YouTube Stars!

So guess who was recently at a festival in my area? BABYMETAL!
I recently wrote about their US television debut, performing "Gimme Chocolate!" So when they were here for Carolina Rebellion, I thought I'd check YouTube for some concert footage. In the related videos to the right, I noticed another band that was at the show, called Ghost.

Ghost (a.k.a. Ghost B.C.) is a Swedish rock/metal/doom band who are touring in promoting their third full length album, Meliora (link at left). They have something in common with BabyMetal. BabyMetal combines Metal and Thrash musical stylings with the theater presentation of J-Pop. Ghost combines the musical styles of Rock and Doom with the theatrical shock value of a Satanic Cult. All the members wear the same black robe and plastic devil face mask, and are known as Nameless Ghouls. The exception is the singer who dresses like the anti-pope and goes by the name of Papa Emeritus.

So what do they sound like? There is a definite influence of Blue Oyster Cult, KISS, Pink Floyd and Alice Cooper. They sound like BOC and Pink Floyd mixed with Black Sabbath, but they look like KISS in that their identities are hidden. They borrow from the Horror themes of Alice Cooper but dress alike like Devo.

Let's discuss and watch their Official Video for Cirice. This song won them the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance! Here are some lyrics, to give you an idea of what it's about...
I feel your presence amongst us.
I know your soul is not tainted, Even though you’ve been told so.
I can feel the thunder that’s breaking in your heart; I can see through the scars inside you!
You and I see eye to eye.
Now there is nothing between us. From now our merge is eternal.
Can’t you see that you’re lost? Can’t you see that you’re lost without me?

It is clear that the singer is forging a connection, a bond, with the listener. The listener is told that they are part of the group, they are understood, they are in a place where they should be. Without this in their life, they are lost. Notice that cults and, some will say, religions work to perform this psychological function in people's lives. They make them feel like part of a tight group where they are wanted and if they depart, their life will be devoid of meaning, left in Hell on Earth or perhaps eternal fires of damnation. Heavy subject matter but something to think about!

The video starts with Cirice, about 11 or 12, and her mom entering a school to watch a talent show. They were late and have to sit in the front row. Cirice looks less than interested in the acts, until Ghost comes out to play. The crowd is uncomfortable except for one couple who look slightly demonic; possibly the parents of Papa Emeritus, who is now singing directly to Cirice. She instantly feels a connection, and stands hand in hand with Papa as her mom tried to pull them apart. She succeeds but then when the MC tries to attack Papa, Cirice exhibits powers that are similar to those of movie icon Carrie who has a similar sounding name. All Hell breaks loose!

So is this an Award Winning Metal Performance or the work of The Devil himself? Have a look and decide for yourself!



Now if you thought that was Satanic, evil and creepily disconcerting... let's go back 50 years to the groovy 60s when the Hippies were singing about Love and Flowers. Not everyone was so happy. There was a man named Jason Crest who related his experience at a terrifying Black Mass.

Let there be light; stop these sounds! ahhhhh Black Mass-s-s-s-s-s. Heavy organ music, creepy evil lyrics and chanting, and a backwards percussion track might give you nightmares. Have a listen to "Black Mass" by Jason Crest, and ponder on whether this old slice of demonic horror from the swingin' 60s outdoes the new Satanic Ghost band or not!

Labels: Alice Cooper, BABYMETAL, Black Mass, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Carrie, Cirice, doom, Ghost, GhostBCVEVO, Jason Crest, KISS, metal, Pink Floyd, religion, Rock, Satan

posted by KennyCrane at 5/20/2016 01:45:00 AM 2 Comments

Here is popular Guest Blogger Emma Samuelson with a discussion of some of the very hot topics in today's world!

Emma is a recent college graduate from California who writes her own songs, sings and plays guitar. Check out the excellent music and ASL videos on her YouTube channel! In Emma's own words, "I am a spiritual person and I love music, listening to it, creating it, and everything about it." Her love of music is obvious in her videos!

