R.E.M. News
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
R.E.M.'s latest cd Accelerate will be out April 1st and a tour shortly to follow.
R.E.M. TO TOUR NORTH AMERICA IN SUPPORT OF ACCELERATE
R.E.M. will tour North America this May and June in support of Accelerate, their new record which is set to be released on April 1. The band will be joined on the North American tour by Modest Mouse and The National. Please stay tuned to remhq.com for more details.
May
23--Vancouver--Deer Lake Park
29--Los Angeles--Hollywood Bowl
31--Berkeley--The Greek Theatre
June
03--Denver--Red Rocks Amphitheatre
06--Chicago--United Center
08--Toronto--Molson Amphitheatre
10--Raleigh--Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
11--Washington, DC--Merriweather Post Pavilion
13--Boston--Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
14--Long Island--Jones Beach Theater
18--Philadelphia--Mann Center for the Performing Arts
19--New York City--TBA
21--Atlanta--Lakewood Amphitheatre
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Unfortunately no Detroit date but June 7th in between Chicago and Toronto is free as well as June 9th. They could always swing back thru later in the summer so I am keeping my hopes up for a Detroit show. I love the fact that the National will be opening, my only fear would be that R.E.M. would hit my faire city with a new round of opening acts.
Posted by mardenhill 1/30/2008 04:34:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
One Of These Four
With Edwards dropping out, its down to one of these four. Just a few more days until Super Tuesday where we might know who will be the Republican nominee. As for the Dems, it might stretch on a bit longer.
Take a good look, one of these people will be the leader of the free world. With Bush we have hit rock bottom and I really don't think anyone else could be any worse.
Posted by mardenhill 1/30/2008 11:26:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Another One Bites The Dust
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Just this past summer Giuliani lead in the polls and was the talk of the town. Then you had the Kerik scandal, the 3rd wife, the 9/11 every other word and in the end you had an empty suit. Giulani may bail out after running the most asinine campaign in the history. I don't know who his campaign manager is but the idea that you should sit out the first month of primaries is beyond dumb. I guess this will give political science professors a perfect example on how not to run a presidental campaign.
In the end the GOP couldn't support someone as liberal as Giuliani on social issues, it just goes against all of their beliefs. The problem I had with Giuliani was his narrow world view and if we thought Bush was bad on foreign policy and issues, he would be worse.
Although its not official everyone is expecting Giuliani to bow out tomorrow and endorse McCain. What I find very funny is how none of the other candidates or pundits actually like Mitt. He is always left out and is the butt of all jokes. I guess when you are the rich kid and run negative campaigns against each and every other candidate you tend not to make many friends.
Posted by mardenhill 1/29/2008 09:21:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
The Last State Of The Union
Monday, January 28, 2008
Its finally here, the last time we will have to listen to Bush bumble thru and decimate the English language. Let me tell ya, this SOTU has been a joke (not like any of them really amount to much) but Bush has somehow found the 2 words Fiscal Conservative the concept that was lost on him for the last 8 years. He rattled on about earmarks being all tough and threatening vetos but it was his party who spent more and he gladly signed away. Sorry dude, too little too late.
Most of the speech is the usual fodder with half the audience standing up, clapping and hollering.
I still wonder why I bother even watching since its nothing new but every year I find myself tuning in and getting pissed off. This time around, I am happy to see him speak because I know its the last one and this time next year we will have a new person to listen and ignore.....
Posted by mardenhill 1/28/2008 09:13:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
The Future
I will take this face of the Democratic party over Bill and Hillary anyday. I know endorsements don't mean much but I have a feeling Oprah's did more than we thought and the same will go for the Kennedy family. Ted is a bleeding heart liberal and according to some can work against Obama with courting moderates, independents and those republicans who are disenchanted with their current party. I don't see it that way, when it comes to families and dynasties, the Kennedys will always be held in high regard and when compared to Bush and Clinton most people would choose them. This is one endorsement that really pissed off Hillary and it was due to Bill and his non stop race baiting. I guess it sucks to be the Clintons but such is life and they better get used to it since they are the past not the future.
