The 10th Dimension
Thursday, September 28, 2006
http://www.tenthdimension.com/flash2.php
Take a moment to check out this website and the flash animation regarding the 10th dimension. It walks you thru the ideas of time travel, infinite time lines and travel between different universes. The 10th dimension ties string theory together and helps explain the creation of our universe and the big bang. Its pretty interesting stuff, though sometimes hard to follow. I am a big science nerd and love stuff on space. The study of time travel, worm holes and super massive black holes (not the cd by Muse) is fascinating and I plan on making it into space before I die.
Posted by mardenhill 9/28/2006 10:19:00 PM 3 comments
Labels: Science
Could It Be True?
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
WOXY to rise again!?
In what has got to be one of the oddest business proposals ever, LaLa.com and WOXY.com are now in negotiations to resurrect the indie online radio station. Last week LaLa founder Bill Nguyen made a post on the WOXY messageboard with the title, “White Knight”:
Hey folks, we’d like to save woxy. You can learn more about us at lala.com, but we’re very well funded and humbled by the great work the people here have done. Please tell the fab four at woxy to contact us.
Most people (including former WOXY staffers) assumed it was a hoax, however over the next few days it became clear that Nguyen meant business. WOXY now says that a deal is being brokered today and that the station could be back online as early as next week. And if that wasn't great enough, WOXY also says that the streams will be three times higher sound quality and free!
For those of you who don't know, LaLa.com is a great new cd-trading service which works like this: You list the cds you have which you'd like to trade away and the cds you're looking to acquire. When a match is found, the site alerts you that the CD is on its way to you for only $1.75. When a CD you have is requested, you simply slip it into one of the pre-paid mailers and send it off. LaLa even gives artists 20% of their revenues from the transfer of CDs.
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The Phoenix may rise again.
I am not sure if I can take all this "on air/off air"over and over again. I am not holding my breathe, I will believe it once I hear the first stream over the net.....
Posted by mardenhill 9/27/2006 04:56:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Chateau La Grange Clinet
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
OK, I needed a break. 5 Italian reds in a row is enough to make someone go insane. I decided it was time to open a nice Bordeaux to get my taste buds back in order. I chose a 2003 Chateau La Grange Clinet from the Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux. Its not a high end bottle, about $12.50 but it still has the classic complexity I love. You have some black cherry up front with a bit of smoke and tannin on the finish. It also lingers on your tongue giving you a full taste of a great wine.This wine comes from the Right Bank of the Gironde which relies more on Merlot than Cabernet Sauvignon. I tend to prefer Left Bank wines due to the Cab but will still enjoy any wine made in the Bordeaux region.
Posted by mardenhill 9/26/2006 09:59:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Alligator
Do you miss the days when the Afghan Whigs were the shit and Greg belted out lyrics that would make your mother blush? Well don't get too upset, because that time is back. What do I mean, well the 90's are over but now we have The National to fill that void. The lead singer is nowhere near as pompus and egotistical but he uses apathy to get your attention. The National are a perfect indie rock band, slow atmospheric rock and alt country with dry Malkmus vocals. Not all songs are about sex but they are about relationships and life in general.Track 1 "Secret Meeting": it has great piano and soft drums with deep, introspective lines.
Track 2 "Karen": with lyrics like "its a common fetish for a dowdy man to ballerina on a coffee table cock in hand" and "karen put me in a chair, fuck me make me a drink, I lost direction, and I'm past my peak" its Greg all over again.
Track 3 "Lit Up": the guitars get a bit heavier and the piano fades into the background.
Track 4 "Looking For Astronauts": a great song, its very catchy but not your typical tempo. Very Walkmen with the timing but better.
Track 6 "Baby, We'll Be Fine": "I'm so sorry for everything" Matt Berninger sings in a drunken mess to his girl.
Track 8 "Val Jester": comes close to the darkness that is Mike Johnson. Whiskey soaked duet with a cello holding it all together.
Track 9 "All The Wine": "I'm put together beautifully...I'm a perfect piece of ass like every California...."and all the wine is all for me" at this point you realize you can't take Matt seriously, he is just sitting back laughing at everyone.
The whole cd is great from start to finish. The mood swings a bit but always brings you back to the dark corner The National occupy at your local hipster joint.
Posted by mardenhill 9/26/2006 07:59:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Wait
I just downloaded the new Polyphonic Spree "Wait" EP from iTunes this afternoon. I had 3 free downloads from a friend who collects baseball cards so it only cost me $1.99. There are 2 new songs and 3 covers.
Track 1 "Mental Caberet": Is an original song that breaks from the indie gospel sound and actually has a melody. The background chorus is still present but there is a beat, with some bass, keyboards and handclaps. If this is any glimpse as to what the new cd will sound like, I am very excited.
Track 2 "Love My Way": This is a Psychadelic Furs cover and stays true to the original. You have more vocals but the standard sound is still present with a vibraphone instead of keyboard. Between Grant Lee Philips and Nouvelle Vague, the whole 80s college rock scene is in a cover frenzy.
Track 3 "Sonic Bloom" is a cover of Tim Delaughter's previous band Tripping Daisy and is very good. I don't remember the original and don't seem to have a copy so I will have to go with this one.
Track 4 "Lithium" is a Nirvana cover and it blew me away. Its big and engulfs you. I am excited to listen to on headphones. Its has a commercial jingle to it since you don't expect Nirvana to sound so full and happy. I was expecting a pianoesque Tori Amos song but its the exact opposite.
