Spiritualized
Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Our favorite UK Space Rockers, Spiritualized will make an appearance in Detroit on Sept 7th. If you are not familiar with Spiritualized, the band formed from the ashes of Spaceman 3 and at this time only features Jason Pierce a.k.a. J Spaceman as an original member. Many people have come and gone (mostly kicked out per Jason) over various issues. The latest lineup features former Julian Cope musicians

The style of Spiritualized is a mix between shoegazer, garage rock, symphonic orchestra, blues, gospel, lots and lots of droning and wall of sound. While some songs are quite beautiful others can be hard on the ears with screeching guitar, fuzz, feedback, loops and other white noise. I don't think I have seen the band live unless it was at some festival years ago and I am debating about this show. It should be very good but I believe it might be an earplug night. I really haven't given the latest cd, Songs In A&E a fair listen and will try to this weekend. On the surface it has all the elements of the last few records and from other people, it's supposedly brilliant.

Posted by mardenhill 6/25/2008 10:48:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Florida Everglades

In a landmark environmental decision yesterday, US Sugar sold their land (nearly 300 square miles) within the Everglades to the state of Florida for $1.75 Billion. This is great news for Florida and the rest of the country. The Everglades have been losing acres for decades and its about time restoration has won over development. This will not eliminate all sugar cane production, there are still 500 square miles still under farming but the US Sugar deal will help kickstart a larger restoration project. I applaud all parties who were involved in this decision and I hope this sets the stage for additional environmental projects throughout the country.

Posted by mardenhill 6/25/2008 08:39:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Environment

Garden 1 Month Later
Sunday, June 22, 2008

Here are some photos of the garden 1 month after planting. Overall everything is doing well, we lost a jalapeno pepper that we had to replace and a few of the green beans but that is expected. The basil has taken off and the tomatos are right on track. Some of the peppers are starting and we should have a couple to pick within another week or so.

Posted by mardenhill 6/22/2008 10:56:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Garden

Up By 15
Friday, June 20, 2008

Granted its just one poll and Newsweek at that but its still good news. Obama up by 15 points this early in the general election is nice and something we haven't experiences in years. Another good stat from the survey is below:

Obama's current lead also reflects the large party-identification advantage the Democrats now enjoy—55 percent of all voters call themselves Democrats or say they lean toward the party while just 36 percent call themselves Republicans or lean that way.

This may change over the summer and into the fall or maybe it will stay and if so this is great news for other down ticket elections in November. The more people identify with the Dems the more apt they will be to vote for candidates they might not know on their ballot. So much for the Conservative Majority Karl Rove and the GOP tried to force down our throats back in 02 and 04. Just remember, its still a pendulum and in time it will swing back to the right. Before it does its important for the Dems to get as much done as possible to get this country back on track.
............................................

While we are on the topic of Obama, just yesterday Obama announced that he is opting out of Federal dollars for the General Election. This means that Obama is forgoing $85 Million in free money and its up to him to pay for the election himself. Obama had a verbal pledge to take funds but never got an official agreement from McCain so he decided to pay for it himself. People are saying that Obama may have upwards of $300 million to spend against McCain which can go a long way in some red and swing states.

Am I upset about Obama breaking his pledge, yeah a bit but on the other hand he is using the millions of doners as the wave to the White House instead of large doners and the traditional groups. Obama has taken the Howard Dean grassroots approach and expanded on it tenfold. He has used the internet and his community organizing skills to build a new coalition outside of DC. I will admit I haven't donated yet and I am still on the fence but will probably give in by September. I figure if I am going to donate money, I will do so after the dog days of summer when no one is paying attention. The 527s are not active on the GOP but I expect the slanders to surface come August. The Dem's biggest 527 Moveon.org has delisted itself as a 537 and will function as a PAC which has limits on donations unlike a 527. They will still attack McCain but will do so in a way that doesn't go too far outside of Obama's message. Overall, its a risky strategy but one that may be worth taking.

Posted by mardenhill 6/20/2008 09:54:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Politics

Over 5 Billion

As of this week Apple has sold over 5 Billion songs from the iTunes music store, quite a feat if you ask me. They also announced "iTunes customers are now renting and purchasing over 50,000 movies every day, making iTunes the world’s most popular online movie store".

Gone are the days of the big announcements, free giveaways, now its just a press release. Anyways this is good news for the digital medium and the more Apple can compete and win against Walmart and Best Buy the better. I have been thinking about the Apple TV lately, I know I have discussed it before but it is actually pretty cool. I don't like the fact that it is only a 160 gig hard drive but the idea of renting HD movies is worth it. We have rented a few movies thru Wide Open West's On Demand service but their HD selection is quite thin. Apple's store has much more to choose from and would be worth it. Its still on the back burner since I need a laptop first and formost but maybe come Xmas. I don't forsee myself buying a Blu Ray player anytime soon so the Apple TV might be a good replacement.

