I like rainbows, sunshine, ponies, happy faces, and fields of clover... raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens... I like disruption of the space-time continuum, alternate realities and multi-dimensions... I like wormholes and blackholes, (sunshine) supernovas and hypernovas, truth, justice and the (american) way... infidel please!
God
Almost anything and everything! Let's see, where does one begin? In all honesty, I have hardly purchased any new music for about the past 10 years or so... It's been so long, I have no idea where to begin. I bought the Killers as a birthday present for someone. I kept telling him who they reminded me of, and he just about wanted to kill me. It hurts to watch MTV, and I don't get around to watching too much of the other video channels, except for BET Uncut... fascinating. In my opinion, radio sucks, although I heard a rumour that David Sadoff was on the air again... KPFT is full of surprises, 90.9 KTSU is pretty consistent, 88.7 simultaneously takes me away and keeps me informed (NPR), and I swear 97.9 and 104.9 spy on each other and play the exact same music at exactly the same time (the mixes can be pretty good sometimes though), and just like TV, the commercials come on at the same time, and they last like 10-15 minutes... and even though I was one of many rare occasion DJ's at KTRU back in the day, I have failed to support it for quite sometime. Enough of my ranting and raving... i'll start a list and keep it coming until i'm satisfied. Here goes nothin: Miriam Makeba, Fela Ransom Kuti, King Sonny Ade, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Peter Tosh, Third World and Steel Pulse, Bad Brains (while walking down the street one day late afternoon, I happened upon a flyer... someone had put it there only a few hours before... the Bad Brains were playing at Backstage that very night. I called up my buddy Sean and away we went.. talk about word of mouth, the place was packed... shame on backstage, for their sound kept going out, and out it finally went. But the Bad Brains kept on playin' and they rocked!) Anyway, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, The Isley Brothers, Angela Bofil, Ella Fitzgerald, The Crusaders, Tower of Power, War, Barry White, The Doobie Brothers, The Brothers Johnson, The Beatles, Paul McCartney and Wings, The Eagles, and Steely Dan; AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. I developed a new appreciation for the Beach Boys shortly after my introduction to Jesus and Mary Chain. Of course, Earth, Wind and Fire. Okay, the CD's in my car most recently were Prong, SPM, Eminem, POD, Fugazi, Caterwaul, Shania Twain, Aftershock, Regaetone (sp) Remixes, Journey, Lil' Flip, 'Geto' Boys, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire (H-Town in the hiz-ouse -- please forgive me), TI, and Toho Ehio (yeah, i know... "thanks for the memories..."), Souxie and the Banshees, Soundgarden, Audio Slave and Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Gang of Four [the Fixx]... Linkin Park, Dredge and Skunk Anansie... Johnny Guitar Watson and Natalie Cole's Unforgettable... and a mixtape (cd) my brother made for me for xmas... an old school hip-hop collection from hell (thanks budddies). Ann Margaret, Elvis Presley (even though he reportedly once said, "the only thing a black man can do for me is shine my shoes."), Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis (when the mood strikes, his live recordings are amazing, even more amazing than tom cruise and katie holmes)... johnny cash, george jones, dolly parton, loretta lynn, [rascal flats], and The Doors (they make me want to drink beer and smoke cigarettes, so does Miles Davis... well the smoking part anyway).... Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life," Urban Dance Squad, Skunk Anansie, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, and of course Ella Fitzgerald... to be continued. I know, this is ridiculous!
As I think of them... Empire of the Sun, The Landlord (i think it's "Christ will never know the horror of nappy hair in America."), the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (come with me, and you'll see.... imagination), the first Dune (when I first saw it when it came out, I hated it. I was like how dare they try and cram all three books in one movie. It's all wrong... and then many years later, the WB played it over and over all month long and I developed a new appreciation), Dune (the sci-fi mini-series, they did a really good job), and speaking of Monica Belucci, the Matrix (I, II and III) and the Passion of the Christo (i don't think for the same reasons the rest of the world did), the Ten Commandments (scared the shit out of me when I was younger), the Sound of Music, the Wizard of Oz, the Secret Garden (the original), the Picture of Dorian Gray, anything with Doris Day, Logan's Run (the Island is kinda like a remake), Resurrection (the first one), Tupac Resurrection (surprisingly very moving), Heidi (with Shirley Temple), On the Town, Team America, the Hole, the Day the Earth Stood Still, the Courtship of Eddie's Father (Ron Howard was hilarious in that movie), I'll watch anything "Star Trek," the ones with the cast of The Next Generation are the best, in my opinion. A lot of people say they like Star Trek V... I don't get it.), Trekkies 1 and II (one of those fans they interviewed ended up having his script turned into a movie - I think it was Star Trek "Insurrection." Who'd a thunk). And speaking of Jean-Luc Picard... Excalibur (can you recite the charm of making? I can!). The Hunting of the President, What the Bleep ("God must be greater than the greatest of human weaknesses... and indeed... the greatest of human skill. That God must even transcend our most remarkable; to emulate nature in its absolute splendor. How can ANY man or woman sin against such greatness of mind? How can any one little carbon unit... on this Earth... betray God almighty. That is impossible.") South Park - The Movie (I have never been in a sold out theatre, where everyone was laughing their asses off so loud. It was great fun... The Professional, Once Were Warriors, Whale Rider, Underworld (so dark, so sexy, and they're making a sequal, yea!)... Galaxy Quest, The Longest Day, My Life as a Dog (not the one w/ Don Johnson), My Date with the President's Daughter (tee hee)... Brian's Song and Rudy... Night of the Living Dead w/ Ving Rhames, Shaun of the Dead; oh, and Jeepers Creepers I and II... to be continued.
