A rare bird, I am a native San Franciscan who still lives two BART stops south of The City. My wife Anna Georgievna is a Russian colonial born in Tashkent, UzSSR.

    A&E's Hornblower board was my first experience in the on-line world. I later became involved with the Lord Peter Wimsey yahoo group.

    Like many Baen Barflies, I have a varied background. After two years at Canada Community College's Restaurant Management Program, I enlisted in the US Coast Guard (Subsistence Specialist 3rd), USNR\MMS3 (nice drill check during college), California Air and Army National Guards.

    Along the way, I earned my BA in Bible (Minors Pastoral Studies, German, Applied Science) at a Baptist Bible College in the Midwest. I was ordained by my then local church to the ministry. Currently, my wife and I serve in our church's Russian ministry. We both have day jobs. She is a senior AutoCad operator and I am a site supervisor (I lead myself) for an office services company.

    Writing for the Gazette helps me improve my communications skills. "Reading maketh a full man, Writing maketh an exact man, Conversation maketh a ready man." Francis Bacon