What Are the Interests of a Self-Proclaimed Uber Nerd New Member?

[Trantor]

Hey everybody, I'd thought I would introduce myself:

I live in NH. I go to school in Massachusetts though. I'm an undergrad at WPI, and I am an applied math major (although I'm thinking about double majoring in physics and math). Next year I'm going to be a sophomore, and I will most certainly put in a lot more time into school (something which I should have done right from the beginning, but oh well...).

Anyways, my interests include playing chess (competitively), playing video games (also competitive in that area too), and of course science and math. I also like to read and watch science fiction.

I am what some people would call an uber nerd, but that does not bother me one bit.

As to how I found your site I actually have been a lurker for a long while. I sign up at Hypography not to long ago, but I didn't like it much; it isn't very professional and too many idiots are around. This site seems a lot better in those terms from a quick glance. Of course, I see that there are a lot of people here that know a lot more than I do about science, so don't mind me if I say something completely stupid every now and then, I'm still trying to learn this science thing...

Well, that's all there is to know about me. Hope to have fun on your forums!

 

[Math Is Hard]

As to how I found your site I actually have been a lurker for a long while.

Then you know what's coming next. Name your favorite fish...

 

[turbo]

Hint: pick a little fish! Not a big one with pointy appendages, coarse skin, or spines.

 

[Trantor]

Can I choose a guppy?

 

[hypatia]

Why of course you can <thwit> <thwit> <thwit> {on the tip of your nose}. I must say, good choice. You were lucky I re-checked the thread, I almost pulled out the frozen 18 pound Grouper.
Welcome!

 

[mcknia07]

What is this whole fish slap thing?

 

[lisab]

It's a very strange welcoming ritual.

Welcome, Trantor!

mcknia07, have you been fish-slapped yet? What's your favorite fish?

 

[edward]

What is this whole fish slap thing?

It has become a traditional welcome to the forum. Someone will whack you over the head with a frozen fish. You got lucky mcknia07 the fish is usually a frozen mackerel.

Welocme to the forum there are a lot of wonderful people here.

 

[mcknia07]

It's a very strange welcoming ritual.

Welcome, Trantor!

mcknia07, have you been fish-slapped yet? What's your favorite fish?

Nope, I have not. I like beta fish, they are pretty!

 

[mcknia07]

It has become a traditional welcome to the forum. Someone will whack you over the head with a frozen fish. You got lucky mcknia07 the fish is usually a frozen mackerel.

Welocme to the forum there are a lot of wonderful people here.

I have found many wonderful people already, thanks to everyone being so friendly. Never have I felt so welcome

 

[lisab]

Nope, I have not. I like beta fish, they are pretty!

Fish-slapping is traditionaly done by hypatia, Evo, or Moonbear...they'll get you as soon as they notice this post!

 

[mcknia07]

Ok, lol... I know someone else on here that didn't know about it either, lol, we are lost. But, ok, I get it now, just have to get him then, lol

 

[Danger]

Welcome to PF, Trantor.
Originally, one was just directed to the 'Welcome Tent' and presented with a fish. The ritual has mutated horribly in the past few years.

 

[Moonbear]

Ok, lol... I know someone else on here that didn't know about it either, lol, we are lost. But, ok, I get it now, just have to get him then, lol

Okey dokey, one betta fish whacking coming up!
Thwap!
Sorry for the tardy welcome.

 

[Evo]

Nope, I have not. I like beta fish, they are pretty!

Oooh, excellent choice! Blue or red?

 

[mcknia07]

Oooh, excellent choice! Blue or red?

For sure a blue one

 

[Evo]

Hey, have you noticed we seem to have broken the curse? For a while there everyone that introduced themselves were never seen again.

 

[mcknia07]

Hey, have you noticed we seem to have broken the curse? For a while there everyone that introduced themselves were never seen again.

Well that's good then. I plan to stick around for a while, you might get tired of me too I love it here, and I'm learning too, which is even better.

 

[Evo]

For sure a blue one

I see Moonbear already thwipped you. That's ok, we need to make sure it's a blue.

<thwip, thwip, thwip>

 

[mcknia07]

I see Moonbear already thwipped you. That's ok, we need to make sure it's a blue.

<thwip, thwip, thwip>

Thanks for that, lol. I feel even more welcome now

 

[Math Is Hard]

Hey, have you noticed we seem to have broken the curse? For a while there everyone that introduced themselves were never seen again.

