Yet Another Washigton Sex Scandal
Saturday, April 28, 2007
The Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias resigned after admitting he was a customer of the DC Madame. Tobias worked for Condi Rice and was considered our AIDS Czar. He would run around the world promoting abstinence only programs for 3rd world countries while getting "massages" from 3rd world women. Yep, it wasn't just the DC Madame who Tobias was contacting, he admitted that he was using another escort service that provided "Central American" women.
The DC Madame faces federal charges and has given ABC access to her contact list. Tobias who is married claims that he only had massages with these women. Hmm where did we hear that defense before, could it have been Ted Haggard, the disgraced evangelical preacher. Last time I checked, any spa or gym provides licensed massages and there are professionals who will come to you. There is no need to hire an escort service unless you have other things in mind.
The stench of the republican hyprocrisy just continues to emit day after day. Besides the DC Madame scandal, Jack Abramoff has reappeared and more bodies are appearing...
Posted by mardenhill 4/28/2007 09:20:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Politics
Samsung Upstage M620
Friday, April 27, 2007
Well Samsung has done it again, they have come out with a killer new phone. The good news its very cheap, the bad news, only available thru Sprint. You have a 1.3 megapixel camera, 64 megs onboard memory with a micro SD slot that supports up to 2 gigs, bluetooth and internet. Think of the Apple iPod Nano with a phone and you have the M620. I assume standard mp3s will play but I wouldn't expect paid music via the internet stores with DRM to work. You can probably download music via Sprint but they will no doubt charge you way more than you should pay. Since its not a smartphone I am not interested but for the average person this thing rocks. It should make its way to Verizon sometime this year, I don't see Sprint getting an exclusive phone. Unfortunately nothing for Cingular but they do have the iPhone which launches this July.
Posted by mardenhill 4/27/2007 03:39:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
NEW JAMC!!! Well Not Quite
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Courtesy of Pitchforkmedia.com
Rhino Compiling Jesus and Mary Chain Rarities Box
Not much info yet to report, but according to a representative at the label, Rhino Records is in the process of mining the hallowed Jesus and Mary Chain archives and compiling an extensive rarities box set. Jim Reid is aiding in the selection process and will approve the final tracklist for the set, which should include about 80 JAMC jams spread over four CDs when it's done. About "a half dozen" of those jams have never graced the ears of humanity before; even more will appear on compact disc for the very first time. Look for the as-yet-untitled collection this fall, and keep your browser situated at Pitchfork for more details as they emerge.
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I love box sets and this one should be great.
Posted by mardenhill 4/26/2007 09:15:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
New Planet
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Planet's local orbit.
Size of the new planet in relation to the Earth.
Artist rendition of what the planet could look like.This is very good news and I was excited to hear about it on NPR this morning as well. Most planets discovered in distant galaxies tend to be gaseous in nature, i.e. Jupiter, Saturn and very few are rock based. This one orbits a star that is much dimmer than our own which allows the close proximity and is believed to have a temperature range between 32 and 102 degrees. If true this is perfect for the formation of water and life. Now we are looking at a planet 20 light years away, a bit of a distance but something achievable in the future. This planet was discovered using the huge telescope down in Chile. You can read more about the discovery at the link below.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=450467&in_page_id=1965
Posted by mardenhill 4/25/2007 11:21:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Science
5 Questions
I would like to thank Gizmorox for the questions below. Fellow bloggers have been asking each other questions which get posted on your blog. Gizmorox gave me the 5 below to answer which was a lot of fun.
1. If you could have any five living people over for dinner, who would they be and why?
Nick Cave: It was a toss up between Mark Lanegan and Nick Cave but I have a million questions I would love to ask Nick about his approach to music.
Douglas Coupland: Douglas is my favorite author and I think would be very fun to hang out with. He seems to have a cynical, dry and witty personality that I can relate to.
Bret Easton Ellis: My 2nd favorite author, just listening to his years of debauchery would be a blast.
Al Gore: Al is one of my favorite politicans and the only one who I think really understands systems thinking and what needs to be done to address climate change. I feel that he is a wealth of knowledge and I could learn a lot from him.
Uma Thurman: I didn't want my dinner party to be all guys so I added my favorite actress to the mix. I think Kill Bill was my favorite Uma movie.
Runner Ups: Anne Rice but she would have bored me with her over descriptive stories. There is Nancy Pelosi who is my favorite female politician but it might get too stuffy with both her and Al Gore at the table.
2. If you had to live without one of your senses, which would it be?
This was a hard one, I wouldn't want to give up hearing because that would cut out listening to music. Taste and Smell go hand and hand and that means the end to eating good food and drinking wine. It would be very hard to give up sight and losing touch would just suck, you might as well be a robot. I think it would have to be taste because I could still get away with eating/drinking since smell plays a bigger part in the flavor of things. If I lost my taste buds maybe my smell would kick in and give me some of it back thereby only causing half a loss.
3. What's your favorite comic strip?
Calvin and Hobbes. Erika bought me the bound collection of everything ever written for my birthday a couple years ago. I feel bad that Calvin ended up on the back of every pickup truck in this country but he is still cool in my book.
4. Are you the type of person who likes the beach?
Yes but I don't like to lay out. I get bored easily and hate laying in one space for a period of time. I prefer playing in the water and walking up and down the beach to sunbathing.
