RSSMe, Myself & I |
mood: narcissistically exhibitionistic
Who be I? I’m Tad Morgan — a dashing, handsome, single guy in his early 30’s who lives in Tucson, Arizona, USA, Planet Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy, The Universe. Or something like that… OK, alright, to be honest I’m really just a geek. 
On the professional side, currently I’m a scientific programmer for the SOLIS project, a (sorta) almost finished solar telescope that will be located on Kitt Peak, near Tucson. What that mostly means is that I write real-time C & C++ code to control the various motors in the telescope’s mount & instruments. That and debug hardware (”don’t blame me, it’s a hardware problem” is almost a mantra of mine now and even true most of the time). However, my time on the project is nearly done, so I’m seeking employment.
My interests are by-and-large on the geeky side…
My biggest passion is for Japanese animation (anime) & comics (manga). I’ve been a fan for about eight years now, originally getting hooked by some Ranma 1/2 that a friend showed me. Since then, I unsuccessfully tried starting an anime club in Clear Lake, TX when I lived there for a year, been president and chairman of the Tucson Animation Screening Society (one of the older & larger anime clubs in the US), fansubbed for TASS screenings, gone to conventions fairly regularly & generally done more than my share to keep the anime companies in business.
My favorite genres are romantic comedy, fantasy & science fiction (though I have a strong dislike for mecha). Generally I have a preference for shoujo series (those that were originally targeted at a female audience — they usually have more interesting characters with better development). Some favorite series include: Maison Ikkoku, Record of Lodoss War, Crest of the Stars & Banner of the Stars, Vision of Escaflowne, Azumanga Daioh, Nadia, Lain, His & Her Circumstances, Kimagure Orange Road, and, well, lots and lots more. There are quite a few excellent movies out there, too. In particular, I love all the Studio Ghibli films, with Princess Mononoke & Nausicaa being my favorites. I enjoy quite a few manga as well, some favorites are Maison Ikkoku (again), Paradise Kiss & Mars.
My interest in anime has lead to a wider interest in Japanese culture, as it does with many fans. I’ve taken a couple semesters of Japanese at the University of Arizona a few years ago. Alas, have gotten rather rusty at it, but hope to study the language more someday. I’ve also being studying aikido for the last few years, taking classes at UA’s recreation center. I’ve recently tested & received my 5th kyu, the first of the student ranks. Beyond that, I hope to sometime soon get the chance to visit and maybe even work in Japan.
I’m also quite fond of animation in general, with a few of the Disney movies like Beauty & the Beast and Lion King being among my favorites. Back in college, before anime, I was rather fond of Animaniacs, Tiny Toons & several of the Disney Afternoon shows like Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers and Talespin. I still think Gargoyles was an under-appreciated series which had a well woven continuing plot-line, a well thought out mythos and many well developed characters. And of course I still love the classic Looney Toon & Tex Avery stuff.
As a kid, the original Star Wars movies had a big impact on me. Between that and the many science fiction books my dad read to me when I was little, I’ve always have loved that genre as well. I haven’t been reading it as much lately (anime & the internet eat up most of the time I used for reading), though. Some favorite authors & series include: Isaac Asimov (especially his robot stories, I, Robot was probably the first adult sf book I read as a kid), Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey (would’ve given anything to be a Dragonrider in high school, probably still would), C.J. Cherryh (love her “Chanur” series, especially how the one human is the most alien character), David Brin (especially his “Uplift” books and the spirited “wolflings” he portrays), Spider Robinson (puns, painful, painful puns — with heart) and more than a few others.
In addition to Star Wars, I grew up on the British science fiction series Dr. Who. And their sci-fi/comedy Red Dwarf has caused major fractures in my funny bone. Babylon 5 is probably my favorite science fiction series originating on this side of the Atlantic. The way in which it’s five season story arc weaves & builds itself before your eyes is simply amazing. Star Trek, on the other hand, I used to enjoy more but after several seasons of Next Gen & a few mediocre movies, I’m more ambivalent about it all now.
I moved around a lot as a kid and as a result changed schools quite a few times. Through the wonders of the Internet, though, I’ve occasionally found & been found by former classmates. Kinda neat! Here’s some of the schools I attended, give me a yell if you remember me: Elkton Elementary, Elkton, KY (grades 1-2); Avondale Elementary, Avondale, CO (grades 3-5); Greenwood Middle School, Clarksville, TN (grade 6); Coopertown Middle School, Coopertown, TN (grade 7); Greenbrier Middle School, Greenbrier, TN (grade 7-8); Chatham High School, Chatham, VA (grade 9); Palo Verde High School, Tucson, AZ (grades 10-12, graduated class of 1988); University of Arizona, astronomy major, (graduated Dec. 1994).
