Tag: Evilynne

  • My Word Collection

    I am a collector of words. All kinds of words, and phrases too. I keep them in a spiral notebook complete with a well worn cover and creased pages.

    When I am reading, I try to keep a pen and paper nearby to ‘capture’ any words that might strike my fancy in the text and eventually transfer them to my notebook for further reference. Sometimes I will glance over these lists when I’m writing and use any words that might apply in my current work.

    For example, I just completed the novel ‘Outlander’ by Diana Gabaldon and found a veritable treasure trove of words that I just had to add to my collection.

    Bear in mind that these are normal, everyday words, you will recognize each of them I’m certain. But they stood out in my mind as memorable. Anyone who has read the book will undoubtedly know the scene to which I am referring. ~wink~

    Shudder—blow—smack—perilous—feirce—surrender—biting—rasping—clawing—furious triumph—impact—savaged—agonies—inexorable—battered—shattered—fury—hammering—shackled—pinioned—fastened—strike—shatter–rage—use—invading—spread eagle—ragged—ride—pounding—brutally—cruel—and– quiver.

    All of these words, found on three small pages conveyed more ‘eroticism’ than many longer and more graphic love scenes I have read. I am convinced that effective word choice is an important skill for authors and hopefully my writing will improve because of the lists I keep.

    A different list of words I keep is —“ ways to say ‘said’”. As part of an English class in high school, my teacher gave us an assignment to find 50 alternate words to use instead of ‘said’. His point to this exercise was to expand our use of verbs, to help us find more descriptive ways to express our characters’ personalities. I kept my original list of these words, and am still adding to it with over 400 entries and counting.

    Imagine the phrase, “But I love you,” he …… Instead of using ‘said’, what other words might better serve our needs?

    Whispered—hinted—teased—rebuked—whined—barked—explained—laughed—pointed out—reassured—exclaimed—growled—wheedled—giggled—cried—reflected—echoed—lied—dared—exaggerated—commanded—demanded—begged—pleaded—asked—giggled—instructed.

    You get the point. These words are infinitely more interesting than repeating ‘said’ over and over in dialogue and add variety to our work.

    Another list in my notebook includes words whose meaning I had to look up in the dictionary. The very act of writing them down makes me more likely to remember them and their definitions; theoretically improving my vocabulary.

    My latest entries in this category are:

    Ephemeral—short lived, fleeting
    Cogent—intellectually convincing
    Inveterate—stubbornly established by habit
    Laconic—terse speech or writing
    Nadir—lowest point on an arc
    Parsimony—frugality or stinginess
    Abnegation—denying self comfort
    Puerile—juvenile, immature

    Well, there you have it, evidence that I’m a list maker, especially when it applies to words and writing. I find words fascinating and love to play with them.

    When I write, I consider myself a ‘word-smith’: someone who hammers random words into a desirable form through sheer force of will and determination. And to do this effectively, I keep my lists (and a thesaurus) close by; I’m happy to use all the help I can get.

  • Thoughts on ‘The Vein of Gold’ by Julia Cameron

    I recently completed a book about f inding your creativity, ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron. I enjoyed it immensely and learned a lot; about myself, about letting go and pampering my ‘inner child’ and most importantly, about doing the things I really want to do.

    With this in mind, I am excited to begin another of her books, ‘Vein of Gold’. The author describes the ‘Vein of Gold’ in all of us as where we find our greatest creativity. We may be successful writers in many genres, comedy, angst, biography, but we all have our special niche where we do our ‘best work’, and that is our ‘vein of gold’.

    She uses the actress Merle Streep as an example. Ms. Streep has done excellent work in comedy (Death Becomes Her), musicals (Momma Mia) and suspense (Silkwood), but it is in her portrayals of ‘tragic women’ that we find her ‘luminous’. The grieving mother in ‘Sophie’s Choice’ is one of her best performances. No one would argue that her ‘vein of gold’ is to be found playing these tormented characters.

