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Yep Fox News Is At It Again

http://mediamatters.org/items/200606290009

Fox morning news anchor, E.D. Hill shown here with Az rep J.D. Hayworth, suggests that we need an"Office Of Censorship", that way leaks to newspapers would never occur again. What E.D. is proposing, all big stories printed need to be cleared by the WH before print, hmm, last time I checked we were not living in a communist country with state run media. It amazes me the lack of journalist standards these right wing pundits have, they will sell their own profession down the river just to appease this administration......

Posted by mardenhill 6/30/2006 12:35:00 PM 2 comments  



The Freaks Come Out At Night

Yet another reason why that freakin nutball Governer Mitt Romney should not be president....

Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts said Thursday that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Guantanamo Bay detainees was just another reason why the nation should elect a Republican president again in 2008 -- to get more conservative judges on the high court.

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Packing the supreme court with conservatives would solve all of our problems? Man that is one ignorant statement, but I guess we have to remember the source. As usual all the rightwing moonbats have yet to read the ruling and just went on TV with their soundbytes minutes after. Mitt can't be trusted, he's already on the Delay, "lets blame judges for everything" bandwagon and labels anyone he doesn't like an activist judge. I am afraid one of these rightwing whackjobs will go after a member of the supreme court and use their own twisted beliefs to justify their actions.

Posted by mardenhill 6/30/2006 08:53:00 AM 1 comments  



Another Tasty Zin

I just opened a bottle of Lake Sonoma Winery Dry Creek Zindfandel and it was a great $15 bottle. I got it from Ed down at Simply Wine and I highly recommend it. The wine has a great bouquet and lots of juice with a hint of spice. Its dark red and has a 15.5% alcohol level but suprisingly mild for that level. You can tell a good wine when its alcohol level is high but u are not tasting it. Zins tend to be higher than other wines but this is one that keeps the juice upfront and lingering. The vineyard is located in Sonoma County, next door to Napa and the grapes come from the Dry Creek appellation with a small percentage from Mendocino County and Sonoma Valley.

http://www.lakesonomawinery.com/index.html

Posted by mardenhill 6/29/2006 02:56:00 PM 2 comments  



What If..........



http://www.newscientist.com/blog/technology/2006/06/want-to-destroy-world.html

Check out this link to watch a video of earth being decimated by a meteor strike. Its in Japanese and computer generated. Will this happen in our lifetime, I doubt it but it really opens your eyes to what could be in store for our earth's future.

Posted by mardenhill 6/28/2006 09:13:00 AM 0 comments  



Jumping On The Reissue Train

Pulp get reissued

Classic Britpop trilogy re-released with bonus CD

Three classic Pulp albums are set to be reissued, each with a host of extra tracks.

1994's 'His 'n' Hers' , 1995's massive commercial breakthrough 'Different Class' and 1998's 'This Is Hardcore' will all be reissued, each with a bonus disc of B-sides, demos and rarities.

The albums will be available in expanded from from August 21, with full details of the bonus disc material to be confirmed shortly.

....................................

This is cool, remastered Pulp classics with B-sides, I am really looking forward to this. Pulp has released a greatest hits but never a B-sides compilation you always had to buy all the singles.

Posted by mardenhill 6/27/2006 10:30:00 AM 1 comments  



Great CDs from the '90s.



While outside working in the yard I rediscovered these 2 cds. The 1st one is Throwing Muses "University" from 1995. Kristin Hersch leads the Throwing Muses on the best cd of their career. It starts off with "Bright Yellow Gun" a college radio staple and probaby their most radio friendly song. From there it goes into "Start" a dark and brooding song with lots of fuzz guitar and drums. Track 3 "Hazing" is probably the 2nd best song in the cd, Kristen's haunting vocals sing cryptic lyrics reminicent of the late Kurt Cobain. With track 4 "Shimmer" the best song on the cd, Kristen sings "Shake barrels of whiskey down my throat, I'll still see straight. Ride out on a pony at least I won't be late". The guitar builds into a grand cresendo for a great finale. Track 6 "Crabtown" its a slow, dusty ballad with whispering background vocals. Kristen keeps you entranced throughout the whole record. A little history behing the Muses, Tonya Donnelly from Belly used to be in the band and is Kristen's step sister. Both have great voices and while Kristen explores the darker side, Tonya excels on the bright jangle pop.

