Review of An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. Incomplete, and has disputable facts, but well intentioned.

Read the book Super Freakonomics and find out more about the disputable facts Al Gore presents in this movie. There are other errors in this flick that aren’t even mentioned in Steve Dubner’s book. However, I assume Gore was well intentioned when he did this, and that much means a lot. When working to improve something, we to be more careful that we do not make mistakes when presenting our arguments, as sometimes that can be the downfall of a noble cause. And, while there might be errors, it is downright silly to discard this. Thanks Al Gore. Better luck next time!

Review of Greg Howe- Introspection. Greg Howe’s Best *****

Hey kids! Get this album. Then say, excuse me teacher, “You said it had to be jazz or classical in order to be good music. Greg Howe is perhaps the greatest guitarist ever, and this is my favorite album that he has.

Review of Maimonides by Sherwin Nuland ***** - Excellent!

Nuland takes his atheism right out of the book and is a good reporter. I learned so much about the history of Jewish medicine through reading this book, especially that Maimonides was influenced to a great deal by Greek medicine. It was interesting to find that he would heal by any means necessary. His presentation of Maimonides is quite endearing, as this man understood that it was more important to save a life even if it caused the healer not to observe the Shabbat. Also, a big take home message for me is the association of healers with Judaism, and that the word rabbi, usually translated, “Teacher,” can also be translated as, “Healer.”

Review of Queensryche - Greatest Hits New to Queensryche? You’ll Love It! But, You’ll Want More ****

This entry in their catalog needs another disc or two in order to fit all of Queensryche’s better songs on it. I am a huge Queensryche fan, primarily because their vocalist has a tremendous set of pipes. The rest of the music is excellent to, but there is not nearly as much showmanship with the rest of the band, as with the vocalist.

Review of Samsung SGH-a107 ***** Title: Old Trusty.

I Can’t Speak More Highly of This Phone. I have tried more expensive phones, but this one is just right because I like a simple cell phone with internet capabilities. I love its almost only text browsing. That is, you will be able to view some pictures in color, but not with a great deal of clarity.

I use my SGH-a107 for text email, text news (like NPR or CNN), and as an emergency phone. Usually, I spend about $25 on it every month, but if there is a $15 card, I can get away with spending that much. A 100MB package should do it for the first month, and then with rollover, you can buy less expensive internet packages. It is almost impossible to use up 100MB on this phone, and I use my internet daily for hours on end.

Sometimes my hands are shaky, and that makes typing on one of those mini-keypads on the more expensive phones nearly impossible for me. Not only that, this phone fits in my hands well. That is, when I use other phones for hours on end, my thumbs hurt. However, with this phone, there is no pain. Once you get used to its typing features, typing a message on it is a snap! Thanks Samsung and AT&T! I have had this phone now for a few years and still love it!

Review of Niacin (music not supplement), self-titled

***** Review Title: Enjoy Honing Your Listening Skills

If you haven’t heard of Billy Sheehan or Dennis Chambers, then you are probably out of touch with the best of today’s musicians. Don’t worry, if you are in touch with who is the best and listen to them, you will probably be listening to music by yourself. Often hip sounding music doesn’t draw crowds that commensurate the actual coolness of the music. Niacin doesn’t exactly have a big fan base. If you love music, and I mean loving music not so that you fit in, but because you like combinations of notes, various chord voicing, or the beat, you are well on your way to appreciating a band like Niacin. However, it is true that people that like pop music sometimes like these things to. So really, the question is whether or not you want to improve your ears while listening to great music? Pop music is too fad driven it to ever be much assistance in improving one’s ears. Why would you want to improve your ears? Asking that question is like asking why some people go to the gym. My guess is that you won’t be able to find Niacin in the store. They are just too rare. However, if you are looking for something that will challenge your listening skills, this is a great album. And, yes, I would describe Niacin as hip, and my affection for them is certainly greater than one I might have for a math equation.

Review of B.B. King, 21st Century Masters

***** A Good First Impression Made from a Genre I Usually Don’t Like!

Much of the music I listen to is cerebral. It is difficult to comprehend. And, what’s more, listening to it is often exhaustive to the ears, as it is both busy and highly mathematical. Sometimes I need a break in the mix, something a little softer that can tone it down a notch without sounding moronic. These sorts of albums are hard to find, in my opinion, and I am glad to have this one. Sure, I probably won’t get as much use out of a B.B. King album as a Pat Metheny album, but there is something self-defeating about always selecting an album that is the absolute hardest to get bored of. That is, sometimes every now and then, I like a bit of pop structures provided that they aren’t the moronic stuff commonly pumped out by DJs on the radio and in clubs.

