^^ Thank you, Walter. I don't think I'll ever be able to fully get over David Bowie's passing, for as long as I shall live. Here's another song which means A LOT to me. The sooner the awful month of January, 2016 concludes, the better for me!!!

Well, it's a Saturday night and I am as high as a fuckin' kite, courtesy of Beefeater London Dry Gin. What attracted me to drink copious amounts of alcohol on this fine Saturday night, is to celebrate the end of an incredibly fucked up and horrendous month, wherein the Grim Reaper has been taking his job way too fuckin' seriously! My 6 massive shots of the incredibly glorious Beefeater London Dry Gin mixed with Lemon flavoured Sprite (in the proportion of 70 : 30) are in honour of a legendary artist who passed away, fairly recently and who needless to say, truly understood me and so many other 'misfits' and 'geeks' around the world! I have been a (proud!) misfit for most of my teenage years, wherein, I was constantly ridiculed and looked down upon for not only my appearance, but for being excessively fond of subjects like Maths, History, Literature and Economics. All that changed in University, when I finally found that I could actually interact with like minded souls. High school was an incredibly dark period in my life (a period that I would wholeheartedly love to forget!!) and it was bands and artists like David Bowie, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Hazell Dean, INXS and The Jimi Hendrix Experience that helped me overcome my greatest fears! My two favourite albums to get drunk to, happen to be the timeless Are You Experienced? and The Man Who Sold The World. As a tribute to the late great David Bowie, who was by far ahead of his time, I blasted the great pioneering album The Man Who Sold The World, over the speakers of my Sony stereo system this evening, while slamming down massive shots of Gin (coupled with incredibly small shots of Sprite), as a small thank you note to this wonderful artist who changed my life forever! I still can't listen to songs such as Under Pressure, All The Madmen, The Width of a Circle, and Running Gun Blues, without tearing up!!!! I still can't believe he's gone (even though it's going to be three whole weeks, since he left this world)!!!!!! The last time that I was affected so bloody much by an artist's death, was when the legendary Rik Mayall passed away, ever so suddenly!

Wow! Well said, Stryder! I'm just so glad that there are just 48 hours for this wretched month, to be over!!

You're very welcome, Debbie! We Sound of Music fans have to stick together and help each other out!

WOW!! Just freakin' WOW! Experimentation should be this band's middle name!

That was hilarious!! Thanks for the laugh, lpMan! Happy Thursday, to you too!

I have FINALLY gotten down to watching The Trapp Family I literally had to get away from a miniature Mad Men marathon that was brewing on the tele, courtesy of my dad! Barf! Anyway, here's to more than an hour of absolute bliss

Being an overly curious fan of The Sound of Music, I cannot wait to watch the following film tonight! Originally released in October, 1956, it is based on the memoirs of Maria Von Trapp! A special shout out to my fellow Sound of Music fan, Debbie! If you are reading this, I recommend you watch this movie too (if you haven't already! )

Thanks for the very interesting note on the dessert traditions of Mardi Gras, Debbie! Much appreciated! Is the baby figurine edible? It looks like a nice piece of chocolate! Also, does the king cake have its own figurine of a king? I am also marveling at and wondering how on earth the baker managed to pull off that gorgeous purple, gold and green icing! Sorry for all these questions, Debbie! It's just that, this is all so new and exciting for me!

Hi lpMan! I tried out the dreaded link : http://forums,ledzeppelin.com both from the Home Tab and by typing it out manually, in my browser and everything seems to be working fine now!

You're very welcome, kingzoso! And thank you for the very handy tip of saving the proper link to the forums under 'Favourites'. It is so much better than manually typing out the link, over and over again. Edited to add: I actually had the courage to try out the link http://forums.ledzeppelin.com and I am happy to report that it works just fine now! All's Well That Ends Well! Cheers!

