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Day 6 And Counting.....
Wednesday, February 28, 2007

We are on day 6 of the jury deliberations in the Scooter Libby trial and all the talking heads think it looks bad for good ole Scooter. We had 1 jurer dismissed for being exposed to the media and today we had a note go to the judge for clarification on an issue. I don't know what that really means but David Schuster seems to think its something big. I don't know if we will have a decision before the end of the day but there is always tomorrow.....

Posted by mardenhill 2/28/2007 04:08:00 PM 7 comments  

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Unkle - Burn My Shadow

I have 5 downloads left on eMusic for the month and was looking for a way to spend them wisely. I stumbled across this track from Unkle. Its called "Burn My Shadow" and is found on their new 4 cd box set of remixes. The track is almost 12 minutes long but what I found interesting was the guest vocalist. One of the things I like about Unkle are their selection of singers, they always have people you would never expect. They are an outlet for anyone who wants to dabble in electronic but not do so on their own.

Anyways this song features Ian Astbury of The Cult fame and that was probably the last person I would expect to be singing. He doesn't have a lot of lyrics but he does sound pretty cool with a dark electronic beat. I still think my favorite Unkle song has to be "Eye For An Eye" something about that song just never gets old.

Posted by mardenhill 2/28/2007 02:36:00 PM 0 comments  

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Goosecross Discussion Revisited

I guess my posting regarding Gooscross touched a nerve. I will start from the beginning on how I arrived at my decision. Back in Sept 05 I was out in San Fran for work and took a day trip to Napa. Since I was by myself and wanted to hit vineyards off the beaten path I asked for a suggestion from the local tourist kiosk. I was heading up to Nichelini vineyard but had a little bit of time to kill beforehand. This is when I stopped into Goosecross and sampled their wine. I was told that their zin was amazing and to also check out their cab. I didn't think the wine was bad it was the price. Now Goosecross are lower than most vineyards in Napa which I appreciate but $30 for the zin was too much. I had tasted better zins at $20 and didn't think it warranted the extra money. Same for the cab, too much for how it tasted. I imagine the Aeros is amazing but I am not in the $100+ market for wine. The people at Goosecross were very nice but I decided on 1 bottle and that was the Viognier. There are very few stores around here who sell Goosecross and I don't see myself dropping that much money for shipping on a wine I am not 100% sold on. I will say they are probably the friendliest and least pretentious vineyard out there (next to Miner who is one of my faves) and that is good in my book. If you follow my postings I tend to stay away from most major label things be it music or wine and the Mondavi's and Coppola's of the world don't excite me.

Some of my favorites in Napa are Rutherford Hills (really only for their Zinfandel Port, liquid gold in my opinion), Miner Family Vineyards, Nichelini (who are about 20 minutes up in the mountains off the side of the road) and Elyse (a bit pretentious but good wine). There are other excellent wines from Napa I just havn’t been to their vineyards. I also enjoy Sonoma and a great vineyard is Trentadue (another only for their ports) and Cline. The people at Cline are very nice and pricewise you can’t beat it.

If you find yourself out in Napa take a drive up to Nichelini it’s a cool ride up and the wine is very cheap. Unfortunately the site doesn't list everything they had while I was there but nothing was more than $30 a bottle.

Any questions, comments feel free to post.....

http://templates.earthstores.com/template13/list.asp?id=6E696368&cat=15567

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

http://www.elysewinery.com/

http://www.rutherfordhill.com/ourwines/port.asp

http://www.trentadue.com/wines_display.php?id=43

http://www.clinecellars.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=view&CFID=431129&CFTOKEN=83223315

Posted by mardenhill 2/28/2007 12:37:00 PM 0 comments  

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Got Tickets!!!!

Its about time my Best Buy Rewards Zone has come in handy. I signed up for the program a couple years ago when we bought our digital video camera since I would end up getting back $20 for the purchase. I rarely shop at Best Buy so the card is pretty much useless until now. Best Buy is sponsoring the Police tour and I just found out that there was a pre sale code for members. I logged in this morning, got my code and tickets. They were $100 a piece (ouch) but I had to do it....

The Detroit show is July 17th at the Palace.

