Photos From Our Trip
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Here is a shot from Anne Amie Vineyards and I feel that their view rivals many in Napa. The wine is amazing as well, you have some outstanding Pinot Noirs, Viogniers and Pinot Gris to choose from. We picked up a bottle of the 2003 Deux Vert Vineyards Pinot Noir. We also visited Elk Cove Vineyards where we bought another Pinot and late harvest Riesling. Our final stop on the wine trail was Argyle who specializes in sparklings. We bought a Blanc de Blanc from them.
http://www.anneamie.com/
http://www.elkcove.com/
http://www.argylewinery.com/
Here we are at Pike Street Market up in Seattle. This is the famous fish tossing stand which was jam packed the day we were there.
This is another Seattle landmark, the troll that lives under the Freemont Bridge. And yes, that was a real VW Bug the troll is crushing. I would hate to live on the street next to the troll since its always covered with tourists.
Posted by mardenhill 5/31/2007 09:07:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Travel
iTunes Plus
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Here's the skinny on the iTunes Plus, its DRM free digital music that you can do whatever you want with. Now here's the catch, its only the EMI label and it costs more than regular songs via iTunes. You will be paying $1.29 a song or $11.99 a cd with no restrictions. If you have bought previous songs thru iTunes which are on the EMI label you can upgrade your old DRM songs for a price. .30 cents or $3.00 max for a cd to upgrade. Yeah its cool that you don't have to purchase all your music all over again but I think the upgrade price is a bit out of line. Welcome to the new iTunes and by next year I expect more labels to be onboard. BTW, the songs are encoded at a 256 bitrate (very good quality) and are in AAC format. The AAC is still MP3 just Apple's version. If you want to convert the AAC to MP3 its really easy to do in iTunes.
Posted by mardenhill 5/30/2007 11:32:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Back From Oregon
We made it back from Oregon last nite and now I am back at work. I will post some photos later tonight/tomorrow of the trip. We checked out some very cool vineyards, went to Seattle and Portland. I brought back lots of good coffee and wine and we also got some artwork for our spare bedroom.
Posted by mardenhill 5/30/2007 09:33:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Oregon
Thursday, May 24, 2007
We are off to Oregon for a few days so posting may be light until Tuesday. Don't fret, I will make up for any lost time when I return......
Posted by mardenhill 5/24/2007 06:24:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
The Letter "H"
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Gizmorox gave me a letter and I had to come up with 10 things that I like. The other nite Erika and I were out to dinner and while waiting for our table I told her about the game. We did some brainstorming and below are the things I came up with.
1. Hurricanes: I have never been in a hurricane but I was down in Key West when Hurricane Michelle was hitting Cuba back in '01. We were on the beach and I could feel some crazy winds and the whole city was boarded up. We couldn't leave Key West since we flew in and had to wait for our flight out. Luckily our flight did leave and it was one of the scariest flights I have ever been on.
2. Hasbro: Some of my favorite toys as a kid were Hasbro. You have Transformers, GI Joe and Star Wars.
3. Haut Medoc: I had to find something that had to do with wine and I came up with Haut Medoc. This is an area from Bordeaux, France and fits in perfectly.
4. Hockey: I was hoping I could write this with props going out to the Red Wings but unfortunately they lost last nite to the Ducks thereby ending the season. It was still a great year and we always have next season.
5. Hating hippies: I hate hippies, they smell bad, they dress in stupid looking clothes, they have annoying stoner laughs and for the most part are only in it for the "Dead" scene. Bottomline, Hippies Suck.
6. Dashiell Hammett: He is one of my favorite authors and was known for the book "The Maltese Falcon". Hammitt wrote vintage detective novels back in the 20s.
7. Hot Sauce: Hot Sauce rocks, whats not to love about it.
8. Hani Special: If you are not from the Metro Detroit area you may be shaking your head on this one. "Golden brown chicken tenderloins topped with Swiss and American cheese, and served on a grilled pita with shredded lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Our most popular sandwich!"
http://www.nationalconeyisland.com/Menus/
9. Happiness: I figured I should include an emotion or something of substance so Happiness it is.
10. Hubba bubba bubblegum: Erika came up with this one, I think because its fun to say and everyone can remember chewing it as a kid....
