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Who Does Jesus Love More, Paramore or Flyleaf?

Simon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:54:26 +0000

I imagine I have plenty of confessions ahead of me, but here’s my first one: I think Paramore are a kick-ass band. It’s true. I said my three Hail Marys pre-emptively, so let’s just continue. Instead of reviewing their new album Brand New Eyes in full, I thought I’d put it up against Flyleaf’s new album Memento Mori. Why? Because both albums were highly anticipated this year and both bands share certain musical similarities. Plus, both are fronted by hot chicks who have admitted to digging the whole Christianity thing. So let’s begin: you know that Jesus loves you, but which attractive vocalist is his favourite? He died for us all, but which band did he die for more?

I think Paramore have a cool image, grounded attitude and some awesome songs. Their last album was dominated by its singles, but this was easily written off as youthful indiscretion. Considering how some girls spend their insecure teenage years, I’m quite glad that the worst Hayley Williams did was write some album filler. Brand New Eyes is similar in this respect, to the extent that it is often inspired, but occasionally insipid. Part of the problem is how Hayley’s voice has become even more powerful and this time it completely overpowers her lacklustre band. Still, despite this the album feels curiously strong as a cohesive whole. Nothing hits the highs of ‘Misery Business’ or ‘Crushcrushcrush’, but ‘Ignorance’ and ‘Brick by Boring Brick’ come in close. The latter has a cheerful pace combined with an inner melancholy which helps give the entire album a broken fairy tale vibe. This is backed up by the addition of slower and more introspective moments like ‘Misguided Ghosts’ and the addition of ‘Decode’ on the end as a bonus track. Therefore, the first set of Jesus points go to Paramore.

Sadly I have also yet to read a professional review of Brand New Eyes that isn’t exceedingly patronising. Presumably because the band’s biggest growth between albums has been the maturation evident in their lyrics. Although they always kept their religious beliefs implicit, this time some songs explicitly question the value of their faith as they trade their provincial world for a global one where hypocrisies are readily exposed. This seems to impress critics, who want nothing more than to give them a gold star and ruffle their recently less emo hair. Rather than a narrative about losing faith or coming of age, the album creates an aura of disillusionment with fables of both childhood and adulthood. When combined with their optimistic rhythms and Hayley’s charming voice, the album becomes incredibly endearing. Unlike Flyleaf’s…

The first distinction between the two bands is that Lacey Mosley’s group can certainly keep up with her. The album opens to more dynamic riffs and structures than Paramore could hope to accommodate. There’s also something subversively sexual about the way she sings ‘Beautiful Bride.’ That is until she rhymes it with ‘Body of Christ’ and destroys any erotic facade that her rock chick image created. As buff as I’m sure our Lord was, religious symbolism just isn’t hot. Their last album was much more subtle about the idea of faith but here they graduate from being a rock band who just happen to be Christians, to a Christian rock band. Whereas before there was audible angst and a longing for ethereal contact, now the tone implies that their voids are almost overflowing with Holy Spirit. As I said, not sexy. The religious metaphors soon become repetitive, and drag the melodies down with them until it’s all a bit preachy and mundane. Technically it’s much more kinetic than Brand New Eyes, but still somehow tedious. In both sense of the word, it’s just so…missionary. By the time the album reaches its half way point, things have become so Biblically tiresome that you just want someone to throw in a dinosaur fossil to shake things up a bit. Dawkins points also go to Paramore.

Contrary to what you might think, I don’t actually want to go into a debate about Christian rock. Flyleaf have their fan base, and judging by their interviews, they are also surprisingly self aware. That is discounting comments like this:

We’re writing a new record soon, so if you could pray for that, too, that would be awesome!

Because I feel it might be offensive to certain groups to judge the merits of a band purely on their beliefs, I will do it entirely on who has the hottest vocalist instead. I’m pretty sure it’s what Jesus would do. So personally I find Paramore to be superior, but then again I am incredibly biased. Possibly if anyone else was fronting the band, I would be saying ‘Brand New Eyes houses some reasonably pedestrian guitar riffs and rather perfunctory production values’ rather than ‘Hayley is so hot, I’d drink her bathwater.’ Who knows?

Of course, if I was judging these albums on how well they achieve their own objective, then Flyleaf have created a solid set of allegories set to moderately rocking music. If that’s your communion, then I recommend Memento Mori. Personally, I’m thankful that Hayley sports the Devil’s red hair, so I shall willingly join the legions of males who would happily sell their soul for a glimpse at whether the carpet matches the curtains.

In the spirit of Christianity, I will get off the cross and conclude with a simple message gone wrong. This time it’s the vocal faux pas on Flyleaf’s ‘In the Dark’. The echo effect and reverb on Lacey’s voice does not create atmosphere, only an imitation Irish accent. When she says ‘I used to hide myself, in the dark, in the dark’ she may as well be finishing the sentence with ‘to be sure, to be sure’ instead. The result is more potato famine than post grunge. Whether this is a Catholic in-joke or not, I am not sure.

Memento Mori

blackbyrd — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:44:55 +0000

Oh my goodness, thank you Flyleaf. You failed to disappoint me, and I am super grateful.

Your new CD (which I didn’t know about until YESTERDAY – if I hadn’t have purchased the December issue of AP yesterday, I never would have known!) has been blowing me away for almost twenty-four hours.

I can’t get over the tracks “Again,” “Beautiful Bride,” “Swept Away” and “In The Dark.” I have listened to “Again” 3 times, “Beautiful Bride” 5 times, “Swept Away” twice and “In The Dark” four times. All within the past twenty-four hours.

