Hello everyone. My name is Salvatore and I'm truly excited to be on this forum. I recently found out that I'm able to be in Vegas during TAM! I had to get on this board and get to know some of you beforehand. I'm a recent "official" skeptic, but it was only a slight shift from from my lapsed Catholic religiously ambiguous self.
I already can't remember what was the catalyst: The God Delusion, Skepticality, or Penn's radio show. They were all early influences.
I'd like to admit right away, that I'm a regular dumb guy. I have little academic background. I was top of my class in elementary school. A relocation in Jr. High but me into slacker mode and while I was kept in top classes due to my "potential" I guess I was both an inspiration to my teachers as well as a disappointment. I spent many years being a pothead on and off, drifting through life, making out OK, but not wealthy or anything. I dumbed myself down a lot to cut a cooler figure with my friends, but now I'm pushing to get back into an active intellectual life. I'm starting college finally, and hope to really start exercising my 'potential.' Let's hope it's still there.
Personally, I'm a irreverent, funny, sometimes silly guy. I'm rather shy and may come across as standoffish, but that's just my bad way of trying to look relaxed. It's a Philly thing maybe. On my best days I can be the life of the party, other times I may sit back and be voyeur. But I'm really very friendly and always up for a debate on most anything.
My interests tend to be associated with pop-culture: TV, movies, toy collecting, punk rock history. I'm, from time to time, an obsessive fan of Siouxsie (of Banshees fame)
I like playing with Photoshop, everything from photo repairing and retouching, to psychedelic patterns. I do some time on the PS2, but more often am on Scrabulous.
Well, I guess that's more than enough for my first post.
I'll post some pics when I can, but since I'm a new member I have to clear some benchmarks. You can check out my myspace page if you'd like, it's slash salvatore.