Tschermonegg Cuvee Styria 2003
Monday, March 12, 2007
A blend of 55% Welschriesling, 25% Muller Thurgau, 10% Gelber Muskateller, and 10% Sauvignon Blanc, balancing together what is best about the Styrian region.
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This was another wine from our Austrian wine flight and I decided it was about time to break into some more whites. Pricewise its pretty cheap, $9 a bottle but the taste was much more. You had some pear, a bit of tart and lots of mineral. It was very light and paired well with the fish we had. Some grapes are new to me and I wonder what they taste like on their own.
Posted by mardenhill 3/12/2007 10:44:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Wine
Son Volt - The Search (2007)
Son Volt released their new cd The Search this past Tuesday and I couldn't wait to get a copy. Unfortunately eMusic didn't have it and I really didn't want to resort to iTunes unless I had to. I took a trip to Best Buy who happened to have it on sale for $9.99 with a bonus 3 song cd included. I had to drive to a 2nd Best Buy since the first was sold out (they had 5 copies). I got my cd and have been listening ever since.
You can find my review over at the Record Room.
http://therecordroom.blogspot.com/
Posted by mardenhill 3/12/2007 10:19:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Some REM News
REM are to record their 14th studio album with Grammy-winning producer Jacknife Lee, the man behind recent LPs by Bloc Party and Snow Patrol. Singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills hope to release the follow-up to 2004's 'Around The Sun' before the end of the year.
Lee said of his new challenge: "REM are consistently one of the great bands, if not the greatest. The new songs they've written are some of their most exciting and visceral yet. They're a beacon for any band wishing to remain honest and challenging."
The band's original line-up - Stipe, Buck, Mills and original drummer Bill Berry, who quit in 1997 - will today (March 12) be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder in a ceremony at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
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This is good news, new REM by the end of the year and their induction into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. I have always been a huge REM fan and personally love their last few records no matter what people say. I hope this record gets them back on the road since I could really use an REM show in the near future....
Posted by mardenhill 3/12/2007 10:30:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Next To Fall?
Sunday, March 11, 2007
When you are Attorney General you are counsel for the constitution and the rest of the country not your former boss. Well Alberto Gonzales couldn't separate the two and is now on the hot seat. With the firing of prosecutors who were appointed by Bush but not hard enough on democrats being exposed, Alberto has a lot of questions to answer. Its about time each and every one of this president's political hacks are torn apart and forced to resign. Alberto may be a great person, a great friend and great lawyer but that doesn't make you a great Attorney General. When you are play politics with people's lives and do the bidding of your former employer you cannot and do no deserve to be the US AG. Lets hope Alberto exits stage left this week and then we can focus on Rove and Cheney. I am sick and tired of all these losers out there whining about the Libby trial and that he should be pardoned, that the media had no right to expose Walter Reed and that Ann Coulter was just joking. Conservatism in its current form needs to be destroyed and everyone who represents it removed from power. Its going to be great when all these neocons try to distance themselves from the Bush Doctrine five to ten years down the road. I will be there to remind them each and every day how they carried this president's water and sold the American public on the war.
One by one, they all fall down....
Posted by mardenhill 3/11/2007 07:26:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Punkrocker
Saturday, March 10, 2007
LCD Soundsystem, yeah that was so last year. The new kids on the block are the Teddybears and they are here to get your indie rock ass movin and shakin. Before you get all bent out of shape I am being sarcastic and one of the things I love to do is to make fun of indie rock hipsters who are too cool to dance to pop music but will get a groove on with the likes of LCD. The Teddybears released their cd Soft Machine back in September of '06 but thanks to Cadillac they are now on the scene.
The other day I was watching tv and saw a commercial for Cadillac and they featured the song "Punkrocker" and I was blown away. I didn't care about the commercial itself all I wanted to do was hear the song. Thankfully our DVR allows you to rewind and I listened to the 30 seconds a few more times. I had no idea who it was and used Google to search for the lyrics "I'm A Punk Rocker Yes I Am" and this is where I found the Teddybears. You should recognize the vocals its none other than Iggy Pop. The Teddybears cd features a number of guest vocalists and they are responsible for the beats.
The single of the year for '06 was Hot Chip's "Over And Over" a hypnotic electrobeat that swirled in your head for days. I didn't think I would ever find a song to replace that but this "Punkrocker" has come close and might be the single for '07. Check out the video below, its worth watching.
http://www.teddybearsrock.com/
Posted by mardenhill 3/10/2007 09:24:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Daylight Savings
Thursday, March 08, 2007
This weekend we will "Spring Forward" 3 weeks earlier for Day Light Savings time which will being our total to 8 months off of standard time and 4 on. We will adjust in November after Halloween this year.
On my way home today NPR had an interesting report regarding the switch. Congress wants us to believe its to conserve energy but that is so far from the truth. The real reason we are doing it and the reason it was started in the 1st place was to appease the Chamber of Commerce by giving people more time to shop. When its still light out on your way home from work, people are more apt to go shopping. You may not be at home with the lights on but you will be in your car expending much more energy and money. Many industries have reported gains in sales due to the time change. I know its a cynical way to look at it but its the truth.
