Archive for March, 2006

Monthly Archive

Fri 3 Mar 2006

PML

Posted by admin under Personal
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Philip Lawlor

271 Soundview Avenue

Stamford, CT 06902

C: 203.219.3551

Phil@PhilipLawlor.com

SUMMARY
Seasoned IT professional able to take ideas from concept to completion.
Strengths include an understanding of current technologies and installations,
strong attention to detail and keen problem solving skills.

EXPERIENCE

Vertrue, Inc. (formerly Memberworks) 3/00-present

Senior Manager Information Strategies

- Designed, managed and implemented a project to move out member email communications from our legacy application to a more dynamic a faster to market solution. SOX compliance, statistical reporting and an open interface to our affiliate companies were key factors in my design.
- Designed, managed and implemented a Commission Payment System to replace the previous process which was manually maintained in Excel files. Investigated the needs, located the data sources, internal and external, and designed a SOX compliant system that was web based and had interfaces to the existing data warehouse. A SOX compliant approval process of commission payment structures and payments was created in .Net and leveraged interface design with the CBR project.
- Designed, managed and implemented a module for CBR to take marketing campaign renewal data from the AS400 and automatically create renewal campaigns. This monthly process took the place of a manual process in Siebel requiring, 10-15 personnel. By managing the rules in CBR, Account Management personnel can now manage marketing campaigns with little to no manual intervention and provide full audit capabilities, thusly complying with SOX regulations.
- Designed, managed and implemented a Corporate Business Rules (CBR) add on to Siebel 7. CBR converted the rules in the Client Rules Database and used them to apply default field values and field validation on the fly to Siebel screens. This project allowed us to remove hard coded values in Siebel and put them into a database that did not require programming to update the business rules. A business process requiring VP approval for rules to be “live” was put into place. This nTier application was built in .Net, utilizing COM+, and web services, the application was so user friendly that the CFO stated: “All our applications should look like this!” This project reduced marketing campaign setup errors by 66%. CBR greatly re-enforced SOX compliance for Vertrue.
- Siebel 7 Implementation. Lead the Technical Analysis Team for the conversion from Siebel 5 to 7. Lead the Implementation Phase, arranged testing, bug fixing, training and roll out strategies.
- Implemented Test Track Pro and created an SOX compliant internal process for bug tracking.
- Designed, managed and implemented a web based Client Rules Database (CRD) that replaced all spreadsheets that were circulated by multiple departments to the Operations department. This project eliminated the translation errors of the Operations department when they compiled
the information into their own format. I standardized the Input data and the output reports for each department, greatly reducing the translation errors. This system also helped the company remain SOX compliant.
- Hired to create and manage a staff of web developers to bring in house the 6 current web sites and build 4 more. Current development staff consisted of 4
programmers in the Omaha office and 2 in California, plus 3 outside agencies each managing one site. Original estimates were for 10-15 people to maintain the static html sites. I brought in 2 freelance programmers to take over the sites from outside agencies and hired one senior programmer to manage them and take over the one live and one in final development in Omaha, reducing our operating expenses to 1/4. Due to the high rate of change in the product web sites and the low money making opportunity of the sites I designed a system that would better facilitate the needs of the Marketing team. I hired 2 programmers and 2 freelance to construct the database driven system. Estimating one senior programmer and 2 programmers to maintain the system once developed, actual staff was reduced to one senior and one programmer when the system went live. The system uses Microsoft NT, SQL Server and compiled applications to produce html for the client and XML communications to the database. The system also communicates live to our AS400 data servers in Omaha for checking membership status and ordering benefits.

