Santa Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Costco had this wine up front when you walk in a few weeks ago and I decided to give it a shot. It was only $12 so if it sucked well I didn't waste too much money. You have to be careful sometimes with the Costco blowouts, you don't really know the condition of the wine and you are taking a chance. The last few times I did so worked out so I decided to roll the dice once again.

The wine is from Chile and the producer is Santa Helena. The appellation is the Colchagua Valley and the vineyard Aureus. Its a cab and for the most part scored in the mid to high 80s in many reviews. I wasn't able to smell much tonight so it was hard to tell the nose on the wine. On taste you had the classic signs of a cab but it was not deep and robust like a California. It had some plump blackberry and a hint of spice but the finish was a bit short and had no lingering flavors. If you are looking for a decent and simple cab you can't go wrong with this bottle. The price is right and the taste is better than any other grocery store wine you would find for $12. If you are looking for a higher end Chilean wine look for a Montes Alpha, its usually wrapped in white tissue paper and features an angel on the label. These wines are very good and worth the extra few dollars.

Posted by mardenhill 10/30/2007 10:24:00 PM 3 comments    

Labels: Wine

Q9H!!!!!!

Well I finally got my new phone, nothing like waiting for 2 months for it to launch. I saw on phonescoop that some people came across them yesterday afternoon so I called our local AT&T store. They just got them in and by 5:45pm I had one in my hands. It only took a few moments to sync my mail, just typed in a few server configurations and my network password and I had my email. I also synced my GMail acct which was really easy as well. I had Telenav turned on for the next 30 days and will decide if its worth it or not. The service is very cool, you can either type in an address or call it in and the GPS will register where you are and then build a map to get you to your destination. It gives you turn by turn directions along with voice commands. If you change the road it recalculates your new route. You can also browse local gas stations, restaurants etc with the service. Its like having a Tom Tom with you at all times.

The Pros:
3G Support: faster internet connection
2 megapixel camera
Windows Mobile 6
GPS
Additional RAM
Micro SD slot which supports up to 4 gig cards
QWERTY keyboard
Bluetooth
Extra Battery

The Cons:
No touch screen

I was going to complain about not adding my own ringtones to the phone but figured that problem out earlier today. I needed to lower the bitrate on the clips and that solved it. I need to get an SD card so I can save some mp3s and other files to it to make this the perfect multifunctional phone. Its no iPhone but I do have 3G speed and a cheaper price. Overall I am very happy with the phone and if anyone is in the market for a new pda/smartphone check out the Motorola Q9H.

Posted by mardenhill 10/30/2007 05:57:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Traverse City
Monday, October 29, 2007

Erika and I went up to Traverse City to see her sister and had a great weekend. We ate at the Blue Tractor a bar/grill that had some amazing mac n cheese and old man beer for $1.50 after 9pm. I got a can of Carling Black Label and a draft of Old Style, it doesn't get much better than that.

Saturday we started at some hippy restaurant where I had french toast which was ok but not groundbreaking. Everyone else enjoyed their food so I won't completely write off the establishment. It had some funky name but I can't remember and they are selling the place so I guess it really doesn't matter. From there we made our way to Fishtown an area right on Lake Michigan in Leeland. This was very cool, a bunch of old shacks with stores, a bar and fish monger. Our next stop were the vineyards, went to BlackStar Farms which is always fun and full of good wine. We bought a Chardonnay and Late Harvest Reisling from them. From there we made our way to Shady Lane, a new vineyard for me and I was impressed. Although we only bought a bottle of their Estate Reisling, I did enjoy a number of their other wines. Our final stop was L Mawby, my favorite vineyard up in Traverse City, its all sparklings and the people who run it are very cool. We splurged here and bought a bottle of their Talismon which was $30. We also picked up a couple Blanc de Blancs which are very good and reasonable at $18. Although you can get Domaine Chandon for $12 at Costco, I do like supporting our MI vineyards and would buy L Mawby if its available.

After the L Mawby we went back over to Leeland where we watched the sunset on the beach and enjoyed a bottle of the Blanc de Blanc. I left my camera at home so I only had my phone but you get the point.

