Things that move me. Excellent music, especially played live; dancing, singing, whacking jingly things against my left hand, exploring, eating killer food, drinking, cool art, cool movies, The Cleveland Indians, all kindsa wild critters, getting outside, birding, learning, being surprised, being a girl, flirting, roaming and roaming but never getting lost, reading better writing than I can ever hope to create. Archaeology, anthropology, history, mythology, all things culinary.
I used to list the fearless, the un-self-concious, the open-minded, the passionate, the foolish, the enthusiastic. Chefs and artisanal bakers willing to share their secrets. Bird geeks willing to share their high-powered optics. Game dance partners. Guitarists who'll let me sing along. Bush-bashers, tree-huggers and bleeding-heart liberals. Artists, musicians, DJs, frustrated novelists, nerds, losers, people who got beat up all the time in high school, but got over it. People who admit their flaws and own their imperfections. Now, I don't think I really want to MEET anybody. I just want to keep in touch with the folks I already know.
Currently in heavy rotation: The 15th anniversary reissue of "Exile in Guyville." Always somewhere in the mix: Neko Case, The Sadies, X, R.E.M., The Kinks, Gram Parsons and/or Flying Burrito Brothers, Tom Waits, The Pogues and too many more to name.
Frida, Ghost World, Mystery Train, Royal Tennenbaums, O Brother Where Art Thou, Dig!, Little Miss Sunshine, This is Spinal Tap, Amelie, Straight to Hell, Igby Goes Down, Young Frankenstein, Ghostbusters (the only movie I quote more than...), The Princess Bride, 24 Hour Party People, stoner comedies of all stripes.
What Not to Wear, religiously. Countdown with Keith Olbermann, whenever I am home at night.
The Lives of North American Birds, Return to Wild America, The Women's Encycopedia of Myths and Secrets, Psychotic Reactions and Carbuerator Dung, The Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion, Our Band Could Be Your Life, Watership Down, Kingbird Highway, The Big Year, Hokaiddo Highway Blues, A Cook's Tour, Skinny Legs and All, American Gods, Posession, Tex and Molly in the Afterlife, anything by David Sedaris
Exene Cervenka, Tony Bourdain, Lester Bangs, Kenn Kaufman