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16

Group W Bench / TEST DRIVE

« on: August 14, 2010, 0150 UTC »

I stopped by the Toyota Dealership yesterday for a look at the new Tacoma . Just for fun, I took it out for a test drive. I wanted to sense that new "feel."

The salesman (wearing an Obama "change" lapel pin) sat in the passenger seat describing the truck and all its "wonderful" options. The seats were of particular interest.

He explained that the seats directed warm air to your butt in the winter and directed cool air to your butt in the summer heat.

Feeling like messing with his mind, I mentioned that this must be a Republican truck. Looking a bit angry, he asked why I thought it was a Republican truck. I explained that if it were a Democrat truck, the seats would blow smoke up your ass year-round.

I had to walk back to the dealership... Damn guy had no sense of humor.

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General Radio Discussion / Narco-blogger beats Mexico drug war news blackout

« on: August 13, 2010, 0358 UTC »

Anonymous man gives Mexicans an inside view of their raging narcotics battle

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38684639/ns/world_news-americas

COMING SOON TO A STREET NEAR YOU ??!!

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North American Shortwave Pirate / Radio Ronin

« on: August 09, 2010, 0051 UTC »

6850 am 00:48 first tune very nice loud modulation BUT the modulation seems to have dropped RONIN you and Captain Morgan are both hitting me with +40 on the meter

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General Radio Discussion / GIRL 7 THREATENED WITH $500 FINE FOR SELLING LEMONADE

« on: August 07, 2010, 1903 UTC »

Oregon girl not bitter after lemonade flap
County feels the squeeze, allows 7-year-old to sell drinks again

PORTLAND, Ore. — After a county inspector squeezed out a kid's lemonade business, so many Oregonians puckered up in disgust that the county chairman had to pour on a little sugar.

The apology sweetened up some sour feelings and made 7-year-old Julie Murphy eligible to resume selling her Kool-Aid and water concoction for 50 cents a cup.

Last week at a local arts fair, Julie and her mother were surprised when a county inspector asked to see their restaurant license.

They didn't have one. The inspector told them they would face a fine of up to $500 if they didn't stop selling lemonade.

Other vendors urged Julie and her mother not to leave. A second inspector arrived and the two inspectors were surrounded by a crowd of vendors supporting Julie and her mother.

Ultimately, Julie and her mother packed up the stand, and as Julie left the fair she was crying.

But Julie has prevailed.

Jeff Cogen, chairman of Multnomah County, says the health inspectors were "just following the rule book" but they should have given the girl and her mom a break. On Thursday, he talked with Julie's mom to apologize.

"A lemonade stand is a classic, iconic American kid thing to do," Cogen told The Oregonian. "I don't want to be in the business of shutting that down."

And how does Julie feel about this?

Her mother, Maria Fife, said she and her daughter appreciates the apology.

But the sweet and sour tale of lemonade stands at the Portland art fair might not yet be over.

According to the Oregonian, one vendor at the local arts fair is planning a "lemonade revolt" the next time the fair is held — later this month.

Cogen says he doesn't know what he'll do if a bunch of fair vendors try selling lemonade without a license.

As it turns out, lemons may present county officials with something of a pickle.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38592078/ns/us_news-life/?gt1=43001

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General Radio Discussion / HERE COMES THE SUN - (WITH A Vengeance)

« on: August 07, 2010, 0645 UTC »

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=259035

The sun has been quiet for the past couple of years. Too quiet. Normally, our home star goes through a sort of rising and falling sleep-wake cycle that lasts 11 years, on average. At the so-called solar maximum, magnetic storms roil its outer layers and sunspots dapple its surface; solar flares arc magnificently into space; and clots of charged particles spew outward in bursts of plasma that can reach to Earth and beyond. At the solar minimum — the stage we've been experiencing lately — all of that drops off dramatically.

The recent solar minimum has been unnaturally calm, though, with literally no sunspots at all for extended periods, and the eerie silence has gone on for about two years — about twice as long as the typical minimum. "People began to get nervous," says solar astronomer Leon Golub, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, "that the sun would never come out of it."

But on Aug. 1, the sun woke up with a vengeance: there was, in the breathless words of the website SpaceWeather.com, "a C3-class solar flare, a solar tsunami, multiple filaments of magnetism lifting off the stellar surface, large-scale shaking of the solar corona, radio bursts, a coronal mass ejection and more." The event was captured in spectacular video by NASA's new Solar Dynamics Observatory, launched in February.

