Thinker

I was thinking the wire prevented the screw lock from turning unless the wire was pushed toward the bottom of the biner. Doesn't look like it would be much good at preventing crossloading.

pardon me if it's been discussed before. Saw these on the infamous ViaFerrata photo posted ad naseum, and they piqued my interest.

(sidestepping the current name calling slingfest...) Right on Dwayner!! I still recall the conversation we had at PC a few years back about the whimsical "Egyptologist" Graham Hancock and possible origins of his family's funky theories. I don't have the Discovery channel. I'd be willing to cover someone's costs to burn a copy and send it to me when it's replayed. Muffy, I'd be happy to pass it onto you if you don't get a copy by then. Maybe you'd do the same for me...

I'm sure I'll catch a little crap about this article, and the source I have chosen to link to. Both good reads IMHO! Read the article in a real foreign newspaper here T.E. Lawrence Had It Right About Iraq Robert Fisk, The Independent Back in 1929, Lawrence of Arabia wrote the entry for "Guerrilla" in the 14th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. It is a chilling read - and here I thank one of my favorite readers, Peter Metcalfe of Stevenage, for sending me T.E.'s remarkable article - because it contains so ghastly a message to the American armies in Iraq. Writing of the Arab resistance to Turkish occupation in the 1914-18 war, he asks of the insurgents (in Iraq and elsewhere): "... suppose they were an influence, a thing invulnerable, intangible, without front or back, drifting about like a gas? Armies were like plants, immobile as a whole, firm-rooted, nourished through long stems to the head. The Arabs might be a vapor..." How typical of Lawrence to use the horror of gas warfare as a metaphor for insurgency. To control the land they occupied, he continued, the Turks "would have need of a fortified post every four square miles, and a post could not be less than 20 men. The Turks would need 600,000 men to meet the combined ill wills of all the local Arab people. They had 100,000 men available." Now who does that remind you of? The "fortified post every four square miles" is the ghostly future echo of George W. Bush's absurd "surge". The Americans need 600,000 men to meet the combined ill will of the Iraqi people, and they have only 150,000 available. Donald Rumsfeld, the architect of "war lite" is responsible for that. Yet still these rascals get away with it. Hands up those readers who know that Canada's Defense Minister, Gordon O'Connor, actually sent a letter to Rumsfeld two days before his departure in disgrace from the Pentagon, praising this disreputable man's "leadership". Yes, O'Connor wanted "to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your many achievements (sic) as Secretary of Defense, and to recognize the significant contribution you have made in the fight against terrorism". The world, gushed the ridiculous O'Connor, had benefited from Rumsfeld's "leadership in addressing the complex issues in play." O'Connor tried to shrug off this groveling note, acquired through the Canadian Access to Information Act, by claiming he merely wanted to thank Rumsfeld for the use of US medical facilities in Germany to ferry wounded Canadian soldiers home from Afghanistan. But he made no mention of this in his preposterous letter. O'Connor, it seems, is just another of the world's illusionists who believe they can ignore the facts - and laud fools - by stating the opposite of the truth. Bush, of course, is among the worst of these meretricious creatures. So is the former UK Premier Tony Blair. Oh, how we miss Lawrence. "The printing press is the greatest weapon in the armory of the modern (guerrilla) commander," he wrote 78 years ago, accurately predicting Al-Qaeda's modern-day use of the Internet. For insurgents, "battles were a mistake ... Napoleon had spoken in angry reaction against the excessive finesse of the 18th century, when men almost forgot that war gave license to murder." True, the First World War Arab Revolt was not identical to today's Iraqi insurgency. In 1917, the Turks had manpower but insufficient weapons. Today the Americans have the weapons but insufficient men. But listen to Lawrence again. "Rebellion must have an unassailable base ... In the minds of men converted to its creed. It must have a sophisticated alien enemy, in the form of a disciplined army of occupation too small to fulfill the doctrine of acreage: too few to adjust number to space, in order to dominate the whole area effectively from fortified posts. "It must have a friendly population, not actively friendly, but sympathetic to the point of not betraying rebel movements to the enemy. Rebellions can be made by 2 percent active in a striking force, and 98 percent passively sympathetic ... Granted mobility, security ... time, and doctrine ... victory will rest with the insurgents, for the algebraical factors are in the end decisive, and against them perfections of means and spirit struggle quite in vain." Has the US Gen. David Petraeus read this? Has Bush? Have any of the tired American columnists whose anti-Arab bias is wobbling close to racism, bothered to study this wisdom? I remember how Daniel Pipes - one of the great illusionists of modern American journalism - announced in the summer of 2003 that what the Iraqis needed was (no smirking here, please), a "democratically-minded strongman." They had already had one, of course, our old chum Saddam Hussein, whom we did indeed call a "strongman" when he was our friend and when he was busy using our gas against Iran. And I do wonder whether Bush - defeated, as he is, in Iraq - may not soon sanction an Iraqi military coup d'etat to overthrow the ridiculous Nuri Al-Maliki "Green Zone" government in Baghdad. Well, as one of my favorite expressions goes, we'll see. But wait, Pipes is at it again. The director of the "Middle East Forum" has been writing in Canada's National Post about "Palestine". His piece is filled with the usual bile. Palestinian anarchy had "spewed forth" warlords. Arafat was an "evil" figure. Israeli withdrawal from Gaza had deprived Palestinians of the one "stabilizing element" in the region. Phew! "Palestinianism" (whatever that is) is "superficial". Palestinian "victimization" is a "supreme myth of modern politics". Gaza is now an "(Islamist) beachhead at the heart of the Middle East from which to infiltrate Egypt, Israel and the West Bank". One of these days, Pipes concludes, "maybe the idiot savant 'peace processors' will note the trail of disasters their handiwork has achieved." He notes with approval that "Ehud Barak, Israel's brand new defense minister, reportedly plans to attack Hamas within weeks" and condemns the Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, for buoying Mahmoud Abbas' "corrupt and irredentist Fatah". So we are going to have yet another war in the Middle East, this time against Hamas - democratically elected, of course, but only as a result of what Pipes calls "the Bush administration's heedless rush to Palestinian elections"? It's good to see that Tony Blair is already being dubbed a "savant". But shouldn't Pipes, too, read Lawrence? For insurgency is a more powerful "vapor" than that which comes from the mouths of illusionists.

