When I was in high school, I was obsessed with the mafia. That passed and all I could do was read spy novels and for a time I wanted to be in the CIA. Then it was secret societies. With the discovery of This American Life, I got to hear about all facets of life that I would never even know about. Jobs that have to be done, that no one thinks about. How everyday or ordinary things are made or their surprising history. 

It took me several years to realize the theme that connected all of these arenas. If you've thought/said "Huh, I've never thought about that." That is of infinite interest to me. I'm the kind of person that wants to know the "why" of something, anything. It's not enough to know an idea or object IS. I want to know WHY it is. 

Expanding that idea out even further is human behavior. Having had the chance to live with dozens of roommates over the years, I've always wondered why some people always keep their bedroom door closed and others keep it open all the time. The reasons are as varied as the occupants. People's behaviors in general are really fascinating that way. It's also helpful when navigating frustrating living situations.

Anything hiding in plain sight will get my attention. For example, John Wick, when we find out that the homeless are actually a network of spies that do surveillance. Even something like the idea of "The Continental," a hotel for assassins where no one can kill each. Perfect. Anything that reframes the ordinary into something unexpected. 3rd Rock from the Sun, MIB, Rick and Morty do this reframing too. Even if I don't like the movie/book directly, I will appreciate it for its creativity when it comes to seeing the ordinary as extraordinary.

Adjacent to secret worlds is alternate history. Alternate histories do the same only with actual events. The example I always give is from "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter". In the movie, the collection of silver was to make silver bullets to help fight the werewolves. "Babel," by RF Kuang, "Cryptonomicon," by Neal Stephenson, Man in the High Castle (what if the Nazis had won is popular in time travel stories) are a few examples of taking well known historical happenings and putting them in a new context.

Probably not really a rave, just something I wanted to talk about. Thanks for stopping by.