This is already my 30th post, and I still have not properly introduced myself to this forum. Well, I think it's time to remedy that. :)

My real name is Evan, I'm 22 years old (close to 23), and I live in Winnipeg, Canada. I'm an English major who has almost -- almost -- finished university; I plan to take a break from studying for a couple years after I graduate before trundling off somewhere or other for graduate studies. I live with my parents, one irritating brother, and a decrepit 19-year-old cat.

My icon is a depiction of Kate Bush operating a fantastical rain-making machine; I believe it is actually the cover of the "Cloudbusting" single, from her 1985 album Hounds of Love. The machine also features heavily in the seldom-played music video. I chose it because it is evocative of a simple, child-like sense of wonder and magic that I hope never to lose. :)

My alias, Ebontyne, is a more obscure reference that I'll spend a bit of time here explaining. I used to be a fan of the highly influential Ultima series of computer role-playing games when I was a teenager (actually, from around the age of 12 to around 16 or 17); I still appreciate Ultima, although I don't have the chance to play any computer games these days. Anyway, in 1999 they released Ultima IX, the highly anticipated final installment of what was then already a twenty-year old series (basically as old as any computer game series could be), and it resulted in universal disappointment by fans. The company tried to dumb down everything about the series and speed up the action to attract more trigger-happy types, and the plot was apparently nonsensical and inconsistent with past installments; I was actually so overwhelmed by the negative reaction that I never even bothered to play it myself. A guy named Bob White, who had been part of the Ultima IX design team before quitting his job, revealed that the team had been ordered to scrap everything that they were doing and start fresh sometime around '97; he also circulated the plot summary of the original game to fans via the Internet. Anyway.... to make a long and possibly boring story short, my alias refers to one character -- an evil and deceitful monk, if my memory serves me correctly -- in the plot-that-never-was of Ultima IX; there was no character named Ebontyne in the final version of the game. I must confess I chose the soubriquet mostly because I like the sound and spelling, and not as an homage to the character, the game, or even the series.

Anyway, now that I've laid down my nerd credentials in a huge way, I think I'll give this a rest. ;) Please shower me with welcomes.

Nice to meet another fellow Canuck :)

Welcome to the bards Evan :)

Anyway, now that I've laid down my nerd credentials in a huge way, I think I'll give this a rest. ;) Please shower me with welcomes.


Welcome aboard!

Welcome to inthe00s, Ebontyne. :) 8)

Great to have you here Evan, Welcome and enjoy

Welcome Ebontyne :)

Thanks to everyone who responded, I appreciate it. :) Cheers.

welcome Evan  :)..you live in a cool city..home of the The Galaxy rollerrink and the K-Tel headquarters..can you feel my envy  :D :)

welcome Evan  :)..you live in a cool city..home of the The Galaxy rollerrink and the K-Tel headquarters..can you feel my envy  :D :)


Thanks! It's a great place to grow up. :)

Wow...that's quite a story there, Evan. Glad you could join us. :)

Hello and Welcome to the club, Evan!!! :)

Welcome to the boards, Evan.

Kate Bush rocks! She recently made a comeback to the charts in the UK.

Welcome to the boards, Evan.

Kate Bush rocks! She recently made a comeback to the charts in the UK.


Thank you for the kind welcome. :)

Yeah, I'm definitely a big fan of Kate. I picked up the new album on the day of release and have have been enjoying it ever since. :)

My icon is a depiction of Kate Bush operating a fantastical rain-making machine; I believe it is actually the cover of the "Cloudbusting" single, from her 1985 album Hounds of Love. The machine also features heavily in the seldom-played music video. I chose it because it is evocative of a simple, child-like sense of wonder and magic that I hope never to lose. :)

The device in question was Kate's depiction of an orgone accumulator.  (Also the title of a great song by "Pop Will Eat Itself", long before they became popular :) 

You might want to google the term and read about its inventor, who knew very little about medicine,  and yet his books ended up being not just banned, but burned.  Fun way to kill an afternoon!

I used to be a fan of the highly influential Ultima series of computer role-playing game
I've met Richard Garriott, aka Lord British.  If only I'd had my original-Ziploc-baggie package of Ultima I with me for autographing.  When and if Tabula Rasa comes out, expect it to be good. 

Welcome Evan! :)