I suppose it's only fair that you should know a little about me. I always like to know something about a writer - especially a blogger - so that I can formulate a context for his or her opinions and observations.
On the other hand, a little mystery is a good thing...use your imagination to fill in the gaps I've intentionally left.
Name: Eric Siegmund
Location: Midland, Texas
Age: Old enough to be on the AARP radar, but too young to grab any of my [dwindling] 401K
Education: Public schools from start to finish; BS in accounting, MS in Management & Administrative Science (emphasis in Behavioral Management)
Occupation: Free-lance website designer. Oh, and 25 years with a Fortune 500 energy company doing everything from programming to accounting to deal-making. The website thing is probably a symptom of a mid-life crisis. Lord knows it's no way to make a living.
Politics: When I first posted this egocentric page, way back in Ought-Two, I wrote that I "was totally disinterested in politics" and tended to vote Republican because the party "generally favored less government in some areas." How things have changed! The War on Terrorism and the 2004 presidential election shook me out of my political apathy and forced me to acknowledge that I do, indeed, care about politics, as they increasingly affect every aspect of my life. I also began to see that the Republican Party, while still giving lip service to many of the values I hold dear, is no longer the party of smaller government and individual freedoms. This disappoints me greatly, as the alternatives are, frankly, horrible. Anyway, the end result is that I no longer shy away from writing about political issues, even though they're not my primary focus. But I haven't really told you where I stand, have I? Let me put it this way: I believe that the two greatest modern-day US presidents, in terms of their ability to lead the country (and the world) in the right direction, are Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.
Theology: Notice I chose this term over the more frequently used "religion"? I trust you're perceptive enough to understand the distinction, and the implications. But this area merits a little more detail, as it's important to me (unlike politics). Sometimes labels are helpful, even though no one likes being labelled ("I'm much too, um, complex for that."). In my case, you can label me a "conservative, born-again Christian" if that's something you understand and relate to (whether you agree with it or not). I believe in moral absolutes, and I look to God to help me make distinctions between right and wrong. I believe in Heaven and Hell as real places (as opposed to, say, Orlando and Las Vegas, which are obviously figments of someone's deranged imagination). I believe this life on earth is but a pale foreshadowing of that to come, and I can take great comfort in an eternal perspective of events that only seem to be unbearable at the present time. This also allows me to ultimately be an optimist, even if I present a very cynical view of events and people. And, finally, I'd very much like for you to have this same optimism (aka peace, love, joy and all those good things that sometimes seem just out of reach). But I won't beat you about the head if you decline.
Other Interests: Oh, all the usual things you'd expect living 600 miles from the nearest beach and 400 miles from the nearest mountain: snow skiing, windsurfing, scuba. Also bicycling (recumbents) and guitar-playing (left-handed, self-taught, and amazingly incompetent, but never discouraged... except by my listeners!). I share my home with a peculiar dog-like creature named Abbye, and a loving and lovely and patient wife of many years who shall remain nameless in respect of her privacy. Go find your own.
Computer Platform: I suppose I should have included this under "Theology"...I'm a Mac user, of course.
OK, I trust this has been helpful in some small way. Now when you read something I wrote that strikes you as particularly outrageous or inane or both, you can calm yourself with the thought, "well, what can I expect; after all, he's a [fill in the blank] with [fill in the blank] leanings and an obvious bent toward [fill in the blank]." You'll feel better, I promise.
