For those of of you who care, Perez Hilton will be on the Maury show today dishing celeb tea! I have my tea cup ready…Do you have yours?

…so this time I’m going to talk about the TV shows that are getting me through my (last… eek!) essay.

1. Maury
- a staple of daytime/student television. The one I’m watching right now is called “I cheated 30 times… Is my husband our baby’s father?” There are no words.

2. Nothing to Declare
- this is about Australian border security. The best ones are when crazy Asians bring in weird food and don’t get why the border control go mad. Also, Americans getting shirty when they have to undergo stringent baggage checks.

3. The Hills/The City
- no explanation needed. They’re just brilliant.

4. America’s Next Top Model
- SMILE WITH YOUR EYES!! Tyra Banks is insane. I’m not kidding.

5. 10 Years Younger
- I usually watch the US version. I like Nazi makeover shows that force us all to adhere to the same standards of beauty.

Oh, dear. It looks like I only watch MTV and Living TV. I am trash…

Now, back to my study of the post 1980s interracial cinematic couple!

Ok When i saw this female that was in the 50 cent sex scene in his Short film “Before I Self Destruct’ I knew she looked familiar.  I once saw a episode of Maury Povich where i seen this Latina on their and she had a crush on a dude that she was revealing and i remember saying “Godamn she is fine” I then went and tried to find her on MySpace and facebook but i couldn’t  Now Look!!  The same woman i was lookin for has popped up in the 50 cent movie check it out. Her name is Sasha Delvalle and 50 you just beat me too it because if i could have found her then i would have signed her. Smart move 50

Also here is her Photo Shoot

Les vedettes du Cellier des Cigales.   

L A   F Ê T E   D E S   V I N S   DE   N O Ë L  !!!

Les fêtes de fin d’année se profilent… c’est le moment ou jamais de prévoir les vins que vous dégusterez, ou que vous offrirez à vos proches.

 Vous pouvez maintenant faire provision, dans une succursale  SAQ Sélection ou sur SAQ.com, de la CUVÉE DU RENOUVEAU 2007, du DOMAINE DE TREILLE,

20.40 $/bouteille (code de produit 11096191).

 Un vin primé deux étoiles guide Hachette 2010 et trois étoiles guide Phaneuf 2010

Un grand vin à inviter à sa table !

EN IMPORTATION PRIVÉE :

Retrouvez toute la magie de Noël et du nouvel an avec le Mousseux muscat petit grain du MARQUIS D’ALMERAS, de la CAVE DE RABELAIS.

Déboucher une bouteille, c’est découvrir, derrière cette robe d’or et ces fines bulles, la délicatesse de ses arômes à la féerie du moment…

Caisse de 6 bouteilles au prix de 120.30 $ /caisse (20.05 $ /bouteille).

LES TROIS ROIS MAGES :

Dans plusieurs pays, la fête des rois est une autre occasion de célébrer.

 Voici la trinité des MAGNUM maintenant offert au Cellier des cigales.

Du DOMAINE DE TREILLES, la CUVÉE DU RENOUVEAU 2007 (60.25 $ /magnum),
Du DOMAINE FONTAINE MARCOUSSE, la CUVÉE VICTOREY (45.25 $ /magnum),
Du MAS CAMPS, la RONDE DES VENTS (46.50 $/magnum).

Tous en caisse de 6 magnums du même produit.

Très attendu des amateurs du domaine MAS CAMPS le  MAURY nous revient en quantité très limité.

750ml 28.55 $/bouteille (caisse de 6) ou  375ml 11.75 $ /bouteille (caisse de 12)

Hâtez vous!!

Pour garnir votre cellier ou pour mettre de côté à l’approche des Fêtes, de tout pour les amateurs de curiosités!!

 BON DE COMMANDE PARTICULIER 

 BON DE COMMANDE RESTAURATEUR

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Michael Lohan has just issued a threat to his daughter Lindsay that he will only stop talking to the media if his daughter Lindsay goes into rehab. He claims that Lindsay has a prescription drug problem and is threatening to go public with tapes he says exposes his ex wife Dina for her own addictions and proves that Lindsay has a prescription drug problem.

This is how NOT to get anyone into rehab. In fact it is a sure fire way to get someone to react in the opposite direction. The more we see of Michael on the airwaves, the more we realize what poor Lindsay had to endure with her TOXIC FATHER.

