As any Google Mail (aka Gmail) user knows, there are context-sensitive sponsored links on the right side of most pages in gmail.com. So, if your friend sends you a message talking about bagels, you’ll likely see ads for bagel shops.

This morning, my daily Dilbert comic strip message had some very odd ads. Normally, you would expect Dilbert-related ads such as comic strips, office supplies and what not. You probably would not expect ads for brass strippers’ poles. (Don’t bother trying to click any of the links in the image… they don’t work.)

The ARLHS is sponsoring the National Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend (NLLW) contest this weekend. Basically, you try to talk to as many other ARLHS members and lighthouses and lightships that have been activated. You score a certain number of points for every QSO, with extra points awarded if you talk to a lighthouse/lightship. If you are activating a lighthouse/lightship, then you get an extra multiplier to your points after you’ve added them all up.

This evening, I activated CAN-1352, a lighthouse on a spit of land that protects the Nepean Yacht Club harbour. I started calling CQ Lighthouse at 0001Z on 04 August 2007 (remember, EDT is 4 hours behind UTC right now, that’s why it’s “tomorrow”), which was the starting time of the contest. I worked 11 stations in the next 55 minutes. At times, the conditions were great and stations boomed in, while at other times they were an S0 or just static. Of those 11 QSOs, 8 of them were other ARLHS members, one was the ARLHS club station (KC2HOU) and two were for CAN-998, a lighthouse in Quebec City.

Tomorrow, I’m heading back down to Prescott to activate CAN-767 for a little while.

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