Posted by mardenhill 6/20/2008 08:54:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
Tuesday, June 17, 2008

In one of the most anticipated releases of the year, Coldplay return with a very good cd entitled Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends. The cd starts off with a 2:30 second instrumental with a few whoa near the end that was no doubt lifted from The Police's Synchronicity. Track 2 "Cemeteries In London" plays it safe but starts to show off Brian Eno's brilliance. Track 3 "Lost" begins with a church organ and what sounds like hand claps or snare drum rim shots. Chris Martin's vocals blend beautifully with the organ and its not until after 2 minutes that the guitar appears to add another layer. Track 4 "43" is classic Coldplay with vocals, piano and lush accompaniment. Strings appear and the song begins to take a new direction. The strange march to war buildup and the lovely melody that finish off the song surprisingly work well together. Track 7 "Yes" is complicated as well, the orchestra beginning makes way into a twangy and folk song with subtle electronic undertones. The violins here are odd, first its a symphonic melody then it moves into a fiddle esque sound. If that wasn't wierd enough, with 3 minutes left the song starts a completely new track and direction. Mostly wall of sound with soft and high octave whispering vocals. Track 7 "Viva La Vida" uses the violins once again and establishes Coldplay as baby U2. The song is good, its perfect for an iPod commercial and is by far the most upbeat and radio friendly song on the cd. Track 8 "Violet Hill" would be the heaviest on the cd and yeah I said heavy and Coldplay in the same sentence. Its not death metal but the mood is dark and the music is tense at times. Track 10 "Death And All His Friends" features Chris barely singing, just mumbling some words over the piano, like a drunken Tom Waits. There is a crescendo that builds in the middle of the song but fades into a chillout electronic finish.

Coldplay have thrown down the gauntlet and want to drop the "best band to fall asleep to" title won last year. They have realized the last cd was boring and it was time to liven things up. Yes this cd is experimental, its not a Radiohead but it is a departure from their previous work. The wall of sound, experiments with orchestra, texture and electronics are well worth it and no doubt came from Brian Eno. I have listened to this cd a few times now and each time I actually like it more and more. I am not a huge Coldplay fan but will give them props for a great cd and another fine 2008 release.

Posted by mardenhill 6/17/2008 09:24:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Music

Argyle 1999 Blanc de Blancs
Monday, June 16, 2008

Last year on one of our two trips to Oregon we hit a few vineyards and Argyle was one of them. Besides great chardonnay and pinot noir, Argyle makes some amazing sparklings. We picked up a bottle of their 1999 Blanc de Blancs and opened it the other nite. I forgot how good the wine was and it was great to drink it once again. Right away you had great tropical fruit flavors bursting thru followed by a rich and creamy body. The wine wasn't too sweet nor too bone dry. It was a perfect middle where people who prefer different styles could come together and agree. The yeast flavors were subtle and didn't overpower the fruit. At $40 a bottle its a bit on the pricey side but well worth it.

I would definitely drink again and will have to keep this on my short list when looking for sparklings.

http://argylewinery.com/store.php

Posted by mardenhill 6/16/2008 08:42:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Wine

Marmot Gear
Friday, June 13, 2008

A few weeks ago I picked up a new raincoat at REI during their Memorial Day sale. The jacket was the Marmot PreCip, a lightweight and waterproof jacket perfect for Summer. It compresses nicely has has underarm zippers that you can open. The jacket breathes which is great but can be a little too thin in early spring/late fall. Even so, just add an extra layer underneath and you will be all set. The jacket comes in a wide range of colors and the one I have is the Bonfire/Lava. Another great feature is the hood, it covers your head and has a duck bill in front to help keep water off your face. It can also be tightened up if the wind is too strong. I tend to alternate between North Face and Mountain Hardware for my jackets but this year I couldn't find a good raincoat in either brand that wasn't too expensive. This jacket offers everything you need at a great price.

http://marmot.com/spring_2008/mens/outerwear/shells/precip_jacket/enlarge

Posted by mardenhill 6/13/2008 02:29:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Misc

iPhone 3G
Monday, June 09, 2008

Well Apple just upped the ante in the battle for cell phone supremacy. Today they announced the new iPhone running on the 3G network available July 11th. Besides faster data speeds, the new iPhone has integrated GPS which will allow you to use Google Maps like a GPS device with a moving dot on the screen showcasing where you are. The iPhone is slimmer and also comes in 2 colors, Black and White. The developers store will be launching soon with applications that you can download via the cell phone or computer and apps can be customized for enterprise environments. It still gets better, Apple has dropped the price and the iPhone starts at $199 for the 8 gig model and $299 for the 16 gig. This will definitely put a damper on the Windows mobile, Treo and Blackberry market.

Apple also changed the .Mac site into MobileMe a website that will contain mail, contacts, calendar, photos, data etc that syncs with your desktop or laptop. This is not a free service, its $99 a year but you have push technology when it comes to email and calendar. Think of it as enterprise software for the common user. Is it worth $99, probably not but its an option none the less. You will now go to www.me.com from any computer and sign in.

Existing iPhone users will get the 2.0 software soon which will allow them to take advantage of all these features sans 3G data speeds and integrated GPS.

Overall, this is a win win situation for Apple. A foot into the corporate world and a chance at cell phone domination. They did it with the iPod and they may do it with the iPhone as well.

Posted by mardenhill 6/09/2008 03:52:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Terrorist Fist Jab

To show how desperate Fox News is these days, they have sunk to terrorist smears while discussing Obama. E.D. Hill one of the morning Fox News hosts made a comment regarding Michelle and Barack's fist jab when Barack accepted the Democratic Nomination.

HILL: A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab? The gesture everyone seems to interpret differently. We'll show you some interesting body communication and find out what it really says.


