Off_White

Oh, I might have a problem with that j_b, but as a person, not necessarily as a system. Here's an example: The local Habitat for Humanity Restore, selling recycled building materials (a concept I fully support) fired a bunch of the employees from the existing business they bought to get established in Olympia because they weren't sufficiently "Christian". Those folks went out and started a competing business who did well for awhile, and expanded their purview to include deconstruction services, but when they hit hard times and fell behind on the rent, the damned Habitat Restore negotiated a secret deal with the landlord, and once the rent was paid up in full, Olympia Salvage was evicted (and ultimately doomed) and Habitat Restore took over their space, capitalizing on the business those folks had built on the space. Now, as a remodel contractor, I have a dilemma. I want building materials to be recycled and reused, but the only show in town are a bunch of Christian double dealing fuckwits that I wouldn't piss on their faces if their throats were on fire. I've decided that the reuse of resources is more important, so I donate materials, take every opportunity to tell them that their god would be offended by the way they treat other people, and tell the story to everyone I know. I've made my peace with their right to run their business as they see fit, and wouldn't trade away my rights to run my business to reflect my values for the sake of messing with theirs.

I'm always delighted and surprised in equal measure when contemporary "liberals" lose their bearings and stray into the ideological terrain that's always belonged to classical liberals. I suspect that the folks at the Nation will soon realize they've lost all of their bearings and signposts and flee back to the familiar territory of illiberal statism when it suits them. Nice "liberalism" you got there that upholds the denial of First Amendment rights for most people during the majority of their waking hours (while at work). Add to that the "right" of property owners to censor speech while on their property and you've effectively restricted speech to people's cars and homes. Funny kind of freedom... What kind of free-speech protections would you like to see the government enforce in workplaces and on other people's property? When will you be making your living room available as a no-holds barred free-speech venue, and when can we expect to see the flyers for the Westboro Baptist Church rally you'll be hosting there? Personally, as an employer in the construction industry, I appreciate the fact that my employees are "at will" employees and I can fire them for any reason at all. If they flip shit to my frequent lesbian couple clients, they're out of there, ditto if they want to make racist jokes. I had a guy in a job interview declare that he was a born again Christian. He really twitched when I told him that I was an equal opportunity employer and I wouldn't hold that against him. (I should have not hired him for several other reasons, but that's a long painful story). Anyway, as a sole proprietor, I very much appreciate that I can make my company reflect my values, rather than be forced to employee racist sexist drunken meth-head assholes because their habits and personalities qualify them as disabled or protected. Free speech yes, but not necessarily on my payroll.

When I'd heard of her being missing, I figured at 93 and out picking mushrooms, either she knew her way around the block and would survive, or would go out doing what she loved. Oh, and bravo to "Alpinist" who posted up in the comment section of the linked news article to get across the point about charging for rescues.

Wow, what a great vacation.

That bmx stuff was pretty cool, but Macaskill is an utterly amazing rider. I really liked his earlier vid with the Band of Horses soundtrack. Thanks for both those links.

Privatizing and turning public campgrounds over to private concessionaires is a really ugly trend. I'm not fond of what its done for camping in Icicle Creek.

I've got a pair of Mad Rock approach shoes that have been as good as any shoes I've ever worn out - the sole has actually worn thin and is delaminating on both ends, but the uppers are still in great shape. First pair of approach shoes I've ever contemplated resoling.

I'd have to agree with this sentiment.

No silly Billy, I'm just trying to rile Jay_B up by implying that he's in agreement with the folks over at The Nation.

How long do you think Bill O'Reilly would last at Fox if he started effusing about what a good job Obama is doing for the country?

ewwww, stinky, and what a surprise! Only the state can deny free speech according to the service libertarian. Actually, Jay is just agreeing with the pundits over at The Nation who opine: "as to Williams' First Amendment rights, a citizen generally only has free speech rights in regard to government action. If a private employer wants to fire someone for a something offensive they say they generally can. If the government fires someone for their speech there is a much higher standard involved. While NPR is called National "Public" Radio, the reality is that only a small amount of their funding comes from government sources. About 16% of NPR's funding comes from local, state, and federal government sources. Much of that funding comes from government grants which NPR applies for as part of a competitive process. Just like a private company which applies for a tax credit, or for a government grant, NPR does not lose the rights to hire and fire people like a normal employers simply because they receive some government funding. "

Trail was busy, but we had the route to ourselves.

Trip: Colorado - First Flatiron Date: 10/9/2010 Trip Report: While nothing monumental, I figured ya'll might enjoy a brief visit elsewhere as the days shorten and darken, even if it is Colorado. On a brief trip to Denver to cavort with my wife between conferences I got to meet up with my old friend Evetree and her co-worker Eric, who were in Loveland for yet another conference. We got to spend a day climbing between storms, and a little cold & snow vetoed our plan to climb at Lumpy Ridge. Instead, following the sun, we wound up at the First Flatiron in Boulder. The Flatirons are pretty cool slabby sandstone formations overlooking Boulder. Backsides are are shorter but quite steep. Hiking up the popular trail on a Saturday was a pretty gregarious nearly European experience. There were a vast number of folks strung all over the Direct East Face, so we moved right and started up something else. Eric following first pitch It was a really great day to be out with friends. We did four pitches up to the North Arete, pretty fun moderate climbing, fairly sparse protection, and only a few slings on trees, surprisingly little fixed stuff on such an easy route so close to a climber filled metropolis. It was another four and a half entertaining pitches up the arete to the summit, steps and notches, an overhang, and some cool airy wandering climbing. In a way it reminded me of the SE Buttress on Mt Washington in the Olympics, only with much better rock; it felt more like an alpine rock route than cragging. Looking back at my buddies on the false summit, it's apparent just how near this stuff is to Boulder, practically makes Exit 38 seem like deep wilderness. All in all, it was a fabulous day out and about in great company, one of the things I really love about climbing. Afterwards we connected with Eve's friend Crusher Barlett who put us up for the night, and we all went out to wonderful Indian food at the Bombay Bistro. I highly recommend the beef short ribs, not to mention Crusher's new book, Desert Towers, which offers amazing historical photos, essays, and lots of info direct from the pioneers of desert tower climbing.

Rat, thanks for the straight poop.

I thought that's what we had the second amendment for. Wolverines!

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300 lbs would be a pretty damned big goat. Even so, one half that size could easily get the best of you, especially if you weren't expecting it. We've got Cashmere goats & a Churro (sheep) ram, and I handle them by the horns. They clock in between 100 and 140 lbs (they're about the size of the ones I've seen in ONP), and it can be work if they're not feeling cooperative. Bear in mind these are domestic critters, and they know me; an aggressive wild goat would much harder to control.. They also know exactly where the ends of their horns are, and are very adept whether its a matter of scratching just the right spot or butting someone out of the way. Reports said that he was gored in the leg, I could easily imagining that happening before you were even aware of the intent. We had a somewhat larger and more aggressive Churro ram awhile back, and no one else would go in the field with him. You'd have to be very aware and vigilant, and have some sort of tool to deflect a charge. When he stood still your could grab his horns and control him, but if he was in motion you just had to stay out of the way.

People trying to piss other people off is what's wrong with the Columbia River Gorge forum. That and people's willingness to be easily pissed off I reckon.

I read that as 1&2 and 3&4, probably because I imagine that to be the likely scenario. Mid October in the Cascades, nice.

My wife works for the Nisqually tribe. They don't celebrate Columbus Day and tend to refer to it as a day of mourning. Summitchaser, maybe you'd like to go out to the rez and tell them what a bunch of America hating racists they are.

E-rock & Muffy drop in for a visit on the same day? For some silly reason that just makes me grin.