The weather sucked on Saturday until 3pm when it stopped raining and the sun came back out. Sunday was great and made for an easy drive back home.

http://www.blackstarfarms.com/

http://www.shadylanecellars.com/ourStory.asp

http://www.lmawby.com/

http://www.bluetractorcookshop.com/

Posted by mardenhill 10/29/2007 09:30:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Travel, Wine

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Follow The Lights
Friday, October 26, 2007

The latest EP from Ryan Adams continues the vibe of Easy Tiger and features a few new tracks, a cover and live studio tracks. The songs are slow and somber but not dark like the songs found on Love Is Hell. They are chalk full of Americana with slide guitars and beautiful melodies that blend together to create a lush and majestic music landscape. The highlight of the EP would be the Alice in Chain's cover of "Down In A Hole". Instead of the crunchy sound you have warm slides and acoustic guitars. The subtle aggression is still present and Ryan does a great job with the tortured vocals Layne Stanley is so famous for. I am always interested in Ryan's covers and this may be his best one yet. Track 5 "This Is It" is from RocknRoll but given a facelift with the help of the Cardinals. I highly recommend this EP, the 7 tracks are fresh and its enough to get us thru til another proper full length.

Posted by mardenhill 10/26/2007 08:58:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Green Currents
Thursday, October 25, 2007

GreenCurrents - A Renewable Energy Option

GreenCurrents is a voluntary green options program that makes being green easy and affordable. Help make the air we breathe a little cleaner and support the development of renewable energy alternatives for Michigan.

GreenCurrents Supports Michigan-based Renewable Energy

Longterm supply contract completed with Stoney Corners Wind Farm
Two additional Michigan bioenergy projects expected shortly

Coming Soon - a healthier, more sustainable Michigan
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Although you are not getting "Green Energy" you are helping build the infrastructure needed to facilitate this. How it works, you have 2 choices either match 100% of your current energy bill by paying an additional .02 cents per KW or buy blocks of 100 watts for $2.50 each. Its like the carbon trading scene where you offset your current use with a greener subsitute. If you sign up, you will still get the same energy but the additional revenue will go towards the purchase of green energy.

I would love to generate my own energy thru solar panels but that's not really an option so this is the closest I can get. Its like hybrid drivers, they are paying a premium for their vehicle and in the end may not make up the extra costs in fuel consumption but many don't care. They are doing it because its the right thing to do. I plan on signing up with the Green Currents and after calculating it out, a 100% match would be an extra $13 a month. Thats not a big deal and if the money is going to a worthy cause then I am all for it. I will continue doing what I can and in the process help DTE Energy go green.

http://my.dteenergy.com/products/greenCurrents/index.html

Posted by mardenhill 10/25/2007 09:23:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Environment

Van Halen 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Posted by mardenhill 10/23/2007 09:16:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Music

The Verve - The Thaw Sessions
Monday, October 22, 2007

http://www.nme.com/vervedownloadform/

You can download the latest from the Verve at the site above. Its 14 minutes of studio session that isn't much of a song but more of sound. From the beginning it sounds just like U2 with Richard Ashcroft doing his best Bono impression. The music is slow and gradually builds into an atmospheric haze reminicent of classic Verve. Its not bad and I do like parts of the track but it doesn't really give you a glimpse into where they are going for some new music. You can't tell if the songs will be slow and melodic or if there will be some rockin ones.

Posted by mardenhill 10/22/2007 10:25:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

2005 Jiménez Landi Méntrida
Friday, October 19, 2007

Erika bought me this bottle for my birthday but I couldn't find an actual website for the vineyard. All I could find were a couple reviews. The wine is a Spanish blend with Merlot, Tempranillo and Syrah. Its dark in color with a fruity yet rustic flavor. The tannins are pretty strong and linger on your tongue. Although the Syrah is a minimun here, you can taste what it brings to the table. It rounds out the wine giving it a rich consistency and keeps the wine from being too dry. I have only had this open for about a half hr and I am interested to see how opens up.

Below is the review I pulled from the internet.
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The Wine Advocate The 2005 Jiminez Landi is a blend of 50% Merlot, 35% Tempranillo, amd 15% Syrah aged for 7 months in a mixture of French and American oak. Purple colored, it exhibits an attractive perfume of cedar, lavender, black currant and blackberry. This is followed by a plush wine with excellent depth and concentration, ripe, sweet fruit and enough structure to ensure several years of positive evolution. It should drink well through 2020.

