Meet the Moderators !

[fish]

With almost 500 (wow!) registered users at BMW MOA Forums, I figured now was a good time to introduce the moderator team (and expose their soft white underbellies).

So for the mods/admins: here are some questions to help you get going:

1. What is the significance of your username?
2. What other forums or lists have you moderated?
3. How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?
4. What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?
5. What do you do for a living?
6. What should people know about you?
7. What's your favorite joke?



edited the list to make it easier to quote. sorry about that.

[fish]

Okay, here's my shot at the big lie...er, story:


What is the significance of your username?

It's the first part of my last name. It's been my username since I started working in the computer industry in 1988.
Back when we had cool user/machine names, I was fish@chips.

What other forums or lists have you moderated?
I used to own/moderate the speed3@yahoogroups.com list, but gave it up when I sold my Speed Triple.
I'm a moderator at Adventure Rider. (http://www.advrider.com) I'm also moderator of vidiots@yahoogroups.com (Original Village Idiots) and, bmw-gs@yahoogroups.com, and a very small group of delinquents that shall remain nameless.


How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?
I've been riding for 26 years and started riding beemers since in 1996 with a '97 glacier green R1100RT. Since then, I've owned a '99 R11RT, and a '01 K1200LT, and currently ride an '02 R1150RT and '00 R1150GS.

What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?
Been married to a Georgia Peach for 12 yrs, two kids (boy 9, girl 4), 2nd generation Californian, born and raised south of San Francisco. Attended college in San Luis Obispo.


What do you do for a living?
Program manager for a large computer company.

What should people know about you?

I have a fairly strange sense of humor and rarely take anything too seriously. Unlike the kbasas, I'm not a rally rat. I prefer to ride alone and camp in very small groups. There are only a couple of rallies that I really enjoy, such as the 49er Rally and the Beemer Bash. I really had a great time in Redmond, even though there were FAR more people there than I'm usually comfortable around.

I've been into photography for about as long as I've been riding. I've got a big box of cameras and lenses. I went digital just a couple of years ago with a Nikon Coolpix 990. It's been a good and reliable digcam. I've essentially stopped shooting 35mm. I used to like to do "art" photos, but now I just like to whip it out and catch whatever. Quantity vs. quality. It's so much faster and cheaper than negative/chemical/paper/light stuff.

What's your favorite joke?

There was a little boy sitting on the curb one day. The little
tyke had a bottle half full of acid. It seems he was droppin'
those big, black ants into it every time he caught one. It
made a small puff of smoke shortly after hitting the acid.
An old priest came along and was watching the kid drop
those ants into oblivion. Apparently he thought this would be
a good time to teach the little squirt the value of life. The
priest said to the kid, "What do you have there son?"
"Oh, I got some magic water, Father, the boy innocently
replied. "See," and *poof* went another ant. "In my
church," says the priest, "we have some magic water too."
"Oh Yeah," says the kid, "can it turn ants into water, too?"
"No," says the priest, "but I rubbed it on a lady's stomach
and she passed a baby."
"Big deal!" says the kid. "I squirted some of this under my
cat's tail the other day, and he passed a motorcycle!"


Next! :jose

[kbasa]

Originally posted by fish
With almost 500 (wow!) registered users at BMW MOA Forums, I figured now was a good time to introduce the moderator team (and expose their soft white underbellies).

So for the mods/admins: here are some questions to help you get going:

[list=1]
What is the significance of your username?
What other forums or lists have you moderated?
How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?
What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?
What do you do for a living?
What should people know about you?
What's your favorite joke?
[/list=1]

Okey Dokey, since fish showed you his, I'll show you mine. :D

My username? Well, I'm of some tangled descent which resulted in me getting a Polish surname, Swider (shortened from Swiderski). Some folks in the Yankee Beemers called me Polska, which is cool. Then I bought a Kbike. Dana Lewis (Savant or YBNews here) dubbed Tina and I Team KBasa, which stuck pretty well. I'm cool with it.

