Yet Another Washigton Sex Scandal
Saturday, April 28, 2007
The Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias resigned after admitting he was a customer of the DC Madame. Tobias worked for Condi Rice and was considered our AIDS Czar. He would run around the world promoting abstinence only programs for 3rd world countries while getting "massages" from 3rd world women. Yep, it wasn't just the DC Madame who Tobias was contacting, he admitted that he was using another escort service that provided "Central American" women.
The DC Madame faces federal charges and has given ABC access to her contact list. Tobias who is married claims that he only had massages with these women. Hmm where did we hear that defense before, could it have been Ted Haggard, the disgraced evangelical preacher. Last time I checked, any spa or gym provides licensed massages and there are professionals who will come to you. There is no need to hire an escort service unless you have other things in mind.
The stench of the republican hyprocrisy just continues to emit day after day. Besides the DC Madame scandal, Jack Abramoff has reappeared and more bodies are appearing...
Posted by mardenhill 4/28/2007 09:20:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Politics
Samsung Upstage M620
Friday, April 27, 2007
Well Samsung has done it again, they have come out with a killer new phone. The good news its very cheap, the bad news, only available thru Sprint. You have a 1.3 megapixel camera, 64 megs onboard memory with a micro SD slot that supports up to 2 gigs, bluetooth and internet. Think of the Apple iPod Nano with a phone and you have the M620. I assume standard mp3s will play but I wouldn't expect paid music via the internet stores with DRM to work. You can probably download music via Sprint but they will no doubt charge you way more than you should pay. Since its not a smartphone I am not interested but for the average person this thing rocks. It should make its way to Verizon sometime this year, I don't see Sprint getting an exclusive phone. Unfortunately nothing for Cingular but they do have the iPhone which launches this July.
Posted by mardenhill 4/27/2007 03:39:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
NEW JAMC!!! Well Not Quite
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Courtesy of Pitchforkmedia.com
Rhino Compiling Jesus and Mary Chain Rarities Box
Not much info yet to report, but according to a representative at the label, Rhino Records is in the process of mining the hallowed Jesus and Mary Chain archives and compiling an extensive rarities box set. Jim Reid is aiding in the selection process and will approve the final tracklist for the set, which should include about 80 JAMC jams spread over four CDs when it's done. About "a half dozen" of those jams have never graced the ears of humanity before; even more will appear on compact disc for the very first time. Look for the as-yet-untitled collection this fall, and keep your browser situated at Pitchfork for more details as they emerge.
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I love box sets and this one should be great.
Posted by mardenhill 4/26/2007 09:15:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
New Planet
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Planet's local orbit.
Size of the new planet in relation to the Earth.
Artist rendition of what the planet could look like.This is very good news and I was excited to hear about it on NPR this morning as well. Most planets discovered in distant galaxies tend to be gaseous in nature, i.e. Jupiter, Saturn and very few are rock based. This one orbits a star that is much dimmer than our own which allows the close proximity and is believed to have a temperature range between 32 and 102 degrees. If true this is perfect for the formation of water and life. Now we are looking at a planet 20 light years away, a bit of a distance but something achievable in the future. This planet was discovered using the huge telescope down in Chile. You can read more about the discovery at the link below.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=450467&in_page_id=1965
Posted by mardenhill 4/25/2007 11:21:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Science
5 Questions
I would like to thank Gizmorox for the questions below. Fellow bloggers have been asking each other questions which get posted on your blog. Gizmorox gave me the 5 below to answer which was a lot of fun.
1. If you could have any five living people over for dinner, who would they be and why?
Nick Cave: It was a toss up between Mark Lanegan and Nick Cave but I have a million questions I would love to ask Nick about his approach to music.
Douglas Coupland: Douglas is my favorite author and I think would be very fun to hang out with. He seems to have a cynical, dry and witty personality that I can relate to.
Bret Easton Ellis: My 2nd favorite author, just listening to his years of debauchery would be a blast.
Al Gore: Al is one of my favorite politicans and the only one who I think really understands systems thinking and what needs to be done to address climate change. I feel that he is a wealth of knowledge and I could learn a lot from him.
Uma Thurman: I didn't want my dinner party to be all guys so I added my favorite actress to the mix. I think Kill Bill was my favorite Uma movie.
