Threads from Henry's Web

Category: Personal

  • Amateur Extra

    No, not an extra in a movie, Amateur Radio Extra class license.

    This post should fall under the category of “personal” and “bragging”, but yesterday evening I took and passed the text for my Amateur Extra class license.

    What does this let me do? Well, pretty much nothing that I couldn’t do already, and wasn’t anyhow.

    The story is this. My brother, N3AU, wanted me to inherit my father’s callsign, KT4B, which I could only do with an extra class license. Since it was 35 years ago that I passed my Advanced class, a license that is no longer available, and I was also inactive, I wasn’t all that anxious to study up and take the text, but with pressure from him and from my mother (WB7OIU), I finally went and did it. My head is currently filled with stuff like semiconductor materials, antenna radiation patterns, and resonant (or not) circuits. But that is already fading rapidly.

    So anyhow, I have proven that I can still remember a few formulas, regulations, and other assorted electronic data, at least for several minutes.

    I now return you to our regular programming.

  • Doggy Oaths

    I’d like someone to explain to me how dogs can become sworn officers. I imagine a lot from my dog’s expressions and attitudes, but I’m at a loss on this one.

    My Dog Barnabas Expressing Himself!

  • John Webb Pitches Complete Game (and a Complaint)

    I don’t have the most positive view of our local newspaper, the Pensacola News Journal, but I normally show this by not reading it. I get local news from other sources, and national news from some of the national internet sources. I do check specific stories on a fairly regular basis and often have my attitude reinforced.

    Such was the result of checking the News-Journal for reports of the July 14 game between the Pensacola Pelicans and the El Paso Diablos. Now note that I admit to being biased, since my stepson was pitching.

    But consider this from the Pelican’s own site, under the headline Pels Win Behind Webb’s Gem:

    Pelican’s starter, John Webb would go the distance as the Pensacola Pelicans (4-10) defeated the El Paso Diablos (7-6) by a score of 4-1. Webb pitched nine strong innings allowing only one run on three hits while striking out six in the first nine inning complete game by a Pelicans pitcher this season.

    So what about the News-Journal? I can’t find their online story. Occasionally I know they don’t link from the sports page, but I’ve checked that along with the Pelicans page, and there’s nothing there. I discovered one problem in finding it in search, however, when I read the print story. They don’t mention pitching. It appears that the first complete game of the season by a Pelicans pitcher is not important, and that somehow the win was done entirely by offense.

    Not only that, they don’t mention defense, which included a number of exceptional plays that helped John keep it down to one run. One catch by center fielder at the wall certainly prevented at least a triple. John himself was part of three plays that were unusual for a pitcher including a double play.

    To be honest, it doesn’t sound like any sort of bias to me. Rather, I think the story must have been written by someone who didn’t really care about the game or take the time to think out a decent story that covered the major facts. Listing the hits and who made them does not a story make.

    End of complaint, I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear.

    It was a great game to watch, especially for the parents of one of the players. The team seemed excited and energized. Even though they lost last night in the next game, I think there is some new crispness in their defensive play. Hopefully they will be able to improve their hitting with runners in scoring position. They’re making a lot of good hits and doing some good base running, but it’s just not coming up at the right time to make the runs.

    They’re up against the Diablos again tonight, and I look forward to a great game.

  • In Niagara Falls, NY

    I’m up in these parts, far from the sunny beaches, to be with my mother for her 90th birthday which is today. She is an amazing woman who is still lively, uses a cane but walks too quickly for many younger people, continues to volunteer in projects at church, helps tutor people who are willing to come to her house to do so, and generally keeps up with the world around here.

    Though I hate traveling in general, I’m glad to be with her today. I have posted less this week and will likely continue to do so. I’m returning to Florida on Saturday. In the meantime, there’s sure plenty of exciting stuff going on in the blogosphere.

  • In Niagara Falls, NY

    I spent yesterday traveling, and thus no blogging. Well, I could have, but I didn’t! I’m in the Niagara Falls, NY area for my mother’s 90th birthday. She’s still very active and involved in church and service projects as she has been all her life. You can read more about her and her book that I just happen (!) to publish here.

  • Pelicans win 2nd Game in Series against Sports 4-0

    . . . and our son’s friend Brandon Sing (also our house guest) hit a two run homer in the first. Story in the Pensacola News Journal.

  • Pelicans Back Home – Win 5-3

    Update: The Pensacola News Journal now has a report here.

    After a depressing road trip and a delay filled return, the Pelicans got off to a late start against the Shreveport Sports. John Webb (my stepson, for those who haven’t realized it yet!) started for the Pelicans and went 6.2, allowing 3 runs, 2 earned. The official stats aren’t showing the last game yet, but it looks to me like that puts his ERA at 2.89.

    Despite one error that allowed a run, and one inherited runner who scored on a wild pitch (that’s the 2nd earned run against John) the Pelicans looked much better than they have. The errors (or lack of them) alone doesn’t tell the story. There were a number of very well done plays, and at least one exceptionally good catch by the center fielder that simply made the game look much better.

    Note that I usually put out a couple of tweets on Twitter during the games and might put out a few more if I thought anyone was reading them. Right now I’m pretty certain nobody is, so it’s just an exercise in typing on my Palm Centro.

  • John Webb Pitches 2nd Game

    I was intending to post this earlier, but at an away game this time John pitched his second game of the season. He went seven innings with 1 earned run, but got the loss due to 4 infield errors.

    When we were listening to the radio broadcast they reported two earned runs, and I was thinking it should have been one, though it was a slightly confusing inning. He had walked one runner, but the one he walked would have ended up on 3rd base without the errors, I believe. In any case, the official wrap-up gives the numbers as I believe they should be.

  • Pelicans Win 5-2

    The Pensacola Pelicans won 5-2 against the Lincoln Salt Dogs tonight. Our son John Webb was not pitching. I understand he’ll be starting in Sioux Falls on Tuesday night, but our guest Brandon Sing hit a 2 run homer as well as a double, going 2 for 4. Following the double he reached third on a wild pitch and then scored on a fly ball to center (if memory serves). I may post a picture/clip or two tomorrow.

    This makes the Pelicans 3 of 4 in the series. I missed the nasty loss (14 to 8) because I was attending a wedding, so I’ve gotten to see three straight victories.

  • Pensacola Pelicans Opening Day

    Well, patient readers, you will have to put up with some baseball. My son, John Webb, was the opening day pitcher for the Pensacola Pelicans, and he looked pretty good. His mother and I were a bit concerned to see the trainer go out to the mound in the fifth, but it looks minor and they’re expecting him back in five days.

    He went 5 innings and allowed three earned runs. Several of us in the stands thought the umpire wasn’t giving pitchers the lower part of the zone. Of course my opinion on this matter is totally unbiased! It’s not an excuse John would use. He left the game with the Pelicans ahead 6 to 3, and the final score was 10 to 7.

    Some early season rough edges were showing on both teams. There were a couple of plays in the first that I know those guys are capable of making, yet they didn’t go well. They weren’t scored as errors–correctly–but they just looked a little bit rough. Overall, however, the Pelicans look like a very promising team.

    Our “other” baseball player, Brandon Sing, who is staying with us here, had an excellent night, though as he mentions in the PNJ story (see below), they weren’t throwing him much. He walked twice and hit a bases-loaded double that was a thing of beauty.

    Read some more in the Pensacola News Journal story Pelicans Cruise in Season Opener.