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Being Retired now, I thought that it was time for a new name to this Blog |
Talk about perks, my career had one of the best I can think of! I traveled in the course of business, delivering classes for my employer. I am a Senior Training Specialist for Motorola Solutions, and teach classes on a wide variety of subjects centered around 2 way radio communications (for eight more weeks). I knew that when the time arrived that I would retire. That time is now. I've always said that if you can't stand the heat in the kitchen, get out! I can't handle the heat anymore. I was qualified to deliver approximately 32 different classes, but about half of those were 'Legacy' classes, and are not in demand anymore. My students were/are technicians, those who maintained, programmed, calibrated, and repaired large 2-way radio systems. Some of these systems are statewide, and use TCP-IP networking to allow sites to communicate with others. Some are small, traditional type radio sites. The size doesn't matter, in each case the systems must be kept operational at all times, since many of them are Public Safety Systems. So I traveled, sometimes frequently, 3-4 weeks in a row.... where have I been? This probably won't have daily entries, but I will make entries to update you about my life before and during my employment with Motorola Solutions. I also intend to update you all about what I'm doing in retirement. Well, here we go with this new adventure, let's see where it takes us. |
Town Names I have often wondered how some towns/cities were named. This same thought hit me this week, so I made a point to look it up once we were home. Some of y'all may know all this already, maybe not. Either way, I thought I'd look it up. Now I will say I'm thinking of cities or town with names like Jadksonville, Annapolis, Petersburg Virginia, and the like. I'm thinking of the suffix that those names end with, the 'ville', 'burg', and 'polis' in this case. Let's begin by saying I learned more than I ever thought I would. This is the reference for this entry. https://thecontentauthority.com/blog/ville-vs-burg I've paraphrased a little here, but for the most part, it's almost word for word. Another reference I used is https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/y8tav1/in_the_us_why_are_there_s... First, let’s clear up some confusion. Both -ville and -burg can be used to describe a town or city, and both are correct. However, there are some differences in usage and connotation. Ville comes from the French word for town, and it is often used in names of places that have a French influence or heritage. Burg, on the other hand, comes from the Germanic word for fortress or castle, and it is often used in names of places that have a Germanic influence or heritage. So, when should you use ville and when should you use burg? It depends on the context and the history of the place. If the place has a French influence or heritage, ville is the more appropriate term. If the place has a Germanic influence or heritage, burg is the more appropriate term. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and some places may use both terms interchangeably. It’s always a good idea to do some research on the history of a place before using one term or the other. First, let's define Ville. A ville, also known as a town, is a type of municipality that is typically smaller in size than a city. It is often characterized by having a more rural or suburban feel, with a lower population density and a slower pace of life. Villes are usually centered around a main street or town square, and may have a few small shops, restaurants, and other businesses. One city comes to mind immediately, and does not fit this definition. Jacksonville Florida. However, rthere are many towns in America that fit this thought. In the United States, the term “ville” is often used as a suffix for the names of small towns, such as Clarksville or Greenville. These towns may have a few thousand residents, and are often located in rural areas or on the outskirts of larger cities. Now let's define Burg. A burg, also known as a borough, is a type of municipality that is similar to a town or ville, but may have a slightly different legal status depending on the country or region. In general, a burg is smaller than a city and may have a more rural or suburban feel, but larger than a village or hamlet. Pittsburgh is also an exception to this definition. Then we have numerous other connotations/suffixes. In some regions, such as the United Kingdom, a borough is a unit of local government that may have more powers and responsibilities than a town or ville. In other regions, such as the United States, the term -burg is often used as a suffix for the names of small towns, similar to -ville. These towns may have a few thousand residents and are often located in rural areas or on the outskirts of larger cities. But what about other suffixes used in town names? Y'know... -Polis, -ham, -ton, -shire, -wich, -pool, or -ford. I'd say most of these are not as popular as -ville or -burg. -Polis is also popular, coming from Greek, or -ham is itself derived from French, not from English, though it saw a lot of use in placenames in England. -Ham, as in a truncation of hamlet, is a lot less present than -burg, gthat is true. But -ham is hardly the only English-derived suffix for place names, even if we don't count -ville. There's also -ton, the truncation of town, and if we combine -ton and -town it might be the most common place name suffix in the country. There's also -shire, -wich, -wick, -pool, -ford and a variety of other indicators of English or old English descriptors. But the suffixes alone also don't tell the whole story, there are a variety of ways that a place name can be stamped with an English-language origin other than with suffixes. Plenty of American cities are just new something or other, directly named after English cities and towns, and some take the "new" out entirely and just settle a new place and call it the same as its progenitor. Others still are named after individuals, for instance various cities named Washington or Jackson, with or without "city" (or -polis or -ton) added to the end. I think that's enough about place names for now. Maybe this has been a little informative to someone besides me. Eiher way, til next time, Be good, treasure those you love, and Write!{/left} ![]() ![]() Jim Dorrell |
