Please Note: The Net is operating on the Danvers Repeater, at 145.470-, (PL of 136.5). We thank the North Shore Radio Association (NSRA), for the use of its repeater during the time when the W1GLO repeater is being upgraded.

Wednesday, March 27nd: Topics with KC1HHK: Eclipse !!! Where Will You Be?

The Solar Eclipse

On April 8, 2024 the moon will slip between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow across a swath of North America: a total solar eclipse.

By cosmic coincidence, the moon and the sun appear roughly the same size in the sky. When the moon blocks the glare of the sun, the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, will be briefly visible.

Below are several maps of the eclipse’s path as well as images of what you might experience during the event.

Where Can I See the Total Eclipse?

The eclipse will begin at sunrise over the Pacific Ocean, then cut through Mexico and cross the United States from Texas to Maine. Most of North America will see a partial eclipse, but viewers within the deepest shadow — a band sliding from Mazatlán, Mexico, to the Newfoundland coast near Gander, Canada — will experience a total solar eclipse.

Viewers inside the path of the total eclipse may notice a drop in temperature, a lull or shift in the wind, the appearance of bright planets in the sky, and the quieting of birds and other wildlife.

Many cities lie inside the path of the total eclipse, the width of which varies from 108 miles to 122 miles.

If the sky is clear, viewers in the path of the total eclipse should see a “diamond ring” effect a few seconds before and after the total eclipse, as the edge of the sun slips in and out of view.

The sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, is normally hidden by the sun’s glare. These tendrils and sheets of gas, heated to a million degrees Fahrenheit or more, are in constant motion and shaped by the sun’s swirling magnetic field.

The sun is relatively active this year and is nearing the expected peak of its 11-year solar cycle. Researchers at Predictive Science are using data about the sun’s magnetic field to predict and model a dramatic corona for the April eclipse.

What If I Miss It?

The next two total solar eclipses in the United States won’t occur until 2044 and 2045. But eclipse chasers might catch one in 2026 in Greenland, Iceland and Spain; 2027 along the coast of Northern Africa; 2028 in Australia and New Zealand; or 2030 across Southern Africa and Australia.

Net Questions

Are you planning on witnessing this event?

How does this event affect ham radio operations?

Friday, March 22nd: Topics with KC1SOO: Let's Talk About Pets!

Do you have any Pets at home?

Who here has a furry (or feathery, or scaly!) friend at home? Lets' talk about your past or present Pets. Are they a cuddly companion, a playful adventurer, or a regal observer? Share a funny story, (if you have one!), or anything else that makes your pet special.

For those without pets right now, what kind of animal would you see yourself having as a Pet?

The history of dogs as companions is a long and fascinating one, stretching back thousands of years. Here are some key points to get the discussion started:

Ancient Alliance: Dogs were likely the first animals domesticated by humans, with estimates ranging from 12,000 to 34,000 years ago. This early relationship likely began with a practical purpose – wolves scavenging leftovers near human settlements, eventually leading to a mutually beneficial partnership.

From Work to Woof: While initially valued for hunting, herding, and guarding, evidence suggests an emotional connection formed early on. Burials with dogs from 12,000 years ago hint at a deeper bond.

Deified Dogs: Many cultures revered dogs, with deities like the Egyptian Anubis and the Mayan Xolotl associated with them. These figures often served as guides or protectors in the afterlife.

Evolving Roles: As societies changed, so did the role of dogs. Romans kept small dogs for companionship, while other cultures continued to utilize them for working tasks.

Modern Mutts: Selective breeding over centuries resulted in the vast array of dog breeds we see today. From loyal Labradors to feisty Chihuahuas, dogs continue to fulfill a variety of roles, but their core function as companions remains strong.

Wednesday, March 20th: Topics with KC1HHK: Are Alarm Clocks Essential? Smell Parkinson's?

