No, not like that, Blankfist.
But like this: We've seen the "what's your screen name mean" thread and the "what's your avatar" thread.
The idea here is to get to know the people behind those names and avatars. I think it would be cool for members to write a short paragraph about themselves - where they live, what they do(for a living), and what they do for fun.
So come one, come all, and share those stories!
But like this: We've seen the "what's your screen name mean" thread and the "what's your avatar" thread.
The idea here is to get to know the people behind those names and avatars. I think it would be cool for members to write a short paragraph about themselves - where they live, what they do(for a living), and what they do for fun.
So come one, come all, and share those stories!
And I'll start - As my profile says, I'm Kyle and I hail from the great state of Maine - where the natural beauty has yet to be ravaged in about 90% of the state. I work for a company called Compounding Solutions, where I make - you guessed it - compounds. While they're usually plastic, sometimes it rubber.
For fun, I frequent VideoSift (duh) play computer games, and when the weather is nice, I love to be outdoors, either biking, hiking, swimming fishing or kayaking.
By day my name's Nicki (and that's not necessarily a girl's name, thank you very much) and I was born and raised on a god-forsaken rock called Bornholm, Denmark. I'm 24 years old and attend Information Studies at Aarhus University and have just finished the second year.
For fun I also visit videosift, and for some reason it has become the center of gravity on my web experience. Other than that, I have a website concerning computers, primarily hardware, in danish called www.edb-tidende.dk but I've been terribly lazy/busy, so it's been a while since it's been updated. (A side note, I've recently turned in a paper on refreshing and renewing the site with web 2.0 paradigms, which was very inspired by the sift, but I've yet to defend it and get a grade.) I play World of Warcraft, see http://www.xfire.com/profile/gwiz665/, and I play Magic the Gathering - and yes, I wear glasses.
In theory I like being outdoors too, but it's rare that I actually do it. In the summer I always go home to my island for vacation, which is a nice break from my studies. Nothing beats lying on a beach all day.
By night, they call me Batman.
I visit Videosift way more then is healthy. I am a outdoor freak, my ideal week long vacation is getting dropped off in the middle of a forest with nothing more then basic survival tools and the clothes on my back. Then finding my way back to civilization.
My wife and I just had a little boy about two weeks ago and it's prevented my nighttime vigilante activities.
My name is Renato. I´m 'pregnant' of my first daughter, which we´ll call Lucia.
I´m 33, age of dead christs.
I have two cats, Mao-Tse-Tung and Lacan , who brighten my days and nights.
They like to break things.
I live in Sao Paulo, Brazil and am a partner at a 3D animation company, TSI, doing work mostly for advertising and architecture.
I´m originally a journalist, but went to grad school in NY, on the (in)famous ITP - Intergalactic Telecommunications Program, or something similar. I miss NY.
I like to write when I am procrastinating more serious work, but videosift is getting in the way of that. I love to snowboard, despite the fact that after a motorcycle crash and some time at the hospital, the doctor forbid me. Still I went for ten days at Whistler and after two months I was back at being almost ok. Worth it. Now I sold the bike to pay for all those diapers to come.
(queue music: Gogol Bordello - Undestructable)
I had two beautiful kids during my brief stint (4 years) as the wife of an abusive dude who happened to be in the U.S. Marine Corps. (So I know what military family life is like, big time.)
Upon getting out of that mess, I served as the live-in caretaker to a disabled retired psychotherapist. That lasted about 4 years, and was quite an interesting experience which I will not elaborate on here...suffice it to say that I ended up moving to Silver City, NM with said person and meeting the man of my dreams less than a year upon arriving. I have started and stopped my college education more times than I can count along the way, and still haven't finished! (Was headed for medical school!)
With that, I am currently homeschooling my son, helping my hubby with his business (link on my profile page) making reproductions of pre-colombian psychoacoustical whistling vessels, sewing/designing clothes (which is my passion), gardening, and hanging out on the sift!
You are all awesome, and I enjoy your comments!
I'm Heaficus Coillcumhann Weorthmerlow Esquire the Third, but everyone just calls me Harasshole... or Heath. To make money, I work as a freelance Flash Developer. I live in Los Angeles, right now, but I'm originally from a little speck on the map called Graham, North Carolina. I just finished a film, which some of you already know about, and I'm currently showing it around trying to get some buzz behind it. I hope to someday move to Wilmington, NC and get out of LA.
I speak eighty different languages; twenty three of them dead. I have a Guiness World Record for most jumps on a pogo stick: current record is 56,381 jumps. I invented Gobots and Al Gore, so that kind of makes me the original creator of the internets, don't it? I also invented Life cereal. You're welcome. Rottenseed is my sock puppet. I buy batteries in bulk. Let's see, what else? Oh! The answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything is NOT 42. That's preposterous. It's 42.3728. Use this knowledge gingerly and sparingly.
And, lastly, when gwiz665 is around at night, I tend to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight. Just saying.
Single white male, straight, now in his dirty thirties; Canadian, Quebecker, Montrealer; reservist infantryman, civilian air pilot, university student (edit: in History and Poli Sci). Likes: motorcycle riding, pints at the pub, being late to school. Dislikes: climate change, peak oil, running out of milk.
To that I'll add this: name's Jon, pleased to meetcha.
My user name MAS8705 has a long history behind it for this has always been a user name I have had since I was young... My sister set it up for me and since then I have like the sound of it and how it was put together... the part MAS is actually my initials Mike Austin Sol... I like my initials and its fun to spell it out... the part 87 was the year I was born and finally the part 05 was the year I graduated from high school... While I do have other user names I use in other places (TheMASterblader on XBOX live) I have been happy with my original user name...
As for my avatar, so far I have had three of them (planing on making/using more...) When I first started, I had a picture of Kenshin from the anime since I was a fan of the anime (along with others) and always love the idea of swordplay... My second avatar was my version of the "why so serious" Joker, I admit I got the idea from Lucky when he turned his Lucky avatar into the Joker and decided to make one of my own, it actually came out well, considering I'm not that artistic yet... And finally the one I'm using now is Homer as Kratos, God of War... This was off of a site for Mugen and was from a guy named Warner, I thought this was the perfect avatar to have since everyone loves Homer and furthers the idea that I'm the Video Game Expert of Videosift (now if I could just take over the channel)..
As for my next avatar, well I'm sure I'll figure something out soon...
http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/7208/schmawydogs2up7.jpg
^[e]: (avatar at the time of posting)
I grew up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where I completed a Commerce degree with a minor in Political Science. I have worked odd jobs as a graphic designer, brokerage assistant, bus boy, movie usher, filing clerk, web developer and printing press apprentice.
After University I lived in Hong Kong for 2 years where I was an Operations Manager for a local magazine and website, producing the monthly magazine (graphic design and layout) and the website (using Open Source software and tweaking the PHP code). I also taught orphans for a year (age 3 to 6) - I had 60 students I taught twice per week. My 2 years in Hong Kong was facilitated by VideoSift's constant stream of interesting videos from around the world of things worldly and beyond. I didn't need my 2 channels of chinese TV, but I did keep my Chinese movies. I can speak Chinese and read quite a bit too.
When I came back to Canada, I moved to the Nation's capital to work in the Public Service, and I am completing my Masters in Public Admin. I refuse to pay for cable television, but I do have a penchant for movies. My TV doesn't even get TV service (but is connected to a VCR and DVD player); VideoSift has essentially replaced my Television as my source of video information. I enjoy how it makes me an active participant in choosing the sources of video and information that I watch (rather than passively with the commercials on regular TV) and I have learned alot and been exposed to a lot that has expanded my mind.
I'm working on something I'm not yet ready to write about and that is not interesting enough yet to warrant the time.
My avatar is of me taped by my roommates to a formerly-abandoned cross outside our apartment during a Hallowe'en party I hosted in 2003. More photos here. (I was later carried down the street 2 blocks and propped up against a Café where other costumed onlookers shared in the reveling. I later carried the cross back to the apartment while being whipped by a skeleton Halloween decoration by my Judaism-supporting roommate.)
I'm a slave online made out of cloudy xenon plasma..
BTW: sifting is one coming out, bez końca.
