(The following personal bio of Mr. Simpson is his personal history along with his interesting personal points of view and opinions; as a private citizen of the USA, a veteran of the US Army Honor Guard, and a veteran teacher of 26 years, are all protected by his First Amendment Constitutional Rights. No one can censor Mr. Simpson's personal points of view and opinions re public concerns that are protected by The US Constitution, and The First Amendment/Amendment Rights, outside of the classroom; to do so, re censoring public concerns expressed outside of the classroom, is unlawful. As teachers we do not lose our Constitutional Rights nor our First Amendment/Amendment Rights that we have as US citizens. The entire website is paid for, owned by, and created by Mr. Simpson, with the exception of fairuse content used where and when appropriate. The following is provided so that students can get to know Mr. Simpson on a more human level and so he never has to personally talk about it and be put on the spot in front of the classroom by well meaning curious high school students. Mr. Simpson can simply respond by saying "Please read my bio that I have provided on the website." The history and personal views and opinions of Mr. Simpson as a sovereign US citizen, US Army Honor Guard veteran, and a veteran teacher of 26 years, expressed herein are solely that of Mr. Simpson and do not reflect the views or opinions of any other human being, the PHHS administration, or SDUSD.)
California 3 Rs: Rights, Responsibility, and Respect
https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/first-amendment-center/
https://aclu-wa.org/docs/free-speech-rights-public-school-teachers-washington-state
https://w1.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/973/rights-of-teachers
San Diego Teacher takes on SDG&E and Wins!!!
I'm a native of San Diego, born at Grossmont Hospital. Let's just say I remember when there were farms in Mission Valley, the "fab four" were just starting to make it big, and someone with my first name orbited around the earth in Friendship 7 just before my debut. Hhhmmmm. I wonder how my mother came up with my first name?
I have many interests that I pursue in my free-time, but they all pretty much get me one place -- outdoors with my family and friends. I enjoy outdoor recreation and avidly pursue climbing, alpine skiing, BC Skiing, free-diving, SCUBA diving, body surfing, body boarding, SUP, (yes even sometimes surfing), and paragliding.
In HS and college I was a competitive springboard diver. I missed competing against Greg Louganis by just one year in HS. It would have been nice to say I dove against the best springboard/platform diver in history, but c'est la vie. However, I have met him and I did get his autograph ;-)
See: Greg Louganis - The World's Greatest Diver Ever!
Taking images of my pursuits and the great outdoors is a serious pastime. The biggest influence for my style of photography is by far the late, great, climber, author, and brilliant wilderness and outdoor adventure photographer Galen Rowell. I met him several times and I have many of his books. Galen was the Ansel Adams of outdoor wilderness landscape and adventure sport photography. See Mountain Light
Another big influence of mine, art-wise, is the famous fantasy artist Roger Dean, "the other member of YES."
I enjoy many different genres of music, but my favorite rock band is YES (hands down the best rock group in the universe). Music is very important to me and I'm very eclectic in taste. On my own time, I'm always listening to good, positive, uplifting, and thought provoking music with the volume cranked way-up! I attend concerts, and have since high school. Good music is the background of our lives.
In addition, one of my serious interests is the science of meteoritics. I've gotten very involved and very good at this very interesting scientific study that synergistically combines many of my interests such as physical geography, geology/astrogeology, physics, astronomy (to include meteoritics and planetary studies). I know how to find meteorites and how to distinguish them from Earth terrestrial rocks. I can properly prove and ID meteorites through macro evidence, and microscopic evidence using optical mineralogy techniques (utilizing rock thin sections, my polarizing ore-mineralogy microscope, and looking at the many microscopic impact shock metamorphism affects to mineral grains, such as undulating extinction, PDFs, etc.) I know how to classify meteorites once I have properly identified them as meteorites. Also through direct experience I know where to have the whole rock oxide tests done professionally and scientifically to complete the geochemistry, and how to use these tests results provided to properly ID the known planetary parent bodies of Achondrites, the most rare of all meteorites (at this time: Angrites, Lunar, Mars, Asteroid 4 Vesta.) As well, I know how to classify the rock type petrologically from these test results, as well as using my optical mineralogy microscope for examination to do so. I have a life-time of finds to study already and to complete the scientific research, all for eventual scientific publication in the pursuit of pure science. Few people can do all of these steps from the discovery to the completed research when it comes to meteorites. I'm proud of the fact that I can. It's been hard work and a very long learning process. However, I didn't learn this knowledge and know-how from a vacuum or void. "I stand on the shoulders of giants," who came before me, just as Newton would say. Meteoritics, gets me outdoors to look for these very rare elements --> minerals --> and rocks that fall to Earth from space. These "poor man space probes" are incredibly valuable scientifically as they can tell us so much about our Solar System, and can be as old as our Solar System, or perhaps sometimes even older. And Achondrite meteorites are incredibly special, since they come from known planetary parent bodies, most of which (with exception of our Earth's Moon) we have never returned any actual physical samples back to Earth. These Achondrite meteorites are the only samples we have of these known planetary bodies, hence their scientific importance and value. Eventually, I'd like to pursue my MS and PhD in Astrogeology (emphasis meteoritics), or Astronomy, or Cosmology.
