Czar Clarke Target of Hate Crime: Irony In Play!

I've written a few posts about 5th District Councilman Darrell Clarke a few times. He's written bills that would have tracked everything from beer, to cigarettes, to spray paint and even Sharpie markers. He's even tried to pass zoning laws that would classify restaurants the same way as STRIP CLUBS!

And people wonder why I don't trust City Council. YEESH!

But all of this hate started when I found out last fall that he wanted to basically do away with the First Amendment and ban displaying swastika's, nooses, and burning crosses in public. If you don't agree with the symbols, fine, but just wearing these images on a shirt, putting it on an album cover, etc, isn't exactly wrong. I went into detail on this before, and you can read that blog post here.

So when I found out Czar Clarke was the target of a hate crime, the irony... well, poetic justice, of the situation wasn't lost on me.

City Councilman Darrell L. Clarke was the victim of an apparent hate crime, police and Clarke just told Philly Confidential.

Clarke said he walked outside his house this morning and found Nazi symbols and the letters "KKK" spray-painted on his car, a vehicle belonging to a relative of one of his staffers and another local resident's car. Crime Scene Unit investigators are currently dusting his car for prints while detectives try to determine what motivated the incident.

"Some idiot decided for whatever reason they needed to paint a swastika and 'KKK' all over my car," Clarke said. "I couldn't believe it."

Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said investigators "are treating this as a hate crime. It's disgusting and we're trying to get to the bottom of who is behind it."

SOURCE: Philadelphia Inquirer

Oh the sweet poetic justice of it all!

Well, it may be a hate crime, Czar Clarke, but was it because of your race or because of your idiotic bills? ....OK, it's most likely is race. Eh. You still suck.

LARRY WEST NOW SELLS SKATEBOARDS!!!!!!

ZAZZLE.COM just launched a way to design and sell skateboards, and the price is actually not too bad! They offer free Grip Tape, and the ability to buy a complete if you want.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW AND CHECK OUT THE SELECTION!!!!!!





http://www.zazzle.com/luvataciousskull*/products/pt-186

Megadeth and the Future of Web Design

A few days ago, I posted an article on why Web 2.0 sucks and pointed to a site that I consider to be the future of web design. Now, for all disclosure purposes, I've talked on and off with the Webmaster of Megadeth for nearly 4 years now, am a massive Megadeth fan, and even had Dave Mustaine help me out of a jam once. But I wanted to point out this site because it does something very few sites can do; combine an AWESOME design with GREAT functionality.

But I tend to talk too much. I was lucky enough to score an interview with the webmaster, Dave McRobb:

How long have you been working with Megadeth, and how did you meet Dave Mustaine?

Dave McRobb: 5 years. [I] Met Dave in 1995 backstage Youthansia tour. Earned a “Feed The Hungry” pass from local radio station by bringing in 2 cans of food. Megadeth were doing a food drive on that tour.

How did you create the FIRST Megadeth Site? What did it look like? What features did it have?

McRobb: I didn’t create the first Megadeth site. I believe it was Megadeth Airzona. Here is an archived page of it online http://web.archive.org/web/19980207015730/www.hollywoodandvine.com/megadeth/

What motivated you to get into web design?

McRobb: Always been technical minded. Loved computers. Worked here and there for friends’ bands. Set up a forum or two which got me into knowing how to works with code and databases, etc. Took on hosting and webmaster for Megadeth.com, then really snowballed from there.

Do you do your own coding? If so, how long have you been doing it? What programming languages are you good at?

McRobb: I do coding, yep. I also work together with others if need be. Approx 7 years. HTML, Cold Fusion, JavaScript, PHP, CSS (stylesheet language), mySql (databse management system), Flash (streaming animation) …you know, the regular old stuff. =)

What inspired and influenced the current Megadeth website and the content?

McRobb: Current Megadeth site inspired and influenced by the United Abominations album of course. The colors were loosely derived from the album. I wanted a state-of-the-art site compared to the last version. I wanted flash objects in an HTML/PHP coded page opposed to going all Flash. There were several little details I knew I wanted like the map, murals, logo and button placement, news section etc. I wanted a detailed Discography section and an epic photo gallery. New audio and video players. All those kind of things. And as always, as a site is being built, one gets inspired and comes up with ideas as it grows. All part of the creative process.

What do you think is the future of web design?

McRobb: Future… more and more sites designed in CSS. Flash design will surely grow and become more user friendly. More overall interactivity with the user. The web will continue to offer information and be a form of communication, selling products, etc which will always be considered when designing. Things change quickly with technology so it can be hard to say sometimes where things will go. But I look forward to it all!

Make sure you head over to the site at Megadeth.com. There's a new Megadeth album in the works and that can only mean McRobb is going to need to a new design, thus pushing even more the boundaries of web design.

Apperantly, Being Anti-Obama Pays

I can't make this stuff up:

Back in April, I realized I hated the people left standing. This included Obama, McCain, and Hillary Clinton and, in that order, I made and released a new piece a day based on them pointing out the main problem with them.

Now, in 2004, I'm sure that my anti-Bush shirts would have done incredibly well had I done one that was original (and, lets be honest, the market was flooded by then after 2 years of the hate).

Oddly enough, despite the fact that I've made all of these items within the same span of time (about a week) with a t-shirt and poster on Zazzle, and let me give you some numbers:

• Shirt OBAMA: OBEY FALSE MESSIAH 7
• Print OBAMA: OBEY FALSE MESSIAH Dist... 2
• Print John McCain: War Without End D... 1
• Print Hillary Clinton: LIES! 1
• Print OBAMA: OBEY FALSE MESSIAH 1
• Print John McCain: War Without End 1
• Shirt John McCain: War Without End 1
• Mug Your Candidate Sucks! The Mug! 1

So, let's boil this down. This means I've sold 10 Anti-Obama items, 3 Anti-McCain Items, and only 1 Anti-Clinton poster.

...I'm sorry, buy am I the only one who actually sees a problem here? I hate all these people and, granted, yes, I despise Obama the most (his ego is going to be our undoing, I know it)... but aren't people sick and tired of the Republican Party? Polls show that Americans want the Democrats to win, but are still leaning towards McCain.

So what is causing his effect? Is it that Obama is so famous that ANYTHING with his face or name on it, good or bad, means people will buy it willingly? Is McCain really THAT more likable to Obama? And are people over their Anti-Clinton feelings? Is it because of the design? It's also worth noting that sales have picked up of this anti-Obama gear since the Democratic National Convention started.

The odd thing is that I actually prefer the design of the McCain one, but I enjoy the message and the pop-culture feel of the Obama one. Maybe people are going on the same feeling.

Or maybe they just hate Obama. Who knows.

Redesigning My Website: War Journal 9: One Evil Comes a Million Follow

Grrr....

Well, nothing beats having a website turn on you, especially when you don't know at all what the hell your doing anymore.

It's been about a week now since I've decided to start this site redesign project and I guess the best thing to say, and to reassure anyone who wants to hire me, is the successes I've had thus far:

• I've learned a LOT about CSS coding, including making a background image a link.
• How to create and code a web design that not only looks great, but works great!
• The importance of CSS and XHTML Validation and compliance.
• Really, really good SEO tips.

And now, the problems:

• Realizing that not know anything about MySQL is now a problem in "Web 2.0".
• Wordpress only takes "5 minutes to install" only if you know what your doing and your database is already set-up.
• My CSS Coding needs some very small tweaking work.

I can make a version of the site to launch that will work tomorrow if I wanted to, but I decided that the best thing I can do is just hold off until it's done and all my errors are done. This may end my updates for a while in the War Journal. I'll do a CD roundup for the last week tomorrow, time permitting, and I just won't have links to Amazon on them since, well, it's like 50 CD's.

But I will show you my new photo:

Yes, for some reason, I decided my ugly mug was worth posting a new photo of. I'm in my Minor Threat photo. If you get the reference, good for you!

Redesigning My Website: War Journal 8: Home Stretch?

So, this is the longest it's taken me to do a site ever. That's only because I tend to stay awake and work non-stop on a site until it's done. This time I wasn't able to, so it's been hanging over my head since I started designing since Friday. I was able to write that article earlier today because, frankly, I could.

Right now, here's what's left:

• Cleaning up some XHTML errors.
• Getting a Form to work.
• Taking care of Internet Explorer Bugs.
• Stopping 99.99% of all browser errors.
• Creating images for one page in my site.
• Deciding what to do for a portfolio page.
• Getting a blog for the site.
• Finally getting a certain freebies page to work.

The overall time shouldn't be too bad. I lost a few hours of work because I headed out and relaxed with a friend for a bit, and I got some food. Also got the new Motorhead album, Motorizer. It kicks ass.

Also, a few design Bloggers have been checking out my "Your Website SUCKS!" post. No comments or anything yet, but I am doing an interview with someone, so look for it soon!

YOUR WEBSITE SUCKS!!! - Quickie Comment on the Post

I forgot to mention this: I am, by no means, saying I'm perfect or even close. I'm not. Right now, the site you see at Larry West Productions breaks a few rules of good web design. For starters, I have a splash page.... well, really that's the only problem. That, and I have all my images opening in a new window since I don't have Lightbox installed on it.

I'm going to have another post soon where I clean up a lot of what I just said and basically have a much more coherent article where I talk more about cleaning it all up and making web sites cool again. Trust me, I've got a ton to write about and no time since, well, I'm rebuilding my current site.

So please, take what I wrote for what it is; a really pissed off artist who has a really small vocabulary.

YOUR WEB SITE SUCKS!!!: My Thoughts on "Modern" Web Design, 2.0

I am not a coder.

I want to state that now because a lot of so-called "web designers" are coders. There's a big difference between the two; Design denotes a sense artistic ability while coding is a skill. OR:

RIGHT-BRAINED = Arts
LEFT-BRAINED = Smarts

So, I'm right-minded. I love art, weird stuff, and and generally creating hell. When it comes to making them happen... well, I won't lie, I'm not great at it. My best friend is a coder and he's given me a ton of help and I couldn't repay him enough. A lot of my friends are more left-brained than right because, just like your brain, you need both left and right in order to get something done. In turn, you can't have a great website without both a great design and a working, functional, and correct code.

I mention all of that just so I can say this: YOUR WEBSITE SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fuck, I can't get close to enough exclamation points for this one! Seriously, it does. Why does it suck? Because you decided to go that horribly lame, over-used, suburban, cookie-cutter, god-awful terrible, idiotic, horrible, gag-inducing design known as WEB 2.0. Well, I'm here to tell you YOU SUCK! YOU FUCKING SUCK!

God, that felt good. REAL good. You have no idea how long I wanted to scream that at the top of my e-lungs.

OK, being constructive now, yes, your website is a horrible abomination to web design. Why? Because your making the web ugly again. Very, very ugly. Now, if your like me, you regularly head over to web design blogs and marvel at how cool they look, the awesome tutorials, and want to aspire to create something great. In turn, your not sure what to do for your own design. If your like me, you design a site in Photoshop, use image ready, plop it into Dreamweaver and BAM! You got yourself a website. But show the code to a coder... and, well, say hello to a new orifice in your body.

Too often web design has become about "trends". It's a fairly recent thing, really, when you consider that anyone and everyone had their own idea of what a website should be up until 2004. By then, everyone had basically been online and came to expect things, like a navigation bar at the top of the page, content, not to be bombarded with flashing text, etc... basically, whatever you see on MySpace now.

In turn, the internet has accepted some insanely boring web design practices, and I won't call it the "Web 2.0" look. No. It's "Earthy". I wish I was kidding.

I'm going to use an example. I'm going to sound mean because, frankly, I'm sick of seeing this stuff happen. Now, this is a great site and I, personally, hate the re-design. That's me. But this is what I mean:


Now, the design isn't bad. As much as I may say something "sucks", it's because I have a limited vocabulary and I just love saying that word. A lot. But I hate the fact that the trend now is to take all the interesting and cool-looking concepts and instead create this ultra-sleek and "modern" style of site with soft gradients. It looks nice in and of itself, but god, that's 99% of the web it seems.

The "earthy" web design is the trend because, let's face it, America as a nation is coming into an age where we no longer see ourselves as immortal; we really understand that the earth matters and we need to conserve energy and reduce waste. We translate that into our once-crowded and jumbled websites and, in turn, have created a design that is insanely boring.

We've created sites where content is king, but the content tends to be boring and nothing more than a place holder for the blog we're really pushing instead. The design of this blog, for example, is boring. I hate it. I haven't done much to change it since, frankly, I don't really care. I just come here to rant. But that's my point. The blog is king in terms of websites now, and the design isn't.

Example? OK.

Here's a link to an AWESOME tutorial on making a website with Photohshop. The problem? Would you ever want to go to a site like that? Seriously, would you? Me? Only if it had some sweet content.



Now, I've spent all this time complaining about web site design and not offering solutions. So what do I think should be the new trend? Simple: Be yourselves again.

To me, a good website is defined by the personality of the site. Navigation and content needs to be simple to understand and you should be able to tell what's going on in the first 4 seconds. I'll go more in all of this later, but a few of my favorite sites will explain it better:


MEGADETH.COM - Welcome to the next evolution of web design! Dave McRobb has been designing the Megadeth.com site since it first came out in 1995, the FIRST band web site ever, mind you. The current version uses a flash navigation that loads quickly and looks great. The content is updated daily, and there's more than enough reason for anyone to keep coming back. The design is top-notch, fun, interesting, and makes you want to come back for more.


GOMEDIAZINE.COM - The site has a really interesting design, great articles and advice, and is just overall very nice. It's how to use the Web 2.0 philopshy and still have an interesting site.

These articles ha more than I can post:

• Irresistible Websites Part One
  
• 40 Beautiful And Inspirational Website Designs
  

Thanks to School Is In Session - 100 Design Articles To Keep You Motivated : Part 1

Now, all of this wasn't simply to insult or tear down people who do or want that look; on the contrary, I actually like the design to a degree. I think it sucks that everyone is doing it and, in turn, is ruining an otherwise decent aesthetic value. It's like going from your house to some urban apartment loft; your house is a little messy and it's use. That person with the apartment has next to nothing in it, it looks really clean and minimalistic. Then again, that person most likely doesn't have the money to get "Stuff" for it, anyway.

