I absolutely agree that the mugging turning liberals into neocons joke is bullshit. It isn't true, which is why it's a joke. At the same time, the reason that the joke is so popular is that if you look at the ranks of the neoconservative movement (especially the early members of the movement), you'll find a lot of former liberals who switched sides during the Reagan era (when just about anyone could get elected using a "tough on crime" platform). I can name some names, if anyone wants to look further into the matter.

For the record, and just so there's no misunderstanding, I consider myself to be a liberal (although not strictly so; I was looking forward to voting for McCain in 2000, as he seemed the best candidate available). At the same time, I'm not blind to the fact that the left in this country has some serious problems, and that a lot of what we do seems more effective at soothing our guilt than actually making things better.

As to your mistake; it's understandable. I'm not sure that I could bring myself to piss on Buchanan or Robertson, if either man was on fire. I'm pretty sure that I could spare a little if he wasn't, though.

Battle of the Favorite Albums (or ALBLUMS, if you prefer):

AK1200: Shoot to Kill
Marley, Bob: Legend
Bowie, David: Hunky Dory
Cash, Johnny: Live at San Quentin
Cash, Johnny: Unchained
Flaming Lips, The: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Mansell, Clint (featuring Kronos Quartet): Requiem for a Dream (Soundtrack)
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes: Blow in the Wind
Moby: Play
Morricone, Ennio: The Legendary Italian Westerns
N.W.A. (and various others): N.W.A. Legacy
Pearl Jam: Ten
Pixies: Surfer Rosa
Puente, Tito: Oye Como Va
Radiohead: The Bends (I'm gonna lose my Radiohead cred for that one, for sure)
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik
Run-DMC: Raising Hell
Size, Roni: In the Mode
Soundgarden: Down on the Upside
Spinal Tap: This Is Spinal Tap (Soundtrack)
Temple of the Dog: Temple of the Dog
U2: Joshua Tree
Vega, Suzanne: Nine Objects of Desire
Waits, Tom: Frank's Wild Years
Weezer: Weezer

Unfortunately, my computer was having some trouble with the AMG site, so I wasn't able to figure out my average score.

Josh:

I don't understand your most recent post (18 Jul 2004 01:07:05) at all. Can you help me parse it, or make more sense of it? I'm lost.

Oh boy lists of things!

1. Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes
2. Tori Amos: Scarlet's Walk
3. Atticus: Excuse Me Sir (no amg rating)
4. Cowboy Junkies: The Trinity Session
5. John Denver: Back Home Again
6. Dar William: Mortal City
7. Cat Stevens: Tea for the Tiller Man
8. Simon and Garfunkel: Greatest Hits (1972)
9. Toad the Wet Sproket: Fear
10. Toad the Wet Sproket: Pale
11. Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward
12. Andrew Lloyd Webber: Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack
13. REM: Automatic for the People
14. REM: New Adventures in Hi-Fi
15. Enya: Memory of Trees
16. Led Zepplin: IV
17. Led Zepplin: II
18. Pearl Jam: No Code
19.Portishead: Portishead
20. Metallica: Metallica
21. Beatles: Rubber Soul
22. Elton John: Greatest Hits (1974)
23. Better Than Ezra: Deluxe
24. Loreena McKennitt: Book of Secrets
25. The Who: Who's Next

My average AMG rating is 4.25.

Edited by author 07-21-2004 02:49 AM
Mike: Your AMG average is 4.34 -- highest I've seen so far (and I've had some emailed to me that haven't been posted.)

Weezer was oh-so-close to making the list. Yoshimi is great, too, as is (of course) Ten. I live (er, love) The Joshua Tree.

I agree with you (obviously) that The Bends is Radiohead's best.

Play is fantastic, but I cannot get over the sell-out nature of it.

I prefer Superunknown to Down on the Upside.

Great list. Thanks.

Dave: There's a good description of the background of my post here. That source lists the patent expiration date at 18 June, not 7 June, but that too has now passed.

Basically, a nonsense patent on a software algorithm [LZW] has expired. A certain tool [GD] used to support a file format using that algorithm [GIF], but support was removed [after v1.19]. I expected support to be added back immediately after the patent expires, but I haven't seen any evidence of this happening.

Jenn: Great list of albums! Thanks!

