JayB

What are you proposing here, with regards the presentation of "fair and balanced" coverage on broadcast media?

Interested in the indoor picks if you'll sell those separately.

The correct term is "Dolero."

Edited some video from the previous weekend... [gvideo]-4856212843990916623[/gvideo] [gvideo]-41503302513739403[/gvideo]

You either are a masochist or an aid climber. Nobody else could enjoy that kind of pain. I suppose you floss with Devil's Club as well? skull As for Viagra, my buddy calls it his little blue friend. You must be joking! Take the following; ""The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world, were all considered by the people, as equally true; by the philosopher, as equally false; and by the magistrate, as equally useful." ""The influence of the clergy, in an age of superstition, might be usefully employed to assert the rights of mankind; but so intimate is the connection between the throne and the altar, that the banner of the church has very seldom been seen on the side of the people. A martial nobility and stubborn commons, possessed of arms, tenacious of property, and collected into constitutional assemblies, form the only balance capable of preserving a free constitution against enterprises of an aspiring prince." "Antoninus diffused order and tranquility over the greatest part of the earth. His reign is marked by the rare advantage of furnishing very few materials for history; which is, indeed, little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind." ""The frequent repetition of miracles serves to provoke, where it does not subdue, the reason of mankind...." ""A being of the nature of man, endowed with the same faculties, but with a longer measure of existence, would cast down a smile of pity and contempt on the crimes and follies of human ambition, so eager, in a narrow span, to grasp at a precarious and short-lived enjoyment. it is thus that the experience of history exalts and enlarges the horizon of our intellectual view. In a composition of some days, in a perusal of some hours, six hundred years have rolled away, and the duration of a life or reign is contracted to a fleeting moment: The grave is ever beside the throne; the success of a criminal is almost instantly followed by the loss of his prize; and our immortal reason survives and disdains the sixty phantoms of kings who have passed before our eyes, and faintly dwell in our remembrance." And multiply by a gazillion.

Now that's some honest-to-goodness aggression. Excellent. Still confused, but I sense that my work is done here.

Examples? Not terribly familiar with what sets them apart from Intrawest, American Ski Company, etc.

I didn't realize that the (Chuck - Al_Pine) connection was a secret. I couldn't imagine the motive for channeling the hippie-woman under male-sounding-avatar that was known (I thought) to belong to a long-time male poster, instead of under a new, hippie-womanish fake pseudonym if the intention was to give the impression that the person posting the message was actually the said hippie-woman. Seemed strange enough for me to post the four hypotheticals.

My point with regards to the example of sildenafil and the long list of drug discoveries was to counter what seemed to be your implicit argument that in the absence of government compulsion, the pharmaceutical industry will fritter away valuable research money on trivial maladies and ignore serious diseases. If that wasn't what you were trying to suggest with your statement that "Market competition generates new medicine for erectile disfunction...," then you didn't do it very well. The fact that - after side effects of sildenafil became evident - drug companies would exploit this discovery discredits the entire pharmaceutical industry? What, exactly, was your point there, if not this? This also seems to imply some kind of grand moral failing on the part of the afflicted men for spending money to restore the most intimate connections they have with the people they love the most instead of donating the money that they spent on viagra/cialis/whatever to Oxfam, and on the part of society for not insisting that their government dictate which choices they make concerning their medical priorities are permissible and which are not. As for the addenda below: "Second, I didn't say that there is or should be "government compulsion" but I DID say there was and should be government and other "coordinated" funding and this has proven central to most pharmaceutical research that actually produces real breakthroughs. (I could be wrong, as I acknowledged, but I have read this steadily for many years and I believe it is likely true.) I DID say that public health advances have come about in large part through government-directed programs. You have not even tried to refute that. I did suggest that many of the "services" offered in modern American medical practice are not really linked to any "therapeutic target" as you say, and you didn't refute this. You and I can differ as to whether private insurance companies and the research department at Pfizer are more likely to be looking out for yours and my interests in living healthy lives than might be the National Institute of Health or whatever but, if you want to "debate," please answer the argument." ...these points seem to be only tangentially related to the "thrust" of the argument embedded in your statements concerning the existence of drugs to treat impotence. These are separate matters, I didn't address or refute them, because - for the most part - I didn't take exception to them.

If it's done via the internet, and includes the "more-or-less" qualifier, then yes.