Personal Experience. 8/02-present
- After 2 years of hosting WinNT/2K & MS SQL Server web sites at home I decided to switch to Linux. For the Server I choose RedHat 7.3 and MySQL for its popularity and stability. I have since migrated to Fedora servers running Mambo web sites, due to the stronger code base.
- The Goal was to reduce custom coding time and host more sites. This was accomplished by choosing phpNuke as the site engine. Add on modules allowed me to leverage current site features (CtVwA.com) against out of the box features to give the users much more functionality with little to no maintenance time. After converting the first site I converted 3 others and have now created a total of 10 sites. I have since migrated to Fedora servers running Mambo web sites.
- Also needed was a personal email system. I chose the QVCS design. QMail (Mail Transport), Vmailmgr (Virtual Mail Manager), Courier (Imap Service), Squirrelmail
(IMAP webmail system). This design gives both browser and mail client access to personal email. I added an application called SMLite, which required modifying a few
bugs to work with the newer versions of php, I also returned the modified code the developer, This allowed Palm i705 and WAP access to the email server with minimal
screens to reduce load times.

Playtex Products, Inc. 10/97-2/00

Senior Analyst Web Technologies
- Lead in the design and implementation of a project that gave access to a legacy AS/400 application via a browser. This project required updating our 56k
connection to our web server to a T1 and installing and configuring new web/DNS and email servers as well as Cisco PIX firewalls in two locations. A host server
was added as an application to our Intranet to give AS400 “green screen” access to a legacy Order Inquiry application.
- Managed the maintenance of three brand web sites and one corporate site. Worked with HR, Communications and Marketing Directors to revive interest in the projects and budget money for future projects. Served on an e-Commerce Task Force lead by the VP of Sales as a technical liaison. This task force teamed with an outside consultant defined the direction that Playtex Products will take to get into e-Business and presented this information to the CEO and Board of Directors.
- Took over Corporate Dial-up Intranet project after users refused to use the system. Identified key errors and made necessary changes to create usable system within two weeks. Then took a next step towards proving the value of a web based Intranet by creating a secure section of the corporate web site and gave two sales divisions pages to post and download files. These changes increased user hits from 2-3 per day to over twenty out of 40 field users and significantly decreased the time to download files.
- Created a project plan and modified budget for the Intranet project to have a three person staff. Modifications included access from the Internet, easier file
finding for downloading and uploading, a bulletin board system, email, HR forms and information, pre-built reports, access to the Data Warehouse for custom reporting, data replication servers for live reporting.

Senior Programmer/Analyst
- Completed automation and managed roll out of Sales Volume Data Warehouse. Instructed Programmer/Analyst on existing system and worked as consultant to Sales/Marketing department on use and maintenance of the system.

- Created the infrastructure between MIS desktop support and application
development and the Sales support staff to support the Data Warehouse project, future projects and its users.

Programmer/Analyst
- Assisted in creating Sales Volume Data Warehouse. Analyzed existing business systems, reporting systems and user needs.
- Aided in optimizing a Financial Data Warehouse already in production. Reduced overall processing time from eleven hours to eight.
- Created for Help Desk/Computer Inventory database in Access 97 used simultaneously in Westport and Dover Offices. Created analysis reports to
benchmark Help Desk staff and analyze trouble areas. Computer Inventory db was used to aid in Windows 95/Office 97 upgrade and in Y2K testing of desktops.

Link Systems
Senior Developer/Project Manager
- Accompanied President and account executive as the technical / inside sales representative to client meetings. Managed the needs analysis and program design as well as development, deployment and support of all applications listed below.
- Dresdner Bank, Wall Street, created a bar-coding system that ties to the Link Systems VRM via ODBC. The system allows the bank to track the location of computer assets and easily make updates when computers move. Reports for department equipment chargebacks/moves/inventory are available to the VRM users. The administrator has control over the MS Access database and can build custom queries to display in the VRM.