    Is this to suggest that she limit herself to this narrow field of films? Definitely not. I believe any actress would become bored with the same type of part each time she worked, (as would we of watching her perform them as well). Variety is a good thing, for artist and viewer alike. But when we hear of a new drama starring Merle Streep, we know we are going to see something excellent and enjoyable because these movies are her greatest strength, her ‘vein of gold’ if you will.

    Bearing this in mind, Ms. Cameron sets out to help us find our own ‘vein of gold’ in our chosen field of creativity by helping us find ourselves. She suggests writing ‘morning pages’, three hand-written pages each day to help you clear your mind. As you write these ‘pages’ consistently, you find that they will clear your mind, help you vent your frustrations and find those lurking fears, feelings and angers that your ‘conscious’ mind has been trying to sublimate. They are like a sounding board, or a very close friend that you can tell anything to. These are not to be seen by anyone else and are therefore a safe and sacred place to lay it all on the line, to be yourself and to express those things that you are afraid to let others, including your close friends, see.

    A walk a day is another tool suggested in the course. Twenty minutes a day, walking indoors or out, city or country it doesn’t matter where. The actual act of walking, the repetitious movement of body can be soothing in and of itself. The scenery along your path is to be enjoyed as well, the fragile rosebud on your neighbor’s rosebush, the brightly colored house around the corner and the lazy cat on the large porch you pass are all fodder for creativity, be you a writer, a painter or a musician.

    The smell of the rain on the hot cement, the sound of a lawnmower and the smell of the barbecue down the street can inspire you as well. The noise of jackhammer and construction workers can be just as wonderful as the quieter sounds of suburbia or the country. Neighbors yelling in the apartment next door, the sound of taxis whizzing by on a busy street and the distant wail of a police siren are fertile images to be used in your art as well.

    My first thought was that I didn’t have time for these daily walks, and in truth, I don’t. But I forced myself to make the time, and have found that I miss them on those busy days when I choose to do other more pressing things. They are like a personal treat, to myself and my ‘inner artist’, and I have found reasons ‘to do’ them; quiet time to wind down after work and before sleeping, spending time with my kids, exercising the dog, exercising myself. Funny how a change in attitude makes something ‘needful’ instead of a chore.

    In the first chapter of our journey of self discovery, we are asked to write a self history. The author suggests writing about your life in five year increments, 1-5 years, 5-10, and so on. Include favorite friends, toys, games, where you lived and your family members. These memories will help you not only get these things down on paper but allow you to analyze your feelings about the events that made you the person you are today.

    For instance, your parents may still describe the ‘long awaited and wonderful’ move to that new house in the suburbs when you were a child, and you have been blinded by their feelings on the subject. Maybe on closer inspection of your memories you were angry at having to leave your old friends and school. It might not have been a ‘happy’ decision for you. Include these observations, they are important.

    This exercise will hopefully jog some memories that you had forgotten, some exciting, joyful, or even painful things that have been pushed to the back of your mind. These events might be used in understanding yourself and in your writing, essentially ‘mining’ your life for inspiration.

    There are further exercises to help you find your own personal ‘vein of gold’, that niche where you do your best creating. There are seven ‘kingdoms’ to progress through on your journey of self and I have barely scratched the surface of the first chapter in this article. I am looking forward to the other chapters, it has been a rewarding trip so far and it’s only just begun.

  • Batman-The Dark Knight

    The new Batman movie has garnered many excellent reviews and in my opinion deserves all of their praise and more. The movie delivers on the clichéd ‘summer blockbuster’ action front as well as a deep character driven morality play, fraught with symbolism and tragedy.

    In this new installment of the caped crusader, we find Bruce Wayne fighting crime in Gotham City. He is tolerated by the policemen for his help capturing criminals, but there is an unease about the mysterious figure whom some believe is actually just a new brand of bad guy. Even the public views him with distrust and suspicion, hence the name ‘The Dark Knight’.

    Bruce wants to give up his nocturnal exploits to marry his beloved Rachel, a lawyer who is aware of his secret identity and refuses to be with him as long as he continues to be Batman. For now, our hero has given up her love to protect the city; it needs him and his special brand of justice to keep it safe.

    Enter Harvey Dent- the new flawlessly moral, incorruptible District Attorney. His reputation for justice precedes him. Eager to find corruption where ever it may lie, he chases murderers, drug dealers and bad cops with equal fervor. He forms an uneasy alliance with Batman and Commissioner Gordon to bring a ring of mob bosses to trial, thus causing the press to name him the ‘White Knight’.

    Bruce Wayne sees salvation in Harvey Dent. He feels he can put away his cowl and leave justice to the new DA. This leaves the city with a protector and him free to marry Rachel. The only problem is, Rachel is now engaged to Harvey, and the mob bosses are after her as retaliation against the DA. Batman finds he must continue to wear his cape and work with his rival for Rachel’s well being.

    The Joker, a new criminal mastermind, surfaces against the back drop of the convoluted love triangle and Bruce’s internal battles about his identity and purposes. He is vicious and maniacal in a way that disturbs even the crime bosses of Gotham City, assembled to decide how to best protect their investments. He performs a ‘magic trick’, making a pencil disappear from the table in front of him in a particularly gruesome manner. Watch for this particular scene in the movie, I can guarantee the whole audience will give a collective ‘Ughhh’.

    The Joker, brilliantly played by Heath Ledger who will no doubt receive a posthumous Oscar nod for this part, manages to confuse everyone. Why does he do what he does? He shows no signs of desiring either money or power as proved when he burns a pyramid of money as an unexpected way to kill a rival. It falls to Alfred, Bruce’s butler to name the Joker’s particular vice; he just wants to watch the world burn. Each time he kills someone, he tells a different story about how he got the tell tale scars on the corners of his mouth, giving him the garish appearance of a grin. He goes about killing, burning and causing mayhem with a vengeance that is reminiscent of Alex in ‘A Clockwork Orange’.

    When Joker speaks he smacks and licks his lips in a distracting manner, his makeup is always smeared and smudged, suggesting decadence and decay. He brings a horrifying ‘joie de vivre’ to his work that is impossible not to stare at. In a particularly memorable scene that has him in a nurses’s dress, complete with white hose and shoes, he skips gaily down a city street, blowing up buildings in his wake with a remote control. The implied reference of ‘helping’ in the uniform of a care giver and the destruction of a previously imagined ‘safe place’ –a hospital, is poignantly ironic, not to mention disorienting in its absurdity.

    This movie is aimed at adults, even though children and teens will flock to it and enjoy it. However, for those interested in the characters and their motivations this movie will satisfy those tastes as well. It remains true to the Batman mythos, and actually makes fun, in a ghoulish manner, of costumed Batman wannabees who try to help the caped crusader with his vigilante efforts. I’m not sure how the collective group of ‘fan boys’ will take that insinuation, but I’m willing to be they’ll be honored to be included. 🙂

  • “Who We Are” by Lifehouse

    Review of the album “Who We Are” by Lifehouse

    Everyone knows what a ‘chick flick’ is, right? Well this album, “Who We Are” by Lifehouse is the musical equivalent of that ‘girls’ night out’ staple. Lifehouse’s third album offers more of their signature style—upbeat, romantic, pop ballads full of jangling guitars and soulful lyrics.

    These guys specialize in poetry set to music. For example, the track ‘Broken’:

    ‘I’m fallin’ apart, I’m barely breathing,
    With a broken heart, that’s still beating,
    In the pain there is healing,
    In your name, I find healing,
    So I’m holding on, holding on,
    I’m barely holding on to you.”

    This is the kind of music your mother would approve of, no sexual references, no drugs or suicidal thoughts. Just talk about relationships and being true to yourself and others. On ‘Easier to Be’ they sing:

    “You make it easier to be,
    Easier to be me, it’s hard to believe,
    You didn’t give up on me, I let myself go,
    You were still there, like coming up for air, yeah, yeah.”

