Stereophonics
Monday, July 16, 2007

Posted by mardenhill 7/16/2007 01:38:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Music

When 2 Crappy Restaurants Combine

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070716/BUSINESS07/70716009

So IHOP is buying Applebee's, great so now they can share recipes and combine their crappiness into one big pile of junk. I hate both places, never go unless I am trapped on some interstate in the middle of nowhere. I will admit I used to like IHOP back in the day but its been about 6 years since I have been there. Last time I went to Applebee's I ordered fish and chips and they served me Gorden's frozen fish sticks. I wrote a letter to the company and they sent me a $5 gift card which didn't even cover the price of the food.

Posted by mardenhill 7/16/2007 10:58:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

Heiss Traminer Ice Wine 2002
Sunday, July 15, 2007

“The Traminer grape is in general a very aromatic variety which through the defrosting process in production of Ice Wine is getting even more interesting. This has a hint of mushrooms, bread, and the typical Traminer rosewood aromas. Very soft, very dense on the palate; almost oily. In its finish it has beautiful aromas, acidity, and harmony. A wine is called Eiswein [Ice Wine] when it has been harvested at -7 Celsius or lower. There are only 2 days a year you can properly harvest Eiswein. It is very important to do this on a cold day so that the wine will take on more taste and be more interesting. Also so that it won’t ferment. That’s why it must be cold.” -Vintner Franz Heiss.


Traminer:
The Traminer developed from crosses of wild grape varieties. The most closely related grape is Vitis silvestris Gmelin. Recent genetic research indicates that the Traminer grape, in the past one of the most important Austrian varietals, is one of the oldest of all grapes and ancestor of numerous others which are usually thought of more highly by wine lovers. The Traminer grape has been known since the Middle Ages, but mutates easily and emerged as the Gew&uumlrztraminer in France in the 19th century.
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So now you have the background on this amazing wine and I won't have to bore you with technical data. If you have never had an ice wine you are missing out on the of the best wines in the world. The ice wine we opened last nite was the Heiss Traminer 2002, an Austrian bottle which can be found for about $35-$40. They come in 375ml, but on the other hand you tend not to drink too much and we still have half a bottle. It was golden in color, thick and sweet with hints of apricot, honey and a bit of spice. If you are familiar with Sauternes a botrytised wine from France then an ice wine won't be too foreign. Both have some of the same characteristics but still have distinct flavors due to the different grapes used in the process.

http://www.winemonger.com/catalog/product_more_info.php?products_id=435

Posted by mardenhill 7/15/2007 11:19:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Wine

New Moto Q
Friday, July 13, 2007

Posted by mardenhill 7/13/2007 01:21:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Back It Up
Thursday, July 12, 2007

This came from NME over in the UK but I imagine its the same here. BACK UP YOUR FILES, I CANNOT STRESS IT ENOUGH. I have my mp3s on an external hard drive plus backups on DVD just incase the drive dies.

Posted by mardenhill 7/12/2007 09:29:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music, Technology

New Video iPod?
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Yet more rumors but this morning according to "sources" in the Taiwanese supply chain, Apple will release the video iPod sometime in August. I don't expect it until November or possibly January which Apple loves to do for some stupid reason but not next month. We should see the new iMac next month and I don't see them crowding the field with that and the iPod. At least we can all agree its inevitable that we will get a full screen video iPod, its just a matter of when.

Posted by mardenhill 7/11/2007 09:37:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Chateau Moncontour Vouvray
Tuesday, July 10, 2007

I will start it off with I didn't have a bottle from 1993 but one from the 2004 vintage, the website only had this photo for me to use. Either way, I love this wine, its amazing and its cheap. Chenin Blanc is the grape at hand and one of my favorites. Its a creamy white with lots of sweet fruit and minerals. You have pear, apricot and some green apple but its not crisp and dry like a Sauvignon Blanc. Its velvety texture covers your tongue and leaves a lingering sweetness that continues on for days. This type of wine is best served during the summer and with spicy foods since it balances out heat very easily. Next time you are out looking for something other than a Chard or Sauv Blanc, pick up a Vouvray or Chenin Blanc if not from France for something new.

http://www.moncontour.com/index.html

Posted by mardenhill 7/10/2007 08:53:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Wine

Christopher Moore - A Dirty Job

Just started reading Christopher Moore's book A Dirty Job and I am liking it. I had no idea who he was and found the book at the store a few weeks ago. It was before our vacation and Borders had buy 3 get 1 free sale so I had pick one out or Erika got all 4. From reading Moore's website it looks like he has a list of other books, full of off beat humor and San Francisco charm. I will let you know what I think of it once I'm done.

If anyone has read his previous works leave a comment to let me know what you thought.....

