Posted by mardenhill 6/23/2006 09:20:00 AM 1 comments    

New Glass for the "O" Series
Tuesday, June 20, 2006

New for 2006 is the Champagne/Sparkling Wine glass for the "O" series from Riedel. It may look like a pilsner glass but its not. Its 6 1/4 inches tall and is perfect for any bubbly you feel like drinking. The best part of the "O" series, you can throw the glasses in the dishwasher. I have the Syrah, Pinot Noir and the sake taster glass that is very close to the Riesling/Sauvignon Blanc glass. I need to see both next to each other to see the differences.

Riedel also has a new line called "Grape" that will be sold at Williams Sonoma. They are pretty cool, machine blown glass but they are pulled at the bottom to create a little dip for the wine. They also have a start of another stemless line but only 2 glasses and a decanter so far. They are very cool not sure on price tho.

btw, if you don't have any of the "O" series, I recommend them, you can find them from $15 to $20 a pair which is a great price for good wine glasses.

Posted by mardenhill 6/20/2006 10:29:00 PM 2 comments    

They Do Call It Hockeytown

Even when the Wings don't win the Stanley Cup, its hockeytime here in Detroit. Well this is a bit more of rubbing it into the face of Mike Illich the owner of the Wings. Karmonos who owns Compuware owns the Carolina Hurricanes and has had an ongoing war with Illich over the years. Now its his turn to show that he is the dominant big wig in the city. I do find it pretty funny tho, I can just image Illich's face this morning when the sign went up. Just remember, we still have the Tigers and Illich does own them.

For those of you who are not familiar with the building, this is the new Compuware headquarters down in Detroit a few blocks from Joe Louis (Wings stadium) and Fox Center where Illich is located.

Posted by mardenhill 6/20/2006 06:27:00 PM 2 comments    

Still On Top

The Tigers are still in 1st place and we are over half way thru June. They have 47 wins and 24 losses with a .662 percentage. Last years champs are still 2 games behind. I hope this does not turn into the typical Detroit sports year where our team wins the regular season only to fade in the playoffs. For a while I just wanted a season over .500 and then I just wanted the Tigers in the playoffs, they could lose 1st round and it would be ok. Now I want them to win it all.

Posted by mardenhill 6/20/2006 10:51:00 AM 0 comments    

Tracking The Hamster
Monday, June 19, 2006

http://www.hamstertracker.com/

Some of you may laugh at me for blogging but this guy has taken it to a new level. Check out hamstertracker.com where you can watch the life of Lucy 2.0 (Lucy died and was replaced with a new one last year) rack up miles on her wheel. I can't explain it but I am totally addicted to watching the life of this hamster. If someone is taking the time to document this, we should all take a moment to check in on the progress. The pictures are great, its amazing some of the expressions a hamster has. Who would have thought.........

Posted by mardenhill 6/19/2006 12:45:00 PM 1 comments    

New Air On The Way

New Air album in 2007

And there's solo material on the way too

Air have almost finished work on their new album, which they plan to release in 2007.

It will be the band's first new material since 2004's 'Talkie Walkie'.

"It's another direction, for sure. It's different, but it's Air. We like to change all the time. If we don't change our sound, we'll be dead. People who like our music like to discover new things. They're curious. They have some cultural musical background also, so they want to be surprised," JB Dunckel told Billboard.

In the meantime Dunckel is due to release a self-titled solo album, set to be released on September 19.

"Most of the tracks contain some piano, and the chords are on the black keys most of the time, because I like the sound of that," he added.

"I know I'm not a very good guitar or bass player, so I asked two of my friends to do the bass lines and a little bit of the guitar."

Of the 10 tracks, 2 are instrumentals. The album will include the songs 'TV Destroy' and 'My Own Sun'.

Posted by mardenhill 6/19/2006 09:24:00 AM 2 comments    

Bye Bye Mr. Gnome
Friday, June 16, 2006

Heave Ho
GNOME-BE-GONE

Watch with amusement as the one and only Gnome-Be-Gone frees your garden of a kitsch little Euro invader. Who does he think he is, wearing tiny red dunce caps and pushing inefficient wooden wheelbarrows? Tuck a few made-in-the-USA Gnome-Be-Gones into your flowerbeds and watch the demented yard goblins get toted away. Set includes one gnome and two Gnome-Be-Gones. Designed by Fred Conlon.
$125.00

http://www.uncommongoods.com/item/item.jsp?itemId=14503

..........
Now this is pretty cool, not worth the $125 but if it was under $30 i would definitely get one.

