Brandon - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Brandon Veracka.

Hmmmm. Let's see. What comes to mind?

I am 5'11", about 160lbs
My hair, well, for right now its just really short and brown. I've had just about every color under the sun, I've had a few mohawks, all the 'punk' dos.
I'm a musician / artist / scholar / E-Commerce Marketing Manager

I just started a new company called RED ANCHOR , which is a record production company and clothing line that promotes its artists, and is in co-operation with some good friends of mine.

I've been many things, thats for sure. After hearing my story, people have said that I've lived the lives of three men, and I believe them. But I'm certainly not done living yet, in fact, now I have to figure out how to live the life of me.

I was a working musician (drummer) for a few bands during my high school years, on the side I held a bunch of low-paying jobs. I go to college in the metro Boston area, Massachusetts, studying to be a school teacher, and English is my major.

As a secondary profession, I am part of a lucrative online business in partnership with my father for three years, selling motorcycle parts and accessories, which does pay the bills. The company is called Motorcycles-508.

I also have a job working as for a Family Planning company, a non-profit organization, talking to young kids about the dangers of unsafe sex, sharing needles, and illicit drug use. I hand out pamphlets about safe sex, STDs, AIDS/HIV, Birth Control & Safe Sex. I am currently learning how to test men & women for HIV and other STDs, as well as surveying the public about their sexual habits and their current/past drug use. I am an advocate public speaker for Drug Addiction Awareness, Safe Sex, STDs, HIV/AIDS, and general Disease Prevention.

But, my real passion is to someday teach high school kids and try to make a positive influence on their lives. Adolescent children are living in a dangerous world, and I believe they need all the guidance they can get.

I once led a life of overindulgence, crime, drug addiction, and dishonesty, but since Late 2006 I have been clean & sober and I am now fully dedicated to help others in similar situations. I am also an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous, better known as "AA"

I belive in equal rights and I respect women just as much as I respect men. I believe in equality and I am in no way shape or form prejudice to anyone. All human beings have a place on this earth, we are all human, whether we are Caucasian, African, Asian, Mid-Eastern, Latino or anything in between. Prejudice is still a terrible problem in America, and it needs to be neutralized. We need to come together and embrace life instead of separate and discriminate!

I have what is now a life long obsession with Cadillacs.

The Things I Love:

Music

Sex & Sexuality, both essential parts of human nature

Books.. I have a personal library of litterally hundreds of books of all kinds. Anything from ficton, to cult classics, to non-fiction, as well as books on anatomy and medicine, also have quite the collection of antique books dating back to the late 19th and early 20th century, and finally a large section of religious books

THINGS I REALLY LIKE:

learning

teaching

reading

talking

All fields of science

History

Machines of all kinds.

BIG American cars

Vinyl records; LPs, EPs, 45s, etc. I have a large collection and its always growing.

Cassette tapes

Art & expression of all kinds.

Sex!

Vintage Playboys, Hustlers & pinups.. I collect them.

MY BEST FRIEND GREG DELANEY

Women. Oh yes. More so than girls. I like mature and intelligent women, not girly girls. Women add balance and harmony to my life, and they teach me a lot about myself. As I said before, I believe in equal rights, and that definitely includes women. I consider myself a gentleman.

Guitars (along with some other custom brands) I love to play and I've been playing since I was 12. I am well schooled in almost any genre, but my favorites are blues, reggae, classic rock, and roots rock n roll.

Boston, Massachusetts.. it is a beautiful city, and many of my forefathers came from there. I feel a connection to that city like no other place on earth.

Fireworks. Soooo much fun.

Clothes, I have SO MANY clothes.

deviant &/or kinky sex, its all good.

Alternative Chicks! Suicide Girls! Thats definitely my type.

Hair Dye. I love to dye my hair funky colors.

Breasts and Posteriors (or tits & ass if you want me to be frank) they are an area of attraction on a woman to any man, whether he wants to admit it or not.

