mark hedger

I started with a big Cabelas fanny pack that I loaded to the gills. It got so uncomfortable that I started slinging it over my shoulder. I soon grew weary of that situation and tried, in vain, to minimalize in a small Columbia fanny pack. I recently purchased the Plano fanny pack. So far, so good. It is the right size for me.

Great picks. It doesn't get any better than The Gilded Palace of Sin.

Nice pics Phil. My son and I made the same trip last March. Brings back memories.

Sounds like a perfect way to spend great day. Have fun and good luck!!

PM sent.

Not on this trip but there are some nice largemouth in this creek. Surprisingly no smallies though.

Caught the water and the weather just right last weekend:

Wow Bobber. Just reading that put hair on my chest. Glad you all made it safely.

My wife and I camped at Big Springs a few years ago. While we were eating at the picnic table a skunk ran under the table then it disappeared into the brush. Later that night, after we crawled into the tent and were almost asleep, it returned and rummaged around outside the tent. I was on the horns of a dilemna. How do you run off a skunk without getting sprayed? It finally left.

Amen to that. Considering all the sightings, you would think there would be more livestock being taken.

Makes you wonder what they are looking for...besides bargains.

Welcome to the board Matt.

Good stuff here. Throw in some Guy Clark, Blaze Foley, Alejandro Escobedo

More fear and smear. American Exceptionalism. Nobody beats us. Everyone else is worse off. http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html United States ranked #37 by the World Health Organization Canada rated #30 Germany #25 UK #18 Italy #2 France #1 The United States trails Costa Rica, Chile, Morocco, The United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, Columbia, and Luxembourg among others. The economy is in good shape. The rest of the world is just jealous. Everything is fine.

If you are using fuel prices to determine we are not as bad off as the Brits or Europeans then I agree, although our prices have risen more than theirs by percentage. Not sure other comparisons would validate your assessment. Do you consider subsidies as socialism?

Better take another look at those unemployment numbers; they shot up unexpectedly this morning. Seriously. The dollar is improving? Why? Because it was at record lows. We went from a budget surplus to having the largest deficit in our nations history with most of that money owed to China. Mortgate foreclosures and delinquencies have risen to a 29 year high. We have plenty of safe food to eat? I guess that is technically correct however we have experienced widespread outbreaks of food contamination and experienced failures at the FDA analagous to the FEMA failures during Katrina. Even our pets took a hit with poison from China. Congratulations on the tax cuts though.

Obviously the President does not cast votes in the Senate. Semantics nonetheless; those were John McCain's words and everyone knows what they mean.

Of course they do not care for each other, especially after the stuff Rove pulled on McCain in South Carolina. BUT McCain is the one making the claim he has voted with President Bush over 90% of the time and they are definitely going after the same base of voters in order to be elected. Remember it is all about "Country First".

I will assume you are responding to my list which contained Cheney's daughter. Please note that no one else has mentioned anything about her sexual orientation being "sleezy" (sic) as you put it, except you. I have nothing against her sexual orientation. She should have the freedom to live her life as she wants as long as it does not infringe on anyone elses freedoms. I was commenting on the irony. And by the way, you posted earlier "Last olive branch I will extend to liberals". Did I miss something? Did anyone else see an olive branch lying around?

Warren Buffett knows a little more about the economy. I trust his judgement more than yours. He blasted the system which allows him to pay a lower tax rate than his secretary and his house cleaner: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/tax...icle1996735.ece He also supports Obama and believes he will "bring outstanding ideas" to the White House: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/16/...ama-Buffett.php Getting back to the Republicans and Palin, I find it fascinating that a party that considers themselves to be the stalwarts of family values and considers liberals as Godless, have so many problems on the family value front. To wit: 1. Palin 2. McCain - divorced, cheated on 1st wife 3. Newt Gingrich - divorced, cheated on 1st wife 4. Henry Hyde (led impeachment hearings against Clinton) - cheated 5. Giulani - divorced, his own kids will not speak to him 6. Reagan - divorced 7. Larry Craig - he of the wide stance 8. Mark Foley - sex with Congressional Pages 9. Limbaugh - Divorced 10. Cheney - Lesbian Daughter And they always want to bring up Clinton. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. No doubt both parties have their rogues; there are plenty of immoral democrats and there is hypocracy on both sides of the aisle. We would be much better off if we got off the personal politics and negative campaigning. Sadly I do not expect it to happen.

I have no problem admitting to being a liberal. It is not a bad thing. There are good conservatives and bad liberals just as there are good liberals and bad conservatives. Those terms are simply labels. I am conservative about some things and liberal about others. Based upon your name I can assume we are both Cardinal fans but we know that some fans are polite and considerate and others are jerks. The funny thing is we do not know any of the players personally just as we do not know George Bush or Joe Biden personally yet we form these affiliations based upon preconceived notions. You can give your repect as you see fit and demonize those do not cheer for your team or political persuasion but in the end it does not make you right and them wrong.

Not very convincing coming from someone who referred to Joe Biden as Joe Done Nothing Biden in a previous post. You want respect for your views but give none to the other side.

I probably should have tempered my comments about imposing morality. You made some good points. I realize there are alot of good people who have strong beliefs against abortion, evolution, gay marriage, etc. They view those issues to be black/white, right/wrong. There is nothing wrong with that as long as it applies to only to them because there are also alot of good people who do not share those same values and that should not make them criminals. If you believe that abortion is wrong then you do not have to get one, you can accept the tenants of intelligent design if you like, you do not have to marry someone of the same sex. You have the freedom to do those things. Why should you deny that freedom to those who disagree with you? That hardly separates us from being a 3rd world country. I do not agree that 3rd world countries are necessarily immoral. Immorality exists everywhere...rich/poor makes no difference. A better question would be at what point do value issues supercede national security, foreign policy, or economic issues?

I am with Al. Palin was picked to energize the conservative base for McCain plain and simple. One of the conservative pundits said it best this morning, "This election will not be about the issues but will be about which ticket represents the values of average Americans". The same can be said for the past two elections and we can see where that has gotten us. Personally I am more concerned about resolving the considerable issues facing this country than imposing my morality on others.

It would be nice if we could determine a President on the issues facing the nation instead of this kind of stuff.