Music junkie. Crappy writer. INTJ. I brush twice a day and chew with my mouth closed. I put the toilet seat down and open doors (though not at the same time). I'm also a dead ringer for Denzel Washington (or Bea Arthur).
"Are you a Buddhist?"
No. "The Writing Buddha" is a line from Kerouac's "Brooklyn Bridge Blues" (poem).
"What the hell is an INTJ?"
Myers-Briggs personality type (think sun signs/astrology for corporate America)
Here's a quick look at INTJ's:
"Ok. Any other results from personality tests?"
Enneagram Type 1.
Also took this "OCEAN" thing recently.
"Fun. I don't have time to read these things. What do they say about you?"
They say to run. Fast. "He's way too chatty, this one."
"Do you have a philosophy you try to live by?"
Why, as a matter of fact... I do. Here you go.
“Do you have a type?”
Not really. It’s pretty fluid. I think all women can be sexy and beautiful... regardless of cup size, age, race, weight, etc.,. Honestly... what matters most is good conversation. If she tends to speak in emoji, LOL-like initialisms and gives short replies (and it’s mainly just me talking to myself), I’m out. I care more about her mind than her body.
All I ask is that she knows who she is and what she wants. Transparency is key (both ways).
“What's an immediate turn off?”
Extremes, I suppose. Someone who wants to meet ASAP (without getting to know me) or.... she says she hates texting and wants everything to be done over the phone or video chat (relax... we'll get there). I'm not a fan of having a camera in my face. That said, the opposite bugs me... someone who clearly just wants a pen pal.
What else? Um... I can't believe I'm saying this (because I used to be a moderate/centrist), but if she labels herself a "conservative"... chances are she's an anti-mask/anti-vax, MAGA-loving gal who hates on "libs" and rants about "freedom!" (I'll pass). Oh, and... see my comment, above, about emojis (which I use, too... just not all the time).
"Can you explain the point of the 'Yin' and 'Yang' pages?"
Sure thing. I used to have two Tumblrs back in the day (when Tumblr was still a thing), The Infinite Ache (got the line from a Pablo Neruda poem) and Tea Leaf Dancer (got the name from one of my favorite Flying Lotus songs). Yin is a nod to The Infinite Ache. Dark. Sensual. The pleasure of the moment. Yang is a nod to Tea Leaf Dancer. All things light, bright, and positive. In the Yin/Yang symbol, Yin is the black and Yang is the white.
They're just two sides of my personality, I suppose... one dark/sensual, one light/pure.
"Where are you from?"
Chicago. Western suburbs, but lived in high rises in the city for years after college.
"Do you live in Chicago now?"
No. Orange County, CA.
“Where in Orange County?”
Do you want a key to my house? I keep the cash in a Pringles jar.
"What's the most beautiful place you've visited?"
Santorini (Greek Islands), Italy (take out all the tourists and it's the prettiest).
"What's the most interesting place?"
India. Visited a few times. Such a vibrant culture.
"Where have you been in the past year?"
I was in Las Vegas for a week back in early November (stayed at the Palazzo). Spent a few nights in Barcelona back in October and then took a 7-night cruise on Wonder of the Seas (world's largest cruise ship). Visited Mallorca, Marseilles, Rome, Cinque Terre, and Naples. Wrapped up the trip by spending 4 nights in Paris.
I also just got back from a 7-night cruise to the Caribbean. Too humid for me.
"What do you smell like?"
Meatloaf (and not the singer; ok, maybe the singer)
"Have you ever been a mule for a Mexican drug cartel?"
How far back are we going?
"Boxers or briefs?"
Neither. Low-rise trunks.
"Did you really just answer that last question?"
I really did
"Do you talk to yourself?"
I don't, no... but I can't speak for the other personalities
"What are you doing on a typical Friday night?"
- Sobbing, uncontrollably
- Acting out Cirque du Soleil in my living room
- Watching a Golden Girl's marathon
- Researching how to join a cult
"Do you shave?"
My ear hair? No. My face? Yes, but... sometimes I look like this.
”These aren’t really FAQs, are they?”
No, but let’s pretend they are so I can continue making an ass of myself
”What are some of your favorite books?”
- Their Eyes Were Watching God (Hurston)
- Beloved (Morrison)
- Lolita (Nabokov)
- Housekeeping (Robinson)
- The Road and Blood Meridian (McCarthy)
- An American Tragedy (Dreiser)
- Tales of the City (Maupin)
- Wide Sargasso Sea (Rhys)
- Portnoy’s Complaint (Roth)
- The Dead (Joyce)
"What books have you bookmarked to read?"
