I enjoy writing poetry/prose, reading, cooking/creating recipes, a good debate over drinks, wine tasting, vintage/trendy fashions, tedious projects, letting loose and hanging out with my pals, visiting museums, eating Japanese/Chinese/Korean/Italian/African/Southern/Jewish/
Other cuisines, bar hopping, listening to live music, viewing nature in all its glory, procrastinating/lounging around, smoking (you guess what), tennis and football (on t.v.), drag shows (not racing), following stories of criminal behavior and true tales of the weird, exploring eccentric spiritual paths, getting piercings, sex and the city, smoking(you guessed it) and then plain ol' fashioned interesting conversation. And of course, laughter.
I'd like to meet:
Well gosh, that's a little difficult. So many people so little time. But beware I have an obsession when it comes to lists. I just can't help leaving out anyone I think deserves to be here. I'd like to have met a few people,eg.; Buddha, Bette Davis, Gandhi, Jesus Christ(pre-crucifiction), Audrey Hepburn, definitely Katherine Hepburn, Richard Pryor, Socrates,June Jordan, Gwendolynn Brooks, Audre Lourde, Malcolm X, Freddie Mercury but they're dead now so I'll move on to the living. Bette Midler, Tori Amos, Angela Davis, Niki Giovanni, Oprah (who doesn't), Paris Hilton (she's hot), Terrence Howard, Woody Allen, Anthony Bourdain, Joe Pesci, Robert DeNiro, Matt Groening (and the rest of the "Simpsons" writers), Bill Clinton and Christopher Walken. I wouldn't want to have met the following: Hitler, Hitler's mother, Idi Amin, Mother Teresa, Stalin, Joan Crawford and John Wayne Gacy. But these people now reside in hell so I don't have to. And among the soon to be Satan greeters: George Bush, Gary Coleman, Don King, Rosie O' Donnell, Martha Stewart, Dick Cheney, Al Sharpton, Ray Romano, Clarence Thomas, Bobby Flay and Christopher Walken.
Music:
Beware! This could go on forever. But really I'll listen to anything as long as I'm one drunk enough and the lyrics aren't too elementary.
1. Classic Rock
Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Cream, Pink Floyd, Queeen, Santana, Chicago, Fleetwood Mac, Grand Funk Railroad, The Eagles, Van Morrison, The Beatles, The Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Kinks, America, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, The Steve Miller Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Yes, Joe Cocker, Abba, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, ELO, Jefferson Airplane, Elton John, The Pretenders, Traffic, Journey, Boston, Procol Harum, The Moody Blues, Blue Oyster Cult, Deep Purple, Iron Butterfly, The Police, The Who, The Allman Brothers, The Bands, Kansas, Iron Maiden, Steppenwolf, etc.
2. Alternative Rock
Nirvana, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, Audioslave, Heart, The Cranberries, Kid Rock, Evanescence, Oasis, Sigur Ros, Bjork, Hole, Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, Alice In Chains, The Smashing Pumpkins, STP, Radiohead, Hope Sandoval, Mazzy Star, The Smiths, etc.
3. New Wave
Depeche Mode, The Culture Club, The Cure, UB40, Duran Duran, The Cult and Cyndi Lauper.
4. Heavy Metal
Rammstein, Danzig, Korn, Nine Inch Nails, Pantera, Tool, Guns and Roses, Metallica, Slayer,
8.Classic R&B
Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Otis Redding, Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes, Sam Cooke, The Dells, The Delphonics, Earth Wind & Fire, Sly & The Family Stone, Jimmy Walker and the AllStars
9.Jazz
Sarah Vaughn, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Gil Scott Heron and Diana Krall.
Movies:
The Piano, Beaches, Full Metal Jacket, Goodfellas,
The Godfather 1,2&3, Amelie, Raise The Red Latern, Farewell my Cocubine, Libertine, Emperor And The Assassin, Once Upon A Time In America, The Color Purple, Juice, Coming To America, An American Tail, The Last Emperor, Stella, Shaka Zulu, Malcolm X, Mutiny On The Bounty, Gypsy Rose Lee(with Natalie Wood), Gone With The Wind, The Sound Of Music, The Matrix, Taxi Driver, Kama Sutra, Fire, Far and Away, Vanilla Sky, Kikujiru, Dangerous Liaisons, The Fall Of The House Of Usher, The Raven, Trilogy of Terror, A Bronx Tale, Sleepless In Seattle, You've Got Mail, The United States Of Leland, All About My Mother, Talk To Her, Bad Education, Cyrano de Bergerac, Life Is Beautiful, Schindler's List, American History X, Merry Christmas Charlie Brown(the original version), Elizabeth(with Cate Blanchett), Quills, Ameros Perros, Throne Of Blood, Pay It Forward, The Usual Suspects, The Seven Samurai,
The Seventh Seal, Deconstructing Harry, Manhattan, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, Hannah and Her Sisters, Hustle & Flow, Spring Summer Autumn Winter Spring, The Secretary, Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Snatch, Resevoir Dogs, Four Rooms, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?, The Piano Teacher, Scarface, Saving Private Ryan, Yojimbo, Dr. Strangelove, The Shining, Fred and Ginger, Falling In Love, Sophie's Choice, Death Becomes Her, Butterflies are Free, Rashamon, Fatal Attraction, Smoke, Blue In The Face, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Croupier, Jean de Florette, Raging Bull, Roman Holiday, Sabrina,
Ben-Hur, The Vikings, Spartacus, Bowling for Columbine, Eddie Murphy Raw, Contact, My Left Foot, Harlem Knights,
Miracle On 34th Street, Silence Of The Lambs, Miller's Crossing, The Professional, Immortal Beloved,
Books:
There were times when I was growing up that those who disagreed with what I was reading confiscated or even burned my books. Sounds a little Spanish Inquisition like to you,well it was. You try growing up in your typical Uber Christian household. They thought one book was sacred(quess which one), but I thought they all were. I still do today. Here are some that have touched me: Lying Awake by Mark Salzman; Africana by Appiah, Gates, et al.; the Thesaurus; the Dictionary (Oxford English, Third Edition); everything written by Edgar Allen Poe; Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros; Killing Rage and Bone Black by bell hooks; kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain; Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol; The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemmingway; The End Of Alice by A.M. Holmes; Becoming Madame Mao and Red Azalea by Anchee Min; Go The Way Your Blood Beats edited by Shawn Stewart Ruff;
Heroes:
Liquor it's gotten me through some rough times, it's given me the motivation and courage to conquer my fears and it's helped me face my shortcomings. My best-friend for helping me believe in myself.