Posted by mardenhill 6/16/2006 03:03:00 PM 2 comments    

Tigers Stadium

THE MAYOR'S PLAN
Tiger Stadium: Demolished beginning this fall.

Playing field: Preserved as a park and ball field.

Preserved: A tiny portion of the stadium structure may be saved for a Corktown welcome center.


Built: Residential and retail development around the field.

Money: The city would pay for the demolition, estimated to cost $3 million to $6 million.

Developers: Unnamed private groups would find the $40 million to $70 million for the new projects.

WHAT'S NEXT
Souvenirs: A salvage consultant will help determine how many seats and other artifacts can be sold to the public.
Bids: The city is to seek bids from demolition firms and developers.

In its place, Kilpatrick envisions a ring of retail shops and residential housing surrounding the historic playing field, which will be preserved as a nonprofit park and ball diamond.

Under the plan, the playing field would be used for Little League games, concerts and other community events. The dugouts and a few other parts of the stadium would be saved.

The plan envisions saving a small part of the stadium near the corner of Michigan and

Cochrane, which would be redesigned as a community welcome center displaying photographs and memorabilia of the Tigers.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006606160443
..................................

I think this is a good idea and I hope it doesn't fall thru like every other plan for old buildings in Detroit. I would love to see a revitalization of the Corktown area. If you havn't noticed lately, MGM and Motorcity have started building their permanant hotels/casinos in the city. One is slated for completion next year and the other in 2008.

Posted by mardenhill 6/16/2006 12:20:00 PM 1 comments    

Copper River Salmon

Erika picked up some copper river salmon yesterday from Whole Foods and made one of the best meals we have had in a long time. The salmon was smokey and rich in flavor, you would have thought it was cooked over charcoal. Erika prepared it in a garlic butter marinade and threw it on the grill. Along with some potatoes, corn on the cob and a great California Pinot Noir, we had a restaurant quality meal for half the price. The salmon is $15 a pound at Whole Foods but well worth every penny. Its one of those things you do once a year and enjoy the taste. If you havn't had the copper river salmon, splurge a bit and try it, you won't be disappointed. I googled and found an article that sums up all the hype.
...................................

Copper River salmon is a big deal in Seattle and around the Pacific Northwest.

Posted by mardenhill 6/16/2006 08:59:00 AM 1 comments    

Damn Hooligans
Thursday, June 15, 2006

Leave it to a bunch of soccer hooligans to get into fights while at the World Cup in Germany. Ok, the only reason I am posting this is because I like to say the word hooligan, I think we need to use it more over on this side of the pond. We are stuck with such lame words to describe troublemakers "punk kids" "damn kids" "hoodlums" nothing really good. Its not fair that Europe gets all the good words, I think its time for us to adopt the hooligan moniker.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5081684.stm

Posted by mardenhill 6/15/2006 05:23:00 PM 2 comments    

Smug Alert

Smug Alert

Original air Date: 2006-03-29
Stan persuades all the citizens of South Park to buy hybrid cars. A disaster of epic proportions threatens the town and Stan is to blame -- just as everyone starts to feel really good about what they’re doing to help save the earth, scientists discover a stormy, dark mass accumulating over the town.
.......................................

Last nights South Park was another really good one, they made fun of liberals and treehuggers. Stan convinced everyone in town to buy hybrids to bring Kyle back from San Francisco but the consequence was a Smug Storm. All the self assurance and pretentious built up in South Park from driving hybrids produced a storm that merged with San Francisco's and George Clooney's Smug. In the end it destroyed SF and part of South Park. I loved the scene where Cartman walked thru SF to save Kyle and had to wear a protective suit to keep the liberalism off him.....

Posted by mardenhill 6/15/2006 10:32:00 AM 1 comments    

SHHHHH....Its A Secret
Wednesday, June 14, 2006

EXCLUSIVE: Majority Leader Boehner’s Confidential Strategy Memo For Thursday’s Iraq Debate

On Thursday, the House of Representatives will hold a debate on the Iraq war. Media reports say Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) “hopes to match the serious, dignified tone of deliberation that preceded the Gulf war, in 1991.”

ThinkProgress has obtained a “Confidential Messaging Memo” from Boehner instructing his caucus to conduct a very different kind of deliberation. Here’s a quick summary:

1. Exploit 9/11. The two page memo mentions 9/11 seven times. It describes debating Iraq in the context of 9/11 as “imperative.”

