The Arcade Fire
Sunday, November 11, 2007

Last nite The Arcade Fire played on Austin City Limits and I have to say it was quite interesting. I don't love the band but I don't hate them either, they are one of those that I like a few songs but tend not to listen to all the time. After watching about 5-6 songs on ACL, I am glad that I have never seen them live, I don't know if I could handle a whole show. They are unique to say the least. They run around and swap instruments during songs but get a little too excited with the percussion. I find the lead woman very annoying tho, between her look and her singing, its enough to keep me from listening. She completely rips off Bjork with her style and she screams too much. If you have never seen them live I recommend finding some footage first, that way you can guage if its worth it.

Posted by mardenhill 11/11/2007 04:56:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Music

Lack Of Postings
Thursday, November 08, 2007

Sorry for the lack of postings over the last couple weeks but I have been slammed at work and havn't had much time to write anything witty.

A few things to tide you over could be:

I still love my new phone, the Motorola Q9H is amazing and I have found more and more things that it can do. My latest was to download the Resco Internet radio client where I can listen to Woxy or Woxy Vintage while on the go. I have created some new ringtones and setup a new wallpaper. I am still waiting on a memory card, I can't decide between a 2 or 4 gig.

Well enjoy this little nugget and I promise I will get back to my normal schedule of postings soon.

Posted by mardenhill 11/08/2007 08:06:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Misc

City Of Berkley Election Results
Tuesday, November 06, 2007

We had a charter ammendment to vote on in our city and the good news is it didn't pass. The city of Berkley has had a nativity scene out in front of City Hall for years but the charter would require the city to display this from the end of November thru January. It would require a Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus along with a Santa Claus and presents. Mind you there is a huge church a half mile down the road that could display all of this instead of City Hall. There is no reason why this should be on the property not to mention the tax dollars that will be wasted defending this. Its good to see that the citizens of my city came thru and defeated this proposal. We will just be labeled heathens by the nutballs who supported this but I really don't care. And the crazy lady who was running as a write in candidate lost as well. So overall it was a good day for my faire city.

Proposal: Requires the city to display a Christmas nativity scene on city hall property each year. ( 7 of 7 precincts)

NO
2,275

Yes
1,861

Posted by mardenhill 11/06/2007 10:06:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Berkley

Nick Cave News
Sunday, November 04, 2007

Posted by mardenhill 11/04/2007 03:49:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Rogue Chipolte Ale - Oregon
Thursday, November 01, 2007

Chipolte Ale

Dedicated to Spanish author Juan de la Cueva, who, in 1575, wrote of a dish that combined seedless chipotles with beer: Chipotle Ale is based on Rogue’s American Amber Ale, but delicately spiced with smoked jalapeno (chipotle) chile peppers. Deep amber in color with a tight head, rich malty aroma, delicately smooth and crisp flavor, and subtle chipotle chili finish. Chipotle Ale is created from Northwest Harrington, Klages, and Maier Munich Malts; Willamette and Cascade hops; and Chipolte (smoked jalapeno) Peppers. Available in a 22-ounce (12/case), 12-ounce (24 loose/case) screened bottles, and on draft. Blend it with Rogue Chocolate Stout and create a Mole’ black and tan!

http://www.rogue.com/brews.html#MMsoba

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While in Oregon we saw a display of this beer and wanted to try it. It took about 5 stores and finally Holiday Market in Royal Oak had it in stock. The beer is quite good and although it made with peppers its not what you think. I was expecting a more smokey flavor due to the chipolte but it was just heat at the end of the taste. You have the classic Rogue flavor with a bit of BAM at the end. If you have never had Rogue beer before you are in for a treat. They have some amazing styles and if the Chipolte Ale is too much, just try the Dead Guy Ale.

Posted by mardenhill 11/01/2007 09:30:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Books

Santa Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

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

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

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

Labels: Wine

Q9H!!!!!!

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

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

The Cons:
No touch screen

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

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

Labels: Technology

Traverse City
Monday, October 29, 2007

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

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

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

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

http://www.blackstarfarms.com/

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

http://www.lmawby.com/

http://www.bluetractorcookshop.com/

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

Labels: Travel, Wine

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

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

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

Labels: Music

Green Currents
Thursday, October 25, 2007

GreenCurrents - A Renewable Energy Option

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

GreenCurrents Supports Michigan-based Renewable Energy

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

Coming Soon - a healthier, more sustainable Michigan
..........................................................

