Last modified: 4 February 2012
Readers of my web sites have asked for information about me in the hopes of getting to know me better. This page is an attempt to accomplish that. From my picture above to what follows, here is a glimpse into the entity known as "Mike Weasner".
I am the "WebMaster" of the very popular Weasner's Mighty ETX Site telescope web site. I am the author of the book Using the Meade ETX, published in 2002 by Springer-Verlag in their Practical Astronomy series. I also have a web site for "Cassiopeia Observatory. The photo above shows me inside my SkyShed POD observatory with my Meade 8" LX200-ACF telescope.
I began developing software on the Apple II computer in 1980 and then on the Macintosh in 1984. The applications that I developed were mostly because I wanted to do something specific on my computer and did not like any of the solutions that were available. I eventually signed up as an Apple Macintosh Associate Developer, which helped me tremendously, both personally and professionally. The picture of me at the right was taken during a visit to Apple in 1996.
I am the author of ExAminer, at one time a popular Macintosh shareware utility. It was used to manage items such as Apple Menu Items, Control Panels, Extensions, Fonts, and Startup Items inside the Macintosh OS System Folder. Current ExAminer users should read the "Notes for Registered Users" on the ExAminer Support Page.
I was born and raised mostly in Seymour, Indiana, USA, a small Mid-western town in Southern Indiana. Much of my personality and abilities stem from my parents; brothers, Harold and Paul; sister, Shirley; and many school teachers. Paul began me down the path of science and science fiction. Thanks Paul! Finally, much of what makes me "me" is a result of my high school band director, Mr. James C. Patton. Mr. Patton, my deepest thanks for what you taught me beyond music skills. In late 2001 I finally located Mr. Patton and began to correspond with him. Letting him know of his influence on me and hearing about his life in the several decades that have passed has been a real personal joy. And then in June 2007, I was able to have a visit with Mr. Patton, his wife Marilyn, and their daughter Susan, at their home in Indiana. That was a real treat!
Following high school, I obtained a B.S. in Astrophysics from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. I then did some graduate level work in Meteorology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.
Following college I entered into the United States Air Force, where I served as a fighter pilot, instructor, and a manager in the Air Force's Space Shuttle Program Office. The photo on the left is my "Tiger Shot" during T-38 Pilot Training. After I earned my "wings" I was assigned to the A-7D fighter, seen on the right, and below, during a refueling mission.
You can see more photos from my Air Force flying on my "T-38 Talon" and "A-7D Corsair II" web sites.
During my Air Force career I lived in many places, finally ending up in the Los Angeles, California, area for my last assignment. I lived in Torrance, California, from 1980 until June 1997, when we purchased a home in Rolling Hills Estates, California. After leaving the Air Force in 1983, I eventually went to work for an aerospace company as a Systems Engineer. I have been a manager in one of the business units and was the Apple Reseller Program Manager for the company. In October 2004, I was selected as the Deputy Training Manager for an organization that supported approximately 16,000 employees. As a result of some company reorganizations I elected to retire in June 2007, after 23 years with the company. I miss the people and the challenges and being able to contribute in meaningful ways to the successes of the people and the organization. However, it was time to move on. And moving on meant moving first to Oro Valley, AZ, while we built our new home in Oracle, AZ. You can read the "Road to Oracle" blog for reports on our new home. We finally moved in at the end of June 2009.
My hobbies include astronomy, science fiction, and computers. I enjoy listening to classical music, science fiction movie soundtracks, and old radio shows like "X Minus One", "The Lone Ranger", etc.
In November 1994, I met R-Laurraine Tutihasi. We have many mutual interests and both agree that there isn't enough time to do everything we want to do, individually and together.
Well, that's it for now. Thanks for stopping by. Take care.