[OT] Who are YOU and what do you DO?

[Darth Shoju]

Hey there. Name's Chris Smith. I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada with my fiance and our two cats Belly and Moogie (both grey). I work as a phone lackey for a large company that does outsourced tech support and customer service. I handle tech support for FedEx. It's not a bad job; I get to sit in a nice climate-controlled building all day and surf ENWorld. I have a BA from the U of M in History (minored in Anthropology). Unfortuneately I could have gotten the job I have now right out of high school, but it was still worth getting my degree.

I started playing D&D when I was 12. Being from a small town I didn't have many people to play with so many of my first games were with my little sister. Honestly those were some really fun games in retrospect. I started playing D&D after reading R. A. Salvatore's Icewind Dale trilogy, so I owe that man a hearty handshake and thank you! I didn't really start gaming seriously until I moved to the city to attend university, where I met the friends I game with now.

I play a little guitar, love watching hockey (go Habs!) but enjoy playing basketball as well. My favourite T.V show is the Simpsons, but I enjoy the Osbournes as well. My musical taste is quite varied; I love the Beatles, Black Sabbath (and Ozzy on his own), Led Zepplin, Metallica...a lot of blues (B.B King, Muddy Waters...etc), rap (Beastie Boys, Run DMC, House of Pain...etc.) and pretty much a bit of everything else . I love movies in general, am a huge Kevin Smith fan. His work is only overshadowed in my eyes by the Star Wars trilogy (episodes 4-6: the new ones are ok but I like Kevin's movies better), although the LOTR trilogy is seriously making a bid for top spot. I'm not pretending these are all the best movies ever made, but they're what I enjoy watching above others. I love reading, mostly fantasy but I'll read other genres as well. I've been an avid comic fan since I could read and at one point I'm sure my collection numbered well over 2000 comics (I was too lazy to really count...I had 1500 when I was 14 or so).

I'm into cars as well, although I'm not much of a true gearhead (but I'm learning ). I drive a green, 1994 Ford Taurus SHO. Although I love the true "sports cars" (yes Mr. Morrus, I'd love to have a Vanquish too), what I'd really like to do is get the body work done my car needs, then mod the engine (main focus would be to get it supercharged...it's at about 220 HP right now...I'm sure I could get it into the high 300's). I'm really a fan of the lesser-known "fast" cars; I love my SHO because there aren't that many around. But unfortuneatly I have no money and I have no idea what to do career wise!

As for my personality; I have no idea what I'm like. I leave that up to others to decide; I basically just try to "be myself", meaning I just act as comes naturally. I like to think I'm rather open-minded and patient. I'd like to say I don't suffer fools but I don't trust my own judgement to measure foolishness, so I try to understand a person as best I can and leave my opinion of them open-ended. But I can still get po'd at the dense and ignorant like everyone else!

That's me in a nutshell. It's an honour to meet you all.

 

[Dimwhit]

[renew hijack]

That's not exactly correct. Much of English vocabulary came from French, which is why we have so many synonyms. We have both an Anglo-Saxon word and a French word. Pilgrimage/Journey, for example. But the structure of modern English still shows its' Germanic roots, if you know where to look.

(Anyway, sorry for the hijack. Carry on.)

That's actually a good point, Buttercup. If I remember, there are five major language classifications. English is often considered a Romance language (like French, Italian, etc.). But it's actually part of the Germanic group. A lot of vocabulary, etc. has been exchanged back and forth between English and the various Romantic languages, but English is, at its root, a Germanic language.

Man, I'm a geek...

[end renewed hijack]

 

[Bloodsparrow]

29 year old female on her lunch break in Orange County California.

We are Gemini.

Hooked on Phonics did not work for me.

Two things that piss me off the most...

1. The word "Phonetic" is spelled with a "PH".

2. The word "Listp" has an "s" in it...

I work for a company that makes computer games. (I've worked for several over the past 5 years and have finally settled down at one I really like. )

Before this I was a total Drama Geek, with a B.A. in Theatre Arts. I did make-up and wardrobe for independent films and TV for a little while. (My most famous job was an incredibly cheesy and short lived TV show on the Sci Fi channel produced by Rodger Corman called "Black Scorpion". While I didn't get to meet Adam West, I did get to meet Lou Ferigno. That was cool. He's a big big guy...)

I started playing AD&D my Sr. year of HS, and continue to enjoy it.

I am notorious for playing Half-Elf Bards.

I have been told I am the Iconic Kender... I was oddly touched, but rather offended by that statement. Of course, the person who said it hadden't seen me for a number of years and was probably referring to my younger self. I can only hope age has mellowed me out.

Other systems I've tried include; GURPS, Castle Falkenstine (For which I helped develop some LARP rules used by my group.), Champions, various World of Darkness settings (LARP and sit-down), Earthdawn, Shadowrun, Deadlands, Fading Suns, and a bastard mutant form of Call of Chthulhu. (Probably others as well but I can't think of any more off the top of my head.)

