Realizing a vision for tomorrow.

BIO

BIO

I was born in the upstate New York town of Glens Falls, parked against the foothills of the lush Adirondack Mountains, nearly walking distance to the Vermont border. I have one brother, Jason, who's married. He and Natalia live in Glens Falls, and in September 2010, I became an uncle for the first time with the birth of their daughter, Tessa Jane. Our parents make frequent visits from Mount Dora, Florida, to enjoy their new Grand titles and roles. I am watching her development through photos and videos my brother sends me, and had my first chance to meet my niece over the Thanksgiving holiday.

My journey out of New York state was a long time coming. I had not enjoyed the cold winters since a three foot snowfall in November, sometime in the 1970's. By 1989, I had finished a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Vermont, Burlington, where winter gusts off of Lake Champlain create an unbearable absence of heat (aka freezing cold). Just two weeks after my graduation, I packed up and drove to Los Angeles, California, for better weather and new opportunities, eventually settling in Venice Beach.

I have worked in film and television production, web design and technology, non-profit development and politics. I once tried making a list of what I wanted to do when I grew up. After I came to the end of the back page, I realized there are just too many amazing opportunities in the short lifespan we have. So I set out to sample as many of my interests as possible. A couple of particular areas I'm looking at now are in the fields of science and healthcare. I'm even considering getting my EMT certification in 2011.

Never underestimate the abilities of English majors. They are skilled at reading, writing and comprehension, and therefore are often self taught and very fast learners. I have never been trained on a job. Instead, I've always taught myself the necessary skills for the task at hand.

I enjoy most sports, but especially mountain biking, hiking, boogie boarding, snow boarding, kayaking and snorkeling. I own every episode of Battlestar Galactica and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I'm always looking for that next great sci-fi series. Most people would call me independent and someone who wants to make a difference in our world. I also consider myself an environmentalist with a focus on water issues and population growth. My dream is to become an astronaut, but for now, I'll just stick to reading science journals and listening to skeptic podcasts.

In 2009, November, my boy Jet passed away after a long and active 17 1/2 years. He accompanied me to Mexico for three of those years, and made it back to our home in Venice Beach before he died.

My companion now is Lula, who I found a motley mess on the streets of Aguascalientes, Mexico, in 2008. She has cleaned up nicely.









So What is This About?

Change

The greatest constant in the universe.

 

 

Participation

The Goose story

--Author Unknown

Next fall, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along in "V" formation, think about what science has learned about why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following it. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock can fly at least 71% farther than if each bird flew on its own. Perhaps people who share a common direction can get where they are going quicker and easier if they cooperate.

When a goose falls out of formation, it feels the resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of flying with the flock. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will work with others who are going the same way as we are. When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies on the point. It pays to take turns doing hard jobs for our group. The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Finally, when a goose weakens or is wounded and falls out of formation, two geese fall out and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and they then set out on their own or with another formation until they catch up with the group. If we had the sense of a goose, we would stand by each other like that.

On Volunteering

We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.

--Winston Churchill

 

Quotes

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

   --Margaret Mead

Skeptics Corner

ELECTED OFFICIALS NEED SCIENCE, TOO.

Because elected officials determine our children's curricula, they need to have a solid science education. Not understanding science can keep people from doing their job well.

For instance, on the Texas State Board of Education there are seven members whose lack of scientific understanding stands to put our children's science education at risk. The members who support the notion that theories have "strengths and weaknesses" have a poor grasp of science. How do we know this? Because if they understood science they'd know that theories are born when a substantial number of scientific hypotheses all support the same conclusion. This means that theories cannot be weak or limited. Theories simply are what they are. The SBOE members who insist that theories have "weaknesses," are simply fooling themselves with their ignorance.

WATCH LIST - TEXAS SBOE 2010 ELECTION

District 5, where the creationist-theocrat incumbent, Ken "Cat-Dog" Mercer (he dismisses evolution by asking: "Have you ever seen a dog-cat, or a cat-rat?"), is being challenged by the highly qualified Rebecca Bell-Metereau.

District 10, for the seat now held by retiring creationist-theocrat Cynthia Dunbar. Her chosen replacement was defeated in a Republican primary election by Marsha Farney, who now faces Democrat Judy Jennings in the upcoming election. Farney's position on evolution is unclear, while Jennings has firmly stated that she believes evolution should be taught in science classes.