Quote Of The Day
Saturday, December 17, 2005
"The President believes that he has the power to override the laws that Congress has passed. This is not how our democratic system of government works. The President does not get to pick and choose which laws he wants to follow. He is a president, not a king."............................................
This was a response by Sen Feingold to Bush's attack on our civil liberties. Bush thinks he's king not president and can wave his magic wand and run a police state. It was music to my ears to see the Patriot Act shot down on Friday, its about time the people have stood up to Bush and co. They like to spin it but the truth of the matter is there are only some provisions that were set to expire, the majority of the Patriot Act is permanent.
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution reads as follows:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Posted by mardenhill 12/17/2005 10:02:00 PM 0 comments
Way To Go Jenny...You Got My Vote in 06
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Breaking news
Governor signs bills allowing direct wine shipments to consumers
December 15, 2005
TRAVERSE CITY (AP) — Michigan’s emerging wine industry could become a big-time player now that vintners inside and outside the state can ship their products directly to consumers, a spokesman said.
“It opens us up to becoming a national wine industry,” Donald Coe, president of the trade association WineMichigan, said Thursday after Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed legislation granting direct-shipping rights.
With out-of-state wineries allowed to sell directly to Michigan residents for the first time, Michigan wineries will get the same access to buyers in other states, said Coe, managing partner of Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay.
“I have 60,000 visitors a year, and fully 25 percent of them come from outside Michigan,” he said. “Many of them have no access to our wines when they get back to their states because we’re such a small winery, we don’t have distribution in those states yet.
“They now have an opportunity to order the wines from us, and we can ship to them.”
Major wine publications likely will give the Michigan industry more coverage now that readers across the nation can order its brands, Coe said.
Granholm signed the bills during an appearance in Traverse City, heart of northern Michigan wine country. Twenty of the state’s 42 wineries are in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties.
Michigan’s $75 million industry ranks ninth in the country in wine grape production, with a combined 1,300 acres.
“We want to make sure as a state that we continue to promote the great wine that we’ve got,” Granholm said.
The legislation represents a hard-won compromise between vintners and wholesalers — regulated middlemen who buy from winemakers and sell to licensed retailers.
The U.S. Supreme Court this year struck down Michigan’s policy of allowing only in-state wineries to ship directly to Michigan residents, saying it gave them an unfair competitive advantage. Under the new laws, any winery can send up to 1,500 cases a year to Michigan residents.
But the laws continue to require out-of-state wineries to use a wholesaler to get their wines to Michigan restaurants and retailers, while in-state wineries can sell directly to those establishments.
In a Dec. 6 letter to legislative leaders, state Attorney General Mike Cox warned that such unequal treatment “is very vulnerable to a constitutional challenge.”
If the courts threw out that provision, all sales to restaurants and retailers would have to go through wholesalers.
Direct shipment to consumers by in-state and out-of-state wineries could continue. Even so, Cox said, Michigan would have to pay the costs of defending a lawsuit — and, if it lost, the prevailing side’s attorney fees.
Representatives of Michigan vintners and wholesalers who attended the signing ceremony said their compromise included an agreement not to challenge the laws in court. But the deal doesn’t cover out-of-state interests.
Sen. Michelle McManus, R-Lake Leelanau, a sponsor of the legislation, said it focused primarily on direct shipment to consumers because that was the subject of the Supreme Court ruling.
The bills include provisions to keep minors from buying wine through direct shipment. They also would let the state Liquor Control Commission levy a yearly $100 license fee to fund regulation of direct-shipping vendors.
Posted by mardenhill 12/15/2005 11:11:00 PM 2 comments
Jean Schmidt Bigger and Scarier....
Dirty, Skank Whore Jean Schmidt has finally made it to the big leagues, she now has her own billboard courtesy of the Democratic National Committee. This goes back to when she called Murtha a coward and then lied about the guy who told her to say it. Schmidt was played by the leaders of her party but if she is that stupid to let it happen then she deserves the abuse she has received. Jean barely won her election and to make the comments she did, I have no problem frying this woman. SNL lampooned her right after it happened, it was classic and I think they need to do more of that. I cannot wait til 06 when she will lose her seat and will maybe be the shortest run congressperson in history.
Posted by mardenhill 12/15/2005 02:35:00 PM 1 comments
Quote Of The Day
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Newspaper columnist Robert Novak is still not naming his source in the Valerie Plame affair, but he says he is pretty sure the name is no mystery to President Bush.
"I'm confident the president knows who the source is," Novak told a luncheon audience at the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh on Tuesday. "I'd be amazed if he doesn't."
"So I say, 'Don't bug me. Don't bug Bob Woodward. Bug the president as to whether he should reveal who the source is.' "
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So does this mean that Bush was in on it the whole time? Or do we attribute it to his mismanagement of his staff, kinda like the Ken Lay arguement, I'm innocent it was my CFO who committed the crime....This doesn't bode well for the administration, just when Bush is slowly coming back in the polls, BAM Fitz is back with more....
It may turn out to be one heck of a christmas, Rove indicted, Delay tied to Cunningham and Abramoff, more congressmen going down beause of Abramoff, Frist getting indicted for insider trading and the whole republican party crumbling under the weight of ethic violations and other outstanding scandals....Posted by mardenhill 12/14/2005 01:21:00 PM 1 comments
Motorola RAZR
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
We got our new Motorola Razr phones yesterday, here is a pic of mine courtesy of Apple's photobooth software and the isight camera. They sent 2 silver phones so we are waiting for the black razr to ship to us for Erika, that way we don't get our phones mixed up. So far this thing rocks, it does everything but vacuum, it has a camera, can access the internet, datebook, record video and has skins and different wallpaper to choose from. The only thing lacking right now are the choices for ring tones, all the built in ones suck, I think its on purpose to get you to go out and buy a new ringtone. I am on the fence with that one, now that I have a phone that can do it, do I really want to?
It has been a long wait, the 1st time I saw one of these I wanted one, it just took until the price came down to $99 to get one.
Posted by mardenhill 12/13/2005 01:03:00 PM 1 comments
T@B RV
Monday, December 12, 2005
Here is a picture of a Tab RV, they are these micro trailers that are pretty sweet inside. You have a table that folds out into a queen bed, a stove, sink, toilet and lots of storage. Unfortunately the build your own page on their website is not working but the show we were watching a couple weeks ago had them around $10,000. The RV dealer on 96W had one for display but we never knew what they were. Check out their website for more photos, they are suprisingly roomy on the inside. I think the focus could pull this thing, they have a VW Beetle pulling one and they are very light. Not that we are in the market for a camping trailer but if so, this would be a sweet one to have.
www.tab-rv.com
Posted by mardenhill 12/12/2005 11:39:00 AM 0 comments
Best Of 2005
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Top 15 CDs of 2005
1. Kasabian - Kasabian: This cd is still as fresh as it was the 1st time I listened to it. TTop 15 Chey took what was best of the 90s British music scene, repackaged it and added their own touch to it. Every song is amazing, I just put it on yesterday which gave me the idea to post this. The cd came out in the UK back in Nov of 04 but it didn't hit the US until Mar 05 so I figured I could add it to my list.
2. Ryan Adams - Cold Roses: This was the 1st of 3 cds for Ryan this year and by far the best. It wasn't pure alt country or rock, it was a blend of the 2 and had a very 60's summer feel. Sweet Illusion is a beautiful song that makes you think of a summertime picnic next to the river. Ryan is our Dylan and I hope he continues on releasing music for the next 20 years.
3. Echo & the Bunnymen - Siberia: Echo has been together for over 25 years and they are still going. This cd hits a lot of the styles that Ian and Will have given us and do it without sounding like a greatest hits album. Excellent swirling guitars switching back and forth between rock songs and ballads.
