Welcome!

Welcome to my place on the net. My name is Dave Lowe from Tampa Bay, FL. I am a geek, a Trekkie, a lover, a father, and many other interesting and exciting things. This is my "landing page" with links to all the other stuff I do on the Internet.

So where is the blog?

For those that remember the "glory days" of the DaveDorm Extravaganza, this change may come as a bit of a shock to you. I decided a while back to stop publicly blogging. I used to like to post to the masses. My regular readers (both of you) remember the good old days. But, some asshats shit in the pool and screwed it up for the rest of us. So now it's closed down to the general public.

So now, I am on Facebook and LiveJournal. Feel free to go there and add me to your friends. I'll review the applicants and decide whether you are worthy. Most will get approved. Some will not make the cut. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

About Dave

My hobbies include Amateur Radio, my callsign is KD4INR. I am also a linux geek, Registered Linux User #375232! I am a "Debianista," in other words, my distribution of choice is Debian. However, Debian is really not for the weak. I run Debian "Sid", the unstable/testing branch. All of the Debian versions are named after characters in the Pixar film Toy Story. So naturally, "Sid" would be the unstable one.

For those new to Linux, I recommend one of the Ubuntu family of distributions, I prefer either Xubuntu or Kubuntu, to get you started.

I'm a Trekkie

I am a member of STARFLEET, the International Star Trek Fan Association. I am a member of my local chapter, the USS Tiberius and webmaster for Region Two. I really get into it. I even get into the political thing within the group. You can visit my other blog here. If Trekkie stuff is not your bag, I certainly understand. Trekkies are weird.

Second Life

I recently got involved on Linden Labs' Second Life. I am also active in SL STARFLEET, so come on in and check it out. It's loads of fun.

TrekSpace

You know, social networks are getting more and more specialized every day. Now, you can join other Star Trek fans in TrekSpace Check out my profile here.

IMVU

I am an active member of IMVU, the world's greatest 3-D chat program. Come to the site, download the latest version and get chatting. Join us on some great Trekkie adventures or just hang out and chat. Click on the picture at the right, or the link provided to sign up, I get credits for referring my friends.

Karaoke

I am a huge karaoke junkie, too. I prefer PC based karaoke, using MP3+G format. As I am also an open source fanatic, I use a free program to drive it all called PyKaraoke. Currently, my personal collection is over 10,000 titles. You may find me singing in some of the finer dives in Tampa Bay. I am also a karaoke jockey, part time, and I do host a few shows in the Bay Area. I mostly fill in for other Karaoke hosts that I know, a sort of "relief pitcher" in case they need a night off.

Rockstar Karaoke

OK, forget the bouncing ball. This is karaoke in front of a live band. This is the most intense karaoke experience ever. I frequent the Side Splitter's Comedy Club on Dale Mabry in Tampa. Every other Friday, they have "Rockstar Karaoke." The band is called MunkeyFist and they truly rock. Here's a video of me at the show singing "Jenny (867-5309)" by Tommy Tutone.

In the words of MunkeyFist, "What the hell is Rockstar Karaoke? Well, it’s karaoke, without the perfect CD, lyrics on a screen and all the effects that make a tone-deaf dog sound good. It’s you getting your butt up on stage with MunkeyFist, as the lead singer of a rock band, and all the glories that go along with it. In typical Lead singer style, you’ll show up late, get on stage drunk, attract plenty of groupies, blame the band if you screw up, and leave without packing up any gear! It’s a win-win situation! Honestly, after all the shots, how can anyone remember any lyrics, so... We’ll have a nice big book of lyrics for you on a music stand! How cool is that?"

If you are a true karaoke junkie, as I am, you have got to come check this out. GET FISTED!

Work

I am an A+ Certified PC Technician by trade. I hold a few other certifications, and I earned an Associate's Degree in Computer networking in 2003. I am currently employed as a server administrator and IT guy for a small call center in Largo. I also do web design on the side.

Blogging

I have been a blogger since 1996. That was way before there was cool blogging software. I was blogging before it was a buzzword. I was doing it the old fashioned way, editing raw HTML and doing newest-on-top posting. Yeah, I am old school!

I'm a HeadBlader!

I started shaving my head a few months ago. I used to keep it trimmed close with an electric shaver. One day, we could not find the guards to cut my hair, so we took it all the way down with no guard. I joked that I should just go ahead and wet-shave it. My wife did not like the idea at first, but after a few days, she let me try it.

Wow! I wish I had done this years ago. It's different. It's not a hairstyle, it's a lifestyle! I use the HeadBlade line of products religiously. I shave most every day. I keep it sly and smooth. You can also find me lurking on the Sly Bald Guys forum and website.