Phil Lilley

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmas...MASTERHeadlines Big baits for big weights By DAN O'SULLIVAN Swimbaits currently account for two major BASS records. One is Byron Velvick’s winning creel of 83 pounds, 5 ounces at the 2000 California Invitational. The other is Steve Kennedy’s massive 122-pound, 14-ounce total at the Elite Series Golden State Shootout in March 2007. Although both records were set at Clear Lake with jumbo-size swimbaits, these Elite Series anglers use smaller versions to score big on fisheries outside of California. Both anglers utilize palm-size swimbaits as weapons in their fishing arsenal to improve the size of their daily catch. One as an all-day tactic, the other when he feels the fish he’s chasing require a bigger lure profile. But, unlike swimbaits that can measure up to a foot in length, the advantage with smaller versions is that they do not require the purchase of specialized gear. For example, when he’s throwing swimbaits, Kennedy uses a 7-11 Kistler Helium 2 Flipping Stick teamed with a 7.1:1 baitcasting reel spooled with 20- to 30-pound-test P-Line Floroclear. Kennedy believes the reel speed is important for hook setting. “Big fish will eat the bait from behind and push it forward. So you have to catch up to them.” Meanwhile, Velvick throws his smaller swimbaits on his signature 7-9 swimbait rod made by Rogue Rods, which he teams with an Okuma V-200a spooled with 15- to 20-pound-test Berkley Trilene XT. Velvick doesn’t recommend the new high-tech lines when throwing swimbaits, however. “Monofilament is needed to absorb the shock of swimbait hook sets,” he said. Many consider Velvick to be one of the sport’s most recognized swimbait experts, and he has thrown these baits for years on the Tournament Trail. But Kennedy’s first “big bait” experience came at the 2007 Elite Series opener at Lake Amistad, just three weeks before his record-setting performance at Clear Lake. “At Amistad, big female bass were suspended in trees leading into spawning areas on the first day,” Kennedy remembered. “I couldn’t get them to eat a jig or a Kinami Flash, so I went back the next morning throwing a Baby E swimbait [www.californiaswimbabes.com] and caught a 5-pounder.” Since that day on Amistad, Kennedy has used swimbaits across the country. But one that he used at Clear Lake has become his favorite. “I caught my biggest fish at Clear Lake on a Huddleston Trout [www.huddlestondeluxe.com], but I caught 40 fish a day on the 6-inch Basstrix Paddle Tail with a 6/0 Falcon hook,” revealed Kennedy. “It’s a great bait. I can catch fish everywhere on it.” Since setting the all-time record in 2000, Velvick has been extolling the virtues of swimbaits to anglers everywhere, and palm-size baits also serve him well. “I’ve used a 5-inch handmade bait for many years. The profile, weight and action of it are perfect. But as the popularity has grown, I’ve found new models that I like.” Velvick used his homemade version to win Ray Scott’s Light Line Championship in 2002 but has found comparable characteristics in River2Sea’s Live Eye Bottom Walker swimbait [www.river2seausa.com]. “The smaller Bottom Walkers are the perfect profile to mimic baitfish,” Velvick said. “They cast well, and they have great action and a perfect hook for big fish.” Velvick often uses swimbaits all day long. But Kennedy considers them situational tools. “I use them when I find big fish that won’t eat conventional offerings,” Kennedy explained. “Swimbaits have a profile that appeals to bigger fish. In fact, using them around shad spawns helps me get more of the right bites, as opposed to spinnerbaits and crankbaits.” Kennedy and Velvick both say not to let the large size of a swimbait intimidate you. “Big fish want a big meal,” Kennedy remarked. “Swimbaits get their attention.” Velvick agreed. “Four- to 6-inch baitfish are very common around the country. Fish are accustomed to eating prey that size. As anglers, we need to exploit that.” They suggest that fishermen go to their favorite lake and try fishing swimbaits around docks, ledges or submerged grassbeds. Start with a slow retrieve, but experiment to find the right cadence and set the hook hard when strikes occur. They also say that at least 2 feet of visibility in the water is optimal. Finally, Kennedy offered a word of caution to his fellow anglers. “These things are addictive. I’ve spent almost $3,000 on swimbaits since California,” he admitted. “I know I couldn’t have caught them at Clear Lake on anything else, so I’m definitely hooked.” Click here to JOIN BASS!

