This should be interesting. Ground rules: One album per band, had to be released in 1/1/00 – 31/12/09, had to be new recordings (best of’s and remasters are excluded).

10. Slayer – God Hates Us All (2001): The best album Slayer released all decade. Filled with great memorable riffs and lyrics about God and religion and stuff that were really emphasised by the fact that the album was released on September 11 2001. More experimental than what had come before from them with more groove, different tunings and lyrics that were more based in reality. It might not be pure thrash, but it is still pure metal. When I want to listen to Slayer, I usually put on this album.

Fav Songs: Threshold, Disciple, Bloodline

9. Anthrax – The Greater of Two Evils (2004): Anthrax with their best vocalist (John Bush) recording their best songs from the 80s. No matter how great the classic versions were with the other vocalists these are better in everyway – better arrangements, better tones, better vocals. I’ve listened to this album so many times because its almost better than their greatest hits. All it needs is a second disc of Bush era songs and this would be the perfect Anthrax collection. As the cover says, this is スラッシュ　メタル (Surasshu Metaru – a transliteration of “thrash metal”).

Fav Songs: Deathrider, I Am The Law, Belly of the Beast

8. Tourniquet – Microscopic View of a Telescopic World (2000): Yes. This is a Christian Metal album, but it is technically brilliant in every way, except of course most of the messages of the lyrics. The drumming alone should get this album onto any playlist, but the songs themselves are great examples of Progressive Metal. Great riffs, complicated and unusual song structures, with enough variations in speed and timing and tone throughout to keep it interesting without being just for the sake of it. Plus there is the instrumental, Immunity Vector…. the flute solo in the middle still floors me.

Fav Songs: Besprinkled in Scarlet Horror, Immunity Vector, Erratic Palpitations of the Human Spirit

7. Metallica – St. Anger (2003): Hear me out on this. 1. I love the album. The grooves, the “tones” (even the drums), the lyrics all put forth a mood and a vibe of unbridled rawness. It isn’t polished for a reason. It is a complete deconstruction of everything that Metallica had been. It is an album of purgation, not of skill demonstration. 2. Metal as a whole would not be where it is today without this album. The backlash that it caused killed nu-metal and the no solos or skill movement. 3. The Unnamed Feeling is a better ballad than any they’ve done since Justice (and maybe even before), including that one you like.

Fav Songs: Some Kind of Monster, The Unnamed Feeling, All Within My Hands

6. The Dresden Dolls – The Dresden Dolls (2003): Completely unlike anything you’ve heard before, but still completely familiar. Amanda Fucking Palmer is a fucking genius. If you don’t have this. Go and get it. If you want to know what the future of music will be like in a post-label world, then look at what she is doing right now. Follow her on twitter, go and see her shows, tell your friends that there are still people who are making music for its own sake.

Fav Songs: Girl Anachronism, Coin-Operated Boy, The Jeep Song

5. Machine Head – The Blackening (2007): This album is why I picked the #7 that I did. This is a guitar driven thrash metal masterpiece that is better than anything that the older generation have produced in recent times. Headbanging heaven music from start to finish, with lyrics that actually have a message…. in the same vein as the best from the classic 3 Metallica albums (the blue, red and white ones) – its not just screaming about satan over the fastest riffs you can play (not that there is anything wrong with that, see #2).

Fav Songs – Aesthetics of Hate, Now I Lay Thee Down, Halo

4. Diablo Swing Orchestra – Sing Along Songs for the Damned & Delirious (2009): Its real simple. When I’m in charge I’m going to put this album on. Anyone who doesn’t feel an irresistible urge to dance gets a tattoo on their arm and then gets shipped off to a death camp. Swing Jazz + Metal + Awesomeness = This Album. If you’ve ever liked music, you need this album.

Fav songs: A Tap Dancer’s Dilemma, Bedlam Sticks, Vodka Inferno.

3. Dream Theater – Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002): It was hard to pick which of their albums should get on this list, but I think this one beats the others they’ve released this decade (because Scenes from a Memory is their best and was from 99). It has everything Dream Theater are known for on the first disc, and then there is a whole concept album on top of that which is what really out it over the top. Now you could probably read something into the fact that I picked the concept album about mental illness, and why not, I like it because I identify with the lyrics.

Fav Songs: The Glass Prison, Misunderstood, and from the concept: The Test That Stumped Them All, Solitary Shell.

2. Cradle of Filth – Midian (2000): “Care for a little necrophilia?” This is the best album from CoF, and the best album to come out of the extreme metal world, at least in my pansy prog loving opinion. Every single song on this disc is great. Sure, my absolute favourite CoF song came on a different album, but this is their (and extreme metal’s) Black Album. A perfect package of pure evil.

Fav Songs: Lord Abortion, Amor E Morte, Her Ghost in the Fog, Tearing The Veil From Grace.