If you would like a letter, please leave a comment requesting one...
Posted by mardenhill 5/23/2007 03:41:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Misc
A Must Have....
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
This is a must have for any pretentious wine snob you may know. The pocket infared thermometer will give you your wine temp without dipping it. Just hold above the level of the wine and press the button, you will get an instant reading telling you whether your wine is too hot, too cold or just right. Check out the FAQ link it has some great ways on how to chill/warm up a bottle if you are in a pinch.
http://www.nuvovino.com
http://www.nuvovino.com/faqs/index.asp
Posted by mardenhill 5/22/2007 08:40:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Garden 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
We started our garden for the year and it will be our most adventurous yet.Herbs:
Basil, Sage, Tarragon, Thyme, Rosemary, Cilantro, Oregano and Mint.
Peppers:
Serrano, Jalapeno, Cayenne, Bell and the world's hottest pepper 2x hotter than Habenaro.
Tomatoes:
6 different varieties
Green Beans, Edamame and Sweet Corn
Over on this side we have:Radishes, Carrots, Onions, Leeks and Beets.
Our Clematis opened over the last few days. Our 2nd vine has a few flowers showing but nothing like this one.
We have some new additions to the flower beds in the form of grasses. I just put them in last weekend so it will take a little while to get established.
Our Irises and Lilies are doing well and will start blooming in the next month.
I moved a Black Eyed Susan which sat next to the lilies so I have more room to plant. I need to check to see if I can still add bulbs for this season or not. If no, then I will have to fill in some of my empty spots this fall.
Posted by mardenhill 5/20/2007 07:15:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Garden
What Is Acid Lounge?
Friday, May 18, 2007
With all the crazy subgenres of music out there its easy to get lost and throw your hands up in the air. Well I am here to introduce you to a newer (not really new came out in 2000) but one you may have never heard of. The music genre is called Acid Lounge. You may be wondering what this is, well take a bit of Acid Jazz, Chillout, Trip Hop, Electronic, Down Tempo, 60s Soundtrack and some Nouveau Lounge and you have Acid Lounge. From what I can gather, the genre came from to very amazing musicians who performed under the name Marden Hill (the group I stole my moniker from). After Marden Hill broke up, they formed 45 Dip and wrote a soundtrack to a fictional movie and Acid Lounge was born.
If you like downtempo, groove, hammond organs, a bit of kitsch, a bit of noir, some electronic beats and a blend of live jazz music you will enjoy 45 Dip. The name of their cd is The Acid Lounge and since 2003 there have been a few Various Artists compilations under the names Welcome To The Acid Lounge Vol 1, Acid Lounge In Space and The Acid Lounge Goes West. Besides 45 Dip, you will find groups like Groove Armada, Herbalizer, Mr Electric Triangle, Tosca, Bebel Gilberto, Kruder & Dorfmeister and Disjam. Most of these musicians can be found on a wide range of Chillout, Acid Jazz, Trip Hop and Electronic music collections. Whether their music is true Acid Lounge or just thrown in to add some names to the cds its still good listening.
http://www.45dip.com/
Green Tomatoes - MP3
Posted by mardenhill 5/18/2007 02:48:00 PM
Labels: Music
One More Gone
Well it looks like Wolfie will be exiting the World Bank come June 30th. With some jackass deal worked out with the bank board, Wolfowitz will walk away with a pretty penny and no legal record of wrong doing. I know the guy wants to save face but he knows damn well everyone will remember him for his role as an architect of the Iraq war, one who lied thru his teeth to get it going and for giving his girlfriend a hefty raise. Its not like the guy needs to add this to his resume he will be picked up by some Washington think tank to spout off more deranged and crazy ideas. Whatever it takes to get rid of this guy, I guess its worth it.
