Avalanche!

I stumbled across this interesting article recently...

http://gizmodo.com/mars-orbiter-spots-a-huge-avalanche-of-carbon-dioxide-o-1734230746

I suspect this was triggered by some of the Space Janitor's antics with old Soviet rocket fuel.

A Garden of Healing - Mrs. Bagnall

Recently WNEP TV's Mike Stevens interviewed a one of the kindest and most respectable persons I have ever encountered. I have known Mrs. Bagnall ever since I was a young child and wish to point out that this video only lightly touches on the greater goodness and kindness that she shares with all.

A Garden of Healing

I can confirm that Mrs. Bagnall and her magic garden has bought healing to my family for many years.

Famous Ham Radio Operator: W2QBO Wilson Greatbatch: Inventor of the implantable cardiac pacemaker

While doing some research on Buffalo, NY. business pioneers, I discovered that Wilson Greatbatch was a ham radio operator. His callsign was W2QBO.

Demonstrating his selflessness and character, here is quote from Mr. Greatbatch:

"To ask for a successful experiment, for professional stature, for financial reward or for peer approval,” he wrote in his memoir, “is asking to be paid for what should be an act of love."

Here are some links to further information about Wilson Greatbatch....

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/wilson-greatbatch-inventor-of-the-implantable-cardiac-pacemaker-2363206.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/business/wilson-greatbatch-pacemaker-inventor-dies-at-92.html?_r=0

http://www.greatbatch.com/history.aspx?s=about

http://gizmodo.com/5844558/wilson-greatbatch-the-man-who-accidentally-invented-the-pacemaker-has-died

Leading@Google: Marshall Goldsmith

Marshall Goldsmith gives good ideas for leading and living....

The Intergalactic Radio Society: PCB Land Cutters - For Dead Bug / Manhattan Style ...

The Intergalactic Radio Society: PCB Land Cutters - For Dead Bug / Manhattan Style ...: Recently I have been intrigued by the Manhattan Style of PCB construction. I noticed a lot of Hams are using the "MePads" from  QR...

Making a type C triode vacuum tube.

Sometimes it is good to take a moment and reflect on your origins....

Here is one of the most interesting videos I have seen to date on YouTube. It is not every day that you get to observe a Type C Triode Vacuum Tube being made.

Hats Off! to this gentleman as he is a clearly a skilled craftsman and artisan.

Just the Fax Ma'am!

I think as Amateur Radio Operators we tend to forget Facsimile is a mode of communication available to us. When we think of sending images probably most of us think of SSTV or Packet Radio. At your workplace you probably will just drag-n-drop an image into an email or chat client. Now days, a fax is just kind of a hold over feature from the late eighty's that just happens to still exist on your multi-function printer.

Once upon a time, I was quite hooked on the idea of receiving weather-fax signals and using a computer to view and print the resulting weather maps.

Back in 1987 (I think) I had a Tandy Model 102 note book computer that I wrote a program for which would display sections of a weather-fax map on the 240x60 pixel (40 x 16 character) LCD display. One time I even used my setup as a sort of "emergency" backup system after the weather-fax machine (using chemically treated heat sensitive paper) broke down on board the ship on which I was stationed.

Going a bit further back in time, apparently the future was looking bright for the Fax machine.

Here was an article I saw on Gizmodo....

Faxpapers: A Lost 1930s Technology That Delivered Newspapers via Radio

ENIAC, BINAC, UNIVAC, PADDIEWACK!

Continuing with the computer history research, here is a video from the Remington Rand Corporation which covers the advances in computing up to 1960. It's a worthwhile 13 minutes!

And now for something completely different... John Cleese and Compaq

I've been doing a bit of research on early computing and stumbled across this rare gem (which just happens to star the funniest man in the universe)!