VOLUME 21 MICROSOFT BASIC PROGRAMS NUMBER SIZE NAME COMMENTS CATALOG.21 CONTENTS OF CP/M GROUP VOL 21 ZOSO21.DOC UNCHARACTERISTIC FOR ZOSO. HE LIKES SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS ZOSO21.TOP SAME AGAIN BUT WITH FORMATTING FOR TDL TEXT OUTPUT PROCESSOR. SHAME THEY DIDN'T THINK TO PERMIT DISK FILE OUTPUT FOR THIS RUNOFF, BUT THEN PAPER TAPE IS SO MUCH BETTER!! TDL.HYP UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL 21.1 3K ACYDUCY.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.2 3K APOLLO.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.3 3K BANNER.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.4 4K BIO.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.5 10K BLKFRI3.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.6 6K BLKJK.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.7 3K CHASE.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.8 12K CHESS.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.9 1K DIAMONDS.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.10 4K ENTE.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.11 6 ENTEP.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.12 6K FURS.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.13 6K HORSE.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.14 8K KING.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.15 3K LANDER.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.16 2K MANDALA.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.17 4K MAZE.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.18 3K ROCKET.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.19 3K RUSSIAN.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.20 4K SNOOPY.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.21 21K STRTRK/2.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.22 20K STRTRK/3.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.23 1K TACOS.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.24 5K TAXMAN.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.25 16K TRADE.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.26 2K TRAP.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.27 4K W/SEARCH.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.28 3K WARI.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP 21.29 7K WUMP.ASC PROGRAM IN MICROSOFT BASIC. SEE ZOSO21.DOC/TOP BLKFRI3.ASC THIS IS ONE YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE (VOLUME 5.7). BUT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT RUN QUITE AS WELL BEFORE. MY HAT'S OFF TO WHOEVER DID THE TOUCH-UPS !!! BANNER.ASC THIS IS A CLEVER LITTLE NUMBER THAT PRINTS HUGE MESSAGES. SOME OF THE CHARAC- TERS ARE PRINTED QUITE WELL, AND OTHERS (ONES REQUIRING DIAGONALS) NOT SO WELL. THE FIX WILL NOT BE EASY. IN ANY CASE WHAT DOES ONE DO WITH A 'BANNER' ? CHESS.ASC THIS PLAYS AT LEAST PART OF A CHESS GAME... YOU ARE ASKED WHETHER YOU WISH TO BE BLACK OR WHITE; IF YOU REPLY 'WHITE', YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT NO LOGICAL CHESS NOTATION WILL BE ACCEPTED; IF YOU REPLY 'BLACK', THE PROGRAM WILL THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY AND PRODUCE ENDLESS DATA TABLES ON YOUR CONSOLE. THERE ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS, AND THE SOURCE IS CONSIDERABLY SHORTER THAN THAT OF ANY OTHER (BASIC) CHESS GAME (AND THE ONES I'VE SEEN ARE ABYSMAL) WHICH I