[Xastir] Corrupt FCC database

[Bob Nielsen]

On Thu, Feb 17, 2005 at 07:51:53AM -0800, Curt, WE7U wrote:
> On Thu, 17 Feb 2005, Bob Snyder wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, Feb 16, 2005 at 09:59:18AM -0800, Bill Vodall wrote:
> >
> > > I looked.  Honest I did.  But I looked in "stable"..   :-)
> > >
> > > That's not magic, that's PERL...
> >
> > "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
> >   Arthur C. Clarke - Profiles of the Future
> 
> I always liked that quote!
> 
> Hopefully most people know that besides being known for his science
> fiction writings, Mr. Clarke is also the discoverer of the Clarke
> Belt, a particular orbit directly above the equator in which you can
> put an object, that object remaining stationary over one spot on the
> earth.  Makes aiming a parabolic dish at it rather simple.
> 
> The objects are in orbit at the same rotational period as the
> earth's rotation.  That's how we get our WAAS GPS transmissions,
> Dish or DirectTV satellite TV, other types of communications
> satellites in geostationary orbit.
> 
> I had heard that he was at one time also the national table tennis
> champion of Sri Lanka.  Important stuff to know!
> 
> I'm not sure how many science books he wrote, if any.
> 

He is certainly a prolific writer (and still writing at 88).  I first
heard of him in 1962 while working at Hughes on the first geostationary
satellite. Here is a pretty complete list of his books:

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/Arthur_C_Clarke.htm  

Bob, N7XY