Ethan Phillips, Standup Guy

For someone who never followed the game, I sure do have the hats. I own somewhere north of 200 baseball caps, emblazoned with non-sports logos of all description---movies I traveled far to personally cover (The Phantom, The Matrix, The Incredibles), places I've been (Yellowstone, Everglades, Lucasfilm's Java the Hutt coffee spot), my heroic role models (Captain America, Indiana Jones, Grumpy). I mention this odd hobby to emphasize (relevant character trait #1) that I pay attention to baseball caps.On the other hand (trait #2), I don't pay much attention at all to today's music scene. As a student at Bethany College, I unintentionally qualified for disc jockey duty at WVBC 88.1 FM so I spent several semesters doing a two-hour air shift every weekday morning. Although radio work certainly concentrates one's contemporary musical knowledge, I'm now stuck in an "Oldies" time loop. I know what music I already liked (1930-75), what I played as a DJ (1975-8) and a bit beyond---and that's what I listen to even today. But, I know little of music post-1984. Just some names and songs here and there.Now, to a specific Trek star! I may have been wearing my Blue Thunder movie cap marked "JAFO" ("Just Another F------ Observer") when I met Ethan Phillips. He, of course, portrayed Star Trek: Voyager's lovable Neelix, a character I truly appreciated. You gotta love the strange guy (in Talaxian pajamas) who nevertheless (sort-of) gets the cute girl (Kes, at least for a while)! That's a scenario I've aspired to imitate my entire life. I have the "strange guy" part down solid. And the Talaxian pajamas.