Ham or amateur radio as a hobby involves some hard work in the form of getting licensed and acquiring knowledge of the technical details. The hobby itself starts in the first step by one getting the ham device. Selection of a good ham radio is best done under the guidance of a person who knows about the radios well. More than that, one must know the local laws and rules with respect to the ham operation.
Getting to know your ham:
It is important to know about hams and, to know about your own ham as soon as you feel the urge to buy/assemble one. If you want to know about the ham, then again, internet, books, and other hobbyists are all good places to start with. If you know no technical details of the electronics but find yourself fascinated by the idea, then it is time to learn a bit of jargon in the field.
So, if you do not know something, you should come out and seek answers either from those who might know or from resources like the library or the internet. One must spend some time and effort to learn about the hobby that one wants to pursue. Just a wish is not a good enough reason to pursue a hobby. One needs more than just a wish to be able to pursue an activity as a hobby. So, recognition of the hobby and the right kind of activity that suits you is important.
Ham operation can be taxing and sometimes it can be tiring in spite of the modern equipment that does the scanning on its own. It is like the astrophysicist searching for some communications from aliens. If that idea grabs your attention, then this hobby will be to your liking since the activity is virtually the same, except for the helpful fact that we know there is someone who exists for sure, and one gets more than just “radio signals of unknown nature”. You get interaction from real people, from out there in the world, who live in flesh and blood as you do.
Your choice of equipment depends on how involved you are, and what your budget is that you can afford to invest in a ham equipment. There are good stores out there that sell ham radio at a reasonable cost. Again, as usual, it’s wise to chat with those who are ham radio operators, and also to visit and know the prices from various shops that sell ham radios to be able to select the best deal.
The cost of the radio equipment that can connect to longer distances will be higher than the ones that have a lesser range. Moreover, the recent advancements in digital voice transmission and such can be more costly than the simple Morse code wireless telegraphing model.
Getting licensed is the next hurdle. The amateur radio operator license exam does not require Morse code proficiency anymore as it is has been allowed to be dropped as agreed in 2003 in the World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva. The test will include the knowledge of ham etiquette, the communication laws that apply internationally as well as in your region and such. Once licensed, one is free to use the allotted bandwidths and is allowed to change or modify the equipment within the limits imposed by “spurious standards”.
So…what are you waiting for? Go get a ham and get your license: get going!
The Winter Olympic Games are highly anticipated as they bring the best athletes from all over the world to compete. While there is plenty of publicity that surrounds the Winter Olympic Games, some of it isn’t the type of attention that organizers want. The Olympic Games are to be a symbol of peace among countries and good sportsmanship. So when scandals emerge about cheating it really affects the overall perception that people have about the Olympics as a whole.
These types of scandals have been going on since the early days of the Winter Olympic Games though. In 1948 it was discovered that someone had tampered with the bobsleds of the USA team. It is a good thing it was discovered before the event because those responsible had loosened the bolts that hold the steering mechanisms in place. This would have resulted in a serious accident occurring. Those responsible for this act were never caught though and it left 1948 with some uneasy feelings in place.
Germany did very well in the 1964 Winter Olympic Games. However, two people were stripped of their gold medals as it was discovered they were categorized as professionals. In 1968 it was discovered that East Germany had been heating up the runners on their sleds in the luge competition in order to beat the competition.
Even if you don’t follow figure skating, chances are you know the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan story that unfolded during the Winter Olympic Games in 1994. At one time these women had been friends on the ice but that quickly changed when Kerrigan was hit in the knees with a metal baton during a practice session. As a result, she wasn’t able to perform and Harding was given her place on the Olympic team.
It was discovered that Harding’s ex-husband and a friend had planned the attack. Harding admitted she knew afterward but that she didn’t report the information. Kerrigan was able to perform at the 1992 Olympic Games and she walked away with the silver medal. She had the support of the entire world behind her it seemed due to what she had been through in order to even perform at the games.
Hosting the Winter Olympic Games is quite an honor and one that brings plenty of attention and revenue to the area. In 2002 a scandal was discovered involving bribes paid for Salt Lake City, Utah to host the Winter Olympic Games. These bribes include numerous ski trips, real estate deals, and cash. Even though the scandal was investigated and several people resigned from the Winter Olympics Committee, the games still took place in Salt Lake City, Utah that year.
