What’s in my MP3 PLayer?

Okay way back in April 2005, I posted a list of the kind of music I like to listen to. {{Keeping in mind that music from The Cure is paramount in my life and can ALWAYS be found in my rotations, my current favorite is "A Forest".}} Still there are others, you can click over HERE to check out that post referring to the music found in my CD player from time to time.

Since then I have added a few artists, an MP3 player, and have thought of some others I didn't get to list back then. So I present the following additional sample list of music I like listening to, highlighting some of my favorite songs:


* 10 Years (Waking Up, Wasteland)
* 12 Girl Band (Freedom, Miracle, Forbidden City)
* 3 Days Grace (Time of Dying, I Hate Everything About You, Scared & Lonely)
* 30 Seconds to Mars (The Kill, R-Evolve, A Beautiful Lie)
* A7X {Avenged Sevenfold} (The Beast & The Harlot, Unholy Confessions,
Radiant Eclipse)
* A Perfect Circle (The Hollow, Judith, Weak & Powerless)
* Ace of Base (Always Have-Always Will, The Sign, Don’t Turn Around)
* Atreyu (The Theft, Lip Gloss & Black, Shameful)
* AudioSlave (Heaven’s Dead, Original Fire, The Worm)
* Billy Idol (White Wedding, Eyes Without a Face, Rebel Yell)
* Blideside (Follow You Down, About a Burning Fire, Silence)
* Blue October (Into the Ocean, Calling You, Hate Me)
* Bob Segar (Night Moves, Against the Wind, Lick a Rock)
* Breaking Benjamin (Breath, Diary of Jane, So Cold)
* Bullet for my Valentine (Cries in Vain, All These Things I Hate,
Tears Don’t Fall)
* Chicago (Hard Habit to Break, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?,
Just You & Me)
* Daft Punk (Around the World , One More Time, Digital Love)
* Disturbed (Rise, Down With the Sickness, The Game)
* Evanescence ( My Immortal, Sweet Sacrifice, Missing)
* Flyleaf (Sorrow, All Around Me, Breath Today)
* Foo Fighters ( My Hero, Learn to Fly, Best of You)
* Goldfrappe (Strict Machine, Black Cherry, Oh La La)
* Good Charlotte (The World is Black, The River, Misery)
* Gorillaz (Feel Good Inc., 19/2000, Dare)
* Interpol (Narcotic, Obstacle 1, NYC)
* Jamiroquai (Little L, Love Foolosophy, Virtual Insanity)
* Julie Plug (Patagonia, In Every Corner, Gladiolus)
* Keane (Somewhere Only We Know, Bedshaped, She Has No Time)
* Kelly Clarkson (Walk Away, Since You Been Gone, Beautiful Disaster)
* KORN (Coming Undone, Trash, Freak on a Leash)
* Lasgo ( Cry, Something, Alone)
* Marilyn Manson (The Dope Show, Heart Shaped Glasses, The Beautiful People)
* Matchbox 20 (Unwell, How Far We‘ve Come, Bent)
* Motley Crue (Piece of Your Action, Smoking in the Boy’s Room, Without You)
* Nine Inch Nails (Closer, Bite the Hand that Feeds, Capital G)
* OMD (Forever Live & Die, So in Love, If You Leave)
* Panic at the Disco (Nails for Breakfast-Tacks for Snacks,
I Write Sins Not Tragedies)
* Postishead (All Mine, Orange, Strangers)
* Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (Justify, Face Down, Your Guardian Angel)
* Scissors Sisters (I Can’t Decide, I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’, Laura)
* Seether ( The Gift, Remedy, Truth)
* Senses Fail (Bonecrusher, Negative Space, The Priest & The Matador)
* She Wants Revenge (Sister, Because of These Things, Disconnected)
* Snow Patrol (Chocolate, Chasing Cars, Run)
* System of a Down (Aerials, B.Y.O.B., Toxicity)
* The Bravery (Unconditional, An Honest Mistake, Fearless)
* The Killers ( All These Things, Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,
Somebody Told Me)
* The Postal Service (Such Great Heights, We Will Become Silhouettes,
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight)
* The Psychedelic Furs (Heartbreak Beat, Love My Way, Pretty in Pink)
* The Smiths (Girlfriend in a Coma, This Charming Man, How Soon is Now?)
* Tool (The Pot, Jambi, Stinkfist)
* Unwritten Law (Lost Control, Save Me(Wake Up Call), F.I.G.H.T.)

To name a few more....:-)
Now, I will close out with another song from The Cure:

• Today's Cure song is "Scared As You" from the Join The Dots: B-Sides and Rarities Collection - (2004) This is a B-side track from 1992, originally meant as an extra b-side of "Friday I'm in Love". I think we have all felt this way in a relationship at some point.
  
  

"you know those things i said
all those things that made you run away from me
i didn't really mean a word
i didn't really mean i don't believe
all i ever really mean
when i rant and rave the way i do
is i'm scared again
just as scared as you"

CJ

What else is new?

