reevesr1

Maybe. But most of ya would need a smaller box. Or need to use their hands.

If you're a real man you could open the box yourself.

I've just been waiting for things to "heat up" before joining in the fun. Actually, work has been brutal busy recently. Too tired when I get home to bother with typing.

Dear Knotty One, I have found a couple of "Manolo Blahnik" shoe boxes in my recycling. Should I be concerned? Signed, Chagrined in Chaparral

One thing I will add: Pay attention to how the screens look in direct sunlight. Neither (as far as I know) has a viewfinder, so it is all off the lcd. In sunlight, this can be an issue. When I bought mine, the Oly was a bit better than the Pentax. That was 18 months ago or so, so things could have changed.

Just watching and learning my friend.

Sorry about that buddy. I'll try to be an ***hole more often.

I'm pretty sure GM was the first of the Big 3 to start financing their cars with the creation of GMAC. From what I remember from a story I read about it once, there was major resistance to the ridiculous idea of GM financing cars themselves. Once created, it did not take long before GMAC was the money maker within a pesky little car company. GM has been divesting themselves of GMAC to finance their own reorganization for the past several years (I love wikipedia!), and may sell it's remaining share to allow it to buy Chrysler. Sounds to me like maybe GMAC should divest themselves of GM! I wonder how much of the current mess may have been averted had the auto makers concentrated on making cars? Maybe none as I'm quite sure Toyota, Honda, etc. finance cars themselves as well and seem to be doing ok. Oh, and Mr. Knox sounds like a disgruntled vendor to me! Just another guy smarter than everyone else who has all the freakin' answers. Answers which seem to confirm his own view of the world. Wish I had all the answers. Or at least one.

Let me preface this by saying I don't know what all the issues are in the Big Three. But, I can state with some confidence that neither do many on this board. While labor costs are certainly a significant, if not the biggest cost factor in the making of a car, the difference between union and non-union wages are not the only issue here. Just becasue Honda/Toyota/Nissan are successful and not using union workers does not mean they are successful BECAUSE they are not using union workers. These are not necessarily causal (though they may be, I don't know). And the thought that all management is stupid is utterly absurd. There are tons of really smart people in the auto industry. I know, I've worked with lots of them. Whatever the issues are, I'm sure they are complex, or they wouldn't be in this mess right now. Just becasue it seems all so simple from the outside don't make it so.

I had a pair of prescription Maui Jim's. Best sunglasses I've ever had. Lost them on the c-train one day when they fell out of my coat pocket. Wish I could convince myself to buy another pair.

I have fished for over 40 yrs, in many places. I have never been checked for my license once. Anywhere. Ever.