A note on USA Space Exploration:
I would like to see NASA (our national space program), going forward in full vigor and with the same zeal we had with the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and the Space Shuttle programs. We should be going back to the Moon to establish a permanent Lunar Base. We should go forward to the Asteroid Belt for natural resources and to select specific asteroids for protecting Earth from NEOs and NEAs. We should be going full thrust to Mars with human exploration and establishing a permanent base there. So why aren't we? Good question.
Quote from a very good NASA article:
“The asteroids that are
potentially the most hazardous because they can closely approach
the Earth are also the objects that could be most easily exploited
for raw materials. These raw materials could be used in developing
the space structures and in generating the rocket fuel that will
be required to explore and colonize our solar system in the twenty-first
century. By closely investigating the compositions of asteroids,
intelligent choices can be made as to which ones offer the richest
supplies of raw materials. It has been estimated that the mineral
wealth resident in the belt of asteroids between the orbits of
Mars and Jupiter would be equivalent to about 100 billion dollars
for every person on Earth today. “
Why
Asteroids?
A great read:
Mining The Sky: Untold Riches From The Asteroids, Comets, And Planets [Paperback] John S. Lewis
A PPT graphic by Dr. Lewis describing the metal resources of just one M- type NEA (asteroid) called 3554 Amun:
http://ngec.arc.nasa.gov/files/ngec_proceedings/speakers/Lewis_Asteroids.pdf
Just recently . . .
On Earth Day, April 22, 2012, Planetary Resources announced they are privately pursuing Asteroid Mining for important natural resources that are needed.
We have a plethora of Energy in the form of Solar Energy from a Fusion Nuclear Reactor safely located 93 million miles from Earth -- our Sun. It's the primary source of energy for our corner of the Universe. It can provide all of our energy needs with vast excess to spare.
We have an Abundance of natural resources off of Earth. We have vast amounts of clean renewable energy from the Sun. We can mine these resources while avoiding further degradation to our Homeworld planet Earth. Responsible environmental organizations will be pleased. It's a win-win situation. It's time we do the right thing and inspire all mankind. Harness this energy, go get these resources, and secure the promising future for our children. I look forward to the future that many of us dream about: peaceful, caring, loving, no more war -- "weapons into ploughshares," resource abundance, and sharing resources for all (and not just for the very rich) -- in essence a new millennium.
January 22, 2013:
A new company announced its getting into the
Asteroid business just like Planetary Resources announced last
4-22-12. The company is called
Deep Space Industries,
Inc.
Asteroid-Mining Project Aims for Deep-Space Colonies
By Mike Wall | SPACE.com
Is Space Big Enough for Two Asteroid-Mining Companies?
by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer
22 January 2013
"The startup of two asteroid-mining firms — along with the rise of private spaceflight companies such as California-based SpaceX — is a sign that humanity may finally be taking real steps toward the long-held dream of permanent space settlement, Tumlinson said."
"One company may be a fluke,"
he said. "Two companies showing up? That's the beginning
of an industry."
From an early age I grew up experiencing the trades and working in my dad's very large and well known San Diego union sheetmetal shop, Simpson & Horton. In middle school, I even started an aluminum skateboard company, called Pipeline Skateboards, that was associated with Simpson & Horton. We even manufactured our own urethane wheels called Pipeline Pacers. I was interviewed by the San Diego Union Newspaper and Channel 8 News regarding the fact that a middle school student started a skateboard company. You can find the newspaper article in the archives of the San Diego Union Newspaper and see Mr. Simpson, middle school age, with long hair (mid 70s) and riding a skateboard old school style. By the way, I still skate. Currently, I like riding my Carveboard, which is great cross training for surfing, snowboarding, and skiing.
From an early age through HS, and even into college, I worked the construction trades. Construction trade skills are very important skills to have no matter what you do in life, even if you're college bound. You need to know how to make things, build things, and repair things. These are very valuable and necessary life skills to know to get by in life.