Congress has bundled in a clause that states if this additional change doesn't produce results then next year they will go back to what we had. Is congress mad? Don't they realize the hell they have put all of us IT folks thru the last week? We have been scrambling to patch servers, computers, blackberrys and smart phones just because of this change. To go back and do it all over again next year is stupid and I will be up on Capital Hill letting them know that they are a bunch of morons....
What happens if we extend it past the 8/4 month ratio and end up back at 12 months ahead? Does this mean we are in the Future?
Posted by mardenhill 3/08/2007 06:05:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Why I Love WOXY Vintage
The last half hour of Woxy Vintage has been great, you had Spiritualized, Love and Rockets, Flesh For Lulu, Dino Jr, Afghan Whigs and now the Ass Ponys. I have noticed a pattern tho whenever the Whigs are played they are followed by the Ass Ponys. Must have something to do with the whole Ohio connection.
Posted by mardenhill 3/08/2007 12:34:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
The National Playing Detroit
http://www.americanmary.com/
I just checked the National's website and they are heading to Detroit this summer. They will be playing the Magic Stick June 6th so mark your calendars. Their new cd The Boxer will be out May 22nd and iTunes has a couple EPs that are not available on eMusic.
Posted by mardenhill 3/08/2007 08:59:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Fox News, Yeah That Other Station
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Posted by mardenhill 3/07/2007 12:00:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Air - Pocker Symphony (2007)
I know its only March but the new Air cd Pocket Symphony is the best release of the year. On the 1st listen its easy to say that Air is going back to the basics and drawing from their debut but its more complicated than that. Yes there is the soundtrack style that blends moody beats with layered keyboards and sexy voices but there is more. Pocket Symphony is more organic, you can hear non electronic instruments blend in and take the lead. You also have a bit of the orient in the songs, subtle arrangements and instruments that make you feel like you are relaxing on the other side of the world.
The cd opens with “Space Maker” a beautiful track that rivals most songs from Moon Safari. The acoustic guitar strums along and is accompanied by a piano all wrapped in a lush and warm layer of keyboards. You have a mix of vocals on this record, both female and male are present and a few big names are Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) and Neil Hannon (Divine Comedy). The 1st time I listened to the Jarvis song I was a bit disappointed since it was very slow and subtle but I have grown to love it. The song teeters between a Pulp b-side and an Air song with both adding their own strengths. Track 4 “Napalm Love” is one of the best tracks on the cd, the combination of female vocals, hypnotic electronic beats and tweaked Asian sound rivals “Sexy Boy”. At times the cd drifts from dark melodies to almost childlike lullabies but never becomes boring. You can tell every sound has been handcrafted and assembled in such a way that even though it is mellow its still alluring. Air didn’t write another Moon Safari and I don’t expect them to. They wrote an amazing record that carrys on the tradition of soundtrack electronic great for background music and even better on an ipod.
Rating 9/10
Posted by mardenhill 3/07/2007 10:49:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
LIBBY GUILTY
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
UPDATE: LIBBY'S GUILTY!!!!
Up to 25 years, 1 million in fines and sentencing begins on June 25th. Now I don't expect Libby to serve much time, he will be pardoned by Bush and with appeals may never see the inside of a jail cell.....
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At 12PM the jury is ready to announce their verdict in the Libby perjury trial....
Posted by mardenhill 3/06/2007 11:44:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
New Placebo Via iTunes
Monday, March 05, 2007
Placebo are releasing all their covers thru iTunes starting today (in the UK) and most likely tomorrow here in the US. I have heard most of the covers before but checked my collection and only have "Johnny And Mary" and "20th Century Boy" which is live. I think this will be one I will download thru iTunes since Placebo usually does a good job with covers....
Posted by mardenhill 3/05/2007 03:22:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Music
Its That Time Again
New Ryan Adams
'Easy Tiger' is out June 5
Ryan Adams has revealed the tracks that will make it on to his ninth studio album, set for release in June. 'Easy Tiger' is the follow-up to 2006's '29' , and will feature 13 tracks, which will be titled:
'Everybody Knows'
'The Sun Also Sets'
'Halloween Head'
'Off Broadway'
'Two Hearts'
'Tears Of Gold'
'These Girls''Two'
'I Taught Myself How To Grow Old'
'Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.'
'Rip Off''Pearls On A String'
Posted by mardenhill 3/05/2007 11:42:00 AM 2 comments
Labels: Music
Douro Gouvyas 1997
Sunday, March 04, 2007
For starters I am going in blind here on this Portuguese wine, I am not familiar with the region or the grapes. The bottle says Vinho Tinto red wine vin rouge which basically translates to a red blend made of Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Francesa. The back of the bottle also states it was aged in Portuguese oak barrels and bottled without fining or filtering to preserve its character. Only 5000 bottles of this vintage and mine happens to be stamped with number 4762.The wine itself is a dark ruby color and has a ripe nose. Being 10 years old I was expecting a full bodied earthy flavor with lots of structure and backbone. Upon tasting I got about half of that. Its sweeter than I was expecting and there is a bit of spice lingering at the finish. Its very smooth with little tannin and harsh favors. I was expecting it to be smooth but not so sweet. This will definitely be a wine I will try again tomorrow to see how much has changed. I had it open and poured for about 30 minutes before drinking.
