Keeping an eye on online identity, privacy, and security.
Projects
This page collects some (random?) comments about some projects I've been involved in.
I have a lot of intersts, and my brain is often near to full with ideas and thoughts competing for a release. I really enjoy the work that I'm doing (and think it's a cosmic joke I'm paid to do what I love), plus I have varied extravocational interests that drive me to periodically share them.
The Ballad of Bob
Producing an original ballad in the style of a sea shanty to honor the passing of my Dad.
When my Dad, Robert "Bob" Adams, passed away on June 24, 2023, he was just shy of his 84th birthday. And while writing his obituary I realized that the story of his life deserved to be told in a more unique way... so I commissioned some amazing musicians around the world to create "The Ballad of Bob." The result was three incredible versions of the song from musicians in the UK, Ukraine, and the Netherlands. I then used the song to create a video remembrance illustrated with photos from Dad's long life.
The Ballad of Bob |
Video Remembrance |
Making The Ballad
Reaching for the Humanity in the Stars
My experience at the first Analog Astronaut Conference held at Biosphere 2 in Arizona.
A ragtag group of independent scientists, engineers, and artists band together to live in prototype space colonies. They grapple with all the challenges and isolation faced by astronauts as they test complex systems here on Earth so that humanity can learn to live among the stars.
It sounds like a movie pitch, but it's all true. Read More >>
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Being an extra in one of the most iconic film series of all time.
My childhood friend, DC Barns, entered the "Star Wars: Force for Change" charity contest, winning an opportunity to be in "The Force Awakens". And he took me along as his friend to share the fun. For those of us who saw the first Star Wars film in the theaters in 1977, it was a life-changing experience. Being in the film had even more impact, especially when we climbed the ramp into the iconic Millenium Falcon, sat in the cockpit, and fiddled with the controls. Video | Photos | Interview | Essay
Making a Spirit Walker Costume
My son builds a scary stilt-walker costume for Halloween.
We start thinking avbout Halloween costumes early in our family as it gives us time to be creative. In August 2019, my son decided that he wanted to make a spirit walker costume similar to one he'd seen on YouTube. Thus began the nearly three-month project to research, design, and build an amazing costume. The project involved a lot of trial and error, learning all the while. The result was quite impressive, and based on the reaction of trick-or-treaters, it was quite a hit!
Time Traveling with Norman
How I fell into being an associate producer for a sci-fi feature film.
Life happens at its own pace and you never know what might come next, especially in a time travel movie. In this case, I gradually found myself becoming more involved in someone else's journey and ended up refreshed and invigorated myself. I am honored that Joel Guelzo allowed me to produce a small part of Norman, a fantastic indie sci-fi feature film. While helping with post-production foley and color correction, I came to be working with Joel and his brother Jonah and found it to be an amazing gift.
Going Full Iron Man T-Shirt Design
Working with my son and some global designers to create a cool t-shirt.
After my son finished reading "The Martian" by Andy Weir, and watching Ridley Scott's film, he wanted a t-shirt with his favorite line on it... but we couldn't find one. Fortunately, these days it's incredibly simple to create exactly what you want! We collaborated with some designers around the world on the design, then used RedBubble to create the t-shirt he wanted. As a bonus, we were also able to print the designs on a handful of other products!
Ecosystem Security: Protection Through Collaboration
Solving security issues you can't tackle yourself, or hire a vendor to do it for you.
As Director of the Ecosystem Security team at PayPal, I'm often asked what we do. Basically, the team was founded in 2009 with the understanding that there are security issues that can only be addressed as a community. Essentially, we recognize there are security gaps that can't be filled by a company on its own, or hiring a vendor to lock them down for you. With that in mind, the mission of the team is to tackle Internet security issues with a mix of technical standards along with industry and regulatory policies. To accomplish such a lofty goal, each member of the highly experienced team is either a lead, co-author, or close collaborator on world-changing specifications that make the Internet safer for everyone. Full Story >>
Medieval Armor, Renaissance Festivals, and Education
Donning historically accurate armor is more than simple cosplay.
One of the most rewarding hobbies I have is recreating medieval armor... and then wearing it whenever I can. It's based on the armor worn by Conrad de Montferrat during the Third Crusade (1189 - 1192). But it's much more than just an exercise in dressing up; it's about the hours spent researching the period, sourcing the materials and accessories, and then sharing the result with others. Not only do I wear it to Renaissance Festivals, but I also give talks at local schools to educate kids about medieval armor. It's quite fun meeting so many people (mostly, but not all, kids) excited to meet a "real" knight, wear the helmet, heft the sword, and take a picture.
DMARC Email Authentication Standard
Protecting you from yourself, even when you didn't know you needed to be protected.
One of the projects in which I've been the most proud to be involved is the development of the Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, & Conformance (DMARC) technical specification. The name is definitely a mouthful, but the basic premise is that the specification defends against attackers trying to hijack your email by spoofing your domain. The reason this matters is that it's one of the primary tactics used in a phishing attack, and DMARC virtually shuts that method down. As the Chair of DMARC.org, I was honored to work with some of the best in the industry. And protecting over 2 billion mailboxes from abuse is truly fulfilling.
MatchMine
An exercise in making a dream into reality -- and a parable of flying too close to the sun.
One of the most amazing (and frustrating) projects I've been involved with was what ended up being called MatchMine. It started out as a thought exercise with my brother that, twelve years later, turned into the basis of a multi-million dollar company funded by the Kraft Group. The basic idea was to encode your personal tastes and interests into a portable file format that could follow you around and be used to cater services specifically to you. While we're all familiar with this concept today given the always connected big data cloud in the sky, it was reasonably unique back in the nineties. At least I have a tee-shirt with the company logo on it! More on that story >>
