Jake

No catchy tune, but still pretty good. http://home.tiscali.nl/multicom/DaSchop/endofworld.swf

Haiti gained independence from France in 1805 or something like that. They have had 200 yrs to put together something and have failed everytime. The last time we went down there in the early '90s it didn't, why would it now? I don't like dying people and refugees anymore than anyone else, but unless somebody can come up with a plan that will work, there is no reason to intervene.

Everywhere else seems a bit warmer anyway, so I guess ya just kinda gotta place you bet and take your chances.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to experience the fresh. Based on experience though, it seems that even when it rains down below, it is still pretty decent stuff for at least the top 1000' or the mtn or so. Temps at the bottom look to be at freezing and around 25 at the top, so i imagine it would be ok, though not the best ever. http://www.seawfo.noaa.gov/products/OSOMSR

When gas goes to $4 gal the economy will take a nose dive. Do you want that? The fact is, nobody is gonna get rid of cars until we run out of oil or somebody makes a good non-polutting cost effective car. And, SUVs aren't the only thing that pollutes out there. Pickups, and many passenger cars, esp. if they have the upgraded engines, do their fair share as well. I wonder how the auto pollution breaks down. How much do cars vs. trucks pollute. Same with power plants, like coal plants and oil plants. Don't those power plants pollute more than cars? I'm not sure on this, anybody have real scientific evidence and not pointless guesses?

E-rock, I am still wondering how society is going to function without oil. How is your car going to run so you can get to work? How will you heat your house? How will you fly somewhere for a vacation. How will goods be transported when the trucks, trains, and ships have to no oil? I don't think solar energy is gonna cut it for a 800' long container ship. I'm in favor of new technologies, but I don't see them solving many of these issues any time soon. Economics will likely dictate the increased emergence of these new technologies, but changes in oil prices may be a long time a way considering we aren't out of oil yet. And, any oil price increase is bad for the economy, so it seems that maintaining a status quo operation here is the best for now. Of course, if someone could come up with a car that performs just like a regular car and doesn't pollute for the same price, I suspect they would have many buyers, but I don't see too many of those on the market.

Hilarious. What a freak. And they say its white people who are always racist.

Good luck

Just sounds like everybody is freaking out about gas and cars here. Everybody needs to take it easy a little bit and go drive something loud and fast that uses up gas. Not that pollution is good or anything, but there is more to driving that 40mpg econoboxes. Although I admit that i've definitely traveled many mountain roads in subies, which can be fun if you drive em hard enough. Those four bangers just don't give you much though on the hills.

Good point. Any WRX drivers then? Or STi's?

Yeah tele nut. There are definitely probs. What is interesting is that France and Germany bitch, in part I think, because they are jealous in a sense. They don't have the economic or military power, or pretty much any kind of power, to act on their own. Now some people think that France and Germany and the EU will form as a sort of competitor to US. However, I think they will all eventually come back more in line with us. Relations are healing right now - each side needs the other too much to cast it off. As for Russia, well they are screwed. The russkies may never get it right. Right now, Putin is turning in a de facto dictator. He runs everything - he doesn't even have oppostion in the upcoming presidential election. Downright scary.

You know, the MidEast might actually start to come around over the next bunch of years. Of course, that might not ever happen and it could all implode (even more than it already is), but there have been some encouraging signs. Pakistan is cooperating with us to some extent, and Musharaff is taking a political risk in doing this. The Iranian theocracy is having to deal people who are hating their hard line super religious rule. Syria may be making some limited efforts to get on our good side, and Libya (sorta Mideast) got the shit scared out of em and gave up their nuclear program.

Just curious, but is there anybody on this site that likes big loud V-8s in good old American muscle cars? Or does everyone drive '96 civics and think they are the best car ever?

You bet

Mission Ridge just 13". There a dump of nice pow for ya. Not that heavy shit on the westside either

Without oil, our society would cease to exist. Period. No debate. Until new technology comes along, oil is it. The extent that we feel the need to protect our oil supply is the question. I bet that many people here would be more inclined to go to war to ensure the oil supply if, say, OPEC cut off all oil supply.

Just in case there isn't enough unrest here fer everybody, how about this. "The US, and in fact, much of the advanced world, is dependent on oil for survival. In order to provide for the exixtence of the US as we know it, the US must do whatever it takes to ensure that oil will be delivered." To what agree do you agree or disagree? And you can't say, "Well we should have more hybrid cars and more conservation or whatever." Sure, everybody agrees that would be great. But is oil worth fighting over, given that it is the lifeblood of the US and the world?

Yeah there can be some hiking involved at times, but it can be worth it - skied waist deep+ super super light pow in January off of microwave during a great few days storm. Other places are good too, like out by the bomber cliffs, and central park doesn't see that much traffic. Ripping down the groomers from the top on a nice day is a blast too. I like the fact that from the top, the mountain just doesn't go straight down to the base - there are flatter areas and curves in the trails that stretch the time it takes to get down.

What about that big old wood jump. Somebody ought to try that baby out.

Very nice, especially Hood.

Great post!!

Looks like a mishmash of I-beams to me.

While we're on the topic of weird stuff in the woods, who else has ever come across strange stuff while out wandering around? What's the stragest stuff you've seen? I've seen a 5 gallon empty gas can in the middle of nowhere, a pack full of nicely organized clothes stashed under a rock - and the pack looked as though it had been there for years, and a bunch of other weird stuff that isn't coming to mind at the moment. I once saw a weird tarp / plywood setup full of crap up in the chumstick mt. area once too - that was kinda suspicious.

Now that is a good idea. I have no idea what the engineering would be on that or if it would actually work - it seems like it would - but good idea anyway.

Yeah this is good. The idea about many rock routes at cragging areas being set for 60 is right on - and I normally use a 60 for this. But since there is a lot of leeway on routes in the mountains where you can rig your own belay or rap twice if need be, I'm starting to lean toward bringing a thin 50m cord. One way to look at it is why bring a thin 60 when you could bring a thin 50 and probably get away with it just fine?