j_b

Divide and conquer works with low information voters, especially when you outspend the opposition 8:1 for a 6 point spread.

Estonia's economy is closely intertwined with that of the Nordic shoshalists just 10's of miles away. ~20% of its workforce is employed in Finland. There is ~13% unemployment, and 20% below the poverty line. Huge numbers want to immigrate due to gross inequality and no prospect for advancement. Not really a model that anyone wants to emulate despite neoliberal propaganda to that effect.

Not true. We had sunshine for at least 4 minutes 32 seconds today. It was great!

[video:youtube]v=UQ2UMrl-7Es

Now, to be fair, we get a little bit of summer almost every day.

what's up, doll?

Rain doesn't suck, it spits.

oh dear, a shocker: "free market zealots claim that public infrastructure project will be ruin for all of us"

The numbers simply don't support this statement. The mayors' numbers do support it: http://www.usmayors.org/highspeedrail/documents/report.pdf

Fine, you'd have a few airlines left thanks to subsidized fuel and airport infrastructure.

private capital never gets involved in large projects if there is no government guarantee so it's not really meaningful in this particular case. Do you know what is really expensive? people driving their cars where they could take mass transit that is, in the long term, much cheaper. Your deficit is mostly a revenue problem, not a spending problem (although it could be improved as always). There is no better time to spend on infrastructure than during a depression, especially when that infrastructure will be essential to deal with the fossil fuel and environmental crisis.

Most toll roads are either built with public dollars and/or are financed with federal lines of credit. Maintenance and services are usually paid by taxpayers. Not only will that rail line provide an economic benefit but it'll be cheaper when taking into account all costs of transportation. If airlines weren't bailed out, there would be no airlines.

Connecting the 2 largest cities in California with high speed rail is a great idea. It'll be even better when a line extends all the way to Vancouver BC. Plenty of people will use it, the same way plenty of people use high speed rail in other countries. Rail is fast, and cheaper than both air and road travel especially when external costs are taken into account. Considering the fossil fuel and environmental crises, the high-speed rail option is a no-brainer.

If turning out a direct profit were a pre-requisite, not only would there be no public mass transit but we wouldn't have a highway system. Even airlines have to be periodically bailed out by taxpayers.

Hands down camping at Applebee for the glorious location and scenery. Parking lot is close enough to go down for supplies in a few hours time on a bad weather day.

I am with you but I am not sure the above is entirely consistent ("ability comes in to play"). Although I don't remember the climb very well, Snake dike is R rated.

I can't force myself to begin imagining what these poor people must have gone through. I have been blessed to live a life free of major trauma thus far and I am not one to dwell on what might be, but considering this kind of tragedy makes me nauseated.

well, if it is a 'list', doesn't it mean there will be others?

Although I can't comprehensively define what is runout, I tend to think it is more objective than subjective, i.e. an unprotected 5.2 pitch is runout no matter one's skill level and psychology.

It reads as if it was a horror show. I never had a 120' fracture propagate from setting an anchor. Pretty ballsy rescue mission.

From the number of views for this thread, I don't think you have to worry about being read. Did you ask the owner of that truck what some of the various designs stood for if anything (what about 'ranger' or is it part of the original design showing thru)?

How many established pitches in the Humbugs now? I climbed there over several outings more than 20 years ago (single pitch stuff). We didn't have maps and weren't aware of any development although I assume there was some as the spires are quite visible from the highway. We just did what looked good that didn't require fixed pro. We never saw anybody around but we did see plenty of large wildlife, which sometimes gave us the feeling of being prospective lunch. Good times.

Yeah, right. We'd be so much better off if we only let the drones enforce conformity at will.

because when, for example, I am defending the role that government used to have in the economy against anti-tax/"small government" demagogues, I am only saying bad things? The truth of the matter is you only see what you want to see.

translation: you're not a real liberal if you don't hate america Thank you for sounding like a right wing wingnut and substantiating the point I was making.