4. Editors - The Back Room: At first I thought they were just another Interpol rip off band but after a few listens this cd is excellent. What makes it amazing is the UK influence in the music, it puts enough distinction to make this cd enjoyable. I am looking forward to their next one, I think these guys have staying power.
5. Oasis - Don't Believe The Truth: Not much to say except that its Oasis, that is enough in itself. They are one of the best live bands and this cd shows how they are growing and not trying to redo Definitely Maybe. Lots of different styles on this cd and Liam's singing somehow seems to be getting better.
6. Son Volt - Okemah And The Melody Of Riot: When Uncle Tupelo split Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy went their separate ways with Jeff being more famous with Wilco. Jay formed Son Volt and has put out some solid releases and never strayed far from the alt country scene. Their latest cd is pure Americana, lots of great guitar rock and sing along songs.
7. Foo Fighters - In Your Honor: Dave Grohl has left Nirvana back in the 90s and blazed thru the last 10 years fronting the Foo Fighters. This cd is a double with one rock and the other acoustic. I have always liked the Foo's they write catchy songs that make u feel good but that aren't cheezy.
8. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better With Franz Ferdinand: This cd is not as good as their debut but it doesn't disappoint either. Lots of fun, catchy, sing along songs that get you dancing.
9. White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan: This cd took a while to like, but Doorbell, The Denial Twist, Blue Orchid and Little Ghost are some of their best. I have stopped going to see them live, not that I don't want to but its become too expensive. I love these guys and I will always support them but come on $50 a ticket is getting a bit steep. For a 2 piece they have made a ton of music with not that much sounding repetitive.
10. The Sights - The Sights: Their sorta major label debut, not quite major but bigger than they were on before. This cd is solid and isn't all over the board like their previous one. Its hard rockin with a mix of blues and r&b. Another Detroit band that deserves to see the big stage.
11. Low - The Great Destroyer: I have never been a big Low fan, their music is too soft and somewhat boring. They kicked it up a notch on this one, its still dark and moody but there is an edge to it that keeps your attention.
12. Elbow - Leaders Of The Free World: Elbow are a very unique band, they don't look like they sound, check out a picture and you will understand. These guys have put more emotion into their music than Radiohead could ever dream of.
13. The National - Alligator: Woxy introduced me to these guys with the song Murder Me Rachel which is amazing. This cd is more subdued but good none the less. The guitars are turned down, no ear piercing Dino Jr solos going on. I think its the baritone vocals and piano that make this cd worth listening. Its not on the level as Mike Johnson or Mark Lanegan but few can make it there.
14. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights: CD 2 of 2005 for Ryan, this is pure country, down and dirty with slide guitar and lots of drinking. I still prefer Cold Roses but its not a bad cd at all, I am not aways in the mood for country so it doesn't get played as much.
15. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl: When I first heard it I didn't believe it was BRMC since the sonic guitars were gone and it was all alt country. After a few listens I really grew to like it, the songs were strong and I didn't have a problem with them heading in this direction. Most people assumed they were British due to their sound but they decided to throw that all away and wear the Americana badge with honor.
There are other amazing cds this year, LCD Soundsystem, Supergrass, The Posies, The Kills, Ryan Adams (29 his 3rd and final of the year), Engineers, Ladytron but I had to stop somewhere. I have finally decided to give Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah a listen, its not bad, lots of Talking Heads and whining vocals to keep you bobbing your head. I am not sold on them but I won't discount them either. I think its a little too quirky for me to really appreciate.
Posted by mardenhill 12/08/2005 08:03:00 PM 2 comments
Bush Worst Ever?
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Is Bush the Worst Ever?
Richard Reeves: "I have talked with three significant historians in the past few months who would not say it in public, but who are saying privately that Bush will be remembered as the worst of the presidents."Earlier: An informal, unscientific survey of 415 historians conducted by the History News Network found that 338 rate the Bush presidency "an overall failure." Meanwhile, 12% of historians who responded "rate the current presidency the worst in all of American history."
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Let me be on the record to say that Bush is one of the worst presidents ever, the Iraq quagmire, the Medicare boondoggle, the tax cuts that benefit the wealthy, the bloated budgets with more pork than Chicken Shack, FEMA and Katrina. Bush has put this country into debt, made us less safe and drove a wedge between the population, how can this be considered progress?
Posted by mardenhill 12/07/2005 11:11:00 PM 3 comments
Its All Up To Jenny Now....
State residents can order their favorite labels sent directly to their homes from vintners in California, Michigan and elsewhere as soon as Gov. Jennifer Granholm signs a bill passed by the House on Tuesday that lets out-of-state and in-state wine makers ship 1,500 cases a year to consumers. The Senate passed the measure last week. "The compromise addresses our principles. Pending review, we're planning to sign it," said Liz Boyd, Granholm's press secretary. Residents have been able to order wine directly from Michigan wineries. This law, stemming from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, will let them get hard-to-find wines from other states, backers say. The House passed the bill 104-0 and approved a companion bill 103-1 that requires shippers to buy a $100 state license. Shippers will use an age verification service to make sure minors aren't ordering their products.
LANSING -- Cheers, Michigan wine sippers.
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Good news here, we can finally order wine over the internet and it seems like local vineyards will still be able to distribute themselves nd not sell all their wine to a wholesaler. There may be a lawsuit from out of state vineyards against MI since locals can ship to restaurants but they cannot. Out of state will still need to go thru a distributer but can ship to individuals, at least one step in the right direction. Now if Jenny can get to some signing, it will make for a good xmas present for the state.
Posted by mardenhill 12/07/2005 08:21:00 AM 1 comments
Bye Bye Delay, No Seat For You...
Monday, December 05, 2005
AUSTIN, TexasA judge dismissed the conspiracy charges Monday against Rep. Tom DeLay but refused to throw out the money-laundering counts, dashing the Texas congressman's hopes for now of reclaiming his post as House majority leader. Judge Pat Priest, who is presiding over the case against the Republican, issued the ruling after a hearing late last month in which DeLay's attorney argued that the indictment was fatally flawed.
When he was indicted in September, DeLay was required under House rules to relinquish the leadership post he had held since early 2003. While Monday's ruling was a partial victory for DeLay, he cannot reclaim his post because he remains under indictment.
"The court's decision to dismiss Ronnie Earle's numerous charges against Mr. DeLay underscores just how baseless and politically motivated the charges were," DeLay spokesman Kevin Madden said, referring to the Democratic district attorney who brought the case.
"Mr. DeLay is very encouraged by the swift progress of the legal proceedings and looks forward to his eventual and absolute exoneration based on the facts and the law."
DeLay and two Republican fundraisers, John Colyandro and Jim Ellis, are accused of illegally funneling $190,000 in corporate donations to 2002 Republican candidates for the Texas Legislature. Under Texas law, corporate money cannot be directly used for political campaigns, but it can be used for administrative purposes.
In asking that the case be thrown out, DeLay lawyer Dick DeGuerin argued that one of the charges _ conspiracy to violate the Texas election code _ did not even take effect until September 2003, a year after the alleged offenses occurred.
Prosecutors, however, said the crime of conspiracy was already on the books, and could be applied to the election code even though such uses were not explicitly in state law at the time.
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Doesn't look like Delay will be returning to his previous post as Majority leader, he will be too busy defending himself in a court of law. It sucks that the conspiracy charge was thrown out but that would have been harder to prove than the money laundering ones and we still have his involvement with Abramoff that will keep him down and out for good. I have a feeling that his own district won't re-elect him and they will kick him to the curb. Lets see if his Jesus buddies will come to his defense or if they will stay away, far away. Its coming down and its beautiful to watch the republicscum party fall to its knees. Delay out, next stop Cheney, Rummy, Rove and Frist. There are others that will fall but getting the big guns will be a sight to see.
