Have a listen
Read the Lyrics
First of all, if Vera is an actual person, I believe it is a love song. Not a happy one but a love song nonetheless, kind of like HATE ME by Blue October (he loves her so much he knows that the best thing for her is to hate him.) I feel this because there is a lot of “If you want me to…” as if to say the narrator (writer Neal Tiemann or who ever he is portraying in the song) will do anything for her, or would have done anything for her regardless of what would have happen to him.
I’ve always thought that maybe “Vera” is in an insane asylum or trapped somewhere else. If you take it at face value she has left so suicide is possible (Lauren thinks that) but I feel like maybe she died after some sort of entrapment weather it be physically (in a prison or asylum for arson) or in a metaphorical sense of mental or physical illness.
If you want me to wait
I'll wait
If you want me to break whatever needs to break
Line up your chains
If you want me to hear
I'll listen
To every word you say…
If you want me to stay
I'll stay
If you want me to take you from this life you hate
I'll face the pain
If you want me to steer displaced
Hand me both your reins
These verses say to me that he would break her out of whatever she felt trapped by, as far as he would even help her die. I suppose that could be an allusion to assisted suicide or simply that he would’ve helped her but she never let him in enough to help her escape, which explains the
You left us all and I can't help to feel a bit betrayed
Your wounds are singing and I distain.
I have always found it interesting that VERA is written completely in the past tense, I don’t know that I’ve ever heard another song that is written that way. I guess it was meant to portray that “Vera” is dead and therefore her life exists only in memory but I always wonder if it is also partially the narrator feeling lost and unable to see a future without her. The only time future tense is used is in the end when he repeats
All the nights you used to fear
All the song you'll never hear
Since the day
All the days becoming clear
All the life you'll never be here
Maybe it’s over analyzing but I read this part as Vera is free but now I’m trapped. Even the fact that he constantly repeats “3 years since the day” it is as if his life restarted when she died and now he lives in a prison of guilt or grief.
So I guess the thing I wonder most about this song, and hopefully one day Neal Tiemann will answer me on this but I doubt it, is who is Vera or what is she representing?
Movie Review: THE TWILIGHT SAGE: ECLIPSE
This is the third installment of the 4 book/ 5 movie TWILIGHT franchise, marking the third time I’ve come out of these movies wondering how these films/ books are a worldwide phenomena.
In the past I have tried and failed with the world wide phenomena book turned movie franchises. There was the wildly successful LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy which I found too boring and complicated for my barely teenage brain to want to follow. This was followed by HARRY POTTER AND THE MORE THAN A DECADE IT TAKES TO COMPLETE SEVEN YEARS OF SCHOOL, which was never really for me either. I understood the premise of these and, having friends who read and/ or watch both sagas, sometimes was interested in stories of them I just preferred not to take part in the mass hysteria because of the boring parts. But TWILIGHT is different, TWILIGHT intrigues me.
The basic premise of the saga, in case you live in Narnia or on the moon, is there is a girl caught in a love triangle between a vampire and a werewolf. I like love triangles and, being a fan of TRUE BLOOD, figured that the mythical elements of the story might be allegorical for some very real form of teenage angst. After three films I realize it is not. But this isn’t my issue either, I like mythical stuff. My problems with these stories (including the parts that haven’t been released thanks to Lauren telling me the plot of BREAKING DAWN) break down to three main issues: breaking pre-established rules, plagiarism, and total lack of any foundation in life.
Breaking the Rules:
Vampires don’t sparkle. Tales about the damned have existed for centuries and yet the Cullens (and later the rest of the vampires in the series) are the only ones to glow like fairy princesses every time the sun shines on their pale skin. Which brings us to my next point, vampires can’t go out until the sun goes down. Not because their skin get’s a bit of a shimmer to it but because they are so purely evil and so beyond the salvation of God that when light shines on them they burn up from the inside out.
Plagiarism:
Whatever author Stephanie Meyer didn’t completely make up in her head, she lifted off of other stories. The similarities to TRUE BLOOD alone are uncanny. Both have a love triangle. Bella must choose between Vampire Edward and Shape-shifter Jacob. TB’s Sookie Stackhouse spend most of season one deciding between Vampire Bill and Shape-shifter Sam. And by the way, before Charlene Harris wrote the TRUE BLOOD books there was no such thing as a shape-shifter, there was only werewolves*. The latest thievery occurred when Ms. Meyer wrote a novella, THE SHORT SECOND LIFE OF BREE TANNER, which tells the story of the (after) life and love of a teenage girl turned vampire which is the exact plot line of TB’s Jessica.
Lack of Foundation in Life:
If there is one thing that I cannot stand is a movie that breaks pre-established rules. I understand that these movies are a fantasy; however, these people are supposedly living in our world so our rules apply. Bella’s mom got married in the first part, sending her to live with her Police Chief father. So far so good. Almost immediately, and throughout the franchise, weird things start to happen like animal attacks and teenagers disappearing. Nobody knows that these things happen more than the police yet Bella is allowed to run around at all hours of the day and night, hang out in the woods, and even goes away for days without her father giving her a can of mace. Yet we are supposed to believe that her father is a good and loving father because he gets angry when Edward breaks his little girls heart?
