TDT.org Biographies

[George at C-Springs]

I enjoyed reading David's bio over in the Bett's Books thread today. It occured to me afterwards that, although I've been here on the site for over a year now, I really don't know the backgrounds of a lot of you. Sure we all know each other's collecting interests, opinions, some likes and dislikes, but how well do we really know our fellow collectors?

So, I thought, why not start a "Bio's" thread? A place where you can tell the world about yourself, what you've done, where you've been, what makes you you. I propose starting it off with a cut and paste of David's bio here (I'd do it but am on a phone, can't) and then anyone who wishes can add to it at anytime. You can even cheat to make it easy and use David's as a template! What do you think? I'll add mine as soon as I unpack the computer and get internet access!

Tell us about yourself!

Horhay

(see, you didn't know that's been my nickname for 20+ years .... George in Spanish, spelled phonetically in English)

[mistercrowley]

So what your saying is you could play a fantastic guitar solo and then proceed to kick some ass like a ninja? J/K thanks for the bio. I like reading about my other board members and will eventually post something. I warn you ahead of time I'm horrible with talking about myself.

[Merlin1958]

This is a truly inspired thread, George. I'll have to come up with something soon.

[Merlin1958]

Ok, here goes....................After graduating HS I attended TCU in the late '70's. In HS I played basketball (duh, I'm 6'9") and played drums in a rock band. Continued the band part in college and eventually got a couple of studio musician gigs in Texas. After I had had enough of the great state of Texas I returned home to embark on a career on Wall St. I began in the Stock Record depart of Kidder, Peabody, Inc and worked my way up to Supervisor of the Daily Take-off Team. It was at that time that I met my future wife, Susan. She worked in the "Cage" in the Stock Transfer dept. She would deliberately cause differences requiring me to visit her Dept. LOL I asked her out on our first date (to see "The Rose" at the Ziegfield theater) and two kids, boy and a girl later, the rest is history.

Not long after marrying my wife, I received an offer from an agency contracting "Financial Consultants" to various banking and brokerage clients. The pay was much more lucrative and off I went. Financial Consultants are sort of "Gunslingers" in the Operations area's of Banks and Brokerage houses. I did that for many years and eventually, in 1987, decided to form with a partner my own consulting firm, Wall St. Unlimited, Inc. The decision was made while my wife was in the hospital giving birth to our daughter, Kristine. Needless to say it was a ballsy move at the time!!

Nevertheless, we were very successful and eventually sold the firm in 1998 or 99 for a tidy sum. However, in a story too long to be told here, along the way my partner and I, along with my father (who was a 30 year AT&T man) started a Telecommunications firm. We were authorized dealers for NEC, Lucent, Fujitsu and SRX (Trading com systems) among others. We were also Authorized Agents for (originally) NYNEX, then Bell Atlantic and finally Verizon. An authorized agent is a big deal in NYC. It basically allows you to print money in the Telecom biz. In 1997 we were the No.1 Agent out selling all others. We also secured the largest ever agent install with the Tenneco, Inc. account. Lots of funny stories on that one. One of our larger accounts was the Port Authority and we installed an SRX system in the WTC for them.

To keep it short, after 9/11 it just felt like it was time to go. We sold the Telecom firm in 2003, by Verizon the authorized agent printer was hobbling, and I semi-retired. Completely on my own, but working with compatible vendors, I became a Telecom consultant writing RFP's and overseeing system installations primarily at educational facilities. By 2005, at the top of the real estate market and with my son at ASU and my daughter looking to follow, I retired, sold the house and moved to sunny (Oh so, sunny) Arizona where my Dad had retired in 1996. So here I am. One last thing, we were Authorized dealers for the complete line of AT&T business telephone systems one of the most popular systems being the Merlin BTS , hence, coupled with my love of the DT series, my member name "Merlin"

Happy Holidays all!!!!

[mistercrowley]

Your an interesting man...for a Yankees fan :tongue:

[Merlin1958]

Your an interesting man...for a Yankees fan :tongue:

I don't always drink beer, but when I do I drink ..............Dos Equis



:YYY:

[Ben Staad]

Your an interesting man...for a Yankees fan :tongue:

I don't always drink beer, but when I do I drink ..............Dos Equis



:YYY:

That might be pushing it :biggrin1:

[Merlin1958]

Your an interesting man...for a Yankees fan :tongue:

I don't always drink beer, but when I do I drink ..............Dos Equis



:YYY:

That might be pushing it :biggrin1:

LOL it definitely was!!!! tsk, tsk people from Sarasota!!! LOL J/K

[Merlin1958]

Bump


I'd love to hear others "Bio's"!!!!

[Randall Flagg]

I speak only for myself, but I don't feel like typing up and posting my bio. I get the feeling most of the other collector's here feel the same way.

[TCCBodhi]

OK, as short as I can: Born in 1970 in Iowa and began reading SK by around age 12, starting with Salems Lot. As a teen I really didn't have much of an ability to do any collecting, but my mother helped me get on track with Grant Books for DT 2 trade edition, so I was in all the lotteries other than for DT 1. Wasn't successful until DT 7. Moved to Arizona just before I finished high school and went to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, ending up with a Music Education degree. I taught for 5 years in the public schools before I decided to leave the field. My partner and I moved in 2001 to Dallas where I began working tech support for a certain neighborly insurance company where I still work. Maybe not an illustrious career, but keeps us fed and able to leave work at work.

I have also been singing with the Turtle Creek Chorale for over a decade, a 200ish voice gay mens chorale. We're regarded as a highly popular and influential in the choir world, and I'm proud to have been a part of that.

I've been with my partner for nearly 14 years, but will be finally be legally marrying him (although in Iowa, not Texas) on 1/6/2012. I'm very excited to be able to take this step with him. Hopefully, it will be federally recognized within a few years which will greatly ease some of the medical/financial hassles that we've always had to deal with and still will, in spite of being married.

Bringing it back around to Stephen King, the notable part of my collection consists of DT2-4 Limited Trade (Unsigned), DT5-6 Artist Editions (non-remarqued), DT7 #149x Deluxe and Artist Edition (finally, via lottery after 17 years of lottery attempts), DT TLSOE copy #100x Deluxe & Artist, Under The Dome Signed/Limited & 11/22/63 Signed/Limited. I've ordered Artist Edition of Wind Through The Keyhole and will be hoping for luck in getting the Deluxe. It just doesn't feel right to me to get it from someplace other than Grant.

My favorites are a tie between The Stand & The Talisman, with DT as a whole falling a little behind those. I'm still working on 11/22/63, but I feel like it is going to be up there in that company. Also have a fond place in my heart for Salems Lot & It, and an unusual entry The Long Walk. My least favorite by a LONG shot is Dreamcatcher......Shit Weasels?.....really?

Anyway, there's a little idea of where this forum newbie is coming from.

[Patrick]

I'm enjoying reading these bios. Thanks for posting them.