Whoa, another post on almost the same day?! Someone's got writing fever!!!

I was just thinking about my blog here; my Blog of the Rotting Dead. If you have ever read my first few posts, you'll know I kind of explained why I chose that name; if you haven’t read about it yet...what are you waiting for, an invitation? Okay, I am personally inviting you to click over to the left and find my oldest posts archive. Go back to my first posts and learn a little more about your Rotting Dead host and this blog. I’ll be here when you get back...

All done? No?? What do you mean you didn’t go back there? Why not?? Oh I see, you like to fly by the seat of your pants and just read straight through huh? Well more power to you, but you might get a little lost in the following thoughts and ideas if you have no idea where I am coming from. Then again, I get a little lost myself.

Now where was I? Oh yeah, right about...here. I love horror. I am currently reading a short horror novel titled “Eat the Dark” by Joe Schreiber, and I love the suspense of it. I recently watched “The Descent” but it wasn’t all that great. Although they were a few really well placed ‘jumps’ in the film, the acting was kind of weak and the ending was mediocre at best. It probably would rate about a D+ (C- if I am feeling really generous) but overall not really worth an entire post as a review. I'll be doing a movie review on something with more class soon I promise.

Most important of late, I am so very proud to announce I have a newly completed horror short story to add to my cannon of literature. Color me ‘Beaming’ (which by the way is a kind of blend of purple and magenta with orange flares when I see it). My very first horror story was about 13 pages, and my second short story was 11 pages, but this small masterpiece is a sensational 26 pages!! I would be happy to forward a copy to any fans of my previous work. Just drop me an e-mail found in my profile.

I am considering a couple of projects for my next writing endeavor. The first would be another short story idea I have in draft form; this would be more fantasy/sci-fi rather than horror. As much as I love horror, I also dig the sci-fi world and much of the fantasy realms. One reason I want to write this particular story is to see if my magical muse can assist me in creating a great story that is not horror. Now never fear, I certainly have some other horror stories on the radar. Although none of them are anywhere near completion, they sit and simmer.

Another project I am interested in tackling is a screenplay. You see my wife is a writer as well and is actually working on an epic novel. I was talking to her about imagery and bring stories to life and the next thing you know it hit me, why not try to bring a story more alive by rendering a screenplay? Now immediately I chose not to do one of my own as I cherish them the way they are. I would have to either have someone else do it for me or really wish to see a particular story of mine translated to a screenplay and I don’t see that happening in the near future. So, I thought about her story and now have her first chapter in my hard drive waiting for me to breathe new life into it.


And now...

• Today's Cure song is If Only Tonight We Could Sleep from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me CD -(1987) A song about death, and although it has a sad tone and rythym, it is more like having a choice and slipping sofly away rather than being ripped from life.
  
  

"If only tonight we could sleep
In a bed made of flowers
If only tonight we could fall
In a deathless spell!!!
"

CJ

I'm Back with...stuff

Okay so I haven’t posted in awhile, but I am back. I realize that I have not had a horror-related post in a few months but sometimes life is too full of other stuff. So here we go with some other stuff...:-)

The most prominent thing on my mind is a thought rattling around regarding deep philosophical (cosmic even) elements. Whoa, isn’t that a heavy statement? With the holidays still fresh in the air, I was thinking about the true meaning of christmas. You know the birth of commercialism?? Just kidding, that is a post for another time.

What I am referring to is that old idea the christmas season should be about love and kindness to family, friends and strangers alike. So it got me to thinking, isn’t love one of the few things that are eternal? Oh I know that will stir up controversy, but I am a firm believer in that concept.

Why? I am so glad you asked. I think love is an awesome element of our universe. Though we can’t see it, can’t touch it nor can we always accurately describe it, it is something that can be felt all over. It resonates in your soul and brings both the highest joys and the deepest pains. It is here before we are born, and it remains after we cross over from this Earthly existence.

They say that energy is never destroyed; only changed. Since the big bang, that which is created grows and expands...forever. When you encounter love (discover it) it stays with you and permeates many aspects of your life...forever. A parent’s love for their children or family, romantic love of one individual for another, and agape love for friends or strangers all fit this description in my opinion.

Something else I feel is eternal, would be the soul (which those science enthusiasts would say is still a form of energy). That is why love can be forever, because our souls may leave this plane, but retain the memory of those they have loved or who have loved them. So maybe you say, “Ha! a memory of love is not the same thing.”....but isn’t it?

I mean that is why a lost love can still cut deep when you remember it years later. The same goes for love of someone who has passed on, you sit and remember him or her fondly many years after they have died and suddenly you can be filled with their essence. The love you have for them is renewed in your memory and if you believe that spirits who pass on retain all that they were, then at that moment they also get to recapture the love you shared.

Like I said,....deep philosophical stuff.