After graduating from high school (just prior to which I eye-witnessed Mt. St. Helens, a Cascade composite volcano, erupt), I went into the Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC) (see end of article) for a one year program stationed in Sedro Woolley, WA. YACC was an incredible positive learning and working experience, working on all sorts of outdoor projects throughout the State of Washington under the supervision of the NPS, US Forest Service, and the BLM. We completed many very useful, very well-built, and very long lasting projects for the North Cascades National Park as well as projects throughout the State of Washington. I would like to see the YCC, the YACC and the CCC programs all return throughout the United States. These programs were wonderful values. We received so much more back in return for the very affordable cost of these national programs. They also provided many good jobs, with the opportunity to learn real skills for many people of need.
Soon after the YACC, I enlisted in the US Army for a two year enlistment and I served my country in the Honor Guard (Company E), of "The Old Guard", 3rd US Infantry at Ft. Myer, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. My experience in the US Army was life changing. I'm glad I joined. It was hard but also beneficial. I grew up. After carrying many caskets with fallen Vietnam veterans to their final resting place within Arlington National Cemetery only six years after the end of the war, and experiencing the dedication of the Vietnam War Memorial, I learned the futility of War. That changed me forever. We must have a strong military to guard our Nation and to keep our way of life safe, and to safeguard our allies such as Israel (as an example). However, to start pre-emptive wars under false intelligence or false pretenses and "rumors of war," or to use war to go after another nation's natural resources, I do not agree with.
With money from the Army for college, I returned to San Diego to study.
My wife and I met at SDSU when we were both Outdoor Leaders for "The Leisure Connection" -- an outdoor program for SDSU Associated Students. Now it is known as "Aztec Adventures," and our names are forever on "the wall of fame" at the new Aztec Recreation Center. Anyway, she led canoe and backpacking trips, and I led rock climbing, backpacking, and alpine ski trips. Eventually we got together.
Soon after graduating from SDSU with a degree in Physical Geography, I landed my first job and we married. I worked in environmental consulting for five years. Lots of cartography and field work. I enjoyed that experience and met and worked with wonderful colleagues: biologists, botanists, zoologists, ornithologists, and marine biologists. I even spent a good deal of time SCUBA diving while surveying, harvesting, and trans-planting Eel Grass in Mission Bay and San Diego Bay.
I've always liked science. It's really important to have a solid foundation in math, physics, and chemistry. I really enjoy these primary studies. However, I really like to see it all come together in my favorite sciences -- the Earth Sciences (Geosciences) such as physical geography, geology, meteorology, oceanography, astronomy. To be honest though, I'm really keenly interested in all sciences including biology. My love of science goes hand in hand with my outdoor recreational pursuits. It's a wonderful pleasure to see something interesting or beautiful in nature and understand it at a deep and personal level. Not only that, knowing science and having an ability to interpret the environment makes me better at the outdoor sports and avocations that I enjoy most. My first biology college professor whom I became good friends with, and climbed with often in the US and even Europe, he taught me those great lessons. Every time we went outdoors to climb, class was in session. What a truly wonderful and memorable experience. My climbing resume includes climbs in: mainland USA, Hawaii, Canada, Baja California, mainland Mexico, Central America, and Europe.
Activism:
I am a member of The Sierra Club, and The ACLJ. I care about public education, the environment, alternative and renewable clean energy resources, protecting our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, social justice, social causes, and diplomatic solutions to conflict rather than War whenever possible. I also care about "The Golden Rule." I care deeply about morals and ethics.
"Stand up for what is right, even if you're standing alone." -- unknown
My wife and I have two children, a daughter and a son. At this point, my wife and I have taken our children hiking, climbing, alpine skiing, skateboarding, snorkeling, they've experienced SCUBA, body boarding, surfing, and they even enjoy looking for elements, minerals, and rocks. They are both very athletic and enjoy many sports. Turning off the TV and getting outdoors is very important to our family.
Inspired by my wife, who is a world history teacher, I also became a teacher. I enjoy teaching very much. I have to admit though, it's the hardest job I have ever done, but I think that it's worth it.
Mr. Simpson
Update:
My short bio above was written just after my wife and I had our son, our second child. Unfortunately, my wife and I have now been separated since the Spring of 2011, after almost 20 years of marriage. Sadly we are going to be getting a divorce. (Mr. Simpson is now divorced as of September 2015.) This is nothing that I ever wanted or intended to ever have happen. I believe very strongly in the marriage covenant between a husband and wife. However, when one spouse wants out of the marriage and they will not be persuaded differently, there is nothing the other spouse can do to stop it, even though they try to persuade the other spouse not to leave. Sometimes even the very real differences in beliefs and values can break and shatter a marriage. I hope you can understand. This isn't an easy time in my life.
But life will go on . . .
Mr. Simpson is now happily remarried (2018) to a wonderful and beautiful woman from Italy.
| My wife | Family | Our adorable baby girl |
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