The area of figure skating was plagued once again in 2002 at the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. It is believed that some of the judges had been bribed to give high scores to the Russian team in exchange for their team getting high scores in another event. Everyone agreed that Canada should have gotten the gold medal. Eventually, they were given the gold but the Russian team was not stripped of theirs.
Coaching is an essential part of any good Winter Olympic team, and the reputation of these coaches is very important. Tim Nardiello is a coach for the USA team but he has been placed on leave. There are allegations of sexual harassment that have been filed by several females under his direction. The issue is being carefully investigated and the results of that will determine if he is reinstated as a coach for them or not.
Officials have worked very hard to make changes to how scores are calculated for the Winter Olympic Games. This is to make sure the weight of only one judge doesn’t affect the overall outcome of the results. They also continue to test all athletes to make sure they haven’t been using drugs to enhance their performance. The reputation of the Olympic Games is on the line each time such scandals arise, and with the power of the media these days you can be sure it will be National news.
The game of ice hockey is very fast paced and full of action. As the players glide effortlessly across the ice in order to control the puck and score points, it gives the illusion that this is a very easy sport. However, that is quite far from the truth because you have to develop excellent skating skills and you need to know the game of hockey inside and out.
Both men and women enjoy playing ice hockey and there are a minor league and major league teams out there. Ice hockey is even a team event in the Winter Olympic Games which are held every four years at a location that changes each time. To help reduce the number of injuries sustained during ice hockey players have to wear helmets and padding. This is a contact sport that still results in some interesting injuries though in spite of quality safety equipment being used.
Professional ice hockey is considered to be one of the most violent sports out there. While the number of hits that take place among the players has tapered off over the years, there are still plenty of fights that continue to take place out there on the ice. Many people will tell you that is one of the reasons why they enjoy watching it so much.
For their participation in various penalties such as shoving, tripping, and other types of interference during the game players have to spend time in the penalty box. Generally, this period of time is two minutes for each infraction called by the referees but the amount of time can be up to four minutes.
Even though these time periods are very short, they can result in the other team scoring.
This is because the player on the other team gets a free shot of the puck towards the goal without anyone defending it due to the penalty call. Still, players often engage in any types of behaviors they can while playing ice hockey in order to gain control of the puck for their team.
The game of ice hockey is generally played in three periods, each lasting 20 minutes in length. If the game is tied it can go into overtime in order to determine the winner. For professional ice hockey, one 20 minute time period is placed on the clock. The game continues until the 20 minutes ends without any scoring or when one of the team's scores. Amateur games may decide to leave the game as a tie or follow the professional rules.
Ice hockey games can also be found being played by kids on frozen ponds during the winter months. This can be a great way to pass the time and to have fun during the colder time of year. However, it is vital to make sure the ice is solid as it can crack from the weight of the players on it. This can result in serious injuries or even death due to drowning.
Proper safety equipment should also be used for this type of ice hockey because it is still a dangerous sport. Even though most people that engage in ice hockey on the frozen ponds don’t engage in the violent behaviors of the professionals, there are still plenty of risks. Getting hit with a hockey stick or falling down can all be serious if you don’t have the right equipment to protect yourself.
Have you ever wondered what the point of a car show is? After all, what could possibly be so much fun about accumulating so many cars in a single area? Most people do not realize, but car shows are about so much more than simply lining up a bunch of beautiful cars for people to admire. There are typically contests that are involved in the shows as well with awards handed out in several categories including Best Overall, and often Best Restoration and other similar categories.
For those who are bringing cars to the show, it is a chance to show off the handiwork that they have put into the car, and also a chance to see how others feel about their work. Of course, some people are lucky and walk away from almost every show they enter with a prize, but generally, this does not happen. Most people put months and even years of work into a car before they leave a show with a prize.
This can translate into thousands of dollars worth of work often. Dog shows are for dog lovers, and car shows are the equivalent but based around cars. Because of this, the competition can sometimes be quite stiff, but in general terms, they are still a ton of fun to watch. There is hardly ever a time when someone is unable to find something to do at a car show that does not interest them.
