"Jerry Stuckle" wrote in message
...

Ah, heck - don't make it so easy. A REAL HAM would mine and smelt his
own ore (using a garden trowel and blowtorch). He would create his own
insulating material from raw materials (bakelite would probably be
easiest), and finally shape and assemble the final product.
Anything less and he wouldn't be a REAL HAM.

Setting aside the sarcasm that is in your post, what you outline is indeed
the
characteristic of the real ham, someone who is technically motivated and
finds
things out for himself.

One of the saddest aspects of today's technology is the arrival of computers
and
the opportunities to roll one's own programs and yet the CBisation of buying
software off the shelf has ruined that opportinity.

Still, for thee and me, it represents acertain degree of job protection!

(40 years real-time embedded softy)