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Friday, November 08, 2002
Uniden BC785D/250D setback [Source: Uniden; Harry Marnell] The BC785D and the BC250D scanners have now been pushed back to January 2003. Looks like we won't be seeing any of these under the Christmas Tree this year.
LAFD Offers Fall and Winter Storm Preparedness Tips [Source: Los Angeles City Fire Department; The Weather Channel]
Wherever you live or travel, you should be prepared to deal with storm danger. Flood and storm preparedness information is readily available at the: Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) website: www.LAFD.org Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) website: www.oes.ca.gov Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website: www.fema.gov BEFORE THE STORM - Keep insurance policies, documents and other valuables in a safe-deposit box. - Check your homeowner's or renter's insurance for flood insurance coverage--if none exists, consider purcahsing some now. For information about flood insurance, call your local insurance agent, or call the National Flood Insurance Program at (888) Call-Flood. - Store these supplies at your work, home and car in handy locations: * First aid kit and essential medicines. * Food (packaged, dried,canned, or food for special diets.) * Non-electric can opener. * Keep some cash on hand. ATM machines may not be working. * Portable radio, flashlights and extra batteries(stored in water-tight plastic bag.) * Store drinking water in closed, clean containers in case water service is interrupted. Allow one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days. * Keep your car fueled. If electric power is cut off, filling stations may not be able to operate. * Know two or more safe routes from your home or office to high,safe ground. * Keep sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting, lumber and other emergency building materials handy for waterproofing. DURING THE APPROACH OR HEIGHT OF A SEVERE STORM - Avoid areas that are subject to sudden flooding. - Do not try to cross a flowing stream where water is above your knees. Even water as low as 6 inches deep may cause you to be swept away by strong currents. - Do not try to drive over a flooded road. This may cause you to be both stranded and trapped. - If your car stalls, abandon it IMMEDIATELY and seek higher ground. Many deaths have resulted from attempts to move stalled vehicles or retrieve belongings. - Do not 'sightsee' in flooded areas. Do not try to enter areas blocked off by local authorities. - Avoid unnecessary trips. If you must travel during the storm, dress in warm, loose layers of clothing. Advise others of your anticpated route and destination. - Use the telephone ONLY for emergency needs or to report dangerous conditions. - Tune to local radio or television stations for emergency information and instructions from local authorities. - If flooding is likely, and time permits, move valuable household possessions to the upper floors or raised areas of your home. - If advised by local authorities to leave your home, move to a safe area before access is cut off by flood water. Establish an out-of-state family contact so that friends and relatives will know who to call to get and share information about where you are. - Before leaving, disconnect all electrical appliances, and IF ADVISED BY YOUR LOCAL UTLITITY, shut off electric circuits at the fuse panel and gas service at the meter. AFTER A SEVERE STORM - DO NOT TURN GAS BACK ON YOURSELF. Rely on utility crews. - Do not use fresh foods or canned goods that have come in contact with flood waters. - Follow local instructions regarding the safety of drinking water. If in doubt, boil or purify water before drinking. Have wells pumped out and the water tested before drinking. - Avoid disaster areas; your presence could hamper rescue and other emergency operations, and you may be in danger. - Do not handle live electrical equipment in wet areas. - If electrical equipment or appliances have been in contact with water, have them checked by a professional before use. - Avoid downed power lines and broken gas lines. Report them immediately to the electric or gas company, police or fire department. - Use flashlights NOT lanterns, matches or candles to examine buildings; flammables may be inside. - Stay tuned to radio or television for information and instructions from local authorities. SEVERE WIND SAFETY TIPS Severe winds may occur with or without storm activity in many regions. With the potential for seasonal winds, the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department remind you to use caution at home and on the road. With the possibility of downed power lines causing localized power outages, motorists should use extreme caution when approaching darkened traffic signals. Whether driving on a main thoroughfare or a side street, drivers should treat all non-functioning traffic signals as a four way stop. If you should encounter downed wires, always assume them to be energized and potentially lethal. Be careful that such wires haven't electrically charged puddles of water, chain link fences or other conductive sources. Wind conditions that occur without rain can still compound wildfire danger in many parts of North America. When such winds occur, residents in foothill communities should use extreme caution with all flame or spark producing equipment, including vehicles and power tools. Those living in hazardous brush areas should remain vigilant, and report any sign of smoke immediately to 9-1-1. Additional preparations, such as a review of family emergency and evacuation plans can help remove the apprehension that many of us feel when seasonal winds begin to blow. And finally, in any storm, we remind you to be careful for toppling trees, wind-blown debris or high profile vehicles being buffeted by winds. If you are behind the wheel, Los Angeles Firefighters remind you 'Heads Up, Easy on the Throttle, and Expect the Unexpected!' Wednesday, November 06, 2002
