31 March 2009
Letter to the Editor
I look forward to your monthly column "Around the World With One Question". The report that sticks out to me the most is this past month's article entitled "How Often Do You Pray?" I found this to be especially interesting since it permeated the usual boundaries that many publishers draw to avoid religious controversy. This question follows others such as "When is the last time you called your mother?" I find this recent spiritual inquisition to be oddly casual and abruptly intrusive. The diagram is appealing but the information included is quite limited. I was slightly confused as to how this information was obtained. From the phrase "global survey", I have been led to believe these statistics generated from an online poll. I also wonder how many religions are represented in these figures. Your response is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
I am writing to you on a problem I have found within the paper I have received this morning. First and foremost I will tell you that I am not writing to placate you. This letter will be direct and not the least bit diffident. Though we may have incongruity in our opinions I hope you will consider this letter even if it you see it as morose.
I abhor the article I found on the front page this morning. I found that article to be implausible. The very thought about aliens landing in a spaceship in the back yard of a local citizen’s house is ridiculous. I felt the writings about this event to be made up by a charlatan; nothing makes sense though the writer claims to know everything about these supposed aliens. I feel you are in dearth with publishing credible stories. This is not the first time that something this absurd has been published.
Your stories are toxic to those of this provincial area. Now men and women young and old will think that aliens truly are invading the backyards of their neighbor’s houses. These words posted are a conflagration to our society.
I advise you keep a vigilant eye on the stories you are reviewing and to expunge any lunatic stories such as aliens invading a local citizens backyard. If more stories of this sort are published than I will reiterate my story to those in command above you.
~ Emosque
I am writing to you on a problem I have found within the paper I have received this morning. First and foremost I will tell you that I am not writing to placate you. This letter will be direct and not the least bit diffident. Though we may have incongruity in our opinions I hope you will consider this letter even if it you see it as morose.
I abhor the article I found on the front page this morning. I found that article to be implausible. The very thought about aliens landing in a spaceship in the back yard of a local citizen’s house is ridiculous. I felt the writings about this event to be made up by a charlatan; nothing makes sense though the writer claims to know everything about these supposed aliens. I feel you are in dearth with publishing credible stories. This is not the first time that something this absurd has been published.
Your stories are toxic to those of this provincial area. Now men and women young and old will think that aliens truly are invading the backyards of their neighbor’s houses. These words posted are a conflagration to our society.
I advise you keep a vigilant eye on the stories you are reviewing and to expunge any lunatic stories such as aliens invading a local citizens backyard. If more stories of this sort are published than I will reiterate my story to those in command above you.
~ Emosque
Letter to the Editor
Editor-In-Chief of the Morning Call,
I am writing this letter for a few different reasons. I must inform you of unbelievable crimes within our own police force. By writing this I am doing my best to be free from blame. I find it suitable to inform you instead a higher authority within the government because the media is able to make more of an impact than simply dealing with the source of the problem, our ostensible protectors from crime. I have been trying to collect as much information and evidence.
I will start from the beginning; I am the wife of a very powerful member of the police department. My husband thinking that I would never question his work became very lacks about hiding his connection to the underground crime families, the things he did for them, and the money and power he received for helping them. For years the government have been helping the crime families especially the Italian mafia, giving them the most power within our city. This has caused a division within our government, not only locally but statewide, and maybe even farther. They all know of these actions but many refuse the mandates from their leaders and peers, and detest the entire situation. With numerous man in uniform wanting to improve the city, there is much hope. But I fear for the safety of the men and women in our government that have the best intentions for us as citizens, which is another reason why we need action to be taken! All of this must start with informing the people of what is happening because attention must be brought to the circumstances. I have enclosed many documents between the police and crime families, and also a list of people to investigate, a list of crimes committed and as many details as I can give you, and some other information. I hate to devolve these problems onto you and your staff but I feel that you have the resources to do something that I cannot. I will write to you again hopefully with more information.
Concerned Citizen
I am writing this letter for a few different reasons. I must inform you of unbelievable crimes within our own police force. By writing this I am doing my best to be free from blame. I find it suitable to inform you instead a higher authority within the government because the media is able to make more of an impact than simply dealing with the source of the problem, our ostensible protectors from crime. I have been trying to collect as much information and evidence.
I will start from the beginning; I am the wife of a very powerful member of the police department. My husband thinking that I would never question his work became very lacks about hiding his connection to the underground crime families, the things he did for them, and the money and power he received for helping them. For years the government have been helping the crime families especially the Italian mafia, giving them the most power within our city. This has caused a division within our government, not only locally but statewide, and maybe even farther. They all know of these actions but many refuse the mandates from their leaders and peers, and detest the entire situation. With numerous man in uniform wanting to improve the city, there is much hope. But I fear for the safety of the men and women in our government that have the best intentions for us as citizens, which is another reason why we need action to be taken! All of this must start with informing the people of what is happening because attention must be brought to the circumstances. I have enclosed many documents between the police and crime families, and also a list of people to investigate, a list of crimes committed and as many details as I can give you, and some other information. I hate to devolve these problems onto you and your staff but I feel that you have the resources to do something that I cannot. I will write to you again hopefully with more information.
Concerned Citizen
Letter To The Editor
Dear Editor:
I greatly appreciated your last article that apprised your readers of the Red Envelope project. The issue of abortion has caused a dichotomy of thought in America; it is such an apposite topic right now. America's history is checkered with grevious sins, but abortion is easily our greatest crime. I am so glad that you agree that it is time to put an end to this. While some believe the idea of the Red Envelope plan actually making a difference is risible, I believe that it is a wonderful possibility for change to take place. It is time to abjure the law that made abortion legal and this might be the first step. While some citizens may feel as though the repeal of the law will take away their rights, there also is a large number of people who execrate abortion and are willing to take a stand against it. I do not believe that by ridding our nation of abortion we will be exculpated of all our crimes, but it definitely is a step in the right direction. Those heading up the Red Envelope project can be protagonists for change in this nation.
Sincerely,
Jennie Carmona
I greatly appreciated your last article that apprised your readers of the Red Envelope project. The issue of abortion has caused a dichotomy of thought in America; it is such an apposite topic right now. America's history is checkered with grevious sins, but abortion is easily our greatest crime. I am so glad that you agree that it is time to put an end to this. While some believe the idea of the Red Envelope plan actually making a difference is risible, I believe that it is a wonderful possibility for change to take place. It is time to abjure the law that made abortion legal and this might be the first step. While some citizens may feel as though the repeal of the law will take away their rights, there also is a large number of people who execrate abortion and are willing to take a stand against it. I do not believe that by ridding our nation of abortion we will be exculpated of all our crimes, but it definitely is a step in the right direction. Those heading up the Red Envelope project can be protagonists for change in this nation.
Sincerely,
Jennie Carmona
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I was writing in response to something i viewed on the news a few days ago. I saw a story of a man who risked his life to save another person's life by getting that person out of the way of a moving vehicle. The man was injured and taken to the hospital, when he wakes up to find that he is being charged with j- walking, and is required to pay a ticket. This man risked his own life for someone else and now we are punishing him? What kind of message is that sending to our community and our children! Do not help anyone else because you will get in trouble, no ones life matter but our own? I strongly believe that this is not the kind of message we want to be putting out. We need to be applauding and honoring this man for his heroic act, not slamming him with a ticket!
I was writing in response to something i viewed on the news a few days ago. I saw a story of a man who risked his life to save another person's life by getting that person out of the way of a moving vehicle. The man was injured and taken to the hospital, when he wakes up to find that he is being charged with j- walking, and is required to pay a ticket. This man risked his own life for someone else and now we are punishing him? What kind of message is that sending to our community and our children! Do not help anyone else because you will get in trouble, no ones life matter but our own? I strongly believe that this is not the kind of message we want to be putting out. We need to be applauding and honoring this man for his heroic act, not slamming him with a ticket!
Sincerely,
Anonymous
Anonymous
Letter to Editor
Dear Editor,
I sent this letter to pull your attention to a virtually unkown issue in Arkansas. The Arkansas Senate rejected a bill for an in state tuition for illegal immigrant children on Monday, March 30, 2009. The bill was rejected by the senate by a 13-21 vote. Why? It would give childen of illegal immigrants help to pay instate tuition rates at state colleges and universities. Only students/children who attened an Arkansas high school for at least 3 years and has an Arkansas high school diploma would be applicable for the rates. One of the reasons the bill was failed because, it questions the legality of a few laws. Also the senate is worried that if the bill passed more illegal immigrants would move to the area.
I disagree, I think the bill should have passed. Its not just about the illegal immigrants kids but the bill could be worked to help low income families who need help as well. The bill does not just benifit the students abut society as well. If we did not give them a higher education we all would pay the price. Those kids would not have the ablitiy or education to get a job which will bring the economy down as well. Since they children/students/kids are here we may as well give them an education because they aren't going anywhere fast. Honestly the choice is ours on how well the next gereration is going to be educated.
Sincerly,
uneducated in Arkansas.
" the bottom line is this: They are in our state, they are not leaving. We can choose to have them here as educated people or we can choose to have them here as folks that we deny an education to. (who are we to do that) That is our choice." -Joyce Elliott
article used: http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-arkansas-immigrants-college,0,1520559.story
I sent this letter to pull your attention to a virtually unkown issue in Arkansas. The Arkansas Senate rejected a bill for an in state tuition for illegal immigrant children on Monday, March 30, 2009. The bill was rejected by the senate by a 13-21 vote. Why? It would give childen of illegal immigrants help to pay instate tuition rates at state colleges and universities. Only students/children who attened an Arkansas high school for at least 3 years and has an Arkansas high school diploma would be applicable for the rates. One of the reasons the bill was failed because, it questions the legality of a few laws. Also the senate is worried that if the bill passed more illegal immigrants would move to the area.
I disagree, I think the bill should have passed. Its not just about the illegal immigrants kids but the bill could be worked to help low income families who need help as well. The bill does not just benifit the students abut society as well. If we did not give them a higher education we all would pay the price. Those kids would not have the ablitiy or education to get a job which will bring the economy down as well. Since they children/students/kids are here we may as well give them an education because they aren't going anywhere fast. Honestly the choice is ours on how well the next gereration is going to be educated.
Sincerly,
uneducated in Arkansas.
" the bottom line is this: They are in our state, they are not leaving. We can choose to have them here as educated people or we can choose to have them here as folks that we deny an education to. (who are we to do that) That is our choice." -Joyce Elliott
article used: http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-arkansas-immigrants-college,0,1520559.story
30 March 2009
Abortion
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I am sending this letter to bring your attention to the rights of the unborn babies, who die everyday in abortions. The number of abortions is approximately 1.37 million a year in America (3,700 innocent babies dyeing a day). “1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).” * The issue I am bringing forth is that abortion should be illegal. I am a very independent woman. I feel that women should have every right that is available. We are our own person, we are human. The only thing is, that embryo in a woman’s stomach, is every bit human. All humans have rights. According to the Constitution of the United States, it is illegal to murder any human. Those little babies that are killed everyday are indeed HUMAN! That embryo is the same exact being as the person it will grow up to be. There are only a few things that are different about those cells and a human. 1) The environment is different. The birth canal is not some magical canal that magically turns you into a human. 2) She/he has grown. You can admit that you have grown since the day you have been born. 3) Dependency of the child. First the embryo is dependant on its mother physically. Now a kid depends on the world. All of this evidence proves that the fetus, embryo, egg and sperm cell, newborn, are human. For more information and scientific proof, please go to this website: http://www.prolifetraining.com/
ABORTION IS MURDERING AN INNOCENT LIFE OF A HUMAN! IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!
