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Lunar Eclipse
Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Tonight was the lunar eclipse and if you are reading this right now, go outside to catch it in action. As of 10:05pm the moon was nearly covered and it was dark orange in color. In about 20 minutes you should see the white starting to appear from the left. Unfortunately its 19 degrees out so staying outside for more than 15 minutes at a time is pretty hard. I couldn't find the eye pieces to my telescope so I had to pull out some old binoculars to watch. They did the trick so I wasn't too upset. The last time I witnessed a lunar eclipse was back in '99 while living in Oregon.

Posted by mardenhill 2/20/2008 10:14:00 PM 0 comments  

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Clinton's Junk Yard Dogs


Tom Buffenbarger president of the machinists' union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers)

Buffenbarger called Obama a “thespian,” and he sarcastically referred to the junior senator from Illinois as a “wunderkind.” He compared Obama to “Janus, the two-faced Roman god of ancient times.” And he pleaded with the crowd to boo Obama’s labor record.

Early in his speech, Buffenbarger asked, “So now we have a decision to make. Will we rely on the Harvard Law Review editor? The silver-tongued orator from Kansas, Hawaii and Illinois? The man in love with the microphone?”

Taking off the gloves, he said, “Barack Obama is no Muhammad Ali. He took a walk every time there was a tough vote in the Illinois State Senate. He took a walk more than a 130 times. That's what a shadow boxer does. All the right moves. All the right combinations. All the right footwork. But he never steps into the ring.”

But it was Obama supporters for whom Buffenbarger saved his most vitriolic contempt, and he proved that the Democratic Party’s coalition is nothing if not fragile. Channeling Howard Beale from the movie "Network," he yelled into the microphone, “Give me a break! I've got news for all the latte-drinking, Prius- driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies crowding in to hear him speak! This guy won't last a round against the Republican attack machine. He's a poet, not a fighter.”
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The gloves have been off for a while but now they are now hitting below the belt. This guy in a speech introducing Clinton went off on Obama and his supporters. Last time I checked there were over 10 million people who have voted for Obama and all from different backgrounds. I highly doubt all of them are latte drinking, prius drivers. What this lowlife is getting has to do with those who don't fall in line and worship at the feet of Clinton are somehow traitors to the cause. This is classic republican talk and interesting that it has seeped into the Clinton campaign. The broad coalition that Obama has built can stand up to and even defeat the old guard. The DLC and DNC can be taken down and if these so called "Latte Liberals" are the ones to do it, so be it. I don't mind a riot and if it means taking out the scumbags of the party and building a new one from ground up, count me in.

Posted by mardenhill 2/20/2008 12:14:00 PM 1 comments  

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And Its Obama



Last nite Obama adding to his winning streak and as of now is up to 10 in a row. Looking at the map, Obama has 24 states to Hillary's 11. Ignore the 13 because every map still includes Michigan and Florida in her win column. So you have one person who has swept across the country picking up wins in all areas and demographics but somehow we should discount this and give it to Hillary who has only won the "Big" states. The win in New Mexico really isn't much of a win since the margin is less than 1% but since Hill is so far down in the state count she can have it.

According to CNN here are the latest breakdowns of delegates and super delegate counts. Obama is in the lead in both but for now we should really just concentrate on pledged since the supers can change come the convention. Obama also wins in the popular vote and I expect that column to continue growing. Even when Florida and Michigan are factored in, Obama still has more votes.

I have been reading postings and comments over at www.taylormarsh.com and it blows me away that these are democrats. Taylor is a huge Clinton supporter and most of her blog bashes Obama on a daily basis. The comments are quite funny tho, there are plenty of nutballs who call Obama a sexist pig and refuse to support him. They are in some dillusional world that somehow Hillary will pull this off. They ignore the numbers and push on with dead stories that they believe somehow tarnish Obama. I am not saying that Obama doesn't have the same nutballs but Hillary's people are quite scary. The latest uproar is over Obama's "Bigfooting" Hillary during her so called concession speech. Sorry folks, it was the 2nd time Hillary refused to congratulate so why let her drone on and on?

Barack Obama
Pledged: 1140
Superdelegates: 161
Total: 1,301

Hillary Clinton
Pledged: 1005
Superdelegates: 234
Total: 1,239

Popular Vote Total
Obama: 10,234,964
Hillary: 9,324,418

Posted by mardenhill 2/20/2008 09:40:00 AM 0 comments  

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Three Saints Syrah 2005
Monday, February 18, 2008


Three Saints wines are a vivid expression of carefully selected grapes from the Dierberg Family's vineyards which are located in three of Santa Barbara County's premium wine growing regions: Santa Maria Valley, Santa Rita Hills and Santa Ynez Valley.
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I decided to check out a new wine shop in town, well not new per say, but new to me. It was Plum Market, an upscale and pretentious grocery store located in Bloomfield Hills. I only went in for their wine selection which I have to say was quite nice. Upon first glance it seems like everything is a deal with one price and another in red below it at a discount. After browsing the store for a few minutes I caught onto their game and could see thru the charade. Besides having a head full of useless music knowledge that would only come in handy on Rock N Roll Jeopardy, I have a knack for remembering wine bottles and prices. After comparing some common bottles I saw a pattern of markups and their sale price being equal or possibly $1-$2 cheaper in some cases. I'm not saying Plum Market is a scam but you need be aware of their pricing scheme and not get too excited when you see a sale. I did find a number of bottles I have never heard of which then allows me to purchase them without any remorse since I have no clue of their actual price. While there this past weekend I picked up a great $18 2005 St Emillon Bordeaux and a California Syrah.

The Syrah was from Three Saints a southern Cali vineyard that retails for about $17.50. The store had it marked at $20 but had the final price at $12 which I knew was a steal. Going into it, I knew I had a decent bottle and unless it was stored improperly it really wouldn't be a dud.

This Syrah had the classic nose but didn't have the aromas that a Shiraz from Australia would have. The fruit was intense with shades of blackberry and plum. The body was rich and had a great smokey finish with hints of pepper and spice. If you crave fruit bombs that are not candy in nature but are easy to drink yet have a nice finish, you need to check out some Syrah.

http://www.threesaintsvineyard.com/

Posted by mardenhill 2/18/2008 09:45:00 PM 0 comments  

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Great Blog, Check It Out
Sunday, February 17, 2008

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/

I came across this site via Andrew Sullivan and spent 45 minutes laughing. Its a collection of postings that describe white people and things they like. Some of them were dead on and if you want to be critical it could be more about class than ethnicity but no need to dive so deep into the Sociology of the site.

Some of the things White People like are:

Whole Foods
Recycling
Wine
Prius
Indie Rock (the emo side of it)
Sushi
Expensive Sandwiches and Gourmet Breakfast
Barack Obama

Posted by mardenhill 2/17/2008 06:07:00 PM 0 comments  



Jukefly

Yet another "social networking" music site for you to try and forget about 2 days later. This one is called Jukefly and borrows a lot from Napster but is actually legal. You install the small client and select your music folder to populate the library. At this point you can listen to your music from any computer with an internet connection. Here is how it works, you either have a 2nd computer running 24/7 as the music server or you leave your primary computer on all the time. If you have a router/firewall you may need to modify some ports to allow traffic but that isn't too hard. The software is designed to look for an open port and with most people this should be fine since many router users don't lock down their networks.

