CURRENT MISSION

I'm planning to conduct a mission to mine nearby asteroids for their abundant natural resources. I'm designing a spaceship to be powered by burning copies of the Communist Manifesto. Only Marx's genius can facilitate such an arduous journey.

ABOUT ME

...just discovered that Thomas More's Utopia powers rockets even more efficiently than Marx. Currently recalibrating spaceship to incorporate this new revelation. I'm travelling the world whilst my underlings carry out the necessary adjustments.

Am a fan of convoluted, irresolvable political or philosophical debates. The virtue of the obstinate. Have been known to passionately extol the virtues of 1970s progressive rock. Enjoy travel (obviously); recently, it seems, mostly to Asia. Can appreciate the bustling, human beauty of the city, as well as the great outdoors. Would favour a fairer distribution of property and wealth. Test match cricket is indolently orgasmic bliss.

PHILOSOPHY

Personal philosophy is best shared in person...

Individualism, parochialism, greed, materialism, fear, nationalism, tribalism and irrationality all prevent us from living the civil existence we purport to enjoy. Have high hopes that humans do have the potential to redress this malady.

To approximate Socratic philosophy, if the system is fucked, don't let the system fuck you. Travel is one way of eschewing the system, albeit on a rather superficial level. Fun, though.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

By engaging with people.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

All my CS experiences have been wonderful, positive and life-affirming!

Interests

Music (mostly prog, classic rock, 90s alternative, rock, jazz, folk); play some guitar, attempting to compose music that doesn't conjure notions of a flatulent elk

Philosophy

Travel, obviously (understanding different cultures; trying to foster a global collective consciousness; working on the theory that some aspects of culture, as a human phenomenon, are highly malicious)

Physics and Cosmology, though I don't understand it

Sport, especially cricket and football (can play all sports with the dexterity of a dismembered dragonfly)

Constructing idle theories of world transformation

• arts
• culture
• beauty
• traveling
• eating out
• music
• jazz
• guitar
• outdoor activities
• sports
• cricket
• soccer
• physics

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Letters From Iwo Jima; 2001: A Space Odyssey; Dr. Strangelove; Life is Beautiful; Casualties of War; Serpico; Werckmeister Harmonies; Gran Torino; Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress; Three Seasons; Scent of Green Papaya; Scarface; Land and Freedom; Carla's Song; Million Dollar Baby; Funny Games; Rope; Bananas

Music: Yes; Led Zep; King Crimson; Pearl Jam; Tragically Hip; Steely Dan; Weather Report; Neil Young; Jethro Tull; CAN; Flaming Lips; Mercury Rev; Neutral Milk Hotel; Rush; Thin Lizzy; RHCP; Pink Floyd; Allman Brothers; Traffic; Pixies; Charlatans; Mike Oldfield; Premiata Forneria Marconi; Renaissance

Books: Utopia; A Brief History of Time; Homage To Catalonia; The Doors of Perception; The Prince; The Millennial Project; Wages of Whiteness; Foundations of Modern Political Thought; In Praise of Folly

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Everything is, in some way, amazing, yet sullied by the banality of maturity

Teach, Learn, Share

Some music theory and guitar technique; the political and cultural philosophy of the Renaissance; English as a foreign language; the art of watching test match cricket; pomegranate appreciation

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom