It's interesting to know that the shift in seasons is not a local phenomena. It might just be a North American phenomena, but I'm betting it is actually global in scope. I don't know enough about climate or meteorology to speculate what is the root cause of it all. I have read others who noted the shift only to say they can't explain it either. About the only thing I can come up with that is even remotely related is the north/south magnetic poles. They have shifted significantly over the decades. I didn't think magnetism had anything to do with it, but what do I know?
The first January we spent down here in Missouri saw 70F in the middle of January. That only lasted a day or two. Up by Chicago it's unusual to get above freezing during January. That's probably still the case. The shift I noticed when I lived up there has to do with snow. October was reliably free of snow expect for the last five years of my residence there. Likewise November didn't see much snow at all, but it was not as unusual as it was in October. That early snow was often followed by few days of warmth and the real brunt of winter would begin in December. Typically a major snow storm would happen mid to late December and the ground would not be visible again until January had passed. Now and days I understand the snow is not that persistent. So, the seasons might have shifted for Chicago as it did elsewhere, but on average it seemed to be warmer than when I was a kid. Of course that is hard to believe on those frigid winter days when the wind chill is -30F. LOL
Windows 12
Re: Windows 12
I wonder if it could be because the earth is spinning just a tad slower?
Or, the earth is getting ready to flip poles?
They blame the earth turning slower had to do with the dams we built.
But someone else said it has to do with stop lights all turning green in one direction at the same time, hi hi.
I was working outside installing windows in a 3 story office building at 3 below zero and with high winds to boot, so it felt like 30 below. The larger windows all had a 1/4 inch gap around them due to the cold shrinking them, so besides the main seal between the bricks and the window, we also had to wrap them with a product called soft seal.
Once the building is occupied and heated, they would never again shrink below what the soft seal could handle.
No worry about them falling out either, because of the long pins that go into the sides, top, and bottom. The bottom pins have a nut on them also to center the window in the opening. We're talking about huge 6 foot high by 5 foot wide windows in aluminum frames here too.
When I was working downtown, we saw a building from our 14th floor window, who had a wall bulge out slowly, and then collapse. Fortunately, officials saw it happening and blocked off the street, and building across the way put up plywood over the fronts of their stores. But when the wall came down, it fell basically straight down, the bulge part not even reaching as far as the yellow line in the road. Seeing this is why I get leery when downtown around some old buildings.
Or, the earth is getting ready to flip poles?
They blame the earth turning slower had to do with the dams we built.
But someone else said it has to do with stop lights all turning green in one direction at the same time, hi hi.
I was working outside installing windows in a 3 story office building at 3 below zero and with high winds to boot, so it felt like 30 below. The larger windows all had a 1/4 inch gap around them due to the cold shrinking them, so besides the main seal between the bricks and the window, we also had to wrap them with a product called soft seal.
Once the building is occupied and heated, they would never again shrink below what the soft seal could handle.
No worry about them falling out either, because of the long pins that go into the sides, top, and bottom. The bottom pins have a nut on them also to center the window in the opening. We're talking about huge 6 foot high by 5 foot wide windows in aluminum frames here too.
When I was working downtown, we saw a building from our 14th floor window, who had a wall bulge out slowly, and then collapse. Fortunately, officials saw it happening and blocked off the street, and building across the way put up plywood over the fronts of their stores. But when the wall came down, it fell basically straight down, the bulge part not even reaching as far as the yellow line in the road. Seeing this is why I get leery when downtown around some old buildings.
Re: Windows 12
When they crashed airplanes into the World Trade Center twin towers, those buildings came straight down too. I guess there was no reason for them to tip because all the weight of the structure took the shortest path to the ground. I've walked downtown Chicago a few times and was amazed at those skyscrapers size. It seemed impossible for them to stay erect in the Windy City, and I'm told those buildings do in fact sway. Then there is the number of super tall buildings concentrated into a relatively small area. What could possibly be holding up all that weight? Bedrock is the answer, but it still was mind boggling. The problem in Chicago was not building bulges, but ice. When the ice melted forty stories up it came down in huge chunks. Some streets did get blocked off a time or two, but you were taking your life into your own hands walking downtown Chicago in the winter.
As far as the shifting seasons go my second guess after the magnetic poles shifting would be climate change. Weather is climate after all. The storms are bigger and lasting longer these days and the jet stream isn't streaming the way it used to. I'd think the spin of the earth would have to change significantly to affect the upper air flows that dominate seasonal changes. A fraction of a second here or a fraction of a second there would not seem to be enough to cause much change. I think I'd go with the stop light theory before I'd expect any effects from dams being built.
As far as the shifting seasons go my second guess after the magnetic poles shifting would be climate change. Weather is climate after all. The storms are bigger and lasting longer these days and the jet stream isn't streaming the way it used to. I'd think the spin of the earth would have to change significantly to affect the upper air flows that dominate seasonal changes. A fraction of a second here or a fraction of a second there would not seem to be enough to cause much change. I think I'd go with the stop light theory before I'd expect any effects from dams being built.
Re: Windows 12
Most of the tall buildings have flat roof, but not all of them, like the hospital had a peaked copper roof.
Now they did have big barriers up there to keep the snow from falling to the ground as it slid down the roof.
But really heavy snows would pour over the top of the barriers and come crashing down to the ground.
So they added several spike around the top side of the building to stop that, but it still fell to the ground anyhow.
I've been to the top of many buildings and yes they do sway a little, but you don't notice it inside, unless you line up your eye with the edge of the window and watch the edge of another building. Then you know you are moving back and forth, hi hi.
Well, it is already proven the dams we have built over the years has slowed the earth by about 0.006 seconds per year.
There are a lot of changes that go on in our atmosphere, and I wonder how much all that space junk up there plays a small part in it too.
The earth has gone through a lot of changes even over the past million years or so.
Now they did have big barriers up there to keep the snow from falling to the ground as it slid down the roof.
But really heavy snows would pour over the top of the barriers and come crashing down to the ground.
So they added several spike around the top side of the building to stop that, but it still fell to the ground anyhow.
I've been to the top of many buildings and yes they do sway a little, but you don't notice it inside, unless you line up your eye with the edge of the window and watch the edge of another building. Then you know you are moving back and forth, hi hi.
Well, it is already proven the dams we have built over the years has slowed the earth by about 0.006 seconds per year.
There are a lot of changes that go on in our atmosphere, and I wonder how much all that space junk up there plays a small part in it too.
The earth has gone through a lot of changes even over the past million years or so.
Re: Windows 12
I don't know about the ice on sky scrapers. I seem to recall that it wasn't falling from the roof, but from some point lower. It's been a while and I don't recall all the details, but as you point out there are certain things that can be done to reduce the risks. That doesn't stop it, but it does make things a little bit safer.
That dam story sounds suspicious to me. LOL We are not gaining any weight by creating reservoirs so that it's hard for me to understand the mechanism that would slow things down. You could argue that they create wobble, but the earth has always wobbled on it's axis. I've seen astronomical tables displaying exactly how much in fact. So, even if the dams could possibly retain enough water weight to affect the wobble, there are other dams in other places to offset it, not to mention the natural forces inside the earth's core that contribute to it. The rate of decrease in angular momentum that you cite isn't what it would take to affect upper air flows or surface winds for that matter. I can't say the dam effect is impossible, but I do think it's an unlikely source of shift in the seasons. It's not significant enough.
You bring up an interesting point about space junk. A long while ago I posted a picture of the earth viewed from a distant point in space. The picture showed the location of all the known satellites and where they were. It also showed pieces of rocket junk so that the picture was fairly complete in what it was intended to show. All I recall is that the amount of space junk and the density was shocking. I can see all that debris restricting sunlight and even affecting solar storms as they strike the earth. I'd concede that space junk could be a factor in the shifting of the seasons based on that picture.
And, I know you are aware of the experiments our military, as well as other countries, have performed to try and control the weather. They claim having such ability could be a strategic advantage. It would not be a big stretch of my imagination to see how such experiments could have gone afoul and created some climate change. Then, too, seeing as to how it was all done by the military complex, they could have perfected it and we are seeing the results.
That dam story sounds suspicious to me. LOL We are not gaining any weight by creating reservoirs so that it's hard for me to understand the mechanism that would slow things down. You could argue that they create wobble, but the earth has always wobbled on it's axis. I've seen astronomical tables displaying exactly how much in fact. So, even if the dams could possibly retain enough water weight to affect the wobble, there are other dams in other places to offset it, not to mention the natural forces inside the earth's core that contribute to it. The rate of decrease in angular momentum that you cite isn't what it would take to affect upper air flows or surface winds for that matter. I can't say the dam effect is impossible, but I do think it's an unlikely source of shift in the seasons. It's not significant enough.
You bring up an interesting point about space junk. A long while ago I posted a picture of the earth viewed from a distant point in space. The picture showed the location of all the known satellites and where they were. It also showed pieces of rocket junk so that the picture was fairly complete in what it was intended to show. All I recall is that the amount of space junk and the density was shocking. I can see all that debris restricting sunlight and even affecting solar storms as they strike the earth. I'd concede that space junk could be a factor in the shifting of the seasons based on that picture.
