JayB

Yeah - interesting article. They must have reprinted it in "Mother Jones" or "The Utne Reader" for you to have come across it though....

The Latin Americans look like they're all set to impoverish themselves to spite the gringos - again...

There's also Cochiti Mesa near Los Alamos...

I am just dissapointed that you didn't tie the beef ban and/or the softwood tarriffs into the workings of some sort of Texas-petro-cabal in the middle of that one....

Word. I was getting concerned. Political spray just hasn't been the same....

The interesting thing is that these days public opinion towards the US is more favorable in Iran than just about anywhere else in the middle east, most likely because the majority of the population was either unborn or in infancy during the years preceding the revolution there. The fact that the tyranny and slaughter perpetrated by the mullahs in the immediate aftermath of the revolution made the Shah look like an altar boy in hindsight might also have something to do with it. History is full of unintended consequences...

It is interesting that prior to the fall of the Shah, there were apparently folks in the State Department arguing that the Ayatollah was going to be the Iranian equivalent of Ghandi..... However - if one is arguing that the widespread hostility amongst middle easterners towards the West in general and the US in particular had is gensis in their/our support of tyranical regimes for the sake of stability, and that our objectives in the region should be focused on reducing that hostility, then conditions in which the regimes in power there become less tyrannical and more democratic should reduce popular hostility towards the US and the West. I think that the premises that this argument are based on are a bit nearsighted, leaving out as they do the relative decline of the Arab world vis-a-vis the West that began hundreds of years ago, and the subsequent domination and colonization of that region by European powers that really only came to an end in the generation immediately after WWII. My guess is that the popular hostility towards the West will persist long after the time (if it ever comes) when the region assumes a democratic character - but a political change along these lines might lessen its intensity somewhat.

Just posting some interesting commentary issued forth by others. Carry on. Side note - whatever happened to my evil homonym? I am getting all nostalgic thinking about his likely commentary - but my hunch is that Soderburg's commentary that I highlighted in bold is a reasonably good facsimile of his sentiments....

This exchange was especially illuminating. Soderberg: Well, there's still Iran and North Korea, don't forget. There's hope for the rest of us. Stewart: [crossing fingers] Iran and North Korea, that's true, that is true [audience laughter]. No, it's--it is--I absolutely agree with you, this is--this is the most difficult thing for me to--because, I think, I don't care for the tactics, I don't care for this, the weird arrogance, the setting up. But I gotta say, I haven't seen results like this ever in that region. Soderberg: Well wait. It hasn't actually gotten very far. I mean, we've had-- Stewart: Oh, I'm shallow! I'm very shallow! Soderberg: There's always hope that this might not work

Right wing Mouthpieces? From The Guardian: "The war's silver lining We need to face up to the fact that the Iraq invasion has intensified pressure for democracy in the Middle East " Jonathan Freedland Wednesday March 2, 2005 Link and "The Daily Show" Stewart: This book--it talks about the superpower myth of the United States. There is this idea, the United States is the sole superpower, and I guess the premise of the book is we cannot misuse that power--have to use it wisely, and not just punitively. Is that-- Soderberg: That's right. What I argue is that the Bush administration fell hostage to the superpower myth, believing that because we're the most powerful nation on earth, we were all-powerful, could bend the world to our will and not have to worry about the rest of the world. I think what they're finding in the second term is, it's a little bit harder than that, and reality has an annoying way of intruding. Stewart: But what do you make of--here's my dilemma, if you will. I don't care for the way these guys conduct themselves--and this is just you and I talking, no cameras here [audience laughter]. But boy, when you see the Lebanese take to the streets and all that, and you go, "Oh my God, this is working," and I begin to wonder, is it--is the way that they handled it really--it's sort of like, "Uh, OK, my daddy hits me, but look how tough I'm getting." You know what I mean? Like, you don't like the method, but maybe--wrong analogy, is that, uh--? Soderberg: Well, I think, you know, as a Democrat, you don't want anything nice to happen to the Republicans, and you don't want them to have progress. But as an American, you hope good things would happen. I think the way to look at it is, they can't credit for every good thing that happens, but they need to be able to manage it. I think what's happening in Lebanon is great, but it's not necessarily directly related to the fact that we went into Iraq militarily. Stewart: Do you think that the people of Lebanon would have had, sort of, the courage of their conviction, having not seen--not only the invasion but the election which followed? It's almost as though that the Iraqi election has emboldened this crazy--something's going on over there. I'm smelling something. Soderberg: I think partly what's going on is the country next door, Syria, has been controlling them for decades, and they [the Syrians] were dumb enough to blow up the former prime minister of Lebanon in Beirut, and they're--people are sort of sick of that, and saying, "Wait a minute, that's a stretch too far." So part of what's going on is they're just protesting that. But I think there is a wave of change going on, and if we can help ride it though the second term of the Bush administration, more power to them. Stewart: Do you think they're the guys to--do they understand what they've unleashed? Because at a certain point, I almost feel like, if they had just come out at the very beginning and said, "Here's my plan: I'm going to invade Iraq. We'll get rid of a bad guy because that will drain the swamp"--if they hadn't done the whole "nuclear cloud," you know, if they hadn't scared the pants off of everybody, and just said straight up, honestly, what was going on, I think I'd almost--I'd have no cognitive dissonance, no mixed feelings. Soderberg: The truth always helps in these things, I have to say. But I think that there is also going on in the Middle East peace process--they may well have a chance to do a historic deal with the Palestinians and the Israelis. These guys could really pull off a whole-- Stewart: This could be unbelievable! Soderberg:---series of Nobel Peace Prizes here, which--it may well work. I think that, um, it's-- Stewart: [buries head in hands] Oh my God! [audience laughter] He's got, you know, here's-- Soderberg: It's scary for Democrats, I have to say. Stewart: He's gonna be a great--pretty soon, Republicans are gonna be like, "Reagan was nothing compared to this guy." Like, my kid's gonna go to a high school named after him, I just know it. Soderberg: Well, there's still Iran and North Korea, don't forget. There's hope for the rest of us. Stewart: [crossing fingers] Iran and North Korea, that's true, that is true [audience laughter]. No, it's--it is--I absolutely agree with you, this is--this is the most difficult thing for me to--because, I think, I don't care for the tactics, I don't care for this, the weird arrogance, the setting up. But I gotta say, I haven't seen results like this ever in that region. Soderberg: Well wait. It hasn't actually gotten very far. I mean, we've had-- Stewart: Oh, I'm shallow! I'm very shallow! Soderberg: There's always hope that this might not work. No, but I think, um, it's--you know, you have changes going on in Egypt; Saudi Arabia finally had a few votes, although women couldn't participate. What's going on here in--you know, Syria's been living in the 1960s since the 1960s--it's, part of this is-- Stewart: You mean free love and that kind of stuff? [audience laughter] Like, free love, drugs? Soderberg: If you're a terrorist, yeah. Stewart: They are Baathists, are they--it looks like, I gotta say, it's almost like we're not going to have to invade Iran and Syria. They're gonna invade themselves at a certain point, no? Or is that completely naive? Soderberg: I think it's moving in the right direction. I'll have to give them credit for that. We'll see. Stewart: Really? Hummus for everybody, for God's sakes" Interesting.