Is she that ignorant, yes, E.D. has a list of completely absurd statements but this one may take the cake. Has she ever watched any sporting event, any young adult, any male or female for that matter greet each other? Its the new form of shaking hands, its a non formal acknowledgement. What's next, athletes who jump up and bump chests a terrorist plot? How pathetic and I really hope Jon Stewart and Keith Olbermann lampoon her for this stupid comment. She deserves a SNL skit but unfortunately the seasons over.

Come on Fox News, we all know you are in the tank for the GOP but do you really need to keep using terrorism as an attack on fellow Americans?

Posted by mardenhill 6/09/2008 11:54:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Politics

The National - The Crofoot Pontiac, MI 6.8.08
Sunday, June 08, 2008

Last night Erika and I went to see the National who were playing a 1 off show during the tour with REM and Modest Mouse. They had a free evening between Chicago and Toronto so the National stopped in Detroit (well Pontiac) for a show. We missed the opening band which is ok since it was no one I have ever heard of. The show was sold out at 1150 people and this was the first time I had ever been to the Crofoot. Its a newer venue in Pontiac, was Industry I believe years ago and renovated for shows. The layout is amazing, the stage is a good size and the balcony is quite wide and gives you perfect view of the band. There are a number of bars both upstairs and down so waiting for a drink isn't too bad at all. The best part, its not that smoky and its clean. Yeah I still love St Andys down in Detroit but if I had my choice I would rather see shows here, the sound it much better and its not a million degrees in the summer.

Getting back to the National, they played for about an hour and a half and started off with "Start A War". They played the majority of Boxer; "Brainy", "Squalor Victoria", "Racing Like A Pro", "Ada", "Mistaken For Strangers", "Fake Empire", "Apartment Story", "Slow Show" and "Secret Meeting", "All The Wine" and "Mr. November" which they dedicated to Barack Obama from Alligator. There were a few more songs but I can't remember off hand but it gives you a good idea of the setlist. The band sounded great and were into the show. There was a little bit of banter between songs but you couldn't really understand what Matt Beringer was saying. There were some songs I was hoping for but have heard them at other shows. If you are slated to see the National open for REM or even on an independent show you will enjoy. They are an amazing live band and one that you should not miss.

Posted by mardenhill 6/08/2008 10:51:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Music

Garden 2008 2 Weeks Later
Saturday, June 07, 2008

Herbs
Herbs & Hot Peppers
Tomatos
Beans
Pathway with annuals
Annuals outside of fence.

Here are some updated photos of our garden, we put everything (sans the large herbs) 2 weeks ago and here is their progress. So far everything is doing great, a few of the annuals have died and need replacement but thats all. Its still early but the flowers should fill in the walkway and border outside the fence. This year I used Cosmos, Zinnias and Dalias outside the yard and along the path a mix of some purple and multicolor daisy like flowers. I threw away the tags so I have no idea what they are called.

Posted by mardenhill 6/07/2008 01:34:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Garden

When We Left Earth

Starting tomorrow night at 9pm, Discovery Channel will be airing a 6 part series regarding NASA and the last 50 years of space exploration. Like Planet Earth, this is in High Def and has never before seen footage. I am looking forward to this series since I enjoy anything space related and when its in HD its even better. You can check out the promo at the site below.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/nasa/nasa.html

Posted by mardenhill 6/07/2008 12:01:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Science, Technology

Cline Bridgehead Zinfandel 2006

If you are in the mood for an over the top, full bodied zin bursting with fruit and oak then the Cline Bridgehead Zin is for you. Its not hot like the Norman Estates Monster, it only comes in at 14.5% . This is fine tho because the flavors come thru instead of the alcohol.

This single vineyard showcases why California Zins are much more than some cheap grocery store wine and why this varietal is worth checking out. The wine starts off with fruit but isn't candy sweet like some low end zins. The oak provides a nice backbone and the finish is long and enjoyable. Its a great summer wine and one you should definitely check out.

If you are not familiar with Cline Vineyards, they are one of 1st ones on your way into Napa Valley and Sonoma. The people are friendly, the wine tasting is free and the wine itself is both inexpensive (Napa Standards) and great tasting. Cline has a number of wines that are in the sub $10 range while others climb upwards to $30.

http://www.clinecellars.com/

Posted by mardenhill 6/07/2008 09:56:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Wine

And The Cup Is Back Home Once Again
Thursday, June 05, 2008

Last nite the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 with another scary 30 second finish to win the Stanley Cup. The last minute was stressful, the puck was down in Wings territory and Osgood had to do his best to keep the puck out of the net. With seconds left Osgood goes down and is swiping the puck away and one last shot goes off behind him. It didn't go in but I swear time stopped, or that was my heart because it was almost a repeat of Monday nite. On the replay you actually got to see what really happened, the clock was at zero and although the shot was behind Osgood, it never went across the line and just out the other side. If there had been a couple seconds left on the clock and a Pittsburgh player on the right of Osgood, we might not be celebrating.

The parade will be in downtown Detroit tomorrow morning but I doubt I will go. I was downtown for the parade in '98 and I think I'm content with that experience.

Way to go Wings, great season and thanks for bringing some good news to Detroit for a change

Posted by mardenhill 6/05/2008 08:43:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Red Wings

Time To Buy A Mac
Wednesday, June 04, 2008

If you are in the market for a Mac, the next 3 months is the perfect time. If you are a student, or can get your hands on an ID or someone else to purchase a computer, you will receive a free 8 gig iPod Touch. You can also upgrade to a higher capacity iPod and pay the difference after $299. The deal is on the whole line of Macs except the Mini. I am still holding out for my laptop, I am hoping the MacBook Pro series has its refresh within the next couple months. If not I may just get the current MacBook Pro and since I am back in school, I'll use the Education discount to score myself a free iPod Touch.

