Now This Is Good News
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Poll Finds 73% of Young Voters Will Vote
"If the 2004 and 2005 elections are any indicator, young voters will continue to turn out at the polls in record numbers in upcoming elections... A new poll released by Young Voter Strategies, a project of the George Washington Graduate School of Political Management, shows that 73 percent of young people who are eligible to vote are likely to cast ballots this November."Said YVS director Heather Smith: "This generation will be 25 percent of the population by 2016 and it is likely that the party that wins in 2006 will be the party in power in 10 years."
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Lets hope this is true and the youth of this nation get out and vote. We need all the help we can get in overthrowing the republiscum congress and crushing the American Taliban's troops.
Posted by mardenhill 5/31/2006 09:31:00 PM 1 comments
Now This Is Cool......
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
This is a very cool speaker for an iPod and is only $149.95. Think of how cool any lounge would look with this piece of art, its both retro and functional......Its amazing how big the iPod accessory market is. There are cases, speakers, headphones, bags, you name it, there is some form of support for the magical jukebox. Checkout the website for more pictures and other speakers offered. You even get a free matching iPod skin depending on what speaker you buy.
http://www.speckproducts.com/specktone/specktone-green.html
Posted by mardenhill 5/30/2006 03:18:00 PM 1 comments
More Fox News Wingnuts
This weekend on the show “Cashin’ In,” Fox News analyst Jonathan Hoenig asserted that global warming was “bogus,” and “dreamed up” by environmentalists to stop economic development:
There’s no scientific proof that global warming even exists. To be honest, it’s a bogus consensus dreamed up by Greens because they hate industry. They hate advancement. They hate technology…Greens will lead us back to the stone ages.
It’s Hoenig that’s living in a dream land. Science Magazine analyzed 928 peer-reviewed scientific papers on global warming published between 1993 and 2003. Not a single one challenged the scientific consensus the earth’s temperature is rising due to human activity.
A big part of the solution to global warming, of course, is technology – more efficient cars, renewable energy, cleaner production methods. Don’t bother telling that to Hoenig, however. He’s too busy with his conspiracy theories.
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Its amazing how much Al Gore is stirring up with his new movie "An Inconvenient Truth". You have big oil and big industry hiding behind CEI a fake public interest group and talking heads non stop on Fox News. The idea that environmentalists want to put us back in the dark ages is too funny to say with a straight face. Who are the ones pushing for newer technology, environmentalists. With new R&D and money going towards energy efficient products, more jobs are being created and more money going into the economy.
Posted by mardenhill 5/30/2006 10:03:00 AM 3 comments
Top 500 Woxy Vintage
Monday, May 29, 2006
Here are the top 10 songs on the 17th annual 500 best songs compiled by Woxy. Would I have selected The Smiths? Probably not, I think it might have been either The Cure or Stone Roses both who are peppered throughout the countdown but not in the top 10....
The Pixies, REM, Pearl Jam, Talking Heads, Replacements, Beck, Television and The Stone Roses were all in the 10-20 slots which is fine with me. I am hoping Woxy has a full list, I only caught bits and pieces of the countdown and would like to know what else made it. If I get the list, I will see how many of them I have and will put together the greatest iPod playlist known to man.
Posted by mardenhill 5/29/2006 07:59:00 PM 1 comments
Anatomy Of A Republican
I found this link on www.huffingtonpost.com and felt the need to share it with all of you. Click on the picture for a better view.
Posted by mardenhill 5/29/2006 07:12:00 PM 2 comments
Rep Barney Frank & The FBI
Who would have thought that Barney Frank rep from Massachusettes would be the only same person in the House of Representatives. Below is a transcript of him on the floor regarding the FBI and House investigations. It really pissed me off that Hastert can sit by while this administration tramples all our civil liberties but cry when a member's office is searched with a warrant. I really hope this blows up in his face and he ends up on the receiving end of an investigation. If there was a warrant, go right ahead and search, no rep or senator is above the law. The law is the law and if I have to live by it so do you. As for rep Jefferson, he better get out and explain how $90,000 was found in his freezer, otherwise I say kick him out, I don't care if he is a dem or not...........................................
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I disagree with the bipartisan House leadership criticism of the FBI's search of a Member's office. I know nothing specifically about the case, except that the uncontroverted public evidence did seem to justify the issuance of a warrant.
What we now have is a Congressional leadership, the Republican part of which has said it is okay for law enforcement to engage in warrantless searches of the average citizen, now objecting when a search, pursuant to a validly issued warrant, is conducted of a Member of Congress.
I understand that the speech and debate clause is in the Constitution. It is there because Queen Elizabeth I and King James I were disrespectful of Parliament. It ought to be, in my judgment, construed narrowly. It should not be in any way interpreted as meaning that we as Members of Congress have legal protections superior to those of the average citizen.
So I think it was a grave error to have criticized the FBI. I think what they did, they ought to be able to do in every case where they can get a warrant from a judge. I think, in particular, for the leadership of this House, which has stood idly by while this administration has ignored the rights of citizens, to then say we have special rights as Members of Congress is wholly inappropriate.
Posted by mardenhill 5/29/2006 03:22:00 PM 1 comments
Its Perogie Time
Friday, May 26, 2006
Its that time again, the St Stanislaus Kostka Polish Festival where you can enjoy perogies, kielbasa, saeurkraut, cheap beer and gambling. St Stans kicks off the beginning of an annual summer tradition in the downriver Detroit area. Memorial Day weekend they have the 1st Polish Festival followed by other churchs until Labor Day. St Stans has the best perogies by far, dont let anything tell you different. Tomorrow we are heading down for a couple hrs and I can't wait.
