My motto:"Silliness and Absurdity"
Image © E. C. Publications, Inc.
This page is constantly under construction! Check back frequently!
Note: This page has not been revised since early 2006. As it was originally written in 1997, since there were few search engines at the time, there are many links, many of which likely are dead. If you'd like to find out something about the subject relating to the link, a Google search or browse through Wikipedia (neither around in 1997) will likely turn up something. Any questions, e-mail me (address at bottom of page). My editor user page on Wikipedia is here. Sorry, no Facebook or Twitter accounts at this time, not really interested. March 14, 2008 / April 21, 2011 / February 21, 2013
Recent trips: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2009 November 7, 2014/August 20, 2015/July 14, 2016/August 13, 2017/August 9, 2018/July 31, 2019
Michigan -- north: Millburg, south: Buchanan /// Ohio -- West: Sandusky, Northeast: Concord (Lake County), Southeast: Kent
(Note: All maps to which I refer on this website are courtesy of MapQuest, unless otherwise noted. Got an address you want to find? Go to the MapQuest website!)
See also my music page
I was born February 10, 1971 in St. Joseph, Michigan, USA, in Berrien County (History/biographies | Website directory) in southwestern Michigan (history). I grew up in nearby Millburg (pop. ~150). Here is its location. Here is an overview of the area. Here is a close-up view! It is near the twin cities of Benton Harbor / St. Joseph.
From January 1985 to April 1987, I attended Buchanan High School in Buchanan, Michigan (location | Official page | Chamber of Commerce page | another page), near South Bend, Indiana (see also here), and the University of Notre Dame, concentrating on music and theater, although I had previously had an interest in meteorology. (A large influence was Dick Addis (1931 - 2006), one of the weather staff at NBC-affiliate WNDU-TV in South Bend.) Map of Buchanan Community Schools (not MapQuest)
The area in which the above locations are located is known locally as "Michiana."
Other Michiana guides: What's On In Michiana | How Industry Shaped Michiana | Michiana Area Geographic Information System GIS map (Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties only) | South Bend's Historical Heritage
MichiganNative.com
Lake Magazine - Covers the southeast Lake Michigan shoreline.
From April 1987 until my graduation in June 1988, I attended Mentor High School (part of Mentor Public Schools) in Mentor, Ohio (location), as my family moved to nearby Concord Township (Lake County -- see also here as well as The Heart of Lake County Magazine). I continued in music and in MHS's Theatre Department.
After graduation I attended Lakeland Community College, where Kirtland, Mentor, and Willoughby (OH) all come together (location). I started a program in music there, where I took classes from Dr. Daniel McCarthy as well as other professors; I also helped students in the Tutorial Center. Map of the Lakeland campus (not MapQuest)
I subsequently transfered to Kent State University, Kent, Ohio (see also here) (location), where I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music in May 1995. I returned to KSU Fall 1996 to pursue a Master's Degree in Music Theory, from which I took a hiatus in 1998. (Can't spell that augmented second interval? E-mail me!) For the academic year 1997-'98, I was hired as the Graduate Assistant in Bassoon, though I still consider saxophone my main instrument (I've played it since 1980). Since 1998, I have taught private lessons on saxophone, bassoon, clarinet, and flute to students from Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula Counties, Ohio. I have also composedseveral pieces of music. Though I have had no formal solo training in voice, I have sung Tenor in various KSU vocal ensembles. Here is my KSU profile page from my graduate study period.
A sample of Kent State professors under whom I have studied:
In addition to taking classes at the School of Music, I have also worked at the Kent State University Map Library, where I've worked on and off since 1992 and visited since 1991. Mid-1990s map of Kent State University -- Main Campus (not MapQuest) (warning: large file)
David Spondike (old page) - Doctoral candidate in Theory/Composition at Kent State. Links to composers' pages and their compositions. Great jazz links are also found on this page.
Kappa Kappa Psi/Tau Beta Sigma- National Honorary Band Service Fraternity/Sorority
The Beta Psi Chapter Webpage! Beta Psi is the designation of the KKPsi chapter here at Kent State. (This page was created by fellow student Angela Bungo.)
Delta Omicron- International Music Fraternity
Sibelius Academy Music Resources-Packed with information on all aspects of music! Yes, all!
DownBeatJazz.com: Artist Search
Information on instruments and their performers:
Musical instrument manufacturers:
Music retailers (instruments, sheet music, etc.)
Note: I only list those retailers with whom I'm familiar who have websites. There are many other fine stores which are not yet online and beyond my areas of familiarity.
Great Lake Music Camps -- I attended the camp at Valparaiso University in 1983, '84, and '85.
The Fibonacci Series in music (if you have to ask, you don't need to know, trust me)
CDNOW- Search for and buy any in-print and many out-of-print CD's.
Music Previews- Preview tracks from recent albums by listening to sound files.
During the Summers of 1994 and 1996, I worked (not in music) at Cedar Point Amusement Park (see also here), Sandusky, Ohio (see also here) (location).
For a more detailed background, plus other places I've been, go here.
Weather (including radar) for the above locations, courtesy of The Weather Channel's weather.com!
Weather maps -- Northeast U.S.
The Weather Channel 20th Anniversary page
The United States National Weather Service's Interactive Weather Information Network- Get up-to-date weather conditions and advisories.
Media for the above locations
MapQuest! (Description above in the Background and Music Links section.)
Tiger Map Server Browser- Find U.S. maps courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Geographic Names Information System - Online Data Base Query Form- Want to know if a certain word is in a town, shopping center, etc. in the USA? Want to know the exact coordinates of your school? Courtesy of our (my) government, you can!
Geographical Names Board of Canada - GeoNames Query- The Canadian equivalent to the GNIS form above.