I'm pretty sure it's in my blood. Started going with my dad when I was 4 or 5, first fish was a fish called a croaker (think perch) on a zebco. I could cast a open faced reel (Ambasseduer 5000, still my favorite all time reel) when I was 7 or 8. I was pretty spoiled when I was young fishing the saltwater bays in southern Louisiana and Texas. Thought 100 fish days were the norm (my personal best was 80 some odd, my brother around the same amount, dad probably with 120 or so when I was 15). We fished almost exclusively with gold spoons and fake plastic shrimp in those days and life was GOOD. We probably made 30-40 trips per year, at least, and I don't think I ever said no to a trip (though that could be selective memory.) At the time, I had no idea how good a fisherman my father really was. I just thought everyone caught fish like that. As I got older and moved away from home, other things got in the way and I didn't fish much for 10 yrs or so. It wasn't until I moved back to Texas after I got married that I really started going again. While I still caught fish, I was starting to realize that this game wasn't as easy as I thought. Most of my trips were by myself, but every once in awhile I would make the 1 hr drive back to my parents house and go with my dad. We didn't catch them like we had when I was a kid, but we still did pretty good. Much better than I did on my own and I was becoming acutely aware how much I had to learn to be able to find more fish on my own. I lived in Texas that time for just over a year, but every trip with my dad I tried to soak up information like a sponge. One thing I learned was that if the primary target isn't cooperating, there is no shame in going after lesser species. For dad, and now me I guess, it is more about the fight than anything. Well, kids started to come and my ability to fish diminished for a few years. That and my on and off love affair with golf got in the way a bit. We lived in Canada, in Grande Prairie and Edmonton for around 12 yrs, and I did get a chance to catch some rainbows, cutties, brookies, pike, and walleye in the North country. I had much more fun with the trout (though the walleye sure eat good). I was mostly using ultralight spinning gear. And while the fight was fun, it wasn't completely addicting. In those days a 3 iron at the flag from 210 yds felt way better than any fish. Well, we moved back to Texas with the family in 1998. I lived much closer to my parents than I had the last time I was in Texas and immediately bought a little boat with my dad and brother. And I started to take my sons (my older son was as addicted as I had been as a kid, my younger son was, and still is a challenge to involve), which was great. But watching my dad with my boys was the best. It was hard sometimes to tell which ones were the kids, and who was the grandpa. He got as much joy as they did, and again, I learned that it didn't make any difference what the species was. If it pulled hard, it was worth catching. Life continued to evolve, my saltwater skills evolved with them. I loved fishing with topwater baits to watch the "blowups" when a big sow trout slammed the lure. The feel of a big red slamming a mirrolure as I peeled it rapidly through the water can stop my heart. And if artificial baits are not working, putting on a live shrimp or baitfish wasn't below me either. They fight good that way too. I had learned that I really didn't care much how I caught them. Why should I limit the amount of fun I can have by worrying about methodology? Like father like son I guess. After 6 yrs fishing with my dad and sons in Texas, we got transferred back to Canada, here in Calgary this time. I didn't fish much for the first year except a little in my neighborhood lake. After a year, I took a client on a float trip and decided I would try a fly rod. I hooked a 16" or so rainbow on a streamer on my second cast I think. And that was that. For a person who loves the feeling of fighting a fish, the fly rod is IT. Nothing even comes close. So I decided to learn to fish flowing water and learn to fly fish at the same time. That was two years ago. To say I am addicted would be a massive understatement. I still have the same sensibilities as before in that I don't care how I catch them (though instead of lures or live bait it's nymphs, dries or streamers), or really what I catch (even a sucker is better than nothing), I can't see myself ever putting down the fly rod, at least in fresh water. While the fly rod has SERIOUS shortcomings in saltwater due to casting distance, I still start my saltwater trips with the "skinny gay pole" as my friends call it back home. Why do I fish? Well, it seems it's in my blood. I love to fight fish, always have and always will. I fly fish because it's the funnest way to fight fish. I'd like to say it's because I want to commune with nature, relieve stress, etc. But it would be a lie. All that stuff is great, but I'm addicted to the fight.

I would say the reasons for the lakes have very little to nothing to do with fishing. They have to do with lifestyle (or more accurately the illusion of a lifestyle), marketing, and property value. The stocking of them is a minor additional feature. I do like rowing my wife around ours from time to time

The direction of a discussion of Bow river water use on a fly fishing website is as predictable as a "merits of hunting" thread on a PETA website. Here is my prediction: Most people here will be against using the water of the Bow for Lake Communities (or irrigation, or golf courses, or anything not fishing related). Unless they golf, or farm, or ranch, or live in a lake community.

Ever notice how often "biased opinion" actually means "opinion different than my own?" How often, when someone agrees with us completely do we say "yeah, but you have a biased opinion." Not pointing at you Jayhad, just a general observation!

Typically if it sounds unbelievable (Mattel putting out a doll that says "Islam is the light"), it usually is. But there is a sound file there and you can check for yourself. Personally, I heard "Paul is dead".

Urban Legend

Hmmm. Some National Geographics from the early 70s are missing. Without fully knowing Clive's age, I'm thinking in the early 70s he was a strapping young teenager. Porn was pretty difficult to come by in those days, but National Geographic often came through, didn't it Clive? It's curious that a "handful" are missing.

