So my post was factually correct, you simply did not like it. That's fine, no worries. Again, I never said I knew more than you as that would be silly, in fact my post was about how Austria was taking refugees at a time when Belarus was sending these immigrants to Poland. I think you may have misunderstood my meaning in my post

No, I never said I was for "You, on the other hand, insist that instead 100% have to take one for the team INDEFINITELY via federal financial catastrophe, unconstitutional mandates, lockdowns" that is simply not true. My stance is somewhat common sense for not being a scientist. I got the vaccines based on scientific, peer reviewed data. I did this not to protect me but to protect the vulnerable around me. As I stated before, I am not in a vulnerable cohort, not even close, but the lives of others is very important to me. I simply feel we should get the vaccine and be done with it. No more masks, no more bullshit. The problem are the conspiracy theories about the vaccine which are nonsense. If there were problems with the vaccine, in this day and age, medical workers would have had that info out by day 2. The vaccine is safe, plain and simple, after all you have been vaccinated and I am sure you still have your soul and have not died as I am replying to you. Of course there are nefarious forces at work as there always are per the old adage, "never let a good disaster go to waste." The only conspiracy is the same conspiracy they have been selling since 2008 with the bail-outs and other BS which is they want their cut, as always. The onion is the taxpayers paid for the R&D for the COVID vaccine and are paying for the distribution and vaccine costs so the politicians and pharma raking in billions. That's the only angle here and you are correct, they will ride this until they squeeze every last dollar they can, but that does not mean the vaccine does not work. If this pandemic follows all prior known historical pandemics (Justinian's Plague, Black Death, or the 1918 Flu Pandemic) it should be fizzled out by the end of 2022 but who knows. Maybe it was developed in a lab in which case anything is possible. I just try and take a common sense approach, that's it and none of my freedoms are being infringed, I can do exactly as I wish, no problems. I just think stop with the nonsense and hyperbole, sure they are screwing us with the cash but no one's freedoms are being infringed upon. It sucks but that's really the foundation of the American way. Just your old timey Tammany Hall graft and corruption and not some ridiculous satanic baby eating conspiracy which, BTW, is a direct lift from medieval European tracts and publications about the Jews. It was BS then, it's BS now.

Fair enough, how about you point out exactly what was factually wrong with the post as I got all the information from current, verifiable sources including the country of Austria's home page. So are you claiming Karl Nehammer is not a member of the Austrian Peoples Party, which is a conservative right-wing party firmly against immigration and muslims in particular. Please let me know what part of either this or the post from months ago are incorrect and I will inform the Austrian government of the errors on their website along with other such sources such as a cousin of mine who has been an Austrian citizen for over 30 years. Lastly, I was not rebutting say, YOU, in a post about your country which is what I was referring to. Just like now, I am not claiming I know more about your country than you do, I am simply asking what part(s) of my OP are factually wrong.

Nice spin there Steve, the article points out (toward the end of course) that Sotomayor was referring to the total juvenile hospitalizations since August 2021, not how may children are currently hospitalized. My language was indeed wrong as I should have said total hospitalizations and not current. How about you answer the pressing question I keep asking that you seem to gloss over: Are elderly lives or the lives of the sick less important than other lives? You keep saying 98% recover but what about the 2% which, BTW, amounts to only 7,000,000 US citizens potentially dying. Is that 7 million just "thinning the heard" and thus irrelevant? What if one of the dead or "long-haulers" was a family member or friend of yours? Would you be so quick to tell them, "Hey, no biggie, 98% survive so...sucks to be you."