Posted by mardenhill 12/05/2005 07:21:00 PM 1 comments
Detroit
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Here are some new pics of Detroit landmarks, to the left is the City Hall that I have been waiting for over a year to take a picture of. They had scaffolding up around the tower doing repairs and I didn't think it would look good on the wall. With the help of Photoshop and lens correction, I was able to cleanup the pictures. It was had to get straight pictures but with the magic of lens correction, I was able to straighten up the angles and make it look like a better picture. The 2nd picture is the old GM headquarters over in the New Center. This one only needed a bit of touchup and the sepia turned out amazing. I added about 8 more photos to our livingroom, besides these two, I have some sculptures, the DIA and the Fisher Bldg to name a few. I need to reprint the Compuware building, the one I have was when they were 3/4s of the way done and now I have a better one with the fountain and Campus Maritus park. If you havn't been inside Compuware you need to check it out, they have a water sculpture that flows from the ceiling, its really amazing.
One little factoid about the old GM headquarters, every office has a window so no one can complain about not having a view. I think its a great building and I hope it doesn't go the way of the train station, I would hate to lose this one.
The key to taking these pictures is to go downtown on a Sunday morning, no one is around and you can get some great ones. I will probably update a few of them next year when the city will look a bit better.
Posted by mardenhill 12/04/2005 07:45:00 PM 0 comments
Angel's Cafe
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Tonight Erika and I went to Angel's Cafe down in Ferndale for dinner and it was amazing. We hadn't been in a couple years but the food was great, if you have never been you need to check it out. If you go give yourself enough time since everything is freshly made and takes a while to cook. The restaurant has some really cool artwork on the walls and it has a nice cozy feeling inside. The owner/chef/waiter tonight filled us in on his plans for the restaurant. He has recently turned his meals into small and large plates and plans on incorporating more small plates for a bigger variety and cheaper dining. I had the blackened salmon with veggies and roasted potatoes and Erika had tomato and garlic chicken. I had a ceaser salad to start out with and you could tell the dressing was homemade, I have never had anything like it before. Angel's is down on 9 Mile next to Starving Artists and down the street from BW3s that just opened.
Posted by mardenhill 12/03/2005 09:57:00 PM 2 comments
Site Meter Rocks
Friday, December 02, 2005
I signed up for Site Meter earlier this year but didn't have it configured properly so I was tracking my blog as accurately as I could. Well its configured and up and running great now, I get an email sent to me of just stats and I can log into a web portal and check all types of fun stuff. I can see who visited the site by the IP address, it will give the company you work for or your cable provider and there is also a map of the world that you can view. I can also view by location which will give me cities, states and countries, it doesn't get better than this. I can now send emails harassing those of you who are not visiting regularly, I can track you and hunt you down.Looking at the world map, I have had visitors from as far away as Australia, Africa and Europe. I have had Mexican visitors and all over North America. So Rick go put this in your pipe and smoke it, I got myself a global audience reading my rants and raves. Remember Google started out small and now look at it, stay with me and I can take u to the top....Move over Drudge Report, What's Going On In The Head of Randy is hot on your trail.....
Posted by mardenhill 12/02/2005 10:40:00 PM 2 comments
New Travis
Travis reveal new album details
And they've recruited a special backing vocalist
Travis have teamed up with singer KT Tunstall for their next record.
The band have 20 songs for the new record, which is due next year.
Bassist Dougie Payne revealed: "We met (Tunstall) at one of the little club shows we did for the singles collection - the Cavern show in Liverpool. We feel very lucky that she agreed to come in and help us out. She's astonishingly well pitched."
The band have been working with Radiohead producer Nigel Goldrich , who worked on 'The Man Who' and 'The Invisible Band'
"We've got about 20 songs recorded. It sounds like we've got two albums worth of material," Payne told The Daily Record .
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I hope this cd will be better than the last one, I was very disappointed with it, there were about 4 good songs and that was all. If it wasn't for Travis, there would not be a Coldplay.
Posted by mardenhill 12/02/2005 01:33:00 PM 1 comments
BOR
Thursday, December 01, 2005
http://www.crooksandliars.com/
Bill O'Reilly won all three positions and the coveted "Today's worst person in the world!" award
Olbermann: "But tonight's winner: Bill O'Reilly! You know this whole attack on Christmas nonsense that he made up? Some sort of fantasy in which the liberals are coming to your town to force you and your family to not call it Christmas anymore? The fantasy that we can't say "Merry Christmas," but you can only say "Happy Holidays"? The thing designed to stir up religious hatred and paranoia in this country? Guess what they're selling over at the Fox News online store? The Fox News "Holiday" ornament! And the O'Reilly Factor "Holiday" ornament. Who is trying to change "Merry Christmas" into "Happy Holidays"? Bill O'Reilly, that's who. Today's worst person in the world! (Media Matters for the transcript)
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Keith Olbermann, tore BOR apart on his Countdown last nite, gave him the Worse, Worser and Worst Person of the Day award for his attack on liberal blogs, attack on Murtha saying that he would be friends with Hitler and finally the Christmas Tree/Holiday Tree fiasco. BTW, Fox changed the website today to reflect Christmas instead of Holiday, I wonder if some poor soul lost his job over it.
Posted by mardenhill 12/01/2005 04:39:00 PM 0 comments
Getting Closer....
Michigan Senate reaches compromise allowing wine shipments
LANSING, Mich. — Wineries inside and outside of Michigan could directly ship up to 1,500 cases of wine a year to state residents under compromise legislation that received bipartisan support Wednesday from a Senate committee.
The panel voted 5-0 to approve two bills, which would require vintners to get a $100 state license to send wine directly to consumers. The full Senate is expected to pass the legislation Thursday and send it to the House.
“I’m glad the wineries here in Michigan will be able to ship directly to consumers,” said Sen. Michelle McManus, a Lake Leelanau Republican who is sponsoring one bill. “I think that’s a basic right they’ve enjoyed for a number of years and will continue to enjoy because we’ve reached this compromise.”
The legislation would let Michigan consumers buy wine from out-of-state wineries, a victory for wine enthusiasts. Unlike a bill approved in the House, it also would allow vintners to distribute wine on their own to restaurants and retailers.
Michigan’s 42 wineries had complained that curtailing that activity would drastically harm their sales.
Direct shippers would pay taxes to the state under the bills. Wineries also would have to obtain a faxed copy of the buyer’s driver’s license or use an age-verification service to make sure minors couldn’t buy alcohol on the Internet.
The Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association, a key group involved in the debate over wine shipments, supports the compromise.
-- November 30, 2005
Posted by mardenhill 12/01/2005 08:45:00 AM 0 comments
I Find This Very Funny....
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
I wonder if he will acknowledge all the blogs who he hates so much for discovering this. I hope he says something tonight on his show, then we can see if the station slaps him back into place or if he gets his way....
Put your holiday tree in "The No Spin Zone" with this silver glass "O'Reilly Factor" ornament. Metal cap and hoop for hanging. Made in the USA.
Posted by mardenhill 11/30/2005 05:03:00 PM 2 comments
Welcome to the Blogosphere
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
I would like to take a moment and welcome Kim Landris Campbell out to the Blogosphere, she along with her husband Matt and daughter Lily have started a blog for everyone to enjoy. I am a bit pissed that it has been up for a month and she has finally let us know, not too long ago I think around my birthday Kim was making fun of me for blogging. Now that I think about it, Kim you owe me big time for promoting your blog, my site reaches millions of readers and you are still dissing Mark Lanegan. For those of you who don't know Mark, he is only the coolest musician on the planet, he was the lead singer of the Screaming Trees and has 6 solo records to his name. You can find him on the last few Queens of the Stone Age along with the Twilight Singers, Greg Dulli's latest project.
