My Welcome Back To The Office
Thursday, August 31, 2006
My welcome back to work. I should have taken a picture before I started popping the balloons but there were over 100 in my cube. Under my desk, behind my computers, all over everything, it took about 30 minutes to clean it up. At least I didn't go camping like a co-worker who came back to leaves, bark and tree branches covering his area. There was also the newspaper incident one person sustained where they returned to find everything and I mean everything, down to the coins and pencils in his desk wrapped in newspaper. Being in IT, I tend to have a number of computers on my desk at anytime. As you can see there were 2 Mac towers being imaged and in the background is my Imac 20 inch 2 ghz Intel duo core, the coolest computer on the planet.......
Posted by mardenhill 8/31/2006 12:47:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Back Home
We arrived back in the states and made it home by 8pm last nite. Yesterday was a very long day for us but it was worth it. We were happy to sleep in a real bed after 14 days away. Let me tell ya, beds in "charming" London hotels are very uncomfortable and 10 days on a cruise ship doesn't make it much better either. Other than that its back to eating normal, no more 4-5 course meals full of rich food.
It was really hard to pick what stop was the best, right now it will be Paris since the riverboat cruise was amazing. Bergen, Norway would be 2nd since we had a personalized tour of the city. London wasn't part of the cruise but I would say staying there was the highlight of the whole vacation followed by our time in Paris.
I will stop babbling on about our vacation and get back to posting other useless stuff. I have the new Kasabian which I will do a review of and some good wine to report on......
Posted by mardenhill 8/31/2006 12:16:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Princess Cruise Day 10
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Well the cruise is over and now we will be heading back to the States. We should arrive by 5pm if all goes well. Our trip to London and the cruise was great and I can't wait until we can make it back again.
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Posted by mardenhill 8/30/2006 02:01:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Princess Cruise Day 9
Today was our trip to Paris, it was almost a 3 hour bus ride each ride but it was worth it. Paris is an amazing and we barely scratched the surface. All the buildings have the same architecture which makes for a universal look. We arrived in Paris and stopped at a lookover of the Eiffel Tower for photos. From there we made our way to a famous department store Galleries Lafayette where I bought a small bottle of bordeaux and sauternes. Erika bought some fancy mustard, salt and chocolate which ended our souviners for the trip. We boarded the bus once again and drove past all the main attractions, we didn't have time for pictures, that will be another trip. Once our bus tour was over we made our way down to the canal boat dock were we took a dining cruise down the Seine River. This was the best part of the day, we had a great meal while cruising down the heart of Paris. Unfortunately it rained most of the day in Paris so we didn't get a lot of photos but what we saw was amazing. We will definitely go back again.
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Posted by mardenhill 8/30/2006 01:58:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Princess Cruise Day 8
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Yesterday was a sailing day where we spent a good time on deck lounging in the sun. The North Sea was very calm and you could see oil rigs in the distance.
Today we boarded the bus and headed into Amsterdam. It was a little over an hour ride and we saw the old and newer windmills covering the landscape.
We arrived in Amsterdam and took the tram into the city center where we spent somerime walking around. We went thru the red light district but it was 11am on a sunday morning so most of the action hadn't started yet. We did see a few ladies perparing themselves for the day and getting their windows in order. We saw the “coffee shops” and yes people still believe in wake n bake.
After leaving the red light district we took a canal boat tour ride around town which was very cool. I took a ton of great pictures and we saw the highlights of the city. We had lunch and by then it was about time to leave. Tomorrow is Belguim but we are staying on board to pack and save some money. Tuesday is Paris and that is a whole day event. We will get back too late to get our luggage together and the next day will be miserable with our flight back home. We have a day flight back and if all goes well we should be back in the states by 5pm.
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Posted by mardenhill 8/27/2006 11:05:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Travel
Princess Cruise Day 6
Today we docked in Bergen, Norway one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. The city is built up into the mountains with very colorful houses dotting the landscape. The city itself has lots of old world charm, wooden and cobblestone streets throughout. Bergen gets on average 300 days of rain so it is lush and green. It sprinkled multiple times while were in port but it was warm enough that it didn't matter.
I would like to thank my friend Jonathan for playing tourguide for us, it made for a very memorable trip. He took us around some of the historic portions of the city and to the best coffee shop in town. We stopped at the fish market where we tasted smoked whale and smoked salmon. The whale was interesting a bit like venison but when you are amongst the locals you must do what the locals do. From there we checked out a sports store for a soccer jersey but it came out to $100 so I decided against it. We then made our way to a local wine tasting where Jonathan knew the wine distributer. We had some amazing whites but had to run so we could meet his girlfriend for lunch. They took us to this great little italian market/restaurant where we had an excellent lunch. We had some chocolate imported from Italy which was incredible. By now it was close to the time to get back to the boat so we headed back to our shuttle. We stopped and both Erika and I bought traditional Norwegian wool sweaters the ones you always see in ski shops that sell for hundreds of dollars. We got a great deal on them so we couldn't resist. Tomorrow is a sea day and Sunday we stop in Amsterdam.
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Posted by mardenhill 8/27/2006 01:45:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Princess Cruise Day 5
Thursday, August 24, 2006
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Posted by mardenhill 8/24/2006 04:28:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Princess Cruise Day 4
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Today we were in Glasgow for the day. It was about a 35-40 minute bus ride into the city. We arrived at the George Square, a spot in the center of the city. Glasgow is a lot like Dublin, a number of the buildings are Georgian in design and there is a large walking mall. We strolled around the city but didn't buy anything, there wasn't much other than whiskey we havn't seen already. Due to our flight carry on restrictions I didn't want to pack any bottles so no whiskey for me. We did eat fish'n'chips at a pub and I enjoyed a Tennet lager but that's all. We are off soon to Bergen, Norway we have a sailing day tomorrow and arrive on Friday. Glasgow was a cool city but there was more to see and do in Dublin.