Other moderation duties? Well, none actually. I've been on the IBMWR list and the NEDoD list for what seems like forever ('95 perhaps?) and drift on and off a few other forums/lists. I'm also a member of the Genuine Village Idiots, the west coast variant of the Village Idiots. Mostly, I just complain on that list, but they tolerate me.

How long have I been riding? Um, 30 years, I guess. Started on a Honda SL90, which infected me with Honda disease, an addiction I have to this day and is currently manifested in my VFR800. My dad bought a 1977 R75/7 when I was 18 or 19, which infected me with BMW disease. Tina and I rode it around and took our first weekend trip away together on that bike. :evil

For a BMW, I've currently got a '99 R11S and I seem to be getting an equity share in Tina's RS.

Personal Status? Tina and I will be married for 19 years this August, though we lived together for 5 or 6 years before that. Basically, we've been together since 1979. No kids, two cats, funky modernist house here in Marin County. We moved here from Boston in 1999. I'm a native of Detroit, but was fortunate enough to live all over the country. I've been to all of the lower 48 on the ground, most of them on a BMW.

Work? I sell highly automated, cutting edge litigation support services. I might be one of the few people you know that take money from lawyers. I'm a closet geek too and am running a network at the house and play with computers all doggone day.

What should people know about me? I have a hard time with brand superiority. While I truly love BMWs, I really get cheesed when people slam other brands or riding styles. Bikes are bikes and we're all riders. I'm as likely to appreciate a finely built chopper as I am a nifty scooter (oooh, Italjet Dragster!) as I am an RC51 as I am a nicely done toaster tank. They're all good with me.

My favorite joke? Well, I love puns, so how about this one?

What did the Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor?

"Make me one with everything."

To which the vendor replied, "Very well, but your change must come from within."

:rofl

[MrsKbasa]

# What is the significance of your username?
# What other forums or lists have you moderated?
# How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?
# What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?
# What do you do for a living?
# What should people know about you?
# What's your favorite joke?

Here goes:

Read the Kbasa Story for the skinny on the Kbasa part. I just became Mrs., when I started to have my own non-work e-mail account. It is better than some of my previous nicknames (Hillary, Spillary, SWMBO, ones from childhood I won't mention)

No other moderation duties, but I used to 'moderate' a group of 46 Database Administrators for a living. Oh, and 25 Software Engineers before that.

I have been riding for 11 years now. I bought a Black '02 R1150R for my 40th birthday. I test rode one in April and waited 4 months with great restraint. I love that bike. I have an R1100RSL that I rode a lot, but the new R is so smooth I can't ride the RSL now. I have ridden the VFR800 :burnout for months before, that is great. I have also ridden Dave's S bike, it's not for me.

Married for 19 years, 2 cats, 5 motorcycles. I am from Southern Ohio (my family there are farmers), moved to FLA, then Massachusetss where I met Dave. I was 17 when we met, and we were friends for a year, before we dated.:bliss

Living? What I am doing now is not important, it's just a job. I am working on my credential in Teaching and will be a High School Math Teacher in a year and a half. They say that people have an average of 3 careers in a lifetime. I already worked 17 years in my old career. My Great-grandfather worked 19 years for GM and retired. What is up with the world today?

People should know that I have integrity. And, you should pity me for having to listen to Dave's puns every day for 25 years.:eek

My favorite joke (since I was 13) But, only because my straight laced Aunt told it to me:

What's smaller than a teeny weenie flea?
A flea's teeny weenie :bliss

I know it's goofy...

[Rob Nye]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# What is the significance of your username?
# What other forums or lists have you moderated?
# How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?
# What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?
# What do you do for a living?
# What should people know about you?
# What's your favorite joke?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Significance of my username….

If you have met me you understand. For the record I do sleep.

Other forums:

I am a marketplace admin for the Internet BMW Riders and I helped Ian set up the Chartered Club Presidents list on Yahoo which I moderate.

How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?

I started when I was 17 and rode until I was 22. The bike was stolen on my fifth date with Julie who would later become my wife. For my 29th birthday she got me a very ratty R90S. I now have a few bikes; today’s ride was on a F650GS Dakar.

