The Best Scanner Reference I've Ever Owned!

Recently, I ordered the ScannerStuff Southern California Frequency Directory. I got the book yesterday, and it is AWESOME! Very, VERY comprehensive!

Here's the website for it:
http://www.scannerstuff.com/scfd.htm

Here are some sample pages:
http://www.scannerstuff.com/scfd_detail.htm

A Massive all-in-one source for radio monitoring in Southern California
-Coverage of 10 Southern California Counties (see below) in Amazingly Detailed
Pages -Information on Police, Fire, Aircraft, Schools, Hotels, Utilities, Malls,
Media, Amateur Radio, Government, Recreation, and more... -Frequencies, Channel
Numbers & Usage, and PL (CTCSS) Tones -Detailed Background Information on
many agencies -Public Safety Terminology, Codes, Unit Designators/Callsigns and
Aircraft -Trunked Radio Frequencies, TrunkTracker Talkgroups, System
Information, and User Guide -Maps of Police Precincts, Districts, or Beats -Fire
Station Locations, Apparatus, and Incident Responses -Statute Numbers / Codes
-Listeners Guides for Scanners, Trunking, Aircraft, Helicopters, and Fire
Monitoring give you valuable information about "what" you are hearing, not just
where to tune -Access to Free Online Updates -California Counties Covered:
Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San
Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura

Although this book is for SoCal, I wish there was a NY Version! (There used to be the Scanner Master books, but this is MUCH better and up to date!)

Even More Exciting jetBlue News This Week!

Even more exciting jetBlue news this week!

Earlier in the week, The Journal News published an article that jetBlue won slots at Westchester County Airport.

Today, jetBlue made an annoucment...not announcing service from Westchester, but they announced service from JFK nonstop to San Francisco International Airport begining May 3rd.
Currently, jetBlue has nonstop service into Oakland, another city in the Bay area adjacent to San Francisco.

I have a feeling this move is to get an up on the soon-to-be-launched Virgin America, whos main route will be JFK-SFO.

And for those who have been wanting to go to SFO, introductory fare is $99!

jetBlue just keeps getting better and better.........

Disturbed Dissapoints x635

Well, I've been dissapointment by my favorite band.

I heard on Sirius Octane (Channel 20) that Disturbed won't be doing a second leg of their "Music As A Weapon III" tour.

I went to see them on November 19th at UMass-Amherts Mullins Arena, with Stone Sour, Flyleaf, and Nonpoint- and it was awesome. I was looking foward to them coming to either NY or LA, so I could see them again, but I guess not.

What's up with Disturbed? Their website is hardly ever updated, no MAWIII 2nd Leg, and the band is pretty much dormant. Does anyone know what's going on? If anyone does, please hit me with an email at x635@x635Photos.com

Excellent Cell Phone Holster

As many of you know, I recently purchased a Nextel-Motorola i580 flip phone.

Like when I needed a case for my Blackberry, I went to B&D Holsters, a small holster company located in Spring Valley, NY. 845-426-7570

I have been using their product for many years, ever since I had a cell phone. I have found the cases to be simple and extremly durable, and do a great job protecting the phone.

The holster comes with a satisfaction guarentee, as well as a lifetime warranty.The polypropelene webbing with a certifed gun belt clip is unaffected by water, oil, mildew and pretty much anything else. Most of their cases retail for $15.

They make this product in a variety of sizes for cell phones, PDAs, camera, etc. I highly reccomend it to anyone looking for a great belt clip cell phone case.

Apple Unveils New Technologies At MacWorld '07

Apple unveiled a new cell phone today at the MacWorld expo in San Franciso. The new phone will run on a MacOS X operating system. The phone will be entirely touch screen.

Also, Apple announced a device that will allow you to watch TV shows and movies downloaded on your iPod on your home television.

I have a feeling that these will be some pretty cool technology revolutions....

Wal-Mart And Maisto Promote Graffiti With Childrens Diecast Toy

In December's issue of my new favorite railroad magazine, RailPace, there was a very interesting editorial.

Apparently, Wal-Mart is the major retailer of this new die cast toy train set, which is intentionally covered in graffiti. It promotes vandalism of railroad property as an "art", and included in the package is many starter resources for the budding graffitti vandal. This toy is aimed at children.

It's quite good ethics for Maisto and Wal-Mart to promote vandalism and trespassing with a toy, also it's great to know how the graffiti vandals are getting access to sensitive areas of a train yard.

Anything to make a buck. Read the press release below.