1. The Devin Townsend Project – Addicted (2009): The best thing Devy has ever done. It is still heavy metal but with a poppy edge that blows me away. Reminds me of my music, except that it is well written and actually produced. Big riffs, bigger hooks, and all the vocals from Anneke van Giersbergen make it my true album of the decade. If you pulled out all the parts of the previous 9 albums on this list that make them my favourites and distilled them into 1 package it would be this.

Fav songs: All of it.

Its that time of year again, where various people throw out lists of the top 10 albums of the year. Usually they’re filled with whatever album that hit single the radio kept playing came from.

My list is a little different.

I think.

I don’t really listen to the radio, so maybe the top 40 stations are playing this stuff.

And maybe there is a Santa Claus.

Anyway, enough pseudo-hilarity, lets get to the list:

10. Les Claypool – Of Fungi and Foe: Bass for days. as you’d expect from a solo album from the weirdest bassist in the known (and likely also the unknown) universe. Lots of groove, lots of insane lyrics.

Fav songs: Red State Girl, Boonville Stomp, Primed by 29

9. Dream Theater – Black Clouds and Silver Linings: Their tenth album, sounds exactly like you’d expect. The main album is growing on me, but it didn’t really stand out at first. The second disc on the other hand, which is filled with covers of bands like Rainbow, Queen and King Crimson, is mindblowingly awesome – if it was the only disc it would be up in the top 5. Which is not to say that the album itself is bad, it just feels kinda “normal”. Hopefully they’ll step out of their comfort zone and do something really new and progressive on the next one.

Fav songs: Shattered Fortress, The Best of Times, All of the covers.

8. Megadeth – Endgame: The thrash album of the year. Much better than what Slayer put out (hence Slayer aren’t in this list). Buckets of fast riffs, face melting solos, and the conspiracy theory laden lyrics we’ve come to expect from Mr Mustaine. This is what you put on if you want to headbang until your neck hurts.

Fav songs: Dialectic Chaos, 1320, Head Crusher

7. Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue: This is the album you put on if you want to cry and headbang. Filled with everything that Alice in Chains was known for. Although I kinda wished that William DuVall, the new vocalist, sang more solo parts. At times it starts to sound a little too much like Jerry Cantrell’s Degradation Trip. Other than that, it has the heavy grooving riffs, it has the softer acoustic songs, and the title track with its piano part played by Elton John makes me tear up every time.

Fav songs: Check My Brain, Black Gives Way to Blue, A Looking In View

6. Mz Ann Thropik – S.O.S.: The only Australian band on my list (and frankly one of the few oz bands in my collection). Hard Rock at its best. Lots of great songs, and Mzzy can really sing in that rock chick way that I just love. The fact that she is probably the only artist on here that will read this post is just a bonus.

Fav songs: Cock-o-roach, Witch Hunt, Flesh Crawler

5. Steel Panther – Feel The Steel: Hair metal. Except all the innuendo and hints about sex are made completely fucking blatant. Every song reminds you of the style of the a certain band, and then lays on a big load of sleaze. It is simultaneously both a totally hilarious send up and a totally respectful tribute.

Fav songs: Death to all but Metal, Community Property, The Shocker

4: Kittie – In The Black: Totally heavy. Totally metal. Everything I’ve liked about Kittie turned to 11. The mix of vocal styles is awesome, Morgan finally has the confidence to sing better than most pop stars, and then she still growls like a banshee in the next line. The riffs are heavier than ever (and faster where they need to be), and they stick in my head unlike some from bands who didn’t make this list. Even the occasional guitar solos are good. Plus when that cowbell comes in on the bridge to Whiskey Love Song I just have to stop whatever I’m doing and air drum and headbang away.

Fav Songs: Whiskey Love Song, Cut Throat, My Plague

3. Mastodon – Crack the Skye: An album that you might have seen on some other lists (even that of Time Magazine). I heard about this album so much from various sources that I finally listened to the first single, and I had two thoughts: 1. I have to buy this 2. “Core” is dead. Progressive and Psychedelic…. but still totally heavy. The album to put on and get high to, or have sex to.

Fav songs: Oblivion, Crack The Skye, The Last Baron

2. Diablo Swing Orchestra – Sing Along Songs for the Damned & Delirious: Its real simple. When I’m in charge I’m going to put this album on. Anyone who doesn’t feel an irresistible urge to dance gets a tattoo on their arm and then gets shipped off to a death camp. Swing Jazz + Metal + Awesomeness = This Album. If you’ve ever liked music, you need this album.

Fav songs: A Tap Dancer’s Dilemma, Bedlam Sticks, Vodka Inferno.

And finally, our number one albums….

