Off_White

Ooops, sorry DFA, I meant "for those of you in Seattle, you should go see BioZombie at the Grand Illusion either tonight or tomorrow night." Wish I could...

quote: Originally posted by Greg W: Doesn't matter. Everyone was being cool in the "Balance of Power" thread and it got chopped. People were being civil and shit and WHAM!! Closed. I guess we can all spray about what a tubby chicken f'er Trask is... "Balance of Power" doesn't seem to be closed, it must have just dropped into the limbo zone the Jon mentioned as a symptom of server overload.

quote: Originally posted by allison: Greg W is white I'm off white. Actually, if you leave me out in the sun too long, I'm pink. In a few more years I'll qualify to change my name to Antique White. It is however unlikely that I'll be Navajo White in this lifetime.

Most of those people look like prime candidates for Diane Arbus' new photography book, if she wasn't dead.

I cast my vote for Dru.

When people go back and edit out all their inflammatory spray, it really just makes it worse for the rest of us!

quote: Originally posted by mikeadam: Pepsi products OK with you OW? That'd be great Mike, I could use the extra caffeine to make it though my shift on the picking up garbage crew.

The only Forerunner I've been in was an older model, but I was struck by just how damn small they were inside, less room than our old Toyota Tercel wagon. Speaking of which, I'd put that wagon on a list of great climber cars. Sure, it was a dog on acceleration, but the 35 mpg was nice, and the 4wd worked great. Nice high interior, fit this tall person nicely. I sold it at 280,000 miles (still on original engine) with no 4th gear (5sp manual trans) and it has continued to run that way for 4 years (including three road trips to Texas and four to Lake Tahoe). Inelegant, but dependable. Also quite discontinued. Personally, I've long been a fan of Volkswagen vans, and over the years have worked my way up from a 67 (last year of the split screen front windshield) to a 79 (last year of the breadloaf, with one of the best aircooled engines VW ever made) and now to an 85 Vanagon. I freely admit they are a "cult" vehicle with some mechanical lack of dependibility, but aside from going through 1600cc motors in the first one like kleenex, I've never had any serious road trip problems. I really like the "living room on wheels" effect of the Westfalia camper, and with the addition of real heat (courtesy of a water cooled motor) and a real refrigerator in my current Van, I'm pretty content. I'd be happier to have the Synchro four wheel drive model, which also features more ground clearance, but they are both too spendy and the mysterious "viscous coupling" that serves as the transfer case makes me somewhat uneasy. Not that I'm opposed to viscous coupling mind you, I just like to understand what I'm doing. Oh, they're also discontinued vehicles, so maybe I've got a theme going here.

Ummm, Mike? Could you supersize that order?

quote: Originally posted by Dr Flash Amazing: How does everyone feel about placing a bolt next to a perfectly good chipped pocket? I glad I wasn't drinking when I read that, I hate it when that stuff comes out my nose.

Shoot Mitch, I don't reckon it would be too hard to find out who did it, its not like there are that many people putting up routes at Banks. Start with Marty Bland, he'd probably know. Have a good conversation with the parties involved before you saddle up the posse again.

RobBob, I agree Rumsfeld is a big problem, but if Bush can't reign in or discipline his own appointees, whats to support about the man? You as much as admit that Bush is a puppet, and ask which unelected power behind the throne will save us. We can only hope that Colin Powell might be up to the job, but isn't he bowing out of the administration because it hasn't listened to him?

Thanks for the input RobBob. I've given up trying to decipher who is also someone else on this board, and I just treat 'em all as virtual split personalities with their own characteristics. Chips & Tyrone are not without their points, I'm just bitching about style and tone and the way we treat strangers. Could you push that stepladder over here so I can get off this tall horse and take a moment to untwist my knickers?