[QUOTE]MAISTO TAGS ENAMELIZED AS THE NEXT MAJOR COLLECTION
Maisto’s
relentless release of new introductions for 2006 continues with the announcement
of the launch of Enamelized – Graffiti Diecast Train Collection. The Collection
is slated for to be on the shelves prior to Summer 2006.
The train collection
is unique in that it features graffiti art from actual artists. Along with the
approximately 1:131 scale replica will be a trading card – one side depicting
the train art, and on the other some information, if available, about the
artist. Up to 12 different graffiti artists will be utilized in the
line.
Maisto is working with Enamelized brand and Roger Gastman, who’s unique
understanding of the graffiti art movement gives him unprecedented access to the
artists whose work will be utilized by Maisto. “I am excited to bring my network
of graffiti artists to Maisto for such an exciting project. ” says Gastman, who
has written nearly a dozen books, produced two films, and launched two different
magazines, including Swindle, which was launched with pal Shepard Fairey of Obey
Giant fame. “Graffiti keeps becoming more and more mass and diluted. To be able
to use authentic graffiti and tell the stories of the artists in this train
collection is a step foreword in broadening the culture.”
“Deep in most
inner cities, there is an artist with a collection of spray cans and a vision of
getting up on trains that go across the country.” says Ralph Benitez, the
influential Art Director who has launched Playerz, Pro-Rodz, and G-Rides lines
of die-cast collectibles for Maisto. "This collection pays tribute to those
artists that did”
The Maisto brand name was registered in 1990 by May Cheong,
a vertically integrated manufacturer based in Hong Kong. The company has been
manufacturing die cast for over 30 years, have over 11,000 employees worldwide
and manufacturing facilities covering over 2,000,000 square feet.
www.graffsupply.com[/QUOTE]

jetBlue Coming To Westchester County Airport!!

AWESOME NEWS to start the morning and week! Special thanks to dadbo46 for the heads up this article was in todays paper!

Hope jetBlue decides to follow through with this move!!

Wait is on for JetBlue at Westchester County Airport
Caren Halbfinger
The Journal News
(Original publication: January 8, 2007)

A week from tomorrow, air travelers should know whether they will soon
be able to lean back in a JetBlue leather seat, channel-surf and munch on blue
potato chips as they take off into the skies over Westchester.
Last week, the
stage was set for JetBlue to enter this travel market when the county held one
of its quarterly lotteries. For the first time, JetBlue was one of 15 air
carriers that vied for the right to do business in Westchester, along with
AirTran, which has been quite popular since it arrived in April.
The names of
all 15 air carriers were plucked out of a fishbowl to determine the order in
which they would choose from available time slots for flights and from the
remaining passenger capacity. JetBlue was No. 9; AirTran was 11. The lottery
went for six rounds, from one air carrier to the next, with each able to make
four choices per turn.
The flight schedule is managed in this unique and
antiquated way because the airlines are bound by a terminal-capacity agreement,
fought for by Westchester County, which limits the number of flights to four per
half-hour from 5 a.m. to midnight. Every 30 minutes, no more than 240 passengers
may arrive or depart from these gates. The passenger count is spread among two
larger aircraft and two smaller ones. The passenger limit covers only commercial
airlines. Most of the airport's traffic comes from private or corporate aircraft
and is unregulated.
For up to 150 passengers, JetBlue chose departure times
of 5:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 10 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and 11:30
p.m., and arrivals of 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. The
JetBlue executive who made the picks, James Smith, director of properties, said
he didn't know yet whether JetBlue would begin serving Westchester. He said the
company would evaluate all the costs of doing business here.
"We're
evaluating all the airports that are in our region and whatever opportunities
exist," Smith said with a poker face. "It's another airport, and it happens to
be in our backyard."
For up to 71 passengers, AirTran chose three new flight
times - a 3 p.m. arrival and 2 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. departures - and increased
the number of passengers who could fly on the existing flights.
But either
company could wind up with different time slots than the ones they chose,
because the air carriers can trade among themselves, as long as each slot still
has two large aircraft and two small ones and does not exceed the 240-passenger
limit.
JetBlue, AirTran and the other airlines must notify the county by next
week what flights they plan to schedule, must fly them at least five days a week
and must begin service by March 5.
"JetBlue's entry, I think, you can
attribute to our market," said John Kirby, director of strategic planning and
scheduling for AirTran. "We announced Stewart (Airport in Newburgh). They
announced Stewart. We announced White Plains; now they're in White Plains. Give
them credit for recognizing a good idea when they see one."
Hearing that it
was a possibility, some passengers grinned and rhapsodized about the comfy
leather seats, the personal televisions and the customer service on JetBlue.
AirTran offers satellite radio and free snacks but is not known for its seats or
in-flight entertainment.
Amanda Macellaro, who grew up in Armonk, was flying
from the county airport last week for the first time because of AirTran, but was
excited by the possibility that JetBlue might come to Westchester.
"It's way
convenient," said the 27-year-old kindergarten teacher, who was returning home
to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on an AirTran flight with her husband, Kevin Stransky,
after a holiday visit to their folks. "We always go JetBlue. We're True Blue
members. That would be wonderful if they flew here."
Claire Hart, a Stamford,
Conn., native who was returning to Fort Lauderdale on the same flight with her
4-year-old, Heather, and her husband, Todd, emphatically agreed.
"Their seats
are bigger; they have oversized leather seats, DIRECTV on every seat back," Hart
said. "I normally fly JetBlue. If the price was cheaper, I would have been on
JetBlue to JFK. AirTran doesn't have all that, so I had to bring a portable DVD
player and a bunch of movies for my daughter."
If JetBlue does decide to
begin flying in and out of Westchester, it will almost certainly spark more
changes at the county airport. Since AirTran launched service between
Westchester and Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Orlando, the airport has become
busier and more diverse. Fewer seats are empty, and instead of seeing 1,800
travelers on Dec. 26, as usual, the airport handled 2,800. Jeans-clad college
students sprawl in a hallway here, a cluster of Hasidic men in black hats and
coats talk amongst themselves there, and a lot more parents and grandparents
maneuver loads of luggage and strollers through tightly packed spaces at the
formerly subdued airport.
The airport has added 50 folding chairs to the
departure lounge, but at peak periods like Christmas, there aren't enough seats
or parking spots to go around. Airport manager Peter Scherer has invited airline
passengers into one of his conference rooms to make them more comfortable, and
he said the airport needed 400 extra parking spaces during the holiday. He
managed to find enough parking by shifting employees elsewhere and using the
employee lot for passengers. And new wrinkles crop up: Parents who had to drop
off their minor children for unaccompanied flights had no temporary place to
park while they signed their children over to airline personnel and handled the
paperwork before driving off.
"We're finding creative solutions," Scherer
said. "Westchester residents now have a reason to use their county
airport"

