15 Megs of Fame is designed for independent artists to find an audience for their music.

Using colloborative filtering techniques, and after you fil out a short questionairre, the site starts making  recommendations.

I'll update whether the recs are any good . . .

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Why is this so endlessly amusing?

See all the new DJ Format videos here

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Messier 104, the Sombrero galaxy, NGC 4594
AAO image reference AAT 100 

via the Anglo-Australian Observatory  

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Like this has any shot of happenning . . .

We can discuss this in more detail as soon as I get back from the mall.

You agrophobes can stay here

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"I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land."

--Jon Stewart

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Do you get the feeling that this is not going to end well ?

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The omission of Zebrahead's thrash metal cover of the Spice Girls' WannaBe aside, The Telegraph's music critics selection of the 50 best cover versions ever recorded is not a bad list.

In the late 1980s, there was a band with the astute name of Pop Will Eat Itself. As the number of TV talent shows expands, it does sometimes seem as if there are no more old songs left to sing – or massacre, in the case of most contestants. But this year has also seen a surge in rather brilliant cover versions – reworkings of songs which have displayed the wit and originality that can shine a new light on a classic track.

To celebrate the renaissance of this pop tradition, our team of music writers have chosen their 50 best cover versions of all time. To qualify, a song had to be well established by one artist, then given a new lease of life by another. It was a tough list to make - and we did it our way. We hope you enjoy it."

Source:
They did it their way
20/11/2004
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/11/20/bmcovercont20.xml&sSheet=/arts/2004/11/20/ixtop.html   
(Let us know if you enjoy it at covers@telegraph.co.uk)

They did it their way  (Filed: 20/11/2004)

The Telegraph's music critics select the 50 best cover versions ever recorded:

50 Don't Leave Me This Way - The Communards, 1986

orig. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, 1975

It was camp enough to begin with, but Jimi Somerville and Sarah Jane Morris's triumphant falsetto-basso profundo duet on this cover of the 1975 disco classic takes the phrase "row of tents" and flings it in the air like a glittery handbag on an underlit dancefloor. One suspects that the singers swapped voices for a laugh. Key moment: The final, monumental "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah BABY!" just before the last chorus.

49 Going Back to My Roots - Richie Havens, 1980

orig. Lamont Dozier, 1977

Woodstock star Havens caused barely a ripple in 1980 with his impassioned rendition of a song first recorded by Lamont Dozier. But eight years on, it was rediscovered, becoming an arms-in-the air anthem to a million British ravers. As the battered Havens larynx pours out Dozier's vision of the things that really count in life, the goosebumps take over. Key moment: a truly storming piano intro.

48 Step On - Happy Mondays, 1991

orig. John Kongos, 1971

The Manchester baggy anthem, driven by a trademark acid house piano riff, is a hugely inventive remake of He's Gonna Step on You Again by long-forgotten South African singer-songwriter Kongos. Shaun Ryder added his own inimitable lyrical touch, contributing a new saying to the British pop lexicon with his opening declaration: "You're twisting my melons, man!" Key Moment: When it all breaks down to reverb-drenched female backing vocals singing the spookily threatening chorus line.

47 Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) - The Wedding Present, 1990

orig. Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, 1975

John Peel indie favourites the Weddoes gave Harley's classic the angry makeover its sardonic lyric was crying out for. Gone were the acoustic thrummings and sunny Ooooh-la-la-la backing vocals, replaced by thrashing electric guitars over blistering drums, seemingly at twice the original's speed. Key moment: The 15-second mid-song pause, silent except for a wavering note of guitar feedback. Then Dave Gedge's Yorkshire growl returns: "There ain't no more, you've taken everything."

46 The Robots - Señor Coconut & His Orchestra, 2000

Orig. Kraftwerk, 1978

German musician Uwe Schmidt found a little cha-cha-cha in his waters when he moved to Chile, and felt moved to recreate the clinical oeuvre of Kraftwerk with the magical addition of Latin swing. This is the highlight of his wonderful experiment, a sashaying, hip-clicking antidote to the Düsseldorf automatons' metronomic precision. Key Moment: The horn flourish and celebratory "Olé!" before the vocals kick in.

45 Rock el Casbah - Rachid Taha, 2004

orig. The Clash, 1982

Franco-Algerian bad boy Taha idolises Joe Strummer, but sensing something patronising in the original, he recorded this storming Arabic version of the Clash warhorse. Lutes and strings twang and swoop against a thundering rhythm track and exultant chorus. But it's the guttural attack of Taha's vocal that makes your hair prickle – a technique he learnt from records of old and obscure Algerian singers. Key Moment: The plaintive desert flute that kicks it all off.

44 Oops I Did it Again - Richard Thompson, 2003

orig. Britney Spears, 2000

The sparky old folk-rocker toured with a self-explanatory show (and recorded a live album) called 1,000 Years of Popular Music. This was one of his examples of 20th-century songwriting, and in his hands – acoustic guitar, percussion, lots of echo on the voice – Britney's song actually becomes quite scary. Key moment: He tries to get the audience to sing along. Mostly, they laugh.

43 Jolene - One Dove, 1993

orig. Dolly Parton, 1974

To make this song – so completely associated with Dolly herself – their own was no mean feat for Glaswegian trio One Dove, but they pulled it off with style. Dub reggae bass and echo effects, a glistening electronic production and Dot Alison's vulnerable vocal made for another melancholy rave-era classic. Key moment: When the squiggly noises of the intro give way to that bassline.

42 David Bowie - It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City, 1975

Orig. Bruce Springsteen, 1973

The Boss's gruff tale from urban bohemia is recast as an overblown disco classic by a deranged-sounding Thin White Duke in this priceless 1975 cover, in which Bowie succumbs to vocal hysteria over a backing of crunchy rock guitar and silly strings. Four minutes of inspired madness. Key moment: The Dame finds notes he never knew existed to squeal "Don't that man look pretty!"

41 Hazy Shade of Winter - The Bangles, 1987

orig. Simon & Garfunkel, 1966

Who knew that Paul Simon could write a great heavy metal riff? The circling, folky-psychedelic guitar part of the original, turbocharged by legendary producer Rick Rubin for the Less Than Zero soundtrack, rocks hard here. The all-girl Bangles' slick vocal harmonies turn it into a faultless piece of '80s power pop. Key moment: That riff.

