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AI support fighters confirmed for Star Wars: Squadrons
By:Jonathan Titmuss
Published: 16:32, 27 July 2020
Updated: 16:34, 27 July 2020
EA Motive's upcoming sci fi dogfighter, Star Wars: Squadrons, is ticking a lot of boxes, with cross play, VR, and online multiplayer support rounding out an impressive sounding package. But some fans were unsure of the lower 5v5 player count.
We're happy to report that one of the marquee features in Squadrons, the Fleet Battles mode, will include AI support fighters alongside your chosen five man squad.
There had been some discontent since the games announcement, after the boots on the ground player scale of DICE's Battlefront series, that Squadrons would potentially feel like a step back.
When you consider the highly successful run of Rogue Squadron titles back on the N64 and GameCube, which featured large scale single and multiplayer battles, being faced with the prospect of 5v5 only might at first glance underwhelm. Especially when you consider that Star Wars as a brand is known for it's complex, massive space battles.
However, following a hands on preview published by IGN, AI support fighters will indeed back up your squad online, and offer more than just background window dressing.
EA All the yes.
Star Wars: Squadrons launches October 2nd 2020, for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
John Johanas says Hi-Fi Rush wasn't made because of Game Pass
Hi-Fi Rush game director John Johanas has revealed that his new game was pitched back in 2017, which was before the Xbox Game Pass existed and Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda.
Biggest video game releases in January 2023
Some very interesting games will come out in the first month of the next year. We did some research and bring you the list of seven games that we are going to play in January 2023.
Biggest racing games releasing in 2023
After doing some research, we bring you the list of the most anticipated racing games in 2023, whether you prefer simulation, arcade, kart racing, or something entirely else.
Destiny 2: List of shaders sold by Ada-1 in Lightfall
Ada-1 is getting a few interesting additions when Lightfall launches but they will be randomised so you might want to check out what she has a chance of selling each week.
Elder Scrolls Online introduces a new class - Arcanist
Elder Scrolls Online is getting a new expansion soon and it includes the Arcanist, for which the devs offered a closer look.
Overwatch 2: Roadhog gets a massive nerf
Blizzard appear to have had it with Roadhog deleting people from the map so they slapped him with a barrage of nerf bats.
Metro Exodus devs release modding tools
Metro Exodus already has a lot of content but what if it had more? We will find out soon enough.
Brawlhalla esports plans for 2023 laid out
All the Brawlhalla events and plans for esports side of the game in 2023 have been revealed in a bit of a roadmap.


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Calls to new shutdown to avoid crash
The negotiators who are trying a new shutdown to avoid in the United States become not from. The tweets of president Donald Trump make their task didn't get easier.
"The next 24 hours are crucial. A shutdown would not be an option, but the threat remains present.' In the program Fox News Sunday gave Richard Shelby, a republican senator who is part of the group of negotiators, today admitted that he was 'not convinced that we will become'.
At the end of January, president Trump agreed to a proposal from the leaders of Congress to the public services for three weeks to open again. The shutdown lasted at that time for 35 days. The wages of 800,000 civil servants was all that time not paid and many government services and national parks had to close the doors.
The deal was that a 'conference committee' of 17 senators and members of the House of Representatives were given three weeks ' time had to come to an agreement about the security of the border with Mexico. Trump persists in his demand that a wall should come. The democrats seem to be still not to want to know. The deadline runs until 15 February, to get everything on time by the Congress to get threw the committee on Monday for approval.
'The Wall': from 5.7 to 2 billion
But the chance that this is still work seems small. Via Twitter let Trump itself, even though he sits not at the negotiating table. 'The Wall will get built one way or the other!', tweette he. To then add to that the democrats 'terrible proposals'.
Remarkably enough, it seems the discussion about 'the wall' is no longer the biggest stumbling block. Trump wanted this $ 5.7 billion. The democrats and republicans that the talks would be close to an agreement for a maximum amount of 2 billion for 'border security' – the word 'wall' is a sensitive issue.
But the twist is focusing on ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement), the immigration service of the USA. The democrats ask that the service would focus on the detention of criminal immigrants and less on those that after the expiration of their visa to remain in the country. They therefore propose to the number of beds that ICE has in detention centres. Republicans shot the idea right from the start. The chance that Trump this would agree, is according to them non-existent, especially considering the stress that he, in his State of the Union explained the dangers which he sees in immigration.
'No good options'
What happens if by Friday nothing out of the bus? "The president has several options, but if no deal is, they are not good options," says Richard Shelby. One of the possibilities that is often cited is that Trump the state of emergency might proclaim to be so without the consent of the Congress, yet the limes wall, to be able to build. According to The New York Times would be the Pentagon, the American ministry of Defence, last weekend have investigated which services in their budget would have to prune in such a case, the money needed to cough.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


"Globalizzazione economica e specificità istituzionale. Uno studio comparativo nel settore della meccanica strumentale in Italia e Germania".
Paola Bongini "How good is the market at assessing bank fragility? A horse race between different indicators ".
Marco Casari (The Ohio State University – Department of Economics) "Decentralized Management of common property resources: experiments with a centuries-old Institution ".
Elena Bisagni "The Microstructure of the Federal funds Market ".
Luca Fanelli "Testing the PPP through I(2) cointegration techniques".
Walter Distaso "Testing joint hypotheses when one of the alternatives is one-sided".
Luca Fanelli "Testing long run and short run consumption risk sharing among the United States 1963-1990".
"Codificazione della conoscenza e geografia dell'innovazione" "Decentralized Management of common property resources: experiments with a centuries-old Institution ".
Sandro Brusco "Managerial compensation and conglomerate allocation in conglomerate firms".
Ghirardato Paolo "Ambiguity made precise: a comparative foundation".
Anders Rahbek (Nuffield College and University of Copenhagen). "Cointegration in continuous time revisited".
Bent Nielsen "Order determination in a general vector autoregression".
Alan E. Gelfand "Bayesian non parametric approaches for median and quantile regression problems".
Fabio Maccheroni "Insurance premia consistent with the market".
Tito Ciriani "Introduzione agli strumenti di ottimizzazione".
Gabriella Margaria "Statistical modelling of expert opinions for dynamic risk control".
Francesca Chiaromonte "Sufficient Dimension Reduction with Categorical Predictors".


You often hear marketing and sales pros talk about how to turn vendor interactions into meaningful relationships. I find it rewarding to work with our clients to implement strategies that move these relationships from being considered a vendor at one end, to a partner at the other. In some instances, the relationship will spend some time in the consultant and trusted advisor modes as the intermediate steps. And while this hierarchy model is generally thought to refer to services organizations, it can also apply to product companies – especially if there is a service component involved.
The following chart shows various relationship attributes and how they apply when you are at different levels of the Value Hierarchy. As you can see, the further up the food chain you go, the greater the rewards. In fact, a trusted advisor or partner can often command 5-10 times the compensation of a vendor.
Mladen Kresic, CEO of K&R Negotiations (and noted sales negotiation expert), has a great perspective on the hierarchy as it applies to sales in his recent blog post, Breaking the Master/Servant Sales Relationship. Kresic stated, "Moving from the master/servant paradigm isn't about gaining the upper hand in a brute power scenario, but rather about moving to a peer-to-peer relationship where mutual benefit flows from mutual respect and acknowledgment of exchanged value. From our experience, the master/servant trap is an easy one to fall into, even with some of the world's top-tier service organizations." The "servants" Mr. Kresic is referring to are definitely stuck at the vendor end of the spectrum.
Never take your place in the hierarchy for granted. Whether it is your spouse, your marketing peers, your business partner, or your client, you need to continue to earn their trust.
Under promise and over deliver. We have a tendency when dealing with a new customer/client to say things to please them. I got in trouble a couple of times earlier in my career by telling the CEO or VP of Sales, "I'm sure we can deliver all the leads you want." Yes I knew that hitting the lead target would be difficult, but I wanted to please and score a few points.
Be impeccable about deadlines. Having hired many vendors and consultants in my career as a marketing executive – a few of whom became trusted advisors or partners – the one thing that separated the latter from the former was the way they either met, or did not meet, their deadlines. No one likes to chase you to do what you already promised to do.
Go the extra mile. Yes, this is another cliché, but your willingness to do the unexpected and unasked for, can be a huge contributor to the strength of the relationship.