I might be getting ahead of myself and the powers that be could step in to squash Obama's rise but if it were to happen I believe you would see a mass exodus of dems from the party. This is where its very important for Obama to win big on Super Tuesday setting up a victory or showdown at the convention. If its the new breed of Dems vs the old guard/establishment I have a feeling the call for change could overpower.
I have been pro Obama as of late since my candidate of choice, Joe Biden dropped out. I am not anti woman, nor anti Hillary, I just do not want her as the nominee. I would rather see Nancy Pelosi as our first female president but I don't see that happening. Either way its going to be historic and after the last 8 years, I am ready for something different and real change, not just lip service.
Posted by mardenhill 1/28/2008 08:42:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Politics
Update: QTrax
But Warner Music said it had not authorised the use of its tracks by Qtrax - and later Universal Music Group and EMI followed suit, saying they did not have licensing deals with Qtrax and discussions were continuing.
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The record labels are pulling out at the 11th hour on the whole Qtrax deal and it looks like it may not happen afterall. The launch was scheduled for midnight tonight but who knows if it will go on with this latest wrinkle. I wonder what the atmosphere is like over at the Qtrax headquarters as well as the record labels. To be a fly on the wall in both situations.......
Posted by mardenhill 1/28/2008 11:35:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music, Technology
Abundance Vineyards Abundantly Rich Red 2005
Sunday, January 27, 2008
I don't believe I would have ever bought this bottle if it were not for a recommendation from Holiday Market. The label is quite boring and with a name Abundantly Rich Red, red table wine, I would have passed it over.
I had asked for a new red Zin and was given this one. Even though this is a blend, its one of Zinfandel and Carignane which led me to give it a try. At $15, its not a bad buy and one that I might try again.
Upon opening you have the rich berry flavors on the nose and upfront on the taste. There are plump and juicy cherries with a hint of oak and spice. The zin stands out and since you very seldom see Carignane on its own its hard to tell where this plays into the mix. The Carignane grape is used in many blends and is grown throughout the world. It is believed to have originated in Spain and made its way north into France. Throughout the 70s and 80s, California used this as the base for many jug and cheap wines which helped to squash any chances for higher end wines.
Since I had this in the basement for the last 24 hrs, its still pretty cool and the wine has yet to open. I am tasting a ton of fruit with little spice which I find disappointing but I know it exists so I am willing to keep this review positive. I will revisit this tomorrow to compare and I hope this wine holds up and provides me with the traits I am hoping for.
https://www.abundancevineyards.com/wines.html
Posted by mardenhill 1/27/2008 09:03:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Free and Legal Peer To Peer?
Due to overwhelming demand, Qtrax.com is currently unavailable. Please check back in 24 hours to download the first, free, and legal P2P music application. Thank you for your understanding.
http://www.qtrax.com/
.................................................................
Ok here's the skinny, Qtrax is on its 2nd incarnation and this time has the blessings of the RIAA. You can download music and video but all are wrapped in Digital Rights Management (DRM) which do not allow you to make copies but can be stored indefinitely on your hard drive and iPod. You will have to put up with advertising for downloading but many people will deal with a commercial if they can get something for free. The point here is to take the money that advertisers pay and give it back to the record labels and artists. Will it work, I guess we will have to wait and see. I doubt that you will be able to download full records and its hard to say what quality will be like. Since it trolls the file sharing networks you will be getting tracks that could be encoded at any bit rate. If the idea that advertising can lead to free music you might just see Apple and Amazon follow suit and start giving away much more free music. Just think if the RIAA didn't have their heads up their ass back in 2001, they could have used this strategy to crush file sharing and not have become the most hated organization on the planet.
I will keep checking the status and provide you with an update once its available.
Posted by mardenhill 1/27/2008 02:24:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music, Technology
And Another Victory
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Obama wins the South Carolina Primary!!!!!!!!
Obama 55%
Hillary 27%
Edwards 18%
SC had record turnouts and Obama won more votes than were cast in the 04 primary. He pulled support from all demographics which goes to show that he has broad appeal. We now have both Barack and Hillary with 2 wins each and 10 days until Super Tuesday. This won't be decided on Feb 5th either and I believe it might go until the convention.
Iwas feeling a little bit bummed after the last 2 primaries but tonight has given me hope that we might have a democratic candidate that will not rehash the same old fights over the 60s. Its time for the Baby Boomers to step aside and let a new generation take over.