Cited Sources:
http://www.prolifetraining.com/
Scott Klusendorf
Thank you for listening,
Jamie Bauer
* http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html
Dear Editor,
I am sending this letter to bring your attention to the rights of the unborn babies, who die everyday in abortions. The number of abortions is approximately 1.37 million a year in America (3,700 innocent babies dyeing a day). “1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).” * The issue I am bringing forth is that abortion should be illegal. I am a very independent woman. I feel that women should have every right that is available. We are our own person, we are human. The only thing is, that embryo in a woman’s stomach, is every bit human. All humans have rights. According to the Constitution of the United States, it is illegal to murder any human. Those little babies that are killed everyday are indeed HUMAN! That embryo is the same exact being as the person it will grow up to be. There are only a few things that are different about those cells and a human. 1) The environment is different. The birth canal is not some magical canal that magically turns you into a human. 2) She/he has grown. You can admit that you have grown since the day you have been born. 3) Dependency of the child. First the embryo is dependant on its mother physically. Now a kid depends on the world. All of this evidence proves that the fetus, embryo, egg and sperm cell, newborn, are human. For more information and scientific proof, please go to this website: http://www.prolifetraining.com/
ABORTION IS MURDERING AN INNOCENT LIFE OF A HUMAN! IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!
Cited Sources:
http://www.prolifetraining.com/
Scott Klusendorf
Thank you for listening,
Jamie Bauer
* http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html
War on Terror or Overseas Contingency Operation?
Dear Editor,
In your article, Obama Team Drops "War on Terror" Rhetoric, you stated that Obama said the term “War on Terror” is no longer to be used. Is it wrong to call things what they are? Of course we choose to refer to mature topics using euphemisms when talking to young children, but do we need to soften the way we look at a war? Seriously, do we need to call it Overseas Contingency Operation? The definition of contingency is “An event that may occur but that is not likely or intended; a possibility.” So what Obama is saying through this new name on the war is that either the war is a vague possibility and is currently not happening or the war is happening but it was unintentional that the terrorists flew into two NYC buildings on September 11th, and that they didn’t mean to hit the towers. The terrorists just couldn’t find an open runway to safely land the passengers. Now if you are older than maybe four, you could tell that there is something wrong with both of those ideas. I don’t know if I’m the only one that feels that it’s rather insulting that the President tries to use big words and metaphors to twist the meaning of the war, but if I am then our country is in a lot of trouble.
In your article, Obama Team Drops "War on Terror" Rhetoric, you stated that Obama said the term “War on Terror” is no longer to be used. Is it wrong to call things what they are? Of course we choose to refer to mature topics using euphemisms when talking to young children, but do we need to soften the way we look at a war? Seriously, do we need to call it Overseas Contingency Operation? The definition of contingency is “An event that may occur but that is not likely or intended; a possibility.” So what Obama is saying through this new name on the war is that either the war is a vague possibility and is currently not happening or the war is happening but it was unintentional that the terrorists flew into two NYC buildings on September 11th, and that they didn’t mean to hit the towers. The terrorists just couldn’t find an open runway to safely land the passengers. Now if you are older than maybe four, you could tell that there is something wrong with both of those ideas. I don’t know if I’m the only one that feels that it’s rather insulting that the President tries to use big words and metaphors to twist the meaning of the war, but if I am then our country is in a lot of trouble.
Letter to the Editor
Because of the scandal surrounding Judge Mark Ciavarella, hundreds of convicted juvenile delinquents are being released, with their records expunged. Ciavarella pleaded guilty to taking pay-offs and trying under-aged defendants without a lawyer. While these children clearly did not receive a fair trial, is this really the best course of action? They are now being released, and given a clean record. What is this teaching them? The only thing these kids are learning is that our justice system is corrupt, and they can get away with their crimes without any consequences. Although it would take a great deal of time an effort, perhaps it would be wiser to allow these children a second trial, this time with a lawyer, rather than simply letting them off the hook.
Letter to the Editor
The US government has thrown trillions of dollars at large industries these past few months hoping to solve this economic downturn. It didn’t work, and it’s not going to work. Does rewarding bad behavior ever redeem a situation permanently?
Our country got into this “economic crisis” by spending money we didn’t have. As of December 2008, estimates put the national debt at $37,000 for every man, woman, or child in the United States. Statistics on credit card debt alone should give us a good glimpse of how formidable irresponsible spending in our country really is.
The February bailouts probably just made the problem worse. Taxpayers’ money went only to the huge companies who were irresponsible enough to near bankruptcy, not the small, local businesses who got hit the hardest. These small businesses are the heart of our failing economy, but we’re giving all the oxygen to random fingers and toes. Maybe the bailouts stemmed the problems for a little while, for a few people, but an economy must fix itself! Bankruptcy of big companies is an economy’s emergency salvation procedure. We need to let this economy right itself and let the rotten apples fall so that healthy ones can grow; the tree may be without fruit for awhile, but gluing the bad fruit back on only worsens the problems. Please, write your congressmen and tell your friends, these bailouts aren’t helping anyone!
-Sarah Peterson
Our country got into this “economic crisis” by spending money we didn’t have. As of December 2008, estimates put the national debt at $37,000 for every man, woman, or child in the United States. Statistics on credit card debt alone should give us a good glimpse of how formidable irresponsible spending in our country really is.
The February bailouts probably just made the problem worse. Taxpayers’ money went only to the huge companies who were irresponsible enough to near bankruptcy, not the small, local businesses who got hit the hardest. These small businesses are the heart of our failing economy, but we’re giving all the oxygen to random fingers and toes. Maybe the bailouts stemmed the problems for a little while, for a few people, but an economy must fix itself! Bankruptcy of big companies is an economy’s emergency salvation procedure. We need to let this economy right itself and let the rotten apples fall so that healthy ones can grow; the tree may be without fruit for awhile, but gluing the bad fruit back on only worsens the problems. Please, write your congressmen and tell your friends, these bailouts aren’t helping anyone!
-Sarah Peterson
25 March 2009
Held Back
This song is done to the tune of the song "So Long (My Friend)" by dcTalk.
Verse 1: You think that you can tell me what to do.
Well then, I guess it’s true.
But do you ever think of how I feel at all?
You keep me back from everything you see,
That might do harm to me.
But do you realize a have a life to live?
I know you’re doing this because you care
But I don’t think it’s fair.
I just want a chance to be a normal kid.
Pre-Chorus: Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.
Let me live a life that’s mine
Not yours
Chorus: I know you love me and I’m glad that you do (my dad)
But I’m annoyed by things that you do (my dad)
Can’t I have a say?
(2x)
Verse 2: My church is going on a trip again
Why can’t I go with them?
They’re going to a Christian camp one hour away.
And you said no a million times before
‘Cause camp is only for
People with lives and clearly that just isn’t me
Pre-chorus
Chorus
Bridge: If you won’t let me leave you
(Keep me with you every day)
Will I ever go away?
(‘Cause you can’t make me stay)
‘Cause I’m going to college
(In just three years so…)
Why?
Chorus
Verse 1: You think that you can tell me what to do.
Well then, I guess it’s true.
But do you ever think of how I feel at all?
You keep me back from everything you see,
That might do harm to me.
But do you realize a have a life to live?
I know you’re doing this because you care
But I don’t think it’s fair.
I just want a chance to be a normal kid.
Pre-Chorus: Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.
Let me live a life that’s mine
Not yours
Chorus: I know you love me and I’m glad that you do (my dad)
But I’m annoyed by things that you do (my dad)
Can’t I have a say?
(2x)
Verse 2: My church is going on a trip again
Why can’t I go with them?
They’re going to a Christian camp one hour away.
And you said no a million times before
‘Cause camp is only for
People with lives and clearly that just isn’t me
Pre-chorus
Chorus
Bridge: If you won’t let me leave you
(Keep me with you every day)
Will I ever go away?
(‘Cause you can’t make me stay)
‘Cause I’m going to college
(In just three years so…)
Why?
Chorus
The choice
How could you do this to me?
Am I that horrible to keep?
I will try not to kick as much
I will try not to cry too much
I promise I will be good
Just give me a chance to live
Mommy you are all I have
Mommy you are all I need
Mommy you are the one I love
Mommy please
Don’t sign that paper
Don’t lie on that table
Don’t do this to me
Don’t do this to me
Don’t listen to the doctors
They don’t know a thing
Don’t forget the pictures of what will become of me
My head on a table, my legs far from me
They will wrap me in a blanket while you will hide your face
My blood will pierce the white that hides your shame
Mommy you are all I have
Mommy you are all I need
Mommy you are the one I love
Mommy please
Don’t do this to me
Don’t do this to me
Am I that horrible to keep?
I will try not to kick as much
I will try not to cry too much
I promise I will be good
Just give me a chance to live
Mommy you are all I have
Mommy you are all I need
Mommy you are the one I love
Mommy please
Don’t sign that paper
Don’t lie on that table
Don’t do this to me
Don’t do this to me
Don’t listen to the doctors
They don’t know a thing
Don’t forget the pictures of what will become of me
My head on a table, my legs far from me
They will wrap me in a blanket while you will hide your face
My blood will pierce the white that hides your shame
Mommy you are all I have
Mommy you are all I need
Mommy you are the one I love
Mommy please
Don’t do this to me
Don’t do this to me
24 March 2009
Song Lyrics
Ever so gently falling
Like raindrops from the sky
I feel as though fait is calling
As I keep passing it by and by
I wanna break free
I wanna move on
I wanna leave this all behind
I wish that I’d forget
The pain I’ve been through
I gotta keep going
I gotta do all I can do
I wanna break free
I wanna move on
I wanna leave this all behind
My dreams just keep playing
I can go where I please
My life just keeps shaping
Hope and dreams never cease
(Insturmental)
I am free
I am never going back
I am moving onto the future
Like raindrops from the sky
I feel as though fait is calling
As I keep passing it by and by
I wanna break free
I wanna move on
I wanna leave this all behind
I wish that I’d forget
The pain I’ve been through
I gotta keep going
I gotta do all I can do
I wanna break free
I wanna move on
I wanna leave this all behind
My dreams just keep playing
I can go where I please
My life just keeps shaping
Hope and dreams never cease
(Insturmental)
I am free
I am never going back
I am moving onto the future
23 March 2009
Empty Tank
Tired from not sleeping,
Constantly thinking about you,
What you look like,
What we could have become
chorus:
My heart is so curious
Without him I am lost
My mind is blank
I am an empty tank
I’m gonna lean my head against this window
Close my eyes and go to sleep
I’ll wake up in the next town
With thoughts beyond deep
With thoughts beyond deep
The days will go by, I will just act
Chorus :
My heart is curious
Without him I am lost
My mind is blank
I am an empty tank
As the days go bye, I can only look back
At the joyful times, the laughter
At the bad times, the pain
I wonder if he misses me as much as I miss him?
2x chorus:
My heart is curious
Without him I am lost
My mind is blank
I am an empty tank
My heart is curious
Without him I am lost
My mind is blank
I am an empty tank
Constantly thinking about you,
What you look like,
What we could have become
chorus:
My heart is so curious
Without him I am lost
My mind is blank
I am an empty tank
I’m gonna lean my head against this window
Close my eyes and go to sleep
I’ll wake up in the next town
With thoughts beyond deep
With thoughts beyond deep
The days will go by, I will just act
Chorus :
My heart is curious
Without him I am lost
My mind is blank
I am an empty tank
As the days go bye, I can only look back
At the joyful times, the laughter
At the bad times, the pain
I wonder if he misses me as much as I miss him?
2x chorus:
My heart is curious
Without him I am lost
My mind is blank
I am an empty tank
My heart is curious
Without him I am lost
My mind is blank
I am an empty tank
Lyrics...or something like that.
I look in the mirror and hate what I see
Wake up every morning and don't see you beside me.
And every time I see your face, hear your voice
It's a painful reminder of all the things I can't have.
All I can think of are the nights I cried over you
Because I actually believed that you wanted me too.
I can't help thinking of everything you threw away.
Then they come rushing back to me: the words I couldn't say.
Without you- scars on my arms, tears in my eyes
Regrets surround me, I can't run and hide.
I let you change me, now I don't know who I am.
I'm left with your apathy, your lies, pieces of my heart.
I lie down to sleep, praying to be taken.
You were the world, and it dissolved before my eyes.
And I think maybe, if I could have changed it
These feelings wouldn't die tonight.
Wake up every morning and don't see you beside me.
And every time I see your face, hear your voice
It's a painful reminder of all the things I can't have.
All I can think of are the nights I cried over you
Because I actually believed that you wanted me too.
I can't help thinking of everything you threw away.
Then they come rushing back to me: the words I couldn't say.
