fIQ8wTXbcHXysKkdWsuLdAICbqHtYER

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Motorhead "Inferno"

When David Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame release the sensational CD "Probot" this year it rekindled my metal tastebuds. For those of you not familiar with his project I'll explain. He recorded songs on which he played all instruments and he had guest vocalists come in and sing as well as write the lyrics and play whatever instrument they might also play. The cd features vocalists such as King Diamond, Snake from Voivod, and many other great singers/musicians. The whole cd flows like it was a gift from God or at least the Heavy Metal God. On that cd Lemmy from Motorhead does a fantastic job on the tune "Shake Your Blood". On first listen I was excited to hear Lemmy singing on such a awesome tune and the excitement was enough for me to do some Google searching and that is where I found out that the boys were back and had a new CD released on the indie label Sanctuary entitled "Inferno". Like Monster Magnet, being on an indie has enhanced their sound big time!

Always a rough and tough rocking band, Motorhead has never rocked like they do on this CD. What's amazing is how great Lemmy's vocals sound. I have loved the band since their beginning and my fondness for Lemmy dates back to his Hawkwind days. I have to say I have enjoyed Motorhead whenever I've bought a cd and listened. But NEVER have I been entrapped into their sound like I am today.

The opening song, "Terminal Show", features Steve Vai on guitar. I have to admit even though I'm a guitarist I respect Steve Vai but I just can't get into the instrumental cds he's released. Actually, I dig them I just don't find myself playing them very often. But Steve takes hold of "Terminal Show" and sounds like he's in the band. He refrains from overplaying his part and he fits Motorhead like a glove. Philip Campbell, Motorhead's guitarist, allows Steve Vai to play with no conflicts and it's sweet as honey! But Philip Campbell then goes on to play lead on all the rest of the tunes like a banshee in heat except the end of "Down On Me" on which Steve Vai returns. What's cool about this is the fact that the two tunes on which Steve Vai plays guitar are not necessarily the best on the cd. It's a seemless collection of tunes that will rock the toughest crowd. I can only imagine how great they sound live and I can't wait to catch them on their current tour.

Mikkey Dee returns on drums and this cat pounds the hell out of them. Lemmy attacks the bass like a maniac and his vocals are his best to date. The cd never gets politcal but it does paint a dim look at life in these troubled times. It's really kind of creepy how convincing Lemmy sounds on the tune "Killers". Obviously the dude is fascinated with murder because he sings three tunes about the topic. I'm glad he's got his bass and band to keep him busy!!!!

I know I claimed Monster Magnet have the best cd this year but I have to say that Motorhead are coming in with a tie at least! "Inferno" is a must buy cd for any hard rock fan. From start to finish the album soars past and demands repeated plays. I am sure that Motorhead's old fans will freak out over this cd and also they've created a cd that will hopefully get them some new young fans. Visit their site at http://www.imotorhead.com Buy this CD!

Shut Up And Sing

Facts about MC Big Proof

“If I was you, suicide would be a way of life. If you was me , you’d kill you.” (Proof)

Before I start talking about D12’s gifted Mc Proof, I would like to thank and to give credit to the webmaster of the following Derty Harry website for the rare info I found about Deshaun Holton aka Derty Harry aka Proof:

[http://angelfire.com/bxc3/dertyharry/main_bio.html]Deshaun Holton aka Proof was born on October the 2nd 1975 in Detroit. Although they didn’t attend the same High School, Eminem and Proof have been friends since 1988. They used to live in the same street in Detroit. Proof used to go to Osbourne High school while Eminem was attending Lincoln High. Both friends used to skip high school in order to rap together: in fact Eminem skipped Lincoln High and used to come to Proof’s school very often, because both friends wanted to rap together. This is how they met:

“I was skipping school, and he was skipping school also, passing out flyers for his concert he was having in Centerline. That had to be, like, '88 or something.” (Proof)

Some (white) underground Mcs from Detroit like Backstab the Kingpin are convinced of Proof’s racism. But Deshaun’s statements seem to prove the contrary.

CDNow has asked Proof how he felt about Eminem’s skin color at the time they met:

CDNow: Did you wonder what this blond, white kid was up to?

Proof: “You know, I went to Catholic school and had a great, great friend of mine who happened to be Irish; we were best friends since the sixth grade. So when I saw [Eminem] was white, I didn't even jump off like that; when he rapped, he was dope. What made us get dope and become great friends was we both rhymed "first place" and "birthday," and we've been tight ever since [laughs].”

