[winwun]

I was having a great deal of difficulty in getting logged on as a new member, and readily admitting that I do NOT get along well with computers doesn't lessen my frustration, and I am afraid that I gave a rather testy reply to the forum, for which I apologize.

Thank you for coming to my aid, Chris, and try to understand that at my age, time is a very recognizable and diminishing commodity, and anything that wastes any of it is met with resistance at best, and at worst, well, I am NOT going there ! !

Leonard

[killer]

Winwum, I'm relatively new to the computer era myself. Last year I found myself sitting in front of a brand new computer and taking college classes online. The computer almost got the sledge hammer taken to it a couple of times.
I did pick up a couple of books: "The Internet for Dummies" and "PCs for Dummies" which are still paying me back in mastering the key board in front of me.
You mentioned time being precious...let me give you a web site I found in one of the books above to find old lost friends and relive time. I was amazed. Old school chums from 30 years ago were found in an instant:
www.ZabaSearch.com

[Chris]

Welcome and no problem!

[winwun]

Thanks for the link, Killer, it was, as you said, awesome, to say the least, and Chris, thanks for being so understanding. Killer, the train symbol in your post, does that mean you are a RR buff, or do/did you work for the RR? My father was killed in a wreck in 1932 while bringing his train back to Knoxville from clearing a wreck up in Kentucky. The other engineer had orders to take a siding and let my dad go on by, but for some reason he ignored his orders and the two met head-on. It wasn't pretty. Leonard

[killer]

www.ZabaSearch.com shows how there is no privacy with computers (databases) anymore. I can pull up your phone number and address in 10 seconds, and most of the time it also shows your month and year of birth. Of all the names I punched in I was only stumped by my brother-in-law. My wife says he pays cash, and his wife controls every aspect of bill paying. My guess is the database comes from utility companies. Databases are sold all the time. The State of Minnesota will sell a database to you that contains the names of everyone that has a drivers license.
Yes...I am a switchman/conductor. I have been avoiding the road and hiding out in the yards in the St Paul/Mpls area. I do hop on coal, and freight trains periodically and get them through the metro area, but the road is a place I have no interest in yet. Eventually I will take a turn in the engineer seat but it will be the last five years of my career. Even as a lowly switchman I run engines via remote control. I have a transmitter strapped to my chest that communicates with a computer on the engines. They limit my horsepower, and speed, but I fully expect the railroads eventually will decrease crew size down to 1 man on the roads via these remote control boxes.
There is something about hanging on the side of a train with 6 thousand horepower, half a mile long, that you control via a green box strapped to your chest, hence my signature below...