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Posted by mardenhill 8/23/2006 01:59:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Princess Cruise Day 3
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Yesterday was a full day at sea not much to report. Sat around and read, ate, read, slept, ate, read and slept some more. The highlight was watching the British Price is Right on tv. I think its the only show they have copied from the states. The host was young and over the top. The games and prizes were about the same but the set was very cheezy, worse than ours. They didn't even do the head in the triangle when the big wheel was slowing down. The showcase had a single person who had a Press Your Luck moving screen and had to hit a plunger to land on a number. That number was the amount he could be off of the price of the showcase w/o going over. So watching the gameshow was the highlight of my day.
Now onto day 3, this was our Dublin stop. We had a guided tour that took us to some big mansion with amazing gardens. I got a ton of ideas for my own yard and was suprised to see a number of the of plants I currently have on display here.
We were out in the country and got to see the rolling landscape and farms. From there we came back to Dublin where we had a whirlwind tour of the city on a bus and then some time for shopping. I was glad this was guided, we would have never seen everything on our own. Dublin is under major construction, wherever you look apartments and office buildings are going up. Its like downtown Royal Oak times a hundred with all their construction. We saw all the georgian architecture and coloured front doors. Since all the buildings look the same the doors were painted for drunk husbands to help find their way to the right home.
Tomorrow is Glasglow which we are doing on our own. Not sure what we will do or see, we will just make it up as we go along.
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Posted by mardenhill 8/22/2006 03:13:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Princess Cruise Day 1
Sunday, August 20, 2006
We left London this morning, had to drag out luggage thru the tube to the Victoria station. We made it to the bus station where Princess picked us up and took us down to Southampton.
We left port about 5pm and are on the open seas with the coast to the north of us. We will be sailing tomorrow, no stops so it will be a relaxing day. There are a lot of greyheads and geezers but a suprisingly number of younger people. My only complaint as of now, the interet cafe blocks my blog for questionable content. I checked some tame blog sites and they go thru, there must be a profanity or keyword filter. I have my blog setup for 1 week viewing if I can't get on in the next couple days the bad words will be a flying and Princess will be my target.
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Posted by mardenhill 8/20/2006 02:15:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
London Day 3
Saturday, August 19, 2006
We woke up at 6am to the fire alarm going off but it was malfunctioning so no need to evacuate. Problem tho it went off again a few more times before 8am which made it hard to sleep.
When we got up we headed down to Portabello Market in Nob Hill and walked around for a few hrs. Lots of antiques, 2nd hand, ethnic clothing and other junk. It was pretty cool but it was packed and u could barely move. Its a lot like chinatown with every 4th store carrying the same thing as before.
After the market we went up to Oxford st to do some more shopping. I got a cool soccer jersey so Nasir you can leave me alone about it. I got a Manchester United club jersey, it was a toss up between that and Arsonal but this one was marked down so I went for the deal. Hey nasir there no Italian jerseys so it does prove they suck, and no they were not sold out they don't carry trash.
After shopping we dropped our stuff off at the hotel and went out for our fish'n'chips and beer. We found a cool little pub a few blocks away where we ate.
Tomorrow will suck we will get up and head down to the Victoria station to catch our transfer to the ship. We will stand in line again and finally board. So there will probably not be anything to report.
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Posted by mardenhill 8/19/2006 04:45:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Travel
London Day 2
Friday, August 18, 2006
Well we completed day 2 of our adventure but I wanted to start off with last nite. Some friends of ours who live in london took us to an amazing Vietnamese restaurant in West London called Saigon. It was the 1st time we have had Vietnamese and it was excellent, lots of flavor and spices.
Day 2
We started off by heading back to the tube and down to Liecaster Square the Theatre district. We looked at getting discount tickets to Avenue Q but there were none. We decided to splurge and buy full price ones at the box office. From there we headed back to the tube and over to Vinopolis near Tower Bridge. This place is awesome its a wine, whiskey and beer tasting store with a restaurant. There is a self guided tour along with the tasting but that was lame. We had 5 regular wines, 2 premium, 2 whiskey, 1 bombay saffire cocktail, 2 absinethe and 2 beer tastings. All for £20 and they throw in a free tshirt. Anyways I had a french pinot noir from Burgundy, a rose that kinda sucked, a chinese reisling that was even worse, a great Argentinian Torrentes and a sherry that I didn't care for. My premium wines were a 10 year old port and French Vouvray both were excellent. The beer was ok didn't finish those not Bells so not worth drinking. The martini was really good and I learned a new way to make them and the whiskey was good but a bit too strong to finish. Not a huge whiskey fan here and even cutting it with water couldn't help. The best part was the Absinthe we had 2 tastings the classic French that is anise in flavor and the Checkoslovokian that is very high in alcohol. Its more the novelity of drinking it since its illegal in the US than anything. My lovely wife even bought me a small bottle that we can drink on the ship for our anniversary, I promise I won't fall overboard after drinking. I won't bother trying to bring back too much of a hassle.
After our afternoon of drinking we headed back to the hotel to change and back out again to the show. Avenue Q was very funny and politically incorrect I highly recommend seeing it. Something about puppets and profanity, you can't go wrong. Well that sums up our day, tomorrow off to the markets, fish and chips and doubledecker bus ride.
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Posted by mardenhill 8/18/2006 07:33:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Travel
London Day 1
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Well we made it here, no delays just a long flight. Lines in Detroit were super short and we made it thru security in 10 minutes. We had some interesting passengers traveling with us, there were about 25 of them and were part of “adopt a church internatonal puppet tour”. Not exactly sure what they did but I didn't want to ask for fear of being preached to.
We arrived in London about 7am and made it thru customs and to our hotel by 9am. The room wasn't ready so we had to wander around for a couple of hrs, we are a five minute from Paddington station and Hyde Park. We finally got into our room at 11am and took a well needed nap.
Our next adventure led us down to the London Eye where we got lost trying to get out of the Waterloo station at rush hour. After finally making it out of the station we got our tickets for the eye and took a ride to see the city. It was pretty cool got some good pictures. At this time we felt that we were all set with the underground and how to get around. Well half way thru our trip back the train stops and everyone is forced off. There was a fire alarm ahead of us so we had to scramble to find another line to get us home. We finally made it with minutes to spare before some friends were to arrive to pick us up for dinner. So that was our 1st day in London, let's hope tomorrow will be as fun. Our plans are to check out vinopolis a very cool wine and whiskey tastingroom and possible tickets for Avenue Q. From there we will just see what we find, we are going with little planning on this trip. More tomorrow.
