It is surprising how many people have really negative attitudes about things they don’t like or understand.  Not only are the attitudes negative but so are the perceptions these people hold towards other people.  Just in the last couple of weeks people have informed me that I’m weird, odd, a non-conformist and that I’m wasting my time.  This was in response to them finding out that I love books, science fiction, movies, science, Shakespeare, education, etc.  Apparently they think that my time would be better spent watching reality TV or following the latest trends in entertainment magazines.  It has been some harsh criticism from people who themselves have their own set of interests that many see as an equal waste of time

When someone actually takes the time to criticize my interests and passions I take it as a compliment.  I’ve found that I’m on the right track and doing the right thing when so many feel the need to question my pursuits.  When someone looks at me like I’m absolutely bonkers for watching Star Trek re-runs I immediately feel a sense of pride in my choice to do just that.  My interests and passions have often led to solitude and a limited circle of friends.  This is fine.  I would prefer to spend time with like minded people than with those that think reading a book is a waste of time. 

No matter what you are passionate about, no matter what your interests, follow them to the hilt.  Enjoy what you love to the point of blacking out.  Ignore those that criticize because they are threatened or are insecure.  Watch those, shows, enjoy those movies, read those books, and play those games.  It’s worth every second.  

Classic Scooby-Doo cartoons are one of the best things out there.  The opening and closing credit music, the predictable yet always entertaining stories, the visuals, and the sayings such as “If it weren’t for those meddling kids.”  It brings back memories of after school and Saturday morning cartoons.  Everybody has a favorite and this is definitely at the top of most lists.

The common things in Scooby-Doo are things we need to see more.  Smart young people triumphing over ignorant and arrogant adults.  Friends hanging out together and making a difference as they pursue their own agenda.  And of course, the love of a loyal dog.

In the early days of VCR’s and movie rentals, there was a place in Montrose, Colorado where you could go for all your movie viewing needs.  The selection of movies seemed endless and the technology was very new.  All rentals came with instructions on how to properly setup a VCR and watch your movies.  George and Shirley Ames were the Guru’s of this new form of entertainment. 

The movies came in a light beige hard plastic case that took two hands to open.  Rental prices ranged from $1.49-$2.49 per movie.   New titles were announced at least a week in advance and a list of current titles available was listed on two typewritten pages.  During the summer months I remember going to Pic-A-Flic and renting at least a dozen movies at a time.  Marx Brothers, Pink Panther films with Peter Sellers, horror movies, and the latest new releases.

Walking along the rows of movies making your selection was a great process and one that took time.  George and Shirley were up to date on the movies and always had some input on your choices.  They were passionate about movies and it showed.

It is still nostalgic and fun to put your favorite movie into a VCR and watch it old style.  Just remember to rewind when you are done.  

Musical influence.  This is something that one must think about when looking at musical tastes and even musical habits.  My mother, Karen Ruth (Krueger) Brethouwer, influenced my musical tastes.  Some of my first musical memories are of laying on this thick yellow/gold thick shag carpeting (it’s still there) and hearing the sounds of an orchestra and a piano.  Although I did not know it at the time this sound was Piano Concerto #2 in c minor, opus 18 by Sergei Rachmaninoff. The pianist was Sviatoslav Richter  The sound was coming from an 8-track tape.  This 8-track is now in my possession.

My childhood was surrounded with the sounds of classical music, chamber music, and opera.  The music just didn’t exist on a superficial level.  My mom explained to me the sounds of different voices and why she preferred one over the other.  I remember her telling me about that even though several voices are spectacular and world class, one or two would have a “quality” that stood out above the others.  For my mom these voices were Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) and Joan Sutherland (soprano).  She made it clear that she wasn’t taking anything away from Placido Domingo, Richard Tucker, Mirella Freni or Renatta Tebaldi.  They were just different in her ears.

I was fortunate that these sounds stuck with me and that my mothers passion for this kind of music led her to the great opera houses of the world.  San Francisco, Chicago, New York, London, Munich.  She introduced me to live opera with Opera Colorado’s Inaugural Season.  I was also exposed to productions at the Santa Fe Opera, New York City Opera, and Luciano Pavarotti in recital at Madison Square Garden.  I didn’t like everything that I heard but learned how to listen and how to find out what I really loved and why I loved it.

