Just in case you're at all curious about my background in IT (Information Technology).
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 I decided to post this article, as a quasi-resume.
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My actual IT resumes (a bit out of date) are here:
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<a href="http://www.hawkes-haven.com/resume/HawkesResume.htm">Hawkes Resume in HTML format</a>
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I can be contacted at hawke[at}hawkes-haven.com
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Click the [read more] link for details...

I first started working with computers in 1981 when I was 11 years old on a TI (Texas instruments) 99/4a with a whopping 16KB of ram, and borrowing a friends tape cassette drive for storage media.
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I started with BASIC and wrote simple programs for accounting and inventory, and also a "Tolkish Dictionary" meant to be a comprehensive dictionary/glossary on all of J.R.R. Tolkien's words and characters that were unique to his writings, and various "Zork" like (didn't exist yet then) if/then text based RPGs (role playing games).
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I managed to get from A to G of the Tolkish Dictionary quite complete, with a smattering throughout the rest of the alphabet, and as a searchable index, before I maxed out the cassette drive capacity.
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I originally went into computers because I wanted to create computer animation, so I did a lot of music and animation too (very limited in those days).
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In 1984 I gained an IBM PCjr and upgraded it to a whopping ;0) 640KB and it had TWO 5.25" floppy drives and 16 colors, and more!
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I learned DOS, and more BASIC, and PACAL on this ssytem and started doing little accounting and inventory and POS work for family friends who had parents or others, that needed inexpensive computer programming work,as well as lots of fun and games and graphics and music on this platform.
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Then it was stolen when our house was robbed some time later.
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I was resigned to borrowing friends or schol computers over the years such as the Commodore 64, TRS-80, IBM XT and AT, etc.
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Then I discovered the Amiga 1000 and thought that was incredible, but wasn't able to get it at the time.
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I then kind of faded away from computers and focused more on automotive for a few years, though computers will still prevelant in much that I did.
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Eventually I ended up with an Amiga 2000. Still have it, still occasionally use it. i've upgraded it to currently 68030 33mhz, 8 MB ram plus 1MB fat agnus, scsi and IDe hd's, HD fd plus 2 DD FD, genlock, midi, sound capture, and more.
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Learned C and AREXX on it.
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I was working as a photographyer and automotive technician during these years around 91-96 but kept doing various computer work for friends, family, and employers too, and my specialty in automotive was computers and electrical systems.
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Eventually, with getting married and our first son on the way, I decided to get seriously focused on IT again around 1996. Setup my first home network, first with Arcnet, then later Ethernet. I'd been doing some networking support at some places i worked previously too for Netware and 3com and WFWG (Windows For Work Groups) environments.
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Decided I needed the "piece of paper" of a degree and picked up my AS in CS from CCI with 4.0 GPA in '98, while picking up full time employment as a PC and network technician at a retail store called PC Easy. I acquired other jobs over the years and worked up quickly in position, skill, responsbility, and income.
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I worked up quickly, and in a few years, exceeded my goal considerably of a 120k/yr income (Achieved 150+k) and becoming CTO, and moved from UTah back to my home state of California, and landed in Silicon Valley / Bay Area.
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I loved it in Silicon Valley! I finally related to folks instead of always having to drag people along who seemed to be at least 2 years behind in tech.
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I was CTO of an online digital publishing company called MightWords, a spin off from Fatbrain, which later became a subsidiary of , and eventually obsorbed by,  Barnes and Noble.
The .Com bubble burst. And we were struggling, but still had a lot of money, low "burn rate " (hate that phrase) and were good to go for yeasr to come and with potentical profits/ break even on operating costs only months away.
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Then 9-11 happened (which is also my birthday [sigh, surely not wise for concern oc identity theft to have all this information with dates, hopefully that never catches up with me), and well, various people on the Board kind of cracked. and all of a sudden i had to lay everyone in IT off, sell everything, and shutdown by the end of the year. I left at the end of January 2002. :-(
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Luckily, since there was still plenty of money, everyone had fairly ok termination pay.
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As an executive I received a considerable sum and I used much of that money to start my own business ventures in computer training, virtual office services and VPns, information security consulting, wireless ISP services, and much more.
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Some things were more successful than others.
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But it was too hard on the family.
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Since deciding to go into IT full bore in 1996, I have worked a minimum average work week of 90 hours per week, with many over 120 hours per week, and usually once or twice a year "having" to work 3 to 3.5 weeks straight through with NO sleep, and only running home for showers and changing. And only one year did I take a vacation (for a week).
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This eventually took a toll on my physical and mental health, and my family (most important).
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So I have decided, due to the nature of IT's demands, and my obssessiveness in not stopping until everything is done, that I need to pull out of IT full time for everyone's sake. Though all my clients and those I've done work for protest this strongly stating they don't know how to get a replacement for me. Which is nice for stroking my ego, and makes it that much harder to quit what has become such a bad addiction for me.
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I made this decision around July/August of 2003.
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This has turned out to be amazingly difficult to follow through on, since it it now obvious I have become an "Information Junkie".
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I ended up starting on board as a founding partner and CTO for Veridex integrity index and started to come onboard as a partner and CTO for Axxess.net an ISP providing wireless, dsl, and dial-up services.
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I have extremely strong background in so many areas, that I have trouble getting just my IT resume down to only 10 pages. I have worked heavily with Windoze, LInux, *BSD, Solaris, Netware, and many other operating systems, many server and application products, networking, security, ecommerce, Internet, and more.
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I don't think much of many ceritications, though the Sun Java and SANS security certifications seem to be more meaningful than most, but so many employers want that "piece of paper". When I hired and interviewed, I cared about what someone KNEW and DID, much more than any degrees or certs. I encouraged constant education adn training and budgeted heavily for it, for the good of the company as was proven time and time again, but certs in general are just a MINIMUM rating.
<br> having said that, I have the following certifications:
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<li>SANS GIAC GCIH security certification through the programs sponsored by the NSA and FBI.</li>
<li>MCP+Internet</li>
<li>MCSE</li>
<li>CNA</li>
<li> SCSA - (Sun Certified Systems Administrator) I passed the first of the two Solaris Admin tests, but since deciding to change careers haven't bothered taking the second $150 test though I've administratoed Solaris for many years since version 2.5.1.</li>
<li>ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) triple certified in Automotive Computer Systems, Automotive Electrical Systems, and Engine Performance and Analysis and Emissions.
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I have advanced training and hands on experience covering a wide range of market verticals and technologies.
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I tried to mellow out and only work 40-60 hours per week in IT, but I fell right back into my old habits of being the "superman" and saving the day for so many folks, and taking on my responsibility, thus working through the nights with little or no sleep, to keep amazing everyone with such great results.
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So I, with great difficulty, have bowed out from these other companies and job offers popping up all over,  before their dependency on me became too great.
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So, now IT has to be relegated to a hobby status once again.
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I have decided to change careers radically into RT, Recreational Therapy, or Therapeutic Recreation depending on who you're speaking with at the time.
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This has a much more balanced lifestyle (thought significantly less pay).
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I'm a big OSS (Open Source Software) advocate, have successfully moved 100% away from any MS products or any products requiring MS dependencies. I am boycotting all RIAA/MPAA member companies, and protesting the DMCA and attempts at Super DMCA, abuses and all those who support it, as well as the abuse of the Patriot act. I have always been a security "nut" but what is currently under way is nothgin but fear mongering to grow a facist regime, and it's very sd to see our country being so quickly destroyed, and the lawyers at the front of it's destruction.
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I still host some ecommerce websites for some clients I have had for years, to cover my expenses for my hobby sites and such. And I doubt I'll ever get completely away from IT with over 20 years of background in it now. But it is no longer my means of income support and focus.
I'm heading back to school to work towards a master.
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Right now I'm in Idaho, about to move to Washington. But that's all a nother story. ;-)