The Price Is Right
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Bob Barker Retiring After 50 Years on TV
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Bob Barker is heading toward his last showcase, his final "Come on down." The silver-haired daytime-TV icon is retiring in June, he told The Associated Press Tuesday. "I will be 83 years old on December 12," he said, "and I've decided to retire while I'm still young." He'll hang up his microphone after 35 years as the host of "The Price Is Right" and 50 years overall in television. Though he has been considering retirement for "at least 10 years," Barker said he has so much fun doing the show that he hasn't been able to leave.
"I've gone on and on and on to this ancient age because I've enjoyed it," he said. "I've thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm going to miss it."
Posted by mardenhill 10/31/2006 09:34:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Latest Political Fodder
http://www.electoral-vote.com/
This is a very good site to see what the latest layout of the land is shaping up. This is updated daily and I have seen the Senate go from 51 Dems down to 48 and back up to 49. I believe we will pull of Montana and the other 3, Tennesse, Missouri and Virginia are too close to call. What I find amazing is the projected new House numbers, just yesterday it had 208 republicans, somehow 5 seats have shifted from favored republican to a toss up or favored dem. With 1 more week to go before election day, the repubs are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at their opponents. It just goes to show that they have no strategy and are desparate.
Posted by mardenhill 10/31/2006 10:53:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Hubble Day
Today is the day when we will find out if Hubble will undergo one last maintenance before being decommissioned. The telescope needs some new batteries and gyroscopes but a shuttle mission would have to be launched. After the 2003 shuttle disaster, NASA ruled against the repairs but now with new leadership, it looks to be on. Later this morning they will announce if the mission will happen. I really hope they send up astronauts to repair the telescope since it will give us another 7 years of images. At that point we will have a replacement in place.
http://hubblesite.org/
Posted by mardenhill 10/31/2006 08:51:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Science
Prince
Monday, October 30, 2006
Prince To Reign Over Vegas?
Posted by mardenhill 10/30/2006 11:08:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Penny On The Track
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Ben Kweller is just another lame indie rock kid trying to make a name for himself and he is driving me insane. He is on his 3rd record, entitled Ben Kweller and this 25 year old has come to a crossroad. He either needs to drop the youthful image and embrace adulthood or just fade away. On his new record, he plays all the instruments and tried to write grown up lyrics. You have plenty of piano based songs which make you think of Ben Folds. When the piano is not full force, you have blatent Beatles ripoffs and a bit of Fountain of Wayne pop art. I have tried to give his new cd a chance but its not working except for the song "Penny On The Track". Its addictive and gets stuck in your head which at that point you are doomed. The intro is like crack and grabs you within the first 10 seconds. The drums and guitar pick up and by 30 seconds Ben starts with his singing. Its a beautifully crafted pop song, and damn him for making me like it. Happy feat, knee slapping and head bobbing are uncontrollable and you hate yourself. I have just listened to it 3x now while typing this posting and if I could strangle the guy I would. If you have never heard the song, stay away because you will become hooked and its all over. Because I am an evil person and want everyone to suffer the same fate, I have included a link to his myspace page where you can listen.
http://www.myspace.com/benkweller
Posted by mardenhill 10/29/2006 09:14:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Indian Nite At The Sutton House
Erika made an excellent dinner tonight which consisted of Balti Chicken Pasanda, Dal Makhani, Vegetable Samosa, rice and Naan. The chicken is served in a cream based sauce and marinated in tons of great spices. The Dal Makhani is black lentils & red kidney beans in a rich sauce w/hints of butter, (ok it comes from Trader Joes pre made and you just heat in the microwave). The naan and samosa's also came from Trader Joes but are worth it when you don't have the time to make a full Indian meal from scratch. The chicken we made from scratch tho and it was excellent. This is the 2nd time we have tackled Indian fare and we are doing pretty well. To cool off the spices we had my favorite Vouvray, J Moreau & Fils 2004. This wine is very simple but perfect for summer and spicy foods. For dessert we have some coconut and banana sorbet, both from Trader Joes. As you can tell, we shop a lot there.