My mother had an exceptional collections of recordings, books, composer busts, and opera memorabilia.  8-tracks, boxed cassettes, and CD’s.  All of these items are now in my possession and I have catalogued every item.  They now number into the thousands.  I’m proud to be the caretaker of “The Collection” and still amaze at the history that comes with these items.

I want to thank my mom for influencing my musical taste.  It has brought hundreds of hours of listening pleasure both recorded and live in performance.  It is truly the gift that keeps on giving. 

Re-connecting with a vintage video game console has been exciting and a lot of fun.  In addition, it has brought back a flood of memories from when the console was new and each game was full of excitement and wonder.  The Intellivision video game console by Mattel Electronics came out in 1979 and was introduced as the rival to the Atari 2600 console system.  The graphics were something that had not yet been seen and the controllers much more interactive.  The system game with “Las Vegas Poker and Blackjack”.  The graphics were indeed better than the Atari and the system as a whole seemed just a bit more sophisticated.  Additional games followed with a final library totaling 27 titles.  Hours upon hours were spent exploring each game and playing it to the maximum level. Several games stick out in my mind.  ASTROSMASH was by far my favorite.  A very simple game where a land based weapon destroyed descending asteroids and satellites.  Hours upon hours of practice led to winning an ASTROSMASH tournament at the U.S. Tech store in Mesa Mall/Grand Junction in 1982.  The prize was a brand new game.  Exciting beyond words.  TRIPLE PLAY was a game where my best friend Bill Pleau and I would spend hours mastering.  Flying the plane perfectly through the barn was the highlight.  George Plimpton was the spokesman for the game and seeing the old commercials brings back fond if not very cheesy memories.

In addition to dusting off the old Intellivision console I recently fired up the hand held DONKEY KONG dual screen NINTENDO game from 1982.  The orange color of the game is very distinctive and brings back great memories of playing the game on the way to California on family vacations.  I became so good at this game that I literally never lost.  The score would go from re-set itself over and over and over.  Jump the barrels, climb the ladder, flip the switch, jump on the hook, advance to the point where the structure would fall.  Repeat. Repeat.

Pure nostalgic fun.  

A new box holding something that needs to be put together.  Hundreds of pieces ready to be assembled into something that represents an interest or a passion.  Whether you are 4 years old or much older there is something about a LEGO set that never gets old.  This is even more true if you grew up playing with the plastic building blocks.  They represent imagination and a goal.  Building something from LEGOs takes patience and at the same time clears the mind.  There is one task in front of you and for the time it takes to complete the build not much else matters.

In the late 1970’s there existed a small green suitcase.  Within this case there were hundreds if not thousands of random LEGO pieces that were put together in various forms over and over.  This prized possession has somehow disappeared over the years.  Should it ever be found by the original owner or by someone else, a treasure trove will have been found that has no equal.  It’s likely that this is already in the hands of somebody who is as passionate about the contents as was the original owner. 

Looking at the LEGO options currently available on the shelves of stores is a connection to childhood.  LEGO continues to stir the imagination on multiple levels.  They are childhood toys that have never gotten old and have found a new fan base with adults of all ages.  Not, it’s time to put together the LEGO Star Wars set #75002.  Click.  

The first sign that the experience was going to be very different was when the line came into view.  Thousands of people wrapping around the Convention Center, many in full costume.  Despite the high temperature and lack of shade, nobody seemed to be in a bad mood or struggling with frustration.  If anything, the exact opposite.   Laughing, long conversations, costume comparison and a general sense of fun and comradery were the norm.  This did not change even over a three hour waiting period. 

Once inside the building, the acquisition of the long anticipated weekend pass is no less a reason to celebrate.  After long hours waiting in the same line, people are handed their passes and then they erupt in cheers, clapping, and laughter.  The wait has clearly been worth it as you now have the means to access the main exhibit hall.

Overwhelming.  This is the only word to describe the first sight of the main exhibit hall.  Booths and displays as far as the eye can see.  A visual cornucopia of all things geeky and nerdy.  The t-shirt display alone is enough to make you stop, pause, and catch your breath.  The only thing to do is to dive in and start the exploration.  Books, magazines, comics, miniature figines, bags of dice, panel discussions with sci-fi/fantasy celebrities.  Makers of “geek chic” handmade furniture.  Beauty and craftsmanship at an amazing level.  Illustrators, writers, costume designers, movie makers and bloggers all coming together in the same place to discuss the things they love and the things that are of interest.  Disneyland for geeks.  If you have never had the choice to got to Comic Con, Fantasy Con, or Dragon Con, I highly recommend the experience.  You will not ever be disappointed.