Please show an example of a single post from me where I am insulting to anyone in a similar manner. I have never made a misogynistic post, a racist post, or a post about magical beings which do not exist as a means of excuse. Or how about a post where I being in the US claim to know what's going on in other countries better than the people who live there. Go for it, I shall patiently wait. I have no issue if you don't want to get vaccinated, however I do have issue with misinformation being spread such as your claim about COVID not affecting children as currently there are over 150,000 hospitalized in the US with COVID but, that's just a lie right? All those health care workers are all part of a larger conspiracy. Yeah, sure, ok. Also, you claim the vaccinated are dying as a result of the vaccine, please show me a peer reviewed study showing the mortality rate of any COVID vaccine vs. other vaccines which show a trend toward a higher mortality rate than the average. Oh that's right, there are none. Can people die from the vaccine? Of course. Some people will die from eating a single onion too but no one is pulling onions because it is very rare to die from an onion. Nothing is 100% and I mean nothing. You do the best to mitigate potential affects and prevent spreading to others especially the vulnerable. I do not wear a mask to protect myself, I do it to protect those who are vulnerable, same with the vaccine. I am a 53 year old guy with zero health issues and in better shape than most 20 year old athletes, it is highly unlikely COVID will present as anything more than a minor flu for me, however me mum is going to be 80, and there are unhealthy people, old people, people with co-morbidities which it may affect greatly. Is asking for a bit of empathy for ones fellow humans such a big ask? Is it really an infringement on your freedom to simply have some compassion for those less fortunate? I ask because I have been personally affected by COVID as my 85 year old (now 86) mother in law was hospitalized for four months and almost died and that was December 2020 - March 2021 and she is still having long-term affects. A former co-workers 48 year old father died of COVID in 2019. My sisters-in-law's partner just came back from the hospital after having COVID and almost dying. Are you saying all of this is BS or are you saying some peoples lives hold less meaning and value compared to others? The unfortunate fact is all it takes is for someone close to you to get it and either die, almost die, or suffer from ongoing symptoms for months for their perspective to suddenly change. Kinda like all those anti-vaxxers who wind up on a vent in the hospital with their anti-vaxxer relatives all around them crying, saying, "we were soooo wrong, we should have gotten the vaccine and now so and so is on a vent and my die." That's the problem with most people, little to no empathy for others outside their direct sphere and they only "get it" when it directly affects them.

The wife loves those things, fidgets away when she gets home from work to unwind. Me, meh, typical guy, I like to play blow stuff up good games while watching Patton on repetitive loop. Playas gotta play 🙂 Watching Yellowjackets on HBO. Good show so far but does move a bit slow at times. The Landscapers was fantastic. The Expanse is much better this season compared to last season which, IMO, was a bit of a hot mess. A right return to form.

I believe a fair assessment of Jimmy's playing in 75' starting around 2-10 has most to do with him extending solos, especially on NQ & D&C. This was simply taxing his injured finger beyond it's capability which explains why his bends are nowhere near as deep nor are they held for very long. Add the use of possibly copious amounts of alcohol before the encores to soothe the pain and there ya have it. Makes sense no? When his solos were shorter prior to 2-10 (apprx) he was not having these problems. Jimmy should have realized his limitations with his injured finger in 75' and kept the shows around 2 hours. Those Jan & early Feb shows remind me quite a lot of TSRTS, late 73' Zep to my ears with the addition of the PG tunes. I think Jimmy believed he needed to bring that Zep magic of which the extended jams were somewhat integral, even if it meant he might shat the bed here and there. He was just flying too close to the sun at some gigs and pushing it too far, thus getting burned. Just my opinion.