He is completely out of line and in my opinion needs to be banned from the airwaves before he is the catalyst which may cause irreparable harm to his daughter. I hope Lindsay can Unplug him from her life and not pay attention to whatever he does or says. I hope that the media does not indulge him. If what he says is true about her having a drug problem, he needs to now back off.

Any man that tells someone to get their “fat ass of a chair like he told reality star Ne Ne on the Insider is a very TOXIC person. His showing up on the Insider and Maury to talk about Lindsay is unconscionable. She is a grown woman, not a child. He has no control over her. He is truly an embarrassment.

So Michael here’s a reality check. Back off or you daughter may react in a very negative way. If she does have a drug problem your threats could literally kill her. Stay off the air and get a real job to keep you occupied so you won’t have to bother Lindsay.
www.drlillianglass.com

Nine Stars out of Ten Stars (*********/**********)

To say my expectations for Precious were high going in would be a massive understatement.

I love strong black women, I love put-upon black women, I love graceful, hopeful black women. I love ghetto black women. And hell yes, I love fat black women. Cinematically speaking, of course. I don’t practise some sort of perverse affirmative action inverse racism and chase poor ladies down Brixton high street (although there have been moments). What I admire is strength and grace despite hardships – rising above it, and doing so with humour and attitude. And heaven above I’m not suggesting this is something that applies solely and universally to black women. But you get me, yeah?

This isn’t something that films have particularly indulged me in, actually. And considering I’ve ventured my whole love of black ladies as cinematically inclined, this is a great fucking shame. Whoopi Goldberg and the women of The Color Purple? That’s the only example that springs to mind isn’t it? Sorry Beyoncé and J-Hud; Dreamgirls was cack. Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball, erm, yeah, no. In fairness I still need to see Angela Bassett, Cicely Tyson and a few others. But yes, overall, it’s slim pickings. I have to turn to the tunings of Beyoncé et al and the various hot mess female guests of Maury when needing to put my metaphorical freakum dress on. And it shouldn’t be this way. Joking aside, these women I speak of are forces of nature, they are great towering personalities whom I see pass me in the street every day, and they deserve to be represented on screen. And I’m not just talking about some conceptual idea of a fabulous black woman a skinny gay boy likes to idolise; I’m talking about real characters, real stories, real women.

And so we come to Precious. It’s here, at last. This is a real story. This is a real woman. And it’s absolutely heartbreaking. And let me get one thing straight – this film doesn’t succeed by simply taking the audience aback with its subject matter. It’s not a valuable life-lesson for anyone who’s ever dismissed someone because of the way they looked, or acted. Approval of this film doesn’t stem from some guilt-ridden place where white folks can pat themselves on the back and feel better. Precious succeeds because whoever you are – fat, thin, dumb, smart – it gives you characters, nuanced and truthful. It’s a joy because when you watch you are Precious. It’s so authentic, and the writing and tone is so natural, that you take in such a reality from each character. You feel Precious’ helplessness, Ms Rain’s (Paula Patton) selflessness, Mrs Weiss’s (Mariah Carey) horror. Most shockingly of all though is that you feel Mary’s (Mo’Nique) justification; the little seeds of self-doubt in her mind that led her to the darkest of places. Mo’Nique’s final scene is a tour-de-force piece of acting the likes of which I haven’t ever really seen. It is monumental.

Overall I know one thing – Precious is a girl that stayed with me. And it’s not because she’s a strong black woman, or a put-upon black woman, or a ghetto black woman, or even a fat black woman. It’s not down to any of those silly stereotypes I indulge myself in. It’s simply because she’s Precious. If Gabourey Sidibe isn’t nominated for Best Actress at this year’s Oscars I’ll barf up my own pelvis in protest.

I remember when shows like Maury and Jerry Springer used to be good, used to have actual topics that were interesting and informative. Then they realized that people are addicted to bad TV and gave up on showing anything that could benefit anyone. Now, there are tons of no-quality, debauchery-filled shows to choose from, and I have no problem admitting that they can be tempting. Some of them can be comical and entertaining. Still, I resist. I care too much about myself.

