Steel Kaleidoscopes

Setting the Record Straight

So I go to check my traffic last night and see a spike in traffic. A big spike.

Turns out that Stephen J. Dubner, the co-author of "Freakonomics," picked up on my post about the debate over wine corks vs. screw caps.

In my post, I mention that Steve Levitt's wife gave me a "strange look" when I unscrewed a bottle of South African Sauvignon Blanc. This was one of three examples I used while making a point that unscrewing a cap off a bottle of wine can be "uncomfortable" for the host because it's relatively new and messes with tradition.

Dubner interpreted this by making some silly comments about Jeannette, a great friend of my wife's and someone we have known for 20 years.

For the record, Jeannette is anything but a wine snob. She's one of the most engaging, thoughtful, caring, sensitive and personable friends we've ever known. My wife worked side by side with her for many years. We attended their beautiful outdoor wedding. For Dubner to take a shot at his co-author's wife is simply irresponsible.

Should I have used her as one of my examples? Probably not, considering her connection to one of the most talked-about books in the last 20 years. But I often write about what's going on in my life, and she just happened to visiting last weekend. It was a fresh thought.

Jeannette and Steve — if you're reading this — you know my musings are innocent snippets of life and all intentions are good.

As for Mr. Dubner, well, you should know better.

Wine Cork vs. Screw Cap Debate

The debate continues about whether or not winemakers should introduce screw caps as a means to bottle their wines.

The reason there's a shift away from cork is due to the presence of cork taint, typically classified as an odor that smells like a moldy newspaper, a wet dog or a damp basement. Wine experts agree that cork taint affects one of every 10 bottles in varying degrees.

New Zealand appears to be taking the lead with using screw caps, especially with its Sauvignon Blancs.

Here's the problem: Unscrewing the cap from a bottle of wine affects the experience.

While screw caps are easily the most reliable sealer, they mess with tradition and atmosphere. And atmosphere is everything with wine.

We've ordered New Zealand Suvignon Blancs in restaurants and the waiters are almost apologetic when they open the wine.

We recently had a friend over (her husband, Steve Levitt, co-wrote "Freakonomics") and I noticed the strange look she gave me when I turned the screw cap of a very good South African Sauvignon Blanc.

A few years ago, I bought a few bottles of a pricey Sonoma Pinot Noir to open during the holidays and got quizzical looks when I poured the wine after a quick twist.

Opening a bottle of wine is a festive occasion, one reserved for a good meal or to set the tone for conversation with family and friends.

Think about how you rate a restaurant. You base your dining experience on the food, the service and the atmosphere. If the food and service are both great but the atmosphere is generic or stale, you may not go back.

And that's precisely the problem with screw-cap wines.

There's no atmosphere.

Who's Paying for this Research?

Nutty stat of the day:

According to a Middlebury College economics professor, women will stand in line for 20 seconds longer than men for a cup of coffee.

The survey was conducted at eight Boston-area coffee shops and 295 transactions were observed.

Odd.

Quote of the Day

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been."

— Madeleine L'Engle, Writer

Lunches and Dinners, Post-Thanksgiving

Shredded white meat turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce (x4).

A side of stuffing (x2).

Mashed potatoes and gravy (x2).

Warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream (x4).

The endless meal.

Top 10 Debut Albums as Best Work

Why is it that so many musical artists create their masterpiece right away, then struggle to continue to meet or exceed expectations?

Is it because these songwriters and musicians have had years to hone their craft in garages and beer joints, then pour all of this creativity and sweat onto their first piece of vinyl?

Whatever the case, here are the Top 10 debut albums that were so good, the band simply could never recapture the magic. This isn't to say the bands didn't go on to have storied, successful careers — it simply means their first album was arguably their best.

1. Boston - (self-titled)
The soundtrack of '76 and one of the best albums of all time.

2. Emerson, Lake and Palmer - (self-titled)
Looking back, this plays like a greatest hits album.

3. Cream - Fresh Cream
"Disraeli Gears" comes close, but this is the peak.

4. The Cars - (self-titled)
"Candy-O" is an excellent follow-up, but not as tight.

5. Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
If you have this album, you're all set.

6. Pearl Jam - Ten
"Vs." is close, but nothing else really resonates.

7. The Pretenders - (self-titled)
Chrissie Hynde singing "Precious" opens doors.

8. The Monkees - (self-titled)
A greatest hits-like album (and they did record more).

9. Foreigner - (self-titled)
"Feels Like the First Time" leads way for fading '80s band.

10. Dire Straits - (self-titled)
"Sultans of Swing" introduces world to Mark Knopfler.

Quote of the Day

"Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance."

-- Bruce Barton, Author

Happy Thanksgiving

Eat, drink and be merry.

For tomorrow we shop.

And watch "Hogan's Heroes" reruns.

And chase toddlers through the house.

And try to sneak in some email.

And eat and drink again.

True Turkey Tale

The turkeys are striking back.

It sounds crazy, but it's true. Wild turkeys are roaming the Boston suburbs, freaking out residents by their brash, unpredictable behavior.

Police are getting up to a dozen calls a day from residents who are unsure of how to handle the situation. The turkeys are aggressive and fearless.

One woman jumped — and gasped — when she came face-to-face with a turkey right after she parked her car at a meter in Brookline, according to The Boston Globe. But the showdown didn't stop there. The turkey ran after the woman after they locked eyes, gobbling and pecking at her butt during the chase.

Crazy.

(Photo courtesy of Mark Wilson.)

Please, Don't Squeeze the Charmin

Mr. Whipple died.

Dick Wilson, an actor whose claim to fame was the face of Charmin toilet paper commercials, was 91.

Wilson played the role in more than 500 Charmin spots, running from 1964 through 1985, turning the Mr. Whipple character into an advertising icon among the likes of the Maytag repairman and Rosie the waitress of Procter & Gamble's Bounty paper towels.

Wilson performed as an acrobatic dancer in vaudeville, and went on to appear in more than 300 U.S. television shows, mostly during the 1960s and '70s, including recurring roles as a drunk on "Bewitched" and Captain Gruber on "Hogan's Heroes."

Wilson is survived by his wife, Meg, three children, including actress Melanie Wilson of the ABC sitcom "Perfect Strangers," and five grandchildren.