Posted by mardenhill 10/29/2006 08:49:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Misc
Time To Rake The Leaves
We have 3 trees in our yard, 2 in the back and 1 in the front. One of our trees has dropped all its leaves but the other 2 are still holding on. Our red maple holds them well into November and I am stuck out there raking when its 30 degrees. The last 2 weeks have been riddled with rain which has cut my yardwork down to zero. Today the sun is out and some of the leaves that have fallen are dried out. I am heading out in a few to start raking what I can and hope the wind keeps blowing to knock the rest down.I also need to plant the rest of my bulbs today, I just received the remaining coneflowers from Michigan Bulb. I have planted about 100 bulbs so far this fall, lets hope they produce next year. I am at the point where I can't really dig anywhere in the back without tripping over a bulb. This is good news and also means I need to tear up more of the yard if I want more flowers.
I am not a fan of boring grass and a couple shrubs for landscaping, I would rather have things blooming from spring thru fall and deal with the weeding.
Posted by mardenhill 10/29/2006 11:20:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Garden
Election Day
Election day is coming up and there is just a little more than a week left. The smears, the attack ads and the lies have been in full force but I don't think its enough to keep the Republicans in power. Polls have Dems taking the House but not the Senate. I don't like to rely too much on polls since we have been burned before by them. Realistically, I see the Dems taking the House but the Senate will go down either 49-51 or 50-50.
I expect another OBL ad or some kind of taped message coming out this week. I also expect to hear some saber rattling over Iran in the next couple days. We have aircraft carriers over near Iran that were quietly launched at the beginning of the month timed to arrive right about now. The repubs will rely on fear to pull off a victory but I think its too little too late.
The wave is coming, no one knows the size but everyone believes it exists. Besides the House and Senate, there are state wide elections and Governer's races that need to be won. The repubs have an excellent GOTV (get out the vote) but the dems have made up ground big time. Lets not forget about the 50 state plan Howard Dean started, without it, we would have never expanded in the west and the south.
Posted by mardenhill 10/29/2006 09:58:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Its Over
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Last nites game was not a fun one to watch, still more errors and little hits. I am not upset tho, it was a fun ride this summer and the Tigers gave us something to look forward to. There is always next year and now some of the younger players have that much needed playoff experience. In Detroit we became so used to the playoffs with the Red Wings that it was automatically an extended season every year. This was good and bad though, when the Wings would exit 1st round, bars around town would get pissed because they expected that additional revenue. The Pistons came in and picked up some of that slack and now we have the Tigers playing great again. Lets hope all 3 teams can keep this going and with the odds, at least one of them can win next time.
Thank you Tigers for a great season, it was fun and I can't wait until next year.
Posted by mardenhill 10/28/2006 09:56:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Tigers
Halloween At BBDO
Friday, October 27, 2006
Every Halloween we have a big party for the kids and all of us. Each floor will decorate their area and pass out candy. Parents will bring their kids in and the rest of us just wander around checking things out and more or less goofing off for the rest of the day. Decorations start a couple days before so not much work really gets done around here. Our floor decided to go with the pirates theme and you can see some of our setup. The large pirate ship was built out of pallets and the other one out of Dell cardboard boxes. Every dept usually does some kind of maze for the kids to walk thru and we just cover the walls and ceilings with garbage bags. All the festivities should be starting in about another hour.....
Posted by mardenhill 10/27/2006 12:55:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Hey Pete, Piss Off
Now I am not condoning drug use but it is quite funny when you have Liam lecturing younger musicians on the topic. In typical Oasis fashion, the Gallagher brothers have to stay one step ahead of the competition.
..........................
Liam Gallagher slams Babyshambles and Keane stars
The singer calls Pete Doherty and Tom Chaplin 'posh lightweights'
Liam Gallagher has blasted Pete Doherty and Keane singer Tom Chaplin over their recent stints in rehab.
The Oasis frontman called the pair "posh lightweights" for checking into The Priory for drug addiction.
He told The Sun: "None of us have ever been in The Priory, like all these little idiots today. They have one little line, they have one burn and they're all in rehab.
"That Pete Doherty is cabbaged already. And it's like, 'How old are you? Priory at 27 years of age? You idiot.' Posh boys can't take drugs, man. They're lightweights."
As previously reported on NME.COM, Chaplin recently spent a short spell in rehab where he was treated for drink and drug addiction.
Doherty is also currently continuing a drug rehabilitation programme at The Priory.