Listen. Yes, your relationship is based on some type of commerce. But your customer/client is also a human, with all the goodness and baggage that entails. If he or she considers you a trusted advisor or partner, they may share both negative and positive parts of their work or personal life that have little to do with your existing contract. You may be tempted to brush this off to get back to the business at hand, but resist the temptation, open your ears and close your mouth (unless asked to do otherwise). It will be an investment that pays off for you and your client.
Stay in touch. Regardless of how your relationship ends, stay in touch with your ex-clients/customers. Send them useful articles; make yourself available for quick calls, comment on their social media posts, and whatever else you can do to be of assistance. Some of our best clients have been with us while with multiple companies. They have become friends and I believe they consider my team and me to be trusted advisors and partners.
If I had to sum up these six strategies in a single overriding concept it would be: Always make the relationship as important, or more so, than the transaction.
Chris, your post illustrates the importance of honoring each step along the relationship hierarchy. Each level interconnects with the others in a delicate balance of mutual benefit. All of the roles must be fulfilled, regardless of the more desirable or preferred role that one might want. Being overly concerned that you are not always at the top will likely soon cause you to be nowhere within the hierarchy and nowhere near any of the rewarding relationships.
Your graphic also succinctly presents how a relationship flows from vendor to partner: with a more distant and impersonal connection taking place as it shifts to a dialogue, then to a more trusted back and forth relationship, and then ultimately to an equal partner. We can't all be partners, all the time at the top of hierarchy. But we can certainly not burn those bridges during our journey.


A pickup truck caught fire following a head-on collision Monday, Sept. 17 on FM 2147 West at the Rocky Road intersection, sending two people by ambulance to Austin-area ER's.
Investigators believe the driver of a pickup truck may have fallen asleep at the wheel resulting in a head-on collision on FM 2147 West at the Rocky Road intersection in Marble Falls.
According to the police report, the accident happened just after 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17 on the roadway less than a mile from the U.S. 281 bridge intersection.
Caleb Taylor, 27, of College Station was driving a 2003 Chevrolet pickup truck, traveling north towards U.S. 281, according to the Marble Falls police report.
Katherine Eaton, 53, of Horseshoe Bay was driving a 2017 Cadillac SUV, traveling south towards Horseshoe Bay.
Both drivers were transported by ambulance to Seton Williamson County in Round Rock and St. David's – South Austin.
Loved ones reported that Taylor suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Information about Eaton's condition is pending.


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Tag Archives: Provenance
60 Second Wine Review — Ambassador Rosé
Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Washington wine
A few quick thoughts on the 2017 Ambassador Rosé from Red Mountain.
The owners of Ambassador Winery started their project in 2004 with the goal of using the estate-grown fruit from their 22 acre Ambassador Vineyard on Red Mountain. In addition to the original vineyard, the estate has grown to include two sister vineyards–Sunset and Annex Vineyards.
The vineyards are managed by legendary grower Dick Boushey and are farmed sustainably. In addition to running his own Boushey Vineyards in the Yakima Valley that supplies fruit to many of the state's top producers such as àMaurice, Avennia, Betz Family Winery, Bunnell Family Cellar, Chinook Wines, DeLille, Fidelitas, Gorman, Two Vintners, Long Shadows (Sequel and Saggi) and W.T. Vintners, Boushey also manages several estates on Red Mountain including Col Solare, Upchurch and Duckhorn's Canvasback.
In 2002, Boushey was named by the Washington State Wine Commission as "Grower of The Year" and, in 2007, he was recognized internationally as "Grower of the Year" by Wine & Spirits magazine.
The wines of Ambassador are produced by Sarah Hedges Goedhart (of Hedges Family fame) with longtime Napa Valley winemaker Tom Rinaldi (of Provenance, Hewitt, Freemark Abbey and Duckhorn fame) consulting.
The 2017 rosé is a blend of Syrah and Grenache.
This rosé has a very lovely floral hibiscus note on the nose.
Medium-plus intensity nose. Very floral with hibiscus and tropical fruit notes such as passion fruit and mangosteen orange peel.
On the palate the wine is dry but the tropical fruits dominant with a pithy texture. With the fair amount of weight and tannins this rosé has I suspect it maybe a saignée. The medium-plus acidity balances the weight well and keeps the rosé tasting crisp and refreshing.
The weight and texture of this rosé definitely lends itself towards more robust food pairings like the kind that Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan describes in her book Rosé Wine.
At $20-25, this 2017 Ambassador rosé offers enough complexity and versatility with food pairings to merit the price. A nice summertime sipper.
Written by Amber LeBeau	in 60 Second Reviews, Washington wine on Aug 27, 2018
Tagged àMaurice, Ambassador Vineyard, Ambassador Winery, Annex Vineyard, Avennia, Betz Family Winery, Boushey Vineyard, Bunnell Family Cellar, Canvasback, Chinook Wines, Col Solare, DeLille, Dick Boushey, Duckhorn, Fidelitas, Freemark Abbey, Gorman, Grenache, Hedges Family Estate, Hewitt, Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, Long Shadows, Provenance, Red Mountain, Rosé Wine, saignée, Sarah Hedges Goedhart, Sunset Vineyard, Sustainable Viticulture, Syrah, Tom Rinaldi, Two Vintners, Upchurch Vineyards, W.T. Vintners, Washington State Wine Commission, Wine & Spirits, Women in wine.
Event Review — Stags' Leap Winery Dinner
Amber LeBeau in Event reviews, Food Pairing, Napa Valley, Wine reviews
Daniel's Broiler in Bellevue, Washington is one of my wife and I's favorite restaurants to visit. Each year they host a Champagne Gala that we love going to. Even when we're not thrilled with the wines selected, we nonetheless always enjoy the exquisite food crafted by Executive Chef Kevin Rohr and a chance to try interesting food pairings.
Recently I got to attend a dinner featuring the wines of Stags' Leap Winery with Assistant Winemaker Joanne "Jo" Wing.
I geeked out about some of the backstory of Stags' Leap Winery in my 60 Second Review of their 2013 Napa Valley Merlot. With a long history dating back to the late 19th century, the winery is one of Napa's most historic properties.
In California's Great Cabernets, James Laube notes that the rise of the modern-era of Stags' Leap Winery under Carl Doumani went hand in hand with the "Cabernet boom" of the 1970s that saw the notable Cabs of Burgess, Cakebread, Caymus, Clos du Val, Mount Eden, Mt. Veeder, Silver Oak and Joseph Phelps hit the scene. It also saw the birth of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and decades-long legal intrigue.
"The War of the Apostrophe" soon took off with Warren Winiarski of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars (and winner of the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris) suing Doumani–who promptly counter-sued.
The two men eventually settled their differences in the mid-1980s and released a special collaborative bottling between the two estates called Accord from the 1985 vintage to commemorate. The agreement was that Winiarski's Stag's Leap Wine Cellars would have the apostrophe to the left of the 's' while Doumani's Stags' Leap Winery would have it to the right.
You could tell that the Treasury Wine Estate rep at the dinner wasn't too happy about the apostrophe typo on the menu.
Around this time, the two wineries faced another challenge with other wineries in the area like Gary Andrus' Pine Ridge Winery, Steltzner Vineyards, Shafer Vineyards and more wanting to use the Stags Leap name and petitioning for American Viticultural Area (AVA) approval under that name for the region. After more legal challenges, a compromise was struck for the name of the new AVA to be the Stags Leap District (SLD) sans apostrophe.
Today the winery is owned by Treasury Wine Estates where it is part of a vast portfolio that includes 19 Crimes, The Walking Dead wines, Beaulieu Vineyards, Beringer, Ch. St Jean, Penfolds, Provenance, Hewitt Vineyard and more.
The current winemaker is Christophe Paubert who succeeded Robert Brittan when the later left Napa to make wine in Oregon at his own Brittan Vineyards and consult for wineries such as Winderlea.
A Bordeaux trained winemaker, Paubert has extensive experience working at such illustrious estates as the 2nd Growth St. Julien estate of Ch. Gruaud-Larose and the First Growth Sauternes estate of Chateau d'Yquem. Prior to joining Stags' Leap in 2009, Paubert was the head winemaker for 4 years at Canoe Ridge Vineyards in Washington State.
Assistant Winemaker Joanne Wing is a New Zealand native who started out at Indevin, one of New Zealand's largest wine producers. She gained experience working harvest across the globe from Saintsbury in Napa to Mount Pleasant Winery in the Hunter Valley of Australia as well as in Bordeaux before accepting a position at Stags' Leap as a harvest enologist and working her way up to Asst. Winemaker.
