Welcome to John Harney's page of personal information. Part biography, part history, part junkyard of memories, these fragments make up my life. Some are old, some are new, some important, but mostly not. Have fun.

Biographical Information
I was born in 1961 in Dayton, Ohio. I was young then, and don't remember much from that period of my life.

Work Life
Jobs? I've had my share. My first "job" was delivering newspapers for the Kettering-Oakwood Times. It was a twice-weekly community paper. That was enough responsibility for me. The price of the paper was $1 per month. Needless to say, I didn't earn much. Being in a suburb of Dayton, there weren't really many employment opportunities.

When we moved to Madisonville, Kentucky in 1976, it was a real town. That meant more places to work. My first interview, and first real job, was at the Ponderosa Steak House. It started in the kitchen washing dishes; a hot, wet place that had a peculiar odor that's hard to describe unless you've worked in fast food joints. Showing a talent for getting ketchup and A1-Sauce off plates, I was moved to busboy. A real rush, I got to keep the $.15 change people would leave on their trays. My engineering skills must have been developing even then; I moved from station 1 through 4. Station 4 was the "runner" which meant you would not only clean your section, but you'd collect the bus carts from the other folks, and take them to the kitchen, unload it, and bring out a clean cart. Not really a promotion, it was more a demonstration that I could work under pressure. That lead to a REAL promotion. I moved up to the "front line", working the potato station. This was more than just potatoes. I cooked the Texas Toast, grilled burgers, and did plate prep. This exciting task included putting the endive on the plate with the bread, then the adding the potato, and wait for the steak from the cook, then hand the steaming plate to the clearly grateful customer. The last stop before management was "Cook." What an honor that was. I learned how to use a double-spatula-tongs set, how to get really cool grill marks on the beef, what natural tenderizer means, and all sorts of stuff I really use to this day. I don't even have to cut a steak to know how it's cooked inside. One day a manager came out of the office, said he heard me "shouting on the line," and fired me on the spot. I never did figure out who was shouting, but it sure wasn't me. And no, they wouldn't listen to others that would vouch for me, either.

Word around town was that another steak house was opening shortly, so I decided I'd put my considerable talent to work there when they'd open. In the meantime, I needed gas money for the car I'd recently purchased, so I became a grocery bagger at the local supermarket. It was so unremarkable that for the life of me, I can't remember the store's name. But I picked up a useful skill there, too; I can bag groceries about 3 times faster, and with less damage, than the workers in the store I frequent now. When they ask, "Paper or plastic?" I just say, "I'll do it myself, thanks." Even with today's automatic price scanners, I'm able to keep up with the checkers. Why is that?

An eternity, or at least a month, passed. The Bonanza Steak House was under construction, and they were hiring. I explained my abilities, and was hired on the spot. Even with the "shouting" blemish on my record. I was to be one of the four head cooks; I'd be working with friends they hired away from Ponderosa. Came opening day, however, I wasn't to be a cook. My boss said he'd asked some folks about me, and he wanted me to be the "Line Coordinator." Hmmm. Not much responsibility, but I keep the whole thing going. And I didn't smell so bad after work. One day a cashier was sick, and my boss said, "I've never had a male cashier. I think you'll be a good one." And I worked magic on that cash register. After the first week as cashier, I was put on Saturday nights, and Sunday lunches; the real rush times for the restaurant. And there I   Madisonville.

I left Kentucky to go to college in Nashville, Tennessee, and had a few jobs while I was there, too. The first was associated with the University. I graded Computer Science programs and exams. Not really thrilling, but it did give me the opportunity to see how other people wrote their programs, and thought about problems. I think it paid off; I get to debug operating systems now.

I got a job working midnight shift at Northern Telecom between semesters. I started by adjusting ringers on phones that didn't pass QA. Then I started doing the actual telephone set testing. The last assignment before I left was to repair the ringers I rejected way back when I was adjusting them. It was interesting; this whole job came about as part of a problem hooking Northern Telecom phones on Ma Bell's wires.

