pileofcrapola

- Within hours of the Navy Yard shootings, the FBI had traced the gunman's recent shotgun purchase and sent agents to the shop in northern Virginia where he bought it. Left out of the loop was the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a surprising snub between top U.S. law enforcement agencies that comes as the ATF struggles to show its relevance in Washington.

- Miss Piggy is finally joining her love, Kermit the Frog, in the Smithsonian Institution's collection of Jim Henson's Muppets, and Bert and Ernie will have a place in history, too.

Good cast-iron cookware will last you a lifetime, if you take good care of it. We've shown you how to clean, how to season, and the best oils to use, but this video from America's Test Kitchen combines everything into one package that's easy to remember or share with someone whose cast iron pans have seen better days.

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A DIY attitude is pretty useful thing to pass on to your kids. But what do you do when your kid's interested in learning some of those skills and you're just not that handy?

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Getting a good haircut shouldn't be rocket science, but it's often tough to communicate with your barber effectively to get what you want. The Art of Manliness has a guide to getting the perfect haircut, and that includes the lingo you should use.

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From Zone to Atkins to Paleo, you’ve probably heard of a million dietary plans to help you eat better and lose weight. But many diets, fad or otherwise, require restrictions we can’t sustain and we expect immediate results we’ll never see. With all the problems surrounding diet plans, how can you pick one that actually works? All it takes is a little self-knowledge and dose of reality.

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Once you've cut fresh fruit, it's only a matter of time before it starts turning brown and grody. Slow this process by placing the fruit in a container and filling it with cold water for storage.

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As the ancient Sumerian saying goes: Waste not, want not. And it was the waste of a four-course dinner for 200 guests that one couple decided against, after their daughter called off her wedding 40 days before the scheduled nuptials. Instead of simply canceling the vent, the parents still held it — inviting 200 of Atlanta’s homeless to a dinner reception.

The couple joined up with a local charity that serves families in need, reports WBUR.org, to transform the former wedding event into the family’s first annual “Celebration of Love” on Saturday.

“We’re very pleased that she’s handling it so well,” says the mother of how her daughter is handling the change in plans (she also attended the event). “She was also very delighted to see and know that others had an opportunity to enjoy something, rather than just allow it to go to waste.”

The head of the charity says she didn’t believe it at first when the couple called the organization with the dinner offer.

“At first, I thought it was a prank call because it was such an amazing offering,” she explained. And then she said she wanted to focus on women and families, that she wanted to focus on children at which 70 percent of the homeless in Atlanta are children.”

Those kids had an especially memorable time at the event. I don’t know about you, but when I was eight I wouldn’t know what to do at such a fancy occasion.

“The passed hors d’oeuvre were very interesting because the children were wondering, ‘could we take the whole tray, or do we just take one off of the tray?’” she explained. “So this was an educational opportunity as well, because now they all know how to eat at a four-course meal and the etiquette involved in that.”

Atlanta Wedding Reception Donated To The Homeless [WBUR.org]

When we last heard of a Irv Gordon of Long Island, N.Y. and his 1966 Volvo P1800S last summer, he was on the road toward setting a Guinness Book of World Records for the most miles by a single driver in one vehicle. We’d now like to congratulate him on hitting the three million mile mark and nabbing that record last week [pause for applause].

In a press release — from Volvo, natch — it says the 74-year-old retired science teacher hit the milestone on the Seward Highway, Alaska Highway 1, in Alaska. It was one of the two U.S. states he’d never visited, making it the perfect place for such a historic occasion.

“It’s not about getting to the three million miles; it’s about the trips that got me to the three million miles,” Gordon said. “I never had a goal to get to one million, to two million. I just enjoyed driving and experiencing life through my Volvo.”

Along the way, his car has been to nine countries, stopped at 800 Waffle Houses, and been in 11 accidents in its 47 years, reports AOL Autos.

So will his cherry red little buddy make it another million miles? His only doubt — forget about the car, he’s not sure he’s up to such a feat.

“Everyone asks, what’s next? Well, I’ll keep driving my Volvo P1800 to auto shows and taking trips across the country. Not much will change. But whether I drive four million miles is more up to me than it is the car. The car may be able to take it, but I’m not so sure about me.”