About three years ago, the predecessor site (.com) did a weekly Q&A thread focusing on a staff member. Some of the info is outdated now, but there's one on each Brice, Jerome, me, and others, buried somewhere in the site's general archive.

[Merlin1958]

I'm enjoying reading these bios. Thanks for posting them.

About three years ago, the predecessor site (.com) did a weekly Q&A thread focusing on a staff member. Some of the info is outdated now, but there's one on each Brice, Jerome, me, and others, buried somewhere in the site's general archive.

Can you dig 'em up and post them here, Patrick?

[Patrick]

I'm enjoying reading these bios. Thanks for posting them.

About three years ago, the predecessor site (.com) did a weekly Q&A thread focusing on a staff member. Some of the info is outdated now, but there's one on each Brice, Jerome, me, and others, buried somewhere in the site's general archive.

Can you dig 'em up and post them here, Patrick?
Ok, I'll dig up mine, probably later tonight after my kids are asleep. It's long and probably boring.

The others can decide whether to dig up their threads and post links, or leave them buried in the searchable archive.

[Ari_Racing]

I don't think my bio would be interesting, but anyway...

I was born in Jan. 1980 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and I live in a small town called Adrogue since that moment (Adrogué is one of the most beautiful towns in Buenos Aires. It's a place were some presidents used to spend their weekends on and, regarding authors, Jorge Luis Borges used to spend his weekends and holidays here as well).

My grandfather used to tell me horror stories since I was old enough to pay attention (2 or 3 years old), so I fell in love with the genre being really young. The first story I remember hearing was The Black Cat, by Edgar Allan Poe, and according to my grandmother (my grampa passed away 13 years ago), I was 3 when I first heard it.

Well, since that moment I listened to a lot of horror stories, and when I learned how to read (6), I started reading 'em. If you sum that I was able to watch some horror movies even when I was 7 or 8 (my fathers didn't know, and my gramma was sleeping at that hour), well...was just a matter of time until I was trapped by King's work, something that happened when I was 13 or 14. Since that moment until I was 20 I was just a reader. On my 20s I started collecting, and even when I thought it was going to be really hard to get good stuff (since I live outside USA), I'm really amazed on the stuff I was able to get through the years.

I got a degree in software development, but I never worked as one, since my first job in the field was as a videogame beta tester, promoted then to postproduction positions, until I got tired and I aimed for the place I really wanted: videogame designer. Worked as one for two years for Gameloft and then I started my own company with part of the team, where I'm one of the co-founders, producer, director and game designer (yes...my life has no more free time). In the meantime I'm also one of the owners of an argentinian bookstore dedicated to Stephen King called Restaurant de la Mente and I'm the subdirector of a magazine also dedicated to him called INSOMNIA, which has been in the field for more than 14 years already.

I live with my girlfriend Cecilia and my cat Caliope. This is a pic of the day Caliope arrived home :)

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/38116_1544544458258_1374400214_1450990_1950999_n.j pg


Well...that's all! :)

[Merlin1958]

Great stuff, Ari!!!! Feel like I know you better now!!!


:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Randall Flagg]

I'm enjoying reading these bios. Thanks for posting them.

About three years ago, the predecessor site (.com) did a weekly Q&A thread focusing on a staff member. Some of the info is outdated now, but there's one on each Brice, Jerome, me, and others, buried somewhere in the site's general archive.
Are you talking about Facilitator of the Month? If so, they are archived (Keystone Tower Archive pages 20 & 21), but alas you and I were never Fac of the month (I believe because we were Managers at the time).

[Patrick]

Ari, thanks for sharing!




I'm enjoying reading these bios. Thanks for posting them.

About three years ago, the predecessor site (.com) did a weekly Q&A thread focusing on a staff member. Some of the info is outdated now, but there's one on each Brice, Jerome, me, and others, buried somewhere in the site's general archive.
Are you talking about Facilitator of the Month? If so, they are archived (Keystone Tower Archive pages 20 & 21), but alas you and I were never Fac of the month (I believe because we were Managers at the time).
I remember those, but I'm talking about the more general staff Q&A threads. The site was doing a thread on one staff member per week. I think the order may have been alphabetical. I'll go look for mine.


EDIT: Here's my old archived thread. Don't bother wasting your time reading it, but if you do, take it all with a grain of salt: Patrick

Also, much of the "current facts are now dated and therefore no longer apply.

EDIT #2: It's been a week. Link removed. The thread is still there in the archive.

[herbertwest]

I don't think my bio would be interesting, but anyway...

I was born in Jan. 1980 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and I live in a small town called Adrogue since that moment (Adrogué is one of the most beautiful towns in Buenos Aires. It's a place were some presidents used to spend their weekends on and, regarding authors, Jorge Luis Borges used to spend his weekends and holidays here as well).

My grandfather used to tell me horror stories since I was old enough to pay attention (2 or 3 years old), so I fell in love with the genre being really young. The first story I remember hearing was The Black Cat, by Edgar Allan Poe, and according to my grandmother (my grampa passed away 13 years ago), I was 3 when I first heard it.

Well, since that moment I listened to a lot of horror stories, and when I learned how to read (6), I started reading 'em. If you sum that I was able to watch some horror movies even when I was 7 or 8 (my fathers didn't know, and my gramma was sleeping at that hour), well...was just a matter of time until I was trapped by King's work, something that happened when I was 13 or 14. Since that moment until I was 20 I was just a reader. On my 20s I started collecting, and even when I thought it was going to be really hard to get good stuff (since I live outside USA), I'm really amazed on the stuff I was able to get through the years.

I got a degree in software development, but I never worked as one, since my first job in the field was as a videogame beta tester, promoted then to postproduction positions, until I got tired and I aimed for the place I really wanted: videogame designer. Worked as one for two years for Gameloft and then I started my own company with part of the team, where I'm one of the co-founders, producer, director and game designer (yes...my life has no more free time). In the meantime I'm also one of the owners of an argentinian bookstore dedicated to Stephen King called Restaurant de la Mente and I'm the subdirector of a magazine also dedicated to him called INSOMNIA, which has been in the field for more than 14 years already.

I live with my girlfriend Cecilia and my cat Caliope. This is a pic of the day Caliope arrived home :)

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/38116_1544544458258_1374400214_1450990_1950999_n.j pg


Well...that's all! :)

You have a bookstore dedicated to Stephen King? You never mentionned it. Any pictures? :-)

[Randall Flagg]

I remember those, but I'm talking about the more general staff Q&A threads. The site was doing a thread on one staff member per week. I think the order may have been alphabetical. I'll go look for mine.


Also, much of the "current facts are now dated and therefore no longer apply.
You are correct. Mine is in that archive. I don't plan on copying it over here, but it is there for viewing. Like yours some stuff is dated and no longer applicable.

[ICry4Oy]

I'll play!

