History Tropers / MidnightRambler

I hail from the Netherlands, the beautiful Netherlands - more specifically, from their second-largest city, Rotterdam. (Whenever someone tells you he's from the Netherlands, ''don't'' ask 'Ah, from [[FreestateAmsterdam Amsterdam]]?' - he ''might'' just be from [[SiblingRivalry Rotterdam]] himself, in which case you'll press a BerserkButton by referring to Amsterdam).

I was spawned in that mighty city in 1993, carrying a beautiful set of XY chromosomes which I've taken good care of so far. Right now, I am a student of [[NikolaTesla Electrical Engineering]]. That's right... [[TenaciousDInThePickOfDestiny taste my lightning]].

* BadassLongcoat

* CoolShades

* HellBentForLeather: Duster, boots and gloves all made of black leather.

* LudicrousPrecision: Averted. Being an exact-science kind of guy, I automatically round off any number to a relevant level of precision, even in conversation.

* ParanoiaFuel: Most of my experience with social life. I've had so much of the stuff that I hardly ever believe it anymore when a friend says 'I think you're a really cool guy', 'you ''are'' important to me', or 'I was really looking forward to it, but I have to call off [something we were going to do] for [some practical reason]'.

[[folder:Open/Close all folders]]
Your mom. On a nightly basis.
[[/folder]]

* BadassBiker: On a ''bicycle'', that is. Who needs combustion engines when you have [[LargeHam PURE]] [[RatedMForManly MANLY]] [[LargeHam MUSCLE]]?! [[BadassBoast My personal record is 230 kilometres (about 140 miles) within 24 hours - on a 3-speed utility bicycle, not a racing bicycle.]]

* CantActPervertedTowardALoveInterest: Even my most perverted fantasies tend to follow this rule.

* GratuitousGerman: I do this ''a lot'', because I love the language and as a way to practice my German.

* WiseBeyondTheirYears: I've always been that way. As mentioned above, I was born in the Netherlands in 1993; hear me out about history, music or politics [[ThrowingDownTheGauntlet if you like]].

* MetalHead: Although my musical taste includes much, ''much'' more than HeavyMetal, this is the subculture with which I identify most in day-to-day life. I look like a metalhead, and 90% of the concerts I go to are metal concerts (because almost all non-metal music I listen to was made before 1990, making it less likely that the performers are still touring actively).

[[AC:Classical Music]]
* I listen to a lot of old Socialist anthems, [[PatrioticFervor patriotic songs]] from several different countries, and war film themes - sometimes because of the beautiful political and/or patriotic messages in the lyrics, but more often than not, just for [[LargeHam ham]]. As these songs come from a lot of different artists/composers, many of whom I only know one song of, I thought I'd mention them separately.
* '''Johann Sebastian Bach'''
* Franz Liszt
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
* Sergey Rachmaninov
* Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
* '''Richard Wagner'''

* Canned Heat

* CursedWithAwesome: My [[AmbiguouslyAutistic Ambiguous Asperger's]].

* LawfulNeutral: Emphasis on the "Lawful". A love of order and structure is absolutely central to my [[AmbiguouslyAutistic Ambiguous Asperger's]].

* ReligionIsWrong

* And, um, that's pretty much it.

* '''NOTE:''' Not meant as an exhaustive list of ''everything'' I listen to. [[LongList The list is long enough as it is]]. My favourite favourites - the All-Star Platinum Hall of Fame - are in [[BoldInflation bold]].

* ZZ Top

* '''The Rolling Stones'''

* '''Jimi Hendrix''': [[CreatorWorship The Creator I Worship.]]

* Bruce Springsteen: The Boss!

* '''Raymond van het Groenewoud''': Quite possibly the most awesome human being ever to come out of Belgium.

