A Few More Interests
The Sciences:
Walter has always been interested in the sciences. In particular, biological sciences, environmental science and chemistry. He tries to stay informed of the latest advances in genetics and molecular biology, both of which are topics very near and dear to him. As a graduate student at West Chester University in the late 1980's, his prospective research and thesis was to develop transgenic crops that would be viable in arid climates. From his environmental interests, he was always fearful of climatic change due to the "Greenhouse Effect" and the resultant global warming. It was his hope to be able to develop these drought resistant crops in anticipation of increasingly dry growing seasons. It is hard to say whether his fears were prophetic, but his concerns remain, despite the fact that issues caused him not to pursue this interest. Nowadays, he looks back at this and considers it treating a symptom instead of treating the illness, which is global warming. Over the past 13 years, he has become increasingly dubious of the wisdom of introducing transgenic organisms into the environment. And please don't get him started on overpopulation....
Speaking about overpopulation, Walter is very much interested in anthropology, particularly archaeology. He is fascinated by the rise and fall of civilizations and the remnants left behind.
Paranormal:
Walter enjoyed reading about the paranormal as a youth. Some of his favorite topics on the subject were UFOs, lost civilizations of Atlantis and Mu, myths and legends and, of course, powers of the mind. Does Walter believe in any of this stuff? Nope. Not one iota... but it does make good source material for his fantasy and horror literary efforts. And he has been known to be wrong... (key X-Files theme!) And, he will admit that there are lots of curious things out there that need to be researched... And...
Firearms:
Walter enjoys an occasional trip to the firing range. He hasn't been to one in a number of years, but he plans to go again... one of these days. Although he does enjoy firing his weapons from time to time, he is not very vociferous about the rights of citizens to own and bear arms. He is not opposed to stringent laws governing the sale, use and distribution of firearms. He is also not opposed to game hunting as long as the rules are obeyed. If the rules are broken, he is for strict enforcement of the penalties. He doesn't hunt and hasn't shown any interest in doing so.
Fishing:
Walter rarely fishes, but he has been known to cast from time to time. His best catch to this point has been a snapping turtle. The turtle was returned safely to the water. He would strongly urge fishers to pay close attention to fish adviseries and warnings. Unfortunately, many of the lakes and streams in our nation, particularly urban watersheds, contain levels of toxic pollutants that may become entrained in fish tissue and passed along to those who consume them. PCBs and both inorganic and organic forms of mercury and other heavy metals are of particular concern.
Archery:
Walter does this more frequently than fishing, but less frequently than going to the pistol range. Many of his old target range locations have been developed for residential and industrial use over the last decade, a fact which feeds the anger of one of his pet peeves: urban expansion and sprawl.
Music:
Walter used to play clarinet in middle school, but he is incapable of assembling one now, let alone playing one. He also used to play guitar. He wasn't very good (understatement alert!). He can sing though. He can be coaxed or cajoled into laying down some smooth background vocals. He enjoys listening to all types of music.
Some of his favorite artists:
Gardening:
Walter has a green thumb. He will grow anything... as long as it is legal. Vegetables, roses, trees, cacti... you name it, he's planted it. His preference is for edibles, but the aesthetic qualities of a flower garden are definitely not lost on him.
Astronomy & Space Exploration:
Walter has been interested in extraterrestrial event for as long as he can remember. Whether it is aerospace technology and space travel or deep space phenomena, he keeps up with the latest news. He also turns his telescope to the sky from time to time.
Locksmithing:
Walter has trained as a locksmith. He find the craft very interesting. This particular interest may go a long way in explaining his personality. He likes to learn how things work and he likes to unlock the secrets of things, whether they are mechanical in nature or scientific.
Home Inspector:
Walter has trained as a home inspector. Pray that he, or someone like him, gets to you before Formosan termites do. And watch those damp, dark places where molds and fungi and roaches can flourish. Allergen city!
Small Engines:
Walter has been known to rip apart small engines from time to time. 2 stroke or 4 stroke. Doesn't matter. He even puts them back together sometimes.
Proofreader/Editor:
Walter proofreads and he has this to say about it: "Get someone else to proofread your written works for publication. Proofreading your own stuff is like trying to be your own proctologist. Yeah, you might have the knowledge and the skill to do it, but you really aren't in the best position to do it for yourself." Walter proofreads his own stuff... hmmm...
Anime:
Walter has always enjoyed anime (Japanese cartoons formerly referred to as japanimation). Since the days of Astro-boy, Marine Boy and Prince Planet, just to name a few, he has been an avid fan of the art form. He finds it to have an entertainment value and soulfulness not found in most American animation, mostly because he feels that American animation companies don't take animation as a serious art form that can be appreciated by adults. In his opinion, they cling to the notion that animation is for children and would not be appreciated by more mature audiences. Anime proves that notion wrong. The stories, themes and emotional presence and conviction in anime are unparalleled when compared to what American companies produce. He hopes that one day they will take it more seriously and produce animated features to compete with anime, as it will be a win-win situation: animation fans will have domestically produced animation that stirs them on a level that it currently does not and the Japanese will find themselves driven to create even better anime to stay ahead of the Americans.
One of his favorite anime is Gunbuster. Others are Akira, El Hazard, Lain and Vampire Hunter D. He enjoys hosts of others.
Model Building:
Walter enjoys designing and building models, although he hasn't done so in awhile. The image of the Fenrir on the cover of Independence Day Testimony is a model that Walter designed and constructed. Unfortunately, the model no longer exists.
Writing:
Oh yeah, Walter enjoys writing too. He has written hundreds of poems, dozens of short stories and is currently working on his fifth novel length manuscript. While he likes to try his hand at every form, his most recent interest has been the short short story (stories less than 1000 words). He attempted writing a short science fiction play in 1983 called Like A True Prince Would, but it was put on hiatus which has suddenly turned into 19 years worth. He isn't sure if he will complete it, but he will probably dust it off one day and finish the job. He hates leaving things unfinished.
A message from Walter