Stefan's Favorite Things

LITERATURE
Living Science Fiction Author	Anne McCaffrey- Most renowned for her Dragonriders of PERN books. She's a great writer and an even more wonderful person. She actually sent me a case of oranges while I was in the Persian Gulf. Everyone really loved her books. A biography, written by her son Tom just came out. You can visit my fan site for my salute to her, current news/links, and more book information.
Late Science Fiction Author	Frank Herbert- Author of the Dune series. Eye, his collection of short stories, is pretty amazing. His creativity and ability to create entire worlds really captured my imagination. Sometimes, like Ray Bradbury, he created really scary situations in current world settings.
Classic Author	William Shakespeare- I really love the comedies and some of the tragedies. The histories and sonnets kind of bore me. The Tempest and As You Like It are my favourites. I've seen the plays everywhere from the Festivals in NC and GA, to the stage at Yale University. The best so far is still a little production of The Tempest at Russell Sage College. It was all done in blacklight with fluorescent costumes. Absolutely Incredible!

MUSIC

Male Singer Chris De Burgh - While he is best known here for the song Lady in Red he also sang the theme to Arthur 2 and has numerous albums in Europe. I saw him on his only US tour in 1983.

Female Singer Joan Jett - She is wild in concert. I've seen her many times, from North Carolina to Toad's Place in New Haven. I saw her at the Beau Rivage in April 1999 and got an autograph and the song list. (Concert reviews). She finally came back to Georgia when played after a Thashers game in 2003.

Folk Singer
Female Barbara Bailey Hutchison - She is wonderful! A delightful storyteller and lovely singing voice. Buy her CDs! She even has children's songs. The last time I saw her was in Nashville - October 1998. Her latest is a children's CD called "Cat in the Sink". Check out my fan page for more cool info.

Folk Singer
Male Don Henry - I first heard of Don when Barbara sang Harley. Since then I've seen him a dozen times and really come to appreciate is songwriting, his sense of humor, and yes, even his singing.

German
Singers
I picked up an appreciation for German speaking singers during several trips to Germany. Although these singers aren't well known here is the USA, take my word, they're great! Even if you don't understand the words.

Nena (Kerner) - Best known in the USA for her song 99 Luftballons, she also has several other great albums. It's a great 80's rock sound that is emotionally charged and easy to dance to. [Fansite]

Marianne Rosenburg - Dark almost Gothic soft rock sound. Feuerrosen is my favorite. A friend just picked up her latest album, “Luna” for me.

Juliane Werding - Mostly ballads, I find her music mysterious yet sensual, with plots very similar to some Heart songs. I have several CDs and continue to collect more.

Nicole (Seibert) - Soft sensual ballads. I highly recommend it. I have “Mehr Als Zusammen Schlafen Gehn”, and “Wenn Schon ... Denn Schon”

MOVIES

Upcoming Movies
I'm interested in seeing
Coraline (March 2009) - Cult author Neil Gaiman’s dark fairytale gets a faithful adaptation which will entrance anyone who enjoyed Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.

Terminator Salvation (June 2009) The long-awaited ‘future war’ segment of the Terminator saga, previously only hinted at in the first three movies. Christian Bale will play an older John Connor. Roland Kickinger will be the principal Terminator because Arnold Schwarzenegger is too busy running California.

Watchmen (March 2009) Ironman, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Captain America come out to play.

Star Trek (May 2009) This Star Trek prequel is set immediately before the action of the first TV series when the original gang first meet. Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson – Spock’s mum. Simon Pegg turns up as Scotty and Zachary Quinto the dark presence at the heart of TV’s Heroes certainly looks the part as a young Spock.

The Hobbit (Dec 2011) - Should be fun

The Dragon Riders of Pern - If it ever gets made

Movie 2008
Ironman and Hellboy II: The Golden Army stand out as good movies, but it really wasn't a good year. Most movies were just disappointing. Bond hasn't come out yet and could have potential.

