Management had been very successful but it was time to put that chapter behind me. I had really enjoyed programming the JCPenney computer and was quite adept at identifying ideas for computer software.

I had taught myself one language, but programming positions primarily required knowledge of languages such as Cobol, Fortran, C++, and RPG. I was unfamiliar with those languages and had no understanding of computer concepts like "storage" and "memory."

What caught my interest, however, were the new Personal Computers (PCs) that were gaining popularity. I missed programming, so I purchased a Commodore 64 computer, along with a hard drive and a dot matrix printer. Connecting the computer to a small TV, I started programming in DOS

DOS resembled the programming language I had worked with on the Motorola mainframe. As a few of my friends and neighbors started purchasing PCs, I assisted them in learning how to operate them. With the intention of creating something I could market, I developed a payroll program. This program managed employee records, featured editable tax files, and printed paychecks along with a comprehensive check stub.

Teaching a computer to write checks was quite the challenge. The computer had to covert a number into words. For example, a check paying $262.83 had to print the amount as Pay: ************ TWO HUNDRED SIXTY TWO and 83/100. It took me two months to write the program. It was completed in August 1987 but never sold.

Having experience in both Real Estate sales and home mortgage sales, I had the expertise to create a program that would analyze the PITI and Settlement Costs of three different mortgages. My friends in Real Estate appreciated the program, and I successfully sold it to Fox & Lazo Mortgage. However, Crestmont Federal, the mortgage company I was working for, showed no interest.

With that success, a colleague in the Real Estate business asked if I could write a "motel program" that would assign rooms to guests. His father and several relatives owned motels along the New Jersey shore. His father spent a lot of time jockeying room reservations and was able to keep his motel 70% full. His relatives, however, could only achieve about 60% full. I took the challenge.

After analyzing the business, I developed a program that could achieve a 90% fill rate. The software monitored every room assignment and could automatically shift reservations around to keep rooms fully occupied. I finished the 9990-line program on 11/22/88, but once he and his relatives realized they needed to purchase computers, they lost interest.

However, having invested months in writing that program, I started visiting hotels and motels from Atlantic City to Cape May in an effort to sell it. Since many businesses did not possess computers, I often brought my Commodore along to showcase the program. I told them buying a computer and this software "Would pay for itself within months." For the motels that had a computer, I created a trial version that could be used for 30 days before expiring.

Unfortunately, I had no interest until I reached out to the Hampton Inn®. They were enthusiastic about the program but insisted on having kitchen and restaurant functionalities included. Learning the food service industry and incorporating it into my program would have taken me months. I didn't believe I could fulfill that request in a reasonable timeframe, and my motel/hotel program ultimately went nowhere.

The next project involved a law firm where my girlfriend was employed. The firm had recently acquired PC computers but lacked a practical application for them. I created and developed a program that organized their case load, venues, and monitored communications.

They particularly appreciated the function that allowed them to print a comprehensive list of all the cases awaiting resolution in a particular venue, which made their business trips more efficient. Although they didn't compensate me financially for the program, they treated my girlfriend and me to dinner at an upscale restaurant.

When businesses started purchasing computers, DOS had fallen out of favor. A new iteration known as "Visual Basic" was gaining traction, but converting my DOS programs to VB would be a lengthy, time consuming process. Moreover, Microsoft® was releasing new software every week, and it often took me weeks or even months to develop a single program.

To make a living as a programmer, I would need to look for a job. If I had to work for someone else after being "the boss" for over fifteen years, I might as well do something I am passionate about.

  In 1988, a job listing was posted for a PICK® Programmer. The advertisement stated that the language was similar to DOS and offered two weeks of training. This was my opportunity to break into the programming industry. I submitted a resume that exaggerated my DOS achievements and portrayed my programming work at JCPenney as a significant responsibility.

I had an interview with Business Operating Systems and Software (BOSS) and was offered the position. While it was an entry-level job with a salary on the lower side, I was finally involved in work that I genuinely loved, and it offered a steady income.

The company sold proprietary software for payroll, payables, receivables, and general ledger. BOSS was based in Blackwood, NJ, and employed two programmers. When they brought me on board, they also hired Sandy, a single mother who graduated Cum Laude in Computer Science.