Posted by mardenhill 6/04/2008 11:01:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

It's Official Obama Is The Nominee

Last nite Obama reached the new delegate milestone of 2118 and is now the Democratic nominee. This is historic on many levels, for starters Obama is the first black candidate, 2nd he defeated the most powerful and feared political machine in modern day politics and 3rd he did it without D.C. insiders. Obama has reshaped politics for years to come. He has shown that you don't need to always go negative, its ok to embrace the grassroots and don't underestimate the will of the people.

Hillary ran her campaign as the chosen one and had no plan after Super Tuesday. In her mind the nomination was hers and the rest of the primaries were just little plays that she had to smile and sit thru. She never saw Obama coming as did many others and was caught off guard. Poor planning on her part and not a trait I want my president to possess.

Now Hillary is yet to concede, maybe she is just letting things rest for a couple days and will do so by the end of the week. Part of me thinks this is the case while the other part knows how greedy and power hungry the Clinton's are and have no qualms about taking it to the convention. Its going to be an interesting summer and if the Clinton's try to sabotage Obama'scandidacy, there will be hell to pay.

Congrats to Obama for doing the unthinkable and to the superdelegates for not bowing to the will of the Clintons. Allowing a small segment of the party to dictate the nominee is wrong and one that would have only hurt in the long run.....

Posted by mardenhill 6/04/2008 08:51:00 AM 3 comments    

Labels: Politics

Game 5 Tonight
Monday, June 02, 2008

The Wings are up 3-1 in the Stanley Cup Finals and tonight could be the last came of the season. If so it would mark 4 cups in 11 years. Besides that the Wings have been in the playoffs for 17 years straight.

This is a different team than the last few cups, no more Federov, Yzerman, Shanahan, Russian 5 and Bowman. On the other hand, the quiet players who stayed Lidstrom, Draper, Maltby, McCarty (just back this year), Osgood (gone for a few years but back as well), Chelios and Holmstrom have kept the team alive and the new blood gives longevity to the team. It should be a good nite and who knows maybe all of us will be celebrating tonight/tomorrow morning.

Update: Yeah I spoke too soon, the Wings lost in a Triple OT game. The Penguins scored with 35 seconds left in the 3rd and after that it was downhill. I can't say for sure since I went to bed after the 1st OT but I didn't expect a celebration.

Posted by mardenhill 6/02/2008 06:18:00 PM 2 comments    

Labels: Red Wings

One More Day

Well tomorrow is the last day of the Democratic primaries and as of now it's Obama in the lead. Over the weekend MI and FL were decided by the rules committee and both states delegates were cut in half. Hill's supporters are still up in arms over it, somehow Obama got 4 more delegates than he should have, not like it would have mattered but that's the latest argument. When Hillary says she won the popular vote it is with MI counting only for her and no votes for Obama. Doesn't seem really fair but when it comes to playing by the rules the Clintons skipped that lesson.

Obama will be the face of the new Democratic party, no more egotistical/power hungry/greedy boomers to call the shots. This needed to happen, if the Dems plan on surviving they must pull the power from the boomers and spread it around to others within the party. There will be grayheads who will bolt and vote for McCain but let them, they are just old and jaded and can't accept the next generation taking over. These people are not the future of the party and if we are to have any luck in shaping the country for the next 20 years, Obama must be the nominee.

June 3rd, What took you so long................

Posted by mardenhill 6/02/2008 05:44:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Politics

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Sunday At Dirt Devil (2008)
Friday, May 30, 2008

Back in 2006 an unlikely duet surfaced between Isobel Campbell (formally Belle & Sebastian) and Mark Lanegan. It took everyone by surprise and expanded both musician's musical repertoire.

Isobel and Mark are back again this time taking their duets to a new level. The cd starts off very soft with both barely singing over an acoustic guitar and strings. By track 2 "The Raven" the tempo picks up as well as the arrangement. Mark's voice is much stronger and takes on a storytelling tone, very similar to that of Nick Cave. On track 5 "Come On Over (Turn Me On)" Mark and Isobel let loose and indulge in a late nite romp in the sack. Sex and blues drip from this song and is one of the best on the cd.

The cd blends folk, blues, southern gothic and storytelling and is reminiscent of Mark's cover cd I'll Take Care Of You. It is much better than their debut and I can see this relationship continuing on for years to come. If you were a fan of Mark's previous solo work before Bubblegum you will enjoy this cd. It revisits the blues and gospel influenced side of his previous work.

I have thought about it but I can't really compare this to the Gutter Twins cd, both are completely different styles and if I had to pick a favorite, I would be hard pressed.

On a side note, The Gutter Twins are playing Detroit August 1st and I can't wait. Its been years since I have seen Mark Lanegan live, the last time he was supposed to tour he was in a car accident and cancelled the remaining shows and never rescheduled.

So far no R.E.M or The Cure this year but I do have The National, Stereolab and now the Gutter Twins so I am quite happy.

