I have worked as a clinical psychologist at a large state school and hospital; a research psychologist with the US Army; and as a scientist and consultant in the Washington, DC area. I have also worked in higher education. So much for work, my interests are coffee, dogs, music, photography, poetry, Porsches, writing, and solving the crisis of extreme poverty.

COFFEE. I enjoy coffee. Those who know me well might say it is a vice or an obsession. I read the cupping reviews (rather like wine tasting); purchase 20 lb bags of green coffee (always Ethiopian); and spend each morning roasting, grinding and brewing coffee. The whole process takes less than 15 minutes and frankly, it is the main reason I get up. After coffee, I figure out what day of the week it is and begin planning what I want to do. If you enjoy coffee, please support Organic Fair Trade (OFT) to promote both great tasting coffee and ensure a living wage for the millions of people who pick the coffee cherries, and process and sort the beans. I would be remiss if I did not point out that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and Ethiopian coffees are the best in the world (in some circles that statement would set off a lively argument).

DOGS. I like dogs. Any story with a dog is a great story. I particularly like German Shepherd Dogs. Any story featuring a German Shepherd Dog is a super-good story. I have posted a ballad about our new little guys (Crusoe and Ruger) under the poetry section; check it out, it has a picture of the pups when they were fifteen weeks old.

MUSIC. I like to listen to music. I enjoy Oldies, Jazz, and New Age music. I never tire of Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, Joe Walsh, Hubert Laws, Earl Klugh, Al Di Meola, Paul Winter, Mannheim Steamroller, John Serrie, Shadowfax, or David Arkenstone. I usually write with Mannheim Steamroller (particularly Fresh Aire II or III) playing in the background. The Phantom of the Opera remains one of the greatest pieces of music ever written.

PHOTOGRAPHY. I enjoy taking pictures. I like landscape photography (mountains, water falls, misty valleys, etc.) and pictures of the unusual (close-up/macro work). My website has a section dedicated to a few of the shots I really like to show to people (Ethiopia, nature, the pups, that sort of stuff).

POETRY. I am a fan of Edward Eastlin Cummings, Kahlil Gibran, Robert Frost, T. S. Eliot, and Walt Whitman. I am also a devotee of the poets of Moody Blues (i.e., John Lodge, Justin Haywood, Graeme Edge) and some of the greatest melodic poetry ever conceived (i.e., Nights in White Satin, Tuesday Afternoon, Ride My See-Saw, and of course the entire Days of Future Past album).

PORSCHES. I like old Porsches, the air-cooled ones. I have a 1973 Porsche 914 Sport that is an on-going hobby. I have photos of it on the www.ScoloderusConspiracy.com website linking through the author page.

WRITING. I have been a writer for most of my life. In college, I wrote poetry that often evolved into songs. Throughout my career, I have been a professional writer and public speaker working in science and research development. For many years, I wrote funding proposals to the state and federal government. I have also written some of the plans in use for strengthening food security in Ethiopia, a model for educational development in east Africa, and the poverty reduction program of Praxis Ethiopia. Those publications are rather serious. When I need a mental vacation, I write fiction.

POVERTY. I am very interested the crisis of extreme poverty. I work for The Praxis Ethiopia Foundation. The Foundation promotes, supports, and honors community-driven, sustainable poverty reduction in Ethiopia and sub-Sahara Africa. Ethiopia is making dramatic progress in strengthening food security, promoting education, and improving healthcare. Ethiopia is not a helpless country; Ethiopia is a country that needs help: please check it out at www.PraxisEthiopia.org.

At this point, you know what to expect at my house: oldies on the stereo; the aroma of fresh coffee; a couple of German Shepherd Dogs gnawing on rawhide strips; and I will be talking about the successes in improving food security and healthcare in Ethiopia. On Friday evenings, we will be making pizza from scratch (baked on oven bricks) and when we are fortunate, the house will be filled with friends and family, the kitchen will be a mess, and we will have invented yet another extraordinary pizza or two.

Thanks for reading this...