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Did you ever think the Pope would be so cool? Thanks for your steadfast work with the YBG German newsdesk! Thanks man I'll do my best. In the following days it will be difficult to keep up the work for Goobs. I'm stucking in a stressful week and I'll have to do some serious investigations for an exam on Thursday. Don't be afraid I will lurk and come back as often as I could. Don't want to miss the trial. ;)

http://i.imgur.com/qQRNgW4.png 2 anonymous users? Hey, Gary. :nya nya: :hi:

The Yukon Blade Grinder Going Papal Edition 11.24.13 Vatican City Neverland Ranch is used to having vigils outside its gates. Back in the day it was a magnet for creepiness and hero worship. Even when Michael Jackson was alive, fans would show up to light a candle in honor of their beloved “Moonwalker”. Today, the Yukon Blade Grinder goes straight to the top in terms of vigils, votive candles, and the ultimate show of Vapor Trails support. With the elements of the story changing every day for the worse, a cheerful outcome seems impossible regarding the “Spirits of Neverland Ranch” case. Containing the most bizarre of cultic practices involving cannibalism, stone formations, and oppressed women on animals, one normally turns away from such evil. Not this media monolith! The Yukon Blade Grinder is fresh from an enthralling two-day interview with the Seven Cities of Gold dancers, and now ready to get back in the game to confront reality. Now dear readers, the story has reached spiritual heights. Truth be told after spending time with the Seven Cities of Gold dancers, the YBG could use a little forgiveness. Rarified Air In most instances when dealing with the Yukon Blade Grinder, people adapt accordingly for a chance to share their story. However, when dealing with the most recognized living religious figure in the solar system, the Grinder will always make an exception. Summoned to Vatican City by our German and Italian desks, the Yukon Blade Grinder is ready to report the news. Hundreds of thousands crowded St. Peter’s square, and waited for the word. Countless beach balls flew over the boisterous crowd. Flags from every corner of the globe were waving in anticipation of the day’s message. Even soccer anthems permeated the air. Spectacles become markers in history, always in the corner of our collective memories crying out “I was here” when Pope Francis brought the wood to Rush Goober. The Blade Grinder was on the scene as it happened. The Seven Deadly Sins Revisited Known as the “Peppy Pontiff”, Pope Francis has great warmth exuding from his soul. He’s a real people person. He loves his job and always ready to get out amongst the folks. As the doors opened from the papal balcony, he made his grand entrance. The crowd erupted into a frenzy, showing the love to the their leader. Calming the crowd the Pope issued the cue for the sounds of ringing church and tubular bells. It sounded awfully familiar. “Today, I come to you with a message from the peak of Mt. Nerd. Listen well, my friends!” The Pope spoke with authority, then compassion. “To the men who hold high places—you must be the one’s who start. You need to mold a new reality, closer to the heart. The blacksmith and the artist reflect it in their art. They should forge their creativity, closer to the heart. YES!!! Closer to the heart.” Those words hung in the air, creating a symphony of nouns, verbs, and adjectives. The Pope smiled and clasped his hands together. He continued. “The philosopher and the plowmen—each must know his part. Sowing new mentalities, closer to the heart, YEAH, closer to the heart. Let me be your captain. I will draw the chart. We’re sailing into destiny, closer to the heart.” The crowd fed off his energy, rocking back and forth arm in arm, hanging on every word. “Listen. You’ve heard it all before. Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony, are sins that will bring you to your knees—like a Vapor Trail. Today, from St. Peter’s Basilica, I give you another. Cruelty to animals is awful and to endorse cannibalism is a shame. Brainwashing helpless strippers is deplorable. But this, this is where I draw the line. Thou shall not impersonate a Rush fan. To do so is an unforgivable sin. It’s a combination of all seven that came before it…plus it’s just mean.” The Pope stared out into the sea of humanity and plowed on. “As I’ve said before, I’m not here to judge anybody, but to share boundless love. However, there’s a tipping point, even for me. These fans have endured decades of slander, bullying, and intellectual dishonesty from all angles of society. They’ve never been popular, and have always reminded of that fact. They’ve been the target of scorn and rage from those who think they’re “better” than everyone else. No more. We honor the Rush fan. Trolling Rush Fan websites, causing hate and discontent is banned. To the Rush fan, you are no longer detached, no longer subdivided. The dreamer. The misfit. You, who are so alone—come unto me and we’ll listen to Vapor Trails together.” The crowd then responded with their own version of YYZ, in a chant that would make most Brazilians jealous. At that moment the Pope broke centuries of protocol, freaking out his collective entourage of cardinals, and began to rip off his vestments, including papal hat, to reveal something very personal to him. The crowd’s huge roar was an approval for his Vapor Trails tour shirt, and knock-off of a certain drummer’s signature hat. He then proclaimed, “Today Rush fans we unite!” The Dawn of a New Day No wonder this pontiff is off the charts with the common person. He’s a riot. He continued with his edict. “And those who transgress against the band, remember these words: You will burn in Hell! Before preparing this message I did some soul searching. I started in the Sistine Chapel, pacing back and forth. Searching for some inspiration. I got nothing in that dusty room. I then decided to go down in the Necropolis, among the dead bones of those who came before me.” The Pope then raised his hands and continued, “I spoke to them. I spoke to them words that would hopefully bring them to life, to give me some comfort and encouragement to deliver today’s message.” He paused, the crowd mere putty in his hands. “Rising out of their crypts, the bones danced and spoke these words: Jack, relax. Get busy with the facts. No zodiacs or almanacs. No maniacs in polyester slacks. Just the facts. You gotta kick some gluteus max. It’s a parallax, ya dig? When you move around the small gets big, it’s a rig. It’s action—reaction. Random interaction. Don’t be afraid of little abstractions. You can’t get satisfaction from the facts. You’d better run homeboy—facts a fact from Rome to Gnome boy! What’s the deal? Spin the wheel. If the dice are hot—take a shot. Play your cards. Show us what you got—what you’re holding. If the cards are cold, don’t go folding. Lady luck is golden. She favors the bold and that’s cold. Stop throwing stones—the night has a 1000 saxophones. Get out there and rock and roll the bones—Get busy!!!” The Pope continued, “That doesn’t happen every day at the Vatican. Now. To my friend who is sitting in a jail cell on the far side of the world—repent, and denounce your trolling ways. Embrace BU2B2. Embrace Vapor Trails. Your soul depends on it!” With that final statement, Pope Francis left the festivities to the chants of the crowd—“Turn or Burn! Turn or Burn! Turn or Burn!” At that point this reporter, along with my friends from the German and Italian news desks, sat on the edge of a fountain, watching the crowd of people disperse. The wind whisked around us, spreading its cold chill and blowing litter hither and dither. Night slowly approached and we were alone, wondering how a tiny dwarf incarcerated in the Santa Barbara jail could manage to piss off the Pope. As it turns out there were many reasons. Saying our goodbyes, we felt the same as before the Pope’s sermon. Confused. Flying out of Rome, this Yukon Blade Grinder reporter was still scratching his head. Now, Judge Hhang M. Hi looms on the horizon. Goober better hope she’s in a better frame of mind than Pope Francis.

It's not all die hards going to the shows, it simply is not logical to NOT play those tunes you named right there Like I told my husband (who's seen Rush countless times before)- this was my very first Rush show ever. Yeah, i hear Tom Sawyer as much as everyone else. But it wouldn't be a Rush concert WITHOUT it. And TSOR kicked so much ass live it blew me away lol

What a weird weekend this turned out to be. I was looking for some deserved R&R with the family and ended up springing to Rome on Saturday afternoon to meet Tombsone Mountain (from now on: Tom), all the while, unbeknownst to me, the Vatican engine was working full cylinders. That's why me and Tom, while on a conference call with Greyfriar, were approached by a white limo, which spawned two big, intimidating men all dressed in white! They looked like FBI agents of the movies, except they were all dressed in white! White jacket, white shoes. Heck, even their sunglasses were WHITE! Tom, American pragmatism firmly in hand, took it for a tourist scam and was going to dismiss them. I had to take him by the arm and say: "Tom, this is serious". "Are these what, secret service italian style?" "In a limo? No way. They could barely afford a 500". "So who are they, Berlusconi's men?" "Nope, he would have sent a couple of amazons, and we would already be on rolling on the floor with our testicles in our throats". "So who ARE they?". "You wouldn't believe". Thus saturday afternoon slowly crawled, while we, trapped in the limo, strolled through Rome ancient cobbled streets. Soccer superstar Francesco Totti (ANOTHER Francesco? Is there a design to this?) was downtown, creating a ruckus. But no way could we check the hot girls cruising Trinità dei Monti. We were due to a place where art and history loom, but where "sexy" is not a word well tolerated. That's right: we ended up in the Catacombs of the Vatican, reeking with chilling cold, spiritual enlightenment and the the dust of millennia. "Oooh, this is so Dan Brown!" giggled Tom. Rome turns everyone into a f*cking tourist. That's the power of the Urbe Aeterna. "If you value your life, Tom, you're not gonna utter the D.B. word in front of HIM". "HIM? Are we meeting the band HIM down here?" "No, not the band HIM. F*cking glam metal. I meant HIM!" "Yeah, HIM, the guitar player is Tony Iommi's son in law..." "I know that, you crazy woodcutter from Yukon. But this is Rome, buddy. Think: The Borgias!" And so, in the dim light, we came to a place where a simple throne of stone had been built. And on that throne, the Big Guy himself. The Pope that walks the walk and talks the talk. "Badass" Francis the First. "This is the only place we can talk quietly" said Francesco. The Pope turned out the be all they say about him, and even more. Citing Beethoven and Mozart as his favourite composers, Big Guy Francesco is also at ease discussing early Sepultura: "Those Cavalera brothers, they always remind me of the Prodigal Son parable! I love Roots, by the way". Tom had to pick up his jaw from the floor, but we tried to play it cool. So you're not averse to Neil Peart's famously agnostic lyrics? "There's a quest in there. If he is trying to find a meaning to life, who am I to judge him?" What was your take on the Watchmaker charachter in Clockwork Angels? "Oh, it just goes back to Isaac Newton and Descartes, doesn't it? If there's a watchmaker in the world today is hardly God: it's corporate business. Banks. Companies. They are the watchmaker. That's the way I read CA, which is awesome by the way". And what do you think of Vapor Trails Remixed? "It has given me so much strenght. It's their most spiritual album. Truly, it makes my soul soar. When the Remix came out, it was like a gift from God, truly. We've been getting them a lot, lately. Ayreon's new album is another". And that's when Tom had to play jackass and tell the Pope about Goober's reaction to VTR, and the infamous "polished turd" words surfaced once again in the Holy Underground. "He didn't say that" went Francis. In a split second, you could see why this guy used to intimidate street thugs back in Buenos Aires. His face turned to molten steel. "I'm afraid he did, Sir" was all I could say. "Let us pray" He said. For what seemed like a dark eternity, we stood in silence. I tried to find shelter singing "The Garden" to myself, while Tom kept on making the worst impression of himself trying to make a "selfie" with the background of the Catacombs. "This is were we part ways, brothers" finally said the Big Guy. "Trust in God to find a way. As for me, I know what I will say tomorrow!". So finally we went out a rimirar le stelle, like Dante goes. Contrary to my advice, Tom treated himself with a triple dose of code alla vaccinara and passed out, all his blood converging to digestion functions. I barely woke him up in time for Sunday mass. And that's what happened before the now infamous "Rush Speech" in Rome. How will it go down in History? How will it change the world? How will it affect RushGoober's fate? Now, this is a guy who could piss of THE POPE, for saying it out loud. Whose patience are you gonna try next, Goober? Ghandi? Buddah? Lord Jesus himself? Just one word of advice, Gary: don't pick on Shiva! That guy's got the third eye beam thing. I mean, you're playing with fire there. H. P. L. out (for the moment).