Just with each and every other social networking site, you have the ability to add friends and look at/listen to other collections. The music is streamed from your computer and not stored to any servers which is how it stays legal. Some of the problems I have with this revolves around leaving your computer on 24/7 or setting up a 2nd pc. Besides that you have your library or whatever part of it you want open to the public. Call me paranoid but I really don't want to give everyone a look at my music and who's to say that the RIAA won't be snooping around. Just a little TMI for me. You then have the bandwidth issue with strangers streaming from your library which can slow down your internet connection. I havn't been able to find out any information on this and it may not be as big of an issue unless you have multiple people pulling from you.

It's a good idea but if I have to give everyone in the world access to my library just so I can listen to my music for free, its not worth it.

http://www.jukefly.com/

Instead I prefer Finetune, a great site that is easy to use and can be accessed from any computer. You don't use your own music, its all provided and you build your own playlists from the music available. There are some rules, you cannot have more than 3 songs from an artist but that's fine since it forces you to become a bit more diverse in your selections. I have built a playlist of over 350 songs and continue to add to it whenever the mood strikes. I have it linked on my blog and by hitting play its my own personal jukebox whenever I want. I can't control the order but since I selected the songs I am usually interested in listening to them.

Finetune doesn't cost a thing and you are not giving up your own library and bandwidth to strangers. There have been a few songs not listed but I just move on and find something else.

http://www.finetune.com/

Posted by mardenhill 2/17/2008 11:21:00 AM 2 comments  

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And The Winner Is.....
Saturday, February 16, 2008

Its not 100% official but Blu Ray has won the format war. This past week Walmart made the decision to stop selling HD DVDs this June. The funny part of all this, Walmart was the one pushing HD DVD players for $100 at Xmas and ended up selling 100,000 of them. Now all those early adopters will be stuck with a useless player come summer. Gotta love Walmart, wonder if they will pull an Apple and provide a rebate for the players or just leave the folks high and dry.

Rumors are flying around the net that Toshiba, the biggest player on the HD side has decided to give it up and stop producing players.

At this time the Blu Ray players are still at the $300 price point, I wonder how long it will take for them to drop to an affordable price. I am willing to buy one at $200 and hope this happens in the next few months.

Betamax - Laser Disc - HD DVD R.I.P.

Posted by mardenhill 2/16/2008 10:55:00 AM 0 comments  

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Rothbury Festival
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Michigan has its own Woodstock this year and the event will be on the west side of the state July 3rd-6th. It will feature music, art and community activism with a large influence on the environment. Some of the names appearing are Dave Matthews, Widespread Panic, John Mayer, Snoop Dogg, Beth Orton, Gomez, Jakob Dylan, Crystal Method, Thievery Corporation, Modest Mouse plus many others.

Here is a bit from the DetNews writeup this morning.

Promoters are billing the event, which will feature eight music stages, as "environmentally sustainable," and are gearing it toward environmental awareness, climate change and clean energy alternatives, not unlike last year's global Live Earth concerts. The fest, which is being produced by Boulder, Colo.'s Madison House Presents and Los Angeles-based concert promoting giant AEG Live, is aiming to produce almost no waste and looking to draw an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 fans, many from Detroit and Chicago.

Concertgoers will camp on-site at the Double JJ, a 70-year-old, 2,000-acre west Michigan resort, which in addition to boasting lakes, fields and horseback riding trails, also features an indoor waterpark. The Double JJ also offers lodging at its hotel and cabin facilities.

http://www.rothburyfestival.com/

Posted by mardenhill 2/13/2008 08:51:00 AM 1 comments  

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Tangley Oaks Chardonnay 2005
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

While watching primary results I opened a bottle of Tangley Oaks Chardonnay from Santa Barbera County. This wine was amazing and its golden color was just the beginning. The flavors were punching thru with apple, pear and a bit of tropical fruit. The taste lingers on your tongue and the oak shows up at the end with a full bodied finish. Its not a huge Napa Valley or Monterey chard but for $16 its well worth it. This wine gives you a glimpse of what Cali chards are known for and a taste for something even bigger. If you are a Chard fan I highly recommend Talbot Vineyards Chardonnay, its $40 a bottle but well worth every penny. I have never had a bottle as good as them.

Posted by mardenhill 2/12/2008 09:03:00 PM 12 comments  

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How To Steal An Election

SENATOR CLINTON: Well, Leon, I think that both Michigan and Florida should count because these are two states we have to carry. This is not about, so much as the ins and outs of the Democratic National Committee as to whether the Democrats are going to win in the fall. In Michigan, all of us had a chance to leave our names on the ballot. I chose to do so. My opponents ran a very vigorous campaign to get people to vote uncontested. There was a campaign going on and it was a campaign against me and I still won a majority. In Florida, 2.7 million people showed up and said we will not be disenfranchised again. We went through 2000 and 2004. I think that the Democratic Party has to be looking very realistically at what it is we’re trying to achieve here. We need to win in November and therefore I think that both Michigan and Florida, uh, the Democratic Party should really give these people who came out and voted…they weren’t involved in the rule making. Give them a chance.
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I love the line, "In Michigan, all of us had a chance to leave our names on the ballot." What crack is she smoking, the DNC told the candidates to remove their names and all agreed to except Hillary. Now Obama and Edwards wised up for Florida but don't give me this bullshit spin that its the candidates fault. It was Hillary who promised not to campaign here but left her name on just so she could squeak out a win and argue for it later. Its down right sleazy and typical of the Cintons. We all have known that the Clintons will do whatever they can to gain power and hold onto it. We just never expected they would use it against their own people.

Hillary, those delegates DO NOT BELONG TO YOU, DON'T THINK YOU ARE TAKING THEM.

The more Hillary fights for these the more she destroys her own credibility and that of Bill (as if that isn't hard).......

Posted by mardenhill 2/12/2008 05:31:00 PM 0 comments  

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My Book

If you are in the market for an External hard drive I recommend the Western Digital My Book series. They have revamped the drives from the 1st generation (which I have) to be slimmer with more hard drive capacity. This one is the My Book Home Ed 1 terabyte with triple interface USB2, Firewire and eSata. They offer a grey model called My Book Office Ed and its basically the same with just 1 connection being USB2. They throw in a ftp client service called MioNet which allows you to access your files from any computer but you need to keep your pc on at home 24/7. The final drive in the series is the My Book Studio Ed which is a silver/white drive to match your iMac and has a quad interface. Its formatted for the Mac but you can easily format for the pc or vice versa with the other drives. Basically if you are in the market for more space get whatever model Amazon or Buy.com has on sale. You can find the Office model for $260 and $280 for the other two on Amazon. I am thinking about one of these since I am running out of space on my hard drive.

