Computers:

Well, I don't need to justify this one all that much.   Computers are not the 'wave' of the future, they ARE the future and they have already infiltrated the vast majority of our lives.  Is this a good thing?
Is it cool when I ICQ my friend across the hall instead of getting up and knocking on his door?  I don't know.  But whatever path of antisociality or societal renaissance these things take us on, I'm thrilled to be along for the ride.  After much internal debate and EE courses, I finally decided to forsake the hardware aspect of things and pursue Computer Science as my major. However, I've found that my main interest lies not in programming but in design, especially as relates to HCI. I'm particularly interested in a field that can be called "Media Studies" in that I like to study how and why humans interact with computers the way that they do. For example, did you know that the average human will be polite to a computer in the same way they are polite to another human? It's true. And it's fascinating.

 Los Angeles Kings Hockey: 

Since our Stanley Cup run a few years back, we have hit some hard times.  Things will hopefully change this year, as we're a lock for the playoffs.  I can't even begin to imagine the sheer number of hours I spent growing up watching my Kings play, but I think I was really privileged to have witnessed Wayne Gretzky change the face of hockey in Southern California forever as well as bring a very palpable magic to a once dead franchise.

 History:

An engineer who likes history?  What a shocker.   But I do, so deal with it.  I can't sum up why I love history in a paragraph, but let me just say that, in essence, I am fascinated with the way some seemingly insignificant and innocuous event can eventually have global implications. 
I think of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 as a prime example.  Had Britain listened to Winston Churchill and continued their southern attack on the Ottomans, they would have prevailed and the Genocide would have been substantially prevented.  However, Britain lost a couple ships, public opinion shifted, and they pulled out. The rest, as they say, is (ignored) history. 

 Politics: 

I used to be really into politics, working throughout high school on local congressional races. But now I'm rather disillusioned with the whole thing when Democrats act like Republicans and Republicans act like fools and people are willing to change their entire personality and ideology in order to be elected (Gore) I just can't really stomach this stuff too well anymore. I am still a Republican but by no means a flag-waving one. My justification comes from an older version of this site:

I've often been asked, by my overwhelmingly Democratic peers, "Why are you a Republican? (you ignorant fool, you moron, your-favorite-expletive-here, etc.)"   Well, in its most basic form, it's simply because I don't believe in hypocricy. 
In other words, I want to be successful, lead a good life, be safe, and be financially secure.  And I don't feel the least bit guilty about it.  It's well-established that the majority of vocal Democrats live in very nice areas (with consequently very nice incomes) yet pontificate for the poor, who they have little to no contact with.  Interesting.  It's likewise interesting that those same Democrats who live in gated communities are the ones screaming and wailing when the Courts consider banning gang-members from congregating in public parks, yet they're not the people who actually have to deal with those criminals. And if the criminals show up in their neighborhoods, why of course, they'll move.  Don't be silly now. Sigh. That's what I mean by hypocricy.  Think about it. Are these people really interested in helping those less fortunate than themselves, or do they just enjoy feeling better about themselves as a result? Another way of looking at it: it's popular to be a Democrat. Go to any high school in LA, NY, etc, and ask the most poliically uneducated people what they are and the great majority will say Democrat. Rock the Vote. Politics shouldn't be based on mob mentality over what's "cool" but rather thought. If you've ever worked on a Democratic Get out the Vote campaign, you will know that they target the most uneducated voters and push them to the polls. On one hand that's laudable, taking people who are usually overlookd and giving them a voice. However that voice is usually pushed upon them.

Anyways that was a sampling of my thought process from many years ago. I by no means suggest that Repubs are perfect and I'm pretty disgusted with them presently.  Politicians are politicians.  But I don't see any need to hide behind a mask of "political correctness" and guilt. By the way, I'm about as moderate as can be: pro-choice, pro-environment, and pro-gun control, so check yo'self befo' you wreck yo'self. 

And that's that.