Eric Stein

Hi! As you've probably gathered, my name is Eric. I've been in Pittsburgh for about ten years. I moved here to attend Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science as an undergraduate, and I've never quite gotten out of the gravity well. I guess the new and exciting thing in my life is I've just joined Helium Networks, a local startup company as their Senior Software Developer/Architect.

Things I do to kill time:

• The hobby that currently keeps me most busy is indubitably rock climbing. This is very curious given that I've got a mild to moderate case of acrophobia (fear of heights). It's not so bad inside, but I haven't tried climbing outside yet. I suspect that will be much harder. In the meanwhile I'm at The Climbing Wall toproping two or three times a week.
• I like volleyball, though I don't get to play as much as I'd like to these days. I also help coach a team for Sacred Heart Elementary School in Shadyside. The program has 40+ kids in grades 5-8 spread out over four teams, so it keeps me really busy in season (August, September, and October).
• I enjoy roleplaying. I'm currently DMing one Dungeons and Dragons campaign. In no way, shape, or form does this imply that I'm a devil worshiper, spawn of satan, or any of the other silly things people say. It's really just storytelling and hanging out with your friends.
• I read science fiction stories. Lots of them. I especially enjoy stories from the Golden Age, but I'll try most any author once. Many aren't literary masterpieces, but as the audience gets more sophisticated, the overall quality of writing is definitely improving.

Not exactly a hotlist: