Thomas Narten's other life.

Various activities competing for my time:

Recovering from Hurricane Fran.
Fresh-water aquariums, with a particular interest in dwarf cichlids and so-called "Dutch Plant Tanks". I'd kept aquariums for 15 years before discovering such tanks, so don't be surprised if you haven't heard of them either. Here is a plant tank picture compliments of reincarnated Usenet *.aquaria legend George Booth. (Old) pictures of my tank are here (left side) and (right side). Even more plant tank pictures can be found at the Krib , which archives much of the net wisdom (including a really spiffy FAQ) on aquariums.
Current Goals: Establish a strain of German Blue Rams that actually survive longer than the 2 weeks most aquarists experience. I have largely met that goal (I have second generation offspring of breeding age) and am now looking to increase the genetic diversity of the line. All the Rams I have are descended from two pairs obtained Summer 1996.
Hopeless music addict. My tastes run from Robyn Hitchcock to Sonic Youth and in an earlier lifetime was majorly addicted to the likes of R.E.M., U2 and the Grateful Dead. My insatiable appetite for live music inevitably led me down the road to DAT-heads.
To see if a mailing list for your favorite group exists, look here
Avid Do-It-Yourselfer. One day I'll learn that just because I think I can do it better myself, doesn't mean I should. For an example of what happens when two hobbies collide (DIY+aquariums), press here.
I try to swim or run every other day.
Hiking, fishing, canoeing and other outdoor activities. Sadly, I have only used my canoe twice in two years, and I haven't even gotten a NC fishing license (hey, that means I haven't been fishing!).
Susan and Erich.