Taking a year off school, I worked at a small computer shop named Surya Data Systems. That included installing and repairing Apple ][ computers, Cromemco Z-80/S100 micros, and "Vector Graphics" systems. I learned to adjust the voice-coil heads on quad-density PERSCI 299-B 8" floppy drives. I confess, I don't use that skill anymore. ;-) I did get to meet (the now-late) Conway Twitty when we installed a rather large system at his Twitty City.

After college, I moved to the Boston area, and have been working here ever since. I wanted to work at the Plasma Fusion Center of MIT, but that opportunity fell through before I even arrived. I got my first "professional" job at SofTech, an Ada compiler house doing DoD work. Hosted on VAX/VMS systems, the compiler target was an embedded Intel x86 single board computer. First it was "importers and exporters" to and from the Ada environment, then work on the linker. I moved to the compiler group, and worked on the peephole optimizer, and when I got laid off (with the rest of the group and our manager) I was adding floating point instructions to the optimizer. The biggest advantage was learning the insides of VAX/VMS.

Which really came in handy helping get my next job, at Digital Equipment Corporation. I started in the VAXworks group, doing VMS Internals support. Then writing kernel code. Then teaching the Internals III (User-Written System Services, Symbionts, Kernel and Elevated IPL code) course and Performance Management and Tuning course. Then porting system code to Digital's new Alpha (then called AXP) processor.  Then doing customer visits. Then system management for my group when they laid off the system manager (??). And finally, before the VAXworks group was managed out of existence, developing Windows NT Training Services to be delivered to customers. I was the last VAXworker. I turned off the lights.

An old manager named Jack Fallon had gone to VMS Engineering, and offered me a job there in the Security Expertise Center. Now a part of OpenVMS Engineering in Nashua, New Hampshire, the duties are many and varied. I give sessions at DECUS, do security "coroner" duty on security bugs, (and fix them!) etc.  I designed and coded the
"Impersonation Services" for our NT Affinity project, and just completed the design of Cluster-Wide Intrusion Detection.  It's OK if you don't understand most of this; my mother doesn't either.

On the side, I create and host web pages for Digital Palette, my Web company. In emergencies, I do receptionist duty at my wife's dental practice.

Résumé
As usual, my resume is horribly out of date. Since I've been at DEC/Digital/Compaq for 11 years, I don't have much need for one. I'll update this spot when I have one, but in the meantime, feel free to use my employment history above for details. I think there's enough there.

Education
For Kindergarten, it was Smith Elementary School in Oakwood, Ohio. I seem to remember "Miss Harness" was my teacher.

Elementary School was Harmon School in Oakwood. Mrs. Holmes. Mrs. Rentz. Mrs. Dickerson. Mrs. Lozier. Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Letner. I didn't play any sports, but I was in the Band and Choir.

Junior High School was Oakwood High School. That's where I stared with computers, math and science. Well, other stuff too, but that's not nearly as interesting. I was still in the Band, and still in the Choir.

I moved after the 9th grade to Madisonville, KY, and attended school at Madisonville-North Hopkins High School, or MNHHS. Our team name was the "Maroons," and the mascot something called the "Spirit Worm," I swear. I owe my guidance counselor a huge debt. I was going to be an electrician and work with my Uncle Steve in North Carolina. I told her so when I went to sign up for Vocational School. She refused to allow that, saying my test scores were way too good to not try other things first. She had me apply to all sorts of colleges, and to various military academies and the ROTC programs. It worked.

My next stop was Vanderbilt University in Nashville. I can't possibly do the campus, city, events and people justice, so I'll keep it short. It was the single most amazing set of experiences in my whole life (only 22 years to that point, but hey). I double-majored in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering while on a Navy ROTC Scholarship. My fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, is playing a continuing role throughout my life. Some frats are about drinking and partying; this one was, too, but it was also about friendship, brotherhood, and growing.

Life's Influences
Sometimes we choose our path outright, but other times our paths are gently nudged or influenced when we're not even looking, by the things we experience or appreciate. Here's my set of typical influences.

Music
I am a Parrothead. You know, a Jimmy Buffett Fan. "It's about an island that's nowhere other than in your mind." I'll have a Buffett page sooner or later.

