I'm a large, hairy, nerdy, man who enjoys drinking, reading science fiction and fantasy novels, playing video games, and arguing with people. Sometimes I also pretend to be an intellectual and write papers about Chinese History. Sometimes I also take time off to do rednecky stuff (shooting, motorcycling, camping etc.).

Most of the time when I take Myers-Briggs type index tests I get the INTP result. I don't really believe that such things can tell you much about a person, but most of the descriptions of that personality type describe my personality much of the time. At least, in the sense that I am obsessed with systems and logic and emotionally unconnected, especially when working on a problem.

Also, my Chinese name is 許書聖, which means something like the Saint of Erudition (or Calligraphy). And is totally awesome.

I grew up and went to high school in Tampa, went to the University of North Florida (in Jacksonville. DUVAL!) for College and received B.A.s in history and economics, with a minor in Asian studies. I received a Master's degree in Chinese History from Columbia University two years ago (after living in New York for two years), then spent the last year at a Chinese language program in Taiwan. I used that time to see some of the world and work on my partying skills, and I am now living in my house in North Tampa (inherited from my grandparents and across the street from Busch Gardens). My academic career has sort of fallen through in the last month or two so now I am scrambling to figure out what I'm doing next.

I like to think I'm pretty good at writing history, since I kind of do that for a living. My Chinese level is also pretty good now (if they had an option for Fluent-ish, I would pick that rather than Okay). I used to write a lot of speculative short fiction, and I thought I was pretty good, but the rejection letters from the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction tend to disagree.

Also many people find my chest hair to be impressive, and
that I am quite cuddle-some is well-known.

I have no idea. Maybe the underwear on my head?

Top 10 favorite books (in no particular order): The Once and Future King, The Sandpebbles, All the King's Men, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Sometimes a Great Notion, A Stranger in A Strange Land, The Sandman comics series, The Lord of the Rings, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, and Watership Down.
I am also a fan of somewhat less exalted fantasy series', including A Song of Ice and Fire, The Wheel of Time, The Dark Tower, and basically anything by Brandon Sanderson. Oh, and Harry Potter of course.
Also I love Barbara Tuchman and Jonathan D. Spence.

Top 10 Movies: Falling Down, Mad Dog and Glory, The Last Castle, Pat Garret and Billy the Kid, Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Snakes on a Plane, The Wrestler, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape

Top 10 TV Shows: Arrested Development, Firefly, Cowboy Beebop, The Venture Brothers, Fullmetal Alchemist (In both incarnations), Deadwood, The Sopranos, Justified, Father of the Pride, Boardwalk Empire

My taste in music is pretty eclectic, but I will list my top 10 favorite artists: The Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Townes Van Zandt, Crooked Still, Kris Kristofferson, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Iron Maiden, Rush, Crosby, Stills, and Nash. I also have a particular fondness for The Protomen, an indie band out of Murfreesboro, TN that specializes in kick-ass Megaman-themed rock operas.

I am a large man and pretty much eat all kinds of food with equal vigor.

1. Motorcycle
2. Books
3. Beer
4. Interesting Company
5. Sunglasses?
6. Understanding that we live in a malevolent universe controlled by Murphy's law

Writing, my research, historical theory, the internet, politics, social dynamics, and what I am going to do in the next five minutes.

Usually out casually drinking. Sometimes out heavily drinking and sometimes curled up at home with a good book.

God help me, in the last year of clubbing in Taipei I think I've come to actually enjoy dancing.

Honestly I've only ever received two messages that I didn't initiate on here, and those were from people I know in real life. If you feel the desire to message me, by all means, do so.