willstrickland

_____Pete just got a 10pt________________Jane just got a 10pt______________Jim just realized that wasn't a fart

Could be worse.

While we're on health care, I thought this was interesting: "The administration will also push hard for large savings accounts that could shelter thousands of dollars of deposits each year from taxation on investment gains, according to White House economic advisers who have been involved with the planning. And any tax reform, according to Treasury Department officials, would likely eliminate the alternative minimum tax, a parallel income tax designed to ensure that the rich pay income taxes but one that increasingly ensnares the middle class. To pay for those large tax cuts, the administration is looking at eliminating both the deduction for state and local taxes, and the business tax deduction for employer-sponsored health insurance. That would raise nearly $926 billion over five years, according to White House and congressional documents."

Jay, are you familiar with the Wal-Mart "triangle strategy"? This is a tactic where Wal-Mart will throw up their big-box stores in rural areas in a somewhat triangular layout. Say, for example, one in Yakima, one in Ellensburg, and one in Vantage. After the economic fallout has occured (i.e. local small business and smaller direct Wal-mart competitors going under), they build a "super wal-mart" somewhere in the triangle and close the other three. Having crushed the local competitors, they now have consolidated their operations into one location, lowering their fixed costs substantially. The problem is, now the locals have no other options and have to spend more in transportation costs just to get to the store...whether to work there or shop there. Now you can say..well, once they do this the market is susceptible to a new local business opening to compete and use the so-called transportation cost arbitrage (poor descriptive choice I know, but I'm not a business major). And that is certainly true, but it misses the big picture. This is a long-standing strategy of Wal-Mart, it just isn't quite as do-able in the western states because of the lack of population density and road networks. It has worked quite effectively east of the Mississippi.

Good point Doug, Penelope is even hotter than Nicole. Tommy has good taste.

You ate my schnitzel.

Before age 55: Switzerland, Canada, Australia, or Chile After 55: French Polynesia, Spain, or on a sailboat cruising the Mediterranean.

Jealous because he's going to Everest? Um, no. Jealous because he was bedding Nicole? Oh HELL yes!

Polish Bob and his "friend" at the Tom Cruise good luck send off party for the "Cruisin Everest '05" expedition.

Shrub thinks to himself "Mmm mmm, check out the junk in her trunk! Booyah!" Meanwhile Ms. Spellings straight freaks the macarena. Might as well get me some of that! Come here baby...

The Chimperor will not tolerate nukular moolahs. Hey Condi, need some wood?

"What song is it you wanna hear?!" Best version ever? Phish's all acapella version complete with "guitar" solos. Sidesplitting hillarious. A Skynyrd concert is the only thing that can top NASCAR races at southern tracks as the penultimate display of redneck culture.

Hello, I start to go work few year ago. I earn some dollar for climbing of rock equips. This good plan for you also.

Hello, I start to go work few year ago. I earn dollar for climbing of rock equips. This good plan for you also.

Never has the phrase "failing upward" been more appropriate. Word on the street is that Ridge is gone as well, and the early bet on a replacement is Douglas Feith - the man Tommy Franks called "the stupidest fucking guy on the face of the earth"

Dude. Occam's razor and shit. Just drop the "would" and it ain't no conditional yet still fulfills the acronym. Amatuer scientists

Two things. 1. I don't know where you are getting your stats. Pulled from the recesses of your ass perhaps? Try this link: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur_cap And you will see the US weighing in at 24th, behind Poland which clocked in at 20th 2. Florida may be geographically located in the south, but it ain't the "south", ask any southerner.

Many of these are graphic, don't click the link if you have a weak constitution. If you're the praying type, say a few for the safe and rapid return of our troops. http://fallujapictures.blogspot.com/

If you're talking about the yellowcake docs, I believe those actually originated in Italy. See http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?031027fa_fact and http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_06_27.php#003106 for more.

Yes, Gonzales was behind the memos. And, interestingly enough, he was general counsel for Enron as well. Helluva guy, that Gonzales.

Dan Rather, trying to top his performance back on election night 2000, spit out these words of wisdom last Tues: "Do you hear that knocking...President Bush's re-election is at the door." "This race is hotter than a Times Square Rolex." "His lead is as thin as turnip soup." "This race is humming along like Ray Charles." "The presidential race is swinging like Count Basie." "This race is hotter than the Devil's anvil." "Ohio becomes like a sauna for the two candidates. All they can do is wait and sweat." "One's reminded of that old saying, 'Don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek.'" "This situation in Ohio would give an aspirin a headache.'' "Bush is sweeping through the South like a big wheel through a cotton field." "What Kerry needs at this point is the equivalent of Tom Brady coming off the bench to rescue him. But it's still too close to call." "No question now that Kerry's rapidly reaching the point where he's got his back to the wall, his shirttails on fire and the bill collector's at the door." "John Kerry needs something on the order of a 55 or 60-yard field goal to win this." (To Joe Lockhart) "I know that you'd rather walk through a furnace in a gasoline suit than consider the possibility that John Kerry would lose Ohio." (To Joe Lockhart) "What about Michigan? It's been out there for a long time. Is that making your fingernails sweat?" "This presidential race has been crackling like a hickory fire for at least the last hour and a half." "Let's see where it goes from here. Round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows." "We keep talking about Ohio if you've been tuning in and out or you put the baby to bed or you went to pop the cap on an adult, or otherwise, beverage..." "We used to say if a frog had side pockets, he'd carry a handgun." "No one is saying that George Bush is not going to win the election, and if you had to bet the double-wide, you'd have to bet that he'd win." "In southern states they beat him like a rented mule." "If you try to read the tea leaves before the cup is done you can get yourself burned." "We need Billy Crystal to Analyze This" "You know that old song, 'it's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely' for President Bush in most areas of the country." "We had a slight hitch in our giddy up, but we corrected that." "In some ways, George Bush's lead is as thin as November ice." "Put on a cup of coffee, this race isn't going to be over for a while." "You look at the map and say it's all a big Bush victory. But this is one time when your Mother is right, looks can be deceiving." "John Kerry's moon has just moved behind a cloud, as far as Florida is concerned." On Kerry's chances: "To use a metaphor, he's gotta draw to an inside straight. But hey, sometimes you get lucky and hit that straight." "Is it like a swan, with every feather above the water settled, but under the water paddling like crazy?" "What you have here is the football equivalent of a fourth quarter rally by Kerry." The election is "closer than Lassie and Timmy" "Keep in mind they are teetotally meetmortally convinced they have Ohio won." "Vice President Dick Cheney would not have flown all the way out there (Hawaii) overnight and put that lei around his neck and sort of hula-danced, if you will, unless he thought there was a chance of carrying that out there." "President Bush smiling there with his family. He's laid down aces so far." "You can almost hear the GOP (deep breathing sound). We're getting within maybe smelling distance." "We don't know what to do. We don't know whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon." On how the results are affecting strategists: "It's one reason so many of them drink a lot." Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), on being congratulated on victory by Rather: "Thanks Dan, I always believe you." Rather: "Now, ladies and gentleman, if you believe that, you'll believe rocks can grow."

Trees are the leading cause of forest fires.

So Iain, do you also ski that set-up with an AT boot? I know you probably have a quiver, but what would be the drawback of having that set-up as your only skis if you have a stiff AT boot to pair it with for when you're not strictly using it to approach a climb? I ask this because I have some 500s, and am looking for some boards at the local ski swaps. I will usually be riding, rather than skiing, at lift-served. But, I'd like to be able to bust out the skis once in a while to try to maintain some profeciency so that when I do approach on skis, I don't kill myself trying to ski them out in mtn boots.