An Opportunity for Bob

Bob has gained wonderful experience working for the Durham Bulls these past two seasons, and indeed over the past 5 years.

The Durham Bulls are a AAA minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. (The Bull are owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company, based in Raleigh. They also own Fox50, a FOX TV affiliate in Durham and WRAL, a CBS affiliate in Raleigh. So technically Bob works for Capitol Broadcasting. See THIS LINK for more information on the Durham Bulls.) Bob started with the Bulls back in 10th grade, or the summer between 9th & 10th... I am not certain. Anyway, he started basically as a volunteer. He was member of an Explorer Post; Durham Post 50.

The Explorer program is a Branch of the Boy Scouts of America. It is Co-ed program, and it focuses on career exploration. There are many various Explorer posts around the country with a wide variety of career focus; from Firefighting to Aviation, Law enforcement to Agriculture. (See THIS WIKI LINK or THIS BSA LINK for more information on the BSA Explorer Program).

Post 50, sponsored by Capitol Broadcasting Company, is a Television Broadcasting post. In a nut shell, Post 50 members produce, direct, operate the cameras, create game time graphics, edit.... every part of live broadcast of every Durham Bulls home baseball game except the on air announcements. (see THIS LINK for more information on Post 50, you might even see a picture of Bob there.)

For the first 3 years or so, Bob, as I mentioned, was an unpaid post member. He caught the eye of the post leaders and the Bulls organization early his first year; His dedication, demeanor and talent earned him high regard. He specialized in "Camera 4", the long range camera out in center field. The most difficult camera position due to the long range lens and well the nature of the game.

Last year Bob was hired by Capitol Broadcasting to assist in the commercial side of the game time activities. The position was part time and did not pay a whole lot. But he had his APPLE job and he loved working at the park. His responsibilities basically entailed running around the ballpark with a handheld camera, filming the inter-inning on-field promotions and such during home games. He also helped the Post/CBC liaison with the general operation of the post and game time production issues. By season's end Bob had proven himself a valuable asset to the Bulls organization and the Capitol Broadcasting family. He got involved in editing highlight packages for the local TV affiliates and tried his hand at some promotional clips for the Bulls.

This season, ending this week, Bob was given a raise and more responsibility. He has been given much of the duties, at least operationally, of the Post liaison. He is responsible for organizing post members, assigning responsibilities, and generally making sure the broadcasts go off without a hitch. In addition, this year the bulls are not only broadcasting on the local Fox HDTV Cable channel but they also broadcast live on the internet and, as I understand it, have broadcast a few games to stations in the opponents home towns as well. (See THIS LINK for the broadcast schedule.) He continues to produce/edit highlight packages for the local stations and helped produce a commercial, advertising ESPN night at the bulls.

As much as I complain and rant about Durham Public Schools, for all it's problems, it 'did good' by Bob. Bob's interest in broadcast and film started in high school. He was part of a "Centers of Specialization" program Durham has that allows each High School to provide specialized curriculum programs in specific vocational fields; Medicine, Biotechnology, Animal Sciences, ROTC, Engineering/Technology.... Each school has it's programs. (See THIS LINK for more on this program) Bob entered the Multimedia studies program at Jordan HS. In his case it was not so much he had a great interest in the field at the time, but it was a vehicle for him to attend Jordan HS, arguably one of the top schools in the system, as opposed to Hillside HS, the HS in our district, traditionally an under-achieving school. The Multimedia program at Jordan not only sparked Bob's interest in the areas of film and broadcast but he learned of the Bulls program through the HS and he gained basic knowledge in film and broadcast that helped him to excel in the field. As flawed as the Durham schools seem at times, this specific program was a success in Bob's case.

BSA and the Post 50 experience has provided Bob with invaluable experiences and opportunities. He has broadcast experience many professionals cannot claim. Heck, the post earned an EMMY Nomination. He has build a strong relationship with the Bulls organization and caught the eye of FOX50 and Capitol Broadcasting executives as well. Fox 50 has called on Bob a couple of times to help with their broadcast of the Durham Christmas parade and other local events. He has even received inquiries about working the Carolina Hurricane Games; something he did not persue becuase of school.

Most recently, this week in fact, Bob has been offered a job in Greenville, with a local TV station doing editing for the nightly news. From what I gather it is a full time position. 3-11 Monday through Friday. I do not know much more about it than that. And I don't know if Bob will accept this job offer. As proud and excited as I am for Bob, I have expressed my concern to Bob that it would be VERY difficult for him to work 40 hours and be a full time student. As much as he needs a job and as awesome as this opportunity may seem, Bob will have plenty of time to work. And going back to school one down the working path is difficult at best (believe me). With that said, I will support him in what ever his decision is. After all he turns 21 on Monday!

