Dan_Petersen

Old version with no Goretex. They show some wear, but have some miles left. I think two years of frequent trail jogging has spread my feet a bit, they pinch me now. $75. Email me for pictures or questions. Dan Petersen petersendr60@yahoo.com

Recent studies have shown that people in their sixties are more than three times as likely to die after defecating in a public bathroom, when compared to people in their forties. This information runs counter to an earlier study which indicated that public restrooms were equally safe for both younger and older defecators. Researchers speculate that younger defecators may be more educated regarding hygiene than their older counterparts. Alternative speculation is that younger defecators simply have a healthier immune system. The health care industry has embraced this information and has begun to widely publicize a recommendation that older people should restrict their defecation to their own homes. The public health risks of ignoring this common sense advice are huge. Wow, what awesome revelations will come up next? I would bet studies show that women stand a significantly higher chance of giving birth than men do.

OK. The guy in the picture looks like Mead Hargis to me. Hot or cold?

"Since news by definition shows the truth,..." I would argue that photographs show the truth (unless you are arguing that they were retouched in some way). You certainly cannot argue that some individuals depicted were not slain, or that some other individuals in the photo seem to be quite delighted with that fact. What news cannot control is what inference the reader draws from the image. You feel that the only conclusion to be drawn from the photographs is that the Iraqi insurgents have triumphed and that the AP somehow has used the photographs to promote that conclusion. I don't feel that way at all. Perhaps this simply demonstrates that you haven't communicated your message very well and you intended something else altogether. I think the pictures are good journalism in that they convey (to me) the horror of the situation graphically. Of course, others might not see the picture as horrific, and that is the reason they are good journalism, they make the viewer confront their own views of "reality".

Willis Wall. fits David's criteria.

I'm looking for a sturdy daypack with a frame. Anyone used the RT25, it's on REI-Outlet for a reasonable price.

Climb: Prusik Peak-West Ridge Date of Climb: 9/27/2004 Trip Report: My son Alan and I climbed the West Ridge of Prusik Peak on Monday, September 27 in a marathon car-to-car. Captain Caveman makes this sound easy. It's not. We left the car at 630am or so and got back at 1230am (which doesn't qualify as a one day ascent, I suppose, but...) The weather was outstanding with not a cloud in the sky, great daytime temperatures, and not a breath of wind. The Larch trees have turned golden, the lakes were largely empty, and we had the route to ourselves. The lights went out at 715pm and we watched the full moon rise on the ridgeline opposite Snow Lake. The ridgeline kept the moon constantly rising (at least to our eyes) as we descended by headlamp. We ran into a guy going up from Snow Lake in the dark, and so were reassured that we were not the only crazy people out that night. We stopped to brew up some soup at the outlet to Nada Lake and enjoyed the moonlight for a half hour or so. It would have been pretty easy just to conk out there and finish the walk out the next day. We probably wouldn't have felt any better if we had done it that way, though. 29 years since my last ascent, guess I better not expect to wait that long for the next repeat. Approach Notes: Perfect conditions

So, if someone leaves a bunch of gear on Forbidden its booty, and if someone leaves a bunch of gear on The Tooth, or nearby, its a "project"? Sounds like we need a Booty Boundary definition. More than X miles from the trailhead and "projects" become "booty target areas". I vote that the threshold is two miles.

Many thanks. I am generally crummy at photography and try not to blame the equipment. The reason I am avoiding the purchase of a digital camera is that I am waiting for my son-in-law to tire of his two or three year old one, buy a new one, and give the old one to me. I'll try the 100 ISO Fuji Reala Print. If a miracle happens and I get a good shot or two, I'll post 'em.

So I am no camera person, but I have a five or six year old Olympus point and shoot 35mm. What kind of film should I use to take good general mountain pictures that would have good resolution when put on a CD by the local CostCo?

I finally got my son to ropegun for me at Fee Demo today. Thanks to the developers for putting all the work in. We groveled up the first pitch of the two "center" 5.10s and were spit off the beautiful center dike line at the third bolt a number of times. It was great fun trying, but we didn't bring enough Zen. This old guy thinks the run-outs are very old skool, which is a compliment, although the grousing you would have heard during the afternoon might make you doubt that statement. Be sure to read the fine print about the required TCU's. Alan was looking at a way long grinder on the upper reaches of one of these routes because we came unprepared. #1's and #2's are recommended. Again, thanks to the developers and a for the area.

I am torn between outrage, awe, and envy when exposed to yet another perversion to the American legal system committed by greedy (but admittedly clever) attorneys. Here we have another fine example. In great American tradition we rise in response to an unspeakable tragedy with the intention of compensating the victims. We establish a fund and a bureaucracy to administer it and bumble our way toward placing a monetary value on a very personal loss. This has the effect of impersonalising the response in the eyes of the victims. Enter our fine array of ambulance chasing attorneys to offer an alternative to the grief stricken. I’m sure it goes something like this. Ambulance Chaser: “I want to express my sincere condolences for your loss. I understand that you have been offered a mere $500,000 by the government as compensation. That’s an outrage. You can get ten times that in a court of law, and I would be happy to make that happen for you.” Victim: “Gosh. How can that be?” AC: “Well, really there are a number of very self-satisfied corporations and agencies who allowed this to happen. I believe that the case can be made that they should bear the financial burden, not the government. Would you like me to pursue this for you?” Victim: “Five million? Well, I guess so. What’s in it for you?” AC: “Mostly, I do this for the satisfaction it gives me by taking the moral high ground. Of course, there will be expenses, so I expect that a 50/50 split should cover everything. You will still get more than five times what the government has offered as well as having the satisfaction of knowing that the bastards who allowed this to happen paid for their mistakes.” Victim: “Alllrighttt!! You got a deal.” AC knows full well this will never come to trial. He/r expectation is that a few briefs will be filed, and after some months, the harried corporations and agencies being sued will do the math and come to a settlement offer. Settling will go something like this. AC: “I am almost embarrassed to report that we have only been offered $2 million as a settlement by these scumbags. What do you say? I say let’s fight on.” Victim: “Man, it’s been two years with nothing. I’ve got kids to educate and a mortgage to pay. How much longer do you think this will take?” AC: “Oh, not long. I think within two more years we should be in court to fight this out. Your case will be upheld by any jury in the land.” Victim: “Two years. No way. I want to settle.” AC: “You’re the client. You have to do what’s best for you. I’ll make it happen.” AC walks away with a million bucks in fees, victim doubles his money. You gotta love the system. It’s like a money machine. If I could just get past the whole ethics problem, I’d probably jump right in. Obviously, a lot of people don’t share the same qualms.

Something about this really has been bothering me, and I hope I am not the only one. I believe the lesson here has nothing to do with tools. If you run across an obviously injured, bleeding climber descending solo, do you allow that individual to continue on his/her own because they say it is "okay"? Keep in mind what you know, or think you know about shock. The correct answer is no. Yes, you miss a day out while helping another person, but maybe you save a life, or help someone avoid a long hospital stay.

I have an almost never used pair I rediscovered when packing some gear away. They were purchased in late 2001, and I bought them too comfy. I have worn them about three times and they look almost new to me. They are US 9, UK 8, Eur 42. $60? You can pm me or call 425-890-3585.

Michael, we were the party of two that headed out one day earlier. What awesome weather! And no bugs! Couldn't ask for better. Did you guys see the Cub Lake bear? We camped there Thursday night and spotted him on the berry field slope where the trail climbs out of the lake. After a nervous night with all our remaining food hanging well away from camp, we awoke to see him still on the hillside the next morning. My partner Will seemed not too concerned as we marched up the hill banging a pot, but I have bad memories of bears bluff charging in the Yosemite high country, so I was a little less nonchalant. Luckily he was not at all interested in being close to us. It was also amazing to see the bear in the middle of the South Cascade Glacier. I was surprised at how fast he buzzed up the col left of our target gap, and how he negotiated a snow bridge over a crevasse without missing a beat. It's one of those once in a lifetime sights, I suspect. All in all a great trip. Four days is just a little short.