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10-18-2023 - From the U.S. Federal Communications Commission - "We propose a penalty of $867,000 against Lumen Technologies, Inc. (Lumen or Company) for apparently willfully and repeatedly failing to reasonably design and operate its network to “transmit all 911 calls,” and to “notify, as soon as possible” Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) for two 911 outages that occurred in February 2022." Complete information is available at the FCC "Daily Digest" page.

10-18-2023 - A nice day trip (2 days would be better) is a journey from Wichita Falls down U.S. 281 to Longhorn Caverns between Burnet and Marble Falls and Natural Bridge Caverns, about 5 miles east of U.S. 281, just north of San Antonio. On the way to and from, stop at the Dutchman's Hidden Valley store on the north side of Hamilton. You might also check out the Crazy Water store about a block off the highway in Mineral Wells. Of course, it will be hard not to sleep over in San Antonio and dine on the River Walk. You could also try some 2-meter (Ham Radio) simplex contacts from the Tower of the Americas!

10-18-2023 - I just placed an order for two Yaesu FTM-3100 VHF (2 meter) radios. It's time to get my wife back on the air with one, and I'll put the other one in the car. I bought one last year but I gave it to one of my brothers. Why not a dual-band (VHF-UHF) radio? I'm just not a UHF guy.

10-18-2023 - I haven't heard a peep on our local Amateur (ham) Radio frequencies lately. It's possible that some communication is happening on obscure simplex frequencies, as there are many of those available. I can't complain about that because a local simplex contact is always better than a local repeater contact. It's good to stay in shape simplex-wise because you never know when those repeaters might be unavailable. Moving to the CB radio, I see that the band is opening up and the DX (long-distance) channels are coming alive.

10-18-2023 - From my corrections consultant - At 13-Building, I was discussing the possibility that it was a bad idea to x-ray offender mattresses in the unit's x-ray parcel scanners. This was my opinion because the mattresses, due to their length, stuck outside both ends of the X-ray chamber while X-rays were being emitted. Those protective curtains were there for a reason. Another officer said something to the effect of "If you've had as many x-rays as I've had you wouldn't worry about it." I'm guessing that this person either thought that previous exposure granted some type of resistance or immunity to future exposure, or they figured they're already doomed so "what the heck." In reality, I don't think this person understood the concept of ionizing radiation.

10-18-2023 - Someone just played Reveille again on CB Radio Channel 19. The problem is that it's 0700 hours, and that's a little late for Reveille. Oh, and it's improper to play music on the CB Radio. I almost forgot that part.

10-18-2023 - It occurred to me that both news media people and CB Radio operators have an "originality" problem. I sometimes think news media people have a "hot key" on their computers that spits out "allege, alleged, and allegedly" as needed. Few journalists bother with the challenge of coming up with alternative phraseology. In the CB Radio world, it's the tired, worn-out phrase "No doubt about it." We'll never get a break from that one as long as people think they must say it to "fit in" with the crowd.

10-18-2023 - From my law enforcement consultant - I think most people would be a little surprised to know the frequency of suicides in Wichita Falls, or probably any other city. It's not like it's a huge number in Wichita Falls, but if suicides were noted in online obituaries, I think people would be a little surprised at the number. What surprised me most over the years was the number of young men who killed themselves over a woman. Not staggering numbers, just surprising.

10-18-2023 - Good Morning! As I enjoy my first cup of coffee, I see, or hear, that there's very little traffic on CB Radio Channel 19. It's still early for that. The other "usual suspects, Walmart (154.570 MHz), the Allred Unit (153.815 MHz), the County Jail (155.520 MHz), the city transit buses (453.5375 MHz), and the school buses (152.360 MHz) are up and running.

10-17-2023 - A few decades ago our local newspaper printed a "Letter to the Editor" from a citizen who said Wichita Falls needs a (insert chain restaurant here*) to really "put us on the map." It's a sad state of affairs when a city needs a certain restaurant to, as he said, put them on the map. Is Wichita Falls that insignificant? Don't answer that! *I can't remember the name of the restaurant.

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10-17-2023 - After much hype by our daughter and warnings not to go lest we become addicted, we made our first trip to Raising Cane's yesterday. We thought it was good but short of addictive. We dined in for our first taste, but will probably choose the drive-thru in the future.

10-17-2023 - In 1982 I was referred to Dr. Phil to learn biofeedback as a possible relief for cluster headaches. After an interview with Dr. Phil at his office on Fillmore, I was handed off to an associate to learn the technique. I did learn, but it didn't help the headaches. I can see where biofeedback could help in other situations, but I think the cluster headaches were just too painful to overcome. A few years later it was discovered that oxygen usually knocks them out. Well, most of the time.

10-17-2023 - Good Morning! It's Folgers Black Silk time again. Both the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys squeaked through with wins yesterday. I think the Rangers could - go - all - the - way! CB Radio Channel 19 is quiet. I'll do some Morse code listening later this morning. I haven't heard anything on the local Amateur (ham) Radio frequencies in a few days. I'm sure the Wichita Amateur Radio Society held its weekly net on the 147.140 MHz repeater Sunday night but didn't tune in because I was watching the Rangers vs Astros game.

10-16-2023 - From my law enforcement consultant - It was around 1980 when police responded to an armed robbery at a gas station at the east end of Southwest Parkway. The attendant and friend reported that the station was robbed by two Black suspects who fled into a nearby irrigation ditch. When asked for a description, one said that one of the suspects was wearing a coat. When asked to describe the coat, the reporting person said, "A n****r coat." As it turned out, there was no robbery. These guys wanted some extra cash and decided to put it on the bill of two imaginary Black guys. On a related note, before "pay at the pump" was available in Wichita Falls, fake "gas drive-offs" were an easy way for some clerks to save on gas.

10-16-2023 - From my corrections consultant - Before TDCJ Correctional Officers switched to the new "golf shirt and cargo pants" uniform, they wore a more military-like gray uniform of standard pants and a button-up shirt. These items were not "permanent press" as some might have believed. During this period of my stint at Allred, I have never seen so many employees show up for work DWI. No, not the drunk kind, I mean the "dressing without an iron" kind. They didn't give a damn how they looked. This tragedy was compounded by the fact that the laundry service on the unit was free. Drop them off when you get to work, and pick them up when you leave. You can tune in to Allred operations at 153.815 MHz on your scanner.

10-16-2023 - About a year ago, a visitor to town took photos of the new and improved Sheppard AFB Main Gate. He "tweeted" that the base was five miles north of Wichita Falls. Maybe he had no idea where he was when he took the photo. In his defense, SAFB is frequently described as being 5 miles north of "central" or "downtown" Wichita Falls. Still, situational awareness is important. Without it, a GPS can drive you off a cliff!

10-16-2023 - It's 0715. If you're in line at Starbucks at Kemp & Kell in Wichita Falls, leave now and drive across the street to Frank & Joe's Coffee in Parker Square. You can go to Starbucks tomorrow!

10-16-2023 - Take a look at the windows on the front side of the police station. They weren't always that narrow, but they became that way after one too many of the original large windows fell victim to slingshot-propelled ball bearings.

10-16-2023 - Construction continues on the new RV park on the northeast corner of Loop 11 (the loop that doesn't loop) and U.S. 287. This could bring a small increase in "hobby radio" traffic as RVers are slightly more prone to carrying and using CB Radio, Amateur (ham) Radio, GMRS, MURS, and even FRS radios.