    I know, sappy and sweet. Almost too much so. My children refuse to listen to this CD with me, they find it boring. But it is a guilty pleasure of mine, soothing in a way previously only Enya could be. It makes a great contrast to my emo AFI music and the loud Linkin Park and NIckelback albums. It’s great stuff to listen to when I’m writing about Requiem, I can see him saying these kind of things to Regina.

    By far, the best song of the batch is ‘First Time’. It’s already being used for a car commercial on television; it’s got a great hook and a catchy tune. I bet you’d recognize it if you heard it, even if you’re not familiar with Lifehouse.

    “We’re both lookin’ for something, we’ve been afraid to find.
    It’s easier to be broken, it’s easier to hide.
    Lookin’ at you, holding my breath,
    For once in my life, I’m scared to death,
    I’m taking a chance, letting you inside.”

    The lyrics in this song remind me of some of the things Julia Cameron says in her ‘Artist’s Way’ essays.

    So there you have it. Would I recommend this album? Yes, as long as you know what you’re getting; you’re gonna love the sugar rush.

  • Review for the movie ‘Wanted’

    On Friday, ‘Wanted’ opened and I must tell you I was impressed with this movie. It has been a long time since I wanted to stand up and cheer during a movie. This show had me caught up in its unrelenting pace and breathtaking action sequences. I let it take me away and just enjoyed the ride.

    Of course, I had to suspend a lot of belief as well, no matter how special these assassins are, there really is no way to make the path of a bullet curve… but once you get past that and immerse yourself in the ‘universe’ that the writer has created it’s a complete thrill.

    The story centers around a boring and ‘insignificant’ man who is taken advantage of by everyone. His girlfriend cheats on him, his boss picks on him, basically he’s a doormat. He’s filling a prescription for depression of all things when beautiful Angelina Jolie shows up and ‘saves his life’ from a mysterious killer.

    Once he’s ‘safe’, she tries to convince him he’s an assassin with ‘special talents’ and he’s of course less than accepting of her revelations. Frightening events do begin to happen and finally make him believe that he is the ‘one’ they have been looking for and he joins the fraternity of assassins.

    The action sequences in this movie are over the top, especially the train episode at the movie’s climax. But that doesn’t make them unenjoyable, if anything, it adds to the comic book experience. If you don’t enjoy a bit of bloodshed, skip this flick. The violence is gratuitous- the movie is about a bunch of assassins- but is more about ambiance than splattered gore, though there is plenty of that too.

    There are at least three ‘twists’ in the movie, they leave you wondering if you really know what’s real and what’s another lie. Paranoia and fear abound, and leave the audience unsure of who to trust, keeping us in the mindset of our hero who remains quite sympathetic throughout despite becoming a cold blooded killer.

    I enjoyed watching the ‘adorable’ James McEvoy change from a ‘doormat’ complete with panicked eyes and a blank stare of apathy into a steely eyed killer with a conscience. His face became that of a different man, more attractive and with a purpose, his posture and gait more self-assured. I was also impressed with his ability to lose his Scottish accent and sound like a Midwestern American.

    My favorite scenes were when our newly confident hero comes back to confront his cheating girlfriend, boss and best friend. All of these characters deserve their comeuppance and it’s satisfying to watch McEvoy give it to them in spades.

    So, in summary, leave your thinking mind at home when you go to see this show. Enjoy it for what it is, a living, breathing comic book with little basis in reality. It’s escapism at its best, and isn’t that why we go to summer movies in the first place?

  • Mormon Cuisine

    Mormon Cuisine

    Being that I’ve lived my entire life in the state of Utah, I assumed that everyone ate the same types of food that are prevalent here. When the 2002 Olympics came to town, there was lots of hype about ‘Mormon Cuisine’. They even made Olympic pins featuring those items that outsiders found most unusual. I’ve decided to share the recipes for a few of these dishes.

