Here are 20 of my favorite CD's, in no particular order. If you don't like them, GO TO A DIFFERENT SITE!
Christmas In America (really good recording of Hallelujah chorus)
Star Trek: Generations Soundtrack (not as good as it could have been...)
Swing, Swing, Swing with the Boston Pops (excellent version of Sing, Sing, Sing)
Classical Music for People Who Don't Like Classical Music-4 CD set (all the essentials)
Sneakers Soundtrack (James Horner rules)
Summon the Heroes (John Williams, the Olympics, what else do you want?)
Bad Hair Day (you knew Weird Al was gonna be in here somewhere!)
Dvorák-Symphony No.9 "From the New World" (AWESOME)
Pops In Space (John Williams, Boston Pops, nuff said!)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Soundtrack (James Horner is the man)
The Star Wars Anthology-4 CD set (of course, the obvious choice)
Star Trek: First Contact Soundtrack (without question, Jerry Goldsmith at his best)
Joe Cool's Blues (Wynton and Ellis Marsalis rock)
The Very Best of The Manhattan Transfer
I promised you some poetry, so here it is. The poem I have recited many times before comes from the Next Generation episode, "Schisms". A poem that Lieutenant Commander Data wrote...in honor of his cat. He called it...
Felis catis: is your taxonomic nomenclature;
An endothermic quadraped; carnivorous by nature?
Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses
Contribute to your hunting skills, and natural defenses.
I find myself intrigued by your sub-vocal oscillations,
A singular development of cat communication,
That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection,
For a rhythmic stroking of your fur, to demonstrate affection.
A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents;
You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance.
And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion,
It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.
O Spot: the complex levels of behavior you display
Conote a fairly well-developed cognitive array.
And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,
I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.
Here's another poem. This time, I wrote it myself. It does not have a title, but if you look closely, you'll find the theme. It's in blank verse (iambic pentameter, abab et al.).
Cupid's bow has no dominion o'er me
Having purged my soul of impure thought
In an eyeblink thoughts shall cease of thee
Vain glories gone, and goals on wonders wrought
A single quest, and this alone I seek
Love only to requite its purest form
Retard thy advents, lust, remove thy beak
I find your primal likeness in the storm
Created by the weakest parts of soul
Kind words I now employ, and not your wont,
Never more shall I request thy toll
I shall henceforth abstain, and be gallant
Great service to my fellow man I'll do
He'll thank me in my role taken by few
That I divinely seek, love, only you.