ivan

Even if one were to concede the broad claims about unions and the broad sweep of history (*solely*) for the sake of argument - it's not clear how that would translates into an argument against reforming pensions and benefits for unionized public sector workers in a manner that makes them more fiscally sustainable and preserves existing levels of service delivery. The money isn't there. Folks like Chuck Reed can only work with the amount of tax revenues that the public is willing to fork over. He - and many others - can leave pay, pensions, and benefits untouched and layoff public employees by the hundreds with all of the cuts in public services that come along with that - or reform compensation. How, exactly, is it in the public's interest to do the former rather than the latter? though a union member and active in my union, i don't pretend to think that we're always right and always entitled to expanded benefits - my union has accepted quite a # of rollbacks and cuts over the past half-decade - my main point is that unions have always been the boogie-man to conservative americans, and therefore it would be stupid to accept all their shrill shrieks and hand-waving today, given that history. rob makes a valid point - setting aside the vagaries of federalism, the bottom line is a giant chunk of american tax money is spent on weapons-grade retarded bullshit (4% of discretionary federal spending on education in 2011 vs 58% on the military in it's quixotic quest to Keep Afghanistan British! plus something like $23 billion on an equally clueless War on Drugs - i'm sure you could add a few more examples of waste?) unions, like the media, are a "4th branch" of government, and as such are as important in maintaining a balance of power in the usa as they are, like government, capable of corruption and folly

in the final judgement, across the broad sweep of history, have unions been more friend or foe of the american working man? doesn't seem that difficult an answer, and jesus christ, when have the ownership class NOT bitched about them?

i expect nothing less of miss russia 2012!

you don't, perchance, climb 5.11 old-boy? don't expect much of kevbone and yer likely not to be let down - jeebus, why take anything like this so serious? it's so improbable as to be inevitably dismissed as the hinjinx of the hyper-human - as real as greek goddesses i say - this alex character might as well change his name to apollo! and that's not to denigrate it one bit, apollo was a badass too

by extension, shouldn't that mean though that 5.2 climbers would be the chillest bitches ever? yet that seems pencil-fucked, leading inevitably as it does to the mounties?

pretty certain i'd never want to film him doing his wild, crazy thing - i hate snuff-porn in the morning!

indeed, zion's the only place i've encountered pods where only a tricam (or a cheater-stick, lacking that ) can get you higher.

da bears!

"it's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart"

if your resume was better than you'd be calling it a CV, no?

nothing more silient n' ninja-like than whaling on a piton

also, coincidentally, the same day, 913 years ago, that christain crusaders did the same thing, murdering damn near all the inhabitants in the process 31 years ago on this date israel also zapped iraq's nuclear facility...

to answer bill, i reckon part of the reason for a lack of outrage is a frustrated, bitter realization that, save voting for ron paul (go ron paul! ), you're only going to get something worse - do you think mccain or bible-spice would be one iota different in this regard?

the first multi-pitch crag i climbed at was seneca rock in west virgina, where the rangers trained for that mission on the "face of a 1000 pitons"

learned the day "scotty" from star trek died that he'd landed w/ canadian forces that day on an uncontested beach, yet randomly a bullet flew in and blew off one of his fingers - apparently he did a good job of always concealing it while on camera

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go on an overnight drunk, and in 10 days I'm going to set out to find the shark that ate my friend and destroy it. Anyone who wants to tag along is more than welcome.

wisconsin's always been way ahead of us. joe mccarthy in particular was a true visionary.

i didn't attend 6 years of evil medical school to be called "mister"

i give and i fucking give...

i'm sure cc.com has at least helped one guy get blown

we've had plenty enough sun to assure me i can't see the venutian transit w/ my dicked up shadow-box

Your wife is taking the kids and leaving for 6 weeks? How the crap did you pull that off?? bath salts? figured either vernal freedom or vicious zombie face attack, both about as good?

IF ONLY WE HAD A GOVERNMENT AS GOOD AS OUR PEOPLE!!!

this is why them nazis lost - the fact they blew their load subsidizing bullet trains to auschwitz 'stead of stalingrad probably didn't help neither

looks like luke hanging out on the bottom of cloud city