My journalism career has taken me to some pretty interesting places all over the U.S. and abroad and has introduced me to some pretty interesting people, from small-town mayors to the President of the United States. One of the things I have discovered is that the people and places you have never heard of are often more interesting than those that are well-known. It is a field in which the true reward is learning of things firsthand rather than from a book or a website, of experiencing that which you are writing about, and then conveying it to a mass audience than can consist of a mere few to several million. Even at the highest level, there is little glamour in the world of journalism. The pay ain't that great either, but it's a hell of a way to make a living. 
     Below is a small sample of my work that ranges from small local publications to large national ones, as well as a few selections from my wildly popular but now defunct r-daub-a-blog. Enjoy!

	Show Me the Money Of the $787 billion in stimulus funds to be allocated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) passed earlier this year, $8.2 billion has been designated as extramural funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the advancement of scientific research. (read more)
	'Medical Tourism' on the Rise With health insurance premiums continually rising in the United States and making coverage less affordable for many, a growing number of Americans are attempting to save money by traveling to other countries for their medical needs.        They are also doing a little sightseeing while they are there.        'Medical tourism,' as it is now commonly known, has become... (read more)
	Kansas City: Capital of the Animal Health Universe? Joerg Ohle, president and general manager of the Bayer North American Animal Health division in Shawnee, Kansas, referred to Kansas City and the surrounding region as the "galactic center of animal health".        When Animal Pharm recently asked Mr Ohle about this comment, he downplayed it as a lighthearted remark made during a "fun... (read more)
	Heska's Long Ascent to Profitability It has been a long climb for US-based Heska, developer of advanced diagnostic products for companion animals, but the company has finally made to profitability and is poised to continue climbing. Animal Pharm's Richard Daub recently caught up with Heska's chief executive Robert Grieve at the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA) Biotech/Specialty... (read more)
	The Dreaming of a Community When artist William Cochran was first approached about creating a mural for the east wall of the Francis Scott Key building (formerly the Francis Scott Key Hotel), he saw the same thing that most residents did: an unsightly space of brick that had been painted some indistinguishable tone between Malibu peach... (read more)
	The Hijacking (from Above the Glamour) "Ken, this is Jean," I said into the phone as calmly as I could, but my voice was quivering and my hands were shaking. "The prisoner has a gun to my head. He wants you to come back here. He says we're going to Havana. Ken, this is no joke—this is for real!" (read more)
	Is the Electoral College Obsolete? When American citizens cast their votes on Election Day for the office of President of the United States, they are not actually doing something that will directly determine the outcome of the election. Instead, they are simply voicing their opinion to a body of officials known as 'electors,' who later cast the votes that really count and who are entrusted to follow the majority of their state's... (read more)
	The Return of the Town Sprawl—it's been a dirty word in the planning community for decades, yet very little has been done to contain it.        When developer William Levitt started mass producing affordable single-family homes on Long Island farmland after World War II, the concept of town living began a steady decline. By then the automobile was now a mainstay... (read more)
	Equine Vetrinarians Likely to Learn from Barbaro 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro will be remembered by most for his triumph and tragedy after fracturing his right hind leg in three places at the Preakness Stakes two weeks after his win at Churchill Downs. He will also be remembered for his courageous eight month recovery attempt that came to an end in late January.        His true legacy, however, may be what has been learned... (read more)
	Railway to the Sky It used to be that the journey to Tibet was nearly as mystical as the place itself. Its remote location on the world's highest plateau averaging 14,000 feet above sea level gave it the distinction of being 'the roof of the world' and made it inaccessible to most outsiders before the advent of the airplane and the automobile. Even with cars and planes, getting there involved days-long bus rides on... (read more)
	A Cold Morning in the Pool I am having one of those 'life is funny' moments. Two months ago I was working a freelance assignment for a very local weekly newspaper covering a two-hour holiday cooking lesson for the Women's Fellowship of a Methodist church in Carroll County, Maryland, and this morning I am on my way to spend the morning in the White House press pool and get within arm's reach of... (read more)
	Finding Emmitsburg It is a foggy Monday morning in downtown Emmitsburg. Though it is almost 8:00 AM, it is still rather dark and the replica gaslight streetlamps lining either side of the street are glowing in the mist. I drive the length of Main Street looking for a place to eat breakfast, but by the time I reach the other end of town I don't see any open eateries. I turn around and drive back in and make a right... (read more)
	The Pantone 342 Blazer Dusk had fallen upon Amen Corner, where all was quiet now that nearly everyone at Augusta National was either huddled around the 18th green or in front of a television monitor.        The 2005 Masters had come down to a playoff between Tiger Woods and Chris DiMarco. Phil Mickelson, who had pretty much been out of... (read more)
	The 59th Street Bridge Essay (Feelin' not so groovy) Everything seems insignificant right now.        The west side of the bridge is bottlenecked with people. The cars don't have a chance.        I wait, in no hurry to get to a place that has only begun to exist.        Tens of thousands surround me, yet there is near silence... (read more)
	Party Crashers It was the 1960s and the country was changing. The civil rights movement was growing stronger by the day and young people across the nation were standing up for what they believed in. In dimly-lit, smoke-filled back rooms of Frederick, however, the "good 'ol boys" were still in charge, as they had always seemingly been. Anyone who was interested in running for political office... (read more)