Wednesday, May 03, 2006

All the news that's bits

1. Blogger has done a lot of work to eliminate spam comments. I have not had any for many months. Those of you still using word verification for comments might want to try it without a net.

2. You can now download SketchUp for free, which is a super program for quickly and easily creating, viewing and modifying 3D drawings. Google bought the company and offers both a free and paid version. The free version is terrific if you are planning a new room or deck. The 3D functions are major easy to use. No registration is required.

3. I have had several inquiries about David. I do not see him very often since he is engaged and working full time. He is also a little out of sorts that I hired a new Rooty/house sitter. I did see him briefly over the weekend, however. I had forgotten that he calls everything than is served in a bowl "soup" -- ice cream, Jello, chili, cereal, it does not matter -- if it's in a bowl, it's "soup" to Dave. [Odd I know, but remember southerners call all softdrinks "Coke." The first time someone asks if you want a "Coke" and serves you a Dr. Pepper you think you've been poisoned.]

4. The post and comments about Toast's online radio station and Fuzz's complaining in a post about having to listen to AM radio reminded of this bit of oddness: WFAA (Dallas) and WBAP (Fort Worth) used to switch frequencies twice a day. You would be listening to WFAA and the announcer would say "WFAA 820 Dallas" -- then there was a cowbell sound -- then another announcer would say "WBAP 820 Fort Worth." They did this because they shared a clear channel (50,000 watts) frequency -- WFAA had it during the day, WBAP had it at night. (The station not broadcasting on 820 was heard at 570, where the same type of announcement simultaneously took place.) The "shared time" arrangement, begun in 1947, was ended in 1970. WBAP got the 820 clear channel frequency.

5. And just when you thought it was safe to go outdoors again: A Philippine judge who claimed he could see into the future and admitted consulting imaginary mystic dwarfs has asked for his job back after being fired by the country's Supreme Court. He told investigators that three mystic dwarfs -- Armand, Luis and Angel -- helped him carry out healing sessions during breaks in trials. [Reuters]

5 comments:

meagan said...

Well, that was a lovely newsy post!

Without the word verification "net", what would happen to Zrharc?!?
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hence the phrase "tail wagging the dog"

Jay Noel said...

I turned off my verification a long time ago. Once in awhile, I'll get spam, but not enough to warrant those annoying verifications that you can't read half the time.

The Filipino judge is crazy. He's now suing saying that it's discrimination. Um, yes, it is discrimination. You are crazy, and they don't want an insane judge in office.

I have to go now to consult with my Pixie before I go to work.
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When I read about the judge and his mystic friends, I kept thinking about the episode of M*A*S*H in which Harry Morgan plays Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele, who was nuts (he mistakes Klinger for his wife and Hawkeye for a news reporter), and ends up singing Camptown Races at a military hearing:

The Campptown ladies sing this song,
Doo-da, Doo-da
The Camptown racetrack's five miles long
Oh, de doo-da day

Goin' to run all night
Goin' to run all day
I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag
Somebody bet on the gray

Anonymous said...

They shared a clear channel?!? How truly bizarre is that? I mean I know clear channel frequencies are hard (impossible) to come by, but how did that weird arrangement start? Couldn't they use the sumo suits and wrestle for it or something? I keep recommending that we settle all budgetary disputes here at work with the sumo suits but the bosses don't think it's funny.
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WFAA was owned by the Dallas Morning News (the Dealey's, as in Dealey Plaza; the company is now BELO) -- WBAP was owned by The Fort Worth Star Telegram (Amon Carter, as in the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth) -- so it was always a tug of war between two political giants as to who would control the clear channel -- before 1947, there were many different combinations, the strangest was WBAP splitting a frequency with WOAI in San Antonio when WFAA had the clear channel at 800, later 820). WFAA and WBAP shared a tower and studio building in Grapevie (see photo, note the mailbox).

WFAA stands for "Working For All Alike"
WBAP stands for "We Bring a Program" The station was named by Herbert Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce

:P fuzzbox said...

Last time I took off word verifacation I was hit with a super spam. I got a spam comment and deleted it. Two more exactly the same took it's place. I deleted them and four took their place. I put word verifacation back in. I might trying pulling it again.

Does anyone need any mystic advice? For a nominal fee I am available for consultations.
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Armand, Luis, Angel, and Fuzz, Psychic Readers, LLP

stan said...

Meagan: There will still be source words for Zrharc! Just keep signing up for new blogs, you'll get a new word every time...plus, a new, free blog.