iTunes and Recruiting
Friday, September 30, 2005
Recruiting has hit a new low, sign up to be contacted by a recruiter and receive 3 free downloads from itunes.
http://www.clk4.com/NGD_10359/index.cgi
The Army National Guard is promising 100% tuition assistance, $20,000 student loan repayment and up to $10,000 enlistment bonus.
Money For College
Career Training
Leadership Skills
Plus FREE Music
This is whats on the website, 3 free songs to sign up then you go to Iraq. This is the National Guard and people should be staying stateside but we all know this isn't true which is why I hate the misleading adds they portray to get people to sign up. We have plenty of jobs that the National Guard should be performing over here, how about border control, I think trained soldiers are a better idea than minute men. Training and support for national and natural disasters, we have a few of them right now.
Posted by mardenhill 9/30/2005 08:32:00 AM 3 comments
Judith Miller
Judith Miller has been released after 84 days in jail in return for her testimony in the Valerie Plame investigation. Ususally I would support journalistic confidentiality but in the case, its been thrown out the window. Judith was protecting a traitor in the White House not a whistleblower, people will draw the comparisons between deep throat and her but there are none. Deep throat exposed a crime, Judith tried to cover one up. She will be testifying today, I wonder if Fitzgerald needs her testimony or if he was making a point. Either way, it spells bad news for those involved, i.e. the white house, not looking to be a good week for them.
Current Scandals:
Valerie Plame
Jack Abramoff
Tom Delay
Bill Frist
And yes, the list will grow, there are more corrupt thugs hiding in the administration that will eventually be exposed.
Posted by mardenhill 9/30/2005 08:16:00 AM 4 comments
Today's Morning Topic, None Other Than Delay
Thursday, September 29, 2005
I was watching the right wing apologists last nite trying to defend Delay and they threw everything but the kitchen sink at the proscuter Ronnie Earle. Hannity had Delay on for about 15 minutes interviewing him, just babying and coddling the poor sap, giving him all the air time to clear his name. It was pathetic to watch, no Colmes to counteract the republican talking points. On Scarlbough, Joe was in a shouting match with Rep Drier from CA but mostly agreed with him and good ole Pat Buchanan came out and said the charges stunk. Joe has been good the last few weeks taking hte administration to school but Joe said point blank that he doesn't think this charge is valid and will stick. I am hoping that Joe wil have to go back and eat crow on this one.
Roy Blunt (MO) who was majority whip has stepped up to leader is just another Delay lackey and is radioactive himself. Blunt is in bed with all the K Street lobbyists and also has connections to Jack Abramoff, the super lobbyist who was indicted in FL last month. Abramoff will be the unraveling of this party, he has too many connections to the leadership of this party and will bring them all down with him. Reason Blunt was picked, Delay thinks he is coming back and Blunt will hold his position without fighting him for it. If Drier had the seat, Delay would have an uphill battle to regain control and this pathetic scumbag can't even look past his own corruption and see whats best for the party. I just hope Delay continues this approach, he will taint everything and everyone he comes into contact with still exerting his pressure will make toppling the republican juggernaut that much easier.
Now back to Abramoff, Flannigan who was in hearings yesterday and hopefully today will be voted on to be Alberto Gonzolas's right hand man has ties to Jack. Flannigan worked for the White House, took a leave of absence to lend some help to Tyco's legal team where he brought in Jack's firm to help lobby congress to save Tyco's overseas accounts. What happened to Tyco, the CEO was indicted and convicted, we all know how evil this company was but Jack even screwed over Tyco bilking them for millions of dollars. Its music to my ears to hear about all the damage Abramoff has brought forward and how much more is still in the woodworks. Everyone who accepted money from Abramoff and Delay's pac will have to defend their actions next year in the midterm elections, lets hope its enough to kick them out of office.
Posted by mardenhill 9/29/2005 09:08:00 AM 3 comments
DELAY INDICTED!!!!
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
DELAY INDICTEDFOR CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY
"House Majority Leader Tom DeLay indicted on one count of criminal conspiracy by Texas grand jury, according to Travis County clerk's office."
WASHINGTON - A Texas grand jury on Wednesday charged Rep.
Tom DeLay' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Tom DeLay and two political associates with conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme, an indictment that could force him to step down as House majority leader.
DeLay attorney Steve Brittain said DeLay was accused of a criminal conspiracy along with two associates, John Colyandro, former executive director of a Texas political action committee formed by DeLay, and Jim Ellis, who heads DeLay's national political committee.
The indictment against the second-ranking, and most assertive Republican leader came on the final day of the grand jury's term. It followed earlier indictments of a state political action committee founded by DeLay and three of his political associates.
The grand jury action is expected to have immediate consequences in the House, where DeLay is largely responsible for winning passage of the Republican legislative program. House Republican Party rules require leaders who are indicted to temporarily step aside from their leadership posts.
However, DeLay retains his seat representing Texas' 22nd congressional district, suburbs southwest of Houston. DeLay has denied committing any crime and accused the Democratic district attorney leading the investigation, Ronnie Earle, of pursuing the case for political motives.
