Saturday, July 31, 2010

Saturday Blog Rodeo 07/31/10

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5. trochronicles.blogspot.com
Saturday Blog Rodeo 07/24/10
It never ceases to amaze me that yet another week has come and gone and I am in one piece and unharmed. Not that it's that dangerous, but crap, I am in a war zone! The thing that really throws me off is the weather... Does Al Gore really know how hot it is here? And how did he get his internet all the way out here in the first place. Well I don't care, so long as it keeps working and I can blog!

Not to belabor the point, but once again I bring to you the posts and commentaries that I found most entertaining and informative! And believe it or not, none of it has anything to do with Vice President Biden, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, or our favorite pint sized nuclear armed dictator Kim Yong Il!

Image Credit: SoftHacke
Again we find ourselves with quite a few fishing blogs. It is that time of the year when everyone is out wetting lines and hauling them in! First up is SoftHacke. Lots of pretty artsy and really good photos of fish, fishermen, and wildlife! I learned stuff just looking at his pictures! Ken says, "I Love the river, its the only place where all my troubles truely do drown away." I'll tell you what, I am glad he chronicles his adventures on digital film!

Next up is Blue Gill on the Fly. I myself have an affinity for bluegills. As you might recall in my post Jigging for Panfish, I had one of my best fishing trips ever with nothing more than a ton of bluegills and a cane pole! Jonathan likes to as he puts it, "...blog about the beloved Blue Gill, its near relations and other museings on the fly." He travels quite a bit and has great photos too!

"There is no use in your walking five miles to fish when you can depend on being just as unsuccessful near home" -- Mark Twain -- So starts Robin's Ruminations. With an intro like that I didn't need much more to start looking deeper. he has a lot of posts on fly tying, and some great musings on the art of fly fishing. Fly fishing almost seems like a philosophical pursuit, wouldn't you say?


I only mentioned Fly and Fin last week, and I wanted to add a little more to the story. Fly and Fin has quite a bit on tying flys, and activities relating to flyfishing. "Angling is my passion. I’ve shared it with many friends, and now I’m sharing it in this blog." If angling is your passion, then check out the blog.

I really like the next blog, Midge Man's Fly Box. First of all it is technically well done. The colors and layout are really nice. The photography is top notch. The stories are excellent. But what I love best is his intro, What Makes the Old Man Tick. Allow me to quote: "Stir all of this together and I have become that guy who is a bit of a recluse, has a bunch of hidden little fishing spots that I won’t give away, carries far too many flies, owns far too many fly rods and I usually wind up with at least one trout, usually a brown, who by season’s end I will have stalked so many times that he will have earned a name." Is that awesome or what!? I have enjoyed reading his archives, and looking at the pictures. Matter of fact, I have half a mind to travel up yonder and check out the fishing one of these days! Oh and check out this post: Read the comments! Hot Spots

I especially enjoy the blogs by folks that just want to share their thoughts and experiences. As you all know, some blogs are very professional and well put together from a artistic or commerce point of view. Some are, well, kind of slapped together. But then there are those that really are just a reflection of their writer. Blog Cabin Angler is one of those. Mel has been blogging for some time and likes to change things up a bit every so often, so you have to keep on your toes with him! He has great fly fishing and tying credentials, and spins a good wholesome yarn. Another must visit!

Fish On! Boy I like the sound of that! here is another exceptional fishing blog with great pictures and storylines. But... he hasn't posted in several weeks... I will have to leave him a comment.

Lets go to a blog that has been on my mind on and off for well over a year. As you all know, I blog occasionally about Mountain Top Removal. My friend Denny of WV Backwoods Drifter has been blogging on MTR for a long time. So much so, that for him it is almost a second job. He commented about his dearth of posts on his two personal blogs Backwoods Drifter and Fossilized! Denny says, "It seems the only site I have been able to maintain is the Endmtr.com site. That blog is not maintained for my enjoyment or as a hobby. It is a story that absolutely needs to be told. If you haven’t visited it or don’t know what mountaintop removal coal mining is all about I encourage you to visit the blog and learn about it." Please take a moment today and go to his blogs. Leave him a comment, and then visit End Mountaintop Removal. Only you can stop the destruction.

Last but certainly not least is a new blog. Hunting Bastards. Its sole purpose is to document and catalog Sploggers, Spammers, and thieves. Oh boy, it looks like a fun one to me!

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Bagram Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles







Friday, July 30, 2010

Writer's Block, What to Do?