I am not happy with Bill Clinton these days and I am afraid that he will continue to divide the party. He is under the delusion that he can tear it apart but in the end bring us all together with a big giant hug. I don't see it happening and he risks his legacy as well as a victory in November.
Way To Go Obama, Lets Keep It Going.
Update: Rumors are swirling around the internet regarding Edwards and Attorney General. It seems like the Obama people are putting out feelers to John that if Obama wins, he could get the AG post. With the convention most likely in a deadlock, those additional Edwards delegates could push Obama over the top.
Posted by mardenhill 1/26/2008 09:40:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Politics
Way To Go Kwame
As if Detroit didn't have enough problems, now we got the idiotic mayor embroiled in a possible perjury charge. Him and his chief of staff lied to a jury over their affair and we have the text messages to prove it. But the story doesn't end there, rumors are circling around that these were known to have existed but were never entered into the trial. I wonder who was paid off and why they were kept out as evidence seeing that they would have blown the case wide open.
So now the city of Detroit is over $8.4 million due to this asshole and now we are looking at even more money on a perjury trial. I hope they force Kwame and his mistress to pay for the trial themselves but I think that is too much to ask. Lets hope Kwame resigns and exits politics for good because I do not want to see him taking over for his mom in the House of Representatives. Everyone has known that this was Kwame's plan all along and hopefully this scandal crushes him and removes any chances.
The guy has an affair, fine its between him and his family. When he lies in court and costs the city millions, then its all of our business and its time to kick the bum out and strip his license to practice law as well.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/METRO/801260357
Posted by mardenhill 1/26/2008 06:42:00 PM 1 comments
My New Car
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Welcome to my new car, well the car I want but will most likely not get. Its the all new 2009 VW Tiguan that will arrive stateside this May. Its a compact SUV that will compete with the Honda CRV, Jeep Patriot and other other 4 cylinder crossovers. You have the hatchback, folding seats, panoramic sunroof and cool sound system which might not be as good as the Microsoft Sync but close none the less.
Where the car and me differ is on the price. The base starts at $23,000 and by the time you add everything you want it will probably be up to $28K and that is more than I am willing to spend. I don't know about gas mileage either and I doubt that it will be better than what I currently have. I really don't plan on buying anything until the end of the year and was hoping for a US hybrid but I doubt anything good will come out.
I will just talk about this car for the new few months until something practical comes along and I will jump ship.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=121482
Posted by mardenhill 1/23/2008 06:04:00 PM 2 comments
Labels: Cars
New Spritualized On The Horizon
Courtesy of Pitchfork
The spirit has moved Spiritualized frontman J. Spaceman to drop in from out there and lay this juicy little tidbit on us via a MySpace bulletin: the forthcoming, as-yet-untitled Spiritualized LP will be released May 19 in the UK and Europe on Universal/Spaceman Records. A North American release date is on its way, as are plans for a full-blown world tour.
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Wow, 2008 is shaping up to be a great year for music once again. I wasn't sure that we could top 2007 but all the heavy hitters are coming out and so far I believe 08 will leave 07 in the dust. We now have Spiritualized, R.E.M, Oasis, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Kills, The Gutter Twins, The Kooks and Moby slated for releases between now and May.
I do hope Spiritualized tours this year and actually makes a stop in Detroit, I have yet to see them.
Posted by mardenhill 1/23/2008 09:29:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Home Theatre System: Update 2
Monday, January 21, 2008
Setup was pretty easy and I ran an HDMI cable from the receiver out to the TV. I then ran an HDMI cable from my cable box/DVR to the receiver and had to run an optical cable as well for sound (HDMI handles sound but not surround sound so an optical cable is needed). Since I don't have a new dvd player yet, I am using my old connection of optical and S Video. This will be switched once I get a new dvd player and I will use HDMI instead. The only other connections needed are the speaker wires which I had to buy a spindle of and cut myself. I just have the Wii going straight into the TV, its not really built for setups like this but that's fine. I did have a bit of trouble getting the inputs progammed correctly, I had no sound or no picture at first but got it all figure out. I still need to setup the rear speakers which will include drilling a hole in the back of the livingroom to bring the speaker wire up.