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Posted by mardenhill 8/17/2006 04:04:00 PM 2 comments
Labels: Travel
Morning Music Review
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
While packing for our trip, I decided I needed some good ole fashion Brit Rock to get me ready for London. Its 8am and with only 1 cup of coffee so far, I don't want anything too loud. As I dug thru my mp3 Brit Rock folder on external HD, I came across the Lush folder. Realizing "Split" was their best cd, I had to listen to that. It starts off with "Light From A Dead Star", an ambient dreamscape that builds into a heavenly wall of sound which takes you to track 2 "Kiss Chase". You have classic Lush here, dual vocals with the shoegazer guitar backdrop. By track 3, Lush has broken away from the dreampop and heads into more straight forward rock. You have heavier guitars and some forceful vocals that fall back into the wall of sound during the chorus. Track 4 "Hyprocrite" with a pronounced bass line and melody Lush take it to a new level. They have officially left the shoegazer world and joined the one of rock. Track 5 " Lovelife" Lush flirt with the etheral world of their past and their new found freedom. The rest of the record is a tug of war between the 2 sounds with Lush not quite giving up on the shoegazer scene. This happens on the next record but for now there are still some connections. You get the best of both worlds here, some rock and some dreampop but not too much where you get bored. Most shoegazer bands can't keep my attention thru a whole record but Lush does with this one.
Getting back to present day, Emma Anderson from Lush has formed a new band Sing-Sing. If you havn't listened to them yet you need to check it out. You don't have the wrapped in clouds vocals anymore, just straighforward singing. The sound is stripped down a bit of acoustic and lounge mixed together.
Posted by mardenhill 8/16/2006 08:49:00 AM 3 comments
Labels: Music
And The Lead Goes Back To
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm's (D) "return fire in her TV ad wars" with challenger Dick DeVos (R) "is starting to move voters her way," according to a new Detroit News/WXYZ-TV poll.
Granholm now leads DeVos, 50% to 47%.
"Granholm's voter support, favorability ratings and job approval have climbed since she and the state Democratic Party started airing television commercials in recent weeks. DeVos had dominated television for six months, spending about $13 million of his own fortune, before the Democrats started shooting back."
....................................
Well its still a statistical tie between the two but Jenny's coming back. I still don't agree with the unanswered ads over the last few months we have seen what can happen and a prime example are the swiftboaters. Granholm was sitting on her cash waiting for the fall push but doing so put Devos in the lead. Its going to be a nailbiter til November in MI but I think Jenny will retain the seat. The trend this year is to go Dem and this will help her big time....
Just remember, $13 million still couldn't put Devos over 50%.................
Posted by mardenhill 8/16/2006 08:37:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Politics
Placebo US Tour Dates
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
PLACEBO RETURN TO THE U.S. ON A CO-HEADLINING TOUR WITH SHE WANTS REVENGE.We are thrilled to announce the return of Placebo who will be playing their first U.S. dates in 3 years! They will be touring with She Wants Revenge playing dates in October and November. Tickets for these shows go on sale soon; check back here for on-sale dates and pre-sale info. Look for MEDS, out now featuring the single "Infra Red". Also be sure to look for their debut album Placebo reissued on 10/3 with DVD and bonus material.
10/17 Phoenix Marquee Theater *
10/18 San Diego House of Blues *
10/19 Las Vegas House of Blues *
10/22 Los Angeles Greek Theater
10/24 San Francisco Warfield
10/25 Portland Roseland
10/26 Seattle Showbox
10/28 Denver Gothic Theater
10/29 Kansas City Beaumont Club
10/31 Mexico City Sports Palace*
11/2 Minneapolis Fine Line
11/3 Chicago Riviera
11/4 Cleveland Agora Ballroom
11/6 Philadelphia Electric Factory
11/7 New York Nokia Theater
11/8 Boston Roxy
*Placebo Only, headline show
Appreciate your patience. We had commitments to venues, promoters, agents, management and labels to uphold that slowed down the announcement. Now that it's out of the way, can't wait for the tour to begin.
........................................
Hey Placebo, screw you, where's the Detroit show? Come on, we love you here why are you dissing us? Cleveland? You gotta be kidding me, all they have is the RocknRoll Hall of Fame. We have Kid Rock and now Pamela Anderson you can't turn us down......
Posted by mardenhill 8/15/2006 01:56:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Current Reading Material
My latest book I'm reading, well I will start on the plane tomorrow is "Sex, Drugs, And Cocoa Puffs" by Chuck Klosterman. The back of the book compares him to Nick Hornby and Douglas Coupland so it can't be too bad. Chuck is a senior writer for Spin mag and this is more or less a critique on the pop culture world we live in. The 1st chapter is entitled "This Is Emo", I am a bit turned off by this unless he is mocking the musical genre then its ok.I will let you know if its worth reading. It came off the summer reading bargin table about a month ago, Borders had buy 3 get 1 free. Erika picked out her books and I had to find something and this was it.....
Posted by mardenhill 8/15/2006 09:18:00 AM 3 comments
Labels: Books
The Lincoln Lawyer
I just finished Michael Connelly's latest novel "The Lincoln Lawyer" and give it a thumbs up. If you are not familiar with Connelly's writing, he is one of the leaders in the detective/thriller genre. Connelly has a few characters he uses throughout his books, his main being Harry Bosch an LA detective with more personal problems than he can handle. "The Lincoln Lawyer" features Mickey Haller, a criminal defense attorney who ends up a little too deep in his latest case. These books are easy reading, you don't need a PHd to get thru them. They are not your typical thriller either, Connelly does a good job weaving characters in and out and pulls a suprise every time.I just checked Connelly's website and he has a new book Echo Park featuring Harry Bosch this fall. This is just in time for my birthday and by the time I actually get to it, the next one will be out.
http://www.michaelconnelly.com
Posted by mardenhill 8/15/2006 09:07:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Books
Prohibitted
Monday, August 14, 2006
Luckily for me British Airlines changed their carry on ban and now we can bring electronics. I was expecting to pack my digital cam, dig video cam, ipod, cell phone, chargers etc in my suitcase. I was nervous about this since you cannot lock your bags and all my gadgets add up pretty quick. Plus I couldn't imagine surviving 8 hrs on a flight without my ipod. I also planned on bringing back some wine from our trip but that won't be happening since I do not want to pack bottles.
