Mattes's Musings by KC2GIK

Alabama: At Least We Aren't Mississippi Alaska: 11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong! Arizona: But It's A Dry Heat Arkansas: Literasy Ain't Everything California: As Seen On TV Colorado: If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother Connecticut: Like Massachusetts, Only With Less Character Delaware: We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water Florida: Ask Us About Our Grandkids Georgia: We Put The "Fun" In Fundamentalist Extremism Hawaii: Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru (Death To Mainland Scum, But Leave Your Money) Idaho: More Than Just Potatoes ... Okay, Maybe Not, But The Potatoes Sure Are Good Illinois: Please Don't Pronounce the "S" Indiana: 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free Iowa: We Do Amazing Things With Corn Kansas: First Of The Rectangle States Kentucky: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names Louisiana: We're Not ALL Drunk Cajun Wackos, That's Our Tourism...

Mike Adams,WA2MWT, Ramsey's OEM Coordinator, passed away earlier this week. Besides being a friend, mentor and all around great guy he was a member of the 10-70 Repeater Association. The 10-70 Board decided to publish a few tributes to Mike Adams in their newsletter, but I missed the deadline. So I decided to put it on this blog instead. May Mike rest in peace My friendship with Mike Adams started the way most of my current friendships have started.......through e-mail. Mike had stumbled upon my website by doing what countless others h av e done, searched for frequencies for towns in Bergen County. Of course he already had the frequencies for his hometown but wanted to listen in to different towns in the area. He e-mailed The original exchanges back and forth gave us a chance to get to know each other better. >At the same time David Kozinn started a mailing list for Northern New Jersey police scanner enthusiasts, I was the second member, Mike joined the group sho...

Sometimes travelling realitively close to home is better than travelling far away. Jason DeCaesare, a fellow plate guy, photography buff, computer whiz and all-around great guy, decided to break in his new car with a road trip to Woodcliff Lake to pick me up. Our plan was focused (forgive the pun)on photography. I never actually took a trip into the city, or anywhere specifically for taking pictures compared to Jason who takes these trips on a fairly regular basis. Jason, like myself, is advid fire buff! He has literatelly thousands of images of firetrucks, from the FDNY to Ohio to everywhere in between. So one of the goals of the trip was to shoot some of the local departments. Jason picked me up early Saturday morning and we headed into Rockland County NY where qwent around to the different firehouses, all volunteer. The firefighters at the Nyack fire department where great, not only did they allow us to look around the firehouse, the pulled their trucks out so we could shoot them...

Taps played with words Day is done Gone the Sun From the hills From the lake From the skies All is well God is night God Bless the men and women who fight everyday to make this country safe.

One of my favorite posts last year was The Hershey Miracle where I explained the trip out to the annual antique car show, little did I know I would be composing a squeal only a year after. Like the one last October, the trip was only planned in a few short weeks. Rick Krestchmer, a fellow ALPCA member, advertised a room to share in Hershey. If you recall he and shared a room at the 2007 ALPCA Convention in Huntsville AL and have kept in touch via e-mail. So when he was looking for someone to share a room with in Hershey, I jumped! I quickly e-mailed him and Rick responded he'd like room with me. The next thing I knew I was searching for Amtrak tickets into Harrisburg. I also tapped into the Dauphin County Paratransit system to get me from the train station to the Hershey Giant Center, the middle of everything. It was fine only the bus that picked me up broke down enroute to dropoff other passengers we had to wait for another bus, which set back my arrival time tremedously. I ...

Like so many of the recent posts I started this a week ago and just finishhing it now!! Sunday marked the 10 year anniversary of the tradgic day that changed our country forever. Ironically one of the things that I remember about both d ays was the weather wa perfect, a nice sunny fall day with a light breeze. Although unlike that day I wasn't glued to the police scanner, I decided scooter riding had to take priority. Like many towns Park Ridge had a ceremony attended by all the emergency services, including the OEM. I drove down to the ceremony to find the road closed to vehicle traffic, well most. I parked right by the memorial and joined the percession into the memorial park. It was a pointant ceremony were elected officials spoke and members of clegy lead us in moments of reflection. We then attended a reception at the American Legion Of course this entry wouldn't be complete without mentioning the monitoring. People think that because I live so close to New York City I...

When am I going t o learn when it comes to Facebook one liners can cause just as much damage as a couple of sentences. It all came down to the taxi ride going there. Every now and then I make a stop at the TDBank to withdrawl money. Last friday evening I did the normal routine. During the ride I heard the taxi get his next fair to go from the Hillsdale train station. Since it wasa fairly new driver I decided as an act of good faith on my part I would leave the money on the back seat and I left the door open while I went into the bank. That was a m istake that I will never make again! The idiot got out of the cab took the money o=ff the back seat closed the door and proceeded to the Hillsdale train station, leaving toi walk the extra few blocks. Well I always give $20 on a $15 cab since they do pull in the driveway and do loop around right to the front. This time like an idiot when I poulled out my wallet I decided to leave @$20 on th e back seat because I didn't want to ppull ...