Shane Cooper

Dinner with Family at sunset

When I was in Texas I thought the saying, “don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes” only applied to that region. Boy was I way wrong. Colorado has some of the most dramatic, quick changing weather in the country, bar none. Wind is not something we cherish, but when it blows, it makes you want to pack your belongings and move to anywhere without fast moving air. Considering that weather forecasters and meteorologist have lightening graphics, like low & high pressure systems showing up on their maps, you know lightening is not to be trifled with here in Colorado.

Living in Colorado for over ten years has educated me on the finer points of weather when it comes to the things I love to do. Hiking and being outdoors is greatly affected by what the skies bring us, but more importantly at what altitude you find yourself. Skiing is also affected by what the clouds provide making it a powder day or one more to my liking, sunny spring day. Cars that need to be cleaned are mostly affected by my time, but weather plays a role in if or when I get around to pulling out the bucket, soap and sprayer.

Having been in the IT industry for some years, I’ve grown fond of new technology, gadgets, computers and most recently, the “magical” iPad. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it wondrously magical, but I would say it’s pretty cool, has affected my personal computing life and greatly increased my consumption of information.

Putting the written word to some form of communication whether it be paper, digital form or on a napkin, I’ve discovered in my “mid-life” period, that I enjoy writing as much as reading. My favorite genre to consume is thriller/mystery or just a good odd, crazy, off-beat thriller that keeps me turning the page hour after hour. Therefore, they say you should write what you read. I do.

As a technical consultant, I’ve found that helping people is a passion that has consumed my life. Like my father before me, I gain great satisfaction providing a solution to a problem that makes someones life easier, more efficient or down right better. When I was at Vertis I had the opportunity to provide such activities in buckets varying in size and scope of course, but (cliche’ WARNING), at the end of the day it was all about helping people. Even moving into the more mainstream IT software world of security and data governance, I discovered that the sales process, all-be-it a technical one, is fundamentally about solving problems, fixing corporate issues and helping people.

For the Cooper clan, this has been our core lot in life. My dad was a home builder, remodeler, tinkerer, artist, fixer, problem solver (creatively I might add) and all round good guy. He would give you the shirt off his back in a rain storm, pull an all nighter to get a wedding decorated or put on his glasses and wade through tedious wire schematics to figure out why the lights didn’t work. In essence, I perform the same functions finding myself a consummate problem solver, but on a technical scale in my professional life and similar to my father in my personal life.

Living the life of a GOTO guy has been pretty rewarding, so far. I try to keep it humble as I genuinely like to help others fix their fence, work on their garden hose or provide tools to get thingy A into slot B so stuff C will work. I am that guy, the one in the neighborhood that has tools, knows how to fix things (all kinds of things and if I don’t know, I bring out my trusty secret, GOOGLE).

So, I’m the GOTO guy in both my professional life and personal life.

Hobbies and other “Stuff I Like”.

• Reading – I go through phases, but I love to read. My favorites are mostly mystery and modern novels. Fiction specifically. However, I do take in a good self education book here and there.
• Writing – Some may be surprised by this one, but I’ve always had a passion for writing. Like reading, I go through phases about writing. Committing words to paper (digital files) or what ever is time consuming. My schedule dictates how much time I can devote to the activity.
• Halloween decorations: yes, this one is a bit bizarre, but we really do up Halloween. First, it’s my birthday and compared to the rest of the holidays, the one you can be the silliest.
  - I’m really into making authentic or “real” looking headstones/tombstones.
  - We usually do up our garage in some kind of theme and we’ve been told we should consider doing a haunting of some kind. However, too much hassle and we really like everyone to stay at the door and just look rather than trapse through our home.
• Skiing: this of course if my favorite past time. While not a hobby per se’, it is something I love. I’ll probably destroy my knees and have knee replacement some time in the future. Although, my doctor has told me after the first surgery to not show up again until after I’m 50. (Probably not going to happen.) The best thing about skiing is, flying down the hill with my son, Dylan.
• Sports Cars: I love all cars for a variety of reasons. However, I prefer performance sports cars. I am fortunate enough to own a Lotus Elise and love this car for so many reasons. It’s fast, very fast. Handles like a bullet train on rails, is fairly inexpensive to own and well, it’s just so darn fun to drive. A smile grows on my face every time I get behind the wheel.
• Hiking & Camping: I actually like back-country camping, not just “car” camping. There’s nothing like really getting in the back country here in the Rockies.
• Home DIY: I try and plan a new “big” project a year. Although I’m thinking about taking 06′ off. However, I actually like doing major home projects. (Mostly because I reassure myself that if I give up the technology gig, I can always find a job back in construction. Then when I’m bone tired, I remember why I’d hate to do it for someone else.)
• Computers: Notice I didn’t put this first. Well, technically, it should be first as I’m a huge techno-geek. Or as WordSpy.com lists the newest tech word in it’s top 100 list, technosexual.
• Staying Home & Watching movies. Although, I’m not allowed to go get the DVD’s anymore because I bring home way to many, according to Jodi.
• Mac’s – this one use to be controversial, but it doesn’t’ matter anymore. However, I still like what Apple does with their hardware, even if it does have “Intel Inside“.

Favorite Movie(s):

• Recent Movie’s that are cool and/or VERY interesting:
  • Hancock – decent action flick
  • Eagle Eye – very unbelievable, similar to
  • Burn After Reading – silly stupid funny
  • Saw (All IV) -  sick twisted, but logical in a weird odd way (I DO NOT condone the activity, just find the twists fascinating.)
  • 30 Days of Night – Vampire realism
• All time favorite, “Life of Brian” (Select the link, it has the entire script. For reciting of course.)
• Others: “Meaning of Life” and “Dity Rotten Scoundrels”
• Close runner ups:
  • “Top Gun” – great flying scenes.
  • “Something about Mary” – The only movie I belly laughed so hard I hurt for 3 days.
  • Aliens, I, II, & III. Any of the Aliens movies really, well, except IV, it was a little over the top, predictable and plain bad, but the concept is okay.
  • “Shawshank Redemption” – inspiring and great acting.

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