2. Attack opponents ad hominem. The memo describes those who opposes President Bush’s policies in Iraq as “sheepish,” “weak,” and “prone to waver endlessly.”

3. Create a false choice. The memo says the decision is between supporting President Bush’s policies and hoping terrorist threats will “fade away on their own.”

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/06/14/boehner-memo/

.........................................
Here we go again, the fearmongering has started from the right. Expect a few terror alerts over the upcoming months to coincide with the November election. I would say the repubs wouldn't roll this out, the American public would see thru it but with last week's gay marriage, flag burning and estate tax debates nothing is off limits to these guys.

Posted by mardenhill 6/14/2006 11:35:00 AM 1 comments    

Bugger
Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Well the scumbag known as Karl Rove looks to be off the hook for the Valerie Plame outing. His lawyer just announced that he will not be charged. This just means that Rove must have rolled over on someone else to get out of an indictment, I wonder who that may be. Democrats beware, Rove will be blazing full force this fall and we need to stop him before he swiftboats anyone and everyone in the party. If the dems don't play hardball, there is no use anymore, the country is lost and we will stay the minority for years to come. I just hope the dems can hit back hard and frequent over the next few months, otherwise we can count on another election year loss.

Posted by mardenhill 6/13/2006 09:56:00 AM 1 comments    

Ch-Check It Out...
Monday, June 12, 2006

Check me out cruisin in my '66 Mustang Fastback while on the phone with my agent.

Ok its not my car, its Jablonski's and he would never let me drive it so this is the closest I will ever come.

Posted by mardenhill 6/12/2006 04:40:00 PM 3 comments    

Hey Jackass Its Hurricane Season

And I thought Jeb was the smart one out of the Bush clan, well I guess not. Lets hope Jeb doesn't get the nomination, I don't think America could go thru another 4 years of hell.
.................................

Evacuations ordered as Alberto approaches

By MARTIN MERZER AND GARY FINEOUT
mmerzer@MiamiHerald.com

Emergency managers ordered coastal evacuations this afternoon as Tropical Storm Alberto abruptly intensified to near-hurricane strength and took aim at the state.

''It's not worth losing your life . . .,'' Gov. Jeb Bush said as he urged Floridians to heed the orders. ``Property can be rebuilt.''

The 2006 hurricane season is 12 days old.

''Good God, who would have thunk it,'' Bush said.

During the past two seasons, eight hurricanes struck or brushed Florida.

Posted by mardenhill 6/12/2006 04:07:00 PM 0 comments    

Now This Is A Bad Sign

It has returned, the dreaded hypercolor is back. Just when you thought the worst of the 80s was over, no way. Now you can get your own hypercolor ipod case, how cool is that? What's next, parachute pants/zipper jackets?

Posted by mardenhill 6/12/2006 09:29:00 AM 28 comments    

Mr Kitty Almost 1 Year Later
Saturday, June 10, 2006

For those of your who havn't see Mr Kitty since his surgery last summer, here is a nice picture of him laying on the couch showing off his fat belly. Last summer, it was all shaved along with his paws, hence his new nickname "Poodle Paws". You can find pictures in the blog, go back to probably Aug-Sept postings. He is healthy and back to his bastard self. This was before he was ready to attack, you can still see some blue in his eyes....

Posted by mardenhill 6/10/2006 05:15:00 PM 2 comments    

Wow Ricky, You're A Big Man Now....

Wow, this is shocking, our favorite nutball/wingnut Rick Santorum just dissed Ann Coulter. It was a very simple one but one none the less. This coming from a guy who doesn't believe we have privacy rights and that the govt should dictate what goes on in our bedrooms. If he had the power to criminialize, oral/anal sex, masturbation and any other form of sex that doesn't result in conception he would. And he wonders why he is losing big time in his senate race. Dude get a clue, stay out of our bedroom, let us be adults and do what we want to. Just because you live a prudish life doesn't mean the rest of us need to. Why getting in bed with the American Taliban does not bode well with the rest of us. One of his famous quotes below:

"And if the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything. Does that undermine the fabric of our society? I would argue yes, it does. It all comes from, I would argue, this right to privacy that doesn't exist in my opinion in the United States Constitution, this right that was created, it was created in Griswold — Griswold was the contraceptive case — and abortion. And now we're just extending it out. And the further you extend it out, the more you — this freedom actually intervenes and affects the family."

