Moe_Syzlak

the Galapagos Islands.

We're going to be in Ecuador in less than a year. I have always wanted to check out the Galapagos, but trips out there are SOOO expensive.

What are some of your favorite places in the world? Be specific! Instead of saying "Mexico," say "Punta Allen, Mexico." And give a little bit of your reasons why. List as many as you'd like!

I'll start.

Punta Allen, Mexico - A small fishing village south of Tulum on the Yucatan Peninsula. I went there back in 2003 and in the week we were there, we saw only a handful of other tourists. We rented a house from an ex-pat named Sirena (her real name!) who had tried to sail around the world three separate times and sank all three boats. The last one sank off the coast of Punta Allen and she stayed. But she was really the only expat we met (American or otherwise). It really was a local fishing town. It is located relatively close to Tulum but the rough dirt down through the biopreserve (the only land access) kept most Tulum tourist away. A great little spot to get away from it all and truly have those white sand beaches all to yourself. Oh and if you're a bonerfisherman, it is world class.

Santa Catalina, Panama - A bit more of a expat haven, no Spanish is required. Though a little Spanish will allow you to get to know the mostly non-English speaking native Panamanians who are very friendly. We stayed at a place called Oasis Surf Camp which is at the end of the road. Actually it is beyond the end of the road. Oasis is located on the far side of an estuary and is passable only by a very elevated four wheel drive truck (owned by the Italian family the runs Oasis) and only at low tide. When we arrived (three busses from Panama City) we had to hold our backpacks above our heads while wading across. The main attraction is surfing. The break here is considered by many to be amongst the best on the entire Pacific coast of the Americas. But also there is great scuba diving. We spent a great deal of time out at Coiba, a large island that was a prison colony under Noriega, that is now a park. This is some of the most untouched rainforest in the world and truly beautiful on land and below the water. The diving is fantastic, but don't expect colorful corals and tropical fish. This is big fish territory and we swam with sharks, barracuda and rays among literally hundreds of other species. I believe it will become popular very quickly, but when we were there Thanksgiving 2007, there were very few rooms for rent and the total cost for 8 days (including at least 2 meals per day and a lot of beer) was $250 for the both of us... including tip!

Hanson?

Weir'd!

that is for sure true. I know some bands release in both formats (DMB comes to mind-yes much bigger animal but whatever). That would be great. BTW saw you had a 50" in 720 DLP. 56" here-Samsung. I love me some HD

Yeah mine is a Samsung too. It is great, but again, I find the quality difference between true HD (of which I can get 720p and 1080i) to be not THAT much better than my upconverted DVD player. I see the difference, but it isn't compelling me to buy new equipment.

Back on topic (sorta), I seriously doubt Wilco would release this ONLY on BluRay. They will either release it in both formats or just DVD. The market for BluRay is still a fraction of the overall market for DVD/home video and they would be shooting themselves in the foot to limit their sales in that way.

Thank you for the rant I'm glad I didn't have to do it. Blu Ray=1080P DVD=480I Even regular broadcast HD is either 1080I or 720P which smokes DVDs. As a matter of fact HD pretty much killed my DVD watching.

I think you're missing the point. It's not that anyone doesn't think the quality is better; it's that your system is only as good as your weakest link. Should someone with a 19" CRT invest in a BluRay player? No need!

My TV is about five years old and is a 720p DLP. Lost, for example, looks good in HD, but not THAT much better than the DVD.

I have 50" HDTV, which is pretty big, and I find the difference between watching a DVD and watching the same content in HD on cable to be negligible. That minor difference is not enough to get me to buy a BluRay player, especially since I own about 30 or so DVDs (is BluRay backwards compatible?) and there is a lot more selection/availability in rentals for DVD.

Well since we're all giving our opinions of SBS.... AGAIN! ... I'll go too.

It was in my top five albums of 2007, but the only song on the album I absolutely LOVE is YAMF. The rest is very listenable, but nothing blows me away. The only song I skip EVERY time is On and On and On (still can't figure out what anyone sees in that one, but hey, to each their own!).

Doesn't Jemelle know we're talking about ARod this week?

I don't get why so many people on this board, who I consider extremly knowledgable about music and have really cool tastes, spent time watching that crap fest.

