I am a 76-year-old father of four, grandfather of eight and great-grandfather of three-point-five terrific human beings. I'm an avid digital photographer and grumpy old man, and I live in Nanaimo, British Columbia.
I didn't find out I was a Redneck until I was fifty five years old, when I learned that my great granfather John Wesley Miller fought with the 22nd Georgia (Wright's Brigade), and got shot out of a tree during the battle of Gettysburg while spotting for Confederate artillery. He moved from Georgia to Texas after the war ended; he and his long-suffering wife had ten children, one of whom was my maternal grandfather. He raised me during World War II, because mom, like millions of other American women, became Rosie the Riveter and worked 16 hours a day building LSTs.
I was born and raised in the Santa Clara Valley (before they paved it), and moved to Canada in 1967. I am now a dual citizen. (PLEASE don't call it "Silicon Valley," which is an insult to what the valley used to be.)
I joined a Marine Corps Air Delivery Reserve company in 1958, after opting out of the PLC program.
Having been born and raised in San Jose, I am, of course, a life-long sourdough junkie, and, for the past twenty years, an ardent artisan baker. I mill my own Heritage grains and bake killer sourdoughs!
I established the first peer-to-peer network in my community in 1985, using FidoNet technology, then switched to SCO Xenix and created an InterNet-to-Fidonet gateway in 1985. Working with a coding friend, I created a Windows-based peer to peer network to unite west coast salmon farms with their corporate offices and suppliers. The net enjoyed ground-breaking success until late 1987, when the price of salmon hit bottom and the farms disappeared virtually overnight, along with my income. (Losses for two firms alone exceeded $32 mil!)
By 1993 I had grown the InterNet gateway to the point where my Xenix machine supported 6 phone lines and Telebit Trailblazers (remember those puppies?), but had little to do but browse through a few hundred UseNet newsgroups to alleviate boredom. While doing so, I had my first exposure to Holocaust denial, promulgated by disgusting racial supremacists and NAZI wannabees.
The experience was unsettling, and I began confronting the hate-filled morons on a daily basis, eventually building a team of students and professionals to prepare and archive evidence to refute the deniers. In a very short time, this effort led to the creation of Nizkor, a website dedicated to Holocaust education and the refutation of Holocaust denial. (I have my own Wikipedia page - you'll find it here. (Nizkor was gifted to B'nai Brith Canada in 2010.)
I discovered dragon boating in 2006, and was certified as a community coach a few years later. In 2009, in collaboration with a local businessman, I introduced Champion (IDBF) Dragon Boats to Canada - and fought an uphill battle against the acceptance of world-class racing hulls in my community
In the end, however, both BuK and Champion boats were well established with Island dragon boat clubs.
I spend most of my time these days doing what I can to annoy liberals.
(That's me, with a shipment of Champion 912 hulls.)
I should add that Steem and its attendant techi-babble mystify me, but I'll figure it all out one of these days!
Hello @dragon40,
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That is so awesome ! You know I lived in Nanaimo 26 years ago and thats where my second son was born ! His father and I entered the silly boat races a couple of times ! What fun that was back in the day ! We since moved long time ago to Coquitlam and now were in Kelowna British Columbia Canada! About 4 hours east of Vancouver! But i will always miss the ocean! To bad the damp rainy weather is hard on my arthritis! Its much dryer here ! I will follow you , nice to have someone on steemit from B.C! Welcome ! And steem on ! 😊😉👍
I trained as a welder in Kelowna, back in 69-70... too hot for this California boy...came to the Island in 1973 and fell in love with the place!
What a small world ! Thats really great ! my ex spouse / boyfriend was a welder , he trained in Vancouver. Somewhere . He still lives in Coquitlam! But I really liked Nanaimo when I lived there my ex husband now passed on , his mom and dad lived in Nanaimo a long time , they had a corner store on Nichole Street called M& F Market . Just up from the Patricia hotel The Pats ! lol ! If thats still there ! Well heading home to bed , i blog from work , security guard, graveyards , good luck on steemit ! 👍😉
Welcome to Steemit! Great to see new technology being used by the older generations!
Nice introduction!
Dear acidyo,
I cannot understand your reply. Please, if you like to understand read the vita of dragon40 and you will suddenly change your opinion within seconds. Even a lot of great–grandparents, usually called the elder generation, have had their hands on the development of IT and still are deep in. Please excuse me for criticizing your comment. But you are totally wrong especially in the case of dragon40. You don't use a new technology at all. Steemit or blockchain is just another use of.
Sorry I didn't mean to make it sound like an ageism thing, I just meant people who have come in contact with blockchain technology lately thanks to the social platform that introduces them to it. Of course in @dragon40's case he is far more experienced and knowledgeable about technology than I am.
Excuse me please. I always have to hold up the banner for my generation.
Older generation? My 95-yr-old Aunt is the older generation - I'm just an ornery youngster.
Haha! I meant compared to the statistics of our userbase currently! Nice to see more people get in touch with blockchain technology!
"In touch" isn't the phrase I'd have chosen. "Completely mystified" would be more to the point.
Welcome, and great to have you here! :)
Welcome to the site, good intro post.
Thanks - nice to be welcomed!
It is very nice to see you on Steemit!
Nice to be here...it's a bit intimidating, but I'll figure it out :-)
Saluton kaj bonvenon je steemit. It is never too late. All the best for you.
Welcome to steemit! The great thing about steemit is you don't need to understand cryptocurrency or blockchain technology to use it!
I Would highly recommend using steemit chat to get yourself started!
It's a great vita of resistance and technology. Respect and welcome. Here is a good place to spread your experience. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir.
Welcome! Don't worry..ive been here for a few months and there's loads i don't understand still. Have fun!
Welcome Ken!
I am also mystified. Hope you can some post out to help out the noobs. WELCOME to Steemit!
I'll have to figure it out first :-)
Welcome...Finally, someone older than me (71)! If you figure out the techni-babble out PLEASE clue me in!!!
Damn, am I the Old Guy on Steem?
Looks that way...welcome Brother!
OK, I wanna trophy :-)
Welcome! You are a very interesting individual.
Welcome to Steemit, great intro! :))
Why thank you, Miss, and Christmas greetings from chilly Vancouver Island!
Welcome, grandpa. :-)
I actually saw this post from a resteem by @karenmckersie
Grampa? Yes, that works. Strangely enough, when I called my Texan grampa Grampa, way back in the early 40s, he said, "Don't call me Grampa, call me Pal," and Pal it was until the day he left us.
Must be nice that grandpa is pal to everyone.
Welcome, Old experienced sailor
No sailor here (we used to call'em Marshmallows on Pogo Sticks)... I dropped stuff out of really big aircraft, altho the Navy did help us invade Sausalitio one weekend...
Welcome to Steemit @dragon40! I definitely love seeing the blend of generations, gender and world-wide reach on Steemit.
I highly recommend you go through the hamburger board and read the white papers. There is also a link for THE WELCOME PAGE, which has a wealth of information from best practices to tools and other resources. There is also US, the community. :)
Follow the Three Cs:
That is how your people will find you - and perhaps you will discover new and exciting people to follow as well. All best!
Thank you for posting @dragon40. Enjoyed your post very much.
Welcome to Steemit. It is great fun, a lot of work and you will enjoy yourself immensely.
@remlaps resteemed your post.
Thank You! B"H!
Not only do you deserve the Order of British Columba, but frankly, I feel that there should be a tree in your name at Yad Vashem, that you and your family should always be blessed...
Thank you many millions of times...
That was a very kind thing to say. Thank you!
B"H, I'm so honoured to meet you^^ YW, but thanks :)
I'm very moved Ken. Please see this new post...
https://steemit.com/payitforward/@inphiknit/honouring-steemian-ken-mcvay-dragon40
Welcome to Steemit! Hope you enjoy your time here!
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Welcome to Steemit @dragon40
Nice to have you here!!!
welcome to Steemit, thank you for a very interesting post. Followed and Resteemed
seja bem vindo
Welcome @dragon40, all the best with your blog.
So, according to the comments you're in your path to become Steemgrampa?
Well, someone's already pointed out that I'm the oldest old phart on Steem, so sure, I'm up for it :-)
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Hello Ken, welcome to Steemit! :-)
Thank you, kind Wizard!
Great intro post, and welcome to Steemit! I'm following along and look forward to seeing what you to bring the platform. The diversity of content on Steemit is outstanding, as well as the sense of community among its users. Glad to have you here!
Steem on!
eh yah!
Thank you for sharing ,Welcome to steemit :) I'm following I have a knack of learning from "centurions" , you seem like a very forward thinking individual and seem to spend your life living rather than going where others are taking you, by chance or by necessity.