And, I know you are aware of the experiments our military, as well as other countries, have performed to try and control the weather. They claim having such ability could be a strategic advantage. It would not be a big stretch of my imagination to see how such experiments could have gone afoul and created some climate change. Then, too, seeing as to how it was all done by the military complex, they could have perfected it and we are seeing the results.
Re: Windows 12
I've seen a lot of ice form on the upper floors, but nowhere near the top of some skyscrapers.
A few times, when I was in New York, up around the 45th floor, we were above the low clouds, but there were still more clouds higher up.
I just read about the Dams causing a 0.006 second slowdown of the earth.
But then I read on another page, the earth is spinning faster now than it was 50 years ago.
I think the earth is still spinning at the same speed it always has, hi hi.
I'll have to agree with you on the space junk. There are some they track, and ten to a hundred times more they can't track, due to the high volume. When a satellite gets hit by space junk, it more or less explodes into even more space junk. The pieces that blow in one direction slow down and fall back to earth, and some in the other direction move faster than orbit so they sail off into space. And this probably really irks the aliens out there, hi hi.
We watched a plane seed some clouds, and sure enough, it began to rain. But that's not exactly controlling the weather, hi hi.
The closest I've come to controlling the weather was to have a roof over my head, and a furnace in the basement, hi hi.
A few times, when I was in New York, up around the 45th floor, we were above the low clouds, but there were still more clouds higher up.
I just read about the Dams causing a 0.006 second slowdown of the earth.
But then I read on another page, the earth is spinning faster now than it was 50 years ago.
I think the earth is still spinning at the same speed it always has, hi hi.
I'll have to agree with you on the space junk. There are some they track, and ten to a hundred times more they can't track, due to the high volume. When a satellite gets hit by space junk, it more or less explodes into even more space junk. The pieces that blow in one direction slow down and fall back to earth, and some in the other direction move faster than orbit so they sail off into space. And this probably really irks the aliens out there, hi hi.
We watched a plane seed some clouds, and sure enough, it began to rain. But that's not exactly controlling the weather, hi hi.
The closest I've come to controlling the weather was to have a roof over my head, and a furnace in the basement, hi hi.
Re: Windows 12
I've read about cloud seeding many years ago. At that time it wasn't perfected yet and the results were unpredictable. The seeding was intended to be a tool for agriculture but you are correct to say it is not climate control. The military got interested in climate control which covers a lot more land surface than even one entire state. You certainly must have seen satellite images of storms in the United States. Those cyclones are massive, even the smallest of them. Can you imagine what kind of energy it takes to generate one of those storms? Well, that's the kind of control the military was seeking to attain. Last I heard they abandoned the project, but then look at what is happening these days. The north pole is now above freezing on a more or less regular basis. It could be just sun spots or those natural cycles you talk about. Or, it could be a military experiment gone out of control. And yes, I have read that theory regarding the Russian military. I'm not sure if I should laugh or cry because they do have bases in the Arctic these days.
When I was an astrologer I got quite involved with calculations of an astronomical variety. Eventually I learned that nothing about the earth's orbit is absolute and constant. The orbit path itself changes continuously. Rotation on it's axis is not constant either. And wobulation has been known way before satellites were invented. The rate of rotation is an average but as you would expect it does not vary a whole lot. That .006 of a second is well within the margin of error for measuring such things so that I don't quite get how it can be related to the presence of dams. If that were true then every winter when snow and ice accumulate over several states for months at a time would also slow down the rotation, doncha think?
Just a few days ago some space junk crashed into the moon. Nobody really knows from whence the junk came. At first they blamed Elon Musk and his rockets, but later it was blamed on some failed Chinese satellite. I do agree with you that it would piss off the aliens on the moon to be the targets of our junk, and I hate to think of what those martians are going to do to retaliate for our robots on their property.
When I was an astrologer I got quite involved with calculations of an astronomical variety. Eventually I learned that nothing about the earth's orbit is absolute and constant. The orbit path itself changes continuously. Rotation on it's axis is not constant either. And wobulation has been known way before satellites were invented. The rate of rotation is an average but as you would expect it does not vary a whole lot. That .006 of a second is well within the margin of error for measuring such things so that I don't quite get how it can be related to the presence of dams. If that were true then every winter when snow and ice accumulate over several states for months at a time would also slow down the rotation, doncha think?
Just a few days ago some space junk crashed into the moon. Nobody really knows from whence the junk came. At first they blamed Elon Musk and his rockets, but later it was blamed on some failed Chinese satellite. I do agree with you that it would piss off the aliens on the moon to be the targets of our junk, and I hate to think of what those martians are going to do to retaliate for our robots on their property.
Re: Windows 12
I think they have creating small tornado's down pat, but no way to control them once they are started. And they do fade out fairly quickly too.
But I doubt any government has the ability to do much with how the weather occurs naturally.
Well I do think the earth is getting larger in diameter each year, just from the amount of space dust that comes down to earth.
Other than that, it is our own wind and dust that gets moved from place to place, which is why ancient cities are buried for the archaeologists to find.
Some of the oceans rising is not all caused by ice melting either, not when you stop and think about this.
Rain causes erosion, and it starts at the mountain tops and eats away a little bit each year, and collects more as the water works its way down the streams, creeks, and rivers, and carries all this stuff out to the ocean. The muddy Mississippi is a good example of silt being deposited and making New Orleans expand further into the ocean on the built up silt layers.
When you think of the number of rivers feeding the ocean, and all the silt they carry, plus the dust from outer space coming down too. The oceans have got to be filling up with dirt, sand, and rock. Heck, look at all of what was carved away to make the grand canyon. Where did it all go? Into the ocean of course!
I always have to laugh when they say life cannot exist somewhere, when we already know, we have life here in the most inhospitable places. Like around the ocean floor vents that is deadly toxic to us, but they found life there.
I don't doubt there is some form of life on many of the planets out there. Near us they are probably not as evolved as we are, but further out, they could be well ahead of us, even if in a shape or form we would find impossible to believe.
And dig this, the new Webb Telescope seems to have found a whole other Universe that pre-dates ours, but no way of knowing by how long before us, yet.
There is much more life on this planet than many folks realize. Most of it microscopic, and now with our new super microscopes that can look inside atoms, they are even finding more.
I used to have a Sans & Streif microscope that was too powerful for the reason I bought it, for floriculture work.
So it sat a lot of years unused, until I got interested in a couple of things, after which I made good use of it for years.
I'm pretty sure I gave it to Ruth's son Joshua, but there is a possibility it is still packed in a box here.
Now don't laugh, I had about 8 boxes I packed up when I moved from Des Peres after I married Ruth, that I never opened, because they just said personal stuff, long term storage on them. I still have about 20 boxes marked by what's in them that I've not opened down here after I moved, plus those 8 boxes which are now over 40 years old.
After I had my first heart attack, Debi brought some of those boxes that were never opened when I moved to Ruth's house.
Ironic the things I considered personal, and marked long term storage, hi hi.
But at least now I knew what was in them, sub-divided them into new boxes and made a list of what is in each box.
Some of the stuff I passed on to my son, some I gave to Debi's son Jason, and a lot of the rest was either tossed or set aside for a yard sale, which never happened. I did sell a few things at her cousin's flea market stall.
I'm unable to lift most of the boxes of things I have here that I do want to sell. Like all of my old Ham Radio gear and novelty items I've amassed over the years. Some of which I had out for a while and used. Like a rolling ball clock, a plasma globe, etc.
Don't know why I'm so ratchet jawed today. But now I'm behind getting to my work.
But I doubt any government has the ability to do much with how the weather occurs naturally.
Well I do think the earth is getting larger in diameter each year, just from the amount of space dust that comes down to earth.
Other than that, it is our own wind and dust that gets moved from place to place, which is why ancient cities are buried for the archaeologists to find.
Some of the oceans rising is not all caused by ice melting either, not when you stop and think about this.
Rain causes erosion, and it starts at the mountain tops and eats away a little bit each year, and collects more as the water works its way down the streams, creeks, and rivers, and carries all this stuff out to the ocean. The muddy Mississippi is a good example of silt being deposited and making New Orleans expand further into the ocean on the built up silt layers.
When you think of the number of rivers feeding the ocean, and all the silt they carry, plus the dust from outer space coming down too. The oceans have got to be filling up with dirt, sand, and rock. Heck, look at all of what was carved away to make the grand canyon. Where did it all go? Into the ocean of course!
I always have to laugh when they say life cannot exist somewhere, when we already know, we have life here in the most inhospitable places. Like around the ocean floor vents that is deadly toxic to us, but they found life there.
I don't doubt there is some form of life on many of the planets out there. Near us they are probably not as evolved as we are, but further out, they could be well ahead of us, even if in a shape or form we would find impossible to believe.
And dig this, the new Webb Telescope seems to have found a whole other Universe that pre-dates ours, but no way of knowing by how long before us, yet.
There is much more life on this planet than many folks realize. Most of it microscopic, and now with our new super microscopes that can look inside atoms, they are even finding more.
I used to have a Sans & Streif microscope that was too powerful for the reason I bought it, for floriculture work.
So it sat a lot of years unused, until I got interested in a couple of things, after which I made good use of it for years.
