(a1)
Books
(authors!) - Neil Gaiman, Tom Robbins, Diana Wynne Jones, J.K.
Rowling, Tove Jansson, Robert Asprin, J.R.R. Tolkien, George R.R.
Martin, William Sleator, Patrick Rothfuss, Simon R. Green, Cherie
Priest, Scott Westerfeld, Maureen Johnson, John Green, Suzanne
Collins, David Mitchell, Ernest Cline, Robert J. Sawyer
(a2)
Books
(specific books!) - "Illusions", by Richard Bach. "The Prophet", by
Kahlil Gibran. "Stranger In a Strange Land", by Robert Heinlein.
"Cloud Atlas", by David Mitchell.
(b)
Movies -
Movies are my major addiction. I see at least 100 different movies
in theaters each year, and I always try to see at least one more
than I saw the year before. I have more must-watch directors than
must-watch actors. Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton,
Gore Verbinski, Steven Spielberg, Hayao Miyazaki, Peter Jackson,
and Brad Bird, to name a few. My favorite movie list was getting
out of hand, so I am trying to trim it in favor of more revealing
specific favorites. Favorite romantic movie of all time? Tie
between
Amelie, LA Story, and
Love Actually. Movie of
the year? 2008:
Slumdog Millionaire, 2009:
The Brothers
Bloom, 2010:
Never Let Me Go, 2011:
Super 8,
2012:
Beasts of the Southern Wild. Best noir flick?
Leave
Her to Heaven. Best Harry Potter film?
Prisoner of
Azkaban. Saddest movie ever made?
Grave of the
Fireflies. Best kung fu cheese?
Iron Monkey. Best guilty
pleasure movie?
Josie and the Pussycats.
(c)
Shows - I
kept meaning to add a TV section to this. I somehow didn't notice
until today that OKCupid actually added the word "shows" to this
section. Anyway, my favorite show of all time is
Pushing
Daisies. Currently, like most of the internet, I am obsessed
with
Hannibal, Game of Thrones, and
Doctor Who. Other
shows I love:
Babylon 5, Firefly, Buffy, Angel, Person of
Interest, Leverage, Eureka, Bones, Monk, Breaking Bad, and
Fringe.
(d)
Music - I
listen to just about everything. And everything else. I like my
share of pop, but the surest way to win my affection is to expose
me to music that is utterly unlike anything I have heard before. If
it does not glorify hatred, ignorance, or violence, I will give
just about anything a try. While I will listen to anything, the
music of my heart is Celtic, and I have a singular obsession with
music that fuses Celtic with another genre. I own more folk metal
CDs than anyone I know. Not all of my taste is scary, though.
Favorite artists include They Might Be Giants, Oingo Boingo,
Tempest, Avalon Rising, Skyclad, Subway to Sally, Schandmaul, The
Incredible Moses Leroy, Tally Hall, Tori Amos, Tom Waits, Moxy
Früvous, Copper Wimmin, and Yoko Kanno. My most recent discoveries
are Janelle Monae, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Zee Avi, Rebecca Mayes,
Chameleon Circuit, Marian Call, Miracle of Sound, the Doubleclicks,
and the Crow Quill Night Owls. Yes, I buy music from the internet,
in both meanings of that phrase. My musical knowledge has really
weird gaps, because I don't listen to the radio at all. Most of the
music I buy, I discover by accident, and I rarely know if it's
popular or not.
(e)
Food - I'm
getting kind of a reputation as a foodie. Is it deserved? I don't
know. I tried 34 new restaurants last year. I love all kinds of
food. You could take me to Buffet Palace or Metrovino on a date,
and I'd be equally happy. I love finding exciting food, and
introducing it to people. I'm rediscovering weird cheese. I know
where to find all the best chocolate. Here are some of my favorite
Portland things to eat:
-The No Name at Voodoo Doughnut
-Artichoke tamales at Salvador Molly's
-Drinking chocolate at Verdun
-Mabo ramen at Toshi Sushi
-Ghost chile truffle at Cacao
-The Moondog at Grilled Cheese Grill
-The Royale at Pix Patisserie
-Honey lavender gelato at Staccato Gelato
-Tempura scallops at Yakuza
-Radicchio at Tasty N Sons
-Boar ragoo tajarin at Coppia
-Venison burger at Victory Bar
