Theater ~ Acting ~ Writing ~ Poetry ~ Close-Up Magic ~ Fire Eating ~ Stage Magic ~ Human Blockhead ~ Mentalism ~ Glass Walking ~ Glass Eating ~ Escapes ~ Con Game Demonstrations ~ Outside Talking (Bally) ~ Pain-Proof Man ~ Illusions ~ Sword Swallowing ~ Wearing My Heart on My Sleeve ~ Stage Combat ~ Zoot Suits ~ All Things Sideshow ~ Graphic Design ~ Puppetry: (hand & rod / full body / bunraku / shadow) ~ Swing Dancing ~ Comic Books ~ Pool ~ Air Hockey ~ Miniature Golf ~ The Ukulele ~ Juggling ~ Games of Chance: (Poker, Blackjack, Craps) ~ Fedoras ~ Good Cigars ~ And a bunch of other things too numerous to mention
People who are "in the know", "with it", "savvy", "hep to the jive". Those who "get the joke", "are really in step", "see with eyes wide", "walk with open and bruised hearts". Dreamers who get things done. Movers that know the power of stillness. Crazy people... but NOT the bad kind of crazy like: Manson or Hitler... but the GOOD kind of crazy like Picasso or Einstein. I'm looking for idealists and romantics in a bitter and jadded world.
Here are the top 12 most played songs on the "BIG BAND" Playlist on my iTunes: It's Wonderful (Susie Arioli) ~ Are You Hep to the Jive (Cab Calloway) ~ At Last (Etta James) ~ Fly Me To The Moon (Frank Sinatra) ~ Skokiaan (Louise Armstrong) ~ Pallin' With Al (Squirrel Nut Zippers) ~ Minnie the Moocher (Cab Calloway) ~ L-O-V-E (Nat King Cole) ~ China Boy (Eddie Condon And His All Stars) ~ Mack the Knife (Bobby Darin) ~ Park's Place (Royal Crown Revue) ~ Shout and Feel it (Count Basie) /// And for those of you who are still reading this... Here are the top 25 most played songs on my "POP" Playlist on my iTunes and I make no apologies for my eclectic, albeit somewhat questionable, musical tastes... Tribute (Tenacious D) ~ Helena (My Chemical Romance) ~ These Words (Natasha Bedingfield) ~ Starry Eyed Surprise (Paul Oakenfold) ~ American Idiot (Green Day) ~ Chariot (Gavin DeGraw) ~ Because of You (Kelly Clarkson) ~ Beverly Hills (Weezer) ~ Fell in Love With a Girl (The White Stripes) ~ Holiday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day) ~ Walkie Talkie Man (Steriogram) ~ Harder to Breath (Maroon 5) ~ Give Me Novacaine / She's a Rebel (Green Day) ~ Objection Tango (Shakira) ~ Wonderboy (Tenacious D) ~ Beautiful (Christina Aguilera) ~ Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson) ~ Don't Lie (Black Eyed Peas) ~ Take Me Out (Franz Ferdinand) ~ Toxic (Britney Spears) ~ More Than Words (Extreme) ~ Wake Me Up When September Ends (Green Day) ~ Don't Phunk With My Heart (Black Eyed Peas) ~ F**k Her Gently (Tenacious D) ~ Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
There isn’t enough room on this site for me to truly pay homage to my all time favorite films. So this is just a "off the top of my head" list of films that I watch pretty regularly. Shawshank Redemption ~ Imposters ~ Big Night ~ Batman Begins ~ Superman ~ Rebel Without a Cause ~ The Exorcist ~ The Hustler ~ Se7en ~ Citizen Kane ~ Young Frankenstein ~ The Sting ~ Vertigo ~ Casablanca ~ Duck Soup ~ Taxi Driver ~ and anything involving James Bond or Indiana Jones
HEROS and anything that starts with the letters C, S and I with "Criminal Minds" coming in a very close second - rounding third is of course "Adult Swim" with a little "South Park" or "Scrubs" thrown in for good measure. My favorite guilty pleasures are of course "American Chopper" and "Miami Ink"
It would be impossible to list all the books that I love or that inspire me or are simply great fun to read. So... what follows (in no particualr order) are the last 14 books that I've read: The Magician and the Cardsharp - by Karl Johnson ~ The book of Secrets - by John Carney ~ Secrets of the Sideshow - by Joe Nickell ~ Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception - by Eoin Colfer ~ Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - by JK Rowling ~ Invisable Monsters - by Chuck Palahniuk ~ Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - by Susanna Clark ~ Rumi: The Book of Love - translated by Coleman Barks ~ Fortune's Bastard - by Robert Chalmers ~ I, the Jury / My Gun is Quick / Vengence is Mine! - by Mickey Spillane ~ Anansi Boys - by Neil Gaiman ~ Positively Fifth Street - by James McManus ~ (not to mention several hundred comic books and graphic novels
My Sister: because she's the strongest and most compassionate women I know ~ My Dad: because he will leave this world a little better than when he came into it ~ Mickey Spillane: because nobody can write a story like he can ~ and of course… Batman: because he can and always will be able to kick Superman’s ass