I never hear people complain about:
1. The amount of junk food other hams eat
2. Smokers at hamfests

Junk food is a staple at club meetings and Field Day. At my club's
meetings, you can always find plenty of salty potato chips (not the
low-salt Pringles Right Crisps), coffee cake, glazed muffins, sweet
rolls, and other unhealthy food. There is always plenty of soda pop
to drink. True, apple pie snacks and cookies are junk food too, but
at least they taste good. Kentucky Fried Chicken and donuts are
served at each of our annual Field Day weekends.

I am the only ham radio operator who complains that other hams eat too
much junk food. As a Morse Code testing opponent, I hate to say this,
but junk food seems to be an EVEN MORE sacred tradition than Morse
Code tests. The trend has been towards reducing Morse Code testing
requirements, but I see no sign that the junk food tradition is ready
to head off into the sunset.

People complain about hams with body odor at hamfests, but I can't
remember reading anyone complaining about smokers at hamfests. I
don't notice people's body odor - I don't run around sniffing
everybody. But the foul tobacco smoke spreads like wildfire. I don't
think body odor can spread 10-20 feet away very easily.

Hmmm, I see a great idea for a compromise on the Morse Code testing
issue. The anti-Morse-testing side complains that the Morse Code test
is unnecessary. The pro-Morse-testing side complains that removing
the Morse Code test will make it too easy for people to become
licensed. I propose that we replace the Morse Code test with health
requirements. The replacement license requirements will be:
1. Your Body Mass Index (http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm)
must be below 19. Of course, if I gain 5 pounds this fall and winter,
I'll have to revise the cutoff upward to 20.
2. No smokers may earn ham radio licenses.
3. No club is allowed to serve soda pop, donuts, glazed muffins, or
potato chips with more than 135mg of sodium per serving.
4. At all club Field Day events, vegetables must be served for
dinner.

Hey, these requirements would make it nice and challenging for people
to earn their licenses. We want our hams to be healthy. Too many are
afflicted with obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood
pressure, and other health problems. We won't give licenses away -
hams will need to cut the fast food, junk food, and tobacco out of
their lives. This will be quite a challenge given how sacred the
Kentucky Fried Chicken, soda pop, and donuts are.

Jason Hsu, AG4DG