tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21530421375697773032024-03-12T21:49:21.126-05:00Tom Nichol's BlogDiapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-34714463004537215922015-02-04T12:43:00.000-06:002016-11-09T23:09:48.190-06:00Severe Weather Safety Part 4--Tornado Safety In The Home, Part IAlthough fast action is vital when a tornado strikes, knowing what NOT to do is just as important as knowing what you SHOULD do! That being the case, let's take a look at tornado safety in the home.<br />
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First of all, let's look at what you should NOT do! Specifically, you should NOT open the doors and windows in an attempt to equalize the air pressure inside and outside the house! Although this procedure was recommended for many years, that recommendation was summarily dropped in the wake of the so-called "Super Outbreak" of April 3, 1974. (An "outbreak" is defined as the appearance of multiple tornadoes in a given area at approximately the same time.) Up until that time, it was believed that tornadoes caused houses to "explode," due to the powerful updrafts (at speeds of over 100 miles per hour) generated in the tornado funnel. The studies of ground damage which took place after this disaster (led by Dr. Ted Fujita, of the University of Chicago), however, proved beyond all question that this simply does not happen. Rather than exploding, the houses are simply being blown over with massive force, although, to the untrained eye, they might look like they're exploding. (If such explosions actually were exploding, the debris from the houses would be scattered more or less evenly in all directions. Dr. Fujita's studies, however, showed that this simply is not the case.) In fact, Dr. Fujita's studies showed that, rather than help save houses, trying to open the windows and doors, actually endangers people's lives, because they waste time that should be used in seeking proper shelter from the tornado's winds. Besides, the tornado winds will most likely blast the doors and windows open anyway, as Dr. Fujita's studies and simulations clearly demonstrated.<br />
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Okay, we've established that opening windows and doors before a tornado strikes is worse than useless as a safety measure. So what SHOULD you do? The basic rule of thumb is to put as many walls between you and the tornado as you possibly can. If you have an underground shelter, such as an old-fashioned storm cellar, that is ideal. A commercial above-ground storm shelter or "safe room" is the next best thing. If none of these is available, then a basement area is a good place. If, as in so many homes these days, you don't have either a basement or a safe room or a storm cellar, then a closet or bathroom (providing it does NOT have windows) is most likely your best bet. (A bathroom without windows is particularly good because the extra framing required to hold the pipes and plumbing fixtures gives the walls of the bathroom considerable extra strength.)<br />
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If you're taking shelter in a bathroom, the best thing to do is to get down in the bathtub, curling up in the so-called "tornado crouch" (that is, getting down on your knees and elbows, face down, covering the back of your neck with your hands and lower arms). If you're in a closet, assume the "tornado crouch" position as described above, facing the innermost wall, particularly if you're in a so-called "walk-in" closet. In any case, you should have shoes and socks on to protect your feet, a helmet of some kind (even a skating or bicycle helmet will help!) to help protect your head, and blankets, heavy coats, or even a mattress to help protect you against flying debris. If you don't have a helmet, then pull a metal wastebasket over your head. Since flying debris is the major cause of deaths and injuries from tornadoes, such precautions can literally mean the difference between life and death!Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-50004164929565116752014-03-19T14:06:00.001-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.555-06:00Severe Weather Safety Part 3--Tornado Watches, Warnings, and EmergenciesBefore I proceed to cover the subject of tornado safety in the home in detail, I need to cover the types of severe weather statements issued by the National Weather issues and the reasons behind them. Even today, many people tend to become confused by these statements, a fact which sometimes leads them to disregard these statements altogether. As a result, it is little wonder that, especially in recent years, the National Weather Service has taken a close look at the wording of their severe weather statements, and is working hard to both clarify them and to better convey how the public should respond to each of them when severe weather does strike. Since tornadoes are my primary focus at this point in this blog, I will concentrate on tornado-related statements this time around, with links to other sources of information on related topics.<br />
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Whenever it is determined that severe weather is in the making, the National Weather Service will issue one of several different types as conditions warrant: WATCHES (to give you time to prepare), WARNINGS (to tell you it is time to act), PDS, or "Particularly Dangerous Situations," (when the potential for severe weather is unusually high, or when an outbreak is expected to be unusually intense), and, finally, "Emergency" (meaning an extreme, life-threatening situation that requires IMMEDIATE action or response).<br />
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The first of these is the Severe Weather WATCH. This type of severe weather statement is usually the first such statement, in sequence, to be issued. It indicates that conditions either already are, or are expected to become, favorable for the development of severe weather. All Severe Weather Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, usually several hours or even as much as a day or more in advance. Because of the scale of the weather systems involved, a Severe Weather Watch will usually cover thousands of square miles, and generally will cover a time span of from five to eight hours.<br />
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If a severe weather event is expected to be unusually strong or dangerous, the notation, "Particularly Dangerous Situation" will be added to the original message text. This also means that a larger amount of territory will be included than a "regular" Severe Weather Watch, and will run for a longer period of time as well.<br />
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When a severe weather event is determined to either be imminent or has actually been detected, a Severe Weather WARNING will be issued. Because such events are almost always local in nature, a Severe Weather Warning is almost always issued by a local office of the National Weather Service, and will cover a much smaller area than a Severe Weather Watch, and will last for a much shorter period of time. Again, the terms "Particularly Dangerous Situation" or "Emergency" (in the case of a tornado) may be added to the original text to indicate greater than normal or even extreme levels of severity or danger. In particular, the term, "Tornado EMERGENCY" means that an extremely dangerous, life-threatening tornado has either been spotted by trained storm spotters, detected on weather radar, or both, and that you should take IMMEDIATE action to protect yourself!<br />
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For more information on this subject, I invite the reader to consult Wikipedia, under the term, "Severe Weather Terminology."Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-2524584185952434242014-02-11T13:35:00.001-06:002016-03-04T00:09:36.531-06:00Severe Weather Safety--Part 2In choosing a NOAA Weather Radio, there are three specific features you should always look for, no matter which make or model you may have in mind. This is important because not all receivers that bill themselves as "weather radios" have them (as I learned from personal experience!),<br />
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The first of these is battery backup. It is not uncommon for the regular electric power to go offline for hours or even days in the wake of a severe weather outbreak. Some weather radios may have a hand-cranked dynamo built in which can keep the radio on and running for up to an hour after using the crank for as little as 30 seconds (60 is the more usual length of time). Even so, having batteries in the unit, and keeping some extra batteries on hand, is a wise precaution. Be sure to rotate whatever batteries you have at least every six months to insure maximum power output and the longest possible battery life.<br />
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Next is a feature known as ToneAlert. Whenever the National Weather Service issues a special statement of any kind, and especially if a severe weather watch or warning is issued, they will transmit a specially coded signal which will automatically cause the radio speaker to give off a loud, piercing alarm signal, usually of an "up-and-down" nature. The code will also cause the radio to turn itself on and remain on until the user turns the set off manually. This helps to insure that the user has enough time to hear the message and respond to it in an appropriate manner.<br />
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Last, but by no means least, is a feature known as "SAME," which stands for "Specific Area Message Encoding." Whenever a local Weather Service office broadcasts a ToneAlert signal, it also transmits a series of special codes to designate the geographic area or areas that the message is intended for. On weather radios equipped with this feature, the receiver will play ONLY the messages encoded for the area they are set for, and will reject all others. This helps to avoid confusion due to conflicting messages, thus giving the listener a clearer idea of what hazards they may be facing, and what action or actions they need to take in a given situation.<br />
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Whatever make or model of NOAA Weather Radio you choose, the instructions included with the radio should explain how to set the receiver for the proper codes for your area. Some radios may do this automatically (handheld models, for instance), while others may require the setting a a few dials. In any case, the radio's manufacturer should have a customer service telephone number or a website to assist the purchaser if he or she needs help.<br />
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For outdoor activities especially, having a handheld portable NOAA Weather Radio receiver is one of the most important safety measures you can take, especially where children are involved. In any such activity, someone should be designated to monitor the radio, and sound a warning if an alert of any sort is issued.<br />
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The next posting in this series will go into the basics of severe weather safety in the home.Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-49836192265155444642014-01-29T13:10:00.000-06:002016-03-04T00:09:36.552-06:00Severe Weather Safety--Part 1As any weather forecaster with any experience will tell you, severe weather, especially tornadoes, can occur anywhere on Earth, any day of the year, and at any time of the day or night--IF the right conditions exist. Because of this fact, perhaps the single most important step you can take to protect yourself and those you love from the threat of severe weather is simply to keep abreast of changing weather conditions. This is especially important during the two primary "tornado seasons" that occur each year. As I mentioned in an earlier posting, the first and primary season is from March through June, while the second is generally from October through early December, especially in the region known as "Dixie Alley."<br />
