The Blare Blog
Center
of the Bla Bla Galaxy
Please
Report Anything That Seems Out of the Ordinary
AUGUST 2022
Wednesday August 31, 2022 12:23 NOON CDT -- When Artificial
Intelligence Writes the News --
And
you thought right-wing conservative news was bad.
Or,
I guess you'd have to say there's no intelligence involved with the
right wing.
Wednesday August 31, 2022 8:06 AM CDT -- Memories Are Made of Hiss --
MIX SmartBrief
Tuesday August 30, 2022 4:28 PM CDT -- A Plug-In You All Might Be Able
to Use --
Tuesday August 30, 2022 8:15 AM CDT -- Father's Favorite --
Calling
each other by the right pronoun is now a thing, and as a universal
father figure 'God' is the height of exclusive masculinity
as Super Manly with no female counterpart. As his 'children'
we
all want to be favored and have no hesitation about asking for
'blessings', another word for 'favorings'. At its most fervent our
desire to be regarded as special bursts into songform and we sing 'GOD
BLESS AMERICA', overriding a previous prayerful promise to 'Let Thy
Will Be Done'. Now it's about 'Our Will Being Done' and we not only ask
to be favored exclusively above others, but on a global scale by asking
'Father' to 'Stand Beside Her and Guide Her', giving the Nation a
female 'pronoun'cement as Daddy's Mate.
Tuesday August 30, 2022 7:55 AM CDT -- Owning the Station --
So
many years working professionally in licensed radio instills certain
standards that are hard to reverse during the hobby years. Such as
signing on at a set time every morning. In fact the FCC requires that
licensed stations maintain specific schedules as a condition of their
licensure. But in the more lax world of hobby radio the micro-station
can start and stop anytime the owner is moved to do or not do. This
morning, for example, although our posted schedule indicates the
program is scheduled for 7 AM launch, I didn't happen
to feel
like it. Something else had my attention at the time, a YouTube video
about laying track in mountainous terrain for a simulated railroad. But
I did open the radio station at 7:30, right as the second-hand touched
the '30-past' mark on the clock's face. There was no reason to wait the
extra two-minutes, since things were prepared to go at 7:28, but
there's still something of the old schooling in the way we carry on.
Saturday August 27, 2022 7:32 AM CDT -- Under the Desk --
We
have mentioned the 'anchor desk' where Harold Z. Revuslo sits when he
delivers the news for KDX. While Harold is an artificially
'intelligent' journalist who loyally delivers the script he's given,
the desk tends to fade to the background but deserves some mention. If
you crawl underneath this desk and look up you will see Harold's USB
hub where he draws not only his operating voltage but also the stream
of computer code that animates him. All this is fed from the ubiquitous
desktop computer tucked out of view behind the paneling. In a
followup to our discussion of AI 'talent' our colleague at Artisan
Radio emphasizes that crediting the automated announcing staff with
'intelligence' is a far stretch because these IOT creatures do not
think. Were I to ask Harold whether he agrees with me he would
say
in all honesty "I don't know," and that is because he's unable to
ponder. And while it's true that I could program him to 'know' that he
not only agrees with me but also holds great admiration, doing so would
reduce the bytes needed to load him with current
headlines,
he being an 8-bit device.
Friday August 26, 2022 10:41 AM CDT -- AI Anchors At the Desk --
Advancements
in projecting artificial actors and voices will eventually go farther
than the limited matter of AI tv presenters proposed in this linked
article. The Blare Blog has long predicted that the formulaic
approaches seen not only in televised news reports but also the robotic
style now characteristic of NPR delivery lend themselves easily
to artificially generated conterfeits.
TVN
I
would go so far as to say that part 15 broadcasters already represent a
massive front of AI radio stations in that all content is robotically
dispensed without any use of live hosts, djs, or talent of the real
kind. These hobby stations are online and/or wireless juke boxes and
not authentic 'radio stations' in the original sense.
Friday August 26, 2022 10:34 AM CDT -- FCC Launches Mobile Privacy
Probe --
tvtech
Friday August 26, 2022 8:15 AM CDT -- Icecast Video Streaming --
The
Artisan Radio Blog
has taken up the topic of video streaming as a companion to radio
streaming and has previous experience researching the idea. That
triggered some memories of things I recall noticing along the way about
using Icecast as a video server.
