I wrote my first computer program in Fortran at Merritt College in Oakland, CA in 1969. They installed an IBM System 3 Model 10 in 1970, I took over the lab, and learned RPG II. As I stepped out into the Bay Area business world in 1971 my skills were in huge demand.

I took the first job offer that looked good, from Golden Grain Macaroni in San Leandro. I setup their new Sys 3 box as an employee and then quickly got swept away, up into the consulting world working on the hottest computer platform on the planet, the IBM System 32/34/38.

I was the guru that everyone wanted. IBM was selling their systems all around the Bay Area and my sub-contractor passed me the work. Eventually I became independent and great systems were built from the ground up for many companies.

By the time the eighties and the IBM PC rolled into town, I was a jaded, burnt out code head. But of course, I took it on full steam and started several companies, blew up Comdex's and ultimately wrote scanner device drivers for Z-Soft's PC Paint, in assembly, at 5k a pop.

Now I'm just an old guy hunkered down in a small town in southern Tennessee. I still write code. I'm still as messed up as ever. Rock on baby!