Welcome To My World
So, who is Billy Girlardo? Well I'm glad you asked, because it gives me a chance to publish my favorite line. So, from A to Z:
A boating, coding, daring, exciting, fun, Girlardo having Internet journeys, keeping long mental notes on programming, querying really smart topics, & understanding very weird xamples, you Zee? 
Anyway, this domain is a sandbox for the multiple blogs and websites I've launched in the past for others to view and critique. I taught myself a lot of what I know while migrating from a mainframe environment to the internet culture, in hopes of not only getting out of a tiny, little cubicle, but also working at something that I discovered along the way that I really love doing. I found out after the fact that going back to school was merely an act of getting the paper (and adding up a big school loan payment), because I already knew a lot of the web technology that was being taught. To be honest, using WordPress for all my blogs was the biggest help, and because of this, I am greatful for all the tips I've picked up along the way.
A Little Background
I suppose I could fill you in on a few things you don't know about me while you're here (boy, I imagine these memes save Big Brother a lot of time & trouble too! ). I was born on the East Coast's 4th largest island, a part of Charleston, SC, and was only a few hundred yards from the 1,500 year old Angel Oak Tree, but by kindergarten, I was living in the 4th largest city in the USA.
I grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and how I got involved with the underground 'art' world is a subject for another day, but by time I was 16, we had moved back to God's Country. Oh yeah, I lived in Los Angeles for a year too while in 6th grade.
I joined the Navy in '85 (during the calm Ronald Reagan years) and served on a brand new aircraft carrier, U.S.S Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) out of Norfolk, Va. I was a radar operator who also sat as FOTC for the cutting-edge JOTS satellite communications system. I worked hand-in-hand with the Admiral's staff when they were onboard for seatime exercises and even received the Navy Achievement Medal for my work. Just today (2/1/7), I came across this framed notation from a previously classified Naval document
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One of the most important parts of the exercise was training in a concept called Force Over-the-Horizon Coordinator. The Battle Group Commander must track enemy and friendly forces for hundreds of miles around the battle group. During FLEETEX 1-89, TR was Force Over-the-Horizon Coordinator. By the end of the exercise VADM Johnson said he had never seen it done better, "The performance by TR is going to be used as a bench mark for evaluating others using the procedure."
Anyway, that felt good because I know I was an integral part of that exercise; in fact, I'm the OS/2 that sat as the FOTC database administrator. Enough of that . Listed below are some of the Caribbean, North Atlantic, and Mediterranean locations I was fortunate enough to visit during my 4 years in the Navy:
| Location | My Impression |
|---|---|
| Bahamas | the island was paradise, the casino wiped me out, but the white sand beaches were awesome |
| W. Germany | castles, Oktoberfest beer, sausage, and sauerkraut, what timing! |
| Belgium | expensive but very European, the architecture was incredible |
| Netherlands | trendy Amsterdam reminded me of NY's Village, windmills, and a cheese factory |
| Spain | bullfights, sangrias and siestas, fun Mallorca is Europe's playground |
| France | Monte Carlo's casinos and yachts, the French Riviera, the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, and of course, Paris cuisine |
| Italy | Pompeii, Rome, my Motherland - very busy with tons of tourists, but so much to see (Brooklyn's pizza is better!) |
| Turkey | incredible Roman Empire ruins, oil-slicked bazaar birds, with gold and leather for sale everywhere |
| Israel | a step back into Biblical history starting in Haifa, then Jerusaleum, the Dead Sea, and the Massada retreat |
| Egypt | Cairo was extremely crowded, saw King Tut, the pyramids, and the filthy Nile |
| Morocco | snake charmers, brass and leather goods marked the gateway in and out of the Med |
Moving on, I've since gotten married - and that's a good thing! My 'Cleopatra' & then 'Pirate Girl' is with me in the Halloween pictures on the right. We each work hard at our jobs, and try to make the most of this short life every chance we get. Some icons to the right point to my professional interests, you can learn a lot about me there too. G/L.
