#!/usr/bin/geek ť About Me

About me:

Your Host:	follow vtphotog at http://twitter.com Steve Mermelstein
Occupation:	Event and Commercial Photographer in Burlington, Vermont. I specialize in product, architectural, hospitality, tourism and portraits for Business/Enterprise) and also photograph weddings and events worldwide but mostly in Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and New York.
Intrests and hobbies:	Landscape and wildlife photography, bird watching, looking for deals, cooking, twitter (follow me at: @vtphotog or @usrbingeek), IRC, scripting, programming, classic movies, antiques and auctions.
Birthplace:	South Florida
Current location:	Burlington, VT
Age:	33
Sex:	Male
Beliefs:	Agnostic
Heritage:	Jewish
Pets:	A Shetland Sheepdog named Honey
Goal I would like to achieve this year:	Catch up on everything I have been putting off.
First thoughts after waking up:	Can't I sleep some more?
I would most like to visit:	Hong Kong and China
If possible, would spend everyday:	Photographing wildlife and landscapes
If I won the lottery:	Would buy all the photography gear I've lusted over but couldn't justify buying (Nikon D3x and AF-S 600mm f/4G ED VR) and still do the same things.
Last meal:	Hong Kong style ginger and scallion beef or black pepper scallops and shrimp fried rice
Favorite local restaurant:	Gracies
Favorite restaurant anywhere:	Joe's Stone Crab, Miami, FL
Favorite pizza:	American Flatbread's Revolution Flatbread
Favorite burger:	Shelburne Farms cheddar cheese and sautéed mushrooms seasoned with cracked pepper and fresh thyme
Favorite desert:	Monument Farms ice cream
Favorite drink:	Iced venti caffč Americano
Favorite coffee:	Only drink espresso
Favorite gadget:	iPhone 3G
Favorite possessions:	Nikon D3 and the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S and Nikon 200-400mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S VR lenses.
Canon or Nikon:	It's not about the gear! But you probably already guessed that I prefer Nikon
PC or Mac:	Mac!
Sing:	Only in the car
Drink:	Hardly ever
Smoke:	Never
Swear:	I never stop
Languages:	PHP, Ruby, Perl, Python, Java, JavaScript, AJAX, XML, XHMTL, CSS...oh wait, you mean spoken languages? Besides English, just a touch of French, Hebrew, and Yiddish.
My Politics:
Republican (Even though my social beliefs make me sound more like a Democrat and I proudly voted for Obama.) Pro-choice Equal rights for gays and lesbians; in support of gay marriage. No restrictions on stem cell research. School choice Better support for the Military GREATLY increase pay and pensions. Increase general military spending to improve and replace equipment and weapon systems Improve all benefits and provide easier and faster access to them Access mental health care without impacting military career Armor all vehicles and provide next generation body armor to all military personnel. Vastly increase funding for robotic and unmanned systems Open all aspects of service to women; provided physical requirements can be met Fully pay to immediately remodel homes to meet accessibility requirements of military personnel injured while in service. Provide job training and guaranteed job placement after military service. In favor of broad tax reform Zero income tax for households earning under $45,000 All households earning over $45,000 pay the same flat rate No capital gains or death taxes Property tax reform Social Security Reform Raise retirement age Offer optional, tax free, private retirement accounts No changes to any person that will be eligible for Social Security within ten years of the reform Immigration reform No welfare for the first five years Secure borders but make legal immigration super easy and less restrictive. Open the door completely to professionals and college educated persons with no criminal history or terror ties. Revoke citizenship and deport if there are any criminal convictions within the first 5 years of citizenship Common sense gun control: Seven day waiting period for all gun purchases Completion of safety training and criminal background check required Convicted criminals, persons with restraining orders against them, and illegal drug users may not own or process firearms Offer Federal concealed carry permit which is valid for all 50 states to persons able to complete safety and target test and also meet all other aforesaid requirements No limit on number of bullets in magazines Lift all existing bans on specific firearm models and sights Copyright reform Strengthen fair use; individuals may make unrestricted copies of content they have purchased Lower copyright term to 25 years Education reform Improve standards and curriculum End time filling classes Start schools later in the morning Switch to year-round education Strengthen anti-spam and anti-malware legislation