I think there is a point here that you are missing

In my humble opinion it is this:

I'm not listening!

Many may at first suspect me the anti-punk. I am generally respectful others, highly religious, have a good relationship with my various family members, observant of many traditions, politically eclectic but with a tendency toward what could be said to be conservatism.

But hell, when you say "I'm not going to fall in line/become another casualty of comformity", damn it, then I got to jump in the mosh pit (metaphorically, since I don't get out to concerts that often and usually get enough unnecessary touchy-feely time with strangers from the PATH trains).

On the other hand maybe I'm just in love with that sense of power of being able to say the hell with it all... though I suppose I don't, but that sense...

But then again maybe it's just the music, because music is awesome, musically speaking.

So take it to your head, take it to your heart and remember Rand rocks. Goodnight Folks!

And God Bless.

Here's to you Michael Jackson, Salute

I have at least six sessions of pressing importance that I want to get onto the web. I have at least a dozen personal matters to attend to.

Me wasting time wandering on the web is nothing new, but I keep being drawn back to Michael Jackson and his recent passing. Farah Fawcett's death struck me too as something... but it was a death of a famous person who I had only the smallest exposure to, even via media (though she seemed like a very nice person there, God bless you Ms.Fawcett).

Michael Jackson was something different. What he meant to me I'm not sure. He was a legend (his official Youtube channel if you need proof). I listened to his music on occasion, Billie Jean probably was the song that seemed most Jackson-esque to me, though Thriller would probably be what I'd think of first. Still, I wasn't a major Michael Jackson fan, indeed for Smooth Criminal, I prefer the Alien Ant Farm version to the original.

Maybe his eternal child image did mean something to me.

Maybe that scene from Three Kings rang a degree of truth.(The shooting script, search "Michael Jackson" to find what I'm talking about)

Maybe, to me, he was a symbol of dreams gone wrong or of dreams denied or of something... maybe he was a symbol of the United States of America, a country I love dearly...

I can't really say. I know this though, even though I can claim no great faith in Michael Jackson's defenses against the various accusations leveled against him, I always thought, or maybe just hoped, that he would end up alright. That his next act would be one of redemption and even musical renewal. Or maybe just personal renewal, where he could finally set his house in order and dismiss all the bizarre dilemmas that often seemed to come from his own hands. And now he's dead, and now we won't get to see that last act. (Roger Ebert has summed up this angle far better than me on his site)

But we shouldn't act as if his life was a tragedy, or at least not a pure one. He made magnificent music, and influenced generations. Even if I might say generally his is not my genre, I have to admire the music and I have to admit that his influence has brought out the best in many of the artists I listen to daily, and it has brought so much joy and inspiration to so many, and...

That all makes me wish he had ended his life in a happier time, at the very least, his way of passing, a heart attack was very normal and very quick, but still...

But still, he deserved better from the world and from himself and now his moment on the earth has ended...

but there is still the world to come. Whatever Michael Jackson's rights or wrongs, it at least looked like he was a man filled with anxiety and pain, but the Lord can take that away, and in the Lord's love, all of Michael Jackson's...

well, no eye has seen, no ear has heard.

But I will offer this prayer:

Please Lord,
Help Michael Jackson to put away his pains,
Remove his sins,
And guide Him to your ever lasting Love,
Amen.

God bless you Michael Jackson.

Putting the f-ing fun back into Rand F-ing Awesome McRanderson

And so...

I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation
(dunnannnannnannna)
You're living in the past it's a new generation
(dunnannannannnannna_
A girl can do what she wants to do and that's
(well a guy can do what he wants to, and despite my girlie-ish interests I am a guy)
What I'm gonna do
(Yeah!!!!)
An' I don't give a damn ' bout my bad reputation
(Screw you bummy reputation creators!!!!)

Oh no not me
(Damn straight!!!)

I'm a bit lazy to do the whole song (especially since the lyrics are a bit repetitive (but hey, punk's punk dude!!!)), but I just wanted all of you to know:

I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT MY BAD REPUTATION!!!!

(even though I don't really have a bad reputation (despite my scruffy beard which gives me a semi-evil appearance))

Here's the full lyrics for Bad Reputation. (it's on a Joan Jett site, and despite the fact it was made by Thin Lizzy, Joan Jett rocks, so I'm sticking with her for most of this stuff)

Here's Joan Jett's video.

Because I'm a tv freak, here's the opening to Freaks and Geeks that uses Bad Reputation

And just because I'm an anime freak, here's an AMV with Digimon (the 3rd series)

And so, class, while I'm not recommending reckless anti-everythingness which is usually about making a reputation with the counterculture, I want you to remember not to give a damn about your bad reputation.

Also remember to have a whole lot of fun as this song is!!!!

So take it to your head, take it to your heart, and remember Rand rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goodnight Folks!

I want to get lost in your rock and roll

I don't really believe in cartharsis, at least not as something you do often, maybe as something you do rarely. What I mean is once in a while when emotions build inside you it can be helpful to release them, but if you do that often you often end up obsessing over the emotions your trying to release and they simply become a more prominent part of your personality. However, I do believe in music expressing emotions helping you get over the emotions. Now isn't it the same principle, the principle of releasing emotions? No. Well, maybe partially. Listening to music expressing your emotions does make you release them, but more importantly it helps you grow the emotions if the music is quality. If the music is quality stuff listening to it helps you mature your emotions into a more controllable state and that is often more helpful than simply releasing them.