#About the Author
Hi! I’m Rob Friesel Jr. and I work as a user interface developer and have a love/hate relationship with the so-called high tech industry. This largely explains why a big focus of this site is on tech/code. I am interested in human/machine interactions, knowledge-share systems (e.g., blogs and wikis), content management applications, open source software, web-based/distributed applications, and how XML and other semi-structured data fit into the mess. I also readily admit that I’ve been seduced by the dark side of the Mac. (I’m a walking, talking web cliche!) I tend to spend a lot of time talking about various Mac hacks and how technology of all sorts has invaded our home-lives.
Science is another big subject around here because I have been surrounded by it my entire life. My father is a molecular biologist and my lovely wife/partner is a psychologist/neuroscientist. Needless to say, my eye tends to get caught on articles about evolution and genetics, psychology (both the “pop” and “real” kinds), the science of learning, and the brain. That being said, I will also muse on math, physics, chemistry, and the endangered species list. I tend to feel that “we civilians” have a responsibility to take an interest in science lest the PhDs of the world run amok in an orgy of unquestioned publication.
I also fancy myself a writer and aspiring novelist. From time to time, I will post bits of experimental pieces, essays on the writing process, links to thoughts from other authors, etc. I have several drafts of novels kicking around, and am constantly working on one or more projects. Lately, I have been dedicating a lot of energy to some promising short stories. You can’t find my writing anywhere except online unless you’re a St. Mary’s College student — in which case, I’m in the “St. Mary’s Collection”. I freely admit that I have wanted to be a published author since I was about 5 years old; I have been writing pretty much continuously since then. Unfortunately, it doesn’t pay the bills, so I’m forced into a day job (vide supra).
I also post occassional DJ mixes and original compositions. As a DJ, I play a mix of techno, house, and trance (not necessarily in that order); you may have heard my refer to this style as “deep tech sophisto”. I’ve played a few gigs out, notably at Baltimore’s Sonar (way back in 2001) and more recently at Burlington’s ½ Lounge.
You can also find me on:
Friends, family, supporters, and well-wishers can feel free to crib donations and presents from my Amazon.com Wishlist, here.