For about the first month, Sandy and I collaborated on a new PICK installation for a dental tools manufacturing company located in Northeast Philadelphia, which required a daily one-hour commute each way. Over the months of working together, Sandy and I developed a strong friendship.

My initial client at BOSS was a commercial landscaper who required a specialized inventory program. He purchased grass seed by the pound, but his employees used it by the "scoop full." He bought concentrated fertilizer and weed killer by the barrel and diluted them for application on lawns. I provided him with an inventory system that converted scoops to pounds and concentrates to commodities. He was very pleased.

After successfully implementing an advanced inventory program, BOSS assigned me my next client. He required a tailored inventory system as well. As a retailer for General Cable, he purchased cable in 1,000-foot reels and sold it by the foot. IBM had been attempting to manage his inventory for more than a year without success.

I provided him with an inventory program that monitored the reels of all the various types of cable he sold, while also keeping track of the usage on each reel and even identifying which reels could be classified as scrap. Both of my inventory programs were remarkable achievements.

Meanwhile, Sandy departed from BOSS and transitioned to programming in COBOL for Cigna® Insurance. Another programmer also left the company, and I took over his client, who produced eyeglasses. BOSS was now left with just two programmers: myself and the boss's son.

My new client, the eyeglass manufacturer, had recently acquired another eyeglass manufacturer and taken on their franchise businesses. With these franchises, they required a General Ledger within a General Ledger.

Fortunately, I had developed a DOS program that functioned as a GL within a GL for a friend at a nonprofit, the Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill, PA. The knowledge I gained from this bookkeeping method enabled me to create a new General Ledger program for my new client, whose headquarters were located in Dallas, TX. This new general ledger program proved to be a valuable addition to BOSS's proprietary software.

At this point, I had spent four years working with BOSS. My pay did not reflect my skills or the value I brought to the company. I was making less than half of what his son earned, despite managing more clients and being the sole developer of new software. When BOSS refused to raise my salary and instead brought in a new hire to handle some of my accounts, I concluded it was time for me to leave.

My subsequent position was with Larmon Photo located in Abington Township, PA. Their computer operated on PICK® for the photography sector, but it also utilized PRIME® for the Abington Township Police Department. Pick and Prime were quite similar operating systems.

In 1976, David Harrar, the President of Larmon Photo, recognized the necessity for a comprehensive computer solution for his expanding business and created the PHOTOWARE® system. This system took over twenty-five years to develop and was the first computer system designed FOR the photo retailer, BY a photo retailer! Over time, PHOTOWARE® gained an excellent reputation in the industry and established a global network of users from hundreds of camera stores.

My most significant project at Larmon Photo involved developing a payroll program capable of managing the withholding taxes for the Washington, DC area, where numerous employees worked in one state and resided in another necessitating different tax withholdings. It was a payroll program that also functioned worldwide.

Nevertheless, the photography industry was evolving, and Larmon was shutting down stores. Larmon employed three programmers, and I was the last person hired. My supervisor advised me to consider looking for a new job.

My opportunity came with Lightship Corporation, a company that purchased past due receivables at pennies-on-the-dollar and then attempted to collect those debts dollar-for-dollar. I had a bright office on the 16th floor of a Chestnut Street office building in downtown Philadelphia and, for the first time, I was actually programming in PRIME, not PICK.

One of my major projects at Lightship was a mainframe program that I can only liken to today's "Email." My program enabled the typing, sharing, and tracking of inter-office memos and correspondence. Users could search by content, sender, recipient, and even by those who replied. The old mainframe computers did not "wrap" text, and my greatest challenge was ensuring that text remained left-justified without hyphenations.

However, small companies did not provide stable employment. After a year or two, Lightship was also facing closure, and I found myself searching the "help wanted" ads for a new job. As fortune would have it, the Philadelphia Housing Authority was in need of a PICK Programmer.

After six years of working with PICK and PRIME, I recognized my value and capabilities. I applied for the position and began working on September 17, 1993, which was also my 53rd birthday. The PHA was situated on Chestnut Street at 21st Street. The only stipulation was that, as a city employee, I had to reside within city limits.

