Hi and welcome to The Eclectic Planet. I’ve been told more than once that I have a problem focusing, as I have many passions. I also have trouble with grammar, driving directions, spelling, etc. etc. But I have a love of life, of my family and friends, and I am a humanist - I just wish I could see the future. But we can’t so it’s up to us to keep making it!

This site is intended to share what I've learned in my long and eventful life. I hope it becomes a repository of knowledge, of references — and questions — to which I invite discussion and advice.

Please select from the menu items above.

The site is (obviously) new, and will be under constant construction and change. I plan to have separate advertising pages that hopefully will support my work, I’ll keep these distinct from the site content, and will make sure that the products and/or services are relevant to the subject matter. Just consider them reference points. There’s also a donation page somewhere inside, so if you feel like supporting my efforts, that would be much appreciated.

If you purchase through the site ads, that would be wonderful. I urge you also to contribute to the Central Asia Institute, headed by Greg Mortenson. If you haven't read it, buy "Three Cups of Tea". More about this inside...

The premise of this site (and Mr. Mortenson's single minded passion), is that education is the only way that the world will solve it's divides and peacefully resolve it's conflicts.

So, parents may have to sit with their kids to go through some of the material. Or conversely, some kids may have to explain it to their parents!

I love Astronomy and Space-related activities as you'll see, but I know that we cannot really make progress if half the people on the planet live in poverty and without even rudimentary health care nor basic education.

I was selected by NASA in late 2006 to provide outreach into the school systems where I live. I try to encourage kids to stay in school, to open them up to their cultural heritage, and see the possibilities of really interesting jobs and careers. This site information will be left with students as an extension of that work. There is more about this work in the Space Section.

I see Science, Art and Technology going hand in hand. Together, they give us imagination, dreams and inspiration to lead full lives, to help others, and to quote George Carlin in a film I’d better not mention: “Be excellent with Each Other”.