AND THE BEAT GOES ON ....

K4EF

 

How to survive a heart attack when alone

 

Let's say it's 6:15 p.m. and you're driving home (alone of course), after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired,  upset and frustrated.  Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw.  You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your  home, unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. What can you do? You've been trained in CPR but the guy that taught the course neglected to tell you how to perform it on yourself.

 

Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seemed in order. Without help, the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.  However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let up until help arrives, or until the heart is seen to be beating normally again.  Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.

 

Tell as many other people as possible about this, it could save their  Lives!

 

From Health Cares, Rochester General Hospital Newsletter (reprint from The Mended Hearts, Inc. publication, Heart

 Response)

 

 

It Could Have Been Worse!!

Brantford Monitor

There once was a sheriff who, no matter what the situation, always said, “It could have been worse” after viewing the scene of the crime. It drove his two deputies absolutely crazy. One day, the two deputies in the Sheriffs Office answered an emergency call at a farmhouse.

When they walked in, they found the nude bodies of a man and a woman in the bedroom. They both had been shot to death. When the deputies went to the living room, they found the body of a man with a gun at his side. “No doubt about it,” one deputy said to the other. “This was a double murder and suicide. This guy came home and found his wife in bed with somebody else and shot them both. Then he shot himself.”

“You’re right,” the other deputy replied. “Double murder and suicide. But I’ll bet you when the sheriff gets here, he’s going to say “It could have been worse as he always does!” “No way. How could it be worse? There are three people in the house, and all of them have been shot to death. It couldn’t be worse. You’re on.” Said the first deputy.

About that time, the old sheriff arrived at the scene. He walked into the bedroom and saw the two nude bodies. He then walked into the living room and saw the man on the floor with the gun by his side. “No doubt about it,” the sheriff said, shaking his head. “It was a double murder and suicide .This guy came home and found his wife in bed with somebody else and shot them both. Then he shot himself” After hesitating for a moment, the old sheriff looked his deputies squarely in the eyes. “But, you know,” he said, “it could have been worse.”

The deputy who had lost the bet jumped up and shouted, “Sheriff how could it have been worse?

There are three people in this farmhouse, and all three of them are dead. It couldn’t have been worse! !”

“Yes it could,” the sheriff retorted. “You see that guy there on the floor? If he had come home yesterday, that would be me in there in that bed!”

**********

Upon entering a little country store, a stranger noticed a sign reading, “Danger! Beware of Dog” posted on the glass door. Inside, he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor besides the cash register. He asked the store manager, “Is that the dog folks are supposed to beware of ?” “Yep, that’s him,” he replied. The stranger couldn’t help but be amused. “That certainly doesn’t look like a dangerous dog to me. Why in the world would you post that sign?” “Because,” the owner replied, “before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him.”

 

**********

Some months ago Art VE3AHX sent me a copy of the poem/prayer composed by the late Ken Andras VE3UU. I was saving it for the November issue, but having recently received the following article from Ev, I decided to delay no longer, remembering our War Heroes should be an on going practice and not just confined to the month of November. 

 

REMEMBRANCE

EVERETT BROWN K4EF (RAFARS 2608)

Poem provided by Art Blachford VE3AHX

 

               In the spring of 1944 I was posted from the Tactical Air Force to Bomber Command. The Group Chief Signals Officer, Wing Commander Noel Eaton, VE3CJ, sent me on temporary duty for a few weeks to Tholthorpe in Yorkshire to learn Bomber Command procedures from my old friend Art Blachford, VE3AHX, the Station Signals Officer.

 

               The Tholthorpe heavy bomber squadrons were experiencing significant losses and dozens of young men were going to their deaths. No one was more aware of the tragedy going on around him than the Squadron Leader ‑Admin, the late Kenneth R. Andras, VE3UU, who sat at his desk and wrote the following prayer:

 

 

"I am so sick of war and all this waste

Of youth and beauty, and this haste

Of rushing death. This quaint misshaped

Creation of man’s minds this beauty raped;

And innocence made deathly wise

Before it’s birth. The autumn skies

Can hold no sunset and its sting

Of vibrant loneliness with this, this thing,

This cultured beast that fattens on

A widow’s tears, a mother’s pain,

The loneliness of wasted years.