Plane-spotting 'unkown in Greece' [Source: East Anglain Daily Times]  The British plane-spotters convicted of espionage in Greece are not spies but were simply pursuing their hobby, their legal appeal was told.Nicolas Kassimis, the editor of a Greek plane-spotting magazine, said: "If I believed these people were spies I wouldn't be here. They're not spies, they're just doing their hobby and it is because we don't know this hobby in Greece." Mr Kassimis was the first defence witness called to give evidence at the appeal of the spotters, who were convicted of spying offences in April. The group includes Paul and Leslie Coppin from Mildenhall, Suffolk. Earlier the key prosecution witness, Nektarios Samaras, of the Greek army, said the group had aroused suspicion after they were seen taking notes at a series of bases during the annual air force open day last November. The squadron leader said his orders were to watch them carefully, and said their "very careful, very systematic" behaviour inside had made him so suspicious that he ordered their arrests. Cameras, films, a radio scanner and notepads were seized from the group and Mr Samaras said the most important piece of evidence was the "great number of personal notes". Asked if they could have gathered the information - mostly serial numbers from planes - as part of a hobby, as the spotters have always insisted, he said: "I don't know." At the trial in April, when the group were convicted of spying offences, Mr Samaras insisted that their notes were too expert to have been made by amateurs. When asked about whether the group could have been innocently pursuing their hobby, he said: "I cannot say anything about that, I'm an officer in the Greek army. This information is very important for my country, someone could pass this information and know exactly the position of the Greek army. "If an enemy had this in his hands then it would cause us problems ... It could endanger the security of our country." He repeatedly stressed that he was "not an expert" and that it was for the court and not for him to decide if the group were spies. Mr Samaras said he had never heard of plane-spotting as a hobby until the arrests and said he could not comment on defence claims that all the information the group were accused of gathering was freely available in books and on the internet. He said they were warned at another air base that photography was illegal, and said there were signs at his base in Kalamata banning photography, but no signs forbidding note-taking. "It would be common knowledge that note-taking is forbidden, we cannot put up signs for everything," he told the court. All the Britons and two Dutch men who were travelling with them have admitted visiting a series of air bases, and many said they had taken notes, but all vehemently deny spying and insist they were innocently pursuing their hobby and had official permission to be at the bases on the open days. Many of the group said before the trial started earlier that they were starting to believe a deal was being struck behind closed doors to reduce their existing sentences - three years in jail for the six convicted of espionage and one-year suspended sentences for the six found guilty of aiding and abetting. Rumours circulated that a possible deal could mean two-year sentences for the more serious charges, either suspended or "converted" into hefty fines, and acquittal for the others. But they and their lawyers insisted no such deal had been put to them and repeated their determination to clear their names, even if meant taking the case to the Greek Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. Under Greek law it is possible to buy off a sentence of anything up to two years by "converting" that sentence into a fine which is the equivalent of just under 10 euros a day, or £4,300 for two years. For some the fine would prove virtually impossible to pay. They estimate the legal process has cost them around £25,000 each, including the £9,000 bail they each had to pay to secure their release from jail, more than six weeks after their arrests in November last year. The six Britons convicted of spying are: Antoni Adamiak, 37, from London; Graham Arnold, 39, of Ottershaw, Surrey; Paul Coppin, 46, of Mildenhall, Suffolk; Garry Fagan, 31, of Kegworth, Leicestershire; Andrew Jenkins, 33, of York; and Peter Norris, 53, of Uxbridge, west London. Two Dutch men travelling with the group were also convicted of spying and face the same sentence. The six found guilty of aiding and abetting are: Mr Coppin's wife Lesley, 51, also of Mildenhall; Mr Bursell; Wayne Groves, 39, of Tamworth, Staffordshire; Steve Rush, 38, of Caterham, Surrey; Christopher Wilson, 47, of Gatwick, West Sussex; and Michael Keane, 57, of Dartford, Kent. Mr Keane is the only member of the group not to have returned as he was advised against it on health grounds. The group were planning to present a letter from his doctor during the hearing. Links of interest: BBC News: 'I'm Greek and, yes, I spot planes' East Anglian Daily News: Plane-spotting 'unkown in Greece' Monday, November 04, 2002
PHOTOS: Vandenberg Air & Space Show 2002 [Source: Tracy Justus]  UPDATE - Photos from the Vandenberg Air & Space Show 2002 have been added to the web site. Out of 1,235 photos (500 MB) 78 were selected to be posted to the web site. |