Eminem and Proof have been real friends since the beginning. When Eminem was kicked out of his home, he would sleep at Proof’s house. It is well known that Proof is an amazing freestyler.He won the freestyling competition in the Source magazine in 1999. He his a better freestyler than Marshall, but Marshall’s force is in the way he handles his words in his lyrics. That’s exactly what Proof states about their complementary talent:

“We were both impressed with each other. The advantage I've got over Em is freestyling; I'm the kind of guy who freestyles off the head, right? The advantage he had over me was that he knew how to write intricately; he knew how to put a song together and bring feelings about. That's why I journeyed under him, like, "Yo, show me the ropes, homeboy."

The idea of the D12 group composed of talented MCs and sick aliases with popped into Proof’s mind:

"I was in New York; I had this deal with Tommy Boy that didn't work out, unfortunately. But I just had this idea that we could put together a team of dope MCs, put a lot of Detroit on as far as having MCs with skills. Everybody's solo took so we'll make aliases, like Eminem's Slim Shady and I'm Derty Harry, and call it the Dirty Dozen -- and at this time, to be honest with you, we thought The Dirty Dozen was a Western movie; we didn't know it was an army movie [laughs]. That fits us, army rather than Western, 'cause we see ourselves more as gun-slingers, lyric-slingers. Then the idea was to form a pact whereas this team, whoever gets out first comes back and gets the rest of the group."

Proof has always been confident in Eminem’s loyalty, even if some other members of the group may have been worried:

“Not me; I've been there since day one, almost. I think the rest of the group may not have been there, but Proof has been beside Eminem all this time. I play a leadership role in the group, where I talk to everyone else; Em is like the president, and I'm the general. I talk to the rest of the fellas and put 'em in line and show 'em the direction. It's a family, too, so there'll be a lot of fighting and bickering, and some people might have felt it might not be the way it should be. So, yes, there were times when people felt funny about things. But now everybody thinks back to that, and we were tripping out over nothing.”

Acccording to Proof, Eminem’s success was the best thing that could have happened to D12:

“Right. Some people look at us like, "You're gonna be Eminem's group. You're gonna be in his shadow." They don't realize how positive and great that is to hear; if you're in the shadow of a guy who can sell almost 10 million records in just the states alone, great. That's not a dis to us. But when they hear the album, they hear the individuality of each person, how everybody holds their own.”

It is so true that each D12 emcee has his own talent and ability to rap.

It is less known that Proof’s first stage name was “Maximum”. Proof has always been appreciated in Detroit for his raps and his freestyling qualities. He changed his nickname when people started calling him “Living Proof”, because in many people’s minds, Proof was the “living proof of the living MCs in Detroit".

Proof has collaborated and still collaborates with numerous artists such as Dogmatic. Proof’s first released Cd was called “From Death” and was co-produced with Da Goon Squad.

He has released a CD called “Promatic” with Dogmatic and a six Track solo EP called “The Search For Jerry Garcia”. As well as for Eminem, Detroit has been very influential to Proof who describes his hometown as “the type of place where eye contact can get you killed” and also as “ a city where the sun never shines, full of pot holes, snow and con artists ready to jack everything you got”.

Shut Up And Sing

Motorhead "Inferno"

Shut Up And Sing

Don't Censor the Music and Artistic Expression

Ann Powers said:

"Don't censor the music and artistic expression."

Eminem's music, in particular the songs "Kim" and "Stan," is a continuation of a tradition in music and American art in general: the Gothic murder ballad, which has been with us ever since the blues or Appalachian folk music. "Stan" is just like an Edgar Allan Poe tale, if you think about it. Johnny Cash shot a man just to watch him die. This is something that's had a very solid, longstanding role in culture.

Self-styled moralists are getting up in arms about something that has always been part of the literature of development. If you're a kid, you have to learn about violence, about hate, about death, about fear. That's part of becoming an adult. And if it's not fed to you by Eminem, you're going to get it from your own nightmares. The illusion that kids need to be protected from that is connected to a kind of fetishizing of innocence, which is unrealistic." Ann Powers

Music critic, the New York Times

We live in a society where we are taught to hide our true feelings and emotions. When I look back at the way I have been educated at school and and home, I now know how hypocritical it was. Teachers and parents tried to hide some reality.We were pictured a safe world with nice people. Religion ( particularly the way it was taught) increased that wrong impression.