Oasis release their greatest hits collection 'Stop The Clocks' on November 20.
Posted by mardenhill 10/27/2006 11:21:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Benton Lane Pinot Noir
http://www.benton-lane.com/Last nite I opened a bottle of Benton Lane 2003 Pinot Noir. This wine comes from the Williamette Valley region within Oregon. Pinot Noir does best in the Oregon climate, it is very close to that of Burgundy, France where Pinots rule. Northern California has progressed with their Pinots and tend to be a bit cheaper than that of Oregon and France.
Getting back to Benton Lane, this wine has a great bouquet and has the classic Pinot color. Its not too dark and cloudy, just light enough to see thru when holding up to a light. Pinots have a great flavor, nice fruit with a hint of earth to balance it out. I have had a number of other Oregon Pinots which are more complex than this one but I still enjoy the Benton Lane. The flavor is very full and has a nice finish. For the price, this wine is great if you are looking for that Oregon fix.
Posted by mardenhill 10/27/2006 10:11:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Damn, Damn, Damn
Damn Tigers lost again last nite 5-4 due to another pitching error. I can't blame it all on the pitchers since our big guns havn't been able to hit anything. Pudge finally got a base hit and Magglio just sits back and watches pitches go by. There are errors left and right and it doesn't look good for the Tigers. I am not writing them off, Boston pulled it off a couple years ago under the same conditions so there is hope.
Posted by mardenhill 10/27/2006 09:57:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Tigers
Red Wings
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Last nite we went to the Detroit Red Wings game where they played San Jose Sharks and won 2-1. Hasek was in goal and over all it was a good game. San Jose took the lead early but the Wings picked it up late in the game. It was wierd to see Lidstrom with the "C" on the jersey but Yzerman has retired and its time to move on. Draper has an "A" which I was suprised to see. I have a Draper jersey from back in the day, it was one of those buys that worked out since my other jersey is Shanahan is gone this year. Now onto tonight, lets hope we don't get another rain delay and that the Tigers even the series......
Posted by mardenhill 10/26/2006 07:14:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Red Wings
New Cure Live DVD On The Way
The Cure will be releasing a dvd of live shows next month. Their last live dvd was Trilegy where they played Pornography, Disintegration and Bloodflowers in full. I am a big fan of concert dvds, I have a few of them and love to watch.
...............................................
The Cure prepare live DVD
Band shoot nine European festivals
The Cure have announced plans to release a special live DVD.
The release, entitled 'Festival 2005', trails nine festivals across Europe and festures up to 30 tracks.
The DVD was shot by the band, fans and the road crew, according to their official site.
The full tracklisting for 'Festival 2005' is:
'Open'
'Fascination Street'
'Alt. End'
'The Blood'
'A Night Like This'
'The End Of The World'
'If Only Tonight We Could Sleep'
'The Kiss'
'Shake Dog Shake'
'Us Or Them'
'Never Enough'
'The Figurehead'
'A Strange Day'
'Push'
'Just Like Heaven'
'In Between Days'
'From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea'
'The Drowning Man'
'Signal To Noise'
'The Baby Screams'
'One Hundred Years'
'Shiver And Shake'
'End'
'At Night'
'M'
'Play For Today'
'A Forest'
'Plainsong'
'Disintegration'
'Faith'
Although an official date has not yet been set, the DVD is due for release next month.
Posted by mardenhill 10/26/2006 12:39:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
The Kooks
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
I am still on the fence with the Kooks, one of the latest buzz from the UK these days. Their debut cd does not rely too much on the post punk scene too many bands have tapped over the last couple years. The 1st track "Seaside" is an acoustic bit, nothing special but it showcases the vocals. Track 2 "See The World" is an upbeat somewhat post punk song. The stacatto guitars are there but I think there is something else keeping me listening. Track 3 "Soft Song" drops the distortion a bit and pulls on the Strokes for influence. Track 9 "Naive" is good, it balances the rock with the meloncoly, something the Kooks have proven they are good at.
I think these guys have something here, it heavily borrows from the Strokes but adds the british accent which makes it enjoyable. I like the mix between unplugged and full out rock, it gives the record a bit more depth. I have avoided writing about this cd for a couple months now. I was ready to write them off with the rest of the latest UK crap but I have come around. The Editors got their start from emulating Interpol but also added their own blend off moodiness, same thing goes here. The UK has been a great place for music in the past, I hope we can return to those times again. I am getting bored of the US music scene and if the UK just continues to copy, we are all doomed.