HAVE YET TRIED. PERHAPS SOMEONE IS GETTING AN EARLY JUMP ON APRIL FOOLS' DAY. BIO.ASC ANOTHER BIORHYTHM PLOTTER... THIS ONE PAGINATES AND FLAGS 'CRITICAL DAYS'. AT THE HEADING OF EACH PAGE YOU WILL BE ENTREATED TO CALL 'ELMER'; A PHONE NUMBER WITHOUT AREA CODE IS SUPPLIED. I SUSPECT THAT ONE IS TO CALL ELMER TO COMMENT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. I SUGGEST INSTEAD THE FOLLOWING NUMBER TO CALL WITH YOUR COMMENTS (IF YOU REALLY MUST): 505 243-7821. FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT RECOGNIZE THIS NUMBER, IT IS ONE OF MITS' (UGH !!) MAIN HOT-LINES; AND FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE PROGRAM, IT BEARS MORE THAN A CASUAL RESEMBLANCE TO ONE OF THE 'FREEBIES' THAT IS INCLUDED WITH THE DISK BASIC WHICH MITS (RETCH !!) DISTRIBUTES. ACYDUCY.ASC THE ALL-TIME SUCKER'S GAME REVISITED. THIS IS ONLY AN APPROXIMATE SIMULATION. THERE ARE NO MARKED CARDS, NO CROOKED DEALERS, NO SHILLS AND NOBODY WEARING A STOCKING MASK, CARRYING A SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN WILL RELIEVE YOU OF YOUR BANK- ROLL. SOUNDS DULL, N'EST-CE PAS ? I WOULD BE MOST SURPRISED IF FAIRCHILD OR ATARI EVER PRODUCES A GAME CARTRIDGE FOR THIS. MAZE.ASC GUESS WHAT THIS ONE DOES ? IF YOU AREN'T SURE, RUN IT. BEFORE IT HAS 'DONE ITS THING', YOU WILL HAVE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO FIGURE IT OUT. THIS SEEMS TO NEED LOTS OF MEMORY (NOT TO MENTION PATIENCE), AND I HAVE YET TO SEE ANY- ONE DO ANYTHING WITH ONE OF THESE ONCE THEY ARE PRINTED. RATHER THAN HAVE SEVERAL FEET OF PAPER WITH A SILLY MAZE (OH, RATS, I GAVE AWAY THE SECRET), I WOULD PREFER A JAGGED LINE WHICH REPRESENTED THE CORRECT PATH THROUGH THE MAZE WHICH NOBODY BOTHERED TO PRINT. COME ON GANG, I WANT THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH; HAS ANYONE EVER TRIED TO SOLVE ONE OF THESE THINGS ? MANDALA.ASC YOU HAVE JUST MORTGAGED EVERYTHING YOU OWN SO YOU COULD FINALLY HAVE YOUR OWN COMPUTER. WHAT BETTER WAY TO GET OFF THE GROUND THAN TO PRODUCE RELIGIOUS ARTIFACTS. A MANDALA IS (I'M SURE YOU WEST-COASTIES KNOW THIS ALREADY) SOME- THING ON WHICH ONE CONCENTRATES WHILE LEARNING TO MEDITATE. THE ROAD TO INNER PEACE IS A LONG, HARD JOURNEY AND THE TRAVEL IS VERY SLOW INDEED. IN THIS RE- GARD, THIS PROGRAM IS PERHAPS THE MOST ACCURATE SIMULATION WHICH HAS EVER BEEN ATTEMPTED. BEFORE THIS PROGRAM DELIVERS THE ARTWORK, IT ASKS SOME STRANGE AND MYSTERIOUS QUESTIONS. WHAT DO THEY REALLY MEAN ? AS THE DIVINE GURU SO APTLY PUT IT: "THE FACE OF TRUTH WEARS MANY MASKS...". DIAMONDS.ASC THIS PRINTS DIAMOND SHAPED PATTERNS WHICH SHAMELESSLY SLOGANEER ON BEHALF OF THE DIGITAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY. THIS TYPIFIES SO MUCH OF THE STUFF WHICH COMES TO US IN THE MAIL; GOOD EXECUTION OF BANAL IDEAS. SINCE THIS WAS PIL- FERED FROM THE DECUS LIBRARY, I HAVE SLEPT EASIER KNOWING THAT I BOUGHT AN IMSAI INSTEAD. IF DIAMONDS REALLY ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND, THEN I SUBMIT THAT WOMEN'S LIB CAME ABOUT A CENTURY TOO SOON (PERHAPS THE VERY POINT OF THIS PROGRAM). KING.ASC THE DREADED 'KINGDOM' GAME AGAIN... FAMINE, PLAGUES, PESTILENCE, ILLITERACY, RAMPANT SOCIAL DISEASES ETC. YOU ARE THE KING OR QUEEN OF THIS BLIGHTED WIL- DERNESS, AND YOU CAN ONLY WIN THIS GAME IF YOU SPEND YOUR PRECIOUS 'RALLODS' FOR THE BENEFIT OF YOUR GROVELLING SUBJECTS. REMEMBER, THIS IS ONLY A COMPUTER