Okay, so whaddya wanta know?

First, my multiple personalities shown in the pictures below (click picture to enlarge it) - caution, may damage cameras:

When Posting on Leftist Blogs

Storm Chasing

As Anti-Kerry Activist

Yep! If you look closely (or click on the picture for a bigger scale), that's gray in the hair and beard except in lefty mode. Sigh. I'm an old fogie computer type: the first computer I played with was the MANIAC; I was introduced to Boolean algebra in 7th grade (or so); I did my first programming in FORTRAN in 1965; and since then I have done all sorts of software and hardware engineering. My primary expertise is in the area of large scale OLTP and "Client/Server" systems. I have also worked as an electrical engineer, and have a patent on a cable modem (early 1980s)

My high school was Lawrence High School, Lawrence, KS, where the world's best (and infamous) biology teacher, Stan Roth, was my mentor. I learned enough biology from his classes to quiz out of 9 semester hours (biology, zoology, botany) at the University. We also did frequent biological field trips, often as spelunkers (ironic - see below about rabies) in caves in Missouri and Kansas. Stan's teaching of cellular biology (in 1964!) was good enough that I can understand my daughter's genetic engineering work more easily than I can understand my father's microwave remote sensing research, and I was schooled in subjects close to the latter in college.

I attended the University of Kansas and UCLA, and I still work with a number of my very smart and very nice KU buddies here in Phoenix. I currently work on architecture and Java programming in the health insurance claims processing industry. I work almost entirely from home as a telecommuter. I also develop software for embedded control devices in the broadcast industry

One of my hobbies for over 40 years has been Amateur ("Ham") Radio as NJ7E. It served me well in the Navy, because I was able to qualify as a radio operator without going to the normal "A" school. When traveling, I used it to contact the locals. Among other things, this has resulted in an insider tour of the Stanford Linear Accelerator, likewise for the Multiple Mirror Telescope, a good view of Kileua erupting, and a nice pub visit in Edinburo. Only the French hams were unfriendly - they wouldn't talk to me on ham radio when we lived in Paris in 1991 (but the local folks were very nice and the food was incomparable).

I've have used ham radio for emergency, disaster relief and public service work. I have long been a net control station for the Hurricane Watch Net which relays information for the National Hurricane Center and sometimes assists in disaster relief; in 1985, I went to Mexico City after the 8.3 earthquake, and helped long distance communications, operating from a local ham's house, and then from the U.S. Embassy. I was state communications coordinator for Hands Across America, coordinating about 300 ham operators along I10, I17 and I40 at each milepost; At various times, I have helped with communications with charitable fundraisers. My daughter has had a ham license since she was 10, and my dad (W0GYS) became a distringuished scientist (NAE, Australia Science Prize winner) and inventor as a career started due to a childhood ham radio hobby.

I'm also an avid amateur meteorologist and storm chaser (see here), an ex nationally syndicated radio talk show co-host and an ex-pilot. I am still active in Civil Air Patrol as a communications specialist and ELT finder. OOh, and as you may have figured out, I do weird drawings - especially in boring classes (years ago) and long meetings.

I'm a father, a husband and a Naval Air Vietnam Veteran (P-3 Orion crew member). I have lived in: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Lawrence, Kansas; Paris Frances; Northern and Southern California; and, for the last 30 or so years the Phoenix, Arizona area. I live in the beautiful Phoenix Mountains in natural desert with a view of the Valley of the Sun.

I have traveled widely. My southernmost is Panamanian islands, westernmost is the former South Vietnam, northernmost is either Adak, Alaska or Iceland, and easternmost is Czeckoslovakia. Wealthiest is USA/Europe, poorest is Jamaica. Freeest is USA and Canada, least free was communist East Berlin. Longest foreign stay was in Paris. Most bizarre was South Vietnam (1968). Best food was France, worst was UK. Most remote was Adak, most populous was Tokyo. Most foreign was either South Vietnam or Korea. Most fun driving was Europe. Most frequent is Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Most expensive was Belize, because the whole family had to have rabies shots afterwards due to an insectivorous bat that insisted on living in our "authentic thatched roof" hut in the jungle - Christmas 2004-2005. We also are being tested for Chagas disease. My advice: stay out of thatched roof huts.

Oh, and I almost forgot! Politically I'm a social Conservative [also known as a Classical Liberal] and a big fan of Ronald Reagan and William F. Buckley, whose views are closest to my own. This describes how my personal experiences led to my political views. Oh, by the way, I haven't forgiven those of you who voted for Clinton and her husband!!!, and even worse, Kerry :-)

I used to be a major player in the talk.politics.misc flame wars until I discovered National Review Town Hall (on Compuserve) where the quality of debate was better and I could be to the "left" of my opponents. Unfortunately, the Compuserve version went extinct. Fortunately, blogging has come along and I have an active blog where I hold forth and occasionally rant and rave.

More recently, I was very active in the Vietnam veterans movement to defeat John Kerry. I formed Veterans Against Kerry, and then became the Web Master and fourth member of Vietnam Vets for the Truth (Motto: Kerry Lied while Good Men Died). We put on a many thousand vets rally and homecoming celebration at the US Capitol, started Operation Street Corner and ran anti-Kerry ads on over 100 billboards, mostly in Florida.

Our president, Larry Bailey and our public relations whiz, Jeffery Epstein were guests on talk radio stations all over the country, spreading the truth about John Kerry's treason, and the amazing cover-up attempted by the press.

We worked closely with the Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth, the true heroes of the election. They helped win the war in Vietnam, and then had to fight it again in 2004, and won again.

This was a great experience. We won, and we know we made a difference. I met many wonderful and interesting people, had some fun adventures, and contributed to the continuation of American power and freedom. What more could I ask! I also learned much about the operation of the Legacy Media (also called the Main Stream Media), and through interactions on an influential leftist journalism blog run by Dr. Jay Rosen, a gentleman usually wrong in his political opinions, but always civil. Jay is the Chairman of the NYU Journalism Department.

last update 02/05/08   Site Map