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

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

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

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

Labels: Environment

Van Halen 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007

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

Labels: Music

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

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

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

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

Labels: Music

2005 Jiménez Landi Méntrida
Friday, October 19, 2007

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

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

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

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

Labels: Wine

Google Phone

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

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

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

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

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

Labels: Technology

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.bandofhorses.com/

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

Labels: Music

Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)

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

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

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

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

Labels: Music

Elk Cove Pinot Blanc 2006
Sunday, October 14, 2007

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

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

Labels: Wine

The Right Wing Smear Machine

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

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

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

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

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

Labels: Politics

Motor City Brewing Works

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

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

Labels: Beer, Detroit

HTC Tilt

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

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

Labels: Technology

Way To Go
Friday, October 12, 2007

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

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

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

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

Labels: Politics

Screw All Of You
Tuesday, October 09, 2007

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

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

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

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

Labels: Politics

Life In Vegas
Sunday, October 07, 2007

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

Labels: Travel

Emeril
Saturday, October 06, 2007

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

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

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

Labels: Travel

Las Vegas
Friday, October 05, 2007

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

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

Labels: Travel

Still Not An iPod Killer
Wednesday, October 03, 2007

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

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

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

Labels: Technology

Siouxsie - Mantaray 2007
Tuesday, October 02, 2007

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

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

http://www.radaronline.com/

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

Labels: Music

Live R.E.M.
Saturday, September 29, 2007

October 16th is the date, so mark your calendars.

I'm a sucker for live DVDs and I have a pretty nice collection of live performances. When it comes to movies I can barely watch them more than once but live shows I can see over and over. The footage is from the 2005 tour and recorded in Dublin, Ireland. The show itself was amazing, the Detroit show that is and this would be one I would love to see again. The last 3 R.E.M. studio releases have been on the mellow side, very slow at times but that's fine. When played live, these songs take on a new life. R.E.M. have a new studio release planned for next year which I can't wait for and this is just icing on the cake.

If you are looking for some good live DVDs to pick up, I recommend both Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, all the U2 tours since Achtung Baby, The Cure, Travis and Pearl Jam.

Posted by mardenhill 9/29/2007 10:02:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Vine & Dine
Wednesday, September 26, 2007

http://www.vinendine.com/index.htm

This evening I more or less crashed a charity event and had a great time doing so. I got a call from my friend Ed who is from Simply Wine the local wine shop I freelance at from time to time. He needed some help pouring wine for an event at the Cranbrook Science Center which is part of the Cranbrook Institute, an amazing center located in Bloomfield Hills. He didn't give me much info on the event just said show up at 5:30pm. I went over after work pretty much underdressed and just walked in. I have learned that if you just walk in the back door and look like you belong no one questions you. We spent the next few hours pouring wine, talking about the bottles and the store. For the most part people were very receptive but there were a few pretentious wankers who just turned their noses up to our selection. Overall it seemed to be a very successful nite but unfortunately I had no clue what it was about until I googled the website. Oh well, I guess that's what happens when you get a call 3 hrs beforehand to show up at an event.

Posted by mardenhill 9/26/2007 10:40:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Wine

Free The Files!!!!!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007

The war against DRM (digital rights management) that pesky rule that keeps your iTunes music locked to only you has finally gained some traction. Now I don't want to completely diss Apple here, they currently feature DRM free songs from EMI on their store but they are also .30 cents more a song. You get higher quality but at $1.29 its still pretty expensive.

Your only option was eMusic who rocks but also caters to the indie rock and older crowd replacing old tapes. eMusic doesn't have it all so there needed to be another player. Well that new kid on the block is none other than Amazon. They just launched their music downloading site which features some great deals, full cds for as low as $5.99 at high bit rates. I just finished checking out the site and it did have a few things I have been looking for. Problem tho, most of the cds were $8.99 - $9.99 a piece so not the savings I was hoping for. Out of The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen, Oasis, U2, R.E.M. and Nick Cave, only Nick and a handful of R.E.M. cds were available for purchase. Maybe Amazon will get the rights to all the major players but for now its a bit of hit and miss.

