I'm a 59 year old college professor who's been an active Internet user since the mid-1980's. Our first two grandchildren were born last winter and spring; so, my current hobby is maintaining a family photo site at http://home.earthlink.net/~msewall1/
Thoughts about SETI and SETI@home
I expect there is sentient life elsewhere in the universe and would be delighted if its discovery occurs in my lifetime. I expect that it is possible to traverse the distances between stars in less time than the calculated number of light years between them (assuming that distance not time compresses at near light speeds -- that's as mathematically logical as the obverse), but that the gravity tides involved will constrain those trips to robots.
I faovr transmitting a beacon; I think there's negligible risk of being invaded by hostile aliens from outer space.
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.