5. Do you have any irrational fears?
Waking up with snakes in my bed. I think I saw it in a movie as a little kid and ever since my fear was to go to bed with a bunch of poisonous snakes under the covers.
If you're interested in the hilarity, here are the rules:
Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me!”
I will respond by e-mailing you five questions (if your email is not on your profile, email me your desire to be interviewed so I know your address). I get to pick them, and you have to answer them all.
You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
Posted by mardenhill 4/25/2007 09:21:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Stop Canadian Trash
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is warning Congress that a Michigan-led bill to limit Canadian trash imports could set off a trash trade war with the United States' largest trading partner.
The bill, which is expected to pass the House today, would allow Michigan and other states to limit trash imports from Canada, an increasingly controversial issue. But in a letter sent Monday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner, the White House warned that the bill could violate trade agreements and spark Canada to ban hazardous waste from the United States.
Senators Stabenow and Levin have come up with a plan which you can read below.
http://stabenow.senate.gov/stoptrash/index.htm
Here is the Detroit News story on the vote.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/UPDATE/704240430
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Hey Dubya, us border states don't want Canadian waste in our backyard, they are a big enough country they can keep it there. I see no reason why we should let trash across the border this doesn't qualify as trade in my book. I guess we can thank NAFTA for this mess and the typical Washington losers put dollars over the health and well being of the country.
Wasn't the infiltration of Tim Horton's and next generation Degrassi enough, when will it end?
Posted by mardenhill 4/24/2007 10:40:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit
How We Spent Our Weekend
Monday, April 23, 2007
It was the best weekend of the year so far and although we were outside we were digging up grass. This is part of the area of the new patio we are building this summer. To the left of the cutoff it will stretch 6 more feet which I still need to tear up. We are going to have the patio wrap around the side of the house as well. We have some paver stones that need to be taken up but that shouldn't be a problem. We have decided that stamped concrete may be the answer but are waiting on the price. I have a feeling we will go this route but will save money since we are doing most of the labor when it comes to the prep work. Instead of buying more dirt for our garden we will use the stuff here and save money as well as doing the digging needed for the patio. We are going to leave the section with the vine and plants, it will be a built in planter which will look very cool in full bloom. Its been a lot of work but in the end we will have an area for lounge chairs, our grill, outdoor table and misc potted plants.
I am a bit worried about the plants already growing, they came up early and were hit by the cold spell a couple weeks ago. The tops of the leaves are dead but I think the rest of them are ok. I will have to wait and see what happens.
Posted by mardenhill 4/23/2007 12:34:00 PM 0 comments
Red Wings Advance
It took 2 OTs but the Wings beat the Flames last nite 2-1 to advance out of the 1st round of playoffs. This series was a brutal one, you had cheap shots galore including a backup goalie's suspension and fine. Game 5 had the backup coming in and within a minute tomahawk chopped a Red Wing and was ejected. I didn't stay up for the game last nite, I went to bed just hoping for the best since I spent the weekend digging up the yard for the new patio and was dead tired.
In other Detroit sports news, the Tigers won game 3 against the Chicago White Sox but lost the first 2. The Pistons won their 1st playoff game.
Posted by mardenhill 4/23/2007 10:42:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit, Red Wings, Sports
2000 Chateau De Sainte Gemme Haut-Medoc
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The story of this wine is quite involved but I think you will enjoy. One afternoon I took a trip to Papa Joes in Birmingham to take a look at their wine selection. I had just drank a Bordeaux and wanted to replace the bottle in my collection. While looking around I was given the 2001 Chateau De Sainte Gemme to try. It was a $20 bottle which I thought was fair and decided to buy it. A few hours later we went to Costco and at the front door was a pallet full of the 2000 vintage of the same wine. I was a bit leery since I thought the wine may be cooked do to improper storing but decided to pick up a bottle since it was only $11.99. At the time I didn't realise it was the same Chateau and discovered it when I came home. Now knowing that I scored a great deal since the '01 was selling for $20 and the '00 was at $12 I had to pick up more. I went back to Costco and grabbed another 2 bottles giving myself 3 now plus the '01. A week later I was back at Papa Joes talking with the wine guy and he said that I should have bought as much as I could and that I should go back and get more if it was still available. Well Erika and I went back, we actually had a couple things to pick up so it wasn't just for the wine. I found a couple cases left and grabbed 3 more bottles. I decided that I couldn't sit on so many bottles so I had to open one. I decanted about half of it and let sit for about 45 minutes to breathe.
Upon pouring, the wine was deep purple and had a classic Bordeaux nose. Being 7 years old now the wine had mellowed a bit and was not too green upon 1st tasting. After 45 minutes it had opened and the flavors poured thru. There was a good balance between the fruit and smoke and the finish lingered with bits of cherry. Overall it was not too sweet and not too tart. The earthiness shone thru and it remained rich and complex to the end. I was very impressed with the wine and felt it was a steal for $12. I plan on saving some bottles and drinking them each year seeing if I can notice a change. I know this isn't some first growth grand cru but it would be about $20-$30 a bottle in any wine store and worth the challenge. If you happen to see this bottle at Costco, pick some up before its all gone.
