The NW7US Beacon

Happy Birthday, Samuel F.B. Morse!

We have a birthday anniversary, today! Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American contributor to the invention of a single-wire telegraph system based on European telegraphs, co-inventor of the Morse code, and an accomplished painter. Samuel F. B. Morse was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the first child of the pastor Jedidiah Morse (1761–1826)—who was also a geographer—and Elizabeth Ann Finley Breese (1766–1828).

Samuel was a student at Yale College. During his time there, he became interested in both painting and electricity (the new area of science that was just emerging on the scene). After Morse graduated in 1810, he concentrated on painting. He become a well-known portrait artist.

In 1825, the city of New York commissioned Morse for $1,000 to paint a portrait of Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, in Washington. While Morse was painting, a horse messenger delivered a letter from his father that read one line, “Your dear wife is convalescent.” Morse immediately left Washington for his home at New Haven, leaving the portrait of Lafayette unfinished. By the time he arrived, his wife had already been buried. Heartbroken in the knowledge that for days he was unaware of his wife’s failing health and her lonely death, he moved on from painting to pursue a means of rapid long distance communication.

On the sea voyage home in 1832, Morse encountered Charles Thomas Jackson of Boston, a man who was well schooled in electromagnetism. Witnessing various experiments with Jackson’s electromagnet, Morse developed the concept of a single-wire telegraph, and The Gallery of the Louvre was set aside. The original Morse telegraph, submitted with his patent application, is part of the collections of the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution. In time the Morse code would become the primary language of telegraphy in the world, and is still the standard for rhythmic transmission of data.

Samuel Morse received a patent for the telegraph in 1847. The “International Morse Code” is now in use by various services, including amateur radio (Ham radio).

More information on Mr. Morse is at the Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Morse

Oy!  This just sets off my CDO (oh, I mean, OCD)!  Whew.

Big Dog to Little Dog:

“They say that SOPA will end our ability to watching Kitty Videos!”

(Source: thefluffingtonpost)

True Visionaries of the Future, in 1922

For what it is worth, there were moments of incredible vision and clarity in the magazine staff of “Radio News”. Here is an example. On the cover of the January 1922 edition, this picture predicts a time in the future when radio will become the “Street Organ of the Future.” Remember the Boom Box craze of the 1980s? And, now, as we have all our personal devices? This was truly visionary, back in 1922.

Extreme rock climber Alex Honnold tackles cliff faces around the globe

In this photograph, Alex Honnold is on the northwest face of Half Dome in Yosemite. About the photo, Alex says:

“There is a famous image of me standing on a ledge around 1700 feet up on the Northwest Face of Half Dome,” explained Alex, seen here reenacting that photograph. “My back is to the cliff wall and below is a sheer drop. It is part of the route to the top and has to be traversed by all climbers of Half Dome, with or without rope. Some climbers wade down and edge themselves across with their arms along the ledge. Some climbers sit on their backsides and edge themselves across that way. I felt though, that walking across it was cooler. It is around a foot wide at the start, but narrows to six inches by the end. By the end, the cliff wall bows out and pushes your back forwards so that you are literally peering over the sheer drop” (source: Telegraph.co.UK)

Here us an insane 23-minute documentary about him climbing that wall as well as other climbs he’s done:

Radio Slovakia International Competition

Our friend at the Radio Listening blog posted the following:

Historic Hotels of Slovakia

Radio Slovakia International hereby starts a new competition where you can win interesting prizes including a one week stay for two in Slovakia.

In the Historic Hotels of Slovakia cycle we will introduce to you 10 hotels transformed into luxurious first class accommodation. Every first weekend of the month we will explore the nooks and crannies of Slovak castles, châteaux and other historical buildings which all have an interesting story to tell. After each round we ask you a question and the winner drawn from the correct answers receives a prize. At the end of the cycle, two lucky participants will win the main prize.

Before you decide to take part in our competition, we have to notify you about two important rules. The first rule states that the winner of the main prize pays the expenses of travelling to Slovakia and the other one is that only listeners without permanent residence in Slovakia may take part in the competition.

Our second stop is Necas’s Villa in the Northern Slovakia. Please listen carefully to the audio report at the bottom of this page on Radio Slovakia’s International Radio website.

The question for this round is: What was the original purpose of Necas’s Villa?

Please send your answers by December 1st, 2011.

Respond by regular post at:

Radio Slovakia International
English Section
Mýtna 1, POBOX 55
817 55 Bratislava,
Slovakia

 or email us to englishsection@slovakradio.sk

(Source : Radio Slovakia International)