Nothing funny about feldspar

I’ve talked about Gmail and spam before, but I’m starting to notice some weird stuff lately.

First of all, I have 2 gmail accounts, and they get different kinds and amounts of spam. One gets Spanish-language spam, but the other doesn’t. One gets “b1g d1kk” spam, and the other doesn’t. Depending on god-knows-what, one will get nearly no spam while the other is inundated. There’s no saying which kind of spam will be in either account at any given time.

Second, there’s apparently a new “thesaurus” option for spam-subject generators. To wit:

If you fancy lower priced curatives, drop by this express dispensary

A different way to say “Get yer cheap drugs here!”

But I am curious, why does the spam come in waves? I’ll get virtually nothing for a couple of months, then the inbox will be flooded. After a bit, it’ll stop (it has so far, anyway). Is it Gmail’s filters? Lack of interest by spammers? Or selective advertising?

Ever since we moved into the house we’re in, Plagioclase and I have indulged ourselves in “stinky-cheese dinner.” This consists of us going to the local fine-food deli and paying way too much for imported and/or artisanal cheeses redolent of odeur de pied, snagging some baguette, grapes, and opening a bottle of kick-in-the-head red wine.

We used to do this dinner in front of the fireplace in the winter — maybe once a month (give or take), depending on finances, weather, and general mood. We’d chat, laugh, yell at the dog (he learned to stay away from the little side table we use to hold the goodies)… It was all very romantic.

However, now that Plagioclase’s mother lives with us, we’re more or less expected to all have dinner together. So that means we sit at the table two rooms away from the fireplace, and listen to her say for the 987th time, “What’s that cheese? I call it Limburger!” and “Wine? It all is [Italian] red to me!” and “Albite, did I drop something?”

It almost makes me wish I’d drunk the whole bottle of wine by myself.

Tonight’s (and last night’s) offering: 2003 Capestrano Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (D.O.C.), an Italian red from Tuscany. ($7.99)

The label doesn’t have any marketing text, but I expected a basic “Italian Red,” much like you get at an American-Italian restaurants. I was hoping not, though, because I find most “house reds” to be to sour.

What I got was a very nice, smooth red wine that held up to pizza (as expected), as well as a stinky-cheese dinner the second night. On opening, it smelled of raisins with just a little bread — so leaving it open for a few minutes really helped to smooth out the alcoholic overtones.

Another one we’ll probably try to buy more of.

Plagioclase’s rating: A
Orthoclase’s rating: A

I just happen to be posting at 3 a.m. It’s not like I’m worried about anything — my mind isn’t racing as I lay in bed trying to sleep, nor am I particularly bothered by the none-too-gentle snores of Albite.

I am tired as all-get-out (as Plagioclase might say), but I am not particularly sleepy. For the second night in a row. I’ll go back to bed in an hour or three, and sleep until about 10, I guess.

It wouldn’t be so bad, except it’s cold here in the corner of the house near the fireplace and the sliding glass door. But that’s where the most comfortable surfing chair is, so that’s where I sit.