Score: 90. —Jay Miller, February 28, 2007.

Posted by mardenhill 10/19/2007 10:08:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Wine

Google Phone

Google plans to announce details on their upcoming smartphone next week. On the surface it seems like a good thing, the hottest new company with its forward thinking developing a phone to compete with the likes of Apple, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia etc. Well once you dive a bit deeper its not so sweet. Google plans on using HTC for the hardware side and although they make decent phones I am not a fan of the hardware. They all seem big and clunky with little attention paid to comfort. Lets hope they start fresh and give us an easy to use and nice looking device.

My 2nd concern would be pricing, Google loves to give things away but at a price, they spam you with advertising to do so. I really don't want a great deal only to have my inbox, sms text messages and internet cluttered with advertising. I am not saything this will happen but if you look at their product history, its a good guess.

So at this time I will be sticking with the Motorola Q9H (whenever stupid AT&T get around to releasing it) and see what happens within the next year or so.

http://www.forbes.com/home/technology/2007/10/18/gphone-iphone-wireless-technology-personaltech-cx_bc_1019gphone.html

Posted by mardenhill 10/19/2007 09:40:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin (2007)
Tuesday, October 16, 2007

"I could sleep, I could sleep.....When I lived alone, is there a ghost in my house?"

http://www.mtvu.com/video/?id=1571790&vid=181238

There isn't much to the song, just a huge crescendo that builds up to a wall of sound that would make any shoegazing junkie a happy boy. Lyrics are simple and go in and out between the guitars.

The band is Band of Horses and "Is There A Ghost" comes from their 2nd release entitled Cease To Begin. BOH are on SubPop and made a name for themselves with the help of constant touring and as an opener for Iron & Wine. Their debut was full of great guitars teetering between classic and indie rock. On their 2nd cd, BOH continues with the classic sound and introduces a bit of sunshine and jangle pop into the mix. Shinesque vocals, a bit quirky and out of place at times weave in and out between upbeat melodies. Track 2 "Ode To Lrc" keeps the tempo up and channels My Morning Jacket for a spin on the retro train. By track 3 and 4, the tempo dampens and the indie melodies take over. Track 5 "The General Specific" features hand claps, honkytonk and some drunken saloon swagger.

The whole cd is solid from start to finish and I highly recommend it if you are looking for something different. Unfortunately its not available on eMusic, for some reason SubPop is the only large indie rock label not listed.

http://www.bandofhorses.com/

Posted by mardenhill 10/16/2007 08:32:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)

I will give it to Radiohead for their creative way of releasing new music and using the internet and media to promote it. Every magazine, internet site and even CNN ran stories on the cd. Radiohead couldn't ask for better coverage and by playing the "pay what you want" card, they garnered sympathy from just about everyone. In the end we found out that the files are only 160 bitrate and an offical cd will drop in January but that didn't stop people from downloading. From unoffical sources Radiohead "sold" 1.2 million copies of In Rainbows and who knows how many were plucked from the internet underground. With the sliding scale its estimated that Radiohead pulled in a couple million on this deal. They still have the collectors edition and the official cd coming which will bring in even more. Will this convince other bands to follow suit, I think so.

As for the actual music, its not bad but the last 3 cds havn't been very interesting to me. The art rock took a left at unlistenable and jogged over to downright boring. I have listened to this cd a few times now and while some songs are very good others suck. The opening track "15 Step" has a quirky electronic drum beat that doesn't mesh well with the rest of the instruments. Track 2 "Bodysnatchers" returns to a straightforward guitar rock and has a pretty heavy sound. Track 4 "Wierd Fishes Arpeggi" is reminicent of OK Computer and has a pleasant and mellow/pseudo electronic sound. Track 7 "Reckoner" has a great piano run with Thom Yorke's vocals meandering thru the jangle of high hats and snare drums. Track 9 "Jigsaws Falling Into Place" is pretty boring in the sense that there are no artistic tangents but its one of my favorites. Probably because its the closest to a real song and easy on the ears.

There are no "Karma Police", "No Suprises", "Black Star" or "The Bends" here which I find frustrating. I am the first to admit that I don't enjoy listening to complicated and off kilter rhythms but come on, a melody once in a while would be nice. So if you left Radiohead back in the 90s, don't expect to be swayed with this release, just pull out The Bends and OK Computer and live in the past back when Radiohead actually meant something.

Posted by mardenhill 10/16/2007 09:59:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Music

Elk Cove Pinot Blanc 2006
Sunday, October 14, 2007

One of my favorite Oregon vineyards is Elk Cove and tonight we opened one of their Pinot Blancs. This wine is similar to a Chardonnay, it's creamy with a hint of oak but has a bit more mineral and tartness to it. Not quite a Sauvignon Blanc and not bold enough for a Chardonnay either. The Pinot Blanc is a cousin to the Pinot Gris grape and is popular in Germany, Austria and the Alsatian region of France. You can pick up this bottle at Costco for about $13.

Posted by mardenhill 10/14/2007 09:54:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Wine

The Right Wing Smear Machine

On Friday when they announced Al Gore won the Nobel Peace prize, most news stations were reporting it, but only one was trashing Al and the award itself. If you are a bit puzzled as to who it could be, well it was none other than Fox News. The attacks didn't stop on Friday, it went thru the weekend where the useless scum sucking pigs who bloviate all over the Sunday morning talk shows compared Al Gore to Arafat and considered him anti American. The Fox News whores thought General Petraeus should have received the award when they were not calling the committee a bunch of socalists and commies.

But the smearing didn't stop at Fox News, the presidental candidates have weighed in and our good friend John McCain felt the need to get a little press for his failing campaign and attack Al as well. I guess we should expect the flip flopper/panderer Romney and Attilla the Hun Guilani to weigh in tomorrow. No republican worth his weight in gold can pass up an opportunity to attack for no reason. Hey McCain what have you done to help Burma, nothing so get off your high horse and stop pandering to the far right wing of the party, they still don't like you so give it up.

............................................................
John McCain has become the first candidate for president to comment on Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize in a negative way, telling an Iowa crowd that there were more worthy people out there to whom the prize could have been awarded.

"I would have liked to see that prize go to the Buddhist monks who are suffering and dying in Burma," McCain said.

Posted by mardenhill 10/14/2007 08:09:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Politics

Motor City Brewing Works

Last nite we checked out the Motor City Brewing Works for a few drinks then over to Traffic Jam for dinner. I've had the beer before but it was the 1st time to the brewery. They are known for their Ghettoblaster, a mild English Ale which was pretty good. I also had the Nut Brown Ale, dark in color but not too heavy. Its not Bells but it's also a nice break from the Woodward Avenue and Royal Oak Breweries which can get bland at times. If you're ever downtown or looking for a new local beverage, check out the Motor City Brewing Works for a much deserved change.

Posted by mardenhill 10/14/2007 07:18:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Beer, Detroit

HTC Tilt

I took a stroll thru the AT&T store yesterday and got my hands on the new HTC Tilt (a.k.a Kaiser) and was impressed with the phone. It has a touch screen and the keyboard slides out for typing. The screen then tilts up for easier viewing but now you look like a teenager with a sidekick. Its running Windows 6 Pro and includes 3G, WiFi, GPS, 3 Megapixel camera and micro SD slot for additional memory. At $299 its a steal but at 6 oz its a brick. Its lighter than the last Cingular/ATT smartphone but still heavier than the Treo (5.4 oz), iPhone (4.8 oz), Blackberry 8820 (4.73 oz) and Blackjack (3.5 oz). Its amazing what we consider big these days, I guess we can thank the iPod for that. Speaking with the reps they claim the new Moto Q may surface in the next 2 weeks and will be heavier than the Blackjack due to the GPS chip. According to Phonescoop the Q weighs in at 4.73 oz, not bad and a size that can be held while talking. I am still holding out for the Q, I have been going insane waiting for it but I think it will be worth it in the end.

Posted by mardenhill 10/14/2007 10:53:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Technology

Way To Go
Friday, October 12, 2007

Al Gore won the Nobel Peace prize for his work on Climate Change this morning which many believe will nudge him to run for president. As much as I would love to see Al run, I don't think he will do it and I believe he is more influential outside of the WH. If he decided to throw his hat in the ring he would get my vote but I don't see it happening.

Al got screwed in 2000 but 7 years later, he is on top and Bush continues to fall. Its a great "I told ya so" and will only help out next year with Dems reclaiming the WH and increasing their numbers in congress. History will look back and will no doubt see Al as the true winner.

Way to go Al, keep up the good work.....

Posted by mardenhill 10/12/2007 10:55:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Politics

Screw All Of You
Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Well its official, the bastard dems are pulling out of the Michigan primary. I say screw you, I will write my own name in come January. At this point you will have to really convince me for your vote in the general if you bypass my state. Dumbasses, thats what they are. Hillary has made a pledge not to campaign but has left her name on the ballot. She will then spin it as a victory which I think is wrong. If you are not going to participate at least take your name off the ballot no matter how stupid of a move the whole thing is. Going forward, anyone who plans on voting in the Primary either write your own name in or feel free to vote for me.....

................................................
Obama, Edwards and Richardson asked the Michigan Secretary of State to take their names off the ballot, and Biden's campaign said today he would do the same. They are pulling out because Michigan, like Florida, has violated national Democratic Party rules by moving up its primary date in a challenge to the traditional monopoly on early voting held by Iowa and New Hampshire.
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has consistently held a comfortable lead among Democrats in Michigan polls, will stay on the state ballot, aides said.
"It's unnecessary" to remove her name from the ballot, spokesman Mo Elleithee said, because she has already signed a pledge not to campaign in Michigan or other states violating the national party's scheduling rules.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071009/UPDATE/710090435&theme=Politics-President

Posted by mardenhill 10/09/2007 04:12:00 PM 2 comments    

Labels: Politics

Life In Vegas
Sunday, October 07, 2007

Posted by mardenhill 10/07/2007 05:12:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Travel

Emeril
Saturday, October 06, 2007

While taking a short lunch break today, we had our first celebrity sighting and it was none other than Emeril Lagasse. We were sitting at the Enoteca San Marco and Emeril walked thru behind us. At first we were not sure if it was him but when he came back out and past our table we got a better look and heard him speak. Weather wise, its pretty cold out here, in the high 60s low 70s. You would think the desert would be warmer but a cold front moved in paralyzing the city.

http://www.venetian.com/ENOTECA.aspx

Posted by mardenhill 10/06/2007 06:14:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Travel

Las Vegas
Friday, October 05, 2007

I am hanging out at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas for the next 5 days and will be blogging intermittently. Not here for a vacation tho, out here for work and the majority of the time will be spent in a windowless conference room maintaining the local network. Joe and I arrived yesterday and today spent the whole morning setting up the network. I will post some photos of our room so you can enjoy the scenery alongside us.

Posted by mardenhill 10/05/2007 03:42:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Travel

Still Not An iPod Killer
Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Microsoft announced the Zune 2.0 yesterday and while they are nice players they don't come close to the iPod. Pricewise, they match the iPod line and the only thing going for them will be a couple features like FM Tuner and "Squirting". Yeah I know the whole squirting thing makes no sense since its next to impossible to ever find another Zune owner within 1 mile of you. Nice try Microsoft but strike 2.

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

Posted by mardenhill 10/03/2007 08:11:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Technology

Siouxsie - Mantaray 2007
Tuesday, October 02, 2007

The Queen of Goth is back and with a vengence. At 50, Siouxsie has ditched her band, her husband and the musical styles of the past. Siouxsie has embraced loud guitars, keyboards and a dark club beat for her latest solo record. The opening track "Into A Swan" has a deep and crunchy guitar with hints of NIN style production. From there Siouxsie lightens up the mood with modern discotechque beats and a surefire club anthem. I can see this song standing the test of time and being played alongside "This Corrosion" and "Head Like A Hole" at City Club for years to come. Track 3 "Here Comes That Day" pulls some old Banshee tricks with tempo and instrumentation but the arrangement is very fresh and not dated at all. The rest of the cd weaves in and out of subtle vampire homage and swooning orchestration. Just as Siouxsie has given us a wealth of music over the years, she gives a taste of many different sides of her personality here.

Siouxsie did a great job playing with styles that pair well with her voice. She is still haunting as ever but you don't need to dress all in black with eyeliner to appreciate this album. Radar did a great interview with her, you can read it at the link below.

http://www.radaronline.com/

Posted by mardenhill 10/02/2007 12:42:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music