KenJennings

My favorite Big Big Train song: Big Big Train is one of the most interesting things happening in prog today. This is a big big loss to the genre, and just terribly sad.

Thanks everyone! I can't believe it's been 16 years. This place has a crazy way of bringing you back!

This will only be true when sentences like this no longer need to be uttered (which you did, twice, in your short writeup). Definitely a band worth checking out. Hopefully they can break free of the confines of their name and musical history to appeal to a wider range of potential fans. :eyeroll:

Ah excellent, The Synth Era! They don't actually have much in the way of keys. So it might be more apt to compare them to the Counterparts/Roll the Bones era.

Pumped that I got my copy of YYNOT's next release yesterday, signed and numbered 3/1000. I've only given it a few listens so far, but it's a great direction for the band. They continue to develop a unique and independent take from their roots as a Rush tribute band. I'd say they're moving decidedly in the pop direction, but still nailing those prog notes that anchor their sound. I also love the earnesty and lack of pretense in their bright, optimistic singalong lyrics. The musicianship remains at an A+ level, and their signature love and passion pours through this effort as usual. This band started out as a loving imitation of Rush. But they've really grown into something more. YYNOT is decidedly their own band now, and they're one of my absolute favorites in rotation today. If you haven't heard of them, check them out. And if You're interested, please throw them some jingle and buy this new album!

Wow. This was unexpected. I thought they were done. Sweet track and can't wait to hear more.

Totally depends on the context. I just bought a 2021 Buick, so this is what I'll be driving for the foreseeable future. (A couple years.) I just had surgery, so I won't be golfing in the foreseeable future. (A couple months.) The Timberwolves have a tough schedule upcoming. I don't see them winning much in foreseeable future. (A couple weeks.)

Odds of N flips being the same... 1: 1 2: 1/2 3: 1/4 4: 1/18 5: 1/16 6: 1/32 7: 1/64 8: 1/128 9: 1/256 10: 1/512 11: 1/1024 12: 1/2048 ... I stand by my ~10+ breaking point. 1 in 1000 starts to feel pretty exceptional.

Statistical anomalies happen. But getting into the ten plus range, I want to know what's going on.

I had my third dose last week. I get little nervous about each dose, because after I had my first dose back in March, my appendix burst and I was in surgery a week later (and that is the single most common severe adverse reaction to the Pfizer vaccine according to clinical trials). But I've talked it over with my doctor and decided to move forward with additional doses (after all, I don't have an appendix to worry about anymore), neither of which have given me any side effects.

The band is doing just fine without him. Portnoy is in 37 different bands. There's plenty of ways to hear him play. At one point, Dream Theater was easily my second favorite band. But this album marks three straight that have fallen completely flat for me. Meanwhile, Flying Colors has risen to be one of my favorite prog groups. Portnoy's influence in Dream Theater is sorely missing. I miss this band.

I miss Mike Portnoy.

I'm glad I stuck with this album, and then gave it a revisit a few months later. My first impressions weren't fair, and this album has grown into one of my favorites. I was just listening yesterday and was thinking this is my 2021 album of the year to date. The darker tone of Day and Age fits the lyrics so well, and the album becomes incredibly thematic- almost to the point of a concept album toward the end. Terrestrial, Island Life and Kill the Orchestra stand out as absolute masterpieces. It didn't grab me initially, but now to me, it's the sound of 2021.

I don't really care what the economic impact would be, we'd all be better off if Facebook had just never come back online.

https://babylonbee.c...d-clips-all-day

Double post.

There's a bit on "Me Doing Stand Up", and it's not in every version of the recording, where he's talking about drawing the blinds in his bedroom. And he's saying how you only draw the blinds when you're about to do something shameful. You'd never draw the blinds when you're baking a pie for the old lady down the street. She doesn't do much baking for herself anymore, why she's got arthritis in her hands and has lost the ability to kneed. Those tangential little comments. Good Lord, I'm going to miss those. I've been thinking about why this loss hurts so much. When someone dies that's older or even just washed up, you feel sad, but you can accept it because they didn't really have anything left to say. You could close the book knowing the story had been written to completion. I don't feel that way here. I still need Norm, I could use his perspective, I still find a lot of utility in the way he thinks and communicates. There just isn't another source of that, and the demand isn't sated. I feel a greedy sense of loss. I just wasn't ready to close this book. But I'm so thankful to have read what I got.

I've had a link to this video in my signature for many years. It is my favorite joke of all time, and probably always will be.

Ten years ago I would've said Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger. But I fear that has slipped from Classic Rock to Oldies. Which is weird, because it's not even THAT old. I just feel like it played to an older sound than a lot of other songs in that era. So now, I think I'd go with a song that's just two years newer with Don't Stop Believing by Journey. It's definitely overplayed, but almost universally one that people sing along to. It's got the easy to digest four chords of pop rock, and vocals that just pull you in as a wannabe participant. It's bright, uplifting and energetic- and I think it best defines today's view of classic rock.

That will happen when you have nothing to really apologize for.

Crush him with a boulder! lol

Richards is a fantastic choice. The smear campaign going on against him is despicable, and people should be ashamed for parroting it without actually looking into the facts. (Richards literally did nothing wrong, and the court dismissed all of the accusations against him.) And there's also the nonsense notion that he "hired himself", when it's been clear that this is Sony picture's decision. He won the job by being a great choice. Lose the politics and get over the fact that it's not your guy.

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the well wishes!