->  -> My first PC rolled in about '90. Before that, a C=64, 
->  -> and mom's c/pm. Just when
->  -> modems came out with Fax-ability, I picked up my first 
->  -> 2400, and there was no
->  -> turning back. I sysoped myself when Suprex offered a sysop deal for V.FC
->  -> modems, and I ran that BBS until Y2K.

->  WC> Well actually my FIRST was a RCA 1802 based computer I hand wire
->  WC> wrapped around 1975 or so.
->  WC> Pretty lame but it worked.

-> WOA! A mentor I knew wave-soldered together a - I think it was - 286, but
-> you're the first I've heard to have wire-wound a 'puter.

Ran at a blazing 1 MHz and STILL you picked up echos of
adjacent data lines on an oscilliscope.
Top speed 6.4 MHz and this processor ( radiation hardened version)
was actually used in the first Mars lander with some primitive
artificial intelligence due to the radio lag.

->  -> I was surprised how RH almost encourages people to run 
->  -> as root. No, 'Setup New
->  -> User Account' at the install, and no nags, besides a 
->  -> third party reminder on
->  -> the help screen so far.

->  WC> No nags on my knoppix either.

-> The day after I wrote, RH expired my root account! Had I not *just* made both
-> normal accounts more powerful, I guess I'd have had to re-install.

->  ->  WC> Don't need to. Defrag the hard drive and run Linux
fdisk from the
->  ->  WC> command line apportioning at least 4 Gig to Knoppix.
->  ->  WC> To save configs there's a option to save them to even
a small Linux
->  ->  WC> partitio or do the complete install.
->  
->  -> You mean Partition Magic, or some such? fdisk will not 
->  -> retain old partitions.

->  WC> There's a partial partion magic in the old Peanut Linux zip file I've
->  WC> here but you can create new partitions with a n command in Linux
->  WC> just be sure to give any existing partition a bit of space. 

-> I'll be... You can just shrink the existing partition, and not delete it? As
-> you say, you'd have to 'defrag' it if it was a FAT volume first.

No, that's wrong, overtired.
You CAN do it with FIPS non-detructive file partitioning.
Version 1 for 16 bit FAT, FIPS20.zip for FAT 32.
Defrag, read the docs, make a boot disk, unzip FIPS to the disk
and off you got.
There's a -t switch that copies your boot sector without
altering it and this has saved me several times.
Restorrb returns the original partitioning scheme to 
whichever stored copy you chose.

->  -> My house is about a quarter of a mile or more from the 
->  -> bus stop. Two years ago,
->  -> I stopped taking pain killers, and I think I took the 
->  -> car out four times in the
->  -> following twelve-months.

->  WC> I'm right on the bus line, have to be.

-> I could imagine. (Spoken with *some* authority.) I almost applied for a taxi
-> service the city offers that would allow me to ride for $5 to anywhere in the
-> city limits.

There'a a disabled taxi medicare voucher and disabled van here as well
but the waits would kill me, then pride, then not being in the best
of neighborhoods I try not to advertize my disability and so become a
mark for a mugging.

->  ->  WC> At least you can still drive.

-> At times, I have to ask if I am being safe doing so. So far, so good though.
-> Like I say, when dropping the narcotics from the diet, and also when I first,
-> 'called in sick' for work, there wasn't a whole lot-a oil changes being done.
-> When I had to go somewhere during those times, it was a SLOW go to be sure.

->  -> My car gets 50 miles per gallon! Four wheel drive too, not
just one. <-;

->  WC> My last bike had 120 H.P. at the rear wheel and got a lousy
->  WC> 34 MPG.

-> That's about twice the advertised HP of the sewing-machine of an engine I tool
-> around in.  Just 

They're packing 146 H.P. into 1100 cc machines these days!!!
Interesting URL for crazy attractive biker lady and
Chernobyl:
www.kiddofspeed.com

-> about time for the scrap heap for that one.

->  WC> I was going to detune it but the wreck eliminated that project :-(

-> Now, that would be done by leaning the fuel-air mixture? Wouldn't that build up
-> carbon in the cylinder heads?

Exactly the opposite.
As was I had to do "Italian tuneups" on it on a regular basis or it'd
be a dog to start and run smooth. 
With that high lift cam and oversized jets fuel just poured into the
combustion chambers.

Just doing around town driving I carried a brass wire brush to
clean the carbon off the plugs regularly.

I was going to replace the high lift camshaft with a more stock item,
rejet the carbs down a size and replace the tuned 4 into oone exhast
with the stock pair of 2 into ones on either side.
Added benefit of latter far better cornering clearance
on right turns.

I'd lose 10 H.P. or a tad more, gain gas mileage and cornering
clearance.

Just hitting the throttle on that beast had you holding onto te bars
for dear life or you'd be off the bike.
First two weeks with it I had to learn how to keep from lofting the
front wheel which was odd as 72 percent of the bike's weight was shifted
forward to it.
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