Steelplate
New member
Hi....I'm Steelplate, and I'm an alcoholic....no...just kidding. Although I do admit a penchant for microbrews.
Anyway...I'm 48 years old, married to a wonderful second wife after my first "monogomously challenged" one kicked my heart around one too many times. I served in the US Army from 1983-1986 and was honorably discharged. I mostly have worked in the Public Sector in an institution for the Developmentally disabled (mentally retarded, for the non-pc among us).
I hold no degrees, my world view and my insight is from experience and quite frankly, the school of hard knocks. I have held private sector jobs....I was a welder before I started working for the Commonwealth of PA and in 2000, I left the state after getting some IT certs to work in the private sector as first a technician, then promoted to senior tech, where I had 10 techs underneath me. After three years of this, I realized that my calling wasn't in the IT field...it was working with the DD. So, despite a decent degree of success, I applied and was granted reinstatement back to do the job I love.
On a personal note, I am a life long Steelers fan...which is the basis for my nickname, I am an outdoorsman and own a few weapons...just the basics...shotgun, deer rifle, .22 for plinking and a pistol and a compound bow. I play guitar and sing in an acoustic blues/folk/rock duo which gigs as schedules allow.
Politically, I am a registered Democrat and a lifelong Christian. I base my politics on the Jesus' words in the Judgment of Nations, better known as "the goats and the sheep" in the book of Matthew. That being said, our Constitution calls for individual rights and so, on social issues such as gay rights and abortion, I believe that it is important to put personal beliefs aside and look at these issues from a Constitutional perspective rather than a religious one...I may not personally agree...but they deserve the same rights as everyone else.
OK....that's about it. I look forward to discussing issues with you all. I will be as civil as I am treated. Thanks for reading this ridiculously long post!
Anyway...I'm 48 years old, married to a wonderful second wife after my first "monogomously challenged" one kicked my heart around one too many times. I served in the US Army from 1983-1986 and was honorably discharged. I mostly have worked in the Public Sector in an institution for the Developmentally disabled (mentally retarded, for the non-pc among us).
I hold no degrees, my world view and my insight is from experience and quite frankly, the school of hard knocks. I have held private sector jobs....I was a welder before I started working for the Commonwealth of PA and in 2000, I left the state after getting some IT certs to work in the private sector as first a technician, then promoted to senior tech, where I had 10 techs underneath me. After three years of this, I realized that my calling wasn't in the IT field...it was working with the DD. So, despite a decent degree of success, I applied and was granted reinstatement back to do the job I love.
On a personal note, I am a life long Steelers fan...which is the basis for my nickname, I am an outdoorsman and own a few weapons...just the basics...shotgun, deer rifle, .22 for plinking and a pistol and a compound bow. I play guitar and sing in an acoustic blues/folk/rock duo which gigs as schedules allow.
Politically, I am a registered Democrat and a lifelong Christian. I base my politics on the Jesus' words in the Judgment of Nations, better known as "the goats and the sheep" in the book of Matthew. That being said, our Constitution calls for individual rights and so, on social issues such as gay rights and abortion, I believe that it is important to put personal beliefs aside and look at these issues from a Constitutional perspective rather than a religious one...I may not personally agree...but they deserve the same rights as everyone else.
OK....that's about it. I look forward to discussing issues with you all. I will be as civil as I am treated. Thanks for reading this ridiculously long post!