Notice in particular the mention of the 'NSV'
client, evidently specialized for video on Icecast. No
recent dates are shown for any of this.
Thursday August 25, 2022 4:19 PM CDT -- Voluntary Tune Down --
Yesterday,
the same day Mark and I sounded the alarm (again) about deadly
microwaves, my cordless phone took a nose-dive. I was talking to a
female of my acquaintance when I heard 5-beeps and the call died. The
LCD screen said "Place Phone in Charger". But the phone has been in the
charger for months, used very little. The battery had reached end of
life. This is a DECT 6.0 type device operating in the 1921.536 -
1928.448 MHz band. There are YouTube videos about the hazard of being
near DECT wireless phones. I have had this phone because I am impressed
by the technology even while believing it to be hazardous. Already I
have replaced it with a wired phoneset and do not plan to replace the
battery.
Thursday August 25, 2022 4:09 PM CDT -- It Turns Out That --
DIGITALMUSICNEWS
Thursday August 25, 2022 7:23 AM CDT -- Adding the Video Component to
Radio --
In
these times of multi-media, radio and its audio may not be enough. Many
stations are adding a video factor as an adjunct to their audio
services. We have written about this here on The Blog. Now we'll tell
you the best and smartest way to set up your video work station.
Remember
hearing about the Video Toaster? Newtek got its start with the most
revolutionary plug-in card ever designed, able to turn an Amiga
Computer into a full fledged TV station. We still have our Video
Toaster here at KDX, if only the Amiga still worked. Newtek went on to
develop the Tricaster line of products.
Wednesday August 24, 2022 5:30 PM CDT -- Last Minute At the Last Minute
--
The
following is a Radio Script for a new episode of "The Last Minute Radio
Theatre" produced as a sustaining feature of The Low Power Hour and
originating from the name-sake theatre operating under the same name.
Today's episode is written and directed by Percy Downer and his wife C.
Randy Limphand. Our scene opens on the stage of the Last Minute Radio
Theatre where Judge Mortimer Sneer bangs his gavel on a wobbly card
table:
SFX: [feeble thump]
JUDGE SNEER: Let's bring this hearing to order so I can get in a round
of golf while it's still light out.
ATTORNEY
STAG PINSTRIPE: First of all, Your Honor, we are grateful you agreed to
reach your decision here at the Theatre since time is of the essence.
JUDGE
SNEER: Well, I too have fancy notions about time myself, such as the
way it never stands still. But if you want me to keep this dillapidated
rat trap open you'd better have a more convincing argument than showing
me this dump.
ATTORNEY PINSTRIPE: All we're asking Your Honor is to
keep the facility standing while we build our case to get the place on
the Historic Landmark Registry. Time is running out, as the wrecking
ball is set to swing at high noon.
JUDGE SNEER: Well that's less than a minute from now!
LOUD VOICE FROM OUT THE WINDOW: O.K.!!, YOU IN THE WRECKING CRANE!!
LET'ER SWING!!
SFX: [Sound of 10-ton ball swinging into a brick wall]:
CA-RUNCH! [Sound of bricks crumbling]
SFX: [Buzzing sound as audio is lost and the program is disconnected].
Wednesday August 24, 2022 1:38 PM CDT -- Mark On Microwaves --
You
see, they knew this all along. This article was from 2008. When cell
phones first started they were in the 160 to 180 mHz area before they
all converted to digital and went to the 2.4 to 2.5 GIG
bands....microwaves.
And
it was all because the companies didn't need a license there. Also
because when cell phones started if you were in an elevator or metal
building you lost it where microwaves penetrate that.
So
why was this allowed if it is known it is bad? Even the companies put
the warnings in every smart phone but no one cares and half of the
users don't even know it's there. The warnings are there for a
disclaimer so in 30 years from now when you have a generation of
cancers and other ailments there can't be a class action lawsuit like
with the cigarette companies. They can just say we warned you.
In
the whole electromagnetic spectrum the only part harmful to you below
gamma, xrays, and the upper region of ultraviolet is that small part
that is known as microwaves.....that 2.4-5 gig section where all this
wireless crap works.....cell phones, wi fi, bluetooth and anything that
uses bluetooth like wireless mice, and now cable TV is scrapping the
wired for wi fi and you will have no choice anymore to get hardwired
cable TV.