- AIG Trading, Wall Street, created a data conversion between CAP Spec (furniture specifying system) and the Link Systems VRM. Using Delphi 3 the
program parses the flat file information into two tables and imports the data into Aperture via OLE, then merges the modified data back to the flat file.
- AIG Trading, Greenwich, created a circuit tracking database with Visual Basic
4 for the helpdesk to quickly find a circuit and check for existing problems
and/or log new problems then archive the problem.
- Rockefeller Center/Tishman Speyer Properties NYC, used VB 4 to create a new interface to their archive/retrieval system of TIFF CAD drawings. This program builds dynamic SQL statements to query the 45,000 record database and a DLL is used to view the 5 GB worth of TIFF files. Created a project launcher in VB 4
connecting to Aperture via OLE, to simplify the opening and closing of the 15 projects using a map as the interface, also automating the synchronizing of data between projects.
- Crestar Bank, Richmond, created a Notebook in VB 4 for tracking leased
property using Crystal Reports and Aperture via OLE to display floorplans.
Modified the TSP project launcher in VB 4 to simplify the opening and closing of the 20+ projects in Aperture via OLE. Also created a wizard in Delphi 2, to automate the importing/exporting, printing and reporting across multiple
drawings.

- GE Capitol, Danbury, created an Access database for Lease Management with
Access reports.

- Used Delphi 3, VB 4 and Aperture via OLE to create simplified cad/database
controls and automated procedures to the current Visual Resource Manager (VRM).
Programs include multiple export/import sequence automation and conversion of
CAP Spec information into the VRM.

- Web development, updated current site including FAQ section, redesigned the
support section. Created ActiveX controls for client Return-on-Investment
section.

Technical Services Manager/Network Administrator
- Technical Support, built database, ran, managed and maintained call-in, online and internal technical support service for VRM and daily systems troubles, PC
and MAC. Support for all software listed below and hardware range from Zip
drives to processor/motherboard swaps. Created/Managed two assistants with
internal and external clients.
- E-mail, administered FirstClass E-mail system with in-house, BBS, TCP/IP and
Internet mail capabilities.
- Contact Manager. Company wide Rolodex, created internally in FileMaker v1,
converted to v2 then v3, modified to take advantage of relational tables. Tied
existing Contact Manager to tech support, purchase order, project information,
and client order systems.
- Network Administrator. 50+ PCs and Macs running Win3.11, Win95 and MAC OS with an Apple WG Server 9500 running AUX (later changed to Appleshare). Research and purchase new software and hardware.

Project Manager
- United Nations. Supervised surveying of 3.5 million square feet of office
space. Worked closely with client to correct existing floor plans and record
furniture and equipment information into Aperture.
- Worked with programmer to improve bug ridden Aperture for Windows beta
versions. Beta test WIN and Mac. Suggested improvements and reported problems to programmers, and checked that modifications were completed.

CAD Operator/Network Administrator Assistant
- Surveyed and input floor and furniture plans into Aperture for United Nations, Price Waterhouse, Chase, Viacom and MTV. Integrated PCs into a 25 Mac Ethernet
network.

Executone Information Systems, Darien, CT
Product Test Specialist (Temporary assignment)
-Tested prototype installation for Windows based hospital doctor/nurse locating
system. Checked software for bugs and tested its capabilities, operating
possibilities and limitations, and suggested improvements. Assisted in
developing product software and hardware and documented testing procedures and
results in Word and AutoCAD. Built UNIX and Windows PCs to simulate field
assembly of locating system and documented results. Installed Windows and UNIX
OS, memory, SCSI tape drives, hard drives, motherboards, CPUs, video cards,
modems, and WFWG peer-to-peer Ethernet network.

District 2 Marine Engineers Benevolent Association
American Merchant Officers, AFL-CIO, Brooklyn, NY
-

Acting Chief Engineer

– SS Cape Clear. Managed Third Engineer and all ships activities. Created budgets, wrote repair orders
for contractors, checked validity of bids and supervised repairs. Second Assistant Engineer – SS Cape Clear, SS Cape Mendicino and SS Buyer. Assisted
with budgets, wrote repair orders for contractors, checked validity of bids and supervised repairs. Third Assistant Engineer – SS Cape Charles, M/V Cape Hudson, SS Cape May, T.S. Patriot State and U.S.N.S. Wilkes. Assumed Second Engineers duties on SS Cape Charles.

