User:Ryft

Introduction
First of all, my name is not actually Ryft. That would be a very weird and tragic first name to go through life with. In actuality it's a virtual identity I chose for myself about twenty years ago when I first discovered and ventured onto the internet. The virtual surname Braeloch, on the other hand, is a more recent addition, something I added to my virtual identity about ten years later. Shortly after I moved to Kelowna (British Columbia) I discovered a road by that name; it was phonetically appealing and its etymological roots fittingly described my new home. No, I don't live on that road. That area of the city would require a six-digit salary.

I discovered Wikipedia in 2004; within a few years I was relying heavily upon it for, well, whatever encyclopedic information I needed. But I have made very few contributions to it. The most I have done is reorganize an article's references into chronological order, add unique relevant links, fix broken links, etc. I think perhaps I feel overwhelmed by the enormity and significance of Wikipedia; there are changes I would like to make but I find myself thinking, Who the hell am I to meddle with this? The contributions I want to make are mostly grammatical tweaks anyway, so it's not like my hesitation is depriving people of valuable information. Although there are a couple of articles I would love to drastically overhaul and furnish with correct and greatly expanded information, I need first to learn about what is and isn't allowed with respect to Wikipedia entries (which I am currently pursuing).

Interests
Philosophy

My interest in in philosophy centers mostly on issues regarding or relating to metaphysics and epistemology, and especially subjects pertaining to critical thinking and skepticism, which I enjoying engaging in rigorous debate (mostly in an effort to correct and refine my own views), exploring the strengths and weaknesses of competing ideas and abandoning those which cannot stand under critical scrutiny. I maintain a sort of "scientific" attitude toward ideas and beliefs, which is to say that I love being proven wrong (i.e., not merely said to be wrong).

Science

When it comes to science my primary areas of interest are cosmogony and astrophysics (the origins and nature of the universe). I am also interested in the philosophy of science, being let down by the embarrassing quality of scientific education in public schools that has contributed to widespread misconceptions about science as a disciplined methodology vis-a-vis the philosophical assumptions that support it.

History

I am interested in cultural history, which is to say that I'm interested in things like the rise and development of European cultures or the origin and evolution of North American indigenous peoples (my paternal family is predominantly Cree). But specific issues, too, like America's founding era or the impacts of the Roman Empire on politics or technology, as well as the history of Christianity (e.g., the rise of the papacy, the history of the Protestant Reformation, the historical relationship between Islam and Christianity and so forth).

Pop Culture

I'm not sure it qualifies as pop culture but I am practically addicted to talk radio. I finally surpassed terrestrial FM radio in the fall of 2008 by purchasing a Sirius satellite radio subscription and discovered an extensive array of programs to choose from, no longer restricted to what CBC Radio One had to offer. My favourite programs on Sirius XM are The Mark Levin Show and The Wilkow Majority, as well as the Morning Briefing with Tim Farley and the Press Pool with Joe Mathieu on the channel P.O.T.U.S. I also enjoy listening to the science discussions on "Science Friday" on NPR's Talk of the Nation. If you don't have Sirius or XM, you are really missing a lot.

I also love movies, having seen thousands and owning a few hundred. Although I certainly enjoy decent blockbusters (e.g., The Last Samurai, Gladiator, Titanic, The Matrix and so forth) and other major productions from Hollywood studios, I am more drawn to indie films—movies produced by independent film companies which find more traction at film festivals than the Hollywood circuit—because they typically have a profound narrative and compelling acting (e.g., Juno, Chasing Amy, etc.).

As for television? NCIS, The Good Wife, Bones, and House.

My goals at Wikipedia

 * Get basic information on my User page.
 * Expand information on my User page.
 * Learn about 'subpages' and how to create them.
 * Create subpage to track articles I want to create or edit.
 * Become more confident about contributing to articles.
 * Find more goals to accomplish!

My contributions to Wikipedia

 * List of my contributions
 * User Edit Counter - 2 edits deleted (as of 27 Mar 2011)
 * Article contributions/creations:
 * Created: Stand Up With Pete Dominick;
 * Redirected: Pete's Big Mouth; Petes Big Mouth.
 * Contributed: P.O.T.U.S. (Sirius XM)
 * Major overhaul: Pete Dominick.

My sub-pages

 * User:Ryft/Wiki_aids