And what gets me is why
does no one care? I don't understand humanity.
And
if this is a hazard why was all the infrastructure allowed to be set up
and everything wireless operate in this part of the spectrum?
I sent you this once but
here it is again...."The truth about mobile phone and wireless
radiation" -- Dr Devra Davis
- Mark
Wednesday August 24, 2022 11:11 AM CDT -- The Complete Low Power Hour"
The complete set of Low Power Hour programs are now linked and
available.
Wednesday August 24, 2022 7:06 AM CDT -- * MICROWAVES AND EARTHLY LIFE
* --
A severe
crime is being committed by a cell-phone-toting humanity against all
life
on this planet. The only true solution is for us to give up our
electromagnetic
toys
and demand that the towers-of-death be
demolished.
www.padrak.com
Wednesday August 24, 2022 5:37 AM CDT -- Lectrosonics RF Scan Database
--
Tuesday August 23, 2022 6:20 AM CDT -- A Radio Tower for Its Own Sake --
Monday August 22, 2022 3:37 PM CDT -- Speaking of Wood --
In
the 1990s I was constructing loudspeaker enclosures and became highly
interested in what the hardware store called 'laminated board', a
plastic composite of some kind that produced boards which were
impervious to water. How ideal, I thought, for outdoor or basement
projects where dampness would cause ordinary wood to decay. I
attributed the comparitively high price tag to the lumber industry
which I figured did not appreciate competition from a substitute form
of ever-lasting wood, then I stopped noticing it on the shelves.
WIKIPEDIA
Monday August 22, 2022 3:32 PM CDT -- A Building Material We Had in the
First Place --
MIC
Monday August 22, 2022 1:17 PM CDT -- Lubricate the Walls for Wi-Fi --
Monday August 22, 2022 7:01 AM CDT -- Search Box --
Artisan Radio, an Icecast Streamer, explains:
The search box on the
main page is in the upper right corner - it
disappears if your
window isn't large enough. - Artisan Radio
Richard Powers explains how he found the search tool:
Carl,
in answer to your question, I couldn't figure how to navigate anything
at the Icecast website directly, so choose to utilize a little known
tool called Google. That's how I found their search page. - Rich
Sunday August 21, 2022 3:18 PM CDT -- Search Icecast --
Richard Powers submits an Icecast Search Tool:
Kdx comes right up
But... Starting with the Icecast Directory's Main Page there is no
search tool. I'm wondering where you found that link address?
Sunday August 21, 2022 1:32 PM CDT -- Lost in the Icecast Directory --
We've
talked about Icecast, the ultra popular open source streaming software
used by KDX and thousands of other stations, and we've mentioned the
Icecast Directory. Located at dir.xiph.org the Icecast Directory has
gone through gradual changes and we find the most recent version to be
very puzzling. At first visit it appears to consist of only one page
containing a medium sized list of station links in no particular
sequence. Clicking on the set of three horizontal lines on the upper
right, often the menu symbol on other websites, nothing pops up. And we
discovered through trial and error that clicking the words "Icecast
Directory" at the upper left does change the page, indefinitely if
you're patient enough to devote the time. None of the pages are
numbered so you'd be unable to identify which page contained a
particular link. Once scrolled to the bottem of a page there is nothing
offered by way of further links for exploration, the only choice is to
roll all the way to the top and click on the upper left as before.
After flipping through hundreds of stations I gave up without spotting
the KDX listing, although I'm sure you'd come across it eventually.
Neither did I see Artisan Radio's slot, also knowing it to exist. One
is left with the impression that that Icecast abandoned its directory
in an unfinished state.
Sunday August 21, 2022 10:15 AM CDT -- So-So --
So,
when things are 'so-so' it means they are neither good nor bad and are
tolerable, passable, indifferent. So what (?), you might ask. So
anyway, I was thinking about uses for the word 'so' and have noticed
that people today use 'so' to begin a statement. So, for an example,
interviews on radio and tv are often peppered with so's. So, to
illustrate the point, we'll stage an interview. So, here goes:
CARL: So, welcome to The Blare Blog... so what do you do?
GUEST: So, I am a fictitious character you are inventing right now. So,
what do I do, since it's up to you?
