Liz Ackerman
ackerliz@shaw.ca
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

What I do by day: IT Manager / Office Manager, not-for-profit organization, 25 users. LAN, WAN, VPN, Internet, Novell, Linux, Oracle, custom database applications, web-pages, hardware, software, database management, training, desktop configuration/installation, support, IT purchasing, procurement, expenditures approvals, CHEQUE SIGNING authority (I love that reponsibility!), building maintenance and issues (I'm too hot, I'm too cold, the copier smudges, the light's flickering, the toilet's plugged..., my spreadsheets broke, my mail-merge is broke, my Winfax won't fax....). Some days, weeks, I don't have time to eat my lunch. What I do by night: Continuing Education Instructor: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, FrontPage (yuck), webpage design (6 levels), imaging for the web, digital scrapbooking, digital crafting, getting started – computer beginner, Internet, seniors classes for internet, beginning user (love those ones best, we serve them coffee and biscuits during the break), desktop publishing. Mother – 15 year old. Wife – 17 years. Hobbies: computer crafting, email lists :o), reading, gardening, music. Motto: The more I learn, the more I learn there's more to learn. Knowledge without experience is just information. (borrowed)

Judith (Judi) Bandel
staff@paraconn.com
New York City, New York, USA

Legal Management Consultant / Trainer / Paralegal / IT
http://www.themisintl.com/Judith_Bandel/index.html

Margaret Berson
mmb@spiritone.com
Portland, Oregon

I have been editing books about computer programs, from basic "how-to" on up through complicated programming, for some years now. I started out using computers back when PCs first came out. I learned WordStar on a little teeny Osborne; anybody remember those? I'm one of those weird people who actually still misses DOS (well, at least once in a while!). Have been using Word since 1989 (I think I started with Word for DOS v4). Actually I like Word despite its many peculiarities and I could not get along without its macro capability. I have a B.A. in French from San Francisco State University, more years ago than I care to count. I also have a Certificate in Publishing from the University of California Berkeley Extension. I know a little Italian, a little Spanish, and a little Latin. People started calling me a bookworm when I was a little kid.

Bryan Carbonnell
carbonnb@gmail.com
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
http://www.databaseadvisors.com/newsletters/bio_pages/bio_bryan.htm

I am separated and live with my two beautiful daughters in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario Canada. I works for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) http://cbc.ca, Canada's Public Broadcaster, in the training Department of the Toronto Television Production Centre.

I am the Manager of Training, responsible for arranging, co-ordinating and planning training for 600 staff ranging from admin/clerical to management to TV Technical folks (camera, audio, lighting, graphic designer, make up artists, maintenace, etc) to TV production staff. I have even done some instructing, Intro to Groupwise, in a formal classroom setting. I am constantly helping everyone with the various MS Office Products around the department, in addition to my regular duties. Right now HDTV is the big thing at the CBC. Quite interesting, the job and HDTV!!

Some of the other things that I do are develop and maintain Microsoft Word Templates for CBC's instructors to use and maintain a consistant look and feel for their Lesson Plans and Handouts. I developed and maintain a database of Training Request, to allow the department to accurately track and cost out their training needs for the fiscal year. Version 4 of this database is currently being written. (That's how far this little database has grown.)

I also manage a mail server for a group of Access Developers, which has led me to learn Linux, Python (sort of) and how e-mail works.

In my spare time (what spare time I do have) I like to write code in Word (VBA), Access (VBA) and Visual Basic. These days I am also getting into the nitty gritty of Linux, to be better able to support the mail server for the Access developers.

When I don'thave a keyboard and mouse attached to my hands I enjoy woodworking with traditional hand tools. No power tools for me. They are just too noisy!!