Posted by mardenhill 2/12/2008 04:50:00 PM 0 comments  

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Obama Wins Maine
Sunday, February 10, 2008


The latest Clinton spin has been to discount caucuses since they don't "represent" the will of the people. This morning the governer of Maryland on This Week stated twice that he doesn't support caucuses and that everything should be a primary vote. It blows me away that these people would spit on the very essence of democracy, getting together with your friends and neighbors to discuss and vote for a candidate. I will admit there are some pros and cons with caucuses, people automatically know who you are voting for and you can be shamed or pressured into supporting one candidate over another. On the other hand you can privately vote for who you want to in a primary. Caucuses can take up more time than filling out a ballot or pulling a lever and less people are inclined to participate. Even with all of these things, the idea that a caucus is undemocratic is obsurd, if people are passionate and willing to put the time in, why not let their voice be heard? What is wrong with gathering in a room to cast your vote in public? I could go on about the subject but will leave it at this point. In the end the final election is all done in private so those of you who cringe at the thought of expressing your political beliefs can rest assurd your secret is still safe.

I found this list of states courtesy of daily kos and thought I should share it with you. Obama is ahead of Clinton by 9 states and many of these states have gone red in the past. I know Obama will not win all of these in the general but you have to admit the inroads that he is making in "Red America" is amazing and has the chance to convert many disenfrancised independents and repubicans. After the sweep this weekend of 4 additional states and more to come in the next week, February is shaping up to be big for Obama. He now needs to make his way into Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas if he plans on winning the nomination.

The latest count of states won by popular vote, plus the margin of victory:

Clinton (10)
Arkansas +43
Oklahoma +24
New York +17
Massachusetts +15
Tennessee +13
California +10
New Jersey +10
Arizona +9
Nevada +6
New Hampshire +3

Obama (19)
Idaho +62
Alaska +50
Kansas +48
Washington +37
Georgia +36
Nebraska +36
Colorado +35
Minnesota +35
Illinois+32
South Carolina +32
North Dakota +24
Louisiana +21
Maine +18
Utah +18
Alabama +14
Delaware +10
Iowa +9
Connecticut +4
Missouri +1

Posted by mardenhill 2/10/2008 10:29:00 PM 0 comments  

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GMAT Exam

I have decided to go back to school for an MBA this fall and in the process must take the GMAT exam. I started to study for it about a week ago and spent most of this weekend with my nose in the book. The math section was kicking my ass big time, I had forgot most of the basics and blew it on the geometry. After some practice, I was able to refresh myself with most of the math. I am still strugling with the geometry, I am drawing a blank on most of it.

The english/vocabulary portion was much better, the sentence structure, grammer correction and reading comprehension was straight forward. I know I don't always write in proper grammer on my blog but its just hard to think everything thru all the time and reading other writings is much easier to critique. Going forward I will try to improve my writing online but I have a feeling that after the exam, all conscious thoughts of this will be tossed out the window.

As of now, I plan on attending Oakland University for my MBA. They have a great program with a concentration in Management of Information Systems. Out of 6 pre reqs I have 2 to take. I will take the 1st one Calculus this spring and in in the fall start the program with my 2nd class which is Accounting.

Posted by mardenhill 2/10/2008 09:22:00 PM 0 comments  

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David Schuster Suspended
Friday, February 08, 2008


One of the best reporters on MSNBC was suspended today regarding a comment made last nite on Tucker Carlson's show. While describing Chelsea Clinton's latest calls to the ladies on the View and to super delegates David said the following things below.


"Doesn't it seem like Chelsea's sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?"


Yeah it wasn't appropriate but I don't think it warrents a suspension and it wasn't like David was referring to Chelsea as a whore sexually. He was making a joke regarding her role in Hillary's campaign. To make matters worse, the liberal blogs are all up in the air over the comments and some calling for his firing. These idiots who troll the message boards have nothing better to do than get all PC on someone. And you known damn well that each of these self rightious and pretentious wankers use the same language in their daily lives so they can all piss off in my book. I like reading blogs and comments people leave but come on this is just too much for me.


There are plenty of worse things said on all the cable networks about both sides and while some deserve removal this isn't one of them. Its just Hillary playing the victim to pull the camera off of Obama and onto herself. Now if that isn't pimping I don't know what is.


Stupid Politically Correct Leftists Suck. And they give cynical, snarky and normal liberals like me a bad name.

Posted by mardenhill 2/08/2008 08:04:00 PM 0 comments  

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Text MessageGate

The Kwame Text Message scandal continues to unravel and more and more tidbits trickle out each day. The latest has unsealed documents that show a secret handshake between all parties involved. The policemen who were illegally fired signed a confidentiality agreement that would cut the settlement pay if they spoke the truth. And if that wasn't enough, the text message transcripts were put in a safety deposit box to be handed over to Kwame after the settlement had been reached. Kwame also helped Beatty obtain a mortgage even though her credit was poor and would have never been given one otherwise.

So Kwame set up a secret deal to keep everything hush hush so he could save face and deny the affair in court. Now its all out in the open with the proof of the coverup available for everyone to see.

Now Kwame has decided to play the victim here, he has attacked the Free Press and Detroit News stating that they illegally obtained the text messages. It has now turned to a witchhunt against him and who cares that the texts exist but that they were illegally obtained. Sorry Kwame, your argument doesn't hold water and you are the one that committed the crime.

“How did they obtain these records? Where did they get them?” Kilpatrick said during a radio interview on WMXD-FM (92.3, the Mix). “The Free Press obviously had some meetings that they ought to answer to."

“I think the Free Press has committed a crime. I believe they committed a crime,” Kilpatrick said.

This quote is one of my favorites and the way the story is going, I expect there to be more of them.

"I believe I am on an assignment from God," he said. "This city has a balanced budget. We're building buildings God has continue to smile on us. I don't believe this has ever been a job I love this city. I love this job. I love this town."

Posted by mardenhill 2/08/2008 03:30:00 PM 0 comments  

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Portrait Of The Michigan Delegate Mess
Thursday, February 07, 2008

Here are all the jackasses who have screwed Michigan out of their delegates and vote in the 2008 Democratic primary. The 1st person is Mark Brewer the head of the Michigan Democratic Party. The 2nd is Senator Carl Levin, the 3rd Congressman John Dingell and the 4th well that is Howard Dean, head of the DNC.

Mark Brewer along with Carl and John pushed for the MI primary date to be moved forward and had the local legislature and Jenny Granholm sign off on it. Dean threatened to pull delegates but the state called his bluff and went forward. Dean then instructed the candidates to remove their names from the ballot and pledge not to campaign. Well everyone but Hillary did so and in the end the vote was either for her or uncommitted. Hillary won in the end even though she didn't campaign. Luckily for Florida the rest of the candidates left their names on the ballot and even though they didn't campaign it was a better representation of the voting public.

What could happen next is that if Hillary is down in the delgate count she will petition the DNC to honor the votes since she happened to win both states. Obama will protest stating that he wasn't even on the ballot in MI. Howard Dean is now freaked out since there is no clear front runner and that the convention could be the deciding spot and he doesn't want a public fight. If Hillary gets the delegates, there will be a revolt from the Obama supporters and if it came down to MI giving Hillary the ultimate nomination many people including me would be pissed off.