    First up would have to be Jello. We are the Jello capitol of the world here in Utah, using almost three times as much per person as any other state in the Union. What makes our Jello creations so different from everyone else’s is that we include fruits and vegetables. Green jello, with pineapple chunks and grated carrots mixed in is a big favorite; some families even fold in a little cottage cheese. Personally, I hate that combination. I’m usually putting sliced bananas in strawberry jello or putting pear chunks in the lemon flavored jello for my kids. We also include extra Knox Gelatin, which has no flavor, in plain (nothing mixed in it) jello to make it more solid. It’s a great finger food for toddlers and nowhere as messy as the original stuff can be.

    Another typical food here is Funeral Potatoes. Whenever someone in our church group dies, the ladies are asked to bring a dish to feed the family after the services, hence the name. It’s a common choice because everyone is familiar with the dish and it’s easy to make. Take a package of frozen hash brown potatoes, put it in a casserole dish and add a can of Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken soup and a cup of sour cream. Bake for 30 minutes and then top with grated cheese or crunched up Corn Flakes. Voila!

    My favorite Mormon food item has got to be Seven Layer Bean Dip. To make it, spread refried beans on the bottom of a casserole dish; make a layer of taco meat, then salsa, another of sour cream, olives, tomatoes and then top with grated cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. You may add guacamole, diced onions or Spanish rice to taste.

    I thought that Shepherd’s Pie was something that everyone was familiar with, but apparently not according to those Olympic reporters. We mix a can each of diced carrots, peas, green beans and corn in a casserole dish, add cooked hamburger and brown gravy then spoon mashed potatoes or Tater Tots on top. Cook for an hour and then garnish with grated cheese. This is an easy dish to make; I often make four or five at a time and freeze the extras, then pull one out and put it in the oven on days I’m really pushed for time.

    We also have something called Fry Sauce. Instead of catsup on our French fries, we mix catsup and mayonnaise into an orange sauce. It’s different, but very addicting.

    Well, there you have it, ‘Mormon Cuisine’. Hope none of it was too bizarre. I’d love to know if any of you have heard of, or eat these dishes. It would be great to know that we’re not that ‘specialized’ in our eating habits here. 

  • Family Albums and Histories

    I must confess this blog was inspired by Eaton’s previous one about family albums. She wished that she knew more about those relatives, and I can understand her feelings. The photos are wonderful, but a written history of each of those faces would be priceless.

    My family has kept family photos as well as personal journals and written family histories for a long time, it’s something that Mormons are encouraged to do from the time they can write. I remember being encouraged to keep one myself, and to read those of my ancestors, and I must confess, I found it BORING! Those dusty and faded photos failed to capture my imagination.

    My father on the other hand was always fascinated with those long dead relatives, going on and on about Great-great-grand Aunt Ethel Booshardt and how she had come to America from Denmark over a hundred years ago. He never misses a chance to talk about her still.

    I have realized that the older I get, the larger mortality looms before me, and exactly how those long dead people handled their lives means so much more to me now. Like my great-great-grand mother Rhoda DeLange; how did she handle the death of her two year old son when he drowned in the river just in front of their home? I cannot imagine opening the front door each day and being confronted with the death place of my boy, how did she survive the constant reminder of her loss?

    That log cabin still stands, directly behind the general store that she and her husband ran. It is in business to this day, my uncle has refurbished it but was careful to preserve an original wall that bears bullet holes from a gun fight with Indians. The settlers did not always get along well with the original inhabitants of Grass Valley. I have touched those holes in the soft and dusty wood, and they still awe me. My children have touched them too; they are a part of our family history.

    Having read Rhoda’s personal journal I learned a lot about her, and myself. She was made of sterner stuff than I ever will be. Standing outside her home and business, the very site where little Joseph drowned; I realize that she dealt with a lot of the same things I do today. She raised a family, six children that survived into adulthood, just like me. She ran a home and had a job as well. And she kept a diary. Where did she find the time? She did more, with fewer resources, than I will ever be able to manage. I stand in awe of her and her life, she is an inspiration.

