In a little more detail...

I enjoyed computers, technology and gadgetry since I was a kid having built my first
computer, an AMSAII 8080. Those were the days of the 'dumb' terminals and the
'software' was on an audio cassette and played in a player/recorder after manually
flipping switches to load the bootstrap. I grew up in a town where the large commercial
fireworks, usually seen on July 4th or special events and holidays, were manufactured so
while I delivered newspapers and worked at the family business, my dream was fulfilled
when I got a job at one of the factories and began mixing powder and building shells.
Eventually, I shot displays, got licensed in several states and ended up co-founding Pyrotecnico
in 1992. I also founded CigareXpress.com in 1992 after being involved with several multi-line
BBS systems through the 80s before there was an 'internet.' My background is in economics
and finance and during the 80s I worked as an investment banker, and InterDigital Communications.
In the 90s, I got into being an entrepreneur co-founding a fireworks display company, starting
an e-commerce site early in the decade and in '96 co-founded an ISP and website design firm.
I survived an explosion in '94 but got burned up pretty good and had other damage so I dealt
mainly with the ISP which I sold in '01 but continue to stay involved with the e-commerce
site, part of the 110 yr. old family business. I do a little consulting on the side whether it be
in e-commerce or choreographing a fireworks display since I've been playing the piano more
than 45 yrs. it helps when putting fireworks to music. Started a whole new adventure in '09
as I moved to Israel, one of the world leaders in the high tech arena. As the subject of an article
in the Financial Times Weekend Magazine a couple months ago, I was urged to write a book
about the fireworks industry, the internet and basically the explosion, since I should have died
and my life in general although I thought most people do the kind of stuff I've done. I also
bred ferrets which is where I got my original username when i signed up for PCLink, before it
was AOL. Well, I'll edit where things are at after I'm here more than a couple months.