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By far, the single most important means of keeping abreast of changing weather conditions is the NOAA Weather Radio network. Since the early 1950's, and especially since the mid-1970's the National Weather Service has worked to establish a nationwide network of radio stations devoted to making the latest weather information available to the public. There are now more that 450 of these transmitters in active operation, broadcasting on frequencies between 162.4 and 162.55 Megahertz on the Public Service Radio Band, which is established and allocated by the Federal Communications Commission. Through partnerships with other government agencies and local industries, efforts are now under way to expand the network still further, with a goal of reaching not less than 95% of the American public, broadcasting not only weather information, but also information on marine weather hazards, earthquake and volcanic activity, hazardous material emergencies, and even Amber Alerts.<br />
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While most commercial radio and television broadcasters do an excellent job of keeping the public informed in such instances, they would be the first to agree that having a NOAA Weather Radio receiver in your home is still an important defense against the threat of severe weather of any kind. These receivers are available at prices ranging from around $20 to $50, and can be purchased at many local electronics stores, department stores, and, in a growing number of areas, in many larger grocery stores, to say nothing of online vendors.<br />
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In my next posting, I'll go into what features you should look for when choosing a specific weather radio, and the reasons behind them.Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-7610622655667474122014-01-19T13:02:00.000-06:002016-03-04T00:09:36.580-06:00Why So Many Tornadoes In The US?In order to understand why so many tornadoes occur in the United States, take a look at a topographical map of the North American continent, and especially of the United States. The Rocky Mountain range in the west, and the Appalachian Mountain range in the east, act like the sides of a gigantic natural funnel, allowing huge amounts of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, cold, dry air from Canada and the Arctic, and cool, dry air spilling over the Rockies from the Pacific (losing most of its moisture in the process) to come into contact--and often, con<i>flict! </i>When these three thermally unbalanced air masses meet, the reaction is almost always violent, and, in many cases, downright catastrophic!<br />
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The primary field of conflict, so to speak, is an area generally known as "Tornado Alley." It stretches from Texas all the way up to Minnesota. Better than 95% of the more than 1,000 tornadoes that occur in the United States each year (on average) occur in this region. Because of this, most of the research into severe weather and severe weather safety are concentrated in this area. In fact, the National Weather Service maintains two major facilities for this purpose in Norman, Oklahoma, often referred referred to as "the heart of Tornado Alley." The first of these, the National Severe Storms Laboratory, is devoted primarily to severe weather research, while its counterpart, the Storm Prediction Center, is dedicated to actively predicted to forecasting severe weather, and alerting the public when it actually develops.<br />
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In recent years, a second area, commonly referred to as "Dixie Alley," has been identified. It includes the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, the upper half of Georgia, and the western 2/3 of Tennessee. A number of the most destructive tornadoes in recent years have occurred, many of them at night, and more than a few of them in what would normally be considered the "dead of winter." The reason for this is that the "Dixie Alley" region is significantly closer to the Gulf of Mexico than the traditional "Tornado Alley." This creates a sort of "thermal flywheel" or "thermal storage battery" effect, allowing severe weather to develop much later in the day, and in the year, than might otherwise be expected.<br />
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In most areas of the United States, there are two periods when tornadoes, and the severe thunder-storms that spawn them, are most likely to develop. Both of these periods are times of transition from one season to the next. The primary season includes the months of March, April, and May, which is the transitional period between winter and summer. The secondary period includes late October, November, and early December, the seasonal transition between summer and winter. This especially holds true in the region known as "Dixie Alley." Also, and especially in "Dixie Alley," most tornadoes tend to develop late in the day, when the heat and humidity reach their daily peak. This is also the reason so many tornadoes occur at dusk, or even in the early nighttime hours. It should also be noted that tornadoes which occur at night are all but impossible to see, which makes them even more dangerous than their daytime counterparts.<br />
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In my next posting, we'll begin covering the basic safety measures to protect you, and those you love, against the dangers of severe weather, and especially tornadoes.Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-90593386715200588432014-01-06T20:08:00.000-06:002016-03-04T00:09:36.595-06:00Just What IS A Tornado?In order to properly understand and practice the principles of severe weather safety, we must first understand the major players involved, so to speak. When most people hear the the words "severe weather" or "severe weather safety," they almost always think of tornadoes, and for good reason. Such being the case, let's begin delving into the subject of sever weather safety by defining what is, and is <i>not,</i> a tornado.<br />
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The word "tornado" is of Spanish origin, and, literally translated, means "twisting" or "turning"--an apt description of the appearance of this most frightening severe weather phenomenon. The National Weather Service defines a tornado as, "a violently rotating column of air attached to a thunderstorm AND in
contact with the ground." If the column of air is <i>not</i> in contact with the ground, it is referred to as a "funnel cloud." Some people might well consider this to be an unnecessarily picayunish distinction. However, it has proven to be an essential one to permit the keeping of clear, consistent, accurate records, which are the basis of all severe weather research.</div>
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No matter what you think about this distinction, however, the fact remains that the North American continent in general, and the United States in particular, experience more, and more violent tornadoes than all the rest of the world put together! In the year just ended, some 940 tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service, causing a total of 54 deaths, and more than $2.6 billion in property damage.</div>
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In my next posting, we'll go into the reasons why so many of these horrific storms take place here in America, and the beginnings of what you can do to help protect yourself and those you love from their destructive fury.</div>
Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-27551339123950483952014-01-03T20:12:00.001-06:002016-03-04T00:09:36.534-06:00Relative humidity and home heating comfort This afternoon, I've had several phone calls from people who were
concerned about my staying warm during this cold snap. That caused me
to become concerned about a major factor in home heating comfort that I
am afraid many of you may be neglecting. That factor is the relative
humidity level (that is, the amount of moisture in the air relative to
the temperature) in one's home or apartment.<br /><br />Why is this so
important, you ask? Well, from my own experience, I can testify that,
with the right level of relative humidity in the air (approximately
50%), you can cut back your thermostat by as much as ten degrees or more
and still feel warm and toasty. This amounts to a significant savings
on your next gas or electric bill! It also makes you less
susceptible to colds, flu, and other diseases, since dry air puts a
strain on the delicate tissues of the mouth, nose, and throat.<br /><br />Having
said all of that, however, it is just as important not to let the
humidity level get too high, as that will tend to promote the growth of
mold and mildew, especially black mold, which can be deadly. It is
easy, however, to monitor the humidity level in your home with an
inexpensive humidity gauge, available at many hardware stores or home
furnishing stores. Moisture can be added to the air very easily when
needed by means of an old-fashioned steam vaporizer or cool-mist
vaporizer which are currently priced at from $15 to $30 at most drug and
department stores. They're easy to care for, so this is basically a
one-time purchase.<br /><br />Please feel free to spread the word about this
important subject. With the home heating season now in full swing, the
home humidity level is an important
factor for both health and economy reasons--please don't neglect it! Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-64879342901651729022014-01-03T00:27:00.000-06:002016-03-04T00:09:36.572-06:00The Importance Of Severe Weather SafetyThe year 2013 was an unusual one in terms of severe weather in several different ways. While there were only 940 tornadoes recorded by the National Weather Service (as opposed to an average of up to 1300), the violence of several of these monster storms more than made up for the seeming deficiency in numbers. Furthermore, the amount of property damage inflicted by these storms made them among the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. All in all, a total of $2.6 billion worth of houses and other structures were either severely damaged or destroyed outright.<br />
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Two of these storms in particular stand out in the minds of the "severe weather community." The first of these took place in Moore, Oklahoma, not far from Oklahoma City, on May 20, 2013. For the third time since 1999, this area was pounded by an EF5 tornado, with winds estimated as high as 210 mph. Two elementary schools were torn apart by the 1.3 mile-wide behemoth. In the case of the second school, Plaza Towers Elementary, 7 children lost their lives to the storm's fury. In all, 24 people were killed, 1150 homes were destroyed, and the total property damage reached an incredible $2 billion, making it the single costliest natural disaster of the year. Incredibly, many meteorologists estimated that this storm released as much as 600 times more energy that the 20 kiloton atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in August of 1945!<br />
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Just 11 days later, on May 31, 2013, another twister struck the area of El Reno, Oklahoma, some 25 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. Although this storm was finally rated an EF3 in terms of ground damage, several radar readings indicated winds speeds as high as 296 mph, the second highest wind speeds ever recorded. Furthermore, the funnel generated by this storm reached a stunning 2.6 miles in width, wider even the tornado that struck Hallam, Nebraska, in 2004.<br />
