Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
new presidential directive gives Bush dictatorial power
In case you missed it (and you likely did because the media missed it or refused to publicize it), The National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, signed on May 9, 2007 declares that in the event of a "catastrophic event", George W. Bush can become what is best described as "a dictator":
"The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government."
This directive, completely unnoticed by the media, and given no scrutiny by Congress, literally gives the White House unprecedented dictatorial power over the government and the country, bypassing the US Congress and obliterating the separation of powers. The directive also placed the Secretary of Homeland Security in charge of domestic "security"...
...This is another step towards official martial law, which suggests that a new "catastrophic event" 9/11-type pretext could be in the pipeline.
Read the rest of the story here.
"The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government."
This directive, completely unnoticed by the media, and given no scrutiny by Congress, literally gives the White House unprecedented dictatorial power over the government and the country, bypassing the US Congress and obliterating the separation of powers. The directive also placed the Secretary of Homeland Security in charge of domestic "security"...
...This is another step towards official martial law, which suggests that a new "catastrophic event" 9/11-type pretext could be in the pipeline.
Read the rest of the story here.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Surfin': When "Radio" Was a Verb
This week, the wayback machine is idling and ready to take you back to the days when radio was king. So, get on board the wayback machine in this week’s Surfin’, then come back here to leave your comments, if any.
By the way, Surfin’ is a weekly column published on ARRLWeb that finds and features Web sites that are related to Amateur Radio, specifically, and radio, in general. If you have any suggestions for Surfin’, please contact WA1LOU using the e-mail link to the right.
By the way, Surfin’ is a weekly column published on ARRLWeb that finds and features Web sites that are related to Amateur Radio, specifically, and radio, in general. If you have any suggestions for Surfin’, please contact WA1LOU using the e-mail link to the right.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
new antenna design software for the Mac OS X
Today, Chen, W7AY, released cocoaNEC 2.0, an antenna design and modeling program for Mac OS X. It is free and is available for downloading from Chen's web site.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
why I like Senator Dodd
Dodd got my vote when he ran for Senator and he gets my vote in his run for the Presidency. He is fighting for people like you and me as you can see by his recent blog and what other people are writing.
Monday, October 22, 2007
nutty weather
It is 74° F at 1 PM according to my weather station at my house. Yesterday, it was almost as warm. And this is the beginning of the fourth week of October!
During October, the temperature has only gone below 40° F once: 39° F for about an hour around dawn on the 13th. The high was 83° F recorded on the 5th and 6th of the month. The average for the month so far is a hair under 60° F.
On the 13th, I picked all the tomatoes and peppers that were worth picking. I put the peppers in the fridge and the set the tomatoes on a shelf in the garage to ripen. The next day, I intended to pull up the plants and put them in the compost pile, but I never got around to it
The weather started warming up again, so I continued watering the plants. The tiny tomatoes and peppers I did not pick are now growing to full size and they will be ready picking for picking soon.
This weather is nuts!
During October, the temperature has only gone below 40° F once: 39° F for about an hour around dawn on the 13th. The high was 83° F recorded on the 5th and 6th of the month. The average for the month so far is a hair under 60° F.
On the 13th, I picked all the tomatoes and peppers that were worth picking. I put the peppers in the fridge and the set the tomatoes on a shelf in the garage to ripen. The next day, I intended to pull up the plants and put them in the compost pile, but I never got around to it
The weather started warming up again, so I continued watering the plants. The tiny tomatoes and peppers I did not pick are now growing to full size and they will be ready picking for picking soon.
This weather is nuts!
up with the Sox
It's 12:42 AM and I should be sound asleep because I have to get up at 5:50 AM to go to work, but my Red Sox just won the American League Championship and I am watching the celebration on TV.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Surfin': Spark Transmitting
This week, take a ride on the wayback machine and hear what a spark transmitter sounds like over the air. Get on board the wayback machine in this week’s Surfin’, then come back here to leave your comments, if any.
By the way, Surfin’ is a weekly column published on ARRLWeb that finds and features Web sites that are related to Amateur Radio, specifically, and radio, in general. If you have any suggestions for Surfin’, please contact WA1LOU using the e-mail link to the right.
