Politics, literature, music, wildlife, Scotland, social history, language, cinema, sci-fi, herpetology, having a good discussion and a laugh with friends over a pint or two. Researching my family history.
Interesting, creative people who enjoy life and can live with the contradiction of taking it seriously while laughing at its absurdities.
Can't imagine life without: Radiohead, Moby, Richard Dawson, Martyn Bennett, Buffalo Tom, Malcolm Middleton, The Waterboys (Mike Scott's voice!), Michael Marra, Aztec Camera, Paul Mounsey, Sandy Denny, Green Day, Pearl Jam, Eels, Isley Brothers, k.d.laing, Seal, Alan Stivell, Van Morrison, Talk Talk, Dylan, Beatles, Blue Nile, SAHB, The Pogues, Incredible String Band, Bonzos, Snow Patrol, The Specials, traditional Scots, Irish and Breton music, the Robert Fish Band, Shooglenifty, Kathleen MacInnes, Deaf Shepherd, Ceolbeag, XTC, Sheila McWhirter, The Tartan Gussets, Horse McDonald, Captain Beefheart, Crowded House, Hendrix, Led Zepp, Talking Heads, Squeeze, The Cure, KLF (in an ironic, knowing kind of way), Roxy Music, Blur, Pink Floyd, Portishead... How long have you got?
My Brilliant Career, White Palace, Atonement, Brokeback Mountain, Dogma, Clerks, Clerks 2.. (Any KS film!) Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet... (Any BL film!), Blade Runner, Casablanca, Catch 22, Doc Hollywood, Donnie Darko, Fearless, Good Will Hunting, Hero, A History of Violence, I Know Where I'm Going, Inventing the Abbotts, It's A Wonderful Life, Jaws, La Reine Margot, LotRs, Office Space, Once Were Warriors, Pump Up the Volume, The Right Stuff, Star Wars, Still Crazy, Subway, This Year's Love, To Kill A King, Turkish Bath, The Wind and the Lion, Young Frankenstein, The Life of Brian, Amistad, Joe's Apartment, Gladiator, Stage Beauty, Dangerous Beauty, American Beauty, Orlando ... and many, many more
I never watch television! ...Oh, all right then - Dr Who, Green Wing, Heroes, Life On Mars, Monty Python, The Office, Father Ted, Extras, Black Books, Absolutely, Still Game, Early Doors, QI, Buzzcocks, Springwatch, Big Cat Diary, Tutti Frutti, GBH, Jake's Progress, The Secret Life of Us, My So Called Life, The Crow Road, Clocking Off, Psychos, Rome, Shameless, Shaun the Sheep, anything written by Paul Abbot, Alan Bleasdale, Alan Plater. Wildlife stuff, Horizon type documentaries, drama, comedies...
A Star Called Henry (Roddy Doyle), The Dark Twin (Marion Campbell), Under The Skin (Michel Faber), The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (Michael Chabon), Gate of Dreams (Charles Beattie), The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths & Secrets - non-fiction (Barbara G Walker), anything by Iain Banks and Iain M Banks, Annie Proulx, James Robertson, Small Island (Andrea Levy), Woman on the Edge of Time (Marge Piercy), It's Colours They Are Fine (Alan Spence), How Late It Was, How Late (James Kelman), Zen and the Art of Motor Cycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig), Catch 22 (Joseph Heller), anything by John Irving, likewise Terry Pratchett and Bill Bryson, Here Before Kilroy (Su Walton), Dune (Frank Herbert) ... I'll be adding to this!
Edwin Morgan, Paulo Freire, Stan Reeves, Joseph Campbell and.. therr's only wan Noam Chomsky... and of course Hiro.Sheroes: Mairi Mhor (Big Mairi of the Songs), Hypatia of Alexandria, Elsie Inglis, Horse McDonald.