* ''[=AC/DC=]''

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Music]]
* '''NOTE:''' Only listing my true favourites, not ''everything'' I listen to. [[LongList The list is long enough as it is]]. My ''favourite'' favourites - the All-Star Platinum Hall of Fame - are in [[BoldInflation bold]].
* I listen to a lot of old Socialist anthems, [[PatrioticFervor patriotic songs]] from several different countries, and war film themes - sometimes because of the beautiful political and/or patriotic messages in the lyrics, but more often than not, just for [[LargeHam ham]]. As these songs come from a lot of different (and sometimes unknown) artists, many of whom I only know one song of, I thought I'd mention them separately.
* '''[[{{ACDC}} AC/DC]]'''
* The Animals
* '''JohannSebastianBach'''
* '''TheBeatles'''
* ChuckBerry
* '''BlackSabbath'''
* TheBluesBrothers
* DavidBowie
* JamesBrown
* Canned Heat
* TheClash
* ChildrenOfBodom
* {{Cream}}
* '''CreedenceClearwaterRevival'''
* Jim Croce
* '''DeepPurple'''
* Fats Domino
* '''TheDoors'''
* [[EmersonLakeAndPalmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer]]
* Ensiferum
* {{Finntroll}}
* FleetwoodMac [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks (first incarnation)]]
* Focus
* ArethaFranklin
* Gentle Giant
* Grand Funk Railroad
* TheGratefulDead
* '''Raymond van het Groenewoud''': Probably the most awesome person ever to come out of Belgium.
* Buddy Guy
* {{Helloween}}: [[MetalScream AAAAAAAAH!]] [[CatchPhrase It's Halloween.]]
* '''JimiHendrix''' (lots of CreatorWorship there)
* BuddyHolly
* John Lee Hooker
* Howlin' Wolf
* '''IronMaiden'''
* Joe Jackson
* Jefferson Airplane
* JethroTull
* RobertJohnson
* '''JudasPriest'''
* Albert King
* '''TheKinks'''
* {{Korpiklaani}}
* {{Knorkator}}
* Kreator
* Leadbelly
* '''LedZeppelin'''
* JerryLeeLewis
* Franz Liszt
* Little Feat
* LittleRichard
* Livin' Blues
* Lonnie Mack: The forgotten hero of BluesRock guitar, even more so than Buddy Guy. This man put out an album full of guitar solos that would put EricClapton to shame, in fucking ''[[OlderThanTheyThink 1963]]'' - and yet I only heard about him in the first place because he guest-starred on ''[[TheDoors Morrison Hotel]]'', playing bass.
* [[{{Music/Madness}} Madness]]
* BobMarley
* MC5
* '''MeatLoaf'''
* '''{{Metallica}}'''
* '''[[{{Motorhead}} Motörhead]]'''
* WolfgangAmadeusMozart
* Muddy Waters
* Wilson Pickett
* '''PinkFloyd'''
* ThePolice
* Iggy Pop
* Professor Longhair
* '''{{Queen}}'''
* OtisRedding
* '''TheRollingStones''': Responsible for my [[TropeNamer Troper Namer]], the [[TruffautWasRight actually pretty badass]] VillainSong[=/=]MurderBallad/[[SlasherMovie Slasher Boogie]] "Midnight Rambler".
* Sam & Dave
* Santana
* Saxon
* TheSexPistols
* '''{{Slayer}}'''
* TheSmallFaces
* [[Music/TheSpecials The Specials]]
* BruceSpringsteen
* Sodom: Rrrrrrrhhh... [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome A-GENT-ORANGE!]]
* Status Quo
* Sly & The Family Stone
* TheStooges
* Swamp Dogg [[NotWhatItLooksLike (a '70s soul singer, not a rapper)]]
* Ten Years After
* Die Toten Hosen
* Traffic
* Ike & Tina Turner
* [=UB40=]
* UriahHeep
* [[VelvetUnderground The Velvet Underground]]
* {{Venom}}
* The Ventures
* '''RichardWagner'''
* Kurt Weill & BertoltBrecht
* '''TheWho'''
* The Yardbirds
* '''FrankZappa'''
* '''ZZTop'''

