Redemption.

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds."
- Bob Marley, "Redemption Song"

I've always wondered why people look strangely at me, just because my jeans aren't plastered to my thighs and going up my bum. I don't wear spaghetti straps or belly shirts, and the t-shirts I do wear aren't babydoll style. Why? they ask. Because I'm emancipating myself from mental slavery, I reply, then turn on my heel and walk away, leaving them dumbfounded. One of them got it, once, but only because I have a shirt which says that on it, with a good picture of Bob Marley on the front. People also think I'm strange because I even listen to Bob Marley. I ask, why not? He soothes, he relaxes, and you don't have to be on the Rasta scene to enjoy their music.

If you like reggae and don't listen to the Easy Star All-Stars, or if you like good music and Pink Floyd, I suggest you check out ESAS. They did a wonderful cover album of Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd) called Dub Side of the Moon. It's beautiful, wonderful, and if you listen to both albums in rapid succession you find that the more recent pays meticulous attention to detail. It's well done, I highly reccommend it.

What do you do with a friend who is angry with you? One of my friends - I'll call her Elaine, because she got mad at me last time I used her name in a blog - is upset with me becuase... well, here's the whole story. Elaine is moving away to a little, distantish town, later this summer. Now, we're all going to miss her terribly; certain of us have been friends with her since she was three, she was my first friend when I moved here, etc. There's this guy, right, his name is... er... Harry. One of our friends turned 16 recently, and she had this great birthday party at her house. Elaine, Harry, and myself were all in attendance. Elaine and Harry ran off to play in the mud (erlack!) with another of our friends...er...Stephanie. The rest of us were inside, discussing things, and when Elaine, Harry, and Steph came back inside, the topic rolled around to Elaine's last birthday party here with us. I thought she'd plan something sensible, like have a smallish party like she's always had with us, and invite everyone else to her going-away party. But...gasp!... she said she had already planned to have her LAST BIRTHDAY PARTY with Harry. And now for the story of Harry... we were good chums with him last summer, hung out on his front porch eating smoothies and playing with his dog, right? Well yeah, school rolls around, and he's back off with the preppy whorish girls in their skimpy tanktops and short skirts (in the middle of winter, proving that they're all ice-queens to begin with). Left poor Elaine, who had a "thing" for him, to worship him from afar - eventually she got over it. But hark! For here 'tis, the next summer, the last summer, and she's going back to hanging out with him. The last friend we had move away, Harry forgot about her double-time, despite the fact that he hosted her going-away party and claimed never to forget her. She left, and he hasn't mentioned her since. Hmmm... Basically "Elaine", if you read this, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW I SEE IT. I'm not trying to offend you, or "Stephanie", since you two are great pals now, better than with those of us who dare to speak our minds.

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Ever notice how playing the bass gives you very strange blisters?