I'm an expatriate Australian, having been in the US for about three years now, and in Japan for nearly five years before that. I don't necessarily expect to work in Australia anytime soon, but it pleases me to know that it's there.

I'm doing physics research for the LIGO Project at Caltech in Pasadena, California. We're constructing two large detectors, in Hanford WA and Livingston LA, to look for gravity waves. These are a prediction of Einstein's theory of General Relativity, which, as well as our best theory of space and time, is also our leading theory of gravity. We hope to see waves from astronomical events such as the spiralling together of a pair of neutron stars. (More on LIGO.)

For recreation I like to sing and play instruments in various ensembles. I've done a variety of styles from musicals (both in the pit and on stage) to cathedral choir stuff, but currently my passion is an 8-voice men's a cappella group called Ecphonema. "A cappella" probably gives the wrong impression though. This is NOT Palestrina (much as I like Palestrina). We're basically a rock group, singing anything from Billy Joel to Meatloaf, as well as some originals.

Ecphonema is ultimately the reason I started this page in the GeoCities neighbourhood of West Hollywood. (The real West Hollywood is the main gay area in Los Angeles.) If it hadn't been for two incredibly cool role models and five incredibly supportive straight guys, I might well have put off coming to terms with my sexual orientation for yet another decade. (Thoughts on being gay.) Of course as well as being http://geocities.datacellar.net/WestHollywood/Chelsea/3251/, this page is also http://geocities.datacellar.net/keepwe, which is homage to a favorite poem of mine by A.E. Housman.

If you have any complaints about this page, I warn you that not only am I likely to be completely indifferent, but I may very well strap you in the poetry appreciation chair and read you some of my poetry.

Footnote: I don't particularly endorse the symbolism of the Union Jack in the corner of the Australian flag, but I love it as a visual element. There's a movement to change the flag to something that better recognises that we're no longer a servile British colony, and a group called Ausflag) held a design competition. My favorite, the design with the kangaroo and Federation Star, turns out to be the public's favorite as well. I don't know if I prefer it, but I don't mind it.

You can e-mail me at maaku at attglobal dot net.