About Me

Let's see... I've done lots of different kinds of work. When I was about 11 years old, I sold
Cloverene Brand Salve to my friends and neighbors. It was basically petroleum jelly with a
few things added. It worked well, and I earned a bow and arrow set, complete with target!
Around age 13, I worked with Twin Pines Milkmen on Saturdays, delivering milk and dairy
products to people in their homes. Got up at 3:00 AM, walked a few miles across a railroad
yard to the dairy, hooked up with a milkman loading his truck, and spent the next 12 hours
running my butt off carrying milk in glass bottles to homes from the truck. I was paid $2 to
$4 a day, sometimes with breakfast included! Then I graduated to a wholesale route,
delivering the milk to stores and restaurants. The milkman picked me up at my home in his
car (sometimes he sent his wife) and took me to the dairy to start a 12 hour day. I came
home exhausted, but with five whole dollars (Sometimes SIX!) in my pocket!
While in High School, I worked briefly for Time/Life, Inc., in a telephone "boiler room"
selling magazine subscriptions. Also did that on a door to door basis for a few days. In
both cases, the best salespersons were the best liars. Couldn't take it.

Here are my photographs of my High School and other downtown buildings.

My father wouldn't let me work with him until I was about 17 or so. He was an Electrical
Contractor. I helped him wire homes and small commercial buildings. I started a $1/hour,
and worked my way up to $4/hour before I enlisted in the Army. After graduation from High
School, I was going to have to pay room and board while living with my parents. At that
point in time, I would have been drafted into the Military as soon as I graduated from
College. Two years or more of service would have made my degree somewhat less than
fully qualified, as technology in the Architectural field was exploding. My friendly
neighborhood Army recruiter told me I could be an Army Architect! That made the Army
look really good! I didn't understand then that Military recruiters are just salesmen. Some
are less than honest! He wanted me to fill out a ten page legal sized questionnaire. When I
got it home and looked it over, it was clearly an application for a security clearance! I did
NOT want to know anything that those nasty Soviets might want to find out! I burned the
form. About mid-way through basic training, when the recruits are about two steps lower
than whale poop, my Company Commander called me into his presence. He handed me the
very same form and said, "Son, you WILL fill this out today!" I did. I ended up doing work
that bore no resemblance to architecture. And I held a Top Secret Security Clearance, not
just for The USA, but for every NATO Member Country! The FBI had interviewed my entire
family, our friends and neighbors, even the ones where we lived before I turned 5 years
old! By the time I got out and could translate the strange Army Orders shorthand into
English, I saw that my military destiny had been planned out in its entirety by my recruiter!
After returning from military service, both Michigan State and The U. Of M. wanted me to
live in a student dormitory for my freshman year. Fat chance! Been there, done that!

If you've known me for more than 10 years, you know about The IOF.
This ancient Fraternal Benefit Society was a major part of my life for 25
years. I served as an elected officer for most of some 25 years, and
worked for The Order, selling their insurance programs and enrolling
new members, for almost 20 years. I expanded with The Order to
selling annuities, mutual funds, and homeowners insurance as well as
their life insurance. For most of those years, I loved The Order and
believed in it's principles whole heartedly. In the late 80's, however, it
started to change. I did not agree with the basic philosophy changes
that occurred. At first I thought the changes were "local" but soon
realized that the problems ran to the top. Like the man who couldn't
face the fact that his marriage was over, I hung on for too many years,
until I had fallen from the top 5% of my peers to the dregs. When I left,
their lawyers descended on me with threats of slow, screaming, death
(legally) if I contacted ANY of the people I had enrolled or sold any IOF
products to. My only vindication, shortly after I left, was when all the
leaders with whom I had problems, were removed . Since then, the
Order has struggled with reforming itself into what it was, while still
fitting current times. I did learn that it's dangerous to blindly love
anything, or have blind faith in any person. It was a very expensive
lesson for me. Today, from what I can see, The IOF has returned to its
former moral, upstanding roots. I'm glad I'm still a member. If I wanted
to get back into that business (which I don't), I would have no problems
with them today.

After leaving the IOF, I selected a few insurance companies and mutual
fund groups that met my standards, and sold their products for a few
years. But, even though I was quite excited at first, my heart just wasn't
in it after a while.

Since then, I've been semi retired, living on my IOF retirement and odd
jobs in photography and computer operations. Like many retirees,
however, 9-11 and the stock market pretty much blew out my retirement
money. I'm going on Social Security soon. Then again, I have a few job
situations still "in the fire."

A word to the wise : When you're over 60, overweight, diabetic, and
have degenerative arthritis in your low back, and a coupla pounds of
titanium holding your spine together, unable to stand or walk for more
than 30 minutes without sitting down for a few, nobody, NO-BODY, will
hire you for a "normal" job.

Freedom is hardly ever free. It
costs "the blood of patriots," as
Thomas Jefferson said. Our
wonderful country is worth the
blood! I've been around most of
the world and had the luxury of
spending time in very foreign
places. People are pretty much all
alike. Even the "least civilized" are
good and kind folks. But
Countries and their Governments
vary widely. Without our kind of
freedom, the people starve,
physically and emotionally. Under
Socialism or Communism, they
stagnate and die. Yet, if the
government permits free citizens
and free markets, suddenly (well,
pretty quickly) those very same
people are living in prosperity
approaching The American Style!
The U.S.A. is a promise to all
mankind, not just the lucky few
who were born or emigrated here.

		I was born in Detroit, Michigan on May 12th, 1943.
		My favorite TV show is still "Battlestar Galactica" (Current Version)
		My favorite sport is an Adult Subject!