Gorgeous Viognier that is well worth seeking out.
Passed hors d'oeuvres paired with 2016 Stags' Leap Winery Napa Valley Viognier
Smoked sablefish with soft scrambled farm egg, ikura, chives and Chevre crostini with watermelon beet, grilled apricot, chili spice
I'm not a big beet person so I let my wife try the Chevre Crostini while I had the smoked sablefish with the ikura roe caviar. Both were smashing pairings with the Stags' Leap Viognier with the wine being a particular revelation.
Sourced primarily from cooler climate vineyards in the Carneros AVA and Oak Knoll District, the Viognier had medium-plus intensity nose of orange blossoms and white peach notes.
On the palate, those white peach tree fruits carried through but also brought some tropical notes of passion-fruit, manago and papaya. However this Viognier never came close to the tutti-fruity "Fruit Loop Cereal" style that unfortunately befalls many domestic Viogniers–especially those fermented and aged only in stainless steel. To avoid that pratfall, Paubert and Wing fermented the wine in neutral French oak barrels with weekly batonnage for 4 months. This very "Condrieu-style" approach produced a Viognier with textural weight and depth but with enough medium-plus acidity to keep it from being flabby or overly creamy.
The acidity also matched perfectly with the hors d'oeuvres, cutting through the "fishiness" of the sablefish and roe. My wife was particularly impressed at how well the acidity matched with the Chevre–the tangy goat cheese that often calls for high acid whites like Sauvignon blanc.
At $22-27, this is an outstanding Viognier with loads of personality and complexity that I would put on par with the àMaurice Viognier from Washington State as one of the stellar domestic examples of this variety.
The preserved kumquat vinaigrette on the salad were quite a treat.
First Course paired with 2016 Stags' Leap Napa Valley Chardonnay
Spring Salad with Belgian endive, baby kale, avocado, marcona almonds, preserved kumquat vinaigrette
Sourced from the Carneros and Oak Knoll District, this Napa Chardonnay counters the stereotype of over-the-top, oaky, buttery Chardonnays. With 25% fermented and aged in new French oak, 50% in "seasoned" French oak and the rest in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation, this Chardonnay aimed for an elegant and food-friendly style.
The wine had a medium intensity nose with apple and citrus lime notes. A little subtle baking spice from the oak rims around the edge.
On the palate, the citrus notes came through the most and played off the baby kale and avocado very well. Medium-plus acidity maintained freshness and balanced the moderate creaminess in the wine. The clove oak spice and an almost marzipan nuttiness lingered on the moderate finish.
Overall, this was a very drinkable and pleasant Chardonnay that did hit the target for food-pairing. But, admittedly, at $25-30 it didn't jump out as anything wow-worthy–especially following in the footsteps of the scrumptious Viognier. It's a very well made California Chard but it is still one of hundreds of similar well-made and similarly priced California Chards.
The star of the night. I can still taste the braised short ribs and that delectable sauce.
Second Course paired with 2014 Stags' Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Braised short ribs with seared sea scallops, morel mushrooms, chervil
From a food perspective, this was the winning course of the night. The braised short ribs melted in the mouth and had you dearly wishing you had more than just the bite. The scallops were perfectly cooked and while I was skeptical with pairing them with a big Cab, the morel and au jus sauce from the short ribs offered just enough weight to carry the pairing.
As with other wines in the white label Napa Valley series, the Stags' Leap Cabernet Sauvignon includes some estate fruit but is mostly sourced from vineyards throughout Napa Valley. Joanne Wing noted that while Paubert likes the flexibility of having some fruit from warm climate sites like Calistoga, he's far more excited about the fruit from the cooler southern reaches of Napa like Coombsville, Oak Knoll and Yountville.
Medium-plus intensity with rich dark fruit–black currants, black plums, blackberries. This screams Napa Cab from the nose but it is not as overtly oak-driven as the norm with a little tobacco spice element.
On the palate those dark fruits carry through but there is a little earthy forest-floor element that emerges that adds some intrigue. Medium acidity adds juiciness to the fruit but not enough to be mouthwatering. The oak is a little more pronounced but is more spice driven than vanilla. The medium-plus tannins are still quite firm and young but are more tight than biting. Moderate length finish ends on the fruit which testifies to the youth of this wine.
Stags' Leap Winery Assistant Winemaker Joanne Wing.
At $45-50, this is priced in lined with many of its Napa peers as a sort of "entry-level" Napa Cab. It's hard to say it is a compelling value compared to what you can get for equivalent pricing from other regions like Washington and Paso Robles. Like the Chardonnay, I feel like this Cab is certainly well made but not blow-your-socks-off-you-must-find-it good partly because of the premium you are paying for the Napa name (and the winery's history).
However, I do suspect that this wine could kick it up a couple notches with a few more years of bottle age that potentially could make it far more compelling.
Third Course paired with 2014 Stags' Leap "The Investor" Red Blend
Piedmontese New York Steak with herb polenta, spring vegetables, blackberry demiglace
Admittedly, this was one of the few times I've been disappointed with a Daniel's steak. Perhaps it was just this cut but I found it was in the weird position of being both too fatty and too dry and lacking flavor. The polenta and blackberry demi-glace were excellent though. But I found myself again wishing that the braised short ribs were the main course.
A unique blend of Merlot, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, The Investor pays homage to former owner Horace Chase who made his fortune investing in gold and silver mines during the Gold Rush days of California. The Merlot and majority of the Petite Sirah come from estate fruit in the Stags Leap District and Oakville while the Cabernet and Malbec are sourced from vineyards throughout Napa Valley.
The medium-plus acidity and savory, herbal element of The Investor red blend definitely helped interject some much needed flavor into the Piedmontese New York steak.
Medium-plus nose with a mix of red and dark fruits–plums and currants. There is more overt oak vanilla on the nose of this wine than with the Cab but it doesn't seem overwhelming. Underneath there is also a blue floral element that is not defined.
On the palate, the mix of fruits carry through with mouthwatering medium-plus acidity tilting the favor towards the red fruit. Some savory herbal and smokey notes join the party that dearly helps the food-pairing with the flavorless Piedmontese New York steak. The vanilla oak notes add a layer of velvety softness to the high tannins that still have a fair amount of gripe. Like the Cab, the moderate length finish ends on the youthful fruit.
At $50-60, The Investor intrigues me a lot more than the Napa Cabernet (and the Napa Merlot) because of the savory, smokey element and mouthwatering acidity. It's still young and has some "baby fat" of oak that needs to be shed but this is a unique blend that could turn into something exceptionally good.
Dessert paired with 2014 Stags' Leap Napa Valley Petite Sirah
Chocolate torte with Devonshire cream, coconut crisp
While the chocolate torte was amazing and sinfully delicious and the wine outstanding, this was not a winning pairing. The wine was nowhere near sweet enough to balance with the torte.
While delicious on their own, the pairing of the chocolate torte with the Stags' Leap Petite Sirah just didn't do it for me.
Still, it was somewhat fitting to end the Stags' Leap Winery dinner with the wine that truly epitomizes the estate. While the name "Stags Leap" is synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags' Leap Winery was always a vanguard in cultivating and promoting Petite Sirah.
High intensity nose that started jumping out of the glass as soon as the waiter poured it. Blackberries and boysenberries with some peppery spice and violets.
On the palate, the first thing that hits you is the weight and richness of the wine with the full brunt of the dark fruits and high tannins. But there is an elegance with the juicy medium-plus acidity and fine balance that keeps the wine from being overbearing. On the moderate finish, there is some subtle dark chocolate notes that come out but not enough to make the food-pairing work. This was definitely a wine to savor on its own.
At $32-40, this is a more premium-priced Petite Sirah but it is well worth not only its price but also its reputation as the winery's flagship. During this course, Jo told us about the Ne Cede Malis block of Prohibition-era vines that is a field blend of majority Petite Sirah with Muscat, Malbec, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Carignan and up to 9 other varieties. The grapes are harvested together and co-fermented to produce a limited release bottling. I have to admit that if Stags' Leap Winery's mobile ordering website wasn't so buggy and difficult to navigate, I would have purchased a bottle of the Ne Cede Malis Petite Sirah (as well as several bottles of the Viognier) right then.
Overall Impressions
Attending this dinner left me wondering if Stags' Leap Winery is a victim of its own name and location in Napa Valley. While the winery absolutely shined with its Viognier and Petite Sirah, their more typical Napa offerings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay were just "ho-hum".