Not sure what you are referring to as that is typically not the case. Most people who have been vaccinated did not do so out of blind obedience, they did it because the science was sound. Most people do not trust pharma, big tech, or big business for the obvious reasons, unregulated capitalistic free markets breed corruption, it's all about the money. The truth is the only conspiracy of merit is how pharma is making a whale of money on this even though we, the taxpayers, paid for over 95% of the R&D. IMO if we paid for the development, the pharma companies should be manufacturing and distributing for free since they have been abusing this system for decades and becoming wealthy off the corpses of honest tax payers via the opioid crisis and other blatant abuses. Any idea this is about control is proof the majority of these conspiracies are simply nonsense. Most nations have come to the conclusion the US did right after WWII and that is a totalitarian set up is simply not very good for business. The US and countries like the US are the master of the "long game" and the long game simply cannot be played in a repressive environment. The illusion of freedom and choice is essential, the government must give at least a little in order to allow business to rob everyone to the fullest extent. If your population is not buying stuff, the machine will break, plain and simple. The ONLY control the government wants is control over your money and assets which they have done very successfully with the cooperation of business. It really is that simple. Look at the world. The Soviet Union collapsed because totalitarianism is bad for the economy and their economy essentially collapsed as a result. Vietnam turned to a free market economy in 1989 and is now one of the most successful nations on the planet. Cuba is trying to implement free market changes but with the west still refusing trade we are essentially forcing Cuba to remain as they are instead of evolving like other past totalitarian nations have. Even China utilizes a weird hybrid, mixed economy system which utilizes free trade and somewhat open markets, especially if it exploits the West. Now do I believe this COVID is being blown out of proportion? It depends on your perspective. If you are under 65 and healthy then most likely yes, it is being blown way out of proportion. If you are over 65 or have health issues you are likely rather upset people are placing you and people like you at risk. So for me the truth is in the middle. Steve is correct about one thing, we should be laser focused on the groups / cohorts which are mostly affected by the COVID first and foremost. If a person who is healthy does not want to get the vaccine fine, no problem, however they need to be masked in public and tested to avoid transmission to vulnerable groups. This is not controversial, it's common sense. The facts are clear, if you are un-vaccinated and part of the cohort(s) at risk, you are much more likely to he hospitalized and possibly die vs. vaccinated. Of course a vaccinated person can get COVID just like a person who gets the flu vaccine can still get the flu. The point is if you get it you don't get gravely ill or die. Then we have the ancillary affects such as COVID patients taking up all the hospital resources so your Aunt Ruth or whoever cannot get the chemo for their cancer treatments or get an appendectomy for an inflamed appendix which in turn is causing death rates for other issues to rise. In closing I also need to point out the tone and tenor of the posts. The people here who believe this conspiracy rubbish as mostly insulting, demeaning, and 100% dismissive of any other viewpoint. Those on the opposite side are mostly just posting facts and getting a bit snarky in response to endless insults and downright nasty comments more akin to 8chan & a 1918 Klan meeting. Therin lay the difference. If we could only discuss the topic calmly without insults but alas, it appears that is impossible.

That there is a significant portion of the population which is completely batshit nuts and extremely obsessive about absolute rubbish. Just head on over to the COVID thread for proof positive, three guys obsessively posting absolute insanity. The latest is simply golden in its level of fear, stupidity, and idiocy. When you devolve to satansim and "hidden messages" in corporate logos you know the shark has been jumped. These dimwits should read up on how symbology with magick works and it appropriate application in reference to a much larger making or ritual. Instead, they point to what amounts to a 16 year old in Econ 101 drawing Zoso on his notebook and the teacher claiming SATAN!!!!!! Just page after page of mental masturbation / circle jerk, old white guy, get off my lawn, old timey CRAZY 🤪

BONUS: You should check out the OTHAFA from 6-22-77 as it is simply incredible. However, I believe the 22nd was the only show Millard did not tape so the quality is not as good for the 22nd as for the other LA shows.

Good question, no idea. One of the true experts on here likely knows so I am sure the answer is soon to come. However, I know they used Showco from 73' on for all their production, but not sure if they had a sound engineer employed directly by the band to mix the board. That I have no clue.

Ahhhh, it's all good. One's taste does not dictate such trivial labels as hard core or whatnot. What you like is what you like, it's all good because taste is subjective. Stairway, like Rain Song, Kashmir, etc. were played pretty much the same night after night with the exception being Jimmy's solo. Later, as you pointed out, Jones started using they keys differently and in some later shows like 79' he uses the piano in parts as well. So it's all what you like. Good for you Hollywood, keep rockin'!

Looks like Bruno may not be quite that magnificent after all 😂

If Roger could convince Jimmy to do a blues album, that would be awesome on TWO levels. One, we get new Jimmy music...yah 🙂 Two, it would make that prissy elitist Townshend's head explode.

Strider: Can I get a pony for Easter? Can I get a 66' Corvette Sting-Ray convertible in metallic blue with a 4-speed and 396 tri-power

This is what I love about this forum, everyone has their own personal favorites. For me, I simply cannot stand this version of Stairway because of the way Robert sings the song. IMO Robert is approaching the majority of this song in pseudo-Bing Crosby mode, he sounds like he is overly dramatically crooning the vocals. I have never heard Robert sing the song in this fashion on any other live version. The whole point though is to each their own. I prefer Robert's 77' voice in particular as a point of reference but I believe the majority of Zep-heads are more in line with your preference and really love the 71' BBC version of STH. STH is a difficult song to find a "best of" as there are so many amazing versions and variations but I love most of the 71' versions best due to a combo of Robert's voice and Jimmy's fluidity however there are tons of great versions from other years and the Copenhagen 7-24-79 version is one of my favorites. Believe it or not I have a jazz musician friend who absolutely loves the Berlin 80' version of STH which I just cannot stand, Jimmy just shits all over an incredibly overly long solo. Though the friend looks at his solo as improvisational genius of which the execution gets a bit lost here and there. Lost is one thing, IMO Jimmy is not even on the same planet and I don't mean that in a good, far-out way either.

