Colbert Skewers Bush
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Stephen Colbert of The Daily Show and now The Colbert Report really did a job on Bush last nite. He was asked to host the WH Press Corp correspondence dinner. What the MSM didn't realize was that Colbert is not one of them and he only plays a republican on TV. Dubya was not amused, he had a scowl on his face, leaned back in his chair and clapped half-heartedly. I guess Bush's bubble doesn't include Comedy Central, if so he would have been prepared for the onslaught. Colbert's performance really puts Jon Stewart's Oscar MC to shame. Jon didn't have Bush in attendence and still whimped out on a lot of jokes, Colbert stood 5 feet away and let it go. The MSM will continue to downplay last nite but Colbert just dropped the gauntlet and setup the biggest challenge we have ever seen. Colbert's stock just rose 500% and I bet you will see more reporters ride his coattails and actually report the news.Some of the memorable lines are below:
Colbert, who spoke in the guise of his talk show character, who ostensibly supports the president strongly, urged the Bush to ignore his low approval ratings, saying they were based on reality, “and reality has a well-known liberal bias.”
He attacked those in the press who claim that the shake-up at the White House was merely re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. “This administration is soaring, not sinking,” he said. “If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg.”
He claimed that the Secret Service name for Bush's new press secretary is "Snow Job." Colbert also made biting cracks about missing WMDs, “photo ops” on aircraft carriers and at hurricane disasters, melting glaciers and Vice President Cheney shooting people in the face. He advised the crowd, "if anybody needs anything at their tables, speak slowly and clearly on into your table numbers and somebody from the N.S.A. will be right over with a cocktail. "
Observing that Bush sticks to his principles, he said, "When the president decides something on Monday, he still believes it on Wednesday - no matter what happened Tuesday."
Posted by mardenhill 4/30/2006 03:10:00 PM 0 comments
Happy 2000
Friday, April 28, 2006
I just made it to 2000 visits of my blog, next step 1 million......
Posted by mardenhill 4/28/2006 10:46:00 AM 1 comments
Its Pete Again, Made The Front Page Of Drudge
Pete Doherty has taken it to a new level and the pathetic piece of shit should be locked up for life. The Sun has printed a picture of him shooting up an unconscious fan with heroin, how many more arrests will it take before this scumbag is locked away. I amazes me that people still think he's musical genius, the guy has no talent and is a mess. I know I sound like a bitter old man crititizing the youth of today but someone needs to. Stuff like Marilyn Manson is no big deal, he pushes the envelope but never condoned drug use. Kurt Cobain, Layne Stanley and Scott Weiland all were addicts but didn't wear it as a badge of honor. They wrote about it, songs how addiction kills, they were more a poster child for not doing drugs. Pete on the otherhand invites everyone into his world hoping to bring more people down with him. As for Kate Moss, rumors are she is back with him. If that's the case, she deserves to be locked up and her career taken away.http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006190560,00.html
Posted by mardenhill 4/28/2006 10:28:00 AM 1 comments
Tick Tock, Tick Tock
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Rumors are a flying and speculation runs wild. Will Rove get indicted, could it be tomorrow, will he resign? Rove met for the 5th time on Wednesday with Fitz and tomorrow the grand jury convenes for another session. Some say its too early to get an indictment just after 2 days but that hasn't stopped other juries. If an indictment comes down tomorrow, could this spell the end of the Rove era? Will Rove be able to get involved in races this November or will he have to take a seat? If Rove is out of commission, this may bode well for Dems, unless he calls the shots behind the curtain where he is most dangerous. One could look at it this way, if Rove is indicted, no Repub would want to be caught in a 1 mile radius of him let alone take advice.I will keep u posted on the latest of Rove's fate as more news becomes available.
.................................
MSNBC reports Rove believes he is in legal jeopardy
Karl Rove has described his three and a half hour meeting with a grand jury as grueling, and is more worried about being prosecuted than ever, MSNBC is reporting.
RAW STORY has also learned that an MSNBC report tonight revealed that one of Rove's lawyers said the presidential adviser described his fifth grand jury appearance as "hell." MSNBC's David Shuster appeared live on Keith Olbermann's 8pm show this evening and stated that Rove was surprised by the tone of the questions as well as the length of time he was required to testify.
Shuster agreed with Olbermann that it was "easy to imagine" that Rove's legal situation was the cause of his recent reduction of responsibilities. However, he added, "I don't see there's any chance that Karl Rove's going to resign, barring an indictment."
The three and a half hour duration is considered highly unusual for a fifth appearance before a grand jury, Shuster reported. Also not boding well for Rove is the fact that the grand jury plans to meet tomorrow. Some are speculating that an indictment for Rove may be handed up tomorrow, though others have claimed such a fast turnaround time is unlikely.
One MSNBC commentator claimed that the fifth appearance also ties the record held by Betty Currie, former President Bill Clinton's personal secretary.
Posted by mardenhill 4/27/2006 09:05:00 PM 0 comments
Something Wicked This Way Comes
I just turned on Woxy Vintage and the 2nd song in happened to be the Crash Test Dummies "mmm,mmm,mmm,mmm". It freaked me out seeing that I just made fun of it in my previous post as being one of the worst songs of the 90s. I can't remember the last time I heard that song, just 12 hours after mocking it, they play it. Either Woxy programmers are reading my blog or there is some vengeful bad music spirit out there haunting me.........
Posted by mardenhill 4/27/2006 09:00:00 AM 2 comments
Here We Go Again........
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Wow, I don't know whats worse, Courtney Love putting out another solo her working with Linda Perry. "Hey, what's going on" was probably the worst song of the 90s, well it was tied with mmbop and mmm,mmm,mmm (Crash Test Dummies). Courtney was at her peak when Kurt Cobain wrote her stuff and she would just sing. Billy Corgan wrote her next record which had a couple good songs but left to her own devices we ended up with America's Sweetheart. Courtney is far from the queen of rock n roll, if you were to crown a person it would probably be Patti Smith or PJ Harvey.