I give it a 7/10
http://www.thekooks.co.uk/
Posted by mardenhill 10/25/2006 09:27:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Perp Walk 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
I would like to thank Huffington Post for the excellent picture of Hastert leaving his meeting with the House Ethics Committee regarding the Mark Foley affair. Hastert had everyone else under the sun testifying its only fair that he does the same. It will be interesting to see what comes out of the investigation, I would hope with how publicized this case has been, it will not be whitewashed. Hastert is up against the wall, he has other representatives and aides pointing fingers at him and he has no where to go. Hastert knew and didn't care, and it will be great to see this guy removed from the leadership position.
Posted by mardenhill 10/24/2006 08:23:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Burning Like A Flame
Its time to take a trip back to the 80s where metal was king. I just pulled out Dokken's Greatest Hits and was listening to a few tracks. Track 1 "Breaking The Chains" goes back to '83 and has all the classic Dokken, the heavy riffs and fist pounding chorus. Track 5 "Alone Again" comes from their 2nd major label release Tooth & Nail and is probably their best ballad. The swooning by a rocker mixed with a bit of keyboards really got the girls going. Track 8 "In My Dreams" put Dokken on the map and helped blow up 1985. Songwise, its straight forward hairband rock. Track 9 "Its Not Love" came from Under Lock & Key, Dokken's best cd and is probably one of my favorite tracks. You can really hear a lot of Ratt in this song, Out of the Cellar had just come out the year before. Track 10 "Dream Warriors" Dokken's most popular song written for Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is full of over the top guitar and vocals. Track 12 "Heaven Sent" is from the last Dokken release before the 90s when metal died and grunge took over. Its not a ballad but its a slower and moodier song, probably my 2nd favorite Dokken song. Track 14 "Walk Away" is another power ballad but more of a stadium anthem song. Its over produced sound doesn't stand the test of time and sounds rather foolish now.Dokken were never really original, they were another band from the 80s that rode the coattails of Motley Crue, Ratt and Poison. They did the spandex/makeup look for a couple records but soon gave it up after the style faded. George Lynch and Don Dokken made for a good duo but that didn't stand the test of time. Currently only 2 original members are still in Dokken, Don the lead singer and Mick Brown the drummer. Dokken went on to record 5 more records which all have been duds. I joke every summer when I see the reunion tours that come to town with all the 80s bands that I want to see Dokken but in reality, I really don't. I saw them in '96 and it was bad, I saw them again in '02 and it was worse. I can only imagine how it would be come '07.
http://www.dokken.net/
Posted by mardenhill 10/24/2006 04:58:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
2000 Château Larose-Trintaudon
Monday, October 23, 2006
I was on my cellartracker website and the drinking window was until 2007 so I decided to open it. This is a bordeaux from the 2000 vintage and from the Haut-Medoc appellation on the Left Bank. This one has a 60% cab blend with 20% merlot and 20% cab franc. The color is deep purple with a smoky nose. With it being 7 years old, its not as tannic but not as fruity either. Its a bit more complex and has hints of black currant and earth.Posted by mardenhill 10/23/2006 09:29:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Mascots
Hope you enjoy, feel free to write your own captions........
Posted by mardenhill 10/23/2006 04:25:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Tigers
Update: Who's Your Tiger
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006310210001
We are now up to 27 faces, they added another 12 players and this time Craig Monroe is in the list. I am now making Monroe along with Carlos Guillen my Tigers.
Tigers pulled off the win last nite 3-1 and Rogers pitched another excellent game. Todd Jones gave up a run in the 9th but held onto the lead to finish off game 2.
Lets Go Tigers!!!!
Posted by mardenhill 10/23/2006 12:21:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Tigers
Happy Birthday
Today is the 5th anniversary of the 1st generation iPod. As you can see, much has changed over the last 5 years. No more black/white screen, exposed buttons, firewire only, and short battery life. You now have color, movies, tv, videos, photos, podcasts, bigger hard drive and music in a sleek new case. Take a moment to pull your iPod out, wish it a happy birthday and thank it for all the joy it brings you. There may be some headaches but for the most part, your iPod is your best friend and you cannot think of what life would be without it.......
