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So that the group can get to know each other I thought I would kick things off with an icebreaker. Just do a copy and paste and respond according to your own personal favorites:

My Favorite...
1. Food:
2. Non-alcoholic beverage:
3. Alcoholic beverage:
4. Band/singer:
5. Actor/Actress:
6. Season:
7. Terrain:
8. Car:
9. Animal:
10. Activity

Here are mine:

My Favorite...
1. Food: Pizza
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: Coconut Water
3. Alcoholic beverage: Margaux Wine
4. Band/singer:

For rock: Tom Petty
For country; Toby Keith
For male opera singer: the late Pavarotti
For female opera singer: Renee Fleming
For orchestra: New York Philharmonic
For female singer: Alanis Morrisette, Faith Hill

5. Actor: Jude Law, so many others
and Actress: Meg Ryan, Cameron Diaz, Judi Dench
6. Season: Fall
7. Terrain: Coral Reefs, beautiful ocean locations. mountains
8. Car: Jeep Grand Cherokee - it gets you where you want to go - anywhere

9. Animal: My GSP

10. Activity: Reading, hiking, travel

My favourites are:


1. Food: Thai
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: Orange Juice
3. Alcoholic beverage: Red Wine, any sort and lots of it!
4. Band/singer: Rolling Stones, Angels, AC/DC
Classical: Chopin, Beethoven
5. Actor: Clint Eastwood
6. Season: Winter
7. Terrain: Mountains
8. Car: CJ5 Jeep (which I no longer have)
9. Animal: Dog
10. Activity: Reading, shooting, travel

I will begin by warning you that I have few favorites. Either I there isn't anything in the area I like, or I like so many things I can't pick one. :)

My Favorite...
1. Food: Mild Cheddar Cheese
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: ice water
3. Alcoholic beverage: none - I don't drink
4. Band/singer: Hard to answer, I don't listen to much non-toddler music right now...
5. Actor: no favorite
6. Season: Fall
7. Terrain: to look at->mountains, to live in->plains with nice trees
8. Car: one that does not need repairs
9. Animal: Gromit
10. Activity: reading and sleeping, although not at the same time

My Favorites
1. Food: Mexican
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: flavored teas
3. Alcolholic beverage: dark, chewy beer
4. Band/singer: Steely Dan/Ella Fitzgerald
5. Actor: ?
6. Season: Spring
7. Terrain: anything but Kansas, ie. FLAT
8. Car: currently have a PT Cruiser
9. Animal: cat
10. Activity: travel and reading

So far what has surprised me for each one of you..let me think here...Elizabeth - gromits really?, John - PT Cruiser, Aussie Rick -Clint Eastwood. It is funny how we think we can tell so much about each other on the site...(smile).

Bentley wrote: "So far what has surprised me for each one of you..let me think here...Elizabeth - gromits really?, John - PT Cruiser, Aussie Rick -Clint Eastwood. It is funny how we think we can tell so much abou..."

Gromit as in "Wallace and Gromit." I don't know. I'm allergic to almost everything so we've not really had pets. I like animals, but mostly keep my distance. So I put down Gromit, since I like his character.

For you, I was surprised by Alanis Morrisette and Faith Hill. I thought Pavarotti was a given. :)

True about Pavarotti..I really like music of all kinds..classical, opera, but I do like country too and Alanis Morrisette has an interesting sounding voice..I like Tina Turner for the same reason..hard to narrow down....Bob Dylan is another one with an odd sounding voice which is interesting. They just do not sound like everybody else.

Now I understand gromits...that was a curve ball.

