Research and Interests

Current Research Projects (Hopefully leading to publication)


The Who on Disk: A Checklist for Collectors of Who LPs and CDs

I am taking all known discographies for The Who and combining them into one ultimate Who discography.  This is a rather time consuming project which requires a lot of data input and cross checking.  Errors in previously published discographies slow the process down, requiring more research and verification.  At some point in the future I hope to publish this project in pocket book form so collectors can keep track of their collections and use it also as a shopping list for items they don't own.  It will only include 12 inch LPs and compact disks.


The Post Library at Fort Griffin, Texas

I'm about halfway through this project.  I first became interested when I visited Fort Griffin State Park for the first time in the mid 1990s and was amazed to learn that the military post actually had a library.  I became determined to find out how this came about, what books it contained, and as much as possible about the physical structure of the library building itself.  A few years ago I was able to spend about a week at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. looking through the actual documents, letters, reports, and ledgers produced or received at the fort during the 1870s.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go through all of them, so my research is still incomplete.  I hope to be able to go back to the National Archives sometime in the near future to finish my research there.  What I have discovered so far is a fascinating tale of army life on the frontier and the early days of social reform in the country.  I envision this project resulting in an article for a publication like the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Military History of the West, or The West Texas Historical Association Yearbook.


Marriage Proposals From Film

I envision this project as a book for motion picture aficionados and romantics.  It will contain 100 of the best and most interesting marriage proposals ever depicted in feature films, be they humorous, witty, or otherwise.  Information about the film will be included (date, director, studio, principle actors, etc.) along with a still photograph of the proposal scene.  A description of the events leading to each proposal will provide the necessary background to the actual transcribed dialogue of the proposal itself.  Another time consuming project.  Problems with copyright clearances may delay this project.


When the Virgin Comes, You Don't Wait for the Priest: Virgin Mary Apparitions in Texas

I have done some research into this topic and have discovered many more incidents of Virgin Mary sightings in Texas than I thought I'd find, enough in fact to fill a small book. I continue to collect data on these incidents, much of it interpretive in nature, with most of the source material being newspaper articles. It's still interesting however. I'd like to make this a small book someday, respectfully done, with one short chapter devoted to each apparition. Travel, photography, and more research are needed.


The Alamo Cannon

I've been reading about the Alamo ever since I was young and I've always wondered about the cannon that the Texians had, how they employed them, what happened to them, and where are they today if any of them still exist.  No Alamo scholar has been able to satisfactorily answer these questions, nor can I locate any research by others specifically devoted to the Alamo's cannon.  Did Santa Anna ship them back to Mexico?  Were they buried, melted down, or thrown into the San Antonio river when the Mexican army withdrew from San Antonio following the battle of San Jacinto?  I have some answers to these questions, but not the whole story.  I'm still looking.


Texas Tacky

I've always been fascinated by unusual and tacky signs and billboards and I have found many of the tackiest signs you could ever imagine in Texas. Whenever I see an especially tacky sign, I photograph it. Some day I hope to have enough material for a photo essay book devoted to what I affectionately call Texas Tacky.


General Interests (Things I like)

Alamo History

The Who

Camping

Das Nibelungenlied

Travel

Barbecue

Gardening

The Jack the Ripper Murders

Home Improvement Projects

Genealogy

Cats

The Dallas Cowboys

Texas Longhorn Football