billcoe

I was just out toproping with a full sized Beal 11mm rope and a junk pack. It was a 30 foot walk from the car though in an urban area (steal the pack - Please!), the weight meant nothing. That doesn't mean I don't love the fact that short life, very uber light helium weight products are available if I want them! Love em all. Sure, my Beal Joker 9.1 won't last 3 years, and the 11mil above will easily last 5 but most likely 10 years. I'm happy both are available to me. Have to pick and chose for the application.

they said a black man could never be elected as President....100 days into it - Swine Flu. Badabump. (insert rimshot noise here)

F*UK THE POOR! New government motto evidently. I can easily pay this, but will avoid it every chance I get as it's wrong. This is holdover BS from the Reagan years. Pr*cks. Fire their asses and let them get real jobs. From here: LET THEM EAT CAKE AND GET THE HELL OFF THEIR OWN LANDS IF THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT link. "It’s Not Just About the Five Bucks: An area campground becomes a recreation fee case study Written by Mike Bookey Wednesday, 29 April 2009 Up past Smith Rock State Park, on a road lined with farmland and flanked by pine-covered hills on each side, there’s a small brown sign that you’d miss if you weren’t keeping a keen eye out. But it’s a sign that seasoned climbers from Central Oregon and beyond know well. It marks the entrance to the Skull Hollow Campground, a small collection of picnic-table-and-fire-pit camp sites nestled amongst brush and scattered trees. The campground is rather primitive, as far as campgrounds go. Other than the tables and fire pits, the only other amenities are a dirt road that loops through the grounds and a pair of toilets that are basically just pits in the ground and on a recent afternoon were absent of toilet paper. For years, Skull Hollow has been a refuge for weary climbers who spend the days tackling Smith Rock and retreat the roughly eight miles to Skull Hollow to sack down for the night come sundown. And they’ve always done so for free – Skull Hollow hasn’t required a fee, only a 14-day limit on stays. But a public lands advisory committee has recommended that the campground include a $5 nightly per-site fee, and anti-public-land-fee groups, as well as climbers have taken issue with the fact that come May 15, Skull Hollow (which is currently not planned to receive improvements or additional facilities) will no longer be a free campground. Opponents say that their issue with a fee at Skull Hollow isn’t about the five bucks, but rather the increasing prevalence of pay to play on public lands. While the initial fee is minimal, they say the process has major flaws, and in this case is possibly illegal. The recommendation for the fee at Skull Hollow was unanimously passed by the Pacific Northwest Recreation Resource Advisory Committee – a group of volunteer members ranging from guides to state tourism officials who represent different areas of the outdoor recreation arena and make recommendations on new or increased recreation fees on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land – at a January 30 meeting in Portland. Skull Hollow was just one of the sites that was recommended for a new fee or increase at the meeting. The idea of a fee at Skull Hollow has been discussed for years now, and beginning in 2006 the public began writing into the Crooked River National Grasslands (the 110,000-plus-acre, Forest-Service-managed area that encompasses Skull Hollow) to comment on the proposal. In the 29 comments received by the agency, only two were in support of the fee, which is why people like Scott Silver, executive director of Wild Wilderness, a Bend-based non-motorized outdoor recreation group with a national presence, find the decision troubling. “In this case it’s not the $5 that’s my concern. The reason I’m raising concern over this is the way in which the (Pacific Northwest) Rec RAC broke the law in approving this,” says Silver, who has long been a watchdog of what he sees as a move by federal agencies to privatize public lands. He has previously referred to this as the “Disneyfication of the wild” and organized more than 100 protests in 16 different states. Silver says that the committee is required to show that there is “general public support” for an issue before a recommendation should be made. Silver is referring to the committee’s bylaws, Section VI of which requires the committee to “include documentation of general public support” in their recommendations to agency officials for a fee. Kitty Benzar, the president of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition, a Colorado-based group that opposes all fees on public lands, attended the Portland meeting and also objects as to how the committee proceeded in regard to the public comments opposing a fee at Skull Hollow. “The actual proposal documented that almost every comment opposed the increase and we reminded them that under the law they need to see evidence of public support,” Benzar says, who adds that nationwide these types of committees were meant to act as “rubber stamps” for fee increases. Dennis Oliphant lives in Bend and is the owner and founder of rafting guide company Sun Country