WHO AM I? - The Vitals

Definitely more than you probably need to know, but here goes:

Name Given at Birth: Andrew Michael Hecht
Nicknames I'll Answer To: Drew, Zeno
Astrological sign: Leo
Age: 35 (August 4th, 1970)
Race: Caucasian
Heritage: Jewish
Beliefs: Atheism
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Brown
Contacts or Glasses: Both
Marital status: Single
Children: None
Pets: 2 cats (Filemu & Makelani)
Do I drink alcohol: Yes
Do I smoke: No

Primary School: Stephen S. Wise, Los Angeles
High School: Brentwood School, Los Angeles
University: University of California, Santa Cruz
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Classics
Favorite Subject in School: Latin in High School; Photography in College
Least Favorite Subject in School: AP U.S. History

Occupation: Contract Web Content Manager
As a Child, What Did I Want to Be When I Grew Up: Truck Driver
What Would Be My Dream Job Now: Photographer, National Geographic
Favorite Job to Date: Sports Producer, cnnsi.com
Least Favorite Job to Date: Busboy
Favorite Quote Relating to a Past Job: "You used to work at All-American Burger"
Least Favorite Quote Relating to a Current Job: "The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love"
My Working Pet-peeve: (tie) Time Clocks, Micromanagement

Favorite Outdoor Activities: Skiing; Biking; Hiking; Surfing; Photography; People-watching
Favorite Indoor Activities: Reading; Writing; Watching Movies; Yoga; Rock Climbing
Favorite Color: Midnight blue
Favorite Place to Chill: My apartment with my cats
Favorite Season: Spring
Favorite Holiday: Groundhog Day
Favorite Board Game: Parcheesi
Favorite Card Game: Euchre
Favorite Hobby: Collecting Travel Books
Favorite Insult: "Ass Clown"

Favorite Sport to Play: Ultimate Frisbee
Favorite Sport to Watch: College Basketball
Favorite Sport to Listen to on the Radio: Cricket
Least Favorite Sport to Watch: Fishing
Favorite Current Athlete: Lance Armstrong
Favorite All-Time Athlete: Sir Donald Bradman
Favorite Sporting Event: Tour de France
Favorite Sports Movie: The Natural
Favorite Announcer: (tie) Vin Scully, Chick Hearn
My Sporting Pet-peeve: "Live - except on the West Coast"

Favorite Music Genre: Jazz
Favorite Jazz Artists: Chet Baker; John Coltrane; Bird; Harry Connick, Jr.; Nat King Cole; Charlie Parker; Art Blakey;
Least Favorite Jazz Artists: Kenny G
Favorite Musical Artists: Bob Dylan; Frank Sinatra; Lenny Kravitz
Favorite Musical Groups: Cruel Sea; Soundgarden; INXS; REM; Midnight Oil; Weddings, Parties, Anything; TISM
What's in My Home CD player Right Now: Nukukehe by Te Vaka
What's in My Car CD player Right Now: Graceland by Paul Simon
Do I Play an Instrument: Sadly, no

Have I Ever Had Your Appendix or Tonsils Removed: No
Have I Ever Broken a Bone: Yes (clavicle)
Have I Ever Had a Cavity: Yes
Have I Ever Had a Prostate Exam: No
Have I Ever Spent the Night in Jail: Yes
Have I Ever Had My Nose Broken by a Moroccan in Sumatra: Yes
Have I Ever Kissed a Girl With a Tongue Ring: Yes
Have I Ever Gone Skinny-dipping: Yes
Where: Singapore
Have I Ever Lied to Girl to Get Her Into Bed: No
Have I Ever Had Carnal Knowledge of Non-native Livestock: Not to my knowledge
Have You Ever Been Convicted of a Crime: Never convicted
Have I Ever Been in a Turkish Prison: No
Have I Ever Been in a Thai Prison: Yes
Scariest Place in the World: Big Tiger Prison (Bangkok, Thailand)

