CURRENT MISSION

Trying to understand what role public service plays in my country; how I can make a meaningful positive difference in the world

ABOUT ME

I've been around a bit. After University, the work bug didn't bite, and I dropped the ball on some opportunities I had to write for television. At the time I didn't really know what I wanted. After spending a year in a foreign country, however, a lot of things came together; I figured out that I really liked America and being an American, and I wanted to help my country regain some of the good name/reputation it's lost in the past couple decades. The first step in that process was helping my country during its current struggle in the Middle East.

PHILOSOPHY

"For God, For Country, and For Yale" has always been curiously resonant; much more of late.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

By making my apartment available to other Couch Surfers, and making use of others' couches when I'm in another region/country

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Prior to finding this site, I would exploit friends and friends of friends for a place to crash if I was going through an area. In return I'd tender cash for a dinner, or--in my mind--enliven their evenings with witticisms and good company.

Interests

Violin. Physical activities. Music. Projects. Writing. Cycling. Baseball (Red Sox). The dynamics that exist between groups of people, and nations.

• writing
• music
• violin
• cycling
• baseball

Music, Movies, and Books

The Russians, starting with Gogel and going through Nabokov. The Modernists, including Hemingway, Ford Maddox Ford, Eliot, Fitzgerald. Ellison. Epics. Satire--both the original Romans, and the 18th century "Augustans." A Confederacy of Dunces. Movies... war themed is always popular, but there has to be something else to it. For example, Paths of Glory, or Apocolypse Now, or Thin Red Line; even Starship Troopers. Period pieces like Easy Rider are great. Grim Post-Apocolyptic visions like Mad Max or Water World. Light entertaining comedy has its place, too, which is where Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler & others typically come in. Bruce Lee's fun to watch. Music--my dad played the Classical Guitar professionally when I was growing up and everything I like and appreciate probably derives from Albeniz, Segovia, De Falla, and those like them. Electronica, Hair Metal, Heavy Metal, Rap, Jam Bands, Classic Rock, Blues, Pop, just about everything except R & B.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Riding in a rickety old C-130 transport plane at night, then jumping out of said airplane into a cold, dark and silent winter

Teach, Learn, Share

"Everywhere you go, there you are."

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Canada, France, Japan, Slovenia

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, Japan, United States

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