THE THISTLE DEW: Day 10 -Jorge was no help Dark days have descended on the Dew, folks. I fear Lorraine and I may have to go shopping for pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce. We should never have pinned our hopes on the Pope. Late word came from the Vatican that Jorge had not only refused to come to the aid of Goober, but took the opportunity to denounce him in his Sunday address. Unbeknownst to us, His Holiness is a huge Rush fan, apparently even of Roll the Bones (there's no accounting for taste). I suspected his worst crime may have been impersonating a Rush fan; today my suspicions were confirmed. Not only do we have to worry about his possible extradition to Canada should he miraculously beat the rap in California, but he may also pay for his transgressions for an eternity in the hereafter. . . and he was so proud of his 'Vapor Trolls" moniker. We received a curious communique today from Greyfriar via Western Union (if there can be a Hungry Jack's outside of Australia, Western Union can still be in the telegram business). It was rather confusing and fragmented, but we were able to decipher that he was still feverishly working with the psychologist on Goober's insanity defense, and that his petition drive had garnered no interest at all. It did end rather cryptically: smoke in eyes, f***ing hell. We're still working to interpret that one. It's at least some comfort to know that someone in Europe other than H.P.L. is concerned with Goober's fate. This morning Lakeisha graced us with a visit. She said that she knew someone who had a vast collection of Pez dispensers, and would be willing to part with the sought after "Vapor Trolls" model, for a price. What price? Lorraine would have to give up her precious Michael Jackson action doll. Knowing how much Goober would appreciate such a gewgaw, Lorraine reluctantly packed up Michael and left with Lakeisha. She's been gone all day. Despite her protestations to the contrary, I think she likes spending time with Lakeisha. I don't blame her for wanting to get out of the Dew. I had a taste for smoked emu tonight; fortunately, I was able to find where Tombstone obtains this delicacy. It's a place called Brisbane Bottoms Bar and Grill. They deliver, and imagine my surprise when I opened the door to find little Warwick holding a bag of the bird in question. Not surprisingly, his recollection of our previous meeting was hazy, but he did say that he was working to raise money for airfare back to England. It seems he's fallen on hard times since he's no longer employed by a comedian named Ricky. You meet some strange characters out here. Our lonely, and possibly misguided, quest to free poor little Goober is about to enter it's eleventh day. With no help coming from the heavens, our only hope is the legal wizardry of Mr. Grisham. I think I'll light a stick of incense and play Interstellar Overdrive while I wait for Lorraine to return. * * * * "Wake me when I should give a shit." -Lost In Xanadu Perhaps the most insightful post made in this thread.

:LOLsign: :ebert: I knew impersonating a Rush fan was the worst of his crimes!

He's singing the same as what he sang in the GUP tour video during La Villa. I think.

Great question. Perhaps Lorraine will answer that one...she seems to attract the attention of those creepy criminal types Quite right. That's how I wound up on TRF.

The only person Lorraine is "hooking up" with is the pope! I've booked a flight leaving in a few hours for Italia. There I will do weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for my transgressions. Hopefully, I can get His Holiness to part with not only his Rush wardrobe, but some of his CDs. I'm hoping he has the Vapor Trails remix. Then, after obtaining many blessings, I will descend to the catacombs and commune with my brothers and sisters of centuries past. Upon coming back up to ground, I will then take myself to Assisi and roll around in the bramble bushes there and talk to the birds. The Seven Cities of God dancers may be coming with me to Rome. That ought to liven up some Roman celebrations! No more time for jibber-jabber now. I have to pack.