Please use this link to see a list of ALL guest blog posts by Emma Samuelson.

Now, let's see what Emma's thoughts are, on Privilege. Have you thought about this yourself? Is there something about who you are, which you have no control over, that affects your life? Is there something that should be done to reduce inequality in the world? Can we achieve Social Justice? Is it right to allow the capitalist system to make some people very wealthy if their innovation helps us all? What can we do about violence in Syria and around the world and should the United States get involved? What can you do, personally, to improve the world?

Continue on. Read Emma's thoughts on these matters. Watch the videos she mentions. Think.

The Awareness of Privilege

Privilege. It’s something we come across everyday in our own lives, but sometimes it’s hard to recognize for those that have a lot of it. I, personally, have become much more aware of my privilege since turning 18. It’s not like I wasn’t aware I was privileged growing up, but as I stepped into adulthood and attended a San Francisco college that focuses on social justice amidst the Black Lives Matter movement and ever-growing gentrification… I became hyper aware of my own privilege.

As a middle class white woman, I stand in a very privileged spot. I had the privilege of getting a free education K-12, I had the privilege of being sent to a private, Jesuit college, and I have the privilege of still being a dependent on my parents bill as I turn 22. I am eternally grateful for my education and my parents for making this a possibility for me. I recognize that the opportunity for this kind of education is slim for many people in our world, a sad truth I think about a lot as a recent college graduate.

This is the big stuff… education, financial stability, and a web of support. However, privilege is not just the big stuff. Privilege is having clean water, it’s having access to food, it’s having a bed. These are the things we need to think about.



In the current state of the world, many people are becoming more and more aware of just how privilege affects their daily lives. Sometimes, I just take a moment to be grateful that I have shoes to put on that day. Little reminders like this can be a great lesson in how to recognize your own privilege and a lesson in how to be grateful for it.

Despite these little helpful reminders, sometimes privilege is totally overlooked. People casually listen to stories on the radio and in the news about millions of people losing their homes, their country, and even their loved ones due to injustice… sometimes a reminder is not enough. In the real world right now, thousands of Syrians are displaced and being forced into refugee status, they have lost so much and yet countries like the United States are not doing enough to help. People in general are not doing enough. If it’s hard to imagine something like this happening in your country, it won’t be after watching this Save The Children PSA. This video documents a young girl’s life day by day for a year as she is impacted by a civil war (simulating Syria’s events).



This is real, and it can be difficult to absorb but I believe it is important. It is vital to understand your privilege, to understand that you have so many advantages in your daily life. Regardless of where you stand, everyone is affected by privilege and everyone deals with it.

In the United States, media, film and television generally reinforce stereotypes of different races, ethnicities, classes, genders and ages. However, even though many of these stereotypes and controlling images of people are not true, they still are somewhat honest in how people are treated in our society. I do not agree with any of the stereotypes I see portrayed in film and television, but I have seen scenes in television shows that I have experienced in real life.

This is where awareness totally changes the game. For example, I am aware that a lot of people in our society view LGBT people as sinners, as deviants, as 'unnatural people making poor choices’… but I have also seen real people treat real LGBT people like that is the truth. As a bisexual woman, I have been harassed, bullied and degraded because of that part of my identity… and I see the same thing happening to my fellow LGBT people on television. It makes me feel like the media understands what I go through, but at the same time it reinforces that truth. I do not want to live in a world where people are treated differently based on their identities, I want to live in a world of equality, of justice, a world where everyone has opportunity, where privilege doesn’t separate us.

Awareness can change everything, it can help us come together and let go of inequality. Buzzfeed contributed to this awareness, and had people do an activity based on self-identified privilege. Although reading about it and watching videos is helpful in understanding your privilege, doing something like what Buzzfeed did really puts it into perspective.