Probably because we are using smaller fish now. More new members are actually surviving their welcoming.

Still, I kinda miss the good old days before the lawsuits when we used swordfish.

 

[Evo]

Probably because we are using smaller fish now. More new members are actually surviving their welcoming.

Still, I kinda miss the good old days before the lawsuits when we used swordfish.

I think it might have been that 50 pound frozen block of chum I "accidently" hit someone in the head with. I understand that member is still in a coma. It was an "accident". :uhh:

 

[mcknia07]

Okey dokey, one betta fish whacking coming up!
Thwap!
Sorry for the tardy welcome.

Thank you, too. Sorry, I didn't see your post earlier...blonde moment

 

[G01]

Probably because we are using smaller fish now. More new members are actually surviving their welcoming.

Still, I kinda miss the good old days before the lawsuits when we used swordfish.

I think it might have been that 50 pound frozen block of chum I "accidently" hit someone in the head with. I understand that member is still in a coma. It was an "accident". :uhh:

I have yet to see anyone pull out a Sea Urchin...

No one is that extreme huh?

 

[Math Is Hard]

I think it might have been that 50 pound frozen block of chum I "accidently" hit someone in the head with. I understand that member is still in a coma. It was an "accident". :uhh:

oh yeah -- I remember we had to take all your emergency room records to the judge to prove to him that you were "accident-prone". I'll never forget the look on his face when we came in with six wheelbarrows full of print-outs.
Case dismissed!
*phew*

 

[Math Is Hard]

I have yet to see anyone pull out a Sea Urchin...

No one is that extreme huh?

It's just so hard to get a good grip on those things.

 

[binzing]

Welcome.
Danger, we never got around to my fish slapping with that pike, did we? Well, I got the pic on my computer, now I just need to upload it...

 

[binzing]

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/5453/p2101765ac7.jpg
Here we go.

 

[Math Is Hard]

That's a really beautiful fish!

 

[binzing]

Mind you, Missy, that lure in its mouth is 6-8 inches long...That thing (or maybe the one we caught before it) bit the hell outta my neighbor's finger. They have razor sharp teeth, just imagine a school of these chasing you...luckily they are pretty inactive, and our lake is so deep (400+ in the deepest points) that they are down low.

 

[Danger]

I got the pic on my computer, now I just need to upload it...

That certainly appears to be the same species that I used to catch, but we never saw one even close to that size.

 

[turbo]

Here are my favorite fish: brook trout. I'd rather get slapped with a guppy, though. Some of these guys were pretty hefty. I normally throw back most fish, taking home only enough to keep my wife happy and supportive of my fishing habit. I had fished this pond a week earlier, and found some pretty unique caddis flies zipping around laying eggs. I modified some of my existing flies and fooled a few fish, but when I got home, I got to work to make some flies that would more accurately depict the naturals. The next weekend was the last weekend for open-water fishing, and a couple of friends and I trekked back into that pond (with a pop-up camper for local accommodation) to catch a few trout. I gave my buddies about 6-8 flies each and told them how to fish them. I caught the 2nd from the left on Friday night, and put him back because his right gill-flap was entirely gone, but he was healed and tough as hell. I called him Gill (duh) and figured that he should spread his genes around. The next morning, I caught him again and figured that he was too stupid to spare again. With him added to the three trout on the right, I was really close to the 7.5# total weight limit, so I decided to keep him and fish catch and release for Saturday and Sunday. A few minutes later, I caught the football on the left and decided that my season was over.

One of my buddies caught a 14" trout and a much smaller one - the other caught a few trout in the 8-12" range. When I told them that I was hanging it up for the weekend, they cursed me. When they got home on Sunday night, they called me on the phone and cursed me some more. BTW, I bought that Apogee blank from a wholesaler and built that fly-rod myself.

 

[binzing]

Turbo, ever heard of the fly pattern "San Juan Worm" or similar? Named after our local river, which I live like an 8th of a mile from.

 

[turbo]

I try to use dry fly patterns. The San Juan worm has been outlawed in some tail-waters because it is too damned efficient at fooling fish. My flies are less effective than dynamite, but still fill the bill.

 

[binzing]

Oh yeah, and the San Juan Shuffle...I just got into fly fishing this year, and my neighbor is teaching me. Hey, if you ever make a trip out here to fish this stuff, let me know, I can tell you the places to fish, stay, eat.