In the end, I just want people to just start using their right brain instead of their left when it comes to design. I'm a damn good designer, but I suck at coding. I'll post more later, but for now... consider this part 1.

2008: The Year Metal Came Roaring Back

• AC/DC is getting ready to release a new album.
• Metallica's new album is coming out soon. The tracks released thus far kick ass!
• Slayer is writing a new album, should be out soon.
• Lamb of God are writing a new album which should be released next year.
• Anthrax has a new singer, new album in the works.
• Amen new album in works.
• Motorhead releases Motorizer today, touring this fall.
• Slipknot and Dragonforce released new albums today as well.

God damn it's great to be a metal head!

Redesigning My Website: War Journal 7: Half-Way There

Short entry since I need to go to bed and wake up in... damn, 5 1/2 hours and counting.

So, what isn't happening first:

• I'm not using a CMS system since I only have one page where the content will really change.
• The first published version will not have a floating footer.

What WILL Happen:

• The CSS Coding will be 100% W3C Complaint
• I'll fix nearly all the errors I have to make it XHTML Compliant

Now, ever better, what IS happening! I just installed Lightbox so all the images will open in Javascript instead of a new window. It looks really nice!

Right now, the problem is how I plan on laying out the content. Yes, it's sad: I waited to do this last. Four out of 13 pages are set, 8 out of 13 are close to a final layout, and the other one just need me to roll up my sleeves.

Redesigning My Website: War Journal 6: The Battle of CSS Positioning

I hate CSS positioning. A lot. Then again, you only hate something like this when you can't get it to work for you.

Also, I want to take some time to complain about W3 standards, at least to some degree.

A neutral validation service, W3 has been basically defining what it means to have a site that works in all browsers. Admittedly, the validation seems so incredibly anal retentive it's sick. Want an example? Twitter gives a code that allows you to put their code on your page. The problem? The code they have leaves one tiny little list object.

The result:

Line 385, Column 57: end tag for "ul" which is not finished.

It leaves a small open list thing since, without it, the content doesn't work properly. My friend, who's site is 100% XHML complaint, told me not to worry about it. It's only getting under my skin because that one tiny thing is holding my back from actually having a perfect page. ...OK, at least in terms of XHML coding. CSS wise, it's fine, but the positioning thing is really less about valid CSS than making it right in the eyes of coders. But that's something else.

If you do a W3 Validator search on what may be some of your favorite sites, you'll see that about 99% of them aren't valid. My favorite band's site, Megadeth... well, it's a lot. 291 Errors, and 194 Warnings. Anthrax? 64 errors, 16 warnings. Nettuts, an awesome website dedicated to helping designers create awesome and valid websites. Their results? 102 Errors, 53 warning.

To me, it isn't a total holy grail for a web designer since, well, a lot of great sites that work fine and look great aren't valid. This doesn't mean I'm trying to forgive the sites, mind you. A lot of them should be valid in all browsers... and they are. The errors are mainly dealing with some rather odd occurances that don't realy effect the site at all. But I guess all I'm saying is that the validation is really cool.

At the same time, save my friends site, I really haven't seen a Fully W3 Complaint website that looks cool. Not one. They all seem to suck. It's like they all have one thing in common; being so damn over-simplified that, in reallity, it isn't exactly that much different than the websites that populated the internet when it first started. Here's one site that is 100% complaint. It's a fairly nice design, but really, it's so slick and clean it doesn't seem like something that I would ever go to.

Eh, I'm just rambling.

Redesigning My Website: War Journal 5

Long day winding down way too soon.

I've got to go to work tomorrow, I've lost about 8 hours of sleep the last two days combined, and my site isn't done yet. The CSS coding is 90% done. The main thing left is basically cleaning up my code. I'm considering not doing a drop-down menu, but I may change my mind. I'm still stuck cutting up the images, but other than that, my site is a good 75% done.

Redesigning My Website: War Journal 4

One hell of a day, huh?

Well, it's 2:34 AM and I am exhausted. I want to finish this site... but I want to sleep first. Coding most likely is going to kill my Sunday, and I guess doing a few things I had in mind is out the question. Right now, the site is giving me a few problems that will need to wait until tomorrow, so consider this a peek for now and a checklist for myself:

• Finish getting images ready for the site.
• Start learning that CMS so I know how to start update and managing contnet.
• Get the image I want to go to the bottom of the page to go there and stay.
• Make sure the footer stays where I want it to.
• Make images for CSS.
• Build the 13 other pages of the site.
• Get the lightbox thing for the portfolio.
  

That's about it. Long, long day ahead.

Redesigning My Website: War Journal 3

OK, the design for the main page is wrapped up and I'm pretty psyched about it!

The next steps are going to be more complicated. I now need to design the layout for a few more pages, as well as content. A few things are in the work and it's going to be a pain to get done.

Also, I'm going to do more SEO (Search Engine Optimization) work on the site as well. A few of my old tricks (Meta tags) aren't exactly working anymore, so I'm going to use a few tricks I've learned over the past year and, well, yeah.

Once all is said and done, I will gladly post that the site is 100% W3 CSS Complaint.

Right now, I'm trying to decide if I'm going to have a drop-down menu for the site. It's leaning towards a yes.

Here's a quick list of sites I'm using for inspiration so maybe you'll get an idea of what I'm doing:

• http://www.k3n.com
• http://blambot.com
• http://lopezstudios.com/

We'll see where this site goes. Normally, I don't even sleep until one of these things are done. So far, I'm sleeping and still having something of a life. But I'm still spending a ton of time thinking about this site and getting it done. I'm pretty happy so far.

Redesigning My Website: War Journal 2

I'm currently talking to my friend through AIM on how to refine the site since the design is 99% close to done. Right now, there's a few changes involving content and language, and just how to do a few things.

As for what it's going to look like when it's done... no hints. This site is just going to kick ass now!

I'm going to start studying more about CMS and, hopefully, will understand it.

Redesigning My Website: War Journal 1

So, as you may have noticed, this blog has been really quiet lately.

Right now, I'm in the middle of a massive project: Re-branding and re-launching Larry West Productions. Everything from the website to the logo is getting redone. In doing so, I decided to start tossing aside a few things and add new things as well.

So, my list of things that are leaving (I hope):

• Abandoning Dreamweaver-only and code-heavy updates by using a Content Management System (CMS)
• No more splash page
• New images opening in new windows

What I want to do:

• Create a more "modern" website that's still me
• Have new images open in some really cool way
• Incorporating more Web 2.0 and even 3.0 ideas
• Launch the Skateboard company
• Optimize the site for 1024 x 768 screens
• Have the design work for larger browser windows

That's it for now. I want to start posting comps and the design, but I really want it to be more of a surprise when it's all done. I've never used a CMS system, but more and more it's not only becoming standard, but no one is exactly thrilled with having to pay someone to update their website for them. Content Management Systems act as the middle-man that allows people to do an otherwise complicated thing. In essence, it really is the next logical step.