Raised in the deep woods of Mississippi. We were poor dirt farmers and had no indoor plumbing until I was about 6yo and no phone until I was around 17yo. I've picked cotton until my fingers bled and if you've ever picked cotton you know that don't take long. I've ran down gravel roads and through the woods barefoot and swam in cow ponds with my cousins and loved every minute of it! At one time, an RC Cola and a moon pie were the food of the gods to me. From the time I was old enough to hold a hoe (shut up!) I worked a 13 acre field of corn, beans, okra and tomatos. It was back-breaking work!

The day after I graduated high school I enlisted in the Air Force and served four years in a Tactical Air Control unit assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Army) at Ft. Campbell, KY. During my time in the service I completed a couple of years of college - just the basic courses - at Austin Peay. After my 4 years were up I attended Mississippi State University for a couple of semesters but grew bored with that. For a few years I kicked around at odd jobs - Hospital emergency room admissions clerk in Starkville, MS, nursing home secretary in Little Rock, AR. While working at the nursing home I took the Civil Service test and was hired for the......umm....IRS! I started as a simple clerk in OKC, OK (yes in that building that that POS McVeigh blew up). The IRS had only just received their first shipments of desktop IBMs when I got there. They were starting to gather dust when my supervisor told me that if I could figure out what to do with it, it was mine. I took home stacks of manuals - they used to come with LOTS of books - and studied them front to back. Before long I was writing simple little programs to keep track of menial little things around the office. The newly formed "ADP" staff saw what I was doing and offered me a position that I gladly took. A few years and a few promotions later I took a better position in Dallas and that's where I am now. Tomorrow is my last day as I am retiring after 32 years.

I met my husband over 26 years ago in Oklahoma City. Our friends think there's something wrong with us because we have still yet to ever have a fight. I know! We've got a house and two dogs (Min-pins), two cats (siamese), two cockatiels and a shitload of fish. I feed a colony of stray cats (about 20) along with 4 possums and a raccoon.

I do acting work when I can get it. Have appeared (just as an extra) in shows like Prison Break, Friday Night Lights, The Deep End, Chase, Lone Star, The Good Guys and two shows coming on sometime in 2012 - Good Christian Belles and the reboot of Dallas on TNT. Also have had speaking parts in about 14 commercials - mostly for a local attorney and other attorneys around the country. Still trying to get one of those four-hour erection commercials (fingers crossed!!!).

[TCCBodhi]

I saw you in Prison Break then (even if the show derailed after that first brilliant season)! I would have watched Wendell in anything though. Do you know Liz Mikel? She worked on Friday Night Lights as well (as well as lots of local theater).

[ICry4Oy]

Her name's not familiar. If you noticed a regular prisoner in every episode of season 3, wearing a bathrobe in every episode, that was me.

[Merlin1958]

Wow, Oy what a fascinating story!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Ben Staad]

We were poor dirt farmers and had no indoor plumbing until I was about 6yo and no phone until I was around 17yo

Very cool Clay! I thought I had it bad because we didn't have cable until I was 17 (1992). Thank you for sharing your story. :thumbsup:

[Merlin1958]

We were poor dirt farmers and had no indoor plumbing until I was about 6yo and no phone until I was around 17yo

Very cool Clay! I thought I had it bad because we didn't have cable until I was 17 (1992). Thank you for sharing your story. :thumbsup:

And what's your's. Timbo?????

:tongue1:

[Ben Staad]

We were poor dirt farmers and had no indoor plumbing until I was about 6yo and no phone until I was around 17yo

Very cool Clay! I thought I had it bad because we didn't have cable until I was 17 (1992). Thank you for sharing your story. :thumbsup:

And what's your's. Timbo?????

:tongue1:

Short and sweet! :wink1:

[jhanic]

I speak only for myself, but I don't feel like typing up and posting my bio. I get the feeling most of the other collector's here feel the same way.

That's the way I feel also. Sorry.

John

[Patrick]

Thanks for sharing, ICry4Oy, and congrats on your retirement!

[ICry4Oy]

Thanks y'all!

[Room 217 Caretaker]

Mine was put at the beginning of my collection thread sometime ago:

http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?9183-Book-Collection-Room-217-Caretaker

Well, it's sort of a BIO, some things have changed but the lovely face remains the same.

Mulleins

[George at C-Springs]

Well, since I started this thread and finally got internet I thought I’d type up my bio (no way in hell I was going to do it on a phone). Glad to read the ones that already are on here (thanks for playing!) and understand that not everyone likes to do this kind of thing ... but I'm not one of them! As it gets on you’ll see that it’s pretty military-centric, well of course that’s because that was my job for 26 years. I tried to keep the jargon to a minimum for all you (us) civilian types :-).

Born (1966) and raised in Fall River, Massachusetts. Have a younger brother and two younger step-brothers. Parents divorced when I was in second grade, lived with mom and brother at Grandma’s house after that until I was 18. I'm my grandmother's son is what my family says ... nothing at all like my mom or dad, completely like my grandma. She worked a press at an industrial laundry until she was 85, only stopped working when the place burned down; she's 95 and going strong. I was always ahead in school, reading at 3 (no kidding), graduated in the top 10 of my high school class where I studied electronics technology for four years. Played violin, was even in the city orchestra at one point, but couldn’t afford to keep up lessons so had to let it go. Was a jock, played baseball, basketball and was captain of the spring and winter track teams (hurdler, high jumper, long jumper, triple jumper, 220, 4x440 relay) … most of my records still stand (key “Glory Days”). Read my first King book around this time, beat-up paperback copy of The Dead Zone. My favorite authors back then were actually Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury. Favorite book was "The City and the Stars" by Clarke. My first job was at a florist where I did everything from drive the delivery trucks to stock the greenhouse to take orders to keep the books … pretty much everything except arrange flowers. Did that for about a year, it was the only job I had, besides the military, until I was 45.

Entered the US Air Force delayed enlistment program early in my Senior year of high school; took the summer off after graduation then enlisted in Sep 1984 as an “Aircraft Control and Warning Radar Systems Apprentice”, which is military fancy talk for an electronics technician specializing in Radar. They broke it, I fixed it. If you see it spinning at an airport, I can work on it. If it’s electronic, I can work on it. I spent my time mostly in Communications Squadrons and Air Control Squadrons. In Comm you’re generally stationed at a base and responsible for infrastructure support (I was in charge of all Air Traffic Control maintenance in Germany, for example). In ACSs, you are mobile and get sent to where the good stuff is going on. I spent a ton of time working counternarcotics missions in Central/South America, aerial refueling coverage for the war in Bosnia/Yugoslavia, air defense for the Philippines and Italy, and some time in Saudi for patrolling of the southern Iraqi No-Fly zone. Of course over the years I progressed in rank and duties; I was also a Quality Assurance Inspector (including on the Europe Inspector General team), Project Manager, Chief of Maintenance, Program Manager, Maintenance Controller, Test & Evaluation Manager, NCOIC, Help Desk Technician, and Superintendent. The most fun I had was as the Squad Leader of the Security Response Force in Italy. We were the real-world guys who got to go out with guns and bullets and do site defense and such, got to play a lot of war games, got to have as much fun as is legally possible with weapons as an adult!

