Katamari is Straight Edge

From joystiq.com:

Although it's hard to believe that the ideas for Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy weren't birthed from some serious drug use, Keita Takahashi stated at GDC that he's completely straight-edge when it comes to partaking in the chemical vices of man. In the same session where he revealed Noby Noby Boy for iPhone, he also claimed, "I don't use drugs at all, I don't drink at all. Please don't worry about me."

Hot Straightedge Punks

I just found these lyrics for a song about Hot Straightedge Punks and thought I'd share cause hey I'm a hot straight edge punk (at least I think so):

chourus: you may not be like Kurt Cobain,but with you i cannot complain. I know all you guys are hard to find,Hot straightedge punks you make my love life rock out loud!
1rst verse: hey! i'm just a plain punk girl, trapped in a huge messed up world, full of gangstas, preps & wrist cutting emo kids. just unique with my own style & yet it has to make me smile,because i know that i am not alone
2nd verse: i see him walking down,turning frowns upside down. my heart beats faster with every step he takes. a punk with no booze or drugs unlike those other thugs. oh why cant there much more guys just like you?
(chorus)
3rd verse: i just think its so damn brave. another ones life saved. you're not weak just very cautious. i just think it's so fly that ur not drunk or high. Hey straightedge punk, don't ever change that habit please!
(chorus)

Written by Selenalunarox

You Can't Be Straight Edge "For Now"

I love when I search the net for Straight Edge news and come across articles in local newspapers that cover Straight Edge kids in their area.  It's always a nice feeling to see a positive news story that shows how SxE is a lifestyle choice for making one's life better.  I just came across the article I Am ... Straight Edge in the Hartford Courant about a 16 year old boy that found out about Straight Edge from a band he liked.

However I would like there to be more positive and uplifting stories about SxE that involve older people that are past the age of 21, people such as myself, that have chosen to be Straight Edge to improve their lives.   Because when you read about a 16 year old kid saying he's Straight Edge people always think that they'll break edge when they are 21.  Sadly this kid even says "I'm not saying I'm never going to drink or to try stuff, but for now, never, I have no desire to." which to me shows that he's not commited to being Straight Edge.  I think that if you don't want to drink or smoke, that's fine, but don't claim to be SxE without making that claim something you truly mean.

Saying "I'm going to be Straight Edge this weekend" or anything that's limited is a lie and a slap in the face to everyone that claims to be SxE for life.  SxE is a lifestyle that shouldn't be seen as a temporary decision.  Now I'm not saying that you can't chose to no longer be Edge at a later time in your life, but it's not something you should go into by saying "for now."  If you don't want to drink, just don't drink, but don't label yourself something you truly aren't.  It's liek saying I'm going to be Vegan this month.  Being Vegan is a lifestyle chosen for a reason, often chosen based on views about animal cruelty.  So how do you say I'll be Vegan and be against eating the flesh of animals cause it's wrong for a month and then go back to being a carnivore, it's silly.

Happy St. Drunky Day!

Seems like St. Patricks Day is simply another reaosn to get trashed and like an idiot.

Claiming Straight Edge is an Wise Economic Choice

In these extremely tough economic times, it's hard to find money, a job or even a little help sometimes. And it seems that with less money to go around people are actually spending more money on the things they don't actually need. Americans are spending more money on cigarettes and alcohol than before and the numbers are rising. As a nation we are driven to vices that we think will make us feel better rather than logically trying to find ways to actually make our lives better. Basic math will tell anyone that giving up smoking and drinking will put so much more money into your savings that you won't need to live paycheck to paycheck, which is all to common these days. Even looking at really old data on spending for cigarettes it's so obvious that you can retire on the money you'd save in 30 years.

In the end, not only would you be saving money, but you'd be saving your self from all the harmful effects if you claimed Edge.

Shai Hulud - Misanthropy Pure

Understood,
This will read as a plea to vindicate intolerance as surely as it is written.

Understand,
Contempt born of clear perception is a birthright to those who channel it toward progression.

Preserve life without loathing.
Awaken hope within hatred.
Wrest insight from outrage.

This is a birthright and obligation.

Spiteful and ill-tempered, I know the character well...
A maelstrom of weakness, and instability seething with viciousness.
I choose not to accept this;
Not into my life.
There is no hope of reform.
When pride is allied with hostility, all reason is denied.
I return the denial.

A glaring misconception of self-importance, I know the character well...
Heedless fool, so arrogant with no understanding of consequence.
I see this negligence.
I choose not to accept it;
Not into my life.
Absence of introspection neglects the outer world.
Let not the excess of lusts and comfort mislead you.
This world is not yours.

Feel the quarrel in just his presence, you know the character all too well...
A destructive man at war with his cowardice.
I detest belligerence, and choose not to accept it;
Not into my life.
Keep separate these hatreds.
Undefined animosity is a device of the spineless, the means of a fool.
Focused misanthropy is opposition for these dark hearts-
Downpours of disapproval no words could begin to express.

To distort the truth to serve itself,
To oppose understanding,
I believe in man.
Man will maintain its hostility.
Have this faith.

Conflict in the chest.
To be concerned for the needs of such heartless men.

Shai Hulud - "Misanthropy Pure" from Misanthropy Pure

Straight Edge Icons for IM (AIM, Yahoo, whatever)

I made a few Straight Edge IM icons for apps like AIM, Yahoo, Gmail Chat, MSN and others.  Use them as you'd like with one limitation: these icons can NOT be modified to contain anti Straight Edge messages, violence, or anything that would not be considered posi.

Addict

You know you're an addict when you have a ciggarette in your mouth before you even get out of the subway.

You know you're an addict when you have to have a drink before you go out to drink.

You know you're an addict when you read this and you hate me for being right.

Mega List of Straight Edge Bands

With lots and lots of effort this list of Straight Edge bands past and present is over 300 with album covers, web site links and years of existence (for some). It's an excellent resource for looking at history of Straight Edge through music. I don't know how accurate it is of course, but like wikipedia, it's a great place to start. I certainly wouldn't consider myself an expert on SxE music, so I foudn this list great for finding bands I hadn't discovered yet.

New York should learn a little something from Tokyo

I recently got back to NY from Tokyo, Japan. My wife and I went there for our honeymoon. I was amazed at how clean their city was, how respectful people were to others, and people (no matter what job they held) were courteous and helpful to everyone.

Tokyo is a very clean city, there are no cigarette butts on the ground, no gum on the sidewalks, and no trash anywhere. Surprisingly they have no trash cans on any street corners, like you find in NY. People just wait till they find a place with a trash can instead of throwing things on the street. Japanese people have respect for their city.

Almost no one in Tokyo smokes. And when they do, they follow the laws and smoke in designated areas. They don't throw cigarettes on the sidewalk or out their car windows. Japanese people don't blow smoke in your face, or walk with a lit cigarette (something that the oblivious and disrespectful europeans truly we saw didn't get.) We were eating on a bench along the sidewalk one day and these four european women came up sat down next to us and just blew their smoke right at us; exactly what I want when I'm eating.) The week I was back in New York, I was on the subway to work and this businessman in a decent looking suit pulled a cigar from his pocket, bit off the end and spit it on the subway car floor. I looked at him with a look of surprise and he responded with a gruff F-You in an abhorrent New York accent. I retorted with a request to him to pick it up and throw it out properly, to which he replied that it was biodegradable. Of course I then needed to remind him that biodegradation only works when your outside and you have a proper place for it to degrade into. He says F-You again, and asks me if I'm from New York, and that since he's from New York he has some (I can only assume) constitutional right to be a disgusting pig and throw sh!t on the ground. I told him he was disgusting and then he just tried to intimidatingly stare me down. Japanese people have respect for their city.

Employees of the Tokyo JR transit, employees of the post office, and every store we visited were very courteous. And it's obvious it's not just cause I'm a foreginer spending money there, you can see how they interact with their own people and even when they are just doing their normal jobs. JR transit employees were nice, neat uniforms with clean white gloves. Could you imagine if an MTA employee wore white gloves, they'd be black in a week if they even wore them. Everyone in every store we visited, even those we just were window shopping in, were very polite and helpful. In NY if you need help from people in a store, they often won't help you, or even know what your talking about or even speak English (granted there are exceptions.) In Tokyo many store clerks know enough English to help you (which is nice since my Japanese isn't the best, but I at least try and they appreciate that.) Japanese people have respect for their city.

It's just plain nice to go someplace and feel that you aren't going to be treated like crap because that person thinks that they deserve more.