www.kevinaylward.co.uk
Kevin Aylward Biography
Kevin Aylward B.Sc. - Analogue I.C. Design Engineer
The Basics
I was born in 1958 in Greater London. I have lived in England for 22 Years, Scotland for 20 years and America for 11 years.
Profession
I am an Analogue IC Design Engineer, although I have also done extensive software design. I am currently a Principal / Analogue I.C. Design Team Leader Engineer for a company located in Harlow, Essex.
I have had a variety of Electronics Engineering positions in many companies. For example, Texas Instruments, Studiomaster, Philips Medical Systems, and The Superconducting SuperCollider.
Education
I have a Bachelors Degree in Communications and Electronic Engineering (B.Sc.) from Napier University, gained in 1981. I have also successfully completed 6 M.Sc. Physics courses, to wit, General Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Statistical Mechanics, Advanced Dynamics, Mathematics and Electromagnetics.
National Origin
I consider myself as an Englishman, but my ethnic background is mixed. My father is white, and has essentially white ancestry, although with some Jewish thrown in somewhere. My mother is as black as the ace of spades, having a black Nigerian father and a white mother. This results in me having somewhat of a "Californian tan". My mother's brother is also white, as is my mother's brother's father also white, who was also the husband of my mother's mother. Thus, it may be truly ascertained, that I am the son of a black bastard. I eliminated my Jewish ancestry by having my nose surgically modified in the mid 80's.
At school, I was regularly called "Paki". It was rare for me to hear my own name. I did not care for this much. Despite the politically correctness of today, I would have been quite proud to have been called a "Nigger", which would have been a somewhat more accurate description of my background. A black man was someone that had much more respect than someone from Pakistan or India.
I have seen both sides of racism. In Scotland, I was a Paki, in California I was a tanned Englishman. Despite this, I am absolutely against the 1986 Public Order Act making it, effectively, illegal to use racist (insulting) words, with the only possible defense an appeal to the EU Human Rights act on freedom of expression grounds. Freedom to be a saint, an idiot or a racist should never be infringed. My issue with a typical school event of 30 schoolboys running after me shouting "lets give the Paki a good kicking", was not that an "insulting" name was used, but that an alternative shout of "lets give Kevin a good kicking", was equally unpleasant.
Interests
I have played the electric guitar since the age of 11, which was also when my interest in electronics started. I am currently a member of a female fronted Rock Band. Prior projects have been a BlondDee Tribute Band/Duo/ General covers band. I am a reasonably competent midi sequencer programmer.
I have a general interest in General Relativity
I have a general interest in Quantum Mechanics.
I have a general interest in Darwinian Evolution.
Philosophy
I am an ardent atheist. Gods do not exist. Period.
UFOs, astrology, palm reading, the supernatural, esp, the soul, are all bullshit.
I support "freedom of expression" to the fullest. Society has no business in restricting when, where and what words one can use or what we should wear.
No one has the right to not be offended.
Marijuana should be legalized.
George Bush is a criminal.