Note:  I am still alive. This is not my obituary¹; it is an Aide-mémoire for those CMP people who didn’t know/don’t remember me, establishing my bona fides for the creation of this collection of CMP trivia/self promotion²]

You may remember me from such cute/public habits as:
•  Asking the first question at Camp CMP each year.
•  Being the first person to ask Michael Leeds, on the “we’ve been sold” conference call, how he squared the sale of the company with the “We will remain independent” principle. Turns out there was an exception: “Until such time as we can use the proceeds to really fund the heck out of the family foundation.” Well, OK, and also “If we can get a billion dollars for the company at the absolute peak of its value, from Brits with cloudy crystal balls.” [Hey, I didn’t decline the generously and voluntarily offered share of the sale price, nor did anyone else in the company I know of. I’m happy they sold. Too bad it violated a principle.³]
•  Not having an indoor voice.
•  Wearing bow ties after… I forget who… taught me how to tie one in exchange for me giving him one.
•  Working from home for 20 years, much to the irritation of many other writers and editors—or so they frequently told me.
•  Never once in 20 years writing too short.
•  What, you didn’t know I was employee 100?

Footnotes

1. 1. I have written my obituary; CMP does not show up until the 7th paragraph. ↩︎
2. 2. Not to mention letting me use two show-off foreign words in one sentence. ↩︎
3. 3. At Camp CMP once, Gerry said his secretary could turn down buyout offers without asking him. ↩︎