40 I Fought the Law - The Clash, 1979

Orig. The Crickets, 1959

In its original version by the Crickets (post-Buddy Holly), it could have been about returning library books late. Merging punk-rock passion with rock and roll swagger, the Clash make it sound like the wailing of ragged outlaws on the run from a chain gang. Key moment: With its thundering tom tom-driven opening, combined with Mick Jones's ripping two-note guitar lead, the record kicks off like a jail break in progress.

39 Ms Jackson - The Vines, 2002

orig. Outkast, 2000

The Australian band took one vaguely insincere hip-hop apology (inspired by Andre 3000's break-up with Erykah Badu) and turned it into an epic lament for love turned sour. Sampled drum beats, a baleful piano motif and Craig Nicholl's icy vocals build into crashing walls of psychedelic sound. Key moment: The layered, echoing cries de coeur of the bridge: "You can plan a pretty picnic but you can't predict the weather."

Nina Simone: covering Jeff Walker at number 10

38 Wichita Lineman - Dennis Brown, 1970

orig. Glen Campbell, 1968

Boy of 15 from Kingston, Jamaica takes on Glen Campbell's lament of a world-weary telephone repairman in the American Midwest? It sounds hare-brained, but the result is haunting. Destined to be a reggae great, the adolescent Brown sings with a choirboy purity that should be incongruous but instead underlines the song's timeless, otherworldly quality. Key moment: The crystal clarity of the opening – "I am a lineman for the county."

37 Heartbreak Hotel - John Cale, 1975

orig. Elvis Presley, 1956

As darkly humorous as anything he did with the Velvets, Cale's homage to Elvis took the blue mood of the rockabilly original and painted it black. The screaming gothic synthesizers, cello-like guitars and funereal pace obscured the fact that Cale's expiring vocal was actually following the melody note-for-note. Key moment: That weird squeaking over the house-of-horror riff at the start.

36 Dear Prudence - Siouxsie & the Banshees, 1983

orig. The Beatles, 1968

Much misunderstood at the time, the Banshees' take on punk was about individuality through experimentation – arty, but with a pop sensibility. Little wonder, then, that they should cover a Beatles song from the White Album, or that it should become their biggest hit. It seemed made for them. Key moment: The mesmerising "look around-around" coda; punk turns into psychedelia.

35 Gloria - Patti Smith, 1975

orig. Them, 1965

Patti Smith's first single was a piano-accompanied meditation on Hey Joe. For her debut album, Horses, she enlisted a full rock band, but, on Gloria, its opening track, the same spirit of poetic licence ran free, as Smith turned Van Morrison's libido-driven beat tune into a hymn of self-determining spirituality. Key moment: The opening line, "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine" – So, not just about getting laid, then.

34 Fell In Love With A Boy - Joss Stone, 2003

orig. the White Stripes, 2001

The big surprise, and best track, on Stone's soul pastiche debut album was a remake of the White Stripes' Fell in Love With a Girl. As great covers can, her smokily jazzed-up vocal discovered unimagined melodic depth in Jack White's scuffed garage lurve song, and rendered it pretty well unrecognisable. Key moment: The suavely saucy pay-off at the end of the first verse: "Sarah says it's cool, she don't consider it cheatin'."

33 Money (That's What I Want) - The Flying Lizards, 1980

orig. The Beatles, 1963 (after barrett strong, 1959)

David Cunningham and some pals from Brixton bashed on a drum, added some electronic peeps and cheesy backing vocals, and stormed the charts with this avant-garde, lo-fi take on the bluesy Beatles number. Deborah Evans speaks the lyrics deadpan, in the style of an upper-class English dominatrix. Key moment: The way Evans sounds as if she's going to come to your house, whip in hand, and retrieve the cash personally.

32 Chimes of Freedom - Youssou N'dour, 1994

orig. Bob Dylan, 1964

The Senegalese singer encountered Dylan's apocalyptic vision of liberty when it became the anthem of 1988's Amnesty Tour with Springsteen, Sting and Peter Gabriel. Feeling that poor English had prevented him doing the song justice, he produced this epic Wolof language version six years later. Key moment: Intoned over cataclysmic ritual percussion, the French chorus makes this a startling example of cultural appropriation in reverse.

31 Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word - Mary J Blige, 2004

orig. Elton John, 1976

If the new Bridget Jones film takes this poignant reading of Elton John's 1976 hit to a wider audience, it may not have been a waste of time. Stripped of accompaniment, Blige's raw vocal manages to sound at once vulnerable, resigned and iron-willed. Where Elton was merely a bit gloomy, Mary uncovers a world of sublime melancholia. Key moment: Her gentle, barely audible "hmmms" and "aahs" between lines.

30 I'm A Believer - Robert Wyatt, 1974

orig. The Monkees, 1966 (written by Neil Diamond)

The Monkees: reimagined by Robert Wyatt and thousands of Sunderland supporters

The Monkees might claim this as the perfect three-minute pop song, but it took Robert Wyatt's plaintive voice and radical transformations of the music to make you really believe in the lyric. Repeating piano chords, bass, drums and violin power it all along. Key moment: The final choruses, where Wyatt's vocals, perhaps intensified by his recent accident and confinement to a wheelchair, are simply heart-rending.

29 Black Steel - Tricky, 1995

orig. Public Enemy, 1988

Tricky claimed that Public Enemy's Chuck D was "my Shakespeare". His tribute replaced the low-end, funky militancy of the hip-hop original with a hyper-agitated mesh of distorted electronica, asthmatic growls and, most daringly, the mellifluous Martina Topley-Bird on lead vocals. Key moment: When Tricky incants "Now you switch on, you switch off" in his Bristol burr and mutates the grammar of rap into a new, entirely English register.

28 Jealous Guy - Roxy Music, 1981

Orig. John Lennon, 1971

Recorded as a tribute to John Lennon after his murder in December 1980, the former Beatle's paean to self-obsession gave Roxy Music their only UK number one single. In the process, they transformed an exquisite but lovelessly produced miniature into a full-blown, six-minute smoocher, while perfectly preserving its intimacy. Key moment: When the mild-mannered solo guitar cedes to a gleaming, sensuous sax.

27 Summertime Blues - The Who, 1968

orig. Eddie Cochran, 1958

More than any of their '60s peers, the Who represented the same young, working-class male disaffection as their '50s American rock and roll forebears. This cover, then (on their hard-rocking Live at Leeds album) is mightily appropriate. Townshend's crashing power chords and Daltrey's libidinous howls add up to pure aggro: the giddy, bracing sound of trouble brewing. Key moment: the first guitar "KLANGGGG" sets the pulse racing splendidly.

