Well doesn't it just figure. Like clockwork, I woke up this morning at 0630. I knew more sleep would be forthcoming (as it was), but somehow, my somatic subsystems had adjusted to the workday schedule just a little too perfectly.

I spent a little time content vulturing, reading, and watching my Ozzy DVD again. Even now, in the context in today's world, the music, the glam look, and the frenetic montage editing style all seem a bit passé in comparision. Strange how this was considered "on the edge" 10-15 years ago. Now, it's just... another part of the mainstream, I guess.

The thought that parents would be going into freak spells over how this guy's work would corrupt their kids seems laughable now. (Ok, maybe it was laughable then too, but it seems even more laughable now.) It's especially odd if you consider that many of the parents who didn't like their kids' music were, at a younger age, into music that had their own parents in a tizzy. Elvis or The Beatles, anyone?

It often becomes more than than a question of just "not liking" something though. Different tastes are understandable and expected. What I find bizarre is how lot of parents did (and still do) somehow get themselves worked into a paranoid hysteria that the next generation's music will irreparably destroy the minds, souls, and entire futures of their children. One would think that people who had been through the same derision a few decades ago would remember having what it was like, and be more understanding. Alas, it would seem that the opposite is often true.

Well, anyway, I was curious, having heard a lot of Ozzy's music over the years, but never having considered myself enough of a fan to investigate his life more thoroughly. Found a good online bio and read it through. Ok, a couple of comments.

Ok, this matter of biting off the heads of birds and bats, and what not that Ozzy became so well known for in early times. To me, this reads more like a comedy of misadventures than some occult plot. At least taking things as described in this bio. Guy gets so wasted, drunk, and stoned that he can't tell up from down, goes into a meeting with the CBS execs, and bites off the head of a bird. Because of this, he is now to be considered a minion of the devil? Ok, it is a nutty thing to do. If someone were to do that while sober, you really would have to wonder. As it is, it almost sounds Homer-esque in a twisted sort of way.

And the bat from which he contracted rabies? Same deal. lol.

Ok, other point. This is a related, but slightly more general topic. Animals. Killing animals. Sacrificing animals. Is it evil? During this same era, there was a lot of paranoia in the media about teens killing cows, mulitating chickens, and what not. This was thought to be a result of some form of devil worship, and evidence that the people who did it were into occult practices. "Killing animals! Can you imagine?"

Yet the thousands of animals that we kill everyday to eat is perfectly okay. Isn't it somewhat hypocritical to be scape goating groups of odd ones who go out and kill a chicken or two, maybe hang a sheep's head on the fence post, and then take a trip to McDonalds for that burger'n'fries? (Those who are herbivores would be exempt from this criticism.) An odd inconsistency.

Well, excuse me if my mind just jumped back in time ten years, and I started talking about topics that are now moot, nonexistent, or have gone into dormancy to be superceded by more pressing matters of the modern day. That Ozzy video must've triggered it outta me. It may be a little old, but the music is still good.

(One complaint though: Why, oh WHY did they have to make it a double-sided, single layer disc? Two hours of music is great. One hour of music on one side, then having to flip the disc to listen to the other hour is just plain annoying. Just put it all one ONE side, and make it a dual layer, people. Sheesh.)

As expected, I went back to sleep shortly after 0800. Slept a couple hours, woke back up, typed this rambling. Now, I think I'll see about washing off this grubby stink, and go see if they've got my phone. Bye.