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5. trochronicles.blogspot.com

Deadfalls, Snags, and Cliff Faces

I think I've posted this at least a couple of times before as either a guest post or two, and maybe right here on TROC. But Kristine, the Queen Bee at OBS, has experienced the dreaded writer's block. Something that aflicts all of us at times. Her post, The Return of the Lady that Writes Good, discusses the travails of both way too much to do, and too little time to do it in! ot only that, but I also found a new blog for me, "I Don't Wear Pink Camo to the Woods," and in the "Popular Posts" link I found "10 Things Learned Through My First 100 Posts." I think it fits right in with the general theme of writing on your blog. So without anymore delay, let's delve into getting that story written!

Writing is a lot like hunting. You slog your way through swamps and morass, climb gumbo slick clay hills and razor sharp talus slides, you freeze your rear off and burn your shins, all to collect what is due you for the hard work. Patience, perseverance and opportunity have their payoffs.

Occasionally even after all the hard work, an elusive deer or a cagey turkey can give you the slip. Out of the corner of you eye you see a ghost flit by, and you know that was your trophy. What can you do? Go back to camp, recollect yourself, and go back out and do it again.

have you ever sat in front of the keyboard with a great idea you wanted to share, only to find that the idea flits away like an autumn leaf? (Just like that eight point last year. Remember that?) You know what it is that you want to say, where you want to go, but all of a sudden you lose the track. What do you do?

If you’re like me, you cuss up a storm, and figure out something else to write about. Sometimes I can hold onto the thinnest of tendrils and drag the storyline kickin’ and screamin’ back into the synapses that lost it in the first place. Occasionally I’m at a dead loss. (Sort of like the time I fell asleep on the No. 7 from Manhattan to Flushing.) Doesn’t happen to frequently mind you; when you’re as A.D.D. as I am, something else always pops up to distract you.

“Ok," you say, "I have an idea what do I do now?”

I’m glad you asked.

Once the initial thought is roped and throttled into submission, you have to put it on paper. Create a starting point and work your way through the introduction first. Set the stage for what is to come. Think of it as a good bartender. He sets the mood and tone for the whole dining experience. I like to be somewhat witty. Usually I have to rework it a few times before it is even remotely amusing or even eye catching.

Usually if you can get through the introduction, the rest just writes itself. If you are so excited that you just can’t put it into words, then just write down the action words that are moving you. You can always add nouns, pronouns, verbs, punctuation, and all that grammar stuff later!

But maybe your masterpiece has hit a dead end, or better said, a bend in the road where you just can’t see what’s right around the corner. Your best bet is to approach the bend slowly and carefully. Who knows what might be waiting for you there! Coax the story out of the bend. Tell yourself the story, then find the words to write it. Always be careful at this point, many people are misdiagnosed as crazy for mumbling to themselves, so try to keep it to an inner monologue.

You might have to bypass that area and go right to the end, and then backtrack your way to where you left off. I find that to be a particularly good way to outfox a cagey essay.

Remember that most of the time the story is already there. The hardest part is just getting it told!

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Kandahar Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles


Thursday, July 29, 2010

Win a Safari for 2 with Africa Hunting.Com


I just recieved this from Jerome Philippe, outdoor blogger, outfitter, and Founder of AfricaHunting.com

Albert,

I wanted to let you know that we are currently giving away a FREE HUNT for 2 hunters in South Africa with Spiral Horn Safaris in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, two miles from the border of Botswana for 2011!


HUNT includes:
- 5 day hunt for two hunters, each hunting 1x1 with their own licensed PH
- 1x Blue Wildebeest
- 1x Gemsbok
- 1x Impala
- 1x Warthog
- Accommodations
- The full use of all facilities in the camp such as the swimming pool and satellite television
- A daily laundry service is also available at no extra cost
- Full catering: early morning coffee and rusks, brunch, snacks, dinner, all soft drinks and alcoholic beverages in moderation
- Hunting: a fully licensed Professional Hunter, trackers, skinners, all camp staff, transport to and from blinds, picking up of trophies, field preparation of any game taken and transportation of trophies to shipping company.

Please ask your readers to visit the "Free Hunt from Spiral Horns" thread on our forum.

Cordially,
Jerome Philippe


Jerome,

Thanks for this great opportunity for all of my readers!
The rules are pretty simple!

Register
Post a picture
Hope yours gets chosen!

I wish I could enter, but as you all know, I can't download any pictures!