Not only that, but he fails to address any of my arguments while calling me ignorant. Does a list of patents refute even the last of at least four basic points I made? No. He doesn't state that those patents, or which ones, were obtained by private companies not funded by government grants. I'd be the first one to admit that I am no expert in this area, but the inept attempt to "rebut" my statements makes me wonder just how much of an expert JayB is, too. Here's the "argument" that I was rebutting: "Market competition generates new medicine for erectile disfunction..." How well does the list of drugs brought to market between 1995-2007 actually jive with the claim that in the absence of government compulsion, the pharmaceutical industry will fritter away valuable research money on trivial maladies and ignore serious diseases? With regards to Viagra, were you aware of the fact that the drug in question - sildenafil - was actually developed to treat hypertension and angina - and the effect on impotence was only discovered as a side effect during trials? Or that minoxidil was developed to treat high blood pressue, and that it's effect on male pattern baldness was a side effect that they discovered during clinical trials? That finasteride/propecia was developed to treat enlarged prostates and...you get the idea, I hope. You also seem to have little appreciation for the difference between identifying a potential therapeutic target in a lab undertaking basic research, and translating that discovery into a drug that exploits that target. The process is neither automatic, nor trivial, and both this process and bringing the drug to market require a set of capacities and involves a set of challenges quite different from those associated with administering an academic laboratory. Ditto for the role that the profits, personnel, facilities, equipment maintained by some of the drugs that you deride play in supporting research into diseases that the unaflicted deem worthy of consideration. Ditto for the role that profits play in attracting the capital necessary to finance the development of new drugs. Has basic research conducted in non-commercial settings been necessary for the discovery and development of new drugs and devices been necessary? Absolutely. Sufficient? No way. I wouldn't consider myself an expert on these matters by any means, but I'm pretty confident that I'm way more qualified to comment on them than you are.

Been interesting to follow the Booth Creek --->CNL Income Properties ---> Boyne Mountain baton passage this year. Booth Creek/CNL-Income-Holdings doubled the price of season passes for Loon/Waterville this year, and it'll be interesting to see whether or not Boyne follows their lead on this one. Could be that selling half the season passes for twice the price will make them break even in season-pass-revenue terms, but I have to think that concession and other visitation based revenue will take a bit of a hit. Also wondering if the $14mil Kenny Salvini judgment has anything to do with CNL-Income's decision to sell. Rumor on the parkrat board was that all Boyne Mountain resorts would be killing off their parks except for rails/boxes. Doubt that one - but that would be kind of funny since I think that rails are much more inherently dangerous than jumps, and are much more likely to injure non park-rat types that give them a shot... It would be interesting to see what would happen to visitation at resorts that have have a weak-to-nonexistent natural snowpack, weak terrain, icy-conditions, and expensive tickets. Maybe ski-ballet will have a resurgence and fill the void if that state of affairs ever comes to pass.

Where indeed. Nice to see the escalating concentric spiral of passive aggression wind ever higher.

Since this avatar was originally created by Chuck, this post raises two possibilities: 1). Chuck can pass for a female hippie. Quite unlikely. 2). The aforementioned female hippie reads this site and somehow acquired access to Chuck's login/password and found using them much more timely and convenient than registering and creating her own ID for the purposes of responding to Pogrom420/Mark. 3). Chuck is channelling the essence of the female hippie and engaging in a bit of creative fiction by posting a response on her behalf as though it was written by her. 4). Someone other than Chuck has access to the Al_Pine avatar and composed the post in question. Place your bets....

So did Pogrom explain why he had no intention of moving his truck to the said hippie, or move his truck without saying anything out loud, and then proceed to rant about the incident on an internet forum that he can be assured the said hippie will never actually see?

Yes. Fat Skis + too many people + way overconcentrated high speed lift system = maybe 5-10 powder runs for your money. It's standard at any N. American resort with "decent" terrain (all 3 of them) No fucking thank you. I like the tuck-skate-boot triathalon to hit the last of bit of snow in the sequential decimation scheme. Actually - most of the time I've been able to find fresh snow all day with the help of 5-10 minute hikes, and 2-3 days later with a ~30 minute hike. Terrain Wise, what are the three? Jackson Hole, Whistler/Blackcomb, and Snowbird? Crystal makes the cut on my personal list, but I continue to hope that it stays off of everyone else's who doesn't already feel the same way.

I think it is more accurate to say that most major advances in medicine have come from coodinated and mostly government efforts. Here is a relevant article in the Journal of the American Medical Association Medical Marvels: The 100 Greatest Advances in Medicine ... The authors assert that unbridled market forces restrict discovery and dissemination of knowledge I don't subsrcribe, so I cant actually call it up, but the synopsis sounds like it is consistent with other things I've read on this topic. Most advances in public health also come from government efforts. For example: who wiped out Polio or TB? Hint: not the free market. Market competition generates new medicine for erectile disfunction, or ever more clinics with MRI machines that are used over and over again when the result of the tests most often have no affect on the treatment prescribed but the tests cost thousands of dollars. There's a one-page review of the book here: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1555657 Here's a list of new drugs approved for 2007: * Fenofibrate; For the treatment of hyperlipidemia, dyslipidemia and hypertriglyceridemia; LifeCycle Pharma; Approved August 2007 * Letairis (ambrisentan); For the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension; Gilead; Approved June 2007 * Soliris (eculizumab); For the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria; Alexion Pharm; Approved March 2007 * Tekturna (aliskiren); For the treatment of hypertension; Novartis Pharms; Approved March 2007 Dental/Maxillofacial Surgery No approvals recorded to date in this area. Dermatology/Plastic Surgery * Altabax (retapamulin); For the treatment of impetigo due to Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes; Glaxo; Approved April 2007 * Extina (ketoconazole); For the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis; Stiefel; Approved June 2007 * Xyzal (levocetirizine dihydrochloride); For the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis and urticaria; UCB Inc.; Approved May 2007 Endocrinology * Evamist (estradiol); For the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause; Vivus; Approved July 2007 * Fenofibrate; For the treatment of hyperlipidemia, dyslipidemia and hypertriglyceridemia; LifeCycle Pharma; Approved August 2007 * Somatuline Depot (lanreotide acetate); For the treatment of acromegaly; Beaufour Ipsen; Approved August 2007[*] * Supprelin LA (histrelin acetate); For the treatment of central precocious puberty; Indevis Pharms; Approved May 2007 Gastroenterology No approvals recorded to date in this area. Hematology * Soliris (eculizumab); For the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria; Alexion Pharm; Approved March 2007 Immunology/Infectious Diseases * Altabax (retapamulin); For the treatment of impetigo due to Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes; Glaxo; Approved April 2007 * AzaSite (azithromycin); For the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis; InSite Vision; Approved April 2007 * Extina (ketoconazole); For the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis; Stiefel; Approved June 2007 * Selzentry (maraviroc); For the treatment of CCR5-tropic HIV-1; Pfizer; Approved August 2007 * Veramyst (fluticasone furoate); For the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis; GlaxoSmithKline; Approved April 2007 * Xyzal (levocetirizine dihydrochloride); For the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis and urticaria; UCB Inc.; Approved May 2007 Musculoskeletal * Evista (raloxifene hydrochloride); For the treatment/prevention of osteoporosis and reduction of breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women; Eli Lilly; Approved September 2007[*] * Reclast (zoledronic acid); For the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis; Novartis; Approved August 2007 * Reclast (zoledronic acid); For the treatment of Paget's disease; Novartis Pharms; Approved April 2007 * Somatuline Depot (lanreotide acetate); For the treatment of acromegaly; Beaufour Ipsen; Approved August 2007[*] Nephrology/Urology * Torisel (temsirolimus); For the treatment of renal cell carcinoma; Wyeth Pharms; Approved May 2007 Neurology * Exelon (rivastigmine tartrate); For the treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease-related dementia; Novartis Pharms; Approved July 2007 * Neupro (rotigotine); For the treatment of Parkinson's disease; Schwarz; Approved May 2007 * Nuvigil (armodafinil); For the treatment of excessive sleepiness; Cephalon; Approved June 2007 * Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate); For the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; New River; Approved February 2007 Obstetrics/Gynecology * Evamist (estradiol); For the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause; Vivus; Approved July 2007 * Evista (raloxifene hydrochloride); For the treatment/prevention of osteoporosis and reduction of breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women; Eli Lilly; Approved September 2007[*] * Reclast (zoledronic acid); For the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis; Novartis; Approved August 2007 Oncology * Evista (raloxifene hydrochloride); For the treatment/prevention of osteoporosis and reduction of breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women; Eli Lilly; Approved September 2007[*] * Torisel (temsirolimus); For the treatment of renal cell carcinoma; Wyeth Pharms; Approved May 2007 * Tykerb (lapatinib); For the treatment of breast cancer; GlaxoSmithKline; Approved March 2007 Ophthalmology * AzaSite (azithromycin); For the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis; InSite Vision; Approved April 2007 Otolaryngology * Veramyst (fluticasone furoate); For the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis; GlaxoSmithKline; Approved April 2007 * Xyzal (levocetirizine dihydrochloride); For the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis and urticaria; UCB Inc.; Approved May 2007 Pediatrics/Neonatology * Altabax (retapamulin); For the treatment of impetigo due to Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes; Glaxo; Approved April 2007 * Supprelin LA (histrelin