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balzac's page

  • Sex: Male
  • Location: Unspecified
  • Occupation: software quality
  • Member since: May 2006
  • Login status: Offline

About me

I was born in Mexico to American parents and primarily raised in Texas, although no one thinks of me as a Texan as I have the neutral newscaster accent of someone who moved around a lot. Having studied mostly philosophy and religion in college, I fell into a software career. Go figure. My eccentric and often New Age parents instilled in me a sense of wonder, a love of travel, the lesson that art is more important than rent, and a general ineptness at sport.

I use Balzac as my nic because in my coffee addicted youth, his extreme bean chewing and caffeine death served as a warning that even this tastey and innocuous vice could have mortal consequences. Plus I have rarely met an allusion I didn't like.

Fast facts

  • At the movies I like to see:mostly art / indie / foreign films but also some tent-pole blockbuster pop fluff
  • Last movie seen:will have changed by the time you read this
  • Music I listen to:among many others: Al Green, Zebda, Decemberists, Clash, Nico, Thievery Corporation, Lyle Lovett, Afro-Pop, Latin, Classical (everything from Liszt to Chopin to Satie), minimilast (Glass, Cage, Nyman), many operas but almost no musicals
  • Best album right now:no idea
  • Favorite author:Haruki Murakami, although "An Imaginary Life" by Malouf is beautifully written
  • Last book read:this category chages too often to keep current
  • Best game right now:doing whatever my 3 year old tells me to do: mostly "play pirate swords"
  • Software I use:standard stuff, nothing exceptional apart from Opera
  • Hardware I use:standard stuff, nothing worthy of note
  • If I won 1 million dollars, I would:barely be able to afford my daughter's college education
  • If I were a super hero I would:strive to be both subtle and humble while using my powers for Good
  • I wish I could:spread contentment throughout the land, speak 37 languages, get the novel in my head onto paper, travel widely
  • Favorite travel destination:where ever my friends are, or cities with a rich history and vibrant culture (Barcelona, Rome, Stockholm, New York, etc.) and sites of great quiet beauty (Arctic, Alps, the mountains of North Carolina)
  • On my vacation I..:walk and visit contemporary art museums and walk and eat and walk and read
  • Favorite sports team:I'm generally sports impaired but still think Graf was the best
  • I'm passionate about:my family, my politics, my pets, my ethics
  • Food I like:fruit, curry, sushi, seafood, phở, creamy soups with crusty bread, and so much more
  • I don't like:fresh tomatoes, bigotry, bombastic bafoons, neo-cons, talking in theatres, homogenous suburban sprawl

Group memberships

The LoungeMember
Usability ForumMember