Elsewhere Online
A collection of links to my other places around the internet.
Blog
This blog is my journey exploring the intersection of technology, theology, and creativity, where readers engage in discussions about religion in the digital age, trends in UI/UX, collaboration tools, and storytelling, all viewed through a unique, humorous, and contemplative lens.
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Github Markdown Test File - 💻
I am attempting to overlay Bootstrap 5.3 on top of Github's Jekyll rendering. This is to test out some edge cases.
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From Politics to Artistry - The Evolution of the Art of the Possible - ❗ 🤔
A thought-provoking analysis on the hidden dangers of the 'art of the possible' and how it impedes genuine progress and innovation.
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Bespreekbaarheid: The Missing Ingredient in IT Organizations - 💻 📞
Explore the concept of Bespreekbaarheid, a Dutch term that encourages open dialogue and transparency, and discover why it's crucial for success in IT organizations. Learn how it fosters innovation, enhances problem-solving, and builds trust among team members.
Swiss Folklore
A collection of Swiss Folklore stories I am translating and posting here. I am using computer tools to do the translation work, so everything might not be 100% accurate.
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The Bailiff of Brunnegg: A Swiss Legend - 📜
An in-depth look at the legend of the Bailiff of Brunnegg, a tale of mystery and horror from the Swiss region of Aargau.
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The Well in the Schächental Valley - 📜
A Swiss folktale depicting the mysterious creation of an ever-flowing well in the Schächental valley.
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The Basilisk - 📜
This Swiss folklore tale from 1474 revolves around the dangerous Basilisk, a creature born from a rooster's egg, feared for its deadly gaze.
Role Playing Game Posts
A collection of writings on Role Playing Games I am working on at this time. Some of it is really bad, and some of it I am proud of. All of it can be made better.
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Ahmed ibn Yusuf - Porter at Bayt al-Ḥikmah - 📝 🎭 🛡️
Character Concept of Ahmed ibn Yusuf,a porter who works for the Great Library in Baghdad in 1258.
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Mehmet Al-Mansur - Former Member of the Sultan's Sihirbaz Yeniçerileri - 📝 🎭 🛡️
Character Concept of Mehmet Al-Mansur, an Ottoman imperial refugee in Paris during the early 1920s, skilled in mystical arts and combat, dedicated to aiding magical beings' resettlement in the Americas.
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Michael-JX - Moonwalking Through the Apocalypse - 📝 🎭 ☢️ 🧬
Michael-JX: Moonwalking Through the Apocalypse brings a legendary animatronic into your TTRPG campaign.
Social Media Posts
My posts over on Mastodon
January 2010 to Present, Senior Enterprise Architect, Software at Southern California Edison, Rosemead, CA
— I am the Enterprise Technology Architect responsible for SCE's IT Product engineering and development strategies. I build and maintain SCE's strategy, technology roadmap, and platform management direction for over 500 products, leveraging multiple architectural models.
- Developed a comprehensive AI strategy that guided a cross-functional team in successfully integrating machine learning algorithms to advance business objectives.
- Formulated and executed an enterprise-level AR/VR strategic plan, focusing on the design and deployment of immersive experiences to enhance employee training and customer engagement.
- Crafted a desktop automation strategy that streamlined repetitive tasks across multiple departments, aiming for increased productivity and reduced manual errors.
- Initiated the integration of AIOps into the company's IT operations through a strategic approach, leveraging machine learning and analytics to automate and optimize routine operational tasks.
- Spearheaded the strategic redesign and relaunch of a customer-facing website that saw the decommissioning of over 1,000 servers and 50 applications, and executives a seamless transition to the cloud, all while integrating best practices in user experience and analytics that led to the increase of engagement and conversions.
January 2020 to Present, Process Manager for Engineering and Build Process at Southern California Edison, Rosemead, CA
— I oversaw the end-to-end management and governance of Solutions Engineering and Build processes, serving as a key advisor for process improvement and best practices. I focused on optimizing performance metrics, maintaining detailed process documentation, and implementing quality standards to achieve a more efficient and effective operation. I actively engaged with stakeholders and resolved process issues, while facilitating smooth communication for any changes in the Solutions Engineering and Build processes.
- Strategically extended the use of source control mechanisms from compliance-focused products to encompass all company offerings, enhancing code consistency and facilitating more efficient development cycles across the enterprise.
- Formulated and led the implementation of a DevOps strategy, unifying software development and IT operations to enhance collaboration and accelerate time-to-market for new product features.