Without you- scars on my arms, tears in my eyes
Regrets surround me, I can't run and hide.
I let you change me, now I don't know who I am.
I'm left with your apathy, your lies, pieces of my heart.
I lie down to sleep, praying to be taken.
You were the world, and it dissolved before my eyes.
And I think maybe, if I could have changed it
These feelings wouldn't die tonight.
This is Love
Verse 1:
The lights go off
Let's start this dance again.
Yes, I've been here before
I know how it's going to end
I just want to feel loved
I'll give up all I am
But I don't know how to stop
I'm no longer the innocent lamb
Chorus:
Then the light shines through
Bright as day
And through it all
I hear you say:
I am love
I care for you
I am love
Let me show you
I am love
Here's my life for you
Verse 2:
How foolish am I
Who revels in darkness
Denying true love
Betraying it with a kiss
Chorus:
And yet your light shines through
Bright as day
And through it all
I hear you say:
I am love
I care for you
I am love
Let me show you
I am love
Here's my life for you
Friends No More
When I see your face I want to say Hi,
But when you see mine, you pass right by.
We used to be friends, but that was a joke; you lied.
When you told me we couldn’t be friends, I cried.
I remember when we were kids, we always played together,
You said to me one day, that we would be friends forever.
I thought things would work out, I thought they would be better.
When I went on vacation I would always send you a letter.
I remember when I would do something wrong you would punch,
When you came over in the morning you would stay till the noon for lunch.
If someone would eat it would get on your nerves when they crunch.
When we took a picture you wouldn’t stand straight you would hunch.
Ever since these two years pat by everything has been great,
Ever since we haven’t been friends I have been on dates.
Every memory we have together I put in a crate.
So I hope you remember this, if you want to come back you’ll never be too late.
But when you see mine, you pass right by.
We used to be friends, but that was a joke; you lied.
When you told me we couldn’t be friends, I cried.
I remember when we were kids, we always played together,
You said to me one day, that we would be friends forever.
I thought things would work out, I thought they would be better.
When I went on vacation I would always send you a letter.
I remember when I would do something wrong you would punch,
When you came over in the morning you would stay till the noon for lunch.
If someone would eat it would get on your nerves when they crunch.
When we took a picture you wouldn’t stand straight you would hunch.
Ever since these two years pat by everything has been great,
Ever since we haven’t been friends I have been on dates.
Every memory we have together I put in a crate.
So I hope you remember this, if you want to come back you’ll never be too late.
The Crazed Fan
This song was written from the perspective of the mentally unstable fan that shot Dimebag Darrel durring a concert and was shot right after his crime.
Verse 1:
As Dimebag takes the stage
I realized it was worth the wage
I think of him often
The rage in my heart he has softened
Verse 2:
As I looked up at my hero
I know I am a zero
This feeling of despair I cannot mend
unless I violently bring his life to an end
Chorus:
The weight of what I have done
cause me to drop my gun
I gladly accept my tregic death
because of my mental problems, thanks to meth
Verse 1:
As Dimebag takes the stage
I realized it was worth the wage
I think of him often
The rage in my heart he has softened
Verse 2:
As I looked up at my hero
I know I am a zero
This feeling of despair I cannot mend
unless I violently bring his life to an end
Chorus:
The weight of what I have done
cause me to drop my gun
I gladly accept my tregic death
because of my mental problems, thanks to meth
Dimebag
Verse One:
Your talent was an inspiration to us all
I still remember the day we saw you fall
Fans everywhere were blindsighted
guitarists around to world you united
Verse Two:
Becuase of your talent on your guitar
you and your band went very far
The day you were shot on stage
all rockers could not contain their rage
Chorus:
You had to much left to give
Why couldn't he just let you live?
Questions are now all that remain
Knowing he paid the price keeps me sane
Your talent was an inspiration to us all
I still remember the day we saw you fall
Fans everywhere were blindsighted
guitarists around to world you united
Verse Two:
Becuase of your talent on your guitar
you and your band went very far
The day you were shot on stage
all rockers could not contain their rage
Chorus:
You had to much left to give
Why couldn't he just let you live?
Questions are now all that remain
Knowing he paid the price keeps me sane
21 March 2009
Center Of It All
My broken soul
My broken spirit
kneels before you now
my pride is crushed
and then your healing power
it renews my everything
At the center of it all
I see you on the cross
saying
I love you
I love you
I love you
All my problems
All mistakes
they try to draw me back
my past is calling
then your grace and strength
it helps me to move on
At the center of it all
I see you on the cross
saying
I love you
I love you
I love you
Every time i fall
you help me to my feet
My broken spirit
kneels before you now
my pride is crushed
and then your healing power
it renews my everything
At the center of it all
I see you on the cross
saying
I love you
I love you
I love you
All my problems
All mistakes
they try to draw me back
my past is calling
then your grace and strength
it helps me to move on
At the center of it all
I see you on the cross
saying
I love you
I love you
I love you
Every time i fall
you help me to my feet
You Saved Me
You Saved Me
Verse 1:
I do nothing,
I am nothing,
Yet, you still died for me.
You do everything,
You are everything,
Yet, you still died for me.
Chorus:
On the cross you hung for me,
All my sin is on your back,
You went through all the pain,
For the perfection that I lack.
You blood flows down and covered me,
Your last jagged-breath was used,
For forgiveness in my worthless life,
Why you did this, I’m confused.
Verse 2:
I do evil things,
I mess up too much,
Yet, you still died for me.
You do perfect things,
You never mess up,
Yet, you died for me.
Bridge:
To you, I’m everything,
Your little girl, your daughter,
You love me and want me home,
I kneel face down, at your altar.
Chorus:
On the cross you hung for me,
All my sin is on your back,
You went through all the pain,
For the perfection that I lack.
You blood flows down and covered me,
Your last jagged-breath was used,
For forgiveness in my worthless life,
Why you did this, I’m confused. (2x)
Verse 1:
I do nothing,
I am nothing,
Yet, you still died for me.
You do everything,
You are everything,
Yet, you still died for me.
Chorus:
On the cross you hung for me,
All my sin is on your back,
You went through all the pain,
For the perfection that I lack.
You blood flows down and covered me,
Your last jagged-breath was used,
For forgiveness in my worthless life,
Why you did this, I’m confused.
Verse 2:
I do evil things,
I mess up too much,
Yet, you still died for me.
You do perfect things,
You never mess up,
Yet, you died for me.
Bridge:
To you, I’m everything,
Your little girl, your daughter,
You love me and want me home,
I kneel face down, at your altar.
Chorus:
On the cross you hung for me,
All my sin is on your back,
You went through all the pain,
For the perfection that I lack.
You blood flows down and covered me,
Your last jagged-breath was used,
For forgiveness in my worthless life,
Why you did this, I’m confused. (2x)
19 March 2009
Me and My Gang Revised
Me and My Gang
By: Rascal Flatts
Record Label: Lyric Street Records
Vocals: Gary LeVox
Guitar: Joe Don Rooney
Bass: Jay DeMarcus
From the first strum of the guitar, to the last meaningful word, Rascal Flatts tugs on your heartstrings. Me and My Gang is their fifth album. Their fifth album is more pop than country. Me and My Gang is heading towards outright adult pop. The boys (Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney) skillfully crafted their fifth album to envoke every emotion one could possibly ever have. “Me and My Gang” hit the airwaves in 2006 and one song sprung straight to the top of the charts; not only on the country stations but on most radio stations as well. “What Hurts The Most” became a No.1 hit within a few weeks of being played on the radio. All 13 songs on the album make you want to listen to it all day long. “Me and My Gang” has quite a few ballads on the CD, and the guys liven it up by giving us different types of songs. This album has your "in love” songs, "lost love" songs, a fast paced funny twist on a country song and a classic country/Bon Jovi song. (By throwing in a talk box guitar stolen from “Livin on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi)
In this album Rascal Flatts introduces us to a diverse cast of characters in their songs. The very first song on the album “Stand” lets us feel the emotions of an oppressed person. We hear from the broken hearted in "What Hurts The Most”. In “I Feel Bad” we hear from the heart breaker. A father who wants and wishes the best for his daughter in “My Wish” and hopes she will remember her past. The song "To Make Her Love Me” is about a man who royally messed up and wants a second chance. Lastly in "Ellsworth" a song so beautifully written and performed with so much emotion brings people to tears.(some reviews say the song was written about a woman with Alzheimers) “Ellsworth” creates a portrait of a grandma losing her mind and a family that knows it."Grandma burned the biscuits/Nearly took the house down with it/Now she's in assisted livin'/We all knew that day would come" The one fast paced classic “Flatts” song that most country fans have come to know is “Backwards”. It tells you what happens when you would play a country song backwards, including almost everything that could happen in a life time. When anyone takes time to think and really hear the lyrics to “what hurts the most” may bring tears to your eyes.
Lyrics:
I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house,
that don’t bother me I can take a few tears now and then and I just let ‘em outI’m not afraid to cry every once and in a while,
Even though goin’ on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again, I pretend I’m okay, but that’s not what gets me
What hurts the most, was being so close, and having so much to say
And watchin’ you walk away, and never knowin’, what could have been
And not seein’ that lovin’ you, is what I was tryin’ to do
I love this album a lot. Personally Me and My Gang means a lot to me. The first song I heard after a rough patch of my life was “Stand” and it really helped me. The tone of the song, the lyrics and the message really hit home.
Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend, till you breakCause its all you can take
On your knees you look upDecide you've had enough
You get mad you get strong
Wipe your hands shake it off
Then you Stand, Then you stand
After hearing this song I felt inspired. My spirit was lifted. It may seem strange but this song helped me find my inner strength and move past problems that I thought were insurmountable. I bought the album as soon as I could and I never wanted to take it out of my CD player. Me and My Gang is an album very near and dear to me.
All in all “Me and My Gang” is Rascal Flatts’ best album to date. Rascal Flatts continue to deliver exactly what their fans have come to love and expect, and that's a virtue, since it is hard for country-pop groups of any caliber to be both consistent and reliable. Rascal Flatts do not make any concessions to sounding young, which does make them kind of unique among mainstream groups of any kind in 2006 (most groups are younger). This is exactly what Rascal Flatts did in their rock-solid fifth album making it a smash hit.
By: Rascal Flatts
Record Label: Lyric Street Records
Vocals: Gary LeVox
Guitar: Joe Don Rooney
Bass: Jay DeMarcus
From the first strum of the guitar, to the last meaningful word, Rascal Flatts tugs on your heartstrings. Me and My Gang is their fifth album. Their fifth album is more pop than country. Me and My Gang is heading towards outright adult pop. The boys (Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney) skillfully crafted their fifth album to envoke every emotion one could possibly ever have. “Me and My Gang” hit the airwaves in 2006 and one song sprung straight to the top of the charts; not only on the country stations but on most radio stations as well. “What Hurts The Most” became a No.1 hit within a few weeks of being played on the radio. All 13 songs on the album make you want to listen to it all day long. “Me and My Gang” has quite a few ballads on the CD, and the guys liven it up by giving us different types of songs. This album has your "in love” songs, "lost love" songs, a fast paced funny twist on a country song and a classic country/Bon Jovi song. (By throwing in a talk box guitar stolen from “Livin on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi)
In this album Rascal Flatts introduces us to a diverse cast of characters in their songs. The very first song on the album “Stand” lets us feel the emotions of an oppressed person. We hear from the broken hearted in "What Hurts The Most”. In “I Feel Bad” we hear from the heart breaker. A father who wants and wishes the best for his daughter in “My Wish” and hopes she will remember her past. The song "To Make Her Love Me” is about a man who royally messed up and wants a second chance. Lastly in "Ellsworth" a song so beautifully written and performed with so much emotion brings people to tears.(some reviews say the song was written about a woman with Alzheimers) “Ellsworth” creates a portrait of a grandma losing her mind and a family that knows it."Grandma burned the biscuits/Nearly took the house down with it/Now she's in assisted livin'/We all knew that day would come" The one fast paced classic “Flatts” song that most country fans have come to know is “Backwards”. It tells you what happens when you would play a country song backwards, including almost everything that could happen in a life time. When anyone takes time to think and really hear the lyrics to “what hurts the most” may bring tears to your eyes.
