I am an IT Professional. Please read my Résumé before continuing. A fraction of my website work is showcased here; however, web development is only one tiny facet of the work I do.

I am a True Believer. I am a consummate master of my trade. I am dedicated to the quality of perfection. I hold truth and honor above all else. I will do what is right because it is the right thing to do.
Web site Work
Personal Web site Work
[2005] First of all, I have developed my own personal website, which includes a variety of subjects that I enjoy and wish to share with others. Have a look since any technical articles that I've written may be relevant. It's format and navigation are the model of simplicity. As always, I've taken care to ensure that it will function with Internet Explorer and Mozilla FireFox browsers. Also, my personal site is always a work-in-progress as I am always expanding its content or trying out new things that I've learned. Visit the site by clicking here.
I've put up this demo Flash introduction to illustrate how cheap and easy this technology is. In fact, I know people who buy Flash templates for under $100 (this one cost me $18 and 4-minutes), then they do a big tap-dance for a customer, and make $2000 for 20-minutes worth of work; that just doesn't seem right to me. One thing most people don't realize is that Flash does not offer lossless-compression (it's always a little fuzzy); since I usually create very precise graphics, I tend not to use Flash. However, Flash is great for product illustrations and demonstrations. View it full-size by clicking here.
[2003] My wife helped to develop this Ivy Interface with the contribution of her artistic creativity. This site uses PNG alpha-channel transparencies, which allows foreground images to be blended with the background. We really enjoyed creating this one. You can see the beta version by clicking here. Try resizing the window and watch how the background blends with the semi-opaque foreground.
[2004] C64Hardware is my own attempt at an online business that sells exclusive hardware and software products to Commodore64 hobbyists in the United States. After all, Commodore64's are one of my hobbies, and you'd be amazed if you found out how many people are still using these 1985-era computers. Business was good, but after a few years, I decided to take it down because it was consuming a serious portion of my personal time. You can view the actual page by clicking here.
[2004] My C64Hardware site uses my own implementation of a PayPal based shopping cart, which works quite well. PayPal is a poor-man's credit card transaction processor. I have also used Verisign's transaction processor service on other websites.
[2004] I added a phpBB based forum to my C64Hardware site. It looks cool and works very well. PHP is another programming language similar to Perl, but is often used as a front-end to an SQL server such as MySQL or Oracle (running on Linux). phpBB forum software is free and supported by an open-source community, so now anyone can have a high-tech forum.
[1998] This is a demo I created to show off what I could do. Now it's so old, I think I just keep it up for nostalgia. Click on the picture on the left to see it. It may take a bit to load (the links are dead-ended intentionally).
Professional Web site Work
[2007] This is my best work. Sierra Video Systems is a manufacturer of large video routers. Their website mission is to drive visitors immediately to meaningful content that would then compel the visitor to contact the sales staff. Along with the traditional pull-down menus and a search engine, the visitor is presented with the five vertical markets that the factory sells to (see next row). This site uses a custom seamless background image that provides depth and reduces the typical white glare seen on most web sites. A combination of HTML, CSS, & JavaScript provide a light server load and offers a more robust time-honored server technology that won't fail. Modern alpha-blended PNG's are used offering the factory the ability to change the background image (during holidays) without having to regenerate all of the many foreground images. You can visit the actual website by clicking here.
[2007] This is the "government & military" vertical market tier, which is one of the five vertical market tiers that can be selected (see previous row). This tier provides this type of customer with content that is meaningful to their industry. Each tier has customized content and advertisement panels unique to their market. The entire site is designed to fit into an 800x600 screen; statistics show that more than two-percent of web users sill use this lower resolution to compensate for poor eye sight.
[2002] This person contracted me to create a page to help him sell his Harley Davidson motorcycle. As you can see, he was very serious about his motorcycle. The motorcycle sold very quickly. This page shows how a single background image can be locked in place (both horizontally and vertically) while the foreground is moved. You can view the actual page by clicking here.
[2000] This page was done for free in support of John Thompson's campaign. John was running for Sheriff of Yavapai County (Arizona) at the time. John was an excellent law enforcement officer, and I was honored that he allowed me to make this contribution to his campaign. This is really the simplest of websites, which is what every website should be - Simple.
[2001] Stingl-Switch is a manufacturer of a drain-pump cut-off safety device. If a person or child (yes, children are people too) gets their skin sucked into a drain-pump intake, they can be severely injured; this device prevents that kind of injury. The page incorporates a unique Java driven side menu. This was well before Sun Microsystems told Microsoft that they couldn't include a Java Engine in Internet Explorer. Consequently, I use JavaScript now to accomplish the same thing.
[2000] Spa Parts Plus is a nation-wide wholesale distributor of Spa and Pool parts. It does have some nifty mouse-over effects. The page was made to look like a spa control panel. In particular, I was able to take a normal photograph of people in a spa, and filter it to look like an LCD graphic.

