Aug 10 – The Sultan of Garbage
This is a bit of a stretch but if you’re like me, like to cook, drink wine etc… You probably make a lot of garbage. I am an avid recycler but I feel guilty at times about all the trash we generate. You’ve probably also heard to the floating mass of plastic and assorted garbage floating in the middle of the Pacific ocean. My guest this week Brian Belefant with his interesting new novella “The Sultan of Garbage.“
lex Jamieson, a disillusioned product photographer, seeks an escape from his unfulfilling life. After learning about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an island of discarded debris in the ocean, Alex charters a yacht to explore it, accompanied by his indifferent girlfriend Candice and her shallow friends, Evan and Nadine. Determined to confront the true clutter in his life, Alex endures judgment and betrayal from his traveling companions and the physical challenges of the garbage island.
This poignant tale delves into the profound connection between our wasteful habits and our struggles to find purpose and meaning in a cluttered world. The Sultan of Garbage is a captivating exploration of self-discovery and a reflection on the immense garbage we generate both externally and internally, and urges readers to contemplate their own paths amidst the chaos of modern life.
And no, the irony isn’t lost: how many trees were destroyed in order to print this book? Maybe you should buy the digital version.
About the author – Author + Writer + Director + Photographer + Producer + Editor + Realtor + Father. Not in that order.
Who’s responsible for all the crap swirling around in the middle of the ocean? Brian Belefant deserves at least part of the blame. For decades he worked in advertising and marketing, doing his best to manipulate people like you into craving things you truly don’t need––Pepsi, Nissan, Taco Bell, Visa, Toyota, Pizza Hut, US Bank, Frito-Lay, and others. He made enough money to buy a lot of stuff, but the fuller his closets got, the emptier he felt.
This book is a form of penance. And it’s not a one-off. So much of what Brian writes deals with themes of consumption, waste, and American cultural imperialism. https://belefant.com/
To end on a happier note, I’ll tell you all about some of the latest things that winemakers are working on and employing to cut down on waste. From innovative packaging that is lighter and easier/cheaper to ship, but more importantly easier to recycle and not add to the waste dump.
Then it’s all about Cava, the basics of what it is, where it comes from and why you should be drinking this relatively inexpensive form of bubbles!
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
Segura Viadas Brut Reserva Heredad
Hints of honey, fruit, white flower petals and a hint of smokey aromas make this cava the most iconic wine of Segura Viudas. Here’s your sparkling wine for the summer (and year round)! Terrific value in this well-made, toasty and refreshing bubbly from Spain that’s a third of the price of Champagne. Segura is one of the most respected producers of Cava, the Spanish name for sparkling wine. Terrific earthy aromas mingle with toasted almond and some green apple. Great aperitif or try it with roast turkey, fried chicken, or yes, even potato chips. Elegant, layered, refreshing. Enjoy its delicate flavor with pasta, white fish, meat, Iberian ham or cheeses (especially Manchego).
- Tasting Panel – Wine & Spirits – Wilfred Wong – Wine Spectator
Produced by the Ferrer family, the makers of Freixenet and other Cava. Reserva Heredad was created to express style, in the world of top of the range sparkling wines. We make it with the objective of offering an elegant, versatile Cava. To do this, we select only the very best wines from each vintage, which will then age in bottle, in contact with the lees, for more than 24 months. This ageing ends when the winery expert gives every bottle the magic touch with the last “poignettage” or shake of the wrist, which intensifies the contact of the lees with the wine, and creates a more complex bouquet.
VINTAGE’ 59 Philosophy: “As importers, we look for wines with depth of fruit, length and elegance, rather than for obtrusive oak, over-extraction, or excessive alcohol. That said, we don’t tell growers how to make wine because that’s their expertise, not ours. And we don’t work with fatheads, regardless of how good their wine might be, because it’s not worth it. The company focuses on the rich relationships that spring from the community of growers, instead of just the commercial imperative. So we look for people who share sensibilities, and that makes them as important as the wine they produce. The rule is simple: you work with people who make you proud and whose wine you drink at home.” 