If you are in the market for some equipment, I highly recommend these and I will give Andrey credit for the find.
Posted by mardenhill 1/21/2008 09:01:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Technology
Gloria Ferrer Jose S. Ferrar Pinot Noir 2003
Saturday, January 19, 2008
We were given this bottle as a xmas present from Erika's aunt and uncle who happened to be out in Napa Valley/Sonoma County a couple months ago. The pinot here is a reserve and one of the best the vineyard has to offer. Upon opening, this bottle had an excellent bouquet with the sweet and floral aromas rising from the glass. The color was a deep ruby but still see thru which is common of most pinots. The cherry and raspberry flavors were very rich with subtle hints of spice and earth. The body of the wine was big and juicy with mild tannins and a strong and lingering finish. Unlike Oregon pinots which have a heavier and more oak flavor, this one is very approachable for many people and can be enjoyed by all pinot lovers.
At $35 a bottle, this isn't one that you will be buy as an everyday drinker but it is one that you should consider if you have a nice dinner planned or special occasion. When it comes to pinots I tend to prefer Oregon due to the heavier flavors but California doesn't disappoint when it comes to the robust cherry and classic pinot tendencies.
http://www.gloriaferrer.com/
Posted by mardenhill 1/19/2008 10:22:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
SafeTGear Emergency Weather Radio
Friday, January 18, 2008
I have been looking at weather radios for a while but hadn't seen one that I really liked until now. I was at Costco last nite and stumbled across this radio which combines portability with emergency broadcasts. You can program the county you live in to report weather alerts and leave this thing running 24/7. There are 4 methods of power here, AC wall adapter, C cell batteries, emergency backup battery and hand crank. You can also charge cell phones, mp3 players etc off the device as well. As a radio, it didn't work to hot, I had problems picking up stations but the weather bulletins came thru loud and clear. You can pick one of these up for about $38 and its money well spent. You never know when you will need one of these and the fact that its portable makes it even better for camping, road trips or on the run.
http://www.superconsumersafety.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=18&Itemid=26
Posted by mardenhill 1/18/2008 10:59:00 AM 18 comments
Labels: Technology, Weather
The Gutter Twins
Thursday, January 17, 2008
In one of the most anticipated releases of the year, the Gutter Twins have given us a preview over on their myspace page. You can stream 2 songs "Idle Hands" and "The Station" from the forthcoming full length Saturnalia. If you are not familiar with the Gutter Twins, well they are none other than Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) and Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs). The two have worked together for the last few years appearing on each other's cds but never recorded a full cd together. Well the time has come and we should expect this cd in the next couple months.
The sound is nothing like Mark's previous band nor his first 5 solos. It is more inline with his last release Bubblegum and Greg's latest work with his 2nd band The Twilight Singers. "Idle Hands" starts out with a bit of loud guitar but has a cool keyboard in the background that gives a whole new sound to Mark's deep and growling vocals. The song then borrows from some vintage Whigs and mixes tension with Greg's snarled croon. If you are new to both musicians I can see where you don't quite see the appeal but if you are a fan of both men you will appreciate the different styles both bring to the table. The 2nd track "The Station" strips away some of the noise and adds a bit of dark and hypnotic groove reminiscent of the Whigs. Both men give great performances and compliment each other throughout both songs.
So far we have 2 excellent tracks and I can't imagine the rest of the cd would disappoint. This one will definitely be in my top 5 for 2008 and who knows it may reach the top. Check out the 2 songs below.
http://www.myspace.com/theguttertwins
Posted by mardenhill 1/17/2008 02:06:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
MacExpo 2008 Highlights
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
MacBook Air: Just like Apple did with the phone market, they revolutionized the laptop. This device comes in at 3 lbs and contains an 80 gig hard drive, 2 gigs of ram and 1.8ghz dual core intel chip. It does not contain a cd/dvd drive but you can purchase one for $99. This laptop is so thin and powerful that you really wouldn't need much else.
Pros: extremely thin and light. new touch interface which allows you to do more with the mouse. 5 hr battery life.
Cons: price $1799, no media drive and only 1 USB2 port. cannot remove the battery and no ethernet connection, wireless only.
