About Jake

[Jake]

I created this thread because I have sometimes gotten questions about certain things I like or interests I have. I think it would be appropriate to just create a sort of fact file about me for anyone interested. Each post will contain a different type of information (such as favorite books, favorite movies, etc.) that I will modify and add to periodically as I think of more things that might interest you about me. I hope this helps answer some questions about me.

[Jake]

[glow=red,2,300]

P E R S O N A L * I N F O R M A T I O N

[/glow]

Place of Birth: California
Age: Don't get me started
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: blue-ish, green-ish. I think there's some brown in there somewhere
Height: Short, about 5 foot 9
Build: Kind of skinny, actually. Laughter

Person who completely and totally screwed up my life: Franz (damn him)
True love: Bridget (R.I.P.)

Interests: reading, music, movies, trying to have decent conversations with people

[glow=red,2,300]

R A N D O M * I N T E R E S T S

[/glow]

Favorite Animal: Owl
Reason: They're what I see most of the time at night. And they're so quiet, even when flying. They can see almost anything. I share a lot in common with owls.

Favorite Country: I haven't travelled much outside of the U.S. believe it or not. It's still my favorite because I was born there.

Favorite Color: Sky blue because I never get to see it in real life anymore.

[glow=red,2,300]

F A V O R I T E * N O V E L S

[/glow]

Below are some of my favorite books and novels. I will also be adding to this periodically as I read more. Beneath each is a link to more information about each book. These are not in any particular order.

The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
www.tmtm.com/sides/catcher.html
I like this one so much because the main character reminds me a bit of myself. He's become a bit disillusioned when it comes to the ways of the world, and is an outcast because of it. His humorously blunt ways of pointing out the faults of man are what makes this one so special. But there is one ray of hope for him, which is another reason why this sits at the top of my list--as you can well imagine.

Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls
family.go.com/entertainment/article-csm-217603-book-review--where-the-red-fern-grows-t/
This was actually one of the first books I picked up after becoming what I am because I was looking for any means of escape. At that time, I wasn't in it for the knowledge, I was in it for a story that I could get away to. What I found was a great novel about man's connection to animals, and dogs in particular. It's always been a touchy subject, since animals aren't really friends of mine anymore. I can tell you honestly that I've shed more than a few tears over this one because it reminds me of a dog I used to have when I was young boy, and it reminds of what I can't have again.

A Farewell To Arms, Ernest Hemingway
www.shvoong.com/f/books/classic-literature/71483-farewell-arms/
I read this one not long after Bridget was killed and I can't tell you how relatable this book was to my situation. I relived the agony of loss all over again with this novel, but as negative as that sounds it also helped me to grieve rather than stew in my own rage. This is one of Hemingway's most notable novels, and deservedly so. It should be something you read at least once.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
www.online-literature.com/fitzgerald/greatgatsby/
The unrestrained agony of Gatsby and his love for Daisy can be equated to several things that happen to us in our everyday lives, even the life of a vampire. My mourning over Bridget and constant depression might be likened to that of Gatsby himself, and after reading the novel that's exactly what I saw. I'm going by the message in this novel to try to move on. No matter what lengths to which we go to attain something unattainable, we are still wasting valuable time.

All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
www.mashmagazine.com/00april/aprilbook.html
Having lived through these war eras in history as a simple bystander, I felt I owed it to mankind that I look into the actual experience of a war. I read this to become familiar again with the fear of death and the very real presence of it in the lives of mortals. I can honestly say that I was human while I read this, in that I felt so much for the characters that I almost believed death would come for me, too. One of the greatest war novels of all time.

[glow=red,2,300]

M U S I C A L * T A S T E S

[/glow]

Below are some videos that express some of my taste in music. As you can see, it varies, but I've got lots of rock and roll in there.

The Bravery: "Believe"
youtube.com/watch?v=GzlezyJeHOE&feature=related

Ashes Divide: "The Stone"
youtube.com/watch?v=MfbQSi6_8RY

Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Otherside"
youtube.com/watch?v=RaeF00sqW34

Ray Noble and His Orchestra: "Midnight, the Stars, and You"
youtube.com/watch?v=N_blJzon-hA

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers: "Cheek to Cheek"
youtube.com/watch?v=oWiTxsdR6no&feature=related

Bon Jovi: "You Give Love a Bad Name"
youtube.com/watch?v=GccfzxHIXaY

Alice in Chains: "Man in the Box"
youtube.com/watch?v=ZFWkPVHKwCY

Kansas: "Dust in the Wind"
youtube.com/watch?v=hkbdP7sq0w8&feature=user

Three Days Grace: "Animal I Have Become"
youtube.com/watch?v=jbHn1Pgj6Zk

Duran Duran: "Ordinary World"
youtube.com/watch?v=U_7DnHbcgn8&feature=related

Oingo Boingo: "Dead Man's Party"
youtube.com/watch?v=iypUpv9xelg

Annie Lennox: "Love Song for a Vampire"
youtube.com/watch?v=vhG8zC4npsE

Blue Oyster Cult: "Don't Fear the Reaper"
youtube.com/watch?v=JLQzfdCs_HU

The Strokes: "What Ever Happened?"
youtube.com/watch?v=9jglS257uFg&feature=related

The Cure: "Plainsong"
youtube.com/watch?v=bZoYzne9Tpg

Disturbed: "Shout 2000"
youtube.com/watch?v=NgNjLhTrxW8

Goo Goo Dolls: "Iris"
youtube.com/watch?v=SsK90GWBVLY

Shiny Toy Guns: "Rainy Monday"
youtube.com/watch?v=tvsoRDvKgi0

Big Country: "In a Big Country"
youtube.com/watch?v=hkr_2G3Jlko

Madonna: "Frozen"
youtube.com/watch?v=Qg2ZBzJbM0M

Disturbed: "The Night"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV2PQ1GptFQ

Royal Bliss: "Angels and Devils"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcjfxsV-uHM

Skillet: "Whispers in the Dark"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPQe9uHFgMA

AFI: "Love Like Winter"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sevmkc0iLkU

AFI: "37 MM"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N4MRBoqf94

[glow=red,2,300]

F A V O R I T E * M O V I E S

[/glow]
These are some of the movies I have really enjoyed over the years. They are certainly not listed in any particular order. I just typed them as they came to me.

The Phantom of the Opera, 2004
I liked this one just because the central character goes through the same conflicts that vampires do. He doesn't show himself to the world because of the rejection, his love of music is what he turns his attention to, and he usually keeps to the night. The song, "Music of the Night" is something I like to listen to in order to remind myself that even if I can never come out in the daylight, the night is not such a lamentable time either.

Waterworld, 1995
Again, the central character in this movie is relateable to me. Plus, with recent events being what they are, although our ice caps would never cover the entire world, futures like these are interesting things to consider. I kept wondering, if the world were covered in water, where would I go to hide during the day?

Stephen King's The Stand
I have found myself turning the pages of many of King's novels. They were really big in the eighties and nineties, and he's still popular now. I have to say that the book this miniseries was based on is probably my favorite work of his. Although it takes a fairly primitive look at good vs. evil, I liked it for the entertainment value and for the fact that really the message here is to do right by others and be as good as you think you can be. It's mostly movie fluff, but you can get a lesson out of it if you try.

War of the Worlds, all versions
I remember the scramble back in the fifties when this first came out as a radio broadcast. I've never seen anything like it in my life. Even though it was frequently mentioned that this story was not actually occuring, there were thousands that believed it. In fact, some committed suicide because they thought the end had come. Really, it was shocking and I remember hearing about the reports of so many who were frightened by it. I've seen every version of this movie to come out, and read the book, if only for the memories of just how big an impact on America this had. In the fifties, UFO encounters were really big. I sometimes wonder if there still aren't some strange things going on in the universe. If so, what would aliens think of me?

The Haunting, 1963
Even though I was a vampire, I felt for the humans in this movie. It really did scare me. I've come into contact with what I think are ghosts before, so I had a mild interest in this film. I was surprised that a movie made at this time could take such a scientific look at things. Don't see the new version though, make sure the one you see if you see it is in black and white.

Interview with the Vampire, 1994
I'm sure most of you would like to know my opinion on movies like this, and I can certainly say that it was enjoyable. I've skimmed over Rice's novels and know a little of the story surrounding the characters, and it was easier for me to watch a two-hour movie then spend a whole night reading a book all the way through. But in comparison I felt the novel and movie were pretty close, since the screenplay is written by Rice herself. I enjoyed it. I thought it was interesting, and the views examined in it had more to do with me than I expected.

Encino Man 1992
I saw this and just thought it was the bee's knees because it reflected the times and to watch it now is just hilarious. It was a little hard for me to watch at first, simply because it reminded me of you-know-who but it still has a place in my heart when I need to escape to something light-hearted and funny.

[glow=red,2,300]

D R A W I N G S * O F * M E

[/glow]
These are drawings that others have done of me.

[lostmaiden]

Good ideea! Start with favorite color, favorite animal and the reason you like it (for instance I like tigers for their grace, beauty and wisdom) and the favorite country you visited

[Jake]

Lucy Edit: Moved to hold all the info in one post.

[Jake]

Lucy Edit: Moved to hold all the info in one post.

[lostmaiden]

Lol, you won;t believe this, but my Roisin story went on in my notebook and in it there is something about an owl and a vampire.......... Small world even when it comes to tastes and imagination...@.@

[Jake]

I guess it's logical to make that connection.

You asked me about my favorite color and I forgot to answer. I apologize. My favorite color would be sky blue because I never get to see it in real life. I have to settle for seeing the daytime in movies.

[lostmaiden]

I love blue as well... I have a long history about it... What other animals you like besides horses?

[Jake]

I don't get much contact with animals. I guess I like moths because when they fly at night sometimes the moonlight hits them in such a way that they look like they are emitting their own light. I like to watch them when it's quiet and I need to relax, when I'm thinking about things too much.

[lostmaiden]

well, animals sense if a person might harm them or not, so even if you are dangeros, they might not fear you. But even animals are afraid of unknown species and need to keep their distance. Give them a chance to get used with you and I bet they will love you

[Jake]

Maybe true. I don't know. They usually don't let me get close enough, and scaring an animal attracts too much attention from other people. That's not what I want.

[Violet Twlilight]

Well, Lestat did find Mogo. Maybe you'll find a compaion that way. ^.^

[Jake]

I don't know, I guess it's possible. But I'm not exactly hanging all my hopes on the actions of a novel character. Laughter. Unless he exists, then he'll come get me for sure.

What else should I add to my information? Any more music?

[lostmaiden]

But in the forum story you met Lestat... And Vile, and.......

[Jake]

Yeah, well, Lucy has more hopes for me than I have for myself. In the story I also drank Bridget's blood from the vial and it still exists, right here on my neck as always. I could never bring myself to do that, even if another pretty vampire asked me to. The original story about me, about how I became a vampire and meeting Bridget was the real one. These ones that others have contributed to are nice fantasies. But as far as I know, I've never met Lestat or Louis or any others. Or a nice vampire named Veronica. But I enjoy reading them.

What else do I need here?