I don't really understand how you could levy this complaint against the Clockwork Angels tour. ALmost half of their setlist was made up of almost the entire new album, which contains all of zero big, recognizable all-time hits. In terms of hits, the first set has Subdivisions, The Big Money (I guess), and Far Cry, along with a ton of deeper cuts that would bore casual fans. And the second set list had a deep cut in Manhattan Project, and like four of their biggest hits (two of which were the encore, which just makes sense). I'd say that's a pretty damn good setlist for fans of the band. And PS, Spirit of Radio is my favorite song of all time and I'd be right pissed if they didn't play it.

Your ability to always see the bright side never ceases to amaze me, Orson!

Did you ever think the Pope would be so cool? Thanks for your steadfast work with the YBG German newsdesk!

PFFFTTTT. The CA setlist was AWESOME.

Great work out at the gym. Home now (after some unexpected running around) and roasting up some pumpkin for an awesome pumpkin curry soup :)

This is awesome! When will Charles Manson and his bride-to-be join the party? If we're going to have cult practices, we might as well take it as far as possible. :smoke: :codger:

Umoveme, I know more than I can tell you how you feel, and I'm so very sorry. This is little that is more sad than having to decide whether you should give your dog (or cat) more time or have their life ended. And losing a loving and loyal companion of fourteen years too.

:( Pack? Have I been left to fend for myself in the Twilight Zone? http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-sad058.gif No no no my friend! I'm back. We're roomies! I'm sure that warms the cockles eh? I guess the Soak and Poke must have been full up. I'll try to summon the strength to write tonight's update. We should leave the door chain unconnected from the track tonight. Norman said that Lorraine didn't turn in her key; she'll miss us too much to stay away very long.

I hope my copy arrives soon... WTF? My copy is supposed to be shipped today with possible delivery tomorrow. Fingers crossed. nope... still waiting. sigh! Pre-ordering on Amazon was not the way to go this time. Guess what? I finally received Clockwork Angels! Thanks Amazon and Canada Post. I will watch it this coming weekend, which will be my first chance. There is a saying - Good things come to those that wait. I will watch mine when I have something besides my Betamax to play it on........

