Fairweather

Not a bad thought. The Glacier Peak Region is distinctly different from the "North Cascades"--at least as much as Alpine Lakes area is distinct from the "South Cascades".

Hate? I don't think so, but there are a handful of avatars on this site I believe are beyond simple contempt. Why hide it? Why should I sit back and take insults without responding well beyond what you consider in-kind. I see Tvashtarketena is chiming in too, but I can't see any of his bile--I have had him on "ignore" for about a month. I'm sure his spew meets the balanced and civil standards you apply when meting out your admonishments. If losing the respect of people I don't know (like you) is the price I have to pay for jumping into the mud with pigs like Tvashtarketena and Maylou, well, regrettably, I'll just have to live with myself. Mister P can get my blood boiling, but beyond party politics, I know we share at least small pieces of common ground. There is no such common ground with Marytarkeloutena, and I am happy to take the gloves off. They deserve whatever replies they get--and I'm not the only one they piss off on a set schedule. Sorry I offended your delicate sensibilities. (Not). Tecumseh Sherman and Curtis Lemay would approve of my spray.

I am flattered, but I thought you were battin' your lids at Tvashie these days. He's way smarter than anyone--musta been like dining with a God on Turkey Day.

It goes much deeper than what ails ya, Marylou. Let's see; you've got the "workin' all hours" excuse, the "why I didn't go to school" excuse, the "they don't pay theater workers enough" excuse, and, of course, it's all those evil, anti-union Republicans that done it to ya! I'm sure there are websites for recovering "athletes" like yourself, but please--stop trying to pass Marylou off as anything but a groupie.

You seem to have a lot of...excuses.

"Federalism" is a Hamiltonian concept--not Jeffersonian. The "old school Democrats" you speak of were the states-righters! You seem to have your history a bit askew, darling. Do you really want to go down this road with me?

...this coming from someone who doesn't even know when election day is?

I don't know if there has been fraud directly related to touch screen. There is anecdote, but absent any proven case, it has to be assumed not. I will say that I would like to see the punishment for vote-fraud much, much more severe, and to include persons casting multiple votes, votes of the deceased, ghost voter registrations, etc. As for 'vote-suppression', while abhorrent it still remains the responsibility of each voter to know where and when to cast their ballot. Availability of polling places should follow a strict by-population density formula that is uniform nation-wide.

I think the wild (10+ percentage point!) inaccuracy of recent primary polling has exploded the myth of reliable exit polls. Again; I do not trust or like touchscreen voting concepts. Optical Scan should be law in all 50 states. Do your suspicions extend to vote-by-mail? Seems to me this has at least as much potential for fraud.

Again, I don't understand you, Fairweather. Are you saying that we should use voting machines that can't produce a receipt and which have been shown easy to hack? No. I think opti-scan should be the legal standard. But that doesn't mean I think there has been fraud to date.

Real progress! I'm impressed. But if I give an inch here you'll throw it back in my face. So I shall remain steadfastly obnoxious toward you--even in the face of your conciliatory gesture.

The only form of "vote fraud" you seem interested in pursuing or informing yourself about is the Diebold fantasy. Its not really possible to have a conversation about vote fraud with someone so..."focused" on one side of the issue.

Yes. You keep saying that, so it must be true in your own mind.

I put forward Maylou as exhibit A.

Sorry, Matt. The question was do you think non-citizens should be allowed to vote. No wiggle room, Matt.

Motor Voter is a registration process whereby a person applying for a driver's license registers to vote at the same time. No proof of citizenship required. Passed by Dems and promoted by liberals. Are you going to answer my question directly? Should non-citizens living in the US be allowed to vote? Try responding directly--and not with a question.

Yes. Motor Voter. Fighting appropriate voter ID at every turn and branding it as some form of intimidation. Do you believe non-citizens living in the United States should be allowed to vote?

Are you kidding? He is morally superior to all of us and vastly more intelligent than Mary Lou. Morally superior? No. It is widely recognized by you that you are the moral compass guiding this website, Matt. More intelligent than Maylou? Absolutely.

Maybe if we (Yes, by that I mean George Bush) weren't so busy putting provocative missile batteries in Poland and Czec Republic the Russians wouldn't feel the need to step back up to a war-footing. How's that for role-reversal, J?

Ahhh, yes. All the usual radical malcontents circling the wagons around their very own village idiot: Marylou. It's a beautiful thing.

I Climbed Gibraltar Ledges in May of 1987. Just remember that when you get to the "eye bolt" (may be gone now) there is no rappel as some believe--just some easy down stepping. From here, stay up on the higher ledge - even though it looks like it dead ends at a corner up above. This corner is where the route angles into the upper chute - right where you want to be.

I should have kept quiet. I can picture her ditching her mop and cleaning supplies early, racing wildly downtown in a smoke-cloud '73 Subaru, running all out of breath up to her precinct, and pressing her steamy snout up against the locked glass door while looking into the darkened room--tears streaming down her chubby pink cheeks...

I know this might shock and upset some here, but it looks like I might get stuck at work until after the polls close tomorrow night. It all depends on the whims of the employees of a major software corporation based in Redmond, Washington at this point. I am still optimistic that I will get done with work in time, just to upset and irritate folks who think I am commiting a terribly wrong and immoral act. Take solace in the fact that I have crossed parties in many primaries prior to this, if nothing else. It is within my rights to leave work early in order to vote, but I'm not willing to turn down the O/T just to make a point, at this point. It seems I've already made my point. You're not only immoral, but stupid too - at least for someone who claims to be so involved in politics. The primary is FEBRUARY 19th - that's not tomorrow...it's NEXT WEEK. But feel free to mark your "X" on any old piece of toilet paper after you get off work. Un-fucking be-lieveable.

I see you live in Tacoma too. I'll PM you my info. Next to the Olympic Mountains, the Mount Adams/Goat Rocks area is at the top of my mountain-love list. I've climbed several routes on Adams over the years, but I haven't visited the east side before. I hear Avalanche Valley is incredible. Have you read "Tales of a Western Mountaineer" by C E Rusk? Some good Mount Adams stories from the late 19th/early 20th century.