Wednesday October 30th Topics with KC1HHK: John Adams and The Perfect Storm

John Adams is born

On October 30, 1735, John Adams, the son of a farmer and a descendant of Plymouth Rock pilgrims, is born in Braintree, Massachusetts. He enrolled in Harvard University at 16 and went on to teach school and study law before becoming America’s second president.

Adams did not fight in the Revolutionary War but was instrumental in crafting the foundation of the American government.

· In 1776, he anonymously published Thoughts on Government, which proposed the three-tiered system upon which the United States government is modeled: a bicameral legislature, independent judiciary and strong executive.

· In 1783, Adams brokered the peace treaty with Britain that ended the American Revolution.

Fellow founding father Thomas Jefferson once referred to Adams as “the colossus of independence.” The two men developed a deep friendship during the Revolutionary era and both served in George Washington’s first cabinet–Adams as vice president and Jefferson as secretary of state.

Adams, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and James Madison articulated the basis of the Federalist policy— featuring above all a strong centralized government and favoring an economy based on manufacturing–that dominated the Washington and Adams presidencies. Jefferson, a Republican, favored stronger states’ rights and a primarily agricultural economy. Following Washington’s retirement in 1796, Jefferson and Adams ran against each other for the presidency. Adams won and, due to a procedure that gave the next highest vote-getter the vice-presidency, Jefferson became his adversary’s vice president. In personality as well as politics, the obstinate and hot-tempered Adams clashed with the genteel, diplomatic Thomas Jefferson and the two grew increasingly alienated during Adams’ presidency.

As president, Adams lobbied for and signed the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, which many observers, including Jefferson, feared would give Adams despotic powers. In Jefferson’s opinion, the acts threatened to compromise the constitutional right to free speech and severely limited the definition of citizenship. In the election of 1800, Jefferson again ran against Adams and, under the guise of a pseudonym or using ghost writers, published vicious denouncements of Adams’ policies and character in the press. Jefferson won and though Adams retired to Quincy, Massachusetts, to write his memoirs, the bitterness between the two former friends endured.

Throughout his political career, Adams was steadfastly supported—and sometimes challenged–by his wife, Abigail. The couple’s correspondence, which has been preserved, thoroughly catalogued and published, provides insight into their private lives and early American culture. When Abigail learned that Jefferson was behind the newspaper attacks against her husband, she too felt betrayed. Nevertheless, it was she who initiated contact between the sworn political enemies when she wrote a letter of condolence to Jefferson upon the death of his daughter in 1812. After that, Adams and Jefferson resumed their long-halted correspondence and repaired their friendship.

Adams lived to see his son, John Quincy Adams, become president in 1825. A year later, he and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day, July 4, 1826, only hours apart.

John Adams, the second president of the United States, had many accomplishments, including:

A leader for independence

Adams was a leading advocate for American independence from Great Britain. He was a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses and helped draft the Declaration of Independence. He also proposed George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.

A diplomat

Adams served as a diplomat to France and Holland and was the first United States Ambassador to Great Britain. He also helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

A constitutional writer

Adams wrote the Massachusetts State Constitution in 1779.

A vice president

Adams served as the first Vice President of the United States under George Washington from 1789 to 1797.

A president

Adams was elected as the second president of the United States and served from 1797 to 1801. He lost his re-election bid to Thomas Jefferson and retired to private life.

A supporter of the Alien and Sedition Acts

Adams supported the Alien and Sedition Acts, which gave the government the power to deport

The Perfect Storm

On October 30, 1991, the so-called “perfect storm” intensifies in the North Atlantic, producing remarkably large waves along the New England and Canadian coasts. Over the next several days, the storm spread its fury over the ocean off the coast of Canada. The fishing boat Andrea Gail and its six-member crew were lost in the storm. The disaster spawned the bestselling book The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and a blockbuster Hollywood movie of the same name.

On October 27, Hurricane Grace formed near Bermuda and moved toward the coast of the southeastern United States. Two days later, Grace continued to move north, where it encountered a massive low pressure system moving south from Canada. The clash of systems over the Atlantic Ocean caused 40-to-80-foot waves on October 30—unconfirmed reports put the waves at more than 100 feet in some locations. This massive surf caused extensive coastal flooding, particularly in Massachusetts; damage was also sustained as far south as Jamaica and as far north as Newfoundland.

The storm continued to churn in the Atlantic on October 31; it was nicknamed the “Halloween storm.” It came ashore on November 2 along the Nova Scotia coast, then, as it moved northeast over the Gulf Stream waters, it made a highly unusual transition into a hurricane. The National Hurricane Center made the decision not to name the storm for fear it would alarm and confuse local residents. It was only the eighth hurricane not given a name since the naming of hurricanes began in 1950.

