Member Biography/Profile thread

[Hunter368]

What do you all think? Good idea or bad idea?

I know for myself there is a great many, very interesting people here I would like to know more about. Many have very interesting back grounds and histories that I would love to hear about. I would like to know their pasts and currently what they do for a living.

Of course anyone who would not like to post their biography...thats fine. Or if they would not like to post some things about their past/current life thats fine (i.e. our own 007 agent Matt).

This would be a fun thread to help us all know each other better and understand each other better. After all many of our opinions are based on our past experiences. This thread would be much like our member mug shot thread. Perhaps the member's mug shot could be posted with his/her biography.

What do you think?

[lesofprimus]

I like the mugshot and biography combo.... See how many actually put theirs up tho...

[Hunter368]

Originally Posted by lesofprimus

I like the mugshot and biography combo.... See how many actually put theirs up tho...

True.

Perhaps if one of the most colorful interesting leaders of this forum were to post his biography first......others would follow. Dan........

You have a interesting past, share it with us (all the parts you can anyways).

[Matt308]

Lived in the following areas in chronological order...

Dublin, California south of the Oakland/Bay Area

Seattle (Renton) Washington

Birmingham Alabama

Covington Kentucky (south of Cincinnati)

Seattle Washington

Hate bigots. Love women.

Worked my way through school beginning age 10. MANY restaurants, hotels, freight wherehouses, United Parcel Service 25'-45' trailer driver, a telecommunication firm, Todd Ship Yards on Navy fast frigates and missile cruisers, BS in Electrical Engineering with minors in Physics/Software, Avionics slacker in an unnamed position.

Father of two boys. Both sports studs, stellar students and all around good guys.

Wife to die for. My soulmate.

Whose next...


I had my first real job at age 10. Had an uncle (actually a friend of my old man) who owned a lodge in the Napa Valley, California. I had done some odd job work for him on weekends when I lived in California with my dad and him painting apartments on the side. My dad being a manager for a major package airline and my uncle a prior Alameda County Sheriff. But now I lived in Seattle, Washington. My uncle lived north of Sonoma, along the Russian River. About 2 days drive away via car. A LONG Friggen Way for a 10yo.

For some damn reason, my parents thought that it would be a good thing for their 10yo to live with his uncle at the lodge business, being a dishwasher by day and an 18yo by night. Perhaps that second part was not what they had in mind. But then when I begged to come home after 45 days, you would have thought they would have come to get me... but that's another life lesson I suppose.

The owners lived above the lodge restaurant, which was my new home. They had a couple of small cabins they rented out and were building a house "on the ridge" above the lodge. The restaurant and bar area seated about 150 people, it had a live trout pond for customer fishing for meals, and a huge pool.

My 10yo job was wash dishes. Usually from about 1:00pm or so until about 10:30pm. They weren't open for breakfast except for Saturday and Sunday. It was a 7 day a week job. And business was REAL good. $1.65 an hour. Underage and underwage in 1976.

My coworkers were drunks and drug users. And well, so I too became same. Drinking more so after work. A common occurrence would be to get off work, wait until the owner went to bed and then sneak downstairs with his oldest son, make a few adult libations and grill up a steak. I was big man on campus.

I had a few regular jobs as a 10yo. First, was to help customers catch fish in the pond, feed the fish, and fillet all the live fish caught for the chef. Not bad and kinda exciting. Others included driving a 3.4ton Chevy utility truck up the winding single lane road to bring workers lunch or tools up the steep mountain side. There was also a bridge that crossed a small river that I was required to traverse. Not a paved and edged bridge, mind you, but a wooden bridge with tire lanes only. No sides. No middle. Just two 2 foot lanes to keep my 3/4ton drear axle dualies on. 10yo. WTF?

Three Finger Russ was a gent recently out of jail who was the prep help. He would show up at about 4:30am every morning. For reasons unbeknownst to me, he had no key to get into the restaurant and bar for his "duties". So aknocking upon my second story window he would proceed. How he got on the roof is beyond me. With my little bit of sleep... don't 10yo need more than 5 or 6 hours sleep?... I would be berated and verbally abused to open my window. No one else in the family would. Once letting him in, I would receive a mild beating by this 18yo three fingered thug. With my beating over, I could get a few more hours sleep. Ah bliss.

