About Me

I retired in May of 2000 after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS - aka Lou Gehrig’s disease–see Fight ALS Page). Prior to retirement I worked as a System’s Engineering Manager/Program Manager employed by Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) in northern Virginia. I  taught at the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Continuing Studies for many years as well. Prior to my fifteen years in the private sector I was employed by the National Security Agency (NSA) for twenty years and also served in the U.S. Army for nine years prior to that.

I am a friend, a veteran, a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, a civic activist, and a citizen!  In addition to family life my other enjoyable pastimes include genealogy, bridge, reading, computer usage, surfing the net for news, editorials, and opinions, and commenting on current affairs–especially as related to politics.  

I’m a concerned citizen who believes strongly that each of us must take our civic responsibilities very seriously! Being aware of what our government, through our elected representatives, is doing for (or to) us and our country is a principal responsibility of each citizen. Coupled with this civic awareness is the need for citizens to speak out when situations so demand as we ultimately get the government we deserve. It isn’t always easy to swim against the tide, but sometimes there is no other way — and if not you, who?

To that end, I fully exercise my rights under the First Amendment of the Constitution. Having been brought up in the suburbs of Boston, I come by my [somewhat] left-leaning, progressive perspective naturally. I am a fiscal conservative and social liberal: and no, that is not an oxymoron. 

There was, I believe, a reason that the Founders’ First Amendment to the Bill of Rights was the one ensuring free speech… The thought of a current day Nero fiddling within the Washington beltway scares the heck out of me. We can’t allow that to happen: speak out!

About This Site

Working on the content of this website keeps me focused and current on many of today’s issues.  If the content of this blog helps you to stay focused, or appreciate opposing views, on some of today’s important issues then it has been a success.  Agree, disagree, share your thoughts by commenting–just stay engaged in current events.

Sometimes an issue is truly easy to comprehend and our individual position on the issue is straight forward and unwavering. At other times it’s much harder to get one’s head around an issue — and so it takes some research and consideration to fully understand it and its ramifications before taking a reasoned position. Occasionally, though, we hit a hot button issue which tends, either because of personal beliefs or partisan grounds, to take over and have an undue influence on our perspective. The economy, the war in Iraq, and illegal immigration are currently such issues for many–the contentious issues.

Ultimately, we must individually decide our position on each issue, and, in  doing so, identify for ourselves which of them is just politics and which is poppycock.

Fortunately, we are (still) able to disagree and openly voice our opposition to legislation and legislators. There was, I believe, a reason that the Founders’ First Amendment to the Bill of Rights was the one ensuring free speech… I am, however, somewhat concerned about the ‘Patriot Act’ and Senate and House Bills S1559/HR1955 ‘Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007’.  

So — read, listen, discuss, research and then discuss some more. We will all be better for it as a well informed electorate has a better chance of ensuring a well intentioned, honest legislative body. The thought of a current day Nero fiddling within the Washington beltway should scare the bejeezus out of each of us.  We can’t allow that to happen: let’s all speak out — loud, often and together. 

The secondary goal of this web site effort on my part is to help develop a better understanding of ALS, and, more specifically, PALS (Patients with ALS), amongst those we PALS deal with daily–that would be you.

I’ve found that very few people have even an inkling of what Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is. While some have heard the expression ‘Lou Gehrig’s disease,’ and realize that it is a neurodegenerative disease, they know little or nothing of the disease’s symptoms and what an ALS patient and his or her family must go through.