On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 08:18:10 -0700, Tim Wescott
wrote:

[snip]
I used to know a guy who had worked at a company that made estimator
pads for log scalers -- had keys to enter all the parameters, an LCD
screen, microprocessor, the whole nine yards. The first time he went to
check it with a _real_ log scaler this old coot stepped out of the
shack, looked at an entire load of lumber on a truck and said "that's
about X board-feet". Kevin spent half an hour measuring and entering
and came up with the same number.

Progress. Go figure.

That's how my grandfather on my mother's side made his fortune.

At age 17 (in 1913) he was sent by a building contractor to pick up
some lumber (by horse-drawn wagon).

He argued with the estimator that the load was short. (Doing all the
calculations in his head.)

The saw-mill boss came up to settle the dispute... the estimator was
fired and my grandfather was hired.

Later he owned the saw-mill and a coal mine and a *HUGE* farm in
Barbour County, WV.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.