Patti Conley
paconley@comcast.net
Minnesota ("Land of 10,000 Lakes"), USA

I work in the Quality dept at a manufacturing company of about 720 people. My group handles internal audits to ISO 9001:2000 (soon to be AS9100), corrective action requests, customer returned product. We also handle the company Quality Manual & Operating Procedures, as well as document control for our department, so we do quite a bit in Word (we had Office 97 & were upgraded to Office 2002 a few months ago). Our company is currently working on a huge project of aligning company processes (we have 4 product divisions & each division likes to do things their own way) so we can implement an ERP system in the next year & a half. My husband & I both work at the same company, we met here almost 22 years ago & both still work here. We have two kids, a 21 year old son & an 18 year old daughter. We also currently have 5 female dogs in our household: 3 rat terriers, a terrier mutt, & an American eskimo/poodle mix. Thankfully they're all small so it's not too crazy!

Lucille Duddy
lucilleduddy2000@yahoo.com
Boston, Massachusetts, USA

I just took the IC3 exam in December and I am now certified in knowing about Microsoft windows and Microsoft Office. I'm also trying to find my way through a maze looking for a job. I have skills but not enough concrete experience. I also have two children, Meghan 17, and Ben 15, and they live in the San Francisco Bay Area with their father.

Peter English
peter.english@SHPU.NHS.UK
Surrey, U.K.

What I do: I'm a medic – now a "Consultant in Communicable Disease Control", aka Consultant in Health Protection. I work for Health Protection Agency – see www.hpa.org.uk. The HPA has only existed for a couple of years; before that I worked for a "health authority" until they were abolished 3 years ago. (I originally mistyped, [missing k] – "wored for", which could be interpreted as something else, which seemed appealing, but perhaps isn't appropriate.) I've been running email lists for years: before the HPA was invented people doing my job were far more isolated, so I set up email groups, using Yahoo! which have been very successful. I find there are lots of uses for them.... Like many medics I'm a little obsessional about "getting it right", and feel safest if I can set up systems to ensure make things easier and ensure that things are done right. I'd also rather have fun setting up a good system – or working out how to write a macro or whatever – and then delegate as much of the work as possible to the computer. You get more time to think about whether you're doing the right thing right if you don't spend as much time doing tedious things the computer could do for you. You'll learn a lot about what interests me from my hotlist at http://www.fam-english.demon.co.uk/linksto.htm. (The home page, http://www.fam-english.demon.co.uk/, got deleted some time ago, and I haven't bothered rebuilding it, but it used to say more about me....) Kids are now 17 (doing International Baccalaureate instead of the more usual A-levels next year), 16 (just doing GCSEs), and 12. The older two – both boys – would really like to become rock stars, and spend a lot of time playing guitar and recording.... They're both good at maths and science, but also like music, history, literature.... Daughter is quite pleased, because we recently gave in to her requests for a pet and got a Bengal cat (http://www.tibcs.com/home.php, http://www.bengalcat.co.uk/), albeit not a dog – my parents are just getting a Duck Toller (http://www.tollers.com/, http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/novascotiaducktolling.htm), which she'd have preferred! My wife is from Germany, and an occupational therapist who now teaches at a university.

George Farkas
gfarkas@xbisoftware.com
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Software Developer (Tax Software, and XBRL applications), Tax Preparer, Poet, Philosopher, Folklorist, Writer. I now live in Montreal, Quebec but have lived in Debrecen, Hungary where I was born, Paris, France, Ottawa, Ontario where I was (dare I admit it?) a civil servant, Bloomington, Indiana, Lancaster, UK, and Jerusalem, Israel. I have also been a portfolio manager, a consultant, a bookkeeper, a researcher, a translator and a teacher. I am working on a novel, which refuses to finish. In addition to these pursuits, I do volunteer work for the Jewish and XBRL communities and I am trying to get a group together to build an XML standard for genealogy. I too loved WordPerfect and it's because I couldn't figure out how Word works that I found this list and the wonderful folks here. (I still have a copy of WP on my computer). ... I developed tax software and I was a tax preparer, but never an accountant. When my kids called me "weird", I say "thank you".

Bob Furlong
rfurlong@ix.netcom.com
Delray Beach, Florida, USA

Retired (disabled) physician, now very much into alternative medicine. Self-taught "computer guy" since my Apple II days (with a reel-to-reel recorder as the "hard drive"). I, too, have a favorite pseudonym. I use it on websites that require names and email addresses, but when I don't want to receive any further correspondence. Nosmo King = No smoking nosmo@king.com. Not odd, but definitely not even!!

