Jim

So it was all a coincidence eh, and not retribution? Now there’s a fantasy on par with the Iraq justifications.

So why isn't Rover under indictment? WASHINGTON (CNN) -- White House political adviser Karl Rove was one of Robert Novak's sources for the 2003 disclosure of a CIA operative's identity, the syndicated columnist wrote Tuesday. Novak said Rove confirmed information from another source, whose identity Novak is still keeping under wraps. But he said special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald knows the source's identity, and Novak said he does not think that person will be charged with unmasking now-former CIA agent Valerie Plame. He also wrote that prosecutors have told him his role in the investigation is over. "I have been subpoenaed by and testified to a federal grand jury. Published reports that I took the Fifth Amendment, made a plea bargain with the prosecutors or was a prosecutorial target were all untrue," Novak wrote in a column released for publication Wednesday.

The Pacific Northwest Herpetological Society has a rescue and adoption progam: http://www.pnwhs.org/index.php?page=home How big is this sucker? I'm going back east next week and could bring it back to where it belongs, maybe. I may also be able to convince some science teachers to make it the class pet. I spent many a summer afternoon probing the mud for these guys, pulling them out by their tail, and selling them to the black guys who were fishing.

www.lenticularpictures.com Thanks

I had, and then lost, a link someone posted last week to a site that sold some interesting climbing films. I would be much appreciated to have it again. Thanks.

We started off our trip with a week in Arabba and stayed a place run by Brits and Aussies. So it was a bit odd to hear English (sort of) so much. But we met lots of fun folks there. Then we moved around for a week betweek Arraba and Canazie, just found pension type places for relatively cheap. We didn't stay in the huts around Cinque Torre, but they were popular. There were other climbers but it was not crowded at Cinque Torre. You can reserve your place via the internet (which I did not know before going. A staff person at the place we stayed in Arabba made reservations for us 1 wk in advance of our week long trek. Otherwise we just stayed in the villages and traveled out for day climbs. We had a car for two of the weeks, which made the day trips easier and we didn't have to worry so much about catching the last bus back to town. I like the area around Falzarego (long climbs), but there was so much to explore that I did not get to. Basically we had a week of Via Feratta, one of climbing, and a week long trek. I can supply some more details after looking at my notes at home.

I was there for 3 wks of climbing, treking, and via ferrata. My wife and I had a blast. We did a long route at Falzarego Pass (10 pitches) something de Boca, that was nice and around 5.7-8, and several things at Cinque Torre, where there were moderate ways up several towers. I'd go back. Marmolada was the biggest peak in the region and looked like a great glacier climb/ski. We also ran up several via ferratas and that was a blast. I have two vf "kits" I'd be willing to sell if you're interested. All of it was great - the food, the huts, the people. And rock and mountain culture was very interesting. We also did a week long hut-to-hut thing across the northern Dolomites - the moderators deleted my trip report by accident so I can't point you there for details. We went in July and that seemed perfect, many of the huts are only open for the summer. We topped it off with a week in Florence and Venice. The mountaineers carries a good rock climbing guide. Wish I were there now. I also found the WWI - WWII history in the mountains very interesting. They were up there in the winter trying to tunnel under one another and lopping artilery at each other. The Ciserone guides for the VF were very useful as was the Lonely Planet guide for hiking across Italy. I'd be happy to answer specific questions. If you're interested in any guides I have a good suggestion for rock/alpine/skiing.

I learned to climb there and was back two summers ago. Check out Gunks.com - they have a route database that is good, click the "classics" checkbox. Here's a few suggestins, all that the Trapps: Balrog .10 Nosedive .10 Retribution .10 Directississima .10 - finishes on High Ex - worthwhile Welcome to the Gunks .10+? Manitee .10+ The Feast of Fools .10 High Times**** 5.9+ Rock and Brew 5.9 Bonnie's Roof 5.9 Son of Easy O 5.8 Arrow 5.8 Cascading Crystal Kaleidoscope *** 5.8 Modern Times 5.8+ And a few lower grade classics Madeam Grumbaum's Wulsp (sp?) 5.6***** Shockley's Ceiling 5.6****** Rusty Trifle 5.5? High Corner 5.6?***** You might consider a warm up day on the lower classics to get used to the ratings. Having learned there I found most of the crag ratings soft out west. Forgot to mention camping - camp slime, as it is affectionly know, is adjacent to the steel brige near the trapps. It's quite busy and can be quite noisy, as is the multi-use area near New Paltz. I was travelling with my wife last time and had spend enough sleepless nights at the slime machine so I opted for a B&B. That said, you can always sneak into the woods with your bivy bag for the evening, just watch out for copperheads. Don't miss the brewery near Rock and Snow in town. I'd advise getting an early start to beat the heat, humidity, and afternoon thunderstorms. If you have the time take a hike out to Mohonk House and Skytop, where there are some great routes where climbers are no longer allowed. I spent a quite a few weekends there climbing, taking a quick swim, and then poaching the afternoon tea and cookie session.

