The author at his retirement party, June 2005.
This is where I’m supposed to explain the purpose of this blog and who I am so you can decide whether or not you want to keep up with it.
About Me
I am a California native. I was born in Glendale but grew up mostly in Bakersfield until I was 26, when I moved to Sacramento.
I retired in 2005 after working 30 years in various parts of California government service. I started doing that in 1974 as a Field Representative to Bakersfield Assemblyman Ray Gonzales and ended my career as an information technology manager and senior IT analyst in the California Department of Education.
I am happily married to Donna Chan, who was born in Hong Kong. We both have lived our lives with cerebral palsy since birth. And we both have tons of friends from all backgrounds and several ways of life. We cherish them all.
About This Blog
With a focus on California, this occasional blog consists of my thoughts, ramblings, and opinions about an undisciplined list of things including (but not necessarily limited to):
- Politics,
- The internet (what can be found on it, how it works, & where it’s going),
- Space and cosmology,
- Disability rights,
- Books or articles I like,
- Things I find funny or entertaining,
- And my always surprising & wonderful wife.
Why Oflanagan’s Net?
Since I have established, and sort of maintain, two volunteer non-profit sub-domains under the oflanagans.net domain umbrella this site generally meets the requirements of a .net site. But the reason for the name is sentimental.
My first and middle names are biblical names, Timothy and Michael. Historically it has been a common practice in Ireland for parents to bestow biblical names on their children. My maternal grandmother was indeed of Irish descent. My maternal grandfather, however, was of American English and Dutch Boer descent. He used to delight in teasing me about my name. “With a name like Timothy Michael, you must be Irish,” he used to say. And for that reason his nickname for me was “O’Flanagan”.
I loved my grandfather for many reasons. Not the least of which was that, except the absence of a snowy white beard, in physique and jolly manner he was to me the image of Santa Claus himself. Thus, O’Flanagan’s Net.