[2000] This is a separate page from Spa Parts Plus that incorporates a unique locating engine based on Perl. It is capable of locating distributors within a radius of the specified location (by mouse click or zip code). I still use this engine today in modern websites. Now I can additionally assign entire ranges of zip codes (or territories) to a single object (like a dealer) instead of using the radius mechanism. It can also zoom in on specific areas.
[2001] National Business MLS caters to business owners and buyers who wish to buy/sell businesses without getting Brokers involved. Also known as FSBO, or For Sale By Owner. It also caters to the independent sellers by offering a wide variety of informational kits and sales materials. There is also a listing engine (based on Perl and PHP) that can be searched by business shoppers on the internet; it's the e-Bay of FSBO's.
[2001] This is a business valuation input form (for National Business MLS). It's based on JavaScript, and uses various math functions to calculate certain business income and expenditure values. The results would automatically update as the user entered new figures (to protect against errors). The entire data set can then be e-mailed. This was slick technology back then, and it can still be applied to modern websites.
Sample Graphics & Other Works
The Electric Guitar. These graphics are just some samples of what I can do. I have many more. Too many to put on this Web site.
This is another graphical example. This one made for use in a Web site, and it actually served as the template for the "SingingTheTruth.com" website (4th row from the very top).
This is another graphical example, made for use as a program interface, and it could be adapted for Web site use.
This is yet another graphical example. This is also a prime example of what happens to people who don't have enough to do.
The famous "Billy" Eduard A. Meier UFO (1942) rendered in stealth-mode in deep space. Mid 1940's UFO's all seem to have mirrored finishes (Meier, Villa, Adamski, etc.). I actually created and rendered this model in AutoCAD; though, I'm working on getting a computer powerful enough to let me do this kind of work in 3D Studio Max.
This is a rendering of a formation of UFO's; all models are created from photographs of classic sightings. There's the Eduard Meier UFO, the Paul Villa UFO, and the George Adamski UFO. These models were rendered for a buddy of mine who manufactures these (and other) UFO's in 100% solid aircraft aluminum. You can learn about them at http://ethercraft.com
This is Pepper's Island (my wife). I created and rendered it, and presented it to her as a gift. I may have promised my wife the world, but so far I've only been able to give her an island.

I grew up working on rice farms and in citrus packing plants. I studied electronics theory in high school under the instruction of a teacher who held a BSEE, and I also participated in football, Academic Decathlon, and Odyssey of the Mind. I attended Northrop University pursuing my own BSEE, but the school shut down after I was there for two years. I then enlisted in the Marine Corps and worked as a data communications technician. After that, I started working in broadcast engineering. I've been married for over 11 years now, and my hobbies include legacy technology (c64's and vacuum tubes), video games, Shakespeare, and writing science fiction.