Now, I don't want people to think I did it out of pressure; I was pumped when I did the original website, and now I'm still really proud of it. I'm doing the design because I want to start learning a lot more about current practices in web design, coding, and management. I've been doing this stuff since 2002... and I haven't exactly been happy about growing up.

So look for periodic posts this weekend.

ROB HALFORD: 'I Don't Think A Straight Man Can Do My Job In JUDAS PRIEST'

.....seriously, do I even have to comment?

Blabbermouth.net posted this story today and this was the photo they used. Yes, Rob, I agree.

It's Official: METALLICA KICKS ASS AGAIN!

Mental Exhaustion

Mentally, I feel like I'm running laps.

Keeping this one brief: There's a few personal projects I want to start, finish, and start promoting before the month ends... it's going to be nothing short of insane doing them all.

Won't say what or even what type yet, I want it to be a shock for a massive roll out I have planed.

Watch this space.

Frank Miller's Ronin is BETTER Than Alan Moores Watchmen

I'll say it again: Frank Miller's "Ronin" is better than Alan Moore's "Watchmen".

Any comic book fan, in fact, anyone paying attention to Hollywood, has by now heard that Watchmen by Alan Moore is considered to be the single greatest graphic novel ever written. But today I will debate why.

Watchmen is brilliant, no doubt there. The book is a testament to what Alan Moore sought out to do, and that was to completely turn the comic book world on it's head. Moore's writing is strong, brilliant, and the attention to detail in both the art and the writing is astounding. The device of the "comic-in-a-comic" with The Black Pearl, as well as the multiple layers of stories and back story... amazing.

But in comparison, Frank Miller's Ronin does much of the same, only streamlining it and making it a lot more entertaining.

Miller's influence in the book was Manga, and the result was astounding. The series pre-dates Moore's by about 2 to 3 years, and at least 1 year before Moore began writing it. Ronin took the comic book genre and took it not just for a spin, but it basically did things no one could imagine. The book actually was one of the most popular titles at the time, inspiring the creation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The book centers around a 13th-Century Ronin who is reincarnated in a dystopian New York City. He is reincarnated into the body of a amputee named Billy within a massive bio-mechanical "living" structure name Aquarius. The story is simply brilliant, has a million twists and turns, and really, it does the book an injustice for me to try. I bought the book on name alone and knew nothing about it. It's a great read and the ending is simply amazing!

Now, why would I say it's better than Watchmen? For starters, Ronin actually kept me entertained. Yes, it may seem odd, but it keeping me entertained means a lot. Example: "High Society" by Cerebus. I don't know why I bought it, but I actually sat down and read the entire thing in one sitting. The book is over 1000 pages long. AND I have ADD. Keeping me still and entertained is hard, and Ronin did that at over 400 pages. Yes, it matters.

Not only that, but the writing was more interesting. Why Alan Moore took a much more academic approach, question the human psyche and how and why super hero's would act, Ronin was the same... only when asked about robots and mankind's mindset about creating artificial life. The way the machine reacts to the reincarnation was incredible.

At the same time, the comparison is, in a sense, apples and oranges.

Watchmen deals more about Superheros and deconstructing them while Ronin is about a failed Samaurai in a dystopian future. Each authors take on their respective genre is brilliant, and neither book is lesser for it. But Ronin is better in my eyes because it had less filler, streamlined the story while still pulling at the heart strings.

Ronin was really just more fun and a more thought-provoking read to me. The book asks not only if a machine would rise up against us... but what would this artificial technology do? What would it's motives be? How would it act? The story of the Ronin is, in fact, not the point and the more you read, the more you see why. The book contains love, betrayal, beauty, horror, action and drama... admittedly, it has some weak moments, and Frank Miller's art was only second to the story in this case (We were all young once, right?), but overall.... BRILLIANT!

8-Album Mind: Gabba Gabba Gabba HEY! Punk Rock Fans!

The Ramones - Road to Ruin ♠♠♠♠♠
The Ramones - Pleasant Dreams ♠♠♠
The Ramones - Weird Tales of The Ramones ♠♠♠♠
Ratt - Out of the Cellar ???
Rebel Meets Rebel - Rebel Meets Rebel ♠♠♠♠
Revolting Cocks - Cocked and Loaded ♠♠♠
Rock Against Bush, Vol 1. ♠♠♠♠♠

OK, not something really to go on and on about this time. Save Rock Against Bush, everything was on the chopping block. Ramones caught my attention and are now saved, while Ratt needs another listen if only because I really wasn't paying attention to it at the time. Rebel Meets Rebel finally clicked since the metal/country overlap does work well. Meanwhile, Revolting Cock's last effort, Cocked and Loaded, was loaded with filler. "Prune Tang", "Revolting Cock au Lait", and "Viagra Culture".

Without a doubt, Rock Against Bush Vol 1. is one of the greatest punk comps ever, taking tracks from NoFX, SUM 41, The Offspring, Social Distortion, Pennywise, and more.

Lower the Drinking Age?!

Scores of college presidents, including the head of Maryland's public university system and the president of Johns Hopkins University, have an unexpected request for legislators: Please, lower the drinking age.

The Amethyst Initiative, launched in July, is a coalition of college presidents who say that the legal drinking age of 21 encourages binge drinking on campuses. William Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, William Brody, president of Johns Hopkins, C.D. Mote Jr. of the University of Maryland and the presidents of Washington and Lee, Sweet Briar, Towson, Randolph-Macon, Duke, Tufts, Dartmouth and others have signed on to the effort.

It is likely to be difficult politically to change the drinking age, which has been 21 since the mid-1980s.

In a survey released yesterday by Nationwide Insurance, which is hosting a symposium on binge drinking in Washington in November with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 75 percent of adults said they support tougher enforcement of existing drinking laws.

SOURCE: Washington Post


OK, I'll be blunt: I'm against lowering the drinking age. Yes, the same man who wanted to lower the age so he could run for mayor to 18 doesn't believe 18-year-olds should be legally allowed to drink. Why?

The reasoning for the law-change is rather... well, dumb. The reasoning is that since it's illegal, most people ignore the law anyway, so why not change it? Sadly, that doesn't work 99% of the time. When it comes to legal marijuana use (I don't like drugs, but honestly, prohibition isn't, and never has, worked), I'm for it. This? Not so much.

College presidents are the one's pushing it, and for that alone, you should be suspicious. Why? Because these same fucks want you to attend their colleges so they can make money! These same bastards don't want their precious university to get sued every time some bone-headed minor drinks themselves stupid! The reasoning for the law change isn't to do anything positive for society, just for the people running the frat houses.

I'm going to agree with MADD on this; Drunk driving accidents with teens HAVE dropped since the 1984 law was enacted. Not only that, but most 18-year-olds aren't even close to being mature enough to drink responsibly. Their far too happy to drink themselves stupid and go overboard, and have.