Hathaway, Reiser and Raymond, Stamford, CT
- Yacht Rigger and Sailmaker – Designed, fabricated and repaired stainless steel and aluminum equipment for racing and cruising sailboats and modified existing equipment to suit customers needs.

COMPUTER EXPERIENCE

- Computer Experience, Since 1983-

PC – Linux: RedHat 9 – 5.1, Fedora 10, SuSE 9, Knoppix, Tombscript, lrp, OS X.
Apache, MySQL, PHP. QMail, VmailMgr, Courier, SquirrelMail. Samba, ssh, DNS,
SendMail, Amanda.

PC – Microsoft: Win 2K/XP, Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005, Reporting Services, MS Access, InstallShield, Aperture, AutoCAD, Photoshop, Flash, ImageStyler, FileMaker, Excel, Word, Win95 beta tester, PowerPoint, Quicken, QuickBooks, Lotus 1-2-3, Harvard Graphics, and Freelance Graphics.

Macintosh:
MAC OS, Aperture, FileMaker, Photoshop, Ofoto, Fireworks, GoLive, BBEdit,
Microsoft Explorer, Future Basic, Apple Script, SaberLAN, Stuffit
Installermaker, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Pagemaker, Quark XP, Persuasion,
Logomotion, Typestry, Avid Videoshop, Morph, Infini-D and Strata 3D.

EDUCATION
- Bachelor of Science Massachusetts Maritime Academy: major-Marine Engineering; minor-Mechanical Engineering.
- AutoCAD Release 12 certification from New York University.

- United States Coast Guard
License: Second Assistant Engineer Steam and Motor
Engines Unlimited Horsepower

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Fri 3 Mar 2006

Chinook P-26

Posted by admin under Sailing
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Chinook P-26 Haulout Album

October 18 2002 – June 18th 2003

The
“Chinook” is a Pearson 26 One Design sloop (built in
1979…hull 182).

In the spring of
2002, we began looking for a boat we could fix up (being that we
did not want to spend the tens of thousands on a new boat). In
August of 2002, a friend directed us to a Pearson 26 One Design
named “Liquid Asset”. The boat did have a few
problems…suffering from a bad case of osmotic blistering and a
corroded rudder shaft. The Pearson 26 came with a good name and
was a highly recommended boat. So…we decided to dive in. We
took delivery of the boat on August 17th. (more…)

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Fri 3 Mar 2006

Re-upholstering the front seats on a 1970 VW Bus: seven observations

Posted by admin under VW
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It took a while–until the springs were poking through the remains of the
original padding, through the remains of the upholstery, through the seat
cover, and nearly through my backside–but I finally broke down and ordered
the TMI seat covers and foam padding so I could reupholster the driver’s
seat on my 1970 walk-through. Here are some heretofore-undocumented
findings:

First and foremost, congratulations, thanks, and good wishes to Caspar de
Lint, whose “seat padding replacement (driver’s seat 68-74)” in the
Type2_dot_com archives was a great help. You suffered, Caspar, so that others
might not suffer.

Second, TMI included a one-sheet instruction set that bore no earthly
resemblance to anything I saw when I removed the seat or examined the new
covers and padding. Its list of needed tools is, in hindsight,
astonishing–I only needed decent needle-nosed pliers and a wire cutter.
My advice is to download Caspar’s advice; throw yourself at TMI’s
documentary mercy at your own risk. But I have no objections at all to the
TMI covers, the padding, or the workmanship.