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Thankfully, because this storm's path was primarily over open terrain, property damage was a mere $35-$40 million, as compared to the $2 billion in damage caused by the May 20th storm. Sadly, however, 8 people died as a result of this twister's fury. Of these, 3 were well-known professional storm chasers, who were caught off guard by a sudden change in the storm's direction. Furthermore, Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes and his crew were also caught off guard, and their car was tossed more than 200 yards by the violent winds. Thankfully, Bettes and one of his crew suffered only minor injuries, while the third member suffered multiple fractures and had to be hospitalized. (It was later revealed that the three professional storm chasers, in a possible error in judgment, had used a non-reinforced subcompact car, rather than the heavily reinforced 3/4 ton truck that was their normal vehicle of choice for storm chases.)<br />
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By far the most disturbing aspect of this particular incident, however, was the fact that many thousands of people attempted to evacuate the area, in spite of the fact that most severe weather experts strongly advise against anything of the sort during a tornado. To make matters worse, the roads around Oklahoma City were already clogged with afternoon rush hour traffic. The result, as described by numerous local residents, was utter chaos and confusion. (Part of the reason for the evacuation may very well have been an extremely ill-advised and controversial recommendation by a local TV weatherman that those who did not have access to safe rooms or underground storm shelters should attempt to outrun the storm in their cars, again contrary to the recommendation of the vast majority of severe weather experts. In this writer's opinion, that weatherman should have been severely reprimanded, at the very least, on the grounds of inciting a panic!)<br />
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This incident, perhaps more than any other in recent memory, underscores the importance of making clear, accurate information on the subject of severe weather safety available to everyone, and of reminding the public of their own responsibility to act on such information once they get it! To that end, I will be posting articles on various topics relating to severe weather safety throughout 2014. Links to relevant sites will be posted as well, and, if there is sufficient interest, questions from visitors will be answered online.<br />
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The bottom line on the subject of severe weather safety is that, while these storms can be undeniably frightening, and the sheer power they contain should definitely be respected, there is so reason for panic if you know what to look for, what to expect, and most of all, what to do when severe weather does strike. That is precisely what my efforts on this blog this coming year will be all about.Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-85579068607607058772013-09-03T01:48:00.000-05:002016-11-09T23:11:52.646-06:00Reflections on September 2ndAt 9:00 A.M., local time, on September 2, 1945, on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri, an event took place which marked a seminal turning point in human history--namely, the end of World War II. It was a war which had been marked by more death and carnage, more loss and injury, more misery and suffering, than had ever occurred before in all of human history. The death and destruction had been capped by the use of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both of which had unleashed forces and energies such as mankind had never before experienced. Even General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, the newly-appointed Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, who, as he would later state, knew war as few men then living knew it, had been deeply shocked and greatly sobered by what he had seen in the aftermath of the first two uses of nuclear weapons in all of recorded history.<br />
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It was in this spirit that MacArthur, to the admiration of even his harshest critics and detractors, planned and executed the Surrender Ceremonies in a manner that, to this day, stands as a shining example of grace, dignity, compassion, and magnanimity. So it was that at 9:00 in the morning, on that fateful September 2nd, 1945, General MacArthur stepped up to a microphone and made the following statement:<br />
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"We are gathered here, representatives of the major warring powers, to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored.<br />
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The issues involving divergent ideals and ideologies have been determined on the battlefields of the world, and hence are not for our discussion or debate.<br />
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Nor is it for us here to meet, representing as we do a majority of the peoples of the earth, in a spirit of distrust, malice, or hatred.<br />
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But rather it is for us, both victors and vanquished, to rise to that higher dignity which alone befits the sacred purposes we are about to serve, committing all of our peoples unreservedly to faithful compliance with the undertakings they are here formally to assume. It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past -- a world founded upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice. The terms and conditions upon which surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces is here to be given and accepted are contained in the Instrument of Surrender now before you.<br />
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As Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, I announce it my firm purpose, in the tradition of the countries I represent, to proceed in the discharge of my responsibilities with justice and tolerance, while taking all necessary dispositions to insure that the terms of surrender are fully, promptly, and faithfully complied with.<br />
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I now invite the representatives of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters to sign the Instrument of Surrender at the places indicated."<br />
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In just over 15 minutes, the surrender documents were signed by all of the representatives of the warring powers. Moments later, General MacArthur concluded the ceremony with these words:<br />
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"Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and
that God will preserve it always. These proceedings are closed."<br />
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After the Japanese officials had left,
General MacArthur stepped up to a different microphone than the one he had used earlier and broadcast a statement whose salient points remain just as applicable today as they were on that eventful day in 1945:<br />
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“My fellow countrymen: Today the guns are silent. A great tragedy has ended. A great
victory has been won. The skies no longer rain death. The seas bear
only commerce. Men everywhere walk upright in the sunlight. The
entire world is quietly at peace. The holy mission has been
completed. And, in reporting this to you, the people, I speak for
the thousands of silent lips, forever stilled among the jungles, and
the beaches, and in the deep waters of the Pacific, which marked the
way. I speak for the unnamed brave millions homeward bound to take up
the challenge of that future which they did so much to salvage from
the brink of disaster.<br />
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As I look back on the long, tortuous trail from those grim days of
Bataan and Corregidor, when an entire world lived in fear, when
democracy was on the defensive everywhere, when modern civilization
trembled in the balance, I thank a merciful God that He has given us
the faith, the courage and the power from which to mold victory. We
have known the bitterness of defeat and the exultation of triumph,
and from both we have learned there can be no turning back. We must
go forward to preserve in peace what we won in war.<br />
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A new era is upon us. Even the lesson of victory itself brings
with it profound concern, both for our future security and the
survival of civilization. The destructiveness of the war potential,
through progressive advances in scientific discovery, has in fact
now reached a point which revises the traditional concepts of war.<br />
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Men since the beginning of time have sought peace. Various methods
through the ages have attempted to devise an international process to
prevent or settle disputes between nations. From the very start,
workable methods were found insofar as individual citizens were
concerned, but the mechanics of an instrumentality of larger
international scope have never been successful. Military alliances,
balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn failed, leaving
the only path to be by way of the crucible of war. The utter
destructiveness of war now blots out this alternative. We have had
our last chance. If we do not devise some greater and more
equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem
basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and
improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost
matchless advances in science, art, literature and all material and
cultural developments of the past two thousand years. It must be of
the spirit if we are to save the flesh.<br />
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We stand in Tokyo today reminiscent of our countryman, Commodore
Perry, ninety-two years ago. His purpose was to bring to Japan an era
of enlightenment and progress, by lifting the veil of isolation to
the friendship, trade, and commerce of the world. But, alas, the
knowledge thereby gained of western science was forged into an
instrument of oppression and human enslavement. Freedom of
expression, freedom of action, even freedom of thought, were denied
through suppression of liberal education, through appeal to superstition, and through the application of force.
We are committed by the Potsdam Declaration of Principles to see that
the Japanese people are liberated from this condition of slavery. It
is my purpose to implement this commitment just as rapidly as the
armed forces are demobilized and other essential steps taken to
neutralize the war potential.<br />
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The energy of the Japanese race, if properly directed, will enable
expansion vertically rather than horizontally. If the talents of the
race are turned into constructive channels, the county can lift
itself from its present deplorable state into a position of dignity.<br />
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To the Pacific basin has come the vista of a new, emancipated
world. Today, freedom is on the offensive, democracy is on the
march. Today, in Asia as well as in Europe, unshackled peoples are
tasting the full sweetness of liberty, the relief from fear.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="page-break-before: always;">
In the Philippines, America has
evolved a model for this new free world of Asia. In the Philippines,
America has demonstrated that peoples of the East and peoples of the
West may walk side by side in mutual respect and with mutual benefit.