Track 5 "I'm Calling" is an original and starts off soft. It builds into a piano laden campfire singalong. The original songs are more cohesive than ones in the past which I really appreciate. The Flaming Lips comparisions will come along but I think Tim Delaughter has finally found a place for his band.
Overall, the EP is great, I highly recommend everyone pick it up. Even if its just for the Lithium cover which is probably the best song on the cd. I do like Mental Caberet and if I had to lose one song it would be the Psych Furs cover. I give this an 8/10.
Posted by mardenhill 9/26/2006 03:05:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Apple Cell Phone?
(Picture is not authentic, just what some out on the net think it will look like.)
Courtesy of www.appleinsider.com
September 26, 2006 - Apple and Cingular have signed an agreement that will make the US' largest cell phone provider the exclusive carrier of Apple's forthcoming phone, sources report. Apple's iPhone remains on track for an early 2007 release.
Apple's exclusive contract with Cingular is said to be good for the first six months, sources report, meaning other providers will be able to sell the phone in the second-half of 2007. Cingular had an exclusive on the Motorola ROKR—the first phone to feature iTunes—when it launched last year.
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Usually Verizon gets all the exclusive contracts but Cingular pulled off a big one with this phone. Lets hope its true and does well for them. I am not interested tho, I would rather have smartphone such as the Nokia E62 or Motorola Q.
Posted by mardenhill 9/26/2006 11:39:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Cellar Tracker
Cellar Tracker is a free website that allows you to upload your wine library for private use or for others to see. The majority of wines are already listed, you just do a search for your bottle and click add. If the specific vintage is not available, you can easily add the year to the database. Same goes for specific crus and appellations. At this point there are over 20,000 members on the site and you can see what others are drinking and holding. People will write reviews of bottles and by clicking on your wine it will link to whomever else has that one listed. When you drink a bottle you change the listing and it will keep track of what bottles you have consumed. You can also keep track of prices, where you bought the bottle, if you gave the bottle as a gift or if you broke one. It would have been great to have this site when I started on my wine adventure but at least I have it up and running now.
Posted by mardenhill 9/26/2006 09:40:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Chianti
Monday, September 25, 2006
Here we have a Piazzano Rio Camerata Chianti 2003, a Tuscan wine made with the Sangiovese grape. I opened it yesterday and it had a great flavor, lots of pepper and a bit of fruit. Today its pretty flat which I find surprising after just one day. I used the rubber corks and air pump but it didn't help. I don't want to give too much of a review on the bottle since it would be tainted. If you do see this bottle, I recommend picking it up and drinking it all in one night.
Posted by mardenhill 9/25/2006 09:14:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
New Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis confirms solo album plans
The former Pulp man readies LP 'Jarvis'
Jarvis Cocker is set to release his debut solo album 'Jarvis' later this year.
The tracklisting for the album, out November 13, does not include the online release 'Running the World', a former NME single of the week.
The track does feature on the soundtrack for the film 'Children Of Men', which stars Michael Caine and Clive Owen, and was released last week.
The singer is scheduled to play several dates around the album's release.
He plays:
Dublin Point Theatre (October 4-5)
London Barbican Hall (21)
Paris La Cigale (November 12)
London KOKO (15)
London Roundhouse (16)
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Lets hope Jarvis does a better job than Richard Ashcroft and Ian Brown when it comes to solo material. Both Richard and Ian have a few good songs but never really transformed into solo musicians. Not everyone can be a Morrissey but there have been people who have made the transition.
Posted by mardenhill 9/25/2006 03:52:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Life After Woxy
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Since the demise of Woxy, I have been listening to more of my mp3s. Tonight I was jumping around, picking random songs for my listening pleasure. Below is a list of my adventures.
Geggy Tah - "Whoever You Are" - This was a really dumb song but its quirkiness keeps you listening. "All I wanna do is to thank you, even though I don't know who you are. you let me change lanes, while I was driving in my car".
Jellyfish "The King Is Half Undressed" - Known for their stupid costumes and hats, Jellyfish had great Squeeze/Beatles melodies and a knack for catchy guitar rock. Another interesting note, Jason Falkner was a member.
Joydrop "Beautiful" - A great 90s alt rock band. Female vocals blended with a touch of industrial. Since 89x (radio station in Detroit, actually based in Canada) has to play a set number of Canadian bands each hour, Joydrop was in heavy rotation.
King Missile "My Heart Is A Flower" - Its hard to describe KM but I will give it a try. Think of a college coffee shop on open mic night. Take that young, foolish English major and put it to some pretty cool music and you have KM. Lots of spoken word mixed with some psychedelic rock.
Material Issue "Valerie" - The band that has more songs named after women, all of which are amazing. Infectious power pop and loud guitars on this one. Unfortunately, Jim Ellison committed suicide back in '96 leading to the end of Material Issue.
Moist "Push" - Another crappy Canadian band forced down our throats by 89x but one with a great name. Moist, its a beautiful word, the way it rolls off your tongue and fills air around you. ex. "I really like that cake, its very moist".
Mystery Machine "Valley Song" - You guessed it, a Canadian import but a good one. This 90s band had all the makings of a good 4AD shoegazer band but with a bit more guitar and distortion. You hear a lot of Ride in thier debut cd. I remember requesting this song a lot back in the day.
The Ocean Blue "Ballerina Out Of Control" - A lush, dreamscape engulfs you when listening to this song. The Ocean Blue were always mistaken for a brit rock band but are stateside and hail from Hersey, PA.
The Pursuit Of Happiness "She's So Young" - OK, this is scary, I am just randomly picking songs and come across another Canadian band. A fun sing a long that came off the heels of I"m An Adult Now" a self loathing and satirical song that blows Beck's "Loser" away anyday.
