Frank Straplouie was born in 1961 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of professors who met in the chemistry department at the University of Michigan. As an infant he experienced a oneness with all of existence before developing the sense that he was responsible for the creation of the entire world. Later he came to believe this was a crock of solipsism; a common mind-state of the developing individual. At that point he began to foster a more objective, third person persona, useful in creating "about" bios for web sites and faculty catalogues.

After an unheralded career in high school -- other than achieving an exalted status by being the "boyfriend" of the popular Beverly Hampton -- Frank left the little college town for another little college town a couple hundred miles to the south: Bloomington, Indiana.

As did Beverly.

But he digresses.

Frank entered the biology department to study biochemistry. He enjoyed his time in Bloomington, especially the experience of befriending a group of like- and other-minded people at a coffeehouse. They formed the seven-member Wind Horse Alliance, which at the time seemed like a fine idea.

But they were earnest youth inflated with their own self-importance.

But he digresses.

Frank left Bloomington in 1984 to pursue graduate studies at UC Santa Barbara. There, he met Debrah Hunt, whom he married in 1987. They had two children, Frank Jr. and Francesca, before divorcing in 1999.

The founding members of the Wind Horse Alliance reunited at the surprise funeral of their Environmental Biology professor -- a mentor to each -- in Bloomington in 2000. Then in 2002, appalled at the attention "terrorism" was getting (at the expense of the real threats to international security posed by climate warming, invasive species, ocean collapse, and more), the group decided to reform the Wind Horse Alliance in Bloomington, to push for change by making the impending collapses clear to the world.

Frank's ex-wife and her new husband were more than happy to see him go.

Frank's children weren't exactly crushed, either, but he digresses.

The new Wind Horse Alliance had every intention of helping save the world -- or at least making a positive impact -- but that proved to be at best misguided. Or worse, a crock of solipsism. Or worst, a self-serving neo-academic horseshitfest of "more study is needed."

Then it all fell apart.

At that point, Frank began to no longer think of himself in third person and I can't write those bios and descriptions anymore.

Now, I am on an ever-unfolding adventure seeing everything I can get my eyes on, touching every thing and one I can get my hands on, smelling everything I.... you get the idea.

For if our time left (together and on this planet) is brief, then why sit around and cogitate about it? There is much life to be lived.

Get rich. Get laid. Make hay.

-- Frank Straplouie, Sept. 2007