If you really want to read all the details, check me out on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/georgehwhite

I’ve been all over the states and the world; here’s the quick breakdown:

Sep 84 - Oct 84 Air Force Basic Training, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas; Oct 84 - Jun 85 Technical School, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi; Jun 85 - Oct 89 Tyndall AFB, Panama City, Florida; Nov 89 - May 91 Wallace Air Station, San Fernando, La Union, Republic of the Philippines; May 91 - Jul 94 Luke AFB, Phoenix, AZ; Jul 94 - Feb 99 Aviano Air Base, Italy; Feb 99 - Jul 02 Eielson AFB, North Pole, Alaska (yes, that's right, North Pole); Aug 02 - Apr 05 Hurlburt Field/Eglin AFB, Fort Walton Beach, Florida; May 05 - May 06 Soto Cano Air Base, Comayagua, Honduras; May 06 – Aug 2011 Ramstein Air Base, Germany. I went Temporary Duty to Detachment 1, Howard AFB, Panama; Detachment 4, Araracuara, Middle of the Amazon, Colombia; Detachment 6, Swan Island, Honduras; Jacotenente, Italy; Zaragoza, Spain; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; King Salmon Air Station, Alaska; Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia; RAF Lakenheath, England; Incirlik Air Base, Turkey; Volkel Air Base, Netherlands; Keesler AFB, Mississippi; Fort Dodge ANG, Iowa; Manassas, Virginia; Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; Duluth ANG, Minnesota; Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts; Savannah ANG, Georgia; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC; Lajes Field, Azores; Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, Washington DC; and Spangdahlem AB, Germany. Other places I've visited or just passed through include Mexico, Portugal, Canada, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, France, Slovenia, Greece, Scotland, Ireland, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Belgium ... and I think there's only 4 or 5 states I haven't set foot in (have lost track). I've also flown over Cuba and Egypt, but still haven't been there.

Significant military operations I've participated in: Poker Buff II (Honduras), Steady State (Panama, Colombia), Deny Flight (Italy), Deliberate Force (Italy), Joint Endeavor (Italy), Decisive Edge (Italy), Deliberate Guard (Italy), Southern Watch (Saudi Arabia), and of course all the Afghanistan and Iraq stuff. Decorations: Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters; Air Force Achievement Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device and 13 Clusters, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, AF Overseas Ribbon (Short) with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, AF Overseas Ribbon (Long) with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon, AF Longevity Service Ribbon with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, USAF NCO PME Graduate Ribbon with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Rifle), AF Training Ribbon, NATO Medal (Yugoslavia).

I married my high school sweetheart in 1986, then happily divorced her in 1989. After 13 years of saying "Never Again", in Mar 2002 I married a beautiful Italian doctor (Roby) who I met in ‘94 while living in Italy (her sister was my neighbor and introduced us). She speaks great English and I speak a pretty good Italian, so we should do okay. Our son Erick Howell was born Dec 2003. He loves science, math, reading (he's voracious, a book a day ... real books), airplanes, flying, space, and the Space Shuttle. He tested in the top 1% of students last year and again this year in his school district (about 3800 kids), they call him "globally gifted" … but they don't see him at home, where he's a global pain in the ass. Hopefully he continues like this through school so I can put the GI Bill money towards his sister. We had our second, a daughter, Sydney Isabelle, in April 2010. She's her brother's opposite, up and into everything, loves art, dance, music, destroys everything she touches, is a screamer (I hate that), a climber, a jumper, going to be a troublemaker ... but on the plus side she loves reading as well, so that's a good sign. I officially retired from the Air Force on October 1, 2010 after 26 years, and we moved to Colorado Springs in Sep 2011. Loving it so far, great place to live! Am currently working as a logistician/training developer for a DoD contractor maintaining space radar systems (the ones that track missiles, satellites and orbital space junk).

Top Ten most memorable things I’ve done in my life:

10. Scuba diving in the South China Sea, the north coast of Panama (Drake Island), and the Bay Islands (Roatan and Utilla) of Honduras.
9. Backpacking through Greece for a month.
8. Doing the Bastogne Memorial Perimeter walks in Belgium and meeting the Bastogne vets. I'm a big history buff.
7. Making out with my girlfriend on the President of Honduras’ gunboat while he was ashore doing a meet and greet. (can you say “International Incident?”)
6. Travelling Italy, especially Rome … been there three times, absolutely love it … and Venice at night during Carnevale.
5. Taking my five-man team on a night assault down the middle of a semi-frozen river (always attack from where they least expect you) against a site with about 75 people … and wiping them out, taking over their command post, capturing the boss … and all without losing a man. Of course it was all with blanks and MILES gear, but the rush and everything else about it is real when it’s happening. That was 15 years ago and I can still remember it as clear as day (or night).
4. Watching the New Year’s fireworks in Manilla … it was like a war zone for over an hour!
3. Lived on a little 3 Km by 1 km Caribbean island about 90 miles off the north coast of Honduras called Swan Island (Isola del Cisne) for four months. Palm trees, white sand and coral beaches, clear water, awesome snorkeling, only 15-20 of us there (including said girlfriend mentioned above in #7). It just didn’t get any better than that.
2. Boat trip on the Panama Canal, from the rainforest all the way out to deep sea fishing.
1. I don't know yet.

[Randall Flagg]

I have a bio that will be in a new anthology. It's quite compelling (my bio) who the fuck knows what the anthology will be like...

[cit74]

Wow...great interesting stories and a wealth of diversity on the site. I apologize since I don't know "everyone's name" and have to refer to what I see. My military career is a bit different and not as exciting as George at c-springs. I loved reading from an early age (couldn't tell you exactly when though) and king was one of the first authors I really read. Somewhere in middle school I got it in my head that I wanted to be a doctor and then in middle school I knew I wanted to be a pediatrician - not sure exactly why or how but I just did. I'm fairly determined so I just did what I had to do school wise to get to that end point.

While at penn state in the early 90's - yes those were the Sandusky years, and no I never showered alone with the man, but the team also went undefeated my freshman year - but I think the NCAA has already erased that from the record books or at least paterno's legacy, alas I digress...so I was also dating someone (my eventual first wife) who was also planning on going to medical school. I didn't care for the prospect of being married and close to 300k in debt, so we actually both joined the US Air Force - after 4 years in Hershey Pennsylvania (you know the place where you wake up each morning and it smells like Reese's - that's all well and good the first few weeks but soon after it is a bit much not too mention slightly nauseating) we both moved from the east coast to sunny Northern California - Travis AFB.

We both did our residencies there, but mine finished 2 years before my hers, and in true military fashion, my boss was no help to me and I had the option to goto Bakersfield CA (no one from there on this forum?) or 12 months in Korea. South Korea that is. Needless to say I chose Korea - and when I was ready to return home on my mid-tour (you only get 3 weeks of vacation on this particular assignment) my ex (hope you're all catching on here) said it might be best for me not to come home - so long story short - I went overseas got divorced, but am now happily remarried and with a 4 year old son to boot, as well as an older (24 years that is) daughter to complete our family unit.

