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Opening Day!!

It's finally Spring, Tigers opening day is today and at the top of the 6th, they lead Kansas City 3-2. There are a few conference rooms here at the office broadcasting the game so I have been able to poke my head in for a few minutes to catch some of the action. Its an overcast day, in the 50s and the sky looks like it could open at at moment. I am a bit bummed that I am not downtown for all the action but the last couple years have become impossible to score opening day tickets so I have given up.

Unfortunately both Curtis Granderson and Joel Zumaya are out on 15 day disabled list, I just hope that they can both return healthy and ready to take the team where it belongs.

Posted by mardenhill 3/31/2008 02:51:00 PM 0 comments  



Chateau Chevalier - Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

I bought this bottle by recommendation by the guy at Plum Market a few weeks ago. At $20 it was a gamble but thought it was worth a shot. Before anything I checked out the website and discovered that Chateau Chevalier only make 2 wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc. The 2003 is completely sold out on the website and they are now pushing the '04 vintage. I checked my bottle and low and behold I had an '03 so I thought this might be good. From the color perspective, the wine was a deep ruby with moderate legs. The tannins were soft while the body was plush and full of fruit. Not too sweet and the oak stretched the finish on the back of your tongue.

I opened the bottle last nite while it was still cold and tight. After 24 hrs the wine began to change and show some of its true characteristics. I would probably buy again and do like the idea of a vineyard that is so small and only makes 2 styles.

http://www.chateauchevalier.com/

Posted by mardenhill 3/30/2008 09:59:00 PM 4 comments  



ProxyVote Time


THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES RECOMMENDS A VOTE AGAINST THE FOLLOWING:

Proposal 5.

Shareholder proposal for Fidelity Canada Fund, Fidelity Diversified International Fund, Fidelity International Discovery Fund, Fidelity Mid-Cap Stock Fund, and Fidelity Overseas Fund concerning Board oversight procedures to screen out investments in companies that substantially contribute to genocide, patterns of extraordinary and egregious violations of human rights, or crimes against humanity.
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So I received my Proxy Vote this weekend and decided that I better open it up and vote before I forget. Knowing all the power that the shares in my 401K hold, its imperitive to make my voice heard. Yeah I am being sarcastic but hey, when it comes to voting, I love to whether it be in elections or investments. Anyways, the proposal on the ballot for my Fidelity is above and it really blew me away. The board has recommended that shareholders vote against the proposal because it may harm their future investments. In the packet its states that if adopted, this proposal would limit investments by these funds that would be lawful under the laws of the United States. So the board is basically saying, lets not be proactive, its better to wait for the US Govt to deem regimes and countries unfit for investing. If sanctions come down, then yeah pull investments. I have really seen some stupid arguments against proposals over the years but this one takes the cake. I also voted not to elect any of these jokers back to the board.

Posted by mardenhill 3/30/2008 11:46:00 AM 0 comments  



Doma Coffee Roasting Company

I just received my coffee of the month from Citizen Bean this afternoon and it hails from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The roaster prides themselves on sustainable practices both in their selection of beans and output. I received 1lb of the Carmela's Blend which is Rainforest Alliance Certified. The flavor is quite nice, there are hints of chocolate and the roast is complex and quite dark. It's not overly bitter and Citizen Bean included fresh cinnamon sticks in the shipment which I added to my cup. The cinnamon enchanced the flavor and added a bit of spice. I already had my morning coffee for the day but I couldn't wait until tomorrow to try the blend so I made a cup with the French Press for a nice afternoon pick me up. Normally I will use a conventional drip coffee maker but if I have time I will use the press and try to have at least 1 cup from each pound I receive this way.

You can read more about Doma at the website below.

http://www.domacoffee.com/

Posted by mardenhill 3/29/2008 04:15:00 PM 1 comments  



Yet More Proof.....



Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is likely to call for the creation of new regulatory agencies with broad powers over lending, the securities industry and business conduct, according to the draft of a study he commissioned.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aRtdXeb9Bca4&refer=worldwide
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If bailing out Bears Stearns wasn't enough, the Treasury Dept wants to hand over more power to the Fed. Both the WH and the Fed under the leadership of that hack Greenspan screwed up big time and lowered interest rates to the point that loans were free for the taking. They were making money hand over fist all the while knowing it would blow up in the future. I have a feeling that they expected it to happen after the election that way it wasn't their problem. Instead the credit crunch and subprime mortgage imploded early. Now the only thing left to do is to cover their tracks and by giving the Fed more power, investigations and oversight can be kept to a minimun. The WH knows Congress will impose more regulation and to stay "true" to their cause they must defeat this and keep the Fed operating under the guise of free market capitalism. Like I said before, the idea of free market capitalism has been flushed away by this administration. It's just a CYA and the WH hopes that all the attention on Obama vs Hillary and American Idol will keep the public from figuring it out.