So everyone who has dreamed of an African hunt, go register, download a good picture, and who knows - you may be blogging about Africa soon!

Best regards,
Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Native Hunt Summer Specials!

Folks,

My good friend T Michael Riddle of Native Hunt has sent me this missive about their summer special! If you have been looking for a convenient hunting getaway, I don't think you can do much better than the Native Hunt ranches. The game is wild, it is plentiful, and the hunts are ones to remember. As a matter of fact, Native Hunt hosted a Bachelor party! See what the Best Man had to say about their party!

Hi Albert!

Native Hunt is buzzing with excitement about all the great hunting opportunities on the ranch this summer and we want everyone to know!

Help us spread the word! Refer your friends and you will BOTH receive 10% off standard pricing or early access to specials for the next hunt you book! Click here to sign up!

Happy Hunting!
T Michael Riddle
Native Hunt Enterprises

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

PeTA Gets Its Just Dessert, One Child at a Time

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5. trochronicles.blogspot.com
"Or do you think the means justify the ends? You do? Well then, you better make sure that someone doesn’t shove those means so far up you ass, that you’ll need an ear, nose and throat specialist to put you back together!"
From a Chronicles' Classic:

You know me.

Every once in while I have to rattle the PeTA cage a little and see what kind of vermin scamper out.

As you all may well remember, (See: PeTA: Why I Despise Them) last year Babygirl wanted to be Vegan, wear vegan clothes, save the whales, stop people from clubbing baby Harp seals, and assorted and sundry other things. Though I am not against one or two of those things, I wanted her to come to her own decisions based on a sound scientific thought processes, not because of evil, twisted propaganda based on half truths and lies.

Well, thanks to a diet rich in high quality American animal protein, served in the form of thick, juicy grilled steaks, big broiler chickens roasted with garlic and potatoes, along with fresh ocean caught fish cooked with butter and lemon, ,(And the occasional ice cream thrown in!) she has gotten straight A's this school year, has grown over four inches in a little over six months, goes fishing with Blake all the time, and after reading Holly Heyser's work on NorCal Cazadora, she is even contemplating trying her hand at a little hunting. I'm not sure that hunting will ever be her cup of tea, but it is a paradigm shift in her thinking. And I am willing to bet that she will be more than willing to join her brothers on a wilderness hunting adventure as long as there is a trout filled lake somewhere nearby! Oh and BTW, she's a great cook, and a crack shot, so I don't even have to worry about ever going hungry or having a bear or mountain lion eat her. Poor creature would probably get indigestion anyway...

Anyway, as usual that got me thinking about stuff. As anyone who has or is raising a young woman can attest to, they are about as irrational and strong willed as any creature comes. If I had to chose between dealing with my daughter and sorting out a gut shot Cape buffalo in the long grass, I would seriously consider sorting out the buff. But, if I can educate a teenage girl, turn her away from an emotion, guilt based line of faulty reasoning that was foisted upon her by the despicable agents of PeTA, and get her to objectively examine data in order to come to her own conclusions by a sound well reasoned process, then by golly, we should be able to do that with most rational folks.

What I am saying is, that education, based on sound science and proven track records, will win over everyone who is of a thoughtful and considering nature. And those people are the ones who we need to get on our side, because those are the folks that vote!

If you look at PeTA and its spurious claims of animal welfare on the surface, you find so much emotion driven misinformation, that you can't help but consider what they are saying as compelling. But scratch the silken surface, and what you find is a virulent cesspool of modern day Animal Rights Nazism! As usual, while they espouse freedom for all, they really mean freedom for themselves and their twisted agenda. Whereas I fight, and my friends bleed for the right of others to say and act as they please, the Animal Rights Fascists fight to legislate and use the force of the government to coerce us into following their unreasonable and unrealistic vision of utopia.

I have yet to have a single animal rights activist actually explain to me how or why their agenda isn't coercive. They want to stop hunting. In order to stop hunting they want laws passed to stop hunting. When I ask them why they feel that it is ok to pass such a law, they are left with their mouths agape or at the very least reaching for something that they themselves cannot grasp. I remind them that they do not have to hunt, and that I do not attempt to pass any laws to compel them to hunt. But yet they feel that they have every right to compel me. Where do they find the right, the argument, within their moral frame work to stop me from hunting?

If they were to pass such a law, wouldn't the end result be that the power and coercive force of the government would have to be brought down to bear upon me to make sure I do not hunt? How does that mesh with the Declaration of Independence? or the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights? They never have an answer, they do not even attempt to answer directly. At least not on their own blogs, websites, or forums.

