As a teenager, I opened a bank account at the same branch as my Dad, and I became A BEAMISH with some account number. One day I went to take a few bucks out (I had a balance of about eight bucks at the time), and after I had the singles in my hot little hand, I asked for the balance. Five twenty-four, thirty six, the teller replied. Well, which is it, I replied, Five twenty-four or five thirty six? No, she said, you have five hundred and twenty four dollars and thirty six cents.

Oh.

Walking back dazed to the family car, I climbed in and asked my mother why someone might have 'donated' over $500 to my account. The answer came later that week when my father discovered that the cash from the bond he'd ask the bank to sell had gone missing. My Dad's name is Andrew -- and he was also known as A BEAMISH by the bank (I also have a sister called Amanda). Yeah, his money ended up in the wrong A BEAMISH's account.

So after that I was known as T A BEAMISH by the bank. Sometimes the bulk mail people write to me as Timothy A Beamish -- and I know to chuck that item. Or if someone calls for Timothy -- I know that's a telemarketer.

When I signed up with pair Networks some time ago, the userID talex wasn't available -- but talexb was OK .. so that's what I have used since then.

And, of course, it's too much work to co-ordinate the shift key with my rapid-fire typing -- so lower case is it.

After seeing Erudil at the last YAPC, I learned he had mis-parsed my name as 'talex-b' -- that encouraged me to explain that it's 't-alex-b' on my home node.

Boy, I'm long-winded. Comes with being left-brained, I think.

--t. alex
but my friends call me T.