Posted by mardenhill 5/26/2006 07:01:00 PM 1 comments
GUILTY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES.....TIME TO CELEBRATE........
Posted by mardenhill 5/25/2006 12:11:00 PM 0 comments
Guilty??????
The jury in the fraud and conspiracy case against former Enron chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling has reached a verdict, CNBC reported Thursday. The jury is reportedly set to read the verdict at 12 noon ET.
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Lets hope they find him guilty on all counts and the crook spends the rest of his pathetic life behind bars....
I will update my blog with the verdict......
Posted by mardenhill 5/25/2006 11:27:00 AM 2 comments
Public Enemy #1
Now that Tom Delay is almost out of the picture its now time to focus on the next criminal in the House Of Representatives. There are so many to go around but its good to see they are going right to the top. Our good ole buddy Dennis Hastert is in the crosshairs of the FBI and the Jack Abramoff investigation. Hastert can go on and on about how he is innocent but the world knows he is just another dirty little crook who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Explains a lot as to why Dennis was so upset over Rep Jefferson's office being searched. He doesn't care about his fellow congressmen he is just afraid of being searched himself.The way I see this playing out is that Hastert will try and get Bush to call the attack dogs off him. Bush will refuse and Hastert will drop a bomb on the administration. He will open up all the investigations that were stuffed out by the rubberstamp do nothing congress and it will be an all out war. I love watching the Republicans turn on each other and its only going to get worse. Its an election year and with Bush's numbers in the toilet the repubs are running from him and trying to stand on their own 2 feet. With Jack Abramoff hanging over their head, they have little room to move.
Will all this happen, I can't say for sure but we can always dream.......
Posted by mardenhill 5/25/2006 10:37:00 AM 2 comments
An Inconvenient Truth: MI Date
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
http://www.climatecrisis.net/
I just checked the website and the Royal Oak Main Art Theatre will have the movie starting on June 9th. There are no fancy Hollywood action scenes or special effects but that doesn't matter, its the content that's important. It will be good to finally see Al Gore in a role he is very comfortable in.
Posted by mardenhill 5/24/2006 12:45:00 PM 1 comments
Skinner For Congress
Hey Oaklandites, Nancy Skinner from AM 1310 morning show fame is running for the US Congress in our district. Its currently held by Rep Knollenberg (R) and its time to take the seat back. Nancy is originally from Royal Oak but moved to Chicago to host a progressive radio show. She came back last year and hosted the 6-9am morning show on AM 1310 until the end last year. I was disappointed to find out that she didn't return come January but now I know why. Tomorrow there is a grand opening of her campaign office in Birmingham from 5-7pm. I for one want to get rid of the Bush/Delay lackey Knollenberg and this may be our best shot.
Check out www.skinnerforcongress.com
Campaign Headquarters
33401 Woodward Ave. Just S. of 14 1/2 Mile (Lincoln)
Posted by mardenhill 5/24/2006 12:15:00 PM 2 comments
Moto Q Update
The Motorola Q is almost here, latest press release has it landing at Verizon May 31st for an exclusive 6th month engagement. Cingular should get the phone by the end of the year. The price point is only $200 with a 2 year contract. If this is true, it will kill the current smart phone market with its inflated prices. Say goodbye to the treo and the rest of the bulky devices. If this phone turns out to be as good as the hype, then we are 1 step closer to paradise.
http://direct.motorola.com/hellomoto/q/q-experience/
Posted by mardenhill 5/24/2006 09:57:00 AM 3 comments
What Will They Think Of Next
Does your dog eat too fast? Why not slow them down with this high tech eating control bowl for only $14.99. Not convinced, check out the link below for a video demonstration on how this spaceage marvel can keep your pet healthy and around for years to come.....
http://www.brake-fast.net/index.htm
Posted by mardenhill 5/24/2006 09:44:00 AM 3 comments
An Inconvenient Truth
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
"Doubt it.""New technologies will change how we live and how we drive our cars, which all will have the beneficial effect of improving the environment," Bush said. "And in my judgment we need to set aside whether or not greenhouse gases have been caused by mankind or because of natural effects and focus on the technologies that will enable us to live better lives and at the same time protect the environment."
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These are the words of our precious king george, when asked if he would see Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" movie about global warming. So now George wants to forget about the science behind global warming and just count on the silver bullet yet to come. George has said that he thinks CO2 is a pollutant only to correct himself when big business called him out on it. He has flip flopped from his humans have some part in this to its all nature doing its thing, we have no influence. I can't wait to see the movie, I think it will open a national debate on the issue. Previous attempts to address global warming in the national spotlight came from movies like "The Day After" a big budget Hollywood movie which was over the top. Now we have a straight forward documentary with SCIENCE the stuff that Dubya likes to ignore.
Posted by mardenhill 5/23/2006 08:55:00 AM 1 comments
Love Bites
Monday, May 22, 2006
Love bites, well Def Leppard bites on their latest release. For those of you who are asking, are Def Leppard are still around? Yes they are and this summer they are touring with Journey, I think its a sign of the apocalypse.
Def Leppard's new cd is called Yeah and its a cover album of their influences. They play T Rex's "20th Century Boy", Blondie's "Hanging On The Telephone" and David Essex's "Rock On" to name a few. You also have covers of ELO, The Kinks and Thin Lizzy, yes it is this bad. "I think the Blondie cover did it for me, it was beyond awful and I hope none of you will ever be subjected to it.