The vocals are beautiful, Lacey. On Memento Mori I can understand what you’re singing! With your older material, the instrumentals were catchy and were what pulled me in, but this time, it’s not only the instrumentals anchoring me down for a listen. The lyrics are beautifully crafted and sing of religion (which I’m not too keen on), but I don’t care because they’re amazing and I can understand them on this CD.

For awhile there, I was scared because I liked Fireflight a little more than I did you, Flyleaf. But now, Memento Mori has convinced me otherwise. That is, until Fireflight releases their new CD.

"how many years / without death": Larry Eigner's memento mori

rogueembryo — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:19:27 +0000

five poems from readiness / enough / depends / on
then a brief essay

July 26-7 93

oblong windows lit
room a bare bulb
over the back steps
burning into the night
as if it’s all time
likewise facing the street

countless stars
and a few patches of cloud

October 8 94

slight
of a size
air
possible
a tree
to live
stirs
at rest
out
a while
the window
while there’s so much
soon
on round
after I’ve
earth, sky
waked up

to start
)birds too
the morning
about as quiet
there have
as flowers I see
been times

April 2 78

wind huge outside since when
falling asleep alpha rhythms I suppose
how many years
without death

August 6-8 78

maybe

words and things among us go
together enough

wherever your end is

December 2-3 1992
t h e w h o l e o r c h e s t r a

risen

up into the air

for dancing

after the storm

Larry Eigner’s readiness / enough / depends / on, his last collection of poems before his death in 1996, explores the precarious position of the self that inhabits an uncertain place between the sufficient and the dependent, between the assurance of passing from one state to the next and the unknowability of how and when that crossing will play out. Eigner’s “I” is situated on lyric coordinates where it thinks and feels in time and place, though the breadth of the spotlight on the self remains open-ended in order to allow the concrete to be brought into relation to a wider map.
In “July 26-7 93,” for example, the perceiving subject is standing in a backyard at night, looking into a house. Oblong windows reveal the intimate space of a room lit from within. His attention shifts to the bare bulb over the back steps, shining infinitely into the night as if everything suddenly existed on a plane of time stretching into eternity. His perspective shifts again, this time to the front yard, away from the glare of the light bulb, facing the street and looking into the sky with its “countless stars / and a few patches of cloud.” The finite, the moment, and the place (the intimate room and the countable clouds) coexist with the endless and the infinite (the light from the bulb traveling into the night, all of time, and the countless stars).
The self isn’t located within the intimacy of the room, nor does it range into the cosmos. Instead, it observes both from the crux of the two. Microcosm and macrocosm, finite and infinite, hinge on the observing “I,” which neither refers to its own vantage point nor attempts to step outside itself to become an omniscient observer that generalizes humanity. It quietly situates itself between enclosed interior and far-reaching dimensions. It embraces neither and both. The night brings these various light sources—room, bare bulb, stars—in relation to one another, all of them best seen from the uncertainty and blindness of the dark.
The subject’s liminality is also apparent in “October 8 94,” a poem that seems to hover in suspended time, existing in the moment as well as an infinite string of moments. The self is meditatively poised within a time “of a size / possible / to live / at rest / a while,” slowing down the moments to awaken, in the midst of so much on the earth going on at once, to the delicate slightness and stirring of nature as morning begins.
In these poems, the perceiving “I” often exists in a state of uncertainty. “April 2 78,” a poetic slice of insomnia, asks “since when” the strong wind outside began, as though the self were not at first aware of the wind’s transition from breeze to gale. Just as the past is infused with doubt, so also is the future, in particular the unknowable moment of his death. And just as the present is suspended between two unknowns, so also is the self hovering between wakefulness and sleep. The break of the first line emphasizes that uncertainty: the word “when” is a swinging door, belonging to both “since when” and “when / falling asleep.” Alpha rhythms and thoughts of mortality’s threatening wind, as yet outside the safety of his bedroom, keep him on the wakeful side of sleep.
To read these poems is to become hyper-aware of the passage of time. The short lines compel us to slow down and read each line deliberately as if it existed in isolation as a concrete, material entity. Yet, as in “October 8 94,” the shifting margins of the lines inch their way to the right, bringing each pithy line line in relation to the others through their common descent down temporal stairs.
The memento mori seems to be somewhat out of favour these days with the poetics of political desire and conceptual play, and Eigner’s poems in this collection, I have the feeling, would tend to fly below the radar of the more fashionably vocal and sexy statements (or non-statements) of such poetics. They neither point nor sway. They are not haunted by injustice. But in their quiet, meditative way they undo cherished notions and unravel certainties just as surely as do the abject self and other of protest or the anonymous machine of the concept. Their syntactically skewed meditations on ephemerality and unknowability offer unsettling pleasures: mortality is never far away, but neither is the joy of dancing to a levitating orchestra after a storm lifts.

Camille Martin
http://www.camillemartin.ca

Requiem - Memento Mori

Banzai — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:13:50 +0000

Requiem Bloodymare have got an upgrade called ‘Memento Mori’ where a lot of things are new compared to the old version.

A quick overview of the most important ones:
To see a throughful made list, check out the forum at mmorpg.com

New Skill and DNA System

Learning Skills:
In Season 2, Skills are now learned through a new UI rather than through a NPC in town, this allows players to instantly gain skills and makes it easier to view skill trees in an organized view. The skills available to learn are shown with a + on the skill. The skill tree is divided into tiers depending on the level required to get the first level of skill as shown below.

