(incendiary post warning!) This list was written by a group of baby boomers, and is quite biased. If you knew nothing about pop music and read only the early part of this list, you'd think that nobody recorded anything worthwhile after 1980. Except, of course, for the notable exception that appears ...

My advice is to ignore megapixels and focus on other features. Size of the camera, zoom range, durability, etc, are all more important than megapizels, which are effectively marketing at this point. Anything about 6 megapixels is plenty.

Keeping in mind that similar to a wine review being akin to a snapshot of a runner in a marathon (ala RP), my favorites are always changing. That said, my snapshot right now is: movie: Fargo book: Life of Pi (fiction) or Guns, Germs and Steel (nonfiction) song: I Am the Resurrection by the Stone Ros...

Stefan, happy birthday! Your perspective on retirement reminded me of a joke my new department chair told me the other day. "The Dean" walks into "the Senior Faculty Member"'s office and sits down. The Dean: "Listen, you've been a great asset to this university for many year...

1. Sociando Mallet
2. 1982 Beychevelle
3. Ummm, I rarely spend more than $50, so this is Sociando again
4. Poujeaux

All this FL talk got me hunkering for riesling, so I tried the Dr. Frank 2007 Semi Dry Riesling tonight.... it's good but a bit too sweet for me. I'm remembering that this is usually my impression of any FL riesling that isn't called "dry." It's certainly an enjoyable drink, and it is in b...

Andy - I think the FL rieslings do compare well to (not beat) the european examples. Not the $50 european examples, but those in the same price range. Although I've just poked around the Red Newt website and noticed several single-vineyard bottlings have cropped up since I was last there, with high ...

Ravines is excellent, I think. I also love Red Newt's reserve, along with Weimer as you mentioned. I tend to prefer the dry, reserve style of riesling - it's like licking a stone! (in a good way). But the semi-dry style can be nice as well as long as it doesn't get too far from dry. I had a Lamoreau...

Yes, great notes Ian. Sounds like I'm in the minority, but I think the typical $15-$17 Finger Lakes riesling IS a good value and competitive in the marketplace. This might be blasphemy on a Bordeaux message board, but I think its the best expression of terroir I've ever experienced. When I taste tha...

Probably too late to reply, but I'm also from near the Finger Lakes and I have a somewhat different impression of the place than AlexR. No, its not Napa Valley, but who really wants that anyway? The wines have come a long way in the past few decade and a half that I've watched, and I now believe tha...

Excellent notes Michael. I've loved everything I've ever had from Woodward Canyon - favorite was a 1994 dedication series cab. I need to get some new releases in the cellar.

Corr

Alch, coincidentally I'm also drinking the '06 Koonunga Hill shiraz-cab tonight. I like it a lot - I got a case of it for $7-something - it's very high quality at that price.

Corr

Jay - read my post above - I already created a group. Please join!

Corr

Well, I don't know about the Monkees, but I've used Facebook a fair amount, and like it a lot. I find it to be a great place to reconnect with old friends and stay up to date with what current friends are up to. I went ahead and created a BWE group - those of you who are on Facebook, feel free to go...

Wow, awesome site! Very user friendly. Excellent work Jim, Phil and everyone else involved. I already don't miss MSN in the slightest.

Corr

P.S. If this is barebones, I can't wait for a demonstration of the awesome power of a fully operational Death Star.