Introduction

Welcome to my blog.  My wife Deborah said I should do a blog since I have opinions about nearly everything, so I'm going to give it a whirl. 

So far the biggest challenge has been naming this blog.  All the names I wanted to use were already taken, including:

• Earthbound misfit (from the Pink Floyd song "Learning to Fly")
• I can't complain but sometimes I still do (from the Joe Walsh song "Life's Been Good")
• Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day (from the Pink Floyd song "Time")
• All the good blog names are taken (yes, this and variations on it are all already in use)

After some searching it became apparent to me that every potential blog name that is based on a song lyric or a clever phrase is already being used -- usually on multiple blogs.

So I settled on this name because this is a phrase I've been using for my entire adult life.  It's what I've had to tell people since the mid-1980s when I introduce myself to them, give them a credit card for payment, or place a phone order, or for other normal reasons give my full name to them.  It started when the actor who shares my name became prominent with his hit TV show Family Ties.  His career (and sadly health) have now been in decline for many years now, but I still find myself telling people that "Yes, this really is name."  (Photo to the left by Alan Light)

Some of the people I'm having to tell that to now are way too young to have been culturally aware during his heydey, so I guess my Canadian namesake has good staying power.

I plan to comment on various topics that interest me and hope you find this enjoyable or at least worthy of discussion.  I won't be getting really personal on this blog so if you're looking for the kind of personal navel-gazing that is all  too common in the blogosphere, this is not the place to look.