For the average person, it's the mass ejection that's most immediately relevant. A giant solar burp has sent a cloud of charged particles racing toward Earth. When the particles, which were predicted to arrive on Tuesday night, slam into Earth's magnetic field, the resulting electromagnetic storm is likely to trigger a spectacular show of northern lights across Russia, North America and northern Europe. It could also scramble communications between orbiting satellites and receivers on Earth, but the relatively modest size of the ejection has led experts to consider a major disruption unlikely. Still, says Golub, "we have no way of predicting this with any certainty."

Solar physicists also haven't got a good handle on why the sun sometimes goes quiet for extended periods. The most recent episode happened about a century ago, but back in the 1600's and early 1700's, the sun sank into a dead calm, known as the Maunder Minimum, that lasted for decades. At its lowest ebb, sunspot activity was about 0.1% of normal for some 30 years.

As it happens, the Maunder Minimum overlapped a period called the Little Ice Age, a time when the Thames River routinely froze over in winter and widespread famines, due to shorter, colder growing seasons, affected much of Europe. That coincidence has led to suggestions that reduced levels of solar energy caused the Little Ice Age — and indeed, a slight dimming of the sun does go along with solar minima. But it isn't enough to explain such a dramatic change in climate, and, says Golub, "the timing isn't quite right. The cooling started before the sunspots went away."

The same is true today. Solar variability can account for about 10% of the variability in worldwide temperatures, says Golub — which means that even if we were entering a modern-day Maunder Minimum, it wouldn't be remotely enough to counteract the warming effect from increasing levels of greenhouse gases.

And despite the sun's newfound wakefulness, we could well be entering another long period of reduced activity. "There are predictions," Golub says, "that the coming solar maximum will be a weak one." That's how it began last time: the peaks of solar activity got weaker and weaker, and then they went away altogether for 30 or 40 years. Or maybe this is just a false alarm. "People are predicting all the possibilities you could imagine," he says. "Somebody's going to end up being right."

SOMEONE IS WATCHING YOU !!!

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General Radio Discussion / HEY MUSTARD LOVERS !!!

« on: August 05, 2010, 0347 UTC »

(This is a true story.. If you have children you will probably relate to this father).

As ham sandwiches go, it was perfection: a thick slab of ham on a fresh bun with crisp lettuce and plenty of expensive, light brown, Gourmet Mustard.

The corners of my jaw aching in anticipation, I carried it to the table in our backyard, picked it up with both hands, but was stopped by my wife suddenly at my side.

Here, hold Johnny (six-week-old son) while I get my sandwich,' she said.

I had him balanced between my left elbow and shoulder and was reaching again for the ham sandwich when I noticed a streak of mustard on my fingers..

I love mustard.

I had no napkin.

I licked it off.

It was not mustard.

No man ever put a baby down faster.

It was the first and only time I have sprinted with my tongue protruding out..

With a washcloth in each hand, I did the sort of routine
Shoeshine boys do, only I did it on my tongue.

Later, after she stopped crying from laughing so hard, my
Wife Said, 'Now you know why they call that fancy mustard
Poupon.''
LMAO !!!!

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General Radio Discussion / Internet addresses will run out in about a year

« on: July 30, 2010, 0628 UTC »

Experts predict the world will run out of internet addresses in less than a year, the Sydney Morning Herald reported Monday.

The internet protocol used by the majority of web users, IPv4, provides for about four billion IP addresses -- the unique 32-digit number used to identify each computer, website or internet-connected device.

There are currently only 232 million IP addresses left -- enough for about 340 days -- thanks to the explosion in smartphones and other web-enabled devices.

"When the IPv4 protocol was developed 30 years ago, it seemed to be a reasonable attempt at providing enough addresses," carrier relations manager at Australian internet service provider (ISP) Internode John Lindsay told the Herald.

"Bearing in mind that at that point personal computers didn't really exist, the idea that mobile phones might want an IP address hadn't occurred to anybody because mobile phones hadn't been invented [and] the idea that air-conditioners and refrigerators might want them was utterly ludicrous."

The solution to the problem is IPv6, which uses a 128-digit address. It would give everyone in the world more than four billion addresses each, but most of the internet industry has so far been reluctant to introduce it.

It would require each device that connects to the internet to be reconfigured or upgraded, with some users even being forced to buy new hardware, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

In the meantime ISPs may force multiple customers to share IP addresses, which may lead to common applications, such as Gmail and iTunes, ceasing to work.

