On Feb 21, 11:14�am, John Smith I wrote:
wrote:
...
* To those who say "NAY! *NEVER!" I award the venerable
* *"cat-ass-trophy."

Len:

I think all whos' only purpose is for the continuation of amateur radio
in a relevant and up-to-date manner will agree, logical questions,
exams, examiners, methods and procedures need to be established,
followed, and upheld--and, especially in regards to realignment with
present rules and regulations.

Well, "present" as to the period on and after 23 Feb 07. :-)

Attrition should continue on at its' accelerating pace and shortly
remove any doubt as to the death of morse. *CW is a problem which has
fittingly supplied its' own fix and is now engaged in implementing that
fix (death.)

Easy go there, Stocktonite. Some of us are a bit advanced
on the "attrition list." :-)

No sweat, I come from long livers on both sides. ["how long"
he asked..."oh, about this long" was the answer, indicating
a span of about three feet...:-) ba-dum-bump rimshot]

All new hams need only be aware of the past sins of arrl and the fanatic
devotion to CW and personalities as opposed to principals which has
caused cat-ass-trophy-type-damage to amateur radio and to steer clear of
the arrl or any movements to re-establish some pseudo-class system
amongst amateurs and thereby replace the "CW class system" with a new
and equally insane and damaging one.

"The Cylons were created by man. They rebelled. There
are many copies. They have a Plan!" :-)

[voice-over to beginning of each "Battlestar Gallactica" episode
on Sci-Fi channel...it MAY just be applicable to the newer
generations of radio amateurs]

We need history to help us avoid making the same old mistakes anew ...

NOT as told to us by the League. There ARE many sources,
though few are as kind and glowing and sinning-by-omission
as the League.


The old-timers need to be avoided like the plague.

Yes and no. My friends are (mostly) old-timers. However,
being friends we do respect one another. Therein is the
difference of the olde-tymer morsemen who respect NO ONE
but those who are also morseodists. It is almost a religious
thing. :-(

*The old failed
methods and tactics need to be avoided. *The future needs to meet up
with amateur radio and bring it to life in the new millennium.

Yes. But, there IS some "life." "Life" does not begin and
end with the code key and monotonic assymetric rhythms
of beeping morse. This is very hard to get across to the
olde-tymers who've never really ventured outside of
"working DX with CW on HF."

"Life" has already breathed its way into the Big 3 of modern
amateur radio design-innovation-manufactu Icom, Yaesu,
and Kenwood. Those radios have all the possible "bells-and-
whistles" any licensed amateur needs. The Big 3 make
radios for many radio services, do NOT depend on amateurs
for their sole market penetration as do a few USA makers.
[Icom needs to look at its Aviation product line harder, IMHO]

One thing for damn su The organizations have to GET OUT
to others much more. They must stop singing to the chorus
of like-minded amateurs and speak at the PUBLIC. The
League has some resources but all they do is babble at
other amateurs...and the more vocal amateurs only babble
at other amateurs and exchange high-fives in gratuitous
"congratulations" which aren't deserved. Comedy breaks
on the Jay Leno "Tonight" show aren't "informing the public."
Those are just comedic spots and some adult sarcasm at
the fad of adolescents "text messaging." It's nice that
Walter Cronkite can do some video narration, but let's face
it, Walt is getting on in years. He is fine for the annual
Vienna Philharmonic music thing on TV, but he is NO
LONGER on regular news or many other specials.

Down here the TV cable service has some lovely free HD
programs on many different subjects. Three channels
worth, all for HDTV. HDTV is here, among us, will soon
be the only TV that is broadcast. Wonderful picture, great
sound. But, can you imagine even a half hour of olde-tyme
"CW" showing the modern generations the "joy and rapture"
of "radio" of the 1930s? I think that would severly test the
ability of the best producers of TV and film down here.

If radio amateurs REALLY wanted to "spread the word" of
their hobby, they could. But, the olde-tymers keep intimating
that only They "know what is best" and that "best" way got
cancelled long ago.

Ya know, on retrospect, I should have become an MD, one
with an orthopedic specialty. I could have cleaned up
financially treating all those olde-tymers who got injured
patting themselves on the back for so long. :-)

Regardez,
LA