Eminem's work appears to be progressive for conservative people. But the same conservative people would also have rejected Baudelaire or any other controversial poet or writer centuries before. Conservatism is a form of intolerance in general.

I have felt insecure a great part of my life and I didn't know how to act the right way with people, being too much afraid to speak my mind.

There is something I will probably never get: why are references to suicide so taboo in people's mind? Many people also blamed Goethe for his work "Die Leiden des Jungen Werthers" ("The Sorrows of Young Werther") because a lot of young people committed suicide after reading his book. Not Goethe is to blame, but rather those young people's decision...but do we really need somebody to blame? Anybody has the right to end his life if he feels like his pain is unbearable. My cousin committed suicicide when I was 15. I was shocked, but I don't judge her for that. It was her decision to stop her immense sorrow.

MTV also censors notions that have to do with suicide.

The "Tatu" video "Not Gonna Get Us" was considered as shocking and would be censored not because it pictured two lesbian girls, but because they seem to commit suicide at the end of the video. I was very surprised to discover that the word "die" in the sentence "I'm so sick and tired of bein admired/ that I wish that I would just die or get fired » from Eminem's song « The Way I Am ». How is that possible ? How could MTV censor a word like « die » as if death didn't belong to our every day reality ?

They allow sentences such as « People killin', people dyin'/Children hurt and you hear them cryin'» from sugar sweet songs such as « Where is the love ? » from Black Eyed Peas and they dare censoring « die » in « The Way I Am » video ? How far should we push hypocrisy ?

So many writers and poets such as François Villon in the 15th century in France have been considered as shocking for their use of vulgar language. Many people want to do as if vulgar and popular language didn't exist (I'm sure the same people use it in their privacy as well). Popular and vulgar words are part of our culture too, there is no reason to ignore it.

Why should we censor notions such as suicide, murder and death that are present in the music when our kids already play violent games on their PlayStation and watch "Hannibal" and "Scary Movie" on TV? A little bit of violence helps kids to get rid of their own aggressively and shouldn't be viewed as necessarily dangerous and negative.

The best way to protect our kids is not to hide reality. The closer they are to reality, the better they are armed to face real battles in life.

Shut Up And Sing

5 Unknown Facts Of Identity Theft - What Most People Don't Know About Identity Theft

Most people like to believe they are fully aware of the dangers that Identity Theft poses. However, national government agencies have said themselves, they do not know every aspect of this crime because it rapidly changes everyday. As a matter of fact, they have also stated that there is no way to avoid this crime, it's only a matter of minimizing the risk. When it does happen, the question is then,"how can you keep yourself insured?", and "who can you turn to for help?". There are many unknown facts about this crime that most people don't really know.

5 Unknown Facts

Identity Theft Has Ranked Higher In Crime Than Drug Trafficking

1. As we all know, much of the news we hear about in Mexico and in the U.S is on Drug Trafficking and Cartel Wars, but the truth of it all is that Identity Theft has taken it's place in crime at #1 all across America. These identity criminals are now more in demand with illegal immigration rising due to Drug Cartel Wars, because they can create false documents. Why is there no huge focus on this crime in America when it ranks highest of any crime taking place right now? In fact ID Theft has hit it's all time high this year at just a little over 10 million victims.

Every 3.2 Seconds A New Identity Is Stolen

2. This might sound absurd, but it is well under estimated when it said that every 3.2 seconds a new person falls victim to this crime. It is TRUE! There are many studies at Universities that offer this information for free to view for yourselves. What people fail to understand is that there are many forms of Identity theft, not just your credit card. The more you learn on what different types of Identity Theft there are, the more cautious you will be.

It Can Take Up To 4 Years Or More To Fix Identity Theft

3. When someone becomes a victim of Identity Fraud, it can take up to 4 years to clear up all the damage. Not to include 71% of those victims still have to repeatedly attempt to fix inaccurate information on their credit file. Many times victims have no way of proving that their information was stolen, and have been forced to file bankruptcy, or begin paying thousands of dollars to repair their credit account.

Most People Believe Repairing Your Credit File Is Easy (It's Not)

4.Most people tend to believe that it would be easy to correct any fraud that could happen to them. Please do not be fooled. It is very difficult to repair your credit, not to mention time consuming. On average the current victim spends about 175 business hours trying to prove their innocence and correct the mistakes on their files. The problem is, it doesn't stop there. Don't forget just because you might have caught the fraud going on in your name now, the thieves still have your information, meaning they will strike again.