Posted by mardenhill 4/19/2007 09:19:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
GonzalesGate
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testifies in front of Congress today regarding the firing of US attorneys. Its going to be a doozy and I am not sure if he will survive. People from both sides have demanded his resignation and lets hope we have it by the end of the week. If so then we are down to Bush, Cheney, Condi and Rove. The inner circle is closing more and more, I wonder if it will stay intact until the end of Bush's presidency. Alberto brought this upon himself, by be so loyal to Bush he helped rewrite the Geneva Convention to allow torture, twisted the law to allow domestic spying and inserted political appointees throughout the Justice dept.
Posted by mardenhill 4/19/2007 10:25:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Gritsch 1000-Eimerberg Riesling Smaragd 2003
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
We opened this bottle the other nite but I didn't get a chance to write about it. This came from the Austrian wine flight Erika won back in December.
The nose on this wine was very fresh, light and clean. You had hints of pear and apple and like a Chardonnay a bit of oak. It was a very rich Riesling, not too sweet and also one that packed a punch. If you look at most European Rieslings they usually top out at 10-12%. This one was 14% which surprised me. You could taste a bit of the alcohol but it wasn't over the top. Wine Spectator just wrote about the 2005 German vintage and how it was the best in decades. After drinking this wine, my interest in whites has grown tremendously and I have been on the quest to find many more like this one.
http://www.winemonger.com/catalog/product_more_info.php?products_id=414
Posted by mardenhill 4/18/2007 09:12:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future (2007)
They are currently the indie darlings both here and across the pond. The band are the Klaxons, a UK three piece credited for reviving the rave scene of the 90s. They mix live instruments with electronic to create a visual landscape of epic proportions. From what I have read, the rave connection came when they just started out and didn't have anymore songs to play so they covered some 90s club hits. Whether or not this is true, the band has been saddled with bringing back the scene.
My first impression was not that good, I dismissed them as more UK fodder but decided to circle back around. I am not completely sold on the band but there are some very cool songs on their debut Myths Of The Near Future. The cd opens with "Two Receivers" a subdued and keyboard heavy track. The song builds into a large crescendo all the while falsetto vocals hover over buzzing and Mobyesque piano. Track 2 "Atlantis To Interzone" is pure rave culture, the sirens and chanting lead way to pounding and erratic break beats. Track 5 "As Above, So Below" is the most radio friendly and I could see creeping onto the US airways. It has a Gorillaz element to it where you are forced to tap your feet and bob your head.
The Klaxons remind me of Kasabian where both bands borrowed heavily from previous UK scenes but found a way to spin it into something new. I still prefer Kasabian, I like their sound much better but this cd is growing on me.
Rating 7.5/10
http://www.klaxons.net/
Posted by mardenhill 4/18/2007 11:01:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
2 Out Of 3
Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals last nite 7-6
Pistons beat the Toronto Raptors last nite 100-84
Red Wings lost to the Calgary Flames last nite 3-2
Posted by mardenhill 4/18/2007 09:54:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit
Elk Cove 2001 Williamette Valley Pinot Noir
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Elk Cove Vineyards is one of my favorite Oregon wines and last nite I remembed why. I had a bottle of the 2001 Williamette Valley Pinot Noir in the basement and decided to open it. The pinot was amazing, it had a great nose and lush berry flavor. It wasn't thin like some Cali and New Zealand pinots can be but it wasn't as heavy as a Burgundy either. It was a perfect middle ground with a hint of earth and spice. If anyone is on the fence with pinots (not sure I have ever met anyone) this wine would convince you hands down. We are heading to Oregon in May and will hit a couple vineyards on the trip. Elk Cove is definitely on my list and I can't wait to go. In the meantime check out their website and if you see a bottle in the store, pick one up.
http://www.elkcove.com/index.html
Posted by mardenhill 4/15/2007 04:17:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Abattoir Blues Tour 2004
Back in 2004 when Nick Cave released his double cd Abattoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus he only toured Europe. Thankfully he released a CD/DVD of the tour which was recorded at The Brixton Academy in London. The cd portion contains songs from different shows throughout the tour. Nick Cave, the only man who can take you thru a lush and beautiful ballad then thru hell in the same night. Nick backs up his songs with a gospel chorus which adds a touch of soul and a new sound for older ones. The setlist contains mostly new tracks but "Deanna", "Red Right Hand", "The Weeping Song", "God Is In The House" and "Stagger Lee" made the cut. Speaking of "Stagger Lee", its an amazing song performed live. Its vile and vulgar and destroys every preconceived notion you had that humans are decent creatures. The song takes you on a journey thru a killer's rampage at an old saloon. This song first appeared on The Murder Ballads and one I remember quite vividly. The promo cd was sent to our college radio station with a big sticker on it warning us NEVER to play the song on the radio unless we wanted the FCC to break down our door and arrest us. We all laughed but of course followed the warning since our own rules prevented swearing on the radio as well. The gut wrentching rendition is 8 minutes of terror that repulses yet intrigues you at the same time.
Switching gears, the beauty of Nick Cave is not lost on this release, there are a few songs that showcase the soft and profound grace of his work. The first would be "Breathless" a song from his last cd. Its full of life and charm bringing images of springtime and rebirth. Another one would be "God Is In The House" from his No More Shall We Part release. This cd is one of my favorites, it took me a while to appreciate it but in the end stands out of some of Nick's best work. The addition of the choir broadens the sound and gives new meaning to the song.