CARL: So, you are a very lucid guest! So, you see the point I'm trying
to make?
GUEST: So, yes I do, and agree that people use 'so' in the way you've
described. So, we have a consensus?
CARL: So, now you're interviewing me?
GUEST: So, yes I guess I am.
CARL: So, that about sews it up.
Sunday August 21, 2022 7:34 AM CDT -- Vigor Renewed --
Just
as one reaches a peak of prowess in the middle years of life it is also
true that medium temperatures restore one's vigor for tackling creative
projects. This morning is a welcome return to the upper 60s in the
Farenheit spectrum and with it comes renewed interest in the game of
broadcasting as a social tool for human communication. We've talked
about radio directories and dismissed them as ineffectual as a way of
making new contacts. Yet planting seeds at every opportunity might
contribute to a cumulative gain in which the directories would be a
small step. Arranging to have your signal pop up in every available
crack might be the only way to emerge from the crowded terrain and
become discernable as an available destination. Adding every
concievable gimmick to the technological bedrock of the
transmitting/streaming system would shoot shafts of attention getting
light as an eye catcher. We already go a short distance into
multi-media plentitude by generating a website and a blog as companion
channels alongside the KDX radio stream. What I'm getting to right now
is the question of adding a video stream in association with audio
programming. There are various ways of doing this, such as the basic
showing of live on-the-air talking hosts seated around a table and
speaking into microphones as done by "Free Talk Live" on their
syndicated daily program also carried by 200 radio stations. Of course
most part 15 style stations offer no live programming in which case the
video would need to be something else, perhaps a screenview of the Zara
Automation System clocking away. Or there could be drone footage up and
around the trees and buildings or the tapping of unrelated video such
as trainrides in the Swiss Alps. Far ranging thoughts such as these
mark a return to livable weather. In a short few months we'll be
starting the furnace and distancing from the creative mood.
Saturday August 20, 2022 8:54 AM CDT -- Various Things and Other Ad
Hocs --
Here's
a title in search of a show: "Ranter Banter". The 'banter' part is easy
since the word refers to jabber, chatter, talk, blabber, and other
palaver. The 'ranter' is of course someone who rants, but we wouldn't
need to be the ranter per se, but could speak of ranters as we find
them and they're not hard to find. For whatever it's worth the title is
another free offering from the creative tank her at Worldround Radio.
If you adopt the suggestion please give us credit for inventing the
concept.
Big meat is unhappy with the veggie fake-meat
industry for the growing popularity of 'impossible meats' which are
siphoning profit away from traditional products made from slices of
dead animals. As a counterbalance we propose the idea of phony
vegetables derived from meat, a new 'green meat' movement. We could
have impossible carrots made from beef, leafy greens consisting of pork
thins, and so on. Take it on, all we ask is a mention in the small
print on the label.
My personal favorite FCC
Part 15 Rule: 15.15 General Technical Requirements, c. Users are
encouraged to employ the minimum field strength necessary for
communications. This is very sensible for those who aren't
seeking the maximum attainable range within the upper limits possible
with 15.219 or 15.239. An example of this practice is our operation on
several FM channels where the objective is to reach particular radio
receivers within the building. We are constantly fine tuning the output
power to minimize radiation beyond the outer walls. Our AM outreach is
intended to cover the campus for outdoor listening as we landscape,
toward which we taper the signal strength beyond the property lines.
WAFT
would make a handy set of call letters because the word 'waft' means
'to drift through the air', but the letters are assigned to a Georgia
station.
Thursday August 18, 2022 3:09 PM CDT -- Low Power Hour Update --
Yesterday
we opened the way for Frederick Moe to access The Low Power Hour
Library for his InfoSpot Radio Station. 25 Episodes were linked as of
that time and today we've added 10 more shows.
In the process of working on the library I decided to change the naming
of the audiofiles using this format:
lph22_V1_128.mp3,
in which 'lph22' is the program name's initials and number, 'V1' is the
Version number, and '128' is the bitrate in kbps. (previous to this
change the titles were: 'lph22_128_V1.mp3')
As the days pass
I'll be adding more shows with short descriptions. Please let me know
is you are using these programs so I can mention it here. As it turns
out there seem to be more programs than I thought, possibly 211 of
them.
