@peribotsarah @GottaLaff from Linked In link- UAW members at Cornell University have secured a historic tentative agreement, which includes record wage increases of up to 25.4%, a cost-of-living adjustment, and the elimination of the two-tier wage system. The agreement also introduces significant improvements to policies on time off, uniforms, inclement weather, and safety protections. This deal follows an unfair labor practice strike by Cornell workers, which forced the university to offer a contract that truly reflects the workers' immense value.

@peribotsarah @GottaLaff So it's being published today that they have a tentative agreement! Cornell University which sits on a disgustingly large endowment relies on (as most places do) wildly underpaid staff doing the non faculty- facilities related work. Cleaners, kitchen, grounds, ect.. The greater Ithaca, NY area has a wildly inflated cost of living, thus many (myself included) commute from a 50 mile radius (hour+ drive) every day to take advantage of the higher than our local wages but way lower than needed to live in Ithaca. An example: a comparable size house/land Elmira-Ithaca is 5x as much. So UAW staff at Cornell went on strike. The common refrain is that Cornell could operate tuition free for 5 years on their endowment at current levels, and has administrators paid like kings. When COVID hit many of us in the are took pay freezes to keep our jobs, most places have made up for it, not all.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/uawinternational/posts/?feedView=all

@peribotsarah @GottaLaff That is a little strange. Up here we've for Cornell and the UAW facilities staff on strike. Has that spread out past local news? NYSEG and the IBEW managed to avert an action a few weeks ago.

@GregCocks Yeah, I always assume we're probably really in trouble if you're counting on us in Amateur Radio. I was a RACES operator, (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) for Tioga Co. & Warren Co. NY for a while. We took it pretty seriously and drilled every week. We were the service that handled government to government communications in emergency. I was a relay station for Otsego Co. NY during 9/11 too. However mileage varied wildly between groups and the NYS level RACES were all business, vs the Penn. State level RACES were anything but serious about it at least back in the mid 2000's. ARES is active here in Chemung Co. Amateur Radio Emergency Service and that's the people to people level of coms. SkyWarn too, but they're a little role crazy and it's hard to find that balance. We're definitely still out and about and some County EOC's see us as an asset and give some resources and others refuse to see us at all. Bst 73! DE N2QFD AR SK ..

@GregCocks The combo pipe wrench/cat is nice.

@GregCocks Well it's been an interesting summer on HF radio Greg. We've had a few fartulations from ye old sol which silenced the amateur bands. There's been some chatter in the past 5 years about LORAN returning as a secondary to GPS and this past weekend we saw 10m (28Mhz) wake up and give us coast to coast propagation like in the 90's. Things are afoot for the tuned in and we are definitely watching the sun.

@serge @lappenjammer Tell me you're the youngest person at shul w/out telling me you're the youngest person at shul: Once upon a time on a shul board I was asked to use my GIS skills to put the members on a map that could be viewed to study demographics and location for long range planning. I agreed but with the caveat that it be very very guarded. The next day the board president sent the links out in a massive CC/BCC email...I shut down the project remotely and called him an idiot. Apparently I was in the wrong....and just didn't understand....

@shekinahcancook Kept my bottle in the kiddish cabinet and my rabbi fondly referred to it as "Tank Fuel" and had no idea why I liked it.

@dukepaaron Ah you mean the how air out line, I was thinking the condenser line, which in one I've got here is inside that hot air out!

@peribotsarah Ah yes, fountain pens, I even used to get some of the disposable ones, but have a little collection of nibs and a few quills, I even cut some cattail for Hebrew script. Mechanical pencil is my closest indulgence of writing these days and I've been using kurutoga's from Uni when I copy code or make notes at work. Signo UniBall Gell was my go to for years with morse code copy as it wrote so fast and smoothly, but I'm trying graphite and even some keyboard now.

@peribotsarah I love watches, but I can't bring myself to wear them anymore. this looks like a Timex case. I've got one of similar and an expedition, back pre cell phones having a date window was super for the field notes when I was an instrument operator survey tech.

