^^^ They're trying to get a swallow to pick up a coconut. All mods cons...

HA! You might as well root for a Yank...or Fred Perry, as he has a better chance of coming back from the dead and winning Wimbledon than "YOUR" Tim. Henman's toast...he's finished. Kaput. Now, Pimms...there's something worth posting about. Loved the stuff whenever I was in "Merry Olde", and thankfully, it is stocked in a few shops here in L.A. Rather unfortunately, I am under no-alcohol orders, so no Pimms...or Champagne, Newcastle or Guinness for me this year. It's strictly strawberries and cream.

No I don't. Local news affiliates are the BANE of any sane news organization. They are frequently as bad as the Weekly World News and the National Enquirer, or Rupert Murdoch's fleet of Fleet Street rags. In America, the network's (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) local affiliates are where you'll find paid propaganda from drug companies masquerading as medical news, where every other story will be either a robbery or a child abducted or some kind of animal story. Any important issue(war, the budget deficit, health care) will only get the most superficial coverage...if it gets covered at all. I mean, why cover Congress when you can do another exposé on breast implants, which gives them another chance to ogle boobs. Sweeps-weeks are the worst...sex,sex,sex...any excuse to show nearly nude women gets top-priority over actual "news". Oh, and stories promoting the network's own shows. Therefore, the CBS affiliates will do stories on CSI, ABC on Grey's Anatomy, and so on. Local news tv is also where you find those ridiculous weather segments. For the weather, local tv either recruits a wanna-be comic, or they peel the local blonde off the stripper-pole. So, no...I don't consider the Atlanta CBS affiliate a reputable mainstream news organization like the BBC, Wall St. Journal, New York Times, LA Times, Times of London, the Economist, and a few others.

Hey Electro, THAT is supposed to be one of the Golden Eggs of 8-Tracks if I remember correctly. Pink Floyd's DSotM, Animals and Paul McCartney's Band on the Run all have extra music NOT on any other format release(vinyl, reel-to-reel, cassette, cd), so they are collectible. Make sure your 8-track player doesn't eat your tape!

Alec Baldwin's greatest moment...

I'm with you on that FireOpal...SHOCKED TO THE CORE! But had Federer won, I think there's a good chance he would have lost to Djokavic in the semi's, as he has had Federer's number recently.

Sounds like someone needs a spanking.

Virginia Wade in 1977. Fred Perry in 1936. Those are the last Brits, man and woman, to win the Single's Championships at Wimbledon. A fact that probably every English school pupil can recite from memory. But now Andy Murray is in the semi-finals, matched up against the indefatigable Rafael Nadal. In the other semi, it's Tsonga vs. Djokovic. Tsonga shocked Federer in the QF's today, after being down 2 sets to none! The King is dead, long live the King! With Federer out, I am throwing all my support behind Murray. It would be beyond awesome to witness the first British male in 75 years to win Wimbledon! I remember watching Virginia Wade winning in 77 while I was recuperating from the Zeppelin concerts, and I recall the waves of love showered upon her from the crowd. It was thrilling to watch. GO ANDY MURRAY! Beat the Spaniard! On the women's side, it's GO MARIA SHARAPOVA!

I see the board is finally back up. So I gather Raleigh is where you'll be Jahfin? I wonder what venue they'll play in LA? The Greek or the Wiltern? Possibly the Nokia.

It's hard for me to listen to the June 27, 77 show, because that was my last Zeppelin concert and I tend to get emotional listening to it. If I had known it was going to be the last ever Zeppelin concert in L.A., I would've paid better attention. As it was, I was stoned for most of those 77 shows, and after seeing 5 of the 6 shows, my mind and body were dazed and confused.

:blink: Really?!? That boggles the mind. I hope he has other good qualities that redeem him. Okay...yes, it appears I left off a few on my list of worthy concert escorts: Deborah, Knebby, Fool in the Rain, Cammie, ZepRex and Lëah.

