A little About Dr. Taz

Hi folks, I'm Alex Ramos.

I'm currently in school for my Computer Science degree, among my daily activities. I also play bass and guitar, but am not currently in a band at the moment. As much as I'd like to go back to that, my main focus for the moment is my schooling, and hopefully working within my chosen field ASAP. That's not to say I won't entertain offers, but it has to be something that's enjoyable enough, while letting me grab a little money on the side. Mostly, it depends on my schedule. :)

Other Details
I was born on October 10, 1975, in Manila, Philippines
I lived in the Washington, D.C. area from about 1982 until 1997.
Currently, I'm in the New York City area, in New Jersey.

A short list of the bands, artists and genres of music I like:
-Jazz: John Coltrane, Ray Brown, Diana Krall, Jane Monheit, Joe Pass, Charlie Hunter
-Fingerstyle (country): Chet Atkins, Doyle Dykes, Leo Kottke
-Fusion: Allan Holdsworth, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Brand X
-Singer/Songwriters: Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor
-Pop/Rock: Chicago, Billy Joel, Nirvana, Los Lonely Boys, Steve Morse, U2
-Metal: Lamb of God, Dillinger Escape Plan, Morbid Angel, Iron Maiden, Meshuggah, Nightwish... just about any good metal band that doesn't sound like head cheese gets my vote! :)
-Prog: Yes, Rush, Dream Theater, Pain of Salvation, Present, Deus Ex Machina
-Punk: Minor Threat, Black Flag... mostly old-school bands. Notice that I did not say Green Day and Good Charlotte. There's a good reason for that. ;-)
-Goth/Electronica: afterchain, Ministry... I'm new here, but this genre's growing on me.
-Classical: Ken Gallagher, Sharon Isbin, Villa-Lobos, Stravinsky, Chopin, Bach
-Blues: Susan Tedeschi, B.B. King, Professor Longhair, Robben Ford, Keb' Mo

Other Interests
I like to read various books. For years, I read mostly science fiction, mystery, and some horror books. Lately, I've been reading some historical fiction, and even some romance novels. Not the usual Harlequin stuff, mind you. I also have several photo cameras, including a Pentax K1000 35mm film SLR, a Canon PowerShot A520 digital, a Kodak KB-10, and a Polaroid One Step 600.

Why is this web site up?
I originally did this as an exercise in my (still meager) HTML skills. Anyway, it's been fun for me, and others who browse here get to learn a bit about me. This is probably my fourth or fifth version of a personal site.

Can we contact you?
Yes. There's the e-mail link on the menu. I also occasionally am on some chat networks:
AIM: GhiZzard
ICQ: 34778276
Your chances of contacting me via the chat networks are slim to none. If you do have a good reason to chat with me online, at least consider sending me an e-mail, and a reason for chatting with me. If I am ever on, it's usually after 11:30 PM Eastern time, U.S.

Thanks for coming in.