If anything Bush and co are proving that the new breed of Republicans believe in Big Govt much more than the Dems and the principles of the Reagan era are all but dead.

Posted by mardenhill 3/29/2008 11:03:00 AM 0 comments  



Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha

One of the best and most underrated Brit Rock bands just released a new cd this past week. The band is Supergrass and their 6th studio album goes by the name Diamond Hoo Ha. Unlike the last cd, Road To Rouen which saw the band slow it down and play with more of a subdued and instrumental sound, this one is all out rockin and full of swagger. The cd starts out with "Diamond Hoo Ha Man" a 70s rock n roll classic mixed with a some garage. The Brit Rock returns on track 3 "Rebel In You" which borrows heavily from Bowie and not just in the title. Some hot keyboards surface in track 4 "When I Needed You" and the vibe from the 1999 Supergrass cd are here. In Track 7 "Rough Knuckles" you would have thought that Herbie Hancock joined the band and took over the keys. The sound is fat and oozes reverb and soul.

The brash young punks that brought us "Caught By The Fuzz" spent the next 13 years experimenting with sounds ranging from 70's jangle pop, organic instrumentals to toe tapping singalongs. Supergrass always know how to write a good hook and whether its layered in production or just plain raw, its still amazing. This cd takes where Supergrass failed in some folks eyes and built on that 70's homage with a less produced and more honest sound. Its really hard for me to pick a favorite cd, all of them are amazing in their own right. I have favorite songs from every era and I am just glad to see the guys still making music. Check this cd out and if you are new to the band, grab their greatest hits Supergrass Is 10 for a better insight.

Posted by mardenhill 3/26/2008 12:54:00 PM 0 comments  



Dashe Cellars Dry Creek Zinfandel 2005

All I can say is WOW, this Zin rocks. This Zin is on par with my favorite "The Monster" from Norman Estates. The nose is fresh with ripe berry and upon drinking, the black cherry and spice linger on your tongue. The finish is long and complex with hints of heat that fill the back of your mouth. Unlike the Monster that surpasses 15%, this one comes in at 14.5% which still allows the fruit to shine. This is not a cheap Zin either, at $24 it's a higher end bottle that is worthy of the price. This is one that I would buy again and not think twice about.

http://www.dashecellars.com/wines_info.html?db=wines&action=info&id=23&archived=2005

Posted by mardenhill 3/24/2008 09:06:00 PM 0 comments  



IPhone's Gone Corporate


Well not officially, that is this June for the non beta testers. Fortunately Boy Genius Report were able to get their hands on the beta version which includes the Exchange push email that has been on everyone's short list for improvements since day one. Besides the normal pop3 accounts, you can now configure your corporate Exchange account if your IT dept have enabled this feature on their servers. This is how I have my Motorola Q9H setup and it works great. The only thing you need to do is change your network password on the phone whenever you change it on the network. Configuration only takes a couple minutes and you are up and running with push technology which adds/deletes messages on both the phone and the server. Now if we can only get a 3G model and maybe a bigger flash drive, I will be trading up for a shiny new iPhone.

Be sure to check out more photos over at Boy Genius Report.

http://boygeniusreport.com

Posted by mardenhill 3/24/2008 04:48:00 PM 0 comments  



Satellie Radio

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department approved Sirius Satellite Radio's $5 billion buyout of rival XM Satellite Radio on Monday, saying the deal was unlikely to hurt competition or consumers.

The deal was approved despite opposition from consumer groups and an intense lobbying campaign by the land-based radio industry.

The buyout received shareholder approval in November. The companies said the merger will save hundreds of millions of dollars in operating costs—savings that will ultimately benefit their customers.
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We are one step closer to an ala carte satellite radio subscription service. Back when this was announced, both Sirius and XM said they would be willing to allow users to select up to 50 stations for $7 a month. Although it wasn't my magical $5 price point I feel most things should be, I might be willing to sign up for this. Lets hope to they don't back down because I have been patiently waiting for this day. In reality it may not be until late this year which is fine since my new car might not happen until fall or even next year.

Posted by mardenhill 3/24/2008 04:19:00 PM 0 comments  



And Then There Were Charges

Wayne County Prosecuter Kym Worthy just announced 12 charges against Kwame Kilpatrick and Christine Beatty. The charges include conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, misconduct and perjury. Basically Kwame is toast, he will try to spin this as a racial witch hunt but that won't work. Too many people have been affected and the days of acting like Coleman Young are over. Kwame will have to resign otherwise there will be a huge backlash and he will be driven from office by the local citizens of Detroit and the surrounding areas. The City Council has already called for his resignation in a non binding resolution and now you have charges filed. I know Kwame will try to fight this to save face but I give it 1 month and he will be out of office. I said June before but that is too far away, it will be sometime in April that Kwame will be gone. And this is not just a local issue for me, all the cable news stations picked up the press conference and Kwame even made the front page of Drudge.