1. The Devin Townsend Project – Ki and Addicted: Yes, I’m a total fanboy. Yes, it might be cheating to give the #1 spot to two albums – but since they are part of a larger whole I think it counts.

Ki: A soft, delicate album. Ambient and progressive in the way that Pink Floyd can be on their more mellow songs. Lots of clean guitar. Lots of space for the notes to reverberate. Yet with a style that is unmistakably devy.

Addicted: Heavier, but with a poppy edge that blows me away. Reminds me of my music, except that it is well written and actually produced. Big riffs, bigger hooks, and all the vocals from Anneke van Giersbergen make it my true album of the year.

Fav songs: All of it.

That is it for now. Up soon will be my Best of the Decade list.

Also, it probably doesn’t take psychic powers to predict that the next 2 DTP albums (Deconstruction and Ghost) will be my favs next year.

If you’ve been anywhere on the internet in the past few days you might have noticed that the Australian Government has decided to go ahead with their Internet Filter.

Telegraph.co.uk has a good summary of the news in their article: Australia plans Chinese-style internet filtering

Basically the filter will remove sites that have RC-rated material, which includes:

• “child sex abuse content” – which was the trojan horse to get this started, and the only thing filtered by other democracies
• “bestiality” – another thing which most wouldn’t object to losing, but the Bible mentions it, will it get filtered?
• “sexual violence including rape” – this is where things get bad, say goodbye to all bondage sites or in fact any pornography that they decide is violent, even if it is being done safely by consensual adults
• “the detailed instruction of crime or drug use” – this is the where the rubber hits the tyranny. Hunter S Thompson talks about drugs, will all sites mentioning him disappear? Will wikipedia disappear because it has a recipe for pot brownies? Will this site disappear because down below I’m going to explain how to circumvent the filter?
• What isn’t mentioned in the press release is that RC content includes all the material that has been banned, if a facebook game includes drug use or sex will all of facebook be banned? Also, the Australian Christian Lobby, who have had special meetings with Senator Conroy about the filter, have already said they will push to get X and R material included

Quotes above taken from the official press release

So what can you do to stop the government pushing a 1984-style censorship?

1. Call or write your local member – click here to find out their contact details
2. CALL. OR. WRITE. YOUR. LOCAL. MEMBER!!!!!
3. Tell all your friends, family, enemies and basically everyone about this and why it matters
4. Vote with your vote – pay attention to who is trying to take away your freedoms and make sure they don’t get your vote (even by preferences)
5. Visit No Clean Feed for further info

As for circumvention, there are a few methods:

• Type “digg.com/” before the URL you want to visit
• Use The Onion Router (TOR) to encrypt and tunnel your traffic – get it at torproject.org

Finally, a poem:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

IF YOU DON’T USE THE TOOLS OF DEMOCRACY DON’T BE SURPRISED IF THOSE TOOLS ARE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU

Now I was planning to write a nice long screed about censorship in Australia, particularly as it pertains to video games. Of course, knowing how I write and how gamers work I’ve decided to avoid the whole tl;dr syndrome and just write something short.

Games are currently being censored and banned because we don’t have an R18+ rating. We don’t have this rating because of the views of one nanny state loving politician, the South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson, who can veto the views of everyone else in the country.
IF YOU WANT A FREE COUNTRY YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND FIGHT FOR IT.

To really sum it all up, a quote from Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion who just had a game banned:

“The content of AvP is based on some of the most innovative and iconic horror movies, and as such we wanted to create a title that was true to the source material. It is for adults, and it is bloody and frightening, that was our intent. We will not be releasing a sanitized or cut down version for territories where adults are not considered by their governments to be able to make their own entertainment choices.”

Then some links:

• A long dissection of South Australia’s Attorney-General Michael Atkinson’s arguments by the CEO of the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association
• The Australia Needs an R18 Classification on Video Games Facebook page
• Gamers 4 Croydon – The new party trying to unseat the SA AG
• Official QLD Petition to get an R18 classification

Now its up to you. Write to your Federal and State representatives. Sign petitions. Protest. Tell the media. Do something with your free speech so that you still have some.

Its all the same.

Once again I’m trekking home from some faraway event wondering why I even bother. Why do I spend all my time and money doing these things? Its not like I feel like part of the group. I feel like an imposter. Someone who is in the room, but not part of the group. Just a random acquaintance who hangs around.

I still have no one I’d call a friend. No one I’d call in the middle of the night if I felt like I needed to talk to someone. No one who I think would answer even if I did call.

I still have no direction. I don’t know what I want to do tomorrow, let alone long term. All my plans fall to pieces. It doesn’t matter what I do it has almost no effect on the wider world.

Atheist, christian, skeptic, school. Its all the same. I feel depressed and alone and useless, wondering why I even bother being social, or preaching the gospel, or writing songs, or doing anything.

I just want to feel comfortable and included – by I never am.

I just want to feel like I’m making a difference – but everything I do crumbles to dust before I can even start.

A worldview is not some kind of coherent whole, it is not something that can be easily summed up by 1 “ism” word. Each of us has assembled their view over the years piece by piece. A little from our friends, some from our teachers, a chunk from the media we’ve absorbed, a lot from our parents with a dash of our own independent thought.

If I was to describe my worldview it would differ at many points to the views of other skeptics, just as it would differ from the view of many Christians or conspiracy theorists or drug addicts. There would also likely be many points of agreement in all of those cases.

When I was a Christian I wrote a few posts on the idea, to quote myself:

Now of course a worldview isn’t just one idea or concept, it is like bricks in a wall – a whole group of ideas connected together to form a cohesive whole. Some bricks aren’t that important to the other bricks, so if they are changed, it doesn’t make much of a difference. So if you change your mind about what is the quickest way from North Ryde to Epping, it doesn’t really affect your whole worldview. Some ideas though, are like the bricks at the foundation of the wall, if you change them, the whole wall crumbles, and you have to rebuild it.

and

So if our worldview is like a wall, and if we don’t have a view on something, it is like a hole in the wall. Similarly, if our view on something is wrong, it won’t fit with the rest of the wall.

Many of us have gaps in our wall, or areas within that wall where we have yet to shine the light of critical thinking. Those places are weak points, places where we can be destroyed, discredited or otherwise damaged when our opponents and the tribulations of life are pushing against us. Sure there are obvious areas where skeptics are less likely to apply critical thought, like religion and politics, and the idea of examining such areas are being promoted by some of the big names like Michael Shermer.

What I find more interesting is the other areas, the stuff we just take as a matter of opinion like: sport, hobbies, music, books and the stuff that we all seem to accept unthinkingly like: love, hate, jealously, and our other “core” emotions and desires.

If we are true skeptics we shouldn’t be afraid of using our reason to examining ALL areas of our personal worldview. Especially the areas we don’t usually examine.

Pic from here

If your definition of god includes air quotes then it is total bollocks.

Just because you can define a theoretical god construct that in no way interacts with our universe in any possibly demonstrable way doesn’t mean that you have somehow disproved atheism – you’ve just proved that you’re an idiot with too much time on your hands.

Protip: If your “god” doesn’t do anything then it is logically equivalent to nothing and should be treated as such.

Your god/goddess/deity/universal lifeforce/prime mover/lord/maker/idol/numen/providence/spirit/totem/et hoc genus omne is false. None of the supposed works/writings/miracles/experiences actually happened as you believe them to have happened.

All prophets/preachers/emissaries/channellers/diviners/shamen/seers/mediators/ministers/popes/gurus/saints/ehgo who claim to have experienced such things are either:

1. Lying (or at least not telling the whole truth)
2. Deluded (whether through deception of others or lack of education or understanding)
3. Wackadoo (from mild temporary insanity to completely batshit fucking insane)

This statement applies to any and all claimed supernatural powers, whether still worshipped or not, throughout time and space (including but not limited to the entirety of this universe) unless sufficient evidence can be provided.

Its hard to show that you’re a powerful god when the people you’re the god of no longer exist.

Typically when we atheists are pulling out biblical contradictions we pull verses from very different parts of the bible. It might be somewhere in the old testament versus a gospel, or a gospel versus an epistle, this post is going to be a little different.

I’m going to turn Paul against himself.

To be even more pointed, and to avoid the issues that might come if I pick verses from the books that most scholars think are pseudo-pauline I’m just going to stick to 1 book. The First Epistle to the Corinthians.

The first section:

1 Corinthians 11:5-16 (English Standard Version)

5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12f or as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.

A nice long ramble, the common thing that Paul would write, but the real key to my point is the first verse: “every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head”. This set of verses is the beginning of a large multi-chapter instruction on church worship practices. The obvious meaning to be taken is that if a woman is to pray or prophesy within a church service she is to do so with a head covering.

Now for comparison:

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (English Standard Version)

34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

This comes from the end of the section on worship. It says quite the opposite from the first section, as now women are to keep silent in church.

WTF?

How can a woman be permitted to pray and prophesy, 2 of the main sections of the church worship in one verse, and be told they must shut up only a few pages later?

The “simple” answer, and the one that is accepted by non-evangelical theologians is that the second set of verses are a later addition by a scribe who wanted to further oppress women. Sure, both verses put forward a view of women that most modern westerners would call backward, but that is not the point.

The point is: how could an all-powerful God who gave us the Bible as his primary method of communication allow such an obvious contradiction into his inerrant word?*

* Answer: He didn’t, because he doesn’t exist, and the bible is just the frequently errant words of men**

Image from here