Just wanted to put in my two cents as this is an ongoing issue for which no clear explanation has been made. The forum guidelines should apply fairly to everyone, and while discretion is up to the mods, the extent of leniency towards SAJ as opposed to others seems puzzling. I disagree with Strider's 'devil you know' argument simply because if a poster establishes a reputation, warnings or bans affect it; that's the online cost, one which some pay and others don't. People should also be mindful of 'new' members supposedly being against established ones. It's used often by the very members as a way to befriend online enemies and extract info from them via PM and whatnot. Also, the ignore feature is fine for people who have been on here for a while and have an understanding of how things work, but that's not the case for newer members. Besides, the ignore feature does not address the underlying issue; rather, it's a way around it. I know five really good members personally who have chosen to leave this site for the very reasons outlined here. There are many others on a growing list. We may never know the answer why certain breaches are tolerated considering we are bound by the the rules others establish, and that's our choice. I just wish those binds weren't so tight on some posters, and so loose on others.

^ Well said, BonzoFanatic. Baker's comments are disappointing if not all that surprising. Bonzo was an awesome drummer, almost prescient in his feel - it was always spot on just so. To Emily's point about an 'academic' approach, well similar jealousies were expressed about Shakespeare being an 'upstart crow' by rivals who couldn't believe that someone who didn't go to university could be so good. The point being that there are many ways to learn, be it formal or not, and Bonzo absorbed everything, and had the ability and drive to make it his own. That Zep's orbit was so much larger than Cream's is due to a number of factors, but putting fame aside (even though it's undoubtedly a factor in Baker's snide remarks), Ginger's criticism has no substance when you look at Bonzo's body of work - so dynamic in range of expression and skill and feel. I'm not a percussion aficionado and don't listen to solely drums (but for Bonzo outtakes and some Buddy Rich work, both mesmerizing), so I can only respond to what moves me - kind of primitive, but genuine. To this day, nobody moves me like Bonzo's groove do. Ginger's way off and he should just stand down, shut up, and play. The comments about Bonzo not even being a musician, well, saying such a thing speaks more about GB than any of his comments about Bonzo ever could. Look, he was a really young guy when he was thrust into this huge fame hurricane, and in navigating through that, passed on as still a young guy and look how much he accomplished. It just strains the bounds of courtesy to speak ill of the dear and departed, particularly when his family and friends are around to read it. Baker's been around way longer and still has yet to learn it, even if he were right, but he's not, which make his comments that much worse! Bonzo had his demons, and paid the ultimate price. Baker seems like he's fried, which is sad to see, but also lucid enough that he's responsible for his comments. What a weird, unapproachable guy.... Being around Baker seems akin to hugging a cactus. Whatever his flaws, Bonzo came across as a guy who was a true blue, there no matter what, a fun guy to have a game of pool with, or a fun, interesting chat over a pint or two. It's no wonder Ginger's got the Salieri syndrome.

Hi Chuck, thank you, appreciate it

Thanks, Dd! I misunderstood the 'engagement' part, thinking about subjects engaging with the water or something. THIS I did not expect. New trend? A bit cheesy idea lol, but beautiful photos in and of themselves. Thanks for sharing! You're welcome, Sozo, and thanks again for these. Gorgeous! Love the second and last one. Here are some owl photos I've come across. Such a diverse species:

Sounds like that year Goosen had an easy putt at the 18 for the win and couldn't close it. I forget if he won or lost in sudden death that year, but I think he ended up winning it twice. I like the South African golfers - Goosen, Els, and the great Gary Player. Anyway, congratulations to Speith. This has the making of a special year if he continues to do so well at such a young age. Too bad for Johnson. Hopefully he can keep his disappointment in check. Is this the same guy who is married to Gretzky's daughter? The one with cocaine problems? Good for him for coming back, and hopefully he stays on a clean path.

Thank you Thank you, as well, geekfreak. I am sorry to read about your Mom. If that is what has to be, may it be as peaceful as it can be... Sending good thoughts your way...

