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1. Draw a circle, and extend the centerlines. 2. Inscribe two equilateral triangles, pointing in reverse direction. 3. Construct a circle passing through the intersections of the two triangles. 4. Construct another circle, with its center at the point of one of the triangles, so that it is tangent to the second (smaller) circle. 5. Construct two more circles at the other points of the same triangle.

A friend of mine recently mentioned that she can't drink red wine because it has sulfites in it., and they give her headaches. I was a bit startled because pretty much all wine has sulfites, either naturally, as a byproduct of the fermentation process, or as a preservative.

In 1987 the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring that any food that has more than 10 parts per million of sulfites needs a warning label that says "contains sulfites." Sulfites are frequently used as a food preservatives because they removes the oxygen that bacteria need to survive. Sulfites are commonly used in the production of wines, sausages, fruit juice and bagged salad products. Dried fruit in particular is preserved with sulfites, so anyone who has a problem with sulfites in wine will likely have a problem with dried fruit.

Winemakers add sulfites to prevent micro-organisms, oxidation, and, particularly in red wines, discoloration. The ancient Egyptians and Romans would burn elemental sulfur in wine amphoras, producing sulfite residues which dissolved when the wine was added. The sulfites added to wine dissolve into either bound sulfites, when the sulfites join with other compounds during fermentation and thus don't affect the flavor or odor of the wine, or free sulfites which remove oxygen and thus prevent damage to the wine. Aged red wines have very little residual sulfite, and dry whites two to three years after bottling also tend to have fewer sulfites.

People who are allergic to sulfites should avoid them, of course, especially people who are asthmatics, since they seem more susceptible than the general population. It is possible to avoid sulfites by sticking to wines that are certified as organic or biodynamic; those wines sulfite content are regulated and are generally required to be no more than 100 parts per million. Washington wineries produce a variety of organic wines.

Since aged red wines typically have lower amounts of sulfites than white wines. I suspect that my friend was reacting not so much to the sulfites, but suffered the so-called "Red Wine Headache," a phenomena that isn't completely understood, but which does affect many people. There's a good discussion of the issues here.

There's a third problem with sulfur and wine, sometimes, in that occasionally when you open a bottle of wine you'll catch a faint whiff of sulfur; it might remind you of rotten eggs, or of the scent of a just-struck match. Sometimes, all you have to do is decant the wine, and let it breathe a bit. But if the odor lingers, you might want to try "the penny trick," if you have an older, clean, genuinely copper penny, drop it into the wine. Alternatively, a gentle stir or two with a sterling silver spoon will work just fine. Either method causes the sulfur odor to dissipate, and you can enjoy your wine.

Even though it only took Pentagram a year after its formation to record a single, their first full length took another ten years and change.

The never ending rotation of musicians in and out of the group probably contributed to the groups’ erratic recording schedule. But even with that, Pentagram remains a revered early ‘70s band that’s often credited with taking the Black Sabbath model and moving it forward.

Coupled with the sound of Sabbath, a strong Blue Cheer sound was evident – a kind of blues metal, more overt than Sabbath’s.

In 1998, an unauthorized compilation surfaced, prompting band members to again begin working on music. The culmination of this work resulted in the compilation First Daze, released in 2002, which is probably the recording most representational of the band’s musical bent, direction and taste.

With the relatively new found interest in the band, Pentagram has again taken to sporadic performances only fomenting fans lust for more music and information about a group that really has a convoluted history.

But because of this background, Pentagram has informed countless acts from Virginia including Clutch, Monster Magnet, The Obsessed, Place Of Skulls, Earthride and Saint Vitus.

Now serving to expand this influence a new film focused on head Pentagramer Danny Liebling is slated for release.

A trailer for Last Rites: The Fall and Rise of Bobby Liebling can be found on the 9.14 Pictures website here or here.

Tickets for their future concert appearance have recently gone on sale, but unfortunately, they’ve only scheduled a lone show for Brooklyn. But at least the documentary can keep fans occupied until Pentagram decides to mount a full scale tour.