Moving on to Travis, they were one of the best bands from the UK in the late 90s but fell quickly. "The Man Who" Travis's 2nd release blows away anything Coldplay could ever do. They were the originators of the soft, introspective post Oasis sound. The cd is another one great from start to finish and Francis Healy woos you with his simple, yet beautiful melodies. Track 1 "Writing To Reach You" screams for a love lost and you feel that Francis has the weight of the world contantly on him. Whereas Thom Yorke from Radiohead is the king of the whiny voices, Francis keeps himself from going too far into this territory. Track 2 "The Fear" has a clouded aura throughout it, not too heavy but just the right level of remoteness. Track 4 "Driftwood" injects a bit of melancholy into a lyrically bittersweet song. Track 7 "Why Does It Always Rain On Me" is full of bright sunshine and very Beatlesesque. Track 10 "Slide Show" has Fran dropping lines like There is no design for life, there is not a devil's haircut in my mind, there is not a wonderwall to climb or step around. There is a slide show, so slow flashing thru my mind. today is the day, only for a 1st time". All references to previous songs by The Manic Street Preachers, Beck and Oasis. What does it mean, I have no idea but it makes for some good lyrics.

Fran invites you into his soul on this record, its very personal yet you don't feel sorry for the guy. He isn't a downtrodden and broken lad, singing about how his life sucks, he just takes you on a journey thru friendship, love, lost and what makes life so great. Seeing Travis live, you can see that Fran really cares deeply for his music and his fans, the 1st US tour had them opening for Oasis. The 2nd nite was in Portland, OR where the theatre was over half full to see an opening band. Everyone in the audience sang along even though the cd was not out in the states yet. This was before the invention of peer to peer and people used to buy imports. Fran was so impressed that all of us sang along to their music and could not thank us enough. Travis's follow was "The Invisible Band" which was recorded in LA and had a brighter, sunshine feel to it. Their next record "12 Memories" was not that good. There were a few good songs but it seemed like they lost what they had. They gave up on the sound they perfected with "The Man Who" and let Coldplay run with the style.

Posted by mardenhill 6/25/2006 03:57:00 PM 1 comments  



Sorry Dubya, You're Wrong Once Again.....

EPA: Special fuels not to blame for costs

By H. JOSEF HEBERT
Associated Press Writer Thu Jun 22, 4:38 PM ET WASHINGTON

"Boutique" gasoline blends to help states meet clean air rules are not a factor in higher prices as President Bush has suggested, says a draft of a study ordered by the White House. Facing growing public outrage over soaring gasoline prices, Bush ordered the study on April 25 in a speech in which he attributed high gas prices in part to the growth of special fuels.

"We ... need to confront the larger problem of too many localized fuel blends, which are called boutique fuels," the president told a renewable fuels conference, adding that this has produced "an uncoordinated, overly complex set of fuel rules" that "tends to cause the price to go up."The review "did not reveal any studies or empirical data confirming that boutique fuels presently contribute to higher fuel prices or present unusual distribution problems," said the draft report.

The report, based on input from the states and the Energy and Agriculture departments, was written by the EPA. It said that the refining and distribution systems are "able to provide adequate quantities of boutique fuels, as long as there are no disruptions in the supply chain."

.................................

I will be watching closely to see if this "Draft" is edited to make Bush look good and somehow the boutique fuels are driving up cost. I hope the media picks up on this and publishes this story. We have smog and air pollution in a number of our large cities and to cut the additives to fight this will be disasterous. I guess Bush wants us to live like the Chinese where development is running rampant with no control on pollution. The air, water and ground is a mess over there, people walk around in masks and diseases are high. Below is a great site devoted to promoting awareness of E85 ethanol fuel and other renewable resources. Don't let the big oil's campaign against change sway you, something needs to be done and done now. E85 is not the solution, its a portion of the bigger picture to ween us off off foreign dependence.

http://kicktheoilhabit.org/

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



New Glass for the "O" Series

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

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

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

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



They Do Call It Hockeytown

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

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

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



Still On Top

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

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



Tracking The Hamster

http://www.hamstertracker.com/

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

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



New Air On The Way

New Air album in 2007

And there's solo material on the way too

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Bye Bye Mr. Gnome

Heave Ho
GNOME-BE-GONE

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

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

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

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



Tigers Stadium

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

Playing field: Preserved as a park and ball field.

