Back in the days of punch cards, I was working as an intern. There were several large trays of cards that were sitting untouched for a long time. I was told that two sets of unrelated data had accidentally been collated together into more-less-random order and no-one had come up with a way to separate them other than manually. As there were perhaps 20,000 cards the other operators were doing their best to ignore them.
While the others were at lunch, I looked them over. The most obvious difference was color, one set buff, and the other set blue. Then I noticed that one set had a corner-cut on the left and the other set on the right. Poking into the card sorter, I found I could loosen one of the metal hole sensing brushes and cock it to one side to sense the cut corner. In just a few minutes I had the two sets cleanly separated and back into separate trays.
When the others returned, I pointed to the result. They asked me how I had done this. I told them I had set up the sorter to sort on color and never did tell them the real story.
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Parts of my CP/M system date from 1979.
Was I the only one who would check out the Godbout ad for this? https://www.flickr.com/photos/...
Back in the days of punch cards, I was working as an intern. There were several large trays of cards that were sitting untouched for a long time. I was told that two sets of unrelated data had accidentally been collated together into more-less-random order and no-one had come up with a way to separate them other than manually. As there were perhaps 20,000 cards the other operators were doing their best to ignore them.
While the others were at lunch, I looked them over. The most obvious difference was color, one set buff, and the other set blue. Then I noticed that one set had a corner-cut on the left and the other set on the right. Poking into the card sorter, I found I could loosen one of the metal hole sensing brushes and cock it to one side to sense the cut corner. In just a few minutes I had the two sets cleanly separated and back into separate trays.
When the others returned, I pointed to the result. They asked me how I had done this. I told them I had set up the sorter to sort on color and never did tell them the real story.
I have a rhododendron in bloom outside my kitchen window. Normally it would be abuzz with bees. This year I see only houseflies and ants.
Soon to be released by Monsanto: Round-Up Ready farm workers
I still own some SCO stock, but I wish someone would just drive a stake through this.
I'm getting a drone ad on my slashdot page. Perhaps slashdot is guilty of commercial use of drones.
Which books did you read? Oh, all of them.
Must be Irish on his mother's side. Second X chromosome and mitochondrial DNA.
Aren't corporations people too?
And then there's the Bible.
Yes. The CIA performs the "wet work".
Don't worry. Be Happy. --- Bobby McFerrin
And then, there was Hopalong Cassidy.
I want a Telecrapper 2000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Then again, it might have gone the way of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter project.
It doesn't seem so long ago that people were asking me why anyone would want a home computer.
Radio Shack missed the boat on this one.
I've got a Wonder Woman figure beside my deceased wife's ashes. Am I in trouble?
Exactly right. I parked my Corvair in one of these in New York City in 1967.
Economists come in two varieties. Those that cozy up to those with the cash, and those with some concern for society as a whole.
Oh heck. Where are my mod points when I need them? This absolutely nails it.
Greenspan was in a position to do something about it but kept mum. My Econ degree is from Podunk U. but I saw it coming. These guys know.
I've got some tulip bulbs I'd like to sell to you.
It's OK. Most of these banjo fans spell Nobel Noble.