willstrickland

If you want to focus on anniversaries today, perhaps you should consider Hiroshima. 8:15 am August 6, 1945.

Josh, what knot are you using to join the 6mm and your lead line?

Clickity click

Nice cj001f. That is a pretty cool rig-up.

The guy in the red shirt being gripped looks like he's about to heft the sack of the guy in the center.

Paul, this is the M.O. of every opinion page writer in the country...Safire, Krugman, Dowd, Thomas, Kristol, Teepen. I think you are confusing particulars with generals. I.e. the particulars are what you take issue with. I work with people who are solidly left. The reasons they list for opposing Bush tend to be the generals: 1. Systematic weaking of environmental protections. (This is what we do for a living, and I agree with them on this point. We see the policy changes etc in aggregate in a way that you won't hear about or understand the significance of, if you don't work in this field). 2. Secretive, manipulative, and obstructionist tactics. Refusing to reveal the energy meetings participants. Insisting the economy is singing along when every jobs report that comes out is weak and then revised downward the following month...this month the pre-report estimates were consensus 1/4million new jobs...report showed only 10% of that number, and they revised the previous two reports downward at the same time. Continuing to insist that Iraq was complicit in 9/11. Knowingly using false, suspect, and weak information to gain public support to engage in a war of choice that had been a strategic goal of the memebers of the administration since the early/mid 1990s. You don't buy that one, go over to talkingpointsmemo and read the Uranium intel related material. 3. Irresponsible tax cuts and spending. 4. Irresponsible over-extension of the military. Two of my lefty coworkers have husbands in the military, one of whom will most likely be "stop-lossed" when he tries to retire next year after 20 years of service. 5. The attitude and competence factor. "Bring it on", "My Pet Goat". So what is the alternative? A slimy lifetime politician who will do or say anything that will win some votes, and an ex trail lawyer who greatly contributed to our overly litigious society, frivolous lawsuits, and the skyrocketing medical malpractice premium. Young Mr. Edwards biggest campaign contributor is the Trial Lawyers. The drunken Jesus freak dunce and The big oil puppermaster VS The flip flopping policy by polling brahmin and The eye candy scumbag lawyer. We're fucked either way. At least for you Paul, the business cycle looks to be somewhat in your favor around graduation time. Those kids graduating in the last few years, I feel for them. You should know. Seriously, read both sides of each issue. There's a periodical out there called "The Week" which tends to give the stories in brief, and a couple of takes (i.e. spin) on the issue from both sides. For example, they might do a story snip and have a "what does it mean" section with two prominent columnists from the left and two from the right giving analysis. It's a decent summary piece you can get through over a cup of coffee. Other strategies to get both sides is to read the partisan and foreign press stuff. The Nation, National Review, New Repbulic, Weekly Standard, etc. Get interested in going beyond the large media outlet headlines.

Cracked, if you want a source laden, heavily researched critique on the current administration, go read through some of http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com Josh Marshall is left of center, I'd call him a centrist dem. His readership tends to be more left than he is. Guy writes for TNR, Atlantic, Washington Monthly, and other heavy periodicals. I have noticed his tone becoming more and more partisan in the last few months...regardless, his blog is one of the better informed, connected, and researched pieces of commentary on the web. He also tends to do quite a bit of media coverage analysis. Check it out, while keeping in mind that he is something of a dem.

Hey Dru, is that thing reading 8in or 8cm?

Try it: http://homepage.mac.com/krousen/Bush%20site/

Semantics son, semantics. Thump, thump! Do you also piss on the tree in the yard? Yep, still look like a fag with that fairy scarf around your neck. Not much.

For the folks who value the "historical value": Does the history angle apply once the original register has been removed and/or replaced? Like on a heavily traveled peak, the register might only go back a couple of years. Is there any REAL historical value to knowing that Joe Gaper was on the peak six months ago? You can probably tell from my tone that I think seldom visited peaks with an original register, and widely spaced ascents, might have some historical interest whereas a register on the Toof or something is kinda silly. However, I'm no historian and am by no means a "history buff". A history of appearing in the buff is another issue If you say it is all history, then should we ever remove any trash or booty or anything? Surely that is also history? For the record, I don't really think about them. Definitely better things to worry about. Seriously though, if the original register is gone...filled up and replaced, lost, snaffle eaten, whatever...is there historical value to something that only goes back a little ways?

Gregster? I believe the proper term of endearment for Greg is "Greggie-Poo", but ask RUMR he would know for sure

I believe NOLSe and his cohort also belong on your list there Dru...no comment on why they wear the scarves

What are you Greg, some kinda wussy liberal? Playing the victim? C'mon man

I think that your assertion that the MEDIA would not stand for it is right on base. Check this out...I was perusing the GovExec.com site for some info, and came across this story with several links about Kerry/Edwards specifics on reducing middle mgmt within govt, freezing the travel budget etc (BTW, I think alot of their proposals are poorly thought out, and are "pie in the sky" bullshit, and will be a major hinderance to doing my job but I do like the idea of reducing the middle mgmt): http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/080404ts1.htm An excerpt: "In a plan released on Kerry's Web site, the Democratic nominee pledged to "thin out the top ranks of government by restoring the governmentwide target of no more than one supervisor per 15 subordinates." That target was set under the Clinton administration's "reinventing government" initiative. Light's study revealed that as of this year, there are 64 different executive support titles in use at agencies. Six years ago, there were 51; in 1992, there were 33. A survey completed in 1960 found just 17. In his government reform plan, Kerry also pledged to: * Reduce the number of contract workers employed at agencies by 100,000. Kerry unveiled the contractor cut proposal in a speech at Georgetown University earlier this year. * Freeze the federal travel budget - also a proposal introduced at the Georgetown speech. Kerry's plan notes that federal travel expenses "continue to grow more quickly than inflation." * Implement Government Accountability Office recommendations to reduce the government's fleet of 387,000 vehicles, and improve management of the fleet. * Eliminate the Office of Thrift Supervision, which was created in the late 1980s to deal with the savings and loan crisis. * Consolidate many of the 70 different federal statistical agencies into one new entity called Statistics USA. * Merge the Commerce Department's Telecommunications Administration and National Telecommunications and Information Administration into a single agency. Many of Kerry and Edwards' proposals originate in a February paper by Paul Weinstein Jr., a senior fellow with the Progressive Policy Institute, a left-leaning Washington think tank. Weinstein has been involved in efforts to set up a group of Kerry advisers on government reform initiatives. This article appeared yesterday. There are plenty of specifics out there for Bush and Kerry, but our short attention span, sound-byte happy, drama queen, TV remote clicking society isn't interested.

Because it's the only way to counter the right's spin that "Dems are weak on defense" while simulatenously questioning Bush's use of force and his service (or lack thereof). I have also read the criticisms of Kerry's COs. IMO, the evidence is a wash...COs say he sucked, most of his crew says he was great. Here is a decent link to the story: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/kerry/articles/2004/05/05/kerrys_commanders_speak_out_against_him/

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS look in the register box. Often some kind bros will leave roach remnants of the in the box. You should treat this similar to the "penny tray" at a store...need one, take one; have one, leave one. I don't sign 'em, I rarely read em and then it's to see if some old schoolers signed it way back when. Sometimes the paper can come in handy though, like if you desparately need a rolling paper, fire starter, or TP. Much ado about nothing. Valuable historical record?...probably not in 99% of the cases. The few that I've read on reasonably accesible summits were typically boring to the point of tears. The common entry: " 10/25/01" Summitted at 11:45 with Bob Jones and Joe Smith. Fun climb. Weather is partly cloudy and 45 degrees. Will be back!"

Pass for forests bitch? Fahq yur fee dems!

One factor you might consider in the Mac/PC debate: Viruses and worms. Sometimes it pays to be in the minority.

I will give a third or fourth for the iBook. My home computer is an iBook and externalX hits it on the head in his post above. I've used PC stuff and some unix boxes at work for a long time, I much prefer the Mac OS. The photo, music, and video software is also very user friendly...BUT if you are accustomed to PC/Windows environment, particularly things like shortcut/hotkey stuff in common programs (Word,Excel etc)....you will have a bit of a learning curve. A couple of things I put high on the list regardless of what you choose: 1. Full sized keyboard. 2. Battery life. I also agree with Josh that the Ti Powerbook G4s are overpriced. They are very nice, and if I were using mine for traveling on business, I'd get one. But you can get an iBook with almost the same specs for much cheaper. I paid about $1600 for mine a couple of years ago.

This ride is legal. I don't know about the other trails in that zone. Obviously you can't bike on the PCT. There is some trails org for the Methow valley, they probably have a map or something of what is acceptable where.

chuck your BMs

If you are talking about the out and back ride along the W. Fork Methow (turnaround right at the PCT), it's not bad at all. Maybe 1500ft of gain. It mostly follows the river so the gain is gradual. The last half mile or so is pretty steep, it seemed like half the work of the ride was that last little section. There is also a section early on that is this suck ass sidehilling on shale scree type shizz. About the time you've said "this really f&*%$ sucks" the scree ends and the rest of the ride is cool. Fun ride, seemed like about 15 miles total. Time est. would be 1-3 hrs, we took about 3 with several safety breaks and an extended lunch stop. It won't kick your ass. I'd call it a moderate/novice/interemediate type ride.

Reel 'em in Cletus!