About that whole "Greatest American" poll

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by JohnT
As for artist, the only American artist due a top-5 listing is Elvis Presley. No if, ands, or buts about it.

Well, IF you discount that he was a mere singer, AND you overlook the fact that he merely popularized a musical form but was not one of its creators (unlike, say, Carl Perkins), then you might be right -- BUT you're not.



As for artist, the only American artist due a top-5 listing is Louis Armstrong. No if, ands, or buts about it.

[JohnT]

Elvis merely popularized a style that took over the globes musical discourse for the next 50 years. Carl Perkins didn't. Before Elvis, American music had always been second-rate. After Elvis, it became the worlds standard.

[DaShi]

Don't blame me, I voted for that guy on "Blue's Clues."

[Imran Siddiqui]

Teh Reagan

He conquers all!

[JohnT]

If you have the Discovery channel, THE SHOW IS ON NOW!

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
They aren't doing it in Reno; our city council is perfectly happy bending over and taking it (or rather, letting the citizens take it...) from the cable companies and the ISPs. Our council is very business-friendly. Never met a bad deal they didn't like...

Ah, okay, misread your post.

I read "The Big ISPs are trying to squash such plans in some communities." as they are doing the squashing in some communities instead of only certain coummunities are having these plans.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by JohnT
Elvis merely popularized a style that took over the globes musical discourse for the next 50 years. Carl Perkins didn't. Before Elvis, American music had always been second-rate. After Elvis, it became the worlds standard.

So you've actually never heard of jazz, huh?

Before Elvis, jazz took over the world. It was a distinctly American musical form, unlike anything anyone had heard before. It inspired not only other musicians but painters, poets, and other artists. It continues to be the musical form most identified with the US by people outside the US. And rock-and-roll would have been unthinkable without it.

And jazz had a founding genius: Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was jazz's Mozart, except he managed to live to a ripe old age. Elvis, by contrast, was merely popular. He is to music what Marylin Monroe was to movies -- a symbol, not an artist.

Louis, not Elvis.

[JohnT]

Yes I've heard of jazz, , but I'm still sticking by Elvis.

[JohnT]

Each of the finalists have their own cheering section.

[GePap]

While Jazz is the quitisential American Musical form and took the world by storm long before Rock and Roll and has become the only American musical form considered high art now, Elvis is most certainly the most Celebrated American musician of the century. Being very popular is actually very important when it comes to entertainers.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


Ah, okay, misread your post.

I read "The Big ISPs are trying to squash such plans in some communities." as they are doing the squashing in some communities instead of only certain coummunities are having these plans.

I think we're both misreading each other's posts.

Reno's city council has no plans. There are communities (I don't know which specifically) that do, the the Big ISPs are trying to stop them. That is the point I was making. I think you were saying basically the same thing, only broader right?

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'm watching the show... Tom Brokaw (in an blurb during the show) had to stuffle a guffaw when he learned Michael Jackson made the the Top 100!

[GePap]

Jackson belongs on that list 100,000 times more than Dr. Phil.

[Jaguar]

Truth.

[Jaguar]

My Trolling Commies(tm) Top Five:
Ronald Reagan
Bill Gates
George W. Bush
Andrew Carnegie
George H.W. Bush


My Real Top Five:
Benjamin Franklin
Mark Twain
Dwight David Eisenhower
Abraham Lincoln
Martin Luther King Jr

If that's too politician-heavy, you can put Jackie Robinson in there if you want an athlete, Bob Dylan or Elvis if you want a singer, Cary Grant or Humphrey Bogart or Katherine Hepburn if you want an actress, Edison if you want a scientist, etc.