Under Friends & Blogs you will find a link to Kim's site and while you are there don't forget to check out Joel's blog.
http://www.klandris.blogspot.com/
Posted by mardenhill 11/29/2005 10:26:00 PM 2 comments
Caught In The Act
We put up our tree this evening and snapped a few pics of Mr. Kitty looking guilty. A few years ago Mr. Kitty learned the hard way not to mess with xmas trees, he bit a bulb and shorted out the whole strand. I believe he got a good shock since he has never done it again. We will see how he does this year, we have decided to place some ornaments on the lower branches to see if he will bother them or not. And no Mr. Kitty is not possessed, its just the camera it will never take good pictures of his eyes with the flash on even when its on the red eye delay. Posted by mardenhill 11/29/2005 10:17:00 PM 0 comments
Awe Poor Baby.....
After months of insisting he had done nothing wrong, Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham tearfully acknowledged taking $2.4 million in bribes, saying: "The truth is I broke the law." The eight-term Republican and former Vietnam fighting ace pleaded guilty to graft Monday and resigned, admitting he took money mostly from defense contractors in exchange for government business and other favors.
"In my life, I have had great joy and great sorrow. And now I know great shame," a tearful Cunningham said after the plea. "I can't undo what I have done but I can atone."
But Cunningham, who could get up to 10 years in prison at sentencing Feb. 27 on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and fraud, and tax evasion, may not be the only person ensnared in the case. Prosecutors have indicated they have more than him in mind.
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This pathetic scumbag took 2.5 million in bribes from Defense contracters while in the House and used them to pay for his lavish lifestyle. He came out yesterday all in tears saying he was sorry for what he did, well screw him let him rot in jail and think about it. He is one of those "your with us or against us" nutjobs who wraps themselves in the flag to scream about patriotism all the while screwing the country by taking bribes. I have no compassion for this thug, he deserves getting the book thrown at him and hopefully more will go down because of this. Its time to clean up Washington and if it takes one politician at a time, so be it. We already have Delay on the ropes, Rep Ney from Ohio is next and the list goes on.
Posted by mardenhill 11/29/2005 08:58:00 AM 0 comments
That Thing Gotta Hemi?
Monday, November 28, 2005
Check out http://www.dodge.com/hemistar/index.html
Posted by mardenhill 11/28/2005 04:17:00 PM 3 comments
1st Audio Posting
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Posted by mardenhill 11/27/2005 02:30:00 PM 0 comments
The Cult
Saturday, November 26, 2005
On our way back from Erika's parents we were listening to MSU's college radio station and I heard some old Cult. They played "Rain" off of Love and I couldn't remember if I had the cd or not. I checked my mp3 library and didnt have Sonic Temple or Love so I went out to emusic.com and luckily they had them both plus some other Cult cds. I downloaded them both this morning and felt that they needed a review out on the blog.
Sonic Temple is by far the most popular Cult cd, I remember seeing them live back in '89 when they opened for Metallica at Pine Knob. The crowd was not too kind to them, but they put on a great show. The opening track "Sun King" starts out slow but the drums come in and the song explodes. There are lots of heavy guitar riffs, a mix between 70s rock and the heavy metal at the time. "Firewoman" comes up next and everyone knows that song, no need to really describe it. "Edie (Caio Baby)" is the Cult's most popular ballad, it has all the elements needed but what separates this song from others is the orchestra, the violins add a lot to the depth of the song. When you put swirling guitars and violins together you end up with a masterpiece. The rest of the cd isn't filler but there isn't much to write about. The tracks tend to blend together and thats about it.Getting to the Love cd, this came out in '85 and has some of the best Cult songs. Its not as good as Electric but it has some amazing cuts. The cd starts out with "Nirvana" typical Cult song, nothing special but the songs you need to know are "Brother Wolf Sister Moon" a slow brooding dirge that mixes in orchestra sounds, "Rain" the perfect blend of guitar and synth of the time and "She Sells Sanctuary" which sounds like it should be on Sonic Temple.
After Sonic Temple the next cd was OK but nothing to special. They came out with The Cult which was a commercial disaster but it had "Coming Down (Drug Tongue)" which was a great song. After that The Cult disappeared for a long time only to resurface with Beyond Good and Evil which was a very heavy cd.
Posted by mardenhill 11/26/2005 11:21:00 AM 2 comments
New iMac G5
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Posted by mardenhill 11/23/2005 12:42:00 PM 1 comments
Hey Guess What? More Ryan Adams News!!!!!!
Monday, November 21, 2005
Ryan Adams confirms tracklist for solo album
'29' is the singer's third LP this year
Ryan Adams has confirmed the details of his final album of 2005.
The alt-country lynchpin, who has already released 'Cold Roses' and 'Jacksonville City Nights' this year, will bring out '29' on December 19.
While this year's previous outings were with his band The Cardinals, the new record was produced by long-term producer Ethan Johns and is a solo release, Billboard reports.
'29's tracklist is:
'29'
'Strawberry Wine'
'Night Birds'
'Blue Sky Blues'
'Carolina Rain'
'Starlite Diner'
'The Sadness'
'Elizabeth, You Were Born To Play That Part'
'Voices'
Posted by mardenhill 11/21/2005 01:06:00 PM 0 comments
Walk The Line
Erika and I went and saw Walk The Line yesterday and it was very good, I highly recommend it. Both Reese and Joaquin deserve awards for their performances, they had to sing and play their own instruments throughout the movie. It was nice to watch the beginning of Johnny Cash's career and to see how much he has influenced american music.
You got to see Cash touring with Elvis, June Carter, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis back at the start of it all. It followed Cash's addictions and how June saved him from his self destruction.
We went to a Sunday matinee and there were about 20 people in the theatre, I think everyone eles was at Harry Potter. I think we will see that one this week, I tell 2 movies in a week is a record for me seeing that we have gone to 3 movies total this whole year.
Posted by mardenhill 11/21/2005 09:06:00 AM 1 comments
20 Years Of Bells
Sunday, November 20, 2005
A special ale brewed to celebrate and commemorate our 20th Anniversary. We believe it's worthy of the honor.
| Original Gravity: | 1.0645 |
| Alcohol by Volume: | 5.8% |
| Packaging Available: | 4/6/12 Ounce Bottles (Cases) |
| UPC: | 7 40522 10321 5 - 12 Oz. Label 7 40522 10323 9 - Six Pack |
| Availability: | Release date of September 12, 2005 |
Yesterday we were at Whole Foods when I came across the Bells display and had to grab a 6 pack. The 20th anniversary beer is not as heavy and dark as the Amber but nowhere near as light as Oberon. It has a very faint bitterness to it and is a well balanced beer that everyone would be proud of.
I figured it out and I have been drinking Bells for 12 years now, its amazing how time flies when you are drinking good beer. I remember the days of the brewery, the drunken nights, the smell of dirty hippies in the winter, walking barefoot in the beer garden and Excentric Ale end of the year parties. Excentric Ale nite was always a great time but the beer sucked, the alcohol content was so high it had to be served in a brandy snifter and the taste was like cough syrup.
My favorite brews are the Amber and Oberon with the Best Brown and Third Coast coming in next. While living in Kalamazoo the brewery would periodically have weekend brews and some of the best beers came from these. There was the Cherry Larry and Scotch Ale both of which would have been great bottled. This summer there was a cherry ale bottled and sold which was very close to Cherry Larry and I hope they do it again next year.
If you find yourself driving down I94 West and pass Kalamazoo don't forget to stop into the brewery, if you have never been you won't be disappointed.
Posted by mardenhill 11/20/2005 12:14:00 PM 2 comments
Tricky, The Man, The Genius
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Tricky's first 3 records are some of the best records ever, they are thick with layers and your drown in the dark moodiness of it all. Tricky got his start with Massive Attack but then moved on to make music on his own.
