Bug

These ratings are a little low. They would be accurate if you are honed and blazing. But if you have not been ticking off multi pitch climbs willy-nilly you might get spanked. NW Butt Flathead goes at 5.8 if you find the right line. Otherwise expect some 10a here and there. South Face rt on Flathead (Ballard-Evringham rt) goes at 10b but the days are getting short. That would be 10 pitches in 12 hours if you are at the base at first light. The Afterburner is a really sweet variation of the SF route. Instead of traversing up and left to Guano ledge continue straight up to the right (east) facing corner and top out on that (10a)take small wires, pink and red tri-cams, and 2 camelots gold or bigger. The route tops out on the summit if you lead 5.11b. You will see the 3/8 bolts. Shoshone is a good warmer-upper for Blodgett. More like 5.9 at the crux (first pitch above the huge ledge)but that is short. There are two routes to the right that go at 10c and 11a. You will see the 3/8 bolts but take a full trad rack to 3". The NW butt of Nez Pierce is sweet 5.9 (Index 5.9). Another long one but a shorter approach. Make sure you don't get into the hand crack on the right side of the main corner. It has a refrigerator size loose block in it in the gray band. No one has been brave enough to go up and trundle it in the last 20 years. We wanted to but there was a party on the start of Modern Home Environment (5.10b to the ledge at the top of the splitter, 5.11b above) full trad rack. There are three other routes started on NP but they either finish as aid or stop nowhere. Downstream are more buttresses with more classics. But I have to get lunch and then work.

Why is this in spray?

Guess again. Look at your W4. See the Tax withheld? Right now, even if that is zero, the other box FICA has a dollar amount in it that was taken from you by the government. That would be given back by the Obama plan. So it is not taking from one person and giving to another. It is taking from one person and giving it back to that same person. See the whole idea from "the liberal side" is that you can't have a healthy economy without having a healthy middle class to buy things. The whole idea from "the Republican side" is that you need to give huge corporations lots of money in tax breaks so their stock holders can invest in other companies and keep the whole investment thing going while cutting jobs, wages, and benefits so that the stockholders can profit more and invest more. As we have seen in the last several months, this Republican plan falls on its face when the balance is lost and there is no longer enough money in the middle class to buy or continue paying for the products the stockholders' companies need to sell. That is the flaw in pure supply-side economics. As in your example it "involves the federal government taking money from those who do pay taxes (middle class in the last eight years), and writing checks to those who don't (Big oil, AIG, Goldman Sachs, etc). Yes, yes, in the real world this is known as 'welfare'." Corporate welfare would be a better term in your world. We had a republican president and a congress dominated by republicans for 6 years and then split evenly for two. The republicans had their pipe dream and at the end of it we are all going through the biggest financial crisis since 1929. And I might add, the republicans are still in control of the presidency and have a 49-51 split in congress. They control the Treasury, the FDIC, the Justice dept and the SEC. But you don't want to change that? What would it take for you to be willing to change course? Do we all have to be eating out of the gutter? My God man. Wake up.

In order: It does. It does not address payroll taxes for lower income Americans. Yes. As usual. The Messiah would be most unhappy that you sprayed on the internets during his tri-network call to prayer. Exxon reported record profits over last year's record profits. $43 billion. That is profits not gross revenue. So I guess you think that the stockholders of Exxon should get that tax break money instead of the hard working family that could not afford a decent eduaction? FW, you are cold hearted. Maybe even fascist.

Hey FW, who do you think was the BEST ex-president and why?

I saw the speech. It was a politicians wet dream to have this much money to spend this late in the election. I heard on the news that the air time alone cost $3mil. Probably another $300k to produce it under time contraints. But at least it is paid for by people who volunteered their money to to this specific cause. Bush has been using all our taxes to build bigger government and prop up oil company profits. Exxon reported record profits yesterday. $43 billion in profits this year. That is up 58% from last year which was another record profit year. McCain would cut taxes on the stockholders or anyone who makes over $2mil a year. Hope that puts it in perspective for you Bill. Good luck with that vote for McCain. Swallow hard cause that is exactly what it was.

Must be NY

...but Biden said it was $150 K. But then again, Obama said $42k not too long ago. We'll see what the actual numbers are I guess. can you point out your sources, besides your ass? i don't see how returning to tax brackets from Reagan's era is such a bad thing? Look it up We did. You were WRONG AGAIN

So you are for educating the public about guns but not about birth control? Now that is a good republican. But wait. Isn't using taxes to educate people called socialism? You have been exposed! AKHALTEKE IS A SOCIALIST!!!!!!!!

6 months in a spa and she'll be ready to go home to John.

While you sophisticated urbanites mire yourselves in self pity because you have no ambition and are too busy blaming other people on your own shortcommings. You haven't met Marylou. Typical akhl research.