From the June 8th Broadcast Of The Michael Smerconish Program, 1210AM WPHT:

Posted by mardenhill 6/10/2006 05:00:00 PM 2 comments    

Chateau Perron Graves

I could not find a website or any picture on the internet of the bottle so I had to resort to my camera phone. I opened this wine last nite and I could nto wait to blog about it. Its a white bordeaux from the Graves appellation. The wine is a 2003 from Chateau Perron and being a bordeaux is a blend of Semillion, Sauvignon and Muscadelle grapes. Most people think of reds from this region but the whites should not be overlooked. Its the perfect blend, not too toasty or acidic. The nose has hints of pear and citris and it has a nice lingering finish. I got the bottle from Simply Wine in Birmingham and it retails for about $13 a bottle.

I said in a previous post that 2003 were a bit green but that doesn't mean they are bad. These wines should be bought in both red and white and stored away. 2003 was the year of the heatwave in France that killed thousands. This was bad for the people but great for the grapes. Give the 2003 reds a couple years and they will be up there with the 2000s which I have a couple bottles left of. The whites are not meant to age too long so enjoy them now or next summer. I have a couple of 2003 reds that I plan on holding onto and will open one next year to see how it has progressed. You don't need to go out and buy $30 bottles, there are plenty between $10 and $25 that you can pick up. Ed at Simply Wine has a great selection go visit him.

Posted by mardenhill 6/10/2006 10:59:00 AM 0 comments    

Riot City Blues

The new Primal Scream "Riot City Blues" is out and like I said before its a throwback to their 60s psychadelic sound. The whole album is a handclapping stroll down vintage lane. It starts off with "Country Girl" a solid single that gets your singing along. The 2nd track "Nitty Gritty" is full of organs and trademark gospel backup singers. The music starts to get heavier on the 3rd track and falls more into the garage rock sound. Track 4 "When The Bomb Drops" drops the jangle pop and goes for straight rock n roll sound. Mani's bass can be heard throughout the song which is nice since he seems to be on other songs. On "Little Death" the Beatles influence can be heard, there are sitars and a slow swirling sound that envelops the room. I don't think Bobby Gillipse can really pull of this sound, it seems a bit out of place. There is also too much "aha yah ah, ah heh ha" singing and thats gets annoying. By track 6 we are back to the honky tonk blues rock and I am starting to miss the electronic sound that used to be Primal Scream. There is a lot of Black Crowes with a bit more angrier sound throughout the cd.

Pitchfork gave a blistering review of the cd, it only scored a 2.3 with them. I don't usually take Pitchfork's opinion on reviews but there are a few times they are dead on. I don't think it deserves a 2.3 but I would give it maybe a 6 or 6.5 its not in my top Primal Scream albums. My favorite quote from the review:
Even in its relatively ok moments, the album fails. The decent forbidding-throb bassline of "When the Bomb Drops" makes me feel bad for Scream bassist Mani, who has now been roped into the second retro-rock disaster of his career after already weathering the Stone Roses' Second Coming.

I do hope Primal Scream does a tour of the US and makes it to Detroit, I saw them about 5 years ago and it was amazing. They captured that mix of rock and electronic live without relying on a pre-recorded sound. I still love the mid 90's "Vanishing Point" where they transformed from the organic to electrorock sound.

Posted by mardenhill 6/10/2006 10:22:00 AM 2 comments    

Yearly Kos

Kos from the "Daily Kos" website put together a convention of bloggers in Las Vegas where some 2008 contenders made an appearance. Below are a few paragraphs from the article which can be found at www.huffingtonpost.com




LAS VEGAS, June 9 — If any more proof were needed of the rising influence of bloggers — at least for the Democratic Party — it could be found here on Friday on the Las Vegas Strip, where the old and new worlds of American politics engaged in a slightly awkward if mostly entertaining clash of a meeting.

There were the bloggers — nearly a thousand of them, many of them familiar names by now — emerging from the shadows of their computers for a three-day blur of workshops, panels and speeches about politics, the power of the Internet and the shortcomings of the Washington media. And right behind them was a parade of prospective Democratic presidential candidates and party leaders, their presence a tribute to just how much the often rowdy voices of the Web have been absorbed into the very political process they frequently disdain, much to the amazement, and perhaps discomfort, of some of the bloggers themselves.

