philoshop

The self-proclaimed poster child of the 'Me Too' movement. Were the women all lining up to be slapped around by ol' Eric yelling, "me too, me too"? ROFL

Congratulations to you both!! I wish nothing but happiness for you, and I mean it sincerely!

It means nothing to me personally, but my good friends live in that world so I feel compelled to pay at least a little attention to it. And my buddy always has really good bourbon when I visit. Plus, I used to ride those critters during the winter at Finger Lakes. That was not a fun job for a little kid. I'd rather kill myself taking chances on a Kart, with brakes.

I'm a very political guy. It's what I do. The way I see it is mice are like Democrats. If they're allowed to chew on wiring and hoses and build nests in intake ports, eventually the tractor won't run. if the tractor doesn't run, work doesn't get done. Mice are happy. So there are two options: prevent the mice from destroying the machinery; or kill all the mice. I don't think it's possible to kill all the mice, and it would be illegal to kill all the Democrats. Protect the machinery. At all cost!

I dearly wish my buddy and his wife would give me a little inside information. I have a big hole I could get out of. They know that. But it's as closely protected as stock market information and just as highly regulated. It's an international game. Half the people walking around near those stalls with horse poop on their fancy shoes are wearing turbans and robes. They built their own airport ten miles from my friend's house to accommodate their private 747's.

A friend stopped by today to help me get rid of some of the 'excess' beer I have in the fridge. In exchange he donated a few pounds of venison cube steaks. I just happened to have some mushrooms and Provolone cheese, picked some fresh scallions from the woods, and made a nice lunch. Sorry, no pics. And no salad.

Keep at it buddy. I'm pretty good with a camera, and I know lots of people way better than I am, but you're near the upper level of "guys (and gals) with eyes". I'll send you a PM shortly about a Russian gal with the right eye for when to capture an image. That's all photography is really. Capturing all of the surroundings, emotions, and the event in a single image. People take billions of selfies every day, but none of it is photography IMO. Congratulations on your first Spring bird, Dalo. I owe your brother a burger on a different matter, but I hope you will join us when I visit.

Wooly, I want a poster of that B&W photo. It just captures the whole thing in one single image. The hardship and wait, the joy and the victory. You're very good with the camera my friend.

Congratulations to both of you!!

From what I understand it's a heckuva party and quite a spectacle. We didn't make it that far, but we got into Keenland in Lexington which is where most of the horses live and train. It was fun rubbing elbows with multi-billionaires who had horse-poop on their fancy shoes.

Classic American Rock-n-Roll. Happy birthday!!

Justify is heavily favored to win, of course. My buddy and his wife know a lot of the trainers and owners in the area but they don't leak inside information about trifectas and whatnot. Not even to me. Between them they make about $20,000 a year betting on horse races though, on top of their day jobs. Her day job is taking care of race horses. That's one of the reasons they moved to Kentucky.

Also Cinco de Mayo, and my brother's 55th birthday! 5/5 and turning 55! He's in Buffalo for yesterday and today. I'm glad the weather is nice for him. I texted my buddy in Lexington, KY this morning. He and his wife are guests in a box seat at Churchill Downs for the 144th run for the roses and had Mimosas with breakfast. Gonna be a long day, perhaps.

Reload?

I've spent many nights cooking over campfires. I'm not ashamed of the fact that I now prefer a simple single-burner Coleman camp stove to heat up a can or pan of something. It's actually what I currently use in my house. When the weather's nice, I can take my stove outside. Pretty cool.

I'll put it very simply. I would never hold the girls back from doing anything the boys want to do. I emphatically support it. But sometimes a bunch of young boys need to just be a bunch of young boys. I can't help but quote R.Lee Ermey here: "You are nothing but graba&&tic pieces of amphibian sh%t.....

Interesting idea, as long as its not too easy. First-time camping is supposed to hurt a little, that's how you learn. Brush the pine-cones and sticks away before you pitch the tent; collect the firewood before it gets dark; fuel the cook stove and the lanterns before you get into the woods...

It's absolutely nuts, but they won't stop. The children who aren't managed through Planned Parenthood must be brought to heel in some other way. Hug your kids tightly, and pass on the the values folks. It's the only hope.

Again. It's not about girls and boys being equal. It's about not allowing boys to have space and opportunity to become men and be equal citizens down the road. This has been going on for a long time. The equality of citizenship has come to mean that you can't be a man. Apparently that's become offensive, and must be eradicated. I don't get it. I live in a small city in fly-over NY, but women still appreciate it when I hold the door open for them. I don't want that to change. You're very welcome maam.

I became spoiled in Kentucky. Now it's Old Milwaukee beer unless a friend shows up with serious bourbon from Buffalo Trace. I have little interest in anything else, and can't afford to buy it.

Absolutely correct. Stop boys from becoming men and the war is over. That's the plan. Read some Jack Donovan if you get a chance. I don't agree with everything he says, but he knows what's going on and sees it a very visceral level. Can't share thoughts and ideas among your young buddies either, Merlot. That's the point.

They are no longer calling themselves, or able to call themselves, the "Boy Scouts". What about this don't you understand? I worked on several Boy Scout Jamborees over the years where the Girl Scouts were invited for the day. I was a flight instructor with Radio Controlled aircraft. The kids had fun. It could get a little goofy at times because the kids weren't anywhere near mentally developed, but they got along. Sometimes the girls went home at night, and sometimes they found they were allowed to camp away from the boys under the supervision of their own leaders. I was able to teach a bunch of young girls, and their instructors, how to start a campfire or make a tent out of a tarp. I often got a cupcake in return.

Some of you are missing the bigger issue: it's about destroying the entire concept of gender difference. Girls want to join the Boy Scouts? No problem, within certain limits, of course. I grew up with farm girls who could whoop my butt or give me a kiss depending entirely on their feelings at the time. I never knew whether it was gonna be a punch or a smooch on the cheek. It kept me on my toes. But when people want to to destroy an American institution in order to prevent boys from becoming men, as appears to be the case here, I have a big problem!!! It's not about the girls joining the boys, it's about not letting the boys be boys and the girls be girls. FWIW, I never had time to be a boy scout. I was driving tractors, mowing silage, and baling hay. And learning from my WWI veteran Grandfather how to be a man at that age.

I call it "Boomerang Karma". Screw with the manufacturers of firearms and ammo at your own risk. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of NYS LE use Hornady ammo...

Nicely done!!