Posted by mardenhill 7/10/2007 03:11:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Books

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Buh bye, thanks for playing. It looks like John McCain's days campaigning for President are coming to a close. He just lost 2 key figures in his campaign and is losing the fundraising race. I just wonder who McCain will blame for his defeat, the republicans who still hate him or the opposing side who didn't support the war. No one on the left has done anything to puncture McCain's sail, he did it all on his own by supporting Bush and the current Iraq policy. McCain sealed his own fate when he chose to embrace this administration and beg for their support. The McCain of 2000 is long gone and has been replaced with an insider who cannot judge the mood of the country and what they want. Will I be sad to see McCain bow out of the race, no not at all, he lost my support years ago and has done nothing to gain it back. Good riddence and may Guilani, Romney, Thompson and the rest of the lot join you. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8Q9RLQO0&show_article=1

Posted by mardenhill 7/10/2007 01:23:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Politics

Some Apple Rumors

I know, you are still reeling from the over exposure of the iPhone and it hasn't even been 2 weeks but I have a few Apple rumors that should make your day that much better. For starters Apple should be updating the iMac line next month. Its been over 306 days since the last refresh and will be intime for back to school. The new iMacs will only come in 20" and 24" models. The rumor sites are also reporting that the design will be thinner, only 2" thick and come in a brushed aluminum case. The 2nd rumor has to do with the iPhone and the nano. The buzz is all around that 4th quarter we will see a cheaper iPhone based off the nano platform. This would be pretty cool but I would rather see a stripped down iPhone as the new iPod. If they were to do that and sell it for $300, I would buy one.

Posted by mardenhill 7/10/2007 09:25:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Its Summer, Time For Some Rosé
Sunday, July 08, 2007

You think blush, nah that can't be good its just another white zin. Well I am here to tell you otherwise. I am here to convince you to try a Rosé. Open one on a hot summer evening while sitting on the back patio or serve it with appetizers. This amazing wine is quite dry with a quenching flavor that isn't too sweet nor to heavy. Forget about Arbor Mist and all the other wine coolers, this is what you need.

France makes the best Rosé but one of my favorite Californian vineyards does just fine. Cline uses Mouvedre as the grape which is excellent on its own and refreshing when chilled. This is not your college bottle of strawberry hill, so forget about those days of drinking multiple bottles of Boones. This bottle can be found for about $13-$14 depending on where you shop. While picking up some Cline try their Viognier, Ancient Vines Zinfandel or Ancient Vines Mouvedre all great wines at prices that will not bust your wallet.

http://www.clinecellars.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=view&CFID=18955&CFTOKEN=61307911

Posted by mardenhill 7/08/2007 09:48:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Wine

Live Earth 7.7.07
Friday, July 06, 2007

I know its not quite 7.7.07 but in Sydney, Australia it already is. You can stream the shows from around the world via MSN and I imagine there will be a recap and also a DVD to follow. The band in the video is Sneaky Sound System and they are not that bad. A mix of electro/dance/funk/indie rock with dueling male/female vocals. I do find the sponsorship of Chevy interesting, I guess they are trying the BP advertising angle. I plan on tuning in throughout the day tomorrow so there may be more posts to follow.

http://www.sneakysoundsystem.com/

Way to go Al, keep up the good work. I know you don't want to run for president again but we really need you to.

www.liveearth.org

Posted by mardenhill 7/06/2007 11:01:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Environment, Politics

Absinthe Back In The States
Thursday, July 05, 2007

Its been a long 95 years but the wait is over. Absinthe is finally legal in the US once again. We are not talking about some knockoff bottles but the original stuff made with real Grande Wormwood. Now the myth of hallucinations from the stuff was just propaganda used to ban the drink, modern science has debunked that theory. You would have to drink multiple bottles of the stuff and at 62% I don't see many people making it thru even one. While in London I was able to try Absinthe which was one of those things I have wanted to do for years. I did find out that there is the classic French style and a Chech which is more minty like Listerine. I preferred the French style and thats what Lucid is. I drank the Absinthe in the traditional method with a sugar cube and cold water dripped over the top. It turned cloudy and a bright emerald green. From some articles I came across it looks to be $60 for a 750ml. This may change from state to state but it is something I would invest in. As of now its only in New York but Lucid promises more distribution throughout the US. The website has a very interesting FAQ which answers all your questions regarding this exotic elixir.

http://drinklucid.com/

Posted by mardenhill 7/05/2007 04:44:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Liquor

iPhone

We went to the Apple store yesterday to see first hand the new iPhone. I have to say, I was very impressed and would actually consider one. Not now but at a future date, maybe next year or so. It fits in the palm of your hand and is no bigger than the Motorola Q. The phone behaves like the widgets on the mac and moves in and out when selected. The coverflow for the ipod portion is very cool except you would have to make sure all your files are tagged correctly. The browser shows a full page and when the phone is turned sideways it rotates into a bigger view. I didn't get to play with the internet very much so its hard to tell how the speed. The address book was easy to navigate and with your finger you just move it up and down the screen and the list moves. The google maps was pretty cool as well, its like having a walking gps, well as accurate as free map sites are. The final thing was the keyboard or lack of. Its a touchscreen keyboard that inflates the letter when you touch it to verify thats the one you wanted. It took a few tries to type my name but I think with some practice it would be easy to use. Rumors are, corporate email support may make its way to the iPhone in coming months.

Posted by mardenhill 7/05/2007 09:22:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Some Photos Of The Garden 2007
Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Our jungle of herbs....
Peppers, peppers and even more peppers.
The tomatoes are taking over......We have 8 plants, 6 different varieties
Our green beans and corn. Some bastard critter chewed up a bunch of our corn stalks.
The radishs that need to be picked. Our carrots are doing well but I need to weed the area and didnt want to throw up any photos.
The raspberry bush which has been trying to take over the whole yard.