Apple updated the Apple TV with new software that will allow you to rent movies from the iTunes music store for $3.99 for standard movie (30 day rental, 24 hrs once movie has been started) and $4.99 for high def quality movies. You can also buy music thru the Apple TV and can be used even if you do not have a computer. Price went down a bit and you can pick up a 40 gig for $229 and a 160 gig for $329.
Pros: very easy to use, browse the iTunes store and purchase music, movies, tv shows, rentals etc.
Cons: limited to the Apple file format so you would have to convert existing media files into the correct format to play. Not quite big enough hard drive for me. now if you incorporated the 500/ 1 terabyte into the Apple TV, i would be very interested.
Time Capsule: Basically this is a NAS (network attached storage) drive with a router built in. This supports the latest wireless speed 802.11N and is backwards compatible to devices with a wireless G card. The new router will plug into your cable modem and also contains either a 500 gig or 1 terabyte hard drive. Prices are $299 for the 500gb version and $499 for the 1 terabyte. Because it has a built in hard drive you can save data, music, files, photos, movies etc to it and multiple computers can access the share.
Pros: all in one device, you can backup all your data and have one central location for all your files.
Cons: too expensive and I already have a router.
................................
iTunes has sold over 4 billion songs and 4 million iPhones with an average of 20,000 phones per day.
Overall a great MacExpo and some really cool new products. I won't be getting anything right now but Apple is heading in the right direction. Maybe in another year they will have the perfect device for our digital living room.
Posted by mardenhill 1/15/2008 04:57:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Randy For President
Well I threw my vote away this morning but I don't care. It was my personal protest against the Democratic party and the current Primary structure. Since that asshole Howard Dean pulled the delegates from MI because we moved our primary up, voting today was pretty much useless. You had the choice of Hillary Clinton, Dennis Kucinich (who isn't a choice in my book) or Uncommitted which was a vote to send delegates to the convention with no allegiance. Problem with Uncommitted is that its a vote against Hillary and a vote for Obama or Edwards. Even though neither are on the ballot, if Uncommitted gains more votes than Hillary she is then embarrassed. As much as I would like to see this, I am not doing the other 2 candidates a favor since they couldn't take the time to visit MI.
If they really care about Michigan's economic situation, they would tell Dean to piss off and that they are campaigning. But no, none of them did so I am running for president.
Posted by mardenhill 1/15/2008 09:29:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Multiple Choice Mitt
Monday, January 14, 2008
Tomorrow is Michigan's primary and it will be nice once its over. I am tired of reading about Mitt Romney and his plan to save our state. He attacked McCain for speaking the truth about our manufacturing jobs and seems to think that he can bring them all back.
News Flash Mitt, the jobs are not coming back. In our global economy the one that you support, the one with free trade and no restrictions. The one with little regulation and oversight. This economy is playing a new game and MI has to change and find new areas to compete in, not live in the past. By claiming that you will save MI and bring these jobs back is disingenuous and a downright lie. If you support a free trade policy, you support economies of scale and interaction with other countries who can produce products at a cheaper price. You don't support the unions so the idea of somehow protecting the workers and their jobs doesn't fit in either. The auto industry needs to ween themselves off of the large vehicles and move towards ones that are more fuel efficient and superior to imports. The writing was on the wall years ago but plenty of auto execs ignored this and chose to continue down the same path. You don't support federally mandated fuel standards but somehow want the industry to change. What is it Mitt, if you live by your philosophy, its a eat or be eaten world out there and only the strong survive. Either you support govt intervention or you let the companies figure it out for themselves. You can't have it both ways.
I thought you were the candidate of change, or is that just on your core beliefs the ones that you conveniently switch back and forth between. If you claim that you are bringing back all of our lost manufacturing jobs, you are missing the bigger picture and the need for real change in our state. We need to diversify our economy and bringing back old manufacturing jobs won't help.
So get off your soapbox and get out of our state since you don't have a clue as to what is going on.