Me? I didn't even want a drink until I was 22. My mom gave me wine when I was 10, I hated the experience, and that was it. Today, I rarely, if ever, drink. Why? Because my parents rarely ever drank except for special occasions. When they did drink, it was VERY responsibly and it never got out of control. They taught me something over my 19 years with them; drinking isn't a be-all, end-all activity. You don't have to drink in order to be happy and enjoy life, and the occasional drink won't make you nuts.

Too many parents these days, and for the last 20 years since the hippy movement, treat their children as friends instead of their offspring. In turn, they teach them drinking is OK if your underage and, sometimes, even let them drink themselves stupid at home. Most parents reasons that their kid is just going to go drinking at a friends house, why not at their house where it's safe? DISGUSTING! Teach your god-damn kid drinking underage is wrong, explain why, explain the effects, and stop treating your goddamn kid like your goddamn friend!

When I went to a party during college with a lot of drinking and drug use, something I didn't do either of, I didn't freak out. I had a good time, turned down anyone who asked me if I wanted either, and that's it. It isn't hard. Teach a kid what to do right and that's all it takes. All the anti-drinking and anti-drug ads in the world can't have as much impact as a parent simply telling his child that something is wrong and explaining why.

No, keep the age 21. During those 3 years from 18 - 21, you actually learn a lot.

8-Album Mind: Lefties, Commies, and Hypocrites

Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire ♠♠♠
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime LIVE ♠♠♠♠ REVIEW
Rammstein - Sehnsucht ♠♠♠
Rammstein - Mutter ♠♠♠♠
Rammstein - Reise, Reise ♠♠♠♠♠
Rammstein - Rosenrot ♠♠♠♠

Rage Against the Machine... frankly, they're the band I love to hate. I hate the rapping, but I love the metal riffs. In particular, I hate the fact that for a band that preaches the greatness of anarchy and anti-capitalism they made their debut on SONY RECORDS. So far, I haven't read about them donating all the money they made to the homeless or anything, so I doubt they hate Capitalism that much, especially when you consider how much merch has their fuckin' name on it! I've been wanting to write a rant about these assholes for the longest time... look for it within the week.

Meanwhile, Queensryche first recording of Operation: Mindcrime is virtually flawless. The tiny imperfections by the band actually make the album worth buying, as well as the crowd screaming, "You'll never get away!" in "The Needle Lies", one of my favorite songs on the album.

Rammstein has always opposed facisim, and the song "Links 2,3,4" was written to basically tell the world that, no, they are not Nazi's. In fact, they went so far as to name the song "LEFT, 2, 3, 4". In fact (sorry), the number "two" pronounced in the song is similar to the Communist version of "2". The entire point was that they were not only lefties, but they were pretty far left. It would have worked.... if most people spoke Germany, too the time to actually understand and get the lyrics, and the song didn't use a military beat that sounded like, you guessed it, a Nazi Germany song. Seriously, I bought this album because that song made me think they WERE Nazi's. I'm sure I'm not exactly alone.

A lot of the reviews for Rammstein albums, namely after the 2nd (I never bought their first, Herzeleid). Oddly enough, Herzeleid is the #1 METAL ALBUM ON AMAZON.COM! No, seriously. At least it was when I posted it. For an album cover that looks like what would be a Backstret Boys album 2 years later, it seems that I should buy it. At any rate, every review for the band from Mutter - Rosenrot has always been how it wasn't as good as Shensucht. W

ell, Shensucht was mediocre at best! Seriously, think about it; in 1997, a good modern metal band was hard to find. Pantera had been around to long, Static-X was a year away, and Fear Factory was it. A bunch of Germans come over, take Fear Factory's concept and make it kick-ass-ier, and BAM! Great album for the time. Sense then, they're released "Reise, Reise", which I think is their best. It took what made the last two albums great and with "Amerika" and "Moskau", took the humor and political commentary to a head. "Mein Tell" was just incredible. That album stayed with me longer than I ever imagined it would.

Framing Revolution: The Future of Design?

I'm currently sitting at my desk looking at another piece I'm doing for work and I'm pounding my head over what to do. It has come to my attention that the year is now 2008, and the decade is, sadly, coming to an end. In this light, a new revolution in the world of art and graphic design is in order and I have decided to do something I rarely have been able to do in the past; start it.

Admittedly, for being a "non-conformist" and such, I have rarely not followed the trends in modern graphic design. The fact that the trends have leaned towards a more punk-influenced style in the past 2-3 years makes my job easier since I've been in that mindset my whole career, especially now. So now that the market has basically been flooded with this style, the want and demand will soon go down. A lot. For me, this is equivalent to a very possible extinction. Thus, the need to evolve and adapt has already grown in myself and, in turn, what I create and produce.

I do not know what tomorrow will bring for the art world. I can not guage trends, and I can not simply say that the revolution will be a simple one. My thoughts? This present form has been caused by the ravages of war tearing at the mindset of the population. Not only that, but the nostalgia of the 80's and it's style, high-gloss-meets-punk-and-pop, has returned full force. This started, as you may have guessed, 3 years ago and has grown largely since.

So what is the next evolutionary step?

Again, I don't have the answer. If I did, I doubt I would share them just yet. The trend seems to be odd to tell and hard to follow. I want to say a high-gloss approach will be it, but we're still in it. The "empty-white-room" is still a good trend that many follow... we've already hit abstraction and deconstruction, what's left?

8-Album Mind: Music So Good, Your Head Hurts

Punky Bruster - Cooked on Phonics ♠♠♠♠♠ REVIEW
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime ♠♠♠♠♠ REVIEW
Queensryche - Empire ♠♠♠♠
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine ♠♠♠♠♠
Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow ♠♠♠

I wound up getting a god-awful headache yesterday so this one got delayed until today. Well, the first two albums just plain kick ass. "Empire" was a good follow-up to "Operation: Mindcrime", and Rage Against the Machine gave me a headache. Rainbow's first album was OK, but the cover "Still I'm Sad" took the cake, as well as "Man on the Silver Mountain".

Literally, that's it. The reviews for the first two albums say more than I could right now.

OK, one more thing: Why the hell was that band called "RAINBOW"?! Seriously, what the hell were they thinking? What, did Dio and Blackmore have a meeting?

DIO: OK, I've got a bunch of ideas for band names! How about Dragonslayer, Elf, King Author, or, even better.. Dark River! Huh?
Blackmore: No, I say we call it Rainbow.
DIO: Rainbow?
Blackmore: Yeah, Rainbow.
DIO: .....we're going to play metal, really dark music about evil elves and dragons and such... as RAINBOW?
Blackmore: Yep. Naming it after that bar and grill in Hollywood.
Dio: ...............

Yeah, I wouldn't know what to say, either.

In A Band? Want Fans? ATTRACT ATTENTION TO YOUR BAND!!!!!!!!!!

DO IT! HIRE LARRY WEST NOW!

http://www.morisecomics.com
larrywest@morisecomics.com

8-Album Mind: All Killer Queen, No Filler Punk!

