Charles E. Perkins

I'm the father of two sons (Gregory and Philip), as well as a daughter (Sarah) by a previous marriage. I finally got around to posting some images of them. Sooner or later, I'll get some pictures of my other brother and sister and put those up, too. I really am very fond of Sherry Hagen and love her very much. I play classical guitar, formerly jazz, big band, rock, and folky stuff. Our house is in general very musical, and threatens to become more so now that Gregory has started to learn cello. I secretly always wanted to be a mathematician and would do so even now if possible. I read as much about current events as time allows, tend to vote for personal freedom, social and fiscal responsibility, and against anyone who violates the public trust. Narrows the field somewhat, you say? Other interests include parenting, nudism, hiking, choral singing, bridge, travel, parenting, skiing, Broadway theatre, modern dance, parenting, playing games, and keeping up the house. Oh, did I mention parenting? Religion was generally towards Unitarian/Universalist, where I have been known to sing bass in the choir. You can usually find me by looking for the tallest guy around (6'9") with a beard.

Over the past couple of years (2006-now) I have taken a stronger interest in classical guitar. I finally have progressed to the stage where I can perform effectively on stage. I was able to host an open-mike meeting of the South Bay Guitar Society SBGS, and help other aspiring performers to be less nervous for their time on the stage. What a difference from the time not long ago when I could hardly make my fingers work at all on stage! I have been studying the Villa-Lobos Preludes and more recently some of the beautiful tunes by Miguel Llobet -- for instance, El Mestre. I have recorded a few earlier efforts and placed them on YouTube under charliep1951, but these have various mistakes and I plan on making updates soon. Many thanks to Grady Sloan, my guitar teacher, who has been instrumental in helping me to overcome my performance anxiety. I also treasure my participation in the recent Interlochen Summer Guitar Workshops. I was delighted to be able to participate in master classes with Ana Vidovic, Frank Koonce, and Brad DeRoche.

Having graduated from Rice University in 1976 and 1977, I am interested in meeting up with other Rice alumni. I am currently a member of Lupin Naturist Lodge, close to Los Gatos. See "Thoughts on nudism" for one or two ideas about this, which I'll probably expand soon.


Here are some pictures of my family.

My sons Gregory and Philip (they're in college now):


Gregory is at MIT, is older, and has wilder hair. Philip is at Fairleigh Dickinson University, plays drums and sometimes bass, and is more extroverted. It is impossible not to love these boys.
My sons Gregory and Philip from a younger age

My daughter Sarah, past and present:

My brother John, with Elaine:

My mother:


Another project on my list is to create a rant page, where I express my views on various things. Geez, what can a person do to have any effect on the state of things? I wish there was some way that I could counteract all the horrid trends that are currently diminishing our civil liberties and privacy. I am quite optimistic that the recent election of Barack Obama will help to turn the tide towards the future we deserve as a society.

Case in point: a policeman can plant a marijuana seed in your car (or, probably even, in your house), bust you for it, throw you in jail, and confiscate your car, your belongings, or whatever they need to fund their next anti-pornography crusade, and there is hardly anything you can do about it. This isn't the USA I learned about in civics class. It's scary.

The thing that is most amazing to me is that quite often the majority of the electorate just does not care, and is content to elect any jerk who claims to represent their religious viewpoint. And what about bombing anything and everything that moves depending on the state of the president's popularity rating? I guess these things will continue until the electorate figures out that their religious leaders aren't steering them in the right direction. The heck of it is that the information is typically all available already, online and in various publications.

Question: What state recently elected a "big name" governor who helped plunder a bank as part of the Savings and Loan holocaust in the early '80s?

Question: Do you really doubt that people who obtain millions of dollars by illegitimate means would then fail to see the financial advantages of getting elected to key governmental positions?


Here's my home contact information: Charles E. Perkins Saratoga, CA 95070
<charliep@computer.org>

This page was updated on 13 Jan 2009, at 9:41 A.M.