And while it is true he shoots the sparkly one a few cold glances; he never tells Bella she can’t date him. He never tries to stop it, even when she repeatedly comes home with horrible injuries she has sustained from being a bystander to the Good Vampire v. Bad Vampire war. If we are to believe that Chief Head up His Booty has no idea that mythical creatures exist, than clearly Edward is an abusive boyfriend.
I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that Bella’s post-college plans aren’t questioned, but it still does. She will be turned into a vampire but says that she is going to go to college in Alaska (because who wouldn’t want to do that) and will never be able to visit again. Shouldn’t this be a red flag for dear old dad? I mean shouldn’t this be the point when he goes to her supposedly best friend Jacob (who is never questioned about his lack of ever wearing a shirt) and ask if he’s noticed any odd behavior from Bella?
And while I’m on the topic of Jacob, he says that he will try to protect Bella until her heart stops beating but then, why doesn’t he do everything in his power to stop? Apparently there is some sort of code of silence among mythical not to talk about being mythical (you know like Fight Club?) so he can’t just say, “Sir I don’t think Edward and Bella are right for each other because he’s a vampire and if we don’t do something to stop this, she’s going to be one to.” I’m fine with that because I personally don’t think anyone would believe that but what about, “Edward is trying to kill Bella and if you don’t stop him, she’ll let him because she’s blinded by love.” ?
I’d love to complain about how no girl would choose to drink blood and never experience adult life over growing old in the arms of the more attractive (and alive) boy, the hear wants what it wants so it’s not technically a lack of reality based foundation.
Now will I see Breaking Dawn? Absolutely! I’ve seen more than half of the saga so it seems stupid to quit now. Also, I am not a quitter and, besides, maybe I’ll find a deeper meaning to the senselessness and if not, at least more to be baffled about.
*The difference: Werewolves turn due to stages of the moon after being bitten by another werewolf whereas shape-shifters have a genetic thing that enables a change that they can control.
In the past I have tried and failed with the world wide phenomena book turned movie franchises. There was the wildly successful LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy which I found too boring and complicated for my barely teenage brain to want to follow. This was followed by HARRY POTTER AND THE MORE THAN A DECADE IT TAKES TO COMPLETE SEVEN YEARS OF SCHOOL, which was never really for me either. I understood the premise of these and, having friends who read and/ or watch both sagas, sometimes was interested in stories of them I just preferred not to take part in the mass hysteria because of the boring parts. But TWILIGHT is different, TWILIGHT intrigues me.
The basic premise of the saga, in case you live in Narnia or on the moon, is there is a girl caught in a love triangle between a vampire and a werewolf. I like love triangles and, being a fan of TRUE BLOOD, figured that the mythical elements of the story might be allegorical for some very real form of teenage angst. After three films I realize it is not. But this isn’t my issue either, I like mythical stuff. My problems with these stories (including the parts that haven’t been released thanks to Lauren telling me the plot of BREAKING DAWN) break down to three main issues: breaking pre-established rules, plagiarism, and total lack of any foundation in life.
Breaking the Rules:
Vampires don’t sparkle. Tales about the damned have existed for centuries and yet the Cullens (and later the rest of the vampires in the series) are the only ones to glow like fairy princesses every time the sun shines on their pale skin. Which brings us to my next point, vampires can’t go out until the sun goes down. Not because their skin get’s a bit of a shimmer to it but because they are so purely evil and so beyond the salvation of God that when light shines on them they burn up from the inside out.
Plagiarism:
Whatever author Stephanie Meyer didn’t completely make up in her head, she lifted off of other stories. The similarities to TRUE BLOOD alone are uncanny. Both have a love triangle. Bella must choose between Vampire Edward and Shape-shifter Jacob. TB’s Sookie Stackhouse spend most of season one deciding between Vampire Bill and Shape-shifter Sam. And by the way, before Charlene Harris wrote the TRUE BLOOD books there was no such thing as a shape-shifter, there was only werewolves*. The latest thievery occurred when Ms. Meyer wrote a novella, THE SHORT SECOND LIFE OF BREE TANNER, which tells the story of the (after) life and love of a teenage girl turned vampire which is the exact plot line of TB’s Jessica.
Lack of Foundation in Life:
If there is one thing that I cannot stand is a movie that breaks pre-established rules. I understand that these movies are a fantasy; however, these people are supposedly living in our world so our rules apply. Bella’s mom got married in the first part, sending her to live with her Police Chief father. So far so good. Almost immediately, and throughout the franchise, weird things start to happen like animal attacks and teenagers disappearing. Nobody knows that these things happen more than the police yet Bella is allowed to run around at all hours of the day and night, hang out in the woods, and even goes away for days without her father giving her a can of mace. Yet we are supposed to believe that her father is a good and loving father because he gets angry when Edward breaks his little girls heart?
