Happy New year

Feeding Birds & Bird Foods

Here in South East Indiana the snow has covered the ground for weeks now. The birds are struggling to find enough food. Help them out by putting out feed. Most retail stores and farm feed stores sell wild bird seeds. I put out feed all Winter, but it is very important when the ground is covered with snow. Save your table scraps and put it out on the ground near the base of a tree or bush. Crows love table scraps but so do stray cats and dogs, They must eat to.
Read more Do a search for feeding birds

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Wizards of Winter

66000+ lights synchronized to Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Wizards of Winter using 144 channels of Light-O-Rama.

Visit www.NeverEnoughLights.com for more info.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all

Christmas card again

A few years ago I put together this Christmas card and it turned into a hit with people that remember the Busching bridge. I guess it is a slight bit hard to find on the web because I get several emails each year asking if it is still on and where can it be found. OK, here it is again:
http://wb9otx.com/card/
You may want to bookmark it for next year. Happy Holidays to all.

Solar panel plus wind turbine report

If for some crazy reason you have been reading this blog you would know I have been experimenting with wind and solar power. Here is a report that may help you decide if you want to go off grid. I have found that here in southeast Indiana the wind just does not blow at a speed fast enough to produce the power to do little more than trickle charge the batteries. The 750 watt inverter draws more than the turbine will keep up with and with a 15 watt lightbulb attached it will run down the battery very quickly. The solar panels I used put out 4 amps in bright sunlight. Solar is a better choice for this part of the state. Even with overcast skies they will produce 1 amp. My panels are ground mounted, and this may be a better location than on your roof, why, It snows and completely blocks out the sun. You can sweep the snow off and not risk falling off the roof. The combination of solar and wind that I have will run a few lights or some small appliances with 5 very heavy duty 12 volt batteries. I can run my Ham radio station for an extended time tho. I bought all it took to get this monster up and running at used prices. I cut the cost at every point I could and scrounged everything I could, still it was very expensive to construct. I find it to be a great conversation piece and a fun thing to experiment with, but practical its not. By the time the system saved you enough to pay for itself all would be worn out. Buy your watts from Duke or REMC or move to where the wind speeds are grater and the sun shines most of the time. One good note is I have 5 batteries fully charged if the grid falls off....... its been fun.

Cloudy lunar eclipse

It was cloudy and overcast over most of the U.S., but you can see the photos of it in this article from Wikimedia.

The December 2010 lunar eclipse occurred from 5:27 to 11:06 UTC (1:27 to 6:06 EST) on December 21, coinciding with the date of the December solstice. It was visible in its entirety as a total lunar eclipse in North and South America.
Read everything you ever wanted to know about it.

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Jack Demaree
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Store 166,000 photos, 71,000 songs or 131 hours of HD video and more

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Watch DVD movies on your computer; read and write CDs and DVDs in multiple formats

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Connect to a broadband modem or a wired broadband router with wired Ethernet, or wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi signal or hotspot with the 802.11b/g/n wireless connection built into your PC

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Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M with up to 1309MB total available graphics memory

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Ripley Computer Service
Jack Demaree
812-689-5960

Winter is here 12/21/10 at 11:38 pm

A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun's apparent position in the sky reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, the apparent movement of the Sun's path north or south comes to a stop before reversing direction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice

Are you tired of AVG Restarts

Install Microsoft Security Essentials: Most commercial security suites are overblown and tend to bog down the systems on which they're installed. MSE (download site) is small, fast, and free — definitely worth trying in place of competing suites.

Don't forget to un-install the virus program you have now before installing this one.

LUNAR ECLIPSE

For the first time in many years, northern winter is beginning with a total lunar eclipse. On Dec. 21, 2010, the date of the northern winter solstice, the full Moon will pass through Earth's shadow, turning the lunar orb a delightful shade of coppery-red. Sky watchers in North America are favored with an overhead view as the eclipse unfolds on Tuesday morning between 02:41 am and 03:53 am EST. Visit http://spaceweather.com for full coverage of the event including live webcasts, observing tips, and a look at the surprising connection between lunar eclipses and Earth's climate.

