Ron G.

As my Charles Dickens action figure keeps a watchful eye on my posts, I wish the GSC a HAPPY BIRTHDAY (a little early).

Like Hap, I'm a bit unclear as to what the woman was charged with and why. If it's because she refused to return the dog to its rightful owners, then perhaps there's a neutral agency who could take custody. If she refused that, then why? If it's strictly an issue of trespass to obtain the dog, then I'm with Ductape on this. But that's with great reservation due to a lack of information. The whole story, as presented, leaves a lot open to question. This may be off topic, but I'd like to register a complaint to all those concerned with animals. I live along that long dirt road that city folks drive down to abandon unwanted pets. As a result, dogs tend to congregate and become a nuisance, leaving my neighbors and I little choice but to just shoot them. Your unwanted pet soon reverts to the wild and forms packs with other dogs, left along the same road, and they become a threat to kids and livestock. I even had one a few years back that went through and dug up and ate all my bell peppers (?) and okra. I guess I've shot as many as 20 such dogs over the past few years...including a pit bull that had the temerity to come after a 7 year old Andrew, teeth showing and growling. I must admit I got excited, ran inside and grabbed my SKS and emptied a 20 rd. mag into it...what a mess I had to clean up...and what a sight it was...Andrew running, crying and screaming, me firing away and the dog...well...the dog coming apart. It happened again just last week...a pack of dogs went after my chickens and killed 5 of them. I got two of them, but a huge German Shepherd got away. As I was piling the carcasses and brush to burn them, I noticed the big brown dog had a scar on its neck where a collar once was...and had, evidently, grown into the flesh of the dog. For you "animal rights" types, remember...chickens are animals, too and they deserve to live...as do our goats, calves and other livestock. I dunno exactly what the point to this is except there must be better ways for people to rid themselves of unwanted pets. Maybe you who crusade can do something about this. But if they MUST persist in this, then leave boxes of ammunition out for us, too... It's more humane than letting them starve. I use .22, .30 M1, and 7.62x.39 Frank M. uses 12 ga and .22 Howard uses .30-.30 and .22 Frank W. uses .270 and .308 Wayne M. uses 7.62x.39 We've all talked about this a lot and wish city folks would/could find a better way...we're sick of it. Back to the regularly scheduled topic.

I enjoyed reading your thing from Saul Alinsky. It explains why you post the way you do and why you'd draw attention to Dot the way you did. You leave normal folks at a disadvantage when you attempt to hold them to their own rules since you make your rules up as you go along and, obviously, have no honor. It's quite telling that you'd be an admirer of Saul Alinsky, the left-wing granddaddy of contemporary American socialism, and Hillary Clinton's Chicago internship under him. What did Dot do to deserve your exposing her? Is it that you, with your obscene leftist views, are so vastly superior to the rest of us that the privacy and wishes of normal people are expendable to your grandiose vision of "the greater good"?

BONUS for the really motivated... Ozark Pemmican 1 c Ron's venison jerky 1 c dried dried huckleberries or blueberries 1 c unroasted crushed chinquapins 2 ts honey 1/4 c suet 1/2 ts cayenne Grind [or pound] the dried meat to a mealy powder. Add the dried huckleberries and chinquapins. Heat the honey, suet and cayenne until softened. Blend. When cooled, store in a plastic bag or sausage casing in a cool dry place. It will keep for months.

Slice about 5 lbs of venison (back strap is real good for this, but the ham is great, too) against the grain and soak it for 24 hours in the following mixture...in the refrigerator. 1 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup vinegar 1/4 cup crushed cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons crushed garlic 1 small chopped onion Sprinkle lemon pepper on the meat, then rack the meat in a hot smoker and smoke at a low temperature, approximately 100 degrees F, for 1 to 2 days until almost crispy. I like to use fresh cut hickory.

All too often, we're sold a bill of goods by someone who turns out to be quite different than the image they originally projected. It's happened to me and I'm sure many, many others, although we don't always like to admit we've been scammed like that. I really admire your candor in posting this. You're a brave lady. That's why I'm of the opinion that one should know someone at least a year before getting too involved in such an emotional investment. When the mask falls off, and it will, as it did for you, it'll hurt, but at least you're not burdened with this person in an authority position over you or your kids or other areas of your life that would prove untenable to you and yours...and you have to go to extreme lengths to rid them from your lives. (Am I the master of the run on sentence or what?) No one should have to wake up some morning, rub their eyes, and discover they became enamored with a fictitious character that didn't ever really exist...and they're lying next to you. As for being old, I have 15 years on you and I'm still a spring chicken...you're just a kid. How very telling that this guy was/is in politics. It seems par for the course. Thanks for your honest and eye opening post.

