chucK

How about a combination of your questions. A really cool book for kids of that age (or adults) is Holes. I think the author is Louis Sachar. Skellig (don't remember the author) was pretty good too but a little more cerebral.

Put this url http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif in via the image thingy. To find out the URL's of images in webpages you can right click on them, then click on properties to get the URL. But that's sort of a pain. It was much easier to just click on the little guy or type :yellaf. Which reminds me I think we need a whiner or boo-freakin'-who icon too. Anybody know one that would work for that?

Very nice . While you're adding all this stuff do you think you could reinstitutionalize this guy?

TLG, You're reply leads me to believe that your injuries were not serious (i.e. something that healed within a week). If they were serious injuries, then let me ammend my above post...I was just kidding! Worrying about things that have a good chance of seriously injuring you is a GOOD thing! Two falls, two serious injuries = fix what was wrong before you go down for the third and final time!!!!

If that's true I'll bet there's been some hazard removed from the enigma.

Yes. Get over this irrational fear of getting hurt! Those two falls didn't kill you did they? You're fine now (really fine! ROWWR). Just because the only two times you've fallen, you've gotten hurt, it doesn't mean you'll die next time. Most likely you'll just bust an ankle or two, or maybe get a concussion. You're young. You heal quickly. You'll be back on the rock in no time (2003). Push your limits! Riding a motorcycle on the freeway is way more dangerous. That'll probably kill you 90% of the time.

How about this? Say a discarded gun was found that was known to have been used in a terrorist act. If the legal owner was known, that person could be contacted and questioned, perhaps leading authorities closer to the perpetrators of the crime. The legal gun owner has nothing to fear from this. While at the same time, these records could much more conceivably be used to track down perpetrators than could a database of everyone in the nation who used "terrorism" in an email. To me, reasons to track gun ownership seem as good as filtering general e-mail. I'm not saying that gun ownership should be tracked. I'm only saying that that would be a far better lead than storing up everyone in the nation who has written "terrorism" in an email to someone.

Show up at the pub club (see pub club thread for details). Half the people that show up at those are unemployed

This has all been posted above, but a summary might help here. To get on tougher climbs, it helps to a) get stronger b) improve technique The gym will definitely help with a), if you don't injure yourself. The only times I have ever felt close to ready for climbing 5.11 was after winters when I went to the gym regularly. I was told once that the secret to 5.11 is that things that used to not be holds are now holds. Much smaller things can be holds when you are strong. It is not just technique that turns nubbins to rests. Climbing more frequently will help with b), if you don't injure yourself. Climbing more frequently will also allow you to help train your head for leading. Your leading level (especially trad) is optimized when your confidence is well aligned with your physical ability. If your confidence is below your physical ability, obviously it will hold you back. Confidence above your physical ability is usually not much of a problem as it is a self-correcting thing. Climbing with a stronger partner (following) can help a lot if your confidence is well below your physical ability. You can find out that you actually CAN climb something you thought was above you. But if you already have a pretty good idea of what you can do, it doesn't help much because you can just get psyched out or just climb out of control (which is what you know you wouldn't want to do on lead). Note how most of the harder climbers in those other threads said that they climbed more poorly on toprope.

I wonder if anyone's stolen the hangers from it yet

What's "bumping uglies" mean? So speaking of aggro tensenessosity. I was walking in to work on the BG trail today and there was a bunch of people walking in front of me. One guy in the loose pack was a bit to the left of the center. Along comes some guy on a bike and "ding ding ding ding ding"'s his bell thingy. The guy left of center didn't seem to be moving out of the way (I think this is the best thing when somebody starts ringing their little warning bells, just stay the course, don't make any sudden moves, be predictable so the speeding biker can avoid you easily). Anyway, the biker is yelling "bike on left" and the guy still doesn't move over so the biker rides by him and reaches out and pushes the guy!! Aggro dude! Speaking of aggro bikers, how many of you out there have crossed paths with that "cussing lady"? You'd know if you did!

OK you want elitism! Here's a story from down at Cochise Stronghold. We were out in the West side (undeveloped, nice free camping). There were these two totally standoffish guys camped across the road. Would always avoid eye contact and if it was made they'd just scowl. We came upon them lurking in the bushes on our way out from a climb and they just beat it out of the bush and took off like flushed game. Anyway...so there was this other guy we ran into there. He was pumping us for detailed beta on how to get to a climb, and asked if it was quiet at this campspot. When he started going on about how he needs his quiet and hopes we're not loud, it became apparent he was pretty neurotic about this stuff. Well anyway, this is getting way long for a minimal punchline. So after the neurotic guy pumps us for beta, he heads over to the scowly guys. He asks them if it is quiet here and they reply, "It was until you came by!" HA! Then they just ignored him until he left. As far as the original subject goes, I think people have been friendly almost everywhere I've climbed, so mostly only the exceptions stand out (where people have been jerks). The gym can get pretty tense sometimes, as can Vantage.

Maybe he's worried about Caveman shooting him with his new gun? quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: Just got my new rifle yesterday. Like to put a few of them and some people here in the crosshairs. Fuckin losers. [ 11-23-2002, 11:07 AM: Message edited by: chucK ]

Eat balls asseyes. [ 11-23-2002, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: chucK ]

quote: Originally posted by Dr Flash Amazing: Maybe it was the Rajhneeshis and their wacky spray bottles of, what was it, e coli again? Perhaps you are referring to Dan Savage wiping his snot on doorknobs?

Dudes! There is certainly the possibility of terrorism in this incident. And even if it wasn't, I think just to be safe we should invade Iraq, drill the ANWR, bail out Enron, and repeal the first ammendment.

I believe H-jon and Sverdie are both correct!

Soon your sugardaddies will all be gone You wake up some cold day and find you're alone You'll call for me but I'm gonna tell you bye, bye, bye When I turn around and walk away you'll cry, cry, cry You're gonna cry, cry, cry and you'll cry alone When evryone's forgotten and you're left on your own You're gonna cry, cry, cry [ 11-22-2002, 10:57 AM: Message edited by: chucK ]

quote: Originally posted by Cobra: quote:Originally posted by sexual chocolate: Hey! They ALWAYS sold Toblerone! I know but it sure makes a supposed outdoor retailer look silly Yeah! HAW! Get this...this hardware store I go to sells candy too. Can you believe that!!?? Freakin' sellouts.

I know it hurts Cavbra, but just face it. She ain't comin' back.

Every one of you grousing about REI sound like a pitiful sad sack that can't get over being dumped. I think it's best for everyone to just realize that she is not coming back. REI is no longer a COOP that specializes in climbing gear. Your sweetheart has left you for a demographic for whom money is no object and high quality is valued very near that of convenience. Sorry scuzzy climbing bums, you can't compete with that. Getting on with your life is the best thing to do. Stalking will help nobody. [ 11-22-2002, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: chucK ]

I've had my helmet for more than 10 years now (and almost always wear it when roped climbing), but I figure I'm OK with it because the helmet's probably been out in the sun only about 300 days total (i.e. less than a year!) edited to add: and NO, I've never seen anyone put their fingers through a Nalgene bottle. edited again to add: and when I do retire my helmet, it might be fun to try dropping some huge rocks on it to see what happens! [ 11-22-2002, 09:15 AM: Message edited by: chucK ]

Hey Pope, Can you regale us with tales of slide rules now?