Ken Gale
ksgale49@aol.com
San Diego, California, USA

What I do: Not much. On disability, used to be a paratransit driver. Caregiver to my parents. When my dad passed I bought a computer and went to continuing education to learn to type along with Word, Excel, Publisher, FrontPage, PowerPoint and a bit of Access. Competed Advanced Mous certificates for all but Access, which doesn't mean a lot. I've only had a computer for about 5 yrs. now. I'm 53. I edit copy for a Bible study and built the website for it, www.freeingthespirit.org, and also am administrator to another website, www.mccmdc.com. I need to learn more.

Eve Golden
lists@eve-golden.net
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Her checkered past is too embarrassing to recount. Currently – writer, researcher, and editor. I trained as a psychiatrist and child psychiatrist, but I haven't practiced for many years. I had to change livelihoods after a pretty serious hearing loss. Now I'm a writer, researcher, and editor in psychiatry and related fields – in other words, a real Wordie. But I studied linguistics in my misspent youth, and my language of focus was Welsh because I am interested in (1) oddball syntax, (2) singing, and (3) hymns, and (4) the Arthurian tradition – all of which the Welsh excel at. But Mike and Simon will probably be disgusted to know that there's much more medieval Welsh available on this side of the Pond than modern Welsh.

David Gray
dagray@p6c.com
North Richland Hills, Texas, USA

For years, people have said that I am a wizard. Now, I have acknowledged it by moving to Wizard Wells, Texas, and becoming its Chief Wizard, and my company, WizardWrx, is a Microsoft Registered Partner. (I have since moved on to North Richland Hills, near Fort Worth, Texas.) See my Web site, WizardWrx, at http://www.wizardwrx.com. I offer excellent, independent consultation based on over 20 years of diversified experience. I specialize in readable reports and making many programs work as if they were one. As it has since 1999, my site is a treasure trove of useful links, articles, reference materials, and free and inexpensive utility programs for developers, system administrators, and regular computer users. My Brochure (PDF file)

When I am not working in one of the many programming languages I know (VB/VBA, WinBatch, Perl, C/C++, and others), or writing about computer topics, including computer security for general computer users (see http://www.viruswarn.com/, to which I am a major contributor), I enjoy chasing rainbows and sunsets with my wife, Janet, finding new roads to explore on our regular "play days," and reading on numerous subjects.

I love words, and have since I got a pair of glasses strong enough that I could read regular books. Growing up with a mother whose college degrees are in English and library science and a father whose college minor is in English gave me an appreciation and understanding of good writing and good grammar. It also made me intolerant of bad grammar and punctuation — to the degree that I will stop reading a poorly written book, magazine, or newspaper.

Since this is a page about users of Microsoft Word, I should tell you that I started using Word 6 in 1993, when I concluded that WordPerfect might never have a Windows word processor that was really usable. They eventually succeeded, after the sale to Corel, but I was already sufficiently expert with Word that Microsoft made me a Word MVP two years in a row, for support rendered in the CompuServe forum that they sponsored for Word users. Since I joined the forum to get help, I thought of myself as the accidental MVP. I have programmed applications in Word VBA, both for myself and for clients. Before I migrated to Windows, beginning in 1991, I used MS-DOS word processors, starting with WordStar, then WordPerfect. I currently use Word XP most of the time, and Word 2000 on my laptop computer.

Al Gruber
algruber@comcast.net
Suburb of Detroit, Michigan, USA

I am a retired businessman, southeast Michigan (Detroit suburb) but posting this from Jupiter Florida, as the wind and surf make a spectacle of themselves. At retirement I sold my software company (a bankruptcy program for lawyers). Before that, I was a partner in a market research firm. My interest in Word comes from the days when I wrote our user manuals and help screens – in WordPerfect. I too have a special interest in languages, with reasonable competence in German and some Romance languages, and a small command of Eastern European expletives. But Welsh; never. Actually, I took a linguistics class last year from a man whose Ph.D. thesis dealt with some aspect of Welsh, maybe the relation between verbs and prepositions, but this was an American/English grammar class, and what I learned is that among linguists, grammar has been outlawed. Sad. It's an honor to be part of this group.

