I'm so into you
But I'm way too smart for you
Even my henchmen think I'm crazy
I'm not surprised that you agree
If you could find some way to be
A little bit less afraid of me
You'd see the voices that control me
From inside my head
Say I shouldn't kill you yet...

----

I grew up in a small town in northern Georgia, and moved to Florida as soon as I could, because life in the mountains was driving me out of my gourd. I've never been a country boy, though my brother certainly is. But just because I'm not as much of a redneck as my family doesn't mean I'm prim and proper and stuck up. I know how to let my hair down (though you probably couldn't tell, since I keep it cut short).

My current adventure is learning how to be a grad student. I'm working toward a Ph.D. at the University of South Florida. Hooray for ramen. Computers are my primary hobby, and my subject of study (majoring in Computer Science and Engineering), but I have a life outside of computers, too.

My primary hobby is photography; I have a DSLR and I know how to use it. I'm not the best photographer in the world, but I'm good enough to enjoy myself, and occasionally earn some praise from my friends and relatives (and sometimes even other photographers). My favorite subjects include fireworks and small wildlife (mostly squirrels and ducks), but I'll shoot anything that holds still in front of my lens long enough.

I spend as much time at Walt Disney World as I can. (It's not as expensive as you'd think, since my dad's a cast member.) Epcot is my favorite park, and Illuminations: Reflections of Earth is by far my favorite fireworks show; I like to shoot it almost as much as I like to watch it.

I'm a proud uncle. My brother has a son, and I think he's the cutest kid in the world. But, of course, I'm biased. Also, I'm an honorary uncle to my friends' son (who is the second-cutest kid in the world).

I give my time (and my blood) to the Red Cross, as a disaster volunteer. Not everyone is as fortunate as I am, and I want to give back to the community; the Red Cross is the best place for me to do so.

(By the way: I don't actually live in Tampa yet. I still live in Bartow, because I'm still looking for an apartment.)

is working toward a Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of South Florida.

looking like I know what I'm talking about... unless I'm around someone I'm attracted to, in which case I can barely finish a sentence.

is usually my beard. I started growing out my beard in November 2011; before then, I kept a goatee or van dyke. You can see both styles in my photos.

(Update: Beard died of complications of a tragic trimmer accident. He is survived by his children, Mustache and Goatee.)

I have a screwball sense of humor. When my friends and I riff on each other, you really need to be a grade-A nerd to keep up, and I like it that way. "Smile and nod" tends to be the order of the day.

I make random pop culture references, typically from geeky movies and webcomics. If you don't get a reference, let me know and I'll either explain or (preferably) watch the movie with you.

Restaurants:

Mr. Dunderbak's is definitely at the top of the list. I don't even drink beer all that often; I just like German food.

Salem's Gyros deserves to get much bigger than it is.

Books:

For starters, my favorite author is Terry Pratchett, hands down.

I tore through The Hunger Games and both of its sequels in two sittings; I know it's intended for teenagers, but it's a great story and wonderful political and social commentary. Nineteen Eighty-Four and Brave New World are other works of political/social commentary I particularly enjoy.

Movies and TV:

My preferences lean toward comedies (Arrested Development, for instance) and animated movies (Tangled was sublime). I'm too empathetic to watch much drama, generally; there's enough drama in life without sitting down and suffering through more. There are exceptions, though: I'm a huge fan of House, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Newsroom (and can't wait for next season).

When in doubt, I pop in a stand-up comedy DVD. I have everything released by Gabriel Iglesias.

Music:

I tend to dislike some of the harsher rap, and some of the more jingoistic country—think Toby Keith—but I can enjoy the rest; my tastes run the gamut, from classical to electronic.

Podcasts:

I listen to the Savage Love Podcast every single week without fail; Dan Savage is made of awesome.

I've been listening to Penn's Sunday School (by Penn Jillette). Also, I watch Film Riot and listen to This Week in Photography.

Comics:

My daily reading list includes Questionable Content, xkcd, ErfWorld, Order of the Stick, Something Positive, PvP, Girls With Slingshots, Punch an' Pie, Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, Real Life, Selkie, What the Duck, Shortpacked!, Dilbert (yes, it counts as a webcomic), and many more.

My computer: how else would I communicate with the world? How would I practice programming?

Transportation; preferably my car: I go stircrazy very easily.

A camera: photography is an incredible art.

The ability to visit my family on occasion: I live near my dad's house, and visit my mom a couple of times per year.

A smartphone of some sort: I've become addicted to having the Internet in the palm of my hand wherever I go.

You.

why I took the red pill decided to follow my dream and earn a doctorate rather than stay in industry.

usually doing research or out taking photos of something or another.

I actually enjoy teen-pop music.

there is a purple lemur knocking on your bedroom window. Or not.