Could someone tell me what the end-game here is? So if Parliment is suspended until Jan, won't all parties start essentially campainging now? I'm assuming that we get a no-confidence vote on the budget. Then what? Does the coalition take over? Would there be an election? If there is an election, does anyone truly think the outcome will be any different? Why would anyone new in Eastern Canada vote conservative at this point? They can just vote NDP or Liberal and know they will get cabinet level representation from the coalition government, wouldn't they? If I'm the Libs or NDP, an election would be awesome. No chance, in my mind, the conservatives pick up seats. And in any riding where the NDP and Libs would fear a split vote, they just have either the NDP or Lib candidate pull out. Then all the NDP and Lib vote goes to that one person. Cons shut out of that riding, Liberals and NDP form the government. They both know they can't form the gov by themselves, so join forces in advance. Done deal. From what I've heard from interviews from people back east, they don't seem to mad at the libs or NDP. Now I know that the media can put out what it wants, but I just don't see a groundswell of hate coming from anywhere but the west. Big surprise, since the west will be the big losers in all this. Whatever the case, Harper is effectively done I would think. If I'm the conservatives, I start making overtures to the libs right now saying "Ok, Harper is out. Who would you like to see in to make this all go away?" Edit: Or I'm full of crap. Here is a cut from a CBC Poll run today:

Story 1: About a year after my wife and I got married we moved from Houston (my home town) to Edmonton (hers). One fine winter evening we were going out to dinner. As we were walking side by side to the car, I hit a patch of ice and my feet went flying up. My wife says she had time to think "are those feet by my face" before she hears me hit the ground with a might uummmmpphhhh! While I'm trying to regain my breath, and wondering if I broke a rib, my wife is asking me if I'm ok. Only she can't stop giggling (she laughs when she's nervous). I'm croaking out "I'm ok, quit *&%$ing laughing. Fortunately, nothing was broken because I was a bad ass in those days, but...... Story 2: After living in Houston for 6 years, we get transferred back to Canada. Our first winter back we skated several times with the kids. My oldest is pretty athletic, but the skating thing avoids him. He couldn't do a "hockey stop". Well, I figured it out first and couldn't resist spraying him every chance I got and saying "look Ben, another hockey stop." Except on the 5th or 6th, I do the feet up in the air thing again and land horizontally on the ice. As I struggled to get my breath back, all 3 of my kids are saying "are you ok Daddy?" I'm croaking "I'm ok" and wonder if they could go get their mom so she could giggle at me cuz that would be great. After my breath returns, I ask my oldest to help me up, he says "sure. Nice hockey stop by the way" and grabs my arm. That's when I learned my ribs were cracked. Haven't been on ice since.

Sorry to hear it Lynn. I thought maybe you had punched a wall over the whole guvment thing.

Funny. I know this fisherman who knows exactly where a particular fish lives as the fish does not try hard to conceal himself. The fisherman has tried to catch this fish many times in the past, with limited success. As time has gone on, the fish has learned to recognize this particular fisherman and while he may rise to the fisherman's presentations from time to time for the fun of it, particularly ones he finds unique, he has learned to mostly ignore him and he'll go away.

From this mornings Cal Herald Business Section (hardly a bastion of Liberal thought) "Instead of using it as an opportunity to set the course for the country that will act as an economic roadmap in the coming months, what was delivered was nothing short of being small-minded and mean-spirited, not to mention devoid of anything resembling a vision for the country. Nor did it appear, as Harper had promised following the election, that cooperation among the political parties was something he was interested in fostering in the coming parlimentary session. Canadians expected-and desrerved more." That from the business section of the PM's hometown. In the same article he was called "plain arrogant" and "more concerned about his ego than running the country" and his handling of the "lame fiscal update" "plain stupidity". Who is everyone mad at again? And who is in this only for the sake of power? I hope that this gets resolved and the conservatives remain the government. But to be blunt, this crisis is a direct result of the arrogance, incompetence, and over inflated ego of the PM. Simple as that. Dissenting views?

Mike, You could be right, but I suspect that once the realities of the job kick in (I can buy my oil, a bit dirty, from politically stable Canada or nice and clean from Saudi, land of madrassas) may change ole Barak's viewpoint. Pragmatism should win out in this case. I would say "agreed" on point two, but since I don't vote here and I live in Alberta, I'll reserve judgement on that one!

A total of 13832972 votes were cast nationally of the 23401064 registered voters\ This equates to .08% of actual voters and .05% of registered. If I was one of the Three Stooges, I'd be shaking in my boot. Or maybe not.