MetaFilter

What's the deal with your nickname? How did you get it? If your nickname is self-explanatory, then tell everyone when you first started using the internet, and what was the first thing that made you say "wow, this isn't just a place for freaks after all?" Was it a website? Was it an email from a long-lost friend? Go on, spill it.

My favorite sport is Extreme Reading, with breaks for cross-stitching and standing in front of an open refrigerator. I've often been compared to an enraged wolverine, only without the wolverine's charm. I've been a professional theater projectionist for decades (and I insist on that 'professional' to distinguish me from the untrained popcorn-pushers!), as well as assistant editor for a chain of local newspapers.

A note to lurkers and newbies:
A couple lines above this is a star and "I help fund Metafilter" message; if you want to, you can either subscribe an amount of your choice monthly or make a one-time donation. Please note: this subscription/donation is completely voluntary, and is separate from the $5 signup fee. If you subscribe or donate, you'll get one of these stars, although you can also choose not to display it. I decided to keep mine up, so that any newbies might see it and maybe check into what it means. The thing is, this is one heck of a nice place to hang out --- featuring wide-ranging, civilized discussions; trolls that are smacked down promptly --- and it's generally just what it describes itself as: MetaFilter is an online community, even if most of us never see one another in real life. We don't want to lose it!