How To Get A Vanity Ham Radio Call-sign

  • Read this and this for an overview with relevant links
  • Read this to try to come up with a call-sign that sticks to the rules (coffee may be required)
  • Search for the call sign you want. If you find it already taken you can search for variations you might like. When you submit your application you can submit up to twenty-five new call-signs in order of priority for the administrators to use if your first choice is not available.
  • As of 2017-02-12 the application is free (a fee of zero dollars)
  • Go back here to walk through the electronic process of applying and wait for your application to start being processed
  • Check here to see how the application is proceeding
    • Check here for call-signs that are predicted to be approved
  • Find your new call-sign in the license search
  • Wait for your official paperwork confirming your new call sign
  • Enjoy your new vanity call-sign

Easily Allowing and Forbidding Distractions on OS X macOS

Facebook and Instagram are better than television and like any good thing it is nice to have a break. Real televisions have an on/off switch but computers don’t really. Technical folks: here is one way to make it easy to give your OS X macOS box an on/off switch for your social sites: 

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# -*- mode: sh; -*-
if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
    sudo cp /etc/hosts.distractions /etc/hosts
    printf "...forbidding distractions.\n"
else
    sudo cp /etc/hosts.org /etc/hosts
    printf "...allowing distractions.\n"
fi

Review of the The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual

The material follows a “flow of consciousness” writing style that is informal and wordy instead of concise and to the point, at times making the reading tedious. The order of topics covered mirrors the order of topics in the exam itself, instead of following the logical order, at times leaving the reader confused and frustrated. Because my “non-techie” friends don’t have the background they are probably unwilling to deal with it. My “techie” friends might be willing to put up with it but I wasn’t. So for both of them I would cautiously recommend it with the caveat that they need to be open to reading the book more than a few times, put up with its deficits and willing to take the exam as many times as required to pass. Another way to think about it is that you are getting a great deal if your time has no value.

Chapter 85. Text Threading 3:19

  • Threading text between separate containers
  • See the offset text plus sign: you can’t print the amount of text in there
  • Couple ways to handle this
    • Easiest click on the plus in the overflow flag and draw another text container into which overflow will occur
  • You can flow text through threading any way you want as you thread together text boxes. You easily layout text to different parts of the page say if you want to include an image on that location of the Artboard.
  • Can thread the text into any shape

The Anatomy of Trust by Brene Brown

http://www.supersoul.tv/supersoul-sessions/the-anatomy-of-trust

  • Brene Brown on Super Soul Sunday
  • Reliability
    • be aware of your limitations, don’t over promise.
  • Accountability
  • Vault
    • holding the confidences of others
  • Integrity
    • choosing courage over comfort, choosing what’s right over what’s fast fun or easy, practicing your values, not just professing them.
  • Non-judgment
    • when we assign value positively to when we or others need help
  • Generosity
    • take whatever words I say in the most positive kind accepting manner. Learn to make generous positive assumptions about what others say or believe.
  • Common Enemy to Intimacy
    • sharing negative gossip about others.
  • Self-trust
    • Can you count on yourself?
  • “Follow your curiosity
    • This is much easier than following your passion.
  • Curiosity is always gentle and available.“ – Elizabeth Gilbert