Devil-ish, satanic, and-or evilbadscarythings, always been fascinated by it, its impact on culture, and its history. I am not a satanist.

'dark' things or things considered to be 'of the "dark" nature' *But please, I am not a 'Satanist'

British Motorcycles; Triumph, BSA, & Norton

drums... I've been playing since I was 4.

bass... I play both upright & electric.

I also play the SITAR and have recorded some tracks with a few different groups, including Evan Scott's projects. Unfortunatly I can't afford one right now.

The Clash, who are the best rock and roll band of all time. I just love them.

War Veterans, especially Vietnam veterans. I have a few close frends that are 'Nam Vets, and I love listening to their stories. Particularly Greg Delaney, Ed Vierra, and Butch. A lot can be learned from your elders.

Reggae!! theres nothing like a little Reggae to lighten your mood.

Riding motorcycles on long, dusty roads to nowhere.

Ethnicity, culture, and customary traditions.

My Aunt Luanne and Uncle Mike, they (in part) saved my life by taking me in when I was at my worst.

Smoking; tobacco & pot alike. I smoke fine cigars occasionally, I like wooden pipes, and I also love to roll my own ciggarettes with the good, pricey tobacco. All those things are little vices of mine. I have to have something to do when I'm around the drinkers!

Reading; everyone should. Its therapy for the mind, body, and soul.

Building things, I have a woodworking shop where I make my own amplifiers, speaker cabinets, and furniture.

Things I REALLY Hate:

George Bush and all his little friends

wine, don't mind if you drink it, I hate it.

McDonalds

The sound of people eating; chew with your mouth CLOSED!

High-School-Age kids driving $50,000 cars daddy bought them, that disgusts me.

anime &/or Japanimation. Suck.

Velcro; hate the sound.

Circuses, carnivals, fairs, etc... can't stand 'em.

Orange pop-corn.

Fake breasts on women (unless a guy wants them in order to look like a woman, then they're okay)

the smell of bong water

raw chicken

garlic

Queen (the band)

Rooms with no windows

cottage cheese (why do they call it that?)

Club DeNiro (hahahah, anyone who knows me well will know what I mean).

'Scene' kids, fuck 'em. "The Scene" is crap.

Latex

"Gangsta" wanna-bes, you're not getting along with me.

kids who mosh at nearly any concert. Moshing is only appropriate at [real] Punk shows, like Rancid or Bad Religion, Metal shows like Pantera, Metallica, etc.. There are few other exceptions. It is NOT cool to mosh at a New Found Glory show.

amusement parks, i.e. Six Flags... lame.

Cold weather / being cold (Funny, I know being that Im from New England)

unnecessary plastic surgery. Unless you are horribly deformed you don't need to change the shape of your nose or anything else for that matter.

when people out west call Bostonians 'Yankees', that REALLY bothers me. I am proud to be from Boston.

In conclusion, I am a very unique person. Despite a large amount tragedy and ups and downs in my life, I still feel on top and my hopes and dreams for the future are always in my sights and I am doing everything I can to achieve them.

One Day at a Time

Keep it Simple

Never let anyone or anybody get in the way of your true passions and dreams.

My Interests

In my spare time, I do many different things and have many different interests:

1. Women!

2. music & art

3. build guitar, bass, and home speaker cabinets, and do fine carpentry

4. I am an electronics guru, I am obsessed with antique and vintage amplifiers, stereos, and such. I have a fairly large collection of vintage stereos. I also love to build and experiment with my own homemade amplifiers. I am an expert solderer and DIY electrician.
5. Get excercise; kyaking, bicycling, walking, swimming, and weight lifting.

6. Smoke. I love to smoke. I make my own ciggarettes, I enjoy fine cigars, tobacco pipes, and hookah.

7. Boating. I love the water, and next spring-summer I am learning to sail. I am looking for a sailboat and will be taking navigation and sailing courses this fall. I plan to sail all around the coast of New England next summer.

Thats really it for now..

I'd like to meet:

Someone who is truly different. Someone I can learn from. Someone who I can connect with on a social level. I love intelligence and I despise ignorance.

I hope someday I can settle down with a good woman. Until then, I will meet as many as I can and love them all along the way! Hahaha :D

Music:

I listen to just about everything. For example:

Blues: Robert Johnson, Leadbelly, Bukka White, Howlin' Wolf, Billie Holiday, Johnny Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Blind Wille Johnson, Son House, Muddy Waters, Janis Joplin, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Blake, Lonnie Johnson, Sleepy John Estes, Charlie Patton. (most of these blues artists are considered from the "Mississippi Delta" Genre or Era of blues, since during the ..20s that was where that particular kind of blues was popular. I LOVE THE BLUES, mainly because I have the blues. Despite my age, I have been through a lot of hard times. No my family was not slaves in the south like some of my idols', but I have suffered through many hard times, and I still struggle to maintain sanity on a daily basis. I once had everything, money, lots of friends, a Cadillac, and a beautiful woman. They're all gone now. All I got is my friends and family, and my soul. Thats what blues is all about though; singing about depression, what hurts or burns inside you. You let that come out in your music.

Reggae: Jacob Miller, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Althea & Donna, Barrington Levy, Toots Hibbert & The Maytals, Bob Marley, Dillinger, Inner Circle, The I-Threes, Junior Marvin, Lee Scratch Perry, Ziggy Marley, Mikey Dread, Augustus Pablo.

Hip-Hop: Dr. Dre!!, Snoop Dogg, The Roots, The Transplants, Biggie Smalls, The Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, NWA, DMX, Wu-Tang Klan, Jay-Z, RYK FURY, and EX.. I like most all rap/hip-hop from the late 1980s thru the 1990s. I especially like the 'street' scene with the live performers in the cities like Boston, LA, and NY with music, dancing, and rappin/emcee-in', and of course, the lowrider scene. Nothin' like cruisin' down the street in the ..64 Impala!

JAZZ:Duke Ellington, Chick Corea, Frank Zappa, Max Roach, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, & so many more

FUNK, SOUL, R&B, and GospelRay Charles, Billie Holiday, Mama Cass, Memphis Minnie, Herbie Hancock, George Clinton, Earth, WInd & Fire, Aztec 2-step, and Tony Mottolla... & so many more
Rock: Tool, I AM OBSESSED WITH PUNK, THE CLASH, Sex Pistols, Lou Reed, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Velvet Underground, Jefferson Airplane, Smashing Pumpkins, Porno for Pyros, Jane's Addiction, A Perfect Circle, David Bowie, Gorillaz, Rancid, Bad Religion, NOFX, The Misfits, Bad Brains, The Dead Kennedys, The Specials, CKY, Static-X, Sublime, Blind Melon, Butthole Surfers, Green Day (the original stuff, think 10,000hours or earlier), The Kinks, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles. I like most anything that came out of Woodstock and Moterey Pop. I also like grunge from the 90s but am more of a fan of the punk movement during the 70s, started by the Sex Pistols.

Below are the names of musicians that I listen to and who have inspired me over the years to be a musician and create my own music.

Piano Players: Ray Charles, Scott Joplin, Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, Duke Ellington

Drummers: Danny Carey, Keith Moon, Stewart Copeland, Steve Gadd, Chad Wackerman, John Bonham, John Dolmayan, Stanton Moore, Tre Cool, Jeff Porcaro, Vinnie Colaiuta, Tim Alexander, Bernard Purdie, Topper Headon, Evan Scott, Mike Wood, Brian Reid, John Wilson.

Guitar Players: Jimi Hendrix, Tom Morello, Mick Jones, Joe Strummer, Adam Jones, Devon Miller, Robby Krieger, Keith Richards, Jimmy Paige, John Frusciante, Bo Diddley, Son House, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Pete Townshend, Peter Tosh, Lou Reed & many, many more.

