polarbear22 wrote:Twin Cities - Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The TC is the old logo, they went to an M for the logo for a while.

Doh!! Keep forgetting that part. Should have rememebered, since one of my favorite set of books is the Prey series by John Sandford.

Moondragon wrote:*gentle-nudge-to-pack-further-rattage*

yeah, already all over it ;)

I don't make a new post for the further rattery, I just add it to what the previous note was

Hey - did you all see the note from Sanity over in the Vegas thread that ***we've sold out on the CyberPub Blend Futures!!!***

Moondragon wrote:Need some electric socks or how about some soggy socks?

So every year down at the river, we have a Christmas light show where you can drive thru and look at all the lights, etc. Well, our group of friends volunteered to work the entrance to help out another friend. Anyway, it was one of the coldest days of the year (of course); about 25 degrees, and we had to work for like 4-6 hours in a booth. One of our friends actually wore electric socks and said they worked amazingly! We all thought she was going to short circuit, lol. Tho, she did manage to back up against a space heater and melt her favorite lounge pants, lol.

Imagine4vr wrote:I just want to thank you for turning me on to Playing for Change . I just found their tour info and bought tix to see them next month.

Truly inspirational and entertaining!

I did not realize they were touring. And they will be a couple hours away, while I am in MN. I'll have to keep an eye on them.

Enjoy the show.

Imagine4vr wrote:I just want to thank you for turning me on to Playing for Change . I just found their tour info and bought tix to see them next month.

Truly inspirational and entertaining!

Opps. Double post. Twitchy finger?

tenuki wrote:When I first started at w.w I actually waited pretty regularly. Now I mainly don't but only because there's so many repeat wineries. If they're varietals I'm interested in and I haven't had anything by them, then I still wait for some confirmation in either rat or pub form and even when I am in, I'm still interested in what the rats had to say.

And how many negative labrat reviews do you see? Or even reviews that convince YOU to skip the current wine?

Labrats are kind of like bags of scaffolding -- everyone jumps ahead of the deadline for a chance at a free bottle. If the labrat program convinces 10 people to buy who many have skipped it, then it has paid for itself (probably takes less than 10).

cjsiege wrote:Interestingly, I've used the Rat reports to talk me out of making some purchases that would probably have been a mistake for me. If I'm on the fence, it's normally because it's a wine I'm unfamiliar with, or a blend of varietals I like with ones I'm not too fond of. I use the reports to tip me one way or the other. If the report confirms that the flavor profile is not one that I like, then I've saved my money and can buy more later.

I'll bet you're an exception in this regard.

cheron98 wrote:yeah, already all over it ;)

I don't make a new post for the further rattery, I just add it to what the previous note was

Yeah, I probably just didn't refresh that page. And I understand that you add it to the previous post, otherwise I'd have copied it there myself to save you some trouble.

Moondragon wrote:Yeah, I probably just didn't refresh that page. And I understand that you add it to the previous post, otherwise I'd have copied it there myself to save you some trouble.

Aww so sweet I wish more rats were like you

That WAS the hope, way back, that people would eventually start x-posting up their own rat reports over there, but alas.

Doesn't help that I don't manage to get the header post for the offer up first thing on monday. Might be easier now with the 1-rat-offer thing, so I can fairly confidently figure rats have all been collected by Thursday-ish and then have all weekend to put the new header up.

MarkDaSpark wrote:It's at http://wine.woot.com/Monday/


Edit: I see you found it ...

Woot Cellars Boss Monster Zinfandel Six - Pack
Current numbers (updated each minute)
First sucker: MarkDaSpark
Speed to first woot: 0m 1.767s
Last wooter to woot: speedoo
Last purchase time: Wednesday, October 07, 2009, 2:01:24 AM Central Time

Yes, I found it by accident while doing one last frantic search.

Thanks!

speedoo wrote:Yes, I found it by accident while doing one last frantic search.

Thanks!

It's started appearing on the sidebar in the threads now.

jwhite6114 wrote:I'll bet you're an exception in this regard.

