« July 2005 | Main | September 2005 »
August 31, 2005
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
As an amateur radio operator, I often get asked what makes being a ham special. When I explain how I can communicate by radio in so many ways, I get blank stares. I try to explain that amateur radio is classified as an emergency service, because of its use during disasters when other communications methods fail. Invariably, at this point, the other person asks why we don't just use cell phones.
Right now, New Orleans is arguably the most severe disaster area that the United States has ever seen. Mississippi is looking pretty bad, as well. Right now, communications in those areas is virtually impossible. Telephone lines are down. Backup generators are swamped. Cell phones? Sorry, cell phones aren't working either, because the towers rely on commercial power for their operation, and the power is out. Emergency services communications works from car to car, or walkie-talkie to walkie-talkie, but repeaters rely on commercial, power, backup generators and the like. Repeaters may also be located on towers that have fallen, or buildings that have been damaged.
This is where Amateur Radio comes in. Amateur Radio has two organizations built to handle emergency situations. They are Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). These organizations consist of amateur radio operators who are equipped and trained to provide emergency communications when all else fails. Amateurs can arrive on the scene of an emergency, setup antennas (not antennae), generators, and radios for their own use. Using networked operations, special message handling routines, and a wide range of frequencies and modes, amateurs can fill in for lost communications, and keep the relief efforts moving along.
There are many ways that amateur radio can fill the communications gaps. Some ways are very localized. Others are wide-ranging. The operators who arrive on the scene are typically trained to handle many options.
If landline or cell phone communications are available in limited areas, amateur radio operators can fill the gap between the 911 centers and the actual emergency services, passing messages by radio to ease the demand on the limited phone centers. Multiple command centers can be linked together with teams at each center, facilitating communications among the support teams. If necessary, operators can join rescue teams themselves.
Amateur operators will often man emergency shelters, where refugees of disasters are housed temporarily. They will relay information about how many people are housed, medical needs, and other valuable information.
Wide-ranging disasters may need emergency communications across each locality. Several counties, cities, or parishes that are affected may need to communicate with state officials. This is another job where amateur radio can fill the gap. When amateur radio is mobilized for emergencies, a station is routinely setup at the state emergency operations center.
Our modern world has a huge number of communications possibilities. Telephones, cell phones, Internet, pagers, Blackberries, and so much more. Nearly all of our modern communications requires an infrastructure to exist. When disasters occur, that infrastructure can be damaged beyond use. By arriving with their own infrastructure, amateur radio operators can make sure that emergency services, government agencies, and the general public, can still communicate. This helps the rescue efforts move faster, more efficiently, and more effectively than might otherwise be possible.
Watching Fox News, I saw a reporter tell how all across the New Orleans, he saw people walking with their hands up in the air. They held their cell phones, searching for a signal.
Signals are coming. Amateur Radio is on the way.
Posted by Lockjaw at 6:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
How Spam Affects Blogging
I haven't been the most active lately, on the blog. I know. I've been doing a lot of stuff, but that stuff just hasn't been here on the blog. One reason is spam. Every day, I've been logging in to the blog and deleting spam comments by the dozens. Overnight, over 80 spam comments have been posted to the blog. The filters catch it, and you never see it on the blog, but I'm tired of the daily spamcop routine, when I'd rather be blogging.
There is an answer. I can turn on TypeKey authorization requirements. This would require that anyone who posts on the blog have a TypeKey account, which would be used to authenticate that they are a real person before they can post. The good news is that TypeKey authorized users see their posts appear automatically, without my approval being needed. The bad news is that some people simply will not post if they have to do anything more than type their message. I already make use of this service for automatic approval of posts, so you can register already, and see your posts appear immediately. What I'm considering is blocking all non-Typekey approved comments, as a spam-prevention measure.
I welcome any thoughts on this from my readers. If the end result is more writing, would you be opposed to registering with Typekey (NOT registering with this blog, but with an outside service) in order to post? Let me know.
Posted by Lockjaw at 5:48 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 26, 2005
Debunking the Anti-American Media Lies
Whenever a Republican is in office, and military action is called for, we get a true idea of who in our society is the most anti-American. You can tell who they are, because they'll start spouting anything they hear that could possibly make America look bad, and harm us in our military action. One of the "old standards" of this anti-American group has been criticism of the Guantanamo Bay detention facilities. I'm sure you're familiar with the complaints. They say the detainees are innocent. They say they're tortured. They've even tried to say that our guys have tried to flush the unholy book of Islam down the toilet. If these accusations were true, they'd be pretty bad. Unfortunately, they just don't seem to be true. That doesn't stop the enemies of America, though, home or abroad. They'll still spout the lies.
You want the truth? You can't handle the truth. Rusty Humphries provides some truth, though, along with pictures.