Palin will torch herself. Too overconfident, deceitful, and with very little loyalty in her wake. I would love to see her as the next Republican poster child.

Maybe they will assassinate each other without realizing the damage they are doing to the party. God knows they've already done that to the country.

Obama is a Jew!

Here is a breakdown for those of you who are still confused.

I fear no man. If you are such the brave one, why not come with me on my next go 'round? I will save a 'chute for you. Don't worry; packed it myself. There are many who would trust you to do that, myself included. But with all due respect to your convictions and actions, your politics are old-world. Reaganomics does NOT work. It has been proven by Reagan (record deficits,)GB senior (still higher deficits), Clinton (who did NOT use supply-side economics and ended his last term with a huge surplus), and now GW in a blazing economic tailspin and a 1.6 Trillion dollar deficit. Deregulation was the worst economic disaster since the great depression. Taxing the middle class at a higher rate than the upper class ($250K and above) is economic suicide. The last 40 years have been spent trying to build up the global middle class to ensure a stable economy. Japan, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and on and on, are great examples. GW and his crew tried to take it back. No, they did take it back in oil tax give-aways, corporate loopholes, executive branch defunding of education, infrastructure, and economic developement. That is why almost every state in the union now has a deficit. GW is taking the money from the middle class and putting in the pockets of the rich, multinational corporations. That is not socialism. That is theivery. Socialism would be if he gave it back to some other part of the same society.

...but Biden said it was $150 K. But then again, Obama said $42k not too long ago. We'll see what the actual numbers are I guess. I have been watching TV and reading several newspapers and periodicals and I have not seen anything but the 250K bracket. Please enrich us with the source you are quoting. Oh, and quoting something Palin claims Obama said is NOT an Obama quote nor does it reflect anything on the Obama platform. It is just another lie.

Let's see... Troopergate? Shoppinggate? Ted Stevens? Palin's a small town girl lost in the Big Bad City. I can't wait for Monday. I have it! Palin is going to arrange to meet Obama, get in a private sitiuation, and then accuse him of molesting her. Classic "black man does white girl" scenario.

"They're stealing your vote, but you can steal it back. Here are some steps you should take to protect your vote. First, avoid the November 4th minefield. Voters, wherever possible, should vote early and in person. Where feasible, avoid mailing in your ballot, many are rejected for flimsy reasons, and first time voters in many states must include a photocopy of ID. However, if you have a mail-in ballot, don't throw it away. Follow directions, use the correct postage (that's an error that cost a hundred thousand votes last time) and, if possible, walk it in to your elections office. At the polling station, should you find yourself one of the 2.7 million purged, or your ID rejected, then do your best to resist a "provisional" ballot--one third of which are not counted. Return with proper ID, or call 1-866-OUR VOTE for legal assistance. And never just walk away discouraged. That's just what they want you to do. "

We have National Guard fighting in Iraq. When they come back wounded, they get none of the long term benefits that regular military get. They are literally left to rot. Meanwhile we have regular military deployed inside the US. Good system eh? Who thinks up these nightmares? At least socialism thinks about society as people. Our government could not give a rat's ass about people. Not even soldiers. It is about fiduciary responsibility. Sold out to the biggest wallet. Communism is something all together different. Communism is where everything is put in the pot and then redistributed. The main problem with that is the same problem we are experiencing with unregulated financial markets. Power corrupts. Without that little quirk the Soviet Union would still be alive and well and Greenspan would still be a hero. It pains me to know that people like Scott who really beleive in what they are doing, are being used as pawns in a money grab.

Yeah, like when people resort to calling Obama a "commie" I thought that was a compliment. You guys are confusing. You are funny. Really. Too bad you're so ignorant.

Oli n Mer in berryland

Fred said "God is dead." He went on to create a "religion" of the Ubermensch. Superman was a distillation of that concept. Celts were a Matriarchal society. Witches held the wisdom and were revered for it. They set themselves apart to study and teach their craft leaving the men to fend for for themselves for long periods. Who can say what happened in those warm piles of man-flesh.

Interesting rendition. PORTERRRRRR!!!!! Fix the quote thingy.

Really? What did Fredrich have against prostitution? Hmmm. Before religion it would not have had any weight outside the immediate company. I am not sure it would be wise to call a gender an institution. You must be Celtic. Before "religion" there was no money or government. Religion is beleived by many to be the first institution that permeated broader societies (beyond the clan group). But I am sucking the fun out of this aren't I? I'm not following you. Sex for money has always had a certain weight, regardless of religious opprobrium. Prostitution is also in no way a gender, as even a cursory reading of the back end of The Stranger would assure you. It's most certainly an institution, the "second oldest profession" as it were.