I'm pretty sure I gave it to Ruth's son Joshua, but there is a possibility it is still packed in a box here.
Now don't laugh, I had about 8 boxes I packed up when I moved from Des Peres after I married Ruth, that I never opened, because they just said personal stuff, long term storage on them. I still have about 20 boxes marked by what's in them that I've not opened down here after I moved, plus those 8 boxes which are now over 40 years old.
After I had my first heart attack, Debi brought some of those boxes that were never opened when I moved to Ruth's house.
Ironic the things I considered personal, and marked long term storage, hi hi.
But at least now I knew what was in them, sub-divided them into new boxes and made a list of what is in each box.
Some of the stuff I passed on to my son, some I gave to Debi's son Jason, and a lot of the rest was either tossed or set aside for a yard sale, which never happened. I did sell a few things at her cousin's flea market stall.
I'm unable to lift most of the boxes of things I have here that I do want to sell. Like all of my old Ham Radio gear and novelty items I've amassed over the years. Some of which I had out for a while and used. Like a rolling ball clock, a plasma globe, etc.
Don't know why I'm so ratchet jawed today. But now I'm behind getting to my work.
Re: Windows 12
I don't know what got into you today, but I can say I enjoyed reading your lengthy replies. It shows you are in a good mood and you never can have too many of those kind of days. Feel free to keep it up.
As far as planet earth is concerned, you could be right about there being a net gain in it's mass over the eons. Most of the elements cannot escape the pull of gravity, but my understanding is that we do lose some gases from the upper atmosphere. It is also my understanding that the net gain from space debris falling upon us is negligible. The main factor affecting our spin would seem to be the cooling taking place. The molten core of this planet is turning into solids which are floating up to the surface. I can't see any weight gain or loss from that process but the distribution of the mass certainly is changing. At one time we were just a ball of gasses, and I have no idea what the rotational speed was back then. It just seems likely that as the liquids turn into solids that would have an effect.
I like your thinking about the erosion of land ending up in the ocean. If that is the only mechanism for sea level rising then we are in good shape. But that is not the only factor and the rate of rise is increasing. I don't think erosion effects on sea level are accelerating. That's the main reason scientists are pointing fingers at the ice caps. They are decreasing in size at a rapid pace. You got to ask yourself where is all that ice water going?
I have more than a few boxes in the basement marked as persona stuff. A lot of it was on display or in use in my old command center. As it happens those boxes represent only about 10% of my collection of stuff over a period of seven decades. Maybe not even that much. While some of it is cute and might even cause wonder to whoever discovers it, the boxes are just tangible memories of days gone by. And, like memories, they fade into irrelevance after a certain amount of time. I don't recall what is in a lot of them, and it's only been 5 years.
As far as planet earth is concerned, you could be right about there being a net gain in it's mass over the eons. Most of the elements cannot escape the pull of gravity, but my understanding is that we do lose some gases from the upper atmosphere. It is also my understanding that the net gain from space debris falling upon us is negligible. The main factor affecting our spin would seem to be the cooling taking place. The molten core of this planet is turning into solids which are floating up to the surface. I can't see any weight gain or loss from that process but the distribution of the mass certainly is changing. At one time we were just a ball of gasses, and I have no idea what the rotational speed was back then. It just seems likely that as the liquids turn into solids that would have an effect.
I like your thinking about the erosion of land ending up in the ocean. If that is the only mechanism for sea level rising then we are in good shape. But that is not the only factor and the rate of rise is increasing. I don't think erosion effects on sea level are accelerating. That's the main reason scientists are pointing fingers at the ice caps. They are decreasing in size at a rapid pace. You got to ask yourself where is all that ice water going?
I have more than a few boxes in the basement marked as persona stuff. A lot of it was on display or in use in my old command center. As it happens those boxes represent only about 10% of my collection of stuff over a period of seven decades. Maybe not even that much. While some of it is cute and might even cause wonder to whoever discovers it, the boxes are just tangible memories of days gone by. And, like memories, they fade into irrelevance after a certain amount of time. I don't recall what is in a lot of them, and it's only been 5 years.
Re: Windows 12
Well, when one things of the billions of years the planet has been here, and how the tectonic plates have moved around, and are still moving, we really are not on solid ground, hi hi. We live on a crust atop the pie, and sometimes some of the pie oozes up through the crust with a bang.
How much lower did the oceans get during our current ice age, when it was in the forming stage, and adding all that ice up on the poles. We are still in the current ice age, but on the downhill or warming side. Some day we will finally reach the valley and temperatures will start going down again as the next ice age is ushered in. I don't think anything we can do will stop this ice age from ending, or the next one from starting.
On the bright side, neither of us will be around to see the end of the current ice age.
When I moved from Creve Coeur to Knoxville, every box I packed to keep was itemized and we have those sheets. All except the last hectic days after we found out we had 3 days, not 30 days to vacate the house. All of those boxes just got filled up with whatever wasn't sold at the auction and not taken by the final gleaners who get everything else.
Those boxes got moved to my mom's basement first, where I went through them at night, while I was there doing repairs so she could move also. Most of the stuff I gave away, and only ended up with like 2 boxes I kept, both of which I opened right after we moved down here, because they contained tools I used while working at moms.
When I moved from Des Peres to Creve Coeur, I would pack up boxes every night to move during the weekend, and more that 80% of them were opened and rifled through by the weekend by people who got into the house at late night after I was gone.
They did steal some mighty precious things I wanted to keep. And of all things, 1/2 of my telephone system, which made what I had left useless, and what they had was useless also. It was an 8 extension Panasonic business phone system. Plus a wireless phone system as well that worked on our entire property, even in the back barns at the edge of the property.
Every time I made room in the garage to unpack boxes and go through them. Debi would see the empty space I made, and stuff from the house just had to be moved out of the house and up to the garage. There went my working space.
I made space again, and she decided it was time to get stuff down from the attic, and it went up to fill the tables I was using for repackaging items into like kind items. So now it all just sits, untouched, and I can't even get to the boxes of things I know I could sell, hi hi.
And that's the way the cookie crumbles!
How much lower did the oceans get during our current ice age, when it was in the forming stage, and adding all that ice up on the poles. We are still in the current ice age, but on the downhill or warming side. Some day we will finally reach the valley and temperatures will start going down again as the next ice age is ushered in. I don't think anything we can do will stop this ice age from ending, or the next one from starting.
On the bright side, neither of us will be around to see the end of the current ice age.
When I moved from Creve Coeur to Knoxville, every box I packed to keep was itemized and we have those sheets. All except the last hectic days after we found out we had 3 days, not 30 days to vacate the house. All of those boxes just got filled up with whatever wasn't sold at the auction and not taken by the final gleaners who get everything else.
Those boxes got moved to my mom's basement first, where I went through them at night, while I was there doing repairs so she could move also. Most of the stuff I gave away, and only ended up with like 2 boxes I kept, both of which I opened right after we moved down here, because they contained tools I used while working at moms.
When I moved from Des Peres to Creve Coeur, I would pack up boxes every night to move during the weekend, and more that 80% of them were opened and rifled through by the weekend by people who got into the house at late night after I was gone.
They did steal some mighty precious things I wanted to keep. And of all things, 1/2 of my telephone system, which made what I had left useless, and what they had was useless also. It was an 8 extension Panasonic business phone system. Plus a wireless phone system as well that worked on our entire property, even in the back barns at the edge of the property.
Every time I made room in the garage to unpack boxes and go through them. Debi would see the empty space I made, and stuff from the house just had to be moved out of the house and up to the garage. There went my working space.
I made space again, and she decided it was time to get stuff down from the attic, and it went up to fill the tables I was using for repackaging items into like kind items. So now it all just sits, untouched, and I can't even get to the boxes of things I know I could sell, hi hi.
And that's the way the cookie crumbles!
Re: Windows 12
I collected a lot of "stuff" during my first 70 years, but nothing near the amount of that which you describe here. I really wasn't a collector of much but I did have a lot of varied interests which sometimes resulted in projects. Most of what I had saved were leftovers from projects and hobbies. This collection was useful in the sense that it got to the point where I could find in my basement a solution to just about any problem that came up. I must have acquired that skill from my dad because he had a tool room that took several weeks to sort through when he moved on to higher grounds. I have a few of the boxes full of stuff that he saved for the gods only know how many years. I'm certain there are some nuts and bolts in those old boxes which were made 100 years ago (dad would be 113 if he were alive today). I have and still use an antique hand drill he acquired at least a century ago. As far as my own legacy goes, I bought a mobile tool box before we moved here. It has 5-6 drawers full of ancient as well as hardly used new tools that I deemed worthy of bringing to Missouri. All I need now is a reason to use some of those goodies.
One of the things I deemed necessary to bring along from Chicago was a battery operated Dremel Tool. I've not had a need to use it here in O'Fallon but that will all change in a couple weeks. The primary use for the Dremel was to sharpen chain saws and grass cutter blades. My current grass cutter is about four years old now and needs a sharp blade. I've run over a few things to alter the shape of the blade and now it tears the grass instead of cutting it. LOL I bought a replacement blade which I will try to install one warm day in the near future. The old original blade will be transported to the basement where I can work on it with the Dremel. I expect not to need that tool again for another three or four years, but I may need to buy a new one before that. I don't know how long those battery packs can sit around unused and uncharged. I will find out I suppose.