Personally, I love the photo of the very same "squatty potty" that the Koran was flushed down. Whatta hoot!
Posted by Lockjaw at 6:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 25, 2005
Link of the Moment - Mawson Station, Antarctica
I've been lax in posting, lately. There's been a lot going on, ranging from work to web development to car repair. Yesterday, I spent a whole day working with the church's youth group, and on PC/network issues for the church. It's all very nice and productive, but blogging has taken a backseat. I figure, at the very least, I can post a link or two to some cool sites I've found recently. That said, here's a groovy livecam for you. The Australian Antarctic Division's Mawson Station has a cool cam available. The Internet really does reach into some interesting places. Check further down the page for the photos of the station at its warmest and coldest.
Posted by Lockjaw at 6:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 18, 2005
Freakonomics - Book Review
I was a bit late in getting my hands on Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Devoured is exactly what I did, too. Freakonomics was quite an enjoyable read, covering a wide variety of topics. Notable high points include the fight against the KKK, and how the Superman animated TV show may have dealt the deadliest blow against the organization. I also enjoyed the analysis of the crack-dealing street gang and its business model. The chapter comparing corruption among public school teachers and sumo wrestlers had me chomping at the bit for more.
Steven Levitt and Stephen Drubner have done a great job of presenting economic data in easily readable anecdotes. The fact that the book has no focal point to work from, except in that it is an economics book about strange topics, was a plus. I also enjoyed that the information was presented by an economist with no visible ideological axe to grind.
Now, I'll pass the book to the wife. Once she's done, I can think of a few others who might enjoy reading Freakonomics. I know I did.
Posted by Lockjaw at 12:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 16, 2005
Russian Cows to be Fed Marijuana
According to this MSNBC story, Russian cows are going to be fed marijuana over the Winter. I should note here that I am NOT keeping a straight face as I write this.
The Cows are the latest victims of the drug war in Russia. Marijuana crops were planted among the corn and sunflower crops, which are used as feed for the cattle. In order to get rid of the marijuana, they had to destroy the feed crops. No feed crops, no winter feed. That's bad. They're going to feed the confiscated marijuana to the cows.
Okay, here's my two important questions for you. 1) If they could save the marijuana, why did they have to destroy the feed crops? 2) How much money would you pay to sit and watch that herd for an hour?
moo?
Posted by Lockjaw at 6:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
I'm No Fan of the Gaza Pullout
It really bothers me to watch the strife in Israel over Sharon's pullout from Gaza. Israeli citizens are being pulled out of their homes as an appeasement to enemies of Israel, and only Israel is to blame. Israel has been beset by enemies on all sides since its inception thousands of years ago, and today is no different. One difference today, though, is that we have a United Nations to give those enemies political viability. Under the UN's influence, Israel was restored, only to be divided. At every step, attempts have been made to divide her further.
I believe that Israel should be restored to its biblical borders. My own choice would be those borders of the time of David, minus conquered Syrian land. In current border standards, this would mean the whole of the current borders of Israel, plus the West Bank and Gaza areas. There are no historical "palestinian" claims to these areas that can compete with the claims of Israel.
Luckily, the Bible, being a book of future history in addition to the past, tells of a future united Israel. I only wish that Ariel Sharon was working to reconquer the whole of Israel instead of giving it away.
Posted by Lockjaw at 6:29 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 15, 2005
Hitchens on Sheehan
My favorite liberal columnist, Christopher Hitchens, has written another great column. This time, he's taking on nitwit exploiter Cindy Sheehan and verbose boor Maureen Dowd. It's a good read, as usual.
"There are, in fact, some principles involved here. Any citizen has the right to petition the president for redress of grievance, or for that matter to insult him to his face. But the potential number of such people is very large, and you don't have the right to cut in line by having so much free time that you can set up camp near his drive. Then there is the question of civilian control over the military, which is an authority that one could indeed say should be absolute. The military and its relatives have no extra claim on the chief executive's ear. Indeed, it might be said that they have less claim than the rest of us, since they have voluntarily sworn an oath to obey and carry out orders."
"Finally, I think one must deny to anyone the right to ventriloquize the dead. Casey Sheehan joined up as a responsible adult volunteer. Are we so sure that he would have wanted to see his mother acquiring "a knack for P.R." and announcing that he was killed in a war for a Jewish cabal? This is just as objectionable, on logical as well as moral grounds, as the old pro-war argument that the dead "must not have died in vain." I distrust anyone who claims to speak for the fallen, and I distrust even more the hysterical noncombatants who exploit the grief of those who have to bury them."
Posted by Lockjaw at 8:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Christine Sheehan Parrots Osama & Co.
