Everyone in their world has their own hobbies, passions, and loves. Here are a some of mine:
Cerbumi.org: Cerbumi.org is an “open-source network approach to real-world problem solving. It is an amalgamation of social networking and group-ware tools that gives nonprofits unmatched access to experts and allows volunteer experts the opportunity to donate a small amount of time in a highly leveraged environment. This environment generates a wealth of ideas that are refined and tempered by a community of expert volunteers. For more details, visit the site, or read the executive summary and/or the pilot proposal.
User Interface Design: The insight and testing provided by even a novice usability professional can make a tremendous difference in the usability of any application. Making an application or website easier to use means that more people will use it as intended. For businesses using the Internet as a source of revenue, better usability results in higher revenues. Surprisingly, usability review and testing is most often overlooked in the smaller organizations that can least afford to ignore it. For examples of my user interface design work, please see my design galleries.
Photography: One of my passions is photography. I own a Nikon CoolPix 5700, an Argus/Cosina 35mm, and a Yashica-A medium format camera from 1950. I particularly enjoy desert landscapes and close-up flower photography. You can enjoy some of the results of my work in my photo galleries.
Saltwater Fish: Consider with me for a moment the following situation. Take $1,000 or so into a store and purchase expensive equipment and high-voltage electronics. Now, place these items in or near a 55-gallon, 600-pound tank of corrosive saltwater in the middle of your living room. Add decorative rocks, then $200+ worth of “livestock.” Pray that none of this tips over in an earthquake. Miss a critical chemical fluctuation and lose the critters. Welcome to the wonderful world of saltwater aquaria! Some people call it “Reef Madness.” All told, though, the challenge is rewarding. Just don’t let anyone tell you that fish are easier to care for than cats! I buy my kit and critters from the excellent staff at Mark’s Tropical Fish in Studio City, CA.
Backpacking: I greatly enjoy spending time in the wilderness. In the summer of 2002, my best friend Laura and I volunteered for the USDA Forest Service in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. We spent about 11 weeks acting as docents in a remote historical cabin and patrolling the wilderness educating users about “Leave No Trace” ethics. You can see photos from our summer in my Trinity Alps photo gallery.
Computers: I adore my 17″ MacBook Pro, my 6th Apple laptop. I’ve been using computers as part of my daily life since my early childhood. I particularly enjoy finding creative things to do with old hardware. I’ve created an electronic installation piece out of 5 IBM 730T tablet computers, formerly used as insurance adjustment tools well before the “Tablet PC” became popular. I’ve also resurrected my 15″ PowerBook G4 after its untimely demise as part of a “Digital Hub” named Mishima. It provides a source of music (streamed to my home stereo via AirTunes) and displays graphs that show how much bandwidth is being used by my primary servers.
Hybrid Vehicles: I’m fortunate enough to own what was probably the first 2004 Toyota Prius sold in Los Angeles, based on my highly scientific study of other Priuses and their sequential license plate numbers. Let’s focus on using the technologies and infrastructure that we have at our disposal now to improve the world.
Coffee: My first meetings with my best friend Laura were at a now-closed coffee shop named Hava Java in Manhattan Beach, CA. My honor’s thesis mentor, Professor McIntryre, would occasionally make Illy espresso for me during our meetings. When I graduated I received a Rancillo Silvia espresso machine as a gift. Since then, I have been drinking espresso nearly every day. I modified my espresso machine with an industrial temperature controller that is more accurate than the factory-installed thermostat. I now drink about 4 or 6 shots of espresso each day, which translates into roughly half a pound of coffee beans each week. I am on a first name basis with the good folks at Supreme Bean Coffee Roasters in North Hollywood, CA, who make an excellent light-roast espresso named “Espresso del Norte.” I highly recommend it.