The Bassmaster CastingKids events were created to teach children how to flip, pitch and cast and provide them with an activity they can enjoy for a lifetime. Below you'll find a list of upcoming CastingKids events. For more information please contact us at 877-BASS-USA and ask for the BASS Youth Department.Sponsors of the CastingKids program, conducted by BASS are: Toyota, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury, MotorGuide, Lowrance, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts, Cabela's and Zebco. Mar. 1 Fayette Bass Club Woods & Water,Tuscaloosa, AL Mar. 1 Fayette Bass Club Southside Baptist Church, Fayette, AL Mar. 29 Gilbertown Bass Club Coffeeville Service Park, Silas, AL Feb. 24 AZ BASS Federation Nation Cabela's, Glendale, AZ Feb.15-17,2008 CT BASS Federation Nation Hartford Convention Center, Hartford June 15, 2008 CT Outdoors Mansfield Hollow, Mansfield, CT June 21, 2008 CT Outdoors Mansfield Hollow, Mansfield, CT Feb. 29-Mar. 2 Florida Trails Bass Club Miller's Boat Show, Ocala, FL Mar. 1 FL BASS Federation Nation State Finals-Okeechobee, FL Mar. 1 & 2 Florida Trail Bassmasters Bass Pro Shops, Orlando, FL Feb. 9-10 Maple Bassmasters of Illinois Tinley Park High School, Tinley Park, IL Feb. 16 Mid Eastern Illinois BM Big R, Danville, IL Mar. 1 Tri County Hawg Hunters Godley Park District, Godley, IL Mar. 15 & 16 Illinois Bass Anglers Bass Pro Shops, Bolingbrook, IL Feb. 15-23 Backyard Bassmasters Boat,Sport & Travel Show, Indianapolis Feb. 9-10 Cedar Rapids Jr. B/M Hawkeye Downs Boat Show, Cedar Rapids Feb. 9-10 Kick Back Bass Club Expo Center, Topeka Feb. 17 Last Cast Bassmasters Pittsburg National Guard Armory, Pittsburg, KS Mar. 8 Olathe Bass Club Bass Pro Shops, Olathe, KS Jan. 26-Feb. 3 Kentucky BASS Federation Nation Louisville Fairgrounds, Louisville,KY Feb. 8-9 KY BASS Federation Nation Internat'l Conv. Ctr, Louisville Feb. 10KY BASS Federation Nation State Finals -Internat'l Conv. Ctrs, Louisville, KY Feb. 16 Blue Grass Bassmasters 4-H Youth Development, Center Square, Lebanon Mar. 14 Blue Grass Bassmasters 1st Baptist Church, Mount Washington, KY Feb. 9 & 10 Southwest Bassmasters Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles, LA Feb. 23 Reel Time Independent Bible Church, Hedgesville, WV Feb. 16 Somerset Bassmasters Skowhegan Recreation Center, Skowhegan, ME Feb. 17 Eagle Bassmasters Deer Pond, Hollis, ME Feb. 29, 2008 Michigan BASS Federation Nation Novi Expo Center-Outdoorama, Novi, MI Mar. 1, 2008 Michigan BASS Federation Nation Novi Expo Center-Outdoorama, Novi, MI Mar. 14 MI BASS Federation Nation Ultimate Fishing Show, Grand Rapids, MI Feb. 16 Granite City Bassmasters Miller Auto Plaza, St. Cloud, MN Feb. 16Minnetonka Classic New Prauge Middle School, New Prauge Feb.. 6-10 St. Louis Area Bassmasters Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO Feb. 10 Hiddenite Bass Anglers Bass Pro Shops, Concord Mar. 1 Triad Bassmasters Farris Park, Mayodan, NC Feb. 23 Hudson Valley Bassmasters Galleria Mall, Poughkeepsie, NY Mar. 2 Westchester Rod & Reel B/M World Fishing & Outdoor Expo, Suffern, NY Mar. 8 Southern Tier Jr. B/MOlean Center Mall, Olean, NY Mar. 28-30 Northern NY Bassmasters II Gold Dome, Ogdensburg, NY Feb. 7-10, 2008 OutCast Bassmasters Ohio State Fairgrounds, Columbus Feb. 7-10Lake Keystone Bassmasters Green Country Tackle Show, Claremore Feb. 14-17North OKL Bassmasters State Fair Grounds-Tackle Show, OKC Mar. 15 & 16 North OKC Bassmasters Bass Pro Shops, Oklahoma City, OK Feb. 15-18 ONT BASS Federation Nation Toronto Internat'l Center, Mississauga, ON Mar. 8 St. Catharines Bassmasters Pen Centre, St. Catharines, ON Mar. 15 Petawawa Bassmasters Civic Centre, Petawawa, OH Feb. 10 Capitol City Bassmasters Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, PA Feb. 23, 2008 Susquehanna Bronzebacks Christ Wesleyan Chuch, Milton, PA Feb. 22-24 Carolina Christian B/M BMC-Carolina 1st Center,Greenville, SC Mar. 1 Shaw Bassers 1st Church of the Nazarene, Sumter, SC Feb. 9 Lake Mitchell Bassmasters Cabela's, Mitchell, SD Feb. 9-10 Bad River BassRamkota, Pierre, SD Feb. 11 BM of Cleveland Tennessee Blue Springs School, Cleveland Feb. 16 TN BASS Federation Nation State Finals - Black Fox Elem. School, Cleveland Feb. 23Manfield Bassmasters Cabela's, Ft. Worth, TX Mar. 8 & 9 UT BASS Federation Nation Cabela's, Lehi, UT Mar. 9 UT BASS Federation Nation State Finals - Cabela's, Lehi, UT Mar. 1 & 2 Piedmont VA Bassmasters Orange County Sports Complex, Orange, VA Feb. 16 Fire Creek Bassmasters TRAC, Pasco Feb. 14-17 Northern Illinois Youth BM Milwaukee County Sports Complex, Franklin, WI Mar. 9 Mountainaire Bassmasters Gander Mountain, So. Charlston, WV

