Link-O-Rama

A bit of news: you'll notice the ads to the left. I was invited to become part of the Forbes Business and Financial Blog Network. It hasn't quite launched yet, but I went ahead and set it up on the site. I was never in this thing for the money, but whatever I do make will be funneled back into new and exciting wine and food to write about.

My friends and family have been quite supportive in reading this blog, and so it's time to share some of the love. So with a tumbler of Bourbon and Coke at hand, let me direct you to a few of their websites.

First I've got to send a quick merci across the pond. I'm quite honored to be #34 in the wine blog listing of Mlle. Estelle Platini. This lovely young woman is not only a sommelier in Marseille but has also come up with a mathematically delightful ranking method for wine blogs. Check out her blog, there's a lot of good stuff there, and she definitely breaks the stereotype of the old, grouchy French sommelier.

Moving away from the world of wine, let's look at family. My Dad's cousin Nancy designs children's clothes and writes musings about life in California. Due to the fact that she spent a large portion of her life in Germany and married a German man, you'll see posts in two languages. Fear not, the German parts mostly repeat the English sections. You're on your own with the comments, Außländer.

My cousin Kyle Jones works in the digital design realm, creating fonts, websites, and animation. I was particularly fond of his entry in the New Yorker cover contest, which solicited unique interpretations of mascot Eustace Tilley. Kyle's was created using only the Edwardian Script font, and I've been fortunate to see it in person. When I checked in with him, he suggested that you all might enjoy his parody ad for Raw: The Meat Flavored Energy Drink.

On to the friends... Sally and Terry are friends of mine who work in video production. Based out of Nashville, their video work takes them all over the country. In her spare time, Sally crochets and engages in other textile-based pursuits. They're the ones who hooked me up with tickets to the Tennessee Wine Festival a few years ago, and I'm always glad when they come to town.

And of course, my good friend and "brother from another mother" Paul Jones, who between his work as an internationally-renowned PHP programmer, taking care of four dogs, and getting engaged, still lets me use his house for dinner parties.