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March 2020 Trains Needs a Better Photo Caption Writer!

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Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, February 26, 2020 7:46 AM

Paul of Covington

 

 
Deggesty
(I raised 100 baby chicks to get to do that)

 

   Did you listen to radio station XERF in Del Rio, TX?   I remember they used to advertise "100 baby chicks."   I believe their transmitter was across the border, hence the call letters, and was far more powerful than any US station.

 

No, Paul, the only foreign stations I heard were short wave broadcasters. My chicks came from Sears--and the money from the sale of hens at the county fair went to Sears. 

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Posted by MMLDelete on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 11:36 PM

I've never learned to type, really. I can't do it without looking. I am fairly quick, though, using two fingers on my left hand, three of the right.

On my phone I use only my right pinky.

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 10:43 PM

Deggesty
(I raised 100 baby chicks to get to do that)

   Did you listen to radio station XERF in Del Rio, TX?   I remember they used to advertise "100 baby chicks."   I believe their transmitter was across the border, hence the call letters, and was far more powerful than any US station.

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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 8:51 PM

Most of the boys in my public school lived on farms--and most of them took Vocational Agriculture; Home Economics was the girls' course. I think Home Ec was, like Vocational Ag, a credit and a half each year--in two class periods each day for two years. Two other boys and I took the science curriculum--two years of algebra, physics, plane geometry. and chemistry. To fill in the additonal hour, I took two years of French (and used it when I was in Quebec City more than fifty yearrs later). 

I did go to 4H camp the summer after the sixth grade (I raised 100 baby chicks to get to do that), and to Forestry Camp four (I think) years later after the local Forestry Ranger (the uncle of a classmate) talked with the man in the county who was responsible for selecting some of the campers. I appreciated rhose opportunites that were available to a town boy.

Typing? I learned it on my own--which may may evident. I appreciate the ease of correcting when using a computer.Smile

Johnny

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 8:42 PM

My high school didn't have a "college track," but a typing course was offered and those planning on going to college were strongly advised to take it, although no one was going to force you.  It was more a case of "If you're going to college, you'd better learn to type, 'cause you're really going to need to know how!"  

I guess it's pretty analogous to being computer-literate now. 

As I recall, the class mix was 60-40, girls and boys.  Glad I took it, let me tell you!

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 8:29 PM

York1
In high school in the late 60s, my high school made everyone in the college track take typing. 

Typing was part of the "secretarial track," if you want to call it that.  Hence the almost all-girl attendance.

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Posted by York1 on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 8:13 PM

Expressman's Kid
I taught myself to type in the 8th grade. 

tree68
I took typing in 10th grade - the class was almost all girls.

 

In high school in the late 60s, my high school made everyone in the college track take typing.  (College track -- I haven't thought about that description in long time.)

At the time, I hated it, but I was, and still am, very thankful.  It's pretty amazing that I can still type pretty well without ever looking at the keyboard.

The one thing I didn't learn that I wish I had was the numerical keypad.

York1 John       

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Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 7:32 PM

Expressman's Kid
...mostly because of my typing skill. 

Indeed - I remember when "keyboarding" classes were all the rage, and so very necessary.

I took typing in 10th grade - the class was almost all girls.   It was rather like guys taking home ec - quite rare.  I was probably thought of just that much less by others account having taken it.

Even though I actually failed one marking period, and never really reached the desired WPM, the class remains probably one of the most valuable that I took in high school.  I guess I had some fortuitous foresight.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Expressman's Kid on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 7:12 PM

York1

In college in the early 70s, I made quite a bit of money typing papers for students.  I charged 15¢ a page.  I could do 5 - 6 pages an hour, depending on footnotes, etc.

Of course, the college bar charged 15¢ for a glass of draft beer.  Funny how that worked out.

 

Oh My Gosh York 1!

I did the same thing.  I charged 50 cents/page for spelling and grammar corretions.

