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TheAlabamaRambler

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Everything posted by TheAlabamaRambler

  1. Interesting that no one has mentioned that it is 100% under any circumstances the responsibility of the shooter to properly identify both the target and the backstop before firing any weapon. Even on private closed ranges. No exceptions. Ever.
  2. I crawled around the website a bit looking for the answer before asking the question, and it does state that host families are examined and qualified... it does not say how, other than the rather nebulous phrase 'background checks'. I ask how the background check is done merely out of curiosity, not to imply that your organization is in any way less than stellar.
  3. Looking for a prospective host family here is perfectly legitimate. It makes sense to try to place students in homes where there are common interests. I am quite sure that should someone say they are interested the placement organization would fully vet them before things progress any further. That said, when my family decided to foster children here in Alabama the vetting process was amazingly shallow. It seemed to me that they had so few folks who wanted to do it that they didn't want to investigate too deeply at risk of losing candidate families. That was over a decade ago however and I understand that they have improved and tightened their host recruiting and supervision practices. How does the YFU investigate prospective host families?
  4. Tweet Gubbool - https://twitter.com/#!/search/gubbool and arrange to meet him.
  5. Know anyone in or near Thunderbolt GA who might want a free kayak that has some miles on it? Pass this on to them.... This posted yesterday by local geocacher Gubbool on his paddle back from Key West FL: You can find Warren at http://findingwarren...gm/2012-eka-2a/
  6. Use the 62ST a while before selling the 60CSx. I made the same 'upgrade' and wish I had my 60CSx back! In the GPS Garage Sale Forum (where this post will likely be moved) it looks like $175-$200. That's a great GPS at that price!
  7. We (American Red Cross Disaster Services Technology) use Pelican cases with custom foam inserts to ship laptops, cell phones, satellite up-links and so forth into disaster zones where rough treatment is the rule rather than exception. The foam inserts allow excellent protection for any item regardless of shape, weight or delicacy. I've dropped a case of eight laptops off of a forklift without damaging anything, so these cases will certainly protect any geo-relics we might have in an exhibit. After the initial purchase of a few cases it would just be shipping cost, and I can't see that being a major obstacle.
  8. We're back! Sorry if you tried to find our magazine and got a 404 error instead this last three days. Press Publisher hit a few snags when updating their magazine publishing software and we had to change domain pointers. That took a couple days to propagate, but all is resolved. Come read and contribute to the only free ad-free online magazine by. for and about geocachers at http://onlinegeocacher.com We would love to publish your stories about geocaching. Write about anything related to geocaching; events, cache runs, trips to GeoWoodstock or just a fun day hunting Tupperware and send it in! Our address is onlinegeocacher@gmail.com
  9. I think that there could be several traveling collections and then GW could get a different one every year. It would also serve to keep the museum at HQ fresh and circulated. That would be cool.
  10. I think it's a great idea...and it should travel with GeoWoodstock! Groundspeak could ship it to GW each year and then it would return to The Frog Palace.
  11. How good a talker are ya? If you're really good you could get Team360 to donate the OCB... but I think you'd have to be really really good!
  12. Local geocacher Gubbool doesn't log many caches, but when he does they are good ones! You can find mention of some caches along the AT in his profile or his blog. From his profile: As far as AT books unrelated to geocaching I just finished Skywalker: Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail which I downloaded for free on Kindle. There's a reason it's free, but it's worth reading anyway. It's an interesting tale of someone through-hiking with almost no preparation.
  13. Or we could quit comparing cache logs to online logs. Let them cheat if that's how they get their jollies. Here's a guideline suggestion: Enjoy the game and don't worry about other people.
  14. Google's Street View has gone off-road with Trekker, allowing trails to be mapped by backpackers. Should be a great tool for geocachers! And, when these backpacks become available to geocachers we can truly map our world. http://signalnews.co...iew-trekker-945
  15. Well, I wouldn't go that far, but quit caching for $20M? Buh bye!
  16. Five dollars a cache? Man, I need to raise my rates!
  17. Pretty much the best reply I've seen. As others have noted anything that can fail at some point will. Think about what you are doing and ask yourself if you would be comfortable if your phone or GPS were to fail. If not, don't go there. I have a geocacher friend who gets lost easily. I've seen him get lost 100 yards from the car in heavy overgrowth. Many times after signing a cache log he's asked which way back to the car, or he'll watch me and see which way I start off. He has no sense of direction but he's learned that about himself and now doesn't go very deep in the woods, even on State Park marked trails, alone. No one thinks any less of him, in fact I respect him for knowing his limitations and working within them. My wife and one of my sons are prone to panic attacks when stressed, so we avoid situations that put them in stress. Folks who have never felt that stressed-out or panicked feeling may not understand how an adult can get lost 100 yards from their car, but it can and does happen and when it does that person is in real trouble. There's just no reason to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation. There are plenty of great caches that you can get to without going where you would be uncomfortable without any supportive devices. Edit to add: You shouldn't be embarrassed - I got lost one time in open flat desert less than 50 yards from my car, and I'm quite experienced and comfortable in the wilderness!
  18. Since Vinny says he won't be reading this I will address it to the general readership... Having someone do any of those things for you is seriously warped. Groundspeak has better things to do than examine accounts for this type of activity; still, if you are aware of it report it, maybe a PM telling the cacher (politely) that this is really lame. I don't know if Groundspeak can or will do anything, my guess is that TPTB would greet this behavior with a yawn, but what the heck, the folks doing such stupid things should be made aware that they are not playing the game as it was intended. If they then continue, hey, there's always a percentage of losers in any population. Sometimes it's best to just let them be. They're only hurting themselves, unless your numbers are important to you as a public statement of your awesome geocacherness, in which case this behavior makes everyone's numbers suspicious. Since I believe numbers should just be for the cacher's enjoyment anyone else shouldn't worry about them. ETA: On the other hand, for the one-time low-low non-refundable fee of $100/year I will add your name to any caches I find. (kidding)
  19. What part of 'whoever makes the best bid gets it' do y'all not understand? Want it near you? Put together a group that is capable and make a winning proposal. If you aren't willing to even try, don't whine.
  20. Thanks guys! Always glad to see Alabama (or any!) cachers giving their time to promoting the game. Join our free geocaching forum for the Alabama Geocachers Association at http://www.DixieCachers.com If you would like please write an article about your experience for our free online magazine, The Online Geocacher at http://www.onlinegeocacher.com
  21. Work with Groundspeak, maybe you can get them to create a Located in Railyard icon.
  22. ... but you did notify the police soon afterwards, didn't you? They wrote CALL 911 BODY NEARBY in sharpie on the cache container for the next cacher.
  23. Less than 10. The best, most fun and most well-done multi I've ever seen was done by a newbie with zero finds. He dropped out shortly thereafter and the community kept it maintained for years because it was so good. I think new cache hiders bring creativity and innovation to the game. Making cachers find 25 or whatever stifles it. It is the same as saying "This is how you should do it". I'd rather say "Cool! I've never seen it done like this!"
  24. 'Can' being an important word. The guidelines do not say 'must'. Thus it's up to each cache owner to decide. Is it your desire to provide cachers with a fun experience getting to a cool location and having fun finding the cache? If so then signing the log isn't important. I have never compared a cache log to online logs and don't ever intend to. I cache for fun and trying to control or police other cachers is not fun for me. But Groundspeak does give you the right to if that's what cranks your tractor.
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