It’s these types of shows that help create and solidify the “all men are dogs”, “ain’t no good men”, “all men cheat” perceptions that infect so many women. Sure, some men are dogs, some ain’t no good, and some cheat, but not all of them.  These seemingly-harmless shows, and others like them, do more than just make us shake our heads in shame. They plant idea s(negative ones) in our minds.

So much of “conventional wisdom” is made up of negative, misinterpreted, and just plain wrong information that we’ve been convinced to believe. For example, everyone knows that diet products are better than regular. Wrong. Most diet foods and drinks are just as bad or even worse than the originals, because of the additives they put in to make up for the fat and sugar they removed. That’s just one example, a small one.  A bigger one is this insidious belief that men, by their very nature, are incapable of being faithful, honest, sweet, caring, and gentle (unless they’re gay, of course).  Think about it. When a man cheats, how easy is it to dismiss it as typical male behavior? When he lies, how many of us say “He’s just being a man”? And when a man is nice, how many of us think he’s too good to be true?

Like attracts like. Believing such negativity only invites it into your life. You will not find a good man until you believe that there is one to be found. You won’t experience lasting happiness in a relationship until you believe that lasting happiness is possible. Ladies, while searching for the one, know that’ll you’ll find nothing other than that which you believe is there. When you say “there are no good men,” you’re really saying “I only pay attention to the bad men.”

Protect yourself and you relationships from the influences of negative ideas. Popular thinking will adversely affect your life if you let it. What you let into your life affects how you see it. They say “you are what you eat.” That’s true, but they should say “you are what you eat, think, watch, hear and believe.”  Those are all different ways that stimuli go in. Believe that they comes out. Regardless of if you accept it or not, we create our own realities. You set the tone. You choose the atmosphere. It’s an important job. Don’t allow others to do that for you.

~Nadirah Angail

As the days become windier and wetter and the nights draw in, my mind is drawn back to last winter when we convened for the first time on a cold January evening. I say this because the October Glass Half Fulham meeting was our first, albeit small, milestone; our tenth tasting. Over the last year, we’ve tasted a diverse variety of different wines and explored the viniculture of many different regions. But to mark this occasion, we were to return to one of the most important and historical centers of wine production, Burgundy – source of some of the world’s greatest wines and to the king of white grapes, Chardonnay.

As a way of introduction, LP (our guide for the evening) presented the four major regions of Burgundy – Côte d’Or, Côte Châlonnaise, Mâconnais and Chablis – and described their geography, climate and often confusing classification systems. Burgundy, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, typifies the concept of terroir, and its influence in wine production is one of the major reasons for the region being able to produce consistently high quality wines throughout history.

We explored the region working roughly north to south, beginning with Chablis in the north-west. Our first wine, the 2007 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet, Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £16.55) was a fine example of a traditional dry Chardonnay, typifying a style which has been reproduced around the world. This wine had hints of vanilla and toast (the similarity to Champagne was noted) on the nose, with butterscotch coming through once left to breath for a few minutes. The taste, however, was not creamy, but unexpectedly acidic. LP explained that given the cooler climate and shorter summers, producers in Chablis use techniques such as malolactic fermentation. The malic acid certainly came through in the apple and mineral flavours which were interesting, if not unpleasant. In contrast, the 2007 Domaine Ghislaine & Jean-Hugues Goisot, St-Bris (Theatre of Wine, £11.20) had none of the crispness or sharpness of taste that was expected. The earthly, mouldy aromas gave way to a sour, but full body that challenged the taste-buds. Many tasters commented that the St-Bris would be an excellent companion to a strong goats cheese.

Leaving Chablis, we moved to Burgundy-proper and took a slight diversion away from Chardonnay to experience the regions ‘other’ white grape variety, Aligoté. One of the components in the blackcurrant liqueur Kir, Aligoté has traditionally had a bad reputation as a wine in its own right, but has had a revival in recent years. The 2008 Blason de Bourgogne, Bourgogne Aligoté (Waitrose, £8.99) had a fabulous golden colour and a bouquet that included sherbert, soft fruits, wood and mild incense. It was the fruit notes that came through most intensely on the palate, producing a curious gone-off strawberries sensation. This wine was perhaps not one of the finest examples of a Burgundy white, but represented good value for money and certainly a talking point. The 2006 Nicolas Potel, Montagny 1er Cru (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £14.50), nearby geographically to the Aligoté but a complete contrast in terms of taste, returned us to the Chardonnay grape. The creamy and fruity flavours, with prominent notes of bananas and pear in particular, proved the variety of taste experiences that the same grape can produce. Many members were reminded of the St-Aubin that we tasted back in January. Whilst we were warned not place full trust in the ‘Premier Cru’ label, this was certainly a high quality wine and the most popular of the evening so far.

Moving further south to Mâcon, we tasted two wines from the central district of Burgundy: 2007 Héritiers du Comte Lafon ‘Les Maranches’, Mâcon-Uchizy (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £17.50) and 2006 Olivier Merlin, St-Véran (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £13.95). The appellations in the Mâconnais region produce large quantities of both red and white wines on their rolling limestone hills, which benefit from larger quantities of sunshine and heat than their northern neighbours; the Chardonnay grapes here are rarely affected by frost. We noted the influence of the geology in the aromas of both wines, particularly flint, which came through in the minerally Mâcon-Uchizy. However, the acidic taste (even more so than the Chablis) was both unexpected and disappointing, which made the St-Véran even more enjoyable. The second example had both an earthy aroma – typical of an oak-aged wine – and a creamy butterscotch flavour. A powerful wine, which would be a fine accompaniment to strongly-flavoured food.

Our penultimate wine of the evening, the 2006 Bret Brothers Cuvée Terres de Fuissé, Pouilly-Fuissé (Berry Bros. & Rudd, £19.50) was from the southern-most point on the limestone plateau on which Burgundy is grown, and an appellation which famously produces wines commanding some of the highest prices in the region. The Bret brothers, highly respected producers, have a reputation for being the mavericks of the Burgundy region and so this tasting was eagerly anticipated. Despite being ever so slightly corked, the quality of the pouilly clearly shone through in the creamy flavours, and was highly praised by all. Many noted that they would seek this out after the tasting to fully experience the wine.

To conclude, we tasted a classic example of Meursault, a large and prosperous appellation in the Côte d’Or. LP noted that although this AC strangely contains no Grand Crus, the Premier Crus are rarely surpassed (and as expensive). The 2004 Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault Charmes, Meursault 1er Cru (The Sampler, £29.99) had notes of bananas, salami and smoked cheese on the noise, leading to a creamy flavour. This wine would probably improve even more during the next five to eight years.

Many thanks to LP for organising such an enjoyable and insightful tasting. Wines of the evening were as follows:

1) Wine of the evening: 2006 Bret Brothers Cuvée Terres de Fuissé, Pouilly-Fuissé
2) Best value for money: 2006 Olivier Merlin, St-Véran

(report by TH)

[JK's note: Because it was AlM's birthday, we also had the 2003 Domaine Pouderoux Vendange Tardive, Maury (Waitrose, £9.99, 50cl). A vin doux naturel, it is unsurprising that it reminded many of a tawny port, since both are made by fortification. Cherry and mulberry, it nicely complemented AlM's birthday cake. Probably a good accompaniment for chocolate as well!]

Get him a maury flow, from the Maury ShowFuck around, y’all gonna be up on the Maury Show.
Simultaneously boundless and talentless.
Killa Cam is IT.

Albert Einstein once said, “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” With that said I’d like to know what would possess a married man with a wife and eight kids to sneak out and get some side booty. Oh and let’s not forget that this married man at the time had a very successful television show centered on the fact that he and his wife are raising eight kids. You know, eight kids who without a television contract they would be in a commercial with Sally Struthers begging for money with flies on their faces while daddy is out on the corner slinging crack?

Seriously Jon, I’d like to hear your excuse for that one. Now grant it, having eight kids at home would mean you’re gonna jerk off 94.6% of your time for the rest of your life when you and the wife aren’t sneaking into the closet to get some. But damn man, you’re on TV, on a reality show – nothing you do is ever going to be private, or on the down low as you think. Shit, TMZ knew Michael Jackson was dead a week before you, I, and the rest of the world. Did you really think your wife would never find out about you creeping with that young chick? C’mon son! At least have the brains to mess around with a Black woman if it was all about the booty. Oh don’t look at me crazy, you know a “sister” would have made sure none of this would ever come out.