Tonight we grilled with some fresh green beans from the garden and made a dessert with the raspberries. I am looking forward to the peppers since we have a red savina which is 2x hotter than a habanero. I probably won't be eating them but I will pass them along to friends at work.

Posted by mardenhill 7/04/2007 07:36:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Garden

Ash - Twilight Of The Innocents

One of the great brit rock bands of the 90s have released their latest cd Twilight Of The Innocents and at the same time stated its their last official cd. Going forward Ash plan on releasing songs whenever they like and forgoing the whole standard cd pressing. They say it now, will it happen well we shall see. Getting back to the new cd, the band is now a 3 piece once again, after 9 years Charlotte Hatherley left the band. Another interesting piece of information regarding TOTI, Ash self produced the cd which is apparent. This is the biggest downfall since every song sounds the same. There isn't much excitement going on, the songs are upbeat and full of loud guitars but its a very trendy sound. The vocals sound like an 16 year old emo kid rather than someone who has been playing for 18 years. It feels like Ash is obsessed with the US sound and will do anything to break the states. I don't expect Ash to cater to their own country but emulating some of the stupid emo bands from the US isn't the answer. There are a few good songs but none that I really felt like writing about. I was disappointed with this release but honestly gave up on them after Meltdown.

Rating: 5/10

Posted by mardenhill 7/04/2007 02:42:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger

Its only 1 cd this year (so far) but Ryan Adams is back. He released Easy Tiger last week and I highly recommend everyone pick up a copy. The cd is amazing, its a blend of Alt Country, Folk and heartfelt Singer Songwriter. The cd starts off with "Goodnight Rose" a soulful and southern twang reminiscent of songs from Jacksonville City Nights. Track 2 features a duet with Sheryl Crow, no they are not dating but the two of them sound great together. Track 4 "Halloweenhead" is the most upbeat song and it took a few listens to really enjoy. On first listen I thought it was a joke but the beat draws you in and keeps your toes tapping. Yeah the lyrics are stupid at times but it wouldn't be the 1st time. Track 6 "Tears Of Gold" starts off with the slide guitar and settles in with a mid tempo country sound.

If you like the Alt Country side of Ryan Adams you will love this cd. If you prefer the acoustic sound there is plenty here for you to enjoy. The Americana influences are also back and although its not Cold Roses it does have a bit of the 60s. The dark and brooding seeps in here and there but is kept at bay to give the cd a more warm and summertime feel. The only thing not present is the Garage Rock sound, there are electric guitars but no screaming. This isn't my favorite Adams cd but it is very good and one I keep on my laptop and ipod for my listening pleasure.

Rating: 8.5/10

Posted by mardenhill 7/04/2007 02:22:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Recap Of Our Vacation
Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Well our trip started off with a bang, we flew Northwest who was in the middle of a labor dispute. Luckily we had a crew for our flight and made our way onto the plane. From there we sat for over an hour due to inclement weather, i.e. it was storming and lightning while we were sitting in a big sardine can. We finally made it to Baltimore where we picked up our rental. I got the car thru a great deal with my MBNA worldperks card and had to book a small suv to get the price. I figured I would negotiate when I made it to the counter to get a smaller car but they wanted to charge me. I was willing to take a 4 door car instead but they said no. So I was stuck with a Chevy Equinox which wasn't that bad of a vehicle. It did have XM which I listened to Fred, Ethel, Lucy and a couple other stations non stop the whole time. I did hate parking the beast of a car and how much gas it sucked up. I was glad to turn it back in and go back to my focus.

So we left Baltimore and headed towards Philly which took forever due to construction. We hit 5 different zones within 100 miles, it was crazy. Philly was fun tho, we saw Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and Reading Market. It was 91 degrees and humid so our walking around the city was cut a bit short. We did find a really cool restaurant by the name of Swanky Bubbles. It was a sushi and champagne bar where we had an excellent meal. The next morning it was pouring rain so we skipped the last couple places in Philly and headed south towards the beaches in Delaware.

Our hotel was in Lewes and the wedding in Primehook Beach which was about 25 minutes north. We were only 5 miles from Rehobeth Beach but at times took almost 30 minutes to get to due to traffic. There is a huge boardwalk with food, games and carnie rides. The wedding was amazing since it was at the house and ceremony on the beach. We had excellent weather along with food and alcohol all nite. One of the highlights was the bottle of Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1996 we broke open. It was an amazing champagne and we did a taste test against the Pol Roger Brut Réserve Non-Vintage. Hands down the 1996 blew it away but it was fun to taste the different levels. We also ate lots and I mean lots of Maryland crab all weekend. I thought I would be crabbed out but I am ready for another round. I will post a few pics later today once I get all the photos copied to my computer.



http://www.swankybubbles.com/

http://www.polroger.co.uk/champagne.php?name=cuvee_churchill

http://www.jerrys-seafood.com/index.htm

I had the 6oz Firecracker crab bomb, all seasoned lump meat and good to the last bite. I could eat one of those at least once a week for the rest of my life.......

Posted by mardenhill 7/03/2007 09:21:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Travel

Off To Philly
Wednesday, June 27, 2007

We are off to Philly for a few days and onto Delaware for a wedding so postings may be sparce or non existent until Monday. Lets hope Northwest have their act together and don't cancel our flight, they have been doing so for the last 4 days.