Soooo you watched?

And PS, while John Irving has written some of my favorite books, I have started Prayer ay least 3 times and never finished it. Dunno.

I started it once and gave up too. Then a friend insisted I read it all the way through insisting I would not regret it. It does start slow and you feel like where is this going, but trust me every little thing in that book has a reason to be there. I always say that Irving's notes for the book must have been 10X as long as the book itself!

Can't they just strap some rickshaws to them and get some use out of 'em?

What can I say? I'm just a positive person! Sure gave this thread a jolt though.

Whoa whoa whoa!

I am reading the responses like WTF is going on here! I misread the topic. Those are my favorite five!

ETA: Oops I misread the topic! These are my favorite five, not least!

Bands and songs are in no particular order:

Flaming Lips

The Spark That Bled

The Gash

Waiting For a Superman

Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell

Race For The Prize

Radiohead

Subterranean Homesick Alien

Everything In Its Right Place

Faust Arp

A Wolf At The Door (It Girl. Rag Doll)

Paranoid Android

Frank Zappa

Echidna's Arf (Of You)

Inca Roads

Sinister Footwear 2nd mvt.

Blessed Relief

Advance Romance

Phish

Fluffhead

Stash'

Reba

Colonel Forbin's Ascent->Fly Famous Mockingbird

You Enjoy Myself

Super Furry Animals

Run! Christian, Run!

If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You

Zoom!

No Sympathy

Tradewinds

Grateful Dead

Eyes Of The World

Help On The Way >Slipknot!

Terrapin Station

Wharf Rat

That's It For The Other One

Wilco

Muzzle Of Bees

Poor Places

At Least That's What You Said

I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

Ashes Of American Flags

And yeah, I know that is more than five. I really wanted to put Miles Davis up there too!

I know this is guitar tones, but I was just listening to The Spark That Bled off Soft Bulletin and I was reminded what great tone Steven Drozd has ... drum tone.

Well you nailed it. There is no one answer. The GD were not the same band tour to tour, let alone year to year. So while you may end up liking one show from '70, you might not like one from '73 or one from '77. That said, here are my recommendations. Keep in mind these aren't necessarily my favorite shows, but they are very popular and good representations from the various eras. I have left out some of the more challenging (73-74) and less popular (the '80s) eras but there is plenty to love from them too, but I'd start here:

- Dick's Picks 8 - 5.2.70 (you specifically mention American Beauty and this is one of the best from those years)

- Dick's Picks 4 - 2.13-14.70

- One From the Vault - 8.13.75

- Cornell 5.8.77 (this one is not an official release but is probably THE most traded show. You can even find Dolby 5.1 surround versions of it!)

All are widely available!

This is such a great topic, and it's going to make my reading selections for this year so much easier! I'll be furiously jotting down titles.

Ditto! I will need to take some time before I could list five, but I'm glad to see my favorite book -- A Prayer For Owen Meany -- already getting lotsa love! Once this topic dies down, I'm going to have to start an offshoot: "Top Five Books to Read While On the Road." With our big around the world trip coming up, I'm looking for good reading material. Many good "road" books like On the Road (duh!) or any Kerouac and HST stuff I've read. I already have the Snow Leopard on my list though. I've always wanted to read it and figured I should save it for this trip.

Wayne Coyne's Guitar Hero double-neck!

Maybe I just don't run in those circles, but does anyone, aside from gay dudes, REALLY care about this guy?

 

I mean, shit, at least Mark Spitz had a mustache.

Gay dudes? Mustache? Were you alive in the '70s? Mustaches were hardly the exclusive domain of straight men.

I know this happened after he really achieved his fame, but it saddens me that this is what people get worked up about and the DUI is /was hardly a blip... and I don't even smoke.

I think photographic evidence should be required to support your case.

The NFL head of officiating came out and said they blew some calls during the game. Specifically cited:

1. Santonio Holmes should have been flagged for 15 for unsportsmanlike

2. They admitted there was no booth review for the last Warner fumble and there should have been.

I still think that last play was too close to overturn and, even with replay, it should stay with whichever way it was called on the field. The 15 yards on the KO could have drastically affected that final hail mary attempt though. Again, I don't think the officials cost the Cards the game; but they DID make some large errors.