I’m not just a Gamer, and I’m not just a Game Programmer. This page is dedicated to all of my other interests.
Animated Media
I have always been partial to animated media, and in particular I enjoy the Warner Brother’s Animated TV shows from the early 90’s, Pixar films and Japanese Animation.
I was introduced to animation through old Looney Tunes and Disney films, but if I were to point to a reason I continue to love it to this day, it would be the animated TV shows I watched in the early 90’s created by Warner Brothers. Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, and Freakazoid created a Looney Tunes style of humor for the modern day, and I can still go back and enjoy anything from these series as an adult and find something new. However, the true source of my continued love of animation would have to be the Batman Animated Series, which proved to me that animation could be more than slapstick and silly humor. With mature storytelling and a strong writing staff, Batman became my favorite superhero, and the Animated Series one of the most influential works on my interests.
Pixar films are undoubtedly some of the greatest animated films of all time. Carrying the spirit of the magic Disney’s hand-drawn animated films had long ago, and bringing with them messages that carry relevance to modern society, Pixar’s films never cease to amaze and endear. It is a rare instance of me not being able to choose favorites; each Pixar film pushes the limit of what animation is capable of.
As for Japanese Animation, it is my primary source of viewing entertainment, and I have a large collection of TV series and films on DVD. In particular, my favorite series are Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann (a high-energy sci fi action series), Ouran High School Host Club (a humorous romantic comedy series intended for females but with more than enough entertainment value for male viewers as well) and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (a genre-defying and highly enjoyable school life show.)
However, one cannot talk about Japanese Animation without mentioning Hayao Miyazaki and his work with Studio Ghibli, which can only be described as transcending the medium of animation. Similar to Pixar, they create some of the finest works of their medium, occasionally with simple stories about life and other times fantastic supernatural adventures. And while Miyazaki himself did not direct it, Ghibli’s film Grave of the Fireflies remains one of the most powerful and heartrending films I have ever seen in my life.
Other Film & Live Action TV
Of course, all this love of animation is not to say that I dislike live action. I tend to prefer live action works with what I consider to have superb writing; excellent use of dialogue, pacing and foreshadowing to accentuate and punctuate the strongest features of a work will always draw me in. I also tend to prefer storytelling over simple slice of life stories. My two favorite live action films, Fight Club and Hot Fuzz, and my favorite TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who and Firefly, all exhibit this kind of writing.
Books
While I am not the worlds most voracious reader, I still do enjoy reading a good book now and then. I am a fan of dark comedy and satire when it comes to reading, and my favorite novels are the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series and Catch-22.
And while some might consider it not quite reading, I also have a large collection of Japanese graphic novels to augment my enjoyment of Japanese animation. My favorite Japanese graphic novels are Rurouni Kenshin, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Genshiken.
Music
I love many various flavors of Rock and Metal, ranging from Classic Rock (the who, Jethro Tull) to Progressive Rock (Rush) to Power Metal (Nightwish, Dragonforce) to Heavy Metal (Avenged Sevenfold.) I also am an avid fan of Weird Al Yankovic.
History
When opportunities arise, I love to learn what I can about history; my AP American History course taught me to look at history with an objective eye, and in many cases I enjoy looking at history from alternate perspectives. No single source of information is objective, and so we must look at all sides available to fully understand what we see.
Politics
While I prefer to be independent of the party system, I am politically left-leaning and not afraid to admit it. I don’t actively seek out discussions of politics, largely so that I can avoid bothering others, but if someone is willing to have the discussion, it doesn’t matter to me what their political leanings are; a good, civil conversation is one of the principles our nation was founded upon. Voting is another, and I always make sure I take whatever part of the political process I can.
Chess
I recently have taken an interest in playing chess, as an exercise in strategic thinking and for enjoyment. The depth of the game cannot be understated, and a good game against a strong opponent is a revealing and engrossing experience.
Tabletop Role Playing Games
I have been playing Tabletop Role Playing Games such as Dungeons and Dragons since High School, and it remains one of my favorite social activities. It is not the systems that entertain me so much as the stories that arise from multiple intelligent people crafting it in the same room; it’s less a battle of wits and more a shared storytelling in a controlled environment, and the overall experience is incredible.
Fan hobbies
As I mentioned earlier, I am a fan of Japanese animation. As an extension of this fandom, I take part in several related activities, most notably attending conventions, costuming, and making fan music videos. I attended Nan Desu Kan in Denver, CO from 2004 to 2007 and Anime Expo in Los Angeles, CA from 2005-2007. Of those, for the NDK in 2005 I participated in the costume skit contest with several members of my anime club, and took first prize for skits. Also, I entered an Anime Music Video into the contests for Anime Expo and NDK in 2007, and both contests took Best in Show for Comedy and Audience Favorite awards. To see this music video, you can download it [here (Warning: 53 MB download!)].
Outdoor Activities
I enjoy hiking, camping and bouldering, activities born from living near the mountains in New Mexico.