Posted by mardenhill 6/27/2007 09:12:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Travel

iPhone Specs

- $499 for 4GB, $599 for 8GB iPhone
- 2-year service agreement required
- iPhone is not eligible for Wireless Phone Insurance; iPhone is covered by Apple Warranty
- No business discounts
- iPhone must be activated before it can be used. Pre-installed SIM card.
- Activates "within a few minutes"
- 14 day return policy. If opened, there is a 10% restocking fee.
- Existing AT&T wireless customers will need to add an iPhone Data Plan.

Apple has released details of the service plans that will be available for the iPhone. Six special monthly plans are available:

- $59.99 for 450 voice minutes
- $79.99 for 900 voice minutes
- $99.99 for 1,350 voice minutes
- $119.99 for 2000 voice minutes
- $169.99 for 4000 voice minutes
- $219.99 for 6000 voice minutes

All six plans include unlimited data (email & web), Visual Voicemail, 200 SMS text messages, roll over minutes and unlimited mobile to mobile calling. Plans have a $36 one-time activation fee and are two year contracts. Family plans are shown on Apple's site. In addition, any standard AT&T service plan may be chosen.
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Here is everything you need to know about the new iPhone before you purchase one. They go on sale this Friday and people are already camping out for them. Most of the reviews have been very positive execpt they bash the AT&T network for coverage. I have been an AT&T/Cingular customer since 2000 and don't have any problems with my service. You may be wondering if I will be buying one of these phones, well the answer is no. I have no plans on buying the iPhone anytime soon. A couple of reasons, one its still too damn expensive. 2nd, no corporate email support. 3rd, the iPhone is not running on the 3G network the new highspeed that most of the new AT&T phones run on. I will wait until next year to see if there is a price break and all the features/bugs worked out. Rumors are that if Apple wants to sell the phone in Europe it will have to support the 3G network. Maybe the next revision will have this and by then corporate email will have a home as well. I am still planning on buying a Samsung Blackjack as my next phone.

Posted by mardenhill 6/27/2007 09:01:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Updated: The Verve
Tuesday, June 26, 2007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjBBS17iECw

I would like to thank my friend Ted for the link, he had the US version of "Lucky Man" bookmarked so now all of us are able to watch it. Unfortunately I cannot get it embedded into my blog, it keeps erroring, oh well........

Posted by mardenhill 6/26/2007 11:24:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

The Verve Are Back!!!!!!

The Verve reunite for tour
Richard Ashcroft and co write new songs


The Verve are set to reunite for a winter tour. The original band of Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe,Simon Jones and Pete Sailsbury have got together for the first time in almost a decade. In a statement, the band have announced they were: "Getting back together for the joy of the music." It is believed they will take a summer break and then return to the studio to complete their next album. The band broke up in 1999, with the tumultuous relationship between Ashcroft and McCabe being well documented with the two exiting the band repeatedly since they began in 1993.
............................



One of the greatest Brit Rock bands of the 90s have decided to reform and give it another shot. After the Verve broke up, we were left with 3 Richard Ashcroft solos which became progressively worse over time. I saw them live a few times and the best show was at St Andrews back in 97 after McCabe left but came back and only to leave again. If you remember the US video for "Lucky Man", Ashcroft had a retro t-shirt on that featured Detroit. He had bought it before the St Andrews show and had it on that nite. He talked about how he found it in this cool 2nd hand store and the next thing you know its in the video. Unfortunately YouTube only has the UK version of the song so I was unable to link to it. Anyways, I really hope they can continue where they left off and not just record some lame cd just to have one out there. If you listen to the reformed Suede i.e The Tears you will now what I mean. There were a couple good songs but for the most part it sucked. Lets hope for the best and a US tour within the next year.

Posted by mardenhill 6/26/2007 09:42:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Music

No Woxy Today

Day Of Silence Today

The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on July 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!).

To protest these rates and encourage you to take action and contact your Congressional representatives, WOXY.com is taking part in the Day of Silence by silencing both our main channel and WOXY Vintage for today. Don't fret, the rock returns at Midnight EDT this evening.

Please call your Congressional Representatives today to ensure the future of Internet radio. Click this link for instructions how. For more background and information, check out KurtHanson.com and SaveNetRadio.org.

Thanks for your support of this important issue - Bryan Jay, Mike, Shiv and Joe
........................

I have written about this issue before and also have a link on the right side of my blog. I couldn't imagine my life without it, I would have to pay $12 a month for Satellite which I think is a rip off. Terrestrial radio blows, there are 1 and a half good stations in Detroit, if I were forced to listen to them all day I would go insane. Woxy has given me access to a number of new bands and great memories of older ones who are no longer together. Its important that we keep Internet Radio alive because it gives global access to bands who would have to rely on program managers in every market to promote them.

Posted by mardenhill 6/26/2007 09:04:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music, Technology

The Cure
Sunday, June 24, 2007

The Cure Announce Tour, Ready New Album

The Cure have just announced the North American leg of their 2007 world tour, which means that Asians and Australians won't be the only ones treated to a healthy dose of makeup and mood this summer and fall.