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


Built: Residential and retail development around the field.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Copper River Salmon

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

What's the Big Deal?
Each May Pacific Northwest restaurants and markets herald the news - "Copper River salmon is here!" Copper River salmon? What is it? Why is everyone making such a fuss over it? One taste of this firm red fish, with its rich and nutty flavor, and you will understand why food lovers relish the three to four weeks that fresh Copper River salmon is available each year.

Copper River Salmon are High in Omega-3 Oils
The Copper River flows in the state of Alaska. Almost 300 miles in length, this wild rushing river empties into Prince William Sound at the town of Cordova. Salmon that originate in these pristine waters are challenged by its length and its strong, chill rapids. Consequently, Copper River salmon are strong, robust creatures with a healthy store of natural oils and body fat.

These qualities make the salmon among the richest, tastiest fish in the world. Fortunately, fatty Copper River salmon is good for you, as it is loaded with Omega-3 oils, which are recommended by the American Heart Association. Your heart is not the only part of your body that benefits from salmon consumption: studies have found that fish oil can help combat such ailments as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, breast cancer and migraines.

The Arrival of Copper River Salmon
Northwest seafood lovers have turned the mid-May to mid-June Copper River salmon season into an annual celebration. Seattle restaurateurs and markets compete to be the first to get an ice-packed shipment of the fresh salmon. Area newspapers fill with advertisements announcing availability at fine dining establishments. Local residents pay top dollar for chef-prepared creations that feature the Copper River delicacy.

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

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



Damn Hooligans

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



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

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



Smug Alert

Smug Alert

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

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

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



SHHHHH....Its A Secret

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Bugger

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

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



Ch-Check It Out...

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

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

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



Hey Jackass Its Hurricane Season


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

Evacuations ordered as Alberto approaches


mmerzer@MiamiHerald.com

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

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

The 2006 hurricane season is 12 days old.

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

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

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



Now This Is A Bad Sign



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

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



Mr Kitty Almost 1 Year Later

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

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



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

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

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

--On his belief that there is no right to privacy in the U.S. Constitution. In the Griswold case, the U.S. Supreme Court found that married couples had the right to use birth control.

Associated Press interview, April 2003.

.....................................................

Now for his slam on Ann Coulter, I wonder if this opens the door for more Ann bashing from the right......

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

MICHAEL SMERCONISH: With regard to a certain group of 9/11 widows Ann Coulter in her new book says, ‘I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands’ deaths so much.’ I’m appalled by that. Are you appalled by that?

SEN. SANTORUM: Probably more then you are. I mean this is ridiculous. I mean Ann is what? Ann is someone who is out there trying to sell books and, you know appeal to a certain audience and I guess she’s doing it.

SMERCONISH: But you’re not in that audience to which she’s appealing?

SANTORUM: No, no, I don’t consider myself, I’m not a part of that audience at all that’s really on the edge as far as I’m concerned, maybe over the edge.

SMERCONISH: Yes, over the edge. I applaud you, I applaud you for saying that.

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



Chateau Perron Graves


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

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

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



Riot City Blues


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

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

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

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



Yearly Kos

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




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

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

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

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



IKEA Update

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

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

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

What Audrey wrote:

Are you such a snob? What happened to each his own.
The "Lollapalooza" of shopping in Canton, MI was a blast. Some radom crazy people for sure...but better than any sitcom on TV. Ridiculous media coverage proves how misdirected the country's attention is. Most people in line had flexible job schedules, or were students. Wrote for the Detroit Free Press, had my 15 minutes on local news, and received about $750 of free furniture for my new house. Losers? Maybe in by your definition. But by mine...they are people who sit at their computer and blogg so often.
Peace!
-Audrey Seilheimer
1st in line at the goddamn IKEA


btw, my blogging tirade is dripping with sarcasm, if you don't pick that up then you're a loser.......

