firefrog

Ok First of all this has absolutely NOTHING to due with anyone's gender. Were this a photo of a 68 year-old snaggle-toothed curmudgeon under otherwise identical circumstances I would have had the same reaction. Paula doesn't owe anyone an explanation or justification. I purposely left the context open to see if any other members noticed any incongruences. I asked my question because I have doubts about the photo and the information associated with. Specifically: - The fish in the photo is bigger than 19" - The photo appears to be altered - The poster doesn't specifically state that the fish was caught on a dry fly, who caught it, where, or even if it was caught by angling (don't see a hook, line, or rod). Yes, this is all irrelevant, but when I don't see any such information, I get suspicious. My problem, not anyone else's. - All we can see for sure is a person holding a large fish. This is, after all, the internet. Despite claims for or against, there is no actual way to prove anything. - Any one of these points could easily be shrugged, but all toled, makes a skeptic like me, well, more skeptical. So I'm skeptical - no excuse for my accusitory tone. Didn't mean to come across so harsh and I didn't realize this until after I posted and came back to the thread. Cheeers.

Huh? Sorry, but I'm calling BS on that photo for several reasons. Don't mean to offend you, but what are you trying to accomplish here? Having a little fun with us? That's OK. Good sense of humor. Cheers.

Ah, the Bow River - flyfishing's Hollywood.

Hey This is a good place to start if you haven't already seen it. Probably bunk, but what if even some of it is true? Cheers

Interesting. Steven Hawking made the comment that maybe we really don't want ETs here. Think about it. What did the Europeans do when they discovered the new world? If a race is going to spend billions of dollars to travel to a distant planet, what do they want in return? What if they aren't nice? The prime directive seems to be money. observe without detection - hell, if notorious felons can escape law enforcement when they are actually being hunted, think how easy it would be for an alien. Cheers

Found a good solution. Record a match. Then watch it on fast forward while cranking Disturbed on your stereo. That way, you don't waste so much time and the action is almost as fast as hockey. Cheers

I think most of the confusion centers around the term 'round'. If, in fact, people would have been properly educated with the facts, the term 'oblate spheroid' would have been used instead. Alas, the damage has been done, and and there's no turning back now. Cheers

Sorry A2, no picture. That's the thing with Lyme. The rash doesn't appear until a day to a week after the bite. I didn't know I was bitten. I didn't see any insects on me at all. A week after the bite, my symptoms started to pop up. The blood tests (for what they're worth), and the doctor's assessment confirm Lyme. Cheers.

Hello again Yes this might sound like a broken record. Be careful out there this year! I spent the entire winter taking treatments and doing lots of blood tests. I STILL have it. Although my benefits plan covered about half the costs, I have forked out over four thousand dollars in addition to that, out of my own pocket. I fear the eyesight in one eye will never return to normal and sometimes the aches and pains stop me in my tracks. It CAN happen to anyone. Enjoy the summer.

Hi Don Man is this frustrating. I've got a couple of suggestions. 1 Most outfits use an autodialer. Some of them are connected when a voice or noise is sensed. When you answer your phone, do so quietly. Then listen. If it's dead silent, then it's an auto dialer. Or just don't say hello at all. If you hear nothing or the chatter of a telemarketing office, hang up. If, in fact, it is a valid caller, they'll call back. 2 What is with these stores that ask for your phone number(or postal code) at the checkout? The cashier tells you that it is only used by that store or company. How the hell does she know, for sure? I just say no. I kinda feel sorry for these frontline callers. They're just working for a wage. The real gonads are the ones in charge. Cheers

Hi Nice to see things happening as a result of individuals' work and contributions. Good on you. The input here is valuable. I can understand both stances of the issue: leave it alone/enhance it. Please consider all the input. No need to criticize anyone. My input: If the regs are to be changed, why allow any harvest at all? What are you going to do with a 50cm fish? Eat it? Most trout this big don't taste so good. I have kept big fish in the past and even from high-country lakes. Yuck. I don't do it any more. Agree with Dave Jensen - data from the scientist/biologists is very important. Just for instance, what if we discover that because of the fluctuating levels, poor spawning, low temperatures, limited food supply, etc. that these fish reach a sticking point in size and numbers. Then the experts later speak up and say 'Well, we knew this. Why didn't anyone ask us?' Cheers

Hey I'm up for this. I have a bottle of custom made port/dessert wine from a special recipe that I have perfected over the years. Better than most of the stuff you can buy at the liquor store. Cheers

Hey Any time you get fuel from 'natural' sources, it won't be efficient. It can't be - remember your laws of thermodynamics? Hopefully this is a step in a progression to better fuel production. As it is, it's not well-thought-out or planned. Once the government gets involved, you can bet there are people taking advantage of the situation. No doubt, someone is making money from ventures like this, just not the right ones. As far as the issues with fuel lines/parts/corrosion/condensation........... the scientist knew and told people of these concerns years ago. Nothing was done about it.

