OK,
so I don't quite look like Fabio, however, with extensive plastic surgery,
hair implants, 20 pounds of makeup and a pair of elevator shoes, I could!
OK, if you are reading this, then for some reason you must want to know something about me, so here goes.
I was born and raised in Oregon, now for those of you who are not from Oregon, Washington or the Northernmost 10 miles of California, I have included a sound file so that you will know how to properly pronounce the word "Oregon". For a geographical reference, here is a map of Oregon.
While
my classmates in the Oakridge public school system were still dreaming
of being nurses and firemen, I knew what I wanted to do with my life, I
was to be a computer programmer; I was destined to become a computer nerd.
As proof of this strong desire to be a nerd, I studied "Software Engineering"
(computer programming) at the Oregon
Institute of Technology (O.I.T.), which has approximately one woman
for every 8 men on campus.
Needless to say, I was able to study with great diligence during my time at O.I.T, as I was not burdened with the wasteful distractions of beautiful women, or for that matter, for the most part, even remotely attractive women. I pity those of you men who went to large universities, universities where women were plentiful; for you know not what it is like to go 4 years without a woman even speaking to you, except for those who barely pass for women, you know the ones, those who ask if you would like bread with your gruel when dining in the campus cafeteria.
After graduating from O.I.T. in 1992 with a Bachelor's degree in computer nerdism, I anxiously and enthusiastically set out to rock the world with all of my newly acquired computer programming expertise. I was quickly humbled and my enthusiasm crushed, as the computer industry has a tendency to milk you for every drop until you are dry.
After working for several years, a dear friend of mine, Don, called me up one day and asked if I would be interested in going to school in Japan. He informed me that there is a college in Japan that is a sister to O.I.T. and that they sometimes give scholarships for people wanting to study there.
So, the short version of the story is that somehow, I managed to convince somebody important that I was worthy of a scholarship to get my Masters degree in Japan. So, I lived on the Japanese island of Hokkaido for three and a half years, in a town named Muroran (not moron, but close). I am attending classes at M.I.T. (Muroran Institute of Technology).
Having gotten my masters in imbibing Japanese alcohol compounds along with an actual Masters degree in Computers, I now find myself having returned to the states. I am currently working as a consultant in the Portland area. Money is good and the people are pretty kewl.
With that, I believe I shall end this little detour into what can loosly be called my life.