3840SteveFans

While on the subject of YahooGroups, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the newest groups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/3840SteveFans/

It was started just this month by a guy who claims to have once held a license that he let go, and is now a SWL and a Steve Fan.

The focus of this new list is supposed to follow its title; its sole purpose is for those who are fans of Steve Wingate kg6thx, and discussions about same. Though certainly, such discussion is also encouraged (about ANY HAM or SWL) in HamFanz: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HamFanz/

Now I have NO idea if Steve knows about this new group or if he supports it or not. Perhaps he’ll clue us in, enlighten us, so to speak.

As of this moment in time, 3840SteveFans has 3 members, and open enrollment, you might want to go give the group some Business (with a capitol B). And that’s all I have to say about that!

BCW List

BCW = BeCause Why???

I used to belong to this list, as did a lot of others. In Feb 2004, I was banned. But I was in good company as Jim Watson ki6gu, Trish k4ze (at that time a SWL), and a number of others were summarily dismissed without any explanation. And if their reason had been because they were making the list for HAMS only, I would have accepted and understood. But that was NOT the reason as several HAMS were also banned. They just got rid of the people they didn’t personally like!

Their loss, my gain, as that’s about when I started my OWN list; HamFanz http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HamFanz a list where ANYONE with an interest in Amateur Radio, Art Bell, c2c topics, or ‘the group’, could join and converse without being ‘moderated’ or banned (there have been 3 people banned in 3 yrs.).

BCW = Big Cult Worshipers???

Perhaps that’s what it means. Though Art Bell doesn’t (or at least didn't) subscribe to the BCW list (he doesn’t believe in them, or forums he claims), he seems to run the BCW list from behind the scenes through his main flunky Ben Gardner kd7bcw. He sends Ben messages to pass on to the ‘group’, and Ben does.

BCW = Ben’s Conservative Wimps???

OR, perhaps Ben just does this stuff in the hopes of culling favor from the ‘big guy’. Perhaps artie doesn’t ask him to do this stuff at all. Ben claims that the group wasn’t even his doing, that Bonnie kq6xa, set it up and runs it. And that Bonnie was the person that did the mass ‘banning’. Which just weeks later, Ben admitted on air, was a lie. That HE had decided who to ban from the list, and had done the banning.

BCW = Bonnie’s Ceremonial Whacko’s???

So why was I surprised to find that some of the banned, had REJOINED BCW list??? How could they invest their time and energy to an endeavor when at any minute, at the uttering of a ‘wrong’ sentiment, or at arties ‘ousting’ of a HAM on air, they could be kicked off the BCW list AGAIN, and have to go through all that separation anxiety and embarrassment all over?

I guess the need for acceptance (inclusion?) from your peers can be a strong pull, even when it runs counter to your common sense!

And so it went! Steve kg6txh, was banned from BCW because he’s Steve. And Bill wb6bnq, then Billie n6ayj. And last month, Jim Watson, ki6gu was banned, because artie decided he didn’t like him any longer. Jim MAY actually be some kind of record holder – having now been banned from the list twice! (Some folks don’t learn easily – you only have to stab ME once!)

BCW = Big Capricious Whiners???

Well, all these ‘banned’ folk are welcome at HamFanz! And many have already joined and HamFanz has no problem with these people, most are participating, productive members.

But sadly, and I do hope I’m wrong, I have a hunch they’d literally wet their pants if ever invited back to BCW, racing to be embraced with open arms and a 'we forgive you for being you'!

The question is: why don’t they USE the HAMFANZ list as they did the BCW list, inviting their HAM pals to join them there? And/or, if they really can’t tolerate ‘mixing’ with c2c listeners, and SWL’s, then start a HAMS ONLY list of their own??? It could be named BCWjr.

Murder and Mayhem

Murder and Mayhem

You could almost put it on your calendar; Friday night Steve Wingate wg6txh will get on air while under the influence. And we get to hear all about the shortcomings of our current President. (I have many, many recordings of this phenomenon!)

With this comes the ‘baiters’, those circling, shark like HAMS (of which Greg Sousa w6ezv seems to be the most adamant) who try, for whatever nefarious and personal reasons, to get Steve wound up even further. (Sex IS better when there are two!)

As if all this weren’t predictable enough, when you add other, strong willed type HAMS and a full moon to the mix, as happened last Friday night, the result is mayhem. The testosterone level is deep, accusations and counter-accusations fly.

This is always on TOP of the fact that there are a number of HAMS who absolutely insist that radios, antennas, and lives, be conducted only in the manner in which THEY deem appropriate! If any of these people (some of which claim to be Libertarian!), have ever heard of the concept of live and let live, it just passed in one ear and out the other without ever taking up residence inside a brain for any given length of time for thought or consideration.

But I digress. Last Friday night was a corker! Steve Wingate, who seemed to be under the influence of ‘something’, none the less was cogent if often loud and irate. He probably kept many laughing with his description of how crisp the green beans were that were served to him while he was locked up in a Mental Hospital for a 72 hour evaluation.

