There are still problems of this age that defy either solution or explanation. And one of the local QRPers came up the hill last week to ask yet another question. "Tell me", the QRPer says, "I worked Yugoslavia on almost every band some years back. The other day I worked a 9A and a S5. Now someone tells me the DXAC has recommended what was Yugoslavia be counted as four or five new countries. And there's talk the old Yugoslavia may become a deleted country and if I send in the QSLs I'll get credit for them all. Is that right?" We had to think this over for a bit before replying. "But isn't it just in the initial stage? Doesn't the DXCC desk have to approve it first?"
The QRPer was not ready to accept this. "I don't care", he said, staring at us with his beady eyes, "I heard the Old Timer on the DX repeater the other day saying he was working them all on every band. Why would he be doing that if they don't count!" We had to admit this was a bit puzzling. So we hauled the QRPer over to the Old Timer. "Is it true all these new countries that used to be Yugoslavia now count for DXCC?", he asked. "And furthermore", he continued, "it doesn't make sense anyway. Sure I know there was a change in administration, but these stations haven't moved!" "Listen, Buster, tell me what you and the DXCC desk are up to!", he glared.
Son of a Gun! We were running ahead of an avalanche here and not gaining an inch. It was time to get out of the way and let the Old Timer speak. The Old Timer was silent for a minute, then he replied "In DXCC you may have and you may not. Any what you may think is, is not. And sometimes it is hard to separate what was and what is, between what we think we know and what is. Many of these things are simply state of mind. Many will realize that everything is not so and tomorrow it will be different . . . maybe. Certainly you understand all of that?" The QRPer jumped to his feet. "No I don't understand! I don't understand anything!". And he stomped down the hill, heading for the local club to tell his tale of woe to the net traffic types.
We were silent for a few minutes, contemplating what we had just heard. What could we say? When the Old Timer speaks, it is usually like a strobe light flashing! This time, however, we were starting to think he had been operating the linear with the cover off again. So we left the Old Timer typing away at the packet cluster, trying to bring up a remote node so he could find another 9A. Son of a Gun! As Albert so often said, "All things are relative, some more so."
Best Regards, Paul
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