You just need to watch this

I was stationed at Ft. Ord, Ca. in the late 60s and when I was discharged I travailed to Oakland, Ca. to board a flight home. At the airport a hippy looking fellow walked up and said," How many babies have you killed", then spit in my face. I felt lower than a worm under ground. I am so glad most people are standing up for our servicemen now. If you see a soldier, shake his/her hand, buy his lunch, or just say thank you. Watch this video it will make you feel good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=KTb6qdPu8JE

Battle of the Bulge - 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945

Everyone has heard the words "Battle of the Bulge", but how much do we really know about what took place? I know you are pressed for time, we all are, but please take just a few minutes to read a few paragraphs of this article. You may want to bookmark it and read more later. Its a piece of history that changed the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge

Can't find your phone

Loose your cell or cordless phone ? Use this site to find it.

http://icantfindmyphone.com/

Walter Winchell Newscast

Walter Winchell WWII News Feb. 25th 1945I guess you have to be an old geezer like me to remember radio in the late 40s. This was before our family had our first TV. Walter Winchell had a very fast pace news broadcast that aired every evening. I was always intrigued by the opening of the show. Walter would start with,"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at sea". There was CW (morse code) sounding just before headline of the story. I realize most reading this blog will not remember or care who Walter Winchell is or was, but he was a piece of history and that is for sure.
Here an audio file of his newscast

Read more from Louis Lapides blog

Higgins boat 20,000 built

The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) or Higgins boat was a landing craft used extensively in World War II, one example of which is the Normandy invasion. The craft was designed by Andrew Higgins of Louisiana, United States based on boats made for operating in swamps and marshes. More than 20,000 were built, by Higgins Industries and licensees.

In researching my brothers Normandy landing, one of the interesting things found was this boat manufactured by Higgins. Without this specialized landing craft the placement of troops would have been much worse. My brother, Jim, made it off a boat like this and beyond the beach. He was killed the next day by a grenade fired by a German rifle. Delford Cox from Holton was on the same boat and survived the war. Both hero in my eyes. ........ Jack

first transatlantic radio message on December 12, 1901

Marconi's Poldhu Wireless Station The site is famous as the location of Poldhu Wireless Station, Guglielmo Marconi's transmitter for the first transatlantic radio message on December 12, 1901 to Marconi's temporary receiving station on Signal Hill, St. John's, Newfoundland.

Read More

Photo curtisy of:
http://capecodhistory.us/Wellfleet-records/Wellfleet_pictures.html

Indiana Amateur of the year

WY9L Delbert Felix named Indiana Amateur of the year with N8SOJ Rob Schlotterbeck, KB9KJO Jack Wilker, and WB9OTX Jack Demaree placing with-in the top ten. All are members of the Ripley County Amateur Radio Club. I was the first looser.

Read the full story at:
Part #1

Part #2

My video won't play

Several people have complained that the videos on YouTube stop playing then star-up again. This is not the fault of your computer, but a faster newer computer may help somewhat. The problems lye on the server where the video is stored and your internet provider. It may be the fault of your WiFi (wireless) system also. If you have a computer that connects to your modem or router with a CAT-5 wire you will get a faster download rate compared to your laptop over WiFi. The best solution to this problem is when the video stops playing click the pause button at the bottom of the video. Then wait. When the usually red line passes the triangle somewhat click the play button. This process will buffer or load the video ahead of what is playing. This is the only solution unless you want to pay for a faster connection. With the increased demand on servers and provides we are just stuck. Get use to it as I don't see it improving in the near future, at least till they run fiber optics to your home. Just remember when you were on dial-up compared to broadband.