Anyone can have a difficult time discussing privilege. It is not an easy topic, but it can open the doors for more deeper conversations about our society and how we want to evolve. Doing an activity like this is a powerful way to look at privilege, it can open your eyes to just how much you can be grateful for. It can shift your consciousness from your individual world to the global need for change. It can dramatically reduce your record of complaining. It can lead to new friendships, new opportunities, and new ways of giving back and supporting the evolution of the world. Regardless of where your final position is, awareness can lead to action, and action can lead to change. Check your privilege, every single day.

Labels: Black Lives Matter, bullying, Buzzfeed, clean water, Cyber Bully, education, Emma Samuelson, emmalane94, feminism, gender, inequality, LGBT, privilege, race, refugee, religion, social justice, stereotypes, Syria, War

posted by KennyCrane at 3/16/2016 05:19:00 PM 1 Comments

What is the true meaning of Christmas? Well it depends on what you believe about the reality of the world we live in. If you are a Christian, you believe that God provided a way for people to be forgiven for the sins of Adam and Eve as well as their own sins. That way is by sending one part of the Trinity which is God, the Son part, to live the life of a Man and then die prematurely and painfully, to pay for the sins of everyone who chooses to believe in Him. That man was Jesus Christ and the Church has a special Mass on December 25th to celebrate His birth.

Since God gave this gift to all of us in the form of the life and death of Jesus, Christians at some point decided to give gifts to each other, in remembrance and emulation of God's gift to us. In the course of giving out these gifts, we visit with our families and friends. Even those who are not religious can appreciate the fellowship of sharing a meal and pleasant times with loved ones.

Along with the shopping and gatherings of season comes Christmas music. There are two songs in particular that can provide inspiration in our lives. Read on as I tell you my thoughts on two Christmas favorites - The Little Drummer Boy, and Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.


People came to where Jesus had just been born with gifts for this newborn "King". One young boy was there and saw what was happening. He wanted to give a gift too, but he was poor and had no money. However, he did have a skill. He was a pretty good drummer!

Now some may say that he was given this skill by God. Some think that God decides if and when to give a mother a child, and has a reason for bringing that child into the world, and has a plan for that child's life. If that is the case, then God put us here for a reason, gave us skills for a reason, and it is good to develop our God given skills and use them in service according to God's will.

Others may think that the drummer boy inherited certain skills from his parents by way of the genetic code he received random parts of, from each parent. But still, the child owes it to society to develop their skills for the good of society, because it was society that allowed that child to get to where he presently finds himself. Human animals need contact and care from other humans, or else they die. We are born helpless and we can do nothing on our own to survive for an initial period of time, and it takes us a long time to be able to live independently. By that time, we owe a large debt to society. Our parents and family members fed, clothed and cared for us. Society provided a framework and system of providing food, clothing and all kinds of goods and services for the people of the world. We make a lot of choices and efforts on our own but we also have a lot of infrastructure in place for us. It is good to contribute to society since we have already received so much from it.

In either interpretation, it seems to me that we have an obligation to develop our skills and use them in celebration of what we have received in this life. The Little Drummer Boy presents the baby Jesus with a performance of the thing he knows how to do, play his drum. What is something you are good at? How will you develop that ability even further? Will you use your skills as a thankful gift to what made you who you are, as the Litte Drummer Boy did?



Sometimes it is not so obvious as to what our skills are. Everyone is unique, no two people are exactly alike. We have a set of characteristics that make us who we are. As we live and interact with others, we come to think of some of our traits as assets and others as detriments. We discover certain things we are able to do that bring pleasure and utility to ourselves and others. But we also find that we have certain characteristics that are perceived by others as a weakness or a strangeness.

As we all know, there seems to be something in human nature that instinctively leads us to judge the fitness of our fellow associates. Perhaps by finding their faults and weaknesses, it helps us to feel relatively superior. Further, we seem to identify who will help us in our lives and who will be a drain on our resources. In nature, we see animals making the decision to sometimes abandon the weakest of their young when resources are scarce, or leave behind a group member who is too old or infirm to be useful to the pack. But humans are different from other animals. We can use our imagination to devise new ways of using our skills and characteristics that might not at first seem obvious. We can think about something that at first seems like a weakness or hindrance and discover the hidden utility of this trait.

In Rudolf, we have a tale that shows how this very concept played out. We can identify, because we see that sometimes we have something that is not generally considered useful or worthy of having. It may be that this skill or attribute is only an advantage in certain rare situations. But when that situation arises, we are glad to have it, and so are all our associates! While they may have once shunned us for being different, they now idolize us for this unique thing which all of a sudden has been shown to be very important! Rudolf used his strangely glowing nose to light the way through the storm. What is your unique talent or characteristic? How will you show others that your difference is something to be celebrated? Will you take a moment to praise someone for something they might not even realize they have, like Santa did for Rudolf?

Labels: Christmas, inspiration, inspire, meaning, music, religion, rudolf the red nosed reindeer, the little drummer boy

posted by KennyCrane at 12/19/2012 02:18:00 PM 0 Comments

I am glad that I live in the USA where people are free to express their opinions. We often take this freedom for granted. But when we see what happens in other countries, like Iran, when people try to speak freely, we have to realize that we are lucky to live in a free country.

Where people are free to speak their mind, there will be differences of opinion. There is an ongoing discussion on YouTube between people of faith who believe in God and the Bible, and atheists who don't believe in a god who created the universe and listens to everyone's prayers.

Here are a few videos by believers and non-believers. Join in the conversation by commenting on these videos, but do so with respect for the opinion of others.


christoferL makes several Christian videos each week and has over 1500 subscribers. In this video, he talks about his childhood, and Santa and the Easter Bunny. Then he talks about how he got into the occult in his late teens. The story continues with Chris talking about music, wrestling and how he began to read the Bible. His story concludes with his encounter with an ill kitten, that lead to faith.





VioletKitty411 has been on YouTube almost as long as I have. She has over 3600 subscribers. Her profile says, "Practicing Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty. I am broken. In my weakness, I'm made strong. I must decrease so Christ can increase. I'm a Christian, and I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." In this video, she responds to ThunderF00t's three-part series (Part one, here) on a Beginner's Guide to the Bible. VK talks about evidence and logic, and gives an example on why it can't always be relied upon, based on her own anecdotal story of how she was treated by several doctors for symptoms she recently had.

VioletKitty411 has decided to set this video to "Embedding disabled by request" but you can watch the video in my Favorites List by clicking the thumbnail picture to the left.


Dude4Reason has only uploaded 4 videos but I find them to be very interesting. This video is an intellectual exposition on the philosophical topics of Knowledge, Jusitification, and Belief. He talks about how we are able to know anything at all, and how this subject known as Epistomology has progressed over the years. This is a good video for deep thinkers.





In this video titled "The Problem of Faith" which is part of the "Logic of Religion" series, cdk007 talks about Faith, which he defines as belief in something for which there is no evidence. His begins by quoting from Matthew 17:20, "...if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move." cdk007 says that you need to have faith that the mountain moved because your eyes will clearly tell you that it hasn't. He continues by providing a thought experiment which he claims indicates that almost no one has faith, despite the infinite reward awaiting those who believe they will get it if they follow the rules of the Bible. The conversation continues in the over 1000 comments. See other cdk007 videos for evidence for evolution and an "old" Earth.





Finally, watch this video by GIIVideo which has 3.5 Million views and over 80 thousand comments. It says that Christians believe that God answers prayer with a Yes, No or Maybe answer. He explains that a milk jug could be prayed to, and if we are told the jug gives the same answers, there is no way to tell the milk jug from God. With the Yes, No and Maybe answers to prayer, any and all outcomes can be attributed to praying, which provides no conclusions as to the validity of prayer.