The Plasmatics - Put Your Love In Me: Love Songs for the Apocalypse ♠♠♠♠
Punk-O-Rama 6 ♠♠♠♠
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack ♠♠♠♠♠
Queen - A Night at the Opera ♠♠♠♠♠
Queen - A Day at the Races ♠♠♠♠♠
Punkzilla - The Compilation ♠♠♠♠♠
Queen - Live Killers ♠♠♠
The Plasmatics - Maggots: The Record ♠♠♠♠
The Plasmatics - Final Days: Anthems for the Apocalypse ♠♠♠♠♠

My absolute for The Plasmatics and Wendy O. Williams aside, I'll save my thoughts on their discography for later.

Queen. My god, I can't believe I considered selling these albums! "Sheer Heart Attack" is a classic album, notably for basically creating thrash metal with "Stone Cold Crazy". The way the tracks simply roll by as if it's one large piece of music, culminating in "The Lap of the Gods"... orgasmic. Simply orgasmic.

"A Night at the Opera" should easily become required listening for ANYONE with a taste in music whatsoever! The seamless blend of genres, from metal to hard rock to opera to almost everything in between... this album is simply perfect, not one imperfection in sight, and just going from "Death on Two Legs" to "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" cracks me up! "Day at the Races" is a decent listen. It falls in the shadow of the monolith that is "Night at the Opera", but still works incredibly well. Lets be honest, here; if you reached the top, your not going to duplicate it the next time around.

Also, yeah, "Live Killers"... that was actually one of the first albums I ever bought in my life, possibly one of my first 100 CD's (I've bought, owned, and sold off a total of over 1100 so far, although that's a bit of an estimate. A good one since I own nearly 1000 right now) when I was 14 in 1999. I was never thrilled with the album but, with time, I've basically got used to it. Queens right about the production, it really falls short. Really, I think if the surviving members of Queen simply went back to the master tapes and remixed and remastered it the result would be a million times better. Damn it, take a cue from Dave Mustaine!

Punkzilla and Punk-O-Rama 6 are really good comps of punk songs, both of them simply just being able to bring about some really great artists and really great songs. Punkzilla actually has material from AFI before they, lets face it, sold out their horror-punk style for commerical succcess. They also have material from The Offspring's S/T disc. Punk-O-Rama has a damn good line-up and, really, it's hard to pick any one band or track since they all seem to kick so much ass!

Finally, the Plasmatics. God-damn these comps are good! "Put Your Love in Me" and "Final Days: Anthems For the Apocalypse" are released under The Plasmatics name, but it can be reasonably argued that these are more Wendy O. Willams comps than anything else. After Coup d'Etat, The Plasmatics, for all intents and purposes, broke-up. The story actually is conflicting; the word from Wendy O and Rod Swanson, Rod being the man who created the band, stated constantly that they simply renamed the band. That, despite the fact that only Wes Beech the bassist and T.C. Tolliver from the Coup sessions as the drummer remained. By the time Maggots: The Record arrived, only Wendy and Wes remained and, really, it was just Wendy being a solo artist using the Plasmatics name. That's another day and another argument.

"Put Your Love in Me" is, in essence, what "Fuck You!!! And Loing It: A Wendy O. Willams Retrospective" should have been instead; Not released under the Plasmatics name but under Wendy's. A little over half of the 11 songs are Wendy's solo-work and the stand out tracks really are from her solo-career. The fact that it starts out with the incredibe song, "Fuck that Booty", just simply makes this a damn good comp.

Meanwhile, "Final Days" is THE defineative Plasmatics comp. It features THE best tracks by The Plasmatics group, from the "New Hope" to "Maggots". These really are the best of the best tracks, and I'm certian that a few of them, such as "Opus in Cm7", were never released before. Throwing in a Wendy O, track from her "thrash" rap-metal album (which actually pre-dates Anthrax's "I'm The Man", depending mainly on who you ask) "Lies", an incredible song that sounds more and more like something recorded today and may had inspired Frank Miller's story line about a "fake president" in The Dark Night Strikes Back, right down to Regan himself!

FIANLLY, Maggots: The Record. I don't have enough room or time to just explain this one, so look for a full review later. It is simply brilliant and stand-out track from this thrash metal opera are "Destoryers", "Propogators", and "Finale".

Is My Project... CURSED?!

Hands down, one of the weirdest posts I've ever done, but I'm just going to say it:

I think I have a project that's cursed.

Or, more accurately, God or some other force doesn't want to see it happen.

Since 2006, around the time I graduated college, I've had one idea in mind called "Nuns Behaving Badly". It's basically exactly what it sounds like. In that time, quite a few, ahem, "incidents" have happened. Nothing that I can give you a parallel to like "I drew this nun doing foul things with a cross like in The Exorcist and my mom died" kinda stuff... it just seems that whenever I draw something or actually start working on the series, something happens.

Just kind of a weird thing that's been on my mind.

Chinese Democracy to be Released By... WAL-MART?!

Ed Christman of Billboard.com reports that negotiations are underway for GUNS N' ROSES' long-delayed "Chinese Democracy" to come out as an exclusive at one of the big boxes — either Wal-Mart or Best Buy.

Negotiations are also ongoing to have conventional record company distribution, a source tells Billboard.com.

GUNS N' ROSES is now managed by Irving Azoff's Front Line Management, and Azoff is a well-known proponent of issuing albums exclusively through retailers. He released THE EAGLES' "Long Road Out of Eden" through Wal-Mart, much to the chagrin of other merchants.

Read the entire report from Billboard.com.

...please, god, no.

I've defended Guns 'n' Roses for years throughout this and I'm looking forward to this album. But releasing it only through Wal-Mart? God no! Look forward to any of the dangerous aspects of Guns 'n' Roses to be eliminated and sterilized. Best Buy would be the best road, since they don't exactly censor their music.

For Anyone in a Band That Wants Art, or Any Artist Who Wants to Work With Bands...

GoMediaZine just finished up an awesome article on the 15 Mistakes Made by Designers in the Music & Apparel Industry. It was a really good and interesting series and because I know there's a lot of great artists on this forum, and even more people with bands, I wanted to post this to help just about everyone.

I'll run down the rules and post links to the articles at the bottom:

The 15 Mistakes Made by Designers in the Music & Apparel Industry

• 1. Not Charging Enough
• 2. Ignoring Typography
• 3. Unprofessional Behavior
• 4. Over Promising
• 5. Not Understanding Apparel Production
• 6. Lack of Originality
• 7. Not Following Directions
• 8. Not Utilizing the Medium to it's Fullest
• 9. Lack of Respect for Other Designers
• 10. Delivering Files Before Getting Paid
• 11. Working for "Exposure"
• 12. Failure to Research a Client
• 13. Unclear Communication Up Front
• 14. Letting One Client be 40% of Your Income
• 15. Thin Skin - Unable to Take Criticism

The First 5 Rules: http://www.gomediazine.com/industry-...y-part-1-of-3/

Rules 6 - 10: http://www.gomediazine.com/industry-...stry-part-2-3/

Rules 11 - 15: http://www.gomediazine.com/industry-...stry-part-3-3/

Every illustrator and designer, both starting out and industry pro, has and will make these mistakes. Myself? I've made each mistake happen at least once, especially when I was first starting out. It's amazing that commercial art school, for all the time and money, doesn't teach you a lot of otherwise common-sense things.

