Given the Internet, emails, Twitter, Facebook, and FaceTime, and any other platform that allows communication through the World Wide Web, my guess is interest in being a HAM radio operator is at an all time low.
I'm sure there are people who probably don't even know what a HAM radio operator is. HAM of course stands for Heinrich Hertz, Andre-Marie Ampere and Gugliemo Marconi, pioneers in radio waves and electronics.
I say of course, because that's what I've always known the acronym to mean, and it does. Apparently however, there is a very coarse definition that has come into use, all through the Internet form of communication. We'll leave it at that.
I knew a fellow at work who was a HAM radio operator. He told stories of talking to Russian cab drivers, among other people in other countries. The thing about the HAM radio is that you're broadcasting, so that anyone who wants to listen into your call letters, can do so. You can have an audience way beyond one. You're the Fan; You're on 'The Fan.'
The Twitter acquaintance was born out of a common appreciation of obituaries. "@lifeasinzy, meet @jdemet," Tweeted @marilynajohnson, author of 'The Dead Beat.' @lifeasinzy has now undergone a handle change to @justjenking. This is what is similar to HAM radio operators who get call letters. The operators do have to be licensed by the F.C.C. in this country, and can't just start spewing out whatever they want just because they feel like it. There are broadcast standards, unlike of course Twitter, where anyone can get a user name.
Twitter does have standards of conduct, but the regulations are somewhat self-generated, and self-enforced by the audience, who can block those who they'd rather not hear from. The rogues of course can just keep getting new user names.
Regardless, the woman from Australia who I met is Jennifer King, (a shelia?) rendezvousing under what is a new arrivals and departure board on the Amtrak level at Penn Station. She and her husband Steve were waiting for The Northeast Regional train to take them to Washington, D.C. where Jen can use her press credentials to gain access to a White House News briefing (if there is one while she's in town), and a tour of the Library of Congress.
Jen is a former operating room nurse who left that profession to become a journalist, who now works for Australia's version of our NPR, ABC News (Australia Broadcasting Company) in Brisbane. In her Twitter profile she describes herself as an 'ex-nurse and
She doesn't get to do much writing in her current role, but can brag that she wrote the obituary for Rupert Murdoch's mother, Dame Elisabeth Joy, Lady Murdoch AC DBE when she passed away in 2012 at 103. Rupert (85) has been quoted that based on the longevity lines in his family, no one should look forward to his imminent demise. He did just marry Jerry Hall (60), a Mick Jagger-ex, who is certain to carry Rupert further down the field of play and through the uprights.
In a prior visit to the States, Jen did get to meet obituary writer Margalit Fox at her place of work, The New York Times, and did go out to lunch with Stephen Miller (@obitsman), when he was doing obits for the WSJ. Stephen has moved onto Bloomberg News, where obit writing is not as much of a feature. In fact, based on my memory of her Tweets over the years, this current U.S. visit might be at least her third to our shores. She's almost a commuter from the other side of the world. The antipodes.
Jen at her Twitter account is one of the most prolific and interesting Tweeters, usually offering pictures, links, and now little colorful emojis. They are an ice cream cone with sprinkles (or jimmies) on top. It's fun to see an outdoor picture from the Southern Hemisphere, with their seasons are opposite ours. Apparently they don't get much snow in Brisbane, so to me the place always looks like spring and summer. The picture she attached of the guy voting in his bathing suit can make you think they just might have an enviable, relaxed lifestyle. And we have LA.
Ms. King Tweets so often during the day that my wonder is that she doesn't get fired for not paying attention. But when you're a digital producer/journalist, your job is social media, so who can tell anyway what she's doing with those thumbs and fingers.
There's a bit of running joke between Jen's Tweets from Down Under that are directed at me. Australia is famous for one's finding snakes and spiders in rather populated places. She likes to show me pictures of the latest slithery soul that has popped its head out from under someone's refrigerator in their kitchen and is now climbing up their wall. One of her latest was to show off two snakes in someone's house that were wrestling with each other. I returned the Tweet telling her that's a great idea for a new Australian reality show.
Steve explained that the spider/snake preconception is so powerful that they once had a guest who was from LA who entered the front door, walked straight through the house, peered out the back door, and in complete seriousness asked, "what is out there." Steve had to assure her she was in the suburbs, and hadn't somehow wandered onto a Kenyan game preserve.
Train track is now posted. So, did the lifelong New Yorker leave the Aussies with any words of advice? With traffic on the opposite side of the road here, I did mention to make sure you look the way you're not used to looking when crossing the street, beware of bikers, and of course, "if you see something, say something."
They love New York.
http://www.onofframp.blogspot.com
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