Hi Pat, JTM and kingzoso Please use the URL : http://forums.ledzeppelin.com/index.php to log in and avoid that pesky message. It works on any browser you use, even on the stubborn Google Chrome! Trust me, you guys. I went through the same issue over and over again, yesterday, but I finally figured it out. Hope this helps. Edited to add: Pat, I'm afraid the main forums link loaded on to the Home tab is still : http://forums.ledzeppelin.com After yesterday's upgrade, I no longer click on the 'Home' tab to take me back to the main forum page because if I do, I will start getting that pesky message, again! I instead, just manually type in http://forums.ledzeppelin.com/index.php

Hi again, Sam! I just wanted to let you know that I have fixed the problem. Rather than typing the URL : http://forums.ledzeppelin.com, I now use the URL : http://forums.ledzeppelin.com/index.php and I can access the main page with no problems. Who knew that such a subtle change in the URL, could make all the difference, eh? Thanks again, Sam. Cheers! P.S Perhaps this could serve as a useful point of reference, just in case other members face the same problems, I did

In view of all the incredibly interesting and strange software problems, that I encountered today (in the forums and beyond), this song sure sums up my mood!

Thanks for the advise, Sam! I cleared my browser's cache just now and I closed and re-started my browser, but I still get the same old message, with the URL changing to : forums.ledzeppelin.com/cgi-sys/defaultwebpage.cgi I have attached it here as a screenshot, for you to have a look. Perhaps, it will settle down eventually.

Cheers, Sam. Thanks for the update. Was starting to get a little concerned there! Edited to add: I still get the 'This Community Is Temporarily Unavailable' message while trying to access the site through the URL : http://forums.ledzeppelin.com But, I was able to log in, using links like: http://forums.ledzeppelin.com/index.php?/forum/11-ramble-on/ and : http://forums.ledzeppelin.com/index.php?/forum/1-main-forum/

An Archive That Explores The Beautiful Lost Art Of Letter Writing 03/13/2015 09:38 pm ET | Updated Mar 13, 2015 Priscilla FrankArts Writer, The Huffington Post "Letter writing is probably the most beautiful manifestation in human relations," John Graham wrote to his wife Elinor in 1958. "In fact, it is its finest residue." So begins Liza Kirwin's More Than Words, a stunning collection of artist-made illustrated letters mined from the Smithsonian Archives. The book features over 90 works of mailable artwork in the forms of thank you notes, love letters, rambling descriptions, holiday greetings and simple how-do-you-do's. The personal details regarding aspects of life, business, family and love, are accented with images, filling in the literal and figurative blanks to communicate what words sometimes cannot. "In a letter to his wife, painter Walt Kuhn writes, 'One should never forget that the power of words is limited,'" reads the books introduction. Indeed, it's more than obvious that for many of the artists included in the book, images are not flowery adornments, nor secondary means of communication in any sense. For artists like Andy Warhol, Ray Johnson, Rutherford Boyd and Gladys Nilsson, it appears that images are at the core of interpersonal contact, an instinctual and necessary mode of human connection. Every letter represented is dated and described, providing readers a brief and intimate glimpse into an artist's most personal creations. Unlike the artworks that hang on museum walls or live in artist catalogues, these visual creations were never intended to leave their recipients' grasps. Alexander Calder As you might expect, each artist letter is as unique and vibrant as the respective maker's well-known works. In a written invitation to artist Ben Shahn, Alexander Calder infuses his message with his inimitable style of stark shapes and bold color, turning a map to his home into an abstract composition, somewhat reminiscent of a flattened version of the mobiles for which he's so well known. The 1949 message, despite its seemingly offhand creation, maintains a sense of harmonious equilibrium that almost hovers above the page. Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo's note is at once sensual, tortured and vulnerable -- par for the course for the beloved surrealist. In 1940, following her divorce from Diego Rivera, she wrote to her friend Emmy Lou Packard thanking her for taking care of Rivera during an ailment and working as one of his assistants. She closes the note, "Kiss Diego for me and tell him I love him more than my own life," sealing the heartfelt message with red lipstick kisses -- one for Diego, one for Emmy Lou, and one for her son. Kahlo and Rivera remarried soon after the exchange. And then there's Andy Warhol, whose 1949 handwritten letter to Russell Lynes is as full of deadpan humor and creepy-cool doodles as we could have hoped. "I graduated from Carnegie Tech and now I'm in NY city moving from one roach infested apartment to another," he writes. Warhol's letter reaffirms what we've always suspected: this artist would have had a great Twitter Andy Warhol "Illustrated letters are inspired communications," Kirwin writes in the introduction. "They have the power to transport the reader to another place and time -- to recreate the sights, sounds, attitudes and imagination of the author." We have to agree. In an age when long distance communication is most often enacted via text, email or direct message, we have to admit there's something almost magical about ripping open a personal envelope that's flown across the country, holding within it a tiny art piece designed just for you. Basically, if you've ever dreamt of being Frida Kahlo's pen pal -- no judgment, we definitely have -- this is probably your best shot. Books are available from Princeton Architectural Press and Amazon, and, in the meantime, check out excerpts from the book below. All letters are from the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, and appear in More Than Words by Liza Kirwin. For more information about the archives, visit aaa.si.edu. Alfred Joseph Frueh Antoine de Saint Exupery Eero Saarinen Gladys Nilsson Joseph Lindon Smith Moses Soyer Ray Johnson Rockwell Kent Rutherford Boyd