Oh soon, please God an end to tears

And thrill to loveliness, and I ‑

May retrace my steps to home

With countless others ‑God may we

Find promise in the years to be!"

 

               The love for humanity which Squadron Leader Andras expressed in 1944 was to manifest itself in civilian life. Ken, VE3UU and another amateur persuaded the Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB) to sponsor an Amateur Radio program commencing in 1967 which Ken felt could bring joy and pleasure to sightless people.

 

               It was mutually agreed that the program would be self‑financed and self‑administered by a board of directors, independent of CNIB. Its first task was to train blind people to become Amateurs. Next came the selection of equipment which could be correctly and safely operated by the blind.

               The first rig was the Heathkit HW series monoband tranceivers modified by braille markings on the dial and controls. Subsequently; the multi‑band Ten‑Tec Argosy, the Kenwood TS440/450 and currently the TS570DG  were supplied.

 

               The program arranges classes for the Amateur license, obtains sponsors when needed, makes available equipment at cost for lease or sale and generally provides assistance in all matters relating to Amateur Radio. At present there are 504 blind amateurs across Canada registered with the program. Since 1967 it has provided 606 rigs costing $702,000 of which, 48, costing $83,000 are loaners.

 

Ed Note. I'm sure all our members are aware of the many years of hard work which Bill VE3AR donated to running  this program.

 

 

Elliot Lake QRM Follow-up

 

In the April 2000 issue of Signal was an item submitted by Tony VE3TK concerning  a Roger William Bolwig VE3EBC of Elliot Lake who was arrested and charged for possession of unauthorized radio apparatus and for interfering with radio communications contrary to the radio communications act.

He was also charged with Mischief section 430 (I)  of the Criminal Code of Canada. The charges arose after the local police service began having interference with their radio system.

 

On the 19th Feb. 2001 Bolwig appeared in criminal court in Elliot Lake for a trial on the radio communications act charges. At this time Bolwig entered guilty pleas to the charges and after a joint submission from Mr. Bolwig’s Council and the Federal Prosecutor Bolwig was sentenced to ,

9 months imprisonment to be served in the community with the following conditions:

18 months Probation and perform 50 hrs. Community Service. Make restitution to the Elliot Lake Police Service in the amount of $600.00 Not possess an amateur radio operators certificate (18 months) Not possess any Radio transmitting equipment.

 

Mr. Bolwig still faces the  Mischief charge under the Criminal Code which is scheduled for court in April of this year.

 

Ontario QSO Party

 

Normally held on the last week-end of April, it has been brought forward one week to avoid conflict with the Durham Ham Fleamarket. New Dates  April 21st 1800Z to April 22nd 1800Z.

 

 DX NEWS

 

Pitcairn Islands

 

I worked Jacky Calvo VP6CW (F2CW/ZL3CW) on Sat March 10th on 10 meters. I have since discovered they  are exploring the possibility of getting  a new  DXCC Entity declared.  One of the four islands which make up the Pitcairn group is Ducie Atoll which meets all the distance requirements. The only remaining step is for Pitcairn to become a member country of ITU or IARU. This is apparently in the works.   Accompanying  Jacky is JA1BK using VP6BK. I have no QSL info for VP6BK but VP6CW QSLs go to ZL3CW.

 

 

Mellish Reef

 

A small group of Aussies are going to Mellish for 4 days primarily to survey the place for a future large scale operation either at the end of this year or around this time next year. These are the same guys who operated VK9WI from Willis Island in May 2000. VK4ZEK, BKM, APG, & CWT. They hope to be on the air with one HF station continuously from April 21st to 24th concentrating on 10 and 15 meters. As the name implies, it is just a reef, most of which is under water at high tide leaving an area of approx 300m X 60m about 6 feet above the high water mark, enough for operating some stations.  It is number 37 on the most wanted list, the last big operation from there was in 1993 (VK9MM) For IOTA chasers it is OC-072 and is in CQ zone 30. It is situated about half way between Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia at

17.24 S  155.53 E. No callsign announced yet. 

 

 

Chesterfield Islands

 

The abovementioned Jacky with 3 other operators is going  to the Chesterfield  Islands on April 27th. Three stations are planned CW & SSB. They have requested the callsign TX0C or TX5C and will operate 6 to 160 meters.