He also had some legitimate thoughts and experiences to share about what he’d learned about REALLY psychotic people while there. No one wanted to hear this. Instead of engaging in a conversation where they had to opportunity to ask questions and actually learn something about Mental Illness, the on air hams continued to make fun of Steve and Mental Illness in general.

Then the conversation turned to Billie n6ayj; Steve accused Art Bell of ‘putting out a contract’ on Bill Crowell’s life. That Greg Sousa had called Bill Crowell and ‘delivered’ the message for Art. That n6ayj had left the country (and the air) because of this.

Greg did not deny any of this. If fact he said he’d ‘do’ Steve for free. The clips can be found at: (http://www.hamfanz.com/Audio/MidnightMadness.html )

I did contact Bill Crowell n6ayj, he also did not deny this, but more or less said ‘no comment’. I did ask a couple of other HAMS about this. My usual contacts also had a ‘no comment’, whereas I’d really expected an “oh, it’s all a bunch of BS, the ravings of a drunk”. But it would seem that even my contacts have circled the wagons on this one.

This has gone WAY beyond Friday night testosterone, or Full Moon Madness. Even if NONE of this is true, laws have been broken by the accusers; slander, false accusations, etc. And if it IS true, I would truly hope that the proper authorities have been notified and appropriate charges filed.

I thought a long time and at great length before reporting on this, finally deciding that I’d feel terrible if something (even inadvertently!) happened to Bill Crowell. Even if the reality was that ‘I’ was being ‘set up’ (which some HAMS try to do with regularity), I decided to document what’s happening, post it in the GRUDGE Report, and file the clips away, for everyone’s safety, and my own peace of mind. And in the hopes that sanity will prevail here, and that the parties involved will re-think their actions, all of them!

Listening Between the Lines

Listening Between the Words

Not having Jim ki6gu, Bill wb6bnq, Billie n6ayj, Timmie n5mza, and Steve kg6txh around to throw wrenches (and often well thought out ideas – not to mention funnies) into the over greased and slick wheel of ‘the group’ (I will have to come up with a ‘cutesy’ name as Big Ben kd7bcw, calls my descriptive labels), has been a major loss to most SWL’s and indeed, many HAMS, if they have the mental and emotional fortitude to admit it.

The list of ‘outcasts’ is growing long, is it not?

Many have been driven out of the group during the past two years, for one transgression or another. Transgressions often related to being human (no excuses allowed, no explanations asked for, no real forgiveness offered).

Yep, they’ve been told, in no uncertain terms, to leave and not come back; had their spots removed from HamCams, and their names and calls put on some invisible ignore list.

Have NONE of the judgmental, perfect human beings, who are making the decisions of what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, of what is ‘acceptable’ or ‘not’, for everyone, ever heard of glass houses and throwing the first stone?

Perhaps next week, one of these ‘Moral Majority’ Hams will do or say something that will get them ousted. You never know. After they come for ‘me’, they WILL come for ‘you’.

I think an immediate, double dose of ‘live and let live’, ‘take your OWN inventory’, and MYOB (mind your OWN business) is desperately needed by some of these HAMS. And the ones that don’t need these remedies, should take the high road, and PRACTICE the above. Lead by doing!

Then there are those HAMS who, for whatever reasons, just do not want to participate any longer, and have disappeared from the group, like Karen w6so. Is there any wonder why?

Then there is a still another long list of HAMS who used to participate regularly and are now just occasional visitors like Trish k4ze, and Mac w7lw. Is there any wonder why?

But what’s worse perhaps than all of the above is the automatic and subconscious practice of ‘group think’ that is going on here. The HAMS that are still with the “IN” group (insert cutesy moniker), are not allowed to mention the ousted, or the out of favor HAMS on air. I am positively sure that behind the scenes, HAMS are taken to task, via email or messenger, when this strongly reinforced unspoken (literally) ‘rule’ is inadvertently breeched.
I am the first one to admit that a certain amount of decorum, manners if you will, should prevail on air MOST of the time. But not ALL of the time. People are people! And each person is different. People are going to act like themselves, on and off air, including dictators, directors, and followers!

I am NOT saying that truly bad on air behavior should be condoned; it shouldn’t, displeasure should be conveyed to the miscreant (and to the FCC), and ignoring the party, completely and totally, by those that CHOOSE to do so, should be the extent of the action, period. Anything more is vigilantism…

I am saying that the ‘group’ (insert cutesy moniker) does not have the moral or legal or social obligation they seem to feel, to exclude people. By taking on that self appointed, self righteous ‘role’ they have inadvertently lessened themselves (perhaps even more than the wrong doers!), their hobby, and their on air lives.

How sad! How mundane! How low class! How cliquish! How unthinking! How unbelievably predictable of the ‘IN’ (insert cutesy moniker) group! And what a loss for everyone involved (including SWL’s and commentators). Hasn’t there been enough loss???