26 I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself - The White Stripes, 2003

orig. Dusty Springfield, 1964

Garage rock's first couple are strong on covers, on a mission to keep songwriting traditions from throughout the last century alive. Indeed, the days when everyone had a crack at a Bacharach/David tune are long gone. Their treatment of this one, originally a number three hit for Dusty Springfield, is breathtaking in its emotional intensity. Key moment: The crashing chords, into "Like a summer rose, needs the sun and rain."

25 Wonderwall - Ryan Adams, 2004

orig. Oasis, 1995

With gently picked acoustic guitar and ambient atmospherics, Adams recreates the Britpop anthem as an intimate blues. Oasis delivered it as a declaration; for Adams, it's a heartbreaking plea. Noel Gallagher was so impressed, he now performs Adams's version of his own song in concert. Key moment: The broken-down emotion Adams conjures singing: "Maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me…"

24 Why Can't We Live Together - Sade, 1985

orig. Timmy Thomas, 1972

At the height of '80s greed and Cold War angst, the young Anglo-Nigerian Sade Adu insinuated into the wine bars of the world this lush, plaintive call for peace, love and understanding. The final track on her huge-selling Diamond Life album, it introduced Timmy Thomas's hit to a whole new generation. It may lack the Hammond organ funk of the original, but her voice never sounded stronger. Key moment: The outro, "Gotta live, gotta live."

23 Caravan of Love - Housemartins, 1986

orig. Isley Jasper Isley, 1985

Hull's finest nabbed their only number one single, at Christmas, with this ingenious a cappella reworking of Ernie and Marvin Isley (and cousin Chris Jasper)'s Christian rallying call. With the bass vocal beating out the "bom bom boms" against a shimmering choral waterfall of "aaaaahs", a defiant Paul Heaton pleads for the world to join in love and peace. And at Christmas, what better message is there? Key moment: "I'm your brother, don't you know?"

22 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Devo, 1978

Rolling Stones, 1965

Who'd have thought that five boiler-suited geeks with flowerpots on their heads could tackle such a monolithic '60s hit and triumph? Somehow these Darwin-opposing robo-punkers twisted Mick Jagger's disaffection for modern consumerism into their own future-retro logic, and the whole Rolling Stones rebel ruckus into an irresistibly funky techno-pop masterpiece. Key moment: Singer Mark Mothersbaugh's seemingly endless "baby-baby" repetition, like a malfunctioning robot.

21 Only Love Can Break Your Heart - St Etienne, 1990

orig. Neil Young, 1970

Acid house was not all about euphoria. The Balearic scene emerging from Ibiza had a penchant for melancholia amid the hedonism, and this record fitted right in the middle of that. Moira Lambert's plaintive indie-style vocal rides a loping hip-hop beat with shimmering synths, giving Neil Young's lost, wistful mood a modernist twist. Key moment: Grown men crying on the dancefloor.

20 Police and Thieves - The Clash, 1977

orig. Junior Murvin, 1976

At a time when British reggae comprised polite but dull attempts at authenticity, the Clash's stripped-back, garage rock approach came as a glorious revelation. While the ethereal falsetto of the original sounded incongruous on lines about "guns and ammunition", Strummer's gleefully thuggish tones take us straight to an inner city that feels all too real. Key moment: the DM-clad spring in the bass line's step.

19 Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies, 1988

orig. Velvet Underground, 1970

Spare, evocative remake of the Velvet Underground's 1970 original. Much moodier and less grungy, it is Margo Timmins' almost whispered vocals, recorded in a church, which reignite Lou Reed's seedy, downtown anthem. The pacing and phrasing are perfect. Key moment: Timmins's longing, languorous bridge: "Heavenly wine and roses seem to whisper to me when you smile."

18 Just Can't Get Enough - Nouvelle Vague, 2004

Orig: Depeche Mode, 1981

Terrific though it is, Depeche Mode's original Just Can't Get Enough can at times evoke stumbling around a suburban nightclub while cradling a warm shandy. Enter Gallic musos Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, whose sublime bossa-nova reworking, with Rio-born singer Eloisia, whisks one instead straight to the sands of Ipanema, c1965. (Try their Nouvelle Vague album if this sounds your tasse de thé.) Key moment: The glorious pronunciation of, "All the fing ya do ta me, an everyfing ya say…"

17 Mad World - Gary Jules, 2003

Orig. Tears For Fears, 1982

Apparently possessing nothing more than a piano and a voice not unlike Michael Stipe's, unknown singer-songwriter Gary Jules ran away with last year's Christmas number one spot via his haunting and devastatingly simple rendition of Tears for Fears' plinky-plonky electro plodder from 1982. A great example of less equalling more. Key moment: The little wobble in Jules's voice when he first sings "I find it kinda sad."

16 Billie Jean - Shinehead, 1984

orig. Michael Jackson, 1982

Two years after Michael Jackson's global hit came this eerie, dead-slow reworking from Shinehead, aka New York dancehall reggae MC Carl Aiken. Rough & Rugged was the name of the brilliant debut album it appeared on, and that sums it up perfectly, as Aiken's falsetto floats above a vast echo-chamber of dub and stabbed piano chords. Key moment: The whistled "Oo-wee-oo-wee-oo" from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly that opens the song.

15 Wild Horses - The Flying Burrito Bros, 1971

orig. The Rolling Stones, 1970

Country-rock visionary Gram Parsons was on course to self-destruct long before he recorded this exquisitely world-weary version of the Stones ballad. The sincerity and aching fragility of his delivery show up the hamminess of the original to startling effect. Key moment: "Let's do some living, after we'll die" had the feeling of lived reality – within three years Parson was indeed dead.

14 Rocket Man - Kate Bush, 1991

orig. Elton John, 1970

Elton John's lament to the loneliness of space travel (or cocaine addiction, depending on your age group) was vacuous tinny pop until Kate Bush's keening cadences gave it the poignancy it deserved. Her little-girl-lost voice and the bittersweet sound of Uilleann pipes add startling beauty, and a thrilling chill to the Martian air. Key moment: The breathy, pained gasp of "Oh" before the chorus line "No no no I'm a rocket man."