Democrats have kept up a crescendo of criticism of DeLay's ethics, citing three times last year that the House ethics committee admonished DeLay for his conduct. Earlier, DeLay attorney Bill White told reporters, "It's a skunky indictment if they have one." As a sign of loyalty to DeLay after the grand jury returned indictments against three of his associates, House Republicans last November repealed a rule requiring any of their leaders to step aside if indicted. The rule was reinstituted in January after lawmakers returned to Washington from the holidays fearing the repeal might create a backlash from voters.
DeLay, 58, also is the center of an ethics swirl in Washington. The 11-term congressman was admonished last year by the House ethics committee on three separate issues and is the center of a political storm this year over lobbyists paying his and other lawmakers' tabs for expensive travel abroad.
Posted by mardenhill 9/28/2005 12:46:00 PM 1 comments
Jacksonville City Nights
Yep Ryan Adams is back, he just released Jacksonville City Nights yesterday and Pitchfork is on board giving it a 7.7 out of a 10. I wasn't expecting Pitchfork to be so nice, they all love Ryan but love to bash him also, its part of the whole pretentious indie rock they hold so dear. This cd is amazing, more country than Cold Roses, so if you are afraid of the steel pedal stay away you will not enjoy this cd. The 1st song starts out and ends abruptly, you think something is wrong but it starts again and plays all the way thru. It gives you the sense that they are recording live and you are sitting there in the studio listening to them. And if this isn't enough for you, rumor has it there will be a 3rd Ryan Adams cd by the end of the year.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/a/adams_ryan/jacksonville-city-nights.shtml
Posted by mardenhill 9/28/2005 10:59:00 AM 2 comments
President Calls for Americans to Conserve Gas
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050926061609990005
Here is a breakdown on what it costs for Bush to make his photo ops around the country.
The president's entourage is designed for speed and the ultimate in security, not for fuel economy, so every movement he makes outside the White House consumes an enormous amount of fuel. The arrangements are dictated by the Secret Service, whose mission is to protect him.
McClellan wouldn't say whether the president was considering shortening his motorcade, which typically has well over a dozen vehicles, including several gas-guzzling vans, SUVs, Bush's limousine and an identical limo put in as a decoy.
The fuel consumption is even higher on Bush's cross-country travels, which include flights on Air Force One as well as movements by a group of helicopters for the president, his staff, Secret Service agents and press that accompany him wherever he goes. The Air Force recently estimated fuel costs for Air Force One have risen to $6,029 per hour, up from $3,974 an hour in the last budget year.
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So we got Bush calling on us to conserve gas, glad to see that he finally cares. I guess he figures since he isn't up for re-election he doesn't have to please the oil industry anymore. This means nothing if Bush doesn't back it up with pressure on the US auto industry to develop hybrids and stop relying on SUV sales. Its sad that it takes a disaster like Katrina to put this in the news but at least its out there. The US auto sales are going to be hurting yet again when everyone starts buying Japanese hybrids over all the big ole US cars we are offered. Its strange that the Honda Civic non hybrid can get 30/40 miles per gallon but you are hard pressed to find many US cars that can do the same. Erika has the Pontiac Vibe which for the size gets excellent milage and we will be getting another one next year when her lease is up. My Focus gets great mileage but its only a 2 door and can be a pain getting in and out of. I am leaning towards a Prius as my next car but the new Civic hybrid is looking pretty cool. I guess I will see what is available in the next year and a half.
Posted by mardenhill 9/27/2005 09:07:00 AM 1 comments
Republican Leaders in Both Houses Facing Ethics Violations
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Yeah you heard it right, leaders in both houses are under investigation, and the republicans were supposed to be the party of morals. You got the biggest scumbag of them all, Delay facing more and more scrutiny on the Scotland golf outing. Since the arrest of Safavian last week, we have learned that Jack Abramoff, the indicted superlobbyist had business in front of the GSA which Safavian was the head of. Abramoff wanted land that the GSA owned, he concoted this trip as a way to get what he wanted. Others invited were Ralph Reed, Rep Ney (R-OH) and our good ole friend Delay. With 2 down, Ney and Delay are next. Ohio is already awash is scandal and this will hopefully lead to regime change in that state.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9470786/site/newsweek/
Next scandal, our good friend Sen Frist is under investigation for insider trading. He conveniently sold shares that he had in a blind trust right before the stock reported bad earnings.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050924/ap_on_go_co/frist_blind_trust
So there you have it, 2 leaders facing ethics violations. You also have the Valerie Plame investigation which the latest rumor points to Bolton as the leak.
Posted by mardenhill 9/25/2005 12:18:00 PM 3 comments
Return Of The Cat
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Here is Mr. Kitty cone free and back to his old self. You buy him expensive treats or toys and all he wants is a box and a ratty old mouse that is falling apart. His shaved paws and spot on the side are starting to fill in and his needy attitude has faded away.
Posted by mardenhill 9/24/2005 10:55:00 AM 1 comments
Nano Case
Friday, September 23, 2005
iPod Nano Thong
http://www.ipodstreet.com/ipod-nano-Cases.htm
Posted by mardenhill 9/23/2005 06:33:00 PM 2 comments
Nano Case
iPod Nano Thong - Black
Price: $34.95
Ladies, show off your Nano in sexy style with this black leather thong.