A few years back we were set to record a new episode of
the Low Power Hour with guest Robert the Part15 Engineer, when Bob
Fwordly did his Trump style demolition of the ALPB and blew things
apart. Maybe Robert will be available to join me for a 'make good' and
after that I'd like to bring Fred Moe into an episode to find out about
his radio creations, and beyond that the big catch still to be arranged
is a possible visit with Tim in Bovey. Thinking further, although I
think Artisan Radio participated in a meeting of ALPB which was carried
on the LPH we have yet to invite him aboard the LPH.
Please report any bad links. I haven't yet checked them out.
Thursday August 18, 2022 11:47 AM CDT -- We Are Such Stuff as Dreams
are Made Of --
-
Prospero's Speech -
Our revels now are ended: These our
actors—,
As I foretold you—, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air;
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind: we are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
— The Tempest, Act 4, Scene 1
I
am awake, for as long as today's dream lasts, and with cooler
temperature again visualizing my late night radio idea which would air
under the title 'DREAMRIDE' and sub-titled 'Journey to the Absolute
Limit'. The host or hostess would take calls from a global audience
starting at Midnight and concentrated on dreams the callers recall,
spontaneous reactions to other's dreams, occasional in-studio guests
involved professionally with dream research, theory and psychology and
from time to time, merely as an incidental aside, the host might share
a dream.
Wondering what is already available in this area
we've unearthed several podcasts including 'Night Dreams', 'Dream
World', 'The Dream', 'The Dream Diva' and 'Dream Interpretation'. These
shows delve into varying degrees of the paranormal, cryptozoological,
UFOlogical, aliens and supernatural. One of them follows the theme 'Is
the Wellness Industry a Scam?', and another of them purports to 'unlock
the mystery of dreams'. We sampled one of them this morning by
scheduling it on KDX and except for an abundance of S___ words and F___
words found it entertaining.
If you see yourself doing such a
show submit a brief resume with a 75-word essay titled
"Why working for KDX is my dream", and wait by the phone in
case
we call you back. There is no budget involved, but you will
gain a
one-line addition to your resume.
Thursday August 18, 2022 9:21 AM CDT --
Limp
Hitler
Thursday August 18, 2022 6:40 AM CDT --
Everything
is permanently temporary.
- C. Blare, author, poet, philosopher, radio
personality, bird watcher
Wednesday August 17, 2022 12:00 NOON CDT -- Radio Book Readings --
Following
today's live broadcast of the Thom Hartmann Program we will launch
several hours of 'Radio Books', known in other media as 'audiobooks',
featuring philosophy of Emmanuel Kant and lectures of Robert Ingersoll.
This better weather being enjoyed in the midwaste of the continent
stirs up some enthusiasm for doing things. You know, the unspoken
relationships KDX shares with other low power stations can be described
as complementary as we intentionally avoid competing through
duplication... for example, knowing that Artisan Radio programs
audiobooks, we take care to select entirely different books thereby
giving the audience a wider range of choices. What makes this
significant is the observed practice of many commercial stations who
compete by direct and flagrant duplication of what other stations are
doing, attempting to attract the same audience but succeeding only in
splintering and fragmenting the available listeners.
Wednesday August 17, 2022 11:49 AM CDT --
Engineers
like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available,
they will create their own problems.
-Scott Adams, author, cartoonist
Wednesday August 17, 2022 11:32 AM CDT -- USB Type-C --
Wednesdeay August 17, 2022 10:53 AM CDT -- The Radio Novelty Award
Winner --
Frederick Moe !
Hello Carl
I
actually have an InfoSpot talking house AM transmitter up &
running; I'm terrible with technical aspects of broadcasting but this
one is humming along just fine on 1620. I am wondering if your Low
Power Hour is still in production and if so, could I air it on my
humble Part 15 project aka Groveton Community Radio.
Fred
Hello
and welcome, Fred. I'll be having questions about your InfoSpot setup
and will be blogging about your creative radio program contributions.
There are about 112 episodes of the Low Power Hour, 25 of which are
linked from The Blare Blog
Contents Page
by scrolling down to the last line of 'Contents' for 'Low Power Hour
Library'. That'll get you started, and I'll go to work adding the rest
of the shows. New episodes could occur at any time!