Posted by mardenhill 9/25/2007 09:20:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music, Technology

New Headphones
Monday, September 24, 2007

Sennheiser eH350 Open-Aire HiFi Stereo Headphones

Sennheiser are a bunch of bastards but they make some great products. A few weeks ago I emailed customer service a few questions regarding the difference between the EH250 and EH350 models but never heard back. I decided to order the EH350s anyways since Amazon had them at a deep discount. Right now they just went up $18 on Amazon so head over to Buy.com for a great deal.

The headphones don't fold and the cord is about a mile long but they sound great. I currently have a pair of small closed air headphones which are good but still let in a lot of background noise when flying. I didn't want noise cancelling but something that would drown out engine and crying babies. I will take these for a test flight next week and will let you know if they are worth it or not. We plan on getting another pair and will decide if the EH250s are necessary or if these will do the job.

Posted by mardenhill 9/24/2007 10:23:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Too Many J's
Saturday, September 22, 2007

It's easy to get lost in all the singer songwriters out there, all first and last names and blending sounds. On the surface its just another Starbucks cafe rotation but once you actually take a bit of time to listen, you can hear the differences. I still get confused when rattling off artists and none of these are part of the thousands of John's who occupy the genre.

I decided to do a quick review of a few good cds that everyone should listen to. The first is Josh Rouse, a US based Alt Country/Americana troubador who released his 8th studio recording Country Mouse, City House this summer. Its full of hammond organs, horns, piano, slide guitars, 70s vibe and soft vocals. Not soft and wimpy like a Coldplay just mellow and relaxing.

Keeping with the 70s groove you have the latest from James Blunt All The Lost Souls. It's quite different than the annoying "You're Beautiful" that bombarded us for way to long. Throughout the cd you feel as if Blunt has channeled Barry Gibb. The underlying feel is subdued yet appealing. Maybe the whole James Morrison and R&B homage is the new style. Gone are the introspective acoustic guitar and moody piano, now its all about getting it on. Don't worry, the "woe is me" and "world is collapsing" coffee house aura does resurface later on in the cd.

Finally we return back to the states where we find Josh Ritter strumming away on his 5 release The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter. Part Dylan and Cohen, Ritter carves his way thru some well crafted and knee slapping songs. Its a bit of honky tonk, folk and indie rock crumbed up and squeezed thru a clentched fist. One of my favorite things about this cd would be Josh's vocals, they are up front and articulate which can be hard to find in this genre.

All these releases are different but for some just blend into the background since there are no loud guitars, post punk breaks and screaming. I recommend taking the time to check out each one as well as the back catalogs of the Josh's.

Posted by mardenhill 9/22/2007 11:58:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Ride & Drive
Friday, September 21, 2007

It was another Ride & Drive day at BBDO, for those of you scratching your heads its an opportunity for us to drive Chrysler cars. They bring in about 7 different models and you can take them for a test run. Today we had a number of Dodge vehicles and I was able to drive the Avenger and Nitro. Both cars were very cool and I would actually consider buying the Avenger. The model was a 4 cylinder which suprised me since I automatically assumed it was a 6. It had some get up and go, something that is lacking on my Focus. So yeah, anything that has a bit of power is an improvement over what I have. Unfortunately I would be looking at a lateral move when it comes to mileage so I won't be getting this vehicle. The Nitro is out of the question, its a nice ride but too big for me. I'm not a fan of SUVs and although its not a Suburban or Hummer I don't want a vehicle of this size.

Posted by mardenhill 9/21/2007 02:44:00 PM 2 comments    

Labels: Misc

So Many Phones
Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Right now AT&T rules the cellular world when it comes to smart phones. At this time they have (or will have within the next few weeks) the following phones. They also have the Treo and another Blackberry but I am not interested in them.

From the top the phones are as followed:

HTC Tilt
Samsung Blackjack
SMT 5700
Motorola Q9H
iPac 910C
iPhone
Blackberry 8310 Curve
Blackberry 8820

All of these phones have some great features and all of them I would love to have, well maybe all but the Tilt, its a little to big. Prices range from $100 to $400 and all but the iPhone can work with corporate email. So I continue to rack my brains as to what device I want. The Moto Q and the Tilt drop next week and the iPac and SMT will be later in October. If we go on coolness factor the iPhone wins hands down but no G3 data connectivity until next year.