...............................................
Courtney Love's 'rehab was really good'
Co-songwriter reveals album progress
Courtney Love is currently hard at work on her next album after hooking up with songwriter Linda Perry.
Perry - the former 4 Non Blondes singer and the person behind songs by Christina Aguilera and Pink - has vowed to bring back the singer from what she described as her "crap-ass" last record, 2004's 'America's Sweetheart'.
"My dedication right now is to bring back the queen of rock and roll, and that's Courtney Love," she said. "That woman is brilliant, and I can't allow myself as a music lover and someone who really respects that artist to go down with 'America's Sweetheart'. That record sucked. She knows it. The world knows it. It was a horrible, crap-ass record."
Despite being in the early stages of working together, Perry has told MTV News that things are going well so far.
"She's really focused, pleasure to be around, looks great, sounds great, really great ideas, great songs she's written ... so rehab was really good," she joked. "My job now is to make that ([/a]Courtney Love[/a]) rock and roll record that everybody's gonna love."
Posted by mardenhill 4/26/2006 08:38:00 PM 2 comments
Happy 1000
Just 1000 more days til January 20th, when a new president takes over and Bush is out of office. I've got the Champagne chilled and ready to go......
Posted by mardenhill 4/26/2006 08:32:00 PM 5 comments
Rove to Testify Again in CIA Leak Case
Well, well, well Rove is back again in front of the Grand Jury for the 5th time to clear up some loose ends on the Valerie Plame case. Could this mean that Rove may be indicted soon? It would be nice to see him go down before he starts his carpet bombing of all dems for the November election. Rove's back is against the wall, he is a trapped wild animal and will strike out against anyone and everyone. This is why the dems need to be ready for the swiftboating to start and to beat him to the punch. With an indictment hanging over his head, Rove may be neutured but he also may be more dangerous. I have a feeling the 2006 election cycle will be the nastiest on record, losing 1 or both houses will spell defeat for Bush. Stay tuned, I will keep u updated on the latest twists and turns on Rovegate.Posted by mardenhill 4/26/2006 12:21:00 PM 0 comments
I know Its Only Game 3 But......
Damn them Redwings, they lost last nite in OT. When I went to bed they were down 3-1 so I was prepared for a defeat but not an OT one. At that point when they tie it up and reach OT the victory should be ours. Its still early, only game 3 but the wings may be cursed with the winning of the President's trophy and losing early in the playoffs.
The 1st period last nite was spent in the penalty box, anything from 5 on 4, 5 on 3, 4 on 4 you name it, the configuration was there. I hope the wings can pull this off because I have big plans for 2 parades this summer, the Redwings and the Pistons. With both teams winning, it will keep Detroit on the national radar for another year. We are still riding the wave from the Superbowl, lets keep it going.......
Posted by mardenhill 4/26/2006 08:56:00 AM 1 comments
Hey Buddy, Can I Borrow 3 Grand?
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Yesterday Apple released its 17 inch macbook pro, its only $2800. Tack on applecase and u are at 3 grand. Yes its a great laptop but I think the pricetag is a bit high. Apple is phasing out the ibook and replacing them with the macbook, for those of you looking for a new laptop these should be perfect for you. They will be on the intel chip, not sure if they will be duo core or not, no specs are out on them. I think they will be out in the next couple months, just in time for the back to school rush.
As rumored, Apple announced the 17" MacBook Pro today at the NAB conference.
The new 17-inch MacBook Pro features a stunning aluminum enclosure just one inch thin, weighs only 6.8 pounds, includes a built-in iSight™ video camera for video conferencing on-the-go, and the breakthrough Front Row media experience with Apple Remote. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro also features a MagSafe™ Power Adapter, invented by Apple especially for mobile users.
Specs include:2.16 Intel Core Duo Processor
667 MHz front-side bus
Up to 2GB of RAM (667 MHz DDR@ SDRAM)
iSight Camera
MagSafe Power Adapter
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 PCI Express graphics 256MB
Firewire 800, Firewire 400
Bluetooth, Airport Extreme
$2799
Available at the Apple Store and shipping next week.
Posted by mardenhill 4/25/2006 08:35:00 AM 3 comments
Way To Go Mick
Monday, April 24, 2006
Even with his grandma arms, Mick socks it to Dubya...............................
Mick beats George to suite
Showbiz Reporter
The Rolling Stone splashed out £3,600 a night for the suite days before the US leader tried to book it.
Now Mick, 62, who has been a fierce critic of the Bush-led war in Iraq, is refusing to give it up.
The veteran rocker hired the luxury Royal Suite at the five-star Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria, for June when the Stones are due to play a gig in the city.
Bush’s aides then tried to book it to tie in with a summit meeting. But Mick put his foot down and insisted he was keeping the booking. A source close to the millionaire singer said last night: “White House officials had wanted to reserve the suite and all the other rooms on the first floor. “But Mick and the Stones had already booked every one of them.
The classically-designed suite is said to be among the top 100 hotel rooms in the world. It boasts a 7ft 4in bed, chandeliers and oil paintings.
Former presidents Ronald Reagan, John Kennedy and George Bush Snr all stayed there while they were in office.
The hotel last night admitted US secret service agents vetted the accommodation — and confirmed that Bush would no longer be staying there.
An American Embassy official refused to say where he was now staying for “security reasons”.