You may or may not know Walter Knoll Florists (WKF). It''s apparently located on LaSalle Street in St Louis, which happens to be the name of a financial district street up in the Windy City. Well, I never heard of them until just about an hour ago when they delivered a bouquet of roses to me. My wife is in Florida for ten days and she decided I would like to have some flowers. I was totally floored to receive them and no doubt they will be in good shape on Wednesday when she returns. What a wonderful thing for her to do.
One of the things I deemed necessary to bring along from Chicago was a battery operated Dremel Tool. I've not had a need to use it here in O'Fallon but that will all change in a couple weeks. The primary use for the Dremel was to sharpen chain saws and grass cutter blades. My current grass cutter is about four years old now and needs a sharp blade. I've run over a few things to alter the shape of the blade and now it tears the grass instead of cutting it. LOL I bought a replacement blade which I will try to install one warm day in the near future. The old original blade will be transported to the basement where I can work on it with the Dremel. I expect not to need that tool again for another three or four years, but I may need to buy a new one before that. I don't know how long those battery packs can sit around unused and uncharged. I will find out I suppose.
You may or may not know Walter Knoll Florists (WKF). It''s apparently located on LaSalle Street in St Louis, which happens to be the name of a financial district street up in the Windy City. Well, I never heard of them until just about an hour ago when they delivered a bouquet of roses to me. My wife is in Florida for ten days and she decided I would like to have some flowers. I was totally floored to receive them and no doubt they will be in good shape on Wednesday when she returns. What a wonderful thing for her to do.
Re: Windows 12
Most of the stuff I acquired while living in Creve Coeur had to do with the few businesses I started, and some of the things I kept, mainly office type things, when I sold the businesses. I had such a diverse collection of things, even the auctioneer was surprised at the things I had. It was sad to see it all go for pennies on the dollar, but in the end I made enough to pay off all my outstanding bills and still had 3 grand left over for me, which I used to buy a cargo trailer for the move down here.
I had a lot of things folks don't normally find at auctions too. Coin sorters, coin wrapping machines, bill counting machines, check writing machines, a couple were antiques. Plus the machine shop, woodworking shop which included a complete Mark V and all the attachments, plus extra power stands, etc. My hot foil printing business, including all the type cases and fonts. Tons of other smaller office equipment, plus an entire collection of ECG electronic components. Plus all the hobby type stuff I amassed over my 20 years there too, everything from stained glass tools, to all types of modeling equipment. Plus all the sorted and collected hardware from the renovation business. This was about 6 tall metal shelves filled with set-up boxes each clearly marked, etc. Lots of stuff for sure to add up so I had money after the bills were all paid.
Certain tools I would need to get back in the renovation business I did keep and take with me. Plus I had a Dremel Tool also, it is right behind me here in the office, I still use it quite often for small projects. Almost none of my tools had batteries. In fact I hate battery powered tools, because when I need to use them, the battery is dead. I did have a couple I used daily, but they were heavy, so I rerigged them to use without the battery attached and had a tool belt with motorcycle batteries on it. Ran the two wires up under my shirt and out the end of my shirt sleeves so I could use either hand to plug a tool in. But 90% of my power tools were all electric, most 110 volt, but I did have a few 12 volt also. All the 12 volt stuff I sold at auction, since most of them were designed for automotive work anyhow. I did hate to auction off my big air compressor though, because I used it for so many different things, but along with it went my sandblasting cabinet and air tools.
Walter Knoll is one of the oldest florists in St. Louis. I think my grandpa even worked for them for a while way back when he was changing his business from a market to a florist. After he was so successful in the florist business, he would often train designers for other florists like Walter Knoll and Nettie's Flower Garden, another big one.
We had an aunt who went away to a florist college to learn how to completely handle the wedding flowers end of the business, and we handled more weddings after that than any other florist in a 50 mile radius. Grandpa either had made or bought things other florists only dreamed of having, all to do with bang up weddings with all the extras.
One thing we were noted for was doing period themed weddings, because we had all the equipment and decorations necessary. Everything from 1800s style wicker aisle candelabras, to 19th and 20th century wood, to current times metal, and even some modern sculptured for yuppie weddings. Plus we were the only florist in town who used real white linen aisle runners. Everyone else used plastic like table covers, hi hi. Although a few used disposable paper made to look like cloth, sometimes flocked.
Back around 1972, the craziest wedding we did was done outdoors at a country club, and they wanted a waterway to walk down as the aisle. My dad almost turned down doing that one for liability reasons. But the guy came in with an anti-liability contract that excused us of any possible type of injury or other event, which made us sue proof. Dad had our attorney look it over, and after he got the go ahead from him. We did it up just the way the guy wanted. In fact, he bought all the materials needed to set up that water filled aisle. It wasn't until the wedding itself that we learned the bride and groom were both ballet dancers, and had an entire dance they performed in that 85 foot long shallow basin of water. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go on the wedding for set-up or tear-down, but aunt Dolores took at least 50 pictures of it after it was set up, and a couple of pictures during the wedding.
Wonderful your getting flowers right before the frau arrived home! I'm sure she loved them!
I had a lot of things folks don't normally find at auctions too. Coin sorters, coin wrapping machines, bill counting machines, check writing machines, a couple were antiques. Plus the machine shop, woodworking shop which included a complete Mark V and all the attachments, plus extra power stands, etc. My hot foil printing business, including all the type cases and fonts. Tons of other smaller office equipment, plus an entire collection of ECG electronic components. Plus all the hobby type stuff I amassed over my 20 years there too, everything from stained glass tools, to all types of modeling equipment. Plus all the sorted and collected hardware from the renovation business. This was about 6 tall metal shelves filled with set-up boxes each clearly marked, etc. Lots of stuff for sure to add up so I had money after the bills were all paid.
Certain tools I would need to get back in the renovation business I did keep and take with me. Plus I had a Dremel Tool also, it is right behind me here in the office, I still use it quite often for small projects. Almost none of my tools had batteries. In fact I hate battery powered tools, because when I need to use them, the battery is dead. I did have a couple I used daily, but they were heavy, so I rerigged them to use without the battery attached and had a tool belt with motorcycle batteries on it. Ran the two wires up under my shirt and out the end of my shirt sleeves so I could use either hand to plug a tool in. But 90% of my power tools were all electric, most 110 volt, but I did have a few 12 volt also. All the 12 volt stuff I sold at auction, since most of them were designed for automotive work anyhow. I did hate to auction off my big air compressor though, because I used it for so many different things, but along with it went my sandblasting cabinet and air tools.
Walter Knoll is one of the oldest florists in St. Louis. I think my grandpa even worked for them for a while way back when he was changing his business from a market to a florist. After he was so successful in the florist business, he would often train designers for other florists like Walter Knoll and Nettie's Flower Garden, another big one.
We had an aunt who went away to a florist college to learn how to completely handle the wedding flowers end of the business, and we handled more weddings after that than any other florist in a 50 mile radius. Grandpa either had made or bought things other florists only dreamed of having, all to do with bang up weddings with all the extras.
One thing we were noted for was doing period themed weddings, because we had all the equipment and decorations necessary. Everything from 1800s style wicker aisle candelabras, to 19th and 20th century wood, to current times metal, and even some modern sculptured for yuppie weddings. Plus we were the only florist in town who used real white linen aisle runners. Everyone else used plastic like table covers, hi hi. Although a few used disposable paper made to look like cloth, sometimes flocked.
Back around 1972, the craziest wedding we did was done outdoors at a country club, and they wanted a waterway to walk down as the aisle. My dad almost turned down doing that one for liability reasons. But the guy came in with an anti-liability contract that excused us of any possible type of injury or other event, which made us sue proof. Dad had our attorney look it over, and after he got the go ahead from him. We did it up just the way the guy wanted. In fact, he bought all the materials needed to set up that water filled aisle. It wasn't until the wedding itself that we learned the bride and groom were both ballet dancers, and had an entire dance they performed in that 85 foot long shallow basin of water. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go on the wedding for set-up or tear-down, but aunt Dolores took at least 50 pictures of it after it was set up, and a couple of pictures during the wedding.
Wonderful your getting flowers right before the frau arrived home! I'm sure she loved them!
Re: Windows 12
I figured that Walter Knoll has been around a while and that perhaps you might have had some business contact with them. My wife has a way of surprising me at times and this bouquet was one of those times. I like flowers and gardening was one of my passions, but cut flowers never was part of my routine. WKF did a fabulous job with the bouquet but it turns out that there is a florist who delivers right here in O'Fallon. The WKF van drove the thirty miles from STL to get to my house. I can't imagine what they charged my wife of many years to do such a thing. 
When I want to feel sorry for myself I think of all the things I tossed in the dumpster before we moved down here. I realize you had to do something similar and with a much larger collection of items. In your case, however, the divestiture went for a good cause. In my case I didn't want to pay for two truckloads of junk to be stored and moved when a single trailer would do. In many ways an entire era of my life ended when I got rid of my past memorabilia, but it was all executed in anticipation of starting anew from a fresh beginning. It was like a fresh install instead of an upgrade.