Runner Ups: Anne Rice but she would have bored me with her over descriptive stories. There is Nancy Pelosi who is my favorite female politician but it might get too stuffy with both her and Al Gore at the table.
2. If you had to live without one of your senses, which would it be?
This was a hard one, I wouldn't want to give up hearing because that would cut out listening to music. Taste and Smell go hand and hand and that means the end to eating good food and drinking wine. It would be very hard to give up sight and losing touch would just suck, you might as well be a robot. I think it would have to be taste because I could still get away with eating/drinking since smell plays a bigger part in the flavor of things. If I lost my taste buds maybe my smell would kick in and give me some of it back thereby only causing half a loss.
3. What's your favorite comic strip?
Calvin and Hobbes. Erika bought me the bound collection of everything ever written for my birthday a couple years ago. I feel bad that Calvin ended up on the back of every pickup truck in this country but he is still cool in my book.
4. Are you the type of person who likes the beach?
Yes but I don't like to lay out. I get bored easily and hate laying in one space for a period of time. I prefer playing in the water and walking up and down the beach to sunbathing.
5. Do you have any irrational fears?
Waking up with snakes in my bed. I think I saw it in a movie as a little kid and ever since my fear was to go to bed with a bunch of poisonous snakes under the covers.
If you're interested in the hilarity, here are the rules:
Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me!”
I will respond by e-mailing you five questions (if your email is not on your profile, email me your desire to be interviewed so I know your address). I get to pick them, and you have to answer them all.
You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
Posted by mardenhill 4/25/2007 09:21:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Misc
Stop Canadian Trash
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is warning Congress that a Michigan-led bill to limit Canadian trash imports could set off a trash trade war with the United States' largest trading partner.
The bill, which is expected to pass the House today, would allow Michigan and other states to limit trash imports from Canada, an increasingly controversial issue. But in a letter sent Monday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner, the White House warned that the bill could violate trade agreements and spark Canada to ban hazardous waste from the United States.
Senators Stabenow and Levin have come up with a plan which you can read below.
http://stabenow.senate.gov/stoptrash/index.htm
Here is the Detroit News story on the vote.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/UPDATE/704240430
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Hey Dubya, us border states don't want Canadian waste in our backyard, they are a big enough country they can keep it there. I see no reason why we should let trash across the border this doesn't qualify as trade in my book. I guess we can thank NAFTA for this mess and the typical Washington losers put dollars over the health and well being of the country.
Wasn't the infiltration of Tim Horton's and next generation Degrassi enough, when will it end?
Posted by mardenhill 4/24/2007 10:40:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit
How We Spent Our Weekend
Monday, April 23, 2007
It was the best weekend of the year so far and although we were outside we were digging up grass. This is part of the area of the new patio we are building this summer. To the left of the cutoff it will stretch 6 more feet which I still need to tear up. We are going to have the patio wrap around the side of the house as well. We have some paver stones that need to be taken up but that shouldn't be a problem. We have decided that stamped concrete may be the answer but are waiting on the price. I have a feeling we will go this route but will save money since we are doing most of the labor when it comes to the prep work. Instead of buying more dirt for our garden we will use the stuff here and save money as well as doing the digging needed for the patio. We are going to leave the section with the vine and plants, it will be a built in planter which will look very cool in full bloom. Its been a lot of work but in the end we will have an area for lounge chairs, our grill, outdoor table and misc potted plants.
I am a bit worried about the plants already growing, they came up early and were hit by the cold spell a couple weeks ago. The tops of the leaves are dead but I think the rest of them are ok. I will have to wait and see what happens.
Posted by mardenhill 4/23/2007 12:34:00 PM 0 comments
Red Wings Advance
It took 2 OTs but the Wings beat the Flames last nite 2-1 to advance out of the 1st round of playoffs. This series was a brutal one, you had cheap shots galore including a backup goalie's suspension and fine. Game 5 had the backup coming in and within a minute tomahawk chopped a Red Wing and was ejected. I didn't stay up for the game last nite, I went to bed just hoping for the best since I spent the weekend digging up the yard for the new patio and was dead tired.
In other Detroit sports news, the Tigers won game 3 against the Chicago White Sox but lost the first 2. The Pistons won their 1st playoff game.