From the dozens to hundreds of cars that are entered there are only a small handful that will leave with a prize or a place as one of the top cars. The fun of looking around and seeing who wins, combined with seeing the beautiful cars, and also participating in some of the other activities that are going on making it a great way to spend the weekend. There are many people who spend all of their weekends looking around for a car show to attend.
Not everyone who is dedicated to attending car shows actually have cars. Some of the people who enjoy car shows the most do not have a car, and may not even have an interested in getting a car that would be able to enter the car show. Deciding if you are interested in attending the car show is often dependent on your personality but realizing that there is much more to the car show than simply walking the rows and rows of cars is often enough to catch many people’s interest.
While car shows are not always considered a sport, they often help to foster great sportsmanship amongst competitors and can be a great way to share experiences and learn plenty about cars. If you are interested in getting involved in the car shows then sometimes attending a few shows before you enter can be a great way to learn as much as possible about what the judges are typically looking for so that you can improve your vehicle to improve your overall chances of walking away as a winner.
Just think of a single location there are so many gorgeous cars that are all beautifully restored and you can spend all of the time you want looking and dreaming about each one. There are so many people to meet as well that you can have a lot of fun and you may discover that car shows are your favorite weekend activity that you never knew about.
Hosting the Winter Olympic Games is something that is a tremendous honor, but there is quite an investment that has to take place on the behalf of the host city. This is why Denver, Colorado declined to host the 1976 Winter Olympic Games. The voters of the city decided not to approve a $5 million bond in order to pay for updates, improvements, and promotions for the Winter Olympic Games.
Yet the initial investment for getting ready to host the Winter Olympic Games is something that many areas are willing to do. The amount of revenue they reap during the Olympic Games as well as after that due to the publicity for their city more than pays for the initial cost to get ready for the event. A large portion of the money they earn comes from the television rights to air the Olympic events from their city.
Those cities that want to host the Winter Olympic Games have to place a bid for it. The committee will then review each bid and narrow the options down to three or four. From there a full evaluation of the city will be conducted in order to determine where the best possible location will be.
It is very common for cities that want to host the Winter Olympic Games to submit a bid each time they are open until they are awarded the honor of hosting the event. If they aren’t accepted because they don’t have the facilities to successfully host the games then they continue working on constructing them and having them in place before the next bidding session.
Allowing the Winter Olympic Games to take place in various locations around the world offers more of a universal theme to the concept of the Olympic Games. Since it doesn’t always take place in the same country it doesn’t seem to belong to any one of them but to all of them collectively. It is a great experience though to have the Winter Olympic Games hosted close to where you live. This allows you to go to many of the events and see them live rather than just on TV.
The 2010 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Vancouver, Canada. This will make the third time that Canada has had the honor of hosting the Olympics and the second round for the Winter Olympic Games. It is estimated that it will cost Canada approximately $1.4 billion to host this event. $200 million of this budget will be directly spent on security measures for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Processing is already underway for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games as well which will be held in Sochi, Russia. This is an amazing feat when you consider only 20 years ago Russia was considered to be a very isolated and different form of government than others around the world.
Yet Russia has plenty to do before the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. More than $580 million will be spent on construction, to lay more than 2,000 miles of fiber optics for communication, and building four hydropower stations in order to ensure there is sufficient electricity for the event. Expansions of the railway and various airports are also part of the construction process to ensure they can handle the capacity of people coming in for the event.
"The Second Civil War in the USA and its Aftermath" by Sam Vaknin (second, revised impression, 2029)
Summary of Chapter 83
"The polities of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries swung between extremes of nationalism and polyethnic multiculturalism. Following the Great War (1914-8), the disintegration of most of the continental empires - notably the Habsburg and Ottoman - led to a resurgence of a particularly virulent strain of the former, dressed as Fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism.
The aftermath of the Second World War brought on a predictable backlash in the West against all manner of nationalism and racism. The USSR, Yugoslavia, the Czech Republic, the EU (European Union, the European Community), the Commonwealth led by the United Kingdom, and the prominent USA epitomized the eventual triumph of multiculturalism, multi-ethnic states, and, in the Western democracies, pluralism.