To my joy, Sandy was employed at Cigna's Liberty Place at 16th and Chestnut Street. Sandy and I continued to work in Philadelphia for the subsequent 15 years. We shared lunch together nearly every day and particularly enjoyed our summertime lunches in Rittenhouse Park.

  I started work at the Philadelphia Housing Authority on September 17, 1993. Yes, my 53th birthday. My position was Programmer Analyst in the Information Systems Management Department. ISM was a small department with seven people, three programmers, two printing department workers, the Director and his secretary.

The Housing Authority was located at 2012 Chestnut Street in downtown Philadelphia. ISM was on the 3rd floor of the building and Payroll was on the 4th floor. Accounting and Admissions Departments were next door. The parking lot was between the teo buildings.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority is the nation's fourth largest housing authority. It houses nearly 80,000 people, roughly 24% (1 out of 4) of the total number of households in Philadelphia. It employs 1,400 people and has a budget that totals approximately $400 million.

Essentially, the ISM Department was responsible for designing software that created faster and better ways for employees of all the departments of PHA to do their jobs. More importantly it provided support for residents to access and receive services. And finally, ISM was responsible for all of the reports to HUD, the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

To work for the City, I needed to reside within it. I relocated from the beautiful Jericho Manor in Abington Township to Chestnut Hill Village in Chestnut Hill. My new apartment was spacious, and Chestnut Hill was a proud, affluent area adjacent to the suburb of Abington.

Although Chestnut Hill was situated far north of the city, it still fell within the Philadelphia city limits. In Abington, I had a 10-minute drive to the train station followed by a 50-minute train journey into the city, but Chestnut Hill Village was just a short walk from the SEPTA train station.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority had never successfully passed an annual HUD evaluation, which meant it was directly under HUD's oversight. The director of the Authority was merely a figurehead. After working there for about eight years, I was appointed as HUD Liaison during an evaluation and uncovered a significant issue with our reports.

I discovered that HUD permitted work orders to be deemed "complete" if the issue was "abated." For instance, if a broken window was repaired to stop rain or cold from entering the problem was abated. After the new glass was installed it was considered complete.

Upon investigation, I found this to be a critical issue, particularly concerning the timely completion of "emergency" work orders. I also realized that our work order system was not structured to accommodate abated work orders.

In numerous meetings, I presented examples illustrating the significant benefits of counting abated work orders as complete, yet I could not persuade a single administrator that our work order reports had been inaccurate for many years.

Recognizing that a major revision of our work order system was essential to include abated work orders as complete, I began working from home at night to update the software for our entire work order system. It took several months to develop entirely new work order software.

Once completed, I tested my new software against the old system, and the difference was astounding. I generated reports from both the old and new software and presented them to the administration during the monthly Site Managers Meeting.

Even after demonstrating how the abated reports enhanced our HUD standing, only one Site Manager, out of PHA's 65 public housing sites, was convinced. He and I worked together, and I arranged for his Sites to implement my new work order software.

When PHA reviewed his annual work order reports, they were astonished. With his assistance, I finally had the evidence needed to implement my new software. That year, PHA passed the HUD evaluation for the first time, and with outstanding results.

The newspaper reported that the accomplishment was attributed to the "Housing Authority Director and his staff!" In reality, it was solely my effort. The following year, I was sent to Chicago to install my work order system at the Chicago Housing Authority, which had also never passed HUD.

After rescuing two Housing Authorities from failing their annual HUD evaluations, I received no recognition when the time came for the "employee of the year award." Instead, the award went to Paul Fuentes, the person responsible for loading the printer with paper and distributing printouts.

The housing authority explained their decision like this: to determine who would receive the award, they asked both Paul and me to complete a task they knew was impossible. Paul agreed to try, while I stated it wouldn't work. Paul ended up winning the award! They told me I should have said, "I'll try!"

Throughout my years at PHA, I made modifications and redesigns to payroll, general ledger, and work order software. Each year, the W2 and 1099 forms changed design, necessitating new software to ensure the correct data was printed in the appropriate boxes on the forms.

The Housing Authority operated its own Police Department with armed officers, and its police reports were distinct from those of the Philadelphia Police Department. I was tasked with creating software to merge the reports from both systems.

When the two crime reports were integrated, the resulting crime rate for the city became so embarrassing that the software was never implemented. To my knowledge, any crime occurring in the city's 65 public housing sites does not appear in Philadelphia’s crime reports.