The history of our sovereignty there has now the full confidence of
the East.</div>
<div style="page-break-before: always;">
<br /></div>
And so, my fellow countrymen, today I report to you that your sons
and daughters have served you well and faithfully, with the calm,
deliberate, determined fighting spirit of the American soldier and sailor, based
upon a tradition of historical truth, as against the fanaticism of an
enemy supported only by mythological fiction. Their spiritual
strength and power has brought us through to victory. They are
homeward bound—take care of them.”<br />
<br />
It is a matter of record, as reported by numerous radio correspondents who were present at the time, that as the surrender ceremonies came to a close, the dark, depressing, forbidding layer of clouds which had hung over Tokyo Bay throughout the morning suddenly broke open, and bright shafts and beams of sunlight came streaming through the skies. As at least one radio correspondent commented at that moment, it was as if God Himself were expressing His approval, and His relief that the single most destructive conflict mankind had ever inflicted upon itself had finally come to an end. <br />
<br />
At this moment in history, the United States was at the very peak of its national power, just as Britain had been at the peak of its national power at the end of the First World War in 1918. Sadly, since that time, both nations have been in a state of inexorable decline, due to their abandoning the moral and spiritual principles on which both of their governments were founded. Scripture foretells that, unless our two peoples return to those same principles, our nations will suffer the greatest national punishment that any peoples have ever been required to undergo. In this ever more turbulent and volatile period of mankind's existence, it is more important--nay, more essential--than ever before, that the Anglo-American family of nations heed that most eloquent warning which was sounded in 1903 by the Spanish philosopher and historian, Georges Santayana: "THOSE WHO FAIL TO LEARN THE LESSONS OF HISTORY ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT THEM!" May a just yet merciful God help our peoples to do just that!<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-13446572435315640422013-06-30T19:04:00.000-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.528-06:00The frustrations of writing online for payFor the past several months, I have been on government disability due to a combination of Aspergers Syndrome (a form of autism) and attention deficit disorder (no hyperactivity), along with other health-related issues. To make a long story short, I have determined, with the concurrence of friends and family members who know me well, that some sort of freelance writing would be a good means of supplementing my disability income.<br />
<br />
As it happens, I have done freelance writing in the past. Indeed, during the 1980's, I had over a dozen articles nationally published in a small publication known as "Link-Up." My particular specialty was in the area of personal computer communications, computer bulletin board systems, etc. (This was several years prior to the advent of the Internet as we know it today.) Unfortunately, pressure from family members at that time compelled me to abandon freelance writing for a number of years. They did not understand that it takes time to build up the kind of momentum needed to build a steady, livable income.<br />
<br />
Now that I am on disability, and therefore have some financial stability to rely on, I have once more begun sallying out into the world of freelance technical writing. I knew, of course, that the marketplace has changed somewhat over the years. What I did not anticipate, however, was how radically that market had changed.<br />
<br />
When, a few days ago, I stumbled on an ad from a firm called Demand Studios, offering $25 per article, I immediately submitted an application, which was approved a few days later. I looked through a list of possible titles for an article and selected one. I had already gone through their introductory material, and thought I understood the kind of material that they needed.<br />
<br />
It was not until I had already completed a first draft of an article, however, and prepared to submit it for review, that I found out how wrong I was. Their submission process required a series of short segments of 400 to 500 words apiece, which had to be written into an online template in an almost "on-the-fly" style. Nothing in the introductory material I had perused had given me any reason to expect this.<br />
<br />
This was a kind of writing that I did not, and still do not, feel that I could perform to their satisfaction, or, for that matter, to my own. I was so shocked and jarred, in fact, that I immediately emailed Demand Studios, asking them to immediately cancel my account, and deleted the article I had written from my hard drive.<br />
<br />
As I thought over the experience, I realized that I had made a serious blunder. I had blindly assumed that this firm wanted the kind of writing with which I was familiar. In retrospect, I should have done more research about the company. Then, too, I feel that their introductory material should have gone into more detail regarding the length of the articles they wanted, and the actual mechanics of their submission process. Had they done so, I would have instantly realized that my writing style, which is more along traditional lines, was not, and most probably never would be, compatible with what Demand Studios wanted, and would not have taken up their valuable time and energy (or my own, for that matter!).<br />
<br />
To say that I am frustrated over this experience is putting it mildly, and all the more so in view of the fact the primary blame lies solely with me. Mind you, I'm not giving up on freelance writing--not at all. It is clear, however, that I will have to do some research as to the current requirements of the freelance writing industry. To that end, I will most likely be purchasing the current edition of "Writer's Market," and will peruse some current books on freelance writing, in an attempt to get more up to speed, before I sally out into this field again. Any readers of this blog who can offer specific advice or suggestions in this regard are welcome to email me at Wideleg168@gmail.com.Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-7882027345333032152013-06-01T22:20:00.000-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.586-06:00Book Review: "Nashville Streets & Their Stories"Like many Americans, having reached the age of 60, I find myself becoming more and more interested in history in general, and the history of Nashville, Tennessee (my home town) in particular. Having grown up in what is still often referred to as "the Highlands of Belle Meade," a district in the southwest area of Nashville, I have wondered more than once how some of the streets and roads in my old stomping grounds came to be located where they are, and have the names that they do.<br />
<br />
Happily, within the last year, Ridley Wills II, one of Nashville's best-known and most respected historians, has answered many of my questions on this subject in his latest book, "Nashville Streets & Their Stories." Some five hundred of Nashville's streets and public roads have their history explained in this work, written in a relaxed and entertaining style.<br />
<br />
To be sure, there ARE some faults in this work. For example, there are a number of glaring typo's (i.e., "Inquirer" instead of "ENquirer," and the year that Cheekwood was donated to the State of Tennessee is listed as "1969," when in fact it was "1959"!). And, unfortunately, there are a number of omissions (e.g., West Tyne Boulevard and Nichol Lane; the latter, I believe, was named after my paternal grandfather, who resided in a house at the corner of West Tyne and Belle Meade Boulevards for a number of years), some of which are mentioned in passing in other listings, but are not given listings of their own! In the case of a lesser writer, such mistakes would be considered inexcusable. On the other hand, when one is writing a ground-breaking work such as this, some such miscues are all but inevitable. And not all of Nashville's streets have historical information about them as readily available as others. Hopefully, at some future date, an updated version of this volume can be prepared and published.<br />
<br />
Overall, in spite of the minor flaws I have just detailed, "Nashville Streets & Their Stories" would be an invaluable addition to the library of anyone who calls Nashville home, and is interested in the colorful and eventful history of Music City, USA.<br />
<br />
"Nashville Streets & Their Stories," by Ridley Wills II. (Franklin, Tennessee: Plumbline Media, LLC, 2012.) $18.95 (paperback). ISBN: 978-1-937824-01-3. Available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and at local bookstores and gift shops.Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-34104621773429060322013-05-09T19:16:00.000-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.539-06:00Book Review: "Storm Kings" by Lee SandlinI have been a SKYWARN volunteer storm spotter for the National Weather Service since 2009. As such, I am constantly striving to learn more about severe weather, and especially tornadoes. Until recently, however, I was largely ignorant of the history of severe weather forecasting--not just the academic side, but the human side as well. Although there have been other books that have gone into specific severe weather outbreaks, there have been few if any books that would provide a broad and readable overview of this important subject.<br />
<br />
The recently-released book, "Storm Kings," by Chicago-based author and essayist Lee Sandlin, steps in to fill this gap. From the first recorded severe weather outbreaks of the 1600's to the Joplin, Missouri disaster of 2011, Mr. Sandlin does an excellent job of bringing the human side of severe weather forecasting, and especially tornado forecasting, home to the general reader. Ignoring the temptation to veer off into an abstract study of the complex mathematics and computer models that are so prevalent in today's weather forecasting, Sandlin wisely chooses to emphasize the human, practical side of meteorology.<br />
<br />
Perhaps nowhere in the entire book is this made as clear as in the story of Ernest J. Fawbush and, especially, Robert C. Miller, the team who made the first successful tornado forecast in March of 1948 at Tinker Air Force Base, near Oklahoma City. Another example is that of the late Ted Fujita, of the University of Chicago. None of these men put any real stock in theory, nor in computers, when it came to severe weather forecasting. Yet the work that they carried out has long been considered to be of fundamental importance in providing severe weather information that has helped save countless human lives, prevented innumerable injuries, and reduced or even prevented property damage down through the years.<br />
<br />
By far the saddest part of this book is the repeated exposure of the darker side of human nature which Sandlin furnishes in "Storm Kings." Yet, in order to put the subject matter into proper perspective, Mr. Sandlin frankly, and rightly, exposes the numerous instances of arrogance, infighting, backbiting, and politicking on both sides during the long history of weather forecasting in general, and severe weather forecasting in particular. The display of mutual disdain, arrogance, and outright snobbery between the military and civilian weather services during the time when Messrs. Fawbush and Miller were doing their groundbreaking work is especially disgusting to this reviewer. Yet, in order to fully understand and appreciate their accomplishments, their flaws, as well as their virtues, simply have to be made clear to the reader, and Mr. Sandlin has done just that, without hesitation or apology of any kind.<br />
<br />
Overall, "Storm Kings" should be one of the first books that the prospective storm spotter, or storm chaser, should add to their library. Even those who just want a general understanding of severe weather, and those who deal with it on a daily basis, will find this book well worth the investment.<br />
<br />
"Storm Kings: The Untold History of America's First Tornado Chasers," by Lee Sandlin. (New York: Pantheon Books, 2013.) ISBN: 978-0-307-37852-1. $26.95 hardback. Also available in Kindle and Audible Audio formats from www.amazon.com.<br />
<br />
<br />Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-51092625224595394732013-05-02T10:44:00.000-05:002016-03-04T00:06:52.472-06:00Fritz Borum: An Unsung Pioneer<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
year 2013 marks the 65<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the operational
tornado forecast. It is not so well known, however, that it also
marks the 65<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the first successful
implementation of a large-scale tornado safety plan, particularly at
a government facility. While the two men responsible for the actual
forecast, Robert Miller and Ernest Fawbush, have been justly
celebrated and memorialized for their work, another individual played
a part in this dramatic sequence, which, while much less celebrated,
was just as important in reducing property damage and injuries, and,
especially, saving human lives. The purpose of this article is to
remedy this injustice, and give this individual the acclaim that this
writer feels is his rightful due. His name: Major General Fred
Sydney Borum, better known to his friends as “Fritz” Borum.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
events in question took place at Tinker Air Force Base, not far from
what is now Will Rogers World Airport, near Oklahoma City, in March
of 1948. At 10 P.M. on the evening of March 20, a large, ferocious
tornado funnel began a 7-minute trip across the base, damaging or
destroying some 100 aircraft. One such plane, a B-29 bomber,
weighing in excess of 68 tons, was picked up by the twister and flung
more than 100 yards away. A C-54 was flipped on its back as if it had
been made of paper. Winds speeds on the ground as high as 78 miles
an hour were recorded before the base’s weather instruments broke.
(Local weathermen later projected wind speeds in excess of 100 MPH.)
Heavy hail, torrential rains, and continuous lightning only served to
make matters even worse. Although only 6 persons were reported as
having been injured, Miller (in an unpublished manuscript entitled
“The Unfriendly Sky”) bluntly stated that, “The control tower
personnel were badly cut [by flying glass and debris].”</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">It
was at this point that Fritz Borum came into the picture. A
re</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">spect</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ed
expert in the field of air materi</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">el
management, Borum had been in command of Tinker AFB since July 1945.
