Interests meme, via catsgomiaow

LJ Interests meme results

1. blogging:
   To me, it's a natural byproduct of seeing things and having opinions about them. My blog differs from my LJ in that my LJ is about me, whereas my blog is about my interests (which range from music and pop culture to politics to technology to obscure and odd things). It's here, btw, and also syndicated as thenulldevice.
2. cold weather:
   Not really an interest (I mean, unless one taxonomises snowflakes or something terribly spoddish, there isn't much to be interested in), but a preference. After all, when it's cold, you can always put more layers on. When it's hot, though, all you can do is go limp and hope it gets cold soon.
3. factory records:
   The label behind Joy Division and New Order, who also put out other stuff including The Wake's early material and various bands who seemed to use the same keyboard and digital reverb unit. They also put catalogue numbers on everything, including their office cat.
4. jorge luis borges:
   Argentine author who was to writing what M.C. Escher was to illustration; he wrote mainly short stories about infinite libraries, mythical societies decided by a lottery, occult crime mysteries, and people unable to forget anything.
5. memetics:
   The study of ideas as self-replicating units, sort of like genes. It's an interesting model to look at things with, that some ideas catch on because they're fitter at competing for mindshare and reproducing.
6. ninetynine:
   A brilliant indie band from Melbourne, playing punchy, quirky, angular tunes with Casio keyboards, vibraphones and such. They really know how to tear the roof off a venue. Best seen live, though their last album and EP came out rather well.
7. record collecting:
   I've been collecting music for future listening since I was a kid and started taping TV show themes from the television. In later life it translated itself into buying CDs (and the odd bit of vinyl) en masse. Sometimes because I had heard it and thought it was brilliant, or because I just saw the band, and sometimes on the strength of word of mouth or prior reputation. My collection is fairly eclectic and varies across genres. I carry a decent chunk of it in my pocket on my MP3 player.
8. skepticism:
   My basic worldview is a skeptical/rationalistic one: i.e., generally, the most economical theory is the most useful. I'd be either an atheist or an agnostic, depending on how one cuts it. I don't absolutely believe that there cannot be a god or gods, but do believe that it's pretty bloody unlikely that we'd have any way of finding out. Meanwhile, things we actually see in our world that seem mystical or supernatural are generally caused by physical phenomena, sometimes including the physical working and blind spots of the human brain and nervous system, and taking these things to account, looking for economical, rational explanations is the only chance we have of learning anything about the environment we live in and thus making any progress towards improving our lot in it.
9. the paradise motel:
   They were a brilliant band from Tasmania via Melbourne, especially their early EPs. Their music was a contrast of violent, passionate intensity and a quiet loveliness, and their live shows were pretty transfixing. And with their remix EP, Some Deaths Take Forever, they almost reinvented trip-hop.
10. yo la tengo:
    An American indie band; with slightly lo-fi yet lush grooves and harmonies over home organ beats. They sound pleasant in an understated way; I most like their upbeat numbers, like Let's Save Tony Orlando's House. I saw them live at the Corner Hotel, which was pretty good.

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