My First Car: Toyota Celica 1987
My Last Car: Saab 9-3 4-door 1999
My Current Car: Subaru Outback 2000
My Dream Car: Lamborghini LMA
My Realistic Dream Car: Toyota Land Cruiser (late 70s model)
My Driving Record: Perfect one point for a minor moving violation
My Driving Pet-peeve: People who drive slow in the fast lane

Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine
Do I Floss: Occasionally Almost every day.
Shampoo/Conditioner: Head & Shoulders
Number of Cavities: 1
Wisdom Teeth: Fully Erupted

Most Humiliating Moment: I’d rather not say
Most Uncomfortable Moment: Watching my kittens being de-sexed

What is My Bad Time of Day: Any time in the morning
What is My Good Time of Day: The hour right before and right after the sun sets
Do I Make Fun of People: Often (I can't help myself)
Do I Make Fun of Myself: Often (I can't help myself)
Do I have any Phobias: Yes (Heights & Samoan dogs)
Do I Have Any Siblings: Yes (Two Sisters, Two Brothers)
Do I Get Along With My Parents: Mostly, yes - It's easy to get along with your parents when you're 10,000 miles away

Place I'd Most Like to Visit That I Haven't Been to Yet: India
Place I'd Most Like to Visit at Any Time in History: Tibet before the Han Chinese Invasion
Most Amazing Place I Have Visited: [tie] Angkor Wat (Cambodia) & Petra (Jordan)
Favorite City to Visit: Rio
Favorite City to Live: Melbourne
Least Favorite City : Houston
Least Favorite State : Texas
Least Favorite Country : Texas
Coolest Place in Texas by Far : Austin
Favorite Place to Visit: Indonesia
Favorite Airline: KLM
Least Favorite Airline: Any US-based carrier
Favorite Airport: Schipol (Amsterdam)
Favorite National Park: Sequoia
Favorite Cemetery: Pere Lechaise (Paris)
Favorite Form of Transportation: Train
Best Train Journey: Cuzco to Machu Pichu (Peru)
Longest Train Journey: Melbourne to Cairns (and back)
Worst Train Journey: Bandung to Probolingo (Indonesia)
Most Useful Thing to Bring on a Trip: Valium
My Traveling Pet-peeve: Being asked to put my seat-back up before take off

Favorite Ski Resort: Beaver Creek, CO; Alta, UT; Whistler, BC (tie)
Current Ski Resort: Heavenly, CA
Dream Ski Vacation: Portillo, Kitzbuhl (tie)
Current Skis: Salomon Pocket Rockets
Current Boots: Lange
Years Skiing: 32
Where I Learned to Ski: June Lake, CA
Where I Skied the Most: Mammoth Mountain, CA
Most Unusual Place I Skied: Bursa, Turkey; Mt. Vitosha, Bulgaria (tie)
Days Skied Last Season (2): 17
Days Skied 2: 24
Days Skied 2: 100

Favorite Cologne: Drakar Noir
Favorite Scent of Candle: Vanilla
Favorite Scent of Incense: Vanilla
Favorite Scent of Body Wash: Vanilla
Favorite Flower: Roses

Favorite Authors: Paul Theroux; Mark Leyner; Ayn Rand; Jack Kerouac; Robert Byron; Woody Allen; Charles Bukowski; John Steinbeck; Jan Morris; Paul Bowles; J.D. Salinger; Edgar Rice Burrroughs, Pat Conroy; Brett Easton Ellis
Favorite Book Genre: Travel
Favorite Books: The Great Railway Bazaar; My Secret History; The Road to Oxiana; Snow Falling on Cedars; The Fountainhead; Post Office; On the Road; Travels with Charly; ; The Sheltering Sky; The Lords of Discipline; American Psycho, Goodnight Moon, The Giving Tree, The Fountainhead
Current Book I'm Reading: Reading too fast to list (out of date -sorry)
Most Inspirational Book: It's Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong
Favorite Fictional P.I.: Kinsey Millhone, Cliff Janeway (tie)
Favorite Magazine: National Geographic
My Literature Pet-peeve: Books re-released after the movie is made