Third, I took it as a given that I would need hog rings, so I bought a set.
Didn’t need them at all; every little 31-year-old sharp triangular tab, on
which you spike the upholstery fabric to hold it in place, was in good shape
and didn’t break off during removal/ reinstallation. Go figure. But I
couldn’t have known that until I got the upholstery off, so buying the hog
rings anyway was the right thing to do. I only needed a second set of hands
once, when I had to pull the bottom edges of the seat back cover into place
and impale them on the sharp tabs. George Lyle recommended drilling out the
rivets that hold the seat back to the seat itself so you can handle them
separately, and I have to say, if you have a good way to do it, I think that
George’s way would make the process faster, less painful, and more accurate.
But you can do it the hard way and live to tell about it. That’s all I’m
saying.

Fourth, I didn’t take it as a given that I would have lots of broken
springs, but in fact I had four: one on each side at the front corner, and
one behind each shoulder, linking the front to the back. The latter springs
had already broken and been fixed sometime in the checkered past of my bus:
broken ends of the s-shaped springs were overlapped and stiff metal braces
were crimped over it to hold it in place. I couldn’t find stiff metal
crimps, but a generous and challenge-loving friend offered to braze them.
Not easy to do on tempered metal, and I imagine some day they’ll give again,
but it’s a start. My friend also brazed the top piece of the frame, which
was the much worse for wear and tear over the years where it joined to the
side upright braces. The metallurgical purists on this list are probably
hyperventillating right now. I’m sorry. Anyway, heads up to anyone
contemplating reupholstering an old seat: you may have broken spring or
frame issues you didn’t see coming until you got the seat apart.

Fifth, you can do this the hard way, but I strongly recommend taking the
time to find the right workspace: There isn’t a single
lay-down-flat-and-smooth surface on the seat; and so a good work surface,
not too high because you have to flip and turn the seat all different
directions as you work on it, will be a big help. You can’t get the covers
on unless you can compress the springs and padding first, and having it well
positioned is a big help there.

Sixth, the original padding inside a seat, left to age and funkify for 30+
years, is a mess. Have a good shop vacuum handy.

Seventh–and oh, aren’t the seasoned vets on the list going to chuckle over
this one–remember that the covers for the driver’s seat and the passenger’s
seat aren’t built the same. TMI sells the front seat covers for a
walk-through as a set, even if you only have one seat to re-cover. [They
sell pads one seat at a time.] The covers are cut differently, passenger’s
side versus driver’s side. I lucked out and grabbed the right one, but I
didn’t check first, and if I hadn’t grabbed lucky, I’d have wasted a lot of
time and trouble–and maybe the covers themselves–before I discovered my
error.

Now my seat looks very snazzy [so nice it makes the others look sort of
grubby, which is now a problem], it’s very comfortable [I lubricated the
tracks and adjustment mechanisms under the seat while I had it out], and my
bus even has that ‘new car smell’–sort of.

Thanks to all.

Bill

Beaverton OR, USA

1970 bus

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Fri 3 Mar 2006

420

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Status: True.

Origins: Odd

terms sneak into our language every now and then, and this is one of
the oddest. Everyone who considers himself in the know about the drug
subculture has heard that ’420′ has something to do with illegal drug
use, but when you press them, they never seem to know why, or even what
the term supposedly signifies.

It’s
both more and less than people make it out to be. ’420′ began its
sub-rosa linguistic career in 1971 as a bit of slang casually used by a
group of high school kids at San Rafael High School in California.
’420′ (always pronounced “four-twenty,” never “four hundred and
twenty”) came Is it 4:20 already?
to be an accepted part of the argot within that group of about a dozen
pot smokers, beginning as a reminder of the time they planned to meet
to light up, 4:20 p.m.
Keep in mind this wasn’t a general call to all dope smokers everywhere
to toke up at twenty past four every day; it was twelve kids who’d made
a date to meet near a certain statue. It’s thus incorrect to deem that
’420′ originated as a national or international dope-smoking time, even
though the term began as a reference to a particular time of day.