So what are we to do, hold a caucus where both candidates come back to the state? Some say yes while others say no because of dumb ass rules on the books. Do the delegates just get tossed in the garbage and not counted at all? Well that will leave a very large state disenfranchised and without a voice.

People complain that MI shouldn't have moved their primary up, well they don't live in a state that has had its own personal recession due to manufacturing job loss and the problems surrounding the auto industry. The Bush administration who had no problems bailing out the jackasses who created the current credit crunch, ignored MI and the big 3 for years and refused to help. We here are tired of being ignored and felt the only way the country would pay attention was to bring the candidates here early to speak to us. What happened, the DNC run by an idiot got his panties in a wad and punished us for speaking up out of turn. If the Democratic party won't even acknowledge MI's woes what chance do we even have to survive?

So now everyone is all in a panic over this and it serves them right. If the Democratic party is about change they should have honored Michigan's request. Instead they just went along with "history" and screwed us all.

There is plenty of blame to go around between all of these guys and I hold each and everyone of them personally responsible for screwing me out of my consititutional right to vote for my candidate.

Posted by mardenhill 2/07/2008 11:10:00 AM 2 comments  

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Paczki Time
Tuesday, February 05, 2008

This year Paczki day came up quick and caught everyone off guard. For those of you not familiar with the deliciousness of this pastry, its full of butter, sugar, eggs and lots of calories. I'm neither Polish nor Catholic but I grew up in Wyandotte which is both so I am an honorary member. I stopped at Holiday Market in Royal Oak since I never tracked down a bakery to place an order. Here at the office we have Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Bavarian Creme and Apple to choose from. I apologize for the diehards but no Prune flavored this year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paczki

Posted by mardenhill 2/05/2008 08:59:00 AM 0 comments  

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Even The Grateful Dead......
Monday, February 04, 2008



Yep you heard it right, the 60s icons sans Jerry are reuniting for Obama in a concert tonight in San Francisco. Talk about a slap in the face to Hillary, her own people dissing her for the new guy. Now if you can pry those grilled cheese and devil sticks out of the remaining deadheads hands, maybe they could find their way to a voting booth and cast a ballot for Obama. We can always make a trail of deadhead bootlegs, frisbee golf, patchouli bottles, wool pullovers, patched pants (never washed), birkenstocks, tie dyed shirts of dead folks and a bit of heroin packets to the polling places that way the party won't end til tomorrow night.

Besides the Dead, you have some more recent artists playing in NYC tonight in support of Obama.

If you want to tune into the Dead show, you can stream it tonight at the link below starting at 10:30PM EST.

http://www.iclips.net/

Posted by mardenhill 2/04/2008 08:51:00 PM 0 comments  

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Ritual Coffee Roasters
Saturday, February 02, 2008



I just received my 2nd coffee selection from Citizen Bean and this month was from Ritual Coffee Roasters. The coffee was a single roast of Haicof Yirgacheffe, Ethiopian beans which are very light and easy drinking. The flavor is smooth with hints of fruit but not to acidic nor bitter. For people who need sugar in their coffee, this roast can easily be served black and still be enjoyed. From the website Ritual Roasters looks like a great coffee house and one you should visit if ever in San Francsico. This is one that I will remember for future coffee purchases.

Posted by mardenhill 2/02/2008 11:01:00 AM 0 comments  

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Brian Jonestown Massacre News
Friday, February 01, 2008

New BJM this March under Anton Newcombe's "A Records". The title is My Bloody Underground which is believed to pay homage to My Bloody Valentine, JAMC and The Velvet Underground. Either way, it just means new BJM which I can't wait for. The band has allowed the dowload of the full length from their website since Sept but they were just raw studio sessions and not the final mixes.

If you are not familiar with BJM, they are a Bay area psychadelic rock ensemble consisting of numerous members over the years. Lots of drugs and fights between members and other bands dot the history of this group. The sound ranges from 60's psychadelia to the Stones and a bit of shoegazing. Their last EP in 2005 was pretty mellow and hypnotic and I am interested to see what we will get when we the official full length drops next month.

Posted by mardenhill 2/01/2008 03:15:00 PM 0 comments  

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R.E.M. News
Wednesday, January 30, 2008

R.E.M.'s latest cd Accelerate will be out April 1st and a tour shortly to follow.

R.E.M. TO TOUR NORTH AMERICA IN SUPPORT OF ACCELERATE
R.E.M. will tour North America this May and June in support of Accelerate, their new record which is set to be released on April 1. The band will be joined on the North American tour by Modest Mouse and The National. Please stay tuned to remhq.com for more details.

May

23--Vancouver--Deer Lake Park
29--Los Angeles--Hollywood Bowl
31--Berkeley--The Greek Theatre

June

03--Denver--Red Rocks Amphitheatre
06--Chicago--United Center
08--Toronto--Molson Amphitheatre
10--Raleigh--Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
11--Washington, DC--Merriweather Post Pavilion
13--Boston--Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
14--Long Island--Jones Beach Theater
18--Philadelphia--Mann Center for the Performing Arts
19--New York City--TBA
21--Atlanta--Lakewood Amphitheatre
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Unfortunately no Detroit date but June 7th in between Chicago and Toronto is free as well as June 9th. They could always swing back thru later in the summer so I am keeping my hopes up for a Detroit show. I love the fact that the National will be opening, my only fear would be that R.E.M. would hit my faire city with a new round of opening acts.

Posted by mardenhill 1/30/2008 04:34:00 PM 0 comments  

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One Of These Four

With Edwards dropping out, its down to one of these four. Just a few more days until Super Tuesday where we might know who will be the Republican nominee. As for the Dems, it might stretch on a bit longer.

Take a good look, one of these people will be the leader of the free world. With Bush we have hit rock bottom and I really don't think anyone else could be any worse.

Posted by mardenhill 1/30/2008 11:26:00 AM 0 comments  

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Another One Bites The Dust
Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Just this past summer Giuliani lead in the polls and was the talk of the town. Then you had the Kerik scandal, the 3rd wife, the 9/11 every other word and in the end you had an empty suit. Giulani may bail out after running the most asinine campaign in the history. I don't know who his campaign manager is but the idea that you should sit out the first month of primaries is beyond dumb. I guess this will give political science professors a perfect example on how not to run a presidental campaign.

In the end the GOP couldn't support someone as liberal as Giuliani on social issues, it just goes against all of their beliefs. The problem I had with Giuliani was his narrow world view and if we thought Bush was bad on foreign policy and issues, he would be worse.

Although its not official everyone is expecting Giuliani to bow out tomorrow and endorse McCain. What I find very funny is how none of the other candidates or pundits actually like Mitt. He is always left out and is the butt of all jokes. I guess when you are the rich kid and run negative campaigns against each and every other candidate you tend not to make many friends.

Posted by mardenhill 1/29/2008 09:21:00 PM 0 comments  

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The Last State Of The Union
Monday, January 28, 2008

Its finally here, the last time we will have to listen to Bush bumble thru and decimate the English language. Let me tell ya, this SOTU has been a joke (not like any of them really amount to much) but Bush has somehow found the 2 words Fiscal Conservative the concept that was lost on him for the last 8 years. He rattled on about earmarks being all tough and threatening vetos but it was his party who spent more and he gladly signed away. Sorry dude, too little too late.

