: About Me

If a person reaches a time in life when they really know themselves, they automatically become the most authoritative writer on this subject. Even at my age, there is still too much work ahead on 'self education,' (I think that might qualify as a pun.) to be considered an authority. Some former wives might be willing to 'spit on their hands' and have a whack at it though.

Information is a good thing. Too much information is too much of a good thing. Ideas are better judged on their own merits, uncolored by preconceptions about their source. Here's my whack at it.anyway. I'm male, will never retire and couldn't, even if I wanted to. To the conservative, I'm liberal. Liberals see me as a conservative. To most theologians, I might as well be an atheist. Atheists, to me, aren't much different than your garden variety religious zealot. Race is 90% myth and I don't knowingly subscribe to myths. Politics is the same on both sides of the aisle. They look upon voters with equal contempt, differing only in style.
They hold the public in such low esteem because of voters' inherent gullibility, small time greed and short memory. Politicians see the electorate as the 'great unwashed' in need of cleansing and leadership by superiors. Style differences are, the liberal cashes in by opening bath houses to personally bathe the wretches. The conservative cashes in by selling overpriced soap and towels, and letting them wash themselves. Social and family issues need a major overhaul. You might as well hold your breath waiting for that to happen because none of us will likely be around to witness it.

My passion is ...

constantly being discovered and rediscovered' Out with the cold and in with the newly discovered.

I know too much about ...

nothing. This is something to take pride in, in a world full of people who know nothing about too much.

My parents always told me ...

Dad: "I don't want you to be as good as me. I want you to be better than me." Mom: "I want you to go to the store."

My childhood ambition ...

To be a physician, a commercial artist, an actor, an (ugh) politician, a world traveler and almost anything else interesting. Trouble is, there is only one life and many traps that one can fall into that absorb life.

My favorite memory ...

is a very selfish, narcisistic one. English Comp, over thirty years ago, the first assignment was a one pager. The instructor chose mine the next day. He read it aloud. A young girl two seats over had tears running down her face. Right now, tears are running down mine.

Why I write ...

Not sure yet, except that a finished piece seems to let in room for more. Writing is a passion denied for many years due to higher priorities. At my age now, there is room for writing.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Life is short. So, little of my reading involves fiction. Nonfiction trumps entertainment reading. I listen to original musical recordings from the era of American Music that took the world by storm: 1920's-1940's. I've had the pleasure of meeting and knowing some of those entertainers as well.

My first job ...

Carrying cases of beer and sodas up from the basement to restock refrigerators in the bar, downstairs from my childhood apartment at age 11. The job included wiping the bar and tables, washing glasses, emptying trash, sweeping floors, claiming all coins dropped the night before and all the cigarettes I could steal. It paid about two bucks every saturday morning.

My best moment ...

I hope that moment is yet to arrive. If not, I'm very grateful for all moments included in the field of contenders. Another narcisistic one. A week after winning recognition in an industry design contest, I attended an association meeting, representing my employer. The featured event was a panel of top designers from companies much larger and well known than mine. They recognized me from the audience and politely, humorously apologized for my exclusion. Uh oh, here come the tears again.

My inspiration ...

To choose one from so many is the difficult part. Dr. Wilhelm Reich, M.D. was the greatest, and most misunderstood scientist of the 20th. Century. Like all pioneers for humanity's good, he was ridiculed and persecuted by the mob. His books and records were ordered burned by U.S.Government order. Adolf Hitler did it first. Dr. Reich died in Federal Prison of a broken heart. We share the same birthdate, 50 yrs. apart.

Food & Drink > Restaurant Reviews Are the most expensive restaurants in the world worth their price tags?

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Brocato's, an historic restaurant in Shreveport Louisiana, displayed a sign when they opened in the 1920's stating: "It's tough to pay seventy five cents for a steak. But, when you pay twenty five cents, it's a lot tougher." The goal of this piece is to make a case that the world's most expensive restaurants are 'worth the price tag' to readers who largely, like myself, would grow pale before the prospect of paying fifty dollars for a borrowed hot plate bearing a chicken breast that has been morphed by culinary alchemy into a succulent work of art! Is Gainsborough's 'Blue Boy' or 'Whistler...

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