If you are interested in the bottle you can find it at Simply Wine in Birmingham for about $15.
Posted by mardenhill 3/04/2007 09:14:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Michael Connelly - Echo Park
I have now moved onto the latest Michael Connelly book Echo Park which came out in 2006. I have been a big fan of Michael for a number of years now and really enjoy his detective personas. This one continues on with Harry Bosch his most famous character. These books are not hard reading, you don't need a PHD to comprehend but they are fun. They are fast paced, hard boiled detective novels in the vein of the vintage pulps from the 30s and 40s. I need to get reading tho because I just checked Michael's website and he has new book coming out in May. That means I have til October to get this one done and receive the next one for my birthday.
http://www.michaelconnelly.com/index.html
Posted by mardenhill 3/04/2007 03:03:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Books
Douglas Coupland - jPod
http://www.jpod.info/
I have finally finished jPod and highly recommend it to everyone. It took me a while to read, I get easily distracted and found other things to do besides reading. This doesn't mean the book was bad, I really enjoyed it. On the surface its a lot like Microserfs one of his books from the 90s but once you get reading it takes a completely different turn. Absurd scenario's, disfunction families, off beat humor and societal references are all present in this book. Its a comedy, quite different than his last few books but more avant garde than anything before. Douglas did a great job with his characters and the crazy situations they find themselves in. He also included himself as a character which was something new and it reminded me of the last Brett Easton Ellis book Lunar Park. Douglas wasn't the plot of the book just a small character but reading my 2 favorite authors pretty much back to back with the same concept was quite weird.
I was out on Coupland's website and found out he has a new book slated for release this fall entitled The Gum Thief but cannot find any info on the plot. I googled the title and came across some story that a woman in her 40s has been on a crime spree stealing gum around Toronto. Now I have no idea if this will play into Coupland's book or if its just a coincidence but with him you never know....
http://www.coupland.com/index.html
Posted by mardenhill 3/04/2007 02:11:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Books
Update: Lunar Eclipse
Saturday, March 03, 2007
It doesn't look like we will be seeing anything here in MI. We are covered in clouds and its snowing out and I don't see it clearing in 45 minutes. Bummer....
Posted by mardenhill 3/03/2007 05:17:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Science
Lunar Eclipse
LONDON (AP) - The moon will turn shades of amber and crimson Saturday night as it passes behind the Earth's shadow in the first total lunar eclipse in three years.
The eclipse will be at least partly visible from Asia to the Americas, although those in Europe, Africa and the Middle East will have the best view. Lunar eclipses occur when Earth passes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun's light. The event is rare because the moon spends most of its time either above or below the plane of Earth's orbit.
Although it will pass completely under Earth's shadow, light from the sun will still reach the moon after being refracted through Earth's atmosphere, giving the moon an eerie dark reddish tinge.
Earth's shadow will begin moving across the moon at 3:18 p.m. EST Saturday, with the total eclipse occurring at 5:44 p.m. EST and lasting more than an hour.
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Not sure how much of this we will be able to see but its something to keep your eye out for tonight. I have seen them in the past and they are really cool, lets hope we don't get some crazy cloud cover that blocks what chance we have to see anything. If we get a good sighting I will try to take some real pics or possibly some video footage....
Posted by mardenhill 3/03/2007 09:28:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Science
Happy Birthday Faygo
Friday, March 02, 2007
Faygo was founded by two Russian immigrants - bakers - who adapted cake frosting recipes into a unique carbonated soft drink that's still sold today.
Faygo is more than a Detroit icon. Its beverages are bottled in Detroit and at plants across the country. Redpop, Rock & Rye, Creme Soda and up to 42 other flavors are sold in most states east of the Mississippi River. Its all-time best-seller? Redpop.
Over the years, Faygo has held onto its niche in the competitive beverage market, up against giants like Coke and Pepsi and a wide array of new drinks, from bottled water to energy beverages.
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Its always good to see a Detroit brand still around and selling strong. I remember drinking Faygo as a kid, it was cheaper than any other pop so we would get it. In addition you had all the cool flavors to choose from. Another favorite pop as a kid was Towne Club, it had dozens of flavors to choose from and you would hit the store, pick out your flavors and bring the bottles and wooden crate back when finished. Unfortunately Towne Club is no longer around but as a kid I would look forward to my birthdays since I was allowed to pick out pop for the party.
Posted by mardenhill 3/02/2007 12:27:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit
Detroit Tigers Opening Day
Thursday, March 01, 2007
They decided to change Opening Day tickets and now everyone who is interested has to summit a form for a random lottery. Starting tomorrow at 9am you can fill out the form and you have a week to do so. This really sucks since I think I would have a better shot at getting tix on sat morning. I guess we will see, maybe my luck will carry on and they will draw my name.
Posted by mardenhill 3/01/2007 09:25:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Tigers