My Favorite... This looks a great post!
1. Food: Mediterranean
2. Non-alcoholic beverage:Coffee (Turkish!)
3. Alcoholic beverage: Wine, especially Frankenwien
4. Band/singer:
(Group) Latvian National Opera
Pianist: Alfred Brendel
Composer: Difficult!!!! How to choose between Mozart and Schubert and leave out thr fun of Rossini?
Orchestra: Vienna Philharmoniker
Rock/pop: Meatloaf

5. Actor/Actress: Simon Callow
6. Season: Winter snow-not that I get to see it often
7. Terrain: Mountains and lakes
8. Car: My Isuzu Trooper 4 x 4
9. Animal: Cat
10. Activity: Travel, reading, cooking doing the opera in style

My Favorite...
1. Food: Steak and potatoes with corn or broccoli (I know, this is really a meal but in my mind they came as a package)
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: Coffee
3. Alcoholic beverage: None really but do I enjoy a occasional beer.
4. Band/singer: Beatles
5. Actor/Actress: Robin Williams or Hank Azaria
6. Season: Fall
7. Terrain: Really can’t decide here. Love them all.
8. Car: 1967 Mustang
9. Animal: Cats
10. Activity: Walking/Hiking, reading, bicycling

My Favorite...
1. Food: thai or japanese
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: coke
3. Alcoholic beverage: malbec
4. Band/singer:
now: yo la tengo
1990s: pavement
1980s: sonic youth
1970s: the who (early 70s) & zep
1960s: the beatles
5. Actor/Actress: liam neeson/cate blanchett
6. Season: fall
7. Terrain: whateves
8. Car: public trans
9. Animal: cats
10. Activity: travel, reading

My Favorite...
1. Food: Japanese Steakhouse or seafood
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: a cold Dasani
3. Alcoholic beverage: 100% agave blanco tequila with a splash of Cointreau.
4. Band/singer: Traditional Blues like John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters
5. Actor/Actress: John Wayne
6. Season: The newness of Spring, and the color of Fall.
7. Terrain: The Blue-Blazed trails in CT & the White Mountains in NH
8. Car: '92 Mazda Miata
9. Animal: German Shepherd
10. Activity: Hiking and reading

My Favorite...
1. Food: Chocolate Mousse!!
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: Flavored Coffee - (By the gallon)
3. Alcoholic beverage: I'm not fussy about beer or wine but as embarassing as this is the only mixed drink I have ever found that I really like is 'Sex on a Beach'
4. Band/singer: Third Day (Christian) currently
5. Actor/Actress: Fred Astaire (Hello, Top Hat? Swing Time?)
6. Season: Fall
7. Terrain: Forests and looking out on lakes (not beaches, I am not a beach fan)
8. Car: I loved the Hurst oldsmobile that my Dad had before he let me drive it and I hit a deer. Sigh, crazy kid. What was he thinking?
9. Animal: I'm one of those animal lovers. Except for turkeys. Hate turkeys. Nothings gonna change it.
10. Activity - Reading (of course), knitting, crochet, watching my new bird feeders and squirrel feeders (yeah I put up a separate one for the squirrel) and eating. Maybe if I put cooking on here like everybody else I would do more of that last but I haven't gotten the bug yet.

Wow! This IS a nice post! cats come out well as do reading quite shockingly. Coffee does well as a group too. As a cook I can agree about Favourite Animal: BBQ'd.. Nice crack that! My only sadness so far is that anyone could love coke! Don't get me wrong; I am not going to start WWIII over that. I also uphold the right of ANYBODY to freely hold crazy views:)) Good luck! XXX

Niki wrote: "My Favorite...
1. Food: Chocolate Mousse!!
."

Actually Chocolate Mousse is DIVINE!!!!!!

Harvey wrote: "Wow! This IS a nice post! cats come out well as do reading quite shockingly. Coffee does well as a group too. As a cook I can agree about Favourite Animal: BBQ'd.. Nice crack that! My only sadness ..."

What can I say? I'm from the South. We love our cola down here. Mostly I drink water, but coca cola is a nice treat every so often. Especially coke with Maker's Mark. ;)

Favorites, eh? Ok, I'll play.

