Hi, everyone. Fascinating reading, this. There seems to be an overabundance of you loyal (some not so loyal) subjects than us revolutionaries. But that's OK, I won't hold it against you.
I was born in NEW Mexico, USA in 1947. Left when I was 17 to go to school in Louisiana, Majored in Booze, Girls and partying. Graduated
cum laude (not really, just in my major) in 1967, just in time for a letter from my neighbors telling me I had been selected to join the Army. Not being an Army type, I joined the Navy, reasoning at least we took our beds with us and had hot food most of the time.
Spent two years in California, learning electronics and cryptography. In a fit of idiocy, I volunteered to go to Vietnam. The Navy, rightly deciding they did not want certifiably crazy people in Vietnam, sent me to Iceland. Two years there and two years in Virginia and we parted ways. I must admit, I saw a large part of the world, but not anyplace anyone was likely to shoot at me. The Med, Caribbean, Central and South America.
Went back to school and supported my wife and daughter through the GI Bill and night work at a "no tell motel." Learned more there than in school. I spent four years in the hotel business and went back to work for the government as an auditor (not IRS), got my accounting/economics degree. Had another daughter. I was able to take an early retirement in 1999 and have been vegetating here in Louisiana since then.
I started with computers with a BASIC course in 1973, thought I can't stand this, and didn't even touch a computer again until 1980 or 81. The Sinclair Z80 (friend's), a TI-99-4A (mine) were myt intro to computers. Man, I hated the tape reader on that TI! My office got an IBM XT in 1983 and I became the guru. DOS 2.11 on up to 6.22, Windows 1.0 (Yecch!), 2.0 ( a little better), 3.0, 3.1 (finally!), 3.11, NT 3.5, 4.0, 95 (WOW!), 98, 98 SE(loved), ME (Yecch!) and now XP Home, Pro and Media Center. I've played around with Linux over the years but don't want to put the time in I would have to to really learn it.
Both of our daughters live in Alexandria, VA. One works as a project manager for the Dept of Education, the other is a Licensed counselor who works with a lot of foster kids.
There you have it. That was my life.