Armor/Weapon Skills:

New skills are now available through equipment. New items that drop from mobs can be enchanted onto a piece of armor or weapon that make these new skills available for use along with normal skills.

DNA System:
DNA is also now learned through a new UI rather than an NPC; also, there is no cost to change your DNA from the new UI. Once the DNA is learned, it is automatically applied to the corresponding skills.

New Pet System

Season 2 features a new Pet System that is available for every player. The Pets can be purchased through the Item Mall or through the new Battlefield merchant in every major city. These pets last for 30 days and will not be able to be summoned once the item has expired.

… and a shitload of more addons and changes. (see the mmorpg.com forum)

Conclusion
I have played the new one for a week or so (three chars and about 40 lvls combined on those three), and the new game is as mutch fun as the old one. You also gain a mounted beast at lvl 1 to help you along in those first levels, but this beast last for three RL days (72hours) with the results that my char at lvl 40 still has this beast available. When you then consider that it is almost twice as fast as the ordinary Rex… I believe that this is done by the developers to make people buy the mounted beasts from the online-shop (that are at the same speed as the first beast and maybe a bit faster).

about quests
There is also a few new quests, and some of the old quests have changed location on some of the parts, but there is still a lack of quests in the area of lvl 40-53, that gives a lot of grinding. (grinding = killing the same monsters over and over again to gain experience points to advance to next lvl. This takes usually a looong time and are quite booring). This is something the developers should think about and maybe set down a team that only worked on chancing quests, making new ones and removing ones that have been around too long.
This would keep the game fresh and interesting. Like it is now, I can create a new charachter and be lvl 20 in about 1.5 hours, sleepwalking through the quests on the way, with no reason to think whatsoever.

my charachters on Valdes
All in all, I still enjoy the game and I’m still making new friends as we help each other to get the quests done.

and for those of you that play, and want to say ‘Hi’, here is my charachters on the Valdes server:

Laban – Templar

Bonzai – Defender (I’m strong as a tree, they call me Bonzai…*grin*).

Worck – Shaman

Living like it all depends on you.

Christina Syms — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:05:00 +0000

Here you are down on your knees again
trying to find air to breathe again
Only surrender will help you now
The floodgates are breaking
and pouring out

Here you are down on your knees
trying to find air to breathe
right where I want you to be again
i love you please see and believe again

Here you are down on your knees again
trying to find air to breathe again
Right where I want you to be again
See and believe!

Old Friends

Syncopated Eyeball — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:31:29 +0000

Old Friends

Memento mori

Tempus fugit

2nd Banner, OCC, Elizabeth's B-day, Lacey Mosley

deadwednesdays — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:53:51 +0000

Second Banner
I have my second Atypical Jesus banner!!! I LOVE doing this stuff. Here it is:

I draw my art on this website: Neondragonart.com. When I posted this piece of art and left a link that leads to this site, some people who were not believers got upset. Some other people defended me, even if they didn’t believe in Jesus, and I’d like to post some of those people’s comments.

Replying to comment by someone who called themself a “half atheist”, another person said:
“`Half` atheist? Speaking as a 100% atheist I feel compelled to say you should respect other members artwork by not calling them an idiot for believing in something YOU dont agree with. Religous freedom works both ways and they were not bashing atheists or making you go to church so calm down. As for the picutre I like the lettering and heart that you did.”
The “half atheist” was complaining about Christians and how relgious ‘idiots’ should just go away. I appreciate the 100% atheist because they showed me respect, even when they didn’t believe what I believe. That takes some real courage and even some Christians won’t show those who don’t believe what they believe respect. This person shows good character and true kindness. On top of that, they actually said something nice about the picture. Woohoo, that was awesome of them!

Another person said:
“i like the picture, but im not…uh, well im not wutever religion u r, that’s for sure. i really like the border. and the stuff around the heart.
actually, i don’t think anyone on here is the same religion as me…..not even my family is…..XD “
I love that this person can say they don’t agree and still show such kindness. That’s sweet!

Another said:
“I like how the border blends in. The gold color makes it pop.
P.S .to bashers- Art is all about expression of your own thoughts and beliefs. This is something she has a passion for and incorporating it in her art is what MAKES art personal.”
This last comment blew me away. This was amazing that this person realized what makes are so personal and real. Part of art is expressing a piece of who you are, and that’s what I did, and that’s what she pointed out. BRAVO.
That’s it. I replied to kind people and I really wanted to post this.

Religious freedom does work in both ways. It takes respect from both parties for us to live together and to tolerate each other better. This is how we can get along more in this world.

Elizabeth’s Birthday
My friend from my bible study group turned 18! It was last week and I made her a card and got some of our friends to sign it. I made muffins for 12 and just for her, I got a piece of strawberry cake and put a candle in it. I got neckleces and gave them to my friends. I got a bunch of candy and shared it with people who came to our table. I gave her a birthday balloon. She said she loved it all and she thanked me a lot for it. My friend Andrea said I was too sweet, and that comment made me so happy. It’s still ringing in my heart, LOL! I told Elizabeth I loved her and she was so happy. This is what I do for my friends to show Jesus’s love through me. It’s what I’m supposed to do- care. Not necessarily this much, but I just wanted to care this much.

Just doing small, nice things for people- congradulating them, making them feel special, talking to them, being nice to them- you can show them God’s love.