Favorite Photographers: James Natchwey; Eliot Erwit; Henri Cartier- Bresson
Current SLR: Cannon 1-VHS
Current Point & Shoot: Yashica T4 Super (Zeiss lens) lost/stolen in Samoa, Canon 500S
Current Digital: Canon 10D
Current Medium Format: Holga (no comment)
Favorite Slide Film: Fuji Velvia 50
Favorite B & W Film: Agfapan 100
Dream Camera: (tie) Leica L7, Cannon 1-D

Favorite Recent Movie: Fight Club
Favorite All-Time Movie: North by Northwest
Other Favorite Movies: The Big Lebowski; The Talented Mr. Ripley; When Harry Met Sally; Adaptation; Man Bites Dog; This is Spinal Tap; Un Couer en Hiver; Good Will Hunting; The Red Violin; Love & Death; Excalibur; Do the Right Thing; The Manchurian Candidate; Il Conformisto; The Last Emporer; Sunset Boulevard; The Spanish Prisoner; American Beauty; The Godfather; Gilda; Chinatown; 5 Easy Pieces; Glengarry Glen Ross; Touch of Evil; Citizen Kane; Pulp Fiction; Trzy kolory: Bialy (White); A Fish Called Wanda; Dead Calm; Heathers; The Usual Suspects; Memento; Amelie; Fargo; The Man Who Wasn't There; Fight Club; The Player; Apocalypse Now; Groundhog Day; Life of Brian; The Princess Bride; Ferris Bueller's Day Off; Fast Time at Ridgemont High; Office Space; The Endless Summer, Diner
Favorite Actors: Guy Pearce; Kevin Spacey; Jack Nicholson; Cary Grant; Billy Crystal; Daniel Day Lewis; Tom Hanks; Anthony Hopkins; Robert Redford; Steve Martin; Bill Murray; Robert DeNiro; Morgan Freeman; Clint Eastwood; Robin Williams; John Cusack; Nick Cage; Denzel Washington; Tim Robbins; Jim Carey; Jeff Bridges; Chris Copper; Joe Mantegna; Daniel Auteuil, Kevin Bacon
Least Favorite Actors: Jerry Lewis
Favorite Actresses: Emmanuelle Beart; Judi Dench; Cate Blanchet; Helen Hunt; Holly Hunter; Rita Hayworth; Jennifer Aniton; Eve Marie Saint; Meg Ryan; Audrey Hepburn; Uma Thurman; Jamie Lee Curtis, Diane Keaton
Least Favorite Actresses: Bette Midler; Rosie O'Donnell; Barbara Steisand
Favorite Film Makers: Woody Allen; Alfred Hitchcock; Joel & Ethan Coen; Monty Python; Bruce Brown; Gus Van Zant; Clint Eastwood; David Mamet; David Lynch; Peter Weir; Bernardo Bertolucci; Warren Miller; Frederico Fellini; Orsen Wells; Krzysztof Kieslowski; Spike Lee; Sam Mendes; Anthony Minghella. Barry Levinson.
Favorite Current TV programs: The West Wing; The Sopranos
Favorite All-time TV programs: Twin Peaks; Seinfeld; Mr. Bean; Bosom Buddies, The Simpsons; Cheers; X-Files; Northern Exposure; Faulty Towers; HR Puff & Stuff, Land of the Lost, Star Trek, The Honeymooners
Favorite Animated Show: Wallace & Grommit
Favorite Talk Show Host: Charlie Rose
Favorite Radio Program: Prairie Home Companian
My Movie Pet-peeve: "This film has been modified to fit your screen"

Favorite Food: Thai
Favorite Restaurant: Flying Buscuit Cafe (Atanta, GA)
Favorite Breakfast Joint: Zachary's (Santa Cruz, CA)
Favorite Restaurant With a Hangover: Waffle House
Favorite Hamburger Joint: Fatburger
Favorite Sushi Bar: Izaka Ya (San Jose, CA)
Favorite Sushi: Unagi
Do I like Wasabe: I love it
Favorite Ice Cream: Anything Coffee
Favorite Desert: Mud Pie
Favorite Drink: Water
Favorite Smoothie: Banana & Peanut Butter
Favorite Beer: Negra Modelo
Favorite Adult Beverage: White Russian
Favorite Wine: Clos Pegase Pinot Noir
Favorite Salad Dressing: Blue Cheese or Paul Newman’s Balsamic Vinaigrette
Favorite Dish to Cook: Pepper-lime steak fajitas
My Eating Pet-peeve: Waiters who don't fill my water glass

