# Hi, I'm Talon.

## About Me

I love making things. When I was nine, I thought it would be cool to know how to make computer programs. I had no idea how, all I knew how to do on my computer was install software and play some basic games. I was not well versed in technology. I took the initiative and did something so trivial that began my obsession with learning, I googled "how to write code."

I take pride in knowing that most of what I know today, I know because I decided to look into it, even though I don't know very much in the grand scheme of things. I was met first with a WikiHow article. It introduced me to Eclipse and Java and showed me what a hello-world program looked like. I had no idea how to read stack traces and it took my nine year-old brain two weeks to discover that System.out.println wasn't really System.out.printin which is what was causing my program to fail.

These days, I'm fairly in touch with the world of technology, I've written many programs in languages such as Java, TypeScript, and Rust. I've also engineered several more comprehensive software projects such as mike-w-hammer.com, for which I've also done all the programming, writing, colour and layout design, photography, and illustration. I love computers, and I've developed and fostered a set of skills that help me solve meaningful problems. I still have much to learn, and I'm looking quite forward to it.

## Other Things About Me

I love to read. I'm particularly interested in the great works of literature, from early religious texts to the works of Dostoevsky and Nietzsche to the stories of George Orwell and Douglas Adams. I'm currently reading Crime and Punishment, which is, although dense, strikingly well-written as it is popularly known to be.

From the ages of eight to twelve I was enrolled in a gymnastics program. After noticing my technique on the rings, I was invited to join the competitive team. For three years I competed in Men's Artistic Gymnastics throughout the province of Ontario. I've learned many lessons from this such as hard work, welcoming criticism, and most of all discipline.

## Skills and Technologies

• Writing: I am very fond of writing, and I take pride in my own. Although I have no formal credentials, I have a passion for writing.

• Programming: I have a great deal of experience in Java and NodeJS (mostly TypeScript) as well as Rust. I've been getting more into BunJS recently.

• Servers: I have a lot of experience managing remote virtual servers as well as home-brewed tower servers. I'm well versed in bash and general Linux commands, as well as system and software organization and configuration. I regularly use Cloudflare to manage and protect my domain names.

• Linux: I've used Linux as my primary daily operating system since 2020. I regularly install and configure software and manage my system on a daily basis. I've encountered a lot of issues doing things this way, but I'm always steadfast in resolving them.

• Design: I know my way around Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. I use these tools often for making graphics for presentations, editing photos for marketing purposes, creating rough sketches for layouts and color palettes, as well as for designing marketing documents.

## Work Experience

• 2022: Leslie Gardens, General Labourer

  My work mostly consisted of shovelling and bagging dirt and stone as well as watering plants, mostly outside in the sun. It was always very hot.

• 2023-present: McDonald's, Crew Member (Kitchen)

  My work consists of grilling burgers, frying chicken, cleaning, stocking freezers, and assembling sandwiches and wraps, as well as making sure the kitchen doesn't descend into chaos. There's always something to do in the kitchen.

## Future Ambitions

My number one primary ambition currently is being accepted into the University of Waterloo for undergraduate studies in either computer science or software engineering. My number two goal is getting married. Third, buying a house. And fourth, starting a family.