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| Finally! and Nostalgia |
| 10.30.03 (10:27 pm) [edit] |
I finally got some good news. My agent said the seller finally signed the final document that he was holding. That means the settlement date should be scheduled soon.I understand why the guy held off, but I kept hoping he would see the error in his ways. I have been trying to contact a satellite dealer on the Big Island to see if I shoulf bring my C-Band receiver out there. C-Band is what we call a "BUD" (Big Ugly Dish) :-) I like the big dishes, but many people like the convenience of the small pizza-pan-sized dishes. At least *I* get free channels and I don't have to count audio channels as TV channels. I can see live news feeds (as they happen) and all sorts of other stuff that you have no idea is out there. I used to watch weekly TV shows when they were sent down to the TV stations and didn't have to wait until the regularly scheduled time slot to watch. Star Trek used to come down days before everyone else saw it, etc. Once I was scanning channels and came upon a great show about life about the time of the Vietnam War. It had nicely developed characters and a nice nostalgic feel to it. The soundtrack was also great. When I asked at work, noone knew of the show. A few days later someone came to me and said they had just seen the show I was talking about. It seems that I had been one of the first people not in the industry to have seen The Wonder Years! I also got to see the final episode of Newhart, etc. It really is fun to see this stuff before everyone else does. Many years before that, I worked for a company named Microdyne, building satellite TV receivers for the cable TV industry. At the time, there was a new movie service called HBO. They signed off at midnight or so, after the movie. If you switched channels to the west coast feed, you could see the movie again. Now I have become quite familiar with that time shifting, having had my own satellite dishes ever since that time. Of course, when I want to get nostalgic, I just turn on the radio. Almost any kind of music brings back memories. I used to be a DJ and our small kentucky station catered to all sorts of listeners. We used to blend Country, Easy Listening and Rock all together. I say I was a Disk Jockey, but in reality, I was an Air Personality. I blended my "unique" humor and view on life and interweaved music. I must admit that I went throught he same stages as many radio and TV people did. You start your first show, scared to death. Friends call in and some listeners begin telling you that they thing you are doing a great job and that you are "the greatest". In reality, I think many of those people are buttering you up for free tickets and prizes :-) Soon, you begin to believe all the comments and get egotistical. Then you start thinking that you are great and the station is lucky to have you. I never quite got to that point, but many do. It appears that I can be annoying whether I'm on the air or not :-) |
| The REST of the Story... |
| 10.30.03 (12:41 pm) [edit] |
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In trying to determine if I want to take my satellite receiver and dish to Hawaii, I happened upon www.Telesat.Com they mention the Anik A1 satellite as being the 1st commercial domestic satellite put into geostationary orbit. I am familiar with that bird! As Paul Harvey says "Here is the REST of the story..." In 1972 I was an aspiring Ham Radio Operator. I did not yet have my license as I remember, but was involved in the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club (Montgomery County Maryland). Our club also operated a 2 meter repeater which allowed Hams to drive around or use a handheld walkie-talkie with a touch tone pad on it, to make phone calls. These handhelds were quite similar to the cell phones of today. Members of our club had jobs in such places as Microdyne (made satellite receivers), COMAST (a communications satellite company) and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). We even had a famous newsman and various radio announcers, etc who were all Hams. As part of our public service, we would set up and demo Ham communications at events and even supplied radio support to the Cherry Blossom Parade and MDA Bikeathons, etc. One day we decided to set up a display at a Boy Scout Jamboree at the fairgrounds, to show repeater communications. We could transmit via radio to our stationary equipment located downtown and bring up a dialtone, thus showing that we had instant communications and contact ability in emergencies. A club member from COMSAT said he could do that one better. He was testing a new satellite to be used for communications in the Northern areas like Canada and the satellite was empty. After a quick authorization from the company, we set up our demo. As scouts came forward we demonstrated the normal phone calls locally, then I dialed the COMSAT number I had been given. The scouts eyes opened wide... I was on a small transceiver, talking to a larger system in a building downtown, had brought up a phone line remotely and dialed a phone number north of me. The audio from that phone was patched into an uplink to the Anik A1 satellite, where it was looped back on a downlink channel back to COMSAT. The audio was put back into the phone, sent to that base station and directed back to me via radio. As I said "HELLO" and let go of the microphone button, the scouts soon heard my delayed "HELLO" come back down the tens of thousands of miles back to me, a few seconds later! It was more impressive when they realized that we were able to set this up in just an hour and beside being able to hear myself, anyone within the footprint of the satellite would also be able to hear me! While this was a great feat, my Uncle had his signals go further many years earlier. He was a Ham on Oahu and performed "moonbounce" whereby you transmit a signal towards the moon and have it bounce back to earth. It is not efficient, but that satellite requires no prior authorization :-) Although he said he was just in the right place at the right time, he also was able to send radio signals to the mainland from Oahu on frequencies not expected to go that far. His newspaper back home started the story with: "If Hawaii is ever linked to the mainland by radio or television, it may well be due to the work done by Ralph Thomas (KH6UK)." As a young kid I was told Uncle Ralph lived in Hawaii and was a Ham Radio Operator. Uncle Ralph was one of the Hams who provided Howard Hughes with weather forecasts on Howards around the world flight. I too am a Ham and now will be making Hawaii my home. I fly alot (in the BACK of planes) and also listen to the weather reports... well, we don't have to necessarily follow EXACTLY in others footsteps, do we? :-) |