Most of the speech is the usual fodder with half the audience standing up, clapping and hollering.

I still wonder why I bother even watching since its nothing new but every year I find myself tuning in and getting pissed off. This time around, I am happy to see him speak because I know its the last one and this time next year we will have a new person to listen and ignore.....

Posted by mardenhill 1/28/2008 09:13:00 PM 0 comments  

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The Future

I will take this face of the Democratic party over Bill and Hillary anyday. I know endorsements don't mean much but I have a feeling Oprah's did more than we thought and the same will go for the Kennedy family. Ted is a bleeding heart liberal and according to some can work against Obama with courting moderates, independents and those republicans who are disenchanted with their current party. I don't see it that way, when it comes to families and dynasties, the Kennedys will always be held in high regard and when compared to Bush and Clinton most people would choose them. This is one endorsement that really pissed off Hillary and it was due to Bill and his non stop race baiting. I guess it sucks to be the Clintons but such is life and they better get used to it since they are the past not the future.

I might be getting ahead of myself and the powers that be could step in to squash Obama's rise but if it were to happen I believe you would see a mass exodus of dems from the party. This is where its very important for Obama to win big on Super Tuesday setting up a victory or showdown at the convention. If its the new breed of Dems vs the old guard/establishment I have a feeling the call for change could overpower.

I have been pro Obama as of late since my candidate of choice, Joe Biden dropped out. I am not anti woman, nor anti Hillary, I just do not want her as the nominee. I would rather see Nancy Pelosi as our first female president but I don't see that happening. Either way its going to be historic and after the last 8 years, I am ready for something different and real change, not just lip service.

Posted by mardenhill 1/28/2008 08:42:00 PM 1 comments  

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Update: QTrax

But Warner Music said it had not authorised the use of its tracks by Qtrax - and later Universal Music Group and EMI followed suit, saying they did not have licensing deals with Qtrax and discussions were continuing.
........................................

The record labels are pulling out at the 11th hour on the whole Qtrax deal and it looks like it may not happen afterall. The launch was scheduled for midnight tonight but who knows if it will go on with this latest wrinkle. I wonder what the atmosphere is like over at the Qtrax headquarters as well as the record labels. To be a fly on the wall in both situations.......

Posted by mardenhill 1/28/2008 11:35:00 AM 0 comments  

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Abundance Vineyards Abundantly Rich Red 2005
Sunday, January 27, 2008

I don't believe I would have ever bought this bottle if it were not for a recommendation from Holiday Market. The label is quite boring and with a name Abundantly Rich Red, red table wine, I would have passed it over.

I had asked for a new red Zin and was given this one. Even though this is a blend, its one of Zinfandel and Carignane which led me to give it a try. At $15, its not a bad buy and one that I might try again.

Upon opening you have the rich berry flavors on the nose and upfront on the taste. There are plump and juicy cherries with a hint of oak and spice. The zin stands out and since you very seldom see Carignane on its own its hard to tell where this plays into the mix. The Carignane grape is used in many blends and is grown throughout the world. It is believed to have originated in Spain and made its way north into France. Throughout the 70s and 80s, California used this as the base for many jug and cheap wines which helped to squash any chances for higher end wines.

Since I had this in the basement for the last 24 hrs, its still pretty cool and the wine has yet to open. I am tasting a ton of fruit with little spice which I find disappointing but I know it exists so I am willing to keep this review positive. I will revisit this tomorrow to compare and I hope this wine holds up and provides me with the traits I am hoping for.

https://www.abundancevineyards.com/wines.html

Posted by mardenhill 1/27/2008 09:03:00 PM 0 comments  

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Free and Legal Peer To Peer?

Due to overwhelming demand, Qtrax.com is currently unavailable. Please check back in 24 hours to download the first, free, and legal P2P music application. Thank you for your understanding.

http://www.qtrax.com/
.................................................................

Ok here's the skinny, Qtrax is on its 2nd incarnation and this time has the blessings of the RIAA. You can download music and video but all are wrapped in Digital Rights Management (DRM) which do not allow you to make copies but can be stored indefinitely on your hard drive and iPod. You will have to put up with advertising for downloading but many people will deal with a commercial if they can get something for free. The point here is to take the money that advertisers pay and give it back to the record labels and artists. Will it work, I guess we will have to wait and see. I doubt that you will be able to download full records and its hard to say what quality will be like. Since it trolls the file sharing networks you will be getting tracks that could be encoded at any bit rate. If the idea that advertising can lead to free music you might just see Apple and Amazon follow suit and start giving away much more free music. Just think if the RIAA didn't have their heads up their ass back in 2001, they could have used this strategy to crush file sharing and not have become the most hated organization on the planet.

I will keep checking the status and provide you with an update once its available.

Posted by mardenhill 1/27/2008 02:24:00 PM 0 comments  

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And Another Victory
Saturday, January 26, 2008

Obama wins the South Carolina Primary!!!!!!!!

Obama 55%
Hillary 27%
Edwards 18%

SC had record turnouts and Obama won more votes than were cast in the 04 primary. He pulled support from all demographics which goes to show that he has broad appeal. We now have both Barack and Hillary with 2 wins each and 10 days until Super Tuesday. This won't be decided on Feb 5th either and I believe it might go until the convention.

Iwas feeling a little bit bummed after the last 2 primaries but tonight has given me hope that we might have a democratic candidate that will not rehash the same old fights over the 60s. Its time for the Baby Boomers to step aside and let a new generation take over.

I am not happy with Bill Clinton these days and I am afraid that he will continue to divide the party. He is under the delusion that he can tear it apart but in the end bring us all together with a big giant hug. I don't see it happening and he risks his legacy as well as a victory in November.

Way To Go Obama, Lets Keep It Going.

Update: Rumors are swirling around the internet regarding Edwards and Attorney General. It seems like the Obama people are putting out feelers to John that if Obama wins, he could get the AG post. With the convention most likely in a deadlock, those additional Edwards delegates could push Obama over the top.

Posted by mardenhill 1/26/2008 09:40:00 PM 1 comments  

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Way To Go Kwame

As if Detroit didn't have enough problems, now we got the idiotic mayor embroiled in a possible perjury charge. Him and his chief of staff lied to a jury over their affair and we have the text messages to prove it. But the story doesn't end there, rumors are circling around that these were known to have existed but were never entered into the trial. I wonder who was paid off and why they were kept out as evidence seeing that they would have blown the case wide open.

So now the city of Detroit is over $8.4 million due to this asshole and now we are looking at even more money on a perjury trial. I hope they force Kwame and his mistress to pay for the trial themselves but I think that is too much to ask. Lets hope Kwame resigns and exits politics for good because I do not want to see him taking over for his mom in the House of Representatives. Everyone has known that this was Kwame's plan all along and hopefully this scandal crushes him and removes any chances.

