Memememememe ...
kennedy_unknown has chosen seven of my interests for me to go into greater detail about why they appeal to me. If you want to participate, leave me a comment and I will choose seven of yours to write about in your own journal.
He chose: Abandoned buildings (love), Audrey Kawasaki, Druidism, Flute, Ireland, Rabbits, and The Decemberists.
Abandoned buildings: There's something about abandoned buildings that have always fascinated me. It's this whole idea of urban decay, the modern form of the ruin, and that ultimate sense (especially here in the US) that we just tend to throw things away without reusing them. So when a building is just abandoned, instead of, as Eddie puts it so well, smashed to the floor and replaced with a car park, I find it surreal and fascinating. I'm always interested about the lives of the people that used or inhabited it, I want to walk around inside and see what there is to find, if there's anything. Especially if it gives an idea of what went on there, or maybe what caused it to be abandoned. It's like sped-up archaeology. I dunno, it just ... fascinates me. As Sally Sparrow so aptly put it ... It's sad. And I like sad.
Audrey Kawasaki: http://www.audrey-kawasaki.com Also known as i_seldom_do on LJ, Audrey is an artist. She works mostly in oils and wood/canvas, although I think she does mixed media now and again. Mostly her subjects are beautiful young girls, often nude and rather sad or neutral-faced, and often posing with an object like an animal or bug, or an animal skull of some sort. I find her art really gorgeous - I have a lot of it in my background gallery (aka my screensaver). Please scope out her art. She ranks right up there with Kurt on my list of fantastic artists ...
Druidism: I did (and still do) a lot of reading and searching about religion. I think that modern Druidism is one of my favorites and very close to some of what I really believe, and I also find it fascinating. It's a religion that is, much like Wicca and some of the other sort of 'New Age' religious movements, new but built on a gathering of old ideas. I think that ancient people had a lot of insight and were much closer to the earth and the mechanisms of the ecosystem than we are in our modern world. In that respect, I think that Druidism tries to get back in touch with those ties. I often observe Druidic practices, when I feel I want to be more in touch with nature. It may sound weird, but hey, I enjoy it.
Flute: I've played flute since 5th Grade band in Elementary school. I was in band up until 11th grade (after which I dropped out because I didn't have time/couldn't take the politics any longer), and I took private lessons from the time I began until my Senior year. After that I've practiced a bit, although I think I'm a little rusty because I always get nervous that I might disturb people by practicing. I also own and play a number of world flutes collected for me by my world-tripping Uncle.
Ireland: I'm about 60% Irish (at least, according to my Dad), and I have always wanted to visit Ireland. The US is a nation of immigrants, and I think sometimes one of the things that holds us back from being stronger as a people is that many of us hold so strongly onto where our ancestors came from ... But I still find that knowing I'm Irish is a very definitive part of who I am. And so, Ireland and its stories, history and places has always fascinated me. Someday I will visit there - I've been many places in Europe at this point, yet still have not managed it. I'll make it, though. I will.
Rabbits: Funny story ... I like rabbits, they're one of my more favorite animals. They're terribly adorable, and though I don't think I'd want to own one, I think they're wonderful little creatures for the most part (when they're not nibbling your garden, that is). I keep them in my list of favorite animals, however, partially in deference to my childhood self who, when I was around 5 or 6, decided to create a club of which I was the only member. The club was called The Raccoon and Bunny Club, as they were my favorite animals at the time, and have been two of my favorites ever since.
The Decemberists: Along with Radiohead, The Decemberists are probably my favorite band at the moment. One day, Colin said to his good friends whom he liked to jam with, let's try and write the strangest lyrics we can think of, write some awesome and odd music to go with it, and see if anyone likes it. They did. I do. And thus The Decemberists were created. I love how creative the music is, and how many different and strange instruments they use alongside the standard setup. I mean, yeah, they've got guitar and drums, but they've also got an accordion, an organ, a hurdy-gurdy, and I think I saw someone setting up a harp back there. It wouldn't surprise me, that's for sure. Their music is rich and the lyrics always tell a story, which is something I love so, so much. They have range, in that although they have a similar palate at times, none of their songs sound the same, I think. And they have so much fun, it's apparent in their recordings, and when you see them in concert.
I hope that whomever of the band members has been ill is feeling better - we don't know who it is as they're keeping that info close, but they canceled the tour because of it, so I hope it isn't anything serious, and I send them good vibes.
And I got some extra suggestions! So here they are.
Seven more from oddmonster ...
Bases: I enjoy making icons a lot. I don't always have the time to do it, or the inclination. But I do love doing it. Sometimes I just like making bases, although lately I haven't made any because I prefer to use the actual source picture before cropping it down to LJ icon size ... But bases can be an important part of making icons for LJ.
Mia Dickerson: Mia is one of my more favorite lab rats from CSI. I am sad that they went and replaced her with Wendy - I much prefer Mia. She was sassy, she was beautiful and she didn't put up with nonsense. Plus, she was OCD and I feel that. Also, in playing Henry Andrews over at csi_labs, Mia was his girlfriend and bonafide friend. She is made of awesome just all around.
Tarot: Most of the 'occult' methods of prognostication interest me. The Tarot is very interesting because I believe that, like astrology and some other forms of so-called fortune telling, it involves a certain amount of intuition and psychology that has been developed over hundreds of years. Plus ... I like to think I'm good at it. It's interesting to dabble in. Really, I look at it more as a tool to guide people in thinking about certain aspects of their life, rather than some mystical thing that predicts the future.
Gaming: I love gaming. Roleplaying with others, or playing video games, whatever form it takes, I enjoy it. It's a fun way of interacting with others, and it can be a great form of letting off steam. Especially in roleplaying form, because I love making stories, and it's fantastic to involve others in creating a story.
Trigun: What's not to love about Trigun? I enjoy it in both Manga and Anime form, although I prefer it in Manga form (surprise, surprise). Vash, in his great red coat, old and wise but acting young and foolish, traveling around trying to protect and save the people of his planet, suffering in such a lawless civilization, all the time carrying the secrets of their past. It's fantastic and fascinating, and I love the story behind it.
DMB: Really, I'm more of a fan of old Dave Matthews' than new, but even so, I truly enjoy their music. It's eclectic, and it's strange and it's definitely not like anything else. The musicians in his band are some of the finest out there, and the solos at times ... So good. It's music to just mellow out to.
Fruits Basket: Yet another wonderful piece of Japanese fiction. I've never seen the Anime, but I absolutely adore the Manga. It's a fun, sad story about a family who embody the creatures in the Chinese zodiac ... literally ... and a girl who stumbles upon their secret while trying to survive homeless in the woods. She gets taken in by a few rebellious cousins of the family, and havoc ensues ... and a little bit of love, too.
So, yes. These are all fantastic things. Oh, and if anyone has any questions about any of my other interests, let me know! I'll gladly explain more ...
He chose: Abandoned buildings (love), Audrey Kawasaki, Druidism, Flute, Ireland, Rabbits, and The Decemberists.
Abandoned buildings: There's something about abandoned buildings that have always fascinated me. It's this whole idea of urban decay, the modern form of the ruin, and that ultimate sense (especially here in the US) that we just tend to throw things away without reusing them. So when a building is just abandoned, instead of, as Eddie puts it so well, smashed to the floor and replaced with a car park, I find it surreal and fascinating. I'm always interested about the lives of the people that used or inhabited it, I want to walk around inside and see what there is to find, if there's anything. Especially if it gives an idea of what went on there, or maybe what caused it to be abandoned. It's like sped-up archaeology. I dunno, it just ... fascinates me. As Sally Sparrow so aptly put it ... It's sad. And I like sad.
Audrey Kawasaki: http://www.audrey-kawasaki.com Also known as i_seldom_do on LJ, Audrey is an artist. She works mostly in oils and wood/canvas, although I think she does mixed media now and again. Mostly her subjects are beautiful young girls, often nude and rather sad or neutral-faced, and often posing with an object like an animal or bug, or an animal skull of some sort. I find her art really gorgeous - I have a lot of it in my background gallery (aka my screensaver). Please scope out her art. She ranks right up there with Kurt on my list of fantastic artists ...
Druidism: I did (and still do) a lot of reading and searching about religion. I think that modern Druidism is one of my favorites and very close to some of what I really believe, and I also find it fascinating. It's a religion that is, much like Wicca and some of the other sort of 'New Age' religious movements, new but built on a gathering of old ideas. I think that ancient people had a lot of insight and were much closer to the earth and the mechanisms of the ecosystem than we are in our modern world. In that respect, I think that Druidism tries to get back in touch with those ties. I often observe Druidic practices, when I feel I want to be more in touch with nature. It may sound weird, but hey, I enjoy it.
Flute: I've played flute since 5th Grade band in Elementary school. I was in band up until 11th grade (after which I dropped out because I didn't have time/couldn't take the politics any longer), and I took private lessons from the time I began until my Senior year. After that I've practiced a bit, although I think I'm a little rusty because I always get nervous that I might disturb people by practicing. I also own and play a number of world flutes collected for me by my world-tripping Uncle.
Ireland: I'm about 60% Irish (at least, according to my Dad), and I have always wanted to visit Ireland. The US is a nation of immigrants, and I think sometimes one of the things that holds us back from being stronger as a people is that many of us hold so strongly onto where our ancestors came from ... But I still find that knowing I'm Irish is a very definitive part of who I am. And so, Ireland and its stories, history and places has always fascinated me. Someday I will visit there - I've been many places in Europe at this point, yet still have not managed it. I'll make it, though. I will.
Rabbits: Funny story ... I like rabbits, they're one of my more favorite animals. They're terribly adorable, and though I don't think I'd want to own one, I think they're wonderful little creatures for the most part (when they're not nibbling your garden, that is). I keep them in my list of favorite animals, however, partially in deference to my childhood self who, when I was around 5 or 6, decided to create a club of which I was the only member. The club was called The Raccoon and Bunny Club, as they were my favorite animals at the time, and have been two of my favorites ever since.
The Decemberists: Along with Radiohead, The Decemberists are probably my favorite band at the moment. One day, Colin said to his good friends whom he liked to jam with, let's try and write the strangest lyrics we can think of, write some awesome and odd music to go with it, and see if anyone likes it. They did. I do. And thus The Decemberists were created. I love how creative the music is, and how many different and strange instruments they use alongside the standard setup. I mean, yeah, they've got guitar and drums, but they've also got an accordion, an organ, a hurdy-gurdy, and I think I saw someone setting up a harp back there. It wouldn't surprise me, that's for sure. Their music is rich and the lyrics always tell a story, which is something I love so, so much. They have range, in that although they have a similar palate at times, none of their songs sound the same, I think. And they have so much fun, it's apparent in their recordings, and when you see them in concert.
I hope that whomever of the band members has been ill is feeling better - we don't know who it is as they're keeping that info close, but they canceled the tour because of it, so I hope it isn't anything serious, and I send them good vibes.
And I got some extra suggestions! So here they are.
Seven more from oddmonster ...
Bases: I enjoy making icons a lot. I don't always have the time to do it, or the inclination. But I do love doing it. Sometimes I just like making bases, although lately I haven't made any because I prefer to use the actual source picture before cropping it down to LJ icon size ... But bases can be an important part of making icons for LJ.
Mia Dickerson: Mia is one of my more favorite lab rats from CSI. I am sad that they went and replaced her with Wendy - I much prefer Mia. She was sassy, she was beautiful and she didn't put up with nonsense. Plus, she was OCD and I feel that. Also, in playing Henry Andrews over at csi_labs, Mia was his girlfriend and bonafide friend. She is made of awesome just all around.
Tarot: Most of the 'occult' methods of prognostication interest me. The Tarot is very interesting because I believe that, like astrology and some other forms of so-called fortune telling, it involves a certain amount of intuition and psychology that has been developed over hundreds of years. Plus ... I like to think I'm good at it. It's interesting to dabble in. Really, I look at it more as a tool to guide people in thinking about certain aspects of their life, rather than some mystical thing that predicts the future.
Gaming: I love gaming. Roleplaying with others, or playing video games, whatever form it takes, I enjoy it. It's a fun way of interacting with others, and it can be a great form of letting off steam. Especially in roleplaying form, because I love making stories, and it's fantastic to involve others in creating a story.
Trigun: What's not to love about Trigun? I enjoy it in both Manga and Anime form, although I prefer it in Manga form (surprise, surprise). Vash, in his great red coat, old and wise but acting young and foolish, traveling around trying to protect and save the people of his planet, suffering in such a lawless civilization, all the time carrying the secrets of their past. It's fantastic and fascinating, and I love the story behind it.
DMB: Really, I'm more of a fan of old Dave Matthews' than new, but even so, I truly enjoy their music. It's eclectic, and it's strange and it's definitely not like anything else. The musicians in his band are some of the finest out there, and the solos at times ... So good. It's music to just mellow out to.
Fruits Basket: Yet another wonderful piece of Japanese fiction. I've never seen the Anime, but I absolutely adore the Manga. It's a fun, sad story about a family who embody the creatures in the Chinese zodiac ... literally ... and a girl who stumbles upon their secret while trying to survive homeless in the woods. She gets taken in by a few rebellious cousins of the family, and havoc ensues ... and a little bit of love, too.
So, yes. These are all fantastic things. Oh, and if anyone has any questions about any of my other interests, let me know! I'll gladly explain more ...