iain

If this is a troll I'll call Fishing the West to get you on after the bassmasters segment. PS If this is your real personality in person I pity you.

Trask, of course we don't need to start from scratch each time. My point was that we can't look back on witch trials, nazis, etc without realizing that we are still the same people capable of exactly the same thing. Every time there is paranoia and fear, someone is waiting in the wings to step up and take the helm and capitalize on it, uniting us through anxiety to seek out these "enemies". Rights become violated, laws are thrown out the window, until we once again realize that we are still quite the same as those who stumbled down this dangerous road before us. That in itself sounds paranoid, but there is a powerful historical record to back this up, in my opinion.

I simply don't trust John Ashcroft at all. His constant superlative speeches about terror and justice get on my nerves. I don't trust someone with that much power who views everything in the world within such a religious context. That position requires objectivity, and from what I have seen, he picks and chooses his "enemies of justice".

That sucks Muffy. Kid runs out of AAA batteries and he can't do basic math anymore. But really, who has the time to teach kids long division anymore? Then again, when was the last time you did long division? The trouble with technology is I expected to do 10x as much in 0.5x the time.

But our historical record is the reason we are so dominant on the planet. A snafflehound born in spring has to start from scratch, learning everything all over again. Humans have the benefit of thousands of years of documented mistakes and innovations to absorb when they are born (which might even be why there is more stress and subsequent violence in today's schools with such great expectations).

he's probably given birth to a quarter of them.

Not so. We are just building on what others have left before us. As Newton said, "If I see farther than others it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants".

I think it is "dilettante", someone who is a connoisseur of something, like wine or art.

I agree w/ you 100% AlpineK and RobBob. While technology has advanced in the past 2000 years, humans have not biologically evolved at all. A 2002 baby sent back to the 1400's would still grow up to burn people at the stake. Funny how we now expect our kids to have a thorough grounding in Calculus by 11th grade to be competitive internationally, yet it was reserved for the highest level scientists only a 100 or so years ago. Remember Strom Thurman's comments on segregation in the 50's? He's still in office!

perhaps based on your avatar image?

great topic Kevin!

yeah quit using crappy windows software.

yes indeed killer weather but cold on Sat. I'll be back for sure soon, but not this next weekend (stupid WFR refresher).

fast path to b.c. skiing is to get a multiday pass at a resort, take a backpack and do laps until your thighs turn to jello. the pack makes you focus on unweighting skis on the turn, which I've found is the single biggest hurdle to skiing the crud, getting 'em out of the snow to make the turn. that said I still suck relatively.

re: anybody got an idea how to fix this? Yeah don't use crappy Windows software.

I've usually belayed from partway up that scramble when doing that climb. Otherwise you're belaying from way the heck out there. From the scramble it is very short to the chains at the top of the 1st pitch of Cinnamon Slab. 4 bolts maybe, and that's like what, 4 feet at Smith? (there's no winking smiley anymore).

2 great days in the sun at Smith climbing with Ryland. The only epic I suffered was I leashed Ryland's dog to a crack with the red tricam in a pocket and had to fiddle it out in the dark. Serious hardman stuff. Stupid tricams!

The canadians also deal with much more complex snowpacks than us PNW residents. More reason to trust the CAA for your training, or at least an instructor who has spent some time in a continental snowpack studying. Those canuks deal with transitional and continental rockies snowpacks that release all season long snowfall or no. The avalanche hazard is much more predictable in the Cascades maritime snowpack. Walking out on a slope and falling through a crust into bottomless facets gives new respect for Selkirks snow.

no kidding. For some reason the process of leading gets me more focused and I think I climb better on lead a lot of the time. No question I'll toprope stuff that I know I will be pitching early and often on though.

seems like life is difficult in general with anything less than a 60m at Smith. Most people do not tie into the end as belayer because the climbs are so well-traveled that the rope length is general knowledge. But if there is any question (and there is at smith with a 50m on a large number of routes) for pete's sake at least put a knot at the end or watch the rope coming through. Glad she's alive.

I love it when you go to check who's online, and half the people are checking who's online. BTW what the hell is this guy doing?

tim please shut up about bend. It sucks and no one wants to live there. there is no worldclass climbing nearby and it rains daily. However, Les Schwab started in Prinville, so you'll get guaranteed selection at the local Schwab and the popcorn and free beef will be fresh.

Screw the movies. AlpineK and others can vouch for the current Real World season, Las Vegas. It's a gripping docudrama.