Rollins, that is. 39 years old and still rockin'. A year ago today i was playing on stage.

I remember reading a little piece he wrote in which he mentioned that he couldn't believe Ian MacKaye was turning 25. "Ian! 25!" Henry! 39! You think he'll be 49 and still around? Didn't he say he'd quit when he became a parody of himself? Though thank God he is around. We need people like him.

As a cultural critic, if nothing else.

uh who?

rollins

I,d still do him in a New York minute.

In honor of Valentine's Day: I look at pictures of you because I am afraid that you would notice me staring in real life. I looked at your picture today for countless minutes. It is closer than I'll ever get to you for real. I felt like I was looking at a captured animal at a safe distance. If you knew I was doing this, you would feel sickened and frightened. That's why you'll never know. Years will go by and you'll never know. I will never say the things that I want to say to you. I know the damage it would do. I love you more than I hate my loneliness and pain. Somewhere someone is thinking of you. Someone is calling you an angel. This person is using celestial colors to paint your image. Someone is making you into a vision so beautiful it can only live in the mind. Someone is thinking of the way your breath escapes your lips when you are touched. How your eyes close and your jaw tightens with concentration as you give pleasure a home. These thoughts are saving a life somewhere right now. In some airless apartment on a dark, urine-stained, whore-lined street, someone is calling out to you silently and you are answering without even being there. So crystalline. So pure. Such life saving power when you smile. You will never know how you have cauterized my wounds. So sad that we will never touch. How it hurts me to know that I will never be able to give you everything I have. --from "Solipsist"

a lot of people hate rollins & i've been teased about reading his stuff, but there are moments when i think he's one hell of a writer. he can be simultaneously vicious & beautiful. the man can crank out some wonderfully intense imagery. a friend of mine has spoken w/ him a few times. says he's basically nice, but paranoid. certain topics will set him off or make him nervous. in my friend's case, it was an admission that he's published one of the same writers that rollins handles. it led to some sudden freaked-out questions & concerns about stolen material, even though my friend's dealings w/ this particular writer happened many years ago. still, even if rollins is a bit of a flake, he's an undeniably talented writer.

whats up with that neck of his. can he touch his own head ya think?

"His professional activities span the range of modern diversion and entertainment. As the lead singer of Rollins Band for over 10 years, an author of over ten books, a spoken word performer, a voice over talent of growing popularity, and an actor who has appeared in several films (including a growing number of major motion pictures and television jobs,) it is growing more difficult to say you've not heard his name" Except if you live in another country right.

Maybe it's just you, Moonit.

Aren't you the same person who had also never heard of Tom Waits?

Yes I am. My workmate who has several Tom Waits records has never heard of him either. So there! I'm telling you its a country thing. I bet you've never heard of Howard Morrison. Or Billy T James. Or Temura Morrison. Alan Duff. Kiri Te Kawana. Tessa Duder. Julian Aoraha.

I didn't know who this Rollins character was, either, Moonit. My theory: americans are freaky.

I've heard of Kiri Te Kawana. Umm. After that, I'm lost. Henry Rollins is worth looking up, Moonit, Gee.

she's a soprano, sings "o mio bambino caro."

That always makes me think of Florence, since I saw "Room With a View".

moonit, is Morrison a prevalent name in your country?

moonit and gee, don't go too far out of your way to learn about rollins. he's just a guy with a big mouth. there are many thousands of people more important than rollins that you will never know of and it really doesn't matter.

chicks dig him for his body. muscle bound goob, i like his black flag days though

Nope. Howard is Tem's uncle. Tem was Jake Heke in Once Were Warriors. His uncle is a singer/entertainer. They are very active in the maori community. I thought you might of heard of Kiri - and I guess I forgot our famous model - Rachel Hunter *rolling eyes* Gee - If Shihad go back to Canada for a tour, go see them. They are a good NZ band. anyway after all that The Grump kinda knew who Rollins was - but only for his music, not for anything else.

If you saw The Chase or Johnny Mnemonic, you've seen Rollins.

Mmm. Rollins.

"Ladies...Nobody understands you like I do."

Rollins really brings out the dominatrix. I want to crush his will and make him my willing slave. Whereas I want J. Mascis to feel me up fumblingly in his parents' back seat.

I watch your mouth move. I listen to your voice. I do everything you tell me to. Minutes later, I find myself sitting on a metal chair with my hands cuffed behind my back. I tell you this is the second time that I have been handcuffed in my life. You say nothing but your expression makes me understand that you don't care. I don't mind being in this position because I trust you, and even as uncomfortable as this is, I don't mind because it's time spent with you and any time spent with you is special to me. You ask me why I love you and I tell you that no one talks to me like you do. Some of the best times I have ever known are when you call me and we talk late at night. You smile and ask me if I want to kiss you. I tell you that I want to kiss you every day for the rest of my life. You lean in close to me and lock your eyes onto mine. You open your mouth slightly and move in closer. In the instance before your lips touch mine, I see the glint of the cobra's head inside your mouth. You pull me to you, clamp your mouth onto mine and the cobra goes down my throat, followed closely by a few more and then several scorpions. You pull back. I can feel the creatures in my gut, biting and stinging. I ask you why you have done this to me. You say, "You're just mad because I don't want to fuck you." I tell you that I don't care about that and why did you hurt me when I have never done anything to you. You pull out a knife and start stabbing yourself. I tell you to stop. You tell me to beg you. I beg you. Tears stream down my face. The pain of the snakes and scorpions are forgotten, all I can think about is your safety. You say, "I'm showing you how weak and stupid you are." I black out. When I awaken, I am on the floor of a hotel in the middle of nowhere. The rug is warm and I'm glad to be alone. I look up to see the door and to my great joy it is triple locked. It's the first thing I do when I come in, never knowing how the curse will manifest itself. Whatever happens, no one can be here unless it's a dream of you or a cobra you might send to keep me company. Alone is perfect because it's all I can handle. I was never able to deal with company who stays too long, unless it's you with your flesh-melting words. Almost everything and everyone outlasts their welcome. Human nature is anti-human. I dream of anonymous room numbered nights on flat ground near major highways. I always stay below the windows and I never answer the phone. I know it will never be you. --from "Solipsist"

That book is one of his strongest works, I think. That and Black Coffee Blues, and Art to Choke Hearts/Pissing in the Gene Pool.

Moonit - Captain Tractor is coming to NZ this/next month. =o) You should go see Them!

If you have seen Johnny Mnemonic, do not admit it to anyone.

The soundtrack has my favorite Cop Shoot Cop song on it: "3 am Incident"

Captain Tractor. Where are they playing? Live is here next week, with Sugar Ray and Tadpole. I wanted to go see them but none of my friends love live as much as me.

February 17 Molly Malone's; Wellington February 18 Molly Malone's; Wellington February 24 The Mill; New Plymouth Febryary 25 Castlecliff Club; Wanganui February 26 Finn Mcools; Taupo February 27 Java Jive; Auckland March 1 Irish Rover; Gisbourne March 2 Massey University; Palmerston North March 3 O'Malleys; Levin March 4 Vic University; Wellington March 5 Kaponga Backgammon Club; Kaponga moonit - I sent you some mail today. Finally! I finally sent you the tapes I made for you! I really wanted to re-do one of them because I got a few new Captain Tractor CD's and I wanted to put some of those songs on the tape, but I decided I'd waited long enough and I'll just send them. I sent a tape to Markus too. I forgot to send my naked pictures to Nate, though. next week, next week.

They're not coming to the South Island. All those places are in the top half of NZ. Yay Mail! I will watch and wait and get my butt into gear and send yours. Rhi did yours come yet?