Moving on, now public enemy number 1 is Gonzales once again. The stories keep trickling out shreading his credibility (as if he had any to start with) day by day. The lastest is from the deputy AG who spoke to congress how the chief of staff Andy Card and Gonzales paid a visit to a very sick John Ashcroft in the hospital. They went there to by pass the deputy AG who wouldn't sign off on the warrantless wire taps and broke the law doing it. So it goes to show this cabal of crooks will do anything to get their way and its a good thing the Dems won in the last election. Are they perfect no, far from it but at least they can now expose the fraud and hyprocrisy
Posted by mardenhill 5/18/2007 08:33:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
New Interpol!!!!!!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Interpol will release their major label debut and 3rd full length July 10th with the following title Our Love To Admire. Nothing has leaked out to the net but you can stream their 1st single "The Heinrich Maneuver" at the website below. If you didn't have high hopes for this cd, think again I am expecting it to be amazing if this 1st song has any indication. Its not dark and brooding like their debut and has a more polished element to it. Its Interpol all the way but there is an aggressive sound and one that borders on arena rock. It reminds me of Oasis where their songs sound much better live, something about them comes out when you have Liam/Noel singing to you. This song has that ability as well, there is a hidden quality that will surface when the amps are turned up. 2007 has another great release on its way and my best of is already half done. Feel free to post comments with your opinion of the new song.
http://www.forums.spinner.com/2007/05/01/interpols-new-song-is-bi-coastal/
Posted by mardenhill 5/16/2007 05:31:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
When In Trouble, Blame The Girlfriend
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
If you ever had any inkling of support for the sleazeball Paul Wolfowitz its all gone now. The guy who is in trouble with the World Bank has taken to blaming his "girlfriend" for his woes. Essentially the World Bank refused to allow Paul to manage her but then didn't make any arrangements to move her into another dept. Paul then had to assume the responsibilities and give her a raise to pre-empt a lawsuit. Yeah Paul, you are the knight in shining armor here. Its the same with anyone connected to this administration, when in trouble blame someone else and swiftboat them for good measure. Just yesterday the deputy AG resigned and Alberto Gonzales threw him under the bus to save his own hide. These crooks have no souls they will sell out anyone to keep the pressure off of themselves. They refuse to take any responsibility for their own actions and look for a lackey to take the fall. If you ever thought the Republican had a shread of decency left, well here is proof they do not.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/14/AR2007051401624_pf.html
Posted by mardenhill 5/15/2007 12:01:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
New Buffalo Tom!!
Monday, May 14, 2007
Buffalo Tom announce new studio album
Buffalo Tom have announced details of their new album, their first in nine years. The Boston band's seventh studio album 'Three Easy Pieces' will be released on July 10. The record will be preceded by the single 'Bad Phone Call' on June 26.
http://www.buffalotom.com
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Like I said before 2007 is getting better and better. My favorite band Buffalo Tom have decided to release a new cd and it will be available this July. If you are not familiar with BT, they started back in the late 80s under the guidance of J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr fame. They broke away from the fuzzed out feedback and developed their own sound which gave us 6 amazing full lengths and tons of singles and EPs. BT can take raw emotion and wrap it into a great guitar rock sound unfettered by the flavor of the month sound. Bill Janovitz has also given us 3 solos to date and kept the idea of a BT return alive. I can't wait for this release, it will definitely be in my top 10 for 2007 along with Ryan Adams, Grant Lee Phillips, The National and Son Volt. 2007 will be hard to make a best of list since so many good cds have come out. I usually add about 20 but I see my list possibly growing to 30 this year.
