[SOC] Smokers?

[Ian C. Purdie]

Jan wrote:

> I do this via a dumb terminal, ascii, and a two meter link to someone else's
> computer and telnet (very second class). I quit smoking about 26 months ago,
> so I was curious about the picture. What was it?

In essence, my old competitor in electronics [back in the 1970's when we were
both nobody's] Dick Smith with his touch for the zany and a gift for marketing
was taken over by Woolworth's and subsequently became a multi millionaire,
mainly through royalties on using his name and face..

Again, given his gift for marketing, he has in recent years taken to introducing
a wide range of popular products competing with firms that sell traditional OZ
products but have since been taken over by foreign interests.

He trades on patriotic fervour, "keep the OZ $ here" etc. etc.

One such product is a box of matches and playing on the name of a very old brand
"Red Heads" he named his version "Dick Heads".

The link provided you with a story about it and a photo as well.

Lately, he is involved in a court case over the name of a pack of biscuits. He
even had "rent-a-crowd" protest out the front of the court on Monday or Tuesday.

Personally, I've never liked him for a number of reasons I will not disclose
here. Let's just say I believe him to be a "user" who sees an opportunity and
will use every means to exploit it.

As a licensed Radio Amateur he offended the whole AR community in OZ in the late
1970's by importing 10,000's of CB Radio's which were illegal to own and illegal
to operate at that time.

He knew that, he also knew that curiously, it wasn't illegal to sell them.

He marketed then in his own inimitable way. With the market flooded, the
government had to legitimise them in a forlorn attempt at some sort of
regulation.

Sale of AR equipment soon followed on the basis of "no questions" asked.

That's only one example.

Components he sold were often found to be reject / sub-spec stuff out of Hong
Kong. So it goes on... Self interest disguised as patriotic, charitable,
whatever suits. Like a good politician, he's master of the 10 sec grab on TV.

He was so mean that staff couldn't buy from him at a discount, they came to me -
along with stories....

FWIW

72/73's

Ian C. Purdie
Budgewoi N.S.W. Australia - Co-ords S33�14', E151�34'
VK2TIP "I'll give ya the TIP mate" QRP-L #1978. SOC #171 FP#91
http://www.electronics-tutorials.com/