Reading this article really made me smile. Looks like there is some hope, for the art of letter writing, after all! More youngsters and Universities should take this sort of initiative, IMO. I myself, love writing letters. A really nice friend of mine, on this very forum wrote me a long and lovely letter about the magic of Led Zeppelin in concert and I in turn, wrote him a letter, for his birthday. I use my email, just for the sake of convenience and quick reachability, but if it were up to me (if I actually owned a post office ), I will be sending out hand written notes and letters, day after day! How the art of letter writing is helping to tackle loneliness Doris Gagen, from Otley, is one of a number of elderly people who have been linked with a student penpal as part of a scheme working to tackle loneliness. Picture: Tony Johnson THE ART of letter writing may have taken a back seat to email, text messages and even video calls, but a University of Leeds project has revived it to help tackle loneliness in older people. Students from the School of English have been paired with penpals across Yorkshire, and the scheme has made “a huge difference” to both the students, helping them to settle into a new city, and their penpals, some of whom are housebound with no family. Bethany Gethings, Georgina Binnie and Lorna Donaghy with some of the letters they have received affter setting up a penpal scheme to help loneliness in older people. Picture: Gary Longbottom The project began last year as a pilot, developed by PhD student Georgina Binnie. After winning funding from the University’s Leeds for Life volunteering scheme and the English department, she trawled community groups, coffee mornings and lunch clubs across Leeds and Otley to find the first 14 older people who wanted to take part. They were then matched, based on their interests, with 14 student volunteers, who would write to each other every two weeks. In June, at the end of the university term, the penpals met up at a party. The pilot was such a success that this year’s project has doubled in size. It has been broadened to include older participants from across Yorkshire, and is on the lookout for more people to get involved. Miss Binnie, 27, said: “The participants have told us how getting the letters has come to mean a great deal to them. The students are really committed on an emotional level too, and really care for their penpals. People can still get involved in the scheme “Getting something in the post that’s not junk mail or a bill is great for the students, too – it helps them feel part of the community.” Initially participants came from organisations and community groups like St Michael’s Church in Headingley, Bramley Elderly Action and Otley Elderly Action. The chairman of the Otley group, Doris Gagen, 85, was one of the first to sign up. She said: “The thing I like most about letter writing is that you can go back and read them again. With winter coming, and long nights drawing in, there’s plenty of time to sit and construct a reply. “I keep busy, and have a computer so I email and use Facebook, but writing a letter is so much better. You look out for the postman coming.” Mrs Gagen built such a rapport with her penpal, Bethany Gethings, 20, that the pair continued to write together when Miss Gethings returned to Essex for the summer, and they plan on meeting up for coffee. Miss Gethings said: “Nowadays you don’t get to write a letter very often – you just send a text message or phone, and I really like allocating that time to physically sit down and write. “I really enjoy hearing about what Doris has been up to or where she’s been – she’s become another friend.” In the pilot project, letters were themed around the centenary of the First Word War, and students used materials from the Brotherton Library’s Liddle collection and the Leodis photographic archive. For student Lorna Donaghy, 23, writing to her penpal Tony has enabled them to share a love of First World War poetry and literature. She said: “I was really drawn to the project as a break from the stress of my degree and exams. “We’ve written about a range of things, from travel and poetry to Bob Dylan. The process of writing and receiving letters has been really nice.” This year’s theme is based around Yorkshire heritage and history. The letters will also be digitised and archived by the University to recognise the importance of the written word. Miss Binnie added: “Some of the students are new to the area and don’t know a lot about Yorkshire. Sharing experiences is enjoyable for both sides.” If you, or someone you know, would like to write to one of the students, contact Miss Binnie at the School of English, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, G.E.Binnie@leeds.ac.uk. The Yorkshire Post wants loneliness to be universally recognised as a health priority in our communities. We launched the Loneliness: The Hidden Epidemic campaign in February 2014. In partnership with the Campaign to End Loneliness, we also want to encourage more people to volunteer for support services. For full details, visit yorkshirepost.co.uk/loneliness. Source: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/campaigns/how-the-art-of-letter-writing-is-helping-to-tackle-loneliness-1-7495568#ixzz3yGSvrOpu

