Mike Schuh's Home Page

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This page is 100% graphics free (well, almost), and under continual (if infrequent) construction. Watch this space for further details! On-going evolution, et cetera ...

Jump (on this web site) to:   EventFinder    Contra Dance Markup Language project   

I like to write:

• Report of a contra dance trip to Yakima
• "The Battle Of The Basement"
• Treasure Island Landing Force
• Adam, PhD

I am somewhat active in local transportation issues; please see my transit and transportation web page.
My thoughts on the monorail proposal    I supported Initiative 83; some of my reasons are at yes-I-83.shtml.
Metro Route 15 Bus Stop Closures

My thoughts on some local transportation projects ( as a simple ASCII text file)   (my response to the Seattle Times   Poll

Sorry, no mug shot. The (unconstitutional) Communications Decency Act (CDA) aside, there are just some things that simply shouldn't be on the Net, know what I mean? (However, there is a picture taken a few years ago with me in it on this page - I'm the guy in the gray coat on the left.)

For many years, I posted a warning for spammers - that unsolicited junk mail addressed to me is covered under Washington State law, and sending me spam would subject them to litigation, et cetera. It did absolutely no good. The federal "CAN-SPAM" act didn't do any good either. Hmmph. For more information, please see my anti-spam page.

Vocational Trivia

Until I get my ideal job (building things like the Internet Toaster) I work as a Software Engineer, presently employed by WatchGuard in Seattle (we make firewalls).

Previously, I was employed by Airborne Express (link now redirects to DHL), working in their Distributed Systems Management Group in Seattle. It was pretty nice - I was in a good group doing interesting work. However, my job (and most of the others in the Seattle office) ended in early 2004 as a result of the purchase of Airborne by DHL (some jobs moved to Scottsdale). Recent news articles in the Seattle Times (registration required) and Seattle PI cover this.

Prior to Airborne, I was employed by International Telcom, Ltd., working on their Faxaway product.

From early 1999 until January, 2000, I was employed by Best Consulting writing dymanic web pages for CourtLink. Shortly after I left, the project was cancelled. A few months later, they got rid of their CEO, who - well, never mind.

Starting in July, 1997, I worked as a UNIX system administrator for XYPOINT, a start up company providing location services to the wireless communications industry. The company's premier product was nation-wide support for wireless E 9-1-1. Our production systems included pairs of Sun E5000's, 450's, and 250's, plus numerous other systems. Pretty robust. I left there in early November, 1998.

Before that, I was a system administrator in Group Health's large data center. It was pretty cool - we had over 20 Sparc systems, including several Sparc Server 2000's, an Ultra 3000, a pair of newly arrived Ultra 5000's, and a bunch of smaller Ultra's. One of the 2000's had 6 processors with 868 MB of ram and over 200 GB of disk space, easily one of the largest systems I have ever worked on. (The 5000's had more processors and were scheduled to have more disk space, and the 3000 had more memory - and all of them were destined for major realignment.) (And I presently own PC's that either have more memory or more disk space - life is change, and technology is life. Or some such...)

Here is an overview of my background and qualifications. I also describe some of the solutions that I have provided during recent years.

I am slowly developing a web-based EventFinder (isn't everything web-based these days?).

I am the Webmaster for the Washington Interscholastic Orienteering League, which hosts orienteering meets for students in the greater Seattle area.

I have also provided CGI scripting for the Coalition Of Organic Landscapers (COOL), a really nice group of responsible gardeners and lawn care folks (they have since switched to a different web page design).

My main avocational interests include:

orienteering

I am a member and past president of Cascade Orienteering Club (my older page is here) and I helped form the Washington State Orienteering Association and nearly all of the clubs in the Pacific Northwest . Currently, I am the webmaster for the Washington Interscholastic Orienteering League web site. I was the originator of the Western States Orienteering Championships, an "annual" event first held in Colorado. I was the meet director for the 1997 Washington State championships and helped plan the 1998 US championships. Howard Halter used to maintain a schedule of current orienteering events at http://www.pnwo.org, but not at present. (I hope to have my EventFinder operational Real Soon Now.) The US Orienteering Federation maintains a web site at www.us.orienteering.org. Robin Shannonhouse, USOF Executive Director, maintains a web presence at http://home.comcast.net/~rshannonhouse/.
I'm gonna start work on some O' software, but in the meantime, the IOF has a list of O' software.
I have a goal of orienteering in each state in the US; see my progress to date. There is a (short) list of resources that I have gathered together.

folkdancing

(My letter to the Seattle City Council encouraging them to support Folklife is at folklife_letter.shtml.)

These days, primarily contra-dancing, which is nicely described by Gary Shapiro.

Until the Monday night open-mic dances ended in the fall of 1997, I could be found at the Tractor Tavern most Monday evenings, where I usually took a turn calling a dance or two (the first I ever called a dance was January, 1994, at the Tractor). I called a set of dances Saturday afternoon at the 1997 Westcoast Folk Festival and Saturday evening at the 1998 and 1999 festivals. I called a set of contra dances at the 1996 and 1998 Northwest Folklife Festival, with Fomage a Trois and One Man Band, respectively I called a set at the 2005 Festival with JBJ Band, and have applied to call in 2006 as part of The 4 Mikes.

I have called dances throughout the Washington State, as well as in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and at Glen Echo back east. I have a page of past and upcoming gigs.

I have even written some contras.

Read my story of a "contra dance expedition" to Yakima.

In January of 1998, I joined the group Radost, which performs Eastern European dances. For many years, I have been a member of the Norwegian Folkdance group Leikarringen. (I am not currently active with either group) I definitely do NOT do the chicken dance (music) nor the hokey-pokey, thankyouverymuch.

Matt Fisher maintains a Seattle area folkdance page which has schedules and other neat stuff. Kiran Wagle maintains a large web site with many, many links to other contra dance pages.
I have a modest list of dance resources.
My EventFinder eventually will contain information on dances throughout the country.
I am leading an effort to define a Contra Dance Markup Language.

flying

Not much of this lately, alas alack.

theater

For a while, I helped maintain databases for Seattle Public Theater, a wonderful outfit that puts on plays and workshops, etc., at the Bathhouse Theater on Green Lake. I have also helped out as Stage Manager and a few other random tasks.

hiking, bicycling, backpacking, skiing

(i.e., the usual Northwest stuff)

I used to teach classes through the ASUW Experimental College (a function of the Associated Students of the University of Washington) in UNIX. (I have a list of UNIX books). I used to also teach orienteering and contra-dancing (link to old page describing the class).

From time to time, I have items for sale; I try to maintain a more-or-less current list of available items.

I am an unabashed fan of Scott Adam's Dilbert, and I lament the retirements of Gary Larson ( The Far Side) and Bill Watterson ( Calvin and Hobbes), and the passing of Walt Kelly (Pogo) years ago (while I can understand the interest of this collector, my affection for the blue-eyed possum has it's limits...). I also like User Friendly, as any geek should.

If I were to ever run a personals ad, it'd probably look something like this.

I like cats (and presently have three).

I have many (perhaps too many) interests, reflected in a list of my favorite books. For a further glimpse into my being, scan a few of my favorite sayings.

Thank you for the visit. There have been at least the 0 visitors since the dawn of time.