Africa and Asia, just emerging from a phase of brutal colonialism, were out of synch with these developments in Europe and North America and began to espouse their own brands of jingoistic patriotism. Attempts to impose liberal-democratic, multi-cultural, tolerant, pluralistic, and multi-ethnic principles on these emergent entities were largely perceived and vehemently rejected by them as disguised neo-colonialism.
The disintegration, during the second half of the twentieth century, of the organizing principles of international affairs - most crucially Empire in the 1960s and Communism in the 1980s - led to the re-eruption of exclusionary, intolerant, and militant nationalism. The Balkan secession wars of the 1990s served as a stark reminder that historical forces and ideologies never vanish - they merely lie dormant.
Polyethnic multiculturalism came under attack elsewhere and everywhere - from Canada to Belgium. Straining to contain this worrisome throwback to its tainted history, Europeans implemented various models. In the United Kingdom, regions, such as Scotland and Northern Ireland were granted greater autonomy. The EU's "ever closer union", reified by its unfortunate draft constitution, was intermittently rejected and resented by increasingly xenophobic and alienated constituencies.
This time around, between 1980 and 2020, nationalism copulated with militant religiosity to produce particularly nasty offspring in Muslim terrorism, Christian fundamentalist (American) thuggish unilateralism, Hindu supremacy, and Jewish messianism. Scholars, such as Huntington, spoke of a "clash of civilizations".
Ironically, the much-heralded conflict took place not between the USA and its enemies without - but within the United States, in a second and devastating Civil War.
Americans long mistook the institutional stability of their political system, guaranteed by the Constitution, for a national consensus. They actually believed that the former guarantees the latter - that institutional firmness and durability ARE the national consensuses. The reverse, as we know, is true: it takes a national consensus to yield stable institutions. No social structure - no matter how venerable and veteran - can resist the winds of change in public sentiment.
In hindsight, the watershed obtained during the Bush-Cheney presidency (2001-2009). The social and political concord frayed and then disintegrated with each successive blow: the war in Iraq (2003-7), the botched evacuation and rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (2005), the failed assassination attempt on the President's life (2006), the further restrictions placed on civil and human rights in Patriot Acts III and IV (2008), and, finally, the nuclear terrorist attack on Houston in the closing days of this divisive reign.
From there, it went only downhill.
As opposed to the first Civil War (1860-5), the Second Civil War (2021-26) was fought within communities and across state boundaries. It was not territorial and classic - but total and guerilla-like. It cut across the country's geography and pitted one ideological camp against another.
It may be too soon to objectively analyze and evaluate this gargantuan conflict. It was preceded by a decade of violent demonstrations, home-grown urban terrorism, and numerous skirmishes involving the National Guard and even, in violation of the Constitution, the armed forces.
Some historians cast the whole period as a battle of the religious vs. the secular. It clearly was not. By 2021, most Americans professed to be deeply religious, in one manner or fashion. No one seriously disputed the importance of the Church - but many insisted on its separation from the state.
Hence the protracted (and heated) confrontation between pro-life and pro-choice advocates when Wade vs. Roe was overturned by a politicized and weakened Supreme Court in 2007. Hence the drawn out (and violent) debates about the teaching of evolution theory in schools or the use of embryonic stem cells in medical research.
Nor was the Civil War fought between isolationists and interventionists. An ever more brazen brand of post-September 11 global terrorism and a growing dependence on international trade inexorably drove most Americans to accept their new role as an Empire. They actually learned to enjoy it, both emotionally and economically.
Thus, even erstwhile Jacksonian isolationists reluctantly acquiesced in their country's foreign exploits. But they insisted on blatant unilateralism and the projection of American might merely and only to protect American interests. They abhorred the missionary ideology of the neo-conservatives. Spreading values, such as democracy, should better be left to NGOs and charities - they thundered.
The Civil War was not about the preservation of East Coast liberalism, as some self-serving scholars would have it. America was never less racist and homophobic than in the years immediately preceding the conflagration. The debate, again, revolved around institutions. Should changing mores be enshrined in legislation and case law? Should the national ethos itself be rewritten? Should the very definition and quiddity of being an American (white, male, straight) be revisited?
