Note: This article is a snapshot of content from my old Interests page. The effort required to keep this page up to date finally pushed me over the edge, and I installed Movable Type so I could just blog current events in my life. This article represents a snapshot of my interests, circa 26 February, 2003. For a more up-to-date view of my current interests, just take a look at my entries on the home page.
Ever since acquiring a TiVo, I’ve watched more television than I used to, because I’m usually guaranteed to have something on that’s worth watching. Shows I’m currently enjoying include The West Wing, CSI, CSI Miami, and the lovely British import, Waking the Dead. Yes, there’s a definite forensic theme to a lot of the TV I’m watching; it appeals to my inner geek.
I’m also faithfully watching Enterprise, which is a refreshing return to a Star Trek property that doesn’t completely suck (like, say, Voyager). I’m still a big FarScape fan, but I’ve been holding off watching the few episodes I’ve got on the TiVo, because they may well be the last episodes that will be produced due to really dumb decisions by the executives at the Sci Fi Channel. With any luck, the Jim Henson Company will find someone else to syndicate the show, because something this good deserves to remain on the air.
Also, my favorite British sitcom is back for a new season; As Time Goes By is a charming show starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer. It’s nice for a change to see a sitcom with good acting and characters I wouldn’t mind meeting in real life.
Musically, my tastes are extremely eclectic. My current obsession is Garbage. Other favorites include Stabbing Westward, Bad Religion, Rush, Tempest, Jethro Tull, The Paperboys, Captain Tractor, Radio Iodine, and Loreena McKennitt.
I’m a fan of MP3 audio. Yeah, I’ve played around with WinAmp before and I figured, “Cool, another web audio format; at least they got the compression right this time.” Well, several months after I learned about it, MP3 became the biggest online political issue since the CDA, and folks released hardware MP3 players so you don’t have to sit at your desk to listen to it any more. With a good CD ripper, I can drag a whole bunch of stuff with me to work via Zip disk and set it on shuffle, never having to even swap discs during the day. Too cool.
The other fun bit with MP3s is that besides freaking out the Recording Industry Association of America over copyright issues, it provides independent artists with a way to publish music cheaply, straight to the net. This also pisses off the RIAA, since they don’t get their cut. Gotta love it. Places like the Kosmic Free Music Foundation have a lot of interesting stuff (particularly if you’re into electronic music) that is very simple to get a hold of in MP3 format.
I read science fiction and fantasy; among my favorite authors are Bruce Sterling, Vonda N. McIntyre, David Brin, Ursula K. LeGuin, J. R. R. Tolkien, Tanya Huff, Isaac Asimov and Douglas Adams. I also read comic books (gasp!). Favorite authors include Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Watchmen, From Hell, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Masamune Shirow (Appleseed, Ghost in the Shell), Ben Edlund (The Tick), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), Brian Michael Bendis (Powers), and Hayao Miyazaki (Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, My Neighbor Totoro).