My Favorite...
1. Food: I love cooking and eating well and others who do. Italian always preferred.
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: Coffee, and water.
3. Alcoholic beverage: Wine, champagne, gin.
4. Band/singer: Many favorites and wide variety - Beatles, Madonna, Luciano Pavarotti, Dean Martin, Lady Gaga, The Pet Shop Boys, Stevie Wonder, Neville Brothers, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, Louie Armstrong, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday
5. Actor/Actress: several, favor the Hollywood classics - Paul Newman, Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, and Denzel Washington what's not to love about that guy?
6. Season: Summer
7. Terrain: The unique beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the hillside of Tuscany.
8. Car: BMW325i convertible
9. Animal: seared on grill to eat. dog as a pet but i don't have one. i HATE snakes!!!
10. Activity: anything involving fun, family, friends. if it involves drinking wine, tasty snacks, spirited dialogue, laughing, then all the better. oh and i love shopping! and reading is a given, isn't that what all brings us here?

Lynda wrote: "Harvey wrote: "Wow! This IS a nice post! cats come out well as do reading quite shockingly. Coffee does well as a group too. As a cook I can agree about Favourite Animal: BBQ'd.. Nice crack that! M..."

Maker's Mark and cola? Well, I guess the only way to test that one is if ever I'm down south, to try it. Will report back! :))

Favorites:

1.Food: Fruit, Belgian Chocolate (with a capital C) and tomatoes, cooked: Italian, French, Thai. French and Belgian fruit cakes/tartes and croissants - oh, and Italian Ice-cream!
2.Non alc. beverage: hot chocolate (self made)
3.Alc.:Red wine (Regions: South of France - though not Bordeaux- , North of Italy)
4.Singer: male: Sam Cooke, Teddy Pendergrass, Michael MacDonald (both only in their best years), Chris Isaak, Pete Yorn, JJ Cale,
female:Heather Nova, Shirley Horn, Chaka Khan
bands: Isley Brothers, Earth Wind and Fire, Maze, The Jayhawks,
Musicians: Freddy King, David Sylvian, Stevie WOnder, Thelonius Monk, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery, Hank Mobley
Composers: Tchaikovsky, Mahler, both the Schumanns, Liszt, Brahms
5.Actor:Denzel Washington, Al Pacino, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Viggo Mortensen.
Actress: Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Jessica Alba.
6.Season: late Spring, early Summer
7.Terrain: the ocean and flowing hills
8.Car: Maserati GT, Alfa Romeo GT and 8C, the new Camaro
9.Animals: rabbits, horses, dolphins, parrots, dogs.
10.Activities: writing, reading, telling/creating stories in whatever way, film, photographs, drawing, kit building, through music etc., cooking and eating, the outdoors.
11. Painters, sculptors: too many to mention here

Andre...you were most complete...that tells me that you are very analytical and a bit of a perfectionist..I can relate. Looking at your list..surprised a bit by Mahler...maybe parrots and kit building. Very interesting and some things that are very much in common with some of my favorite things..There really is nothing better than a good hot chocolate.

And Alisa..who does not like Tuscany?

Bentley wrote: "Andre...you were most complete...that tells me that you are very analytical and a bit of a perfectionist..I can relate. Looking at your list..surprised a bit by Mahler...maybe parrots and kit buil..."

Well Bentley, I do pity the person who does not enjoy the hills of Tuscany. It is the homeland of my grandparents so I have a particular affinity for the place.

Agreed...Italy is wonderful.

´¡²Ô»å°ùé wrote: "Favorites:

1.Food: Fruit, Belgian Chocolate (with a capital C) and tomatoes, cooked: Italian, French, Thai. French and Belgian fruit cakes/tartes and croissants.
2.Non alc. beverage: hot chocolate..."

Belgian Chocolate..... great palate!

Painters and sculptors is a nice category; of course as difficult/impossible as choosing composers.