Now we just need to make it 2 more days, tomorrow's flight from Detroit is scheduled so that is a plus. Today's flight was cancelled which worried us a bit. I keep checking the British Air website for updates, lets hope they keep the flights going......
Posted by mardenhill 8/14/2006 11:02:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Travel
Tired Of High Gas Prices?
Tired of paying $3 a gallon at the pump? Well get yourself a Segway version 2.0. All the bugs have been worked out and you can go up to 12.5 mph and 24 miles on 1 charge. Strap on your helmet and your backpack but leave your coffee at home since this is a 2 hand machine.
Taking a trip out in the woods, no need to hike anymore because the X2 Adventure will do it all for you. Attach your camping gear and ride on to your next destination. Just watch out for any slow moving squirrels or other woodland creatures, these tires are not very forgiving....
Thinking about stealing that necklace at the mall, think again. Unless you can run faster than 12.5 mph, the fuzz will be on your tail.........
http://www.segway.com/personal-transporter/model_i2_Commuter.html
Posted by mardenhill 8/14/2006 11:25:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Politics
A Few Things About.....
Friday, August 11, 2006
"I don't take anything he says seriously anymore," Clinton said when asked about Cheney at a later campaign stop. "I think that he has been a very counterproductive--even destructive--force in our country, and I am very disheartened by the failure of leadership from the President and Vice President."
Hillary with a few choice words about our President and VP. As usual the talking heads will tear her apart and say she's sleeping with Bin Laden but she's only speaking the truth. What really pisses me off about the pathetic mainstream media, they let the republicans link Ned Lamont with terrorists the last 2 days. They reiterated RNC talking points that were all based on lies. Then we had the biggest traitor of them all Joe Lieberman, sucking on the balls of Karl Rove stating that a vote for Ned was a vote for Al Qaeda. Hillary, if you want to get back in the good graces of the party, u better kick it up a notch and start taking out every republican you come in contact with. You need to do the talk show rounds and let it fly, no more of this sticking your finger in the air to see which way the wind blows.
Posted by mardenhill 8/11/2006 09:46:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Sauvion Vouvray
http://www.sauvion.fr/english.htm
I wanted to bring you another good Vouvray, this one from Sauvion. The grape is the same as before Chenin Blanc but this wine differs a bit from my last review. This one is not as crisp, its a bit more rich and full bodied. My quest now is to find as many different Vouvray's as possible. I went thru my red zin phase (well I am still going thru it, I have a hard time turning one down) and now its French whites. I like to think of these wines along with other French whites as the indie rock of the wine world. They are a bit pretentious, hard to find but when enjoyed produce some of the greatest stuff you will ever drink.
Posted by mardenhill 8/11/2006 09:17:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Favorite Band Name
My new favorite band name is "I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness". Although its a mouthful, there is so much you can pull from a name like that. Before listening to them I automatically assumed they were some crap industrial/metal band full of piercings, black hair and a vampire fetish. Thanks to my friend Denise, she got me to listen and I love them. If you are a fan of Interpol and The Editors, you will appreciate these guys. There are lots of layered guitars, building cresendos, hovering vocals over jangled beats and enough self doubt to fill the room. The vocals don't cut as deep as Interpol but they do blend well with the wall of sound created here. I Love You's.... debut cd "Fear Is On Our Side" is a definite for any music collection. Its amazing music coming from the Lone Star State.My official favorite band name is "My Chemical Romance" musically they suck but the name is great. I was disappointed to actually hear them, such a creative name being wasted. Very few bands these days can come up with something that doesn't start with "The" and this was one of them. Maybe we can start an online petition to get them to give up their name for the sake of rock n roll......
Update:
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness and She Wants Revenge are playing St Andrews in Detroit Sept 13th. This might be a show I will have to check out. The She Wants Revenge cd is pretty cool, there are some great songs but not enough to get me to see just them. With Chosen Darkness, it might be enough to get me to go....
Posted by mardenhill 8/11/2006 07:22:00 PM 2 comments
Labels: Music
Joe's Gone Overboard
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Thats it Joe, you have crossed the line, you have taken any shread of dignity left in that pathetic body of yours and pissed it away on a republican talking point. You are a worthless piece of trash, I used to think Delay was the lowest one could go but you have taken it to the next level.
Joe Lieberman, still bitter that he lost his seat in the US Senate has resorted to labeling Ned Lamont a terror lovin fool and those who support him the same. Joe can't realize, the war in Iraq hasn't made us any safer, it didn't keep the war over there so it wouldn't have to be fought here. Look at today's events, if thats the case why was Heathrow shut down this morning. Joe you were kicked out of office because you are out of touch and your giant ego can't let you see it. This vote was a referendum on the president, his policies and any incumbent who sides with this administration. Hell any incumbent in general, McKinney from GA lost her seat and she is one of the most liberal people in congress.
The bloggers were taking bets on how long it would take the RNC and others to hit Lamont on todays's events. I never thought it would come from another Democrat but I guess Joe isn't one anymore, he is just another mouthpiece for Fox News and this corrupt admin. I hope every dem out there that had a shread of sympathy for you walks away, you have betrayed everyone who once believed in you.
Joe Lieberman:
“If we just pick up like Ned Lamont wants us to do, get out by a date certain, it will be taken as a tremendous victory by the same people who wanted to blow up these planes in this plot hatched in England,” Mr. Lieberman said at a campaign event at lunchtime in Waterbury, Conn. “It will strengthen them and they will strike again.”