There are also fears a black market of IP addresses may spring up.
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=257668

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General Radio Discussion / 'HELLLOOOOOOO......,'

« on: July 27, 2010, 1716 UTC »

DISNEYLAND
Two blondes were going to Disneyland . They were driving on the Interstate when they saw the sign that said Disneyland LEFT. They started crying and turned around and went home.

FLORIDA OR MOON
Two blondes living in Oklahoma were sitting on a bench talking, and one blonde says to the other, 'Which do you think is farther away... Florida or the moon?' The other blonde turns and says 'Helloooooooooo, can you see Florida

??'

CAR TROUBLE
A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it died. After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly.
She says, 'What's the story?'
He replies, 'Just crap in the carburetor'
She asks, 'How often do I have to do that?'

SPEEDING TICKET
A police officer stops a blonde for speeding and asks her very nicely if he could see her license.
She replied in a huff, 'I wish you guys would get your act together.
Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to show it to you!'

RIVER WALK
There's this blonde out for a walk. She comes to a river and sees another blonde on the opposite bank 'Yoo-hoo!' she shouts, 'How can I get to the other side?'
The second blonde looks up the river then down the river and shouts back, 'You ARE on the other side.'
AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE
A gorgeous young redhead goes into the doctor's office and said that her body hurt wherever she touched it.
'Impossible!' says the doctor.. 'Show me.'
The redhead took her finger, pushed on her left shoulder and screamed, then she pushed her elbow and screamed even more. She pushed her knee and screamed; likewise she pushed her ankle and screamed. Everywhere she touched made her scream.
The doctor said, 'You're not really a redhead, are you?
'Well, no' she said, 'I'm actually a blonde.'
'I thought so,' the doctor said, 'Your finger is broken.'

KNITTING
A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting!
Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, 'PULL OVER!'
'NO!' the blonde yelled back, 'IT'S A SCARF!'

BLONDE ON THE SUN
A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were talking one day.
The Russian said, 'We were the first in space!'
The American said, 'We were the first on the moon!'
The Blonde said, 'So what? We're going to be the first on the sun!' The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their heads.
'You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll burn up!' said the Russian.
To which the Blonde replied, 'We're not stupid, you know. We're going at night!'

IN A VACUUM
A blonde was playing Trivial Pursuit one night... It was her turn. She rolled the dice and she landed on Science & Nature. Her question was, 'If you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can you hear it?' She thought for a time and then asked, 'Is it on or off?'

FINALLY, THE BLONDE JOKE TO END ALL BLONDE JOKES!
A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were. The blonde responded by saying that one was named Rolex and one was named Timex. Her friend said, 'Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?' 'HELLLOOOOOOO......,' answered the blonde. 'They're watch dogs'!

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General Radio Discussion / SKI TRIP !!!!

« on: July 27, 2010, 0538 UTC »

Jack decided to go skiing with his buddy, Bob . So they loaded up Jack 's minivan and headed north.

After driving for a few hours, they got caught in a terrible blizzard. So they pulled into a nearby farm and asked the attractive lady who answered
the door if they could spend the night.

'I realize it's terrible weather out there and I have this huge house all to myself, but I'm recently widowed,' she explained. 'I'm afraid the neighbors will talk if I let you stay in my house.'

'Don't worry,' Jack said. 'We'll be happy to sleep in the barn. And if the weather breaks, we'll be gone at first light.' The lady agreed, and the two men found their way to the barn and settled in for the night.

Come morning, the weather had cleared, and they got on their way. They enjoyed a great weekend of skiing.

But about nine months later, Jack got an unexpected letter from an attorney. It took him a few minutes to figure it out, but he finally determined that it was from the attorney of that attractive widow he had met on the ski weekend.

He dropped in on his friend Bob and asked, ' Bob, do you remember that good-looking widow from the farm we stayed at on our ski holiday up north about 9 months ago?'

'Yes, I do.' Said Bob.

'Did you, er, happen to get up in the middle of the night, go up to the house and pay her a visit?'

'Well, um, yes!,' Bob said, a little embarrassed about being found out, 'I have to admit that I did.'

'And did you happen to give her my name instead of telling her your name?'

Bob 's face turned beet red and he said,'Yeah, look, I'm sorry, buddy. I'm afraid I did.' 'Why do you ask?'

'She just died and left me everything.'

(And you thought the ending would be different, didn't you?... you know you smiled...now keep that smile for the rest of the day!)

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General Radio Discussion / Jimmy Carter and the killer rabbit?

« on: July 27, 2010, 0156 UTC »

What was the deal with Jimmy Carter and the killer rabbit?

