My name is Benn Grant, and I live in rural New Hampshire, in the USA. I am 45 years old.
I am an avid consumer of stories of all kinds – books, films, TV Shows, and role-playing games to name a few. Of those stories, I prefer uplifting and/or positive tales of triumph and overcoming obstacles. I tend to prefer the mythoi of stories to be extraordinary, often involving people with unique gifts, such as superheroes, wizards, or other chosen ones.
Philosophically I am devoted to Reason and rationality, and am therefore an atheist. Obviously, however, I still have spiritual needs that I am trying to attend to without betraying my commitment to Reason – the very purpose of this site. When I was in my early twenties I began a journey to answer some difficult philosophical question. This journey wound up taking ten years, but I got my answers. This website is the start of a new, similar journey, this time into the spiritual instead of the philosophical.
Politically I am very progressive, although I do part with the Democrats on certain key positions – I believe in almost unlimited freedom, curtailed only by the duty that those who have more than they need have to those who have less than they need. The current hyper-conservative Republican party I have nothing but contempt for – they are nothing like the party they used to be, that I still disagreed with often, but could respect.
I have many siblings. I live in a nice house with my partner (female) and our eight cats. I do love cats unreservedly, but don’t have much use for other animals – especially dogs, whom I see as being too subservient and wanting to please. A cat makes a good roommate, a dog makes a good servant.
I also have an avid interest in music. I can’t honestly say I like all kinds, but my tastes do range widely. No matter what I am listening to, I want more than anything to be moved by my music, to be touched, emotionally. Some of my music is sad and melancholic, some is upbeat and energetic. None of it is bland or boring – at least to me.
I am a techie, and a geek. My living is earned in my capacity as an independent and self-employed computer consultant. I don’t seem to ever get tired of tech. I have a new Galaxy S3 phone which I love (though right now I am wishing I had waited for the Note 2) and I think the best OS ever released to date is Windows 7, without question. (I am running Windows 8 now, however, to stay ahead of the knowledge curve for my clients.)
In my capacity as a geek, I know a little coding, currently I am messing with Python and PowerShell, but I am certainly no programmer. I also know enough webtech to get by, but while embracing the beauty of CSS in theory, I loathe working on it, or doing websites in general – especially my own, for which I of course do not get paid. (grin)
Here is a list of trivia to whet any further appetite anyone might have for facts about me:
- Wrote my own RPG system “Dream Factory”, first and second editions, which can be found here.
- First computer used: Commodore PET in sixth grade. First computer owned: Commodore 64 in eighth grade.
- Favorite Music: TMBG, Joe Jackson, Reel Big Fish, Gaga, Metric, John Williams, John Hiatt, Robert Earl Keen, Blues Traveler, Alabama3, The Pentangle, Matt & Kim, Talking Heads, Public Image Ltd, 80’s pop, Music from Musicals (Man of La Mancha, Rocky Horror, Little Shop of Horrors, etc), Soundtrack Scores (Hellraiser, Superman, A Mighty Wind, Hamlet 2, etc), John Denver, Fatboy Slim, Ben Folds, Cat Stevens, Peter Gabriel, and so much more!
- Favorite Films: Hellraiser I, II, IV, and V; Ghostbusters, Stop Making Sense, The Avengers, Spiderman 2(Tobey Maguire), Bak to the Future, Blazing Saddles, Bullets Over Broadway, Fierce Creatures, Groundhog Day, Hackers, Hamlet 2, Zoolander, Tremors, The Truman Show, Stick It, The Last Dragon, Silent Hill, Shock Treatment, and Scott Pilgrim to name a few!
- Favorite TV Shows: Babylon 5, Buffy, The 4400, Star Trek TNG (only), Party of Five, Falcon Crest, BBT, Supernatural, Once Upon A Time, Revenge, The Sing-Off, The Newsroom, Yes Minister, SYTYCD, The West Wing, Cosmos, Community, MST3K(Mike&NewCrow), Episodes
- Favorite Food: Junk food and microwaveables. Wendy’s. Pizza.