If you've ever tuned in to KVMR on a Monday and heard an upbeat, slightly goofy guy with a British accent talking about computers, software, and all things technical, chances are you have been hearing the voice of Paul Castro. Paul has been sharing the airwaves with Glenn Far on alternate Mondays doing Zen Tech, a call in computer question and answer show for about 5 years now. As with all of KVMR's broadcasters, Paul is a volunteer. What people may not know is that behind the scenes and off the air Paul is also a member of our highly skilled and indispensable volunteer tech crew. Paul's main job on the tech crew is to assist Paul Paterson, our Chief Engineer, in maintaining KVMR's network of 20 computers and 2 servers. He does all this with an easygoing manner and offbeat humor that make him utterly approachable and likable. A self-proclaimed nerd, Paul says that nobody should ever be afraid to call in to his show to ask a question. In fact he cites Danny Chauvin's remark as being the best compliment he's ever received: "great show, no idea what you're talking about." It's a sentiment echoed by more than a few of us around here at KVMR, but we all find ourselves tuning in anyway, a testament to Paul and Glenn's charm and ability to hold an audience no matter what they're talking about!

Paul grew up in Hastings, England. He spent 10 years working on navigation systems for boats and traveling, spending time in Nepal, Tibet and Thailand, and worked for a while teaching English in Japan. With a degree in Environmental Science from Heartford University North of London, Paul gained his early computer experience in college in 1978 on a DEC 1091, a computer that might have come straight out of a science fiction movie. Now he calls himself the "least environmental environmentalist ever" but acknowledges that he always had a strong interest in communications which is probably what led him to his work with internet engineering and radio.

Paul first arrived in California in 1983, via the Panama Canal. He settled in the Bay Area, then moved up to this area in 1993 because he figured anyplace called Grass Valley where you could get gold out of the rivers must be great. He makes his living doing internet engineering, through his company The Art of Logic. And no, he has never gotten gold from any of the rivers, or even tried. When asked what he likes about being on the radio, he replies that it's never a one way thing, and it's a catalyst for communication if he's doing the job right. He sees volunteering as an opportunity to have others' interests at heart more than his own. He calls KVMR "the most diverse and enigmatic radio station anywhere" and he is proud to be a part of it. You can reach Paul at zen@kvmr.org

We are proud to have Paul in our family of volunteers. Thanks Paul for all that you do both for KVMR and the listening community!