    Now, her pages are precious to me, the very things that I once thought so tedious are now valuable. In the light of these thoughts, keeping a journal is an important thing, not just for yourself, but for your grand and great grand children. They may read your entries and gain from how you handled challenges in your life. Odds are they will be inspired by the incredible things you’ve done but don’t recognize for what they are– amazing.

    I keep my family history in a unique way. I don’t keep a journal; I tell myself that my morning pages for the Artist’s Way will suffice, they are full of my comings and goings and personal insights. (I am still debating on whether to include my stories in our history, few are child friendly and let’s face it, not the kind of stuff you want to know your grandmother EVER thought about.)

    My scrapbooking is fun and I try to have my children help, their scrawling handwriting is going to be more precious than my adult and legible penmanship in the future. The colored photos and designs are more exciting than the black and white ones our parents had and I pray that none of my grand kids will roll their eyes and wish they were somewhere else when they are dragged out and shared at family reunions. It’s amazing how your perspective changes as you get older, isn’t it?

  • What Happens in Vegas…

    What Happens in Vegas…

    It’s purely coincidence that a movie with this title opened in theaters the very day that I went to Las Vegas last week. And I am going to break with this tradition and tell you about the things I saw and did while I was there.

    Creature comforts are plentiful in ‘Sin City’-every hotel boasts a swimming pool, a buffet, spa, and, oh yes, it’s own casino. It’s quite easy to indulge oneself in every way without even leaving your hotel. But if you should choose to wander ‘The Strip’, Las Vegas’ main street that is lined with the largest casinos, I have some recommendations of sights you may want to see.

    Start at Treasure Island, a pirate themed casino. Each night they stage a live action show featuring three full sized pirate ships that wage war on each other, complete with plenty of swordplay and booming cannon fire.

    Immediately next door, the Mirage has a volcano that goes off once an hour after dark. Lava spews from the mountain and spreads across a verdant oasis in a mock eruption. It’s quite impressive to watch.

    Walk a short way south to the Bellagio and you can enjoy the ‘Dancing Waters’ show.
    Every half hour the fountains in front of the hotel will perform to a beautiful piece of classical music. Each presentation is different, new music and new choreography. An added benefit is the cool mist coming off the water while you watch under the hot desert sun.

    Farther away, in the old part of Las Vegas, you can find the ‘Fremont Street Experience’. For three city blocks, the area covering Fremont Street is covered with a canopy of lights that project a music video each hour. The shows are clever, featuring loud music and scantily dressed dancers. The enclosed area, with casinos on each side, reminded me of Mardi Gras in New Orleans with its party like atmosphere.

    While I was wandering through Fremont Street, I happened on a live performance of the band Everclear, they were singing for the Miss Hawaiian Tropic beauty pageant on a stage set up in the middle of the street. Hundreds of beautiful and tan bikini clad women filled the stage between their sets and signed autographs before and after the taping of the ‘live show’.

    Well there you have it, what happened in Vegas last weekend. I am sure there are millions of things I missed but each of these activities I mentioned is completely free. The trick is to get past the millions of slot machines and table games without spending your life savings.

  • Critique of the film ‘Iron Man’

    Iron Man

    The film ‘Iron Man’ opened Friday and I will admit that I’ve been waiting eagerly to see it. Being a self-confessed Comic Book Geek that’s not surprising. I spent my childhood reading the latest
    editions of Conan the Barbarian, Justice League of America and Superman. Iron Man wasn’t one of my favorites, but when it comes to summer blockbuster movies any comic book hero calls to me.

    The director, Jon Favreau, has done a great job of giving us a complex and believable lead character in Tony Stark. Stark is a genius, the son of one of the men that worked on the Manhatten Project. He inherited his father’s arms manufacturing business at an early age and has designed most of the weapons it sells. His reputation as a womanizing, hard drinking, spoiled playboy has gained him celebrity as his face adorns the covers of magazines like Time and Newsweek.

