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It's been a while since I've actually written something on this. lack of time, school/work getting in the way, just life as it is happening.

Another year has passed. And it has been a weird couple of months, positive and negative. And that's the one sentence that pretty much sums up my life as of late.

I haven't made my top 10 end of the year list like I do every year, I still might do it tho.
A record and band that would definetly be in there is 'THE EFFORT' with their latest effort (yes pun intended) 'Wartime Citizens'.

I met these dudes in the summer '09, having them over in my former shithouse that was apparently haunted, so said the band hahaha. I didn't see them play until august of that same summer at Ieperfest where they played most of their first LP 'Iconoclasm', which blew me away.
So now about 1,5 years later they're out with their second LP that carries on the political themed flag throughout the album. When I heard the demo/mini prior to the release I wasn't that stoked, but it turned out even better then I hoped.

They played halfway January in Belgium and invited them in my new home to stay the night and hung out with some of them together with Stephanie for the biggest part of the night strolling around Ghent.

I remember Tony saying during the show in between songs, "Some people consider us to be a way too political band...'. I believe there aren't enough political bands around and support how they stand their ground on the topics theysing about and would like to see changed in their country and the rest of the world.

Looking at my point of view, this past thursday my 'country', Belgium has been celebrating the fact that we are now officially world champions because we broke the worldrecord in forming a government (you should know that this is the 3rd year in a row they tried to form a government, and we yet again failed), which was 249 days by former champion Iraq.
I must say I liked the idea, an ironic message to our country's politicians but the way it turned out was more like going to the 10 day Ghent festival, people getting together and getting out of their mind wasted as fuck as if it was just one big joke, one big party.
First world problems.

If you only look at the state of the world today, we've got the whole of Northern Africa and the Middle East rising up against their government after Tunesia and Egypt were revolting for weeks causing the fall of their current government/dictatorships.
Now we have unarmed people dying in Libya, Bahrein, Yemen, Iran, Algeria... because they want Change
The number of casualties in Libya has risen to over 200 killed and 900 wounded. "Ninety percent of these gunshot wounds [were] mainly in the head, the neck, the chest, mainly in the heart" Benghazi doctor quote through BBC

This is just way beyond every way of rational thinking.
People are actually dying or even risking the fact that they might get shot because of the fact they want CHANGE, they want a government/leader that doesn't fill his pockets off of their suffering, they want what every human being wants, equal rights, healthcare, education for their children, a stable country, a job, a future.
This is exactly what the people of Belgium want although our problems are more of a luxury problem than the fight for basic human rights. And how do we 'revolt'? Joining a fucking herd that went beyond 10.000 in crowds and celebrating the fact we are world champions and getting shitfaced.

The risks the Belgian people faced to do this: paying a 60 euro fine if you were caught peeing in public and not using the proper facilities the city council had issued for the event.
yes you read that correct, the city council supported the event 100% (thinking off all the news coverage they would receive of course).

My sympathies and respect for the Arab people grow each day, yet so does my disgust for my own country(men).

who ever is even reading this if you're into hardcore punk, or even if you're not, check out this band and their latest record, if you don't like the music, al least read their lyrics.
Do yourself a favour, educate yourself, raise awareness, be a catalyst for change. Make an effort.

"Did you really think we wouldn’t grow bitter, when you force young students to pray at flags made in China? Are you proud? I’ve spoken of communities, and changing for you and me. I’ve asked people to be as strong as they can, and to lend a helping hand to your fellow man. But I’m still rotting on the inside and the outside all over, with not enough makeup that can even come close to cover, that our minds have been manipulated by the five largest corporations, and then sucked into the vacuum of their occupation."

The Effort - Wartime Citizens lyrics
The Effort myspace

Going out to Marwann! hope to see you soon!