As far as popularity goes, B.B. King is popular enough that I have friends that are fans of his music. And, even though I am a musical isolationist, it didn’t bother me that B.B. King has enough fans that he can draw a crowd.

I generally don’t like the blues, but this one surprised me. There were 2 main reasons why I purchased this album. The first is that I have surmised that any good cd collection should contain an entry from B.B. King. The second is that B.B. King has recorded some songs written by my great uncle, my Uncle Vaughn, a country music song writer who made it into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and that interested me in B.B. King. Really, I had no excuse for not having a B.B. King album.

Blues chord structures are often too simple or to repetitive to draw my interest, and that is the reason I own so few albums that go in the blues section of record stores. For example, I absolutely detest Stevie Ray Vaughn. This is my first B.B. King album, and I was glad to hear that he didn’t fall into the boring same old same old blues combinations. You can tell a same old same old blues fan because such a person thinks that because if it is blues it is good. Definitely, just because something is the blues doesn’t automatically make it good, or sophisticated, etc.

The songs on this album are crafted, and thoughtful. Some people haven’t given it 5 stars, and perhaps these are people that have listened to a few more of B.B. King’s albums and think that they could have selected a better mix for a greatest hits album. This is my first B.B. King album, and I love it. There is definitely an element of sophistication to this sound, and as for someone who typically doesn’t like the bands that fall under the heading, “Blues,” in the music store, this album still had the capacity to blow me away.

21^st Century Masters, B.B. King, blues

Review Of Album Secrets by Allan Holdsworth

Allan Holdsworth ***** Review Title: Nerdgasm

This style of music is my favorite kind, so I might be a little biased in favor of the genre. I just love contemporary jazz. I would compare being a contemporary jazz lover to being a collector of rare metals like gold, silver, and platinum. Contemporary jazz often has the finest musicianship, and it is modern, but it is not hip. Generally, crowds scare me away. If a band has too many followers, then it is usually because they put out a pop album. Through collecting these gem like albums, essentially you will be separating yourself from the heard of tone deaf morons. Allan Holdsworth has been around for a long time. He has put out a lot of great music. Yet, if you mention his name to someone you will probably draw a blank stare. If you have self confidence, then that won’t bother you. People that listen to Allan Holdsworth have self-confidence because they sure aren’t going to get a pat on the back or any other sort of social benefit from listening to him, except maybe through the internet one might be able to connect with some Allan Holdsworth fans. So Allan Holdsworth’s fan base is certainly not that big, nor does his style have the capacity to ever get big, but if big is what you like, as in big crowds, then this is not for you, but if you like big, as in big sound, I highly recommend this album.

Reviews of Books by Sam Harris

**** Letter to a Christian Nation - Sam Harris - Dead on. I tried Christianity for a while and then found it very difficult to separate from the faith/religion. It wasn’t like I was asked a few times to return. It was more like I was harassed. Sam Harris hits the mark on what it is like to be an outsider among a nation full of Christians.

1st Reviews of Books from Important Scientists and Religionists

* Inferno – Dante - One of those classics that would not make it in today's world. There are some humorous parts, but the America is so over the edge with its shock culture, such as shock rock, and shock news that it makes this book seem quite dated.

**** Einstein's God - Krista Tippett - I found the book to be very interesting. It is a good introduction to what some of modernity's best thinkers believe. It is important to know what scientists think about Gd, as these folks are usually very reasonable. In my book, reason is a virtue. Scientists generally don’t think like those that have faith. It is like their brains are wired differently. These viewpoints matter though, as we should look to knowledgeable people for information. Many Christians like to trumpet literal 7 day creationism to scientists. Why not let scientists give their opinion on religion? It’s a good idea. In fact, I think by knowing what other sides think and why, we are well on the way to forming a more perfect union.

***** Maimonides – Sherwin Nuland - Excellent! Nuland takes his atheism right out of the book and is a good reporter. I learned so much about the history of Jewish medicine through reading this book, especially that Maimonides was influenced to a great deal by Greek medicine. It was interesting to find that he would heal by any means necessary. His presentation of Maimonides is quite endearing, as this man understood that it was more important to save a life even if it caused the healer not to observe the Shabbat. Also, a big take home message for me is the association of healers with Judaism, and that the word rabbi, usually translated, “Teacher,” can also be translated as, “Healer.”

***** Mythology - Edith Hamilton I would say that this contains all the mythology that is important to know for the lay person. These are the gods that pop up all over the place in a lot of literature. The section on Norse mythology is somewhat lacking. By now most literate people would consider this one a classic.

Reviews of Books by Nassim Nicholas Taleb:

***** The Black Swan (listened) - Nassim Nicholas Taleb – The take home message is that the world is run by freak events, and that certain environments are better for creating extreme events. The paradox of this book is that because the idea of a black swan would be an event, it has resemblance to the idea that this book could have become a black swan itself. I would bet that this one becomes a classic.