Harrie
harrie@cablelynx.com
Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA

I lived in New Orleans until the summer of 2005, when Katrina made her lovely entrance. Spouse and I were very lucky, having just had an apartment. Our jobs did take a powder, though! We landed up in Hot Springs, Arkansas and are still here as of November of 2005. I have to throw in that people in this state are grand. I will never forget them for their kind behavior and actions after Katrina.

I'm of the "gentler" sex despite the name. (Don't believe that gentler business for a minute, now!) Many people know me as Harriebird, actually. I'm a medical transcriptionist and I love it, for the most part. Even when I was a kid, I always had my nose in the encyclopedia, looking up strange diseases and the like! I love the technical side of my job, too, and I adore finding ways to be more productive, so I eventually started a forum, http://www.productivitytalk.com/forums/, about a year and a half ago, so that I could share my tips and others could share their own. I just love having this board, it's a lot of fun for me and keeps me off the streets too, and I have learned so much from others, that's the best part! Sometimes lately, I do think about doing something else. I'd like to be in the FBI, even! Analyzing criminals' computers could be interesting, but I haven't the talent or know-how for that. I always thought profiling would be interesting, too. I love to read books and I thank God for all the wonderful books out there. I mostly prefer nonfiction, but not always. My biggest talent is knowing how to find smart people. I do have a knack for that! As you can see, nothing terribly fascinating but there you have it! I stay in awe of many of the members of this group and thank you all for sharing what you know!

Mike Hurley
Mike@msdl.co.uk
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (West Wales), U.K.

We [Mike & Simon Jones] live in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (West Wales) halfway up one of the Preseli Hills running our own IT Consultancy business, providing advice for small and medium sized businesses on getting the most out of their IT investments. We design and build LANs and WANs, and also maintain networks for several of our clients. We also design and develop office automation tools and line of business applications working in VBA, Visual Studio and Visual Studio .Net. Simon also writes columns in PC Pro, a leading PC mag in the UK that is syndicated to several other countries. We're run ragged by our little boy – Angus, a very lively Gordon Setter, and frequently amused by seven miniature horses (not ponies) borrowed from our neighbour to mow the grass (more efficient than sheep) – all 66 acres of it! For fun we occasionally produce opera for some of the smaller opera companies in the UK and we also do wicked themed parties – Halloween a speciality (they take two weeks to set up)! Hwyl Fawr...and Shaken – Stirred!

Sue Innes
sueinnes@pacificcoast.net
Vancouver Island, Canada

I live out in the country, about an hour and a half from downtown Victoria, on Vancouver Island (Canada). My degrees are in German/French and Linguistics (all many moons ago). I taught high school in Edmonton, Alberta, before and after raising my two daughters, then 13 years ago moved to the Island. After substitute teaching (everything, from French Immersion Kindergarten to high school orchestra) for a while, I began editing and translating for a living. Now I edit academic books for Camden House and translate to and from German for a couple of people in Germany, when I can make time between rehearsals and concerts – I play the violin in several local orchestras, and also play a few weddings at our local hostelry, Sooke Harbour House (look it up on the Internet – it's quite famous). The deer, bears, and cougars haven't complained about the practicing so far!

John
John82654@aol.com
New York City, New York, USA

I'm a disabled plumber in NYC.

Simon Jones
Simon@msdl.co.uk
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (West Wales), U.K.

[Written by Mike Hurley:] We [Mike Hurley & Simon] live in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (West Wales) halfway up one of the Preseli Hills running our own IT Consultancy business, providing advice for small and medium sized businesses on getting the most out of their IT investments. We design and build LANs and WANs, and also maintain networks for several of our clients. We also design and develop office automation tools and line of business applications working in VBA, Visual Studio and Visual Studio .Net. Simon also writes columns in PC Pro, a leading PC mag in the UK that is syndicated to several other countries. We're run ragged by our little boy – Angus, a very lively Gordon Setter, and frequently amused by seven miniature horses (not ponies) borrowed from our neighbour to mow the grass (more efficient than sheep) – all 66 acres of it! For fun we occasionally produce opera for some of the smaller opera companies in the UK and we also do wicked themed parties – Halloween a speciality (they take two weeks to set up)!

