Thinker

I like the ones I got at FF a few years back. They're essentially hard plastic discs about 6 or 7 inches in diameter with nylon webbing strung through them in a way that they self-equalize to the angle they're installed. They're absolutely bomber. (Don't know the brand and I'm already at work...)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4100140.stm Housework looms for Spanish men By Katya Adler BBC News, Madrid Spanish men who refuse to lift a finger around the house are facing new legal sanctions. MPs in Spain have drawn up a marriage contract for use in civil ceremonies which obliges men to share household chores and the care of children and elderly family members. The new law, which will be introduced this summer in Spain, promises a revolution in a country where nearly half of all men admit to doing no housework at all. (continues)

my fav from Long's Close Calls is the guy who looks down from a climb and see's his belayer running away toward the river as he's being attacked by angry bees or hornets. There the climber is, hanging out with out a belay. My own close call happened at a gym in Idaho Falls, ID. I agreed to go climb with a chick who said she'd been to the gym a few time before. While lowering from my 3rd or 4th climb, I suddenly felt myself free falling. The rope came tight and I 'bounced' about 10 feet off the deck, and then proceeded to rush the rest of the way to the (padded) floor. (she didn't have much experience with a grigri and was obviously having some difficulty with it). I got up, walked around the corner, and started cursing at myself. The whole gym saw what happened...I must have drawn their attention on my way down with a few choice words that Chaps would never consider uttering.... Once I got calmed down and decided I needed get back on the plastic the owner of the gym backed up her belay and gave her some much needed pointers on the proper use of a grigri....I still hate those fuckin' things. I never did climb with that chick again...and I never did fuck her, as much as she wanted it.

Here's another possible solution

Darwin finished his course long ago. It's natural selection that continues on.

Don't forget the butterflies and unicorns...

Say, Chaps. there's lots of climbing class in Seattle. You got your pick from the Mountaineers, the BoeAlps, the WAC, and probably a half-dozen others. In fact, there are so many class that they/we stumble over each other in the back country during the spring. Please don't try to tell us we don't have any class. What kind of class do you have there in MN?

with all the MJ impersonators out there, wouldn't you think he'd pay one to take the fall and go to jail for him? If I were in his shoes I think I'd be sitting on a beach somewhere in SE Asia about right now, getting ready for my next round of appearance altering surgeries.

You'd better stock up on prunes and chew.

the judge is just waiting for Wacko Jacko to show up in court before he announces the verdict. What do the snaffles know that we don't?

go and camp. if the campground is full then go the BLM campground, which is free. Ask any ranger or stop in at the park office for directions. Most folks at Tracy's in Almo could tell you how to get there, too. You can always call the reservation number and find out how many spots they have left open on the dates you want. I know the weekends often book up a month in advance. when are you going to be there?

Yep. Probably not but wouldn't hurt. Don't know. try searching "city of rocks" for kicks. Here's an example of what you might find: Recommended routes for City of Rocks?

I thought Danny had moved to Colorado awhile back. Did he miss us all enough that he had to move back? Or maybe he's back just long enough for his annual fling with Jen Garner.

Thanks, Bungle. Hell, the memories keep resurfacing, just like bad acid flashbacks. The first time I ever saw anyone lead climb was at Blue Mounds. This 35 to 40 year old yarmulke wearing guy outfitted with a couple sets of nuts and some knotted slings started up this little 5.6 route. He climbed about 5 feet up, prattled on about how bad the crack looked for taking pro, finally wiggled in a little nut he was happy with, made 2 more moves, stuffed a knot on one of his slings into the crack...bitched for another 20 minutes about the pro, made another move, fiddled with a nut hitched directly to a sling (no biner), all the while talking shit....you get the picture. I watched that off and on for an hour and a half while we top roped nearby and was very confused. To top it off, the guy's 15 year old son who was all harnessed up and ready to climb had to endure the whole charade with the proper amount of feigned interest. We called up the 10 feet to Pops and asked if the boy could climb on our rope. The kid was grateful and we earned our karma points that day. I've occasionally wondered if that kid continued to climb. Chaps, was that you?

Watch out for these guys if you explore the tunnels under Tokyo.

Looks like Danny boy had to take the video off his website. I wonder if the rightful owners of the tape objected to it's 'controversial' use.

One of his alter egos is a world-renowned fly fishing record holder.

Hi. My name is Thinker, and I haven't climbed in Minnesota for over 10 years now. I took my fist drink...er, no, my first time climbing was with a midwestern university group and we climbed at Blue Mounds in SW MN. It's a rugged band of cliffs with a gnarly approach blighted by slide alder, no that was just the hangover...it's a pretty little band of cliffs with tons of tourist traffic. Nice single pitch routes on Sioux Quartzite, most are easily toproped, and I didn't see a single bolt there back then. The hard core climbers actually cross the state line into South Dakota (where the strip clubs serve alcohol and the sheep are used to the likes of CPB) and hit another part of the same rock band that's exposed in a little place called Pallisades Park. Don't miss the cultural experience of the nearby Pipestone Monument if you do go to Blue Mounds...killer stealth bouldering there. I should dig up the photos of that trip...there are acutally some hottie college coed shots I should revisit. On my last visit to Blue Mound I ran across a couple of nerds from Minneapolis (Chaps was likely one of them) who told me they were "practicing falling". They were intentionally taking 15 and 20 foot top rope falls to see what it felt like. After watching them take 3 or 4 of them I sauntered away, hoping to be beyond earshot before their rope used up all of its stretch and snapped. Another classic Blue Mounds experience was this dude who sent his girlfriend up a toprope with absolutely no coaching or education. She got about 30 feet off the ground, tired out, couldn't/wouldn't go on, but couldn't bear to let go...she was terribly afraid and crying loudly. My gf at the time soloed up to her and pried her fingers off the rock one by one until Ms Crier swung free... screaming like a banshee all the way. GF soloed back down and we beat another hasty retreat so as to avoid the inevitable domestic violence. Hmmm....now that I think about it, it reminds me alot of X38 without the bolts.

Damn, Marie...between this and the 'married/single' thread you do seem to been in heat. reminds me of this joke my dad sent me this morning about life in Oklahoma: The other day I was in the Quik Shop down on the corner and a local feral drove up in his pick up truck with his dog tied in the back. I noticed he took special care to park it under that big tree on the far side of the lot so that the dog was in the shade. While I was talking to the girl at the counter and the local was gathering up a Coke, etc. a deputy walked in and asked the local if he owned the dog in the truck and he said he did. The officer said "Your dog's in heat" and the local insisted it was not as he'd parked in the shade. The deputy said "No, you don't understand, it wants bred" to which the local feral replied "Ain't hongry for no bread as I fed it some beef jerky about an hour ago". The deputy, against his better judgement, tried once more by saying "Your dog wants sex!" The feral looked him right in the eye and said "Go ahead, I always wanted a police dog". I love these locals and this red dirt, red frogs, and red ants.

so what was the last board cc.com raided? was it the british one with the pseudo-fido-wannabe?

Don't you fret none now, little Marie....I'll get hitched to yous and take good cares of ya.

How about Mt Shasta? take your skis! for Lover's Leap. The routes there gobble up stoppers like Klenke does beers.