I'm Bryan. I was born in 1984 and raised apparently not far from Rym: Sterling Heights, MI. Before anyone gets too excited and assumes we went to high school together: the city has 3 or 4 high schools, so I don't think he and I ever met Apparently we went to the same high school for two years but I doubt we met. Unrelated fact: for the longest time that city was called "staling whites" due to the city's thriving commerce and diverse culture.
I went to university in BFE, Arctic Apocalyptic Hell (AAH), upper peninsula of Michigan for 5 years. I came out with two bachelor degrees of which neither I feel are worth mentioning. I'm a computer guy (programming, science, IT) with diverse knowledge in lots of other subjects both formally and informally. I moved out to Boston to work a job assisting mathematicians, engineers, and scientists with national defense research at MIT. That got old after 3 years. Bureaucrats are not scientists(TM).
I won't bother writing what I'm doing now, for it will surely become outdated. I look forward to nerding it up about tabletop gaming of all forms, science, math, programming, and whatever else comes up.
I'm Bryan. I was born in 1984 and raised apparently not far from Rym: Sterling Heights, MI. Before anyone gets too excited and assumes we went to high school together: the city has 3 or 4 high schools, so I don't think he and I ever met. Unrelated fact: for the longest time that city was called "staling whites" due to the city's thriving commerce and diverse culture.
A ban isn't temporary. Also, he was thinking it was ok to be a dick in whispers. Attention all people: I can see all the whispers. They are not private, just quiet.
Hewro, my name is Isabel. I live in Texas and I have 5 siblings. My father is dead, and I still call my parents "Mami" and "Daddy" because I am terribly weird, according to most people. I am incredibly shy in real life and easily offended. In most peoples' point of view, I am a wimp. I can't handle spicy things, I love sweet and/or sour things, and I am quite flexible. I spend WAY too much time on the Internet, and I am not exactly a grammar Nazi, because my grammar and vocabulary are terrible. I try not to offend anyone, and I can't stand to troll - it always leaves me feeling guilty. Yet I don't hold anything against trolls. They make me laugh I overuse smileys... a lot... And I am a great source of social awkwardness. I'm a slow typer, and I haven't been a part of this site for long. My birthday is on June 22nd and I am excited, because yes, I like birthdays. Shoot, who cares if I'm one year closer to death, each minute is a step towards death. I hate thinking about things like "What is the smallest thing ever?" and "What is beyond the beyond? Where does it all end?", yet I think about them all the time. I am quite a worrywart, and I talk very fast. I tend to type very long comments that are boring for people to read, sort of like this one... My humble apologies. Oh yes, and I am a terrible singer. I cannot dance unless I am told the exact steps to a certain dance. My balance is terrible. I do enjoy roller coasters and high drops, though. I don't have a case of motion sickness. 10% of people in the U.S.A. have phobias, and I am included in those people. I have autophobia, also known as monophobia, which is the fear of being by oneself. I am claustrophobic, but I don't have a very severe case of it. However, I cannot stand to be in a room without windows. Anyway, I notice this comment is quite tedious, and it is getting very lengthy; so I will be quiet now. Gewdbai!
Most people, statistically, are supposedly dumber than I am. So fuck them. There's no T-V distinction in English anymore (idiots) so you'll have to use other things to act polite.
I am incredibly shy in real life and easily offended.
I hope you're not easily offended on the internet, because, well... HI!
I can't stand to troll
Same, same. I'm just an asshole.
"What is the smallest thing ever?"
Significance.
"What is beyond the beyond?"
BYOND (play Space Station 13).
"Where does it all end?"
At the end.
I tend to type very long comments that are boring for people to read, sort of like this one... My humble apologies.
Thanks, but I'd prefer you not reading my mind. It's mine and who knows what the fuck will happen to you if you keep that up.
I don't have a case of motion sickness.
WELL FUCK YOU. Here I thought we had so much in common, but now you have to go and ruin it all with your lack of motion sickness bullshit. Man was not made to read a book while in a centrifuge I tell you.
10% of people in the U.S.A. have phobias
You forgot a 0. OH WAIT I'M NOT ALLOWED TO POINT OUT YOUR TRANSGRESSION. DAMMIT. AH WELL, IN FOR A PENNY, IN FOR A POUND. THE OTHER 90% JUST HAVE THE PHOBIA OF ADMITTING THEY HAVE PHOBIAS.
NEW GUY. Stop messing with the New Girl. At least until she's had a chance to get a bit more settled.
Welcome, Isabel! I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself, just relax, we're a friendly bunch, even if it doesn't seem it sometimes. Since you've been so kind as to tell us about yourself, allow me to make a likely poor attempt to return the favor.
I'm Churba, Australian at large and Large Australian. What you call your parents is your business, and anyone who disagrees can piss off. I call mine Mum and Old man(mostly). I used to be a wimp, now I'm not. Bullies kicked sand in my face at the beach, but then I read this ad in a magazine, kicked a chair across the room, and learned Jarate.* In any case, I'm not terribly shy(I once walked down my street naked and drunk with a beer in one hand and a smoke in the other, loudly singing "Do your balls hang low?", to win a bet for a carton of beer, and I once played Dr Frank N Furter in a run of Rocky Horror) and if you're easily offended, you'll probably take a dislike to me before long, because I offend people without entirely meaning to quite a bit. I like candy too much, sour candy is lovely, and my current addiction on that front is Haribo sour cherries or happy cherries.
I suggest that many of us spend a lot of time on the internet, though saying too much may be a bit of a long bow to draw, as how much is too much? Assuming, of course, you don't use the net to the exclusion of all else, that can be unhealthy. Some trolls amuse me, but I prefer not to do it online, since I always try to be a bit too clever with it. I type nearly as fast as I talk, and I talk pretty damned fast when I'm not thinking about it, but to make up for it, in the manner of Ian Fleming, I am quite guilty of smoking too much, drinking too much, and...the like. I always get depressed around my birthday - though I do appreciate people who remember and wish me happy birthday - because I don't feel that it needs to be celebrated. Oh yay, you've passed your annual re-certification as a competent human being, congratulations, here's a shiny toy and try not to drink anything under the sink. May 12th, by the way, which was two days after mother's day, because I wasn't very punctual as an infant, as I didn't have a watch.
I'm entirely comfortable with death. I keep going now, and one day I will stop. It happens, really, so I have to cram in as much as I can before I stop, because even two lifetimes wouldn't be near enough. I'm socially awkward, but I try to convert it from awkward to being a charming mistake when I do. This rarely works, but when it does...Okay, I don't know what happens when it works, but I'll find out eventually. The smallest thing ever is the most diminutive thing that's existed, and beyond the beyond is obviously the back of beyond, and it all ends when I bloody well say it does, because I cannot perceive after I die.
I like Zen Koans, I walk the eightfold path - though I very much do it with my own strange feet - I'm not given to worry - "No worries" being somewhat of a national attitude here - and I can't dance unless it's choreographed either, but I'm not bad when it is. My balance is excellent, and I walk on the balls of my feet more than the heels. I'm a skilled martial artist primarily in Silat, but I've picked up lots of bits and pieces of other arts over the years. I like Roller coasters, but I don't like those up-wait-drop rides, they just bore me. I love to drive, and I'm pretty good at it, but good enough to know I could be better, too. I'm an okay singer, but I'm no Pavarotti. I have no phobias, but I do have some entirely justified habits, and I'm an extremely good shot. I used to fear being alone, before I learned to be alone. It doesn't mean I always like it, though - Everyone is an island, but it's not unplesant to float around with some other islands for a while, like Sup, I'm Hawaii, I got volcanoes and shit, how you doin' other islands I don't know the names of? I'm also very good with my hands.
Don't apologize for sharing yourself with the world. Typing long comments is forgivable here, or else they'd have kicked me out long ago. Yours are short by comparison. It wasn't tedious, because every person is interesting in particular ways, and everybody has secret little worlds inside them to explore. Now stop being quiet, and speak to us all.
I always get depressed around my birthday - though I do appreciate people who remember and wish me happy birthday - because I don't feel that it needs to be celebrated.
Birthdays are my way of spacing out celebrations of my life and the lives of my friends with ordinarily unsustainable fervor and excess.
I've been listening to Geeknights for a while, but I just thought of joining the forum now because I've been really digging the anime and manga podcasts of late. So, I thought the discussions on said podcasts might be pretty interesting too.
Do you listen to any other anime podcasts? You seem to have good spelling and grammer, so you'll be just fine here. Come tell us what anime you're watching. Got any other geekeries?
Other geekeries? Hm... I guess I just really, really, really like animation in all its forms. For instance, I read Ben Ettinger's blog Anipages Daily, and I don't think there is a better English language blog on Japanese Animation out there that comes close to his level of writing as well as inquiry and scrutiny on the subject.
But, you know, there is a lot of animation and design going on in games too, and as a man in my early 30's I grew up with home console games starting with the Atari 2600, so I can geek out a lot about games too (though I have yet to catch up to current generation systems - lately I just play cheap PS2 greatest hits games that Dave Riley from Fast Karate recommends.)
I also like good food and good wine (and hey, I know there must have been at least one discussion on the subject here since I remember Rym talked about wines on a podcast or two.)
Anyway, to answer your question as to what I'm watching currently, I'm slowly going through the Dirty Pair box sets and loving every episode of that show, as well as watching the original Dragon Ball series (via Netflix - dunno why they don't stream THAT show). Haven't been jazzed about any of the shows of the current season, though off and on I still rewatch an episode of Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt because that show just makes me happy and dirty inside at the same time.
@studiocatchThe Tatami GalaxyJust read your post on the other thread, you've already seen it and Princess Jellyfish were two anime that flew under many people's radar last year. The Tatami Galaxy in particular may be particularly good for you, it was directed by Masaaki Yuasa who also directed Kaiba, which was featured prominently on the previously mentioned Anipages Daily.
Also, if you havn't tried Anime World Order and ANNCast yet, I highly recommend them. AWO should be coming out with their Dirty Pair review any month now. (They're notorious for their infrequent updates, but the product is always worth the wait.)
@progSHELL Yeah, actually AWO was the first anime podcast I started listening to years ago. They were what you could call my "gateway" podcast to this great community of podcasters and fans of anime, manga, games, etc. So after that it was Fast Karate, Geeknights, Ninja Consultants... and more recently ANNCast.
Also,the reason I started listening to podcasts in the first place was because I needed something to keep me awake and focused while animating my short films. I'd have my headphones with music all the time, but after a few hours of constant music, I'd start getting sleepy, or in a transe-like state and loose focus. So, podcasts turned out great for that.
Hi there. My name's Greg, and I came across Geeknights when I attended my first PAX last year. I was moving back to Seattle too late to get tickets (having gone to motorcycle rallies instead of PAX in its early years - d'oh), but managed to land a gig manning the FFXIV booth which let me explore outside my shifts. I caught the game theory panel, and since then the podcasts have become a staple of my bicycle commutes. I've been amazed more than once by liking the same things as Scott and Rym.
My mom was a little looney about banning violence, so while most kids had an NES and then an SNES, my siblings and I had only a Commodore 64 given to us by our uncle. We were later pumped when a yard sale yielded an Atari 2600 with quite a few cartridges. I'd like to think growing up with games like Missile Command, Barnstormer and The Bard's Tale had a net positive effect on my gaming life. My older brother was a bigger nerd than me, so we also did a lot of early PC gaming when it became possible. Games like Commander Keen, Myst, Ascendancy, and Descent got a lot of playtime. Eventually I switched to public school, happily ditched the drama-focused "cool kids" for the freaks crowd, and my gaming caught up with the times.
Public school also let me explore anime. I'd lucked out and caught Akira on TV once. I spent my entire 3 hour weekly TV-watching allowance having my mind blown - as a motorcycle obsessed kid it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Later, my new friends at public school and I explored anime via Vampire Hunter D, Project A-Ko, Ghost in the Shell, Tenchi Muyo, etc. I've watched less as I've gotten older, but still enjoy it. (Thanks for the Mahou Tsukai Tai recommendation, by the way).
My other major geekeries are motorcycles and bicycles, art (mainly drawing) and Chinese. I have a BS in Physics and an unused M.A.Ed. in Teaching, and am doing an easy but usually boring job in tech that pays well enough to hold me for now. The copious free time at said job means way more time on the internet, and I'm looking for an intelligent rational community that isn't overrun with idiots and trolls (yes, I know that's a bit redundant). So far, so good.