Operation Christmas Child
Instead of going to NewSpring for the past few weeks, I’ve been going to Electric City Fellowship, which is a smaller and more personal church, because it is smaller. Not to say that NewSpring is not personal. They were doing this program called ‘Operation Christmas Child’, where people get shoeboxes and fill them with gifts for needy children around the world.

Even without a real job, I scrambled up some money to do two boxes, which cost me about $40. I did one for a boy and one for a girl. I bought an Etch-a-Sketch, 2 boxes of markers, a stuffed animal, 2 ring pops, 2 toothbrushes and 2 boxes of toothpaste. I put a picture of myself in each box along with a letter in each one and a picture of Jesus with children in each one. I put a little green bible in the one for the girl.

I honestly wish I could have put more stuff in there, but I did not have that much money. My letter explained how Jesus loves them very much, and how even when they are sad, he is watching over them. I said if they trust him, they will meet him in heaven and always be happy, even when they are not happy on earth.

I explained how he thought they were beautiful and precious and how they mean so much to him. I said that he really wants them to have the gifts because he loves them, and then I put in a few sentences about how to recieve Christ. I prayed that they might recieve him, and I’ll pray a lot more. It’s so important to me. I wrote everything in a way that I think 10-14 year olds can understand. I must say, the feeling of giving to those who actually need it most is worth much more than a mere $40. The act in itself will be priceless to them, and it’s priceless that they might meet Jesus and that he may change them and flip their lives right-side-up and make their lives a lot better.

Christmas is not about Americans getting more of what they have plenty enough of, it is not about selfish acts and endless greed. For well-off people, Christmas should not be about getting but about giving. Sometimes, that goes for those who don’t have much. God the Father gave us Jesus, because we need him so much. We should also give because others need it much more than we could ever need it. That is the true Spirit of Christmas, and that’s what Jesus is really about.

Here’s a story about someone who received a gift from Operation Christmas Child, and how it changed her: Read it please!

More Art
A picture of Lacey Mosley, from the band Flyleaf. It’s one of my all time favorite bands, along with Korn. It took me around 10 hours to draw.
This is the smaller version. Click on it to see the actual size.

Reference picture: Lacey Mosley!
You like? LOL it took sooo long, but it was so worth it. Flyleaf is an AWESOME christian rock band, and Lacey is amazing, hence this picture. Haha. I must say that their new CD recently came out and I wanted to get it. I remember going to Target to get my Operation Christmas Child stuff and I thought about how it had just came out. I looked in the CD isle for it and saw one was left.

The CD is called ‘Memento Mori’ and I had been waiting for the longest time for a new Flyleaf CD to finally come out, because I had heard all they already had out. Of course, there was no way I would trade the Christmas Child opportunity for that desire. It broke my heart to walk away from it and it really did hurt a little, but it was truly okay. I think I child’s life means so much more than that! Thank you, Jesus!

Om nomnomnom

ahoppypipper — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:11:11 +0000

In my perpetual state of crackedoutdom, preparing for my senior Art History exam, I sometimes stumble upon gems like this…

Hans Baldung Grien, Death and the Maiden, 1518-20

Death looks more than a little peckish here as he takes a chomp out of this already dead looking lady’s cheek. I’ve seen plenty of memento mori in my 4 years of studying art history but this is the first uncluttered image of Death literally owning some poor girl. Usually, the subject is portrayed through a single skull, still lifes, dances of the dead or the wildly chaotic scenes from the Last Judgement. The composition here is focused, central and sparse. Of particular interest is Grien’s use of a black background which is traditional for portraiture or still life painting. Reminds me of the lines from Snoop’s latest musical contribution to the world, Gangsta Luv, “it’s like True Blood/I sink my teeth in”.

MEMEMENTO MORI, EL NUEVO ÁLBUM DE FLYLEAF

dapoalive — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:46:13 +0000

Hace un tiempo, publiqué un articulo acerca de Flyleaf, pero ya era hora de actualizarnos. Y es que ha pasado el tiempo y esta sigue siendo una de mis bandas favoritas, más ahora que ha sacado su nuevo álbum Memento Mori, que esta bastante bueno.

Memento mori, viene de una expresión en latín, que en español significa “recuerda que moriras”, aunque el ábum tiene canciones creadas por todos los integrantes, según lo que Lacey Mosley, la vocalista de la banda dice, “tambien son como un tipo de carta abierta a mi hermana adolescente diciendole: por favor, no cometas los errores que yo he cometido”.

En este nuevo álbum de Flyleaf producido Howar Benson, encontrarás 15 canciones que logran guardar la escencia de su particular estilo, y nos presentan una fuerte y llamativa propuesta, que sigue cautivando a quien escuche la banda y disfrute de este tipo de música. Por lo que es un álbum altamente recomendable.

Este es el video de Again, el primer sencillo de Memento Mori:

Y este es el segundo extracto del ábum. La canción se titula Beautiful Bride:

Quiero dejar, ademas de los video clips una presentacion que me gustó bastante de la canción “Again”, espero que les guste.

anadarder — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:33:40 +0000

Proyecto “MEMENTO MORI”

[discos] Memento Mori (Flyleaf) [7/10]

Frances Meiwes — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:53:53 +0000

Ficha

Lo que nos presentan Flyleaf en este segundo disco es un paso lógico. Sin sorpresas. Durante el tiempo que duró la larguísima y productiva promoción de su álbum debut (al margen de Passerby, nombre bajo el que editaron aquel disco raro), coquetearon con un metal en la onda de los últimos KoRn (que los trajeron por Europa, para mi goce y disfrute personal), y esa otra rama teen con regustillo a los hostiables de Simple Plan. Ahora, cuatro años después de que aquella rabieta loca de tema I’m so Sick nos hiciera exclamar a más de uno “hostia, !¿y esto?!”, mis cristianillos tejanos favoritos han regresado con un puñado de temas que ponen en evidencia esa dualidad tan presente en sus directos de los últimos años: Flyleaf pueden sonar evidentemente encabronados, o absurdamente melosos, y a veces en el mismo tema.

