The Spark of the Future

You probably remember something in your childhood that
grabbed your imagination like nothing else. For me it was the Apollo moon
landing. I had the usual love of baseball and football and all things sports,
and I dreamed of being a star athlete as I watched the San Francisco Giants,
49ers and the Olympics on our black and white TV in the '60s. But the moon
landing, the technology that surrounded spaceflight, and mostly the spirit of
exploration, sparked my imagination and set my path in ways I would not
understand for years to come. In this incredible event, I saw possibilities for
a limitless future.

But, my fascination with spaceflight would have to wait. As
a kid I had a talent for music, and loved it too. So, along with my interest in
sports, I played the trumpet. In high school I was so small that sports was
simply not in the cards unless I wanted to be a featherweight wrestler – I
stayed with music. Eventually, I played first chair soloist in the elite
travelling wind ensemble at the University of the Pacific. From there, I joined
a night club band, and travelled around California, Utah, and Nevada performing
and writing. One of my songs was even something of a local hit, and a couple of
my songs were produced professionally and presented to Arista records (who took
a pass).

Through it all, I continued to be drawn to technological
things and exploration. I loved electronic games and toys that allowed me to
pretend I was in control of an aircraft, a spaceship, or a submarine. I particularly
loved the first walkie-talkies my brothers and I received one year for
Christmas. We spent hours riding around on our bikes coordinating imaginary
manhunts over our "police" radios as we tried to track down the guy who was
"it".

Anyway, after four years performing as a musician, I
realized the music business was not a business. I don't need to dwell on the
negatives, most people have a pretty good idea what they are, and there is
something in the news nearly every day about a musician gone bad. This life was
not for me. I was married and wanted better for my wife and future kids.  

So, with the support of my very understanding wife, I chose
to return to college and get a degree in the one thing that had interested me
all my life, but had previously seemed out of – electrical engineering and the
space program. The spirit of exploration, and the idea that I could be part of the
space program, had finally won out. The spark that struck me as a kid, became a
flame. I wanted to take part in building the future of humanity. Not just any
future, but one of limitless possibilities.

I've now been a NASA contract engineer for over 20 years and
I never regretted my choice. Each new project has been an exploration in and of
itself. Scientific knowledge has advanced due to the projects I've been
involved with. In the end, everything I've done has been an exploration to some
degree. I like to create things that are new and unique; things that have never
existed before: music, engineered systems, and books. Each creation is an
exploration in itself.  Maybe that's just
me, but I think it's you too or you wouldn't have read this much. If I'm right,
you should enjoy reading The Ungettable Joke (lots of fun for just 99 cents).

Our book is an adventure in infinite possibilities and it starts
where all adventures start as soon as you take the first step. But be warned,
the book requires imagination and the ability to suspend rationality – for a
while. But, you can take it. Anyway, it's mostly just some fun so you can take
your mind of your high stress life.

You can find links to all popular sale sites for the book, PLUS
videos, fan mail, information and videos at the link above.