Posted by mardenhill 4/23/2007 10:42:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit, Red Wings, Sports
2000 Chateau De Sainte Gemme Haut-Medoc
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The story of this wine is quite involved but I think you will enjoy. One afternoon I took a trip to Papa Joes in Birmingham to take a look at their wine selection. I had just drank a Bordeaux and wanted to replace the bottle in my collection. While looking around I was given the 2001 Chateau De Sainte Gemme to try. It was a $20 bottle which I thought was fair and decided to buy it. A few hours later we went to Costco and at the front door was a pallet full of the 2000 vintage of the same wine. I was a bit leery since I thought the wine may be cooked do to improper storing but decided to pick up a bottle since it was only $11.99. At the time I didn't realise it was the same Chateau and discovered it when I came home. Now knowing that I scored a great deal since the '01 was selling for $20 and the '00 was at $12 I had to pick up more. I went back to Costco and grabbed another 2 bottles giving myself 3 now plus the '01. A week later I was back at Papa Joes talking with the wine guy and he said that I should have bought as much as I could and that I should go back and get more if it was still available. Well Erika and I went back, we actually had a couple things to pick up so it wasn't just for the wine. I found a couple cases left and grabbed 3 more bottles. I decided that I couldn't sit on so many bottles so I had to open one. I decanted about half of it and let sit for about 45 minutes to breathe.
Upon pouring, the wine was deep purple and had a classic Bordeaux nose. Being 7 years old now the wine had mellowed a bit and was not too green upon 1st tasting. After 45 minutes it had opened and the flavors poured thru. There was a good balance between the fruit and smoke and the finish lingered with bits of cherry. Overall it was not too sweet and not too tart. The earthiness shone thru and it remained rich and complex to the end. I was very impressed with the wine and felt it was a steal for $12. I plan on saving some bottles and drinking them each year seeing if I can notice a change. I know this isn't some first growth grand cru but it would be about $20-$30 a bottle in any wine store and worth the challenge. If you happen to see this bottle at Costco, pick some up before its all gone.
Posted by mardenhill 4/19/2007 09:19:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
GonzalesGate
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testifies in front of Congress today regarding the firing of US attorneys. Its going to be a doozy and I am not sure if he will survive. People from both sides have demanded his resignation and lets hope we have it by the end of the week. If so then we are down to Bush, Cheney, Condi and Rove. The inner circle is closing more and more, I wonder if it will stay intact until the end of Bush's presidency. Alberto brought this upon himself, by be so loyal to Bush he helped rewrite the Geneva Convention to allow torture, twisted the law to allow domestic spying and inserted political appointees throughout the Justice dept.
Posted by mardenhill 4/19/2007 10:25:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Gritsch 1000-Eimerberg Riesling Smaragd 2003
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
We opened this bottle the other nite but I didn't get a chance to write about it. This came from the Austrian wine flight Erika won back in December.
The nose on this wine was very fresh, light and clean. You had hints of pear and apple and like a Chardonnay a bit of oak. It was a very rich Riesling, not too sweet and also one that packed a punch. If you look at most European Rieslings they usually top out at 10-12%. This one was 14% which surprised me. You could taste a bit of the alcohol but it wasn't over the top. Wine Spectator just wrote about the 2005 German vintage and how it was the best in decades. After drinking this wine, my interest in whites has grown tremendously and I have been on the quest to find many more like this one.
http://www.winemonger.com/catalog/product_more_info.php?products_id=414
Posted by mardenhill 4/18/2007 09:12:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future (2007)
They are currently the indie darlings both here and across the pond. The band are the Klaxons, a UK three piece credited for reviving the rave scene of the 90s. They mix live instruments with electronic to create a visual landscape of epic proportions. From what I have read, the rave connection came when they just started out and didn't have anymore songs to play so they covered some 90s club hits. Whether or not this is true, the band has been saddled with bringing back the scene.
My first impression was not that good, I dismissed them as more UK fodder but decided to circle back around. I am not completely sold on the band but there are some very cool songs on their debut Myths Of The Near Future. The cd opens with "Two Receivers" a subdued and keyboard heavy track. The song builds into a large crescendo all the while falsetto vocals hover over buzzing and Mobyesque piano. Track 2 "Atlantis To Interzone" is pure rave culture, the sirens and chanting lead way to pounding and erratic break beats. Track 5 "As Above, So Below" is the most radio friendly and I could see creeping onto the US airways. It has a Gorillaz element to it where you are forced to tap your feet and bob your head.
