Austin Haedicke
Geek of the Month August

Age: 26

Marital status: Single

If single, where do you like to meet people? Traveling and Outdoor Sports

Hometown? East Peoria

How did you end up in Peoria? Born and raised there.

What makes you a geek? For not being a technology professional I spend a lot of time tinkering with my (Arch)Linux box and / or assorted Android ROMs. I also have a soft side for epic anthologies; (Marvel) comics, Lord of the Rings, D&D, etc...

How long have you been ? I started using Linux in August of 2012 and have specifically been running Arch (Linux) for about a one year now. Typically summer and long breaks from school are my “nerd benders” before I have to get “back to the books.”

How did you get started? I was bored and broke, Linux was free and fun. “Graduating” to Arch was a profession of literacy, and creating a more and more minimalist system makes me feel cooler / smarter than I really am.

Favorite movie(s)? V for Vendetta is my all-time favorite. The Breakfast Club and Fight Club are right up there too, along with Vanilla Sky.

Favorite book(s)? A Happy Death by Albert Camus and Staring at the Sun by Irvin D. Yalom.

Favorite type(s) of music? 80’s hair-bands and 90’s alternative.

Favorite band? It definitely depends on my mood, but generally speaking I’m a long time fan of Brand New and Seether.

What is your favorite way to spend your Sunday Mornings? Camping and rock climbing.

Astrological Sign: Do you believe in horoscopes? Taurus. People are hopelessly dedicated to making meaning of their lives.

What is your guilty pleasure? Dr. Pepper and Cookie Dough Ice Cream, though not together.

What is your favorite place in Peoria? Peoria Athletic Club

Do you have any pets? No

Are there any special hobbies you enjoy? Rock Climbing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

What events does ? When I have time I try to contribute to

Questions from previous Peoria Life Geek Fellows:

Who shot first – Han Solo or Greedo? Han

Who is your favorite bearded person? Thor

Where do you think technology has the most potential for helping others in the future? Generally speaking, I think crowdsourcing / crowdfunding will continue to see tremendous growth. That then, obviously, can have a broad impact across multiple categories: communication, education, medicine, etc...

What are you excited about doing with the technology that’s coming?. I’m really curious to see how mobile communication development will pan out. Personally I think manufacturers and developers should, partially, abandon quests for faster and faster hardware in pursuit of more intuitive services and interfaces. The latest and greatest flagship phone is little more than a paperweight if you don’t have coverage in your area. Never the less, very few people will be able to tell the difference between a 1.5Ghz processor and a 2.2Ghz processor; but you can be darn sure everyone with a smartphone will note 2G vs. 4G vs. WiFi speeds, battery life, and clunky / cumbersome interfaces.

Who would win in a fight? Superman vs. Batman, but Batman is in a Superman costume and Superman is in a Batman costume because it’s a Halloween party? Haven’t we realized that with enough prep time Batman will always win against anyone?

What are you doing to make Peoria into the cultural and economic hub that it once was?

What public figure do you look up to and why? I’m a casually dedicated fan to Tim Ferriss. While most know for his “life hacking” tactics, his books convey an important message. For example, the concepts in The 4 Hour Work Week might be thought of as a shortcut to more production in a 40 hour work week. However, if that’s your interpretation then you’ve missed the point. “Life hacking” isn’t about packing more production in your day, it’s about juicing more quality out of it.