The Rant-O-Matic

Born in Sydney in 1985, I was not long out of the womb before being moved to Newcastle.  I’m still here, although a lot has changed in the intervening years.

For a start, I’ve completed primary and secondary education (both well and not so well respectively), I’ve worked part time at McDonalds making breakfast muffins and for the last 6 or so years I’ve been doing survey drafting for a Warners Bay based survey firm.  A career I fell into by accident, but have enjoyed.

I’m currently attempting to enter the tertiary education system to pursue by new found fondness for writing (as witnessed by the last 18 months or so I’ve been blogging regularly; but it seems to be something everyone else on the planet has been telling me to do for years) after falling out of love with engineering and more science based stuff.

I’m outspoken, as you might have guessed, about many issues.  Mostly those where politics and technology collide as I’m very passionate about trying to stop technology being held back by those that don’t understand it.  The politics I find fascinating.  Just how the smallest, most minor of lobby or interest groups can have such a hold on those in power.  Also just how those in power manage to remain so ignorant of how the world has changed from when they grew up and continues to change going into the future.

I love Newcastle.  I can’t imagine growing up in a better place than this.  I’m disappointed that those in charge of it don’t share my passion and I’m a firm believer in getting the Newcastle CDB redeveloped and reinvigorated, though I’m not totally behind the existing campaign for a number of reasons.

I’m opinionated.

I love a good argument.  Something I derive way too much joy from is playing the devil’s advocate.  I love tackling an issue from the uncommon viewpoint.  I find it great way to expand one’s knowledge of a particular topic.  I find it makes people have to justify their opinions with logic and (sometimes) fact; rather than just have them and consider themselves correct.

I’m hilarious.  Just ask the people who know me

I’m contactable.  There’s rarely a moment when I’m not available on at least some communications medium.  Of course, I’m not going to share my phone numbers with you, but you can have an email address if you’d like to insult me directly: it’s matthew@<thedomainyouseeinyouraddressbarabove>.  Obviously, I’m not planning on putting it in plain text, as I get enough spam as it is.  But, if you’re capable of breathing, you’re capable of figuring it out.  If you can’t, you’ll find me spending an inordinate about of time on Twitter.  My username there is @BernieTB.  Of course if you’d like to comment with regards to a particular post, that’s also available.