Some excerpts taken from an interview I did on Medium Pimpin' webmaster board in July of '09.

Q: When I first contacted you on ICQ and told you that I needed to ask you some questions for an upcoming Medium Pimping interview, your first response was "I was born a poor black child". Are like Michael Jackson where you were born black and now your magically white?

A: Steve Martin fans will recognize that line from The Jerk. Perhaps a more complete quote will help with the relevance. "Huh? My story? Okay. It was never easy for me. I was born a poor black child. I remember the days, sittin' on the porch with my family, singin' and dancin' down in Mississippi."

I have a pretty dry sense of humor, and memory for trivial BS like quotes from movies. I've found that the hit/miss ratio on my attempts to mix the two is about 50/50.

I'm about as black as Steve Martin.

Q: You gave me a list of people to contact to ask questions about you for this interview. Not one of them got back to me. Are you sure you have friends?

A: I'm a bit of an introvert by nature, so I'm not one to volunteer much personal information. It takes time to get to know me very well. I have many aquaintences, but very few close friends.

Over the years I've forced myself to be a little more outgoing at events like Cybernet Expo, but I'm still not one to just go up to someone and introduce myself.

Q: When I first met you Toby, you were hanging out with Eric and Kevin. I thought you were part of the Medium Pimpin' crew, but it turns out I was wrong. (Happens often really.) What exactly do you do in the industry?

A: When I first got into the industry I was building web sites on the side part time. I got to know a couple that had a cam site, did a redesign for them, and that eventually led to a partnership in a web hosting company. This was late '97 to early '98. I think we were the first adult host to have in-house streaming video servers. I did all the in-house web design, managed the chat server, and handled half of the customer service. We didn't make much money, but WOW what an education! Circumstances led to selling that business and a 3½ year hiatus from the adult biz. During that time I did mainstream web design, mostly custom ASP coding.

In the fall of 2003 things were ripe for me to get back into the adult biz, but this time I wanted to have my own sites rather than designing for others. The first site I put up pretty much defies definition, but hub would be the closest. That went through numerous revisions, never really did much in terms of income, but I got a real education in building and filtering traffic. The biz had really changed a lot in the time I'd been away.

I wanted to add more sites, and hopefully make some money. Everyone said to stick with what you like, so that led to starting fetish wear TGP's. I now have four of them, and that first domain has now been converted into a babe/pornstar TGP. (bevyofbabes.com)

UPDATE: The Fetish Wear Network now has five TGPs: Babes In Boots - Dressing For Sex - Latex Vixens - Stocking Vixens - Well Heeled Women

Q: Married, single, or are you one of those people who thinks men are men and sheep should be scared?

A: Put me down as happily divorced. I was married for 18 years. We split the sheets about the same time I got into the adult biz, but that wasn't the reason for the split. What I mean by happily is that there are no kids caught in the middle and therefore no reason to keep in contact. I haven't heard from her in years.

I'm not currently in a relationship. I'm not actively hunting for one, but if serendipity happens I'll run with it.

 Q: Can you code HTML by hand?

A: Short answer: Yes, in my sleep.

Long answer: My background is in programming. I took my first programming course in 1977 while in high school, then on to Oregon State University where I graduated with a Bachelors in Computer Science in 1983.

Q: Do you go to shows often? What is your favorite show and why?

A: I don't attend many shows, usually one a year. Florida Internext in '05 and '06, Cybernet in Tampa in '07 and in San Francisco in '08 and '09. Last year I did attend a second show, the inaugural Atlanta Forum, but probably not again this year. I don't much care for Vegas, so those two shows aren't on my radar.  Update: also attended Cybernet Expo in '10

Cybernet Expo is my favorite. It's more affordable than Internext or Altanta Forum, yet still provides an atmosphere and large enough attendance that I can do some business, make some new contacts, and get a first hand feel for where the industry is headed. As long as it's in San Francisco that show is an automatic for me. My brother lives there so I can extend the trip a few days and spend some time with him.

Q: Do you work in your underwear from home?

A: Yes, on occasion, but in my jammies far more frequently. I do enjoy the freedom that working at home provides, but it can be a double-edged sword. It's far too easy to get side-tracked and distracted. Training others in the house that you aren't just spending all day "surfing the web" is the key.