The History Channel (included among its myriad of programming, UFO's and the Bible, check it out!), National Geographic Channel (and they thought Lisa Ling was an idiot for leaving "The View"), PBS (the Jim Lehrer News Hour, I am convinced he is an alien, with his black oil eyes!), CNN (Crossfire! -- I love me some Jon Stewart, but did they really have to cancel the show... and Larry King Live, he is hilarious, too bad he's leaving); the Sunday Morning political pundit extravaganza, Hardball w/ Chris Matthews, and Lou Dobbs. Turner Classic Movies; The Comedy Channel (pauvre monsieur chappelle and the "Daily Show" where I get all my important news from!); NASA (i like watching the satellite pictures of the earth... so peaceful, at night it's kinda like counting sheep, 'cause I know that if i just keep watching, at any moment an alien spacecraft will come into view); anyways... C-SPAN, Spike TV and on occasion, NO TV, it pains me to watch MTV; and of course... the Sci-Fi Channel, for without it, I am nothing... reality bites. Anything with "star" in it -- Star Trek(s), Stargate(s), Battlestar... and of course Farscape (if you can't get over the muppet factor, you're really missin' out). My guilty pleasure: VH1's "The Best Week Ever!" and Walker Texas Ranger.. 'cause the eyes of the ranger are upon youuuu... any wrong you do he's gonna seeeee... so, when you're in texas look behind youuuuu.... 'cause that's--where the ranger's--gonna be!
The Holy Bible (a fascinating piece of literature -- the greatest story ever told); The Adventures of Luke Skywalker (if such a book actually existed -- I was nearly laughed out of the bookstore when I requested it way back in the day); and "The Life and Times of Juan Carlos Loco Trujillo." In all honesty, although once a voracious reader, I have been unable to concentrate, to focus long enough to "read books" for about the past 15 years. So... any books I might be reading, I am usually reading whilst in the bathroom... too much information... sorry. I am now reading "Taltos" by Anne Rice, keeping my place with my trusty "Jean-Luc Picard" bookmark, courtesy of my friend Marissa Meza, who is always givin' people stuff. Update: I think I wrote this in early 2005; I still haven't finished Taltos... 'nuff said.
Aeryn Sun (she is a badass). My hero, my friends, Carlos Trujillo (he insists on living life to the fullest extent... of the law; and has spent the last 4½ years doing his best to instill in me the belief that life doesn't always have to be so damn complicated (yes it does), he has taught me the true meaning of unconditional love (no such thing), and he removes insects from the premises for me, refuses to kill them, but will do his best to remove them); Megan (i envy her ability to be so self-reliant, just because something bad happens, doesn't mean it's the end of the world (yes it does). I have had the good fortune of several really, really great, genuine, excellent example of people, good friends in my life; those with a drive and desire... stictuitiveness that I do not possess. Of course my family: my mom (for doing the best she could after my father died - two out of three ain't bad, i have to respect her faith in "God", as she respects my lack thereof); my brother and sister (they're doin it and doin it and doin it well), and my father (for reasons even i do not yet understand). ... awww... i am making myself so sick! Mrs. Ageno, my third grade teacher, who recognized my potential and allowed me the room to grow at my own pace, which at the time was very fast... i have no idea where that went, she also made great roasted pumpkin seeds... mmm mmm good. Lastly, my namesake, my doppleganger... she is a very successful writer, artist and activist, once nominated for a nobel peace prize, that bitch, i hate her, oh yeah, and why not... Tupak Shakur.Ultimately, the only person that you must truly have faith in, is yourself.