I was a chubby kid at 10yo. Those rare times that I was allowed out of the compound... I mean the lodge... we would go into town for mail and perhaps a takeout deli sandwich. I was not allowed to order for myself. Everyone was looking after my weight. Bless them. Good thing they got to order the sandwich they wanted and a choice of a dessert. I was so happy for them.

One day, we actually drove into Napa to visit the mall. It had been about two months since I was able to go to a hobby shop or the model dept in a store. I immediately went to Sears and the model section. Flush with lots of money from my incessant work, I spied a Hasegawa 1/72nd scale B-17G. My God it was beautiful. The detail work made my heart sing and I literally coveted the idea of owning this piece of art. My "aunt" did not want me to buy it, claiming that it was a waste of my money. All $6.50 of it. I remember the price to this day, as even a 10yo has a moment of being incredulous over a respected adults statement. It was only after a prolonged discussion, explanation and humiliation that my "aunt" relented and let me buy that model. I didn't make it while working in the lodge, I did not have my "tools". And upon my return home, I still did not make it. Too much of a bitter taste. I still own that unmade model. Its still in wrap.

Aaahh. His daughters. 18yo and 13yo. The 18yo worked as the maitre de, tall blond, big boobs, boy friend, always effing or planning to eff while drunk or stoned. And me, the 10yo, was always informed. Joy.

The 13yo. I was infatuated. She, 13 going on 21. Had nothing to do with me. I literally had no companionship.

Excitement, off to the local fair in Gurneville. Ofcourse I have to go with the 15yo son and my three fingered abuser. Oh well, before the cotton candy and ring toss, of course we must smoke pot and get stoned outta our minds. Off to the woods we go. Uh oh, here some two beat cops. Stare at the ground as they walk by, you are only 10. What a blast.

Excitement, the hills are on fire. A huge forest fire arrives. You can literally stand in the parking lot looking at the enclosing hills and watch individual trees "whoosh" into flames. Embers are everywhere falling from the sky as small glowing coals. The local Gurneville Fire Dept shows up with a 2in water cannon. They stand watch over the lodge for two days. The put an 8"-10" sump into the swimming pool and occasionally shoot the water cannon on the roof of the lodge to keep the shingles wet. You can literally watch the water in this large pool go down as the cannon is operating. Way cool.

The owner makes sure that I understand if any of the Firemen want something to drink, to be sure and get it for them. I'm getting a little scared now, the fires are closer, the cannon is working often, and the owners are packing $hit into their cars for a quick bugout.

I ask the firemen if there is anything that I can get them to drink. They laugh at the portly 10yo and say "how 'bout a beer?". And they laughed. I went back to the lodge and brought 7 firement a six pack of Heineken. When my aunt and uncle found out, they chewed my @ss out for 15 minutes. Totally pissed off that I would waste beer on these lowlifes.

Epilogue -

Uncle and Aunt divorced and drunks. 18yo daughter divorced with multiple kids and caught up with a drug habit. 13yo daughter divorced twice with multiple kids. 15yo son blew his brains out. Me? Only thought about it.

[Njaco]

Well......

Lived in South Jersey all my life except for one year in Aurora (Denver) Colorado.

High School Dropout (GED grad on first test with no studying)

Worked in various Animal Control agencies since 1977 - currently employed with the County since 1990.

Numerous other odd jobs as second and third income - construction, security guard, janitor (if there is anything to be said for a High School Diploma or College ed, thats it!!)

but

I have been to the Police Academy twice for Animal Cruelty Investigator and for MOI course to become an instructor for the cadets. Possibly my next line of work when I retire from chasing foo-foo dogs!

Played in numerous rock bands (including a Zep cover band) since 1976 to 1989 - made it a pretty good gig as I also played with some name bands, Cinderella and was with Bon Jovi during recordng of his second album in Philly)

Several hobbies - Model building, writing (books, etc., a few articles published in non-descript news rags), history buff and airplane buff, movie watching especially 'guy movies' and old B/W.

Love the Philadelphia Eagles Football team.