I slowly made my transition into IT as computer technology evolved. I've always been fortunate to be at the forefront of modern technology as it became integrated into the workplace. I've done nearly every job that can be done in an electronics factory. I've been the assembler and test technician when there was a shortage. When surface-mount technology became affordable, I was the one programming and operating the assembly robot. I've pitched in when the staff engineers needed help creating schematics and PCB designs. I ran technical support for years, and then I trained and supervised my own crew. When CNC laser cutters entered the process, I wrote the scripts that controlled the machines. I've created and controlled the totality of engineering documents and publications. Of course, I've done the whole computer gig too; I've built hundreds of computers and done more with them than most people could imagine.

Web site authoring, Software authoring, Network Engineering, and Publications authoring is quoted on a per customer basis. Typically, my rule is $45 to $160/hour, 1 hour minimum, 15-minute increments thereafter, Guaranteed Satisfaction. If there's something you need done, we can talk about it. You can E-Mail me at or call me at (530) 455-5162. However, one should consider just offering me a job as a regular employee.

- What do you know how to do?
Usually, I get asked if I can do something or if I'm familiar with some technology or if I know how to use some program. Most IT people act like they know it all, which is a sure sign that they don't. I don't know it all; but I do know a quite a bit, because I know how to solve problems. I learn really quick, and pick up things fast. I can intuitively work with computers and software. I've been heavily involved in Computers, Electronics, and Science since 1982. I've worked hard to keep on top of everything that has developed since then. My main career focus is IT & CIS, the management of computers and information.

- What solutions have you created before?
This is a great question. Skills and creative solutions go hand in hand. I've solved every problem ever handed to me, and here are a "few" real life examples:

Create a new company logo.

It's really not that hard. Anyone with a creative sense can do it.

Create an Interactive CD-ROM featuring Product Data and User Manuals.

CD-ROMs can be a real marketing tool. Handing out CD's at Trade Shows or Sales Meetings can put a lot of data into the hands of the customer. I've created CD's that provided a complete product presentation to the customer, complete technical data, and examples for use. The important thing to remember is that CD's, while being a valuable technical resource, are really just calling cards. It's important to establish a more direct relationship with any customer, even if it's just on the phone.

Create Web Sites with Search Engines and Statistical Tracking for Marketing Use.

Web Sites are like CD's, a calling card, a way to draw in business, and a technical tool for your customer. But it can also be a tool for the site owners as well. Statistical Tracking allow businesses to see exactly what their potential customers are looking for, and how much of it, and especially what they're not finding. It can be very useful when combined with Print Advertising.

Create Alternate Information Delivery Systems, Such as Fax-Servers and Secure Ordering Web Sites.

Fax-on-Demand used to be the hot item. But with the modern internet in place, fax-servers do little good. They only seem to be handy if your staff is faxing documents that don't belong on a website, like pricing information. Even then, modern business phone systems usually include a computer faxing service.

Save Capital Expenditure Costs by Building Computers for less than $500 that Out-Perform HP, Dell, IBM, or Compaq.

Your typical IT person has never seen the inside of a computer before, and can do little more than reboot a computer. I once knew a guy with a Bachelors in IT (BSIT) from ITT Technical Institute, and he had never once seen the inside of a computer, and didn't know how to install an operating system. This kind of IT professional can only buy pre-fabricated computers, usually from Dell, or they'll buy off the shelf computers from nearby stores or white-box resellers.

Consider the impact. Every computer invoice over $500 can be a Capital Expenditure. Most professional accountants will set a rule-of-thumb that is "anything over $500 is probably a Capital Expenditure", and encourage others to avoid exceeding the $500 limit with any one purchase.

Also, consider the further impact of utilizing an IT person who has never seen the inside of a computer. That's like having an ASE certified mechanic that doesn't know what the alternator is; and so, instead of the mechanic replacing a bad alternator, they buy you a whole new car. No one in their right mind would buy a whole new car because of one bad part. But this is exactly what people allow their IT staff to do all the time; buy a whole new computer to fix one bad thing. It all results in a much higher TCO.

