Fairytale Beginning Ending

 So after much delay(not a complaint) today I received my Magnicide "Rise to the Annihilation" cassette. This is the fifth or sixth time I've ordered something from a foreign country. I've ordered from TVG (Germany) and an independant t-shirt company in England. But my favourite packages always come from south east Asia. I ordered my Wormrot LP straight from the band and I'm still pumped to look at it. Starting last month and culminating today I've received two packages from Magnicide. My first package was their split LP with Toxic Revolution that had some show flyers and stickers in it. On a flyer was a note from Jali that he mailed the cassette separately to insure integrity of all product. I for one fucking appreciate that. A band that cares. Imagine. I bring this up because it's interesting to me the lengths at which people go to receive products. It takes over a decade to obtain a car if you live on Hawaii. It usually takes upwards of two months to receive blast beats in the mail from Malaysia. The waiting, pining, anticipating for that square shaped, thin cardboard box or small bubble wrap packages. The processes the product goes through. Writing international addresses, putting on correct postage. There are even Customs Declaration stamps that the proper authorities must see.

StrainEyes No. 6

 And then finally you open your package to find its contents. In this instance it was a rad yellow pro cassette with a lyrics booklet rubber-banded on.  This is another example of the essence of DIY. I know how hard it is to track down specific parts. The plastic case is an example. Where the fuck do you just go buy a bunch of empty cassette cases? And for records it's even harder. How do I make this 5" record fit into this 7" bag? How do I package this 3" CD? For most bands it's using ingenuity and their own hands to put things together. They will print 100 5" cases, fold every one and bag them. They will screen print their own patches or 7" cases then glue every case together one by one.All this labor goes into a tiny little package only a few select people will seek out to hear. This tape will bring me much joy to listen to in my bakery, and everyone else is left saying "Hello Misery".

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 For me when I sent the band money I was worried I fucked up the address. I'd never sent a letter to the other side of world in a physical sense. Let alone money I worked for. Things are different in the digital world. Wi-fi banking, ATMs, credit, debit. I can't do any of these things because I have no bank account so it's the old school DIY way for me of contacting bands directly and waiting.

Old computer gets a speed upgrade.