True. Their sets over the years have been magnificent - and very expensive too. A lot of thought and creativity on the part of their team. The UK press is speculating madly about whether they will do the exact set as at Hyde Park in '69. I am wondering if Mick will go the whole hog, and come out in a white smock, and quote an except from "Adonais".

This guy, Ken Tamplin, is a vocal coach who demonstrates how to sing in the style of well known artists. I don't think he sounds like any of them!!! Here are segments of him doing Robert Plant.

RIP Doug Engelbart, the creator of the computer mouse. The man behind the computer mouse, who transformed the way people work, play and communicate, has died at 88. Technology visionary Doug Engelbart died from acute kidney failure at his California home after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, one of his daughters, Diana Engelbart Mangan, said. Mild-mannered Engelbart, whose first computer mouse was a wooden shell with metal wheels, had audacious ideas. Long before Apple founder Steve Jobs became famous for his dramatic presentations, Mr Engelbart dazzled the industry at a San Francisco computer conference in 1968. Working from his house with a home-made modem, he used his lab's elaborate new online system to illustrate his ideas to the audience, while his staff linked in from the lab. It was the first public demonstration of the mouse and video teleconferencing, prompting a standing ovation. "We will miss his genius, warmth and charm," said Curtis Carlson, chief executive of SRI International, where Mr Engelbart used to work. "Doug's legacy is immense. Anyone in the world who uses a mouse or enjoys the productive benefits of a personal computer is indebted to him." In the 1950s and 60s, when mainframe computers took up entire rooms and were fed data on punch cards, Mr Engelbart was already envisaging a day when computers were far more intuitive to use. One of the biggest advances was the mouse, which he developed in the 1960s and patented in 1970. The idea was way ahead of its time. The mouse did not become commercially available until 1984, with the release of Apple's then-revolutionary Macintosh computer. Mr Engelbart's conceived the mouse so early in the evolution of computers that he and his colleagues did not profit much from it. The technology passed into the public domain in 1987, preventing him from collecting royalties on the mouse when it was in its widest use. At least one billion have been sold since the mid-1980s. Now their usage is waning as people merely swipe their finger across a display screen.

The Stones have brought fake trees to transform Hyde Park back to 1969. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2355868/Rolling-Stones-bring-trees-butterflies-return-Londons-Hyde-Park.html

RIP Bernie Nolan, lead singer of the British pop group, the Nolans. She lost her long battle with cancer today.

It's unfortunate how this thread is turning out. I don't think it was ever intended to be a 'who won the war' thread. Nevertheless, I should like to wish a Happy Independence Day holiday to all our US members here. I hope you all got a day off work, and the sun is shining for you.

Hi SAJ, Happy Independence Day holiday to you. Yes, I am happy to post them there when I reach that era. I go through the articles in chronological order.

Hi Deborah J, Happy Independence Day holiday. Yes, I shall put more on this site within the next couple of days. What happens is I have to read through them all to make sure there is enough LZ content to justify inclusion, then I tidy them up a bit. Sorry, I should have added more over the past few weeks, but I have been tied up at work.

Well, you've gone around it in rather a long winded way.

SAJ, Thanks for that - fascinating stuff. The name John Branca is very familiar - he is one of America's top lawyers, having first of all majored in music. I believe the poor soul is now having to sort out the mess that is the Wacko Jacko estate! Regarding Prince Rupert, I found this article from the Guardian in 2007 which makes reference to the Barbados deal:- "... The Rolling Stones have reportedly suffered what could be their most damaging personnel loss yet, in the shape of a septuagenarian merchant banker with a royal title. The music industry newsletter Record of the Day this morning reported that Prince Rupert zu Loewenstein, who has handled the group's financial affairs for nearly 40 years, has quit. A statement released by the band's UK PR firm said: "Prince Loewenstein is no longer taking care of the Rolling Stones day-to-day business but is currently retained on some aspects of their career." Loewenstein, who was born in 1933, was hired by the Stones to sort out their financial affairs in the wake of their split from manager Allen Klein in 1971. He reconfigured the Stones into being more of a business than a band, advising them to make decisions about recording, rehearsing and performing on the basis of the tax advantages that might accrue from their location. In a 2002 article in the US business magazine Fortune, Keith Richards summed up Loewenstein's contribution to the Stones: "He is a great financial mind for the market. He plays that like I play guitar. He does things like a little oil well. And currency - you know, Swiss francs in the morning, switch to marks in the afternoon, move to the yen, and by the end of the day, how many dollars? That's his financial genius, his wisdom. Little pieces of paper. As long as there's a smile on Rupert's face, I'm cool." Loewenstein transformed the Stones, restructuring them as a blue-chip company, with four partners at the head of the pyramid and a variety of companies beneath to handle the various parts of the business. His greatest triumph, arguably, was matching them with a Canadian promoter called Michael Cohl in 1989. Cohl proposed to the Stones the touring model that they adopted for the Steel Wheels tour, which duly became the most lucrative rock tour in history, grossing $260m worldwide, and which has been the template for all their subsequent world tours. Those tours have made the Stones the most profitable rock act in the world. Loewenstein, a descendant of Bavarian royalty, entered finance by buying a merchant bank in 1962. When Mick Jagger phoned and asked for help in sorting out the mess that was the Stones' finances, Loewenstein had never heard of them. Nevertheless, he told the Independent on Sunday in 1992, he prefers working with clients who are "new money". "It's much more interesting than old money," he said. "People with old money are nearly always having to be adjusted downwards; those with new money are much more realistic.""

