Irrelevant Information

What kind of music do I like? 

I received my first Disney record player when I was seven years old, on which I would play cartoon theme songs and abridged versions of Disney movies (which is probably why I’m so into cartoons).  The first 45 (a small record with one song on the front and back) that wasn’t directed at children was “YMCA”, by the Village People.  My family didn’t have a lot of money so our record collection came from the clearance box at our local record store which filled our record library with things like “Disco Duck”, “Donna Summer”, and the “Bee Gees” – several years after disco was over.  It wasn’t until I was 13, when I received my first stereo unit from SEARS, that I could explore music my parents didn’t listen to.  If I wasn’t listening to top 40 songs on my new stereo I was watching MTV, which catered to both my growing love for high-energy pop music and my over developing hormones.  Eventually I could afford to buy my own music.  The first cassette tapes I bought were The Cars, “Heart Beat City” and “Huey Lewis and the News”.  The fist album I purchased was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.  I was also very much a geek and bought several Bill Cosby comedy albums and the “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Radio Series”, plus extra cassettes so I could tape the Sunday night Dr. Demento radio show. 

Other bands and artists from my youth; Depeche Mode, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, Rush, Van Halen, Information Society, Madonna, and too many one hit wonders to name.  I was also into movie soundtracks like “Gremlins” and anything by John Williams.  

It wasn’t until I was fifteen and moved to California in 1985 that I graduated from the top forty countdown and found a band that spoke to me.  "Oingo Boingo" was a cross between a tribal, punk rock, jazz… actually, the band had their own sound, and their own voice – Danny Elfman, who became an idol to me for the next ten years until they bid farewell in 1996.  I followed Danny’s carrier as a movie composer for many years until I finally tired of listening to soundtracks. His earlier works, “Beetlejuice” and “Edward Scissor Hands”, were absolutely amazing.  I miss his voice and what his band stood for.  Every now and then I'll play a CD of theirs and sing at the top of my lungs, remembering why their music affected me so deeply.

What do I listen to now?  Well, after going through a five year bootlegged remixed dance music phase, I really enjoy quiet.  I don’t listen to music much anymore unless I’m driving very long distances or in my massage room.  When I do feel like listening to something it’s usually a mix CD of dance music I created, or a compilation by "Hed Kandi" or "Café Del Mar".  But, mostly I enjoy silence, because it is now often very hard to come by.

What are my favorite movies?

I don’t own very many movies except for the select few that I will never get tired of watching like “Drop Dead Gorgeous”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “Strictly Ballroom”, “Romeo & Juliet”, “Time Bandits”, everything by Monty Python, “The Incredibles”, “The Matrix” (I just pretend they never made a sequel), Mel Brook’s early movies, “Airplane”, "True Stories", "The Kentucky Fried Movie", “Love & Death”, "What The Bleep Do We Know", "SOB", and a few others.  I seldom watch a movie more than once anymore unless I’m sharing it with someone who hasn’t seen it before.  I used to be in the entertainment industry and have an extensive… almost endless… library of useless trivia in my head that I am trying to let go of… so I try to keep my exposure to a minimum so I can use what room I have left for other things.

What are my favorite books?

I have read hundreds of books, some of my favorites are “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” series by Douglas Adams, “Good Omens”, “Cosmic Banditos” by A. C. Weisbecker, “Illusions” by Richard Bach, “IT” by Stephen King, “Phantoms” by Dean Koonts, “The Complete Prose of Woody Allen”, “The Wisdom of Insecurity” by Alan Watts, The “Harry Potter” Series by J.K. Rowling, and “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz.  Except for "Harry Potter", I don't read much fiction anymore because school is taking up all my free time.  I recently read “Wicked” and really enjoyed it. For a list of books I would recomend, click on the following link: BOOKS

What do I watch on Telivision?

I grew up watching television, going from three channels to three hundred when I was twelve.  I was part of the first generation to have uncut movies, music videos, and late night nudity piped into their living rooms.  Needless to say, I’ve watched a lot of television.  Some of my favorite shows were “Soap”, “Threes Company”, “The Blackadder"”, “Mystery Science Theatre 3000”, “The Simpsons”, “Tails From The Crypt”, “Married with Children”, and countless others.  The last show I watched was “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”.  When the series ended I unhooked my cable and turned off my TV.  Occasionally I’ll rent a movie or download an episode of “Robot Chicken” or ”Heroes”, but I figured I’ve watched enough Television for one lifetime.  Plus, living without watching the news for four years has greatly affected my outlook on life.

I think that’s enough for now.  As with every thing I write about myself, all is subject to a great amount of change.

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