Do you have any opinions on music?
Yeah, metal from the 1980s needs a resurgence. Old Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest. That was music that will never be duplicated. That old-school metal was a perfect blend of melody and aggression, which are both things that are missing from what has become known as metal, or should I say "nu-metal" of today. Now you have bands who all look alike, all sound alike, and really don't stand for anything other than being popular. As far as song writing goes, I think that a lot of the newer bands have just gotten lazy. Their popularity is now based upon their celebrity status - not their music. I suppose that Axl Rose might have started it, with his larger-than-life, and actually his larger-than-the-rest-of-his-band image. But now you have bands that are trying to - and are really succeeding - to attain these huge levels of popularity while putting out shitty music. There's no comparison between hard rock and metal from 15 years ago to that of music from today.
Is metal the only style of music upon which you'd like to opine?
Not really. It's just that I listen to it more than other genres. I like listening to jazz and classical, also, but I'm far from qualified to make any critiques of any jazz or classical artist. I don't pay much attention to country, simply because I can't get into it, and as for rap...well, you can't spell the word "crap" without the word "rap".
So you're not an Eminem fan?
What do you think? Actually, I think that it's scary that Eminem has become a role model to so many kids. Here you have a guy who has made a fortune off saying "fuck you" to almost everything and he makes millions for doing it. Just think about this, though: If you have a kid who thinks that that attitude is the way to go, what do you suppose that he'll be doing later in life?
Welfare?
Probably. Unless he gets a multi-million dollar record deal to make a rap album.
You mentioned sports earlier. Your thoughts on those?
Like I said before, baseball and hockey are great. At the same time, however, I also have a fascination with sports like auto racing and even golf - even though I don't play golf. Baseball is a great sport because it mixes physical ability with mental ability. It's also a bit of a "magical" sport, because it has a history that's second-to-none, plus it's not controlled by a clock. You have to get three outs over the course of nine innings. When it happens, it happens. How it happens, it happens. I once heard it referred to as the "intellectual's sport". Personally, I think that baseball fans, by and large, have a higher I.Q. than fans of other sports, simply from personal experience. I can honestly say that I don't know a dumb baseball fan. As for hockey, it's just a fun sport. Fun to play, fun to watch. Auto racing and golf are interesting to me because they aren't a team sport - well, you have auto racing teams, but it's not like baseball, hockey, football, or basketball. It comes down to the ability of the individual. The driver has to win, and he can't blame his teammates if he loses. Golf is similar in that sense, but golf goes even deeper. The only person that you're competing against in golf is yourself - even if you're in a tournament. Golf may very well be the most mentally demanding sport on the planet. I know that chess players are probably pissed off at that statement, but I've seen people play golf, and they've had bad rounds simply because they begin to doubt themselves, or they think about other things that are ongoing in their lives. All these aspects come into play with golf. The other thing is that there is no "perfect" score. Each time that you play is simply another attempt at beating your last round.
You didn't mention football, basketball, or soccer?
I like playing football more than watching it, and I'm really not a follower of basketball. As for soccer. Hmmmm....what the hell is that all about, anyway? I mean, you have a bunch of guys kicking a ball around a field that's about 10 acres in size, but no one actually accomplishes anything. I swear that it has to be the perfect socialist sport - you work your ass off for a long time, but don't accomplish anything.
Speaking of socialism, what are your thoughts on politics?
I vote libertarian just because I think that libertarian ideas are better than liberal or conservative ideas. Both liberals and conservatives think that you should live your lives THEIR way. Libertarians seem to want people to live their lives as individuals, so long as you aren't physically or economically harming others. If you harm yourself, however, so be it. When I think about it, though, sometimes I wonder if I'm more a fascist. Maybe the majority of people SHOULD be told what to do. It's just a thought, I suppose.
What kind of occupation does a misanthrope hold?
I guess that a misanthrope could hold any kind of occupation. I'd think that a conducive occupation would be something like a writer, since it affords the misanthrope the opportunity to express his or her views at length. Right now I'm working as a substitute high school teacher, but I don't see myself as a teacher for 30 years. I enjoy teaching people things, but I don't like the idea of having to act like a combination of psychologist, sociologist, disciplinarian, parent, and educator, all the while getting paid roughly $30,000 per year. Maybe I'll try to become an international super model.
A model? No offense, but don't give up your day job.
When you look like me, you have to dream.