The Random Musings and Writings of Brandon

The other day at work, I was sitting eating lunch (some chicken wings and fries if you must know), attempting to play all the NY Times Games I could before having to go back to actual work. Minding my own business. When besides me, a very loud woman started conversing with some others. Now, I normally make all attempts to block out conversations of others because they are not relevant to me. I heard her talking about Minneapolis and ICE and why they are up in Minneapolis (it's the fraud and the Somalians) and how Renee Good and Alex Pretti would not have died if they had only minded their own business. Then, this lady made a "joke." She stated a question: "How do you think ICE is doing in Minneapolis?" She then followed by answering her own questions: "I think they are doing a Pretti Good job." I cringed, of course, because that is a horrible joke about two people who were slain at the hands of federal officials. However, it got worse. She then attempt...

Here we are. Another weekend. Another Murder by one of the agencies under the protection of the Department of Homeland Security. This time, by agents of the CPB (Customs and Border Patrol)... but the difference between CPB and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) hardly matters anymore as CPB's remit has blurred into the same or similar to that of ICE. Even the 100-mile zone that is generally considered for the meaning of "reasonable distance" in Section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act generally doesn't seem to make any difference as to where CPB officers may join in . But, at least CPB has Greg Bovino to spurt incessant propaganda that tries to dismiss what eyes can see. Now, unlike the Renee Good murder (and, yes, I am now just going to call these killings for what they are with no obfuscation like homicide) where one could make a tortured argument that the first shot was legitimate because the officer may have felt that his life was actually in dang...

Ten days ago, Babymetal released a new version of their song  ヘドバンギャー！！(known in English speaking countries as Headbanger). So, I have decided to discuss the song, the path to the new version, and what it says in the longer term for Babymetal. Headbanger was first performed on June 23, 2012 before being released independently by Juonbu Records  (their initial imprint while a part of the idol group Sakura Gakuin - Babymetal being the name given to the group from the Juonbu (Heavy Music) club)  via distribution from Toy's Factory a week later. The song was their third single (following Doki Doki Morning (which reached a peak of 80 on the Japan Top Independent Albums and Singles chart) and the Babymetal/Kiba of Akiba split single/EP which featured Babymetal's song iine (It's Good) and Kiba of Akiba's Party @ the BBS along with Babymetal's reimagining of Kiba's "Animation With You") titled "Kimi to Anime Ga Mitai - Answers for Animation With You"...

There was information I was attempting to find to add to my post yesterday. Information regarding a report from 2014 regarding ICE, deadly force, and the apparent ability to make sure they position themselves purposefully in harm's way. Of course, all my searches came up in vain. Yet, what wonders befell me when I woke up, watched a video, and the following video was in my feed. After looking through some of the comments, I found out where to find the report . One of the key recommendations is the recommendations for shooting at vehicles:   ` Shooting at Vehicles: Recommendation: Agents’ and the public’s safety will be enhanced by policy changes related to shooting at vehicles. CBP should make policy changes that restrict agents from shooting at vehicles. Likewise, agents should be trained to get out of the way of oncoming vehicles as opposed to intentionally assuming a position in the path of such vehicles. The policy should mirror the clear and unambiguous policies that...

The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command. - George Orwell, 1984 For the past week, I have been wanting to write about things that have nothing to do with the politics of the day. I wanted to write a post on Babymetal's new version of Headbanger ... how it updates the song, how it incorporates Momo-Metal. How the video pays homage to the original video (from 13 years ago)... while also potentially paying tribute to a deceased member of the Kami Band (Mikio Fujioka). And, other fun tidbit surrounding the numbers 1 and 5 (of which I will not go crazy on now, for perhaps after I write this post... I'll be able to get my mind straight). I also wanted to talk about Ado's absolutely unhinged version of her first single Usseewa on the series The First Take - five years after hitting #1 in Japan with the song. And, what her rise in popularity in the West may mean for future Japanese artists. (And, again, perhaps I w...

Today, January 4th, 2026 - I, Brandon Magee, am celebrating my second birthday. I suppose that deserves some explanations.  First and foremost, I did not exit my mother's womb two years ago today. In fact, my actual memories go back to the Carter administration. I have been working long enough at my current place of employment that a person born when I started would be legally old enough to drink in every country in the world with the exception of the African nation of Eritrea. So, yes, by all conventional measures of measuring ages, I am not turning two today. However, there is reality and then there is a different reality that also exists and is also true. And it is in this different reality (which intersects with "actual" reality) where I am having a birthday today. Since SARS-COV-2 (aka Covid-19) became a reality that hindered the entire world in 2020, my life has been less than ideal. Not that I am the only one whose reality has taken a hit during this time. However,...

Happy New Year. Welcome to 2026. Now, as is normal with the New Year's post, one would expect a list of resolutions for the new year. However, resolutions are strange creatures. It is rare that we ever truly follow through on them for a full year... let alone for our entire life. So, instead of resolutions, I am going to just list some aspirations for the next year... things I hope to do. 1) Since 2020, life has been topsy-turvy for a number of people. Certainly, the Covid disruption of an unscheduled time away from work affected people in a countless number of ways. However, there were a number of other things over the ensuing years that have affected my physical and mental health. 2025 was an interesting year due for me as I made attempts to get over the various maladies that happened in my life over the previous few years. The biggest step I made was to go to a therapist. Talking about the things that happened and are happening in one's life is important for almost everyone....