You can watch his journey on 3MillionReasons.com, which also serves as one big Volvo ad. But hey, if I built a car that lasted three million miles, I’d probably crow about it too.

What’s the coolest thing to do near you? I live in New York’s Hudson Valley, home to lots of historical sites including the cemetery mentioned in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," author Washington Irving’s house, and Kykuit, the Rockefeller’s mansion.

And yes, I’ve seen most of the sites (not the cemetery, but I have to confess, I’m not eager to do the night tour others have raved about!). But it’s all too easy to ignore the sights right in your own backyard.

Truth be told, I haven’t been to a New York City museum in years, even though I live near the city and love museums. In fact, I’ve been to lots in several other cities this year.

Some of my favorite museums are the Smithsonians. I recently took a trip to Washington, D.C., where I spent an afternoon (not long enough!) in the National Museum of American History. Most memorable: a civil-rights exhibit that includes a live re-enactment of the sit-in at a Greensboro, N.C., Woolworth’s lunch counter in 1960. The actual lunch counter is there, and four volunteers from the audience sit in for the original students as the crowd closes in on them, shouting and taunting. Talk about powerful!

If you can’t get there, you can see highlights here. The Smithsonian app is also worth a download (free for Android and Apple).

One of the best things about these national treasures is that they’re free. Also, the Smithsonian hosts an annual event, Museum Day Live, when you can get into all kinds of participating museums around the country at no charge. This year it’s this Saturday, Sept. 28. Mark your calendars—it’s a great day to get indoors!

Manassas Museum to hold cemetery, ghost tours Inside NoVA The Manassas Museum is offering several “spirited” events including cemetery tours, ghost tours and a book talk during October. Manassas Cemetery tours will be held at 8 p.m. on Oct. 11 and 25 at 9317 Center St., Manassas. The cemetery is the final ...

One injured in Manassas hydrogen explosion at UTRON Washington Post A hydrogen tank detonated Monday and injured one person at a Manassas weapons manufacturer, according to Prince William County fire and rescue officials. An air pressure vessel shot up though the roof of the building, which is near George Mason ...

Hydrogen tank explosion injures 1 in Manassas MyFox Washington DC One person has been injured after a hydrogen tank exploded at a Prince William County research site, shooting through the ceiling and crashing back into the building. Kim Hylander, a spokeswoman with the Prince William County Department of Fire and ...

Prince William County community calendar, Sept. 22 to 28, 2013 Washington Post Sunday, Sept. 22. Dale City farmers market, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Dale City Commuter Lot, behind Center Plaza Shopping Center, Dale Boulevard. 703-670-7112, Ext. 227, www.pwcparks.org. Sundays in Victorian America, a program by Historic Faith Ministries ... and more »

Prince William County school notes Washington Post Police to teach parents about Internet safety. The Prince William County Police Department will have two presentations for parents on Internet safety, texting, bullying, sexting and other issues. TOPSHOTS This photo taken on September 22, 2013 shows a ...

- Pakistan's chief meteorologist says a major earthquake has struck the country's Baluchistan province.

- Zimbabwean authorities say at least 81 elephants have been killed for their ivory tusks by poachers using cyanide poison in water holes in a vast western national park.

- The commission that vets cases of euthanasia in the Netherlands says cases rose by 13 percent in the Netherlands in 2012 from 2011, the sixth consecutive year of increases.

- Eight inmates being transported by a private prison company escaped in their transport van in western Oklahoma on Tuesday when their guards stopped to take at least one inmate into a hospital and left the keys in the vehicle, police said.

- A New York City man has been arrested in connection with the death of a 3-year-old girl who got caught inside a sofa bed.

You might be wondering what will happen if the government shuts down. Here are some fast facts from WUSA9's Bruce Johnson.

The annual two day festival attracts hundreds of kite enthusiast from all over Indonesia. 

Two California counselors speak publicly for the first time about drug use they've witnessed in treatment and some of the unusual and extraordinary ways that addicts will smuggle them in.

Burger King will unveil a simple but startling french fry innovation: french fries with 30% less fat and 20% fewer calories than BK's current fries.