John Lennon (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980)

Sunday December 7, 1941

Aircraft and midget submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy began an attack on the U.S. The Americans had deciphered Japan's code earlier and knew about a planned attack before it actually occurred. However, due to difficulty in deciphering intercepted messages, the Americans failed to discover Japan's target location before the attack occurred.^[6] Under the command of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the attack was devastating in loss of life and damage to the U.S. fleet. At 06:05 on December 7, the six Japanese carriers launched a first wave of 183 aircraft composed mainly of dive bombers, horizontal bombers and fighters.^[7] The Japanese hit American ships and military installations at 07:51. The first wave attacked military airfields of Ford Island. At 08:30, a second wave of 170 Japanese aircraft, mostly torpedo bombers, attacked the fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor. The battleship Arizona was hit with an armor piercing bomb which penetrated the forward ammunition compartment, blowing the ship apart and sinking it within seconds. Overall, nine ships of the U.S. fleet were sunk and 21 ships were severely damaged. Three of the 21 would be irreparable. The overall death toll reached 2,350, including 68 civilians, and 1,178 injured. Of the military personnel lost at Pearl Harbor, 1,177 were from the Arizona. The first shots fired were from the destroyer Ward on a midget submarine that surfaced outside of Pearl Harbor; Ward sank the midget sub at approximately 06:55, about an hour before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan would lose 29 out of the 350 aircraft they attacked with.
Read More or Click here to See a Rare Color Film of Pearl Harbor attack
Below is a video of Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Pearl Harbor Address

14 airmen on the flight were lost - Dec 5, 1945

Flight 19 was the designation of five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers that disappeared on 5 December 1945 during a United States Navy-authorized overwater navigation training flight from Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale, Florida.^[1] The assignment was called "Navigation problem No. 1", a combination of bombing and navigation, which other flights had or were scheduled to undertake that day.^[2]

All 14 airmen on the flight were lost, as were all 13 crew members of a PBM Mariner flying boat assumed to have exploded in mid-air while searching for the flight. Navy investigators could not determine the cause for the loss of Flight 19 but said the aircraft may have become disoriented and ditched in rough seas after running out of fuel.

Argosy magazine published an account of the incident using elements first described in American Legion Magazine^{[citation needed]}. Subsequently, writers on the paranormal such as Charles Berlitz and Richard Winer used these sources and their own research to associate the incident with the Bermuda Triangle. The flight also features in the 1977 science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Read More

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Versailles Web Cam

The camera has been installed and is working. The sun angle is a problem in the morning hours so the afternoon view will be much better. I may have to tweak the camera for the best images, but for now it is capturing an image every one minute and auto refreshing like it should. You should refresh the page by typing F5 to make sure you have the up to date view. This camera view will be in the lower center of page. See the page at:
http://webcam.wb9otx.com/cam.
Please sign the guestbook if you like it.

Court House Image coming soon

Today about 10:30 the UPS truck rolled in my driveway and delivered the camera with the internal server. The unpacking went well but after that things went bad. At 12 noon I managed to get the FTP upload working and after another hour I had the Web page ready to except the image. It was to late to mount the camera at the Red Cross office, this will have to wait till Monday (Nov. 29th) as the office will be closed till then. With a bit of luck the court house square image will be viable in the afternoon. The camera is being tested here at my home till then. Check it out at:
http://webcam.wb9otx.com/cam/

Lee Harvey Oswald

Lee Harvey Oswald (October 18, 1939 – November 24, 1963) was, according to four government investigations,^{[n 1]} the assassin of President of the United States John F. Kennedy, by firearm in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.

A former U.S. Marine who had briefly defected to the Soviet Union, Oswald was initially arrested for the shooting murder of police officer J. D. Tippit, on a Dallas street approximately 40 minutes after Kennedy was shot, at 12:30pm local time. Soon suspected in the assassination of Kennedy as well, Oswald denied involvement in either killing. Two days later, while being transferred from police headquarters to the county jail, Oswald was mortally wounded by nightclub owner Jack Ruby in full view of television cameras broadcasting live.

