Gabriel Syme

The Man Who Was Thursday
Gabriel Syme

Bio

The birth of Gabriel Syme was little noticed among all else which occurred during the Johnson administration.  His family lived in many, far-flung places throughout the state of Georgia.  They settled down long enough for him to attend a single high school.  During those halcyon days, Syme played horn in the band, frequented the video arcades developing his skills so that $4 could last him an afternoon, & played chess with a friend over lunch in the cafeteria–an activity which spread so that a quarter of the students in his lunch period were playing.  His time at Mercer University studying music was spent mainly at Daniel Metz's Antiquarian Bookstore.  His roommate & he would hold informal discussions in their dorm room by making a pot of coffee & opening the door.  Fellow students lured by the aroma would stay to express opinions on philosophy, religion, politics, popular culture, or anything else that occurred to them in a caffeinated haze (an activity which sounds a lot like this website).  Cruelly thrust from the academic world & its all-you-can-eat cafeteria breakfasts, Syme was forced to seek employment & learn how to cook for himself.  He eventually landed at the University of Georgia Libraries, where he works in music cataloging & where he has about 15 books checked out at any given time.  He is married & has two dogs.

Recommendations

Top 5 Movies
  1. Blade Runner (director's cut preferred)
  2. Casablanca
  3. Metropolis
  4. Animal Crackers
  5. The Lord of the Rings (thus far)
Top 5 Albums
  1. Mr. Buechner's Dream / Daniel Amos
  2. Remain in Light / Talking Heads
  3. Jugular / Vigilantes of Love
  4. Serenade for Tenor, Horn, & Strings : op. 31 / Benjamin Britten (1944 Decca recording with Dennis Brain (horn), Peter Pears (tenor), and the Boyd Neel String Orchestra ; the composer conducting)
  5. A Love Supreme / John Coltrane
Top 5 Bands/Artists
  1. Daniel Amos (they're a band, not a person)
  2. Dennis Brain
  3. John Coltrane
  4. Talking Heads
  5. His Majestie's Clerkes
Top 5 Books
  1. The Man Who Was Thursday / G.K. Chesterton
  2. The Lord of the Rings / J.R.R. Tolkien
  3. Spirit of the Disciplines / Dallas Willard
  4. Everything That Rises Must Converge / Flannery O'Connor
  5. A History of Warfare / John Keegan
Links
  1. Game Studies : The International Journal of Computer Game Research
  2. 9 Chickweed Lane
  3. The Phantom Tollbooth
  4. Blackmask Online
  5. Renovare


What I'm Doing Now

What I'm Listening To
  • Mr. Buechner's Dream / Daniel Amos
  • Omigod : The 80s Pop Culture Box / Rhino Records, various artists
  • New Map of the World / Paul Coleman Trio
  • Four Concerti for Various Instruments / J.S. Bach performed by the Orchestra of St. Luke's
What I'm Playing:
  • Mediaeval--Total War with Viking Invasion expansion
  • The Operative: No One Lives Forever GOTY Edition
  • Tropico with Paradise Island expansion
  • Planescape: Torment
  • Morrowind with Tribunal and Bloodmoon expansions
What I'm Watching:
  • Yes, Prime Minister (VHS)
  • Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring : extended version (DVD)
What I'm Reading
  • The Silmarillion / J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Medieval Swordsmanship / John Clements
  • The Cost of Discipleship / Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  • Medieval Scotland / A.D.M. Barrell