Equally as foolish was the woman with whom he had “the affair” if you ask me. I’m sorry, but maybe it’s just that I’m used to Black women making a conscious effort not to get involved with Black men with kids, and the baby momma drama that comes with it. But err, if I were a woman, why would I want to get with a guy with eight children unless we lived in some polygamist compound, and I was obviously brain washed? I mean I could understand wanting to be with someone famous, or at least some form of celebrity assuming they may have some money; actually, I think that’s how The Flava of Love got started, no? No but seriously, how much money could this guy have with a wife and eight kids at home?

Well let’s see, shall we…

Oh so now he decides that he “cares” about the kids and doesn’t want them on television anymore. Yep, now that his “role” on the show will be limited, he decides to act an ass. Not only act like an ass, but act selfishly as well by withdrawing all of that money from their bank account! I’m sorry Jon, but you f*cked up royally with that one. Yes Jon, $1000.00 dollars won’t buy enough Ramen Noodles to feed those kids. C’mon son! Just in that one move you went from idiot status to super douche bag; yep, and old wrinkled up red one like my grandmother used to have. Forget about even getting laid after pulling a stunt like that. What about the kids Jon? The only thing keeping them afloat is in fact the show. So what they dropped your name from the show; if you were against them being on TV you would not and should not have agreed to the show in the first place!

What’s surprising to me is that when the “Octomom” was in the news “certain people” gave her hell. People were all over her case and had her pegged as a “Welfare Queen” for being unmarried with fourteen children. But yet no such outrage at the actions of Jon Gosselin; imagine that. The way people are treating this, you’d think Kate Gosselin was a Black woman…

White folks, you people need to get it together and show this guy how he’s messing it up for you people. If you don’t, I’m afraid that this will become the new trend in America with white men. I mean damn, we Black men already have the running out on the wife and kids thing covered; can’t we just leave it that way? You folks are always quick to talk about and down to us for what we do. Can’t you all at least do the same for one of your own? Who knew white men were capable of the same type of behavior; I dunno, bad parenting, maybe?

The cherished concept of family which as you know is exclusive to white folks, is in jeopardy. So white people, since you’ve never cared about anything other than white women as evidenced by the love you all collectively share for Orenthal J. Simpson. I urge you to stand up and do your part to protect American family values as only you people can. I know you people hate Barack Obama and all, but he takes care of his kids. I’m sorry, but Jon Gosselin makes you people look bad, and next thing you know, single white mothers at the welfare office will be the rage, and we can’t have that now, can we?

Save the White woman!

Sorry for the long absence.  No real reason for it, aside from being busy at work and having nothing special on my mind.  I was going to write a long, much deeper post about health care reform, but that will take some time.  So for the time being, while I still don’t have anything special on my mind, I figured I’d write something anyway. 

- I realize that they’re terribly cheesy, but I do kind of like Bud Light’s new “Tailgate Approved” commercials, especially the one for the Grooler.  When the guy uses the hot dog as a phone to call the future, that gets me every time.

- Mrs. Cutter and I are off to South Carolina this weekend for a wedding.  Does anyone have any recommendations as to what there is to do in Charleston?  We’re probably going to tour a plantation, but aside from that, we should have some free time.  Suggestions are welcome.

- We’ve reached the last week of the baseball season.  The Phillies can clinch the National League East tonight with a win or a Braves loss.  Even if they clinch, I’d like to see them play hard for the remainder of the week for two reasons: 1. So that they don’t get complacent and lose their edge.  2. So that they can get at least the second best record in the league and get homefield advantage for at least the first round.

I’ll have more to write about the Phillies season and playoff hopes in a later blog though.

- On the other hand, the Nationals have surged past 100 losses on the season!  On Friday, Mrs. Cutter, Squinty and I went on a group trip to the game with Social Sports of Bethesda.  It was an amazing deal.  For $15, we took a bus from Union Jacks in Bethesda, received free beer on the bus, had tickets in the Miller Lite Beer Pen and got three free beers, and then got free beer on the bus ride back to Bethesda.  Plus, we got to see fireworks!  Making the fireworks even more special was that while watching them, some guy wearing a jersey that said “America” on it with the number 1 walked by.

- Mrs. Cutter just purchased a new car.  Relatively painful this time around, but I wish the whole process could be easier.  It makes you wish more places used “no haggle pricing.”

- Another Yom Kippur has come and gone.  Usually, after almost a full day of fasting I become a bit loopy.  But for some reason, the loopiness didn’t really hit me this year until after I ate.  During the day, after coming home from services, I decided to watch an episode of the G.I.Joe cartoon that I remember had been on TV on Yom Kippur back in 1986.  You may ask how I remember that this particular episode was on back then.  The answer is that I have a really good memory of specific details sometimes. 

In case you were curious, the episode is entitled “Satellite Down” and involved G.I.Joe and Cobra both pursuing a downed spy satellite.  In the cartoon, there was a big rivalry between Spirit (the Indian tracker) of G.I.Joe and the Cobra ninja Storm Shadow.  In the comics (and the recent movie) Storm Shadow’s big rival is Snake Eyes.  I’m not sure why they changed this for the cartoon.

- Because a couple of friends were in the audience, Mrs. Cutter and I decided to watch an episode of Maury yesterday.  I really didn’t know what I was missing by not watching afternoon talk shows.  Not only do you get the ridiculously trashy guests (Quick aside: The movie Idiocracy may have been spot on.  It does seem like the biggest morons are the most fertile and we’re headed towards being a society of imbeciles) you get awesome lawyer commercials featuring William Shatner.

- Next week, my skeeball league begins.  Yes, I’m playing in a skeball league:  http://dcskee.com/wordpress.   It should be tremendously awesome.

The new season of Maury is here.  Housewives and college students rejoice!

On Sept. 14 Maury opened his doors to a new season of mama’s who don’t know who their baby’s daddy is.  Teens who don’t know how to behave, and guys who definitely don’t want a baby.

Now, I have been a pretty frequent viewer of the Maury show since the end of the summer.  It is a guilty pleasure of mine, one that I feel a little ashamed to have.  However, I don’t have cable, and I also don’t have class at 1 p.m. during the week.  So what else am I supposed to do?

This season has already been slightly different from what I am used to.  Maury has usually been exclusively paternity tests, and lots of em.  The first episode of this season, however, was very different.  Maury decided that his first episode would be a gender guessing episode.  So he paraded a bunch of people in front of the audience and had them guess their gender.

Although not his usual schtick, I enjoyed the season opener.  The following episode returned to paternity tests and I wasn’t disappointed.  Maury had mama after mama who were just looking for a baby daddy.  I do always feel bad for the single mothers, but for some reason I always feel worse for the men.  I think it is because they are invited to the show and just get yelled at for half an hour, and it is annoying for me.  I can’t imagine how annoying the yelling is live.

Today, one woman appeared on the show for the 5th time.  She was hoping that her most recent baby was her ex-fiance’s.  But he wasn’t, and I was glad, because she was extra annoying.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I am happy that Maury is back with a new season.  And I am glad that everyday won’t simply be paternity tests.

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “dark; black”
Fr. (moh-REESE) Eng (MOR-ris).

He may seem a bit dated to some, but parents looking to vintage names like Leo and Brice/Bryce might see the appeal in this. Traditionally nicknamed Maury, parents who opt for the French pronunciation have the advantage of using Reese. Look past Maury Povich and the cartoon character in Madgascar, and you will find that the name has a long and rich history. He is a derivative of the Roman name Mauritius, which is derived from the Latin Maurus meaning “dark-skinned; dark complexion.”

The name was borne by Emperor Maurice of Byzantium (539-602). Known in Greek as Maurikios and in his native Armenian as Morik, Emperor Maurice was one of the most influential and decisive rulers of the byzantine empire, so much so that he is a national hero in his native Armenia till this day.

The name is also borne by a very popular 3rd century saint. St. Maurice was an Egyptian by birth and a Roman citizen. He served in the Roman army and was apart of the Theban legions, which had been stationed in an area of what is now Switzerland at the time of the saint’s martyrdom. According to legend, Emperor Maximian ordered Maurice and his legions to put down a local Christian community, when Maurice and his followers refused to harass fellow Christians, the emperor ordered them to be executed. The area of martyrdom is now known as Saint Maurice-en-Valais and the Abbey of Saint Maurice-en-Valais supposedly houses the saint’s relics.

The saint also gave his name to another town in Switzerland: St. Moritz, (Top of the World), is a beautiful little resort town that sits in the Valley of Engadine and the canton of Graubünden. Their coat of arms actually features the legendary saint from whom the town was named. St. Maurice is also venerated among Coptic Christians. In fact, the names Maurice and Maurikios are fairly common among Egyptian Christians.

Speaking of its German form Moritz, the name is also found in the popular German children’s series Max and Moritz written by Wilhelm Busch in 1865. The humorous duo is still a common pop icon in German speaking countries. Other notable appearances include a novel by E.M. Forster, (Maurice) written in 1913, is it a tale of same sex love in early 20th-century England. The Island of Mauritius or L’île Maurice in French, is a former French colony and an island off the coast of Africa. It was named in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau, the Stadtholder of the Netherlands.

The designated name-day is September 22

Maurice still lurks in the U.S top 1000, he recently came in at # 405. Other forms of the name include:

• Morik (Armenian)
• Maurits (Dutch)
• Mauri (Finnish)
• Maur (French)
• Moritz (German)
• Maurikios (Greek)
• Móric (Hungarian/Slovakian)
• Muiris (Irish)
• Maurizio (Italian)
• Mauro (Italian/Portuguese/Romansch)
• Mauritius (Late Latin)
• Morics (Latvian)
• Maurycy (Polish)
• Maurício (Portuguese)
• Murezzen (Romansch)
• Mauricio (Spanish)
• Meuric/Meurig (Welsh)

Its feminine counterparts are Maura, Mauricia and Maurizia.

This is a hilarious cartoon sketch about the paternity results of LIl’ Wayne & Lauren London. Featuring a slew of famous guests.

Some wines have a defining quality.  The sharp acidity and mineral quality of Chablis or the big bones of Molletieri’s Taurasi have been commented on in recent posts.  The defining character of Roussillon’s wines is sunshine and lots of it.  Tucked up against the Spanish border, this Catalan region is literally sun-drenched, with the most hours of sunshine in France.  And it shows in the bottle and in the glass.

Here’s a typical example of the dense, red fruit, with the purple rim of a young wine.  It’s a product of the hundreds of hours of sunshine and of wine making which mainly tries to preserve the fruit flavours in the finished wine.

Our guide to Roussillon was Jean Pla, negociant, vine and wine consultant, from the village of Maury.  If you want to join the current gold rush into the south (cf Tuscany’s Maremma), he is your man (www.restocave.com).  At the invitation of Paul Gumn, one of our 

members who has a house in the area, Jean and his wife, Genevieve, flew from Beziers to lead the tasting for Andover Wine Friends.  On a blustery November night, Jean’s genial nature and good humour, great pictures of Roussillon and excellent wines certainly lifted the spirits.  And as the reds really cry out for food, Paul had also bought regional cheeses and wild boar sausage to go with the wines.

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Jean Pla’s selection of wines showed three great strengths of the Roussillon wine scene: powerful modern reds, innovation, the tradition of world class sweet red wines.

Modern reds

With all that sun and the heritage of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah, it is hardly surprising that Roussillon produces great, big, fruit-led reds.  First, kill your wild boar, roast over a spit for half a day, gather the tribe and crack open some bottles which will stand up to any meaty challenge!  15˚ is common place on the label but only because of legal reasons for not declaring a higher percentage of alcohol.  But this is not to say that the wines are unbalanced.

Here we have two wines at different quality levels. The Sarrat on the left is a quality wine which costs €12 in France. It’s made of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah, with only the last named spending 6 months in casks – so it’s red fruits all the way, smooth, with enough acidity to make this big wine highly drinkable.  By contrast the L’enfant perdu on the right is a serious customer, €20, with more use of oak ageing. It is initially more restrained on nose but with a dense bouquet with some balsamic notes and then a great intensity of fruit in the mouth.  It would be  great wine for ageing.

Innovation

Jean Pla also introduced his every day wines with which he has had a great success in the Japanese market – how the world of wine has changed! His entry level duo, red and white, are a good value €5 and have cheeky labels!

What’s in the bottle is just as good: predictably gorgeous red fruits in the red with good grip from the acid and tannins.  Made basically

from Grenache, it also has a touch of Syrah and Carignan to help with Grenache’s proneness to exposure to air in the winemaking.  Also shown above is the old vine Grenache – here old vines means 80 year olds!  The wine spends two years in older, large, oak barrels and is a big leap up in seriousness – again a big mouthful of red and black fruit, smooth but with great depth of flavour, satisfying.