Many artists try but few can pull off the scope of emotion present in Nick Cave's catalog of music. Seeing Nick live will give you a new appreciation for his sheer genius and talent. I just hope he makes a trip back to the states before he calls it quits.
Posted by mardenhill 4/15/2007 01:17:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Grant Lee Phillips - Strangelet (2007)
Grant Lee just released his 5 solo (4th of original music) and this release should make any Grant Lee Buffalo/Grant Lee Phillips fan proud. The electric guitars are back along with a breath of fresh air. The cd opens with "Runaway" a song that could have easily appeared on a GLB record. The moodiness of the vocals and fuzzed out drums/guitars are a complete 180 from tracks off of Virginia Creeper. Grant does slow it down but instead of going straight acoustic, he adds some strings, a ukulele and country twang. Speaking of the twang, track 4 "Hidden Hand" is full of it and a new direction for Grant. You would think his whispering vocals wouldn't mix with a straight up country beat but I was suprised as to how well they blend. In the past Grant's solo cds tended to keep a style throughout but this one has songs bouncing all over the map. This isn't to say that Grant has lost focus, if anything it shows you influences and what he is capable of. I feel like this is my favorite Grant Lee solo to date, it has all the elements you love from his music along with a new few directions. As of now there are no Detroit dates but his website says to stay tuned.
Rating: 9/10
http://www.grantleephillips.com/
You can hear a few other tracks on Grant Lee's myspace page.
http://www.myspace.com/grantleephillips
Posted by mardenhill 4/15/2007 10:33:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Apple NAB Keynote in Las Vegas
Tomorrow is the start of NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) and Apple will be delivering the Keynote starting at 2pm. The rumor sites don't think much will come out of it since its not an Apple event but software has been unveiled in the past. Apple quietly updated the Mac Pro to an 8 core, 3.0 ghz, 64 bit Intel Xeon box but if you have $3000 laying around its not in everyone's price range. Apple also punted the Leopard release til the fall, October to be exact so they could focus on the iPhone which is scheduled for release this July. If anything comes out of this tomorrow I will post it.
Posted by mardenhill 4/15/2007 09:59:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Tale Of The Missing eMails.....
Friday, April 13, 2007
At least four years of emails sent by White House adviser Karl Rove have gone missing, a lawyer for the Republican National Committee informed congressional staff members Thursday, a front page article in today's Washington Post reports.
On Friday, Rove's attorney "dismissed the notion that President Bush's chief political adviser intentionally deleted his own e-mails from a Republican-sponsored server, saying Rove believed the communications were being preserved in accordance with the law," the Associated Press reports.
#
Any e-mails Rove deleted were the type of routine deletions people make to keep their inboxes orderly, Luskin said. He said Rove had no idea the e-mails were being deleted from the server, a central computer that managed the e-mail.
This is going to be a very funny story and will be interesting to see how the WH wiggles out of this one. To give you the quick rundown, the WH has their own official laptops, blackberries that adhere to strict archiving rules. Members of the WH have also been issued Republician National Committee devices to conduct non official WH duties as to not mix work with poltics. Well Karl had RNC equipment and 4 years of his emails are gone, well thats what they say now.
Lets break down the argument, the lawyer is saying that Karl didn't know he wasn't able to delete emails and that he was operating like any normal human being who has email, you clean up your inbox and empty your deleted items. I am fine with this argument except that Karl didn't delete his email, he deleted from his inbox but they are also backed up on the server. If Karl is running a Blackberry, emails sent to the RNC address go to the exchange server then a copy goes to the Blackberry Enterprise Server which then connects to the handheld. The BES is a redirector and the official email is still housed on the exchange server. If the RNC didn't want Karl to delete messages from his Blackberry they can turn off that feature and also disable the syncronization of inbox folders. If the RNC is like any normal company, these exchange servers would have backups and the tapes could be requested if they are kept offsite. If the RNC didn't run backups then they were in on the whole thing, creating a network where emails could be sent but not traced and more people are involved. Running email accounts on an exchange server is not like a hotmail or gmail acct, backups and the ability to archive messages are present. I would think the RNC runs their IT dept like any other corporation but I could be wrong....
They have the emails they just don't want to release them.
Posted by mardenhill 4/13/2007 04:33:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Detroit Sports Update
Tigers win 3rd in a row, lead the Central Division in the AL.
Red Wings win Game One! 4-1: Round 1 vs Calgary Flames
Pistons clinch first in East: Start 1st Round of Playoffs tonight against the Toronto Raptors.Posted by mardenhill 4/13/2007 02:04:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit
New Pink Martini On Its Way
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Pink Martini will release their 3rd cd "Hey Eugene!" on May 15th. They will also be touring the US and even coming to Michigan which really surprised me. When I was living out in Oregon I used to see Pink Martini a lot, they are based out of Portland and would play different festivals and shows throughout the year. If you have never heard of Pink Martini, they are a 12 piece World Music orchestra/dance music ensemble. The bulk of their influences are Brazilian/Cuban and can be heard throughout their music. You have classically trained musicians and at times the band will play with full piece orchestras. One of my favorite shows was at the Oregon Zoo in the Rose Garden amphitheatre. It was outside and everyone just sat back on blankets under the stars. You could hear some animals in the background which made it interesting.
