Embarassing myself with out of tune whistling and karaoke, attempting to edify myself and avoid being the pretentious and smug prick that I sometimes feel like inside, getting splashed at 4 am in the frigid winter by waves that go over my head after they hit the side of the boat I'm rowing in, dangling off of something and actually being able to pull myself back up, reading and trying to make sense of it all, trying to understand my purpose. And also, that feeling when I've exerted myself so much that my lungs want slap me in the face. Yeah, the burning feeling, its pretty sweet.
I'd like to meet anyone who can explain to me why nothing works like its supposed, or as easily and carefree as I want it to. Apart from that nonsense it would be sweet to meet Isaac Newton and discover what existed before gravity.I'd also like to meet anybody who has something that they're passionate about. I don't have to like or agree with your passion, but I'll respect you for putting yourself into something more than simply living and breathing. Too many apathetic and completely uninteresting people let themselves cruise through life without dedicating any emotion or heart to anything.
The Shins, Iron and Wine, Moxy Fruvous, the National, Arcade Fire, the Decemberists, Xiu Xiu, Prefuse 73, Mirah, Gomez, Death Cab for Cutie, Oasis, Guns n' Roses, Broken Social Scene, Wu-Tang Clan, Deerhoof, Wilco, Phish, Presidents of the USA, Radiohead, Muse, Nick Drake, Dave Matthews Band, the Notwist, Belle and Sebastian, Sufjan Stevens, Steve Burns, Sophia, The Mars Volta, Beastie Boys, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Stars, The Dears, REM, the Sea and Cake, Uncle Tupelo, Los Lobos, the Cure, Pink Floyd, Streets, Led Zeppelin, New Pornographers, Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, Ryan Adams, Jason Molina, Songs Ohia, and countless, countless others.
Pulp Fiction, Magnolia, LA Confidential, Memento, American Beauty, etc.
I've got a number of TV shows I like: Arrested Development, Entourage, 24, the Office, Da Ali G Show, He-Man: And the Masters of the Universe, and Sealab 2021. And Batman: The Animated Series, but keep that one on the DL. I don't need people to know I'm a comic book nerd.It should be noted that I don't have a tv, and haven't watched a tv in weeks. Its been good.
Fountainhead, Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dune, and many others. I've been starting to read some political theory books again too. That stuff is hard, but amazingly rewarding. Check out Feldman's "Without Shelter", and T.H. Marshall's "Citizenship and Social Class". They've almost half converted me from being a free market capitalist. Of course there's also Milton Friedman's works. Good stuff.
My father and my mother, for putting up with me when I acted like rotten beast from hell (that was most of middle school and high school), my sister for making me proud by kicking all sorts of ass rowing, and my brother for pretty much being the most charismatic, likable, down-to-earth, every-positive-character-trait person I've ever met.