Breaktrack

Was just reading back through here and seeing many of the older posts and enjoying them all over again. Mac

Respects to YOU, sir!! Mac

Certainly counts in my book. Mac

Gotta love them Goldwings!!! I'm on my third, and I'm considering trading my current one for an 09, what can I say....LOL. Mac

You better believe it counts!!! My mom was a military wife, and parent. I was a military parent while my two oldest were in the Navy. I still have a couple of young ones who may still decide to serve some day, so it all counts as far as I'm concerned. Without you, it would be much harder for them to do what they do. The great English poet John Milton said in the last line of this poem: When I consider how my light is spent Ere half my days in this dark world and wide, And that one Talent which is death to hide Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest He returning chide, "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need Either man's work or his own gifts. Who best Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed, And post o'er land and ocean without rest; They also serve who only stand and wait. Mac

Wow, some great posts. Who knew this thread would last this long and give so many individuals a chance to list their service. I am in awe. Keep em' coming folks, I know there are more of you out there. Mac

Just for the sake of accuracy, NEW Virtual caches are not allowed to be listed on Geocaching.com. However, grandfathered Virtual caches are still listed. I have several that are still listed, still active and still visited. 100% of them I consider of historical value and have a great "Wow" factor. If more cache creators had maintained such a standard we would STILL have the ability to create virtual caches today. Mac

Maps are your friend. Amen to THAT!!!! LOL. Mac

Thanks for your service, and thanks for participating in the discussion. Mac McKinney aka Breaktrack

There, that is exactly the point I was trying to make in my reply. I didn't take his words as an attack on the military, I was trying to point out that if they military hadn't brought about the GPS satellite, then there would be NO Geocaching. If they hadn't opened up the GPS system to civilian use, there would be NO Geocaching.... Oh well, we try, we move on, we geocache some more....yes? LOL. Mac

That is probably the best way to have put it...lol. Thanks, Mac McKinney aka Breaktrack

Outstanding post!!!! Thank you for your service. Mac

Just how did you think Geocaching started in the first place? Hmmmmm? Without the military you'd be without your GPS and your Geocaching, so, have some respect, eh? Thanks, Mac

Here's my view. Cache because YOU like to, not because you have a certain number of caches under your belt. If you peruse my stats you will find I do not have all that many caches, but have been around since the begining of this little game. My concern is for the quality of caching. What I personally get out of it, not what others see. many of my cache finds have been a long way from Texas, and I treasure those mainly because I found them with my kids, not because they add up to some arbitrary number that means NOTHING. If you have 1,000 caches, but 999 of them were crappy, side of the road trash caches, then your numbers do not impress me one iota. But if you have 100 caches that are found in interesting areas and take a little bit of effort to get to and find, then you have much more respect in my book. If you hit a cache and enter TNLNSL and nothing else, then your numbers do not impress me. I love to read logs of people who take the time to list their experience finding the cache, what they thought of the area, what they enjoyed and found pleasurable about the find, and especially the challenges overcome to get there. Numbers and stats have always been a bone of contention around here, since the begining, and it appears it will never change. So cache for YOU, and not for others. Cachs for YOUR enjoyment, numbers be damned. I have a few caches I have placed, and several virtual caches from the pre-virtual kill off. As of today I have had nearly 3,000 log entries to my caches. I take much greater pride in those numbers than of my own finds. Many of my physical caches have gone by the wayside due to hurricanes over the years, just the nature of the beast. But it is indicative of the type of physical cache I place. They were challenging to get to, no question, but also vulnerable to hurricane induced swells. My virtuals are all over the country and take quite an effort to get to every once in a while in order to ensure the information on them is still accurate, but that is something I place greater value on that how many caches I've found. Another aspect that is important in the people you meet while caching . I value those people much more than I value the caches themselves. I have met people I would NEVER have met otherwise through finding caches all over the country. One in Biloxi, Mississippi comes to mind every time I think of the people I've met. You just never know. Forget the numbers, ignore those who dwell on the numbers, cache for you, not for those who look down their nose at you due to a number. Find like minded individuals and cache with them once in a while instead of strictly on your own. You will enjoy Geocaching much more if you're not worried about what other people think. Cache on!! Mac

