On appearances and the beach

I think, ever since probably middle school, I've had the appearance of being what is called a "punk rocker". At first, I did it solely because the style intrigued me, and I liked it a lot. But, like all intelligent people who get into a subculture, this didn't stay the same for long, because I wanted to find out more about this subculture on the whole. And, living on a tropical island like Puerto Rico makes it harder, since so very few people here actually understand punk. I'm not going to count the kids who shop at Hot Topic, but more on that in a bit. But, hey, all I needed was some well-meaning pals in high school and the Internet, and thus, I discovered Bad Religion, one of the few current punk bands still in existance (Anti-Flag being another). From here, there was no turning back. I took one look at my nu-metal CDs, and I realized, damn, I sure wasted my time in middle school.

And so, I had the internet, and I looked up more bands and more music, and I expanded my taste as I found all these fantastic music around. But, the turning point has to be when I discovered The Flaming Lips. I can't possibly describe the effect their music had on me. It's psychadelic punk rock that's one long acid trip. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots is a CD that has to be listened to in one sitting, because otherwise, you're not going to get the whole experience. Soft Bulletin and Zaireeka are also excellent listens, and their latest, At War With The Mystics, is simply superb. These are guys who have twenty+ years of experience in music, and it shows. And in my eyes, they most definetely shine brighter than these manufactured, dime-a-dozen bands like Simple Plan and My Chemical Romance.

Now, back to the Hot Topic thing and dressing, I don't object to buying stuff there, because it's store, and they do sell some pretty cool stuff. Me being a HUGE Invader ZIM fan, I love the stuff they sell off that show there. But really now, $30 for a ripped up shirt with fishnets? I can easily take a pair of scissors, buy a similar shirt, cut it up, and sew fishents underneath. Why waste so much money on a product like this? Being punk isn't about looking cool or buying all your shit clothes at a specific store. You don't even have to look the part. The punk movement started as a rebellion, as a counter-culture to the clean and the perfection. It was about being an individual and going against the grain and saying, "well you know what, fuck you all, I want to do things my way". Buying clothes that look punk defeats that purpose because you're just blending in. Do I look the part? Yeah, sure. My hair has bright red highlights (as you can see here), I like Converse and fishnets and ripped-up jeans. But these things are things I make on my own or buy on the cheap at, say, a thrift shop. I like the look. But I'm also an independant person by nature, so I don't care about what others think, and I'm sure the smart kids, out of the Hot Topic crowd, will learn that sooner or later.

Anyway, summer is in full swing now. I honest to God need to take a trip to the beach on an afternoon. I love the beach, I love the ocean, and I love sunsets at the beach over the ocean. Plus, my tan's going away, so I need to soak up more sun.

Here's a pic of my desk though.



I know. It makes no sense. And I need a cigarette dammit.