Posted by mardenhill 9/23/2005 06:32:00 PM 2 comments
And You Thought I Was A Little Wacky
Forecaster leaves job to pursue weather theories
By Jana Peterson and John O'Connell - Journal writers
POCATELLO - To the rest of the country, Scott Stevens is the Idaho weatherman who blames the Japanese Mafia for Hurricane Katrina. To folks in Pocatello, he's the face of the weather at KPVI News Channel 6.
The Pocatello native made his final Channel 6 forecast Thursday night, leaving a job he's held for nine years in order to pursue his weather theories on a full-time basis.
"I'm going to miss that broadcast, but I'm not going to miss not getting home until 11 p.m.," Stevens said. "I just don't have the hours of the day to take care of my research and getting those (broadcasts) out and devoting the necessary research to the station."
It was Stevens' decision to leave the TV station, said KPVI general manager Bill Fouch.
"When Scott signed his current contract, he told Brenda and me at the time that it would be his last contract," Fouch said Thursday. "We knew, but the timetable moved up because of all the attention (he's been getting.)"
Since Katrina, Stevens has been in newspapers across the country where he was quoted in an Associated Press story as saying the Yakuza Mafia used a Russian-made electromagnetic generator to cause Hurricane Katrina in a bid to avenge the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima. He was a guest on Coast to Coast, a late night radio show that conducts call-in discussions on everything from bizarre weather patterns to alien abductions. On Wednesday, Stevens was interviewed by Fox News firebrand Bill O'Reilly.
Stevens said he received 30 requests to do radio interviews on Thursday alone.
Fouch said Stevens wanted to leave as quickly as possible because his "plate is full," and he needs to take advantage of the opportunities that exist now.
Stevens said he's received offers that he's not at liberty to discuss.
Stevens, 39, who was born in Twin Falls, plans to remain in Pocatello, where his family remains. He said his family wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
It costs him hundreds of dollars each month to run his Web site, weatherwars.info, but he said that's a price he's willing to pay.
"There's a chess game going on in the sky," Stevens said. "It affects each and every one of us. It is the one common thread that binds us all together."
Although the theories espoused by Stevens - scalar weapons, global dimming - are definitely on the scientific fringe today, there are thousands of Web sites that mention such phenomena.
"The Soviets boasted of their geoengineering capabilities; these impressive accomplishments must be taken at face value simply because we are observing weather events that simply have never occurred before, never!" Stevens wrote on his Web site. "The evidence of these weapons at work found within the clouds overhead is simply unmistakable. These patterns and odd geometric shapes seen in our skies, each and every day, are clear and present evidence that our weather has been stolen from us, only to be used by those whose designs for humanity are rarely in alignment with that of the common man."
However, Stevens never discussed his weather theories on the air during his time at Channel 6 - an agreement he had with the station management. What the meteorologist chose to do in his off time was his business, said his manager of eight years.
Fouch said he would miss Stevens, whom he described as energetic, easy-going and enthusiastic about the weather, but he is supportive of his decision to pursue his passion.
"His theories are his theories," Fouch said. "But, if you think about it - of all the TV weather people, he continues to be the most accurate. It isn't his theories getting involved with his professional job."
For Stevens, however, the recent attention to his theories has been somewhat of a distraction from work.
"When there has been so much attention, it gets in the way of them doing their jobs and me doing my job," Stevens said.
Find out more:
To learn more about Stevens and his thoughts on
manipulated weather, check out his Web site at www.weatherwars.info, or go to www.journalnet.com/articles/2005/03/06/opinion/opinion04.txt to read the story that Journal City Editor Greg McReynolds
Posted by mardenhill 9/23/2005 04:04:00 PM 1 comments
Mac Mini Update
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Gradual Mac Mini Updates?
Wednesday September 21, 2005 06:59 PM EST
Posted by arn
ThinkSecret provides confirmation
According to the report, Apple will be quietly updating the Mac mini in the next week. The low end Mac mini will be upgraded from 1.25GHz to 1.33GHz and the high end from 1.42GHz to 1.5GHz. Internal components such as AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth will receive upgrades as will the SuperDrive (up to 8x) in the high end Mac mini model.
Prices are expected to remain the same.
The Mac mini just received minor upgrades in July
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Mac mini's start at $499 and go up to $699, thye do not come with a keyboard/mouse or monitor. They are intended to get pc users to switch over to the mac and use their old equipment and slowly upgrade. I have always liked these things, they are not powerful enough for a main computer but for a 2nd, or music server they are perfect.
As for my own mac, I just dropped it off at the Apple store yesterday, it needs a new logic board and possibly a new fan. Its all under warranty, if not it would have been over $800 to fix. The logic board is like the motherboard of a pc, just different name. It should take about 4-5 days to replace. I had problems with the machine overheating and powering itself off within a half hour of use. I thought at the beginning that it was a problem with our house since it was upstairs which is warmer in the summertime but it was hardware related. I still recommend people if they are in the market for a new computer to consider a mac, for non business purposes, everything you can do on a pc can be done on a mac and is much easier.
