Ideas and Projects » Uncategorized http://ideas.tom-hanna.org Projects: do-it-yourself, business, online. Ideas: wild ideas, hairbrained schemes, trial balloons Sat, 17 May 2008 11:06:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 Robert Mondavi dead at 94 http://ideas.tom-hanna.org/2008/robert-mondavi-dead-at-94/ http://ideas.tom-hanna.org/2008/robert-mondavi-dead-at-94/#comments Sat, 17 May 2008 11:03:17 +0000 Tom http://ideas.tom-hanna.org/?p=7 a

Robert Mondavi dead at 94

]]> Robert Mondavi, the California vintner whose Oakville, California winery provided the «code name» for my wine cellar project died Friday at the age of 94. A Cabernet Sauvignon that I tasted at the Oakville winery several years ago was the best wine I've ever tasted. It was a 6-year old wine and had mellowed to the stage that it felt like velvet hitting the tongue and literally burst with flavor. The winery's architecture and location is everything it's cracked up to be.

According to Wikipedia:

was a leading American vineyard operator whose technical improvements and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley in California. From an early period, Mondavi aggressively promoted labeling wines varietally rather than generically. This is now the standard for New World wines.

The Associated Press:

At the time, California was still primarily known for cheap jug wines. But he set out to change that, championing use of cold fermentation, stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, all commonplace in the industry today. He introduced blind tastings in Napa Valley, putting his wines up against French vintages, a bold move.

A bold move? Having tasted a few French wines, none of which compared to the worst of the Mondavi wines I've tasted, I'd say it was a smart move.

Mondavi was an enthusiastic ambassador for wine — especially California wine — and traveled the world into his 90s promoting the health, cultural and social benefits of its moderate consumption.

Benjamin Franklin said that «Wine is proof that God exists and wants us to be happy.» Robert Mondavi did God's work and did it well.

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Robert Mondavi dead at 94

]]> http://ideas.tom-hanna.org/2008/robert-mondavi-dead-at-94/feed/ Spring Hill Springs a Leak http://ideas.tom-hanna.org/2008/spring-hill-springs-a-leak/ http://ideas.tom-hanna.org/2008/spring-hill-springs-a-leak/#comments Sun, 27 Apr 2008 06:18:47 +0000 Tom http://ideas.tom-hanna.org/?p=6 a

Spring Hill Springs a Leak

]]> The first car project, my 1995 Saturn SL2 which I dubbed Project Spring Hill sprang a serious leak.  I took the car to Gene's Midwest Auto Sales and Service on West 7th Street in Joplin and had a compression test run.  Bottom line: engine was shot.  This ridiculously complex Saturn engine runs about $1,800 for a rebuilt engine (not installed), higher for a fully remanufactured engine and $1,600 installed for a used engine of dubious quality.  A used engine with a 3-year, 36,000 mile warranty is available for about $1,500 (not installed).

So, I sold the car for $225 today.  The guy who bought it is going to sell the wheels and then sell the car for scrap metal.  I could probably have gotten $200 or so for the wheels myself, after expenses, but it might have taken a while and this was cash in hand.

I was going to take off the brand new EGR valve (the guy who bought it had no use for it and didn't care), but alas the trusty socket set that rode in the back of the Saturn the whole time I had it was at home on the carport, as I'd cleaned almost everything out when I took it into the shop.

I now have $225 more to spend on Project Fremont and Project Abingdon.  More updates on them later, likely on that car and travel blog I'm still working on.

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Spring Hill Springs a Leak

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