How can you geek out about Chinese? It's a language. I can see how you could geek out about Chinese literature, or the history of the language. But just Chinese? How do you go about that?
I know how you feel. My mom, in the middle of a New Years Eve party, decided that Goldeneye was inappropriate for me to play, which meant that I had to sit out and watch for years. *sigh*
Comments
I went to university in BFE, Arctic Apocalyptic Hell (AAH), upper peninsula of Michigan for 5 years. I came out with two bachelor degrees of which neither I feel are worth mentioning. I'm a computer guy (programming, science, IT) with diverse knowledge in lots of other subjects both formally and informally. I moved out to Boston to work a job assisting mathematicians, engineers, and scientists with national defense research at MIT. That got old after 3 years. Bureaucrats are not scientists(TM).
I won't bother writing what I'm doing now, for it will surely become outdated. I look forward to nerding it up about tabletop gaming of all forms, science, math, programming, and whatever else comes up.
Oh yes, and I am a terrible singer. I cannot dance unless I am told the exact steps to a certain dance. My balance is terrible. I do enjoy roller coasters and high drops, though. I don't have a case of motion sickness. 10% of people in the U.S.A. have phobias, and I am included in those people. I have autophobia, also known as monophobia, which is the fear of being by oneself. I am claustrophobic, but I don't have a very severe case of it. However, I cannot stand to be in a room without windows. Anyway, I notice this comment is quite tedious, and it is getting very lengthy; so I will be quiet now.
Gewdbai!
Welcome, Isabel! I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself, just relax, we're a friendly bunch, even if it doesn't seem it sometimes. Since you've been so kind as to tell us about yourself, allow me to make a likely poor attempt to return the favor.
I'm Churba, Australian at large and Large Australian. What you call your parents is your business, and anyone who disagrees can piss off. I call mine Mum and Old man(mostly). I used to be a wimp, now I'm not. Bullies kicked sand in my face at the beach, but then I read this ad in a magazine, kicked a chair across the room, and learned Jarate.* In any case, I'm not terribly shy(I once walked down my street naked and drunk with a beer in one hand and a smoke in the other, loudly singing "Do your balls hang low?", to win a bet for a carton of beer, and I once played Dr Frank N Furter in a run of Rocky Horror) and if you're easily offended, you'll probably take a dislike to me before long, because I offend people without entirely meaning to quite a bit. I like candy too much, sour candy is lovely, and my current addiction on that front is Haribo sour cherries or happy cherries.
I suggest that many of us spend a lot of time on the internet, though saying too much may be a bit of a long bow to draw, as how much is too much? Assuming, of course, you don't use the net to the exclusion of all else, that can be unhealthy. Some trolls amuse me, but I prefer not to do it online, since I always try to be a bit too clever with it. I type nearly as fast as I talk, and I talk pretty damned fast when I'm not thinking about it, but to make up for it, in the manner of Ian Fleming, I am quite guilty of smoking too much, drinking too much, and...the like. I always get depressed around my birthday - though I do appreciate people who remember and wish me happy birthday - because I don't feel that it needs to be celebrated. Oh yay, you've passed your annual re-certification as a competent human being, congratulations, here's a shiny toy and try not to drink anything under the sink. May 12th, by the way, which was two days after mother's day, because I wasn't very punctual as an infant, as I didn't have a watch.
I'm entirely comfortable with death. I keep going now, and one day I will stop. It happens, really, so I have to cram in as much as I can before I stop, because even two lifetimes wouldn't be near enough. I'm socially awkward, but I try to convert it from awkward to being a charming mistake when I do. This rarely works, but when it does...Okay, I don't know what happens when it works, but I'll find out eventually. The smallest thing ever is the most diminutive thing that's existed, and beyond the beyond is obviously the back of beyond, and it all ends when I bloody well say it does, because I cannot perceive after I die.
