Introduction to Tuscany Wines, Part Two September 6, 2009
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Montalcino
Our second day, we set off back up the road and dived into the realms of Brunello, a varietal of Sangiovese specific to the area around Montalcino. This genetic strain, plus the unique terroir, makes its renown wine an excellent (though expensive) choice for any good restaurant or connoisseur. But it is really worth it? After all, we tried our first in Montepulciano and weren’t overwhelmed…
Well, the answer is yes: with a caveat. The best Brunellos, as we discovered, really are pretty special, having a flavour and perfume that is unique and memorable. But, like anywhere, it depends a lot on what you find and what your preferences are, and for us it’s really only worth it when you’re buying in Montalcino, where they’re significantly cheaper (€15-20 a bottle, versus €20-30 elsewhere). We couldn’t believe how many Brunello producers there were in Montalcino– more than 200! Most aren’t sold past the city limits, I’d guess, and there are only a handful to be found in Perugia, less than 100 km away. A good way to train your tastebuds is to go to the line of shops facing the town square, which have dozens open that you can taste. One of the best isthe Cantina della Piazza, and there’s also another smaller shop just around the corner, up the hill, on the left where they had the best Brunellos I tasted (although too expensive for my budget). Incidentally, don’t fail to pay attention to the more humble “Rosso di Montalcino” that almost all cantine make; it may not be 100% Brunello, but it’s probably 80% and some have the same flavour characteristics that make you think you’re drinking really expensive wine. Looking back, I wish we had bought more.
Our acquisitions:
- We bought bottles of Brunello di Montalcino from Tornesi (2003) and Il Carlo Magno (2003), both smaller producers, for about €15 each. (Don’t be afraid of the 2003 vintage, many of them are quite good!)
- Ironically, my star find in Montalcino was not a Tuscan but an Umbrian favorite: a 1998 Colpetrone Sangrantino di Montefalco for only €16, part of a last bottle closeout. (Consider that the 2007s sell new for €30…) We also bought, and later opened, another 1998 vintage Tuscan and found it very satisfying. There’s always the risk that it’s gone bad, though, and I did notice a bit of dried wine on the label after I brought it home…
Il Chianti
The next day, after a stop in Siena for the night, we headed up into Il Chianti– which, it must be said, really is all that in terms of scenery. We loved driving up through the mountain roads in our rental car (the only way to get there) and stopping in little towns to look out over the fields. In terms of wine, however, we found it somewhat less accommodating than other parts of Tuscany, maybe being a victim of its own success. Many cantine seem to frown on unscheduled visits, instead preferring to sell and taste through the commercial enoteca in the towns. We saddled up to a local enoteca at our first stop and tried some of the local Chianti Classico, but left without being overly impressed.
After lunch, we did make a stop at one cantina, Casaloste, which had a very nice new tasting room and a tri (quadra?) lingual hostess; we liked it enough (and appreciated the hospitality) to buy a bottle of the Classico. When we asked about what other wineries in the area might be worth trying, though, we got a blank stare in return. She told us she didn’t really know any of them– and that she had been here more than 10 years! Interesting… wouldn’t you be curious about other producers around you?
We headed on to Greve in Chianti, a popular tourist destination due to the piazza and the famous Cantine di Greve in Chianti, which allows you to buy a tasting card and sample any number of about 300 different wines from across the region; the cost of the tastings are calculated according to the cost of the bottle, so you can both experiment to see what you like AND try a few of the pricier ones that you know
you would never actually buy. Of course, it does add up: we were surprised to find we went through three €15 tasting cards in our visit, which is a lot of wine when you think about it. On the other hand, it was worth it for the experience because we wanted to taste a variety of different wines and train our palatte so we could figure out what we liked.
Our star find at the Cantina, at least in terms of Chianti, was the 2007 L’Aruspice– not only was it one of our favorites, it was also one of the cheapest on offer at only €8 a bottle. With a nose that speaks of black cherry and mint, the L’Aruspice is on the darker side for a Chianti, coming in between garnet and purple. On the mouth it is smooth and well-balanced but also distinctive, with acidity and just enough tannin to provide a dry finish. Not overly-fruity, in Italian style, but with enough body and substance to be satisfying. Very worth finding, if you can. The others worth mentioning were the Panzanetto 2007 (dark color, floral nose, strawberry notes, €15) and the Brancaia 2005 (good smokey nose, full bodied, elegant, €23). In fact, we liked everything made by Brancaia, although it tends to be pricey.