acetate); For the treatment of central precocious puberty; Indevis Pharms; Approved May 2007 * Veramyst (fluticasone furoate); For the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis; GlaxoSmithKline; Approved April 2007 * Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate); For the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; New River; Approved February 2007 * Xyzal (levocetirizine dihydrochloride); For the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis and urticaria; UCB Inc.; Approved May 2007 * Zingo (lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate); For local analgesia prior to venipuncture or peripheral intravenous cannulation, in children 3 to 18 years of age; Anesiva; Approved August 2007 Pharmacology/Toxicology No approvals recorded to date in this area. Psychiatry/Psychology * Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate); For the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; New River; Approved February 2007 Pulmonary/Respiratory Diseases * Letairis (ambrisentan); For the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension; Gilead; Approved June 2007 * Xyzal (levocetirizine dihydrochloride); For the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis and urticaria; UCB Inc.; Approved May 2007 Rheumatology No approvals recorded to date in this area. Trauma/Emergency Medicine No approvals recorded to date in this area. 2006 Cardiology/Vascular Diseases * Ranexa (ranolazine); For the treatment of chronic angina in patients failing first-line therapy; CV Therapeutics; Approved January 2006 Dental/Maxillofacial Surgery No approvals recorded to date in this area. Dermatology/Plastic Surgery * Desonate (desonide); For the treatment of atopic dermatitis; Dow Pharm; Approved October 2006 * Verdeso (desonide); For the treatment of atopic dermatitis; Connetics; Approved September 2006 Endocrinology * Elestrin (estradiol gel); For the treatment of vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause; BioSante; Approved December 2006 * Januvia(sitagliptin phosphate); For the treatment of type II diabetes; Merck; Approved October 2006 Gastroenterology * Amitiza (lubiprostone); For the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation; Sucampo/Takeda; Approved January 2006 Hematology * Dacogen (decitabine); For the treatment of both treatment-na�ve and -experienced Myelodysplastic Syndromes; MGI Pharma; Approved May 2006 Immunology/Infectious Diseases * Eraxis (anidulafungin); For the treatment of Candida fungal infections; Pfizer; Approved February 2006 * Gardasil (quadrivalent human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16, 18) recombinant vaccine); For the prevention of cervical cancer associated with human papillomavirus; Merck; Approved June 2006 * Noxafil (posaconazole); For the treatment of fungal infections; Schering; Approved in September 2006 * Prezista (darunavir); For the treatment of treatment-resistant HIV infections; Tibotec; Approved June 2006 * Rotateq (rotavirus vaccine, live oral pentavalent); For the prevention of gastroenteritis associated with rotavirus infections in infants; Merck; Approved February 2006 * Tyzeka (telbivudine); For the treatment of hepatitis B virus; Idenix Pharma; Approved October 2006 * Veregen (kunecatechins); For the treatment of external genital and perianal warts; Medigene; Approved October 2006 Musculoskeletal No approvals recorded to date in this area. Nephrology/Urology No approvals recorded to date in this area. Neurology * Invega (paliperidone); For the treatment of schizophrenia; Janssen LP; Approved December 2006 Obstetrics/Gynecology * Elestrin (estradiol gel); For the treatment of vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause; BioSante; Approved December 2006 Oncology * Gardasil (quadrivalent human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16, 18) recombinant vaccine); For the prevention of cervical cancer associated with human papillomavirus; Merck; Approved June 2006 * Sprycel (dasatinib); For the treatment of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Approved June 2006 * Sutent (sunitinib); For the treatment of kidney cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors; Pfizer; Approved January 2006 * Vectibix (panitumumab); For the treatment of colorectal cancer; Amgen; Approved September 2006 Ophthalmology * Lucentis (ranibizumab); For the treatment of neovascular (wet) age related macular degeneration; Genentech; Approved June 2006 Otolaryngology No approvals recorded to date in this area. Pediatrics/Neonatology * Desonate (desonide); For the treatment of atopic dermatitis; Dow Pharm; Approved October 2006 * Elaprase (idursulfase); For the treatmenr of mucopolysaccharidosis II (Hunter Syndrome); Shire Pharmaceuticals; Approved July 2006 * Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa); For the treatment of Pompe disease (glycogen storage disease type II); Genzyme; Approved April 2006 Pharmacology/Toxicology No approvals recorded to date in this area. Psychiatry/Psychology * Chantix (varenicline); For the treatment of nicotine addiction; Pfizer; Approved May 2006 * Invega (paliperidone); For the treatment of schizophrenia; Janssen LP; Approved December 2006 Pulmonary/Respiratory Diseases * Brovana (arformoterol tartrate); For the treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; Sepracor; Approved in October 2006 Rheumatology * Elaprase (idursulfase); For the treatmenr of mucopolysaccharidosis II (Hunter Syndrome); Shire Pharmaceuticals; Approved July 2006 Trauma/Emergency Medicine No approvals recorded to date in this area. " http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/drugs/druglist.html Scroll through the list of approved drugs for each of the last 10 years and let me know how well it validates your thesis that the market has hopelessly compromised the process of drug discovery to favor "lifestyle" drugs to the detriment of those suffering from more grave afflictions. I'd be willing to bet that you understand even less about what drives medical innovation in general, and drug discovery in particular - than you do about economics, which is quite something.