^^ Update - GREAT NEWS as Babs got an important health update today and he's out of the worst of it. Looks to be in the clear. Really, thanks very much to all who had some positive thoughts towards him. Thinking of you in the light as I blare this with thankfulness about your good tidings and health, Babs!

You're welcome, J! Glad you liked it. For my birthday one year, someone gave me a journal, handmade, Renaissance style, and I cherish it. And now for a craftsmanship of another kind, here is the beautiful work of watch maker Kari Voutilainen: http://voutilainen.ch/site/the-watches/timepieces/observatoire-daynight/details/ http://voutilainen.ch/site/the-watches/gmt/zodiac/details/ http://voutilainen.ch/site/the-watches/repeaters/minute-repeater-gmt/details/ http://voutilainen.ch/site/the-watches/current/gmt-6/description/ "Kari Voutilainen’s natural gift for perfection, coupled with his broad experience and deep understanding of very high quality, antique, complicated watches, are the quintessential ingredients for innovative creation in the art of watchmaking. Not one to satisfy himself by imagined creations alone, he makes all of his creations himself. He is totally involved in every detail whether technical or aesthetic; like a true artist or sculptor, nothing is left to chance." http://voutilainen.ch/site/the-passion/page-1/

You're welcome, Walter, glad you like them Breathtaking, aren't they?! I can't stop staring at the first one with the light shades in the fabric folds (that and his body - aesthetically, it is a beautiful, refined instrument). The fabric reminds me of when I saw La Pieta a few years back in (I think) the AGO and it brought me to tears. And that was just a replica. Amazing is right, Dd! Would you mind posting a couple of the underwater engagement photos you refer to when you get a chance? I'm curious about what they look like. Thanks And here we thought flour was just for baking. Fascinating how people think to put to other uses elements we associate with certain paths. I love it!

So, this will resonate however it will, but I couldn't think of a place to put this video, and thought of other types of craftsmanship that seem to be dying arts. I'm not a Luddite, but there's something to be said for a handmade life. Hopefully artisans of all kinds get some well deserved exposure here as well. You never know where the ripple effects will take them... First, the art of making a book for those of us who love the touch, scent and sight of paper: https://www.facebook.com/Tenthandfourth/videos/vb.113665462173044/342953712577550/?type=2&theater

Wow, Sozo, is that a Peregrine falcon?! I love them!! (and owls, and wolves best of all rraawrr!) Beautiful photos. Someone brought these to my attention on Facebook, and I thought I'd share as they're exquisite, particularly the ones in black and white, but I can't get over the texture of the flour movement echoing that of the dancers. "Russian photographer Alexander Yakovlev makes his images of professional dancers come alive by adding dynamic elements like exploding flour." See the rest here: https://www.facebook.com/Arch2OMagazine/photos/pcb.987160014628692/987119244632769/?type=1&theater

Hey, really appreciate it, gents! It means a lot and it all counts. Thanks very much.

Ok Zep Heads, we need to gather our collective strength and send good vibes to our fellow member, Babs, who is dealing with a health difficulty that needs all the positive support you can muster for as long as you can muster it. So whatever you believe in, say a prayer, send good thoughts, light a candle, chant an incantation, whatever your way, please be kind and mindful to do it. Thanks very much, I'm sure Babs and his fam appreciate the good will. We're here for you, Babsy!

