Punk Rock Sensation
The age of the PUNKS!

Part 1: Masters of Punk
The name punk rock for some reason brings an odd distaste to one's mouth. Immediately you imagine a couple of little white kids wearing t-shirts and three-quarter shorts with weirdly spiked up hair jumping up and down to a music which is nothing at all head-banging and believe me, gives off an “oh-my-god-what-the-hell-is-this” sort of vibe. However bear with it for a while, and once it grows on you, punk rock is a really really fun music to hear.

What may appear bizarre to many people is that Punk is actually a pretty significant cultural movement that took place in USA somewhere in time after the age of the hippies and before the age of the gangsta's. Although punks, portrays a long story about the significance of their movement and how they fit into the grand schemes of the cultural movements, almost everyone knows its nothing but a bunch load of crap. Making a long story short, punks are well punks fed up with the 'system' and expresses their rebelliousness by weird clothes, weird hairdos, makeup and ornaments, as well as the traditional things like: “F*** school, F**** family and etc”. Punks strongly support a do-it-yourself culture, which is doing things for the sake of doing things and not for money or for societies conformations.

Punk rock in some ways is thus an expression of this rebelliousness- although it appears rather weird to me, how shrill voices expresses anger. By all aspects punk rock is funny- not rebellious or angry. The greatest punk rock band and one which I have enormous respect for is The Ramones. Have you ever heard of the song which goes like” Hey ho, lets go! Hey ho!” it appeared in the soundtrack to Tony Hawk Pro-Skater III. Its an awesome song and is called Blitzkrieg Bop.

The Ramones are something akin to a legend. Starting out their career in 1976, they recorded a total 13 albums and 2400 live shows! Talk about being productive! Their music inspired an entire movement of punk rocker, such as The Clash, The Queers and the Talking Heads (hehe yeah such bands do exist!). Their thirteenth anniversary attracted performance from diverse artist ranges such as Pearl Jam, Motorhead and Red Hot Chilli Peppers all who were influenced by The Ramones.

The Ramones music featured short, typically two minutes+ songs, featuring fast paced, simple and to-the-point music. Their vocal was remarkably well unremarkable- but I guess that's the joss part. Their lyrics were about rather simple things like girls, teenagers and stuff. There were usually no guitar solos and a joke was made that the Ramones only used three power chords in all their songs! Ok, but lemme tell you their songs are so 'fun'…

Other great Ramone's songs you can start with are: Poison Heart, which is longer and about well being heartless and Teenage Lobotomy. Try to get your hands on this really cool Green Day version of Teenage Lobotomy-Blitzkrieg Bop Medley, that is a mixture of two songs. As usual you can get your hands on this song in Ares or Kazaa.

The most historic moment in Punk history is often sited to be 7th July 1974 at a Ramones concert in London. God knows how many punk rock bands emerged out of this inspired. I am talking about The Clash, Sex Pistols etc all making the movement gathering impulse. Decades later, punk rock would diversify into so many different categories, with the likes of Greenday and Offspring leading the movement. But that's next issue!

By Reggie

PLAYLIST: RAMONE FEST!!
1. Blitzkrieg Bop
2. Teenage Lobotomy
3. Poison Heart
4. Green Day Medley Cover of The Ramones

February 8, 2006
Dear Diary,
It's funny how the horrible crushing of dreams makes no sound.
I'd so looked forward to my new high school. I love the big building with its open courtyard, and basketball court. I love the huge cafeteria, with its rows of gleaming tables and chairs, the spanking-clean food counters, and the table-tennis arena. I simply adore the bustling hallways, lined with display boards studded with eye-catching creative projects; the spacious classrooms reflect more of the same, particularly the art room, with all the masks and sketches and paintings and sculptures on display.

The view from the enormous windows of our library; it's fantastic! During spring, you look down at the tops of the Krishnochura and Radhachura trees bordering the highway; and explosion of crimson, gold and green, and beyond that, the wild, moody open sky, sometimes a dreamy, lazy blue, sometimes dark, mysterious and cloudy, and occasionally, a wild aerial audio-visual display of rolling thunder, flashing lightning, and a waltz of wind and rain.

When I found out I'd actually be attending this school, I'd been beside myself with excitement. I rolled out my brand-new uniform, perfect to the T in length and cut, for I wanted to project that ideal image of the RS High student. I'd attended the first Assembly, bursting with pride to be standing with the crowd as an insider...I was in RS High!