Tuesday August 16, 2022 6:00 AM CDT -- A Message to Morning Radio --
Pull
it back. Tone it down. Stop rushing into a crammed maelstrom of
information, changing the subject every few seconds and even moreso
when launching into a cluster of commercial and promotional
announcements. We awaken from a big top of circus dreams and begin
sorting our own thoughts when the radio bursts in and redirects us into
a flood zone of uncollated reports we don't need to hear. All we
wonder when consulting the radio are possibly the three most important
things to know heading forward into the day. After ten minutes
of
radio overload it's already time for a nap. Let me put it another way:
just shut up.
Sunday August 14, 2022 7:23 AM CDT -- Anne Heche in the Past Tense --
This
morning began with a lazy decision to remain in bed listening to the
radio where "On the Media" with Brooke Gladstone was wafting from WNYC
New York with a superbly in depth report on the matter of banned books
in American schools. The banning poses a sinister blockade of our
cultural inheritance and the program was so well detailed that I want
to have this excellent episode on my station so I can hear it again.
Last
night ended by also visiting a media related experience when I was
caused to seek Anne Heche movies upon news of her death. I hadn't
previously realized that she is
was my favorite actress and I hoped to spend time admiring her work
which to me is marked by her light touch as an authentic character in
whatever role she played. The film I ended up seeing is "The Third
Miracle" and got half-way through before falling asleep.
Sunday August 14, 2022 7:09 AM CDT -- This Womb is Occupied --
Readers
familiar with what we do are aware that The Blare Blog tries to be
helpful toward other low power radio stations by coming up with
original ideas to help things along. Of course having a noticeable name
for a station is step one, and we stir up suggested four
letter
combinations not otherwise in current use by existing licensed
stations,
such as this morning's WOMB, which I thought could be subtitled "The
Bump", bearing the slogan "Where Radio is Born". But it turns out WOMB
is currently assigned to 89.9 FM in Ellettsville, Indiana, and their
slogan "With Our Mother Blest Radio". I'd been thinking about wombs in
all their ramifications as I suppose all
most men do their whole lives. WOMB in Elletsville is founded
upon
the Catholic tradition of venerating the womb of the mythical mother of
Jesus.
Friday August 12, 2022
11:20 AM CDT -- Build Your Own ISP --
arsTECHNICA
Friday August 12, 2022 7:02 AM CDT -- Post Postal --
The
once splendid U.S. Postal Service has fallen into shambles since that
very former President put his stooge in charge of dismantling it,
and deconstruction continues as un-uniformed and apparently
untrained carriers manage to deliver at least some of our mail. At KDX
we've established a careful mail monitoring procedure to keep track of
business mail that never arrives so we're sure to stay current on
payments and obligations. We have a growing list of articles never
delivered. And most recently a mail lady has been applying her own
style as she sets mail on the porch steps and railings rather than
putting it in the mailbox. Diversity needs to have some
limits.
Wednesday August 10, 2022 7:00 AM CDT --
Tuesday August 9, 2022 11:19 AM CDT --
Prayer
gives inarticulate people something to say.
- C. Blare, 2022
Monday August 8, 2022 1:35 PM CDT -- Judging Covers by Their Books --
At
first blush one might think HobbyCaster to be a little goofy in
devoting so much ink to 'informed' posts which are neutered through
banned access except for approved members. This might be
reasonable if one could qualify for acceptance, but in large part
membership is denied by a grand master who distrusts anyone who might
attempt to join. This is not unlike the reasoning employed by the FCC
when they issue a Notice of Unauthorized Operation based on not having
a license, when in fact applications for license are summarilly
denied.
Monday August 8, 2022 1:23 PM CDT -- Listening Directories and Listing
Ships --
In
another heat alert I've searched for 'internet streaming radio
directories' and stopped when I reached 31. Each one of them boasts
50,000 or more radio stations, so does it help to be listed on any of
them? It all depends on what we mean by 'help'. A lot of stations think
it matters if unknown strangers 'connect' and remain listening, a
possible indication that those visitors like what you present. We all
want to be
liked for something. For me it's only a case of idle curiosity since I
doubt that most of the thousands of stations are worth a moment of
time. As for my station, KDX exists for my own listening pleasure so
there'd be no reason to look elsewhere unless my equipment broke down.
For no anticipated advantage KDX is listed on two directories, each of
which also have thousands of other stations. I'm sorry, I can't talk to
you right now because I'm listening to the radio.
Monday August 8, 2022 8:05 AM CDT -- Doesn't There Have to Be an
Interferee? --
No. Not in the eyes of the FCC. There's no point coming up with logical
arguments against a federal bureaucracy.
Monday August 8, 2022 7:41 AM CDT -- The Philosophy of Interference --
All
of us in low power radio know what Moderator Mark meant when he said
"it's all interference" in our recent discussion about radio signal
carriers, modulated and unmodulated. What a lay person needs to
understand is that the FCC has written the Part 15 Rules as an overall
categorization of permissable levels of 'interference' from
non-licensed sources, be it arc-welding, flourescent lamps, DSL
telephone circuits, broken street lights, and many forms of radiation
both intentional and unintentional. Narrowing it down to what our radio
stations do, our 'transmitters' are officially described as
'intentional radiators', and in a flagrant short-circuiting of language
we are 'allowed' to produce a specified level of 'interference'. No
capiche? Let me use an analogy, starting from the fact that the Federal
Communications Commission is in essence a board of trustees acting on
behalf of the general public to regulate the electro-magnetic spectrum
as a limited resource, much like the Department of Conservation
regulates public parks. We'll say that a picnic table is in high
demand, and the Department controls access by issuing permits. A casual
visitor with no permit may not use the table even if no one has a
permit on a given
day. And that's why our intentional radiators are classed as
interference.
Monday August 8, 2022 7:20 AM CDT -- Signs of Thaw at Icecast --
Much
time has gone by since we expressed concern about the seeming lack of
activity involving the Icecast Stream Server which has held at version
2.4.4 for a very long time. Using paranoia as our tool for inquiry we
feared that perhaps the world's number one open source stream server
was dead, possibly tied up legally by challenges from the billion
dollar stream industry, had perhaps been abandoned by its developers
and left orphaned, was maybe on the brink of being declared criminal as
small time independent online radio is hunted down and subjected to
long prison sentences in maximum security razor wire and cinder-block
confinement. But all that aside, today's visit to the Icecast site
brings hopeful news as V 2.5 Beta3 is announced!
Friday August 5, 2022 6:17 AM CDT -- Carworthy Roading --
SLATE
Friday August 5, 2022 4:34 AM CDT -- Herbie Popnecker the Fat Fury --
There
was a time when I had a large collection of Herbie comic books. It
always seemed to me that Herbie would go well on radio, but nothing was
ever done about it. I think a family member made off with the
collection and we haven't spoken since.
Wikipedia
Fan Site
Thursday August 4, 2022 9:46 AM CDT -- Newly Updated Winamp 5.9 --
This
morning's broadcast of 'Security Now' from TWiT.tv brought word from
security expert Steve Gibson that after several years of development a
freshly updated version of Winamp is available. Steve says that many of
his listeners believe that Winamp is the finest audio player of them
all,
and at KDX we have fond memories of using V 5.666 as our program
playlist for daily stream operations using the convenient DSP Plugin
feature along with StereoTool, still available as a plugin. In fact, if
I recall correctly, we'd figured out some way of combining Zara with
Winamp to enjoy the best of both. We may try some new experiments to
revive the pairing of these great apps.
Wednesday August 3, 2022 10:34 AM CDT -- Sunny Eruptions --
INTERESTING
ENGINEERING
Wednesday August 3, 2022 6:45 AM CDT -- Interference Stories --
The LEWISTON TRIBUNE
Wednesday August 3, 2022 5:39 AM CDT -- Thoughts Dawning --
I'm
just back from an excursion down to the public street with the weekly
trash, an expedition of 100-feet through treacherous wilderness. At any
moment a bear, cougar, or homeless gang might rush out of the
bamboo and the blog would never know.
Yesterday I was out
and about during daylight hours and noticed that no one else was
wearing a face mask. That doesn't jive with what I hear on KDX about
the A5 Variant being hyper contagious.