He had only recently returned from a 3-month assignment in which he
had organized and supervised the care and mainten</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ance
of the aircraft involved in the Berlin Airlift. He had grown up in
Oklahoma, and was actually more familiar with Oklahoma's violent
weather patterns than Miller and Fawbush, both of whom had been
assigned to Tinker's weather station </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">only
weeks before. An avid amateur weather buff in his own right, Borum
was a radar expert as well. Miller, in fact, stated: “</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">He
was very interested and most knowledgeable when it came to weather.
He was highly proficient in the operation of our local radar and
loved to watch the scope during thunderstorm outbreaks.”</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">With
such a background as this, it was not surprising that, at a formal
inquiry the next day, General Borum thoroughly grilled Miller and
Fawbush as to why they had not in fact forecast a tornado. When he
was told that forecasting tornadoes was impossible, and that the U.S.
Weather Bureau had expressly forbidden even the use of the word
“tornado” in any official weather statement since the 1870's,
Borum all but went up in smoke. He forcefully rejected </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">any
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">and all </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">such
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">notions</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
and specifically directed Miller and Fawbush</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">to begin research into the
subject without delay.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While the two
forecasters were conducting their research, in compliance with the
formal directive of the board of inquiry, Borum got together with his
staff to prepare a Base Tornado Safety Plan to help reduce or
minimize injuries and property damage in the event of any future
tornado or other severe weather outbreaks. Within three days, the
new plan was complete and ready to put into effect.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">As it
turned out, Borum and his staff completed their work none too soon,
for on the morning of March 25</span><sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">th</span></sup><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
Miller and Fawbush reported that developing weather patterns in the
central Oklahoma basin were becoming frighteningly similar to those
that had existed only five days before. Borum immediately went to
the Tinker weather station to discuss the situation with the two men.
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">After looking at the
ima</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ges
on the radar scope, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Borum's
initial response was to direct Miller and Fawbush to issue what today
would be called a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. In conjunction with
this forecast, the initial </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">phases</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of the Base Tornado Safety Plan were implemented. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
General then returned home, asking to be in</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">formed
of</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">further
developments.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Those
developments were not long in coming, for by 2 o'clock in the
afternoon, </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">a squall line had
de</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">veloped,
and became increasingly dangerous and intense. Borum was notified,
and immediately re</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">turned
to the weather station. He spent ten long minutes watching the scope
and discussing the squall line's movement and intensity. Then,
suddenly, Borum shot to his feet, looked the two forecasters in the
eye, and asked, “Are you going to issue a tornado forecast?”</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fawbush<span style="font-weight: normal;">
and Miller, realizing that their careers could well be on the line,
made a desperate attempt to back out. They pointed out that the odds
against a second tornado hitting the base in such a short pe</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">riod
of time were less than 1 in 20 million. Borum, however, was in no
mood to accept such hemming and hawing. His face turning brick red
with anger, his vocabulary liberally seasoned with military
ex</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">pletives,
</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Borum yelled at the top of
his lungs, “ARE WE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER TO</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">R</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">NADO
OR NOT? YES OR NO?”</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Swallowing hard,
the two men took a deep breath and answered, “Yes, sir, we believe
we are.” Borum thereupon ordered them to prepare a tornado
forecast for immediate dissemination throughout the base. As they
began doing so, they timidly pointed that no one had ever prepared a
tornado forecast such as this before. “Fine!” Borum snapped.
“You are about to set a precedent!”</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Realizing
that further </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">arguments would
be worse than useless, Fawbush composed the world's first operational
tornado forecast—what would be called a Tornado Wa</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">tch</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">
today—and handed it over to Miller, who typed it up and took it to
the Base Operations office for immediate distribution. Meanwhile,
Borum got on the phone and directed his staff to put all remaining
phases of the new Tornado Safety Plan into immediate execution.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Despite
its bureaucratic detail, Borum's Tornado Safety Plan can be boiled
down into five basic steps, all of which have long since become
accepted practice in severe weather safety. First, as many planes as
possible were moved into hangars on the Base, the doors and windows
of which were then shut. Secondly, all remaining planes on the Base
were tied down as securely as possible. Third, all loose objects and
equipment were moved indoors and secured. Fourth, all incoming air
traffic was diverted away from the Base until further notice. Fifth,
and most importantly, all personnel were evacuated to basement
shelters </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">and to the lowest
floor interior areas of thick, solid, sturdy buildings.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Shortly after his
shift ended at 4:45 P.M., Miller left and drove home. Both he and
Fawbush felt certain that their careers as weather forecasters were
about to go down the drain. So much so, in fact, that Miller later
wrote that he actually wondered if he could make a living as a
civilian elevator operator!</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As it turned out,
they needn't have worried, for just before 6 P.M., another tornado
formed, striking in almost the exact same place, and following almost
exactly the same path, as its predecessor from five days earlier.
From his back porch, Borum watched what he later described as a
radish-shaped, dirty yellow colored funnel tear through his base like
a gigantic buzz-saw, only to dissipate five minutes later.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">When
all was said and done, the final damage estimate was an additional $6
million </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">on top of the $10
million in damage from 5 days </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">before</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
84 aircraft, primarily B-29's and P-47's, were hit by the twister, 35
of them damaged beyond repair. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hundreds
of yards of steel planking, used as a parking surface for the
aircraft, were ripped off the ground and crumpled. Winds on the
ground at the edge of the storm were measured at approximately 80
miles per hour, accompanied by “moderate” hail.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Despite all of
this carnage, there was, in fact, considerable good news to report.
For one thing, the final damage total was an incredible 40% LESS than
the damage total from only five days previous. Even more important
was the fact that only one minor injury was reported—a stark
testament to the wisdom of General Borum's Tornado Safety Plan, which
had now officially passed its baptism of fire.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As was
characteristic of him, Fritz Borum receded into the background,
allowing Fawbush and Miller to receive the glory they rightly
deserved. To the end of their lives, however, both men, and Miller
especially, repeatedly stated that they felt that Borum should have
received as much credit as they had. After all, they pointed out to
anyone who would listen, it was Borum who had pushed the two men into
making the historic tornado prediction in the first place. Even more
important than that was the fact that it was Borum and his staff who
had devised the Tornado Safety Plan for Tinker Air Force Base, which,
in turn, had produced such a spectacular reduction in property
damage, and, especially, in injuries to base personnel. Thus, Borum
had played just as vital a role in the development of severe weather
safety practices and procedures as Fawbush and Miller had in
developing techniques for predicting severe weather.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fritz Borum
retired from the Air Force in June of 1954, at the age of 62. He
spent his last years as a vice president of Liberty National Bank and
Trust Company in Oklahoma City, and played a major role in the
development of what is now Will Rogers World Airport. He died of
bone cancer on October 25, 1978, in Cocoa Beach, and was buried, with
appropriate honors, at the Florida Memorial Gardens in Cocoa,
