New Job

Well here I am...again.

Christians in India face attacks - USATODAY.com

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-10-25-india-attacks_N.htm?csp=AIMBot
--
From the Sidekick

SINS Tech 1974 - 1980 USN

When I was active Navy from 1974 to 1980, I became a SINS Tech. SINS stands for Ships Inertial Navigation System. This was, by far, the most interesting technical thing I've ever done. It is yet another reason why I consider not staying in the Navy the biggest mistake of my life. Kids, sometimes the hard times are the best times.

SMOA - Simple Menu Oriented Architecture

I think this says it all...how many seconds does it take to understand this? Do you need training to use it? Home many gigabytes of source code, and binaries and libraries and API code and whatever do you think it takes to create and maintain this? How much do you think it costs to implement? In other words, MAX ROI:

Carmen moves on

At the airport waiting for Daddy.
--
From the Sidekick

Charles Stepp Resume

14704 Oak Lake Place Lutz, FL 33559 813-615-0009 Home 813-263-5611 PCS	CHARLES STEPP http://steppnav.blogspot.com Email: steppnav@gmail.com
Overview	Experienced systems generalist with strong capabilities in hardware, the Unix operating system, programming, and system/database administration who will: Increase value of systems by automating repetitive manual processes Tune systems, databases, and software for increased performance Correct process, hardware, database and software points of failure Enable teamwork and collaboration by using simple, existing technology Lead by openly sharing and documenting systems and processes
T-Mobile Wireless Oracle Database Admin Aug 2007 – Present Unix Systems Admin Aug 2001 – Aug 2007	Oracle DBA on the production billing and test/dev DBA teams administering various databases in the Amdocs Samson Billing System. Provided Unix systems admin expertise for the team. Programmed several procedures for archiving oracle and O/S critical items such as stored procedures/functions and LVM configuration. Unix Systems Administrator mainly administering HP-UX systems. Administered the local SAN until a separate SAN team was formed. Installed and administered the middleware and third party software for the test, development and DRP servers for the Samson Billing System as well as many other applications. Among these Unix hosted applications were Remedy, SAP and PeopleSoft. Provided 24X7 Unix admin and systems programming support for our systems.
Rapidigm Unix Systems Admin Jul 2001 - Aug 2001	Administered several HP Unix systems for Essilor, assisting the DBA's in maintaining the stability of the systems. This was a time just before the transition of the systems from Tampa to Dallas. Both the Rapidigm and Essilor personnel knew that I was still pursuing a position closer to home. We were both surprised when a better position with VoiceStream/T-Mobile came up fairly quickly.
TEKsystems Unix Systems Admin Jul 99 - Jul 2001	Contracted to IBM performing UNIX system administration and systems programming for Eckerd Corporation. Worked on AIX, HP-UX, Sequent Dynix, and NCR UNIX (MP-RAS) systems. Worked with older SCSI connected EMC disk arrays and the EMC software used to manage the arrays. I was the primary team member with programming skills using C, perl, ksh, Tcl/Tk, Expect, and the usual set of Unix tools such as sed, awk, join, find, etc. For our low level Unix systems programming straight ksh, perl and C were usually most useful.
GTE Data Services Sr Systems Programmer Dec 95 – Jul 99 Programmer Analyst Nov 92 - Jul 95	Performed Unix system installation, administration, and systems programming for several hundred HP-UX and AIX hosts, both local to the Tampa data center and in remote locations as far away as Hawaii. Designed and implemented several support and monitoring tools, including their user interfaces. Worked as one of the two primary team resources for ksh, perl, Expect, Tcl/Tk, C, awk, sed, etc. Before the common availability of IM clients, I created a simple groupware tool for online multi-point team communications using Tcl/TK. Participated in the telecommuting program, sharing an office with another team member. Selected as a one of the 1997 GTE Best Individual Award Winners Programmed and supported the application on the team for GTE's Automated Work Assignment System (AWAS)--an AIX distributed telecommunications system. Maintained programming on the statistics reporting section of AWAS using C and Informix's CISAM Libraries. Did programming and system configuration for the AWAS application support personnel.
Origin Technology Consultant Contractor Nov 91 - Nov 92	Provided programming, application troubleshooting, and Unix training for the GTE Dispatch Activity Centers and AWAS application support group. Implemented automation to streamline the work of the AWAS Support group.
MicroSys Programmer Analyst Apr 90 - Nov 91	Programmed under SCO Unix, Xenix and MS-DOS using Bourne Shell, FilePro, awk, C, DBase III/IV, Q&A, FoxBase, etc. Designed and implemented systems for a variety of small business customers. Also performed O/S, application software, and hardware installation and maintenance. Performed user training for standard and custom software.
Criterion Systems Programmer Analyst Nov 89 - Mar 90	Programming for BASIC 4 multi-user system, translating IBM System 36 COBOL applications to BASIC 4 Business Basic applications. Implementation of SCO Xenix system for multi-user office automation and transition from the BASIC 4 environment to Xenix/Unix.
Timeshare Owners Foundation Programmer/Admin Aug 89 - Nov 89	Programming in FoxBase on a Novell network for timeshare listings and customer payments. Translation and transfer of data from FoxBase to Q&A for ease of processing and document production, including check printing.
MicroSys Programmer Analyst Mar 89 - Aug 89	See MicroSys entry above.
Tandy Training and Support System Engineer Mar 87 - Mar 89	Software installation and programming: Lotus 123, Quattro, Multiplan, Visicalc, Xenix utilities, WordStar, WordPerfect, PFS Professional Series, Scripsit, Q&A, FilePro, FoxBase, DBase II/III/IV, Real World Acctg, VersaCad, Procomm, etc. Hardware and O/S installation and programming: SCO Xenix/UNIX, PC/MS-DOS, Tandy 6000 Xenix, Windows 286/386, Gem, TRSDOS, LDOS, CP/M, Apple II DOS 3.3 (for TrackStar CoProcessor Board). Programming Languages: C, Bourne Shell, Q&A Programming, MS-DOS Batch, DBase II/III/IV, FilePro Processing, Basic, and Spreadsheet Macros.
Tampa General Hospital Personnel Associate Apr 86 - Mar 87	Assisted the Personnel Managers in filling positions for the hospital by writing ads and submitting them to various newspapers, posting available positions on internal job listings, screening resumes and applications, performing the paperwork and procedures necessary to actually employ new hires. Performed other Human Resources functions as needed. Implemented use of the department's first computer - an IBM PC AT (80286) using Lotus 123 and macro programming. Automated the yearly merit raise process.
Ballast Point Christian School Teacher Sep 85 - Apr 86	Taught full elementary curriculum to a combined 3rd and 5th grade class.
College Employment Sep 80 - May 85	Clerk in convenience store VA Rep for USF Sarasota Campus Campus Computer Room Computer Operator US Navy Reserves US Air Force Reserves
Education New College Florida Sep 80 – May 85	BA in Computers and Classics Programming: PL/1, 6502 Assembler, 68000 Assembler, IBM 360 Assembler, FORTH, BASIC. Senior Thesis Project: A Computer Application to Classical Language Education
Military USAF Reserves Mar 83 - Mar 95 (Retired) USN Reserves Dec 80 - Dec 82 USN Submarine Service Jul 74 - Jul 80	Active Service in Desert Shield and Storm Assistant NCOIC of a Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facility Tactical Aeromedical Evacuation Flight Crew (C-130) Hospital Work: Minor Surgery Clinic, Immunizations Clinic, Medical Ward, Surgical Ward, Pre-Op Unit, OB Ward, and Critical Care Unit. Honor Graduate US Air Force Medical Service School Electronics Training Petty Officer Navigation Center Supervisor Lead Ships Inertial Navigation Systems Technician In port Section Leader SSBN Submarine Qualified Electronic Countermeasures Technician Radar Operator Supply Petty Officer Commendation from Commanding Admiral of Submarines Atlantic Honor Graduate Polaris/Poseidon Electronics School Graduated with Distinction from US Navy Submarine School