13 My Favourite Things - John Coltrane, 1960

orig. Rodgers and Hammerstein (The Sound of Music), 1959

Cool adventurous jazz was probably the furthest thing from the mind of audiences for The Sound of Music. John Coltrane got hold of this hit song, though, and by adding subtly oriental harmonies and choosing the soprano saxophone as the melody instrument, he was able to create a contemporary jazz masterpiece. Key moment: the first time you recognise the tune, as the sax gleefully skips around the waltz-like rhythms.

The Pet Shop Boys: You Were Always on My Mind comes in at number two

12 One - Johnny Cash, 2002

orig. U2, 1991

Producer Rick Rubin had rescued Cash's career with the American Recordings series of albums, and on Vol 3 Cash had truly hit his stride, especially on this towering acoustic version of the U2 song. There's a lifetime of difference between the two renditions: Bono strains and screeches, Cash just reaches down into his soul. Key moment: Cash sings: "You say love is a temple." There's an organ playing. Spines tingle.

11 Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - Roberta Flack, 1971

orig. Shirelles, 1960

This Carole King-penned narrative of a woman's questioning of a lover's blithe sweet nothings was sad and beautiful enough in the Shirelles' Spector-produced version. Slowed down to a drifting lament and sung in Roberta Flack's velvet voice, it becomes almost unbearably lovely. Love and loss, trust and betrayal, innocence and experience are blended into a heartbreaking small-hours classic. Key moment: "Tonight the light of love is in your eyes": so slow, but so perfectly sung.

10 Mr Bojangles - Nina Simone, 1971

orig. Jerry Jeff Walker, 1967

Much recorded, often trampled underfoot (hang your head in shame, Bob Dylan, Lulu and Robbie Williams), this strange Jerry Jeff Walker ballad about an itinerant dancer was made famous by Sammy Davis Jnr as a theatrical showstopper. The inimitable Nina Simone gets to the lonely heart of the tale, in an ethereal, understated, drifting, low-key version. Key moment: The whole song. Simone's almost casual delivery de-dramatises the narrative yet ensures the inherent emotion resonates all the louder.

9 Comfortably Numb - Scissor Sisters, 2004

Orig. Pink Floyd, 1979

Only divine inspiration could explain how, or why, New York's bendiest band came to pop Pink Floyd's balloon of pretension by re-recording their most horribly self-regarding song in the style of the Saturday Night Fever-era Bee Gees. At once cold, sexy and relentlessly danceable, it far outshines the original in both concept and execution. Key moment: The flurry of electronic handclaps after the line "You may feel a little sick."

8 Twist and Shout - The Beatles, 1963

Orig. the Isley Brothers, 1960

The Beatles recorded their version in a single take for their debut album Please Please Me – and the world changed. John Lennon's lead vocal sounds as raw and urgent as a live concert, aeons away from the bland, computerised studio sound of today. Key moment: John's barked "Shake it up baby" after Paul and George's aaahs in the middle.

7 Mr Tambourine Man - The Byrds, 1965

orig. Bob Dylan, 1964

Folk and rock were inconceivable bedfellows, respectively too earnest and too thrill-driven to contemplate each other's existence, until these Californian Beatles obsessives fused the two musics in one exquisite, harmony-loaded Bob Dylan cover. The lyrics reflected how Dylan, tiring of polemic, was now consumed by the seduction of pure music. The Byrds completed that transition for him in none-more-beautiful sound, and went to number one. Key moment: That guitar-chiming intro.

6 Tainted Love - Soft Cell, 1981

orig. Gloria Jones, 1964

With Marc Almond's heroically overwrought vocal adding a deliciously deviant twist to Dave Ball's slinky synth-pop backing track, this straight-ahead '60s soul stomper (originally performed by Gloria Jones – later mother of Marc Bolan's son, Rolan) was somehow transformed into the mystical bridge between Northern soul and acid house. Key moment: The syncopated handclap/keyboard lurch combo which launched a million dancefloor forays.

5 Respect - Aretha Franklin, 1967

orig. Otis Redding, 1965

Soul queen Aretha took Redding's original and turned it into a kind of proto-girl power anthem. Redding sang: "All I'm asking is for a little respect when I come home." Franklin changed the "I" to "you", added the r-e-s-p-e-c-t bit, and made the song her own. Key moment: "Sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me sock it to me."

4 Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley, 1993

orig. Leonard Cohen, 1984

If Leonard Cohen has a fault, it's a weakness for ponderous, synth-heavy arrangements, and nowhere was this more so than on his original version of this lyrically magnificent song. Then Jeff Buckley got hold of it, stripped it down, and sang it in his exquisitely pure chorister's voice. Definitive. Key moment: The serene, sustained falsetto note towards the end.

3 My Way - Sid Vicious, 1979

orig. Frank Sinatra, 1969 (after Paul Anka, 1969)

He knifed his girlfriend Nancy Spungen to death and died soon afterwards from an overdose of heroin supplied by his own mother. But Sid Vicious should also be remembered for this riotous version of the song made famous by Sinatra, recorded with the rump of the Sex Pistols following Johnny Rotten's departure. The Pistols rock like demons, and Vicious snarls and sneers his way through the song's valedictory lyric with twisted glee. It's mad, hilarious, and thrilling. Key moment: Vicious sings the first verse in tones of mock-seriousness (inserting obscenities along the way); then the guitars and drums kick in.

2 You Were Always on My Mind - Pet Shop Boys, 1987

orig. Elvis Presley, 1972 (after brenda lee, 1971)

The Boys, on career best form, elevated Elvis's tender elegy – written by Willie Nelson – into a monumental explosion of high pop camp. Chris Lowe conjures an electronic symphony of rumbling drums, swelling strings and glittering synths to underpin Neil Tennant's crystalline vocals. "I'm sorry I treated you wrong," mourned Elvis. "You'd be a fool to lose me, cad though I am," seems to be Tennant's message. Key moment: the stabbing trumpet sample, introduced before the song kicks in: Da! Da-da-da-da-da. Da!

And the greatest cover ever...

1 All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1968

orig. Bob Dylan, 1967

The greatest cover version of all-time: Hendrix doing a Dylan song

Hendrix's version of a so-so track from Dylan's John Wesley Harding album completely outgunned the original. A light, scampering ballad re-emerged as a mini-epic of foreboding with Hendrix's heavy three-chord intro hanging like a thundercloud and Dylan's lyrics sounding an ominous epitaph for the 1960s. Key moment: The last words – "And the wind began to howl" - before the closing guitar storm.

