Robert Greenstreet:  

Hello to anyone who might stop by. Although I joined Classmates years ago, I never paid to join until now (June 2016). (I only bought the 3 month package.) Let me start by apologizing for any of the stupid and immature things that I may have done to disturb your classroom experience. My life since high school has required much study and much work. I was grounded in pilot training (Air Force) in 1981 due a medical problem. It was an interesting and intense 108 hours of flight time. It takes 550 knots (633mph), 5.5 g's, and 10,000 feet to do a loop in a T-38. Today, I'm working as a mechanic for a major airline (2016 marks the 30 year point). The company faked bankruptcy back in Dec 2002, outsourced all of its heavy maintenance, laid off thousands, stole our pension and stock (but later returned some of it in the form of new stock, and we will hopefully get part of our pension courtesy of the PBGC). There is seldom a dull moment in the airline business. I had a motorcycle accident in 1982. One moment, I was 28, about 4 seconds later, I was "68." I feel that crash damage everyday, all the time, and I'm tired of standing on my feet and am more than ready to retire. 66 will be full social security. I met my wife in California back in 1983. My work stations have been SFO, IND, PHL, and now O'Hare (ORD). We have one child and are now living in southern Wisconsin. I have a fairly hellish and exhausting commute to O'Hare every workday (it's about a 4-hour round trip). Thank goodness for audible.com (audiobooks). I also listen to the BBC on the way in. Although it's still a form of mainstream media, you'd be surprised what you can learn from its reports versus American so-called media. I still have a Cessna 150 (now literally in 1,000 pieces) and I was hoping the FAA would eventually allow it to qualify for "Light Sport Aircraft" (LSA), but a friend at work is convinced it'll never happen. Due to the miracle of a fairly new regulation (one of the rare ones that allow a surprising amount of leeway for "older" pilots), you can legally fly a LSA. If you've never had a DWI and you've never been turned down on a flight physical, you can "self-certify" for LSA. Cessna 150's are now a "dime-a-dozen" (unfortunately, for me, since it's a little too heavy to qualify for a LSA). A Piper Cub qualifies for LSA, and they are now worth their weight in gold. Old guys like LSA and "self-certification" for obvious reasons (avoiding the flight surgeon, and the very real risk of being turned down for who knows what...). I enjoy tinkering with old Fender amps (and the guitars that go with them). Years ago, everyone wanted the (then) new transistor amps. At that point you could pick up tube amps for next to nothing. I got rid of my Dual Showman during that time period (a most unfortunate misstep). Now, the tables have turned with a vengeance. Amps that could be found for $75 in 1972 can go for $5,000 (and twice that) these days -- but you can still find non-working and/or partial amp chassis on eBay. Guitars are even worse. Many of our priceless U.S. guitars went to Japan in the late 1970's and 1980's, and much of what is left is now is effectively out of reach. I also enjoy old S-100 computers. A group of enthusiasts have congregated over the years and some guys (way above my pay grade) are designing new S-100 printed circuit boards. We all get together and defray the costs of doing runs of 20 or more. These computers laid the groundwork for the personal computers that we all know today. I became interested in these "legacy" computers when I was chasing the evidentiary trail concerning Gary Kildall and Bill Gates (and a host of other important players). I was living in the Bay Area and was following the de...Expand for more