Half My Age - GE 7-4956B

Cleaning up around the house, I found this old orphan buried under stuff on my chest of drawers. I'm fairly certain I bought this old fellow some time when I was in the Navy. It is at least as old as my oldest daughter. I used it for years, but replaced it with a fancy new-fangled CD playing thing...a couple of them, actually. These newer devices were really quite "functional". Read "lots of buttons". When I'm sleepy before going to sleep and sleepy when I wake up are not times to make me hunt around for buttons or read their lables. As I was looking at this thing, I realized that it had a function that I had not purchased in these other radio alarm clocks--9 volt battery backup! I shook it a bit. Darn! Something was shaking around loose inside. Darn! Probably broken. I flipped it over and checked for screws. It has seven small, easily accessible phillips head screws. Joy! It was a penny rattling around inside. Probably something one of the girls dropped in it a decade or so ago. I cleaned out a ton of dust, much of which was stuck on the speaker, put it back together, and tested it. The radio and alarm functions still worked fine.

Thinking to myself, "Hmmm...I wonder if the cassette tape player/recorder still works? Ahh...who cares...wait! What if my cheap little cassette deck audio adapter would work?" Out to the truck...in it went. It hummed. YYYEEESSSSS!! I plugged in my newest little Digital Audio Player (Iriver T60 - 4 Gig) and out came WONDERFUL (Mono) sound!

"Arielle! Want a good radio alarm clock?"

I gave her the newer CD playing one. Which DOES NOT, by the way, have a way to hook up an MP3 player. Back to the future, again.

I'm listening to an old sermon right now. This is GROOVY!