Check out their myspace page for a couple new tracks "Three Easy Pieces" and "Gravity"
http://www.myspace.com/buffalotom2007
Posted by mardenhill 5/14/2007 01:02:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Travis - The Boy With No Name (2007)
As 2007 rolls on, the music continues to get better and better. Travis (the original Coldplay) just released their latest cd The Boy With No Name. This cd falls in between the dark and moodiness of The Man Who and sunshine pop of The Invisible Band. Track 1 "3 Times and You Lose" starts off soft and acoustic with the signature guitar sound picking up and carrying thru til the end of the song. Track 5 "Battleships" adds strings to the melancholy and somber mood but surprises the listener with hints of sunshine bursting thru.
I have always been a fan of Travis, I remember buying The Man Who on import when it was announced they were opening for Oasis back in '99. The theatre was about half full for Travis and they were very surprised to see so many people checking them out and singing along. Since then I had seen Travis a few more times and each show was excellent. I always felt that they deserved the fame and fortune bestowed onto Coldplay but I guess it wasn't in the cards. Travis is one of the best bands out there to blend subdued and flowing music with a wide range of emotion without being "EMO".
Rating 8/10
Posted by mardenhill 5/14/2007 09:40:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Slacker Update
Friday, May 11, 2007
I have been listening to Slacker the last 2 days and have enjoyed the music selection. It was like I remembered with Musicmatch before they made people pay money for the service. I can listen to the pre-defined stations or create my own. I like to type in an artist and then let the software shuffle songs for me. When you select an artist you get their music every 4-5 songs played. I do have a few gripes though, I was listening to Supergrass and had Green Day and Blink 182 mixed in. I do not consider these bands part of the Supergrass genre and had to blow my skips on them. Its not perfect but its also free. Another cool feature is the ability to pause the song if you need to get up from your desk. I love listening to Woxy Vintage but you don't have control over the songs and can get stuck sitting there because you don't want to leave.
I recommend everyone to check out Slacker's beta right now, its a nice change of pace and a good way to mix up your daily music. As for the player, still on the fence there, I don't see it succeeding the way I picture it in my head.
Posted by mardenhill 5/11/2007 12:12:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music, Technology
Multiple Choice Mitt
I have been reminding all my republican friends who seem to be smitten with Mitt that he is indeed the biggest flip flopper ever to surface in politics.
I saw this photo and just laughed because its so true. Yeah the GOP waved flip flops at their convention for Kerry but no one has taken it to the full costume level.
Mitt has even taken on pandering to the American Taliban, he appeared at Pat Robertson's college and gave a commencement speech. I wonder if Mitt agrees with Pat that it was gays and liberals that caused 9/11 and that Hurricane Katrina was sent by god to clean up our country.
A few items Mitt has flip flopped on since announcing his candidacy.
Abortion
Gay Marriage
Gun Rights (joined as a lifetime member just last year for $1000)
Universal Heath Care
Stem Cells
Evironment
Religion
If Mitt wins the nomination it would make for great late nite comedy and plenty of good 527 ads throughout the campaign.
Posted by mardenhill 5/11/2007 10:06:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Slacker.com
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Welcome to Slacker.com a website hoping to take on Apple and the iPod and actually make a dent in the market. The concept fairly simple, you stream internet radio thru your computer and customize it to your personal taste. You can log on for free and browse the different genres and you get 6 skips on the songs being played. you can ban songs you don't like preventing them from being played again. You can also create stations based on bands and genres of music. The handheld coming out this summer would stream the music and allow you to download songs via WiFi. There will be a pay version which will remove advertisements and give you unlimited skipping which would be very cool.
The former CEO of Musicmatch is one of the founders of Slacker so if you were familiar with their radio portion this is pretty much the same. This concept is already in motion via a website called Last.FM which builds playlists and streams music for your enjoyment. Communities are also built thru Last.FM and you can share your playlists. Slacker will take the concept one step further and give you the ability to take your music with you.
The player would allow you to stream music provided you were in range of WiFi and rely on music you had saved to the device when you were out of range. I don't know if you can purchase music thru the device and if so what kind of DRM is attached. I used to use the radio function of Musicmatch back in the day before they killed all the cool features and made you pay for them. This is the same thing except its now portable. Its like having a satellite radio with the ability to personalize your radio stations. You are still renting music since you would not be keeping the files (you may be able to but would have to pay for them). Napster did this with their service but the whole WiFi player and customization is new and more in depth.
Am I onboard, nah I have enough music but I like the idea. With the iTunes library I could see this really catching on. I think Slacker has a decent thing here but I don't think they can break anyone loose from Apple. You can walk around your house skipping tracks and pulling new ones but if satellites are not involved and its only Wifi getting the updates, its pretty much useless. More and more cities would need blanket WiFi for this to really work.
Posted by mardenhill 5/10/2007 04:29:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music, Technology
Next Generation of Digital Music?
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
I was reading about MusicGiants in PC Mag and decided to check out their site. It sounds interesting on the surface but I don't plan on using their service. The way MusicGiants differs from other online music stores is that they sell their songs in a lossless format vs a compressed mp3. Lossless is basically a song at the compression rate of 1100kbps exact cd quality. When you see 128kbps which is what iTunes is at, these are files that sound good but not great. I perfer my mp3s to be at 192 or 320 kbps which is much better but also larger in size. If you encode at lossless expect each song to be between 20-40 megs in size vs 3-5 megs with mp3. Lossless doesn't bode well for an ipod since you would have less room and you would never notice the difference with headphones. Where it is a benefit is on a nice home theatre system with 5.1 surround sound.
MusicGiants rips their files with WMA and you have DRM (digital rights management) so its back to protected files. You will also need a large hard drive to hold all the files. Pricewise you are looking at $1.29 a song or about $15 a cd, more than iTunes. I have seen more and more people move over to lossless format which can also be ripped without DRM but I havn't adopted it yet. Will I, not sure, I have already ripped all my cds twice now and doing it a 3rd time just makes me cringe.
On a side note, iTunes will start selling music from the EMI record label at a 192 bitrate and DRM free this month or next.
http://musicgiants.com/main.aspx
Posted by mardenhill 5/09/2007 01:17:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Detroit Tigers vs Seattle Mariners
Start of game, Ichiro up to bat.
Some action shots, the camera was able to capture the ball which really suprised me.
Another action shot.
View from the suite overlooking the stadium.
I went to the Tigers game last nite on a free ticket and had a great time. We sat in one of the lower level suites with an excellent view of the field which was the 2nd time I had the chance to see a game in luxury conditions. We had free food and drinks all nite and were shaded from the blistering heat. Detroit beat Seattle 9-7 on a number of hits and home runs. Seattle got off to a great start with 3 runs in the 1st leading many to think it was going to be a long nite. The Tigers came back and held the lead til the end with both teams trading runs throughout the nite.
Posted by mardenhill 5/09/2007 10:13:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Tigers
Free Paris
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
To: The Honorable Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
This petition is to ask Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to pardon Paris Hilton for her mistake. Please allow her to her return to her career and life. Everyone makes mistakes. She didn't hurt or kill anyone, and she has learned her lesson. She is sincere, apologetic, and full of regret for her actions as she explained tearfully to the Judge handling her case in court yesterday.She is distraught and understandably afraid.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT to save our Paris from ending up at the Century Regional Detention Facility! Please sign to tell The Honorable Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of the State of California, to think about the welfare of this young woman who has made a mortal error and deserves a second chance like so many others in our great nation have been served with after a mistake they have made . If the late Former President Gerald Ford could find it in his heart to pardon the late Former President Richard Nixon after his mistake(s), we undeniably support Paris Hilton being pardoned for her honest mistake as well, and we hope and expect The Governor will understand and grant this unusual but important request in good faith to Ms. Paris Whitney Hilton.
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This goes to show our world is full of dumb people who shouldn't breed. You know there are people who are taking this petition seriously and will no doubt cry their eyes out when the precious Hilton goes to jail. My favorite part of it all is the conclusion that she is indeed sorry and that it was an honest mistake. What moron believes this? Come forward so I can knock you across the head. Paris will ride this jail sentence into more money and fame its right up her alley and I see a reality show based on her time behind bars. A severe punishment would be for the judge to prevent her from appearing on anymore tv shows, that would kill her more than a few nites in the pokey.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/PH21781/index.html
Posted by mardenhill 5/08/2007 12:56:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Ocean Colour Scene - On The Leyline (2007)
Ocean Colour Scene are back with a new release entitled On The Leyline. It has all the makings of a classic OCS record, great hooks, melodies and 60s influence. In the past OCS records pulled heavily from the Beatles but this one has a bit more grit and more of The Jam sound. I am not saying they rip off these bands but if you have never heard of OCS its a good reference point for you to start at. OCS pay hommage to the classic rock sound while giving it a dose of modern day flare. One of my favorite songs on the disc is track 4 "Man In The Middle". It starts off with some good distortion and when the vocals come in it feels like Bad Company's "Feel Like Making Love". The chorus hits and pounds thru followed by a nice countryesque bridge. Track 10 "Loneliest Girl In The Whole Wide World" takes you back to '96 and OCS's Moseley Shoals. You have a sing along, toe tapping beat with hints of psychedelia. The mod is thick on this record and begs to be listened to on a nice summer day.
Posted by mardenhill 5/08/2007 09:49:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Wings Advance
The Wings and Ducks split four games during the regular season, each winning twice at home. I didn't stay up to watch the game but to my defense the channel on Wow cable broadcasting wouldn't come in. Neither FSN or ESPN had the game on so it was on OLN. Unfortunately its another west coast team the Wings will be playing so more late nite games. I will admit, I wasn't sure if the Wings were going to pull off their series, San Jose always scored 1st and it looked like we were playing catch up til the end of the game. 2 rounds down, 2 more to go. In other Detroit news, the Pistons won last nite and lead the series against Chicago 2-0. Just imagine if the Wings and the Pistons both made it to the playoffs, would they have to alternate the jersey on the Spirit of Detroit or would they do a split jersey. I can't be the only one contemplating this puzzle. UPDATE: Well it looks like I have a JACKASS at my office who likes to leave anonymous attacks (could it be NASIR, Mr. I love Kenny G, he's so dreamy). I wrote the post before I had some coffee and the statement should have been "Just imagine if the Wings and the Pistons both made it to the finals".... Hey Nasir you can't hide from Sitemeter..... UPDATE 2: It wasn't Nasir but he is usually the culprit. This time it came from someone who uses IE 7 and has a screen resolution of 1440x900 and that would be none other than Joe. But Joe needed a bit of help since he couldn't even name a Red Wing player and that came from Jim......
The Wings advance to face the Anaheim Ducks for the conference championship. The first game of the series is at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Joe Louis Arena. Game 2 is Sunday at JLA, also at 7:30 p.m., before the series shifts to Anaheim.
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Posted by mardenhill 5/08/2007 07:42:00 AM 3 comments
Labels: Red Wings
Beginning Stages Of......
Monday, May 07, 2007
Stargazer Lily and Siberian Iris
Fern and Hosta
Raspberries
Here are a few photos of our yard and some of my favorite things growing. The one section is about 8x12 and is full of a wide range of lilies. I have 7 ferns that are starting, these are my favorite because they have leaves ranging between 1-2 ft. I had a couple other ferns behind this one but I don't think they made it this year. They were given to me last year but were in a pretty weak state, I may have to pick up a few more. The hosta is a pretty good size once its fully opened and I believe this one flowers later in the year. The raspberries started out as 2 sticks in the ground and as you can see, taken over. We only had a couple berries last year but the plants have quadrupled in size and number so I expect many more. I am excited to see what this summer brings us, I have spent 3 years adding/deleting plants throughout the yard and most things are big enough to fill in the space. My goal is to have no ground visable and things flowering all summer long. We will be planting the gardens in a couple weeks which will add another dimension to the yard. I will keep you posted with our progess.
Posted by mardenhill 5/07/2007 07:15:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: House
Bottled Water?
