Copyright (c) 1996

                              RUBY IS FIVE

     In February of 1991, I bought my first computer.  At that point I'd 
been making a living running mainframes for over thirteen years, but I
hadn't bothered getting a computer of my own.  We got a cow box, added 
an HP DeskJet, and six months later, I bought my first modem.
     In September of 1991, Del and Dave Freeman posted the first issue 
of "Ruby's Pearls Paperless Elecmag".  I didn't happen across it until a
few months later, when I first started messaging in the RIME Writers' 
conference.  Del and the late Lyn Rust urged me to submit something, so 
I did.  My first appearance in RP was issue 8, with "Snapshot".
     Time marched on, and so did Ruby.  RIME Writers' convulsed, but 
Ruby marched on.  P&B came and went, but Ruby marched on.  Two years 
ago, I signed up as Del's assistant editor; Ruby's still marching, 
sequins flashing, motorcycle-part earrings dangling, and silver-leather 
miniskirt, uh, twitching.
     Welcome to issue #60, and Ruby's fifth birthday.  This month should
be a whole lot of fun--we have new faces, new places, new vitriol.
     Oh, and we have Ruby, too.

                                        --Michael Hahn, Assistant Editor