Florida.</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-79371320103122240342012-04-05T11:51:00.004-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.588-06:00Animated ScreensaversScreensavers have been around almost from the very beginning of the personal computer era in the early 1980's, and especially since the development of color monitors. You see, very early on in the development of monitor technology, it was discovered that when an image was allowed to remain on the screen unchanged for more than a few minutes, the image began to literally burn itself into the phosphor coating on the inside of the cathode ray tube, or CRT, that formed the screen. This was not only annoying, but, over time, it actually began to damage the CRT, and eventually rendered the monitor unusable. When this happened, the monitor invariably had to be replaced, as it was simply not economical to replace only the CRT.<br /><br />As time went on, software developers came up with ways to work around this problem. One of the simplest ways was simply to insert a program code into the operating system which would cause the image on the screen to be altered in some way after a given length of time had passed. Since this saved the screen from what was known as "image burn-in," such a feature was naturally called a "screen-saver." Eventually, separate screen-saver programs were developed which could be added on, or "plugged in," to the operating system, providing a wide and growing variety of visual images for this important function. Such programs became even more popular as color monitors became both more popular and more sophisticated.<br /><br />With the development of LED and LCD color monitors, which do not rely on an internal phosphor tube coating, the actual need for screensavers diminished to some extent. However, there is still a surprising number and variety of screensavers available for computer owners to use with their monitors. Many PC owners, myself included, actually enjoy watching the screensavers when they are in operation. Many screensavers, in fact, now offer 3D graphics, animation, sound effects, and even music among their features, all of which can, at least to some extent, be set or controlled by the user to suit their needs or preferences.<br /><br />Just recently, I added several screensavers to the more than 1 dozen I already have on my system. I now have at my disposal a wide variety of nature-related scenes, such as gardens, waterfalls, and even an awe-inspiring picture of a tornado! Most of these include animation, sound effects (even bird calls and quacking ducks!), and music! I can switch from one to another simply by using a drop-down menu in the "Control Panel" section of Windows XP Home Edition. (I should also mention that similar technology is available for background screens, also known as "wallpapers.") This allows me to vary the images that show up on my screen, depending on the season of the year, or simply my own mood! Being able to watch such imagery on my computer screen when I take a break from writing or other PC-related tasks is soothing to the spirit, to say the least!<br /><br />By now, you're probably asking, "OK, smart guy, who pays for this stuff, and how?" The simple answer is that they are advertiser-supported. When the initial screensaver is downloaded, the user is asked to choose one or more services to subscribe to, which then occasionally send emails or display an advertisement prior to the screensaver's activation. I have found, however, that in most cases, such ads can be declined or bypassed in some way. I do, however, recommend that the new user subscribe to the screensaver developer's own newsletter, as new screensavers are made available from time to time, which the user may wish to add to their collection.<br /><br />One caveat: This kind of software involves extremely sophisticated graphics, especially if 3D images are generated. It therefore makes significant demands on both the graphics card and the CPU. In many systems, this may cause the system to generate more heat than you might realize. That being the case, the use of fan-control software, such as SpeedFan, is strongly recommended. You may also wish to consider upgrading your PC's cooling capacity.<br /><br />For more information on animated screensavers, go to www.freeze.com, or search on the phrase, "animated screensavers," with your preferred search engine.Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-78064152873199364752010-06-04T14:53:00.004-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.583-06:00From Humble Beginnings--The Genesis of Callaway Gardens<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">There's an old saying that "mighty oaks from little acorns grow." In other words, sometimes a little incident can produce unexpectedly big results. So it was that, just 80 years ago, an incident in the life of a Georgia businessman set in motion a chain of events that would change his life forever. This is the story of that event.<br /><br />In the summer of 1930, Georgia industrialist Cason Callaway, weary of the many business-related telephone calls that were even coming in on Sundays, began the custom of walking around a farm property that was for sale in the area of Pine Mountain, Georgia, some 75 miles south-southwest of Atlanta. The property in question was known as Blue Springs Farm. Like many similar properties in Georgia, its soil had been worn down by years of heavy over-cultivation and over-cropping, especially cotton. Yet, there were nooks and crannies, here and there, where there was still perceptible fertility in the soil. Although Callaway had been described by many of his friends as "a completely practical businessman," there was a strong streak of sensitivity in his character. That sensitivity made its presence known in a variety of ways, especially where his lovely wife, Virginia, was concerned. He was powerfully influenced by her love of nature, and he eagerly sought to share it.<br /><br />On one Sunday in particular, Callaway was wandering around the more remote areas of Blue Springs Farm. Suddenly, he spotted a small valley he had never seen before. His curiosity aroused, he walked deeper into the valley to investigate. He little dreamed that that investigation would alter the entire course of his life.<br /><br />As he reached the far end of the valley, Callaway spotted a small stream, boiling out of the ground at a rate that later tests would disclose to be some 300 gallons a minute. From that point on, on either side of the stream, flowing like the lava from a volcanic eruption, stood wave after wave after wave of the most gorgeously blazing orange-red flowers Callaway had ever beheld. A closer look revealed that all of the plants were of the same variety. He recognized that they were some type of azalea, but they were of a type that Callaway had never seen before. As it turned out, they would be a type of azalea he would never forget.<br /><br />Callaway thereupon snapped off one of the flaming blossoms and took it home to his wife, Virginia, a self-taught and knowledgeable horticulturist. She promptly identified the flower as the plumleaf azalea <span style="font-style: italic;">(Rhododendron prunifolium)</span>. She explained to her husband that this particular variety of azalea was especially noteworthy, not only for its blazing orange-red color, but for its exceptionally late blooming season, which begins in June and, in some cases, extends all the way into early September. She further explained that this particular species was native only to an area within a 100-mile radius of the very area of Pine Mountain where he had found it. (Today, efforts are underway to have this species declared endangered.)<br /><br />Virginia Callaway's explanation somehow struck a responsive chord within her husband. He promptly made arrangements to buy Blue Springs Farm, and began a campaign to nurture and protect this species from extinction. One of his first acts in this campaign was to employ a man to wander into the nooks and crannies, the ridges and valleys, of his newly-acquired property, and gather as many seeds of the plumleaf azalea as he could find. The resulting 20,000 seeds were carefully germinated and then tenderly planted beside the bubbling waters of the Blue Springs, in an area adjacent to the existing plantings. Five years later, to Callaway's great satisfaction, the transplanted seedlings burst into glorious, blazing bloom.<br /><br />These were the first "baby steps" in the chain of events that would culminate in the formation, incorporation, and endowment of one of the premiere vacation resorts in the southeastern United States, appropriately named Callaway Gardens. Along the way, in 1946, the Garden Club of America presented Mr. Callaway with its "Frances K. Hutcherson Award" in recognition of his efforts to preserve and nurture the plumleaf azalea.<br /><br />Today, plumleaf azalea plants are readily available from selected vendors, both online and by mail order. And from June through September, visitors to what is now known as Callaway Gardens Resort can enjoy and admire the extensive plantings of the plumleaf azalea, as well as many other azalea and rhododendron varieties, that form the glorious and colorful backdrop--the foundation--the backbone of the resort that all started from this truly humble beginning.<br /><br />For more information about Callaway Gardens Resort, go to their website at www.callawaygardens.com.</span></span>Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-27774106066731728432010-06-04T14:22:00.002-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.536-06:00Spotlight on Shannon Garst<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Among the age group who grew up in the 1950's and 60's, there are many readers who fondly remember the writings of Shannon Garst. In a career that spanned nearly 4 decades, Mrs. Garst wrote some 38 volumes of the most popular and most respected children's literature of the 20th century, both fiction and non-fiction.<br /><br />Born in Ironwood, Michigan on July 24, 1894, Doris Shannon (her step-father's surname) initially trained to be a school teacher and principal. She married Joseph Garst, an attorney, and settled in Douglas, Wyoming, the county seat of Converse County, Wyoming. Here she continued her teaching career, and began to write. Her first book, "The Story of Wyoming," was published in 1938. Because the publisher did not believe that a Western-themed book for young people written by a woman would be saleable, she adopted the pen name of "Shannon Garst," a name she would use for the rest of her writing career.<br /><br />To both her surprise and the publisher's, "The Story of Wyoming" proved to be so successful that Mrs. Garst soon abandoned her teaching career and turned to writing on a full-time basis. Since she lived in ranch country, and with her background as a school teacher and principal, it was only natural that most if not all of her 38 books were oriented toward what today would be called a "tween" audience--that is, kids (especially boys) between the ages of 10 and 13--and that, especially during that era, cowboys and Native Americans would play a major role in most of those books.<br /><br />In addition to juvenile Western fiction, however, Mrs. Garst authored a number of biographies of well-known figures of her time, including Will Rogers, Amelia Earhart, Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Daniel Boone, and Wild Bill Hickok. Her last book, published in 1965, was a biography of Hans Christian Andersen. In addition, Mrs. Garst co-authored 3 books with her son, Warren Garst, who for many years was closely associated with the beloved TV series, "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom."<br /><br />After the death of her husband, Joseph, in 1965, Mrs. Garst, now in her 70's, retired from writing. She lived very quietly in her adopted home town of Douglas, Wyoming, until her death in 1981. The Children's Reading Room of the Converse County, Wyoming Public Library is named in her memory.<br /><br />Sadly, with the changing tastes of later years, juvenile Western fiction has largely gone out of style, and the works of Mrs. Garst and other authors of her time and genre have been largely forgotten, and have been allowed to go out of print. Indeed, many libraries, due to space and budget constraints, have withdrawn Mrs. Garst's works from their collections, selling their copies in order to make room and raise much-needed funds for newer books. More's the pity, in my opinion, for Mrs. Garst's books, even today, can still hold the reader's interest. One major reason for this is that character growth and development on the part of the characters in the stories involved is an integral part of the story lines in most if not all of Mrs. Garst's books, in a way that is sadly lacking in many tween-oriented books that are currently available.<br /><br />Among the best-known of Mrs. Garst's books are "Cowboy Boots" (1946), "Silver Spurs for Cowboy Boots" (1949), "Rusty at Ram's Horn Ranch" (1951), and "Ten Gallon Hat" (1953). All of these, and many if not most of Mrs. Garst's other works can often be found on eBay, Amazon, and such used book websites as Alibris, at extremely reasonable prices.