Mick takes a swipe at Bush, 59, on the latest Stones album A Bigger Bang, savaging his Iraq War policy.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006180696,00.html
Posted by mardenhill 4/24/2006 09:52:00 AM 2 comments
Babyshambles Vs Dirty Pretty Things
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Its Carl's turn now to release a cd that sounds just like the Libertines. Carl and another guy from the band formed Dirty Pretty Things who will release their debut cd in a couple weeks. Pete (the drug addict) released Babyshambles earlier this year to little fanfare stateside. I doubt Carl's cd will do much better but both will be big sellers across the pond. The Libertines had their moment in the sun, their debut cd was full of sex, alcohol, drugs and a lot of the Clash. Their followup had Carl taking the lead since Pete couldn't stay clean. Pete left the band, bounced in and out of rehab and found himself arrested 3x in one day. Not sure how someone does that but I think the loser should be locked up not influencing young british punks with his drug addict lifestyle. I don't want Pete to OD, he will become a martyr. Instead I would love to see him rot in jail for the rest of his life. We all knew Kurt Cobain was addicted to heroin but he didnt run around getting arrested and missing shows. I have heard a few tracks from Dirty Pretty Things, they are not bad but you would think you were listening to the Libertines. Same as the Babyshambles but that cd is more sloppy you can tell they were all strung out recording it. Seeing that the British music scene has been lacking as of late, we are left to follow the lives of a 2nd rate band and its fighting members.
Posted by mardenhill 4/23/2006 06:51:00 PM 1 comments
Liberal Vs Conservative Blogs
Friday, April 21, 2006
Here are some screenshots of numbers to some of the hottest blogs on the internet. The 1st one is Daily Kos with over 340 million visits. Kos is a liberal site with a very large online community. Kos also wrote a book "Crashing The Gates" with the creater of MYDD another liberal blog. The 2nd picture is a shot of Michelle Malkin a conservative Ann Coulter wannabe, one of the biggest conservative blogs out there. Michelle has had over 40 million but nowhere close to Daily Kos. Kos has been around longer but when you look at daily stats, Kos beats Michelle hands down. The 3rd is my blog, I am almost up to 2000 which is a good start and I hope by the end of the year I will be topping 1 million. Ok realistically, 5000.
The dems have taken the blogs and used them to our advantage, we have more sites and more viewers. This is important when it comes to spreading the message and framing the issues. The democratic leadership needs to take the blogs into consideration and use them to their advantage.
Posted by mardenhill 4/21/2006 05:54:00 PM 0 comments
Could This Be Rove's Fate?
Ok, its a doctored photo but a good one that may be coming true in the near future. It would make sense as to why Rove was demoted the other day. Well that had to do with his pathetic attempt at trying policy and also to get the heat off of Rumsfeld. Fitz may suprise us with an indictment, if so that will clip Rove's wings a bit during the 2006 election cycle. The only thing we will have to worry about is how dirty Rove and co will go to maintain control. The dems better be ready, they have been warned and better fight each and every swiftboat attack.MSNBC’s Shuster: Signs Point To Rove Indictment
Last night, MSNBC’s David Shuster took a look at recent court filings by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and suggests that Karl Rove is likely to be indicted. Watch it:
Three key points made by Shuster:
1. The latest court documents, for the first time, name Rove as a subject of the investigation.
2. The court documents go out of their way to say that Rove will not be called as a witness in Scooter Libby’s trial, even though Rove is a key part of the narrative. Shuster notes that this is done when prosecutors want to “leave open the possibility of later charging that particular subject in a separate case.”
3. Rove is referred in court documents as “Official A.” Shuster says “in every single case we have found, Keith, that prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald when he designates somebody as Official A in an indictment, that person eventually does get indicted themselves.”
Posted by mardenhill 4/21/2006 02:41:00 PM 0 comments
And To Think I Thought We Were Finally Done With Them
Sorry Billy you are just a loser, hell a zero, you formed Zwan which was pathetic and your solo cd was even worse. On the day you released your solo you talked about getting the Pumpkins back together, no wonder sales tanked. You had you day in the sun but your bald head and whiny voice have no place in 2006. You didn't breakup and get the band back together, in order for it to be proper it has to be no less than 10 years. So don't call it a comeback.......Smashing Pumpkins get to work on new album
The reformed rockers are officially back
The newly reformed Smashing Pumpkins have begun work on a new album.
The band are currently writing the follow-up to 2000's 'MACHINA/The Machines Of God', and will begin recording shortly.
A statement on the band's website reads: "It's official, the Smashing Pumpkins are currently writing songs for their upcoming album, their first since 2000. No release date has been set, but the band plans to begin recording this summer."
Singer Billy Corgan had made no secret of the fact he wants to reform his old. Last year on his webpage, he hinted reformation plans were coming along.
"The surprise I have in store for you all will be announced soon enough," he said. "Hold on to your horses. After all, good things surely come to those who wait....Don't you just love the suspense?"
Corgan remains friends with former Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain, and is also in contact with the band's second bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, having collaborated with her on her forthcoming second solo album. There is still no confirmation as to what line-up of the band Corgan has got together.
The first rumours of the band reforming came when the singer took out an advert in the local Chicago Tribune newspaper where he said "his heart" remains with his old band.
He wrote: "When I played the final Smashing Pumpkins show on the night of December 2, 2000, I walked off the stage believing that I was forever leaving a piece of my life behind. I naively tried to start a new band, but found that my heart wasn't in it. I moved away to pursue a love that I once had but got lost. So I moved back home to heal what was broken in me, and to my surprise I found what I was looking or. I found that my heart is in Chicago, and that my heart is in the Smashing Pumpkins.
"For a year now I have walked around with a secret, a secret I chose to keep. But now I want you to be among the first to know that I have made plans to renew and revive the Smashing Pumpkins. I want my band back, and my songs, and my dreams. In this desire I feel I have come home again."
Posted by mardenhill 4/21/2006 08:43:00 AM 0 comments
Magic 8 Ball Sez....
Thursday, April 20, 2006
The price of full service high octane gas reaches $4.049 dollars per gallon Thursday, April 20, 2006, at a gas station in Beverly Hills, Calif. Oil prices held steady near record highs Thursday after weekly data showed a drop in U.S. gasoline stocks, raising worries that refiners don't have an adequate inventory cushion ahead of the peak summer driving season. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)........................
Ok This is Beverly Hills, CA but its just a dollar and a few cents off from MI. I just got gas for $2.86, I passed one station at $2.95 and I don't see it going down much. I am glad that it only takes 13.2 gallons to fill up my car, I don't know what I would do if I had a 22 gallon tank. Welcome to the future, I bet people are wishing Al Gore was in office. He at least cares about the environment and would have pushed our country into renewables and other environmentally friendly living 6 years ago.
Posted by mardenhill 4/20/2006 09:53:00 PM 1 comments
Talk About A Party In A Can
The beer can is in for a technology makeover that will shake-up the beverage industry, and it’s being brought to you by a company called Tempra Technology, which has ambitious plans for their cold can technology.
The specially modified cans use proprietary engineering to create a temperature drop that will reduce the I.C. Can contents by a minimum of 30° Fahrenheit in just three minutes. When activated, the all natural desiccant contained within a vacuum draws the heat from the beverage through the evaporator into an insulated heat-sink container. It is this patented vacuum-power which lowers the temperature so dramatically and quickly, leaving the beverage inside cold.
....
The I.C. Technology is 100% safe non-toxic and environmentally benign, because the whole process is the driven by the simple physics of water evaporation.
The average American drinks 22 Gallons of beer annually, and even though this product would demand a large price premium over a traditional can, the convenience factor and bragging rights would make this a must have item. Camping and fishing will drive the initial sales, and as volumes increase more and more uses will be found.
Expect the first cans to show up on store shelves in mid-2007
Posted by mardenhill 4/20/2006 05:02:00 PM 3 comments
A Few More Gone
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
A few more gone but still not enough. Today Scott McClellan, pictured right resigned as the admin's press secretary. Scott probably had the hardest job in the country, day in and day out he had to lie to the press over and over. He had to spin, stonewall and at times accuse the media for actually doing their job. Scott will be missed, he was a great punching bag but he also became the face of a failed president and administration. He did not want to go but was forced out, I hope good ole Scotty is harbering bad feelings and will dish in the next few months. I know it will never happen but one can wish.
The 2nd to go today was Karl Rove, he didn't resign he just lost his position as policy advisor. He will be focusing on the 2006 campaign where he is the most dangerous which scares me. Karl oversaw some of the most disasterous policy campaigns of Bush's years in office. Social Security and Katrina are just a few of the big ones. This isn't Rove's strong point, he excels in the heat of battle where he can swiftboat the opposition. I just hope the dems are ready for Rove because his back is against the wall this november. We may get lucky and Fitz may throw out an indictment for Plamegate taking him out of the game but we can't count on that for sure. Rumsfeld, Cheney and Condi are still on board so all this shakeup amounts to a bit of window dressing. This won't help Bush in the polls because he continues to ignore the real issues why no one likes him anymore.
Posted by mardenhill 4/19/2006 09:46:00 PM 1 comments
Detroit Tigers
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Yesterday I went to the Detroit Tigers game, the weather was great but can't say the same for the team. They lost to the Cleveland Indians 10-2 but no big deal, everyone here in MI are used it. We look at the Tigers as an excuse to go hang out downtown and drink beer, thats all. It was about 1/4 full yesterday, I was suprised for it being a Monday and a 1:05pm game.
Posted by mardenhill 4/18/2006 03:06:00 PM 2 comments
Give It Up To eMusic
I just discovered this today and its some pretty big news. eMusic now has the british music label V2 music on their site. Some of the bands on V2 include, Stereophonics, Elbow, Josh Ritter, Underworld, Grandaddy, Brenadan Benson, Black Crows and The Crystal Method. These are some pretty big names and while I was browsing thru some of the artists I discovered EPs and singles. I found 5 tracks on Brendan Benson I can get that were all included on singles and not on the full length. I don't have to buy the whole single either, I can grab the b-side by itself. Same for the Stereophonics and Elbow.I just got the new South cd "Adventures In The Underground Journey To The Stars", its very good you should check it out. Its less atmospheric and wall of sound and more straight forward rock. I love listening to the song "Paint The Silence" but you can't just make record after record sounding like that. They have done a good job carving out a space in the brit rock world and I hope they continue on for years to come.
Posted by mardenhill 4/18/2006 12:02:00 PM 0 comments
Best CD of 2006 So Far
Sunday, April 16, 2006
I think its safe to say that Placebo has taken over as the best of 2006 so far. It may lose that spot since we are only 4 months in but I doubt it will fall out of the top 5. Their new cd "Meds" is amazing, the 1st track "Meds" features VV from the Kills on guitar. This song starts out simple then builds into a great singalong featuring Alison from the Kills on backups. This giant cresendo builds into a wall of sound with muffled vocals and razor sharp guitar licks. The song crashes and Infra-Red picks up back in familiar Placebo territory. Brian Molko vocally stalks you "I'm coming up on Infra-Red, there is no runng that can hide you, cuz I can see in the dark. I'm coming up on Infra-Red, forget your running, I will find you, cuz I can see you".Track 3 "Drag" starts out with classic Placebo guitar and melody but stays upbeat and doesn't turn into the slow desolate songs they are notorious for. Track 4 "Space Monkey" is a dark brooding number reminicent of "Without You I'm Nothing". Track 5 "Follow the Cops Home" is a piano ballad, good but not great. Track 6 "Post Blue" is one of my favorite tracks, its dark but clean and has a bit of electronic overtones. Track 8 "Blind" is a slow dirge of a song, probably the weakest on the cd. Track 10 "Broken Promises" features Michael Stipe on vocals. It starts off with a piano and Michael singing, then guitars and Brian join in. Both trade vocals and share backup duties another great one. Track 11 "One Of A Kind" sounds like it came from Black Market Music. Any Placebo fan who lost faith in them would come back with this one. On Track 13 "Song To Say Goodbye" Placebo closes the cd with a heavy piano driven song leaving you wanting more.