I also am learning to play the guitar. With guidance from a member of the famous group RUBEN KINCAID (Thanks, Brian!) and my cousin Dottie, I'm doing what I always dreamed of. The various resources on the Internet for music and guitar are amazing, and provide tons of lessons, riffs, exercises, and ideas. I'll make a page for these places one day.

Politics
"That government is best, that governs least." In the words of the Advocates for Self-Government, "I am a self-governor." I know what's best for me. In a free society, why should a government concern itself with every fart, burp, and tickle produced by its citizens? Very simply, it shouldn't. The Democrats want your money, and think they know better how to spend it. The Republicans simply want everybody to believe as they do, whether it's about sex, morality, and religion. Neither is reasonable. We've been polluted for so long with the "two party system" that people honestly believe they're throwing away their vote if they don't pick the Donkey or the Elephant. I've got news for them; they've been throwing their votes away for quite some time. Trying to vote for the winner doesn't get you good government, it gets you people who promise the most to the most voters. Hardly a reasonable basis for a system of government.

For these reasons and others, I am a Libertarian. No, Lyndon LaRouche is a DEMOCRAT. David Duke is a REPUBLICAN. Jesse Ventura is in the REFORM PARTY.  And Howard Stern was simply an entertainer trying to improve market share.

Religion
Thank God I'm an Atheist. I respect the beliefs of others; I just wish they'd respect my lack of same. And no, "atheism isn't just like another religion." I believe in being responsible for my own actions, and I believe in holding others accountable for theirs. "Judeo-Christian ethics" is just code for, "you can't be moral if you're not religious. And that's just bullshit. Enough said.

Hobbies and Pursuits
Some hobbies and interests are more tangible than others. People who make furniture or collect stamps have stuff to show for their hobbies. I have enough stuff without collecting more, thanks. Being rather hedonistic, I enjoy more doing and experiencing than collecting. See the bit about video games in the junk section for an exception.

Computers
Computers are my life. I build them, use them, live on them, work on them, socialize on them. I read about them, write software for them, teach about them, and explain them.

Internet
The Internet is about communication and information. "I use it, I love it." My brother finally got online, and said, "I should have done this 5 years ago!" No kidding, Brian.  He's now an eCitizen. 

Vacations
Many people in the Boston area think there are "four real seasons" up here. I am quite sure the frost has frozen what's left of their brains. With 6 full months of winter , it's not hard to dream of something more, er, tropical. See the music section for details about my inspiration. Boca Raton, Florida at St. Andrews is rather nice. ;-) We get there every year. Laguna Beach, California is delightful and quiet. Atlanta at New Years has days of sun and warmth. But for true tropical bliss, try the Caribbean. Whether it's a retreat on Barbados, a resort in Cancun or Jamaica, or a cruise ship to the islands, I've never found anything close for pleasure and relaxation. Soon I'll have a trip report of our last cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's SEAWARD (October 1997). Our next cruise is planned already on Princess's Dawn Princess.  Just six weeks away (November 1999)!

Liquors
A good bar is like a great CD collection or a fantastic library. It's a conversation piece in its own right, as well as providing hours and hours of enjoyment sampling the contents. Rums and single malts, tequilas and vodka. And exotic ones, like green and yellow Chartreuse, 150 yr. old Grand Marnier cuvée, and cachaça. Expect a photo soon, and maybe even a complete list. See my Rum and Cachaça Page for more details on my favorites.

Camping
I love camping. Not car camping, and not survival backpacking, but something in between. Backpack the food and stuff in, sleep in hammocks (even in the winter), cook over the campfire, etc. Learned how in Boy Scouts, and perfected the skill with some friends. Mike, Belinda, Rod, Greg, Fanch, Jeff. And Mark, Nancy, Patty, and Jon. Bonnie and Clyde. We've encountered everything from frozen trees crashing into the site to porcupines gnawing the leather patches off the back packs. For food, it's been Beer Stew, lasagna, JiffyPop, and Birthday cake. Perhaps one day I'll create a camping page.

Miscellaneous Items
Clearly not everything fits into neat categories. I get to keep neat stuff around, and you get to peek a little deeper into "me."