Posted by mardenhill 8/10/2006 06:19:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Its Beat Up On Delay Time....
Our favorite republican cockroach/crook Tom Delay is at it again, this time attacking Supreme Court judge Antonin Scalia. I wonder how long it will take for Delay to call him an activist judge and send his minions out to attack. Below is an exerpt from an interview Delay had with Byron York.......................................
...courts up to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected DeLay’s arguments, and then Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who handles such matters for the Fifth Circuit, rejected DeLay’s argument in a matter of hours. I asked DeLay if he had a problem with Scalia’s handling of the case. “Yes, I do,” DeLay said. “He obviously spent no time looking at what’s happening in the court in which he has oversight. Within three hours, he denied this stay.”
“You can always count on the judiciary to make stupid rulings,” DeLay told me. “Not only stupid, but dangerous.”
Posted by mardenhill 8/10/2006 10:57:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
London Eye
A week from today Erika and I will be in London, we are heading over for a few days before we board our 10 day European cruise. We will have 3 full days in the city and cannot wait to see the sights. From there we will board our ship and head out on our adventure. We stop in Dublin, Glasglow, Bergen, Amsterdam, Brussles and Paris. All stops have a full day but the Paris one will be spent on a bus. We will have about a half day to see the city, that just gives us a reason to go back.
I will try to keep up on the blogging while traveling. It may be short postings with no pictures but excursionsemi.com will not go dark. I refuse to let the millions of people who rely on my insight to go 2 weeks without a fix.
Posted by mardenhill 8/10/2006 10:00:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Travel
Another Great Cab
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
I just opened a bottle of the Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon and love it. The wine is produced in Oakville which is located within Napa Valley but the grapes do not come from the area. As you can see the label states California so the grapes can come from any area around the state. Don't let this deter you, for $17 you are getting a very good cab.This is the 1st time I have heard of the vineyard so I checked out their website. The wines range from $11 to $45 with their Syrah at the top. From what I gathered Joel Gott is also known for their Zins a common wine for the area.
As for the taste, its very juicy up front with a nice balance of tannin on the backside leading to a smooth and lingering finish. Ed at Simply Wine has a few more bottles left, so if you are interested head on over.
Posted by mardenhill 8/09/2006 09:36:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Getting To Know The Area
I found this on one of my wine blogs today and thought it was a great map of the region. It shows all the great wine areas of California. Besides Napa and Sonoma, you have Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara which make up the Central Coast, the next big thing. You also have the Northern areas of the state above Sonoma that most people forget. Just like the rest of the world California has its own appellations where wine will have different characteristics from the soil and climate. Within San Luis Obispo you have one of the hottest areas called Paso Robles an area that has some great vineyards. Some names to remember are Justin Vineyards, Peachy Canyon and J. Lohr. Don't think these are all of them, check out the link below for a bigger list. Next time you are shopping for a bottle of wine, look for a vineyard from this area.http://www.pasowine.com/vineyards/profiles.php
Posted by mardenhill 8/09/2006 09:19:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Madder Rose
While sitting here typing up a document on what new smartphones can be used on our network, I decided to dive into a cd I havn't listened to in a while. After combing thru my mp3 collection I came across Madder Rose's - Panic On. If you are not familiar with this band, they emerged back in the early 90s full of jangle pop and lush vocals. The cd starts off with "Sleep Forever" a wall of sound with echoing vocals. By track two "Car Song" it slows down a bit into a weaving indie rock masterpiece. "Panic On" keeps the tempo moderate and is an even better song than track two. The chorus swirls around your head but does not grow old. The tempo doesn't really pick back up til track six "Drop A Bomb" a toe tappin rockin out song. Though the music drifts between tempos, the mood doesn't change much. During the early 90s, grunge was king and Madder Rose gave the college rock world something else to listen to. The mix between jangle pop, shoegazer and good ole americana is what we have. If this is your first introduction to Madder Rose, I recommend looking for one of their cds at a record store used bin. If you have been a fan but forgot about them, pull out a cd you will be glad you did.Posted by mardenhill 8/09/2006 11:43:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
WAY TO GO NED!!!!!!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Update:
NED BEATS JOE!!!!!!! ACCCORDING TO DRUDGE, NED LAMONT PREDICTED WINNER.........WAY TO GO NED.....WELCOME TO THE FUTURE, THE VOICE OF THE OPPOSITION HAS SPOKEN AND WE ARE TAKING THIS COUNTRY BACK!!!!!!
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Connecticut // U.S. Senate - - Dem Primary
575 of 748 Precincts Reporting - 79.95%
Lamont, Ned 114,165 51.75%
Lieberman, Joe (i) 106,428 48.24%
Posted by mardenhill 8/08/2006 10:15:00 PM 3 comments
Labels: Politics
Ned Lamont Vs Joe Lieberman
Results are coming in and so far Ned Lamont is up by 12% points with 160 precincts reporting. I see it tightening but with Ned still pulling the victory......
Posted by mardenhill 8/08/2006 09:04:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Fastest Mac Ever
Feast your eyes on the future, the fastest Mac ever to grace this earth. Its the new Mac Pro released yesterday and includes the Dual Core Intel Xeon up to 3ghz. In laymans terms, this machine has the equivalent of 4 processors in one machine. You can add up to 16 gigs of ram and up to 2 terabytes (2000 gigs) of hard drive.
In other news, Apple gave us a sneak peak of their new operating OS 10.5 Leopard. This will be out in the spring probably before Microsoft ever gets around to releasing Vista. From what we have seen, Apple has built in virtual pcs called Spaces, this allows you to launch different apps and keep them organized into separate areas which you can tab thru. It makes working on a number of different projects easier to manage. You also have Time Machine, a data recovery tool to protect you from deleting important files. The graphics for this alone are what makes this app really cool. iChat will allow you to add video graphics behind you for basic amusement. Besides that, iChat has desktop sharing so you can work with another person on a presentation at the same time live. There are a few other enhancements to Dashboard, Mail and Calendar plus more to follow. It will be an exciting upgrade and I can't wait til next year.......