GAME (BARELY A COMPUTER GAME). WINNING ISN'T EVERYTHING !!! LET YOUR UNWASHED SUBJECTS FEND FOR THEMSELVES. ADMIT THAT YOUR HEART REALLY WASN'T IN YOUR MONARCHY. TAKE ALL OF YOUR RALLODS TO SOUTH AMERICA AND ENJOY YOURSELF (YOU CERTAINLY WON'T ENJOY YOURSELF HERE). TRADE.ASC THIS IS THE 'STARTRADER' (ALSO KNOWN AS 'STARLANES' - VOLUME 3.25) GAME. A FUN ALBEIT SOMEWHAT CONFUSING PASTIME. THIS ONE ALSO HAS INSTRUCTIONS WHICH AUTOMATICALLY MAKES IT A VAST IMPROVEMENT OVER THE ONE WE RECEIVED EARLIER; AND IF YOU RECALL I LIKED THAT ONE ALSO. TAXMAN.ASC WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS THING ? DESPITE THE CATCHY NAME, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TAXES. IT'S YOU VS. THE COMPUTER IN A GAME OF NUMBER FACTORING. TO WIN YOU WILL PROBABLY NEED YOUR POCKET CALCULATOR. IN MY OPINION IT ISN'T WORTH TYING UP YOUR CALCULATOR (NOT TO MENTION YOUR COMPUTER) FOR THIS. APOLLO.ASC THIS YOU WILL PROBABLY WANT TO RUN JUST ONCE (CRT'S ONLY - SUGGESTED 4800 + BAUD); BUT IT'S CLEVER, AND THERE IS A CUTE SURPRISE HERE. I WON'T SPOIL IT FOR YOU. YOU PATRIOTS MAY WISH TO REPLACE 'APOLLO - U.S.A.' WITH SOME- THING LIKE 'SOYUZ - C.C.C.P.'. HORSE.ASC THIS IS A FUN HORSE RACE SIMULATION. TONY MADE ME PROMISE NOT TO TOUCH ANY OF THESE GAMES, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY DONE MY NUMBER ON THIS ONE. WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU IS: 1) CLEAN UP THE FORMATTING, 2) REARRANGED THE INPUTS FOR SINGLE DATUM ENTRIES (LESS ERROR PRONE THAN 4 ENTRIES SEPAR- ATED BY COMMAS), 3) ADDED MORE HORSES (THE SAME OLD NAGS GET TIRED - TIRING AS WELL) AND 4) CORRECTED THE TOTE BOARD FOR 'TRACK-FORMAT' (EVERY PAYOFF ROUNDED TO NEXT LOWEST $0.20 AND NEVER LESS THAN $2.20 - AS IF THEY DIDN'T ROB YOU BLIND ENOUGH ANYWAY). THESE WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A VAST !! IMPROVE- MENT (MAYBE NEXT TIME). FOR YOU SOFTWARE HACKERS (BEGINNERS ESPECIALLY), THE IMPROVEMENTS I MENTIONED WOULD BE REALLY EASY TO IMPLEMENT, AND THE RESULTS WELL WORTH THE MINIMAL EFFORT !!! TRAP.ASC AH HAH ! THE INFAMOUS NUMBER TRAPPING GAME AGAIN (VOLUME 13.19). I SUGGEST THAT YOU READ MY REVIEW OF THIS PROGRAM (VOLUME 13.21). I DIDN'T HAVE ALL THAT MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS THEN, BUT THE REST OF MY REVIEW WAS WELL WORTH THE PRICE OF THE DISK. ENTE/ENTEP.ASC THESE GUYS DRAW YOUR FAVORITE (NOT MINE !!!) SPACESHIP. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR TTYS (IN WHICH CASE THE RUN WILL BE PAINFULLY SLOW) AND VDMS (SEE, I'M NOT AT ALL HARD TO GET ALONG WITH). RUSSIAN.ASC IF YOU RECALL, A PROGRAM OF THE SAME NAME (VOLUME 13.16) DESERVEDLY RECEIVED THE VERY WORST REVIEW THAT I WAS CAPABLE OF WRITING. THIS VERSION IS SO MUCH BETTER THAT I CANNOT BRING MYSELF TO BE UNKIND. THE UNDERLYING IDEA IS STILL TRIVIA IN THE WORST OF TASTE, BUT THIS TIME IT WAS DONE RIGHT. ROCKET.ASC LANDER.ASC I'LL BET YOU'VE SEEN THESE BEFORE, AND SADLY I'LL PROBABLY SEE THEM AGAIN ALSO. THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME TO FILL SPACE (OUTER SPACE). FURS.ASC UNDER WHAT STRANGE INFLUENCES WAS THIS ODDBALL ITEM CONCEIVED ? THIS RIVALS 'KINGDOM' FOR A PLACE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE HEAP. BRIEFLY, ONE IS TO TRADE PELTS (FOUR KINDS) IN NEW YORK OR CANADA. THERE ARE THREE TRADING POSTS; TWO ARE DEFENDED BY THE FRENCH ARMY, AND ONE BY THE DUTCH. HOSTILE WEATHER AND INDIANS ARE IMPLIED. IN THIS NONSENSICAL RECREATION OF HISTORY, THE FRENCH ARMY IS CAPABLE OF BEING A FORMIDABLE OPPONENT... BACK TO THE HISTORY BOOKS, WHOEVER WROTE THIS !! I HAVE BY NOW SPENT MORE TIME WRITING ABOUT THIS THAN I SPENT THE ONE TIME (TOO MANY) I PLAYED IT. SNOOPY.ASC THIS ONE DRAWS PICTURES OF THAT DARLING LITTLE DOG FROM THE 'PEANUTS' COMIC STRIP; YOU KNOW THAT LOVEABLE POOCH THAT SAYS ALL THOSE CLEVER THINGS, AND PLAYS ICE-HOCKEY WITH THAT ADORABLE LITTLE BIRD. SOMEDAY, I'LL FIND OUT JUST WHAT ALL-AMERICAN TOWN SNOOPY LIVES IN, AND WHILE HE'S DOING SOMETHING CUTE ON THE ROOF OF HIS DOGHOUSE, I'LL PUT CYANIDE IN HIS FOOD. HEH, HEH !!! BLKJK.ASC THIS PLAYS BLACKJACK (FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW BETTER, THE 'IN' NAME FOR THIS GAME IS '21', AND HAS BEEN SINCE LEGAL GAMBLING HIT NEVADA). MOST REMINISCENT OF THE ONE FROM VOLUME 13.6. THE GAME IS NICE; THE FORMATTING'S HORRID, THAT'S WHAT I SAID LAST TIME, AND IT'S STILL TRUE. CHASE.ASC ELECTRIFIED POSTS, HIGH-VOLTAGE WALLS AND DEATH-DEALING ROBOTS... HOW DID YOU GET INTO SUCH A PREDICAMENT ? AN ABOVE AVERAGE GAME, BUT AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, IT BECOMES EVIDENT WHETHER OR NOT YOU WILL WIN BY EXAMINING THE STARTING PO- SITION. THIS GAME IS A FAVORITE WITH THE YOUNGSTERS (SINCERE COMPLIMENT). IT WILL REMIND YOU OF A GAME BY THE SAME NAME (VOLUME 3.10). STRTRK/2.ASC THIS ONE IS A GEM IN SEARCH OF INSTRUCTIONS. SINCE I HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO PLAY WITH THIS, I WILL TELL YOU ENOUGH TO AT LEAST GET YOU STARTED. TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELVES WITH THE COMMAND-TABLE, ENTER A ZERO WHEN GIVEN THE 'COMMAND ?' PROMPT. WHEN IN THE 'COMPUTER' MODE, ENTER A NINE WHEN PROMPTED WITH 'COM- PUTER ON COMMAND ?'. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU ENTER THE APPROPRIATE COMMAND TO PRINT THE 'WARP-COMPASS' BEFORE YOU TRY TO PLAY THIS; THE REASON BEING THAT IN THIS VERSION OF STARTREK, ONE NAVIGATES COURSES OF 0-359 DEGREES. THOSE COURSES (0-359), AND ALSO THE PHOTON TRAJECTORIES ARE WHERE YOU WOULD LEAST EXPECT TO FIND THEM. THE MAJOR LIMITATION OF THIS IS THAT IT WAS MADE TO RUN IN 32K (WITH 3.2 MITS BASIC). I PERSONALLY WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE SEEN WHERE IT WOULD HAVE GONE IF THE AUTHOR(S) HAD OWNED MORE MEMORY. STRTRK/3.ASC THIS IS ANOTHER STARTREK. THERE ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS, AND THE AUTHOR IS NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT THAT (RUN IT, YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN). THIS IS REALLY A SHAME BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE VERY GOOD. BUT, WITH EACH MOMENT AT SUCH A PREMIUM THESE DAYS, I JUST COULDN'T SPEND ENOUGH TIME WITH THIS TO DETERMINE HOW TO PLAY IT PROPERLY. IN ANY EVENT, I'M SURE THAT EVEN WITH MORE INFO ON HOW TO DO EVERYTHING RIGHT, I WOULD STILL PREFER 'STRTRK/2'. WARI.ASC THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL RENDITIONS OF 'WARI' (A.K.A. 'AWARI', 'KALI' ETC.) WHICH I HAVE SEEN. THIS ONE IS THE BEST, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS (THEY CAN BE FOUND IN SEVERAL BOOKS AND SOFTWARE ARTICLES). LIKE ALL OTHER (BASIC) VERSIONS I'VE SEEN EARLIER, THIS TAKES FAR TOO LONG TO MAKE ITS (COMPUTER'S) MOVE. IF YOU'RE A PATIENT SORT YOU WILL ENJOY THIS, OTHERWISE IT WILL LIKELY BE ONE OF THE FIRST ONES YOU ERASE. W/SEARCH.ASC THIS GENERATES WORD-SEARCH PUZZLES. IT DOES SO QUITE WELL. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW UNEXPECTED SURPRISES (ALL PLEASANT FOR A CHANGE). AND I HAVE YET TO SEE THIS PROGRAM MAKE ANY MISTAKES (HOW OFTEN DO YOU HEAR ME SAY THAT ?). WUMP.ASC AS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SURMISED, I AM NOT FOND OF 'WUMPUS' GAMES. IN FACT, I'VE ASKED QUITE POLITELY (TWICE) THAT PEOPLE REFRAIN FROM SENDING THESE TEDIOUS ATTEMPTS TO TONY... PERHAPS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS OPERATION WORKS... LET ME EXPLAIN: TONY HATES COMPUTER GAMES; HE WILL NOT RUN THEM !! IT DOES NOT MATTER TO HIM IF I SAY THAT A CERTAIN PROGRAM IS A LOSER; SINCE HE IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH ANY OF THESE GAMES, HE TELLS ME TO REVIEW THEM ANYWAY. PER- HAPS HE FEELS THAT JUST BECAUSE I SAY THAT A CERTAIN PROGRAM IS LIKE A CRETIN'S NIGHTMARE, SOME OF YOU KIND FOLKS MIGHT NOT AGREE - A REASONABLE ENOUGH STANCE, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE !! I CAN BE CRUEL IF I CHOOSE; AND YOU PEOPLE WHO ARE SUB- MITTING THESE STAND TO SUFFER MIGHTILY FOR YOUR DISOBEDIENCE !!! YOU DO PUT RE- TURN ADDRESSES ON YOUR 'WUMPUS' DISKS, DON'T YOU ? WELL MR. WISEGUY, WHO CON- TRIBUTED THIS BORING !! REHASH, JUST FOR YOU, ONE FINAL REVIEW OF YOUR AWFUL 'WUMP' PROGRAM: I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT PERSONS BRIGHT ENOUGH TO BREATHE WOULD BE EVEN MOMENTARILY ENTERTAINED BY SUCH MORONIC EXCESS. HOWEVER YOU, SIR, HAVE PROVEN ME WRONG !!! IT TAKES ALL KINDS, AND ONE MUST BE TOLERANT, BUT I WOULD RATHER SPEND 1000 YEARS IN LUCIFER'S FIRES THAN ONE EVENING IN THE COMPANY OF YOU AND YOUR OBVIOUSLY UNDER-UTILIZED COMPUTER. TO ANYONE ELSE (BUT YOU) WHO MIGHT READ THIS, ALTHOUGH WUMPUS GAMES STINK; THIS IS MORE DESERVING THAN MOST OTHERS OF BEING RUN AT LEAST ONCE. I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY THE NUMEROUS MISSPEL- LINGS AND THE PIDGIN-ENGLISH TO BE FOUND IN THIS 'GAME', THESE ARE FAR AND AWAY THE BEST PARTS. P.S. TONY, THAT'S IT !!! IF YOU ASK ME TO DO EVEN ONE MORE 'WUMPUS' REVIEW I'LL QUIT (I MEAN IT) !!! TACOS.ASC AS I MENTIONED, I JUST RETURNED FROM CALIFORNIA. MY FRAIL EGO WAS REINFORCED TWICE... THOUGH I HAD LITTLE USE FOR BUSINESS, I DID VISIT CONVENIENT 'HOME COMPUTER' OUTLETS. IMAGINE MY HAPPY SURPRISE WHEN I HEARD MYSELF DISCUSSED TWO TIMES !!! ONE NAMELESS PLACE IN THE BAY AREA WAS MOST CORDIAL TO ME; AND WHEN I POSED AS A CUSTOMER, SEEMED MOST POLITE... THEY EVEN SHOWED ME MY VERY FIRST COLUMN (VOLUME 3A.DOC), AND TOLD ME THAT IF I WOULD BUY FROM THEM, STUFF SUCH AS I WRITE, WOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE TO ME... THANKS A LOT !!! I CAN GET IT WHOLESALE (AS WE SAY HERE). IN LOS ANGELES, I HAD QUITE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE; TWO FELLOWS WHO HAD NO IDEA TO WHOM THEY WERE SPEAKING LET ME IN ON THEIR NEFARIOUS LITTLE PLOT... THE IDEA WAS TO SUBMIT THIS ITEM TO ZOSO SO AS TO GIVE ME YET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO BE UNKIND... WELL, NO WAY !!! OF COURSE THIS PROGRAM IS LOUSY, BUT GENTLEMEN OF THE (STORE NAME DELETED), IF YOU REMEMBER, I ALSO SAW THE OTHER STUFF YOU RUN (WHICH YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN FIT TO CONTRIBUTE), AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THIS IS AS GOOD OR BETTER !!!