Lyrics:
I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house,
that don’t bother me I can take a few tears now and then and I just let ‘em outI’m not afraid to cry every once and in a while,
Even though goin’ on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again, I pretend I’m okay, but that’s not what gets me
What hurts the most, was being so close, and having so much to say
And watchin’ you walk away, and never knowin’, what could have been
And not seein’ that lovin’ you, is what I was tryin’ to do
I love this album a lot. Personally Me and My Gang means a lot to me. The first song I heard after a rough patch of my life was “Stand” and it really helped me. The tone of the song, the lyrics and the message really hit home.
Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend, till you breakCause its all you can take
On your knees you look upDecide you've had enough
You get mad you get strong
Wipe your hands shake it off
Then you Stand, Then you stand
After hearing this song I felt inspired. My spirit was lifted. It may seem strange but this song helped me find my inner strength and move past problems that I thought were insurmountable. I bought the album as soon as I could and I never wanted to take it out of my CD player. Me and My Gang is an album very near and dear to me.
All in all “Me and My Gang” is Rascal Flatts’ best album to date. Rascal Flatts continue to deliver exactly what their fans have come to love and expect, and that's a virtue, since it is hard for country-pop groups of any caliber to be both consistent and reliable. Rascal Flatts do not make any concessions to sounding young, which does make them kind of unique among mainstream groups of any kind in 2006 (most groups are younger). This is exactly what Rascal Flatts did in their rock-solid fifth album making it a smash hit.
The Dark Knight- Revised
The Dark Knightthis film won 2 Oscars, had 46 other wins, and was nominated 47 times for various categories. This film’s genre is Action, Crime, and Thrilller.The Dark Knight is a wonderful, outdone comic-book movie. Intense action? It’s there. Jaw dropping twists? It’s there. Devilish fun? It’s there. The director of this spectacular film is Christopher Nolan. There's something ready to jump out of this film and capture you and pull you in. The music and special effect really made the movie.Batman, a.k.a. playboy Bruce Wayne(Chris Bale) is the Gotham city hero. He is the heir of Wayne Interprize. He buys supplies from the government and uses then to save Gotham. Harvey Dent(Aaron Eckhart) is a politician and is over-taking the crime department. The Joker(Heath Ledger) is a villain who kills for pleasure, not money, unlike the other criminals in Gotham. Rachel Dawes(Maggie Gyllenhaal) , the girlfriend of Harvey, is torn between her “love” Batman and her darling, Harvey. The trouble begins when the Joker sets trouble to Gotham. The twisting events makes your head spin. People and scenes change. . “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Chris Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, and Maggie Gyllenhaal did and exceptional job as actors and actresses. Their expressions and passion thrived through the film. The music guided you through the movie. The movie’s high and low points have the perfect notes and tone.
This movie connects with the world today, in that, there is good vs. evil. The good stand up for what they believe in. Then there is the struggle for love and the yearning for love.
Chris Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, and Maggie Gyllenhaal did and exceptional job as actors and actresses. Their expressions and passion thrived through the film. The music guided you through the movie. The movie’s high and low points have the perfect notes and tone.
This movie connects with the world today, in that, there is good vs. evil. The good stand up for what they believe in. Then there is the struggle for love and the yearning for love.
Horton Hear a Who Revised!
The kid’s flick Horton Hears a Who(directed by: Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino) tells of a genial, free spirited, and caring elephant named Horton (Jim Carrey) who lives in the jungle of Nool. While taking a bath, Horton stumbles upon a speck resting upon a clover, which he discovers is actually a minuscule world called Who-ville. Due to Horton’s overwhelmingly large ears he is able to hear the very distraught major of Who-ville (Steve Carell), who is trying to convince his people of Horton’s existence and that there is an imminent threat if danger ahead unless they all work together. Unfortunately, Horton is the only one able to hear from this tiny speck. Especially not the gossiping kangaroo (Carol Burnett), who believes it her right to be into everyone’s business; when she sees Horton talking to a speck, she believes he is delusional and this poses a danger to the precious order of Nool. Horton makes it his mission to protect the residents of Who-ville from danger and from kangaroo who wants to destroy the clover. Horton boldly proclaims “a person’s a person, no matter how small!”
This movie did not stray far from the marvelous work of Dr. Seuss, and can bring anyone back to his or her childhood. The computer animation is so life like and makes you feel as though these characters are real; it is easy to forget that in fact these are animations. Horton lives his life by the motto, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant’s faithful, 100 percent!” Between the casts expressive lively voices, the quaint rhymes, and the exquisite animation this is definitely one to watch with the family.
Horton Hears a Who shows a remarkable connection to the world we live in today. Horton’s quote “ a person’s a person, no matter how small.” refers to the idea of abortion. No matter how small a child is it is still a human being. In addition, the overbearing kangaroo exclaims that if you can't see something, can't hear something, and can't feel something then it is not real. Many Christians face the same remark by nonbelievers. People say that since you cannot physically see God, physically hear God, or physically feel God then he cannot possibly exist. Even through the ashamed looks, the ridicule, and the disapproval placed upon Horton, he stood for what he believed in, and what he knew was true, that "a person's a person, no matter how small" or big.
Revised Twilight Review
Have you ever seen the movie The Notebook? Don’t you just love how every character is thoroughly developed and well thought out. The way the story magnificently transitions from two different times again and again is stunning. Don’t you love the way the movie plays with your emotions, bending them this way and that until your emotions are as that of the character? If you love this type of movie, Twilight is not for you.
Have you ever seen the movie Indiana Jones? Don’t you just love the way you sometimes catch yourself jumping to escape a river of lava or dodging a humongous rolling stone? Did you not leave the theatre thinking about how the stunts could have possibly been filmed in a studio? Do you not agree that the action was so intense that you stopped eating your popcorn because you were too engulfed by the scene before you? If you enjoy this type of movie, Twilight is not for you.
Twilight is about a 17 year old girl named Bella Swan(Kristen Stewart). She moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington to live with her father Chief Swan (Billy Burke). Upon arriving in Forks, Bella meets an amazing guy named Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). He eventually saves her life (twice) and she finds out he is a vampire. Don’t worry though, he is a good vampire, he only drinks animal blood. The vampire and Bella fall madly in love after only meeting maybe 5 times at the most. Oh but of course there are a few twists! Bella’s blood smells better than anyone else’s blood so she is even harder to resist. Despite the smell of Bella's blood they still successfully manage to have a short make out session thus proving Edward is even more perfect because he doesn’t crush her. The whole time that Edward and Bella are falling into a deep passionate love, a gang of three bad vampires are hunting humans around Forks. Edward accidently exposes Bella to the gang of evil vampires and then two of the vampires track Bella until a rather dull battle to save Bella’s life goes down in Bella’s hometown.
The whole movie happens over no more than 3 months. The only reason this movie was so popular is because of the top selling Twilight Series by Stephanie Myers, that the movie is based on, captured so many girl’s hearts. Edward is every girls dream; he is charming, loving, strong, rich, and drop dead gorgeous. Bella represents all girls; she just wants to be loved and will do anything for her love.
If you have ever seen Kristen Stewart in an interview you will see no change in her in Twilight: monotone voice, few facial expressions, and lack of a presence. To be a lead star in a movie based on a widely popular book, you need to be exciting, interesting to watch, and you need to make us feel that we are supposed to be watching you not the trees in the background. Robert Pattinson seemed to not understand the emotion behind the script at times and changed the meaning of the scene as Stephanie Myers had intended the emotion to be. On a good note there were a few good actors that played Alice, Jasper, Rosaline, and Emit. They seemed to know the emotion that needed to be portrayed and the timing was very good on their part.
Twilight the book is very different from Twilight the movie. I have read the book series 2 times and I have seen the movie three times, if you want to know what makes Twilight is so popular I strongly suggest reading the books and not wasting money on seeing the movie.*If you take away the vampire element you have a cheesy high school love story with under-developed characters and little underlying plot. There is a huge lack of emotion in key scenes. The film sort of randomly flashed between the good and the bad vampires before they met. In the scene that was said to be a heart stopping suspenseful fall out between good and bad vampires, there was a dreadfully boring, almost action lacking fight. But if you like that kind of movie Twilight is definitely for you.
Have you ever seen the movie Indiana Jones? Don’t you just love the way you sometimes catch yourself jumping to escape a river of lava or dodging a humongous rolling stone? Did you not leave the theatre thinking about how the stunts could have possibly been filmed in a studio? Do you not agree that the action was so intense that you stopped eating your popcorn because you were too engulfed by the scene before you? If you enjoy this type of movie, Twilight is not for you.
Twilight is about a 17 year old girl named Bella Swan(Kristen Stewart). She moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington to live with her father Chief Swan (Billy Burke). Upon arriving in Forks, Bella meets an amazing guy named Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). He eventually saves her life (twice) and she finds out he is a vampire. Don’t worry though, he is a good vampire, he only drinks animal blood. The vampire and Bella fall madly in love after only meeting maybe 5 times at the most. Oh but of course there are a few twists! Bella’s blood smells better than anyone else’s blood so she is even harder to resist. Despite the smell of Bella's blood they still successfully manage to have a short make out session thus proving Edward is even more perfect because he doesn’t crush her. The whole time that Edward and Bella are falling into a deep passionate love, a gang of three bad vampires are hunting humans around Forks. Edward accidently exposes Bella to the gang of evil vampires and then two of the vampires track Bella until a rather dull battle to save Bella’s life goes down in Bella’s hometown.
The whole movie happens over no more than 3 months. The only reason this movie was so popular is because of the top selling Twilight Series by Stephanie Myers, that the movie is based on, captured so many girl’s hearts. Edward is every girls dream; he is charming, loving, strong, rich, and drop dead gorgeous. Bella represents all girls; she just wants to be loved and will do anything for her love.
If you have ever seen Kristen Stewart in an interview you will see no change in her in Twilight: monotone voice, few facial expressions, and lack of a presence. To be a lead star in a movie based on a widely popular book, you need to be exciting, interesting to watch, and you need to make us feel that we are supposed to be watching you not the trees in the background. Robert Pattinson seemed to not understand the emotion behind the script at times and changed the meaning of the scene as Stephanie Myers had intended the emotion to be. On a good note there were a few good actors that played Alice, Jasper, Rosaline, and Emit. They seemed to know the emotion that needed to be portrayed and the timing was very good on their part.
Twilight the book is very different from Twilight the movie. I have read the book series 2 times and I have seen the movie three times, if you want to know what makes Twilight is so popular I strongly suggest reading the books and not wasting money on seeing the movie.*If you take away the vampire element you have a cheesy high school love story with under-developed characters and little underlying plot. There is a huge lack of emotion in key scenes. The film sort of randomly flashed between the good and the bad vampires before they met. In the scene that was said to be a heart stopping suspenseful fall out between good and bad vampires, there was a dreadfully boring, almost action lacking fight. But if you like that kind of movie Twilight is definitely for you.
The Fray (Revised)
The Fray’s new self-titled album proves that the piano-based group from Denver is more than anyone ever expected it to be. The band’s 10-track sophomore album is full of catchy pop ballads with relatable, emotional lyrics. As a whole, this album surely measures up to the band’s 2006 debut “How To Save A Life”. Front man Isaac Slade definitely attracts the attention of any audience with his effortlessly captivating vocals. The band, Slade on keys and vocals, accompianied by drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarists Joe King and David Welsh has been signed with Epic Records since December, 2004.
The first two songs, “Syndicate” and “Absolute”, start the album off with a bang. They both begin slow, but pick up about a quarter way through each one. Both songs contain lyrics about “the girl that got away” and the author’s motivation to keep her from slipping out of his reach completely. "Syndicate" tells the girl "don’t ever forget, we haven't lost it all yet...all we know for sure is all that we are fighting for". "Absolute" matches the same emotion with "quiet but I’m sure there is something here".
The first single off this album is track 3, “You Found Me” in which the narrator boldly asks God “Where were you when everything was falling apart?” As the song progresses it tells of the narrator’s anger with God for letting him struggle, then finding and helping him when it was too late.
