About Me

I’ll admit it’s awkward to do a self Q&A, but perhaps this is the best way for people wandering around the ‘net to know more about me. Let’s get to it!

Q1: First, who are you?
A1: My name is Kevin Lin, and I am an electrical engineer passionate for my Lord, Jesus Christ.

Q2: Got any interests you’d like to share?
A2: Lots, which is both good in terms of diversity and bad in terms of time, and sometimes, money. Let’s see…creating concept art, engineering projects, listening to music, documentary and creative photography, reading and writing, playing drums, video gaming, watching anime and reading manga, attending anime conventions, working with computers and media technology, long walks, time to think, and sleep.

Q3: Erm, those last three?
A3: True stuff. I enjoy taking long hikes, spending time in pondering, and “swallowing” rest like no one’s business. Sleepwalking in a trance is not included.

Q4: But wait, as an engineer, how are you able to produce art? Isn’t that totally unlike your ambitions?
A4: Note that I didn’t list any future plans…yet. Drawing is one of those areas that has remained with me since I was very young, and it’s quite stress-relieving to create something from the bottom of my mind. Even if it involves straining my eyes in the process. That includes massive weapons and mecha. You can find some personal favorites here, or the most recent works on my deviantART page.

Q5: Ah, so now the question is…what are your ambitions?
A5: To tell you the truth, it’s the Lord’s decision on what He’ll do with my current path. I suppose it’s a real-world application of Proverbs 3:5-6. Pardon the overabundance of arty-ness, but it’s really sketchy at the moment, in spite of the opportunities allowed with a BSEE degree. But if I had to say something right now, it’d be to gain working experience for a number of years, then continue my education for a graduate degree. If possible, I’d also get a side job as a concept artist or mechanical designer for a manga/comic group.

Q6: So what about all this talk on God’s plans? When did you chose to let Him take your life?
A6: It was the summer after my elementary fourth grade year ended (1998). I went on a church retreat with my family and our local Chinese church to Kutztown University; there, I gave my life to God on one of the last evenings when my teacher asked me about starting anew with Christ. I was hesitant at first, but after accepting, I eventually refused to turn back to a life without Him. No regrets! :)

Q7: Was it easy-going afterwards?
A7: Not at all. From fourth through eighth grade, I was always the subject of ridicule from many peers, mainly because, well…I had stints of mental coping issues and social problems with other kids my age. I mean, when they asked what I was interested in, “science” was always part of the answer. Tougher still, I had a hard time retaining friends due to my very immature nature back then (“fitting in”, generally). I always wondered to God whether I’d ever have just one real, lasting person to connect with.

Q8: Did you find a friend, then?
A8: The irony I realized after these years, especially upon entering college, was that Jesus was my greatest and closest friend all along. It’s something to think about when I’m down in stress these days. I try to build and retain the relations I’ve made in college, though, as those times passed by far faster than I’d hoped.

Q9: Girlfriend?
A9: Haha, not at this time. At least not until God says so.

Q10: All right, enough of the past issues. What sort of engineering projects have you done before?
A10: I have a list of some here. Nothing earth-shaking – just a hobby I enjoy pursuing, like art, when there’s time and/or a requirement to fulfill. The biggest and perhaps craziest project I’ve completed to date is likely my high school graduation requirement, the “Tesla Coil Graduation Project”. A close second would be my college senior design project, the “Portable MAME Control Panel“.

Q11: So is that why your About Me includes “…and sleepless attempts to build a death ray and laser cannons.”?
A11: I wish! Sleep loss is mainly due to my poor skills with this 24-hours-a-day thing. Even building a working model railgun , like Sam Barros did, would be ambitious enough.

Q12: Then explain your main aliases? “PlasmaFire3000,” “PlasmaFire,” “PF3k,” and “empcannons” are just a few of them.
A12: “PlasmaFire3000” and its variants came from something I had to think of for my first e-mail address. The 3000 was tacked on because the year 2000 was rolling around eventually, and using 2000 as a suffix would make my name feel outdated. It’s now my handle for most anything art and gaming-related. “empcannons” is my current screen name – a lame, hacked-together acronym for “electromagnetic pulse cannons“.

Q13: Now tell us…do you have any any alter-egos?
A13: More like, fictional characters partially built off of my personality, used for a visual story called “Journeys.” Luke Veronus, a cybernetic-armor-testing human, and his enemy-turned-ally autonomous sentient mecha, URWST-105-2, are two of them.

[to be continued…]

Page last updated: January 17, 2011