About Me and this Blog
Who Am I?
I am a technology geek. I love many different types of technologies and have for as long as I can remember. I think it dates back to when I watched my Grandpa Bill play with his ham radio setup. It had dials and knobs and tubes and lights and was very fascinating for a 5 year old boy. Of course, I wasn’t allowed to touch it… which probably stoked the desire to touch it all the more. Growing older, I found that I liked all sorts of technology: bicycles, stereos, record players, VCRs, microwave ovens, washers and dryers, motorcycles, cars… pretty much anything with moving parts, blinking lights, switches, and/or knobs. Currently my tech interests are computers, cell phones, GPSs, routers, cameras, and AV equipment. I also love those shows on TV that show how things are made.
I am a technology professional. I’ve spent the last 15ish years installing, administering, tweaking, repairing, implementing, expanding, stabilizing, and patching a variety of computer and networking equipment. I’ve played with email servers, web servers, ERP systems, switches, routers, phone systems, databases, file servers, Windows domains, scripting languages, and even dabbled with application programming. I’ve analyzed business processes, streamlined operations, mined for data, and integrated systems. Currently, I manage the team responsible for the learning management system (Blackboard Learn), and related technologies, at California State University, Chico.
I am a lecturer. For the past few years, I’ve taught one section a semester at Chico State. So far, I’ve taught Survey of Management (MGMT303), Introduction to Global Business (BADM 101), Introduction to Networking (MINS 245), Advanced Networking (MINS 545), and Strategic Issues for Information Systems Professionals (BSIS 496). I’ve had fun every semester finding ways to bring the material alive for the students, helping them to see the value in what, to them, often feels like boring, dry, useless material.
I am a student. Not in any official sense, anymore, but I will always be a student. My current interests are economics, human behavior, and relationships (all of which are related, if you think about it).
I am a father. I have three daughters, all grown up now and heading off to start their own lives. I used to define myself by what I needed to do to take care of them, but that part of my life is mostly over now. I’m not sure how it happened, but it seems that my wife and I have done a good job; they are all smart, motivated, moral young ladies, ready (more or less) to forge themselves a place in the world. I couldn’t be prouder of them.
I am a husband. More than that, I aspire to be a life partner to my wonderful wife of 25 years. We’ve actually been together as a couple for nearly 31 years, having met and dated in high school. She is the yang to my yin and has led me through more personal growth than I ever thought possible. I love her dearly.
This blog is just meant to be a place where I can write about stuff that I want to explore, stuff that I want to remember, random shiny things that I think about. There is no real “theme” at this point (hence the Aimless Musings title); one may develop over time, or it may not. In any case, read it if you want, or not. Comment, or not. If you don’t like a current topic, just wait until the next one… it will likely be different.