I have taught computer science at Trios College in Ontario for 12 years now (the picture below is from a SQL class, and yes, I am sticking my tongue out at the camera :-).  Most of the courses that I teach are certification-focused; as a result, I have obtained many certifications in that time. Certification is fast becoming a benchmark for companies that hire people for computer-related jobs. This is especially important for people entering the computer industry and applying for jobs in medium to large companies. For me, I don't think certification will be the deciding factor on my resume anymore but what the heck......they are fun to write every so often.  Following is a list of some of the certifications that I have:

    •    Certified Technical Trainer (CTT+)

    •    Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT)

    •    Master Certified Novell Instructor (MCNI)

    •    SCO Authorized Instructor

    •    Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist - SQL 2005, Exchange 2007, Vista, Active Directory, Server 2008

    •    Microsoft Certified IT Professional - Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 Administrator

    •    Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) - NT4/Windows2000/Windows2003

    •    Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) - Windows2000/Windows2003

    •    Master Certified Novell Expert (MCNE) - Netware 3.12/4.11/5/5.1/6/6.5

    •    SCO Master ACE (Advanced Certified Engineer) - UnixWare & OpenServer

    •    LPI (Linux Professional Institute) Certified

    •    Linux+ Certified

    •    Java 2 Developer Certified

    •    Sun Solaris Systems Administrator Certified

    •    Sun Solaris Network Administrator Certified

    •    HP-UX Certified

    •    A+ Certified

    •    Net+ Certified

    •    IT Project+ Certified

    •    Server+ Certified

    •    Security+ Certified

    •    CIW Certified Server Administrator

    •    Cisco CCNA Certified

    •    Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist (ACHDS)

    •    Apple Certified Desktop Technician (ACDT)

    •    Apple Certified Portable Technician (ACPT)

    •    BlackBerry Certified Support Specialist (BCSS)

    •    BlackBerry Certified Server Support Specialist (BCSSS)

    •    BlackBerry Certified System Administrator (BCSA)

I also have a few university degrees (the University of Waterloo was my second home for a long time), but few companies care about degrees today......they mainly want certification.  Although most certifications today require that the candidate have a solid grasp of the related topics, many certifications are still non-practicum-based can can be passed by people who don’t have a reasonable level of skill in the topic.  As a result, the following Dilbert cartoon may be realistic in a few situations:

Alongside teaching, I do some work outside of school hours for various organizations and individuals.  Since my time is limited, I typically provide my services for specialized situations where my skill set is best placed.  In the past, I have performed anything from helping end users with their programs to complex tasks such as network setup, database clustering, administrative scripting (PERL, Shell, Applescript), program creation (C, C++, JAVA, PHP, Python, FORTRAN) and data recovery (which is tricky and difficult). Remember.....I am certified....and have the cape to match.

I also have a circle of friends in science and engineering (my university background is largely in science).  Since I am fairly gifted in regression analysis, MPI clustering, and computer science project modeling, I am almost always involved in science/engineering research projects at various universities in southern Ontario. 

Perhaps one of my more “famous” achievements is the authoring of several textbooks for Course Technology/Cengage (Boston) and Wiley/Microsoft (Indianapolis).  I love to write, and my editors love me :-)

My textbooks include:

    •    Guide to Linux+ (ISBN: 0-619-13004-0) Out of print - 2nd Edition Available.

    •    Guide to UNIX Administration (ISBN: 0-619-13041-5)

    •    Linux+ In Depth (ISBN: 1-59200-062-2).

    •    Guide to Managing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network (ISBN: 0-619-12029-0).

    •    Guide to Linux+ - 2nd Edition (ISBN: 0-619-21621-2).

    •    Linux+ In Depth 2005 (ISBN: 1-59200-728-7).

    •    Novell's Guide to CompTIA's Linux+ (Course 3060) (ISBN: 1-4188-3730-X).

    •    SUSE Linux Administration (Course 3037) (ISBN: 1-4188-3731-8).

    •    SUSE Linux Advanced Administration (Course 3038) (ISBN: 1-4188-3732-6).

    •    Microsoft Windows Vista Guide (ISBN: 1-4188-3757-1).

    •    SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Administration (ISBN: 1-4283-2227-2).

    •    SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Security (ISBN: 1-4283-2223-X).

    •    Microsoft Official Academic Curriculum (MOAC): Exchange Server 2007 Exam 70-236 (ISBN: 978-0-470-31227-8).

I have also contributed to many other books written by other authors including:

    •    Advanced Guide to Linux Networking and Security (ISBN: 1-4188-3539-0) by Ed Sawicki - 2005

    •    70-290: MCSE Guide to Managing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment, Enhanced

                        (ISBN: 0-619-21752-9) by Brian McCann, Dan DiNicolo - 2005

    •    70-293: MCSE Guide to Planning a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network, Enhanced

                        (ISBN: 0-619-21754-5) by Brian McCann, Byron Wright - 2005

In addition to writing textbooks, I am an avid reader (of anything but textbooks!).  However, I prefer to read on eBook devices, most notably the Amazon Kindle (which is the best eBook reader out there today).  My personal Facebook page is www.facebook.com/kindleworm.

 

Parenting is one personal aspect that I do not see emphasized too often in biographies.  It requires skill, patience, and continuous learning.  You become a different person after you raise a child (in a good way). 

I am a divorced proud father of one - and yes - I make school lunches, do lots of laundry, build backyard forts and clean the house after having kids over like all other parents. 

More importantly, much of my free time is spent with my daughter. Although, both of us have Macintosh computers, we don’t spend all of our time on them.  We swim, hike, canoe, camp, read, shop, watch movies and visit the Ontario Science Centre (to which we are contributing members).  To the left is a photo of us on the 35KM Highland trail in Algonquin Provincial Park.

Also, we are one of the few families I know of that do not watch television - we don’t even have a single television channel!  Not only do we not have the time, but the Internet is a much better source for any information :-)  We do watch the occasional movie, mainly family/Disney/Pixar, such as Shrek (to which I am told I bear great resemblance).  The poster to the right was made by our Marketing Director as a surprise during a funny presentation at a past company meeting.  I honestly don’t think I look anything like Shrek - for example, does Shrek wear glasses?  I rest my case....

Yes, I play an instrument.  Actually, I play several.  My main instrument is the piano (for which I received an ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music when I was a teenager), but I also love to play the double bass (or Kontrabass), the violin, and the bagpipes.  The main difference between the double bass and the violin is that the double bass burns longer.   

When I was a teenager, I gave piano lessons to hundreds of students at George H. Jenner Piano Studios in Cambridge (I guess you could say it was “hands-on” training).  George was an amazing person - he was blind and only had two fingers on each hand, but he could make Liberace sound bad (ironically, George used to tune Liberace’s pianos when he performed in Canada).

In addition, I love to integrate my music with my computing.  Since my computer is only a few feet away from my Korg digital piano, I connect them to my computer using USB/DigitalAudio/MIDI.  In fact, I was a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) nut in the 1980s when I was growing up - I was always playing with MIDI sequencers and keyboards.  My first MIDI keyboard was a white Hohner PSK-75 and my first MIDI sequencer was a Brother MDI-30 (which stored songs on 3.5” floppy disks!).  Music technology has come a long way since then.  My daughter can do everything I did plus lots more using an M-Audio keyboard connected via USB to her Mac running Garageband.

My educational background is in science, and I enjoyed my university years tremendously (I wish I could re-live them forever).  Science started my passion for knowledge (most scientists are expert mathematicians, statisticians and computer programmers).  It has taught me how to think, question, and formulate concepts....a skill that I use daily and that will last for life.  One of my mentors who demonstrates a passion for science is Dr. Peter Chieh, who hired me as a TA for his nuclear chemistry course (and other work such as courseware editing and web development).  When I look back on my educational career, I realize that the casual academic chats that we had regularly in his office were instrumental in shaping my passion for science and computing.

I like to keep up with the latest developments in science & technology (the Internet makes this possible!) as well as visit science exhibits and presentations (usually held regularly at local universities).  In addition, my daughter and I are members of the Ontario Science Centre (a great place to expand your mind).

Like most who pursue scientific knowledge, I am an atheist.  Religion and science do not mix (although there are those who would disagree).   When I asked Peter (who reminds me of Richard Dawkins) how he dealt with the separation of religion and science, he told me of a long debate he had with a religious colleague of his surrounding the topic of religion and science.  At the end of the debate, they both disagreed on many levels but one - they both agreed that “religion serves a purpose.”  I do agree that religion can serve a useful purpose in society, but I also think that it is a dangerous meme that leads to war, strife, confusion, and the suppression of free thinking.  Basically, my religious views parallel those of the famous Richard Dawkins (read his books!).

I am always reading geeky stuff like 2600, SysAdmin, MacTech, and LinuxJournal, and I frequent geek websites such as boingboing.net, thinkgeek.com and geekculture.com. 

In my spare time, I collect vintage computers, build logic boards of various types, and explore new technologies (hardware- and software-based).  To the right is a vintage Mac SE/30 logic board (the Motorola 68030 CPU is gold-plated chip on the right).  

Although most of my books have been on Linux and I largely teach Windows Vista/2008, my preferred operating systems at home are Linux and UNIX.  My favorite Linux distributions are Fedora, Ubuntu and Gentoo.  My favorite UNIX flavors are IRIX and Mac OS X.

For those who know how to interpret it, here is my geek code:

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O M++ V PS+++ PE++ Y++ PGP++ t+ 5+ X R* tv-- b+ DI+++ D+++ G+++ e++++ h r- y++*

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