Hobbies

I've been a basketball fan since I was little. I would go out for hours at a time and shoot until it got dark, and then I would go inside and watch the Houston Rockets. And yes, I have been a fan all along, starting way back when Ralph Sampson and Akeem Olajuwon were the twin towers, and Bill Fitch (ugh) was the coach. I followed them through Don Chaney, and now to Rudy T. And this year, when they repeated, I managed to miss every game of the finals while I was in Europe, showing up the day after they won it all. (By the way, the new logo sucks.)

CS department has a group of players that go out three times a week to play, which is good because it keeps me from losing what little skill I ever had... UPDATE: Our intramural team got off to a roaring start this season at 1-0. Then we beat our next and last regular season opponent, only to be defeated the first game of the playoffs!

I also play guitar whenever I have time. I was driven to teach myself a little after hearing some of the great blues players. I started on acoustic, but also plink around on an anniversary Stratocaster I got for graduation. The one above is just like mine, except I wouldn't have my switch on "country style". For several years I also played viola, but decided to drop it after last year. It was just eating up too much time.

When school kicks in, reading for pleasure goes right out the window. Over the summer I was able to get a few books in my head, including Flatland, Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science, Six Easy Pieces, and Black holes and Baby Universes, to name a few. For some reason, I got on a science kick. I'm also a big Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy fan. I like the fact that both of them research their subjects thoroughly. At one time I liked Dean R. Koontz, but lately he's been manufacturing books instead of writing them...

I'd play an occasional game of chess with the roommates in Oxford, but I haven't played since I got here. For me, winning a game of chess only happens in the absence of really stupid moves. I tend to make one blunder that turns the tide against me.

Back to my personal stuff.