To assist in the unoffical poll: twit Pronunciation Key (twt) tr.v. twit·ted, twit·ting, twits To taunt, ridicule, or tease, especially for embarrassing mistakes or faults. See Synonyms at ridicule. n. The act or an instance of twitting. A reproach, gibe, or taunt. Slang. A foolishly annoying person. And as far as the coddling bit goes TYRONE, you should go back and read a little. I believe all I have done is argue that if an anchor is so shaky that lowering on it is questionable I don't believe rappelling is a great idea, and that Anna work on gear placements from the ground with a critique from experienced climbers. If by "coddling" you mean not making her feel ashamed for her life-threatening errors, then I'm guilty, but question your usage of the term. I don't disagree with your opinion on the seriousness of Anna's recent experiences and the need for a sincere remedy, but I find your overweening braggart strut and bully bluster both offensive and counterproductive.

Because he hurt your feelings?

quote: Originally posted by Tyrone Shoes: Once again, forget about being rude or arrogant, It has nothing to do with it. NOTHING. It's that simple, sorry was that rude? Bullshit, you don't believe tone has nothing to do with it. You advocate for drill sergeant style education, and you clearly believe that being abusive, demeaning, and rude facilitates learning. While it serves a purpose in military training where you are trying to break someone down so they will follow orders without thinking, for the most part the arrogant posture you admire is mostly about silly dominance and submission games. (and no, I'm not interested in your bedroom games). As far as your suggestion that I am "coddling" Anna because I want into her pants, you really are an ignorant twit, aren't you? Please Tyrone, whatever you do, never breed.

quote: Originally posted by Tyrone Shoes: To ANNA, TRASK, OFF WHITE, IAIN, and anyone else who thinks their shit don't stink. Dude, it smells like strawberries, how did you know?

quote: Originally posted by shredmaximus: Seriously though...what do people think of rapping vs lowering off a questionable anchor? It seems to me rapping would be the way to go but what do I know??? If your anchor is sketchy, I'd lower for sure, staying clipped through the pieces you placed on the lead. Just like Anna did. I don't think the load from lowering is much more than rappelling. Anna, Sayjay's advice was right on the money. I'd add the suggestion (should you decide that trad leading is something you want to pursue) that you play with gear placement at every opportunity, from the ground. Walk along the base and put stuff in, then have someone with experience critique your placements. Glad to hear your scare turned out alright, and thanks for bringing it up, there are probably a number of folks on this board for whom all this is good information to read and digest.

Trask, are you making a bid to become a moderator?

Who am "us" anyway? Ask that cop on the corner, ask that cop in the woodshed, ask that cop that's knocking on your back door. Go on, ask him. Regime Change Begins At Home

Dude, its the internet, we're all pretty insubstantial. Experience suggests that we're much more polite in the flesh, I didn't see a single eye-gouging hair-pulling fist-swinging tussle at the entire rope up.

Like they say, "regime change begins at home."

Tyrone: I don't need to dig through your pile for the odd undigested kernal of corn. Anna started the thread effectively saying "I almost killed myself, what should I do different?" Of the two models of communication you offered, I'd choose the first. While yelling, shame, and insults might work for training a dog, its a piss poor way to talk to a stranger who's aware of her errors and requesting constructive criticism. Where you and Chips perceive a cocky attitude that needs to be smacked, I see someone trying to process fear with a bit of humor. If I said "I know nothing about being a pool shark, but damn I can hit a ping pong ball with a wild backhand swing" do you think I'm really asserting that I can hold my own against a member of the Chinese national team? You've got all the charm and charisma of Agent Orange/Crazy Polish Bob, is it any wonder that a range of people are suggesting in their individual styles that you STFU?

There ya go Trask, that's back in form! Chips, Tyrone, we're really talking climbing here not Anna's aside about flying. VFR, DFA, BFD. Gee, she doesn't know as much about flying as you do, she must suck. And to think Retro gets shit about being arrogant and insensitive....

My partner once led a no-pro pitch at dusk without the rack, and had to belay off my chalkbag sling which was sewn shut with a 1948 Sears Kenmore sewing machine, wrapped around a dead tree, 1200' off the deck, to be followed on the next pitch with a belay on a single #4 (old style chouinard four, quite small) stopper placed in the dark that must have been good since it wouldn't come out.