Q: Who is your favorite model in the industry? Would you cough up a lung to have sex with her or him?

Do I have to pick just one? How 'bout a short list? Gianna Michaels, Anastasia Pierce, Emily Marilyn...

What a wild and wacky weekend.

Each August Green Guy (link-o-rama.com & greenguyandjim.com) hosts a small webmaster gathering at his home near Buffalo.

This year's gathering featured the wedding of Emerald (smutgremlins.com) and BlueBrit (blue-candy.com).

WOW! What a week. I had a great time, but was very ready to get back home. My flights each way were uneventful and on time, not quite sure how that happened. ;-)

Monday
I arrived at my brothers place in SF about dinner time. We met a couple of his friends at a little neighborhood restaurant a few blocks from his apartment. The menu had a Portuguese influence, and the prices were modest. Good food and excellent service. Just what the weary traveller needed.

Tuesday
Cybernet Expo got underway, so after lunch with my brother I checked into the hotel, got settled into my room, and picked up my conference badge. I made connections with the rest of the Oprano crew and we managed to kill a couple of hours until the lounge opened at 4:30.

Conversation eventually turned to dinner, and after a phone call or three, eight of us ended up taking two cabs to The Brazen Head. The Penne Ragu was absolutely wonderful and the others gave similar reviews to their choices. I'm still not sure how Brad Mitchell (MojoHost) managed to snag the check. Thanks Brad :-)

Not being a party animal I skipped the offsite after hours party and hung in the lounge and shot the breeze.

Wednesday
Most of the day was spent at seminars. Nothing all that noteworthy, but it's always good to get a read on what the current industry hot buttons are even if they don't necessarily apply specifically to what I do.

We mustered again at the lounge before heading out to The Stinking Rose for a sublime garlic feast. The bagna calda appetizer was killer, as was the prime rib. To top it off we all shared a couple of orders of garlic ice cream. Another fantastic dinner. Thanks Hell Puppy!

I begged off on the after hours party again and spent a couple of hours doing some site updates. The wireless connection at the hotel kept cutting in and out. It was a bit frustrating, but two of my sites hadn't been updated since I left Houston, so I had to muddle through.

Thursday
More seminars in the morning, then a roundtable luncheon. The buffet was a pleasant surprise. After all the rich food the past three days I went heavy on the salad and fresh fruit. The discussion at the table I was at focused on the recent Max Hardcore obscentity case and it's ramifications. An interesting way to spend a couple of hours.

Come dinner time, most of the crew seemed to have prior plans. That left just Gonzo, Hell Puppy and myself in search of some seafood. If you want the freshest seafood in SF there is only one choice, Scoma's. We all chose the Alaska salmon and it did not disappoint. Food and service were both first rate.

After waddling back to the hotel after dinner we caught the shuttle to the Kink in the Kastle party at the SF Armory. Built in 1914 it is now owned by Kink.com and is where they shoot all of their content. They put on a great party, and most of the ladies in attendance were dressed accordingly.

Friday
I slept late then I packed up my stuff and checked out of the hotel. Most everyone else had already headed out for home or would be soon. I went back to my brother's place. We walked about six blocks to Nob Hill Grille for lunch. Without question the best Reuben sandwich I've had in a very long time. After lunch a number of my brother's friends dropped by and we just sat around shootin' the bull until time to go to dinner.

My brother had made reservations over a month ago at 1550 Hyde. As it turns out the restaurant is co-owned by a guy that my brother used to work with about ten years ago when they were both working at Plumpjack, which explains the extensive wine list. We ordered a couple of appetizers, and the owner sent us another complimentary appetizer. Antipasto, a seafood sampler, and a fruit plate. All were excellent, as was the sparkling wine we had with them.

For entrees two of us chose short ribs, two chose pork chops, along with a bottle of Pinot. The short ribs were done to perfection, needing barely any coaxing to remove the meat from the bone. Carmelized onions in a rich beef stock with fresh peas and red potatoes. Fairly simple fare done exceptionally well. The pork chop received similar review, and my brother is a fussy sumbitch.

