My 10 favorite albums/CDs

Once in awhile, I listen to an album/CD I really like and have not heard in awhile, and I'm just floored - at how good it really is. And then I start to think about what my favorites are, the very best to me. Today it was "Parallel Lines" by Blondie. A lot of people think of Blondie as a very good 80's pop band. However I think they are a lot more than that, but you might not ever know it if you don't put this CD in and listen to the whole thing. A lot of the very best albums are like that. So here's my favorites in no particular order: Blondie - Parallel Lines: Every song on this is great. Debbie has one of the smoothest voices and best range of any pop/alternative artist I have heard. I literally feel an out-of-body experience listening to this. Some songs many have never heard such as "Picture This" and "Go Away" are as good as a few of their best hits ever "Heart of Glass", "Hanging on the Telephone", etc. If you doubt what I say here, please listen to it in full just one time. I think you will change your mind. Blue Oyster Cult - Cultosaurus Erectus: This was very tough because there are 2 other greats in my opinion, "Secret Treaties" and "Fire of Unknown Origin". Cultosaurus Erectus is special to me because it carries it the full polish of their newer set of albums and some of the old ecclectic themes and lyrics that their old stuff has. In particular I am fond of the guitar solos in "Fallen Angel" and the all-around hardcore playing of "Lips in the Hills" but honestly all the songs on this album are tip-top. Blue Oyster Cult is probably the most unappreciated great American rock band. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours: This is on a lot of lists and although it is slightly before my time(I remember some of their hits on the radio when I was about 7 years old), I will say this. This is one of the few bands along with Led Zeppelin that when you put their album on, almost immediately afterwards you find yourself amazed at just how good they sound. Almost unbelievable. This album probably has more of their best stuff than any other. Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny: Like Blue Oyster Cult, these guys, especially their old stuff like this, is a bit of an acquired taste. However like the aforementioned Parallel Lines, although a very different genre, I feel myself floating away as the music plays on. Song after song flows together and takes you to a world of magic and metal. This is a classic. Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy: Probably the best rock band of all-time, it's hard to pick just one. But this one to me is special. It feels like pure goodness. Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction: This is a hard one for me also, because I really loved "Rust in Peace" and "Cryptic Writings". This one seems to be the best synthesis of Dave's great writing and Marty Frienman at his very best. Like a lot of people I really get off on Marty Friedman's guitar. Never heard anything quite like it. I know Dave Mustaine is a crazy jerk, but damn if he isn't not just a great songwriter but a great poet as well. I know I'll take some heat for saying that but it's true. Nirvana - Nevermind: I loved "In Utero" also, but let's be honest, that album is pretty painful. You can almomst always listen to Nevermind. It just rocks. I wonder how much more great music we could have had if Cobain stayed with us. Pink Floyd - Animals: "The Wall" honestly was probably their best ever. But like most people I have heard it a bazillion times. Besides, it's a double and I am trying to stick to single-record ablum/CDs. "Animals" is a genius work of art from beginning to end. It is basically a philosophical exploration of the different types of people and how to survive in this world without becoming amongst the worst types yourself. Absolutely hypnotic and ties the songs together where by the end, you feel you have gone on a journey and returned to where you started with a better understanding of the universe. Or at least your place within it. Rush - Moving Pictures: Rush probably one of the most talented and one of my favorite bands ever. Also probably the most philosophical hard rock band ever that was worth a shit. Moving Pictures was probably their most polished radio-friendly collection of songs, but also I would say, just flat out highest quality. Almost every song on this album is considered a rock classic. If somebody who had never heard Rush asked me to hear some of their stuff, I would have them listen to this. Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz: It's hard for me to choose between this and any of the Black Sabbath albums. However when it comes right down to it, it comes down to a lot of the lyrics and things that Ozzy had to say in this album and how I can relate. Ozzy had a reputation as an evil man who bites off bats' heads but I think he was quite sensitive and intelligent judging by the songs on here. I detect him dealing with his own depression and guilt in quite a few of these songs, in fact maybe all of them. And Randy Rhodes' guitar was just phenomenal.

Playing some Wow again

I didn't like the Star Wars game so much so I activated my WoW account for another month. It was almost 6 months not played so I was confused a bit at first about my characters' abilities and such. Tried to do a few dailies with my warrior and went into my arms spec but forgot to switch out of defensive stance, so I had a shit-fit wondering where my Colussus smash has gone. Stuff like that, lol. I had purple 'singing war axe' or something like that from BC era that some transmorging dummy paid 9k for. Sold a blue pattern for 900g, somebody else was trying to get 6k for the same one. I could not imagine why anybody would pay 6k for a blue pattern this late into Cata. The fact they are going to give away Diablo 3 with a 1-year commitment to Wow had something to do with my decision. I am not sure if I want Diablo 3, but, it got me thinking about Wow a little bit and I was bored. I made a troll druid for no sensible reason and got high enough to get cat form(lvl 8). But I already have an 85 druid so I doubt I will stick with that. Basically just kinda slumming.

That Star Wars game

I just downloaded the Star Wars MMO. Took about 12 hours, ugh. I made a Republic Smuggler and played to level 4. I like it so far but I wish it was a little more sandbox, though maybe at higher levels it will be. So far, it's run here, run there, run back, run here, run there. And kill weak mobs, loot them for near-worthless stuff. I think I'd rather be in Durotar skinning boars and looting boar meat. But you can't really judge just by 4 levels. There was a female NPC who was coming on to me too hard so I rejected her. Maybe it was a possible companion NPC, maybe not. Like any new MMO, it feels awkward at first.. My character's race is some sort of green people, not sure what that is or if it matters.

Guppy Gossip 6.4

I write a weekly fantasy football article for my league. It's usually not very re-printable due to excessive misogyny and f-bombs but this week I thought it was both above-average in quality and clean:
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Welcome comrades to Guppy Gossip Perestroika edition!
This week we have many good things to share with fantasy football brothers and sisters all over our beloved homeland. The heroes from the front lines have made their sacrifices for our enjoyment and we can all make sacrifices too for the betterment of all Russia. We look at the heroic deeds they have done right now, shall we begin?

1. Tony Romo - Comrade Tony brings us many glorious touchdowns to Dez Bryant and many yards and scores, for the betterment of his home province of Texas but for all of us as well. We are proud even in his failures for he symbolizes the mediocrity, the victories and failures we all share in, these values we all hold dear.

2. Tim Tebow - Although we do look down on religious distractions here in the motherland, we still admire Tebow for his strong arms and work ethic. The plains of Colorado imitate the endless fields of Russia which must be worked every day. Our hard labor brings us together so we know we can face any enemy. Our love of land and home is what makes us strong but we also love our work horse, like Tim Tebow, a bronco is a symbol of strength and unity.

3. Fred Jackson - This tall warrior is seen on our government-issued televisions looks much like Egyptian Pharoah, but yet he fights in the cold weather like our soldiers helped defend Stalingrad. There in Buffalo they enjoy cheap vodka to help forget about work and ease the drive to our homes. Stalin would be proud that the Bills would not give up just like we did not give up. He runs just like the cowards who hate communism run in the night from our KGB agents. Ha ha.

4. Wes Welker - Of course you knew we would honor comrade Welker! He too left the warm lands of sunny beaches to suffer just like we do! Last year he earned his White Devil name by laughing at enemy coach's love of wife's feet. Any chance to laugh at a capitalist or freedom we must do so. They only take our best people by seducing them with money. But we would never be so foolish. Russian women cook better, can drink more and are more warm although American women are coming more closer to it. Wes Welker makes snow-angels during football game to remember home in Ukraine!

5. Adrian Peterson - This is our best secret agent. Nobody would expect black man from Moscow, but then this is their foolish loss not to know! He makes his best playing while Tavaris Jackson or Donovan McNabb throws, yet nobody is suspicious. Only fumbles the ball for Brett Favre in playoffs. Americans are seeing him being the best runner again, well they are the ones who will be sorry! He helps us distribute the best communist pornography from Minneapolis but there is subliminal communist messages inside. You may already be under their control, we know what you watching!

Eli Manning - This is our biggest failure. The evil capitalist values are most strong in New York. Our KGB planners failed to see that Eli could be a double agent. The tall buildings made him doubt that all homes should be owned by our government. Who needs to own your own home when the state distributes to us whatever our needs are? Even worse, he would not drink the Stonichnaya vodka we send, fed the caviar to the family dog. We hate him more than we hate Ivan Drago. You do not play for yourself, you play for all Russia! Or else.

Diablo 3 RL $$ Auction House

I just read the news that Diablo 3 will have 2 auction houses: a regular in-game auction house like the one in WoW, and a real money auction house where you can sell or buy items for real money. I am 100% in favor of this, in fact I am totally psyched. The reason I am against this in WoW is that gold and item farmers were so rampant in early Wow, they were everywhere hogging up all the best spots, even attacking players who entered their territory, and not letting players do their quests in those areas. They were everywhere, they spoke little or no English, it was ruining the game. But in Diablo 3, you can play online but in your own world if you want, where there are no gold/item farmers to bother you. Then if you want to sell that sword you just got for 75 cents to somebody, you can go ahead and do that. If you find a way to make the equivalent of minimum wage playing Diablo 3 at home, more power to you. If you want to spend your money on those things, more power to you. I seriously doubt that people will be able to make much money at it, I think supply & demand will kick in and that items will sell for very low real money. But who knows? You will also be able to avoid an extra charge and spend your money in the Blizzard store if you want(smart thinking Blizzard) so if I want to play Diablo 3 all month and get a t-shirt at the end of the month for my work, well shit, to me it's better than sitting on a bunch of gold that I don't need(like in WoW). It just adds another dimension to the game that makes it interesting, and Diablo 3 is the perfect game for it. Also, I was worried about conflict of interest regarding Diablo 3. I was worried Blizzard would lose money because people would play Diablo 3 instead of Wow, so Blizzard might start charging for Battlenet. Well, now they can make some extra money off these transactions, maybe that will make up the difference. I just really, really like this direction, and can't wait to play Diablo 3.

100k club

I know there is no official or unofficial 100k gold club. But for me, it's a big deal. I think when I started Cataclysm I had around 12k gold or so. And that was pretty much gone right off the bat buying all my characters the fast mount flying speed for 4k each. I am thinking something that maybe is the reason that people who get to 100k keep on going to 250k or higher. And that is, 100k is basically 3 high level epics off the auction house. So it doesn't seem like a huge amount really. I still have 200 pyrite ore in the bank so I am thinking I will let my sub run out, then wait to see if pyrite can be prospected for epic gems at some point later, then maybe play some more. Right now I have 15 days left on my account and I am trying to finish firelands dailies for 3 characters. Honestly, that was fun for awhile but now I hate doing them. Also I have a gnome warlock, am trying to get the ram epic mount so I log him on every day and do Ironforge fishing and cooking daily. That's the plan, Stan.

Why I sell bags

I read a lot of gold-making blogs. And by far the most common ways that the best gold-makers use to make gold seem to be jewelcrafting and inscription. Well, I don't do either one of those things. My main income is from selling bags, mostly embersilk but also some abyssal bags. I do sell some enchanting materials and other odd-and-end stuff, but bags is my main thing. And specifically I would say an average profit of only about 500g a day.
The obvious question is, "Why? Why make 500g a day when you could make more doing something else?". First of all, I am fitting in where needed. Before I started, embersilk bags were going for over 400g each on my server. When I take a couple of days off, the price goes back up to that. Well, I think that sucks. In fact, I will say, in my opinion, that is a sign of a weak side faction(in my case horde). Especially where bags are concerned, this is a disadvantage across the board. When bags are too expensive, less people buy them, less people have them. Then less people can carry as much, and profit as much selling their junk, because they have to delete things that won't fit, or make more trips to vendors. If your faction is strong, the bags are affordable, and many players have high-capacity bags. So, I feel this is my niche, not one of self-sacrifice, I mind you. I am happy with the amount of money I make, and I feel I contribute in general to people having more money in the future, which hopefully they will spend on something I am selling (Who knows?). By the way, I'm up to 50k now, still got 30-something truegold and about 300 stacks of pyrite ore waiting to be sold as well. 100k here I come!