Gifts

[bobquasit]

I am virtually impossible to shop for, because the things I like are so very unusual that no shop carries them. Which is unfortunate, because I like getting gifts. Jesus, I just re-read that line and realized that it sounded like those dumb-ass teenaged sluts who send pictures of themselves in their underwear to middle-aged men who send them expensive presents...this is all very frightening (and it's also very frightening that I am now a middle-aged man, or very close to it).

I wish I was really great at picking out presents, like my sister-in-law (she has an incredible talent for it), but I'm not. Nonetheless I almost completely refuse to give out gifts such as gift certificates - they're just too impersonal. My favorite sort of gift to give is a copy of a rare out-of-print book from someone's childhood, something that will just light them up and make their day.

Anyway, in case anyone is suffering and trying to figure out what sort of thing I would like (and as a memo to myself, since I'll buy these for myself when I get the chance), here's a list:

Miscellaneous:

• A new computer (I can dream, right? ) . I won't bore you with the technical details.


• A cheap digital camera. Even a cheap one would have at least four times the resolution of the one I have now. Some optical zoom would be nice, too.


• A nice new wallet. The zipper has broken on my old one. It needs to be able to hold a lot of junk.

DVDs:

• The Producers (widescreen edition, if possible - and NOT the musical, I refuse to acknowlege that that exists. Zero Mostal forever!)


• Thief of Bagdad (the 1949 color edition. Come to think of it, I prefer widescreen for ALL DVDs.)


• They Might Be Giants - Tale of Two


• Aliens (commentary & deleted scenes would be nice)


• Bride of Frankenstein


• Dark Star


• Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid


• Ed Wood - Special Edition


• Get A Life (TV Series) (2 sets)


• H.R. Pufnstuf (I may buy this as a gift for Sebastian - I hate TV, but a dose of psychedelia would be good for his dreams)


• In The Heat Of The Night (the movie, not the TV show)


• Little Big Man


• Midnight Run


• Strange Brew (with Bob & Doug McKenzie, not the band Cream)


• To Kill A Mockingbird: Collector's Edition


• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy


• Smiley's People - Holy FONG! I just found out that these two series are available on DVD directly from PBS. If only they weren't so damned expensive.

Hmm. Maybe I'll eventually put up a list of the DVDs I DO own, just to see if anyone feels like talking about them.

Some movies I would love to own if they ever became available on DVD:

• Cast A Deadly Spell (I just ordered the videotape, but it's not available on DVD. A really cool movie)


• SCTV (I worship at the alter of SCTV)


• Banana Splits (more psychedelia for Sebastian)


• Shadow On the Land (I'd be amazed if I could even get this on videotape, because it is probably The Rarest Movie In The World)


• Private Schulz (a great PBS mini-series, very funny)


• The Body In Question - another PBS mini-series, in which renaissance man Jonathan Miller (who manages to be an outstanding comedian, actor, author, and doctor - and please note, he's really a medical doctor, like his contemporary Graham Chapman) presents fascinating information about the human body in an incredibly funny way.

Oh, here are a few more things that I'd love to get:
The video of the Muppet's production of The Frog Prince. I don't know if I've ever seen it, but when I was young we had the soundtrack album. Actually I didn't know until recently that it had actually BEEN a video - I'd thought it was just a record!

It has a lot of really great songs, and is just a whole lot of fun. It was made in 1972, so I guess I was eight when I first heard it. Oddly enough I was able to find plenty of the videos on eBay, but none of the soundtrack LPs. This is definitely something I am going to pick up before too much time passes, as I want Sebastian to hear it while he's growing up. Speaking of which, there are a lot of great old children's records that I would love to find for him. Of course, it would help if I could play those records...or better yet, convert them into CDs. The computer I have now was supposed to be able to do that, but unfortunately I was screwed by the guy who sold it to me.

There are a few other of LPs I would love to have, even though right now I have no way to play them:

• Copernicus - Victim of the Sky or Null. Copernicus is an insane - oh, right, this is the web. Why tell you when I can show you? But basically, Copernicus is the Brother Theodore of music and poetry.
  


• Annabel Lamb's albums "Once Bitten" (1983) and "The Flame" (1984). A gorgeous voice, and outstanding songs.

There are probably other things, but once again memory fails me.