So, I came across this ad.......

[KA9MOT]

Another ham called me today and wanted to know if I could sell his Yaesu FT-8800 for him. I decided to see what these rigs are selling for these days. In my search I can across this ad: http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php...-amp-equipment

I was surprised to see him go into such detail, yet it was very hard to read. He peaked my curiosity and I wanted to see how things went. So, to brief it for you, the ad gets very long and takes us through the sale from start to finish Meanwhile through it all a side story starts to develop.

The guy was scrimping and saving so he could go to Europe, to meet relatives he'd never met. Then he gets kicked out of his house in California. He takes the money he was saving for his trip plus some money he'd saved from his Social Security Disability backpay and buys a nice RV. There is no place in CA where he can park the thing inexpensively so he travels to WA and rents a lot at the same trailer park his sister lives in.

A short time passes and he is diagnosed with Lung Cancer, so he decides to sell off his stuff so his sis can pay off his final costs and not go into debt. He sounds like a really great person.

So he sells the radio to somebody in IL and everybody his happy. That was his last post on DA ZED.

I got curious, is he still alive? If so, how is he doing?

I learned that he passed away on September 21, 2009. I expected that. What surprises me is that there is no Obituary on record.... anywhere. No SK notice anywhere. It's like the guy died and nobody noticed. That is terrible and I hope it is not something that happens to any of us.

[kf0rt]

Sad to hear, but obituaries have become another one of those "capitalist" things. Used to be, death notices were posted in the local press for free.

Not so any more. When my Mom died in 2006, it cost $5 per word per day to have her notice listed in The Denver Post. A very short one-day notice ran $250. A lot of people can't afford this on top of funeral expenses, so obituaries aren't the "guaranteed" thing they once were. This doesn't mean that the guy didn't have loved ones or wasn't loved by family and friends.

Being somewhat "into" genealogy, death records are kind of critical. I have access (free via my local library) to a nationwide obituary database. Had a pretty good work friend die a couple of years ago; buried with military honors at Ft. Logan - a local military gravesite. Ex-Navy 'Nam vet, the government footed the burial costs. His family loved him dearly (me too, crochety bastard that he was) and he had many friends. He never had much money but lived a very full and rich life and his family and friends were behind him all the way (we could all learn from this). Obituary? Never happened.

Guess what I'm saying is that the lack of an obituary is somewhat meaningless these days. I'm sure the guy had a lot of people who cared about him.

[N2CHX]

When I die I'm gonna haunt all you assholes.

[kf0rt]

When I die I'm gonna haunt all you assholes.

Tape will be runnin'. Make it GOOD! :rofl:

[N2CHX]

Tape will be runnin'. Make it GOOD! :rofl:

Actually, my sinister plan is to haunt your neighbors by causing TVI every time you all key down or crack a mic. :muhahaha:

[N8YX]

When I die I'm gonna haunt all you assholes.

And I'll dig you up, schmuck.

[N2CHX]

And I'll dig you up, schmuck.

My grave will be booby-trapped with a plate transformer from a Harris FM-25k.

[N8YX]

My grave will be booby-trapped with a plate transformer from a Harris FM-25k.

I'll rectify that and transmit on 14.313 with the excess energy. Muwhahahahaha...

[N2CHX]

I'll rectify that and transmit on 14.313 with the excess energy. Muwhahahahaha...

Which will be the source of all that TVI I was talking about. Hence, my evil plan is complete. I've outsmarted you all. :twisted:

[W3WN]

My grave will be booby-trapped with a plate transformer from a Harris FM-25k.

No it won't. Some rat bastid will dig it up and sell it to WA6MHZ on eBay for an exorbitant price. Plus shipping.