I'm a guy, a computer geek and nerd, and in my mid twenties. I currently work at Case Western Reserve University in the Dental School as an IT Support Specialist, which means I help staff, faculty, and sometimes students with computer-related issues, as well as help maintain and develop our servers and other intrastructure. As time permits, I work on special projects and do some light programming.

Interests

Video Gaming

I used to be into PC gaming, but then I gt a house and a job, and just didn't have the time anymore. Also, it was getting expensive to maintain a decent gaming rig. I recently sold my Alienware PC. I got an Xbox 360 about a year ago, and most of my gaming is done on that now. I do keep a PC around I cobbled together from some left-over parts from a home theater computer project for playing real-time strategy games, such as:

• Age of Empires III
• Rise of Nations
• Risk II
• Civilization 5

I used to play MMOs, but I got bored of questing, and did not have the time or energy to dedicate to a raiding guild. In WoW, I did raid for a while with the guild Service Members Guild. The two MMOs I played are:

• World of Warcraft (Vanilla, Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and a little bit of Cataclysm)
• Rift

On the XBox 360, I play:

• Lego Star Wars
• Force Unleashed I & II

Collectible Card Games

I play the collectible card game (CCG) Magic: The Gathering, at a local card shop competitive level, Standard Constructed format with the occassional Sealed Deck Limited format (I hate drafting). I play at Alter Reality Games in Lakewood, Ohio.

Art

Recently, I picked up a Canon PowerShot 10 megapixel digital camera, and have gotten in to amateur digital photography. You can see some of my work in my Picasa web album. I also recently got a camera tripod for my birthday, and am looking forward to trying that out.

Retro Gadgets

For as tech-savvy and computer-oriented as I am, there are a couple retro items I am fasinated by. One is pocket watches, and I own one. Another is fountain pens, and I also own one of those (a Cross). I also like to travel by train, because it is a good way to enjoy the scenery (or sleep, as I do on my train ride to work), and it is more environmentally friendly than driving.

Political Leanings

I consider myself to be a free-market Socialist, mainly in alignment with the views of Eugene Debs, with two major exceptions. First, I believe in the right to own property. Second, I am more pragmatic. I tend to vote Democrat, because that party actually has a chance of winning, and tends to implement Socialist leaning policies.

Why am I a socialist, you may ask? A car analogy is a good way to explain. When you put gas in you car, you don't want the gas telling your car where to go, you just want it to make it go. I see free market like gas. It is a good feul source, but you don't want it driving your ecenomy.