Posted by mardenhill 1/14/2008 05:12:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Coffee This Month
Saturday, January 12, 2008
http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/
This month's selection from Citizen Bean was a pound of Intelligentsia from Chicago. Citizen Bean packages it in their own bags but puts a banner around explaining what coffee it is. The banner stated that the coffee was Intelligentsia's Black Cat but I find that hard to believe. After looking it up on their website it seems like this blend is a dark roast used to make espresso but this coffee wasn't dark at all. The flavor was very smooth and enjoyable which had me thinking that it might be one of their other blends. Maybe I am wrong and it is indeed the Black Cat but from the description I beg to differ. I guess we will have to take a trip to Chicago and to the coffee shop and roasters for an official comparison. I am very happy with this selection and would definitely drink again. This is one to keep on my list when traveling. You can read more about them at the website above.
Posted by mardenhill 1/12/2008 07:08:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Coffee
Home Theatre System Update
After spending Friday afternoon arguing with my co-worker Andrey, I have decided that the home theatre in a box is not the solution and that I need to purchase components once again. My current setup has a receiver, 5 disc dvd player and in the past a tape deck and turntable. Unfortunately these new all in one's don't really give you all the inputs you need and it looks like I may be buying a receiver and separate speakers once again. Andrey recommened the Onkyo TX-SR605 and a set of Polk Audio surround sound speakers. I am not sure if I will be purchasing these exact products but they do give me an idea on what I should get. I will keep you posted since I am not an inpulse buyer and will spend the next 2 months researching products.
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-SR605-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B000OBLARC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1200147147&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Channel-Theater-Speaker/dp/B0002WTK4S/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1200147256&sr=1-7
Posted by mardenhill 1/12/2008 09:09:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Technology
Home Theatre System
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Its amazing how small home theatre systems have become. Instead of multiple components and huge floor speakers, you can pick up a 5.1 surround sound DVD/Receiver starting at $200. We are looking for one but as usual I have specifics that need to be addressed. The device needs to have inputs on the back so I can connect the Wii as well as an HDMI out to connect back to the tv. The device also needs inputs whether it be RCA or component to connect the DVR to allow surround sound for normal cable watching.
I wasn't about all of these things until I went looking yesterday and started reading reviews. Right now we just play the Wii thru the tv speakers which is fine but when you are thrashing out to Guitar Hero, you need volume. The 2nd consideration has to do with the current battle between Blu Ray and HD DVD. Some of the cheaper home theatre systems do not have an additional inputs to allow connections of a stand alone dvd player. Now when Blu Ray wins, you will want to pick up one of these devices and if it cannot go thru the surround sound, what good is it?
Another selling point but one that fell flat after further investigation are rear wireless speakers. They are not truly wireless since they connect to a transmitter which then sends the signal back to the receiver. You can get interruptions with microwaves and wireless networks (well this is what reviewers have said) and I really don't want to take my chances.
So I am back at square one deciding what I want. Since I am able to rule out wireless I can now find one that has the desired inputs arround the same price. For those of you who are wondering what the whole DVD upconversion is, I found out yesterday. Regular DVD will broadcast at 480 and when stretched for widescreen and 720/1080p tv's gaps will appear in the resolution. The upconversion will fill these gaps in with black to try and smooth out the picture. Does it really work, I don't know but at this time I don't plan on going high def until the format war is over.
Posted by mardenhill 1/10/2008 09:47:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Technology
Snooth
Monday, January 07, 2008
I was searching for a photo of my last wine posting and upon my google search I came across this website. Its called Snooth and is a mix between myspace and cellartracker. You can rate/review wines as well as build a profile and invite friends. Its an interesting concept and seeing that many younger people have become interested in wine, I can see the appeal. Most bottles that I did a search on were available and if one is not listed you can submit a request. Check out the site and go ahead and sign up, its free.
www.snooth.com
Posted by mardenhill 1/07/2008 09:38:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology, Wine
2000 Chateau De Sainte Gemme Haut-Medoc
Back in April 07 I stumbled across this bottle at Papa Joes then Costco. Since I won't bore you with the details (you can read them at the post below) I will just get to the review. Just like before this wine was dark plum in color with hints of rust. Flavorwise you had some oak along with a fruit finish. The tannins are not harsh as they have been mellowing for a number of years now which makes for a more complex wine. This isn't some great Bordeaux that you will be discussing for hours to come but still nice enough for you to enjoy and get a taste as to how wine can age.
I still have 5 bottles in my cellar that I will open up over the next few years to see if this wine can produce anymore flavors.
http://excursionsemi.blogspot.com/2007/04/2000-chateau-de-sainte-gemme-haut-medoc.html
Posted by mardenhill 1/07/2008 08:54:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Could Hillary Lose Michigan?
In one of the stupidest moves ever the DNC convinced the candidates to remove their names from the MI primary since MI decided to leapfrog over other states and push their primary up. Now that move has taken an interesting turn and one that I don't think Hillary was planning on. Edwards, Obama, Biden (no longer running), Richardson, Dodd (no longer running) all petitioned to have their name withheld. Hillary being the shrewd politican left her name on the ballot but said she wouldn't campaign in MI so it didn't matter. Everyone saw thru this and knew that Hillary could then pull the victory and claim as a win and do so without trying.
Well the tables have been turned and since other candidates cannot have their name written in they are urging their backers to vote uncommitted. If uncommitted beats out Hillary, she will look foolish and walk around with egg on her face. Even if she doesn't campaign here it will be a loss for her and one that will be embarassing.
I am still sticking to my plan on writing my own name in. Screw the DNC and Howard Dean, he's an asshole in my book and who knows maybe enough people will write me in and I could even defeat Hillary.
Randy For Prez 2008
Posted by mardenhill 1/07/2008 02:44:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Politics
Electra Cruisers
I am in the market for a new bike and discovered the Electra brand a couple weeks ago. Though on the pricy side Electra's bikes are amazing. They capture the classic design while using excellent parts in construction. I am still on the fence I will look at what Trek has to offer as well. The neighborhoods where we live are all flat so a 3 speed with fatty tires is perfect. As for design, there are many to choose from and I still don't know exactly what I want. I still have plenty of time to decide, I figure I will make a decision by May but its fun to start looking now and give myself something to talk about for the next few months.
Check out the selection at the link below.
http://www.electrabike.com/cruiser/
Posted by mardenhill 1/07/2008 12:36:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
And The Winner Is.....
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Obama and Huckabee.....
Posted by mardenhill 1/03/2008 11:06:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Iowa Caucus
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Tomorow nite is the 1st voting for our 2008 nominees and there has been many twists and turns over the last few months. 3 months ago, it was all Clinton and Romney but now its Obama and Huckabee. Now I am not a fan of the caucus just because I don't think its fair that 100,000 people (sometimes more/less) should have so much say on whether candidates stay or go. I hate seeing candidates bow out after Iowa and its bound to happen.
Michigan is getting screwed come Jan 15th when the Dems (sans Hillary) have pulled their names from the ballot. They didn't want to mess with tradition and decided to side with the powers that be and kicked MI to the curb. With that in mind, I will not vote for any Dem during our primary but I will still vote. I spoke about this before and will no doubt bring it up again but I think its important for everyone to know how stupid our current process is.
My choice as of now would be Biden but realistically it won't happen. My 2nd choice if I need to pick a top tier candidate would be Obama. I do hope Barack beats Hillary since I am ready for a fresh start and not a potential 28 years of two families. From what I have read, Biden knows that he would have a better shot at Secretary of State in an Obama cabinet with his son taking over his Senate seat. I could handle this outcome and wouldn't mind seeing it played out this way. There are those who have predicted an Obama/Webb ticket which would be amazing and one that I think I could support.
Posted by mardenhill 1/02/2008 09:38:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
True North Cherry Vodka
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
I wrote about the Grand Traverse Distillery a few months ago but had never had a chance to try their product. We received a bottle of their True North Cherry Vodka for Xmas and opened it last nite. Right away I could tell this was going to be a full flavored spirit just from the aromas coming out of the bottle. I chilled about a half shot just to try and loved it. The cherry flavor is huge and the vodka goes down smooth. We mixed it with some cherry grape juice we had and it made for an excellent cocktail. Besides drinking some great vodka you are also supporting a MI company which can only help our state. Don't forget to check out their updated website below.
And while we are on the topic of MI, look for the opening of Forty Five North Vineyards this year. I read about them a couple months ago and from what I have seen this should be a great addition to our growing line of MI winerys.
http://www.grandtraversedistillery.com/products.html
http://www.fortyfivenorth.com/
Posted by mardenhill 1/01/2008 04:27:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Liquor