"I see you guys as agents of advocacy — that's why I'm here," said Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, a Democrat and a prospective 2008 presidential candidate, who flew here at the last minute to attend the YearlyKos 2006 Convention. Bloggers, Mr. Richardson said later, "are a major voice in American politics."

Posted by mardenhill 6/10/2006 10:14:00 AM 0 comments    

IKEA Update
Friday, June 09, 2006

Well the 1st person thru the door at IKEA the other day found my blog where I was making fun of people for camping out. Yes I may have been a bit harsh calling all of them losers but I still feel I am more of an IKEA fan than they are. I took the time to play the online game, vote for people, answer trivia questions and maintain my status within the top 500. Its easy to sit outside for days, it was harder to win the online contest. I may not have won prizes for being the 1st in but I did get to go in early.

As for the ridiculous media coverage, you didn't have to sit out for 3 days, that was your choice. You were played by IKEA it was a marketing scheme to get free advertising for them 3 days in advance.

Now for the calling bloggers losers, thats low. We are revolutionaries taking on the corporate machine. We scare the establishment with our unorthadox way of reporting the news and manipulating the media. When you are a blogger you are part of an elite group of people who feed the ever growing Internet and keep it free from greedy scumbags hell bent on its destruction. We are among you, we are your friends, neighbors, loved ones. We have taken this responsibility seriously and will never succumb to the evil empire.......

What Audrey wrote:

Posted by mardenhill 6/09/2006 04:34:00 PM 5 comments    

2005 Bordeaux
Wednesday, June 07, 2006

courtesy of www.fermentation.com

" The Berry Brothers buying team has recently returned from Bordeaux and there is little doubt that 2005 is one of the greatest vintages of all time." ________

"Wine experts are unanimous that 2005 Bordeaux is the greatest vintage in living memory, according to wine importers Wands Limited. _______ "2005 is a knockout. Not only is it exceptional, say those who have tried the wines, it is singular."

________

"What makes it really unique is, across the board, from the little guys to the white Bordeaux to the great chateaus to Sauternes, they appear to be all spectacular."

________

"The 2005 Bordeaux vintage promises to be one of the best for years."

_______

"After 28 years of tasting Bordeaux, 2005 cannot be compared to any previous vintage in my experience. I have never tasted so many extraordinarily rich, concentrated, massive wines yet with such precision, delineation and freshness."
.........................................

This is good news but one we will have to sit on for a while. The 2005 vintage won't come out til 2008 so we will wait for a couple years. 2000 was another excellent year, I have a few bottles left in the basement that I am holding onto. They are not high end chateaus but ones that range from $10-$25. Right now you are finding 2003 and some 2004 Bordeaux's out there in the stores, these are good but a little young and green.

Posted by mardenhill 6/07/2006 12:44:00 PM 0 comments    

The Cure & Reissues
Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Courtesy of www.pitchforkmedia.com

Cure Reissue Series Continues

Matthew Solarski reports:
Q: How do you stop a rhino from charging?

A: Take away his credit card!

Q: How do you stop Rhino from reissuing Cure albums and causing you to max out your credit cards?

A: You don't!

Rhino Records has just announced the latest round of remastered Cure and Cure-related reissues, all dolled up in hyper-deluxe two-disc packages with fancy-schmancy booklets and more bonus demos than Robert Smith has had bad hair days.

The latest round-up arrives August 8 and includes Cure albums nos. five, six, and seven-- The Top (1984), The Head on the Door (1985), and Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (1987)-- as well as 1983's Blue Sunshine, the lone record by the Glove, the side project of Smith and Siouxsie & the Banshees bassist Steve Severin. Mega-hits and fan favorites like "In Between Days", "Why Can't I Be You?", "Just Like Heaven", and "Close to Me" were spawned during this storied era in Cure history.

As you may recall, last year Rhino graced us with expanded, remastered reissues of Seventeen Seconds, Faith, and the much-loved Pornography. At this rate we can expect a d-lux remaster of that lukewarm 2004 self-titled record by 2008. Oh boy.
........................

I have the previous reissues and they are very cool and I am looking forward to these. Depeche Mode are also in the reissue spirit and I think a handful of their early recordings were released today. Most of the b-sides on the reissues can be found on "Join The Dots" box set but you also get the better sound that comes with these.

Posted by mardenhill 6/06/2006 05:22:00 PM 2 comments    

Urge: Not At All
Monday, June 05, 2006

Microsoft has updated Windows Media Player to version 11 and included their new mp3 download service. Microsoft has partnered with MTV, VH1 and CMT to provide us with the iTunes killer. Problem is, the software sucks, it took forever to install, crashed 3x while I was searching and is no different than version 10. Its still in Beta but the software will not be competition for Apple, not as user friendly as iTunes. They are offering a subscription service like Napster the only advantange over Apple but I don't see that lasting for long. I have a feeling that if Apple realizes people are signing up for subscriptions, they can flip the switch and launch their own.

Posted by mardenhill 6/05/2006 02:27:00 PM 1 comments    

2 More Days

Well 2 more days til the IKEA in Canton, MI opens and the jerks are already lined up. I tried to find pictures of all the loser camping out til Wednesday morning but the Freep or Detnews.com didn't have any.

Now if all the jerks camping out were real fans they would have ended up in the top 500 in the IKEA contest which we were part of. We were able to go shopping on Saturday with the friends and family of the workers. We got our IKEA fix for a while before it gets too insane. I highly recommend staying away from the store on the weekends for a while, parking is insane and you will spend more time in traffic and searching for a spot than in the store. Take a day off of work and go during the week, your sanity will thank you.

We got a lot of good stuff on Saturday, a big bookcase and lots of organizational odds and ends. We will go back once things start to die down, not sure when that will be but its only a 30 minute drive.

Posted by mardenhill 6/05/2006 09:56:00 AM 0 comments    

Gerard Bertrand
Friday, June 02, 2006

I just got a bottle of Gerard Bertrand Pinot Noir from the Vin De Pays Languedoc region of France and I am very pleased. It's a $15 bottle and has lots of fruit up front. The nose has a bit of vanilla and its pretty well structured. Its nowhere complex but not thin and watery either. It has the color and body of a California pinot, a bit more robust than anything you would find in New Zealand, well that I have. There is a bit of bite and some tannin but not overwhelming. You would think it would be old world all the way but its a bit more polished, not as rustic as I was expecting.

On the bottle its labeled Red Table Wine, I always find this description misleading. Whenever I think of table wine I think of Carlos Rossi or something else served in a jug.

If you feel you are in over your head when it comes to French wine, just take a deep breath and pick one region. It can be the Bordeaux, Burgundy, Beauljolais, Languedoc or Cote Du Rhone. These are all major areas and labeling differs in each region.

When looking at Bordeaux you need to remember Left Bank or Right Bank, the left is more Cab and the right is more Merlot. At that point, pick an area like Medoc or Saint Emilion. Dont worry about Chateaus, you won't be able to afford any of the major ones anyways.

Each region has its own way of labeling and classifying its wine, it may be pretentious but its the French.

The Languedoc will label the grape on the bottle, most French will not since they expect you to know what you are drinking. This region tends to focus on making good wines but not expecting you to have a PHD to understand them.

Posted by mardenhill 6/02/2006 09:57:00 PM 0 comments    

Wow, Oasis Takes Top Honors?

Oasis's debut, Definitely Maybe, has edged out the Beatles

Votes came in from around the world in the poll of more than 40,000 fans that celebrates 50 years of the Official UK Albums Chart.

Nonetheless, it has a distinctly British feel, with the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band coming second and their Revolver third, followed by Radiohead with OK Computer and another (yes, another) Oasis album in fifth, (What's the Story) Morning Glory.

Whoever said jimming off another band wouldn't make you more popular?

Only two US bands got into the top 20 - Nirvana at number six and The Strokes' Is This It came 20th.

Posted by mardenhill 6/02/2006 09:30:00 PM 2 comments    

Zogby Polling

Iraq war will hurt GOP in fall elections, pollster says

By CHRIS CHRISTOFF
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

June 2, 2006

MACKINAC ISLAND – The war in Iraq has become so unpopular that it could cost Republicans control of Congress, statehouses and governor races around the country, national pollster John Zogby said Friday.

He said 70% of voters believe the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, adding, “I have never seen a number like that since I’ve been polling.”

He said 68% of voters believe the war in Iraq wasn’t worth the loss of American lives. He added, “Americans want their wars to be won, they want it won quickly and their troops home and out of harms way.”

Zogby offered a sweeping view of the political landscape to the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac policy conference, which wrapped up Friday afternoon.