Surf parks - massive pools with repeating, artificial waves - are the latest buzzword in the surf community

A Cherokee girl at the center of a yearslong custody dispute has been handed over to her adoptive parents.

Brazil is the last place in the world still producing the iconic vehicle but VW says production will end Dec. 31.

Nancy Anne Deen, 35, was charged with felony child abuse after crashing her car with two small children while under the influence. 

Officials say they have donated a shipment of illegally imported corals intercepted by CBP to the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

Freshwater fishing lures come in a number of types, sizes, shapes, and colors. Although most freshwater lures are produced for the bass fishing market, artificial lures can be used to catch other species of fish, such as crappie, perch, walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge. While some lures go through cycles of being "hot" or "new" and then are quickly forgotten, many others have enjoyed years or even decades of popularity among all anglers. Although you can fill a large tackle box with many different types of lures, understanding which lures to use in which situations will make you a more effective fisherman. Following are steps on how to pick freshwater fishing lures based on the conditions you are fishing in and the species of fish you're fishing for.

Edit Steps

Types of Freshwater Fishing Lures

1. Use plastic worms when fishing for largemouth bass. Invented in 1949 by Nick and Cosma Creme and first marketed in 1951, plastic worms are probably the best-known largemouth bass lures. Available in a host of colors and lengths from 4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 cm), plastic worms have spawned a number of other soft plastic artificial lures: grubs, crayfish, and salamanders among them. Occasionally fished on the surface, plastic worms are most commonly fished in timber, brush, weeds, and along rocky drop-offs, and they are usually rigged by threading the hook through the worm so that its body covers the hook point and makes a self-weedless rig. (This rig is called a Texas rig when fished with a bullet-shaped slip sinker and a Carolina rig when fished with a leader, swivel, and egg-shaped slip sinker.)
   
   
   
2. Use crankbaits in a variety of situations. Also known as plugs, crankbaits are artificial lures made of hard plastic. They are so named because they are designed to be cast out and retrieved, with some versions intended to be retrieved rapidly to trigger fish to strike them aggressively. Although some are weedless, they are usually not intended to be fished around weeds, brush, or timber. Crankbaits come in several varieties, as described below:
   
   
   
   • Topwater lures are designed to be fished on the surface. These include poppers, which feature a vertical concave surface that makes a popping noise when jerked with the rod tip; wobblers, which feature plates that cause the lure to move from side to side when retrieved; and stick baits, which are thin lures without any special attachments that are given their action solely by the fisherman.
   • Thin minnow lures are shaped and usually colored like minnows. They feature a small lip at the front, differentiating them from stick baits; otherwise, they may be fished on the surface or underwater, usually with a twitching motion. Normark's Rapala is the best known lure of this type.
   • Swimming crankbaits, or swimbaits, are artificial lures designed to move from side to side as they are pulled through the water. One style of this type of lure is curved with a flat or concave surface at the head, which functions similarly to the lip on a thin minnow in causing the lure to swim. The Lazy Ike and Helin Flatfish are 2 examples of this type of lure.
   • Diving lures feature a larger lip than thin minnows, enabling them to dive deeper when retrieved or trolled; the larger the lip, the deeper it dives. These lures may have either long, thin bodies, or short, stocky bodies. The faster the lure is retrieved, the deeper it will dive; if the retrieve is stopped, the lure, being hollow, will usually rise to the surface, although some crankbaits will remain suspended at the depth they reached.
3. Use spinnerbaits in situations where other lures would get hung up. Sometimes called safety-pin spinners for their resemblance to an open safety pin, spinnerbaits feature a weighted end with a single hook and skirt and an end with 1 or more spinners. Spinnerbaits can be fished by being rapidly retrieved across the surface so that the blades flash and splash, bumped off standing timber, or let fall to the bottom around drop-offs and other vertical structures.
   
