So I'm off today knocked up on oxycodone for my back. Found out yesterday I have a herniated cervical disk that's been causing a lot of my problems. The pain was unbearable this weekend but at least I can move on the drugs right now.
They've messed me up pretty bad though and thanks to that evil conglomeration of Combaticon's comment here I got suckered into looking at this DivX site Stage 6 and the next thing I know I'm suckered into watching Part 2 of Frank Herbert's Children of Dune. It is a Leto thing... I doubt you'd understand.
So I finally made my way into bed around 12:30am. Me! I'm the guy that goes to bed around 8am or so!
So there I was zoned out on opiate derivatives staring mindlessly at the computer screen for hours at something that I 1) own on DVD, and 2) whose source material I've read oh maybe 50 times in my life!
Drugs're bad!
Anyway, I though I'd take this time on my beloved Plastic Crack toy blog in which due to circumstances beyond my control (well... actually they are all under my control really) to find out a little about you, visitors and readers of one of the most pointless blogs on the internets.
Now I know most of you obviously from your emails and comments. I infer things over the years from this about who you are but alas, I know more about your stupid toy habits than probably anything else. That's kind of sick and pathetic don't ya think?
So.
This post is all about finding a little bit more about you. Not one of those repeating memes or shit just you and me and our keyboards.
So...
1. What style of music do you listen to?
I listen to everything but I'd be lying if I said that the music I was exposed to in my early teen years didn't have a significant impact on me. The first music that was "mine" and not my parents hit me in 1982 with the last British invasion of music. New Romatic and many other New Wave bands have shaped and molded me into the loser I am today. But there's plenty of ska and punk thrown in there. I wish these damn labels could get their shit together and release a full and complete box set of Madness.These days, I listen to Placebo, The Shins, Iron & Wine, Death Cab for Cutie, Blue October and a whole bunch of new musicians.
My all time favorite bands/musicians would have to be The Smiths, Peter Gabriel, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, Janis Ian, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Galaxie 500, Depeche Mode, NIN, New Order, Bob Marley, Madness, The Flaming Lips, and Green Day. There are no doubt many more.
Who is your all-time favorite author(s)? What's the book that in some way had the biggest impact on your life?Hands down, if you read this site, you should know that Frank Herbert and his God-Emperor of Dune had the biggest impact on my life in terms of fiction.
Herbert, through the voice of Leto Atreides II, hit me hard at a young age and shaped the way I would view my own religious beliefts, how I would try to act in life, and helped me understand the concepts of "necessary evil" and such.
The Dhammapada is the biggest historical religious book in my life. While millions have found solace in the Torah, the Koran, the New Testatment, the Book of Mormon, and so many other texts, the Dhammapada shaped me, moreso than the others ever could.
While the culmination of events in my life prevents me from taking full refuge in the three jewels, and while I understand the need for a sangha, Christianity, especially modern warehouse revenue-generating Christianity, has forever tainted my views of any form of religious organizations.
For me it is the Dharma that is the most important thing, all else ends up being humanity trying to keep the baggage of our primitive ancestors somehow in our lives through our fears.
I also can't stress enough the impact of the writings of Rousseau, Bronisław Malinowski, Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim, Franz Boas, Thomas Paine, and so many others have had on me all of my life.
3. Who is your favorite Transformer character?
Well duh it is of course Kiss Player Autorooper.Obviously, G1 Shockwave is the character I love more than anything.
But my version of Shockwave is a melding of so many interpretations.
I have always wanted a comic-book, especially the Dreamwave interpretation, to be seen on-screen.
Corey Burton's David Warnerish 80s Shockwave voice cemented Shocks for me since I love David Warner.
It still would be a toss-up for me if Shockwave were cast in a TF film to want Corey Burton cast but actually have David Warner do an evil dark Shockwave.
However, I'd rather have Shockwave never appear if he only had 3 digitally-distorted lines of dialogue, moved around in a blurry mess, and had Bumblebee shitting little roboplasticos all over him.
4. Favorite Transformer toy?
Car Robots changed my view of toys.Understand that I came to the Beast Wars/Machines era later once the DVDs started being released.
The Car Robots/RID figures were how I got back into the toys after decades of being a normal adult male without an interest in eff'n kids toys.
But my favorite toys are probably not what you'd expect.
Sure, Black Fire Convoy is up there on the list, but RID Wedge is probably one of my all-time favorite figures. RID Scourge is tops too. Team Bullet train? Love.
But the RID line produced some of my finest and favoritest toys.
5. What's your favorite city?
San francisco, CA is the only city in the world that I've been to that has a little bit of everything I like, with an almost constant climate that is my ideal.But understand one important thing, as much as I will knock or bad-mouth Toledo, OH, I do so out of a deep love for my hometown and a deep love for the neighborhood of Lagrainka where I grew up.
So. How about you?
Who are you? Or should I say... Who are you with just a bit of TF thrown in?
1). What style of music do you listen to?
"I'm into a little of everything, though 70s-80s Punk, Glam, and rockabilly are taking up most of my time right now. I love bands like Ween (especially live), the Jicks, Beach Boys, and the Cramps."
2). Who is your all-time favorite author(s)? What's the book that in some way had the biggest impact on your life?
"My favorite authors have to be Anthony Bourdain, Poppy Z. Brite, and Stephen King. This is going to sound a bit silly, but I think Bunnicua had a pretty big impact on me. It was my introduction to absurd dark humor, and honestly was a stepping stone to getting into stuff like Monty Python and the Kids in the Hall."
3). Who is your favorite Transformer character?
"For purely growing up in the 80s reasons, Sideswipe. Red Lamborghinis were so attractive to me as a child."
4. Favorite Transformer toy?
"I think I'd have to go with Classics Jetfire because I love the design so much. Everything on that figure works for me in terms of how it transforms to how it looks in both modes. On top of this I think it does a great job of looking like the G1 show as well as keeping enough of the Veritech likeness to also sort of feel like the old toy."
5. What's your favorite city?
"Boston, MA. I've never lived there, but I had some great experiences there as a kid, in particular with my family in Quincy Market."
1. What style of music do you listen to?
Pretty much everything though I don't care much for country and I loathe any sort of Christian music. Primarily, if I had to pick a genre it would be classic rock.
Favorite bands/groups/artists in no order include... The Who, Pink Floyd, Alanis Morrisette, Tom Petty
Stuff I'm listening to the most right now includes... Nelly Furtado, The Beatles, David Gray, lots of misc of what probably falls into the category "Emo" aka "whiny baby dumbass music".
2. Who is your all-time favorite author(s)? What's the book that in some way had the biggest impact on your life?
I don't read much these days but Neal Stephenson and Chuck Palahniuk are pretty much my most notable/favorite authors. Douglas Adams I suppose as well. I used to read a lot of Dragonlance books but that was 15 years ago or so.
3. Who is your favorite Transformer character?
I've always been partial to Ultra Magnus but mostly my perception is skewed by my own personal vision of RiD Magnus. Essentially my "vision" of Ultra Magnus is RiD Magnus's Personality mixed with some of Depth Charge from Beast Wars in G1 Magnus' body.
For the record however, I despise the entire concept of "Ultra Magnus is White Prime". That's crap. Magnus is Magnus not some white prime in armor.
4. Favorite Transformer toy?
Transmetal Megatron for sure. Unfortunately both of the ones I won are broken and I can't afford a new one. He's all sorts of awesomeness though.
Second would probably have to be RID X-Brawn. I love the asymmetry at work and overall design.
5. What's your favorite city?
I suppose Chicago. I haven't been there much but it's just so flashy and awesome. I hate living in the "country".
1. What style of music do you listen to?
Just about anything minus Christian rock, Latino rap, Showtunes, and Soft Jazz. I worked in a record store for many years that actually sold LPs and that contributed to my taste being way beyond eclectic. My favorite sort of music is instrumental, funk-type stuff. And luxuria music.com is the gretest spot for music on the web for me. Their style sums me up music-wise better than anything I can think of.
2. Who is your all-time favorite author(s)? What's the book that in some way had the biggest impact on your life?
All time fav. author: Hunter S. Thompson.
Book-of-impact: 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Admittedly, I'm much more of a film geek.
3. Who is your favorite Transformer character?
Soundwave--My first ever TF toy as a kid and still my favorite, outdated or not.