By the way, Surfin’ is a weekly column published on ARRLWeb that finds and features Web sites that are related to Amateur Radio, specifically, and radio, in general. If you have any suggestions for Surfin’, please contact WA1LOU using the e-mail link to the right.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
144-MHz band opening
Two meters is open a bit this morning. Best DX received directly* by my APRS digi station was N3KTX-7 near Wye Mills, MD, over a 248-mile, 222° path.
* Directly meaning station-to-station and not via any repeaters
* Directly meaning station-to-station and not via any repeaters
Friday, October 12, 2007
Surfin': It's Contesting Time!
The leaves are falling and the snow is not far behind, so it must be time to get ready for the ham radio contesting season. Read all about it in this week's Surfin', then come back here to leave your comments, if any.
By the way, Surfin’ is a weekly column published on ARRLWeb that finds and features Web sites that are related to Amateur Radio, specifically, and radio, in general. If you have any suggestions for Surfin’, please contact WA1LOU using the e-mail link to the right.
By the way, Surfin’ is a weekly column published on ARRLWeb that finds and features Web sites that are related to Amateur Radio, specifically, and radio, in general. If you have any suggestions for Surfin’, please contact WA1LOU using the e-mail link to the right.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Surfin': Linuxating VOACAP
This week's Surfin' visits Web sites that bring “the most professional HF system performance prediction tool” to the Linux world. After you read Surfin’, you can leave your comments back here.
By the way, Surfin’ is a weekly column published on ARRLWeb that finds and features Web sites that are related to Amateur Radio, specifically, and radio, in general. If you have any suggestions for Surfin’, please contact WA1LOU using the e-mail link to the right.
By the way, Surfin’ is a weekly column published on ARRLWeb that finds and features Web sites that are related to Amateur Radio, specifically, and radio, in general. If you have any suggestions for Surfin’, please contact WA1LOU using the e-mail link to the right.
144-MHz band opening
Two meters was open overnight. Best DX received directly* by my APRS digi station was N3KTX-2 near Frederick, MD, over a 282 mile, 239° path, and N3KTX-8 in Ocean City, MD, over a 248-mile, 207° path.
* Directly meaning station-to-station and not via any repeaters
* Directly meaning station-to-station and not via any repeaters
Thursday, October 4, 2007
one down, ten to go
My Red Sox won the first game of the playoff last night. It was no contest, as Josh Beckett had his stuff and mowed down the Angels while giving up only four hits and no runs in a complete game effort. Youk and Big Papa provided the firepower with home runs. Nice, quick game!
It was also nice that the game started at 6:37 PM and was over at a decent hour. I wish all the games started that early. Sunday's game in California begins at 3 PM, but, alas, Friday's game in Boston begins at 8 PM.
It was also nice that the game started at 6:37 PM and was over at a decent hour. I wish all the games started that early. Sunday's game in California begins at 3 PM, but, alas, Friday's game in Boston begins at 8 PM.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
The War
When I was growing up, the adults in my family always referred to World War II as "the war" as if the previous and subsequent wars did not count. In a way, the other wars did not count because World War II was like no other war. It not only profoundly affected the soldiers fighting the war, but it also had a profound affect on everyone, who lived through it.
I majored in history, so I should know my history, but after sitting through each segment of The War series on PBS, I learned a few things.
For instance, I was not aware of all the incompetency of many of our military leaders. I guess I was brainwashed by all those old war movies in which our side always made the right moves against an incompetent enemy. We almost lost the war a couple of times due to the incompetency of our military leaders. If it wasn't for Patton, Bradley, and a few others, I might be typing this in German today.
I never knew about the civilian prisoners of war in Manilla. Those poor people must have a life-long hatred of their captors.
I did not know about the Japanese-Americans that fought on the European front.
My Dad was a Marine, 4th Division, during the war and fought on the islands of Tinian, Saipan, and Iwo Jima. He was wounded twice and awarded two Purple Hearts. He did not talk much about his war experiences, although he often mentioned that he likely would have been involved in the invasion of Japan and he was glad that the invasion was made necessary by the atomic bomb. After watching The War, I can understand why.
I am glad I watched The War. I think it was a job well done. I found Ray Leopold (a Waterbury native) reflections on the war particularly poignant, although I disagree with his statement that you can jump across the Mad River.
On the other hand, just about anytime that woman from Alabama opened her mouth, I wanted to go up to the television and slap her in the face. I got the feeling that for her, the war was an inconvenience and a source of humorous stories that she can retell over the future tea parties. I think she was included in the series to show both sides of the "greatest generation," too.
