• Work with computers

  For me, this is an enjoyable way to relax, a good way to keep the grey matter exercised, and an ace in the hole that has allowed me to effectively solve a lot of work-related problems throughout my career. In fact, if I were to offer some completely unsolicited advice to folks just starting out, it'd be: "Never expect others to undertake (or underwrite) your education. Get the skills you need any way you can, even if it means spending your own time and money. It pays off in the end." (That scraping sound you hear is me putting away the soapbox.)

  Software-wise, I don't program as much as I used to; my modest needs are taken care of by Perl and C. This site testifies to some modicum of skill with HTML, too.

  A long-time DOS/Windows user, I started horsing around with Linux on a spare machine a couple of years ago, and have made some good progress with it. I run Linux on several machines around the house, including an old 486SX.

  The 486 machine does everything I want it to do, including IP masquerading and acting as a firewall for my home network (four machines, which serves as an excellent "laboratory" for learning about networking). In any event, I'm finding that although I have no major beef with Microsoft Windows (after all, my skills using Windows-based apps have helped and continue to help me earn income), I find Linux increasingly capable of solving more and more of my problems with less hassle.

• Play chess

  My U.S. Chess Federation rating is Class B for both postal and over-the-board play. "Class B" basically means folks like World Champion Garry Kasparov have little to fear from me. As far as about 85% of the rest of the chess-playing world is concerned, however, it's a whole 'nuther story. <grin>

  The photo to the left shows me, the bearded fellow at the left side of the image, playing against Don Stone during the sixth and final round of the 1986 National Amateur Team Championship (South). The theme of that game was Yogi Berra's observations that "it's not over until it's over." Our team won the Class B prize that year, which placed me in two consecutive winning Class B teams. My other chess achievements include assorted first and second places in various postal tournament sections, and draws against GM Edmar Mednis and former World Champion Boris Spassky in simultaneous exhibitions. Click the heading of this paragraph to visit my chess page.

• Talk over amateur radio

  My call sign is KD6JJA, obtained while living in California. You can sometimes find me talking on the 2-meter repeater (146.64 MHz (-)) sponsored by the Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club/W5RRR.

• Fly

  I'm a private pilot, certified to fly single-engine, land-based aircraft (though it's been a while). I started out in Cessnas in California, while working for Borland. The boss, Philippe Kahn, was a pilot (as are many execs in the software industry), and I recall occasionally chasing him around the pattern at Watsonville. Currently, I've logged somewhere just short of 100 hours, most of those flying in a Cherokee 180 in Colorado.

(If the above date is a hundred years or so off, your browser's Java interpreter isn't current. If the date is missing completely, your Java capability is turned off or doesn't exist.)

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