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Thanks for comming to this page

On this web site you'll find stuff about me, my wife Joann, and my Square Dance Calling. Eventually there will be a bit about Amateur Radio (WB6NNY), Mountain Biking, and even my previous life as a Radio Communications Engineer and Business Owner.

In 1999 I was a San Francisco Bay Area Square Dance Caller on the Santa Clara Valley Square Dancers Association Top 10 Callers list for quite a few years. I was also working as owner and chief engineer for my own Radio Communications Companies. Things were going quite well. Then on March 19, 1999 my wife Joann was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. My wife, high school age son, and employees didn't need someone distracted by conflicts between family health and business requirements. So I liquidated my businesses interests as quickly as possible. Eleven months after the original diagnosis, treatment at UCSF Hematology/Oncology Department had Joann feeling and looking great. Totally unexpectedly, two months later she was in relapse and our life was upside down again. After that, it took an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant, and another two and a half years before Joann was told clinic visits were no longer necessary and she was considered cured. She fought and won a tough battle and remains well today.

With Joann's wellness I had to think about what to do with myself. Ya know, it gives you the warm fuzzies to know you studied on your own and without a college degree have had a successful run as an electronic engineer and businessman. BUT with 60 years of age on the horizon, the risk and rigor of starting a new business is not a comforting thought. AND previous successes don't do much for a non-graduate engineer/managers employment worth.

During this self evaluation time, I discovered Joann's cured status was the opinion of the excellent medical staff at UCSF Hematology/Oncology. However her CURED condition is not the opinion of the health insurance community. She is un-insurable as an individual. Apparently even the usual five year in cancer remission rule does not apply to Leukemia. Luckily a friend told me the state of California requires insurance companies that provide health insurance to California businesses to provide coverage for employee dependents. So my occupation is now Square Dance Caller. AND Jim Osborne Square Dancing is a service of our very small company Argus Marketing Inc. a California Corporation.
This is probably too much information for most readers of this page. However, I have met a number of Square Dancers that were in situations where personal health insurance was not attainable. It seems this information has helped a quite a few un-insurable folk find a way to acquire health insurance as we did.

I now call for four Square Dance Clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have been featured caller for weekend Square Dances and do quite a few Square Dance Parties for non-Square Dancers.

I would love to have the opportunity to call for your Square Dance group or teach attendees to your party the basics of Modern Western Square Dancing while they participate and entertain themselves.

Please give me a call if your club needs a Plus Level Modern Western Square Dance Caller, or you would like to treat your party guests to a physically and mentally entertaining event.