Posted by mardenhill 9/22/2005 09:18:00 AM 1 comments
R.E.M. Revisited
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Joel commented on the R.E.M. posting asking asking about Life's Rich Pagent. Yes this cd is very good and probably their best in what I consider their back catalog. You had Begin the Begin, Fall On Me, Cuyahoga, Superman, Hyena just to name a few and looking at the cd once again I agree with Joel. My point tho is that most bands have a cd that transforms them from what they were to what they are now. This cd usually involves moving to a major label, getting a new producer; losing/gaining members or taking a chance and trying something new. R.E.M.'s cd was Out of Time, they got rid of the guitar and used just a mandolin and put out their most famous song to date Losing My Religion. At this point, R.E.M. crossed over and going forward never recorded anything that would come close to sounding like their earlier work. Every album took a different approach and the classics seemed to all fall together like they were all from 1 cd. A good portion of my 64 songs features these ones but the R.E.M. songs that stand out were after Out Of Time.
Another band you can use this analagy on is U2, Achtung Baby set the stage for new U2. I for one have decided that I like new U2 and could care less about their older stuff. Joshua Tree has some great songs on it but I could live the rest of my life without hearing Sunday Bloody Sunday and be happy. U2 stumbled on Pop, but came back to what they said was their classic sound with All That You Can't Leave Behind. I for one don't think of it as their classic sound, its too well produced and just set the stage for U2 round 3. They have perfected the stadium rock sound and have given up on their political inspired anthems.
Now I am sitting here trying to sum up my whole point and have decided that my theory doesn't work on every band. In turn, I have truncrated it to just these 2 bands until I can rework it. I am listening to Pearl Jam right now and they are one of those that never changed their sound, they will play the same style til the day they die and those of us that are fans will be happy for that. Some bands need to change others are fine doing what they do best. In closing, R.E.M.'s best cd is Up followed by Life's Rich Pagent. U2's early work sucks and the best cd they ever recorded and one of my fav of all times is Achtung Baby.
Posted by mardenhill 9/20/2005 01:57:00 PM 2 comments
Bush Official Arrested in Corruption Probe
Bush Official Arrested in Corruption Probe
White House OMB official David Safavian arrested, for allegedly obstructing a GSA investigation and making false statements concerning his ties to Jack Abramoff:
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2005/September/05_crm_490.htm
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FEC Sues Pro-Republican Political Group
WASHINGTON - Federal election officials on Monday sued a political group to try to force it to comply with campaign finance limits, the first lawsuit of its kind to arise from controversial big-money fundraising during the 2004 elections.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050919/ap_on_go_ot/fec_political_lawsuit
You may be asking, what does all this mean, well start connecting the dots and it all leads back to Karl Rove and the Bush Administration. David Safavian was the head of the General Services Agency a govt procruement agency that was in bed with Jack Abramoff, another recent arrestee who is accoused of improper dealings with Indian tribes and breaking campaign finance rules. Who is Jack's favorite politican, none other than Mr. Tom Delay. We all know how radioactive Tom is and he is the poster boy for Ethics violations. So you have Tom who is connected to Jack who is connected to David who was put in the position by the aministration. Some names that come to mind are Rove and Norquist who is a former lobbyist partnet of Abramoff.
Jack and David took a number of people on a Scotland golf outing which lead to some backroom wheeling and dealing. Some of the people on this trip, Tom Delay, Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) and chairman of the House Adminsitration Committee, former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed and Neil Volz another lobbyist. Not that Ohio didn't already have enough scandals you got this guy getting a free golf outing and dealing out contracts.
This is just the tip of the iceburg there is more info, I just don't want to type it all down. Check out www.rawstory.com they will be running updates throughout the day.
You also have the Club For Growth being sued by the FEC under campaign finance laws, this group helped the president along with a number of other republicans maintain or win seats in the last few elections. Who started this group, Grover Norquist who happens to be a former lobbyist with Jack and is buddies with Karl.
I thought Bush and co were coming in to clean up Washington, not turn it into their personal playground where govt jobs are given to the highest political doner or campaign fundraiser. Didn't Bush just have an appointee by the name of Michael Brown resign? Yep, Brownie was the head of FEMA, he had no emergency experience and was put there for being a good fundraiser. David Safavian climbed his way up thru a rep from Utah and happens to be partners with Abramoff who is close to both Delay and Rove.
Rove, that name sounds familiar, well its because he is Bush's right hand man and who is also tied up in the Valerie Plame CIA outing scandal that should come to light next month when Fitzgerald finishes his investigation.
Lots of players, lots of connections, lots of arrests and indictments all centering around the most corrupt administration this country has ever seen. Lets hope people wake up and come next year vote these scumbags out of office. 2006 can be the rebirth of the democractic party, let hope they don't blow it.
Posted by mardenhill 9/20/2005 09:06:00 AM 2 comments
Weekend Of R.E.M.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
I think I have come to the conclusion that R.E.M.'s "Up" is my favorite cd of theirs, I was listening to it today and song after song was amazing no duds to be found. My other fav used to be "New Adventures in Hi-Fi", that one rocked but I think Up is better. New Adventures has more rockin songs and is very diverse sounding whereas Up is more atmospheric, the 1st in the post Berry faze. I thought the no drums was going to be a problem but they focused on toher sounds and just used a drum a machine for the parts that needed it. After Up, there was "Reveal" the flipside to the darker soundings of the previous cd. There is lots of sunshine wrapped into a pop driven masterpiece. Finally you have "Around The Sun" which was released just last year and is a mix of the last 2. I like this one but it can get a bit boring and monotonous, there are some great songs but too many blend together. Maybe I need to give it more of a listen but it just doesn't seem to stand out as much as Up. That is one of the reasons I love R.E.M., each cd has its own personality and holds its own. "Monster" was a college staple along with James' "Laid" and Screaming Trees "Sweet Oblivion" but I don't find myslef listening to it a lot anymore. I do have 64 R.E.M. songs on my ipod, I made my own greatest hits from their whole collection and ended up with this. I could probably add more but I am running out of space on the ipod and need to keep other stuff on it.