I have been talks out of buying by positive rat reports too. Mostly by the style description. If the rats describe a style I was not hopng for, I sat out. Its happened more than a couple of times actually.

jwhite6114 wrote:And how many negative labrat reviews do you see? Or even reviews that convince YOU to skip the current wine?

Labrats are kind of like bags of scaffolding -- everyone jumps ahead of the deadline for a chance at a free bottle. If the labrat program convinces 10 people to buy who many have skipped it, then it has paid for itself (probably takes less than 10).

Enough to make me not go in sometimes. Of course I kinda read between the lines and try to have it fit what I think I like in a wine. For instance I was hoping for a jammier zin as that's the way I like them, and I loved the port component of the 06 Inzinerator. If this wasn't a woot cellars offering and I wasn't in already, I probably wouldn't be in, even though none of the reviews have been negative, nothing would have pushed me to be like, I'd really like that wine.

Soooo... the back of the Boss Monster bottle says Geyserville, CA (thanks Moondragon!) which is where Pedroncelli is, and the corks look the same, and the other evidence mentioned (wine stats, PS, hillsides of dry creek, etc). Yeah.

Cesare wrote:Soooo... the back of the Boos Monster bottle says Geyserville, CA (thanks Moondragon!) which is where Pedroncelli is, and the corks look the same, and the other evidence mentioned (wine stats, PS, hillsides of dry creek, etc). Yeah.

Freudian slip, or typo? You decide.

Cesare wrote:Soooo... the back of the Boos Monster bottle says Geyserville, CA (thanks Moondragon!) which is where Pedroncelli is, and the corks look the same, and the other evidence mentioned (wine stats, PS, hillsides of dry creek, etc). Yeah.

Um...nice win on Twitter man.

javadrinker wrote:Um...nice win on Twitter man.

Did I just win a trip to Hawaii? Oops...

Cesare wrote:Did I just win a trip to Hawaii? Oops...

Actually glad it was you and not me. Sparky just informed me that I would have been forced to take him had I won. I can't deal with seeing him in his mankini...again.

Cesare wrote:Did I just win a trip to Hawaii? Oops...

you really won a trip to hawaii? that's cool

javadrinker wrote:Actually glad it was you and not me. Sparky just informed me that I would have been forced to take him had I won. I can't deal with seeing him in his mankini...again.

Better than you in that Speedo ...

Cesare wrote:Did I just win a trip to Hawaii? Oops...

SO excited! It better be for real!

kttest wrote:SO excited! It better be for real!

Rechecked the website and it all looks legit. You still have to get to the West coast on your own dime but the rest is covered. You guys should spend a day or two in Cali and hang out with the So Cal crowd.

javadrinker wrote:Rechecked the website and it all looks legit. You still have to get to the West coast on your own dime but the rest is covered. You guys should spend a day or two in Cali and hang out with the So Cal crowd.

That'd be awesome...good thing I have vacation days left!

MarkDaSpark wrote:Better than you in that Speedo ...

I see you just joined twitter to get in on the aciton. A little late to the party...
But see, all the people that say twitter is dumb, are dumb.

javadrinker wrote:Rechecked the website and it all looks legit. You still have to get to the West coast on your own dime but the rest is covered. You guys should spend a day or two in Cali and hang out with the So Cal crowd.

When is the next SoCal gathering, actually in SoCal and not Vegas. It's only a 5 day trip so it would be cool to stop there first for a couple days.

Cesare wrote:When is the next SoCal gathering, actually in SoCal and not Vegas. It's only a 5 day trip so it would be cool to stop there first for a couple days.

You guys stop in So Cal and we will MAKE another So Cal gathering. Madwine has been looking for an excuse to host again.

Once you have the days sorted out let us know and it will be done.

Edit: BTW, looks like you guys got the Kauai trip. That one seems the best of the three.

Cesare wrote:Did I just win a trip to Hawaii? Oops...

So freaking cool. Congrats!

javadrinker wrote:You guys stop in So Cal and we will MAKE another So Cal gathering. Madwine has been looking for an excuse to host again.

AHEM.

Everyone enter this now

cheron98 wrote:AHEM.

Quiet youse...you we're getting liquored in Vegas.

And what happened to a nice relaxing stay in So Cal?

Cesare wrote:I see you just joined twitter to get in on the aciton. A little late to the party...
But see, all the people that say twitter is dumb, are dumb.

Actually it's been a couple of days ... since Monday at least.

And I got tired of Java winning all the Long Beach stuff .....

Cesare wrote:Everyone enter this now

so wait, how'd you find out you won?

javadrinker wrote:Quiet youse...you we're getting liquored in Vegas.

And what happened to a nice relaxing stay in So Cal?

But I won't get to see everyone in Vegas. I mean, the lovely Mistress Nallie won't be there, nor will the charming MadWine nor the dashing, debonaire MadWino. Not to mention Tim (They call him... Tim). And what about PSquishy, my pet whom I've yet to meet?

I could use a Saturday REAL SoCal get-together. Or Friday night. Something

Edit: Guess I shouldn't say "REAL" since Vegas is real SoCal... I don't mean to detract from the awesomeness that will be Vegas. But there's so many SoCalers I've yet to meet!

SoCalers? SoCalians? Scallions. That's what I shall call you all. Scallions.

MarkDaSpark wrote:Actually it's been a couple of days ... since Monday at least.

And I got tired of Java winning all the Long Beach stuff .....

I have a shiny new LB hat in the mail. Which I would much rather have than a stinky old trip to Hawaii...sniff sniff sigh.

cheron98 wrote:But I won't get to see everyone in Vegas. I mean, the lovely Mistress Nallie won't be there, nor will the charming MadWine nor the dashing, debonaire MadWino. Not to mention Tim (They call him... Tim). And what about PSquishy, my pet whom I've yet to meet?

I could use a Saturday REAL SoCal get-together. Or Friday night. Something

Might be too soon to get one going since we just had one last week and it was a very small one (just 5 of us). Plus the MW clan I believe is pretty much tied up all October. We can possibly have something small at my house in Orange County but it might be hard for the SD crowd to come up on such short notice (plus I'd only have a couple of days to clean after my return from Vegas).

cheron98 wrote:so wait, how'd you find out you won?

The direct message you on twitter and you reply to accept and then they email you the terms and an offical form to send back.

javadrinker wrote:I have a shiny new LB hat in the mail. Which I would much rather have than a stinky old trip to Hawaii...sniff sniff sigh.

Yeah yeah like you haven't won enough stuff already! Didn't you win a cruise or something?

Cesare wrote:Yeah yeah like you haven't won enough stuff already! Didn't you win a cruise or something?

I wish. All small stuff but yeah I'm getting greedy:

• Travel book from Frommers
  
• Tickets to Lucha Va Voom (a wrassling show)
  
• Free meal and entrance to Lobsterfest
  
• Tickets to the Queen Mary
  
• Tickets to a museum
  
• Guitar Hero game for Wii (which I don't own)
  
• Shiny new LB baseball cap
  

cheron98 wrote:But I won't get to see everyone in Vegas. I mean, the lovely Mistress Nallie won't be there, nor will the charming MadWine nor the dashing, debonaire MadWino. Not to mention Tim (They call him... Tim). And what about PSquishy, my pet whom I've yet to meet?

I could use a Saturday REAL SoCal get-together. Or Friday night. Something

Edit: Guess I shouldn't say "REAL" since Vegas is real SoCal... I don't mean to detract from the awesomeness that will be Vegas. But there's so many SoCalers I've yet to meet!

SoCalers? SoCalians? Scallions. That's what I shall call you all. Scallions.

That's raPScallions to you, missy!!


And I thought you were heading back that Friday? If not, and you are around that Saturday ....

Gundlach Bundschu Winery Heidi at Salt Creek Wines. She's doing a GB tasting in beautiful Laguna Niguel, CA Oct 24. Help her polish off a few bottles.

We could do that ....