You sound like a trouper, imPLANTed! Definitely would have preferred taking you to concerts instead of some of my other GF's. There's a few others here that sound like they'd be fun to take to concerts: MissMelanie, planted, missytootsweet, Magic Fills the Air, MadScreamingGallery, Hotplant, Kiwi_Zep_Fan, Electrophile, Aquamarine, LakeofShadows...am I forgetting anyone? And that sucks about your bump-on-a-log SO. What concert was it? In my taping days, I definitely went to lots of shows solo, unless I knew for sure the girl could take care of herself and didn't get bent out of shape if I didn't pay attention to her every single minute. And, to be clear, I wasn't referring to YOU when I made that crack about ZeppFanForever being one of those knuckleheads with the M-80's. Can't wait to hear more of his wacky tales!

Sorry TypeO...you're being too rational. Stop making sense!

HOLY SHIT! That was an ADVENTURE all right! And it reminds me that usually the only drama I've encountered at a show is when I or a friend has brought a girlfriend along. Then, you rarely can just enjoy the show. You have to escort her to the bathroom every half-hour, or she doesn't like the band and wants to leave early, or she bumps into an enemy from school or an ex- and begins pouting the rest of the night. In my experience, only Trudy and a few others could I bring to a concert and they would leave the drama behind and we could enjoy the show TOGETHER. Is ZeppFanForever still around, imPLANTed? He should post more of his crazy adventures...they're wilder than mine. I would've been too scared to try and sell pot at a concert. On a side note...AHA, YOU were one of those guys with the firecrackers and M-80's! I HATED those things when they went off near your ear! Zeppelin concerts were notorious for bringing out the firecracker gang. So, if you hadn't of used the M-80's to scare your friend Tod, when were you planning on lighting them at the concert? Where were your seats? The 23rd is one of the few shows during that 1977 Forum stand where I had pretty good seats on the floor. All in all, pretty hilarious...especially that "undercover cop"...lucky Donna survived her car crash. And you are right...it does hurt your brain going down memory lane. It takes incredible amounts of focus and concentration.

Careful, some people might consider that a lecherous, threatening post.

Thanks jabe...unfortunately, it didn't post graphically like I had hoped, so I had to spend time re-editing the post so I could get the graphics arranged properly.