Read more

D. B. Cooper - November 24, 1971

D. B. Cooper is the name attributed to a man who hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft in the United States on November 24, 1971, received US$200,000 in ransom, and parachuted from the plane. The name he used to board the plane was Dan Cooper, but through a later press miscommunication, he became known as "D. B. Cooper". Despite hundreds of leads through the years, no conclusive evidence has ever surfaced regarding Cooper's true identity or whereabouts, and the bulk of the money has never been recovered. Several theories offer competing explanations of what happened after his famed jump, but the FBI believes he did not survive.

The nature of Cooper's escape and the uncertainty of his fate continue to intrigue people. The Cooper case (code-named "Norjak" by the FBI) is the only unsolved U.S. aircraft hijacking, and one of the few such cases anywhere in the world, along with Malaysia Airlines Flight 653.

The Cooper case has baffled government and private investigators for decades, with countless leads turning into dead ends. As late as March 2008, the FBI thought it might have had a breakthrough when children unearthed a parachute within the bounds of Cooper's probable jump site near the town of Amboy, Washington. Experts later determined that it did not belong to the hijacker.
Read much more

This happens at Cape May Point , NJ every night

Check it out - its great !

http://www.comcast.net/video/honoring-fallen-vets/1536192981/

John F. Kennedy assassination

The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time (18:30 UTC) in Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was fatally shot while riding with his wife Jacqueline in a Presidential motorcade.
Read More
Everyone knows where they were when they heard he was shot ......... Jack

I have one left

Compaq CQ6-109WM Laptop PC - New in box never opened $399.00 cash or PayPal - no tax
Jack Demaree
812-689-5960

Gettysburg Address - November 19, 1863

The Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln's most famous speech and one of the most quoted political speeches in United States history, was delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 19, 1863, during the American Civil War, four and a half months after the Battle of Gettysburg.

Versailles Town Square Live

Thanks to the Ripley County Red Cross for allowing me to place a camera focused on the court house and town square. This camera will upload a photo every minute 24/7. The morning sun will blank out the image, so the best time to view it is in the afternoon hours. The after dark image is surprisingly good. The image is in the lower right of the web page, the other images are cameras located at my home, they are not uploaded all the time. You will see the last image taken though. I hope I can keep the courthouse camera online, but it is a hassle because it is not accessible but a few hours a day. All of the computer equipment and camera is old spare parts I had on hand, so I hope it holds up. A state of the art system would cost about $1000.00 to install. Keep your fingers crossed so the equipment holds up.
See the Web Page here

Well it looks like it quit ...... May be this is a bad idea, I will try to get it back online as soon as I can.... FLASH - I just ordered a 1.3 Megapixel camera, give me about a week to get it and get it online.

End of another Versailles landmark

Everyone from Versailles, Indiana will remember this mulberry tree, although you may not have know it was in fact a mulberry tree. It stood in the Austin yard across from the Tyson Church. It is well over 100 years old as I can find no one that can remember it not being there. As a kid I can remember hiding under it's branches and eating a few berries. It always looked a little spooky as I passed on my way to the show on Sunday afternoon or Ma' Curry's to eat lunch at school noon hour. I was coming back home from mailing a package at the post office and seen a man and woman with saws and rakes. I passed and checked to see if my camera was in the glove box, it was, I drove around the block and took the photo of this landmark that like so many others has now disappeared forever. I thought to myself, there goes another piece of Versailles history. I am so glad I had taken the photo when the tree was up and standing in it's glory. I know people of Versailles will miss this tree and will remember it as they would an old friend....... Jack Demaree

See other Versailles photos

The Supremes - Baby Love November 1964 #1 hit

It was the number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for four weeks, from October 25, 1964 to November 21, 1964. It was also the second of five Supremes songs in a row to go to number one (the others are "Where Did Our Love Go," "Come See About Me," "Stop! In the Name of Love," and "Back in My Arms Again"). The song also reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks before being dislodged by The Rolling Stones' "Little Red Rooster". "Baby Love" also reached number one on Cash Box Magazine's R&B chart.

11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month

Today is Veterans Day
"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."
Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919

See the Cpl. John C. Bishop Tribute

Joe Day in Reader's Digest

A Brilliant Display
One morning last December, Bill McDonald read in the paper that a local man, Joe Day, was sick with small-cell lung cancer. That meant Day couldn't assemble the magnificently lit, handcrafted Christmas displays that had made his house in Versailles, Indiana, an annual holiday pilgrimage site for as many as 95,000 people.

It wouldn't be Christmas without Joe's lights, thought McDonald. Somebody has got to help this guy, he decided.

Read the full story on the Reader's Digest Page

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Ripley Computer Service
Jack Demaree
812-689-5960

KDKA on the air Nov. 2, 1920

KDKA's roots began with the efforts of Frank Conrad who operated KDKA's predecessor 75 watt 8XK from the Pittsburgh suburb of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania from 1916. Conrad's musical offerings proved unexpectedly popular and his operations continued until his employer, the Westinghouse Electric Company, realized the commercial potential of this new medium and applied for an official broadcasting license. The KDKA callsign was assigned sequentially from a list maintained for the use of US-registry maritime stations, and on November 2, 1920, KDKA broadcast the US presidential election returns from a shack on the roof of a Westinghouse building in East Pittsburgh. There is some indication that the new license had not been received by that date, and the station may have gone on the air with the experimental call sign of 8ZZ that night. The original broadcast was said to be heard as far away as Canada.
Read more

feeling much better now

Sometimes when I'm having a bad day and feeling low
I just do a search on Google images to see what I find.
This morning I'm feeling much better now.

I may be old but I'm not dead
See her in downtown Versailles



as always, click image to enlarge

Why boots are in reverse at military funeral

What was the history of placing boots in reverse on a horse during a funeral procession?

This was a question that was ask of me by a Legion member that attended the Cpl. John C.Bishop funeral. I had to confess to him, I did not know. I told him I would try to find out. I started looking with the Google search engine. There I found many answers, Some thoughts dating back as far as 1622, but the one I think makes the most sense is listed below. Within my search I learned a new word, "Caparisoned Horse".


The boots facing backwards in the stirrups was first used in Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. It is said that the backward boots symbolize the fallen soldier looking back over his troops, and that he will never ride again. The tradition of reverse order of the boots and saber originated with the Greeks. Everything in the process of the Greek/ Roman burial ceremony was reversed. The order of those following the coffin was reversed, firearms were reversed, boots in the stirrups were reversed.

Halloween

WAR OF THE WORLDS, OCTOBER 30, 1938, ORSON WELLES

The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast was presented as a series of simulated news bulletins, which suggested to many listeners that an actual Martian invasion was in progress. Compounding the issue was the fact that the Mercury Theatre on the Air was a 'sustaining show' (i.e., it ran without commercial breaks), thus adding to the dramatic effect. Although there were sensationalist accounts in the press about a supposed panic, careful research has shown that while thousands were frightened, there is no evidence that people fled their homes or otherwise took action. The news-bulletin format was decried as cruelly deceptive by some newspapers and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast, but the episode launched Welles to fame.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<*>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Download the broadcast (big MP3 file)
Everything you ever wanted to know about the broadcast is at WikipediA:

This is a classic that I play every year, I love it!

back up back up then back up

Back up 2 gig of photos, files, or programs for free.
http://www.dropbox.com/

European radio stations streaming live on the internet

A web radio directory showcasing over 4000 radio stations from across Europe streaming live on the internet.
http://www.listenlive.eu/index.html

Volstead Act - October 28, 1919

The "Volstead Act", the popular name for the National Prohibition Act, passed through Congress over President Woodrow Wilson's veto on October 28, 1919 and established the legal definition of intoxicating liquor. Though the Volstead Act prohibited the sale of alcohol, it did little to enforce the law. By 1925, in New York City alone, there were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs.
Read More

Do not rely on gossip

I was going through some of my papers looking for a letter I received from a friend a few months ago and ran across the certified letter that I received from a local Ham Radio Club. Some 20 years or so ago I was a founding member of a Ripley County Radio club. I donated much time and funds to this organization as did many others. Much fun was had along with a good bid of public service that was provided to the county. Then we gained a few new members that changed the overall internal workings of our little club. These people rooted their way in as officers and made drastic changes, such as dues cost, closed to the public meetings, closed repeater use, and many other things that were not in the best interest of amateur radio. As a result I spoke not favorable of these new changes. The offices campaigned for the membership to discredit me by telling them untrue statements, such as I was using cuss words on their repeater stations and this would be an FCC violation. John Reid (trustee) investigated this and other clames they made and found no violations. He also uncovered that many other statements they claimed were completely false, such as tape recordings made of myself cussing did not exist at all. At this outcome the officers discredited Mr. Reid and he was removed or resigned under presser. I could go into many other instances that occurred including much hate mail I received. If indeed and you do not believe me I can prove these and many others. The fact that I want to make is, check things out for yourself, do not rely on gossip from others. There is a new Ham Radio club now in Ripley County and it has arose to being one that all Hams can be proud to belong to. If you check both clubs out, I think you will have no trouble picking the one you want to belong to.
Click the letter to enlarge.
Links of interest:
http://rcarc.ripleycounty.net/
http://rcrepeater.tripod.com/
http://146805rcra.com/OpenRepeater.aspx
http://146805rcra.com/default.aspx

Jack Demaree WB9OTX

Wind Turbine up and running

The turbine is at its final position at about 34 foot. It is mounted on a Rohn tower with a custom tilt-over hinged base. The solar panels at the base are fed into a charge controller for the turbine and the panels. The controller charges two large 12 volt batteries. An inverter converts the 12 volts to 120 volts AC. The panels put out 4.5 amps in bright sunlight. This was a fun project but not practical. By the time it would pay out it would be worn out, But when people drive by I get some strange looks. I love it.

Click image to enlarge

New Versailles Album

I have added an album with a few of the photos I have of buildings and homes in Versailles. Some are dupes from other albums but a few new ones to. See them at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.demaree/JustVersaillesIndiana#

Madison Incline

My friend Jack Wilker sent a photo of the Madison incline that was captured as he walked the path of the tracks. I looked up a few bits of the history, here is a few lines from only one. Read more here.

Perhaps the principal accomplishment now hidden from view is the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad incline that connects the hilltop area to the old city. Completed in 1841, the Madison incline of 7,012 feet was - and remains today - the steepest grade of any line-haul railroad in the country. The incline ascends 413 feet, or 311 feet per mile, giving the tracks a 5.89 percent grade. The railroad incline may be reached on foot by driving west on Main Street to Cragmont, north on Cragmont to Third Street, then west on Third to its end only feet away from the tracks pointing to the sky. From there, the visitor must walk along the rails as they cross Crooked Creek via a huge embankment, before reaching the summit after passing under a stone bridge on the eastern edge of Madison State Hospital property. Hundreds of Irish laborers were imported into Madison to build the incline.