    On a business trip to Afghanistan to promote his new bomb, the Jericho, Tony is taken hostage by terrorists using, ironically, his own weapons bought on the black market. Held for three long months, he is forced to build a bomb for them from bits and peices of other arms they have available. Seeing for himself first hand the actual face of war, death and destruction that his business is indirectly causing creates a significant change in our hero. After escaping from his captors, he announces that his company will no longer sell armaments. His friends, business partners and even his personal assistant/love interest, Pepper Potts, all question his
    unlikely change of heart and new-found conscience.

    In secret, Tony builds a suit of metal that he uses as a weapon to help in his vigilante efforts to find the terrorists that held him and attempt to undo some of the damage he feels his weapons are responsible for. He just begins his crusade to help others when he is blindsided by problems closer to home and the real action begins.

    This movie is not for children; torture, realistic war scenes and violence made me wonder how they managed a PG-13 rating. It is a mature film that will appeal to adults with its character development and is paced accordingly, it’s not just a roller coaster ride like ‘Transformers’ or ‘Die Hard’. Expect to enjoy yourself immensely, but don’t leave your brain at home, there’s plenty here to keep it busy despite the action and special effects.

  • ‘Minutes to Midnight’

    In their new album, Minutes to Midnight, bad boy alternative rockers Linkin Park show a new more somber and introspective side. Their first few albums dealt heavily with the traditional teen subjects of relationships and anger at parents, lovers, and themselves. This album sinks its teeth deeply into the emotions surrounding death and loss. Their distinctive sound of rap woven into a rock background is still present, though less obvious than before and gives way to serious lyrics and themes. It’s the same band that we enjoyed before but they’ve grown a little older and a lot more world weary.

    There are a variety of different subjects on this album. Two songs are filled with social commentary, notably about the war in Iraq with lyrics like “When the rich wage war it’s the poor that die”. Another discusses the devastation and abandonment of hurricane Katrina victims. Both have clever wording and showcase the current US President in a less than flattering light. 

    We also find two hard hitting ‘scream fests’ perfect for moshing, especially the viciously sung and worded, “Bleed it Out”, It features a man confronting his ex about their relationship by ‘ripping open old scars, digging in deep and letting the blood flow’ with cathartic and disturbing imagery. “What I’ve Done” concerns trying to change one’s life and become a better person.

    “Put to rest, what you’ve thought of me,
    While I clean the slate with the hands of uncertainty
    So let Mercy come and wash away
    What I’ve done.” 

    But the real meat of the album, by far the majority of songs, deal with death.  In “Leave out all the Rest” they muse about how their families will view the legacy they will leave when they die, will they be remembered for the few good things they’ve done or forever be thought of as the imperfect souls that they really were. “Valentines Day” is a devastatingly harsh observation about how holidays can be painful to celebrate when a loved one has passed.

    “So now you’re gone, and I was wrong 
    I never knew what it was like to be alone,
    On a Valentines Day, on a Valentines Day” 

    Listening to “The Shadow of the Day” we cope with the impending death of a loved one. In my opinion the story involves a woman who has recently given birth. Or maybe it’s just the fact that I work with new mothers that causes me to read the lyrics in that particular light. I find them hauntingly beautiful and tragic at the same time.

    “In cards and flowers on your window,
    Your friends all plead for you to stay,
    Sometimes beginnings aren’t so simple,
    Sometimes goodbye’s the only way.

    And the sun will set for you,
    And the shadow of the day,
    Will embrace the world in gray,
    And the sun will set for you.”

    I have always enjoyed Linkin Park.  Listening to them with my children gave me an appreciation of their talent; but it wasn’t until this album that I got a copy of the CD for myself to listen to while I drive. I enjoy the variety of songs and the mature themes, and there’s always the added benefit of having my kids’ friends think I’m ‘cool’ ‘cuz I listen to ‘good stuff’. 🙂