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Mini Biography

  • Childhood:
  • Formative Years:
  • High School:
    • Attended Edgewood High school, Fall 1994 - Spring 1998.
    • Interests: Theater, Forensics, Nerdery, Writing.
    • Attended First Gen Con: Summer 1996.
  • College:
    • Attended Evergreen State College, Olympia Washington.
      Fall 1998 - Spring 2002.
    • Freshman Year : Biology in the 21st Century - Fall/Winter
      Concepts of Computer - Spring.
    • Attended GenCon, Summer 98.
    • Sophmore Year : Data to Information - Year Long.
    • Hired Spring of 1999 by TESC Resnet.
    • Junior Year : Evolutionary Biology - Fall
      Networking and PHP Scripting - Winter/Spring.
    • Summer of 2001 lived with Brian De Smet house sitting for his folks.
    • Attended GenCon, Summer 01.
    • Senior Year : Student Originated Software - Year Long.
    • Graduated with a Bachelor of Science concentrating in Computer Science and Biology, June 02.
  • Post College Abyss:
    • Road Trip from Olympia, WA to Madison, WI, with Brian De Smet, Paul Zenke, June 02. (Flickr Set)
    • Unemployed bum, June 02 - November 02.
    • Attended GenCon, Summer 02.
    • Gained employment with GC Services working 2am - 10:30 am, Fri-Mon, 11/02.
    • Purchased first vehicle, a 2002 white Saturn LS300, named “Alfred”.
    • Gained employment with The Douglas Stewart Co. as an intern, worked 9am - 5pm Tues-Thurs, 12/02.
    • Worked every day from Dec 5/02 - Feb 7/03.
  • Web Developer/Programmer - A First Job ™:
    • Moved in with Brian De Smet to a Madison apartment complex.
    • Promoted to Programmer/Web Developer at the Douglas Stewart Co Feb 03. Quit working at GC.
    • Business trip - Colorado Springs, CO, March 03.
    • GenCon, 07/24 - 07/27/03, GenCon moves to Indianapolis, IN. (Flickr Set)
    • Trip with Katie and her folks to Ferndale, CA for family reunion, 08/06/03 - 08/12/03.
    • Acceptance as a Volunteer editor for the online news site MMORPGDot, 09/16/03.
  • Junior Web Developer - The Plot Thickens:
    • Promoted to Junior Web Developer, 11/19/03.
    • Begin writing a weekly column at MMORPGDot, “Random Dialogue”, 01/12/04.
    • Proposal of Marriage to Katharine Giacomini, 02/14/04 (she accepts).
    • Given “Senior Editor” responsibilities at MMORPGDot, 03/04/04.
    • Trip to Walt Disney World with Katie, 05/19/04 - 05/24/04.
    • Trip to Origins Game Fair, 30th Anniversary, to run Live Roleplaying Chess, 06/23/04 - 06/27/04.
    • Best man in the wedding of Brian De Smet to Kathleen Leeds, 07/10/04.
  • Slashdot Sectional Editor - Writing Payoff:
    • Move with Katie into a one-bedroom apartment in a new building in our complex, 07/23/04.
    • See Paul off on his one-year excursion to Japan via the JET program, 07/24/04.
    • Trip to GenCon, D&D’s 30th Anniversary, 08/18/04 - 08/22/04. (Flickr Set)
    • Hired as Sectional Editor on the Slashdot Games site, 09/04.
    • Last Random Dialogue column posted on MMORPGDot.com, 09/20/04.
    • Gaming Hacks is published, 10/04.
  • Slashdot Mainpage Editor - Beyond the Pale:
    • Offered position as a mainpage editor on Slashdot.org, 01/05. Gave notice at DSC.
    • Last day at The Douglas Stewart Co., 02/04/05. First shift on the /. mainpage, 02/08/05.
    • Obtained a 12″ Powerbook laptop, 02/10/05.
    • “Dear Friends” Final Fantasy Concert in Rosemont, IL, 02/19/05.
    • Attended Game Developer’s Conference, San Francisco, CA, 03/08/05 - 03/11/05.
  • 2005 - Husband:
    • I switch my home-grown blog system to the Blogger templating system, 07/05.
    • Katharine Giacomini and I get married, 08/13/05.
    • Yet Another Trip to GenCon, 08/17/05 - 08/21/05. (Flickr Set)
    • I celebrate my Golden Birthday, 09/25/05.
    • I purchase a new PC rig (Manxome) to replace the aging Bandersnatch, 10/05.
    • Purchase of first next-gen console (Xbox 360), 11/05.
  • 2006 - Already An Old Man:
    • I open MMOG Nation, a second blog where I can vent my MMO-related thoughts. 01/06
    • I transfer Randomdialogue.net from Blogger to WordPress. 02/06
    • Attended Game Developer’s Conference, San Jose, CA, 03/21/06 - 03/25/06.
    • Visit Boston, MA for LinuxWorld, meet coworkers for the first time. 04/02/06 - 04/05/06 (Flickr Set)
    • Headed north to the Wildman Whitewater Ranch for Joe Rheaume’s Bachelor Party. 04/07/06 - 04/09/06 (Flickr Set)
    • Best man in the wedding of Abby Wanserski to Joe Rheaume, 04/22/06. (Flickr Set)
    • Visit San Francisco, CA and Portland, OR for Vacation and Wedding of Matt Feldman. 06/17/06 - 06/26/06 (Flickr Set)
    • Katie and I move to a new two-bedroom apartment on the west side of Madison. 06/27/06
    • 5th GenCon in a row. 08/09/06 - 08/13/06
    • Katie and I celebrate our first Anniversary. 08/13/06.
    • Attended the Kohnke PR For Games Conference. 10/11/06 - 10/14/06. (Flickr Set)
    • Purchase a Wii after standing in line for six hours. 11/19/06.
  • 2007 - A Long, Dark Year:
    • Attended Game Developer’s Conference, San Francisco, CA, 03/05/07 - 03/09/07. (Flickr Set)
    • Attended Gen Con, Indianapolis, IN, 08/15/07 - 08/18/07. (Flickr Set)
    • Attended PAX 2007, Seattle, WA, 08/23/07 - 08/25/07. (Flickr Set)
    • Purchased a PlayStation 3.
    • Attended AGDC 2007, Austin, TX, 09/05/07 - 09/07/07. (Flickr Set)
    • Joined Massively.com as a blogger.
    • Manxome dies in a spectacular electrical incident, 11/07.
  • 2008 - Another Turn of the Wheel:
    • My newest gaming PC arrives from Dell, dubbed Gyre.
    • Attended CES 2008, Las Vegas, NV.
    • Attended GDC 2008, San Francisco, CA.
    • Vacationed with Katie in and around San Francisco.
    • Made the decision to become a full-time freelance games writer, 03/08.
    • Last shift on the /. mainpage, 04/17/08.
    • Made Lead Blogger at Massively.com, 04/08.

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