Mark Stratton's Blog: AGGASPLETCH, page 19
December 25, 2011
The Story Behind My Love for 'This Christmas Night' by TSO
Music has long been a part of my life. I have vivid memories of songs from the years of my life. Moments that are captured in technicolor snapshots in my mind. Some songs give me the feeling of security you have as a small child, never to really know again due to the whip and saw of daily life.
Music resonates with me, rattles to very bones of my soul. I steep in music, marinate in it. It's been a savior, friend, drinking buddy and consolation when life hits the skids. Music has brought me to ...
December 23, 2011
The Best Christmas Song You Never Heard: The Andersons – I Want a Million Dollars for Christmas
Just push the 'Play' button (That gray arrow thingie below)
The Andersons! - I Want a Million Dollars for Christmas
If you hate Christmas music, this song is for you.
If you like snark, this song is for you.
If you like tongue in cheek humor, this song is for you.
If you like kick ass power pop, this song is for you.
If none of the above apply to you, do not push the 'play' button. For more about The Andersons! just go here.
Merry Christmas to you and yours…
December 21, 2011
Reverb11, Day Twenty-Something – PARTY TIME!!!
Party Time - Tell us about the "best" party you attended this year.
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Okay, start the video – wait for the song to start, then commence reading. Grab a drink if you want, dance if you want…roller skate if you want. Live it up a little. Just don't hurt yourself. Okay? Ready?
Click here to view the embedded video.
In August 2010, my wife and I were in a pretty nasty and gnarly motorcycle accident. For her troubles she got her ankle broken. For mine, I ended up with a laundry list...
December 20, 2011
Depression Biscuits
For all the profanity that will surely ensue, I apologize. If you are bothered by it, I apologize. Still, I won't hold back. Thank you.
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Depression is a mother-fucker. It perches on your shoulder, dancing around behind your neck to the other side when you go looking for it. Whispers, taunts, riddles and sometimes crippling fear. Self-doubt, self-loathing and a heaping helping of I-Don't-Give-a-Fuck (generally called Apathy in 'Polite Company') overload your plate, your senses, your...
December 17, 2011
Reverb11, Day 17 – On Loathing, or Stupid Stuff That Really Annoys Me
Loathing - Who or what do you loathe and how have you expressed that in 2011?
Oh boy…permission to rant. Hooray!
First, the title of today's post is dedicated to @uncletypewriter (a fine person who serves up heapin' helpin's of snark on the half-shell. Whic in reality covers up a heart that is large and deep. Really, if you don't follow her on Twitter, you're missing out. F'real) who listed blog posts with titles that start with 'On…' as one of her pet peeves. I loathe pet peeves, to be...
December 16, 2011
Reverb11, Day 16 – Persevere…maybe (yarite)
Persevere: Describe something that disappointed you in 2011 and how you persevered.
And there is sits. That word. Sort of like ashes after the fire. Cold, lifeless, hollow. The curtain blew back and the charade is over. Persevere…uh huh…right.
I didn't. Not this year. 2011 wasn't a big bucket of fail, far from it. I have been quite blessed by any number of things. My daughter, family visits and parties, my grandma (saw her four times this year), a book, a chapbook, I didn't almost...
Around the Web: Interviews & Reviews
The past couple of months have been exciting ones. I released the limited edition chapbook, "Postmarks" (less than 15 copies remain!) and was greeted with solid sales. I've also had the pleasure of being interviewed twice and a couple of reviews of my work have appeared.
–Heather Grace Stewart, Canadian Poet and all around nice person included me in her 'Interview with a Poet' series last month.
–Way back in early October, Jessie Carty interviewed me about my collection, 'Tender Mercies' and...
December 11, 2011
The Kindness of Strangers, or How I Got My Ring Back (Reverb11)
Let's go back to 1985 for a spell. If you weren't around then, I'm sorry but that's where we're going. You'll have to muddle along as best you can, or fake it for a bit. We'll arrive at the point soon enough, Trust Me (and I can be believed because I'm not running for office!)
In 1985, I was 21 years old. Or young, depending on your point of view. I felt years old at the time. Hindsight tells me my ears weren't just damp on the back side, but had faucets stuck open. I was pretty close t...
December 10, 2011
Reverb11, Day 10 – Beauty
Beauty - Describe a moment of beauty that you witnessed this year.
Author: @amanda_hirsch
Beauty is so subjective. For instance, I find my wife beautiful but she doesn't see it. An all too common phenomenon, I'm afraid. There are a great many people of great beauty who don't see it, or worse aren't recognized as such by the world around them. I think this stems from our cultures...
December 7, 2011
Reverb11, Day 7 – What Do You Hope to Remember
From the list of prompts provided by Kaileen Eliese: 7. What do you hope to remember?
Many things. The god-awful cicada's that infested our area for about 5 weeks, making enough noise to wake the dead or drown out boom cars rolling past. Then, they died and stayed crunchy on the walk for days. The husks of the dead clinging to trees still, only gone because the tree was cut down and hauled away a couple of weeks ago. A local ice-cream place making Cicada Ice Cream (true story, BTW) and...
