Two Dads are Better than None

(Literature / Music / Painting)

I am kind of a big deal. People know me. I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my office smells of rich mahogany. I am also sarcastic. Truth be told, I would rather write short stories out of my garage everyday, like Raymond Carver. If I were a poet, I would be Thoreau. I have a penchant for Vonnegut, Camus and cheesy coming-of-age movies. If I were a musician I would sing sad folk songs mixed with anthem dance music. I drew and painted as a child. If I were an artist I would be a combination of Frank Lloyd Wright and MC Escher. Texture and depth excites me. I have failed at a million things but somehow I want to keep on trying. It is better to fail at a million things than be good at only one I think.


(Me / Self / Identity)

I am proud to be both Gay and part Native American. I was raised by my beautiful single mother and a little sister in the suburbs of Dallas Texas. She did good considering the odds with me :-) ... I was a bit of hellion filled with wanderlust, and I still am at times. After finishing UT in Austin I wanted to see the world, so I did...25 countries so far and counting. I spent 6 years traveling and working in Asia (mostly Japan) and got my Masters degree in Tokyo. I speak Japanese and German and have taught at a university and a few colleges around the globe. Professionally I have worked for mostly Fortune 500 companies and lived in Tokyo, New York and Texas. I could really give a rat's ass what you or society in general think about me or my "lifestyle". I am rock solid and have the battle scars to prove it.

Professionally I work in IT and have worked at all kinds of companies all over the place; big Japanese companies and American ones, small start-ups and government jobs too. I have worked as a busboy, a nanny, a waiter, a camp counselor, a college professor and as a consultant/trainer. The weirdest job I have ever had was working in a Karaoke bar in Japan.

I have survived growing up in Texas, crappy father figures, an earthquake, motorcycles in foreign lands, daytrading, layoffs, becoming a proud and out gay man and 9/11. The fact that I am gay is probably the least interesting thing about me and if you don't think so, you and I would probable have very little in common.

I love to travel and explore new ideas.

(Religion / Spirituality)

I was raised Christian but tend to favor a more Buddhist/Meditative approach to spirituality. I simply refuse to belive that there is only one true God and only one group has the key. My preferred temple of worship is in the middle of the forest surrounded by trees and water, but I can appreciate any sacred sanctuary.

(People That Matter)

My partner, my family, my close friends. I have a dog named Rudy that I love dearly too. I care about the world and people’s feelings, sometime too much, sometimes not enough. I am an open book and have nothing to hide. I always try to put people first and I love a lively debate, a philosophical dicsussion and connecting with others.

When I have passed through this life I know I will not be remembered for the things I accomplished but for the people I touched. I pick the people I choose to spend my time with carefully. I have a strong disdain for the vapid self touting windbags. If the things, ideas and people we add to our lives do not add value then they likely take it away.

(Habits / Vices)

I like cigars and struggle with being a non-smoker. I occassionally like to gamble and drinking some is not neccessarily a bad thing if done in moderation. Travel can be an addiction too. I also like all kinds of food, a good wine, and an even better beer. I love to be outdoors with the sun shining on my face. I have an intense interest in other languages, cultures, religions and people who are different. Eating cookies and drinking milk will always make you feel better, no matter what. Music is the canvas you live your life against and should be embraced.

(Interests / Hobbies / Idiosyncrasies)

I don’t care much at all for sports and could care less who won what. I digg foreign films and could watch movies for days, especially character driven stories I can connect to. I love to paint with watercolors and write short stories when I feel cathartic. Teachers are grossly underpaid and unappreciated in our culture, as are artists, writers and people who work with their hands.

Random interests include modern architecture, Dadaism, asian art, gadgets, Japanese cars, Six Feet Under, self help books, 80s music, flowers, motorcycles, Napolean Dynamite, Sherman Alexie, J-Pop, Chess, Wired, Out, Birds of Paradise, Cruise Ships, Parodies, Blogging, the Human Rights Campaign, Astrology, Astronomy, Fibonacci and Candlestick charting, Ayn Rand, Existentialsim, Medical Tourism, decorating, Dali, jogging, DJ/House music, Star Trek, The Family Guy, Shogi, Bashing the Religious Right, Mysoginist Literature, Craigslist, Ebay, Techcruch, Yahoo Finance, Apple anything, Google, Adoption, anything New York, Mensa, Teaching speaking and cooking Japanese, Buddhism, iTunes, Maps, Fasting, Lonely Planet, Tatami Mats and good coffee.