most people collect their gear over time. take that time to assess the gear on other peoples' racks when you use it. you'll find out pretty quickly if you like wire gates or not. alternatively, you could buy a couple of each and work with them for awhile until you decide. there's nothing that says everything on your rack has to match. in fact, all matching gear is generally a dead give away of either a sponsored climber or a poser. I have friends who spend a lot of money and effort on paring down the weight of their alpine racks, and they wouldn't DREAM of carrying a solid gate biner around. Personally, I look at those extra ounces as more training weight.

I'd buy some draws and dedicate them to clipping bolts. This is a minor case of what can happen to biners clipped to bolts when you fall, hang dog, or top rope on them. If it gets much worse than this it can start snagging or abrading your rope and other nylon gear.

Dealing with a swollen and nearly unrecognizeable partner with a peanut allergy when he decides to try one of your cookies anyway. Trying to get your lead head screwed back on level after talking about "relationship issues" with with your SO/climbing partner on the approach. Trying to keep your eyes off the cute French girls climbing the next route to you when climbing with your SO. Dealing with a parter who has irritating and not so latent OCD tendencies a few days into a trip. (on the flip side, it's a lot of fun to mess with them by moving things out of perfect alignment, clipping their gear back on the rack in the "wrong" way, and leaving little crumbs and bits of crud in the tent.) Dealing with a partner poking you incessantly, telling you you're snoring, when you're really just trying to get a good night's sleep. Having two other tent mates fight over getting the one pair of earplugs you brought along to help them cope with your snoring.

You guys (and girls) crack me up. Sure, parts of Pakistan are as you imagine, kinda like the bible belt here in the US....but many parts of it are just like where you and I live. I found my Pakistani wife running around the house in this t-shirt tonight. (for those of you who don't know, Karachi is a port in southern Pakistan with beautiful beaches and modern, cosmopolitan society.) She was kind enough to pose for a photo that showed her bare arms and even some of her hair...gasp!

Only if you're stoned.........

She's updatd her blog again. http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

Is that legal? Another vote for aluminum strap ons.

If you can't seem to keep your eyes the direction you're going, why not mark the rope @ 15m (assuming 60m cord) so when you're looking up and see it pass you know you're close? Or tie a knot in the end, knots are good... That all assumes that your eyes are open and your hand is still on the rope. Not always the case in an accident scenario. Rock!

fyi, it's not about religion; I suspect not all the Pakistani participants would be Muslim. Pakistan has active, practicing communities of Christians, Hindus, Parsi, and probably a few other religions. However, they typically share common cultural tendencies to avoid contact between unrelated males and females, as noted in the OP. Given that Pakistan is an Islamic Republic, the only way to get such a program for women approved by the government would be to respect the social norms and agree to work within the guidelines expected by the predominantly Muslim officials. I think it's a great opportunity for women to learn the sport and start developing a core group of 'local' female enthusiasts. Why do you say that you're "against their religion?"

The company I work for is looking for an Environmental Biologist / NEPA Specialist in our St. George, Utah office. 3+ years experience desired. Anybody need a dose of red rock and canyons? PM me for more details if interested and qualified.

and thus the cam continuum has been restored. good Karma, guys.

So what *is* the recommended list of 10 canine essentials? Certainly they don't need a map or compass. Maybe the Swiss had it right when they put that mini-cask of spirits round the neck of the St. Bernards. Lest anyone think I'm spraying, I'll state that I have mixed feelings on the presence of dogs in the BC, esp in this case. "Working dogs" have a long history of BC utility...many are still used today for SAR, herding, hunting, protection, etc. This doesn't appear to be a case where the dog had any purpose or reason for being exposed to the risks it was. My 'off-the-cuff' conclusions are that it's not a simple decision to take an animal into the BC. The one responsible for the animal should ensure the animal is well-equipped and protected. I don't think the potential for animal abuse charges should be overlooked in this instance where the animal ended up an accident victim for no other purpose than to 'be along for the walk'.

Has he been depressed lately? Have you been slacking on your masterly duties?

Who let Trask back in da housz?

Yep, the canyons will be in the height of ski season in February. At least your highballs won't be so high and you'll have several feet of beautiful powder to cushion your falls when your frostbitten fingertips refuse to work anymore. Salt Lake is about 4,000+ feet in eleveation, the bouldering areas can be upto 500 - 1000 ft higher. Kinda like going to boulder something in Snoqualmie pass in February. All the ice climbers will be looking at you kinda funny, too.

absolutely one of the best reads on the internet.

Oh....THAT'S asking for some mounties-style CBS lovin'! Happy BD, CBS

Right ON, Bro. Way to work on breaking that cycle of sexual addiction. You're a bigger man than me.

2 avatars for the same person? In love? Or maybe just two birds of a feather... I haven't seen anything this cute here since Snugtop's first post. from this thread: and from this thread:

(I'm bored at work today.) Some of my avatars have been banned...

Re: Flying cat speculation OK, I'm generally fairly risk-adverse, but PLEASE...tell me where I can invest in this flying cat scheme. Do you have a portfolio for it?