Posted by mardenhill 9/18/2005 05:53:00 PM 3 comments
Bush's Shirt Pic 2
Friday, September 16, 2005
Another view....
Posted by mardenhill 9/16/2005 03:41:00 PM 4 comments
Bush's Shirt
You would think this would have been noticed before the emperor went out for his speech last nite. Its sad when the most powerful man in the world cannot button his shirt correctly. I mean, all of us have done this before but at least we look in a mirror to make sure before we go out in public....
Posted by mardenhill 9/16/2005 03:41:00 PM 2 comments
Olive Musica
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Here is a new media center device that can be added to an existing stereo system that will solve all your music needs. Its called Olive Musica, it has a 160 gig hard drive, wireless, internet radio, streaming from pcs or macs, and a cd rom drive to rip your cds into mp3s. In laymen terms, you can rip and store your mp3s to the hard drive and you can stream internet radio thru your cable modem and if you have a computer with other files it can stream those files also. It looks great and would be an excellent piece of hardware for your livingroom. If you want to stream music into other rooms, there is the Sonata, a small device that speakers connect to and stream from the device. The only problem with this device, the price, $1,099 for the musica and $199 for each sonata. Everything else is just about perfect. The hard drive could be a bit bigger but for the average person 160 gigs is plenty. I also forgot another cool feature, u can load your ipod from the device, there is a usb2 port in the back and will function like a pc. Now how that works i am not sure, they don't give much info other than the you can sync your ipod. And while I am talking about other features, you can plug in a turntabland rip all your vinyl to mp3 if you would like. It comes with a remote but they don't show a picture of it, not sure how good of one it is. I think the remote needs a screen on it that shows you scrolling thru your music, if it did that, this would be the best device on the planet. Obviously this is not an affordable solution for most people, but give it time, these things will come down in price and I bet by next year, all of us will be able to get one of these.
http://www.olive.us/p_bin/?cid=01_06_musica
Posted by mardenhill 9/15/2005 09:06:00 AM 1 comments
iPod Nano Update
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Here is an update on the ipod nano, we have all seen it and can admit it is the coolest mp3 player ever created but according to this, sales are not reflecting it. Its still early this is just the 1st week and I think sales will pick up and by xmas. A co-worker had got a mini the day before this came out so he took his mini back and got the nano, now the whole office is hooked. I like the talk of slashing prices by $50, that would rock and really kill the rest of the mp3 players out there and if apple was smart they would do that. $150 for 2 gigs, $200 for 4 gigs. Then give it til next year when they can replace those flash drives with bigger ones and apple will then rule the world. They already rule the legal downloads, over 500 million songs sold, i am predicting 1 billion will be by spring.
iPod nano sales off to slow start
By AppleInsider StaffPublished: 10:00 AM EST
First week sales of Apple's new shockingly thin iPod nano have fallen short of expectations, with most Apple retail stores having sold only one-fourth of their initial inventory of the players, AppleInsider has learned.
A couple of Apple retail stores in California, which last week received over 1400 iPod nanos, said they sold only a couple of hundred units by Saturday. This despite favorable reviews from both analysts and the media. "Our checks indicate good, but not great initial sales of iPod nano," said Shaw Wu, an analyst for American Technology Research. "This may be surprising given the consensus view from both the investment community and technology reviewers that the iPod nano would be a big success."According to the analyst, many Apple stores who were contacted reported selling only 200-500 of their initial 1800-2500 iPod nano allocation.
Additionally, Wu confirms earlier reports that the black iPod nano is greatly outselling the white models. "[The] black-colored ones are outselling the white ones by a great deal," Wu wrote in a research note released to clients on Tuesday. "5 to 1 and in some cases as high as 8 to 1." Coincidentally, these sales ratios completely contrast Apple's initial production ratios of the nano, which reports suggest were 1 black nano for every 5 to 8 white nanos.AppleInsider's own checks reveal that at least two other retail locations had sold out of the 4GB black model, but retained stock of all other models.
At the same time that sales of the nano appear to be lacking, demand for the now discontinued iPod mini continues to be strong, according to Wu. He notes that the price cuts applied to the mini just prior to the release of the nano have since been retracted."We believe iPod nano is a great product and evolutionary step combining the best elements of iPod shuffle, iPod mini, and iPod photo, but we believe Apple may need to make some changes to ensure its success as a high-volume product," Wu added.The analyst speculates that the iPod maker may need to slash the price of the nano by $50 if sales continue to under-impress.
Posted by mardenhill 9/14/2005 09:17:00 AM 0 comments
WAPO Editorial
Now you always have to take the Washington Post with a grain of salt, they are one of the most biased papers in the nation, kinda like how the NYT leans to the left. I will read its articles but usually end of screaming and closing the browser window until now. This is an op-ed column that appeared yesterday and I was blown away that WAPO had it printed. Maybe the paper is turning over a new leaf, nah we're not that lucky but hey, its a start.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/12/AR2005091201433.html
The Bush Era is over. The sooner politicians in both parties realize that, the better for them -- and the country.
Recent months, and especially the past two weeks, have brought home to a steadily growing majority of Americans the truth that President Bush's government doesn't work. His policies are failing, his approach to leadership is detached and self-indulgent, his way of politics has produced a divided, angry and dysfunctional public square. We dare not go on like this.
The Bush Era did not begin when he took office, or even with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It began on Sept. 14, 2001, when Bush declared at the World Trade Center site: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." Bush was, indeed, skilled in identifying enemies and rallying a nation already disposed to action. He failed to realize after Sept. 11 that it was not we who were lucky to have him as a leader, but he who was lucky to be president of a great country that understood the importance of standing together in the face of a grave foreign threat. Very nearly all of us rallied behind him.
If Bush had understood that his central task was to forge national unity, as he seemed to shortly after Sept. 11, the country would never have become so polarized. Instead, Bush put patriotism to the service of narrowly ideological policies and an extreme partisanship. He pushed for more tax cuts for his wealthiest supporters and shamelessly used relatively modest details in the bill creating a Department of Homeland Security as partisan cudgels in the 2002 elections.
He invoked our national anger over terrorism to win support for a war in Iraq. But he failed to pay heed to those who warned that the United States would need many more troops and careful planning to see the job through. The president assumed things would turn out fine, on the basis of wildly optimistic assumptions. Careful policymaking and thinking through potential flaws in your approach are not his administration's strong suits.
And so the Bush Era ended definitively on Sept. 2, the day Bush first toured the Gulf Coast States after Hurricane Katrina. There was no magic moment with a bullhorn. The utter failure of federal relief efforts had by then penetrated the country's consciousness. Yesterday's resignation of FEMA Director Michael Brown put an exclamation point on the failure.
The source of Bush's political success was his claim that he could protect Americans. Leadership, strength and security were Bush's calling cards. Over the past two weeks, they were lost in the surging waters of New Orleans.
But the first intimations of the end of the Bush Era came months ago. The president's post-election fixation on privatizing part of Social Security showed how out of touch he was. The more Bush discussed this boutique idea cooked up in conservative think tanks and Wall Street imaginations, the less the public liked it. The situation in Iraq deteriorated. The glorious economy Bush kept touting turned out not to be glorious for many Americans. The Census Bureau's annual economic report, released in the midst of the Gulf disaster, found that an additional 4.1 million Americans had slipped into poverty between 2001 and 2004.
The breaking of the Bush spell opens the way for leaders of both parties to declare their independence from the recent past. It gives forces outside the White House the opportunity to shape a more appropriate national agenda -- for competence and innovation in rebuilding the Katrina region and for new approaches to the problems created over the past 4 1/2 years.
The federal budget, already a mess before Katrina, is now a laughable document. Those who call for yet more tax cuts risk sounding like robots droning automated talking points programmed inside them long ago. Katrina has forced the issue of deep poverty back onto the national agenda after a long absence. Finding a way forward in -- and eventually out of -- Iraq will require creativity from those not implicated in the administration's mistakes. And if ever the phrase "reinventing government" had relevance, it is now that we have observed the performance of a government that allows political hacks to push aside the professionals.
And what of Bush, who has more than three years left in his term? Paradoxically, his best hope lies in recognizing that the Bush Era, as he and we have known it, really is gone. He can decide to help us in the transition to what comes next. Or he can cling stubbornly to his past and thereby doom himself to frustrating irrelevance.
postchat@aol.com
Posted by mardenhill 9/14/2005 08:58:00 AM 2 comments
Ryan Adams
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
And If you just finally forgot about the last posting I had on Ryan Adams, well guess what, he's back. Yep iTunes is doing a pre-order of the new cd entitled Jacksonville City Nights. It will be released Sept 27th and if we are lucky we will get the final cd Ryan is promising by the end of the year. This cd will be more country sounding than the last and also has a duet with Norah Jones. Another 2 weeks, get the countdown clock set. Not sure if I have ever told you but Cold Roses is one of the best cds to come out this year and I cannot wait for this one. In other Alt Country news, Wilco has a new cd coming out, its a live cd from their last tour.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-09/13.shtml
Wilco Reveal Release Date, Tracklist for Live Album Kati Llewellyn reports:
Last May, Wilco treated local fans to four nights of music at Chicago's Vic Theatre. The mini-series sold out almost immediately, tickets bringing in outrageous amounts of moola on eBay only minutes after they hit the box office. Though this isn't anything new to a band who pulled two Grammys earlier this year and is treated like deities in its hometown, surely the speed of the sales was fueled partially by the fact that the performances would be recorded for future release on both DVD and CD. Who doesn’t want to be on TV?