On the not-so-good side, avoid the Altiero 2007 (bleh), the San Felice (tasted cheap), and the house Chianti of the Cantine di Greve (sadly, unremarkable). A host of others were pleasing but not overly-impressive: Viticcio 2006 (€12), Fontodi 2006 (€15), Vecchie Terre di Montefili 2006 (€15), Querciabela 2006 (€19), and the Cacchiano 2004 (€15). The Cacchiano actually has a wonderful floral nose and is well balanced and smooth, it just didn’t quite make the cut when compared to the L’Aruspice at half the price.
After making our run of the Chianti Classico, we moved on to the Riserva. “Riserva” in this case just means that it is aged longer and can be sold only after a minimum of three years, usually. Wineries usually “reserve” their better grapes for the smaller-production Riservas, but it doesn’t always make for a notably better wine. It is by definition more expensive, though– so we didn’t linger too long here, only enough to see what the difference was like. Our first, the Molino di Grace 2005 (€15), only warrented a ” : /” symbol in our evaluation system; we found it had a very mature, smooth body but a weird chemical-ash nose. The second, the Dievole 2005 Riserva (€29) was a better choice, with a dark color, deep dark fruit on the nose, and a complex, aged, mature structure. This was a good choice to feel the difference for a riserva. The Berardo 2004 Riserva (€26) was also good, with balanced blackberry and prune, but didn’t wow us. The best bargain was undoubtably the Nipozzano 2005 Riserva (€14), which despite the price showed strong cassis and cranberry on the nose and a satisfying, complex taste profile. We’ve found this overseas, so it must be a larger producer; nonetheless, a safe pick at any resteraunt.
Then, the “Tuscans” and “Supertuscans”: blends made in the region that don’t meet the strict standards for classification, but that nonetheless are quite good (and now, famous and expensive). Here we had a whole range: some were not that appealing, while others had real character and depth. Cecy really liked the Villa Donoratico 2005 (€17), which had a medium color, a nutty nose, and was smooth and well balanced. Also notable was (again) the Brancaia 2006 Toscana (€45), a medium-dark blend with a alcoholy, dark current taste. The best overall? Undoubtably the Luce 2005 Frescobaldi Toscana (€76), which blew €4 in card credit at a single go. A strong, floral nose, powerful blackberry and cherries on the palate, earthy, herby, and overall really good. Worth the $100 for the bottle?– dunno, we couldn’t go there in any case. But worth the experience at $6? Definitely.
You’re probably thinking that would be the most expensive bottle we tasted– but you’d be wrong. For a mere €8 ($12) for a 2oz serving, the FSM Vicchiomaggio 2004 Toscana (€165, $240) delivered a simply wonderful nose, a floral bouquet with the distinctive “merlot” berry smell– the kind of sensual experience that makes you really get why people pay hundreds of dollars for a single bottle of wine. But, to us the taste was not better than the Luce above, and at twice the price. So– worth it for the experience, but not for the table. Take the money and fly to another country for the weekend.
But what did we buy? Two little gems in the overblown Tuscan wine-world: the Petra “Ebo” 2005 (€12), with darker color, cherries and raspberries on the nose, a great flavor, balance, punch, and spice. This is the kind of wine that you can drink like water and you think, wow, I don’t know why, but this is really good wine. The other, the Eliseo Gualdo del Re 2007 (€8), has a medium-color, strawberries and mint on the nose, and summery smell. Considering we tend to like the darker wines, this was a great medium-bodied find that could be served in any season.
By now, you must think we were pretty punchy, and… you’d be right. But, for the record, we want to object to the supposed truism put forth by wine purists: that there’s no point to tasting more than four or five wines at a time, since your palatte is shot and you can’t tell the difference. Nonsense. We could still distinguish a good wine from a mediocre wine and even pick out the stellar wines that we wanted to take home– and our choices held up later under more sober circumstances. Maybe there is a point at which your ability to detect degrades, but it’s not after five or six tastes.
So what’s left? The rest of Italy. We tried a wine from Puglia (heel of the boot), Lazio (near Rome), Friuli (up near the Alps), and Sicily, though none really rocked our boat. Finally, grappa, that brandy-like liquor made from grape skins. We’ve tried a few before and liked the one we tasted at Le Cantine, but we put our cap at six bottles to take home. Then, three hours driving home to sleep and get ready for class the next morning…
“Italian Style” September 3, 2009
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The Italians are known for many things, including wine, food, coffee, fashion, and art. Added to this is Italian design, which is justifiably famous for its sleek, modern look.