I know my enemies, and I know the honest and compassionate also. I doubt that the honest would agree that force and coercion would be justified in fulfilling the Animal Rights agenda. But there are others that believe that they can, through law, bear the armed might of the government against those that do not believe as they do. Members of animal rights groups forget that in this country we are free men, free to do as we please as long as it does not interfere with the rights of other free men. They have the right to say what they want, eat what they want, and pretty much do what they want. Coercing me at the muzzle of a gun is not in keeping with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights.


Searching for the truth...

So if you were to ask me, they are in general, a bunch of unsophisticated, hypocritical, selfish, thoughtless dumbasses, that couldn't reason their way out of a lecture hall in Berkley. Having said that, there are a couple of well intentioned and thoughtful people that I really can't say anything bad about. They have very strong beliefs that they hold to, and they also walk the walk in their own lives. I don't have a problem with them; I think they are misguided, but they are honest. And I might add that curiously enough, the people I am thinking about aren't members of PeTA either! Imagine that!

PeTA, the organization, is in my opinion nothing more than a propaganda and financial front for the Animal Rights Extremists/Terrorists that infest our nation. It is a fact that PeTA supports the ALF and ELF. Of course, there are lots of grandmas, wives, daughters, and ex-girlfriends that are well intentioned members. There are probably a bunch of sensitive guys in it too... (OMG! Seriously, eat some beef or get some testosterone shots or something!) (I couldn't help myself there, honest!)

When PeTA purposely ( or not...I doesn't matter to me one bit) goes out of its way to hurt children, understand that I am going to respond. It won’t be pretty. When I go after someone or something, my gloves come off. Wouldn’t you do the same for your children? (Hold on, didn't that loon Ingrid Newkirk have herself spayed? Do you know she was a cop too at one time?) Or do you think the means justify the ends? If you do, you have to make sure that someone doesn’t shove the means so far up your rear, that you’ll need an ear, nose and throat specialist to put you back together again!

And come to think about it, there is the difference between me and those cowards in PeTA. I am comfortable being a man. I am comfortable defending myself and those that I want to. I am comfortable being a strong, aggressive human predator. I am comfortable in the fact that my strength and aggression are tempered by my reasoning mind. I am comfortable having a strong woman at my side that can shoot as well as I can. I am comfortable...

Because I have no fear.

They on the other hand, because of their physical, moral, or intelectual weaknesses, are fearful of what they perceive to be those that are far stronger than they, and of what they cannot or refuse to comprehend. They want something else, something more powerful, to coerce the strong into meekness. Only then, when they hold the reins of power, can they feel righteous and strong.


But there's a fly in that ointment.



I won't go meekly.


Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member Kandahar Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...


The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Though he spends most of his time writing and keeping the world safe for democracy, Albert was actually a student of biology. Really. But after a stint as a lab tech performing repetitious and mind-numbing processes that a trained capuchin monkey could do better, he never returned to the field. Rather he became a bartender. As he once said, "Hell, I was feeding mice all sorts of concoctions. At the club I did the same thing; except I got paid a lot better, and the rats where bigger." He has followed the science of QDM for many years, and fancies himself an aficionado. If you have any questions, or just want to get more information, reach him via TheRaschOutdoorChronicles(at)MSN(dot)com.


More related posts:
The Suburban Bushwacker: PETA - The Press Release Factory
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles: The PeTA Files: Cowards One and All...
PeTA: Cruel to Children

Where do Donations to the HSUS Go?
HSUS University
Giving Conservation a Bad Name
Game Reserves, High Fence Hunting What are the Facts?
Sometimes it is Hard to See the Forest...
High Fence Hunting

Yo-Yos for Troops!

© 2010 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5. trochronicles.blogspot.com
Ok, I know what your thinking...

"What the devil are you up to Albert? Yo-Yos???"

As it turns out, that's exactly what I am thinking. Yo-Yo's.

I was just walking down the side of the camp road when I spyed something green in the dirt. After a couple of hard learned lessons, you tend to stop and carefully canvas the surrounding area for anything else out of place. After a pretty thourough investigation I came to the conclusion that it was safe to investigate more closely. I had happened upon a broken Duncan Butterfly yo-yo. The side was off, and the axle was loose. As it so happens, I travel prepared. I brought some gel crazy glue with me, along with assorted a sundry other items that make your life tolerable in Afghanistan. (See my post: What You Need to Bring Overseas as a Contractor.)  A few minutes later I had a perfectly serviceable yo-yo again.

