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DoctorBombay, a.k.a. TJ, is the virtual proprietor of The Pub here in Fooldom and an all-around great guy. TJ is an Air Force officer living in Maryland with his wife and two daughters. When he's not spending time with the family or working, he likes to hang out on the computer, watch movies, and read.
DoctorBombay has been hanging around the Fool for as long as we can remember. His warm and friendly demeanor make him a favorite among many. Congratulations, DoctorBombay, for such a great showing in this year's Feste Award voting!
Check out DoctorBombay's most recommended posts.
Interview with DoctorBombay
How did you first stumble across the Fool and what kept you coming back?
I bought the first book. It told me that there were others seeking financial independence on AOL. I thought if I could find a board like Iomega, which empowered the average shareholder, then I could beat the Wise. So I wandered over. I kept coming back for the Fool's School, Buying a Car, Buying a House, and the Mutual Funds areas. I also liked the portfolios. I was a half-Cash King (later Rule Maker) half-Rule Breaker kind of guy. Now I come back for the fellowship and knowledge base.
What about the Fool Community do you value most? How would you describe it to a friend who is completely unfamiliar?
I value the wealth of knowledge at the Fool. I value the fellowship at the Fool. It is a high-quality bulletin board, with sufficient volume that avoids the content pitfalls of the Yahoos and more uncontrolled boards. It also has the best interface and navigation I have seen to date.
Big or small, everyone has done something they are very proud of. Tell us about your proudest moments, greatest achievements, or special talents.
I managed to bring a disabled aircraft back to earth without killing me or anyone on the tennis court I landed on. That was interesting. The truth is that even though I have been around the world and seen and done incredible things, all of my pride and all of my hopes and all I wish to achieve is wrapped up with the three women in my life: the lovely, wise, and talented Mrs. Bombay, Childzilla, and Kid Kong (as they are affectionately referred to).
Do you have specific life ambitions or goals? What are they?
The older I get, the less ambitious I get. My personal goals have been whittled down to do work I enjoy, to do work that is important, and eventually retire without worry. I want to travel overseas with my family. I want to support my wife and kids in achieving their goals in any way that I can. I have also found that the less ambitious I become, the better off I do professionally.
Have you gotten together in person with any of the friends you've met at the Fool? What was it like to put faces and voices to online nicknames and personalities?
Yes. I have met the Colorado Fools. I was apprehensive and at first it was a bit surreal, but in the end it was very fun and well worth it. I recommend it highly.
Do you have a favorite Fool moment or story from the boards?
It's a tapestry. I have had great personal moments. I have had shameful moments. There have been flame wars worth retelling and others worth forgetting. There have been touching moments discussing our most personal and human moments, where we deal with tragedy and pain but also hope and new beginnings. There have been moments of disappointment, but also hysterically funny moments where we all laugh together. To tug a piece of thread from this intricate tapestry would spoil the entirety, so I can't answer your question.
What's the best post you've ever made? Why?
Funny you should ask. I started my own board for a number of reasons. One of them was to archive previous posts I wanted to keep track of from different boards. These can be found at The Pub in the first 50 or so posts. This makes it easy to review. I would nominate my sea stories as a collection...
Sea Stories:
"Still" Standing: Another True Story
But the winner is... a tie!
I would share with you the story of the lovely and wise Mrs. Bombay, but I keep her out of my posts to respect her privacy. Why did I choose those two? Because those posts bring me back to the moments when I was most proud and happy in my role as a father.