The perils of fluoridation, for starters...

No worse than Whistler on a powder day...... and unlike Whistler 99% of the Euro hordes will stick to the pistes leaving everything else for you. I've got the lime-green one-piece with the neon accents ready to go, but unfortunately lack in-laws with the condo hookup in Euroland. The powder decimation at Whistler/Blackcomb is a marvel of efficiency. Quite the wonder to behold, as is the gang-huck ripcord depth-charge scene that occurs to the left of harmony chair after a fresh dump. Combine that with the one-pieces and you'd really have something. LAECvnufApA

South Platte?

It does matter quite a bit actually, since medical technologies and pharmaceuticals that were once exotic, extremely costly, and rare become far less so over time if they are effective and offer sufficient advantages over the alternatives that pre-dated them. Destroy the mechanisms responsible for bringing new medical technologies and pharmaceuticals to market and you eliminate not only the costly treatments available to the few in the near-term, but more importantly, to everyone else in the long-term.

Second the rec on "The Games Climbers Play," especially good if you are in a situation where you have to break your reading up a bit. If you can get your hands on any of the various editions of "Ascent," that's another worthwhile compilation. Non-climbing: "History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," if you've got the endurance. The Atheist Troika of Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Richard Dawkins..."The End of Faith, "God is Not Great," or "The God Delusion," if you're into thinking about these things. Going back a ways, "Rameau's Nephew/D'Alembert's Dream" by Diderot or "Letters on the English" by Voltaire were especially enjoyable, but everything that I read from the major figures of the Enlightenment was enjoyable, with the exception perhaps of Rousseau.

Worth asking if the treatments that bankrupted them would have ever come into existence in an economy governed by the incentives determined by the rules governing a single payer scheme.

Weekend Whistler lifts are worse than anything I encountered in yurp except the Grand Montets on a powder morning. The one piece of consistant praise I heard for N. America was for the snow. A brit I know who seasoned in Whistler 04-05 after several years in france couldn't understand why everyone was complaining about the lack of snow that year, it was more than he'd ever seen in France For lift served slackcountry or partially lift served slackcountry europe > north america imo. there are many places of whistler caliber and others far better. The ability to pop into a hut pretty much everywhere makes for different, more accessible, multi-day winter touring. The other big change is the difference in the ski scene - skiing and even skitouring are family activities not constrained to singles and dinks 20-40 I like to travel to other countries. A weak dollar sucks It wasn't the size of the lines that they were talking about, it was the rugby-scrum-with-skis deal that came up again and again. Might be an exaggeration, but not worth flying across the Atlantic to investigate if Whistler, Crystal, and Baker are nearby IMO.

Ditto for the dollar. I think that the language used to describe relative changes in the value of currencies ("Strong" vs "Weak") actually has an inordinate effect on how people perceive these changes.