Welcome to the latest iteration of my website. This is a simplified and stripped down version, as a lot of my content is now scattered about the web. I am constantly updating my Flickr (click the 'Photos' link above), and this site is limited to trip reports and other writings.

I am from North Carolina originally, and currently living in New Brunswick, New Jersey. I have a lot of interests; the content on my websites has always revolved around them, namely traveling, hockey, amusement parks, music, film, and other sports. A little more detail on some of those below.

Even when I was absolutely terrified of roller coasters, I was still fascinated with them. A ride on the then new Hurler at Carowinds in 1994 was the start of a ridiculous hobby. I have now been on 341 coasters at 71 parks in the United States and Europe. Some of my best friends were met through various coaster clubs and events at parks, and if this hobby had not spiraled out of control yet, it certainly did in 2006 when I spent 30 hours riding the Screamin' Eagle at Six Flags St. Louis as part of a publicity stunt. I love a great park just as much as a great coaster, and tend to find myself trying to plan trips where I can visit a great city and a park nearby. I also run the Carowinds Connection message board.

Below are some of my favorite roller coasters and parks. I organized them by wood and steel, otherwise it would be nearly all wood. It is definitely all about the wooden coasters for me, and I doubt I would even have much interest in this as a hobby without them.

I was initiated to hockey via the ECHL's Charlotte Checkers, and learned the rules of the sport through NHL 94 (still the greatest hockey game ever made) for the Super NES, and became an NHL fan in 1996. This was the result of a trade sending Wayne Gretzky from Los Angeles to St. Louis to join fellow hockey legend Brett Hull. I knew enough about hockey to recognize the importance of this union, and started watching closely down the stretch and into the playoffs. The epic Red Wings/Blues series (ending in Steve Yzerman's famous double overtime Game 7 goal) won me over for good.

Just a year later, the Hartford Whalers announced that they were leaving for Raleigh, and suddenly the NHL was in North Carolina. I went to many games with my family when the team was in Greensboro for two years during construction of the RBC Center. After the move to Raleigh, I could not attend many games, but coming to NC State in 2003 put me just minutes from my favorite sports team. The Spring and Summer of 2006 was like living in a dream, as the Canes made a run for the Cup, and I was able to see in person the greatest event in sports: Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Not only that, but a Carolina victory, bringing the Stanley Cup to Raleigh. I was a Hurricanes season ticket holder the last couple of years, and a good bit of my time seems to revolve around the team, whether it be attending games, tailgating, watching them with friends, posting on message boards, or what have you. I have been to away games in the regular season at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY and Verizon Center in Washington, DC. I went to Pittsburgh for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final in 2009. I also attended a Minnesota Wild game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. I hope to get to more games as a visiting fan in the future. I am also a frequent poster and moderator on the Canes board at HF Boards, which I consider to be the best hockey community online (it is also one of the most visited forums on the web).

From August until June, sports dominate a big part of my interests. In addition to hockey, I became interested in football when the NFL expanded to Charlotte, and my team has always been the Panthers. I enjoy college football and basketball as well, and attended as many games as I could while a student at NC State. One of my teams is not so local; I love Arsenal of the English Premier League, and am a big fan of European soccer. I intend to make it to North London one day to attend a game, and would also love to make it to a World Cup one day.

Though I am not much of a musician, I love music. I have learned a lot about pop music theory and critique on my own, and am very opinionated on the current state of music (much to the frustration of some people). My tastes range fairly wide, but most of my favorite artists come from the 60's, 90's, and 00's. I didn't have much interest in pop music when I was younger, but the invent of Napster turned me on to music beyond mainstream radio. Weezer was the first and perhaps only band I ever really developed an obsession with. I still follow them closely despite the fact that everything they have recorded since 1996 has been mediocre at best, and offensively atrocious at worst.

In addition to Weezer, some of my favorite artists are The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Arcade Fire, Okkervil River, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Polyphonic Spree, Radiohead, The Decemberists, Regina Spektor, and Pixies. Some of my favorite albums include Weezer - Pinkerton, The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds, Weezer - Weezer (1994), Arcade Fire - Funeral, Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Radiohead - OK Computer, and The Beatles - Abbey Road.

Be sure to check out my Last.FM.

My interest in film runs perhaps even deeper than music. So much so that I added a second major in Film during undergrad at NC State. Who knows if I will ever actually do anything with it, but it was still fun to get. If I had to name a favorite genre it would be dark comedy; I like creative and unconventional cinematography, and also have a particular interest in the use of music in film. Terry Gilliam and the Coen Brothers are my favorite directors working today, and I also love screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. Some of my favorite fiction films are Gilliam's Brazil, The Coens' Miller's Crossing and The Big Lebowski, Back to the Future, Dr. Strangelove, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Casablanca.

More recently I have become interested in documentary, and am lucky to have the Full Frame documentary festival each year right down the road in Durham. Some of my favorite documentaries are Roger & Me, Sherman's March, and Hoop Dreams.