The only issue I have with ITTOD, and Carouselambra in particular is the mix. The production on parts of this album is just off, vocals too low in the mix, guitar too low in the mix, but keys are waaaay up there and super-bright. The ITTOD companion disc with the pre-mixed final version of Carouselambra (The Epic) is far, far superior to what was released on the album. The keys are slightly lower, the guitar is considerably more pronounced as is the bass, and you can finally hear & understand most of Robert's amazing vocals. I honestly don't even listen to Carouselambra in it's official released form anymore as I much prefer The Epic. I can only imagine what this tune would have sounded like live on the 80-81' NA tour had Jimmy gotten clean and Bonzo not passed away. I can guarantee the guitar would have been front and center along with Robert's vocals. Anyway, I love ITTOD and think it an overall brilliant album which just suffers from poor production in certain parts. BTW, those production issues are almost exclusively in ITE & Carouselambra as SBS, FITR, HD, & IGC have excellent production. AML is really interesting as the production is not bad, it just needed more guitar and they should have left in the original Jimmy guitar coda and not cut it off.

Just saw this on Facebook of all places. I have never seen this pic before but it is simply outstanding. The framing and composition is unlike any candid Zep pic I have seen. Taken in Milan 1971.

Praise be the genius of JPJ, the Ayatollah of Rock n' Rolla! Happy 76th birthday groove-Meister supreme.

HBO has an unfortunate proclivity for cancelling excellent shows mid-season when production costs get too high. They did this with both Rome & Deadwood. Rome was supposed to get another two seasons but instead had to rush through 20 years of Roman history and civil war in one which left a hell of a lot out and making the time frame seem extremely compressed. Deadwood they simply shot right through the dick and did a rush season & ending which was just really bad. Yet they ran Sex and the City into the ground, six seasons! The first three seasons were good but then the rest was very dumb and repetitive. Then again, it had much higher viewership. No accounting for taste.

Never got into Judge Judy, she is such a nasty piece of work. Why would anyone willingly subject themselves to her abuse? I simply cannot stand that woman. Even Wapner was better than her.

Loved Penny Dreadful but your right, the finale was crap. IMO the best story line and the best acting was done by Rory Kinnear who played Frankenstein's creature. That guy acted his re-animated ass off but they almost ignored him toward the end. Instead we get Josh Harnett turning into a pissed off dog and one lousy episode with the amazing Brian Cox making up the majority of the third season, along with a flat full off murderous ex-prostitutes and a low-energy Dracula looking after his crew of Oliver Twist rejects. Just a mess. Did you see Penny Dreadful: City of Angels? Another one with great story lines going mostly undeveloped. LA from the mid-30's to the late-50's was an amazing time for LA. This season should have easily written itself and been better than the first three seasons but nooooooooo.

Just bring Spuds back. Or a mash-up of Spuds & John Madden and simply reuse the same commercials for all beer, just edit the beer in post-production. In fact, let's just do this for all commercials. You have depression or need some rando pharmaceutical? How about adult diapers? Tax services? Well, John & Spuds have you covered. Plus those new sports book commercials annoying as hell. If you're gonna try to hook people on a lifelong cycle of gambling abuse at least have someone like John Madden leading you down the path of bankruptcy, divorce, and holidays away from the kids. Anything would be better than Eva Braun's great-granddaughter or the freak dressed as "Caesar" acting like a damn fool.

I stopped watching after season 5 though I should have stopped after season 4 as all the story lines had played out. Every season since the 5th has been a crapper rehash of prior seasons. BTW, I know it's a show and fiction but come on already, anyone drinking like Ray does would be dead within a month. Shit, I think Nick Cage's character in Leaving Las Vegas drank less than Ray and he died at the end.

Woke up to an additional 6" of snow on top of the 12" we got earlier. It's somewhat colder than the last storm (18f compared to 31F) so the snow was light and powdery, easy to shovel. Right now it is sunny and 20F. No complaints as I like the exercise of shoveling and for me, unless the temps are below zero F I am good to go 🙂