I can avoid the Capital Expenditure by purchasing the individual components that make up a computer, and then assemble the computer myself, which is what real system builders do. This method allows me to specify quality computer components for less money, ultimately resulting in a superior computer that lasts longer and costs less. Additionally, I excel at fixing computer problems; and much like my mechanic counterpart, I know how to service every component that makes up the computer system, be it hardware, software, or network. This results in a much lower TCO.

Save Corporate E-Mail Users from SPAM by Deploying the Correct (and Free) Anti-SPAM Filters.

Some people can receive as much as 300 SPAM's per day. In the Corporate environment, that could mean 50 users would receive 15,000 SPAM's each day. If erasing each SPAM takes 1/2 a second, that's a little over 2.08 man-hours per day. Assuming a pay rate of $10/hour, full time, it results in $43,333 dollars in man-hours lost each year to dealing with SPAM. I know how to properly deploy and update modern anti-SPAM filters that will reduce the "300 SPAM's per day" to only two or three per day. That would save enough money to almost pay for a whole IT professional!

This can be done with free software and maintained by an IT professional. But I'll throw you a bone here. There is a moderately affordable anti-spam system out there that doesn't require significant technical knowledge. It's the Barracuda Anti-Spam Firewall from Barracuda networks. They sell a turn-key device with a yearly service, and it pretty much does everything all by itself. It only needs to be properly setup by a professional, and looked at once in a great while. I've used one of these before, and I can testify that it's an excellent solution.

Secure The Enterprise from Network Threats, Such as Hackers, Worms, Virus Attacks, Spyware, and Employee Abuse.

Spyware, and worms will reduce computer resources, and slow down the computer operator, costing the business a lot money. Also, a larger security threat are the trusted employees, which could create the problems by accidentally downloading spyware, or by intentionally violating copyrighted materials such as illegal MP3's, putting your business at risk of a lawsuit. I know how to stop all this from happening, and I've never had data loss or lawsuits occur. Anti-Virus software, network monitoring, and domain policy control will secure a computer network and protect a company.

I hate to tell you this, but according to statistics: 50% of your employees are surfing porn: 20% of their work day goes to recreational computer use such as e-mails, surfing favorite sites, or instant messaging. 25% are illegally downloading copyrighted material, such as music or movies. Whenever I have conducted an audit, I have shocked the management with the results. Everyone seems to think "that doesn't happen here", but the truth is that it does, I can prove it to you, and I can fix it too.

Maintain Proper Software Licensing.

Imagine one day that the police and several detectives show up to your workplace one day and serve you with a search warrant. They kick everyone out of the building until they can remove every piece of computer equipment that you have. They are taking the computers to their forensic scientists back at the county building. You'll get your computers back in a few weeks if they find nothing. Could your company survive that? But then it gets worse. After a few weeks of your lawyers going round and round, the BSA offers to settle for $400,000 and they'll drop the criminal charges. Eventually you settle, and the rat photocopies the $50k check from the BSA, frames the copy, and puts it on their wall; they tell the story about how bad an employer you were, and how they got even.

It happened because somebody knew that you didn't quite pay for all the software that you use in your business. They asked their computer buddy who told them to call the BSA (Business Software Alliance) and told them about the potential $50,000 reward for busting your company. So they called the BSA and told them everything they knew. The BSA then decided to work with local law-enforcement to get a warrant to search your computers and records. Once they audit your software installations and purchasing records, and check the records of the BSA member companies, they can easily determine what you've paid for and what you have not paid for.

It like bouncing a check. If you write a check that bounces, and you don't make it right, the police eventually arrest you. But they won't arrest you today, or tomorrow, or next week. It'll be a few years down the road when a cop stops you for a broken license-plate light. The cop checks for wants and warrants, and learns that you have a bench-warrant for that $50 check you blew-off four years ago. That's when you get arrested and spend a night wearing orange.