Another Led Wallet!!!! Twenty dollars!!! I know that over the years, there have comments by Bill Wyman and Ronnie about the way the money is divided. I don't know if Prince Rupert Lowenstein is still involved in the Stones finances, but he certainly did a good job for Sir Mick.

Yes, Nutrocker, I agree with you. However, if MT were around for more than 2 or 3 songs, it might disjoint Ronnie Wood's nose a bit.

Nutrocker, I certainly didn't know Mick Taylor had criticised the article. I am wondering if he maybe thought more about it, after it had been published. For all we know, maybe the Stones management got in touch with Mick to put over their side of the story. I do know that Bill Wyman has said in the past that the money could have been spread around a bit better. I am just glad to see Mick Taylor back on stage at a venue size that is worthy of his talents. Plus, it has been good to see him making some money out of these appearances. Here's hoping all goes well for him in the future.

Hi SAJ, Apologies, I haven't watched the footage yet and am only now getting round to reading the reviews . I knew Mick T. was under contract to do a certain number of songs at particular US venues, but I assumed he wasn't around this weekend. The reason I put the DM article on the thread is because I remember reading it when it was first published, and being shocked at how bad MT looked. Back in the '70s, he was a good looking guy. Even Jagger described him as being 'pretty'. Really good guitarist though.

This is a link to a 2009 Daily Mail article about Mick Taylor, and how he was very much down on his luck. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1213013/The-Rolling-Stone-whos-stony-broke-Why-Mick-Taylor-lives-rundown-Suffolk-semi-shabby-car.html

RIP Charlotte Brosnan, daughter of actor Pierce Brosnan. Sadly, Charlotte succumbed to ovarian cancer, a dreadful illness which had also taken the life of her mother, Cassandra Harris. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2353213/Pierce-Brosnans-daughter-Charlotte-42-loses-battle-ovarian-cancer.html

Hi Chilllumpuffer, Thanks very much for that. I did, in fact, mention constructive dismissal in my initial post, but I wrote so much that it may have gone unnoticed, so I have now highlighted it. I think that this lady has a great case on so many grounds, as long as she picks up the phone to the CAB and probably her doctor as well, and does something about it. It would not get her any further forward if she doesn't take action.