The Klaxons remind me of Kasabian where both bands borrowed heavily from previous UK scenes but found a way to spin it into something new. I still prefer Kasabian, I like their sound much better but this cd is growing on me.
Rating 7.5/10
http://www.klaxons.net/
Posted by mardenhill 4/18/2007 11:01:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
2 Out Of 3
Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals last nite 7-6
Pistons beat the Toronto Raptors last nite 100-84
Red Wings lost to the Calgary Flames last nite 3-2
Posted by mardenhill 4/18/2007 09:54:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit
Elk Cove 2001 Williamette Valley Pinot Noir
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Elk Cove Vineyards is one of my favorite Oregon wines and last nite I remembed why. I had a bottle of the 2001 Williamette Valley Pinot Noir in the basement and decided to open it. The pinot was amazing, it had a great nose and lush berry flavor. It wasn't thin like some Cali and New Zealand pinots can be but it wasn't as heavy as a Burgundy either. It was a perfect middle ground with a hint of earth and spice. If anyone is on the fence with pinots (not sure I have ever met anyone) this wine would convince you hands down. We are heading to Oregon in May and will hit a couple vineyards on the trip. Elk Cove is definitely on my list and I can't wait to go. In the meantime check out their website and if you see a bottle in the store, pick one up.
http://www.elkcove.com/index.html
Posted by mardenhill 4/15/2007 04:17:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Wine
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Abattoir Blues Tour 2004
Back in 2004 when Nick Cave released his double cd Abattoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus he only toured Europe. Thankfully he released a CD/DVD of the tour which was recorded at The Brixton Academy in London. The cd portion contains songs from different shows throughout the tour. Nick Cave, the only man who can take you thru a lush and beautiful ballad then thru hell in the same night. Nick backs up his songs with a gospel chorus which adds a touch of soul and a new sound for older ones. The setlist contains mostly new tracks but "Deanna", "Red Right Hand", "The Weeping Song", "God Is In The House" and "Stagger Lee" made the cut. Speaking of "Stagger Lee", its an amazing song performed live. Its vile and vulgar and destroys every preconceived notion you had that humans are decent creatures. The song takes you on a journey thru a killer's rampage at an old saloon. This song first appeared on The Murder Ballads and one I remember quite vividly. The promo cd was sent to our college radio station with a big sticker on it warning us NEVER to play the song on the radio unless we wanted the FCC to break down our door and arrest us. We all laughed but of course followed the warning since our own rules prevented swearing on the radio as well. The gut wrentching rendition is 8 minutes of terror that repulses yet intrigues you at the same time.
Switching gears, the beauty of Nick Cave is not lost on this release, there are a few songs that showcase the soft and profound grace of his work. The first would be "Breathless" a song from his last cd. Its full of life and charm bringing images of springtime and rebirth. Another one would be "God Is In The House" from his No More Shall We Part release. This cd is one of my favorites, it took me a while to appreciate it but in the end stands out of some of Nick's best work. The addition of the choir broadens the sound and gives new meaning to the song.
Many artists try but few can pull off the scope of emotion present in Nick Cave's catalog of music. Seeing Nick live will give you a new appreciation for his sheer genius and talent. I just hope he makes a trip back to the states before he calls it quits.
Posted by mardenhill 4/15/2007 01:17:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Grant Lee Phillips - Strangelet (2007)
Grant Lee just released his 5 solo (4th of original music) and this release should make any Grant Lee Buffalo/Grant Lee Phillips fan proud. The electric guitars are back along with a breath of fresh air. The cd opens with "Runaway" a song that could have easily appeared on a GLB record. The moodiness of the vocals and fuzzed out drums/guitars are a complete 180 from tracks off of Virginia Creeper. Grant does slow it down but instead of going straight acoustic, he adds some strings, a ukulele and country twang. Speaking of the twang, track 4 "Hidden Hand" is full of it and a new direction for Grant. You would think his whispering vocals wouldn't mix with a straight up country beat but I was suprised as to how well they blend. In the past Grant's solo cds tended to keep a style throughout but this one has songs bouncing all over the map. This isn't to say that Grant has lost focus, if anything it shows you influences and what he is capable of. I feel like this is my favorite Grant Lee solo to date, it has all the elements you love from his music along with a new few directions. As of now there are no Detroit dates but his website says to stay tuned.