“The Clock that Caused a Near-Riot”

It was July 31, 1942, when the unthinkable happened at Westclox – clock production ceased! According to Tick Talk Magazine, August 1942, “On July 31 we made our last Westclox until – only god knows! After more than 57 years of making clocks and watches to serve and bring happiness to the peoples of the world, our facilities and energies are now devoted to turning out the tools of war.” There was no ceremony, no bands played, but it was a big day for the company and workers. What they did was to say “so long” to their regular work for a while. It wasn’t really a sad day. In fact, the event kind of sparked a new resolve in the employees. Kind of a roll-up-your-sleeves, spit-on-your-hands, and get-to-work elation. The headline on the Tick Talk article said it all, “Hitler Will Pay Through the Nose for This And We Don’t Mean Maybe!”

Move ahead to 1943. Westclox was under the control of the War Production Board. Less than six months after the last clock rolled off the lines, “someone”, “somewhere” determined there was a shortage of alarm clocks in the country/world. So, the W.P.B. requested that Westclox come up with a reliable clock, which could be produced following the board’s strict specifications.

In the April 1943 issue of Tick Talk Magazine, Westclox made the following announcement: “Westclox is now making plans to produce a Waralarm, a conservative model alarm clock, the production of which was requested a short time ago by the War Production board. “In this model, the W.P.B. specifies the use of but 7 pounds of brass for every 1,000 clocks, whereas in normal production we use 300 pounds for every 1,000 clocks. We have found suitable substitutes for the restricted metals. “Despite the difficulties, we believe the clock is pleasing in appearance, and will be readily acceptable by the buying public. “It has a case of molded wood fiber (cardboard), which is lacquered. It stands 5 5/8 inches high, and is 5 ¼ inches wide, with a large easy to read dial. It has a bell alarm, but plans call for the eventual use of a buzzer.

The clock was produced. Following even more W.P.B. restrictions, the Westclox name did not appear on the clock, only the name Waralarm and the notation at the bottom of the dial, Made in LaSalle, ILL USA. The price tag was printed (or possibly applied as a decal) on the back of the clock. The Office of Price Administration (O.P.A.) determined the price - $1.65 each. The W.P.B. determined how many clocks could be shipped and where they could be shipped to.

Now flash ahead to March 21, 1944. The local newspaper, The Daily Post-Tribune, carried an “alarming” story in the center of its front page! The headline read “Near-Riot Caused in Chicago Sale of Westclox Waralarms”, and the article began by asking “Are alarm clocks essential?”

The story went on to explain that on Monday March 20, 1944, a Chicago store had advertised that it had 1,500 Westclox Warlarms for sale, “while they last”. “The result – Monday morning three women fainted, several clerks were trampled, and four showcase windows were shattered before police untangled a jam of 2,500 women and a few stout-hearted men who converged on the store.”

It seems the store didn’t open until noon, but most of the customers were already on hand by 8:30 a.m. (Sounds a little bit like our modern-day “Black Friday” sales!) Within an hour after the store opened, police had to be called to rescue customers who had already made their purchases.

“More than a dozen women – and a few men – changed their minds about making purchases when they were caught in the surge toward the corner of the store where the sale was held, and some were pulled over the counters by sympathetic clerks. “The three women who fainted were rescued by clerks and given first-aid treatment. Small children, whose mothers were imbedded in the mass of humanity, also gave clerks plenty to do. “Purchases were made sight-unseen, and customers didn’t ask questions. One man said he was purchasing a clock for a brother who lives 400 miles from Chicago. “With difficulty, police roped off a section so that those having clocks could “escape” while surrounding departments had to be shut down temporarily until the clocks were sold.” On second thought, my initial observation of this event seeming “a little bit” like a Black Friday sale was wrong. It was a lot like Black Friday! Apparently, alarm clocks were essential to these people.

I haven’t found figures on exactly how many of these Warlarms were made, but we are proud to have two very fine (nearly mint condition) examples in the museum, one of which still bears its original price tag on the back. None of us here at the museum has opened one of these clocks to examine the movement – mainly because we don’t want to risk damaging that “molded wood fiber” case.

If you’re still wondering why people would be so anxious to buy one of these clocks, remember – Westclox’ Big Ben was the most popular and reliable clock around, and it was not being made now, and would not be made until after the war. Westclox published monthly ads in The Saturday Evening Post Magazine encouraging support for the war effort and asking for the public’s patience – assuring them that their favorite clocks would be available again as soon as the war was won. Copies of these ads are also on display in the museum. Now you know something else you very likely did not know about Westclox.

- Wetclox Museum archives

Does Parkinson’s Have a Signature Scent?

For most of her life, Joy Milne had a superpower that she was totally oblivious to. She simply had no idea she possessed an utterly amazing, slightly terrifying biological gift that scientists would itch to study.

In fact, Joy probably would have stayed oblivious if it hadn't been for her husband, Les Milne.

The two met in high school. Les was a 17-year-old swimmer and Joy was 16, a new transfer. She remembers dancing with him at a party and being struck by his wonderful smell. "He had a lovely male musk smell. He really did," she recalls.

Everything about Les appealed to Joy. He was very thoughtful and generally quiet but had a wicked sense of humor.

After college, they got married and set off on happily ever after. Les became a doctor, Joy became a nurse, and they had three boys. Joy says that as a couple they were so easy together — they rarely fought: "We disagreed about things now and again, but we didn't fight, fight."

Life with "her Les," as she calls him, was everything Joy had hoped

But then one day, about 10 years into the marriage, when Les was 31, he came home, and strangely, Joy says, he smelled different. "His lovely male musk smell had got this overpowering sort of nasty yeast smell," she says.

At first Joy thought it must be something from the hospital where he worked and told him to shower, but that didn't help, and over the weeks and months that followed the smell just seemed to grow stronger.

So Joy started nagging: "[I] kept saying to him ... 'Look, you know, you're not washing enough.' "

But the smell wouldn't yield, and eventually Les got mad whenever Joy told him to shower. He couldn't smell it, he grumbled, and neither could anyone else. "He just would stomp off in a huff and say, 'Oh, stop going on about that!' I had to just let it go and put up with it," she recalls.

Unfortunately, as the years peeled on, Joy began to feel that it wasn't just her husband's smell that was changing.

"It was his personality, his character. He began to change. He was moodier. He wasn't as tolerant," she says.

They fought more and more. So many of the qualities Joy valued in her husband — his thoughtfulness, his patience, his quiet dignity — began to bleed away until eventually, by his early 40s, she began to see Les as a totally different person.

And then one night Joy woke up to her husband attacking her.

"He was sort of screaming and shaking me and you know, but he was totally oblivious of it," she says.

Les was clearly having a nightmare, but after the attack Joy put her foot down. She was worried Les had a brain tumor — they needed to seek medical attention. She remembers sitting next to Les in a sterile office as the doctor delivered his diagnosis: Her 45-year-old husband had Parkinson's disease.

The discovery: an unusual sense of smell

Joy says that over the next 20 years she and Les tried to make the best of things, but it was difficult: the loss of movement, the loss of work, the slow narrowing of their world. Still, they struggled through. Then about seven years ago, they decided to attend a support group for people suffering from Parkinson's.

"We were late. ... A lot of people were there. And I walked into the room and I thought, 'SMELL!' " she says.

Joy realized that the other people in the room had the same greasy, musty smell that Les had — the smell that Joy had first noticed when Les was just 31. "And then I realized for some people it smelled stronger and for other people it didn't smell so strong," she says.

Could it be, Joy wondered, that Parkinson's has a smell?

As they drove home from the meeting, Joy kept puzzling it over in her head, and by the time they arrived, she'd decided she would tell her husband.

The experiment

Kunath asked one group of people who had Parkinson's and another group of people who didn't have Parkinson's to take home white T-shirts, wear them overnight and then return them.

Then Kunath gave the T-shirts to Joy to smell. "They were all given randomized numbers and put in a box, and then she was asked to take each one out and give it a score," he says.

"And she was incredibly accurate," Kunath says.

It was incontrovertible: Joy not only could smell Parkinson's but could smell it even in the absence of its typical medical presentation.

Kunath and fellow scientists published their work in ACS Central Science in March 20, 2019, listing Joy as a co-author. Their research identified certain specific compounds that may contribute to the smell that Joy noticed on her husband and other Parkinson's patients.

Working toward a diagnostic

Joy and her super smelling abilities have opened up a whole new realm of research.

That's the ultimate goal, Kunath says: to develop a new tool to detect Parkinson's early. "We really want to know what is behind this and what are the molecules. And then can the molecules be used as some sort of diagnostic test?"

Joy's smell test for Parkinson's is "interesting but not definitive," Doty adds. More studies would lend it more certainty, and he says, "I think it's still up in the air."

But Joy's superpower is so unusual that researchers all over the world have started working with her and have discovered that she can identify several kinds of illnesses — tuberculosis, Alzheimer's disease, cancer and diabetes.

Sharing their story — for science

Net Discussion

Do you need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning if you are not “sleeping in”?
What do you think about smelling a disease?

Friday, March 15th: Topics with KC1SOO: Saint Patrick's Day

What are you plans for St. Patrick's Day?

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit. 'the Day of the Festival of Patrick'), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. 385 – c. 461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and, by extension, celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilithe, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks.[9] Christians who belong to liturgical denominations also attend church services[8][10] and historically the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol were lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption.

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland,the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (for provincial government employees), and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated in the United Kingdom,Canada, Brazil, United States, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, especially amongst Irish diaspora. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. Modern celebrations have been greatly influenced by those of the Irish diaspora, particularly those that developed in North America. However, there has been criticism of Saint Patrick's Day celebrations for having become too commercialised and for fostering negative stereotypes of the Irish people.

Wikipedia

Wednesday, March 13th: Topics with KC1HHK: Gold & Encyclopedia Britannica

March 13, 2008 - Gold prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange hit $1,000.00 an ounce for the first time. Today the price is $2,160.50

Gold prices vary daily. Today it is $2,160.50 per ounce. Gold is mostly traded on the OTC London market, the US futures market (COMEX) and the Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE). The standard future contract is 100 troy ounces. Gold is an attractive investment during periods of political and economic uncertainty. Half of the gold consumption in the world is in jewelry, 40% in investments, and 10% in industry. The biggest producers of gold are China, Australia, United States, South Africa, Russia, Peru and Indonesia. The biggest consumers of gold jewelry are India, China, United States, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Russia and UAE.

If you're considering investing in gold, then you may ask yourself why is gold valuable? Understanding why gold is valuable is of course important to forecasting how much it could be worth in the future.

Ultimately, gold is valuable because throughout human existence people have been willing to accept it in exchange for something else. Supply and demand is a human constant, and gold is no exception. As a species we have always considered gold valuable and that remains the same to this day, but for even more reasons. Consequently, governments, banks, and individuals have used the noble metal as a store of wealth and a means of exchange for millennia.

The initial value of gold is dependent on its physical properties, and scarcity. For thousands of years these physical properties have been exploited for jewelry and coins, and this ancient legacy has given the yellow metal a unique place in human psychology. Its density feels incredible when held in the hand, the luster, the fact it is soft and can be easily shaped, and the fact it doesn't corrode over time. All of these properties made gold valuable to early civilizations.

In the past two centuries however, we have discovered a huge range of additional uses for gold in a number of industries, and this has served to only make gold even more valuable.

Historically, gold’s physical properties made it the ideal metal for use as currency. It is non-reactive, portable, non-toxic and fairly rare. It is abundant enough to create coins, but scarce enough that not everyone can find it and make their own gold coins. Gold’s unique properties also mean it cannot be manufactured or counterfeited; nothing compares to the real thing.

From ancient times, until the end of the Gold Standard in 1971, gold has in some form provided a basis for international trade. After this, the value of currencies became established purely by their relationships to each other; international trade is now conducted in fiat currencies, and are unrelated to the gold price. Despite this, national central banks and other large financial institutions hold many metric tons of gold reserves as a physical store of wealth.

