2011

Posted on January 31, 2011 by George Burgyan

This is a quick post and we’re finally through the Germany pile!

I’m posting from the iPad at the moment waiting for a flight, so it’s a bit more cumbersome to paste in images.

DL0VP QSL Card

And in a welcome respite we enter the Philippines!

DF8QX		Germany		4/23/1980	15	SSB
DJ1DW		Germany		1/17/1970	10	SSB
DJ1NY		Germany		3/1/1959	10	?
DJ2LB/A		Germany		9/22/1970	15	?
DJ3GW		Germany	DJ3GW-1	10/4/1958	10	CW
DJ3GW		Germany	DJ3GW-2	10/4/1958	10	CW
DJ3LJ		Germany		2/7/1971	10	SSB
DJ3LM		Germany		3/23/1981	10	SSB
DJ3VW		Germany		11/1/1958	10	AM
DJ4PT		Germany		9/20/1969	20	CW
DJ4VM		Germany		12/6/1967	20	SSB
DJ4XQ		Germany		10/15/1970	10	SSB
DJ5AAA		Germany		1/24/1960	10	Fone
DJ9DX		Germany		2/19/1981	15	SSB
DK5FJ		Germany	DK5FJ-2	2/16/1972	15	SSB
DL0VP		Germany		12/21/1971	10	SSB
DL2JO		Germany		1/29/1970	15	SSB
DL-11052		Germany		9/9/1967	20	SSB	SWL
DU1EJ		Philippines		9/15/1973	20	SSB
WB5LBJ/DU6		USA		3/16/1979	15	SSB

Overall though it’s another fun stack!

California Meeting Bound

Posted on January 31, 2011 by George Burgyan

I’m sitting here in CLE waiting for my flight to San Francisco via Chicago O’Hare. I’m hoping to miss all the weather excitement that’s been forecast for Cleveland. As a bonus the Bay Area has been having unseasonably warm weather!

Another thing I’m trying is to use the iPad as the primary way for me to communicate with the world. I had the Asus EeePC as a backup, but I’m going to try to rely on this for all my personal stuff. (Yes, I also have my el-crappy work laptop in tow as well.)

This’ll be the real test for how well the ZAGG/mate will work out. I can tell you right now that typing on it is substantially faster than with the virtual keyboard. Another great advantage is that I get to use the screen on portrait mode and have the normal keyboard. (The virtual keyboard in portrait mode is next to useless to any serious typing)

I got to say that just having the ambient connectivity is amazing!

Another fun diversion that I’m bringing along is the ICOM IC-92AD handheld transceiver. Let’s see if I can hit a repeater out there… maybe even a D-Star one! Does anyone know of any nets that happen out there? (I’ll be in Foster City to be specific)

When I land in ORD I think I’ll put in the order for the ham gear. I’ve been putting it off for the least minute for no good reason, but I think I’m running out of minutes to do anything at this point.

Location:Snow Rd,Brook Park,United States

Chili cookoff – Reflections & Pictures

Posted on January 30, 2011 by George Burgyan

I’m sure you know we didn’t win anything this year. I honestly think we had the best chili there with our Hungarian Pörkölt. It wasn’t the normal Texas-style chili that people are used to so I’m guessing that the judges weren’t used to it.

Even though we didn’t win, it was still a lot of fun to cook up the giant batch of the chili. We also had all of it get eaten too, which says a lot. We had people coming back for seconds and thirds and fourths so we’re happy that we had a fan club going!

Congrats to Rick’s for winning for the second straight year — though I have to say I still think ours was better.

View photos at SmugMug

I just wish I had a stove like the Armory has… that would be super-awesome!

We was robbed

Posted on January 29, 2011 by George Burgyan

The judges palates must be defective I tell ya.

We still have maybe 10 servings left if you come down.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Chili tomorrow!

Posted on January 28, 2011 by George Burgyan

It’s on the burner in the garage!

A whole bunch of it!

It tastes right!

Come and get it tomorrow starting at 5!

Awesome!

Beer!

Music!

Exclamation marks!

Yaaay!

Where’s the beef? My garage, of course!

Posted on January 27, 2011 by George Burgyan

Getting ready for the chili cook-off. The big piece (30#) is a chuck primal and the smaller piece on top (10#) is an eye of round. Between the two we have a large chunk of a beef critter.

BTW: You’re all invited!

The beef is staying in our walk-in fridge (also known as the garage), and the 20 pounds of onions and everything else is inside.

The chili, or rather pörkölt, is like a meat concentrate!

Ok, so the beef isn’t too appetizing in its current state… but give it time.

Desolation

Posted on January 26, 2011 by George Burgyan

Simple post of what was… what might’ve been…

(BTW: the original is huge)

There’s only one more person on contract that’s left to leave in the next month. The rest of the folks are either longer-term contracts or QuinStreet folks. All of us are huddled in the front part of the building. The rest of our side is all shut down.

View photos at SmugMug

Why? I just decided to take my big camera to work to take some pictures. Pretty simple reason.

After I took the pictures I shut the lights out to save on power.

The emptiness is creepy. Postapocalyptic.

Auction problem completely resolved!

Posted on January 25, 2011 by George Burgyan

Well, I wrote about this almost a month ago. I had a problem with an auction I won where I never got what I purchased.

