• hamfest etc was: Eggs!

    From Nancy Backus@454:1/452 to Daryl Stout on Sat Feb 15 20:05:54 2020
    Quoting Daryl Stout to NANCY BACKUS on 08-Feb-2020 23:26 <=-

    The thing is, many of the smaller hamfests are "shutting down"
    because they can't get attendees, vendors, or workers. Most folks order
    the stuff online, and have it shipped to them. There isn't even a ham
    radio store in Arkansas anymore.
    That's a shame... the camraderie is such a big part of the hobby, just
    as with others....

    It is...but it seems that only the "really big hamfests" are the
    ones where the vendors are going...including:
    1) Hamvention, Xenia, Ohio (mid-May) -- originally in Dayton.
    2) Hamcation, Orlando, Florida (early February).
    3) Huntsville Hamfest, Huntsville, Alabama (mid-August).

    I guess it makes sense for the vendors to go where the larger gatherings
    are, although I'd hope that one could get somewhat local vendors for the smaller ones... And the vendors aren't really the main attraction,
    although I'm sure they think they are... <G>

    You'd be surprised how many want to try to get something via
    nefarious means.
    No, I'm not surprised, really.... sad, though....

    Many kids nowadays think they're entitled to everything. Now, while
    I lived at home when I went to college 40 years ago, it was a commuter campus (no dorms back then), but I worked 40 hours a week, and put
    myself through school. That was when tuition was $400 a semester, $100
    a semester for books, and a $20 parking permit for a year. Now, it's in the tens of thousands of dollars, if not more.

    Times have changed, to be sure... but the nefarious means has been
    around for a long time... predating us, even... ;)

    Some people think they are above the law, or that it doesn't apply to
    them.... and sadly, quite a few seem to get away with it....

    I have wondered so many times "Where's a cop when you need him?".
    Around here, I don't know why they have speed limit signs...no one
    seems to obey them.

    It gives something to enforce, should the cop show up at the right
    time....

    In emergency communications, it is. When all other regular modes
    fail, we can still get out.
    Indeed, that is a critical function you perform.... :)

    I remember one year, we were providing communications for the Susan
    G. Komen Race For The Cure for breast cancer research. They were
    kidding me as Net Control, that I was going down there to oogle at all
    the good looking women...and admittedly, there were a lot of good
    looking women. But, any "fun" stopped, when we got a report of a woman "being trampled". I thought "How are we going to get her out of
    there??". Then, a follow-up report noted "she was suffering from claustrophobia"...to which I asked "What in the world is a
    claustrophobe doing in the midst of 40,000+ people??!!" We had a heck
    of a time getting paramedics to her, and she had to be hospitalized for
    a few days (she was in a bad way).

    Fortunately you did get the paramedics to her... and I trust she did
    eventually recover....? I think I'd develop claustrophobia if I were
    being trampled by a crowd of people in a race....

    Higher standards before... :) But I understand that there's less of a
    need for ham operators to be quite so technically proficient now...

    Well, for one, the technology has changed. One letter noted in the
    current issue of QST, published by the American Radio Relay League,
    the National Association for Amateur Radio in the United States, that
    "the 7 last words of a ham radio group are 'we never did it that way before'". For that matter, you can apply that to churches, and other organizations.

    There's a certain amount of keeping up with technology changes, but
    there's also benefit in staying compatible with older technologies...

    But, people are learning Morse Code now, because they WANT to, and
    NOT because they HAVE to...and are discovering "it's fun"...but it can
    get you in trouble.
    Years ago, four old boys were sitting around a restaurant table in Annapolis, Maryland, telling each other dirty jokes in CW (Continuous Wave, another name for Morse Code). This drop dead gorgeous,
    curvaceous, voluptuous female walked up to them, and sternly admonished them "You boys need to watch your language. I teach CW at the Naval Academy across the street", and walked out. They were as red as
    tomatoes!! <G>

    Yes, you've told that story before... :) One shouldn't assume that
    whatever language one is using as a "cover" won't be understood by those bystanders.... whether it's a foreign language, CW, or American Sign
    Language or the like... ;)

    So, for Amateur Extra, it's a peer-to-peer setup... :)

    Basically. My examiner team gave one ham the Extra exam, right after
    the pool had changed, and had been heavily modernized for "the digital modes". He aced the darn thing, and one of my examiners growled "I
    want to take him outside and beat the [daylights] out of him". <G>

    Poor Sport... <G>

    It gets a rest during thunderstorms, which are forecast here Monday
    night into Wednesday, with a threat of severe weather as well
    (unfortunately).
    Hopefully it wasn't too bad...

