slonezp

With such amazing hits like "Truck Yeah" and "Corn Star" I'm amazed more of you southerners aren't pounding railroad spikes into your eardrums. and what's with coffee being mentioned in almost every song?

Sam, I too have been researching bass boats for a couple years now. A ton of great boats are available. My first requirement is it needs to handle big water, second is fishability,3rd is price, 4th is storage. etc. My next boat and last boat will be a Charger. A semi custom boat I can have it rigged anyway I want. Not stuck with one motor mfg or TM mfg or electronics mfg. Seems to me a little more value than some of the other mfgs. Basscat, Ranger, and Legend were other boats I considered.

I thought this thread was going to be about peeling onions.

I didn't take offense to the comment you made. Private unions are not like public unions as I can get fired just like anyone else. People have preconceived notions about unions and many of them are not true...but some of them are. To be a tradesman and work in Downtown Chicago one must be a union member. It's also required when doing any type of municipal work. It's the way business is done. First off, I hope you're being compensated for the additional work. What do you think the outcome would be if you approached your boss and told him what you told us? Are you too proud to do that? It sounds like with all the turnover, you're the only guy he can rely on and he's taking advantage of that.

No sir I don't. If he crossed me I'd walk away. I have a skill. I get paid well for what I do. While the owner of my company is sitting in the bar drinking or flying to Vegas to pizz away his money, I am putting that money in his pocket. In return, I have a house, car, and boat without the responsibility and liability that he endures. I can have all of this on my own if I wanted to take on all the responsibility/liability. He, on the otherhand cannot.

Being from Chicago and in a union has nothing to do with anything. I had a discussion with my son today about this very subject. "Hey dad, how about not getting crippled at your job anymore?"(I tore up my shoulder again. 2nd time in 3 years) "The only way I could do that is getting into management and my boss is an **** hole. I don't want to work for him" "But you do work for him." "No, I work for myself. If I was in management, I'd have to answer to him. If I do my job correctly, I only have to answer to myself" I don't know what you do for a living, nor do I care. What matters is you are happy with your life.

My boss signs my checks. I'm satisfied with my work. If he wasn't satisfied he wouldn't sign them. Life's way too short. Maybe you should go work for your client...

We had a 10yo boy killed while tubing on my home water a few weeks ago. http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-child-killed-on-petite-lake-20120728,0,5274014.story The driver of the boat which ran over him was charged with reckless homicide. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-bartlett-man-accused-of-reckless-homicide-dui-in-boys-tubing-death-20120814,0,5552351.story Stories like this happen every year. This is the busiest freswater waterway in the US. I started a discussion on a local forum about this incident, before I had heard about the charges. I quote myself Common sense SHOULD be a prerequisite to operating a boat. Was out fishing with my son and dad today on the above mentioned body of water. I drank 3 beers over the course of 5 hours. If need be, my son and father can operate the boat safely. We pulled out of the water at 1:00pm and a pleasure boat launched. My father, being the dirty old man that he is, asked the attractive young woman who was there with 3 other guys, "Sunbathing today?" She answered "No, it's too cold" and her boyfriend interjected. "We have enough alcohol on the boat it would kill a russian.".......or a 10yo boy.

First skunk of the year on the Chain today. Not even a bite. Water temp has dropped to 74 degrees and water still low. My son picked up a 14" walleye and that was it.

The "United Way" discovers that it has never received a donation from the city's most successful lawyer. So a United Way volunteer pays the lawyer a visit in his lavish suite of offices. The volunteer opens the meeting by saying, "Our research shows that even though your annual income is over two million dollars, you don't give a penny to charity. Wouldn't you like to give something back to your community through the United Way?" The lawyer thinks for a minute and says, "First, did your research also show you that my mother is dying after a long, painful illness and she has huge medical bills that are far beyond her ability to pay?" Embarrassed, the United Way rep mumbles, "Uh . .. no, I didn't know that." "Secondly," says the lawyer, "did it show that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind, confined to a wheelchair and is unable to support his wife and six children?" The stricken United Way rep begins to stammer an apology, but is cut off again. "Thirdly, did your research also show you that my sister's husband died in a dreadful car accident, leaving her penniless with a mortgage and three children, one of whom is disabled and another who has learning disabilities requiring an array of private tutors?" The humiliated United Way rep, completely beaten, says, "I'm so sorry, I had no idea." And then lawyer says, "So... if I didn't give any money to them, what makes you think I'd give any to you???"