Making sure every piece of software in your business is properly licensed or registered can seem very intimidating, but it has to be done. There's a lot of little rules and stipulations, and everyone's different. You need an IT professional who is an expert at licensing. There are a lot of rules, and laws, and every license is different. It a lot like what a good tax professional does; they're an expert at tax law, and they know all the tricks of the trade, be it the IRS, Payroll, general ledger, amortization, or whatever. No average person could do a tax professional's job to save their lives. It's the same with software licensing; you need an IT professional who is an expert at software licensing (just like me).

Reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) in Computer Hardware by Correctly Utilizing Thin-Client and Terminal Server Technology.

Choice A: Buy 20 computer workstations at $400 each and replace them every 3 years.
Choice B: Buy 20 thin-client workstations at $300 each and replace them every 10 years.

Choice B saves $18,000 in hardware alone (across 10 years), and then there's all the other factors not mentioned that saves many thousands of dollars. Just about any business can save an incredible amount of money by utilizing thin-clients. I know! I've done it! I've deployed thin-client solutions in property-management companies, small factories, real-estate offices, and quite a few other places. They're easy to deploy, maintain, replace, and use. A thin-client can be deployed in ten minutes and replaced in five minutes. Thin clients are not computers, they are remote terminals. They have no moving parts and require no servicing. They are as easy to use as any other computer. A network of thin-clients can share one Server, which means there's only one Operating System to maintain, one installation of Microsoft Office or Symantec Anti-Virus, one directory of users and their files, not dozens of each.

However, thin-clients are not for everyone. They can be a blessing or a curse. Careful consideration needs to be given before committing to the deployment of thin-clients and terminal servers.

Preserve Network Bandwidth by Correctly Utilizing Enterprise Management Software to Distribute Updates.

This is really pretty simple. Most computers want to go out to the internet to get updates for Windows and Anti-Virus software. If you've got a bunch of computers all going out to the internet trying to get updates at the same time, your general internet access slows down, and sometimes becomes unusable. I know how to centralize the update downloads to free up bandwidth. I can make it so that one server goes out to the internet and downloads everything needed, and then distributes the updates to every computer on the network internally.

Upgrade a Server Domain while Preserving Data.

This is going to sound a little technical. I'm basically detailing how I once had to do a series of complicated upgrades to servers and workstations, smartly and smoothly.

The most fun I ever had upgrading a domain was when I had to upgrade two old servers using "Windows NT Server 4.0 BackOffice Edition (Demo)" to Server 2003. No direct upgrade was possible, so I had to use the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) to transfer all the users, groups, policies, and files while preserving the user SID's, to the new domain controller. I also had to use the User State Migration Tool (USMT) to transfer all the workstations from the old domain to the new domain, while upgrading all the workstations from Windows 98 to Windows XP at the same time. Oh, and I was also replacing all the old workstations with new computers, but I had to copy all the old data from the old drives and put them on the new computers. I also got to do it all without disrupting any business operations. I did cheat a little and come in on the weekend when no one was working.

Back Up all Corporate Data and Have that Data Available Instantly without Tapes.

If you have a tape based backup system, then you're probably in trouble. To find out, go to a computer that has nothing to do with the tape backup system, and restore your data. Well, the first thing you would have to do is install the tape-backup software. Do you have it? If you don't, then you didn't survive the disaster. Most tape-backup software disappears from the internet after a year, so you can never download it again; and there's no generic software that can do all formats. So, if you don't have the original CD or floppy disk, then the game is over and you lose all your data. Also, that "fire safe" you keep your tapes in probably has a water jacket that when heated will vaporize, destroying magnetic media; if you don't see a wood liner, then it's made to save paper only.

Hard-drives are more affordable and reliable then they were just a few years ago, and don't require special software or a dedicated operator. Also, the internet now allows for doing off-site backups that are affordable. A single removable hard-drive can store all your company data, will fit nicely into a data-rated fire safe.

