Timestepper

Sorry, but your argument just doesn't hold up. The fact that "more people die every year" has nothing to do with the posted speed limit and everything to do with the reckless drivers who think that the posted speed limit doesn't or shouldn't apply to them. They are also the ones who don't take into account that not everyone shares their belief and so leave themselves no time to react when they suddenly come upon someone who is driving the posted limit. Edited to add: I've never rear-ended anyone while I was driving the posted speed limit. However, I have been rear-ended while driving the posted limit by someone who was not driving at the posted speed limit.

Maybe he just needs to go steal it back? I mean, after all, if the local constabulary isn't going to go after these jackasses for stealing his property in the first place, then they couldn't very well get their panties in a wad if he stole it back, could they? And before I get flamed for the previous statement, I'm not really advocating this as a serious course of action - it's just that I get damned tired of the "system" that always seems to work either in favor of the bad guys or at least against the good guys. This poor guy had his property STOLEN and now, to get it back, he's gonna' have to do the equivalent of paying for it TWICE? WTF is wrong with this picture?

Got the same exact thing with a Win7 machine here. Didn't really occur to me that it's only TGO until I saw your post and thought about it for a minute, but you're right.

That's because no one wants to take personal responsibility anymore.

Bingo! Ding, ding, ding, ding ding! We have a winner! Very well put, Sir!

Kinda' strikes me as funny that if you ask 5 people if they are a good singer, maybe 1 will claim to be. But if you ask those same 5 people if they're good drivers about 4 1/2 of them will claim to be above average... and 3 of them will have been involved in an accident within the past 3 - 5 years.

Actually, I get great reception out there and have occasionally even been known to call a friend or relative on a reeeeeally hot day just to tell them that "I'm waist deep in crystal clear water and boy oh boy it'd sure be nice if you were here, but you're not so I thought I'd just call and rub it in..." Oh, and it's very peaceful. Maybe the most peaceful river I've ever floated. I love it!

No harm done. I remember that particular fish like it was yesterday because I caught him the first time my buddy Pat floated the Clinch with me - it was good to see it again.

Had a buddy that did that - they mailed him a picture of handcuffs. (He paid the fine!)

My buddy and I will be on it in the canoe first thing in the morning. If anyone else finds themselves out there be sure and say howdy to the two long-haired old farts in the green canoe who look like they're having more fun than the law should allow! If we catch anything decent I'll try and post some pics tomorrow when I get home. In the mean time....

Not necessarily. More like life is what happens when you were making other plans. I'll admit that of the two, I regret the roads not taken the most (even though I've taken vastly more roads than the average person). Because even a wandering man can be satisfied with only one woman - especially if it's the right woman. But even a stationary man will sit and wonder where the road goes... I'll further admit that I thought at first that this was yet another thread hijack. But then I thought, what "survival skill" can be more primitive than the ability to satisfy the desire for companionship or to quench the thirst to discover what's over the next hill?

Nice brown! And thanks for re-posting my rainbow! (The top pic is me with a nice 'bow I caught with a yellow rooster tail on the Clinch last year - I had to replace that watch band a couple of weeks later, pardon the hairy forearm.)

Well, don't know how "interesting" it's been, but I've certainly enjoyed it. Always kinda' thought that was the point... Many years ago - when I was about your age - a guy about the age I am now told me, "When you reach my age you're only going to have two regrets: The roads you could have gone down and didn't and the women you could have slept with and didn't." ...I laughed then... turns out I shouldn't have, because it also turns out that he was right.

Would love to have something like that, but I'm not up to the pick and shovel work necessary to create a big enough pond - we live on the side of a heavily timbered, very rocky ridge and since I'm too cheap to rent a small backhoe or bobcat, it would be murderous physical labor and I'm just too damned old & lazy to commit to it.

I've delivered at Kirkland - at least they'll be on I-40 all the way to Crashville. I remember getting laid over (actually my turbo went out) for a week in Alb. during the hot air balloon festival and was talking with a gal from the information booth (okay, I was single then and trying to get her to give me "a personal tour.") and asked her what was the weirdest question anyone had asked her - she told me that someone had called just before the Opening Ceremony and asked if they had to be Catholic to attend the Mass Ascension. God, I nearly laughed until I cried! (And yes, she did give a tour later on and it was very personal! )

Damn shame...

I detest any of the local ones with the two bald guys who are always running to jump into a boat or some-such BS - both of those guys look like they killed their mother (or would if she threatened to give evidence against a client). There was one up home in Kansas that I actually enjoyed where the lawyer was wearing boots, jeans and a cowboy hat and riding a horse and actually ran down and roped a running "bad guy" - I think I mostly liked it because I knew the guy personally and knew he wouldn't take a case he didn't personally believe in, no matter what the potential pay off. Sadly, there's not enough like him.

There are several, but primarily anything with lawyers. Has anyone besides me ever noticed that half of the lawyers on those commercials look like they live with their mother and the other half look like they killed their mother? God, I hate those commercials!

Those of us who take life, liberty and personal responsibility seriously. (Read that as those of us who actually raise our children with values to become conscientious, productive members of society instead of turning them over to the freakin' welfare state for someone else to raise because they're too gawd-damned lazy to get off their butts and actually take responsibility for what they've produced...anybody can spend a few minutes bumping uglies and create a child, it takes a parent to create a decent, useful person!)

FWIW, Elmer Kelton is one of the very best unsung Western writers of all times and this isn't just my opinion. I didn't mention him earlier because the thread title is about Louis L'Amour, but Mr.Kelton would easily be my second choice. Far as that goes, the late Robert B. Parker (author of the "Spenser for hire" novels) is no slouch when it comes to Western novels either.

Not changing it to "accommodate one." Rescinded it because we'll all be better off if you can make it. What part of NM are they coming in from?

Naw, that's the thing about true friends - you might get a little worked up once in a great long while, but you know each other well enough to know that it'll never come down to an ass whoopin'. He's got a smart phone, but it's a cheap, lower-end smartphone and something tells me that either A. He won't fall for it. Or B. He'll insist that I keep in it the zip-loc baggie he carries it in when we're fishin'. Truth is, I think my Pat (my buddy) will be more impressed with the lengths I'm willing to go to for a practical joke (he's pretty damn good at 'em himself - he once taped a smoke bomb to my trailer axle and had me convinced that my freakin' brakes were on fire!) that he'll forget to whoop my ass (as if he could! ) even if I manage to pull this off. Guess I'll find out for sure tomorrow - he'll be here at 07:00 and we'll be on the Clinch by 07:30!

FWIW, I've withdrawn my vote for the 23'rd because I know that Wd-40 is more likely to be able to make it on the 30th. I've told Spots that I'll make a point of being available for whatever date is chosen and I will, but my wife wants to do something on the 30th and I can't quite bring myself to deliberately vote against her. Whatever date is chosen, I will be there. And I will try to camp out the night before if I get in off the road soon enough. So ya'll keep me posted as to the final chosen date and we'll take it from there. ...Don...

I'll second that! At least with speed cameras you have a chance and a choice. Traffic light cameras where they deliberately shorten the time span of the yellow light are not only specifically aimed at creating revenue, but are also a genuine safety hazard. (Ask any truck driver who's been ticketed by one because he refused to do a panic stop to avoid taking a chance on his load shifting - I've gotten two and in both cases was traveling well below the posted speed limit but simply didn't have time to stop before the light changed. Thank you, Mr. Haslam for the moratorium on these things!)

Sometimes, it would appear, prayers are indeed answered...