A tribute to a lost family member.

A friend of mine suggested I put this post together. On Tuesday, November 19th 2013 we lost our loving dog Hannah.

She was a very special dog. A purebred rottweiler, she spent the first part of her life in a cage and was eventually scheduled to be destroyed because she wouldn't breed. She was saved and through a series of events she ended up at the vet we took our previous dogs to. They contacted my parents and after a brief interview, they adopted her. She was one of the sweetest animals I have ever met, always friendly almost to a fault. Her capacity to hug would sometimes push people right over and she would give kisses to the point where my folks were fond of saying thier dog cannot control her "licker". Evidence of trauma from her time in the pen would show up but gradually faded over time as she began to feel safe and loved. You could also see evidence of her isolation as she would often entertain herself with her toys.

Gradually over time she developed a type of blindness that is sometimes found in the rottweiler breed. She lived with this condition for quite some time. However, as time went on, she began to have a more difficult time standing up and developed other, more problematic health issues until eventually she went on to spread happiness in a different world. The veterinarian and his staff sent my folks a very special sympathy card.

She was indeed special. She wasn't just an animal, a dog or a pet; she was an significant member of our family and the ache that is left by her passing is only bearable with the memories we shared with her. It is my sincerest wish for anyone who has a non-human family member to cherish the time you have with them. They make your life better. I know this because Hannah made the lives of all that knew her better. We miss you puppy.

Ten Great Heavy Metal Songs

I love music of all kinds but I have a soft spot for Heavy Metal. In this post I thought I would share some of my favorite songs. This is not a top Ten and I do not have a Favorite song. I dig music based on the mood I’m in. The following songs are songs that are great and I have never gotten sick of them. I would recommend anyone not versed in Metal check out the studio versions of these songs to get the original feel, and if you are a Head Banger, I hope this brings a smile to your face and a crick to your neck.

• Anthrax – “Indians” – This song has one of the greatest “Mosh Buildups” written into a song. There is held metal vocal note, a unison of rhythm guitar and bass chugging and a build on the drums and the band hollers “War Dance” and no matter where I am I bang into that beat.
• Megadeth – “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” – The first taste people get of what is considered the pinnacle of Megadeth’s recording career is this cold, crisp, and complex example of what can be done within the realm of speed metal. The bands founder, lead singer and Commander in Chief, Dave Mustaine, creates a massive epic that spans past five minutes but feels like just a moment. This song has sent many young guitar player back to their basements dragging their guitars behind them in frustrations and embarrassment.
• Metallica – “Damage Inc” – I look back to a time before short hair, lawsuits, and documentaries about therapy to a time when the slogan was “Fuck it all with Fucking no regrets” and smile. Any Metallica fan prior to 1991 will tell you that you must own all four of the bands major albums, listen to them and love them to understand the backlash that they have endured since the release of The Black Album titles Metallica. I am one of those fans, and this song is one of the many reasons why.
• Trivium – “Pull harder on the strings of your Martyr” – This is an example of what new metal should be; Fast and angry.
• Rammstein – “Feuer Frei” – I knew I would have a Rammstein song on this list, but coming up with just one was a real dilemma. Rammstein is in my top 10 favorite metal bands list and jockeys for position but will never leave that list. This song appeared in the first “Triple X” movie and people thought all the fire was for the movies sake. Wrong! That’s their gig! As far as I’m concerned the movie could have been written around their set.
• Slayer – “Dead Skin Mask” – Written for Wisconsin’s own Ed Gein, Slayer mixes vivid imagery with grinding music to take you out to Plainfield, Wisconsin where the back story to movies like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho were born.
• Static X – “Start a War” – Wayne Static’s choppy, rhythmic delivery of the lyrics mixed with the dependable Static X aggression allows for a song destined to stand up for metal heads generations from now.
• Ozzy Osbourne – “Perry Mason” – It’s easy to over look the odd lyrical content of this song when the uncharacteristic weight of the music lands on you like a Buick full of mid-westerners. The guitar tone and brutality of this song more that makes up for eyebrow raising words.
• Iron Maiden – “The Trooper” – A textbook example of British Heavy Metal from the galloping bass lines to the twin lead guitar lines, overshot with the operatic metal voice of their signature vocalist Bruce Dickinson, this song is a metal anthem!
• Motorhead – “March or Die” – This song is my favorite Motorhead tune. To me, it musically captures World War II. It is a rolling juggernaut of music with Lemmy’s growl and the ever present but well used synth sound and the musical peak at the end under the chant Die,Die,Die…Whew, what up mood generator.