My first brush with PDP-11's was a PDP-11/44. I learned BASIC, PL/I and COBOL on that sucker. Then I got hooked up with a retro computing group and what do they have but a plethora of PDP hardware. It's all based on things called Flip Chips. Tiny boards with discrete components on them.

So diagnosis and repair is pretty easy so long as the parts exist.

The drawing for a four bit adder. I also have the components but need to assemble the circuit boards, etc. Be fun to have a computer where you can follow the action again.

Switching to Linux. I've been looking at a new machine and they almost invariably have Windows 8. How anyone believe a tablet based OS is going to be effective on a standard laptop or desktop machine I don't know. Windows 8 is meant for a touch screen, not a mouse.

So I may just say fuck it, throw Ubuntu on a machine and kiss MS Office goodbye.

Anywhere I've ever been I left IMAP and POP3 on. That way users can choose whatever they like.

Because not for anything if you want to use Outlook to get you gmail it's simple as gmail does IMAP! The horrors! Pretty easy to setup on my phone too. And I'm an older I.T. worker.

I've been dealing with databases for near 20 years now. From Btrieve to dbase, to MS-SQL, Oracle, Postgres and my fave MySQL. SQL itself has a fairly simple syntax, it's the combinations of data from multiple tables that can get interesting, plus using sub-selects to do data analysis etc.

As to what accessed those databases it's everything from IIS server to Apache and even MS Access. That first and the latter requires a bit of understanding about database privileges and ODBC. Privileges kick in at the field, row and even table level.

Just study one of the open source database platforms like MySQL. That should get you in the door.

Is see if the PLC manufacturer supports newer hardware/software. I went through this in a few places. Ancient systems in place to do a specific function.

But where I could I replaced them with more modern hardware and software. Sometimes I'd have to write the software myself but it got done.

RI went paper ballot over 30 years ago. All you do is mark up the ballot then feed it to the scanner. Couldn't be easier. The only time it gets interesting is when we have a ballot like that we had in the 2012 election. There was a federal, state, city, and then referendum ballot and they were printed on BOTH sides. That confused a lot of people.

Is a minimum of Algebra I, maybe some Trig and Geometry. Otherwise not much. Calculus is NOT required.

I've known about this for a year or so. Friend of mine is a scientist working on testing cancer treatments using rats and mice.

She told me they introduce the genetic changes mostly through those adeno viruses. But this is pretty cool - you could have complete herd immunity in something you could buy over the counter.

All hospitals should encourage high level contamination and infection control procedures. All staff gloved/masked, etc. You'd stop 99.999% of the transmission of infection right there.

Yeah - I've had an extension cord rated for 20A break down at 15A draw. So even the rating is a little suspect.

Well - then you just build a GFCI into the thing and call it a day.

Personally I'd think a 20VDC outlet would satisfy power needs for most laptops out there. Or if you wanted to be really safe, require laptops to run on 5VDC. Then you could just use a USB style charger. Granted you'd have to up the current limit.

Is once the genie is out of the box, it's neigh impossible to get it back INTO the box. And legislation never helps.

I'm talking HERF here. Pretty hard to do EMI protection when you lack a real ground. Just fry the communications on the things and they'll cease to be a useful tool to the pigs that run them.