Posted at 08:52 AM in Music | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Interesting collection of Must-Have Recordings from Info Please:

One of the pleasures in life in the post-CD era is reassessing your record collection. The enormous volume of back-catalog recordings being released and compilations being assembled on disc means that music fans can more easily explore new types of music.

To help in that exploration, we've assembled a list of recordings you should consider. There have been literally millions of musical performances recorded since the advent of audio tape, and thousands are worthy of your attention. Our list is meant to suggest genres, time periods and artists that should be represented in your CD collection. The list is historical; we assume you're keeping up with current artists (and you've already read our survey of this year's significant recordings). Many of the artists have had their work compiled into greatest hits collections that you may want to purchase. We've avoided them (except when a collection is the most commonly available or desirable form) in order to suggest interesting periods in the artists' development.

The list below includes Jazz,  Classical, Rock, Folk and World music . . .

Classical
Various, Ancient Music for a Modern Age, Sequentia (RCA Red Label)
Pachelbel, Handel, Vivaldi, Gluck, Various Compositions, Academy of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood (L'Oiseau Lyre)
Bach, Goldberg Variations (1955), Glenn Gould (Columbia)
Bach, Brandenburg Concertos, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra/Tom Koopman (Erato)
Bach, Unaccompanied Cello Suites, Yo-Yo Ma (Columbia)
Mozart, Don Giovanni, Wachter, Sutherland, others; Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus/Carlo Maria Giulini (EMI)
Mozart, Requiem, Academy of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields/Neville Marriner (London)
Beethoven, Nine Symphonies (complete cycle), Academy of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood (L'Oiseau Lyre) (This is a period instruments reading; classicists may want to consider the redoubtable Bruno Walter/Columbia 1959 cycle.)
Beethoven, The Late String Quartets, Guarneri Quartet (RCA Victor Gold Seal)
Schubert, Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Leonard Bernstein (Deutsche Grammophon)
Brahms, Symphony No. 1, Berlin Philharmonic/Claudio Abbado (Deutsche Grammophon)
Bellini, Norma, Sutherland, Pavarotti, Caballe, Chorus and Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera/Bonynge (London)
Verdi, Falstaff, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Los Angeles Philharmonic/Giulini (Deutsche Grammophon)
Wagner, Tristan und Isolde, Nilsson, Ludwig, Wachter, Chorus and Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival/Bohm (Deutsche Grammophon)
Puccini, Turandot, Pavarotti, Sutherland, Caballe, London Philharmonic Orchestra/Mehta (London)
Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring, Cleveland Orchestra/Boulez (CBS Masterworks)
Schoenberg, Verklarte Nacht, Juilliard Quartet With Yo-Yo Ma (Sony Classical)
Weill, The Threepenny Opera, Ute Lemper, Berlin Sinfonietta (London)
Barber, Complete Songs, Thomas Hampson, Cheryl Studer, Emerson String Quartet (Deutsche Grammophon)
Ives, Three Places in New England, Boston Symphony Orchestra/Thomas (Deutsche Grammophon)
Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue, Columbia Symphony/Bernstein (CBS Masterworks)
Reich, Music for 18 Musicians, Steve Reich Ensemble (ECM)
Glass, Einstein on the Beach (1993), Philip Glass Ensemble (Elektra Nonesuch)
Pärt, Tabula Rasa, Gidon Kremer (ECM)
Gorecki, Symphony No. 3, London Sinfonietta with Dawn Upshaw/Zinman (Elektra Nonesuch)

Jazz/Blues
Louis Armstrong, Hot Fives and Sevens 1927–1928 (Columbia)
Fats Waller, The Complete Fats Waller, vols. 1–4 (Bluebird/RCA)
Duke Ellington, The Blanton-Webster Band 1940–1942 (Bluebird)
Billie Holiday, The Quintessential Billie Holiday 1940–1942 (Columbia)
Charlie Parker, The Complete Charlie Parker Savoy Studio Sessions (Savoy)
Charlie Parker, Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve (Verve)
Thelonious Monk, The Genius of Modern Music 1947–1952 (Blue Note)
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue (Columbia)
Dave Brubeck, Time Out (Columbia)
Duke Ellington, The Far East Suite: Special Mix (Bluebird)
John Coltrane, A Love Supreme (Impulse)
John Coltrane, My Favorite Things (Impulse)
Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic)
Chet Baker, Best of Chet Baker Sings (Pacific Jazz)
Frank Sinatra, Songs for Swinging Lovers (Capitol)
Ella Fitzgerald, The Best of the Songbooks (Verve)
Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah-Um (Columbia)
Miles Davis, Bitches Brew (Columbia)
Wynton Marsalis, Hot House Flowers (Columbia)
Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings (Columbia)
Charlie Patton, Founder of the Delta Blues (Yazoo)
Son House, Son House (Arhoolie)
Bessie Smith, The Complete Recordings (Columbia)
Muddy Waters, Folksinger (Chess/MCA)
Muddy Waters, The Chess Box (Chess/MCA)
Professor Longhair, Rock 'n' Roll Gumbo (A&M)
John Lee Hooker, John Lee Hooker Plays and Sings the Blues (Chess/MCA)
Albert King, Born Under a Bad Sign (Atlantic)

