Personal Stuff

Fencing

I have been an avid fencer for approximately 8 years. I currently participate actively in the University of Waterloo Fencing Club. Before I began fencing here, I fenced at the SFU Fencing Club and Jericho Fencing Club in Vancouver, BC, under the tutelage of Maitre Bac Tau.

Though I am no longer on the executive of the Waterloo Fencing Club, feel free to contact me if you want to know more about our club, or just about fencing in general.

Humanism and Skepticism

I'm really unsure about whether this "hobby" should be on my research page or here. Generally, my research doesn't directly focus on this, however given that my research interests include rationality (and irrationality) in humans and machines, there is a certain amount of overlap.

I am unabashedly a secular humanist and an atheist. I was a founding member, and later president, of the Simon Fraser Freethinkers (formerly the SFU Secular Humanist Club). I was also a member of the BC Secular Humanists and BC Skeptics. I am seriously considering starting a similar group here at Waterloo - if anyone is interested in helping out, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Music

While I haven't really been making music for some time now, I still spend a great deal of time listening to music. I enjoy a wide variety of music, but my favourites tend toward the electronic side, especially music with a darkish feel (EBM, Darkwave, Futurepop).

Riding

I have very recently started learning how to ride horses. My longtime girlfriend is an avid equestrian enthusiast, and as such, I have become involved somewhat. I'm still at a very early stage in my training, but hopefully I'll improve with time. One thing is for certain, though, helping out with the horses is a great way to get away from the more technology drenched parts of my life.

Genealogy

Some time ago, I became very interested in mapping my family history. I've managed to discover quite a lot about my heritage and I'm learning more all the time. At some point, after I vet the information in my family tree, I'll make it available here.