Movie 2007
The Bourne Ultimatum - The action was so intense I thought my chest was going to explode. That is why I go to the movies

Movie 2006
Not a great year, but Cars and Deja Vu were pretty good.

Movie 2005
Sin City - It was beautiful to watch, sick and twisted, but fun and exciting to watch. The women were so beautiful. I really liked Constantine and the Fantastic Four too.

Movie 2004
The Bourne Supremacy was really exciting and I saw it twice. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 was close a second.

Movie 2003 Bend it Like Beckham A great coming of age movie with a Indian culture clash subplot. The sexual mix-ups are very Shakespearean and hilarious!

Movie 2002 Ice Age was fun for adults and kids. Amelie was a close second.

Movie 2001 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - They did this book-to-movie right! They kept true to the story while adding great visuals and effects. I didn't like to narrative opening though and I thought the hobbits look too human.

Movie 2000 The Patriot - It was based on real historical events and I think accurately portrays the reality of war. The scenery and effects were much better than any other war movie.

Movie 1999
(Oscar-best movie) Shakespeare in Love - I've always been a Shakespeare fan and this movie has is all: laughs, tears, tragedy, a pirate, and a dog. Even though it's a tragedy, you leave feeling happy. The Ben Aflick joke is funny and Queen Elizabeth almost steals the movie.

Movie 1998 The Truman Show - I'm not a big Jim Carry fan, but this movie was great. I love a movie that makes you think. I hope you saw it!

Movie 1997 Grosse Pointe Blank - I've said it before, I'll say it again: I'm a hopeless romantic. Minni Driver was excellent and it had me laughing all the time. In & Out was a close second.

Movie 1996 The Truth About Cats and Dogs- It was so good I saw it twice, and I almost never see a movie twice.

All Time
Favorite Movies The Princess Bride - Who isn't in love with Princess Buttercup?

Monty Python's Holy Grail - I've seen it over 50 times and it keeps getting better

Sleepless in Seattle - Okay, so I'm a romantic!

TELEVISION

Spring 1992
TV Show Grapevine - It only lasted six episodes on CBS but I loved it. Every show was about sex! But there was no nudity or smut: it was all left to your imagination. Like the original Twilight Zone, several up and coming actors got their big break there, including Dean Cain, Courtney Thorne-Smith, and Terry Farrell. I loved it so much I made a webpage: visit it here. (see Spring 2000)

Fall 1992
TV Show Picket Fences - For a while this show had it all. Great acting, interesting stories, and it kept you guessing. But it had too much controversy for the main stream audiences and was moved around too much.

Fall 1996
TV Show Profiler - It's a shame NBC wouldn't allow a women to be great at her job unless she was endowed with "Super Powers." Still, the writing was excellent, the pace was exciting, and the acting was better than average. I got really tired of Jack, but when he was defeated Ally Walker left and the show declined.

Spring 1997
TV Show JAG - CBS resurrected this show after NBC unexpectedly canceled it in 1996. It is intelligent, well written, and exciting. CBS isn't spending as much as NBC did, and the plots are weaker, but I still enjoyed it.

Spring 1998
TV Shows Spin City/Dharma & Greg - ABC had comedy Wednesday night nailed ! Why did they ruin it?

Fall 1998
TV Show Cupid - I could really fall in love with Paula Marshall. She was great on a season of Spin City. The networks tried for a third time to give this actress her own series: but it didn't work. The premise was pretty weak, the constant Moonlighting like bickering was annoying, and what was it doing on Saturday night? The show was a perfect lead in to either Spin City or Dharma & Greg.

Spring 1999
TV Show Buffy: The Vampire Slayer - I'm not sure why. Maybe it's my lust for goth-chicks or maybe just because it's fun. Either way, I'm usually home Tuesday nights now. Also Charmed with Shannon Doherty and Lisa Marie Combs is pretty cool.

Fall 1999
TV Show Sports Night - This show wasn't about sports, it was about people and life's troubles. It was smart, sharp, funny, and cancelled.