I don't think I even own 25 albums but here goes

1. Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion
2. Depeche Mode - Black Celebration
3. Eminem - The Emeinem Show
4. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
5. Beck - Odelay
6. Moby - Play
7. Pearl Jam - Riot Act
8. Metallica - Metallica
9. Radiohead - The Bends
10. Richard Cheese and Lounge Agaist the Machine - I'd like a virgin
11. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Take a Break
12. Juno Reactor - Bible of Dreams
13. Crystal Method - Vegas
14. Elton John - Greatest Hits (1974)
15. Various Artists - Spawn Soundtrack
16. Marilyn Manson - Golden Age of Grotesque
17. Rammstein - Sehnsucht
18. Beatles - 1 (Don't actually own it but couldn't pick a single favorite album)
19. Offspring - Smash
20. Various - Mortal Kombat Soundtrack
21. Prodigy - Fat of the Land
22. Michael Jackson - Thriller
23. Aquabats - The Fury of the Aquabats
24. Weird Al Yankovic - Off the Deep End
25. Snoop Dogg - Doggy Style

My AMG score is 4.19 but that doesn't include the Richard Cheese album in the total since they don't have a score for it yet. But, if I join and rate it a 5, my score jumps to 4.22.

I think that, ultimately, Superunknown is a far better album than Down on the Upside. This isn't a list of the best, though; it's a list of our favorites, and I've heard Superunknown way too many times for me to listen to it daily. Yet, somehow, Ten remains on the list. Go figure. The Bends is another case of loving a band's ugly and overshadowed child. Sure, it's pop as fuck, but it's still Radiohead, and it's accessible to people like my mother. Try discussing how genius OK Computer or Kid A is with someone who isn't in college or a music geek, and you'll hit a wall.

Play is the ultimate in background music. I can put it on, go about my business, and just sort of forget that it's there, while occasionally finding myself smiling because it creates something enjoyable. It doesn't require my full attention in order to be useful to me. Oye Como Va is on the list for the same reason.

Weezer is a recent addition to the list. I hadn't listened to it in a long time, but when I saw the ads for the new Deluxe version, I dusted off my old copy, and it held up really well. In the Garage is like a checklist of things that I had in my room (the garage) when I was in high school. Well, I had a different band on the poster, and my guitar wasn't electric, but you get the idea.

Here's fifteen. I couldn't possibly do ten more. These things stress me out, because what if I forget something important?, you know? (I love the question mark followed immediately by the comma)

Anyway...

Alice in Chains- Unplugged
The Beatles- Abbey Road
The Darkness- Permission to Land
Eminem- The Eminem Show
Enya- Watermark
Live- Throwing Copper
Neutral Milk Hotel- In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
Pearl Jam- Yield
Pearl Jam- Riot Act
Sequentia- Canticles of Ecstasy (Hildegard von Bingen)
Stone Temple Pilots- Purple
Sublime- 40 oz. Of Freedom
Temple of the Dog- Temple of the Dog
They Might Be Giants- Flood
Weezer- Weezer

Yeah, I was talking with Jon (Grnegsnspm) on Sunday -- The Eminem Show really needs to be on my list, too. Purple was really close to making my list, as was Throwing Copper.

Wow, I forgot all about Throwing Copper. Such a great album. bah!

RE: GIF Support Returns to GD

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/04/07/22/15292...tml?tid=152&tid=155

is that what you're looking for Josh?

Yes, thanks, Evan!

Hi Josh,

as embarrassing as it is, I thought I would share my top 25 favorite albums since you shared yours. This was quickly done off the top of my head. I'm sure once I check through my CD collection, I'll say "D'oh!" once or twice. I like the mushy stuff. It averages a 4.02 rating. I couldn't find a rating for Concert for George which is primarily Ravi/Anoushka Shankar, Jeff Lynne, Eric Clapton, and Paul McCartney.

Beatles, The- Abbey Road
Cole, Paula- This Fire
Dion, Celine - The Colour of My Love
Erasure- The Innocents
Erasure- Pop! The first 20 Hits
Eurythmics- Greatest Hits
Friends of George Harrison- Concert for George
Gabriel, Peter- Secret World Live
Harrison, George- All Things Must Pass
Harrison, George- Brainwashed
Harrison, George- Living in the Material World
Indigo Girls- Indigo Girls
Indigo Girls- Swamp Ophelia
Live- Mental Jewelry
Loggins, Kenny- Leap of Faith
McCartney, Paul- Flaming Pie
McCartney, Paul - Flowers in The Dirt
McCartney, Paul- Unplugged
McCartney, Paul- Wingspan- Hits & History
McLachlan, Sarah- Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Penn, Michael- March
Petty, Tom- Wildflowers
Stevens, Cat- Very Best of Cat Stevens
Sting- Nothing Like The Sun
Sting- Ten Summoner’s Tales

You mentioned to me that you liked Throwing Copper over Mental Jewelry. I actually struggled over which album to put on the list. I think I would have to say that Throwing Copper is a better album. However, some of my favorite albums are influenced by where I was and how I felt when I first started listening to them and these albums still bring out feelings that have nothing to do with the album itself. For that reason, I would still have to choose Mental Jewelry for my list.


Amal