My Digital Ghost

 On afterlife:

“I like this place. I know it’s not perfect, but if I had my choice, I wouldn’t want to go to heaven or hell. I want to come back here. There are more stories here. And more pricks to deal with.”

-Lewis Black, Me of Little Faith 

[Listen] Is there a genre of music you never pictured yourself liking, but have become fond of nonetheless? Are there any genres you still steer away from?

[Watch]  Do you ever throw any social events based on viewing something—ike movie night, a show-themed party, or a sports-themed party?

[Read] Where do you aquire most of your books—used from friends, Amazon, going to bookstores, etc.?

Taking off to SC this morning so I’m posting these early!

[Listen] What is your favorite song about summer, or a song that gives you good summer vibes?

[Watch] Do you have any current guilty pleasure shows that you watch? If so, which ones?

[Read] Do your favorite writers tend to be those who publish tons of books/series, or those who have 1 or 2 gems?

My answers:

1) “Summer Breeze” by Type O Negative

2) I’ve caught a couple of TLC’s What Not to Wear, which was a lot more interesting than it sounded because you get to watch people struggle with their identities. Their reality TV shows are getting a bit out there, but I also caught I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant the other night and it definitely grabbed me!

3)  Somewhere in between. I don’t tend to read series, but most of my favorite writers have about 10-15 published books.

[Listen] Do you now, or have you ever, listened to new-agey music with sound effects like waves crashing and birds singing? No need to be ashamed.

[Watch] What is your favorite coming-of-age film?

 [Read] Which writer, living or dead, would you like to hang out with for a day?

My answers:

1) Yes! Back when it was a fad in the late 90s. I had a 3-disk thunderstorm CD. Why would a thunderstorm CD need THREE disks, you might wonder? Because each CD had its own unique mood: we had the gentle storm, the aggressive storm, and the after-storm among waves and birds.

2) Welcome to the Dollhouse

3) Haruki Murkami. We would drink cocktails and talk about The Beatles and cats.

[Listen] What are some of your favorite film soundtracks?

[Watch] Did you see the TONY awards? Had you seen any Broadway shows over the past year (or shows that began on Broadway but traveled to other cities)?

[Read] In what ways has technology hindered your reading/writing styles, and in what ways has it enhanced them?

My answers:

1) Across the Universe, Rules of Attraction, Donnie Darko, City of Angels, Underworld, Lost Highway

2) No, I was having a blast at the NINJA concert at the time the awards were showing! I did get to see some shows in the past year: Billy Elliot, Spring Awakening, Waiting for Godot, and God of Carnage.

3) I tend to not pay close attention to my spelling when typing, since I assume a spellchecker is there to the rescue. I feel like my vocabulary has expanded by being able to quickly look at a thesaurus in a word processor or go to a quick dictionary like onelook.com. I probably read faster now since I scan so much online.

[Listen] Are there any musical artists whose music style you love, but have a hard time tolerating the vocals? What are some examples?

[Watch] Are there any cartoon series from your youth that you’ve revisited as an adult? If so, which ones?

[Read]  What’s your favorite collection of short stories?

My answers:

1)  As much as I love Bjork, sometimes her voice makes me cringe. Other examples: Rush, Smashing Pumpkins, Tom Waits, Cranes. All have really cool music but voices I can’t take in large doses.

2)  Can’t think of any, but I’d love to see how my perspective on The Smurfs has changed as an adult.

3) Angel on the Roof by Russell Banks or The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.

Today’s questions will appeal to animal lovers.

[Listen] See how many songs you can name off the top of your head that have an animal in the title.

[Watch] What’s the most moving animal-human relationship you can think of that you’ve seen in a movie?

[Read] Who is your favorite animal-based character in a book?

My answers:

1) Wild Horses, Cat’s in the Cradle, Horses, Horse and I, Hound Dog,  March of the Pigs, Piggy, Lullaby for Liquid Pig, Diamond Dogs, Cat Scratch Fever, The Dolphin’s Cry

2) I watched I Am Legend last night, so that’s the one pressing in my mind right now!

3) Dewey the Cat

[Listen] Do you tend to go through genre phases–maybe listen to nothing but blues for a month, and then nothing but industrial the next? If so, what phases have you gone through lately?

[Watch]  At what age did you see your very first horror movie? Do you remember what the movie was?

[Read] Name one pet peeve you have with writing styles.

My answers:

1) Yes, I go through phases where I tend to favor a genre over another, though I usually don’t single one out. In the past week I’ve been listening to mostly mellower indie stuff (Tindersticks, Cat Power, Antony & The Johnsons, etc.).  And other times I’m all about industrial or modern rock darkwave.  And other weeks I’m all about Bjork, which is kinda a genre in itself!

2) I was about 9 or so when I saw The Shining, and I think that was my first horror movie. I’m actually going on a horror binge right now and renting all the 80s-90s horror flicks I never caught when I was younger.

3) When writers try way too hard to sound poetic, especially when describing things like the sky. A pink sky tells me everything I need to know about the atmosphere. You can even through in metaphors of cotton candy, vaginas, or sherbet. But leave it at that and don’t write a mini-essay on the layered hues of the evening.

Ack, I keep forgetting when it’s Wednesday! Mental schedule has been way off this month. Anyway, on to the media mix:

Listen:  Do you ever listen to audio books, and if so, what are advantages to listening to them over reading physical books?

Watch: Apparently many hardcore Star Trek fans are actually put off by the recent movie–because it’s so good. They feel like giving it a broad appeal is devaluing it by taking it out of their niche. Do you think that’s silly, or do you see where they’re coming from? Have you ever felt that way about something that was once in your subculture but is no longer considered a “sub” culture?

Read:  Any authors you’ve been wanting to check out, but still haven’t come around to it?

My answers:

1) I haven’t listened to any audio books yet, mostly because I feel like I’d have a hard time focusing on them. I can listen to podcasts because the material comes in smaller snippets and you don’t have to wait for tension to build, etc. I also assume that I’m going to be irritated by the voiceovers in audio books. I can see how disliking the voice would totally ruin the experience for me. But maybe someday I’ll give it a shot.

2) I would never be pissy because something I like gained broad appeal because it’s GOOD or it improved in some way–only if it gained broad appeal because it became more superficial or simple in order to draw in wider audiences. I’m never quick to tag something as a “sell-out.” Recently I was annoyed when I heard an underground arist I liked being played in the grocery store, but then I couldn’t think of any good reasons why she SHOULDN’T be played at the grocery store.

3)  Carlton Mellick III, and it seems he’s only available on Amazon. I’m starting a website on surrealism so I’m also looking to read just about any writer who has books relating to surrealism or magical realism.

[Listen] Do you have an “angry” playlist, or songs/artists you can relate to when you’re in a fury? If so, what are some examples?

[Watch] Think about ads you’ve seen for current/upcoming shows shows and movies–either through TV, billboards, social media, or even direct mail. Based on marketing, which items are you most likely to watch? Are there any you’re turned off to already?

[Read]  Any books you’ve started multiple times but just can’t get through?

My answers:

1) Currently Angelspit is a good angry/aggressive artist for me. Staind also has some great angsty lyrics.  I think “Aenema” by Tool is the ultimate pissed-off-at-the-world song.

2)  True Blood has some really creative and fun marketing, so that’s what drew me into the show originally. This season I was really excited about Krod Mandoon based on previews. In general I tend to be turned off by comedy previews where the “funniest” parts of the movie, which you assume they’re showing in the preview, don’t even deliver.

3) Master and the Margarita, On the Road, and House of Leaves, just to name a few. These are books I think I’ll really like if I can just get through the tedious intro chapters. Sometimes I don’t have enough patience with books.