About This Blog

“I considered saying a few things about Chevy, but this is neither the time nor the place. So I’m gonna talk about me.”

Steve Martin at a Chevy Chase Roast

Welcome to my new blog for 2010 and beyond. It’s a mixed bag of topics, including software architecture, methods, and design; parallel programming; databases (especially DB2); lifehacks; family fun; web development; running; Biblical worldviews; hiking; kayaking; and, of course, HomeStarRunner. Unless you’re me, you’re probably not interested in all these topics, but hopefully some of them. So subscribe to the whole thing or selected categories.

I suppose blogs of all forms tend toward narcissism, and this is no exception. But I’ll try to make it useful to others by:

Posting about problems I encounter and how I solved them, for others who might fall into the same trap.
Including enough details and specifics to be useful, while keeping posts concise. This’ll give “quick fixes” and improve the chances that someone googling for a solution will find it.
Posting frequently. This’ll keep it fresh, but hopefully the <a title="Jonathan Coulton - Reasons for "Thing a Week" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Coulton#Thing_a_Week" target="_blank">Coulton-style forced march will keep me in the writing habit for other publishing.

About Me

By day, I’m a Senior Engineering Architect at Fiserv, a financial services and solutions provider. I build software for payment processing (check image and ACH) for large bank customers and internal use. I develop and use my skills in four related areas, bridging the gaps between them: business analysis, design and programming, databases, and project management. In buzzword compliance terms, that’s mainly Check 21, X9.37, X9.100-187, UCD, NACHA, ACH, Visa, VROL, exceptions and returns, lockbox and remittance, posting and settlement, cash management, EA, J2EE, Windows, Linux, AIX, mobile, Tomcat, Java, JavaScript, Smalltalk, C++, Objective-C, TDD, xUnit, DB2, and Scrum. I’m a certified AAP, SCJP, DB2 Advanced DBA, and certifiable geek. I have the pleasure of working with the sharpest and “funnest” folks in the business.

By night, I enjoy being a dad of six, living in the rolling hills near Canton, GA. The family officially started on June 14, 1986 and now consists of:

Tina – Loving wife, fitness instructor, and photog. Depending on mood and timing, she’ll either snap a few dozen photos of you or make you drop and do planks. Check out her photography work at reflectionsofHismercies.com.

Amanda – My firstborn, who is now married to accountant-musician Jason Beard. Music teacher, Schwob School of Music grad, and new mom!

Spencer – Programmer-guitarist, Computer Science grad, and Siftit code-slinger. Programming: couldn’t find an honest profession.

Luke – Towheaded college boy who eats, drinks, and lives soccer. Watch for him goalkeeping at Reinhardt or ref-assigning at the YMCA.

Stephen – Our swimming, lifeguarding bundle of energy who never forgets anything and has never met a stranger. Watch out!

Lydia Shy and sweet enough to catch you off guard, until she outwits you or scores on you from a left-foot soccer strike.

Emma – Our little princess with a sweet smile and an all-too-sharp sense of humor.

Jack, Lucy, and Alex – Our “adopted” Chinese family and friends that we can’t see enough of. Together, we enjoy hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and running.

We worship at Grace Bible Church in Canton, and invite you to join us. You can catch some of the action at the family Picasa Web Album.