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Thursday, June 09, 2005 |
From the ARRL: HF saves the day after motor home breakdown (Jun 8, 2005) -- Well outside cell phone and ham repeater range, ARRL member Bob Johnson, W7LRD (photo), his wife and their two dogs found themselves May 6 in their motor home broken down "in the middle of nowhere" 70 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada. To the rescue came Johnson's trusty Icom IC-730 and some friendly fellow radio amateurs. "I found Bruce, VA7BEB, on 20 meters, and he started getting my information to my insurance company for road service," Johnson recounts. But the propagation gods were not smiling. Enter Phil, W7PDZ, and Larry, KA0MZL. "Phil continued where Bruce left off, while Larry notified the Nevada Highway Patrol," Johnson continues. "The highway patrol showed up and took note of our situation. A tow truck out of Pahrump, Nevada, came and took us to an RV park across the street from an auto parts store!" The next day Johnson was able to pin down the problem--a failed ignition coil. He picked up and installed a new one, and he and his family were good to go. "Without the assistance and perseverance of these gentlemen, it would have been a very long day and possibly night," he says in praise of the three radio amateurs who assisted him via HF. "These amateurs exhibited the highest tradition of Amateur Radio, and after over 40 years of being a ham this hobby never fails to amaze me."
Tell me again why you think a cell phone is enough to have with you? Do you go more than two miles from your house? Do you take your keys? How about money? Then why are you not prepared for when you cell phone will not function. Especially if you are using it for meaningless conversations all day long. The battery is only good for less than an hour of talk time. The network is only capable of supporting, at maximum, the average number of users. During a disaster, whether natural or manmade, every cell site will become a paperweight (or a really big flag staff) and your cell phone will be little more than jewelery. How will you contact your family and let them know you are all right?
3:16:36 PM 
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Army Headed to Recruiting Shortfall (AP). AP - The Army appears likely to fall short of its full-year recruiting goal for the first time since 1999, raising longer-term questions about a military embroiled in its first protracted wars since switching from the draft to a volunteer force 32 years ago. [Yahoo! News: U.S. National]
What part of dying in Iraq is the Army not understanding. If you go into the Army like you would into a job interview, the chance of death tends to be a major show stopper, even with the great perks like travel, sleeping on the ground and getting shot at daily by large caliber weapons.
The United States military will not attract quality people. There is no reason to join the military unless you enjoy the prospect of death, because that is about all there is to look forward to. Glamorize it all you want, a pig in a tutu is still a pig. Joining the military now means a good chance of being put in harms way. Some people live for that sort of thing. Most, however, do not and that is why a manditory draft cannot be far off unless the current administration sees the errors of its ways.
2:56:04 PM
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ACLU to challenge Utah porn-blocking law. Group will sue to overturn a state law that requires the attorney general to come up with an official list of naughty Web sites. [CNET News.com]
Why is the government supposed to act as your guardian? I understand that Utah is a special case, but still - it is not the government's job to protect you from things that go bump in the night, even if it is just you going bump by yourself. If you are afraid for your children, then do something about it - watch where they are going and implement the safeguards to keep them from going there in the first place. The technology exists for this and it has for years. Use it, but do not expect that ISPs will even have the time to control this sort of thing, nor should they be expected to.
2:36:22 PM
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Bush pushes Congress to renew anti-terrorism law (Reuters). Reuters - President Bush urged the U.S. Congress on Thursday to renew major provisions of the USA Patriot Act and rejected critics who have complained the post-Sept. 11 anti-terrorism law erodes civil liberties. [Yahoo! News: Top Stories]
The Patriot Act, as it stands is not a good law by anyone's definition who has actually taken the time to read it and understand it. It has a couple of good points, but far too many bad ones and should be allowed to expire. If the provisions are so important, let the law makers argue for them without the shadow of September 11 over their heads. If they do that, then perhaps they will truly see the real issues and strike down the rest of it.
2:22:04 PM
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FCC Speeds Up Digital TV Signal Deadlines (AP). AP - Federal regulators on Thursday moved up the deadlines for manufacturers to make popular, mid-sized television sets capable of receiving digital signals. [Yahoo! News: Technology News]
One more time, tell me WHY I need a digital television? My analog one is working just fine thank you. I am not even sure if I have finished paying for it as it is only six or so years old.
2:15:08 PM
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Tropical Storm Arlene Forms in Caribbean (AP). AP - Tropical Storm Arlene developed Thursday in the northwest Caribbean Sea, edging closer to western Cuba as the Atlantic hurricane season's first named storm. Gulf Coast residents, including those in storm-battered Florida, were warned to beware. [Yahoo! News: U.S. National]
Show time. Everybody ready?
10:22:11 AM
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© Copyright 2005 David Lane.
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