Alabama boy and hunt organizers to answer for possible cruelty charges By Rhonda Roland Shearerhttp://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/hunting/news/story?id=3220628&campaign=rss&source=OUTDOORSHeadlines Editor's note: Rhonda Shearer is the director of Art Science Research Laboratory, which she founded with her late husband Stephen Jay Gould. The New York-based think tank promotes cross-disciplinary studies and supports a journalism ethics program that publishes StinkyJournalism.org, a site bent on debunking erroneous media. She and her colleagues have put hundreds of hours into investigating the claims around a "monster" pig kill in Alabama last year, which they see as a case study in how to create an international media hoax. Because the investigation involves hunting law and ethics, she has written this report for ESPNOutdoors.com, to be published simultaneously on StinkyJournalism.org. When Jamison Stone shot and killed a massive swine in Alabama last year, the headlines blared: "Boy Bags Monster Pig in 'Bama." An 11-year-old taking down a hog in Dixie was front-page news in Manhattan. "The Today Show" lined him up for an appearance. Quickly, though, as the details of the hunt emerged, the spotlight abandoned Stone. After countless hours of following the story since it broke in May, I've pieced together a far shadier account of events than initially reported. And I've learned that Stone this week will face a secret grand jury in Clay County to answer for possible animal cruelty charges. He and the four adults he trusted — who ultimately tricked him and an overeager press — are all subject to questioning, and possible enforcement. What went wrong? For starters, the grand jury's issue is not with Jamison's father, Mike Stone, and his initial exaggeration of the pig's dimensions. (Check out my investigation "Hog Washed!" on StinkyJournalism.org for a breakdown of how the "hero shots" after the hunt were manipulated.) Instead, it will be investigating the more serious matter of why experienced hunters let the half-ton hog bleed out across a three-hour hunt when they had the opportunity to kill it swiftly and humanely. Stone, now 12, may not have known better. He's the young man you remember holding the .50 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol behind the large, hairy hog he shot at a "hunting preserve" called Lost Creek Plantation in Lineville, Ala., in May. He no doubt had placed trust in his father, Mike Stone, who arranged the hunt with Keith O'Neal and Charles Williams, owners of Southeastern Trophy Hunters. They brokered hunts with Eddy Borden, who owns Lost Creek. Those men assured young Jamison that hog he killed was wild. The truth is, the animal was in fact a docile breeding swine named "Fred." The boy's trust in these four men turned out to be misplaced. O'Neal, a professional hunter, persuaded the father to fork over $1,500 to guide Jamison on the rigged hunt. Their actions that day could lead Jamison to face charges in court. How did three trained hunters and the boy's father lead him around a fenced-in, 150-acre plot for more than three hours, allowing Jamison to repeatedly shoot — but merely wound — a 1,000-pound animal? Not one of them thought to say: "Look, son, you had your chance, but those belly shots have wounded the animal and it is in distress. We have to put the creature out of its misery." Instead, they allowed the hog to bleed out from injury. Mike Stone said during several phone interviews recorded over numerous hours that no kill shot was ever taken. "I regret that it didn't die the first shot," he said on June 5. "But that's all I can say. That's all I'm going to say." The mystery remains: Why did the hunters do nothing? As director of the Art Science Research Laboratory, which runs a media ethics program and a web site called StinkyJournalism.org, I led hundreds of hours of on-the-record interviews and research into the monster pig case (the records of which were subpoenaed by Clay County District Attorney Fred Thompson). The results of that investigation will offer the jury some clues. Here is what we found. Although its web site boasted that the hunting at Lost Creek was "legendary," the hunting operation at the plantation was only four months old at the time of the hunt. Eddy Borden had big plans for developing his canned-hunt operation, the Clay County Times reported shortly before the hunt. Borden, along with O'Neal, hatched a scheme following the blueprint for hype and financial success generated by "Hogzilla," the first famous and controversial monster hog, shot on a hunting plantation in Georgia in 2004. Using buzzwords associated with the Hogzilla hype, O'Neal placed an advertisement on April 28th. It promised a "once in a lifetime" hunt for a "monster" wild boar that they had "trapped" and that was now "roaming the wilds of the Lost Creek Plantation." It turns out that the "monster" boar was in fact plain ol' Fred, a domesticated, part Duroc hog whose original owner, Phil Blissitt, said that Borden and Williams drove their truck to pick up the swine from his farm on April 29th. (Allen Andress, the chief of law enforcement for the Alabama Wildlife and Fisheries Division, confirmed the pickup date in a separate phone interview.) Borden paid Blissitt $250 for the hog, and in that instant Fred went from breeding stock to "wild" beast