Well, I admit it -- I'm a hot sauce lover. But, I'm a novice at it. Given that I grew up in Maine and have only lived out mid-west for the last 4-5 years or so, I imagine there's some folks that could teach me a thing or two about HOT. I met someone in Ohio who could eat Dave's Insanity Sauce by the spoon full, but he's had prostate problems now. But I'm not talking who can eat haberno EXTRACT -- flavor and hot is the key. So, what's it like LA and TX folks (I'm sure there's others I've missed, but they'll just be ticked that I left them out so much they'll post with avengeance )).


On a totally OPPOSITE note (or is it ), I'm big into wine (and beer). Found a couple of gems at a wine tasting tonight. As a horse player I'm a risk/value man. This is reflected in my wine choices -- not always the most expensive (or the least), but I try to match value with price.

Found a Barton Vale Shiraz 2001, Australia. This has a nose to die for. Seriously, don't drink, just sniff. Lovely nose. Its palette is really tight right now, not much flavor, not much finish. 21$ bottle. Whoa -- worht that? I think so -- give it a year or so, it's palette and finish will follow through like a 40$ bottle. (600 US cases)

I have a Spanish Crianza that is out of this world if you like the oaky sort of thing, should get even better in a year (a bit tannic now, it's a 1999). I have to dig the name out. If you're a SPAIN head interested in this sort of thing, reply and I'll post it.


See -- you thought all I did was program computers and Fish!

-N

N,

Have you had Thai food? Good flavor combinations where you can taste each ingredient. And can chose your own heat. From mild to inferno. I had some chicken and mint the other night that was great with sliced jalapeno pepper and some of those little red bombs that are there for the unwary.
I tried some shrimp soup that has a lemon taste along with small chunks of the dried red bombs floating on the top. Beware of the dregs. After the chunks get wet they sink to the bottom. Two spoonfuls and I was reaching for the water. Then got red in the face and started to sweat. Yummy. Come on Ice Cream!

Actually, I haven't found a Thai food restaraunt since I left Ann Arbor a number of years ago -- good food, no doubt.

I'll end with a joke from my days in Russia. Don't know how well it will turn out in prose....

Some American toursists go to Russia. They want to eat some food. They go to the Locals and ask "where's a PECTOPAH". The locals don't know what in the world they are talking about. They keep searching. Finally, they reach an America who speaks Russian. They say -- have you seen any "Pectopahs" around here -- we're dying for some food. The American smirks and says, P = R, C = S, P = R,, H = N -- ReStoRaN = Restaurant. True story (guess who the American was?).

Ok, a better one....

Breshnev is sitting in front of the Politburu, miffed about the American moon landing.
(said in a mumbled, alcholic Breshnev voice)
BR: "Comrades -- the Americans think they are so great because they put a man on the moon. That is nothing! We, the Soviet Union, will put a man on the Sun!

PB: But, comrade Breshnev, we will burn up if we go to the sun?!?

BR: "Idioti! Do you think the leaders of the Soviet Union are fools?!? We will go there at night!




-Nathan

Okay someone needs to lock the wine cellar door and return the empty keg to the liquor store!!!

Never know what kind of programming Nathan does while under the influence, so no reporting of bugs until the sun rises.

By the way Nathan, next time you are passing thru Phoenix, I will take you for some real Mexican food!!!

Bill

I do love to tell stories -- but I'll truncate this one in order to avoid incriminating members of my family -- lets just say that my wife was the one that shouldn't be hacking on any code this evening... Myself, I'm still enjoying a Mendocino Syrah (Hidden Cellars). I believe this wine is fairly mass produced (still researching it), but it was suggested as a good value so I went for it. Pretty decent -- powerful on the nose (though a bit "nail polishy"), full bodied but not a Tannin monster, palate is dark fruit with a lasting finish. 12 dollars is about even, would have preferred 9 or 10 for this bottle.

ThoroTHeCmH - SoftHware Width a Fllaire


Nathan

ps. My wife is Polish, but I think she is embarrassed by it -- she keeps buying this stuff called "Polish Remover"....[boom-boom-bang]

PPS - Bill -- that might just convince me to make the trip!

Oh, my.

Nathan, I -never- post in public forums, but these notes force me to do the unthinkable.

First ... Polish vs polish. Geesh. You're a super programmer and obviously a great horse guy, but ... uh ... geesh. Letterman, Leno, etc., have nothing to worry about. (I.e., I'm joking, please don't ban me from the board...)

Er ... should I now say what a magnificent job you did of writing v. 3.5? That is SUCH a super "upgrade" that you really can't keep calling the "protected" part of the Board "boring beta stuff." I mean ... good gosh, you've discovered life on Mars, you've found evidence of alien civilization on Earth, you perfected cold fusion AND found a cure for the common cold ... all in one little "upgrade" -- and you say that it's BORING???? You know, you really need to release 3.5 to the general public on a Friday afternoon. Otherwise, they're all gonna lose at least two days of work, and YOU will be responsible for the decline in the GNP. (Folks: It's an "upgrade" somewhat beyond expectations! Beyond belief, if you're accustomed to Microsoft and AOL sorts of "upgrades.")