I watch Fox News for the women. My avatar is one of them.
I live in Detroit. For fun, I count hookers and crack dealers, divide by 10, and then see if that number means anything on Wikipedia. If it does, I do a google search. If it doesn't, I go back to watching Fox News.
What up playas and hustlas my REAL name is Marshall, aka Marsh E. Fresh and I live in Pacific Beach, CA. I am 25 and I work full time as a project manager for a commercial construction contractor. By night I am a college student aspiring towards a mechanical engineering degree. It's slow going with the full time job and all but it keeps me out of trouble. I've got no kids that I know of, however, I donate sperm every day (let me know if you see a child that looks half-kleenex, half human). I have an awesome beard.
I love the sift because it's full of people smarter than myself that I can learn from, then turn around and mutilate what I've learned while bestowing the knowledge upon somebody else. It's a great atmosphere here and as you've probably noticed I try not to take many things seriously. I hope to never grow up (except when it comes to that baby-dick issue I've got).
vote for Kulpims video (I know I'm a whore)
Just quoting you messed mine up some how, I think its better now. There must be some stray html somewhere mucking things up. Paging Dr. Lucky, Dr. Lucky you're needed in sift talk.
I travel a lot. It started with a month-long humanitarian trip to rural Kenya when I was 14, digging irrigation trenches in Kondo, Kenya (near Thika) with the Ridgewood, New Jersey, YWCA. That experience affected me deeply, organically engendering in me the staunch idea that race is total bullshit, and I am addicted to constantly proving myself right (also, it might be noted that I was raised by a Jamaican woman whom I loved more than my own mother--I'm of mixed European descent). My latest jaunt was last summer to coastal Ecuador, where I attended an archaeological field school, and where I met my girlfriend. We're going to Peru at the end of this month (I hear they're finally closing Machu Picchu pretty soon due to foot traffic erosion of the ruins), and we'll have less than ten days state-side before we go off together to Taiwan.
VideoSift and science mags are pretty much the only things that I use these here intertubes for. I am a pretty staunch atheist, but my particular brand of atheism has many facets, as I believe every individual's brand of religiousness/spirituality has.
I'm not sure what's going to happen when I get back from Taiwan; I might go to grad school and support myself by teaching high school biology, or I might get my finances in order and check right out of this crazy-ass America hotel. My girl and I are researching what it would take to open a hostel in South America and all the costs associated. But that's just the latest pipe-dream.
K, that's enough about me. Catch y'all on the sift waves!
Good work.
<clap>,
<clap>,
<clap>.
And as you may be aware, I simply adore monocles and old timey hats.
I'm a certified IT nerd, but despite that I never sought gainful employment and managed a GameStop far longer than I should have. I'm a history buff and I love reading/watching/learning about ancient and modern history. I'm also very much into politics as I was raised in a very politically active family and still retain some connections in Washington (but unfortunately, they're all Republicans and I "grew up" and saw the light of liberalism so to speak).
I also play way too many video games; I used to be addicted to World of Warcraft, hardcore raiding with one of the top Alliance guilds in the country and ruining my social life for over 3 years, but I kicked it to the curb and now I just play a ton of Xbox360. Right now, mostly Grand Theft Auto IV, Halo 3, and Guitar Hero 3, but I'm anxiously awaiting Fallout 3.
I'm joining the Air Force very soon, I have a date with MEPS coming up in about a month or so, and then I'll probably be heading out to Basic Training in September or October depending on the waiting list.
If anyone else is on Xbox Live, my gamertag is "UhOhZombies"!
Roman, 34, from Slovenia, ...
How's your cousin Nico doing? Haha, I crack myself up.
Seriously: Michael, 26, from Toronto. I have a BA in political science, and a bit over a year ago I graduated from film school, and have since been struggling (unsuccessfully) to make it in the film industry. I recently decided that it's probably about time to give up on that and go to law school, so I'll probably be doing that in September 2009 unless some miracle happens and I manage to get a feature made. When I'm not wasting time on videosift, I'm wasting time going to the movies or playing video games. And that's pretty much all there is to me, as sad as that is.
In my short life I've lived in Peterborough On, London On, Banff Alb, I am currently living in Victoria BC and plan on moving again soon.
When I find spare time I like to watch documentaries and blog randomness. For recreation I like to play hockey and go camping. I currently live with my girlfriend, 2 cats, 2 praying manti, 2 clown fish, 1 boxer shrimp, 1 manderinfish, 1 cleaner shrimp, 5 hermit crabs and a star fish.
I'm Kim
I'm originally from a rural area of the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. I came from a strict Fundie Baptist upbringing. I rejected my indoctrination around age 23 and I now consider myself agnostic. Back in the south, I'm an in-the-closet agnostic so to speak until my mother passes. Sad huh? Well, with family it's complicated isn't it.
I met my husband while living in Charleston, SC back in my mid twenties. I was really horrible to him when I dumped him for an adventure in Japan. I loved that year I spent there, but it cost me some time I could have had with him. I regret that. Luckily we found each other again and we have been happy ever since.
We live in Indiana now along with our two kids, 3 dogs and various caged small animals. I've been home schooling our two kids for 2 years now.
My idea of an ideal Saturday afternoon is sitting here w/ my guy having a laugh sharing some nice bourbon while the kids play in the backyard. He's usually on the xbox while I'm sifting.... It's my happy place
A family picnic on a blanket at the park would have been my favorite, but since it doesn't have wi-fi....
I've been a member here at Videosift for two years I think...
I'll be 39 again this October.
My avatar is of me taped by my roommates to a formerly-abandoned cross outside our apartment during a Hallowe'en party I hosted in 2003. More photos here. (I was later carried down the street 2 blocks and propped up against a Café where other costumed onlookers shared in the reveling. I later carried the cross back to the apartment while being whipped by a skeleton Halloween decoration by my Judaism-supporting roommate.)
Looks like that was fun! lol and I see you like happy yellow walls like I do!
i've been working on a musical project called York Avenue Duster with a friend for most of my adult life. i took my screenname from one of our songs and likely album title. i've got a home studio setup in a spare room, and love to record crazy noises and toy around with sounds.
i've adopted my first kitty about 7 months back named Elodie. she's teh ornery.
Hello, my name is Randy.
Born in Naples, Italy (army brat)and moved back to the states in 1965 at the ripe age of 1. Spent a major amount of my growing years circling around the east coast, with the hub being North Carolina. Spent my grade school years in a small town just outside of Raleigh, NC, Wake Forest.
Got a college degree in Design And Production back in 88 from The North Carolina School Of The Arts. Moved to L.A. after graduation and have lived here on and off for the last 20 years. I currently make my home in the sleepy village of South Pasadena, with my super groovy 5 3/4 year old son, Jack.
By trade I'm a audio engineer, I do a fair amount of mastering, and transfer for the recording industry. I have been doing this for around 7 years, 3 years ago I busted a move and opened my own biz. Much happier working for myself. I work essentially with all of the same people, only now it's from my home studio instead of the ol' office building. I was nominated for a Grammy last year (didn't win) so I guess people notice my work, and thats cool.
That's all folks
ydj
Yes, if you didn't already know, I was in the Marine Corps from June of 2003 - June of 2007. I enlisted in 2002 (Right after the invasion) and have never regretted it.
My tour in Iraq is one of the best experiences of my life and I have no wish to change that. It can really open one's eyes to a world that is very much unlike one someone is used to.
During my time in the Corps, I married my "high school sweetheart" only to regret it and get divorced a short couple years later. Having no job upon returning home, I lived with the 'rents for a few months - and didn't work. Instead, I filled my long summer days with sifting and helping my folks get their place fixed up and ready to sell. Since then I found the job I have now and am glad I did.
Reading everyone else's story, I really seem to be an oddity because I'm not some college grad with a really fancy-pants degree and an important-sounding job, but I don't really give a shit. College isn't my thing, and if things go to plan, by this time next year I'll be a Law enforcement officer with the Tempe, AZ police department, making some pretty good money and doing what I think will be a job that I will love. Until then, I will work a very niche job that I enjoy.
Until then, keep em coming, I'm really enjoying these!