United States Geological Survey 7½-minute topographic map index has been removed from the USGS site, but one can still find a graphic index by choosing the respective box under "Reference" on the map viewer at NationalAtlas.gov .
TerraServer by Microsoft- Close-up aerial images of various places around the world, including many in the United States. There is now access to USGS topographic maps from the aerial photographs!
TerraFly -- Aerial photos with street-name overlays.
Skyline Software 3D Tours -- Three-dimensional aerial images of many U.S. metropolitan areas.
TopoZone -- Another source for USGS topographic maps. (Caution: Your browser may not support the images used for the maps on this site.)
Maptech Historical Maps - Scans of the old and discontinued USGS 15-minute series for the northeast U.S., with continued progress westward and southward (Ohio is here).
USGS 1900 era Ohio Quadrangles - This site has 15-minute maps for Ohio as well, in the metro Cleveland area, in DjVu format.
Panoramic Maps -- From the Library of Congress, historic bird's-eye views of cities in the U.S. and Canada.
Canada's Centre for Topographic Information -- Access to information about Canadian topographic maps.
Ordnance Survey -- Great Britain's national mapping agency. Access to information about British topographic maps.
Xerox PARC Map Viewer (may have been removed)
About roads: Following any of the next four links will lead you to sites which are collections of links to sites about roads and road-related subjects, most written by "roadgeeks". Nearly any question about roads can be answered by the sites linked from these index sites!
Basic questions can be answered in the Frequently Asked Questions page for the Usenet discussion group misc.transport.road .
Road Map Collectors Association I was member #259 at one time.
SignMaker by Kurumi- Make your own highway signs! (Needs the Java program.)
Road and highway websites (roadgeek sites) on which I'm credited!
Stuckey's! - Anyone who's travelled in the southern US has seen one of these! 1992 location listing | Stuck on Stuckey's
Roadside America- Planning a trip to the Grand Canyon this year? Go to the world's largest twine ball instead!
State Departments of Transportation:
Toll highways separate from state DOT's:
National Traffic and Road Closure Information (Federal Highway Administration) -- Links to construction information on all 50 states' official websites.
Sites about highways in different states:
Highway policies, courtesy Richard C. Moeur:
Traffic signs
Traffic signals
Access to driver's manuals online
Traffic Cone Preservation Society
Metropolitan Planning Organizations
The Chicago Tribune's Midwest travel article collection -- Articles about travel and travel destinations in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and points west.
Taken On The Road: American Mile Markers by Kodak -- View pictures taken at each mile point along a trip from New York City to San Francisco.
Dialects
Geography collectors
Populations
The Official "Weird Al" Yankovic Web Site -Complete information on "Weird Al" Yankovic, parodist/musician extraordinaire, archived by his drummer, Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz! (For those of you who don't know, of the over 100 songs that "Weird Al" has recorded, about half are originals [in other words, not taken from another artist]!)
The Dr. Demento Show, nationally-syndicated show playing "Mad Music and Crazy Comedy."
Note: I can't hear Dr. Demento myself, as no stations in my range play him. If you live around here and want to hear funny music, let the local radio stations know!
They Might Be Giants - Musical group from Brooklyn, New York City.
Saturday Night Live
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (and before that, Johnny Carson)
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (formerly with Craig Kilborn)
The Drew Carey Show (and Drew's other show, Whose Line Is It Anyway?)
Airplane! - the Movie and Airplane II - the Sequel
The Films of Mel Brooks
The Three Stooges
Mad Magazine
If you're having a bad day, follow these links!
Do these selections not tickle your funny bone? If not, visit the Universal Press Syndicate comics area, United Media's Comics.com, King Features, or Creators Syndicate!
My brother Jeffery (born August 16, 1974) is a developing artist himself, someday hoping to make cartooning his profession. He formerly drew a comic strip (Jud) for the Lakeland Community College (see above) student newspaper The Lakelander. Here, here, and here are links to some of his work. Enjoy! (Here is the top part of another strip.)
Shows on National Public Radio:
CarTalk-A call-in show discussing car repair. Why the mention? Well, their unofficial motto, "Unencumbered by the thought process," should be explanation enough! These guys are HI-LARIOUS!
RIP Tom Magliozzi 1937-2014
A Prairie Home Companion-The show featuring Garrison Keillor telling home-spun tales about his native Minnesota. Also features live performances, both musical and theatrical.
www.80s.com-Very cool!
Space Ace -- Great (and funny) laser disc video game from the 1980's.
Major League Baseball: I started out as a Detroit Tigers fan, with a mild interest also in the Chicago Cubs , and now follow the Cleveland Indians , usually on radio. baseball-reference.com
Yahoo! search engine
Google's Usenet newsgroup archive (replaces Deja.com)
The Internet Archive -- If you know the address to a website, existing or gone, you can see what it used to look like!
Merriam-Webster OnLine with dictionary and thesaurus
InfoSpace.com -- Find addresses and telephone numbers worldwide.
Find a station (courtesy the the FCC):
Royal Observatory Greenwich: "The New Millennium" (old page)
Altavista Translations -- Translate words or websites between English and other languages. See also WorldLingo Translator and Xerox Language Identifier.
Internet Movie Database (U.S.) -- Information on every movie and television show ever publicly released.
Synergos Technologies - Business Crossroads -- Site with links to nearly all U.S. retail and restaurant chains.
TinyURL.com -- Use this to shorten an unwieldly website address.
Here are some pictures I've extracted from the above links.
Comments? Send them to me! musxf579@hotmail.com
All opinions found on this page are mine and not those of any organization mentioned on these pages.
This page made public Sunday, March 9, 1997/Last revised March 21, 2006/Note added March 14, 2008 and expanded 2011-2019