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">UPDATE: Since I originally posted this entry in 2010, a number of Mrs. Garst's best-known books have been reprinted (presumably under license from the original publishers), and are available on eBay (and possibly through other websites as well). Unfortunately, these new editions do NOT include reproductions of the original dust jackets--possibly due to licensing and/or copyright issues, especially since the dust jackets were created by a number of different illustrators. Also, the prices of these reprints are substantially higher than one might expect, even given the rate of inflation since the books in question were originally published. Also, since Mrs. Garst is no longer as well-known an author as she once was, the demand for her works is considerably less than it was during the mid-20th century, when Western-related juvenile fiction was in its heyday. This in turn virtually eliminates the economy of scale which helped keep the prices of these books low. Given all of that, however, it is still heartening to see at some of Mrs. Garst's works coming back into circulation, especially for use in homeschooling situations, which still place a high value on character development.</span></span>Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-37217186649385961362009-11-09T14:35:00.002-06:002016-03-04T00:09:36.546-06:00Computer-less--AGAIN!!The last time I posted in this blog, I had just received a used Gateway 450 ROG laptop, after the IBM ThinkPad I had been using was stolen. Although the Gateway generally performed well--and running Windows 7 Release Candidate 1, no less!--I soon began to experience problems, first with the battery (which I had expected in view of the laptop's age), and then with the power terminal which the laptop's AC adapter plugged into in the back of the unit.<br /><br />The problem has now worsened to the point that the laptop has become flat-out unusable. I have therefore been compelled to attempt to sell the unit, and am now confined to using computers at the Nashville State Community College library, the Fairview Public Library, and, on occasion, at the Vanderbilt University Central Library.<br /><br />Thankfully, I was able to transfer all of my data files to an external hard drive before the laptop failed altogether. Unfortunately, since I have now been unemployed for some six months, I have no way of obtaining another computer on my own. I will have to wait until I can get another job to progress any further as far as building a "living room" PC is concerned. Until then, I will be writing in this blog on other topics, including (but not limited to) severe weather safety, sourdough baking, and--believe it or not!--Western clothing and fashion, especially vintage-style Western clothing. STAY TUNED!!Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-67709728481896732852009-08-14T16:34:00.002-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.575-06:00A New Laptop--and back to Windows 7At the end of July, through an unusual series of circumstances, the IBM Thinkpad laptop I had been given by a friend in my church over a year before was stolen from the student lounge in the Kisber Memorial Library Building at Nashville State Community College. My copy of PrintMusic 2007, which was in the bag I had been using to carry the laptop, was also stolen. To say the least, I felt as though I had been violated! Naturally, I reported the theft to school security, but I have yet to hear anything from them.<br /><br />Through the generosity of my former employer's son and daughter, I have now been given a new laptop (as before, new to me!). It's a Gateway 450ROG, with a Pentium 4 CPU @ 1.7 Ghz., 512 MB of RAM, a 20 GB hard drive--AND internal Wi-Fi! Thanks to the higher clock speed of the CPU, I was able to resume using Windows 7 RC1 as my operating system, at least for the next year. Due to the comparatively small size of the internal hard drive, however, I cannot, at this time, use a dual-boot setup with any distro of Linux. Hopefully, I will be able to swap out the current primary hard drive for a much larger one at some point in the future. In the meantime, I will use portable external hard drives for additional storage.<br /><br />Also, I am currently exploring the use of music notation software OTHER than PrintMusic, due primarily to the latter's annoying habit of requiring the program to be "re-authorized" after ANY change is made in the contents of the hard drive on which it is installed--even after defragging! While I understand the concern of Coda Technology (PrintMusic's publisher) as to software piracy and the like, nevertheless I find this "solution" to be unacceptable--even paranoid! If the company does not find some other means of resolving this concern, in my opinion, they will be cutting their own corporate throats in the long term, as sooner or later customers will become too fed up with such draconian measures to put up with them any longer. Hopefully, I will be able to find an alternative music notation package that will not insist on such a paranoid approach to software security. Whether that package will run under Windows or Linux remains to be seen. Stay tuned!Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-36454099867562559852009-07-20T14:24:00.003-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.544-06:00Back to Linux and the LaptopAfter my previous tower system failed due to heat-related issues, I was fortunate enough to be able to transplant the innards of the system into a new (new to me, at least!) and larger case, with multiple fans and far better airflow. When, in November, I swapped out the power supply for a new one with dual fans, the remainder of the system came right back to life--that is, until mid-March of this year, when I again experienced heat-related system failure. At this point, I am unsure whether it was the power supply, the motherboard and CPU, or both. Thus, I am once more using the IBM ThinkPad A20m laptop.<br /><br />About that time, the beta testing program for the upcoming Windows 7 began. Having already downloaded and burned a copy of the initial beta version, I tried it out on the ThinkPad for a time, only to discover that its Pentium III CPU, operating at a clock speed of 700 Mhz., simply was not quite fast enough to handle the load. Consequently, I have switched back to Linux, in a rather unusual combination: After initially installing Xubuntu, a Linux distribution designed specifically for older systems, I have added on the Ubuntu Studio desktop, a package of multiple audio-visual programs. I have also added on the Wine (Windows Emulator) package, and have installed Finale's PrintMusic 2007 for Windows, which I had purchased more than a year before. Unfortunately, I found it necessary to install this package due to the fact that it has several capabilities that Ubuntu Studio's notation programs do not--at least, not yet!<br /><br />Chief among these is the capability of importing sheet music that has been scanned into the computer in a series of TIFF files. I had already bought a used HP ScanJet 4100c flatbed scanner on eBay right about the time I purchased the PrintMusic package. The problem is that, at least right now, my scanner, which I am reasonably sure is in good condition, simply refuses to work with X-Sane, Ubuntu Linux's built-in scanning package. I am attempting to resolve this mess, so that I can scan several works onto my laptop's hard drive, then use PrintMusic to arrange them, and finally use Denemo and LilyPond to secure the finest quality printed result possible, usng an Apollo P-2500u inkjet printer.<br /><br />As for my tower system, I have now decided that I will need to replace the motherboard, RAM, and CPU. To reduce the heat load on the system, I will need to switch to at least a dual-core CPU. This in turn will almost certainly require a new motherboard and new RAM. While I will be keeping up with such packages on eBay and the TigerDirect websites, any specific action will have to wait until I get another job, for I quit my job at McDonalds of Fairview in mid-May of this year due to extreme job stress. While I am looking for work, I will be making new entries on this blog much more frequently than I have in the past, and on a variety of subjects. So, dear reader, STAY TUNED!Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-4217224712747246652008-08-07T21:03:00.002-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.550-06:00A Tribute to Pete SmithWhen I was growing up, one of my favorite television programs was the occasional showing of a batch of theatrical short films known as "Pete Smith Specialties." Filmed during the 1930's, 40's, and early 50's, they covered a wide variety of topics, including several of what may well have been the world's first cooking videos. Usually, these films were of a decidedly humorous nature, to the point of making me howl out loud with laughter. Some, however, were of a more serious tone, such as his story of Louis Pasteur's development of immunization, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and amateur radio. Even these, however, invariably contained that special touch of sly, dry wit that was Pete Smith's hallmark throughout his career. In all, over 300 of these films were produced and distributed to movie theaters throughout the United States over a 25-year period. Two of these, "Penny Wisdom" and "Quicker'N A Wink," won Academy Awards for Best Short Subject of 1937 and 1940, respectively.<br />
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In addition to producing and narrating these delightful cinematic gems, Pete Smith was for many years the head of publicity and advertising for MGM, where the films were made. Upon his retirement in 1954, he was awarded a special honorary Oscar in recognition of his unique contribution to American filmmaking.<br />
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Sadly, his post-retirement years were not kind to Mr. Smith, who had to be hospitalized more and more frequently. Finally, depressed and despondent over his failing health, Pete Smith committed suicide on January 12, 1979, by jumping out of his 9th-floor hospital room window. He was 86 years old.<br />
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Even more sadly, however, despite their widespread popularity both in theaters and on television, Warner Home Video (which apparently now owns them) has steadfastly refused to make the Pete Smith Specialties collection available to home video audiences, either on videocassette or DVD. Occasionally, however, the Turner Classic Movies cable broadcasts one or two in between other motion pictures, or in a special presentation, such as their "Marathon of Shorts". Also, a few of them are included in DVD collections of other films, such as those of Esther Williams.<br />