And while it is true he shoots the sparkly one a few cold glances; he never tells Bella she can’t date him. He never tries to stop it, even when she repeatedly comes home with horrible injuries she has sustained from being a bystander to the Good Vampire v. Bad Vampire war. If we are to believe that Chief Head up His Booty has no idea that mythical creatures exist, than clearly Edward is an abusive boyfriend.
I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that Bella’s post-college plans aren’t questioned, but it still does. She will be turned into a vampire but says that she is going to go to college in Alaska (because who wouldn’t want to do that) and will never be able to visit again. Shouldn’t this be a red flag for dear old dad? I mean shouldn’t this be the point when he goes to her supposedly best friend Jacob (who is never questioned about his lack of ever wearing a shirt) and ask if he’s noticed any odd behavior from Bella?
And while I’m on the topic of Jacob, he says that he will try to protect Bella until her heart stops beating but then, why doesn’t he do everything in his power to stop? Apparently there is some sort of code of silence among mythical not to talk about being mythical (you know like Fight Club?) so he can’t just say, “Sir I don’t think Edward and Bella are right for each other because he’s a vampire and if we don’t do something to stop this, she’s going to be one to.” I’m fine with that because I personally don’t think anyone would believe that but what about, “Edward is trying to kill Bella and if you don’t stop him, she’ll let him because she’s blinded by love.” ?
I’d love to complain about how no girl would choose to drink blood and never experience adult life over growing old in the arms of the more attractive (and alive) boy, the hear wants what it wants so it’s not technically a lack of reality based foundation.
Now will I see Breaking Dawn? Absolutely! I’ve seen more than half of the saga so it seems stupid to quit now. Also, I am not a quitter and, besides, maybe I’ll find a deeper meaning to the senselessness and if not, at least more to be baffled about.
*The difference: Werewolves turn due to stages of the moon after being bitten by another werewolf whereas shape-shifters have a genetic thing that enables a change that they can control.
MUSIC REVIEW:Tim Halprin She Runs
I tend to gravitate toward the borders of the music world. Say what you want about the music you listen to, but I feel independent artists (or those who were) are the only people trying to create anything of substance anymore. Today’s music scene is about sight more than sound, singles over albums, and auto-tunes that get caught in your head driving you insane over lyrics that speak to the listener. It’s a sad state of affairs but that’s where the money is in 2010.
Music videos are mini-movies with Blockbuster budgets so what’s an Indy artists to do? The only option is to get creative. In the case of Tim Halprin this meant modeling his video for SHE RUNS after a school play. I know that the idea of three and a half minutes of cardboard lockers and painted backgrounds doesn’t sound promising, I mean who goes to a school play unless someone is making them, but with lyrics like, “Ever since she was a baby Karen couldn't sit still They had to create healthcare For all the boys that she made ill,” and, “Could this be my future? Could this be my past? Karen's running out of reasons, And I am falling fast,” the child-like innocence of the video becomes the perfect backdrop for the story of a boy chasing a girl his entire like but never quite catching her. But don’t take my word or it, check it out yourself
So now that you saw the video, and I hope that you loved it as I did, and you want even more Tim head over to his official website where you can see lyrics, learn more about the artist, find your one stop shopping for connecting with the artist, and best of all get a link to download a free EP.
Free music, what’s better than that?
Nothing!
Book Review: Back Where He Started
If you want a twist on your typical, Guy leaves wife for secretary story read BACK WHERE HE STARTED.Editorial Review From Amazon.com
Product Description
They say true freedom arrives when all the kids are gone and the dog dies. With his family grown and his husband Zack having decided to become a middle-aged cliché and marry his secretary, Chris Thayer is about to discover that starting life over at 48 is just as complicated, frustrating and thrilling as the first time around. After relocating to the North Carolina beach community of Emerald Isle, Chris finds a new appreciation of his role as the heart of the home to his grown children and becomes involved in the patchwork lives of his neighbors. To his unending surprise, he also finds himself the object of a new man's affections, a rowdy jack-of-all-trades with an unnervingly direct stare.
Now, I know what you are thinking, in the words of my best friend's Grandma Billie "they're queers!"
Dirty little secret, straight girls love gay men. Why is this a dirty little secret? They only share it with their closest friends and guys are completely clueless. So, after ordering a book based on the Critically Acclaimed TV Series QUEER AS FOLK, this book was recommended for me and since I have no problem reading such a story, and I was in the middle of the cold winter, I immediately ran to my local library and picked up this story that allowed me to escape to the warmth of the beach.
As far as I can remember, though it has been a few years, there were no gratuitous sex scenes that would gross out anyone who can't picture a love scene with two men. There is some kissing and maybe heavy petting but, as the lead character's name is Chris, I suppose you can pretend he's a she if need be. The point is, it is a really sweet story that teaches that family is more than just blood and, with just a bit of imagination, is visually stunning.
I recommend it for sitting on a beach as the waves crash around you or for anyone longing to feel like they are, while sitting anywhere else.
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