   
   
   • Spinnerbaits come equipped with either propeller- or teardrop-shaped blades. Teardrop-shaped blades are further divided into 3 types: the willow-leaf, which is narrow and pointed on both ends; the Indiana, which is a rounded-end version of the willow-leaf; and the Colorado, which is broad and rounded at 1 end and comes to a rounded point at the other.
   • Related to the spinnerbait is the inline, or French, spinner, which features a tubular metal body with a willow-leaf or Indiana blade spinner ahead of it and a treble hook with a feather skirt behind it. French spinners are usually fished around rocky areas or in streams and attract trout, smallmouth bass, and walleye more than largemouth bass
4. Use jigs any time during the year. Jigs consist of a hook with a weighted head and either feature a hair or feather skirt or a plastic grub. Most jigs have round heads, but some jigs feature flat or triangular heads that either impart a swimming motion or keep the hook upright and out of rocks and weeds. Jigs are normally retrieved in an up-and-down motion and can be fished in warm or cold water situations, usually by slowing the retrieve as the water gets colder. Some jigs feature stiff brush or wire guards to keep them weedless, while most feature only a bare hook. Nonetheless, the best places to fish jigs are usually those places where they can get hung up, near weeds, brush, or rocks. (Jigs are the cheapest type of artificial lure, however, so the loss of a few jigs is usually not as consequential as the loss of a crankbait.)
   
   
   
   • Some jigs are rigged with removable safety-pin spinners, usually with a small grub body. The most familiar jig of this type is the Bass Buster Beetle Spin, a popular lure for a number of fish species.
   • Jigs may be fished in several ways. When fishing for bass, jigs are often flipped or pitched short distances instead of being cast long distances like most lures. They are usually retrieved with a lift-and-drop motion, slowly raising and lowering the rod so that the jig falls on a taut line. They may also be retrieved straight, with the rod kept at a 10 o'clock position to impart a swimming motion to the lure.
5. Use spoons for a number of different species. One of the oldest lures, the spoon was developed in 1850 by Julio T. Buel of New York, supposedly by cutting the handle off a teaspoon and putting a hook on it. The resemblance to the bowl of a spoon causes spoons to wobble from side to side as they are retrieved, which is what draws fish to them. Smaller spoons have been used to fish for trout and panfish, while larger spoons have been used to fish for bass, pike, walleye, and other large fish.
   
   
   
   • Most spoons are designed to fish below the surface; these spoons feature a treble hook attached with a split ring. Two of the best-known spoons of this type are the Eppinger Dardevle, most familiar in its red-and-white striped pattern, and the Hofschneider Red-Eye, noted for 2 plastic eye-beads and hooks at the front and back. Thicker versions of these spoons may be cast or trolled, with the thickest designed to be fished like jigs, while the thinnest versions are designed exclusively for trolling.
   • Another type of spoon features a single wire-weedless hook whose shank is attached to the back of the spoon. This type of spoon is designed to be rapidly retrieved across the surface and is often dressed with a strip of pork rind or other bait attached to the hook.
6. Use flies when fishing for trout. Flies consist of a single hook with either a hair or feather skirt. They are the smallest and lightest fishing lure and are usually used when stream fishing for trout, using special rods that cast weighted line with the fly attached with a monofilament leader. Flies are available in a number of patterns to match fly species trout feed on; many anglers tie their own flies, sometimes even at streamside to "match the hatch." Flies are available in 5 types, described below:
   
   
   
   • Dry flies float on the surface and are usually dressed with a waterproofing compound to keep them from waterlogging and sinking. They are attached to a floating line and fished in a way that matches the natural surface motion of the insect they are imitating.
   • Wet flies are designed to sink and to simulate swimming or drowning insects, as well as insects either laying eggs or hatching from them. They can be fished with floating, sinking, or sinking-tip lines, according to how deep you want to fish the fly. In calm water, you cast a wet fly beyond the fish's position and let it sink to the proper depth before retrieving it in as natural a fashion as you can. In moving water, you cast closer to and upstream from the fish and let the water move the fly to the fish.
   • Nymphs are a form of wet fly that simulates young insects or other small aquatic life. They are generally fished the same way as other wet flies.
   • Streamers may be fished the same way as either a dry or a wet fly. They are intended to simulate minnows or other small fish.
   • Bugs are dry flies designed to suggest large insects, amphibians, mice, or injured minnows. Some are designed with popper heads, like the topwater plug previously mentioned. They can be fished with either a floating or sinking-tip line.
   • Some fly fishermen fish multiple flies to determine which type of fly the fish are biting. It is possible to combine several fly types when doing this; however, you'll need to consult the fishing regulations for your state to determine how many hooks (lures) you can have attached to your line at once.