Dessert was out of this world. I had an arborio rice pudding that was incredible and the others all had the signiture chocolate pot de creme.

A superb meal that didn't break the bank.

Saturday
In the morning we made a grocery run in prep for the evening meal. Some roasting chickens and the go-with-its for some beer can chicken cooked over the charcoal. The chicken was good, though I'm not sure it's good enough to justify all the effort. The company was first rate and we all sat around stuffed to the gills most of the evening.

Sunday
Breakfast at my brother's favorite local diner, then back to his place to pack up my stuff. I was uncertain how long the wait would be getting through airport security, so I left myself plenty of time. As it turned out there was very little wait, so I had time to get a sandwich before going to the gate to catch my flight. They did serve a "meal" on the plane, but the best thing I have to say about it is that it was still hot.

A very nice trip. No major issues, did some business, met some people in person that I'd only known from the boards, plus I got to spend a few days with my brother. I'm already looking forward to next year.

I've been putting off buying new pants, but with my upcoming trip to Cybernet Expo in San Francisco just a few weeks away I had to bite the bullet and go shopping. I can buy most clothing online, but even with the weight loss pants are still a tough fit. I just can't avoid going to the stores so I can try them on. On top of that I just plain detest going to the mall. I worked in them for years. I've done my time.

My first stop wasn't a complete waste. I did manage to find some every day, very casual pants. Kinda like sweats but in a light-weight cotton rather than fleece. Light-weight is a necessity here in Houston. Temps are already in the 90's. I moved on to store number two and after trying on several different styles I settled on two pair of Haggar dress/casual slacks in a dark tan/khaki linen-look fabric.

With pants crossed off the list I then went in search of some shoes. My Air Jordans just won't do with the new slacks. No luck at store number two, so on to store number three. Now, having spent 14 years selling shoes for a living I knew this was the worst time of year to shop for shoes. All of the Spring styles are selling down, making room for the Fall inventory that will start arriving in another six to eight weeks. I wear a fairly common size, so of course my first choice wasn't available in my size. The salesman, a nice guy in his early 60's that had been in the biz almost 40 years, brought me a few other choices and I finally found one I liked that fit.

Now by this time I'm clear at the opposite end of the mall from where I parked. I'd spent about two hours, including the stop I made for a quick bite for lunch, and had spent about $200. All things considered, far less painful that it could have been. Now I just have to take the pants down to the tailor to have them shortened.

I'll post again after my trip. That should be far less boring than this post.

Some of you already know that I've been on a serious weight loss plan since the end of Sept. I've not made a big deal of it publicly, as I'm really not into the recognition. I'm doing this for myself, simply because my weight and dietary habits had gotten out of control and the older I get the more serious the health implications.

I'm happy to report that as of this morning's weigh-in there is now 30% less of me than there was on Sept. 27th. (see ticker below). The NutriSystem commercials you see on TV are for real. The plan works if you stick to it.

103 pounds gone, 55 pound left to reach my goal weight. :-)

A summary of my last 48 hours...

Tue AM:
1) Post question about AutoGalleryPro on JMB support board.
2) Get reply, no easy way to do what I want. Find out at same time that all support for AutoGalleryPro will cease on Sept 1.
3) However, there is discount upgrade deal on the new script (TGPX, which is what I'm already using on Stocking-Vixens) but it ends that day.
4) I'd planned to upgrade all my AGP sites anyway so I get a quote for additional discount for buying 4 licenses. (great deal actually, $90 each at regular price, $50 each upgrade special, I got 4 licenses for $125)

Tue afternoon:
1) Run errands and MAIL TAXES (had to pay more for '07, plus make 1st quarterly for '08)
2) Early afternoon we lose phone/DSL service

Wed AM:
1) Been offline since yesterday, waiting for AT&T repair crew.
2) 9:00 AM repair crew arrives and begin to isolate problem.
3) They finally locate and repair a ground issue in a junction box up the block. While here they run a new wire around side of house for DSL to remove old repair (line was cut by yard service guys last Fall)
4) Finally back online a little before 11:00 AM. I have two TGP's waiting for a daily update, plus other pending updates and everything else I couldn't do while offline.

Wed Afternoon/Eve:
1) In the process of updating my AutoRank I discover that I hadn't cleaned up all the infected files from the server hack last month. All 3 of my AutoRanks had to be cleaned, PLUS most of my galleries that I've built over the last 5 years were infested.
2) I spent most of the evening going through the files on the server, reuploading all the HTML files for the galleries. I took the opportunity to also clean out some dead stuff that was still sitting on the server.
3) Finished that up about 11:00 PM.

WHEW! I'm tired again just typing all that. I may go back to bed.

Hey yo! It still works! ;-)

It's been a while since I've posted anything here, kind of forgot about it along the way. So, I guess an update on what I've been up to over the 16 months would be in order.

I've launched a couple of new TGP's in that time. http://www.DressingForSex.com, just shortly after my last post in Nov of 06, and http://www.Stocking-Vixens.com this last November. Locating enough quality content, from sponsors that actually convert, in order to update four fetish wear TGP's every two or three days keeps me pretty busy most of the time. Managing traffic trades is also a big time part of my usual routine.

Not everything has been that mundane. Late last September I finally decided that enough was enough and it was time to finally do something about my ever increasing waist line. I was already heavy, but had added another 60 pounds since moving from Oregon to Houston in April of 2003. I joined Nutrisystem and have been religiously following the plan. It works, the commercials are for real. I've lost 90 pounds so far, with about 70 more to go.

Also on the not mundane list, is a new ride. Working from home I don't put many miles on a car, so replacing my aging 92 Plymouth Voyager van hadn't been a priority. License and inspection were coming due, and I wasn't real confident that it would pass again without some costly repairs. I'd been setting aside come cash every month for quite awhile. I went with a "late model used car" or "previously owned" as they say these days. I bought a 2005 Cadillac CTS in a sexy dark red. It's been quite some time since I've owned a nice car, so I'm going to enjoy this one.

I've been spending a bit of time of late getting arrangements sorted for attending Cybernet Expo in June. Conference Registration made, hotel reservation made, and as of two days ago airline tickets purchased.

That about sums things up. The life of a TGP owner isn't really all that exciting most days, which is just fine with me.

This story gets a little technical, but understanding all the specifics isn't necessary to understand the point I eventually try to make...

A couple of years ago we built a new PC for a friend, who also happens to be our neighbor and our dentist. When the old IDE secondary drive (that we'd used from his prior PC) failed, we set him up with a pair of new SATA hard drives configured as a RAID type 1 array (mirrored drives), so that he has an automated on the fly backup.

Some time later his daughters gave him an iPod Nano for Father's Day. He installed the software and connected the iPod to the PC. No problems, everything worked fine, or so we thought...

...The PC is usually left on 24/7, and a month or more had passed after installation of the new iPod when a nasty thunderstorm prompted a full shut down. When the PC was powered back up, it booted up from the old IDE primary hard drive that we'd left in the PC so that the old data was still accessible. It had been there since the new drives had been installed and had never been an issue up to that point.

Once we figured out what was happening we restarted the computer and went into the CMOS setup to see what had happened to the boot device settings. Low and behold, the RAID array was no longer listed, the iPod Nano had been inserted into the list, and the old IDE drive was now at the top of the list. I edited the list, dropping the iPod off and reinserting the RAID array at the top. Everything booted up again as it was supposed to...

...BUT, anytime the PC was completely powered down it would revert back to the incorrect boot device settings, even if the iPod hadn't been hooked back up to the PC in the interim. Since he didn't power down that often it wasn't a major issue, and he had a cheat sheet with the steps to reset the boot device list.

Well, over the last few months he's needed to power down the PC more frequently, and resetting the boot order each time has become rather annoying. So, last night we went over to perform an iPod exorcism. He'd long ago disconneted all the iPod hardware, and we'd tried uninstalling the software too as a solution some time ago without any effect on the problem. This time, I unstalled all the iPod and iTunes software then went into the Windows registry and removed any remnants that the uninstall routines had left. We did a complete power down and restart and it booted up with the RAID array as the boot drive. Fingers are crossed that this has finally resolved the problem.

The moral of this long boring story is...

...Don't Fruit the PC!   MAN LAW