Beautiful photo there, red! I'm so glad to know that you have started taking up photography again! Photography is an art. It takes so much skill to capture an image like the one you posted! Digital photography (especially selfies) are overrated!

Here's some good news. Let's hope that it is true. BOWIE PLANNED POSTHUMOUS RELEASES NEWS / MARTIN KIELTY / 25 JAN 2016 Anthology series won’t start appearing until next year David Bowie made plans for a series of anthology releases before his death earlier this month, it’s been revealed. He died of cancer, aged 69, on January 10 – just after the release of his albumBlackstar. Producer Tony Visconti later said that the pair had hoped to make one more album before the disease ended his life, and several tracks had reached the demo stage. Now Newsweek reports a source close to the late icon discussing “a long list of musical releases that Bowie planned before he died.” It’s not known whether the anthologies will contain previously-unreleased material, but the source says Bowie divided his work into eras and didn’t necessarily want it to be launched in chronological order. The first title in the series isn’t expected until next year, however. Archivist Kevin Cann says: “Bowie only gave you just enough of everything to still keep you hungry.Blackstar has only come out recently, which is enough for the moment. There’s plenty of time for other things.” Meanwhile, it appears unlikely that any form of biography will ever be released with the subject’s input. Penguin Books had been working on a project to be called Bowie: Objects, featuring 100 items chosen and explained by him – but a spokesman says the firm are “not expecting it to happen.” An autobiography begun with Cameron Crowe in the 1970s was abandoned before the end of the decade. Source: http://classicrock.teamrock.com/news/2016-01-25/bowie-planned-posthumous-releases

That looks a lot like the aloo matar that my lovely mom and I cook together! I hope you enjoyed that, res! You sure are making me hungry, right now!

That looks very interesting and colorful, Debbie. I have never seen anything like it in all my life! My first thought was 'is it a cake or a doughnut with a little figurine on top'? That's why I love this thread, so very much! For a self confessed foodie like me, it is always a pleasure to learn about and feast my eyes on photos of food and drink from various parts of the globe! Edited to add: Debbie, I owe you some more recipes and I can happily say that I can finally, get down to writing them and sending them across, today!

For Andy: I am going to begin by dedicating my favourite song by Rush, to you, my friend And here's one by Queen, from me to you, that signifies the fact that our friendship is way too strong to be bothered by some silly and unfortunate misunderstanding:

^^^Ah, yes! The quirky sounds of the modem (sounded so similar to the sounds emanated by a fax machine!), dialing a very interesting looking telephone number to connect to the internet and me, jumping up and down in absolute glee, whenever I received the connection established! notification on my desktop PC!