I was thinking of you today when I was feeding the dog. You have a way with pets and might know of some tricks that would be helpful to me. Our pooch is normally a docile and friendly critter. She is fat from being fed an abundance of treats, but otherwise pretty normal for a Shi Tzu. One of her eyes seems to be malfunctioning; perhaps both. I guess that's to be expected to some degree for a ten year old doggie. That eye, however, has an abundance of fur growing over the upper lid and I think that at least in part is contributing to her poor eyesight. The last trip to the groomer was a disaster because the puppy would not allow the groomer anywhere near her head. The dog nipped the groomer in fact and they don't want to deal with her anymore. Being concerned about potential eye problems we took her to the vet. The same scenario occurred where the dog would not allow the vet to examine her eye. She allows me to pet her and even stroke her head and pull back the fur. But she just goes nuts when I try to get the scissors close enough to trim her. She would nip at me too.
Although nobody is admitting it, my guess is that the groomer spooked the dog somehow. She never objected to face trimming until a few months ago. I think the groomer might have done something to alarm the dog and now she lets nobody get near her. Any ideas about how to get around this, if possible, would be appreciated.
When I want to feel sorry for myself I think of all the things I tossed in the dumpster before we moved down here. I realize you had to do something similar and with a much larger collection of items. In your case, however, the divestiture went for a good cause. In my case I didn't want to pay for two truckloads of junk to be stored and moved when a single trailer would do. In many ways an entire era of my life ended when I got rid of my past memorabilia, but it was all executed in anticipation of starting anew from a fresh beginning. It was like a fresh install instead of an upgrade.
I was thinking of you today when I was feeding the dog. You have a way with pets and might know of some tricks that would be helpful to me. Our pooch is normally a docile and friendly critter. She is fat from being fed an abundance of treats, but otherwise pretty normal for a Shi Tzu. One of her eyes seems to be malfunctioning; perhaps both. I guess that's to be expected to some degree for a ten year old doggie. That eye, however, has an abundance of fur growing over the upper lid and I think that at least in part is contributing to her poor eyesight. The last trip to the groomer was a disaster because the puppy would not allow the groomer anywhere near her head. The dog nipped the groomer in fact and they don't want to deal with her anymore. Being concerned about potential eye problems we took her to the vet. The same scenario occurred where the dog would not allow the vet to examine her eye. She allows me to pet her and even stroke her head and pull back the fur. But she just goes nuts when I try to get the scissors close enough to trim her. She would nip at me too.
Although nobody is admitting it, my guess is that the groomer spooked the dog somehow. She never objected to face trimming until a few months ago. I think the groomer might have done something to alarm the dog and now she lets nobody get near her. Any ideas about how to get around this, if possible, would be appreciated.
Re: Windows 12
Believe me, I understand! My lifestyle changed drastically when I met Ruth, then changed again as she became ill and eventually was wheelchair bound. But I think it changed the most after I crossed 50, met Debi and got married. I tried for it not to change, but making the move down south, it is like a whole different world down here, and many of my tastes have changed. Partly due to location, and partly to do with new interests, and a lot has to do with how the Internet has grown.
One of the reasons all of my Ham Gear is still packed away and was never set up down here. Because of the Internet, I don't miss having a station set up. Also, it seems I no longer have the time for extra curricular activities anymore. And with my declining health, well, that wipes out a lot of things I would have like to have done yet.
Debi has always had Shi Tzu's, some of them docile, some of them you can't get near with a clippers or scissors.
Unfortunately, almost all Shi Tzu's go blind whether you keep the hair out of their eyes or not.
It does sound like someone mistreated the pooch, probably had others hold her head in order to trim it, or used a face mask restraint, which I've seen used a few times myself for dogs that fight getting their faces trimmed.
One thing Debi does when she has to trim the current Shi Tzu is to give it a Dipenhydramine (Benedryl) which makes the pooch a little sleepy and more calm, but she still fights a lot.
Groomers can't do this, but some of the vets will if you ask them to trim their face for you. They give them a shot that puts them to sleep for about 10 to 15 minutes. But the dog could not have had anything at all to eat before hand.
As far as trying to get the pooch to get over it, you have to touch her face as often as possible to show her it is OK to touch her face. Perhaps was the sleepy dirt out of her eyes a few times with a soft warm microfiber towel so you don't scratch her eyes.
Debi uses 1 tsp of baby shampoo in a pint of warm water to wet the microfiber towel. She uses this to get the phlegm out of her eyes. The pooch seems to tolerate more now that it has become a weekly project. And sometimes while holding the towel over her eyes, she will grab a scissors and snip some of the wild hairs she brushed back.
I wish you luck!
One of the reasons all of my Ham Gear is still packed away and was never set up down here. Because of the Internet, I don't miss having a station set up. Also, it seems I no longer have the time for extra curricular activities anymore. And with my declining health, well, that wipes out a lot of things I would have like to have done yet.
Debi has always had Shi Tzu's, some of them docile, some of them you can't get near with a clippers or scissors.
Unfortunately, almost all Shi Tzu's go blind whether you keep the hair out of their eyes or not.
It does sound like someone mistreated the pooch, probably had others hold her head in order to trim it, or used a face mask restraint, which I've seen used a few times myself for dogs that fight getting their faces trimmed.
One thing Debi does when she has to trim the current Shi Tzu is to give it a Dipenhydramine (Benedryl) which makes the pooch a little sleepy and more calm, but she still fights a lot.
Groomers can't do this, but some of the vets will if you ask them to trim their face for you. They give them a shot that puts them to sleep for about 10 to 15 minutes. But the dog could not have had anything at all to eat before hand.
As far as trying to get the pooch to get over it, you have to touch her face as often as possible to show her it is OK to touch her face. Perhaps was the sleepy dirt out of her eyes a few times with a soft warm microfiber towel so you don't scratch her eyes.
Debi uses 1 tsp of baby shampoo in a pint of warm water to wet the microfiber towel. She uses this to get the phlegm out of her eyes. The pooch seems to tolerate more now that it has become a weekly project. And sometimes while holding the towel over her eyes, she will grab a scissors and snip some of the wild hairs she brushed back.
I wish you luck!
Re: Windows 12
Many are the times I tell the story of my amateur radio days being akin to surfing the net. There are good points for using both networks. The ham network is filled with people of similar interests. They are all technical enough to get that license and there is nothing like the smell of hot tubes in a linear amplifier. The Internet, on the other hand, has no QRM to speak of, but the people of diverse interests and education make up for it. There is A LOT of background noise and hissing in the social media sites. There are enough sane people on the Internet to make it interesting, Plus the gear is much less expensive and simple to use. You don't have to understand it and get a license to connect to the public networks, although there are times when I think that would be a good idea. I think I've talked to more people in other countries here in virtual space than I ever did DX-ing the ham bands. There is a certain charm to Morse Code, but you can actually see the charm (or lack of it) in using apps like Zoom. I don't think I'll ever go back to amateur radio. It's likely I'd not be able to pass the FCC test anymore. LOL I have a bug and an SWR meter stashed away in the basement somewhere. That's it for MY good ol' days.
I'm going to pass on the information about Deb and her Shi Tsu to my wife of many years. The micro fiber cloth sounds like a great idea and it seems possible that our puppy can be convinced to allow us to use it on her. I can even now pet her on the top of her head and pull back her scalp to reveal her eyes. It's just getting any hardware near her that seems to be a problem. The vet gave the dog a prescription drug she took for about a week and some kind of "calming" food to feed her. While that sounded like a good idea, it didn't work out so well in practice. We've owned maybe half dozen Shi Tzu dogs during the course of our marriage. I don't recall any of them going totally blind but they all did develop vision problems. Some worse than others. Most also developed arthritis, which is the point at which we had to put them down. I though only old human buzzards like me get that kind of thing, but apparently it's common to animals too.
I'm going to pass on the information about Deb and her Shi Tsu to my wife of many years. The micro fiber cloth sounds like a great idea and it seems possible that our puppy can be convinced to allow us to use it on her. I can even now pet her on the top of her head and pull back her scalp to reveal her eyes. It's just getting any hardware near her that seems to be a problem. The vet gave the dog a prescription drug she took for about a week and some kind of "calming" food to feed her. While that sounded like a good idea, it didn't work out so well in practice. We've owned maybe half dozen Shi Tzu dogs during the course of our marriage. I don't recall any of them going totally blind but they all did develop vision problems. Some worse than others. Most also developed arthritis, which is the point at which we had to put them down. I though only old human buzzards like me get that kind of thing, but apparently it's common to animals too.
Re: Windows 12
Sorta the same with me Yogi. Although I loved Amateur Radio from the beginning, and in my apartment where I got by with murder hiding antennas, I slowed down a bit while I lived in the big 18 room house, but then too, I now had kids and trying to work 3 or more jobs to cover all the bills.
It wasn't until I moved to Creve Coeur when I got back into it hot and heavy again, and was on the air there for 20 years. Using both the early Internet and items that worked with Ham Radio and my computers too. Staying home and taking care of Ruth her last 5 years on the planet, meant no more time for CW at all, and very little time for HF, so most of my things those last five years had to do with Packet Radio and local repeaters on 2-meters, 220 and 440.