Zogby, considered one of the country's top pollsters, said Gov. Jennifer Granholm faces a difficult re-election campaign, but could benefit from a national Democratic landslide.

“It’s not a good time to be governor anywhere,” he said. "But Republicans are swimming upstream, they have a hell of a lot of work to do in what could be a big Democratic year."

But he cautioned: “The Democrats have no program on any issue, they have nothing to say that matters to anyone in the United States today."

Zogby said his boldest prediction is that Hurricane Katrina, which demolished much of the Gulf Coast in 2005, could be more of a defining moment for the U.S. than the 9-11 terrorist attacks because the storm showed that neither big federal government nor federalism – greater state powers – can cope with large-scale disasters.

In other observations, Zogby said:

Iraq is the top issue for U.S. voters, immigration is second most important.

The economy is third most important nationally. Although economic indicators are generally good, working Americans worry about gas prices and about losing their health care coverage and pensions.

The unpopularity of the Iraq war has cost President George W. Bush and Republicans their grip on the issue of terrorism as “their ace in the hole.”

Bush is so unpopular he can’t help Republican candidates get elected this year. “I don’t think you’ll see him in Macomb County,” he said.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, are the only national Republicans who can transcend their party’s growing unpopularity.

Posted by mardenhill 6/02/2006 08:47:00 PM 1 comments    

Is It Any Wonder

I just got the new Keane single "Is It Any Wonder" and its very good. It sounds like there are guitars but I don't believe it was recorded with any. Its a very upbeat song no Coldplay going on here. The 2nd song on the single "Let It Slide" sounds like it came from the "Hopes and Fears" nothing really new. Thier new cd "Under The Iron Sea" will be out June 20th. With the new Primal Scream and new Keane its looking to be a good summer for Brit Rock fans......

Posted by mardenhill 6/02/2006 09:36:00 AM 1 comments    

Primal Scream Update

I got the "Country Girl" single and the 2nd song "To Live Is To Fly" is a throwback big time. Its full of slide guitars and piano, no electronic pounding beats here at all. I checked and the 2nd song is not on the cd so its an official B-Side. The cd "Riot Act Blues" comes out on June 5th just a few more days. I will have a review for all of you as soon as I get it.

Posted by mardenhill 6/02/2006 09:21:00 AM 2 comments    

Draft Gore 2008
Grassroots Organizing Really Early

DG08 PAC is dedicated to draft Al Gore as the Democratic nominee for President in 2008 and to persuade the American people to elect Al Gore as the next President of the United States.

We will focus a grassroots, distributed campaign strategy on early primary and caucus states to send delegates committed to Gore to the 2008 Democratic convention.

http://www.draftgore2008.org/
...............................
The internet has taken to drafting Al Gore into the 08 election. No Hillary here, the progressives want a real candidate and that would be Al. Now if Al had the passion and the confidence he has now, we could have spared the last 6 years of hell. Maybe our country needed to be dragged down the wrong path, to wake them up to how distructive republicans are when in power. I would totally support an Al Gore run, he has the energy and real world experience to be president but I don't think he wants to. Al is doing what he loves and that is protecting the environment. If he succeeds in bringing global warming into the public square then his job is done.

Posted by mardenhill 6/01/2006 03:41:00 PM 2 comments    

IKEA Traffic Report

Posted by mardenhill 6/01/2006 12:44:00 PM 2 comments    

Country Girl

The New Primal Scream single "Country Girl" is now out and the cd will drop July 16th. Going from this song, it looks like the Scream are going back in time. Its very 60's psychadelic, female background vocals and janglepop guitar. I wonder if the rest of the record will be this way or if its just the 1 song. I guess we will find out next month. Check out their website for a stream of the song and video. Its not bad, I am glad to see they are back making music and I can dig the retro sound going on.

http://www.primalscream.net/

Posted by mardenhill 6/01/2006 12:15:00 PM 2 comments    

The Worst?

The Worst
President Bush is the worst president in the last 61 years, according to a new national Quinnipiac poll. Bush is named by 34%, followed by Richard Nixon at 17% and Bill Clinton at 16%.

Meanwhile, Bush's approval rate is at 35%, with 58% disapproving of his job performance. Even in red states, where Bush's margin was more than 5% in 2004, voters disapprove 52% to 39%.

Said pollster Maurice Carroll: "Bush's job approval numbers remain in the cellar. But he might finally have hit bottom."

Posted by mardenhill 6/01/2006 10:47:00 AM 1 comments