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I am a man of many hobbies. Many that I don't have time for, and many that I'll never get around to trying. I love the whole camping and hiking thing. I've hiked in Glacier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Isle Royale, the Big Horns in Wyoming, and the Ozarks in southern Missouri. I've paddled the Boundary Waters, and biked the Canyonlands. Yeah, the outdoors is okay. It's the best way to get away from people, because as we know, people suck. I've played guitar since the summer of 1988. Music has always been my favorite hobby. I haven't been a band for about 9 years. I miss that stuff. I've also played around with the tin whilstle, and my next instrument purchase will be an Irish Bouzouki or an octave mandola. I've been into celtic punk and Irish folk for a while now. Another hobby I got into, after I got out of the Marines was homebrewing. I've made stouts, porters, pale ales, whites, blacks, and ambers. There is no beer better than a homemade beer. I haven't made a batch in a coupe of years. Once again, no time. Plus, I don't drink much anymore. Certainly not enough to constitute making 5 gallons. It would probably take me a year to drink it all. (I used to drink waaaay too much!) I like skiing, but haven't gone in about 6-7 years. I'd like to try my hand at instrument building. I need more tools and time, but that's something I will get to doing. Really, my time goes
toward my job, and my wife and kids.
..I would like to meet The Edge, Bobby Knight, R. Lee Ermey, Jim Koch, and Spider Stacy. I would like to meat Poppy Montgomery.
I could go on for ever in this section. I've always loved music. Here's kind of an evolution of my musical tastes relative to my guitar playing. It wasn't till 1985 that the song Money for Nothing made me go "Wow. What is that beautiful sound?" Then about a year later, With Or Without You by U2 hit th charts and at that point, I knew I wanted to learn how to play. So it began. I was always wanting to hear something new and/or obscure, and I got into alternative music. (I hate that term, because it has become so generic.) Anyway, early on, I was really into REM, the Cure, U2, the Smiths, etc... It was more of a mood thing. Also, good music for me as far as learning how to play. My next big step came with listening to Janes Addiction, NIN, Pixies, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, it's also when I started listening to Bauhaus. And I really got into the whole punk scene. When I realised that I loved the image more than the whole state of mind, I moved on. (though I still like punk rock) Smashing Pumpkins was huge for me, then came my love for Rush. Will there ever be three masters of their instruments so well in tune with each other as these guys? I doubt it. Steely Dan...need I say more. In the summer of 2000, something happened. I was at The Half Time Rec in St. Paul and heard the Tim Malloys, and my love for Irish folk and celtic punk was born. And that's where I am now. The Tossers, The Pogues and U2 (still Irish music) are my current favorites. I know I left out a lot of bands and when I was really into them. This isn't my whole collection, but here's a lot of what I have: U2, The Tossers, The Young Dubliners, Great Big Sea, Josh Lederman Y Los Diablos, Sunny Day Real Estate, Rush, Pixies, Kings Of Leon, TV on the Radio, Interpol, Modest Mouse, Midnight Oil, Snowden, The Pogues, Filter, Nine Inch Nails, The Helio Sequence, Teddybears, Joy Division, The Beatles, Franz Ferdinand, New Order, The Cure, 7 Seconds, Fugazi, Acumen (Nation),Army of Anyone, Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, Beck, Moby, Billy Idol, Billy Joel, Butthole Surfers, Collective Soul, Revolting Cocks, David Bowie, Diffuser, Jack Johnson, Deconstruction, Tool, APC, The Tim Malloys, The Dubliners, Steely Fricken Dan, the Smiths, Snake River Conspiracy, Janes Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins (the old stuff), RHCP (the old stuff), REM (the old stuff), Prince, Pornos For Pyros, Primus, P.I.L., Naked Raygun, Siouxie and the Banshees, The Glove, Killing Joke. That was a lot of rambling, but I don't care....so there.I love these guys!
Preab San Ol Lyrics ..
I used to watch more movies than should be legal. But I don't get to the theatre much anymore. The last movie I saw in a theatre was The Return Of The King. I didn't even see the last installment of Star Wars on the big screen. What the hell? What kind of an American am I? Anyway, when it comes to movies, I like anything by Kevin Smith, Band Of Brothers, LOTR, Star Wars (uhh....six-ology?) Batman, X-men, and all that comic book crap. Also, now that I'm married, I've learned that chick flicks aren't the worst things in the world.
This is why I watch SurvivormanI love Family Guy......and Robot Chicken, Scrubs......That 70's Show, X-files, News Radio, History Channel, Discovery Channel, and lots of ESPN. I have to say, it's a damn SHAME they cancelled Veronica Mars.
Just finished: Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley
The Edge, Paul McCartney, Bobby Knight, George Lucas, J. R. R. Tolkien, R. Lee Ermey, Charlie Papazian, Maj. Dick Winters, Jim Henson, Spider Stacey, Wolverine, and this guy who plays the bouzouki on Youtube...And oh yeah, Rick Allen (the drummer from Def Leppard.) No, not for his drumming ability, but for his heart. I mean, c'mon. He lost his arm in an auto accident, but that didn't stop him. He continued to do what he loved most. That would have kicked most people's asses.