A approached the seller with the problem. He didn’t have a tracking number or anything proving he sent anything. He put the box of brass in the mail on December 10th and I wrote about it two and a half weeks later.

He graciously sent another box and that arrived as expected.

Yesterday I got a card in the mail that I had a package at the Solon post office.

Sure enough the much belated box was there postmarked 12/10. The excuse the guy behind the counter gave was that it was mis-delivered and the recipient brought it back last week. WTF? Would you sit with an unopened 25 pound box waiting to do anything with it? I’m convinced that the post office just misplaced it.

The box was packed in another box with a bunch of cling-wrap. The inner box was completely fine and still sealed. Why the overwrap I can’t say. The address was correct and the inner box was unopened.

Of course I’m not going to rip the guy off. As soon as I got it I sent come more $$ to the guy I bought it from.

I’ve never had such odd handling by the post office. Strange.

Now I have more .40 S&W than I know what to do with. I’m guessing I have around 11,000 cases ready to go. (!)

View photos at SmugMug

W8DFL QSL Cards – 1/24/2011

Posted on January 24, 2011 by George Burgyan

Here’s another batch!

Today’s is another all German set of cards. There are a lot of German hams out there it seems! The most interesting one is the SWL card from DM9786/F:

It seems boring, but this is the first of the Short Wave Listener QSL cards. It’s just Bernd listening to Vic talk to someone else. I guess he got a QSL card in return!

My favorite of the bunch:

I just love the animals in it… though I can’t imagine a vet working on a frog. But maybe one as cute as that one! And who can resist the the puking piglet! Ummm… Yeah. I love the card though!

View photos at SmugMug

By the numbers:

DL6EN		Germany		2/7/1959	10	CW
DL6QH		Germany		3/6/1971	10	SSB
DL4PW		Germany		2/28/1960	10	AM
DL4LS	W4WNY	Germany		10/20/1958	10	CW
DL4CB		Germany		9/12/1970	15	SSB
DL4CV		Germany		2/24/1960	10	Fone
DL4GV	K0GWW	Germany		4/27/1958	10	CW
DL8JL		Germany		2/5/1972	15	CW/AM
DL2WM		Germany		3/22/1968	20	SSB
DK3HT		Germany		4/24/1971	15	SSB
DL1IB		Germany		10/4/1958	10	Fone
DM2AYK		Germany		3/21/1972	15	CW
DJ8RR		Germany		5/5/1972	15	SSB
DK3CU		Germany		3/22/1971	15	SSB
DK3BL		Germany		4/15/1970	15	AM
DK2BL		Germany		4/4/1970	10	CW
DJ9KU		Germany		3/6/1971	15	SSB
DJ7KT		Germany		3/14/1970	15	SSB
DK3XQ		Germany		4/2/1974	20	SSB
DM9786/F	DM9786-F	Germany		10/17/1979	10	SSB	SWL

Things every person should know

Posted on January 23, 2011 by George Burgyan

Here’s my list of things you should be able to do to get by in life. (I’m ignoring things that are overly easy like tying one’s shoes)

House

Fix a faucet
Change the innards of a toilet
Swap an electrical outlet
Fix a garbage disposal

Safety

Tie real square knot
Throw a proper punch
Build a fire
Shoot a gun

Automotive

Drive a manual transmission car
How to check (and fill) the oil in your car
Check and air up your tires
Mount your spare tire/wheel
Drive in slick conditions

Practical

Ride a bike
Grow a garden
Change a diaper
Dealing with children
Do your own taxes
Tie a tie
Have proper manners at the table
Sew
Care and feeding of animals

Personal

Kiss
Seduce/be seduced
Confidently talk the desired gender
Cook a four course meal
Tipping
Punctuality
Mix a cocktail from scratch (no pre-made mix)
Make some type of art

There’s my recipe for success. Some are simple and mundane, some are deeper. Some, like fixing a garbage disposal are on there since people seem to be intimidated by it, but it’s almost painfully easy to do.

I guess the equation goes something like this:

Score = Ease * Perceived difficultly * Frequency * Payoff (or cost)

The garbage disposal would save an expensive call to a plumber, as would the faucet and toilet. The electrical socket is also ease when you get over the heebee-jeebees that people have around electrons.

Why know how to shoot a gun? Even if you don’t have one and have no intention of every getting one you might as some point find yourself holding one. Knowing how to use one safely could save you or someone you love. If you get creeped out by guns then you should especially figure out how they work. Guns, when handled properly, are safe. Based on the equation, the payoff is huge: you might not die.

I think this’ll be good fodder for some future posts.

So, looking to the wisdom of the masses, what do you think? What did I miss? What do I have that’s not on yours?

BTW: I can’t say I know all of them… but I’m trying.

Continue reading →

Vec Blog

George's observations

Monthly Archives: January 2011

W8DFL WSL Cards – 1/31/2011

California Meeting Bound

Chili cookoff – Reflections & Pictures

We was robbed

Chili tomorrow!

Where’s the beef? My garage, of course!

Desolation

Auction problem completely resolved!

W8DFL QSL Cards – 1/24/2011

Things every person should know

House

Safety

Automotive

Practical

Personal