    We are forecast to get at least 4 inches of rain here by the end of
    next week, and if the heavy rain axis shifts northwest, it could be 8 inches or more. The severe weather threat, for now, appears low, but
    the flash flood threat is increasing.

    Always something.

    ttyl neb

    ... I feel like a fugutive from the law of averages. Bill Mauldin

    --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
    * Origin: Tiny's BBS - http://www.tinysbbs.com (454:1/452)
  • From Daryl Stout@454:1/33 to NANCY BACKUS on Mon Feb 17 17:48:00 2020
    Nancy,

    I guess it makes sense for the vendors to go where the larger gatherings NB>are, although I'd hope that one could get somewhat local vendors for the NB>smaller ones... And the vendors aren't really the main attraction, NB>although I'm sure they think they are... <G>

    Well, some of the "flea market" (old surplus stuff, that likely
    doesn't work anymore -- we refer to that stuff as "boat anchors") items,
    seem to move from one hamfest to another.

    The reasons I go to these are as follows:

    1) Administering, or helping with, amateur radio license exams.

    2) Attending or doing educational forums.

    3) "Eyeball QSO's", where you meet folks you've talked with. More often
    than not, the mental image you made of them, is NOT what they look
    like!! <G>

    4) Feeding my face at "the food trough" <G>. H.A.M. Stands for "Have
    Another Meal", and you don't call us "Late For Dinner". <G>

    5) Purchasing prize tickets to support the hamfest. I won 2 door
    prizes...a "Tornado Radio" that detects tornadoes and lightning within
    30 miles of my location, and a $50 Publications Gift Certificate from
    the ARRL, the National Association Of Amateur Radio.

    6) Purchasing novelty items for "the shack", an embroidered cap, etc.

    Times have changed, to be sure... but the nefarious means has been
    around for a long time... predating us, even... ;)

    True...and they are so in the open now. What once was considered taboo
    is flaunted.

    It gives something to enforce, should the cop show up at the right NB>time....

    Which seems rare.

    Fortunately you did get the paramedics to her... and I trust she did NB>eventually recover....? I think I'd develop claustrophobia if I were NB>being trampled by a crowd of people in a race....

    I still have to wonder why she was there in the first place. It's a
    good cause, as breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women (although men get it as well), and heart disease is right behind it,
    followed by colon cancer.

    There's a certain amount of keeping up with technology changes, but NB>there's also benefit in staying compatible with older technologies...

    I wonder why we can't have the best of both worlds. While my BBS is
    telnet, etc., the QWK reader I use is Offline Express (OLX), which I run
    in a DOS Window under Windows 10. I never could get Multi-Mail for
    Windows to work right.

    Yes, you've told that story before... :) One shouldn't assume that NB>whatever language one is using as a "cover" won't be understood by those NB>bystanders.... whether it's a foreign language, CW, or American Sign NB>Language or the like... ;)

    There were 2 other hams "signing dirty jokes", and to their
    embarrassment, another group of people at a nearby table, were
    understanding everything they signed. <G>

    Basically. My examiner team gave one ham the Extra exam, right after the pool had changed, and had been heavily modernized for "the digital modes". He aced the darn thing, and one of my examiners growled "I
    want to take him outside and beat the [daylights] out of him". <G>

    Poor Sport... <G>

    To me, a win by 1 is as good as a win by 10. I have had 2 female
    examinees break down and cry because they failed the exam. I tell them
    "the guy or girl who graduates dead last in Medical School, is STILL...
    a DOCTOR". Depending on the mood I'm in, I may or may not want them
    doing a prostate check or a pelvic exam. :P

    But, after the contorted position I got put in for the bladder stone
    surgery, I know how women feel when in the stirrups. At least my butt
    wasn't about to fall off the table, as Janice complained during one of
    those. When I made a smart-aleck remark, she looked at me, and growled
    "Keep that up, and you're next". Her physician, a sweet (but nutty)
    black lady, said "She's right, you know"!! <G>

    the flash flood threat is increasing.