I sold all of my Heathkit gear, and packed up the rest of my radio station, with full-intent on getting set back up down here.
When the opportunity arose, after Debi's dad passed away suddenly, and I moved into his house to take care of his wife, while Debi worked a day job, I wound up buying this house so I could begin renovations on it.
This area was poor for local communications, but Ideal for HF since I'm on the top of mountain so to speak.
But while doing the renovations on the house, I had my first heart attack, while I was redoing the kitchen. I had to do all the copper plumbing in the hardest way possible. Not able to raise my hands above my head to finish up the last of the piping.
I got it done, but it took a month longer than it should. Then I had to replace the feed supply line from the street to the house. I dug the trench entirely by hand, added three pole lights and after about a foot of backfill, I added a separate wire to each of those pole lamps.
Once that was finished, I did survey where I would put my ground radials to put the Butternut Vertical up in the center of the back hill. And that is when I had my second heart attack, and it basically put a total damper on doing anything physical.
After that, I spent most of my time at my computers in the garage office, of which I never got the ventilation system installed, and I think smoking in here with no ventilation, besides messing up everything in this room, is what gave me the COPD and Emphysema. It sure played a number on all of my electronics up here, that's for sure.
Once your pooch gets used to the microfiber being used on her eyes, while you have it over her eyes, after combing back the hair over her eyes with it, then placing it back over her eyes, might be a good time to try snipping some of the hair above her eyes, while she can't see what you are really doing, hi hi.
Almost all of Debi's pooches before and after we first met were Shi Tzu's, she has one now too, that we think is a little meshugenah, hi hi. We've had six dogs pass away just since moving down here. Well, we have been down here 20 years now! So I guess it is expected. The little critters don't live forever.
I had a bad morning with my breathing and coughing, which is one of the reasons I got such a late start today. Plus my sinuses like to pretend they are a waterfall for about an hour, and just when they finally simmered down, and I fed the outside birds, by the time I got into my office, they opened the flood gates again. Drives me nuts, hi hi.
It wasn't until I moved to Creve Coeur when I got back into it hot and heavy again, and was on the air there for 20 years. Using both the early Internet and items that worked with Ham Radio and my computers too. Staying home and taking care of Ruth her last 5 years on the planet, meant no more time for CW at all, and very little time for HF, so most of my things those last five years had to do with Packet Radio and local repeaters on 2-meters, 220 and 440.
I sold all of my Heathkit gear, and packed up the rest of my radio station, with full-intent on getting set back up down here.
When the opportunity arose, after Debi's dad passed away suddenly, and I moved into his house to take care of his wife, while Debi worked a day job, I wound up buying this house so I could begin renovations on it.
This area was poor for local communications, but Ideal for HF since I'm on the top of mountain so to speak.
But while doing the renovations on the house, I had my first heart attack, while I was redoing the kitchen. I had to do all the copper plumbing in the hardest way possible. Not able to raise my hands above my head to finish up the last of the piping.
I got it done, but it took a month longer than it should. Then I had to replace the feed supply line from the street to the house. I dug the trench entirely by hand, added three pole lights and after about a foot of backfill, I added a separate wire to each of those pole lamps.
Once that was finished, I did survey where I would put my ground radials to put the Butternut Vertical up in the center of the back hill. And that is when I had my second heart attack, and it basically put a total damper on doing anything physical.
After that, I spent most of my time at my computers in the garage office, of which I never got the ventilation system installed, and I think smoking in here with no ventilation, besides messing up everything in this room, is what gave me the COPD and Emphysema. It sure played a number on all of my electronics up here, that's for sure.
Once your pooch gets used to the microfiber being used on her eyes, while you have it over her eyes, after combing back the hair over her eyes with it, then placing it back over her eyes, might be a good time to try snipping some of the hair above her eyes, while she can't see what you are really doing, hi hi.
Almost all of Debi's pooches before and after we first met were Shi Tzu's, she has one now too, that we think is a little meshugenah, hi hi. We've had six dogs pass away just since moving down here. Well, we have been down here 20 years now! So I guess it is expected. The little critters don't live forever.
I had a bad morning with my breathing and coughing, which is one of the reasons I got such a late start today. Plus my sinuses like to pretend they are a waterfall for about an hour, and just when they finally simmered down, and I fed the outside birds, by the time I got into my office, they opened the flood gates again. Drives me nuts, hi hi.
Re: Windows 12
I was a ham radio operator while I lived in the home I grew up in. That was possible because the landlord was my dad's brother, my uncle, and I was allowed to string up some really ugly looking dipoles between the two houses he owned. Eventually I got married and moved out which put an end to amateur radio for me. I might have been able to rig up a make-do long wire antenna in the apartment we lived in, but three other families lived in the same building. I had problems in the old house that high pass filters could not cure. The proximity of the TV antennas to the dipoles was just too close to filter out any interference. That problem would have been compounded in the apartment building. Not to long after being married we had a brand new baby girl, and that more or less put an end to all hobbies for a while. Kids require 110% of your time, you know.
I don't think there is any doubt about the ill effects of smoking. One other friend of mine developed COPD and emphysema wile she smoked full time. She used to tell me stories about how she did not buy her tobacco from retailers. Instead she rolled her own. I think you told me the same thing. Apparently that non-commercial tobacco is potent stuff. Unfortunately my lady friend did not have the same amount of stamina you seem to have. I can't believe you continued renovations (plumbing) after your first heart attack. I know it is the work you loved, but you certainly were pushing your luck.
I used to smoke a pipe and/or cigars. My habit was light and it was rare for me to smoke anything except after dinner. One pipeful or one cigar was all I'd do each day. When it came time to repaint or redo the wallpaper the amount of crud on the walls was stunning. I knew that my lungs were being exposed to the same crud, but I was young and healthy and invincible. It must have been close to fifteen years after I began smoking that my lungs got infected. I was smoking some tobacco imported from Holland at the time and it was powerful stuff. The long and the short of that story is I ended up coughing up some blood for a few days. Never smoked a thing after that. I don't know if my lungs ever returned back to normal, but I think I'm breathing fairly well for a dude my age. Sinuses are a whole different problem. Never had it bad up by Chicago, but down here in Missouri it's an annual event. Looks like it might turn chronic. I don't get what it is with the air down here. It looks good, but ...
I don't think there is any doubt about the ill effects of smoking. One other friend of mine developed COPD and emphysema wile she smoked full time. She used to tell me stories about how she did not buy her tobacco from retailers. Instead she rolled her own. I think you told me the same thing. Apparently that non-commercial tobacco is potent stuff. Unfortunately my lady friend did not have the same amount of stamina you seem to have. I can't believe you continued renovations (plumbing) after your first heart attack. I know it is the work you loved, but you certainly were pushing your luck.
I used to smoke a pipe and/or cigars. My habit was light and it was rare for me to smoke anything except after dinner. One pipeful or one cigar was all I'd do each day. When it came time to repaint or redo the wallpaper the amount of crud on the walls was stunning. I knew that my lungs were being exposed to the same crud, but I was young and healthy and invincible. It must have been close to fifteen years after I began smoking that my lungs got infected. I was smoking some tobacco imported from Holland at the time and it was powerful stuff. The long and the short of that story is I ended up coughing up some blood for a few days. Never smoked a thing after that. I don't know if my lungs ever returned back to normal, but I think I'm breathing fairly well for a dude my age. Sinuses are a whole different problem. Never had it bad up by Chicago, but down here in Missouri it's an annual event. Looks like it might turn chronic. I don't get what it is with the air down here. It looks good, but ...
Re: Windows 12
You might find this hard to believe, but it's the truth.
My uncle helped me get my first license when the Citizens Band opened up in 1957. I was only ten years old at the time. I was issued the call-sign 17Q. At age 12 I got my Ham Radio License, KØVCH, a tech license.
More on the CB license. The second person in Missouri to get a CB Licence was 17Q1, and the third 17Q2.
A girl from California who moved to Missouri and became good friends, I learned she was 1Q, the very first CB license issued.
My 17Q was because Missouri was the 17th state to get a first CB license.
Later it was changed to KNH-7564. Folks though someone was using my call-sign. We met each other over breakfast, and we both brought our issued licenses. Sure enough, the FCC issued the same number twice. More research into this problem and the FCC said his was issued before lunch and mine was issued after lunch, so mine got changed to KPI-1591, which is what I had until they stopped issuing licenses for CB.
Now back to Ham Radio Licenses. The FCC has messed up my Ham Licenses more often than you can shake a stick.
I had used KØVCH from the age of 12, up until I went in the service. While I was in the service it lapsed. But since I was in active service, when we got home I was supposed to be able to renew it then, no problems.
When I tried, I learned something interesting. KØVCH was NOT my call-sign, it was the call-sign of the Elmer who gave me my Tech license test. Nobody at the FCC caught this and I was issued my license with that call-sign on it.
Because it was Invalid, I had to start over from ground zero, and got my first official call-sign as a Novice KAØCDE. I loved CW and didn't bother to upgrade for many years, from 1972 to 1993.
I took all of my licensing tests to upgrade through the ranks, TWICE, in 1993.