Posted by mardenhill 8/08/2006 09:25:00 AM 2 comments
Labels: Technology
Go Green.....
Sub Pop Embraces Renewable Energy
Al Gore stocks up on Thermals records 
Step aside gardeners and money-makers-- Sub Pop has the grasp on green now. Fossil fuels are a thing of the past for the Seattle label, which recently signed on with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation's Green-e Renewable Energy Certification Program. Last week, Sub Pop announced that it has purchased enough Green Tags to match the company's energy use 100%, making them the first Green-e certified label in the U.S. Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart! Go planet!
The renewable energy shenanigans kicked of earlier this year when Sub Pop's Kelley Stoltz released Below the Branches, the first-ever green powered album. Now, the entire label has jumped on board to promote climate recovery and help out Mother Nature.
"I was, quite frankly, shocked by how easy it is to support renewable energy. Green Tags are a simple way for anyone to choose wind energy, which, in turn, lowers dependence on burning fossil fuels for energy," said Jonathan Poneman, president of Sub Pop Records in a press release. "Green Tags fulfill an important commitment to both the planet and the Pacific Northwest, where Sub Pop is rooted."
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This is pretty cool, Sub Pop going green. Now if they can work on getting some good bands for the label and not rely on the 90s music scene, then Sub Pop could once again rule the world.
Posted by mardenhill 8/08/2006 09:15:00 AM 2 comments
Labels: Music
Round 2, Lets Get Ready To Rumble
Monday, August 07, 2006
Well its official, Delay is back on the ballot in Texas. The begging of Judge Scalia on the Supreme Court did not help. Delay who pulled a bait and switch on the people of Texas now has to face them again come November. What is really funny about it all is that Delay took their money earlier this year and used it for his legal defense fund, now he needs to go back and beg for more. Delay claims he is now a resident of Virginia but his wife is still down in Texas in their house. Interesting arrangement they have there. Besides running for re-election Delay has two pending cases against him, it will make for an interesting race.After we beat and embarrass him, we will force him back to Virginia never to be seen in Texas again. What a fitting way to end an era......
Posted by mardenhill 8/07/2006 09:19:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Could It Happen?
Iraq war supporter and part time Bush lapdog, Joe Lieberman will face his toughest political battle ever, a primary challenger who is leading him in the latest polls. Ned Lamont is running to replace Joe on the Democratic ticket for Senator of Connecticut. Lamont has ran a great campaign, he has targeted all the small towns around the state Joe has ignored for years. Along with the anti war stance, Lamont has tapped a deep hatred for Joe and exploited it. Joe has taken his seat for granted and now its time to face the music. I am not sure if Joe will survive tomorrow, he has said that if he is defeated he would run as an Independent. Besides the netroots support, Lamont has captured the pulse of the nation and this could be the straw that broke the camel's back. If Ned wins tomorrow you will see a lot more politicans coming out against the war. You will also see Rove scramble to put together an October suprise with a reduction of troops and claiming that the job is done. Lets hope Dems don't let them spin this in their favor, they destroyed a country which is now in a the middle of a civil war. Our troops are caught in the middle and Iraq will have to be broken into 3 separate areas to stop the violence.
Posted by mardenhill 8/07/2006 09:19:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
2 Down, More To Go
The cockroach known as Rep Bob Ney (R) Ohio has just announced he will not run for re-election come November. This scumbag was named Representative #1 in the Jack Abramoff corruption case. Although Ney has yet to be indicted, a number of his people have. I see this as a shot across the bow that Ney may be indicted this week.
Ney along with Delay helped advance the K Street project along with the biggest corruption scandal Washington has seen. One by one, all the republiscums are falling, Delay may be back on the ballot come November but that just gives us another chance to beat him to a pulp...
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In a statement issued by his campaign office, Bob Ney, Representative from Ohio's 18th district, said "Ultimately this decision came down to my family. I must think of them first, and I can no longer put them through this ordeal."
Although Ney has not yet been charged with any crime, a story from this morning's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review showed Ney facing financial ruin as his legal defense consumed funds to be used in his campaign for re-election. Ney's former chief of staff Neil Volz pleaded guilty in May on corruption charges.
..................Hey screw you Bob, don't act like you are some martyr trying to protect your family, you took bribes and helped adavance the K Street project. You are a crook that deserves to spend the rest of your life behind bars next to Delay, Cunningham, Abramoff and hopefully many more.
Posted by mardenhill 8/07/2006 09:08:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Tigers Game
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Today we took a trip downtown and checked out the Tigers game. It was game 3 in the Cleveland Indians series which the Tigers were up 2-0. It was about 150 degrees out day and had it not been for the slight breeze every 15 minutes or so all of us would be dead. Ok, it was 87 but it felt like 150. Attendence was at 39K and I havn't seen it that packed since opening day last year. I am used to half empty stadiums where you can sit wherever you want but not anymore. The Tigers scored in the 5th and held on for a 1-0 game. It wasn't a super exciting game but it was fun to be outside and downtown. The Tigers have increased their lead over the White Sox to 9 games I think the largest lead this summer. I just hope it doesn't go the way of the Wings and the Pistons where both teams lead their sports all season only to lose.
