Who the hell are you? (Introductions)

[pumpkinpi]

(Can we make this a sticky?)

Many of us have known each other for a long time. But with welcoming new members and maybe old members who have changed their user names, I thought it would be nice to introduce ourselves (to the extent of what information we want to make public!) And that way we can easily find out what members are not bots.

I've been a member of fwis for as long as I can remember, coming here like many of us did from the Bad Astronomy message board (which transformed into Bad Astronomy/Universe Today which transformed into Cosmoquest). I joined the BA board in 2000 or so.

I have two little tykes, Buster (a boy) who is 3 3/4 yo and Russter (a girl) who is 1 1/4. MrPi is my hubby but he doesn't post here.

I work in informal astronomy education. I have a bachelor's degree in physics from waaay back and am now pursuing a Master's of Science Education (professional studies, not formal teaching.) I love astronomy, especially that it's both my vocation and my hobby.

I'm old enough to be a former tap dancer and former jazz saxophone player (I did both of those through college) and I hope to have time to get back to them some day.

And I love it here. FWISers are the greatest.

[brite]

It's now a Sticky!

I'm Brite... and I'm a FWISer... LOL

I've been a member since... I think the board was created(?) and came over from Trish's board on Loresinger. I'm warped, twisted, the sister of Sqirrely, mother of Cookie, and wife of Fisher... and I'm the normal one... no... really... would I lie?? I'm also the most innocent of the bunch...

[C Squirrel]

I'm C Squirrel aka Curly Squirrel aka Squirrelly...

(BTW Brite.. It's sqUirrely... not Sqirrelly. just sayin')

Dragged kicking and screaming by my RL sister, Brite... Forced to have a RL BIL in Fisher, and RL aunt to the most wonderful niece (on my side of the family) ever, Cookie.

If Brite is normal, I'm married to Prince William.

[Loresinger]

Loresinger aka Trish .. .keeper of dragons.

[Parrothead]

I'm Parrothead.

The handle is self-explanatory, though I do listen to other types of music, loads of early 80's new wave/alternative, rock, blues, jazz ... .

Made my way to these boards via bad astromy, baut. Astronomy be a hobby, one day I'll move up to a computerized scope, still currently using my 8" LX10.

I'm the one that starts the hockey threads, as it's my favourite sport to watch, who woulda guessed? I'm a long suffering Leafs fan, to boot.

[brite]

I'm C Squirrel aka Curly Squirrel aka Squirrelly...

(BTW Brite.. It's sqUirrely... not Sqirrelly. just sayin')

Dragged kicking and screaming by my RL sister, Brite... Forced to have a RL BIL in Fisher, and RL aunt to the most wonderful niece (on my side of the family) ever, Cookie.

If Brite is normal, I'm married to Prince William.

My finger slipped off the *U*... so sue me...

I'm normal, Cookie is the grown up one... and you are Squirrely (or nuts... your choice...)

[SciFiFisher]

I am SciFiFisher. I am an army gypsy. I sometimes claim to be a nurse. And I did not stay in a Holiday Inn last night.

I am married to Brite. We have a passel of kids and a number of grandkids. Strange thing is when I look in the mirror I don't see a Grandpa. No white hair, no beard, and definitely a shortage of wrinkles.

I call myself a "redneck geek". I grew up with one foot on the farm and a science fiction paperback in my back pocket.

[Swift]

I'm Swift. I've used that as a nickname since before the Internet, all the back to high school in the 1970s (back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth). And no, its not for the bird or the space telescope, but for Jonathan Swift, with whom I share a first name and a love of making fun of yahoos.

I am a solid state chemist and have worked in industry for over 25 years. I'm also a pretty hard core nature geek and have been involved in environmental issues for over 30 years and have volunteered with our local park system for 25 years.

I live in Northeast Ohio (Cleveland area), but born and raised in New York City; I'm married, no kids, two cats.

My turn-ons are kittens and sunsets and my turn-offs are brussel sprouts and mean people (channeling my inner playmate).

[Loresinger]

I call myself a "redneck geek"

Hey y'all watch this... (run)

[geonuc]

geonuc is a contraction of geology and nuclear, two fields that formed a large part of who I was many years ago when I thought up the name. I use it as my login on most internet sites.

I'm not an original FWISer, having joined the group a few years ago with an invite from someone over at BAUT (now CQ). That person now lists that as one of his top ten mistakes of all time.

Ex-submariner (which explains some of my mental problems), lawyer of the non-practicing variety (which explains more of said mental problems), nuclear engineer, liberal environmentalist cat-lover. I like to make things out of wood. I like vampires, real ones or otherwise. Used to call myself a foodie mainly because I moderated a food forum, but I've since exposed myself as a complete fake. Used to virtually live on a tennis court, but no more. Mojave desert lover, particularly Death Valley. Volcanoes too. I like volcanoes.

Oh yeah. Beer. I like beer.