Posted by mardenhill 5/22/2006 09:38:00 AM 2 comments
Mac's Suck: Update
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Well my hard drive is officially dead, I tried everything to salvage my data but it was a lost cause. Now I will have to spend time piecing it all back together from backups. I dropped my mac off at the Apple Store on Friday and I should have a new HD either Monday or Tuesday. I can always add my own drive but with the Apple Care Warranty its all free. While we are on the topics of Macs, I checked out the new Macbooks and they are very cool laptops. The black has a matte finish and although its not worth the extra $200, it is hard to pass up. You can get yourself into a Mac laptop for about $1500 with Apple Care, its a little more than a pc but you will be cooler than anyone else around you.....
Posted by mardenhill 5/21/2006 04:44:00 PM 1 comments
What A Beautiful Sign
Huffington Post had this on the front page today and I thought it was one of the greatest campaign signs I have ever seen.
The link below is an article from a conservative who has been betrayed by this corrupt administration. At first you feel bad for the way they were duped into supporting Bush, nah, it's their own fault and shame on them, they should have listened to what the left had to say.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/19/AR2006051901770_pf.html
If this is any sign of whats to come, then I cannot wait til November. It will be great to see all these republican scumbags voted out of office and the scandal ridden ones thrown in jail. This country needs a good purging of government and the best place to start is with congress. Joe Lieberman has a challenger on the left, I have no love for Joe after he spent the last 6 years kissing Bush's ass I say get rid of him. Realistically I don't think Ned Lamont will beat him but if he forces Joe to come back and be a real democrat then the job is half way done. If Joe bolts from the party and runs as an Independent then all bets are off and he is fair game to bring down. We need more Russ Feingold's in office, true Americans who actually look out for you and me and not the corporate interests.
I would love to see Gore/Feingold in 08 but I don't think it will happen.
Posted by mardenhill 5/21/2006 04:28:00 PM 244 comments
Detroit Tigers
Friday, May 19, 2006
Ok, I don't want to jinx it but the Tigers are leading the league in wins, they just surpassed the White Sox by one game. They have a 7 win streak something that hasn't happened since '93. If we can keep this momentum going, it could be our year. Just imagine if the Pistons pull off the basketball playoffs and the Tigers win the World Series. It would be the best summer ever. The Wings would have been nice, we could have had a constant celebration til October but they screwed that one up.
Posted by mardenhill 5/19/2006 02:43:00 PM 3 comments
Way To Go Jack, Again....
CNN needs to give Jack more airtime, he was part of the morning show before and it was great. Now you only get these gems during the Situation Room. Its amazing how completely stupid our congress is, instead of focusing on real issues they debate utter BS to appease the American Taliban of this nation. Why not ban all justice of the peace and Vegas marriages, I would love to see the American Taliban try this approach. If they really believed in their cause I think this needs to be done. Then the public would really see whats going on here and kick these zealots out of office.
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Senator Spector in a real show of courage, says that he is "totally opposed to the Amendment", but he voted for it anyway saying that it deserves a debate in the Senate. Majority Leader Bill Frist says the full Senate will now debate a Constitutional Amendment which has absolutely no chance of passing. Frist hopes to have a vote by June 5th.
This is all being done by the republican majority in an effort to appeal to Right-wing nuts in the Republican Party ahead of the upcoming mid-term elections. Ignore all of the pressing issues facing the country, and instead go grovel at the feet of the lunatic fringe. Senator Frist should be very proud of himself. That's leadership. Here's the question: Is now the time for the Senate to consider a constitutional Amendment on gay marriage?"
Posted by mardenhill 5/19/2006 08:26:00 AM 0 comments
Macs Suck
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Sorry I havn't been posting a lot lately, its been crazy at work and I am just pissed off at my computer. My hard drive decided to die last nite and although I have about 95% of it backed up, its going to be a headache going thru the backup dvds to get the data. I tried running disc utility, mounting an external drive to boot off of, slaving the drive via USB and my last resort is currently in a G5 tower running an extensive repair on it. It will run over night repairing the HD and if my stars are aligned I will have a recovered drive. I am not counting on it that way if it does work I will be very excited. This is why it is very important to buy AppleCare that way if anything breaks its under warranty. I can buy a new HD for under $100 but I will see how long it takes Apple to replace my existing drive.
I don't really hate macs, hard drives fail in all types of computers but its mine this time. I always tell people to back things up, expecially digital photos, music, documents etc because when things like this happen you are not crying for days. I can picture a few things that I hadn't backed up but I can deal with it......
The moral of the story, don't rely on your internal hard drive, always have a clone of it backed up on another external HD or clone your computer onto DVD.
Posted by mardenhill 5/18/2006 05:31:00 PM 1 comments
Motorola Q!!!!!!!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Motorola Q To Launch Next weekNone other than Motorola's CEO and President Ed Zander proclaims that Motorola's Q is launching next week. The smartphone is being released on EVDO, which means Verizon and Sprint will get it first, the GSM UMTS and possibly HSDPA version should roll out sometime later this year.
After suffering delays, the Q will go up against Nokia's E61, the Treo 700p and 700w, and all the BlackBerry devices. It will compete against all sorts of Windows Mobile phones that are purchasable over the internet from overseas.
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This could be the phone of the year, its slick, Windows Mobile and has every bell and whistle. Problem tho, only Verizon and Sprint as of now. Not sure when or if Cingular will get it. I am wondering if Cingular will get the Nokia E61 which looks a lot like this one. Cost wise, you are looking at no less than $400. I will add it to my wish list and just hope one of the execs here decides to get one so I can play with it.......
