Hahaha. You know, something in my head was saying Syracuse, but then I worried I was confusing you with Rick and I know you wouldn't like that at all!

I don't know Rick. Yes, I'd rather be Buffalo than the Jets but I think the Dolphins are in a good situation too, and I'd probably rather be Miami than Buffalo. Better cheerleaders, too.

Andrew Bynum should be arrested for stealing money. What a joke this punk is and has been. No desire, no work ethic, no brains. Incredible to think he has two NBA titles while great competitors like Barkley and Stockton got zilch.

So what does that make you, Chuck...a Gator?

Last night's dinner was split-pea soup and biscuits. Didn't have a ham hock handy so I threw in some prosciutto instead.

^^^ Yes, the long gap helped feed the pent-up demand for new Zeppelin. I remember awaiting any scrap of information regarding the release date of the new album. This was also the time when the break-up rumours went into overdrive...rumours I eventually dismissed. But when the sad news first hit the airwaves about Karac's death, I admit I was distraught for Robert and his family, and also fearful for the future of the band. After the near-miss in Greece, and now this, would Robert finally say "enough" and retire to his family? So, not only did the long layoff affect the fans, it affected the band. The band that convened in 1978 to record ITTOD was a far different band with a different psyche than the band that recorded "Physical Graffiti" in the halcyon days of 1974...or even the band that gathered to record "Presence". For one thing, Jimmy was still firmly in control of his talents and the band's direction then. I didn't mean to imply ITTOD didn't get any negative reviews...it was a Zeppelin album after all, and every Zeppelin album was criticized by somebody. But in aggregate, ITTOD's reviews and radio reception was more positive than "Presence" or TSRTS, which was lambasted more often than not by contemporary critics. Of course, ITTOD wasn't meant to be the final capstone to Zeppelin's oeuvre. But Bonham's untimely death sealed its fate and I think that's when the historical revisionism set in and people looked on ITTOD as an ignoble end, a disappointing finish to a glorious band's career. If Bonham had lived and the band recorded another album, I think ITTOD would be looked upon more fondly as a quirky bridge between two peaks of greatness. Much as Led Zeppelin III is the link that allowed Led Zeppelin to progress from Led Zeppelin II to Led Zeppelin IV, or Houses of the Holy the quirky bridge from IV to Physical Graffiti. So who knows what heights Zeppelin's next album might have scaled if Bonzo hadn't drank so much vodka that September night. Would "Wearing and Tearing" have been on it? Possibly...maybe even likely. The band probably would have better intergrated Jonesy's new synthesizer toys into the band's sound without sacrificing the iconic Zep 'heaviness'. Witness how the live versions of "In the Evening" always sounded more powerful than the studio version. And, just in case you're wondering, No, I don't count Coda as an actual Led Zeppelin album per se. It only exists due to Bonham's passing and a contractual obligation. There is no way that album sees the light of day otherwise. Their heart wasn't in it.

Not much insight left to glean from this. She was a nutjob, plain and simple. Manson had long been locked away and allowed no contact with his followers. Squeaky was a fruitcake adrift...admittedly a dangerous fruitcake, so Danny Sugarman was wise to brush her off. But her actions and intentions were her own kooky schemes and not ordered by Charlie by that point. I'll tell you one thing, though, Ktn, growing up in those times with the SLA and Patty Hearst, the Weathermen and Black Panthers, the whole Manson thing, the '72 Munich Olympic slaughter, Jim Jones and the Guyana tragedy, Squeaky Fromme and Sara Moore both trying to off President Ford, the RAF in Germany, Kent State in '70, and too much more to list, it certainly seemed at times that the world was spinning off its axis.

I know there aren't as many college football fans here as there are NFL fans, but I thought at least Walter or jabe would be here representing for the last BCS championship game. What a game it turned out to be, too, finally ending the SEC's streak. Rick, don't tell me you didn't even wager on the game? What is the world coming to? As a USC Trojan, I didn't really care for either team but was slightly leaning Auburn's way. But congratulations FSU fans and congratulations on both schools waging a terrific game.

Bad news for New England: Patriot Brandon Spikes is out for the playoffs! Meanwhile, the Colts just added ex-Patriot WR Deion Branch to their roster. http://m.espn.go.com/nfl/story?storyId=10252482 Paul, looks like your Dolphins have made OC Mike Sherman the fall guy. http://m.espn.go.com/nfl/story?storyId=10251607

