Garry- Neat looking car. I don't believe I have seen a car with windows like that. About the house in the background. It appears to be a photo in the background scene, but the trees kinda give it a three dimensional look. Is it part of the picture or is it a add on? It's got me scratching my head. Looks good.
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
Good morning.
In the prototype information forum, there is a thread about pendulum cars. I posted this phto of mine. The split oval windows were a real classic.
I'll have oatmeal and OJ and let Jerry eat the big fattening breakfast.
Happy Model Railroading!
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
My GP-9m arrived today, and for the price, it looks awesome!
Goooood Mornin' Raisin toast, two eggs scrambled and a couple of sausage patties please and could you put a bit of jalapeno in the eggs? Coffee in T&P mug. Hey! You got it! Thanks. Another absolutely gorgeous day today. Plentiful sunshine and a high of 84F. Mom day today.
Eric- Nah, I didn't mis-take you.
I also make some remarks about those types and knowing that there are several in this very diner who are far more prototypical than me, I also hope they don't think I refer to the group as a whole but only to the arrogant few. The guys and gals in here (among many, many others) do NOT criticize or belittle. They support and assist each other and the "rest of us" too. Enjoying the hobby is all that counts. If you are a rivet counter, a term I'm thinking is almost becoming a bad word because of the bad apples, and I'm not, I fail to see how one effects the other. Unfortunately the few, and I mean very few, of the rivet counters who criticize others for not being worthy, give the VAST majority of non-criticizer's and supporters a bad rap. They, the higher and mightier, are also the most vocal. With sarcastic and snide filled remarks on almost any subject, many are completely out of left field and have no use at all. I'm thinking of one poster like that. Not in here of course. Every time he responds to a thread, there is almost always a remark about, "toys", or about not being the most expensive, or some such nonsense. There is always a level of prototypicalness we achieve. Very rarely does someone want a cartoon RR. But if they do, so what. At what level does the individual want to take it is the question. This hobby can go from one extreme to the other. And I think that's great. Admittedly mine has increased from just a year ago. In that time it has also decreased. As I began to worry what would or would not fit etc. It became less enjoyable to me. As I backed off and became less concerned about things, it was like a relief. I think I have found a happy medium. (personal opinion, yours is welcome to vary)
Because I don't think that "Rivet Counter" is a bad term, I am going to borrow a term from Chris and modify it to "Rivet Nazi" for the, shall we say, arrogant ones.
I generally am a written instructions guy. I don't like to have to go to the computer and hunt for the how to's. I agree, some are written way above my head, or the opposite. Now I don't clam to be among the smartest, but I'm definitely not among the dumbest. If I can't understand it then ..... Like my 47,000 page instruction tome for my cell phone. Every step was broken down so simple that it was as hard to read as a nuclear physics text book.
Oh well, Have a Great Day!
Good Morning all...Its sunny and 67 here posta be 82 later..I'll have a slice of Gary's Ky Ham'couple of eggs over easy,fried taters,fried apples,bisciuts and coffee please..Thank You..I got to clean track today..Thats about my least favorite job..You all have a good one...Jerry
Good morning all!
A very large mug of Kona coffee in a B & O Mug, please. I'm hungry too, but dieting.Instead of loosing with more activity, I actually gained 2.5 lbs.Now I need ot loose 22.5 lbs at least. AND, I over ate last night.
Posed to be a hot one today. I may wait til the cooler days in two days to plant the remaining plants, after I clean and refresh the pond for the season. The waterfall pump may not work.
Glad some of you enjoyed my schtick on instruction manuals.
On a TRAIN front, i have always wanted a small G scale layout to go around the pond. {its a small 6' preformed kidney shaped 65 gallon pond in a large-ish raised planter bed surrounded by those stackable landscape bricks}. LOL I have more room for a G scale layout than for my HO layout. *alas* the cost of simple G sets has gone WAY up and I don't think I will install one till after we move somewhere. If this trailer goes with us, the planter will have to be taken down and moved too as it is in front and surrounds the tongue.
Well other half has to go to Dr. with a sinus infection soon, so I will leave off here.
HAve a great day!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Good morning.It's 67 and clear. The high will be around 85 and it'll be partly cloudy.I'm gonna be busy this morning. First I have to chlorinate the pool then I have to mow my parents yard then if I can get the left rear tire on her mower inflated I have to mow my sisters yard. Got my car back from the shop the other day and it's running quite well. Drove it to the fire station last night then back home. After my father's stiff truck it was almost like riding on a cloud. Don't know if I'll have any time for the layout today but a general cleanup is in order.Today's Weather for:Sundown, LA 71446-6114 5/21/2009Wind Chill: 67°FHumidity: 83%Dew Point: 62°FSo Far TodayHigh: 69°FLow: 67°FRain: 0.00"Rain Rate: 0.00"/hGust: 6mph NNEToday High: 85 Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 80s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.Tonight Low: 68 Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 60s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Good morning folks.
I'll take a gallon of coffee and throw in a free car if you have it!
We are going from a high in the upper nineties yesterday to a high of sixty-six today. Gotta love the weather in Minnesota! I'm not quite ready for summer yet, so highs in the seventies will be welcome.
My new Bachmann Berkshire shipped yesterday. Good thing I bought it before the spending freeze was put into place this week. Now I need to take a day to finish the trestle so I can go roundy round! How's that for prototypical?
I have a long, boring day at work today. Let's just hope that there are no bridezillas this weekend! Actually, mothers are awful when it comes to this stuff. The bride and groom aren't usually too uptight about the tuxedos.
Have a great day everyone.
Good morning. Its a nice sunny day, and the high about 84!!!
After doing laps at the airport, the M-I-L is here. Stopped by the casino, since me and the wife had free money. Plus my wifes grandma wanted to go. The M-I-L won $190 on a machine!! How, I don't know. I'm lucky to win $5. BUT did win $50 on a machine.
Not to much planned today. I will know later today on what time the surgery is tomorrow.
Jim..........yeah I better watch it
Well guys I will pop back in later today.
Everybody have a goodone.
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Good Morning--
We're going to a high of 29C, all in the sun!! Get to do some client visits this morning and some office work in the afternoon. I might get some MRR'ing later on in the afternoon----or more cat cuddling---'Spring' is requesting---
Well, a lot of interesting comments popping up about all manner of stuff here--I'm kind of thinking about learning curves and poorly written instruction manuals---anyone here remember some of the early computer manuals? They were't exactly the best in the world either. Then again, I remember seeing some lovely papers I had to read in university that were 90% nouns and not much else besides---
Chloe, I'll have a coffee and a muffin to go please--
Have a good one people---
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Everything the Great Lakes fleet moves was delivered to the docks or picked up from the docks by rail....
Great Lakes trade in the commodities that fuel North American industry is being hit hard by recession and some 30 US lake vessels, out of 74 that could be operating, are tied up for lack of business, the industry reported Thursday. American lake vessels in April carried only half the iron ore, limestone, coal and other commodities that they have carried each April for the last five years, and their tonnage for the first four months of this year is down 61% from the five-year average for the period. The Lake Carriers' Association, whose 18 member companies operate 65 US-flag vessels on the lakes, also brought into statistics released Thursday the tonnage of non-member firms operating nine ships, mainly liquid bulk carriers. Of the
74 ships in all, at least 44 are presently in service. For the year-to-date, US ships carried 6.6 million tons, down 59% from the period a year ago. With the US steel industry "operating at less than 50% of capacity" and when "the pulse in the construction industry is weak," the LCA said April cargo movement totaled 5.1 million tons, down 49% from just over 10 million tons in the five-year average. Iron ore cargoes suffered the biggest decline, down 62% in April to 1.7 million tons from 4.6 million in April 2008 and 4.7 million for the five-year April average. The first four months' total was
2.7 million tons, against 4.6 million last year and 4.7 million over five years. Canadian shipments of iron ore to Great Lakes destinations through the St. Lawrence Seaway, always much smaller in total, also fell sharply.