Christine Sheehan, media darling of the moment, is just the latest
"useful idiot" on the left that is fighting on the side of Al Qaeda
and other terrorists. In words that could have just as easily been
said by Osama bin Laden himself, Sheehan said, "You get America out of
Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you'll stop the terrorism."
Whose side is she on?
Hat tip Drudge.
Posted by Lockjaw at 5:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 10, 2005
Bono on Grace through Christ
"That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep s---. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity."
Bono gets it. He's no idiot. Who would have thought that the #1 Christian band in the world would turn out to be U2?
Link to Christianity Today article
Hat Tip - Southern Appeal
Posted by Lockjaw at 11:42 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Tar Heel Blogwatch - How Did I Miss This?
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Raleigh's News and Observer has a blog just for watching North Carolina blogs. It's called Tar Heel Blogwatch, and it seems to be a good place to add to my watchlist. They've even got an entry pointing to a post by my friend Sarah Ovenall. I'll be watching this page. You probably should, as well.
Posted by Lockjaw at 9:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Lottery on Verge of Failing - YAY!
The prospects (this year) of North Carolina getting a lottery are walking a thin line. According to this article in the News and Observer, it would only take one vote switch to have the lottery pass. Let's hope that such a switch doesn't occur.
"Although the Democratic leadership supports a lottery, five Democratic senators are staked out in opposition. That has left party leaders scrambling to persuade one of the five -- or one Republican -- to support a lottery. In the case of a tie, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, a lottery supporter, would cast the tie-breaker."
Outside of the basic wrongness of a government-sponsored lottery, my own reasons for opposing this are very simple. ALL proceeds from a lottery should go into the General Fund. Lottery supporters are using the same old tactics for the lottery this time around. They're earmarking the funds for "education." 50% of the proceeds would go toward the vague goal of reducing class sizes and pre-kindergarten learning (which has shown in studies to be no benefit, and usually a detriment in early grades). 40% would go toward school construction, which is a variation on reducing class sizes, but at least makes sense. 10% would go toward college scholarships.
Of course, once lottery proceeds start to flow, legislatures invariably begin to see areas where normal funding of schools can be reduced, as it is now being made up elsewhere. Earmarking reduces the need of the legislature to handle the budget wisely. By depositing the funds in the general fund, the legislature would have to answer to the general public for its actions. Earmarking takes away responsibility, and accountability. The latter, I think, has more to do with why they want to earmark the funds.
On top of it all, I'm not a big fan of public schools. I'm not alone. In a discussion with some public school teachers earlier this week, we agreed that the highest proportion of anti-public-education people in the state can probably be found at the head of the classes. My kid's in one of those exclusive private schools (and it isn't because I'm rich). Why would I want to waste my money on failure?
A lottery in North Carolina?
NO! NO! NO!
It almost makes me want to run for the legislature...
Posted by Lockjaw at 8:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 9, 2005
Christopher Hitchens on Iraq
Christopher Hitchens is one of my favorite liberal commentators. He's a true "Liberal's Liberal" in that his liberalism is ideological by nature, and not simply the liberalism of opposition that has become so prevalent in today's politics. He wasn't afraid to stand up and point out that Bill Clinton was a useless liberal, in that he made a lot of liberal promises, but rarely followed through with them. Now, he's laying out his views on Iraq. They're worth reading
It never seemed to me that there was any alternative to confronting the reality of Iraq, which was already on the verge of implosion and might, if left to rot and crash, have become to the region what the Congo is to Central Africa: a vortex of chaos and misery that would draw in opportunistic interventions from Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Bad as Iraq may look now, it is nothing to what it would have become without the steadying influence of coalition forces. None of the many blunders in postwar planning make any essential difference to that conclusion. Indeed, by drawing attention to the ruined condition of the Iraqi society and its infrastructure, they serve to reinforce the point.
Go and read the whole thing. In fact, if you don't read Hitchens regularly, you should start. Even when I think he's wrong, which happens frequently, he bases his views in a well-thought-out belief structure which is usually absent among the left in America.
Posted by Lockjaw at 9:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Another Biblical Site "That Didn't Exist" Found
The Biblical Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed a man who was blind from birth has long been held by non-believers as a piece of fiction. They simply said the site did not exist. They've tried the same trick with other sites and people from the Bible, and often been proven wrong. They're wrong again, it seems. The Pool of Siloam, one of three to hold that name, has been discovered.
Of course, this won't stop the non-believers from not believing, but it's another proof that not all that is called fiction is, in fact, fiction.
Posted by Lockjaw at 8:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 5, 2005
Liberals Promised to Run to Canada - Then Didn't
Leading up to the 2004 elections, there was a lot of loose talk among liberals about leaving the country for Canada if Bush won. What is it about liberals that makes them want to run to Canada when there's a fight, anyway? As it turns out, the loose talk was exactly that. Faced with the prospect of actually having to get off their butts and move to Canada, those loudmouths decided that America might not be such a bad place to live. American applications to live in Canada, instead of going up after the election, actually went DOWN by a decent amount.