"Armed And Famous" To Premiere On CBS Wednesday

And I thought "Rescue Me" gave firefighters a bad rap. This show doesn't seem poised to shed a positive light on Law Enforcement.

However, I will give this show the benefit of the doubt first. This series looks like it can be quite interesting. Premieres THIS Wednesday at 8PM on CBS (NY Channel 2)

Through a rumor from a friend who works at CBS development, if this series is succesful, then they are going to try a "firefighter version"

Armed and Famous is the title of a reality television series that will premiere
January 10, 2007 on CBS.The series follows five celebrities as they train to
become reserve police officers for the Muncie, Indiana police department,
followed by graduation. After that, the celebrities will go on patrol with the
same training officers who traditionally ride with new officers.The series stars
Erik Estrada (CHiPs), La Toya Jackson, Jack Osbourne (MTV's "The Osbournes"),
Trish Stratus and Jason Acuña (a.k.a. "Wee Man" on Jackass).On December 5, 2006,
the celebrities were officially sworn in as reserve officers

Al Gore Was Right!

On Monday, I watched "An Inconvienent Truth", the Al Gore movie on global warming. It was fascinating, but scary. I think everyone should watch it. It's sad, especially learning that polar bears will drown and become extinct. I know some probaly disagree with the movie or global warming, but I think it is a proven reality that needs to be addressed, before it's too late. Watch the movie, then argue with me.

And, with the weather being the way it's been lately, and after interviewing several "old-timers" (those over 30 years old), I've learned these winters have had more extremes and less regular snowfalls and cold spells then years past. I know I'll be saying "Global Warming- Phooey!" when I'm shoveling snow and it's 30 degrees out soon, but I still don't think winter in New York is anything like it used to be.

http://www.climatecrisis.net/

Bye Bye, Blackberry

Well, after over a month with the new Blackberry, and after admiring HFD23's new Nextel i580, I decided to ditch the Nextel Blackberry 7100i in favor of a Nextel i580.

Although the Blackberry was chock full of features, maybe even too many for my liking, I didn't like the feel of the phone- I truely prefer a flip phone. It was also too businesslike, and the layout and use of the phone features weren't nearly as convient for my taste as the i580 or my previous i730. And, as I've proven to myself in the past, I don't have the patience or drive to stick to using a PDA. Pen and paper notes and schedule work just fine for me.

The new i580 is a perfect fit for me- it's a flip, and is built rugged, and the case is designed to be weather and shock resistant. It's a rugged looking phone designed to take a beating. I really like the feel and features of this phone so far. It has some really cool features that I'm looking foward to trying. I also like the simulated diamond plate on parts of the phone.

It's also neat because it is a cameraphone, although I carry a camera everywhere all the time, I think it may be a neat tool. I also got one of those obnoxious mini hands-free bluetooth headsets, which should make things easier.

I considered the new Nextel "hybird" dual mode phones, but after reading some reviews, I'm going to wait 'til the technology develops some more. Plus, I don't want to have to have two seperate plans for one phone.

Thanks to HFD23 for helping me out with selecting this new phone. (The Blackberry is going back to Nextel or is for sale at the right price) And to TMil for recieiving the phone from FedEx while I was in codes class.