Help…I have to type the text that’s in this file (and 2 other files), but it’s so messed up, I can’t read it. It’s from a fax that had to be saved as a file. It’s currently in jpg format. Can you read it, or modify it somehow? I’ve thrown it into a few image editing programs, and still can’t read it.
THANKS!
Here’s the link:
http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/cpgoose/recv0005.001.jpg
Just put it in an image editing program and zoom to 200% or 300%. I could read it with difficulty but I could make out most of it.
The scan isn’t great quality, but it opened readily in Photoshop 6.02, and would be legible enough to transcribe. It’s a JFIF-compliant JPG (check if that’s an option in one of your programs). Just FYI, in my experience, faxes tend to be saved in TIFF (no matter what the file extension is), which allows for multiple pages in one file, but most general purpose graphics programs only display the first page of a multipage TIFF (or JFIF, I suppose). Only fax programs seem to have the correct multipage capability, so export one page at a time.
I can make out most of it, how about you use this…
http://www.gps-bingo.com/article.cfm?articleid=165
It has the same 3 phases.
I tried that…I can read most of it, but I’m still missing words here or there. I was curious if there were any tricks in the image programs to make it clearer. I tried a bunch, but still no good.
Do you mean the print at the top?
That says:
When gambling goes beyond a game
Compulsive gambling is an addiction, a progressive disorder that is every bit as insidious as alcohol or drug abuse. Once addicted, gamblers often neglect friends, family, home and finances.
The beginner gets caught up in the excitement, lured by the power of the win. In fact, researchers recognize this as the first of three phases in developing a gambling addiction.
The rest, within the boxes, is probably what’s on this page (scroll down a little).
The majority of compulsive gamblers have one big win or a series of wins early on that could be hundreds or thousands of dollars. “Big” is relative to one’s finances. Nevertheless, the gambler thinks the win is proof of his/her intelligence and luck and continues to gamble, searching for that kind of action again.
Repeated losses drive him.her further into debt. The gambler keeps borrowing money to get even, then hides those losses and borrows more. The gambler’s self image as a “winner” starts to come apart/ He or she gambles now to win back the belief (?)
Gambling has now become an obsession, the most important thing in the gambler’s life. (?) The gambler does almost anything to get money to keep gambling. S/he will lie, cheat, even steal. The gambler becomes hopeless and deeply depressed. Suicidal thoughts are common.
My take:
The Winning Phase
The majority of compulsive gamblers have one big win or a series of wins early on that could be hundreds or thousands of dollars (“big” in relation to one’s finances). Nonetheless, the gambler thinks the win as proof of his/her intelligence or luck and continues to gamble, searching for that kind of action again.
The Losing Phase
Repeated losses drive him.her further into debt. The gambler keeps borrowing money to get even, then hides those losses and borrows more. The gambler’s self-image as a “winner” starts to come apart. He or she gambles not to win back the loses (?).
The Desperation Phase
Gambling has now become an obsession. The most importatnt thing in a gambler’s life. The gambler does almost anything to get money to keep gambling. S/he will lie, cheat, even steal. The gambler becomes hopeless and deeply depressed. Suicidal thoughts are common.
You guys are awesome…thank you SO much!!
Small Clanger: Thanks…I found that page too. It’s similar, but the wording is different.
Lsura: Yea, I need the rest…the part that’s in the boxes. Actually, the link you provided seems to be the same exact text.
Q.E.D: Thanks…I compared what you wrote to Lsura’s link, and they’re almost identical.
Level3Navigator: Same thing…thanks. I compared to Lsura’s link, and to what QED wrote.
So I think I have it now. I have 1 more page, though, if someone can find this one, too. The black columns I can read. The middle one is tough to read. The two on the outside, I think he tried to write over what was there, and I can’t get a good hold of that one either. Hopefully there’s another link for this one 
If you’ve got The GIMP, try this:
Got to “Filters” and select “Blur.” From here select “Gaussian Blur RLE.”
Set the radius to 3, and let it process. This will get rid of the “worms.”
Now go to “Image, colors, curves.”
Grab the line at about the middle and pull it up towards the top left corner. Preview is usually active, so you should be able to see the improvement as you move the mouse.
Find a spot you like, and click “apply.”
I found this to help a lot. The third part - “The Desperation Phase” - is still hard to read, but that is more from distortion than from the blockiness/crappy contrast. I think the fax (or the copier) didn’t have the original flat and twisted some of the text.
If you don’t have The GIMP, you can probably use Photoshop or something similar - I just don’t know what the functions will be called.
Unless I’m mistaken, the curves change I described is like increasing gamma.
Maybe it’s time to wake up the GIMP.
For the second page, try here.
(I don’t have an editing program on the computer I’m using right now - that’s why I was hunting for the same phrases on other pages).
Wake up the GIMP…hehe.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP! I really really appreciate it. Really I’m done, I got all of it. I actually was able to find that 2nd page on the same site as the first one, so I’m all finished.
THANKS!
