Having volunteered for a major event yesterday, I will say only this ( Read more... )

A slow afternoon meant I got the HF radio out and set it up for a short time.
It turned out to be a shorter time than planned.
( Click to read the hamspeak... )

It works. It actually works.

What works?

Science. ( For those not afraid of hamspeak, read on... )

I'm choosing to write about commonplaces tonight. My political rants are good for decompression, but I'm starting to feel like they're taking over. If there's any sort of good fortune coming my way, November will come and go and I can be happy with the result, and then forget about politics for another couple of years ( Read more... )

Next time there's a "work day" scheduled for the EmComm group, make sure that there will be more than two people showing up (including myself) before committing to show up. Some things DID get done, but nowhere near what NEEDED to get done ( Read more... )

I can't remember if I've used that line before, and I'm too lazy to look. Deal with it ( Read more... )

Wednesdays are falling into a pattern for me...meet with the District Emergency Coordinator for the county, along with the city Emergency Coordinator (my own title is Assistant Emergency Coordinator...yay?), swing by the Office of Emergency Services and talk to the Emergency Planning Specialist for a bit, then go to one of the ARES served agencies ( Read more... )

I swear, if I have to spend too many more days sitting in front of my laptop and searching for gainful employment, I'm going to wind up looking like my icon for this post...just nowhere near as cool ( Read more... )

Equipment bag: check.
Camera: check.
Folding chair: check.
Water: check.
Sunscreen: check.
Bug-Be-Gone: check.
Pens, required forms, and other bureaucratic logistical supplies: check.
Radios: check.
Phone: check.

Off we go. I'm working the Sea Otter Classic this weekend. Communications volunteer. Free lunches and a t-shirt ( Read more... )

With the right combination of free software, a few electronic components, and some information that can be obtained from the IntarWeb, I can turn my laptop into a full-fledged dispatch console, complete with tone-alert system ( Read more... )