I have lived in Pepper Valley in Geneva since 1990 with my wife Dorothy, who also serves as alderman in the Fourth Ward, my brother-in-law John, and our two cats Guinness and Harp. I am a partner in a telecommunications software company, have served as a member of SPAC, did a brief stint as a Beacon columnist, and have been a volunteer in a number of activities around town. I'm a long-suffering Bears and White Sox fan (groan). I enjoy stand-up comedy, British mysteries, and a good book. I guess you would consider me a social network dropout whose Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts rank among the most desolate and lonely places on the Internet. Despite having shown the same affinity for social media that cats have for water, Rick Nagel has graciously given me the opportunity to blog for The Geneva Patch, a decision he may hopefully not live to regret. I hope the results of this experiment will be informative and entertaining.