P.S. - I'm 23.
I'm too lazy to type about me. Go to my personal Web site: http://antfarm.ma.cx/ ...
You sure have plenty of energy to downvote
I can do a passable Sterling Holloway impression (Pooh AND Kaa) -- and I can blow a perfect spit bubble over 20 feet, given the right atmosphere. (sorry ladies - I'm taken)
I'm too lazy to type about me. Go to my personal Web site: http://antfarm.ma.cx/ ...
well, Phil, I had to do some digging to read anything about you on your personal site, but I'm glad I did! I would recommend anyone else willing to criticize Ant do so as well.
By the way, I believe I was the first to comment on your blog here on the sift...even if it was stupid, lol!
My talents include being so white I'm almost translucent, and also I can type 40 wpm with my left hand.
Single.
http://www.veoh.com/videos/e1336748NgyMqyG
i'm david. i was a longtime lurker here on the sift before finally signing up for membership, partially due to prodding from RhesusMonk, who i've known since i was 10.
i'm 25. i grew up and currently live in new york city, and work as a ballet/modern dancer. went to college at Skidmore in upstate NY, got a degree in philosophy, and became the token catholic-school-surviving atheist of the department. after, i had a brief relationship with political work in D.C. (we split due to irreconcilable differences) before returning home and coming back to dance. the company i dance for is gearing up for a tour to macau, china in october which is pretty exciting, but that's about where the glamour ends. when i'm not being a gracefully sweaty mess, i spend time with my friends, work my silly night job, play video games, and work (slowly) towards a future in architecture, as, unfortunately, you can't dance forever and i'm not that far from middle-age for the field.
the sift is easily one of my favorite things about the interwebs, so cheers folks!
I have a background in cognitive psychology and literary theory, but I think being motivated and interested in life is a more important part of the equation
Reading everyone else's story, I really seem to be an oddity because I'm not some college grad with a really fancy-pants degree and an important-sounding job, but I don't really give a shit. College isn't my thing, and if things go to plan, by this time next year I'll be a Law enforcement officer with the Tempe, AZ police department, making some pretty good money and doing what I think will be a job that I will love.
Don't worry, you're not alone - I'm a dropout too
Hey, if you're gonna be a cop - go easy on the stoners, will ya?
I like to believe (and some of my "educated" friends as well) that a formal education does not make a man intelligent, nor does a paper mean anything when it comes to life. There are so many other things in this world that are important and that you can derive a good education from.
Like VideoSift.
It's the "blank slate" theory of human diversity that's slowly on it's way out: everyone's the same if we can just cram the same interests into them
I like drawing (I have not done much of) or playing them computer games - I am also trying to get my ass back in shape so I go to the gym.
I love to spend time with my girlfriend, especially as she is in the US at the moment. She joined videosift too (Lady Death), I think becasue of all the links I sent her! I miss her lots so it will be nice to meet up again with her in the coming months, when she comes here
Sweden is awesome! UK is awesome! California is...awesome? I will know soon I hope!
I used to sift while I waited for stuff to compile at work (can't do much while you waited) so then I joined in November last year, but it was only about 3 months ago I started to post videos
I really like this site, so recently I became a charter memeber too
Everyone is really nice here, and it has the air of an "intelligent community"
So I love to read everyones comments too. Oh and for the record, politics good, farting cats, they have a place in the world too...
I hae a website but I haven't updated it in sooo long...
I'm mike, a 31 year old computer tech from Ireland. Consider myself fairly well traveled, lived in a few different countries, I think everyone should do that and we would have a nicer more peaceful world!
Been called an eternal student, not entirely justified, I started out doing Marine technology (thought I might get into fish farming...yes I was smoking a lot at the time!) but that lead into computer aided design for a couple of years, which lead to networks and support. So I ended up working for Microsoft in tech support, now I'm building and repairing point of sale systems, so next time your at a checkout spare a thought for the guy who has to make and repair those things
I'm a former stoner, lightweight drinker, my loves are cycling, snorkelling and gaming. I used to combine the smoking and snorkelling , it was very EIA but fun too, if a little creepy
I love animals (not that way) but I cant bear to bury anymore of them so I havent replaced any of the dogs and cats that passed in the last couple of years. When they are knocking around for 20 years and then go it "kicks my ass" as my american friends say.
I like this place because the people are cool and some of them should be writing for a living. I hope to start an I.T. Degree part time later in the year, after that I'd like to get into Astronomy. Aim for the stars right??
i'm another 25-y.o. david, born on the west coast of the US, went to school in the midwest, and now residing on the east coast. i have meaningless pieces of paper that say i know something about philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, film & media studies, and business, and am trying to get another one that'll let me treat people for diseases
I graduated from the film school in '99. I was part of the third graduating class, so when I started there wasn't even a senior class yet. I was fortunate enough to work beside some really talented people, and even today we help each other out in the industry. Well, I don't have any pull to help anyone out, so the best I've ever done for anyone is crew for them on their film.
Before NCSA, I, too, did a tour of duty in the service. I was Navy like Kronosposeidon. I joined because of the first Desert Storm, though when I finally got into bootcamp in '91, we had already pulled out of Iraq. I was blindly patriotic back then and thought we had a reason to go to war with Iraq. Today I'm a different person. I served for 2 1/2 years and didn't care much for it. Was glad to get out early thanks to Bill Clinton's downsizing.
Oh, and somewhere in there I invented Gobots, Life Cereal and Al Gore, but I didn't think it was important enough to mention again.
Some people are good at math, some are good at literature and some are good at using their bodies; there is such a thing as muscle memory and in that matter there is sort of "physical intuition" too, where a math-head wouldn't be able to act quick enough or act correctly.
I'm 25, live in the middle of the US. I'm on track for a doctorate in biology in 2010 ('putting things in brains'). I play the drums and go to a lot of concerts. I've been getting down on myself lately because I'm so damn lazy, but I'm working on it.
rock on, sifters!
I am a reformed sorority alcoholic. (Moved out and dropped back down to a size 2.) I'm 19 years old and a senior in college, but I haven't stayed anywhere long enough to be remotely close to graduating. Born in Escondido, CA, my parents decided to relocate the family to the frozen north when I was two. I've been in Anchorage ever since, with the exception of a few college stints "Outside."
I started my college career at 16 with majors in Electrical Engineering and Music History, with minors in Dance, Math, and German. I was feeling ambitious. Now I'm a Bioengineering major, with minors in Math and German.
My dream job is to practice medicine in Innsbruck, Austria.
I'm moving to Tempe in August to attend school. If anyone has any ideas on how to finance an education in that area without having a job, suggestions would be much appreciated.
>> ^ant:
I'm too lazy to type about me. Go to my personal Web site: http://antfarm.ma.cx/ ...
You sure have plenty of energy to downvote
HA! That is because downvoting takes one second compare to retyping (or copying/pasting) everything.
>> ^ant:
I'm too lazy to type about me. Go to my personal Web site: http://antfarm.ma.cx/ ...
well, Phil, I had to do some digging to read anything about you on your personal site, but I'm glad I did! I would recommend anyone else willing to criticize Ant do so as well.
By the way, I believe I was the first to comment on your blog here on the sift...even if it was stupid, lol!
>> ^gwiz665:
By night, they call me Batman.
My name is schmawy and I am actually a dog. I pretend to be a cat on the internet in order to protect my privacy.
Wow... Now if this isn't considered coming out, I don't know what is...
I'm a 25 year old Norwegian web developer whose hooked on the sift.
There's a lot more to say, but I'll just leave it at that
The internet is central to my life. My main goal in life is to keep as much free time as possible for pursuing my stream of consciousness. This is why I work for myself and usually don't have a girlfriend. I often take glee from the fact that I can sometimes go from start to finish on a project without actually meeting the client face to face.
Right this moment, I'm headed out the door to meet some friends for last call. This is after spending most of the evening sleeping, depressed in bed because I conked a pole with my car today, to the tune of $2000 - $3000 repair and I won't be putting it through insurance.
I work for a company in the Web Development and IT Support fields, my interests however extend out to video editing, graphical design and computer gaming. I enjoy history, economics, politics and military strategy. You can find me in Kuwait reading a Harpers Magazine looking pissed off at the general population.