Y así, en Memento Mori podemos distinguir un par de vertientes claras: por un lado los temas más contundentes, con riffs de guitarra directos y una linea de bajo muy pesada y definida (de este lado caen Beautiful Bride, Again, Chasm, The Kind, In the Dark y Swept Away), y cerca y a veces diluído con lo anterior, la segunda faceta de Mosley y los suyos: canciones de melodías más dulces y que encajan a las mil maravillas en la clásica radiofórmula norteamericana (This Close, Set Apart this Dream, Treasure, Arise), con reminiscencias más que evidentes al exitoso single All Around me, que tantos éxitos les hizo cosechar hace dos años, y que no necesariamente tienen que ser temas malos (de hecho, considero que sólo uno de los cuatro que he mencionado merecería el suspenso).

Al margen del estilo de los temas, hay que destacar que, en general, las melodías son más complejas que en el disco anterior, y que hay un gran trabajo en cuanto a la armonía en varios de los temas (concretamente en algunas partes de Chasm, This Close y Swept Away), con movimientos disonantes y acordes que uno no esperaría encontrarse en un grupo que casi por definición uno tomaría por simple y del montón.

Al final nos queda un disco condenadamente adictivo, aunque dudo que aguante el tirón del anterior, que alcanzó records de permanencia en listas de ventas (recordemos que editaron casi todos los temas como singles, y la mayoría con videoclip), pero que aguantará vivo muchos meses, al menos en mi mp3.

PD: Deberían vender peluches de Lacey Mosley. Es tan adorable… ^^

Frances Meiwes

Scary friday

lucafont — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:25:45 +0000

Pretty appropriate tattoo for a friday 13th, uh?
Tony found it quite painful at the end of the session – I told him it was my revenge for all the years he spent listening to Lagwagon.

Acquistateli tutti 5

Kai Zen — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:05:33 +0000

Acquistateli tutti 4

Kai Zen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:53:11 +0000

Epicur despre moarte

Mihnea Georgescu — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:24:16 +0000

Aş dori să deschid această postare prilejuită de fenomenul Morţii cu celebra melodie a Romicăi Puceanu, Gropare, deschide mormântul, afară ca să ies… La casa părintească, să mă reîntorc aş vrea…

Despre Cuminţenia Morţii la Români, despre faptul că ea este integrată în ritmul tihnit al vieţii în Mahala – această Eternă Provincie a Spiritului! – voi avea poate ocazia să scriu cu alte ocazii…

Astăzi vreau să vă scriu câteva vorbe despre Amicul Epicur, sau despre ceea ce credea dânsul despre Moarte. E adevărat că mă îndeletniceam cu studiul filosofiei greceşti la Malul Mării, pe când alţii jucau barbut cu dokerii pe Valea Portului…

Domnul Epicur (341-271 BCE) afirma, în faimoasa sa Scrisoare către Menoeceus că nu trebuie să ne temem de Moarte, deoarece:

“Moartea nu este nimic pentru noi. Deoarece tot binele şi răul constau în senzaţie, iar moartea este privarea de senzaţie. Şi, prin urmare, o dreaptă înţelegere a faptului că moartea nu este nimic pentru noi face ca şi caracterul mortifer al vieţii să fie mai plăcut, nu pentru că îi adaugă o întindere infinită a Timpului, ci pentru că ne îndepărtează dorinţa nemuririi. Pentru că nu există nimic teribil în a trăi pentru omul care a înţeles cu adevărat că nu este nimic teribil a nu trăi. Viaţa nu îi priveşte nici pe cei vii, nici pe cei morţi, de vreme ce pentru primii ea nu este, iar cei din urmă nu mai există.”

Scris adânc! Comentariile sunt de prisos!

Şi, ca să încheiem pe o notă mai optimistă, vă las în acordurile celebrei piese Şaraiman, a aceeaşi inegalabile Romica Puceanu:

Flyleaf - Memento Mori

thatgirlwithablog — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:22:38 +0000

As of yesterday, Flyleaf has a sophomore album, Memento Mori, or in Latin, “Remember, you will

Acquistateli tutti 3

Kai Zen — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:49:00 +0000

119.

danlowe — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:41:33 +0000

A murit Maestrul Dinică!

Mihnea Georgescu — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:18:52 +0000

Plângeam ca un copil astăzi în maşină când am auzit la Radio că Maestrul Dinică a trecut în Lumea celor Drepţi. Suntem din ce în ce mai puţini Oameni în Ţara asta parcă blestemată de Bunul Dumnezeu… Se duc valorile, rămânem cu ebele şi cu bourenii… Anul trecut se stingea un alt mare Nume al Scenei Româneşti – inegalabilul Ştefan Iordache.