Understanding Engineers #1 Two engineering students were biking across a university campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?" The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want." The first engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice: The clothes probably wouldn't have fit you anyway." Understanding Engineers #2 To the optimist, the glass is half-full. To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. Understanding Engineers #3 A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer fumed, "What's with those guys? We must have been waiting for fifteen minutes!" The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such inept golf!" The priest said, "Here comes the greens-keeper. Let's have a word with him." He said, "Hello George, What's wrong with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?" The greens-keeper replied, "Oh, yes. That's a group of blind firemen. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime!." The group fell silent for a moment. The priest said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight." The doctor said, "Good idea. I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there's anything she can do for them." The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?" Understanding Engineers #4 What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers? Mechanical engineers build weapons. Civil engineers build targets. Understanding Engineers #5 The graduate with a science degree asks, "Why does it work?" The graduate with an engineering degree asks, "How does it work?" The graduate with an accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?" The graduate with an arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?" Understanding Engineers #6 Three engineering students were gathered together discussing who must have designed the human body. One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints." Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections." The last one said, "No, actually it had to have been a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?" Understanding Engineers #7 Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet. Understanding Engineers #8 An engineer was crossing a road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog, and put it in his pocket. The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn back into a beautiful princess and stay with you for one week." The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket. The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want." Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket. Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess and that I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?" The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog - now that's cool."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2188226/Bionic-hands-Chinese-man-spends-years-building-new-arms-DIY-accident.html?ITO=1490

With the proper training anyone can do it http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8d1_1213758760

Batteries for sure

Here's my squirrel gun. Super Redhawk Alaskan .454 compared to a .40 I saw that pic and it reminded me of a guy I work with. He's a marine with a bit of a gun fetish. I'm gonna send him the pic. He'll find it and buy it LOL

Alot

Sorry to hear BC. Growing up in Chicago has taught me to never leave anything anywhere ever. Doors and windows always locked on the car, even if I'm running into a 7-11 just for a second. I keep the doors locked on the house even when I'm home and I now live in the suburbs. I hate to admit this but I keep a constant eye on my gear at the dock, before and after, tournaments, in a club I've been a member of for many years. It's habit, and probably a good one. Good Luck

50:1 is recommended for most outboards. Here's a chart for mixing http://www.onlineoutboards.com/Oil-and-Gas-Mixture-Ratios.html

Talking is overrated

I launch at Voyagers off I90. The launch is shallow and muddy and I'd recommend having a push pole in the boat. My boat is way too big to fish that water and my props can confirm that. A jon boat with a small motor would be ideal. Spring is ideal to catch some decent bass. I have caught some up to 4lbs. During the summer months, can't say I've caught anything bigger than 14", but many times they are stacked up. I know some guys who swear by using plastic helgies on a small jig. My success has been with senkos, t-rigged Rage Craws, and jignpig(springtime) I have never targeted any othe species but I know guys catch walleye, cats, pike, and white bass. I have never caught a largemouth in this stretch but know someone who has. There are no navigation or contour maps available. I can run my 17' deep v to the water treatment plant south of the I90 bridge. I have never really tried to go further, it gets really shallow and muddy. I can go up to the first island north of the bridge with little issue. Once you get to the island, it's time to trim up and idle or you will destroy your boat. During normal summer levels, I can get up to a foot bridge past the second island before having to turn around. During high levels in the spring I can get to Higgins Rd but the water is not fishible because of the high current. Water levels have been way too low this year. Was out once Memorial day weekend and tore up my prop. Springtime bass Summertime bass

Glenn, Today, is the best time(s) of my life. I still listen to the music of the 70's, 80's,and whatever. There are so many songs that remind me of growing up that I couldn't name just one.

http://www.twincities.com/national/ci_21273559/minnesota-man-wrestles-deer-down-bruises-prove-it?source=rss

Dust.

As usual, eating bon bons

We have charities up north that will take boats as a donation, and auction them as is on ebay. Don't know if there's anything like that where you live, it's worth a tax deduction.