Well, kiddies, your time has come. Redecorate the kitchen with some stainless steel appliances and then fill them with space food, ‘cause the future is here! Or sort of, anyway. While we're still in the dark on the DVD, Wilco has announced the November 1 Nonesuch release of Kicking Television - Live in Chicago, a two-disc audio set capturing highlights from those four May evenings. The tracklisting runs through a significant portion of the band's catalog, in addition to a cover of Charles Wright's "Comment". Alas, no Kiss covers, beautiful and stoned, though.
Disc one
01 Misunderstood
02 Company In My Back
03 The Late Greats
04 Hell Is Chrome
05 Handshake Drugs
06 I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
07 Shot in the Arm
08 At Least That's What You Said
09 Wishful Thinking
10 Jesus, Etc.
11 I'm the Man Who Loves You
12 Kicking Television
Disc two
01 Via Chicago
02 Hummingbird
03 Muzzle of Bees
04 One by One
05 Airline to Heaven
06 Radio Cure
07 Ashes of American Flags
08 Heavy Metal Drummer
09 Poor Places
10 Spiders (Kidsmoke)
11 Comment
In the spirit of the live album, Wilco will be playing a handful of shows this fall, beginning this Sunday with Farm Aid. The band will be joining the likes of Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews at that charity event, which benefits farm families affected by Hurricane Katrina. They’re also opening for the Rolling Stones in Atlanta, and Jeff Tweedy will be performing a few solo shows in November.
I am trying to break your dates:
09-18 Tinley Park, IL - Farm Aid
09-21 Columbia, MO - Outdoors on 9th Street
09-22 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
09-24 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
09-25 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival
10-13 Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
10-14 Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
10-15 Atlanta, GA - Phillips Arena *
10-22 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - Tim Festival
11-12 Grantham, PA - Brubaker Auditorium (Jeff Tweedy solo)
11-13 Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre (Jeff Tweedy solo)
11-16 New York, NY - Tribeca Performing Arts Center (Jeff Tweedy solo)
11-17 New York, NY - Tribeca Performing Arts Center (Jeff Tweedy solo)
11-22 London, England - Shepherd's Bush Empire (Jeff Tweedy solo)
* with the Rolling Stones
Posted by mardenhill 9/13/2005 10:37:00 PM 2 comments
Redwoods
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Here is a picture at John Muir National Monument where Erika and I went when she was out here. Its about 30 minutes outside the city and an interesting drive down, the road is all windy and no rail on the outside of road. There are a bunch of redwoods and the trails are anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours long. When we went down, it was packed and I think the hike from the car to the park was longer than the hike inside. From there we took off up to Sonoma County and hit a few vineyards. We went to Cline, had lunch at Kenwood and then up to Trentadue where we picked up 2 ports that were excellent. We got a petit syrah port and a viognier which was the one I was really excited about trying. Trentadue also has a chocolate port which we already have a bottle of and also a Zinfandel. We got a zin port from Rutherford Hills so we skipped that one. The viognier is a white and served chilled, more like a dessert wine but with a completely different taste.
http://www.trentadue.com/
Posted by mardenhill 9/11/2005 09:44:00 PM 1 comments
Bret Easton Ellis Book Signing
Here I am with Bret Easton Ellis at his book signing last week in San Francisco. Brett read the 1st chaper from Lunar Park and did a Q&A session afterwards. There were some good questions and Bret said that he was happy with all the movie adaptions of his books, Less Than Zero, American Psycho and Rules Of Attraction. He said there were things that he would have liked changed or added in the movies but wasn't disappointed like some authors are when it comes to movies. He talked about why it takes so long to write a book, how he takes a couple years writing an outline which can be longer than the book itself and from the outline, write the story. He spends a lot of time thinking about what he wants to say, and isn't one of those authors who feel compelled to put something out every year. Between the royalities off the movies and the books, I think Bret can take a few years to come up with something. Bret's new book Lunar Park is part autobiographical the rest fiction. There are parts of the beginning which is all about his life, the sex, the drugs, the alcohol and downward spiral that I wonder if its 100% correct or a bit inflated to give a good story. Anyways, the book is very good and if you are a fan, definitely go out and get this book. I am a few chapters in and love it.
On a different note, I missed my 1 year anniversary on my blog, I was traveling on Friday all day so I didn't have time to post. For those of you who have been reading since day one, thank you. For those who just joined me thank you and please stick around, before you know it, I will be on my 2nd year. And all of you who read my blog, consider starting your own, its free and a lot of fun, plus I could use some more links on mine to other blogs. Go to www.blogger.com and sign up, it takes about 15 minutes to get one going, the longest part is deciding what skin you want to use. If you need any assistance feel free to contact me and I will give you a hand.
Posted by mardenhill 9/11/2005 02:33:00 PM 2 comments
iPod Nano
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
iPod Nano
Take everything you love about iPod and shrink it. Now shrink it again. With 2GB (500 songs) and 4GB (1,000 songs) models starting at $199, the pencil-thin iPod nano packs the entire iPod experience into an impossibly small design. So small, it will take your music places you never dreamed of.
