Tao’s 2 Cents

I was born on a declining commune in rural Missouri near the end of 1980. Unlike most babies I didn’t cry when I was born. I simply looked around and sneezed. This would set the tempo for the rest of my life.

Although I had far from a normal childhood, it prepared me the world in ways I could never have imagined and made me the creative pragmatic person I am today. My parents although only married briefly for technical reasons while traveling to Australia provided a more stable and loving household than what is considered normal in the United States.

My father was and still is a political activist and the manager of the world’s first computer cooperative, the Computer Co-op. I had access to computers from 2nd grade on and we built my first computer together when I was 13. I upgraded that same computer over the years so many times that I still had the same computer in college but all that remained of that original computer was the keyboard.

My mother went to journalism school and eventually got her Ph.D. in media. While my ever calm and patient father was something of a stabilizing force in my life, my mom was something of the opposite. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, a little madness in your life builds character and I think I’m a more passionate person because of it. She is currently a professor of Journalism at Texas State University.

In college I first leaned towards the sciences and studied several kinds of engineering before deciding it was too dry for me. I then went the other way and finished my bachelor’s degree in TV and film production. I had no real desire to make blockbusters or any of the other junk that permeates the airwaves these days. I just wanted to speak some truth to power and have some fun while I did it.

I found that animation offered me the best way of utilizing my computer skills and also let me skip over a lot of the expenses associated with actual film like cameras, sets, lighting, costumes, actors, food, etc. During that time I also volunteered at the school TV station and helped produce several shows. I mainly did the graphics but also did interviews and shot segments.

During all of my college years I was earning a living either by providing some sort of technical computer support or by designing web pages. Looking back on it, I probably learned more practical skills outside of class than inside it. That’s one of the main reasons I decided not to continue the traditional education track.

After graduating I signed up for the Peace Corps because I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to travel and make a positive impact in the world. So if I could learn Spanish at the same time and have something nice to put on my resume all the better I thought.

I drew El Salvador from the country lottery but 1 week from finishing my training there I was excommunicated from the organization. A forced resignation for dubious reasons. If I could explain it clearly and concisely I would, but to this day the real reasons for the debacle escape me. Nonetheless, I stayed in El Salvador for a year and a half and did exactly what I had come there and been trained to do.

In order to support myself in the humanitarian work I was doing I began designing web sites for clients in the States and it occurred to me that I wasn’t half bad at it. I decided that this was what I would make my profession and from that point on I began studying and learning everything I could. I’m still learning and probably will never stop.

I’m currently living in Baltimore, MD and working as a web developer at the University of Baltimore. I’ll be leaving this summer in search of a more sustainable lifestyle. I’m extremely interested in sustainable living and living more closely with nature. I’m looking forward to growing my own food, generating my own power, and generally providing for myself. Hopefully I’ll have some help along the way, but I’ll do it either way.

I am still very interested in and concerned about the state of affairs in the world. Living in a third world country for some time I realized that most of the world’s problems originate from the first world. If I want to make an impact I need to be where the decisions are being made.

Originally my idea behind Tao’s 2 Cents was to be a political blog, but I’ve since decided to use it more an all around personal blog. If I happen to be thinking about politics and world events then that’s what I’ll write about, but if I happen to take a camping trip or need to vent about something that’s going to go here too. In a lot of ways this site is mainly just for me, but if you’re interested in what I’m saying then kudos to you for having good taste.