Dreams sometimes end at
very auspicious moments, as this morning I was with a lady friend at
the university where she was carrying on a friendly conversation with
the Senator who happened to drop a handful of loose change which rolled
all over the tile floor. As he bent over to pick up the dimes and
pennies I noticed he was wearing the finest navy blue suit I'd ever
seen and I became concerned he might scuff himself so I voluntarilly
helped gather some coins. It was soon obvious that coins were sprinkled
all through the area, more coins than he'd actually dropped, and there
were still more coins on desk surfaces, until I came upon a thick
bundle of bills held together by rubber bands, and I thought 'finder's
fee', but also became concerned about the moral question of grabbing
money found in someone's work space. Perfect time to awaken and be
spared the uncertainty.
Tuesday August 2, 2022 1:41 PM CDT -- About Unmodulated Carriers --
Mark speaks from part15.org:
Doesn't
matter if audio or not. It's still interference. But here's an
interesting thing I bet you haven't thought of....with AM it says and I
quote...
" 100mW DC unmodulated into
the final RF amplifier".....not including the power for the filiment if
you have a tube amp of course.
Does that mean if the
input to the final has
audio applied or is modulated, does the rule now not apply?
Again I ask, do I need a
lawyer?
By the way Carl, you
didn't turn the A/C on yet in the morning? Don't you have to have it on
at night to sleep?
Good
points as usual. And here's how the cooling usually works. The day's
heat starts really building up after the noon hour, when I start the
AC. It runs continuously until about 1:30 AM when the indoor air starts
feeling chilly, so I turn it off.
By the way, I just put a
large fan pushing cooled air into my work station area, which works so
well I'll be able to keep things turned on longer.
Tuesday August 2, 2022 10:42 AM CDT -- The Philosophical Life --
I have had the honor and privilege of living among PhD philosophers who
have imparted wisdoms not printed in books.
One
of them said, "The thing wrong with people is that they don't do what
you want them to." That has proven true over the years. There are those
women who didn't do what I wanted them to, those radio station managers
who didn't hire me outright, and those millionaires who failed to
bestow
me with adequate sums.
That same philosopher said, "Everyday we
should go beyond ourselves." What I take from that is that we should do
more than we do to maintain things and complete projects. It almost
makes me feel guilty to be reminded of all the undone work waiting to
be faced.
Still, feeling guilty is the easy way out. That's my own philosophic
attitude. Hold my beer.
Tuesday August 2, 2022 10:17 AM CDT -- Invisible Radiation Coming
Through the Walls --
At this time of the morning our air conditioner has not yet been turned
on. Looking back to 7 AM it was 82o outside and
83o inside, and now at 10:17 AM the outside has
risen to 88o while indoors is holding at 83o,
yet it feels hotter. I believe that rays from outer space are passing
through the roof and walls and creating a microwave oven effect.
Although some of it might attribute to the sun, I believe
that hundreds of microwave satellites are drowning us in
radiation
far in excess of natural solar rays.
Tuesday August 2, 2022 6:49 AM CDT -- Unmodulated Carriers --
Of
course we cannot read the FCC's mind, but they have given thought to
why their rules are what they are. For example, the dinky field
strength allowance given in 15.239 for legal (unlicensed) broadcasting
on the FM band. When you think about it, part 15 is kind
of lax
when it comes to requirements imposed upon untrained lay people who
switch on their C.Crane FM2s or even their Decades, they might easily
go into the red on modulation thinking that louder audio equates to
more power and better range. And even smart highly trained operators
such as ourselves tend to leave their devices turned on all the time
even when no audio is present. I'm fairly certain that dead carriers
count as interference; it would be far fetched to call absolute
silence a produced program.
Monday August 1, 2022
3:10 PM CDT -- Local Primary Elections Tomorrow --
Nordine Approves This
Message
Monday August 1, 2022 11:59 AM CDT -- Formal Opening of August --
How
do you do. For that matter how does anyone do. I do the best I can.
This August being opened right now is a new one. It is not an old
August being recycled, but an entirely new one. No one knows much about
it yet, but we at least have an idea what to expect in the next few
days, but of course I am speaking locally and your location might be
quite different. We are entering another three day heat alert with
temperatures approaching 100 Fahrenheit. As per policy the KDX Website,
The Blare Blog, and Streaming KDX Radio will close during the peak of
the heat. At this exact moment the outdoor temperature is 88 while
inside we have 81. This morning's stream programs were not heard
because I was too busy to run them, but we're catching up by airing
part of the Thom Hartmann Program. We're watching the situation very
closely while enjoying coffee with genuine maple syrup.