Norm Koger's Observations and Hobbies

The urge to include personal interests in a web page seems to be universally appealing. I'm not immune to the effect. Perhaps it's instinctive.

Do you read fantasy or science fiction? Try a few of the following titles. All of these folks deserve more attention than they seem to be getting.

Thomas T. Thomas, ME
Douglas Bell, Mojo and the Pickle Jar
William C. Dietz, Bodyguard
Jack McDevitt, The Engines of God
Walter Jon Williams, anything...

Glen Cook , anything in the Garrett series: Old Tin Sorrows, Sweet Silver Blues, Bitter Gold Hearts,...
Mark Frost, The List of 7, The 6 Messiahs.
Dave Feintuch, the Seafort Saga: Midshipman's Hope, Challenger's Hope, Prisoner's Hope, Fisherman's Hope. Very dark, but possibly the best SF series of the last decade.

William Forstchen, The Lost Regiment series: Rally Cry, Union Forever, Terrible Swift Sword,...
S.M.Stirling & David Drake, The General series: The Forge, The Hammer, The Anvil,...

70's metal head who's given up wandering the musical wasteland? That was me, until I discovered folks started performing decent stuff again in the late 90's. Don't believe me?

Nightwish (before Turunen's 2005 departure)

My kids have me building models again after a 20 year break - mostly warships of the Russian and Japanese navies of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Some of these models can be viewed at ModelWarships.com.

This is something else my kids have pulled me into. It's a great way for someone who works with computers for a living to stay halfway fit. I earned my black belt in May of 2004, and continue to work out two or three times a week with Pratt's Karate Club's Buda TX class.

Better living through applied microbiology. This is a great deal of fun if you have a bit of patience and can tell the difference between a good beer and a bad one. My favorite homebrew suppliers are Midwest Homebrewing Supplies and Austin Homebrew Supply.

Men who fly hijacked airplanes into civilian buildings are murderous barbarians. Men and women who strap on explosive belts and blow themselves up among crowds of innocents are murderous barbarians. Without exception, all those who support them are murderous barbarians. I do not believe these criminals can be holy martyrs. If they were martyrs, then their god could not be the same as my God. He would be an evil god, fit for worship only by murderous barbarians. Any honorable man would spit upon him.

On April 1^st, 2001, a Communist Chinese (P.R.C.) military aircraft collided with a United States military aircraft operating in international airspace. Embarrassed by the results of the recklessness of their pilot, the Chinese military proceeded to detain the crew of the damaged American aircraft after their properly announced emergency landing at a Chinese airfield. Until the United States receives an apology for this act of piracy from the gang of thugs who rule of the “People’s Republic” of China, United States citizens should consider a boycott of products made in the People’s Republic of China.

Finally, food for thought for those of you who believe it's OK to take liberties with the Bill of Rights in search of a more perfect society:

"First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me."