Meanwhile, as the storm developed, the crew of the 70-foot fishing boat Andrea Gail was fishing for swordfish in the Grand Banks of the North Atlantic. Andrea Gail was last heard from on October 28. When the boat did not return to port on November 1 as scheduled, rescue teams were sent out.

The week-long search for the Andrea Gail and a possible cause of its demise were documented in Junger’s book, which became a national bestseller. Neither Andrea Gail nor its crew—David Sullivan and Robert Shatford of Gloucester, Mass.; William Tyne, Dale Murphy and Michael Moran of Bradenton Beach, Fla.; and Alfred Pierre of New York City—was ever found.

Net Discussion Questions

Were you aware of the important contributions Adams made to our early country?
Have you visited the Adams National Historic Site in Quincy?

What can you share about the events surrounding the “Perfect Storm”?
Were any of the crew members known to you or your families?

Friday October 25th Topics with KC1SOO: 40 Hour Work Week

October 24, 1940

The history of the 40-hour work week

Believe it or not, the makings of the 40-hour work week started in the 19th century. Below is a timeline of the key dates that led to the work standards we’re familiar with today.

1817: After the Industrial Revolution, activists, and labor union groups advocated for better working conditions. People were working 80 to 100-hour weeks during this time.
1866: The National Labor Union, comprised of skilled and unskilled workers, farmers, and reformers, asked Congress to pass a law mandating the eight-hour workday. While the law wasn’t passed, it increased public support for the change.
1869: President Ulysses S. Grant issued a proclamation to guarantee eight-hour workdays for government employees. Grant's decision encouraged private-sector workers to push for the same rights.
1886: The Illinois Legislature passed a law mandating eight-hour workdays. Many employers refused to cooperate, which led to a massive worker strike in Chicago, where there was a bomb that killed at least 12 people. The aftermath is known as the Haymarket Riot and is now commemorated on May 1 as a public holiday in many countries.
1926: Henry Ford popularized the 40-hour work week after he discovered through his research that working more yielded only a small increase in productivity that lasted a short period of time. Ford announced he would pay each worker $5 per eight-hour day, which was nearly double what the average auto worker was making that time. Manufacturers and companies soon followed Henry Ford’s lead after seeing how this new policy boosted productivity and fostered loyalty and pride among Ford’s employees.
1938: Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which required employers to pay overtime to all employees who worked more than 44 hours a week. They amended the act two years later to reduce the work week to 40 hours.
1940: The 40-hour work week became U.S. law.

Do you agree with the 5-day, 40 hour work week? Should we have longer days and a shorter week?

Wednesday October 23rd Topics with KC1HHK: Great Catch of Starship Rocket

SpaceX Successfully catches Returning Starship Rocket

On October 13, 2024, SpaceX successfully returned the lower half of its Starship rocket, called the Super Heavy booster, to the launch pad using a pair of mechanical arms:

Details

How it happened
The booster maneuvered back to the launch tower and was caught by the tower's "chopstick" arms
Why it was a big deal
This was the first time a rocket booster had been captured on its return to the launch pad, and it brings SpaceX closer to its goal of developing a fully reusable rocket
How it was prepared
Engineers spent years preparing and months testing for the catch. The company built infrastructure to maximize the chances of success.
What would have happened if it hadn't worked
If the booster hadn't been caught, it would have landed in the Gulf of Mexico
SpaceX engineers said the catch approach is critical to their goal of making the rocket fully reusable.
A SpaceX Starship rocket successfully landed upright Sunday alongside a massive metal landing tower as it was caught by two converging “chopstick” arms — another historic engineering breakthrough for the world’s largest and most powerful rocket.

Sunday’s launch marked the fifth test flight for Starship, which stands nearly 400 feet tall and is composed of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft. The system is central to founder Elon Musk’s hopes to eventually colonize Mars and to NASA’s plans to return astronauts to the moon. Musk has said he plans to launch about five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars in the next two years, with possible crewed missions to follow.

SpaceX said the spacecraft itself also experienced a successful flight and splashed down “precisely on target.” But it was the booster’s safe landing that marked not only a historic feat of aeronautical engineering but also a major milestone for SpaceX’s goal of full reusability for its rockets. The company hopes this innovation will enable more ambitious space missions, and with greater frequency.

“Big step toward making life multiplanetary was made today,” Musk posted on X after Sunday’s launch.

