Meme meme meme meme...
rhodielady_47 gave me the letter "G" when I asked to participate in a round of the letter meme. Here's what I came up with:
Something I hate: Greed. Especially the toxic sort that finds it easier to take what they want from those who already are wanting, rather than finding a way to create more of it.
Something I love: Games. The ones I like best test one's cooperative and competitive problem-solving abilities. What makes them fun for me is how they can serve as a laboratory and training ground for things one can use in "real life" -- but one where you can frequently put the consequences of your actions back in the box after the game is over, or throw them in the trash with the scoresheets if you'd rather.
Somewhere I've been: Germany. That's where the father's side of my family came from almost two hundred years ago.
Somewhere I'd like to go: Greece. I have a recurring fantasy of chartering a sailing vessel for an extended tour of the Aegean Sea, inviting close friends to join us for however long they can, and visiting places the big cruise ships can't dock at and sharing the local culture with folks who don't have to cater to tourists. That would probably take a couple years' income that we felt we could spare to make it a reality, and I'm not sure whether that will ever happen. But it's still fun to dream about.
Someone I know: Gary and I are enthusiastic participants in a musical culture that welcomes creators and performers of all abilities, and intentionally minimizes the difference between "performer" and "audience". He is also a significant presence in organizing and helping to operate spaces where members of this community gather and share their contributions. Some of these are part of larger events, others are stand-alone community-specific events ranging in size from a small gathering at someone's house to weekends at a hotel. And all of them are run by volunteers, because there's no money in it -- attempts to make any meaningful money off anything the community produces have all failed, some spectacularly so.
Favorite movie(s): The "Godfather" trilogy, although not III (a much later add-on, and the weakest of the set) so much. In addition to being a superb presentation of its source material, it pretty much redefined the gangster movie genre, catapulted many of its principals into much greater stature than they'd previously had, and left a significant impact on popular culture and the vernacular.
Favorite band: My musical tastes don't align well with popular culture, so I'll answer as though it referred to "musical performers". The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, more commonly referred to in English as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, has been one of the premier orchestral forces since its inception in 1751. At that time, it was one of the first orchestras to be underwritten by public subscription rather than royal patronage. Many recordings made during longtime music director Kurt Masur's leadership remain in catalogs today, and are considered reference interpretations of their material. If they ever tour through my area, I'd definitely want to attend a concert. For anyone who'd insist that a large body of musicians with continual turnover doesn't qualify (despite how some "bands" have turned over all or almost all their members), I'll offer Dizzy Gillespie.
Would you like a letter? Please leave a comment, and I'll be happy to give you one.
Something I hate: Greed. Especially the toxic sort that finds it easier to take what they want from those who already are wanting, rather than finding a way to create more of it.
Something I love: Games. The ones I like best test one's cooperative and competitive problem-solving abilities. What makes them fun for me is how they can serve as a laboratory and training ground for things one can use in "real life" -- but one where you can frequently put the consequences of your actions back in the box after the game is over, or throw them in the trash with the scoresheets if you'd rather.
Somewhere I've been: Germany. That's where the father's side of my family came from almost two hundred years ago.
Somewhere I'd like to go: Greece. I have a recurring fantasy of chartering a sailing vessel for an extended tour of the Aegean Sea, inviting close friends to join us for however long they can, and visiting places the big cruise ships can't dock at and sharing the local culture with folks who don't have to cater to tourists. That would probably take a couple years' income that we felt we could spare to make it a reality, and I'm not sure whether that will ever happen. But it's still fun to dream about.
Someone I know: Gary and I are enthusiastic participants in a musical culture that welcomes creators and performers of all abilities, and intentionally minimizes the difference between "performer" and "audience". He is also a significant presence in organizing and helping to operate spaces where members of this community gather and share their contributions. Some of these are part of larger events, others are stand-alone community-specific events ranging in size from a small gathering at someone's house to weekends at a hotel. And all of them are run by volunteers, because there's no money in it -- attempts to make any meaningful money off anything the community produces have all failed, some spectacularly so.
Favorite movie(s): The "Godfather" trilogy, although not III (a much later add-on, and the weakest of the set) so much. In addition to being a superb presentation of its source material, it pretty much redefined the gangster movie genre, catapulted many of its principals into much greater stature than they'd previously had, and left a significant impact on popular culture and the vernacular.
Favorite band: My musical tastes don't align well with popular culture, so I'll answer as though it referred to "musical performers". The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, more commonly referred to in English as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, has been one of the premier orchestral forces since its inception in 1751. At that time, it was one of the first orchestras to be underwritten by public subscription rather than royal patronage. Many recordings made during longtime music director Kurt Masur's leadership remain in catalogs today, and are considered reference interpretations of their material. If they ever tour through my area, I'd definitely want to attend a concert. For anyone who'd insist that a large body of musicians with continual turnover doesn't qualify (despite how some "bands" have turned over all or almost all their members), I'll offer Dizzy Gillespie.
Would you like a letter? Please leave a comment, and I'll be happy to give you one.