From the mountains of Pennsyltucky!

Using the power of OpenOffice, the Gimp and Linux.

My Name is Bill Byron and I live here in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. I was an Auto Technician by trade. Now I am disabled and live day by day with severe back and neck pain. I had been an Automotive Technician for 24 years, until my spine gave out with degenerative and compressed disks and arthritis. I also have moderate asthma and allergies. Automotive work takes a toll on ones body.

This has forced major changes in my life and made me realize how much I appreciate family and friends. I've been married for 30 years to my wife Miriel. She works for one of our local school districts. She is in a union that affords her some protections from people stuck on stupid and good benefits. Better than anything I had while working. We have two sons. My oldest William the 3rd is a school teacher in South East Pennsylvania. He has a major in History and English with a secondary degree in teaching. He teaches secondary education. Plus he's also in a union and not “at will” like most in this state. He is married and my daughter-in-law's name is Andrea. Andrea works in Human Resources at a department store chain. My youngest son Alan is a junior in college and is taking business management. We have two dogs. We have Dante an eight old white male German Shepherd. We've had him since he was a 7 week old pup. Now he is 90lbs and 28 inches high at his front shoulders. Just big enough to come over to the computer desk and when he wants attention and keep putting his muzzle under my arms and lifting my hands away from the key board. "Hey it's play time". Then there is Cody. He is eight years of age also. He is an all American dog or also known as a mutt. He is an Australian Shepherd/Collie mix. Both are Therapy Dogs and have their Canine Good Citizenship papers and compete in agility and Dante also competes in AKC Obedience.

Here is picture of us from December 2005.

We live in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania with a ground elevation at my house of 1,974 feet. I have lived here since 1993. We have only two seasons here, winter and not winter. Our weather is gray cloudy days followed up with more cloudy days with temperatures never seeing mid-teens for highs with lots and lots of winds. Winds that have been clocked in the 90mph range just from strong cold fronts coming out of Canada and off shore Nor-Easters, because of our elevation and the location of the jet-stream. Along with cold damp days, snow, sleet, and our favorite freezing rain. But when we do get those few non winter days it makes you really appreciate them.

This area was farm and coal and logging and tourism. But now people don't think twice about commuting from the New York City or Philadelphia areas. Don't think twice about the long hour road trips. Now we have state sponsored gambling with three casinos near by. Plus we have hydraulic fracturing for gas going on with NO consideration to the environment. Just show us the money. Our area is getting so built up I can see a time when it will just be one more shaded area in the Northeast Corridor Megalopolis.

I am EMA Coordinator for Tunkhannock Township. I am Skywarn Coordinator for Carbon and Monroe counties. I am also Vice President of the Mount Holly NWS Advisory Committee. I am a weather geek. I am a CERT Instructor and try to keep our local communities involved and ready in case of any events that may strike the plateau.

I am also an Amateur Radio Operator. My call is N3VAE. I have a two-meter repeater (145.230) that is linked to several other repeaters that are used for passing traffic for the Mount Holly National Weather Service Skywarn Program. I also have a UHF repeater (448.475) that is linked to several others. See my HAM PAGE. I also enjoy shooting. I love going down to the range with friends or the family to blow some rounds off on some targets. Even my wife shoots and has a concealed carry permit. She loves her Glock 10 mm pistol.

I am a computer nut who tries to keep up with all the changes. There is something for everyone. Even my parents, who are retired, have gotten into computers. The best thing that has happen is that my friend Tom introduced me to Linux. What an operating system! That was back in 1998 and since 1999 I have been 100% Microsoft Windows free until the need to break down and have one laptop running Microsoft Windows Seven. I got that for the June 2010 NASCAR Race at Long Pond. I had to because Pennsylvania feels that Microsoft is the only operating system out there and if you want to use the databases and software for emergency management you better have Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer. Hard to believe in these days that they force you to be browser specific. In the age of Fire Fox, Google Chrome, Safari, Opera, and smart phones and tablets. Talk about missing the bus and getting with the times and the chance to utilize the above listed technologies. My Linux and Apples don't know blue screens of death, crash daily, spyware, malware, virus and Trojans. Far more reliable and better performance. If you are still using the other guys operating system and software and are tired of all the stupid stuff that happens to it, maybe its time to give Linux a try or Apple with its UNIX based operating system a try.

I am also President of my homeowner association and let me tell you what I witnessed in my development can blow away any reality television show. I am planning to run for our local school board. It spends tax payers money like the U.S. Government with no consideration to the elderly and it's citizens on fixed income and seems more interested in keeping the administration staff fat, dumb and comfortable than providing education to the students.