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Still Here

On the planet too. Interestingly, another friend of mine suddenly started blogging just last week. For similar reasons--to write something everyday. Perhaps we will inspire one another. She is far ahead of me--a theme and everything. When I have a chance I will add her to friends and do all of the nifty things one does--pictures, links, etc.

About me? Read lots of books, watch lots of movies. Work. Design sets and costumes. Yes, I am a designer, and an actress, and a writer. To say this out loud. Well write it out loud. Very difficult--makes strange things happen in my chest. And yet it's true. It's not an exaggeration. I've been paid for all of them.

Work switched so I became busier than I might have been when I first started this. It's a long story, but two jobs flip-flopped and one that was 1 and a half days a week became 4 days a week and the one that was 3 days a week reduced to 1 day a week. Needless to say, I had a lot more free time in the one that was 3 days a week (else how could I reduce it to 1).

"Being named this month's Miss August is an honor I will remember for as long as I can,"--"I'm a Blonde" by Julie Brown. I'm a random thinker. It's my strength--it's my weakness. The ability to think of Petra (the city), 80's pop songs and quotes from Churchill and see their connections makes me a good designer (I think). It makes me a frustrating conversationalist. More on that later. But the point (see, I almost lost it in the digression) is that I will try to commit to this as long as I can.

Music--my obsession is Hyde. A younger picture. From a recent concert. Neither of these are my favorite pictures, but they'll do for a start. He's my addiction, my crush, my guilty pleasure. How strange to have a crush at my age. Perhaps it's healthy--to be young at heart. Or it's pathetic--clinging to the trappings of youth. There's always at least two ways to look at everything. That's a topic for another day as well. There's a lovely quote I've got on my (unpublished) web page about daydreams being unhealthy if they stop you from doing what you should be doing. Well, I'm not being divorced or fired, but I've lost sleep. Hyde is a Japanese popstar/rockstar. Most people think he looks like a girl, but most have trouble denying that he sings like a man or that he sounds like an angel. He is a solo artist and the lead singer of the band L'Arc~en~Ciel (French name, Japanese band). They are pop. They are influenced by, grew up on and therefore sound like 80's pop--specifically the English invasion. They are popular enough and old enough (older than me--which shouldn't make me so relieved, but does) and respected enough to almost be the Japanese U2.

Love 80's English pop. Love Duran Duran. There I've said it. I've always said it with the head duck, half apologetic smile, as if it were sad. But I'm not going to do that anymore. That's what this blog is about. OWNING. I love Duran Duran and what's more I think that they are very talented. MORE TALENTED THAN U2. If anyone ever reads this I'll probably get flack for that.

Love old standards--preferably sung by the greats and not Carly Simon, but I'll listen to efforts. I have a fantasy about singing standards with a big band, getting in a cab and going to front an 80's cover band.

The impressionist classics--purists don't even consider them classical, Debussy, Puccini. "Everytime I hear Andrew Lloyd Weber I love Puccini more."

Books--any books, all books. It's easy and almost (but not quite) trite to say Dickens, Austin as in everyone does and what they mean is they saw it on Masterpiece Theater. A little harder to say George Eliot, Thomas Hardy. Had trouble with Henry James and put it down. Love Edith Wharton. Moving forward--Somerset Maughm, Faulkner. Not so fond of Hemingway but some of the short stories are interesting. Capote. I like the overwritten, overdescriptive. Bradbury over Asimov for instance. Sci-fi, but I'm a sci-fi snob--which is partially my husband's fault. I want it to be original and I want it to have a strong voice. Recent books read include Ian Banks The Algebraeist, finished Joyce Cary's trilogy with The Horse's Mouth. Contrary to the thoughts of the writer of the introduction, I liked it less than the middle one, but they are amazing separately and together. Books will be a strong theme.

Movies--I love movies, all movies, good/bad/weird. There are movies I hate after watching but I'll give almost any movie a chance. My one exception is stupid, puerile comedies. Think Pauly Shore. I don't even want to try there. But I'll try horror, romance, anything. Given nothing else going on I'd watch two or three movies a night. Netflix is the greatest invention ever--well, probably not, but it's fantastic for me. Recent viewings in no particular order--Run, Lola, Run; Nights of Caberia, Downfall, The Brothers Grimm, Infernal Affairs (subded not dubded--Hong Kong version); Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Liked them all--really liked Caberia and Infernal Affairs. Will try to write blogs on them. That is another goal of this blog.

All time fav. movies is hard but it includes Wings of Desire; The Fisher King; The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, and delicatessen. It's not intentional, but that would make a German, an American, a Brit, and a Frenchman. Japanese and Chinese would also make the list, but I'd have to work through a few to find the favorite. It's easier just to say directors than individual films.

Eclectic--that's what I am.

Comments

the other Joan said…
As they say in the old country, Mazel Tov.
I look forward to many interesting entrys.

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