One example? I had a job early in my career where I was excited for a lot of reasons, one being that it was a chance to work for someone who could lead to a lot of work. After doing a ton of work and revisions, and sending the original files and everything, I wound up never seeing a penny and getting promised "exposure". In this one job, I had virtually broken all 15 mistakes (save maybe one or two) and looking back, the outcome taught me a lot.

I recently had a client where I actually learn all of my lessons and me and my client came out on top. It was a win-win situation and we're both reaping the benefits of it.

If your just starting out as a designer or an illustrator and dream of working with bands like I did and, in fact, still do, these rules are really good to follow. I know that if I had followed these rules early on I would have saved a ton of aggravation and would have done a lot better.

Bands and musicians, I honestly hope you learn a bit from this before you start hiring an artist. I know a lot of people on here would never do anything to purposely hurt someone who wants to help them, but even when you don't think something you do is wrong, it still can be. I think not understanding the process that's involved can lead to a lot of problems and I personally like to try and help my clients understand it. Don't be afraid to ask any artist you hire how they work or what they're up to; communication tends to be key.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the post. It was a really cool series of articles and I hope I helped both the bands on here and my fellow artists who post here as well.

8-Album Mind: The Brainwashed Do Not Yet Know They Are Brainwashed

The Plasmatics - New Hope for the Wretched ♠♠♠
The Plasmatics - Metal Priestess (EP) ♠♠♠
The Plasmatics - Beyond the Valley of 1984 ♠♠♠♠♠
The Plasmatics - Coup D'Etat ♠♠♠♠♠
Punk-O-Rama III ♠♠♠♠
Punk-O-Rama 5 ♠♠♠

Things looking up, business picking up (sort of), and decided to listen one of my favorite bands, The Plasmatics. The Plasmatics are, without a doubt, the single greatest and important bands that you may have never heard of. This isn't just the writings up some deranged fan; this is coming form someone who has dedicated his life to learning about anything and all things metal and punk.

In 1979, The Plasmatics were selling out CBGB's whenever they played and, on the success of some of the greatest live shows ever (involving lead singer Wendy O. Willams slashing tv's with chainsaws), they released a single and an EP. By 1981, Wendy O. had brought the Mohawk into not only punk, but also into pop culture. Before the album was released, she was beaten by Milwaukee police after a show, prompting the album "Beyond the Valley of 1984" to become their best disc.

By 1983, World Domination for this art-rock inspired punk band was within sight! Or, it would have been, if not for MTV refusing to play the incredibly expensive, and equally impressive, video for "The Damned" off the album "Coup D'Etat". The album stripped away some of the punk and added a more metal tinge to the group (or simply brought it out, really) and that album is really on par with Metallica's "Kill 'em All". Without a doubt, The Plasmatics were THE most dangerous band in the world in 1983.

Every hallmark of punk, everything you think makes a good punk show... it most likely can be traced back to The Plasmatics. It is a shame that the annals of music history has almost left this band untouched and unremembered by the punk and metal communities at large, and that the memory of Wendy O's fierce personallity is left to the diehard fans who got to see her and those of use who could only wish we did.

Hard Time Posting...

Well, this blog isn't 100% professional, but it isn't 100% personal, either. It's a mixture of both. I come here to vent about politics and, really, my political views can, have, and will piss some people off. But that aside, this is a personal blog first and a professional place second.

I mention this due to something personal that came up relating to my business. The blog didn't turn away business; in fact, it actually attracted some. It's really is interesting, really.

I'm having a hard time posting, though, because the nature of the reply warranted me to think a little more about these posts and the attention they receive. But look forward to me still posting about the albums I listen to, metal news in general, as well as news and notes from Philadelphia and beyond!

8-Album Mind: Tonight the Stars REVOLT!!!!!!!

Primus - Tales From the Punchbowl ♠♠♠♠
Primus - Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People ♠♠
Brain Posehn - Live In: Nerd Rage ♠♠♠♠
Pro-Pain - Prophets of Doom ♠♠♠♠
Probot - Probot ♠♠♠♠
Powerman 5000 - Tonight the Stars Revolt ♠♠♠♠♠

Admittedly, I'm exhausted right now and I really want to go to bed. All I really want to saw is that Powerman 5000 is incredibly under-rated and this album, though a success at the time, seems to go unannounced 90% of the time by the metal world. The Probot disc kicks ass, Pro-Pain released "Prophets of Doom" in 2005 and people should have paid more attention to it then and now. Fuck, it feels like your in an empty room with these guys yelling and playing metal riffs; cool that it's just for you, but kinda sad that no one else at all seems to notice this album. Even on Amazon.com the disc only has 5 reviews!

Brian Poshen.... you know, I actually have a story about this album. In the closing weeks of summer in 2006, I was in Relapse Records just on a whim. The store clerk, a lovely blonde with these long dreadlocks, informed me that Brian Posehn was upstairs. "What? Is this a joke?" "No, he's upstairs. And there's free pizza." So one of my favorite comedians was upstairs after releasing a new album, was performing that night across the street at the TLA... AND there was free pizza? Kick ass! I went up there... and it was Brian at a table with posters, his new album on CD, and even a picture-disc Vinyl. I didn't say much, I was nervous, and I got him to sign my Slayer Skateboard (the signatures gone now... damn it), the CD, the poster, and the Vinyl record. Really cool guy, too!

Primus? Well, what can I say? " Professor Nutbutter's House of Treats" is the best song on that album, and " Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" kicks ass. And the EP, "Animals", only has one good song, and that's " Pilcher's Squad". Get it for the DVD.

8-Album Mind: No, Seriously...

Primus

Suck On This ♠♠♠
Sailing the Seas of Cheese ♠♠♠♠
Pork Soda ♠♠♠♠♠

Yeah, only 3 albums today... it was the type of day where you really are torn between having fun and just being bummed. Sorry for the personal note, but what can I say...

Primus has always held a rather odd space in my collection and the band is always just hit and miss. Today I finally was able to realize just why this band is so damn good. The funk-metal styling of Les Claypool reached a head on "Pork Soda", and album that saw him pick up a 6-String Fretless Bass (The Rainbow Bass) and a stand-up base as well. Choice cuts? "Tommy the Cat", "My Name is Mud", "Welcome to this World", "Mr. Kringle", "John the Fisherman", "Damn Blue Collared Tweekers", and "Here Come the Bastards".

Judas Priest's New Video for "War" Is Out... Not Good

As you can see above, the video for Judas Priest's "War" from their latest album, Nostradamus, suffers from the same problems as the album; a really awesome idea, some cool moments, but overall, not something your thrilled with and knows it could be better.

The video uses CGI animation that looks like the animators got a copy of some stripped-down version of Maya or just moved figures in Poser in order to created the animation. The models and characters, especially in rendering, can range anywhere between laughably bad to incredibly awesome.


Yes, these are the maidens.



Yes, this is war... the best rendered thing in the film.

The music used for the video is actually a really cool and interesting choice. It's a mix of classic Judas Priest with a much more classical element, something that really lends well to the overall tone and direction of the video. The problem, though, is that the use of 3-D rendering is just so abysmal at times your stuck wondering what happened in the animation department.