Not one part from China

1954 – The first commercial transistor radio, the Regency TR-1 (pictured), was introduced in Indianapolis, Indiana, And yes, I seen one in early 1955. In 58 I had one, AM only, no speaker just an earphone, but wow I was with the in-crowd ! !
Jack

Regency began manufacturing the TR-1 in October, 1954. The manufacture was a collective effort of manufacturers around the country: The transistors and transformers came from Texas Instruments in Dallas. The capacitors came from International Electronics, Inc. of Nashville,[6] Erie Electronics of Erie, Pennsylvania, and Centralab of Milwaukee, WI. The speakers came from Jensen of Chicago, Illinois. The IF Transformers came from Vokar of Dexter, MI. The volume control came from the Chicago Telephone Supply of Elkhart, Indiana. The tuning capacitor came from Radio Condenser Co. of Camden, New Jersey. The Richardson Company of Melrose Park, Illinois and Indianapolis supplied the circuit board material to Croname of Chicago, IL who manufactured the circuit boards. The actual plastic case for the TR-1 was produced by Argus Plastics of Indianapolis, Indiana.
Read more

New Live Streaming Video from Versailles Indiana

Today I have added live streaming video to the web. The camera is a dome cam and most times it will be pointed North West from my home. This will give you a view of State Route 129 and that will include South Main Street covering the bowling alley and the funeral home. at other times the camera will point in other directions such as State Rd. 129 and Benham Road. The camera will be on in daylight hours except when the controlling computer will be in use for other work. If you don't get a connection try later. To leave the page you will have to click the back arrow. This page is still in beta construction so expect some changes in the future. I hope you enjoy the view. Thanks for watching.
See real time video from my Dome Cam
or
http://68.46.217.1:86/broadcamjpg.html?src=1&speed=1

Oct. 14, 1947 - Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier.

Flying at an altitude of 45,000 ft in an experimental Bell X-1 rocket-powered aircraft, American test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier.
Read the full story

Cpl. John C. Bishop Tribute on-line

I have finally perfected how to put the Cpl. John C. Bishop Tribute on-line with good quality. Please view the video and report any problem you have viewing it. You will need a fast cable or DSL connection. I'm sure dial-up will not work but if it dose please let me know. See the video at:
http://skfuneralhome.com/bishop
Or you can find the link from the skfuneralhome.com/links.htm page

Charlie Plumb - Hero

If your feeling low and down in the dumps of life just take a few minutes of your time and listen to Charlie Plumb's recollection of his experience as a POW. After listing I think you will see your troubles and problems will seem minor. He is a hero in deed. Hear/see it here:
http://www.eaavideo.org/video.aspx?v=626927756001

Thank you L.A. for this link.

Alvin York on Oct 8th 1918

1918 – World War I: After his platoon suffered heavy casualties during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France's Forest of Argonne, United States Sergeant Alvin C. York led the seven remaining men on an attack against a German machine gun nest, killing 28 German soldiers and capturing 132 others.

Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964) was one of the most decorated American soldiers in World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, taking 32 machine guns, killing 28 German soldiers and capturing 132 others. This action occurred during the U.S.-led portion of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France, which was part of a broader Allied offensive masterminded by Marshal Ferdinand Foch to breach the Hindenburg line and ultimately force the opposing German forces to capitulate.

Cpl. John Bishop tribute

The photos of the Cpl. John Bishop tribute have been opened for public viewing. Please feel free to download, print, or order prints. All photos are in public domain but should be used respectively. Please make a donation to the Cpl. Bishop children fun. Send your donation to the Stratton - Karster Funeral Home, P.O. Box 84, Versailles, In. 47042
See the album here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.demaree/CPLJOHNCBISHOPUSMCReturnsHome#

Also I have created a slide show video with very nice music in the background.
See it here:
http://skfuneralhome.com/bishop
Thank you, Jack Demaree

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Today I fly in a B-17
Film at 11:00

Click image to enlarge

Back on the ground safe and sound. Here are the photos of the flight.
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.demaree/B1710110#
The video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKItNw3aHLY

Thank you EAA

Gold hits over $1,300 per oz. today - an all time high

A total of 165,000 tonnes of gold have been mined in human history, as of 2009. This is roughly equivalent to 5.3 billion troy ounces or, in terms of volume, about 8,500 cubic meters, or a 20.4m cube. Although primarily used as a store of value, gold has many modern industrial uses including dentistry and electronics. Gold has traditionally found use because of its good resistance to oxidative corrosion and excellent quality as a conductor of electricity.
Gold prices on line