Rating: 9/10
http://www.grantleephillips.com/
You can hear a few other tracks on Grant Lee's myspace page.
http://www.myspace.com/grantleephillips
Posted by mardenhill 4/15/2007 10:33:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
Apple NAB Keynote in Las Vegas
Tomorrow is the start of NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) and Apple will be delivering the Keynote starting at 2pm. The rumor sites don't think much will come out of it since its not an Apple event but software has been unveiled in the past. Apple quietly updated the Mac Pro to an 8 core, 3.0 ghz, 64 bit Intel Xeon box but if you have $3000 laying around its not in everyone's price range. Apple also punted the Leopard release til the fall, October to be exact so they could focus on the iPhone which is scheduled for release this July. If anything comes out of this tomorrow I will post it.
Posted by mardenhill 4/15/2007 09:59:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Technology
Tale Of The Missing eMails.....
Friday, April 13, 2007
At least four years of emails sent by White House adviser Karl Rove have gone missing, a lawyer for the Republican National Committee informed congressional staff members Thursday, a front page article in today's Washington Post reports.
On Friday, Rove's attorney "dismissed the notion that President Bush's chief political adviser intentionally deleted his own e-mails from a Republican-sponsored server, saying Rove believed the communications were being preserved in accordance with the law," the Associated Press reports.
#
Any e-mails Rove deleted were the type of routine deletions people make to keep their inboxes orderly, Luskin said. He said Rove had no idea the e-mails were being deleted from the server, a central computer that managed the e-mail.
This is going to be a very funny story and will be interesting to see how the WH wiggles out of this one. To give you the quick rundown, the WH has their own official laptops, blackberries that adhere to strict archiving rules. Members of the WH have also been issued Republician National Committee devices to conduct non official WH duties as to not mix work with poltics. Well Karl had RNC equipment and 4 years of his emails are gone, well thats what they say now.
Lets break down the argument, the lawyer is saying that Karl didn't know he wasn't able to delete emails and that he was operating like any normal human being who has email, you clean up your inbox and empty your deleted items. I am fine with this argument except that Karl didn't delete his email, he deleted from his inbox but they are also backed up on the server. If Karl is running a Blackberry, emails sent to the RNC address go to the exchange server then a copy goes to the Blackberry Enterprise Server which then connects to the handheld. The BES is a redirector and the official email is still housed on the exchange server. If the RNC didn't want Karl to delete messages from his Blackberry they can turn off that feature and also disable the syncronization of inbox folders. If the RNC is like any normal company, these exchange servers would have backups and the tapes could be requested if they are kept offsite. If the RNC didn't run backups then they were in on the whole thing, creating a network where emails could be sent but not traced and more people are involved. Running email accounts on an exchange server is not like a hotmail or gmail acct, backups and the ability to archive messages are present. I would think the RNC runs their IT dept like any other corporation but I could be wrong....
They have the emails they just don't want to release them.
Posted by mardenhill 4/13/2007 04:33:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Politics
Detroit Sports Update
Tigers win 3rd in a row, lead the Central Division in the AL.
Red Wings win Game One! 4-1: Round 1 vs Calgary Flames
Pistons clinch first in East: Start 1st Round of Playoffs tonight against the Toronto Raptors.Posted by mardenhill 4/13/2007 02:04:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Detroit
New Pink Martini On Its Way
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Pink Martini will release their 3rd cd "Hey Eugene!" on May 15th. They will also be touring the US and even coming to Michigan which really surprised me. When I was living out in Oregon I used to see Pink Martini a lot, they are based out of Portland and would play different festivals and shows throughout the year. If you have never heard of Pink Martini, they are a 12 piece World Music orchestra/dance music ensemble. The bulk of their influences are Brazilian/Cuban and can be heard throughout their music. You have classically trained musicians and at times the band will play with full piece orchestras. One of my favorite shows was at the Oregon Zoo in the Rose Garden amphitheatre. It was outside and everyone just sat back on blankets under the stars. You could hear some animals in the background which made it interesting.
This June they will be playing in Ann Arbor which I would like to see. Due to their style of music, they are more popular around the world than here but that shouldn't deter you. Definitely check out their previous releases and pick up their new one next month.
"Let's Never Stop Falling In Love"
http://www.pinkmartini.com/
Posted by mardenhill 4/11/2007 11:42:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music
