I’m just a midwestern fella with a lot of wind. If it’s a subject I know a little bit about I’ll talk and listen for hours. If it’s something I know nothing about or there’s a flame’n going on I’ll just sit off by the wayside and watch the action.

I started playing with the internet when I was in the Air Force and we transmitted messages that were typed on a keyboard machine and transferred to paper tape with punch-holes. Then we transferred the tape to the reader and sent the message off. A few minutes later we’d get a message back. I guess Al Gore liked the idea so he brought the idea to the government and they threw some money at the project. Soon thereafter we were chatting and ftp-ing live between a myriad of systems: IBM, Atari, RadioShack, Commodore etc. (1200 baud modems were very common.) At that time it was called DDN for Defense Data Network but only a few years later there was vast interest until we see what we now have today.

My time is filled chatting with friends and geeks and helping senior citizens with the internet. Today’s technologically filled world just doesn’t seem to allow time for visits or phone calls to the grandparents but so far, e-mail seems to be a viable solution as the youngsters can communicate when time permits. It is quite rewarding to me to be there when great grandma opens an e-mail in Ohio that has a picture of a new great grandchild who was born only 10 minutes ago in San Diego.

I enjoy making candles as a hobby. That allows me to be artistic and creative in my own way. I can’t draw stick people as well as an average 1st grader but I can express myself through wax. They’re too darned expensive to expect anybody to buy them so I achieve some satisfaction in just giving them away. Kinda like that bird thingy that goes “If you love it let it go!”.

I’ve been enjoying Leo and his geekable antics for many years and still yearn for the day when we’ll again have live chat along with live Leo TV like we did several years ago with the TSS & CFH shows. The KFI weekend shows give me my weekly fix and I enjoy the tech of the shows and the generally kind and polite chat that coincides. Additionally I like to think that I’ve made a lot of friends in the Townsquare chat and I’ve become interested in the variety of personalities and how people manage their “own little piece of this big rock”.

I’ve been a financial contributor to TWIT since day one and have great respect for any and all who assist in making this technology the stepping stone for even greater strides in the not so distant future.

When I grow up I wanna be a brain surgeon - just like Jethro Bodeen. If you’re really bored you can read my personal e-mail at JrSamples@HeeHaw.com - password: BR549. Before I forget, if you ever see Minnie Pearl please cut that darned tag of her hat and I will be ever so grateful.

If you have an extra smile give it up - it could make somebody’s bad day just a little brighter!!!