The video starts with a fairly lack-luster opening and, for a video like this, you need something resembling a storyline. It's basically this: A group of evil men wearing gas masks control something while these two hot chicks practice witchcraft. Apparently, that's forbidden and is also evil as they burn them at the stake. While that's happening, it triggers the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse to rise out from the ground and kick the evil guys asses. In the end, the guy is revealed to be Chtulu (which is, frankly, why copyrights were invented; to prevent the perversion of some to use something kick-ass for something... meh) which War, the coolest and best-rendered thing in the video, kicks his ass and peace is given to the world.

I'd rather had seen this thing animated by hand... I always say that, but really, it should have. This reminds me of the film "Heavy Metal" that was released in 1981, as well as "Heavy Metal 2000". The entire thing is would just be perfect in a more stripped-down style with CGI-overtones.

My thoughts? Judas Priest saw a chance to not have to star in a music video and spend 3 days or more on some sound stage when they could be practicing (most bands hate making videos) and saw this as a chance to do a video without having to do anything, save approve a script and storyboards, if that.

"Hey, Rob, did you see the new CGI for the music video?"
"Yeah, I love it! It's amazing what these kids can do with those computers these days! Just awesome! Very, very metal!"
"But, Rob, do you think this is really good? The rendering just seems kinda... I don't know, bad."
"Bollocks! The bloody thing is in 3D! That's just amazing in and of itself!"

Of course, none of this is an actual shot at the band or even the director. I understand that there are, and always will be, the pressures of doing something within a time-line and, not only that... but seriously, who really watches music videos these days and even then, who cares? This is really just me nit-picking by and large, but what can I say, I honestly thought this video could have been a lot better.

8-Album Mind: Just Losing Your Mind

Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In ♠♠♠
Poison - Swallow This LIVE ♠ SOLD!
Possessed - Seven Churches ♠♠♠♠
Pride & Glory - Pride & Glory ♠♠♠♠

Another stressful and boring day, the type of day where fun takes a backseat to you not going insane. Despite The Plasmatics being first up in my order this week, I decided to save it for a day when I could use Wendy O. Williams and the rest of the group to my full advantage.

Poison's "Look What the Cat Dragged In" is actually a recent purchase for me and it's something I know that I would have enjoyed more when I was 16 and just getting into metal. I actually loved hair bands alongside Metallica and Megadeth, but when I got into Anthrax and, eventually, Slayer, my taste for glam has been really low. The album is actually solid, and all I really can say is that if your into Glam and Poison, tracks like "Talk Dirty to Me", "Cry Tough", and "Want Some, Need Some".

Meanwhile, the live album, "Swallow This Live" simply tanks. Get the greatest hits instead.

Possessed "Seven Churches" is a landmark metal release and, if your like me, the first time you heard it you may had wondered why. Well, after hearing it again today, I can honestly say that this blend of thrash and black metal that resulted in, what else, death metal, truly is a masterpiece!

Finally, Pride & Joy, Zakk Wylde's original solo group, simply kicks ass on it's one and only album. An undisputed masterpiece of the 1994 music scene, it seemelessly combines metal with Lynard Skynard, Led Zepplin, and blues and hard rock to create a freat album. Even when tracks like "Losing Your Mind" and countless others aren't rocking, the bonus disc with the cover of "The Wizard" and the incredible Zepplin's "In My Time Of Dyin".

All in all, good set...

White Guilt: Banning Menthol Cigarettes

This is just sad.

Smoking menthol cigarettes has become politically charged as Congress considers legislation that would give the federal government the power to regulate tobacco products for the first time. The bill, which the House of Representatives approved last week in a bipartisan vote, and which now awaits a Senate vote in the fall, bans clove, vanilla and other flavorings in cigarettes.

But the bill’s sponsors in the House decided that the Food and Drug Administration should make the decision on how to regulate menthol, the most common flavoring. Menthol cigarettes account for more than a quarter of all cigarette sales and, studies and surveys show, are the preference of the overwhelming majority of African-American smokers, as well as a significant proportion of all teenagers ages 12 to 17.

Take Away their Menthols? Is That Cool? - New York Times

In essence, the entire reasoning for the legislation boils down to two things: First, they can ban cigarettes in some form outright, something they know they couldn't do for a bunch of reasons, and the second, "Well, let's do whatever we can to placate blacks." Of course, it's mostly the Democratic party doing this...

Eh, the legislation is just stupid and misguided. The article points out that 75% of black smokers smoke menthols and that marketing has been directed towards blacks... really, just, wow. Obvious stuff, though. It's about as bad as trying to ban rap because it influences blacks to kill and rob, as well as leading to death and being heavily marketed towards blacks.

Really dumb legislation, and I hope that more people rise up and say "No, don't support this."

The Return of Russian Bear

Yesterday, Russia attacked Georgia. This has launched the 2008 South Ossetia War. The war stated after hostilities between Georgia and Russia reached a peak over South Ossetia. South Ossetia want's to become part of Russia, and Georgia was not exactly happy about it. On August 7th, Georgian troops invaded the South Ossetia capital of Tskhinvali. In response, Russia attacked Georgia.

When I began writing this article, in my mind, I wanted to paint Russia for the corrupt, incredibly hostile nation it has become since the rise of Putin. Instead, I'm stuck asking the same questions anyone else would in this matter: Why did Georgia begin the invasion in the first place? The answer was simply this; the amount of uprising in South Ossetia was reaching a boiling point, and to a degree, they saw a need to invade.

But what really strikes me, and anyone who not only has any sense of personal well being in the fact that Russia has become an attacking force once more, is the threat this truly signals as well as the timing.

Vladamir Putin is a tyrant who hides behind Democracy in order to stay in power. The last election in Russia was an obvious farce to anyone outside their country, and nothing more than Putin ensuring his political party stayed in power and a virtual guarantee that, as Prime Minister, he would still have control. Russia saw a decline overall in the 90's and, with Putin in control, the nation has basically rebounded. But that return to power has also seen a return to military strength.

It is my honest and learned opinion that this was, in fact, in the works longer than anyone now learning about this (myself included) could truly have imagined.

In 2006, the real troubles began with a sabotage of a pipeline that ran through North Ossetia. Following that, Russia banned wines from Georgia and a controversy alleging to Russia spying on the nation soon followed. There have been various problems since then, including violations of airspace and anti-government protests around the nation. By no means am I saying Georgia is clean in all of this as well, but I am agreeing the majority that, yes, Russia is going to far in their actions and, in fact, are using this for something more.

The recent attack is what I think will be the beginning of Russia flexing it's military might and Vladamir Putin's master plan to make Russia, with it's alliance with China, the most dominate nation on the planet. The attacks happened right at the dawn of the Olympics, begging to ask if the "uprising" was not staged by Russian supporters with the help of the Russian government, or the government of Georgia using information they received and forcing their hand.

This may be the beginning of a display of military might, and it may be the start of something more, something even worst. I do see this as a return of the Russian Bear, an aggressive force that will try and force it's will down the necks of others. This is not about supporting democracy to them or anything of that nature, just pure force.