Richmond, Va 3/20 - 3/30 I have to say, it's a lot more fun, with interesting things to do when you travel for fun vs Business Travel. I knew that already though. We left Richmond about 11 am Saturday after Faith (his breeder) finished showing him in the dog show. I wanted to leave by 10 am but that wasn't possible. Buddy was one confused dog, that I will say. He loves being with us, but he loves Faith and Nathan just as much, He was more active with them too, so I have to step it up a bit here and keep him going. That's fine, I need the exercise. Driving home we planned on visiting the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, Pa. In case some of you have forgotten, Flight 93 left Newark Liberty International Airport on 9/11 heading to San Francisco. Terrorists took over the plane, the passengers revolted against them, the flight crashed near Shanksville. Visiting the site is a very somber experience, The two times we've visited my eyes have leaked some just being there. I do recommend visiting the Memorial, it helps us remember that day in reverence and understand a little more about our world. On our first visit there in 2018, the Tower Of Voices was not complete. We visited the site in May 2018, the tower was dedicated in September. I've added a couple of links you, should you want to know more about the tower. https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/tower-of-voices.htm https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/tower-of-voices.htm A photo I snapped yesterday. We spent the night in St. Clairsville Ohio again, this time though was quite different. Children in the adjoining room were up until 11 pm screaming and shouting and in general being children. I called the front desk twice, once at 10:10, the second time about 10:45. The front desk was no help at all. At a little after 11, I did what you shouldn't do, and knocked angrily (Hard) on their door. A woman answered it, and I explained that the children were keeping us awake, making it impossible to sleep. There was more said, but you get the idea. I saw at least 4 women in the room, and possibly the same number of children. That room sleeps a maximum of 4 if I'm not mistaken. Believe it or not, 5 minutes later (maybe less) there wasn't any noise from that room! Afterwards I realized that if a man had answered the door, there may have been a physical altercation. Yeah, I would probably be on the losing end of that. I'll be calling the GM tomorrow to discuss what went on. If he doesn't supply satisfactory answers, I'll be filing a formal complaint with Hilton Honors. We arrived home today about 4:30 CDT. I am tired, I took my weekly Dexamethasone dose yesterday, not surprisingly I managed to get about 4 hours of sleep, then drove a little over 7 hours to get here. There was a slight delay at exit 4 of I-70 due to a Tornado warning. Then there was a closure of a portion of I-70 in Illinois for some reason, likely storm related. But home we are, all 4 of us, Me, Kathy, Suzi {Schipperke), and Buddy (Akita) Til next time, Be good, treasure those you love, and Write! ![]() ![]() Jim Dorrell |
Bloomington, Illinois Well, let's see. About my van. It's a 2014 Ford Transit Connect, Titanium Edition and fully loaded with GPS, Satellite Radio, the works. That was a big reason for buying it, it has all the 'Whoops & Whistles' available in 2014. It has European Styling to it, it does not look like a 'normal' American Van. It rides very nicely, just ask Robert Waltz ![]() ![]() But, it has its share of problems. A couple were there the day I bought it. There is a small dent in the back liftgate, and the wheel well on the Drivers side has been scraped pretty good. Still, it's a nice looking Van, Brown in color. Most vans you see like this are work Vans. This is a rare passenger van. But I finally had enough with those problems I mentioned earlier in the Newsfeed. The one issue I couldn't think of while writing that post is that about 40-50% of the time, when you start the van, the radio has no Audio. It's on, you just can't hear anything. Turning it off and back on corrects it though. That's been a very minor issue since the day I drove it off the lot. I guess I should have taken back and had the dealer fix it. That, or give me a discount for selling it that way. Still, I love that van, it's everything I want in a vehicle. The good news is that it should be ready by Friday, all they need is that Computer. Purple Catching Up ![]() ![]() In a vehicle, the BCM (Body Control Module) manages non-engine electronics like windows, lights, and locks, while the PCM (Powertrain Control Module) controls engine and sometimes transmission functions. Body Control Module (BCM) Function: The BCM is an electronic control unit (ECU) that monitors and controls various electronic accessories in a vehicle's body. It manages functions such as power windows, power mirrors, air conditioning, immobilizer system, central locking, and more. The BCM communicates with other on-board computers via the car's CAN bus system. Example: When you press the power window switch, the BCM receives the signal, and in turn, sends a signal to the load that will rotate the motor and control the window. Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Function: The PCM is the computerized central processing unit of your vehicle's powertrain system, overseeing the engine and sometimes the transmission. It manages functions like fuel injection, ignition timing, and air-to-fuel ratios, along with controlling automated traction and onboard climate controls. The PCM receives data from various sensors around the vehicle, primarily focused on engine management and performance. Example: The PCM adjusts the air-to-gas ratio being pumped into the cylinders, which saves fuel, and controls the speed of the spark plug firing to deliver an optimum amount of power per RPM. Based on the issues I've seen, I would have to say that the BCM is faulty. I've had no issues with the Powertrain and other mechanical equipment. We'll see what happens from here on out. I may keep you posted on this. ![]() ![]() Jim Dorrell |