Kwame is scheduled to speak at 12pm, should be interesting. I expect him to play the race card, beat his chest that he has done so much for the city and that his little transgression should be forgiven. Too bad it won't fly, everyone is against him and he has no place to go.

Posted by mardenhill 3/24/2008 11:24:00 AM 0 comments  



The National Coming Back to Detroit

The National are touring with R.E.M. this summer for a handful of dates and decided to stop off in Detroit. Unfortunately R.E.M. doesn't have a show scheduled here and with a nite between Chicago and Toronto, The National will play a show. They are playing in Pontiac at the Crofoot Ballroom a newer bar on the scene. The last show was sold out down at the Magic Stick and I imagine this one will be as well. The last show was amazing and if you have never seen them live you really need to. You can check out a live show from NPR at the link below which I highly recommend.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11115591

Posted by mardenhill 3/23/2008 10:14:00 PM 0 comments  



Richardson Endorses Obama

This happened yesterday but it's important to examine why it has potential. For starters Richardson won't be used as a pawn to pick up possible votes in upcoming primaries since the states with the largest Hispanic vote have already voted. Clinton's advisor Mark Penn threw this out there yesterday and said it really meant nothing. So according to Penn and the Clintons if you can't help secure votes then you are not worth carrying around. Typical Clinton backstabbing, use and abuse then toss to the curb. Richardson is signaling to the superdelegates that they do not have to be held hostage to Billary and that they have their own voice. Yeah Richardson is fishing for a VP slot but so is everyone else. If not VP, there is always Secretary of State so I feel that Richardson sees the future and that is one without the Clintons.

Posted by mardenhill 3/22/2008 10:55:00 AM 0 comments  



The Kills - Midnight Boom


On the Kills 3rd release, both VV and Hotel have loosened up and added a bit of groove into the mix. Track 1 starts off with a back and forth banter over DJ style scratching, hand claps, snearing guitar and subtle drum beat. Track 2 "Cheap And Chearful" features VV having some fun with the lyrics. She channels MIA big time on the vocal style and pulls it off without a hitch. Track 5 "Last Day Of Magic" may be the best song on the cd, it blends the new fresh style with the classic garage rock. The guitar mimics an 80s synthpop keyboard, then hits the distortion and pours it on. VV sings but Hotel provides a background that hugs her voice and gives it depth. Track 6 "Hook And Line" turns up the guitars and fills the room with fuzz, distortion, feedback and sheer beauty. Track 7 "Black Balloon" slows it down and highlights VV's softer side.

The cd from start to finish is brilliant, the Kills really did a great job following up No Wow with a fresh new sound. They integrated a bit pop, funk and blues into their trademark 2 person garage rock sound. Just like the White Stripes, the Kills prove that even with only 2 people and limited instruments you can still achieve unique results. This one will definitely make my top of 2008 and within the top 10.

Posted by mardenhill 3/20/2008 02:06:00 PM 0 comments  



It Looks Like A No Go For MI Primary ReVote

Hillary was in Michigan calling for a re-vote but as of not it looks like the issue is all but dead. Hillary supporters are blaming Obama for this and saying that its UnAmerican not to support such a thing. Well sorry Hillary, it was UnAmerican for Howard Dean to strip our delegates and it was UnAmerican for all candidates to sign off on the deal and agree not to campaign in the state. You cannot have it both ways, you agreed that the vote wouldn't count but that was back when you felt that you would be crowned with the nomination. Now that you had to fight for it you seem to have forgotten that you along with everyone else accepted the jackass decision that the DNC and Howard Dean set forth. You left your name on the ballot for the option to circle back around and claim the delegates but that has failed. From DNC and MI rules, those who participated in the 1st round would be barred from voting again and if this is true I don't want a revote. I would not be able to participate and this is not fair since I had no one to choose from the 1st time.

The only solution is to take MI's delegates and award 50/50. If I was screwed at the beginning that I couldn't vote for whom I wanted to and if a 2nd vote comes up and I am ineligible to vote again then all bets are off and no one votes.

Its not that hard of a decision, but since it doesn't give Hillary the lead she isn't interested.

And just a reminder, I hate everyone who was involved in this sham and will remember what was done to me.