Residences
Dayton, Ohio

• Lonsdale Ave
• Oakwood Ave

Madisonville, Kentucky

• Russell Drive

Nashville, Tennessee

• Vanderbilt - Branscomb Quad, #1324
• Vanderbilt - Tower II, 10th floor
• Vanderbilt - Tower IV, 6th floor
• Vanderbilt - Tower II, 13th floor
• Vanderbilt Summers - Alpha Epsilon Pi house

Boston, Massachusetts (Greater Boston Area)

• Radcliff Road, Somerville
• Naples Road, Brookline
• Commonwealth Avenue, Brighton (Boston)
• Windsor Village, Waltham
• Kilsythe Road, Arlington
• Wilson Drive, Framingham

Eventually I may say a little something about each, and maybe a photo or two as well. But I can't do everything at once, or the web pages will be out of date before I publish them.


Automobiles
I've only had five cars. Not many for 40 years of driving!

1972 MG-MGB
"Lipstick Red". What a wonderful first car. Two seater ragtop, mag wheels. How much better can it get? Of course, no A/C, no rear window (to speak of), no functional locks, etc. I replaced the clutch three times in various parking lots around Nashville. Replaced the top once or twice. Eventually the frame started sagging, and the tires would scrape the underside of the fenders. Not good.


1987 Jeep Wrangler
Black. First new car. No A/C, no locks, no glass (except the windshield), no trunk, etc. The rollbar and the seatbelts saved my life as I rolled the thing on Rt. 3 North heading to New Hampshire. I clipped mile marker 86 as I flipped the guard rail. See the Jeep Accident page for pictures and more details about the demise of this great car.

1988 Nissan Stanza GXE
White. Sunroof, A/C, locks, rear defroster, power locks/windows. It loses the front hubcaps around corners, but other than that I loved it.

2001 Nissan Maxima GL
Beige. All the fixings. My second new car. Very nice car, and only one accident; not my fault.

2002 Mercedes Benz SLK-320
Black. "Lili M." The Best Gift Ever. Hard-top convertible. Two seats and NOTHING more.

Flying
My dad has a Cessna 172, as well as being involved with the Western North Carolina Air Museum. I go flying with him whenever I can. I have recently decided it's just time to take up flying, no excuses. Well, except money. Hopefully I'll have more here soon.   And more money.

Model Railroads
I still have, but don't use, an N-Gauge layout I built 20 years ago. Taken from an Atlas book, it's the Gulf Summit Lines / Susquehanna Valley Railway. The name is about as big as the layout. Whew.

Boy Scouts
I joined Scouting as a Cub Scout. From there through Webelos and on to Boy Scouts, I was in Troop 101. That started declining, and I switched to Troop 233. When we moved to Madisonville, Kentucky, it was Troop 73, where I became an Order of the Arrow member. I stayed with it, and finally, in 1979, I became an Eagle Scout. My Eagle project was to a) organize a crew to do roadside cleanup; b) take all the metal and glass collected and recycle it; c) take the money from the recycling and purchase two books for my school's library. Scouting influenced my life in so many ways. Mostly it was about learning stuff, either about me, or about the world around me. I wouldn't THINK about winter camping if I didn't have the appropriate training and experience. I give Scouting (5 stars).

Other Stuff
Some things aren't even miscellaneous.

Magazines and Periodicals
I read lots of magazines, papers, and periodicals:

Good Television
The Learning Channel and The Discovery Channel have the best shows on the boob-tube. "The Operation" shows real, full operations. It is THE most amazing series. I also enjoy the various Star Trek series, CNN Headline News, C-SPAN, and This Old House. Also the Travel Channel and the Weather Channel.

Favorite Movies

• Buckaroo Banzai - Across The 8th Dimension
• Real Genius
• Tora Tora Tora
• Star Trek movies
• Star Wars movies

Relatives
Distant ones. I am related to Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Junk
I collect and repair video games. Tempest. Defender. Rip-Off. Zaxxon. It figures that when I do collect something, they're as hard to move and store as refrigerators.

I do electronics tinkering and simple woodworking. I know stuff about telephones.

Page last updated:  2019-04-03
Copyright © 2019 by John A. Harney - All Rights Reserved