School Of Fish "3 Strange Days" - Another tragic loss for the music world, lead singer Josh Clayton-Felt died of testicular cancer at the age of 32. He did leave us with a few records and this song before the great grunge movement of the 90s.
I need to sit down and put together my own Woxy Vintage playlist, I have all the music but it was just so much easier clicking on the link.
Posted by mardenhill 9/24/2006 09:52:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
1987
In 1987 you had Billy Idol's "Mony Mony", Samatha Fox's "Touch Me (I Want Your Body), Richard Marx "Don't Mean Nothing" and the Detroit Tigers in the playoffs. Its been a long 19 years since the Tigers have made it to the post season, even longer for a World Series. Well today was the day, the Tigers beat the KC Royales 11-4 to earn a spot in the post season. They are 1.5 games ahead of the Twins and still have another 6 games to go but they are there and thats what matters. I didn't want to get my hopes up too much so I was very cautious about discussions on the post season. Thank you Tigers for giving us a great summer of baseball.
Posted by mardenhill 9/24/2006 09:32:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Tigers
Wine Cellar
Today we took a trip to IKEA where I finally broke down and bought some wine racks. I had this great idea of building racks but its been 2 years and nothing so far. This is the space below the basement steps where I plan to insulate and cover the walls. This is one of my winter projects along with painting our spare bedroom. I have space for 1 more rack and will replace the cheap wood shelves above with something else. The rack on the left holds all my French, Spanish and Italian wines. The next one has my Napa, Oregon, Michigan and misc. These are just my reds, I have a wine fridge where I keep all my sparklings and whites. At this time I have 12 Bordeaux's, 1 - 1997, 5 - 2000 and 6 - 2003. Anytime I visit a wine store I look for these years to add to my collection. I am looking forward to the 2005 vintage which will surface within the next year and a half.Posted by mardenhill 9/24/2006 07:39:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Wireless
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Yesterday our wireless router decided to stop working. I thought it just needed a reset but no, didn't help. My next test was to unplug it for 30-60 seconds, nope that didn't help. Plugging it into a different outlet didn't solve the problem either. I ran some diagnostics and at this point, I had exhausted all options on my beloved router and it was time to buy a new one. My linksys served me well, I would say it gave me at least 2 years of cable free connectivity.
What makes this rather boring computer upgrade meaningful is that I was just discussing with friends about Apple's new wireless router. There are rumors that a new one may surface before the end of the year or 1st quarter in 2007. I had planned on upgrading to Apple once it came out and sending my linksys to a good home but no more. It must have heard my conversation and decided to kill itself before I moved on.
If you are in the market for a wireless router, I still say buy a linksys because they are the best on the market for the price. They are easy to configure and for the most time work with no hassles. There are a few choices out there, Wireless G, G with Speedboost and N. At this time you will have to buy additional cards for the N network and the routers are still buggy. As for speedboost ignore it, not worth the extra money because N will be standard next year. So I settled on another wireless G router, just like what I had for $69.99.
Posted by mardenhill 9/23/2006 07:07:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
If Noel Likes Them......
Well its official Kasabian are the best band in the UK, they have Noel Gallagher's stamp of approval. It really does help having either Noel or Liam's blessings, look at Bloc Party they got dissed by the boys and have gone nowhere. If you havn't checked out Kasabian's new cd what are you waiting for....
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Speaking exclusively in this week's NME the Oasis leader, who put in a special guest appearance for hit single 'Club Foot' and 'The Doberman' at London's KOKO last week (September 12), said he thought the band were "gobby little fuckers" when they first surfaced.
However once Noel had seen them live he thought "they were the fucking business" and he now considers them to be among Britain's best.
"They're up there with Prodigy and The Primals," he explained. 'Screamadelica' is the definitive guitar dance record, it's not even indie dance or any of that shit, and The Prodigy did it with 'Breathe'. Kasabian are there now, and they're making music which is unique.
Posted by mardenhill 9/23/2006 09:01:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Its About Freakin Time
Friday, September 22, 2006
I am sick and tired of these pansyass Dems who are too weak to fight. I have been saying it for years, take your hippy dippy, peace loving, hugs and kisses attitude and get the hell out of the way. This is one of the things that pisses me off with the Dems, they are given the ball and drop it when it counts the most. The bloggers and the journalists are the only ones out there fighting, when a Dem gets some airtime they screw it up.
After weeks of smearing Clinton over Bin Laden, Bill went onto Fox News and bitchslapped Chris Wallace into next week. Wallace thought he would sandbag Clinton but it didn't work this time. Bill was on fire and set the record straight.
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WALLACE: …may I just finish the question sir. And after the attack, the book says, Bin Laden separated his leaders because he expected an attack and there was no response. I understand that hindsight is 20/20.
CLINTON: No let’s talk about…
WALLACE: …but the question is why didn’t you do more, connect the dots and put them out of business?
CLINTON: OK, let’s talk about it. I will answer all of those things on the merits but I want to talk about the context of which this arises. I’m being asked this on the FOX network…ABC just had a right wing conservative on the Path to 9/11 falsely claim that it was based on the 9/11 Commission report with three things asserted against me that are directly contradicted by the 9/11 Commission report. I think it’s very interesting that all the conservative Republicans who now say that I didn’t do enough, claimed that I was obsessed with Bin Laden. All of President Bush’s neocons claimed that I was too obsessed with finding Bin Laden when they didn’t have a single meeting about Bin Laden for the nine months after I left office. All the right wingers who now say that I didn’t do enough said that I did too much. Same people.
