That would be a very cool thread indeed. It sounds as if there are many here who could enlighten us on symbols and semiotics. I wasn't offended, for the record, nor am I imputing motives, merely used my first impression as an example of others' associations with a symbol. It's a learned response, so how people react is telling in and of itself and worthy of examination. That's the other side benefit of looking further into meanings, both of which I am open to learning more about. Strange that there's no connection made to Semitic roots in the link you provided... And just to clarify, I don't think anyone is assuming Page was wearing THE swastika symbol most commonly attributed to the Nazi regime, just that if it was A swastika or something that looked like it, then people would have made that negative connection regardless of what meaning it had to him.

Sadly, maybe not. Though I'm aware of a few of its associations, the first one that comes to mind is still the SS. The black one, a Teutonic or Iron Cross, sends shivers down many a spine depending who you show it to, and it's not because they associate it with the Knights Templar. Couple that with the other one which may look like a swastika (though if the ends are curved could be a pagan sun cross) and you can imagine the uphill battle. Symbols are what people associate them to be. Page may have attributed different meanings to his medallions, but these were working against a context that had learned to associate much more sinister meanings to them. Every now and then it surprises me that he chose to wear such things...

Cheers, Yukon. Just be sure to double check that because it's from memory and zoomed out google. I'm sure there are some connecting turns and off ramps etc., I'm missing. And don't rely solely on google either. Once when we were going north up to a rented cottage we ended up at the edge of a lake where a road should have been Don't think too long, summer's just around the corner (although you couldn't bloody well tell by tonight's temps brrrr...) ok good night

Hey well Gretzky's is right downtown close to the lake, so I think the highway you're thinking of is the Gardiner. You basically take that west and then go north on 427. Hang on... ...hmm, well Google's not allowing the direct map link, but you get off at Rexdale Blvd. exit. 20 minutes on a good, construction-free day

Right back at you, Yukon

Well Woodbine is in Rexdale, which is slightly west of Toronto. Here's a general map: http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/directions/index.html It's actually very close to the airport so if you're flying in, you're closer to the race track than you are downtown Toronto. I've never been there (not my thing) but I used to live in the area, so I'm quite familiar with it. You a betting man, Yukon?

It's good sometimes to go into something without expectations, you tend to enjoy it more and just see it for what it is rather than compare it to graphic novel/novel/play, etc. Adaptations are always tricky, and it seems to be especially so with Moore's projects. Alan Moore, the creator of "Watchmen" and many other great graphic novels, apparently vehemently hates the movies made from his work. I really liked "V for Vendetta", for instance, but couldn't sit through even 1/2 hour of "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". But he doesn't seem to like any of them. Maybe there are some here who know more about Moore and can comment on his position in depth. Still, there's value in just seeing and appreciating a movie for itself. Good to know that "Watchmen" doesn't just appeal to the purists

Gran Torino - really liked it ... Benjamin Button - liked it too. I don't think I've ever seen a Blanchett performance I didn't like

The guy claimed his words were misinterpreted...pfft...lame On another note, you'd think that a self-proclaimed satirical news show would actually use, you know, satire, which they didn't. They should see The Daily Show. Maybe they'll be on it

Well eagle87, If I squint long enough I can juuuust see 21 through the mist. Hope you're having a great time!

'massive' does not refer to size Here's a snippet from further down in the article: "The stellar orbits in the galactic centre show that the central mass concentration of four million solar masses must be a black hole, beyond any reasonable doubt." Is that Chuck at your door?

BBC Black hole confirmed in Milky Way

Thanks for this! It's now my new desktop pic. Cheers

That's exactly my point. They're very hard to get here unless you're willing to dip into the inheritance. Probably why you see so many Leafs fans at Sabres games, besides the obvious competitive spirit of it all.

A Habs fan in T.O.? Egads! /jk *sigh* Kerry Fraser. You've brought it all back. If only he had called the blatant high stick on Gretzky (Gilmour was even bleeding, I mean, what more did he need???), the same Gretzky who then proceeded to score the winning goal against us, the Leafs and Habs would've met for the Cup final. Damn you, Kerry Fraser, DAMN YOU!!! Hopefully that bag won't be on too much longer. Better days are ahead with the current management in place. We may even see another Stanley Cup in our lifetime. Yes I'm sober.

Oh, of that I have little doubt. It's fun to watch games with opponent's fans - yes, except Flyers' fans (no offense normal Philly people , but seriously, how many players and coaches have their fans assaulted? They must have the record on that). You know, it's been years since I've seen a live Leafs game. At my old work my boss had a pair of pre-season tickets for a game against the Habs and that was great fun, but nowadays even the nosebleeds are pricey and tickets are very difficult to get. The ONLY time I ever paid scalper prices was for a Page and Plant show here in '95. 3rd row. Worth every penny. Anyway, see you here on the 12th, fellow fan. Cheers, P

Oh Yukon, alas, I'm not that easily bribed. Actually, I didn't know that about Buffalo and the anthems. It's impressive, just not enough to get me to be a turncoat. If the woeful Ballard years didn't do it, you've got a steep hill to climb. Any chance of you donning a Leafs sweater? Yours Sincerely, a bleeding blue & white fellow nhl fan

No. I (almost) bet the house on that

LOL THANKS for posting this, I only caught snippets on the news Cheers Sam What, no poutine? The Quebecois will complain about unfair distribution of representation lol Now that the Libs have swiftly dethroned Dion (a good thing, he should never have gotten the position in the first place; thanks heaps, Kennedy) and crowned Ignatieff as party leader, it'll be interesting to see how the coalition will hold up come January. Word has it that Iggy is cool to the idea, but he's too shrewd to just abandon it outright. Deal with the Bloc be damned, if the budget is seen as the least bit partisan or vengeful, the opposition will likely pounce. Will Harper keep his stubborn ego in check, and now that the coalition will be more stable, will it vote in favour of the budget or just oust him regardless? A tightrope walk in any direction. Cheers, fellow Canuckleheads

I've reread the article because I wasn't sure of your response's connection to it and I'm kind of still not sure, unless it was just a touch-off point for your opinion? Skepticism is good, and while many act as if their theories (a term, along with hypothesis, whose use we should be careful of as it means different things in different disciples, but anyway...) are dogma for self-serving reasons, there is great value in exploration. Big Bang is the front runner probably because it stands on stronger evidence than other more tenuous (at least for now) theories. There is a way of measuring astronomical phenomena that takes us to the brink of the Big Bang, and some others are also discussed in the article. There's not too much much for which there's absolute proof; that's part of the frustration and interest.

Thought this might be of interest: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081203/...cho_s_supernova

Oh cool, this is helpful, thanks! It sort of demystifies the whole looking at the stars thing, which is a bit daunting. I can pick out the main ones well enough - Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, but beyond that I have to start getting to know where and when to look, now that I know what to look with The kid across the street has a pair of binoculars but he hasn't been exploring the sky if you catch my drift (the little bastard) Incidentally, in the winter the Big Dipper turns and looks like a giant question mark above my house ahahaha! Talk about a sign! Much obliged for the info, Rover. Cheers!

Bwahahaha!!! And now to the PM's office, too - padum pum!

ahahaha - I don't qualify, I'm not dead yet!

Hello Swede A few years ago my sister toured throughout the Scandinavian region and from her pictures it is clear you have some very beautiful areas as well. Whenever you're ready, we'll be happy to give some suggestions, coast to coast. Cheers!