Spring 2000
TV Show Grapevine - Following on the success of HBO's Sex in the City CBS gave it another chance. It lasted five weeks. Read the hype on my Grapevine page. (see Spring 1992)

Fall 2001
TV Show Enterprise - It's not as good as the original Star Trek. Again, the writing is formulaic and characters have no personality. Continuity with the other shows could also use some work.

2002
TV Show Hidden Hills - Of course I'll always love Paula Marshall and the show was funny and fresh. But it was cancelled quickly - The best moment in the series was when they dumped the kids for a night and went to a rock concert - They got drunk and Paula flashed the band, which made the local news in the show.

2003
TV Show Everwood can be over the top in its preaching and moral high ground dialog but mostly I enjoy the complex characters.

2004
TV Show Shows this season just sucked! But I still made it a point to see Gilmore Girls, Everwood, and Stargate although I'd often miss them and didn't mind too much. I'm glad Enterprise was cancelled - All the continuity problems with the first three series were too painful to watch.

2005/2006
TV Show Grey's Anatomy I like the witty banter. And since we're all damaged and scary, I can relate.

2007
TV Show Pushing Daisies I really enjoyed this show. It was light and funny and most importantly - different.

COMEDY

Comedian Janeane Garofalo - She was just too funny for SNL. I think she was best in The Truth About Cats and Dogs and she stole the show in Reality Bites. She also saved Mystery Men from being a total farce.
[Schedule]

Comic Strip Dilbert I love reading it, but it hits so close to home it hurts. My all time favorite has to be Calvin & Hobbs, I really miss those guys... [PS - the TV show stinks]

OTHER COOL THINGS

Sport Skiing - I Love to ski. The outdoors, thrill, and camaraderie is awesome. It's been a while since the 95-96 season when I had 19 ski days including 7 days in Park City, Utah. But I keep hoping. My last trip was to Snowbird with the Fisher family April 5 - Awesome!

Ice Cream Ben & Jerry's I'm a big fan. I've been to the factory in Vermont, I got the T-shirt and the birthday card too. Every year on my birthday they give me a free cone, what could be better?

Hot Sauce 911 available through mail order from Mo Hotta Mo Betta. They also have such other fine products as “Hot Buns on the Beach,” “Scorned Women,” and “Pure Hell.”

Snack Food Buffalo wings - of course the best ones are the ones I make: You just can't find great ones in the stores or restaurants. Did you know that hot wings were invented at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY? I went there once, they were pretty good.

Free WebSpace Batcave.net, Geocities.com, Tripod.com,

Created Oct. 10, 1995
Last updated 11 Nov 2008
©2008 Stefan Oestreicher spunbystefan@yahoo.com

MUSIC
Male Singer	Chris De Burgh - While he is best known here for the song Lady in Red he also sang the theme to Arthur 2 and has numerous albums in Europe. I saw him on his only US tour in 1983.
Female Singer	Joan Jett - She is wild in concert. I've seen her many times, from North Carolina to Toad's Place in New Haven. I saw her at the Beau Rivage in April 1999 and got an autograph and the song list. (Concert reviews). She finally came back to Georgia when played after a Thashers game in 2003.
Folk Singer Female	Barbara Bailey Hutchison - She is wonderful! A delightful storyteller and lovely singing voice. Buy her CDs! She even has children's songs. The last time I saw her was in Nashville - October 1998. Her latest is a children's CD called "Cat in the Sink". Check out my fan page for more cool info.
Folk Singer Male	Don Henry - I first heard of Don when Barbara sang Harley. Since then I've seen him a dozen times and really come to appreciate is songwriting, his sense of humor, and yes, even his singing.
German Singers	I picked up an appreciation for German speaking singers during several trips to Germany. Although these singers aren't well known here is the USA, take my word, they're great! Even if you don't understand the words. Nena (Kerner) - Best known in the USA for her song 99 Luftballons, she also has several other great albums. It's a great 80's rock sound that is emotionally charged and easy to dance to. [Fansite] Marianne Rosenburg - Dark almost Gothic soft rock sound. Feuerrosen is my favorite. A friend just picked up her latest album, “Luna” for me. Juliane Werding - Mostly ballads, I find her music mysterious yet sensual, with plots very similar to some Heart songs. I have several CDs and continue to collect more. Nicole (Seibert) - Soft sensual ballads. I highly recommend it. I have “Mehr Als Zusammen Schlafen Gehn”, and “Wenn Schon ... Denn Schon”