WALLACE: Do you think you did enough sir?CLINTON: No, because I didn’t get him.
WALLACE: Right…
CLINTON: But at least I tried. That’s the difference in me and some, including all the right wingers who are attacking me now. They ridiculed me for trying. They had eight months to try and they didn’t…I tried. So I tried and failed. When I failed I left a comprehensive anti-terror strategy and the best guy in the country, Dick Clarke… So you did FOX’s bidding on this show. You did you nice little conservative hit job on me. But what I want to know...
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If the Dems are going to win they need to kick it up a notch. There are plenty of us who are tired of defending the party and never get any backup from the leaders. Take note of Clinton's interview, he called out Wallace, hit every point and refuted all the lies spread about him. He didn't talk in circles, he was straight forward and to the point.
Posted by mardenhill 9/22/2006 10:15:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
One Business Man At A Time
It looks like we have Virgin founder Richard Branson on board with the Global Warming Initative. Branson a skeptic has done the research, met with scientists and Al Gore who finally convinced him of the dangers. When it comes to business, Branson is a genius and many people try to emulate his success. I know we won't be winning over any CEOs at Exxon, or Halliburton or GM but there are other business leaders who can be converted. As much as the last 6 years have been hell, the green movement needed it. After seeing a white house in bed with big oil, people can finally appreciate green living. Generation Xer's who have been the backbone of the movement now have a disposable income which allows for bigger purchasing power. Everyday products all the way up to cars and houses are now available and people are buying. Its swinging our way, it may take a couple more years but it will happen....
Posted by mardenhill 9/22/2006 02:59:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics, Technology
Switzerland
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Electric Six are back with their 2nd release of 2006, can you say Ryan Adams. Anyways, if you are not familiar with Electric Six, they broke onto the scene with "Danger! High Voltage" back in 2003 with the help of Jack White from the White Stripes. Their new cd Switzerland is a bit different from the previous releases. The jokes, the fire, the party, and the rock n roll are still here but a bit tamed down. The cd starts off with "The Band In Hell" a mid tempo track that reeks of a hangover. Track 2 "I Buy The Drugs" is a mix between Meatloaf and Warren Zevon, a great piano pumping, head bobbing sing a long. Track 3 "Mr Woman" is classic E6, loud guitars, building cresendos and lots of crazy lyrics. Track 4 "Night Vision" is the most radio friendly song and reminds me of the Killers, with its cheezy synth pop. Track 5 "Infected Girls" is great, full of sexual innuendos, devoesque keyboards and swagger. Track 8 "Pink Flamingos" has a country western flare with a storyline that would make for a great B Movie. Lyricwise, its one of the best on the cd and the you can't argue with lines like "And they never fly away, in my front yard they stay" and "You got to climb the statue of the demon to get closer to god". If you are looking for a start to end party cd, this one isn't quite it. That does not mean its bad, I happen to think this cd is their best. The style differences help keep the cd interesting and you can see how much E6 has grown as a band. I give it a 7.5 out of 10.Posted by mardenhill 9/21/2006 07:32:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Donna Laura Sangiovese Di Toscana
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
The 1st drink of this wine was exactly what I have been complaining about for years now, a lot of Italian wine is weak, thin and watery. I then took a step back and let it sit for 30 minutes and tried again. This time the wine was much better, it had a bit more body and a hint of spice you would expect from a Sangiovese. Although it is still thin it has some fruit up front, nothing overpowering like a cab or pinot noir but a hint of sweetness. It finishes with low tannin and a bit of pepper that lingers on your tongue. This wine comes from the Tuscany region of Italy, home of the Chianti Classico. Label wise, its creative and more appealing than traditional Italian bottles.
I am still on the fence with this one tho, I do like Sangiovese but I tend to like ones that come from California. I know thats all wrong but CA ones tend to be a bit more robust. One of my favorites, Chariot Sangiovese comes from Jim Neal Vineyards in the CA central coast. I will continue searching for the perfect Italian Sangiovese and keep you posted.
Some info from the website below:
http://www.banvilleandjoneswinemerchants.com/portfolio/donnalaura.php
Donna Laura specializes in producing wines from first-class Sangiovese grapes grown in the Castelnuovo Berardenga region of Chianti Classico. This new venture, spearheaded by owner Lia Tolaini-Banville, seeks to fulfill a need in the American market for high quality Sangiovese wines at an accessible price point that are both representative of the terroir of the region, as well as international in style.
The name Ali means “wings” in Italian and is also the name of the winery owner Lia Tolaini-Banville’s daughter. The artwork from the label is a detail of Cupid from the original artwork for the Bramosia Chianti Classico label by Rik Olsen.
Posted by mardenhill 9/20/2006 09:30:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Wine
More Republican Hyprocrisy
Well, well, well, Senator "I like to diagnose brain dead women from a video screen" Frist wants to go out of the senate with a bang. Besides being a useless and pandering majority leader, Frist wants to break his own rules and beliefs. Not too long ago, Frist threatened the Nuclear Option on the filibuster of judges. Now members in his own party have legislation he doesn't like and is threatening to filibuster. This would be the McCain, Warner, Graham legislation protecting the Geneva Convention and prohibiting the torture of prisoners. As usual it all comes back to Bush thinking he is above the law but now needs the law changed to protect himself. Samething with the warrentless wiretapping, Bush broke the law, now he has his pet Sen Spector rewriting FISA to cover his tracks. This time its the Geneva Convention and Frist has stepped up to the plate. Frist thinks he has a chance at the presidency in 2008 but he has proven he is pathetic loser who can't negotiate his way out of a brown paper sack.
