The Webmaster
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It has quite a ring to it, doesn’t it? Our language is in a constant state of flux these days as it shudders under the burden of high-tech inspired
additions. Webmaster is indeed a cool word; actually
anything-master is somewhat awe-inspiring, almost conjuring up an image of one having some
type of supernatural influence over a distinct and exclusive fragment of the universe.
But I digress...What personal web site would be complete without the obligatory mini-bio of its creator? No doubt you’re all perched on the edge of your ergonomically-correct seats, waiting with breathless anticipation for me to spill all the fascinating trivia surrounding every significant era of my life. Well, slacken up your seat-belts a bit; nothing too earth shaking here I’m afraid...
You may have already guessed that I have an interest in computers and Internet-related activities. My initial attraction to the digital side of life was actually spawned about 20 years ago, when I ordered my first personal computer through the mail. It was called a Sinclair; an odd little plastic and silicon contraption that required a steady hand and a hot soldering iron in order to assemble its fragile components. It featured 1K of RAM (yes, that’s one kilobyte), an extremely small membrane keyboard, and three jacks for connections to 1) a television, 2) an AC adapter, and 3) a cassette recorder for data storage. I thought I’d check this little "system" out to see if I might possibly have any enduring interest in this relatively new world of personal computers.
Well needless to say, I outgrew that little Sinclair in about a month. And over the course of the last 20 years, I’ve managed to go through a succession of more PC’s than I can keep track of; finally ending up with my current system, a 1000 MHz Dell Pentium III (128 Mb ram, 50 Gb hard drive, 56k modem, Sony 19" monitor).
Since no one was apparently willing to just give me all these computers, or feed, house and clothe me for free, I found myself faced with the need to seek out some type of gainful employment. Therefore, for about these same last 20 years, I’ve attempted to seek my place as a useful and productive member of society by working as a Public Safety Dispatcher. This career, which I’ve spent at a major metropolitan communications center in the heart of Silicon Valley, has been a challenging and rewarding one. This is a job which encompasses 9-1-1 call-processing, radio dispatching for sheriff’s deputies, paramedics, park rangers and numerous other county agencies. I'm also a certified EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatcher), which allows me to provide emergency medical instructions to callers while paramedics are enroute.
When I'm not toiling away at work, or caught up in some other survival-related task (such as eating, sleeping, or doing chores), I can often be found hunkered down here in front of Mr. Computer; absorbed in some mind-expanding task like programming, or slithering around the 'net somewhere...
When I originally created this site, I had written "...Being single and also devoid of any pets, I don't, unfortunately, have any pictures of a wife, Fido, or Fluffy to share...". However since then, I've acquired a small fluffy beast to help keep an eye on things around here and to ensure that there's always an adequate supply of cat hair deeply embedded inside my computer mouse. I've included Mr. Fluff's picture here, along with a picture of the dragon that I send out every night to guard my castle...