There Is No 100% Way To Stop Identity Theft

5. This one is plain and simple. As much as we would like to believe we can fully stop identity thieves, YOU CAN'T! There's no sugar coating this one. If a thief wants to steal your information he will. It doesn't matter if you think you are the most cautious person in the world. It doesn't even matter if you have an Identity Theft Protection Plan that claims they prevent Identity Theft from happening. It's sad to say but it is only a matter of time before you or someone you know becomes a victim of fraud.

In Conclusion...

Keep in mind there are hundreds of ways to minimize the risk of becoming a victim of Identity Theft. The most important however is that you find ways to become aware. Even though Identity Theft Protection Plans are not 100% guaranteed, you should find one that not only reimburses losses, but monitors your account 24/7, offers monitoring for minors, and most importantly, restores your credit.

Identity Theft Facts Identity Theft By Family And Friends Identity Theft - 5 Ways You Can Become a Victim - Identity Theft Protection and Credit Card Fraud Five Myths Concerning Identity Fraud A Review of Krolls Identity Theft Shield Program

How Vulnerable Are You to Identity Theft?

In today's asymmetric threat environment you must practice situational awareness, follow computer security best practices and use plain common sense. The burden for keeping your confidential information safe and secure rests squarely on your own shoulders. Identity theft truly is easy for a criminal or unscrupulous person and a high reward, low-risk crime.

What level of vulnerability do you have? Read the questions below. If you answer "No" to one or more of the questions it is only a matter of time before your personal digital profile is successfully attacked.

1. Do you shred all printed material (unsolicited offers for credit cards, subscriptions, loans, etc.) that contains your name, address and account number written upon them? Identity thieves love to pillage through discarded trash that has been left "whole".

2. Do you employ extra caution when using social media? Sooner or later you'll be in contact with an illegitimate user and targeted when using social media. You must be careful. Identity thieves love the target rich environment of dating sites, electronic meeting sites and linked in sites.

3. Do you and members of your family carefully use mobile media? We have aggressively moved our personal digital profile into a world that is filled with threats. Active threat vectors are arrayed against your mobile computer or communication devices and are constantly probing for vulnerabilities. You will be "targeted". It's only a question of whether your security preparedness allows you to deter the attack.

4. Do you cautiously use public "hot spots" to access your computer? Public wireless access points are literally a playground for identity thieves. Your information will be stolen if you are without the protection of robust encryption mechanisms.

5. Do you routinely obtain and download software updates to your computer? An intruder has already been in your computer if you fail to routinely update your application software, operating system or browser version. Make it a habit to update.

6. Do you know what the word "phishing" means? "Phishing is another word for scam. Be alert. Sometimes these communications can appear to be real (i.e. from your bank or credit card company). Be suspicious of any contact that asks for confidential information. Contact the organization by telephone if you have any concerns.

7. Do you have Internet security software installed on your computer? You must have an up-to-date Internet security software installed and operating on your computer; otherwise, you are being negligent.

8. Do you actively practice threat and vulnerability analyses? Consider the threats around you and take steps to determine how you might be vulnerable.

9. Are your home and personal items secure? Make sure that you have your valuables and confidential information locked in a safety deposit box, home safe or otherwise protected.

10. Have you educated your spouse and children as to the threats against you and your family? The most innocent are frequently targeted. Predatory identity thieves want information that they can use about your spouse, children and the elderly. That is both intolerable and very dangerous.

11. Do you encrypt sensitive files? Using strong encryption on your critical files will increase the difficulty of a cracker or hacker gaining access to your information.

12. Do you share files downloaded from the Internet with others? Simply don't. Malicious people have countless ways to invade and steal from your computer. Avoid "opening the door" for them.

13. Do you use strong passwords and backup your critical information? You must. Weak passwords can be defeated. Electronic or mechanical failures will occur. The only question is when.

14. Do you routinely analyze a website's privacy policy before providing information? You invite the pilfering of your confidential information if you are without the knowledge of how a website plans to use your information.

15. Have you changed the password to your wireless router from that which was provided by the equipment manufacturer?

Identity thieves hope your password to your network is exactly as it was when it came out of the box.

Identity Theft Facts Identity Theft By Family And Friends Identity Theft - 5 Ways You Can Become a Victim - Identity Theft Protection and Credit Card Fraud Five Myths Concerning Identity Fraud