chucK

Still costs the Postal service money.

Saturday, January 22, 2005 Rain, lack of snow keep park areas closed SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK -- Recent heavy rains around Mount Rainier National Park have closed roads and campgrounds. The Carbon River road in the northwest corner of the park is closed indefinitely because of numerous washouts. The Sunshine Point Campground at the southwest entrance is closed temporarily because of overflow from Tahoma Creek. The road from the Nisqually entrance to Paradise remains open daily, with the road between Longmire and Paradise opening about 9 a.m. daily, park officials said. The Paradise snow play area remains closed because of a lack of snow. The Henry Jackson Visitors Center is open only on weekends.

I like the idea of blocking off the spur roads, and just keeping the main road open to the end. Just gating it in the Winter would be a reasonable compromise in my mind (might be able to keep some long-term riff-raff out that way?) I think this will be jist of my comment. I think it's important to write a letter like "I like your plan. The part about the X, X , and X, are good ideas which I support. HOWEVER .... I want you not to do Y. The reason I don't want you to do Y is .... " But you probaby knew that already. Letters which are basically votes are good. Ones that might possible convince are better. Big Snow Mountain East Buttress

Which of the top 100 is the most difficult? - techinically? - logistically? - overall? What about if you exclude the volcanoes?

"Turn your head and cough."

I don't think I rebutted the existence of extreme lefties protesting did I? In any case, I will acquiesce to your request, and agree that many lefty protesters' ideas/slogans seem a bit farfetched/silly. Hell, I even think the tried and true "No Blood for Oil" deal is a oversimplistic. However, my point is, is that I'll happily suffer through the "No Blood for Oil" silliness because 1) it gets the job done, and 2) it's far preferable to "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" I heard one report of a guy visible at the inaugural address (lefty protester probably) standing on a box with a black hood on his head with his arms outstretched. Now that's ART!!!

My comment was a direct like-minded response to JayB's implied scorn of the Left (broadbrush?) based on pulled-from-his-ass reports of stereotypical extreme members of the left. Perhaps his wasn't "demon"-izing because he didn't imply the extreme lefties were evil, just stupid? But for the Right, "Demon"ing will have to do, 'cause you gotta admit, that's the stereotypical rap on them. They're mean, heartless, and they eat babies.

Probably feel less mortified than serious people on the right must feel when they see people protesting Spongebob, when they read exhortations to "bomb those ragheads back the stone ages", or when they witness industrialists feasting on babies.

Do you have any possible comments climbers could make that would help our cause? The way I see it, the only thing that would help climber access compared to the current plan is KEEP THE ROAD OPEN! Unfortunately, that is probably not going to happen. I'm all for making my comments, but currently, all I can think of is saying the whole damn thing sucks. Which will probably be met by deaf ears. So, I guess what I'm asking is, is there any way that climbers can positively contribute to the planning process? Is there anything reasonable that we can ask for?

If Bush really is interested in the good of the country (which may not be mutually exclusive of the good of his party) he can break the log jam by doing what he did as governor of Texas. He found some democratic issue that was not totally repugnant to his side (probably because it was something that was good for Texas), and worked with them to get their issue done. His own side does not have the knee-jerk response to trash their own guy, so if he picked the right issue, he could get it done AND promote some goodwill with the dem's, This might help break the logjam of constant knee-jerk fighting. It took a reactionary conservative like Nixon to open up China, because liberals would too easily have been labeled commie sympathizers. Perhaps Bush could break the logjam by getting something good for the country done like universal healthcare.

There's his well-documented reaching out to the Bin Laden family members. He helped them so they could fly out of our country when flights were otherwise grounded.

Replace "nobody" with "vast majority" and I might agree somewhat. I seriously doubt it's any different now than it ever was, except for the fact that now we're so much more inundated by propaganda in our daily lives. One hundred years ago people might not have been able to make any more intelligent decisions than now. The only difference being that back then it was because of ignorance, and now it's because of liars.