“Say When” is a story in which a guy has an unconditional love for a girl he has only seen from a distance. He encourages her to stand up for what she believes in and to not let people step on her. "You want to cry but there's nothing coming;
they're gonna push until you give in or say when". He sings that he will comfort her and wait for her until she is ready to be his.
Once you take the time to really listen to the lyrics of “Never Say Never”, you will realize that there is a deeper meaning than just what appears on the surface. It seems like one of the typical “please don’t leave me” type of songs the first time you hear it, but in the background it is really about a girl’s struggle with wanting fame and instant gratification. The singer is telling her that he will always be there for her, even when her world crumbles before her eyes. With the line "younger now than we were before" he hints that their way of dealing with the fading relationship has become petty and childish.
“Happiness” is the wonderfully written, very tranquil closer to “The Fray”. In this song, Isaac Slade personifies happiness in many very original ways. The lyrics compare happiness to a firecracker in the sense that it is unpredictable and can hurt you if you do not deal with it carefully…“Happiness, [almost] destroys you, breaks your faith to pieces on the floor”. This song expresses the meaning of true delight and the fact that if you chase it, joy will lose its authenticity. This idea is perfectly captured in the line “Happiness is like the old man told me, look for it and you’ll never find it all.”
If you were to search other reviews for this album, you would find that the media is being very harsh. Many critics believe that “The Fray” is a sloppy follow up to “How To Save A Life”. In contrast, I believe that this is a very demonstrative showcase of the reality of love. The special thing about this album is that the meanings and even some of the lyrics of all the songs are intertwined. I give this album 9 out of 10 stars.
The first two songs, “Syndicate” and “Absolute”, start the album off with a bang. They both begin slow, but pick up about a quarter way through each one. Both songs contain lyrics about “the girl that got away” and the author’s motivation to keep her from slipping out of his reach completely. "Syndicate" tells the girl "don’t ever forget, we haven't lost it all yet...all we know for sure is all that we are fighting for". "Absolute" matches the same emotion with "quiet but I’m sure there is something here".
The first single off this album is track 3, “You Found Me” in which the narrator boldly asks God “Where were you when everything was falling apart?” As the song progresses it tells of the narrator’s anger with God for letting him struggle, then finding and helping him when it was too late.
“Say When” is a story in which a guy has an unconditional love for a girl he has only seen from a distance. He encourages her to stand up for what she believes in and to not let people step on her. "You want to cry but there's nothing coming;
they're gonna push until you give in or say when". He sings that he will comfort her and wait for her until she is ready to be his.
Once you take the time to really listen to the lyrics of “Never Say Never”, you will realize that there is a deeper meaning than just what appears on the surface. It seems like one of the typical “please don’t leave me” type of songs the first time you hear it, but in the background it is really about a girl’s struggle with wanting fame and instant gratification. The singer is telling her that he will always be there for her, even when her world crumbles before her eyes. With the line "younger now than we were before" he hints that their way of dealing with the fading relationship has become petty and childish.
“Happiness” is the wonderfully written, very tranquil closer to “The Fray”. In this song, Isaac Slade personifies happiness in many very original ways. The lyrics compare happiness to a firecracker in the sense that it is unpredictable and can hurt you if you do not deal with it carefully…“Happiness, [almost] destroys you, breaks your faith to pieces on the floor”. This song expresses the meaning of true delight and the fact that if you chase it, joy will lose its authenticity. This idea is perfectly captured in the line “Happiness is like the old man told me, look for it and you’ll never find it all.”
If you were to search other reviews for this album, you would find that the media is being very harsh. Many critics believe that “The Fray” is a sloppy follow up to “How To Save A Life”. In contrast, I believe that this is a very demonstrative showcase of the reality of love. The special thing about this album is that the meanings and even some of the lyrics of all the songs are intertwined. I give this album 9 out of 10 stars.
Harry Potter Re-do
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
“Something worth fighting for”
“When are you going to get it into your head? We're in this together!” Have you ever felt that there was an immovable obstacle in your way, only to realize that it’s not so immovable with friends by your side? Hermione Granger shows this truth to Harry Potter in the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Directed by David Yates). The film has strong themes of love, friendship, and truth.
The film, based on the novel of the same name written by J.K. Rowling, begins with Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), and his cousin (Harry Melling) on summer vacation. What seems to be a light scene in a playground quickly turns heavy when Harry and his cousin are attacked a pair of soul-sucking dementors. Harry has no choice but to protect himself with magic, something illegal outside of school for underage wizards. The Ministry of Magic finds out almost immediately and Harry is sent a notice of expulsion.
Things seem to turn a little bit brighter when a bunch of wizards, including Harry’s old defense against the dark arts professor, show up at his house to rescue him with news that Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) convinced to ministry not to expel him. Although Harry is now safely at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization working to fight Voldemort, he is far from content. Dreams of Voldemort haunt his nights. Worst of all, the Minister of Magic and his group do not believe Voldemort has returned, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and they’ve taken to trying to discredit Dumbledore and Harry mainly through influence of the newspaper.
Harry feels quite alone and confused upon returning to school, only to find out that even people he once counted among his best friends now question his sanity. As if life could get any worse, it does. The ministry, not trusting Dumbledore, places one of their own as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Umbridge is a positively delightful character, complete with detention methods that involve writing lines with your own blood. Don’t be fooled by her pink outfits and pictures of kittens; this woman is on a mission to quash any talk of Voldemort's return.
Realizing that the Ministry isn’t about to help them defend themselves against a foe that the ministry refuses to admit is on the move, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) decide to start a secret group, Dumbledore’s Army, to train themselves in Defensive Magic. With enmity coming from the Ministry, Umbridge, and Voldemort, Harry needs to realize he can’t win this battle alone. Will he accept help before it’s too late?
Acting in this film was superb, with the main three actors continuing to flourish. A few new characters were added to the film including Umbridge, Luna, and Bellatrix, all of whom are very memorable. Helena Bonham Carter, acting as Bellatirx, successfully stunned audiences with her cruelty in her Harry Potter debut. The fourth and fifth movies of the series are more artistic and theatrical than the first three of the series; special effects and dramatic cinematography make these movies sit firmly in the drama genre. My favorite film in the collection so far, it is only surpassed by the novel itself, which is expected; Compressing an almost 900 page novel full of beautifully intertwined yet individual plot lines into a 139 minute film is easier said than done.
This film and book could easily be called controversial, in the Christian sub-culture, what with wizards, witches, wands and all, but I believe that we can take away some very valid points from this story. We are called to stand for the truth of Christ’s life, deity, death, and ressurection. Harry is called to stand for the truth of Voldemort’s return. We are called to be one body and fight for truth and liberty from sin. Harry and his friends are called to work together and fight for the truth and liberty from evil.
I could keep going about the parallels, action, characters etc. for days, but I’d rather tell you to watch it yourself and make your own judgments. The bottom line, as Harry states it is, “Even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have. Something worth fighting for.”
Released: 11 July 2007
Rating: PG-13
Review: **** (out of 5)
“Something worth fighting for”
“When are you going to get it into your head? We're in this together!” Have you ever felt that there was an immovable obstacle in your way, only to realize that it’s not so immovable with friends by your side? Hermione Granger shows this truth to Harry Potter in the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Directed by David Yates). The film has strong themes of love, friendship, and truth.
The film, based on the novel of the same name written by J.K. Rowling, begins with Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), and his cousin (Harry Melling) on summer vacation. What seems to be a light scene in a playground quickly turns heavy when Harry and his cousin are attacked a pair of soul-sucking dementors. Harry has no choice but to protect himself with magic, something illegal outside of school for underage wizards. The Ministry of Magic finds out almost immediately and Harry is sent a notice of expulsion.
Things seem to turn a little bit brighter when a bunch of wizards, including Harry’s old defense against the dark arts professor, show up at his house to rescue him with news that Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) convinced to ministry not to expel him. Although Harry is now safely at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization working to fight Voldemort, he is far from content. Dreams of Voldemort haunt his nights. Worst of all, the Minister of Magic and his group do not believe Voldemort has returned, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and they’ve taken to trying to discredit Dumbledore and Harry mainly through influence of the newspaper.
Harry feels quite alone and confused upon returning to school, only to find out that even people he once counted among his best friends now question his sanity. As if life could get any worse, it does. The ministry, not trusting Dumbledore, places one of their own as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Umbridge is a positively delightful character, complete with detention methods that involve writing lines with your own blood. Don’t be fooled by her pink outfits and pictures of kittens; this woman is on a mission to quash any talk of Voldemort's return.
Realizing that the Ministry isn’t about to help them defend themselves against a foe that the ministry refuses to admit is on the move, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) decide to start a secret group, Dumbledore’s Army, to train themselves in Defensive Magic. With enmity coming from the Ministry, Umbridge, and Voldemort, Harry needs to realize he can’t win this battle alone. Will he accept help before it’s too late?
Acting in this film was superb, with the main three actors continuing to flourish. A few new characters were added to the film including Umbridge, Luna, and Bellatrix, all of whom are very memorable. Helena Bonham Carter, acting as Bellatirx, successfully stunned audiences with her cruelty in her Harry Potter debut. The fourth and fifth movies of the series are more artistic and theatrical than the first three of the series; special effects and dramatic cinematography make these movies sit firmly in the drama genre. My favorite film in the collection so far, it is only surpassed by the novel itself, which is expected; Compressing an almost 900 page novel full of beautifully intertwined yet individual plot lines into a 139 minute film is easier said than done.
This film and book could easily be called controversial, in the Christian sub-culture, what with wizards, witches, wands and all, but I believe that we can take away some very valid points from this story. We are called to stand for the truth of Christ’s life, deity, death, and ressurection. Harry is called to stand for the truth of Voldemort’s return. We are called to be one body and fight for truth and liberty from sin. Harry and his friends are called to work together and fight for the truth and liberty from evil.
I could keep going about the parallels, action, characters etc. for days, but I’d rather tell you to watch it yourself and make your own judgments. The bottom line, as Harry states it is, “Even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have. Something worth fighting for.”
Released: 11 July 2007
Rating: PG-13
Review: **** (out of 5)
18 March 2009
First Words
Daddy, the very first word that I spoke
I wouldn't have said it if I knew our relationship would be a joke
Father, the word rings through my head
You had no influence, it was as if you were already dead
Papa, without you life has no more meaning
Even though I begged and cried it didn't stop you from leaving
Dad, I'm writing this to you
Maybe if you'd read this then you'd finally get the clue
You there
Can't you see I'm bleeding?
I didn't get many words from you except when you were screaming
Leader, you loved money more than me
I wouldn't have chased after all those boys if you had loved and cherished me
Provider, you always made enough money for us all
But you couldn't make enough time to care for me at all
Vater, you thought your leaving made me mad
But my sadness was greater than any anger that I had
Vati, you were the reason that I cried
Sometimes I wonder if you'd have cared if I had died
Pa, you think that I'm a slut
But it's because of you that I'm so very far down in this rut
Begetter, now you think that I'm a w**re
But all I ever wanted was for you to love me more
Daughter, all I wanted was your respect
I made more money than any person you've ever met
My darling, my baby, I bought these gifts for you
Maybe if I'd buy you another present I could show my love for you
I don't know why you're angry, you're still in your prime
Your still young now maybe later I'll give you some of my time
Daddy, Father, Leader, Provider, Vater, Vati, Pa, Begetter
The only thing I think is time, that would make our relationship better
I wouldn't have said it if I knew our relationship would be a joke
Father, the word rings through my head
You had no influence, it was as if you were already dead
Papa, without you life has no more meaning
Even though I begged and cried it didn't stop you from leaving
Dad, I'm writing this to you
Maybe if you'd read this then you'd finally get the clue
You there
Can't you see I'm bleeding?
