StPatrick

I've got a Camp Trails external frame pack I can send (remember the one BSA sold a ton of in the early 90's?)- it is in great shape, PM me an address and I'll ship at no cost. If I can find any of the other stuff I used to have (utensils, fire starting gear), I'll throw it in. Scouting is a pretty excellent lifeline for kids living on the margin - keep 'em in and learning the values. PJB

Video is down, and I really wanted to see it. Too bad...guess I'll have to do my part to squash the proggies on 11/2 without it.

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That was a solid airport book - a very fun read...If anyone is interested in the nerdier stuff, here's what's in my queue: "The Scientists" by Gribbin - I'm almost finished with it, and if you're interested in the development of science since the enlightenment as told through the lives of the scientists themselves, I recommend it. "Free to Choose" by Milton and Rose Friedman (almost finished, an easy and informative read), and "Capitalism and Freedom" by Milton Friedman - easy to access books on the relationship between government and economics, with an emphasis on the individual. "The Road to Serfdom" by Friedrich Hayek - more of the same (being a chemist, I've never had class in economics; seems like a good idea to learn something on the subject). "The Last Chevalier" by Alexandre Dumas - his last novel, only recently discovered. Since I loved the "Musketeer" novels, and even moreso "The Count of Monte Cristo", this is a no-brainer for me to get into at some point. "The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie - I just want to see what the fatwa was all about. Recently read recommendations: for fiction, you can't beat Steven Hunter for a page-turner, nor Robert Ludlum (the stuff he actually wrote, not the trash continued by others after his death). Nonfiction, "House to House" by David Bellavia is an excellent account of one infantryman's experience in the 2nd battle of Fallujah.

I can't say they're nihilists, since they do care about some things, but it has surely been made clear that their concerns are not for their fellow man, nor human life in general.

That was a pretty well thought-out and measured "rant"; in the future, remember that rants feature arguments from authority, appeals to emotion, and generally should have some kind of conspiracy theory thrown in. There's no doubt that shareholders should investigate, and change as needed, the compensation for execs if proven out of line. If the numbers you quoted are correct, a restructuring of executive pay and benefits would definitely make Humana a more competetive provider compared to others, providing instant shareholder value; the rapid restructuring of other companies' compensation that would invevitably follow would reduce rates across the board. Note that I'm not holding my breath on this scenario playing out.

Heavy, health insurance companies generally run between 2-4% margins; their returns are easily searchable. They don't increase or decrease costs, they just insure against them based on probability and the nature of their risk pool. When payout goes up, so do insurance costs.

A friend of mine sells chicken to Mickey D's these days - since they went to their "all white-meat" chicken nuggets (which aren't as good as the old ones, lower fat / dark meat content) they've started stamping them out of breast meat. Be careful where you get your "frankenfood" info; most sites have an axe to grind.

Insurance companies (health, not life, which tends to be a full-on swindle outside of term policies) have been shown to have a margin of 2-4% per year. If the cost of care were lower, the cost of insurance would be as well.

6.8; Better yet, she (once she rules, and proves her Senate testimony was false) and Sonia Sotomayor (she's already proven her testimony was a complete fabrication) should face perjury charges for pretending to be followers of the Constitution and the rule of law as written. For those of you who are the praying type, I'd request that you add John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito to your list (and even perpetual weathervane Anthony Kennedy - he's on the side of the good often enough that we need him) for the next 2-6 years.

Agree with the above...anybody know where hunters' / shooters' / fishermans' rights groups stand on this one? This seems like a feel-good amendment, in that the federal government can enact laws and regulations that have supremacy over any state laws, enshrined in the state constitution or not. I'm not sure how to vote on this particular issue; the spirit is good, but where are the teeth, and what mechanisms will provide them? It's not like PETA and other anti-hunting / fishing groups have any traction in TN, so I am unsure what current or future problems this solves. Currently, I'm inclined to vote "yes", but only as a message and reminder to our elected representatives and appointed officials. I don't see this as anything other than a reminder to them regarding which way the wind blows. Passing any kind of constitutional amendment is a very strong statement - it may be that this is a "just in case" backbone-supplement.

I'm in - I'll bring am XDm in 9mm, a Sig 229 Elite in 9mm, a Kimber Super Carry Pro, and a FrankenRuger MarkIII.

...is awesome. I highly recommend it for any of you droid or iPhone users - the browsing experience is 100 times better.

