Michael O'Connor

On the Internet

Punta del Diablo, Rocha Uruguay or Cuenca, Ecuador

No

Not very often

I plan to retire in Cuenca, Ecuador South America

I am currently working with a new catalyst that reduces pollution and increases the efficiency of coal fired power plants

I was a Flight Attendant for Eastern Airlines for 17 years.

I lived in Honduras where I was involved in sustainable harvesting and manufacture of tropical hardwood products.

I was a Loan Officer working on Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

I have also worked for Hawaii Public Radio and I was an announcer at Nevada Public Radio.

I had fine art large format photography business that specialized in very esoteric black and white chemical processing. I published an article in View Camera Magazine.

I have two regrets that I never took advantage of, medical school scholarship at SIU and I was offered a position with ABC News as a reporter in El Salvador during the war in 1984.

Finished my flight instruction earning a private pilot's license. I then went SIU.

Living in some forgotten, end of the road, artist / fishing village in South America.

I was married for 15 years divorced in 2006

Occasionally I call, Gerald Wilhemi, Marc Musyl and Mark Hamby. I keep in touch frequently with Ken Ormsby Class of 1968. Steve Brown (Barbie Browns brother) Class of 1965

Having a lot of fun flying for Eastern Airlines. I was able to visit many of the great museums in North America and Mexico. Unfortunately I have been to such dire places as Haiti and being involved in the repatriation of boat people. This often caused me to contemplate the best and worst of our common humanity.

In 1976 I designed and built the first solar house to incorporate foam insulation, a wood stove and a compost waste system.

I like to do all the mechanical work on my 1983 (in mint condition) Mercedes Benz 300D Turbo Diesel. Then go for rides on the county roads and 2 lane highways across America looking for towns that have kept their sense of place. Camping at the beautiful campgrounds this country has to offer. My car has an allergy to the Interstate Highways System.

We do not have a TV, I read a lot, Noam Chomsky, Chris Hedges, Naomi Klein, Robert Scheer and Howard Zinn are some of my favorites.

Panajachel, Lake Attillan, Gautemala.

Antartica and South America

Hanging out with Ted Benhke he had a great sense of humor. I wish he was still with us.

I can not remember his name, (I think it was Williams) he taught reading improvement (He was also the assistant football coach). I took his class for two years, I tested at a doctoral level of reading. I was always the first to an finish exams while at SIU and had a grade point to be a president's scholar. This skill has assisted me greatly. I think of him often and wish I could thank him for what he imparted on me. Mr. Peaco, I remember fondly,and for teaching the importance of History to comprehend on how we got to where we are. Miss Crogan was one of the kindest and the best English teacher I ever had.

So many while flying I can not remember them all: Dan Rather, Rep. Peter Rodino (D. NJ), Frank Borman & some other guy that walked on the Moon, Benjermin Spock M.D., Ray Charles, Sen. Ted Kennedy, Sen Fritz Hollings, Joe Dimaggio (I was the most impressed by him, a real class act) Pres. Jean-Betrand Aristide of Haiti, Allman Brother Band, Jacques Cousteau, Jethro Tull. Dick Gregory, Henny Youngmen, Buckminster Fuller, Chester Coates PhD. (author of the Model Cities Program) he was a neighbor and friend.

I quit drinking when I was 30, quit smoking at 37. I have had over 10 surgical procedures on my back, I was on morphine for 6 years, I never gave up looking for a way to get off the pain meds. I found a doctor that performed radio frequency ablation, which reduced the pain to level where I no longer needed such heavy medication. Taking care of your body is the coolest thing one can do.

I knew our generation was in trouble when Jerry Rubin became a stock broker.

After reading Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine" I came to the opinion that Milton Friedman is what his initials are.

Turning the Seven Deadly Sins into Sacraments is how we got to where we are.

While driving on the back roads of the Sandhills of Nebraska it occurred to me; that I wish the beauty of our country would find its way into the hearts of those that are trying to divide us.

The best place to watch a sunrise is from the cockpit of jet with large windshield at 43,000 feet.

An African Grey Parrot with Tourettes Syndrome

With an umbrella

Worcester, Massachusetts

Yes, I did media relations for Evergreen America Inc. I was interviewed on consumer affairs report on mileage improvement using one our products MotorSilk.
I was also interviewed about my solar house on a TV station in Providence, RI

My Family, Friends and Books

Pet my cat

Watching old black and white movies with screen play or adaptation of novels written by Tennessee Williams, William Inge, Bud Schulberg, Graham Green, larry McCurtry and John Steinbeck

Watching the movie Desperate Living, Edith Massey cracks me up.

I have a very caustic sense of humor.