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[Click for larger image.] I was lucky enough to see Black Flag play live a number of times in the '80s, around the time Glen E. Friedman shot the photo that graces this book's cover. I was an underage teen sneaking into grownup punk clubs, high on moshpit fumes (and, truth be told, lots else). The band, and that subculture that surrounded them, changed my life.

Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag explores the history of one of the most important bands, if not the most important, in American punk history.

Snip from observations by writer Joe Carducci, who was long associated with SST Records (some links added):

"[The book is] very well reported and assembled by Brit music writer Stevie Chick, author of the better of the recent Sonic Youth books

. Neither Greg Ginn nor Henry Rollins sat for interviews but their voices are included from earlier interviews, and more importantly Chuck Dukowski spoke to Chick - a first I believe. The story, laid out from the band's earliest practices in 1976 to its end ten years later, makes a far more dramatic book than the usual shelf-fillers with their stretch to make the empty stories of various chart-toppers sound exciting and crucial and against the odds. "

Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag (Amazon, book comes out later this month)

Here's a related post on photographer Glen E. Friedman's blog.

You may also be interested in some of Carducci's own writings on the subject of music and fandom.

After the jump: Glen E. Friedman shares an exclusive sneak peek at the back cover, with an '80s photo of Greg Ginn.

Nerve is running "Sex Advice From Dungeons & Dragons Players," answering questions about RPGs, role-playing, and finding mating opportunities among the nerdy. It's a delight.

What's the best way to pick up a D&D player?
If you're a geek and you see a girl geek browsing the comic books and players' manuals, don't make assumptions. Nothing irritates me more than having someone tell me what I'm holding. I know what I'm holding. Aside from the fact that I came in here specifically looking for it, I CAN READ. Instead, try a trivia tidbit or a commentary on the quality/author/whatever. Your goal is to sound interested, not condescending. For the non-geek, we're really not that strange and different, but we tend to be a little defensive. Be willing to listen, stumble through some conversation you don't have the lingo for. Don't mock. Unless your romantic candidate starts talking about their characters in detail. No one finds that interesting. Really. Get out while you still can.

Rocky

via Austin Pets Alive! on 11/13/09

From Rocky’s Foster Parent:

Rocky and his two siblings were born to a stray who was living outside one of our volunteers’ houses. Knowing that the couple was putting the house on the market, and that the new owners would probably not be as accepting of a permanent tenant under their porch, the young kittens were brought indoors and fed. Mom was unwilling to come and ran off.  Though the kittens were healthy, they were very wary of humans and stuck together as much as possible. Their previous foster kept them in a separate bedroom, and tried as best as she could to coax them out to receive some attention and food. Slowly but surely, the kittens came around; some better than others. At adoption events, all three of them were confident, but too on edge to let anyone handle them.

It was decided, as sad as it may be, to separate the siblings and send them to fosters to see if they would bond to humans. When I first received Rocky, I kept him in the bathroom so he couldn’t find anywhere to hide, and sat in there till he was used to me. Slowly, he allowed me to touch and eventually pet him. After two days of letting him get used to his surroundings, I decided to try to introduce him to my other foster, Minnie. Minnie was also raised with siblings close by, so I knew that she would probably welcome the company of another cat, and I imagined that Rocky’s anxious state was somewhat caused by the sudden absence of his (so far) life-long companions. Sure enough, the two became very quick friends, and were playing within a matter of hours. Over the next couple days, I spent as much time as I could with both the cats letting Rocky watch Minnie’s behavior around me. Rocky eventually learned that cats and humans are a pretty good match, and became more and more accepting of me. Rocky was soon seeking me out to receive (and give) love.

I think Rocky will always have some degree of that wild streak in him, and his new owners will have to be patient while he gets used to his new surroundings. That being said, he is a very charismatic cat, and would be a wonderful addition to a mellow, stable household. He loves to play with dangling type cat toys, loves making biscuits and purring, and will keep your house free of any rogue bugs. Mmm, crunchy! If you want to meet Rocky, you can set up an appointment to visit with him by contacting APA!  at email hidden; JavaScript is required">email hidden; JavaScript is required.  They can put you in touch with his foster parent.</p