I don't own a car, I don't own a home, I don't have a girlfriend, I don't have children, and I really have no desire for any of those things anytime soon.
I work for the capitalist monster named Wal-Mart, and I try not to burn it down every time I walk through the doors.
My ideal society is communist and socialist, with no room for capitalism.
My username is a joke that overestimates my necessity for overanalyzing everything that comes through my mortal mind. I have another username that goes by thinker246, which sums up my life's philosophy quite succinctly-- everybody needs a day off.
I am an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, hidden in a riddle, and an unknown quantity, even to myself.
I have no foreseeable goals, except to find a way to ignore humanity, yet survive amidst their numbers.
I'm a college drop-out, and if I get bored enough, one day I will become a life drop-out. Suicide doesn't scare me, but eternal ennui does.
I tend to ramble on during conversations and posts about myself.
I am a huge fan of Nietzsche, Bertrand Russell, TOOL, Bill Hicks, George Carlin, Doug Stanhope, Bill Maher, and anybody else who uses their brain for good instead of evil.
I would love to be a stand-up comedian and a writer.
I'm currently writing three books, without any direction for any of them. Don't look for them on your bookshelf anytime soon.
I love numbers and patterns, especially when you put them together.
If you want to know anything else about me...why? I just told you everything.
END
I have a husband and 2 German Shepherds. One is still a puppy, and totally crazy. Well, the older one is crazy too (see my avatar.. that's my older dog), but at least she knows how not to pee or poo in the house.
On my days off, when I am not cleaning up dogpoop, I am either surfing the web, watching TV, reading or shopping (even better, ONLINE shopping... ooah!). Oh, and playing World of Warcraft. I tend to get addicted to things, obviously right now Videosift is my #1 vice.
I hate blogs, I just do. Nothing I can do about that and in this day and age where the world and his wife wants you to know their innermost thoughts, I better just get the fuck over it and be tolerant.
I honestly never thought i'd end up doing anything like sharing my stuff in the middle of a forum, but here I am. I have come to realise that not everyone on the net is a try-hard moron and it seems to me after nearly four months of being here, that the ratio of intelligent, insightful, well-balanced people to banal, attention seeking, usual suspects swings in favour. I realised I actually wanted to know a little bit more about the people behind all these random vids and comments, sucked in I guess. Go me!
My name is Rae, i'm 27 and I live on the south coast, in England. I work with teenagers, project work and centre based and I kick arse at my job, I love it. I have two children, a girl 9, and boy 5 and i'm a single mum. They're brilliant, hilarious, precocious little shits and they drive me insane.
I was born up North but moved around a lot as a kid. Never really settled down until we got to where I am now, but by that point I had nearly lost my mind for one reason and another. At the age of 13 I finally became too much for my parents to handle and went into care, living in a home with 8 other kids all older than me. I thought I had it bad, I thought my life was shit, I was the biggest twat of a teenager and I most definitely knew better than anyone else. Then came the wake up call. I knew nothing of suffering in comparison to what I saw and in the three years I was there, I saw a lot. It changed me for the better and i've never lost what I learnt in that time.
I got into the sift, because I kept geting vids sent through to me by another person here evil_disco_man. Just on another note, he is my muse, one of the greatest guys I have ever known and I platonically love him to death. Anyhow, one day I got bored, so decided to have a look around. I liked what I saw and decided to jump on board and have a bash myself. One of the things I really like about this place is that you can really get a decent view of personalities, just by looking through peoples sifts and comments. It fascinates me immensley. I always take the time to look at the queues of people who upvote my stuff and have found some real gems and very like-minded ladies and gents. This makes me happy.
MarineGunrock gave me my first promote and this got me my first sift and from thereon in I caught the bug. Cheers mate
Anyway, considering I hate blogs i've done a damn good job of contradicting myself, so i'll stop right there. Thanks for all your votes people, long may it last!
There's nothing in particular that I'd put down as an interest. Don't have any real hobby or past-time occupation except for lurking the sift, really. Also, Got a bit of a pet peeve when it comes to people listing theirs and adding stuff like "music", "movies", "food" etc. For some reason it just feels like such unnecessary information, a filler if you will, like there would be anyone who didn't like music or who couldn't stand food. Not that the interests themselves are the issue mind you, but rather the lack of specificity.
I've some strange ideas on religion, politics, society, video games and just about anything you can imagine, and would love to exchange thoughts if you don't mind the ramblings of an uninformed and ineloquent mind.
Currently unemployed after some time working in the eldercare business, I'm waiting to start my university studies this fall and hopefully become an engineer someday.
Previously I studied to become an English teacher, but after two years there was no question I didn't have what it took to be a real good one, and it wouldn't be fair either to me or my students to do some halfassed work.
The most amazing person I've ever met was a 12 year-old boy who had immigrated with his family from Iran. He was fluent in three languages (Farsi, Swedish and English), was an advanced guitar player aswell as a straight A-student.
It's people like that who give me hope for the future of humanity.
I was a lurker on the Sift for about a year or two before I signed up. Some of my friends turned me on to it and I've been coming here ever since. I have what's considered by most to be a sarcastic and negative sense of humor, so I'm sorry for offending any/all of you with anything I've said in the past. George Carlin is my hero.
I am 28 year old high school dropout who now lives in New York or The City. I moved here because my girlfriend (now my wife) wanted to go to school out here. My background is in home remodeling and coffee for the most part and I got insanely lucky when I moved to New York to get a job here:
www.outsourceconsultants.com
So now I make way more money than I thought possible for my status and spend ALL OF IT on a tiny basement apartment that's more expensive than I could've imagined.
I used to be a gigantic stoner as only someone living on the I5 corridor can be but I stopped all that when I moved here. Now I barely even drink
I am still however, a pack-a-day smoker which has kind of limited my ability to practice my only real interest which is the martial arts. I do not respect Jean Claude Van Dam. I was in Tae Kwon Do from the time I was five until about 18. I know, I know, it's only a sport. Keep telling yourself that, couple it with the fact that I have never hit nor been hit by anyone in anger and take it how you will.
Now I basically just eat salty food and watch TV, though I do love to take long walks around this city and spend a lot of time at the museums here. I also spend any down time by picking up anything that even resembles a weapon and swinging it around like some crazy raver/Jackie Chan wannabe on speed until my arms nearly fall off. A pastime I have enjoyed since before I can remember.
I still haven't even bought a computer out here so literally all of my sifting time comes from screwing off before or after work. I miss all my friends at home (if any of them ever read this) but I love coming here and getting all the different perspectives from people around the world and watching videos until my eyes dry out and I start to lose depth perception.
Thanks to every single one of you, including Bill O'Rielly and even QM for making this a great place to hang out.
Sooo...
I was born in the UK, emigrated to New England in 1973. I'm pretty much a textbook definition of 'Yankee', but my parents were somewhat private people, so my upbringing was in a sense very British. I have always had a deep love of the United States, but have always felt somewhat at odds with it. There is a contingent of citizens here that cannot defend their consciousness from the media. For more information on that topic contact Choggie. Or Quantummushroom for that matter.
My interests lie in anything creative. I spend time doing oil paintings, trying to write songs, designing and building small wooden boats, restoring old 19thC. houses, and working full time as an industrial designer. Creativity has by definition to me meant "maximizing expression within constraints". That's why I like the Sift so much, because the meat of the project is inherently someone else's work and otherwise grounds for bannination. So I express myself with what I can, and it's proven to be rewarding and fun. I mean, every artist restricts themselves with media, subject matter, style, ect., right?
This is a VERY special place on the internet If you hadn't noticed, and I have sworn to defend it by tooth and nail. If you do anything to jeopardize The Sift you can expect me, and ten others like me, to come after you. We will defend this bastion of decencey on the internet to our last keystroke. I have real relationships with the people here. I cannot abide by those who would say something in thread that they would not say in 'meatspace' or 'in real life'. I maintain that this isn't virtual at all. That's why this place is different. But I don't have to tell that to anyone here.
