Formed Frontal Lobe Thoughts

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Fifa World Cup 2026

Like any typical American, I don't particularly care about soccer. But, I will say, the World Cup being hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico has been quite nice in terms of uplifting my spirits. I feel like I'm getting a break from all the chaos that's happening in the U.S. (among other existential crisis tha I have been having lol) and that I'm able to appreciate my country from a fresher set of eyes from all the people coming in from all over. Here are some moments that made me smile:

The people from Kansas being Algeria's fans after Algeria decided to set up their base camp in Lawence Kansas 

Seeing how excited and hyped Japan is and how they also clean up after themselves. It's just wholesome. 

People reacting to Texas BBQ

People going to Buc-ee's for the first time

People celebrating and pulling up in general: 

 

People reacting various culture shocks (like A/C, Walmart, Costco. and free refills to start) and them reacting to our radioactive food 

It still kills me that they're freaking out over mid food like Chick-fil-a and Chilli's and they are discovering ranch sauce. It's to the point where TSA had to give a warning saying that the ranch dressing has to be in the checked baggage since it's a liquid lol. I remember seeing a comment that said something along the lines of how the foreigners trying our food is like them getting their first hit of drugs while we're all used to it because we're just cracked out. 

Then, there is the beer shortage in Boston after the Scottish fans came in: 

I cannot find this on Youtube but I turned on the local news on TV the other day and they were talking about how the World Cup is temporarily boosting mental health in the U.S. because of the festivities and all the communal events. There was a watch party along with food trucks that was set up in a park that I live close to and there was a pretty good turn out. 

 

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I feel like this video also coincides with the post I made about commodifying human connection. It mainly talks about how third spaces have become a buzz word of sorts. 

[soos_mite_ah]

What is Punk Rock 

I was definitely one of the "emo" kids back in high school who listened to alt rock from the 90s and pop punk from the 00s despite being in 2016. I was born too late to be one of the proper emo kids of the early 2000s and I was born too early to be e-girl. Instead, I was born in the best time to be made fun of lmaoooo. 

A couple years ago, I was listening to music as I was comuting to my corporate job and as I was sitting in traffic, I was listening to Fat Lip by Sum 41 and I got to the part that was like "I don't want to waste my time, become another casualty of society. I'll never fall in line, become another victim of conformity," I remember blasting this music when I was 14 years old after a day at the mall coming back from Hot Topic thinking it was based and let's just say, it hit different at 24 when dressed in business casual. 

Then, once I got to the office, I sat in my car for a solid 10 minutes thinking *damn.....did I become a casualty of society?*

And I came to the conclusion that, no, I'm not a casualty of society. Rebellion just looks different when you're in your mid twenties compared to what it looked like when you were in your teens. Sure, 16 year old me might look at me and say *yes you did become a casualty of society because you're in a boring office job you don't like.* But 16 year old me also didn't know how taxes worked and didn't live through a global pandemic so I'm not taking her opinion TOO seriously. Yes, I do have a boring office job that crushes my spirit. But, I also value work life balance and I'm not a hustle culture bro or a snitch at work. I'm not exactly conforming to upper management and I do try to stand up for myself and my coworkers in a way that makes sense and is helpful. Outside of work, I still have hobbies, still listen to a lot of the same music (though I have expanded), I still care about what's going on in the world, and I'm thinking critically about my life decisions instead of conforming for the sake of conforming OR rebelling just for the sake of rebelling. I also thought of this quote from Innuendo Studios in the video below: 

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16:40 and onwards: "Jaded sarcasm and isn't brave in 2020, it's the path of least resistance for edgy chan lords. It does not imply a deep and abiding morality. This is the new sincerity generation. Nowadays bravery is being a gender nonconforming socialist queerdo who refused to let the ugliness of the world close them off from human connection. And young people don't feel trapped by the future, because nobody believes in the future anymore. But to wrap this up with a bow, we're not getting anywhere by looking back. Progress is going to come from trying things we've never tried before." 

The video was talking about how Daria as a show and as the character was against the grain regarding the overall cultural zeitgeist of the 90s and how it doesn't land in the same way in the 2020s. And since punk is what's against the status quo, and since the status quo can change over time, what is punk can change over time based on context. That context can be historical like comparing the 90s vs the 20s or it can be regarding your stage of life like in my situation with comparing my teens to my mid 20s. 

But more on the cultural note, the reason why I thought of this again and why I wanted to write this post is because this video came up on my Youtube feed: 

I feel like this is the epitome of what is considered punk in 2026. I also liked the comments under this video: 

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Maybe affordable housing is the real punk rock

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Revolutionary optimism, antifascism, and radical unwavering kindness are punk as fuck.

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The contrast between a guy suit a fancy suit, stepping out of a fancy car, surronded by body guards - to a guy dancing shirtless.

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people think punk just means being the opposite of whatever is the mainstream. but it’s really about community, protecting each other, protecting the poor and the outcasts and giving them a space they can call theirs. It’s about coming together to make the world a better place for everyone. And yes sometimes that comes with anger and frustration but the point is to find an outlet for that that’s constructive, that can be used for good, and not just taking your anger out on everyone around you. And I think a lot of people who call themselves punks forget that.

Lyrics: 

See me driving down the street
I'm bored with looking good
I got both hands off the wheel
The cops are coming

I listen to the music with no fear
You can hear it too if you're sincere

'Cause I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
Well, I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
'Cause I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
Well, I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am

I see you stagger in the street
And you can't stay on your feet
And you're faking in your sleep
You wish that you were deep

But you can't hear me laughing to myself
If you could, you would be someone else

'Cause I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
Well, I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
'Cause I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
Well, I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am

See me die on Bleecker Street
I'm bored with being god
See me sneering in my car
I'm driving to my star

I'm listening to the music with no fear
You can hear it too if you're sincere

'Cause I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
Well, I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
'Cause I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
Well, I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
'Cause I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am
Well, I'm a punk rocker, yes, I am

[soos_mite_ah]

 

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The comments under this are killing me lmaooo 

"If he would have been born a thousand years earlier, we would all be speaking norwegian now"
"Using someone's face to score a goal has to be one of the most badass football moments ️‍"
"Imagine 1000 years ago that dude comes at you with a sword"