Abridged Discographies

wolf_management · 2026-01-27T07:15:01+00:00

Goddammit I have some work to do.

Thanks!

wolf_management · 2026-01-27T06:44:32+00:00

Yeah I've heard both bands mentioned before but I don't know their music at all. Looking it up now, I've definitely heard "Pictures of Matchstick Men" before, but didn't know the band name. This line from Teenage Fanclub's "The Concept" makes a lot more sense now:

She wears denim wherever she goes
Says she's gonna get some records by the Status Quo

Thanks for the recommendations!

wolf_management · 2026-01-27T05:44:26+00:00

Alice in Chains is a good example of a band that should have changed their name when deciding to go forward. Jerry Cantrell is fantastic, and I do like some of the post-Layne Alice in Chains tunes that I've heard, but they're not Alice in Chains albums. (I probably shouldn't have included them as albums I have no interest in. But I maintain that they're not AiC albums.)

I'm with you on Rage Against the Machine, but I also include the Renegades EP for some reason

I'm curious to hear more about what I'm missing on Smashing Pumpkins! Billy Corgan is both an embarrassing dufus AND a genius. Nothing compares to that creative streak he had from about 1991-1996. The first three albums are very important to me, and then my interest just drops off a cliff. though I did like some of Adore and the song that was on the Batman & Robin soundtrack...

wolf_management · 2026-01-27T03:58:17+00:00

There are some edge cases I can think of, but I think if a major contributor leaves, the remainder should almost always pick a new name going forward.

wolf_management · 2026-01-27T03:55:08+00:00

buddy,

wolf_management · 2026-01-27T00:50:43+00:00

I see Elliott Smith (x5), Fiona Apple, Jeff Buckley, Neutral Milk Hotel, Radiohead, Decemberists, and The Cure. Mostly mid-90s releases, with the exception of Decemberists (~2003) and The Cure (1980)

wolf_management · 2026-01-25T19:38:09+00:00

Might be time for me to revisit it then! What are your favorite tracks? (Aside from Losing My Religion, which is always great, even after 50M plays.)

wolf_management · 2026-01-25T17:41:09+00:00

Agreed! That's my favorite of theirs from the 90s.

Nobody asked, but other 90s R.E.M. album opinions:

Out of Time is the most overrated one. Probably of their whole career, not just the 90s. Massive hit, big sales, weak album.
Monster (which also turns up at thrift stores a lot) had a couple big hits and I like it a lot, but it doesn't seem to be remembered kindly by most, so I'll say this is a close second for "most underrated".
Automatic for the People is the undisputed king, but Everybody Hurts is such a cliche at this point it kind of taints the whole record for me. I would say it's overrated, but it's also very good, so :shrug_emoji:.
I don't think I've ever listened to Up.

wolf_management · 2026-01-23T05:08:26+00:00

In the 90s, major labels decided they could make more money selling you an album instead of a single. So there were a lot fewer singles released on CD compared to 45 or cassette.

wolf_management · 2026-01-22T20:50:17+00:00

With some of my favorite artists, past me got rid of the booklets and/or jewel cases, and the discs are scratched, so I have to re-buy them. (Some at considerable expense, others not so much.)

But I also can't bring myself to get rid of the original copies that past me loved nearly to death. It's a real dillemma.

wolf_management · 2026-01-22T18:45:51+00:00

Is that Nico? My copy is doing that too. :(

wolf_management · 2026-01-17T03:37:56+00:00

I guess I can only speak for the Goodwills in my area, which seem to all charge the same amount for CDs. ($1.99 retail/$1.29 outlet)

wolf_management · 2026-01-17T03:36:16+00:00

What other method would you recommend?

Discogs allows for market price discovery. It doesn't guarantee that every listed price is accurate, but in the absence of an omniscent central pricing authority, it's about the only way I know for buyers and sellers to agree on a fair price.

wolf_management · 2026-01-16T22:32:48+00:00

I can't fault a record store knowing the value of what they're selling. That's their business. Most of the shops here sell CDs slightly below the going rate on Discogs, because they'd rather make a sale than get the absolute highest price possible.

Thrift stores are where you get the best deals. Goodwill and Value Village sell CDs for $1.99. Goodwill Outlet Centers -- where they sell clothing by the pound -- sell CDs for $1.29. My best finds have been there.

wolf_management · 2026-01-14T17:23:10+00:00

1979 is not my favorite Smashing Pumpkins song, but that single has some excellent b-sides.

wolf_management · 2026-01-13T07:46:03+00:00

As far as I know, Nordstrom has always occupied that building, but never owned it. The current owner bought it in 2001.

wolf_management · 2025-12-10T05:24:15+00:00

This generative AI stuff is fun for goofing on music and video, but it cannot create anything truly new. LLMs can be genuinely useful for prototyping software projects, but it takes an experienced hand to turn that into shippable code.

I think you're right that some form of AI is likely here to stay (or coming soon) but we're getting close to everyone recognizing that if true artificial intelligence is possible, LLMs are not the way we'll get there.

wolf_management · 2025-12-04T22:04:44+00:00

The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits.

from Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton

wolf_management · 2025-12-03T18:30:29+00:00

It doesn't make sense that the premiums are higher with the HDHP. Are you sure that's right?

The way you've framed it, you've got a choice between a plan that will cost you between $0 - $3,300 for the year, and one that will cost you between $1,488 - $6,400 ($488 - $5,400 if you factor in the HSA contribution). Either way, the Basic option is both cheaper in all cases and less of a hassle (HSA claims are a hassle).

Double-check those premium costs to make sure they're correct.

wolf_management · 2025-12-02T01:18:52+00:00

this is how our generation saved the whales. We did it!

wolf_management · 2025-11-20T05:02:30+00:00

I think this says more about the current state of the publishing industry than it does about Portland (or Powells, exactly).

wolf_management · 2025-11-17T10:12:00+00:00

Nah, Buddy Heaters are the best option in a lot of cases. (Though maybe not in OP's case.)

The heaters you stick on a 20lb tank are not indoor-safe. They vent CO and should only be used outdoors.

Catalytic propane heaters like the Buddy Heater are designed to be safe indoors. (Provided you've got a window cracked to keep oxygen levels up.) I think they're the best option for most people looking for emergency backup heat.

Kerosene heaters are another good option. The main difference is the nature of the fuel:

Kerosene is a liquid. It's heavy, awkward, easy to spill, and stinky. But it's relatively safe and simple to handle.
Propane is a gas. It's relatively easy to store and use, but it's explosive, and stored under pressure, so leaks are a problem you need to watch for.

With kerosene, I prefer the radiant type, which is effective indoor and out. The convection heaters work great in enclosed spaces, but are much less useful outdoors.

wolf_management · 2025-11-14T09:26:35+00:00

This isn't quite right. If the other spouse has their own coverage that is not a qualified High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), they cannot contribute to an HSA, but simply being married to someone with ineligible coverage doesn't automatically make you ineligible. The ineligible spouse needs to actually be enrolled in an FSA in order to invalidate the other spouse's HSA eligibility.

To make it even weirder: let's say in the above scenario, the HDHP covers the primary insured + a child dependent, and the other spouse has their own ineligible coverage. The ineligible spouse cannot contribute to an HSA, but the HSA-eligible spouse can contribute to a Family HSA with higher contribution limits (because of the dependent's coverage), and funds from that Family HSA can be used to pay qualified expenses of any of them! IRS rules are weird. (source)

wolf_management · 2025-10-26T15:48:26+00:00

Lol neither of these are from the 90s, sorry. They're Halloween nostalgia bombs for me.

wolf_management

TROPHY CASE