TGO David

Today I have decided to unveil the new look and feel for the TGO forum as we come back from our "Moment of Silence" honoring Marswolf. It seems fitting to me and others agree that it marks a transition between the days past and the new days ahead. Hopefully more of you will like the new look than will hate it but feel free to offer comments and constructive criticisms here in this thread. Please note that I am still working on some aspects of the style. I rushed to get this ready for today and had to leave some things on the table to come back to and finish later. So what you see right now will undoubtedly evolve some over the next few days. I will definitely take feedback into consideration as I move forward with finishing it. Thanks.

I have been given approval by Shannon's ex-wife (essentially his only remaining relative) to post more details about Shannon's passing. The first post in this thread has been revised. Thank you.

Zombie Clowns, my friend... Zombie Clowns. The worst of the worst.

I'm quite envious of that rifle! Congrats.

That's going to be one long-ass rifle with a can on the end of it. If you run out of ammo, with that overall length you can just shift forward a little and poke 'em with the end of the rifle.

Sadly, even though the public at large cannot see who voted on a poll, admin-level members can. I'm somewhat disappointed but equally curious why. If that person would like to PM Me and explain, I'd be happy to listen.

Sloppy Joes and Spicy Nacho Doritos.

I am hopeful that I will be able to unveil the new look after we return from our moment of silence in honor of Marswolf tomorrow. It just seems somewhat fitting to have a clear line of delineation between the passing of one day and the start of another.

So far we have a 100% vote in favor of observing a period of silence tomorrow morning starting at 9am CST and lasting until 12 noon CST. Since no one is opposed, that will be the game plan. Thanks.

Len, I'm still curious how you reconcile Obama's staunch opposition to the individual right to bear arms with your personal believe in that right and your hard work to further the cause via the NRA.

So this means you're pretty much able to price things at the shop however you want right now, correct?

Prayers inbound for a swift and complete recovery.

Unfortunately there's not a built-in way to allow particular members to use a certain "style" ... admin privileges just override the restriction so I'm able to see it and test it. Otherwise I might do just that.

Phenomenal turnaround!

Friends, I am told that Shannon (Marswolf) had little left in the way of family. His brother preceded him in death a few years ago and his mother resides in a convalescent home and literally had thought he (Shannon) had died years ago and did not know who he was when he visited. Shannon's last request was to be cremated, therefore it is very unlikely that there will be a formal memorial service for him. As he was a friend of this forum and as a member of the TGO Staff, it seems to me that perhaps we can remember him in our own way by observing a period of "silence". If the majority of you approve, I would like to close the TGO forums on Tuesday, September 23rd between 9am and 12pm (noon) Central Time. During this time, a notice of memorial will be posted for all who visit to see. It's not much but it's perhaps all we can do. Please vote on the poll that I am attaching to this thread. Votes will be private so you do not need to worry about being singled out if you think this is idea is in poor form. Thanks.

Had some leftover "buffalo wing dip" that we made for watching the Titans game earlier. It's pretty good but I think we're going to tweak the recipe some. Here's what we used: 2 (10 OZ.) cans chunk chicken, drained 2 (8 OZ.) packages cream cheese, softened 1 cup Ranch dressing 3/4 cup pepper sauce, (Frank's Red Hot,Texas Pete, whatever you like) 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese Heat chicken and hot sauce in a large skillet over medium heat until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Stir until well blended and warm. Add grated cheese and heat through. Transfer to casserole dish and bake in 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. I think I would reduce the amount of ranch dressing used to about 1/2 or maybe 3/4 cup and use Texas Pete buffalo wing sauce instead of hot sauce. It was still pretty tasty.

Per Shannon's ex-wife, those of you who wish to make a gesture in his memory should consider a donation in his name (James "Shannon" Elder) to the Sullivan County Humane Society in Blountville, Tennessee. In order to facilitate this, here is the contact information. I should think that a check mailed to them with "James 'Shannon' Elder Memorial" on the memo line or an attached note would be sufficient. Sullivan County Humane Society / Kingsport Animal Shelter P.O. Box 992 kingsport, Tennessee 37662 Phone: 423-247-1671 Thanks.

I'm anxious to put it into play... but I've got a little more work to do. I'm actually using it right now myself just to test it and bug-hunt before I release it to everyone.

Hahaha... I love it. If only it said Glock or 1911...

I really am at a complete loss for words. Shannon was a great guy. I always enjoyed reading his thoughts on things and we had come to count on him to find creative and funny ways to work his dislike for Glocks into just about anything he had to say. I think that will be one of my lifelong memories of him and it'll bring a smile to my face every day that I holster up. Aside from that, I'm seriously in too much shock right now to even come up with much else to say. I'm really going to miss him here.

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce the passing of one of our own. James Shannon Elder (aka Marswolf) left this world for the next on Friday, September 19, 2008. He was 59 years of age. Shannon, as he was known to us, was a career soldier. He served this country in the Vietnam War as a soldier with the United States Army. Subsequent to that, he served as a contractor to various three-letter government agencies often in remote areas of the globe. Much of what he did remains shrouded in secrecy for the sake of operational security to this day. What we do know came from Shannon's own stories of working on jobs in South American countries and training young Marines, better equipping them to come home safely to their own families at the end of their assignments. Shannon leaves behind no immediate family. Divorced and without children, he was preceded in death by his brother. As of this writing, his mother resides in a convalescent home stricken by Alzheimer's Disease. A disease that has quite literally robbed her of any recollection of who Shannon was, to the point that she no longer recognized or remembered him when he would visit. We know that Shannon loved her greatly but also feared that one day he too would succumb to the same fate. At this time I do also have permission from Shannon's ex-wife to state that Shannon did take his own life in his Blountville, Tennessee residence during the early morning hours of September 19th. Shannon's last post was a farewell message made in the TGO Staff private forum at around 9:00pm the night before. Those of us who read the farewell message confused it with him once again saying that he was headed off to a new adventure somewhere south of the equator. Indeed, he has embarked on life's final adventure and we wish him safe passage. Least anyone mistakenly assume that Shannon's act of taking his own life was that of an unstable person in despair, allow me to state unequivocably that Shannon was first and foremost a soldier. A warrior. As has often been recorded by history back even to Feudal Japan, warriors at the end of their career and at the end of their life's work often elected to choose the time and place of their death and would do so at their own hand. This act was considered by them and their peers to be an honorable death. Shannon's life and his postings here on TGO show that he was a master thinker and a master planner. He was intelligent, introspective and dilligent in anything he put his hand to. He was not one who was easily swayed by outside opinion but rather was steadfastly guided by his own sense of direction and a belief in what was Right. It is with that in mind that I therefore submit to you to consider that Shannon approached the end of his earthly journey with the same thought, care and preparation as he did any of his military endeavors. We may never fully understand the reasons "Why" but we must give a nod to the thought that Shannon desired a Warrior's Death. Not on his knees. Not on anyone else's terms. And not wasting away under the care of others, burdening those whom he had worked his entire life to protect. But rather by his own doing, at the time of his choosing, and in the way that he preferred. Godspeed, Shannon. May you now rest easy for eternity, Soldier. --The TGO Staff

Aside from football one of the best things about Fall is... I seriously love this stuff. Easy drinking, a bit on the sweet side. Goes great with hot and spicy foods and equally goes well all by itself. Perfect for sucking down with hotwings, chili or sipping on the deck while enjoying the cool Fall breeze and watching the sun lazily drift behind the horizon. Anyone else got a good Fall beer recommendation? Post it!

A press check or "brass check" as you call it only ensures that there is a round in the chamber. It doesn't verify that the round is good or guarantee that it will ignite when the trigger is pulled.

I have an idea. How about less cute comments and more sticking to the facts or just not participating in technically oriented threads. I don't mean to single you out, but yours is the most recent post that I've seen like this lately. Opinions are fine as long as they are backed with something a little more substantial. Unsubstantiated opinions are useless.

It's helpful if you put something a little more descriptive in your thread titles. I fixed it for you.