I returned to Travis after Korea and left the Air Force in 2007 and now work in a couple local hospitals in Northern California. There are plenty more boring details to fill in the gaps, but for that you'd have to come to our house for some smoked salmon, red wine (I apologize - a light, crisp white wine would go nice with salmon, but after 12 years in NorCal I prefer red), and a general "shoot the shit" dinner.

I've contemplated starting a thread "ask the pediatrician (or general medical stuff)" which would be pretty informal and nothing urgent - so if this seems interesting to anyone I'd be happy to do so - although I know that is slightly off the track of all things king - which has somehow brought me full circle collecting a few of the books that I had enjoyed just reading the cheap, dog-eared paperbacks before medicine took over everything (and now that things have settled down somewhat I can get back to that part that was missing for close to 2 decades). And that's pretty much my story.

[Randall Flagg]

Thanks for sharing. Sorry about the first wife, but it sounds like it all worked out for the best. Apparently you are only a few miles from me.

[George at C-Springs]

cit74 - Usually it's the other way around with Korea remotes ... not exactly a hotbed of faithfulness. I couldn't tell you how many of my cooworkers got divorced over the course of my career; military life is not conducisive to a good marriage, it really takes a lot of work. But, like RF said, it does work out in the end.

If you start the 'Ask the Doc' thread, I'm sure my wife would be happy to assist as well ... she graduated University of Padua in Italy (same university as Galileo) in 1994, MD in Emergency Medicine. Since folks are apt to just try and self-diagnose their ailments with Google, or even better ask for sage advice from complete strangers on Facebook, at least here you'd know the person you're asking is actually qualified. I'll bet we've got a few other docs/nurses/PAs/medtechs here who would chime in as well.

[Dan]

I like the idea of the medical thread, I just hope it doesn't turn into the "will you take a look at this picture of a mole on my testicles" thread. :)

[George at C-Springs]

Yeah .... we may have to set some photo guidelines ...

[carlosdetweiller]

It is up to the moderators to decide but I can think of a lot of medicolegal issues that could crop up with a "medical advice" thread. I, for one, would steer clear of such a thread.

[Randall Flagg]

I like the idea of the medical thread, I just hope it doesn't turn into the "will you take a look at this picture of a mole on my testicles" thread. :)
I agree. Don't look:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_OYPFiQokkEU/SB2RHGjvQ1I/AAAAAAAAGWc/atWQ3ul2Bv0/s400/u.jpg

[George at C-Springs]

Don't take this wrong Bob, but that's one of the problems in this country ... everybody is sue-happy, and common sense gives way to fear of legal problems. I'm constantly amazed at the number of lawyer commercials on TV, 'if this happened to you you may be entitled to compensation', you just just don't see that anywhere else in the world, its absolutely ludicrous here (and very embarrassing having to explain it to my foreign friends when they're here visiting).

If you have a family membor or good friend who's a doc, you'd ask them a question without hesitation, certainly before wasting your time on Google or making a trip to the hospital. I think the idea of the thread was the same ... to have a friend that you could ask questions about stuff you don't know. Same as every question here about King-related material; go to the experts.

My two cents, I thought it was a good idea ... but perhaps I'm naive, believing being helpful is the right thing to do. But, then again, its not my website and not my decision ... and I'm not a doc!

[Randall Flagg]

If cit74 wants to start an advice thread he may do so. It would need to be in
Starkblast (http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/forumdisplay.php?194-Starkblast)

[biomieg]

I seem to remember there is a similar thread here on TDT.org where a member with a pharmaceutical background gives advice on medication. I don't venture out of Calvin's Corner very often (only to The Oracle and maybe some movies/books threads) but I think I came across it once.

[carlosdetweiller]

My two cents, I thought it was a good idea ... but perhaps I'm naive, believing being helpful is the right thing to do. But, then again, its not my website and not my decision ... and I'm not a doc!

As our moderator, Randall Flagg, stated in another thread.....no good deed goes unpunished.

Despite good intentions there are many problems with such a thread. Your (or some poster's) advice is intended for a specific member's question but is available for viewing by thousands of other members. Who knows how that advice will be taken and used by those others who read the threads. The potential for adverse outcomes and legal action is there. Is the advice giver actually liable? No, probably not. But that doesn't stop lawsuits. And who needs that hassle?

I would do it by Private Message. That way only the person who asked the question can see the advice.

I'm still trying to get my mind around President Obama's 16th (of 23) executive order dealing with gun control.

"16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes."

I'm not prohibited? Really? Does that mean I have to? Taken a step further if a patient I have ever seen goes on a shooting spree am I liable because I didn't ask him about guns in his home? Why mention doctors at all in this mess?

Anyone in health care who doesn't question his or her potential liability in everything is asking for trouble. Trouble finds us even when we think we are taking proper precautions.

[cit74]

All good questions and concerns (and I face them on a daily basis). I will let this be my last posting on this particular topic here (so we can learn more about those who are interested in sharing such gory details - thanks for the pic Jerome - I hope that wasn't yours...). I would intend any such thread to be more of an open forum - since as mentioned above by many we can learn a great deal from each other - especially about raising children - we have all dealt with various situations and these can help new parents. For example a few days ago my 4 year old states - "dad I don't like when my penis gets hard, it feels weird". Great I really look forward to that topic, even as a pediatrician. But last night at dinner with friends (at a local crab feed) - I bring that topic up for discussion (we are a very open group - hence why I'm open to taking questions - but I also know my boundaries and when to say seek professional help), mainly because a few have boys a couple years older than my son, some without kids - so you hear interesting tips and stories.

I will leave it at that. Thanks for the site to start such a thread. For now anyone can PM me general questions, and I'll see where that leads. I really do appreciate all of the comments from both sides. As to the Obama care provision about asking about guns - that's a sticky one - before that if was in place previous law had it (in some areas) that f docs asked about guns they could get in trouble...sometimes common sense evades our laws, government and elected officials.

[Mr. Rabbit Trick]

This is our 1st stop for health advice in the UK. I hope it is of help to anyone who needs it.

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/

[Randall Flagg]

I stated that if cit74 wants to start a thread in the Shardik section, he may do so.
If he starts a thread there, this discussion should take place there and not here in the TDT.org bio thread.

[Randall Flagg]

thanks for the pic Jerome - I hope that wasn't yours...). .
No. not my scrotum. Just an image from a Google search.

[Merlin1958]

I can't believe this is "me" saying this, but I think this thread needs to go back "on topic" which, I believe RF was suggesting a few posts ago.


Now there's something you just don't see everyday. Merlin, being "thread responsible"!!! LOL LOL

[Stebbins]

Here's my writer's bio:

"David France is a senior Entrepreneurship major at Millikin University in Decatur, IL. He was raised in New Lenox, IL by a loving, self-sacrificing single mother. His passions include Texas Hold 'Em, basketball, and beer. France's biggest influences when writing fiction are Stephen King and John D. MacDonald."