Maxinquaye starts off with "Overcome" a heavy trip hop beat sung by Martina, Tricky's counterpart for the next few albums. "Ponderosa" features Tricky with his trademark stoner talk/rap/mumble thing he does so well. This song is so heavy and think you could cut it with a knife, another trademark of Tricky's music. "Black Steel" is a Public Enemy cover but you would never know because he has done an amazing job rewriting it for himself. "Hell Is Around the Corner" features Tricky up front on vocals and he slides thru the song with the biggest bong hit voice known to man. The background music is scratchy and dense with a little bit of indian rhythms mixed in. "Brand New You're Retro" is more of a rap song than anything but the beats introduce you to his in your face, tense style that you will find on his next 2 records. I could go on about every track but I need to move on.
Nearly God is Tricky's 2nd cd and features duets with Neneh Cherry, Bjork and Alison Moyet just to name a few. "Tattoo" starts the cd off and is dark, brooding with heavy vocals and erie soundtrack noises in the background. Tricky' trademark scratching and crackling is back which adds to the haunting sound. "Together Now" features Neneh and is more of a straightforward song with radio friendly beats. "Keep Your Mouth Shut" features Bjork and is the complete opposite, putting the 2 of them together you get a very complex song. Black Coffee has Martina back singing and her vocals are very torch singer on this song. Its an amazing song, probably the best on the cd. "Children's Story" finishes off the cd with Martina singing/rapping and showcasing her true skills that would be lost after the next cd until her solo early this year.
Pre-Millennum Tension starts off with "Vent" Tricky singing and beats full of tension and crackle. "Christiansands" mixes a simple guitar riff with dual vocals between Tricky and Martina and a deep bass beat. "Tricky Kid" has Tricky singing/rapping and is very reminicent of the underground rap scene in the UK. Tricky spends the next few cds in this realm which has some highlights but a lot of flat and boring songs. "Makes Me Wanna Die" features Martina and is the best song on the cd. Its dark and beautiful at the same time. The underlying piano is enough to keep the song together with the heavy bass and simple drum beat. "Sex Drive" has the tension and harmonica with lots of fuzz. "My Evil is Strong" is another complex song with live guitar and drums but also includes an electronic backdrop. "Piano" finishes off the cd with Tricky singing over a piano line with thick layers of electronic interference. At times it sounds like Tricky recorded a breathing machine and included it as a layer of sound.
Tricky's cds are very complicated, he has his radioesque songs mixed in but for the most part they are heavy layers of unique sounds. He is not a great singer, his style tho gives his cds a haunting edge to them. Martina and him make a great team but by the next cd she is gone, never to return. This is where Tricky moves on to the underground rap scene and leaves the UK Bristol trip hop behind. Tricky has some good songs throughout his next few cds but nothing worth writing about in my opinion. I will do a review of Martina's solo, a cd everyone should own.
Posted by mardenhill 11/19/2005 10:05:00 AM 0 comments
The Vatican Has Spoken....
Friday, November 18, 2005
The vatican has come out and said that Intelligent Design does not belong in the science classroom, it belongs in a religion or cultural history class. I have no problem teaching ID but its not science and should be taught accordingly. How would all the churches like it if the state came in and said that evolution will have to be taught in every sunday school classroom, I don't think that would fly over too well. If concerned parents want their kids learning ID, then take them to sunday school don't bully the public schools into doing it for you.
Vatican's chief astronomer said Friday that "intelligent design" isn't science and doesn't belong in science classrooms, the latest high-ranking Roman Catholic official to enter the evolution debate in the United States.
The Rev. George Coyne, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, said placing intelligent design theory alongside that of evolution in school programs was "wrong" and was akin to mixing apples with oranges.
"Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be," the ANSA news agency quoted Coyne as saying on the sidelines of a conference in Florence. "If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent design should be taught when religion or cultural history is taught, not science."
Posted by mardenhill 11/18/2005 09:36:00 PM 0 comments
Quote Of The Day
Murtha, a defense hawk, decorated Vietnam War veteran and retired Marine colonel, made a reference to the draft deferments that kept Cheney out of Vietnam.
"I like guys who got five deferments and (have) never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done," Murtha said.
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Murtha a conservative Dem and someone who actually served came out against the war, and called for an immediate pullout.
Posted by mardenhill 11/18/2005 08:37:00 AM 1 comments
More On Cheney
Thursday, November 17, 2005
courtesy of www.firedoglake.blogspot.com
Oh boy here come the fireworks. Reuters:
A White House official said on Thursday that national security adviser Stephen Hadley was not Woodward's source on Plame.If that's true, as far as I can tell, that only leaves Big Time.
Emptywheel has a must-read post on the critical timing of the Woodward leak and how, if it came from Cheney, it almost certainly represents and Espionage or IIPA violation. Cheney probably got his information from Tenet (despite Tenet's protestations to the contrary, according to people at the NYT anyway), and as Fitzgerald took pains to outline in the Libby indictment, Cheney knew quite well that Plame worked in counterproliferation which meant her status was covert. More on this later, but I'm thinking this will make for an explosive Christmas -- look for Bush to be doing some brush clearance at the VP's office before the SOTU in January.
..............................
With the year that Bush has had, he would be wise to shake things up. But seeing how Bush is so loyal and likes to promote even those who don't have the skills for the position will keep Cheney on. We can only hope he keeps him on, this will help bring Bush down and an end to his reign of power. We all know Cheney orchestrated the war, he snowballed Bush on it, and then outed Valerie Plame when Joe Wilson came too close to the truth. Its amazing how many things are going wrong with this administration and how many things have Cheney's fingerprints on them. They have lost the battle on torture but Cheney refuses to give up.
Posted by mardenhill 11/17/2005 10:47:00 PM 0 comments
Dr Evil Himself Has Surfaced to Join In The Fight
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
I was watching CNN tonight when they cut over to Cheney's speech where he blasted Dems and critics of his quagmire him and the neocons created. I know people will be all "ooh" Cheney's back and he's pissed, well he can say all he wants but that is the last person who should be out beating the drum, he is the reason we are where we are and most of the Saddam 9/11 remarks came from him. So I say Cheney bring it on, we got more ammo on our side than you do, your big fat mouth has spewed forth more lies and misdirection than anyone in Washington combined....Your approval rating is in the toilet, no one trusts you and we all know that you outed Valerie Plame.
Cheney's Comments tonight:
Vice President Dick Cheney added his voice on Wednesday to the chorus of Republican criticism of Democrats who have accused the Bush administration of manipulating intelligence on Iraq, calling it "one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city."
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courtesy of www.ameriblog.blogspot.com
1. Cheney Claimed Iraq Was Providing WMD Training To Al-Qaeda Months After Source Recanted
or the one where... 2. Cheney claimed Saddam was harboring Al Qaeda? He wasn't.
or the one where... 3. Cheney claimed Saddam gave Al Qaeda bomb-making expertise and trained Al Qaeda terrorists how to use chemical and biological weapons? Saddam didn't.
or the one where... 4. On Sept 14, 2003 Cheney claimed, for the second time at least, that there was evidence suggesting Mohammad Atta visited the Iraqi embassy in the Czech Republic? He didn't, and Cheney knew the supposed evidence had already been debunked, yet repeated the charge on Tim Russert's show as a justification for the war.
or the one where... With respect to 9/11, of course, we’ve had the story that’s been public out there. The Czechs alleged that Mohamed Atta, the lead attacker, met in Prague with a senior Iraqi intelligence official five months before the attack
5. Cheney said during the VP debates last October that he NEVER had publicly connected Iraq and 9/11. Of course, he did on Meet the Press a year before:
or the one where... Cheney: "If we're successful in Iraq, if we can stand up a good representative government in Iraq, that secures the region so that it never again becomes a threat to its neighbors or to the United States, so it's not pursuing weapons of mass destruction, so that it's not a safe haven for terrorists, now we will have struck a major blow right at the heart of the base, if you will, the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11."