Our textbook had this to say about “Italian Style”:
“Le parole Italian style non significano solo “stile italiano,” ma indicano una grande tradizione di cose belle, chic, da mettere nella casa, nel garage, nell’armadio dei vestiti, nella cantina dei vini… il made in Italy dice a tutto il mondo che la tradizione di buon gusto, l’attenzione alla bellezza, l’alta qualità sono ancora vive nell’Italia dei nostri tempi, come ai tempi dei grandi artisti del passato…”
(In English, roughly:)
“The words ‘Italian style’ don’t just signify style, but indicate a grand tradition of chic and beautiful things, to put in your house, in your garage, your closet, and wine cellar…. “Made in Italy” says to all the world that the tradition of good taste, attention to beauty, and high quality also lives on in the Italy of our times, just as it did with the grand artists of the past…”
In the spirit of levity, though, we have to point out that not everything in Italy is bellissimo. Here we share a few of our recent observations (with appropriate humility, since we love it here!):
Italian Elevators: one thin person, please
Italian Time: it is clearly a domani
Italian Wine: Don't worry, we have 10 Litre bottles in the back...
Italian Driving: But does she have to ride in the back?
Italian Parking: you've got a good half inch, easy
Italian Birth Control: We're serious about this abstinance thing.
Italian Public Toilets: We frown on Mr. Brown.
Italian Sidewalks: why waste all that good street space for pedestrians?
Italian Vacations: I know, let's all go to the beach the same exact week!
Introduction to Tuscan Wines, Part One September 1, 2009
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This past weekend we jetted out for our long-delayed adventure to Tuscany, Umbria’s sexier and more famous sister. Nearly every foreign visitor has heard of Tuscany, and so nearly every foreign visitor GOES to Tuscany, which already makes Umbria more appealing. That notwithstanding, Tuscany does offer some impressive sights, including the competing cities of Firenze and Siena, beautiful countryside, great food, art, history…
And, of course, wine. Our three-day voyage took us through the hilltop towns of Montepulciano, Montalcino, Pienza, and the mountains of Il Chianti– not coincidentally, major stops on any Italian wine pilgrimage. Having now acclimated our palates somewhat to Italian winemaking, and having established a control group of good Umbrian reds, we set out to find out whether these internationally-renown wines were worth their cachè. Here is a record of our journey, and some thoughts on our findings:
Montepulciano
We set out first to Montepulciano, a small hilltop town of 14,000 whose modern claim to fame is the Vino Nobile (“nobile wine”) di Montepulciano. The city is pleasingly set miles off the main highway and so offers miles of anticipatory scenery: country roads, aisles of grape vines, daffodils, red-brown stone, and dusty fields where crops have already been harvested. The narrow town is perched on a steep hill and is surrounded by the quintessential stone fortifications that remind you of how contentious Italian politics were through the ages. (In fact, Montepulciano was batted about like a toy between the dueling cities of Siena and Firenze for much of its history, finally falling into the Firenze camp in the 15th century.) We actually stopped off at a local cantina before going into the city– Icari– but it was closed for the August ferie.
The vino nobile is obviously where it’s all at. Line after line of stores line the main street as you walk into town, generously offering free tastings of the cantine (cellars) that produce the stuff. Many of the stores are owned by local wineries– which means that it is predominantly their wares that are on display– but many also act as a kind of clearinghouse for smaller wineries that still need a presence for their wines. In fact, many of the wines produced here never make it beyond the city, or the region: they’re purchased in the city, or sold in small lots to family resteraunts with which they have a relationship.
We sampled two or three wines before stopping at a roadside resteraunt/wine bar for a combination deal: two flights of signature local wines and a platter of Tuscan salame and cheeses. As mentione in our previous post, Italian wines are more often designed to be tasted with food and in some cases, it can make quite a difference. A friend of ours here, for instance, said that the much-touted Brunello (see below) can come off unimpressive unless you pair it with a good spicy Tuscan salami… and then, wow.
I started with a half-glass of the almost equally famous Vernaccia, a white wine of San Gimignano in the north. Described as smooth and aromatic, pale golden color, with a slightly bitter aftertaste, Vernaccia has been around for centuries and was the first Italian wine to be granted the DOC award. Although we both loved it, we didn’t get a bottle because it’s a regional import and we were focusing on reds. It’s great, though– track it down.
