Okay, there have been 2 favorable responses to my suggestion that I create a TUS mix-CD, and that's enough for me. The trouble is that my normal process for making a mix is to let the idea percolate at the back of my mind for a while and then create it in a frenzy of activity. And seeing as the next chance I'll have to use a CD-burner (and the only chance I'll have for a month or more) is only a week & a half away, there's not much time to mull things over.

So, I'm looking for suggestions. I've got a few ideas already: something from Buffy, obviously. ("Where do we go from here?" seems appropriate, given the current status of the board.) A show tune or two would be nice. What do you think should be on the cd?

It would of course be limited to what's in my CD collection, but as I've been demonstrating for months, that's pretty big and fairly eclectic. Also, I reserve final judgement, because I'm picky that way, and because I'm the one who'll be putting it together.

(Warning: I would not be able to make lots of copies myself because I don't have a computer of my own and would be using a family member's to do this, and their burner only really works at 2x speed. I guess I could do a tape to overcome that limitation, but there's still the speed issue.)

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Answers

My suggestions would all be lame, but I'm happy to help burn some CDs for the TUS cause.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

"Too much time on my hands"

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Audio cd's always should be burned at 2x speed, to avoid drop outs. Even professional sound studio's burn their cd's at 2x speed.

Anyway, my suggestion: Gary Numan's, Are friends electric?, which describes the feelings of any forum member without access to his/hers favourite watering hole in the Net.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Something from Queen. Preferably "The Millionaire's Waltz"; I think it would go well with any track from the Buffy musical. Other groups to consider: The Stranglers, XTC, The Judybats, Elliot Smith, T-Rex, Kirsty MacColl, Peter Gabriel, Shonen Knife (their cover of The Carpenters' 'Top of the World' is priceless, and shoud be on any CD that's got a happy theme). Can we submit .WAV or .MP3 of our suggestions?

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Kate Bush: "Deeper Understanding".

As the people here grow colder I turn to my computer And spend my evenings with it Like a friend.

I was loading a new programme I had ordered from a magazine:

"Are you lonely, are you lost? This voice console is a must." I press Execute.

"Hello, I know that you've been feeling tired. I bring you love and deeper understanding. Hello, I know that you're unhappy. I bring you love and deeper understanding."

Well I've never felt such pleasure. Nothing else seemed to matter. I neglected my bodily needs.

I did not eat, I did not sleep, The intensity increasing, 'Til my family found me and intervened.

But I was lonely, I was lost, Without my little black box. I pick up the phone and go, Execute.

"Hello, I know that you've been feeling tired. I bring you love and deeper understanding. Hello, I know that you're unhappy. I bring you love and deeper understanding."

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

"Wig in a Box" from Hedwig.

Once there, that song will not leave your head.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

"If You Want Blood", AC/DC - being our theme song of the moment as we all grapple with the cock-ups neverending at West Host.

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Oh, man. A now-defunct local band here has a song called "Cocksucker (Means I Love You)."

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

(And I have it on CD.)

-- Anonymous, August 14, 2002

Cocksucker (Means I Love You) must go on the cd. I don't even care what it sounds like. I do, however, object to any AC/DC, now and forever.

I am available to burn copies, if needed.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

Jackson Brown, Lawyers in Love

Only because I have frequently caught myself playing it in my head while reading TUS, and the lawyers here (so many of them!) are among my favorite people.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

Wow, those are some great suggestions. Unfortunately, the only songs mentioned that I've got are the Shonen Knife "Top of the World" and "Wig in a Box" from Hedwig. I have no experience at all working with .WAVs or .MP3s. I'm willing to learn, however. Can anybody point me to a site with the basics?

A thought occurred to me this morning about how to handle distribution: We could create a tree; I make however many copies I can & send them out to Suspects that have burners of their own, they make copies & send those out to other Suspects, etc. We could treat it as shareware: if you have a copy, please make a donation to the TUS fund.