These
days ’420′ is used as a generic way of declaring one likes to use
marijuana or just as a term for the substance itself. Its earliest
connotation of having to do with the time a certain group of students
congregated to smoke wacky tobaccy is unknown to the overwhelming
majority of those who now employ the term. Indeed, most instead believe
one or more of the many spurious explanations that have since grown up
about this much abused short form:

  • 420 is the penal code section for marijuana use in California.Nope. Section 420 of the California penal code refers to obstructing
    entry on public land. The penal codes of other states list different
    entries for 420, but none of them matches anything having to do with
    marijuana.

    However, on 1 January 2004 the Governor of California signed that state’s Senate Bill 420
    which regulates marijuana used for medical purposes. This bill comes
    years after the term ’420′ was associated with marijuana and indeed its
    number likely was chosen because of the existing pop culture
    connection. This is the tail wagging the dog, not the other way around.

  • It’s the Los Angeles or New York police radio code for marijuana smoking in progress.
    It’s not the police radio code for anything, let alone that.
  • It’s the number of chemical compounds in marijuana. The number of chemical compounds in marijuana is 315, according to the folks at High Times magazine.
  • April 20 is the date that Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, or Janis Joplin died.Though these performers were strongly identified with drug use
    during their brief lifetimes and the emerging drug culture after their
    demises, none of them kicked the bucket on April 20. Morrison died on July 3, Hendrix on September 18, and Joplin on October 4.
  • The 20th of April is the best time to plant marijuana. There’s no one “best time” — that answer would change from one part of the country to another, or even one country to another.
  • Albert Hofmann took the first deliberate LSD trip at 4:20 on 19 April 1943. This was indeed the case — his lab notes back this up. But this wasn’t
    the source of “420,” just an oddball coincidence. (For the pedants out
    there, Hofmann’s first LSD trip, which was accidental, took place on 16 April 1943.)
  • It’s the code you send to your drug dealer’s pager. Yeah, right. All drug dealers recognize a ’420′ page as “Please be waiting on the corner with my baggie of wildwood weed.”
  • When the Grateful Dead toured, they always stayed in Room 420. Untrue, says Grateful Dead Productions spokesman Dennis McNally.

Spurious
etymologies and uncertain definition aside, ’420′ has slipped into a
position of semi-respectability within the English lexicon. Various
free-wheeling cities annually celebrate “hemp fests” on April 20. There’s a 4:20 record label in California, and a band called 4:20. Atlanta’s Sweetwater Brewing Co. sells its 420 Pale Ale in supermarkets and opens its doors to the public at 4:20 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. New York’s 420 Tours
sells low-cost travel packages to the Netherlands and Jamaica. Highway
420 Radio broadcasts “music for the chemically enhanced.” And in 2001,
the forReal.org web site of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services’ Center for Substance Abuse Prevention put out a
public service document titled, “It’s 4:20 — Do You Know Where Your
Teen Is?”

420s are routinely slipped into popular movies and television shows. In Fast Times at Ridgemont High the score of the football game was 42-0. Most of the clocks in Pulp Fiction
are set to 4:20 (but not all — when the kid receives the watch it’s set
at 9:00). And there are many other instances, so keep your eyes peeled.

However,
as amusing as it is to tie 420 to pot smoking and hunt for it in
popular movies, the number has its dark side. Hitler was born on 20 April 1889, and the massacre of 13 victims at Columbine High School in Colorado took place on 20 April 1999.

Barbara “4 and 20 blackbirds” Mikkelson

Last updated: 19 April 2005

The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/420.htm

Sources Sources:
Gaura, Maria Alicia. “Snickering Chic Traces Origin to San Rafael.” San Francisco Chronicle. 20 April 2000 (p. A19).

Hubler, Shawn. “The Inside Dope on ’420′ Buzz.” The Los Angeles Times. 20 April 2002 (p. A19).

St. Petersburg Times. “True Reefer Madness.” 20 April 2002 (p. D1).

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