SozoZoso, Your problem is complex, and at the end of the day, you are going to need advice from one of the relevant agencies. I am urging you to get in touch with the Citizens Advice Bureau which has many branches in Northern Ireland. They will take up your case on your behalf, and also advise you on benefits. I am giving you the link here; ask for an appointment with one of their advisors who deals with employment issues. The branches and contact details are listed here. http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/nireland.htm Citizens Advice Northern Ireland offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice from over 140 locations. Our advice helps people resolve their problems with debt, benefits, employment, housing, discrimination, and many more issues. It is available to everyone. In order to get benefits for your health condition, you would have to see your GP and explain to them that you believe you should be receiving benefits for what is a debilitating condition which impacts on your ability to do work. If you were able to get put onto a health benefit, you would be able to qualify for housing benefit etc. The CAB would be able to give you the full list of what you would qualify for. The terms and conditions of your employment may be contained within a staff handbook. However, two months after employment commences you are entitled to a written statement of particulars of employment. These particulars should set out the following:- Your name and the name of your employer The date when your employer started Your rate of pay, when you will be paid, and how the pay has been calculated. This must be at least the minimum wage. Sick pay entitlement should also be included. Your hours of work and holiday entitlement including public holidays. Both of these must provide the maximum/minimum under the Working Time Regulations. The title and description of your job and hours of work Your notice period The employer's disciplinary and grievance procedure. (This is now optional these days) Even if you have not received a written contract of employment from your employer, as soon as you accept a job, the basic terms of offer and acceptance in contract law will apply. You must also be told whether the employment is permanent or fixed term. Even if it is a fixed term contract, the required notice is still due from the employer. With regard to the business having moved from the father to the son, you are covered by the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 Schedule 13 and th Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981. Where there is a transfer to a new employer, your continuity of employment is not broken. Regarding you employer's potential insolvency, if your employer goes bankrupt and cannot pay wages, the state will make up at least part of the pay. You can claim up for the amount you have lost per week (up to a certain limit) for up to eight weeks. As well as basic wages, you can claim any holiday pay, pension or notice up to a maximum of 6 weeks. You would have to apply to the employer's representative, usually the liquidator or receiver. Remuneration You are covered by the Wages Act 1986, consolidated by the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 This nastiness which you are experiencing from your employer may be construed as what is known in law as 'constructive dismissal'. This is when the employees circumstances become so difficult that they have no option but to leave. It can be difficult to prove. Overall, your employer is in the proverbial dog poo for not paying you at present, and not registering you for tax and national insurance contributions. The Inland Revenue and Department of Social Security require to know if you are employed. If you were thus registered, you would surely be entitled to Working Tax Credit. As I have said at the beginning, you must see the CAB regarding this. Their advisor will sit down with you and go through the detail. I suggest that you type up your employment history with this crowd, and as I said to you in my earlier post, try to remember all the antics that this guy has been trying e.g. the details of the nastiness etc. Put this all down in writing, it doesn't have to be anything fancy. If the CAB advisor reckons you have a case, they usually have a duty solicitor available. Alternatively, the CAB may pay for an employment solicitor to take it on. For further advice on tax credits and benefits phone 0845 607 6078 The Low Pay Unit 020 7721 0450 The TUC Know Your Rights Line 0870 600 4882 www.worksmart.org.uk The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) promotes good workplace relations www.acas.org.uk The Employment Tribunal Service www.justice.gov.uk 0845 795 9775 If things get worse at work (and at the moment, I can't see how it could get any worse) again, see your GP, and get signed off for stress. If you tell your GP that your employer is trying to harrass you out of your job because they appear to be in a financial mess, I am sure your medic will be sympathetic. Up to seven days off sick, you don't need a sick note – you simply self-certificate with your employer. So, if you wanted to go down this route, tell your GP that you want at least two weeks off work. Then when the two weeks is up, go back and get another two weeks worth. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE C.A.B. - DON'T GO IT ALONE – THEY WILL KEEP YOU RIGHT Please remember that if matters went to an Employment Tribunal, they accept hearsay in evidence, they will listen and take account of your experience. They don't require the same strict level of evidence as in other courts, they are much more informal in procedure as well.

You don't say which country you are in. If you are In the UK, I can give you help with employment law. Irrespective of which country you are in, you seem to me to have legal redress here. Keep a diary of the date on which each incident of harassment happened; the names of any witnesses present and any other pertinent details. It looks to me that he is trying to get you to leave your job so that he doesn't have to pay you redundancy. Don't leave - I know every day must be agony, but if you take the attitude that it will not go on forever, the main thing then will be to get everything that is due to you.

Strider, Thanks for your response - much appreciated. This film is just opening in the UK this week. I like the fact that the US brings us comedies throughout the year, but I'll take your advice on this one. I am not too keen on Owen Wilson either.

Has anyone (US members probably, as you get new releases before the UK) seen The Internship with Vince Vaughan and Owen Wilson? If so, is it worth going to see?

Photographs are copyright of Rex Features. I have also posted these on the thread concerning Jimmy' attendance at Michael Winner's memorial service. The lady is Geraldine Winner, Michael's widow, and the other man is Tony Banks. I am wondering if these photos will turn up in next week's 'Hello' magazine because the Winners used to be featured in that particular publication.

Lisuh, I notice that you have a photograph of what I assume is you and Jimmy. Would you share with us how you met him?

This photo is from LedZepNews on Twitter. It shows Priscilla Presley, Robert Plant, Patty Griffin and Jerry Schillings backstage at Patty's recent LA show. Priscilla Presley should stop the plastic surgery, botox and fillers because it just makes here look slightly ridiculous. She has got that "swimming underwater" look.

TypeO, Great. There does seem to be a market for these devices which appear to be unusable, but can still be used for spare parts. I have always been sold the story by Apple product users that the goods don't break down, and that is why it is worth spending so much more on them. It looks like they do indeed break down. Are you someone who always goes for Apple? The way things are going, they might give you a post in their repairs centre.