After passing all of my tests above Novice, and they were sent in, the FCC said I failed to renew my KAØCDE call in 1992.
So I had to take all the tests again, starting with Novice, Tech, General, Advanced, and Extra.
The FCC sent my license, but it read KBØLMW a Novice License. The group who gave me my test got on the horn to them.
In the interim, the FCC issued me a license for Tech, and one for General, but not one for Advanced or Extra. They didn't mail them to me, they held onto them, after the call from the group. They told this guy for me not to use any of the latter call-signs which appeared in the release.
We thought they had the mess straightened out, and they sent me NØZOI. The license itself showed General++ printed on it. So I assumed it was my license for Extra, and didn't find out it wasn't until I was called on the carpet by a local ham group.
Then the call-book came out and I was listed in it TWICE, which is something that is NEVER supposed to happen EVER.
I went and took my tests to move from General up to Advanced, but since I was no longer working with electronics due to my attacks you know about I failed the Extra class exam. In 1995 I got the new call-sign of KGØZP which I've held and kept active ever since. The group where I first and secondly took my tests up to Extra tried to go to bat for me, but it did no good.
I was invited to join the Quarter Century Wireless Communications Club, by a man I knew quite well and who knew me. We talked on 6-meters at least once a week, until I came home from the service and only used CW after that.
I had brought copies of all of my licenses, including my first one, and other forms of documentation.
I was turned down by the Club because I did not appear in the call-book they used.
I even obtained copies of the call-book showing where they had made errors about me for several years.
Once again they turned me down.
When they contacted me again in 1997 to join their club, as I've met all their requirements.
I basically told them to stuff it where the sun don't shine!
I HAD to complete the work I started, including all the drywall finishing work for the kitchen. But I did hire the cabinets to be installed, as I knew I could no longer do that kind of work. They are no where near as meticulous as I am!
Pollen in Missouri is bad, especially out in the country areas. It is here too, but fortunately I don't have any allergies, unless I only got them recently.
I probably started smoking when I was 3 years old, stealing one of mom's Chesterfields, and then riding my tricycle down behind my uncles garage to light up, hi hi.
I was on a pipe kick for several years in the late '70s and early '80s. I kept a rack of 7 corncob pipes I smoked daily at work. Plus I had some rather fancy pipes for if I was going out somewhere. Don't want to be using a corncob in public, but at work it was OK. Those were normal corncob pipes. I also had some very fancy ones I have smoked in public before.
But for most of my life, I just smoked cigarettes. About 30 of those years I smoked Parliament. Plus a few designer cigarettes in between, like Bensen and Hedges Deluxe Ready Rubbed in the wide cardboard cartons. When other cigs were 35 cents, they were a buck fifty a pack. So was DuMaurier which I sometimes smoked also.
As I said before, I know within 6 months when I finally got COPD and Emphysema. The year I ruined everything in my new air-tight office.
My uncle helped me get my first license when the Citizens Band opened up in 1957. I was only ten years old at the time. I was issued the call-sign 17Q. At age 12 I got my Ham Radio License, KØVCH, a tech license.
More on the CB license. The second person in Missouri to get a CB Licence was 17Q1, and the third 17Q2.
A girl from California who moved to Missouri and became good friends, I learned she was 1Q, the very first CB license issued.
My 17Q was because Missouri was the 17th state to get a first CB license.
Later it was changed to KNH-7564. Folks though someone was using my call-sign. We met each other over breakfast, and we both brought our issued licenses. Sure enough, the FCC issued the same number twice. More research into this problem and the FCC said his was issued before lunch and mine was issued after lunch, so mine got changed to KPI-1591, which is what I had until they stopped issuing licenses for CB.
Now back to Ham Radio Licenses. The FCC has messed up my Ham Licenses more often than you can shake a stick.
I had used KØVCH from the age of 12, up until I went in the service. While I was in the service it lapsed. But since I was in active service, when we got home I was supposed to be able to renew it then, no problems.
When I tried, I learned something interesting. KØVCH was NOT my call-sign, it was the call-sign of the Elmer who gave me my Tech license test. Nobody at the FCC caught this and I was issued my license with that call-sign on it.
Because it was Invalid, I had to start over from ground zero, and got my first official call-sign as a Novice KAØCDE. I loved CW and didn't bother to upgrade for many years, from 1972 to 1993.
I took all of my licensing tests to upgrade through the ranks, TWICE, in 1993.
After passing all of my tests above Novice, and they were sent in, the FCC said I failed to renew my KAØCDE call in 1992.
So I had to take all the tests again, starting with Novice, Tech, General, Advanced, and Extra.
The FCC sent my license, but it read KBØLMW a Novice License. The group who gave me my test got on the horn to them.
In the interim, the FCC issued me a license for Tech, and one for General, but not one for Advanced or Extra. They didn't mail them to me, they held onto them, after the call from the group. They told this guy for me not to use any of the latter call-signs which appeared in the release.
We thought they had the mess straightened out, and they sent me NØZOI. The license itself showed General++ printed on it. So I assumed it was my license for Extra, and didn't find out it wasn't until I was called on the carpet by a local ham group.
Then the call-book came out and I was listed in it TWICE, which is something that is NEVER supposed to happen EVER.
I went and took my tests to move from General up to Advanced, but since I was no longer working with electronics due to my attacks you know about I failed the Extra class exam. In 1995 I got the new call-sign of KGØZP which I've held and kept active ever since. The group where I first and secondly took my tests up to Extra tried to go to bat for me, but it did no good.
I was invited to join the Quarter Century Wireless Communications Club, by a man I knew quite well and who knew me. We talked on 6-meters at least once a week, until I came home from the service and only used CW after that.
I had brought copies of all of my licenses, including my first one, and other forms of documentation.
I was turned down by the Club because I did not appear in the call-book they used.
I even obtained copies of the call-book showing where they had made errors about me for several years.
Once again they turned me down.
When they contacted me again in 1997 to join their club, as I've met all their requirements.
I basically told them to stuff it where the sun don't shine!
I HAD to complete the work I started, including all the drywall finishing work for the kitchen. But I did hire the cabinets to be installed, as I knew I could no longer do that kind of work. They are no where near as meticulous as I am!
Pollen in Missouri is bad, especially out in the country areas. It is here too, but fortunately I don't have any allergies, unless I only got them recently.
I probably started smoking when I was 3 years old, stealing one of mom's Chesterfields, and then riding my tricycle down behind my uncles garage to light up, hi hi.
I was on a pipe kick for several years in the late '70s and early '80s. I kept a rack of 7 corncob pipes I smoked daily at work. Plus I had some rather fancy pipes for if I was going out somewhere. Don't want to be using a corncob in public, but at work it was OK. Those were normal corncob pipes. I also had some very fancy ones I have smoked in public before.
But for most of my life, I just smoked cigarettes. About 30 of those years I smoked Parliament. Plus a few designer cigarettes in between, like Bensen and Hedges Deluxe Ready Rubbed in the wide cardboard cartons. When other cigs were 35 cents, they were a buck fifty a pack. So was DuMaurier which I sometimes smoked also.
As I said before, I know within 6 months when I finally got COPD and Emphysema. The year I ruined everything in my new air-tight office.
Re: Windows 12
You mentioned in the past that you had problems with you amateur radio license, but I didn't realize it was as big of a problem as you describe here. The CB fad was crazy and it probably was a bad idea to try and license those kids in the first place. The last time I was involved with CB it was total anarchy and out of control. Amateur radio was a bit more sophisticated and harder to get into, but it seems that the FCC had some staffing problems, at least in your case. My exposure to that hobby was not as complicated as yours. I only had two licenses. One was for the novice class and the other for the general class. I was a happy camper in CW and didn't spend as much time talking as I thought I would when I got a voice rig. My entry in the Callbook was correct so that I never had a problem there. I didn't see much use for it and I don't think I would have been too upset if they didn't put me in it or listed me incorrectly. All I used it for was QSL card exchange.
Somebody got me a corn cob pipe when I was smoking. I seem to recall it not being as good as the briar, and I believe it actually burned out after a short time. I kept it in my collection right up to the end, but I never replaced it. My daughter brought me a fabulous meerschaum pipe from Germany. I treasured it and took care of it well. It was the last pipe I smoked before I was treated for the lung infection. Sadly the pipe broke at the stem when I tried to clean it one day. It would be nice to still have it, but not to smoke in it. Where it came from was the real value.
I did a lot of patch work in my days but very little new drywall installation. When we moved here one of the basement walls needed some gypsum board and we hired a guy to do the work. He was terrible at it partly due to the arthritis in his hands. I sympathized with him but discharged him before he completed the job. All that was left was the seams needing to be filled with mud. I did the mudding on that thirty foot wall and surprised myself at how good it finally looked. There were a lot of inconsistencies and lumps in the wallboard, but I managed to make it all look flat and decent. You can't tell were any of the seams are, and that surprised even me. It took several sessions, seems like four or five, before I got it all feathered properly. A coat of paint on top of that and it could pass for professional work. Doing that kind of work after a heart attack takes a lot of courage, or was that you just being stubborn? LOL
Somebody got me a corn cob pipe when I was smoking. I seem to recall it not being as good as the briar, and I believe it actually burned out after a short time. I kept it in my collection right up to the end, but I never replaced it. My daughter brought me a fabulous meerschaum pipe from Germany. I treasured it and took care of it well. It was the last pipe I smoked before I was treated for the lung infection. Sadly the pipe broke at the stem when I tried to clean it one day. It would be nice to still have it, but not to smoke in it. Where it came from was the real value.
