted this wine? When you’ve had a chance to enjoy this wine, please return to this blog and leave your comments! Others will appreciate your input, unique viewpoint, and recommendations.

After long years of research western medicine discovered what eastern cultures knew for centuries – Tea is the healthiest beverage. There is nothing more satisfying for tea lovers, than to know that experts are supporting our believes.

Multiple publications of the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information show that green tea has endless health benefits. The below list outlining health benefits of regular green tea drinking is based on range of studies that research health properties of green tea.

Green tea, when drunk regularly:

• has fat-burning properties
  Drinking green tea regularly promotes weight loss, especially when combined with increased physical activity and a healthy diet.
• regulates blood glucose level in blood stream
• lowers cholesterol level
  It is proven that green tea lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels and improves the ratio of HDL cholesterol to LDL cholesterol.
• enhances mental performance
  One of the important health benefits of regular green tea drinking is improved memory and learning ability.
• provides protection against coronary artery disease
  Japanese studies confirm that the more green tea people consume the less likely they are to have coronary artery disease.
• reduces inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract
  Green tea was found to reduce inflammation by activating intracellular antioxidants.
• improves bone mineral density
• provides protection against cancer
  As a rich source of polyphenols EGCG, green tea protects against cancer (particularly colon, lung and skin cancers)
• protects the skin against the adverse effects of ultraviolet radiation, such as UV-induced sunburn, UV-induced immunosuppression and photoaging.

References:  publications of the National Center of Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, for more information visit the following website:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

Green tea becomes more and more popular in western cultures. Experts believe that drinking minimum 2 cups of green teas everyday can help you achieve the health benefits outlined above. Eastern philosophers add that meditation over a cup of tea brings happiness and longevity. One is certain – drinking tea follows tested, traditional and natural approach to health and is far less risky than trying all the novelties of today’s medicine.

But what exactly green tea is?

Green Tea

Green tea is the variety which keeps the original colour of the tea . Green Tea is believed to have the most medicinal values. It contains least caffeine of all Chinese tea classes. Since the leaves are not fermented, the taste is pleasantly fresh. Green teas present a broad range of flavour, from sweet and nutty to fruity and floral. The most famous teas in this groups are: Longjing tea of Zhejiang Province, Maofeng of Huangshan Mountain in Anhui Province and Biluochun produced in Jiangsu.

The health benefits of green tea are seemingly endless. It is a rich source of antioxidants – called polyphenols – which benefit health in many ways. Studies across the globe proved that Chinese Green Tea helps prevent cancer, aids in digestion, improves weight control and artery health. The ability of green tea to prevent cancer is so well established that new studies are testing green tea as potential cancer therapy. Researchers have shown that green tea blocks the formation of certain tumours. Green tea also helps in reducing anxiety, while keeping highly alert state of mind, thanks to its high L-Theanine level. It supports metabolism and lowers blood sugar levels. Green tea is rich in catechins that effectively kill almost every kind of bacteria which cause food poisoning. It also inactivates the toxins that are produced by those bacteria. At the same time, it enhances the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.

Click here to buy green tea.

Although green tea seems to be the variety most popular in scientific research, other tea sorts also deserve our attention.

Black Tea

Black tea is known in China as “red tea” (hong cha) in reference to the colour of the infused liquid or to the red edges of the oxidized leaves. This category of tea is fermented before baking. Black teas are generally soft in flavour. The most famous teas in this groups are: Qihong of Anhui , Dianhong of Yunnan, Suhong of Jiangsu, Chuanhong of Sichuan and Huhong of Hunan.

Black tea helps to lower cholesterol and is good for the heart. Drinking black tea helps to prevent deadly clogging of arteries and reverses poor arterial functioning that can trigger heart attacks and strokes. Tea has long been tied to lower risk of stomach malfunctions, colon and breast cancer. Laboratory studies revealed that black tea may even stop cancer growth. Rutgers University researchers showed that a black tea compound called TF-2 caused colorectal cancer cells to “commit suicide” while normal cells were unaffected. Black tea can neutralize germs, including some that cause diarrhoea, pneumonia, cystitis and skin infections. Pu-Erh (also written Puer, Pu-Er, Puerh) is a very special and unique style of tea. This type of post-fermented tea is processed using only sun-dried large-leaf tea leaves from certain areas. The best quality Pu-erh comes from the Yunnan province in South-Western China, including Xishuangbanna area, Simao and Pu-Er county.

Click here to buy black tea.

