> Then I went to college, where on a stone tablet, they had inscribed, "Everybody has a first name, a middle initial, and a last name." I felt sorry for a few students, mostly girls, who had no middle name so were given the middle name, NMI. I also felt sorry for myself because they called me William and got confused when Howard was on my papers.
> "What is your first name?"
> "William."
> "Then why don't you put it on your papers?"
> "I never use William. Everybody calls me Howard."
> "Oh."

Being a high-schooler, I can only hope that colleges these days have gotten rid of that proverbial stone tablet. My first name is William as well, but similarly, I go by my middle name, which is Cody. Many times I won't even respond if somebody asks for William, unless they clarify that after all, they really *are* speaking in my direction. And to further confuse the issue, my father is a William as well, which sometimes leads to minor confusion...

-- codeman"you talkin' to ME?"38