 

 Temotu

 

Ron ZL1AMO will be operating from Temotu Province commencing March 24th for approx 3 weeks. Look for H40RW on 80 to 10 meters around the regular DXpedition frequencies. This is a one man operation QSL to ZL1AMO. Ron is a well known Pacific traveller and says this is probably his last DXpedition.  

 

MacQuarrie Island

 

If you worked Alan VK0MM from there last year QSLs are now being received. I tried to get a QSO count from him but he told me the figures weren’t available !! However, I am sure after his one year stay on the island he has removed MacQuarrie from the top ten most wanted.

 

 

Malpelo Island

 

HK3JJH is taking another trip in early April, dates not finalized yet but the operation will probably last about one month. No callsign published yet, QSL via N4AA

 

D68C

 

Well, they said they were after records and I think they broke just about every single one for DXpeditions. Final figures have not yet been released but during their 3 week stay they made a total of 168,731 QSOs  with 45,315 different stations and the overall QSO rate was 238 per hour.

 

 

Wanna Fight ?

VE3CDM

 

An incipient student uprising at Wadham College, Oxford, England, was recently quashed in a quiet, but spectacular manner.

It seems , according to one story, that the Master and Fellows of  the College were faced with a demand from some of their students that they be given the power to hire and fire instructors and to  grade their own examinations "or else"

 

Within 24 hours of receiving this ultimatum the teachers met and  sent back the following answer:

 

Gentlemen:

We note your threat  to take what you call "direct action" unless   your demands are met immediately .   .   .   .

We feel that it is only sporting to let you know that our governing body   includes three experts in chemical warfare, two ex-commandos skilled  with explosives and in torturing prisoners, four qualified marksman in   various categories of small-arms,  two ex-artillery men, one holder of the Victoria  Cross,  four karate experts and a chaplain !. .  .  .   .

 

The governing body has authorized me to tell you that we look forward  with confidence to what you call a  confrontation" and I may say, even with   anticipation.

 

  Your obedient, etc etc

 

  There was no reply.

 

 

VE3AHX

 

Good news received this morning (Mar 13) from Ev Brown, Art is back home now, weak but well. Take it easy Art and get your strength back.

 

GOOD EARS!!

Origin unknown

 

Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a  Morse Code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed.   When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and  clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A

sign on the receptionist's counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.   The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area.  After a few minutes, the young man stood  up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in.   Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on.  They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet. They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and  would be disqualified.   Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of  the office and said to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled."   The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, "Wait a minute, I don't understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair!"  

The employer said, "I'm sorry, but the last several minutes while you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: “If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.” None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is

his.

 

THE VALUE OF UNDIES

From 'The Oily Rag', newsletter of British Saloon Car Club of Canada

 

Be careful what you wear (or don't wear) when working under your vehicle...especially in public.

 

From the Morning Herald, Sydney, Australia comes this story of a central west couple who drove their car to K-Mart only to have the car break down in the carpark. The man told his wife to carry on with the shopping while he fixed the car there in the lot.

 

The wife returned later to see a small group of people near the car.  On closer inspection, she saw a pair of male legs protruding from under the chassis.  Although the man was in shorts, his lackof underpants turned private parts into glaringly public ones.

 

Unable to stand the embarrassment she dutifully stepped forward,quickly put her hand up his shorts and tucked everything back into place. On regaining her feet, she looked across the bonnet  (hood) and found herself staring at her husband who was standing idly by.

 

The mechanic, however, had to have three stitches in his head.

 

QSL received from VK0MM featuring the rare Rockhopper Penguins. Looks much better in colour of course. All excess money received with QSL requests go to an Australian childrens charity.

 

I have run out of time and subject matter, couldn’t find anything suitable for inclusion so this month’s Signal is a little smaller this month.  If any of you have any items of interest or would like to write something yourself please feel free to do so. Every little helps.

 

Thanks also to Mr Rooney ex VE3IKS and past member of the Metro ARC who kindly donated some Heathkit equipmemt to the club. A transmitter, receiver and remote VFO. It will be put to good use sir.  Sorry to see you leaving the hobby though.

Experience is a wonderful thing, it enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again