Jim Williams

At some point in your life, you've probably known a Jim Williams. We're everywhere! Was it me? Here's a bit about me that may help you decide!

First of all, here's what I look like as of July, 2004:

History

I was born June 1, 1957 in Bristol, Tennessee, but spent most of my youth in Huntsville, Alabama. In 1971, when I was 14, we moved to Maryland. I graduated from Parkdale Senior High School in 1975, then got my BS in Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park in December, 1979. I started learning C and Unix in 1978, before most anyone had heard of them, and I've been a C and/or Unix weenie ever since. In 1990, I decided to go back to school and get my Masters in Computer Science, which I got from George Washington University in May, 1995. In October 1995 I moved to the San Francisco Bay area of California. I stayed in California for about two and half years, moving back to Maryland in May of 1998.

Places I've worked include Global Science & Technology and Raytheon (on a contract at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center), Pixar, Hughes STX (on another NASA contract) Software A&E (now Template Software), Netword, and SCION Corporation. While in college, I worked at the Naval Research Lab, and I worked there again while with Software A&E.

Interests

In my copious spare time, I like to hack on my PC (which tends to have its cover off more often than on), I enjoy science fiction (books, TV, movies, and conventions), singing, and square dancing.
I enjoy travel, especially to places with interesting and/or beautiful natural wonders. Favorites of mine so far are Mt. Evans, outside Denver, CO, Muir Woods in Marin County, CA, the Scottish Highlands, and Zion National Park.

I've been a science fiction fan all my life and I've been fairly active in the SF community in the Washington, DC, area. I was part of the group that ran Unicon from the mid-seventies through the mid-eighties. I'm currently a member of Lambda Sci-Fi, one of the Gaylaxians affiliate clubs. I also used to hang out with the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), as James Ingram of Cambion, and the Markland Medieval Mercenary Militia.

I've always been interested in music, both as a listener and a choral singer. My musical tastes include classical, movie sound tracks, folk (especially Celtic), medieval and country/western. I sang for years with the University of Maryland Chorus. I've also sung with The Markland Madrigalia (an early music group), The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, the first Gay chorus with "the G word" in their official name, and I'm currently with The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC, in the First Tenor section. When I'm dressed for a concert, I look like this.

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