SomeNetBlog

Burn the bacon slooooowly…

This morning as I awakened, I had set the alarm for 0630 in the thoughts that I might attend the 0800 worship service.

I did not. Read the rest…

Midnight at the Oasis

Growing up, I fell in love with that 1973 song.

Performed by Maria Muldaur and written by David Nichtern, the lyric is a classic, and tastefully sensous.

“Midnight at the oasis
Send your camel to bed.
Shadows paintin’ our faces,
Traces of romance in our heads.
Heaven’s holdin’ a half-moon,
Shinin’ just for us.
Let’s slip off to a sand dune, real soon,
And kick up a little dust.” Read the rest…

Double Aught Buckshot

‘Kevin,’ some may ask me, ‘what have you been doing the last couple of days?’

I’d have to tell them this: Read the rest…

Keep 4 Big Fat Turkeys… and 1,476± Hams

Recently, while perusing the Internet (that’s a nice way to say doing some kind of semi-research) I happened to notice a particular link for Amateur Radio licensees.

Specifically, I was searching for broadcast outlets in the greater Florence, Alabama area (stations which originate in Lauderdale or Colbert county). In case you’re not aware, there are Radio: 7 - AM; 17 - FM;  7 - TV; for a GRAND TOTAL of 31!

Wow! That’s a whole lot!

The Huntsville MSA, a much more populated, and educated area, has 9 - AM; 19 - FM; 7 - TV; for a GRAND TOTAL of 35!

What is up with that?!

Maybe I’m in the wrong business…

Anywho, It just so happened that there was a link to Amateur Radio licensees. So, I thought, “woo-hoo! That’s me!”

And, yeppers, I’m in it.

Maybe you can find yourself. 

Go hunting. 

Go fishing. 

Just go! 

Restoring the moon with recycled antique equipment.

With the passing from one year into the next, we are often presented with remembrances and nostalgic recollections of “how we got here”…

This has been a year full of choice bits from space exploration as NASA celebrates their 50th anniversary. Most every day I like to check in on the latest discussion on the AMSAT bulletin-board, an international collection  of ham radio operators with special interest in satellite communication. Many of these fine folks have also at some point in their history contributed to the collective advancements our exploring civilization has enjoyed. Here is an interesting article that was recently brought to our attention, describing the journey of some old data. (Restored picture thanks to NASA/LOIRP)

More than a time or two I’ve been involved with restoration of old equipment like this, after all that is how I, like so many others, came to be involved with electronic technology - by recycling old hardware. Just last week I was describing to some colleagues how I had first discovered the art of dumpster diving on my walk home from jr high school in the 60’s. There was an IBM field office, and we would collect old circuit boards from the trash, and take them home and scavenge resistors, capacitors and transistors for use building our own circuits.

This is how we got here . . .  lets make sure that we provide the same opportunities to our future scientists and explorers.

Thanks  /;^)

Halfway ’round the world on Christmas

It’s not a post about Santa Claus, nor defenses for the same.

It’s not a post about “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,” nor any hokey tune heard during this time of year.

In fact, it’s not about anything but you.

Yes, this post is about YOU!

Read the rest…