- They Both Die at the End (Silvera)
- The Water Dancer (Coates)
- Strange Water in Tokyo (Kawakami)
- Healing Earthquakes (Baca)
- Mary Ann in Autumn (Maupin)
"Who (or what) motivated you to start writing?"
A few things. Springsteen's Born to Run album, to start (especially "Jungleland"). It was street poetry at its finest. That song was... a novel. Then, just... Robert Smith (The Cure), in general. Such a romantic. The sexual influence came years later after having read lots of poems by Pablo Neruda and Charles Bukowski, in particular.
"Any favorite poets?”
Pablo Neruda and Charles Bukowski, for sure. Anne Sexton. Others.
“What music do you listen to? Any favorites?”
I tend to be all over the place, but here are a few:
- 70’s Roots Reggae (Bob Marley, King Tubby, Lee Perry, Congos, etc.)
- 70's Philly Soul
- African
- Andrew Bird
- Animal Collective
- Broadway
- Bruce Springsteen
- Country (mainly the old stuff)
- Cuban
- DJ Poolboi
- Girl in Red
- Fred again..
- Future Islands
- Hip Hop (J Dilla, 9th Wonder, etc.; Lo-fi, especially... which is more ambient)
- Jazz (Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, etc.)
- Reds, Pinks, Purples
- Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields, The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, etc.)
- Sufjan Stevens
- The National
- Tom Waits
- Trance (as well as Techno and House)
I also think Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift are wildly talented.
Here are links to my public playlists:
Spotify and YouTube. If you only have time for one playlist... try Eargasms.
“Ok. Some respectable stuff, but... what about guilty pleasures?”
- Journey, Abba, John Denver, Bollywood, etc.,. Here are a few more.
"What do you think is the best song ever written?"
I'd say "God Only Knows" or "O Mio Babbino Caro" (Puccini).
"Speaking of artists, what is your favorite art style?”
Abstract Expressionism, Color Field, Fauvism, Digital Art
"Art style? You're a pretentious jackass, aren't you?"
Maybe
"What are some of your favorite movies?”
- (500) Days of Summer
- 50 First Dates
- About Time
- Belle de Jour (French)
- Blade Runner
- Branded to Kill (Japanese)
- Breathless (French)
- Bull Durham
- Chef
- Chungking Express (Chinese)
- Cinema Paradiso (Italian)
- City of God (Brazilian)
- Crazy Rich Asians
- Cube (series)
- Cyrano
- Dan in Real Life
- Dead Poet’s Society
- Drive
- Edge of Tomorrow
- Fast & Furious (series)
- Field of Dreams
- Friday
- Gangs of New York
- Gladiator
- Grease
- Harry Potter (series)
- I Saw the Devil (Korean)
- Ikiru (Japanese)
- In the Mood for Love (Chinese)
- Inception
- It's a Wonderful Life
- John Wick (series)
- Kill Bill (series)
- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Bollywood)
- Kung Fu Hustle (Chinese)
- La La Land
- Lost in Translation
- Love Actually
- Love Me If You Dare (French)
- Memento
- Midnight in Paris
- Mission Impossible (series)
- Moonlight
- Mulholland Dr.
- Mystic Pizza
- Nobody
- Oldboy (Korean)
- Saturday Night Fever
- Serendipity
- Taken
- Tenet
- The Beauty Inside (Korean)
- The Equalizer (series)
- The Game
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- The Matrix
- The Night Comes For Us (Indonesian)
- The Raid (Indonesian; series)
- The Revenant
- The Sun is Also a Star
- The Truman Show
- The Usual Suspects
- Top Gun
- Upgrade
- Valley Girl
- Wings of Desire (German)
- Yesterday
"What about a guilty pleasure movie?"
Mamma Mia! Takes me back to Santorini.
"What movies make you laugh?”
Usually something stupid... but clever (e.g., Eurotrip, Sorority Boys, Mystery Team)
"What's your favorite movie genre?"
Horror, smart Rom Coms, movies like Cube/Platform... as well as stuff like John Wick/Taken/Raid.
"What were your favorite movies of 2022?"
- Top Gun: Maverick
- Decision to Leave
- The Banshees of Inisherin
- Triangle of Sadness
- Aftersun
- RRR
- Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
- The Woman King
- Tar
- The Fablemans
- The Menu
- Elvis
- Barbarian
- Violent Night
- The Batman
- Licorice Pizza
"What are some of your favorite horror films/shows/shorts?"
