Influences

The people below have inspired me and influenced what I believe in, whether positively or negatively. This page will always be under revision.

People

Stanton Friedman was a model citizen, crack intellectual, and absolute follower of truth. There is always a tiny Stanton sitting on my shoulder when I ask myself what I should do.
Rick Berman wrote and directed some of the greatest Star Trek: TNG episodes that examine the oddity of existence and humanity.
Alton Brown had a very resourceful TV show that employed a fun educational atmosphere, and introduced me to cooking in a way I could build from: with science and practicality.
Richard Feynman prioritized the truth above all else, and saw a part of Nature most others yet have not.
Andy Hertzfeld and Bill Atkinson are people I admire because they followed their creative spirit and endeavored to bring computing to the masses.
Bill Hicks was an honest man in the pursuit of truth and a peek behind the proverbial curtain. Funny, too.
Danny Hillis had some rad ideas about multiprocessing that were ahead of the curve, but I don’t think he was a businessman.
Susan Kare illustrated authentic pixel art, and her corporate-snubbing attitude are things I admire.
Alan Kay is a pioneer who has saved me thousands of living years through his advice and history.
Ben Krasnow is someone who broadcasts interesting science from his garage, making it accessible and fun.
J.C.R. Licklider had the vision which is now lost: computing as a tool of intellectual augmentation. Computers, now, are largely a tool of manipulation.
David Macaulay illustrated a set of books which led me, early in childhood, on a path of discovery and curiosity for mysterious mechanisms.
Marvin Minsky thought about thinking, which is something I do too, and convinced me the theory of mind is agent-based.
Ted Nelson had grand ideas that could have made him famous, if only he could code.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez showed me that anyone can get elected in politics, and anyone can become corrupted.
Burt Rutan inspired me to follow my dreams, no matter how complicated they seem to accomplish. Although, he doesn't believe in man-made climate change.
Bernie Sanders proved that being guided by integrity and honesty is essential to a healthy society.
Richard Stallman is an idealistic success, and I greatly admire his moral fortitude even if he is has never installed GNU/Linux himself.
Bret Victor built some great demos that sought to bring people to interact with their computers, not merely consume information from them.
John von Neumann and Kurt Gödel pushed knowledge of information in an age without computers.
Steve Wozniak is someone who I respected as a teenager because, like him, I spent my adolescence drawing schematics on the floor with a soda. I don't think about him anymore.

Evil People

L̸͙̯̚a̷͉͍͋͒̀ẘ̷̥̐̄r̵̦͚̤͒͠ë̶̗́̈́̀n̷̪̱̉ͅc̷̤͒̑e̵̺̓ ̸͍̼̏E̷͉̰͙͐́͝l̴̤͔̘͂̂ḽ̵̗̐͑ì̶͙̱͙̆̕s̶̫̠͗̋o̵̟̩̝̐n̷̢͙̭̓
Ẅ̶͓́ḯ̴̧̞͉͂l̶̨͍͓̦̑̏͂͒l̶̡̪̦͚̇i̵̞͂̀̐̉́ä̴͈́̓m̶̹̳̘̣̗̽̅̈́͂͂ ̸̨̬̰͂̾͝G̴͕̠̣̀̌̉͜a̷̩͓͗̂̔͜t̸̛̰͉̥̄̍͋ͅè̸̗s̷͚̯̜̊̂͂͝ ̸͚͙̥͎͋̏̅̈́I̷̤̓I̵̙͈̅Ȉ̶͚̬͖̙̐
S̵͑̃͆ͅt̶͉̑e̵͚͓̭͌́v̵̺̎͛̋e̵̞̾ņ̸̟̫̓ ̶̰̮͜͝J̷͚͎̞̈́o̶͔͎͗̈͒b̴̡͙̺̑̆͛s̷̯̣̝͂̚