Jim

Just goes to show how 99% of the media are sheep. They just spit out the material they are spoon-fed by government spokespersons without critical analysis. In the early days of the PR campaign there were a number of foreign press reports and US progressive media that were screaming lies! lies! But most folks never got any word of it through the media cheerleading. So the other day we have the NY Time editorial board apologizing for not doing a critical analysis of the WMD PR. They were marching in the same parade as the rest of them. Yea, liberal media.

First ave between Pike and Pine, west side of street.

My ten year old hard shells just are not cutting it anymore and I need a suggestions. Looking for a lightweight hardshell I can use in a variety of condiitons from cragging to a week in the Pickets this summer. Looked at the Microburst (16 oz) and the Specter (9 oz) by Patagucci. Others? I have a thin softshell windshirt thing that is good for being spit on but need something I can put over it when it turns nasty (like half of my trips!). Don't want to get wet, don't want to get exhaused carrying that 4 extra ounces either. Help!!

This might be true if you had heard at least something positive about the country from the man. Can anyone here recall any? Did Josh ever say, "Hey! That is good policy?" Jim, you are implying that my premise is based on merely one quote? No - I'm implying that its faulty logic and unpatrotic to stifle debate.

It is a clever means to try to stifle debate. All you have to do is claim someone is unpatriotic, harming the troops, blah, blah, blah to keep them from pointing out the obvious conflict between "American values" and some American actions. There was another General on 60 minutes this past Sunday repeating the argument that it was the civilians in the government (Rummy, Wolfy, Pearl, Abrams) who were pushing for this war. The military guys wanted no part in it because they new what a Pandora's box it would become with a third less of the troops they considered minimum. This admin needs to get booted for such poor planning, the lies they sold to the public, and for the current mess that could have been avoided.

Hmmm. Interesting. Notice how all the language used in describing the "incidents" refer to abuse, humiliation, and misconduct. Conspicuously absent is the word torture. What do you think the Pentagon would call it if it were our soldiers?

Though my reaction is "Duh - no kidding" it is worthy of note that they made no subjective decisions as to who was conservative and who was liberal. It was the number of GOP folks vs the number of Dems. Seems straightforward to me. Unless the GOP is making a major shift to the left. Yea right.

Well it usually is - but this year it's looking thin in some of my favorite areas. It could mean more time on the rock this year

Sounds good to me. I've done Prussik in a day and a half from the trailhead. Just get an alpine start on Dragontail. It could be getting a bit late for a Liberty Ridge attepmt given how fast the snow is going this year. Best of luck.

My tires usually last a year or so of heavy commuting, this time of year about 120 mi/wk. I have good luck with armadillos, they have a strip of kevlar on the inside of the tire to help reduce flats, though they are a mother to get back on a thin rim. One of the things I would suggest is regularly checking your tires for glass shards. Those little buggers will work their way in and you can save yourself the hassel of a flat by picking them out once a week. No book suggestions.

A friend of mine was taking some less experienced folks up a year before it went active. The weather came in and, being conservative with the newbies, he turned back about 500 ft below the summit. and said "Don't worry, the mountain will still be here". They never got up before it blew.

Hmmm. I was assuming these guys left Thumb Rock on Saturday morning, assuming they got their on Friday. If so then it's odd to me that they would decide to go for it after waking up to not great conditions and a dropping barometer. But if you've come cross-country and this is your shot maybe you feel ok about pushing it.

I can only speak for myself and there's no way I would have went up that route given the forecast. I kept a close eye on the forecast on Friday and cancelled a mellow ski at Rainer this weekend because of the weather. And yes, there are many a folk bolder than me, that's for sure. But with the cell phone thing it's easier to get out of mess that you might otherwise not have gotten into if that option were not available. IMHO. Keep your fingers crossed for a good outcome on this one.

I hope those guys get down in one piece. But I was thinking the same thing. Who in their right mind would have attempted the route with that weather forecast? Unless you wanted some sufferfest.

Looking for a one day moderate ski this weekend. Have suggested Ruth or Shuksun to friends - they don't want to overnight at the trailhead and I would rather not do the marathon drive in one day. Suggestions for a one day drive and ski from Seattle?

This post from another thread: David Keene, president of the American Conservative Union, noted in a recent letter to members that federal spending has increased by $300 billion since Bush took office, including $96 billion for domestic social-welfare programs. By comparison, Keene said, spending increased by only $51 billion during President Clinton's first six years --- So why is it that the last several "conservative" administrations take the budget to hell in a hand basket and we build up nasty deficits? What happened to being a fiscal conservative? While Congress is partly to blame the conservatives have both branches this go round.

Medicare spends about 3% of total costs on administration while private companies average 9.5%. Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, 2000, p. 7; Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, 2000, p. 5. The private sector estimate is contained in A Profile of Medicare: Chartbook, p. 27.

Opps - my bad. You are correct. I put an extra 0. Here is a link. I was also on the low side on the monthly estimate. It is approaching 6 Billion a month. Current costs to date for Iraq: Around 140 Billion. Quite a bit higher than estimated. Wasn't oil suupposed to pay for all the reconstruction. http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000176&sid=aeyzzFSWku1I&refer=us_elections

And that Medicare stuff at least gets us some benefits from the cost. It's much more of an efficient delivery system than the private insurance costs. But I digress. We're digging ourselves one big money pit, and for nothing but satisfying the egos of a few neo-cons. Pitiful.

And the point is exactly what Greg? Just pointing at the facts, which are grim and getting grimmer.

Translated as: I can't address the questions either, so I'm just going to leave a hit and run comment, before slinking off. Maybe I'll come back and leave another. Translated as: I agree with Heston's statements but I'm too afraid to say so in public OR I diagree with his ideas but don't want to tarnish the big gun guy.

Funny thing huh? Wolfowitz testified yesterday that the administration is going to need an new appropriation of $250 Billion (yes with a "B") for the war effort. The latest estimate that the war is costing us $5 Billion a month. Charming.

My favorite scene in that movie is Heston tying himself up in knots over the "cultural differences" statements. Talk about painting oneself into a corner. It's pretty amazing to see the right-winger back-pedalling from the type of talk they put out for their own consumption when it gets a good public airing.

This is what happens when alternative views actually get anywhere near mainstream media coverage. The right-wingers get their shorts twisted.