What a great thread!

Like many on this site, I was drafted one year out of high school and opted for the Air Force. My first real job in the Air Force was an assistant crew chief on C-141 aircraft than as an Airman First Class (yup, a two striper) I became an “acting” crew chief because there was a shortage of NCOs at the time.

I was involved in a little “mishap” in Southeast Asia involving a rocket, a real loud noise, and a crippled aircraft that destroyed a lot of my hearing (another story) and the Air Force cross trained me into “Data Automation”. I schooled on Burroughs B-263 and later moved to B-3500 and B-4800 machines. As mentioned above, we’ve got more compute power on a laptop today that those monsters had in a whole raised floor data center. Lots of time on 026 and 126 IBM keypunch machines, 082 sorters and man did we go through the “green-bar” paper as output. Learned COBOL and Burroughs Advances Assembler

I got out of the Air Force in 1981 and went to work for a grocery wholesaler in Tacoma Washington called “West Coast Grocery.” They were a Burroughs shop, B-6800 and B-6900 however; we were some of the first corporate users of IBM PCs – 64K, 2 floppy drives running DOS with a green-screen monitor.

Left there for First Interstate Services Company (subsidiary of First Interstate Bank) in 1985 and got my first PC shortly thereafter. Left First Interstate in 1990 (I’m sure that’s why they were bought by Wells Fargo!). I’ve been through 286, 386, 486, etc and now have latest generation quad-core machines for work as well as high-end laptops. I have a telecommunications and technology consulting firm and try and stay current as I sit on several national engineering committees that are responsible for crafting telecommunications and technology standards.

While I couldn’t work without PCs, I certainly have no aversion to a weekend of camping without as much as a cell phone. I’m following another post, re; “Lots of silent members here” and find myself smiling at the conversation – wanting to chime in, but really rather enjoying being a “bystander”.

Ah the PC – blessing or curse - depending on the perspective. On one hand, we have access to literally millions of informational resources and knowledge that would be otherwise unattainable (like the great minds on this site and I mean that literally!) On the other hand, we have a generation of fat people (have you seen our teenagers lately) who plop in front of a PC and surf for hours - pondering useless drivel. At the extreme – we invite filth and corruption into our homes and minds with Internet pornography being the number one money maker on the net.

Like most tools – used properly they are indispensable. In the wrong hands, even the best tools can be destructive beyond belief.

I really do enjoy this site – you are the cream of the crop when it comes to all thing hot rod related as well as just good conversation and the occasional debate!

Regards All,
Glenn