What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?

Married, Kids and a hometown, yes to all. Born and bred in New England. I have tried other places but always come home so I am a Yankee and that’s about it. Three incredible boys who are turning out all right in spite of the best efforts of the Sled Dogs at the Pemi River Rally.

What do you do for a living?

I work for B+H Ocean Carriers and affiliated companies. We move oil by sea; my responsibilities are for all technology issues including vessel systems as well as our networks on shore. I have always worked in the maritime trades and this is a great place to be. Some of the best riding I have ever done is out in California on a rental bike after a company visit to a ship in San Francisco, I met a group of riders (and got to ride a R11R) on a trip to our office in Singapore. Before commercial shipping I was a yacht captain and competed professionally in offshore sailboat racing.

What should people know about you?

Whatever they care to ask. :D I am a newbie member of the 'MOA board of directors. I am always open to feedback, input and comments from members. I would rather hear what you want before I am halfway through doing something you don't. This forum represents the first visible step in a lot of work from a large group of highly motivated Volunteers and I am very psyched to be a part of this group.

What's your favorite joke?

I can’t post it here the other moderators would have to moderate me. :evil

[Ian]

Originally posted by fish
With almost 500 (wow!) registered users at BMW MOA Forums, I figured now was a good time to introduce the moderator team (and expose their soft white underbellies).


OK... I will be impressed when we reach 5,000 users. :brow And really impressed if this thing doesn't crash when we do!



So for the mods/admins: here are some questions to help you get going:

What is the significance of your username?


As Bottlewasher... well, that relates to my position as webmaster. Since the BMW MOA website is an all-volunteer effort, it reflects how much I respect the talents of the rest of the people who are doing the work here.

Really.


What other forums or lists have you moderated?


I am an IMBWR Administrator for the Marketplace, I helped set up the Yahoo! groups for BMW MOA Presidents and Ambassadors.


How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?


I have ridden for 36 years, starting by delivering newspapers on my mom's HOnda step-through 50 (rode that sucker right into a swimming pool at some condo at 5am)... crashed the daylights out of a Honda CL100 while delivering papers, thrashed the crap out of several Bultacos, Maicos & Husqvarnas riding MX and enduros all over the Southeast in the 70s. Got my first BMW, an R90/6 upon my return to grad school, one of the first K100RTs in the US, a K100RS 16V.

Current rides include Mighty Whitey (http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=231) ... which is an 86 R80G/SPD, a 1967 R69S, a 2000 R1150GS, and a very cherry 1967 Honda Trail 90.

Every once in a while I keep the battery charged on my son's 1983 R100RS... and try to stay off his Honda CR250R.

What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?

Dee Dee and my 25th anniversary was September 11th, 2001. Jeesh! So 26 years to the world's most perfect person.

2 kids, one just graduated college and the other refusing to go.

I was born in NYC, grew up in South NYC (South Florida) and now live in Lawrenceville, GA... which is at 2:00 on Atlanta about 18 miles from downtown.

What do you do for a living?
For years I ran my own advertising agency with offices in Atlanta and San Francisco, specializing in high-tech, business-to-business clients in CAD, telecom & industrial automation.

Got sick of whining employees and now work with two good friends in an interactive design firm, each out of our own homes, doing the work ourselves and keeping our heads above water.

I am an information architect. Similar to sanitation engineer.... people hand me piles of garbage and I sort it into websites and other interactive deliverables. We also do traditional media marcom when forced.

Integrated marketing is my forte.

What should people know about you?

My favorite saying is "there is no limit to what we can accomplish as long as we don't mind who gets the credit." (Robert Woodruff, the guy who turned Coca-Cola company into a worldwide force.)

What's your favorite joke?

I am such a yutz... I can never remember jokes. I trained my kids to call farts Harleys... does that count?

[flash412]

1. What is the significance of your username?

"Flash" was bestowed upon me during the Nixon administration due to a silver metal-flake helmet with a flame decal, and it stuck for other reasons. 412 because... read the book.

2. What other forums or lists have you moderated?

Supposedly I am a moderator on F650.com. But that is just a title since I can't DO anything there other than see hidden email addresses. I'm rather immoderate, you might say.

3. How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?

Riding since about 1973 or so, I forget. Started with a Yamaha that lasted several weeks. Then an R75/5 for about 50k miles. Then a couple of R80G/Ss for another 150k or so. I currently have a '98 F650 Funduro and a '97 F650 ST. I also have an R75/2 conversion that I built, with a Ural chair. Ridden about 250,000 BMW miles so far, 1000 in a day, twice, on an F650 both times.

4. What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?

Divorced, one kid. Happy to have found the woman of my dreams who has six Ducatis, a Moto Guzzi and an XR200.

5. What do you do for a living?

Professionally, electrical engineer. I have a small business (BMW, LLC) peddling a book that I wrote and published which is mosty about BMW motorcycles and motorcycling.

6. What should people know about you?

I don't suffer fools gracefully and http://www.deathstar.org/~flash.

7. What's your favorite joke?

Q: What did the elephant say to the naked man in the woods?
A: How do you breathe through that thing?

[phactory]

1. What is the significance of your username?

Well I have ALWAYS been a big proponent of using FACTORY parts on my BMW's and one day the Sled Dogs just decided to call me Factory Phil. The PH replaced the F in Factory for obvious reasons. :-)


2. What other forums or lists have you moderated?

None, this is my first foray into moderation, er, I mean moderating!


3. How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?

I have been riding for 22 years. I currently ride a 2001 R1100S, which I love. I also ride my totally restored 1981 R100CS, and my 1972 R75/5. In addition I also am currently restoring my 1981 R80G/S, which I will definitely be riding as soon as it is done!!

4. What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?

Well I have been married, but not currently, I have no kids (do 7 motorcycles count for anything????) and live in South Easton, MA. less than 1 mile from the house I grew up in.


5. What do you do for a living?

I am a Line Manager for Northrop Grumman (formerly Fibersense Technology Corp) making Fiber Optic Inertial Navigation Systems, but I like bikes!!


6. What should people know about you?

I always speak my mind, even if it gets me into trouble. Oh yeah, and I don't play the whole political game. Never have and never will.


7. What's your favorite joke?

There once was a man from Nantucket...

I think you know the rest!


;)

[deilenberger]

Originally posted by fish

With almost 500 (wow!) registered users at BMW MOA Forums, I figured now was a good time to introduce the moderator team (and expose their soft white underbellies).

So for the mods/admins: here are some questions to help you get going:

1. What is the significance of your username?

<i>Ummm.. like doneilenberger is too long to type..?

<b>OH!</b> You mean the bozo reference.. well, we are all just bozos on the bus of life..</i>

2. What other forums or lists have you moderated?

<i> A few - currently a Yahoo group for BMW cage owners who own the current 5 series car.. before that I started back when there were no mail reflectors - a mailing list for Toyota Supra's.. that one is still running today - must be about 12 year sold now, which in Internet time is about eternity </i>

3. How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?

<i> Lemme think.. I'm.. and I started when I was.. oh - 29 or so years. Started on dirty bikes in my early 20's. Then they took all the woods away in NJ, so I got my first street only bike (used to ride the dirty bikes on the street - imagine 90cc's and traffic..) </i>

4. What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?

<i>Married, ummm.. I was.. and now I'm.. oh - 32 years.. one child who we're leaving to bring home from England tomorrow (he ran way due to his Junior year at Vassar..) I'm a bit involved in the hometown - Spring Lake Heights NJ - serving volunteer positions on several boards, chairman of one. Born in NYC, moved (not of my volition) to NJ when I was 1 and have lived in various areas of the state. </i>

5. What do you do for a living?

<i>Computers. What else? I am THE computer IT department at a small company, after retiring with 30 years of Bell-Labs/Bellcore service. Started out in physics - drifted into computers. I thank God every day for Bill Gates - he's kept me employeed for the past 15 years or so.. </i>

6. What should people know about you?

<i>Use NUMBERED paragraphs!

Oh - you did. Kewl.

I tend to get very involved in things and then completely loose interest. It keeps SWMBO on her toes.. But stuff I like - I tend to come back to (I had a 4 year hiatus on bikes when my son was an infant.. then I realized bikes were cheaper than shrinks so..)</i>

7. What's your favorite joke?

<i>Whatever one I can remember at the moment. And the moments come further apart as I get older..</i>

[fish]

6. What should people know about you?

Use NUMBERED paragraphs!

The forum corollary is to use the [ quote] tags liberally :rofl

[DarrylRi]

As I recently got roped into doing the Hexhead forum, I guess I'll stand up here...

1. What is the significance of your username?

It's been my email alias for about 16 years. My fingers can type it without any higher CNS input.


2. What other forums or lists have you moderated?

I once ran a BBS for homebrewing. These days, I own and moderate the slash2 list over on Yahoo! (http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/slash2/) and am the webmaster and forum moderator for the Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners club (http://www.vintagebmw.org). Kind of odd that a vintage freak such as myself is moderating the Hexhead forum, eh?


3. How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?

I've been riding 28 years or so. I hope to get my 500k mile award soon. I currently have 7.5 beemers; one (R1100RS) is garaged in Germany, 2.5 (R52, R12 and the drivetrain for an R62) are in pieces, and the other 4 (R1200ST, R90S, R60/2 and R51/3) all get ridden routinely.


4. What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?

Married 24 years. No kids (unless you count the myriad pets). Born and raised in LA, lived in Seattle for 8 years, currently enjoying Santa Cruz, CA.


5. What do you do for a living?

I've been programming since the 10th grade, when my high school got an ASR33 Teletype and a 110 baud acoustic coupler modem to connect to a timeshare BASIC system. These days I mostly do websites.


6. What should people know about you?

No garage queens.


7. What's your favorite joke?

I'm not sure I have a favorite joke; however, my wife really likes:
One day Moses and Jesus are out on the golf course. As they're getting ready to tee off, Jesus pulls out a nine iron. Moses says, "What're you doing? You can't use that!" And Jesus replies, "Yeah I can, I've seen Arnold Palmer do this." Well, of course, he hits it pretty short, and into the very first water feature. Moses gives him a bad look, walks out to the water's edge, holds up his club, and the waters part. Jesus runs in and gets his ball.

This continues for several holes, and Moses has had enough. He says, "If you don't start using the right club, you can go get your own ball." The very next shot goes right into the lake, and Moses refuses to help. So, Jesus wanders out on the water and starts looking for his ball.

Meanwhile, the next party comes up and asks Moses if they can play through. "No problem", says Moses, thinking that it's going to be a while. Then the other golfers notice the guy out on the lake and one of them yells, "Who does he think he is, Jesus Christ?" Moses replies, "No, Arnold Palmer."

[BubbaZanetti]

1. What is the significance of your username?

I like Mad Max. My friends and i once discussed staging a musical of it as a joke, i was to play Bubba Zanetti. This was back when we all had ratty early 80s CBs.

2. What other forums or lists have you moderated?

I was a mod at the Rounders board for a while. I have also moderated other non-motorcycle related sites.

3. How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?

I've been riding "seriously" (aka, with my own bike) since May of 2004 or so. I currently have a 1999 R1100S which has given me 50,000 miles of fun in the past 2.5 yrs. I had an airhead before that.

4. What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?

Not married, although i've been co-habitating (living in sin) with the same lady for nigh on six years now. No kids. I live in NYC and am a somewhat recent transplant.

5. What do you do for a living?

Interesting question. I'm currently "between careers". I did work in the a/v and television worlds. I used to be a sound guy for the Celtics and Red Sox in Boston. I'm currently "taking the rest of 2007 off" while i wait for a couple of new job prospects.:laugh

6. What should people know about you?

I'm relaxed, easy going, and pretty "out there" in the way I view the world. I'm not easily offended and appreciate a good off beat sense of humor. I'm what you might call "significantly" younger than the average MOA demographic, and that might occasionally shine through here (especially if you notice a post made between 2 and 6am):laugh :drink


7. What's your favorite joke?

So there's this rope, he's on a stressful business trip and he'd dying for a drink. He heads over to the local saloon, plops himself down at the bar and tries to order a beer. Before he can even get the words "i'll have a...." out of his mouth the bartender's eyes bulge out and he screams "WE DON'T SERVE YOUR KIND HERE." and proceeds to throw the rope out of the bar. Dismayed, but not defeated, the rope heads over to the store and buys some sunglasses and a hat in an attempt to disguise himself. He heads back over to the bar, sits in a different spot and orders a beer. With an uncertain look about him, the bartender pours a beer but as he walks over to the rope he realizes he's being tricked, slams the beer down on the floor and at the top of his lungs shouts, "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU, NO ROPES" and then picks up the rope and throws him through the doors. The rope lands with as much "thud" as a rope can, gets up, dusts himself off and decides he hasn't given up. He gets himself all worked up into a ball, storms back into the bar, orders a beer and when the bartender comes back with it, he says to the rope. "you aren't a rope, are ya"

"nope" replies the rope "afraid knot.":bolt


OH, and since i'm a mod and can do these sort of things, this is gonna go the campfire!

[John Brase]

[b]...
So there's this rope, he's on a stressful business trip and he'd dying for a drink. He heads over to the local saloon, plops himself down at the bar and tries to order a beer. Before he can even get the words "i'll have a...." out of his mouth the bartender's eyes bulge out and he screams "WE DON'T SERVE YOUR KIND HERE." and proceeds to throw the rope out of the bar. Dismayed, but not defeated, the rope heads over to the store and buys some sunglasses and a hat in an attempt to disguise himself. He heads back over to the bar, sits in a different spot and orders a beer. With an uncertain look about him, the bartender pours a beer but as he walks over to the rope he realizes he's being tricked, slams the beer down on the floor and at the top of his lungs shouts, "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU, NO ROPES" and then picks up the rope and throws him through the doors. The rope lands with as much "thud" as a rope can, gets up, dusts himself off and decides he hasn't given up. He gets himself all worked up into a ball, storms back into the bar, orders a beer and when the bartender comes back with it, he says to the rope. "you aren't a rope, are ya"

"nope" replies the rope "afraid knot.":bolt


Now I feel very wierd. That is also MY favorite joke.

John

[From MARS]

Now I feel very wierd. That is also MY favorite joke.

John

Mine, too. Sheesh!

Tom

[BubbaZanetti]

Mine, too. Sheesh!

Tom

you and john both have excellent taste in really long winded jokes with minimally "obtrusive" punch-lines:laugh

[BradfordBenn]

Dang look at how old this thread, it is interesting to see who has changed named, who is still a moderator.

1. What is the significance of your username?
It is my name without spaces. Usually it is available and I can always remember it. Plus it cuts down on one of my large pet peeves.

2. What other forums or lists have you moderated?
I am a moderator over at FOG Riders (Charter Club #777) when it is up and functional, I also am a moderator/web disorganizer at the Rounders (http://www.yearroundriders.com).
3. How long have you been riding and what do you currently ride?
I have been riding since 2001. I have two bikes now, a 2002 R1150RT and a 1995 Honda VFR
4. What is your personal status (married, kids, hometown, etc)?
That is way too easy to figure out just search for me in the search engine of your choiuce. I am married for 10+ years, no kids cause that means I would have to share my toys.
5. What do you do for a living?
I am a business developer for a professional audio manufacturer. I am mainly responsible for our control system and fixed install market.
6. What should people know about you?
I dunno. How about I have three rules for life that have gotten me this far... and yes they are somewhat tongue in cheek.

I am not prejudiced, I hate everyone equally
If you are not sleeping with me, I do not care who you are sleeping with
Do not see anyone you work with, without their pants on

7. What's your favorite joke?
I can't tell it here, I usually work blue.