Posted by mardenhill 9/19/2007 04:03:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Technology

New EP Next Month

Ryan Adams has revealed details of a forthcoming EP. The prolific songwriter is set to release 'Follow The Lights' in the US on October 23. The EP will feature seven songs recorded with his band The Cardinals. It includes three new songs and four live studio performances, including a cover of Alice In Chains' 'Down A Hole'. Two of the tracks - 'Follow The Lights' and 'My Love For You Is Real'- will be featured on the ABC television drama 'October Road' in the fall season.

Posted by mardenhill 9/19/2007 09:16:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

eMusic AudioBooks
Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Our favorite DRM free Indie Rock music source has now moved into the world of Audiobooks. Still the same thing as with the music, DRM free and select titles but enough to make most people happy. eMusic will be charging $9.99 a book which is a lot cheaper than retail and iTunes. If you happen to enjoy listening to books on tape (or ipod) check out eMusic's site for some great deals. I doubt the Oprah book club will be present but who really cares about those anyways.

Besides the new Audiobooks, eMusic has changed their downloading method and now you have a Napster/Rhapsody like interface that links directly to iTunes or Windows Media Player (if you are still using that piece of crap for any reason). First impressions are ok, just seems like another piece of software I don't really need but oh well.

http://www.emusic.com/audiobooks/index.html

Posted by mardenhill 9/18/2007 02:24:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music, Technology

Rilo Kiley In Detroit
Monday, September 17, 2007

I took the day off to do a bit of running around, I had to renew my license and get a new plate which is always a chore. I think I would rather go to the dentist than the Secretary of State (DMV) for you non Michigan folks. You grab your number and wait and wait and wait. Anyways on my way out I heard that Rilo Kiley was playing the Royal Oak Theatre tonight and that the River (radio station) was sponsoring a free acoustic show at Goodnight Gracies beforehand. I decided since I wasn't going to the show, I would check this out. After standing in line for about an hour which wasn't too bad since I ran into a friend from college, we were able to snag the front row which was against the bar and about 3 feet from the stage. We were told no flashes and being right in front I decided to obey the request. I took about 10 photos which came out ok but a bit underexposed and decided since the person next to me was using her flash I would do the same. I was able to get this photo before they finished.

They played 3 songs: Close Call, Dreamworld and Moneymaker which all sounded very good acoustic. I loved the fact that I had my own personal concert and the only thing I had to pay was a dollar in the parking meter.

Posted by mardenhill 9/17/2007 07:49:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

The Post Season

It wasn't looking too good a week ago but I think the Tigers may have a shot at making the playoffs this year. We are 2.5 games behind the Yankees for the Wild Card and 4.5 out from 1st place of our division. Trying to top Cleveland may not happen but there is a chance we could get the Wild Card if we can only get the Yankees to lose a few more games. Its an uphill battle but one I think we can pull off. We have 12 games left with a series against Cleveland starting tonight. If we can sweep them and keep the ball rolling its ours. Due to a makeup game, the Yankees have 10 games in a row which could also work in our favor.

Posted by mardenhill 9/17/2007 08:41:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Tigers

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
Thursday, September 13, 2007

Punkin Ale

Availability: Fall

Release Date: September 1st each year

A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. Perfect to warm-up with, as the season cools.

7% abv

24 ibu

Tasting Notes: Malty, pumpkin, caramel, brown sugar.

Food Pairing recommendations: Turkey, roasted duck, lamb, stuffing, dessert dumplings.

Glassware recommendation: Pint

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale has approximately 230 calories per 12-ounce serving
..............................

Fall is approaching and its time for one of my favorite beers of all time, Pumpkin Ale. These beers are great ambers with a bit of nutmeg, pumpkin and other flavors. There are many cheap imitations out on the market so beware when purchasing. My all time favorite was from a Kalamazoo brew pub who's name is escaping me at this time. Last year that beer was over-ruled by Bells (my favorite brewery) who put out their own Pumpkin Ale. Unfortunately they did not bottle it so you could only enjoy by the glass while sitting in the brewery itself.

We have a wedding at the end of the month in Kalamazoo where we will be making a stop before the reception to have a pint. I can't wait and hope they changed their mind on the whole no bottling.

Fine enough about Bells, I need to get back to the reason of my post and that is Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. It sells for about $9.50 a 4 pack (I know, pricy but its worth it). This beer is full of flavor and the nutmeg explodes in your mouth with each taste. This beer has become my 2nd favorite Pumpkin Ale and 2nd favorite brewery. I have had about 5 of their beers and have yet to be disappointed. So if you are not in MI and near Kalamazoo the new few months, pick up a bottle of Punkin Ale, its a great alternative and something that can be enjoyed on those chilly fall evenings.

http://www.dogfish.com/brewings/Seasonal_Beers/Punkin_Ale/3/index.htm

Posted by mardenhill 9/13/2007 07:09:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Beer

True North Vodka
Tuesday, September 11, 2007

I am not a premium vodka fan, as long as its not Smirnoff or 5 o'clock then I am usually ok with it. My liquor of choice is gin where I tend to be more particular with my brands. This vodka caught my attention due to its Michigan connection. The distiller is up in Traverse City and the vodka goes by the name True North. Unfortunately no website but you can read about them at the links below. The vodka is a Polish style made with local ingredients and at $30 a bottle better be damn good. Its just one more thing that can be promoted along with Michigan's vineyards which can only help our current economic woes. Due to state regulations you cannot buy directly from the distiller but it should be available in fine liquor stores.



http://forums.detnews.com/wine/columns/silfven/details.cfm?id=412

http://www.countrylines.com/2007/06/14/vodka-maker-cant-bottle-his-enthusiasm/

Posted by mardenhill 9/11/2007 12:32:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Liquor

Maybe An iPhone?
Monday, September 10, 2007

Posted by mardenhill 9/10/2007 05:22:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Technology

Volvo C30 Concept
Friday, September 07, 2007

Volvo unveiled an amazing concept car at the Frankfurt Auto Show this week and I would love to see it go into production. Based off the C30, this electric hybrid would give you up to 62 miles before the engine switches over. Below is some more info on the car.

..........................
Juice for the motors will come from a lithium polymer battery pack mounted in the trunk with sufficient capacity for 62 miles of electric driving. Once the battery state of charge dips to thirty percent, a 1.6L four cylinder flex-fuel engine bolted to a generator starts up to re-charge the battery. The ReCharge can also be plugged in to replenish the battery energy.

Posted by mardenhill 9/07/2007 11:24:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Technology

Zingerman's Spring Fling Coffeecake
Thursday, September 06, 2007

I like to give my friend Kim shit for her role as a baker at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor but I do have to give the bakery a shout out for their Spring Fling Coffeecake. Kim brought one over before we left for our trip out west and we didn't have time to eat any (she had brought cinnamon rolls and brownies as well). This coffeecake is the best treat ever. It has both coconut and lime going on and is full of moisty goodness. I could eat this everyday and never grow tired of it. Hell, I am having some as I type this. Even though Zingerman's makes a bunch of hippy bread that sucks for French Toast, their pastry dept rocks the house. You can read about it at the site and take a moment to check out their other selections. They also have a mail order catalog for those of you out of town. Before I get some dirty Ann Arbor hippy posting hate comments, I am not bashing Zingerman's I love their products and eat their bread whenever I get a chance. This would just be a boring posting if I praised them and acted as if they were better than Whole Foods. Whoops did I just say that?

http://www.zingermansbakehouse.com/content/pages/products.php?category=coffeecakes

Posted by mardenhill 9/06/2007 09:20:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

VIN’O Tscheppe Czamillonberg Sauvignon Blanc 2003
Wednesday, September 05, 2007

This is another bottle from our Austrian Flight and one that suprised me. Its a Sauvignon Blanc from the southern Styrian region of Austria. It possesses excellent colour, not too light and just enough of a straw hue to glisten in the light. Flavorwise it was tight on first taste but opened within the next 15 minutes. It had hints of green apple with plenty of mineral and acidity. It comes in at 13% but tasted much hotter. Its very clean and my only complaint would be the alcohol level. I am interested to see how this holds up and will take another tasting tomorrow.

http://www.winemonger.com/catalog/product_more_info.php?products_id=445

Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2007 09:08:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Wine

New iPods

New iPods today and let me tell ya, there is some really good news.

iPod Shuffle: $79 and 1 gig

iPod Nano: $149/8 gig, $199/16 gig. New colors, bigger screen, cover flow and new menus.

iPod Classic: $249/80 gig, $349/160 gig. 2 colors, same screen, cover flow and new menus.

iPod Touch: $299/8 gig, $399/16 gig. Touch screen and all the features of the iPhone without the phone portion. Built in Wi Fi for internet connectivity in a local hotspot. New Wi Fi iTunes music store where songs can be purchased.

iPhone: $399/8 gig. They are dropping the price and the 4 gig model. Still on Edge network so slow data speeds and no corporate email support.

