Rick N. Backer

Pearl Jam - Ten. Pearl Jam - Gigaton (just the studio disc)

I wouldn’t say I’m “dunking” on him. His music just isn’t for me.

You will not be surprised to hear that those are my 2 favorite songs on the album.

I just listened to So this morning because goose mentioned it. It's fine. I'm more likely to listen to that than any other Gabriel album. But do I LOVE it? No.

So is OK. Us is OK as well. But if I never heard either album again, it wouldn't impact my life one way or the other.

Don't let Jackie bully you with his nonsense. Next thing you know, he'll change the topic to "Top 10 yacht rock songs I think are metal." Just watch.

12 or 15, "if youre just so stuck that youre losing your mind." You can't possibly be losing your mind over cutting the ones I cut for you.

10 Jackie. 10. What part of that don't you get? I'll help you out by getting you down to 12 after jettisoning the worst of your list. You're going to have cut the last 2 yourself: 1. The Spirit of Radio - RUSH 3. Surrender - Cheap Trick 4. Baba O'Riley - The Who 5. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee 6. Let the Day Begin - The Call 7. The Reflex - Duran Duran 9. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel 10. Jungleland - Bruce Springsteen 11. You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth - Meat Loaf 13. The Beat Goes On - Sonny & Cher 14. Where Do We Go From Here - Jimmy Walker 15. Little Guitars - Van Roth Skid Row? Asia? C'mon, man.

Lately I've been mostly listening to Apple Music Essentials of artists I wouldn't place near my favorites list, often based on things people post here. Today it was John Mellencamp, The Doobie Brothers and Pat Benatar. In the recent past, I listened to Rod Stewart, Jackson Browne, Joe Jackson, and Peter Gabriel. They are a great feature of Apple Music. Footnote: Peter Gabriel does nothing for me.

I remember reading in Circus right before 1984 came out that In the Midnight Hour was on the expected track list.

You're No Good is actually my favorite VH cover.

Ahem

IMO, it's an average, catchy little song. So the comparison, again IMO, is really between someone whose voice wasn't really made for "catchy little songs," and an outstanding singer. I like Mellencamp better when he's doing stuff like Pink Houses or Rain on the Scarecrow.

Exactly my point.

John Mellencamp is one of those artists, like Springsteen, who I didn't really "get," when I was a teenager but who, over the years, I've grown to appreciate. That said, 73 is way off here. Pat eats John's lunch all day every day.

Phallus Dei, lol. Tell me you're a teeny bopper without telling me you're a teeny bopper.

I assume this came out different than you intended. I suspect you did not mean to imply that a state is "politically backward," because of the presence of a religious group in that state.

There's a few things that need to be clarified here. First, Weiss was appointed in Delaware. What that means is that he is someone of whom Democrats Tom Carper and Chris Coons approved. US Attorneys must be confirmed by the senate, and like district court judges, they are ordinarily someone that the senators from the state have blessed. So, yes, he's a Trump appointee, but that does not make him as adversarial to Biden as, say, someone from Texas or Oklahoma would be. Biden could have fired him in 2021, but since the investigation into Hunter was ongoing at that time, it would have been bad optically, and then Garland would have been forced to appoint a special prosecutor. Also, as you may know, Weiss has been the subject of a number of news stories of late suggesting that, because he is a DOJ employee, he was prohibited from handling Hunter's case the way any other target's case would have been handled: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunter-biden-investigation-irs-whistleblower-gary-shapley-says-he-was-stopped-from-pursuing-leads/ https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/hunter-biden-investigation-weiss-denied-special-counsel-status-bringing-charges I'm happy to discuss what wrongdoing you think Jared Kushner's engaged in, but I honestly don't see how you can call Hunter's case a "farce," since, again, he's been paid millions of dollars and I have yet to hear anyone explain what service he provided that justified those payments. Have you? He was paid $11 million by a Ukrainian energy firm between 2013 and 2018 (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/analysis-hunter-bidens-hard-drive-shows-firm-took-11-million-2013-2018-rcna29462). I'm skeptical that he knows much about the Ukranian energy industry. He and his sister-in-law/girlfriend dumped a handgun in a dumpster near a school. I can tell you with some authority that if someone did that in MA they would go to jail.

Being serious, if I were Biden I would have told my subordinate Garland to appoint a special prosecutor. On a human level, I would hope I would have done more to get my son the help he so clearly needs. I would not have enabled a son who clearly did not need that.

In fairness, if I were ultimately in charge of my son's criminal prosecution, you'd expect he'd get a good deal, no? Of course, if I were ultimately in charge of my son's criminal prosecution, I would feel that ethically I had to recuse myself and have someone I couldn't fire handle the case. And I assume most reasonable people wouldn't just take my word for it if I let someone who I COULD fire handle the case. Hunter Biden has been paid a lot of money over the years by various entities. I've yet to hear anyone describe what service he was providing to them that justified such enormous payments. He doesn't come across as an astute businessman or a skilled attorney, but I've never interacted with him so what do I know.

So close. It's "pahk the cah in Hahvud yahd."

Except it seems that he can't win either way: https://www.politico.com/story/2011/02/thomas-speech-draws-new-criticism-050385 https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/supcourt/stories/wp073098.htm

Rush fans getting indignant about an unusual singer's voice. C'mon man.

His best album since No More Tears.

Their best album since maybe Flick of the Switch.