Tours and is also the chairman of the Pacific Northwest Recreation RAC. Oliphant says that there is a misconception as to the committee’s role when it comes to public commentary and that the committee is making its decision based on a presentation by the Forest Service or BLM at their meetings. “We look at the presentation before us and then make a decision,” Oliphant says, “The important thing to realize here is that this an advisory group and we have no decision-making authority.” Acknowledging that Oliphant is correct that the committee is, in fact, an advisory group, Benzar says that for all intents and purposes, the recommendation of the committee is a final decision. Should the agency wish to overrule a Recreation RAC, the issue would have to be passed on to committees in both the House and Senate. Benzar believes that rather than send the issue up to legislators, Forest Service and BLM secretaries approve recommendations, even if there are concerns about public support of the recommendation. “To me, Skull Hollow has become the poster child for the process. The committee substituted their judgment for the will of the people,” says Benzar, “This is probably the worst single example of [disregard for comments from the public] I’ve ever seen.” Oliphant says that one of the committee’s responsibilities is to make sure the agency has “done their due diligence” in researching the issue, which includes presenting budgetary issues pertinent to the particular site. He also says that sometimes public comments aren’t always the best measure of the correct course of action for the agency. “Most of the time they would get no input or very little input. If 100 percent of the input was opposed and that was two letters – and that’s just an example – the agency has to weigh that decision,” Oliphant says. Benzar reiterates that the argument here is hardly about the actual $5 fee, but more focused on what it means to put any sort of fee on a previously no-fee campground like Skull Hollow. She says that once a site has a fee, it’s common for the agencies to increase that amount as time goes by. “Keep in mind that right now the $5 fees are all going up to $10,” she says, referencing several fee hikes around the region in recent years. Wild Wilderness’ Scott Silver says that now that the Forest Service is in the “business of selling camping,” the agency is looking at private campground fees and adjusting their prices accordingly. Such is the case, he says, with the campgrounds operated locally by Hoodoo Recreation. “What [Hoodoo CEO] Chuck [shepard] is saying to the FS is that you can’t keep the prices artificially low because I can’t raise my prices,” Silver says. In a 2007 letter to Detroit Ranger District, Shepard wrote: “I don’t know why the USFS feels the need to hold the fees lower than the market would say is reasonable…Please do not hold your fees artificially low, this actually hurts the concessionaire model which I know that the national USFS is anxious to have work.” Oliphant says that while he would like to see “free and open lands,” he and other committee members acknowledge that campgrounds like Skull Hollow require money for maintenance and regulation. And while the Forest Service does provide some maintenance at the site, Skull Hollow also receives help from people like Ian Caldwell, a member of the Smith Rock Group. In the past, the non-profit group has provided volunteer maintenance to the campground, including emptying the toilets. In the minutes of the January Recreation RAC meeting, the issue was raised of whether the group would continue to provide this service should Skull Hollow become a fee site. Caldwell says the group has yet to decide how they’ll proceed with their maintenance. “We’ve discussed it a little bit, but if they’re charging a fee to have an employee go out there and do that, there’s not really reason for us to do it,” says Caldwell, who first stayed at Skull Hollow in 1991. Caldwell also illustrates another possible problem that could result from the mere $5-a-night fee at Skull Hollow. “The climbing community is looking for free camping and we recognize that if they don’t have a free camping site they’ll move to another place,” says Caldwell. He believes that climbers and others looking for a free night of camping will simply continue past Skull Hollow and camp off the grid, thus impacting nearby wilderness areas. The issue of recreation fees may soon take the national spotlight with the introduction of a bill by senators Max Baucus (D-Montana) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) that would repeal the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA). Baucus told NewWest.Net last week that “we shouldn’t be taxed twice to go fishing, hiking, or camping on our public lands.” Silver feels that the FLREA, which is sometimes referred to as the Recreation Access Tax (RAT) by opponents, is flawed in that it allows an agency to keep the money it collects, thus creating an increase in incentive to raise fees. But congressional change or not, out at Skull Hollow, likely somewhere near the message board that informs campers of the seemingly loosely enforced 14-day limit, will soon appear a box. And this is where campers can drop their $5 bill."