This June they will be playing in Ann Arbor which I would like to see. Due to their style of music, they are more popular around the world than here but that shouldn't deter you. Definitely check out their previous releases and pick up their new one next month.
"Let's Never Stop Falling In Love"
http://www.pinkmartini.com/
Posted by mardenhill 4/11/2007 11:42:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Solo Noel On The Way
Oasis mainman Noel Gallagher has confirmed that he already has song earmarked for a solo album. Speaking in the new issue of NME, Gallagher said that following his recent solo concert appearances he was making tentative steps towards a solo project.He said: "I've actually got a backlog of songs that are slowly building up. The thing about a solo record is the time to do one is between Oasis world tours because you'd have a good couple of years. "But it takes me so long to write the songs that eventually I run out of time (before Oasis begins again), but I've got a backlog now of about four or five songs which are probably too far in the past as far as the band in concerned, but which could work on my record... it's coming.
"Gallagher also said that Oasis have already written most of the follow up to 2005's 'Don't Believe The Truth'.He explained: "The next one in theory is already fucking written. I've got eight songs that I'm pretty happy with. I think Liam's got one or two that he thinks are brilliant. We're waiting for Gem and Andy. It's just a case of sitting down and saying, 'When do we want to do this?'"
................................
I am looking forward to a solo release but isn't every Oasis record a solo more or less for Noel? Liam contributes very little and the rest of the band has turned over since the beginning. I did like the solo tour Noel did last year, I was able to see one of the performances via the web one day at work. My only concern is that Noel would keep the record at an acoustic level and it would turn into a "Wonderwall" medley. At least we have a new Oasis record on the way and who knows Noel may drop his solo anytime now. He loves to manipulate the media and could have the thing done and in the stores by next month.
Posted by mardenhill 4/11/2007 09:01:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
2005 Rosenblum Petite Sirah Heritage Clones
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Petit Sirah: The petite sirah grape creates a rich red wine. The petite sirah grape is separate from the sirah / shiraz grape even though the names are similar. The petite sirah grape is descended from the Duriff Rhone grape of France. For most of its history, petite sirah was only used to blend into other wines. The grape gained a lot of attention in the 1970s because of the general red wine push, and because of its full, tannic taste.
Petite Sirah is predominantly planted in California, where it does well. Petites are anything but petite - they tend to be big, strong, muscular, and, well, purple.
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And following the definition above this wine is big, bold and full of tannins. The color is deep where no light shines thru and it leaves you with a dry tongue. The flavor is smokey with hints of blackberries and pepper. Although the finish is dry it does give you a dose of fruit up front. Its sweet for a brief moment then it hits you hard. This is one powerful wine and although it only clocks in at 14.6% it feels like a lot more. If you are unfamiliar with Petite Sirah I recommend checking it out. Its not something you will want everyday but with the right meal its a knockout.
http://www.rosenblum.com/
Posted by mardenhill 4/10/2007 10:09:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Motley Cruise
The Crue are Cruising and have invited all of us along with them. Just imagine the debauchery that will go on during this 4 day sail from Miami. You have stops in Key West and Cozumel, Mexico on this ship. 4 sun soaked days full of drinking, wet t-shirt contests, no limit Texas Hold-em, music (other bands will be performing), more drinking and yes, more wet t-shirt contests. I think the ship will have to be scrubbed from top to bottom after this one because I for one would not want to board after this cruise. Think of it as a floating Vegas stint except you are trapped on a boat with the rest of the fans. We can only hope a reality show or MTV special will be filmed for the rest of the losers not attending. Lets book now and save later cuz you know how popular the Crue are and this one will sell out.....
http://www.motleycruise.org/welcome.php
Posted by mardenhill 4/10/2007 02:29:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
I'm So Relieved
Monday, April 09, 2007
Forget WWIII, Fall Out Boy almost cancelled their summer tour what could be worse. Thankfully someone was looking out for FOB and the tour will continue 3 weeks later. I don't know what I would have done if the Honda Civic Tour did not go on this year. Imagine the biggest and most revelant band ever to exist nearly cost me my summer. Fortunately they will be at my beloved DTE Energy Music Center May 27th ready to show us This Aint A Scene, Its An Arms Race. Today was a stressful day, waking up to see the NME report FOB cancels tour to the rescheduled dates later in the day. Just think, all the suburban high school emo kids with nothing to do on a Sunday afternoon, do I Predict A Riot? Thank you FOB, my floppy hair, trucker hat, skin tight jeans and Urban Outfitters "retro" T-Shirt will not go wasted. I will be there May 27th cheering with my glow sticks and backpack in tow. I will be your biggest fan and will preach the gospel of FOB and MySpace.
Emo Forever
Posted by mardenhill 4/09/2007 06:42:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
100 Million iPods
Apple has sold its 100 Millionth iPod, I guess you can say the mp3 player was a success. I really like the family tree of the iPod, its amazing how much has changed in 6 years. I remember getting my first iPod, it was a 10 gig 2nd generation that I took back to CompUSA two days after getting it. I got the dreaded no folder icon on my player and couldn't figure out what to do. Needless to say, I took it back to the store and they gave me a brand new one. Nothing was really wrong with it but no one at the time knew how to fix them. I am currently on 4G right now and waiting until the next big change comes. I don't want the iPhone so I will wait til next year when hopefully there is a new revision.