MOVIES
Upcoming Movies I'm interested in seeing	Coraline (March 2009) - Cult author Neil Gaiman’s dark fairytale gets a faithful adaptation which will entrance anyone who enjoyed Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. Terminator Salvation (June 2009) The long-awaited ‘future war’ segment of the Terminator saga, previously only hinted at in the first three movies. Christian Bale will play an older John Connor. Roland Kickinger will be the principal Terminator because Arnold Schwarzenegger is too busy running California. Watchmen (March 2009) Ironman, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Captain America come out to play. Star Trek (May 2009) This Star Trek prequel is set immediately before the action of the first TV series when the original gang first meet. Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson – Spock’s mum. Simon Pegg turns up as Scotty and Zachary Quinto the dark presence at the heart of TV’s Heroes certainly looks the part as a young Spock. The Hobbit (Dec 2011) - Should be fun The Dragon Riders of Pern - If it ever gets made
Movie 2008	Ironman and Hellboy II: The Golden Army stand out as good movies, but it really wasn't a good year. Most movies were just disappointing. Bond hasn't come out yet and could have potential.
Movie 2007	The Bourne Ultimatum - The action was so intense I thought my chest was going to explode. That is why I go to the movies
Movie 2006	Not a great year, but Cars and Deja Vu were pretty good.
Movie 2005	Sin City - It was beautiful to watch, sick and twisted, but fun and exciting to watch. The women were so beautiful. I really liked Constantine and the Fantastic Four too.
Movie 2004	The Bourne Supremacy was really exciting and I saw it twice. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 was close a second.
Movie 2003	Bend it Like Beckham A great coming of age movie with a Indian culture clash subplot. The sexual mix-ups are very Shakespearean and hilarious!
Movie 2002	Ice Age was fun for adults and kids. Amelie was a close second.
Movie 2001	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - They did this book-to-movie right! They kept true to the story while adding great visuals and effects. I didn't like to narrative opening though and I thought the hobbits look too human.
Movie 2000	The Patriot - It was based on real historical events and I think accurately portrays the reality of war. The scenery and effects were much better than any other war movie.
Movie 1999 (Oscar-best movie)	Shakespeare in Love - I've always been a Shakespeare fan and this movie has is all: laughs, tears, tragedy, a pirate, and a dog. Even though it's a tragedy, you leave feeling happy. The Ben Aflick joke is funny and Queen Elizabeth almost steals the movie.
Movie 1998	The Truman Show - I'm not a big Jim Carry fan, but this movie was great. I love a movie that makes you think. I hope you saw it!
Movie 1997	Grosse Pointe Blank - I've said it before, I'll say it again: I'm a hopeless romantic. Minni Driver was excellent and it had me laughing all the time. In & Out was a close second.
Movie 1996	The Truth About Cats and Dogs- It was so good I saw it twice, and I almost never see a movie twice.
All Time Favorite Movies	The Princess Bride - Who isn't in love with Princess Buttercup? Monty Python's Holy Grail - I've seen it over 50 times and it keeps getting better Sleepless in Seattle - Okay, so I'm a romantic!

