FUNCTION read_ascii_file_return_list_of_strings, filename, verbose=verbose, nlines=nlines
  if N_elements(filename) ne 1 then return, ''  
  if file_test(filename, /READ) ne 1 then return, ''  
  if KEYWORD_SET(verbose) then print, 'reading ', filename
  OPENR, unit, filename, /get_lun
  nlines= FILE_LINES(filename)
  if KEYWORD_SET(verbose) then print, 'reading ', nlines, ' lines'
  if nlines eq 0 then begin
     print, 'read_ascii_file_return_list_of_strings: empty file:', filename
     return, ''
  endif
  fstring = strarr(nlines)
  readf, unit, fstring
  if KEYWORD_SET(verbose) then print, 'done reading ', filename
  CLOSE, unit
  if KEYWORD_SET(verbose) then print, 'closed ', filename
  FREE_LUN, unit
;  fstring = fstring[where(strmatch(fstring, '#*') eq 0) $                    or (strmatch(fstring,'#DataCGS*'))]
  return, fstring

END