Your ultimate / definitive...<insert here>

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Having just passed my 6th decade on this Earth, I’ve realized I can stop searching/yearning for certain things. I’ve discovered / experienced some things that will never be surpassed in my remaining decades.

BTW, I’m a guy.

Unconditional love - I had one “girlfriend” who left after ten years and a number of “friends” that I either pursued or they (oddly) pursued me, that never went beyond being a “special friend”. However, my girlfriend wasn’t my the object of my unconditional love. That came about 10 years ago when I had a much younger (25 years) friend whom I knew would never be more than a platonic friend, but I did everything I could to encourage and help her on way to finding her way in life. I haven’t talked to or seen her in about 8 years, but she remains in my heart hoping she’s found that true happiness she deserves.

Definitive beauty - Joey Wang Tsu Hsien / Wong Jyo Yin. https://www.google.com/search?q=joey+wang&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMy93v1-juAhUNip4KHQToDkwQ_AUoAXoECAwQAw&biw=1920&bih=954#imgrc=SZTCZ6UkRChr_M. Nearly 30 years ago, I caught a glimpse of her in a clip from A Chinese Ghost Story and despite my girlfriend being right beside me, I instantly fell in love.

I’ve always been fickle, falling into infatuation with real and reel beauties over and over again. However, over the past 30 years, there are two common facial types that captivate me the most. Someone, who in some way resembles Joey or my cousin who was my first childhood crush.

Movies - Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai stands as my desert island movie if I could have only one. Tsui Hark’s A Chinese Ghost Story, starring Joey Wang would be my choice as my second movie.

Everything about Seven Samurai stands the test of time as a near fairy tale of a time when feudal Japan was giving way to modernization. The near godly warrior samurai were becoming obsolete, but the earthly peasant farmers would survive and hold importance to this day.

A Chinese Ghost Story is a true fairy tale touched upon before and copied since 1986 when it debuted, but has never been told as well. A perfect blend of horror, comedy, drama and romance that is perfect even with it’s occasional flaws.

Are there better, horror, comedy, drama and romance movies. Of course, yes. But not movie since 1986, even those starring Joey, has matched or exceeded this perfect production combination

Musicians, Band - In 1967 and 1968, even with years to go before puberty and appreciation of anything but children’s songs and bubble gum pop, I knew there as something different about Sunshine of your Love and White Room. It would be another ten years before I suddenly learned to appreciate Cream. Sadly ten years too late.

My awakening to Cream lead to years of searching for “greater” musicians than Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. I searched out and listened to the blues and jazz to try and understand the musical origin of Cream, and listen to the threesome’s work post Cream more of the magic they brought to Cream. Especially “God” Clapton, who to this day is unwilling or unable to release the guitar God he was during Cream’s heyday.

About a decade ago, I finally found most of the fabled Cream bootlegs and discovered that each of them needed each other to bring out their best. It was a combination of talent, youth and drugs that made for playing that hadn’t been surpassed before or since.

2

For unconditional love it would be that of my mother for me. For me to another, it would be my love for my pets, and for my mother.

My desert island movie? Don’t know if I can say. I could give a top ten, MAYBE, but even that would be hard. If I was forced I would say “A Man For All Seasons” but then I would say, “but wait…”

For works of fiction I do definitely have two favorite short stories. One is “True Minds” by Spider Robinson. The other is “The Man Who Traveled In Elelphants” by Robert Heinlein.

3

I guess I can only answer the one regarding love. I have unconditional love for my kids, grandkids, and dogs. Note my husband didn’t make the cut. I love him, but he could do something in the future that would cause me not to. Not that I’m expecting anything!

The other categories would be too hard to pinpoint. My tastes for food, movies, songs, bands, etc change all the time. Something could come along next week that would be better than my old favorite.

4

When I was teaching, I used Cream and the Beatles as examples of synergy. Not much of their solo work would match the magic of their collaborations.

That tied in with my sixth grade epiphany: “Every McCartney needs a Lennon.” (I was bouncy and fun. My best friend was a moody genius, bitingly cynical)

ps: There was always one kid who’d challenge the Cream/Beatles Hypothesis. So I’d crank up a solo Ringo album or some Ginger Baker’s Air Force til they relented.

pps: Oh, Peanut M&Ms worked as an example, too

5

My “definitive music” is what helped radicalize me in middle school. After the quantum jump from folk music to the Beatles, it was Hendrix, the Mothers, Led Zeppelin and Cream that really motivated me. And still does.

I have a friend with “the whitest iPod”… my phone’s full of radicalizin’ rock ‘n’ roll from the late 60s. And I’m always finding more new old music!

6

I had a female friend who I am 99% confident I’d be happily married to now if she wasn’t part of a religion that disallowed it. I’ve known her since high school, but haven’t seen her in years (ever since she told me she wanted to start dating and me being around would be awkward - to which I promptly agreed). I’m pretty sure she’s going to be my “ultimate” (last) love simply because I’m never going to try again.

As for movies, there is no single movie I could watch forever without it getting stale. In books the only thing close to that is my own book - but since I’ve written two now I can’t say there’s a single ultimate book either.