It's very unfortunate when one has to actually consider the use of deadly force to protect ones life and property. It's even sadder when it's something that is so unnecessary as urban gang types. Yesterday, I went out at about 7:30 AM to enjoy the sun and heard a commotion coming from my chicken house. I saw three very large dogs with some of my chickens in their mouths, so I went inside and got a .22 semi auto rifle left by my honored guests and fired two shots killing one of the dogs and hitting another. The second dog ran off screaming and I think is dead since the screaming ended quickly and the dog disappeared nearby. The third dog ran away before I could draw a bead. I went out and found four dead hens and two dead roosters. What does this have to do with Dot's dilemma? Both are similar in that both violate our lives and property and both do it violently...and we must do whatever is necessary to deal with it and protect our property. The only difference between my quadrupedal canines and Dots bipedal hominids is the canines know no better. It's what they do...it's their nature. How sad it is when this has to happen. However, I don't owe the dogs anything and the dogs owe me nothing, but we and the gang people owe each other the sanctity of our homes, hearth lives, family and property. When criminals violate these social contracts, they become worse than the marauding canines because they know better and it's a choice they make and not just their survival instincts. I don't know the answers in an urban setting...I haven't lived in an urban setting in nearly 20 years, but where I live, we deal with problems quickly and efficiently. It seems silly to spend our time reacting to some threat by organizing into activist groups or whatever when our time and energy should be spent in much more pleasant and profitable pursuits. It makes more sense to just dispose of the miscreants and go about our business. I do know, however, that an armed society is a polite society.

I never had that problem since I don't let animals in the house (notable exception are a couple of little foo foo dogs that come to visit from time to time) except for a cat to keep the rodents at bay, though I'm between cats right now. It is, however common practice in my neck of the woods to keep a spray bottle of bleach or ammonia and spray the garbage bags with it to keep dogs from tearing them up. Point is, you spray some in the boys room...maybe at the entrance...and the dog won't go in there. You can pretty much control where the dog goes in it's daily meanders by spraying places you don't want the dog to go.

Mine is pretty much identical to coolchefs except I use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs as Andrew and I like the texture a LOT better. Gotta add some water, though or it can be dry...and of course...

I knew it all along...I have no accent...everybody else does. Actually Dallas is listed and I am originally from Ft. Worth which is real close by. What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio. The South Philadelphia The Inland North The Northeast The West Boston North Central What American accent do you have?Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

NO SNOW!! Maybe it'll warm up this weekend. The Scouts have a campout this weekend aptly named "Klondike" where we sleep in tents and compete in various events such as a caber toss, blindfolded knot tying, tomahawk throwing, orienteering, lashing a tripod, fire building, first aid etc. I'm the Scoutmaster, now, which means I'm supposed to lead by example. The ONLY activities I'm qualified to lead the boys in real cold weather are... A. Shivering B. Hiding under blankets C. Complaining D. Drinking coffee E. Making the boys unload gear, set camp, pitch tents, haul water, post colors, gather firewood, build a fire and cook while I sit in the van with the heater going and smoking a cigarette. Since there are no awards or merit badges for these activities, I, for one, will pray for cancellation unless the weather improves dramatically by Friday evening.

If they didn't reconnect a vacuum hose properly, the engine losing vacuum would certainly account for the motor running badly...exactly as you described. Even if they put the vacuum line back on the power brake drum, they may have accidentally loosened another vacuum hose. It's not hard to do. I'm a little puzzled about the rotors. Typically, if the rotors are just scored, new pads won't make the car vibrate when you hit the brakes. You usually can't tell a difference until the pads wear out very prematurely due to the grooves eating up the pads. Vibration usually indicates warped rotors and warped rotors are usually caused by the brakes overheating which is common where I live because of the steep hills and the tendency to "ride the brakes" when you go down one. I learned to save myself a LOT of money by having a stick shift and down shifting and letting the engine slow me down instead of riding the brakes. When the mechanic changed the pads, he SHOULD have run his fingers over the rotor faces to feel for grooves...everyone is supposed to do that when they replace brake parts...it's really easy to tell if they need to be turned or not since good rotors should feel smooth as glass. If you heard loud squealing or metal grinding, then that was the sound of exposed rivets (bare metal) on the pads SCORING the rotor. The rotors were scored. Most mechanics I know will turn the rotors anyway just to provide a new surface for the new pads, plus when the rotor is spinning on the lathe, you can tell real fast if it's warped or not (kinda like balancing a tire)...and they don't charge extra for it...it's just part of the procedure. Warped rotors aren't so easy to diagnose but a mechanic can usually tell if the metal is discolored from overheating...and of course the tell tale vibration. Most of the time, warped rotors need to be replaced rather than turned since the integrity of the metal (tempering...hardness) is compromised by heat and those rotors take a LOT of pressure especially if you have to brake REAL hard. Turning the rotors will work and make them true again if the warping is minimal and the metal isn't discolored from heat. You should demand the mechanic tell you exactly what he did and why. Just some thoughts.