| Goodbye Old Friends |
| 10.23.03 (8:46 pm) [edit] |
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Tomorrow marks the last flight of the Concorde, the plane able to cross the Atlantic in the blink of an eye. Flying at speeds up to 1350 mph over the last 27 years, it truely was a marvel. When the reality of faster than sound flights was realized many years before, people were worried of the unknown. No one knew if the shattering of the sound barrier would burst people eardrums or cause weather problems, or what. Soon we would find the answer. Soon, traveling faster than sound would be commonplace. When I lived in Maryland, I had an opportunity to visit the University of Maryland and see a man who had a vision. That vision was that men and women would soon be living and working in space. He dreamed of space flight, but alas it was not to be until some of his ashes were sent up in a rocket, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base. As you probably know, among other shows, Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek. The space ship was named Enterprise. While cleaning out some boxes in the garage today, I came upon a Washington DC newpaper I saved. On page one is a photo of the Shuttle Enterprise circling the Beltway on the back of a 747. The date, Nov. 18, 1985. The Enterprise was being ferried from the Kennedy Space Center to Dulles Airport, Washington, D.C., and became the property of the Smithsonian Institution. The Enterprise was built as a test vehicle and was not equipped for space flight, thus it "hitched" a ride. Thousands of people had stopped their cars along the Beltway to watch that sight. I however, was driving my old '85 Camaro along a runway at Dulles airport just a few miles away. I was one of the lucky people to view the combined landing on an alternate runway. As I ran to catch a photo I noticed a perfect shot and took it. Here was the 1st shuttle named "Enterprise" landing on a runway on top of a 747 and there in the background, I was just able to catch a third plane, a Concorde taking off in the distance. Three great planes in one shot! On April 12, 1981, the Space Shuttle Columbia became the first shuttle to orbit the Earth. I was present at that launch and at the third. It truely was an amazing sight. Soon thereafter, Challenger was launched an on a fateful day in January 1986, Challenger came abruptly to earth with all hands lost. One member of that crew was Ellison S. Onizuka was born June 24, 1946, in Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii. Kealakekua is next to Captain Cook, my new home. Ellison and the rest of the shuttle crews dared to challenge space in a fragile ship; just as ancient Hawaiians challenged the unknown seas in small and fragile outriggers. We are all looking, searching for something, daring the unknown. We challenge nature. We temp fate. We explore. In the process we say goodbye to our fears. Sometimes we say goodbye to our friends. |
| Been there, done that |
| 10.21.03 (11:49 pm) [edit] |
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Because I am here on the mainland for only 4 more weeks, I have to be careful what I buy. I don't want to purchase a whole pound of sugar because even I can't eat that much in a month. Thus, when I visit a fat food place, I also grab a few sugars and salts. One day I was out of sugar and wanted a cup of coffe in the morning. I was buying a hamburger and noticed they had the sugar behind the counter. As I got the dinner I asked for a few sugars too. The guy behind the counter look at the screen and noted I ordered meat and asked, "sugar?". As he handed me the sugars I put the in the bag and said "It makes it crunchier that way" as I turned. I can imagine the look on his face! In a previous blog I mentioned how cheap things can be in Hawaii. At my local Georgia store I saw the awlful price they were charging for coconuts, pineapples, mangoes and papayas. Much as I like them, I passed. I looked through the coffee section but only found Kona blends (10% Kona, 90% other stuff). No one carries 100% Kona in this area. Hmmm, perhaps a business opportunity? As I was checking out I noticed a familiar bag by the checkout stand. It was a bag of chocolate covered macadamia nuts. Here I am 1/4 way around the world and notice a product from a company not 2 miles from my new home! I approached my car and a gentleman passing by me looked up in the sky and noted a particularly beautiful sunset. "Isn't that beautiful?" he asked. I agreed but thought, "just like we get at home in Hawaii about every night". I came home and worked on my coffee label and think I have a good paste-up copy. I showed my neighbor and she really liked it. I had it taped to a coffee bag and put roasted beans in the bag to see what it looked like. I felt a shiver. This really IS getting close to a business! As soon as I get approval for the artwork, I'll post a picture of the label. |
| Better late than never |
| 10.21.03 (11:32 pm) [edit] |
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Regular readers here may have noted a lack of blogs for a few weeks. It was by design. Because of circumstances outside my control, I still have no close date on my farm, but I had already booked my one-way first class ticket on Delta. I had 3 choices of what to do and decided to move to Hawaii and then book a one month "vacation" back to Atlanta 2 weeks later. I won't bore you with the details of the flight, but it was great. I arrived in Kona rested and ready to start a new life and career! I had a large todo list and was able to complete most of the items. I bought the drivers handbook, studied and passed the written test. Even though my Georgia drivers license was valid for 1 more year, I wanted to be a resident. I also registered to vote. A quick trip to the post office allowed me to work out a slight problem with the box they gave me, and without them looking, told me I had mail already! Granted it is a small post office, but still... I went by the farm and did a lot closer inspection. I also took some photos and they are at http://itskona.com/farm/house... Sorry you can't easily go from one to the next. I'll work on that when I get time. The farm has acres of macadamia nut trees on it, but they have not been cared for, watered or fertilized lately and are not in great shape. After looking over the land, I decided where I'll plant the coffee. It is a shame to rip out most of the trees, but it has to be done. I'll try to save some as I like the feel and smell of the "forest" there. I also noticed that the area is very very quiet. In the middle of the day all I could hear was the wind swaying some of the trees, a few birds and the distant tinkling of a wind chime. Having met a neighbor, I found that the area is quiet like this most of the time. I have few close neighbors and there are farms on either side of me. To my surprise, I have a better view of the Pacific than I had remembered. By cutting down or thinning a few trees at the makai (ocean) side of the property, I will have an excellent view, as you can see in the 1st photo. I visited my real estate agents farm and watched them pick his coffee and pulp it. Pulping is removing the outer covering of the cherry so the bean is removed. I was initially worried that by myself, I would have quite a difficult time pulping 2 acres of coffee. Now I have seen how easy it is. My agent was able to pulp 2200 pounds of coffee cherry in about two and a half hours! I have decided to plant a full 5 acres of coffee on the farm and feel confident I can do it myself. I went to a couple of coffee roasters and discussed how I need to prepare for my roasting. Although some farmers roast their own beans, I will leave that up to the experts. It is like being a great programmer but not knowing how the hardware works. Although I know both computer hardware AND software, it doesn't help me with my roasting :-) I tested my internet phone from the hotel room and it worked quite well from there. That is, as long as I am not using WinMX in the background to download files. I helped fix a number of computer problems out there and removed one virus for a system. You know someone needs help when they offer you dinner and the conversation starts out with "I have this computer problem..." :-) Hey, at least it makes me feel wanted and I am glad to help. :D I looked in many stores at the prices and found that with only a couple exceptions on items, that COSTCO, Home Depot and Wal-Mart all charge mainland prices for things! The old adage that it is expensive to live in Hawaii is wrong. Yes, there ARE places there that are expensive and certainly visiting there can cost you if you eat in the hotel restaurants every night, but still, it doesn't have to be expensive. One expensive thing I found were gasoline ($2.30 a gallon in Kona but $2.03 at COSTCO). Still, where are we going to drive to? To some people that $2.03 a gallon is not very expensive, but here in georgis it is about a dollar cheaper! Another thing that is expensive are frozen foods it appears. I assume that because they have to ship them frozen they jack the price up. A $2.50 dinner in georgia costs $4.25 there. Perhaps I can find cheaper, but didn't look. Milk is not very expensive and neither was beer; however, bread was $1.75 to $3.00 a loaf in the one grocery I went to. Perhaps other places like COSTCO would be better. I hear that the day-old bread store has great prices. I checked water prices and found that water was $4.00 a thousand gallon for residental or $2.00 a thousand for agricultural. That "AG" rate is the same as my Georgia residential rate, so on the farm I will pay the same water rate as I did in Georgia for my home. In Georgia we paid $3.50 a thousand for sewage but in Hawaii I have no sewer fee so all in all for the same water useage I will pay one third the rate in Hawaii as I did in Georgia. I forget the electric rate on the island, but without needing to use it for heat or cooling, I save even more! I also believe that they do not test autos for emissions on the islands; at least I don't see it on the webpage anywhere. If so, perhaps because the car emissions pale in comparison to the output of gasses from the volcano! Luckily the wind blows them away :) I think I convinced myself to have someone else create my business webpage for me. I have so much to do that I have no time to devote to it. I have to learn to offload some of the work to others. I'm supposed to be retired in paradise! Anyway, as you can see, it was a full two weeks out there and I amazed myself with how much I accomplished. I even found time to browse the internet, chat on the phone with friends and generally goof off. I also had a couple hours by the pool, but am careful to limit solar reception at the beginning. Although I don't recommend it, I was able to check out of the hotel, get gas, take the rental car back, take the shuttle bus the the terminal, stand in two lines and have my bags inspected for agricultural items, go through the TSA screening, the xray machine and get onto the plane, all in less than 60 minutes!!!!! Too bad I left town a week before the Ironman race. I might just have been able to win that too! Until NEXT time...! |