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Michael A. Terrell

wrote:

Michael Terrell wrote: " Only two students in my school system got every question right on
that part of the aptitude tests. Myself, and a girl who like to work on
cars. I also got the top scores in math and science. I only got a 90 for
English. I took every math, science and shop class that they could fit
into my schedule, each year. Several years later I tested out of an "

I envy people like you - seriously! It shows
how influences(chemical and otherwise) during
and after conception, and after birth and during
childhood - chemical and otherwise - can have
an effect on a child and later an adult.

"Only got a 90 for english"??? I was lucky to
get 90s in THAT - and 60s to 70s in all my other
subjects. Math? They had to make up a grade
just so I wouldn't have trouble later on getting
in to college. My single biggest regret in LIFE -
not being able to even read numbers, let alone
add, subtract, multiply, or do anything Greek
with them(!) And I trace it all back to some
activities my expectant folks were engaged in
back in the late '60s, and some choice names
my Dad coined me post-toddler-hood.

I had health problems from an early age, so I spent a lot of time
reading and experimenting since I couldn't play in any sport. I was born
in the early '50s, when poorly trained doctors continued to prescribe
DES to pregnant women in the false belief that it prevented
miscarriages. It caused many health issues in the children, like my life
long problem with infections. The last one required a trip to the
hospital. I was also born with poor eyesight, and have worn glasses
since elementary school. I now have to sit about 12 inches from a 24"
monitor to see what I'm typing.

I taught Boolean Algebra to myself, to be able to write software to
track the C band birds. tHe program asked for your Latitude & Longitude,
then it printed out a two page report with the Azimuth and Elevation for
every bird you could see from your location. The program let you enter
your name, so the report stated, Prepared by:----- ---- to make people
think it came from an engineering service.

The Commodore 64 didn't have several functions I needed, so I had to
create them, as well. I always enjoyed a challenge, and often got what
others had given up on. That is why I have seen so many odd conditions
in equipment, in the last 55 years.

I was a Nerd, long before it was cool.