I didn't get many words from you except when you were screaming
Leader, you loved money more than me
I wouldn't have chased after all those boys if you had loved and cherished me
Provider, you always made enough money for us all
But you couldn't make enough time to care for me at all
Vater, you thought your leaving made me mad
But my sadness was greater than any anger that I had
Vati, you were the reason that I cried
Sometimes I wonder if you'd have cared if I had died
Pa, you think that I'm a slut
But it's because of you that I'm so very far down in this rut
Begetter, now you think that I'm a w**re
But all I ever wanted was for you to love me more
Daughter, all I wanted was your respect
I made more money than any person you've ever met
My darling, my baby, I bought these gifts for you
Maybe if I'd buy you another present I could show my love for you
I don't know why you're angry, you're still in your prime
Your still young now maybe later I'll give you some of my time
Daddy, Father, Leader, Provider, Vater, Vati, Pa, Begetter
The only thing I think is time, that would make our relationship better
15 March 2009
Fireproof Revised Review
"You never leave your partner, especially in a fire"
Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea, tells the story of a fire captain and his wife and their struggle to maintain their marriage. Caleb Holt and his wife, Kathrine, have been married for seven years, and have spent most of that time growing apart. And now they both "want out". When Caleb tells his father the news however, his father requests that Caleb wait forty days. "Why?" Caleb asks. His father asks him to try something that will take forty days: The Love Dare. This movie follows Caleb's journey through this dare, and shows the transformation both in him, and his wife.
Fireproof may not be the best quality movie to ever hit the theaters, but that is somewhat to be expected, considering the movie was created and produced by Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. That said, the starring actors do an excellent job, and the overall quality of the movie is better than anticipated, compared to previous productions such as Facing the Giants.
In today's society people are very self-centered. We only do what's best for ourselves. Society and media tell us that when a relationship gets hard it is perfectly acceptable to bail out. Fireproof, however, explains the reality of the situation. This movie shows that the harder a situation gets, the harder you need to fight. It shows that, although it is sometimes hard to persevere and sacrifice of yourself, the end result is worth it.
Fireproof, starring Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea, tells the story of a fire captain and his wife and their struggle to maintain their marriage. Caleb Holt and his wife, Kathrine, have been married for seven years, and have spent most of that time growing apart. And now they both "want out". When Caleb tells his father the news however, his father requests that Caleb wait forty days. "Why?" Caleb asks. His father asks him to try something that will take forty days: The Love Dare. This movie follows Caleb's journey through this dare, and shows the transformation both in him, and his wife.
Fireproof may not be the best quality movie to ever hit the theaters, but that is somewhat to be expected, considering the movie was created and produced by Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. That said, the starring actors do an excellent job, and the overall quality of the movie is better than anticipated, compared to previous productions such as Facing the Giants.
In today's society people are very self-centered. We only do what's best for ourselves. Society and media tell us that when a relationship gets hard it is perfectly acceptable to bail out. Fireproof, however, explains the reality of the situation. This movie shows that the harder a situation gets, the harder you need to fight. It shows that, although it is sometimes hard to persevere and sacrifice of yourself, the end result is worth it.
12 March 2009
Into The Wild (Revised)
Into the Wild
By: Jude Maddenburg
Book Written by: Jon Krakauer
Directed by: Sean Penn
Starring: Emile Hirsch
This film based on a true story and national bestselling book, is about a young man named Chris fresh out of college giving away all he has, washing his hands of society, and living off of the land; without informing his family of his plans.
The film moves from 3 different chronologies in the story. The story begins with Chris and his family immediately after his graduation and from there is how they react to him leaving. It then moves with Chris as he travels across the United States to reach Alaska meeting all diverse people and working different jobs in towns all across America. All the while you are with Chris when he finally reaches Alaska.
The direction by Sean Penn stands out compared to the majority of “cookie-cutter directing” that we have seen recently in film; helping Sean Penn be labeled as a director we can count on for an exceptional film. With a soundtrack that is completely written and performed by Eddie Vedder (the lead singer and one of the guitarist of Pearl Jam), there is a very personalized sound throughout the film. This film as a must see with many strong actors and actresses such as Jena Malone, Marcia Gay Harden, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, William Hurt and Catherine Keener. Especially the lead, Emile Hirsch, who truly makes a name for himself as a mature and influential actor that, will hopefully be sticking around.
It is classified as a drama, but it has a fair amount of humor and will bring you to tears. Though this may sounds like another film that could be forgotten in a few years, it is truly a powerful story that will challenge you to think about your connection with the world around you. It is films like this that can make an impact in us and in our society. Even if the storyline doesn’t interest you, the stunning scenery throughout the film is worth the viewing, almost giving you a tour of south and north western America. Overall, I give this film four and a half out of five stars.
By: Jude Maddenburg
Book Written by: Jon Krakauer
Directed by: Sean Penn
Starring: Emile Hirsch
This film based on a true story and national bestselling book, is about a young man named Chris fresh out of college giving away all he has, washing his hands of society, and living off of the land; without informing his family of his plans.
The film moves from 3 different chronologies in the story. The story begins with Chris and his family immediately after his graduation and from there is how they react to him leaving. It then moves with Chris as he travels across the United States to reach Alaska meeting all diverse people and working different jobs in towns all across America. All the while you are with Chris when he finally reaches Alaska.
The direction by Sean Penn stands out compared to the majority of “cookie-cutter directing” that we have seen recently in film; helping Sean Penn be labeled as a director we can count on for an exceptional film. With a soundtrack that is completely written and performed by Eddie Vedder (the lead singer and one of the guitarist of Pearl Jam), there is a very personalized sound throughout the film. This film as a must see with many strong actors and actresses such as Jena Malone, Marcia Gay Harden, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, William Hurt and Catherine Keener. Especially the lead, Emile Hirsch, who truly makes a name for himself as a mature and influential actor that, will hopefully be sticking around.
It is classified as a drama, but it has a fair amount of humor and will bring you to tears. Though this may sounds like another film that could be forgotten in a few years, it is truly a powerful story that will challenge you to think about your connection with the world around you. It is films like this that can make an impact in us and in our society. Even if the storyline doesn’t interest you, the stunning scenery throughout the film is worth the viewing, almost giving you a tour of south and north western America. Overall, I give this film four and a half out of five stars.
Rent Review
“No other course, no other way, no day but today”. Embracing each and every day is a major theme in the musical based upon Jonathan Larson’s rock opera Broadway hit “Rent” in the year 2005. The Broadway musical was adapted from the opera “La Boheme” by Giacomo Puccini, and the opera was based off a book “La Vie de Boheme” written by Henry Murger in 1851. As you can see this story is an ageless classic that will continue to inspire the hearts and minds of young bohemian idealists.
The movie takes place in the East Village of New York City. The plot unfolds through catchy, upbeat songs. This musical has always been controversial in its themes and views because there are two homosexual couples and some drug use. Even in its days as an opera, this musical could never be described as “clean cut”. But there is so much more to the story. Many viewers are turned away by this, but they never see what the film is truly about. It is a story of great friendship, living with regret, loss and love. The film truly makes you fall in love with each of the characters.
Mark (Anthony Rapp) is a lonely film maker trying to get a big break. His ex-girlfriend, Maureen (Idina Menzel), who has a passion for the stage found happiness in the arms of an attorney named Joanne (Tracie Thoms). Roger (Adam Pascal), is a burned out rock star who we later find out has contracted AIDS from his deceased girlfriend. Romance begins between Roger and his neighbor Mimi (Rosario Dawson) when she reveals to him that she also has the disease. When Collins (Jesse L Martin) returns to the big city he finds the love of his life, a drag queen named Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia).
With such a colorful, diverse group of friends the movie is already off to an interesting start. The first half of the movie is more positive, fun and funky, while the second half dramatically shifts tone to coping with having to deal with mistakes from the past, great heartache and pain.This film mirrored life in the eighties in America. It is still relevant in the year 2009 because we still have the same problems. People still die every day of AIDS. They are forced to conform to society’s expectations. People still live in poverty, and they still are forced to live with regrets. Rent is about embracing each day and living in love. The characters have to learn to, “Forget regrets or life is yours to miss”
The movie takes place in the East Village of New York City. The plot unfolds through catchy, upbeat songs. This musical has always been controversial in its themes and views because there are two homosexual couples and some drug use. Even in its days as an opera, this musical could never be described as “clean cut”. But there is so much more to the story. Many viewers are turned away by this, but they never see what the film is truly about. It is a story of great friendship, living with regret, loss and love. The film truly makes you fall in love with each of the characters.
Mark (Anthony Rapp) is a lonely film maker trying to get a big break. His ex-girlfriend, Maureen (Idina Menzel), who has a passion for the stage found happiness in the arms of an attorney named Joanne (Tracie Thoms). Roger (Adam Pascal), is a burned out rock star who we later find out has contracted AIDS from his deceased girlfriend. Romance begins between Roger and his neighbor Mimi (Rosario Dawson) when she reveals to him that she also has the disease. When Collins (Jesse L Martin) returns to the big city he finds the love of his life, a drag queen named Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia).
With such a colorful, diverse group of friends the movie is already off to an interesting start. The first half of the movie is more positive, fun and funky, while the second half dramatically shifts tone to coping with having to deal with mistakes from the past, great heartache and pain.This film mirrored life in the eighties in America. It is still relevant in the year 2009 because we still have the same problems. People still die every day of AIDS. They are forced to conform to society’s expectations. People still live in poverty, and they still are forced to live with regrets. Rent is about embracing each day and living in love. The characters have to learn to, “Forget regrets or life is yours to miss”
09 March 2009
City of Evil (REVISED)
A low growl fills the air amalgamated with screechy guitar notes. The drums come in, building up the tension, the edge, a light scream shades the power of the guitars, and the vocals begin, the beginning of the first song on Avenged Sevenfold's famous album ranked in the top hundred of all Guitar Albums, "The City of Evil". The song to start it all, "The Beast and the Harlot."
The uniqueness of Avenged Sevenfold's songs have made them a top hit among teens and adults in the metal, and hard rock scene. Gathering new fans, and entertaining old fans with their techinical guitar solos, heart-pounding drums, adrenaline pumping vocals, and mind-shaking lyrics, Avenged Sevenfold surely has made a reputable name for themselves. Dark and fierce, morbid and threatening, the lyrics penetrate the hearts of their audience, captivating every listener. Beyond the music comes the meanings behind the lyrics, some with stories so grim and horrid to turn a stomach, and have one realize the harshness of life and of the world.
In their song "Betrayed," Avenged Sevenfold devotes the song to former guitarist of Pantera, Dimebag Darrel. "Betrayed", relates to an even larger audience, gathering fans of Dimebag and giving new insite to Avenged fans when the song describes the tragic death of Dimebag, who was shot repeatedly until dead by an obsessive and delusional fan at a club the gutarist was playing at in Ohio. The song shows several perspectives, including that of the audience who saw Dimebag fall by the obsessed fans' gun, "A smoking gun in hand, now don't your realize what you've done? Put a bullet in his back, your hero since you were so young..."And of the killer, Gale, and his mental suffering as he killed Dimebag, "Sometimes problems seem too deep to take (too hard to take) Sometimes I cry thinking my future looks so bleak." and, "Someone hear me, someone stop me, someone listen, why aren't you listening?" The last perspective is that of the fallen guitarist, "I started here so young and helped you get along, Just did it for the love, and people healed through us, Don't live your life in vain, don't take it out on me, You're cracked so just remember, I'm not your enemy. I don't desereve to fall this way, by a man who felt betrayed." The tradgedy lives on our hearts from this brilliant and bone-chilling song, along with the reminder of innocent blood shed and of Dimebag, who's own ghastly voice is included in a verse of the song, which hauntingly foreshadows the thoughts of his killer, "And I felt down I need you there, every note and every word, seems so hard to take. Finally, we're destined." This song means the most to me personally because this story gave me a new fear. As a guitarist, I have a fear that if I play shows for large audiences there is always the chance that I could be the next one to be shot by a delusional fan or even just an angry person. It's chilling to think that any second it can all be over, life, passion, everything you stand for.
Another song written by Avenged Sevenfold called, "M.I.A" speaks of the struggle of a soldier, questioning the morality of fighting in war, "two million soldiers can't be wrong," and the plauges of after-war thoughts that haunt soldiers and the realness of war, "Take this from my consciousness and please erase my dreams." By the end of the song the soldier relates himself to a murderer as the song ends, "We walk the city lonely, memories that haunt are passing by, A murderer walks your streets tonight. Forgive me for my crimes. Don't forget that I was so young, fought so scared. In the name of God and Country."