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Courtesy of Treehugger.com
We often write about bottled water. The continuous fascination stems from how convenience-driven the market is. Laying out logic can't overcome convenience, no matter how significant the environmental effects may be. The only recourse would be to point out the financial waste and absurdity of the situation, to think "outside the bottle". And it's happening. The Muskegon Chronicle let its readers know, for example, that:- "The label doesn't mention that the Aquafina sold in Michigan comes from the city of Detroit's water system...Detroit gets its water from the Detroit River and Lake Huron. The American Water Works Association last year rated Detroit's water the best-tasting municipal water in Michigan...The Dasani sold in Michigan is also Detroit city water; and the Propel sold in Michigan is flavored water from municipal water systems in Indianapolis and New Jersey, company officials said...Critics accuse companies like Pepsi (Aquafina) and Coke (Dasani) of hypocrisy by promoting bottled water as a healthier alternative to tap water when those products are, in fact, purified tap water."
At roughly $1 per bottle, bottled water costs about 3,300-times more per ounce than water from Muskegon's water system. Muskegon, like most West Michigan communities, gets its drinking water from Lake Michigan.
The most amazing fact learned from the Muskegon Chronicle is that there exists an International Bottled Water Association, whose purpose it seems in part is to advocate for the product.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/wedjaget_that_b.php.........................
I am not a big bottled water fan, I only buy it if its an emergency. We have a Brita Water filter that we use and it only costs a couple dollars every few months. Knowing that Aquafina is just Detroit river water makes me never want to drink it again. Yeah it has gone thru a purification process but if you ever spent anytime on the water between the river and Lake Erie you would feel the same way I do. Buy a Nalgene bottle and fill up at home, you will save money and reduce your carbon footprint.
Posted by mardenhill 5/06/2007 06:29:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Environment
Poison'd!!!!
Friday, May 04, 2007
Poison will taint more than 50 U.S. cities this summer on their Poison'd! 2007 US tour.
The cross-country trek, with Ratt and special guest White Lion joining in on most of the dates, the tour rolls out on June 13 in Greenville, S.C,. and stops in and around New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and other major markets.
Poison's new studio album, Poison'd!, will be released June 5 and features original members, Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Rikki Rockett, and Bobby Dall. The disc is produced by Don Was, Poison'd! is the band's first new studio recordings since 2002's Hollyweird. The new work features 13 cover songs, including David Bowie's "Suffragette City," The Cars' "You're Just What I Needed," The Romantics' "What I Like About You," Sweet's "Little Willy," The Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See" and The Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers."
http://www.pollstar.com/tour/searchall.pl?By=Artist&Content=POISON&PSKey=Y
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Just what you have been waiting for, a cover record from an 80s glam band. Didn't Def Leppard just do this last year? Anyways, we have ourselves a new Poison tour with Ratt and White Lion heading our way this summer. These shows never sell out Pine Knob, the 15,000 person amphitheatre here in metro Detroit so tickets are usually passed out all around town. If I can score some free ones I might consider going. Unfortunately Ratt still has their lame new singer who is a poor replacement for Stephen Pearcy and White Lion, well they had 2 songs. If these 3 bands are not part of the Rock Never Stops tour I wonder what really bad metal bands will take the honors.
http://www.poisonweb.com/
Posted by mardenhill 5/04/2007 09:26:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Music
James - Fresh As A Daisy - The Singles (2007)
James just released a new greatest hits, the last one was released in 1998. This release was timed with the revival of the band and their UK reunion tour. There are 33 songs on the disc with 2 new ones. They organized them on chronological order as do most greatest hits.
The 2 new songs are "Who You Are" and "Chameleon" both good but not groundbreaking. "Who You Are" starts off with an electric guitar and keyboards. The production is reminiscent of Tim Booth's solo and could have easily came from that cd. It does have a bit of a fuller sound than his solo but not the James of the last decade. Its not post punk, nor a beautifully crafted pop song. There is no Eno influenced sound and is more or less straight forward rock. I have listened to it a few times and do enjoy it, I just think it wasn't what I was expecting. "Chameleon" continues on with the rock is a pretty heavy song. The distortion adds a layer that you haven't seen since the early days. I have been back and forth between the songs this morning but haven't decided which one I like better.
Every James song you would want to listen to is included here, "Hymn For A Village", "Sit Down", "Sound", "Born Of Frustration", "Ring The Bells", "Say Something", "Tomorrow", "Just Like Fred Astaire" and "Getting Away With It" are just a few. This greatest hits is very close to that on my iPod with selected songs from every record. If you are a James fan, you already will have all these songs but the greatest hits is worth it for the 2 new ones.
Lets just hope James decides to bring their reunion tour to the US and possibly Detroit.
http://wearejames.com/
Posted by mardenhill 5/04/2007 08:41:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Transformers Update
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
I went to log into my account and came across this on the page. Talk about lame, the site has been down 2 out of the 3 times I have accessed it. Either there are a bunch of comic book geeks and computer nerds flooding the server or Chevy just sucks and can't run a promotion to save their life.
Posted by mardenhill 5/02/2007 09:36:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
2006 Clean Slate Riesling
Looking for a good, inexpensive German Riesling, well I have one for you. Its from Clean Slate Vineyards in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer appellation. Its not your typical German bottle, there is no chateau on the label, if anything you would think it was some New World California wine with its modern design and screw top.
Upon tasting, the wine is very fruity and clean. Its not dry, its thick and rich and coats your tongue with each taste. You have hints of green apple, pear and lots of mineral. I am still blown away at how dense it feels but it doesn't have the flavors or weight of a dessert wine. There isn't a creeping alcohol taste with honey but you swear by the viscosity it could be.
It may be a bit sweet for some but if you are a fan of the Chenin Blanc grape you will really enjoy this one. This wine would go well with any spicy dish, it would cut thru and cool down your taste buds.
http://www.cleanslatewine.com
Posted by mardenhill 5/02/2007 09:19:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Tigers Game
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Tigers Stadium.
Durbin pitching.
Zumaya pitching.
I went to the Tigers game tonight and had some great seats, they were 15th row right between the pitcher's mound and 1st base. The weather had been raining all day and it was pretty cold but well worth it. Unfortunately the settings on the camera were screwed up so I didn't get that good of photos but you can still see from them some of the action on the field. The camera was switched to 640x480 on the size which dropped each photo from 2 megs to 232 kb which is a bummer. I didn't notice this change until I added the photos to the computer, I guess I will have to score some more tickets and head back downtown this summer. The Tigers won 5-3 with a great last 2 innings that had everyone on their feat.
Posted by mardenhill 5/01/2007 11:03:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Tigers
Transformers
I was a little leery when I heard there was going to be a live action Transformers movie and had no plans on seeing it. After watching the previews I'm onboard and can't wait. As a kid my favorite toys were Transformers, Star Wars, GI Joe and Mask and I still have a number of them packed away in boxes. I was a nerd with my Transformers tho, I would keep the box and put them back in it when done playing. I always liked all the cool stuff included on the box which is why I held onto them.
I never associated the Transformers with a car brand but nowdays everything needs a sponsor. With that in mind, Chevy has taken on the promotion of the movie and you can build your own Autobot via their website. Since the cartoon took place in the US, it would have to be a US car maker and that leaves GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler. Personally I would have rather seen DCX sponsor the movie but I work for one of their suppliers so I am rather biased. I think Chevy's cars suck and are boring whereas DCX have cool designs and cars like the Caliber, Nitro and Patriot are more inline with the idea of a transformer. If you want lame 80s design to match the cartoon well Chevy is your company.
On the Chevy game you had 7 vehicles to choose from for your Autobot and I chose the Impala. My Autobot's name is Mardimous Prime and I am one badass robot.
http://www.chevrolet.com/
Posted by mardenhill 5/01/2007 01:42:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Technology