Kim
Also goes by such other names as: theresa green (trees are green), robin banks (robbing banks) and jim nasium (gymnasium)....
justin_morgan69@hotmail.com
Canberra, Australia

Helpdesk, phone answerer and doer of tasks so created. Trainer, in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and others. Software installer and troubleshooter. Working in Australia's national capital.

Albert Lee
Aglee@aol.com
Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Executive recruiter, actor, ocean sailor, drive stick shift, downhill skier, long distance swimmer (amateur), water-skier; former executive in Fortune 500 companies, inner-city high school tutor, owner of nationally-recognized herb garden (Rumford, RI), amateur pianist and chorus singer.

Jeanne Levrier
jlevrier@houston.rr.com
Houston, Texas, USA

Jeanne manages to perpetually dodge the question, so she probably works for the CIA or something (although she suggests she may in fact be hiding from the CIA). :D

Rev. William D. (Fr. Bill) Loring
frbill@mags.net
Connecticut, USA

Retired Episcopal Priest. Freelance editor & writer (mainly in the Church press).

Cathi Maynard
cmaynard@nackc.com
Kansas City, Missouri, USA

I am a consultant in Kansas City – smack dab in the great midwest, USA. I have two brilliant sons, one of whom is a bull rider in the college rodeo program. (Did you know they have scholarships for rodeo cowboys?)

Vivek Mehra
vivekmehra03@vsnl.net
Office - +91-22-2518-5636, Fax - +91-22-2518-5635, Mobile - +91-98201-72393
Mumbai, India

I am an Editor/Author/Trainer. I wear these three hats for an Australian company called IDC Technologies headquartered in Perth. As an Editor I set the standards for their technical manuals which includes attending to the nuances of grammar. I have two books to my credit and a third is almost ready. Of the three, two are on Chemical Engineering and the third is on Technical Writing. As a Trainer I teach these courses in public workshops and when engaged by companies (through IDC Tech). These workshop/courses are conducted in nine countries and sadly we are yet to launch them in India. I am a closet-novelist whose first work still awaits a publisher/agent. My second book is being written. In my spare time I write poetry exclusively for my wife of 16 years. I really enjoy being on this list even though my contributions have been erratic. I am a firm believer in the virtues of MS Word and have actually got the company to switch from PageMaker as it is easier to revise courseware (in MS Word). I also take on freelance work from companies, so any of you looking to outsource work can get in touch with me. I look forward to being more involved with the list.

Punkin Moss
cmoss1@austin.rr.com
Austin, Texas, USA

I teach high school geometry (or whatever math class they decide to stick me in), Webmastering (now that's a trial for me), Word Processing, and BCIS (Business Computer Information Systems, which is really just the MS Office Suite). Believe it or not, I have MOUS expert certification in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Thanks to all of you, people think I'm just wonderfully clever with solutions to almost anything. I am divorced and have a grown daughter and son. Just a little bragging here... My son had LOTS of fun in college, then spent 6 years in the nuclear division of the US Navy (mostly in the Persian Gulf) and next month will graduate!!! with a Ph.D. in Pharmacy. I play around on eBay. I don't have any pictures of a gross worm, but I spent a couple of weeks at NASA a few years ago and have some cool pictures at http://home.austin.rr.com/singlevolaustin/NASA/nasa.jpg, http://home.austin.rr.com/singlevolaustin/NASA/nasa2.jpg, http://home.austin.rr.com/singlevolaustin/NASA/nasa3.jpg.

Leslie Paul
leslie.paul@health.sa.gov.au
Adelaide, South Australia

I spell my name the boy's way but I'm female – married, with two grown children and originally from India. I've lived in Australia for over 20 years and absolutely love being here.

