Howdy
Jun 15th 2009
Welcome to my personal webspace. After all these years my relationship with the Internet is a bit mixed. On the one hand I have been involved with computers off and on since writing my first FORTRAN program in 1970. So I’m quite the fan. On the other hand, I signed off from facebook quite awhile back, am not all that enthusiastic about the rise of the blogging nation and much to the consternation of my computer colleagues, have yet to work up the slightest enthusiasm for twitter. You’ll have a difficult time finding me anywhere on any ‘social’ networking system. (Though there is a Twitter account I still have lying around that I pay absolutely no attention to – @TheGrumpy)
For more on my skeptical view of how we live with technology, I highly recommend the short story by E.M. Forster (A Passage to India, Howards End, A Room with a View) that I’ve posted here — The Machine Stops. Also just about anything written by Sherry Turkle. Long ago I fantasized about writing exactly the sorts of books and essays she has. So of course I’m a big fan.
I’ve also been involved with music off and on since my first clarinet lessons in 1964. (Good gravy! Where do the time go?!). I majored in music for a couple years at Northwestern University, quit, got my first computer job, discovered folk dancing, made a career out of playing for dances and have been flipping and flopping between computers and music ever since. What fun!
For a long time I struggled with what I want to be when I grow up. Quite some time ago, I gave up. It became crystal clear that I will never – ever – grow up. Just don’t seem to have the requisite skills.