The band are also readying their 13th studio album, the as-yet-untitled follow-up to their 2004 self-titled record, for a fall release on Suretone/Geffen.

Frontman Robert Smith, guitarist Porl Thompson, bassist Simon Gallup, and drummer Jason Cooper will begin their jaunt in Fuji, Japan on July 27, and they have shows scheduled through October 17 in Dallas at the oh-so-goth American Airlines Center.

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/43803-the-cure-announce-tour-ready-new-album
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This would be great news except that The Cure are skipping Detroit on this tour. They are playing Toronto then the next date is Chicago. What gives? Detroit has sold out shows for the Cure for years. Remember that live cd Show, well that was recorded in Detroit. I have been at every Cure show for the last 16 years and this is how they repay me? As for the new cd, I have no idea if its going to be a stripped down, no keyboard sound. The last dvd was recorded as a 4 piece and suffered mixed reviews because of it. I happened to like the raw sound, would I enjoy a whole album, probably not but it was a nice change of pace. With Robert Smith it could be anything so I guess we will have to sit back and wait to see what's instore.

Posted by mardenhill 6/24/2007 11:44:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Robertson Winery - Gewurtzaminer Late Harvest
Friday, June 22, 2007

Posted by mardenhill 6/22/2007 10:05:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Wine

New Box Set Coming This Fall
Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Rhino Records will be releasing a new box set The Brit Box: U.K. Indie, Shoegaze, and Brit Pop Gems of the Last Millennium October 2nd. This set will rival my other fave Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground. Not to be outdone, Rhino also has A Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box, another set I would like to get my hands on. The Brit Box will start off with the mid 80s UK scene with bands like The Smiths, The Cure, Cocteau Twins, JAMC, Happy Mondays and Echo. From there it will dive into the Shoegazer scene made popular by bands like My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Pale Saints and Lush. CD 3 captures the 90s Britpop revival with Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Supergrass and Elastica. Finally it finishes off with the late 90s bands that closed the door on what we like to call Britpop scene. You have Ash, Babybird, Mansun, Bluetones, The Verve, Placebo, Kula Shaker and Spiritualized to name a few. There are a total of 78 songs with an 80 page booklet in this set. I have about 95% of the songs already but I think it would still be cool to have it in physical and not just digital form. Besides the bands I already mentioned there are countless others that helped shape the scene and are worth noting. There were only a few songs that I felt didn't belong and could only think of a few other bands that were not included. You can see the list of songs below. Its about time some of the greatest music in the last 20+ years ever recorded is recognized.

http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/43724-mbv-smiths-blur-cure-new-order-jamc-in-brit-box

Posted by mardenhill 6/20/2007 05:10:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

The National On NPR

Posted by mardenhill 6/20/2007 09:50:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

The Assault On Reason
Tuesday, June 19, 2007

I started reading Al Gore's The Assault On Reason and highly recommend it. The book goes into detail how politician's use fear and propaganda to spread their message. Al talks about how tv has taken away the public square and transformed knowledge of current events into a money race. Yes tv has done a lot for our society but it has also made us lazy and complacent. I am not one of those blow up your tv because I love it just as much as the next person. If I couldn't watch my handful of shows, 24 hour news channels and discovery programs I would not be a happy camper. I do see his point tho, consolidation of stations into fewer and fewer owners increases the chances for propaganda. This goes for papers and radio as well. That is why the internet is so important, its still a free for all and anyone can participate. The entry barriers are very low and anyone can start a discussion.

This morning while on my way to work I heard a great story on NPR. They were talking about the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy and how it has come into bloom. For years the right built think tanks, coalitions and PACs used to lobby congress to pass their agenda. The dems sat on the sidelines and did nothing to counteract the onlslaught of the conservative message. It wasn't until democratic activists stood up and took matters into their own hands. They organized by themselves then brought the politicans in, not the other way around. Either the politicans work with the netroots or they face the consequences. Needless to say, herding democrats is like the EDS cat commerical, its nearly impossible but it can be done. The internet is anarchy with little structure and guidelines. This fits the dems thinking much more than that on the right. Although there is a lack of so called traditional leadership on the net, there are still rules and common decency that is expected to be practiced. The right may own talk radio but the left owns the internet and this is one of the things Al talks about.

If you are a fan of Al Gore or just politics in general, pick up this book you will not be disappointed.

Posted by mardenhill 6/19/2007 10:06:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Books, Politics

iPod Scare
Sunday, June 17, 2007

I had an iPod scare this weekend and thought I may be shelling out some bucks for a new one. For the last few weeks my iPod always reverts back to the select language when I power it on. I thought this was strange but it was still playing so I left it at that. I wanted to add a few new songs yesterday and everything came crashing down. The iPod would detect on the mac but stated it was corrupt and needed to be restored. It took me hours to program the best selection of music but if it was needed to save my player I would do it. Needless to say many restores later I was still stuck with a broken iPod. I checked some forums and found out others were experiencing the same problem. Apple didn't test the 4th gen iPods very well with the latest firmware updates since these are the ones blowing up. The fixes were to roll back to iTunes version 6 or sync to a pc. I decided to try the pc route and grabbed my laptop. It was looking promising but then crashed again. A couple restores later on the pc and my iPod was alive. I hate having to sync my iPod on the pc since my external hard drive is mac formatted and contains my music. I have to pull it thru a share which will slow down the copying time but if it works then I will do it. I just want my iPod to hold out til the end of the year when I am hoping Apple updates the latest player. Now I will have to endure all the heckling of using my pc for my iPod since I have been carrying Apple's water for years. Oh well, you do what you gotta do.....