[[folder:Film]]
* ''ApocalypseNow'': The most hauntingly beautiful film I've ever seen.
* ''BlackSnakeMoan'': This film brings together two major sources of badassitude in American culture: The Blues, and SamuelLJackson. [[PulpFiction 'THE BLUES, MOTHERFUCKER! DO YOU SING IT?!']]
* ''TheBluesBrothers'': The funniest film I've ever seen. The suits, the lines, the music, the moves... these guys are [[IAmTheTrope coolness incarnate]].
* ''ABridgeTooFar''
* ''AClockworkOrange'': See under "Literature".
* ''[[TheConformist Il Conformista]]''
* ''{{Grindhouse}}''
* ''[[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame The Hunchback Of Notre Dame]]''
* ''IndianaJones'': All three. Oh, and that Crystal Skull business.
* ''KillBill''
* ''TheLionKing'': Meant for small children, I know, but it comes back for me to obsess over every few years. Also, it has JamesEarlJones.
* ''TheLongestDay''
* ''MontyPython'' films:
** ''And Now For Something Completely Different''
** ''MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''
** ''MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian''
** ''MontyPythonsTheMeaningOfLife''
* ''TheMuppetChristmasCarol''
* ''TheProducers''
* ''PulpFiction'': Some films have characters in them who are so funny, adorable and/or {{Badass}} that they're just... just... awesome. ''Pulp Fiction'' is ''filled to the brim'' with such characters. The dialogue is awesome, too.
* ''ReservoirDogs'': You've probably spotted the Tarantino fan by now.
* ''SoylentGreen'': Great plot, set against the most plausible fictional {{Dystopia}} I've come across so far.
* ''StarWars'': Seen all six, of course.
* ''{{Terminator}}'': The first ''Terminator'' film is pretty good, and the second is just awesome. The third is [[FranchiseZombie crap]], though, and the fourth is [[ItGotWorse worse]]. Also, I find it [[SoBadItsGood vaguely amusing]] how many things in these films make no sense whatsoever, and how often the films flatly contradict each other.
* ''ThisIsSpinalTap''

[[folder:ComicBooks]]
* Several (Dutch translations of) FrancoBelgianComics, from my father's collection:
** ''{{Asterix}}''
** ''BarbeRouge''
** ''BlakeAndMortimer''
** ''{{Blueberry}}''
** ''GastonLagaffe''
** ''LuckyLuke''
** ''Luc Orient''
** ''{{Valerian}}'' (called ''Ravian'' in the Dutch version)
* Also, ''DonaldDuck'' (especially the DonRosa stories)
* ''TheFabulousFurryFreakBrothers''
* ''Agent 327''

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''GirlGenius''
* ''ElGoonishShive''
* ''QuestionableContent''
* ''EerieCuties''
* ''[[MenageA3 Ménage à Trois]]''
* ''[[Webcomic/OrderOfTheStick The Order Of The Stick]]''
* ''SexyLosers''
* ''TreadingGround'': Well, it's finished now, but I've read all of it.
* ''{{PHD}}''
* And, of course, ''{{XKCD}}''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* ''{{Mahjong}}'': The noble game. Ridiculously complex, and great fun. Not [[Game/{{Shanghai}} what the internet thinks it is]].
* ''{{Risk}}'': The greatest board game ever devised by man.
* ''SettlersOfCatan''
[[/folder]]

* GirlGenius
* ElGoonishShive
* QuestionableContent
* EerieCuties
* [[MenageA3 Ménage à Trois]]
* [[Webcomic/OrderOfTheStick The Order Of The Stick]]
* TreadingGround: Well, it's finished now, but I've read all of it.
* {{PHD}}
* And, of course, {{XKCD}}.

* BadassBiker: On a ''bicycle'', that is. Who needs combustion engines when you have [[LargeHam PURE]] [[RatedMForManly MANLY]] [[LargeHam MUSCLE]]?!

And of course, ''I'M A ROCKER''! I play keyboards and sing. My taste is [[{{Understatement}} pretty damn conservative]], centering on classic rock, HeavyMetal, Stax soul and [[SomethingBlues The Blues]]. I enjoy a nice spot of ClassicalMusic from time to time, too, especially JohannSebastianBach's [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome organ works]]. If you want to know more, and don't mind a LongList, open the "Music" folder below.

* I listen to a lot of old Socialist anthems, [[PatrioticFervor patriotic songs]] from several different countries, and [[MusicToInvadePolandTo war film themes]] - sometimes because of the beautiful political and/or patriotic messages in the lyrics, but more often than not, just for [[LargeHam ham]]. As these songs come from a lot of different (and sometimes unknown) artists, many of whom I only know one song of, I thought I'd mention them separately.