2012 - Encyclopaedia Britannica announces that it will no longer publish printed versions of its encyclopaedia

The Encyclopædia Britannica (Latin for 'British Encyclopædia') is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The encyclopaedia is maintained by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 contributors. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, which spans 32 volumes and 32,640 pages, was the last printed edition. Since 2016, it has been published exclusively as an online encyclopaedia.

Printed for 244 years, the Britannica was the longest-running in-print encyclopaedia in the English language. It was first published between 1768 and 1771 in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, as three volumes. The encyclopaedia grew: the second edition was 10 volumes, and by its fourth edition (1801–1810) it had expanded to 20 volumes. Its rising stature as a scholarly work helped recruit eminent contributors, and the 9th (1875–1889) and 11th editions (1911) are landmark encyclopaedias for scholarship and literary style. Starting with the 11th edition and following its acquisition by an American firm, the Britannica shortened and simplified articles to broaden its appeal to the North American market.

In 1933, Britannica became the first encyclopaedia to adopt "continuous revision", in which the encyclopaedia is continually reprinted, with every article updated on a schedule. In the 21st century, the Britannica has suffered due to competition with the online peer produced encyclopaedia Wikipedia, although the Britannica was previously suffering from competition with the digital multimedia encyclopaedia Microsoft Encarta.

On March 13, 2012, it announced it would no longer publish printed editions and would focus instead on the online version.

Net Discussion:

Do you own any gold?

The Britannica, did your family own a set of encyclopedias?

Wednesday, March 6th: Topics with KC1SOO: Windows VS Mac OS

Windows VS Mac OS

Whose side are you on?

Windows 1.0, the first independent version of Microsoft Windows, version 1.0, released on November 20, 1985, achieved little popularity.

In 1984, Apple debuted the operating system that is now known as the "Classic" Mac OS with its release of the original Macintosh System Software. The system, rebranded "Mac OS" in 1997, was pre-installed on every Macintosh

Net Topic Questions:

Team Windows or Team Mac? Why do you prefer one over the other?

Friday, March 1st: Topics with KC1SOO: Salem Witch Trials

Witchcraft!

Leap Year!!

February 29th (1692)

Perhaps the most notorious case of mass hysteria in colonial America, the Salem witch trials saw around 200 people accused of witchcraft, with 19 found guilty and executed. Another man was crushed to death for refusing to plead, while five others died in jail.

The incident began in February 1692 when a group of young girls claimed to have been possessed by the devil and accused other women of being witches. Hysteria spread through colonial Massachusetts and a special court was convened to hear trials of those accused.

By September public opinion turned against the trials and they eventually closed early in 1693. The cases became notorious and were interpreted by later generations as a warning sign against the dangers of religious fanaticism, isolation and lapses in due process. In 1711 the convictions of twenty-two people were reversed by the courts and their families were given monetary compensation.

1692-02-29 First people are accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts - Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba, a West Indian slave

1692-03-01 Sarah Goode, Sarah Osborne, & Tituba arrested for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts

1692-04-22 Edward Bishop is jailed for proposing flogging as a cure for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts

1692-06-10 The first victim of the Salem witch trials, Bridget Bishop, is hanged for witchcraft in the colony of Massachusetts

1692-07-19 5 more people are hanged for witchcraft (19 in all) in Salem, Massachusetts

1692-08-19 Five more people hanged for witchcraft (19 in all) in Salem, Massachusetts

1692-09-22 Last people hanged for witchcraft (8) in the US, 19 hanged overall, with six other deaths during Salem witch trials

1692-10-29 Court of Oyer and Terminer, convened for Salem witch trials, dissolved

1992-05-09 Salem Village Witchcraft Victims' Memorial dedicated in Danvers (formally Salem Village) to mark 300 year anniversary of trials

Information from Wikipedia & Onthisday.com

Net topic Questions:

Have you visited Salem, Massachusetts? Are you interested in any of Salem's history?