Posted by mardenhill 6/17/2007 10:34:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Why I Hate Sears

Once the patio was finished we needed lounge chairs and the quest began. We checked Home Depot, Lowes, English Gardens, Target, Crate & Barrel and finally Sears. We found chairs that were very cool but over $300 a piece and everything below $200 was very uncomfortable and cheap. Friday nite after work I went to Sears and found the perfect lounger but they only had 1 in stock. I bought it but had to wait until Saturday to pick it up since it wouldn't fit in the back of my Ford Focus ZX3. I debated about strapping it down to my roof rack, I have done this before with a bed frame but waited since I wasn't sure I would be able to find a match. I spent over an hour that night calling 7 different stores plus the catalog number and all came up short. Either they didn't have the chair or they had no clue what I was talking about. Something about typing in an 8 digit number into a computer seemed to be too much for some of the stores. It amazed me how inept some of these people were and it blew me away that Sears does not link their stores inventories.

Finally Saturday morning I called the Novi store and they had one. I told them to put my name on it and I would be by in a few hours. I show up go to the counter and tell the guy that I have a chair on hold but I havn't paid for it. He sent me over to the customer service pickup where I told him I would need a receipt but he said don't worry they will find it for you. I went over and spoke the guy who just looked at me like I was some crazy fool and sent me back to the counter. I go back and the same guy was there. I asked him to go look in the back to see if my box is there. He did so, came back and said no. I told him there is one in stock so he looked it up and said "why yes there is, let me go see if I can find it". 5 minutes later he is back and said "would you like it". Um yeah, its why I am here, why I spent 20 minutes trying to get the box that should have had my name on it. Why he didn't see the box the 1st time, I have no clue he had the number in his hand and somehow missed it.

So the moral of the story is: If you put something on hold at Sears pretend you are a new customer and just go buy it, your name will not be on the box even if they told you it would.

Posted by mardenhill 6/17/2007 09:26:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Garden, Misc

New Oasis On The Way, Well Sorta
Friday, June 15, 2007

Posted by mardenhill 6/15/2007 01:34:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

New Stamped Concrete Patio
Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Click on the photos for a bigger picture....

They just finished our new patio today and its amazing. We went with a stamped concrete instead of paver stones and I am really happy with it. We were not planning on making it as big but I am glad we did since it will allow us more room for entertaining. The walkway rocks and we will line it with solar lamps and landscaping. Now we need to find some loungers, the big dilemma is between wood/metal/mesh/cushion.

I know the grass looks like crap but I will fix what I can this year and contemplate new stuff at a later date.

Below is the website of our contractor.

http://eurodesigncement.com/

Posted by mardenhill 6/13/2007 07:45:00 PM 35 comments    

Labels: House

New Restaurants In Detroit

Detroit has 3 casinos and the largest of them MGM is in the process of building a new hotel/casino slated to open next year. I just read about the Vegas style restaurants coming to town and I am pretty excited. Within MGM, Wolfgang Puck will open a contemporary bar & grill and fine dining establishment. Another big name is Michael Mina who will have 2 restaurants both high end. Saltwater will focus on seafood and Bourban Stake, a stakehouse.

Not to be outdone, Motorcity is revamping their star restaurant and moving it up to the 18th floor of the new hotel tower with glass windows for an excellent view of the city. The Windsor casino will also get a Nero's stakehouse opening this weekend. This is another Vegas brand coming to Detroit/Windsor.

Moving on from the casinos, a great little tapas restaurant by the name of Small Plates is expanding. Its not tapas in the true sense, nothing really Spanish about the place except for the size of the food. The old Mongolian BBQ will be the new location of Small Plates in Royal Oak come September.

Posted by mardenhill 6/13/2007 10:16:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Detroit

Not Since '84
Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Not since 1984 have the Tigers pitched a No Hitter. The last person was Jack Morris and that was the year they went on to win the World Series. I will stop it right there and everyone else can draw their own conclusions. BTW, the lucky guy was none other than 24 year old Justin Verlander.

Tigers No-Hitters
June 12, 2007: Justin Verlander vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 4-0
April 7, 1984: Jack Morris at Chicago, 4-0
July 20, 1958: Jim Bunning at Boston, 3-0
Aug. 25, 1952: Virgil Trucks at New York, 1-0
May 15 1952: Virgil Trucks vs. Washington, 1-0
July 4, 1912: George Mullin vs. St. Louis, 7-0, second game

Posted by mardenhill 6/12/2007 11:00:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Tigers

The White Stripes

As proof that they will go to great lengths to get Icky Thump into fans' headphones and onto their hard drives, the White Stripes have announced that they will release the forthcoming full-length in USB drive format.

The 512 MB USB 2.0 flash drives will come in two editions of 3,333 apiece. Half of them will creepily look like Meg, and the other half will creepily look like Jack (both are pictured). The drives are available separately or as a pair, and all of them will come pre-loaded with Icky Thump in Apple Lossless format (aka .m4a). They will ship the week of June 19, which is, not coincidentally, the album's U.S. release date (June 18 in the UK).