If she does run, it will be a kamikaze mission...they lit her up in the '08 primaries, and with an incumbent, it would only be worse. She would have to unload a massive amount of negative information on the O, and put it out wide enough for the whole country to see. If that's the case, run, Hill, run! I know the potential opposition field is deep and untested (Pence, Daniels, Pawlenty, and of course Sarah and Newt), but her help might be enough to push the other team over the top. All she can do is hurt the O and damage the progressive cause. I am 100% in favor of a primary attempt, based on all that.

I notice that the two fellas (links and crimson) who feel like nothing can change are in the Memphidishu region - move east a bit, and the officially mandated screwin' is much more gentle . Marsha Blackburn may be a "compassionate conservative"*, much like GWB, but that beats the heck out of what y'all deal with. Her, and my local guys, I can deal with. In my county, SEIU / ACORN / ANSWER simply don't exist. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend it. Our cesspool is a little bit easier to swim in, though it is, of course, still a cesspool. *Lord, how I hate that phrase. As if comprimising your core principles in order to make nice with your opponent somehow made you "compassionate". Way to abandon the field and validate the looters!

I believe you may have pierced to the heart of the issue, Mike. Bawney Fwank is easily understood when viewed as a symptom of the greater problems that ail Massachusetts and her citizenry.

THIS.

I use Slide-Glide "Lite" on all my pistols (ranging from .22lr to .45ACP), with a drop or two of Hoppe's #9 oil in areas where I can't get the grease (e.g. between the hammers and frames or other tight spots where metal parts rub against one another). Slide-Glide is available here: Brian Enos's Slide-Glide Firearm Lubricant & Gun Grease

If everything works out, I'll be going after my first whitetail in SE Ohio, near the border with WV in November. I've never done it, so I'm pretty excited.

Regarding my comment about running "wet", here's a very good article, from a reputable source, about lubing Sigs: Flork's Lubrication Recommendation - Topic Powered by Social Strata

What to expect? Well, it will be heavier than polymer, slightly thicker than a 1911, and will run all day long. From the photo, you are either gettting a trigger added after purchase meant for smaller hands (it's thinner than the stock trigger), or a 229 outfitted with the SRT (Short Return Trigger). The SRT is 10 pounds of fun in a 5 pound bag. One thing to remember, if you're a "thumbs forward" style shooter, is that you must keep your thumb off the slide release - I had to teach myself not to ride it, which prevents the slide from locking back on an empty magazine. I did learn a valuable lesson that has repaid itself since - bad habits are more likely than bad mags. Sigs are well-engineered, well-built, fun to shoot, and easy to strip, clean, and maintain. You'll enjoy it! Search on the posts here or Sigforums for lube recommendations - Sigs run best wet, especially with those with alloy frames.

If they're entering through a window (unlikely with a trailer, but not impossible), 3M makes a transparent film for windows which makes it much more difficult to bust through. The glass breaks, but stays together, much like automotive safety glass, meaning a would-be intruder would really need to hammer away to get in. Otherwise, it seems like there's no easy recourse without finding the money to harden entry points. I'd suggest a "no pain medication inside" sign, but previous successful burglaries would nullify that.

Looking back, I wish I had stayed with it...oddly enough, even though I quit when I was 13 because it wasn't "cool", I've found that I still follow the conservation rules I learned, and share the same values I was taught back then (though they didn't start to show up again until I was out of school and had to actually fend for myself; ugh...the fun and glory of high school / collegiate irresponsibility is a lie that will cost you if you chase it). I'm in good shape now; no telling where I'd have been had I made 1 or 2 key decisions differently.

Caveat emptor. Find a great deal, and resell for more? Good for you, and good for your customers, who are willing to pay enough for your [X] to cover your costs with some profit. Find a great deal, and lose your shirt? The market is a tough mistress. When she loves you, she really loves you. When she doesn't, too bad. Evaluate your deals better in the future. When the crying moroness paid $1800 / ticket for the Hannah Montana show, she agreed to buy another person's goods at an agreed-upon rate. Rather than walking away, she completed that transaction. She traded money for goods she desired; fair, square, and over. Unless she was defrauded or mislead regarding the nature of those tickets (and since she and the daughter got in, we know that's not the case), she's just an idiot who would pay $1800 / ticket to see a 16 year old kid sing for 2 hours. Value is relative, and only applies at the time of purchase, unless and until fraud can be proven. She failed to spend her money wisely. Caveat Emptor.

...and some more! This internet thing is pretty cool for finding information: Is Chris Coons as bewitching as Christine O’Donnell? | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment Who, exactly, does the seat belong to, Mr. Coons? Don't measure the drapes just yet, pinko.