Spanking...Political Correctness...Intelligent Design...Alien conspiracies...blah blah blah! Who cares about such trifling matters when there are more important matters to discuss. Fortunately, there was one man who ignored the conventional wisdom and decided to tackle the most important question of our age: WHAT IS THE AIRSPEED VELOCITY OF AN UNLADEN SWALLOW? Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, I give you Jonathan Corum. Estimating the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow Estimating the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow by Jonathan Corum Hashing out the classic question with Strouhal numbers and simplified flight waveforms. After spending some time last month trying to develop alternate graphic presentations for kinematic ratios in winged flight, I decided to try to answer one of the timeless questions of science: just what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? What do you mean, an African or European Swallow? To begin with, I needed basic kinematic data on African and European swallow species. Although 47 of the 74 worldwide swallow species are found in Africa,1 only two species are named after the continent: the West African Swallow (Hirundo domicella) and the South African Swallow (Hirundo spilodera), also known as the South African Cave Swallow. Since the range of the South African Swallow extends only as far north as Zaire,2 I felt fairly confident that this was the non-migratory African species referred to in previous discussions of the comparative and cooperative weight-bearing capabilities of African and European swallows.3 South African Swallow (Hirundo spilodera) Kinematic data for both African species was difficult to find, but the Barn or European Swallow (Hirundo rustica) has been studied intensively, and kinematic data for that species was readily available. European Swallow (Hirundo rustica) It’s a simple question of weight ratios A 54-year survey of 26,285 European Swallows captured and released by the Avian Demography Unit of the University of Capetown finds that the average adult European swallow has a wing length of 12.2 cm and a body mass of 20.3 grams.4 Because wing beat frequency and wing amplitude both scale with body mass,5 and flight kinematic data is available for at least 22 other bird species,6 it should be possible to estimate the frequency (f ) and amplitude (A) of the European Swallow by a comparison with similar species. With those two numbers, it will be possible to estimate airspeed (U). In order to maintain airspeed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right? Actually, wrong. By comparing the European Swallow with bird species of similar body mass, we can estimate that the swallow beats its wings 18 times a second with an amplitude of 18 cm: Species Body mass Frequency Amplitude Zebra Finch 13 g 27 Hz 11 cm European Swallow 20 g ≈ 18 Hz? ≈ 18 cm? Downy Woodpecker 27 g 14 Hz 29 cm Budgerigar 34 g 14 Hz 15 cm Note that even the tiny Zebra Finch flaps its wings no more than 27 times a second while cruising. If we ignore body mass and look only at bird species with a similar wingspan, we can estimate an average frequency of 14 beats per second and an amplitude of 23 cm: Species Wingspan Frequency Amplitude Budgerigar 27 cm 14 Hz 15 cm European Swallow ≈ 28–30 cm ≈ 14 Hz? ≈ 23 cm? Downy Woodpecker 31 cm 14 Hz 29 cm European Starling 35 cm 14 Hz 26 cm By averaging all 6 values, we can estimate that an average European Swallow flies at cruising speed with a frequency of roughly 15 beats per second, and an amplitude of roughly 22 cm. Skip a bit, Brother Last month’s article on The Strouhal Number in Cruising Flight showed how simplified flight waveforms that graph amplitude versus wavelength can be useful for visualizing the Strouhal ratio (fA/U), a dimensionless parameter that tends to fall in the range of 0.2–0.4 during efficient cruising flight. For a European Swallow flying with our estimated wingbeat amplitude of 24 cm, the predicted pattern of cruising flight ranges from a Strouhal number (St) of 0.2: ... to a less efficient 0.4: If the first diagram (St = 0.2) is accurate, then the cruising speed of the European Swallow would be roughly 16 meters per second (15 beats per second * 1.1 meters per beat). If the second diagram (St = 0.4) is accurate, then the cruising speed of the European Swallow would be closer to 8 meters per second (15 beats per second * 0.55 meters per beat). If we settle on an intermediate Strouhal value of 0.3: We can estimate the airspeed of the European Swallow to be roughly 11 meters per second (15 beats per second * 0.73 meters per beat). Three shall be the number thou shalt count Airspeed can also be predicted using a published formula. By inverting this midpoint Strouhal ratio of 0.3 (fA/U ≈ 0.3), Graham K. Taylor et al. show that as a rule of thumb, the speed of a flying animal is roughly 3 times frequency times amplitude (U ≈ 3fA).5 We now need only plug in the numbers: U ≈ 3fA f ≈ 15 (beats per second) A ≈ 0.22 (meters per beat) U ≈ 3*15*0.22 ≈ 9.9 ... to estimate that the airspeed velocity of an unladen European Swallow is 10 meters per second. Oh, yeah, I agree with that With some further study, it became clear that these estimates are accurate, though perhaps coincidental. An actual study of two European Swallows flying in a low-turbulence wind tunnel in Lund, Sweden, shows that swallows flap their wings much slower than my estimate, at only 7–9 beats per second: “Compared with other species of similar size, the swallow has quite low wingbeat frequency and relatively long wings.” 7 The maximum speed the birds could maintain was 13–14 meters per second, and although the Lund study does not discuss cruising flight in particular, the most efficient flapping (7 beats per second) occurred at an airspeed in the range of 8–11 meters per second, with an amplitude of 90–100° (17–19 cm). And there was much rejoicing Averaging the above numbers and plugging them in to the Strouhal equation for cruising flight (fA/U = 7 beats per second * 0.18 meters per beat / 9.5 meters per second) yields a Strouhal number of roughly 0.13: ... indicating a surprisingly efficient flight pattern falling well below the expected range of 0.2–0.4. Although a definitive answer would of course require further measurements, published species-wide averages of wing length and body mass, initial Strouhal estimates based on those averages and cross-species comparisons, the Lund wind tunnel study of birds flying at a range of speeds, and revised Strouhal numbers based on that study all lead me to estimate that the average cruising airspeed velocity of an unladen European Swallow is roughly 11 meters per second, or 24 miles an hour. What is the capital of Assyria? For those looking for additional answers, the four capitals of Assyria were Ashur (or Qalat Sherqat), Calah (or Nimrud), the short-lived Dur Sharrukin (or Khorsabad), and Nineveh.8 The ruins of all four ancient cities fall within the modern state of Iraq. References Thank to everyone who has written in with comments and questions. Responses are posted here, along with a revised estimate from Dr Graham K. Taylor, and some alternate theories. 1. Chris & Tilde Stuart Birds of Africa: From Seabirds to Seed-Eaters MIT Press (1999) 2. G. L. Maclean Roberts’ Birds of Southern Africa John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa (1985) 3. Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin Monty Python and the Holy Grail Python (Monty) Pictures Ltd. (1975) 4. Avian Demography Unit SAFRING results of the European Swallow (Hirundo rustica) Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town (2002) 5. Graham K. Taylor, Robert L. Nudds, Adrian L. R. Thomas Flying and swimming animals cruise at a Strouhal number tuned for high power efficiency Nature 425, 707–711 (October 16, 2003) 6. Email correspondence with Graham K. Taylor of the University of Oxford Zoology Department (October 22–23, 2003) 7. Kirsty J. Park, Mikael Rosén, Anders Hedenström Flight kinematics of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) over a wide range of speeds in a wind tunnel The Journal of Experimental Biology 204, 2741–2750 (2001) 8. Ashur Cherry Assyrian History The Mesopotamian Encyclopedia (2001) November 17, 2003 Jonathan Corum is the founder of 13pt, a design studio. His favorite color is blue. ©2003-11 13pt LLC