just four days before the hunt. O'Neal, in charge of selling the hunting escapade, knew full well there was no, "beast roaming Lost Creek." Still, he placed an advertisement on his web site, Southeasterntrophyhunters.com, and sent out a mailing to hype the canned hunt as a safari-like adventure. He may have already had Mike Stone in mind as a prospect. The ad featured Stone himself, who had shot a 627-pound hog at Lost Creek only weeks before. He also mentioned that Borden had just trapped another boar larger than the one Stone had shot. According to Mike Stone, a local news station advised O'Neal that in order for the hunt to become a news story, only the boy — not an adult — could take the shot. The media got what they asked for, and a brave young lad shot and killed a "monster" hog in the wilds of Alabama. Trouble was, it just wasn't true. The Anniston Star newspaper reported on May 30 that hunt organizers O'Neal and Williams said they "knew the harvest of the pig alone would draw some attention but that the addition of Jamison doing the shooting moved the story to a higher level." O'Neal told the paper: "We knew it was going to be something significant because of the sheer size. The fact that an 11-year-old did it with a pistol, that's what perpetuated it and has kept it going." The Star continued: "O'Neal and Williams went on to say that a lot of this skepticism might have never happened. They had invited television stations to come with them on the hunt, but none showed up." It was the Star's May 23, 2007 report that first launched the story into the media; StinkyJournalism.org discovered that it also was invited to attend the hunt, but did not disclose this fact. (We will be writing more later about the media's responsibilities and role in this international fake news story.) We also found out the main independent witness used to verify the hog's size and skull for the Star, taxidermist Jerry Cunningham, had a business relationship with O'Neal for over 16 years. This should have been revealed to the public. Was creating a news story in order to promote a hunting business the primary reason the professional hunters didn't take any shots and went to such lengths to ensure that only the boy took aim? Were the resulting international headlines — "11 Year Old Boy Slays Monster Pig in Alabama'' — worth the cruelty and suffering to the pig? Borden may no longer think so. Instead of creating a booming business, the Hogzilla scheme backfired. It generated bad press and has led to possible charges against Borden as well as the boy. Lost Creek Plantation has apparently since been closed, and realtors have confirmed to Stinkyjournalism.org that it is up for sale. Mike Stone, who was sold a "pig-in-a-poke" by O'Neal, Williams and Borden, should not be charged. These three adults, all professional hunters, are responsible. Jamison and the hog are the victims in this case. Still, Mike Stone is no angel in all of this. He created a web site, Monsterpig.com, filled with celebrity endorsements, posters for sale with Jamison's autograph ($10), and an announcement that Jamison had just received a part in the movie, The Legend of Hogzilla. Mike Stone bragged that Jamison received congratulations from such celebrities as Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd; country star Kenny Chesney; Benelli exhibition marksmen Tom Knapp and Tim Bradley; and Smith & Wesson marksman Jerry Miculek. However, there was no groundswell of support by personalities contacting Jamison. Stone solicited all of these celebrities for their congratulations, and every last one was surprised and dismayed to hear that their names appeared on Jamison's web site. I asked Miculek, the famed sharpshooter and a role model for hunting youth, whether the .50 caliber hand gun was the cause for Jamison having missed so many shots. "You hit poorly because you can't control the recoil on it," Miculek said. What about letting the hog bleed out? Miculek did not flinch. "The idea of the hunt is to make a good one-shot presentation on the animal, so it's over with," he said. "It doesn't matter if you're 12 years old or you're 90 years old. You have to respect what you hunt, and you owe it to the animal as much as you do to yourself to make it a quick and accurate shot, so he [Jamison] did neither." I don't live in Alabama, but I would be willing to wager that most Alabamians know the importance and value of a quick kill when hunting. Not since Neil Young's song "Southern Man" has there been a better time to once again draw the line between what is morally acceptable and what is not. The ugly truth is that a child and his father were duped by three men for financial gain. What happened here is not hunting. As the grand jury deliberates this week, the state needs a Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Sweet Home Alabama" rebuttal. By enforcing its animal cruelty laws, people who criticized the hog's needlessly painful death around the world will learn that a few flim-flammers won't be allowed to tarnish the good name of Alabama — or hunting itself. Who else will join Stinkyjournalism.org to speak out for poor Jamison and hold the real culprits accountable? Might the manner of Fred's death constitute cruelty? And if so, who is at fault: a 12-year-old boy, or scheming adults? It is up to a grand jury in Clay County, Ala., to determine.

