My personal interests include silent film, horror film, science fiction film, classical music, art-rock music, and surrealist art. My hobbies include birdwatching, figure drawing, German board games, tobacco pipe smoking (in moderation of course), and acoustic guitar. I am also an animal lover who volunteered as an assistant keeper at the Oakland Zoo.

The best advice I can offer to anyone anywhere is to "take a hike." Literally! Stop watching nature videos and experience nature for real. Spend time leisurely in a city, state, or national park. Listen to the wind in the leaves, the creek rippling over rocks. Listen to the birds. Watch the birds. Watch the squirrels. Consider yourself blessed the more wildlife you see. And the heat? The cold? The dust? The occasional bugbite or bout with poison oak or ivy? Indulge it, my friends, for it is part of the experience, and a reminder that you are alive. Nothing can make us healthier, nothing can inspire us, nothing can educate us like nature.

I've posted a list of some favorite movies and music.