I do appreciate that Treasury Wine Estates has let Paubert, Wing and Co. continue producing their more obscure bottlings but I have no doubt that the health of the winery's bottom line depends on the case sales of the bread and butter Cab, Chardonnay and Merlot. It's where the money is–especially in Napa–and that is what they're out to sell.
Yet after tasting their outstanding Viognier, scrumptious Petite Sirah and very character-driven Investor blend, its hard not to think about what more the winery could do with their talented winemaking team and unique approach if they didn't have to live up to the name Stags' Leap.
Written by Amber LeBeau	in Event reviews, Food Pairing, Napa Valley, Wine reviews on Apr 22, 2018
Tagged 19 Crimes, àMaurice Cellars, Beaulieu Vineyards, Beringer, Burgess, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cakebread, California's Great Cabernets, Calistoga, Canoe Ridge Vineyard, Carignan, Carl Doumani, Carneros, Caymus, Ch. Gruaud-Larose, Ch. St Jean, Champagne Gala, Chardonnay, Chateau d'Yquem, Christophe Paubert, Cinsault, Clos du Val, Condrieu, Daniel's Broiler, Gary Andrus, Hewitt Vineyard, Indevin, James Laube, Joanne Wing, Joseph Phelps, Judgement of Paris, Kevin Rohr, Malbec, Merlot, Mount Eden, Mount Pleasant Winery, Mourvèdre, Mt. Veeder, Muscat, Oak Knoll District, Oakville, Paso Robles, Penfolds, Petite Sirah, Pine Ridge Winery, Provenance, Robert Brittan, Saintsbury, Sauvignon blanc, Shafer Vineyards, Silver Oak, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Stags Leap District, Stags' Leap Winery, Steltzner Vineyards, The Walking Dead wines, Treasury Wine Estates, Viognier, Warren Winiarski, Winderlea, Yountville.
Wine Spectator Grand Tour Las Vegas (Part 2)
Amber LeBeau in Wine reviews, Wine Tasting
First things, if you haven't checked out the first entry in Spitbucket's 3 part series on the 2017 Wine Spectator Grand Tour Las Vegas, head there now. You will find a lot of a great wines that often get passed over as score hounds hunt for the wines with the blockbuster ratings.
While the wines featured in Part I were described as Ted Williams wines, the wines that I'm featuring now are more the Joe Dimaggios. They got the big scores and married Marilyn Monroe (or MaryAnn Worobiec) so of course they garnered the bulk of attendees' attention. Out of the 244 wines, there were 25 wines that received scores 94+ available for tasting, headlined by two Vintage Ports–the 98 point rated Graham's 2000 and 97 pt Croft 2011.
I got a chance to try several of them and while there were many delicious treats that made my Top Ten list, there were also a few that were just "meh". It's good to remember that while Joe did get Marilyn–so did Arthur Miller.
Adobe Road 2013 Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III A1-Block Cabernet Sauvignon (94 points. Wine Spectator list price $175) Hands down, my wine of the night. Tiny production wine from a single block of Cabernet Sauvignon in the legendary Beckstoffer Georges III vineyard in Rutherford. The highly sought after fruit from this vineyard is prized by a "Who's Who" of high-end California wineries like Caymus, Alpha Omega, Chateau Boswell, Duckhorn, Staglin, Hunnicutt, Myriad, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Provenance, Robert Craig, Sojurn and Schrader. This example from Adobe Road delivers in spades.
High intensity aromatics of black currant, blackberry with floral elements and a mixture of baking and Asian spices. I spent several minutes just smelling my glass before taking sip because the bouquet was so intoxicating alluring. The mouthfeel was classic Napa–silky smooth tannins that added weight and depth to the palate but wrapped around your tongue like kiss. But unlike a few of the other high scoring wines, this is not a fruit bomb. The acidity was still medium-plus to keep the fruit lively and fresh with the ability to age in the cellar for several more years. However, it is at such a fantastically delicious spot now, I don't know if anyone lucky enough to get their hands on one of these bottles will want to wait. Just a perfect combination of power, balance and elegance.
Ch. Calon Segur 2003 Saint Estephe (95 points. Wine Searcher average price $117) Another wine that made my Top 10 list. The 2003 vintage often sends a shudder down the spines of European wine lovers because it was a "heat wave" vintage. Indeed, a staggering number of people died from the heat and, while nowhere near as tragic as the loss of human life, grapevines also suffered. But the axiom that "Good wine is made even in bad vintages" is still aptly true. You just have to be more selective and look for the gems that had the kismet of the right terroir and right winemaking touch for the vintage. The 2003 Calon Segur is a perfect case in point.
Located in St. Estephe, the Third Growth estate of Calon Segur is the most northern of the classified growth in the Medoc. While the soils have the typical Medocian mixture of gravel and sand, you also find a far amount of clay. This coupled with the overall coolness of its northernly location, gives you soils that were more apt to retain the limited, precious amount of water needed to weather the heat. Then you add a winemaking style of Calon Segur that (was then) focused on lower alcohol but brawny wines that prized acidity and structure, and you have a wine with a fighting chance to not only be good but maybe even great.
It was a long term bet but one that paid off exceptionally well for the 2003 Calon Segur. The wine had a floral, spicy nose with a delicate touch of fruit that almost smelled like a great red Burgundy. The palate, though, was very Bordeaux–almost full-bodied with velvety tannins that had no greeness or bite. The spice from the nose carried through as a mixture of tobacco and baking spices that complimented the juicy, ripe dark fruits which still had plenty of acidity and life. This wine easily has several more years that it could go on but it is at a great point right now and an absolute bargain at this price. I would put this toe to toe with Bordeaux from the more heralded 2005 vintage in the $170-200 range.
Croft 2011 Vintage Port (97 points. Wine Searcher average price $81) This was the highest rated wine that I got to try that night and it came from the highly acclaimed 2011 vintage. This is a vintage that is often compared to the great vintages of the 1970s as well as 1963 and 1945. However, the thing to keep in mind with vintage Port is that after a few brief years of youthful exuberance following release, these wines tend to "shut down" and enter their quiet phase or "awkward adolescence" that can last for several years or even a decade plus. The trade off is that when these wines re-emerge from that "dumb phase", they are even more outstanding and mind-blowing. You need the patience of a grasshopper to reap the beauty of a butterfly.
I go through that tangent because, sadly, this Croft has entered that awkward adolescence. This is a fate rapidly befalling upon its 2011 peers with the Cockburn and Graham's that I've tried in the last year likewise being a bit underwhelming despite their pedigrees and potential. What does a "quiet vintage Port" taste like? Well in the case of the Croft it was very muted on the nose, red fruit and that was about it. On the palate, instead of being focused or concentrated, it was a rather clumsy hodgepodge of undistinguished fruit flavors and sweetness. I have no doubt that the potential to live up to its lofty score is there but it is clear that this wine was tasting exponentially better 2-3 years ago when it was being reviewed and that its best years is still much further down the road.
Kistler 2013 Hudson Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay (94 points. Wine Spectator list price $80) Combine one of California's top Chardonnay producer with a legendary Chardonnay vineyard and you are sure to have a winning combination. This wine was classic Cali Chard with tropical fruit aromas on the nose–papaya and ripe honeydew melon–followed by a creamy, rich mouthfeel. But what keeps this from being a butter bomb was the elegance with medium-plus acidity that held up the weight of the malo and a minerally streak that you're often hard pressed to find in many California Chardonnays. No one would ever mistake this wine for a white Burgundy, but fans of the more weightier examples from Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet could appreciate this wine for being a well-made example of a California benchmark.
Antinori 2013 Guado Al Tasso (94 points. Wine Searcher average price $86) A Super Tuscan blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, this wine captures some of the savory herbalness of a nice Pauillac but with a lighter touch and riper tannins. It was a bit tight at this tasting and, like the 2014 Ornellaia noted in the previous blog entry, will need several years to show its stuffing.
Marchesi Fumanelli 2009 Octavius Riserva Amarone (94 points. Wine Searcher average price $173) This was another first-time find and it had me googling where in the US I could buy this wine. That's always a good sign that something is heading towards my Top Ten list. This was a very spicy Amarone with some floral and earthy elements that smelled like you were hiking through a mint and clover field while carrying a bouquet of roses. The palate was very bold, almost decadent, with rich dark fruit flavors that tasted like a savory Christmas fruitcake. Every sip revealed something different with this wine unfurling on the tongue like chapters and verses of an exciting story. The balance between savory and rich was outstanding. Situated among tables next to a stunning list of top Amarone producers like Allegrini, Masi, Zenato and Bertani, Marchesi Fumanelli stood head over shoulders above them all.