The song that pulls all the songs and stories together is in the song "Bat Country" which starts with M. Shadows (lead vocalist) screeching the famous line said by Samuel Johnson, "He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." The meaning behind this quote
from what I believe is that when you do make a habit of doing immoral practices they start to rip at your consciousness and you look for other ways to disolve the pain even if it means doing even more evil.
I recommend this CD to everyone. In the stereotypical Christian cultural view many see this album as "Immoral", "Ungodly" and even "Satanic". In reality this CD has few flaws and the people that are quick to judge don't seem to give enough time in learning more about the album and what the lyrics actually mean. They see a skull or knife on the album and immediately disregard it as an evil cd that should be thrown in the trash. But how is a skull evil? It's part of the human anatomy and is an important component to the human body. I also find it strange that though most Christians don't like "dark things" they can still support Pirates of the Craibbean which is full of immorality and even has skulls and knives on it's movie cover.
I also support "City of Evil" because the lyrics have a realness to them. "City of Evil" doesn't advocate, "Everything is Good" because in our society there are alot of problems.
To me, happy music is fake. Our society is full of problems and sadness. Our world is fallen. Why have uplifiting music when the world is not that uplifiting?
City of Evil's lyrics deal with;The Fall, problems that our society creates, fellow man dealing with problems and wordly issues, and mans failure to do good in the face of evil. In reality all these things are true about society.
I find it very strange that Christians denounce this CD as "evil", when it actually seems to support what the Bible believes about sinful man's state rather than contradicts. A few of the songs even have several refrences to the Bible's scripture.
Overall I find this album to be darkly beautiful, powerful and inspiring.
The uniqueness of Avenged Sevenfold's songs have made them a top hit among teens and adults in the metal, and hard rock scene. Gathering new fans, and entertaining old fans with their techinical guitar solos, heart-pounding drums, adrenaline pumping vocals, and mind-shaking lyrics, Avenged Sevenfold surely has made a reputable name for themselves. Dark and fierce, morbid and threatening, the lyrics penetrate the hearts of their audience, captivating every listener. Beyond the music comes the meanings behind the lyrics, some with stories so grim and horrid to turn a stomach, and have one realize the harshness of life and of the world.
In their song "Betrayed," Avenged Sevenfold devotes the song to former guitarist of Pantera, Dimebag Darrel. "Betrayed", relates to an even larger audience, gathering fans of Dimebag and giving new insite to Avenged fans when the song describes the tragic death of Dimebag, who was shot repeatedly until dead by an obsessive and delusional fan at a club the gutarist was playing at in Ohio. The song shows several perspectives, including that of the audience who saw Dimebag fall by the obsessed fans' gun, "A smoking gun in hand, now don't your realize what you've done? Put a bullet in his back, your hero since you were so young..."And of the killer, Gale, and his mental suffering as he killed Dimebag, "Sometimes problems seem too deep to take (too hard to take) Sometimes I cry thinking my future looks so bleak." and, "Someone hear me, someone stop me, someone listen, why aren't you listening?" The last perspective is that of the fallen guitarist, "I started here so young and helped you get along, Just did it for the love, and people healed through us, Don't live your life in vain, don't take it out on me, You're cracked so just remember, I'm not your enemy. I don't desereve to fall this way, by a man who felt betrayed." The tradgedy lives on our hearts from this brilliant and bone-chilling song, along with the reminder of innocent blood shed and of Dimebag, who's own ghastly voice is included in a verse of the song, which hauntingly foreshadows the thoughts of his killer, "And I felt down I need you there, every note and every word, seems so hard to take. Finally, we're destined." This song means the most to me personally because this story gave me a new fear. As a guitarist, I have a fear that if I play shows for large audiences there is always the chance that I could be the next one to be shot by a delusional fan or even just an angry person. It's chilling to think that any second it can all be over, life, passion, everything you stand for.
Another song written by Avenged Sevenfold called, "M.I.A" speaks of the struggle of a soldier, questioning the morality of fighting in war, "two million soldiers can't be wrong," and the plauges of after-war thoughts that haunt soldiers and the realness of war, "Take this from my consciousness and please erase my dreams." By the end of the song the soldier relates himself to a murderer as the song ends, "We walk the city lonely, memories that haunt are passing by, A murderer walks your streets tonight. Forgive me for my crimes. Don't forget that I was so young, fought so scared. In the name of God and Country."
The song that pulls all the songs and stories together is in the song "Bat Country" which starts with M. Shadows (lead vocalist) screeching the famous line said by Samuel Johnson, "He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." The meaning behind this quote
from what I believe is that when you do make a habit of doing immoral practices they start to rip at your consciousness and you look for other ways to disolve the pain even if it means doing even more evil.
I recommend this CD to everyone. In the stereotypical Christian cultural view many see this album as "Immoral", "Ungodly" and even "Satanic". In reality this CD has few flaws and the people that are quick to judge don't seem to give enough time in learning more about the album and what the lyrics actually mean. They see a skull or knife on the album and immediately disregard it as an evil cd that should be thrown in the trash. But how is a skull evil? It's part of the human anatomy and is an important component to the human body. I also find it strange that though most Christians don't like "dark things" they can still support Pirates of the Craibbean which is full of immorality and even has skulls and knives on it's movie cover.
I also support "City of Evil" because the lyrics have a realness to them. "City of Evil" doesn't advocate, "Everything is Good" because in our society there are alot of problems.
To me, happy music is fake. Our society is full of problems and sadness. Our world is fallen. Why have uplifiting music when the world is not that uplifiting?
City of Evil's lyrics deal with;The Fall, problems that our society creates, fellow man dealing with problems and wordly issues, and mans failure to do good in the face of evil. In reality all these things are true about society.
I find it very strange that Christians denounce this CD as "evil", when it actually seems to support what the Bible believes about sinful man's state rather than contradicts. A few of the songs even have several refrences to the Bible's scripture.
Overall I find this album to be darkly beautiful, powerful and inspiring.
08 March 2009
Self as Writer
Writing is my second language; I practice it everyday, increasing my fluency with every word I write. The freedom and security I feel when I write are unparalleled, compelling me to train myself ever forward in spelling my words, shaping my thoughts, structuring my sentences, and strengthening my vocabulary with needed bulk. Writing is one of my expressions, too, as is art; both are flowery fields where my creativity can flit about unhindered. This delights me to no end in how it liberates my mind. I may have my big toe jammed in a door, but writing can make it all better. I may be stuck in the static clutch of boredom, but writing can pry me lose. I may jump with joy, boil with anger, or sag with sadness, but when I let my feelings perfuse paper I am no longer captive to that feeling. Writing is also a blessing from my Creator to me, which I cherish and hone for to better glorify Him. Better yet, when I write, I create, and that is the thumbprint of my Maker upon me. When I write, "it is good."
Intro to self
This is my first post and pretty weird, too. Don't be frightened—I am a different kind of animal when I write (especially when I type). Nevertheless, have mercy on me, a beginner!
My name is Julia. Let's practice that again—Joo-lee-uh. Got it? Good. If there is anything I am, it is not Julie, so don't go there. Moving on, it would be pertinent for me to describe myself. I am tall, a terror on the basketball court, but lean like a panther on the prowl. My hair flares out in red waves of fire, exposing my Scotch-Irish roots. My two eyes scintillate bright blue, burning with intensity when I don a similar-colored outfit. But looks deceive, painting only half the picture of our being. I may be fierce, but I would not harm a fly with the might of my muscle (thougth spiders and stinkbugs pose unique exceptions). I may wear a mane of flame, but I squelch any thought of pride (yet I wish it no other color in the world). And I would never mesmerize a young man, though I may possess the dazzling blush of my sky-blue eyes (but how could I help it if I did?) No, I am not what I appear to be. Just peel off my skin, pull off my muscle, rip out my hair, and pop out my eyeballs you will behold me, formless me, pure-personality-and-character-me. The real deal. No lies. No makeup. No clothes or contraptions (please picture me dressed). Simply me. I wish I could do more than introduce me, show you what I'm like. But that's for you to find out. Only be sure to practice my name—it's not Julie.
My name is Julia. Let's practice that again—Joo-lee-uh. Got it? Good. If there is anything I am, it is not Julie, so don't go there. Moving on, it would be pertinent for me to describe myself. I am tall, a terror on the basketball court, but lean like a panther on the prowl. My hair flares out in red waves of fire, exposing my Scotch-Irish roots. My two eyes scintillate bright blue, burning with intensity when I don a similar-colored outfit. But looks deceive, painting only half the picture of our being. I may be fierce, but I would not harm a fly with the might of my muscle (thougth spiders and stinkbugs pose unique exceptions). I may wear a mane of flame, but I squelch any thought of pride (yet I wish it no other color in the world). And I would never mesmerize a young man, though I may possess the dazzling blush of my sky-blue eyes (but how could I help it if I did?) No, I am not what I appear to be. Just peel off my skin, pull off my muscle, rip out my hair, and pop out my eyeballs you will behold me, formless me, pure-personality-and-character-me. The real deal. No lies. No makeup. No clothes or contraptions (please picture me dressed). Simply me. I wish I could do more than introduce me, show you what I'm like. But that's for you to find out. Only be sure to practice my name—it's not Julie.
Music Review
The Fray’s new self-titled album proves that the piano-based group from Denver is more than anyone ever expected it to be. The band’s 10-track sophomore album is full of catchy pop ballads with relatable, emotional lyrics. Front man Isaac Slade definitely attracts the attention of any audience with his effortlessly captivating vocals. As a whole, this album surely measures up to the band’s 2006 debut “How To Save A Life”.
The first two songs, “Syndicate” and “Absolute”, start the album off with a bang. They both begin slow, but pick up about a quarter way through each one. Both songs contain lyrics about “the girl that got away” and the author’s motivation to keep her from slipping out of his reach completely.
The first single off this album is track 3, “You Found Me” in which the narrator boldly asks God “Where were you when everything was falling apart?” As the song progresses it tells of the narrator’s anger with God for letting him struggle, then finding and helping him when it was too late.
“Say When” is a story in which a guy has an unconditional love for a girl he has only seen from a distance. He encourages her to stand up for what she believes in and to not let people step on her. He sings that he will comfort her and wait for her until she is ready to be his.
Once you take the time to really listen to the lyrics of “Never Say Never”, you will realize that there is a deeper meaning than just what appears on the surface. It seems like one of the typical “please don’t leave me” type of songs the first time you hear it, but in the background it is really about a girl’s struggle with wanting fame and instant gratification. The singer is telling her that he will always be there for her, even when her world crumbles before her eyes.
“Happiness” is the wonderfully written, very tranquil closer to “The Fray”. In this song, Isaac Slade personifies happiness in many very original ways. The lyrics compare happiness to a firecracker in the sense that it is unpredictable and can hurt you if you do not deal with it carefully…“Happiness, [almost] destroys you, breaks your faith to pieces on the floor”. This song expresses the meaning of true delight and the fact that if you chase it, joy will lose its authenticity. This idea is perfectly captured in the line “Happiness is like the old man told me, look for it and you’ll never find it all.”
If you were to search other reviews for this album, you would find that the media is being very harsh. Many critics believe that “The Fray” is a sloppy follow up to “How To Save A Life”. In contrast, I believe that this is a very demonstrative showcase of the reality of love. The most special thing about this album is that, when you truly, carefully examine it, all the songs relate to each other in some way. I give this album 9 out of 10 stars.
The first two songs, “Syndicate” and “Absolute”, start the album off with a bang. They both begin slow, but pick up about a quarter way through each one. Both songs contain lyrics about “the girl that got away” and the author’s motivation to keep her from slipping out of his reach completely.
The first single off this album is track 3, “You Found Me” in which the narrator boldly asks God “Where were you when everything was falling apart?” As the song progresses it tells of the narrator’s anger with God for letting him struggle, then finding and helping him when it was too late.
“Say When” is a story in which a guy has an unconditional love for a girl he has only seen from a distance. He encourages her to stand up for what she believes in and to not let people step on her. He sings that he will comfort her and wait for her until she is ready to be his.