Neo-Marxist chroniclers attribute the causes of the Second Civil War to the growing disparities of wealth between the haves and the have not. Presidents Bush and Cheney surely reversed L.B. Johnson's Great Society. They and their successors erased the numerous entitlements and aid programs that many of the economically disenfranchised came to depend upon and to regard as a birthright and as a cornerstone of the social contract.
Turning the clock back on affirmative action and food stamps, for instance, indeed provoked widespread violence. But such outbursts can hardly be construed to have been the precursors of the giant flame that consumed the USA a few years hence.
Finally, the Civil War was not about free trade (beneficial to the service and manufacturing based economies of some states) versus protectionism (helpful to the agricultural belts and bowls of the hinterland and to the recovering Gulf Coast). America's economy was far too dependent on the outside world to reverse course. Its national debt was being financed by Asians, its products were being sold all over, its commodities and foods were coming from Africa and Latin America. The USA was in hock to a globalized and merciless economy. Protectionism was campaign posturing - not a cogent and coherent trade policy.
So, what were the roots and causes of the Second Civil War?
None of the above in isolation - and all of the above in confluence. For decades, the citizenry's trust in a packed and rigged Supreme Court declined. Politicians came to be regarded as a detached and heartless plutocracy. Americans felt orphaned, cheated, and robbed. The national consensus - the implicit agreement that together is better than alone - has thus evaporated. The outcome was the shots and explosions that rocked the United States (and the world in tow) on January 20, 2021."
If there's one thing that Traxxas RC cars are designed for, it would be speed. Each car is designed to dominate its category. You don't believe it? Here are some models:
1) Jato 3.3 RTR Nitro- This is one stadium truck that is sure to catch everyone's attention when it revives into action. This Traxxas RC car is able to take on any other RC car on the pavement and it doesn't stop there! When the pavement ends, some RC cars have trouble getting a good grip on other types of terrain but not his Traxxas RC car! This model features Anaconda tire treads, enabling it to maintain a good grip on off-road courses. This means that you can other RC cars can say bye-bye to this Traxxas RC car as it leaves a dust trail in their headlights.
2) TMaxx 3.3 RTR Nitro- This is one monster RC truck that's truly a monster! This Traxxas RC car is able to go faster than 55 MPH! Isn't that amazing? This Traxxas RC car carries the well-known label of the Tmaxx to new levels of excellence. This is because this Traxxas RC car carries with it the same perfect combination of balance, size, speed, and power but the new TRX 3.3 engine brings this combination to new heights of power. People who know about real monster trucks know that bottom-end torque is the key to dominating every type of terrain. This is also the key to this Traxxas RC car's success in the field.
3) Spirit Truck- This Traxxas RC car embodies a "going back to the roots" of RC car driving. It is easy to drive, adventurous and most of all, it is fun! Many RC car models available today are too competitive. Drivers who used to relax through RC car racing experience even more stress when they compete. Why go for all of that? This Traxxas RC car reminds people of why RC car racing was established in the first place -because it's fun!
This Traxxas RC car also comes pre-assembled. So you don't have to do anything but take it out of the box and start driving. And before you start thinking that it's a toy-grade RC car, you should know that this Traxxas RC car is filled with technology specifically designed for hobby-class racing.
4) Nitro 4-tec 3.3- "Blink and you'll miss it" is the phrase used by enthusiasts to describe this Traxxas RC car. This is because it is designed for speed. The TRX- 3.3 engine is quite possibly the most powerful small block engine available today. With it, this Traxxas RC car can have speeds of up to 70 MPH! That's even faster than what some state laws allow! This Traxxas RC car is made for experienced players who have the reflexes necessary to drive at top speeds. A person using this Traxxas RC car is faced with the mental challenge of remaining in control while at speeds where you are nearly out of control. Can you handle the rush?
5) Bandit- This Traxxas RC car is what every enthusiast needs to fulfill his or her need for entertainment and speed at a very affordable price. First of all, this Traxxas RC car runs on electricity, which means you don't have to spend additional cash on fuel. It is also very durable, which means you can spend less time maintaining it and more time showing other RC car enthusiasts your dust trail.