I like Zen Koans, I walk the eightfold path - though I very much do it with my own strange feet - I'm not given to worry - "No worries" being somewhat of a national attitude here - and I can't dance unless it's choreographed either, but I'm not bad when it is. My balance is excellent, and I walk on the balls of my feet more than the heels. I'm a skilled martial artist primarily in Silat, but I've picked up lots of bits and pieces of other arts over the years. I like Roller coasters, but I don't like those up-wait-drop rides, they just bore me. I love to drive, and I'm pretty good at it, but good enough to know I could be better, too. I'm an okay singer, but I'm no Pavarotti. I have no phobias, but I do have some entirely justified habits, and I'm an extremely good shot. I used to fear being alone, before I learned to be alone. It doesn't mean I always like it, though - Everyone is an island, but it's not unplesant to float around with some other islands for a while, like Sup, I'm Hawaii, I got volcanoes and shit, how you doin' other islands I don't know the names of? I'm also very good with my hands.
Don't apologize for sharing yourself with the world. Typing long comments is forgivable here, or else they'd have kicked me out long ago. Yours are short by comparison. It wasn't tedious, because every person is interesting in particular ways, and everybody has secret little worlds inside them to explore. Now stop being quiet, and speak to us all.
*- May or may not actually be true.
My name is Régis (Reggie) Camargo and I just joined this board today. I've been listening to Geeknights for a while, but I just thought of joining the forum now because I've been really digging the anime and manga podcasts of late. So, I thought the discussions on said podcasts might be pretty interesting too. Also I'm an animation artist and I really dig talking about animation that excites me with like-minded individuals. If you'd like to see some of my work you can check out my site here - http://studio-catch.com - also, thank you for accepting me as a new member!
Cheers!
But, you know, there is a lot of animation and design going on in games too, and as a man in my early 30's I grew up with home console games starting with the Atari 2600, so I can geek out a lot about games too (though I have yet to catch up to current generation systems - lately I just play cheap PS2 greatest hits games that Dave Riley from Fast Karate recommends.)
I also like good food and good wine (and hey, I know there must have been at least one discussion on the subject here since I remember Rym talked about wines on a podcast or two.)
Anyway, to answer your question as to what I'm watching currently, I'm slowly going through the Dirty Pair box sets and loving every episode of that show, as well as watching the original Dragon Ball series (via Netflix - dunno why they don't stream THAT show). Haven't been jazzed about any of the shows of the current season, though off and on I still rewatch an episode of Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt because that show just makes me happy and dirty inside at the same time.
Also, if you havn't tried Anime World Order and ANNCast yet, I highly recommend them. AWO should be coming out with their Dirty Pair review any month now. (They're notorious for their infrequent updates, but the product is always worth the wait.)
Also,the reason I started listening to podcasts in the first place was because I needed something to keep me awake and focused while animating my short films. I'd have my headphones with music all the time, but after a few hours of constant music, I'd start getting sleepy, or in a transe-like state and loose focus. So, podcasts turned out great for that.
Progshell would agree with me.
My mom was a little looney about banning violence, so while most kids had an NES and then an SNES, my siblings and I had only a Commodore 64 given to us by our uncle. We were later pumped when a yard sale yielded an Atari 2600 with quite a few cartridges. I'd like to think growing up with games like Missile Command, Barnstormer and The Bard's Tale had a net positive effect on my gaming life. My older brother was a bigger nerd than me, so we also did a lot of early PC gaming when it became possible. Games like Commander Keen, Myst, Ascendancy, and Descent got a lot of playtime. Eventually I switched to public school, happily ditched the drama-focused "cool kids" for the freaks crowd, and my gaming caught up with the times.
Public school also let me explore anime. I'd lucked out and caught Akira on TV once. I spent my entire 3 hour weekly TV-watching allowance having my mind blown - as a motorcycle obsessed kid it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Later, my new friends at public school and I explored anime via Vampire Hunter D, Project A-Ko, Ghost in the Shell, Tenchi Muyo, etc. I've watched less as I've gotten older, but still enjoy it. (Thanks for the Mahou Tsukai Tai recommendation, by the way).
My other major geekeries are motorcycles and bicycles, art (mainly drawing) and Chinese. I have a BS in Physics and an unused M.A.Ed. in Teaching, and am doing an easy but usually boring job in tech that pays well enough to hold me for now. The copious free time at said job means way more time on the internet, and I'm looking for an intelligent rational community that isn't overrun with idiots and trolls (yes, I know that's a bit redundant). So far, so good.