    Always something.

    The Pearl River at Jackson, Mississippi is at major flood stage right
    now. At least I'm high enough where flooding isn't an issue.

    Daryl


    * OLX 1.53 * A little a'disk & a little a'data
    --- SBBSecho 3.10-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - tbolt.synchro.net (454:1/33)
  • From Nancy Backus@454:1/452 to Daryl Stout on Sat Feb 22 21:32:06 2020
    Quoting Daryl Stout to NANCY BACKUS on 17-Feb-2020 17:48 <=-

    I guess it makes sense for the vendors to go where the larger
    gatherings are, although I'd hope that one could get somewhat local
    vendors for the smaller ones... And the vendors aren't really the
    main attraction, although I'm sure they think they are... <G>

    Well, some of the "flea market" (old surplus stuff, that likely
    doesn't work anymore -- we refer to that stuff as "boat anchors")
    items, seem to move from one hamfest to another.

    Or at least, wherever one goes, somebody has brought in their version of
    it to hopefully pass along to someone else... ;)

    The reasons I go to these are as follows:
    1) Administering, or helping with, amateur radio license exams.
    2) Attending or doing educational forums.
    3) "Eyeball QSO's", where you meet folks you've talked with. More
    often than not, the mental image you made of them, is NOT what they
    look like!! <G>
    4) Feeding my face at "the food trough" <G>. H.A.M. Stands for "Have Another Meal", and you don't call us "Late For Dinner". <G>
    5) Purchasing prize tickets to support the hamfest. I won 2 door prizes...a "Tornado Radio" that detects tornadoes and lightning within
    30 miles of my location, and a $50 Publications Gift Certificate from
    the ARRL, the National Association Of Amateur Radio.
    6) Purchasing novelty items for "the shack", an embroidered cap, etc.

    All good reasons for going... and congratulations on winning not one but
    two door prizes... <G> Both seem rather useful items.... :)

    Fortunately you did get the paramedics to her... and I trust she did
    eventually recover....? I think I'd develop claustrophobia if I were
    being trampled by a crowd of people in a race....

    I still have to wonder why she was there in the first place. It's a
    good cause, as breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women (although men get it as well), and heart disease is right behind it, followed by colon cancer.

    Indeed a good cause.... maybe she had friends that talked her into
    joining them... or she was doing it in memory or honor of someone
    special to her....

    There's a certain amount of keeping up with technology changes, but
    there's also benefit in staying compatible with older technologies...

    I wonder why we can't have the best of both worlds. While my BBS is telnet, etc., the QWK reader I use is Offline Express (OLX), which I
    run in a DOS Window under Windows 10. I never could get Multi-Mail for Windows to work right.

    I'm all for the best of both worlds myself... :) I could never get OLX
    to work for me, or maybe it was another early offline reader... but
    Bluewave always worked for me and still does, so I've not changed from
    it... ;)

    Yes, you've told that story before... :) One shouldn't assume that
    whatever language one is using as a "cover" won't be understood by
    those bystanders.... whether it's a foreign language, CW, or American
    Sign Language or the like... ;)

    There were 2 other hams "signing dirty jokes", and to their
    embarrassment, another group of people at a nearby table, were understanding everything they signed. <G>

    As I said... <G>

    the flash flood threat is increasing.
    Always something.

    The Pearl River at Jackson, Mississippi is at major flood stage
    right now. At least I'm high enough where flooding isn't an issue.

    Yes, I heard about that on the radio.... we lived in Jackson for 4 years
    when I was a kid.... glad I'm not there for the flooding now...

    ttyl neb

    ... Old bakers never die, you just can't get a rise out of them!

    --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
    * Origin: Tiny's BBS - http://www.tinysbbs.com (454:1/452)