The Chicago Housing Authority also maintained its own Police Department. CHA had turned into one of the most impoverished and crime-infested housing developments in the nation. During my assignment to Chicago to improve their work order system, I was shocked by the number of work orders to "repair bullet holes."

In 2003, PHA started to phase out their mainframe computer and replace the programs with Internet and PeopleSoft software. PeopleSoft established 15 workstations in a conference room for its programmers to convert our Pick software into PeopleSoft. The programmer with the most seniority in our department collaborated with the PeopleSoft developers. Another programmer took on the role of internet handler while I remained the sole programmer continuing work with the mainframe.

Payroll and General Ledger were the first programs transitioned to the new PeopleSoft software. Instead of becoming a valuable contributor to development, I spent a year performing the monotonous and unrewarding task of generating reports to compare the results of PeopleSoft with those of our mainframe.

The new development I eagerly anticipated each day and worked late to finish had turned into a tedious and unenjoyable chore of checking "Emails!" ISM relocated to the first floor on Chestnut Street and employed six programmers, each in their own "cubicle." I remained the only Pick programmer, still tasked with Resident Services and Work Orders on the mainframe.

In 2004, I had scheduled a Mediterranean Cruise for September. When the time for my vacation arrived, PHA denied my request, despite the fact that the cruise and airfare were paid for and non-refundable. Although I was earning a substantial salary, it wasn't enough to waste an expensive vacation. When they threatened to "fire me" if I took my vacation, I simply chose to "retire."

  It all began in the late 90's with an Internet subscription to AOL. AOL was an early pioneer of the Internet. It provided dial-up service for e-mail and became well known with it's popular expression "You've Got Mail" AOL later provided instant messaging and a web browser after it purchased Netscape.

I was fascinated by the websites I found on the Internet and soon learned about Hyper-Text Markup Language. HTML is the standard language for documents designed to be displayed in a web browser. I wanted to design a website so I began teaching myself HTML code. In 2000 I bought a book HTML For The World Wide Web by Elizabeth Castro and created a website hoping I could make a little extra money on the side by programming in Pick™ software. I never got any business from that website but I still use that book today as a handy reference.

HTML is usually assisted by technologies such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and scripting languages such as JavaScript. I've learned to use both and can actually write code faster than most people can create a website from a template provided by an HTML Builder. I can create any design anyone might want without depending on a template. I created my first website in 2000 and in 2001 I had an idea of writing my autobiography and making the website look and read like a newspaper. Each "article" was part of my life! Since then, I've published 18 websites. Some sold. Some did not. And others I gave away to friends and family.

This autobiography was first published on January 17, 2003. It was designed to look and read like a newpaper. I called my newspaper "The Good Times". The news articles in The Good Times were different events from my life and my "newspaper" even included an "Editorial" page and "Classified Ads." The "ads" were, for example, Autos I owned instead of Autos for sale. Over the years my autobiography evolved and expanded from 8 to 14 pages. In April 2018 I published a new version Vol 6 of The Good Times. With the advent of mobile devices my "newspaper" appeared in miniture on those devices. This version is mobile friendly but to acheive that it has lost most of its "newspaper" appearance.

One website I was very proud of is my Golf Course website. I designed this website in 2003 and was so sure there would be a market for it that I made a coloful trifold brochure that I mailed to dozens of golf courses and resorts. I distributed it to local courses going door to door. It was a very unique website. By selecting Course Tour from the home page menu, an interactive map of the course appeared allowing the visitor to take a hole-by-hole tour of the course. Just point to a hole number on the map and a photo of the hole appeared with a description of the hole. You could even display the scorecard along side of the map. One version of the website included views of the hole from the T-box and the green. But apparently the brochure didn't work. No one asked for a demonstration and I never sold it to any course.

All the websites listed under "External Links" in the Index are my code and you can visit those websites on a computer or a mobile device. However, the links above and in the Classified section under Web Designs are working models of only the first page. In those models the external links have been disabled. These old programs will simply appear as a miniature version of the desktop website on mobile devices. The The Iuen Family History and my Blog were designed using an HTML Builder so they could be edited without using HTML code.