Meet the peta2 Staff: Ray

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada, but I now reside in Tustin, California

Fave bands: Unbroken, Joy Division, Isis, Quicksand, Turning Point, Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182, Earth Crisis, Kid Dynamite, It Prevails, Thrice, The Gaslight Anthem, Chokehold, Explosions In The Sky, Bane, Coalesce, Sigur Ros, Descendents, Mastodon, Muse, Polar Bear Club, Torche, Kyuss, Propaghandi

About me: I basically am a big nerd who has happened to find a way to make a living out of doing things I love. I have played in bands since I was 15 years old and toured most of the world. I have an awesome wife and a great family. I've been straight edge for most of my life as well.

I like: Cinematic adventures (aka movies), pinball machines, golf (remember, I am a nerd), technology, Soy Chai, college basketball and the month of March, staying up late and waking up early, root beer, my Toyota Prius, good conversations with interesting people, sarcasm, Christmas time, video games (preferably Call of Duty), cold weather, and the horror genre (yes, and romantic comedies as well)

I hate: self-centeredness, television shows about cops and lawyers (with only one exception, The Wire), when the Internet doesn't work, hot weather, freeways, my speeding habit (yes, even in a Prius)

Why you went veg: When I was 15, I started to get into hardcore music and began to discover many of the atrocities that we as humans inflict on animals. Once I started to look for resources on how to go vegetarian and what to eat, I read the book Diet for a New America, and it really opened my eyes to how we should live on this planet. Ultimately, the consumption of animals is completely unnecessary.

Any companion animals? I have a beautiful 12-year-old beagle named Lucy who pretty much is one of the best things to happen in my life.

Before you got into music, is it true you were going to be a pro golfer? This is very much true! I had a six handicap (pretty good) and was playing in a ton of local tournaments, but then the music bug bit me, and I dove headfirst into that.

What are you afraid of? Heights (I can go on roller coasters but have to close my eyes on the way up), spiders and their webs, toilets clogging in strangers' houses (it's not my fault!), and losing my entire record collection in a fire.

Do you have an entire room at your house dedicated to records? Yes, it is known as my "Music Room," and no one is allowed in there unless supervised. Well, it's not that bad, but I definitely take pride in my massive vinyl collection. It just really sucks to move it.

Worst drive on tour ever made: From Montreal (in Canada) all the way to Southern California in 45 hours. The longest I have ever personally driven in a shift on tour: 17 hours!