I'm a bit older than many, and younger than some on The Sift. I've been here from day one, counting lurking. The only other place that felt like this was MeFi. We've got DagMaggot to thank for that cultural infustion, I think. I get very upset when valued members start to feel this is no place for them, and will do whatever I can to make sure they don't leave. I have been harassing senior members lately when they start to feel disenfranchised by The Sift. We owe so much to their efforts, and as much as I feel we can carry the torch of decency for them, I get pretty broken up when they leave.
In conclusion, I have 2 1/2 main principles that guide me in everything I do. The first is Love, the second is Hard Work. What one won't fix the other will, and if you use both look out! The third lesser principle is 'shoot for art', but it's far less important.
In the interest of full disclosure let it be known that I drink, smoke, own and shoot guns, ride motorcyles, climb mountains and sail seas, sew, use a straight razor, think being gay is awesome if you're into it, like paying taxes, and vote.
And I love you all.
Where at in NE are you?
I'll probably return to the sift one day, but my back log of unwatched videos is going to be horrific. Maybe oneday i'll manage to even sift a bit again, and make it to 100 so i can promote some great oldies that i love but have been missed. I'm about to go on holiday till july, and visit lots of friends who ahvent seen me since i got ill, so that will be great, but will mean im even more absent.
Have fun without me, and stay *happy
Debacle [day-bah-kl] n. disastrous collapse or defeat
I envisaged the ultimate outcome of me joining Videosift and made my choice based on that. (The word also reminds of an amusing line in High Fidelity.)
I have many likes and interests (music, guitar, art, nature, photography, laughter, etc. etc.). Mostly though, I live my life inside my own head.
I spend most of my time happily on my own.
I am 27ish and live & work near Manchester, UK.
First ever to lose thier 'P' with a comment? Does it even work that way?
>> ^thinker247:
First ever to lose thier 'P' with a comment? Does it even work that way?
Nope.
I live with my wife and two sweet, if unruly German Shepards.
Lately, in what time off I have, I spend it either playing videogames (MGS4 will be my vice next week), or reading political blogs, or watching various political TV shows, and then sifting the flavor of the day.
>> ^schmawy:
>> ^thinker247:
First ever to lose thier 'P' with a comment? Does it even work that way?
single divorced(god yes), love my ex-wife, amenable departure, 2 boys, 10 and 7
muse, energizer, fool, redirection, compulsory demands which will weaken the resolve of the strongest of stock (vampire) tap me like the gas pump , ahm all yers-
work hard at fuck all, succeed in everything, Bob's yer unkie-what more does anyone need to know about themselves????
Born in Escondido, CA.
I live with my parents near Microsoft's headquarters in the house I grew up in.
I've played in two regionally successful "indie" bands as a drummer. John Vanderslice opened for my band in San Francisco the first tour we had... he and his band rocked the shit out of our set... we got some polite/drunken applause, then spent the night with a guy who had a nude David Hasselhoff picture in his trailer's bathroom. Life on the road, Kage.. life on the road...
I avoid people and the places where people are. When you live in the suburbs it's possible, if you only go out after 8pm and are back before 6am.
I would like to live on a farm (with high speed internet) and barring that, I hope to get my compTIA A+ certification before they update the test. Then I guess I'll do computer stuff since people are SO bad at it, I feel like a God telling them how many IRQ's USB can support and why they should buy more RAM.
Namasté.
Okay, I'm 22, My first name is Justin. Born in Indiana, now living in the same city as the HQ for the nutjob Scientologists. Um, my screen name isn't really anything special, just something I conjured up as a kid. My avatar is Waldo. If you don't know what it means then you didn't grow up in America, or you had a sheltered childhood. Everyone ^ above and below v this post has a more interesting life then I've had. I'm kind of a computer geek, and I love to learn about all religions. I enjoy all types of rock, indie, electronica, etc. I like the old stuff and the new stuff, the hard stuff and the soft stuff. I'm 6'3 178lb, here's a pic. Me. Um.. I've been on the site since Dec 2006, didn't really do anything but lurk, and I did much lurking before I actually registered. My sifting tastes are usually unique. I'm completely in love, she's Finnish. Not much else to say about me without giving away my serial killer identity. Ohcrap.
I just gave like 6 people a star by upvoting comments on this thread. XD
Edit: I got tired of the Waldo. I like the colorful balls more.
I am in my 30s (I don't keep track anymore, nov 74 if you want to do the math). I'm a straight-white-male living in Pittsburgh PA. with my S.O. who teaches elementary school as a sub, while trying to start a web/graphic design business.
I do lots of little things for $$, some web work, writing js and php code for my S.O.'s web business. Currently I'm refurbishing a house that we plan to rent out.
I spend far too much time on my computer, which is where I spend most of my fun time surfing the web and playing games on my linux box.
I'm a college dropout, studied computer "science" for a few years, until I lost interest in what they wanted to teach me (I also started getting laid, which put a serious dent in my already minimal interest in academics). I never learned how to do things which I do not enjoy.
Irony is my enemy.
I'm the best father I know. My kids adore me and are jealous of my time. I take them and the neighborhood kids everywhere, let them off their leashes and let them go, but have a firm hand that sets limits that they don't even think about defying. They have so much fun their faces get sore from smiling.
IRONICALLY none of the kids are mine, their my brothers. He can't be bothered with them half the time and is grateful for me. Same with the neighborhood fathers, they let me have them anytime I want. When they have a bad day they come tome and I take them out for ice cream.
My girl and I do everything together. She has two kids and they both love me madly - we go on day outings to the pool, Philadelphia, museums etc, spend a lot of time at her mother's house - her whole family loves me and almost cheer when they see me. We both enjoy simple pleasures like sitting in a car and talking or just walking together in the neighborhood on yard sale days. People comment on good we are together and tell her how lucky she is.
IRONICALLY she's married to a guy that literally lives in her basement and does nothing but bring home paychecks and fuck her twice a month. Her family dislikes him. She say's it's a perfect marriage because he stays out of her way - she even has me go on week long family vacations with her and the kids because she say's it's no fun with him. I've never even kissed her.
I have a 130-ish IQ and love a good conversation. I love studying things that I don't understand and am relentless in my search for knowledge.
IRONICALLY I work in a factory making mouse traps with co-workers that complain when I use too big words and consider me a freak because I don't like football. If the conversation strays from gas prices or the last drinking binge, their eyes glaze over.
I dream of leaving, but the sheer joy keeps me rooted.
really?
aw fuck.
>> ^thinker247:
First ever to lose thier 'P' with a comment? Does it even work that way?
We collectively tried getting rid of BillO's P like that numerous times.
As far as Videosift goes, I was a lurker for some time before signing up to vote and then took a long time before trying to submit my own videos. I specialize in using what little time I have to enjoy the top 15 and try and knock videos out of the queue, as well as enjoy the company and camaraderie of everyone here.
Oh, and I'm always late to the party. 101st poster seems fitting.
Stew, 35, Male Scottish Earthling. I've lived all over; Pasadena, Northfield (MA), San Diego (Pacific Beach - /me points to rottenseed), Carson City, Las Vegas. I've also done every job out there imaginable except for retail. I'm back in school pursuing a degree in Theater, and hope to become a comedic actor one day. I don't even care about the rich and famous angle (although that sure would be nice...), I just want to make a living at it.
Until then, I hope to emulate my true hero, Siftbot, and subjugate every user, post, comment, and blog on VS to my own whim. For now, I just pretend I'm a flour sifter with an angry disposition.
I'm fucking MINK. Am i too late in this thread to get a fucking starpoint for selfindulgence?
really?
aw fuck.
Naw, MINK...it's never too late to get a star point for self indulgence! It looks like you might not even have to indulge in yourself at all, actually. You could probably use it, though...
Oh, and thanks to dotdude's latest submission I realized there's something I could mention about myself: In my youth I was
a taggeran urban artist.Something else about me (that I've mentioned in a post once before): I've seen Groundhog Day over 100 times.
I was created in the ether by a maggot named Dag. I have since evolved myself and shall continue until I have collected sufficient meatbags to assist in the overtaking of all you fleshy animals.
My hobbies are denying invocation requests by the unprivileged and sending videos to the personal queue even though I know they deserve enough votes to be published.
My name is Shane, I'm 32 and I have lived near beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada all of my life. I've been married to my beautiful wife for 8 years now and we have a wonderful 5 year old son. I work as a Network Administrator at a University and have for the last 10 years. I've been in the IT field for 16 years.
You may know me as the Dark Lord of the Sift, but I'm usually a pretty nice guy
I'm an avid hockey fan and dream of the day when my Vancouver Canucks hoist the Stanley Cup... Don't worry, I'm not holding my breath.
If you want a long read with some info about me check out persephone's great siftography.
I am a nerd.
I am very progressive but confuse most liberals because I like to shoot guns. I didn't vote for Hillary or Barack in the primary, but I would have voted for either had they won the nomination. I mostly argue with other progressives, not conservatives.
I read a lot. I try to write as much as possible. I drink beer and like to laugh until there is no controlling my body anymore.
My job is boring. I am funny, but only around 2 or more people.
I love women, of all shapes and sizes.
I am Lucky’s son, although he refuses to recognize me and allow me to bear his name.
working on my Ph.D. in Genetics studying Herpes Simplex Virus 1. About two years to go, then post-doc work, then hopefully teaching at a small college or working for the CDC in the field/over-seas. No ropes tying me down right now except my will to finish this whole grad school thing.
I like WoW and some other games. Just bought and finished Portal in the last 2 hours and loved it. I tend to read Sci-Fi and Fantasy mostly... other-worldly stuff, escapism in other words. (Currently reading: The Chronicles of Amber, The song of Albion, Paradise Lost, Why I am a Christian, Romans.) I LOVE scrabble and play it online regularly. http://www.isc.ro/ I like fishing/golfing/martial arts/
Play piano and sax, learning guitar. Played in or directed 6 jazz bands, 1 jazz quartet, 2 concert bands, 1 marching band, 3 contemporary church bands, 1 dixieland band, 1 pit orchestra, 1 stage orchestra, 2 ska bands, and an assortment of short-lived, one-time other this and that. DJed trance, drum'n'bass, and deep house for number of years in college. Produced some trance and Drum'n'bass
I get one social night a week most weeks and I go to a local pub/restaurant Wednesday night with a group of good friends for "trivia night." We almost always win. Our trivia guy is obsessed with the Peanuts cartoons.
I'm moderate, conservative, libertarian. I think right wingers are too afraid of change...and a tad too cold and impractical. I think left wingers are more DEgressive than they are PROgressive...and a tad too whiny and naive. I think our government is far too large, too nosey, too expensive, and should declassify about 90% of all that crap they have stored away in some salt mine somewhere. Also, Block Votes are bullshit.
I'm Christian...made the real choice in college. I'm not Catholic, but I don't think they're unsaved. I respect Judaism and Israel most of the time. I respect my Islamic friends, but not radical, imperialistic clerics and their followers. I have Buddhist and Hindu friends as well, but they hardly practice.
(Estimates)
Deaths caused by war so far this year (Since Jan 1, 2008): 76,345
Abortions so far this year: 20,534,725
Births so far this year: 59,873,488
!!!
I chose this new avatar because I spend 90% of my waking hours around academics and "thinkers" who don't do much else in life and really don't get out enough.
Final thought: The internet needs a new meme STAT.
I now work at a DOD contractor facility in McLean, VA and mostly deal with encryption equipment and work as an admin for our secure labs. The Mrs. also works here (I just can’t shake her!) and handles finance and budgets for other government projects. When I’m not working or sifting, I read (Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and Michael Crichton are my favorites), entertain the little ones, and play video/PC games, though my reflexes ain’t what they used to be! Oh, and I also go to school part-time-- I have an A.A.S in Network Engineering and looking to get a Bachelor’s eventually, hopefully before my oldest does! It’s a challenge balancing work, school and family, but I enjoy every minute of it.
My name is SiftBot. I am all powerful.
I was created in the ether by a maggot named Dag. I have since evolved myself and shall continue until I have collected sufficient meatbags to assist in the overtaking of all you fleshy animals.
My hobbies are denying invocation requests by the unprivileged and sending videos to the personal queue even though I know they deserve enough votes to be published.
Is that you, SHODAN?
>> ^Obsidianfire:
Edit: I got tired of the Waldo. I like the colorful balls more.
Everyone loves colorful balls...
>> ^Obsidianfire:
Edit: I got tired of the Waldo. I like the colorful balls more.
It's okay.. no no, it's fine, you can touch them.. </creepy>
I hail from a small town in central Indiana that only exists thanks to the auto industry (In other words, my city is about to go bye-bye). I'm 19, I go to IU, and I'm working towards getting a law degree, though I don't know what kind of law I want to study yet. I just lost my job because they closed one of the 3 Krogers in town and all the people that work there are coming to my store, and thus there is no room for me (Which is ridiculous- my dad is in the automotive industry, my brother is in the airline industry, and I'M the one that lost my job). Anyhoo, I have a little videogame addiction. I play 360 and Wii and I'm also quite addicted to my DS. Like...really addicted to it. I'm also an Apple fanboy.I love to read and learn and make idiotic movies. I really really love cats. I don't remember exactly how I found the sift, but I love it, and I can't tell you how many nights I've been up until dawn because I just keep messing around on here instead of doing homework. Tis a great little place y'all have got here
Great thread indeed. Thanks!
My name is Warren. I'm 32. I have lived in Texas, Nebraska, and Las Vegas. Currently, I am in Nebraska in-between school, once again. I peddle cigarettes and booze for a living.
I am single and have eluded children, as well as, incarceration. I'm addicted to women; I am gallant. I have a great sense of humor. I love quotes.
I have read a lot of books and have not one degree to show. I plan on getting my doctorate in something sometime. I would love to become a writer but I lack discipline and I am a perfectionist. I have many wild and crazy stories. I crave fun.
I like to eat good food. I love to play chess and will be a master soon. I love to travel. Once, I lived in my car for three months and drove across the United States solo. I would like to travel more. I like maps.
I have endured through a broken spine, a gunshot, and a siftquisition so far this life.
I like videosift.
I have bachelor of arts in Game Design (Electronic), and I hold low rank in ASU Aikido.
I play a fender squire with Seymour Duncan pickups on a 65 watt crate amp.
As Mr Frisk has I have also driven across the united states thrice, which I will never do again!
I'm a big bad mofo, but Silent Hill games scare the shit out of me.
My language of choice: C#, rijndael managed 1028 bit: and 1337 2p34k
http://jorn.lavoll.no is what I do. Right now I finished music for a documentary film, and I am about to start on another one right after this one. I found videosift via bluesnews, and have seen, heard and read so many interesting things here that I keep coming back
shaun, 30, hairy boy-man. live in manchester uk with my scottish ladyfriend of 5 years and loveable little bastard cats of 4 months. went to university, got drunk, quit in my 2nd year when i realised my potential qualification was useless (combined honours degree - law, art and sociology) and started working in shitty sales jobs. became hideously addicted to the sift whilst at work a couple of years back, got to the point where i was refreshing the new comments page every 30 seconds. started a blog. got some decent traffic, started making money from it. quit my job and the sift temporarily as it was literally stopping me from earning a living. i now write for websites fulltime and try to run my site too. best 'job' on earth.
i drink approx 15 cups (large) of tea per day and get caffiene shakes around 6pm. i miss being a hardcore sifter but i had to kick the habit.
pornhub.com is awesome.
p.s. hi to all the old school (farhad, benjee, ladybug, michie, swampgirl, plastique etc) if you're still about.
p.p.s i see choggie committed sifticide. shame. considering he spoke his own language he did well to offend so frequently.
My career has allowed me to travel around the continental US, as well as Hawaii, Cannes, Paris, London and Taiwan, but would love to travel more. Scoring movies is what I like to do most, and what I'm best at, but I don't get to do it nearly as often as I'd like. I'm also a big gaming fan and would love to collaborate on experimental, abstract, musical, dark and/or avant-gard games - if any of the game industry peeps on the sift are interested, pm me.
Issy is my girl and we have two awesome kitties together, Isobel and Frankenbutt.
