: About Me

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, I am the oldest of a squad (6) of children. Graduated high school at age 17, enlisted in the Air Force when I was 18. During my Air Force career, I refueled/defueled airplanes (both feet firmly planted on the ground) at a host of locations. I was stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, Fairchild AFB, Washington, Osan AB, Korea, Holloman AFB, New Mexico, Kunsan AB (went on Temporary Duty to Pusan, Korea and Philippines), Korea, and Ramstin AB (Temporary Duty to Saudi Arabia during 1st Gulf War), Germany. Retired after 19 years (I took early retirement), I graduated in June 2000 with a BA in Management Information Systems. I reside in Naples, Florida taking care of my mother-in-law, who is confined to a nursing home.

My passion is ...

more than anything else, to have an intelligent conversation about a topic. I do not believe in hollering, screaming or yelling when I discuss an issue, any issue.

I know too much about ...

absolutely, positively nothing. The day I stop learning is the day I die

My parents always told me ...

to be honest, forthright, and loyal to self and those who mean a lot to me

My childhood ambition ...

goes more at what I did not want to be when I grew up, rather than what I wanted to be. The medical profession has never impressed me, and the same would go for morticians.

My favorite memory ...

happened when I was in the 5th grade. I always had a book, so I could read when the opportunity presented itself. This one day, I had finished a test early, picked up a book I'd brought with me, and was reading. I never realized class had started. I was perfectly content reading, and the teacher was perfectly content teaching the next subject.

Why I write ...

is because I enjoy the discussion. I'fd like to see Helium experiment with opposing views, though not in a best./worst. I wonder if engaging a writer in a moderated chat discussion might not be interesting.

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

is nothing. I will have the television on at times, or music playing, but I am going back and forth between different tabbed sites through Firefox right now.

My first job ...

was in the high school cafeteria. I'd take full carts of dishes to be washed.

My best moment ...

is actually 2 separate times. I retired from the Air Force, and I received my BA in Management Information Systems.

My inspiration ...

is my belief system. Those issues I know are right I defend vigorously. Those issues I believe to be wrong I discuss so I can learn.

Politics, News & Issues > Justice System Is the death penalty just or unjust?

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When the death penalty is discussed, it seems to me the discussion inevitably goes toward the guilty person who has that penalty over their heads. At the same time, the victim, lying in their grave, is forgotten. If this person, judged to be guilty by a jury of his peers, had received life instead, the conversation would never get started. What is necessary, it seems to me, is to not lose sight of why/how the death penalty was affixed as suitable punishment. I have never served on a jury. I do listen to the news, doing my best to keep up. I have been appalled by stories speaking of who had...

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