Choosing the Right Lure

1. Choose lure colors according to weather and water conditions. The general rule for lure color is "bright day, light colors; dark day, dark colors." On bright, sunny days and in clear water conditions, choose lures that are light in color and mimic natural patterns. On cloudy days and in dirty water conditions, choose darker lures and those with a non-natural coloration, preferably types that make noise or vibrate as they move through the water.
   
   
   
   • A notable exception to this rule is the use of 2-toned plastic worms that feature a darker head color and a fluorescent pink or yellow tail color. Many anglers use plastic worms colored like this when fishing in cloudy water conditions.
2. Choose lure size according to the tackle you're using and the species you're fishing for. In general, choose smaller jigs and grubs when fishing for panfish (bluegill, sunfish, crappie, perch) and larger lures such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits when fishing for bigger fish (bass, walleye, and pike). Smaller lures are best suited for light and ultralight spinning and spincasting tackle (or fly rods in the case of dry and wet flies) with lines of 4 to 10-pound test (2 to 5 kg class), while larger lures are meant to be fished with medium to heavy action rods, spinning or baitcasting reels, and lines of 12 to 20-pound test (6 to 10 kg class) or better. (Lures used to fish for muskellunge, the largest member of the pike family, are decidedly larger than those used for bass, walleye, and northern pike, and often require the use of a wire leader because of the muskie's sharp teeth.)
   
   
   
   • Lure size can also be dictated by weather conditions and how fish react to them. In early spring, or when cold front conditions clear the skies and cool the water to make fish lethargic, smaller lures are usually better choices than larger lures. (Lures used for ice fishing are exceptionally tiny, usually grub jigs or small spoons.) In high-wind conditions, you may need to use a larger lure simply to have enough resistance on the end of the line to keep the wind from bowing it so that you can't detect if fish are hitting the lure. Also try casting out a spinner and just keep casting and retrieving the lure.

Edit Video

Edit Tips

• If you fish with a number of artificial lures, it helps to have more than 1 rod rigged up, so that you can switch between lures. You can also tie a snap or snap swivel to the end of your line to make it easier to change lures, although this is best suited for fishing with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and spoons. Most fishermen prefer to tie jigs and self-weedless rigged plastic worms directly to their lines, and fly fishermen normally tie their flies directly to their leaders.
• For fishing lures that run below the surface, such as crankbaits, spoons, and jigs, the lighter test or class the line you use, the deeper your lure will dive because lighter lines are thinner than heavier lines. Keep in mind water conditions and the cover you're fishing in, however; you'll want a heavier line around weeds, timber, or rocks. If you use spinning or spincasting tackle, you can carry several reel spools filled with different weights of line and switch between them to adjust to conditions.

Edit Warnings

• There is no one artificial lure or presentation that will work in all conditions for a particular species, nor is there a lure that will be equally attractive to all fish species at all times. Try several fishing methods and then concentrate on those methods that you are most comfortable with and choose those lures that you have the most confidence in.
• If you fish with both plastic worms and crankbaits, keep the plastic worms separate from the plugs, as the soft plastic will react with the hard plastic used to make crankbaits. You can either keep them in separate trays or use a special plastic case or resealable bags to keep the worms in.

Edit Sources and Citations

• http://www.bassfishingandcatching.com/largemouth-bass-lure.html
• http://www.myoutdoortv.com/how-to/freshwater-fishing/how-to-pick-the-right-fishing-lure-color-video-included
• http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPage?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&&mode=article&objectID=28551&catID=&subcatID=0
• http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPage?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&mode=article&objectID=30114
• http://www.bassresource.com/fish/jigs.html
• http://www.gorp.com/gear-guide/travel-ta-fly-fishing-sidwcmdev_055637.html
• http://pikefishingfreak.com/
• Rodney Ruff, Omaha, NE; one-time avid fisherman and reader of fishing magazines

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