The typical "Mother-Daughter" backup system creates backups from a series of days or periods that are:

Daily Backups, Monday thru Thursday (4)
Weekly Backups, Friday's 1 thru 5 (5)
Month End (1)
Quarterly (4)
Year End (1)

This is a total of 15 different backups, which is fine if you're using small 20GB tapes ($400 worth of tapes). However, if your data exceeds 20GB, and you have to go to larger tapes, the cost can become quite unacceptable. Also, using tapes, you can never recover the data quickly, and it usually requires the assistance of the backup-operator. I know how to use hard-drives to create the same backup system that keeps the data protected from fire or water, but online at the same time. It's not expensive, in fact, it'll cost less in man-power and equipment, and will allow for an unlimited storage capacity and instant access.

Business Communication

Are your various departments using separate databases to do their job? If your sales people are using Act, but your Accounting department is using Quickbooks, and your Customer Service department is using Access, then you have a serious communication problem. I can help you migrate all your data into a single business system (like SAP). Everybody can be on the same page. The sales guy can lookup a customer record and see that the customer had returned a defective item, and also see that the appropriate credit has been issued by accounting.

Do you have one receptionist chained to a desk, or an automated attendant routing all your calls? Do you still use fax machines? Do you remember the old rotary phones with the big clunky multi-line buttons? You wouldn't use a rotary phone, and you shouldn't be using call-routing and fax machines either. Modern communication systems allow for hundreds of virtual phone numbers, and this allows for every person with a phone to be their own switch board. Everyone can have their own fax-number. The boss can be on the phone, and see that he has an incoming call from his wife, and another call from that annoying stock-market guy. Voice-mails and faxes can all be controlled by computer. Also, the new system can utilize existing computer network wiring. I can help you throw out that old nasty phone system, and put in a new system that will give you all the benefits of modern communication technology, without increasing your monthly recurring costs. Your company can quickly become a high class operation with international recognition.

Free Technology

I'm an expert with the Linux Operating System, and I've used it to create low-cost servers that serve Web Sites, e-mail accounts, and anti-spam technology, with no licensing costs. While I really like Microsoft Servers, their licensing can become very expensive. A Microsoft web server can cost $750 for an OS license, $1850 for an internet connector license, $450 for an Exchange e-mail server license, and $40 per user, which for a small company of 50 users, would result in over $5000 in licensing. That cost is avoided with Linux, and for most applications, works fine. But don't misread me here, I really do like Microsoft server technologies, and I'm more than happy to work with those as well.

Factual Decision Making

Intel or AMD? Internet Explorer or Firefox? Windows or Linux? While I'm capable of making important decisions autonomously, I do so when it's my responsibility. When it's not, and it's time to take the decision to the boss, then I bring all the facts and options to the boss. If the boss has to make a decision, then it is my responsibility to make sure it'll be a well-informed decision based on the facts. I may make a recommendation, or give an opinion, if invited to do so, and I would make sure that there's a clear distinction between the facts and my opinions. However, once the boss makes the decision, then it's my job to implement and support that decision. I think this is very important to point out since a lot of IT people, who are "know-it-alls" will misrepresent the facts in order to get the boss to make a decision that supports their opinion.

I never guess, I always do the research to find out exactly what needs to be known. For example, I once built a CAD workstation that was going to use the x64 version of SolidWorks. It was very important to select the correct video card to maximize the capabilities of SolidWorks, but without wasting extra money. The available video cards cost anywhere from $150 up to $3000. I did the research and learned that anything beyond $615 worth of video card didn't increase the performance. Now, a lot of IT people would have purchased the $3,000 video card, using the "more than enough" rule; but that would have wasted $2,385. How much money does your company have to waste?

By the way, in my personal opinion, my recommendation is:

Adobe Acrobat Reader, download from Adobe.

Click on the PayPal link below to pay me. This is for people who either owe me money for work done, or for people who wish to give me money out of the kindness of their heart.
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