I could go on and on about how bad a person Frist is but I will leave it here, he will soon be out of the senate and be forgotten.......
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/19/AR2006091901463.html
Dissidents' Detainee Bill May Face Filibuster
Frist Warns GOP Opponents of Bush's Proposal They Must Accept Two Key Provisions
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist signaled yesterday that he and other White House allies will filibuster a bill dealing with the interrogation and prosecution of detainees if they cannot persuade a rival group of Republicans to rewrite key provisions opposed by President Bush.
Frist's chief of staff, Eric M. Ueland, called the dissidents' bill "dead."
Posted by mardenhill 9/20/2006 12:22:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Its Getting Closer
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
With 10 games left in the season and the Tigers still on top, there is a good chance we will make the playoffs. I just read that tickets are already sold out for the first three playoff games at Comerica Park. Although tickets have been sold, I want these last 10 games over with before I get too excited. When it gets to the point where its statistically impossible for the Tigers not to make the playoffs then I will start my celebration. Right now I see Minnesota taking over 1st place and the Tigers snagging the Wild Card spot unless they somehow blow the rest of the season.
Posted by mardenhill 9/19/2006 04:28:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Tigers
Seghesio 2004 Barbera d' Alba
Monday, September 18, 2006
The next Italian red I would like to introduce to you comes from Monforte Alba in the Piedmont region of Italy. The wine is produced by Azienda Vitivinicola di Seghesio and contains the Barbera grape. This wine is ruby in color with lots of fruit and low tannin. It is smooth and has a velvet quality which makes it easy to drink. If you are not a fan of the thick tannins some Italian wines can have, check out one of these. Besides Italy, the Barbera grape has been planted throughout California and is used in jug wines due to its fruity flavor.
There is a Seghesio in California and although I couldn't find any information thru google search on this bottle I believe they are connected. Some Seghesio family members left Piedmont and went to California back in the 1800s. Seghesio in CA makes an excellent Zinfandel, if you are a fan of these wines check them out.
Posted by mardenhill 9/18/2006 08:53:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Roller Skating Vegan!!!!
http://www.debbiemerrillshow.com
The other nite about 12:30am we stumbled across the Debbie Merrill Show on Public Access. Although the show was awful, we were drawn to it and could not change the channel. Debbie was a professional rollerskater in her younger years and preaches a raw food vegan diet. She was obnoxious the whole time, talking a mile a minute and skating in cicles. There were different guests who were just as looney as she was making food and talking about being vegan. Check out pictures on the site for a good look at this crazy lady. She likes to post older ones to make her look younger but Public Access doesn't lie, no air brushing or filter lenses.
From the website:
"Debbie does not eat any type of animal products. Instead of meat, fish, cheese, and milk, Debbie eats raw organic fruits, vegetables, sprouted nuts, seeds, and sprouted greens. In fact, Debbie eats those foods only in their raw state. “My diet not only keeps me healthy and thin, but full of energy and stamina to succeed in a very athletic professional lifestyle."
Posted by mardenhill 9/18/2006 03:17:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Photos From Our Vacation
Sunday, September 17, 2006
http://www.flickr.com/photos/excursionsemi/sets/72157594286930598/
Posted by mardenhill 9/17/2006 02:51:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Nouvelle Vague
With a name that means "new wave" in English and "bossa nova" in Portuguese, Nouvelle Vague's moniker neatly sums up the group's concept: remaking classic new wave singles with a Brazilian pop twist. Nouvelle Vague is the brainchild of French producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux...................................
I pulled this from all music, its the easiest way to explain to you the concept behind Nouvelle Vague. Another interesting bit on the cd, the women singing were not familiar with the original songs which gives it a more authenitic feel. Track 1 "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is set to a Brazilian jazz beat which gives it an uplifting feel. It does strip the seriousness of the song but with waves crashing in the backgound and maracas its hard to hate. Track 2 "Just Can't Get Enough" takes the Depeche Mode song and interjects an island mentality. Lots of congos and steel drums. Track 4 "Guns Of Brixton" is probably the closest to the original on the cd. It still have the Bossa Nova feel but The Clash were always into world music so its not that big of a stretch. Track 5 "This Is Not A Love Song" takes Public Image Ltd and morphs it into a late nite drinking and dancing under the stars sing a long. Track 8 "Making Plans For Nigel" is probably my favorite on the cd, it is beautiful and lush with a great underlying spanish guitar holding it all together. Track 9 "A Forest" has the sounds of a tropical rainforest, quite different than the dark, brooding version we all know from The Cure. The running water and birds makes you think this is from a relaxation cd. Tack 10 "I'll Stop The World" takes one of the most popular 80s songs and gives it a lullaby quality. This cd came out in 2004 but didn't really gain world acclaim until this year. Nouvelle Vague released a 2nd cd a couple months ago with covers of Echo & The Bunnymen, U2, Billy Idol, Blondie, The Cramps and Bauhaus just to name a few. I havn't heard this one but can't wait til I get a copy.
Posted by mardenhill 9/17/2006 12:23:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Hey I Know I'm A Loser But...
Well Rummy has struck out on EVERY reason for the war in Iraq, there were no WMDs and no connection to Al Qaeda so now it time to move the goal posts yet again. Now the new tag line is high gas prices, if Saddam was still in power he would reap in billions and develop a nuclear bomb. Instead our big oil companies took the money and did nothing to help the country ween itself off of the black gold. Give it up Rummy, you have no revelance anymore. You have proven your incomptence over and over, its time to move on.
