willstrickland

Short term solution: Try to distract yourself, and focus on the money. Long term: Figure out what will fit your demeanor, and then put the pieces in place to make it happen. Invest money early and often, whether in real estate, stock market, whatever. Create a niche for yourself and exploit the shit out of it. Alot of folks would have you believe you have to punch a keyboard in a cube to make a decent wage. My uncle paints houses for a living, usually solo, working for himself, and he makes over $70k a year, can take off anytime he wants, and works maybe half as many days a year as most people. Just because it's not white collar doesn't mean it can't be lucrative and/or enjoyable. To me painting is a pain, but so is crunching spreadsheets, doing hydraulic calcs, etc.

quote: Originally posted by allison: Will, for what it's worth, I've been a union member for most of my adult life, and have worked as a contract negotiator and a rep for my union at times over the years. Don't for a minute assume I don't know what I am talking about on this subject. Your background aside, making the extrapolation of labor rights in the general population to labor rights for prisoners is flawed IMO for the reasons I've already listed. I am not going to try and convert people to my way of thinking on this. Really? [ 03-20-2002: Message edited by: willstrickland ]

quote: Originally posted by allison: The prison workers do not have the right to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining. In my mind, the discussion can stop right there, as the lack of right to such is for me a deal-breaker. While this may be the case in your Labor 101 case studies, I believe prisoners fall into a vastly different context. For me, the notion of being incarcerated means you lose all but the most basic human rights such as health care or food. Some concessions are granted such as education because it serves to rehabilitate the prisoner as well as serving society by improving the skillset of the workforce (speaking in generalities here). I do not feel that the "right to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining" is a basic right that we should guarantee to prisoners. The whole notion seems farcical to me, you can't come out of your cell at night, but wait till you see what the latest strike on the carabiner line did for our upcoming contract arbitration...

quote: Originally posted by al: Yes, a new form of Bulger to emerge on the scene. Is this cryptic to anyone besides me?

Any info? Elevation, approach, height, number of lines etc?

quote: Originally posted by Rodchester: JC WIRE GATE Load bearing surface 10mm Rope bearing radius for the JCs are > 11mm, not 10mm. The bar stock they begin with is 10mm before the cold forging. Additionally, if you want to make a tit-for-tat comparison of biners, throw the Neurinos against the Dovals, not the JCs. [ 03-20-2002: Message edited by: willstrickland ]

Found this on the web, looks like its hard-cover companion version might be the ticket for ice explorers.Pacific NW Waterfalls

To answer the original question: I use, and recomment OP. My draws are 4.0 wiregate/4.0 straight gate, I've got a few of their screws, as well as a bunch of JC wiregates and some really old ovals and Ds. The 4.0 wires are the deal if you'll have gloves on, the gate clearance is big and the "nose" end is deep. The JCs are great for rock routes, with a big rope radiud and superlight weight. The screws have been fine, as good or better than anything else out there. Of course the ovals and Ds don't see much use, but show me any oval or D design that does these days. The low prices are great and add the knock off for blems and you have a really nice price, I paid around $4.50 for the JCs and $27 for the screws, compare that to retail on BD products. Labor, in this case, is not an issue to me (as if US min security adult prison labor is worse than 13 year old overseas sweatshop labor). Plus, they have the adventures of Omega Man on their web page, check it out.

quote: Originally posted by Bronco: How long are the route's there?? I remember hiking up there as a kid and thinking it would be cool to just fly down like a birdy. Typically 1-4 pitches. The monloith itself is supposed to be 850ft, but the near-vertical south face is around 400ft with the upper 100ft being predominently broken and grassy ledges. Only real detracting aspects are the proximity of the train tracks and the raptor closures (and the east face being off -limits). Viewed from the southeast:Viewed from the southwest: [ 03-19-2002: Message edited by: willstrickland ]

quote: Originally posted by Rodchester: I find that "marking" gear with fingernail polish is one good way. Pick an odd-ass color and with the brush work it into the inprints on the gear (Usually the company name/logo). That way it is unlikely to rub off. I thought I'd cleverly marked my gear this way. Got some funky purplish color from my aunt, painted everything up. About two years later I bought a set of camalots from a kid selling off his rack and whadya know...already marked up in a color indistinguishable from the one already on my stuff. Guess it saved me from having to mark it though...choose a really obscure color!

quote: Originally posted by Peter Puget: Is Beacon closed right now? Do your listed routes dry out quickly? Yeah, closed Feb 1 - July 15 annually. They dry pretty quick, as the climbs are south facing and the wind in the gorge is always blowin.

quote: Originally posted by rbw1966: SE Corner is considered by many to be a classic. First route put up, easiest technical line to the top, madly popular. I thought it was a waste of time personally, wanders all over hell and back, but the grade is attractive to the masses and it stays covered up. Also wanted to add that from the top of Dod's there are a few options for the final top-out pitch. I recommend Dastardly crack, a short pitch of vertical .9 thin hands.

Ok Peter, my choices... 1.Free for All .8 or w/ left start .10a2.Blownout w/ Direct start .10a3.Dod's Jam .10c4.Wind Surfer .10b or .10c (don't remember)5.Steppenwolf (.10c to ledge or .11 for full route)6.Wrong Gull .10 something7.Tennessee Walker aka Ten a Cee Stem,.10c obviously8.Seagull .10b/c9. Excaliber .12b Free for Some has like one face sequence down low that's bouldery and the rest is ho-hum. Pipeline is weirdly off balance lieback and jam. Beacon is a good place for the .10 trad leader, and can entertain a .8 trad leader for a weekend, but for routes in the .10 d - .11d range it's a little lacking. That said, those pure stemming jobs like numbers 7 and 8 above are thought provoking.

quote: Originally posted by bobinc: For visual impact and remoteness (but not routes), it's hard to ignore the Henry Mtns in S. Utah. SHHHH!!!! BTW, you can get corn snow turns on Mt Ellen in July. I used to work in, on , and around that range [ 03-19-2002: Message edited by: willstrickland ]

quote: Originally posted by Courtenay: But what do you all naturally prefer (in terms of times of the day) for workouts, from cardio to stretching to strength? Then that might raise the question of the "overnight fast" and should you eat before a workout, how close to it, how much, etc. What have you all experienced? I've tried many times to get on a regular early a.m. cardio schedule. I just can't do it, maybe it's motivation. Often I bike for the morning commute and get some blood moving, but I always feel groggy, sluggish, and don't enjoy it. And maybe that's a reflection of the beer/weed I regularly consume, but in high school when I was basically drug-free (during sports seasons anyway) I couldn't do it then either. For stretching I try to do it after the morning shower, before an afternoon/early pm workout, and right before bed. For climbing workouts, my schedule dictates a 6:00pm to 9:00ish workout, which is my preference anyway. I eat something very light (maybe a single piece of toast w/jam) about an hour and a half before the workout and then siphon Cytomax during and after the workout. This seems to work well. Sometimes I'll skip lunch at work and go into the workout intentionally depleted...trying to simulate the end of a long climbing day. On those occasions, I'll add a weight belt with about 15-20lbs and train endurance and power endurance on traverses/problems around 25-45 moves long.

Rod, Spectra fabric, no metal for the frame, the weights listed are for the main bag/frame/belt only...basically the lightest way you could configure the pack...i.e. all the add-on pockets, top-lid, etc are removed. The spectra is really thin and light, and it's the reason those things are white...the single worst color you could ask for in an alpine pack, because they can't dye the stuff. I think they even use a kevlar thread to stitch the thing together. Although the Cloud is light, I've got an idea for an even lighter pack that is WPB, cheap, etc. Thinking of pursuing it into the design phase anyway.

quote: Originally posted by Dru: Hey what the hell is the name of the Fat Albert character with the toque pulled way down over his face with the eye holes?? Mushmouth

quote: Originally posted by Dru: So, did he do any "Rockit" era scratching, or "Dis is da Drum" era mini-Moog noodling and wack rhyming, or was it just boring piano pieces? Maybe some Headhunters/Thrust era straight FUNKIN SHIT UP? Or perhaps some Mwandishi era Fat Albert funk? I mean you did know that Herbie (not Herby) did the music for the Fat Albert right?

Or how 'bout this one Dru, I'm sure you'd appreciate this. Two words, two biners...Garda hitch

Well so much for that, but I figure I'm doing pretty good just getting one of the protagonists , the year, and the route name right. Alpine climbing isn't exactly the most popular pursuit growing up in Jawja ya know?! But now sitting on the porch of the trailer, next to the broken washing machine, drinking Bud in a can with a shotgun across your lap and watching the Talladega 500 on the black and white...that's a more common pursuit.

Yup, Porter also put up New Dawn solo in '72. No doubt Fowler is a badass too, wasn't he on the FA of Infinite Spur with Kennedy back in '77? Here's a "less known" hardman for ya: Charles Cole. Founder of Five-Ten, he put up Jolly Rodger, and the Real Nose with Steve Grossman and soloed the FAs of Space and False Shield. Those were A5, A4, A4+, and A4 when they went up respectively.

quote: Originally posted by none: Dru, What's the absolute simplest way to mind the prussick knot at the master point of the rescue, with the least effort and a minimum of gear? Just wonderin', dude. Well I believe, even though I am not, could not, and would not be Dru, is to use the "never mind" method. That is, never mind using a fucking ratchet prussick, use your wall hauler instead...pulley, prussik, all in one, no minding...Yeah they weigh alot more, but you said easiest now didn't you mr smartass professional crevasse rescue dude? You did say that right? Just wonderin', dude.

Bow To Will Bigwall Trad Whore Big Titty Wench

quote: Originally posted by Dru: I gotta admit for a few years there I had Charlie Fowler and Charlie Porter confused in my mind. Now I have it straight. Porter is the one that's named after a beer! Hey Dru, here's a way to keep them straight: Porter was in on the first ascent of: Zodiac, The Shield, Mescalito, Tangerine Trip, Grape Race, Horse Chute, and Excaliber with a couple of those being solos. Fowler was in on the FA of....oh I don't seem to remember Fowler in on any El Cap FAs.

Easy...Incredible Handcrack @ the creek just don't go on the weekend.