*Amanpour, on Gorbachev tonight.

[elleng]

'Because of him we have Pizza Hut!'

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. I slept better when Gorbachev was in control.

That I remember. Not so much with Ron, the psuedo-President. Totally not understanding the US policy his government was implementing on So. and Central America during his Presidency.

[elleng]

2. I was busy with other things at the time, I think,

like making a family AND 'coordinating' major freight railroad merger proceedings! 'Those' were the days!

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. So a story for you.

Moved to Central Maine in 1984. Worked as a buyer for a major machine tool manufacture - we built production and tool room machine tools. Drills/surface grinders, and gear hobbers. Loved being a dad, smoking small amounts of pot, figuring out elegant manufacturing ideas with LOTUS 1-2-3.

[elleng]

4. You'n'ME!

[OAITW r.2.0]

5. Then in the late 80s - after the machine tool industry imploded....

and I had to bail, I went to the best goddam manufacturing company I have ever been associated with. 15 miles from my house. Smoked a bowl to get into my manufacturing head on the way to work - smoked a bowl on the way home to decompress.

Was part of the best manufacturing team ever. Think Marketing/Design/Purchasing/Manufacturing/Accounting working together - we could take design ideas and bring them to reality quickly....16 weeks. We built the worlds best smoke and fire detection sensors. The first microprocessor based real time sensors that did not false alarm (Intel loved us).

[elleng]

6. and the 'best' rail mergers 'ever,' until big proved too big,

so conrail!!! (kind of. Gotta discuss next year, up there in Maine!!!)

[OAITW r.2.0]

7. That is outta my league, but we'd keep oursleves entertained.

adding a 500 sf addition to my my back deck....where I see all the sunsets....or will soon.

I'm 1/2 way between the Equator and the North Pole. Best place to be.

[DFW]

8. I remember gaping in Moscow in 1998

Near Red Square, I saw a big neon sign saying “СБАРРО” (SBARRO), and I felt like telling my wife, “Toto, I don’t think we’re in the Soviet Union any more.”

*I refrained, since she is German, and wouldn’t have gotten the reference, plus, her name isn’t Toto.