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I don't see us invading Iran (bombing maybe). GWB doesn't really have as much a hard-on about terrorists or WMD as he had for Saddam. Tort "reform"; i.e., making it basically impossible for a person of average means get any sort of justice versus an entity with big pockets. Further media consolidation as well as new anti-defamation laws which will make it risky to criticize those with big pockets on the internet.

Poor Mikey, four more years of guaranteed celebrity/notoreity.

Bush haters, it might help a bit to look at the bright side: 1. Bush gets to deal with his Iraq mess. Though, I'm sure those of you with friends, family in the armed forces or in Iraq, won't find this especially encouraging, I don't think Kerry differed that much with respect to his believable plans to solve the Iraq mess. Let Georgie get himself out of this mess. 2. I think Bush is actually less likely to start up a draft than Kerry would have been to. It seems clear that one thing that the generals want over there are more troops. Kerry could start up the draft and blame Bush. Bush starting up the draft will be suicide for Repubs in the house in two years. By the same reasoning, Bush has more invested in actually achieving a reasonable outcome in Iraq than Kerry would have. 3. Even though the all three branches of govt are thoroughly GOP now, one issue in which I think the repubs would revolt against George is if he attempts to further increase the deficit. On the other hand.... oh I guess you guys already know about the downsides...

RobBob dude, you're leaving at the worst time. If you just stick around for a month you'll be able to bitch about every negative event and how it's all caused by the Kerry Kabal. How fun will it be to be able to effortlessly troll get 3 people giving reasoned explanations about why Kerry kan't be blamed for the kurrent hurrikane devastation in FLA without hardly moving a finger? Kwitter.

I got at least 5 calls from various Republicans yesterday. Some taped some live. I wish I was home (and bored) so I coulda led them on and kept them on the line for as long as possible. Maybe I could've gotten a ride to my polling place!

"The leader must not fall"

What is not the fault of the terrorists?

It sounds like an obvious ploy by scumbag republican polls. They know most Bush voters would be totally embarrassed if anyone knew they were actually voting for that guy!

Well, just because that has been US policy for the last 20 years, doesn't mean we have to continue on in such fashion. I say throw the bums out!!

*BUMP* you owe it to yourself to read this before you GO OUT AND VOTE!!!

I think we're way less likely to be doing any more adventuring given what's happening to our people over in Iraq right now. We hold less leverage. You are right that I would probably shrink at the possibility of bombing another country for little reason, but if many other avenues failed, and Iran was still flipping off the world about developing nuclear weapons, I would probably support air/cruise missle strikes. Not with the current situation though. I think we've got our hands full. I don't think we need to make it any harder on our men and women in Iraq than it already is. On the other hand, this noted mideast scholar guy seems to think that Bush will probably do what you say. Just what we need, a third front! I guess at least we may actually be doing something about actual WMD's! "If Bush is reelected, it is clear that he will continue to attack his hit list, which is pre-announced. He will strike at Iran. His infantry and armor are tied down in Iraq. But he could mount a naval blockade of Iran, and he could strike it from the air. He could also intrigue with impatient junior officers in Tehran in hopes of making a coup. It would probably fail. But Bush will be tempted to try."

You guys are missing the point. It's not that we are worried about losing Iranian oil. I think the quote was to the effect of the Iranians are not at all worried about the UN putting an embargo on their oil. That is, there is really no stopping them from pursuing their nuclear ambitions, because they are not afraid of possible ramifications now that the US is bogged down in the Iraq War. Ironically the war that removed their previous enemy.

Looks like Iran's in the drivers seat now! "Questioned about a possible UN embargo on Tehran's oil exports, the former parliamentary speaker said: "The big loser will be them, not us. "If an oil embargo is slapped on Iran, the price of oil will exceed $100 per barrel, with a potential to paralyze the West's economy." World oil prices are currently around $50 a barrel." link

This election is gonna get ugly. And it's not gonna be over by Thanksgiving. That's my bet

" Unfortunately, much of the shaky claims about how Iraqis would welcome us with flowers in the street went completely unchallenged. The Iraqi émigré, Chalabi, who helped the administration sell this fantasy, now turns out to be an Iranian intelligence agent. It appears that the Iranians were feeding the Bush administration whatever they needed to get the Americans to take out their mortal enemy, the Iraqis, and help Iran gain a Shiite client state next door. To allow America and its military to become the tools of another country, especially Iran is incredibly embarrassing, not to mention impeachable stupidity. "

Dru's system will work really well as long as all your gear placing happens at no-hands stances . I place draws on the back loops of the harness. You can reach them with either hand there too. Gear goes on a sling, in some organized fashion (one biner to each cam BTW) that can be remembered. Except when climbing slabs. In that case an around the shoulder sling is a PiTA because it hangs down and interferes with your view of your foot placements.

Those are some good recommendations D, but a lot of 'em might not be the best for late November probably? I have heard the N Side of Pine Creek (Brass Wall?) is very nice in cold weather.

I don't think the owners can edit their reports any more (expired window of editing time). Also, even if we could, for some reports like the Berge one, changing the URL's would insert gigantic pictures that would make the TR pretty unreadable. Hopefully this glitch can be fixed and we'll have all our old TR's restored. With respect to future TR's with pictures, until something changes, I don't think the photo-gallery currently auto-resizes the pix anymore (I just tried it). If you want your pix to be of a reasonably viewable size for either a TR or in the gallery you should submit the pictures already resized to a nice size. If you don't you will end up with something like this .

More pointless conjecture. But FUN!!! From article about NASA scientist analyzing the photos.

Scott, Are you saying that Kerry was just too slow to call the President a liar? If so, I would agree with you!

So Scott are you saying that going into Iraq without a reasonable plan for contingencies saved thousands of lives?

You can't do this without declaring war on a nation. Think about it. You are bombing on their soil. Soon enough the republican army would be shooting at our planes (even more than they already did) and all out war would have happened anyways. You can and we did. Clinton bombed or cruise-missled or whatevered Iraq a couple of times. Bush inserted airborne troops in Northern Iraq a month before the invasion. "All out war"? What was Saddam gonna do about it? Attack our forces in Kuwait?

I said I hope you're right (that we win). What is pessimistic about that!? I'm not against challenges. I am against gambling with the lives of our countrymen and lots of our money. If you're going to spend thousands of US casualties and billions of our dollars, then there oughta be an almost guaranteed return. At the very least, you'd better have thoroughly researched the area. You better have a plan for most conceivable alternatives. Betting thousands of US lives on Chalabi's word that we'd be welcomed with open arms was bullshit. Maybe that's a little too easy to say in hindsight; but Jesus, think about the motives of that guy! Don't you think it might be have been wise to have an alternate plan in case he's just blowing wind up your skirt. Seems pretty obvious to me.

Yeah Ralph! How come you always bring up Yugoslavia?