Guess how many tuneups it takes to get to a pickup to a million miles? OK, anglers and hunters, shooters and recreationists, we know you've covered a lot of terrain in your trusty pick-'em-up trucks. Over hill, over dale, you've hit the dusty trail all over dirt roads, Jeep trails and the backcountry to get closer to the your safe havens. We also know sportsmen will appreciate the hard work and stick-to-it-iveness of Frank Oresnik. The Medford, Ore., man's 1991 truck has had four radiators, three gas tanks, five transmissions and six water pumps, the Associated Press reports. And with more than 300 tuneups – one every 3,000 miles, like every good vehicle owner should – it all adds up to a very impressive number: 1 million. Yes indeedy, the odometer on Oresnik's 17-year-old Chevy Silverado is about a thousand miles from turning over to seven figures. Yesterday he took his pickup to the Oil Ex-Change Quick Lube in Medford for what he expects will be its last oil change and tuneup before hitting the magic number, according to the AP. "I feel almost like the longtime NFL player as he goes into his last training camp knowing this is the end," Oresnik said. He credits proper maintenance and a good measure of luck for allowing the truck to rack up so many miles; the engine has never been overhauled. The pickup was purchased in June 1996 after the original owner put 41,000 miles on it. Oresnik uses the vehicle to deliver seafood in three states, putting on about 85,000 miles a year, he said. Now therein is the crux, folks. Nearly a million miles hauling fish in a pickup. It's enough to shake the head of any sportsman who's gotten out of a warm cab to the lock the hubs in the mud and the muck and the snow. (You didn't think we'd be relaying a tale like this if it didn't revolve around fish or game, did you?) Frank Oresnik, Backcasts salutes you … and likewise for all others who have put a million miles on their trucks. Nice work. http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/general...TDOORSHeadlines