Besides that: I attended U of I pre-law before going to Cancun and falling in love with a girl from Allentown, PA. After one more fall semester, I decided to change everything around and go to Elmhurst so she could get a good teaching job. Two or three weeks before we were suppose to move in together, she bailed. So I decided to work full-time and take online courses from Community College of Allegheny County to transfer to IUP; a university an hour east of Pittsburgh. She played me out (long story) and I decided not to move that November. So I was stuck at a local JC for another semester before finally ending up here. I love the academics here and feel like I belong, but obviously I'm still a bit salty.

I've been to Mexico twice, Ireland, Spain, and the Dominican Republic.

If you wanna know other stuff, just ask :tongue:

[Randall Flagg]

I have a bio that will be in a new anthology. It's quite compelling (my bio) who the fuck knows what the anthology will be like...
My bio (Jerome Smith) can be read here:
http://www.ambannonbooks.com/frameset1.htm

[Randall Flagg]

Any new members care to share info about themselves?

[Randall Flagg]

Bump?

[Sir_Boomme]

Really look forward to reading this thread ...once things slow down for me at work... right now it's 80+ hours every week of intensity :(

[Dan]

Really look forward to reading this thread ...once things slow down for me at work... right now it's 80+ hours every week of intensity :(

It must be terrible photographing naked woman all day, every day. I feel bad for you. :tongue1:

[Sir_Boomme]

unfortunately that's not the case.... my real job is much less entertaining.... sitting in a very small cubical in a dark room, designing computer chips for your Apple I-phones.
It gets pretty intense around this place.... and when a deadline is on the plate... the pressure can be overwhelming..


I photograph naked ladies to unwind and feel human again

[Randall Flagg]

Really look forward to reading this thread ...once things slow down for me at work... right now it's 80+ hours every week of intensity :(

It must be terrible photographing naked woman all day, every day. I feel bad for you. :tongue1:
It is when you have to be a professional.
Look, photo, but never ever touch as a horny old man.

[HONKYTONKSMASH]

I'll give this bio thing a shot. Born and raised in Southern Indiana(1986). Grew up on a farm, so yeah I definitely enjoy country life. Played guitar in a few bands as a teenager. Idolized Stevie Ray Vaughan. I worked for 5 1/2 years in home health care working with developmentally disabled individuals. After I met my ol' lady and we had a son (he is now 4), I realized I needed to find a better paying career. I joined the Laborer's Union and worked construction for a few years and worked like I hated myself haha. Then I got my associates in Computer Information Technology and started work for Cummins Inc. I am now an instrumentation Engineering Technician in our Emissions Lab. Basically I work on the equipment that measures the emissions of the engines we are developing. Besides collecting books, I love sports, music, and tattoos

[Cwalker]

I guess I could take a stab at this.....

I was born in Portland Maine in 1963 and have one older sister. We moved to Gray, Maine 3 days later and I stayed there for the next 18 years. I was never much of an athlete, but back in rural Maine in the '70s taking your rifle to school was not only allowed, it was encouraged! At least as long as you were a member of the Rifle Team it was okay. :). .22 calibre, iron sights, paper targets, 50' indoor range. We were the state champs for something like 18 years and never finished lower than 3rd.

Joined the US Army Delayed Entry Program in 1980 and left for Ft McClellan Al. in 1981. Graduated Military Police School and did my first year at Camp Page, South Korea. Took a side trip to Military Working Dog School at Lackland AFB on my way to Ft Hood Tx where I spent the next 5 years as a Patrol/Narcotic Working Dog handler. Met my first wife at Ft Hood. 'Nuff said.
I left the army in 1987, moved back to Maine, joned the National Guard, divorced the wife, and got a job with an armored car company.

7 years and one 20 cent raise later it was time to move on. I went back to school and got a degree in business managment with a certificate in travel and tourism. I also worked for the first commercial internet provider in Maine starting in about '94. I was hired to be the Macintosh Tech. My boss was a total UNIX freak. I did that until '97 when I went to work for Time Warner.

I met my present wife in an almost King-esque fashion. It was Valentines Day, 1996 (awwww, how cute!). It was also at my fathers funeral. (Seriously?). We married in 2000 and are still going strong. No kids, but some pretty cool cats.

Right now we are providing in-home health care for an elderly gent with advanced dementia. Nothing I have done before prepared me for this. Sometimes I think I would rather go back to getting shot-at, stabbed, and beat-up. It has truly been a learning experience.

Guess that's about it. I'll go back and re-read this after I post itand see if any editing needs done! :)

[dnemec]

I guess I could take a stab at this.....

I was born in Portland Maine in 1963 and have one older sister. We moved to Gray, Maine 3 days later and I stayed there for the next 18 years. I was never much of an athlete, but back in rural Maine in the '70s taking your rifle to school was not only allowed, it was encouraged! At least as long as you were a member of the Rifle Team it was okay. :). .22 calibre, iron sights, paper targets, 50' indoor range. We were the state champs for something like 18 years and never finished lower than 3rd.

Joined the US Army Delayed Entry Program in 1980 and left for Ft McClellan Al. in 1981. Graduated Military Police School and did my first year at Camp Page, South Korea. Took a side trip to Military Working Dog School at Lackland AFB on my way to Ft Hood Tx where I spent the next 5 years as a Patrol/Narcotic Working Dog handler. Met my first wife at Ft Hood. 'Nuff said.
I left the army in 1987, moved back to Maine, joned the National Guard, divorced the wife, and got a job with an armored car company.

7 years and one 20 cent raise later it was time to move on. I went back to school and got a degree in business managment with a certificate in travel and tourism. I also worked for the first commercial internet provider in Maine starting in about '94. I was hired to be the Macintosh Tech. My boss was a total UNIX freak. I did that until '97 when I went to work for Time Warner.

I met my present wife in an almost King-esque fashion. It was Valentines Day, 1996 (awwww, how cute!). It was also at my fathers funeral. (Seriously?). We married in 2000 and are still going strong. No kids, but some pretty cool cats.

Right now we are providing in-home health care for an elderly gent with advanced dementia. Nothing I have done before prepared me for this. Sometimes I think I would rather go back to getting shot-at, stabbed, and beat-up. It has truly been a learning experience.

Guess that's about it. I'll go back and re-read this after I post itand see if any editing needs done! :)

Chris, I LOVE that you met Julie at a funeral! That's fantastic!

[Sir_Boomme]

Ok... stuck at work here on a Sat night with another 10 hours to go... taking a short break and I'm loving reading about my DT family here.... even If Jerome want to poop the party... (BTW Jerome, your BIO link didn't work for me, I'm guessing that was your way getting out of sharing)

Anyway... you guys probably already know more about me than you really want... but I have 10 minutes to blow while my machine crunches some numbers... so what the hell.... my life history... publish it for me shannon?