Next up came two vino nobile, dark, red, fruit-forward and complex. One didn’t do much for us, but the other we liked enough to make it our first purchase (see below). Next we tried a Brunello di Montelcino– my first– but considering that most sell for twice the cost of a vino nobile, I was underwhelmed. It had the pale purple color and the distinctive flavour combination that I affiliate with expensive wine worldwide, but flavor-wise I just didn’t get it. (But wait, more on Brunello later.) Lastly, we tried a red that I’d never heard of, a Monteregio di Massa Marittima– also Tuscan, but closer to Chianti, mostly Sangiovese with a bit of Merlot and Syrah. This we liked a lot.
Purchases:
- 1 bottle of the Solarius 2005 Vino Nobile (DOCG). I don’t know if you can find it in the States, but if so look for a bottle with a giant sunflower on the front. (about €12)
- 1 bottle of Rocca di MonteMassi 2006 “Sassabruna” Monteregio di Massa Marittima (about €12)
We meant to make it to Brunello the first day, but instead we ate dinner and went south to Bagne San Felipe. Talk about an experience. Bathing at night in the open-air hotsprings under a sky full of stars, then a comfy night’s sleep in our tent– which, unfortunately, we had to cast in the middle of a dirt road, since we got there after dark. Thank goodness it only takes two poles and a little wine to put it up!
Answers: Italian Kitchen Quiz August 10, 2009
Posted by davidandcecy in Culture, Food, Travel.4 comments
UPDATE: Thanks all for playing. Here are the answers, for those of you who are curious!
1. This is a heavy metal press on the end of a stick: truthfully, we’re not sure what it’s called. It has much the feel of that thing you stick on the end of the espresso pod to make sure it tamps down, but it’s too big. We use it to crush toast for bread crumbs and flatten out small wads of dough, for pastries.
2. This is indeed a ravioli stamp. Oh, why did I toil for hours getting my complex ravioli attachment to work with my pasta maker? MUCH easier.
3. This is a thing for grating vegetables. Yes, I know. But apparently it works.
4. This is a scale (obviously?). But the interesting thing is, all of my recipes in Italian DEPEND on you having a scale. For instance, to make a torte you weigh 225 g. of flour, 100 g. of sugar, 150 g. of cherries, etc. (weight)– whereas we might look for 3 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, etc. (volume).
5. Believe it or not, this is to carry piles of plates. You stack them on the rack and then close the hinges, viola: you can carry 8-10 plates without fear of losing them. Or, at least, that’s all we’ve done with it so far.
6. This is a really, really big rolling pin– if you didn’t think the Italians were serious about their dough, now you know. You could wallup a bear with this thing…. but it works.
For other foodlike fun:
- http://www.sharpknives.com/gourmets_toolbox_pages/bakers_tools.htm
- http://www.sharpknives.com/gourmets_toolbox_pages/tacapasta_pasta_drying_rack.htm
- http://www.sharpknives.com/gourmets_toolbox_pages/chinois_set.htm
- http://www.petersofkensington.com.au/Product/ProductInfo.aspx?id=1625723&cid=585
Thanks all for playing!
________________
A placeholder until we can get our next posting up on Italian wines…. you know what not to do with a bidet, but can you guess the name and/or function of these common Italian kitchen implements?
Umbrian Reds (Part 1) August 6, 2009
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UMBRIAN WINES, Part 1: An Italian (Wine) Primer
We’ve been here just over a month, which means we’ve had a chance to (hic) try a few of the (hic) local vintages by now. We thought you might like to know something about what we’ve been drinking– maybe you can even track down some mysterious Italian varietal yourself!
First, a confession: before coming to Italy, we hadn’t much coveted Italian wines. Most of the reds, like Chianti, have been too thin for my taste, while the whites, like Pinot Grigio, seemed mostly watery and characterless. I admit it: I’m one of those people that likes my wine to knock my socks off with a big one-two, fruit-tannin punch. I’m a fan of California Zinfandels and Cabernets, Argentinian Malbecs and Australian Syrahs, and I’d be happy most nights never venturing further.