Posted by mardenhill 9/17/2006 11:07:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Now This Is Cool.......
Friday, September 15, 2006
Check out this coffee maker, besides brewing the lifeblood of the gods it also gives you a daily weather report. It doesn't need internet connectivity, it uses FM band to update you. Besides weather, it also grinds your beans for the perfect morning pot. The downside of it all is the price. It comes in at $250, not sure how long it will stay at price or if stores will knock it down to $199. For those of you with a bit of disposable income, this baby will be available Nov 15th.
Update: DTU (aka. Kim & Matt) hosts of http://dead2us.blogspot.com/index.html
wonder why this would be useful. For starters, I have to grind my own beans and add water each night before I go to bed. It would eliminate the need to grind the beans beforehand and save me a few minutes of my life each day. Those few minutes could then be used to post more on my blog. See how it all works out. The 2nd reason why this would rock has to do with morning news. I refuse to watch ABC, NBC or CBS morning shows, they are just fodder for the masses and I need hardcore news. Instead I watch CNN and MSNBC to get my daily fix before listening to Air America or NPR in the car on my way to work. Cable news gives weather reports but Detroit is never lucky enough so its a crap shoot when it comes to our local forcast. And the 3rd reason, I took a meteorology class in college so my local climate is interesting to me.
Posted by mardenhill 9/15/2006 12:50:00 PM 2 comments
Labels: Technology
Microsoft Zune
Here are some images of Microsoft's iPod killer, the Zune. Well folks it won't come close and I for one would never buy one. They are boasting about the FM tuner and wireless availability. They don't like to tell you that the battery life will be non existent with the use of wi-fi. The screen looks to be bigger than the iPod video but give Apple a few months, even early next year for an upgrade that will be even better.
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The device will also include wireless technology, a built-in FM tuner and a 3-inch screen when it goes on sale later this holiday season. Zune users will be able to share content wirelessly with other Zune users and purchase new content from the "Zune Marketplace."
Posted by mardenhill 9/15/2006 12:32:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Who Me, I'm Not Guilty, I'm Just A Jackass
GOP Rep. Bob Ney to plead guilty and he's going to jail by Joe in DC - 9/14/2006 10:21:00 PM
A guilty plea would make Mr. Ney, a six-term congressman, the first member of Congress to admit to criminal charges in the Abramoff investigation, which has focused on the actions of several current and former Republican lawmakers who had been close to the former lobbyist.
Bob Ney, one of the leading Republicans in Congress, will plead guilty tomorrow to charges stemming from his relationship with Jack Abramoff:
People with detailed knowledge of the investigation said Mr. Ney had entered an in-patient rehabilitation facility in recent days for treatment of alcoholism, making it uncertain whether he would appear at a court hearing to announce the plea. Lawyers and others would speak only anonymously because of concern they would anger prosecutors.
They said the agreement with the Justice Department — and the exact criminal charges, which are expected to include conspiracy and false statement — would be disclosed in Washington as soon as Friday and would probably require Mr. Ney to serve at least some time in prison.
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Well the Ohio scumbag known as Rep Bob Ney will be heading to the pokey, its about time. Ney is not running for re-election since he knew he wouldn't win, just like Tom Delay but maybe the two of them can share a cell when all is said and done. Besides having the worst hairpiece in the House, Rep. Ney ripped off the American public by crawling into bed with Abramoff.
We still have Conrad Burns of Montana and our favorite princess down in Florida, Katherine Harris involved in bribery schemes, it will be fun to watch them fall.......
Posted by mardenhill 9/15/2006 09:30:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
New Blogger On The Block
Thursday, September 14, 2006
I would like to welcome my lovely wife Erika to the blogosphere. She has decided its time to share her thoughts and words of wisdom with the rest of the world. Check out her blog below and don't forget to bookmark it. For those of you who are still debating about starting a blog, what are you waiting for? I would also like to prod those of you who have blogs but have neglected to update them. Lets get back in the saddle, blogs won't write themselves.
This month marks my 2 year anniversary on blogging, its amazing how time flies.....
http://www.questtobemidwest.blogspot.com
Posted by mardenhill 9/14/2006 11:51:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
R.E.M. Best Of....
http://www.remhq.com/flash/index.htmlR.E.M. released another greatest hits but this one pulled songs from the I.R.S. years '82-'87. Some of R.E.M's best songs come from this era. You have Begin The Begin, Pretty Persuasion, Radio Free Europe, (Don't Go Back To) Rockville, S. Central Rain (I'm Sorry), Driver 8, Finest Worksong, The One I Love, 7 Chinese Brothers, Cuyahoga, Its The End Of The World just to name a few. I could go on but I would be listing the whole cd. Its a double release, the 1st cd has 21 songs and the 2nd cd 21 songs of b-sides, demos and live songs. I won't go into detail with reviews of songs since everyone should know these by heart.
NME reported that R.E.M. are heading back to the studio to record and the next release should have a bit more rock in it. Whether R.E.M. records as an experimental 3 piece or standard rock band, the result will still be same, excellent music from one of the best bands ever.
Posted by mardenhill 9/14/2006 09:24:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
This Woxy's Gone To Heaven
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Well not quite but in 2 days. Remember Woxy will go off the air on Friday, Sept 15th so tune in now. Woxy Vintage has their top 500 countdown going which is always fun to listen to. They are selling t-shirts and its a pre order so get your request in before Friday.Going forward you have KEXP out of Seattle for internet radio but they were never as good as Woxy. KEXP is NPR but in a music format and you have to suffer thru pledge drives multiple times a year.