Harold Mowery
haroldmowery@juno.com

I live in the farm country near Huntington Indiana. I'm retired due to a disability (back). My working life, 40 years, was as a Process engineer in the Magnet Wire Industry. I've worked in the United States and Mexico. I have a lovely wife, three daughters, four grandsons and two granddaughters and three step granddaughters. Judy (my wife) and I officiate and Auto/Road Races for a hobby which we really enjoy. We have a camper and spend the weekends at the track.

As for my computer skills (or like of same) I have mainly written engineering reports and developed spread sheets for production efficiency's and scrap tracking of daily, monthly and year to date. I am proud of some of them. I have been attempting to find some part time work using my limited skills.

I really enjoy reading the word tips and trying them in me spare time. I wish I could of more help to the group but bough to the experts.

I'm attaching a picture of my wife and me receiving an award from the Sports Car Club of America.

Suzanne Penny
galahadrian@netscape.ca
Somewhere in Canada

I work for our Glorious Canadian Government and I am an Estates Analyst. And what's that, you might well ask. Well, I search for people all over the world to tell them Uncle Fred has died, when they never knew Uncle Fred was alive. And because Uncle Fred was silly enough to die without a Will or any known relatives, they are going to inherit a bundle. I then make them document their relationship and I give them the money. I get to ask all sorts of snoopy, nosey questions and give away money. And I get paid for it. Ain't life grand!

Jonathan Plutchok
Jonathan.Plutchok@amdocs.com
Ra'anana, Israel

In Israel for the past 15+ years. Former lawyer and financial/legal writer in U.S. Now a free-lance marcom and technical writer, devoted entirely to one big client, a major software developer. Responsibilities include setting company-wide writing standards and both designing and programming Word templates. First learned and wrote about computers on Osborne 1 with CPM.

Jorge Posada
jorgeposada@cable.net.co
Bogota, Colombia

Lawyer, born Bogotá, Colombia (South America), raised, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA. Currently live in Bogotá, chief in-house counsel for an oil company. My two children are Josefina (6) and Francisco (3) (these ages are as of April, 2005).

Phil Rabichow
phrab@socal.rr.com

I'm an escaped mental patient whose parents, Jor-El & Lara, got rid of me by sending me in a spaceship to this planet, on the pretext that their planet was doomed. Along with it came some green meteor rocks that make me sick. You'd think that the chances of a spaceship & a meteor rock from the same place ending up here would be astronomical, but Noooo, people always seem to find them. I only met people whose initials were L.L. & this caused me to lose my superpowers (I think LL stood for "lots of luck", but they forgot the O). I then tried to become an inventor, but I was told that my only invention, the wheel, had already been invented. Nevertheless, my friends always tell me that I'm trying to reinvent the wheel. (Of course, you have to be wary of people whose initials are L.L. ... or even people whose first names repeat like Lulu, Mimi, or J.... :-) ). After many years of drifting around, I did the only thing I was qualified to do, give opinions for money ... I became a lawyer. (No offense, Jorge). I'm currently working on a replacement for Microsoft Word ... it's called a hammer & chisel. It's a little slower at first, but the learning curve isn't nearly as steep ... and you NEVER get a message that "hammer & chisel has caused an error & will now close." p.s. I'm a retired prosecutor, previously an actuary, & currently raising (or being raised by) an 8 year old daughter. My wife is also retired. I live in Los Angeles & my hobbies are shooting pool, playing tennis, bridge, & chess. I've had no computer training, but read lots of books & always try to fix things that aren't broken.

Jennifer Rath
jrath@collinsandlacy.com
South Carolina, USA

34, married, no kids. I am a litigation legal secretary for an insurance defense firm. I am also the firm's in-house software trainer. I write training manuals and teach a staff of 60+ in between my secretarial duties. I am working on the MOS certifications. I co-own and co-run Rath Retail & Wholesale (http://www.rathrw.com), an Internet wholesale gift supply/drop-shipper, with my husband. My husband is the web/database programmer. Finally, I am a full-time college student, having just recently returned to obtain my Bachelor's in Business Marketing. I attend University of Phoenix online. If anyone has doubts about distance learning, I can attest that it is no joke. I put in 20-25 hours a week on my class. ... Unbelievably, I do have a little spare time that I spend with my two dogs, enjoying our 65-gallon salt-water reef tank, mountain biking, or gardening! Oh, and I really enjoy sci-fi novels, though I haven't had as much time for those since I returned to school. :)

Krenn Scott
ScottK@nv.doe.gov
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

I am a senior tech writer on the IT support contract for the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is a spin-off (so to speak) of the Department of Energy (DOE). My work is extremely diverse, as I am the lone writer here. Since this environment depends upon documentation, I tend to get pulled into all sorts of high-level projects. In the past, I have done some Web site development for a start-up dot com, which provided financial information and education. The company was a casualty of the recent stock market tech bust (and possibly a front to pad the owner's pockets). Before this, I wrote the dining column for the local tourist publication here in Las Vegas. I got free meals and a lot of perks, but no decent salary. I have also dabbled in real estate. Prior to my move to Las Vegas, I taught English for eight years at a university in Southern California, where I also earned my master of arts degree in English. I don't program (except for a modest understanding of HTML), but I write like the wind! ;-) I am also working on a nonfiction piece, which I hope to publish.

Glen Slee ("she" not "he")
admin@classiclsee.com.au
Karratha, Western Australia
http://www.kisser.net.au/slee/adminteam.htm#Glen

This site is OLD (gosh – about 8 years now and a lot has changed!) but the Director of Creativity hasn't aged that much! I'm an excellent bookkeeper; don't do too badly at writing poetry and creative writing (300-3000 words) and a one-act play I was pleased with [Note from JoJo – Glen won awards for this play!]; sub-conscious art is another expression of my creativity, as is making garden sculptures from rusty metal we forage for in the bush. Can be slow-on-the-uptake with new software, but once I've got the idea, usually take it much further than my contemporaries and colleagues. 26 years ago our accounting practice made a foray into computing in a "small town" (it was then, has grown since) and I became our default IT "expert" which really means I know very little, but I do know who to ask, and generally, what to ask them. Married 1971 (you can also see Gary on that old site) no children.

Gene St. John
stjohn1130@sbcglobal.net
Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Retired several times. Electrical Engineer by degree, 35 years with General Dynanics (now Lockheed). Taught Calculus and Physics at Arlington Heights High School 9 years (John Denver's HS). Volunteer at Pascal High School.

Tran Dai Minh (Trần Đai Minh)
("Minh" is the first name)
colasvietnam@hcm.vnn.vn

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), southern part of Viet Nam
My name in Vietnamese order is Tran Dai Minh. In English order would be in reverse order Minh Dai Tran; with Vietnamese accent in is: Trần Đai Minh (in unicode). I was formed as a civil engineer in Australia but due to circumstances I am doing translation work and planning in a French company. These Frenchmen came to my former company and amazed me with their computer dexterity, although one of these French gentlemen and scholars told me: don't worry about the skill of computing: the first time you use your computer it would be awkward, the second time it would be better you could do it as if by hand then from the third you will be as if bitten by it and you could not work without it. This is still true. When I finished my education computer was something not really known. Although I am not as good as I wish like Steve or Phil Rabichow and a lot of gurus in the group I really appreciate the goodwill of the group from which I learn a lot since I was self-taught guy who first comes to know Windows since 1996 and still enjoy to work with the PC which is my only hobby. I have 3 grown up kids who have gone to work, even my wife is better than me; she's a chemist and being the only one in the family who has not have a go with the PC. I speak French with my director a but write in English for correspondence.

Judith Vido
loba2@juno.com
Richmond, Virginia, USA

MSW, COA, (which can be a real sick cookie) and mother to a Seeing Eye dog, (I'm blind as a bat) and a sassy Cat named Chauncey! [And added by Jeanne:] Check out A LIVING HEART, by Judith E. Vido. Available in paperback or e-book from www.electriceBookPublishing.com or Amazon.com. And check out my latest book, A SEARCHING HEART, by Judith E. Vido. Available in paperback or e-book from Lulu at http://www.lulu.com/content/170859.