Posted by mardenhill 2/28/2007 10:50:00 AM 0 comments  

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The American Taliban At Its Best
Tuesday, February 27, 2007

If its not Pat Roberston spouting off nonsense its Rev. Jerry Falwell. Gotta love this tool, he has his Republican talking points down and will do anything to discredit Al Gore and our progress so far. According to him its more important to demonize gays and preserve the "sancity of marriage" than to save our planet.

I decided to google some quotes from Falwell to show how much of a nut this guy really is.

"I am such a strong admirer and supporter of George W. Bush that if he suggested eliminating the income tax or doubling it, I would vote yes on first blush."

"I believe that global warming is a myth. And so, therefore, I have no conscience problems at all and I'm going to buy a Suburban next time."

"If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being."

"AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals."

"I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!"

"I do not believe the homosexual community deserves minority status. One's misbehavior does not qualify him or her for minority status. Blacks, Hispanics, women, etc., are God-ordained minorities who do indeed deserve minority status."

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LYNCHBURG, Va. The Reverend Jerry Falwell says global warming is "Satan's attempt to redirect the church's primary focus" from evangelism to environmentalism. Falwell told his Baptist congregation in Lynchburg yesterday that "the jury is still out" on whether humans are causing -- or could stop -- global warming.

But he said some "naive Christian leaders" are being "duped" by arguments like those presented in former Vice President Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth. Falwell says the documentary should have been titled "A Convenient Untruth."

Falwell said the Bible teaches that God will maintain the Earth until Jesus returns, so Christians should be responsible environmentalists, but not what he calls ... quote ... "first-class nuts."

Posted by mardenhill 2/27/2007 01:54:00 PM 0 comments  

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The National - Boxer (2007)


After thirteen months of writing at their homes in Brooklyn, the National have announced the title and release date of their follow-up to 2005's Alligator.

The album's title is Boxer, and Beggars Banquet will release it on May 22. Peter Katis (Interpol, Spoon) aided the NYC-via-Cincinnati quintet in Boxer's production and mixing, and Fred Kevorkian (Ryan Adams, Regina Spektor, Willie Nelson) handled the mastering.

The National will announce a full tour of the U.S. and European festivals shortly, but in the meantime, they have scheduled three dates in Europe and four at New York City's Bowery Ballroom in May.

Tracklist:
01 Fake Empire
02 Mistaken for Strangers
03 Brainy
04 Squalor Victoria
05 Green Gloves
06 Slow Show
07 Apartment Story
08 Start a War
09 Guest Room
10 Racing Like a Pro
11 Ada
12 Gospel
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One of my favorite indie rock bands are back with a new cd come May and I have to say 2007 is shaping up to be a great year. We have new Air out next month, Son Volt, Wilco and Grinderman on the way and now this. Now if we can only get Ryan Adams to drop a cd this year (like that is a hard thing to do) 2007 may shape up to be one of the best years in music.....

Posted by mardenhill 2/27/2007 11:46:00 AM 1 comments  

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Jill Cunniff - City Beach (2007)

Jill Cunniff of Luscious Jackson fame has released her new solo record and you can read my review plus listen to a couple tracks over at The Record Room.

http://www.therecordroom.blogspot.com/

Posted by mardenhill 2/27/2007 07:51:00 AM 0 comments  

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2003 Braunstein Mitterjoch Zweigelt
Sunday, February 25, 2007

(pronounced: Ts-vye-gelt)

This is another red from the Austrian wine flight and I have to say its much better than the 1st red I tried. It has great color, dark purple and a nice nose. You can smell a bit of cherry and spice and both flavors are present in the taste. The back of the bottle compared the Zweigelt a Syrah and I can see it. The earthiness and spice are the same but the finish is completely different. My only complaint is the lack of depth at the end, I feel like the wine goes down but doesn't really leave you with anything. This wine is not as thin as Michigan reds but its on par with some from New Zealand. With the reds gone from our flight, its now onto the whites and dessert wines. We have an excellent TBA and ice wine in our wine fridge that I can't wait to open. We also have a late harvest Gruner Veltliner that should be amazing.

Posted by mardenhill 2/25/2007 10:13:00 PM 0 comments  

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Oscar Nite

I did it again, made it thru another year without seeing any Oscar nominated movies. Well I did see Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" which is up for best documentary but that's different. Very seldom do I ever see the movies that are in the best of catagory and I take pride in that. I don't really do it on purpose, we just never go out to the movies. I did promise Erika I would take her to the Harry Potter film this summer and who knows that may make the Oscars.