Limestone, used in construction but also as fluxstone in steel mills, dropped 48% April over April to 1.1 million tons. The total coal trade, mainly for power plants, at 1.9 million tons in April "was within striking distance of a year ago (2.1 million)." on strong shipments of western coal from Lake Superior, the main source of US supply. Coal shipments from Lakes Michigan and Erie were down badly, the LCA said.
BM1 Lee Soule USCG (ret) L.S.&W Railroad Serving the Lower Great Lakes
Rob, tell Mrs. Rob congratulations on landing the new job!Galaxy, after careful consideration and preponderance of the evidence I believe the people at Digitrax could offer a beginners guide to their equipment. Most of their manuals seem to be written by NASA. I’ve had to rely on third party how-to books, or have a friend translate the Digitrax manuals for me to get started. On the other hand their decoder install directions are simple and to the point.
Lee
Interesting cmments on Rivet Counters. I hope people do not think I was putting them down or making fun of them. Being that particular has it's place. A museum display should be as accurate as possible. That being said, TMarsh covered the issue... don't criticize anothers attempt at the hobby... Sure a lot of us would like to have things as accurate as possible, others build just for fun. That's what makes it a hobby, the self satisfaction that one did the best they can based on their own desires, abilities, funds and time available.
My 'disclaimers' are part in fun and part intentional. Sometimes things get around and I just want to clarify why I used a particular example. Life's hard enough without someone thinking they were singled out when a general observation is made using their words. My lawyer suggested I at least footnote my sources, he actually had a legal issue with an online comment that ruffled a few feathers with his fellow hobbyists (not MRR's)
Anyway. Good Morning All!! Looks to be a beautiful day, pollen, taxes, and everything else aside.
Chloe! Coffee and Tea for everyone for staying and listening to me.
Maybe the long weekend will bring some MRRing here. Hmmm, the railbarge needs some weathering....
Eric
Good morning... Chloe? another bucket please and thankyou.
Popping in for a quick sanity break from the school board article. This month, they chose a wonderful echo chamber to hold the meeting in. My company issued digital recorder just 'taint cut out for THAT kind of environment. The recording sounds like the meeting was held in a public restroom...lots of echo/reverb. Maybe I could hire our resident sound expert to mic/record next month's circus...I mean, board meeting...
TMarshWhat does get my goat,if I had one, are the ones who belittle and chastize others for less than prototypicalness.(word?)
Then again, I might just scrap the idea alltogether and go for a fictional CB&Q branchline in SW Iowa... But then, I'd hafta start a whole new file of photos so THAT will "look right."
*sigh*
Back to the trench,
Chris
The Cedar cRapids Industrial Branch: Proudly Shipping Yesterday's CrunchBerries Tomorrow!
howmus Did you know that if you put your hands or feet under the running mower you could get injured?
Uhhh......but then how can I tell if the blades are moving?
Chris-Nah, your not. Like I said the rivet counters are enjoying the hobby as they choose. What does get my goat,if I had one, are the ones who belittle and chastize others for less than prototypicalness.(word?) I'm really happy if the average Joe looks at my railroad and thinks it's neat. If they are concerned that Amtrak doesn't use F40PH's for more than gutted baggage cars or that some of my boxcars have roof walks in the modern era, then well my suggestion is go look at someone elses that is "correct". Rule 1.is being followed and I'm enjoying it as much as they are. Besides I probably couldn't tell the difference between an AC6000CW and a Dash8-40CW, so they're at the wrong house anyway.
Good night and Prayers for those in need.
Large glass of cool lemon water, please & thanks.
***Jeffrey, she just wanted to make sure that first spot really was the best for it. Hope your back eases up soon.
***Sam, congrats on your NORAC Qualified Student Engineer status.
***Philip, that was a tough test...took my brain almost an entire millisecond to determine the correct answer.
***Jim, Ray, thanks. She will work only two days a week with very long hours but excellent pay plus benefits.
Well, tomorrow I'll give some of those posts a try and see if they'll come up by hand. If not, I'll cut them down at ground level with the chainsaw.