The new Macbeth trailer is here! YESSS!!! Macbeth: Michael Fassbender plays the tortured king of Shakespeare's great tragedy – trailer Snowtown director Justin Kurzel's adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragic play stars Michael Fassbender as Macbeth, the warrior turned traitor who murders his king and spirals into madness. The film, which had its premiere at last month's Cannes film festival and is released in the UK on 2 October, also stars Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth, tortured by insatiable ambition http://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2015/jun/04/macbeth-michael-fassbender-shakespeare-tragedy-trailer Looks great! Interesting to note that it looks as if they're showing Macbeth murdering Duncan. Shakespeare carefully leaves that out in his play as it affects an audience's position towards a character. We need Macbeth to carry the play through longer, and he can't lose the audience too early. Macbeth, after all, is a complex man. He is loved by his men and his king, and he is valiant, but he gives in to his temptations. So not seeing the murder positions us differently towards the character than, say, in Julius Caesar, where we see Brutus slaughtering Caesar, and however just we think his intentions, watching that distances us from Brutus. I wonder, then, how they're going to keep Macbeth from losing an audience's sympathy? After all, who can't relate to the desire of something one shouldn't want but because of the lure of improbability, wants it all the more? Perhaps it was just too tempting a cinematic gem of a scene for the director to exclude? Look at Fassbender's face when he says, "O full of scorpions is my mind." Can't. Wait... rraaaaarrrgh!!!

WOW what a pisser!

Wawrinka winning the French Open!

^^ In talking about "Tomorrowland" I meant to say that it's probably not the effect they wanted... Good choices, Strider, I agree. Tomlinson's and Swinton's were haunting performances, both for their minds (if I can put it that way), in their own ways. "Michael Clayton" was a better movie than "Out of Sight", but that slow smolder between Clooney and Lopez was a pleasure to watch. Looks like the Cotillard/Fassbender offering of Macbeth (directed by Justin Kurzel) is making waves at Cannes. I can't wait to see it! (even though they moved the opening lines of the Weird Sisters...hmmm, hope it doesn't come back to haunt them). Cannes Film Review: ‘Macbeth’ MAY 23, 2015 | 01:23AM PT COURTESY OF CANNES FILM FESTIVAL Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender excel in Justin Kurzel's thrillingly savage interpretation of the Scottish Play Guy Lodge Film Critic As the shortest, sharpest and most stormily violent of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, “Macbeth” may be the most readily cinematic: The swirling mists of the Highlands, tough to fabricate in a theater, practically rise off the printed page. So it’s odd that, while “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet” get dusted off at least once a generation by filmmakers, the Scottish Play hasn’t enjoyed significant bigscreen treatment since Roman Polanski’s admirable if tortured 1971 version. The wait for another may be even longer after Justin Kurzel’s scarcely improvable new adaptation: Fearsomely visceral and impeccably performed, it’s a brisk, bracing update, even as it remains exquisitely in period. Though the Bard’s words are handled with care by an ideal ensemble, fronted by Michael Fassbender and a boldly cast Marion Cotillard, it’s the Australian helmer’s fervid sensory storytelling that makes this a Shakespeare pic for the ages — albeit one surely too savage for the classroom. You can read the rest of the review here: http://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/macbeth-review-michael-fassbender-marion-cotillard-1201500514/

Saw "Tomorrowland" and wondered whether anyone during the $180M shoot noticed that there wasn't a credible villain in sight? I get that it's Disney, and the idea of it (though I disagree with criticisms that it wasn't 'linear'. First, it was easy to follow the through-line and second, even if it hadn't been, so what? Lots of great movies aren't), but I just hoped for more. Was it a kid's movie? That's what I was thinking as I left the theatre. Probably the effect they wanted. I'll watch "The American" again, a great, underrated Clooney-driven film, so focused and restrained, just to balance this one out.