***** The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms by Nassim Nicholas Taleb - This book is better than the translation of Proverbs. Holy smokes! This one could be canon!

Reviews of Books by Richard Dawkins:

***** The Greatest Show on Earth - Richard Dawkins - Everyone should read this book. Though parts of evolution are open to criticism, the idea of evolution has been proven. If you don’t believe me, then this is the best argument that supports the idea of evolution that I have come across. I learned much of this information at college, but the reading level is not very difficult and any adult should be able to grasp why people defend the theory of evolution, if they read this book.

**** The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins - I fall into the category of one of those believers that Dawkin's says deserve respect. That is Dawkins is not criticizing all believers in God. He is criticizing the believers in God that are delusional.

*** The Ancestor’s Tale (did not finish) – Richard Dawkins – I skipped the invertebrate section because I felt already he was being too speculative. This part made up a good portion of the book, and I might have read it, had it been shorter. I found the section on hominids very interesting. For example, Dawkins reports that our hominid ancestors could only speak with consonants, that is if they can speak at all. I have found The Ancestor’s Tale to be a valuable tool when debating the so called literal creationists. The best part of this book is that it accurately gives the accepted chronology of evolution, as it relates to humans, according to what the best scientists believe. But, in my opinion, prior

* The Extended Phenotype – Richard Dawkins Good idea, but boring. This one is supposedly Dawkins magnum opus, and if you ask me, it's a dud. The idea is essentially that the environment species are raised in is really an extended phenotype. Don't know what a phenotype is? Then, don't bother reading this one.

Reviews of Books by Christopher Hitchens:

** God is Not Great – Christopher Hitchens - I believe in Goad. Christopher Hitchens doesn't. He loses a star for not successfully refuting any reasons why I believe in Goad. That is, to Hitchens’ it would seem that all God’s are equal. He refuted some common beliefs about God. However, I am a believer in God, and Hitchens’ failed to attack my idea of what Gd is.

** Why Orwell Matters – Christopher Hitchens – I admit, I don’t understand much of this book, as it contains many references to people and their writing, which I am unfamiliar with. The thing that strikes me most about this book is that it seems Hitchens’ wants to show off his vast knowledge, which is so great that it is practically silly. Of Orwell’s works, I have only finished reading Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm. I would describe Hitchens’ book as well done pus. My guess is that the book is using a play on the word “Matters” that none of its reviewers on the jacket caught, definition 1 being to discharge pus, while definition 2 means to be of importance. For example, definition 1 might abstractly refer to Orwell’s contradictions, while definition 2 means that Orwell was in fact of great importance. This sort of attitude is typical of Christopher Hitchens and is quite amusing, and in the book Orwell is to. Overall a grey picture of Orwell is painted, some things about him are likable, but many people did not like him, such is the way of most people, like Orwell, that think profound thoughts. For example, Hitchens reports that Orwell was a homophobe, but then also reports highlights of some hints of homoeroticism in some of his lesser known works. As usual, with Orwell, and his word fearsome word “doublethink,” it takes one to know one, as Hitchens shows Orwell was deeply engrossed in doublethink himself.

15 Albums That Changed My Life

The first ones that come to mind.

1. Dream Theater – Score

2. GWAR - Live From Mt. Fuji

3. Metallica - black album

4. Poison - Open Up and Say Ah

5. Greg Howe - Introspection

6. Slayer - Reign in Blood

7. Primus - Frizzle Fry

8. Medeski Martin and Wood with John Scofield - A Go Go

9. Jimi Hendrix - Axis: Bold as Love

10. Ozzy Osbourne live with Randy Rhodes - Tribute

11. Deicide - Serpents of the Light

12. Dream Theater - Images and Words

13. Liquid Tension Experiment - 2

14. Planet X - Moonbabies

15. Nirvanna - Nevermind

Craig HamiltonThese aren't my favorites, but they have all met me at the place and time where I was in life, and thus made an impression. Each one is a memory, sometimes of good times, sometimes of bad times, and sometimes both.

October 15, 2010 at 6:48 pm

15 of My Favorite Movies

Can you name 15 movies that will always stick with you? Here are mine:

‎1. Star Wars 3

2. Police Cop or Police Story with Jackie Chan

3. A Beautiful Mind

4. Cinderella Man

5. Operation Condor - Jackie Chan

6. Rumble in the Bronx

7. Enter the Dragon

8. Debbie Does Dallas

9. Total Recall

10. Philadelphia

11. First Strike

12. Hotel Rwanda

13. City of God

14. Star Wars VI

15. Pretty Woman

1st 100 Disc Changer 2008 The Key to Enjoying Music Is to Develop Your Ears

This is a part of the 100 Disc Changer series. A part of being a good musician involves listening to good music. Even if you want to be in the audience, listening to music will help you enjoy music. However, sometime it is not obvious what is good. So I invite you to check these out because if you listen to them enough, they will improve your ear. Every so often I update my 100 disc changer list. I try to review the albums I take out of it. I also post album reviews at Facebook.com, Amazon.com, and Rdio.