Posted by mardenhill 5/30/2008 08:56:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Detroit Red Wings Jersey
Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Since the 90s when the Wings won the Stanley Cup in '97 and '98 the city of Detroit has used the Spirit Of Detroit as the model for team jerseys. Over the years the Spirit has hosted the Pistons, Shock and Tigers, sorry no Lions as of yet. Anyways the Spirit statue is undergoing some renovations so the jersey was moved to the large Tiger statue outside of Comerica Park. After work I headed down Woodward to the stadium and snapped a few photos of the jersey for my livingroom wall. I am torn as to what statue I like better, the Spirit was the original choice but this one is pretty cool. If you get a chance head downtown to grab some photos, who knows how long it will be up.........

Posted by mardenhill 5/28/2008 08:43:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Red Wings, Tigers

Garden 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008

Yesterday we planted our garden and for now we done. We have a wide range of hot peppers, bell peppers, tomato's (8 varieties), green beans (2 kinds), edamame and herbs. We have basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, oregano, thyme, sage and our newest curry. Some of the herbs are perennials and are back in a full force (the sage has been pruned 3x this year so far) while others were just added yesterday. We will probably add some carrots and a few other root vegetables to the other side of the yard and that will probably be next weekend.

Hot Peppers:
banana
jalapeno
ancho
cayanne
serreno
super chili
habanero
caribbean red habanero

I usually give away most of the hot peppers, there are just too many to eat and some are beyond my ability but I have fun growing them. I decided that I will dry some this year and make my own pepper flakes in different heat levels.

I still have a bit of grass to remove at the end of the walkway but we need to remove the lightpost before we can put anything there so I am not in a big rush. Its hard to tell from this photo but I have a border on the right side of the walkway that has annuals planted. Once things start to grow I will post more photos. If my plans work out the way I am hoping, both sides of the walkway should have blooming annuals as you walk up to the house.

Posted by mardenhill 5/26/2008 02:29:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Garden

St Stans Festival
Sunday, May 25, 2008

Yesterday we headed down to Wyandotte for the annual St Stans Polish Festival for some cheap beer and perogies. All summer long there are Polish Church festivals full of food, polka music, games and gambling scattered through downriver (area south of Detroit). Usually we will pick up a bag of frozen perogies to take back with us but this year the perogies were off a bit. They were not as good as previous years and I am not sure if it was just the batch we had ours from or if all were suffering the same fate.

In a few minutes I will be heading outside to start the roto-tilling and planting of the garden and annual flowerbeds. I will post some photos once we are done.

Posted by mardenhill 5/25/2008 09:51:00 AM 2 comments    

Labels: Misc

Busy Week II
Friday, May 23, 2008

OK, I lied the other day when I said I would do better with posting and then went 5 days without anything. To my defense I was very sick 3 of them and the last thing on my mind was posting anything to the blog. I have a few things that I will write about this weekend to make up for it and will try to be much better next week.

Posted by mardenhill 5/23/2008 06:18:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

New Forms II
Monday, May 19, 2008

Back in 1997, Roni Size & Reprazent released New Forms a Drum & Bass cd that featured some of the greatest beats in the genre. This cd even won the convented UK Mercury Prize and beat out DJs such as Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim. What separated Roni Size from most Jungle/Drum & Bass DJs was the inclusion of Jazz and Hip Hop into the beats. The layers are easy to listen to and you don't have that Aphex Twin avant-garde sound that can become quite boring. Roni Size includes many female vocals on the tracks which were very common in the Trip Hop scene. These vocals mixed with the pulsating beats created a warm and organic feel uncommon to Electronic music.

10 years later Roni Size & Reprazent have re-edited and added 4 new tracks to this masterpiece. They have entitled the cd New Forms II and is a must have for any fan old and new. Its easy to write off Electronic music 10 years later since much of it can sound dated. This is the exception tho, if you were hearing for the 1st time most would think its brand new. The cd flows seamlessly between tracks giving you a continuous play feel. Some of the highlights are "Brown Paper Bag", "New Forms", "Hero's" and new track "Don't Hold Back". The styles range from atmospheric to hard hitting Drum & Bass and feature both rap and sultry torch singers.

Roni Size & Reprazent came out of the Bristol music scene which was made famous by Tricky, Portishead and Massive Attack. They expanded the Trip Hop sound but borrowed heavily from some of the arrangements and vocal styles. I can't get enough of this cd and I am torn as to the legality of including it in my top 2008 list. It's a reissue with new tracks but it's not really new. Anyways, I highly recommend anyone who has never heard this cd to pick it up.

Posted by mardenhill 5/19/2008 09:11:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Update: Busy Week
Sunday, May 18, 2008

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, I spent 3 4hr nites at school and went out of town for the weekend. I decided to switch my College Algebra class from the accelerated 7 week class 2x a week to the 15 week 1x a week due to the overwhelming brain explosion I was on track for. I have been out of school for 12 years and it has almost 15 years since my last math class, jumping right in probably wasn't the best idea. This puts off the MBA for a semester but at least I will be able to get thru the pre reqs and Calc in one piece. This weekend we went to an Amish quilt auction and flea market, I will post a photo and a bit more later tonight. Its off to Costco and a BBQ now.

Update: Well here is a photo of the Amish quilt auction up in Claire, MI. Besides the auction there was a flea market full of dollar store merchandise and other misc junk. Erika and her mom spent most of the day bidding on quilts and I witnessed about an hour and a half of it. At the end, I was finally able to understand the auctioneer and how the bidding worked. I do feel sorry for the ladies that made the quilts since the price of them were very low this year. In previous years they would go for $300 to $1500 and this year you could pick one up for about $100. I saw a few Amish men walking around with cell phones and eating hot dogs, not what I was expecting to see at all.