Posted by mardenhill 10/23/2006 11:55:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Technology
Update: Who's Your Tiger
Sunday, October 22, 2006
They have added Nate Robertson, Wil Ledezma, Fernando Rodney, Jamie Walker, Jason Grilli, Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Todd Jones, Zach Miner and a Tigers head. Unfortunately there is no Craig Monroe head shot which I find pretty frustrating. I would have said Craig was my Tiger but now it will have to be Ivan Rodriguez.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200661020002
The Tigers are up 2-0 in the top of the 5th. Its freezing out and I can't imagine how the players feel.
Lets Go Tigers!!!!!
Posted by mardenhill 10/22/2006 09:45:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Tigers
Spirit Of Detroit
OK, Game 1 sucked, no need to discuss it we all know the Tigers played badly. Lets move on to game 2 tonight and hope for a win. I went downtown this morning and took some pics of the Spirit Of Detroit with the Tigers Jersey. There were about 20 people out with cameras, a guess a little rain will keep the masses away. I like to head downtown on Sunday mornings when I need to take pictures, no one is around and if its just building shots I want, its very easy to get.
I need to dig out some old Red Wing jersey shots, those were taken before the digital camera came into play. I will have to scan one in to complete my wall of fame.
Posted by mardenhill 10/22/2006 03:23:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Tigers
The Bluetones
Saturday, October 21, 2006
1996 brought us "Expecting To Fly" an acid house, psychedelic, brit rock album to pick up where the Stone Roses left off. The Bluetones were born, they took the UK by storm and everyone loved them. They came back with "Return To The Last Chance Saloon", a collection of interesting songs, sometimes relying on a genres not popular to the UK. They followed that up with "Science And Nature" a solid cd with catchy brit rock songs, some loud and some soft and introspective. At that time the band took some time off and disappeared for a while. They resurfaced in 2003 with "Luxembourg" but I was never able to find this cd. After another 3 years the Bluetones are back with a new cd entitled "The Bluetones". Track 1 "Surrender" is a meloncoly, head bobbing feel good song. It has the trademark loveable vocals and takes you back to the 90s when brit rock was king. Track 2 "Baby, Back Up" picks up the tempo a bit and bounces between the distortion guitar and crazy keyboards. Track 3 "Hope And Jump" hovers on the acoustic vibe and has that late nite campfire sound to it. Track 4 "Head On A Spike" feels like a new direction for the Bluetones and one that I think they should stay away from. They are trying their hands in the post punk sound of the last couple years. It just doesn't work, the style is over and no one is interested anymore. Track 7 "My Neighbour's House" falls back into classic Bluetones with amped up guitars and catchy hooks. Their new cd is a must for any fan of brit rock and the days when the UK ruled the music world. Other than their failed attempt to copy the post punk scene this record is solid. I have always loved the Bluetones, they made great singalong music and dipped into different genres without going overboard. You can hear some new songs at their myspace page.
Posted by mardenhill 10/21/2006 12:02:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Who's Your Tiger
Friday, October 20, 2006
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200661020002
Its time to get stupid and do dumb things like print players faces off and hang them in your cube at work. They have Magglio, Pudge, Kenny Rogers, Granderson and Leyland masks for everyone to enjoy. All of us at the office have printed off the faces and are supporting our team......
Lets Go Tigers!!!!
Posted by mardenhill 10/20/2006 04:45:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Tigers
Cover Songs Volume 2
Is it deja-vu? The Editors made my blog once again with another cover. This time they have chosen R.E.M.'s "Orange Crush" one of my favorite bands of all time. The original has a dark mood and with the Editor's style its a perfect fit. There are more keyboards in this one but the message is still the same. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.Thanks to Woxy for playing this song, I didn't know it existed and just heard it while I was working on a change control for some software upgrades I need to perform next week.
