| May, 2008 |  |
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William F. Buckley Meets Amateur Radio
In a personal essay published in the April 2008 issue of The National Review, the late William F. Buckley Jr described a fascinating story involving himself, Senator Barry Goldwater, K7UGA (SK), and of course ham radio. It seems that Mr Buckley was part of a 12 man trip to a very remote outpost at the South Pole. In addition to his son, his old pal Barry Goldwater and Barry Jr were also members of this expedition. Buckley described being in a crowded Soviet igloo, entertained with “trays of caviar and tumblers of vodka.” After toasting his Russian host, he was suddenly taken aside by Barry Jr. “Dad wants to see you” he said, pointing to the door. Buckley was taken to another igloo, apparently the radio shack. “Thought you might like to talk to your wife,” the senior Goldwater said. Buckley describes the prideful look on Goldwater’s face, having maneuvered the Soviet radio to contact his wife back home in Arizona! Although he was a man famous for his complete control of the English language, Bill Buckley said he was “speechless” as he heard the telephone ringing and his wife answering the telephone! He said, “It’s me darling” and his wife responded, “It’s three o’clock in the morning!” Buckley exclaimed, “I’m calling from the South Pole!” This story reminded me of the many nights back in the late 1970s when I gladly helped with phone patches from the US Navy base at McMurdo, Antarctica. Just as Senator Goldwater did, I awakened many people in the wee hours of the morning with a phone call from their loved ones on the bottom of the world! — Bruce Jackson, KA5ELC, Cordova, Tennessee
2010 Olympics seeks amateur radio volunteers
The Vancouver Olympics Committee (VANOC) has given Radio Amateurs of Canada details of their search for ham radio volunteers to assist during the Olympic Winter Games (Feb. 12-28, 2010) and Paralympic Winter Games (March 12-21, 2010). Volunteers must have their own local accommodation in Greater Vancouver or Whistler areas.
Listen to GB2RS on your iPod
The GB2RS news service is now available as a podcast. To access our podcast, you will need the latest iTunes software from Apple. This software can be downloaded for free from the Apple website ( www.apple.com/uk/ ) and works with both PC and Macintosh computers. Once you have downloaded and installed iTunes, you will need to set up the software to download the latest GB2RS news in MP3 format. You can do this by clicking on the “Advanced” menu option and then selecting “Subscribe to Podcast”. You will then have to enter a special web address into the box that pops up. The address is: [www.rsgb.org.uk/rss/gb2rs_rss.xml]. The latest issue of GB2RS should now automatically download when it is available. The GB2RS MP3 file will also be copied to your iPod or other MP3 player when you connect it to your computer. Jeremy Boot, G4NJH, kindly provides the GB2RS mp3 files. You can download these directly from his site at: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/g4njh2/rsgb.html
Motorola To Split Into Two Companies
Motorola Inc. on Wednesday said its board of directors OK’d a plan to break the conglomerate into two independent, publicly-traded companies. One company will focus on its mobile devices business, and the other will specialize in broadband and mobility solutions. Based on current plans, the creation of the two stand-alone businesses is expected to take the form of a tax-free distribution to Motorola’s shareholders, subject to further financial, tax and legal analysis. “Our decision to separate our Mobile Devices and Broadband & Mobility Solutions businesses follows a review process undertaken by our management team and Board of Directors, together with independent advisors,” said Greg Brown, Motorola’s president and chief executive officer. “Creating two industry-leading companies will provide improved flexibility, more tailored capital structures, and increased management focus - as well as more targeted investment opportunities for our shareholders.”
| May, 2008 | |
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