Posted by mardenhill 2/25/2007 08:11:00 PM 0 comments  

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The Police Reunion Tour

I found out this weekend that The Police have scheduled a Detroit date and that is July 17th at the Palace. Tickets go on sale this coming Saturday with prices starting at $55. I got this info from a friend who heard it on the radio and at the Palace Friday nite. I checked the Police website but there is no mention, if this changes I will post an update.....

https://tickets.thepolicetour.com/

Posted by mardenhill 2/25/2007 07:50:00 PM 0 comments  

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2004 Goosecross Viognier

I am not a big fan of Goosecross Cellars, I was directed to their vineyard my last time in Napa and was very disappointed. Out of all their wines I walked out with a bottle of Viognier and vowed never to return to the label.

Goosecross has a great online presence, an inviting website, podcasts and mass emailings but their wine doesn't warrant the prices. This is one vineyard using Napa Valley to its advantage by charging inflated prices for their product. I am not saying their stuff sucks but I am saying $30+ for reds are not worth it. I paid about $25 for the Viognier and while its a lot for a white, I did enjoy it. You had some great tropical flavors present and it had a hint of cream and sweetness which paired well with spicy food. The finish was a bit alcoholic tho, this wine stands at 14.5% and you could really taste it.

My new favorite whites are Vouvarys (Chenin Blancs), rich and creamy Reislings and Gewertzraminers. The richer the wine the better. I went thru a phase of Sauv Blancs since I was bored of Chardonnays but find myself going back to that style.

http://www.goosecross.com/

Posted by mardenhill 2/25/2007 10:59:00 AM 3 comments  

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Some Mac Rumors
Friday, February 23, 2007

courtesy of engadget.com. This is a moc up of a mac, its not official but it would be cool.
....................................

We're not holding our breath on this one. MacScoop is promising some sweeping changes to Apple's Mac lineup, including a black iMac, 8-core Mac Pro, ultraportable MacBook Pro and a 15-inch MacBook. MacScoop even conjectures the aging Cinema Displays could be due for a refresh, and seems to think a Mac OS X Leopard release in late March is in the cards.

Posted by mardenhill 2/23/2007 09:03:00 AM 0 comments  

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2000 Chateau Bel Air Haut-Medoc
Thursday, February 22, 2007

It was that time again, time to open another 2000 Bordeaux from the cellar. This time around I pulled out a $14 Chateau Bel Air from the Haut-Medoc region. Its a pretty good bottle, you have a great nose, some dark plum color and a deep and lasting flavor. You can taste the oak and some vanilla but also a bit of tannins and some black currant. With it being on the Left Bank, you have more cabernet than merlot in the blend which is what I prefer. It does have a bit of a backbone with some spice and earth and with it going on 7 years the harsh bitterness has faded some.

http://www.medoc-wines.com/default-eng.htm

Posted by mardenhill 2/22/2007 08:53:00 PM 0 comments  

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Welcome To My New Template

Its not quite finished but I think I am happy with my new template. I found this free template out on the web and you can see more by accessing GeckoandFly and Andreas Viklund the designer of the site. I officially moved my blog to the new blogger and now I am using widgets and labels. If you are interested in seeing all my posts on music or wine, you can click on the side and it will sort them for you. At the bottom of the page you will hit older posts to see more. My tags do not go back to day 1, I havn't got that ambitious in tagging my history. You can still see older postings by clicking in my history which is broken down by month. I hope you enjoy my new look.

Posted by mardenhill 2/22/2007 12:12:00 PM 0 comments  

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Its Jury Time
Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Yesterday we had closing arguments in the Scooter Libby trial and it will now go to the jury. In a perfect world, Libby would be convicted but I am not holding my breathe. Fitz presented an excellent case while the defense stumbled thru. They also caved on their promise to put both Libby and Cheney on the stand. Lets hope the jury gets this right and convicts Libby, that way Fitz can try to get him to flip on Cheney. If not then he is one loyal idiot who deserves a jail sentence. If we get jail time, I expect Libby to be pardoned at the end of Bush's presidency. With sentencing I expect Libby to serve at least 1 year in the pokey.