Born in Fort worth, moved to Waco Texas at the age of 2 months... I'm a 5th generation Texan on both sides of the family, even had a great great uncle sign the Texas Right of Succession Act back when Texas went Confederate.
Growing up in the 60's, I share a lot of the common experiences that one reads about in King's books... I identified the most with the kids in It playing in the barrens... that summed up my childhood perfectly. Graduated High School in 77, went on to Jr college then moved to Austin in 1979 to attend the University of Texas... I started college as a biology major... but ended up the first time with a Fine Arts degree in sculpture.
I got married to my college sweetheart in 82, divorced her 9 months later in 83... and never been married since. I don't make mistakes twice.

I guess my life has been defined by my work... I've worked in a lot of different professions - usually holding down two to three jobs at a time or working full-time while going to school. Since I was 15 in 1974... until present... I've only been unemployed for 2 months... and even at that time I still had my DJ business.
some of the jobs I held include:
selling bags of lamb wool door to door and mowing yards when I was 13
Dairy Queen 3.5 yrs as a cook/assistant manager (while in high school)
Mrs Baird's Bakeries 3 yrs in shipping - 1 year in production and 1 yr as a Garage mechanic
Safeway 6.5 yrs as Night crew, Non-Food's Manager, Dairy Manager
John Felix Dance Studios 8 mo. as a Dance instructor
Golden Life Fitness Centers 6 mo. as a Fitness coach and Sales
Austin WholeSale - 3 mo. as a dude that sold crap out of the back of his truck on the streets
UPS 1 mo. - Christmas Package Delivery Helper
Tom Thumb Groceries 6 mo. - Night Stocker
7-11 1 yr - Night Clerk
Craven Laboratories 3.5 yrs- Analytical Chemistry Technician
Parmer Lane Tavern 6 yrs - DJ, Bouncer, Barback
Dessau Hall 4 mo- DJ
Red Rose strip club 3 mo.- DJ
Crazy Lady GentleMen's club - off and on Dj for 2 years
a private swinger's club for 6 years - DJ
My own mobile DJ business 28 yrs
Advance Micro Devices 4 mo Integrated circuit Mask Designer contractor
Vantis Semiconductors 1 yrs -I.C. Mask Designer
Lattice Semiconductors 4.5 yrs -I.C. Mask Designer
Volt Contractors/AMD 1.5 yrs - I.C. Senior Mask Designer
Advance Micro Devices(round 2) 5.5 yrs- I.C. Staff Tech. Mask Designer
currently a mask design engineer with Apple

So what changed my life the most was probably a FBI raid and the ensuring 4 year investigation.
After Safeway closed in the 80's, I took a job as a glassware washer in a environmental testing lab... and worked my way up to being in charge of several multi-million dollar projects... over the 3 years I worked there, I was going back to school majoring in computer science, since I was the only person in the lab that didn't have a science degree. I worked very closely with the owner - Don Craven - who took me under his wing and taught me how to extract pesticide samples sent to us from the big companies - Chevron, Rohm & Haus, Dupont, and yes... Monsanto among others. After learning to run samples successfully, the owner then taught me the ins and outs of Gas chromatography and liquid chromatography... and I ended up managing other people.

Long story shortened somewhat, the owner was falsifying pesticide data to try to get more sample sets run in shorter time. The FBI and EPA raided the lab in 1989, shut it down... after 3 years of 8 hours a week sitting at the US Attorney General's office in downtown Austin, going over old data with the FBI and many other officials, I testified before a Grand Jury as a key witness in the biggest EPA case ever held... the owner went to jail for 5 years and there was a fine of 23.5 million and change.

After that... I was damned poor all through the 90's, living on much less than 7000.00 a year.. just DJing until I decided to go back to school- at which time I got my engineering degree in 1997 and been doing great ever since.
Whenever things get tough, I look back to 1990 and I know I've made it through a lot worse. that year in addition to losing my job, career path, all my work friends (we were banned for communicating with one another), my insurance, and constantly threatened by the possibility of going to jail for something someone else did, - I also lost my mother to cigarettes, I was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma cancer, had the van I used for my fledgling DJ business totaled while I wasn't even in it, and even broke up with my girlfriend of 5 years. So since then, I just take one day at a time.

I love my three pups, fast cars - the quirkier the better, taking art shots of hot young sweet things, good food, and good booze... but since I got the 'betes last year no more booze and most of the good food is off limits.

[Randall Flagg]

The bio for me was a link to Shannon's now defunct Ambannon books. I'll dig it up and post it.

[Shannon]

Jerome Smith:
"Born the son of an Alabama cotton sharecropper, Jerome Smith is retired and currently resides in Northern California with his wife Dolores, two children (of six total), and assorted pets. Jerome enjoys his book collecting hobby, High-Definition TV, the NFL, and fine India Pale Ales. He is the owner and Director of TheDarkTower.org, a discussion forum focusing on reading and collecting Stephen King books. He invites you to visit his website and introduce yourself."

I save everything.

[Sir_Boomme]

Jerome Smith:
"Born the son of an Alabama cotton sharecropper, Jerome Smith is retired and currently resides in Northern California with his wife Dolores, two children (of six total), and assorted pets. Jerome enjoys his book collecting hobby, High-Definition TV, the NFL, and fine India Pale Ales. He is the owner and Director of TheDarkTower.org, a discussion forum focusing on reading and collecting Stephen King books. He invites you to visit his website and introduce yourself."
I save everything.

so .... you saved those neked pictures of me I sent you for my bio?

[Tommy]

Jerome Smith:
"Born the son of an Alabama cotton sharecropper, Jerome Smith is retired and currently resides in Northern California with his wife Dolores, two children (of six total), and assorted pets. Jerome enjoys his book collecting hobby, High-Definition TV, the NFL, and fine India Pale Ales. He is the owner and Director of TheDarkTower.org, a discussion forum focusing on reading and collecting Stephen King books. He invites you to visit his website and introduce yourself."
I save everything.

so .... you saved those neked pictures of me I sent you for my bio?

Didn't we all??

[Sir_Boomme]

Jerome Smith:
"Born the son of an Alabama cotton sharecropper, Jerome Smith is retired and currently resides in Northern California with his wife Dolores, two children (of six total), and assorted pets. Jerome enjoys his book collecting hobby, High-Definition TV, the NFL, and fine India Pale Ales. He is the owner and Director of TheDarkTower.org, a discussion forum focusing on reading and collecting Stephen King books. He invites you to visit his website and introduce yourself."
I save everything.

so .... you saved those neked pictures of me I sent you for my bio?

Didn't we all??
nice to hear that my "mass maling" was not in vain

[jreitan47]

This is fun, I love reading the bios. Here's mine, I guess..

Was born in Salem, Oregon...grew up in nearby Woodburn, Oregon. Attended Oregon State for a very brief period to study music (I had played piano + trumpet most of my life), decided school wasn't for me. Moved back home to work in my family business, a local small-town newspaper that my father owned and published for 40 years. I ended up working there for 10+ years in advertising, graphic design, obituaries, photographer and so much more.