Posted by mardenhill 4/09/2007 01:42:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Shooting In Troy, MI
I had a few calls today from friends and family wondering if it was my office. I work on the corner of Crooks and Long Lake but our building is closed today for the Easter holiday. If you look at the map the building is not even a half mile from where I work. It was an accounting agency and the suspect was a disgruntled worker who was fired last week. They did catch him driving north on I75 near Saginaw and the shooting made CNN which suprised me.
Posted by mardenhill 4/09/2007 01:19:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Update: NAS
While pondering the perfect system I have come up with a few additional features I would like. I want the ability for voice recognition, I can call out a band or song and it will be played on demand. I also want the ability to create playlists on the fly by calling out songs and skipping when desired. I want the ability to add a song in the middle of a playlist and I would like to sync my iPod the same way. I have debated about having voice assistance when you are struggling to come up with the band/song but that might be too futuristic. It reminds me of Star Trek where they just talk and the main computer speaks back. I fear we would be stuck with that annoying voice that is on all phones when calling into a company asking you to repeat your name/number. If we added a cool accent maybe the annoyance factor would drop.
Posted by mardenhill 4/09/2007 10:05:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
New NAS On The Streets
Well its not exactly new but new to many outside of the geek world. Hammer Storage has released a NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive for all of your digital media needs. Everyone has NAS's for sale but Hammer has taken it up a notch. They are selling one terabyte with a 2 TB surfacing this summer. RAID spanning is also built in, the ability to protect your data since the hard drive is partitioned a specific way to provide a backup if one drive fails. You can configure the drive for access via the web if you are away from home. Starting at $500 for the 1 TB is a bit steep so I don't see myself getting one anytime soon.
I am still trying to figure out the best way for digital media distribution thru my home and so far there is not one player which has my vote. The Sonos system is very cool but expensive and you need a centralized media server and I don't think it would run off of a device like this. You have the AppleTV which is cool but really created for those who buy a lot from iTunes. It could work for me but then you need to use your TV as your access point. Olive has a beautiful device but not very practical if you do not have a good home theatre setup. What I really want is one device to hold all my content and wireless access via a handheld device with a screen. I want this for no more than $300 and with unlimited hard drive space. I do not want to run a 2nd computer, I want the device to be its own OS and power supply. I really want the AppleTV footprint and the Sonos remote combined into one unit with no less than 1 TB of space. Am I asking for a lot, yeah and will probably be talking about the same thing next year.....
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Configuration options
- 320 GB - 2 x 160 GB hard drives (HN1200-320)
- 500 GB - 2 x 250 GB hard drives (HN1200-500)
- 640 GB - 2 x 320 GB hard drives (HN1200-640)
- 1 TB - 2 x 500 GB hard drives (HN1200-1000)
- 1.5 TB - 2 x 750 GB hard drives (HN1200-1500)
- 2 TB - 2 x 1 TB hard drives (HN1200-2000)*
Unique myshare Features and Benefits
- Share your music, photos, movies and other files with multiple computers.
- Connect printers into the USB ports and share them with computers on the network.
- Turn USB drives into shared drives by plugging them into the USB ports.
- In minutes, setup myshare to be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.
- In a few simple steps, myshare can be installed on any home network.
- Set multiple users and passwords to control access to myshare.
- An optional configuration to make mirrored copies of your digital life for optimum file protection.
- Use standard protocols to bridge content for use with both PCs, Macs, Linux and Unix.
Posted by mardenhill 4/09/2007 08:39:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Camera Case
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Now that we have the new camera we need a case. I have been to Best Buy but didn't see anything I really liked. I checked Casio's website for cases but all of theirs sucked. I will hit Target next and if I don't find anything there, I guess its back to Best Buy or Circuit City. I found a couple online but they were about as good as the ones I have already seen. To be honest, I don't really know what kind of case I want, so this process has become a bit complicated. As with most things I do, I need to research the hell out of things before buying, I am not much of an impulse buyer unless it comes to wine.
Posted by mardenhill 4/07/2007 02:43:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Sinking Cruise Ship
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070407/greece-cruise-ship
Nearly 1,600 people were retrieved from the sinking ship Thursday in a three-hour rescue operation after the vessel foundered on a volcanic reef, but some passengers complained of an insufficient supply of life vests, little guidance from crew members and being forced into a steep climb down rope-ladders to safety.
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I was reading the story of the cruise ship which sank in the waters off of Greece and the passage above struck me. We have been on two cruises and the 1st thing they do is a safety drill where you learn how to use your life vests and escape the ship. Every room is equipped with life vests and the only reason I can think that people said there were insufficient supplies is that they were on deck and couldn't go back to their rooms. Even then, I remember seeing boxes full of vests near open areas so that doesn't seem to make sense either. I guess it just goes to show that people are dumb in situations like this...
Posted by mardenhill 4/07/2007 12:33:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Last.FM
I would like to thank a fellow blogger for this find. I was reading her page and saw the recent tracks and clicked on it. I was taken to the Last.FM site where I found out more. The concept is pretty cool, you download the player and launch it when listening to music. It will "Scrobble"(not my word) your list and add it to a database. In English, it captures the songs you are playing and creates a play list on your profile page. You can then go back to your page and see what you have been listening to. Its also a social networking site where you build friends and you can check out what they are listening to. I added my play list to my blog so you can keep track as well. The idea is to show people your musical tastes and also give bands an idea of how many people are tuning into their music. There are also stations built upon your list that you can stream but I haven't got that far. You turn it on when you want and you don't have to run it all the time. Unfortunately it doesn't capture Internet radio or at least Woxy and Woxy Vintage which are things I listen to most of the time. Yeah its gimmicky but its fun and gives you a peek into what good/bad stuff I am into that day.
http://www.last.fm/
Posted by mardenhill 4/07/2007 11:43:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Music, Technology
The Moaners - Blackwing Yalobusha (2007)
Friday, April 06, 2007
I found this cd the other day on eMusic and have been listening to it quite regularly. The Moaners are a 2 peice female indie/blues punk/garage rock band from Chapel Hill, NC. For starters, they are nothing like the White Stripes, just another 2 piece with a slighty different sound. If anything I would say they are closer to The Kills than anything. The Moaners take a moodier approach to the music and add a bit of soul. Its not hard pounding, viseral garage rock nor is it straight up pretentious indie rock.
The cd starts off with "Yankee On My Shoulder", a southern twang with plenty of toe tappin beats. Its raw but not heavy, the distortion is the perfect pitch to blend nicely with the guitar melody. Track 2 "Dreamin About Flyin" strips the blues punk and settles into a minor chord dirge. Track 4 "Brainwash" picks up the tempo and layers esclating scales over some some aggessive drums.
The vocals remind me of the first Ravonettes cd where everything was recorded in a minor key. The whole record has that approach but does a great job at broadening the sound. Unlike The Kills, The Moaners keep their emotions in check and burrow thru without raising their voices. You will not find any screaming on this record, the vocals are kept in check and the guitar provides the aggression. I found the whole cd enjoyable but not something I would listen to from start to finish. Add a few songs to your ipod and you will not be disappointed. If interested you can find the cd on www.emusic.com
Rating 7.5/10
http://www.themoaners.com/
Posted by mardenhill 4/06/2007 09:07:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Speaker Pelosi
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Drudge just can't get enough of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. First it was the head scarf photo and now this one. Nancy is A-OK in my book, I am glad she went over to Isreal, Syria and Saudi Arabia, someone needs to do it and we know this president is incapable of doing so. If this admin continues to act like schoolyard bullies then circumventing them on every front is called for. Way to go Nancy, I say stick it to the White House week after week. They are on the ropes and look like babies everytime they cry out. Its only the scumbag republican blowholes who are upset and they look more and more foolish everyday. The country and world support Nancy, and I can't wait to see what else she has planned.
Posted by mardenhill 4/05/2007 08:39:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Bye Bye State Theatre
The rebranding is part of Live Nation's commitment to small- and mid-sized live music venues as well as enhancing the live experience for both the fan and artist, according to Bruce Eskowitz, Live Nation's CEO of North American Music.
http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=7810
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Thanks Live Nation, now one of the best venues in Detroit will be destroyed and transformed into a corporate whorehouse no better than an Applebees or Fridays. We don't need anymore chain bars, we have enough. Changing the State to the Fillmore won't make it a better venue. People will not be fooled into thinking this has some history like the Fillmore in San Fran. Its the State Theatre, either leave it alone or change the name into something original. Its a stupid concept and a waste of money. Buy a new sign, remodel the inside but don't call it a Fillmore or House Of Blues. We already have a dumbass Hard Rock are you trying to destroy the city? This isn't suburbia where everything is a strip mall and cookie cutter architecture.
Just when you thought things were going right for a change.....
Posted by mardenhill 4/05/2007 04:43:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit
New Stadium?
The rumors have been around for a while so the notion of a new Detroit Red Wings stadium is not new. The location isn't new either but the lastest move by the Ilitch family leads many to believe its a done deal. According to the Free Press, Olympia Development received a grant to demolish a vacant building behind the Fox Theatre. For those of you not familiar with the area, the proposed site is a couple blocks behind the Fox Theatre off of Woodward. Comerica Park and Ford Field would be within walking distance since they are directly across the street from the Fox. That would put all 3 stadiums on the east side of I75 and all in a row. Right now its only open parking lots and if the stadium went up, multiple structures would need to be built.
Don't forget the new casios, MGM is building a new hotel/casino and Motorcity is adding a hotel tower. These should be completed either late this year or next. Lots of things going on in Detroit, lets hope they keep it up.....
Posted by mardenhill 4/05/2007 10:23:00 AM 0 comments
New Camera
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Our new camera the Casio Exilim EX-S770 just arrived and its amazing. It is a 7.2 megapixel, 3x optical, image stabilization and has a 2.8 inch ultrabright LCD backscreen. Power on is fast and you can take multiple photos in a row with little delay. There are a ton of scenery options to choose from and battery life is good. It comes with a small dock and if you have a mac, it is automatically detected in iPhoto. Importing only involves hitting the button.
I have taken a few photos around the office and the quality is excellent. I am very happy with the camera and just need to find a carrying case.