Much like the Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero I talked about in Part I, I was left feeling that if this wine was this impressive based on a single taste, how much more pleasure could be discovered over the course of a whole bottle?
Mollydooker 2014 Carnival of Love McLaren Vale Shiraz (95 points. Wine Searcher average price $72) This winery has its legions of fans but much like smokey, peaty Islay Scotches, its a singular taste that either people love or find that its not really their cup of tea. Being a wine geek, I try to find the nuance of appeal in every wine and while the lush, over the top oak and fruity style of Mollydooker is usually not my cup of tea, I have found examples of their wines that I've been able to enjoy for their simple, hedonistic pleasures. But it is kind of like shooting with a bow and arrow at an apple that a circus clown is juggling. Sometimes you hit the apple and win the prize. Sometimes you miss and sometimes you impale the poor the clown.
This one was just a miss. It wasn't horrible by any stretch of the imagination. It was just really, really, really, really oaky. In fact it was competing with the Orin Swift Abstract and Belle Glos Clarke & Telephone for most oaky wine at the tasting. Lots of sweet vanilla with more overt taste of toast instead of more subtle baking spice. Trying to get past the oak to venture for some fruit, I did feel a sense of richness and intense fruit on the palate but I was hard pressed to really identify what kind of fruit it was or pick up any other layer of complexity. While, in general, Mollydooker wines are often meant to be consumed young as their low acidity usually doesn't bode well for cellaring, I find that giving them 4 to 5 years from vintage date allows the oak to temper itself a bit while letting some character show.
Ramos Pinto 30 year Tawny Port (95 points. Wine Searcher average price $85) Not too long ago, I did a tasting featuring the tawnys of Taylor-Fladgate where I absolutely adored the 30 year tawny. As phenomenal as that Taylor 30 was, I have to say that the Ramos Pinto ran laps around it. Wow, just wow. This may be one of the single best Tawny Ports that I've ever tasted and I would start putting it close to the 1970 Taylor and 1970 Fonseca vintage Ports as one of the best Ports, I've had. Period.
While I was extremely discipline in spitting throughout the evening, I swallowed and savored every drop of this wine. The nose was a beautiful blend of spice and hazelnuts. The palate introduced butterscotch and dried golden raisins. The mouthfeel was the star with a silkiness that seemed almost feather-light around the tip of the tongue but pulled you in with its richness and weight towards the mid-palate. The finish was the longest of the evening. Several minutes. In fact, I ended up savoring it for so long that I missed out on the 98 point rated Graham's 2000 vintage port that was being emptied in glasses as I stood by the table still reveling in the Ramos Pinto 30. While I'm sure the Graham's would have been wonderful, I think the sacrifice of being able to enjoy the Ramos longer was well worth it. Needless to say, this wine was one of my Top 10 of the night.
Rodney Strong 2012 Rockaway Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (94 points. Wine Searcher average price $74) If you mostly know of Rodney Strong for their low-end, chain-restaurant wines then this wine is an eye-opener. Much like Sbragia's Monte Rosso I reviewed in the last post, it seems sinful to compare this Alexander Valley Cabernet to a Napa wine but I'd be damn if this wouldn't fool me for a Silver Oak Napa (but still priced like their Alexander!). Though while the Silver Oak Napa usually needs 7 to 10 years to get to this level of complexity and drink-ability, this Rodney Strong Rockaway is already roaring on all cylinders.
The nose has a great mix of ripe black currant and plum with tobacco oak spice and cedar cigar box. The palate is powerful and fills up your entire mouth with seductive fruit but also has layers of savory meaty notes underneath. The oak is present but plays a supporting role while letting the fruit and power of the wine take center stage. This wine would be equally at ease paired with a juicy prime rib as it would be with an elegant lamb dish or just being savored by itself.
Torbreck 2013 Descendant Shiraz Barossa Valley (96 points. Wine Searcher average price $89) This wine was tussling with the Penfolds 2014 RWT, Two Hands 2014 Bella Garden and the Hickinbotham Clarendon 2013 Brooks Road for best Australian wine of the night. A co-ferment with 8% Viognier, this wine has an absolutely beautiful floral nose paired with vibrant berry fruit. Even though time is precious with just 3 hours to taste upwards of 244 wines, this was a wine that deliberately slows you down, encouraging you to spend several minutes just smelling and enjoying it.
When you finally do get to tasting it, the pay off is well worth it with it full-body but elegant mouthfeel that testifies to but also defies it 15.5% alcohol. Tasting blind, I would've peg it more around 14% because of how graceful it carries it heavy weight across the palate. Medium-plus acidity keeps the fruit fresh and invites your taste buds to water enough to pick up some of the black pepper and baking spices of cinnamon and nutmeg that wraps around the berry fruit. It's a shame that Torbreck gets no where near the amount of attention that Penfolds or Mollydooker gets because this wine is certainly among Australia's best.
K Vintners 2013 Royal City Syrah (95 points. Wine Searcher average price $129) Like Mollydooker, I find Charles Smith's wines of K Vintners to be "hit or miss" for me with, thankfully, more hits than misses. But these are still wines that I will hardly ever buy "on faith" without tasting first because when they miss, they're "impale the clown" kind of misses. Partly that's because of K Vintner's style which seems to favor high pH, very lush wines that can sometimes veer towards issues with volatile acidity and brettanomyces. I don't mind a little brett because it can add complexity but VA is something that I'm personally hyper-sensitive about.
This 2013 Royal City had a smidgen of brett but was, thankfully, just in the gamey arena instead of the full-blown camping-in-the-horse-barn arena of brett. Also, thankfully, there was no overt signs of VA but the very dense and lush mouthfeel with medium-minus acidity doesn't leave me optimistic that VA won't make an appearance over time as the fruit fades with bottle age. The tannins are smooth, of course, and the fruit sweet and dark. It's definitely a drink-now kind of wine that I'm sure will give many people much pleasure. It's just not a wine that I would, personally, risk the clown for.
Well….maybe I'd risk that clown.
El Nido 2013 Jumilla (95 points. Wine Searcher average price $125) Much like Mollydooker and K Vintners, El Nido is about lush, decadence and lip smacking fruit. But while those wines were underwhelming, this wine was absolutely scrumptious. The nose gave off the siren song of rich, intensely concentrated dark fruit signaling a very fruity and full-bodied wine but the palate surprised with high, almost Bordeaux-like, acidity that added a splash of freshness to the fruit. It not only made your lips smack but your mouth water as well. It's a big, big wine (probably the most full-bodied outside of the Amarones and Ports) but it had finesse to it that would open it up to more food-pairing possibilities than it lush co-horts. Of course, it was quite delicious still on its own.
Coming up next: My Top Ten Wines of the 2017 Wine Spectator Grand Tour
Written by Amber LeBeau	in Wine reviews, Wine Tasting on May 09, 2017
Tagged Adobe Road, Alexander Valley, Allegrini, Alpha Omega, Amarone, Antinori, Arthur Miller, Beckstoffer Georges III, Belle Glos, Bertani, Bordeaux, brettanomyces, Cabernet Sauvignon, Calon Segur, Caymus, Chardonnay, Charles Smith, Chateau Boswell, co-ferment, Cockburn, Croft, Duckhorn, El Nido, Emilio Moro, Fonseca, Graham's, Guado Al Tasso, heat wave, Hickinbotham Clarendon, Hudson Vineyard, Hunnicutt, Joe Dimaggio, K Vintners, Kistler, Las Vegas, legendary vineyards, Marchesi Fumanelli, Marilyn Monroe, MaryAnn Worobiec, Masi, Mollydooker, Monte Rosso, Myriad, Orin Swift, Ornellaia, Penfolds, Provenance, Ramos Pinto, Robert Craig, Rodney Strong, Rutherford, Sbragia, Schrader, Silver Oak, Sojurn, St. Estephe, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Staglin, Super Tuscan, Tawny port, Taylor Fladgate, Ted Williams, Torbreck, Two Hands, Vintage Port, volatile acidity, Wine Spectator, Wine Spectator Grand Tour, Zenato.