I did a lot of patch work in my days but very little new drywall installation. When we moved here one of the basement walls needed some gypsum board and we hired a guy to do the work. He was terrible at it partly due to the arthritis in his hands. I sympathized with him but discharged him before he completed the job. All that was left was the seams needing to be filled with mud. I did the mudding on that thirty foot wall and surprised myself at how good it finally looked. There were a lot of inconsistencies and lumps in the wallboard, but I managed to make it all look flat and decent. You can't tell were any of the seams are, and that surprised even me. It took several sessions, seems like four or five, before I got it all feathered properly. A coat of paint on top of that and it could pass for professional work. Doing that kind of work after a heart attack takes a lot of courage, or was that you just being stubborn? LOL
Re: Windows 12
The call-book is used by most clubs to determine eligibility, such as the Quarter Century Wireless Club, and others.
Even when I pointed out mistakes in it, and showed them copies of my original licences, log books copies, and signed affidavits from other Hams who knew me and we had QSO's with over the years. Despite all the evidence, they ONLY went by the Call-Book to determine eligibility.
Although I was a member of the ARRL from 1959 to around 1968, I dropped them like a hot potato after they did me dirty.
I put up a simple push-up pole with a short 6-meter Yagi on it. It wasn't much bigger than an RCA Color TV antenna, and not as obvious either. My dad got a letter from the subdivision that I had to take it down. I did because it was my dad's house and I did what he told me to do, usually.
However, before I took it down, I called the ARRL and requested their assistance, because that is supposed to be one of the benefits of membership. They had me take four photographs from each side of my house, all to be taken like 50 feet away from the house too, clearly showing the antenna. And obtain a copy of the HOA agreement, because the HOA cannot override Federal Rulings. I only received one letter saying they received my information they requested and are looking it over. This was around the middle of 1967. I called them on the phone again, and said I have to take it down or we will be fined by the subdivision. They said, best I take it down for now, as they are still working on it.
I did take it down, but reinstalled it inside my dad's attic facing in the direction I usually talked on it. It didn't work very well in the attic, but it did work to reach the couple of folks I liked to talk to.
Now here is what took the icing off the cake, as far as Me and ARRL goes.
Diagonally across the intersection from my dad's house was a man who's son just got his Novice license.
His dad must have had plenty of money, and the kid must have upgraded fairly quickly, because they put up a massive tower, complete with Beams, Yagi's, and several Dipoles.
Dad got after the HOA for making me take down my antenna, and wanted them to make the neighbor take his down too.
They did attempt to do so, but the ARRL came out in full-force with their lawyers to handle the situation.
Backed this new Ham with all the power they had to do so, and those antenna's never came down.
I had already moved out of my dad's house just after this ordeal with the neighbor, and the HOA.
I moved into an apartment closer to work. A three story townhouse at the time, now it is only a two story apartment.
I did put up a couple of small verticals on the roof, where nobody could see them, in the hot summer 1968 sun.
Never got to use them, because I got a call from mom saying I was drafted. I didn't believe it at first, because my cousin and I had went to the board of appeals to get me changed from 1Y to 1A, but instead they made me a 4F, which meant I couldn't be drafted. Well, I've told you this story before, so won't bore you with those details again.
I wasn't in the service very long, despite the fact I was sent to Nam as the Pilot of a PacV-SK5 hovercraft on rescue missions.
But once the dust settled, they paid our unit, what was left of it, to go home, and marked as we were never there.
I got married on November 8, 1968 and moved into the apartment I was already it when I was drafted. Some law made them hold it for us, and with all our belongings inside. But I didn't stay there after my lease was up, and moved back to my mom and dad's basement, while I was renovating an apartment in Kirkwood. And I told you about all the antenna's I had up there, unseen until I moved out five years later and was taking them all down, hi hi.
Interesting that you burned out a corn-cob pipe. I know it happens on the cheaper ones made for looks and not really for smoking. But Missouri Meerschaum corn-cob pipes were made by embedding a refractory plaster on the cob, which is why they looked so nice. And the ones I had did have a ceramic liner as well, and a Medico filter.
I had a pipe I made from Manzanita burl that looked awesome. I still have it and was offered over 150 bucks for it a couple of times. I also had a few of the decorative corn-cob pipes they made, one was mounted on a plaque as a keepsake. I probably still have it packed away somewhere too.
Over the years I smoked pipes, I had all kinds of things associated with it, from stands to sampler jars, the whole nine yards.
Yes, I was very stubborn, and didn't like anyone messing with my work. You would never believe the complex details and unusual drywall work I did in that kitchen, just to make everything fit the way I wanted it too.
There are recesses behind the refrigerator, behind the dishwasher, behind the stove, and behind the washer/dryer, and behind the dryer is a double recess for the lint pipe. Some very tricky work to get the range hood vented outside too.
But I loved doing that type of intricate work!
Even when I pointed out mistakes in it, and showed them copies of my original licences, log books copies, and signed affidavits from other Hams who knew me and we had QSO's with over the years. Despite all the evidence, they ONLY went by the Call-Book to determine eligibility.
Although I was a member of the ARRL from 1959 to around 1968, I dropped them like a hot potato after they did me dirty.
I put up a simple push-up pole with a short 6-meter Yagi on it. It wasn't much bigger than an RCA Color TV antenna, and not as obvious either. My dad got a letter from the subdivision that I had to take it down. I did because it was my dad's house and I did what he told me to do, usually.
However, before I took it down, I called the ARRL and requested their assistance, because that is supposed to be one of the benefits of membership. They had me take four photographs from each side of my house, all to be taken like 50 feet away from the house too, clearly showing the antenna. And obtain a copy of the HOA agreement, because the HOA cannot override Federal Rulings. I only received one letter saying they received my information they requested and are looking it over. This was around the middle of 1967. I called them on the phone again, and said I have to take it down or we will be fined by the subdivision. They said, best I take it down for now, as they are still working on it.
I did take it down, but reinstalled it inside my dad's attic facing in the direction I usually talked on it. It didn't work very well in the attic, but it did work to reach the couple of folks I liked to talk to.
Now here is what took the icing off the cake, as far as Me and ARRL goes.
Diagonally across the intersection from my dad's house was a man who's son just got his Novice license.
His dad must have had plenty of money, and the kid must have upgraded fairly quickly, because they put up a massive tower, complete with Beams, Yagi's, and several Dipoles.
Dad got after the HOA for making me take down my antenna, and wanted them to make the neighbor take his down too.
They did attempt to do so, but the ARRL came out in full-force with their lawyers to handle the situation.
Backed this new Ham with all the power they had to do so, and those antenna's never came down.
I had already moved out of my dad's house just after this ordeal with the neighbor, and the HOA.
I moved into an apartment closer to work. A three story townhouse at the time, now it is only a two story apartment.
I did put up a couple of small verticals on the roof, where nobody could see them, in the hot summer 1968 sun.
Never got to use them, because I got a call from mom saying I was drafted. I didn't believe it at first, because my cousin and I had went to the board of appeals to get me changed from 1Y to 1A, but instead they made me a 4F, which meant I couldn't be drafted. Well, I've told you this story before, so won't bore you with those details again.
I wasn't in the service very long, despite the fact I was sent to Nam as the Pilot of a PacV-SK5 hovercraft on rescue missions.
But once the dust settled, they paid our unit, what was left of it, to go home, and marked as we were never there.
I got married on November 8, 1968 and moved into the apartment I was already it when I was drafted. Some law made them hold it for us, and with all our belongings inside. But I didn't stay there after my lease was up, and moved back to my mom and dad's basement, while I was renovating an apartment in Kirkwood. And I told you about all the antenna's I had up there, unseen until I moved out five years later and was taking them all down, hi hi.
Interesting that you burned out a corn-cob pipe. I know it happens on the cheaper ones made for looks and not really for smoking. But Missouri Meerschaum corn-cob pipes were made by embedding a refractory plaster on the cob, which is why they looked so nice. And the ones I had did have a ceramic liner as well, and a Medico filter.
I had a pipe I made from Manzanita burl that looked awesome. I still have it and was offered over 150 bucks for it a couple of times. I also had a few of the decorative corn-cob pipes they made, one was mounted on a plaque as a keepsake. I probably still have it packed away somewhere too.
Over the years I smoked pipes, I had all kinds of things associated with it, from stands to sampler jars, the whole nine yards.
Yes, I was very stubborn, and didn't like anyone messing with my work. You would never believe the complex details and unusual drywall work I did in that kitchen, just to make everything fit the way I wanted it too.
There are recesses behind the refrigerator, behind the dishwasher, behind the stove, and behind the washer/dryer, and behind the dryer is a double recess for the lint pipe. Some very tricky work to get the range hood vented outside too.
But I loved doing that type of intricate work!