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I'm not condoning or excusing what these kids did. But... First, speaking from the position of the parent, and from the position of a parent of a child that has caused some problems for himself in school, I will tell you that beatings, spankings, and "tough love" don't always work. You can't beat a kid into a good person. When you have a kid, you'll understand. Second, the expectations and pressures on kids these days are incredible and I can see why some rebel against authority. I can go out of my way to impart my values on my kids. But the reality is that these kids are in school most of the day in an atmosphere of semi-controlled chaos among teachers and administrators, too many of whom, shuffle these kids along and guide them ONLY SUFFICIENTLY to pass an SOL test. These schools have been put into a mode of "zero tolerance" that has eliminated critical thinking when dealing with issues and placed administrators in a position of ONLY identifying an issue and punishing it to the extent the manual says to. Schools have swung from one extreme to another. My son has been suspended (SUSPENDED) for offending a girl in class when he argued with another student. They were both suspended. SUSPENDED. You may say there is more to it than that. There isn't. Schools are teaching kids to be intolerant, and thin skinned. Schools are teaching them to complain. Schools are teaching nothing about dispute resolution. Schools are teaching them that is ISN'T OK to differ with a teacher or parent - that the teacher or parent is right and questioning their reasoning is wrong. These kids don't know how to deal with their emotions. Parents can work all day and night with their kids on that issue but the schools will tell them that the rules are black and white. Nothing but mixed signals from schools. Don't get me wrong. I know schools have it tough. But something is different now than it was when I was a kid. Then, we learned citizenship, honor, respect, COURTESY. We were taught by example. It was as much a part of my schoold day as english or arithmetic. That doesn't happen anymore. Todays, it's black and white, learn by the numbers, and don't f**k up, even a little, or you will pay a heavy price. As much as a I hate to see kids screw up to the extent these kids did, I fell sorry for our kids today. They only place they can learn values is at home. Schools are now out of that business. This nation has problems FAR MORE FUNDAMENTAL THAN THE ECONOMY. This nation needs a moral stand-down. There needs to be a nationwide introspection. This nation needs to get back on track and courtesy, respect, honor and courage needs to be the priority.

OK, FINALLY someone with an Ardent reel. PLEASE be more specific. What's up with the reel? What don't you like? What's right about it? How about some pictures, especially of the brake. BTW, that's a helluva good girlfriend you got.

Sorry, I just thought it was funny you asked that and have that avatar. ;D

I heard that on the news when it happened. I'd hate to be him. I know those were bad-guys. But he wasn't in danger, and he went looking for trouble and killed two men who otherwise posed no threat to him.

I like the looks of a blued gun. I like it even more once it has a little holster wear on the edges. Gives it character. Expect for some of the details, there's not a whole lot different about today's guns from yesteryear's. Most autos today are based on John Browning's tilting barrel design. My new Glock owes as much to John Browning's turn-of-the-century patents as it does to Mr. Glock himself.

Kimber makes a hot gun. Very nicely appointed at a reasonable price. --------------------- I always liked this website showing Glock abuse... http://www.theprepared.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=90&Item

I hardly ever carry. But I got a permit some time ago when Virginia relaxed the rules. Virginia is a "shall issue" state - they have to issue the license unless you don't qualify. Back in the '80s and '90s before the "shall issue" law some district court judge made a decision based on his whim. Some people got them, others couldn't, for no good reason.

The other side...

I do - very occassionally. Especially if I have to go out late. Here's my newest pistol. It's a Glock 36 .45 ACP. It's got a single stack magazine, but man is it slim. Makes my Para-Ordnance P12-45 feel like a canned ham on my hip. I got some Don Hume leather to carry it in.

Done deal, brother. I'll remember him. There just aren't enough grandpas around.

Apparently, they aren't very hard - only about as hard as stainless steel. Which is a lot softer than the aluminum oxide used on most guides. They do groove with braid. There were some pictures of the damage braid does posted by me not too long ago. I don't know if you can find them or not. If you use them with monor or fluoro - no problem. I have recoil guides on my Johnny Morris Elite 7' MH/F. I use 12# Yo-Zuri Hybrid. That rod is very sensitive. I don't know how much the recoil guides contribute to that. But it's very impressive - far better than any worm rod I have using aluminum oxide guides.

I have 2 SXs. In fact, the SX was my first Revo. I agree, the STX is the best of all the Revos. But I don't have any complaints about the SXs. Neither of my SXs has given anything but stellar service. They cast great. The STX does cast a little better. But if you want to save $50, the SX is fine reel. And if you want to save a little more on top of that, the SC is a great reel that performs as well as the SX and very nearly as well as the STX.

I have one - a 502 ALB. It's a good reel. Nice and smooth, and built very well. I especially like the thick bail and big line roller. I especially like this reel because it's a little slower than most others in its class. It's a 5.1:1 speed reel than pulls in 25 inches per turn. Most other in its class retrieve more line per turn. I've found this reel to handle crankbaits and spinner baits very well. It's a good general purpose reel. Tackle Tour reviewed it and is seemed to impress them as well: http://www.tackletour.com/reviewabugarciacardinal502alb.html

David, you easily got a longer fry than in the article Hookem posted. But you probably already ate it, or fished with it.