I also found a cover of The Gorillaz's "Feel Good Inc" on this website. This one is acoustic and its ok, I am not going to rave about it. The Stereolab and R.E.M. are worthy of playing live, this one not so much.
http://hype.non-standard.net/artist/editors
Posted by mardenhill 10/20/2006 03:16:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Spirit Of Detroit
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Detroit likes to support its teams and found a very creative way to do so. It started back in '97 when the Redwings won the Stanley Cup. It was brought back out for '98 when they repeated. Both the Pistons and Shock (Woman's WNBA) have won tites and now its time for the Detroit Tigers to decorate the statue. Its a very cool tradition and and an excellent way to show support. The Tigers jersey will be on display for a couple weeks, giving everyone a chance to head downtown to take pictures. Maybe one day the statue will feature the Lions. Ok, I am getting ahead of myself but 4 our of 5 isn't bad.
On a side note, we were out to eat last nite and Justin Verlander a Tigers pitcher was at the same resturant. He was in the bar so we didn't see him but our waitress filled us in. I didn't want to go bother him, a person from the table next to us did and he looked like an idiot doing so.
Posted by mardenhill 10/19/2006 02:25:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit
New Jill Cunniff Music
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
I was listening to Woxy today when I head the dj say something about a new Jill Cunniff single. This peaked my interest since Jill was the lead singer of Luscious Jackson. I listened to the song, really enjoying it and decided to find out more. I googled the song and came across her myspace page. I added Jill as a friend and sent her a message saying that I thought the song was great and good to see she was recording again. Havn't heard back and don't expect to but thats ok.
Music wise, her solo material picks up where LJ left off. There is the NYC underground beat with a bit more jazz and electronic. Give it a listen, I don't think you will be disappointed. It was very hard not to like LJ and the same goes for Jill's solo work.
Unfortunately her cd won't be out til Feb 07 which really blows, but I guess it gives us something to look forward to..
http://www.myspace.com/jillcunniff
Posted by mardenhill 10/18/2006 10:37:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
PageGate Round 2
Last night on MSNBC, Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank told Keith Olbermann that “there are rumors now about a third [page scandal], this one involving a 16-year-old girl.”
..............................
As if the Mark Foley scandal wasn't enough, there is some perv out there stalking young girls. This rumor was 1st floated by Tucker Carlson a couple weeks ago but never got any traction. With Dana and Keith on it, I imagine it will break within the next couple days. As usual the rightwing talking heads will accuse dems but not take any responsibility for their own sins. It will somehow end up being Bill Clinton's fault, just get ready for the onslaught. Only 19 days to go until we can purge this republican occupation.
Posted by mardenhill 10/18/2006 10:18:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
The Cold Truth
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
I ran out of books to read so I decided to look on my bookshelf to see if there was anything I hadn't read. I found the following book "The Cold Truth" by Jonathan Stone. This is his debut novel and features the character Julian Palmer a young and attractive police trainee. The book came out in '99 and I bought it off the bargin table for $5. I always pick up books in this manner, sometimes finding great authors, othertimes not so much. Checking out the Jonathan's website it looks like he has a few more books and continues to use Julian as a character. Its the typical mindless thriller/mystery books I love to read so don't expect the Illiad or Fountainhead here. So far its a very fast read, I was able to cover 70 pages in an hour. I do like the story but hope there are some twists and turns since I feel like I can predict the ending already. I will be very disappointed if I am correct but that's what you get for $5. If all goes well, I will check out his other books.http://www.jonathanstonebooks.com
Posted by mardenhill 10/17/2006 09:23:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Books
Polls Are Looking Good
We still have a couple weeks before the election but the Senate may swing our way if all goes well. I am expecting the Repubs to keep the senate by 1 seat or it will be tied once again with "Buckshot" Cheney casting the deciding vote. If it ends of tied we may benefit from a party switcher who will toss the control to the Dems.
As for the House, it is looking very good for a Democratic tidal wave sweeping thru and cleaning up. If the Tigers can make it to the World Series, the Dems can retake congress.
Posted by mardenhill 10/17/2006 05:16:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Cover Songs
Monday, October 16, 2006
While listening to Woxy today I heard two of the most intriguing covers, the Editors covering Stereolab's "French Disko" and the Yeah Yeah Yeah's doing Sonic Youth's "The Diamond Sea".
Posted by mardenhill 10/16/2006 05:30:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Doomsday Clock
Since 1947 there has been a Doomsday clock counting down the minutes until nuclear obliteration. Below is a writeup from Wikipedia regarding its history. It hasn't been adjusted since 2002 but people are wondering if the North Korea nuclear test will move it. Currently we are 7 minutes til midnight. We have been as close as 2 minutes and as far back as 17.
