GammaGlobulin

Frogs are like canaries in the coal mine. When the canary dies, miners never cry over a dead bird.

Two weeks ago, my housekeeper found a dead frog in our kitchen. Strangely enough, neither she nor I shed a tear.

If it's rebuttals that makes your day, Then why not just post your face on Tinder? Few girls, THESE days, are willing to kiss a frog.

Instead of asking stupid questions about desperation.... You should more profitably spend your time seeking your Susan. Might turn out to be more enjoyable for you.

Desperate, you say? Did you ever have the opportunity to see a Splendid Poison frog just before it became extinct? If so, did this Splendid Poison frog seem desperate to you? Of course not! Why? Well... EVERYBODY knows that when you put a frog in a pot, and then gradually turn up the heat... They are just too stupid to jump out, even to save themselves. Therefore, how would you know if you should feel fine, or feel desperate, at this present moment? Or, maybe you don't care? Yes.. I thought so.

Absolutely not...of course. It's just a matter of interest, need, and ability. I know of a guy who runs a major corporation who cannot touch type. Instead, he uses DRAGON, and gets more done in a day than most guys accomplish in a week. Still, if one plans to do much writing, either for academic purposes, or for pleasure, then TOUCH TYPING is the way to go. And... Touch Typing is simple to learn. All you need is TIME ON TASK.

No worries! Bard has this solution for you, but you will need to check the attached PDF file to get Bard's answer. (You see, I have already promised myself that I will....NEVER...post any AI garbage on TV. Still, I will attach Bard's reply for you, to this comment.) ((The commenter posted, as he himself stated, a "Worthless Contribution", and so, now, he gets a Worthless Solution from Bard.)) TV FRIEND CocoCola Problem.pdf

One can only presume that you are using a laptop. If this is the case, then please check behind your laptop for a keyboard port. After you determine what kind of socket you have, then just go out and buy a very cheap keyboard, and plug it into your laptop. And then, all will be right with your world. Also, it's obvious to me that your new keyboard is slippery, since you misspelled slippery, and typed SLIPPY, instead. Also, a goner is Now, my friend, you cannot expect me to take your comment SURIOUSLY, right? Still: Thank you VERY MUCH for your comment, because... Google's BARD is really good at helping people to solve problems. And so, I would urge you to talk to BARD, instead of me. AND, let this be a good lesson to ALL of us. There is NO LONGER any need to remain in the dark about such simple issues as the one broached by this commenter. (Also, who or what is forcing you to use your laptop?)

Obviously, it's almost impossible to do any detailed editing work, or original writing, just by utilizing speech-recognition software. As you say, for any serious academic work, fast touch-typing is surely a must.

And, Freddie, You have such great T I T S & A S S !

I really do not know how to put this delicately, without punning, but: Freddie Mercury, during his too-short life, provide so much pleasure to so many millions, and for FREE! And not only in the bathhouses, but he provided pleasure anywhere and everywhere he could find it. Years ago, I sent Freddie's Vacuum song to my old (80+) friend in NYC, a Linguistics Prof at Columbia. He loved it. Freddie, in my opinion, was not cheap. He was FREE! I have watched the Vacuum Song, over and over, maybe a million times, during the past many years. Each and every time, I find myself tickled PINK, all over again. Truly, I love this guy. But, as you can see, I think he needed some dental work, because I detect a bit of receding gums here. Love you, Freddie. Rock On. Nobody will ever be able to replace you.

Dear Fellow TV Typists, Recently, as recently as this morning, there has been some discussion concerning computer keyboards and the effect, if any, that different types of keyboards might have on typing speed. BUT, this is not the subject of our discussion on this OP. We are ONLY concerned, here, with the questions: How Fast Can You Type, and, Does it Matter Now? So then.... AA. Does touch typing matter these days, given that we now have access to great voice-recognition software such as DRAGON? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_NaturallySpeaking) BB. What is your touch-typing speed, anyway? As for me, I am a very slow touch-typist, maybe about 55 to 65 WPM, on a good day. I first learned touch typing when I was not yet sweet sixteen. At that time, even before I could type, I had my eye on an electric Olympia, EXACTLY the same as this: This is an office model, 'ELECTRIC SGE 40/33', and not particularly light weight, probably about 60 pounds or more, basically half my weight at that age. This thing probably also cost 50 pounds, sterling, in 1965. Also, this is an Olympia, which is a German manufacturer. Back in the day, having your own German OFFICE typewriter in your bedroom was rather cool. NOBODY had one. Nobody. At the time, and at such a tender age, I could manage almost 40 WPM, after a bit of practice. CC. But is it important to know how to touch type these days? Maybe NOT! As you can see here, these CalTech students look just too bored to do much touch typing. DD. Well then what about the Chinese (or dedicated Asian) students? This college student is just so cute the way she explains her strategy for touch typing SUPER FAST: Very Frankly speaking, this video TRULY did bring a tear to my eye. Why? I think it was her optimism and her belief in the GOODNESS of our world, which is TOTALLY a false belief. I also believe that it is only through young talented people such as she that we might find hope for the future in this world of our own making. EE. But WHO is the guy who LOOKS LIKE the fastest typist in the world? This is the guy! Anybody with a beard, typing so fast...just looks strange. Still, he’s cool, too! FF. What is the best strategy, for old geezers, to either learn touch typing, or improve their touch typing skills? Unfortunately, the best DOS-based typing tutor program that ever existed has now disappeared from this world. I know because I have looked for it. So now, you might need to use a web-based typing tutor. All the newer iterations are JUNK compared to the simple and effective DOS typing-tutor program originally purchasable for about USD10.00, in 1990. Also, most guys on this forum probably don’t even know what DOS is, and so no LOSS! Anyway, if any of you SEPTUAGENARIANS plan on soon entering the IT sector, then you best brush up on your touch typing skills, is my advice. Just from my experience interacting with the geriatric guys on this forum, it is highly likely that MOST of these guys can’t tell an OPEN BRACE from a CLOSED BRACKET. And, neither do they know a CARET from a CARROT from a CARAT, unless they found one between their legs, all shriveled up, for some reason. So then, my hat’s off to you guys who are my age! FF. Do YOU Know a great FREE Typing-Tutor Software that can be downloaded to a PC? If so, then please list your suggestions. Thank you. Regards, Gambling Goblin

Thank you! I really enjoyed reading your comment, just because I thought there was nobody left in this world, but me, who had used this console. Here is my observation about the WangAn keyboard... The keys were UNIQUE due to the slightly deeper concavity of each key. This concavity provided important tactile feedback which helped the typist maintain proper finger orientation while typing. I first used the WangAn keyboard in Taiwan, sometime around 1988, plus or minus one year. ==== I do not say that the WangAn computer was not slow. And, in 1988, while in Taiwan, I probably did not notice that the CRT was not as good as it should have been.

Freddie Mercury was so CHEAP. And Freddie was so GOOD. Even Logitech will never be able to compete with his CHEAPNESS and GOODNESS. And, ... Another one bites the dust... RIP, Dear Freddie He bit the dust, far too young.

Thank you. Please photograph your keyboard, and show it here, just as did I. We are always looking for the next reinvention of the wheel. By the way... I doubt you have ever tried typing on a Wang Laboratories console. If you had, then you would know what I'm talking about. If the heat sensitive touch screen is as good as you say... Then...please quote the evidence which proves what you say... Give us the numbers, please.... In terms of WPM in a typing contest... Tks!

Truth be told, I have used up quite a few Logitech keyboards of this kind... When just one of the TACT SWITCHES goes fluey, the entire keyboard is useless. BUT...these keyboards are extremely cheap. AND... I still consider them VERY RELIABLE. I will just continue to buy them. I LOVE them, in fact. Cheap and OK, but NOT GREAT. And so, if I had to write a song about my KEYBOARD OF CHOICE, then I would sing it, ... sort of like this: CHEAP and GOOD like QUEEN so cheap so good Rock ON!

No harm intended, I assure you. The only reason I asked this question is because.... HP used to produce calculators, almost exclusively, for calculation based on RPN. And, THIS is the reason I ALWAYS purchased HP calculators, just because those guys used RPN. THEN, more recently, past three decades, maybe, HP caved. And now, HP is not different from TI, in this respect. Anyway, scientific calculators are already provided as free apps for your phone. If you have an android phone, then you might look at this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.efalk.rpncalc&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1 But don't install it unless it looks good to you. There is, as I recall, a better calculator app that allows you to switch back and forth from RPN to Algebraic mode. In my opinion, HP calculators are great. And, RPN is the fastest for complex calculations.

I have a respectful question, Big Bird. What do you know about the present-day reputation of Rudyard Kipling in Singapore? The only reason I ask is because I just want to know your view concerning the white man's burden. Would you say that we must still endure and bear this heavy burden, at any cost?