Those liberals are better off for staying, too. Our economy continues to improve, and they aren't forced into the substandard Canadian health-care system. Lucky them.
Posted by Lockjaw at 3:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Bob Novak Calls Carville for What He IS
So, the blogosphere is active today. Bob Novak reacted to a statement by James Carville by calling is Bull*twinkies*. After doing so, he calmly stood up, removed his microphone, and exited stage left. Over in the "reality-based" side of the blogosphere (and they call it that with a straight face) they're saying he "stormed off" or "went nuts," which is nothing like the truth.
The most beautiful thing about the whole story to me? Bob Novak publicly called James Carville on his vocal output. Was Carville spouting BS? Of course he was. Everything he says is BS. One has to wonder whether Carville really believes that what he says is true, or if he's just a professional BS artist.
I've made up MY mind on that one.
Posted by Lockjaw at 5:54 AM | Comments (25) | TrackBack
August 2, 2005
Great Tearjerker Video from Ford
Ford has put together a great video as a thanks to the troops. I'd love to see a 60 second version of this ad playing in prime-time. Go over to Gateway Pundit to watch. Some might say that Ford is trying to capitalize on the war, but I beg to differ. Not once do I remember the Ford Mustang being mentioned by name in the video, and the Ford trademark was only used in the text at the end. The whole thing was very tastefully done. I almost cried, and I hardly ever cry when watchintg movies.
Well, there was Star Trek IV. I bawled my eyes out in that one.
Posted by Lockjaw at 3:45 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Replacement Ideas for Space Shuttle Look Good
I'm a big fan of the Space Shuttle. Heck, I'm a big fan of the whole space program. Sure, it's got its problems, especially in the cost department, but that doesn't mean that American doesn't have the coolest space tools government money can buy. As much as I love the Shuttle, though, I think it's time to put it out to pasture. That's why I'm especially glad to see some good ideas for its replacement.
The great thing about these ideas for replacing the Shuttle is that it doesn't require a ground-up redesign. The existing booster-rocket design can be re-used. In addition, a large portion of the current external tank design is very similar. On top of the whole thing, in the cargo version, will be a capsule capable of carrying 100 tons of stuff. The Shuttle currently maxxes out at 20 tons. If this new idea represents an 18 Wheeler Mac truck, the Shuttle would be a Ford E150 van. Don't get me wrong, I like a Ford E150, but it has some major limits.
The Space Shuttle doesn't need replacing because it's a failure. It doesn't need replacing because of risk, age, or the need for a sexier model. Quite simply, we should be looking at more effective ways to launch larger payloads, for less money, more often.
In the end, I think we'll be moving to a two-model system of space travel. One will be a collection of private corporations that will supply services to private and government clients. The other will be military. When that happens, access to space will open up greatly.
Posted by Lockjaw at 11:14 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 1, 2005
The Lorax - An Ecomonic Fable Revisited
Most anyone under the age of 40 who has read a book has read "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss. It is widely understood to be a book about how uncontrolled greed can cause environmental and economic ruin. Is that all there is to it? The Commons Blog puts an interesting spin on the story.
"The truffula trees grow in an unowned commons. (The Lorax may speak for the trees, but he does not own them.) The Once-ler has no incentive to conserve the truffula trees for, as he notes to himself, if he doesn't cut them down someone else will. He's responding to the incentives created by a lack of property rights in the trees, and the inevitable tragedy results. Had the Once-ler owned the trees, his incentives would have been quite different -- and he would likely have acted accordingly -- even if he remained dismissive of the Lorax's environmental concerns."The story ends with the Once-ler giving a young boy the last truffula seed. He tells him to plant it and treat it with care, and then maybe the Lorax will come back from there. The traditional interpretation is simply that we must all care more for the environment. If we only control corporate greed we can prevent environmental ruin. But perhaps it means something else. Perhaps the lesson is that this boy should plant his truffula trees, and act as their steward. Perhaps giving the boy the last seed is an act of transferring the truffula from the open-access commons to private stewardship. Indeed, the final image -- the ring of stones labeled with the word "unless" -- could well suggest that enclosure, and the creation of property rights to protect natural resources, is necessary for the Lorax to ever return."
How much different could the story have been if the truffula trees had been owned by an individual, or a corporation? Cutting down the trees would still have been allowed, but someone would have been planting new trees. This would not only have prevented the loss of the trees, but also would have protected the industry, and the jobs involved. Only in fiction can such a major operation be a one-man job.
More on trees as a renewable resource here.
Posted by Lockjaw at 6:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack