Non-linguistic interests

Here's what you'll find on this page:

• Band names list
• Music
• Science fiction
• Books
• Penguins

Band names

The Radio Dept. say I don't need love, I've got my band.". I haven't got a band, but I've got a list of band names.

Many years ago, I created a list of band names that I wished existed. Some friends wanted to add names to the list, so here we are.

You can suggest new band names with this form.

Music

Somebody once told me that my musical tastes are best described as "meta". I'm not quite sure what they meant by that, but I like to think it's not a bad thing.

The music I listen to is fairly varied, but trends towards things that might be described as indie, indie pop, or new wave.

Some bands that have recently been on my playlist:

I always arrive at shows way too early, but that just means I get a good vantage spot for photos:

Science fiction

Science fiction offers an escape from reality, while at the same time speaking volumes about humanity in the here and now. Also, there are often explosions, aliens, and cool ships.

Along with a small minority of Star Trek fans, I would argue that Deep Space Nine  is the best series in the franchise. For anyone more interested in science fiction as literature than science fiction as vehicle-for-explosions, it's worth a look.

I would also suggest most emphatically reading anything by Alfred Bester (The Demolished Man, The Stars My Destination), Robert Sheckley (Shall We Have a Little Talk?), Ursula K. Leguin (The Left Hand of Darkness), Vernor Vinge (Marooned in Realtime), Octavia Butler (Bloodchild), and of course the Asimov ouvre.

Books

My favorite books often employ the hallmarks of postmodernist literature, especially metafiction, pastiche, and a general breakdown of the standard narrative structure. I especially enjoy books with an emphasis on technoculture (e.g., White Noise, Snow Crash).

Some favorite authors include Paul Auster, Don DeLillo, Neal Stephenson, Neil Gaiman, and Mark Z. Danielewski.

Penguins

Perhaps the best aquarium in the US is the New England Aquarium in Boston. It may not be the biggest aquarium in the world, or have the most varied collection of animals, but it does have one feature that makes it stand head and shoulders above the rest: the whole aquarium is centered around its fantastic penguin exhibit.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, are some of nature's greatest creatures: