Hi, they call me

Jay.

I fix things when they break...

I know what it’s like to be sweating bullets, knee-deep in broken technology and feeling like no one gives a damn. Real, unscripted support engineers that would actually help you seem a million miles away. It hurts. It sucks. You think about your job, and you’re as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I try to take that pain away so you’re not stuck in it.

Who I Am

I am a neurodivergent engineer with a passion for sorting out sucky situations. I have a background in old-school hacker-style computer science and ontology with a strong interest in the intersection of technology and futurism. I don’t do customer service. I’m not a simple scripted talking head, I’m a full-stack solution that’s here to help. My sole aim is to find your problem so it can be eliminated. In the military, we’re taught to embrace the suck, but I find it more fun when your life sucks less. Thus, here we are. Here are a few technologies I've focused on in my career:
  • Linux and Unix
  • Databases
  • Global Email Networks
  • Cable TV Networks
  • Integrated Library Systems
  • Internet Network Services

Functional Experience

Support System Administrator I - Nexcess
Apr 2018 - present

I am currently working as a managed applications Enterprise Support Group (ESG) System Administrator at Nexcess in Southfield, MI. My current role involves:

The Foundation of Technology - Operating Systems

I started exploring bulletin board systems in 1993 with a Smith-Corona word processor that had a 300 baud modem.

  • Unix - Solaris (including SunOS), AIX, HP-UX, SCO Unix, Irix
  • Linux - Slackware, Debian, RedHat, SUSE, Arch
Storing The Data Jewels - Databases

Databases hold data, usually our data, and thus we must learn to live with them.

  • SQL Databases - MySQL (and forks), Sybase, Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MS-SQL, CockroachDB
  • No-SQL Databases - MongoDB
  • Tools - MySQL Workbench, DBeaver, and Beekeper Studio
Connect ALL The Things - Networking

My networking experience has been an exciting part of this journey.

  • Worked with Juniper, Cisco, Extreme Networks and Bay Networks
  • Specialized in SNMP and RMON, NetWare, and Windows
  • Performed more network consolidations and rollouts than I care to count.
Airborne All The Way - Military

I served in two branches during two conflicts. Maybe one day our world armies will be heavily armed Lonely Maytag Men.

  • US Army Airborne (1988-1996, 2001-2004) Enlisted, ROTC Cadet
  • USAF (2010-2013) Officer

Education and Certifications

2023
Certified Operational Excellence (OPEX) Expert
Six Sigma Academy Amsterdam

This expert certification is given after completing the following five certifications:

  • Certified Lean Management and Manufacturing Expert
  • Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
  • Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
  • Enterprise Risk Management With ISO 31000 & FMEA Certification
  • Process Mapping Certification
2023
Six Sigma Black Belt
Six Sigma Academy Amsterdam

Why is Six Sigma important?

  • I use Lean with Six Sigma to improve my internal metrics, that further help our resolution rates.
  • This method helps define baselines that can be solidified and then improved upon, reducing defect rates.
2023
Level II Intelligence Analyst
Folker

How this helps:

  • Learning intelligence analysis helps to approach a problem from a neutral position, thus removing predilections from the situation.
  • Having these tools in your arsenal also helps to sift through half-truths and misunderstandings, from the nightly news to the customer you are working with.
2020 - 2022
Graduate Certificate in Journalism
Michigan State University

I needed to understand journalism.

2019 - Present
Google Career Certificates
Google, Inc.

I hold the following Google Certificates:

2022
Open Source Software Development, Linux and Git
The Linux Foundation
  • Open Source Software Development Methods
  • Linux for Developers
  • Linux Tools for Developers
  • Using Git for Distributed Development
International Business Machines
IBM
  • IBM AI Foundations For Business
Older and Extinct Certifications
Varied
  • Certified Solaris 7 Administrator
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate
  • Certified NetWare Engineer
  • CompTIA A+ Certification

Projects

Utilities
Bash Python Javascript
Utilities
A set of scripted utilities that help pull certain types of information and diagnostics quickly to shave time in tight situations. You may find this helpful if you are in a support or sysadmin role.
Higgins
Obsidian Markdown Six Sigma
Higgins
An Obsidian vault custom designed to maintain a knowledgebase that helps streamline my support and development efforts. You'll never see this, but know it exists.
Virtual Reality Projects
Mozilla Hubs Unity Relaxation
Virtual Reality Projects
I have dreamed of VR since the late 90s. Now that it's here, I love spending time there. I also adore the idea of what it can become.

Other Things I've Done

Long Distance Hiking
In 1997, I was an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker with another really cool person. (and met many more cool people) My first tech job actually gave me a leave of absence to go.
Hack The Things
Currently in the top 1% of over two million hackers on TryHackMe. Learning to get into VAX and SunOS systems was how I got into this field in the first place.
Combat Paratrooper
Served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm with the 82d Airborne Division. Years later, I became a Pathfinder. I despise math. Still earned the badge. I used some of this to build Higgins.
The IETF
From 1999-2000, I was part of the Internet Engineering Task Force on the SNMP and RMON Working Groups. Those are the guys that argue about technology standards, and somehow I got included in that.
BBS Systems
A guy named Trench got me into bulletin board systems. I have been connected ever since. They are still around to this day, and I work with WWIV, Mystic, and Talisman.
Tinkerbell's My Homegirl
I had to customize and fix my wrists (also learn to type right) so I built my own keyboard and learned to solder. I rock the Colemak layout on a split Helix keyboard with pride.

disclaimer:

All posts are from my informed viewpoint based on 30 years of industry experience. They are not the opinion, policy, or imagination of any employer, organization, or rag-tag band of miscreants I have ever been affiliated with, former or current, and are solely to be consumed at your own risk. I take no responsibility for your skin, thin or thick.