As I've mentioned in other posts, I've, over the past year, gotten myself into better shape and lost 130 lbs and am working out. I just discovered one of my Class 3 FFL buds has done likewise, only he's been working out more and spent a few $$$ on some surgery to assist his efforts. He's also 6 years younger than me. He kept the beard...I didn't. He's not exWay or anything, just a shooter bud. WLB before when he weighed 335 lbs... WLB Today...

Happy Birthday, Shell!! Your strength of character and tenaciousness are an inspiration to all of us who know and love you. You're one amazing lady! Hope your birthday is wonderful and you enjoy many, many more!!

I was a photographer for many, many years. When I would work with film in total darkness such as loading roll film onto processing reels or sheets into the holders or whatever, I always had my eyes squeezed shut. I never realized this until one company I worked for bought some infrared vision equipment to diagnose processing machines in total darkness and an assistant and I were playing with it one evening. She was watching me and caught that and it became a joke at the studio. I also start each and every day with coffee and a cigarette...usually more than one each.

"Ron, didn't you start a thread a while ago about people giving away the PETA comic books to kids? " Yes, I did. Such organizations target children and adolescents, usurping that authority of parents. "And you are absolutely right. Its not just about dietary choice,..." At least you admit it. "Its about treating all living things with dignity and compassion." If that were true, then why don't they start with their fellow humans? Show a little "dignity and compassion" for individual rights and choices, parental rights and private property rights. Maybe then, they could be taken seriously.

"People who are animal rights activists protests with signs that say, "A hamburger stops a beating heart." Someone drives by and throws garbage at us, usually rotting meat. We sign kum-by-yah, and the police come saying we are disturbing the peace. " Their presumed moral indignation, their targeting mainly kids, their zeal to codify their absurd "moral agenda" into law, their ABSOLUTE disregard for private property rights and their total disregard for individual values might be a reason for peoples rage. When people stand in front of eateries displaying their signs of moral indigation to intimidate decent folks who are simply going to eat, they should be jailed. It's NOT about dietary choice. If these people kept to themselves and minded their own business, nobody would care about their personal dietary habits.

It's each individuals right to eat as they see fit. I start having problems when people choose to claim some sort of moral high ground regarding personal choices. If you look at the PETA web site and many vegan information sites such as www.vegsource.com, you have to notice that all their rhetoric is aimed at adolescents and children. They PRESUME to know what's best for all of us and PRESUME to take the responisbility of raising children away from adults with whome they disagree. The moral indignation and their targeting kids along with their zeal to codify their "moral agenda" into law, their ABSOLUTE disregard for private property rights and their total disregard for indidual values renders them worthy of any rage that might come their way. Perhaps some vegans don't desrve this baggage, but then most Christians don't deserve the baggage that most liberals assign them, either.

Oooooooooooohhh....the things she says....and in many languages, too!!

Casually looking thru this thread, I was saddened at the thought of all the poor innocent tomatoes that die each year so rich kids can eat their pizza...not to mention the ketchup used on those horribly cut potatoes that were inhumanely boiled in oil. How sad. I don't know about all of you, but I've violently and cruelly cut onions up with gleeful abandon, and it ALWAYS makes me cry.

After reading Rocky's posts, I was reminded that your signal is only as good as the installer and the installers don't necessarily reflect on the company. The guy that came and put my Direct TV in was from the same office that had installed my Dish Network many years earlier. They both use local contractors and in my area, there aren't a whole lot for them to choose from. I don't have all that stuff Rocky was talking about...I have an old late 70's vintage Zenith that serves my purposes...Andrew has a newer RCA teevee up in his room. I bought it back in the early 90's.

I had Dish Network several years back and changed to Direct TV about three years ago. I like the DTV better as they have a couple of channels that aren't available on Dish Network that I like and the rates are a little better. Not much difference with customer service that I can tell, but I agree the reception (equipment?) is better with DTV. I heard recently they were both owned by the same company, but I honestly don't know about that.

Today is Albert Einstein's birthday. He would have been 107. Few people remember that the Nobel Prize winner married his cousin, Elsa Lowenthal, after his first marriage dissolved in 1919. He stated that he was attracted to Elsa because she was well endowed and postulated that if you are attracted to women with large breasts, the attraction is stronger if there is a DNA connection. This came to be known as Einstein's Theory of Relative Titty.

I used to attend Bible study fellowships where all the guys and girls kissed each other on the mouth as a greeting. Does that count? I haven't had NEAR as many colds since I quit doing that.

Just wondering why the hunter didn't clean the duck before tossing it in the refrigerator. Generally speaking, I don't think most animals feel much pain. I've had ducks and chickens that were attacked by predators run around like nothing happened after losing various limbs and body parts. One duck in particular healed up after losing everything from it's wings back to a raccoon. I finally put the duck down when the back half started rotting and stinking, even though it just acted normally like nothing was wrong. Anyway, ducks are for eating, NOT for duck retirement homes.