Married for 10 years until I turned 40 and she traded me for two 20 year olds. have 3 kids - two sons and a daughter (which I love and have every week!)

Now living with the love of my life since 2000 and it gets better every day!

and a recent pic taken last night by a friend of mine that fits with how I feel most times. (here come the guffaws!!!)

[Matt308]

Nope. Just like I pictured you Njaco. Except without the publisher book party.

[Matt308]

Oh... and by the way the 60 dozen eggs crate makes the pic. Cheers!

[Njaco]

When he emailed that to me today I wanted to kill him for taking it! But what the h*ll. I figgered you guys would get a chuckle out it, more than the Get Lucky thread!

[lesofprimus]

OK Hunter.....

I grew up on Long Island, New York, born in 1966, grew up getting picked on because of my size (I was real tall), ended up becoming the neighborhood bully after beating up all the kids who forced me to start hitting a punching bag when I was 9.... Pinned kids down, spit on em, stole lunch money etc etc....

High School Jock, lettered in Hockey, Lacrosse and Football... All-State in Hockey and Lacrosse, Gold Medal in the Empire Games for Lacrosse....

I have 2 younger brothers, Scott and Glen, who are both married as well with kids... Scotts a doctor and Glan is an IT professional...

Earned a Lacrosse Scholarship to Syracuse University in New York, and threw it away with a 1/4 lb of weed and an unfortunate meeting with Campus Security... Tried a stint in the Minor Hockey Leagues.... All I did was fight and get penalties....

Met my ex-bitch in 86, got married in 86, brought my Son, Ryan, into the world in 87.... Born with a hockey stick in his hand... Coached him in hockey for 11 years, won numerous Championships, including his/our crowning achievement, the Mississippi High School Hockey Championship...

Joined the Navy in 1987 to be a SEAL, made it through BUDS first time up, Hell Week was a piece of cake... Assigned to SEAL Team 4, moved to Virginia Beach Virginia... Earned my Trident, shipped out to Panama, had loads of fun there....

Went all over the Globe for 8 years, shot lots of rounds.... U name a conflict or Operation from 89-96 and I was there, along with a "few" u'll here about in 15 more years or so, if they ever get de-classified....

Got out in 96 after Haiti ruined my career... Earned several medals and awards in my time, including the Purple Heart, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal for Valor, Joint Service Achievement Medal, 2 Navy Achievement Medals and a slew of others.... Total awards were 30, on 21 ribbons....

After the Navy, moved to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, got into the Telecommunications Installation Industry... Been doin it ever since.... Lost my mother to brest and lung cancer in 2002 after a long struggle, first the breast cancer, and then during her recovery, the lung cancer showed up... Got a real bad infection while in the hospital during all of this that almost killed her... After the chemo/radiation, she did well for some time, then the cancer came back into her lungs with a vengeance, and it killed her... Thanksgiving was my Moms favorite holiday, and we were all gathered up on Long Island to see her in the hospital, sort of a family reunion.... We took all our leftovers up to the hospital that afternoon and had Mom enjoy some with us... She looked real bad, a shell of herself... It was and still remains one of the hardest moments of my life for me to remain strong for her... She was and is a GREAT woman who had nothing but love in her heart for all she came in contact with...

A day and a half later, she passed away.... We are all convinced she held on as long as she did in that fu*kin cell of a hospital room just to get us all together, to say goodbye....

Im crying right now thinking about it, I miss her.... Thats enough of this...

Moved to Tampa, Florida for 1.5 years in 1999 and the marriage fell apart.... After a rountine checkup for some discomfort, it was discovered that I had Stage 0 Colon Cnacer, but I was lucky, just plain lucky that it got noticed... After a brief operation/colonoscopy, they got me taken care of.... I didnt have to endure any chemo or radiation, and Ive been dealin with Ulcerative Colitis ever since, which I can tell u is one hellofa cu*t, with no cure known....

Moved back tyo Mississippi to stay with a friend Lloyd while my marriage disintigrated... My son Ryan decided that it was time he got unruley and became a punkass sh!t, trying ciggarettes and weed with his older cousin... I made the decision to be a part of his life again, made ammends with my cheating whore ex, and moved them back to Mississippi with me.... My son straightened up with this move, graduated High School and enrolled in College....