I taught myself to type in the 8th grade.  I used my friend's sister's typewriter and her high school typing text book.  My first job after college was as a clerk-typest.  It was the only job opening at the time.  Six months later I was promoted to a managerial position.  When personal computers came along, I was one of the few in magagement that could use one, mostly because of my typing skill.  Within ten years the clerk-typest positions were gone because management were given computers.  My peers who could not type struggled which affected their job performance which was reflected in their compensation and promotions.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, February 23, 2020 11:38 AM

Then there's the old railroader's slang for potatoes, "Murphys."

And the stanza from the Northern Pacific's "Great Big Baked Potato Song..."

Oh you Great Big Baked Potato, you're Irish through and through,

The Great Big Baked Potato, it's really good for you!    

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, February 23, 2020 11:18 AM

Comes from the sense of 'pennant' as a house flag proudly flying the identity of a ship or signaling something.

The Irish often being perceived as sloppy, any loose piece of rigging or material 'flying like a pennant flag' would be deemed an "Irish pennant". 

Needlessly racist in our current PC climate, btw. 

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, February 23, 2020 10:48 AM

Well, when I was in the Marines an "Irish pennant" referred to a loose thread (or threads) hanging from the seam of a uniform shirt or trowsers.  To be trimmed off immediately, I should add!

I comes from the nautical slang term for a loose line or loose or untidy part of a sailing ship's rigging.

As far as Great Lakes mariners terms are concerned, since the lake boat crews came from the farms and towns along the lakes, and not from the seaports along the coasts, they developed their own nautical terms unique to the lakes.  

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Posted by 54light15 on Sunday, February 23, 2020 10:22 AM

Here's another sailing ship term I don't understand. "Irish pennant." Any ideas what it means? 

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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, February 23, 2020 7:44 AM

CSSHEGEWISCH

Just to keep things interesting, the Great Lakes have their own nautical terms distinct from salt water terms, the most obvious example is that a 1000' ore carrier is an ore boat.

"Lake boat" is a pretty universal term, along with "lakers."  Then there's the "salties."

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Sunday, February 23, 2020 6:54 AM

Just to keep things interesting, the Great Lakes have their own nautical terms distinct from salt water terms, the most obvious example is that a 1000' ore carrier is an ore boat.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, February 22, 2020 7:51 PM

BaltACD

 

 
54light15
So pulling on a rope quickly equates to making money? Hmm ...

 

It did for sailors - keeping the sail sheet at the optimum, kept the vessel sailing at its best speed for the conditions, handling the lines hand over fist to adjust the sail was the way it was done.  Matey! Rrrrrgggg!

 

Just as "bitter end" has a nautical meaning, "sheet" also has a nautical sense; on board a sailing vessel, sheets are not pieces of cloth; they are the ropes or lines used to work the sails. "Three sheets in the wind" when applied to a person means that the person is stumbling about, just as a sheet will flail about in the wind when one end is not secured.

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, February 22, 2020 5:37 PM

54light15
So pulling on a rope quickly equates to making money? Hmm ...

It did for sailors - keeping the sail sheet at the optimum, kept the vessel sailing at its best speed for the conditions, handling the lines hand over fist to adjust the sail was the way it was done.  Matey! Rrrrrgggg!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by 54light15 on Saturday, February 22, 2020 1:38 PM

So pulling on a rope quickly equates to making money? Hmm ...

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Posted by Ajsik on Saturday, February 22, 2020 8:22 AM

Overmod

Thanks for reminding me.

To which, of course, the currently accepted response is 'no problem'.

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Friday, February 21, 2020 12:01 AM

tree68
It comes from nautical roots - hauling on a rope you'd move your unencumbered hand over your fist to get a new handhold - "fist." Hand over fist. Of course, if you're raising a sail, etc, you'd want to do that quickly.

   Well I'll be dagnabbed!  I found out years ago that quite a few expressions come from nautical terms.  One that comes to mind is "all the way to the bitter end."  The bitt is a strong post at the bow that is used to make fast a mooring or anchor line.  When you drop anchor and let out the line, when you have let it all out, you have come to the bitter end. 