6.Cheney denied linking Atta to the Iraqis, when he did:
June 17, 2004. Vice President Cheney talking to CNBC's Gloria Borger:Borger: 'Well, let's go to Mohamed Atta for a minute, because you mentioned him as well. You have said in the past that it was, quote, 'pretty well confirmed.' '
On Dec. 9, 2001. Cheney talking to NBC's Tim Russert (this is perhaps the first time he made this lie):
Cheney: 'No, I never said that.'
Borger: 'Okay.'
Cheney: 'Never said that.'
Borger: 'I think that is . . . '
Cheney: 'Absolutely not. What I said was the Czech intelligence service reported after 9/11 that Atta had been in Prague on April 9th of 2001, where he allegedly met with an Iraqi intelligence official. We have never been able to confirm that nor have we been able to knock it down.'Cheney: 'Well, what we now have that's developed since you and I last talked, Tim, of course, was that report that -- it's been pretty well confirmed that he did go to Prague and he did meet with a senior official of the Iraqi intelligence service in Czechoslovakia last April, several months before the attack. Now, what the purpose of that was, what transpired between them, we simply don't know at this point, but that's clearly an avenue that we want to pursue.
Posted by mardenhill 11/16/2005 08:09:00 PM 0 comments
100% Confident But No Charges
Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said Tuesday he is "100% confident" that Geoffrey Fieger, Michigan's best-known trial lawyer, conspired with an associate to blackmail state Attorney General Mike Cox by threatening to reveal an affair Cox admitted last week.
But Gorcyca said he won't bring charges against Fieger or West Bloomfield attorney Lee O'Brien because he doesn't have the ammunition to make a criminal case stick.
"Without solid proof, I was reluctant to issue charges," Gorcyca said.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051116/NEWS03/511160345
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So here's the skinny on the situation, our Attorney General Mike Cox had an extramarital affair and knew it was going to leak to the press. Mike knew that Geoffrey Fieger was planning on running against him next year and wanted to get this out in the open before the election and wanted to bring Fieger down in the process. So Mike concocted this whole elaberate story about how Fieger was blackmailing him with this info so he had the Oakland County Prosecuter look into the matter. Well what did we find out? Nothing, and it was all a poor attempt to smear Fieger before the election. So its not just scumbags we have in Washingtion, we have them in our own backyard. Rememeber this next year when its time to vote for a new AG.
Posted by mardenhill 11/16/2005 08:49:00 AM 3 comments
Drinking Again.....
Monday, November 14, 2005
Bush Approval Falls To Record Low…
68% Of Americans Dissatisfied With Direction Of Country…
Only 29 Percent Believe Cheney Is Honest And Ethical…
Yep our Prez is on the cover of Globe again, this time he's in therapy. Ok you can't always trust the tabloids but it is nice to see that Bush is getting a few more covers, don't think he would ever get as many as Clinton but a few more would be good. I think we can get that 29% down to the teens, we just need to keep hammering home the idea that Cheney supports torture. This isn't a lie, he has lobbied congress to not pass McCain's legislation so I have no problem pointing this out. We need to get Cheney's approval ratings down lower but not too low where Bush replaces him, its good to keep him on thru next year. My only concern with this administration is that the terror warnings will start up again, they will need to scare the public back into submission and that is the only way they can. Pay very close attention to any terror warning, disect it to make sure its not manufactured before believing.Posted by mardenhill 11/14/2005 08:15:00 AM 3 comments
Pictures From the UofM Game today
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Erika and I got to go tailgate at the corporate tent area and had row A tickets on the 40 yard line today for the UofM game. Erika got them thru work and it was a lot of fun getting free food and drinks, front row tickets and a free baseball cap for the price of parking $15. I'm not a big football fan but it was cool sitting so close, I doubt I will ever get to sit there again so I made sure I took lots of pictures. You could hear the Indiana coach yelling at his players and see the injured players getting treated. Below are some pics, I have others but thought I would only bore you with a few of them.
Posted by mardenhill 11/12/2005 06:36:00 PM 1 comments
O'Reilly Defends His San Francisco Comments
O’Reilly Responds: “What I Said Isn’t Controversial. What I Said Needed to Be Said.”
O’Reilly not only stood by his comments, but claimed they “needed to be said”:
I mean, look, everybody knows what’s going on there. What I said isn’t controversial. What I said needed to be said. I’m sitting here and I’m looking at a city that has absolutely no clue about what the world is. None. You know, if you had been hit on 9/11 instead of New York, believe me, you would not have voted against military recruting. Yet the left-wing, selfish, Land of Oz philosophy that the media and the city politicians have embraced out there is an absolute intellectual disgrace.
.....................................From the November 8 broadcast of Fox News' The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:
O'REILLY: Hey, you know, if you want to ban military recruiting, fine, but I'm not going to give you another nickel of federal money. You know, if I'm the president of the United States, I walk right into Union Square, I set up my little presidential podium, and I say, "Listen, citizens of San Francisco, if you vote against military recruiting, you're not going to get another nickel in federal funds. Fine. You want to be your own country? Go right ahead."
And if Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead.
..................................I have no respect for this fucking douchebag, he is a traitor for calling for the destruction of a city by terrorists because he doesn't like their policies. I cannot wait for the bloggers and radio to take these words and murder his career. I would hope the main stream media will join in and evicerate him. I have tried reading his books and watching his show, but he is not worth it anymore, he and the likes of Pat Robertson (we need to assassinate Hugo Chavez and Dover, Pennsylvania You have turned your back on God) need to be kicked off the airwaves, there is no room for their hate. If a democratic talking head gave a remark like this they would be tarred and feathered and hung out to dry, not to mention arrested by the FBI and probably tortured by Cheney's orders. Freedom of speech only goes so far, when you preach the destruction of a city, then you have crossed the line.
Posted by mardenhill 11/12/2005 06:22:00 PM 2 comments
Numbers Don't Lie, Only Crooked Republicans Do....
Friday, November 11, 2005
60% want public hearings
According to Friday's Wall Street Journal: "Six in 10, including 43% of Republicans, say there should be a public investigation and hearings into exposure of operative Valerie Plame's identity." The statistic is published in the paper's Washington Wire.
"Fully 69% of Americans hold Cheney personally responsible for the matter; 54% hold Bush responsible.
"Republican congressional leaders don't plan to go along. Among conservatives, 60% say other administration officials aside from Libby may have acted illegally.
..........................................
These numbers will continue to grow as the public becomes more aware of how corrupt this administration really is.
Scandal Count
WMDs
Plamegate
Libbygate
Rovegate
CIA Prisongate
Delaygate
Abramoffgate
And the list goes on, there are probably more but my head is already full of these, I can't keep track of the others....
Fristgate
Posted by mardenhill 11/11/2005 12:07:00 PM 3 comments
Artic Free From Drilling?
Thursday, November 10, 2005
WASHINGTON - House leaders late Wednesday abandoned an attempt to push through a hotly contested plan to open an Alaskan wildlife refuge to oil drilling, fearing it would jeopardize approval of a sweeping budget bill Thursday.
They also dropped from the budget document plans to allow states to authorize oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts — regions currently under a drilling moratorium.
The actions were a stunning setback for those who have tried for years to open a coastal strip of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, to oil development, and a victory for environmentalists, who have lobbied hard against the drilling provisions. President Bush has made drilling in the Alaska refuge his top energy priorities.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9984545/
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The issue is far from over but its good to see the admin backing off. Instead of embracing real alternative energy and conservation efforts, they just want to drill everywhere there is open land. Hopefully with the pressure on the oil execs we will see some real push for renewables. With the recent profits made by the oil industry, I think all tax breaks and money for research should be resinded, the companies can afford it on their own.
Posted by mardenhill 11/10/2005 09:03:00 AM 1 comments
UO - Saturation
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
I said Positive Bleeding was their 2nd most popular song, their 1st would be Neil Diamond's Girl You Will Be A Woman Soon cover from Pulp Fiction. Most people know this song but nothing else.
Posted by mardenhill 11/09/2005 08:32:00 PM 2 comments
Wine Savings? Well Its About Time......
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
http://www.mattprenticerg.com/urc/index.asp
I was reading on www.fermentation.com and there was a bit on the Matt Prentice Restaurant Group which is a conglomerate of Michigan eateries around the metro detroit area. What the posting said was that these restaurants would be selling wine for only a 50% markup from their wholesale price.
What that means......
The word "revolutionary" may seem like a strong way to describe a restaurant's wine program, but what Madeline Triffon is up to at Morels: An American Bistro in Bingham Farms is sending shock waves throughout the Detroit dining scene. And everybody said it wouldn't work. Since June, Triffon, the master sommelier and beverage director for the Matt Prentice Restaurant Group, has revised the pricing of by-the-bottle sales at one of the group's 12 restaurants to reflect a policy of 50% above wholesale. That means if the restaurant can purchase a bottle of wine for $10, the cost to you is $15.
Many restaurants typically double, even triple, wholesale pricing.
"Great wine should be accessible," says Triffon. "And for the most part, especially in restaurants, the best wines in the world have been treated as an exclusive commodity. My mission has been to make wines as inclusive as possible. This way of marketing interesting wines within a restaurant is a pretty unique concept."
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I am used to looking at bottles in a restaurant and dividing it by 3 for what my cost at a store would be. I would never buy bottles since the cost difference was just too much for me to bear but with this new logic, I could actually save if I bought a bottle at one of these restaurants. The one that Erika and I usually go to is the Flying Fish over on 13 mile and Southfield, the food is great and I just took a look at their menu and the bottles were very affordable. You can have a $20-$25 bottle of wine with dinner and not worry that its Sutter Home you are being served. I would love to see this concept stretched across more restaurants. If the state legislators keep their fithy hands off the wine shipping issue, out of state vineyards could possibly sell directly to restaurants and we could save even more.
Posted by mardenhill 11/08/2005 05:08:00 PM 1 comments
Pink Vs Blue
Here are some pics of the new Motorola Razr color phones, you have pink and ice blue. These are supposed to be out next month and I hope they push the price of the silver and black down a bit. I can see the pink being a big seller but not sure about the ice blue, but we will have to wait and see. Its like ipod mini mania all over again.......
There are also 2 more Motorola phones coming out, the Motorola Q which will be the blackberry and treo killer and the Slvr which is a thin phone with the etched keypad. I am hoping all of these flood the market next month, that way I can swoop in and grab an original razr for a discounted price. I have been a nokia only cell guy for 5 years now but the razr sold me on a flip phone and I think this is my next one.
Posted by mardenhill 11/08/2005 10:22:00 AM 0 comments
Our Fare City
I was doing some research before I went to vote and came across these stats. I did luck out when I went to my polling place this morning, about 7 candidates were standing around greeting people and I did get to meet a few of the candidates. 2 out of the 3 mayoral candidates were there, the 150 year old Marilyn wasn't out so she lost my consideration. It was between Fred Collins and Alan Kideckel and seeing that Fred was a tool who wore an american flag tie and was all "let me shake your hand" I voted for Alan. There were a number of city council reps there but you could only pick 3. There were 3 proposals on the ballot for road construction, I voted for them since I have to drive on 11 mile and it sucks. I just have to remember that taxes for Royal Oak are at least $1000 more a year and that Berkley is a better city. We get to sweep our leaves into the street, have curbside recycling pickup and lots of other ammenities that other cities don't have. My Royal Oak friends have to bag everything, not us.
Berkley, MI
Suburb
Berkley is a city in Oakland County, in the Detroit metro area. The community is in the Eastern Standard time zone.
The latitude of Berkley is 42.503N. The longitude is -83.183W.
The estimated population, in 2003, was 15,239.
Income snapshot
Median household income
Local
$57,620
National
$41,994
Source: 2000 census, U.S. Census Bureau
The community was named after a local farm
Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 12. The number of murders and homicides was 0. The violent crime rate was 0.8 per 1,000 people.
Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was above the national average. (See library links below.)
Posted by mardenhill 11/08/2005 09:35:00 AM 3 comments
Sake And Cup All In One
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Cap Ace SakeThis sake has long been a very popular item in Japan. Enjoy for its delicious taste, convenient size and accompanying cup. Serve chilled, room temperature or warmed. Available in:180 ml(24 bottles per case)
http://www.gekkeikan-sake.com/
I was at World Market yesterday to pick up some Domain Chandon which they had on sale for $13.99 and I came across this really cool sake. It is from a US producer, Gekkeikan Sake USA Inc but this particular sake is under their import page. I opened it yesterday and had half of it at room temp and it was very good. Its in the refrigerator right now so I can try it chilled next. What is cool about sake is you can have it hot, room temp or chilled, all styles will produce different tastes. The bottle was $3.99 and it reminds me of a little juicebox, I am not used to getting a bottle of something that has its own cup with it. These are the things that are sold in vending machines over in japan, its a pickup and go type of drink. These will be good to have on hand if u get carryout sushi, just open one up and u are all set.
Posted by mardenhill 11/06/2005 10:53:00 AM 1 comments
New Riedel Decanter for the Stemless Glass Series
Friday, November 04, 2005
Designed by Maximilian Riedel, the 11th generation of this Austrian glassmaking dynasty, the Thumbs Up “O” decanter features a very deep punt that accommodates the entire thumb, while the other four fingers securely cradle the outside of the decanter.
This creates amazing stability and control when pouring and the elliptical mouth allows a perfectly drip free pour. The Thumbs Up “O” Decanter is hand blown, lead crystal and holds a standard 750 ml bottle of wine.
“In designing a decanter, the first thing you have to determine is how does the wine pour—does it have a nice smooth flow of wine, without dripping on the table? I like organic shapes in decanters—my first design, Cornetto, was inspired by watching the swans at Aureole in Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Hotel. There are beautiful swans swimming there and their graceful necks gave me the idea for the Cornetto. Of course the “O” glass that was introduced last year to great success was the inspiration for the Thumbs Up “O” decanter,” explained Maximilian Riedel. “The “O” glasses are such a comfortable fit in your hand that I wanted to emulate that sensation and shape with the new decanter.”
“Many people think a decanter is only for a very old bottle of wine, but I decant everything. For young red wines, the decanting really opens them up and makes them more accessible and enjoyable. It begins the aeration process that you carry on in the wine glass as you swirl the wine before taking a sip. Of course for older wines, the decanter helps you avoid any sediment, which could spoil your enjoyment. Some people are intimidated by decanters and find them unwieldy and awkward to use, but that’s because they’re badly designed. The Thumbs Up “O” decanter provides both great control and a very stylish look—and when people try it they hate to put it down—it feels so natural in your hand.”
Born in 1977, Maximilian Riedel joined the family business in 1997 at the age of 20, first training in sales and administration. He introduced Riedel to Dubai, and then spent two years in Paris at Riedel and its French importer, Ercuis, where he managed sales and conducted tastings.
In 2001, Maximilian created his first line of glassware—the Riedel Restaurant line and in 2004 he introduced the successful, and sometimes-controversial Riedel “O” line. The “O”, a stemless glass series, is largely responsible for pushing U.S. sales towards an estimated $34 million in 2004, up from approximately $18 million the previous year. In December 2004, Maximilian Riedel was appointed CEO of Riedel Crystal of America, which is the Austrian firm’s largest export market. Maximilian Riedel plans to create more groundbreaking glassware designs, while continuing to build the Riedel brand as the glassware choice for discerning wine lovers.