Out for a ski in the Tatoosh on saturday. Lots of snow on the northsides, much sparser on the s-sw exposures.

Need a good all around plastic for things like Rainer, an upcoming trip to Bolivia, and occassional ice. My 15 yr old Kolflaches went in the waste bin recently. I'm considering the Lowa Civetta at ProMountain. Others? Thanks.

In short - it's not a feasible program or cost effective. And I would agree with your assessment of how to make better use of those wasted dollars. The current program is only good for defense contractors, not our defense or taxpayers.

Operational tests are where the entire missile-defense program has run aground. The last successful intercept-test took place in October 2002. Since then (and before, as well), failures have ranged from complex (it missed the target) to jaw-droppingly basic (the rocket carrying the interceptor wouldn't launch). In a February 2003 report, the Pentagon's own testing director wrote that individual elements of the program — much less the entire system — had "yet to demonstrate significant operational capability." Nothing has changed since then. (Tests were soon after suspended, to allow major redesigns; they are scheduled to resume late this year or early next.)

Given that our missle defense system can't even shoot down incoming 30% of the time when it knows exaclty where a missle is going and where it came from I'd bet we're not going to show off that expensive hardware.

Well given the latest topics discussed above and your Re:Jim reply I'd count that as off topic. Stay with the tread man.

..which of course has nothing to do with Frontline. Nice feint.

As always with Frontline this was solid reporting. If you think Cheney and Rummy weren't planning for Iraq and used 911 opportunistically for a number of items you're not being objective. My favorite quote of Cheney's to his staff (as best I remember) "Even if the worst outcome has only a 1% chance of probability, we must repeat it as if it is a certainty. It is not the justifications that matter but our response" Kinda says it all. And there is no doubt who is running the show in the White House. It's not the wooden-headed puppet.

Considering it as a ski objective on Sunday - anyone been up lately?

And we're talking about Prineville Reservoir, the Bureau of Reclamation Reservoir close to Prineville, not the huge Lake Billy Chinook, which is closer to Madras? If so I honestly can't think of a place where the cliffs come straight down to any deep water. Maybe there are some routes on Chimmney Rock near the park entrance, but it really didn't look to inviting to me and it is a crumbly tuff with a talus landing. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Over a two year period I did bird, reptile, and plant surveys around the area including some boat surveys. There's no cliff faces that come directly to the water's edge and most of the stuff around the reservoir is tuff that is more crumbly than Smithy. There's some cool looking basalt cliffs in the Crooked River canyon so you might find some bouldering there, but nothing comes to mind immediately. Decent fly fishing in the Crooked River here from the cold water releases from the dam.

Waste The 98-1 vote on the $94.5 billion House-Senate compromise legislation gave much-needed funds to support U.S. troops overseas. Most of the money -- $66 billion -- goes to the Pentagon for military operations overseas. The bill would bring to almost $320 billion the tally for the campaign in Iraq and $89 billion for the one in Afghanistan.

Duh! Maybe I should go back to drinking caffeinated.

Nothin a sixer of headbusters can't cure. - There are no "cottonmouths" in the PNW. There are 3 PNW subspecies of the western rattlesnake of which only one occurs in WA and CA - as noted before - the northern Pacific rattlesnake Crotalus virdis oreganus. Common on the east side of the WA Cascades and through the Columbia Gorge to Skamania Co. Leave them alone and they will do the same. Just let them go on their way.

Over half of the kids in North Seattle attend private schools. Of course the irony is that once the higher income/lower needs kids leave the public system, the per student costs increase as you contend with more immigrant ( ESL), special ED, 509s, and others... Actually Seattle has the same percentage of kids going to private school as many of the east side communities including Bellevue. Seems that there is always a percentage that want the private thing. And you're correct -the private schools don't serve the same populations regarding ESL, special education, family income, family structure and support, among others. Public schools definately face greater challenges, and those in less affluent communities have the greatest challenges.

A problem east of the crest is the somewhat, shall we say, less enlightened populace you may have to deal with. One science teacher I know was specifically repremanded for teaching evolution. She left for greener pastures. Another was consistently hounded by her principal as to whether or not she believed that everything in the bible (which he kept on his desk) was truth.

It depends. At my wife's middle school they just hired a 75% position, science, to a person fresh out of school. Folks with more experience want full time. So I think it depends on your flexibility. But previous comments are correct, there's a bunch of shifting going around as some lowere seniority people get laid off and displaced teachers have hiring priority - unless you have some special skills. As usual, science, math, and special education are the best prospects.