Good Luck Bob!

A class on "Translations"

I have not blogged in a couple of weeks because Nortel put me through a training class these past two weeks so I can perform my job better. It was a nice change of pace. I had been asking for this particular training for literally 10 years but for budgetary reasons I guess, I was never allowed to take the course. I had been exposed to much of the course material over the years, out of necessity. But the course was still well worth the time and expense because it filled in many of the holes in my knowledge and experience in this area. The class also firmed up my self obtained knowledge with "why" things are done or not done, the way they are.

The course was titled "SL100-Translations." Nobody outside the telecommunications arena has much interest in this area, even if they know what "translations" is in industry terms. But since this is my blog I will attempt enlighten the masses with a cursory explanation. Feel free to click on your favorite bookmark any time. My feelings will not be hurt.

The easiest way for me to explain what telephone translations are it to provide a brief historical background of telephone switching systems.

In the early days of telephones, a pair of wires connected each subscribers phone
to the telephone company's "Central Office" Each phone line coming into the central office connected to an operator position. Lets say you lived in Mayberry. When you picked up your handset, you would be connected to one of these operator positions. Sara, the operator, would answer and ask you for the number you would like to be connected to. She would then physically plug your line into a receptacle on her panel corresponding to the phone number you requested and your phone would be connected to your neighbors phone. In small towns you might tell the operator you want to talk to Floyd the barber perhaps. In larger towns you would provided the operator a phone number. In either case the operator would know how to connect you to your neighbor. Sara, in this case, provided the translations. She would translated your verbal request to a physical circuit on her panel and connected you.

What if you wanted to call your Aunt Nellie in a nearby Salem? The operator would not have a slot on her panel for Nellie's phone but she might have a circuit on her board that would connect you to the operator in Salem. Each central office was connected to the office of other geographically nearby towns with phone circuits. These inter-office circuits are called 'Trunks'. When you picked up the phone and the operator asked for a number, you would say. I would like to talk to My Aunt Nellie in Salem. Her number is SAlem83788. The operator would connect herself to the operator in Salem, and ask her to connect the call if Nellie was available. The Salem operator would connect the trunk from Mayberry to Nellie's phone and the Mayberry operator would then connect your phone to the Salem trunk. If you wanted to talk to Uncle Buck in Wichita, your call would be routed through potentially dozens of central offices and operators, in dozens of towns along the way, until you finally were connected to Buck.

The phone system evolved over time. Operators still exist but the majority of phone calls no longer require an operator to make the connection. A subscriber could pick up their handset and using a dial could connect to their neighbor directly without talking to an operator. Dial out of town still required an operator to route.

Local Telephone calls were being routed by mechanical switches instead of operators. "Step-by-Step Switches." These telephone switches were made up of large succession of electrical switches relays and solenoids. When a phone subscriber picked up their handset, this Step switch would sense a change in voltage. This signal would trip a relay that would open a new circuit path to the next set of relays and solenoids. Then, each time the user would dial a digit, the phone would send a series of pulses, voltage drops, across the line for each digit dialed. A dialed '1' would send one pulse. A '2' would send two pulses, etc.. The switch would mechanically count the pulses to determine what digit was sent, It then would open up the appropriate circuit path to the next set of relays to count the next set of pulses; it would send the call to the next 'Step'. It continued like this until a recognizable route was decoded. At that time the originating caller's phone was directly connected to the person's phone he called. Or if the call was not a local call, the call was connected to the operator, or a trunk, that connected two switches together.

This is a simplified explanation but in essence that is how a telephone switch worked. (See THIS LINK if you would like more nitty gritty on how a step type switch works and evolved) The successive series of switches made a decision, based on each digit dialed where to send your call. It 'translated' the pulses it saw (digits) into a specific route through and out the switch. There are other considerations, like what to do when one trunk is already in use, how to decide to go to another trunk etc but suffice it to say it was handled by a large intricate network of switches and relays.

Each town had, in effect, it's own telephone company, The telephone numbers were assigned locally according to the number of lines in that town. Some towns, with only 300 phones would use only three digit phone numbers. Larger towns, serving more telephone subscribers, would use more digits. There was no consistency and therefore no easy way to know what towns required how many digits. In 1947 AT&T, introduced the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). This plan provided a standard for assigning and routing telephone calls based on the dialed digits. This would enable automatic switching of non-local calls. Regions of the country were assigned a unique 3 digit code. Large cities, like New York or Los Angeles received their own codes, while in less populated regions, a code could represent a whole state. (See THIS LINK for more information on today's North American Dialing Plan)


Fast forward again to the 1970s. The switching systems had evolved to be smaller, faster, more efficient and more flexible but basically worked on the same principle but because of a standard dialing plan only a very small percentage of the calls required operator intervention.