Posted by mardenhill 3/19/2008 05:14:00 PM 0 comments  



How I Spent My Day

Today Joe and I went to the Microsoft launch of Server, SQL and Visual Studio 2008. It was a free event down in Detroit at the Ren Cen. It was a typical Microsoft launch party, lots of people, speeches and demos. What did I get from this, well other than a headache from the sheer bordom I did get some pretty cool swag. I will admit it, I wasn't really interested in going and the only reason I did was for the free stuff. For attending you receive a Not For Resale copy of MS Server 2008, Visual Studio, SQL and MS Vista. Lunch was provided in the pretty cool bag that is a dual layer where you can store your breakfast on top and lunch on the bottom. And probably the best prize would be the pin that says "Get Geeked". It's stupid but it really summed up the day. I was entered into at least 5 drawings for Zunes that I never won and sat near a guy who slept across a 4 chairs snoring during one of the sessions.

Posted by mardenhill 3/18/2008 06:01:00 PM 1 comments  



Detroit City Council Speaks

In a 7-1 vote, the Detroit City Council have asked Kwame to resign.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/METRO/803180439

Kilpatrick dismissed the resolution Tuesday afternoon.

"It's not a binding resolution ... they spent a whole day on it," Kilpatrick said. "There are more important things."

Kilpatrick also suggested text messages that appear to contradict his sworn testimony that he did not have an affair with his former chief of staff may not be authentic.

"There will be a time when we can comment about the texting … the authenticity of all of it," Kilpatrick said. "A lot of things on public display are not facts ... are not true."
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Above a few quotes from Kwame and you can see the latest spin, the text message transcripts may not be authentic. So Kwame is basically admitting that they exist and that a deal was made about them. So if this is the case, the "Official" transcripts must be made public to compare. You can't just say that they are wrong without any proof, so Kwame is caught in a quite a bind. If they were not true, why then did he accept the resignation of Beatty, why not fight for her?

We will have the vedict of the investigation next week and I believe Kwame will continue to fight but will gone by June.

Posted by mardenhill 3/18/2008 04:17:00 PM 0 comments  



Federal Reserve & Corporate Welfare

Just last week the Federal Reserve gave Bear Stearns a huge bailout to keep the large investment bank afloat with hopes that Wall Street wouldn't take another hit. Along with the Fed, JP Morgan said they would assist Bear Stearns as well but come Sunday nite, Drudge reports that JP will buy Bear Stearns for $2 a share or $236 million. Mind you, Bear Stearns was worth over $3.45 billion just a month ago but due to the toxic subprime mess their shares have dropped. This sounds like a bunch of Wall Street blather than doesn't mean much to the average person but when you look deeper you see how we have been duped by the White House and Wall Street.

JP Morgan will purchase a competitor of theirs for pennies on the dollar and will have the luxury of the Federal Govt taking care of the debt and mess that put the bank in trouble in the first place. So JP scored an amazing deal and all of us are stuck paying for it. I used to think that Republicans believed in free markets and govt intervention was frowned upon. I guess when it comes to making a backroom deal and having the govt foot the bill, Republicans love a good bailout.

If you take a look at this whole credit crisis from the beginning, the White House was hands off when it were only poor folks in the subprime market losing their homes. No intervention was needed because the market would take care of it. When the foreclosures escalated upwards to the idiots who purchased the $500,000+ homes and started to default, the WH decided it was time to act. Now banks are failing and the WH is all over it, time to save them and forget about free market capitalism. You can see parallels here to many decisions made by this WH over the years, they ignore the poor folks of the country but are willing to spend our tax dollars on helping out their own friends and supporters. Its not enough to help the poor folks, it was their fault, but when rich folks overextend themselves we better act because they may have been taken advantage of.

Bear Stearns won't be the only bank to default, there will be others and the Fed will be there to bail them out. What really kills me is how the Republicans and Bush refused to fund SCHIP, health care for children but they believe its alright to help out a fellow Wall Street tycoon. These are where the priorities of the Republican party are, help a buddy score a sweet ass deal at the expense of the tax payers while screwing over little children. I would like to see those who opposed the expanded funding of SCHIP defend this bailout. Lets hope Obama and other Dems pick up on this and expose the Republican party for the frauds that they are.