Favourite painting is easier than painters as such, Vermeer's "The Milkmaid" would solve that one, though not without some pangs of conscience. As with music, certain moods pull certain chords. Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso I regard as a fraud on the art market and while it is not the artist's role always to entertain, it is, in my view legitimate to leave the viewer non-suicidal. Bosch, was not always comfortable, come to that even Goya (though not my tops) still managed to show the nobility in the human spirit despite his 'black' pictures. Blake was pretty odd too I suppose. Favourite school... the French Impressionists.

Bentley wrote: "Andre... Looking at your list..surprised a bit by Mahler....."

Why? Could be weird much of the time... but the colour he produced out of strings was something! Haver a lot of time for him myself.

Harvey..how true..so many wonderful painters, sculptors, musicians, composers...I love Yo Yo Ma and Joshua Bell and so many others.

I was at Peggy Guggenheim's museum in Venice and some of her following left me feeling a bit like that.

Like Tuscany who does not like French Impressionists. I like Vermeer too and The Milkmaid is quite good...just saw that recently somewhere probably at the Metropolitan in NYC. I personally always loved The Girl with a Pearl Earring...it is as if she stares at you no matter where you are standing...I have a print in the kitchen and I love looking at it.

Bentley wrote: "Harvey..how true..so many wonderful painters, sculptors, musicians, composers...I love Yo Yo Ma and Joshua Bell and so many others.

Yo Yo Ma: Favourite 'cellist!

Isn't he wonderful..his playing brings tears to my eyes every time.

Have you heard/seen Beethoven's triple concerto (available on DVD) Ma, Barenboim and Perlman? WOW... a must see must hear!

No I have not...but it must be outstanding...I will look for it..thank you.

I think it is outstanding! Moving... exquisite! Yo Yo Ma is a bit of a showman, but, hell.... he is 'playing'. :))

´¡²Ô»å°ùé wrote: "Favorites:
...telling/creating stories in whatever way..."

I liked that bit. My mother had a great talent for storytelling and creating through words and art and more. I wish I'd inherited any of it.

Such wonderful lists. They make everyone so much more vividly real for me. So here's mine.
1. Food: American-my mother's mashed potatoes and chicken gravy. Kenyan-roasted goat with pepper and onions
2. Non alcoholic beverage- milky tea or Dr. Pepper depending on weather
3. Alcoholic: not much, but late harvest Riesling once in a while.
4.Band/singer: Blues: Keb Mo
Reggae: Bob Marley
African: Emmy Kosgei
Classical: Anne Sophie Mutter playing anything
5.Actor/Actress: Groucho Marx
6. Season: early summer
7. Terrain: Great Rift Valley escarpment
8. Car: my now deceased 1989 Toyota Camry stick
9. Animal/s: cats, cows if you have the room for them
10.Activity: reading, walking

I like the extra categories that Bentley and Harvey are coming up with.

Yes, Harvey and I were just expanding...Of course, anybody can expand beyond the list...it is just an ice breaker..Andrea..some of your faves I do not know a lot about..I am not familiar with Keb Mo for example and I have never had roasted goat with pepper and onions though it sounds like it is pretty good.

You mention Groucho Marx..and he certainly came from a period before you..how did you become familiar with him?

And of course, Bob Marley.

Keb Mo is great! Could easily have been on my list, glad there is another fan.

But no one has mentioned rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings...

Well you have Alisa - so it must have been on your mind (although brown paper packages tied up with strings have never appealed to me; nor am I that keen on bright copper kettles. Rain drops on roses make for good photos and of course how could kittens be without their whiskers (lol))

My Favorite...
1. Food: Strawberries and spaghetti
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: I love diet pepsi, lemonade, and water.
3. Alcoholic beverage: Wine
4. Band/singer: Of late, Keith Urban, Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, and Disturbed.
5. Actor/Actress: Benicio Del Toro, Meryl Streep, Viggo Mortensen, Anthony Hopkins.
6. Season: Fall / Autumn
7. Terrain: Rolling hills
8. Car: My '99 Plymouth Neon
9. Animal: Currently two fat cats and one small dog.
10. Activity: Reading, writing, cooking, and family / friends.

