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I'm from Melbourne, Australia. The bio below is copied from Wikipedia, which in turn is adapted from one I wrote in 2004 for Bohème Magazine Online (Contents of last available issue is archived at [1]), which has since published some of my work.
Some of the creative roles that I have fulfilled over the last few decades include: software designer, mathematician, musician, composer, song-writer, poet, visual artist, gardener, technical writer, systems analyst, business analyst, process and form designer, statistician, teacher, mentor, parent, current affairs commentator, conlang designer. My current interests include all these and more.
Computing and the arts: I've organised and led Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in Graphics and Music for the 'Melbourne PC User Group' (MelbPC, 10,000+ members) for the last 18 or more years. I aim to lead these groups by example, always hoping to learn new things and sharing what I know. Previously also involved with Unix, New Users East, Turbo Pascal and Programming SIGs, and coordinated training for MelbPC in the late 80s. Currently (2010) serving on the MelbPC management committee, for my sins.
Writing experience: In the late 60s I was active on the radical Lot's Wife student newspaper at Monash University, where I learnt sub-editing and some rudimentary writing skills. This was great experience - particularly when I only escaped penalties for being present in the crowd that locked the uni's Vice-Chancellor and the nation's Prime Minister in the Admin building for several hours, by pleading that I was exercising the right of the press to report on events of public interest. For Royal Insurance for two years in the 80s, I set up, edited and published an inhouse "Effective Personal Computing" magazine. I also wrote many tutorial articles for it. For my most recent employer, I created writing templates and styles, and taught effective writing skills. My practical experience with student and professional papers and publications should be useful - particularly in proof-reading :-). And I've never stopped writing poetry.
Learning: My major formal studies were in pure maths, minor in physics, and philosophy. While studying for a post-grad teaching diploma, I tried to synthesise multi-valued formal logic with the philosophy of education and the psychology of learning. I've always tried to take a whole-of-life approach to learning and the arts, because life is so short that specialists forget what they're missing.
Motivation: I believe that for each of us, anything is possible ... with a little help from our friends! The wiki idea, and particularly wikipedia, proves this. And I also believe that each of us, being unique, has a unique contribution to make. So I'd like to help others find a voice, encourage them to the particular excellence that only they can achieve.
Languages spoken and written: English (Australian); Malay (Bahasa Melayu, once known as Bahasa Malaysia), including dialects; some French, German, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Western Cham (Cam Beniyai), Kadazan, Temiar (Seroq). Sundry computer languages (many now extinct) also used effectively over the last few decades.
Last movie (2004): "Finding Forrester" or similar title tonight on cable. Synopsis - disenchanted reclusive old white writer (Sean Connery) is coaxed out of hiding by brilliant young black wannabe writer and basketball star (male eye candy who may never act again). Predictable, simplistic, competently acted but inadequately motivated feel-good flick. The real motivation for this movie is that oligarchies need to make the masses feel they have a chance. In a fairytale, I'd rather see a pretty fairy godmother!
Last movie (Update, 2010): "Avatar" What can I say? Just one more mythic world I long to inhabit! And what a premise: the first transpecific galactic colonist! But of course, as we all knew all along, it was always a battle of WHAM - he only really had a heart transplant.
Last cd bought (2004, many since): I finally bought silverchair (Australian rock band)'s 1995 album "frogstomp", because it was cheap enough and I love the songs on it. Extremely well-written musics AND lyrics by a bunch of very angry, very young men from industrial Newcastle. Passion with a purpose!
Last book read (2004, many, many, many since): "Mysterious Skin", first novel by Scott Heim. Are alien abductions really just abductions by that other alien, the human male sexual predator? Simply told, in the words of several of its protagonists, this story compels belief. The emotional complexities are convincingly real, but their final resolution is left to the reader. If this book has a message, it is that while knowlege may shock, it is the only path to healing.
Favourite movie (2004, a few since): Fight Club, starring Brad Pitt
Favourite author (forever): Ray Bradbury - the most poetic prose writer of the last 100 years!
Favourite singer (2004): silverchair's Daniel Johns
Opinion: Too much money making too many decisions! What's good often doesn't get an airing because it's not commercial. Pretty much like "news" isn't the new stuff we need to know. Ours is now a "take-away" culture. We need to see the possibilities of a "bring-to" culture. There are pockets of resistance. Tune into, say, 'PBS FM' to get a public radio station for under-represented music. But we need more of this, much more.
Right now: At present (2009) I am restricted by a long illness. I can no longer work, even part-time. I continue to hope that this will all be over one day before I turn 80. At that time, I could probably make a regular effort to contribute to Wikipedia, and I would welcome the chance to do so. Meanwhile, I get up most days long enough to feed the birds, though even that can be a struggle - especially in winter! I try to read and answer email most days, as it keeps me in touch with change.
The future: You're ALL invited to my 200th birthday party! And I want to walk on Mars - just maybe, I will run into some of Bradbury's original Martians? (See especially: "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed" in "The Martian Chronicles".) yoyo (talk) 14:30, 5 March 2009 (UTC)