4. Favorite Transformer toy?
See above. The cassettes are still the balls!
5. What's your favorite city?
New York--no doubt. My home away from home.
Never lived there but been there countless times to visit family and it's my favorite place to be. If I could get a good job there, I'd move in a second.
1. What style of music do you listen to?
Being Deaf, that's kinda hard to answer, but I will surprise you by saying I like a lotta stuff! Oasis, Blur and Nirvana were my first loves after the 80s of which I was a little too young to appreciate music then. Although I now like the Police, the Jam, Madness, et al.
Nowadays it's the like of Keane, The Killers, Razorlight and the Libertines.
2. Who is your all-time favorite author(s)? What's the book that in some way had the biggest impact on your life?
I have over 2000 books(!) Suffice to say, I couldn't really tell you who my favourite authors would be! Terry Prattchet is one. Phillip K Dick is another. I like a lot of Sci-Fi, both hard and Soft.
3. Who is your favorite Transformer character?
Hmmmmm. Predaking. Super Combining Godness.
4. Favorite Transformer toy?
Masterpiece Prime. Utterly beautiful.
5. What's your favorite city?
Vancouver, by a mile! Just love the place! How can you not? Just look at the scenery!
M.
1. What style of music do you listen to?
Pretty much anything although i tend to stick to black/death/goth/heavy metal like Mayhem, Burzum, Emperor, Darkthrone and Type O Negative with a smattering of old skool punk like Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag thrown in for good measure.
2. Who is your all-time favorite author(s)? What's the book that in some way had the biggest impact on your life?
J.R.R Tolkien and Lord of the Rings. Although Frank Herbert and Isaac Asimov border on the edge of the radar as well for their Dune and Foundation... series respectively.
3. Who is your favorite Transformer character?
That evil conglomeration of Combaticon's AKA Bruticus. Five Cybertronian criminals who were smart on their own but dumb as crap when combined...
4. Favorite Transformer toy?
It's a tie between Powermaster Optimus Prime (Got him for Christmas when i was a kid and instantly thought he was the dogs bollocks awesome) or Bruticus (My first complete combiner when i was a kid and easily my most favourite Decepticon of all time)
5. What's your favorite city?
London...Most of my childhood was spent in London going to museums and going to the lord mayors show and the marathon and stuff like that and if there's one thing i want to do with my little boy it's to show him that London isn't just Oxford Street and toy shops and Christmas lights, there's a whole city of history there for the taking.
Mark: I can't speak from any form of experience but I'd imagine in the right place, with the right woofers and speaker system, once could totally "feel" the music since it really is just vibrations.
The perception would of course be totally different but no two people, hearing or non-hearing, interpret any form of music the same way.
1) What don't I listen to outside of Tuva and music for 12 year olds on drugs? I was very much a punk kinda kid growing up. That and Ministry's late 80s early 90s output. Eventually I grew to love my father's Jazz collection as well as his Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Then in College someone forced me to listen to Enter the 36 Chambers and I realized there wasn't a genre of music I was completely opposed to. Well, except for whatever the fuck they play on Lawrence Welk. These days I mostly listen to the Pixies, Ween (ESPECIALLY Ween), 70s era David Bowie, The Stooges (anyone who thinks they like Rock and Roll should own Fun House) and MF Doom. Lately I seem to be drifting back towards Einsturzende Neubauten. Germans banging on metal goes well with a bad mood.
2) Phil Dick, Robert Anton Wilson, William S. Burroughs, Chuang Tzu (and Lieh Tzu despite being less astute and more sentimental than Chuang Tzu) Kurt Vonnegut, Alan Moore, Warren Ellis (although his debut novel was as memorable as Stardust despite the words Godzilla Bukkake appearing in tandem, his stories at least contain ideas.)
Special mention has to go to the Bible for inspiring more than half those guys in one way or another. Of all of those, Chuang Tzu helped me get my head around a very bad point in my life by reminding me very little actually matters. And "A Scanner Darkly" convinced me to stop doing (most) drugs.
3) Chris Latta. No, seriously. I doubt I'd have anything to do with the toys if I hadn't been utterly transfixed by his voice when I was much younger. Specifically Starscream, but I also muchly loved Wheeljack. I also liked Jazz a great deal (and wondered years later what he was doing on Chico and the Man), and for reasons I can't really explain, Thundercracker. Beyond the four year old G1 addict still lodged in my brain, Dinobot, Rattrap and Beast Wars Megatron.
4) JRX, Longrack, BT Smokescreen (07), BT Meister, BT Hound, RID Black Convoy and Ravage (BW). As much as I have collected them for Nostalgia reasons, the G1s wouldn't rank if I was judging them only as toys. Ravage is mostly because he was the hardest part of the BW show cast to find.
5) As many places as I've been, I just can't seem to break away from the strip between Buffalo and Toronto. It's a strange cultural bleed that's neither entirely Canadian or American. Half the time I think Buffalo would be better off if they just seceded and joined the Canadians. Also Canada would stand half a chance of getting the Stanley Cup back that way.
But I would also kill someone's pets to have another Cheesesteak with homefries and a milkshake from the Llarnech diner in Philadelphia.
1. I listen to anything but country (except Charlie Daniels) and "hip hop." My main interest is guitar-oriented music. I have every Metallica, Led Zeppelin and Tool album, so I guess you could say they are my favorite bands. You can probably put Pink Floyd in that category, too, though I only listen to The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here with any regularity. Oh, and I always leave room for Ozzy-era Black Sabbath. Round it out with Hendrix, Robin Trower, Cream, Pantera, Skynyrd, Weezer, Toadies, Stevie Ray, Van Halen/Haggar, Doobie and Allman Bros., Blackfoot, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, the list goes on.
2. The "Big Three" (Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke,) Philip K. Dick, Harry Turtledove. There are so many "classics" I I have yet to read that I don't foresee looking into newer stuff by newer authors. I read sci-fi mainly, and I especially like to read short stories, stuff about space colonies and colonization and "hard" science fiction. I also enjoy reading Southern columnist/humorist Lewis Grizzard. I don't really think any book has "changed my life," but there are 6 books I own that I have read at least 10 times each, and I enjoy it every time. The Hobbit and LOTR trilogy, Starship Troopers by Heinlein, and The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. The first four I love because of the mental imagery they always invoke. The last two have, for me, become the gold standard against which I measure any book dealing with futuristic military science fiction. While I don't regularly attend church service, and have become victim of the now cliche "disillusioned with organized religion," I do consider myself a practicing Christian. Believe it or not, I like to sit down and read The Bible. I always find something new to take away from it.
3. Favorite character is a tough one. I could say just about the entire Beast Wars cast. I could say Soundwave, Megatron, or probably half of the G1 Autobots. However, I'm going to force myself to choose and say its either Optimus Prime or Starscream. Starscream because he's always tryin' to usurp Megatron, even though he's failed time and again. I admire that kind of persistence. Optimus Prime because, well, he's Optimus Prime.
4. Favorite toy is a much easier decision. G1 Blitzwing. Just 'cause he's awesome.
5. I can't really say I have a favorite city because I've only really spent a long enough time to truly get to know only a few places. Each one has had its pluses and its faults. I'd have to narrow it down to a favorite state and that would be my home state, Louisiana. I love everything about it, from its shitty weather to its great food to its friendly (for the most part) people to its wonky politics. I really wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Well, except for maybe Hawaii...
There, I put about an hour into this thing. Hope you read it.
Well, like yourself and some of the other responders here, my own blog lays a lot of these questions rather bare, but in short:
1. Music: VERY eclectic. From Black Sabbath to The Beatles, metal from stoner to thrash to death, jazz from trad to fusion to noise, pop from Michael Jackson to the Cardigans to 80's music, Bernard Herrmann, Beethoven... Music is my first love, and I have over 800 CDs (plus MP3's plus a Rhapsody subscription plus I've recorded multiple albums myself, etc.)
2. Favorite Authors: Vladimir Nabokov; William Shakespeare; H.G. Wells; William Peter Blatty; etc.
3. Character: Forced to choose, I'd have to pick Shockwave. Logic dictates he must lead!
4. Toy: Shockwave might be up there for this, too... but my Deadeye & Cricket from the Starriors are real close.
5. City: New York, NY. Of course! Greatest city in the world.
1) Duran Duran is the greatest band ever, and is the only music anyone should listen to.
2) Douglas Coupland's Microserfs is the greatest book ever written. It was the perfect book to read at the time in my life when I read it, and when I eventually make it into the movie I've scripted and shot in my head, it will be the greatest movie ever made.
3) Orson Welles as Unicron is the greatest performance ever committed to celluloid.
4) Ravage is the greatest toy, because he was a robot and the perfect sort-of animal companion for Barbie. Because at that time Mattel hadn't see fit to give her a dog.
5) Cowtown is the greatest city ever built, because I know how to get around, I speak the language, and I'm pretty confident my own bed is bedbug free, meaning every night I get to sleep in my own bed, unless of course I want to sleep on my own couch.
Microserfs was indeed a pretty good book, but I wish Coupland would learn how to write a fucking ending. He's as bad as Stephen King.
HeavyArms: Here's hoping Classics 2.0 Blitzwing is great.
Microserfs made me cbol...
Nala: With the help of digital hearing aids, I can make out the words on most songs. The bass is my friend though. Hence why I am not a metal fan or a U2 fan, because I simply cannot make the words out!
(For those interested, I am profoundly Deaf with a 100Db hearing loss. Though I speak pretty well and can lipread people off the telly... If you wanna know how hard that is, turn the sound off and try and make out what the characters are saying...)
M.
Oh and "evil conglomeration of Combaticon's" made me chuckle as well...
Might have to start using that instead of "Bruticus"...
1) Music - Well I'm a person of shifting tastes. I never listen to rap or country, but most else is tolerable. If I had to pick a favorite style of music it usually ends up being industrial or heavy alternative.
2) Author - Okay I'm totally bad on this but I don't read as much as I should. I guess I've read snipets of things here and there and I have a vast range on interests. Hard to really peg down one favorite that jump out at me.
3) Character - Shockwave is great especially if you read the comics, they expand on him so much and I've always enjoyed his alt form and look. Second favorite would be Kup. One character that really hasn't been overdone as of late but he was just great.
4) Toy - I thought the Classics were the best and it was that line that really drew me back into collecting hardcore. I think its the nod to G1 but taken with a modern approach. I'm not a G1 purist so I'm okay with some of the liberties taken in the line to produce good looking toys. My favorite from that like is going to sound boring but Classics Prime. They took his standard look and gave it sleek angles coupled with posability it makes a fine looking figure. The head sculpt is probably my favorite Prime to date. Can't wait to see what Classics 2.0 will have in store for us.
5) City - Well only visited a few places I do love to travel but just don't get the opportunity. Strangely Chicago. It has its own feel to it. While driving there is a nightmare I love the food and the look. Indy is a close second.
1, I used to love Metallica quite a few years ago; but these days it would have to be the Chilli Peppers, The Foo Fighters & Jamiroquai
2, Besides Street Machine Magazine, the only books I read regularly these days are sporting personalities biographies & autobiographies (particularly wrestlers) - I'm sad, I know
3, Honestly, I don't have one favourite character in particular. I love some 99% of them. But then again, Mirage is pretty cool. The old style F1/Le Mans style race car just does it for me.
4, I don't have one favourite figure from all the TF Lines combined. It seems as though every line has their own distinct cool Figs. Deep consideration & reflection just doesn't reveal one or two figures that stand out among the others.
5, And the Winner is "Syd - Den - Ney" as Juan Antonio Samaranch spluttered out those words in 1993. The City of Sydney is my home city & always will be.
Great blog post Nala - shame that I am late to the party (as usual).
1. What style of music do you listen to?
Varies, but I am mostly into Rock, Hard Rock & Alternative music. Favourite band: U2
2. Who is your all-time favorite author(s)?
Neil Gaimen - best fantasy author of our generation IMHO.
3. Who is your favorite Transformer character?
Probably Hot Rod/Rodimus, since I have almost all of his toys from the various TF series'.
4. Favorite Transformer toy?
G1 Silverstreak for sentimental reasons, the first TF I ever owned.
5. What's your favorite city?
Victoria, BC, Canada - A beautiful city that I lived in for a few years while attending grad school.