- 2AM: The Smiling Man (YouTube short)
- Bloody Mary (YouTube short)
- Channel Zero (anthology series on Shudder; fantastic)
- Haunt
- Hell House LLC
- Hereditary
- Host
- Insidious (series)
- Lights Out (YouTube short)
- Mama (YouTube short)
- Polaroid (YouTube short)
- REC (the original Spanish film; don't watch Quarantine, the remake)
- Relic
- Slasher (Netflix series)
- The Blair Witch Project
- The Collector
- The Conjuring (series)
- The Descent
- The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix series; Hill House is scarier, though)
- The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix series)
- The Ring
- The Strangers
"What are your all-time favorite TV shows?”
- Black Mirror (top 5)
- Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Doctor Who
- Fawlty Towers
- Game of Thrones (top 5)
- Miami Vice
- Northern Exposure (top 5)
- Seinfeld
- South Park
- The Honeymooners
- The OC
- The Prisoner
- The Sopranos
- The Twilight Zone (top 5)
- The West Wing
- The X-Files (top 5)
"What recent shows (last few years) do you like?"
- 1899 (Netflix)
- Acapulco (Apple TV+)
- All of Us Are Dead (Netflix)
- Black Mirror (Netflix)
- Brand New Cherry Flavor (Netflix)
- Calls (Apple TV+)
- Dark (Amazon; German)
- From (EPIX)
- Into the Night (Netflix)
- Jack Ryan (Amazon)
- Loki (Disney+)
- Love Death + Robots (Netflix)
- Modern Love (Amazon)
- Normal People (Hulu)
- Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
- Outer Range (Amazon)
- Parallels (Disney+)
- Poker Face (Peacock)
- Reacher (Amazon)
- Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
- Servant (Apple TV+)
- Severance (Apple TV+)
- Silo (Apple TV+)
- Sky Rojo (Netflix)
- Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)
- Squid Game (Netflix; Korean)
- Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
- The Afterparty (Apple TV+)
- The Boys (Amazon)
- The Sinner (Netflix)
- Them (Amazon)
- Tokyo Girl (Amazon; Japanese)
- Upload (Amazon)
- Wednesday (Netflix)
- Westworld (HBO Max)
- The White Lotus (HBO Max)
- You (Amazon)
Asian rom coms, too (Korean and, to a lesser extent, Taiwanese).
“Asian rom coms? Are you serious?”
Yup. The happy endings are a guilty pleasure. Most are on Viki, but some are on Netflix.
"Ok. What Asian rom coms should I watch?"
- Boys Over Flowers (Korean; Netflix/Viki)
- Business Proposal (Korean; Netflix)
- Familiar Wife (Korean; one of my favorites; Netflix)
- Go Back Couple (Korean; one of my favorites; Viki)
- Goblin (Korean; Viki; also goes by "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)
- Good Morning Call (Japanese; Netflix)
- Hometown Cha Cha Cha (Korean; Netflix)
- Just You (Taiwanese; one of my favorites; Netflix)
- Oh My Venus (Korean; one of my favorites; Viki)
- Office Girls (Taiwanese; Netflix)
- Playful Kiss (Korean; Viki)
- Refresh Man (Taiwanese; Netflix)
- Rooftop Prince (Korean; Viki)
- She Was Pretty (Korean; one of my favorites; Viki)
- Splash Splash Love (Korean; Viki)
- Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (Korean; Viki)
- What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (Korean: Viki)
"What's the stupidest movie you've seen lately?"
The last Fast & Furious film. Love the series, but... cars in space? No.
"Do you work out?"
Before the recent apocalypse, I used to go to LA Fitness 4-5 days a week. Was down to about 140-150 lbs, but have since had one too many cheeseburgers. I'll get back to it, but... I haven't worked out in some time.
"Do you play sports at all?”
I swam competitively from age 6 through college, but no... not really
"What about watching it on TV?"
Baseball and golf can be relaxing (and disc golf, as strange as it is), but I'd rather watch my girl than a bunch of guys playing with their balls. Ok, so... college football and basketball is always fun to watch. I've also been watching a lot of college softball lately (girls; no idea why; on ESPN via YouTube TV).
"Do you go camping/hiking/biking/etc.?"