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Recently, I was surprised and delighted to find four Pete Smith Specialties on YouTube, of all places! The four shorts in question are "Menu," Radio Hams," "Penny Wisdom," and "Fisticuffs". I was glad indeed to be able to see them, to laugh at them, to enjoy them again. How I wish that somebody at Warner Home Video would have the brains--and the guts!--to make the entire collection available on DVD. I think they would be VERY pleasantly surprised at how popular they would once more prove to be! Warner Home Video, are you listening?Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-61720918132639326122008-08-05T20:57:00.002-05:002016-03-04T00:09:36.569-06:00Starting OverShortly after I posted my last blog entry in November 2007, a series of heat-related problems began to occur with ever-growing frequency. The root cause of the problem lay in the fact that the case I have used for my desktop PC since 2003 is, by current standards, too small to permit sufficient airflow to cool the system properly. Also, there were not enough openings for case fans to create the necessary airflow. The situation became even worse when I upgraded my system from 1 GB of RAM to 2 GB, consisting of 4 SDIMM units of 512 MB each. Although I applied aluminum heat spreaders to each one, the heat problem grew steadily worse, even when I left one side of the case completely open.<br /><br />Matters finally came to a head in mid-June of 2008. I shut the computer down in order to go pick up and deposit my paycheck. When I returned, to my dismay and chagrin, the computer refused to start up! It would begin the power-up sequence, then abruptly shut down after about five seconds. At this point, I realized that, for all intents and purposes, my PC was dead as a doornail, and that I would have to build a new one almost entirely from scratch.<br /><br />In assessing what I would need for such a new system, I determined that the SATA hard drive, the sound card, and the TV tuner card were all savalgeable, and I could safely use them in the new system. That would, however, still require a new case, power supply, motherboard, RAM, and a new video card. An online search revealed that a so-called "barebones kit" would most likely be the most cost-efficient approach. Due to an upcoming out-of-state trip, however, I would have to wait at least until November, and the beginning of the holiday season (and the numerous sales and specials hat would become available during that time) before I could even begin to contemplate such a purchase.<br /><br />In the meantime, I still needed a PC to use in my apartment, as the computer facilities at my local public library are often in heavy use, especially by students. Thankfully, a very generous friend in my church was kind enough to allow me the use of a used IBM ThinkPad A20m laptop, complete with a wi-fi card, until I could get a new desktop unit built. Even so, I have had to upgrade the memory, and install a new hard drive and a DVD-ROM drive, as well as a complete re-installation of Windows and Linux, to get this new system to where I could really use it.<br /><br />As of right now, "my" laptop is configured as follows:<br /><br /> IBM ThinkPad A20m with Pentium III CPU @ 700 Mhz<br /> 512 MB of RAM (the maximum amount the system will hold)<br /> 120 GB hard drive<br /> NetGear wireless card<br /> Windows XP Home Edition, upgraded to Service Pack 3<br /> Xubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron), operating in a "dual-boot" setup with Windows XP<br /> DVD-ROM drive, which can be "swapped out" with the original CD-ROM drive if need be<br /> An extra battery<br /> Cooling pad containing 2 fans and a 4-port USB hub<br /> Two USB external hard drives (one is 80 GB PATA-133, the other is 120 GB SATA-300),<br /> which are primarily intended for home use and for backups<br /><br />Future upgrades will be confined to a possible DVD burner drive (to replace the current DVD-ROM drive), possibly equipped with LightScribe capability (if the budget permits!), plus an upgraded version of InterVideo's WinDVD package. (I am currently using an OEM edition of WinDVD version 5, which is limited to strictly 2-channel sound; I may upgrade to the Platinum Edition of WinDVD version 6, which includes full Dolby Headphone surround support. Due to hardware constraints, it would be pointless to upgrade to any later version of this package, since the CPU's clock speed would not meet the package's hardware requirements.)<br /><br />Despite the setbacks I have suffered along the way, I am still hoping to have a full home theater/media center desktop PC in operation by the end of 2008, or by early 2009. (I should note that, in place of Linux MCE, I will most likely be using the "Mythbuntu" Linux distribution (again as a "dual-boot" setup with either Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Media Center 2005) as the primary operating system. This is due to the fact that Linux MCE does not allow the end user to check for updates or add software manually, a restriction I cannot accept. Also, Linux MCE is designed more as a "whole-house" setup than a simple, "one-PC" system such as I am having to use (especially since I live in an apartment), and is therefore "overkill" in my situation.) Anyhow, stay tuned for further developments!Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-74132443673683878262007-11-30T08:35:00.000-06:002016-03-04T00:09:36.577-06:00Decisions, Decisions!Since I posted my first entry in this blog, I've had occasion to re-think my plans as far as the hard drives on my system are concerned. It now appears that going with a fresh installation of Windows XP Home Edition, followed by installing Kubuntu 7.10 and Linux MCE 7.10, on my new SATA hard drive (which is due to arrive either tomorrow or Monday, December 3rd) makes the most sense. Then, too, I would still have the two old drives available for backup purposes.<br /><br />The one major potential fly in the ointment, so to speak, will be porting over all of my old data files from my current primary hard drive to the new hard drive. While Windows XP does have a built-in facility to assist in this process, the fact that I have a dual-boot setup on my current system could pose a problem. It may, in fact, still be necessary for me to remove open SUSE 10.2 from my current system before I proceed with this step. This, in turn, would require that I use the "fixmbr" command to return the Master Boot Record in my Windows partition to its original state, a prospect that, to say the least, makes me nervous! Still, I may have no alternative to this procedure, unless I copy the data files over manually, which would take considerably longer.<br /><br />Some readers of this blog may be wondering why I don't simply chuck Windows XP altogether, and simply go with a Linux MCE-only system. The answer is that there are several Windows applications which I am currently using for which I have yet to find a suitable substitute. Chief among these is Finale MusicPrint, a subset of the well-known Finale music notation program package. Because the church of which I am a member has chosen Finale as their preferred music notation software, and since I have several projects in mind for use by my church, it is necessary that I use Finale or one of its derivatives (MusicPrint in this case), which, of course, requires Windows XP. I am aware of the NoteEdit and Rosegarden packages for Linux, and have looked them both over. However, neither one of them has the specific features that I need for the kind of music arranging and writing I am working on, particularly with regard to organ scores. I may, however, see about using the Lily Pond package under Linux for typesetting purposes, since it is supposed to be able to accept Finale music files as input. I will need to go over Lily Pond's documentation to be certain on this point.<br /><br />One other minor irritation at this point in time lies in the fact that the wheel in my optical scrolling mouse appears to have failed within the last few days. This will probably require me to buy a new mouse at some point in time. Unfortunately, the make and model of mouse I am now using is apparently no longer being manufactured. This, in turn, means that I will need to scour the Internet in an attempt to find a suitable replacement. With all the makes and models of computer mice now on the market, this will be a daunting task, especially with all the holiday specials and sales now underway. The amount of money involved probably will not be all that great, but the investment of time required, and the resulting aggravation, is quite another story! Still, it looks like I may have no other choice; this kind of research is basic to putting together ANY kind of computer system, no matter what the computer is to be used for.<br /><br />In the meantime, since I am expecting my new DVD burner to be arriving any day now, I will also be checking on the Internet to see if I can download an "advance copy," so to speak, of the owner's manual for this particular drive. Hopefully, that document will have information as to what brands of blank CD and DVD media they recommend. I also hope that this new drive will not be as picky in this regard as my current drive is when it comes to writing DVDs!<br /><br />The next few days are liable to be busy ones, as my new drives arrive, and I begin the actual process of installation of both hardware and software. Stay tuned!Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153042137569777303.post-83124408229398839862007-11-27T21:03:00.000-06:002016-03-04T00:09:36.591-06:00My Linux MCE system--The BeginningGreetings! One of the purposes of this blog will be to document the development of my PC into a full-fledged "poor man's" Media Center or Home Theater PC. Right now, my setup is as follows:<br /> Generic mid-tower case<br /> Ultra X-Finity 600-watt power supply<br /> Gateway "Midway 2 PE" (Intel d865-GRH) motherboard<br /> Intel Pentium 4 2.3 Ghz. CPU<br /> 1 GB of DDR400 (Corsair) Value Select RAM (2 x 512 MB)<br /> GeForce 5200 video card (Nvidia) (AGP)<br /> 1-120 GB ATA/133 hard drive<br /> 1-80 GB ATA/133 hard drive<br /> Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 sound card<br /> ATI TV Wonder Pro TV tuner card<br /> LG GSA-4163B DVD/CD-ROM burner<br /> Westell WireSpeed DSL modem, operating in Ethernet mode<br /> ISP: BellSouth DSL Extreme 3.0 (the highest speed DSL my phone line will accommodate)<br /> OS: Dual-boot system using either Windows XP Home Edition with SP2 or openSUSE Linux version 10.2<br /><br />I am currently in the final stages of planning a major upgrade/conversion to this setup. For one thing, I plan to switch my hard drive setup to a single, 400 GB SATA-150 hard drive. This will not only increase my total storage capacity, but my overall system speed as well. This will be especially important in terms of video playback and recording, particularly with regard to DVD and VHS playback. I have several VHS tapes that I wish to transcribe to DVD, but right now, my hard drives are simply too slow to permit this. Upgrading to a SATA hard drive will, I hope, help to solve this problem.<br /><br />I am also preparing to upgrade to an ASUS LightScribe 18x DVD burner. This will help me in terms of labeling any CDs or DVDs I produce. Also, hopefully, the ASUS unit will be less "picky" as to the brands of blank media it will work with successfully, especially blank DVDs.<br /><br />Later on, I will be upgrading from 1 GB to 2 GB of DDR 400 RAM. That, however, will depend on financial constraints. Later on, I may also add another SATA hard drive, depending on my finances, and on how the system as a whole operates.<br /><br />The most important change, however, will be the removal of open SUSE Linux from my system, and the installation Linux MCE 07.10, which is due to be released within the next few days. (As readers may know, Linux MCE is an add-on to the Kubuntu distribution of Linux. For technical reasons, the version numbers of Kubuntu and Linux MCE must be the same in order for the installation to succeed.) This, in turn, will require me to remove open SUSE from my hard drive altogether, which I have never had to do before with a dual-boot setup such as I have. I am naturally somewhat nervous about this, and am checking to find out how best to proceed. My primary concern, as you might expect, is to prevent my Windows XP partition from harm, as I have a number of files there which I do not wish to lose, and I do not currently have a backup procedure in place that I can afford. I may, in fact, simply install Windows XP Home and Linux MCE on my new hard drives once it arrives, then copy my existing Windows data files onto it, keeping my two old drives as a backup system. Kludgey, I know, but that may be the only way that will work, given my circumstances. I will wait until my new hard drive arrives before making a final decision; by that time, I should have enough expert advice to guide me safely.<br /><br />In days to come, I will be exploring other interests on this blog, but for now, I will center primarily on developing what I call a "poor man's MCE PC". Stay tuned!Diapasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14865742753013513685noreply@blogger.com0