Ed,   
      
   EV>Hope You're doing better now, since the 2 ER visits You wrote about in   
   EV>another echo.   
      
     Still having some discomfort, but am going to the pharmacy today   
   (while helping my Mom with errands) to get some anti-inflammatory   
   medicines, and some refills.   
      
   EV>Before You got Licensed as a Amateur Radio Operator did Your Friends   
   EV>You a LID ?    My Friends did.   I was known as LID VANCE by the Hams   
   EV>Radio Operators in High School many months before I took my Novice exam   
   EV>the next summer.   
      
     More so a lid because I was a "goody two shoes". I was never one for   
   mischief and hijinks, as it were. The kids on the school bus hated my   
   guts, and they always gave the bus driver (an elderly sweet black   
   gentleman) such grief.   
      
     I did a little bit of CB radio before I got into ham radio in 1991.   
   The main reason I became a ham radio operator was severe weather   
   operations in central Arkansas. I do everything with the computer now,   
   as I've noted before...and there are pros and cons with the setup.   
      
     I may not make traditional RF contacts from my shack anymore...but,   
   when doing a portable operation, I don't have to worry about rigs, power   
   supplies, antennas, coaxial cable, SWR meters, etc. I just load up the   
   laptop, wi-fi card, desktop mic, speakers, external monitor, and power   
   supply.   
      
     That's how I did a demo of Echolink, D-Star, D-Rats, and Packet Via   
   Telnet at an area high school ham radio club...telling the kids that   
   "this way, you don't have to worry about the cost of rigs, antennas,   
   towers, coaxial cable, power supplies, SWR meters, etc. -- never mind   
   their parents likely wouldn't let them put up such a setup, anyway.   
      
   EV>I can write simple batch files.   
   EV>I never wrote one with Error Checking, or IF THEN statements in it.   
      
     The thing is, one tiny error or misplacement of a number, letter, or   
   word in a line of code, can crash the entire thing...and it's like the   
   old "needle in a haystack" trying to find it.   
      
     In fact with some of the lengthy batchfiles I have for the BBS, I have   
   REM PAUSE statements...so on testing, I can turn the ECHO ON, and watch   
   for errors after each one. Once I'm satisfied, I turn ECHO OFF, then REM   
   out each PAUSE statement.   
      
   EV>My problem is every time I pat myself on the back I injure my wrist,   
   EV>Elbow and shoulder.   
      
     I got a portable back scratcher at the pharmacy recently, and I guess   
   I could use that instead, if I needed an ego inflation.  But, this   
   item is useful for the tagline below.   
      
   Daryl   
      
   ---   
    þ OLX 1.53 þ The severity of the itch is proportional to the reach.   
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
                                                                                     
   --- Virtual Advanced Ver 2 for DOS    
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS (1:19/33)