Rock
Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley (RCA)
Sam Cooke, The Man and His Music (RCA)
Chuck Berry, St. Louis to Liverpool (Chess)
The Drifters, 1959–1965 All-Time Greatest Hits and More (Atlantic)
Buddy Holly, The Complete Buddy Holly (MCA)
Phil Spector/Various, Back to Mono (ABKCO)
The Beatles, Revolver (Capitol)
The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Capitol)
The Rolling Stones, High Tide and Green Grass (ABKCO)
Beach Boys, Pet Sounds (Capitol)
The Byrds, The Byrds (Columbia)
Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde (Columbia)
Simon and Garfunkel, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (Columbia)
Jefferson Airplane, Surrealistic Pillow (RCA)
Big Brother and the Holding Company, Cheap Thrills (Columbia)
Cream, Disraeli Gears (Polydor)
Jimi Hendrix, Are You Experienced? (Reprise)
Funkadelic, Cosmic Slop (Westbound)
James Brown, Star Time (Polydor)
Van Morrison, Astral Weeks (Warner Bros.)
The Four Tops, Anthology (Motown)
The Supremes, Anthology (Motown)
The Band, The Band (Capitol)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Willie and the Poor Boys (Fantasy)
Elvis Presley, Elvis (TV Special) (RCA)
Neil Young, After the Gold Rush (Reprise)
The Allman Brothers, At Fillmore East (Capricorn)
Derek and the Dominoes, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (RSO)
Aerosmith, Toys in the Attic (CBS)
The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones)
The Who, Live at Leeds (MCA)
The Doors, Morrison Hotel (Elektra)
David Bowie, Hunky Dory (Rykodisc)
The Stooges, Fun House (Elektra)
Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life (Motown)
Marvin Gaye, Let's Get It On (Tamla)
Al Green, Let's Stay Together (Motown)
Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (Warner Bros.)
The Clash, London Calling (Epic)
Buzzcocks, Singles Going Steady (IRS)
Talking Heads, Talking Heads '77 (Sire)
Elvis Costello, Get Happy! (Columbia)
Wire, Chairs Missing (Restless reissue)
Gang of Four, Entertainment! (Warner Bros.)
Blondie, Plastic Letters (Chrysalis)
Devo, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo (Warner Bros.)
X, Los Angeles (Slash)
The Gun Club, Fire of Love (Ruby)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Damn the Torpedoes (MCA)
AC/DC, Back in Black (Atlantic)
U2, The Joshua Tree (Island)
R.E.M., Murmur (IRS)
Peter Gabriel, So (Geffen)
Tom Waits, Swordfish Trombones (Island)
Bruce Springsteen, Greetings From Asbury Park or Darkness at the Edge of Town (Columbia)
Nirvana, Nevermind (DGC)

Folk/Country
Jimmie Rodgers, The Early Years 1928–1929 (Rounder)
The Carter Family, My Clinch Mountain Home (Rounder)
Bill Monroe, The Original Bluegrass Band (Rounder)
Hank Williams, eight-volume Polydor reissue (Polydor)
Patsy Cline, The Patsy Cline Collection (MCA)
George Jones, The Best of George Jones (Rhino)
Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison (Columbia)
Merle Haggard, Sing Me Back Home (Capitol)
Emmylou Harris, Luxury Liner (Warner Bros.)
Woody Guthrie, The Greatest Songs of Woody Guthrie (Vanguard)
Leadbelly, Midnight Special, Gwine Dig a Hole to Put the Devil In or Let It Shine on Me (three CDs; Rounder)
Doc Watson, The Doc Watson Family (Smithsonian/Folkways)
Various, Jubilation Volume: Great Gospel Performances (Rhino)
Phil Ochs, Phil Ochs in Concert (Elektra)
Clifton Chenier, Bogalusa Boogie (Arhoolie)
Joan Baez, Joan Baez 5 (Vanguard)
Joni Mitchell, Blue (Reprise)
Tim Hardin, Reason to Believe (Polydor)

World Music
Planxty, Planxty (Shanachie)
The Bothy Band, The Best of the Bothy Band (Green Linnet)
The Chieftains, The Long Black Veil (RCA)
Altan, Island Angel (Green Linnet)
De Dannan, De Dannan (Shanachie)
Ewan MacColl, Black and White (Green Linnet)
The Oyster Band, From Little Rock to Leipzig (Rykodisc)
Kate and Anna McGarrigle, French Record (Hannibal)
Various, Rai Rebels (Earthworks)
Paco de Lucia, Almoraima (Philips)
Don Byron, Don Byron Plays the Music of Mickey Katz (Nonesuch)
Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan, En Concert à Paris (Harmonia Mundi)
Sabri Brothers, Ya Habib (Real World)
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Signature Series Vol.1 (AMMP)
Dr. L. Subramaniam, Raga Hemavati (Nimbus)
Ramnad Krishnan, Vidwan — Songs of the Carnatic Tradition (Nonesuch)
Youssou N'Dour, Eyes Open (Columbia)
King Sunny Ade, Juju Music (Island)
Various, Juju Roots 1930s–1950s (Rounder)
Various, The Indestructible Beat of Soweto (Earthworks)
Mahlatini and the Mahotella Queens, The Lion Roars (Shanachie)
Various, Zimbabwe Frontline (Earthworks)
Thomas Mapfumo, The Chimurenga Singles (Shanachie)
The Bhundu Boys, Jit Jive (Mango)
Bob Marley and The Wailers, Natty Dread (Tuff Gong)
Gamelan of Pura Pakualaman, Javanese Court Gamelan (Nonesuch)
Various, Bali: Gamelan and Kecak (Nonesuch)
Fong Naam, The Hang Hong Suite (Nimbus)
Kohachiro Miyata, Shakuhachi — The Japanese Flute (Nonesuch)
Various, Cuba Classics Vol. 1–3 (Luaka Bop)
Los Munequitos de Matanzas, Rumba Caliente (Qbadisc)
Various, Konbit: Burning Rhythms of Haiti (A&M)
Various, Zouk Attack (Rounder)
Los Pinguinos del Norte, Conjuntos Nortenos (Arhoolie)
Steve Jordan, The Many Sounds of Steve Jordan (Arhoolie)
Various, Beliza Tropical: Brazil Classics (Luaka Bop)
Various: O Samba: Brazil Classics (Luaka Bop)
Joao Gilberto, Joao Gilberto (Polygram)
Astor Piazzolla, Zero Hour (American Clave)
Various, Vintage Hawaiian Music: Steel Guitar Masters 1928–1934 (Rounder)

Source:
Info Please
http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0150519.html

Posted at 07:31 AM in Music | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Our previous mention of our little addiction in Your Coffee Sucks! generated a number of interesting comments. Following up on that thread led me to a discussion over at MetaFilter.

The riff was on the continuing battle as to the health effects of the evil bean.

Some people say "Coffee is Good, Good, Good. Others say "Coffee is Bad, Bad, Bad.

Regardless, there's more links -- and an interesting set of comments-- at MF worth checking out . . .

Posted at 06:32 AM in Food and Drink | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

I saw this show this past June. It was one of those very spcial evenings when a performer is at the height of her powers, and the audience was prefectly attuned to her vibe.

A great show, as soon as I saw this was out I ordered it (can't wait, and I will update after watching it)

Posted at 10:39 PM in Music | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Now you see it, now you don't. The highway police's Lamborghini patrol car has a top speed of 190 m.p.h.

NYT Excerpt:

"Few make the case that the highway police need a Lamborghini. But in a nation crazed with car racing - where Ferrari, the legendary Italian car company, recently opened a clothing store in Rome, and where engine revving at normal stoplights can feel like the start of an urban rally - few would say they do not need one either. Certainly not the police.

"Some people from Lamborghini had spoken with the police administration about the idea," said Sergio Fontana, a Lamborghini spokesman. "They said, 'Why don't you have a Gallardo for the highway police?' And the police chiefs said, 'Why not?' It is very good for the image of the police and for the image of Lamborghini around the world."

Mr. Fontana made no bones about the fact that the inspiration was partly commercial, aimed particularly against Ferrari, the leader in the superfast luxury car market here that put a police car on the road in the 1960's and 1970's. He said Lamborghini figured it could perform dual duty, helping both itself and the police, and so in May they donated the car, worth about $165,000 before all the fancy electronics (GPS, radar and an automatic license plate scanner, to check for stolen cars), to mark the national police force's 152nd anniversary. The police graciously accepted.

"It was a very big occasion for us to show to the people, especially the Italian people, that there is a Lamborghini," he said. "Now, if someone drives a Gallardo on the road, they say, 'I am driving the car of the police.' "

Source:
Whoosh! For Speeders, Speedier Justice, via Lamborghini
By IAN FISHER, FIANO ROMANO JOURNAL
New York Times, November 12, 2004
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/12/international/europe/12car.html

Posted at 10:12 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

via the-raw-prawn, we are pointed to GIS company ESRI. They collaborated with CBS News Election Data Center and the Presidential Analysis Desk, using GIS-enabled mapping. They created a demographic map to help analyze election results:

2004 U.S. Presidential Election Results by County

Pretty damned cool!

Posted at 07:29 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack

So you don't like the Cartograms? Are they too distorted for you?

Consider controlling color for population density, which comes to us via the Obsidian Order:

This shows us as less a nation of Red and Blue . . .

Posted at 07:12 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

University of Michigan's Michael Gastner, Cosma Shalizi, and Mark Newman approach the election results via "cartograms" -- maps in which the sizes of states have been rescaled according to their population. 

States are drawn with a size proportional not to their sheer topographic acreage -- which has little to do with politics -- but to the number of their inhabitants. States with more people appearing larger than states with fewer, regardless of their actual square mileage  Thus, a cartogram of Rhode Island, with its 1.1 million inhabitants, would appear about twice the size of Wyoming, which has half a million, even though Wyoming has 60 times the acreage of Rhode Island.

This map shows Red/Purple/Blue coounties, reflecting the intensity of the vote for either party by county. The Redder, the more Republican votes, the Bluer, more Democratic votes. Purple counties reflect a fairly even split:

Now converting this into a cartogram -- controlling for population rather than land mass -- reveals this:

So much for the Red/Blue discussion -- this is an evenly divided nation . . .

Posted at 06:59 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Here is a variation of the Purple America design via Cheryl Charles -- she came up with the idea and design, while her husband did the actual development.  (You can CC her on comments at cheryl_charles@hotmail.com).

Blend the Blue and red together within each state, and you end up with something like this:

via AranWorld

Posted at 06:17 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack

Here's a demographic map of how the data breaks down into categories

Its a different way to look at the election: demographics instead of geography.

via the Votemaster

Posted at 11:55 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

The TaxProf Blog points us to a report from the Tax Foundation.

This fascinating study shows exactly which states benefit from federal tax and spending policies, and which states foot the bill.

Surprisingly, the "value conscious" Red States -- you know, the folks preaching independence and self reliance -- are the biggest hogs at the federal trough.

Sayeth the TaxProf:

"The report shows that of the 32 states (and the District of Columbia) that are "winners" -- receiving more in federal spending than they pay in federal taxes -- 76% are Red States that voted for George Bush in 2000. Indeed, 17 of the 20 (85%) states receiving the most federal spending per dollar of federal taxes paid are Red States. Here are the Top 10 states that feed at the federal trough (with Red States highlighted in bold):

States Receiving Most in Federal Spending Per Dollar of Federal Taxes Paid:
1. D.C. ($6.17)
2. North Dakota ($2.03)
3. New Mexico ($1.89) (flipped Red in 2004)
4. Mississippi ($1.84)
5. Alaska ($1.82)
6. West Virginia ($1.74)
7. Montana ($1.64)
8. Alabama ($1.61)
9. South Dakota ($1.59)
10. Arkansas ($1.53)

In contrast, of the 16 states that are "losers" -- receiving less in federal spending than they pay in federal taxes -- 69% are Blue States that voted for Al Gore in 2000. Indeed, 11 of the 14 (79%) of the states receiving the least federal spending per dollar of federal taxes paid are Blue States. Here are the Top 10 states that supply feed for the federal trough (with Blue States highlighted in bold):

States Receiving Least in Federal Spending Per Dollar of Federal Taxes Paid:
1. New Jersey ($0.62)
2. Connecticut ($0.64)
3. New Hampshire ($0.68) (flipped Blue in 2004)
4. Nevada ($0.73)
5. Illinois ($0.77)
6. Minnesota ($0.77)
7. Colorado ($0.79)
8. Massachusetts ($0.79)
9. California ($0.81)
10. New York ($0.81)

Posted at 10:43 AM in Finance, Politics | Permalink | Comments (62) | TrackBack

Robert J. Vanderbei, a Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics at Princeton, put together these beauties:

Here's how:

"Using County-by-County election return data from USA Today together with County boundary data from the US Census' Tiger database we produced the following graphic depicting the results. Of course, blue is for the democrats, red is for the republicans, and green is for all other. Each county's color is a mix of these three color components in proportion to the results for that county.

Counties shown in black represent either missing election data or a mismatch between the US Census data and the USA Today data. For example, the New England states' election return data is given for each municipality and/or district rather than for each county. Hence, it couldn't be easily matched with the county boundaries."

This is what it looks like if we don't control for population:

Posted at 07:39 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Sensory Overload contributes what is probably the most disturbing map pair of the entire series: How did the Free States vote, and how did the Slave States cast their ballots?

Oh, how far we've come...

via Sensory Overload

Posted at 06:06 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (41) | TrackBack

"Despite long lines and registration snafus, voters under age 30 clocked the highest turnout percentage since 1972. The good news is that America's young people are more engaged in politics than at any time in two generations. Aging cynics have been quick to blame the kids for a host of political lapses, but the cynics have it wrong." -Music for America.

via Music for America

Posted at 05:57 AM in Humor, Politics | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Cartographer's delight! Map Day is now Map Weekend!

Click for larger graphic

via Bruce Stokes / Washington Note

Posted at 05:45 AM in Humor, Politics | Permalink | Comments (39) | TrackBack

The great Ben Sargent weighs in on the "values/cultural divide" issue

courtesy of Yahoo!

