Ok, so the name "rogue pilot" comes from many influences...

My fascination since early childhood with planes.

I watched "12 O'clock High" with my Dad when I was like 5 and was mesmerized by the tales of bomber pilots flying thru dangerous skies over Europe in World War II. It was a fascination that has weirdly stayed with me all my life. I once flew to England (in 1992) with a tour of bomber crew veterans just so I could be part of their memories and experience the places they used to fly to war from. Maybe somewhere inside my head I have this romantic notion that there is such a thing as reincarnation, and than in a previous life, I was a bomber pilot.

Hmmm...

Also, there was "Star Wars." The pilots who flew against those big elephant-like walkers in "The Empire Strikes Back" were part of "Rogue Squadron." This character, Wedge Antilles, who had flown against the Death Star in the first "Star Wars" movie, was back in this movie, and I always thought if I were a character in "Star Wars," I would be Wedge Antilles. To that end, my Gamertag on XBox Live is "Rogue Pilot 2," which was sort of Wedge's call sign ("Rogue Two").

So now you have the entomolgy of why I like to use the moniker, "rogue pilot."

I feel that this is not what a normal 52-year-old man with almost 30 years of a professional career behind him and two college degrees, ususally talks like. Star Wars, XBox Live gamertag handles, etc. I feel like I'm decades younger. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it's a bad thing when I like to play maybe more than I should. ;)

Classic example: Today. The day started as I joined a Monday morning staff meeting at work with the senior executives of my company. We discussed strategy and important company goals. A short time after that, I was immersed in figuring out a budget puzzle that included reconciling costs for production that would be influenced not only by resources here in the United States, but also by international partners. Toward the end of the day, I went to the gym to keep my health-consciousness on-going. And yet, after that, I joined several twenty-somethings at my work conference room, after-hours, to play a spirited game of "Magic the Gathering." The card game.

That's sort of me. I play not only that game (and have sort of helped energize a group of players at work to play in these game tournaments on a bi-weekly basis), but also XBox, now PS3 after my recent purchase, Star Wars miniatures, D&D and the occasional Monopoly.

Now, that doesn't mean that I have interests exclusively in what the mainsteram would call "nerds-ville." Yes, I can relate to "The Big Bang Theory." But, I also am addicted to footbabll, mostly college. After all, if you g to a school like USC (University of Southern California), you can't help but pay attention to football! I also play sports when I get a chance. I follow baseball as well. I'm a Texas Rangers fan. Why? Don't know. I like them; they're not a team of giant, ego-driven superstars. Michael Young is the example of the baeball player I like.

Maybe now you are starting to get a quick snapshot of me.

Next time, I'll start talking about what I'm thinking about. What's curious to me. Comments on what's happening in the world. Health care. Volcanoes going off. "The Pacific" on HBO.

Women.

'till then...

RP