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Posted by BaltACD on Thursday, February 20, 2020 2:29 PM

Overmod
 

Would this refresh your memory?

My mother loved this show, and so did I.  Thanks for reminding me.

Excellent!  Different time, same lack of understandings.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, February 20, 2020 1:03 PM

tree68
An aside - Some years ago (quite some, actually) I was working with my cousins on a haying job.  I was on vacation, actually, but hanging with them also meant I brought home some money for said work.  After finishing up one day the group of us were headed back to our homes (on foot) and started to weave a group yarn.  Each of was a representative type from history/ancient times - warriors, etc.  The exact details escape me now...

Would this refresh your memory?

My mother loved this show, and so did I.  Thanks for reminding me.

 

 

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, February 20, 2020 12:45 PM

Deggesty
Yes, he is a ham--

Well, I do also volunteer at our local PBS station, and have been known to appear in front of the camera versus my usual spot behind it, as a camera operator...

Nothing like standing in front of a TV camera knowing there could be many thousands of viewers watching you...  In two countries (never mind the Internet presence).

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, February 20, 2020 10:03 AM

Paul of Covington

 

 
Lithonia Operator

Conductor, engineer, firefighter and typesetter. Renaissance man!

Impressive.

What else?

 

 

 

I believe he's also a ham.

 

Yes, he is a ham--but not the kind you eat.

I believe he is a member of the ARRL.

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, February 20, 2020 9:59 AM

Paul of Covington
Maybe Larry remembers.

Google is a wonderful thing...

It comes from nautical roots - hauling on a rope you'd move your unencumbered hand over your fist to get a new handhold - "fist."  Hand over fist.

Of course, if you're raising a sail, etc, you'd want to do that quickly.

Nowadays (as usual) it's all about money - hauling in money quickly.

An aside - Some years ago (quite some, actually) I was working with my cousins on a haying job.  I was on vacation, actually, but hanging with them also meant I brought home some money for said work.  After finishing up one day the group of us were headed back to our homes (on foot) and started to weave a group yarn.  Each of was a representative type from history/ancient times - warriors, etc.  The exact details escape me now, but I do recall that I was a scribe, writing history.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Paul of Covington on Thursday, February 20, 2020 1:36 AM

54light15
And just how does "He's making money hand over fist!" make any sense?

   It seems to me that that's backward like "head over heels."   "Fist over hand" makes a little more sense since one person holds the money in a closed fist and drops it into another's open hand.   Of course, the implication is that he's making money fast, and I don't know where the speed comes in.

   Maybe Larry remembers.

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 10:59 PM

Lithonia Operator

Conductor, engineer, firefighter and typesetter. Renaissance man!

Impressive.

What else?

Currently fire chief (41 years FF, around 15 with a white hat), EMT (38 years), ham (Amateur Extra), president of the county firefighters association, sit on the county fire/EMS advisory board, the regional EMS council, and the board of directors (and one of the founders) of the local not-for-profit ambulance, as well as being a trustee for one of the local amateur radio groups.

May sound great, but I have to keep a calendar so I know where I have to be tomorrow.  And there are days when I have to choose between two or three things.  A whole week without a meeting is a luxury.

 

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 10:39 PM

54light15

And just how does "He's making money hand over fist!" make any sense? As far as punctuation, what drive's me crazy is the wrong use of apostrophe's. I see it all the time. For example, a tire store near me had a sign that said (and I quote) Blow out sale on winter tire's. 

 

I feel's your pain's. It's worst during the holiday's. I get's cranky every time I see's a sign that say's "Toy's for tot's". Dunce's

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 10:16 PM

Lithonia Operator

Conductor, engineer, firefighter and typesetter. Renaissance man!

Impressive.

What else?

 

I believe he's also a ham.

_____________ 

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Posted by MMLDelete on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 9:16 PM

Conductor, engineer, firefighter and typesetter. Renaissance man!

Impressive.

What else?

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