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On October 9, 2017, the Hungarian government mailed a national consultation to all eight million eligible Hungarian voters purporting to solicit their opinions about a so-called "Soros Plan." The statements in the national consultation contain distortions and outright lies that deliberately mislead Hungarians about George Soros's views on migrants and refugees. Hungarian government officials also falsely claim that George Soros is somehow controlling the European Union decision-making process. In fact, decisions on how to address the migration crisis are made by EU member states and institutions, including the Hungarian government.
George Soros started his giving in Hungary in the 1980s, establishing a foundation there in 1984. Since then, his support for Hungarians has totaled roughly €350 million and has included scholarships, health care services, and humanitarian efforts, including €1 million for reconstruction after the red sludge disaster in 2010. He also funds current efforts to help educate children with learning disabilities, tackle homelessness, and bring public transportation to the Hungarian countryside.
As a concerned citizen, George Soros regularly publishes commentary in newspapers around the world expressing his views and proposing policy approaches on a variety of topics, including the migration crisis. These are all publicly available on his website: www.GeorgeSoros.com.
George Soros wants Brussels to resettle at least one million immigrants per year onto European Union territory, including in Hungary.
In a 2015 opinion piece, George Soros said that because of the war in Syria, the European Union would have to "accept at least a million asylum-seekers annually for the foreseeable future. And, to do that, it must share the burden fairly" ("Rebuilding the Asylum System," Project Syndicate, September 26, 2015). A year later, when circumstances had changed, he suggested that the EU should make a "commitment to admit even a mere 300,000 refugees annually" ("Saving Refugees to Save Europe," Project Syndicate, September 12, 2016).
Together with officials in Brussels, George Soros is planning to dismantle border fences in EU member states, including in Hungary, to open the borders for immigrants.
George Soros has clearly stated his belief that "the EU must regain control of its borders." He believes that "the EU must build common mechanisms for protecting borders, determining asylum claims, and relocating refugees." ("Saving Refugees to Save Europe," Project Syndicate, September 12, 2016).
One part of the Soros Plan is to use Brussels to force the EU-wide distribution of immigrants that have accumulated in Western Europe, with special focus on Eastern European countries. Hungary must also take part in this.
In his most recent commentary on the refugee crisis, George Soros endorsed "a voluntary matching mechanism for relocating refugees." He made clear that "the EU cannot coerce member states to accept refugees they do not want, or refugees to go where they are not wanted." ("Saving Refugees to Save Europe," Project Syndicate, September 12, 2016).
Based on the Soros Plan, Brussels should force all EU member states, including Hungary, to pay immigrants HUF 9 million (€28,000) in welfare.
George Soros did not say that Hungary should be forced to pay HUF 9 million in welfare to immigrants. He did say, "Adequate financing is critical. The EU should provide €15,000 per asylum-seeker for each of the first two years to help cover housing, health care, and education costs—and to make accepting refugees more appealing to member states." ("Rebuilding the Asylum System," Project Syndicate, September 26, 2015). This would clearly be a subsidy from the EU to the Hungarian government. Last year George Soros announced that he would contribute to the financial effort by earmarking €430 million of his personal fortune "for investments that specifically address the needs of migrants, refugees and host communities." ("Why I'm Investing $500 Million in Migrants," The Wall Street Journal, September 20, 2016).
Another goal of George Soros is to make sure that migrants receive milder criminal sentences for the crimes they commit.
Nowhere has Soros made any such statement. This is a lie.
The goal of the Soros Plan is to push the languages and cultures of Europe into the background so that integration of illegal immigrants happens much more quickly.
It is also part of the Soros Plan to initiate political attacks against those countries which oppose immigration, and to severely punish them.


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Veteran's Day: "Greater Love Has No Man..."
Today is Veteran's Day.
It's a day on which we thank and honor those who have served---and do serve in our military.
The US Census Bureau reports that there are 21.8 million vets in our country today.
Over 1.3 million of those served in both Gulf War eras, 211,000 in both the Korean War and Vietnam era and 147,000 in World War II and Korea.
There were 49,500 who served in both the Vietnam War and both Gulf War eras and 54,000 who served during the Korean War, Vietnam War and World War II.
Does America understand the great price that has been paid, and is being paid to create and sustain our freedom?
And what does the Bible say about war?
As time moves on, memories can grow dim. Today is about remembering and honoring.
Every war has its pivotal moments and famous battles and all those who participated did so by putting their life on the line for their country. And for freedom and the next generation.
From our Revolutionary War to the present day war on terrorism, there are elements that are the same---a hunger for freedom, and a willingness to fight for it and preserve it.
Patriotism.
However by most all accounts, the invasion at Normandy was a turning point in World History.
While history records it and a few remain who were eye witnesses and participants, it was President Reagan who most properly illuminated it and explained it in his speech at Normandy on the 40th anniversary of what we know as "D-Day."
On the spot where the allied soldiers had stormed ashore to liberate Europe from the NAZIS, President Reagan defined the moment and the meaning of that historic, liberating event, bringing clarity for those generations that have followed.
This is an excerpt from his speech:
We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but 40 years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs. Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.
The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers -- the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machineguns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After 2 days of fighting, only 90 could still bear arms.
Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there.
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war."
President Dwight Eisenhower once said; "I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."
Most of us would agree.
Yet until Christ rules and reigns on this earth---He Himself has said there will be wars and rumors of wars.
The fallen nature of man dictates it.
Candice Lanier has pointed out that Solomon famously wrote, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven...a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war and a time of peace."
The Bible speaks to the issue of war, because there is a time for war.
Psalms 144:1,2:
"Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my strong hold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me."
The Bible also speaks to a proper mind set and spiritual posture when going to war.
Deuteronomy 20:1-4
"When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you."
God has been with you in the past, and he will be with you now. He is faithful, the prophet writes.
As you enter the battle, "The priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say 'Hear Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."
How many times have we heard our soldiers reflect on how their faith in God and in His Word sustained them through the toils and snares in the heat of battle?
These and other verses presuppose that God is indeed the Lord, or at least recognized. Sadly our military is systematically removing freedom of religious expression from the very people who are fighting and dying to preserve it.
We honor those who have served and those presently serving today. From our hearts we say, "Thank you" and "God bless you."
Yours is a noble and just cause.
It was Jesus Christ Himself who said, "Greater love has no man than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
Be Blessed. Be Free.


ATLANTA, Ga. (WCTV) -- Tonight, a champion will be crowned in Atlanta as the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide play in the College Football Playoffs title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
This is the first meeting between the two schools since October 3, 2015 when Alabama defeated UGA, 38-10, in Athens.
In the brief history of the CFP, Alabama has made every playoff, and tonight marks their third CFP title game appearance. Georgia, on the other hand, is in their first playoff, and are playing in their first championship game ever.
While the Dawgs and Tide have never met for a national championship before, they have met for an SEC title once previously in 2012, when Alabama won 32-28.
Here's what's at stake tonight for both teams.
Be the Tide's second CFP title and fifth title overall since 2009. Each title has been won under Nick Saban.
The Tide and Dawgs will get underway tonight at 8 p.m. Keep this story handy, as we'll be updating it with scores and analysis throughout the evening.
For up-to-the-minute updates tonight, be sure you're following the WCTV Sports Twitter page.
Holy cow. Tua Tagovailoa finds DeVonta Smith for a 41-yard touchdown on an absolute dime and Alabama is your national champion.
Nick Chubb is called upon twice for the Dawgs but Fromm takes a bad sack for a 51-yard field goal attempt.
UGA leads 23-20, with Bama to get the ball next.
Who is ready for free football? Alabama misses a 36-yard field goal, the second missed FG of the game, and we are going to overtime tied at 20-20.
Tua had all. day. in the pocket and zipped a ball into a crowd of five players and Calvin Ridley caught it.
It's a 20-20 game and this fourth quarter has been all Alabama.
That's it, really. 15 minutes left, and UGA leads 20-10.
On the first play after UGA's big takeaway, Fromm tries to throw the ball away but it goes off the helmet of a Bama lineman and Raekwon Davis of the Tide picks it off to set the Tide up in UGA territory.
In a game that features, currently, two freshman QB's, one looks a little more freshman than the other as Tagovailoa can't put enough air under a lob pass and it's picked off by Deandre Baker.
UGA is set up nicely at the Bama 39.
Jake Fromm shows off his arm strength and Mecole Hardman shows off his balance as he stays in bounds and takes it to the house to give UGA an answer and make it 20-7.
Tua Tagovailoa is the TRUTH. He just took the Tide 56 yards down the field on seven plays in 1:59 to put the Tide on the board.
He already has more passing yards (46) this quarter than Hurts (21) had in the first half.