Posted by mardenhill 3/16/2008 08:37:00 PM 1 comments  



Son Volt - 6 String Belief

I received this DVD for xmas but never had the time to watch til now. The DVD was recorded at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on 9/23/2005 and contains 31 songs plus an interview. This live show really captures the heart and soul of the band. Son Volt plays Okemah & The Melody Riot in full but mix in many songs from earlier cds as well as Uncle Tupelo. It's a must have for any Son Volt fan and even those Wilco followers out there. Both the sound and picture are excellent and the camera angles give you the impression that you are right there in the front row. Unlike regular movies, I love live DVDs and can watch them over and over. I am trying to decide what one to watch next, either Depeche Mode or R.E.M.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F8OIKK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Posted by mardenhill 3/15/2008 09:05:00 PM 0 comments  



Matchbook Chardonnay 2006

This wine is part of the Crew Wine Company which also owns 3 other labels. The Matchbook showcases grapes from the Dunnigan Hills region in northern California. There are some nice tropical flavors here with hints of green apple a crisp finish. This wine isn't over oaked but there isn't much butter and creme to this bottle which I found a bit disappointing. It feels like a Sauvignon Blanc on the finish with the tight citrus and acidity. I will try it again tomorrow to see if the flavors change. Not bad for $15 tho and it would be a great summer wine.

http://www.crewwinestore.com/index.cfm

Posted by mardenhill 3/13/2008 10:08:00 PM 0 comments  



New R.E.M. Very Soon


Tonight R.E.M. ran a special across the country on a number of radio stations to promote their new cd Accelerate which drops April 1st. They had a Q&A session and premiered a few of the songs. The cd will have a 11 tracks and clocks in under 40 minutes. Its nothing like the last 3 cds which featured a more somber mood with multi layer textures and sounds. This cd is straight up rock, stripped down to the basics and aggressive in nature. Its loud and noisy (think Husker Du) and something you would expect from a group of 20 year olds, not a band who is on their 14th studio release. I have to say I really enjoyed the new tracks, they are fresh and not over produced at all. Its a very raw sound for R.E.M. and one that might take some getting used to for some. This is one of the reasons I love these guys, they are willing to try new things and don't shy away from a challenge. I can't wait to listen to the full cd and it will definitely be one that will be in my top 5 this year. Now we can only cross our fingers for a Detroit stop on their summer tour. Nothing so far but its still early.

Posted by mardenhill 3/13/2008 09:19:00 PM 0 comments  



Cruiser Bike


I am closer to a decision on a new bike this spring, its either between the Trek Calypso or Drift. Both are new bikes, affordable and well made.

Calypso: retro design with modern look, 7 speed, hand breaks and white walls.

Drift: more retro, the details are made to look worn and cooler frame. 3 speed with pedal brakes and cork hand grips.

I have to decide what I like better for brakes, pedals or hands. The design of the Drift is very cool and although there are no whitewalls, I could go for this one. Once the weather warms up, I will head to the local bike store to test both models and make my decision. The Calypso is $80 cheaper which is a factor but the big one will be the whole braking situation.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/bike_path/cruiser/drift3/

Posted by mardenhill 3/12/2008 10:19:00 AM 1 comments  



Mark Lanegan

Mark is on his way to becoming the new Ryan Adams with releases in one year. His work with Greg Dulli which I just reviewed the other day came out this month and another duet this time with Isobell Campbell (their followup to the Ballad of the Broken Seas release in 2006) will be out in May. Mark and Isobell released an amazing cd back in '06 and I am curious to see how things will sound the 2nd time around.

Sunny At Devil Dirt will be released on May 5th with a short UK tour to follow.

I am kicking myself bigtime because I actually missed his last collaberation with the Soulsavers which came out in October 2007. The Soulsavers are an electronic duo who took on the task of writing music that could support Mark's vocals and style. What came out was utterly brilliant, the cd mixes gospel and country with some excellent downbeats. There are a few covers on the recording, a Rolling Stones, Neil Young and even a remix of "Kingdom Of Rain" off of Mark's 2nd solo release. You can hear a few songs at the Soulsavers myspace page below. "Revival" is one of the best songs I have heard in years and the new "Kingdom of Rain" may be better than the original. I did some searching and Pitchfork had a couple articles about it but no huge writeup and it happened to appear when I was on vacation last year. I still can't believe I missed this but I have made up for it by listening to the cd multiple times in the last 24 hrs.

http://www.myspace.com/soulsavers

Posted by mardenhill 3/10/2008 06:10:00 PM 0 comments  



Bye Bye Tucker

Insiders tell TVNewser Tucker Carlson’s 6pmET show Tucker is getting the axe, but Carlson stays on as a political contributor to all MSNBC shows at least through the 2008 election. The official announcement, expected tomorrow, will include details about who will replace Tucker at 6pmET as well as other political programming additions. Sources say the network is going to beef up its schedule with more NBC News talent.
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Now this really sucks, I liked Tucker even though I didn't agree with him half the time. I thought he was a good host and had a great personality. I have to disagree with MSNBC and all the liberal blogs out there who are cheering his demise. Yeah Tucker went under a number of different makeovers, lost the bow tie and moved to the 6pm slot but I think its a mistake for him to go. At least he will be with us thru the election but after that who knows. I have no idea what the station plans on doing and if I had a choice I would give a show to either David Schuster or Rachel Maddow but that won't happen. Both are too partisan and the station would lose all credibilty as a broadcasting network. Don't get me wrong, both are amazing reporters/pundits and deserve more airtime but having them on along with Keith Olbermann may be too much.