A Yukon Blade Grinder Exclusive The Scorned Women Edition Part II Before leaving for the Vatican, The Yukon Blade Grinder issued the first portion of this interview. Where we left off... YBG: Your story is indeed fascinating Robin. Making such sacrifice to give your best, making sure the band would never regret choosing you as a “Seven Cities of Gold” dancer shows great care and personal commitment. Tell me…the two months in the Yukon, surviving on the land, rehearsing as a group on the frozen tundra, what was that like? RR: For the Canadian women it was a chance to revisit our younger years. You see, all female natives of the Great White North have a rite of passage that we go through. Learning how to survive in the cold is a must for people who live in Canada. So at a certain age, every female goes to the Yukon to learn how to be an “Ice Chucker”. Very primeval stuff we’re talking about. Living in the elements is a challenge. Let me give you an example. Learning how to keep our legs and armpits smooth without a razor is one of the first things the “Bitches of the Snow” teach us. I mean, what if you’re isolated from civilization living in an igloo community, and don’t have access to such luxuries as a razor? YBG: Wait, wait—“Bitches of the Snow”? RR: Yeah, the instructors at the Yukon Institute of Kinetic Energy Survival. YBG: Oh okay, just wanted to clarify…just for the sake of our readers, how do you manage to keep those areas smooth and attractive? RR: With no modern equipment ya gotta go with what mother nature provides. That’s what they taught us. We use pine bark to keep them moisturized and hairless, just rub the bark on your skin. There are different techniques you can learn. The sap is so good for ya! And, as for our real sensitive lady parts, we just go au natural! YBG: Hmmm. Why so? RR: We may need it for desperate measures. It makes excellent tinder for starting fires. YBG: Neat. How did the British and American members of the troupe handle that aspect of the training? RR: Rough at first, but they figured it out. Now, speaking for Lyndsey and Babycat, they’re from Britain…and it was obvious they just didn’t have it in them at first. They might have been able to hang at Stonehenge for a couple of hours and sip some tea in the past, but this? Took some time, but they hung in there. Showed what troopers they are (gently tugging on their leashes)—I’m so proud of them! YBG: That’s just mind blowing. What about food? Did you bring any with you on this outing? RR: Oh, in the name of William Shatner, no! Y.I.K.E.S training prepares us for those times in the wild. We used modern hunting equipment, by that I mean bows and arrows. Using a firearm is considered the “easy” way out, and really isn’t that sporting. Snares and traps are of critical importance. There’s also a technique you can use on animals with a low IQ—the Death Stare. Another timeless Y.I.K.E.S secret. Say you come upon a moose or bear and they won’t back down, you can use that. It’s pretty effective. YBG: Pardon me, but that sounds like poppycock. Can you show me what it looks like? RR: Sorry, it could kill you, and as you can tell by my GPS tracking collar I’m already legally embarrassed. However I did almost use it on Alex at the Orbit Room the night of the Battle of the Bands. When he told me about the Todem natural male enhancement he’d been giving the dwarfs, that about did it. YBG: No problem. Imagine the headlines if you did use it on him? So, what other techniques did you use? RR: The Fox Plunger! YBG: What’s that pray tell? RR: Our noses are quite sensitive, as is our sense of hearing. Under the snow pack you can hear all kinds of critters crawling underneath if you pay close attention. All you do is isolate the sound and jump headfirst into the snow, just like the Yukon Snow Fox. It works well in a pinch. YBG: Interesting. Now let’s go back to Neverland for a moment. What about the connection to Megadon? You know, the stone formation, the pagan symbol in the woods used for the initiation, why was Megadon mentioned? RR: To show our unified frustration. It was a huge blow for everybody, especially the dancers to get canned after what we’ve been through. YBG: Seems a bit hostile. A message to a fabled world. You know, to a place that doesn’t exist outside of a few Rush fans imaginations. “f**k Megadon”. Why not “You suck” or “Bugger off you bloody old trouts”? But Ok…whatever. YBG: Next question. The leader—Rush Goober. What’s he like when he’s not incarcerated? RR: Oh he’s just a lovable mass of contradictions I guess…like the rest of us. YBG: Anything odd? Anything that just seemed a bit off? C’mon Robin, he gave you the nose of Michael Jackson—to eat! Something must’ve been pear shaped about this man, out of the ordinary. RR: Well…he’s three feet tall. So he’s short. During rehearsals for The Wreckers we noticed something. By we, I mean the dancers. That song has a different requirement for us. That’s when we get to jam. But, we noticed a huge bulge in his pants as he was performing as the cabin boy. You know we just had to find out about it. Turns out to have been a can of peas. He literally carries a can of peas with him everywhere. When we asked him about it, he just kept muttering the word “Woyzeck” over and over again. I think it’s a Werner Herzog film, not sure. Tony, the pirate captain, made hay outta that all during rehearsals. Those guys have a long history you know? YBG: Anyway, let’s talk TURDL. Tell me about them and their role in the grand scheme of the Clockwork Angels tour. RR: Well TURDL is an acronym. Toronto Urban Resources and Developmental League. It’s Mayor Rob Ford’s inner-city rehabilitation program for children. They were dressed as veggies during the performance of The Garden. I guess it seemed a really a good idea at their marketing meeting, but real world application? Not so much. The corporate world must have their acronyms I suppose. Before they joined the production we were briefed about protocol in dealing with them. Anthem Entertainment came up with TURDL’s as a playful term of endearment. Take off the L and you would have a more cogent picture of what they really are. YBG: Sounds like a workplace hazard if you ask me. RR: Watch your wallets around those kids In Closing… Now loyal readers, we take a breather from a long day of hard news, and other worldly revelations. We are approaching the trial of the century. One thing for sure, we know won’t be easy to swallow, but we trudge onward. The Yukon Blade Grinder looks forward to sharing the last of this interview next time. We do indeed thank the Seven Cities of Gold dancers for their hospitality. Glowing in my dreams like hallucinations, Glitter in the sun like a revelation. Distant as a comet or a constellation

