Re: [amsat-bb] Getting the word out (was: Flying the flag)

["Bill Magnusson" <williamb@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>
> Maybe it's just the "bad news travels fastest"
syndrome,
>
You're certainly right there Laura.
One hears the same sort of things here. At
conventions. On HF nets. At club meetings. Even
talking privately to other amateurs. Where has all
the enthusiasm and optimism of the 50s, 60s and
70s gone???
If you listened to some you would be convinced
that all our HF and VHF bands are going to
commercial interests, all the satellites have
exploded, packet radio is dead, CW is dead,
technology has passed amateurs by, we cannot keep
up, etc. etc. We have an old saying here in
Australia: "Things are crook in Tallarook and
there ain't no work in Bourke". This syndrome is
not new you see. Back in the 1800s when that
saying was coined "Tallarook" was a tiny
struggling farming town in north-central Victoria
State and "Bourke" was a remote outback community
in far-western New South Wales State. Today the
saying has come to be used as a retort when
some-one is 'going crook' (sounding-off) about
something or other in a rather over-the-top way.
I guess the only defence we have is to do what you
advocate doing -- show the flag. I try to rebut
these statements as often as I can by showing the
flag on the HF nets and at meetings and by writing
a monthly column for our national magazine. I must
say it's most pleasing to see the very positive
attitude displayed by nearly all contributors to
this BB. There seem to Elmers aplenty who are
willing to go to lengths to sort out problems for
newbies. What a pity that this doesn't seem to
extend to the wider amateur community..... oh
well.

73, Bill...vk3jt
Milawa
Australia


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