Wichita Falls Pundit
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09-09-2025 10:34 AM - I contacted a station in Lake Thompson State Recreation Area (US-8172) in South Dakota on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
09-09-2025 10:44 AM - I contacted a station in Wolf Run State Park (US-2000) in Ohio on 20 meters (14 MHz) CW (Morse code) in the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® program.
09-09-2025 - 10:50 AM - From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Economics Daily - Over half of employed youth worked in leisure and hospitality, retail trade, or education and health - In July 2025, there were 21.1 million employed youth (people ages 16 to 24) in the United States. The leisure and hospitality industry employed 25 percent (5.4 million) of these young workers, the largest share among industries. An additional 17 percent of employed youth worked in the retail trade industry, and 14 percent worked in education and health services. Professional and business services employed 8 percent of young workers, while construction and manufacturing each employed 6 percent. By contrast, federal government, wholesale trade, information, and mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction each employed 1 percent or less of the 16- to 24-year-olds who had jobs. In terms of race and ethnicity, the share of young workers employed in leisure and hospitality ranged from 23 percent among Asian youth to 29 percent among Black or African American youth. Similarly, 11 percent of Asian youth worked in retail trade, compared with 19 percent of their Black or African American counterparts. Shares of employed youth who worked in education and health services in July 2025 ranged from 12 percent of Hispanic or Latino youth to 21 percent of Asian workers ages 16 to 24. These data are from the Current Population Survey and are not seasonally adjusted.
09-09-2025 - 1:00 PM - Where the Sonic Drive-In Restaurant sits, just outside the Sheppard Air Force Base Main Gate, was once the Cardinal Inn Motel. It was demolished in the 1980s.
09-09-2025 - 1:05 PM - Below the Petroleum Building at 8th & Scott, was a bar called "The Cave". You entered from the 8th Street side of the building, under the covered drive-thru. Do you remember it?
09-09-2025 - 1:10 PM - Were you around when car alarms first became standard equipment, and the novelty caused many people to play with them? The result was that many people began to ignore car alarms because everyone was either playing with them or accidentally setting them off.
09-09-2025 - 1:15 PM - In the movies, people are often shot in the gut. In many of these movies, the victim is saved by someone poking inside the wound, finding the bullet, pulling it out, and patching the hole. Never mentioned are the ripped-apart organs inside that are still bleeding away. Nope, that bad old bullet is the culprit and if we get it out all will be fine.
09-09-2025 - 2:00 PM - The doorbell rang. I checked my doorbell cam. I could see that he had a name tag and a clipboard. That's all I need to know. Adios, My Friend! As the old band The Guess Who would say, "No time left for you!"
09-09-2025 2:40 PM - I sometimes wonder why Wichita Falls doesn't have, and never really has had, a Main Street. I'm not saying the street had to be named Main Street, but it would have been the main focus of the downtown area. Scott Avenue could have been a Main Street, but it's just a way to get through downtown as fast as possible. Indiana Ave is probably the closest we'll ever get to a real Main Street, so maybe we should continue to work on developing that.
09-09-2025 - 3:10 PM - In today's mail, I received two Slinky, Jr. "toys" that I might use to construct an Amateur (ham) Radio dipole antenna. I guess I could use it for CB Radio, too. In reality, the Slinky would be something I'd use in the field, and I don't think I'd be using a CB Radio in that environment.
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09-09-2025 - 8:10 PM - I haven't given it much thought, but a "tap code", as opposed to Morse code, would work quite well at the Allred Unit, our local maximum security prison, or any similar installation. All you have to do is circulate the cheat sheet to "selected" recipients and you're in business. Check Wikipedia for information on tap codes. See more Allred Unit Snippets.
09-09-2025 - 9:15 PM - A vehicle requiring radio coordination is moving through town, with that coordination taking place on CB Radio Channel 10. I didn't think oversized loads were allowed at night. Perhaps it's not considered an oversized load if they're only concerned about height and overpasses. I don't know. Anyway, it's happening.
09-09-2025 - 9:20 PM - If you're a gamer, you probably already know about the eSports Lounge at the downtown YMCA. If you're not familiar with it, ask for a tour. It's pretty fantastic.
09-08-2025 - 6:10 AM - Good Morning! It's Monday. The NWS forecast, once again, will be kind to us. Will this be one of those years where we start our steady temperature decline early, or is this just a tease? I do not know. The Wichita Amateur Radio Society conducted its weekly net last night. I don't check in, but I do listen from time to time. Tune in if you have a scanner radio. My Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready!
09-08-2025 - 6:15 AM - Wichita Falls NWS Forecast - Today: Sunny, with a high near 86. South southeast wind 6 to 10 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Southeast wind 8 to 10 mph.
09-08-2025 - 6:20 AM - Current National Short Range Weather Forecast
09-08-2025 - 6:25 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 91.6% Kemp: 100% Kickapoo: 94.5%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 95.7% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (93.05%) to determine drought stage.
09-08-2025 - 6:30 AM - ERCOT (Texas) snapshot of grid conditions - ERCOT reports that conditions are normal and there is enough power for current demand with an operating reserve of 10,623 Megawatts.
09-08-2025 - 6:45 AM - Do you remember the "He Ain't Here" bar in Wichita Falls? The phone rings, and the bartender picks up and says, "He ain't here". I don't remember if it was in that cluster of bars near Iowa Park Road at Sheppard Access Road, or if it was on North Scott. Whichever it was, he wasn't there.
09-08-2025 - 6:55 AM - A few years ago, Comanche County (Oklahoma) deputies, upon finding a man not on his best behavior in Lawton, took him to our I-44 Walmart, where his bad behavior continued. Question: Have we returned the favor? I'm just kidding. That was not a good thing to do. Was it even legal?