Ksmike

I know this sounds so simple to most of you, but I just tried Pandora and Rhapsody to find an older song and got some remade crap that I would never pay for. If I go to You Tube and actually see and hear the original version, I'm routed to Google? Is there any site that plays the real stuff or do I have to deal with computer killing Google?

I've been there as a younger guy, and now my wife wants to go. No guest houses or anything for me this time (too old).

But for people that want the "ride the elephants" or even beach escapes for a day, what would you suggest?

Past 40 years only. I can't/won't judge by popular other lists or memories from when I have no memory since they were good before I was 10.

Mine? Quick list:

Mariano Rivera

Bruce Suttor (beginning of when I watched baseball).

Dennis Eckersley.

4th? Rollie, Quisenberry, Gossage.

Who'd I forget, leave out, or overrate?

Too hard to tell who cheated or not. I won't pick relievers here. Starters of the last 40 years?

My quick list?

Randy Johnson.

Pedro Martinez.

Ron Guidry.

Greg Maddox.

Throw in (no pun intended): Stieb, Gooden, Morris, Valenzuela...

Who else, and who am I wrong with?

I limit it to the last 40 years (1974 to now) because I can think of more than four from the Yankees alone if you go too far back (Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, DiMaggio, Jeter...), and I'm not even a Yankee fan. Just a baseball one. I didn't/won't name ones that are on the short list of possibly cheating with PES.

For non pitchers.

Mine would be:

Mike Schmidt.

George Brett.

Derrick Jeter.

And maybe Yount, Gwynn, Reggie..?

I can't even finish my own four. What do you think?

I know hamburgers are (from either Hamburg New York, a nearby town, even this is disputed). Hot dogs, when put in a bun. Chowders and some other regional foods, but what does someone think of as "American Food"?

Fortunately, I can't get hate mail here so I'll start with my choices:

1) Lynryd Skynrd. Free Bird was a classic. Sweet Home Alabama was OK. The End, IMO.

2) REO Speedwagon. "Riding the Storm Out" was good.....No, that's it.

3) Genesis/Phil Collins. One of the most over-played and tiring acts. In competition with Rod Stewart, but Stewart had a couple in his early days.

4) KISS. They did a movie about how disco sucked and these guys were great? All attitude, no talent, a forerunner of video.

5) Metallica. I had a friend that played them all the time. Can't remember a song that I liked. Was it all in the name?

If you still listen to radio stations, you'd think that Classic Rock was pretty limited to Boston, Led Zepplin, AC/DC, Aerosmith etc....

Who do YOU think was underestimated from that era (1970-1990)?

Mine:

1) Queen. They get some play still, but don't seem to be counted as a great rock band here. Why??

2) STYX. They were all over the radio, and then vanished. Forget Mr. Roboto (please).

3) BTO. Three BIG hits that your kids (or parents) will be able to recognize immediately. Nobody knows who they are now?

4) Billy Squier. IMO, one of the best and most forgotten rock artist.

5) Slade. These guys were known outside of North America much more, but had their own songs remade (sadly) for some reason.

I know many will either disagree or think of better examples.

Me?

1) All in the Family. I know it was a take from a British series, but it can be dated and timeless at the same time.

2) Sopranos. Yeah, so? Whaddya want me to say? HBO broke ground here, IMO.

3) Magnum PI. I was younger when this came on, but It was hard to not watch in the non-cable days.

4) Newhart. It was the funniest back then. Big sweaters, Vermont, great score, and Bob Newhart.

5) Monty Python. Weird cartoons, over the top skits, and great comedians. No wonder they spawned a few movies.

Your Favorites?

What do you think of as "must see TV"?

I was addicted to Breaking Bad and happy that so many around the World also liked it.

It's mostly cable TV, but for me:

1)Walking Dead. Many British actors with US accents killing the undead. And so good.

2)Moonshiners. I know. I have to read the subtitles too and I live not that far away!

3)Modern Family. It's new to me so I see the reruns. Good show!

4)Game of Thrones. The only main American actor is "Peter Dinklage"? Odd, because that name screams British as much as "Nigel Canterbury" might.

5)Big Bang Theory. Aging, but like Modern Family, I first saw this on marathons on cable.

YOU?

Wife is Filipina Catholic. I an am agnostic white guy. We are fine in the US. What about Malaysia? How important is it that an immigrant be a "fidel"? If you've seen my other posts about Malaysia, you'd see that I talked it up, as I think the country is underestimated. Does that matter?

I did in 1985, and have the pics to prove it. Really.

We didn't want the "South Padre Island" drive. Or Florida "cold water" sensation. So I picked Cancun Mexico. Why? Ronald Reagan just got back from a trip there in the mid 1980's, and the media talked it up as a "resort complex".

So we drove from Wichita to Dallas (only way to get an affordable connection then), and jumped on an Aero-Mexico flight to Cancun. Not only did they not care about if you had the right driver's license back then (or smoked), but the bathrooms at the airport were stone and half open-air, so anyone could see you if they wanted to. Yikes!

We had no idea where we'd stay, so we took the cab driver's advice and stayed at a hovel near downtown. It was only a few bucks to take the taxi for the four of us to get to the beach (we picked the Beach Palace).

Nothing but Germans there. A few Mexican men (in an off-shoot room) that were dead silent, until their soccer team scored, and few hookers. The hookers were so good that I felt slighted that I wasn't approached at first. When my old roommate tried to burst in (through the chain lock), because he was being chased by them, I felt relieved.

When we were on the beach, at the Beach Palace, everything was as new to us as it was to them.

There's more, and it will probably bore most, but it's all very true. I need to get those 1980s pics online, if the wife will do it, and anyone cares.

Be there on the 11th. Leave one the 17th. I've lived in St Petersburg for 5 years and wanted to visit my old haunts. So we have ONE day to drive up there. Other than that, we're in a place I've never stopped in. We're flying into the SW Florida airport. Is there an Everglades tour? I know the water's too cold in mid-January, but what would we see that may not be listed on wiki-travel?

Fort Myers or Naples. Please tell me where you'd go if you were a tourist.

Just read a couple of "top 100" novel lists, again. I'm sure Animal Farm was an important book, but shouldn't the list have books you actually want to finish? For every "Deliverance" there seems to be 20 blaaahs. Step above Harry Potter and Hobbitts, but still entertaining?

I stay with Stephen King books too much. Is there another book out there that you would suggest for a long flight, and more?

I always seemed to like the escape type books. But I'd be happy to hear about one I missed.

Quick view of mine:

Endurance.

Kon Tiki.

Forgotten Soldier.

Alone (Byrd).

Your choices? I need a good book.

We'll be there in early April (hot, I know). Never been to Cambodia, and have only been to Kho San Rd area in Bangkok.

Some guy asked me to name a better singer (voice only) than Barbra Streisand and I laughed at him. Then I had to think pretty hard. Forget if you like that person or even the music around her. Who's got the best singing voice?

My current guesses:

Mariah Carey.

Olivia Newton-John.

Whitney Houston (yeah, I know she's dead).

Karen Carpenter (see above).

Linda Ronstadt.

Going to give up Medicare here, but take our retirement $ to metro Manila (Alabang). For healthcare if we need it?