I checked out the site. Nice advertising. Attractive packaging. Competetive prices. Looking forward to trying some. But I can't find the braid on the "Buy" page. Welcome.

T-rig it. You'll catch an obese bass.

I can't give you much on Kerr/Gaston, but I wanted to say welcome to the site. I live in s/e VA, too. Here are a couple of sites on those lakes. http://www.fishlakegaston.com/v4/ http://www.kerrlake.info/fishing/INDEX.HTM

Apparently in China, since all their rods are made there.

Sorry, but I hate when I see this. The French suffered 4.5 million casualties in WWI fighting the Germans. Three times as many as the United Kingdom. And twenty-one times as many as the US. Only Russia suffered more. WWI depleted the French male population so severely that it affected France's ability to field a healthy army by the time of WWII. In WWII, the French suffered more killed than the US, and as many total casualties as the US. Not to mention that France suffered another 1/4 million civilian casualties, and the US suffered a handful. Interestingly, the US population at the time was 129 million, and the French population was 42 million. Per capita, the French suffered far more than the US. Here's a bit of trivia: Who's army did the US first fight in WWII in it's war against Germany? Answer: the French. The Vichy French were German co-beligerants. When US troops landed in North Africa in 1942, they went up agaisnt Vichy French troops. US Navy fighters had to deal with French Curtiss fighters in the skies over North Africa. This was the first time in history where where US planes fought US-made planes in a war.

France seems to be attempting to improve its relations with the US. This Sarkozy guy strikes me as a fairly straight shooter, and decidely unlike the wimp-like Jack Charac. It seems to me the US is reciprocating. I wouldn't be surprised if the US Air Force's decision to use Airbus to build it's next generation tankers is not an effort in that respect. And as far as helping in WWII "keeping the French from speaking German," we would do well to remember that the French kept the Amercians from paying homage to the King of England after 1782. I know, there are French graves a few miles from my house at Yorktown. They also sold us a huge chunk of our country for chump-change. France strikes me as one of those old friends you had in school that you always fought with. But if anyone else did, you'd kick their ***.

They are made to BPS specs in some factory in China. WHO makes them is unknown. I have two BPS Pro Qualifier rods and a JM Elite, all baitcasters. The JM, along with Yo-Zuri Hybrid, is an great plastics rod. Super sensitive.

Welcome aboard! Who's CJ? :-? ;D

Bass Feed said... In this thread... http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1206560475/40#40 He was right.

I've had three things happen to me that make me wonder what's out there. The first two both happened on the Chickahominy Wildlife Management Area in Charles City County, VA. The area has a long history, with Capt. John Smith exploring the area in the 1600s. Both occurrences happened on quite mornings while I was spring turkey hunting. One morning I had arrived at my spot an hour or so before sunrise. I took a seat at the base of a tree with the plan to wait awhile before sounding off with some locator calls. While I was sitting there, I started to hear voices. I distinctly heard a man and a woman talking in a normal tone of voice in a language I could not understand. It sounded as if it were about 20 feet away. I was straining to see in the direction of the voices and never saw anyone. I would have heard anyone approaching. And there was no evidence anyone had gotten there before I did. I never say another hunter the rest of the day. The second incident happened near the same area. I had walked down a very long trail from where I had parked my truck. It was still dark and the moon was out. My plan was to get into the woods and let thing settle down before I started calling. I had walked a great distance and stopped by a tree to relax. I looked back up the trail from where I had come and I saw a faint red glow. For a moment I thought I was seeing a taillight of a vehicle but realized the bends in the trail and the distance would have made that impossible. The next thing I realized was that the glow was coming towards me. The glow had a brighter center with diffuse edges. I would say it was about the size of a basket ball. I figure it must be the red lens of another hunter's flashlight. But the center of the light, while bright, wasn't that bright. The trail was covered in gravel yet I heard no footsteps. The light grew nearer and nearer in perfect silence. When it was about 50 yards away it veered of to my left and drifted across a small field and faded out when it reached the wood line. When it did that, I knew there was not way it was another person. It drifted across the high field stubble very quickly, smoothly and completely quietly. Curiously, when these two things happened, I wasn't startled at all. I don't know if it was because I was holding a shotgun or because I felt no threat. To this day, I cannot explain either occurrence. The third thing that happened occurred in my house and does sort of creep me out. I was lying in bed at about 1:00AM. I wasn't asleep. I was looking out the doorway into the hall. I heard a person walking across the floor in the adjoining room. Next thing I saw as a figure walk past the doorway and turn into the bathroom and disappear around the corner. I thought it was an odd time for my wife to be up but then I felt her lying behind me. I went cold. My next thought was "intruder." My gun was upstairs. I had nothing. I lay there for a minute or two then quietly slipped out of bed. I darted into the adjoining room, grabbed my trusty snake stick, and flipped on the light. I was able to see at an angle into the bathroom. I saw and heard nothing. I snuck up on the bathroom and figure whoever must be standing in the shower with the curtain pulled. I snuck up fully ready to give this dude the stainless steel end of my stick. Pulled the curtain back - nothing. To this day, I don't know if I half-dreamed that or it really happened.

Yeah! Telling Fenwick that he kept fighting the fish even after the first two breaks, only to have the rod break a third time, would have sounded very believeable.