A bold attempt to expand the topic of this thread to infinity! Agreed on your wariness of tax, SS and gay marriage stuff. Bush's justification for his SS fix stinks of his justifications for the Iraq War. Just say anything 'cause people are too dumb to realize that it's illogical (fix the SS crisis by removing money from it? ), then once that starts to stink too bad, it'll be replaced by another palatable "reason". Healthcare Government-sponsored health care I'm not sure about, but I do think our system is broken. Healthcare is a necessary service similar to a utility. I'm unsure of whether I like the idea of privatized utilities or not, but they certainly need a watchdog (that answers to the people). Tort "reform" Currently the only popular watchdog we have over big business, the medical industry, and the other assorted monied interests are the civil courts. Removing non-rich invidividuals' access to legal counsel by limiting judgements (and thus removing the lawyers' profit incentive for taking on a difficult case on contingency) will further consolidate the power of the rich over the poor. I don't like the frivolous lawsuits any more than you, but at the moment, I consider them a necessary evil. Until a better system of accountability for civil wrongs exists, I don't think our current system should be removed. Environment Speaking of govt. watchdogs, I think more effort should be paid to environmental concerns. Snake-oil Companies I think more oversight should be done over drug manufacturers. Their advertising should be banned on TV. And their literature to doctors should be more carefully scrutinized. I fully support one congressman's call to have all drug company sponsored trials be registered before the trial begins, so results the company finds problematic cannot be hidden as easily. Fiscal Responsibility I totally agree with more fiscal responsibility for the government. Note that the social security crisis is not a problem of social security going bankrupt. The problem is, is that social security will no longer be running in the black. This will necessitate social security calling in its loans to the US government. The "crisis" is that this will cause havoc to our government because it is perpetually running in the red. How about this proposal. It would require an ammendment to the constitution, I think. Allow the president line-item veto powers, only on designated appropriations bills. Also, this line-item veto (as opposed to a regular veto) could be overturned by a simple majority of the House. This might give the president sorta scary powers (when the House is controlled by the same party), but it would reduce at least half the pork! It would also add to accountability as any item the president did not veto would be implicitly endorsed by him/her. Also, any item for which the veto was overturned would have been voted on specifically, by people who need to be re-elected every two years. There's my platform Thank you and God Bless America

I completely agree with this statement. How it applies to the original quoted story is not clear. I think you are confusing Spongebob teaching tolerance with a certain political party foisting the words "gay marriage" into every living room in America as a strategy to win an election.

who thinks GW comes close to personifying this ideal? this is bullshit lip service. i like what he said, but it makes me sick hearing it from his mouth. I agree that it is not credible coming from his mouth. But it is a positive statement, and I applaud it. It does no harm to agree with this sentiment. And perhaps he will follow through. Remember, he is a lame duck now. He doesn't need to toady to the GOP to get re-elected. Perhaps, just maybe, he will embark on an effort to actually help and strengthen the USA. If he does attempt to do so, he'll need the help of the public (us) to fight the politics as usual.

Was that a tangential, somewhat unrelated remark, or did you miss this part of the quoted story: "The video has appeared on Nickelodeon and other networks, and nothing in it or its accompanying materials refers to sexual identity. The "tolerance pledge," which was borrowed from the Southern Poverty Law Center, is not mentioned on the video."

Do you have to pay for the belay tests? If so, perhaps you should consider getting a punch card.

Listened on the radio. You can read the text or listen to it here, among other places probably. The liar did a great job with the presentation too.

Wow! What a speech. And don't forget, I'm an avowed Bush hater. Bush is one area where I preach hate and intolerance to my children. But, boy, nice speech! This basically sums up the meat of the speech: "All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppress, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you." Can't argue with that! Sure, the devil is in the details. And of course, who knows if this is total lip service, which will be used to justify bombing Iran and Syria while Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are conveniently ignored. But you gotta give someone the benefit of doubt don't you. It is a positive sentiment. How about this one? "In America's ideal of freedom, the public interest depends on private character — on integrity, and tolerance toward others, and the rule of conscience in our own lives. Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self." Does this signal he's dropping the federally mandated anti-gay stuff? Interesting. If one of those pollsters called me right now, I might actually have to think for a few minutes to answer the presidential approval question!

More exciting squid news

President Bush heated up our planet!

Non-twist-off beers are one of those paradoxical items for which people seem to think that a less-desireable characteristic adds value to the product. And microbrews have been coming in 15.5 gallon cans for a long time!

Walmart probably bilks the public out of $1.5 million a week, by just having the prices of a few items be "accidently" wrong on the barcode key so that they cost half a buck more at the checkout than was listed on the display.

"You got change for a 2000?"