About Me

Brief History
I was born in Scarborough, Ontario, not far from where my parents both grew up. During the summer after Grade 1, my parents built a house 15km north of Port Hope, and we moved out there just in time for my sister Laura and I to start Grade 2 at George Hamilton Public School in the nearby village of Welcome. I guess it should have been a big shock, changing scenery from subdivisions to grazing cows, but when you're 7 years old it all just seems like a big adventure. I think I was too busy building tree forts and riding around on dirt bikes to really notice.

In 2000, I left for Waterloo to attend university. I began my undergrad in the Biochemistry program, taking courses in chemistry, biology, physics and math. While I immensely enjoyed the subject, after 3rd year, I decided I was more interested in an IT related career and filled my last year with computer science & statistical modelling courses, thereby obtaining an Honours B.Sc. in scientific computing instead.

After graduating in 2004, I moved to downtown Toronto where I worked at a few different IT firms, doing various flavours of programming. Shortly after moving there, I met my wife Nicole, who was completing her B.Sc. at UofT at the time. We lived in the Annex for the next 5 years, enjoying the downtown life.

In August 2009, we got married and decided it was time for a break from the rush of downtown. We moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, where Nicole is pursuing a Master's degree in geobiochemistry. I worked for the first year out here at Memorial University as a Programmer Analyst, but later switched to a more lively position at a downtown marketing and interactive firm called Spark.

Sports
In sports, my main interest is cycling. I ride a Giant OCR 2 on the road, and an Opus Mikah on the trails. I used to race the provincial "Ontario Cup" circuit on and off road, but now I can't find the time to train properly. Cycling aside, I regularly play badminton and squash with friends and I also play recreational soccer on a couple of different teams.

I also enjoy hiking, camping, canoeing and every possible combination of the three. Nothing relaxes your mind and reminds you what it means to be human like a back country camping trip in Algonquin.

Reading
In literature, I read a wide variety of material. From non-fiction about technology to classic literature, I have favorites in most categories. A random selection of some of my favorites are:

Snow Crash & Zodiac, by Neal Stephenson
Rendezvous with Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
Ender's Game and the subsequent series, by Orson Scott Card
Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamon
Blink & The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell

I'm a firm believer in the book karma cycle - receive a book, read the book, give the book to someone you think might like it. No one seems to have enough time to read these days, myself included, and I tend to friends for recommendations, so that what little time I do make for reading is not wasted.


Photography
I immensely enjoy capturing places and moments. See some of my photos here.

Music
Music keeps me going. I listen all the time. I can find something I love in any genre, though I do have my preferences. A quick, absolutely non-exclusive list of some faves is:

Alt/Ska: The Mad Caddies, The Planet Smashers, Reel Big Fish, Big D and the Kids Table, Sublime
Alternative Rock: Modest Mouse, Weezer, Sloan, Tragically Hip
Blues Rock: Colin James, Harry Connick Jr.
Classic Rock: Van Morrison, The Doobie Brothers, The Beatles, The Guess Who (and BTO)
Hard Rock/Metal: Pantera, Slayer, Disturbed, Rage Against The Machine, System of a Down, Tool
Punk: Gob, NOFX, Rancid, Green Day, The Headstones, Misfits
Rap/Hip-Hop: Dr. Dre, Common, Fort Minor, Notorious BIG, Freeway, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Gym Class Heroes
Techno: Crystal Method, Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, Skinny Puppy

I have played drums for over a decade, and while I played in a few "bands" in high school, my career as a filthy rich rock star has never materialized. Recently I started playing guitar and bass as well. I enjoy experimenting with recording on my computer and find composing music an effective creative outlet, as well as a way to increase my appreciation of the music I listen to. Perhaps I'll post some songs soon!

Traveling
I also enjoy traveling and while I have been quite a few cool places, the list of places I want to visit only seems to get longer. Check out photos for some cool pics of places I've been, or writing about some of my trips.

Contact Mike
The best way to reach me is via email at web@medmonds.com.


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About Michael Edmonds

I am interested in everything. I study subjects ranging from history to biochemistry. I listen to every genre of music, and I enjoy reading classic literature as much as science fiction. I play several sports, and I have at least a dozen hobbies. I endeavour to learn as much as possible, and hopefully make the world a better place in the process.
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Mike Edmonds