"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't." ~ Erica Jong
Fairs Year-round Information	F.Y.I. Volume 7, Issue 23 November 7,1997

IN FOCUS

Tricks of the (Computer) Trade

Ever Have Print Queue Problems with your MicroVAX?
This new Column is for You.
This is the first in a series of articles addressing computer-related problems experienced by fairs throughout the year.

If you’ve ever had problems printing out work from your MicroVAX, you’ll want to keep this F.Y.I. close at hand. Bruce Bondurant, CFSA Computer Services, has some tricks of the trade to help you solve three of the most common print queue problems.

Please note: you must be logged into a privileged account, such as the “System” or “Manager” accounts for these tips to be effective. Also, “queue name” refers to the name of your print queues, i.e., ATOZ$QP0, ATOZ$QP1, etc. An “entry number” is the number of the print job you’re attempting to run.

• Restarting stalled or stopped print queues: Key in:
  $ STOP/QUEUE/RESET queue name
  $ START/QUEUE queue name

• Releasing A-to-Z control: When you receive the error message: “Device already allocated to another user,” key in:
  $ SHOW SYSTEM
  This will call up and display information about all processes currently running on your system. In the second column from the left, titled “Process Name,” locate the process: DTPQUEMAN. Then, look in the left column, titled “PID,” for the process ID number, which you’ll need for your next command. Key in:
  $ STOP/ID= process ID number.
  Followed by:
  $ START/QUEUE queue name
  $ @ATOZWPSTARTUP
  (There are no spaces in between @....UP.)

• Clearing queues: When you need to clear a queue, after accidently printing a large report or multiple copies you don’t need for instance, key in: $ SHOW QUEUE/ALL queue name This command will call up information about all print jobs in the specified queue. In the left column, titled “Entry,” you’ll find the entry number(s) necessary to complete the next command. Information inside the square brackets [ ] is optional. Key in: $ DELETE/ENTRY=(entry number [, entry number]) [queue name]

If you have any additional questions about MicroVAX print queues, please call Bruce at 916/263-6153.

Contribute to Tricks of the (Computer) Trade! Have a question about your PC, MicroVAX, printer or other computer-related hardware? Send, call or fax it to: Tricks of the (Computer) Trade, F.Y.I., 1776 Tribute Road, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95815. 916/263-6178; fax: 916/646-1238. Thanks!

With Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks, and the rest of the season’s holidays not far behind, we can anticipate not only a very busy time of year, but a big pile of trash too. It’s estimated that an additional five million tons of trash goes into the country’s landfills during one holiday season alone. To help trim down the pile, here’s some timely information compliments of “Use Less Stuff”:

• Plan ahead. Making your list and checking it twice will save you time, gas and prevent last minute shopping frenzies.
• Consolidate your shopping trips. Fewer hours spent driving to malls and shopping centers saves fuel and lessens air pollution.
• When dropping off holiday film, print legibly on the processing envelope. Each year, Kodak estimates it tosses out 400,000 rolls of film due to illegible return addresses.
• Cancel 10 mail order catalogues you don’t read and you’ll reduce your yearly trash output by 3.5 pounds. If everyone who receives catalogs did this, the pile of cancelled catalogues would stack up 2,000 miles high.
• Make your own personalized gift wrap with materials you already have at home. Try newspaper comics for kids’ wrap, fancy shopping bags, material scraps, you get the idea. If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon each year, 38,000 miles worth would be saved. That’s enough to tie a bow around our entire planet.
• Keep it simple. Less can be more. Think carefully about what family and friends really want and need. One thoughtful gift is better than six wrapped unwanted gifts. It’s estimated that last Christmas, unwanted gifts worth as much as $1 billion were banished to the attic, basement, garage or oblivion.

Want to know even more? Check out Use Less Stuff’s Web site at http://cygnus-group.com.

Applications are now being accepted for the position of Chief Executive Officer at the Santa Barbara County Fair in Santa Maria, California. The salary range is $5,394 - $6,410 a month.

For an application and information packet, please contact Dorothy Laine, President of the Board of Directors, 37th District Agricultural Association, P.O. Box 5957, Santa Maria, CA 93456. 805/922-1440, fax: 805/736-5395. Application deadline is Monday, December 1, 1997.

Every week, different items are made available at military and state surplus yards throughout California. And every week, the surplus warehouse buyers visit these yards, looking for items fairs have requested, as well as items of use year-round on fairgrounds. How to get in on the savings? Give surplus buyer Graeme Stewart a call.

In the meantime, here’s a sampling of items currently in the warehouse. Remember, items are limited to stock on hand, first-come, first served:

• Rubber pads - measuring 3' x 3.' These foot cushioners are greatly appreciated by folks who stand in one spot for long periods of time
• Blue plastic tubs - useful when changing the oil in a car or truck, for washing parts or storage
• Salad bar - features wheels, motor and sneeze guard
• Platform push cart - has two shelves, wheels and measures 3' x 5.'
• Tires - sizes 750 x 10, 650 x 16, 750 x 15, 12.00 x 20, 900 x 20, 10.00 x 20
• Additional stock! Multi-meters ~ electrical tester/analyzers

For more information on these and other great buys, or if you’d like to arrange a tour of the South Sacramento surplus warehouse or accompany the buyer on a visit to a surplus yard, call Graeme Stewart at 916/765-3673.

Please Note: CFSA’s Surplus Purchasing Program is only authorized to obtain surplus property for California’s fairs.

The positive trend is continuing. With 47 fairs reporting in, here’s how the numbers add up:

F.Y.I. invites and encourages all fairs to contribute articles and article ideas for the Fair Exchange column. We’ll even write the article for you. For details, call Melissa Thurber at 916/263-6178 or Joan Bartosik at 916/663-9256.
To add F.Y.I. to your press release mailing list, send or fax releases to:

1776 Tribute Road, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95815
Attn: Melissa Thurber
Fax: 916/646-1238