Vom fi mai săraci ca Neam, mai lipsiţi de Repere Morale, de Voci ale Normalităţii… Sunt prea emoţionat ca să mai scriu… Moare o lume, o lume a Normalităţii… a copilăriei mele, a unei Românii vechi, nedesfigurate de spiritul mercantil al sălbaticelor vremuri pe care le trăim. Se stinge un Veac, se stinge o Lume…

Pre-Order Memento Mori from Flyleaf. Only two days left!

romerobros — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:14:23 +0000

If you haven’t pre-ordered Flyleaf’s sophomore album, Memento Mori, yet, don’t fret! You still have two more days to do so!

And there are a number of pre-order packages available with all kinds of different set-ups to satisfy nearly any need . . . unless you are like me and you can’t stand the thought of not getting everything! Then you’ll end up pre-ordering TWO copies like I did. Which is fine, because I support the band and believe in giving the bands you love the money they deserve!

Here is a list of where to pre-order and what goodies you get from each online retailer:

1. SHOCKHOUND.COM
If you pre-order at Shock Hound, you can choose from one of two Flyleaf shirts plus Memento Mori album digitally for a price of $25. Although one shirt is a girl’s shirt while the other is a shirt for guys. Kind of sucks because most guys aren’t gonna order the pink girls shirt, which is a cool design. Whereas, I don’t think girls mind buying guy shirts… It’s unfair I tell ya!

Also note that, for some dumb reason, the Flyleaf t-shirt bundle is the Standard Edition of Memento Mori ONLY. Please see my previous article for a list of the different Flyleaf Memento Mori album editions available. However if you want the standard edition of the album in digital form for cheap, you can get it here for only $7!

2. AMAZON.COM
For a cheap hardcopy of the Deluxe Edition, turn to Amazon, who is selling the Memento Mori Deluxe Edition for $15 (down from $22). You can also get the standard edition for $10 if you want a hardcopy. Amazon is also allowing you to download Again by Flyleaf for free, so be sure to go and download the single to support Flyleaf!

3. Free autographed booklet with purchase of Memento Mori
Your prize for pre-ordering Memento Mori at an Indie online retailer is an autographed copy of the Memento Mori booklet! You can get the signed booklet at the following online retailers: Smart Punk, InterPunk or Newburycomics.

4. Flyleaf Meet & Greet Concert Pass
Get a Flyleaf Memento Mori concert meet & greet ticket via MusicChristian.com! The purchase price is only $11 and also includes a signed CD autographed by the band (unclear if this is the actual CD or the booklet, as mentioned above) as well as a free digital download of the song Again off the album (which you can get for free at Amazon as mentioned above). Note that the free concert ticket only includes the following two shows:

Nov 10 – Chicago @ The Bottom Lounge
Nov 11 – Pittsburgh @ Mr. Smalls Theatre

5. CONTEST for Signed Flyleaf guitar!
At Hear It First.com, you can win a signed Flyleaf guitar in their Memento Mori contest! In addition, they have some cool exclusive video posted at the site.

See Flyleaf interviews where they discuss their favorite songs, how you can pray for them, where they find inspiration and encouragement, what the meaning of “Memento Mori” is, and even about their trip to Afghanistan to play for the troops! So be sure to check that out and watch the videos.

6. Listen to the whole album for FREE!
Myspace.com is now streaming the entire standard edition of Memento Mori, allowing you to listen to Memento Mori for free from Flyleaf! This is a really cool feature in case the band is new to you or you aren’t sure if you want to buy the whole album or not. Just make sure that if you do like a song, be sure to purchase that song on iTunes or Amazon to support the band. And if you like a lot of what you hear, then please purchase the whole album to support Flyleaf!

7. Fan Bundles w/t-shirt and more
Last but not least, the Official Flyleaf web-site is offering some great Memento Mori fan bundles. Although they are quite pricey. First up is the “Ultimate Fan Bundle” which includes the Deluxe Edition of the album, along with an Autographed Screen Printed ‘Pelican’ Poster, Flyleaf logo T-shirt, a Flyleaf patch, Flyleaf Journal and Flyleaf-branded pencil. It’s available in a “Men” and “Junior” set with the difference being the t-shirt. The men’s shirt is black, while the Junior (which will fit girls, I imagine) is white. Either of these “Ultimate Fan” bundles will cost you a pretty penny. They are $75 and will only be available for a limited time via the official web-site store.

However there are also two cheaper options. You can also order either of the above t-shirts with just the standard edition of the album and a patch in a $28 fan bundle. You can also purchase the CDs through official Flyleaf store, but they aren’t cheap so it’s not recommended.

I hope all this information helps and that you are able to pre-order the album! Please do so to help elevate the status of these great people in this band called Flyleaf who are doing amazing things in the name of Jesus whom they unashamedly proclaim!

It’s very important that you pre-order new albums by the bands you care about and like, because pre-orders tell the label how important a band is. Pre-orders determine whether or not the band stays with that label. If they don’t get enough pre-orders, then that tells the label that people are not very interested in that band. And there’s always the chance the label could drop them. Sooo, support your favorite bands by pre-ordering!

- Josh, the Elder

New Flyleaf album Memento Mori releases November 10, 2009

romerobros — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:37:15 +0000

Flyleaf’s Memento Mori has a release date of November 10, 2009, which means their sophomore debut is nearly upon us!

The album is releasing in two separate editions, not including any extras you get from pre-ordering. The standard edition is a single disc with a whopping 14 tracks. The Deluxe Edition includes the same CD with 14 tracks but also includes a second CD with an additional 4 tracks, for a total of 18. Here is the breakdown.