Hurricane Katrina hit the Southern Coast of Mississippi in 2005 and almost wiped us off the face of the earth.... Real bad time... I lost several close friends in that storm, and have never recovered from pulling the body of my friend from the debris of his destryed apartment complex....

I got divorced in 2007 after 15 horrible years outta 20... Typical cheatin whore gimmick.... I couldnt put up with her bi-polarism, with a splash of OCD, any longer... I made the scarifices I did for my Sons benefit, and it seems to have worked... He is a great almost 21 year old with a great girlfriend who loves him... Hopefully he's learned from his Dads mistakes...

Met my true soul mate, Becca, and her 2 boys, Max and Zane (7 & 5 yrs old) in July of last year... Moved them to Mississippi from Texas to start my new life with the woman I should have started with a loooong time ago... I like to think the trials and tests were to prove I was worthy of her....

My son Ryan works with me every day he can get his lazy carcass outta his bed....

OK, Im now officially over talking about myself.... I dont talk much about what I did, and theres good reason... Consider urselves blessed....

[Thorlifter]

Ok, me next.

I was born a poor white child. Dad was ex Air Force, mom worked for the War Department (now Department of Defence).

Moved around every time my dad got a promotion for Trailways bus company finally making it to Dallas in '77 when he became VP. I was a super tiny and skinny kid with a big mouth and even bigger friends. Everyone knew not to pick on me or they would answer for it.

Started playing basketball in '78 and got pretty good. Played against a few NBA guys in high school and afterwards, including Spud Webb and Ricky Pierce, and beat them. Played for North Texas State University in '86.

Got married to a lovely VERY rich lady in '88 and she blessed me with two beautiful daughters, Victoria and Samantha, now 14 and 11. Victoria is my miracle baby. She was born 4 months premie and weighed only 24 ounces, but she's perfect now, except she has her mothers attitude!

Started lifting weights in '99 and my ex brother in law got me doing steroids. I now weigh 245 and I'm not so skinny and tiny anymore.

Divorced in '02 because my lovely lady turned into a cheating whore. Almost committed suicide in '02 by trying to eat a bullet, but just before that big moment, I remembered my girls. "Live life for them." I told myself. See, always a reason to stick it out.

Got remarried to a sweetie in '04. She puts up with all my S**T and she still stays around because for some reason, she likes me.............alot. She's helped me through a bunch of rough times in our 4 years. I'm still learning to deal with blended family issues.

And, I like fish.

[Screaming Eagle]

Well heres a quick one

I was born in Brisbane, Queensland and I am 1 of 3 triplets, and also a 3 time uncle

Lived in Gladstone, Queensland ever since.

Was a real little **** at school but that changed in about yr 6.

Went to high school, started playing basketball for fun, realised I love the game. (go the dallas mavericks!)

Entered GSESC (Gladstone Schools Engineering Skills Centre) last year, and was the first one out of my class to get an apprenticeship in the trade of boilermaking. (surprised my old teachers who thought I wouldn't make anything of myself!)

Been doing my trade ever since and loving it.

I'm also into cars and anything mechanical, fixing up and stuffing around with them either with friends or the old boy, like njaco, I'm a bit of a history buff, model making (either planes or model trains), my growing DVD collection, music and my punisher comics collection.

[Hunter368]

Nicely done guys. Maybe you guys could edit (or Dan) your posts and add your pictures to your Bio.

Nicely done guys.

[Hunter368]

I have read them all above this post and they are great. I am glad to see you guys open up and tell us about your life and feelings.

Dan I am impressed with how open you were, thanks.

Thorlifter, hang in their man. You are wayyyyyy better then your ex, she never deserved you. Live for your kids.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Okay well...

Was born and raised in Germany. My mother is German and my father is American. I lived about 20 years in Germany and about 8 in the United States. Did some college in the United States and the rest on military installations in Germany. I have been married for almost 5 years to wonderful German lady.

Joined the Army as a UH-60 Blackhawk repairer. Did my Basic Training at Fort Jackson, SC and my AIT at Fort Eustis, VA. I was then stationed in Germany and quickly became a Crew Chief. I have over 1500 flight hours including 650 combat flight hours.