The guy has an affair, fine its between him and his family. When he lies in court and costs the city millions, then its all of our business and its time to kick the bum out and strip his license to practice law as well.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/METRO/801260357

Posted by mardenhill 1/26/2008 06:42:00 PM 1 comments  

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My New Car
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Welcome to my new car, well the car I want but will most likely not get. Its the all new 2009 VW Tiguan that will arrive stateside this May. Its a compact SUV that will compete with the Honda CRV, Jeep Patriot and other other 4 cylinder crossovers. You have the hatchback, folding seats, panoramic sunroof and cool sound system which might not be as good as the Microsoft Sync but close none the less.

Where the car and me differ is on the price. The base starts at $23,000 and by the time you add everything you want it will probably be up to $28K and that is more than I am willing to spend. I don't know about gas mileage either and I doubt that it will be better than what I currently have. I really don't plan on buying anything until the end of the year and was hoping for a US hybrid but I doubt anything good will come out.

I will just talk about this car for the new few months until something practical comes along and I will jump ship.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=121482

Posted by mardenhill 1/23/2008 06:04:00 PM 2 comments  

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New Spritualized On The Horizon

Courtesy of Pitchfork

The spirit has moved Spiritualized frontman J. Spaceman to drop in from out there and lay this juicy little tidbit on us via a MySpace bulletin: the forthcoming, as-yet-untitled Spiritualized LP will be released May 19 in the UK and Europe on Universal/Spaceman Records. A North American release date is on its way, as are plans for a full-blown world tour.

..............................................
Wow, 2008 is shaping up to be a great year for music once again. I wasn't sure that we could top 2007 but all the heavy hitters are coming out and so far I believe 08 will leave 07 in the dust. We now have Spiritualized, R.E.M, Oasis, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Kills, The Gutter Twins, The Kooks and Moby slated for releases between now and May.

I do hope Spiritualized tours this year and actually makes a stop in Detroit, I have yet to see them.

Posted by mardenhill 1/23/2008 09:29:00 AM 0 comments  

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Home Theatre System: Update 2
Monday, January 21, 2008




This weekend I was out shopping for a receiver but couldn't find anything worthwhile at Best Buy. I decided to stop into ABC Warehouse just to check prices and 30 minutes later I had a receiver and speaker set. My buddy Andrey recommended the Onkyo TX-SR605 as a receiver and the Polk Audio RM6750 speakers which I remembered while inside. The sales lady came in $30 cheaper on the receiver as well as $20 on the speakers when compared to Amazon. I am not used to stores matching online prices but they did so and beat them which was nice. It just makes you realize how much of a markup are on electronics.

Setup was pretty easy and I ran an HDMI cable from the receiver out to the TV. I then ran an HDMI cable from my cable box/DVR to the receiver and had to run an optical cable as well for sound (HDMI handles sound but not surround sound so an optical cable is needed). Since I don't have a new dvd player yet, I am using my old connection of optical and S Video. This will be switched once I get a new dvd player and I will use HDMI instead. The only other connections needed are the speaker wires which I had to buy a spindle of and cut myself. I just have the Wii going straight into the TV, its not really built for setups like this but that's fine. I did have a bit of trouble getting the inputs progammed correctly, I had no sound or no picture at first but got it all figure out. I still need to setup the rear speakers which will include drilling a hole in the back of the livingroom to bring the speaker wire up.

If you are in the market for some equipment, I highly recommend these and I will give Andrey credit for the find.

Posted by mardenhill 1/21/2008 09:01:00 AM 1 comments  

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Gloria Ferrer Jose S. Ferrar Pinot Noir 2003
Saturday, January 19, 2008

We were given this bottle as a xmas present from Erika's aunt and uncle who happened to be out in Napa Valley/Sonoma County a couple months ago. The pinot here is a reserve and one of the best the vineyard has to offer. Upon opening, this bottle had an excellent bouquet with the sweet and floral aromas rising from the glass. The color was a deep ruby but still see thru which is common of most pinots. The cherry and raspberry flavors were very rich with subtle hints of spice and earth. The body of the wine was big and juicy with mild tannins and a strong and lingering finish. Unlike Oregon pinots which have a heavier and more oak flavor, this one is very approachable for many people and can be enjoyed by all pinot lovers.

At $35 a bottle, this isn't one that you will be buy as an everyday drinker but it is one that you should consider if you have a nice dinner planned or special occasion. When it comes to pinots I tend to prefer Oregon due to the heavier flavors but California doesn't disappoint when it comes to the robust cherry and classic pinot tendencies.

http://www.gloriaferrer.com/

Posted by mardenhill 1/19/2008 10:22:00 PM 0 comments  

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SafeTGear Emergency Weather Radio
Friday, January 18, 2008

I have been looking at weather radios for a while but hadn't seen one that I really liked until now. I was at Costco last nite and stumbled across this radio which combines portability with emergency broadcasts. You can program the county you live in to report weather alerts and leave this thing running 24/7. There are 4 methods of power here, AC wall adapter, C cell batteries, emergency backup battery and hand crank. You can also charge cell phones, mp3 players etc off the device as well. As a radio, it didn't work to hot, I had problems picking up stations but the weather bulletins came thru loud and clear. You can pick one of these up for about $38 and its money well spent. You never know when you will need one of these and the fact that its portable makes it even better for camping, road trips or on the run.

http://www.superconsumersafety.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=18&Itemid=26

Posted by mardenhill 1/18/2008 10:59:00 AM 18 comments  

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The Gutter Twins
Thursday, January 17, 2008

In one of the most anticipated releases of the year, the Gutter Twins have given us a preview over on their myspace page. You can stream 2 songs "Idle Hands" and "The Station" from the forthcoming full length Saturnalia. If you are not familiar with the Gutter Twins, well they are none other than Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) and Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs). The two have worked together for the last few years appearing on each other's cds but never recorded a full cd together. Well the time has come and we should expect this cd in the next couple months.

The sound is nothing like Mark's previous band nor his first 5 solos. It is more inline with his last release Bubblegum and Greg's latest work with his 2nd band The Twilight Singers. "Idle Hands" starts out with a bit of loud guitar but has a cool keyboard in the background that gives a whole new sound to Mark's deep and growling vocals. The song then borrows from some vintage Whigs and mixes tension with Greg's snarled croon. If you are new to both musicians I can see where you don't quite see the appeal but if you are a fan of both men you will appreciate the different styles both bring to the table. The 2nd track "The Station" strips away some of the noise and adds a bit of dark and hypnotic groove reminiscent of the Whigs. Both men give great performances and compliment each other throughout both songs.

So far we have 2 excellent tracks and I can't imagine the rest of the cd would disappoint. This one will definitely be in my top 5 for 2008 and who knows it may reach the top. Check out the 2 songs below.

http://www.myspace.com/theguttertwins

Posted by mardenhill 1/17/2008 02:06:00 PM 0 comments  

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MacExpo 2008 Highlights
Tuesday, January 15, 2008

MacBook Air: Just like Apple did with the phone market, they revolutionized the laptop. This device comes in at 3 lbs and contains an 80 gig hard drive, 2 gigs of ram and 1.8ghz dual core intel chip. It does not contain a cd/dvd drive but you can purchase one for $99. This laptop is so thin and powerful that you really wouldn't need much else.