The Hipster PDA

Keep
It
Simple,
Stupid

clipped from www.43folders.com Introducing the Hipster PDA Recently, I got sick of lugging my Palm V around, so I developed a vastly superior, greatly simplified device for capturing and sharing information. I call it “The Hipster PDA.” Beauty & Simplicity The Hipster PDA (Parietal Disgorgement Aid) is a fully extensible system for coordinating incoming and outgoing data for any aspect of your life and work. It scales brilliantly, degrades gracefully, supports optional categories and “beaming,” and is configurable to an unlimited number of options. Best of all, the Hipster PDA fits into your hip pocket and costs practically nothing to purchase and maintain. Let’s make one together. Building your first Hipster PDA get a bunch of 3"x5" file cards (here’s 500 for around 3 bucks) clip them together with a binder clip there is no step 3

More of the Tragedy

Evie and I did a little autopsy this morning...I was hoping to find 1 Gig that I could finagle into one of our other 256 Meg Yepp's. That would have been a job for a nano-Charles. Oh well.

To me this was the VW Super Beetle of MP3 Players.

Again, NEVER put anything on top of the car!

So Sad...

This is why you should NEVER put stuff on top of your car.

...and Julie said I couldn't curse when it happened.

Wirelessly Wired

(14:40:34) cstepp: Are you a gizmo guy?
(14:40:55) ppachav: why u say that?
(14:41:25) cstepp: Just making small talk...I bought a new Bluetooth device yesterday and I like it.
(14:41:48) ppachav: make?
(14:42:22) cstepp: Motorola. It allows me to use any stereo head set I want to for phone and music.
(14:42:57) ppachav: is that the tiny one from motorola
(14:43:26) cstepp: I hate the ear buds that come with the phones (Wing) and this allows me to use my favorite in ear ear buds.
(14:43:49) cstepp: Somewhat small
(14:44:03) cstepp: looks like an mp3 player.
(14:44:19) ppachav: yeah, heard that the tiny piece from motorola is good
(14:45:05) cstepp: It has a radio in it too. I'm using it like crazy to listen to the music on my Wing and as headset for phone.
(14:45:38) ppachav: hmmm....good features
(14:45:44) cstepp: The phone just read off the header for an email I just recieved too.
(14:46:56) cstepp: It works well. About the only fault I have with it is that when I push the button that mutes a call it doesn't give any audible signal. I have to glance at its little lcd screen to be sure.
(14:47:42) cstepp: Hmmm...I think I'll copy this and blog it.
(14:48:13) ppachav: ha ha

Taken by Evie

Evie asked if she could take a picture with my phone. Serendipity!!

Warning: Here Come the Stuffed Shirts!!!

WOW! And I'm a Johnny come lately to the party:

Blogger Jeff Pulver quit the professional network in favor of Facebook and urged his friends to do the same. Here's why he's not looking back

Confessions of a LinkedIn Dropout

Professionals pushing 40 and older are joining the college crowd on the social
hub. Can CEO Zuckerberg's team give them reason to stick around?

Fogeys Flock to Facebook

Powered by ScribeFire.

Music and Food in Tampa

Welcome to Skipper's Smokehouse!
This is a rundown looking place in North Tampa near where we live. Apparently it has some of the best music shows around. I need to check it out and report back.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Evie At the Beach - 2005

Evie at the beach in 2005. Happy.

Long, Long Ago, in a Neighborhood Far, Far Away...

Ohhh, these were such cute little girls. But I think Micro-Susie is lecturing me on something about the car.

Life is Short (70 * 365.4)

This is SWEET. Like the Pink Floyd song Time on the Dark Side of the Moon album.

"We get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number, really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that's so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more. perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless."
- Paul Bowles (American Author)

Powered by ScribeFire.

Coffee Table

Another view of the coffee table...no flash.

I Made Something

Here's my first halfway quality wood working project. I made it from the cheapest wood I could get. I wanted to avoid ruining good wood as I practice. This was a simple free plan I found somewhere on the internet. I have already thought of one huge improvement. You can't see it from the angle I took the picture from, but the end of the carriage bolts that fix the table legs onto the table are visible at each corner. Yech! AFTER I was done I found several other possible ways of having a similar strong adjustable attachment that would not be visible. I can get the simple, cheap hardware from Lowe's in the same place I was able to get the carriage bolts.

Retrospect is too late, but very educational.

Web site shows you how your job is killing you

Be sure to turn you sound down or put on head phones.

Web site shows you how your job is killing you

Starting with Courier

Some folks consider me a technology early adopter. Perhaps I am, but not in regards to blogging. At any rate, I'm starting with Courier for my font. It reminds one of that ancient noble machine, the typewriter, and it allows for "ascii art" creations:

#        .
#    ,-_-|
#   ([o o])
#ooO--(_)--Ooo-
#