........................................
The clock was started at seven minutes to midnight during the Cold War in 1947, and has subsequently been moved forwards or backwards at intervals, depending on the state of the world and the prospects for nuclear war. Its setting is relatively arbitrary, set by the Board of Directors at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in response to global affairs. The setting of the clock has not always been fast enough to cope with the speed of global events, either; one of the closest periods to nuclear war, the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, reached its head and resolution in a number of weeks, and the clock either could not be changed or was not changed to reflect any of this at the time. Nevertheless, the changing of the clock usually does provoke attention, which is presumably the goal of the Bulletin Directors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_clock
Posted by mardenhill 10/16/2006 05:07:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Science
Hey Illuminati Here I Come
The new Masons
The centuries-old fraternity, in an effort to remain relevant, is shedding its secrecy in order to attract young members
With his mop of black hair, silver nose ring and double-pierced ear, Nikki Stone, a 31-year-old rock guitarist, looked a bit out of place last weekend as he stood surrounded by serious-looking men in dark suits beneath baronial, 50-foot ceilings at the Masonic Lodge on Tremont Street in Boston.
But Stone, and the dozens of other non-Masons milling about, was a much sought after guest. With their aging membership at a 50-year-ebb and the vitality of their future in doubt, the Masons are trying something new in their august 275-year history: They have started recruiting.
``We're trying to bring the Masons into the 21st century," Jeffrey Hodgdon, grand master of the Masons in Massachusetts said at an open house in Lexington, the same day that Stone visited the Boston lodge. ``If we don't do something, we're going down the tubes."
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I read this today and thought it would be pretty cool to be a Mason. Plus there is a Masonic Lodge across from my house and I could walk there in 30 seconds. They have lame potluck and pancake breakfasts which I have no desire to be part of but the secret ceremonies would be fun. I should check out to see if the local chapters are recruiting and then I could find out how the Illuminati plan on taking over the world.
Posted by mardenhill 10/16/2006 04:00:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Posting Labels
I just discovered posting labels and wish I had done this from the beginning. I am in the process of setting these up for my older posts, so far I have made it thru the last 100. At the bottom of each posting you will see a word such as "Music, Politics, Wine, Technology etc. These are the labels and when I add one to a post it files them accordingly. If you ever find yourself wanting to look at all the Wine or Music postings all together, just click on the label and it will pull those up.
Posted by mardenhill 10/16/2006 03:36:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Technology
Bell's Lager
The Kalamazoo Brewing Company, Inc has now changed its name to Bell's Brewing Company, Inc after the founder Larry Bell. The beer has always been known as Bells but the brewery is located in Kalamazoo, MI hence the original name. As a brewery, it has been around for over 20 years and is the best beer on the planet hands down. No other beer can come close to the greatness that is Bells. OK, I can't really prove the last 2 statements but just take my word.
If you ever find yourself driving down 94 on your way to Chicago, get off at exit 81 and head to the brewery.
This weekend I received a 6 pack of Bell's Lager for my birthday and I was suprised on how good it was. Bells has always specialized in ales, porters and stouts but left the lagers alone. Well they decided to brew one and bottle it. Its light and crisp but carries a bit of a punch so don't think its some budweiser knockoff.
Now that summer is over, Oberon will have to wait til next year. Now its time for Amber, Best Brown, Two Hearted Ale and Kalamazoo Stout to carry us thru the winter months.
http://www.bellsbeer.com/default.asp
Posted by mardenhill 10/16/2006 10:07:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Beer
WORLD SERIES HERE WE COME!!!!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Thanks to the home run in the bottom of the 9th by Mags, the Tigers beat the Oakland A's to win the American League Championship and head to the World Series. What a game, the A's started off strong with a 2 run lead and ended up at 3-1 by the 5th. The Tigers rallied back to a tie and then finished off the game with a 3 run homer. The city's alive and its going to be a great October for us here in Detroit. I do miss the days when we would walk up the to the box office, buy upper deck seats and sit anywhere. But if I need to give those days up in order to make it to the World Series, thats fine with me.....
Way To Go Tigers.........
Posted by mardenhill 10/14/2006 11:53:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Tigers