Posted by mardenhill 5/17/2006 08:55:00 AM 2 comments
The Raconteurs MI Tour Date
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
08-05 Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theatre
Come on, why Ann Arbor, screw those birkenstock wearing smelly students, where is the Detroit show? Where is the State Theatre? They better add a show because I will not stand for the only MI date being Ann Arbor.....
Posted by mardenhill 5/16/2006 04:09:00 PM 1 comments
New Macbook Released
You can finally say goodbye to the iBook and Powerbook lines, the Macbook and Macbook Pro are finally here. The Macbook was released today in 2 colors black and white. Spec wise, they have duo core chips, dvd burners, built in isight cameras, front row, remote, pretty much all you need. The black model starts at $1499 while the lower processor white one starts at $1099. I can see Dell discounting laptops big time to keep people on the windows platform instead of switching to Macs. I am glad that Apple has finally settled on a standard, 13, 15 and 17 inch notebooks, it was getting too crowded before. You will be able to spot the differences between each laptop, black or white will be Macbook and chrome will be Macbook Pro either in 15 or 17 inch. If anyone out there is an a market for a laptop, I would definitely consider the Macbook over any pc, these things are amazing.Posted by mardenhill 5/16/2006 09:06:00 AM 1 comments
Black Heart Procession
Sunday, May 14, 2006
I just got the new Black Heart Procession cd "The Spell" of of eMusic this morning and its amazing. Its been about 4 years since their last cd, I am glad it came out now because I need something good to listen to. If you are not familiar with BHP, they are a dark, brooding, funeral dirge with a melody. They have that 1800s drunken saloon sound mixed with a wide range of procussion instruments. The cd starts out with "Tangled" a haunting piano with swooping vocals and a bit of guitar. Track 2 "The Spell" isn't radio friendly but it has a bit more of a melody than most BHP songs. Track 3 "Not Just Words" is a perfect song to make it on the radio, I don't think 89x will play it but you would hear it on KEXP or WOXY for sure. The piano is a bit more upbeat with a bit of toe tapping going on. By track 5 it turns dark again, the minor chords and orchestration take over. Track 6 "Return To Burn" screams of a love lost and the agony that one bears. Track 8 "The Waiter #5" is a continuation of songs with the waiter as a title. Every album has one and I should go back and listen to all in order to see if it tells a story or not.BHP is not a band you listen to every day, they are also not a quirky, flash in the pan either. Their style takes some getting used to, but once you get a taste you are hooked. I checked their website but not US tour dates as of yet but soon. I have never seen them live and would love to. I expect them to play the Magic Stick if they do a Detroit show and with them in Europe throughout May and part of June, it might be July-August before they make it here.
Posted by mardenhill 5/14/2006 10:34:00 PM 3 comments
Rove Indicted?
Saturday, May 13, 2006
OK, Drudge doesn't have it and I just checked CNN at 7pm and nothing. It may be rumors so until I see a gaggle of reporters snapping pictures and Chris Matthews going nuts I will hold my celebration. Monday Bush gives his primetime speech, it would be beautiful if the news broke then and completely screwed his day.
Huge breaking news from Jason Leopold just now at Truthout -- Karl Rove has been indicted.
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald spent more than half a day Friday at the offices of Patton Boggs, the law firm representing Karl Rove.
During the course of that meeting, Fitzgerald served attorneys for former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove with an indictment charging the embattled White House official with perjury and lying to investigators related to his role in the CIA leak case, and instructed one of the attorneys to tell Rove that he has 24 hours to get his affairs in order, high level sources with direct knowledge of the meeting said Saturday morning. Robert Luskin, Rove's attorney, did not return a call for comment.
Leopold reports the charges include lying to investigators and perjury before the grand jury but it is not yet known if obstruction of justice is one of the charges.
If obstruction is off the table, there's still a chance Karl Rove can avoid prison by pleading guilty and continuing to cooperate with Fitzgerald. Only if prison is unavoidable, do I think Karl Rove will fight.
Update: Jason said the meeting lasted 15 hours. That tells me they were hammering out a plea deal to the charges. Were they successful in coming to terms? Stay tuned.
Posted by mardenhill 5/13/2006 07:00:00 PM 1 comments
Remaster This!!!!!
Friday, May 12, 2006
I used to laugh at all the old geezers who would do reissues and remasters when their time in the spotlight had ended. Well I am becoming one of those old geezer fans looking forward to these. The Cure, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Echo & The Bunnymen, Dinosaur Jr are just a few who have released remasters. You can now add JAMC to the list.
The Jesus And Mary Chain get reissued
The Scots legends re-release landmark albums
The Jesus And Mary Chain are set to reissue five of their classic albums on July 11.
The legendary Scottish band will have 1985's ' Psychocandy', 1987's 'Darklands', 1989's 'Automatic', 1992's 'Honey's Dead' and 1994's 'Stoned & Dethroned' re-issued by Rhino Records.
The re-issues will feature a DVD featuring three promo videos from that particular album.
'Psychocandy' will feature the videos 'Just Like Honey','Never Understand' and 'You Trip Me Up'.
'Darklands' will feature 'Darklands', 'Happy When It Rains' and 'April Skies'.
'Automatic' will feature 'Blues From A Gun', 'Her Way Of Praying' and 'Head On'.
'Honey's Dead will feature 'Reverence', 'Far Gone And Out' and 'Almost Gold'.
'Stoned & Dethroned' will feature 'Sometimes Always','Come On' and 'Snakedriver' .