Am I nuts

At last one of my many fantasies has come to be. Last night I struggled and stained but with all my might I pushed up a wind turbine in the side yard. To me it is a thing of beauty, to others driving by, I can just imagine that they are thinking. "What is he sticking up in the air now"? It is a small unit only capable of producing 600 watts of power. At the base I have added a 60 watt solar panel. At this time I'm only charging batteries for emergency power. It sets atop of a twenty foot tower but in the near future I will add ten more foot. I am hoping for a nice breeze - Am I nuts or am I still just a kid at 65.

Click image to enlarge

Things change

Things change in ones life, I did not attend the Versailles Pumpkin Show Parade nor work the open house at the Legion Post this year. This was the first parade I've missed sense returning home from the service. I must tell you I missed putting on my very tight fitting dress green army uniform and marching in the parade. The photos of the big event will have to come from someone else this year. My friend, Faith Ann Wood, snapped a few from atop the ferris wheel and I posted them in the Versailles Pumpkin Show 2010 album. They're quite good.
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.demaree/VersaillesPumpkinShow2010#
See all of my albums at
http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.demaree

CompuServe ONLINE 9/24/1979

CompuServe, (CompuServe Information Service, also known by its acronym CIS), was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of information services such as AOL that charged monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates. Since the purchase of CompuServe's Information Services Division by AOL, the CompuServe Information Service has operated as an online service provider and an Internet service provider. The original CompuServe Information Service, later rebranded as CompuServe Classic, was shut down July 1, 2009. The newer version of the service, CompuServe 2000, continues to operate.

first day of the autumn

In the United States and the rest of the northern hemisphere, the first day of the autumn season is the day of the year when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving southward (on September 22nd or 23rd). This day is known as the Autumnal Equinox.
Read more

B-29 Superfortress flew for the first time. Sept 21,1942

1942 – The prototype model of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, a four-engine heavy bomber that became one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II, flew for the first time.

The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II. A very advanced bomber for this time period, it included features such as a pressurized cabin, an electronic fire-control system, and remote-controlled machine-gun turrets. Though it was designed as a high-altitude daytime bomber, in practice it actually flew more low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing missions.[citation needed] It was the primary aircraft in the American firebombing campaign against the Empire of Japan in the final months of World War II, and carried the atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Unlike many other WWII-era bombers, the B-29 remained in service long after the war ended, with a few even being employed as flying television transmitters for the Stratovision company. The type was finally retired in the early 1960s, with 3,960 aircraft in all built.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Unabomber

1995 – The Manifesto of "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski (police sketch pictured) was published in The Washington Post and The New York Times, almost three months after it was submitted.

Also on this date:

The Betty and Barney Hill abduction
September 19–20, 1961
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_and_Barney_Hill_abduction

CPL. JOHN C. BISHOP Returns Home

Click the image to view larger photos

I have produced a custom made presentation with beautiful background music, edited/cropped photos with movement, and video interludes. If you would like a copy of this DVD, Please send a donation to benefit Cpl. Bishop’s children at:

Bishop’s children Fund
c/o Stratton - Karsteter Funeral Home
P.O. Box 84
Versailles, In 47042
Please include a separate check for postage made to the funeral home.

Sept. 14-15 1897 Legend of the Hanging Tree

A friend called and advised me to stay inside and not go out. Good advice, I should pass on to you, Why? If you fear ghosts or haints as my grandmother called them, this night Sept. 14th 113 years ago citizens awoke to find men hanging from a tree. This tree was located just to the East of what is now North Main street. The tree was quickly cut into small pieces by souvenir seekers. I know of only two small pieces, one of which is framed and displayed at The Stratton - Karsteter Funeral Home at Versailles.
There are several accounts of the night's happening, here is but one:
http://authspot.com/tales/a-strange-1897-indiana-lynching/


Click image to enlarge