Posted by mardenhill 3/10/2008 12:43:00 PM 2 comments  



Easton Zinfandel 2006

I picked up this bottle the other day at Holiday Market with no idea what to expect. I checked out their website to gain an understanding of the vineyard and was impressed. The vineyard specializes in Zins but bottles a merlot, cab and sauvignon blanc as well. The logo is basic, with just an outline of a tree and the name. The wine itself is big and juicy with classic zin flavors bursting at the seams. I will admit upon opening, the wine was rather sweet and had that cherry candy flavor which is synonymous with many cheap zins. I was disappointed but decided to give it a day and revisit. 24 hours later the wine is much better and the bold, zesty and peppery characteristics I was expecting have appeared. The wine is still young and if stored I believe might mature in a few years. The plump berry flavor entices you in while the finish gives you that oak and pepper that lingers on your tongue.

Its not my favorite zin by any means but it was quite nice and I would be interested in trying some of their higher end bottles.

http://www.terrerougewines.com/eastonwines.html#

Posted by mardenhill 3/08/2008 10:06:00 PM 0 comments  



The Charlatans UK - You Cross My Path


Yet another download freebie for you to enjoy. The Charlatans UK decided to give away their latest cd You Cross My Path for free and you can find it at the link below. This is the bazillionth release from this band, ok 10th studio but for a band that has been around as long as them, to release cds every 2 years is unheard of. I will admit I have been out of the loop with the Charlatans for the last decade, I have collected their cds but never really gave them a ton of listening time. I think since I was burned by Wonderland I just gave up. Since then there were 2 more cds, a live one, b-sides and now this.

Getting back to their latest, this cd is very good and I am quite impressed. Its no Between 10th or 11th but it proves that the Charlatans can overcome the stale and predictible rut many bands find themselves in so late in their careers.

Some of my favorite tracks are Track 2 "Bad Days" with its Nirvana bassline beginning and New Order keyboards. Track 4 "The Misbegotten" harks back to the early 90s haunting church organ and the Charlatans initial flirtation with electronic. Track 7 "Missing Beats (Of A Generation) is a fast paced, hard swirling keyboard romp that begs to be played live.

My favorite track has to be "You Cross My Path". This song does a great job at blending the early sound with a bit of rock and heavy guitar. Tim's vocals still sound great after all these years and he knows what works and what doesn't.

My favorite era of the Charlatans had to be at the beginning where the keyboards dictated the direction and Tim would hide behind them vocally. By their 5th cd, the Charlatans began to embrace a more organic sound and started their transition into guitar friendly music. This is where classic rock, R&B and folk rock entered into the mix. I started to drop off at this point and lost interest. The band has come back around and picked up where they left off in '95. They are not playing dated music tho, they are taking bits from that era and mixing them into a new and fresh sound.

http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2008/download-charlatans-new-album-for-free

http://www.thecharlatans.net/index.html

Posted by mardenhill 3/08/2008 08:51:00 AM 0 comments  



Get Ready, It's Almost Here.....


Yesterday Apple held a press conference to discuss the release of the SDK (software development kit) for the iPhone. Basically, anyone can download the software which will all them to legally develop applications for the phone. These apps will be sold thru the iTunes music store with 70% of profits going back to the developers. This is very cool since the iPhone will now enter the realm of 3rd party apps that can be pinpointed for select users. Not everyone will want these apps but the niche markets can be satisfied without having to jailbreak their phones.

The even bigger news besides the SDK is the Exchange Active Sync support coming this summer. This means that the iPhone can now go corporate with push technology for email, no more setting up rules or using POP3 or IMAP. I have been waiting for this and it was one of the reasons I never bought an iPhone. The 2nd reason was the lack of 3G which is still rumored to surface later this year. You put 2 and 2 together and the iPhone trumps any smart phone out there. Now all they need to do is bump the memory up to 32 gigs like they have on the touch and maybe add a removable battery and you will have the best phone on the planet.

Well there is always room to improve and one of the things would be the forced sync that occurs. Every other iPod you can drag/drop your mp3 files but the iPhone you are forced to sync your library. When you have a vast collection of music that you do not keep in the iTunes library, this is a problem. You have to drag everything in there, do a sync to the iPhone and when you want to remove music, you have to remove from the library and re sync. This is completely stupid since every other iPod doesn't deal with this issue. Maybe Apple will wake up and fix this since I find the process cumbersome and completely inconvenient.