For years, SpaceX has been landing the booster of its reusable Falcon 9 rocket on barges at sea or a landing pad on land. SpaceX then transports the rocket for refurbishment before bringing it back to the launchpad. The second stage of the Falcon 9, however, is discarded. Having Starship, which is intended to be fully reusable, return to its launch site marks a significant step toward the airline-like operations SpaceX is seeking, where the booster would land, be refueled and fly again.

Precise landings are also important for the missions to the moon. NASA is investing about $4 billion into the program and intends to use Starship to return its astronauts to the lunar surface as part of its Artemis program. The space agency intends to explore the lunar South Pole, where a treacherous topography of ridges and craters and a low-angled light means the spacecraft visiting there will have to be able to land in defined areas. NASA has identified 13 such sites that are flat and near resources, such as water.

On Sunday, the rocket lifted off from its launch site near Brownsville, Tex., at 8:25 a.m. Eastern time and carried the spacecraft upward through the atmosphere. The rocket booster then dropped away as the Starship spacecraft continued higher.

The decision to move forward with the rocket catch was not made until after the rocket began falling back to Earth. Thousands of “distinct vehicle and pad criteria” had to be met before the catch maneuver could proceed, according to SpaceX. If those conditions had not been met, the rocket booster would have defaulted to a trajectory that would have splashed it down in the Gulf of Mexico. But the mission’s flight director ultimately gave it the go-ahead.

Net Discussion Question

What are your thoughts on this truly amazing feat?

Friday October 18th Topics with KC1SOO: Scary Movies

Spooky Scary Movie?

Hard to beat the chilling atmosphere of “The Shining.” The isolated Overlook Hotel, Jack Nicholson's unhinged performance, and that eerie “Heeere’s Johnny” moment make it an unforgettable horror classic. Stephen King’s intricate storytelling and Stanley Kubrick’s masterful direction elevate it to a whole new level of terrifying.

With the spooky season in full swing, it's time to talk about Scary Movies!

Everyone has that one movie they can watch over and over again. What's yours?

Wednesday October 16th Topics with KC1HHK: Chevy El Camino & Disney Studios

Chevy El Camino debuts as the “Most Beautiful Thing that ever shouldered a load”

On October 16, 1958, Chevrolet begins to sell a car-truck hybrid that it calls the El Camino. Inspired by the Ford Ranchero, which had already been on the market for two years, the El Camino was a combination sedan-pickup truck built on the Impala body, with the same “cat’s eye” taillights and dramatic rear fins. It was, ads trilled, “the most beautiful thing that ever shouldered a load!” “It rides and handles like a convertible,” Chevy said, “yet hauls and hustles like the workingest thing on wheels.”

Ford’s Ranchero was the first “car-truck” sold in the United States, but it was not a new idea. Since the 1930s, Australian farmers had been driving what they called “utes”—short for “coupé utility”—all around the outback. Legend has it that a farmer’s wife from rural Victoria had written a letter to Ford Australia, asking the company to build a car that could carry her to church on Sundays and her husband’s pigs to market on Mondays. In response, Ford engineer Lewis Brandt designed a low-slung sedan-based vehicle that was a ritzy passenger car in the front, with wind-up windows and comfortable seats and a rough-and-tumble pickup in back. The ute was a huge hit; eventually, virtually every company that sold cars Down Under made its own version.

In the United States, however, ute-type vehicles were slower to catch on. Though the Ranchero was a steady seller, the first incarnation of the El Camino was not and Chevy discontinued it after just two years. In 1964, the company introduced a new version, this one built on the brawnier Chevelle platform. In 1968, the more powerful SS engine made the El Camino into one of the iconic muscle cars of the late 1960s and 1970s.

In 1987, Chevrolet dropped the El Camino from its lineup for good. Today, the car is a cult classic.

Disney Studios begins with Alice’s Wonderland

On October 16, 1923, Walt Disney and his brother Roy found the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in Hollywood, California. The studio, now known as the Walt Disney Company, has had an oversized impact on the entertainment industry and is now one of the largest media companies in the world.

A talented artist from a young age, Walt Disney drew cartoons for various publications and became interested in cel animation while working for the Kansas City Film Ad Company. After his Laugh-O-Gram Studio went bankrupt in 1923, Walt moved to Los Angeles, where Roy was recovering from tuberculosis. While there, he finally sold a short film produced by Laugh-O-Gram, Alice’s Wonderland, and signed a contract to make six more such films. In order to produce the series, the brothers founded their company and persuaded both Virginia Davis, who played Alice, and their collaborator Ub Iwerks to join them in Hollywood.

After the success of the Alice Comedies and a series based on a character named Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Disney began work on his most famous creation. With the 1928 release of Steamboat Willie, the world was introduced to Mickey Mouse. The character would go on to become one of, if not the most recognizable cartoons in history.