Again, this is more the result of historical revisionism than any actual dislike for "In Through the Out Door". First of all, I think I'm like most Led Zeppelin fans in that I like ALL their albums. I may like some more than others, but I consider them like children and hence, don't hate or dislike any of them. Secondly, let's take a trip in the wayback machine shall we? While Rolling Stone and NME predictably gave ITTOD negative reviews(the whole punks vs. Dinosaur bands thing), ITTOD still received some of best reviews Zeppelin had since "Physical Graffiti". John Swenson's review in Creem and Kristine McKenna's in the L.A. Times in particular stand out in my mind. Even that curmudgeon Robert Christgau gave ITTOD a B+ in the Village Voice. People lined up in front of record stores to buy this album. I know, because I was one of them waiting for Licorice Pizza to open across from the Tyler Mall in Riverside the day ITTOD was released. I loved the spooky sounds that began the album. While I wished the mix could have been better on some of the songs, especially the vocals, I was happy that it was NEW Led Zeppelin. I didn't care that it didn't sound like Led Zeppelin II. I already had Led Zeppelin II. This was 1979...I wanted 1979 Zeppelin not a rehash of 1969 Zeppelin. If I wanted the same old, same old, I would buy a Ramones or AC/DC album. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought that way, as ITTOD outsold both AC/DC and the Ramones that year. The album went immediately to #1 on the Billboard charts and spent seven weeks at #1. That is tied with Led Zeppelin II for most weeks a Zeppelin album was #1 on the chart. ITTOD was their biggest seller since PG, and practically single-handedly revived the record industry, which was in a post-1978 slump. A week or two after ITTOD was released, EVERY other album in Led Zeppelin's catalogue appeared in the Billboard Top 200 album chart...all NINE albums of theirs, from the first to ITTOD. Not only was Led Zeppelin the first to achieve this accomplishment, they are the only ones to have done it twice. The first time was in 1975 when "Physical Graffiti" was released and all five of their prior releases made the charts in the wake of PG's success. So, ITTOD was one of Led Zeppelin's best reviewed and biggest selling albums. Hardly a sign of being disliked.

Yes, there were tense moments. Where? I don't know. As in any creative and business undertaking in a field such as the music industry, relationships can be volatile and the balance of power can shift at the slightest provocation. Add drugs and alcohol to the mix and it becomes even more precarious and susceptible to paranoia. But from all accounts that I have seen, the relationship between Peter and Jimmy was based on mutual love and respect and the realization that each had the band's best interest at heart, and they were in a great situation that others dream about. Considering what went on in other bands at the time...the Who, the Stones, Grand Funk, etc...I'm sure Jimmy and Peter knew they had a special thing going. I know Mick Jagger was envious of what Peter Grant was able to achieve for Led Zeppelin in such a short time. Now, given the multiple demands and decisions that must be made daily when running a successful band, it's impossible to think that Jimmy and Peter saw eye-to-eye on every detail. Woodstock, for instance. Was Jimmy on board with Peter's decision to say no to Woodstock? There were many shows and tours that the band turned down over the years...was it an equal decision by both parties or did one party sway the other? Consider the 1970 Bath Festival...Zeppelin turned down a very lucrative tour offer to play Bath instead. Was that Jimmy's idea or Peter's? And how much convincing did one have to do to the other to reach an agreement? As to the idea that Peter should have watched out for Jimmy's addiction to heroin, you are looking at the 1970s through 2014 glasses. The very nature of doing an 'intervention' didn't even exist back then. There were no support groups for drug abusers and if you were using drugs and alcohol, you were pretty much expected to handle your own business and left to your own devices. Plus, Peter himself was battling his own addictions at the same time, so by 1976-77, neither were in the best shape for making clear-minded decisions. Hence, disastrous moves like hiring John Bindon for the '77 tour. I'd really like to know whose decision that was. All in all, however, the relationship between Jimmy Page and Peter Grant was one of the better musician-manager ones in rock history. Certainly one of the most financially rewarding. If it didn't end on as happy a note as it began, I'm sure they still regarded each other with love and respect and realized the drugs probably played a part in the ending of their professional relationship.

Depending on the school, that's debatable, hehe. It is an absolutely gloriously stunning day today...a day meant to be spent outdoors. So that's what I'm doing. Sorry you people back in the Midwest and East are freezing.

NO. I didn't even remember Scarlett Johansson's character's name was 'Samantha' until just now. I must be showing my age. To me, there's only one 'Samantha' in pop culture, especially when discussing women with magical powers: Samantha Stephens as played by Elizabeth Montgomery on the tv show "Bewitched". P.S. There's only one Darrin, too: Dick York!!!

Just turn on ESPN right now and you can see for yourself. They're broadcasting from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the BCS championship game, so you can see the sun and blue skies...feel the warmth coming thru your television screen.

Haha, yeah Chuck, I kind of knew going into this weekend what my second round picks would be and nothing I've seen this weekend has made me change my mind.

Potted! Where have you been? You missed a heckuva game. Since you're the first to respond I'm taking your advice. It's been a while since I've seen Godfather II in the theatre, too, so I'm due for a reacquaintance.

Seattle New England San Francisco Denver

You forgot me Paul. 3-1. Now do I go see "Godfather II" or "The Wolf of Wall St."?

That's game!!! 49ers win! Party on redrum!!!

Run that clock down SF!!!!

I'm game. Where are my sequins?

That's okay, Paul. All you have to do is say "McGloin" or "JaMarcus Russell" for payback.

Hear hear, Chuck. My mom was far from magical...a witch, maybe.

Or a Ryan Tannehille moment.

Five minutes is plenty of time for the 49ers to score.