Heads up Montreal-living, classical-music-loving people: Seven Days, Seven Nights: Zubin Mehta and Festival TransAmériques, entertainment highlights for May 18 – 24 RICHARD BURNETT, SPECIAL TO THE MONTREAL GAZETTE Published on: May 18, 2015 Last Updated: May 18, 2015 9:42 AM EDT Legendary classical-music conductor Zubin Mehta – musical director of the OSM from 1961 to 1967 – returns to Montreal for a much-buzzed-about benefit concert conducting the OSM on Tuesday, May 19, 2015. DIETER NAGL / AFP/Getty Images Tuesday, May 19 Legendary classical-music conductor Zubin Mehta – musical director of the OSM from 1961 to 1967 – returns to Montreal for a much-buzzed-about benefit concert conducting the OSM (Mahler’s 100-minute Symphony no. 3 in D minor) at the Maison symphonique beginning at 7 p.m. Admission: $65 to $175. Tickets: 514-842-9951 or osm.ca. For information on the post-concert gala dinner in the Foyer Allegro of the Maison symphonique, in the company of Mehta and soloist Michelle DeYoung, call 514-840-7400, ext. 7411. http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/seven-days-seven-nights-zubin-mehta-kids-in-the-hall-and-festival-transameriques-entertainment-highlights-for-may-18-24 Check out the link for other events throughout the festival that may be of interest.

'Bird by Bird' by Anne Lamott

Can't wait to see this. ‘Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive’ with Denis O’Hare filming here By Meredith Goldstein GLOBE STAFF MAY 15, 2015 Actor Denis O’Hare, of “The Good Wife,” “American Horror Story,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” and “True Blood,” is in town to star in “Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive,” which will air on PBS’s “American Masters.” Production started this week around Castle Island. O’Hare tweeted a pic of himself as Poe on Wednesday. (Kudos to whoever’s on hair and makeup.) @denisohare http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2015/05/14/another-local-production-edgar-allan-poe-buried-alive-with-denis-hare/AMDYpGPEpXEa0GoqMpwpRO/story.html# Check out his twitter for more photos and updates about the production. Looks good!

Words fall short how devastating the earthquakes are to Nepal: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32701385 (saw this on Emily008's post - http://forums.ledzeppelin.com/index.php?/topic/10818-what-made-you-un-happy-today/?p=819272 ) Here are some places you can donate. Sometimes cell providers have text-to-donate campaigns, though I've not heard of any (mine isn't doing it ) Maybe people can post other ways to help out, too. http://blogs.unicef.org/2015/05/12/nepal-struck-by-7-4-magnitude-earthquake/ Canadian Red Cross American Red Cross http://musicforrelief.org/nepal/ Huffington Post - How To Help Nepal: 13 Charities Delivering Critical Support To Nepal Earthquake Victims

Thanks, Dd Plummer's an incredible force, and there's nothing like seeing him live to experience it. He does seem to have mellowed a bit about his SoM stance, though I like that honest, ornery side to him. So many actors give polite, rehearsed answers that his off-the-cuff take on things is refreshing. I also saw the Avengers movie recently and enjoyed it. The film makers have a clear sense of what the movie is, and it succeeds at it. I like that they don't try to make it anything more. Despite the GC, shooting and flying about, they manage to weave a story that you can stay with throughout. Very much unlike, say, the Transformers series (stopped watching after the second one...I know, what took me so long...). Great eye candy, too

I feel the same about the majors results, although Rafa won the Madrid Open something like five times (in a row?), so he was the heavy favourite on home soil. Murray is known for getting down, so in terms of his game and mental strength, this was an important step. I'll never count Rafa out, though... Still pulling for Fed, even though I know he's in the twilight of his career. He had a couple of solid chances to add to the majors count, one was the US Open against the Argentinian (forget his name) and another was Wimbledon a couple of times (Rafa and Joker). His game has shown the crucial aspect of staying healthy. No way Rafa was going to continue playing as aggressively. He racked up as many majors as he could - more than I thought he would, frankly - but his game is so hard on the knees, and sure enough he's had problems with them for a while now. It's really more a matter of adjusting to his physical condition (limitations?). I think Novak has a solid chance now to be part of the discussion about the all-time greats once his career is done, if his incredible trajectory continues. I want Fed (heart choice #1) then Murray (heart choice #2) to win in France. It would be a dream come true to get to see Wimbledon in person, but getting to witness Fed's greatness on grass throughout his career has been a great pleasure. I wonder how many more he has left?