Here it is, the day before a predicted storm and I am sitting here thinking about stuff. I like to watch science shows and learn from them, for instance, how the human genome includes around 2.5% neanderthal DNA if you are not of African extraction. Addictive personalities are caused by some of the genes. Neat stuff. Somewhere out there in the cosmos is a quasar pointed towards the Earth that might have fired off a gamma ray burst and will wipe us out. This event could have happened millions of years ago and might not hit us for millions more … or could hit tomorrow. Cats were once worshiped as Gods and still behave as if they ARE Gods. And here is something to ponder: on January 15th 1919 a tank holding 2.3 million gallons of molasses in Boston burst open and a wave of black sticky sweet molasses flowed through the streets at about 35 MPH, killing 21 and injuring 150 others. Life can be funny that way.
Uncategorized
Adventures in Snowblowing
Anyone who lives/has lived in a northern climate knows the joys of having to clean up after a snow storm. Today I after I woke up, I had to do that. First we had to make a trip down to my mum-in-laws place ( a senior community) and clean out her car. The folks who run the place contract for someone to plow the main part of the lots and the sidewalks but they end up burying the residents’ cars, for the most part. Most of the residents don’t have the physical ability to clean their cars off and un bury them. We and other relatives of the residents go down there and clean up.
Once that was done we came back home. I had to purchase some shear pins the other day as 2 of them had snapped in my blower. I went to replace them and found a large rock wedged under the auger on one side. I was able to hammer the rock out of there and then I had to drive the broken pins out of the shaft. Once this was done, I got the blower started and did the clean up in my driveway and the walk up to the house. Gotta love winter!!
Confessions of a pet owner
Recently my wyfe and I have added to our pets. We each have hermit crabs on our respective desks. Hers are named Bowie and Hermie. Mine are Compo and Clegg. Hermits are nocturnal which makes them sorta interesting as they are most active when I am sitting at my radios and computer. I will have to post some pics at a later time. Right now I am trying to get the humidity up in my tank. It is currently about 75% and I would like to see it a bit higher. The temperature is good, stable around 80 F. I have some more tank essentials coming soon. Things for them to climb on and some spare shells for them to use as they get bigger.
We also have 4 cats, each of which has a story. Mote is our oldest at 7 years. He is a grey tabby. His mother, Mabel, left him on our back porch the day before she got killed by a car. We took him in and bottle fed him until he was ready to eat solid food. Mote is cuddly but only on his terms. Marley is Mote’s nephew. Marley looks like Mote except he is bigger … a lot bigger. He weighs almost 30 lbs. He is 6 years old and a real love bucket. Mayhem and Foggy are both 3 years old and from the same litter. Mayhem is a sweet little girl who is a very pretty torti and has a lot of personality. Foggy is a 3 legged turbo charged cyclone. He had to have one of his back legs amputated at a young age because someone kicked him (I have my suspicions but can’t prove it) and broke the leg at the hip. He gets around very well and is lively and entertaining.
That is my list of terrestrial pets. I will post pictures at a later time.
Brewing up some trouble
Today is Boxing Day which has nothing to do with this post. I am brewing up a batch of American Style Brown Ale. I am taking the time while it reaches a full boil to write this. Here is my basic recipe: 8 lbs Pale Malt, 2 lbs Munich Malt, 1 lb Dark Wheat Malt, 8 oz Chocolate Malt and 8 oz Crystal Malt (40L). For Hops I am using 1 oz Galena for 60 minutes and 1 oz Galena for 20 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of the boil I will add 1 tablespoon of Irish Moss and when the boil is done I will add 1 lb of Turbinado. For yeast I am using the Hornendahl strain. I mashed for 1 hour at 152F and collected 6.5 Gallons. My projected OG is 1.065. We will see. I will post my results later. Okay it is later. My OG is 1.056, a bit off them mark but not too bad. 🙂
A Christmas Post
Hi All. I am sitting here in front of my computer and radios enjoying the fleeting company of my cats as they jump on and off of my lap at various intervals. Now there are a lot of theories out there about why Amateur Radio Operators are known as hams. Here is an article that seems to have a ring of truth about it:
** Why an Amateur Radio Operator is called a HAM **
By Gerry Crenshaw (WD4BIS)
(This was previously published in the Amateur Radio Communicator MARCH/APRIL 1994)
Have you ever wondered why we radio amateurs are called “HAMS”? Well, according to the Northern Ohio Radio Society, it goes like this: the word ham was applied in 1908 and was the call letters of one of the first Amateur wireless stations operated by some members of the HARVARD RADIO CLUB. There were Albert S. Hyman, Bob Almy and Peggie Murray. At first, they called their station Hyman-Almy-Murry. Tapping out such a long name in code soon called for a revision and they changed it to HY-AL-MU, using the first two letters of each name.
Early in 1909, some confusion resulted between signals from Amateur wireless HYALMU and a Mexican ship named HYALMO, so they decided to use only the first letter of each name and the call became HAM.
In the early pioneer unregulated days of radio, Amateur operators picked their own frequency and call letters. Then, as now, some Amateurs had better signals than some commercial stations. The resulting interference finally came to the attention of congressional committees in Washington and they gave much time to proposed legislation designed to critically limit Amateur activity.
In 1911, Albert Hyman chose the controversial Wireless Regulation Bill as the topic for his thesis at Harvard. His instructor insisted that a copy be sent to Senator David I. Walsh, a member of one of the committees hearing the bill. The Senator was so impressed, he sent for Hyman to appear before the committee. He was put on the stand and described how the little Amateur station was built. He almost cried when he told the crowded committee room that if the bill went through, they would have to close up the station because they could not afford the license fees and all the other requirements that were set up in the bill.
The debate started and the little station HAM became a symbol of all the little Amateur stations in the country crying out to be saved from menace and greed of the big commercial stations who did not want them around. Finally, the bill got to the floor of Congress and every speaker talked about the poor little station “HAM.”
That’s how it all started. You will find the whole story in the Congressional Record. Nationwide publicity associated station HAM with Amateurs. From that day to this, and probably to the end of time, in radio, an Amateur is a HAM.
GL and 73’s de Gerry WD4BIS
Copyright 1996 Gerald Crenshaw WD4BIS. All rights are reserved.
This may or may not shed light on the subject. I do know that most hams carry the title with pride. Now here is a link to the Harrisburg Radio Amateur Club website announcement and flyer for the hamfest coming up on 8 Jan 2022. http://www.w3uu.org/winterfest/
Hamfests used to be a big attraction. A combination social gathering and radio-related flea market. Toss in some good food and/or snacks and you have a winning idea. Unfortunately, the internet has eroded the support for hamfests. I still like to go and look around and will be at the Winterfest.
I have everybody has a happy holiday season.
Requiem
It has been a tough week. Last weekend I got word that a friend/coworker had a bad stroke. I was informed that he was in the ICU and non-responsive. Yesterday I received word that he passed on Friday. Part of the tragedy is that he was 35 years old. After a tough life, he was finally getting his shit together and things were looking up. Then he was struck down. I guess we all need to face up to our mortality. He is already missed. I am not publishing his name for privacy and respect.
Requiescat In Pace |
Something to Ponder
Find your true self
Use your strengths and weaknesses
Care about others
Keep your own self true
Just be alert
Only trust in you
Each day is a new beginning
Bring something to the table
Identify toxic influences
Destroy nothing unique
End things in a timely fashion
Never not learn from failing
COVID and Chemtrails
It is widely believed that the Governments of this world are spraying their populations with chemicals and germs from high flying planes. If you do a search on the web you will find a plethora of pages about this subject. Some of them offer proof of this and some debunk it. It is a mixed bag. Here is an example of a webpage: https://stillnessinthestorm.com/2020/02/the-united-nations-exposes-chemtrails-100-proof-we-are-being-poisoned/
I have a simple proposal. Since the infrastructure is in place to perform this, why don’t we all contact our congress critters and insist that they use this to spray us all with the COVID vaccine. This would eliminate the need for egregious mandates and “vaccine passports”. If they are already spraying us with malicious chemicals, why not, by popular demand” spray something beneficial? You can find contact information for your politicians online. Let’s get this rolling!!
A book Review
The book I am reviewing today is “Today I Am A Ham” by Ethelyn M Parkinson. My wife found it at a yardsale. For a youth-oriented book, I found it interesting and enjoyable. 14 year old Eric aspires to be a ham while maneuvering through typical family and school and friend issues. He isn’t the athlete that his coach father wants him to be; he also is’t the perfect brother that his drama queen sister wants him to be. He gets the full support of his other sister and, with the help of friends and local adults, he is able to get his ham ticket. As for sports, I will leave that to you. On the whole, it was a good read. Below is a link to some reader reviews:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697633.Today_I_Am_a_Ham
A question answered for your enjoyment
What was SAREX? Hint: 1983
The SAREX program (initially Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment and later called Space Amateur Radio Experiment) was started in 1983. On November 28, 1983, Owen Garriott (W5LFL) became the first licensed ham in space. He used a handheld 2-meter radio to talk to his mother, senator Barry Goldwater, King Hussein of Jordan (JY1), and many others. He made around 300 calls and convinced NASA to initiate the SAREX Program It was used to get school children interested in space and the STEM disciplines. In 1985 Anthony England (W0ORE) made 130 contacts and sent 10 slow scan images from the Challenger filght STS-51F. After these pioneering efforts, amateur radio became a regular fixture on shuttle flights and later on on the International Space Station. On some flights the entire crew were licensed amateur radio operators. After about 25 flights, the program evolved into the ARISS around 1996. There was a couple of years of overlap between the programs. ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) remains very popular to this day. Astronauts and Cosmonauts on the station can make contacts during their off time and a lot of Earthbound amateurs take advantage of the program. There are even schools that set up schedules so that their students can have the opportunity to contact the space station.
Nature, Radio, and Me 