My name is Frankie — better known as FRN2000 (formerly known as FRN). The monicker FRN (actually FRN$) came from a program that I wrote in BASIC in 1985 to learn French. FRN$ was the string variable for words in French in the data source, while ENG$ was the the string variable for words in English. Needless to say, I never learned French. I came up with the 2000 part from the KISS version of '2000 Man' (Casablanca, 1979; written by The Rolling Stones) hence putting together my two life-long passions — music and technology. I started using the monicker FRN2000 over a decade ago, with which I have left my mark through out the internet for over a decade.

I am a 39-year-old vegetarian (not a vegan), tattooed programmer and father of three boys (20, 10 & 3). I grew up watching science fiction movies and television series, including Japanese animation (anime) and Japanese series from the late 1960's and early 1970's. Some of my favorite science fiction television series and/or movies are (in alphabetical order) Batman, Doctor Who with Tom Baker and his companion K9 (role of the Doctor currently played by Matt Smith), James Bond, Robocop, The Simpsons, Star Trek, Star Wars, South Park and The X-Files.

With such a fine line between science and fiction, it is no surprise that I got involved in computers in 1984 and now have a bachelors degree in computer science (2003). For the past two decades, I have used, played and abused a series of x86 systems. I have used several operating systems (in the following order), from TRSDOS 1.3 (not MICRODOS, later renamed OS-80) for TRS-80 Model III to Commodore DOS for Commodore 64 (first two systems with BASIC stored in ROM) to AS/400 to Windows back to DOS to Linux to z/VM to FreeBSD and back to Linux.

My first computer was a Commodore 64 when I was thirteen (1984) and I have gone through several other systems since. My current systems are a Dell D620 with a 2.1GHz Dual with L2 Cache 667MHz microprocessor and 2GB of RAM running Ubuntu 11.04 Alpha 3 and an 8.9-inch Asus Eee PC 900 with a 800MHz microprocessor 8GHz SSD and 500MB of RAM also running Ubuntu 11.04 Alpha 3.

I work at a local government agency writing data definitions and other documentation for programs written in the past three decades for a mainframe (currently running z/VM) for a data warehouse to be used for an ERP. I also code JSP/SQL intranet applications using Oracle JDeveloper.

I also work as a consultant whenever possible. I am currently doing some work for the union of which I am a member using CondFusion running on a MS Windows server, which I had never done before. In in the past, I also worked on an ASP internet application for a friend for two weeks and to my surprise I did a descent job, although this type of scripting is completely foreign to me and not open source, which I strongly support and would rather use. Hence I am currently learning or at least reading about the Go programming language.

Aside from computers, I have also been heavily involved in music in various ways, even getting a degree in audio engineering (1995). I worked in several recording studios, radio stations, music labels and live sound events. I grew up listening to bands like Aerosmith, Black Sabbath with Ozzy (of course) and Ian Gillan (the 'Born Again' album), The Clash, KISS (my favorite band growing up; first album owned, Dynasty, Casablanca Records 1979), Billy Idol, Judas Priest, Metallica, The Ramones and Slayer. I also enjoy listening to Ani DiFranco, Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan, Frank Sinatra, country music, Indian and Arabic music like Ishtar Alabina and the compositions by John Williams for the Star Wars saga.

Since 1986, I have owned different electric guitars and other music equipment. I currently own two Hohner diatonic harmonicas, a 1998 Danelectro '56 U2 re-issue with a Pastrami Overdrive effect pedal, a 1992 Rickenbacker 2060 and a Marshall ValveState B30.

Another passion that I have is photography. I have used several 126 (ISO 3029), 110 (ISO 13450) and 135 (ISO 1007) film cameras for still photography, 3/4-inch video type B cameras as well as digital cameras also for still photography. For the past decade or so, I have used a 1994 Minolta Maxxum SPxi, a Nikon FM10 and a Nikon Coolpix L110. I am no expert. I am still learning on my own and I definitely need to take some classes.

Well I have one more thing to share at this point. Aside from everything you have read or skipped so far, I never stop thinking and processing information all around me more than the common human. Hence one of the subjects that attracts me most is human behavior, not limited to psychology and ethos of the individual and masses. Hence I usually read, study and write essays on my own. From all possible authors on human behavior, my favorites are Nietzsche, Levinas and Kant.