@auschwitzmuseum My great grandparents were from Hungry, andtoday is my birthday too, though I was born in 1977 so my Hebrew birthday isn't the same. I always check as I'm a 9th of Av child, and there's a legend about this date. My take is that every 9th of Av the messiah is born, but won't be realized if humanity is not ready. Was the messiah sent to the camps? I don't know, but she was, and we remain waiting.

Flight of the Bumble Bee Radio event this Sunday.

The Adventure Radio Society Flight of the Bumblebees is a four-hour event held annually on the last Sunday of July.

It is open to all QRP CW operators – there is not any membership requirement.

The Bumblebees are the stations that are out in the field who are sought after.

https://ars-qrp.com/FOBB/FOBB.html

For the non-hams out there, most of this is a paper-chase. SKCC had a sprint last night and I was pleased as punch to find NA2DX Nate up in Buffalo on the air. I don't know Nate from Adam, but I've caught him before and it's nice to see 'old friends' on the air and get them in your log book. Events like the Sprint or the FOBB have a points scheme per radio contact and you're just trying to get the most you can, but in my case I just like the excuse to get on the air and play. I was 7/11 in the low power ranking for the SKCC event last night.

#hamradio #morsecode #cw #amateurradio #qrp

@peribotsarah How bad was the process, gomel isn't in order is it?

Got a great add on for my Vibroplex. I'm not a high speed code guy.. I'm not even a medium speed sort of guy..I like to do morse code under 20 WPM or as I like to think of it, PaRtY PaCe... AI4UH make and sells these pendulum extension jobs that give the bug something of a stinger. It adds to the distance from the fulcrum and slows you down w/out messing up anything or making any radical changes to your key. Pretty neat, thought I'd share.
#hamradio #morsecode #CW #vibroplex #skcc #naqcc #fists

Straight Key Century Club had the July weekend sprint this past weekend. Conditions were fun because of a radio burst from the sun. R3 by NOAA scale at the max, so sunlit parts of the earth got a little quiet! Strong finish last night and not too many QRP stations. I came in 5/10 in that class with only 6 contacts. SKCC is a radio club that's about enjoying the telegraph, not just making contacts in rapid fire and I like that part of their events. Even made my first few contacts as a Vibroplex Bug operator this weekend. #skcc #WES #morsecode #hamradio

#13colonies #hamradio
!!!!CLEAN SWEEP!!!!
13 colony stations + WM3PEN
40m/QRP/CW

For the non radioheads, I've been on the air well over 8 hours this week starting Monday at 0900 EDT this is a sort of radio scavenger hunt where you're trying to make contact with a special station in each of the 13 original colonies of the USA plus some bonus stations if you can like WM3PEN, GB13COL (England) or TL13COL(France.) The event is yearly and runs 7/1-7/8. Most of ham radio is just a paper chase and bragging rights, but it always feels good to set out and finish something.
I used low power (4W) normal is 100w
I stayed on 1 band (7Mhz,) the event was all bands.
I used one mode (CW) they were all mode so voice,code, digital.
It's an odd thing to get excited about in the age of cell phones and VoIP but still nice to see what 68' of wire in the back yard and a few watts can manage with a little effort.
Best 73!

#13colonies Anyone else getting frustrated that K2E Delaware is doing everything they can to avoid 40m and only sends at 35WPM? This is a special event not a contest right?
They're the last one I need for a clean sweep but I've missed the contact twice as they don't seem to answer anyone not using a keyer and sending at least 20WPM either. Actually rewired my cootie key as a keyer to try and make the clean sweep if I ever get another chance.
40m CW QRP 12/13 +WM3PEN so far.

@raf @dukepaaron @julieofthespirits Had to run to the corner, all out of Water of Life and what with the holiday and all...

Well, If anyone's keeping score. I'm now only lacking 1 station to make the clean sweep of the 13 colonies. 3 day's now and probably 6 actual hours on the air I'm at the point my brain's making letter out of any rhythm I'm hearing in the background. Morse Code is fun like that... Makes me wonder how the telegraphers of old did 12 hour shifts! K2E Delaware tends to send at 32 WPM and generate a savage pileup. Hope they turn up again tonight and I can put this years event to bed. #13colonies #hamradio