Kevin Belting
In the beginning, there was darkness. Some time later, I started remembering things.
I'm not sure what's in my biography that's worth telling, though I suppose I could mention that I learned how to read through video games. No, really, I'm serious. Through deduction between my parents and one of the preschool teachers, they concluded that I had learned to read through watching my dad play Dragon Warrior on the NES. I don't remember any of this, but it's evidently true. So... I guess you could say I got started with the nerding early.
I'm just your normal, everyday nerd. I'm a Comp Sci major, I play way too many video games, and I'm the Dungeon Master of a fairly large Dungeons and Dragons campaign. I spend too much time on the internet, dress up as the Vault Dweller on Halloween, and attend Renaissance faires. And by "attend", I mean "dress up and act for". Fallout and Deus Ex are my favorite video games, and I'm considering becoming a Physics teacher (can't get much nerdier than that). However, through an odd twist of fate, I suck at Halo. Go figure.
I think I mentioned most of them in my biography, but:
- Video games (Everything except for sports games, though I'm partial towards RPGs. Not WoW.)
- Dungeons and Dragons (I'm primarily the DM, though I'm known to be a player every once in a while. Fighters mostly, though I'm partial towards my Druid who would constantly tout his unrequited love for sticks.)
- Renaissance Faires (Yes, I dress up. Yes, I bring a sword. Yes, I own more than one.)
- Teaching (I've student taught a class full of 4th graders on the mathematical basis behind Pokemon.)
- And... well, that's about it, actually. I do other things all the time, but most of them can't be considered "hobbies".
I plan to lead a fairly boring life in the world of programming. Good pay, nice hours, friendly people who appreciate your work... Or I might go into teaching. Crappy pay, long hours of take-home grading, and people who hate you (Both types, those who hate you for making them do homework, and their parents, who hate you for corrupting their children.). It's a tough choice. Really.
Or become a mercenary. I think that'd be pretty sweet. Of course, I only have the video game Mercenaries to go off of, but I'm sure it's very similar to being a real-life soldier-for-hire.