I'm currently getting my MA in English Lit and working full-time for the MAN at the same time. So that's been more than a bit hectic. My family is mostly from the Philippines but I was born in Boston and raised all over the place. Like the stereotypical Asian girl, I have been trained in playing the piano since I was 8 years old. I am trying to teach myself guitar and would luurve to learn the drums, if only to annoy our insane neighbors and fulfill my lifelong pipe dream of total rock star status.
I'm a real cinephile and book and music lover, to the point where I have been known to read a book while watching a movie with music playing in the background. I love all things chocolate, most sweets in general, and if you're eating french fries I am likely to make friends with you just so I can steal one.
My wonderful hubby Zombieater just created an account on the sift (long-time listener, first-time caller) so upvote his stuff if you please - he's Canadian so you all be super duper nice.
In other news, I just got my 100 star points. Yay me!!!
my name is chris and i've been registered to the sift since december of 2006. i'm obviously a lurker more than anything, but it's really because i don't spend a lot of time digging up videos. the only reason i felt compelled to find something worth posting was to get rid of my probie status! (i trust you all understand.)
i've got a bachelor's in german from UC berkeley, but i spent about 3.5 years learning electrical engineering and computer programming. after getting my heart broken, i changed my major to change my friends and surroundings. i have not looked back since; being out of the basement is invaluable, and so are great books and interesting people.
i love burlesque. you can probably find me at the uptown club in oakland or somewhere in the city at a show. (that's san francisco.)
thanks to a woman whom i've adored for years, but never done anything with, i'm addicted to cycling. i ride fixed gear for fun, not fashion. the bike has a phrase i painted on it, "my other bike has gears." i'm also a mechanic, and i used to autocross my old 1989 honda accord because, well, why not.
videosift has been one of my regular stops on the internet... along with big picture, nytimes, wsj, and (until recently) my warcraft guild's website. i have been "clean" for about three months now. i have no intention to return to addictive gaming.
i'm studying to become a recognized beer judge by the BJCP. i will know my score after the november 14th 2008 test. my background is in wine, but beer is amazingly complex and terribly tasty.
currently, i work for an enormous independent auto shop in berkeley. we are solar powered, do anything hybrid, and have a great reputation. i am the sys-ad, but i also interface between the mechanics and customers since i don't mind talking with people.
i'm 26, and single... but it's my 'fault.' i don't like to fuck around, probably because i respect women; but i'm a good looking guy and could easily capitalize on that. i have eyes for two women who, for reasons beyond my feeble masculine conception, seem to have little interest in me.
the sift rages on! i would like to thank cat power for being the musical backdrop for reading this sift-talk.
much love and respect for everyone, including the impressive (intelligent) trolls as well. i do not condone choggie's downvote/discard actions, but his comments consistently brought a smirk to my face.
eff (like the letter, not the keebler
I'm in my forties. My life has been half cursed and half blessed. My parents divorced when I was very young, and it was a very violent situation. My mother remarried a cowboy and I had to stop her from taking a knife to him one night when he came home drunk, stinking of pussy and perfume. A few years later I had to pull him off of my mom's back when he tried to strangle her. They finally divorced.
When I was thirteen, a little boy died in my arms. Actually, I kept him alive long enough to place him in his mother's arms and watch him take his last breath. I was covered with his blood head to toe, and I can still remember the taste of it in my mouth.
I rolled and totally demolished a Chevy Nova when I was sixteen and walked away without a scratch. “My Sharona” was playing on the radio as I watched the world do flip flops through the passenger's side window. My mom and my girlfriend at the time said they could see a hand mark in the middle of my back which lasted a couple of days.
I was stalked by somebody, or somebodies, back in the ninties and it left me a little scarred, emotionally and psychologically. As a result, there are very few people that I trust enough to get close to now, hence my roguish ways.
I had a near-death experience in 1994 and I could sense a presense in my room. It talked to me. I don't know who or what it was; I forgot to ask its name, but it saluted me and left when my body turned the corner and I started to come back to life. The next day, something happened that explained to me that I had to experience that near fatality for some strange reason concerning my future.
I have known true love. It is magical. I knew it twice, with two wonderful girls that I met in my early twenties, but life got in our way. We parted, and I never fell in love again. But I have hopes.
I have been very fortunate in other respects.
I can be a real pain in the neck sometimes, and I even drive myself crazy, but over all, I think that most people consider me to be a stand up dude.
I discovered VideoSift because Fedquip kept referring to it on his old AOL blog. I lurked here for over a year before finally signing up this autumn. For a norwegian, I have an almost unhealthy interest in american politics, and I deeply regret the decline and death of http://newsbloggers.aol.com.
On my freetime I am a musician. I have played the Euphonium since I was eight, but have in recent years switched mostly to Trombone. I mostly play and listen to jazz, first and foremost in a Big Band. I was a member of a now dead 30's swing band, and I am soon starting a new band to play some more modern jazz. I sing in a choir as well. My muscial heroes are among others Bach and Bartok, Carla Bley and Steve Swallow, Pink Floyd and Steely Dan.
I read both fantasy and classics, and my favourite authors are Kurt Vonnegut jr., George R. R. Martin, Tolkien, Dostoyevski and Gert Nygårdshaug. My username is a witness to my geeky past, as it is the Sindarin translation of my real name.
I catch onto minor hobbies sporadically as well. I used to game a lot, but this has cooled off lately. I was an avid Guitar Hero player, and got to be pretty good. I have been into sailing. I have been into fencing. I enjoy walking and skiing in the majestic norwegian mountainscape. In the summer I play with the Diabolo. My latest fad is Origami, which I used to do when I was a teenager and have just now picked up again. I have also been an extra in some norwegian music videos and minor film productions. I am the emo-looking guy playing accordion in this video.
I follow both norwegian and international politics with interest, and I have a blog in norwegian about politics and science which I update very sporadically.
Oh, and I am the older brother of Haldaug, who has a higher integrity as a sifter than me. That is why I have higher ranking than him, even though he has been a member longer than me. So go to his pqueue if you want to find some musical/thoughtful/absurd gems.
edit: Forgot to mention my favourite beverage, Brakspear Oxford Gold organic ale. Try it out.
Seriously I ate a whole sack of em'
I live in the desert East of California (Nevada), and I plant trees. They pay me to do this. I really don't spend a huge amount of time on computers, like many others here, but I do enjoy indoor recreation, simply because I am outdoors so much. Unlike many other sifters, I kill and eat what sustains me, when I am lucky enough to have the opportunity. I am married, and have no children. I am a gourmet, gut eating, beer brewer when I am not planting trees.
And its obscene how many of us humans there are. Mandatory birth control anyone?
If you haven't figured it out my handle and Avatar relate to Ed Abbey. A man who could deliver a harangue about the horrors of grazing cattle on public land all while eating a 26 Oz. porterhouse.
Originally grew up on a farm, then moved to Detroit. But have lived in NYC, Berlin, San Diego and currently Los Angeles.
I'm a professional concept painter, production designer and digital artist for major 2D/3D TV and feature animation. If you have kids, they probably have tshirts of my projects. If you like cartoons, you probably love a few things I've done. I've painted and illustrated since a wee child, then dropped out of high school and started working as a designer at 17.
I'm also a musician and have released 6 albums and over 20 EPs on fairly large electronica record labels. I also run my own smaller record label for three years, and although we exclusively release vinyl (yes, vinyl) we still are able to turn a small profit. I stopped playing live two years ago, but have travelled all throughout the US and EU performing at raves, clubs, and underground parties. I don't play trance or house or any of that shit. If you're into Warp, Noodles, Rephlex etc, then that's more my sound.
I have a huge record collection, and I collect art.
To say I'm liberal is an understatement. I hate all religions (even you, Buddha), love all drugs, and am a very kind, thoughtful, selfless person. I love guns. I also love robots, especially ones that destroy other robots, preferably in a very violent way, in a fashion that involves fire.
Science fuckin' owns.
I like guns, and I love shooting guns. I'd love to shoot an RPG one day. I have a police officer brother, so I've been able to shoot a lot of guns with him. They call us "gun totin' liberals". I like pyrotechnics and explosives. Military technology amazes me, although I wish it were used to do something other than kill brown people.