Posted by mardenhill 9/13/2006 12:51:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
It Has Begun
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso DOC
Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio is so named for the legend of Christ's ascension into heaven and his emotion upon seeing the beauty of the Bay of Naples beneath him. The grape, Piedirosso, is a typical grape of this area; the vineyards which produce the Montesole Lacryma Christi Rosso are found in 15 different villages. Picked in the last week of October, the grapes are vinified in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then aged for seven months in French and Slavonian oak barrels. The combination of new and used barrels allows the character of Piedirosso to express itself. Deep ruby red color, intense fruity nose, mainly cherry and blackberry. Soft and round with a pleasing tannic finish.
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http://www.caputo.it
Posted by mardenhill 9/12/2006 09:27:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Nokia E62
Well Tech Tuesday wouldn't be over without a cell phone update. Cingular will be rolling out the Nokia E62 later this month, this is the baby brother to the E61 that is all over Europe. Although this has a higher number, it is lacking the Wi-Fi and other goodies the E61 posesses. It is rumored that it will have push technology which allows for email to come in without the unit having to go out every so many minutes looking for updates. This works well in corporate environments where your email comes from an Exchange server. It is expected to be at the $150 price range, a lot cheaper than the Motorola Q which looks and feels the same. This won't be running Windows Mobile hence the savings but that should not matter. I still want to play with one to see if this will be a better investment than the Q.
Posted by mardenhill 9/12/2006 04:18:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
iPod Line
The colors are back, this is probably the smartest thing Apple has done in a while. They had a great product with the iPod Mini but phased it out for the Nano. Sizes, 2 gig $149 in silver. 4 gig $199 all colors and 8 gig $249 in black. The iPod Shuffle is now even smaller and has a clip to hold it in place. Personally I think its stupid but for those who are runners its perfect. Regular ipod was bumped up to 80 gigs but that is the only change.
We will have to wait for the next refresh to get our large/touch screen ipod, maybe early next year, just in time for me to upgrade.
Posted by mardenhill 9/12/2006 02:51:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
iTunes 7
There are now 3 new views within iTunes 7, more or less the original, a CD view and a cool graphical view that scrolls thru the choices, kinda like a jukebox that flips pages. Movies stone now available. $9.99 for older releases, $12.99 for pre releases and $14.99 for those movies after 2 weeks. So far just Pixar and Disney but more to come. 640 x 480 size for TV shows, this a better resolution than before which is good. You can also buy video games for the ipod for $4.99 a piece.
Posted by mardenhill 9/12/2006 02:35:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Just A Rumor But.....
Courtesy of Gizmodo.
This is a French ad for an Apple cell phone with iTunes. It could be a fake but if it were true, this would be one swanky phone. It could overtake the Razr and LG chocolate as the "must have" device........
Big things are happening today but I don't think its the phone quite yet.....
Posted by mardenhill 9/12/2006 11:27:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
iTunes Music Store
At this time the iTunes music store is unavailable. Apple's scheduled media event is at 10am PST, so we have until at least 2pm eastern before the store is back up and running. You may have to download a new version of iTunes, they might revamp the whole app and put out iTunes version 7. This is just speculation but in previous enhancements, new downloads were necessary. I will update with the new Apple products later this afternoon.......
Posted by mardenhill 9/12/2006 10:08:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Third Times A Charm
Monday, September 11, 2006
Hasek, 41, signed a 1-year contract with a base salary of $500,000 and loaded with incentives. Hasek missed the second half of last season and the playoffs while with the Ottawa Senators because of a groin injury. Hasek said he is injury free now. "I don't feel any problems on or off the ice," Hasek said. "I hope it's going to stay like that the whole year." ...................................................... We just let Shanahan and Yzerman go, I thought we were going to start again with younger players, but I guess not. So its Hasek back AGAIN, for the 3rd time. Lets hope he doesn't go out on injury the first week of the season. What is going on with the Wings, are they addicted to geezers who just want to retire under one of the original six?
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060911/UPDATE/609110398
Posted by mardenhill 9/11/2006 03:15:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Red Wings
7 Deadly Zins
Before I start my fall of Italian Reds, I needed to get in one last bottle of Zin and opened Michael & David's 7 Deadly Zins last nite. This wine comes from the Lodi appellation within California, the region south of Sacramento and east of San Francisco. The zin is amazing, it comes from old vines and has a very deep and spicy flavor. There is a lot of fruit in this one which is why I am a big fan. Its not weak by any account tho, there is enough spice that you would think there was a hot pepper hidden somewhere. While looking on the vineyard's website I stumbled across a few more bottles that look to be interesting. The first is the Earthquake Zin, one I have seen but havn't brought myself to buy since it is about $20 a bottle. The 2nd was 7 Heavenly Chards, I have never seen it in a store but I think it would be quite good. I may have to sneak in a pinot noir and bordeaux over the next few months but I will try and stick to my original plan of Italian only.
http://www.lodivineyards.com/winesdlr.htm
Posted by mardenhill 9/11/2006 12:30:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Bordeaux Wines
http://www.bordeaux.com/
Here is a great website which gives you the history and breakdown of the great French wine region. Below are two pdfs that you can print out, the 1st one has pictures and discriptions of the top 100 affordable Bordeauxs but is for the UK and has prices in pounds. The 2nd link is the US version but just a list of the names. If you are a fan I would print these out and check your local wine store for any of the bottles.
http://www.bordeauxwinetasting.co.uk/pdf/wine_list_2006.pdf
http://www.bordeauxwinebureau.org/pdf/top100bordeaux.pdf
Posted by mardenhill 9/11/2006 09:21:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Al Gore?