Ok here is the tagline for the new ipod, its called the nano and its a 2 gig color flashbased player for $199 and $249 for a 4 gig. The nano will come in black or white, 14 hrs of battery life and USB 2. Interesting thing tho, on the website there is no spot for the ipod mini, either they are phasing them out or the site screwed up. Hmm what could it be? They also updated itunes to version 5.0 its a lot cleaner looking and easier to navigate, very good download, don't delay. And if that isn't enuff, they have released the new Motorola itunes phone that can hold up to 100 songs. Kinda cool but what about the battery life, thats what I am interested in.
Posted by mardenhill 9/07/2005 05:54:00 PM 2 comments
iPod Nano
New iPod Nano
Posted by mardenhill 9/07/2005 05:53:00 PM 0 comments
Michigan Wine Update
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
courtesy of http://www.fermentations.typepad.com/
More Screwage In Michigan
Something interesting has happened in Michigan.
The wholesalers there, who had been pushing most ardently for complete restrictions on any direct shipping of wine to consumers changed their tune. Since the Supreme Court decision in May they had been arguing for the complete ban on shipping, and doing so in a clumsy but loud manner. They were able to get a legislator (Chris Ward) to offer legislation that would have banned the shipment of wine to consumers.
That backfired when consumer and press outrage revealed the hypocrisy behind their claim that they wanted the ban to protect children. Right!
Well, now the wholesalers have changed gears and decided they need to get legislation passed that gets to the heart of what wholesalers around the country really fear: the possibility that wineries will have the right to ship direct to restaurateurs and retailers.
The new legislation in Michigan, which recently passed one house of the legislature and will go to the other, completely bans any shipment and sales of wine from a Michigan winery to a Michigan retailer or restaurant. This seems rather vindictive as it would hurt Michigan wineries even more than a ban on direct sales to consumers. But what the wholesalers are afraid of is the idea that if it's ok for a Michigan winery to ship and sell direct to retailers and restaurants, then perhaps it's ok for out of state wineries to do the same.
Let me break down this fear for you. The wholesalers imagine the likes of Beringer, Gallo, Mondavi, etc. (the big boys) setting up their own distribution system and bypassing the wholesalers. It's a legitimate business fear. It's unlikely the small CA wineries would do this, but it is imaginable that the big wineries could. It's also imaginable that large retailers like Costco, Sams Club, etc. would love to buy direct from wineries and arrange for shipment from CA.
This new legislation would allow wineries in or out of Michigan to sell up to 500 cases a year direct to consumers. This is a partial victory for consumers and Michigan wineries, as well as out of state wineries. And it resulted from the stupid way by which the wholesalers chose to focus on the non-existent problem of minors obtaining wine via the Internet in their attempt to sell their ban on direct shipping.
This new ban they are pushing however is an even greater burden on Michigan wineries. Wholesalers in that state, which would be in complete control of the distribution of Michigan wines rather than the wineries being in control of their distribution, are very unlikely to put any effort behind a Michigan brand. They'll focus on Gallo, Beringer, Mondavi, Yellowtail and a variety of other larger brands. The Michigan brands will be left in the cold and Michigan wineries will be able to do very little about it.
A Michigan winery could hire its own sales force, have it travel around to restaurateurs and retailers, sell their wine, then pass the sale off to the wholesalers. But this is unlikely due to the expense of maintaining a sales force. What this new ban does is it forces Michigan wineries to sell their $20 bottle of wine to a wholesaler for $10 a bottle (FOB Pricing) rather than sell the wine to a retailer at $14 a bottle (wholesale pricing). That's a pretty big financial hit.
While it is nice to see that the word got out about the wholesalers "Minors" canard and stopped them from getting a direct shipping ban passed, it is disheartening that they have been able to convince the legislature to pass a special interest law that sets further in stone the monopoly on wine sales. This should be a lesson, or at least a reminder, of the power of campaign contributions. Votes flow toward the contributions. Ever wonder how it is that more and more small, family-owned business seem to be replaced on a regular basis by big chains and corporate concerns? Follow the money.
Posted by mardenhill 9/06/2005 06:24:00 PM 2 comments
Protest At The Grand Hyatt San Francisco
Monday, September 05, 2005
Protest Picture 5
Here is a union member getting arrested, he was blocking the door with others who will receive the same treatment. Overall the protest was quite peaceful, no violent outbursts which is nice for a change. What separates this protest aside from others is that these are the hotel union workers who are without a contract and continue to get screwed by the Hyatt and a number of other hotels. I got a flyer explaining the protest and they gave a list of hotels that are union friendly on the back with their numbers. I tell ya, nothing like coming back from breakfast and finding your hotel under protest. We had to go in the back door and I ran up and got my camera so I could document it all for you. Erika and I are off to Japantown so I will post more pics later.
Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2005 04:15:00 PM 1 comments
Protest Grand Hyatt
Protest Picture 4
On the left you can see the bus which is full of the arrested protesters and the cops sitting around waiting for the next person.
Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2005 04:14:00 PM 2 comments
Protest Grand Hyatt
Protest Picture 3
Here is the picket line that stretches down to the end of the street.
Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2005 04:13:00 PM 0 comments
Protest Grand Hyatt
Protest Picture 2
Here is the Union leader with the megaphone keeping the chant alive.
Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2005 04:12:00 PM 3 comments
Protest Grand Hyatt
Protest Picture 1
Shot of the union members blocking the door, all will be arrested and charged with civil disobedience.
Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2005 04:10:00 PM 3 comments