I sometimes think tattoos are overdone...when the secretary at the local bank is getting tatted up, how rebellious can they be?...but when done right, and with a good inker, tattoos can still be a work of art. THIS is one example of a excellent tattoo, and obviously a lot of thought was put into the creation and execution of the image. In other words it's not just another "tribal" arm band tattoo or a tramp-stamp. And as a snake-lover(having had several snakes as pets over the years), I like the snake wrapped around the tiger. Good job Miss Melanie.

Along with Led Zeppelin and Uncle Tupelo cds, the new LOW album "C'Mon" kept me sane while I was in the hospital recently for a couple weeks; in particular THIS song, which I would play over and over...listen to how the guitar freakout builds and builds. And just when you think you've got it sussed how the song is going to end, Mimi comes in with her lovely counter-melody and boosts the song into sonic-heaven. Pure bliss. Low - "Nothing But Heart" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn6h6JcvfZ4&feature=related

Blame me...it's my fault. In defending me, MissMelanie had posted that I was always reasonable, and I responded that sometimes I was out of line and referenced a long-ago post I made about the South during the 2008 elections. That little tidbit apparently triggered a memory of the South in Silver Rider and she ran with it.

Here's a brief glimpse of the Loonacy that night! Keith Moon shows up around the 6-minute mark. The 1977 LA Forum shows occurred just as I finished my freshman year of high school. A few months later, as my sophomore year began, I met a guy who had a live tape of this show; a friend made it for him and he said if I gave him a blank he could have a copy made as well. So the next day I gave him a blank Maxell 90-minute tape, and a few days later, I had my first bootleg copy of this concert. The tape only had about half the show, and the songs weren't in order, but it sounded good. The running order of my tape went as follows: Side A: Sick Again, Nobody's Fault But Mine, Over the Hills and Far Away, Since I've Been Loving You, Ten Years Gone. Side B: Battle of Evermore, Going to California, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Trampled Underfoot. One of my teachers would play music in class and would let us pick the music periodically, so one day I brought my bootleg tape. Halfway through, they asked the teacher to take it off...they wanted Fleetwood Mac instead. Around Christmas time of 1977, I was making the rounds of the local record stores, when I found the Holy Grail...the original Dragonfly albums that obviously were the source for my tape. I could tell, because Part One of "For Badgeholders Only" matched the running order of my cassette exactly. Here are the original bootleg vinyl albums from the June 23, 1977 LA Forum show that were released on the Dragonfly label...and I still have the vinyl. They were $20 each...each was a double album, so it was 8 total sides of wax. Fast forward to today. I had always assumed that Mike Millard's tape was the source for these albums, but I just read somewhere that it is NOT Mike Millard's tape; that it is a DIFFERENT source that was used for the Dragonfly "For Badgeholders Only" albums. Is this true? If so, then it accounts for why every cd release of Mike Millard's tape of June 23 has never, IMO, sounded as good as the Dragonfly vinyl records.

Have I seen any movies? Oh yeah, about 20 or so the past few weeks. The L.A. Film Festival ended tonight, and I will write a major film wrap-up post soon, but there is ONE MUST-SEE FILM I want to share with everyone...it just opened this past weekend in LA and other select cities. Hopefully it will come to your town. Those of you living outside the U.S. and Canada are probably out of luck. It is a documentary and those rarely make it overseas, so you'll have to wait for the dvd. The movie is called "BUCK", and it tells the story about this remarkable guy, Buck Brannaman, who specializes in training horses non-violently. He learned from one of the original horse-whisperers. Here's the trailer for the film:

Wow, thanks for those kind words of support, MissMelanie. I hope I can live up to them. Truth be told, I'm sure I've flown off the handle a few times here. I seem to recall, one time in 2008, when the election campaign that year had me at wit's end, I wrote a nasty rant about the South. It was rash and in poor taste...and one of the Belles here...either LakeofShadows, Electrophile or Aquamarine...set me straight. Back to spanking. I think it needs to be made clear to some, that there is a difference between 5 quick whacks on the bum with your hand and being beaten with a whip, tire iron, belt buckle, etc. Nobody here is advocating the kind of severe beating that was mentioned in the news article. There is a difference between a disciplinary spanking and child abuse. I saw a GREAT DOCUMENTARY tonight about this kind of horse-whisperer dude named Buck Brannaman. The film is aptly titled, "Buck", and it is a MUST-SEE! Especially if you love horses. In the movie was this great line that stuck with me and I felt was apropos to this thread: "Discipline and encourage, not discipline and discourage." Good night.

Join the line, buster!

Sad to say Cammie, but there seems to be a lot of dreck in that line-up. Van Halen seems to be the best bet for a good-time...but that depends on the state Eddie and Dave are in, and how you feel about Michael Anthony being kicked out. Alice Cooper and Danzig used to give pretty good shows in that cartoonish-horror-rock vein, but they are both long-in-the-tooth, and I haven't seen either of them in years. Stay away from Hole, as it is NOT Hole but Courtney Love and a bunch of hired hands. Without Patty, Eric and Melissa, it's just the Courtney show and it ain't pretty...it's a sham. Bad Religion is okay if you like grey and boring punk rock...again, these guys have been around FOREVER. And you mean to tell me the Cro-Mags and Sisters of Mercy are STILL around? Sheesh, at a certain age you just look silly...just ask Robert Smith. And stay far far away from the dismal likes of Sum 41 and All Time Low and the Hollywood Undead! Blech! I haven't seen so many glum and scowling faces since high school. Most of these bands are nothing more than glorified bar-bands. Literally, in the case of Steel Panther. These guys have been playing the Viper Room in LA for years. Guess it finally paid off...didn't realize they could scrounge up the airfare to Oz. Are they even known in Australia? And will Aussies get the joke? For Steel Panther is like a spoof, a parody of 80's hair-metal. As such, they are one of the few bands on the bill where you are guaranteed to have fun, so I recommend you and your girlfriends check 'em out. It'll provide a nice antidote to the rest of the po-faced angst on the bill.