Dear Cecil:

What's the straight dope on Jimmy Carter's once being attacked by a killer rabbit? I hear there are actually photos of Carter swinging for his life at this rabbit, but his people refused to release them because "some facts about the president must remain forever wrapped in obscurity." What the hell is going on?

— Donald Lilly, North Hollywood, California

Dear Donald:

Well, right now I'd say it's pretty quiet, which is about what you'd figure, seeing as how the killer rabbit thing happened in 1979. Not that stories about feckless good ol' boy presidents don't have their pertinence these days. Say what you will about Bill Clinton's PR problems, though, Jimmy Carter was in a class by himself. Nice man, but he was one president whose image a couple accusations from bimboes would have probably improved.

The rabbit incident happened on April 20 while Carter was taking a few days off in Plains, Georgia. He was fishing from a canoe in a pond when he spotted the fateful rabbit swimming toward him. It was never precisely determined what the rabbit's problem was. Carter, always trying to look at things from the other guy's point of view, later speculated that it was fleeing a predator. Whatever the case, it was definitely a troubled rabbit. "It was hissing menacingly, its teeth flashing and nostrils flared and making straight for the president," a press account said.

The Secret Service having been caught flatfooted — I'll grant you an amphibious rabbit assault is a tough thing to defend against — the president did what he could to protect himself. Initially it was reported that he'd hit the rabbit with his paddle. Realizing this wouldn't play well with the Rabbit Lovers Guild, Carter later clarified that he'd merely splashed water at the rabbit, which then swam off toward shore. A White House photographer, ever alert to history's pivotal moments, snapped a picture of the encounter for posterity.

Good thing, too. Carter's own staff was skeptical when he told the rabbit story back at the White House. Some ventured the opinion that rabbits couldn't swim, didn't attack people, and sure weren't about to take on a sitting president, even if it was Jimmy Carter. Miffed, Jimmy ordered up a print of the aforementioned photo, but this failed to resolve the issue. The picture showed the president with his paddle raised, and there was something in the water, "but you couldn't tell what it was," an anonymous staffer was quoted as saying. The average politician would have said, goddamit, I'm president of the United States and I say it was a rabbit. But Carter wasn't that kind of guy. He ordered a blowup made, establishing at last that his attacker was, well, a bunny, or "swamp rabbit," to use press secretary Jody Powell's somewhat fiercer sounding term.

OK, not one of the shining moments of Carter's career, but so far not a major train wreck, inasmuch as nobody outside the White House knew anything about it. Jody Powell took care of that problem the following August when he told the rabbit story to Associated Press reporter Brooks Jackson over a cup of tea. Powell ought to have known you can't tell anything to reporters in August because there's nothing else to write about and they'll make any fool thing into a front page scandal.

Which is exactly what happened. The Washington Post put the bunny story on page one complete with a cartoon takeoff of the famous "Jaws" movie poster entitled "Paws." The media ran with the story for a week, the worst aspect from Carter's perspective undoubtedly being the columnists, who basically all said, yeah, it's just a rabbit, but it shows you the kind of president we've got here. The administration refused to release the photos, although I seem to recall Reagan's people later found and leaked them. Carter's subsequent drubbing at the polls was a foregone conclusion, hostage crisis or not.

Lesson for life #1: if it moves, kill it. Lesson for life #2: if you can't kill it, for God's sake don't talk about it to the Associated Press.

Rabbit redux

Dear Cecil:

I have a theory that should put to rest this President Carter/killer rabbit thing once and for all. I propose that the president's antagonist was not a rabbit but a nutria (Myocastor coypus). The world's largest rodent, the nutria is semiaquatic with webbed hind feet and is very aggressive. Native to South America and valued for its durable fur, the nutria was introduced into the southern United States in the last century and quickly became a well-established pest species. A partially submerged nutria (a lightning-fast swimmer) would look very similar to a rabbit. Its lack of long, rabbitlike ears could easily be overlooked in the fog of battle.

I hope this serves to partially rehabilitate the much-maligned 39th president.

— Thomas Canaday, San Francisco, California

Cecil replies:

You think being attacked by the "world's largest rodent" is an improvement? Then again, it had to give Carter a taste of what it would be like fending off Alfonse D'Amato.

Incidentally, the nutria isn't the world's largest rodent. The honor, such as it is, goes to the capybara, 110 pounds of pure ugly. Jimmy should count his blessings.

— Cecil Adams

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/950/what-was-the-deal-with-jimmy-carter-and-the-killer-rabbit

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