The popularity of the Mickey Mouse shorts convinced Disney his studio could produce a feature film, which he began to do in 1934. The project, which some dubbed “Disney’s Folly,” went 400 percent over budget and required over 300 animators, artists, and assistants, but Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a smash hit when it debuted just before Christmas 1937.

Since then, the Walt Disney Company has produced dozens of groundbreaking and acclaimed films. It has evolved into a holding company for all manner of media and entertainment properties, opening theme parks across the world beginning in 1955 and acquiring dozens of companies in the '90s and 2000s. Disney now owns and operates ABC, ESPN, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm.

What began with a handful of animators producing short children’s cartoons is today one of the most iconic companies in the world. Disney original cartoons and feature films constitute some of the most popular and enduring entries in the American canon.

Net Discussion Questions

Did you know anyone with an El Camino?
Have you been to any of the Disney theme parks?

What is your favorite Disney attraction?

Friday October 11th Topics with KC1SOO: Tesla's Optimus Humanoid Robots

Elon Musk's Optimus: A Leap Towards Humanoid Robotics

This is giving me the iRobot Movie vibes.....

Elon Musk's Tesla has been making significant strides in the field of humanoid robotics with its Optimus project. Unveiled in 2021, Optimus aims to create a general-purpose humanoid robot capable of performing a wide range of tasks. The ultimate goal is to produce robots that can assist humans in various settings, from manufacturing plants to households.

One of the key features of Optimus is its ability to learn and adapt. The robots are equipped with advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, allowing them to improve their performance over time. This means that they can learn new tasks, recognize objects, and even navigate complex environments. Additionally, Optimus robots are designed to be highly efficient and cost-effective, making them potentially viable for mass production.

While the Optimus project is still in its early stages, the progress made so far has been impressive. The robots have demonstrated the ability to walk, climb stairs, and even perform simple tasks like watering plants. As development continues, it is likely that Optimus robots will become even more capable and versatile, potentially revolutionizing the way we interact with technology.

MSN.com -

Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots stole the show at Elon Musk’s splashy Hollywood event on Thursday night as they danced onstage, served up watermelon-flavored cocktails and charmed guests with their fun and friendly chit-chat.

Following Musk’s introduction, the robots emerged from parted curtains and walked into the audience in a single-file line. The faceless, tall figures with joint-like bends around the knees, hips, shoulders and elbows – can “basically do anything you want,” Musk said.

A bartending bot – which wore a cowboy hat – spoke with a shockingly humanlike cadence.

“How’s everybody doing?” it called out from time to time, with a a hint of a Texas drawl. “How am I doing so far?”

When one customer asked for a watermelon-flavored drink, Optimus double-checked their order: “A watermelon? ’Course you can!”

Net Topic Question: If you ever had the option, would you buy one for your household?

Wednesday October 9th Topics With KC1HHK: The Fox and the Singer

1986 - The Fox Broadcasting Company officially debuts

Launched as a competitor to the Big Three television networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) in 1986, Fox went on to become the most successful attempt at a fourth television network. Fox is known to push the boundaries of what could be shown on a broadcasting network, as evident with popular shows like Married... with Children, The Simpsons, That '70s Show, and Family Guy. It is also the first network of its kind to popularize adult animation which lead to the creation of Adult Swim years later. It was also the highest-rated free-to-air network in the 18–49 demographic from 2004 to 2012 and 2020 to 2021, and was the most-watched American television network in total viewership during the 2007–08 season.

The Fox Broadcasting Company, or "FBC" as it was known back then, officially debuted with a soft launch at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time on Thursday, October 9, 1986. Its inaugural program was a late-night talk show, The Late Show, which was hosted by comedian Joan Rivers. After a strong start, The Late Show quickly eroded in the ratings; it was never able to overtake NBC stalwart The Tonight Show.

Although Fox was growing rapidly as a network and had established itself as a presence, it was still not considered a major competitor to the established "Big Three" broadcast networks, ABC, CBS, and NBC. From its launch, Fox had the advantage of offering programs intended to appeal toward a younger demographic adult between 18 and 34 years of age – and that were edgier in content, whereas some programs that were carried by the "Big Three" networks attracted an older-skewing audience.

Until the early 1990s, when Fox expanded its programming to additional nights and outside prime time, most Fox stations were still essentially formatted as independent stations – filling their schedules with mainly first-run and acquired programming, and, during prime time, running either syndicated programs or, more commonly, movies on nights when the network did not provide programming.

1855 - American inventor Isaac Singer

patents sewing machine motor

Isaac Merritt Singer made significant improvements to sewing machine design and pioneered new manufacturing and marketing techniques.