Then I met my classmates. God! I thought the mean-ness, the petty power-politics was only there in small schools, but no...this school has it in spades! There's the Queen Bee...Prianka, Lord, what a hellcat! She just can't leave me alone! I mean, what's it to her that I'm not bursting out of a micro-mini uniform like she is, or that I prefer not to poison my hair with chemical dyes? And who is she to talk to me about throwing myself at guys?

I've been in here for four days, and every time, I've seen her practically offer herself on a plate to the entire basketball team...my word, what a drama queen!

The funny thing is, the other girls actually buy this act. I mean, I've seen perfectly decent girls in our class play along with her stupid jokes and they avoid me because they're afraid of what Madame Witch will say.

Which brings me to Lamia, her loyal sidekick. I can't help feeling sorry for that one. She's lacking a brain, and worships on the altar of Prianka, without stopping to consider whether or not Prianka cares for her. I bumped into her today, on the way out from the washroom, and her 'goddess' wasn't around at the time...she scrunched up her face, trying to think of something mean to say - and I mean, it was that obvious she was trying without success - so when I just smiled at her, she turned red, and walked off with a half-hearted "whatever". What a waste.

Then there's Afrida. She kind of stood up for me on the first day when the Terrible Twosome (Prianka and Lamia) tried to pick on me. She's terribly smart - even the teachers are in awe of her. But she's also got an attitude problem. I found her sitting in a corner in the courtyard during a free period today, working on some sketches...they looked awesome!

I tried to talk to her, meaning to thank her, but she just made some cutting remark about me being a 'spineless pro-establishment wet-ear' or something, and shooed me away because I was breaking her concentration or something. No wonder she's got no friends.

So much for all the dreams I dreamt about fitting in. The teachers are nice though...most of them at least. The Math teacher, Garjon sir, is a real pain. Hafiz Sir is strict, but fun, but I love, absolutely adore Shazneen Miss, the Literature teacher. She's probably one of the few reasons I still go to school.

Saquib and I talked a little today. We have Physics lab together, which Prianka and Co. don't, so he didn't have to pretend to ignore me just to spare us both the embarrassment at her jokes. He seems to be a nice guy, and knows his stuff pretty well. Totally not what I expected from a jock.

Daddy laughs when I complain about school. He says I'll laugh too when I get to his age. Mum tells me to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but it's so hard sometimes. I think I'll just have to do what Rohan says and just roll with it. Imagine what the world is coming to when my kid brother makes sense!

Anyway, talk to you later, Diary.
Sadia

By The Girl Next Door

Dear Dead Paper,
I wonder why I even use a greeting, guess it's just another example of how traditions get in the way of one's reasoning. Well I usually use a more cheery greeting but with the Pure Maths exam tomorrow I feel as good organic waste twice turned over in the intestines of worms. And that is what Biology has done to me. God! I'm turning into such a geek!

Anyway it has been exam week and 'excitement' (this is when you picture the narrator rolling her eyes) kept me on tip toes and up till three at nights. I look disastrous and feel miserable and consequently behave atrociously with everyone all due to lack of sleep loss of appetite and deprivation of entertainment. As you might have noticed I am even beginning to sound like class notes. That is NOT the way I usually sound!

The last few times I sat for them, exams were challenging and about testing but this time the experience was just annoying I have the sneaking suspicion that it is a due to my seating arrangement.

Person-to-my-right submits ditto copy of my work and then at the end of the exam tells (not even insists), me to write in block handwriting. Person-to-my-left sucks at his pen with all his might like it has all the 'modhu' in the world maybe even some from the heavens.

Meanwhile Person-behind hyper-ventilates on my back and Person-in-front is just as much help as the chair she's sitting on! All in all not the most exciting circle to be a part of. Only consolation is that it's just one more day….and then! Aaahh (pronounce in a nice way not a scream) sweet days of freedom when watching television does not eat into my conscience and I can sleep without dreaming (more like nightmaring) about how the invigilator grew fangs and will now eat me up since I didn't submit my work on time.

I once read somewhere that hope is what sustains continuity and it is during these dark days that I understand the true meaning of these words. Lots of plans for the brighter days up ahead…basketball, weddings, birthdays, drama….even as words they are so pretty! One can't help but smile at them.

Well now I have to go and do so some Pure Maths! It's so much fun doing those endless problems but I really do not think my vocabulary is well equipped to describe that absolute feeling of ecstasy (roll eyes again)…….so I just won't bother.
In hope of brighter days,

By Miss Understood