Good Night all. Rob
Good evening, Chloe? a bucket of that unique coffee please and thankyou.
JimRCGMOit arrived (Monday, I believe it was). Thanks! How'd the school board meeting (or is that beating?) go?
JIM: Good deal! I tried to send you an e-mail or two via the Kalmbach system...never could tell if it went through or not. The regular monthly meeting of the board of directors of the Clear Creek Amana Community School District...went surprisingly well. In fact, they closed up shop early for once! I've only got one article coming out of this one. A proposed change in graduation requirements has gotten some folk's knickers in a bit of a twist. The high school kiddees still have to have 56 credits, but some proposed changes in the social studies requirements are causing a fuss. Instead of the 8 credits currently, they would only need 6, with 2 additional credits of electives...many of which can be found in the social studies offerings. The board was split 4-3 in favor on the second reading (first was last month while I was covering a joint meeting of the conservation board and board of supervisors for Johnson County). Next month "should" be the third and final reading...and probable action. Arguments against state the kids are getting short-changed in social studies. Arguments for state the kids will have more choices, with some being able to pursue other classes more in line with their future studies in college...if they don't want the other soc. stud. electives.
Doesn't seem like a big deal to me... looks OK on paper. But, I'm just a scribbler...not an opinion writer.
JEFF: Given any thought to sticking the CAT logo on your U30C-REM-1-whichever/whatever??
As for the discussion about book-length instruction manuals... I'm all for keeping things as simple and uncomplicated as possible.
With the prototype/rivet counting stuff: I try to strike a ballance. I want my CNW motive power and freight cars to "look right," but won't get my knickers twisted if say...a covered hopper has a slightly different hatch on top than the real one, or if my Athearn GP-7's hood is a scale foot wider than the real one. An absolute foobie? Now THAT bugs me. Then again, I've got a Ridgely and Midland County boxcar in the fleet...and of course that was Tony Koester's road. I had a heckuva time trying to figure out how to justify it on my future layout, figuring out what would be headed for Cedar Rapids from his neck of the woods. I came up with paper products going to either Longview Fibre, or the Weyerhauser plant, both making cardboard containers, both on the CCP.
Hmmmm. Maybe I'm more of a "rivet counter" than I give myself credit for. Do any of you "pre-justify" a car or locomotive purchase? What I mean is, unless it's a home road car (CNW), I try to figure out a rationale for it's existence in my future, as yet unbuilt world. A case in point: I got a McKean boxcar off "the Bay." It's a USLX lease fleet car, with a little Kellog's logo and "Leased to Kellog's" marked on it. I figure, it can be justified as a load of Corn Flakes, etc. going from their distribution facility, to the Nash Finch warehouse (on the CCP). Since that would be in the un-modeled, off-layout part of my world...I'd be able to put the car in the transfer from CNW to the CCP yard. In other words...I couldn't just buy the darn thing because I liked the looks of it.
Am I nuts?
*yawn*
Time to get a caffine bolus onboard...and start writing this article for THAT editor. Deadline for the week is tomorrow, thanks to Memorial Day. If all goes well, I "should" have it wrapped up and filed (via e-mail) by....0300
G'night...
JimRCGMO Thanks, Morgan, PC, Ray and Jeff - you reminded me that I need to get a package of my single-purpose generic OTC antihistamine. For me, it doesn't leave me groggy like that all-purpose/shotgun approach ones do. I do think that this year's season isn't toooooo bad around here (so far).
Thanks, Morgan, PC, Ray and Jeff - you reminded me that I need to get a package of my single-purpose generic OTC antihistamine. For me, it doesn't leave me groggy like that all-purpose/shotgun approach ones do. I do think that this year's season isn't toooooo bad around here (so far).
