Video of the Week - Testure

My video for the week is a concert clip and music video for the song "Testure" by Skinny Puppy.

It's a very poignant and amazing anti-vivisection song - the lyrics are intense, raw and moving. And I personally find this song inspiring to me since I'm very against vivisection and all other forms of animal abuse.

This song had a strong impact on my life, prior to becoming a vegetarian (and now a vegan) when I saw this song performed live in 1989, it opened by eyes to the harsh realities of the abuse animals endure by the hands of "humans". During the performance of the song, Skinny Puppy used backing footage of various clips of animal abuse. I was shocked - it was very hard to watch, yet I couldn't turn away from it - cause I felt by watching the abuse that happens behind closed doors - in turn, a door opened in my heart for these animals, and it changed something deep down inside of me.

After that show, I became a strict vegetarian, immersed myself in education about animal rights, joined a local animal rights group and became very pro-active for the cause. And I never looked back, it changed my life to this very day, and I continue doing whatever I can to help end the inhumane and horrifying abuse our animals friends go through everyday!

Below the videos of "Testure", I included the lyrics to the song - very powerful, raw and moving, and I highly suggest to read them. I also added a photo that have the lyrics on it, and a picture of cEvin key and Nivek Ogre of Skinny Puppy!

"Testure" music video by Skinny Puppy




"Testure" concert footage - great quality!

*** Testure Lyrics ***

in nervous convulsion
crouches infant ape, trembling in mothers shit

cage eyes tear less, filled with contempt
clinic mask experiment with life and death

smell lingering noxious, mixed scent anxiety

omnipotent doctor grinds the cage door revealing

loves primal instinct taken away

the tiny face terrified

rant and rave, smash your head against the cage

vacuum clicks on high

conscious of the pain, pass off as humane

white coat seems so clean

most dirt bleached out of greed

force the point of habit, eyes burn in a rabbit

push the pain test button

spines cut!

trip mucous inflection, more die. pills each day

what goes around, comes back stronger

tap into the brain, break the skull again

smash price research rat, lab rent paid in flesh

more ill drug store sales sharpen the knife

emphasis on money, new disease everyday

end is seen and coming, research turns it's back to gain

crush the spine, genocide kitten drags its dead limb

continuing all suffering, it will come back and win

shock paralyse, turn trauma burns

out the will to live the lying

message 5 year genocide

1945 suicide vivisect VI

Skinny Puppy makes me smile :)
even while drenched in mud and fake blood

Til later...

Cheers from Catland!

- Jane

My "Frankenstein" Foto Featured!

Earlier this year, I was approached by schmap.com (an on-line tour guide website) about my "Frankenstein" photo that I took at the Jewish section of Graceland Cemetery in Chicago. Schmap.com wanted to use my photo for their website, and I was flattered and happy that they asked and were interested in using my photo. I gave them permission to use it and it was published on their website!

"Frankenstein Grave" - photo © Jane Diamond

I've always loved this grave since I'm such a huge fan of the early black and white horror films of the 1920's and 30's, like "Frankenstein" (obviously) "Bride of Frankenstein", "Dracula" and other original horror films of those eras. Plus this particular graveyard is very interesting in itself. It's very old and very run down - but also quite historical, with some rather intriguing and spooky stories behind it too. Not to mention, one of my all time favorite groups, Skinny Puppy, did a photo-shoot in front of this exact grave back in the early 90's, which of course, makes it that much more cooler!

Skinny Puppy (from left to right) Cevin Key, Dwayne Goettel (RIP) and Nivek Ogre

... Anyway, today I received a message from one of the Schmap one-line editors, saying their guides have now been released for iPhone and iPod touch. And that my photo of the Frankenstein grave is on the iPhone version! Very cool news! :) You can check it out here if you like to see what it looks like on the phone: at: www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=chicago&sid=sights_attractions&p=10850&i=10850_21

*** My photo can be found via that link on the upper left hand side of the phone ***

~~~~~~~~~~

And speaking of "spooky" related things - one of my closest friend and I are bummed out that the "Alien Sex Fiend" and "Specimen" show was cancelled. I don't really listen to much 'goth' and 'batcave' type music anymore, but I still really love Specimen. I saw Alien Sex Fiend at Medusa's nightclub in Chicago in 1989, which was a lot of fun, but I never saw Specimen, so I'm disappointed I won't be able to see them live. But we're still definitely looking very forward to seeing "Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds" this September! I'm sure it will be an amazing show! And add to the fact that Nick Cave is also a fellow fan of Louis Wain! Nick even owns some original Wain paintings! Gah - *envvvvy*
Anyway, check out this short video clip, and music video, for the new Nick Cave album
"DIG, LAZARUS, DIG!!!".

I think this is such a brilliant, funny and very clever concept to promote a new album.

And below is the official video for their new hit single, "DIG, LAZARUS, DIG!!!"
I think it's such a great and fun song! Catchy too - enjoy!...

Til later...

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Cheers from Catland,

- Jane