slothrop

I've got the Grivel Alpine Lite (42L or 2560 in.^3, weighs 1.3kg), which is now on sale at PMS in Seattle for $80. Pros: - light-colored interior - durable, lightweight fabric - gear loops on interior and waistbelt - daisy chains - loops/sliders on lid for lashing crampons - semi-floating lid - small removable foam backpad - carries skis - waist belt is made of zippered pockets, so you can use your socks/spare gloves as padding - "hydration-compatible" Cons: - backpad is a pain to remove - stretchy ice axe straps prone to releasing (could be replaced with cord) - single strap down the middle to cinch the lid... I just don't like this design, since the lower end always flops around in the dirt when it's open - too small for some overnights... but you can clip the Manu pack to the back for extra space - fit is a little strange--it doesn't rest on my hips very well--but most of the time I'm not carrying enough weight to care (YMMV)

Otto : You know your problem? You don't like winners. Archie : Winners? Otto : Yeah. Winners. Archie : Winners, like North Vietnam? Otto : Shut up. We didn't lose Vietnam. It was a tie. Archie : [going into a cowboy-like drawl] I'm tellin' ya baby, they kicked your little ass there. Boy, they whooped yer hide REAL GOOD. Wanda : The central message of Buddhism is not "every man for himself".

Note that you can't see the sale list at http://promountainsports.com, only at http://www.promountainsports.com. Hey webmaster, you reading this?

In no particular order: Fuddhat/Kill da Wabbit at Static Point W Ridge N Twin Castle Rock bottom to top: Fault/Catapult/Bone/MF Overhang/Midway Phoenix at Smith N Ridge Stuart (from the notch)

Gah. So... frustrating... I wonder how the so-called swing voters are distributed among those voting categories (self-interest, good times/bad times, content-free factors like who they'd like to have a beer with, and ideology).

Many lawsuits have already been filed in several states on election-related issues. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/10/15/politics1707EDT0703.DTL

Anyone get a flu shot? I'm young and healthy, so I don't feel the need to get one, but check out the people lining up in Wilmington, NC: Looks like a perfect way to spread disease to me... get a bunch of people who either: a) are hypochondriacs, b) have weak immune systems, or c) are possible germ-carrying terrrrists (anyone could be, ya know) to line up in close quarters for hours.

iain, you're just being defeatist by bringing reality into the discussion.

There's just no predicting this thing until it actually happens... electoral-vote.com has it for Kerry right now, 284-247.

Hey Bill, check your PMs.

Maybe she was gathering evidence. Seems a bit strange, though, like she was leading him on by not refusing any contact with him. But he was her boss...

I've been afflicted with the same malady, actually:

You also have a shoe growing out of your ass.

Little Si has several routes at World Wall One that stay dry in the rain, with one 5.9 and a few .11s and up. I can't tell ya much about "and up", but maybe Mr. can. Giant, an ".11c" at Exit 38, would stay dry in the rain since it's in a cave, but I dunno about the finishing move out of the cave. It's a really fun route that you could even lead on gear if you wanted (bolted crack), but it's only one route... everything else within a 10-minute hike of Giant (e.g., Amazonia Wall) would likely be oozing slime.

"craaaash into you..."

WTF? Busier than a one-armed paper hanger.

Diggin' for clams out on the Washington coast. Mmm... clams.

Worst. Thread. Ever.

U suk. $25.

The weight of the rack appears to be ripping the shirt off the first one.

That's a cool site, Fairweather. I'd be all for proportional distribution of electors, in WA or elsewhere. The CO initiative sounds like some kind of half-assed Tim Eyman thing that will likely get thrown out by the court. I'm surprised it made it onto the ballot. Doesn't anyone have to vet citizen initiatives for constitutionality before they get placed on the ballot? That obviously doesn't happen in WA...

Hmm... proportionally dividing the electors makes it more democratic, while letting the smaller states keep the same number of electors. Sounds like a decent compromise between electing the president by popular vote and the usual electoral college system.

Ah, the usual cypherpunks:cypherpunks username-password combo saves the day! Not surprising for a Silicon Valley newspaper's website...

I think it's a metal brace to keep him from slouching and scowling. Did you notice how ramrod-straight Bush was trying to be in this third debate? Also makes a great antenna for receiving messages from Cheney deep in his underground lair. Body armor is not a bad idea... but the head is totally unprotected, so it would hardly be worth it.

Yeah, I liked Gwen Iffil better as a moderator, she was a real hard-ass. I liked the faith question, though, since there always has been speculation about Bush following that little voice of God in his head, and Kerry hasn't had a chance to talk about his religion much. People do want to know what role faith has in these guys' decision-making.