Some pics:

Graduating from Harvard

As a kid

With Laura

With Dad

At the Olympics with Laura and Beth

The Mighty Birds

I love classical languages and culture. I have a PhD in Classical Studies from the University of Michigan, which has the best graduate program in the country. My thesis was about the Roman army. To purchase a copy, go to University Microfilms. I currently teach at the University of Iowa. Check out the course I teach on Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East. Check out my U of Iowa page.

For fun, I love to bike and I love computer games.

The birds:

My birds all know how to say, "Hello," "Hello, Tater," and "Go Potty."

Tater (whiteface male) is the sweetest and probably the smartest. He is always especially proud of himself when he "goes potty" on command. He loves to sing and saves a special song for when he gets to take a shower. He is a real romantic and swoons when I whistle Led Zeppelin songs to him.

Three-Speed (pearled male) is a Meijer (like Super Wal-Mart) rescue. He almost drowned in the shower by keeping his head under the water stream too long. I saved him by giving him mouth-to-beak resuscitation. This is why I had to vote for John Kerry, who saved the life of his daughter's hamster, LIcorice.

Hughie has a little head. He is pigeon-toed and only flies backwards when his wings are clipped. That's why he has no tailfeathers - they all break off! He is also missing a toe. His attitude (he has lots), however, outshines all his physical flaws.

May they enjoy birdie heaven:

I got Louie in 1998 from a pet store. He came right up to the side of the cage when I came by and wanted me to hold him. So I took him home with me. Louie was hand-raised so he was a people bird. He was a wonderful companion and very affectionate. He was enchanted by mugs and loved to chew up paper. He died Dec. 27, 2004 of lung cancer.

I got Cyril in March of 2001 at a pet store in Ann Arbor, MI. I got Cyril and his brother Hughie at the same time and they were pair-bonded. Three-Speed was in love with Cyril, but Cyril did not love him back. Cyril was pair-bonded with his brother Hughie, and Three-Speed was pair-bonded with Tater. Tater was distressed by Three-Speed's betrayal, and pulled out his chest feathers in tormented angst. Cyril died Dec. 22, 2005 of kidney failure. I miss him but Tater has been happier and has even let his chest feathers grow back in. Hughie misses his brother and now needs me to scratch his head much more often. Three Speed is now more content in his partnership with Tater.

Check out the following online tests to see how Southern you REALLY are:

Yankee or Dixie? Check your dialect.

Dick Trickle's A True Test Of Your Southern-ness (a trivia quiz).