Geekly interests was RE: [geeks] It's a small f'ing world after all!

[David Cantrell]

On Thu, Mar 22, 2001 at 12:07:04PM -0800, Chris Byrne wrote:

> In the spirit of sharing common interests here's my list

Ah, what the hell, here's mine too, in the same order.

Games: RPGs, particularly Paranoia.  Wargaming.  Scrabble.  Chess (although
I'm fearsomely crap at it).  Mornington Crescent :-)  I have a real, complete
Defender machine, and would quite like Missile Command too, althuogh getting
one of them in good condition is nigh-on impossible nowadays.

Computers:
8-bit: Amstrad CPC, Acorn
32/64-bit: Sun and Sun-a-likes (I'm typing this on a Sparcbook), BeOS (want
a bebox!).  Whilst I use Linux a lot, I can't get passionate about it.  It's
just a tool.  Stuff I would like to get my hands on includes a Vaxstation.
I want to build a wearable and will be first in line when the Borg invade.

Comics: could never get on with Sluggy.  Like GPF, User friendly,
redmeat, tvgohome, shermans lagoon, snorty, bob the angry flower, and
dilbert is occasionally good.  On paper, 2000AD and spin-offs, but I
could never get into anything else.

> IRC: Occaisonally, not like I used to since theres jsut way to many lamers

Regularly.  There's very few lamers on the semi-private network I use.
irc.rhizomatic.net if anyone's interested, my nick is DrHyde and I'm usually
on #london.pm.

Firearms: hey, I'm English :-)  OK, seriously (and I have absolutely no
intention of debating this here) I do not favour the sort of unregulated
situation favoured by many in the US.  Neither do I favour the over-
regulation introduced in the past fifteen years in this country as knee-
jerk reactions.  IMO there is an acceptable compromise.  I do shoot.

Martial arts: I go to a boxing gym regularly.  It started because I found
normal gyms insufferably dull.  I spar regularly, and have had a grand
total of two fights, both within the club.  They occasionally ask me to
enter local competitions for the club, but I always refuse.  My motivation
for going there is to keep fit, not to actually box, and I do not feel
that I would enjoy doing it competitively.  I'm 6'3" and weigh around
300lbs, and am a southpaw.  I fence maybe once a month, and prefer sabre.

Other sports: rock climber, squash (haven't played enough recently and
so am not now as good as I was), used to play rugby but not any more.  As
spectator sports, all the above plus touring car races, cricket, power-
boating and greyhound races.  I occasionally get roped into being support
crew for my sister when she does mad kayak things.  I could never
understand American football or baseball :-)

Motor: A Landrover 101 gun tractor.  I off-road it.  Aggressively.  It's
very useful for transporting big chunks of kit around if it doesn't mind
the rather hard suspension.  I'm really not that interested in the
mechanical aspects, I just like driving it.  So, although it's quite^Wvery
expensive, I get a local garage to do all the servicing.  Every few months
I'll get another repair bill and promise myself that I'll sell it.  Then
I drive it and fall in love all over again.  I keep promising myself that
I'll get a HGV (heavy goods vehicle) and private pilots licence.  I want
to drive a steam train.

No I'm not telling you about my fetishes :-)

and a few other things to throw into the mix ...

Music: I play cello, piano, viola and pipe organ.  I luuurve the feeling
of power when you're playing a good quality cathedral organ.  I sing,
baritone.  When I was a wee nipper I sang in a cathedral choir for five
years.  I'll listen to most stuff, but I Don't Do Country *or* Western,
nor do I like most rap.  Now playing on the mp3 jukebox: Jamiroquia.
Previously playing: Sisters of Mercy.  Next up: some Russian drinking
song sung by the Red Army Choir.  Most recent gig: Joe Satriani.  Next
gig: the new! improved! Guns n Roses.

Languages: fluent in Italian, forth and perl.  usable knowledge of French,
German, java and C.  a little Spanish, Arabic, C++, lisp.

Politics (another thing I have no intention of debating here): a fucked
up mixture of socialist and libertarian.  Generally socialist on
economic issues, and libertarian on anything else, although there is
obviously a cross-over between economic and non-economic areas.

Job: part security conslutant, part lead developer, part quality
control, part sysadmin

Ideal job: tour guide on Olympus Mons :-)

Education: I dropped out half way through a degree in Manufacturing
Engineering cos it was boring.  I consider myself to be educated to
degree standard.  I recently signed up for a distance-learning MMath
course.

-- 
David Cantrell | david at cantrell.org.uk | http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david

   The voices said it's a good day to clean my weapons.