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More of a surprise was the white with its good fresh nose, herbs and slightly nutty.  Made from Grenache blanc and gris (ie the white and pink version of the red grape), and grown on the schist rather than limestone/ clay, it was refreshing, with good fruit and plenty of structure to stand up to food.  And with a couple of angelic grape pickers on the label!

Traditional sweet reds

Roussillon’s fame in the past has been for its sweet reds.  Banyuls and Maury are the big names.  These wines are made by adding high strength spirit to a part fermented wine. This stops the fermentation while there is still a ‘natural’ sweetness about the resulting wine, hence the designation, vin doux naturel.  The tasting included three such wines, the first an innovation, being white!  This was the product of the large company, Mas Amiel, perhaps aimed at those who will be surprised by the idea of sweet reds.  The wine was fruity and herby, not too sweet, far too quaffable …

But the stars of the show were the pair of sweet reds, one a recent bottling, the other, like a grande dame, keeping her age a proper secret.     These are the traditional wines of the area and it’s great that they are still being produced, alongside the new trend for big, dry red wines.   Both come from the Domaine des Soulanes in Maury with the 2008 showing a delicious fruity nose and a great combination of red fruit, refreshing acidity and balance in the mouth.  The trick is the relatively simple process: make wine, add alcohol, store in stainless steel for three months, bottle, sell after one year … The kick for the unwary is the 16.5˚  of alcohol and all for €11 for a full 75cl bottle.

By contrast the Hors d’Age was something really special.  By law it must be 5 years old but this old hand was in fact the 1992 vintage.   Once it was poured you could see the effect of long term ageing.  The

pictures don’t quite capture the amber to brown colour, quite a shock after the vivid purple/reds of young grenache.  In the glass, there was a symphony of sensations – beautiful oxidized notes of nuts, caramel or toffee, figs, and then underneath all that you could still taste red fruit. And the flavours went on and on.   Here’s to the sunshine of Roussillon.

Postscript: Paul Gumn gave us a bottle of ‘Three Trees’ to taste.   ‘Eating, drinking, dancing’ says the label; or more conventionally, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Catalanes, Domaines de Majas. A powerful and fresh wine made from Grenache Noir and Carignan, with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon for backbone.  Great drinking, ‘only’ 13.5% alcohol, great with food, easy to drink, didn’t attempt the dancing. 

LOL …these spoofs crack me up. Someone really took the time out to brainstorm, create, edit and complete this mess. Talent or boredom? LOL Both.

**Beanie Baby LOL**

This is a pretty funny skit poking fun at the baby conceived by Lauren London and Lil Wayne.

“Help me Maury. I need to know who my baby’s daddy is!!”

These pivotal words are how many of TV’s talk shows begin. Now naturally you may be wondering why I am even watching these shows instead of doing something more productive, like working on this blog or spending time with Catherine, but I have a perfectly good explanation – she wanted to watch an episode of Maury to relax a bit after a long and hard start to the week.

The shows always start the same way – the host enters, people cheer, guests arrive, more cheering and some booing, and paternity tests which are given out like candy – the usual TV show fare.

But I am not writing this blog telling you what you already know, especially if you enjoy watching these kinds of TV shows.

As Catherine and I cuddled up and watched the show, interspersed with adverts for fictitious online colleges promising a criminal justice diploma in just 3 months with no exams or assignments, we started to notice a strange trend. These shows never seem to feature Asians. None at all. Not even mixed or those 1/32th Asians that are oh-so common. So much inbred white trash seems to overpopulate these shows, and that gets tiring more quickly than the roadkill that they eat for dinner every night.

Both of us realizing that this is probably not an isolated phenomenon, we decided to suffer through a few more paternity tests and watched another talk show. This was the Tyra Banks show. So many teenage girls are pregnant early, and they encompass all the colours of the human rainbow except one – yellow. No Asians here either.

Asians in general aren’t likely to sleep with a stripper or their estranged wife’s 16 year old step-daughter. Nor are they likely to get preggers at 14.

But wait, is this true? Surely as the most populous race, they suffer from these problems as well.

BRB, looking for Maury’s Asian equivalent…