Radio Amateur W4KWH

Spent the day in Portsmouth watching the powerboat races on the Elizabeth River.  The day was absolutely beautiful and we had the good fortune of a shade tree all afternoon.  This is the first time we’ve attended races here locally but it won’t be the last.  Portsmouth City Park is really nice and makes for a great location to watch the racing.  Admission and parking are free and the event is scheduled annually.

Outside of the somewhat routine “do you think my computer could have a virus” question, the next most frequent question I’m asked is in regard to parental control software. There are a number of options currently in the market but my recommendation is always Safe Eyes.

It’s easily installed, relatively transparent to the user, and provides every feature most parents look for in a product to protect their children.

1. Content controls allow parents to select the types of websites that are appropriate.
2. Program control over Instant Messengers, Peer-to-peer File Sharing, and other programs.
3. Time controls to limit the amount of time spent online and the times when the Internet is available.
4. Usage logging to review websites visited, programs used on the Internet, and Instant Messaging Chats.
5. Usage alerts to notify instantly via email, text message, or phone call when someone visits inappropriate websites.

Great features at a great price.  To order, click the Safe Eyes link located in the column to the right.

Radio Shack has now started an electronics trade-in program similar to to the one I mentioned a few weeks back sponsored by Best-Buy.  You may not get a whole lot of cash out of your old devices but this concept keeps your old electronics out of the landfill.

Source: RadioShack – Do Stuff

The bowling event was a blast! The kids had fun, the cake was good, and I got to do some visiting with people I’ll miss in the years to come. It’s good that we have the Internet and email to keep in touch despite the distance. Sort of means that goodbye’s don’t really have to be goodbye’s anymore.

Anyway, it really was nice and I did have a great time. Good people, good fun, and I bowled the best game I’ve bowled since high school, a 183! Everything was going great until we left and were driving home.

It sort of works out this way…I retire from the Navy and a couple of days later the exhaust manifold in my truck is found to be warped and has to be replaced. If that’s not enough, a boot in the steering rack had also ruptured resulting in corrosion where there shouldn’t be any.  Two days later I guess I sort of came to the realization that I didn’t really need that money for anything else anyway…lucky me…

As a result of my impending transition to civilian life I’m having a small social gathering on Monday, April 13th, at 1:00 pm (or 1300 for those of you who still can’t remember how to convert the time). The event will be held at the MWR bowling alley just inside gate 5 at NOB. They do have a great lunch special that includes a combo meal, shoes, and three games of bowling if you have any interest.

You are invited to drop by and visit with me and, most importantly, my family. I’ve kept them pretty isolated from my life in the navy throughout my career and this is your one and only chance to tell them about the things you may have seen or heard me do.

For those of you that won’t be able to make it, I want you to know that I appreciate the help and support you’ve given me during my career. If you ever want to get in touch with me, email will always be the best route to go.

Please feel free to invite anyone who may have served with me before and would like to attend.

We’ve recently added remote support capability to our list of services through the use of GoToAssist. We now have the ability to correct a number of software and configuration issues at your site via the Internet which reduces the time and cost for your repair.