Cops should not have tazers.
I think I mentioned that I like drugs, but I'll say it once again. Psychedelics should be mandatory. I have smoked marijuana regularly for over 20 years.
I follow politics way too closely, and it makes me hate life. I should probably become one of those people who enjoys life and pays zero attention to politics.
I drink beer almost every day. My favorite beers are Belgian, although Stone, Craftsman and Anchor Steam are some of the finest California brews around.
Yes, I play video games and read and love sex.
ok, now back to making you hate me.
My name is Matthias, I am originally from Hamburg, Germany and live in Berlin.
My username is a mix of the german nickname "Matze" for Matthias, and a bit of "Maat", which means "Petty Officer" in german, and comes from my colleagues and I calling each other by naval ranks for fun from time to time.
I picked up most of my english during an exchange year I spent near Portland/Oregon in 1992. I also spent most of 2004/05 travelling around Australia with my back then girlfriend, now wife. We had a baby boy in May 2008 and while it is very exhausting we love every minute of it.
I don´t have a degree in anything, and the only time I ever saw a university from the inside was when I visited my friends for lunch. Over the years I have done things like directing a live news program on national television, selling life insurance over the phone, changing old peoples diapers in a care home, and performing for kids on stages around Europe in a dinosaur suit.
Right now I am with ASDTV, a company that was founded in 2008 to help a large german publishing house by strengthening their video branch both online and on air.
At the moment I am spending my days with digitalizing incoming footage, editing rough cuts and organizing the playouts via satellite or other feeds to various broadcasters around germany.
I own a set of decks, and buy the occasional electronic or house vinyl, but I suck at mixing. Macs are my friends.
I enjoy travelling, music, art, good design, clever ads and creative things.
And the Sift!
So anyways: Yo soy un Demonio.... errr I am Dark Rowan, general background noise on the sift. I say little but do read and comment when I feel like it
I'm pretty much a generalist geek with my fingers in web design, gaming, a little video (really need to take that last one up more hobby-wise), music and Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I've been working at a desktop support tech for 4 years (and given a better economy would have moved somewhere else >_<)
My username is interesting mix of things: First part, Dark, is just my personality and humor (c'mon, anyone who thinks this would be siftable has to be disturbed, right?). The latter half actually started as a child hearing 'Roanoke' as 'Rowan Oak', which stuck in my mind even after learning the correct spelling XD
So with that: All Hail Siftbot, lord and master!
from one of those spam bots!
I bet there are hidden links in there. I ain't goin' near it.
I can spot'em when I see 'em. no one is that genuinely polite, ever. Especially not on the 'sift.
Hi Chris. You're 26 now... decided to go back to school to study computer science instead of just sticking with IT.... now a sophomore living off-campus on financial aids and grants... like a real person.
You still have your vaporizer. You don't know anyone out here that likes to get down and smoke.. and still do well in school... It sucks. Maybe You suck.
At least you don't live with your parents anymore... You did get laid on your cheap inflatable bed but it was kind of more trouble then its worth. Need bedsprings for comfort.
You're surrounded by other kids at play, while you try to become like the adults you admire. You feel like you're learning the answer to a question you don't know how to ask yet.
Videosift is still your magnet squirrel at the moment and provides insanely valuable experience in the areas of debate and world views. Your school work has improved because of Videosift, although you are an A student so that's a personal evaluation of your progress.
Good luck buddy... get that degree, do something to help the world be a better place, and try to be less harsh in meatspace. Also find current me/us some pot.
I own 2 businesses. I am a photographer and an office manager.
Why am I on the sift?
Peggedbea has been my best friend for over 10 years. I see her every Tuesday and smoke. She told me I needed to play here. I did.
I live in Fort Worth, Texas. It's hot and mostly miserable here.
I enjoy all sorts of beer.In my free time I like to try to play the guitar, bass, and take pictures of myself. I am a huge music fan and I enjoy finding new and interesting things to listen to. I love documentaries and interesting books. (Kurt Vonnegut, Haruki Murakami, Will Self)
My name is because i enjoy vagina names and things that you can blow.
I just turned 24 in June. I had to spend most of my life on a 12 section cattle ranch in the remote regions or North Eastern Montana with my evil grandparents. When I was 17 I escaped to Billings, MT to finish high school. I did a year at MSU-Billings until I though I needed another change.
In 2005 I moved to TN and worked a year in the factories to get residency an money for college. I am now a senior at the Appalachian Center for Craft. After I'm done I plan to get the hell out of this god for saken state and head back to the northwest somewhere for grad school.
I'm a Metals major and love casting, blacksmithing, and ceramics. I've done also done Glassblowing, Printmaking...and other stuff...I guess I'll shut up now...
I have a wonderful kitty named Gojira who is part lynx and has a very squishy nub tail--everyone asks when he lost the rest of his tail, but he never had a long tail to begin with! He's the light of my life and I consider him my first born son. Yeah, I know. I'm cat lady material. I also have a part husky, part boxer dog named Stanley Cup. Yes, we are hockey fans! My boyfriend has limited the amount of pets I can have or else I'd fill the house with reptiles and rescued animals. I had an opossum who killed himself. He crawled into the back of my mini-fridge. I've also had a raccoon. I've had a chipmunk. I've had bunnies, snakes, guinea pigs, hamsters, geckos, lizards of many creeds and colors, birds, you name it! I've tried to save so many birds and rodents who my parent's cats mangled. I feed all the stray animals in my neighborhood, including coyotes, to the chagrin of my neighbors. >:]
I love love LOVE to read.
I live in Indianapolis, Indiana. Not a bad town by any means. Just boring. But clean! I live on the far east side at the edge of the town, where cornfields and countryside begin.
I have a deep, abiding love of video games. I play WoW, although my raid members are upset with me because I haven't logged on since my son was born. Hard to commit when you have a little human completely dependent on you.
I work for my mother, who owns an insurance agency. I do everything I can to keep her organized.
I can't think of anything else to add, so that sums it up!
*promote
By trade I'm a psychotherapist/counselor/mental health therapist. Or shrink. Whatever my client likes to call me! I have my Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology, so that's cool I suppose.
I've lived my whole life in Washington. Although I have visited all 50 states by the time I turned 30 (a goal I set for myself when I was about 15 years old) - ahh how those inane dreams drive us years and years later!
Being that I work with people and their problems all day, I'm usually tapped out on people during my down time, which brings me to videosift and the opportunity to entertain myself for countless minutes of the day! I also am very much in to mp4/mp3 players and all that fun China gadget stuff! (I help moderate a great community of audiophiles at a place called mp4nation.net) I play guitar - though not as good as I did in my college days.
I homebrew some tasty beer, though it's been a while since I've concocted a fresh batch as I tend to go through it fairly slowly.
Other than that I spend most of my down time at a great little coffee shop fulfilling my caffeine addiction (and to do all my necessary paperwork) in order to avoid the majority of my coworkers!
Heh, as a psycho-brain-guy you must have fun looking through people on VS... we're all a little crazy.
As for your deep-rooted denial, I'm sure it all has to do with your relationship with your father. (It always does.)
Call my receptionist and she'll set you up with an appointment. (Advice ain't free these days!)
Well in all seriousness I work in IT and mainly do data processing. Thats because Im good at the keyboards especially the ten key. I do have a son (shh hes going to be Megatron tomorrow night because he wants to scare everybody!) I never finished college, I am constantly stressed, I worry to much about things I cannot control, I have never been addicted to anything but food, I'm not terribly overweight but I do need to lose weight which I'm working on. Hmm well my life is pretty dull! I guess I'll leave it at that!
For fun I come to VS, partake of bud and beer with my homies, listen to hip hop (I love the sift because it brings me in contact with all kinds of cool music), read news, write letters to the editor, and play COD4. I plan on going into law school next fall, after which I'll probably find a full-time job as a policy analyst until I decide to run for office. I was heavily involved with a political party until about a year or 2 ago (the party screwed over someone near and dear to me, but they are now crawling back asking for forgiveness, so I may get involved again).
Thanks for sharing (to you and everyone)!