In fact, I’m exactly the kind of new-world consumer that irk the traditionalists– connoisseurs who point out that European winemakers have been making small-production wine in a specific way for hundreds of years, at least before unsophisticated plebeians like me started skewing the market. Just like anywhere, the Italian wine market has adjusted somewhat to meet shifts in preference, and numerous Italian winemakers have now abandoned the coveted state-issued “DOC” (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and “DOCG” (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) appellations– prized certifications guaranteeing that the wine was made locally and according to traditional methods. Why? To free themselves up from the strict rules that go along with them, and thereby experiment with different varietals and technologies. They’ve also started making wine more appealing to American (or modern) tastes– and what’s worse, it turns out that many of these old-world experiments in new-world winemaking are pretty good. (This is the story of the enormously popular “Supertuscans,” wines from Tuscany that that deliver more punch for the American palate by going maverick and breaking the rules of what grapes can be used, etc.) The down side is, since they don’t meet the requirements for more prestigious labels they’re forced to call their creations “vino da tavola”– table wine– kind of the Italian equivalent of what “box wine” in the U.S..
Besides stimulating a raucous debate about whether such abominations should be allowed, this has put local and traditional winemakers under more competitive pressure since it is almost always easier, faster, and cheaper to ignore the rules. Should traditional winemaking be protected in order to preserve the historical value and cultural heritage, or should they be allowed to suffer the cruel but fair effects of market pressures? I won’t be able to resolve the debate, but I thought I should at least try to retrain my palette to appreciate what I’m tasting. After all, I didn’t always have a taste for raw oysters, paté, stinky cheese, or even wine– some things, it appears, yield their return slowly after the proper investment in appreciation. Whereas once I drowned out my coffee with sugar and cream to make it drinkable, I now appreciate good, solid black coffee as a thing of beauty and taste. (I still like California Rolls, though– go figure.)
I’m not sure I’ll be coming all the way over to the traditionalist side, but we have learned some things which are useful. First off, “wine” in Italy means Italian wine. One of the biggest differences you notice right away in Italy is the utter lack of any other country on the wine list. You would think that only the Italians make the stuff– and perhaps in addition to local pride there’s a bit of subterfuge going on here to protect the growers. At any good restaurant in the States you would expect a range from France, Italy, Spain, California, Oregon, and maybe Australia, but here the variety is expressed in terms of the different Italian regions: a full page for Piedmont, maybe, and another for Tuscany, along with bits for Fruili, Campagnia, Umbria, etc. Even the French get only passing mention. I can’t actually remember seeing a single non-Italian wine on an Italian wine list, and I’ve only seen one American wine for sale, up high on a top shelf– a Beringer that you could pick up for about $7 at Safeway. I would guess most Italians have never tasted an American wine in their life.
Second, Italian wine is designed to be appreciated with food. Duh, right? Actually, no. The thought of ordering wine as an aperitif or as a social lubricant before dinner isn’t completely foreign to Europeans, but traditionally wine takes its rightful place at the dinner table and is paired more closely with food. The key is what’s going on in the mind of the winemaker: whereas the American may imagine how the wine should taste on its own, the European is thinking about how the taste interacts with the local cuisine and palate. Also, it’s more important that usual to decant. I wasn’t so much into decanting in the U.S., but there’s a funny effervescence which Italian reds seem to have when you first open the bottle, and it’s not endearing. (You can actually see the bubbles!) For some reason Italians have them, and Americans don’t– something about the bottling process, I would guess. Anyway, you can get out the bubbles and turn a rather thin-tasting red into a much better wine with a bit of decanting– even if you have to rig a McGuyver-type solution with a funnel, as I did.
One last bit of trivia which we learned last weekend, when we went through Umbrian wine-country: Italian cantine (cellars) are the least expensive places to buy wine. Actually, this makes sense when you think about it– no transportation, stocking costs, direct to consumer– but it’s completely the opposite from the U.S.. When I was traveling through Napa or Sonoma, I would usually buy a bottle or two at each place if I liked it, but I was never under any illusions that I was paying other than Full Retail Price. By contrast, when we visited one local cantina (Goretti) last weekend we bought a bottle of their trademark red, L’Arringatore, for about €9, and the suave gentleman there ensured us that this would be the cheapest we would see it. Darn if we didn’t return to Perugia and see the same bottle for €15 on the store shelf, and €22 at a restaurant. Of course, with the exchange rate at 1.4 USD, €9 is about as high as we’re likely to go….
Fashion Shoot in Perugia — the New Black July 21, 2009
Posted by davidandcecy in Culture, Fashion.Tags: Etruscan neighborhood, il mio quartiere è così bella!, Perugia, ragazzi, rooftop, the new black
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Update on last week’s photo contest — as disgustingly cute as it sounds, it was a tie! 2 and 2. So we will definitely be having a rematch soon. In the meantime, we have been inspired by Italian fashion and the wonderful backdrop that is our new home, and decided to stage a photo shoot. Work it baby, give me sexy, give me pouty…
We also wanted to use the occasion to show off more of the amazing apartment and surrounding area. Seen here is the rooftop:
"Ciao, ragazzi!"
Cecy in the kitchen wearing a great dress that David bought ONE EURO:
"I stand around like this all the time..."
We like to lounge in our oh-so-Italy living room…
"I am SO Italy!"
"I am MOLTO Italy!"
Outside in our Etruscan neighborhood…
"Il mio quartiere è così bella!"
"On my way to work? Noooo!"
Firenze: A Mini Photo Contest July 15, 2009
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Cecy and I had a mini contest while we were trapsing through Firenze (Florence) this past weekend– tell us which photo set you like better! (We’ll reveal whose photos are whose in a week.)
Coveting Italy! July 7, 2009
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So, here we are– a new life and a new set of distractions… not least of which is hillside hiking, old-city viewing, and lots and lots of Umbrian cooking and drinking. A small taste (hah)….
At the top of the hill at sunset in Perugia...
Doing in our first caprese.... not our last.
A window view from our new apartment...
The first of our vinicultural conquests...
...and of course a good italian meal at the rustic table!
Coveting a New Life Abroad June 18, 2009
Posted by davidandcecy in Art, Brilliant Ideas, Culture, Travel.1 comment so far
Last night we came home, poured ourselves two homemade margaritas (two parts tequila, two parts Rose’s lime juice, one part fresh lemon or lemonade, pinch of sugar) and celebrated the start of a new life together. The date was not especially important– we’ve been engaged for almost a year– except that we had taken several steps more to create a new kind of life. As we watch more and more of our overeducated, well-traveled, passionate friends fight unemployment or– worse– golden handcuffs, it occurs to us that in the midst of crisis we may be on the edge of a new Bohemian era. Inspired by the latent potential of doing nothing in particular, we, the brave and motivated, are leaving the ratrace and moving abroad for a while.
The view from our roof deck in Perugia.
We’re not independently wealthy, or crazy. One of us owns a one bedroom condo, and the other has some money saved up, but there’s no secret cash pile funding our journey. Rather, we decided that if we were going to go, we ought to go and do it right: we aught to make it transformational. No typical American weeklong rush through seven cities, or even a extravagant but superficial three week stay at a catered hotel. No. We’re going AWOL: learning Italian, traveling the backroads, learning to cook, then a few weeks of traveling on the lam. Before we figure out where to go, we want to remember who we are and why we’re here.
Gonna need you to come in on... Saturday.
We’ve been told it’s stupid, irrational, disconnected from reality. But we’re not going to sell our souls that cheaply. Life, love, art, and music are worth living for. “PC Load Letter” isn’t. Move, change, break up, realign, rework, resign, reconsider, regroup– revive (live-again!). We believe life is about finding happiness and creating something meaningful– something meaningful to you, not someone else. If what you’ve got isn’t giving you either of those, better to set a charge and walk away then muddle through it. Face down the fear of death and re-emerge into life.
We’d like to think we’re part of the vanguard. We just welcomed one of our dearest friends to the area, having left a secure job of ten years in Texas to move across the country with his wife and start an entirely new career in conflict resolution. It was them, their dog, and a U-Haul, crashlanding with a friend who dates to the era before “making it” was a priority. We’ve watched another of our best friends walk slowly back from a career in computer science to take up professional photography and Zen Buddhism. A third walked out from the large gray government building to start a new nonprofit in– trash.
As Mike Judge, creator of Office Space, said in a recent interview:
“How do you go from a physics degree into the entertainment industry?” asked an audience member of Judge’s transition from working at the engineering firm that inspired Office Space to directing Gen X classics like Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill.
“Well,” Judge said, “you keep, uh, quitting jobs.”
(Read the full article: “Office Space” Cast Reunite at 10th Anniversary Screening of Mike Judge’s Cult Film)
That’s the key to coveting the high life.
Power Flats March 4, 2009
Posted by davidandcecy in Fashion.Tags: flats, Michelle Obama, Nicole Kidman, Princess Diana, tall people
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First Lady of Flats!
As tall people we are loving Michelle Obama’s penchant for flats. It takes a lot to be able to pull off this look again and again, mostly in at least semi-formal occasions and ALWAYS in the spotlight.
Princess Di was able to do it and for a while, Nicole Kidman rocked the look while married to the shorter Tom Cruise.
Check out this great slideshow of the first lady’s latest looks.