Pros: extremely thin and light. new touch interface which allows you to do more with the mouse. 5 hr battery life.

Cons: price $1799, no media drive and only 1 USB2 port. cannot remove the battery and no ethernet connection, wireless only.

Apple updated the Apple TV with new software that will allow you to rent movies from the iTunes music store for $3.99 for standard movie (30 day rental, 24 hrs once movie has been started) and $4.99 for high def quality movies. You can also buy music thru the Apple TV and can be used even if you do not have a computer. Price went down a bit and you can pick up a 40 gig for $229 and a 160 gig for $329.

Pros: very easy to use, browse the iTunes store and purchase music, movies, tv shows, rentals etc.

Cons: limited to the Apple file format so you would have to convert existing media files into the correct format to play. Not quite big enough hard drive for me. now if you incorporated the 500/ 1 terabyte into the Apple TV, i would be very interested.
Time Capsule: Basically this is a NAS (network attached storage) drive with a router built in. This supports the latest wireless speed 802.11N and is backwards compatible to devices with a wireless G card. The new router will plug into your cable modem and also contains either a 500 gig or 1 terabyte hard drive. Prices are $299 for the 500gb version and $499 for the 1 terabyte. Because it has a built in hard drive you can save data, music, files, photos, movies etc to it and multiple computers can access the share.

Pros: all in one device, you can backup all your data and have one central location for all your files.

Cons: too expensive and I already have a router.
................................

iTunes has sold over 4 billion songs and 4 million iPhones with an average of 20,000 phones per day.

Overall a great MacExpo and some really cool new products. I won't be getting anything right now but Apple is heading in the right direction. Maybe in another year they will have the perfect device for our digital living room.

Posted by mardenhill 1/15/2008 04:57:00 PM 0 comments  

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Randy For President

Well I threw my vote away this morning but I don't care. It was my personal protest against the Democratic party and the current Primary structure. Since that asshole Howard Dean pulled the delegates from MI because we moved our primary up, voting today was pretty much useless. You had the choice of Hillary Clinton, Dennis Kucinich (who isn't a choice in my book) or Uncommitted which was a vote to send delegates to the convention with no allegiance. Problem with Uncommitted is that its a vote against Hillary and a vote for Obama or Edwards. Even though neither are on the ballot, if Uncommitted gains more votes than Hillary she is then embarrassed. As much as I would like to see this, I am not doing the other 2 candidates a favor since they couldn't take the time to visit MI.

If they really care about Michigan's economic situation, they would tell Dean to piss off and that they are campaigning. But no, none of them did so I am running for president.

Posted by mardenhill 1/15/2008 09:29:00 AM 0 comments  

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Multiple Choice Mitt
Monday, January 14, 2008

Tomorrow is Michigan's primary and it will be nice once its over. I am tired of reading about Mitt Romney and his plan to save our state. He attacked McCain for speaking the truth about our manufacturing jobs and seems to think that he can bring them all back.

News Flash Mitt, the jobs are not coming back. In our global economy the one that you support, the one with free trade and no restrictions. The one with little regulation and oversight. This economy is playing a new game and MI has to change and find new areas to compete in, not live in the past. By claiming that you will save MI and bring these jobs back is disingenuous and a downright lie. If you support a free trade policy, you support economies of scale and interaction with other countries who can produce products at a cheaper price. You don't support the unions so the idea of somehow protecting the workers and their jobs doesn't fit in either. The auto industry needs to ween themselves off of the large vehicles and move towards ones that are more fuel efficient and superior to imports. The writing was on the wall years ago but plenty of auto execs ignored this and chose to continue down the same path. You don't support federally mandated fuel standards but somehow want the industry to change. What is it Mitt, if you live by your philosophy, its a eat or be eaten world out there and only the strong survive. Either you support govt intervention or you let the companies figure it out for themselves. You can't have it both ways.

I thought you were the candidate of change, or is that just on your core beliefs the ones that you conveniently switch back and forth between. If you claim that you are bringing back all of our lost manufacturing jobs, you are missing the bigger picture and the need for real change in our state. We need to diversify our economy and bringing back old manufacturing jobs won't help.

So get off your soapbox and get out of our state since you don't have a clue as to what is going on.

Posted by mardenhill 1/14/2008 05:12:00 PM 0 comments  

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Coffee This Month
Saturday, January 12, 2008

http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/

This month's selection from Citizen Bean was a pound of Intelligentsia from Chicago. Citizen Bean packages it in their own bags but puts a banner around explaining what coffee it is. The banner stated that the coffee was Intelligentsia's Black Cat but I find that hard to believe. After looking it up on their website it seems like this blend is a dark roast used to make espresso but this coffee wasn't dark at all. The flavor was very smooth and enjoyable which had me thinking that it might be one of their other blends. Maybe I am wrong and it is indeed the Black Cat but from the description I beg to differ. I guess we will have to take a trip to Chicago and to the coffee shop and roasters for an official comparison. I am very happy with this selection and would definitely drink again. This is one to keep on my list when traveling. You can read more about them at the website above.

Posted by mardenhill 1/12/2008 07:08:00 PM 1 comments  

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Home Theatre System Update

After spending Friday afternoon arguing with my co-worker Andrey, I have decided that the home theatre in a box is not the solution and that I need to purchase components once again. My current setup has a receiver, 5 disc dvd player and in the past a tape deck and turntable. Unfortunately these new all in one's don't really give you all the inputs you need and it looks like I may be buying a receiver and separate speakers once again. Andrey recommened the Onkyo TX-SR605 and a set of Polk Audio surround sound speakers. I am not sure if I will be purchasing these exact products but they do give me an idea on what I should get. I will keep you posted since I am not an inpulse buyer and will spend the next 2 months researching products.

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-SR605-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B000OBLARC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1200147147&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Channel-Theater-Speaker/dp/B0002WTK4S/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1200147256&sr=1-7

Posted by mardenhill 1/12/2008 09:09:00 AM 1 comments  

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Home Theatre System
Thursday, January 10, 2008

Its amazing how small home theatre systems have become. Instead of multiple components and huge floor speakers, you can pick up a 5.1 surround sound DVD/Receiver starting at $200. We are looking for one but as usual I have specifics that need to be addressed. The device needs to have inputs on the back so I can connect the Wii as well as an HDMI out to connect back to the tv. The device also needs inputs whether it be RCA or component to connect the DVR to allow surround sound for normal cable watching.

I wasn't about all of these things until I went looking yesterday and started reading reviews. Right now we just play the Wii thru the tv speakers which is fine but when you are thrashing out to Guitar Hero, you need volume. The 2nd consideration has to do with the current battle between Blu Ray and HD DVD. Some of the cheaper home theatre systems do not have an additional inputs to allow connections of a stand alone dvd player. Now when Blu Ray wins, you will want to pick up one of these devices and if it cannot go thru the surround sound, what good is it?

Another selling point but one that fell flat after further investigation are rear wireless speakers. They are not truly wireless since they connect to a transmitter which then sends the signal back to the receiver. You can get interruptions with microwaves and wireless networks (well this is what reviewers have said) and I really don't want to take my chances.