Just tried too- his site or the server he's on is down. Just talked to a friend who talked to the owner at Newland's- he indicated there's shad when the water is running and fishing is awesome- big fish! I'm just surprised there wasn't anything on John's forum to the fact, if the story is true. I have an invite to fish down there Friday- I may take them up on it.

It's doing that to me too. Frustrating. I'll look into it.

Just made a quick run over to John Wilson's site and it looked like not a whole lot of news from below BSD... http://p088.ezboard.com/bflyfishingarkansasandmissouri

I carry them in my shop or online at http://www.lilleystacklestore.com/xcart/home.php http://www.lilleystacklestore.com/xcart/pr...=287&page=1

Curious... what skin is everyone looking at? I have the default set on the pro skin. The old skin I used to use doesn't comply with the new updated version and the regular default skin is ugly... I'm looking into buying a new skin for this version of the forum. Once you get into some of the old skins, they don't allow an option to change back to another skin.

There's a similar occurrence on Bull Shoals... decline in shad. But I don't think you can blame that on brown trout can you? Since the lakes are so closely connected, the cause could be the same, could it not? By the way, MDC doesn't know the reason for the decline (BS), only that it may be a natural progression of an aging, man-made lake... ie. freshwater shrimp/Lake Taneycomo.

We just got 2 new G3 Eagles... 90 hp Yamahas I really like them!!

Note: We had 41 boats in the tournament yesterday. From experience, the boat count was way less than I expected. 13 boats between Short and Fall is nothing for a Saturday. Five above Fall Creek- super light but not as unusual as 13 below. We'll see what the count is next Saturday.

Fish finders server little purpose on the upper lake.

Trav, I'd ask for a link to any studies you would refer to in your opening statement, if nothing else, to give credence to your arguments. Is there any studies referring to your statement about browns eating "everything"?

This may be taken as a post to prove my point about tournaments... it really isn't. I wanted to see for myself how crowded the boats were at least above our place on a tournament day. From Lilleys to Short Creek - 5 boats Short to Fall Creek - 13 boats Fall Creek to Lookout - 5 boats Count was taken about 1 p.m. Will take a count for the next couple of Saturdays and see what the difference is, if any. Two weeks from today, though, is a holiday weekend.

Ahhh... you're watching Verses too!!

I thought it was the casting... and I agree with you in that sense. But I like to catch fish too. We had a client in Alaska last season who would not use the c-n-d method and subsequently did not catch a fraction of the fish we did... but it really was ok with him. He had a great time as well. Oh yea- welcome to OAF!!

I think you can say the same for any other "groups" of people... race car enthusiasts and their favorite class of racing, guys and their make of cars, even beer drinkers slam each other over "more taste, less filling". Republicans and Democrats... guys and gals... the list goes on. People and people, regardless of likes and dislikes and they all interact differently. We try to get along but and most of the time we do. But sometimes we just love being grumpy... we feel we have the right to be I guess.

Interesting you mentioned chuck-n-duck. Not many people know the term more or less have used it, or tried it. In Michigan and Alaska where I use the technique, the only alternative is fishing with a float with weight to get and keep the fly on the bottom. I tried to out fish Jim in Alaska using a float and he beat me 8 to 1. But he usually beats me 3 to 1 when both of us are using the c-n-d method. I see why some don't like it. But it's very efficient at catching fish in certain conditions.

What do you mean by "electronics".

No Table Rock, sorry.

That would be cool to take it other places and try it. The White would be cool... just have to avoid the natives' glares

My dock will be empty Saturday so come on. I've seen them catch quite a few fish today off the dock. Supposed to be a beautiful day.

I don't understand the perception of tournament - here on Taney. I can the big lakes cause the contestants do zip around the lake in their 300 hp rigs. But this lake is full every weekend in February - every weekend - tournament or not. And boats zip around just the same... There's no difference in this weekend and next weekend as far as boat traffic. I'll even count them for you. And yes, there is a private tourney. About 50 boats. 8 am - 3 pm. They're a bunch of guys from St Louis that have been fishing together for 24 years now. Sorry to sound defensive... but it's something I hear all the time and it's a misconception. If they were as bad as some say they are, I wouldn't host them.

"I have heard a couple of guys on different sites belly ache about being denied access to your site...little do you know how right those decisions have been on your part." That's interest... I've only deleted one membership- just one. Never denied anyone except spammers and we just don't validate them. May be it was because I don't allow ronche jabber like some forums. Whatever.... I have quite a few guests and even friends who have a tough time with the internet. Anything new throws them. Some can't type... some can't spell... some are intimidated and will never post anything. All that's ok and I welcome them all. When I write and post articles I'm not looking for anything in return. The forum is the same way, although it wouldn't be the same if I were the only one posting. It takes everyone.