Bama gets the ball but goes three-and-out in the opening drive in the game, and is led by true freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
UGA caps off the defensive series with a sack and things could get ugly in a hurry if the Dawgs put up six.
It took Georgia nine plays to march 69 yards in 1:12 to score the first touchdown of the day on a one-yard touchdown run by Mecole Hardman.
The Dawgs were on fire that drive, and have been on fire really all second quarter.
I'm not sure if you'd call this up-tempo offense for Georgia, but they seem to be going very fast as they're driving with 90-ish seconds left before halftime.
Right as I say how seasoned Fromm looks, he throws behind his receiver inside the red zone and the Dawgs are forced to kick a field goal.
Blankenship nails the 27-yarder, and it's a 6-0 UGA lead.
Jake Fromm looks like a seasoned veteran tonight. Over the last couple of drives, when he lets go of the ball, he's firing it accurately and is putting his receivers in a spot to make the play.
Also, what a catch by Javon Wims. It looked like he got both feet in bounds before he went out of bounds.
Another play that'll be reviewed, but it'll stand.
Once it does, the Dawgs will be set up at the Bama 10.
We have our first points of the night after a 41-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship.
The Dawgs put together a 14 play, 55 yard drive in 7:40.
Lets see how the UGA defense and Bama offense each respond.
That's really it. Sony Michel.
He gets the handoff on 3rd and 20, looks like he's gonna head straight into the line of scrimmage, changes direction and picks up 26 yards for the first down.
The Dawgs have gone to the ground game, and it's working.
Outside of one blown assignment on the offensive line that allowed Anthony Averett to sack Jake Fromm for a loss of 10 yards, everything seems to be going right for the Dawgs.
Tyler Clark, have yourself a series my friend.
Bama is forced three-and-out by the Dawgs defense as Clark logs two tackles on Bo Scarbrough and sacks Jalen Hurts on third down to force the Tide to punt.
A much better defensive series than the first one for Georgia.
In their first five plays tonight, Georgia has run all passing plays.
The UGA defense looked good in stretches, containing Jalen Hurts just enough to keep him out of the endzone, and the Tide miss a 40-yard attempt.
Still scoreless with 9:54 left to play in the first quarter.
So a little bit of everything happened there.
Jake Fromm unleashed a deep ball that looked like it was a good pass, but Tony Brown for Bama was in coverage and flat ripped it from the receivers hands.
Bama ball at their own 36 yardline.
Alabama wins the coin toss, and defers to the second half. It'll be Georgia's football to begin things.
Let's get this going already.
President Donald Trump walked out onto the field prior to the national anthem, and was met with a large ovation.
Welcome to our official National Title live blog. This should be an awesome football game. These two teams are so even in so many categories and it'll come down to the wire.
It's fun to think Alabama is starting and ending their season in Atlanta, and it'll be fun to see how loud that stadium gets with the hometown Dawgs playing tonight.


The deadline to have your student's senior picture to the Hoofbeats yearbook staff is Friday September 14th, 2018. The photograph must be a vertical head and shoulder shot with the head size of approximately 2.5x3, and must be sent in on a disk as a high resolution digital image (300 dpi, .tif or .jpg) and one traditional wallet size photo; do not email the digital file to us.
Please keep in mind the Mullen dress code when getting the pictures taken; young ladies must have covered shoulders (no spaghetti straps)and must wear modest tops with no cleavage showing. Young men must have a collared shirt, no facial hair, and hair length must not exceed the chin. Any piercings (young men) or tattoos must not be visible. Please remember that Mullen is a Catholic school, and these specifications must be followed. The Hoofbeats staff reserve the right to refuse publication of any image that does not meet yearbook requirements and dress code policies.
Photos that will NOT be accepted are as follows: noncompliant to dress code, selfies, full body shots, horizontal images (they will not fit the format of the page), any picture that includes any type of prop (pets, athletic gear, instrument, etc.), student wearing headgear of any kind (no hats), no photographer watermarks, etc. Please give this information to your photographer so that they are able to comply with the school's needs.
If a photo is not supplied, the student's Lifetouch photo will be used if they had one taken at the beginning of the year. In order to have the picture into Hoofbeats by the deadline, we strongly recommend that you have the picture taken by mid-July. This is one deadline that cannot be missed, as the yearbook staff has its own deadlines that must be met in order to get the yearbook out on time at the end of the school year. The senior section will be completed before the end of first trimester and to press before spring break; so don't hesitate or your senior will not be in the book!
A half hour, two outfit session at their studio at no charge. The session would include the photo to be used in the yearbook retouched and enhanced. A free 8x10 of their yearbook selection and 15% off any additional order on top of our already summer specials. Sessions can be upgraded for more variety.
Free yearbook session only, 2 outfits, 15 poses to choose from, discounted packages. Full sessions at regular session fee's/specials.
8241 S. Continental Divide Rd.
Don't forget to recognize your student in our Senior Tribute section of Hoofbeats with a simple heartfelt message and your favorite pictures of them growing up! Give your senior the recognition they deserve and highlight their life in their senior yearbook. Space is limited so you can purchase your ad online by December to reserve your spot! To order, please click here.


Be a part of something bigger by packing 20,000 nutrient-rich meals to be shipped to families in need all over the world. You'll have everything you need and a brief training to show you how during one or both of the two available times. There are limited spots available so register ahead!
Register to pack meals HERE!


Today, Patricia recommends her friends join her in maintaining their independence and confidence through the outpatient surgery performed right here in Sun City West.
"I admit that I did not mind the improvement, looks-wise, although that was just another benefit," she said. "People comment that I look brighter, that I look younger. Nobody really notices exactly what it was I had done. I look and feel like me."
Watch an educational video and see real Before and After images here that you are welcomed to share with friends and family. We reward referrals!


What's the difference between Residential, Commercial, and Industrial?
"Products arrived in good order, and installation was a snap... even on top of a solid block wall. The contractor was very impressed with the quality and sturdiness of the product. And you can't get this at Home Depot."
"I looked at Home Depot, Lowes and other aluminum fence suppliers before I found GreatFence.com. The quality and design of your products is by far superior to that of the big store brands."
"We ordered your Style 8 with decorative finials at 5' high and it looks magnificent! Everyone that sees it has complimented on the quality and looks of your products."
"The order process, the delivery, the installation and the positive comments about the look of the new gate has made this experience a delight."
"Excellent Product! Excellent Shipping! Excellent Customer Support!"
"We have received an installed your Residential, Style 4 fence and gates and it looks awesome!"
"The design of this fencing system makes it so straightforward that even homeowners can install it."
"I had a great experience using your aluminum fencing products not to mention how easy it was to install."
"Your aluminum fence and hardware are of Excellent Quality!"
"You have a top notch product at a fantastic price!"
"Your products are 1st Class and looks like it belongs at a 5-STAR Resort Hotel!"
"It's been 3 years since I installed my first order of aluminum fencing and gates from Great Fence and we still receive compliments on it."
"I want to thank you so much for the beautiful fence! Everyone LOVES it! Thank You!"
"We love your aluminum fence and gates! The installation was easy and everything turned out great!"
"Your Industrial Grade, Style 7, 8 foot high fencing and gates turned out beautiful!"
"We love the aluminum fence and gates that we ordered from you. It was extremely easy to install and the looks are unbelievable!"
"The fencing and gate products we ordered from you looks super!"
"We ordered over 1000 linear feet of your industrial aluminum fence and the project went perfect."
"The Residential Sandstone, Style 3 looks wonderful! I was able to install it myself and it was very easy and straightforward."
"Excellent product. I still can't believe how easy it was to install. With only 1 other person, I was able to install 351 linear feet of fencing in 3 days."
"Everything turned out great - the fast shipping and the delivery truck driver. The packaging was fantastic and every part was included and in great shape."
"Very nice, high quality product. The fence looks great; we are very happy with your products!"
"I received my gate in record time and it is absolutely beautiful. It installed easily and it is extremely sturdy."
"Love your aluminum fence. Feel more secure with it....great product!"
"Everything arrived in perfect condition! Everyone loves your fence and gates!"
"We purchased your STYLE 7 in Bronze and it looks beautiful! Thank you!"
"The quality of your products is truly outstanding and the thickness of the material is beyond anything I've ever used before!"
"Everything came out exactly as you have advertised on your website and it looks perfect!"
"Our seaside motel needed new fencing and gates and I can't begin to tell you how great it now looks! It has totally transformed the look of our property."
