Eastsider

Ouytlaw Josey Wales!!! I think I just may put that old video in the machine tonite and kick back. Roll out to the Tieton around 10 tomorrow. Ahhhh... the easy life. Josey: That stuff works on just about everything... Salesman: Yessir it does... Josey: How's it work on stains?

Spitter A friend of mine in the AF who mistook a bottle for beer rather than the spittoon it was was...

that's true for the pros, but lots of amatur drivers don't do anything to the frames yet they seem to hold together pretty well. Pro or amateur will make all the mods that they can and still fall within the rules of the governing body and class that they are racing in. Some rules don't allow many mods, but generally you will not be competitive if you don't take advantage of all allowed modifications.

There is also a significant difference between race-prepared cars and stock. Tube-frame chassis, welded-in roll cages and highly modified suspensions are a few of the features that make race vehicles hardy enough (and different from their road-going counterparts) to stand up to the rigors of racing on any surface, let alone non-track conditions.

Remember, GM owns 25% of Fuji Heavy Industries (i.e. Subaru) so just think of it as GM's small-vehicles-for environmentalists-and-other-natural-types division.

Does anybody have the Bibler winter bivy? I am curious how you like it if you do have one. I have one but haven't had the opportunity to use it yet. I'll post a review after a trip next week. rbw, Did you get out and use the bibler, and if so how did you like it?

You may've been allowed some aileron & elevator inputs but no way would a jet jock have allowed you to touch the rudder pedals. Yep, rudders too. That doesn't mean he didn't have to apply some correction at times. Throttle aside, it really wasn't any more difficult to control (under pattern conditions) than a 172.

Muscle cars don't represent over 50% of the vehicles on the road, that's why. They also don't contribute to so many traffic fatalities either. Quite simple. I heard that 5.0 liter Mustangs used to be a significant killer of adolescent males....

You know, those stickers are meant to target vehicles that contribute significantly to global warming ("I'm changing the climate"). Assuming that excessive car emissions CAN do that, the target for them should be vehicles that are more than 10 years old. Many of the new SUVs, like my "narsty" Avalanche are ULEVs, whose emissions are low. The Subaru I traded in likely gave off more pollutants, even considering the roughly extra 9 mpg I got with it. (Reminds me of the "environmentalist" I knew who drove a 15 year old Volvo that blew visible smoke.) The "sticker new SUV" web site specifically protects those poor slobs who can't afford a new gas hog, which probably should be the worst offender in their eyes (gas hog, higher emissions, probably not tuned to boot.) This makes no fucking sense, unless they are just against people having nicer vehicles, which seems to be the case. I'm for acting for a cause that is justified and you believe in, but the justification of these actions is pretty thin and they're inconsistent with their own mission.

RobBob, How about the Chevy Avalanche? It's built on the suburban frame, has plenty of room for the family (5+ seating) and gear, rides great on the highway, has decent clearance and goes for a bit less than a new Suburban (and they are hungry and will deal on them now, even before a rebate of up to $4k). I just moved up from a Subie and have not regretted it one bit, even at the gas pump.

Bingo. Spent 8+ years in as a scope dope on AWACS and other interesting things. Only left because we vanquished the evil empire, peace broke out all over and Bush I didn't need a 40 wing Air Force. The backseat ride was down at Holloman AFB. Almost got an F-16 ride at Luke, but I had to work that day (controlling the planes I would have gotten a ride in). Like I said, it was a real blast; I'd have signed up at half-pay after that ride.

I had a backseat ride in an F-15 about 15 years ago. It was the best time I've ever had with two pairs of pants on!! I even got to fly it in the pattern a little bit (stick and rudders anyway). Damn, that was fun!

Ummmm, did you maybe think about telling her the truth? Just a thought.

3430. Musta been that squirrel huntin' I did back in Arkansas in a prior life...

from my previous post: "you can game that by calibrating it to read 2k high, (for Rainier climbs.)" Actually, one should calibrate it to read 2k feet LOW. (I'm making dumbass mistakes; I think I need another homebrew )

I have a Casio triple sensor that I've had for 7 or 8 years. It has been a good reliable performer. I've used it in the field mapping (with a topo, two fixes and an altitude you can nail your location easily, sometimes you don't need the fixes) and climbing. I've found its accuracy is within about 20 feet, as long as I start at a known altitude. The only gripe that I have about it is that it only goes up to 13k feet, but you can game that by calibrating it to read 2k high, (for Rainier climbs.) I also like the Garmin Vista. With loaded maps and waypoints, it made climbing in whiteout on Glacier and Shuksan a snap last summer. I'm sold on it, although I still bring a backup compass and topo in case the GPS goes TU. And get the lithium AAs; they rock. They're light, last forever, work in the cold and are worth the $5/pair they cost.

"Busy as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest" "Can't swing a dead cat without hitting a ...(fill in blank) " "Only two things smell like dead fish, and one of them is dead fish..."

I think I remember that from Beckey in Challenge of the North Cascades.

Chlorine dioxide is available south of the border, Mountain Gear sells stuff called Aqua Mira which looks just like the Pristine that you had a link to. I've used it here in the Cascades with no ill effects to date. The water tastes pretty good, too. Of course, the water tastes much better after a snort of balvenie...

I don't remember what the worst gift I ever got was, but I'm pretty sure the worst gift I ever gave was an Epilady to my ex on our first Christmas together. Guys, it is in your best interest NOT to give an appliance designed to rip hair out by it's roots to your SO. I learned from that one: the rule I now follow is never to give a gift with a power cord unless specifically asked for.