I hear ya!! Mac

Bought it yesterday, already love it. I don't yet have a 3G phone, but it still works as I just keep my regular GPS around for the heavy lifting...lol. A much needed, and much appreciated App. Thanks Jeremy!! From a long time fan, Mac McKinney

Hello there, LEO since about 1978, currently serving with the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Houston, Texas. Also retired U. S. Army Reserve. Charter Member of Geocaching from back in 2001. Don't really cache a lot anymore since my kids went to live with their mom, but I still maintain my caches and hit one myself every once in a while. Would not mind being in a sub-set of Geocaching with other LEO's. Mac McKinney aka breaktrack

Hey Big Bob, Yup, we've got them from all over. There are Germans, Canadians, some of your fellow Brits, Australians, and a few others from various countries. It is primarily Americans though, no doubt. All are welcome. Mac

Well said, and thank you for your service!!! Mac

Couldn't that be said of any off-topic thread posted to the Geocaching Topics forum? This has nothing at all to do with patriotism... it has to do with clutter. I beg to disagree with the venerable Keystone... off-topic threads sould be moved to the Off Topic forum. Period. No grandfathering-in. Sure, I don't have to read them, but that's not the point. Should they be here? This is the Geocaching Topics forum, not the Common Interests forum. If we need one of those, the powers that be can easily create one. Alrighty then, if you're the "diplomatic" type, I'll try to reach a diplomatic solution. I just checked the member numbers of the people that were logged into the forum. I took the member with the highest member number present. I know there are probably a lot more than that, but it is representative without getting nit picky. That member number was 1,449,480. I propose that, since so far it is only one or two members who seem to object to this thread still being where it is, that if it is that bothersome you get oh, say, 10% of the membership to sign on as objecting to it and I'll ask the mods myself to move it. Heck, let's say 5%!! OR even 1%!!! Seems fair to me. What say you? Mac

EXACTLY!!! And peace reigns throughout the land.....LOL. Mac

On-topic: I served overseas in the diplomatic corp, in Russia for a year, carrying pens and handshakes, not guns. It's a shame only those who work for the govt carrying weapons gets the the holidays and recognition, though. *shrug* I guess playing "army men" as a kid in the sandbox is more fun than playing "diplomacy men." Now having said that, is your "Move thread" button broken? I've seen multiple threads moved into the appropriate forum. And "venerable"? Wow. To paraphrase Hamlet, "Methinks the lady doth protesth too much." MrW. Wow, you were a diplomat???? Cool. Although I see little to no evidence of that in your posts on this thread so far, I'll just have to take your word for it. Look up "venerable", there is a definition that fits what Keystone is trying to convey. Mac

I've heard that as well. Actually, I've seen posts here about it. It amazes me that its allowed, considering the IED's, but I would imagine that clear containers are pretty much the rule (at least, I'd certainly HOPE so!) C'mon, this thread started like four years ago....sheesh. It neither glorifies war or anything to do with war. If that is what you get out of it the problem is yours not the threads. Many of us started our use of GPS in the military back when they were the size of small suitcases and were so complicated you needed an engineering degree to make use of the silly thing. But that's how many started in the world of geocaching, through our military affiliations. I know I did. So the thread was to see how many of the geocachers out there were also military veterans, back in the day when there were still under 50,000 of us and there wasn't that much being posted. Things have changed now, granted, but this thread was grandfathered in a long time ago, and is accepted by the powers that be. Not much more I can tell you, except have fun Geocaching, and don't sweat the small stuff, and as they say, it's ALL small stuff. Happy Geocaching, Mac McKinney aka Breaktrack

I agree this thread clearly belongs in an "Off-Topic" board (and yes, yes, I, too, "served my country," though in a diplomatic position where I carried pens, good will and handshakes, not weapons). MrW. I understand your dismay, as well as the other poster. Fortunately for those who actually don't take themselves so seriously, this thread predates ANY of you joining our fair "sport", please just accept it for what it is, and not try to make something political out of it. To both of you, I'd be happy to discuss it more by email on in another venue, this isn't the place for it. Thanks, Mac McKinney aka Breaktrack

I guess My fav was the event we had over in East Texas when it was one of our more favorite cachers birthday, and I got a REAL kick out of watching all of the "night cachers" stumbling through the woods, of course, my night vision goggles made it easy to laugh at them....hehehehehehe. Mac McKinney aka Breaktrack