- Championed a cultural shift within the organization by introducing and promoting Agile methodologies, fostering a more collaborative and adaptive work environment to better respond to business needs.
- Attained Lean Six Sigma certification and leveraged it to conduct quarterly Kaizens, strategically refining the build and engineering processes to eliminate waste and enhance value to the business.
- Established and enforced coding standards and secure coding practices across the development teams, elevating code quality and reducing vulnerabilities to fortify the company's software products.
September 2004 to January 2010, Practice Lead & Solution Architect for SCE.com at Southern California Edison, Rosemead, CA
— I served as the technical team lead and the single-point of contact for technical accountability on SCE's eCommerce channel, overseeing the project from concept through completion.
- 50% cost savings on SCE’s first mobile app for iOS and Android
- $12M savings on SCE.com rebranding project’s costs using agile methodologies focusing on expected outcomes
- Seat on IBM’s Digital Experience Customer Advisory Council
- 20 index point increase in user satisfaction through a mobile first strategy
- Developed technology portion of business case for capital program - $70M
- 40% increase in self-service transactions
- 10 x increase in mobile page views to +40% of site traffic
- 75% increase for turn on/off service and 75% decrease in manual order processing
- Represented SCE’s digital and ecommerce interests on the Utility Information Technology Benchmark (UNITE) group.
September 2004 to January 2010, Practice Lead - SAP Portal / Web at Southern California Edison, Irwindale, CA
— Served as a Senior Leader overseeing both SAP Portal and Web Development Teams at SCE, with a combined responsibility for more than 40 professionals in specialized domains.
- Led a dedicated team of over 10 SAP Portal Developers, focusing on the development and maintenance of SCE's SAP Portal with specialized expertise in SAP HCM and EAM.
- Acted as the Practice Lead for a community of over 30 web developers, responsible for the development and ongoing maintenance of SCE’s enterprise-level websites.
- Orchestrated the decommissioning of 150 legacy business applications, enhancing operational efficiency and resource optimization.
- Engineered a data center routing solution at the Edison International (EIX) level, collaborating with stakeholders from Edison International companies and SCE.
- Spearheaded the rebranding of the corporate intranet and Edison.com website, aligning both with organizational changes and earning accolades from the Web Marketing Association and The American Business Awards.
- Presented on behalf of SCE at the NetWeaver Portal/BI Conference, sharing valuable insights into SCE's SOA integration practices.
- Acted as an annual judge for the Cal Poly CIS ITC web design competition, representing SCE and contributing to the broader web development community.
April 1999 to September 2004, Founder and CTO of The One Ring - Tolkien Online, Pasadena, CA
— I founded and spearheaded the operations for a leading website dedicated to J.R.R. Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings. During my time there, the site gained notable recognition in the media landscape."
- Garnered prestigious media coverage from outlets like Los Angeles Times, CNN, and The Guardian UK, establishing the website as an authoritative source in the field.
- Featured in an extensive interview in the September 2001 issue of Wired Magazine, amplifying the site's reputation and reach.
- Achieved a top 10,000 ranking on Alexa, underlining the website's popularity and impact in its niche.
February 1994 to May 1999, Director of Technical Services at The Dohring Company, Glendale, CA
— Direct a multifaceted team overseeing market research, surveys, and call center operations targeting both customer and competitor landscapes. Act as a liaison between Quality and Sales divisions to enhance product reliability and accuracy. Conduct in-depth financial and demand forecasts, presenting key insights to executive leadership on a weekly basis. Champion continuous enhancements in reporting, survey administration, and call center efficiency, while also realizing cost savings. Articulate a forward-thinking vision for the technical services department and innovate new product offerings. Partner with the Director of Quality to prioritize customer satisfaction and product excellence. Engage daily with the founder and CEO while reporting to senior-level management.
- Spearheaded the seamless transition from Microsoft Word for DOS 5.1 to Windows 95 and Microsoft Office 95, modernizing the company's software infrastructure.
- Innovated a novel product/market research report by synthesizing geospatial data and survey findings, utilizing Microsoft Word and MapInfo.
- Elevated team productivity by 24% without increasing headcount through strategic process refinements, targeted training, and the utilization of advanced software tools.
Corporate Intranet Redesign
Project summary for the Corporate Intranet Redesign, detailing the update to the old design with new branding, introduction of various templates, menuing systems, and the implementation of AJAX and RSS, emphasizing improvements in the employee directory and paging system.
- Developed a refreshed home page and seven unique templates incorporating the new *Building the Future* branding while bridging the gap between the existing ERP Portal solution and previous company branding.
- Integrated various technologies including HTML, XML, RSS, AJAX, and Perl, utilizing a Netscape Web Server and a Sybase database to enhance user interaction and accessibility.
- Acted as Solution Engineer, Database Administrator (DBA), and Developer to implement an AJAX RSS reader, content wells for "portlets", and overhaul the employee directory and paging system—two of the most frequently used applications within the company.
Edison.com Redesign - Corporate Website
Details of the Edison.com redesign project, highlighting the collaboration with Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, the goal to update branding, and the technical backend improvements.
- Led a collaborative project with Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, and an external design firm to revamp Edison International's website, aiming for an "award-winning" design that honors the company's century-long history as a California utility service provider.
- Overhauled the website's content structure and backend CMS to enhance the templating system, ensuring functionality across five distinct servers with unique domain names and assets.
- Fulfilled multiple roles as the Architect, Solution Engineer, DBA, and Developer, utilizing technologies such as ASP, MSSQL, Microsoft Site Server, Windows 2003, HTML, RSS, Flash, XML, and JavaScript, contributing to the project's recognition with 3 awards.
MyEdison.com - Corporate Portal
An overview of the MyEdison.com corporate portal project, detailing the integration of internally facing websites, use of technology, and the developer's role.
- Spearheaded the integration of internal web platforms into a unified corporate portal, focusing on seamless linkage with the corporate directory and the integration of Factiva for enhanced news and reporting capabilities.
- Adapted to corporate shifts following the acquisition of Plumtree by BEA Software and impending ERP decisions, ensuring the project's alignment with organizational strategy and technology standards.
- Took on the roles of Solution Engineer and Developer, working with technologies such as Plumtree, C#, B.NET, and J2EE, successfully engaging 500 users at the project's peak.
Edison International Portal - Corporate Portal
A project overview of the corporate portal developed by Ted Tschopp using SAP Portal, Java, XHTMLB, and HTMLB.
- Initiated a comprehensive project to create a corporate portal that consolidates all existing internal websites and previous portal initiatives, with a critical requirement for SAP integration, leading to the selection of the SAP Portal as the foundational technology.
- Employed a range of technologies, including SAP Portal, Java, XHTMLB, and HTMLB, to build a cohesive and efficient portal system that aligns with the company's operational needs.
- Fulfilled the roles of Architect, Solution Engineer, and Developer, ensuring that the project met its main business objective of integrating seamlessly with SAP systems.
Edison SmartConnect
Key team member in SCE's Edison SmartConnect Project, overseeing installation of 5M smart meters, enhancing grid efficiency, and reducing energy demand. Significantly contributed to environmental conservation and improved customer energy management.
- Led the web portal architectural design for SCE's $1.6 billion Edison SmartConnect Project, integrating advanced smart meter technology across a 50,000-square-mile area, targeting over 5 million residential and small-business customers enabling real-time electricity tracking and two-way communication, contributing to a 1,000 MW reduction in grid demand and a 365,000 metric ton decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.
- Directed the integration of web technologies like HTML, Flash, XML, and JavaScript to streamline customer interactions and digital accessibility in the SmartConnect project, aligning with SCE's vision of a smart, customer-friendly energy grid.
- Pioneered customer experience improvements in energy management, facilitating seamless service transfers and preparing for future integration with smart home and business technologies.
The Password Challenge
Check the strength of your password based on mathematical models that take into account the latest hacking techniques!
- Includes a dictionary of the most common passwords
- Includes a dictionary of the most common English words
- Includes a dictionary of the most common passwords that have been hacked already
Procedural Text Generation
An application that generates text using procedural methods.
- A work in progress to help build an automated story telling computer
- Over 100 tables of various objects and qualities.
- To Do- Look into Mustache engine
Random Star Constellations
An application I threw together to output a bunch of Procedurally generated star constellations.
- Developed an application designed to procedurally generate and output a series of star constellations, showcasing the ability to quickly create engaging digital content.
- Utilized a combination of Twitter and Mastodon bots, along with JavaScript and HTML, to automate and disseminate the generated constellations across social platforms.
- Operated as a Full Stack developer, managing both the front-end and back-end development processes to bring the creative concept to fruition.
Mastodon Bots - Random Board Game Night
An application of the Procedural Text Generation system to create a new game for you to play every hour.
- Need ideas for your board game night. Look no further. We have you covered!
- Uses tables from the Procedural Text Generation system I am using for computerized fiction
