u/FrozGate

I've made around 60 purchases on Discogs. Every time I receive a CD, I leave the seller a positive rating. Unfortunately, only about half of the sellers reciprocate, so I currently have around 35 ratings.

The problem is that I recently had a terrible experience with a seller who was completely unresponsive. I had no choice but to leave him negative feedback based on my actual experience. Instead of accepting the feedback, the seller decided to retaliate by leaving me negative feedback in return. As a result, my buyer rating went from 100% down to 97.2%.

Yes, I know I can appeal the retaliatory feedback, but that process can take weeks, or even months?

A positive buyer rating is important as well. Many sellers have minimum rating requirements, and buyers with ratings below a certain threshold may not even be able to see or purchase some of the listings.

So please, take a minute to leave feedback for your buyers. Many of us take the time to rate you after every successful transaction, and that feedback matters to us too.

I noticed there haven't been any recent Mastodon ranking threads, so I figured I'd start one.

Keep in mind that this ranking is based purely on my personal enjoyment. I'd love to see yours as well. Here we go:

1. Crack the Skye

2. Emperor of Sand

3. Once More 'Round the Sun

4. The Hunter

5. Blood Mountain

6. Hushed and Grim

7. Leviathan

8. Remission

"Crack the Skye" is a masterpiece, in my opinion. The melodies, the transitions, everything comes together perfectly. It's a true work of art. Even the cover art is awesome.

"Emperor of Sand" was my favorite Mastodon album for a long time. It's just an incredible record from start to finish.

"Once More 'Round the Sun" is fantastic as well and, in my opinion, one of the most underrated albums in their discography. I love it. Aside from maybe "Aunt Lisa," there isn't a single skip for me on that record. "Chimes at Midnight" is one of my favorite Mastodon songs.

"The Hunter" is a bit of an odd one. It's the only Mastodon album that doesn't really feel like it has an overarching theme. Most of their albums have a distinct vibe and identity, but "The Hunter" almost feels like a compilation of songs instead. That being said, the individual tracks are fantastic. There are so many great songs on it. If I were ranking it purely as a cohesive album, it would probably be a bit lower.

"Blood Mountain" has been steadily climbing my rankings. "The Wolf Is Loose," "Sleeping Giant" and "Colony of Birchmen" are all top tier tracks. The album just keeps growing on me with every listen.

"Hushed and Grim" is great, but I do think it's a bit bloated. It probably could have been trimmed down slightly. That said, it's still an excellent record with a bunch of fantastic songs.

It took me a while to get into "Leviathan". I generally prefer Mastodon's more melodic side over their more abrasive sound. That said, the album has really grown on me over time. I definitely enjoy the first half more than the second. Even though it's not one of my personal favorites, I can absolutely understand why so many people consider it one of the band's best.

As for "Remission," I still haven't given it the fair shot it deserves. I really need to sit down and properly listen to the album before I can form an opinion on it, so I can't really comment on it yet.

What's your ranking? What’s your favorite Mastodon album?

I know a lot of people won't agree with this, but I think "Emperor of the Sand", "The Hunter", and "Once More 'Round the Sun" are more enjoyable albums than Mastodon's entire 2000s run.

"Emperor of the Sand" is top tier for me. It's my favorite Mastodon album. I also think OMRS is incredibly underrated and I honestly can't understand why it almost always ends up at the bottom of people's rankings.

"Chimes at Midnight," "High Road," "The Motherload," and "Asleep in the Deep" are all fantastic tracks.

That said, I'm not saying their 2000s albums aren't great. I just never really was able to get into "Leviathan". "Crack the Skye" is fantastic, but I have to be in the right mood for it. "Blood Mountain" is also very solid. It took me a while to appreciate it, but now I think it's a great album.

Again, I don't mean to disparage their early work, but sometimes it feels like saying Leviathan is their best album has become the default opinion because that era of the band is so highly praised.

If it weren't for Mastodon's 2010s albums, I never would have gotten into the band in the first place. They took everything they learned during the 2000s and refined it with tighter song structures, catchier choruses and more memorable melodies, all while staying true to their core sound.

One thing that always disappoints me is ordering an album from Amazon to add to my collection, only to discover it's a cheap cardboard sleeve. Not even a digipak, just a flimsy cardboard sleeve.

And to make it even worse, they often decide to make it some weird, non-standard size that sticks out like a sore thumb next to the rest of your jewel cases.

What the hell happened? When did record labels decide to cheap out this much? If I'm paying $30 (CAD) for a CD, the least they can do is package it in a proper jewel case.

I also think Amazon and other major retailers should clearly state the packaging type on the product page. Whether it's a jewel case, a digipak, or a cardboard sleeve.

Sure, I know a lot of people couldn't care less what type of packaging a CD comes in. But for some of us, we like having a collection that looks clean, consistent, and uniform.

End rant.

Recently I discovered that most people seem to have full on conversations with ChatGPT? It just seems weird to me.

Every single time I use it, it’s strictly utilitarian. I'll copy-paste a paragraph I wrote and just say, "Improve this." Then maybe follow up with, "Change this part." You get the idea.

But I recently found out that people actually take the time to thank it, tell it jokes, or just chat with it.

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but treating an AI like a person feels weird as shit and totally awkward.

It’s wild to think we might be heading toward a future where kids legitimately look at a chatbot as their best friend.

I have a 6000 BTU window air conditioner that I bought a few months ago for my 136 sq. ft. bedroom. The main living area of my apartment can get really hot, so I was wondering if it would be worth upgrading to an 8000 BTU unit and using fans to push the cool air from the bedroom into the living room.

My main concern is that, at night, when I close the bedroom door to sleep, the 8000 BTU unit might be overkill for such a small room.

Or should I just stick with the 6000 BTU unit and deal with the heat in the main living areas during the day?