Posted by mardenhill 5/18/2008 01:25:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Grad School, Misc

Cleveland Weekend
Tuesday, May 13, 2008

This past weekend Erika and I went to Cleveland for a quick getaway and had a great time. The 1st photo is from the Cleveland Indians baseball game where they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 12-0. We had a couple Toronto fans a few rows in front of us and they were pretty embarrassed. The stadium is nice, it holds about 40K but feels smaller than that. The basketball stadium is right next door and with the Cav's in the playoffs and playing this past Saturday, the city and that area was booming.

The 2nd photo is of Lola's an excellent restaurant we went to Friday night. We called about a week before and were able to get a reservation. The owner Michael Symon is now the newest Iron Chef and since then, business at the restaurant has picked up big time. The food is heavy on the meat side with a few fish choices. The style is a bit of midwestern, home cooking prepared in an upscale manner. I had duck which was very good and we split a key lime dessert which was amazing. The wine list was pretty extensive and we had a bottle of Peter Franus Napa Valley Zinfandel which I highly recommend. The wine comes in at 16.2% and sneaks up on you.

The final photo is of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. We spent over 3.5 hrs inside and didn't really see everything. Its next to impossible to read every display and watch all the videos but we did a good job at seeing a good chunk of things. They focus on the 60s with large exhibits devoted to Janis Joplin, The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix and touch on the beginnings as well as the 70s, 80s and early 90s. They have outfits from David Bowie as well as Madonna and Michael Jackson. It was amusing to watch some baby boomers stare at the exhibit that focused on Seattle and the grunge era. They were at a loss regarding Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Tad, Mudhoney and Pearl Jam. There were large gaps of the music history that I personally feel should be represented but the museum is only so big. I do hope they broaden their 80s section and expand on more than just the New York scene.

We really enjoyed Cleveland and would definitely go back. Its only a 3 hr drive and the city is pretty easy to get around. We parked our car at the hotel the whole weekend and walked everywhere.

Posted by mardenhill 5/13/2008 09:34:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Travel

27 Days......

The World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) is scheduled for June 9th next month and the Mac rumors have been flying for weeks now. Its certain that Steve Jobs will announce a new iPhone, when it will come out, what will be on it, possible design changes are all up in the air. I believe its safe to say that this model will be 3G (faster data connectivity) and will feature the newest firmware v 2.0 which contains Active Sync. This is good news for the business community since you will be able to sync your Outlook email via push technology. There are reports that a black model will be available and that the case has been slimmed down. There is also talk of a dual camera which can be used for video conferencing, not sure how true this is or practical.

All the talk about the iPhone is drowning out the Macbook Pro redesign rumors. I plan on buying a new laptop and patiently waiting for an updated pro series. I hope this conference isn't all iPhone and no laptop because I don't know how long I can hold out.

Posted by mardenhill 5/13/2008 10:16:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Oasis Loses Drummer

NME reports that Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr's son) has left Oasis over a spat with Noel Gallagher. Zak unofficially joined the band during the last tour and did help record the new cd coming out this fall. Although its a blow for the band, this isn't unusual, many drummers have come and gone over the years. The core of the band are still present and will embark on a US tour starting in August. My fingers are crossed for a Detroit date.

Posted by mardenhill 5/13/2008 08:25:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

Cleveland Rocks
Friday, May 09, 2008

This afternoon Erika and I are heading to Cleveland for a quick weekend getaway. Tonight we are having dinner at Lola's, a very cool restaurant that was featured on Anthony Bourdain's travel show as well as the home of the newly minted Iron Chef. Tomorrow its off to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and a Cleveland Indian's baseball game. Then its back home on Sunday where I will have to work in the yard and study for a math exam. I will post an update on our trip when we return.

Posted by mardenhill 5/09/2008 11:43:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Travel

I Want To Believe
Thursday, May 08, 2008

The title is a familiar phrase for fans of the series that starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents chasing after aliens and supernatural happenings. "I Want to Believe" was the slogan on a poster Duchovny's UFO-obsessed agent Fox Mulder had hanging in the cluttered basement office where he and Anderson's Dana Scully worked.

"It's a natural title," Carter said Tuesday during a break from editing the film. "It's a story that involves the difficulties in mediating faith and science. 'I Want to Believe.' It really does suggest Mulder's struggle with his faith."

"I Want to Believe" comes 10 years after the first film and six years after the finale of the series, whose opening credits for much of its nine-year run featured the catch-phrase "the truth is out there."

Due in theaters July 25, the movie will not deal with aliens or the intricate mythology about interaction between humans and extraterrestrials that the show built up over the years, Carter said.

Instead, it casts Mulder and Scully into a standalone, earthbound story aimed at serious "X-Files" fans as well as newcomers, he said.

"It has struck me over the last several years talking to college-age kids that a lot of them really don't know the show or haven't seen it," Carter said. "If you're 20 years old now, the show started when you were 4. It was probably too scary for you, or your parents wouldn't let you watch it. So there's a whole new audience that might have liked the show. This was made to, I would call it, satisfy everyone."

Hardcore fans need not worry that the movie will be going back to square one, though, Carter said. The movie will be true to the spirit of the show and everything Mulder and Scully went through, he said.