Hi again I finally got to see a specialist. She's very sure I have Lyme and/or other tick-borne illnesses. You don't have to tell me how stupid it was to go out thrashing around in the backcountry without covering up and taking some precautions. So here's some things to pass along: The best solution is PREVENTION. Cover up, spray, tread lightly, keep a lookout on your body and others. These little buggers even got deep down inside my boots. There's no such thing as overkill, friends. Your doctor will probably not be able to help you if you catch such an illness. These illnesses are way more prevalent than you may believe. I will have to pay a couple thousand dollars out-of-pocket for diagnosis and treatment. The area I was in was Waiparous/Meadow Creek. Be careful out there. My symptoms are somewhat mild - but it is painful and miserable. This will take months to cure and it may resurface years later. Even so, it's still worthwhile to get out there and enjoy the outdoors. Cheers

Thanks Dave I really appreciate the info. I've already contacted Canlyme. It's been over a week and still no reply. I'll try again. I have an appointment with yet another doctor tomorrow. I really hope he's receptive to the idea. One good thing is that I took pictures of the rashes/inflammation. In my mind, there's no doubt after looking at the photos and hearing my symptoms. I don't understand the doctors' reluctance to go ahead with treatment. I think of all the cases I've heard about doctors churning out prescriptions without proper diagnosis or tests. But with me, they won't even consider it. You're right - Lyme is no way to spend your future. My head is ready to explode. I really want to get on with this.

Hello Does anyone know of a doctor or clinic where I can get properly diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease? I realize I'll probably have to go out of province (maybe even out of country). I've seen 3 doctors here and got nowhere. I've had the tick bite, which got quite inflamed. I have many of the symptoms, and they're getting worse. The doctors here just don't know enough about it. I had one test done which came back negative (turns out it takes several weeks for the antibodies to reach a detectable concentration - the doctor didn't know this). The provincial lab does the testing for such diseases. They won't do any further tests unless the first one is positive. (The provincial government says there are no reported cases of Lyme disease here - they seem to be gatekeeping. Biologists have found Lyme disease in many other animals in the province. Seems to me like the medical officials have the blood supply to their brain controlled by their sphincters. ........ I digress) My doctors won't request another preliminary test because the first one was negative. I did some research and found that pretty well all the tests for Lyme are unreliable. I have to take matters into my own hands, I guess. I checked out some Lyme disease forums but can't find anything for western Canada. Any leads here? Thanks.

Hey Think it all depends on your digestive system. I've been to Japan, and, believe me, you'd be amazed at the variety of raw fish/meat they eat. Mind you, many of their food poisonings result from eating raw fish. Not sure the water quality is a definitive indicator - but it helps. Sometimes fish can pick up toxins from its own body when it is being cleaned. Be careful. Try it, but don't blame anyone here if you barf up your spleen. Cheers

Hey While you're in the Highwood area, check out Flat Creek. May not be great fishing, but it's a pleasant change. Enjoy your outing.

Oh really, Isn't this just xenophobia? I know people are going to defecate on me, but they're just dandelions. Has anyone been seriously injured from them? (annoying allergies aside - I have allergies myself) Consider the consequences of 'chemical solutions': they are definitely harmful. If you really must kill and conquer this way, please be responsible. I just cut the damn flowers off. From 15 feet away, I can't tell the difference. Happy hunting. Cheers

Hey Don't blame the wastewater plants for the garbage in the rivers. Yes, they do spit out solids, but they are water treatment facilities. Problem is, as always, a few irresponsible people misuse the facilities and make it difficult for everyone else. Friendly reminder - don't dispose solids down the toilet or sanitary sewers. The plants don't handle them very well. If garbage is removed from the wastewater, it just gets sent to the landfill anyways. Cheers

Hey That thing is a sceptre used by Druids - totally useless. The real gem is the tube. That can be used to hold big pieces of paper, jelly beans, or even sand. What a find! Cheers

Hey Does anyone remember when 'horseless carriages' first came out and most of us were still rigging up the steads for our buggies? Of course not. I guarantee you most of the old codgers were lambasting those newfangled things for this, that, and the other things. Sounds the same now. I wonder if the horseless carriages improved as quickly as our present-day electric vehicles. I would like to see electrics take over, but of course, I don't have any answers to accomplish that. Hey Don, you can trump the wife by suggesting to buy a horse - which of course will be the next big thing after the electric vehicle.

Hey Sorry to hear this happened to you FHD. Wrong place at the wrong time. Gotta agree with Smitty here. Don't ever get out of your car. Even if you only wanted to look at your car, he could argue that you were aggressive and he felt threatened. As far as violence goes - no. Him or you could get in a lucky punch and kill or seriously hurt the other. Even if it's his fault, how would you feel if you hit this guy, he falls and cracks his head open, and is disabled for the rest of his life? That said, the guy is a caveman and probably will never change; whether dealt with legally or physically. We can only hope that he eventually ends up in prison where he belongs. The more times he gets reported, charged, arrested etc, the sooner that will happen. Let the cops handle it. In addition to the nice brown, a shot of fine Caribbean rum would help. Cheers

Good movies: Pink Floyd The Wall The Man Who Would be King The Bingo Long Traveling Allstars and Motor Kings Dracula, starring Laurence Olivier

Well, I read stories ranging from poisoning, to exaggerated numbers, to alien interference, to the coming apocalypse. Others have said it's not unusual at all. Investigations will likely show something. If the media drums up reaction immediately after an event, it sells. If they run the stories after the investigations, and there are genuine concerns, they have accomplished something worthy. If they run the story after the investigations show logical and mundane explanations, they're wasting everybody's time. I'm amused with the way the media responds, that's all. Cheers