analog_kidd

Public Notice from the GSMNP:   The Great Smoky Mountain National Park Service is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and be alert for bears while in the field. ...We advise that outdoorsmen wear small bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them, and to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter....   It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear droppings. Black bear droppings are smaller and contain lots of berries and fur. Grizzly bear droppings have little bells in it and smell like pepper.

I built a PC and attached it to my entertainment center. There are PC cases available that look very similar to other A/V equipment, so it fits right in with the rest of my stuff. I got a video card that has HDMI out and it connects right into my stereo, which connects to the TV. With a wireless card, I can browse the Internet and play content from most broadcast station (ABC, NBC, etc.) Most content looks pretty good, but some is a little over compressed. It is a pain to browse and find the show, however.   There are several applications that are available for free that you can use to stream content to the PC that makes it a little easier. I use XBMC (http://xbmc.org/), which does a lot right out of the box, but there are a bunch of add-ons that you can load that will get you even more channels.So far, I have been able to find every show I wanted to watch.   On a PC, you can also install the NetFlix app, use Hulu, Amazon, Boxee. It kind of opens up a lot more than limiting yourself to what one proprietary box can do.

A friend of mine has a Mini Cooper, and there isn't even a spot for a spare tire on the car. He says the cars come with Run Flat tires. The bad thing is they only lasted him something like 20,000 miles and then it cost well over $1000 to replace them. Twice! This last time, he just replaced them with regular tires and says he prays he doesn't get a flat.

We have a crazy neighborhood lady that puts her trash out in the back yard to attract the wildlife. (She actually had her house overrun by raccoons at one point and she was sleeping in her van in the driveway, but that is another story). Anyway the animals that came for dinner attracted a coyote. Her house borders one of the Oak Ridge Green Ways.   Her next door neighbor has a few cats and she was worried about the coyote killing them. She didn't know what to do, so I called the city Animal Control, which is actually a division of the Police Dept.   They told me that the coyote was wildlife and not their responsibility. they would be happy to come if it were a dog or cat. I should call a trapper and pay to have it removed. I was pretty annoyed, like you, that they would allow citizens to be endangered because they didn't want to do their job. Since I knew they were the police, I thought I'd at least get a rise out of them and asked if I could shoot it with a .22 since I felt threatened for my safety, and that of my grandkids and neighbors. He got real serious and said "It is illegal to discharge any gun in the City. What did you say your name was?" I already knew it was illegal and would not have done it anyway. So then, just to keep it going I asked if I could shoot it with an arrow. He didn't answer right away, so I jumped in and said "I'm going to take your silence to mean you just don't want to know about it. Thanks, Bye" and hung up.   My next call was to the TWRA, who also said it was not their responsibility, and I should call a trapper or trap it myself. I asked if I trapped it, would they come and pick it up and relocate it, and she said "No, I had to get rid of it myself". I told her the City said I could not shoot it, so how was I supposed to get rid of it? And since I'm such a smartass I said, "What am I supposed to do, club it to death?" She got all serious on me too and said, "Sir, clubbing an animal to death.....is a perfectly acceptable form of euthanization".  :stunned:   I guess she got me.   Anyway the coyote finally moved on, or someone else got rid of him, since he is not around anymore. I swear I didn't do it.

shooterlooter is available

Hello America, my name is Analog_Kidd. On behalf of ALL media talking head types, I would like to apologize for them being arrogant, self serving, publicity whoring, ambulance chasing, race baiting, left leaning, Obama loving, America hating, flatulent blowhards. They didn't ask me to apologize, but it needed saying. They'll thank me later.

Quick, someone call the Westboro Baptist nut cases and tell them some soldiers are going to be there. Perhaps they'll start a fight and we can kill two birds with one stone.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Remingtonreg-22-LR-Rimfire-Ammunition/734676.uts?avad=48247_f4a693f9&WT.mc_id=al35987&rid=12&WT.tsrc=AFF   525 count Remington for $24 + $5 shipping

Looks like Stevie won't be doing many shows in the states. By this graphic I count 15 states that he can visit:   http://www.washingtonpost.com/2012/04/07/gIQA82t61S_graphic.html

Hey, Stevie, the 80's called. They were wondering where you've been.

  Apparently, great minds think alike  :up:

The only thing that would have made that video better, is if the ice broke while he was kneeling there in pain.

Got mine on the back of my truck. I was leaving work one day and noticed on the way out that another employee had a sticker on his vehicle. I recognized him, but did not know he was a member here. Sent him an email the following day and made sure he knew we were TGO brothers.

Unless you are camping out in the back country, I wouldn't worry about bear spray.They usually stay away from the populated areas most folks visit. The rangers take bear sightings very seriously. If there is a bear seen in a campground, they get right on it and trap and relocate the bear. A bear that gets into the habit of eating people food is usually a dead bear. They will try to relocate it once or twice, then it gets put down. The park does not want any bear attacks or people freaked out over their campsite being ransacked.   Plus, on the rare occasion I have seen a bear, they have always been about the size of a large German Sheppard, and were very timid.

  Sorry, I don't have the time or money to go to court to teach the cop what he should already know. There are a ton of laws and I don't expect cops to know all of them, but I expect them to know most, and I certainly expect them to be fully aware of what a citizens civil rights are.

I'm PADI certified, but have not dove for over 15 years. I had all my own gear when lived in Florida, but I sold it all when I moved to TN. I don;t think I would feel comfortable diving again without getting re-certified, or at least taking some kind of refresher.     I did all my diving in that area too. I grew up in Boynton Beach.

