Mike Agostino

Hobbies		bio \| contact me \| resume (pdf)

Disclaimer

Everything on this page is IMHO, it's my web page and therefore it is my opinion. Nevertheless, it is probably all wrong, out-of-date, and probably causes cancer in lab rats. So there! I have a variety of eclectic interests, presented in no particular order:

Biking riding - I ride my Trek 830 up and down the various roads and trails here in the Bay Area. I'm slow but have pretty good stamina. Contact me if you are interested in a recreational ride.

Investing - I'm a stock maven and a founding member of the Blue Moon Investment Club of Silicon Valley and Seattle. Our club uses the National Association of Investment Club ground rules. The NAIC is a non-profit that helps educate individuals and clubs about the investing in stocks. Our club's philosophy is to take a long term perspective of the market (aka "buy and hold") and attempt to buy growth companies selling at a discount to historical P/E. (simple, huh?) Sadly the club is now defunct. It ceased operations in mid-1999. We had a 50% annualized return over the course of the club's operation.

Geeking - at heart, I'm a geek. I prefer the word "geek" to "nerd" (even with the circus act implications). I've been programming since 7th grade and earned a degree in computer science and still do technical stuff (although this will change soon)

Movies - I'm a big fan of science fiction and interesting dramas. The hollywood blockbusters don't interest me very much and I tend to like the more original artsy movies. Cinema Hong Kong is also a favorite, I'm often downtown at the Towne Theatre checking out the latest and weirdest. Until Amazon.com ruins it, My favorite on-line movie reference site is IMDB. The best web site for showtimes, movie listings is FilmFrenzy (but I'm biased). It's fast and comprehensive. The best local film festival is Cinequest playing in downtown San Jose.

Music - all types except opera and bad techno (which is most techno). Punk is my favorite, although my ears can't take loud shows anymore. Favorite local bands include Salmon and Jalopy Taco Stand. The Metro has a pretty good list of happenings.

Game playing - My friend Trev hosts a weekly game night. We play board (but hopefully not boring games), card, and parlor games while talking (read complaining) about our work lives. I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't like Magic, but if you do, my friend's Stephen D'Angelo's site is a good one.

Under-water boot strapping - it is very entertaining hobby and I hope it becomes an Olympic sport some day. More info here

The Tick - The Tick is a hilarious, wacky comic book series written by Ben Edlund about a big, insane crime fighting, blue arachnid and his sidekick Arthur. It is now an animated cartoon showing on Comedy Central. Here are some tribute sites. Spoon!

Radio - Public radio is awesome. There are no commercials and you get many diverse viewpoints and excellent in-depth news coverage. I discovered it about 10 years back and now spend many hours a week listening to the local NPR, APR, and independent stations. Favorites stations include KQED and KFJC. Favorite shows include Car Talk (Tom and Ray are my heroes), All Things Considered, This American Life, and Prairie Home Companion. You should listen to and support your local station.

Hiking - The former hiking fool hikes not so much anymore, too much work and general laziness prevent it. The parks of the Mid-Penisula Open Space District are nice.

ice hockey - I'm a fan of the San Jose Sharks and enjoy seeing amateur hockey as well. Here's a couple of friends' team pages: Blade Runners and Red Stars.

Cooking - I'm a wanna-be vegetarian (I still eat fish), and enjoy going out and cooking (alas, not enough time) and trying new things. Indian cooking is my specialty and I enjoy various spicy Asian cuisine as well. Some day I'll post my favorite recipes here.