I look forward to viewing The War DVDs for additional footage not included in the television broadcast.
Another great job, Mr. Burns!
I majored in history, so I should know my history, but after sitting through each segment of The War series on PBS, I learned a few things.
For instance, I was not aware of all the incompetency of many of our military leaders. I guess I was brainwashed by all those old war movies in which our side always made the right moves against an incompetent enemy. We almost lost the war a couple of times due to the incompetency of our military leaders. If it wasn't for Patton, Bradley, and a few others, I might be typing this in German today.
I never knew about the civilian prisoners of war in Manilla. Those poor people must have a life-long hatred of their captors.
I did not know about the Japanese-Americans that fought on the European front.
My Dad was a Marine, 4th Division, during the war and fought on the islands of Tinian, Saipan, and Iwo Jima. He was wounded twice and awarded two Purple Hearts. He did not talk much about his war experiences, although he often mentioned that he likely would have been involved in the invasion of Japan and he was glad that the invasion was made necessary by the atomic bomb. After watching The War, I can understand why.
I am glad I watched The War. I think it was a job well done. I found Ray Leopold (a Waterbury native) reflections on the war particularly poignant, although I disagree with his statement that you can jump across the Mad River.
On the other hand, just about anytime that woman from Alabama opened her mouth, I wanted to go up to the television and slap her in the face. I got the feeling that for her, the war was an inconvenience and a source of humorous stories that she can retell over the future tea parties. I think she was included in the series to show both sides of the "greatest generation," too.
I look forward to viewing The War DVDs for additional footage not included in the television broadcast.
Another great job, Mr. Burns!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
144-MHz band opening
The band remained open to the northeast during the day with a lot of stations in Maine received directly* by my APRS digi station. The best DX was VE1PKT in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, over a 509-mile 61° path.
* Directly meaning station-to-station and not via any repeaters
* Directly meaning station-to-station and not via any repeaters
144-MHz DX
What a night!* The band opened up in all directions. To the northeast, he best DX received directly** by my APRS digi station was VE1AAQ in Springfield, Nova Scotia, Canada, over a 457-mile 60° path; to the northwest, N2HLT in Branchport, NY, over a 225-mile 289° path; and to the south-southwest, WA4KXV in Virginia Beach, VA, over a 376-mile 207° path;
* That's what she said.
** Directly meaning station-to-station and not via any repeaters
Monday, October 1, 2007
144-MHz DX
My earlier report speculating the reception of DX via meteor scatter propagation turned out to be false. Instead, it was the beginning of an excellent band opening to the northeast. The best DX received directly* by my APRS digi station was VE9WRC in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, over a 511-mile 49° path.
* Directly meaning station-to-station and not via any repeaters
144-MHz band opening
My APRS digi station received KQ1L-7 directly* on Sugarloaf Mountain in Kingfield, ME, over a 270-mile 28° path. This was a short opening with only one distant station received; I wonder if this might have been meteor scatter propagation.
* Directly meaning station-to-station and not via any repeaters
* Directly meaning station-to-station and not via any repeaters
remembering Sputnik
Sputnik 1 was launched 50 years ago this Thursday.
It was a big deal around our home back then. My sister, Jeanette, and I were the original space cadets and my mother was our leader.
Mom found out when Sputnik would be visible and I remember standing out on the lawn with my parents and my sister watching that pinpoint of light that was Sputnik cross the sky over our house.
One day after work, Dad brought us home our very own Sputniks: a simple toy that some entrepreneur hastily put together to take advantage of the moment.
The toy Sputnik was a simple kit consisting of a white round balloon and a handful of white soda straws. After you inflated the balloon you attached the soda straws to the balloon to emulate Sputnik's antennas. We were on our own with regards to a launch vehicle.
It was a big deal around our home back then. My sister, Jeanette, and I were the original space cadets and my mother was our leader.
Mom found out when Sputnik would be visible and I remember standing out on the lawn with my parents and my sister watching that pinpoint of light that was Sputnik cross the sky over our house.
One day after work, Dad brought us home our very own Sputniks: a simple toy that some entrepreneur hastily put together to take advantage of the moment.
The toy Sputnik was a simple kit consisting of a white round balloon and a handful of white soda straws. After you inflated the balloon you attached the soda straws to the balloon to emulate Sputnik's antennas. We were on our own with regards to a launch vehicle.
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