The rain has been beating the pollen out of the air so far. If we get a dry spell, it'll get bad now that the plants are "well watered".
Evening All...Not much rail roading today..just stopped in for a diet coke..You all have a good nite...Jerry
howmusGalaxy and Barry one of my mixer manuals makes great reading. Every time it starts to get dry they insert some totally off the wall remark in it that has you really giggling. They do remind you that if all else fails, read the directions....... Some of the pro software I use tells you not to read the manual as it is way more in depth than you need to know. If you are having trouble, then go look it up. What I like are the idiot proof ones like on the new mower I just bought. Did you know that if you put your hands or feet under the running mower you could get injured? WOW! I never would have thought of that!
I had one like that for my LG250 phone--lotsa pages---1/2 of which is all cautions and warnings---so maybe they're not all that bad?---do you think ---maybe?---kindasorta?
I have my old instructions for the VRS from, I think it was, Cubase. Being a Virtual Recording Studio it had all the main features of a recording studio but, supposedly without all the dang wiring and effects boards and what all else. I just bull headed my way through the thing and within the first week was at the point I could get some dang thing out on CD. We still have that on another computer here at home--still as good for what it can do. And the manual? Still as unread---
JimRCGMOJeff, good job on the latest loco rebuild from Sundown Loco Rebuilders. Well, those yellow shades kinda make a statement, but what the heck...
Evenin' folks!
Well the MLK Dinner is history. The speaker was Impressive! He is one of our scholarship winners from 3 years ago. He was a kid who started life in the inner city of Newark New Jersey, Got accepted to the Newark Boy Choir School and came with the Choir to Geneva, NY for a concert when he was a 6th. grader. The following summer he went to an Episcopal Church Camp that was run by the Rector of the Episcopal Church he sang at here in Geneva. He was introduced to a music teaching couple who are from Geneva at the camp. They invited him to come live with them and go to school here. His Parents (Father is a minister in Newark) agreed to have him live here to get him in a better environment. By the time he was a senior he was singing both in school and at the church, was a lead in several musicals and plays. He also established himself as a very charismatic student leader. As a Junior at Hobart College he has also established himself as a leader of the student body and works for the president of the University's office. Tonight he once again established himself as a charismatic statesman as he addressed this years group of scholarship winners as well as most of the leaders of the Geneva community (including the mayor, most of the city council, the Superintendent of Schools and several assistants, many teachers, ministers, and all the rest of us). All I can say is WOW! Life is fun when you get to a part of things like this.
LSWrrHave you ever thought about teaching what you learned in the music field?
Uhm, well I taught music for 32 years (K - College) ... Does that count? I figure there is a time for everything under the heavens....... Hmm sounds like a song I know. To quote a phrase, "What a long strange trip its been". I have had a wonderful career, and thoroughly have enjoyed destroying my hearing. Now it's time to move on to a new chapter. There is still a whole lot of things that I want to do like hang gliding..... May not get to do that, but you get the idea. I have told the crew at school that I would be glad to come in and train people to do the job.
Rob congrats to the wife on getting the job. Hope it is a dream job!
Galaxy and Barry one of my mixer manuals makes great reading. Every time it starts to get dry they insert some totally off the wall remark in it that has you really giggling. They do remind you that if all else fails, read the directions....... Some of the pro software I use tells you not to read the manual as it is way more in depth than you need to know. If you are having trouble, then go look it up. What I like are the idiot proof ones like on the new mower I just bought. Did you know that if you put your hands or feet under the running mower you could get injured? WOW! I never would have thought of that!
Hope all of you have a great night!
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Evening, Chloe - I'll have a cup of coffee in a D&RGW mug, with an oatmeal raisin cookie please. Thanks!
Galaxy, how many more loads to the curb (and weeks) before you get most all of your 'stuff' cleared away, wouldja guess? (Just trying to figure how many loads I might need at my place, allowing that we have 6 or 7 other apartments 'sharing' the smaller dumpster at the back of our parking lot...) And your comments on 'instruction' manuals (now THERE'S and oxymoron!) - Hilarious! But true!