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The stemless glasses are very cool, they are dishwasher safe and are very affordable. This decanter is pretty sweet except for the fact that the cheapest I found it for was $120 from Amazon.com.
Target has a line of Riedel glasses, they are selling the Vivant collection for $40 for 4. I checked their website and there are no mention of this series, I don't know if its to new and they havn't updated or if its knock off posing as Riedel. There are also no reviews of the glasses but I did check them out and they seem pretty nice. Not too bad a price for good wine glasses.
Posted by mardenhill 11/04/2005 09:46:00 AM 3 comments
Gay, Black & Married
Thursday, November 03, 2005
My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult are back with a new cd entitled "Gay, Black & Married". Head on over to emusic to pick it up, you won't be disappointed. This cd was one that had been in the vaults for years but resurfaced and was released. The sound of it is not classic MLTKK its more of a sleazy, 70s disco mixed with a bit of industrial. If you are reading this and wondering who the hell are My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, well they are one of the pioneers of the Chicago industrial scene of the 80s and early 90s. Some of their songs are "Sex On Wheels, "A Daisy Chain 4 Satan", A Martini Built For 2" "Kooler Than Jesus" and "Blondes With Lobotomy Eyes". TKK toured with Lords of Acid throughout most of the 90s, they were the 2 biggest industrial club bands out there and their live shows were amazing. Lots of fire, smoke, exotic dancers and lound industrial beats. TKK's sound was not pure industrial it was more a mix of club and b movie soundtrack with a little bit of S&M mixed in. They had the bomb bang girls that would come out in fishnets and leather to sing and dance, think of them as a seedy vegas show.
Anyways the new cd, "Gay, Black & Married" is very good, lots of 70s groove and raspy vocals but little on the industrial side. Its nowhere as dark amd guitar laden as "A Crime for All Seasons" and is more like the remix album "Dirty Little Secrets". I checked their website,
http://www.mylifewiththethrillkillkult.com/ and next year there is supposed to be a new release and hopefully a tour.
Posted by mardenhill 11/03/2005 10:48:00 PM 1 comments
Wine Shipping News
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
http://www.freep.com/news/mich/wine2e_20051102.htm
With this latest ruling, buying wine over the internet from out of state vineyards is one step closer to reality. A federal judge in Detroit ruled that out of state vineyards can now ship to residents, but I have a feeling we will have to wait for the legislature to come up with guidelines before we can start.
"Lawyer Robert Epstein of Indianapolis, who represented the Healds, said consumers should expect the state to issue temporary permits soon to out-of-state wineries allowing shipments directly to Michigan consumers."
I will start checking the big producers and see if they have changed their websites, I just hope Rep Cox doesn't call for some crazy injunction to block shipping.
Posted by mardenhill 11/02/2005 08:06:00 PM 2 comments
Update: Dems Shut Senate Down For Closed Session
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Harry Reid did it again, he pulled one over on the repubs big time. He called for a closed door session to discuss pre war intelligence and why the repubs are covering for the administration. Investigations that should be going on have been stalled and put on the back burner, Harry just forced them back to the front.
The best part of it all, the repubs used the new supreme court nominee to pull airtime and oxygen out of the Libby story and on day 2, Reid just flipped the story back on Libby. CNN and the rest of the channels will run soundbites from angry repubs saying that this was out of line but the story is back where it belongs, on Libby and the justification the administration made up for going to war.
I love this quote: Majority Leader Frist reacts: “They have no conviction. They have no principles. They have no ideas. But this is the ultimate. Since I’ve been majority leader…have ever I been slapped in the face with such an affront to the leadership of this grand institution.
Frist is pissed off, he has once again proved how ineffective he is as a leader, there goes his chances in 08. He got slammed on Shavio, the nuclear option and now this, and that was only this year. Frist also has his insider trading scandal to deal with, not looking good for him......
So lets give it up to Harry, finally someone who will finally fight for the truth......
Posted by mardenhill 11/01/2005 05:49:00 PM 0 comments
Sen Reid's Got Some Balls
Rule 21 Invoked by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid; Frist Says Closed Senate Session 'Slap in the Face'; Dems Seek to Investigate Pre-War Intelligence, Libby Indictment... Developing...
www.drudgereport.com
The Senate's Democratic leader Harry Reid (D-NV) unexpectedly pulled the Senate into secret session Tuesday afternoon in order to have closed discussion of Iraq intelligence, RAW STORY has learned. Specifically, the senator sought to discuss a Senate Select Committee on Inteligence report on the failure of Iraqi WMD intelligence.
The maneuver immediately shuttered the doors of the Senate and cleared the Senate press galleries. It has been invoked just 53 previous times in the history of the body. It was last used during the Clinton impeachment hearings.
Closed sessions were also employed in 1997 for the Chemical Weapons Convention, and in 1992 during debate over China's "Most Favored Nation" trade status.
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Reid_takes_Senate_into_closed_session_1101.html
Posted by mardenhill 11/01/2005 03:18:00 PM 1 comments
Guess Who's Back, Back Again...
Marilyn Manson is back
The anti-Christ superstar lays to rest retirement rumours
Marilyn Manson has completed work on his sixth LP.
The anti-Christ superstar has described the follow up to 'The Golden Age Of Grotesque' as the "most guitar-driven" and "most original" material that he's ever written.
He told MTV.COM: "This record has a very unpleasant attitude toward itself, and I expect it to be - without sounding like someone who says this every time they make a record - something above and beyond and different - sonically, emotionally - than anything I've done."
"The lyrics have the most romantic feel to them. This is a desperate and crippling desire for romance - not in the romance sense of a Reese Witherspoon movie, but in the sense of living your life like a film and enjoying it that way. I've found a woman I can relate to. That's something - and I don't even feel sappy saying it - that, if anyone has that, don't lose it, because it's probably the only thing that you can ever really find any satisfaction from."
........................................
I am excited to see what his new image and sound will be, he is like Beck, a musician who reinvents himself with each album. I am not a big fan of his music but I love the power he has over his audience and how he can control and manipulate the media. I think with the hiatus, Marilyn will be able to recapture that audience once again and dominate the music world. Look at NIN, Trent has returned and is just as popular as before and people continue to rave about the new cd. I don't think that Industrial will ever be as popular as before but the titans have survived and are doing some interesting stuff with the genre.
Posted by mardenhill 11/01/2005 12:48:00 PM 1 comments
1 Million Videos and Counting
Apple sells over 1M videos in less than 20 days
By AppleInsider StaffPublished: 09:20 AM EST
Apple today announced that iTunes Music Store customers have purchased and downloaded more than one million videos since they debuted on October 12.
In a statement released today, the iPod maker said top downloads included music videos from Michael Jackson, Fatboy Slim and Kanye West; Pixar's "For the Birds" and "Boundin'"; and episodes of ABC's hit TV shows "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives."iTunes music store shoppers can currently choose from over 2,000 music videos, Pixar short films and hit TV shows for just $1.99. "Selling one million videos in less than 20 days strongly suggests there is a market for legal video downloads," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Our next challenge is to broaden our content offerings, so that customers can enjoy watching more videos on their computers and new iPods."
Music videos are available from artists including Madonna, U2, Eurythmics, Coldplay and Kanye West, and animated shorts are available from Academy Award-winning Pixar Animation Studios. In a deal with ABC Disney, the iTunes Music Store also offers current and past episodes from the two most popular shows on television, "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" as well as the new drama series "Night Stalker" and the two most popular shows from Disney Channel, "That's So Raven" and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."The iTunes Music Store also features more than two million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent record labels, 11,000 audiobooks, gift certificates and exclusive music not found anywhere else online.
Posted by mardenhill 11/01/2005 09:09:00 AM 2 comments