Posted by mardenhill 8/06/2006 08:36:00 PM 2 comments
Labels: Tigers
Vouvray
I want to take a moment and introduce you to one of my favorite whites, Vouvray. It comes from the Loire Valley region of France and is made with the Chenin Blanc grape. They are not overly citris and bold like a New Zealand Sauv Blanc, instead they are fruity, clean and easily enjoyable. There is a lot of juice up front and the nose is amazing on this stuff. The alcohol content is pretty low about 11%. I just opened this with a pasta dish we had for dinner and it was great. If it were dead of winter than I don't think this wine would have the same affect, it needs to be enjoyed on hot summer days. The Chenin Blanc grape is grown throughout the world but most people look to France for the good stuff. The one I have here, J. Moreau & Fils Vouvray demi-sec is a simple wine, its pretty cheap $10.50 a bottle but still worth it. You are not going to get a complex and chewy wine here, but you will get a crisp and refreshing bottle that will make you happy. There are a number of producers from the Loire Valley region and this happens to be one of the bigger ones. Look for the name Vouvray and buy whatever you can find.
http://www.en.jmoreau-fils.com/
Posted by mardenhill 8/06/2006 07:56:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Evolution
Saturday, August 05, 2006
http://www.evolutionwine.com/index.html
This wine is amazing, its a blend of 9 different grapes and full of flavor. The grapes are: White Reisling, Pinot Gris, Muler-Thurgau, Semillon, Gewurtzaminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner and Chardonnay. It comes from Oregon which right off the bat makes it a keeper. It's perfect with any spicy food and complex enough to keep you talking about it. They make a red with Pinot Noir, Zindfandel and Syrah which sounds great. Ed at Simply Wine carries the white, I will have to see if he can get the red, Meditrina.
Posted by mardenhill 8/05/2006 05:56:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
The Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth
For starters I would like to thank my friend Joel for the ticket last nite to the Flaming Lips/Sonic Youth show, it was amazing. You can check out his blog at: http://www.littlebunsblog.blogspot.com/
Anyways, we got there a bit late, the Tigers were playing and the State Theatre is directly across from the stadium and the game was sold out. One of the good and bad things about Detroit coming back around, people are down there and parking is next to impossible. Back in the day you drove wrongway down streets, went thru lights/stop signs, parked anywhere you wanted etc. Now there are rules and parking can be anywhere from $5 to $20. After circling and not even finding an open pay lot I found a street spot within walking distance.
We walked in and Sonic Youth was playing "Reena" off their latest cd, Rather Ripped. Throughout the show they played a good portion of newer stuff and older stuff that Kim Gordon sings on. I have always known that Kim is not that great of a singer but its her style that makes it cool. Well seeing her live and hearing her once again set it in stone that she has no pitch and rivals me in singing. Oh well she is still way cool and so are Sonic Youth which makes up for it. Most of the crowd were into them but there were still a lot only there for the Lips. At one point there were 4 guitars going, you dont get much cooler than that.
Now for the Lips, I havn't seen them since the mid 90s so I was in for a treat. The show started off with girls dressed in santa claus and space cadet outfits on each side of the stage. They had big flashlights they panned the audience with. Big balloons were launched and the cafetti cannons fired off lots of paper. Wayne came out and shot off the streamer gun and you would think it was New Years Eve all over again. They opened with "Race For The Prize" my favorite Lips song and the whole crowd exploded. The one picture with the balloons was taken during the song. From there they went into a ten minute version of "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" with lots of Japanese video behind them. After a lot of banter they went into a few new songs "Free Radicals & Yeah Yeah Yeah". You also had "A Spoonful Weights A Ton", "Mr Ambulance Man", "Do You Realize", "She Don't Use Jelly". They played clips of the Teletubbies behind one of the songs which was a lot of fun. There are a couple other songs but I can't remember them. They closed with a cover of "War Pigs" which came right after the Teletubbies, talk about a slap back to reality. The video during the song featured Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell and war footage. Overall the show was amazing they were into it and so was the crowd. If you have never seen the Lips you need to see them, it will blow you away.
Sorry for the crappy pictures, there is only so much a camera phone can do........
Posted by mardenhill 8/05/2006 03:46:00 PM 2 comments
Labels: Music
The Kasabian PR Machine Heats Up
Friday, August 04, 2006
Kasabian brand first album 'sketchy nonsense'
Serge reckons 'Empire' is a monstrous leap
Kasabian guitarist Serge Pizzorno has declared the band's forthcoming 'Empire' LP to be a "monstrous leap" from their first record.
The guitarist reckons the 11-track follow up to the band's self titled debut stands up alongside legendary classic albums by The Who, Rolling Stones and Oasis.
He told this month's Uncut magazine: "I'm not going to hide the fact that I think it's absolutely fucking amazing. Noel Gallagher came down to the studio and even he was surprised by what a monstrous leap we'd made."
Serge even went as far as describing their debut as "sketchy nonsense" compared with their second album.
He added: "This time we wanted to make a great British album. A classic album that'll stand up beside the Stones, The Who, Oasis - anyone. Because the truth is nobody tries to make classic albums anymore.
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I can't remember the last time I have been so excited for a record to come out as I have been for this one. I hope all the hype is true and this becomes a classic. Kasabian ignored the post punk scene and took what has great from the 90s, mixed it up and created their own sound. Kasabian are the UK's White Stripes who will shake up the scene and get the creative juices flowing again......
Posted by mardenhill 8/04/2006 10:08:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Hey Pat, Come Again?
Pat Robertson: I’m ‘A Convert’ On Global Warming, ‘It Is Getting Hotter’
Yesterday on the 700 Club, evangelical Pat Robertson declared himself “a convert” on global warming. Robertson said that he has “not been one who believed in global warming in the past.” But now, Robertson said, he believes “it is getting hotter and the ice caps are melting and there is a build up of carbon dioxide in the air.” Robertson implored, “we really need to do something on fossil fuels.
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I don't know whether to laugh or cry about this one. Pat and I on the same side, what is going on here. There has been a merging of the green and the evangelical movement over climate change the last couple years but I didn't think it included Pat. Its good to see that he is on board, he has the ear of lots of people and using religion to fight global warming is a great strategy. It will really be interesting to see if Tony Perkins and James Dobson jump on board but I don't see that happening, they are too concerned with gays and protecting the sancity of marriage.
Posted by mardenhill 8/04/2006 09:35:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Politics
Tom Delay Vs. The State Of Texas
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Hey scumbag, get it thru your thick skull, no one likes you anymore, whining to the Supreme Court won't change it. Grow some balls and take your beating like a man. What am I talking about, well none other than our good buddy Tom Delay who conveniently dropped out of his congressional race after winning his primary. The good folks of Texas did not take kindly to the bait and switch and the courts have ruled that Tom must stay on the ballot come November. Tom being the corrupt bastard that he is plans on taking it to the Supreme Court to have them over rule Texas and let him take his ball and head home. Sorry Tom, that sounds a lot like judicial activism to me, something you have railed against in the past. It will be a fun come November when Tom's name is on the ballot and he loses his own district he once controlled for years. The best part of it all is beating Tom at his own game, forcing him to sit thru til the bottom of the 9th and walk away a beaten man.