I remember that sometime around 1970-71 there was a Yo-Yo craze; at least there was in my neighborhood!  We all had to have Yo-Yos and many of us learned tricks like "walk the dog," "around the world," and "rock the cradle."

So, I was outside the tent in our compound, Yo-Yoing away the afternoon. Boy what fun it is to have something to do while the interminable hours drift by.

A couple of the other fellows whose brains had yet to be baked in their skulls stopped by, so I offered the Yo-Yo to each in turn so they could have some fun with it. We must have spent a couple of hours out there, getting the hang of it, laughing, telling tall tales, and forgetting we were hot, dirty, and far from home.

As a parent, you know the tell tale signs of boredom, frustration, anger, and fear in your children. I see it in our young military folks all too often. I can't tell you how many of these kids I have seen that are dangerously close to the breaking point. All they need is something to distract them from their daily drudgery.

Therein lies my idea.

I would like for you to forward a Yo-Yo or two to me, so that I may distribute them to the young men and women that are out here sucking up dust and dodging bullets. If you have never sent anything to a deployed service member before, let me tell you that it is a one of their greatest pleasures to receive a gift from the states from someone they don't know. It just makes their day!

I hope many of you will be inclined to take a moment out of your day and box one up. I'll let you know who received it and take a picture or two and post it on TROC. Make sure you put a slip of paper inside with your name and email so I can let you know it has arrived, and so the service member can thank you too! It's a little thing, a Yo-Yo is, but it can mean the world sometimes.

My address changes regularly! Please email me for my current one!:


One more thing if you don't mind. I want to ask all of my fellow bloggers to please link to this post, or even better, email me and I will send you the html of this post for a guest post on your blog! I sure would appreciate it!

I want to thank you in advance for giving this some thought. And for those of you that will forward a YoYo, I can't thank you enough for the kindness you are exhibiting. Believe you me, you will make a service member's day!


Rick Kratzke of Whitetail Woods has graciously published this post on his blog! Not only that, but he has offered to send a Yo-Yo to the troops! And will now be flying the banner too! Well done my friend! Guest Post from Afghanistan

Troutrageous! has also committed to forwarding a YoYo, and check out what he has done on the right side of his blog! He has created a banner! And he posted too: YoYos: They're not Just for Kids Anymore! He is another true supporter of our troops!!!


Okie Redneck is going to help out too! She's going to fly the banner, and allow me the privilege of guest posting on her blog! Now there is a great troop supporter! PS: I love the header on your blog!

Hippo on the Lawn's own literary ExPat has emailed me from Angola! If I may quote him: "When I first read your post I was beginning to think you'd gone stir crazy but then I remembered when I was doing bomb disposal tours and being on call all the time. It really was, as they say, long periods of boredom interspersed with short periods of real fear. Anything we received that helped take our minds off the job and pass the time was gratefully received." Even in Angola, our friends are going to help us out! Thanks Tom! The links are on their way. His hilarious post on the matter is here!

KC of  DiaperBagWrangler.com is going to do her part to help support the troops! She will be forwarding a Yo-Yo too! Huh... will you look at that... She's got a blog too! DiaperBagWrangler.Blogspot Boy have I got a lot to learn about stuff still... Thank You Ma'am!

Deer Passion in Kansas is going to send some Yo-Yos too! Her post, Yo-Yos for the Troops, is lovely, and she is flying the banner too! She says,"...finding a broken yo-yo, he is on a mission to bring smiles, a little bit of hope and alot of fun to our men and women serving overseas." On a mission, I like that!

I Don't Wear Pink Camo to the Woods is Kari's blog on all things outdoors in Wisconsin. She bumped into Ricks post on YoYos for the Troops and is sending some my way to distribute. BTW if you're interested in bear hunting, Kari's your gal!

Another Falconry Blog has been very kind to blog about the Campaign, and has posted and linked to the YoYos for Troops! The momentum is building!

Big Mike S is flying the banner! He is also a huge fan of linking to posts so stop and see what he finds most interesting on the net!

Please email me if you would be willing to place the banner that Mike Troutrageous! has so graciously designed for the Yo-Yos for the Troops campaign. I would be very appreciative of all of you that would do so. TheRaschOutdoorChronicles(at)msn(dot)com


With regards, your friend,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Kandahar Tent Club
The Hunt Continues...

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles