Other Interests

Motorcycling

My primary ride is a 1986 Honda VF1000R Interceptor, powered by my favorite type of motorcycle engine - the V4.  The low-end torque of a V-twin, the high-end horsepower of a multi-cylinder and a snarl like nothing else!  Ninja's, FZR's, GSXR's and the rest be damned - VFR's rule! Its stablemate in the garage is another example of the breed- a 1984 Honda V-65 Sabre (VF1100S).

The VFR is the result of the Honda Corporation's desire to win the World Superbike title in the 1980's.  In order to meet the homologation requirements for production-based racing, Honda produced approximately 5,000 of these machines.  As a result, they were only manufactured for two years, 1985 & 1986; the only difference between the two model years being the change to dual headlights in '86.  Though much of its' technology is dated now, especially in the areas of brakes, chassis stiffness and overall weight, it's more than capable of keeping up with today's machines on the public roads (not that it ever plods along at 55...).

I'm a proud member of the American Motorcyclist Association, and encourage every rider to join.  While there are numerous activities to participate in and other benefits of membership, the most important to me is the political representation in Washington D.C.  With the current state of the nation resulting in attacks on motorcycling everywhere, this benefit alone is worth the price of admission.  I enjoy my riding much more knowing that there are people working full-time to protect the rights of all motorcyclists in this country.

Scale-Modeling

Ever since I was a kid I've loved to build models.   My modeling interests are wide ranging, but predominantly focus on automotive, military and science-fiction subjects.  The smell of model glue brings back fond memories of countless hours at the workbench, although when I was young I tended to finish a model in what sometimes had to be minutes - paint and all.   Now it's not unusual for me to stretch a kit's construction out over a year or more.   Back then, the rush was usually so that we could blow up the finished model with fireworks - filming it with a super-8 movie camera.  I sure wish I had some of those kits today.  Not only would many of them be worth considerably more, but as they're virtually all out of production now it would be nice to have them to build again.

I'm a member of both the International Plastic Modeler's Society (IPMS) and its' local chapter, the Hudson Valley Historical Miniatures Guild (HVHMG).

UFOlogy

That's right, flying saucers - go ahead and laugh.  I firmly believe that life exists elsewhere in the universe.  In fact, as far as I'm concerned it's arrogant to think that we're the only intelligent life in the cosmos (and I use the term "intelligent" rather loosely...).  There is plenty of evidence indicating that throughout human history we've been visited by extraterrestrials - visits which continue to this day.  However I will state for the record that the vast majority of reported sightings CAN be explained; whether due to weather/atmospheric conditions, misidentification of conventional craft/celestial objects, etc...

Unfortunately there are plenty of wackos out there claiming all sorts of things; yet there is a small core of reports made by rational, reliable witnesses which cannot be explained away by the debunkers.  The area I live in, the mid-Hudson valley of New York State, was a hotbed of UFO activity for a number of years in the early to mid 1980's.  Of course I wasn't around for that, being stationed overseas at the time; but years later I finally did have a sighting of my own!  Go to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) and search for the NY sighting in Fishkill on 2/21/01.  That's me!

Railroading

Who doesn't like trains?  Even today I enjoy traveling via the rails, albeit very infrequently.  While I enjoy both 1:1 and scale models, to date I've been an armchair model railroader.  My primary areas of interest are the New York Central system and British railroading; in particular the London & Northeastern Railway (LNER) which operated in the Northeast of England during the period 1923-1948.  This is another example of my obsession with anything English; a result of my three-year tour of duty there while in the Air Force.  The British are quite mad about steam trains, much more so than here in America.  Everywhere you look over there you can find a railway preservation society with a few miles of track and diehard volunteers keeping the flame alive.  Two of my favorite steam railways in England are the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway.

Locally we do have the Danbury Railway Museum in Danbury, CT, and I'd recommend a visit there to anyone interested in the history of railroading.  The station has been restored to its former glory and there is a varied and growing collection of locomotives and rolling stock.

This page was last updated on 01/27/11.