I'm into many different things, which I'll try to detail without getting too wildly incoherent. (Fat chance, hippie!)

It's a Goth list, so let's talk Goth. I was into some New Wave and some basic Rock when I was very young, and around 16 or so I began to get exposure to all that cool music which used to go under the banner of "Post-Punk," or Underground or whatever it was the kids who watched U68 called it.. I just missed U68 myself, just like I missed the original WLIR, which changed names and formats shortly after I started listening to it. I was into a variety of assorted bands, mostly the typical, easy to find things. DM, Cure, Smiths, L&R, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and all that stuff. The heavies. As time went on, I got into other genres, Punk, Metal, Industrial, etc.. and discovered the roots of much of this stuff, 60's and 70's music and so on..

Around 1989 or so I began to make the rounds on the club circuit, in NJ and NYC, in the company of various persons, looking much different than I do now. (I was the guy who had the same Danny Ash hair Lawrence from New Creatures had, little bit less spiky, if that helps) :) I remember all those nifty places mentioned by others, including some of which I got a "Oh, yea, I went to *that*, why can't I remember?" sort of vibe. Limelight, Pipeline, Purgatory, Berlin, Roxy, Melody, Ward 6 in it's various incarnations, Mission, Building, Stigmata, Damnation, Troublemaker, and most other places, until around 1992 or so. I'm constantly amazed at how many people were there that I never met (so far as I can remember, those were intoxicated days..) although I did know Vanessa and Craig, and I think I remember the other Rob. A testament to the "I'm hanging out in a social club, now leave me alone" thing :) One of my more infamous traveling companions was Caroline Bokman, now Blind. We dated for about a year. No, I can't get you free CDs or concert tix. :) So I gave it up, looked around, found the regular world to be about as plastic and a letdown as anything else, all things considered, got on the Internet, found out about this, decided to look around for nostalgia purposes, and decided to stay for a while again, in a sort of "you can't go home again" kind of way. Ta-Da!

Let's see, what else? I'm into all forms of music these days, scanning the entire spectrum, yes, even Techno AND Marilyn Manson. I also play music, several instruments worth. I'm always looking for a project to get into, but I don't know too many musicians anymore and I hate to answer music ads.

I'm also into art, without a capital "a." I write poetry, postmodern lines, descended from those way cool Black Mountain cats of the 50s and 60s (no I'm not a Beatnik, or a Nuyorican slammer. Write me you want more info on the poetic underground. I'll hook you up, esai!) My taste in visual art, poetry and music runs to the Postmodern, to most everybody's great distress. I say "fuck antiquity! On with the 21st century! But first, find out what the 20th is doing!" Material done in the 50s 60s 70s and 80s. Literature is a mixed bag, most areas.

Major paradigm shifts were reading the Stranger when I was 14, Maldoror (by way of Propaganda, of all places!) at 16, and Naked Lunch at 17. Reading Chomsky and attending the Red & Black Gulf War Protest when I was 20, as well as Baudrillard when I was 23 or so. The first Skinny Puppy concert was also pretty seminal, as well as the first time I dyed my hair black and painted myself up like the scarlet whore of Babylon. (Do I sound too shallow yet?) :)

Like Marc, I'm into Red and Anarchist politics, as well as Situationsim (even tho Marc says it can't be done, I say postmodernism allows you to recycle everything, and he hates that bit as well, c'est la vie) :) Culture Jamming, Art Terrorism, and radical academic work in service to the revolution. (Hakim Bey, Critical Art Ensemble, Virilio, Bob Black, Kostelanetz, Mike Davis, and pretty much the rest of the Autonomedia crew. I'm also into any and all that fine reality bending stuff the 'Net is so good at perpetuating. Subgenius, Illumanati, yada yada yada. Which is a pretty long winded way of saying I'm into Chaos process, without sounding like an idiot.. ("Try again, Hippie. What a moron.. Hey, let's see what's on GL tonite..") ;)

As for the "Hippie" bits, I think that first started with Charles, and was quickly co-opted by Mr. Andrew Stellman, who has been absent from posting for a little bit now.. (don't worry, when he gets here you'll know about it, sort of like Zack, just not as lengthy or as vicious). And the general perception that I'm either some sort of PC cop, self-rightous wanker who likes to preach and moralize, or something to that effect. Truth is, I don't like to see the weaker and less accomplished get bashed. I don't like to see anybody get bashed, unless they deserve it. Whenever I perceive some sort of power struggle going on, I always try to get in there and fuck with it, make it as moot as silly as it really is. I don't really enjoy seeing other people use what they consider to be of value on someone else, like knowledge as a bludgeon or slickness of prose as a tool of revenge. 'Nuff said about that.

I go out somewhat regularly, some of the watering holes, and most of the non club events. I'll see anybody and everybody around. Don't let my size or receeding hairline fool you, I'm really nice. With a name like Hippie, how could I not be? Anybody looking for a speedy intro into the world of ze list (as well as what's *really* going on), come see me. :) The Hippie. Here's lookin' at you, kid.

And that, as they say, is that. Over and out.

PS: For those clueless newbies out there NO I AM NOT REALLY A HIPPIE. I DO NOT SMOKE HERB, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE DEAD, AND DO NOT FOLLOW PHISH AROUND THE COUNTRY. I'm more into the early 70s than the late 60s, myself. :)