Wow. The line on the E. Face looks pretty moderate from that vantage point, but this shot also really puts the avy-hazard into perspective. Looks like certain death if anything cuts loose in the upper bowl.

Wow.

How's that working out for you, btw? Maybe there's a symbiosis at work in those settings. Desperate chicks looking for dudes desperate enough to pretend to be into the latest quick'n'easy chicken recipes. Better off sticking to the stuff that you are actually into and seeking out others who share the interests IMO. I know quite a few people that are actually into soccer, ultimate frisbee, softball, etc that have met their so's in coed leagues. Much less creepy. Also - I watched "Trekkies" the other night and all of the couples who shared a mutual infatuation with Star Trek seemed quite happy...

That's a problem? If your interested in meeting a date that's good - but desperation women can sense a mile off (and that's bad). The disengenous interest in knitting (for example) as a pretext for getting a date would creep me out. Seems to me that nothing cries desperation like a man who voluntarily attends the "Perfect Pesto's in 15 Minutes or Less!!!" course at the experimental college...

There's also seattlekayaker - a yahoo newsgroup, and www.boatertalk.com.

Isn't it well known amongst chicks that the only guys who show up for classes that mostly chicks are into (cooking classes, yoga classes, etc) that aren't gay - are dudes looking for dates? I have yet to hear of any guy who attends these sort of classes without ulterior motives. Ask them this question in front of women and they'll feign being offended and swear that they have a deep, abiding, and profound interest in Postmodern Quilting but if you catch them in unguarded moments when there's no ladies around, then the story is quite different. "Dude - you should see some of the chicks in the postmodern quilting course I'm taking...."

At least she didn't pawn your gear...

"one was a total coke-head, that was interesting for sure." How did this tidbit emerge in the context of a first date? Doesn't seem like something you would necessarily highlight if you were trying to put your best foot forward....

I have to agree with Kyle here Brian. I am sure that you didn't intend to strike a tone that would offend anyone, but a grieving friend or relative could be excused for thinking that the person responsible for the title was making light of their tragic deaths. I would have found the photos easier to look at if the photographer(s) had survived, but knowing what I did it was a bit tough scrolling through the photos and watching the transition from curiosity, to alarm, and finally to stark terror. It's hard to believe that the final photo was taken in the belief that it would ever be shared with anyone else. I am not sure how I would react to such photos if it had been my parents that were killed, but apparently the recovery of the photos brought some peace and comfort to their survivors, so I'm glad that they found their way back to them.

Glad something good came out of this dreadful winter. Post the photos when you get a chance.

I second the motion for the Nickerson.

My guesses are something on the West Face of Whitehorse, or that couloir to the notch on the East Face of the same mountain - the one visible in Darrin's photo on some other thread. Or the hoard of cash and late 70's porn buried beneath the the meth-lab at the end of Squire Creek Road. Not the obvious meth lab - the other one. With the concertina wire and gun implacements surrounding the outhouse....

You started it...

Anyone Gonna Get After This?/Steal My Project Revival Thread. Three Fingers - East Face. View from Exfoliation Dome. Note waterfall beneath permanent snowfield. Unclimbed AFAIK - though that may change this weekend. Approach via Copper Creek Road or Squire Creek Road. If the thread about the winter line on the West Face of Sloan has set a precedent - this line will remain unclimbed for years as a consequence of its disclosure on this site. Feel free to chime in with FA information if I'm wrong. Post hatemail in public rather than e-mail/PM if I am right...

I know exactly where you are headed. I think. If I'm right then it'd be amazing that a line that just caught my eye this summer happens to go the same year I see it/take an interest in it after the thing - to the best of my knowledge - has gone unclimbed for all of these years. Best of luck and take lots of photos.