Puerh Tea

Chinese Pu-erh Tea is the greatest tea mystery, famous for its health giving benefits, very low caffeine levels and rich, unique and comforting flavour. The secret resides in the aging process. Pu-erh is considered a special delicacy and an indispensable part of daily health care. Pu-Er tea is very good for digestive system (helps reduce body weight by increasing the metabolism), reduces cholesterol level in the blood stream, lowers blood alcohol after drinking, prevents dysentery, and stimulates secretions from the spleen and other organs.

Click here to buy puerh.

Wulong (Oolong) tea represents a variety half way between green and black teas. It is prepared by allowing picked tea leaves to partially ferment before frying. Oolong is a full-bodied tea with a unique and highly enjoyable sweet-flowery character. It is a specialty of the provinces on China’s southeast coast: Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan. Finest varieties are still handmade following the traditional manufacturing process.

Oolong tea enhances the function of fat metabolism, controlling obesity and even contributing to slimming. Oolong Tea may promote healthier and stronger bones, protecting people from such diseases as osteoporosis. As other tea varieties, Oolong can fight against tooth decay and can help prevent heart ailments.

Click here to buy Oolong.

White Tea

White tea is the least processed of all the tea categories. It is merely withered and dried by steaming. White tea gets its designation from the fine, silvery white hairs found in the unopened buds of the camellia sinensis plant. White tea leaves have a striking appearance. They usually have a light silver colour. White teas are the rarest in the world, produced on a very limited scale in China. Traditionally plucked only at daybreak in four provinces, white tea is delicate and subtle treat for quiet moments. These teas are characterized by an extraordinary fresh fragrance that is both subtle and sweet. The aroma is delightfully gentle with a mellow taste. Well-known varieties include “Silver Needle” and “White Peony”.

White teas are greater source of antioxidants than any other teas. They can lower blood pressure and improve the function of the arteries. They promote strong bones. White Tea helps in protecting the skin from damage and may even reverse some of the damage caused by free radicals. It has great anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effects. This group of tea is even more effective than green tea in killing germs. White tea extracts are used in many kinds of tooth-pastes to enhance their anti-bacterial effects. White Tea may reduce blood sugar and help alleviate the symptoms of diabetes.

Click here to buy white tea.

Herbal Tisane

Herbal teas (also known as a tisane or herbal infusion) contain just herbs or combine herbs with regular tea leaves. Herbal teas are made using scientific technology based on ancient prescriptions by Chinese medicine masters. They have already won many faithful customers around the world due to their reliable qualities and effective function.
When infusing a teaspoon of herbs such as mint, tulsi, ginger, chamomile, jasmine (and many others), their medicinal properties seep into the water giving drinkers the desired effect. Depending on herbs used, it may be laxative, curative, refreshing, sedative or antacid in nature.

Click here to buy herbal tea.

Blends It is possible to combine the positive characters of different teas by blending. Tea traders blend teas of different crops or even origins to maintain flavour, aroma, character and price of tea over longer periods of time. English Breakfast is one of the most recognized blends available on the market.

Click here to buy blends.

Whichever tea variety is your favourite, remember that it is important to choose only the fresh, good quality tea. Loose leaf tea, containing whole leaves and buds seems to be more effective than tea bags containing fanning of bigger, less fresh leaves.

And remember – tea is there to enjoy it! Enjoy it first ad treat health benefits as a side effect.

Published by SanTion International Pty Ltd, Sydney 24. Oct 2009, www.santion.com.au

Berkshire Hathaway’s $44 billion deal for U.S. railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BSNF) will give it control of the biggest ethanol transporter in the country. BNSF is the largest rail transporter of ethanol in the U.S., handling 74,000 carloads of ethanol in 2008.

It was likely 5 years ago when the first time I heard about the speech titled ” I HAVE A DREAM”The speech that has been inspiring me a lot for years.It was a speech that was delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. at Lincoln Memorial,Washington DC,28 August 1963.

For Me,A leader is someone who can inspire the others.A good leader is the one who can pursue the society and bring betterment towards the society by his/her mind and heart.Someone who doesn’t support one side of the house,but someone who can put both sides of the house in the same level.That criteria will lead us to a betterment which is diversity blends;there won’t be anymore segregation,discrimination anymore if we can make and find a leader like that.

The Basic concept of democracy is the right to choose.Choosing everything that you want since that choice/option is under the law and not disturbing anyone.That’s why in a democratic country,diversity and divergent point of views are so usual.But,it’s the society that determines whether they want to accept or reject.But usually,a democratic society is am open-minded society.It’s the basic reason why there is diversity in a democratic country.

Martin Luther King was a person that really could blend the society together.He didn’t discriminate and prioritize on side.Just like His Quote : I have a dream that one day my little children will live in a country where they’ll not be judged by their skin colors but by their characteristic.That quotes really shows us that He wanted a peaceful diversity.He didn’t say that He wanted to vanish the white people,but He wanted a diversity in a society.So that this diversity can actually stand together inside the country.