Gays! Jews! Hollywood liberals!
(thats before we even get to Terrorists!)

Values? Sargent recognizes (all too clearly) that the "value" debate is a brilliant political ploy: It frames the debate away from a rich/poor/economic discussion, into something very, very different.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain . . .

Posted at 11:30 AM in Humor, Politics | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

via Bob Drzyzgula

"I have not been able to find a copy of this graphic on the Washington Post's website, so I scanned it and put it where people could look at it. I think this is a pretty dramatic depiction of what just happened:

Click for larger graphic

Posted at 07:50 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack

You think Map day only lasts 24 hours? Wrong! Cartographers party like its 1599!

Here's yet another look at the United States, and a suggestion for reforming the electoral college (hint: it overweights rural areas):

Click for larger map

Advantages of this map:

· Ends overrepresentation of rural areas and underrepresention of cities in presidental voting.

· Ends the imbalance of federal funding in favor of small states.

· Preserves the historical structure of the electoral college and the United States unique federal system, balancing power between levels of government.

· States could be redistricted after each census - just like house seats are distributed now.

Fake is the new real via a comment by Robert E (Purple America)

Posted at 05:52 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Is this a great GOP victory? Consider:

-Bush got the lowest percentage of electoral votes (54%) of any incumbent running for reelection since Wilson.

-He will have won with the lowest percentage of the popular vote (51%) of any incumbent running for reelection since Truman (2-party race)

-He will have won by the lowest margin of the popular vote (3.5M) of any incumbent running for reelection since Truman (2.1M, and back then only 50M voted).

-He will have won the three states that put him over 270 (OH, NM and IA--assuming the last two go his way) by only 161,989 (not counting the provisional ballots, absentee, etc.).

fascinating . . .

via Another Liberal Blog

Posted at 12:31 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Mad mapping Thursday, final entry:

Compare this map with the Proportional US Electoral Map ; What stands out to me is how vast stretches of the Western and Southern United States -- primarily Red States -- are so sparsely populated.

These two maps reveal that this is actually quite an evenly split nation -- coastal urbanites versus heartland rural/suburbanites:

Population Density
Popular Vote, by Population

Click for larger graphic

Sources:
Election Results
New York Times, November 4, 2004
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/khtml/2004/11/03/politics/20041103_px_ELECT_FEATURE.html

Posted at 10:41 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Mad mapping Thursday continues, via Ben Werschkul of the NY Times, comes this proportional Electoral College map of the United States.

Each square equals one electoral vote (changes your perspective a bit, huh?)

The map at the Times site is interactive, so as you roll your mouse over each state, the actual total votes show up . . .

Sources:
Election Results
Ben Werschkul
New York Times, November 4, 2004
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/politics/2004_ELECTIONRESULTS_GRAPHIC/

Posted at 09:05 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack

DeLay of the Land: We all know how much the Republicans love redistricting. So welcome to the United State of Texas bordered by the newly succeeded Canadian regions of Baja Canada, Michigan, Mini Willinois and New America!

click for larger chart

via Political Strategy

Posted at 05:06 PM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack

How instructive are all those 'Red v. Blue' States Maps?

Considering the very slim margins by which each candidate squeeked by in many, many states, not very. Says Jeff Culver, the creator of the map: "I think it definitely portrays our fellow states far differently than the extreme way we've been seeing to date."

click for larger chart

via Boing Boing

Posted at 03:05 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack

What changed between 2000 and 2004?

Have a look:

click for larger chart

click for larger chart

Via USA Today

Posted at 02:53 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack

Posted at 01:50 PM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (75) | TrackBack

Just in time for the post-election:

You're vacationing in Cap Haitien, Haiti, when you hear a commotion outside your hotel. Thinking it's some kind of festival, you step outside ready to party. Uh-oh! This is no celebration--it's a riot. What should you do?

Remain indoors.
Stay away from the windows. Listen for reports on the radio or television. If you believe the crisis is out of control or threatens your life, plan to leave the country quickly. Determine the best route to the airport or embassy, and leave the building through any safe exit.

Exit away from gunfire or mobs.
Select a way out that is not easily observed. Exits could include windows, ductwork or the roof.

Leave as a group.
You are safer with company, especially if you have to dash across an open area such as the front of a building, a wide street or a plaza. Gunmen will have multiple objects to focus on, not just one, and will not be as likely to make a move.

Do not run.
Unless your life is in imminent danger, walk. A person walking is harder for the eye to detect--the human eye can quickly sight someone running. Running also can generate excitement--people may chase you. If you must travel by car, be prepared for evasive maneuvers.

Drive on back streets, not main roads. Do not stop for anything. Remember, the car can be a useful 3000-pound weapon that even a mob cannot stop. If you cannot drive forward, drive in reverse. If a Molotov cocktail (flammable liquid in a glass container with a lighted wick) hits your car, accelerate--it may burn out as you gain speed. If not, you'll be driving a hot rod.

If you encounter roadblocks, be prepared to bargain your way to safety. You might have to give up everything you are carrying in order to get away. Offer cash first, personal belongings (watches, cameras, jewelry) second. Abandon the car outside the embassy or airport.

via Popular Mechanics

ADAPTED FROM THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK

Posted at 07:11 AM in Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Back on September 14, 2003, we mentioned the absurdity of the BLS's taxpayer supported DVD "Up from Zero." We wondered aloud why the U.S. Department of Labor was making a documentary film on 9/11.

To quote the BLS site: "This film is the story of their patriotism, strength, and determination. I'm proud that the U.S. Department of Labor played a part in helping to tell it. I know you will be as inspired by their story as I am." -Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao

I wondered why the Department of Labor is now in the business of producing films, and giving away DVDs for free at taxpayer expense.

Well, since I paid for this (I'm a taxpayer) I ordered one back then, and now I know why.

The DVD conveniently arrived Saturday, October 30 -- 3 days before the election. Its content -- and even its packaging -- is a thinly veiled campaign commercial for the incumbent.

It is an utterly shameless abuse of taxpayer money. This sort of thing was once unthinkable. In a credible government that respected the seperation of politics and policy, of governing and getting elected, this could never happen.

I hope this was funded privately, with outside contributions. The DOL site ismute on the subject.

I demand a congressional investigation into this . . .

Posted at 07:22 AM in Finance, Politics | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack