Lately I've been interested in French pop from 1967-68. The music is such fun , and, I don't know how to describe it, so very...French.
Burning Man. Yeah, I know, Burning Man has been around for nearly two decades and is more of an institution than an anarchist's Club Med but i still want to go, damn it!
I want to explore the west coast as much as I can as long as I'm living on this side of the continent.
I'd like to meet:
I'm not a bible freak nor do I belong to any religion or denomination but if I could meet anyone I guess it would have to be Paul. That guy really fascinates me. Jesus may have started Christianity but c'mon, the guy lived out in the sticks and his his message would probably have disappeared into the multitude of religious notions that were in vogue that day. But along comes Paul and for reasons we'll never know, Paul decides to spread the word about Jesus.
Now Paul was a very metropolitan man so what was it that possesed him to spread the teachings of Jesus? Furthermore, Paul has been described as a super Jew so why did he decide to bring pagans into the fold? I think it's safe to say that if it wasn't for Paul there'd be no Christianity so given the chance, I'd love to sit down with the guy and find out where he was coming from.
Oh, wait! You mean I'm supposed to describe who I'd like to meet as a potential love interest? Dang.
Music:
Jeeze, I love music and listen to so many different artists from so many different genres that it would just be easier to list off my top 10 of what I'm listening to this week...
01. Probity
"Red River"
02. Over The Rhine
"Poopsmith"
03. The Blind King
"Punk Rock Dream"
04. The Bentleys
"For The Masses"
05. The B-52s
"Rock Lobster"
06. Mozart
"Don Giovanni/Deh! Vieni alla finestra"
07. Mozart
"Le Nozzze Di Figaro/Voi Che Sapete Che Cosa E Amor (Cherubino)"
08. Berloiz
"Les Troyens/Vallon Sonore"
09. Renne Fleming
"La Wally"
10. Bertrand Burgalat
"Ma Recontre"
Movies:
People usually ask you what are your favorite movies to get a sense of who you are. I had a list of movies that I would rattle off to give the impression of what I deeply intellectual and philosophical person I am. But it was bullshit and completely pretentious. Sure, I enjoyed "My Dinner with André" as much as the next person but was it my favorite movie? No.
So here is list of my all-time favorite movies...
01. Groundhog's Day
I can watch this movie over and over again. And, hey, despite the fact it's a comedy the movie actually does have some pretty serious philosophical quandries in the guise of a groundhog.
02. Rushmore
Wes Anderson does a great job of tapping into the imagination of being a kid as well as exploring friendship, betrayal and revenge.
03. Big Trouble In Little China
Another movie I could watch over and over again. And have. Just remember, the next time someone asks you if you've paid your dues, look them crooked in the eye and tell them "Have I paid my dues? The check's in the mail."
04. Tapeheads
One of the cinematic themes of the 80s was the buddy movie. There were a whole slew of them, like "Bill & Ted's Execellent Adventure", "Lethal Weapon" and "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead". Most of them were pretty dumb (okay, R&G wasn't dumb) but "Tapeheads" had a punk vibe ala Mike Nesmith by way of "Repo Man". The movie is chock full of pop cultural observations, devastating witticisms, and go for broke slapstick mixed with black humor.
05. The Seven Samurai
This movie's got everything: action, class warfare, romance, ethical dilemmas, humor, etc.
06. Baraka
My family watched this movie the day my grandmother died. We were stumbling about like zombies and needed something to distract us, if only for two hours, from our grief. "Baraka" is about life, death and spirituality so the move actually turned out to be a cathartic experience for all of us.
07. The Big Lebowski
It would be hard to pick which Cohen Brothers is the best but "The Big Lebowski" is the one I've watched the most. The dialogue is fantastic and Bridges and Goodman are on top of their game as actors.
08. The Matrix
This movie doesn't make the list for engaging acting and provocative dialogie but I've lost count of how many times I've watched this flick. I have a good time whenever I watch it and still get the chills I experienced the first time I saw it at the cinema.
09. 2001: A Space Odyssey
On the other hand, I've only seen this movie a handful of times but I regard it as a masterpiece. It really is epic in scope and fills me with a sense of wonder. My dad plopped me in front of the television one night when 2001 was on and it was like a religious experience for me.
Television:
I'm not one of those snobs who say "I don't watch television" with an intonation of cultural superiority. Quite the opposite. I love television and I could watch it for hours and hours. At the moment, however, I'm taking a break from the boob tube. If i was to watch television tonight it would be the Comedy channel. Most likey, The Daily Show.
Books:
Ah, books, the other question people ask to get an idea of who you are and where you're coming from. Again, I used to have a list that demonstrated how hip and erudite I am but I've tossed it out the window. Now my lists consists of books I have read repeatedly and will most likely read again. They are...
01. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
This book takes place during WW II and 1999 and involves cryptography, money, espionage, etc. It's funy as hell as well as being intellectually rewarding.
02. Player Of Games by Iain M. Banks
Scottish sci-fi by a writer who asks the question "If we lived in a technological utopian society, what would we do?"
03. Zeitgiest by Bruce Sterling
Leggy Starlitz runs scams and in this book he's crafted his very best: he's assembled an all-girl pop group called G7 who sell all sorts of merchandise. Everything but music. The gig is going great. Too bad the G7 girls are starting to die.
04. A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge
Vinge presents the reader of the living with the singularity in the form of a space opera novel.
05. Diaspora by Greg Egan
See above.