I found the camera on Buy.com and it came with a free extra battery which is a $40 value. I had a 7% coupon and also bought a 2 gig SD card for $23. If you are in the market for a new camera, I highly recommend this one, I have played with every other camera and this one is the best. The only one I would recommend over this would be the waterproof/shockproof canon but you are looking at an extra $100.
Posted by mardenhill 4/04/2007 03:00:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Shake Up At CNN
Miles O'Brien and Soledad O'Brien (no relation) are out and John Roberts and Kyrin Chetry are in. Miles and Soledad hosted the CNN American Morning show and I thought did a good job. I was a fan of Miles, he was goofy at times but very entertaining. He is a big science nerd so he would make sure the good stories were covered. I grew to like Soledad, at times she annoyed me but more often than not she was a good reporter. It will be sad to see them go, I am not sure what to think of the new hosts. Kyrin came from Fox News but leaving the propaganda spaceship is a step in the right direction. As long as she doesn't bring the Fox News backhanded comments and skewed political coverage she should do well. John has been around for a while and has filled in for Miles. He's OK, but can be one dimensional. The last couple weeks has had a number of fill ins and I was expecting a shakeup but not of both anchors.
Thanks Miles and Soledad for a few good years of morning television.......
Posted by mardenhill 4/04/2007 12:22:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Chateau Reysson 2001
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
I was unable to find a photo of the 2001 and too lazy to take my own photo so here you go. The label is the same, just the year is different.
Breaking down the bottle is falls under the Cru Bourgeois designation, not Superieur or Exceptionnel but your average Medoc and standard label. Due to controversy the 2003 ruling that created Superieur and Exceptionnel was overturned and designation has gone back to the 1932 labeling method. This wine is considered the Chateau's reserve and bottled on site.
This is a wine from the Haut-Medoc area in the Bordeaux region. It sets on the Left Bank of the Gironde south of the Medoc region. The wine is a blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. I am not 100% on this particular bottle but these are the grapes used in the area. Getting to the taste, upon pouring it had the classic Bordeaux nose and green flavor. After 30 minutes it started to open and show some character. You had plush berries followed by some vanilla, oak and smoke. The wine is still a bit ripe tho, there is a tart feel that shows thru and I hope disappears by tomorrow. I will decant the remainder of the bottle and see what happens.
Posted by mardenhill 4/03/2007 10:08:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Jesse Malin - Glitter In The Gutter (2007)
http://www.therecordroom.blogspot.com/
I just posted a review of Jesse's new cd over at the Record Room, take a look.....
Posted by mardenhill 4/03/2007 11:45:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Opening Day
Monday, April 02, 2007
Unfortunately I had to work today and didn't get a chance to go play downtown. Our new CIO came in for a meeting which happened to be in the middle of the game. I was able to watch a little at the beginning and once again in the 8th inning. I didn't see the raising of the flag but I did get this picture off of the Tigers website along with a shot of the stadium. The Tigers lost 5-3 in the 10th but thats ok, its only game 1. Maybe if people get pissed and jump off the bandwagon, I can get tickets once again....
Welcome to Tigermania 2007
Posted by mardenhill 4/02/2007 11:28:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Tigers
A Step In The Right Direction?
EMI has announced that they will now sell their catalog DRM free via the iTunes music store. This means the files will be in MP3 format and encoded at a higher bit rate. No restrictions on what you can do with the files, multiple computers and non iPod digital players can be used.
The downside, the songs will be selling for $1.29 a piece. On one hand its a step in the right direction but the price point is still too high. I like my files DRM free but adding an extra .30 cents will not entice me to buy them.
I don't expect this to hurt Apple's sales of the iPod. People will still by them since they are the best players on the market and look the best. Its a smart move and I hope other labels follow suit.
Posted by mardenhill 4/02/2007 10:33:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music, Technology
Some eMusic News
Sunday, April 01, 2007
http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=7805
There is a very good interview with the CEO of eMusic at the link above. The most interesting part of it was question about major labels. The idea that eMusic could resurrect back catalogs for the majors is great and I would go download crazy. There are a ton of cds that I would love to have but don't want to pay full price for. Back in the day I used to collect tapes and trying to replace those albums digitally has been a chore. Maybe one day the majors will summit and do the right thing, until then we are stuck in digital limbo....
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EMusic only sells music on independent labels. Have you talked to the major labels recently?
We have been talking to all four majors for more than two years. And their offer has been pretty simple and consistent. We’ve said to them, “We’re really a Long Tail music retailer. We focus on people who are 25 to 60 years old that like music beyond the commercial mainstream. We’re a strong retailer among all genres except mainstream pop and rap.”
So, we said our notion is that there is a portion of your catalogs that are probably in those genres that are underperforming. Why don’t you give us all the songs in your catalogs that have sold one or fewer times on iTunes. And maybe even the stuff that isn’t available physically anymore. A deleted title. Wouldn’t that be a good place to start? License that to us in MP3 and let’s see how well we can sell it. And any sales we do would be incremental because you’re not selling it anywhere else. That pitch has been pretty consistent for some time. You can sort of call it the “back catalog and up-and-coming artists who haven’t yet broken.” And we have not been successful in convincing any of the majors to abandon the DRM requirement. But we keep trying. So even if their songs are not selling, they’re not willing to go that route.
Posted by mardenhill 4/01/2007 09:29:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