Once you take the time to really listen to the lyrics of “Never Say Never”, you will realize that there is a deeper meaning than just what appears on the surface. It seems like one of the typical “please don’t leave me” type of songs the first time you hear it, but in the background it is really about a girl’s struggle with wanting fame and instant gratification. The singer is telling her that he will always be there for her, even when her world crumbles before her eyes.
“Happiness” is the wonderfully written, very tranquil closer to “The Fray”. In this song, Isaac Slade personifies happiness in many very original ways. The lyrics compare happiness to a firecracker in the sense that it is unpredictable and can hurt you if you do not deal with it carefully…“Happiness, [almost] destroys you, breaks your faith to pieces on the floor”. This song expresses the meaning of true delight and the fact that if you chase it, joy will lose its authenticity. This idea is perfectly captured in the line “Happiness is like the old man told me, look for it and you’ll never find it all.”
If you were to search other reviews for this album, you would find that the media is being very harsh. Many critics believe that “The Fray” is a sloppy follow up to “How To Save A Life”. In contrast, I believe that this is a very demonstrative showcase of the reality of love. The most special thing about this album is that, when you truly, carefully examine it, all the songs relate to each other in some way. I give this album 9 out of 10 stars.
04 March 2009
The Dark Knight Revised Movie Review
The Dark Knight
this film won 2 Oscars, had 46 other wins, and was nominated 47 times for various categories. This film is an Action,Crime, and Thrilller.
The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan's major mind blower after 2005's Batman Begins, is an outdone comic-book movie. Intense action? It’s there. Jaw dropping twists? It’s there. Devilish fun? It’s there. But Nolan is just getting started. There's something ready to jump out of this film and capture you and pull you in. Springing out from his original Batman story, The Dark Knight creates an area where good and evil will fight, but neither know when to start. "I don't want to kill you," the Joker says. "You complete me." He’s serious. “Why so serious?”
The trouble begins when Batman, a.k.a. playboy Bruce Wayne, gets his hero job stolen by Harvey Dent(Aaron Eckhart). Now the city of Gotham view Batman as a bad guy and they don’t trust him. The joker comes in when the hero battle is hot. His havoc is spread all around Gotham, endangering everyone. Batman’s love, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), is killed by the Joker(Heath Ledger). Both Batman and Harvey are in love with her. Harvey turns to the dark side and works with the Joker. Bruce finally kills the Joker and Harvey, but goes into hiding and has to run from the law. “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Heath Ledger did an exceptional job in this part. He made you feel like you were actually talking and watching the for-real Joker. Sadly he must have gotten to into his part, because before the film was released, he committed suicide. Nolan did an amazing job of keeping the plot flowing. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the first, second, and third time I saw this film. The emotion of the characters made me want to jump out of my seat and share the anger, frustration, and happiness of the mood. I feel in love with the whole movie.
This film doesn’t really connect with anyway of life today, other than there is good and evil and we are constantly battling. This film was based off the famous comic book series. Hopefully, Nolan will come out yet again with another action-packed sequal. I give this film two thumbs up. And five Stars out of five. You all need to lighten up. “Why so serious?”
this film won 2 Oscars, had 46 other wins, and was nominated 47 times for various categories. This film is an Action,Crime, and Thrilller.
The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan's major mind blower after 2005's Batman Begins, is an outdone comic-book movie. Intense action? It’s there. Jaw dropping twists? It’s there. Devilish fun? It’s there. But Nolan is just getting started. There's something ready to jump out of this film and capture you and pull you in. Springing out from his original Batman story, The Dark Knight creates an area where good and evil will fight, but neither know when to start. "I don't want to kill you," the Joker says. "You complete me." He’s serious. “Why so serious?”
The trouble begins when Batman, a.k.a. playboy Bruce Wayne, gets his hero job stolen by Harvey Dent(Aaron Eckhart). Now the city of Gotham view Batman as a bad guy and they don’t trust him. The joker comes in when the hero battle is hot. His havoc is spread all around Gotham, endangering everyone. Batman’s love, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), is killed by the Joker(Heath Ledger). Both Batman and Harvey are in love with her. Harvey turns to the dark side and works with the Joker. Bruce finally kills the Joker and Harvey, but goes into hiding and has to run from the law. “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Heath Ledger did an exceptional job in this part. He made you feel like you were actually talking and watching the for-real Joker. Sadly he must have gotten to into his part, because before the film was released, he committed suicide. Nolan did an amazing job of keeping the plot flowing. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the first, second, and third time I saw this film. The emotion of the characters made me want to jump out of my seat and share the anger, frustration, and happiness of the mood. I feel in love with the whole movie.
This film doesn’t really connect with anyway of life today, other than there is good and evil and we are constantly battling. This film was based off the famous comic book series. Hopefully, Nolan will come out yet again with another action-packed sequal. I give this film two thumbs up. And five Stars out of five. You all need to lighten up. “Why so serious?”
Stomp the Yard
When I watch this movie I feel like I can do what these people do. This movie is very good because it relates to some people’s lives. Maybe their friend or family member died. It also makes me think before I speak, you might find out when you read this, Enjoy!
The movie Stomp the Yard is a fun, thrilling, drama dance movie. It keeps your mind set to the TV when you watch Stomp the Yard. This movie is about a guy who faces difficulties in his life. He then realizes that it’s not always just about himself. He has several decisions to make and must consider feelings of others when he makes them. Stomp the Yard is basically about being the best in step dancing competitions and then the best guy gets the girl in the end.
The story begins at a club where brake dancing is being performed. New comers showed off their skills to mock the ones at the club. At night, outside of the club, they ended up having a gang fight where one man, Jerome, DJ’s brother was shot to death. DJ is blamed for his brother’s death and goes to jail. Later he is accepted to Truth University. He works as a gardener, joins a team that competes in step dancing, and wins over a girl from another guy. Because of DJ’s criminal record he was asked to leave the school or he could stay if he stopped seeing his girlfriend. This bribe was not accepted. He was able to return to school. His team reminded DJ that being in the competition was “not about you, its about all of us, we a team.” DJ and his team win the competition.
The movie Stomp the Yard is a fun, thrilling, drama dance movie. It keeps your mind set to the TV when you watch Stomp the Yard. This movie is about a guy who faces difficulties in his life. He then realizes that it’s not always just about himself. He has several decisions to make and must consider feelings of others when he makes them. Stomp the Yard is basically about being the best in step dancing competitions and then the best guy gets the girl in the end.
The story begins at a club where brake dancing is being performed. New comers showed off their skills to mock the ones at the club. At night, outside of the club, they ended up having a gang fight where one man, Jerome, DJ’s brother was shot to death. DJ is blamed for his brother’s death and goes to jail. Later he is accepted to Truth University. He works as a gardener, joins a team that competes in step dancing, and wins over a girl from another guy. Because of DJ’s criminal record he was asked to leave the school or he could stay if he stopped seeing his girlfriend. This bribe was not accepted. He was able to return to school. His team reminded DJ that being in the competition was “not about you, its about all of us, we a team.” DJ and his team win the competition.
03 March 2009
RED ~ End of Silence (revised)
On June 6, 2006, Christian band RED released their first CD, End of Silence. The title is very appropriate as the band introduces their style of heavy music. But it’s not all like that. The band placed beautiful piano solos throughout the album. Even the heavy songs contain strings that make the music more enjoyable. The softer parts don’t seem to come in at awkward moments. They fade into the rest of the music and then the music returns to the heavier style. In fact, the intro on the CD, also called “End of Silence” is slow and almost sounds like a ballet. It then blends in the next track, “Breathe into Me.” This is where the real RED begins to show. The vocals are done by Michael Barnes with back-up from Anthony Armstrong. The vocals are mostly singing but screams do come in every so often. The bands songs all seem to focus on one point. In almost every song you can hear the story of someone who has strayed from God and wants to come home. But the story is told from different views. The song “Breathe into Me” is sung by the person who has left God, and is calling out to Him to breathe life into them and restore them. Track 8, “Wasting Time,” addresses the Devil and says you keep trying to take me but you’re wasting time. “Hide” talks about how we keep ignoring what we need but go for things that can harm us. Like “Breath into Me,” “Pieces” addresses God and says “You call my name; I come to You in pieces so You can make me whole." Each song is packed with meaningful lyrics and awesome music. This whole album is just amazing and so hard to describe. I personally find it to be one of the best I’ve ever heard
HP and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
“Something worth fighting for”
“When are you going to get it into your head? We're in this together!” Have you ever felt that there was an immovable obstacle in your way, only to realize that it’s not so immovable with friends by your side? Hermione Granger shows this truth to Harry Potter in the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Directed by David Yates). The film has strong themes of love, friendship, and truth.
The film, based on the novel of the same name written by J.K. Rowling, begins with Harry Potter (David Radcliffe), and his cousin (Harry Melling) on summer vacation. What seems to be a light scene in a playground quickly turns heavy when Harry and his cousin are attacked a pair of soul-sucking dementors. Harry has no choice but to protect himself with magic, something illegal outside of school for underage wizards. The Ministry of Magic finds out almost immediately and Harry is sent a notice of expulsion.
Things seem to turn a little bit brighter when a bunch of wizards, including Harry’s old defense against the dark arts professor, show up at his house to rescue him with news that Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) convinced to ministry not to expel him. Although Harry is now safely at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization working to fight Voldemort, he is far from content. Dreams of Voldemort haunt his nights. Worst of all, the Minister of Magic and his group do not believe Voldemort has returned, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and they’ve taken to trying to discredit Dumbledore and Harry mainly through influence of the newspaper.
Harry feels quite alone and confused upon returning to school, only to find out that even people he once counted among his best friends now question his sanity. As if life could get any worse, it does. The ministry, not trusting Dumbledore, places one of their own as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Umbridge is a positively delightful character, complete with detention methods that involve writing lines with your own blood. Don’t be fooled by her pink outfits and pictures of kittens, this woman is on a mission to squash any talk of Voldemort's return.
Realizing that the Ministry isn’t about to help them defend themselves against a foe that the ministry refuses to admit is on the move, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) decide to start a secret group, Dumbledore’s Army, to train themselves in Defensive Magic. With enmity coming from the Ministry, Umbridge, and Voldemort, Harry needs to realize he can’t win this battle alone. Will he accept help before it’s too late?
Acting in this film was superb, with the main three actors continuing to flourish. A few new characters were added to the film including Umbridge, Luna, and Bellatrix, all of whom are very memorable. This movie was more artistic and theatrical than the first 3 of the series. My favorite film in the collection so far, it is only surpassed by the novel itself, which is expected; Compressing an almost 900 page novel full of beautifully intertwined yet individual plot lines into a 139 minute film is easier said than done.
This film and book could easily be called controversial, in the Christian sub-culture, what with wizards, witches, wands and all, but I believe that we can take away some very valid points from this story. We are called to stand for the truth of Christ’s life, deity, death, and ressurection. Harry is called to stand for the truth of Voldemort’s return. We are called to be one body and fight for truth and liberty from sin. Harry and his friends are called to work together and fight for the truth and liberty from evil.
I could keep going about the parallels, action, characters etc. for days, but I’d rather tell you to watch it yourself and make your own judgments. The bottom line, as Harry states it is, “Even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have. Something worth fighting for.”
Released: 11 July 2007
Rating: PG-13
Review: **** (out of 5)
Cinderella
Cinderella is a delightful family movie. A young girl, treated as a slave, goes to a ball. There she falls in love with the Prince. She runs home and looses her glass slipper. The prince finds her by making all the maidens of the kingdom try on this glass slipper. The prince finds Cinderella and they get married and live happily ever after.
This movie even thought it may be animated, can be loved by any age. It’s tragic beginning and happy ending captures the hearts and minds of America. This movie tells a story of magic and fairy god-mothers. During the movie you are captivated by the wonderful character of Cinderella. This movie is a classic and gets two thumbs up and 5 stars.
This movie even thought it may be animated, can be loved by any age. It’s tragic beginning and happy ending captures the hearts and minds of America. This movie tells a story of magic and fairy god-mothers. During the movie you are captivated by the wonderful character of Cinderella. This movie is a classic and gets two thumbs up and 5 stars.
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