[SciFiFisher]

I call myself a "redneck geek"

Hey y'all watch this... (run)

Redneck Geek's (unlike common garden variety ones) usually survive those episodes. I can assure you I almost never said "Hey y'all watch this".

Did you know that a firecracker, a short section of pipe, and a tin drinking cup make really good rockets? It's really quite easy.

Step 1: bury the pipe in the ground vertically
Step 2: light a fire cracker and drop it in the pipe
Step 3: pop the tin cup onto the end of the pipe
Step 4: Repeat until you run out of firecrackers or you achieve orbit with the tin cup.

[FZR1KG]

pfft.
I can make a 300 yard orange gun.
Pipe, lighter gas, orange, and for ignition you can go simple or fancy.
Fancy is a spark plug and coil.
Simple is a piezo clicker.
Then we progress to the hard core stuff

[Rommie]

Joined BABB as a senior in high school (2003 I guess?) then came over here when it started.

I am a Hungarian-American Astronomy PhD student in Amsterdam who has been to over 50 countries. I am the only person on Earth to have been to Everest Base Camp and been punched by a wild mountain gorilla, and write for Sky & Telescope and Astronomy.

I am kind of amazed that all the facts stated above are true.

[cid]

CiD, aka Charlie in Dayton. So can ya figger my name and location?

61 y/o, 6'1", a bit pudgy (? - cool it, it's my perspective). Full time college student, going for CISCO Certified Network Administrator.
Amateur radio operator, backyard stargazer. Other interests include motor sports (of almost any kind), reading, target shooting.

Been on FWIS and its earlier iincarnations for 6 or 7 years IIRC. Don't quite remember how I found it, but was a regular on
The Bad Astronomer's and Randi's boards, so I think something/someone over there steered me here.

Single, and working on numerous life issues (hell, I'm past 'issues' -- I have entire editions...)
I enjoy the camaraderie here on FWIS. What I practice with here helps greatly when it comes to dealing with
real life (I TOLD you I have picklements). Besides which, I've made a friend or two, some who are still here,
some who have moved to other boards, and some who have gone on to other realms.

This is a neat place to play.

[Loresinger]

I love the I am not sure how long I've been here - I think that applies to a lot of of us.... not to mention "how you found it"

Sometimes things find YOU not vise-versa

[OldCM]

Who am I? Gee, that could take a book. I was sort of invited by Loresinger (not really, she invited someone else on a public board so I invited myself). It took her two weeks to validate my application. I've know of her since she was admin on MSNBC board. A tough job which she was great at.

[brite]

I call myself a "redneck geek"

Hey y'all watch this... (run)

Redneck Geek's (unlike common garden variety ones) usually survive those episodes. I can assure you I almost never said "Hey y'all watch this".

Did you know that a firecracker, a short section of pipe, and a tin drinking cup make really good rockets? It's really quite easy.

And FZ's

pfft.
I can make a 300 yard orange gun.
Pipe, lighter gas, orange, and for ignition you can go simple or fancy.
Fancy is a spark plug and coil.
Simple is a piezo clicker.
Then we progress to the hard core stuff

And people wonder WHY I think SFC and I have married redneck geek twins....

[FZR1KG]

Pfft.
I can do...

is the Aussie version of, "Hey guys, watch this!".

[grapes]

AKA grapes over at CosmoQuest/BAUT/Bad Astronomy/Intelligent Child

[FZR1KG]

I've been here shortly after FWIS began in late 2004.
I was in Australia at the time.
I met my wife here and we were married just over a year later, yep, been married almost 8 years now.
We've met a lot of FWISers in real life starting with our honeymoon.
The wife was in the USA when we met, we got married in the USA and I took her back to Oz.
There we met more FWISers and became Godparents to a beautiful little boy to a couple we met on on FWIS.
Survived the black Saturday bushfires while renovating a house in the country and decided to try the USA for a bit.
Been here just over two years now.

[SciFi Chick]

I'm the wife FZ is referring to. I think I was the third member of the board back in 2004. It was Ikyoto, tuffel and I wandering around the space. Then people started showing up and the fun began.

[norm]

I'm Norm. Contrary to my name, I do not hang around in the same bar all the time. Well, usually, anyway.

I'm also part of the "can't remember how we got here" crew, though I at least know it was through the Bad Astronomy Bulletin Board. I was there long enough to reach the kilopi limit (remember that?!).

I was in the Army for awhile, studied astronomy and physics before that, now I'm in school again studying international affairs and, like, stuff.

[Thumper]

So it appears that almost everyone here was the "Second or Third member of FWIS1."

[SciFiFisher]

So it appears that almost everyone here was the "Second or Third member of FWIS1."

Not me. I think I was almost the last member to sign up on FWIS1.

[FZR1KG]

So it appears that almost everyone here was the "Second or Third member of FWIS1."

Not me either. Shortly after is about a month after it started in my case, but I started becoming more consistent about three months after.