The Wine Commonsewer

Here's A Phone Card, Call Somebody Who Cares

More TWC, after the break......

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H L Mencken On Tax

Unquestionably, there is progress.  The average American now pays out twice as much in taxes as he formerly got in wages. 

Travelin' Man

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Got a note this morning from my old friend Stevie Crown, who's employed by the Dark Side in some nefarious capacity that I've never been quite clear about.

Greetings from the M.E., land of Allah.  I have finally made it back to what was once known as Constantinople.  Workin' my way back to the U.S.  It has been quite a day, rubbing elbows with the President (no, not G. Bush, although he was not that far away recently) & security was rampant! Lots of beautiful women of various nationalities!!  Tomorrow I will be seeing the Prime Minister.

P.S. Eat your heart out!

I'm sure he meant that last crack about the beautiful women not the Prime Minister.

When he's not sneaking around in that ridiculous trench coat (the bulge is from the Smith Model 36) and fedora, he's emulating that old Ricky Nelson tune.

As Ever,

TWC

Living Right IS the Best Revenge

Gentle Readers,

Just got this email:

Just a note to let you know I paid IRS..............my friend..... still has the sailboat, a 37' solid teak Tayana.  We will be using it as our excuse to go to the Tampa Blues Festival** and then..........down to St Croix, USVI where we will keep it year round as a jump off point.

That just ain't right. [shakes head]

Back in my vagrant yoot there was a hot little blond chick who offered to drag me off to the US Virgin Islands, a place that, at the time, I couldn't have found on a map for hard cash or to save my soul.

TWC might've taken her up on that offer if the husband (slipped her mind that she was married) hadn't tracked my sorry self down in the alley behind my shop one drizzly February morning and proceeded to put the fear of the Lord into my sinning heart.

Always with the Glory Days, Moriarity.

**Worth a click thru to Tampa Blues Festival for the rockin' Delbert McClinton blues number. I ain't kiddin' y'all, neither.

As Ever,

TWC

Declare The Pennies On Your Eyes

Video is here.

Taxare Diei

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Debb sent the first email of the day to remind me of the reason that, even as we stamp our collective feet, insisting that we won't pay another dime of tax, we still take Tax Day ever so seriously.

In the words of Thomas Paine.....

What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue.

Hint: Take a couple of glasses of red to take the edge off.

Photo credit: Acclaim Images

As Ever,

TWC

2005 Red Belly Black Shiraz

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

If you like Hiram Walker Blackberry Brandy then this is your wine. A thick, syrupy, medicinal, fumey (isopropyl, man), peppery Shiraz that exudes the aroma of, well Grenadine Syrup.

Could you make a Singapore Sling or a Tequila Sunrise with it? I suppose not, so Mr Walker it is.

For the record, there was a time when the best Tequila Sunrise* to be had (at any price) was at TWC's place.

It is getting better with air (breathing) but I'm not sure it's ever going to be worth the asking price of ten to thirteen dollars US. Simply put, there are a million good wines in that price range and in order to make this work, it would have to be your personal passion. It won't be everyone's.

Winemaker's notes:

Inky black with purple and garnet hues, this wine follows its lovely colour with aromas of rich plum, red currant and liquorice together with spicy vanillin oak. On the palate its soft silky texture and fruit richness have great length, and finish with exquisite mouth filling dark fruit flavours.

This wine is ideal with kangaroo or your favourite steak.

The namesake red belly black snake is indigenous to the Oz bushland where the Angove family has been making wine for five generations.

*Bonus for those who've known that hollow feeling:

Video here.

As Ever,

TWC

Harry Browne On Income Tax

We shouldn't have to live this way—working a quarter to a half of our lives so that the politicians will have money to squander on their political friends.

Arthur Godfrey On Income Taxes

I'm proud to pay taxes in the United States the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money.