I like to bike (and I like watching camping videos), but I'm not a big outdoorsy guy. Camping looks like a lot of fun (especially winter camping... which I'd love to experience), but I'd rather skip the insects and potential bear attacks and check into a Ritz-Carlton (with a fully-stocked bar, 5-star spa, and a nice, comfy bed).
"Do you play video games?"
A little. Xbox, mainly. Usually sports or racing games. Here are some favorites.
- MLB The Show 23 (baseball; what I play most... by far; Xbox)
- PGA Tour 2K23 (golf; Xbox & Switch)
- Super Mega Baseball 4 (baseball; Xbox)
- Forza Horizon 5 (racing; Xbox)
- Horizon Chase 2/Turbo (retro racing; Xbox)
"Are you a foodie?"
Um... yeah. I love to cook, eat out, and post poorly-written Yelp reviews.
"Any favorite restaurants?”
A lot of them are in Las Vegas, but yeah
- Babe's Chicken Dinner House (Dallas)
- Bar Canete (Barcelona, Spain)
- Bouchon (Las Vegas)
- Brodard's (Fountain Valley)
- Carbone (Las Vegas)
- Chez Fernand (Paris. France)
- Din Tai Fung (various locations)
- Havana 1957 (Miami Beach)
- Heaven on Seven (Chicago)
- II Chianti Vineria (Rome, Italy)
- Javier's (various locations)
- La Carreta (Miami)
- Langer's (Los Angeles)
- Le Bistrot d'Henri (Paris, France)
- Lola's (Las Vegas)
- Lotus of Siam (Las Vegas)
- Lou Malnati's (Chicago)
- Mastro's (various locations)
- Momofuku (Las Vegas)
- Mott 32 (Las Vegas)
- Nobu (Las Vegas)
- Palette Tea House (San Francisco)
- Pecan Lodge (Dallas)
- Portillo's (Buena Park, Chicago)
- Porto's (Buena Park)
- Sally's Apizza (New Haven)
- SushiSamba (Las Vegas)
- Taverna Al Remer (Venice, Italy)
- Tommaso's (San Francisco)
- Vox Kitchen (Fountain Valley)
"What's your favorite type of restaurant?"
Probably a Jewish deli. So much good food. Mmm... a hot pastrami.
"What do you always order if it’s on the menu?”
Short rib, carnitas, tacos al pastor, shrimp & grits, fried chicken, spicy won ton's
"What's your favorite food... period?"
Bacon. If you don't like it, we can't be friends. Ok, maybe we can.
"What cuisine do you think people are missing out on?"
Oh, god... Cuban and Peruvian. Run to the nearest restaurant, don't walk.
"What's your adult beverage of choice?"
Wine. Old Fashioned (if made properly). Stouts. Mezcal.
"What words cause you to roll your eyes?"
Bro or dude (say it and your IQ drops). Influencer (those people are so cringey).
"What was your most humbling experience?"
This
"What's one thing you've always wanted to learn more about?"
Physics (M-theory, etc.) and metaphysics/philosophy (solipsism, etc.)
"Any comedy specials on Netflix that you recommend?"
Yup. Ali Wong's "Baby Cobra" and "Don Won" specials.
“Who would you love to sit down and have a beer with?
Anthony Bourdain (don't think that's in the cards). I'm not really into celebrities, though. I think it's weird that society fawns all over them (especially the Kardashians of the world... who've done absolutely nothing to earn the attention - those famous for being famous). Some might be gifted at what they do, but they're just people at the end of the day. They may live in nicer houses and travel more, but they take a shit just like the rest of us. I've seen plenty of celebrities over the years. I have no interest in getting an autograph or photo. It's stupid.
"So you wouldn't be starstruck by anyone? Not one person?"
Ok, well... while I'm a Springsteen fanatic, it would be Paul McCartney.
"What's your setup like for working from home?"
Glad you asked
I switch between my work laptop (Dell; Windows 10) and Mac Mini (personal). The main monitor is a 27" LG 4K monitor, flanked by two 24" monitors. A Logitech HD cam for Zoom meetings. Gooseneck lamp with remote control. Docking station. MX Keys keyboard and MX Master 3 mouse (works with both).
Bose SoundLink Mini II for conference calls. Bose QC II Earbuds for when I need noise cancellation (e.g., thanks, landscapers). When I'm working, I use the middle & right monitors and keep the left one for the Mac (using a separate keyboard & mouse)... unless I need all 3. At night and on weekends, I use all 3 monitors for the Mac.
Herman Miller chair.
"Did we really need to know all that?"
God no. I'm just completely geeking out.