About habaneros. I don't wanna get into personal stuff here, but in Thailand I served a snack to some Thais and ... they gasped for air/water. A good moderate Hab snack will WAKE UP a boring li'l Asian menu. Too, a guy in the Southern Hemisphere said that during his days fighting terrorists he was given the absolute HOTTEST hot sauce anywhere. This was a guy who had lived the stories that the actors try to portray in "action films." He once spent weeks living in the brush, hiding from rebel terrorists and ate the tiny native peppers, and this sauce was made from the things. Marvelous story and the guy was a tremendous friend ... but the sauce was as strong as Lipton tea. I gave him a taste of Dave's Insanity Sauce ... a molecule on the end of a toothpick ... and he was drinking water from the flower vases and nearly started drinking from the swimming pool. So ... yeah, Dave's is good.

Folks, if you're seeing this before you've seen Nathan's "upgrade" 3.5 ... go to Krogers and buy some Tobasco sauce. Go somewhere and find Dave's Insanity Sauce. Taste the Tobasco first. Hot? Oh, yeh. Then taste the Dave's. That's the diff between 3.0 and 3.5.

Try an omlette with Habaneros ... great way to start the day!

Ah. OK, maybe I'm comparing apples with Habaneros ... but the Upgrade is an UPGRADE!!!!!!

(Mr. Will is doing such a great job of posting rational comments about the Upgrade that I thought this irrational ranting and raving would be appropriate. Will -- cool observations! Please tell us how you do over the weekend! Better still, tell us ... heh ... who you like.)

Beer: Singha. Cerveza Negro. San Muigel. Homebrew. If you have any cans of Millers or Bud Lite, please set them on a fence post and shoot at them. Great targets, lousy drinks.

OK. I -had- to do that. Now I'm back to lurking.
Good luck, y'all!

Um ... right ... one more note: If you happen to be interested in EquiSim and aren't yet a registered user: Check out the demo. The demo took me from a dabbling losing bozo to a break-even sort. A few dozen hours of messing with the program took me rather beyond that point. If it says you will make, say, a 45% ROI ... don't expect that on your first day at the track. But if you keep AT IT and follow it for, say, a week -- you will (almost always) see a positive return. Sometimes quite dramatic. Make sure you can afford to lose whatever you're playing with, though, because ... just because it worked that way for the past eight weeks doesn't mean that it'll work similarly tomorrow. But ... the sun has risen most every day for the past few decades and I think I'll bet on it for tomorrow.

Den -

I have a theory for why you don't post on forums -- it takes art and energy tocreate such great posts (Note the drivel I throw out).

Seriously, enjoyed the post to the last!

BUT - FOLKS - PLEASE Do NOT try Dave's Insanity Sauce! Just get verison 3.0 now and then get 3.5 later . It will save you much pain.

Sorry, I'm just too nice of a guy. My wife, who is Polish as I've mentioned, really can't eat hot food (I'm American - Italian/German/Polish but being a manly sort of guy....). Yet, she thought it would be "a blast" to buy a bottle of Dave's for Christmas 2 years ago. We spent X-Mas at her folks. Well, we still have the bottle of Dave's (though I do work on it), and her parents (who are really, really Polish with Polish palates), still have nightmares.... The sh*t is hot. It's not habanero -- its habanero EXTRACT. No fair.

-N

Den

Good post. Entertaining with solid comments. Plus very funny. Now that you have come in from lurkerville don't go back.

KEEP POSTING!

Hello All,

I live in Florida, but, after living in Williamsport, PA for about 2 years a little while back, I just had to post on this thread. If you ever get to the Williamsport, PA, area there is a little town attached on the southside called "Duboisetown" There is a small bar that is missing nothing but the "chickenwire" to protect the bands that play there on occasion, because truly the place lies within the classification of a genuine DIVE! BUT, they have the hottest most Tasteful Chicken Wings that I have ever had in my entire life. We used to call them "Turbo Turkey Legs" because they appeared to be subjected to higher levels of radioactivity. They were freak'in Huge, but also very tasty. As soon as you stepped in the door your nose would begin to run almost uncontrollably and you couldn't help but lose control of your faculties at least to some varying degree.:> ))

When I started with my job, I lived in California, and I used to be a big Wine buff but having kids and many other daily concerns has sort of taken me out of the loop in that department.

I hope that everyone is doing well in their daily play and I just wanted to say that I have enjoyed this thread immensely.:> )

All the BEST to Everyone!

Vinnie1

"An unused tool is a useless Tool"!

Nathan, I drink a diet pepsi that has a delicate nose but is robust but not so much it overpowers you. Look for the Aug 2001. Good stuff.