Bentley wrote: "Mahler...maybe parrots and kit buil..."

Dear Bentley, what do I say?
Favorites is something very personal, sometimes completely lacking any sense of logic or quality.
F.e. someone wrote his/her favorite singer is Tom Waits... Perfect for her - and I 'll instantly admit he's a great songwriter, but singer...? But it's her/his taste: wonderful!
As an actress I love watching Jessica ALba - she's extremely pretty, but that's not the first reason why I picked her. It's her smile and her inner happiness and the joy that she transmits (not just when acting). SHe's walking on sunshine.
Teddy Pendergrass' or Sam Cooke's voices have a depth and a range hard to surpass - for my taste. ANd then there's their soul, what they transmit through their singing.
Pavarotti was beyond any doubt a marvelous singer, it's just that although I like to listen to his recordings from time to time I would not count him among my personal favorites.
That's what's so nice about this list, that it's about the favorites.
Mahler. I wouldn't listen to him sitting snowed-in in some Swiss chalet with just the storm outside and no lights... But when I'm open to his art he touches me like few others.
Parrots and rabbits have something in common, they're very social animals. They are funny (and I don't mean in the sense of a dolphin "smiling"...) I mean their character, the way they interact, both among each other and also with us humans.
As to kit building. History first came to me through comic books. Don't think of Batman. What I mean is Alix, Timour, Chevalier Ardent , all terrific series about some "hero" living his adventures. Slightly more realistic than Prince Valiant and also a lot faster and more to the point. Later I discovered Rosemary Sutcliff and others - and things went from there.
Kit building helps me envision the times. Andrea Miniatures (Spain), Romeo Models and Pegaso Models (both from Italy) have terrific series from different periods. I do 90mm only. WHen I work on these figures, entire stories pop up inside my brain. I am currently working on several Roman figures (I'm writing another Roman adventure) but also an AFghan setting in 35mm (plastic for the figures and cars and plaster for the setting) for my other story... THe eteranal kid...

All best.
´¡²Ô»å°ùé

As to painters, let's start a 'favorite' discussion:
Roman frescos, Alphonse Mucha, Modigliani, Waterhouse, van Gogh, Vermeer, van Dijck, Goya, Ingres, Matisse, Botticelli, Seurat, Michelangelo, Juillard, Hugo Pratt, Hergé, Franquin, Giraud, Frazetta, Mignola, Giardino, Charles Burns.
I'm bad with names, so this is just about 1/10...

Angie wrote: "My Favorite...
1. Food: Strawberries and spaghetti
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: I love diet pepsi, lemonade, and water.
3. Alcoholic beverage: Wine
4. Band/singer: Of late, Keith Urban, Kings of..."

I guess you mean not together (strawberries and spaghetti) (lol). I love both of those too.

´¡²Ô»å°ùé wrote: "Bentley wrote: "Mahler...maybe parrots and kit buil..."

Dear Bentley, what do I say?
Favorites is something very personal, sometimes completely lacking any sense of logic or quality.
F.e. someon..."

Great post Andre...and now I understand the kit building a bit better too.

´¡²Ô»å°ùé wrote: "As to painters, let's start a 'favorite' discussion:
Roman frescos, Alphonse Mucha, Modigliani, Waterhouse, van Gogh, Vermeer, van Dijck, Goya, Ingres, Matisse, Botticelli, Seurat, Michelangelo, Ju..."

There are just so many...I love Van Gogh, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Gaudin, Michelangelo for his frescoes, Georgia O'Keefe, Frank Stella, Matisse and pretty much all of the French impressionists, Modigliani, Botticelli would make my list too. There are so many that I love for so many different reasons.