Jeff, good job on the latest loco rebuild from Sundown Loco Rebuilders. Well, those yellow shades kinda make a statement, but what the heck...
Ray, sorry to hear about your having to give up the music recording/editing, but being able to hear the grandkids' things (at school or otherwise) would take priority for me, too.
On the whole rivet-counter subject, I do know that if I have a question about "how" (not "is or isn't it?") the prototype in my era would look like or do something, I'll ask the r-c's. But then I'll apply my ol' "windage" factor to their answer, in terms of "How much trouble would it be to make it that way, vs. what's MY acceptable level of effort/pickiness?" I only figure I have so much time to put into the layout (and have a real life away from MRR'ing... GASP! - HERESY!!). So there are my limits, y'know. I do not want to turn into a perfectionist (again) about my model railroading, for sure!
Barry -
Eric - LOVE your 'disclaimer' about the S-7 deal!
Oh, Chris - it arrived (Monday, I believe it was). Thanks! How'd the school board meeting (or is that beating?) go?
Mark - politics? What politics?
Careful, Robby, or the wife'll have you sleeping out there in the MIL bed and her in the house.
JR, good to hear that some actual w**k and progress is being made on your house. Hopefully, you'll be able to move in a few years before you retire, right?
Corey, that sounds like a wise choice to delay on the car decision, until you know some more about how finances might be.
Packer, nice GP35 (and a nice price).
Galad - better make those persuasive arguments (if you want to avoid chaning to Z scale, anyway...) Congrats on the house, though!
Rob - great to hear about your wife's new job (and hope it pays a good enough wage, and doesn't require so many hours that she's tuckered out by the time she gets home, too).
Trainman Sam - I think (as Galaxy pointed out...) there's probably a 300+ page manual for those brakes... And welcome back!
Attaboy - good planning ahead on the heat pump installation(s). And congrats on being that close to retirement; now, don't start listening to our (already-retired) ORF's in the Diner, or they'll talk you out of that retirement thing.
Now Dick and Jeff, you do realize Fergie's gonna be after you for using 'his' word.
Not much going on for me today - except about four of my clients didn't show up. Luckily, 2 (or 3?) of them were follow-up appointments, so I didn't even have to write any documentation for those.
'Bout time for me to head for home. Take care of yourselves, Diners.
Blessings and prayers,
Jim in Cape Girardeau
grayfox1119That was quite an accident in Texas, a bridge caught fire, one locomotive all burned to toast, Flip sent me the photos, what a mess!!
For you Rob......
A Test..........
Are your In-Laws crazy?
You passed!
Good evening, another great day weatherwise here in Central NE. Tomorrow it is due to hit near 90F, and we are planting the garden. The threat of any frost is nil at this point, and we are on a high hill where frost is highly unlikely. I am trying desperately to get all the outside work done so that I can get back to the layout.
That was quite an accident in Texas, a bridge caught fire, one locomotive all burned to toast, Flip sent me the photos, what a mess!!
Later guys ,
JimRCGMOBest wishes, including on converting the garage space for the layout - does the garage have heat and air conditioning?
Best wishes, including on converting the garage space for the layout - does the garage have heat and air conditioning?
Jim, the garage doesn't have climate control yet. I'm going to add a room this summer for a model workshop. When I retire in November I'm taking enough cash from my pension fund for some home maintenance including a heat pump in the garage. I had a geothermal heat pump installed in the house last fall and had the contractor make the ground loop big enough for both. The layout room itself will be 27 feet 4 inches by 23 feet.
Hello everyone,
Man, it feels like forever since I got into the neighborhood, and don't ya know, I had to ask the dispatcher where the Diner moved to! I hope and pray that everyone is doing well... I am proud to say that I am officially a NORAC Qualified, Student Engineer!!! I did not realize the complexity of Railroad Air Brake Systems... geez... My mind is spinning from all the info that has been thrown my way this week...
Chloe, may I please have a LARGE coffee in a NH&I mug? Oh, didn't realize I took it home the last time I was here... then can I have it in my ever ready backup mug? That's right, the NJ Transit one!!! Thanks... BTW is there still a menu here? Or has that been retired from service?
Any how, I will be in the back booth, got a TON of studying to do...
My thoughts and prayers are with all of you! Please pray for me as my 1A final is in a week or so...
May God Bless you and yours!
Sam
May He bless you, guide you, and keep you safe on your journey through life!
I Model the New Hope & Ivyland RR (Bucks County, PA)
galaxy My cell phone manual has 175 pages to it {granted it is small in size so fewer words on the pages}. Why? Its a phone!!!! I want a phone for emergency purposes, I do not want to text, access the internet, take pics {It does not access the 'net nor does it have a camera in it}, OR let it change the oil in my van or have it clean my house for me!! {WELL- MAYBE it could clean my house for me}. Should be simple for a simple phone for simple humans to operate. The more complicated an item/manual gets the less interested I can be. Take a vehicle. I do not want it to open doors for me, I do not want to be restricted to PAYING for satellite radio or the onboard cell phones in it. I want it to get me from point A to point B safely. And I have a GPS already {far cheaper than the onboard version}.
My cell phone manual has 175 pages to it {granted it is small in size so fewer words on the pages}. Why? Its a phone!!!! I want a phone for emergency purposes, I do not want to text, access the internet, take pics {It does not access the 'net nor does it have a camera in it}, OR let it change the oil in my van or have it clean my house for me!! {WELL- MAYBE it could clean my house for me}. Should be simple for a simple phone for simple humans to operate.
The more complicated an item/manual gets the less interested I can be.
Take a vehicle. I do not want it to open doors for me, I do not want to be restricted to PAYING for satellite radio or the onboard cell phones in it. I want it to get me from point A to point B safely. And I have a GPS already {far cheaper than the onboard version}.
I had to quote that all because you do hit some points that do, at times, get me. My cell phone is one that I do IM a lot on and can post pix with--lousy pix, but they work for what I need it for right now--The OP who posted the question on the Electronics/DCC forum seemed, to me, to be carrying it just a little much though. You seem to be able to do what you want the dang things you got to do --but he made it sound like no one was able to do anything with them. My NCE Powercab did have a large manual but I got the thing to do what I wanted without too much squabbling---does that make me an engineer? I sure hope not!!--of course, most of the time I just sort of push the button and run for cover Then write my own notes on what happened.
I usually learn in a hands on form anyway so the manual is used for a back up AFTER I do the deed and discover that, yes, sometimes it is easier to just read the dang instructions. It does make one wonder though---Me, I'd rather be driving a car that I can fix myself---now? We are in BIG troubles---
We made the dang car so complicated and now dealerships are dropping out like flies---boy--one hand I see opportunity. OTOH though, a lot of yeeesh
Good Afternoon/Evening
I got home from a busy day and see a lot of conversation about taxes and such. I only pay through the nose so what else is new. If one combines all the federal/state/provincial/sales/municipal/school/and don't get me started on health premiums and what all--there is a small--almost microscopic amount left for food, clothing, heat, hydro---I'm surprised we even have enough for MRR'ing---gee--do you think it's time for another "MRR is expensive" thread?--Nah--that'll rile a few people up---'scuse me --I'm getting piculous---
So, Chloe, can you get me a Rib eye steak--medium rare, with all the trimmings--an SRP with a RBF please
So, again. As I sit meself down to dinner---I'll be in the corner booth watching the trains---no, Chloe. I'll just get myself--thanks---
Didn't do much this morning. Got some laundry done then took the truck into town to pick up a couch table for my mother. I then had to get the thing into her house and situated where she wanted it. Ever place furniture for a woman? 'It doesn't look good there, move it over there', 'No, it doesn't look good there either. Move it over there'. After about a half hour it was in a place where it looked good. The first place it had been in! That was this morning. I'm still waiting for my back to stop hurting!