Who am I?
What a trite question. I don’t like triteness; it’s too easy, too comfortable. I spend a considerable amount of time trying not to be like everyone else, yet to avoid this particular question would be to eliminate a major point of this web site.
In a way, this site in its entirety is part of the answer to that question. Here you can see what I do, what I think, and what I consider fun. You get to see the parts of me I’m willing to share with you, an unknown member of the public.
History
I was born in England, the fourth of ten children. The longest I’ve ever stayed at one address is eight years, and my average time is less than two years. Some of the places I’ve lived are (besides England) Germany, Omaha, Dallas, Rockford, and now Orlando.
I like Orlando except for the weather and the traffic. I catch a lot of grief for complaining about the weather here, with suggestions that I find a place to live with weather more suited to me (places like, say, Calgary) but I’m not here for the weather, I’m here because I work here and my friends are here. I’m certainly not here for family—my family is scattered around the northern hemisphere.
Interests
Apart from programming and web design, I have a lot (possibly too many) other things to consume my time. I am a fractal artist of modest skills; I’ve been doing this for about nine years now. I’ve done a few things as part of the online fractal art community.
I read science fiction and fantasy books. I like Asimov and Clarke, and Raymond E. Feist, Orson Scott Card, Timothy Zahn, C. S. Friedman, and others. I don’t particularly care for Tolkien.
I eat just about everything, including steak and kidney pie. (You sort of have to be British to acquire a taste for that.) I also eat more normal things like sushi. I’m not afraid to try new things, although I don’t feel too bad if I eat something I don’t particularly care for. Unless it’s rotten, and it puts me in the hospital.
I don’t watch much TV. I occasionally watch ER, Stargate, Law & Order, and the evening news. None of these are regular events. I have been known to watch football and basketball, but again, these are not dedicated pasttimes. The fact that, for a long time, my computer’s monitor was larger than my TV should give you some idea of where TV fits in my priorities.
Between work, hobbies, and friends, I have more than enough to fill my schedule. Enough so that I have a list of fun “projects” to do in my spare time that keeps getting longer and longer as time goes by. One of these days, maybe when I retire, I’ll have time to do all those things. One of these days.
The Unmentionable Topics: Religion & Politics
US politics can be very interesting. I am simultaneously immersed in two different environments: most of the people I work with are liberal, and most of my non-work friends are conservative. Had you asked me a few years ago I would have unhesitatingly told you I was conservative, but I’m recovering from that malady and I’m much more centrist now.
I am a born-again Christian. I became a Christian in 1995, about a year after leaving the Mormon church. I’m not afraid to talk about what it means to be a Christian, nor am I afraid to discuss why I left the Mormon faith.