"The reason we're even making the movie is for the rabid fans, so we don't want to insult them by having to take them back through the concept again," Carter said.

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

Now I have to give my friend Rick credit for this, he emailed me today to let me know the movie was out this summer and I had no idea it was anywhere close to being done. I remember reading about a 2nd movie a while ago but nothing ever came from it so I just accepted the fact that there would be no more Moulder & Scully. After a few minutes of searching I came across the treasure trove of info above regarding the movie. We have a wedding the nite the movie comes out but that's ok I can wait til Saturday and I really don't care for packed theatres.

For those of you who may not know, I am a huge X-Files fan and throughout college we couldn't head out to the bars until after the show was over even though I was taping it. And yes, for years I had the "I Want To Believe" poster hanging up in my room. Its somewhere in the basement and I should try to find a space for it once again.

I have yet to find a show written as well as the X-Files and I doubt I ever will. Criminal Minds is up there but they don't really tell a story that is built upon throughout the season. Bones tries to but the whole secret society of cannibals does not compete with aliens among us plotting to take over the world with an underground resistance made up of a 2nd race of aliens and a shadow govt.

Posted by mardenhill 5/08/2008 07:06:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

School
Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Monday I went back to school for the first time in 11 years and let me tell ya, it was quite a shock. Besides all the kids with their cell phones texting away, they were all dressed in shorts and looked like highschoolers. I know I'm old, but it was an interesting experience compared to the last time I took classes. Since I head straight to class from work, it was me one other guy and the prof in dress clothes. Besides that, the class is College Algebra and is 4 hrs long, two days a week. Nothing like diving in head first into a shallow pool full of rocks. We briefly covered the basics of algebra and it was off to complex this and linear that. The last time I had a math class was back in '95 and if it were not for GMAT study guides, I would be lost. I am still feeling a bit overwhelmed but I think I can pull it off. This class is 8 weeks long and the next semester is Trig followed by Calculus in the fall. Well if I survive.....

Posted by mardenhill 5/07/2008 08:32:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Grad School

Detroit Zoo
Sunday, May 04, 2008

Yesterday we went to the Detroit Zoo which is just 2 miles from our house. The city of Huntington Woods borders the zoo and there is only a road that separates a number of homes from the fence. I couldn't imagine the noise day in and day out living so close. I think it would be fun for a few weeks but I could see it getting old fast. The forcast was cloudy all day with breaks of sun here and there. As luck would have it, we made it to the back of the zoo only to be caught in a rain storm. We took shelter in the kangaroo exhibit for about 10 minutes while the rain passed.

One of my favorite exhibits are the tigers and I was able to get a few shots of this one walking around. The lion in the next photo woke up and starting roaring which was cool to see. There are a number of peacocks in the zoo and they seem to have free range and go wherever they want. They are not afraid of people and just walk up and down the pathways. The final photo is of the polar bear exhibit the zoo created about 7 years ago. They have a large area to wander around and a tube was built under the water where you can see the bears and seals swim over.

For being so close, I need to do better about going since the last time was probably 4 or 5 years ago.

Posted by mardenhill 5/04/2008 08:44:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Detroit

Detroit Advances
Friday, May 02, 2008

Both the Pistons and Wings have advanced to the next round of playoffs in their respective sports. The Wings swept the Colorado Avalanche while on the road with an amazing 8-2 win led by Johan Franzen who had a hat trick last nite and leads the team with goals scored in the playoffs at 11. I have to admit I didn't watch either game last nite but just reading the highlights I can tell that both would have been fun to see. In Colorado's defense, a good chunk of their team have been on the disabled list and Forsberg had just a few shifts in game 3 before going out again. Either way, the Wings dominated a team that in the past have been very difficult to take on. Moving onto the Pistons, they finished up the series with a 100-77 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. This Saturday the Pistons start round 2 against the Orlando Magic.

Not to be outdone, the Tigers swept the New York Yankees in a 3 game series while on the road. Now that Granderson is back in the lineup, the Tigers are ready to go and have done a great job climbing out of the funk they started the year off in.

Posted by mardenhill 5/02/2008 08:17:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Detroit, Pistons, Red Wings, Tigers

Mario Cart Wii
Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Erika bought me the Mario Cart Wii game yesterday and let me tell ya, it's a lot of fun. The game comes with a steering wheel that you put the remote into and use to drive the game. I have been wanting a steering wheel and race game for a while but hadn't found I really liked. Mario Cart is your typical Nintendo, cartoonesque with silly graphics and challenges. You choose out of 8 characters and can play in traditional races, time trials, against multiple people or over the internet. Just like Guitar Hero, this game is very addicting and one can pickup in no time. By the 2nd or 3rd race you have it figured out so there is little frustration.

Posted by mardenhill 4/29/2008 07:30:00 PM 1 comments    

Labels: Wii

The Power Of Craigslist
Sunday, April 27, 2008

Last year we had a new stamped concrete patio added to our backyard and in the process pulled up a bunch of generic paver stones that were at least 15 years old. They have been stacked in the back of the yard since last summer and I don't have a truck to dispose of them. I decided to try Craigslist and see if I could give them away for free. Within 10 minutes of posting I received my first email and in 2 hours I had 35 people requesting them. I made the mistake of heading out right after I posted them so it took a while before I could pull it back down. I thought I might get someone interested but was blown away at how fast they went. I really wish I had thought of this last year.

