Like every other unique snowflake here, it is hard for me to write a simple description of myself. At the best I'm the most intelligent, open minded, curious, literary, more than slightly geeky person around. At worst, a cynic outsider frustrated with both the rest of humankind and myself. I like good conversations, learning about things and geeking out about things both obscure and banal, music, computer and board games and rather doing than watching sports.

Working as a programmer, fixing other's mistakes and if everything goes well, maybe even teaching them to make less of those. Because apparently I'm incapable of creating anything myself. And desperately trying to have some life outside of it.

Trying to maintain piano playing (I used to play classical piano, an endless trauma). Taking photographs, reading and playing with computers. Spending too much time on the Internet (TVTropes, Wikipedia et al, carefully avoiding newspaper discussion threads and certain forums).

Running, bicycling, occasionally attempting to play squash and playing badminton instead when I don't find a squash partner. I'm not really a bicycling enthusiast in the sense that I would obey a cultish training program or obsess about latest pieces of carbon fiber, I just ride a lot for both fun and transportation and tend to place quite well if I for some reason participate in a race.

Thinking about all of the above and not really doing anything.

Convincing people I am an expert in something I only know the basics of and no idea about things I have actually studied. Programming, although the statue to prove it is at a friend's home. Applying physics to everyday situations. Holding a camera still for long exposures. Learning the basics of playing musical instruments. Running or riding a bike fast for long distances. Answering silly questions with stupid answers.

Guessing from reactions to the cropped / uncropped profile picture, the sad fact that i'm bald at 34.

Books: Some years ago I would have put here the entire reading list of a high school intellectual: Dostojevski, Kafka, Hesse, Vonnegut, Bulgakov, Tolkien, Douglas Adams, etc... Nowadays I seem to go for scifi and fantasy like Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Neal Stephenson (with whose books I have a strange love-hate relationship), Iain M. Banks and so on. Okay, I have to admit, I recently read The Stranger and rather liked it but now it's The Quantum Thief again.

TV: Like with books, I know a good show when I see one and then watch something with spaceships, vampires, dragons, giant robots or Joss Whedon instead. I used to miss the then-new Galactica but now the HBO version of Game of Thrones fills the hole (of course I read the books years ago but the TV version is just that good). BBC's new Sherlock series. A selected anime show every now and then. And Pasila, though I certainly do not identify with Kyösti Pöysti. Okay, maybe I, do but that is not important now. Finally, I'm watching The Wire at last on this round of re-runs.

Movies: No clear line here. Recently I have liked films from Lost in Translation and Calamari Union to Princess Mononoke (note the surprising lack of scifi). I probably watch films chosen at almost random at Espoo Ciné and R&A than what is shown in theaters over the rest of the year. In the right mood with right people and right amount of beer, the weirdness of Manos the Hands of Fate or Zu Warriors From The Magic Mountain kind.

Music: Like Karoshi Lovers put it, anything popular or easy-to-play. To drop some names, Nick Cave, goth era Cure, Nick Drake, Garbage, Kingston Wall, Massive Attack, Nine Inch Nails, Noitalinna Huraa!, Opeth, 70s Pink Floyd, Portishead, and almost anything that is played on Radio Helsinki weekend morning shows, all depending on the mood. Right now I am listening through a shelfful of folk, alt-country, Cohen and Waits that a friend lent to me, but I have my own collection of the kind that has Lady Gaga next to Laibach and not a good representation of any single genre.

Drinks: Dark coffee, green tea, beer with too much hops.

New experiences and avoiding boredom. Friends. A project to get absorbed in. Interesting company. Time alone.

Could say something about coffee, exercise, sleep, books or Internet connection, but I have already managed to do without each of those.

Life, universe and everything. How to maintain a relatively comfortable lifestyle without destroying the planet in process and make a decent living without bowing too much to unethical companies. Science-y things. Bicycling. Music. How underground culture is often the most interesting but still my eyes and ears drag often me to the mainstream. The boys-exclusive club that is IT business and what to do about it. And when did it become trendy to admit being a Queen fan?

Recovering from the work week and catching up with magazines. If I go outside, it tends to be for a beer with friends or sometimes to see a band.

I did not know what "thx1138" is when I stumbled upon my own username. Honest. The idea is the same, though.

If you think I'm somehow interesting.