I hope my copy arrives soon... WTF? My copy is supposed to be shipped today with possible delivery tomorrow. Fingers crossed. nope... still waiting. sigh! Pre-ordering on Amazon was not the way to go this time. Guess what? I finally received Clockwork Angels! Thanks Amazon and Canada Post. I will watch it this coming weekend, which will be my first chance. There is a saying - Good things come to those that wait.

:( Pack? Have I been left to fend for myself in the Twilight Zone? http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-sad058.gif No no no my friend! I'm back. We're roomies! I'm sure that warms the cockles eh?

:( Pack? Have I been left to fend for myself in the Twilight Zone? http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-sad058.gif

Oh my. Who would have thought? I might as well give up the day job and become a tourist guide for Rush fans. "Rush Rome Tours"! How's that sounds? Uhu?

A Facebook Messenger conversation between myself and another Geddycorn. "What's ur address crazy girl?" "Are you sending Geddy? Naked and in a cake? Oh god I could lick frosting off of him for hours until I developed diabetes." :laughing guy:

So I couldn't find the "Cats" thread "A new pair of jeans sitt'in on the counter with a couple piece's of mail on top? A great place to sleep for the day!" http://s22.postimg.org/4t1h9ft8x/IMAG0166.jpg

I didn't get to see my first Rush concert until last year and my husband hadn't seen them since 1980-ish. So we were both really excited to hear Tom Sawyer and 2112 and all of that jazz. I have friends that go anywhere from 3 to nearly all of the shows each tour and they still get excited to hear them because well... they're Rush fans and we all know how weird and obsessive we can be. I mean on the CA Tour we got almost the entire new album for the second set and songs that hadn't been played in years, if ever, for the first set. Usually they play the older "standards" if you will, at the end of the concert so if you feel like it, you may make your exit and avoid traffic while the rest of us stay inside and go crazy.

I ran a mile and a quarter at the gym this morning without stopping. I was relatively easy too!! :dweez:

I am really shocked at the behavior and the things said to you by health professionals. You have no reason to be treated that way. I don't have much to recommend in the way of treatments or options. I have had my share of injury and accidents. Currently I have a knee that isn't quite on the socket, I have degenerative disc in my neck from two accidents (one on my bike and one in my car) Right now I find it hard to walk because of issues I am having with my hip. I can tell you what has helped for me, but your case seems much more severe than mine. But my healing has included yoga, a vegetarian diet, watching the acidity of my foods to try and keep inflammation down, acupuncture, juicing, and keeping it light on the weight machines. The weights really helped even though I confess they were very uncomfortable at first and would leave me aching for days but as I built the muscle up the pain greatly decreased. Anyway, hope some of that helps. I know how tricky it can be trying to deal with these issues and having to go from one health care provider to the other and the costs... don't even get me started.

November 25, 2013: Electric Kool-Aid Acid Stomach Edition http://www.digitaloperative.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/KoolAidMan_Fullpic_2.png Several stories have broken in just the last couple of days regarding the Rushgoober scandal that has reached as far as Neverland Ranch and The Vatican. We now have confirmed video brought to us by a cult follower who claims to have ingested a Jesus Juice-like Kool-Aid mixture containing Holy Water and bathtub gin: As you can see, the playing of Rush’s Vapor Trails album was necessary to induce vomiting in this case. The anonymous source says that other drastic methods used to remove said Kool-Aid mixture included massive doses of Dirxst fan fiction and some demo CD’s from a bad Rush tribute band called Hurry Yourself. “We needed to take the most extreme measures we could think of.” Said the cult member. “Rushgoober doesn’t know we’re alive, so don’t post this online because he might be lurking.” The source also claims that Rushgoober tried to win back favor from The Pope by imitating St. Francis of Assisi and removing all of his clothing in front of him to show his sense of austerity. The Pope could not be reached for comment, as his aides have told us that he’s currently holed up and saying The Rosary repeatedly.