When I was a young adult I became involved in my local GLBT community, serving on boards of non-profit organizations from pride festivals to youth organizations to GLBT fundraising organizations. I competed for and was crowned Mr. Gay Salem 2007 and then Mr. Gay Oregon 2009. In 2007 I was diagnosed HIV positive and in 2010 was diagnosed with AIDS so I created an annual fundraising event (going on 9 years now) and have raised over $100,000 for many HIV/AIDS organizations in Oregon and the Tijuana AIDS Fund. I've been a part of HIV prevention campaigns in magazines and online across the country and was featured in a project for the International Conference on AIDS. I've been honored with two humanitarian awards in Oregon and an International HIV/AIDS leadership award just last year. I love doing this stuff and won't stop until there is a cure.

In my other life, I'm very active in the horror fiction community. I "discovered" Stephen King at a VERY young age but wasn't a huge fan until about 1996 when I was buying the Green Mile paperback installments at my local grocery store. Thanks to the internet and being a curious teenager, I discovered the group SKEMERs about this time but didn't join until I had permission from my mother at age 17 or so in 1998. I attended my first SKEMERs Con in Bangor in 1999 and went to many of them after that, and I attended my first general horror convention in 2001, the World Horror Convention in Seattle, where I met Straub, Ketchum, Keene and so many others that I work with today. In about 2002 I started writing book reviews for Cemetery Dance magazine, shortly after I was reading fiction submissions for Flesh & Blood magazine and also helped get Dark Discoveries magazine off the ground. I founded the Northwest Horror Professionals group where we hosted several book release parties, hosted authors as they toured to Portland and hosted tables at local conventions. I've written hundreds of book reviews and interviews for many publications....CD, DD, Talesbones, Horror Fiction Review, Insidious Reflections, Shocklines, Hellnotes, Living Blood magazine, Icarus magazine and many more, but now I only write for Scream Magazine in the UK and Cemetery Dance. I used to attend MANY conventions...Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker weekends, NECON, HorrorFind Conventions, HP Lovecraft Film Fests, etc. but I really don't have the time or money anymore. I also proof manuscripts for Cemetery Dance....and yes, I've proofed Stephen King. :)

Personal life...I live in Salem, Oregon today in my home I bought when I was 20 (12 years ago!), I live with my partner of 2 years who moved here from North Carolina, and our min pin named Zoe. I've worked in the real estate business for three years now currently as a Relocation Coordinator and Transaction Assistant.

[Sovereign]

Quebec born and raised, I now attend McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. I'm studying law, politics, and society as a form of pre-law. I may very well be the youngest member on here at only 19.

My family is originally from the country, where I was raised on an inactive-farm. I moved out to the city at 16 and have lived alone with my cat ever since. I've always loved to read, and my first King book was The Stand in 6th grade. I hope to acquire a S/L of The Stand this year to be my holy grail piece. I have a room dedicated to my collecting, with glass display cases, two bookcases, and numerous photos, paintings, etc. Other than King, I collect George R.R. Martin, Phillip K. Dick, and bodybuilding memorabilia– which brings me to my next hobby.

I'm a certified personal trainer and absolute fitness/health addict. I work at a gym during the school year, and at a port during the summer. As it stands, I'm competing in a bodybuilding show on July 9th, so I'm living a pretty strict lifestyle at the moment.

I hope to really make progress on my King collecting this year, and just picked up two signed limited editions last night– my first two, actually. I've promised myself that if I win my show in July I'll buy the S/L The Stand as a reward. Self-motivation.

[Sir_Boomme]

This is fun, I love reading the bios. Here's mine, I guess..

Was born in Salem, Oregon...grew up in nearby Woodburn, Oregon. Attended Oregon State for a very brief period to study music (I had played piano + trumpet most of my life), decided school wasn't for me. Moved back home to work in my family business, a local small-town newspaper that my father owned and published for 40 years. I ended up working there for 10+ years in advertising, graphic design, obituaries, photographer and so much more.

When I was a young adult I became involved in my local GLBT community, serving on boards of non-profit organizations from pride festivals to youth organizations to GLBT fundraising organizations. I competed for and was crowned Mr. Gay Salem 2007 and then Mr. Gay Oregon 2009. In 2007 I was diagnosed HIV positive and in 2010 was diagnosed with AIDS so I created an annual fundraising event (going on 9 years now) and have raised over $100,000 for many HIV/AIDS organizations in Oregon and the Tijuana AIDS Fund. I've been a part of HIV prevention campaigns in magazines and online across the country and was featured in a project for the International Conference on AIDS. I've been honored with two humanitarian awards in Oregon and an International HIV/AIDS leadership award just last year. I love doing this stuff and won't stop until there is a cure.

In my other life, I'm very active in the horror fiction community. I "discovered" Stephen King at a VERY young age but wasn't a huge fan until about 1996 when I was buying the Green Mile paperback installments at my local grocery store. Thanks to the internet and being a curious teenager, I discovered the group SKEMERs about this time but didn't join until I had permission from my mother at age 17 or so in 1998. I attended my first SKEMERs Con in Bangor in 1999 and went to many of them after that, and I attended my first general horror convention in 2001, the World Horror Convention in Seattle, where I met Straub, Ketchum, Keene and so many others that I work with today. In about 2002 I started writing book reviews for Cemetery Dance magazine, shortly after I was reading fiction submissions for Flesh & Blood magazine and also helped get Dark Discoveries magazine off the ground. I founded the Northwest Horror Professionals group where we hosted several book release parties, hosted authors as they toured to Portland and hosted tables at local conventions. I've written hundreds of book reviews and interviews for many publications....CD, DD, Talesbones, Horror Fiction Review, Insidious Reflections, Shocklines, Hellnotes, Living Blood magazine, Icarus magazine and many more, but now I only write for Scream Magazine in the UK and Cemetery Dance. I used to attend MANY conventions...Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker weekends, NECON, HorrorFind Conventions, HP Lovecraft Film Fests, etc. but I really don't have the time or money anymore. I also proof manuscripts for Cemetery Dance....and yes, I've proofed Stephen King. :)

Personal life...I live in Salem, Oregon today in my home I bought when I was 20 (12 years ago!), I live with my partner of 2 years who moved here from North Carolina, and our min pin named Zoe. I've worked in the real estate business for three years now currently as a Relocation Coordinator and Transaction Assistant.

You forgot to mention that awesome web group you had, where we originally met - and when you decided to fold it... it spurred me to create the King's Closet Group... until they closed those groups down.
Oh yeah... and you forgot to mention the world famous T-Shirt collection

[Sir_Boomme]

Quebec born and raised, I now attend McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. I'm studying law, politics, and society as a form of pre-law. I may very well be the youngest member on here at only 19.
.

nah, if you're talking mentally, Merlin, RF and I are all way younger