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/43589-the-white-stripes-iicky-thumpi-due-on-usb-drive
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I love this concept, its pure marketing at its finest. I do find it a bit hypocritical tho, think back to Elephant and Jack's insistance that the record be recorded 100% analog. Now Jack and Meg have embraced the digital revolution and are willing to exploit it anyway possible. Jack has always been on top of the game when it comes to selling his brand. He does so in a way as to not cheapen his image or destroy his credibility. The jump drives will become collector items and many people will still buy the cd. I fell for this in the past, I bought 2 copies of Elephant on vinyl and still have 1 sealed.

Posted by mardenhill 6/12/2007 03:26:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music, Technology

Smoking Ban In MI

This is a hard one for me right now, MI has been punched in the gut over and over the last number of years and I don't see it getting much better anytime soon. I have faith that Jenny (our Gov, yeah we are on a 1st name basis) will bring new business but not enough to replace what we lost. To hit Michiganders while they are down is just down right rude. Hell they did it to us over Memorial Day weekend. MI reported the highest gas prices in the country sans Hawaii, even higher than California and Oregon which is unheard of. Well that lasted a couple days, once CNN reported it the prices dropped faster than Bush's poll numbers. Now to hit the state with a smoking ban may just drive everyone here completely insane.

I am not a smoker and would love to go into a bar that was smoke free but our nightlife and restaurants may be the only thing holding our economy together. I was out in San Francisco for 3 weeks a couple years ago for work and they were smoke free. It was the greatest thing and I wished it would happen here in MI. Well that time is here and although I really want it, I am afraid it may be too much to handle at this time. Maybe I am over reacting and people really want this. Most restaurants are already smoke free but its the bars that would be the problem. I see the restaurants/bars side where they want to make the decision but with my luck all the places I frequent would never change and I would be screwed.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070612/NEWS06/70612015

Posted by mardenhill 6/12/2007 01:50:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Detroit

Time To Go....
Friday, June 08, 2007

Posted by mardenhill 6/08/2007 11:27:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Detroit

The National
Thursday, June 07, 2007

I went and saw The National last nite and it was an amazing show. Unfortunately it was all ages something I didn't realize until 7:45pm. I didn't have a ticket and was just going to pay at the door but got spooked when I saw that kiddies would be there. So I headed downtown and got in about 9:30pm. The place was packed with a bunch of backpack wearing, bad haircut emo kids with X's on their hands. To make matters worse the opening band was awful and I still had to make it thru another one. I found a seat at the bar and watched the Tigers game for a while and eavesdropped on a pair of guys picking up some suburban girls which was quite funny. The conversation drifted from European summer travel to books they read. The one girl was a school teacher and said she loves to read Kurt Vonnegut and Maya Angelou. The guy said yeah he loves Kurt as well. Now they may have been serious but it was pretty funny to see 2 people swapping literary authors while sucking down PBRs. I will admit it, I am not a pretentious book reader, I like my novels full of crime, detectives, CIA, FBI, espionage and doomsday scenarios. I have a few authors that I read who are more on the literary side but for the most part those books bore me. I figure if I read pretentious books as well as drink pretentious wine and listen to pretentious music, I would be an insufferable bore. Being that I read bargin table books, drink good wine (not pretentious there is a difference) and listen to good indie rock, brit rock, electronic, alt country etc I would never end up as one of "Those People".

Getting back to the show, The National came on about 11pm and the place was about 3/4ths full and the grownups had arrived. They played a good number of songs from Alligator which surprised me since Boxer just came out. By the end of the night they had play 4 songs from the new cd and a mix of others from the previous cds. The highlight was when they played "Murder Me Rachel" the song that turned me onto the band. A few years ago I heard the song on Woxy and was blown away. I picked up Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers but didn't really get into the band until Alligator came out. There were a couple songs they didn't play which I was hoping for but for the most part it was a great setlist. "Fake Empire" and "Mistaken For Strangers" were excellent live, better than I expected. Check your local concert listings and if The National are playing your city head down to the show, you won't be disappointed.

Posted by mardenhill 6/07/2007 08:43:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Music

2.5 YEARS!!!!!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Scooter's off to the pokey, he was just sentenced for his obstruction of justice and perjury. The right wing talking heads will no doubt be out in full force condeming the sentence and will try and belittle the charges while defending their views on Clinton and perjury. They will just look like tools once again saying poor Libby just forgot, he was too busy and its too harsh of a sentence. They will continue to slander Valerie Plame and stress that she wasn't undercover. Blah Blah Blah, justice was served and the pathetic scumbag known as I Lewis "Scooter" Libby will be heading to jail......