Queensyrche – EP and The Warning

Wes Montgomery – On The Go and Movin’ Wes

Wes Montgomery – Fusion

Simon Phillips – Another Lifetime

Queensyrche – Rage for Order

Queensyrche – Empire

Eric Johnson – 7 Worlds and Souvenir

Eric Johnson – Bloom

Eric Johnson – Ah Via Musicom

Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Soup

Megadeth – Rust In Peace

Megadeth – Greatest Hits: Back to the Beginning

Megadeth – Cryptic Writings

Jimi Hendrix – Blues

Jimi Hendrix – South Saturn Delta

Planet X – Quantum

Derek Sherinian’s Planet X

Planet X – Moonbabies

Plantet X – Universe

Tony MacAlpine – Freedom to Fly

Iced Earth – Days of Purgatory disc 2

Metallica – Ride the Lightning

Dream Theater – Once In a Livetime disc 2

Dream Theater – Live at the Marquee

Dream Theater – Live Scenes From New York disc 2

Tony MacAlpine – Chromaticity

Tony MacAlpine – Madness

Chroma Key – You Go Now

Tony MacAlpine – Evolution

Iced Earth – Days of Purgatory disc 1

Chico Hamilton – Man from 2 Worlds

King Crimson – In The Court of the Crimson King and In The Wake of Poseidon

Chick Corea’s Elektric Band – Light Years

The Misfits – Walk Among Us

Greg Howe – Introspection

Iced Earth – The Dark Saga and The Melancholy EP

The Best of The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Iced Earth – The Blessed

Dream Theater – Official Bootleg: A Saucerful of Floyd

Fates Warning – Disconnected

Dream Theater – Score disc 2

George Benson – Beyond The Blue Horizon

Al Di Meola – Land of the Midnight Sun and Tour de Force

A mix of pop radio music, like stuff you hear on WPXE

Porcupine Tree – Deadwing

A mix of metal music

Led Zepplin – A mix of live songs and songs that were scratched from my Led Zepplin cds

Gipsy Kings – Greatest Hits

The Best of Kenny Burrell: The Blue Note Years

Shadow Gallery – Prime Cuts

Hammer Fall – Glory to the Brave

Return to Forever – This is Jazz 12

The Very Best of Testament

Iced Earth – The Damned

The Very Beast of Dio

Herbie Hancock – Manchild and Dedication

James LaBrie – Elements of Persuasion

A Nirvana bootleg

Fates Warning – No Exit and A Twist of Fate

King’s X – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska

An Evening with Jordan Rudess and John Petrucci

Drained – No One In Control

Rush Tribute – Working Man

Sting – Ten Summoner’s Tales

Rush – 2112 and Hemispheres

Apocalyptica – Plays Metallica by four cellos

Transatlantic – Live In America

A mix of Jazz standards

Liquid Tension Experiment

Fear Factory – Soul of a New Machine and Fear Is The Mind Killer

Greg Howe – Five

Scorpions – 20th Century Masters

Victor Wooten – A Show of Hands

A virtuoso guitar mix including, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteem, The Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton and George Benson

Korn – Greatest Hits Vol. 1

Simon and Garfunkel – Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme

The Very Best of Santana

Richie Kotzen/Greg Howe – Project

A mix of Miles Davis and John Coltrane

Return to Forever – Romantic Warrior

Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Roy Hanynes – Question and Answer

Derek Sherinian – Blood of The Snake

Van Halen – 1984

Bela Fleck and The Flecktones – Greatest Hits of the 20th Century

Alter Bridge – One Day Remains and Creed – Human Clay

Dennis Chambers – Outbreak

Hammer Fall – Legacy of Kings

Garsed, Helmerich, Willis and Chambers – Uncle Moe’s Space Ranch

Rush – Caress of Steel and Counterparts

Emerson Lake and Palmer Tribute – Encores Legends and Paradox

Van Halen – Van Halen II

James LaBrie’s Mullmuzzler – Keep It to Yourself

Django Reinhardt – Retrospective 1940-1947

The Best of Chick Corea

Judas Priest – British Steel

Steve Morse – The Introduction

Wes Montgomery – Ultimate

Skid Row – Slave to The Grind

Evanescence – Fallen

Medeski Martin Wood – Last Chance to Dance Trance