Sunday, September 10, 2006
"I haven't completely ruled out running for president again in the future but I don't expect to."
-- Al Gore, quoted by the AP, with a statement sure to increase speculation he might be a candidate again.
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I really hope Al runs, I would definitely support him in his bid.
Posted by mardenhill 9/10/2006 06:38:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Uncle John's Cider Mill
On our way home from Erika's parents we stopped at Uncle John's Cider Mill which is about 20 minutes from Lansing. They have recently opened a tasting room for their fruit and grape wines. They have a total of 23 different styles and most of them are apple, pear, cherry, peach and blueberry based. They do make a pinot gris, gewurtzaminer, reisling and both red and white blends but these are only ok and need some work. What Uncle John's does best at are fruit wines and we picked up a couple. The first one we bought was the Harvest Blueberry a great room temp semi dessert/port wine. The 2nd bottle was the Cherry dessert wine a thick and juicy port style wine that goes great with chocolate. They also make 2 more dessert wines a pear and apple which are both very good. I wasn't too hip on the rest of the fruit wines and the sparklings just tasted like juice with a bit of carbonation. If you are in the Lansing area you should check out the cider mill, the donuts and cider are probably the best in the state.
http://www.fruithousewinery.com/
Posted by mardenhill 9/10/2006 06:23:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Whigs Reunite!!!!!
The Whigs are back, well ok they are working on a greatest hits with a few new songs. The retrospective currently titled "Unbreakable" will be released on Rhino Records next spring with at least 2 new songs.
The Afghan Whigs were probably one of the best live bands around and if you ever got a chance to see them you can agree. I saw them about 5x throughout their career and the Twilight Singers once. I remember my friend Jen wanting to kill me at one of the shows since all she could hear was me singing at the top of my lungs and drowning out Greg. When it comes to singing, J Mascis has a better voice than me but I just couldn't help it.
Courtesy of Pitchfork,
It was announced today that Greg Dulli will reunite with the beloved (and, OK, pretty strongly hated, too) 80s/90s alt-rock band that made his decadent, quasi-misogynistic leerings famous. Dulli, bassist John Curley, guitarist Rick McCollum, and drummer Michael Horrigan plan to gather in the band's former homebase of Cincinnati, Ohio in two weeks to work on their first new songs since their final album, 1998's 1965. (Check the vintage promo photo up there!) Although it's not the "classic" Gentlemen-era lineup, hey, we'll take what we can get.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/Afghan_Whigs_Reunite#38442
Posted by mardenhill 9/10/2006 11:36:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
iPod Backlash?
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Steve Jobs better knock our socks off this Tuesday or it may be all over for the ipod. The rumors are an ipod phone, an updated nano, a movie service within itunes and a larger screen ipod. Microsoft will also launch their player Zune this fall (so far reviews are not too kind to the device) and every new cell phone has an mp3 player built in. Below is an exerpt from the UK and their take on the best invention in the last 10 years.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1869042,00.html
She added that the iPod is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success: 'Some backlash is against the ubiquity of the iPod - everyone has those white headphones on the train.'
Analysts warn that the iPod has passed its peak. From its launch five years ago its sales graph showed a consistent upward curve, culminating in a period around last Christmas that saw a record 14 million sold. But sales fell to 8.5 million in the following quarter, and down to 8.1 million in the most recent three-month period. Wall Street is reportedly starting to worry that the bubble will burst.
Posted by mardenhill 9/09/2006 10:43:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Michigan Votes
Friday, September 08, 2006
The faces of the Michigan Republican party and who we need to defeat come November. Devos is running against our governer Jennifer Granholm, its time to send him back to the west side of the state where he belongs. Mike currently holds the 8th district in MI which is the central, Lansing area of the state. James Marcinkowski is running against him and needs all the help he can get. Michael Bouchard is running against Debbie Stabenow and is currently behind by double digits in the polls. We need to make sure he stays there.
Posted by mardenhill 9/08/2006 05:37:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Desiree Chocolate Port
Rosenblum Cellars makes a great chocolate port which tastes like German choclate cake with a bit of a kick. It is made with Tinta Cao, Tinta Roriz and Zinfandel, two grape varietals from Portugal and one from California. The chocolate syrup comes from Miluakee, WI but the website will not say where. The port is pretty sweet so you could easily get away with serving this on its own or with some fruit. Price wise you are looking at about $20-$25 depending on where you find it.Posted by mardenhill 9/08/2006 12:30:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Funny Quote
"Apple has issued a recall on several models of Mac laptops because the battery can overheat and catch fire. Experts say a Mac fire is just like a PC fire, except it's more hip and condescending."
---Conan O'Brien
I read it this morning and just started laughing.
Posted by mardenhill 9/08/2006 09:43:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Hippy Nite At The Sutton House
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Erika's father has an amazing garden at his house which is about an acre in size. There are a ton of different vegetables growing and Jeff gave us bags of corn, green beans, beets and lettuce this past weekend. Erika froze the beans already and tonight was corn nite. Yesterday we shucked all the ears and tonight boiled and cut off the kernels. It was messy but in the end we had 8 bags of organic corn ready to freeze. There were a total of 55 ears and each bag has between 2.5 and 3 cups of corn. This beats Trader Joes or Meijer any day.
Posted by mardenhill 9/07/2006 10:36:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