Posted by mardenhill 6/05/2007 12:25:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Politics

Jonathan Stone - The Heat Of Lies
Sunday, June 03, 2007

http://www.jonathanstonebooks.com/

Funny story about this book. About a year ago I picked up Jonathan Stone's 1st book The Cold Truth on the bargin table and thought it was pretty good. Its your classic detective/thriller novel involving a murder, deception and plenty of twists and turns. While in Oregon at the coolest bookstore in the world Powells Books (the main store is whole city block in size) I picked up his 2nd book in the series. I was wandering around the mystery section of store trying to figure out what the name of the author was and I couldn't. I started in the A's and made it to J and gave up. I went to the counter and tried to describe the 1st book even though I had no name or author to give them. Luckily they had internet access and I had blogged about it because I was able to read my review and remember who it was I was looking for. Powells always has new and used copies of books and sometimes it can be hit and miss on certain ones. You can go in with a list and only come out with 1 or 2 on it but still have a stack of others you never would have considered. They had The Heat Of Lies used for $7 hardcover so I picked up a copy. The book is great and I am about 3/4ths of the way done. Jonathan Stone has 2 more books 1 more in the series and his last one a separate novel. So the moral of the story, write reviews of books you read on your blog because you never know when you will draw a blank in the coolest bookstore in the world.

http://www.powells.com/

Posted by mardenhill 6/03/2007 08:58:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Books

L. Mawby Blanc de Blanc

Blanc de Blanc
BRUT
Methode Champenoise
Leelanau Peninsula Sparkling Wine

'Spiced apple aromas... zesty and crisp... finishes in a complex, mature manner. Stylish.'

Chiefly chardonnay grapes that are hand picked and carefully whole-cluster pressed. The juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks, then blended with reserve wines and fermented a second time in this bottle and aged en tirage before degorgement.

$18 / 750 ml --- $10 / 375 ml

http://www.lmawby.com/index.asp

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If you have access to this stuff, I highly recommend picking up a bottle. Its from Michigan, I know sparkling not from California or France but it is still good, trust me. Upon opening you can smell the yeast permeating from the bottle and your glass. The wine itself is creamy and sweet. Not like an Asti but just a hint of sweetness for those who do not prefer the bone dry brut style. I find Domaine Chandon's Brut more along the lines of a classic French Champagne but this one can still appease those purists. Price wise you are a bit higher than most comparable bottles but you are supporting a local MI vineyard. Their tasting room is by far one of the best up north, it feels like a person's garage but full of great bubbly just waiting to be consumed.

Posted by mardenhill 6/03/2007 02:25:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Wine

Playoff Blues

First it was the Red Wings now the Pistons. Both teams made it to the 3rd round of their respective playoffs and lost. Both teams beat by ones viewed as inferior. Now its time to look back at our own players, which ones should stay and which should go. Both the Wings and Pistons had some great wins but collapsed the same way leaving the city bruised and broken. For the Wings it was the first time without the old guard and the Pistons were intact except for one.

I would like to thank both teams for a great playoff season and all the exciting games over the last two months. But the ride has come to an end and its time to switch gears and cheer our beloved Tigers on to another World Series appearance. BTW, the Tigers did beat the Cleveland Indians yesterday to give some credibility back to our city.

Posted by mardenhill 6/03/2007 01:48:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Detroit, Pistons, Red Wings

Goin Down, Down
Saturday, June 02, 2007

Dubya's poll numbers are dropping fast and his base are running like rats from a sinking ship. Yeah we all know he has done many dumb things but this immigration bill has really pissed off the party. The talking heads are thru the roof and I don't know if Fox news will be able to provide damage control.

Last week Bush basically called everyone who disagrees with his Immigration policy Anti American. Now this is nothing new to those of us who have had everything but the kitchen sink thrown at us over the last 7 years but this one was directed at his own kind. The Republican base wants to kick all illegals out but Bush doesn't think its a good idea. He likes the thought of cheap labor and if he listened to his base well all his corporate whores wouldn't be able to make the billions they are currently doing. As usual money talks and this time Bush is sticking it to all of those who voted for him. He is providing the new nominees fresh meat to distance themselves from this admin but they can't run too far since they are tied to the hip on the war. I have been having a field day watching the fallout over this. I really hope there is an all out war within the party and it breaks into two. The wild card would be the Religious Right, which side will they choose?

...........................................
In a May 28 speech at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, Bush crossed a line, effectively accusing an entire segment of the conservative movement of disloyalty and a lack of patriotism.

"If you want to kill the bill," Bush said, "if you don't want to do what's right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it, you can use it to frighten people. Or you can show leadership and solve this problem once and for all, so the people who wear the uniform in this crowd can do the job we expect them to do."

Posted by mardenhill 6/02/2007 09:01:00 PM 1 comments    

Price Drop

Cingular is tempting me again, they dropped the coolest phone on the market down to $75 and I really want one. If you are not familar with the Samsung Blackjack you are missing out. It may be cheap but it runs Windows Mobile, can handle corporate email, internet access, mp3 player, digital camera etc. It doesn't have a touchscreen but I don't care about that, the Moto Q doesn't have one either and that used to be the coolest phone, well until I played with one and realized how much it sucked (Verizon has a lot to do with it). I don't care much for the Treo's they are too big and the phone tends to die on them. As a data device, they win hands down but for an all in one the Blackjack is it.

Possibly this month or next will be the release of the iPhone so Cingular will have their hands full. It might be a good time to swoop in and snag one of these beauties. You can get as low as $50 for a refurb but I don't want to go down that road. It would mean another 2 year contract but seeing that I have been with ATT/Cingular/ATT since 2000, whats another 2 years.

Posted by mardenhill 6/02/2007 08:34:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology