Fairweather

No. But he provides a clear example of the glaring hypocricy you, and those like you, so regularly display. If this is true, then why won't Kerry release his military service records? One of the swift boat accusers is a retired Rear Admiral and was Kerry's CO, for god's sake! The boats patrolled in groups of 5. Are you suggesting that one had to be on Kerry's boat to see him in action? Actually, Matt, I think it is you who is swallowing the party line ala Michael Moore's movie, etc. (How is that DNC spoo? ) The book is due out in September...let's see what it has to say. I would also point out that regardless of his actions in Vietnam (or Christmas in Cambodia ) his actions upon his return home should be the real issue!

Michael Moore releases "Farenheit 9/11"...Bush ignores it. "Swift Boat Vets" group buys anti-Kerry television ads....Kerry has his lawyers write intimidating letters to stations preparing to broadcast the spots! You tell me. Which candidate stands for free speech?

Actually, Greg, I don't have a problem with it, as long as their after-action report isn't politically biased or motivated by disdain over the realization of Bush's second term. We allow international inspectors into our nuclear facilities under the non-proliferation treaty, so why not let them come in and see how elections are done? However, as with all UN business, the "observations" are sure to become meddling eventually. Anyway, isn't the UN too busy helping out in The Sudan to worry about American elections?

And where was Clinton during Vietnam? Leading student demonstrations at Cambridge and America-bashing in Moscow! Yet this did not later preclude him from military adventures in the former Yugoslav republics...or, undoubtedly, from receiving your vote and support.

It turns out Mr Fusion never actually worked, so I'll have to find another way to go back in time.

DATELINE PARIS American cycling legend Lance Armstrong's sixth Tour de France victory has been revoked by The French Cycling Commission after several banned substances were found in his Paris hotel room. Sources say among items discovered were deodorant, toothpaste, and bathsoap.

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/26628.htm A TIME FOR MANHOOD By DUNCAN MAXWELL ANDERSON August 11, 2004 -- THIS November's election is about something everyone is thinking about, and almost no one is talking about. Words like "national security" are fig-leaves for the real subject: manhood. Why does manhood matter? Because we're at war. What kind of leader do you want when armed lunatics are trying to kill you and your family? Do you need a master of nuance or a leader of men? Do you want Alan Alda or Braveheart? (Hmm. Let me think.) You might wonder why the recent Democratic convention was the gaudiest display of militarism and macho talk since the Berlin Olympics of 1936 — this, from the party that successfully ran a draft-dodger for president twice, and which won't fund a candidate who doesn't bow to the feminist abortion-god. I'll tell you why. Everyone in the United States knows what time it is: It's after 9/11. The 9/11 attacks have precipitated a crisis of manhood that is shaking our society to its roots. But for so many years, we have been so entangled in the delicate sensibilities of feminism that we can't even put our confusion into words. To state the crushingly obvious, war is a male thing. Even when directed by the occasional Maggie Thatcher or Joan of Arc, war is fought by men's rules, by men. At the same time, not all men are enthusiastic warriors; in peacetime, for the sake of civilization, there is a need for men who are contemplatives, diplomats, artists and even complainers. Martial men are always eager to believe it's time for action, that the enemy is at the gates. It can make them seem crude and scary. But on 9/11, it was suddenly obvious that the everyday heroism of soldiers, firemen and cops was indispensable. Meanwhile, the stock of intellectuals goes down in a life-or-death crisis, especially for those who weren't that brilliant to begin with. Some men claim the status of artists simply because they don't know how to change a tire. Men from the arty class can become parasites, making their try for greatness simply by throwing muck at men who are truly great. For some reason, that makes me think of Michael Moore. If his latest movie — which perhaps should be entitled "Paranoid 9/11" — were truthful, no one would go see it. Its appeal is that it's deliciously false. It's the revenge of the weenies like Moore, who resent the new importance of masculine men like George W. Bush. Moore's audiences want to believe that the Arab jihad against us isn't real, so they can force the rest of us to read their lousy poetry. Hoping for votes from normal people as well, John "Botox" Kerry has been trying to recast himself as a he-man. Kerry served in Vietnam 35 years ago, as you may have heard him say once or twice. But now the new book by Vietnam swift boat officer John O'Neill, "Unfit for Command," suggests that the recent bunny-suit image of Kerry at NASA was not far off. Testimony by Kerry's mates and commanding officers describes him as a timorous whiner who lied his way to several combat medals. Some of the first heroes of post-9/11 America had no medals or military records. They were ordinary guys catching an early flight to San Francisco. As the 9/11 commission report definitively concludes, early stories about heroism on board doomed United Flight 93 on 9/11 (often pooh-poohed as comforting fairy tales in the mainstream press) were correct. Black box recordings prove that at 9:57 a.m., a contingent of passengers "overwhelmed" (i.e., killed) the hijackers in Flight 93's cabin and bashed their way into the cockpit of the plane, which was being piloted toward Washington by the two surviving hijackers. As they were being overcome, the jihad "pilots" ditched the plane in a field in Shanksville, Pa., rather than die fighting. The fighter jets sent up to defend Washington did not know Flight 93 was approaching, and could not have stopped it. The last line of defense was that group of strangers — ordinary Americans who counterattacked against their enemies and destroyed them. For these times, in place of Kerry's limp salute and tedious 55-minute acceptance speech, I prefer Bush's terser words, on the phone to Vice President Dick Cheney on Sept. 11, 2001, on his way to the airport: "I heard about the Pentagon. We're at war. Somebody's gonna pay." Bush's directness reminds me of Jeremy Glick, the 225-pound judo champion who called home from Flight 93 on his cell phone to say goodbye and explain what was about to happen: "The men voted to attack the terrorists." Glick's fellow passenger Todd Beamer put it this way: "Are you guys ready? Let's roll."

Were you guys trying to climb the NW Peak, or take the stroll route over to the main tower? I've only seen pictures, and those seracs look pretty menacing traversing up from Combatant Col. I know you were at the col primarily for other opportunities, but do the majority of sloggers like me climb the NW Peak from Dais Glacier, or Combatant Col? Does this mostly eliminate the serac-band danger? Anyway, nice trip and cool pictures!

Let me help you out with that one. It works like this: 1. Run focus groups in Canton, OH; Des Moines, IA; and Pittsburg,PA. Develop 3 or 4 potential "messages" or replies to criticisms from these sessions. 2. Conduct a national telephone poll with said "messages" 3. Adopt the "message" that sells best among those who fall into the "undecided, likely voter" category. Now you're talkin', Will!! I hereby declare your "moderate" label temporarily restored.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040810_1370.html Today Kerry says he would still vote to authorize the use of force in spite of no WMD's being found. WTF?? I thought this guy was the anti-war candidate and at the very least, regretted his vote to give the president the authorization? I'm confused....and so apparently, is Mr Kerry. Dare I even try to understand the liberal/intellectual thought process this great beacon possesses? More news to come out soon re: his "1968 Christmas in Cambodia" experience. Apparently, even the swifties who support him say he wasn't telling the truth when he testified before congress. It seems...he was never within 50 miles of Cambodia!...and he seems to believe Nixon was president at the time too! Kerry's war stories sound more and more like fish stories. http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20040809-090612-9480r.htm http://www.nationalreview.com/york/york200408101318.asp Oh yea....flame on you newly converted pro-Vietnam war peace loving liberals! Your hypocricy has reached new heights of stink.

Little Tahoma. 1990. After starting late and spending too much time on the top I descended to the notch at 9000' on Whitman Crest. It was getting to be late in the afternoon and my partner arrived from above about 20 minutes later. I had the rope out and ready to go, but he simply gestured "downglacier", pointed at his watch, and without stopping headed out onto The Fryingpan. I caught up to and passed him, but not wanting to be perceived as a nag, I continued down the soft late afternoon firn without bringing up the risk at hand. Later, looking off to my right, and then my left, I noticed a very wide crack on the convex slope I was traversing. I began to tread lightly and, sure enough, it became apparent that this crevasse was very deep and wide. In fact, the icy walls were still going farther apart as it fell into blackness. As it was too late to backtrack, and I was already more than halfway across this bridge, I continued on and waited at the other side for my partner to appear from above. He was plunge stepping hard as he came into view, and oblivious to my shouting, "stop!" Sure enough, he punched through. Immediately he was in over his shoulders, with his pack and one outstretched arm the only thing keeping him from certain death in the cold darkness below. All I could see was his face and his one arm reaching out to me about 25 feet away. His legs and body dangled freely above the void. "DON'T FUCKING MOVE!...DON'T EVEN BREATHE!" was all I could yell as I frantically dug the rope from my pack. Not wanting to approach the bridge, I threw the butterfly'ed rope to him and luckily it landed within reach. He managed to twist the rope around his one free forearm and hand several times while I clipped a bite of rope onto my harness, which luckily, I was still wearing. As there didn't seem to be time for elaborate pulley setups, I simply laid down on my stomach and clawed/crawled with my pick and the toes of my uncramponed boots... downslope until he was out far enough to extricate himself. Upon reaching a safe spot, he sat down in the snow mentally exhausted. As he was a Vietnam combat veteran, I was impressed that he was quite shaken by the experience, and he just gave me a look and shook his head indicating nothing more needed to be said. The mistake was mutual, for sure. Just plain stupid. We still climb together. Lesson learned. Murphy's law. We always rope up on glaciers.

Mr. Strickland: No McFly ever amounted to anything in the history of Hill Valley! Marty McFly: Yeah, well, history's gonna change.

"There you go again!" Mr Strickland.

re Nagasaki: http://history1900s.about.com/library/prm/blbombthatended1.htm

I do believe it. That's my point. Fuck Al-Jazera and all the reporters who just like to stir shit up. They don't give a shit about our soldiers. Let their camera men film the muzzle-flash from an American .50cal as the screen goes to static.

Cool TR. The stuff I only dream of! BTW...You might want to add a couple of f-stops for afternoon lighting next time.

In the name of fairness perhaps the Iraqi government should kick ALL foreign reporters out of the country for a few months. I'm not being a smart ass....I am serious.

Your article is bizarre revisionist History. Militarism was so entrenched and ingrained into Japanese culture and society that an invasion would have been catastrophic for both American soldiers, and Japanese civilians. The ferocity with which the Japanese (soldier and civilian alike!) defended Okinawa led to this logical conclusion. Additionally, over one MILLION civilians had already been killed that spring and summer by Lemay's B-29's as he sysematically burned city after city with incindiaries. More civilians were killed in Tokyo/Yokohama on the night of March 23rd, 1945 than in Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined! After the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the emporor recorded his capitulation message for the Japanese public. Military leaders tried to take the recording by force and basically held the emporor captive for several hours. Several defenders of the emporor were slain. It is only by sheer luck that the recording arrived at the NGK studios for broadcast. All this said, I believe the bombing of Nagasaki was probably unnecessary. More time should have been given for the Japanese to analyze the Hiroshima attack and reach the logical conclusion that they were defeated. I believe that the untested plutonium-cored Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki was no more than sick scientific/military curiosity. Perhaps an off-shore demonstration would have been more appropriate.

Vietnamese-Americans Back Bush Saturday, August 07, 2004 LOS ANGELES — The John Kerry many Vietnamese-Americans remember is not the hero promoted by the Democratic Party, but the ex-soldier who returned to the United States to denounce the Vietnam War. "His close association and anti-war activity make him known as Mr. Jane Fonda," said Frank Jao, who fought in the South Vietnamese army against the communist North. Jao emigrated to California, and now is the Donald Trump of Orange County's Little Saigon, the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam. In this area, 58 percent of the residents are registered Republicans. While older Vietnamese-Americans may see Kerry as a turncoat, many younger voters are more open-minded, said Christian Collet, a pollster with Pacific Opinions Research. "There is definitely a handful ... that wants to put war behind them and move forward with a constructive dialogue with Vietnam. And to that extent, John Kerry will get a handful of votes from those people," Collet said. Another reason Vietnamese-Americans criticize Kerry is that he has worked to block a bill forcing communist Vietnam to clean up its human rights abuses. The bill passed 410 to 1 in the House, but Kerry blocked it in the Senate. Kerry has claimed that the best way to improve abuses in Vietnam is to engage the communists, not punish them.

What about an old one-speed piece-of-shit bike for workouts? Or a track bike? Wouldn't this give a better workout than a traditional Mtn/road bike? Any thoughts? My current workout: Day 1) Run 45 min @ 8+mm pace. Day 2) One hour gym cardio workout on "Stair-Mill" machine. Then, some light weights. Day 3) One hour bike ride w/ some long hills. (Mtn bike w/road slicks) Day 4) Rest repeat. Longer run (8-13 miles) once every two weeks (if I haven't been climbing) @9min pace.

Anyone ever leave their (full) blue bag inside a register box? Or worse, use one as a toilet when nothing else was available? Imagine the surprise on some poor Mounties face when he lifted the metal lid a few weeks after your big climb....

**South Tower hit at 9:03am. Kerry's mind "just goes numb". **Kerry witnesses plane hit Pentagon at 9:45am. I'll give you credit j_b! This new Bush-Saudi conspiracy stuff has quite effectively supplanted your usual evil Jewish Cabal rantings. I think you're making some real progress!

Good news! 300 dead Muslim radicals....but the price was too high, IMO. Three dead American servicemen. I say pull 'em back.... and bring in the F-18's and C-130 Spectre Gunships.

40 minutes. Not difficult. This is the time between the second aircraft hitting the South Tower WTC (when Kerry's brain went numb) and the third plane hitting The Pentagon.

j_b, you really are a tool. Seriously. I know what I believe and state it clearly. When my position is plainly beaten or wrong, I change it...or at least admit that I'm out of ammo. (A recent access issues contest with cj comes to mind.) Have you ever reconsidered any of your views? You remain the most smug, arrogant bastard to ever roam the halls around here IMO. A leftist pseudo-intellect who frantically Google's his every reply from the most biased of sites even whilst casting aspersions on the sources of those with whom you disagree. To further aggravate, you lay claim to the open minded award! Trust me... you didn't win it. I basically stand with Greg W (and others here) when I add my voice... Fuck off, j_b. If the world you dream of ever reaches fruition, I will be among the first to take up arms.