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



2005 Bordeaux

courtesy of www.fermentation.com

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

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

________

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

________

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

_______

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

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


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



The Cure & Reissues

Courtesy of www.pitchforkmedia.com

Cure Reissue Series Continues

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

A: Take away his credit card!

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

A: You don't!

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

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

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

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

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



Urge: Not At All

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

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



2 More Days

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

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

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

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



Gerard Bertrand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Wow, Oasis Takes Top Honors?

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

to be named the Greatest Album of All Time.

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

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

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

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

The full Top 20 is as follows:

1. 'Definitely Maybe' - Oasis
2. 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band' - The Beatles
3. 'Revolver' - The Beatles
4. 'OK Computer' - Radiohead
5. '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' - Oasis
6. 'Nevermind' - Nirvana
7. 'The Stone Roses' - The Stone Roses
8. 'Dark Side Of The Moon' - Pink Floyd
9. 'The Queen Is Dead' - The Smiths
10. 'The Bends' - Radiohead
11. 'The Joshua Tree' - U2
12. 'London Calling' - The Clash
13. 'The Beatles (The White Album)' - The Beatles
14. 'Abbey Road' - The Beatles
15. 'Up The Bracket' - The Libertines
16. 'Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols' - Sex Pistols
17. 'Four Symbols (Led Zeppelin IV)' - Led Zeppelin
18. 'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars' - DavidBowie
19. 'A Night At The Opera' - Queen
20. 'Is This It' - The Strokes

http://www.abc.net.au/news/arts/articulate/200606/s1654308.htm

http://www.nme.com

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



Zogby Polling

Looking at the polling below, it just might be the year that the Dems pull an upset and unseat the Republican party. I have faith in Jenny to beat Devos this year. Jenny has not been campaigning which is really frustrating, but once she does, watch out.

Iraq war will hurt GOP in fall elections, pollster says

By CHRIS CHRISTOFF
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

June 2, 2006

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In other observations, Zogby said:

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

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

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

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

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

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



Is It Any Wonder

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

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



Primal Scream Update

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

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

Draft Gore 2008
Grassroots Organizing Really Early


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

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

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



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



IKEA Traffic Report


New Traffic Signal Operating System
on Ford Road

For Immediate Release 05/30/06

MDOT officials have advised the Canton Police Department that the traffic signals on Ford Road from Canton Center to Lotz Road are now operating as a signal system. The system, installed in late May, allows the signals to communicate with each other in a coordinated effort to move traffic as efficiently as possible along Ford Road. Communication between signals is done via radio antennas that are attached to poles at each intersection.

Ford Road traffic is congested particularly during peak periods of the day. Traffic signal timing is a balancing act between all the moves at each intersection but also along a corridor. The additional traffic generated by IKEA will make it difficult to completely eliminate a backup of traffic. In an effort to keep traffic moving during the grand opening of IKEA, the traffic signals will be running an 80 second cycle versus the current 90 to 100 seconds. This will cause the signals to cycle faster and while it will not clear traffic every cycle, it should minimize the build up of traffic on all approaches.

MDOT has stressed to the Canton Police to let the traffic signals move as much traffic as possible during the grand opening period of IKEA, to minimize officers’ exposure to the hazardous task of manually directing traffic. For this reason, motorists will see teams of officers stationed at the five traffic signals on Ford Road from Lilley to the northbound I-275 exit ramp. The officers will be at the lights to monitor traffic and observe the capability of the traffic signal system. As long as the system is operating with minimal backups, the officers will not interfere with the operation of the signal system. Periods of heavy congestion may require officers to stand in the intersections to manually direct traffic. MDOT has also authorized the use of officer-controlled push buttons to operate 4 of the five the traffic signals (excluding Lilley), but have stressed that these should be used only as a last resort, as this function will override the new signal communication system and throw off the system’s ability to efficiently move traffic between Canton Center and Lotz roads until it can work itself back into sync.

The Canton Police Department reminds motorists to expect delays and congestion, and exercise patience and caution when traveling on Ford Road and other intersecting roads near IKEA. Motorists should also be observant for officers who may be in the intersections directing traffic.

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



Country Girl

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

http://www.primalscream.net/

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



The Worst?

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

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

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

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