"Jesus. Is there anything you're not willing to share?"
Not really. Click here for a bit of TMI.
"Are you a Buddhist?"
No. "The Writing Buddha" is a line from Kerouac's "Brooklyn Bridge Blues" (poem).
"What the hell is an INTJ?"
Myers-Briggs personality type (think sun signs/astrology for corporate America)
Here's a quick look at INTJ's:
"Ok. Any other results from personality tests?"
Enneagram Type 1.
Also took this "OCEAN" thing recently.
"Fun. I don't have time to read these things. What do they say about you?"
They say to run. Fast. "He's way too chatty, this one."
"Do you have a philosophy you try to live by?"
Why, as a matter of fact... I do. Here you go.
“Do you have a type?”
Not really. It’s pretty fluid. I think all women can be sexy and beautiful... regardless of cup size, age, race, weight, etc.,. Honestly... what matters most is good conversation. If she tends to speak in emoji, LOL-like initialisms and gives short replies (and it’s mainly just me talking to myself), I’m out. I care more about her mind than her body.
All I ask is that she knows who she is and what she wants. Transparency is key (both ways).
“What's an immediate turn off?”
Extremes, I suppose. Someone who wants to meet ASAP (without getting to know me) or.... she says she hates texting and wants everything to be done over the phone or video chat (relax... we'll get there). I'm not a fan of having a camera in my face. That said, the opposite bugs me... someone who clearly just wants a pen pal.
What else? Um... I can't believe I'm saying this (because I used to be a moderate/centrist), but if she labels herself a "conservative"... chances are she's an anti-mask/anti-vax, MAGA-loving gal who hates on "libs" and rants about "freedom!" (I'll pass). Oh, and... see my comment, above, about emojis (which I use, too... just not all the time).
"Can you explain the point of the 'Yin' and 'Yang' pages?"
Sure thing. I used to have two Tumblrs back in the day (when Tumblr was still a thing), The Infinite Ache (got the line from a Pablo Neruda poem) and Tea Leaf Dancer (got the name from one of my favorite Flying Lotus songs). Yin is a nod to The Infinite Ache. Dark. Sensual. The pleasure of the moment. Yang is a nod to Tea Leaf Dancer. All things light, bright, and positive. In the Yin/Yang symbol, Yin is the black and Yang is the white.
They're just two sides of my personality, I suppose... one dark/sensual, one light/pure.
"Where are you from?"
Chicago. Western suburbs, but lived in high rises in the city for years after college.
"Do you live in Chicago now?"
No. Orange County, CA.
“Where in Orange County?”
Do you want a key to my house? I keep the cash in a Pringles jar.
"What's the most beautiful place you've visited?"
Santorini (Greek Islands), Italy (take out all the tourists and it's the prettiest).
"What's the most interesting place?"
India. Visited a few times. Such a vibrant culture.
"Where have you been in the past year?"
I was in Las Vegas for a week back in early November (stayed at the Palazzo). Spent a few nights in Barcelona back in October and then took a 7-night cruise on Wonder of the Seas (world's largest cruise ship). Visited Mallorca, Marseilles, Rome, Cinque Terre, and Naples. Wrapped up the trip by spending 4 nights in Paris.
I also just got back from a 7-night cruise to the Caribbean. Too humid for me.
"What do you smell like?"
Meatloaf (and not the singer; ok, maybe the singer)
"Have you ever been a mule for a Mexican drug cartel?"
How far back are we going?
"Boxers or briefs?"
Neither. Low-rise trunks.
"Did you really just answer that last question?"
I really did
"Do you talk to yourself?"
I don't, no... but I can't speak for the other personalities
"What are you doing on a typical Friday night?"
- Sobbing, uncontrollably
- Acting out Cirque du Soleil in my living room
- Watching a Golden Girl's marathon
- Researching how to join a cult
"Do you shave?"
My ear hair? No. My face? Yes, but... sometimes I look like this.
”These aren’t really FAQs, are they?”
No, but let’s pretend they are so I can continue making an ass of myself
”What are some of your favorite books?”
- Their Eyes Were Watching God (Hurston)
- Beloved (Morrison)
- Lolita (Nabokov)
- Housekeeping (Robinson)
- The Road and Blood Meridian (McCarthy)
- An American Tragedy (Dreiser)
- Tales of the City (Maupin)
- Wide Sargasso Sea (Rhys)
- Portnoy’s Complaint (Roth)
- The Dead (Joyce)
"What books have you bookmarked to read?"
- They Both Die at the End (Silvera)
- The Water Dancer (Coates)
- Strange Water in Tokyo (Kawakami)
- Healing Earthquakes (Baca)
- Mary Ann in Autumn (Maupin)
"Who (or what) motivated you to start writing?"
A few things. Springsteen's Born to Run album, to start (especially "Jungleland"). It was street poetry at its finest. That song was... a novel. Then, just... Robert Smith (The Cure), in general. Such a romantic. The sexual influence came years later after having read lots of poems by Pablo Neruda and Charles Bukowski, in particular.
"Any favorite poets?”
Pablo Neruda and Charles Bukowski, for sure. Anne Sexton. Others.
“What music do you listen to? Any favorites?”
I tend to be all over the place, but here are a few:
- 70’s Roots Reggae (Bob Marley, King Tubby, Lee Perry, Congos, etc.)
- 70's Philly Soul
- African
- Andrew Bird
- Animal Collective
- Broadway
- Bruce Springsteen
- Country (mainly the old stuff)
- Cuban
- DJ Poolboi
- Girl in Red
- Fred again..
- Future Islands
- Hip Hop (J Dilla, 9th Wonder, etc.; Lo-fi, especially... which is more ambient)
- Jazz (Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, etc.)
- Reds, Pinks, Purples
- Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields, The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, etc.)
- Sufjan Stevens
- The National
- Tom Waits
- Trance (as well as Techno and House)
I also think Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift are wildly talented.
Here are links to my public playlists:
Spotify and YouTube. If you only have time for one playlist... try Eargasms.
“Ok. Some respectable stuff, but... what about guilty pleasures?”
- Journey, Abba, John Denver, Bollywood, etc.,. Here are a few more.
"What do you think is the best song ever written?"
I'd say "God Only Knows" or "O Mio Babbino Caro" (Puccini).
"Speaking of artists, what is your favorite art style?”
Abstract Expressionism, Color Field, Fauvism, Digital Art
"Art style? You're a pretentious jackass, aren't you?"
Maybe
"What are some of your favorite movies?”
- (500) Days of Summer
- 50 First Dates
- About Time
- Belle de Jour (French)
- Blade Runner
- Branded to Kill (Japanese)
- Breathless (French)
- Bull Durham
- Chef
- Chungking Express (Chinese)
- Cinema Paradiso (Italian)
- City of God (Brazilian)
- Crazy Rich Asians
- Cube (series)
- Cyrano
- Dan in Real Life
- Dead Poet’s Society
- Drive
- Edge of Tomorrow
- Fast & Furious (series)
- Field of Dreams
- Friday
- Gangs of New York
- Gladiator
- Grease
- Harry Potter (series)
- I Saw the Devil (Korean)
- Ikiru (Japanese)
- In the Mood for Love (Chinese)
- Inception
- It's a Wonderful Life
- John Wick (series)
- Kill Bill (series)
- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Bollywood)
- Kung Fu Hustle (Chinese)
- La La Land
- Lost in Translation
- Love Actually
- Love Me If You Dare (French)
- Memento
- Midnight in Paris
- Mission Impossible (series)
- Moonlight
- Mulholland Dr.
- Mystic Pizza
- Nobody
- Oldboy (Korean)
- Saturday Night Fever
- Serendipity
- Taken
- Tenet
- The Beauty Inside (Korean)
- The Equalizer (series)
- The Game
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- The Matrix
- The Night Comes For Us (Indonesian)
- The Raid (Indonesian; series)
- The Revenant
- The Sun is Also a Star
- The Truman Show
- The Usual Suspects
- Top Gun
- Upgrade
- Valley Girl
- Wings of Desire (German)
- Yesterday
"What about a guilty pleasure movie?"
Mamma Mia! Takes me back to Santorini.
"What movies make you laugh?”
Usually something stupid... but clever (e.g., Eurotrip, Sorority Boys, Mystery Team)
"What's your favorite movie genre?"
Horror, smart Rom Coms, movies like Cube/Platform... as well as stuff like John Wick/Taken/Raid.
"What were your favorite movies of 2022?"
- Top Gun: Maverick
- Decision to Leave
- The Banshees of Inisherin
- Triangle of Sadness
- Aftersun
- RRR
- Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
- The Woman King
- Tar
- The Fablemans
- The Menu
- Elvis
- Barbarian
- Violent Night
- The Batman
- Licorice Pizza
"What are some of your favorite horror films/shows/shorts?"
- 2AM: The Smiling Man (YouTube short)
- Bloody Mary (YouTube short)
- Channel Zero (anthology series on Shudder; fantastic)
- Haunt
- Hell House LLC
- Hereditary
- Host
- Insidious (series)
- Lights Out (YouTube short)
- Mama (YouTube short)
- Polaroid (YouTube short)
- REC (the original Spanish film; don't watch Quarantine, the remake)
- Relic
- Slasher (Netflix series)
- The Blair Witch Project
- The Collector
- The Conjuring (series)
- The Descent
- The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix series; Hill House is scarier, though)
- The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix series)
- The Ring
- The Strangers
"What are your all-time favorite TV shows?”
- Black Mirror (top 5)
- Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Doctor Who
- Fawlty Towers
- Game of Thrones (top 5)
- Miami Vice
- Northern Exposure (top 5)
- Seinfeld
- South Park
- The Honeymooners
- The OC
- The Prisoner
- The Sopranos
- The Twilight Zone (top 5)
- The West Wing
- The X-Files (top 5)
"What recent shows (last few years) do you like?"
- 1899 (Netflix)
- Acapulco (Apple TV+)
- All of Us Are Dead (Netflix)
- Black Mirror (Netflix)
- Brand New Cherry Flavor (Netflix)
- Calls (Apple TV+)
- Dark (Amazon; German)
- From (EPIX)
- Into the Night (Netflix)
- Jack Ryan (Amazon)
- Loki (Disney+)
- Love Death + Robots (Netflix)
- Modern Love (Amazon)
- Normal People (Hulu)
- Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
- Outer Range (Amazon)
- Parallels (Disney+)
- Poker Face (Peacock)
- Reacher (Amazon)
- Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+)
- Servant (Apple TV+)
- Severance (Apple TV+)
- Silo (Apple TV+)
- Sky Rojo (Netflix)
- Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)
- Squid Game (Netflix; Korean)
- Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
- The Afterparty (Apple TV+)
- The Boys (Amazon)
- The Sinner (Netflix)
- Them (Amazon)
- Tokyo Girl (Amazon; Japanese)
- Upload (Amazon)
- Wednesday (Netflix)
- Westworld (HBO Max)
- The White Lotus (HBO Max)
- You (Amazon)
Asian rom coms, too (Korean and, to a lesser extent, Taiwanese).
“Asian rom coms? Are you serious?”
Yup. The happy endings are a guilty pleasure. Most are on Viki, but some are on Netflix.
"Ok. What Asian rom coms should I watch?"
- Boys Over Flowers (Korean; Netflix/Viki)
- Business Proposal (Korean; Netflix)
- Familiar Wife (Korean; one of my favorites; Netflix)
- Go Back Couple (Korean; one of my favorites; Viki)
- Goblin (Korean; Viki; also goes by "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)
- Good Morning Call (Japanese; Netflix)
- Hometown Cha Cha Cha (Korean; Netflix)
- Just You (Taiwanese; one of my favorites; Netflix)
- Oh My Venus (Korean; one of my favorites; Viki)
- Office Girls (Taiwanese; Netflix)
- Playful Kiss (Korean; Viki)
- Refresh Man (Taiwanese; Netflix)
- Rooftop Prince (Korean; Viki)
- She Was Pretty (Korean; one of my favorites; Viki)
- Splash Splash Love (Korean; Viki)
- Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (Korean; Viki)
- What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (Korean: Viki)
"What's the stupidest movie you've seen lately?"
The last Fast & Furious film. Love the series, but... cars in space? No.
"Do you work out?"
Before the recent apocalypse, I used to go to LA Fitness 4-5 days a week. Was down to about 140-150 lbs, but have since had one too many cheeseburgers. I'll get back to it, but... I haven't worked out in some time.
"Do you play sports at all?”
I swam competitively from age 6 through college, but no... not really
"What about watching it on TV?"
Baseball and golf can be relaxing (and disc golf, as strange as it is), but I'd rather watch my girl than a bunch of guys playing with their balls. Ok, so... college football and basketball is always fun to watch. I've also been watching a lot of college softball lately (girls; no idea why; on ESPN via YouTube TV).
"Do you go camping/hiking/biking/etc.?"
I like to bike (and I like watching camping videos), but I'm not a big outdoorsy guy. Camping looks like a lot of fun (especially winter camping... which I'd love to experience), but I'd rather skip the insects and potential bear attacks and check into a Ritz-Carlton (with a fully-stocked bar, 5-star spa, and a nice, comfy bed).
"Do you play video games?"
A little. Xbox, mainly. Usually sports or racing games. Here are some favorites.
- MLB The Show 23 (baseball; what I play most... by far; Xbox)
- PGA Tour 2K23 (golf; Xbox & Switch)
- Super Mega Baseball 4 (baseball; Xbox)
- Forza Horizon 5 (racing; Xbox)
- Horizon Chase 2/Turbo (retro racing; Xbox)
"Are you a foodie?"
Um... yeah. I love to cook, eat out, and post poorly-written Yelp reviews.
"Any favorite restaurants?”
A lot of them are in Las Vegas, but yeah
- Babe's Chicken Dinner House (Dallas)
- Bar Canete (Barcelona, Spain)
- Bouchon (Las Vegas)
- Brodard's (Fountain Valley)
- Carbone (Las Vegas)
- Chez Fernand (Paris. France)
- Din Tai Fung (various locations)
- Havana 1957 (Miami Beach)
- Heaven on Seven (Chicago)
- II Chianti Vineria (Rome, Italy)
- Javier's (various locations)
- La Carreta (Miami)
- Langer's (Los Angeles)
- Le Bistrot d'Henri (Paris, France)
- Lola's (Las Vegas)
- Lotus of Siam (Las Vegas)
- Lou Malnati's (Chicago)
- Mastro's (various locations)
- Momofuku (Las Vegas)
- Mott 32 (Las Vegas)
- Nobu (Las Vegas)
- Palette Tea House (San Francisco)
- Pecan Lodge (Dallas)
- Portillo's (Buena Park, Chicago)
- Porto's (Buena Park)
- Sally's Apizza (New Haven)
- SushiSamba (Las Vegas)
- Taverna Al Remer (Venice, Italy)
- Tommaso's (San Francisco)
- Vox Kitchen (Fountain Valley)
"What's your favorite type of restaurant?"
Probably a Jewish deli. So much good food. Mmm... a hot pastrami.
"What do you always order if it’s on the menu?”
Short rib, carnitas, tacos al pastor, shrimp & grits, fried chicken, spicy won ton's
"What's your favorite food... period?"
Bacon. If you don't like it, we can't be friends. Ok, maybe we can.
"What cuisine do you think people are missing out on?"
Oh, god... Cuban and Peruvian. Run to the nearest restaurant, don't walk.
"What's your adult beverage of choice?"
Wine. Old Fashioned (if made properly). Stouts. Mezcal.
"What words cause you to roll your eyes?"
Bro or dude (say it and your IQ drops). Influencer (those people are so cringey).
"What was your most humbling experience?"
This
"What's one thing you've always wanted to learn more about?"
Physics (M-theory, etc.) and metaphysics/philosophy (solipsism, etc.)
"Any comedy specials on Netflix that you recommend?"
Yup. Ali Wong's "Baby Cobra" and "Don Won" specials.
“Who would you love to sit down and have a beer with?
Anthony Bourdain (don't think that's in the cards). I'm not really into celebrities, though. I think it's weird that society fawns all over them (especially the Kardashians of the world... who've done absolutely nothing to earn the attention - those famous for being famous). Some might be gifted at what they do, but they're just people at the end of the day. They may live in nicer houses and travel more, but they take a shit just like the rest of us. I've seen plenty of celebrities over the years. I have no interest in getting an autograph or photo. It's stupid.
"So you wouldn't be starstruck by anyone? Not one person?"
Ok, well... while I'm a Springsteen fanatic, it would be Paul McCartney.
"What's your setup like for working from home?"
Glad you asked
I switch between my work laptop (Dell; Windows 10) and Mac Mini (personal). The main monitor is a 27" LG 4K monitor, flanked by two 24" monitors. A Logitech HD cam for Zoom meetings. Gooseneck lamp with remote control. Docking station. MX Keys keyboard and MX Master 3 mouse (works with both).
Bose SoundLink Mini II for conference calls. Bose QC II Earbuds for when I need noise cancellation (e.g., thanks, landscapers). When I'm working, I use the middle & right monitors and keep the left one for the Mac (using a separate keyboard & mouse)... unless I need all 3. At night and on weekends, I use all 3 monitors for the Mac.
Herman Miller chair.
"Did we really need to know all that?"
God no. I'm just completely geeking out.
"Jesus. Is there anything you're not willing to share?"
Not really. Click here for a bit of TMI.
