Here I will ask myself the questions that I think are important to help you get to know me better.
Who are you?
First things first. If you’re here on my website, you already know my name. I was born on September 22, 1985 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I graduated from East Grand Rapids High School and I’ve lived in the same place until three years ago when I shipped off to Houghton, Michigan to study Computer Science as an undergraduate at Michigan Technological University where I am now.
How did you get into web design?
My first (in)experience with web design was round about fifth or sixth grade. My father had just bought our first computer two years ago and we had finally gotten an ISP. I learned to create webpages by looking at other people’s source code and writing similar things based on what I wanted to do with the site. I hand coded all my HTML in note pad and published it on angelfire.com. More recently, in high school I was one of the best designers in my web design class. We were approached to finish a layout that had already been chosen for the school’s new site. The author of the layout had graduated the previous year and he left no .psd files or images to work with. The site he designed just looked utterly unprofessional. I shared my opinion with the teacher this but she was insistant that we use that layout. Myself along with a friend proceded to match the colors and fonts of the images and continue on. We made the design work for a year and a half until someone decided that the website was ugly (I thought so too) and hired a web designer. I still think they should have hired me!
Here has to be my first attempt at a div layout. I made this for the Gay Straight Alliance at my high school. It hasn’t changed since I put it up almost five years ago.
What made you redesign your site so many times?
For the most part, I was just trying new things. This site and domain are really just a learning tool. I have been copying others for years but my latest design is completely my own. It is simplistic, but completely functional as a personal website. I also have a love for photography. Every time I take a really stellar picture I say to my self, “gee, that would make a really nice banner!”
Here you’ll find my previous design. I used a photo of the lift bridge over the Portage Lake in Houghton as the banner. It is incomplete due to the amount of work that piled up last semester, but I may soon get around to finishing it and turning it into a CSS skin for this site.
Do you have any other hobbies?
Yes, in fact I have quite a few. I spend most of my free time gaming on the computer and xbox 360, but the things I enjoy doing the most are outdoor activites. Among them are paintball, snowboarding, and hockey. I also love to watch hockey, and my favorite team is the Detroit Red Wings.
So, you’re a hockey fan. Who’s your favorite player?
That’s a tough one. I’d have to say my favorite goal scorer of all time has to be Steve Yzerman, and my favorite fighter of all time has to be Bob “The Bad One” Probert. Out of the players that are on the current NHL roster, there’s nothing like watching Niklas Lidstrom score on a slapshot from the blue line, and I love watching Jordin Tootoo fight.
You also mentioned that you are a computer gamer. What games do you play and what’s on the horizon that looks interesting?
Lately I’ve been playing Battlefield 2142 competitively, but I’ve just removed myself from the leagues so I can focus more on school. I now play Battlefield casually when I find the time to do so instead of scheduling my homework around competitive match play. I also had a very short bout in the world of Everquest II. My favorite game for the xbox 360 has to be NBA 2k7. I also really enjoy Call of Duty 3, Rainbow Six: Vegas, and of course Gears of War. I am saving my pretty pennies for Forza Motorsport 2 and Assassin’s Creed. For the PC, all my friends are getting into Vanguard: Saga of Heroes when it comes out. I played open beta and I didn’t much care for it, but I hear it has changed a lot. However, I have had a bad experience with Sony Online Entertainment, the publisher of Vanguard. I have decided not to buy it for that reason.
What do you like to eat?
I like to eat all sorts of foods. The top of the list probably has to consist of fish. I love just about every fish and I especially love sushi. I also enjoy just about everything else Japanese as well as Thai, and an occasional steak dinner. I also like my food spicy. Just about everything I cook myself has at least two or three hot chiles in it.