In the later half of the 70's Northern Telecom (today known as Nortel Networks) introduced a "Digital" telephone switch; The Digital Multiplexing Switch (DMS). This switch was revolutionary in several ways but, for the sake of this discussion, it allowed the digit to route translations to be handled using a computer rather than by mechanical device. Not only did this make telephone routing faster and more reliable but it introduced flexibility in how calls were routed that were unknown previously. The "Dialing Plan" or routing capabilities could be customized to the need of each central office, or each customer in that central office. Inter-switch calls still needed to adhere to the NANP but special services or service restrictions could be assigned to individual phone subscribers. For example. Some phones could be made to not accept long distance or toll calls. Some phones could be allowed to dial some regions but not others. Business could their calls would route using different rules depending on prefixed dialed digits or what time of day it is etc.

Later on, with the supreme court ruling that broke up AT&T's monopoly of the nation wide phone system, special access codes were introduced that would permit any subscriber to choose what long distance service provider they could use (known as Equal Access)

When dialing flexibility was introduced, the complexity of interpreting those digits dialed became significantly more complex. The AT&T divestiture also sparked the introduction of many new billing options and level of services, each with it's own dialing plan and routing requirements. But because the telephone switching system was now computerized, most anything could be done, if you write the program to do it.

This brings us to present day.

Nortel, my employer, supplies telecommunications companies, like Verizon, Bell South, Sprint..., with telephone switches. In fact Nortel provides telephony equipment world wide. North America has it's Numbering Plan and The rest of the world have their own. Our equipment needs to be able to handle it all.

The class I took over the past 2 weeks taught me how to configure the DMS to provide dialing flexibility to meet customer requirements while still supporting the government mandated services and dialing plan requirements.

Energy

Over the past year or so gas prices have increased significantly, no big news to those who pay the bills every month. There has been significant outcry from ... well most everyone it seems, for the Federal Government to do something to limit/lower the price of gasoline and other energy sources; natural gas, electricity etc.

This outcry apparently prompted our elected officials to pass sHB 6906, an energy bill that has, apparently, been stalled for the last 4 years, for what ever reason.

I wanted to take a took a look at the recently passed bill but found it to be 1100+ pages of less than comprehensible language. So I went to the web in search of summaries of the bill. It's tough to find a reasonably non-biased summary BTW. I wanted to get an idea of what the bill attempts to accomplish and how it will attempt to do it.

Here is the long and short of it is, from my viewpoint at lease:

• Reduce consumption by providing tax incentives for use of energy efficient technologies (a good thing) and to increase efficiency standards over the next several years (also a good thing though the time table is a bit slow).
• To sure up the current electricity grid and mandate access to the grid for consumer generated power. (good specially coupled with tax breaks for the technology to do so)
• To reduce restrictions on Oil and Natural Gas exploration in places like Alaska. (Mixed bag for me; Historically bad environmental impacts vs.. exploiting known existing energy sources for short term consumption)
• Provisions to facilitate Nuclear power production and new plant constructions (Mixed, mostly due to inherent risks in this technology and the dilemma of what to do with the waste.)
• Investment in development of alternative, clean energy sources. And release of this technology to the private sector. (Very good, Though my question is what took them so long)
• Extension of Daylight Savings time. (Fine, adjust the clock to minimize energy consumption ONE TIME. Have it be year round and quit messing with it!)
• Increase use of Alternative Gasoline additives; ethanol etc..
• There were SOME provisions for reduction of pollution, and more specifically, greenhouse gases etc.

Overall I don't have a problem with the bill. There are some things I disagree with, some stupid "pork belly" provisions etc. but it is a start.

I have my own amendments that I would add to the bill:

A Significant increase in energy consumption taxes, particularly the Gasoline tax, phased in over the next 10 years. The purpose being to use economic pressures to reduce energy consumption. And to fund development of and subsidies for public transportation and the research and development of new efficient technologies and energy sources. Tax incentives and other provisions would be implemented to reward/reduce financial impacts on industries that inherently reduce energy consumption for others. E.G. Airlines, Trains, Commercial trucking etc.. Low income individuals would receive tax benefit or subsidies for use public transportation and electricity/heating oil etc.. And a few (very few) core infrastructure industries, like farming and energy producers would also receive tax breaks/subsidies.

It may be painful, but this is the ONLY way Americans will reduce consumption, when they can no longer afford to pay for it. In the 70's cars became more efficient. Not because Detroit wanted to be more environmentally friendly, but because gas prices caused consumers to buy more efficient cars and market pressures caused a shift in the products being developed; more fuel efficient cars.