These days, do you prefer Reverse Polish Notation (RPN)?

In 1967, I had an ultra-long slide rule made of fine wood and ivory, maybe 18 inches in length. This slide rule originally belonged to my grandfather who was a chemical engineer. (One thing I soon learned is that a very long slide rule is NOT more accurate than a standard slide rule. Also, I had several very small slide rules.) The LARGEST slide rule I have ever seen was the slide rule used for teaching purposes, probably about 7 feet long and 1 foot wide, attached to the wall of our classroom. Thank you for the memory!

Speaking of glass: I still disagree with you that glass does not act, in some circumstances, and in some ways, as a supercooled fluid. You stated, rigidly, that glass is an amorphous solid, and that glass does not exhibit many of the same properties of a supercooled liquid. OK. Let it pass. Because, I was speaking, as you recall, about the grinding of glass, and NOT about the behavior of antique, colored window glass on some ancient church. As for computing in Australia, I cannot say much, because there is really probably not much to say. But let me say this: In 1973, I was here... And, in my day, we had no need to fool with PAPER TAPE. We had girls running around changing vacuum tubes, instead. The vacuum tubes would burn out quickly, and there were THOUSANDS of them. On some days, the girls would work a double shift just changing their vacuum tubes. As I recall, the room that held ENIAC was located at the front-right corner of this building you see. It was a HUGE room, if I recall correctly. And, in fact, this room remained vacant until I left Moore's in 1973/74, just a dusty black room, people seldom entered. At the time, this building seemed dumpy and dusty and run-down, even. Those were the days before computing became such a moneymaker. At that time, learning assembly language was a bit strange. Those were the days before hexadecimal became so popular, as it is now. Most computing we did was batch processing using the trusty IBM cards. And, I wonder just how many IBM cards were ever used before computing finally changed??? One Trillion? All that I can say is that those IBM Punch Card Machines were PERFECTLY built and a true engineering marvel. Those IBM keyboards were a pleasure to use, compared to what I am now typing on, produced by Logitech, just cheap disposable plastic, and of a quality not even fit to hold Ramen Noodles. Also, if one were lucky, it was sometimes possible to get a date with the girls who changed the vacuum tubes on our computers at The Moore School. You just needed to offer them a cooling fan, and then they would be willing to talk to you. Those girls really got overheated changing vacuum tubes inside the computer.

Hmmm... If you truly are a on-finger typist... Then,... have I got a NOTE4 to sell you! I am surprised that you never even tried your hand using a DEC-10 computer console... Where I was, in 1973, these were a dime a dozen. At that time, in Philly, there was a lot of main-frame sharing going on between institutions, as I recall. You must now be a spring chicken if your first computer experience was on a home computer. The Amstrad home computer was not released until about the early 1980's. That was the time when John Travolta was doing....

Friends, Have you ever considered just how many tact switches have bitten the dust, solely due to your millions of comments on social media? I know that I have. Here is an image of a tact switch, just in case you might not know. Can you even imagine the amount of abuse this tiny thing endures, day after day, as you post away? Truly, it’s surprising that these little tact switches last as long as they do. I still recall when the VERY BEST tact switches were used on mainframe computer consoles. I especially loved the WANG LABORATORIES COMPUTER console keyboards for their mini-computers. That was a long time ago. But you could type super fast, and super accurately, on a WANG AN (王安) console, as I recall. Actually, the best keyboard I ever used was the IBM Keypunch Machine keyboard.. The above is what I used to use, anytime I wanted to communicate with the IBM 360/370. Such a beautiful piece of equipment. And, no doubt, many of you still remember sitting down in front of it, from time to time, while debugging your Fortran. It was no joke that those keyboards never broke. Ergonomically speaking, my all-time favorite keyboard is still the WangAn (王安) console keyboard, which increased my typing speed by at least 10 percent. So anyway, how many keyboards have you destroyed on this forum? And, what is your favorite keyboard for typing on TV? Tactfully yours, Regards, Glob Note: If you know what it feels like to type on an IBM 360/370 console, then you are an antique, as well.

I cannot believe I neglected to attach this article promised in my previous comment concerning the effect of GAMMA irradiation on the viability of resistant bacteria from THAILAND. So, sorry. Here it is,... and now attached. EFFECT OF GAMMA IRRADIATION ON VIABILITY OF RESISTANT BACTERIA.pdf