Ruth Wagner
keepingon@sbcglobal.net
Madison, Wisconsin, USA

75 square miles surrounded by reality; the city that can’t put two bricks together (every big issue is debated to death, sometimes for years or even decades as in our Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Conference Center). This is a beautiful city. I’m a delinquent tax collector (no, I’m too busy and too square to be delinquent – I collect delinquent taxes) for State of Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance Taxes. I was a State Correctional Officer for nearly 10 years; therefore, I used to be "the man" and now I’m the "tax man." I work one block from our beautiful State Capitol Building (populated with way too many nasty people). The country’s unemployment benefits and workers compensation programs started right here. Our current operating system is several decades old and we’ve been building a new one for years. After a false start or two it is now being built in Access. Cool! I’ve had lots of education in the School of Hard Knocks but I have no formal education beyond high school (and real estate brokerage, which I haven’t done for over 20 years). But I’m a pretty good writer and that comes in handy for one of my hobbies, writing "letters to the editor" and a few guest columns. I also put together a 4-6 page newsletter every month for Parents Of Murdered Children Central Wisconsin Chapter. I’ve done the newsletter for years, been on the Board of Directors since 1989, and am in my second year as Chapter Leader. My daughter Derby Wagner-Richardson was murdered in March 1987, a victim of domestic violence (but there has never been an arrest). She would be turning 47 on May 2. My son Bryon Linder, 40, lives here in Madison. Which brings us to that spelling of Bryon. It was actually a mistake made by his father but we like it – except when people think that it’s Byron. But I’ve seen it spelled Bryon maybe five or six times in Wisconsin, and have recently learned that Bryon, Brian, Bryan, Brion, and Brien are all correct (as are related names Briant and Bryant) and all are Irish names. And my son has no Irish in him unless possibly way back in my maternal grandmother’s background! I'm divorced three times and have been happily single for 16 years.

Chuck Warman
cpwcpa@wf.net
Wichita Falls, Texas, USA (Home of the artificial falls)

I'm a CPA, solo practice, in Texas. I've enjoyed the tax prep thread, what I've had time to read; I'll browse through it leisurely this weekend. Age 60, married 38 years, two grown kids, 3 grandkids. Flyfisherman, fountain pen collector, avid reader, not very computer literate. Lazy.

Russ Woodson
rwoodson@mail.jpl.nasa.gov
Pasadena, California, USA

I am a systems analyst currently at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) in Pasadena, just around the hill from JoJo. We should do lunch. For the last 20 I have been in computers, starting in data processing (taking reports off the printers, binding and delivering them), then mainframe operator, then programmer, consultant, and about to be Project Manager. My Word skills and needs center around proposals, technical designs, and documentation. I've been on this list since Allen invited me after Gupta.

Allen Wyatt
awyatt@dcomp.com
Info here: http://www.dcomp.com/dci/aboutallen.htm

I haven't updated the page in a while; the total number of books is up to about 50 or so (I've actually lost track). If anyone wants jollies, they can go to Amazon and do a search for Allen Wyatt. (Make sure you search for me as author, not as subject. ) Because I've written so many books, I no longer get terribly impressed by authors, unless they make in excess of six figures on their royalties. In that case I first get jealous, then depressed. If anyone wants to see my mug, you can do it at the top of any page on the WordTips site: http://wordtips.VitalNews.com If anyone LOVES DailyWordTips – or even WordTips – write me about it; I'm the one that provides the server and the service. Better yet, provide a link to the WordTips Web site, above.

JoJo Zawawi

Glendale, California, USA

Tax Preparer, VBA Programmer, Writer/Poet, Editor, Linguist, Pianist/Composer, Artist, Word Processor, Help Desk, Able Bodied Seaman & Lookout Specialist (aboard ship), Dancer (Arabian – not bellydancing, and currently learning Tahitian dance!), Oddball! I also run a forum for women who are pregnant / trying to get pregnant / have babies; the focus of the forums is alternative, non-drug, non-psych solutions. I've been a licensed, certified Dianetics counselor for over 25 years. Some of my poems are here: http://www.jojo-zawawi.com, along with some pics of a really weird-looking worm and some other random stuff ! That's my husband in the picture with me. And here's my new business site (still under development!): www.TaxHappens.com.

Mike & Simon's Welsh Lawnmowers

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