Interesting Fact About My Childhood: I was a troubled kid
Do I Dream in Color or Black & White: I have no idea
How Many Rings Before I Answer the Phone: I get it when I get it
The First Thing I Do in the Morning: Kick my cats out of the bed

Favorite Thing to do When I'm Home Alone: Lounge in bed reading a good book
Things That Make Me Feel Good: A good book, a hot shower, a big hug
Things I Don't Like: Ignorant people, people with no manners, mosquitoes
Best Feeling in the World: Being in Love
Worst Feeling in the World: (tie) Getting kicked in the nuts, dry heaving
Do I Get Motion Sickness: Not really

Do I Like to Drive: I love to drive
Do I Sleep With Stuffed Animals: What do I need stuffed animals for when I have real animals?
Did I Have Imaginary Friends as a Child: No
What is on the Walls of My Room: Nothing
What Words or Phrases Do I Overuse: Fuck, Dude
How Would I Characterize My Political Leanings: Fiscally conservative, Socially liberal
Favorite Living Political Leader: Al Gore
Favorite All-Time Political Leader: Henry Holt
Favorite Living Monarch: Queen Beatrix of Holland
Favorite All-Time Monarch: Caligula
Did I Vote For George Bush in 2000: No
Did I Vote For George Bush in 2004: No

Paper or Plastic: Paper
Sugar or Plain: Plain
Creamy or Chunky: Chunky
Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate
Sweet or Sour: Sweet
Croutons or Bacon Bits: Croutons
One Pillow or Two: Two
Dogs or Cats: Cats
Pen or Pencil: Pen
Soap or Body Wash: Body Wash
Cotton or Polyester: Cotton
Boxers or Briefs: Boxer Briefs
PC or Macintosh: Both
The Book or The Movie: The book
Old Testament or New Testament: Old
Full Screen or Letterbox: Letterbox
Dubbed or Subtitled: Subtitled
Sinatra or Mathis: Sinatra by a mile
Sean Connery or Roger Moore: Sean Connery
Black & White or Color: Black & White
Elvis - Dead or Alive: Dead
Jimmy Hoffa - Dead or Alive: Dead
Osama - Dead or Alive: Alive
Saddam - Dead or Alive: Alive
Roller Coasters - Deadly or Exciting: Exciting
Thunderstorms - Cool or Scary: Very Cool

Favorite Quotes:

"When the virus of restlessness begins to take possession of a wayward man, and the road away from here seems broad and straight and sweet, the victim must first find in himself a good and sufficient reason for going. This to the practical bum is not difficult. He has a built-in garden of reasons to choose from."
-John Steinbeck, Travels with Charly

"I still do not understand who was running the show, or what they did, or even what the Peace Corps actually was, apart from an enlightened excuse for sending us to poor countries. Those countries are still poor. We were the ones who were enriched, and sometimes I think that we remind those people - as if they needed such a thing - that they were being left out. We stayed a while, and then we left them. And yet I think I would do it again. At an uncertain time in my life I joined. And up to a point - they gave me a lot of rope - the Peace Corps allowed me to be myself. I realized that it was much better to be neglected than manipulated, and I had learned that you make your own life."
-Paul Theroux, When the Peace Corps Was Young

"As you are not unaware, I am much traveled. This fact allows me to corroborate the ascertion that a voyage is always more or less illusory, that there is nothing new under the sun, theat everything is one and the same, etcetera, but also, paradoxically enough, to assert that there is no foundation for the despairing of finding surprises and something new: in truth, the world is inexhaustible."
Jorge Lui Borges, Extraordinary Tales