So I am back at square one deciding what I want. Since I am able to rule out wireless I can now find one that has the desired inputs arround the same price. For those of you who are wondering what the whole DVD upconversion is, I found out yesterday. Regular DVD will broadcast at 480 and when stretched for widescreen and 720/1080p tv's gaps will appear in the resolution. The upconversion will fill these gaps in with black to try and smooth out the picture. Does it really work, I don't know but at this time I don't plan on going high def until the format war is over.

Posted by mardenhill 1/10/2008 09:47:00 AM 1 comments  

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Snooth
Monday, January 07, 2008

I was searching for a photo of my last wine posting and upon my google search I came across this website. Its called Snooth and is a mix between myspace and cellartracker. You can rate/review wines as well as build a profile and invite friends. Its an interesting concept and seeing that many younger people have become interested in wine, I can see the appeal. Most bottles that I did a search on were available and if one is not listed you can submit a request. Check out the site and go ahead and sign up, its free.

www.snooth.com

Posted by mardenhill 1/07/2008 09:38:00 PM 0 comments  

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2000 Chateau De Sainte Gemme Haut-Medoc

Back in April 07 I stumbled across this bottle at Papa Joes then Costco. Since I won't bore you with the details (you can read them at the post below) I will just get to the review. Just like before this wine was dark plum in color with hints of rust. Flavorwise you had some oak along with a fruit finish. The tannins are not harsh as they have been mellowing for a number of years now which makes for a more complex wine. This isn't some great Bordeaux that you will be discussing for hours to come but still nice enough for you to enjoy and get a taste as to how wine can age.

I still have 5 bottles in my cellar that I will open up over the next few years to see if this wine can produce anymore flavors.



http://excursionsemi.blogspot.com/2007/04/2000-chateau-de-sainte-gemme-haut-medoc.html

Posted by mardenhill 1/07/2008 08:54:00 PM 0 comments  

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Could Hillary Lose Michigan?

In one of the stupidest moves ever the DNC convinced the candidates to remove their names from the MI primary since MI decided to leapfrog over other states and push their primary up. Now that move has taken an interesting turn and one that I don't think Hillary was planning on. Edwards, Obama, Biden (no longer running), Richardson, Dodd (no longer running) all petitioned to have their name withheld. Hillary being the shrewd politican left her name on the ballot but said she wouldn't campaign in MI so it didn't matter. Everyone saw thru this and knew that Hillary could then pull the victory and claim as a win and do so without trying.

Well the tables have been turned and since other candidates cannot have their name written in they are urging their backers to vote uncommitted. If uncommitted beats out Hillary, she will look foolish and walk around with egg on her face. Even if she doesn't campaign here it will be a loss for her and one that will be embarassing.

I am still sticking to my plan on writing my own name in. Screw the DNC and Howard Dean, he's an asshole in my book and who knows maybe enough people will write me in and I could even defeat Hillary.

Randy For Prez 2008

Posted by mardenhill 1/07/2008 02:44:00 PM 1 comments  

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Electra Cruisers

I am in the market for a new bike and discovered the Electra brand a couple weeks ago. Though on the pricy side Electra's bikes are amazing. They capture the classic design while using excellent parts in construction. I am still on the fence I will look at what Trek has to offer as well. The neighborhoods where we live are all flat so a 3 speed with fatty tires is perfect. As for design, there are many to choose from and I still don't know exactly what I want. I still have plenty of time to decide, I figure I will make a decision by May but its fun to start looking now and give myself something to talk about for the next few months.

Check out the selection at the link below.

http://www.electrabike.com/cruiser/

Posted by mardenhill 1/07/2008 12:36:00 PM 0 comments  

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And The Winner Is.....
Thursday, January 03, 2008

Obama and Huckabee.....


Both Obama and the Huckster pulled off victories and beat the front runners of their respected parties. Obama whooped Hillary which allowed John Edwards to slide into 2nd place and Romney fell a distant 2nd with Fred and McCain fighting it out for 3rd. On the GOP side I expected a Huck victory but that does spell doom for the republican party since the establishment does not want the Huckster as their nominee.
Both candidate spoke of change and you can see that people on both sides want this and voted accordingly. Huck ran against the president and people responded. Obama ran against the babyboomers of the Democratic party and won. One thing I find interesting is how the Dems had over 200,000 people caucus whereas the Repubs only had half of that.
While typing this both Joe Biden and Chris Dodd have pulled out of the race. I hate to see both go but I knew deep down neither one would make it. This does give a chance for either one of them to make their way into a Dem's cabinet.
The only thing I really wanted to see was Fred Thompson come in 4th or 5th but as of now he is narrowly hanging onto 3rd. I wanted to cheer Fred's demise but I think that will come very soon.

Posted by mardenhill 1/03/2008 11:06:00 PM 0 comments  

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Iowa Caucus
Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Tomorow nite is the 1st voting for our 2008 nominees and there has been many twists and turns over the last few months. 3 months ago, it was all Clinton and Romney but now its Obama and Huckabee. Now I am not a fan of the caucus just because I don't think its fair that 100,000 people (sometimes more/less) should have so much say on whether candidates stay or go. I hate seeing candidates bow out after Iowa and its bound to happen.

Michigan is getting screwed come Jan 15th when the Dems (sans Hillary) have pulled their names from the ballot. They didn't want to mess with tradition and decided to side with the powers that be and kicked MI to the curb. With that in mind, I will not vote for any Dem during our primary but I will still vote. I spoke about this before and will no doubt bring it up again but I think its important for everyone to know how stupid our current process is.

My choice as of now would be Biden but realistically it won't happen. My 2nd choice if I need to pick a top tier candidate would be Obama. I do hope Barack beats Hillary since I am ready for a fresh start and not a potential 28 years of two families. From what I have read, Biden knows that he would have a better shot at Secretary of State in an Obama cabinet with his son taking over his Senate seat. I could handle this outcome and wouldn't mind seeing it played out this way. There are those who have predicted an Obama/Webb ticket which would be amazing and one that I think I could support.

Posted by mardenhill 1/02/2008 09:38:00 PM 0 comments  

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True North Cherry Vodka
Tuesday, January 01, 2008

I wrote about the Grand Traverse Distillery a few months ago but had never had a chance to try their product. We received a bottle of their True North Cherry Vodka for Xmas and opened it last nite. Right away I could tell this was going to be a full flavored spirit just from the aromas coming out of the bottle. I chilled about a half shot just to try and loved it. The cherry flavor is huge and the vodka goes down smooth. We mixed it with some cherry grape juice we had and it made for an excellent cocktail. Besides drinking some great vodka you are also supporting a MI company which can only help our state. Don't forget to check out their updated website below.

And while we are on the topic of MI, look for the opening of Forty Five North Vineyards this year. I read about them a couple months ago and from what I have seen this should be a great addition to our growing line of MI winerys.

http://www.grandtraversedistillery.com/products.html

http://www.fortyfivenorth.com/

Posted by mardenhill 1/01/2008 04:27:00 PM 1 comments  

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