left field

If you want a fun hours read check out "Creepy experiences in the backcountry" on rokslide. Weird animals, ghosts, bad guys, bodies, body parts ... you'll never walk into the woods alone again.

Thai food. It wasn't that bad. I used to fast for two weeks every year when I was younger.

Well, that was a bust. Five days of fibre free food then a day of water and laxative. Was in the city so I got up early to drive three hours to Oneonta. Stripped, prepped, IV in only to have my insurance provider deny the procedure at the last minute due to a code issue. All dressed up and nowhere to go.

The prostate thing is a little different these days. I just saw a new doctor for a physical and he said that they don't do PSA tests any more or manually check for an enlarged prostate. Instead they just wait for signs - frequent or weak urination - and go from there.

When I booked my first one, I was also having a throat issue so the doctor said, "No problem, when you're under we can give you a 'double header' and get you from both ends," then he laughed a little too strangely. I found a new doctor soon after that.

There's a lot of power in good fresh food. Having a colonoscopy on Monday and eating low fibre white food for a few days and not having a good time.

I don't think you did either, so I should have rephrased that. Like most guys, I deal with the pain or issues myself. But as I get older, and see many friends brush off that little pain as nothing only to find out it's cancer, I tend to spend a little more time at the doctor's office these days. In the last two years, I have lost my wife's brother and his wife and a stepsister in now in hospice, all due to cancer. You have a vaccine that looks pretty good against a potentially lethal airborne disease? Lay it on me. Flu shot? Okay. Shingles vaccine? Yes please. I ingest so much shit on a daily basis where I truly have no idea what's inside.

So you wouldn't take it if you caught covid?

Well, I'm guilty of that. As a writer, I'm always acting or working dialogue out in my head which usually translates into wild gestures and talking aloud to people who aren't actually in the room. That's fine at home, but I can't control it in public. On the plus side, strangers usually give me a wide berth on the street.

A friend just sent me two bucks from his yard on Fire Island.

I appreciate that. But I think there are probably a lot of cool stories (like the one above) where the kill is a very small part of the whole experience. And you present another seldom talked about side, such as chasing the poachers. I appreciate what you said about nerves and hunting - I missed a pheasant on Friday that I should have hit, but he surprised me and I got a little too excited. But that WLP clip seemed to be something else.

Thanks for the clarification. And the story. I have to admit that I'm a little skeeved out by elephant hunting but that's a personal thing and I would happily read more of your stories.

An antlerless deer isn't necessarily a doe. https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/93857.html

It appeared that the PH walked 10' to the animal, pointed at a spot on it's side and said, "Here," and LP missed three times until another PH put it down.

@Dinsdale I'm curious about that book. Recommend? I believe you've hunted Africa, did you see that WLP video? It looked like the PH was going to smack him.

Did you miss that it's an excerpt from a book?

Excerpt from a new book: Misfire: Inside the Downfall of the NRA Can't tell of this is a total hit piece or he is just that strange a dude. It certainly confirms his odd behavior on that african hunt. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/10/the-weirdness-of-wayne-lapierre-the-nras-reluctant-leader

Cool pic. I have nothing to add other than, yes, the people are lovely, funny as hell and a blast to hang out with. I would bring a fishing rod for the massive brook trout on your off time If you have a half hour, here's a video of Lee Wulff and Curt Gowdy flying in the fish the Minipi. It's Labrador, but same. Have a great time.

@knehrke Interesting. Thanks. On another note, what is the watercooler chat among your peers regarding vaccine mixing?

Two different things. They are licensing out the rights to manufacture to smaller companies and, I assume, allow them to handle the distribution to third world countries via the Medicines Patent Pool, an NGO. My best guess is that Merck still receives a small fee for this. They also get to look like good guys while they retain the more valuable markets. The article literally states that. Important sentence: "excludes key upper-middle-income countries." If Merck started handing out licenses to its multinational competitors, then I think you may have a point. Until then, I'll stick with the idea that any of the Big Pharma corporations would happily dance on the graves of the others.

Great news and a smart business move. I hope this works as well as expected. Maybe Merck was lucky in failing to develop a viable vaccine and shifting focus to a treatment.

Damn Canadians.

So it’s our fault?

I wasn't sure. Did we have a pleasant chat? A beer? As I recall, everyone had a good time. I look forward to the next one.