Why Ham Radio is dying:

Imagine you're a 13 year old boy scanning across 20 meters on his grandfather's radio.  These are the typical things he's likely to hear:

1. He hears information about a current medical condition.
2. He hears someone complain about the dumbing down of ham radio
3. He hears descriptions of malfunctioning body parts.
4. He hears descriptions of body fluids.
5. He hears a description of a recent surgery.
6. He hears someone describe a boil-like growth.
7. He hears someone describe the side effects of medication.
8. He hears someone talking about their first colonoscopy.
9. He hears someone describe how they lost their spleen.
10. He hears someone describe their wife's root canal.
11. He hears someone describe an infection they have.
12. He hears someone describe how dry skin affects their sleep.
13. He hears someone describe an infection in a cow's ear caused by a metal tag.
14. He hears someone describe a scar on their body.
15. He hears someone describe a chigger infection.
16. He hears someone say they're going to cut their leg in half and get a new knee.
17. He hears someone tell you how long they're going to live.
18. He hears someone say that children are the source of most of the disease in the world.
19. He hears drool drop on the microphone.
20. He hears someone describe their post nasal drip.
21. He hears someone describe an amoeba in their stool.
22. He hears someone describe a lice infestation.
23. He hears someone refer to their wife as "mother" or "mama".
24. He hears a discussion about hunting and cooking possums.
25. He hears someone admit they eat horse meat.
26. He hears someone describe how to properly boil an egg.
27. He hears someone describe their home as a dwelling.
28. He hears someone say they ride a bicycle several thousand miles a year.
29. He hears someone pronounce "A-MER-I-TRON" as  "AM-I-TRON".
30. He hears someone wonder why the fan comes on in their amplifier.
31. He hears someone ask whether the DX is long or short path.
32. He hears someone call 'cq cq, hello cq" for so long without giving a callsign that you give up listening.
33. He hears someone say they "don't know which direction their antenna is pointing".
34. He hears someone give a 599+ signal report, then they repeat everything they say several times, several times.
35. He hears someone describe what they did 35 years ago that is better than anything you could do today.
36. He hears political ranting of any type.
37. He hears a pileup containing more than 3 people.
38. He hears someone describe why they don't trust Bill Gates.
39. He hears someone say "there" after every other word.
40. He hears someone repeat themselves more than twice.
41. He hears someone repeat themselves, there, more than twice, there.
42. He hears someone describe why athletes make too much money.
43. He hears a conversation about why things today are so bad.
44. He hears an emergency communications net.
45. He hears VE7KFM.
46. He hears a discussion about urinal linings.
47. He hears an audio check that takes over an hour to complete.
48. He hears someone admit that dinner consists of tuna fish and a candy bar.
49. He hears W2NQ portable W7 call "CQ to check propagation."  (click for an interesting story on this guy)
50. He hears someone talk for 12 minutes and say nothing.
51. He hears someone complain about how contesting screws up the bands.
52. He hears someone complain about social security.
53. He hears someone complain about taxing social security.
54. He hears someone say the President's doing just fine.
55. He hears someone attribute a social ill to a conspiracy theory.
56. He hears someone talk about the Kennedy assassination.
57. He hears someone complain about the ARRL.
58. He hears someone admit their name is Pincus.
59. He hears someone say "America's best days are behind her."

*I can personally attest that I have heard every one of these things on some band.  No wonder young people are turned off.