Posted by mardenhill 3/07/2008 10:02:00 AM 0 comments  



More On The Michigan Fiasco


Here are some additional jackasses who screwed up big time and are now trying to figure out how to get Michigan's delegates to count. We have Gov. Jennifer Granholm who is an ardent Clinton supporter and wants the vote to count since it will benefit her girl. You have one of the masterminds of the whole fiasco Carl Levin in the next photo. At the bottom you have Mark Brewer the head of the MI Democratic party and next to him Debbie Dingell wife of congressmen John Dingell. Finally you have former Governer Jim Blanchard who is another Hillary shill.

Former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard, a cochairman of Clinton's state campaign, said the specifics of a do-over are hard to work out, however. Clinton, he said, would have to get some kind of credit for the January victory for it to be acceptable.

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According to Blanchard, Hillary should get to keep what she won and then more since he advocates a do-over. What an idiot, you can't count the 1st vote as a victory everyone knows it was a sham.

Granholm wants another vote as well but doesn't want MI taxpayers to pay for it which I agree with but good ole dumbass Dean says that the DNC shouldn't pay either, that money is needed for the general election. So now we need to turn to private money, maybe both campaigns could foot the bill, split it 50/50. Nah that wouldn't work, Hillary would find a way to complain since Obama raises more money than she does and heaven forbid she parts with any of it.

Inept and incompetent politicans all around. Part of me wants to see a huge battle royal, let the party implode, maybe then we can get rid of the dead weight and actually elect some real people to lead the party.

Posted by mardenhill 3/06/2008 02:49:00 PM 0 comments  



Will It Ever Stop?

Just like the snow, Hillary will not go away. She staved off another demise last nite by winning both Texas and Ohio. The delegate and popular vote count haven't changed and Obama still has the lead. We will now go onto Pennsylvania and most likely into summer while the GOP sits back and lets the Dems destroy each other. Hillary did well over the last week, she used fear and race to secure her wins showing everyone that she and Bill will do anything to succeed. I am not counting Obama out but I see Billary now going after MI and FL with guns a blazing since those will be what will put her over in the end. Super delegates will still need to go one way or another and will be the deciding factor but will it be based on who won the most votes or who has the most influence?

It will be interesting to see how Billary comes after the MI delegates and their spin on the whole situation. Once again, thank you Howard Dean, you really bungled this election, how bout doing all of us a favor and resigning, you are a useless DNC leader and have no business running the party. Same goes for Mark Brewer the head of the MI dems, you are a pathetic twat who blew my chance at voting for a candidate.

We are looking at a brokered convention where in the end I have a feeling Obama gets screwed. The establishment will step in and give the nomination to one of its own and hope for the best. I feel that Hillary can beat McCain but I am afraid of what will happen lower down on the ticket. Many people who might have split their votes may just vote straight republican which will have a negative impact on house and senate seats.

Getting back to the snow, I went skiing for the last time this season and winter should be officially over now. Instead we had rain yesterday that froze and turned our driveway into a sheet of ice. We then had at least 8 inches of snow on top of that making for a long and slippery shovel session this morning.

Posted by mardenhill 3/05/2008 09:52:00 AM 0 comments  



d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne


Tonight I opened a bottle of d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier/Marsanne blend with some frozen Costco Mahi and Cuban style rice. I have had a few different bottles from d'Arenberg and enjoyed all of them. If you are looking for a good Aussie wine, look for this label over some of the usuals. This is by no means a small boutique brand, d'Arenberg has been around for close to 100 years.

The wine itself is a few shades lighter than many chards but still has a light golden color. Favorwise, this wine is plump full of fruit with hints of sour apple and pineapple. The plush flavor is not overpowered by any oak and with the tropical fruit has a lingering sweet finish. Don't think of this as a dessert wine, it's not that sweet but it can cut thru spicy dishes and pairs well with seafood.

http://www.darenberg.com.au/default2.php

Posted by mardenhill 3/04/2008 09:38:00 PM 0 comments  



The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia

Well its finally here, the cd everyone has been waiting for. Don't worry if you are not familar with the band, by the end of the review you will be in love with it and running to the nearest store or iTunes website.

The band is the Gutter Twins and features Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) and Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs). The two of them have been working together for the last few years, lending vocals and touring. There were rumors of a cd but no one knew for sure. Earlier this year they posted a few songs on their Myspace page which got everyone excited for the full length.

