"Paradise Lost" by Symphony X

Symphony X fans have waited five long years for a follow up to the brilliant 2002 release "The Odyssey". It was difficult to predict what the band would do next. They'd already released an excellent concept album, "V: The New Mythology Suite" and numerous other great progressive metal albums so what was in store for us?

Well, they have done it again: "Paradise Lost" is a masterpiece.

The adjectives that came to mind when I first heard the album were "tight", "confident" and "complex".

"Tight" because the musicianship is superb, not one note out of place, not one beat off. The old expression "well oiled machine" suggests itself but in this case the machine is a Ferrari.

"Confident" because the musicianship is such that you just know these guys are at the top of their form. They are so good they don't have to think about it. They just play and the fact that they are sure of themselves and what they are doing comes across as confidence.

"Complex" because the rhythms are intricate, the music is intricate, the emotional content is varied and the interplay of music, rhythm and emotion is phenomenal.

I've listened to the album a few times now and there are still new things I'm discovering. I look forward to listening again and again.

So I give this album a 5 out of 5 and I highly recommend it. You can get it here: Symphony X: Paradise Lost

You are not alone. So SPEAK UP!

According to a recent survey by Consumer Reports National Research Center the majority of Americans know about the problems with the corrupt relationship between the FDA and the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Consumer Advocate Mike Adams gives details of the survey in his article, Americans fed up with drug industry influence, FDA corruption, reveals remarkable Consumer Reports survey.

In case you didn't know, right now:

• The FDA does NOT have the power to require warning labels on drugs with known safety problems. The Food and Drug Administration must negotiate safety warning labels with a drug maker. Isn't it nice to know that your health and life are points of negotiation.
• Pharmaceutical companies PAY THE FDA to review and approve their drugs.
• Pharmaceutical companies can bury negative drug trials, and the FDA has in fact been caught conspiring with drug companies to keep negative drug data secret from the public.
• Currently, doctors who earn hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in "consulting fees" from drug companies are not only allowed to vote on the recommendations for FDA approval of their drugs, there is not even any FDA requirement to disclose such conflicts of interest.
• And more! Read about it in Mike Adams' article.
  

Once you realize that the survey showed that the majority of Americans are outraged over this corruption then perhaps you won't be shy about raising your voice and demanding reforms.

The Facade at Google is beginning to crack

Google is at it again. While pretending to be the anti-Microsoft, the company of the people and the web site for the common man, Google is going about the business of creating its own monopoly in it's own special arrogant way: Google is starting to act like your garden-variety monopoly

Another Triumph for the Pharmaceutical Industry

When pro-wrestler Chris Benoit killed his family and then himself the fact that he was taking psychiatric drugs with known side-effects of homicidal ideation, psychotic behavior and suicide was mentioned but now is being carefully ignored by the media. In the latest round in the tragedy, there is a big argument over who was killed first because it affects who inherits. In the news articles I've seen there is not one mention of the psychiatric drugs but plenty of talk about steroids. You have to marvel at the immense power the pharmaceutical industry has over the media.

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Drug Rehab - What Works, What Doesn't

I recently got a comment on my post "Drug Rehab Fraud". I moderate my comments so I didn't allow it because it was promoting a website that looks to me like a MySpace for the addicted. Rather a sick concept I thought. I know the old saying that a problem shared is a problem halved, and I agree with the idea, but this site was loaded with ads from the same kind of frauds I was writing about in my post.

Imagine it, you create a site to attract people who have an addiction then you advertise solutions that don't work so you can make money out of them and keep them coming back for more because they are still addicted. Pretty nasty.

So instead of promoting a drug rehab method that doesn't work, I am going to promote the drug rehab method with the highest success rate on the planet: Narconon

When Translators Go Wrong

Here's a car you'll want to buy! The Great Wall-Wingle! Yes, it's called a Wingle!

Listen to this: "Bold design of chrome plated grill, infiltrating with the desire to conquer all from inside to outside." Sounds sexy! How could you resist a car described like this: "Fashion in every detail demonstrates innovative design concepts, creative design and avant-garde daring style, without any meaningless decoration. Brilliant achievements in their careers enjoy life passion."

It's a powerful car: "GW2.8TC engine, self-creative power, China’s first high-pressure common rail diesel engine cooperated with Germany BOSCH Company which possesses of world’s leading diesel engine technology."

I'll take two to go! Great Wall-Wingle Intro

Apparently the wording was worser lastest week but it fixed was.

(You'd think they could have spent a couple more bucks - maybe a couple thousand even - to get the copy on their site right.)

Pepsi Aquafina is just filtered tap water?

Do you like paying out a couple of bucks for a plastic bottle containing filtered tap water? Well, if you do then PepsiCo is willing to help you. Yes, as you sip your filtered tap water you can look at the Aquafina logo and imagine you are drinking something pure and natural: Pepsi admits Aquafina comes from tap water

Is it any wonder that food companies spend millions every year lobbying Congress to lighten up the food labeling laws?

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China bans Reincarnation

When I first saw the headline to the article, China tells living Buddhas to obtain permission before they reincarnate, I thought it was a joke but when I read the article I realized it was just another example of an oppressive government violating human rights.

Human Right #18: Freedom of thought. We all have the right to believe in what we want to believe, to have a religion, or to change it if we want.

The oppressive leaders of China are scared to death that someone will lead the people in a revolt against them, so when they see anyone who might have the slightest amount of influence over others they clamp down hard. It doesn't seem to occur to them that if they allow people freedom and human rights then the people won't want to revolt, but then totalitarian dictators were never very good at thinking.

Human Right #18: Freedom of thought - Video
Universal Declaration of Human Rights - abridged version
Universal Declaration of Human Rights - full text

History Repeating Itself - The Medical Industry Makes a Profit while People Die

I just read this fascinating piece that covers the history of the relationship between the American Medical Association and Big Tobacco: Doctors, American Medical Association hawked cigarettes as healthy for consumers. You may not believe this but for 30 years the medical establishment defended Big Tobacco and for another 30 various medical "experts" continued to pretend that cigarettes didn't damage your health.

It is frightening to realize that for decades "experts" and "authorities" on health promoted something that kills people slowly and painfully. The first study linking cigarettes to cancer came out in 1930 and it wasn't until 1964 that the Surgeon General published a report on the dangers of cigarettes, that's 34 years. Following this Big Tobacco continued to pay doctors to defend them and it wasn't until the late 1990's that court cases and whistleblowers finally made it impossible for anyone to claim that cigarettes were not linked to all sorts of diseases.

It is a sad commentary on the educational system that this sort of criminality can be repeated and the majority of the population has no clue. From 1930 to the late 1990's it was Big Tobacco that was pouring millions into the PR machine and into the pockets of doctors to hide the truth about the dangers of cigarettes. Now we have Big Pharma doing exactly the same thing to hide the fact that their hugely profitable drugs are killing and damaging people.

How many more decades and how many more deaths before the truth is finally acknowledged and the criminals are brought to justice?

Drug Rehab Fraud

It seems that Lindsay Lohan has been ripped off. She paid all that money and spent all that time in "rehab" and within a few days of getting let out (less than 2 weeks) she goes right back to drinking and drugging. Not to take any responsibility away from her, she is responsible for her own actions, but to me if a person has been through drug rehab then they should be drug free and to relapse after only a few days says that the drug rehab was a total failure. (Lohan hit with drug and alcohol arrest).

So if you want to pay a lot of money for no result go to Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility. I guess "Promises" is all they guarantee.

If you want effective drug rehab then you should try Narconon, which has the highest success rate ever recorded for drug rehab.