Good News: New products, true video iPod and Wi Fi.

Bad News: The iPod Touch is only flash based and under 20 gigs in size. Yeah this is better for the battery but I want more storage.

I am torn as to what I want now. I want the touch but I would be giving up hard drive space for cool features. I could go with the iPod Classic but then I don't get the cool new device. There is always the phone but its still on the slow data network. Decisions, Decisions.....

Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2007 03:42:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Finetune.com

http://www.finetune.com/

http://www.finetune.com/user/mardenhill

I was reading Wired mag and came across this website. Its very cool and yet another in the latest to blend social networking and music together. This one is called Finetune and what I really like about it is the ability to create playlists. Currently I have one with about 158 songs and it will continue to grow or I may break out and create ones based on genres or other factors. Its all free and can be streamed from my blog or from the 2nd website. I am having a few issues with it actually working correctly from my blog. I don't know if I have to be logged into the site or not so if you are unable to play it from there feel free to use the web address.

You may be asking, why would I want to listen to Randy's music selection. Well its simple, I create the best playlists, I mix up new stuff with some amazing classics and each and every song is handpicked by me. Feel free to check out my selection, you can skip past songs if you choose but I doubt you will. As for the order songs are played I have no control, Finetune will randomly select them. If it were up to me I would not pair some of the choices but its a free site so I'm not complaining. So far this site is much better than LastFM, Slacker, Pandora, Fuzz etc and one I plan on using (until something better comes along). Check back for future playlists and other musical selections.

Posted by mardenhill 9/05/2007 12:39:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Music, Technology

I'd Rather Go To Hell Than Texas
Tuesday, September 04, 2007

This shirt sums up our last 24 hours and I am thinking of ordering one. Our trip was great except for our return home. Our plane left late out of Portland putting us a behind. The storms in Houston our connecting hub were so bad the airport was closed. We finally land and were stuck out on the runway waiting for a gate to open. Mind you, we are already behind schedule and had to catch a connecting flight back to Detroit. By the time we made it off the plane and down to the other end of the terminal we missed our plane by 5 minutes. Our luggage made it but not us. So it was off to the Continental service desk where the unfriendly people told us there wasn't a flight until tomorrow and due to weather they wouldn't give us any food vouchers or hotel. Even though we were late coming in with repairs in Portland, they decided it wasn't their responsibility. They did give us a number to call for a discounted rate which we did. We made it over to the seedy Econo Lodge where we hung out for a total of 8 hrs. We had to make a run to Walgreens to grab a few things since the only things we had on us were our carry ons. After dinner at the local IHOP and about 2.5 hrs of sleep (the beds were awful) we were back to the George Bush International airport for our 7am flight. Luckily we made it ontime (the driver from the Econo Lodge showed up 30 minutes late to work) and onto our plane. So our travels started out at 7am Monday with a 2 hr drive to Portland, a long flight and overnite stay in Houston with a final return time of 12pm today. Had to call into work and spend extra money all because the bastards at Continental screwed us over. Houston is their hub and the majority of people on our plane had to catch flights but that didn't bother them.

So I hate Houston, TX, Continental Airlines and George Bush International Airport.

Posted by mardenhill 9/04/2007 08:37:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Travel

Our Trip To Oregon

We had a great time this past weekend out in Oregon, went to Powells where we bought some great books and checked out US Outdoors. I love this store, it has all the camping, hiking, skiing, surfing etc gear and all at a discounted price. Tack on the no sales tax in Oregon and you have yourself a great deal. I have been wanting the new North Face Red Point jacket and saved over $30 by getting it out there. We also picked up some Sigg water bottles which are much better than Nalgene. You don't get that plastic water taste with these and they are lightweight and sturdy. I ended up with 3 pounds of coffee beans and 1 bottle of wine as well. So all and all, a very good trip.

Getting back to the reason we were out there, my friends Tonya and Karl were getting married. The ceremony was great, it was outdoor at the Eugene rose garden and the reception was at a park where they had a bluegrass band playing. And to throw tradition to the wind, Tonya and Karl had a bicycle precession with all their friends riding the bike path along the Williamette River.

It was great to see all our friends out west and spend some time catching up with ones we hadn't seen in years.

http://www.usoutdoorstore.com/

Posted by mardenhill 9/04/2007 08:16:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Travel