This post will be limited to the censorship of books and short in length  It is a topic that has presented itself repeatedly over the past week.  Books need to be easily accessed.  If an individual decides that they want to read a book, especially a book that has sparked controversy, then they should be able to find that item and read it for themselves.  As a society, we cannot make decisions on behalf of people based on our own limited knowledge, area of interest area, or based on what we find offensive.

It is difficult to imagine why the need for censorship would be at the forefront of anybody’s mind.  If something is offensive, troubling, or challenges our reality, I would think that more people reading that item would be beneficial rather than problematic.

It’s interesting that when those that want to censor something are asked directly the reasons why they want it censored, they are often unable to come up with an adequate or well thought out response.  Knee jerk reactions such as “I don’t like it!”, “Kids shouldn’t read it”, or “because it’s offensive” are the norm.  And that alone is sad and frightening.  If you are going to take a strong stand, at least have a strong argument.  

The time has come for someone with a scientific background to be President of the United States.  The typical background of law and business has been overrepresented and has become cumbersome.  A scientific mind in the White House would bring a new perspective and increased focus on areas that need more attention.  Climate change, stem-cell research, increased NASA funding, etc.

President Carolyn Porco and Vice-President Lawrence Krauss.  President Neil deGrasse Tyson and Vice-President Jane Goodall.  The mere thought of this is encouraging.  At the same time, it seems highly unlikely that as a country we will be comfortable with something this outside of the traditional and the expected.  Despite the complaints, people seem comfortable with the status quo and expecting high public offices to be filled with lawyers and those with business backgrounds.  There is a level of comfort with the status quo and people would likely be more focused on the change and how uncomfortable it makes them instead of what good will come from a change in the status quo.  

The focus on a candidates religious background would also be decreased with scientific candidates.  Many scientists will state that science and scientific progress is their religion.  Their body of work will represent any theological point of view.  Supporters and critics alike would be focusing on their body of work and field of study instead of where they go on Sunday mornings.  This will re-focus an often unnecessary discussion.

It’s time for less MBA’s and J.D’s and more Ph.D’s in STEM related fields.  Bring on the President GEEK.

You will often come across somebody who says that they heard something and they really didn’t like what they experienced.  You have to wonder if this person just superficially let the material float over their ears, or if they were actively engaged in the experience.  The difference between hearing and listening can be vast. 

Music, and sounds in general, present themselves in layers.  If you are only partially engaged in the hearing experience then you are cheating yourself out of layers.  For example, if you are listening to an operatic aria, let’s take “Che Galida Manina” from Puccini’s “La Boheme” as a place to start.  If one is just casually hearing the sound they may just hear words in an unfamiliar language and the basic sounds of an orchestra.  However, if you take the time to really listen to what is going on a whole new world opens up.  You don’t have to be knowledgeable in the field of music to deep the benefits of this amazing 5 minutes.  The distinct sincerity that comes through the lyrics.  The swell and crescendo of the orchestra indicating the end of a statement and a lead in into the next.  The way that the tenor’s voice is always at the forefront but yet the orchestra is telling its own story.  Notes, hanging in the air and flawlessly flowing into another as the tension rises and decreases.  Even if you don’t like the genre you can easily gain a new appreciation for it by merely listening over just hearing.

For those that aren’t fans of opera, let’s take a look at another example.  The song “Crossroads” by Cream.  If one merely hears this song they will hear the vocals of Eric Clapton and some clearly great guitar riffs.  Somewhere in the background is a bass guitar doing its thing.  When you turn up the volume and actively listen to this song a whole new world opens up.  A guitar solo that is clearly coming from what some would say is a different planet.  The raucous sound of the band creating layers as if it was a full orchestra.  A bass solo that defies gravity and expectations.  The bass playing of Jack Bruce is unreal, complicated, and beautifully clear.  When you get done listening to this song remember just one thing, everything that you listened to came from just three individuals.

Take the time to listen instead of just hear.  This simple mindful action will open up entirely new worlds into whatever sound is coming towards your ears.