Several years ago I used to help run LARPS at the StratigiCon, OriCon, and Gateway conventions in Los Angeles, CA with Sneezing Lizard Productions. (Mostly V:TM but every so often we'd do something else.)

I also enjoy taking notes on funny things people have said during games and putting them up on my website.

When not playing RPGs I, of course, like to play video games on the PC, PS2, X-Box, and GBA (SP).

Right now my favorites are: Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of the Undertide (PC), Kung Fu Chaos (X-Box), Lost Vikings (GBA), and PS2 is a tie between the .hack series and Mark of Kri.

I also enjoy reading (I'm currently slogging through "Game of Thrones" ), watching TV and Movies with my friends, and, of course, working at the Ren Faire.

I'm generally not ashamed of my geeky tendencies but I do have one guilty pleasure...

I love professional wrestling...

There, I said it.

 

[slaughterj]

24, and living in Chapel Hill, NC. Moved here from Boston almost 1 year ago (14 days shy). Graduate student studying English lit (Victorian and the Novel, specifically interested in detective fiction, horror, and the city) and preparing for my comprehensive exams (currently reading Faulkner's Go Down, Moses, which, contrary to all my expectations, I like very much). I'm obsessed with baseball and, more specifically, the Red Sox. I miss New England fiercely, but generally like Chapel Hill and NC, so it's all good. I have almost no control over my desire to embed parentheticals into e-mails or posts. If I don't use parentheticals, it's those long dashes—I'm working on it. Kind of. As for D&D, I was out of gaming for 10 years between 1993 and 2002, and I just picked it back up on whim. Glad I did, as my group down here has turned out to be wicked cool folks.

Best,
tKL

Weird, I was out of rping from 94-02 myself (out of D&D from 90-02), got back into rpgs last year (obviously).

I'm nearby in Durham, NC, am 31, an intellectual property attorney (patent, copyright, trademark, trade secrets), and do some gaming, but pursue many interests (jack-off-all-trades) like traveling, driving my car on the track, etc.

 

[Utrecht]

I am 32 years old - married for seven years with 2 kids 4.5 and 2 - with another due on x-mas day.....

I am a business consultant who works with Hi-Tech and Manufacturing customers implementing call centers, field service dispatching and logistics applications. 2001 and 2002 were pretty dicey, but it looks like companies are finally spending money again (YEA!!!!!) I used to focus on the Telco market - but well - you go where the money is.

I was born and raised in Colorado - but decided that I wanted to experience life in other parts of the US- so I went to univeristy at Lehigh in Bethlemen PA - giving me a much different perspective on life. I have been to 46 states and 15 countries - so have been well traveled - and can understand and speak dutch (sort-of - i am out of practice)

Been playing D&D since I picked up the Monster Manual at the Lowry AFB BX in 1979 (I think) and thought it was pretty cool. - although there have been some playing droughts in there. - and it is looking like I will be able to get my wife to play. We have run through the adventure game and she seems to like it.........

 

[Sialia]

Sometimes I think I am more real here than I am IRL.

 

[Orryn Emrys]

This thread has made for a great read! In fact, I've been reading it in pieces for a couple of days now, whenever I've had a few moments, and just now reached the end... the current end, anyway....

I find that I am consistantly amazed at the sheer variety of people, from different races, cultures, nationalities and lifestyles, who are drawn together by this incredible hobby.

I am 28 in two weeks. My fiance, who also games, turned 33 yesterday. We've been together for nearly five years, owe our initial meeting and many of our subsequent relations to D&D, and are planning to marry this Halloween. It will, of course, be a renaissance wedding... and we have no shortage of wedding party volunteers (read as D&D players) who will thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to dress the part for an occasion outside the Faires.

I am, principally, a musician... a composer, a producer, and an instrumentalist with a history of playing in rock and blues bands... but I'd had my D&D books for several years before I bought my first guitar back in high school. My mom bought me my first D&D boxed set when I was 10 after finding it at a garage sale... and she and my dad and my younger brother all became players shortly after I got into the game. She's nearing 50 now and still games with my group... and she's easily one of the most evolved roleplayers I've ever had the pleasure to work with.

Somewhat related to my passions, my occupation is that of a radio programmer.... Specifically, I am the Manager of Operations at a small-market quartet of corporate-owned radio properties in southwest Kansas. I'm on the air weekday mornings on our FM Oldies station, and I feel fortunate to have discovered a career path that I can truly enjoy day in and day out.

Like so many of us, I am a reader, a writer, a movie buff and a music lover, and I've been running dynamite campaigns for about fifteen years.

Life is good!

 

[alsih2o]

The beauty of art is not necessarily the person's ability, but the ability to find the right opprotunity.


hellbender

i would like ot politely and vehemently disagree with this statement.

 

[Agback]

Much of English vocabulary came from French, which is why we have so many synonyms. We have both an Anglo-Saxon word and a French word.

We also have some synonym pairs that come from having a Saxon word and a Danish word..

Regards,


Agback

 

[Mercule]

i would like ot politely and vehemently disagree with this statement.

I'm with you, man.

Edit: Removed potentially hijacking comment.