STANDARD EDITION

1. Beautiful Bride
2. Again
3. Chasm
4. Missing
5. This Close
6. The Kind
7. In The Dark
8. Set Apart This Dream
9. Swept Away
10. Tiny Heart
11. Melting (interlude)
12. Treasure
13. Circle
14. Arise

DELUXE EDITION

1. Beautiful Bride
2. Again
3. Chasm
4. Missing
5. This Close
6. The Kind
7. In The Dark
8. Set Apart This Dream
9. Swept Away
10. Tiny Heart
11. Melting (interlude)
12. Treasure
13. Circle
14. Arise
15. Break Your Knees
16. Enemy
17. Have We Lost
18. Who Am I

Not too hard to follow, eh? Well to make things a bit more confusing (not to mention disheartening for us old-timers who require a hard copy of all our albums), the best version is actually the iTunes digital version of the Deluxe Edition, because it contains THREE iTunes-exclusive tracks for those who pre-order. This raises the track total for the iTunes version of the Deluxe Edition of Memento Mori to a WHOPPING 21 tracks!

DIGITAL ITUNES DELUXE EDITION

1. Beautiful Bride
2. Again
3. Chasm
4. Missing
5. This Close
6. The Kind
7. In The Dark
8. Set Apart This Dream
9. Swept Away
10. Tiny Heart
11. Melting (interlude)
12. Treasure
13. Circle
14. Arise
15. Uncle Bobby (iTunes exclusive)
16. Break Your Knees
17. Enemy
18. Have We Lost
19. Who Am I
20. Stay (U2 Cover)
21. Bitter Sweet

Personally I can’t WAIT to get the new album. I already have it pre-ordered and I’ll fill you guys in on all the various pre-order packages available in my next post.

But suffice it to say that this new album has been a LONG TIME in coming. I didn’t believe it was possible for a band to survive and reach such popularity using only a single debut album as a basis for FOUR YEARS before making another one. Seems insane to me. But they got to take their sweet time so I’m sure the new album will be great!

- Josh, the Elder

FREE MP3 Download - 'Again' by Flyleaf

RandomizeME — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:33 +0000

For a limited time, Amazon is offering a FREE download of ‘Again’ by the Christian rock

Memento mori

ocampones — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:49:08 +0000

São Jerônimo de Caravaggio

“Memento mori” é uma expressão latina que significa “lembra-te de que vais morrer um dia”.

Neste dia de finados, este post é justamente para nos lembrarmos disso, além de rezarmos pelos “fiéis defuntos”.

Os melhores companheiros na “meditatio mortis”, ou seja, a meditação sobre a morte, são os santos (prática comum entre eles). Aliás, vale muito mais meditar sobre a própria morte do que passar horas fazendo yoga, ou meditação transcendental ou zen. A não ser que você queira “bem estar”. Se é esse o seu negócio, fique com o “zen”. Mas se o lance é a salvação da sua alma, fique com São Bento, que, em sua famosa regra, dizia ser necessário “ter a morte todo dia diante dos olhos”.

Meu pároco, Pe. Marcelo Campos, na homilia desta manhã, relembrou São Bernardo de Claraval, o último dos Padres, que dizia ser a nossa vida nesse mundo “semente de eternidade”. Relembrou também São Francisco, o pobre de Assis, que em sua famosa Oração (quem nem é sua), rezou “é morrendo que vive para a eternidade”.

Eu, por minha vez relembrei durante toda a Santa Missa de duas palavras. Uma a de Heidegger (que, por sinal, não era nada santo…) de que nós somos “seres para a morte” e que, portanto, temos que viver uma “vida autêntica” (cuidado aqui com “carpe diem” hedonista hodierno, heim!).

Relembrei também o grande São Boaventura que via a vida neste mundo como um “rascunho do ser” . Para o doutor franciscano, só quando passarmos para o “outro lado”, quando cruzarmos a “terceira margem do rio” é que se nos vai revelar o verdadeiro “ser”. “Bonito isso”, disse-me uma amiga (Fê) no fim da missa quando partilhei com ela. Concordo: bonito.

Meus amigos, não fujamos da meditatio mortis, como o faz o mundo moderno, que sente profundo pavor à simples menção da palavra “morte”. Woody Allen disse certa vez não ter medo nenhum da morte, apenas não gostaria de estar presente quando ela chegar.

Mas nós, como o poverello, devemos aprender a dizer: “morte, minha irmã!” Porque uma dia ela vai chegar.

Death & Art

thewordwave — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:10:40 +0000

In honor of the age-old traditions celebrated this time of year in the mixing pot of cultures that surround me, (Halloween, Samhain, Hallows Eve, All Souls Day, Dias de los Muertos etc.) I thought I’d explore the link between death and art, responsible for world wonders such as the Egyptian pyramids.

I have a deep appreciation for the considerable role death plays in the art of ancient people and modern cultures alike. Death is an inescapable common thread that runs through the lives of all humans throughout all time periods. Art is a consistent cultural phenomenon found in even the most primitive of cultures. It is no wonder death and art have been intrinsically linked since time immemorial. Death is often the subject of art. Visual symbolism has long been employed to commemorate the deceased and signify our beliefs about death and immortality. The term funerary art refers to any work of art that either forms the repository itself or is placed within the repository for the remains. Funerary art serves many functions but its primary purpose seems to be capturing emotions surrounding death and expressing belief in an afterlife. Funerary art has been discovered dating back to the time of the Neanderthals and has been found to exist in almost every subsequent period since. Memento Mori is a broader term that refers to works of art that not only memorialize death (as in ancestor portraits) but also serves to remind the living of their mortality. Memento Mori is a Latin phrase that translates to “Remember that you are mortal,”or “Remember you will die.”

I will begin by exploring graveyard symbolism. All information in this section has been derived from reading and reflecting upon the article “Graveyard Symbolism” written by Pam Reid and published in the September/October 2000 issue of Ancestry Magazine. Pam Reid began researching the recurring symbols she often found on headstones as she was researching her family history. Grave rubbing is a popular activity, especially among those interested in genealogy and ancestor studies. Ms. Reid points out that although there are usually textbook definitions assigned to the most commonly found symbols carved on headstones and memorials in the united States and Europe, there is no way to know if the deceased or the surviving family knew the meaning of the symbol or just like the look of it. Knowing more about the history of the region, the time period, and the family helps to ensure correct deciphering, but the true meaning of specific memorial symbols used on a particular marker are eventually lost as time passes.

There are many familiar symbols found carved in headstones and grave markers across Europe and the United States. The significance of different memorial markings vary greatly and can represent the individual’s religious and spiritual beliefs about life, death, god and the afterlife; contain statements about personal relationships; and establish the livelihood or society standing of the deceased. Frequent images include natural elements such as various types of plants, trees, and animals – each with their own specific symbolic meaning. Many carvings have religious significance such as bibles, crosses, praying hands, and angels. Sometimes symbols have civic connotations and represent vocations such as doctors, lawyers, soldiers, teachers, minister, and others. Some gravestone markings make statements about mortality and the sense of loss endured by the survivors such as the hourglass, skulls, bones, scythes, the grim reaper, entwined hearts, and the urn with the eternal flame – which symbolizes undying remembrance.

Whether or not the meaning of memorial art and funerary carvings can be clearly understood today, the craftsmanship and artistry can certainly be appreciated and enjoyed. It is clear that, throughout time, many of the most beautiful and moving works of art and architecture have been created as memorials. Humans have always tried to perpetuate the memory of their existence by erecting funeral monuments, markers, and memorials with astounding architecture, poetic words, and moving images to convey their personal beliefs, relationships, and accomplishments.

Northstar Photography Gallery has an interesting website (http://www.northstargallery.com/) that has a nice collection of photographs of cemetery and memorial monuments from around the world, as well as several links to scholarly essays on the topic. The information in this following section is taken from reading and reflecting upon the essay “Sensuality in Memorial and Cemetery Art” written by Dennis Felty, and from my own knowledge of art history acquired during undergraduate studies while pursuing my degree in fine art.

As Mr. Felty began photographing cemetery art, he began to discovering many sensual images of young women in the cemeteries of France, Russia, and Italy, prompting him to begin researching the subject of sensuality in funerary art. Many memorials and grave markers in these regions incorporated highly skilled carvings and sculptures of the female nude. Dennis Felty began questioning the link between Thanatos and Eros in memorial art. Why beautiful, nude young women in such a solemn setting where people go to mourn loss and remember the dead?

Death and sexuality had long been themes in classical myths such as of Persephone and Hades, where the young maiden enters the underworld and engages in an intimate relationship with the ruler of the dead. Greek and Roman antiquity has frequently been referenced as the cultural foundation for Western artistic traditions. The female nude is prevalent in much of the fine art of antiquity. Many great artistic masters of the past considered the nude to be the most sacred and serious subject of artistic study. It is a symbol of the nobility of the human spirit and the imposition of perfect order upon the unpredictable impulses of nature. Because of the transcendent beauty and symbolism of the female form, it was considered an acceptable subject of memorial art in Europe during the middle ages.

Cemetery statuary depicting the link between sensuality and death reached its height during the Romantic Era of the early nineteenth century. In Romantic art, death became a metaphor for love, desire, and ecstasy. The facial expression of mourning women in the paintings and sculptures of this period are indistinguishable from those of sexual ecstasy. The return of mythological motifs in art and reverence for the art of antiquity kept the female nude at the forefront of artistic expression during this time.

Although sensual images have been a common theme in the memorial art of the Western world for centuries, they are certainly not the only type of imagery and symbolism found in cemeteries and mausoleums. Sometimes the imagery can be sorrowful and sometimes even morbid. Occasionally, images depicting the emotional devastation of loss can be found as graveyard statuary or headstone carvings. A strange and morbid practice (at least to me) that I learned about during my research was that of photographing the recently deceased as was popular shortly after the advent of the camera in the 1800s. This practice would fall into the Memento Mori category rather than that of funerary art.

Today memorial art tends to be simpler and less obtuse. I did, however, learn about proposed artistic funerary projects that are not yet reality. The Final Curtain (http://www.finalcurtain.com/) is one such project in which numerous contemporary artists have submitted proposals for memorial art they would like to create for the future Final Curtain memorial park. Some, I thought, were tasteful such as an hourglass filled with the artist’s ashes or a structure of many mirrors reflecting the image of the survivor. I found some to be a bit self-indulgent, gaudy, absurd, and distasteful. I won’t go on to critique the artists, as I know as well as anyone that art is highly subjective and I appreciate the creative act even if the end product doesn’t appeal to me. I like the concept of creating a resting place for the deceased (whether body or ashes) that is also a place for the living to comfortably spend time in quiet reflection, surrounded by beauty and hopefully a sense of awe for the mystical, challenging, inevitable cycle of life and death.