Every Placebo cd has its place, all are great in their own ways but I would say that their 4th cd Sleeping With Ghosts has to be their weakest. I saw them on the Black Market Music tour and hope they come around again. Its hard to pinpoint what makes Placebo so great, the sex, drugs, love, lost and despair of their music continues on each album but doesn't grow old. Maybe its Brian's world that he brings you into, its a dark, seedy and digusting place but part of you wonders what it would be like to be there.
Posted by mardenhill 4/16/2006 08:21:00 PM 1 comments
$400 Million For Retirement
If you were wondering why gas has been so expensive the last couple years, well here you go. Instead of a party and a clock like most people, Exxon gives out $400 million golden parachutes. I bet Bush has written a nice little tax loophole for doublechin which allows him to keep it all. I am still wondering why we had to give the oil companies 8 billion for research in the last energy bill its not like they need it. There's your govt at work, next time someone says republicans are good for cutting taxes and balanced budgets, remember our little friend here............................
April 14, 2006—
Soaring gas prices are squeezing most Americans at the pump, but at least one man isn't complaining. Last year, Exxon made the biggest profit of any company ever, $36 billion, and its retiring chairman appears to be reaping the benefits.
Exxon is giving Lee Raymond one of the most generous retirement packages in history, nearly $400 million, including pension, stock options and other perks, such as a $1 million consulting deal, two years of home security, personal security, a car and driver, and use of a corporate jet for professional purposes.
Posted by mardenhill 4/16/2006 07:55:00 PM 2 comments
Thank's Jack, You Rock
Our buddy Jack is still on track to bring down both members of the House and Senate. Sen Tom Coburn a repub from Oklahoma released this little bit of dirt on the Abramoff saga. Besides 7 major players I think there will be a number of aides going down with them.Speaking in Wagoner, Oklahoma, Senator Tom Coburn (OK-R) said that "if you've been keeping up with things, you've got a pretty good idea" who the unnamed lawmakers might be.
"Earmark abuse was at the center of the Jack Abramoff and Duke Cunningham scandals yet the Senate failed to clamp down on what Abramoff described as the 'earmark favor factory' in Congress," Coburn explained afterward in a press release. "This bill will not change how members of Congress and lobbyists interact."
"In the wake of the Abramoff and Cunningham scandals Congress could have crafted serious reform legislation," Coburn continued. "Unfortunately, the Senate put public relations ahead of real reform and chose to wash the outside of the cup while leaving the inside filthy."
Posted by mardenhill 4/16/2006 10:04:00 AM 3 comments
Gawker Media
Friday, April 14, 2006
This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.
Posted by mardenhill 4/14/2006 09:48:00 AM 2 comments
Avalon Cab Napa Valley
I just got a bottle of this the other day and for the prce its amazing. Lots of fruit up front with a bit of tannin finishing if off. The body holds up, it lingers with lots of berry fills your mouth with classic cab flavor. If you are in the metro Detroit area, you can find it at Simply Wine in Birmingham. Other than that, check a smaller wine shop in your area that carries a wide range of unique bottles.
http://www.avalonwinery.com/
While on the topic of wine, I was chatting with a distributer over at Simply Wine and he filled me in on a little secret. Domaine Chandon, Rutherford Hills and a few other big names use McManis grapes in some of their wine. Rutherford Hills flagship merlot comes from here and it sells for $25 and up. There are a lot of farms that just grow grapes to sell but some of them are turning to wine production themselves. You can pick up a bottle of McManis cab, merlot, petit syrah, syrah, viognier and chardonnay for about $10-$12. Ed at Simply Wine pushes McManis all the time and now I know why. If you see any of this at your local wine store, pick it up you won't be disappointed.
I have been bouncing between Napa cabs and Bordeauxs the last couple months, with summer coming it will be back to the whites. Last summer was the Grunier Veltliner from Austria and I think it will be the same this year.
http://www.mcmanisfamilyvineyards.com/
Welcome to McManis Family Vineyards
Our Company
Posted by mardenhill 4/14/2006 08:21:00 AM 0 comments
Apple vs The Beatles
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Well it looks like Apple has settled with the Beatle's record company over trademark and wooed them onto iTunes. You would think that everyone who likes the Beatles already has their music but you would be suprised how many will download them thru iTunes. This has been the holy grail of the digital music world, whomever scores the Beatles catalog wins. At this point Napster and Rhapsody should just fold because iTunes has won the battle. I just hope Apple didn't give in on pricing to score the collection, all the labels want to start a tiered model with older songs cheaper and the latest hits a premium. Apple has held on strong with their .99c and $9.99 for the most part, I would hate to see them give it up just for this. Now I still think thats too much for downloads but if the record labels have their way it would be a lot more.
............................
Beatles Songs on iTunes? [Updated]
Wednesday April 12, 2006 09:44 AM EST
Posted by arn
"We're remastering the whole Beatles catalog, just to make it sound brighter and better and getting proper booklets to go with each of the packages. I think it would be wrong to offer downloads of the old masters when I am making new masters. It would be better to wait and try to do them both simultaneously so that you then get the publicity of the new masters and the downloading, rather than just doing it ad hoc."
This was reportedly revealed in court by Neil Aspinall of Apple Corps record label during the Apple Corps vs. Apple Computer trademark dispute. No confirmation is available at this time.[Update] Macworld UK reports that Apple Corps has confirmed Aspinall's statements.
Posted by mardenhill 4/13/2006 09:04:00 AM 0 comments
Who's The Fool, The Fool or The Fool Who Follows The Fool
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
This made me laugh today, the Washington Post ran a story refuting the WMD mobile lab story back in 03. They were not mobile labs they were mobile lavatories. So McClellan lashed out at the press corp as demanded an apology for the media reporting the fact that the administration lied about the intelligence. The report came in 2 days before Bush announced that they had discovered mobile labs, plenty of time for him to change his speech. Instead they sat on the report and now 3 years later we find out they were lying all along.
McClellan: Media Should “Publicly Apologize” For Reporting On Mobile Weapons Lab Story
On May 29, 2003, President Bush said “We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories.” This morning the Washington Post revealed that a Pentagon field report transmitted to Washington on May 27, 2003 “had already concluded that the trailers had nothing to do with biological weapons.”
Today during the White House press briefing, Scott McClellan demanded a public apology from the news media for covering the story:
You know, I saw some reporting talking about how this latest revelation — which is not something that is new; this is all old information that’s being rehashed — was an embarrassment for the White House. No, it’s an embarrassment for the media that is out there reporting this.
I brought up with some of you earlier today some of the reporting that was based of this Washington Post report. And I talked to one of network about it…they expressed their apologies to the White House.
I hope they will go and publicly apologize on the air about the statements that were made, because I think it is important given that they had made those statements in front of all their viewers. So we look forward to that happening as well.
McClellan’s complaint is that the Washington Post and others suggest that President Bush may have known about the report before he made definitive statements that the trailers were for the purpose of building biological weapons.
When McClellan was asked when the White House became aware of the Pentagon field report, however, McClellan couldn’t say. He told the press corps “I’m looking into that matter” but the answer was “not the point.”
Posted by mardenhill 4/12/2006 04:07:00 PM 3 comments
Sonos For Under A Grand
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Well Sonos just broke the $1000 mark, $999 to be exact. Sonos just released the ZonePlayer 80, a non amplified player which is meant to hook up to an existing stereo or home theatre system. The 100 has a pre amp inside so all you need are speakers, other than that they are still the same. Both are wireless, can stream mp3s, internet radio and are by far the best solution for a wireless/mp3 home setup. The handheld remote has a great menu structure and you can control multiple units throughout the house. I say give it another year and they should be affordable to the rest of us, I am not about to drop a grand but if it were under $500 then I would be all over it.
www.sonos.com
Posted by mardenhill 4/11/2006 10:34:00 AM 1 comments
Baby Moses
Chris Martin names baby after Coldplay songMoses is born in New York
Chris Martin is a dad again - and they've named their second child after a Coldplay song!
Martin and wife Gyweneth Paltrow are celebrating after their new baby, a boy, was born in New York over the weekend.
They've named the kid Moses - a song of the same name appears on Coldplay's live DVD 'Live 2003', although it never made it onto any of the band's studio albums.
At the time it was suggested the track was based on Martin's relationship with Paltrow.
Coldplay have just completed a North American tour, and are taking time out. Their next UK appearance will be at the Isle Of Wight festival in June.
..................................
For starters I didn't even know they were expecting a 2nd child and Moses, come on. If you are going to name your kid after a song, why not "Yellow" "Spies" or "Clocks"? "Moses" and "In My Place" are the 2 worst songs they have and I don't know if that will bode well for baby Moses. You have Apple and Moses, I am very afraid what the 3rd child will be if they have one.
Posted by mardenhill 4/11/2006 08:36:00 AM 1 comments
Opening Day
Monday, April 10, 2006
Today was opening day for the Detroit Tigers but unfortunately they lost. The Tigers played the Chicago White Sox so losing to the defending champions isn't that bad. Before the game the Tigers were 5-1, not a bad start at all. I went last year to opening day and had a great time but tix sold out too fast this year for me to score one. The sun was out and it was 60s, it doesn't get any better than that.
Posted by mardenhill 4/10/2006 04:43:00 PM 4 comments
For The Real Treehugger
http://www.freespiritspheres.com/index.htm
If you ever dreamed of a treehouse here is your chance. Think of it as a popup camper suspended in the air. Not a lot of room inside but you could hook a few of these together and it could be your own International Space Station here on earth. Get a bunch of people together and you could build your own ewok village all suspended above ground.
Posted by mardenhill 4/10/2006 11:42:00 AM 2 comments
Embrace
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Embrace just released their 5th cd on March 27th and I decided to give it a listen. Embrace came onto the scene back in 97 with "The Good Will Out" a cd that drew both Oasis and Verve comparisons. Their songs are sweeping anthems and ballads. Vocals are good but safe. Oasis are the kings of large majestic songs when played live engulf everything that isn't tied down. Embrace took this style and added the darker and droning style of the Verve. Their debut cd had great fanfare but I lost interest after the 2nd one. I just got "This New Day" and I am pleasantly suprised. I like the keyboards that have been added and I can say that Embrace has found their sound. The big rocknroll songs are present and I think they are able to pull of the Oasis arena rock if given the chance here. Its nice to listen to Brit Rock that isn't trying to be the Strokes or Franz Ferdinand. I am sick and tired of the Babyshambles, Subways, Cribs, Rakes, Futureheads that think post punk is the way to go. As for the flavor of the month, Artic Monkeys, I am trying but I don't see the greatness in their cd. It has some good tracks but its not groundbreaking, its no "Definitely Maybe" or "Elastica" or "Asleep In The Back". If you want my praise and a space on my blog, you need to impress me, not bore me with re-hashed crap. I have burned by both Richard Ashcroft and Rob Dickenson's solos this year its nice to see that there is still some good Brit Rock to be had. Will this make my top 2006, probably not but its still a good listen.Posted by mardenhill 4/09/2006 09:18:00 PM 3 comments
Podcasts
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Podcasting 101.If you havn't experienced podcasting yet, download iTunes and get started. Within the iTunes music store there is a section called Podcasts, this is where you can download free files for your enjoyment. Podcasts can range from a number of things, news, interviews, music, comedy, sports you name it, there is a podcast it. NPR will release its radio shows as a podcast, if you miss it during the day you can download it and listen later. I have a number of podcasts that I check out, my favorite ones are Napa Valley Wine, Wine For Newbies, The Oz Wine Show, KEXP and Barak Obama's weekly broadcast. You can listen to them on your computer or transfer them to your ipod. You subscribe to the show and iTunes will automatically look for updated episodes and will download them for you. I recommend deleting after listening because these files can range from 10 megs to 100 megs depending on the length and if video is present. You can eatup a lot of hard drive space in no time if you are not paying attention. Any subject or hobby you are interested in, chances are there is a podcast to go with it.
Posted by mardenhill 4/08/2006 10:14:00 AM 1 comments
Apple Rumors
Friday April 07, 2006 02:40 PM EST
Posted by arn
According to the rumor site, the newest version of the iBook will indeed be rebranded as a "MacBook" and will come with a 13.3" widescreen display with 1280x720 resolution.
The upcoming MacBook is said to share internal components with the recently released Mac mini which comes in both Core Solo and Core Duo configurations. The new MacBook will therefore replace both the current 12" and 14" iBooks as well as the 12" PowerBook G4. This corroborates a similar report that new iBooks were in production to be delivered by June. The iBook was last updated in July 2005.
Meanwhile, a 17" MacBook Pro with brighter display is also in the works and should arrive around the same time. The 17" MacBook Pro is said to be otherwise similar to the current 15" MacBook Pro.
Update: Meanwhile, AppleInsider claims that the upcoming MacBooks will contain a 1.67GHz Core Duo chip, and does not expect a Core Solo model. The new MacBooks are also said to contain an iSight, MagSafe Power Cord, Front Row and Photo Booth
Posted by mardenhill 4/08/2006 10:02:00 AM 4 comments
Dump On Harris Day
Friday, April 07, 2006
Jeb Bush criticizes the Harris campaign
Republican Gov. Jeb Bush complained Thursday that Katherine Harris has made her struggling Senate campaign about herself instead of the record of the Democratic incumbent.
"I am the party leader. I've got concerns," the governor said in response to a reporter's question. "The campaign can't be about her. It has to be about Bill Nelson and the future of our state and so far, she asked my advice and I gave her that exact advice and it's gotten worse since."
Asked if the issues surrounding Harris' campaign have made it difficult for Republicans to win the race in November, Bush said, "You're right."
.............................
See I am not the only one who thinks Katherine Harris is way out of her league in this senate race, the top dog down in Florida even has problems with her. No one in her party wanted her to run which is why this implosion is so much fun to watch. She brought it upon herself and has no one to blame. I am all for Katherine staying in, it will make this November an easier victory.
Posted by mardenhill 4/07/2006 10:21:00 AM 1 comments
New MGM In Detroit
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Here is an artist rendition of the new MGM casino being built in Detroit. Its next to 75 and the Lodge, I have been wondering what they have been building for the last couple months. At this time its nowhere near completion, I am wondering if it will be ready next year or in 2008. I don't think Motor City or Greektown have finalized plans for their hotels, so it looks like MGM will be the 1st.
Posted by mardenhill 4/06/2006 10:27:00 PM 1 comments
Throwing The Big Dog Under The Bus
A former White House aide under indictment for obstructing a leak probe, I. Lewis Libby, testified to a grand jury that he gave information from a closely-guarded "National Intelligence Estimate" on Iraq to a New York Times reporter in 2003 with the specific permission of President Bush, according to a new court filing from the special prosecutor in the case, THE NEW YORK SUN reports Thursday.
"The court papers from the prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, do not suggest that Mr. Bush violated any law or rule. However, the new disclosure could be awkward for the president because it places him, for the first time, directly in a chain of events that led to a meeting where prosecutors contend the identity of a CIA employee, Valerie Plame, was provided to a reporter."
In a court filing late Wednesday responding to requests from Mr. Libby's attorneys for government records that might aid his defense, Mr. Fitzgerald shed new light on Mr. Libby's claims that he was authorized to provide sensitive information to the Times reporter, Judith Miller, at a meeting on July 8, 2003.
"Defendant testified that he was specifically authorized in advance of the meeting to disclose the key judgments of the classified NIE to Miller on that occasion because it was thought that the NIE was ‘pretty definitive' against what Ambassador Wilson had said and that the vice president thought that it was ‘very important' for the key judgments of the NIE to come out," Mr. Fitzgerald wrote.
Mr. Libby is said to have testified that "at first" he rebuffed Mr. Cheney's suggestion to release the information because the estimate was classified. However, according to the vice presidential aide, Mr. Cheney subsequently said he got permission for the release directly from Mr. Bush. "Defendant testified that the vice president later advised him that the president had authorized defendant to disclose the relevant portions of the NIE," the prosecution filing said.
...............................
Leave it to Libby to stay true to his boss and throw Bush under the bus on this one. If this is true it means that Cheney went to Bush who said yes to outing Valerie Plame. At that point Libby set the plan in motion. I can't wait for the MSM to pick this up, I hope they don't pass it over for the usual fluff they like to report and call news. Who cares if Katie Couric is going to CBS no one will watch her anyways so its no big deal. McClellan is probably dreading today's press meeting since you know this will come up. He will play the denial and deflect game all afternoon. Drudge didn't spash it as a headline, just a link, looks like he wants to bury this one.
Posted by mardenhill 4/06/2006 10:53:00 AM 1 comments
Cole Guerra
Yesterday I got a friend request on myspace from Cole Guerra. I don't like to add misc crappy bands but this one was different. Most of the time bands won't write a message talking about themselves, they just request an add. Cole sent a message talking about his music and to check out his page before adding. I looked him up on allmusic and they gave his 2 cds good reviews and talked about how he is similar to Michael Penn and Aimee Mann. Since I have Michael on as one of my friends I imagine this is how Cole found me. Anyways his music is pretty cool, lots of piano and a good melody. Cole assembled a ton of great musicians to put this cd together so that adds to the credibility. I found it out on emusic and will download it after the 13th when my account resets. This is why one of the reasons I like myspace you can discover new music without having to go out searching, they come directly to you.
http://www.myspace.com/coleguerra
http://www.coleguerra.com/index.html
Posted by mardenhill 4/06/2006 08:41:00 AM 4 comments
Girls Gone Wild
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Our favorite Floridian running for the US Senate has gone off the deep end. Below are a few things she has done since losing half her staff over the last 2 months. I imagine Katherine will pull out before November, who will replace her is anyones guess. She has not been able to secure funding and turned to her own fortune. She is also involved in a bribery scandal left over from Duke Cunningham. Katherine, you should have just stayed in the House, you might have had better luck at getting re-elected........
TAMPA - Changing locks on her campaign headquarters and accusing her staff of disloyalty and her own party of spying on her are signs of erratic behavior that some Katherine Harris staff members say has worsened since her father's death.
Harris is restaffing her campaign and will announce new key staff members today, a campaign spokeswoman said Monday.
But in the past 10 days, Harris has:
•Had locks changed and posted a security guard at the door of her campaign headquarters in Tampa and had former staff members escorted in to retrieve their belongings.
•Told a gathering of supporters in Cocoa Beach on Saturday that the Republican Party had "infiltrated" her campaign staff to put "knives in my back."
•Told a reporter that a longtime, trusted political adviser had leaked a story about her staff members quitting, then called back to retract the comments.
•Announced hiring her new staff without identifying them.
Posted by mardenhill 4/04/2006 12:44:00 PM 4 comments
Mark Your Calendars
WrestleMania has become one of the most anticipated annual events around the world. On Sunday, April 2, WWE presented WrestleMania 22 at Rosemont's Allstate Arena in Chicago, Ill., before a capacity crowd of more than 17,155 people from 16 countries and 43 states, generating $2.5 million in ticket sales, which set a record for the highest grossing one-day event in the arena's history. Millions in more than 90 countries watched WrestleMania 22 on pay-per-view. The return to Detroit will mark the 20th anniversary of WrestleMania III at the Pontiac Silverdome, an event that attracted 93,173 fans -- recognized as the world indoor attendance record for any sports or entertainment event. The most anticipated match of the evening was Hulk Hogan defending his WWE Championship against the undefeated Andre the Giant. Hogan got the win after miraculously lifting Andre in the air and slamming him to the canvas in one of the most memorable moments in WWE history. "I am really looking forward to bringing WrestleMania back to Detroit, an event that will draw thousands upon thousands of fans from across the United States and around the world to the Motor City," said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman. "The fans in Detroit are sensational. I know that emotions will be high for WrestleMania 23, and we are going to put on one of the greatest WrestleMania's of all-time, one that will rival the memories of WrestleMania III." Beyond the excitement of the event itself are the local economic benefits that communities experience from hosting WrestleMania. A study done during WrestleMania XX, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 14, 2004, found that the event generated an estimated $13.5 million of new economic activity for New York City and created the equivalent of 96 full-year jobs. More than 50 percent of those jobs were in the hospitality sector. Spending related to WrestleMania also generated $2 million in city, state and federal taxes.
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2006--World Wrestling Entertainment® has announced that it will present its cornerstone annual event, WrestleMania 23, on Sunday, April 1, 2007, at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.
Posted by mardenhill 4/04/2006 09:20:00 AM 1 comments
And The Walls Came Tumbling Down.....
Tom DeLay Says He Will Give Up His Seat
The embattled former Republican leader tells TIME that he will leave Congress and not seek reelection
"I'm going to announce tomorrow that I'm not running for reelection and that I'm going to leave Congress," DeLay, who turns 59 on Saturday, said during a 90-minute interview on Monday. "I'm very much at peace with it." He notified President Bush in the afternoon. DeLay and his wife, Christine, said they had been prepared to fight, but that he decided last Wednesday, after months of prayer and contemplation, to spare his suburban Houston district the mudfest to come. "This had become a referendum on me," he said. "So it's better for me to step aside and let it be a referendum on ideas, Republican values and what's important for this district."
"I'm a realist. I've been around awhile. I can evaluate political situations," DeLay told TIME at his kitchen table in Sugar Land, a former sugar plantation in suburban Houston. Bluebonnets are blooming along the highways. "I feel that I could have won the race. I just felt like I didn't want to risk the seat and that I can do more on the outside of the House than I can on the inside right now. I want to continue to fight for the conservative cause. I want to continue to work for a Republican majority."
...........................
Yeah thank you Tom for being the bigger man and seeing past your own nose and doing whats best for the party. Tom isn't doing this out of loyality, he is doing it because he doesn't want to be embarrassed come november. Delay would have lost the seat and looked like a fool having to pull out come summer when he would be convicted and sentenced for all his crimes. He figures he will do it this way and avoid the lime light. Don't worry Tom we will still envoke your name everytime we talk about corruption in govt, bowing out early doesn't change that.
Tom is just the start of it all, expect more republiscums to "retire" over the next couple months. At that point its the dems responsibility to keep the campaign on track and gain the seat come november.
Posted by mardenhill 4/04/2006 07:30:00 AM 0 comments
Drudge Can Be So Cruel
Monday, April 03, 2006
What your congress looks like close up. This picture of Rep Cynthia McKinney ran on the front of Drudge all day, talk about cruel. I am not on Cynthia's side of this whole punching a cop, I was with her until she brought the whole race card into it. At that point it became a circus and not worth defending anymore.
Posted by mardenhill 4/03/2006 04:52:00 PM 1 comments
30 Years
Apple turned 30 on Saturday and at this point there is nothing on the horizon for a celebration. There was no new ipod, no sale online, no new product at all. Maybe Steve Jobs will have a belated celebration this week, if so I will keep you posted.....
Posted by mardenhill 4/03/2006 09:36:00 AM 0 comments
New & Improved Blog
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Welcome to my redesigned blog, last nite I was adding some links and inadvertently deleted some code. I didn't have a backup of the black background so I had to go out and find a new template. I found my old one but decided that I should just do a whole makeover. Getting my picture correct was a challenge in itself, it involved me cropping a picture, posting it, adding the link to my profile and then deleting the post. As for the picture header, I am still working on putting one in. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.
Posted by mardenhill 4/02/2006 10:37:00 AM 1 comments