Secondly, legislate reduction or freezing of domestic oil and natural gas production. At least reduce the increase of production. The intent here is to extend the availability of domestic energy resources further into the future, to give more time for the country and the economy to move to alternative energy sources. As it is, some estimate that the US we will deplete our domestic reserves in less than 50 years. (If not sooner. I can't find where I read that figure)

I am economically ignorant. There are plenty of holes in my suggestion I am sure. But I believe the basic concepts are sound. If you disagree, tell me what I am missing.

Why are people so self absorbed?

I am not perfect, I make mistakes, I can be selfish, inconciderate.... But ya know, sometimes thinking of yourself first is ... well, justified. After all if you don't pamper yourself on occation, who will, right? But day after day I encounter people who believe they are more important than everyone else.

I drive Michelle to school in the mornings, she could ride the bus but that would mean she and I would have to get up 30 minutes earlier and, well getting up at 6:30 is early enough if you ask me. Anyway, we leave the house around 7:00 and even with the Tuesday Morning trash truck impeding our progress, it takes around 12-15 minutes, door to door. We live on the outskirts of the school district so I am guessing no one's drive would be more than 20 minutes tops.

Yesterday, the affore mentioned trashtruck had cars backed up a block or two. The driver was directing cars around him as the oncomming traffic allowed while the men in the back fetched and emptied the containers. I was next in line and the man in back was done with the container he was empying and needed to cross to put it back. I, of course, waved him to cross. The two cars behind me had no intention of being conciderate and passes me. Not only did the city worker have to wait for them to pass but it delayed my that much longer. Never mind the potential for an accident. For as much of a hurry these folks were in, it did not buy them anything, I cought up with them at the next light.

The school has set up a traffic pattern around the school with detour signs to optimize the dropping off of the students so it does not back traffic on the main road and everyone is in and out quickly. Most of us follow the detours and things go smoothly. But there are a couple of folks, and I have seen them most every morning, who, instead of pulling into the parking lot with the rest of us, pull over to the side of the road in front of the school and drop their child off there. It disrupts traffic, never mind puts their child at risk if someone were to rear-end them. But that is OK because they don't have to suffer the inconvienence of waiting in line for 3 minutes....

So after I drop Michelle of the other day I run to the grocery store for some soda on the way to work. Low and behold there are 2 cars sitting in the fire lane. The owners apparently thought that it is OK because they are just running in for one item. What makes it worse is that at 7:30 in the morning the parking lot is all but empty. They saved themselves MAYBE 40 feet of walking each way.

I don't know how many time I have been stopped, in the middle of a street because someone in a car wants to chitchat with some pedestrian or worse yet another car facing the other direction. Do they move when they see me behind them? Maybe half the time....

I won't go on.

I try not and get stressed over things like this, If they want to be Idiots they are gonna be idiots. I shake my head and go on. Maybe I will honk if I am in a bad mood. But it is just getting worse. It just gets under my skin at times.

How can we reverse this trend?

A new week, A new opportunity to start again.

Good morning. This weekend was busy....

Karen did a great job of cleaning up the garage Thursday. Saturday Morning/Afternoon I managed to trash it again. I build a kitchen table for Bob's house in Greenville. It came out pretty well. It had a couple of issues but for a design on the fly.... More on that later.

The band had their "end of band camp performance" Saturday evening. The performance was followed by a pot luck dinner and parent meeting. The band got a lot accomplished at this year's camp, more than in years past. They marched into the football stadium but did not march any of the show because it had rained and the field was a bit wet and had not been lined yet. So they did their thing on the track. This years band seems to have the discipline and drive and desire to do their best. Something that has lacked over the past couple of years. From my view, and the view of other parents involved in the band, the enthusiasm and determination this year emanates from the band officers (Tyler and company) and the rest of the band is falling in line. Ty has been working tirelessly getting there early, working through lunch and leaving late. He is quite a leader. I am looking forward to the first football game... er... band performance in three weeks.

Bob chronicled the week's events in a video production. He burned a DVD for the band director and to be shown at the potluck. The band director was enormously impressed with the end product He previewed it that morning and encouraged Bob to sell copies at the potluck. It was well received by the parents and kids. Karen took orders after the meeting. She gathered 22 orders and many others said they would mail the form to us.

Sunday morning, Bob Karen and I got up early and, with the families of Bob's new housemates, moved most of the kid's furniture down to Greenville. Bob does not start school for another couple of weeks but the lease on the house starts August first. We got all the furniture in, including my table, which the kids thought was awesome. We hung the curtains that Karen made for the house. Got the shower curtains up etc.. It would not have been to bad except the electricity was not on yet. It was hot and muggy. I sweated through a couple of shirts and could not keep the sweat off my glasses. But we got them moved in. Bob is going to go down Thursday again with some more stuff.

That, in a nutshell is what I did this weekend.