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I'm a guy from Maine who went to school in Ohio and ended up in Florida.

By disposition and profession , I am a philosopher. I suspect it began when I was a child. According to my parents, I was constantly asking questions-even more so than usual. I also loved reading at an early age-so much so that if I was bad (which was, of course, almost never...) my punishment was that I could not read before going to sleep. Apparently I also had a thing for mud puddles. Fortunately, I outgrew that. My curiosity and love of reading remain. Okay, I admit it-I am still drawn to running through puddles.

Professionally I am a philosophy professor at Florida A&M University. I started teaching there in the Fall of 1993 and greatly enjoy my choice of careers. I teach a wide variety of classes that range from Aesthetics (theories of art and beauty) to Theory of Knowledge. My course pages are here.

Naturally, I do a great deal of writing. My latest book, What Don't You Know? hit the shelves in May, 2008. I write regularly for the Philosophers' Magazine and have a philosophy blog. I also have numerous academic publications but I will not bore you with them here,

In addition to my love of wisdom, I have a great love of running. I started running at the age of fifteen. I tried out for the basketball team, but sucked badly. The coach told me that the track team had to take anyone and suggested that I become a runner. It was a great choice. I ran in high school and then ran in college. I got rather good-I was All Conference in my Junior and Senior years. I kept running in grad school and ran in the US Olympic team trials for the Marathon. I didn't make the team, but it was great running with some of the best American runners. I'm still an avid runner and a member of the Gulf Winds Track Club.

I also enjoy the martial arts, specifically tae kwon do. I started training in grad school at Ohio State and still practice today. I enjoy the physical and mental training. Plus, hitting a punching bag is a great way to burn off stress. That makes it possible to survive meetings.

I started gaming (Dungeons & Dragons) when I was 15. I fell in love with the idea of creating worlds and stories and ended up writing professionally for several game companies. I still game as hobby. Some of my work is posted here. Yes, gaming is for nerds-I freely accept my nerdtastic ways.

I also enjoy computer and console gaming. I've played all the classics (Doom, Quake, Diablo, Diablo II, Command & Conquer, Halo, Halo 2, Warcraft, Half Life, Half Life Two, Temple of Apshai, Time Pilot, and so many more). I am not obsessed with games-I like the sun and outdoor world far too much. Reality is still much better than virtual reality.

I am very fond of animals and have two cats (Ash & Zax) and a hyper husky (Isis). Isis and I are regular visitors to the San Luis Dog Park. She's well known there-I'm just the guy who brings her to see her friends and fans.

Like most Americans, I love politics. Politically I do not really fit into any neat category. In some things, I am probably conservative (for example, I believe in fiscal responsibility) and in others I'm rather radical. In practice I'm for small, responsible government that serves the good of the people and does not engage in evil actions. In theory I am an anarchist and dislike all forms of oppressive authority.

I have an odd sense of humor and am willing to inflict it on people. Here is an example of my sense of humor.

When people call me to sell me things and they annoy me, I have found the following tactics are useful:

1. If it is a woman, then I ask her what she is wearing. Hell, some guys pay per minute for that sort of thing. :)
2. I try to sell them some new service or product I just made up (Quantum Dust Busters or Ontological Oatmeal, for example).
3. I try to convert them to a new religion, such as the Church of Truth & Darkness.
4. I put my husky on the phone.
5. I tell them I cannot hear them over the voices screaming in my head.
6. I switch to a made up language- "Kubork dugu oplento mongho?"
7. I start singing old 1980s rock classics.
8. I put the phone by the toilet and flush repeatedly.
9. I start telling stories about when I was a kid.
10. I pretend I've died.

Yes, I'm like that.

I am mostly on Myspace to stay in touch with friends and to engage in shameless self-promotion for my book.

• Fellow runners: I generally run with my husky, but human beings are good company, too. If you are a runner, you should check out Gulf Winds Track club.It is an excellent group of runners. There are many local races as well as social events put on by the club.
• Fellow Gamers: I play traditional tabletop games (D&D, Call of Cthulhu, Risk, Axis & Allies, etc) and computer games. Yes, I am an old school dork. I've even written professionally for gaming companies.
• Dog/pet People: I have a husky and two cats. I like pets and tend to like people who like animals in general and dogs & cats in particular. I often go to the San Luis Dog park. To get there, drive down Ocala to Tharpe. Take a left on Tharpe. Then take a left onto San Luis. The park is on the left side of San Luis Road. Park in the parking area and cross one of the two bridges. The dog park is the big fenced in area. Most people who go there are reasonably cool.
• Fellow Outdoor People: I like to hike and do other outdoor stuff and often like people who share that interest.
• Smart & Witty People: I greatly enjoy the company of people who are smart and witty. Unless they are really evil. Then not so much.
• Old Friends/Fellow Alumni: People I know but have lost touch with. People who went to the sames schools that I attended (Old Town High School, Marietta College, and the Ohio State University).
• Interesting People: Anyone who does not fit the above categories but is otherwise interesting.