Special guest post by LeAnn Boucher, Ranch Public Relations.

This fracking blog has been taken over: A conversation with Big Nerd of the Month Chris Aquino

By now you’ve likely heard that Chris Aquino was named the May 2012 Big Nerd of the Month. But who is this Chris Aquino? We had the pleasure of sitting down with him to ask the scintillating questions his fans demanded answers to.

BNR Blog: Congratulations Chris! Being named the Big Nerd of the Month is quite an honor, and you follow in the hallowed Converse of previous Big Nerds. You must have been working toward this for years and years. Tell us, how long have you worked at Big Nerd Ranch?

Chris: Just over 4 months.

BNR Blog: What do you admire most about the Big Nerds of the Month who came before you? Brian Harper, Brian Hardy aka “Pony Boy“ and Jeremy Sherman?

Chris: That each of them is so inspiringly smart, humble, and friendly.

BNR Blog: If you didn’t do this, what would your dream job be?

Chris: I would either be a jet-setting food critic or Iron Man, which is practically the same thing, as far as I’m concerned.

BNR Blog: What is your favorite / most useful / most used app and why?

Chris: The Terminal. That’s kind of a cop-out answer, because it implies the use of a multitude of command-line programs. But if you took all my other GUI programs from me, I’d still be able to work and play on my Mac. (I also have some sort of a Terminal app for my iPhone and iPad.)

BNR Blog: Do you teach any Big Nerd Ranch classes?

Chris: At the moment, no. But I will be! I’m working on the upcoming (and as-of-yet unnamed) HTML5 / Javascript / JQuery class.

BNR Blog: What was the first app you developed? What did it do?

Chris: That’s a tough one, since I do web apps and not (officially) iOS or Android apps. But, the first app I usually write when I learn anything is a “To Do” app, because I’m never satisfied with them.

BNR Blog: Now for the tough questions: Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, MythBusters, Firefly or The Bachelorette?

Chris: Hands down, Battlestar Galactica. When it came out, its “ripped-from-the-headlines” style subplots really impressed me. It showcased what I love most about the sci-fi genre. It’s really not about the science or the technology. It’s about questioning the nature of the psyche and of human relationships when placed in a wildly different context. It’s a mirror, but a usefully imperfect one.

BNR Blog: It’s graduation season. High school, college, kindergarten, driver’s ed … What advice do you have for the graduating class of 2012?

Chris: I’d say: Open yourself up to as much as possible. Try different things and make lots of mistakes. Learn from those mistakes. Then, make new mistakes (not the same ones). Breathe deeply. Keep a journal. Value your time. Improve the quality of your attention. Respect others. Make things with your hands. Plant a tree. And don’t apply for credit cards.

BNR Blog: Excellent advice Chris, thank you!

Now gentle reader, do you agree with Chris? Does Battlestar Galactica reign supreme in Nerd-iness? You tell us: Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Mythbusters, Firefly or The Bachelorette?

But please don’t get us started ranking Doctor Who regenerations. That’s really a topic for another blog. (editor’s note – Tom Baker rules)