Now,

 

• Today's Cure song is "Cut" from the Wish CD-(1992)  The drums bang out on this one and it sounds like a train ride, pumping, pulsing down the track of emotion. Robert simply states this: "hatred"
  
  

"If only you'd never look at me
The way that you do
If only you'd never look like that
When i look at you
I see face like stone, Eyes of ice
Mouth so sweetly telling lies
I wish you felt the way that i still do"

CJ

Walk-about!

Have you ever heard of the concept of "Walk-about"? It appears in several cultures, such as the Australian Aborigines who "go walkabout" at the age of thirteen in the wilderness for six months as a rite of passage. They then trace the path of the ceremonial ancestors of their tribe. Some indigenous people of the artic refer to this journey as a "vision quest". Regarded as a turning point in life taken before puberty to find oneself and thier intended spiritual and life direction. Also, the Native American culture (of which I am closely tied) also has a practice of soul searching in this fashion for shamans. Although not always including an actual 'walk', the basic concept is the same.

One other resource that I love to quote that helped me understand this process was from a Science Fiction television show called "Babylon 5". In this program, one of the lead characters is dealing with some hard issues in his life, one of which is a drug problem. He temporarily resigns his position in order to go on Walkabout and find himslef. He quotes that the Aborigine folklore he is familiar with indicates that he must walk until he meets himself and has a conversation with himself.

Recently, I went on Walkabout. I took many of these elements into consideration when I decided to embark on this journey. Whereas my time on walkabout was not for months, some of the soul work I did was life changing. You see I have matured in life, doing some introspection from time to time and knew that finding myself would be no trouble at all. The difficulty I would encounter was the conversation I would need to have with myself to engage in some deep healing and growing.

I wont go into the personal details of my journey here at this time, but I will tell you that if you are in a place in your life where things seem cloudy and you have pains that are deep and not being addressed. Walkabout may be a way for you to either discover or re-discover your true path.

I am featuring a song that just happened to capture the essence of this type of soul work perfectly. "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars is about facing your inner demons and breaking free. Here is the video, and afterwards I will post the lyrics....

Much Love,

CJ




"The Kill"

What if I wanted to break
Laugh it all off in your face
What would you do? (Oh, oh)
What if I fell to the floor
Couldn't take this anymore
What would you do, do, do?

Come break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you

What if I wanted to fight
Beg for the rest of my life
What would you do?
You say you wanted more
What are you waiting for?
I'm not running from you (from you)

Come break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you

I tried to be someone else
But nothing seemed to change
I know now, this is who I really am inside.
Finally found myself
Fighting for a chance.
I know now, this is who I really am.

Ah, ah
Oh, oh
Ah, ah

Come break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you, you, you.
Look in my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you

Come break me down (bury me, bury me)
Break me down (bury me, bury me)
Break me down (bury me, bury me)

(You say you wanted more)
What if I wanted to break...?
(What are you waiting for?)
Bury me, bury me
(I'm not running from you)
What if I
What if I
What if I
What if I
Bury me, bury me

Resident Evil: Apocalypse

Okay, I know it may be a little odd to post a review about a sequel when I do not have the first movie presented but I really liked this movie! This 2004 sequel was more like the highly acclaimed Capcom video game series in my opinion, in terms of scenes where the protagonists were actually shooting zombies. Whereas the first movie {"Resident Evil", 2002} spent a lot of time building the story and given Umbrella background (which I understand is neccesary), "RE:Apocalyse" gives the audience some damn good zombie shooting action!!

Paul W. S. Anderson, who is responsible for writing all the "RE" movie adaptations including the forthcoming final installment due out in September 2007, gives fans what they were truly looking for in a Resident Evil movie. I think his writing for the big screen skills have increased tremendously since his penning of "Mortal Kombat" back in 1995.

Milla Jovovich does a spectacular job, returning to the big screen as Alice. Having survived the horrors of the underground Hive facility, she finds herself amongst the devastated streets of Racoon City now over-run with zombies. She finds transportation and heads towards a weapons surplus store (a nod to the RE2 game). There are other great scenes which pay decent tribute to the RE game franchise in this film. For example Alice is joined by more characters from the video game series, including Jill Valentine (played Sienna Guillory) and Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr).

The group gets armed and ready for a high-caliber encounter with classic mutant dogs, the ever popular "Lickers," hundreds of shambling zombies, and straight out of "Resident Evil 3:Nemesis" the leather-clad, shoulder-held-rocket-launching monster himself! I love this action packed movie about one of my all time favorite subjects....zombies!!!!

Definitely a must see for all zombie and game enthusiasts.

Today's Cure song is "Watching Me Fall" from the Bloodflowers CD-(2000) A heavy guitar laden, sad tune about becoming lost in someone else.

"Yeah, I've been watching me fall for it seems like years
Watching me grow small, I watch me disappear
Slipping out my ordinary world, out my ordinary eyes
Yeah, slipping out the ordinary me into someone else's life
Into someone else's life"


CJ