And I agree, "Cocksucker (Means I Love You)" just has to go on the CD.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

Yeah, I was going to suggest that yesterday and then forgot. But I'd be happy to make a few copies, if someone would send a copy to me.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

Do you have the Ghost World soundtrack?

For some reason, I think Devil Got My Woman needs to be on it. Either that or Jaan Pehechaan Ho.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

I do have the GW soundtrack.

Oh, I keep forgetting to mention that I've been thinking about another mix-cd. This one has been percolating for a while & is just about ready for the frenzied activity stage. I haven't figured out just what to call it yet, but the working title is "Mood Lifter." It's going to be songs about being happy and songs that make me feel good. I could do that one & not have to worry about learning how to download music. But it wouldn't be nearly as satisfying as having a TUS-specific CD.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

I think that Kenny Rogers' "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" is a great metaphor for us compulsive forum refreshers. Then there's "Love is a Battlefield" for the Relationship/Without the Love junkies.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

I'd say anything from the Hedwig cd.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

I'm happy to burn and distribute CDs.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

Will there be something from the Belinda Carlisle/GoGos oevre? Because I think that's important.

And right now I'm voting for "Vacation."

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

Something from them is an absolute necessity. "Vacation" sounds good.

I might have that (or another song) on one of the 80's collections I have, but I'm not sure. I'll have to check.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

If not, I have it on CD. It's this line that seems appropriate:

A week without you, thought I'd forget
Two weeks without you and I still haven't gotten over you yet ...

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

I haven't heard the song but Snoop Doggy Dogg / Greatest Hits has a song "Usual Suspects".

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

Also, the DMX song "We Right Here" feels sweet, sentimental and very appropriate:

Bring it! What? We right here
We're not goin' anywhere
We right here

Word, man. That's hardcore.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2002

But what about their version of "Cool Jerk" . . . you know, in honor of Curtis.

(Where is his half-limey ass anyway?)

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

If you don't know, guppy, we're in trouble. I thought you and Curtis had some sort of spider-sense about each other.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

I expect he saw the comment about showing up here if he thought he'd DIE if he didn't get to say what he was wearing and just never ventured in. Being far too cool for that sort of thing, doncha know.

Bum's on a beach somewhere drinking girly drinks with umbrellas in them and not thinking about us at all, I'll bet.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Heh. He doesn't need us. He doesn't NEED anybody.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Actually, I think he might be. He had a vacation coming up, but I sort of thought it was next month. But I can't imagine a single other reason he's not here. Bastich. I'll e-mail his ass at work if he doesn't show up (a threat, see, in case he's reading).

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Except his secretary. But he'll never tell her that.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

I love the idea of "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)." It's perfect for frequent refreshers, plus it was used in The Big Lebowski, which I believe is a well-loved film around these parts.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

One of the artsy fartsy suspects should get to work on the label, don't you think? I have a cool printer I can print them on, buy we do NOT want me doing the designing.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Something from the movie Usual Suspects' soundtrack? Or too obvious?

I can also burn CDs for the cause.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Not too obvious, as it hadn't even occurred to me that there was a Usual Suspects soundtrack. Anybody familiar with it enough to suggest a track?

Also, I'd like to second the idea that somebody design an insert. I have no graphical skills.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

I can take a stab at a design this weekend. Woo.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Here's another reason why it sucks that the forum's down: If it weren't, somebody could go into the photo (or South Park yourself) thread & then Photoshop TUS faces onto the poster for the movie The Usual Suspects (with Beth on Kevin Spacey's body, of course).

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Wandering through the various threads and seeing the word cocksucker being the phrase du jour, I wanted to suggest an Australian song. It's by a band called Regurgitator, and it's called "I sucked a lot of cock to get where I am". It's on a collection I own called JJJ's Hottest 100 Vol 4, so it's easy enough to get an MP3 of it if you want. It's described as A soft, melodic pop-rock track that starts off with the lyrics "I Sucked A lot of Cock to Get Where I Am/I Only Want to Be The Best That I Can."

JJJ's Hottest 100 vol4 is here.

Lyrics are here.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002