Posted by mardenhill 5/12/2006 11:08:00 AM 0 comments
Way To Go Jack
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Cafferty: We all hope nothing happens to Arlen Specter, the Republican head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, cause he might be all that stands between us and a full blown dictatorship in this country. He's vowed to question these phone company executives about volunteering to provide the government with my telephone records, and yours, and tens of millions of other Americans. Shortly after 9/11, AT7T, Verizon, and BellSouth began providing the super-secret NSA with information on phone calls of millions of our citizens, all part of the War on Terror, President Bush says. Why don't you go find Osama bin Laden, and seal the country's borders, and start inspecting the containers that come into our ports?
The President rushed out this morning in the wake of this front page story in USA Today and declared the government is doing nothing wrong, and all this is just fine. Is it? Is it legal? Then why did the Justice Department suddenly drop its investigation of the warrantless spying on citizens because the NSA said Justice Department lawyers didn't have the necessary security clearance to do the investigation. Read that sentence again. A secret government agency has told our Justice Department that it's not allowed to investigate it. And the Justice Department just says ok and drops the whole thing. We're in some serious trouble, boys and girls"
Posted by mardenhill 5/11/2006 06:08:00 PM 1 comments
Mike Johnson
Mike has a new cd out "Gone Out Of Your Mind", if you are familiar with his previous work you will love this one. If you thought Mike couldn't get any darker, well I have news for ya, he does on this cd. I just clicked on allmusic this morning and they had a link to it. I read the review which was very good but I have only been able to find 3 songs available for download. I went to his record label's website UP records where I found "World Hadn't Gone Insane" a Nick Cavesque piano ballad. Out on myspace I found Mike had a page where I downloaded "Rot" a typical Mike song, still good none the less. I also downloaded "Fade Away" probably Mike's darkest song to date. Deep baritone with a funeral dirge for a beat completes this song. I have listened to this track a few times this morning and its amazing, lots of guitar and heavy piano.I checked eMusic but they are not selling the cd. I also checked iTunes but nothing there either. I may have to break down and go buy a physical copy since no one has it digital. Its about time Mike has released some new music, besides Mark Lanegan, Mike is one of the best musicians around.
Posted by mardenhill 5/11/2006 11:27:00 AM 1 comments
Starry Night 2004 Lodi Zinfandel
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Our 2004 Lodi Zinfandel is made using traditional winemaking methods and is representative of the fine Zinfandels that have been grown in this appellation for over 100 years. This wine is well structured with fresh flavors of blackberries, cherries and pepper and hints of spice and eucalyptus. Our Lodi Zinfandel can be paired with many dishes, but is especially good with pasta, steak, lamb and burgers.
http://www.starrynightwinery.com
OK, the label sucks, its pretty cheezy but the wine rocks. I just finished a bottle of this stuff for the price it blows away most other zins. You can pick it up for $16 a bottle, a few dollars more than Bogle and Rancho Zabacho but I think you will appreciate it much more. The vineyard is young, they are only a few seasons in but well worth it. The wine was full of juice, spice and body, it wasn't too hot and finished quite nicely. I am not sure what other stores other than Simply Wine carry this zin but look around if you are not in the metro Detroit area.
Posted by mardenhill 5/09/2006 10:37:00 PM 2 comments
Scientology......
Hey did you know that when you are a Scientologist you get to use the word Moist? You can even perceive self moisture........
Scientology's 57 senses
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's list of 57 perceptics. Words in parentheses are his:
Timen Sight
Tasten Colorn Depth
Solidity (barriers)
Relative sizes (external)
Sound
Pitch
Tone
Volume
Rhythm
Smell
Touch (pressure, friction, heat or cold and oiliness)
Personal emotion
Endocrine states
Awareness of awareness
Personal size
Organic sensation (including hunger)
Heartbeat
Blood circulation
Cellular and bacterial position
Gravitic (self and other weights)
Motion of self
Motion (exterior)
Body position
Joint position
Internal temperature
External temperature
Balance
Muscular tension
Saline content of self (body)
Fields/magnetic
Time track motion
Physical energy (personal weariness, etc.)
Self-determinism
Moisture (self)
Sound direction
Emotional state of other organs
Personal position on the tone scale*
Affinity (self and others)
Communication (self and others)
Reality (self and others)
Emotional state of groups
Compass direction
Level of consciousness
Pain
Perception of conclusions (past and present)
Perception of computation (past and present)
Perception of imagination (past and present)
Perception of having perceived (past and present)
Awareness of not knowing
Awareness of importance, unimportance
Awareness of others
Awareness of location and placement (masses, spaces and location itself)
Perception of appetite
Kinesthesia
*Scientology's tone scale, as defined in The Scientology Handbook: A scale which shows the successive emotional tones a person can experience.Source: Scientology 0-8, The Book of Basics, by L. Ron Hubbard.
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/06/Tampabay/Scientology_nearly_re.shtml/
Posted by mardenhill 5/09/2006 02:47:00 PM 3 comments
Delay Jr.....He Even Parts The Hair The Same
Ney Blames Legal Troubles On Media, Liberal Groups, And Overzealous Justice Department
Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) — known as “Representative #1″ in four plea deals in the Abramoff case — insisted yesterday, “I haven’t done anything wrong.” He’s actually just the victim of a major conspiracy involving the federal government, the media, Jack Abramoff, and the “liberal establishment”:
Justice Department:
While I am very saddened to see what has happened today, I also understand that Neil [Volz] has been under tremendous pressure from the government. … For a young man like Neil, it is virtually impossible to have the financial resources to adequately defend yourself against the federal government. [5/9/06]
Media:
The last several months have not been easy. … I have seen my name savaged by the national media. [1/27/06]
Liberal groups:
I have watched as the liberal establishment in Washington engaged in a coordinated smear campaign against me. [1/27/06]
Jack Abramoff:
I, like these Indian tribes and other members of Congress, was duped by Jack Abramoff. [10/18/05]
Ney’s starting to sound a lot like Tom DeLay.
http://www.thinkprogress.org//
Posted by mardenhill 5/09/2006 02:17:00 PM 0 comments
Plamegate Update
Monday, May 08, 2006
I know Hookergate is all the rage but we need to put that aside for a moment, we still have Plamegate and Abramoffgate. This is just speculation but for 3 days straight Ken Olbermann has had David Schuster on his MSNBC tv show. Just imagine if we get a trifecta here, Rove indictment and multi indictments in both the Hookergate and Abramoff scandal. It would be xmas all over again. Top it off with a 30% or below Bush approval rating and you have the best summer ever.Below is a bit of the transcript.
Shuster: Rove likely going to be indicted
Shuster: Well, Karl Rove's legal team has told me that they expect that a decision will come sometime in the next two weeks. And I am convinced that Karl Rove will, in fact, be indicted. And there are a couple of reasons why. First of all, you don't put somebody in front of a grand jury at the end of an investigation or for the fifth time, as Karl Rove testified a couple, a week and a half ago, unless you feel that's your only chance of avoiding indictment. So in other words, the burden starts with Karl Rove to stop the charges...read on
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/MSNBC_reporter_I_am_convinced_that_0508.html
Posted by mardenhill 5/08/2006 10:30:00 PM 4 comments
Keen Update
Some out there may have misread my posting regarding Keen sandals. The ones I had pictured were my new sandals for summer and our European cruise. The picture to the left are the shoes I would wear to work. As for hippies, they smell, cut those dreads and get a job. I need comfortable yet multifunctional because you may never know what geography will throw your way. If I get caught in a rain storm or trapped on top of a mountain, my sandals will get me to safety. Remember the 3 "F"s when considering your next purchase. Fashion, Function and F@#kin Awesome, these words translate into Keen.Posted by mardenhill 5/08/2006 10:17:00 PM 2 comments
Sorry Katherine, Should Have Stayed In The House Of Reps
Quote of the Day "I just don't think she can win."
-- Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), quoted by the Orlando Sentinel, on the struggling U.S. Senate bid of Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL).
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Our favorite senate race, well besides Rick Santorum looks to be heading for a smashing defeat. This week will be an interesting one, the deadline for the FL primary is this Friday and I have a feeling there may be a challenger. There is a lot of speculation as to who it could be and one of my favorites was Porter Goss. I doubt that one tho, Porter is connected to Hookergate and his hands are pretty full.........
Posted by mardenhill 5/08/2006 05:33:00 PM 0 comments
Hookergate Update: Latest Rumors Swirling Around DC
Happy Monday and Happy Hookergate. Wow, what a weekend, the onion is peeling back revealing a bit more on hookergate. It looks like CIA's #3 Dusty Foggo will be indicted in the scandal. Who is Dusty, well he was just some mid level CIA management but he was best friends with Wilkes from childhood. Wikes was the contractor bribing Cunningham and throwing the poker and poke her/possibily him parties at the Watergate hotel. Now Porter Goss has admitted that he did not attend any of these parties while CIA director, he didn't deny attending while being in congress. These parties have been going on for almost 15 years with a large number of republican congressmen going in and out (in more ways than one) of the hotel.
Goss may have met Dusty at these parties and when he became director appointed him #3. What did Dusty have on Goss to give him this position? Now another connection that is coming to light, the CIA agent fired 2 weeks ago Mary McCarthy worked on the internal investigation of Dusty Foggo. Did Goss fire her because she was getting too close to the truth and possibly him? She never leaked classified info, she admitted to talking to the press, all agents have talked to the press she's not the only one. So this story has started to unfold, it has all the classic elements of scandal, sex, power, corruption and Watergate.
Posted by mardenhill 5/08/2006 09:18:00 AM 2 comments
Welcome To The Future
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Move over Birkenstock, your days of covering our feet are over. The future is Keen, the greatest shoes on the planet. They all have a rolled over toe to protect you and also help with all your outdoor/urban challenges. They started out as a hiking sandal/shoe but have morphed into an all purpose footwear. Check out their website they have added casual shoes to their lineup and I am thinking of a pair this fall for work. I have been wanting a pair for a long time, I discovered them last year and finally broke down and got some. I got a pair of the Newport waterproof leather sandals, it has a neoprene lining and the best footbed on the market. If you are sick and tired of hippie Birkenstocks hurting your feet, try a pair of Keens. As for Teva, I still like them, they are great for a simple sandal and I plan on keeping them around.....
http://www.keenfootwear.com/
Posted by mardenhill 5/07/2006 03:14:00 PM 4 comments
Hookergate Update #2
Friday, May 05, 2006
The speculations are running wild all over the internet why Porter Goss retired. Could it be that Negroponte did not like him, he was not a team player? Goss is involved with Plamegate? Goss is involved with Hookergate? Goss knows that the WH wants to attack Iran and doesn't want to go down like George Tenet? As much as I love a good republican sex scandal, it might have something to do with Iran, maybe Goss has seen the light and wants out before the shit goes down. I hope its more Hookergate since the other would mean we are on track for another war. There are so many scandals that I cannot count them on 1 hand, besides all the bribery and Hookergate you still have Abramoff, Plamegate, Phone jamming in New Hampshire, Katrina, former FDA commissoner and most likely faulty Iran intelligence. Check out the link below, Josh Marshall goes into detail about Goss and his connections to Hookergate. I think this one has legs, you got congressmen, defense contractors, CIA and prostitutes in the Watergate Hotel. If the press drops the ball on this one, we can officially say that free press in the US is dead.http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/
Posted by mardenhill 5/05/2006 09:06:00 PM 0 comments
The Editors Are Coming Back
Editors announce US tour dates
The band will hit the road in July
Editors have announced details of their upcoming US tour. The band will kick off the dates in Atlanta at The Roxy on July 25. The group are currently gearing up for dates in Japan and a European tour before they head Stateside.
Editors' US tour will call at:
Atlanta The Roxy (July 25)
Washington DC 9.30 Club (27)
New York Irving Plaza (28)
Philadelphia Theater Of Living Arts (29)
Boston Paradise (30)
Montreal Cabaret Latulipe (August 1)
Toronto Opera House (2)
Detroit Magic Stick (3)
Chicago Grant Park (Lollapalooza) (4)
San Francisco The Fillmore (7)
Los Angeles Avalon (8)
Meanwhile Editors a set to play three night residency at London's Brixton Academy between May 30 and June 1 a part of their UK tour.
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I missed the Editors last month when they were in town, I am going to try and check this one out. I still love their cd, its a lot like the 1st Interpol, you can never really get tired of listening to it. Speaking of Interpol, I think they are working on their new cd, I hope so since we desperately need a good release for a change.......
Posted by mardenhill 5/05/2006 05:30:00 PM 3 comments
Hookergate Update
Even our favorite Fox news correspondant does not believe the WH spin. Its bad when Bill Kristol doesn't believe you. Don't worry tho, the WH still has Brit Hume and Sean Hannity to carry their water. This will be an interesting weekend, hopefully the sunday talk shows keep the story going, actually I don't think Hookergate is really going away people love a good sex scandal. I have been singing "hookergate, hookergate, porter goss and hookergate" all afternoon.
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Kristol: ‘Sudden’ Goss Resignation Prompted By ‘Something That Popped This Week’
Minutes ago on Fox News, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol said he doesn’t believe the White House spin that Porter Goss’ resignation had been planned for at least a few weeks.
I think there were either serious disputes or some internal problem at the agency or some scandal conceivably involving an associate of Goss’. Who knows? Something that popped this week and that caused this sudden event this Friday.
Posted by mardenhill 5/05/2006 05:23:00 PM 1 comments
Hookergate
CIA Director Porter Goss has resigned his post
CIA Director Porter Goss has resigned, President Bush said Friday. No explanation was given.
"He has led ably," Bush said from the Oval Office, according to the Associated Press. "He has a five-year plan to increase the analysts and operatives."
Goss, he said, has "helped make this country a safer place."
"We've got to win the war on terror," he added.
"I would like to report to you that the agency (CIA) is back on a very even keel and sailing well," Goss said.
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Now without the spin, Porter Goss may be part of Hookergate which occured at the Watergate hotel. Duke Cunningham, the republican house of reps who admitted to bribery and is currently serving 8 years ran some poker games in the hotel suites. Besides cards, cigars and some whiskey, these games also featured prostitues paid for by the contractor bribing Cunningham.
Posted by mardenhill 5/05/2006 02:48:00 PM 0 comments
I Know Its Early But.......
The Detroit Tigers are above .500, they are at .655 so far in the season. They have 19 wins and 10 losses and its only May. I can remember a couple seasons ago when they only pulled off 43 wins all season. Last year we ended with a 71-91 season .438, I have a feeling we can break .500 this year.
I was just on the phone with one our field office in Kansas and the guy was complaining about his team, 5 wins 20 loses so far. He doesn't expect them to do well at all and is jealous of our Tigers.
Posted by mardenhill 5/05/2006 12:33:00 PM 1 comments
Um...Yeah...Hmm...Ah.....
Bush Losing His Base, Hits New Low
"Angry conservatives are driving the approval ratings of President Bush and the GOP-led Congress to dismal new lows, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that underscores why Republicans fear an Election Day massacre."
"Six months out, the intensity of opposition to Bush and Congress has risen sharply, along with the percentage of Americans who believe the nation is on the wrong track." The poll "also suggests that Democratic voters are far more motivated than Republicans."
Key findings:
- Only 33% of Americans approve of President Bush's job performance, the lowest of his presidency. An astonishing 45% of self-described conservatives also disapprove of Bush
- A majority say they want Democrats rather than Republicans to control Congress, 51% to 34%, including 31% of conservatives
- 73% describe the nation as "on the wrong track," including 60% of conservatives.
The key is to keep the pressure on, repubs when pushed against the wall will do anything and everything to hold onto power and will swiftboat their own mothers to do so. I hope the dems play offensive til november because I can see them falling asleep and getting whacked. We need to give a shout out to the former CIA analyst who skewered Rumsfeld yesterday, he took Rummy's own words and threw them back at him. The right wing will try and swiftboat this guy, but he was in the CIA for 2 years, I doubt he is a partisan player......
Posted by mardenhill 5/05/2006 11:14:00 AM 0 comments
Lobbying Reform, Yeah Right
Thursday, May 04, 2006
The US House of Reps just passed lobbying reform, a pathetic bill at that. I hope it gets shot down in the Senate because it has no teeth, its a giveaway to the lobbying industry. I guess we shouldn't expect too much from a bunch of crooks who have been influenced for way too long.
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House conservatives just passed their lobbying reform bill by a narrow 217-214 217-213 vote. The Washington Post called the legislation a “sham,” “diluted snake oil” and “an insult to voters.” Instead of the comprehensive reform promised by lawmakers in early 2006, this bill fails to reform parts of the system most in need.
A look at what this bill is missing:
– No Restrictions on Lavish Gifts: Current gift limits will remain unchanged.
– No Ban on Free Exotic Trips: Lawmakers will still be able to accept lavish privately-funded trips from lobbyists.
– No Increase in Lobbyist Transparency: Lobbyists can continue to pay $25,000 or $50,000 for a campaign fundraiser, with no oversight.
– No Ethics Training for Members: Ethics training will be mandatory for all congressional staff, but not for members.
– No Revolving Door Slow-Down: A companion piece of legislation to the lobbying bill would require administration officials to wait at least two years after they leave office before becoming lobbyists. But there is no legislation to create a similar two-year waiting period for lawmakers.
– No Grassroots Lobbying Regulation: There are no disclosure rules “for professional lobbying firms that are retained to spend money on campaigns aimed at stimulating the public to lobby Congress, including multimillion dollar advertising campaigns.”
– No Enforcement of Existing Rules: The bill “includes no mechanism for enforcing and monitoring old and new rules.”
– Weak Earmark Reform: The bill restricts appropriations earmarks, but does not reform earmarks in tax and authorization bills.
Posted by mardenhill 5/04/2006 09:02:00 AM 1 comments
Oregon vs Washington Wines
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
http://winefornewbies.typepad.com/
Here is the blog for a very cool podcast that I will listen to, its called Wine For Newbies. If you open iTunes go to the music store and select podcast. Do a search on the title and you will see it. Right now the host is on his 33rd podcast, he covers a range of different wines. He started off doing individual podcasts for each grape and then moved into regions. I just listened to one that talked about the Pacific Northwest which I learned a lot about.
Washington does not grow any Pinot Noir due to the dry conditions on the eastern side of the state. The grapes in WA wine are grown on the east side of the Cascades mountain range and trucked over to be processed. Washington is also known for their Merlot, they produce a ton of it at pretty inexpensive prices.
The reason Oregon grows Pinot Noir is because of the Coastal mountain range. It creates the Williamette Valley between both the Coastals and the Cascades. This allows for the premier weather pattern needed for growing Pinot Noir. Oregon has 3 appellations with Williamette being the largest. Winemakers from Burgundy, France come over to experiment in OR since both climates are very similar. I love Oregon pinot, I never thought about why Washington doesn't have any but it makes sense now.
Posted by mardenhill 5/03/2006 05:07:00 PM 5 comments
Revolution Ministries
Ever wonder what happens to the children of televangelists who fall from grace over a sex and money laundering scandal? Well Jay Bakker from the Jim & Tammy Fay fame is one and he is now a preacher like his parents, well not quite like them. On my way to work I was listening to the Rachel Maddow Show and she was interviewing Jay. He now leads a church called Revolution Ministries down in Atlanta, GA. It started out as a punk rock outfit but now is a little bit bigger encompassing a wide range of people. Jay mixes bands and sermons along with speaking engagements around the country. Its an interesting concept and I wonder how the heavyweights (i.e. Robertson, Falwell and Dobson) feel about his approach. They have distanced themselves from his father I wonder if they embrace the "subculture" approach to religion.
Posted by mardenhill 5/03/2006 08:55:00 AM 0 comments
Plame and Iran
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Sometime next week we may learn Karl Rove's fate in the Plamegate saga. With this news now hitting the mainstream, I hope more people pay attention to this scandal. It would be great to see Rove charged with outing a CIA agent but I would settle for Perjury and Obstruction of Justice. I have been telling people this for years, Valerie was a NOC working on Iran's weapon's proliferation.By E&P Staff Published:
May 02, 2006 10:55 AM ET
NEW YORK
What was Valerie Plame working on at the CIA when she was outed by administraton officials and columnist Robert Novak? MSNBC's David Schuster on Monday said he had confirmed an earlier report that she was helping to keep track of Iran's nuclear activity--not a front and center issue for the White House. Earlier this year, Larisa Alexandrovna of the Web site RawStory.com, reported that Plame, whose covert status was compromised in the leak, was monitoring weapons proliferation in Iran. At the time, officials told her that Plame's outing resulted in "severe" damage to her team and "significantly hampered the CIA's ability to monitor nuclear proliferation." On last night's Hardball, MSNBC correspondent Shuster reported that intelligence sources told him thatr Wilson was part of an operation three years ago "tracking the proliferation of nuclear weapons material into Iran." And the sources asserted, he said, "that when here Wilson's cover was blown, the administration's ability to track Iran's nuclear ambitions was damaged as well."
Posted by mardenhill 5/02/2006 12:38:00 PM 2 comments
Damn Wings.......
Monday, May 01, 2006
Well the Red Wings are out of the playoffs 1st round. They lost tonight 4-3 to Edmonton. What sucks the most is that I owe Jablonski a 6 pack....
Posted by mardenhill 5/01/2006 11:20:00 PM 2 comments
My Adidas
I was just listening to Woxy Vintage and Run DMC's "My Adidas" was just on. I havn't listened to that song in years, I think its time to break out Raising Hell for a spin.
Posted by mardenhill 5/01/2006 01:14:00 PM 1 comments