This is a no brainer for me: Caress of Steel. The majority of the album has never been played live, and we have only good recordings for about 8 of the 40 minutes of amazing, epic music on this album. Having a great live version of this album would do the most to fill the hole of Rush music without good live versions available.

Hemipsheres Hemipsheres Hemipsheres! Yeah, let's hear that, live, all at once, eh! http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z33/bfwgjma/Rush%202010%20Shoreline/111.jpg

I think I finally hit a sweet spot with my tuner and sub. Took a while! Still not getting a great overall sounding mix though. Alex sounds great throughout. Neil and Geddy only occasionally sound great, while other times a little burried. Strings sound good. I'm not getting hung up on the mix. I'm getting it to sound as good as I can, then I'm enjoying the hell out of it- just like everything else Rush has released with less than stellar sound.

Another stellar effort despite your circumstances. Hold on tight, every little thing gonna be alright. I'm afraid Lorraine hooked up with Norman and Kato...bet she's having the time of her life. I aarived at the Thistle Dew only to find a note in the shower stating you went to buy some chocolate syrup. Cool, I'll just peruse Lorraine's luggage and she how she likes to travel. I keep hearing this vibrating noise and I can't seem to isolate its location

This is priceless. Good one dude!

It was cool of Francis to show me his Rush bobbleheads

It's probably difficult to cater for everyone. I'm a long time fan of 34 years who when younger dreamed of Rush touring to New Zealand or at least Australia. So to be finally be Ina position to afford to fly over 7500 miles to see them live last year, I was glad they played some of the classics. I love Clockwork Angels so was really pleased with the whole set list, for me the greatest concert experience of my life. I enjoyed seeing and hearing Limelight, Tom Sawyer, YYZ, Spirit of Radio, Subdivisions, 2112, and as a long time fan loved the rest of the set which was pretty much more less popular material. I think as a casual fan, half a dozen or so of the classics / more popular songs is important. I really feel Rush think it through and do try to cater for the hard core fan the "greatest hits" fan and the casual fan and the long term hardcore fan (like me) who has waited over 30 years for their first (and most likely, unfortunately) only show.

facts a fact from Rome to Gnome boy... :ebert: I drown in tears. :LMAO:

Watching now....about half way through and the audio for me is balanced, I can hear everything just fine. I guess it depends on your setup. One thing i will say, the playing is OUTSTANDING and Clockwork Angels (song) in my opinion sound like it was ment(engineered) to be played live.....WOW

Practiced telling jokes with my son. My fav: 4. Why Do Ducks Have Flat Feet? To stamp out forest fires. Why Do Elephants Have Flat Feet? To stamp out flaming ducks.

Did everyone notice in the documentary when the orchestra members were doing a little jam it was Red Barchetta?

Watching Wizard of Oz with the fam.

Wizard of OZ

I love his solo in Don't Stop Believing

The reality is not everyone has seen them 10 times since the Hemispheres tour. Some younger fans have never seen them before, and expect to hear certain staples. Rush, more than almost any other band of their "vintage" plays a pretty diverse set list. Go see Black Sabbath. You'll hear the same 12 songs they've been playing with Ozzy since forever.

They played 19 songs on this tour that they did not play on the previous tour. Most bands don't play 19 total. The ones they repeated get the biggest crowd response. I like what they do with the set lists.

Xanadu—ESL

I've only seen Rush twice and they were both on this tour. I would love to see Working Man, Closer To The Heart and Limelight. Along with The Trees, Fly By Night, Anthem and I'll stop my list before I name everything. I'll take whatever they play.

No. The shows were great as is.

I agree with gemini. This is getting ridiculous with all the merchandise, Yes, it's absurd that this band offers everything they can to their devoted fan base and give people the decision to buy or not to buy.