Moral of the story, use the Free section of Craigslist if you have anything you need to get rid of that may be of some value and make sure you are close to a computer to kill the ad once there are takers.

Posted by mardenhill 4/27/2008 08:17:00 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Misc

Obama On Fox News

Barack Obama broke his personal boycott of Fox News this morning and appeared with Chris Wallace for a one on one interview. Overall Barack did great, he kept his cool, answered the questions and didn't appear on the defensive. There will no doubt be questions raised by Hillary and her surrogates regarding the answer that Republicans have better ideas when it comes to regulation and education. He answered both but failed to elaborate on the regulation. Obama will have to circle back around and broaden this answer which isn't a problem and one that will put Hillary on the same page or on the defense that will contradict many of her past comments.

During the round table the Fox commentators finally got it right and spoke of the generational issue that Barack is not part of the 60s and trying to tie him to that era will not work. This is what I have been saying all along, and more and more pundits need to address this. There are many people out there including me who are sick and tired of baby boomers and their 40 year old battles. Its time to kick the boomers to the curb and take over ourselves. Politically boomers are just a bunch of self centered, greedy bastards who refuse to give up power to the next generation. This is why Hillary does so well among older folks, collectively they view ceding power as the ultimate betrayal and will stop at nothing to hold on. If you look at history every generation will go thru this but the boomers claimed victory very early and actually took hold much sooner than other generations. There are boomers like Ted Kennedy who are ready to pass the torch but I feel they are in the minority.

I have no doubt that Obama will secure the nomination and run an amazing general election campaign. I am anxious to see how his message will contrast McCain's and it will be very obvious how Obama is the voice of change.

Posted by mardenhill 4/27/2008 11:58:00 AM 1 comments    

Labels: Politics

Western Digital My Passport Hard Drive
Thursday, April 24, 2008

Posted by mardenhill 4/24/2008 08:26:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology

Possible Replacements Reunion
Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The Replacements are considering reuniting, 17 years after they disbanded.Original bassist Tommy Stinson said that he and singer/songwriter Paul Westerberg have had a lucrative offer to perform at Coachella and other major festivals, reports Billboard.

The reunited band would consist of session drummer Josh Freese(replacing original drummer Chris Mars who retired from music to focus on painting) and an unnamed lead guitarist (who would replace Stinson’s late half-brother Bob, who died in 1995). Stinson said: “We talked about it this year, and I think there was a consensus that maybe it wasn’t the right time [to reunite] - or maybe it is the right time."

At the last minute, it just didn't seem like the right thing to do. But I think Paul and I have something to offer each other still. I think that's pretty obvious when we get together.”
............................

This is great news and if the Pixies, Jesus And Mary Chain and The Police can do it, why not the Replacements? I never got to see the band live but have seen Paul solo on a couple occasions and would love one last chance. Now if this were to happen, the only 2 bands left to reform that would be big news would be the Talking Heads and the Smiths but part of me believes that is out of the question.

Posted by mardenhill 4/23/2008 07:58:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

New Stereolab This Summer
Sunday, April 20, 2008

Mark your calendars because one of the coolest bands around will be releasing a new cd this August. Although Stereolab released Fab Four Suture back in '06 it was really a collection of singles and EPs and will have been 4 years since the bands last full length. I have no idea on the style but that doesn't matter, it's Stereolab and that is all we need to know. I hope I can count on the band to make a stop in Detroit this fall since everyone else has abandoned the Motor City on their recent tours. If you have never seen Stereolab live you are really missing out and must check them out if they come thru your town.

Chemical Chords:

01 Neon Beanbag
02 Three Women
03 One Finger Symphony
04 Chemical Chords
05 The Ecstatic Static
06 Valley Hi!
07 Silver Sands
08 Pop Molecule (Molecular Pop 1)
09 Self Portrait with "electric brain"
10 Nous Vous Demandons Pardon
11 Cellulose Sunshine
12 Fractal Dream Of A Thing
13 Daisy Click Clack
14 Vortical Phonotheque

Posted by mardenhill 4/20/2008 11:59:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Music

My iMac

Its been nearly 6 months since I have been able to power on my iMac due to some electrical issues here at home. Last year we had some power surges that were due to the meter box on the back of the house. Once that was fixed and the electrical outlets upstairs replaced, it was time to try out the mac. Unfortunately the mac would only power on for 1-2 minutes and die. If you would try again it would fail on the blue startup screen. This lead me to believe that either the power supply or logic board had been fried during the surges. The logic board along with the hard drive had been replaced in the past due to other issues and at this time the iMac was out of warranty. I had to make a $100 gamble to figure out if it was the power supply or not. Without the warranty it wasn't worth bringing into the apple store for them to tell me what I already believed was the problem. Since the transistors on the logic board looked good it could be one thing and if I was wrong, well it only cost me $100. So I bought a new power supply off of eBay and hoped for the best. The good news, I was correct and my iMac is back to life.

Although my iMac is only a G5, I love the design and ease of use when repairing. You unscrew 3 screws and the back comes off. You can replace any piece of the computer without issues. The new design of the iMac has made this next to impossible since you need to take the screen off to access everything. This fall my iMac will turn 4 but for the most part is a workhorse and an amazing machine. It feels good to have it back up and running once again.

Posted by mardenhill 4/20/2008 11:41:00 AM 0 comments    

Labels: Technology