My Favorite...
1. Food: Cheese
2. Non-alcoholic beverage: Root Beer
3. Alcoholic beverage: If you can light it on fire...
4. Band/singer: Beethoven, Toby Keith, Lady Gaga
5. Actor/Actress: British - I think this is a preference for character acting as opposed to method acting
6. Season: Summer
7. Terrain: The beach at night
8. Car: Subaru WRX STI
9. Animal: Dog
10. Activity Sleeping

Even reading this list myself it seems weird.

Why is that Erick?

´¡²Ô»å°ùé wrote: "As to painters, let's start a 'favorite' discussion:
Roman frescos, Alphonse Mucha, Modigliani, Waterhouse, van Gogh, Vermeer, van Dijck, Goya, Ingres, Matisse, Botticelli, Seurat, Michelangelo, Ju..."

Mucha I do like, though I have pleasure from his work I don't put him in my pantheon with Vermeer, Goya and Van Gogh. I must say, despite his greatness Goya - indeed the Spanish School gives me less 'pleasure' than Matisse, come to that, although Fragonard and Poussin don't reach the heights, they do give pleasure. Michelangelo one has to admire though I guess he was more fixated on the male form than I am. It has to be said he portrayed it with genius. I somehow prefer the more earthy paintings of that reprobate Carravaggio; the Sistine Chapel ceiling IS pure genius, I happily concede.

Kits etc... I used to be a wargamer and collected tin figurines, 30mm from Suren and painted them, mostly Franco-Prussian war. and in lead, 25mm Seven Years War from other makers. again to paint. There are a few diorama projects in mind to complete that include between the wars Latvian Air Force Bristol fighters and a RAF Polish Spitfire... one day!!!

Harvey wrote: "´¡²Ô»å°ùé wrote: "As to painters, let's start a 'favorite' discussion:
Roman frescos, Alphonse Mucha, Modigliani, Waterhouse, van Gogh, Vermeer, van Dijck, Goya, Ingres, Matisse, Botticelli, Seurat, Mi..."

I have to confess that I love Carravaggio's work, its great, not bad for a 'reprobate'! I saw some of his works at an exhibition at the Australian National Gallery but I want to travel to Italy and view his works there.

by Peter Robb

Harvey,
I can see your point but I just don't want to compare.
Of course Vermeer was a master painter - and I adore his work; the compositions, the light, everything. But Mucha I adore just as much. I know it's difficult to explain/understand.His work seems so light.
But what if I say that maybe there is admiration on different levels - not quality levels, levels of joy, pleasure. Levels is the wrong word, it always contains certain degrees.
Franquin made comics - as does Giraud/Moebius. But they're all fantastic, as is Frazetta. I just like all these people's work. I'm not comparing them to each other, after all it's kind of hard to compare the Marsupilami to the Girl With the Pearl Earring... I'm just saying I like them, one as much as the other.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Harvey wrote: "´¡²Ô»å°ùé wrote: "As to painters, let's start a 'favorite' discussion:
Roman frescos, Alphonse Mucha, Modigliani, Waterhouse, van Gogh, Vermeer, van Dijck, Goya, Ingres, Matisse, Bottic..."

I must admit that Murillo never did much for me, but seeing his works in the Prado, while not making be get over excited was a great experience. NOT seeing Picasso though. Seeing things at least in situ, at least in their place does make a difference.

´¡²Ô»å°ùé wrote: "Harvey,
I can see your point but I just don't want to compare.
Of course Vermeer was a master painter - and I adore his work; the compositions, the light, everything. But Mucha I adore just as muc..."

I can do nothing but agree! Levels of talent/genius/whatever are impossible to equate, sometimes even to compare. I was enthralled by visiting the Mucha Museum. One of the few things that I did enjoy in Prague. I think nobody can compare him to Leonardo da Vinci. It is not a mathematical, quantifiable, experience.

Harvey, you said it all!

Favourite historical building: the Würzburg Residenz.

Favourite 20th century building: Sydney Opera House (still to go there but great architecture.

New category that occurred to me on TRAVEL TALK... also a great thread!