By Randy Dunn

It is time for the average wine consumers, as opposed to tasters, to speak up. The current fad of higher and higher alcohol wines should stop. Most wine drinkers do not really appreciate wines that are 15 -16. +% alcohol. They are, in fact, hot and very difficult to enjoy with a meal. About the only dish that seems to put them in their place is a good hot, spicy dish....

WASHINGTON, /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Flush with $25 million in cash from the ex-wife of NBA franchise owner Leslie Alexander, and angling for more, the animal-rights Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has asked Congress to earmark $1 billion for the promotion of meatless, milkless, and eggless "vegan" diets. In response to PCRM's....

April 13, 2006We had announced that the concluding article in our series about Karesma 1 in Athens would run with the updates of 13 April. We’re postponing that final article until next week (20 April, 2006).

Meanwhile, we thought readers might enjoy learning a little more about cooking at the time of the great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, which began on the morning of April 18th, 1906. At the address below you’ll find an article on the topic we published three years ago:www.tastecaliforniatravel.com/san-francisco-brides.htm

By Rick Hendrie, President & Chief Experience Officer of Remarkable Branding In recent articles, I’ve considered the prime importance of Branded Moments of Truth. These points of interaction between your guest and your experience are the essential determiners of success, more so than price or physical appearances. If, as Malcolm Knapp suggests, “living well” is everyone’s goal, then creation of that feeling and achievement of that aspiration happens only through successful & powerful management of your Branded Moments of Truth.

Those readers who receive our weekly newsletter may note that the e-mailed issue of 5 January, 2006 is number 208. At 52 weeks per year, that must mean the newsletter is celebrating four years of publication. In that time, two of those weekly issues were late. The big-name outfit that does our e-mailing experienced technical troubles on those occasions. Otherwise, every Thursday for the last four years we’ve delivered our product between 10 and 11 am Pacific Time. In the ephemeral world of internet publishing that’s a pretty good record.

By John R. Hendrie

The British thrive with continuity and consistency in a most civilized fashion. Their gifts of tradition and protocol delight us off shore visitors, although some of the more adventuresome may snicker. But, the trains run on time, the Guards change punctually, and tea is served at 4pm. The British relish order and precision. In their hospitality world, expectations are delivered with few surprises, a claim few other countries can echo.

However, Great Britain has gone one step further.

According to a column in the December 11^th Boston Globe, The National Basketball Association is considering ways to tone down the noise at NBA games by testing ‘silent nights. In this scenario, the only noise in the house would be generated from the game and the stands.  When told of this, one of the more marketing savvy owners said, “We don’t sell basketball. Going to a game is about having fun, not comparing how team plays to what the scouting report says.”

What does a successful brand really sell? The New York Times had an article covering how the 5^th Avenue Abercrombie & Fitch store merchandises its jeans, sweaters and rumpled button downs.  The author made it clear: Abercrombie, in truth, sells ...

Americans have grown accustomed to the sheer bulk of news reports, government warnings, and scientific studies alerting them to the hazard of their expanding waistlines. But a new book released today by the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom questions those studies and highlights the government's reliance on pharmaceutical and weight-loss industry input to lower the bar for being "overweight."

The Center's new report, An Epidemic of Obesity Myths, reveals that much of what the public has been told concerning obesity comes from financially conflicted researchers who have taken money from the weight-loss industry.

By Rick Hendrie

          “You are what your guest thinks you are.”

In the recent Time Magazine issue on “What’s next?” there was an extensive article on the future of neuro-imaging. It referred to results of extensive research comparing consumer’s reactions to Coke and Pepsi using this new technique. Neuro-imaging allows scientists to see exactly what part of the brain is engaged by stimulus. Participants were offered a blind taste test of both beverages. Pepsi came out about equal regardless if the consumer labeled themselves Coke or Pepsi drinkers. Once the consumers were exposed to Coke and Pepsi branding communication, however, Coke won going away.

Early in August I visited New Orleans for the first time. I wrote a couple of pieces about my trip but gave the topic a rest when last week’s newsletter and updates were due.

The plan was to resume sharing my experiences with you this week. There were so many happy memories that two or three more articles seemed certain.

Under current circumstances writing about good drinks and good meals seems superficial and inappropriate. Maybe later ....