Posted by mardenhill 2/21/2007 08:49:00 AM 0 comments  

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Happy Paczki Day
Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Well since its Fat Tuesday I decided to be lazy and recycle my Paczki posting from a year ago. I did change the photo tho and will most likely limit myself to one today....
.........................

Its Fat Tuesday and time to celebrate by eating a paczki. Although I am not Catholic I grew up in Wyandotte, a Polish/Catholic Detroit suburb. Wyandotte is known for its bars and churches, both are the highest per capita in the area. All summer long the Polish churches have their festivals, perogies, cheap beer, bingo and polka, life doesn't get much better. Well I am off to enjoy my paczki, maybe even a 2nd later on today.......

Posted by mardenhill 2/20/2007 08:45:00 AM 0 comments  

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Palazzo di Bocce
Sunday, February 18, 2007


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

Last nite we played indoor bocce at the Palazzo di Bocce in Auburn Hills down the street from the Palace. We went for a birthday party and had a blast. The facility has 10 indoor courts, full bar and a restaurant. Pricewise its a bit spendy but it was also something we have never done before. You start off by throwing the little silver pallino which has to make it about half way down the court. Then you have teams like shuffleboard and take turns throwing the bocce balls. You try to get as close as you can to the pallino and knock the other team out of the way. Most people have played lawn bocce and its the same but its a lot harder indoors. You have to be patient with your throws since the balls roll and roll and roll on the surface. If you are a fan of shuffleboard you will love this.

Posted by mardenhill 2/18/2007 06:48:00 PM 1 comments  

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Can I Get A Snickers With That iPod

While at the mall yesterday we stumbled across this vending machine in Macys next to the escalators. I can see accessories but what person in their right mind would pop $200-$300+ into a vending machine for an iPod? What makes this even funnier is that the Apple store is no more than 500 ft down to the right. Maybe there are places this can work but not at Somerset.

Posted by mardenhill 2/18/2007 06:41:00 PM 0 comments  

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Portrait Of A Panderer
Saturday, February 17, 2007

This would be none other than Sen. John McCain the world's biggest panderer who will do anything to become president. Now I used to respect the guy but the last few years has changed it all. McCain claimed he was a maverick, an outsider but he has proven himself a weasel willing to do anything for the ultimate prize. The Senate has a scheduled vote on the non binding Iraq escalation legislation for today and guess what, McCain is skipping it in favor of campaigning.

"It's nothing more than a partisan stunt and an evasion of our responsibilities," "...when all we're doing is debating a meaningless, a meaningless resolution."

Yep way to go McCain, ignore your responsibilities while others reshuffle their schedules. It just goes to show how shallow McCain really is and how he does not deserve to be president. Btw, he is off to South Carolina on Sunday to go play house with the American Taliban and preach abstinence to a bunch of teens. The best part will be watching McCain compete for the moral vote only to be shot down at the finish line.

Posted by mardenhill 2/17/2007 12:09:00 PM 0 comments  

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The Worse Band Combo Ever Breaks Up
Friday, February 16, 2007

In a statement he said: "Due to irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences, I am permanently leaving the band Audioslave.

"I wish the other three members nothing but the best in all of their future endeavours."Other members of the band- guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk - have reunited with singer Zack de la Rocha to resurrect their former band Rage Against The Machine.

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

The idea of Audioslave was a disaster from day one and should have never been formed. Chris chickened out at the very beginning but then followed thru with it. We were tortured with 2 cds and constant radio play. I am not dissing Chris Cornell and the original members of Rage all are great musicians but together they were awful. Its good to know that Chris is gone and Zack is back in, now Rage can get their anger on and piss off the current administration.

Maybe just maybe there could be a Soundgarden reunion in the future. Everyone is reforming these days and I wonder if Chris thinks he better jump in now before its too late. One small problem tho, Matt Cameron the drummer of Soundgarden is now with Pearl Jam.

The rumor mill has been churning big time and there is talk of an original Guns N Roses reunion. Why we are on the topic of GnR, "Chinese Democracy" may actually be released next month.....

Posted by mardenhill 2/16/2007 03:04:00 PM 0 comments  

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