Track 1 "The Stations" starts out soft and dark, reminiscent of Mark's previous solo works. Mark sings lead here with Greg adding great backing vocals. Both sing over a violin with crescendos growing and fading. Track 2 "God's Children" builds on the tension and takes a page from some early Whigs songs. Greg's at the helm and his vocals are strong and full of emotion. Track 3 "All Misery Flowers" goes back to Mark and has the sound of his last solo record Bubblegum. The piano cuts thru layers of heavy distortion while providing a slight melody to carry the vocals on. In Track 4 "The Body" the mood finally lightens and both Greg and Mark are joined by a female voice. The simple acoustic guitar has the feel of a Spanish guitar and summer sound. Track 5 "Idle Hands" is the heaviest with pounding keyboard and matching guitars. This song is probably the least representative of both artist's back catalog and a better understanding of what the Gutter Twins together sound like.

Track 7 "Who Will Lead Us" features a great folk sound which pays homage to Mark's cover record "I'll Take Care Of You". Track 8 "Seven Stories Underground" raises Mark's voice up an octave which is something we haven't heard from him in years. Greg follows up with his soothing woos and in the end, stands out as one of the best songs on the cd. Track 10 "Bete Noir" features a killer fuzzed out keyboard coinciding with a nice toe tapping beat. Track 11 "Each To Each" has an electronic element to it with Greg taking over vocals and giving us an idea what he would sound like if Unkle or Chemical Brothers came looking for a guest vocalist. The cd ends with track 12 "Front Street", birds chirping and an acoustic guitar. Both Mark and Greg are present and the layers of new instruments build into a grand orchestration providing a great ending to maybe the best cd of 2008.

This is not an easy cd to listen to, all the factors that make both men are present. The dark and brooding vocals, heavy mood and pockets of light are all here. The songs play off of both Mark and Greg's previous work but some bring a new sound to the mix. It's a true collaboration here and if you listen close enough you can see how both men compliment each other and provide us with a glimpses of the past while blazing into new territory. This is a must have for any Mark Lanegan or Greg Dulli fan and even for newcomers its definitely worth listening to. Give it shot, you won't be disappointed.

http://www.myspace.com/theguttertwins

Posted by mardenhill 3/04/2008 06:31:00 PM 1 comments  



Kwame Gets A Break (For Now)

The Detroit city council has delayed a vote on Kwame's removal from office until after the investigation. We can look at it two ways, if Wayne County Prosecutor Kim Worthy finds a smoking gun (actually the text messages are but...) then Kwame will be forced to resign or it ends in a convoluted mess where lawyers fight over what the definition of "Is" is. If we get the 2nd choice, Kwame will stay put and cling onto power still wasting more tax payer money. The part that really bugs me is how Kwame doesn't seem to care that he lied under oath and wasted 8 million dollars doing so. He has never apologized for that since he knows admitting to it will seal his fate. He then puts on his pouty face and tries to play the victim.

Posted by mardenhill 3/04/2008 05:36:00 PM 0 comments  



Super Tuesday Redux

Tonight may be the make it or break it for Hillary Clinton. In my own opinion she shouldn't be in the race after 11 losses but who am I to decide how much of the Clinton legacy Hillary wants to destroy. All this talk about "just getting warmed up" is just bull, Hillary lost everything in last few weeks of February. But since its the Clintons we need to move the goal posts each and every week until we get to the convention. I predict an Obama win in Texas and a very slight win in Ohio for Hillary. Unfortunately it will not be enough delegates and Hill will be in the same place she has been since last month. She will use this as a reason to stay in and compete for Pennsylvania. Maybe I'll be wrong and Obama will pull off another sweep but I just don't see it happening. Should be a fun evening and I can't wait to watch the returns on MSNBC......

Posted by mardenhill 3/04/2008 05:21:00 PM 0 comments  



Yemon Mocha - Sanani

More than four centuries ago, this vagabond coffee wandered through the bustling Yemen port of Mocha. This is a coffee that captures wanderlust, uniting a bold aroma, nutty and spicy flavors with a hint of the wild gypsy tendencies appreciated by coffee aficionados and surprising to the uninitiated. A toast to the adventurer in us all, Yemen Mocha Sanani is a rare coffee that should be savored. Well worth the indulgence.

http://www.ptscoffee.com/store/product_detail.php?c=139&s=51095

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This is my latest selection of the month from Citizen Bean and I just had my first cup this morning. The coffee is great, it has a nice aroma and smooth taste. There is very little bitterness here and the flavor finishes long with a bit of spice. The roaster is PTs Coffee and Jeff Taylor is one of only 4 certified International World Barista Competition judges. Basically, the guy knows his coffee and its a pleasure to taste his work.

Posted by mardenhill 3/03/2008 09:52:00 AM 0 comments