I got out of the Army a few years ago and currently live in Germany working for the US Army at the same Airfield that I used to fly out of.

I also have my FAA A&P Liscense and some flying experience (hope to have it finished this year).

I am also currently working on another degree in Aviation Maint Management with a minor in Aviation Safety.

Hobbies:
3rd Reich Militaria Collecting
Flying
Fine Food and Wine
Good Beer
Fishing
Stamp Collecting
Coin Collecting
Traveling.

I have travelled all over the world to include USA, Canada, Mexico, Middle East, Carrabean, Just about all of Europe, parts of S. America, Africa and Asia.

[Cota1992]

Okay, grew up in San Deigo County, almost lost my kidneys at age 8, all I wanted to be growing up was John Wayne or Johnny and Roy, was close enough to the scene of PSA flight 182 to smell the burning bodies and jet fuel, Hated school but delt with it sort of, My Dad was my real hero this being the 70s and he was a trucker. In fact he's still my hero and until he lost his health could outwork anyone I have ever met.
When I was 12 my mother had a stroke right in front of me and spent the next 13 years in a nurning home waiting to die, which really screws you up as a kid and gives you all kinds of guilt.
I quit school at 16 to work, went back and got my GED at 18, owned my own business by the time I was 21 and lost it by the time I was 23. worked at the Salk Insitute when Jonas Salk was still alive as night secuirty supervisor. The weekend he died i spent sitting in his office to keep any momento seekers away. During the day I worked and lived on a small horse outfit in east county and helped break horses.
In 1999 my now wife and one stepchild moved to Wyoming where I bought my out outfit. I dayworked as a trucker myself and almost a year in a sawmill and hayed and cowboyed for other outfits onthe side.
In fall of 2000 I was hired by a large ranch working 130,000 acres 70 miles from the east gate of yellowstone and the proudest moment of my life was my first real paycheck as a working ranch cowboy. The next few years were hard work and shere bliss. In 2003 my body started breaking down on me and I could work as hard as I used to, My wife started cheating on me and that led to a divoirce and me losing about everything in the aftermath and living in town and working at a dairy (Which I did enjoy) and spending a long dark winter with a .45 in my lap alone everynight.
I met my wife in 2004 and I took a bus (53 hours each way) on a whim as I was unemployed at that time due to the econics and my health. fell in love at first site and She is my everything and anything and nothing short of a gift from God. I moved to DC as she had a great job, worked first as a Grave digger and then in office work before Hiring on to Nextel testing phones (No jokeing can you hear me now stuff in real life) worked that until the merger with sprint destroyed the department in late 2006. I then became and still am a part time church janitor. In the fall of 2005 my only brother and my best friend both passed away 2 weeks apart from each other and thats when this stress stuff started rearing it's ugly head.
Life since then has been from okay to a living hell and my lovely wife has been through more than she ever should have bee and has stood with me every inch of the way. I then also took a janitors job at my doctor's office and worked my way into the back office where it was very high stress, doing the work of three and trying to catch an office that had been neglected for almost half a year at the same time.
A few weeks back I had a small stroke and then at the end of the week another hospitization and today an ambulance ride due to a monster kidney stone, something I get every few months due to that surgery as a kid.
My brothers and my best friend's death brought back all the feelings t=of the PSA crash and I have been dignosed in the last month with PTSD for that and everything I repressed with my mother and the fact I never had learned to grieve. I have always resisted mental help because of the culture I grew up in but being 38 now and myabie dying of a heart attack by the time I'm 40 has me convinced to try and do something and coming from a family of stone drunks, drinking is out. I hope I don't sound like I'm pissing and moaning too much here but it is what it is.
My hobbies are muisc, movies, writing and poetry, retro pin ups and Bettie Page militart history WWII and Vietnam my whole life and Civil war being as where I live you would have heard the fire in 1864 and turning photos into paintings in photoshop as stress relife as I always wanted to be an artist but didn't have the telent.
If you want to see samples of these things my myspace pages has them and lost of photos of my lovely wife myspace.com/normandiecow

Art in DC