Singer began his career as a traveling actor and mechanic. In 1839, he obtained his first patent for a rock-drilling machine. He later turned his attention to sewing machines, patenting key improvements in 1851 that made them more reliable and practical for home use.

In 1856, Singer co-founded the Sewing Machine Combination, an early example of a patent pool. This organization allowed manufacturers to share patents and reduce legal disputes. Singer also introduced innovative business practices, such as installment payment plans, which made sewing machines more accessible to households.

Singer's company expanded internationally, establishing factories in several countries. The largest of these was in Clydebank, Scotland, which became a symbol of the company's global reach. Singer's business success led to the creation of one of the first American multinational corporations.

Despite his professional achievements, Singer's personal life was complicated. He had multiple relationships and fathered 26 children. In 1862, he fled to London after being arrested for bigamy in the United States. Singer lived lavishly, commissioning a 110-room mansion in England.

Singer died in 1875, leaving behind a fortune of $13 million. Since his death, the Singer name has become synonymous with sewing machines worldwide.

Net Discussion Questions

Do you watch the FOX Network?

Favorite programs?

How handy are you with a sewing machine?

Wednesday October 2nd Topic With KC1HHK: Near-Fest This Weekend & Gatorade

ABOUT NEAR-Feast – October 4 & 5, 2024

NEAR-Fest, or the New England Amateur Radio Festival, is a twice-annual event held in New Boston, New Hampshire, that brings together amateur radio enthusiasts. It features vendor booths, equipment demonstrations, forums, and opportunities for networking among ham radio operators. Attendees can buy, sell, and trade gear and participate in workshops and discussions about various topics in the amateur radio community. It’s a great way for hams to connect, learn, and share their passion for radio communication.

NEAR-Fest is the largest amateur radio event in the northeast and draws participants from all New England states and some from Canada!

The program of activities and events at NEAR-Fest is extensive: a huge outdoor electronic flea market, a commercial vendor building, technical seminars and symposia, demonstrations, exhibits, displays, licensing examinations, special events radio stations, a “jam session,” good food, fellowship, fun, and general mishegoss.

The New England Amateur Radio Festival Inc. (NEAR-Fest) is a registered Vermont 501(c)(3) non-profit. All our operations and event staff are volunteers. Funds remaining after expenses are used for benevolent projects. NEAR-Fest directs some of its resources to attract newcomers to our hobby with a particular emphasis on young people. To that end, NEAR-Fest has gifted an amateur radio station capable of communicating through satellites orbiting the Earth as a gift to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, NH, and brokered a partnership with the Contoocook Valley Radio Club (CVRC) to operate and maintain the station on a regular schedule.

Are you planning on attending?

What do you do: Flea market / license upgrade / vendors / eyeball QSO’S???

Gatorade first tested in a college football game

On October 2, 1965, during a football game between the University of Florida Gators and the Louisiana State University Tigers, UF players test a newly concocted sports drink to help them regain the essential chemicals their bodies lose from profuse sweating. Developed in their own school's science labs, the drink is designed to fight dehydration, rebalance their bodies' electrolytes and restore blood sugar, potassium and body salts so they can continue to perform at a high level through their games. The Gators go on to win the match, after the heavily favored Tigers wilt in Florida's muggy, 102-degree heat.

The drink, nicknamed "Gatorade," eventually becomes a mass-market phenomenon and makes its inventors wealthy.

Early in the summer of 1965, University of Florida assistant football coach Dewayne Douglas met a group of scientists on campus to determine why many of Florida's players were so negatively affected by heat. To replace bodily fluids lost during physical exertion, University of Florida's Dr. James Robert Cade and his team of researchers—doctors H. James Free, Dana Shires and Alex de Quesada—created the now-ubiquitous sports drink.

"They developed a drink that contained salts and sugars that could be absorbed more quickly," according to a University of Florida history of medicine, "and the basis for Gatorade was formed."

In its early days, Gatorade wasn't a hit with players. The drink reportedly tasted so awful that some athletes vomited after consuming it. Things got more palatable after Dr. Cade's wife suggested adding lemon juice.

But it proved effective for rehydrating players, and helped improved the team's performance; they became known as a second-half team that no longer sagged in the heat. The following season, the Gators posted a stellar 8-2 record, and the University released an official statement about the drink.

A Florida newspaper headline summed up the gist: “One Lil’ Swig of That Kickapoo Juice and Biff, Bam, Sock—It’s Gators, 8-2.”

By 2015, however, royalties for the group that invented Gatorade had eclipsed $1 billion.

Have you tried Gatorade?

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