From: what tink? Subject: BIO: The Dinosaur Wakes! Just for the newcomers... call me tink. sort of a scatterbrained infestation around the edges of the writer's bar and grill, trying to keep ahead and falling farther behind by the line... [that's not very good. try again. third person, ho!] Once upon a time, right here on Writers (well, it was really at ndsuvm1, but virtually somewhere around here), there was a lurker. His name was Mike Barker. Well past his first adolescence--those with less than refined tastes might say he was settling into graceless obsolescence--although he prefers to consider it just fine age wining or something like that (check out the sediment on the bottom?). Anyway, as a lurker, he lived in Japan. He spent eight years in Japan before moving back to America last year. During the last several years, he found the writers list. As the words turned, he got noisy (happens to the best and the worst of them, gov'. must be something in the list, eh?). During an influx of Mikes on the list, he grew confused and angry reading some of the flaming accusations being made against Mike. Then, on rereading, he realized they were talking about another Mike! To simplify matters, he began using the nom de listlife of tink. Amidst mutterings about tinkerbelle, tinking hard, and similar low punnery, he made the name his own (yes, he played with it, slept with it, even dreamt with it then, and he made it a name of his own...:-) A vorpal name, that tink, that snickersnacks among the slithy toads... sometimes we do exercises (WRITE one, two, three! Stretch those plots! no pain, no climax!) sometimes we write little stories. sometimes we do FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) for the clueless. and all most all the times we sigh for falling behinder and behinder the more we hurry. and, of course, sometimes we think about whether our other personas really deserve voices of their own, or should they just be stuck talking through us? trick question...or [TREAT!!!!] so...good to meet you, happy you're around, and when did you say you were going to do some of the cleaning, pressing, and other junk that makes the place spin? or were you hoping that if you sat there long enough, somehow you'd get service? sorry, charlie, but the place really is SELF-SERVICE, so put on an apron and polish the brass... slinging hash, tink [Who is he, really? A slightly pudgy, balding, middle-aged geek! Mid-40's, married, works at MIT--and the twerp still seems to think the world is young, there is mystery all around, and magic dust rimes his view of the world with sparkles... oh--one reason i often misuse lowercase--aching little fingers! too much use of keyboards in a misspent youth. [well, I suppose we'll have to let it pass this time, but we'll expect better from you in the morning, you hear? let the mud bake a bit more, get those beams and girders up, and ask the neighbors to help!] [just in case someone doesn't know who tinkerbell was...] It was not really a light; it made this light by flashing about so quickly, but when it came to rest for a second you saw it was a fairy, no longer than your hand, but still growing. It was a girl called Tinker Bell exquisitely gowned in a skeleton leaf, cut low and square, through which her figure could be seen to the best advantage. She was slightly inclined to embonpoint. ... To this Tink replied in these words, "You silly ass," and disappeared into the bathroom. "She is quite a common fairy," Peter explained apologetically; "she is called Tinker Bell because she mends the pots and kettles." Quotes from PETER PAN, by James M. Barrie, THE MILLENNIUM FULCRUM EDITION 1.0, (C)1991 Duncan Research.