"You have a Great Product! This fencing system was very easy to install, especially from a not-so-handy man."
"The local fence company here in Ohio was extremely high on the investment cost. We saved a ton of money by going with GreatFence.com"
"The service we received at your company has just been outstanding. Your consultants were professional, knowledgeable and very helpful."
"The aluminum fence and gates we purchased from you turned out great and really defined our property boundaries."
"We appreciate very much the quality of your products and the service we received at GreatFence.com."
"The large driveway gate that we purchased from looks fantastic! Thank you!"
"Very pleased with the durability and performance of our Great Fence."
"We wanted to let you know that we love the swimming pool aluminum fence and gate system that we ordered from you. Everything turned out great!"
"I want to let you know how pleased I am with your aluminum fence products. It completed my court yard and the quality is OUTSTANDING!"
"Absolutely gorgeous! I did a ton of research before I chose GreatFence.com and I must tell you, your products are the best I've ever seen!"
"The quality and ease of installation of your aluminum fence is outstanding."
"I helped my son install your fencing and gates last year on a golf course. It went up in no time."
"I am so pleased with my aluminum pool fence. It is beautiful beyond what I had hoped and it was so easy to install."
"The project turned out amazing! We saved just over $4200 by doing the project ourselves."
"In addition to the excellent service I received, the final product installed is something to see!"
"Wonderful product; everything turned out great, the fence is beautiful!"
"We love the fence we purchased! It was amazingly easy to install."
"The packaging of your products is superb!"
"I knew I was purchasing a premium product, however, I was still amazed at how classy and durable your aluminum fence and gate systems look after installation had been completed."
"The aluminum pool fence we ordered is beautiful and it was easy to install."
"Gorgeous! Everything came out perfect! Everyone that sees it marvels at our new fence!"
"The fence we purchased from you looks great!"
"My husband and I put up your fence and gate products over the weekend and it looks phenomenal!"
"Your products are strong, durable and reinforced well. Not to mention that I was able to easily install 17 panels in 1 day....by myself."
"We purchased your aluminum fencing and compared them with sample aluminum fence panels from Lowes and Jerith... and there is no comparison. Yours is a heavier, stronger and nicer product any way you slice it."
"Very happy with the quality and design of your aluminum fence products. The fence panel to post connection was simple."
"Gorgeous product. You get what you pay for and GreatFence makes a superior product! And, it's an easy product to install."
"Beautiful products, superior design and premium service!"
"Your fencing and gate products are designed for quick and easy installation and we really appreciated how quickly we were able to complete the installation."
"I was able to install your pool compliant, Style 3 aluminum fencing and gate system in 1 day! We love the Designer Arch option for your gates. I am a 100% satisfied customer!"
"It looks beautiful! Thanks for a great product and even better customer service!"
"You did a great job on the order and we even received the order early. Everything was perfect. Thank you!"
"There is no comparison between your aluminum fencing products and the competitors; their rails and pickets are much thinner and flimsy. You carry a very strong, five star product and it looks so nice and really brings out the house!"
"The designer arched gates we ordered from you look fantastic! Compliments from everyone!"
"The fencing we received was striking and the quality of the workmanship was superior to other fencing products I looked at in the Utah market."
"I ordered about 250 feet of your fencing and gates back in 2005 and it still looks new! I love my Great Fence!"
"I saved over $4,000.00 in installation costs (that I was quoted locally) to install your fence. You have an outstanding product at a terrific price!"
"Great product! Easy to install! It took us less than 12 hours to install 150 linear feet! Everything turned out great!"
"Your aluminum fencing and gate systems are sturdier than I ever could have imagined. There is no swaying, no shaking and no rattling at all."
"We have the nicest fence on the block thanks to GreatFence!"
"The quality and looks of your products are great for any home including higher-end, multi-million dollar homes as well."
"We finally got our new 20 foot wide driveway gate installed and couldn't be happier -- the quality is SUPERB!"
"We have an upscale home in Ocean Park and your fencing and gate system is durable, unique and a show-stopper!"
"It's the best fence ever! Our neighbors stopped by and said it's the best fence they have ever seen!"
"The Home Depot and Lowes doesn't even come close to the quality, strength, thickness, or decorative design of your aluminum fencing and gates. GreatFence.com carries a superior product!"
"I would recommend Great Fence to anyone."
"The predrilled holes in your aluminum fence posts have a tight, perfect groove so the fence-panel-to-post connection is in sync and the panels do not move."
Spacing b/t pickets without rings = 3 13/16"
Spacing b/t pickets with rings = 3 3/4"
UV tested for the harshest climates Rust Free - Never Re-paint!
Spacing b/t dog panel pickets = 1 5/8"
Do not commit to all of your post holes in advance of receiving your products. Fence Panels are inserted and "set" within each pre-punched post so posts add very little distance, if any, to your run measurement. The data below is approximate. We recommend rounding up your footage measurements. Fence Panels can easily be trimmed (the width) on-site. Let's say you have a 23 foot straight run. Order four - 6 foot wide fence panels and then you can trim a foot off one of them on-site or you can trim 3 inches off of all 4 panels. NOTE: The following does not apply to fence panels with rings of distinction added or panels installed with mounts.
Lifetime warranty on materials and paint finish guaranteed not to crack, peel, blister or rust! Our fencing and gate products will last decades! Do It Yourself Installation ~ no on-site welding, cement posts into the ground or mount on top of any existing hard surface. Why pay someone when you can install our fencing and gate products yourselves and save thousands of dollars?
Bolts for welded plated, surface mount posts.
Aluminum Fence Panels can be easily trimmed-to-fit on-site.
Trim 1 foot off of 1 fence panel or trim 3 inches off all 4 pieces for symmetry.
Each Aluminum Post Product Page includes an Easy Post Chart.
Standard and Rackable fence panel / rails are inserted and set into prepunched post without mounts.
One of the many benefits to GreatFence design is that slight slopes do not require blank posts or mounts when racking for slight or medium slopes.
Same concept for other measurements. If you had a 100 foot straight run, you could a) order 17 - 6 foot wide panels, 16 LINE posts, and 2 END posts, or b) order 15 - 7 foot wide panels, 14 LINE posts and 2 END posts, or c) order 13 - 8 foot wide panels, 12 LINE posts, and 2 END posts. Wider panels means less posts and less posts to install.
Heavy Rackable fence panels are mounted to blank posts with Vertical Swivel Mounts.
Vertical Swivel Mounts sold separately.
Heavy Rackable aluminum fence panels require additional fabrication time; however, there is no additional cost, except for the mounts.
Always order longer posts than the minimum required, based upon height of each step.
STANDARD configured fence panels are mounted to blank posts with Straight Mount Brackets.
Straight Mount Brackets sold separately.
** Most fence and gate orders ship in approximately 3 1/2 weeks. This is a close estimate because our production workflow fluctuates from week to week. Our factory is closed on all national holidays; therefore, those days are not counted. Smaller orders for accessories and posts only ship faster. Larger orders for arbors, hand railing, slide gates, custom orders, privacy fencing/gates and very large gates typically require an extra week or longer. Orders of five fence panels or less are shipped unassembled. All other fence / gate orders ship fully assembled, boxed, shrink-wrapped and palletized via LTL freight. For businesses with a forklift, you can easily pull the pallets directly off the truck. If not, similar to home deliveries, you simply tear open the shrink wrap and pull the boxes off the truck. Truck drivers are not responsible for unloading the truck -- we recommend having at least one person with you on the day of delivery. All shipments are fully insured provided you notate, if applicable, any visible damage on the delivery receipt. Small orders for single gates 5 foot high or higher trigger a higher flat rate shipping fee from the carrier because LTL Freight now charges by DENSITY meaning how much room you're NOT taking on the truck. Better value shipping rates are provided with more items ordered. Shipping is not a profit center for GREATFENCE and we strive to provide the best rates possible to our customers. Pricing subject to change without notice.
4-sided, blank OR factory punched to accept insertion of your fence panel rails. Stainless steel setting screws automatically included.
Factory punched to accept insertion of your fence panel rails. Stainless steel setting screws automatically included. Mounts not required.
4-sided Blank Posts are used to connect your fence panel(s) with mounts on two sides of the post. Mounts sold separately.
4-sided Blank Posts are used to connect your fence panel(s) with mounts on one side or two sides of the post. Mounts sold separately.
For use with GREATFENCE fence panels only. Not gates. Gates are framed and connected with hinges and a locking device.