Labels: atheism, cdk007, christoferL, faith, GIIVideo, God, religion, violetkitty411

posted by KennyCrane at 3/17/2010 02:46:00 AM 1 Comments

One of the best things about YouTube is that people who watch a video can respond to it in the comments and by a video response. This creates a conversation about the subject matter of the video. Often, the comment section adds so much to the understanding of an issue because a YouTuber can see different sides of the issue - different points of view. As long as people express their thoughts in a respectful way, this is a good thing! When commenters just spew hate in order to get a rise out of the video poster and the comment readers, it is best to ignore the commenter since they often leave these kinds of comments just to get attention - be it positive or negative. The human drive for social interaction is very strong, and YouTube can fulfill that need to some degree. Let's continue to do what we can to make YouTube a constructive community where it is possible to have an overall positive experience.

Here are four videos about interaction on YouTube. The first is a short bio from one of our favorite singers, in which she also discusses commenters. Next, we'll hear from one of the "wise men" of YouTube on the topic of what to do when certain people threaten others online. Then, we'll see a response video on the same topic, from a member of the former eNation. Finally, we'll have a look at a controversial video and the lively and heartfelt discussion that ensued in it's comments.

First, some news! I recently heard from Marina of the HotForWords channel about the importance of the "Total Video Views" stat. Apparently, people who want to get an idea of how well you're doing on YouTube are interested in knowing how many views all of your videos together have received. It seems that YouTube does not publish this piece of information anywhere. Marina asked if I could find that number for her. I created a widget that anyone can put on any of their websites (MySpace, Facebook, their own personal sites) which simply provides a YouTuber's Total Video Views number in text form. HotForWords is already using the widget on her website. The widget can be styled just like any other text - change the font, font size, colors - to whatever suits you. We created a website to support this new widget enterprise: www.MyYTStats.com. Please go there and see what we have so far. We have several versions of this Total Video Views text widget - one scrolls and one fades in and out. They are all available for YOUR use on YOUR websites, for FREE!



Our good friend Jennifer Newberry just launched a new channel dedicated to vlogs only. Jennifer is a 26 year old blond Swedish-American singer who we have posted about in the past. We even interviewed Jennifer back in December! This is the first video on Jennifer's new channel. Listen to her thoughts on "mean comments" and learn a little about who Jennifer really is. Then read the interview!



Tom, tlg847, pulls no punches as he discusses how threats to people and their families are handled in "life" and on YouTube and the Internet. He uses "bad language" to make his point. Is "it's only the Internet" a valid excuse for threatening and/or nasty behavior? Join in on the discussion by commenting or making a video response! Several interesting websites were mentioned in the comments. One is an ACLU page that talks about Civil Liberties in the "Summary of Argument" section. Another briefly describes the Avogato Trust Metric. Tom has been working with Renetto, PeriUrban and KenRG on a new website which Tom mentioned in this video and in the last video here. The final frames in that video tell us what the new website's name might be. This picture is from that video.



VitalFinds, an intelligent and prolific videoblogger who contributed to the eNation discussions and helped test the 2BuxMall, made a video response to Tom's video. She adds her ideas about what should and should not be acceptable in a well run video community website.



Last week, popular vlogger and artist Paperlilies made this video to announce her latest art competition. Bryony has done quite a lot to foster the art community on YouTube. She has painted several pictures on camera and auctioned them off on eBay. Tom, tlg847, bought one of the first ones. Bryony has sponsored other art competitions which gathered a good amount of participation and interest from the YouTube community. This time, her well known wit, sometimes veering into snarky territory, was deemed to be offensive to several members of the YouTube community. There have been almost 800 comments on the video so far, many on the topic of religion. Have a look and if you have an opinion, leave your comment!

Labels: Jennifer, JenniferNew21, kenrg, MyYTStats, Newberry, Paperlilies, PeriUrban, religion, renetto, statistics, tlg847, vitalfinds

posted by KennyCrane at 3/23/2008 10:46:00 PM 2 Comments