He was the democratic one.He knew that if  We killed one part of the society,that part will actually be dead.So that because He respected diversity very much and He knew and He fell the basic concept of democracy which is diversity blending,He didn’t want to have any parts of the society be killed.But He wanted all parts of the society be united into one.Into One democratic country.Into one United States.

He was the one that realized that segregation was wrong.He was the one who made people realize that segregation was the worst way to do.At that time,People were judged by the colors of their skin.It was simply “Black or White”.Black meant death.White meant Forever and Ever prosperity.That opinion and that way of thinking was actually as good as dead.Because you are making fun at yourself.You differenciate people by their color.You didn’t even know them and you said They’s rubbish.Fortunately,There was Martin Luther King.He was the one that made a great contribution to eliminate the segregation and discrimination for Afro in USA 40 years ago.And If He wasn’t there to protest,Maybe today we still hear the Rosa Parks case and we still see the unfairness happens on each corner of the street.He was the one that realized that segregation actually backstabbed the fundamental concept of HR that said that ALL HUMAN WAS BORN EQUAL.He made a contribution.He didn’t stay Silent.

After all contributions that He gave,He got a Nobel prize in 1964 and I believe that He deserved it.Still Be a Leader.Long Live the King.

The European Union’s use of biofuels might exceed 4% in 2010 but there still would remain major variations between EU member states, according to Paul Hodson of the European Commission’s Transport and Energy Directorate General. Speaking at the 4th Annual Biofuels Conference in Hungary, Hodson said that EU member states may not meet their expected target of 10% renewable fuels in transport by 2020. According to sources in a Reuters article, food crops were still expected to be the leading source of EU biofuels in the coming decade and that a majority of the biofuels would still be expensive compared to conventional fuels, with the exception of Brazilian sugarcane ethanol.

A coalition of environmental and food groups are taking up arms plans to raise the ethanol content of gasoline to 15%. The site, Follow the Science, “marshals the overwhelming scientific evidence to deliver a focused message to the Obama Administration and Congress to not raise the corn ethanol blend limit by 50%,” says the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which is part of the effort. “That evidence clearly points to corn ethanol’s adverse environmental effects, its potential to damage vast numbers of gasoline engines, and its problematic impact on the cost of food and feed,” EWG says.

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Plies
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07 -Young Jeezy-Trap or Die 2 [03:08]
08 -Yo Gotti-Lets Go Feat. Gucci Mane [03:12]
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10 -Rick Ross-Lay Back Feat. Robin Thicke [04:08]
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Mobbin
12 -Young Money-Bedrock [04:52]
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14 -Youny Jeezy-Bag Music [04:17]
15 -Young Black-Big Boi Stuntin Feat. Gucci [04:33]
Mane
16 -Snoop Dogg & the Dream-Gangsta Luv [04:20]
17 -Ugk-She Luv it Remix [04:10]
18 -Plies-Medicine [03:34]
19 -6 Tre G-Fresh Remix Feat. Lil Boosie [03:53]
20 -Mack 10-So Sharp Feat. Rick Ross & Lil [04:12]
Wayne
21 -Sponsored by Smoke-Out Air Fresheners [00:46]
22 -Myspace.Com-Smokeoutspray [02:47]

D/L

The Vintage

The 4th Edition is a blend of hand crafted reds that have been thoughtfully combined. The resulting product is stunning.

The Grapes

The fruit used to produce Lady In Red Holiday Edition was predominantly grown at our own Kestrel View Estate Vineyard and enjoyed barrel aging for a period of 12 to 22 months. Fruit from our estate vineyard tends to produce wines brimming with fully ripened black and red fruit flavors and aromas coupled with generous amounts of fine grained tannins. 

The Winemaking

The fruit was carefully hand picked at the height of maturity, then destemmed and crushed leaving 15% whole berries. It was fermented at 85 F, in small batches, for 7 to 10 days, then lightly pressed so as not to extract any harsh tannins. All of the wine was aged in small oak barrels.   The blend is composed of several vintages and varieties.

The Wine

This wine possesses a deep color reminiscent of blackberry juice. In the aroma you will find luscious ripe cherry, blackberry, black currants, fig, plum, cranberries and dried herbs. This extremely full bodied wine boasts structure and balance. The lingering finish holds many layers of blueberry, cranberry, dark ripe fruits, spice, cocoa and dried herbs.

pH: 3.66 TA: 0.64 % Alcohol: 13.8% R.S.: 0.2%

Blend: 40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 5% Sangiovese,

4%Viognier and 1% Malbec

Cases Produced: 2128

Release Date: September 2009