Big event today was putting together a little spreadsheet for the brain surgeon on Wednesday. Not even considering brain surgery. But I do love spreadsheets. Any excuse to make one.
I’ve been using spreadsheets since the days of VisiCalc. Back then, watching an entire page of numbers instantly recalculate was magic. From VisiCalc to Lotus 1-2-3 to Excel, they’ve been one of the most useful tools I’ve ever encountered.
When I built spreadsheets for Tom Billman, a well-known local con man back in the ‘80s, they became so complex that we’d hit F9 (I think) and go out for lunch—or happy hour—while the PCs churned away. All the while, I was being paid by the hour.
Tom ultimately became one of the country’s most notorious Ponzi schemers and was eventually arrested after being featured on America’s Most Wanted. He paid his spreadsheet wizards well. I got a first-class education in finance and an even better education in what not to invest in.
Note to residents of The Asylum: Tom Billman’s con was run out of a suite of offices in Skyline.
Going to cull and catalog these photos someday!