Sorry for no picture, stupid blogger is acting up again and continues to time out. Not sure how much longer I can deal with this, I may have to move to a new site.......
Posted by mardenhill 8/03/2006 07:01:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Red Guitar
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"Red Guitar is a tribute to the incredible Spanish lifestyle," says Nick Withers, Brand Manager for Red Guitar. "It captures the vibrant soul of Spain, as exemplified in such great modern artists and musicians as Picasso, Miro and Andres Segovia. The Spanish are credited with inventing what we now know as the modern guitar back in the 16th century."
Over the past decade, wine connoisseurs have come to recognize Spain for making wine in a unique and striking style with powerful flavors and a passion for the fruits of the land. "Red Guitar exemplifies the revolution that Spain has gone through in the past ten years or so," says David Kelly, General Manager of Cellar Door. "It is a modern and stylish wine that reflects the Spanish passion and celebration of day to day life, and the combination of its remarkable features and approachability have poised Red Guitar to have a significant impact on the U.S. market."
Posted by mardenhill 8/03/2006 02:09:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Blogger
Blogger is sucking today, it takes forever load a picture if it can and most of the time it times out. I had a couple postings to make but they failed. Hopefully the site gets back on track later today. Don't worry, I am not abandoning all of you......
Posted by mardenhill 8/03/2006 11:57:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Technology
Dodge Caliber
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Some pictures of our new 2007 Dodge Caliber. We had a Pontiac Vibe we were leasing and turned that in last week. We have been waiting for the Caliber for a couple months now, we originally put our order in at the end of May. So far everythings great, it has a smooth ride, very comfortable on the inside, lots of cool features and the best part, an iPod plug in. All you need is a $5 radio shack 1/8in each side audio cable and you are home free. You can plug your iPod into the stereo and listen thru the speakers without those stupid iTrip accessories. Even Mr. Kitty likes the new ride. Click on any picture for a better view.
Posted by mardenhill 8/02/2006 10:05:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Misc
Detroit Tigers So Far
2005 & 2006
Detroit Tigers end of season 2005: 71 wins 91 losses.
Detroit Tigers by August 2006: 71 wins 35 losses.
I see the Tigers staying well above .500 this season and definitely making it to the playoffs. I don't want to jinx it after that. As much as we love the Tigers here, we expect the worst every year. I hope this time we are proven wrong. We are going to the game on Sunday and they are playing the Cleveland Indians who are 24.5 games behind. I won't speculate on the outcome but it should be fun none the less. The only time I have been to a sellout game was opening day last year and it seems like the Tigers are selling out or close to it every home game.
Posted by mardenhill 8/02/2006 05:24:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Tigers
New Michigan License Plate
Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land unveiled the state's new commemorative license plate that replaces the Great Lakes Splendor plate that featured the Mackinac Bridge in a sunset.
The new plate encompasses a cityscape featuring the Renaissance Center and the state Capitol building in Lansing, plus a wheat field and a pine forest in a green stip across the top. Along the bottom is the Mackinac Bridge.
Land showed off the new plate this morning at the Henry Ford in Dearborn.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060802/NEWS99/60802017
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I am on the fence with this plate but it is better than the last one. I like the cityscape blending in with the forest, thats cool. You also have the bridge and water, the only thing missing is Grand Rapids. Wonder if Devos will make it a campaign issue.
There is a lot going on but its not done in a tacky manner. I will have to wait and see how much it will cost before I decide if I want one come my birthday....
Posted by mardenhill 8/02/2006 01:31:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Bill Janovitz & Crown Victoria
One of my favorite musicians Bill Janovitz put out his 3rd solo cd with some help from a great backing band, Crown Victoria. If you are not familiar with Bill, he is the lead singer of one of my favorite bands Buffalo Tom. Btw, they are working on a new record that may be out this year or next.Bill starts off with "One, Two, Three" a song that could have come from an early BT record. It has a full sound, keys and lots of distortion. Bill is at his best when he kicks up the emotion in his songs. "My Radio" is another good one, lots of energy and toetapping beats. "Fireworks On TV" is a beautiful duet dripping with some great alt country. There are lots of tempo and mood changes on this record. Its great from start to finish and i highly recommend anyone who does not have it, to pick it up. eMusic has it so if you are a member you can download it thru them.
Posted by mardenhill 8/02/2006 12:53:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Yet Another Reason Why.....
Yet another reason why need need these scumbags out of office. The republican party is hell bent on destroying this country and stealing as much as they can before their time is up. The sleazeball Roy Blunt plans to continue congress's swiftboating on climate change. I hope your pathetic office lemmings come across my blog to see how evil of a person they work for. Same goes for the new majority leader John Boehner who just can't seem to pull himself away from the ways of Tom Delay. If it takes beating these crooks one by one, so be it, we already defanged Tom Delay, we can do it again.....
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Majority Whip Blunt: If I Stay In Charge, Congress Won’t ‘Do Anything Meaningful’ On Climate Change
Today in Energy and Environment Daily (sub. req’d), House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) said that if he remains in power after the November elections, there will be no action on global warming for the entire 110th Congress:
Continued Republican House and Senate majorities would likely mean more of the same on climate. House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said he would oppose global warming mandates if Republicans control the 110th Congress. “I think the information is not adequate yet for us to do anything meaningful,” he said.
Actually, thousands of scientists have agreed that global warming is real, humans are responsible for much of it and, unless steps are taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, there will be extremely serious consequences.
61 House members – including Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA) – understand this and have co-sponsored Rep. Henry Waxman’s Safe Climate Act. Waxman’s bill is a serious and practical effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You can find more information of the Safe Climate Act here.
Posted by mardenhill 8/02/2006 12:30:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