Frontmen: JOE STRUMMER, Maynard James Keenan, John Lydon a.k.a. JOHNNY ROTTEN, Wayne Static, Billie Corgan, Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor, Billie Joe Armstrong, Tim Armstrong, Greg Graffin.

I hold the belief that without the influence of the black musicians of America (as well as other countries), music would certainly not be what it is today. Most of the music I have grown to love is written by African-Americans and I believe they deserve more credit for what they have done. Unfortunatly many people are still either prejudice or just plain blind and ignorant. I respect all artists of all races and denominations. Music is something everyone can enjoy and I believe that out of all the musicians in the world, it is the Africans that have put the utmost passion, love, and power into it.

"Reggae is only what you hear and think is Reggae. The word Reggae means 'Kings Music' and that means its highly sophisticated, and should be highly appreciated. But it is black kings music, and that is why it is denounced recognition"

-Marcus Garvey

Movies:

At this point I'm sure its safe to call me a "MOVIE BUFF" I watch up to 10 movies a week and I wouldnt have it any other way, I think film is a great medium for artistic expression. Whether its a deep, dark cult film, a comedy, a total classic, a predictable horror flick, or a sappy chick-flick, I like them all.

"Right. So we all get old and then we can't hack it anymore. Is that it?"

"Yeah."

"That's your theory?"

"Yeah, Beautifully fucking illustrated."

Television:

It seems that I've been watching less and less TV lately, mainly because the weather has gotten much better and I'm outside more. But I still like to watch it, even though its ridiculous. I watch:

MTV & VH1

Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends, Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Ren & Stimpy

The Sopranos

Cops

AMC

Books:

I love to read. Here are a list of books I have read and reccomend:

The Rum Diary (Hunter Thompson)

Hells Angels (Hunter Thompson)

Generation of Swine (Hunter Thompson)

any version of 'Fear and Loathing'(Hunter Thompson)

Body & Soul (Frank Conroy)

'THE CLASH.. Fasion is a Passion' (Pat Gilbert)

To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller)

The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath)

The Journals of Sylvia Plath (Ted Hughes)

Mister Jelly Roll (Alan Lomax)

Is Anyone There? (Isaac Asimov)

Diary of a Drug Fiend (Aleister Crowley)

777 (Aleister Crowley)

The Book of Thoth [Tarot] (Aleister Crowley)

The Enlightened Mind (Steven Mitchell)

Tales of a Wayside Inn (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Unresting Cells (R.W. Gerard)

Hamlet (Shakespeare)

However, I don't reccomend this one if you are a highly impressionable 13-year-old, a high school kid, or a recovering addict:

Trainspotting (Irvine Welsh)

Excellent book, no doubt, but extremely graphic. Sadly for you young people, it glamourizes things that just shouldn't be glamourized.

Heroes:

A true hero to me is someone who has come out on top, who has still managed to face every single day with their head up, who has not let anyone or anything cripple them, despite a past full of tragedy, loss, death, rejection, despair, depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. That is a true hero.

My Blog

Hard Time Killing Floor

Things have been hard lately, no doubt. I lost another good friend. Though I've been spending a lot of time with Greg lately, and we share our sorrows together, and that always makes you feel better. ...
Posted by Brandon on Sat, 29 Sep 2007 10:13:00 PST

Update on my life: An amazing and prospective new chapter.

I have entered a new chapter of my life. The past five days have been full of incredibly strong feelings of enlightenment, happiness, sheer joy, prosperous and hopeful feelings, and harmony withi...
Posted by Brandon on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 08:59:00 PST

Update

I hate feeling 'alone'. My friend Greg told me about a month ago that people like us can have a million friends, they can be in a room full of people and still feel alone. I knew exactly what he ...
Posted by Brandon on Sat, 16 Jun 2007 02:37:00 PST

a letter from Fernando Enriquez to the DEA

Dear Friends, I am certain that a few of you out there (you know who you are) will fully enjoy this letter that I recently came across from Fernando Enriquez, an international drug kingpin. He ...
Posted by Brandon on Fri, 04 May 2007 09:38:00 PST