How about an annual George Zeller Pirate Listener of the Year Award at the Fest ?
On Fri, Mar 26, 2021, 5:47 PM craig.51...@juno.com <craig.51...@juno.com> wrote: > I am going to miss his antics at the banquet. The goggles with the > windshield wipers, the "cheezy" hat. And his reading of the headlines from > the Intercource News. Whenever my wife tells me to "act my age" whatever > that means, I pull out some of my photos from past SWL-Fest banquets, > featuring George in full regalia and of course the scanner scum in their > tin foil hats. Her eye roll is deafening. Any way he will sorely missed. > CRAIG > > ---------- Original Message ---------- > From: John Figliozzi <jfigl...@nycap.rr.com> > To: na...@groups.io, Discussion list for the Winter SWL Fest < > swlfest@hard-core-dx.com> > Subject: [Swlfest] George Zeller RIP > Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2021 19:54:30 -0400 > > A couple of notes about George… > > I always looked forward to reading his e-mails. There was a certain > “Jean Shepherd†-like air to them. They would start with the topic at > hand, but then meander all over the place. If the subject was > radio-related, they would start there but maybe then make some reference to > a political or economic matter or a story bout a community like > Intercourse, PA or Tomatotown, OH that seemed to have nothing to do with > radio. If the subject, as it often could be, was Ohio’s economic > situation, you could count on a reference to our DXing world, its > personalities, maybe a piece of equipment or some radio history — again > seemingly not at all germane to the original topic. > > But, like Mr. Shepherd, all was and always would be tied up nice and > neatly with the last sentence or two. How he got there, I never knew. But > in the end it always made sense (especially to George) and never failed to > entertain. > > My second remembrance is as a privileged part of his “act†as master of > ceremonies at the Winterfest raffle and other radio-related festivities. > The cheesehead, the googles, the little Pancho doll, the Barto Bag, the > Barto Box — all of it developed over time, like the act of most great > stand-up comedians. But a little note about the goggles: George could see > very little through them. As Rich, Alan and I would carry up prizes and > the prize winning tickets to George, we usually had to tell him what he had > and whose name—or number or ham call sign-- was on the ticket. And then > it was off to the races — usually like the Marx Brothers’ day at the > races full of non-sequiturs, inside jokes (which we all were a part of) and > various foolishness. But the goggles were an integral part of the act and > they were not coming off until the last prize was awarded. At least when > they worked, he got sort of a head massage out of them. > > I came to understand over time that George possessed a certain amount of > stage fright or at least some serious misgivings about being an MC. Yet, > you’d never know it to watch him both metaphorically waltz magnificently > and then trip over his own feet — sometimes simultaneously and always on > purpose. > > George was an immensely intelligent man who was always willing to play the > fool if he could entertain his friends. Despite those misgivings about > being an MC — he seemed so unnerved at times that he was almost to the > point of exhaustion by the end — he never let us down when we asked. He > could talk passionately about economics using terms and discussing theories > that only the most learned could understand and then perform slapstick > comedy a few seconds later. > > We’re all going to badly miss George. I know I am. I can picture him > explaining the Ohio economic situation, using DXing terms, with the > Almighty, who will just give him a free pass. > > > John Figliozzi > _______________________________________________ > Swlfest mailing list > Swlfest@hard-core-dx.com > http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/swlfest > > To unsubscribe: Send an E-mail to > swlfest-requ...@hard-core-dx.com?subject=unsubscribe, or visit the URL > shown above. > > For more information on the Fest, visit: > > http://www.swlfest.com > http://swlfest.blogspot.com > _______________________________________________ > Swlfest mailing list > Swlfest@hard-core-dx.com > http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/swlfest > > To unsubscribe: Send an E-mail to > swlfest-requ...@hard-core-dx.com?subject=unsubscribe, or visit the URL > shown above. > > For more information on the Fest, visit: > > http://www.swlfest.com > http://swlfest.blogspot.com >
_______________________________________________ Swlfest mailing list Swlfest@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/swlfest To unsubscribe: Send an E-mail to swlfest-requ...@hard-core-dx.com?subject=unsubscribe, or visit the URL shown above. For more information on the Fest, visit: http://www.swlfest.com http://swlfest.blogspot.com