* Ernst Busch

* '''Raymond van het Groenewoud''': Quite probably the most awesome thing ever to come out of Belgium.

* IronMaiden

* TheKinks

* [[{{Motorhead}} Motörhead]]

* Helloween: [[MetalScream AAAAAAAAH!]] It's Halloween.

* '''Raymond van het Groenewoud'''

* StarskyAndHutch

* LivingEmotionalCrutch: My closest [[JustFriends (female) friend]] is this to me. Occasionally crosses over into LikeBrotherAndSister territory.

* BadassLonghair: There is still some disagreement about the "Badass" part.
* BadassLongcoat: Or NotSoBadassLongcoat, depending on whom you ask.

I am a self-proclaimed intellectual with Social Democratic, atheist and rationalist views which I will defend passionately. I am a proud and active member of the Dutch Green Party. [[BilingualBonus If you speak Dutch]], you might want to read my [[http://www.stijl.loggy.nl blog]], where I write intelligent, beautifully crafted essays about philosophy, politics, music, and literature... oh, who am I kidding? It's mostly elaborate [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech The Reason You Suck Speeches]] against our current right-wing government.

Also - seeing how ''flaming'' the TVTropes community as a whole seems to be - I think I have to mention that I'm a plain old straight guy. Both romantically and sexually attracted to women alone - boring, isn't it? Whether they're attracted to ''me'', though, is a different question altogether.

* And, [[CaptainObvious of course]], {{XKCD}}.

* AmbiguouslyAutistic: Even after extensive examination over the course of several years, the psychologists couldn't decide whether I had Asperger's or not. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer No, seriously]].

* '''TheRollingStones'''

I am a self-proclaimed intellectual with Social Democratic, atheist and rationalist views which I will defend passionately. I am a proud and active member of the Dutch Green Party. [[BilingualBonus If you speak Dutch]], you might want to read my [[http://www.stijl.loggy.nl blog]], which is mostly about politics and philosophy.

* GiftedlyBad: What some of my friends think of [[EvilSoundsDeep my]] [[LargeHam singing]].

* LawfulNeutral: [[AmbiguouslyAutistic Ambiguous Asperger's]] has blessed (or [[YourMileageMayVary cursed]]) me with a love of order and structure.

** ''Hersenschimmen''

** ''Iskander'': Great historical novel about AlexanderTheGreat.

** ''Ik heb altijd gelijk'': The title means "I am always right". It's a phrase I like to say whenever someone says 'you were right' to me.

** ''Max Havelaar''

* ''TheLionKing'': Meant for small children, I know, but it comes back for me to obsess over every few years.
* ''OnceUponATimeInTheWest''
* ''PulpFiction'': Some films have characters in them who are so funny, adorable and/or {{Badass}} that they're just... just... awesome. ''Pulp Fiction'' is ''filled'' with such characters. The dialogue is awesome, too.

* ''{{Terminator}}'': As [[BlockbusterAgeOfHollywood blockbusters]] go, the first ''Terminator'' film isn't ''that'' bad, and the second is actually pretty decent. The third is [[FranchiseZombie crap]], though, and the fourth is [[ItGotWorse worse]]. Also, I find it [[SoBadItsGood vaguely amusing]] how many things in these films make no sense whatsoever, and how often the films flatly contradict each other.

** And its [[SpinOff spin-off]], MagickChicks.

* TreadingGround

* ''{{Gargoyles}}'': Heard about it on ThisVeryWiki, and it ''is'' pretty damn good for an animated series aimed at children.
* ''{{Thunderbirds}}''
* ''Van Kooten & De Bie'': The absolute masters of Dutch humour. Brilliantly captured the [[IncrediblyLamePun cheesiness]] that is inherent to the Dutch national character - lots of stories on our eight o' clock news could pass for sketches of theirs.

* ''[[{{Solitaire}} FreeCell]]'': Actually a tabletop game, but I only ever play it on the computer.

* ''{{Rayman}}'': 2 and 3. Great platforming fun.