TELEVISION
Spring 1992 TV Show	Grapevine - It only lasted six episodes on CBS but I loved it. Every show was about sex! But there was no nudity or smut: it was all left to your imagination. Like the original Twilight Zone, several up and coming actors got their big break there, including Dean Cain, Courtney Thorne-Smith, and Terry Farrell. I loved it so much I made a webpage: visit it here. (see Spring 2000)
Fall 1992 TV Show	Picket Fences - For a while this show had it all. Great acting, interesting stories, and it kept you guessing. But it had too much controversy for the main stream audiences and was moved around too much.
Fall 1996 TV Show	Profiler - It's a shame NBC wouldn't allow a women to be great at her job unless she was endowed with "Super Powers." Still, the writing was excellent, the pace was exciting, and the acting was better than average. I got really tired of Jack, but when he was defeated Ally Walker left and the show declined.
Spring 1997 TV Show	JAG - CBS resurrected this show after NBC unexpectedly canceled it in 1996. It is intelligent, well written, and exciting. CBS isn't spending as much as NBC did, and the plots are weaker, but I still enjoyed it.
Spring 1998 TV Shows	Spin City/Dharma & Greg - ABC had comedy Wednesday night nailed ! Why did they ruin it?
Fall 1998 TV Show	Cupid - I could really fall in love with Paula Marshall. She was great on a season of Spin City. The networks tried for a third time to give this actress her own series: but it didn't work. The premise was pretty weak, the constant Moonlighting like bickering was annoying, and what was it doing on Saturday night? The show was a perfect lead in to either Spin City or Dharma & Greg.
Spring 1999 TV Show	Buffy: The Vampire Slayer - I'm not sure why. Maybe it's my lust for goth-chicks or maybe just because it's fun. Either way, I'm usually home Tuesday nights now. Also Charmed with Shannon Doherty and Lisa Marie Combs is pretty cool.
Fall 1999 TV Show	Sports Night - This show wasn't about sports, it was about people and life's troubles. It was smart, sharp, funny, and cancelled.
Spring 2000 TV Show	Grapevine - Following on the success of HBO's Sex in the City CBS gave it another chance. It lasted five weeks. Read the hype on my Grapevine page. (see Spring 1992)
Fall 2001 TV Show	Enterprise - It's not as good as the original Star Trek. Again, the writing is formulaic and characters have no personality. Continuity with the other shows could also use some work.
2002 TV Show	Hidden Hills - Of course I'll always love Paula Marshall and the show was funny and fresh. But it was cancelled quickly - The best moment in the series was when they dumped the kids for a night and went to a rock concert - They got drunk and Paula flashed the band, which made the local news in the show.
2003 TV Show	Everwood can be over the top in its preaching and moral high ground dialog but mostly I enjoy the complex characters.
2004 TV Show	Shows this season just sucked! But I still made it a point to see Gilmore Girls, Everwood, and Stargate although I'd often miss them and didn't mind too much. I'm glad Enterprise was cancelled - All the continuity problems with the first three series were too painful to watch.
2005/2006 TV Show	Grey's Anatomy I like the witty banter. And since we're all damaged and scary, I can relate.
2007 TV Show	Pushing Daisies I really enjoyed this show. It was light and funny and most importantly - different.

COMEDY
Comedian	Janeane Garofalo - She was just too funny for SNL. I think she was best in The Truth About Cats and Dogs and she stole the show in Reality Bites. She also saved Mystery Men from being a total farce. [Schedule]
Comic Strip	Dilbert I love reading it, but it hits so close to home it hurts. My all time favorite has to be Calvin & Hobbs, I really miss those guys... [PS - the TV show stinks]

OTHER COOL THINGS
Sport	Skiing - I Love to ski. The outdoors, thrill, and camaraderie is awesome. It's been a while since the 95-96 season when I had 19 ski days including 7 days in Park City, Utah. But I keep hoping. My last trip was to Snowbird with the Fisher family April 5 - Awesome!
Ice Cream	Ben & Jerry's I'm a big fan. I've been to the factory in Vermont, I got the T-shirt and the birthday card too. Every year on my birthday they give me a free cone, what could be better?
Hot Sauce	911 available through mail order from Mo Hotta Mo Betta. They also have such other fine products as “Hot Buns on the Beach,” “Scorned Women,” and “Pure Hell.”
Snack Food	Buffalo wings - of course the best ones are the ones I make: You just can't find great ones in the stores or restaurants. Did you know that hot wings were invented at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY? I went there once, they were pretty good.
Free WebSpace	Batcave.net, Geocities.com, Tripod.com,