  I don't really know how they are with open carry, as I have no experience with them in that regard. I do know that every one I have met has been extremely professional, and they all appear to know the law very well. Plus, in the back country they travel alone, so if you were to meet one, and you are polite, courteous, and friendly, they will likely not have a problem with you. Of course it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) never use the opportunity of being in the middle of nowhere in the GSMNP to do a little target practicing. It will not end well for you. THAT the rangers would not  be OK with.

A guy I know went to have his kids names inked onto his arm. Only thing is, the artist misspelled the name. The guy caught it right after the wrong letter was inked on around the middle of the name. No problem, let's do it again on the other arm. He probably should have made sure the artist knew the correct spelling, because he did the exact same thing on the other arm.   Moral of this story is make sure the artist knows how to spell the name you are having tattooed on your body. 

One thing to keep in mind about the GSMNP campgrounds is that there are no showers in the bathrooms. May not be a big deal to your family, but some wives are turned off by that. Any of them are quite nice though. I just did a day visit of Cosby and it is very nice there. Elkmont and Cades cove are some of the more popular, and crowded ones.Alcohol is permitted in the campgrounds, but trust me when I say they will catch you drunk driving. My folks used to camp host and they are very familiar with some of the rangers. DUI busts are one of their top priorities. Carrying with a valid HCP is also permitted in any of the campgrounds or back country trails / sites. New rule this year: ALL backcountry camping requires not only a permit, but also a reservation. The reservation number is on their website.

I'm a whitewater kayaker, and there used to be a company called Lotus that made paddling gear, the most popular piece being a life jacket, Their logo was a lotus flower,and they placed it on the life jackets at a position roughly between the top of the shoulder blades . Now, the lotus flower symbol was not particularly manly looking, but in the kayaking community it was immediately recognizable, and several men thought it would be a good idea to ink it onto their backs in the same location as the life jacket. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Fast forward several years and now the company is out of business and nearly forgotten about and we have all these guys with these girly flowers on their backs. Makes me laugh every time I see one.

Do I think the kid went out looking to prove a point? I sure do, but the officer took the bait hook line and sinker. A civil rights violation by person of authority is never acceptable. Someone has to keep the officers honest, just like the officers are trying to keep citizens honest. The kid was being a pest, but he did nothing illegal, however the officer did.   What really bothers be though, is the clear violation of someone's rights with the manipulation of the dog. I'm tired of hearing stories where the cops are able to detain you until a dog sniff is done, you have to wait 45 minutes for the dog to arrive in certain circumstances and then they give a false positive. Someone posted here earlier about a SCOTUS ruling where a search by a "RELIABLE" dog is acceptable at a traffic stop. There ought to be a rule that a dog that makes a certain percentage of false positives is put out to pasture. That would keep the handlers honest.

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  I second Abingdon as a cool place to visit.   The Virginia Creeper Bicycle trail is one of the most fun things I have ever done in my life. Go to Abingdon and head East to Damascus. For $26 a person they will rent you a bike and give you shuttle to the top of the mountain. You pedal the 100 yards or so to get out of the parking lot, then basically coast downhill for the next 17 miles. The trail is a very moderate grade, and is very well maintained with no pot holes, bumps or obstacles. It is very scenic, following a creek nearly the whole way. It's an old railroad bed, and it still has dozens of trestles that you ride over. Trust me you will love it.   Make a weekend of it, by riding the trail and then staying at the Martha Washington Inn in Abingdon. Very cool hotel, with lots of history and charm, but a little pricey (you only live once). Walk around town on the brick and cobblestone streets, take in a show at the Barter theater and go eat at one of the local pubs. It will be a weekend you remember for ever.

If you want something really out of the ordinary, go visit the Minister's Treehouse, in Crossville. This thing is amazing. He just keeps adding on and adding on. It's free, but they have a donation box if you feel inclined. I had heard that it was temporarily closed, but I found plenty of recent web pages talking about it as if it is open. Here is a random page of info and pictures from the web: http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2013/06/11/world_s_largest_treehouse_built_by_divine_inspiration_in_crossville_tennessee.html   Another cool place to visit is Ozone Falls. It's free and just a short walk from the parking lot. http://www.tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/ozone/

To me Big Ed's is just OK. The pizza is all right, but the atmosphere is better. It's a restaurant with a lot of history and roots in Oak Ridge, that's what makes it special. If you stick to places in Oak Ridge only, you should go just to say you did.   Right around the corner from Big Ed's is the Market House Restaurant, The Soup Kitchen, and Dean's (in my order of favorite's). Market house makes everything fresh from local farmers. Plus they have a nice selection of beers.   Razzleberries is right down the street from Big Ed's and has a great selection of home made ice cream. Great place, and really nice owners / staff.   For things to do there's not a lot of options in Oak Ridge, The Science Museum is definitely worth the trip. Not sure if they are open in the evening though.Over on Melton Lake Drive the Marina makes a nice place to walk/run. Not sure if a bunch of guys on a business trip want to do that, but thought I'd mention it.   If you bring a Mountain Bike, Haw Ridge park is a stellar place to ride. Probably one of the best in the country. Trails are moderate to very difficult. There are also a bunch of geocaches in Haw Ridge if you just want to walk around.   The Arboretum is really close to Y12 and has some nice walking trails.   Coal Creek Armory and Frontier Firearms have indoor ranges and gun rentals if you want to do that.   As mentioned, there are several red light cameras in Oak Ridge. They are well marked ahead of the intersection, so just be observant, or obey the speed limits, and you'll be OK.