Oh my....I agree with Scott. The powers that be are way over hyping this. It is just a regular flu that some unfortunate folks in Mexico that did not have access to treatment died from. Well, it's not a regular flu. It could possibly get out of control and rapidly spread and kill more people than a war in a much shorter time period. That's one reason. This one kills much like the "Spanish Flu" of 1918 did, by drowning in fluids. Same demographic as well, the strong, not infants and old people.

"By Allen Thomas | The Vancouver Columbian • Published April 01, 2009 Future of popular Cape Horn trail is up to Forest Service STEVENSON – The U.S. Forest Service says it will announce by summer the future of the scenic Cape Horn trail in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The agency has vetted four alternatives for the 7.8-mile route, which was created by hiking enthusiasts on federal land and private conservation trust lands over the past decade in western Skamania County. The trail starts at the park-and-ride lot at the junction of state Highway 14 and Salmon Falls Road and climbs to Pioneer Point atop Cape Horn. It then drops to spectacular bluffs above the Columbia River and passes underneath a waterfall before ending at the bottom of Cape Horn Road. Hikers then must walk 1.3 miles up the road to complete the loop. "It's become a popular place,'' said Stan Hinatsu, recreation manager for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. "It's likely to become more popular.'' But several problems exist with the current trail location, he said. Among the troubles are poorly designed switchbacks, viewpoints and wet-area crossings, but, most importantly, the trail's proximity to a peregrine falcon nesting site. The four alternatives identified by the Forest Service include: • No action • The existing trail would not be designated as a formal Forest Service trail, although some work to fix problems would be necessary. • Seasonal closure • The current trail would see some rerouting, plus there would be parking areas at Canyon Creek and Strunk roads; two underpasses of Highway 14; viewpoints at Pioneer Point and Cigar Rock, and a bridge to avoid passing underneath the waterfall. But this alternative includes closing the portion of the trail south of state Highway 14 from Jan. 1 through July 31 to avoid disturbing the peregrine falcon nest. During the closure, signs and barricades would be placed at state Highway 14 and Cape Horn Road, Hinatsu said. The Forest Service would patrol intermittently, initially issuing warnings, but eventually citations, he said. The bluffs and waterfall part of the trail south of Highway 14 would be eliminated. A portion of the trail south of Highway 14 would remain, plus the stretch north of Highway 14 leading to the parking spot at the junction of Salmon Falls and Canyon Creek roads. The trail would not connect to the park-and-ride lot on Highway 14. The portion of the trail south of Highway 14 would continue as far as the waterfall. Hikers then would have to retrace their route back to parking at Strunk Road, Canyon Creek Road or Highway 14. David Anderson, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, said the Cape Horn peregrine nest site is one of three on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge. Pergrines are no longed listed under the Endangered Species Act, but are a sensitive species, he said. "We don't know at what level of disturbance will cause these birds to abandon a site,'' Anderson said. The sites are not monitored annually, because of staffing limits, he said. The Cape Horn site was checked most recently in 2006. Dan Huntington, a leading advocate of the Cape Horn trail, noted that since 1982, Washington has had great success in recovering the peregrine population. Anderson countered that in the gorge the recovery largely has been on the Oregon side, which has more open cliffs and shady nesting sites, which are preferred by peregrines. "We're looking at half a trail half the year,'' Huntington said. Darryl Lloyd of Hood River said the Highway 14 roadside public viewpoint, with its constant flow of people getting out of their cars, is closer to the falcon nest site than the trail below. Dan Harkenrider, scenic area manager, said the Forest Service will analyze the alternatives and issue an environmental assessment in May. That will be followed by a 30-day comment period, then his final decision. Harkenrider's decision can be appealed to the Forest Service regional office in Portland. "It's not an easy choice to make,'' Harkenrider said. "It's not a choice of right or wrong.'' from http://www.theolympian.com

Might have folks turn down their volume first. Besides, I thought it was going to be an Ann Coulter bash anyway. Whoooooo...is that horsesh*t there?

A worthy read fer sure rj!

Whiners and nitpickers - but check out the last line of the 2nd link I posted (the very last sentence) LOL!!!!! Somebody's f*ing with us all. Very interesting piece from Dick Morris - don't know if he's pimping for Hillary, (former Clinton adviser) that wouldn't make sense to me. http://thehill.com "Obama sows seeds of demise By Dick Morris Posted: 04/28/09 05:45 PM [ET] When the Obama administration crashes and burns, with approval ratings that fall through the floor, political scientists can trace its demise to its first hundred days. While Americans are careful not to consign a presidency they desperately need to succeed to the dustbin of history, the fact is that this president has moved — on issue after issue — in precisely the opposite direction of what the people want him to do. Right now, Obama’s ratings must be pleasing to his eye. Voters like him and his wife immensely and approve of his activism in the face of the economic crisis. While polls show big doubts about what he is doing, the overwhelming sense is to let him have his way and pray that it works. But beneath this superficial support, Obama’s specific policies run afoul of the very deeply felt convictions of American voters. For example, the most recent Rasmussen Poll asked voters if they wanted an economic system of complete free enterprise or preferred more government involvement in managing the economy. By 77-19, they voted against a government role, up seven points from last month. And in the Fox News poll — the very same survey that gave Obama a 62 percent approval rating and reported that 68 percent of voters are “satisfied” with his first hundred days — voters, by 50-38, supported a smaller government that offered fewer services over a larger government that provided more. By 42-8, the Fox News poll (conducted on April 22-23) found that voters felt Obama had expanded government rather than contracted it (42 percent said it was the same size) and, by 46-30, reported believing that big government was more of a danger to the nation than big business. (By 50-23, they said Obama felt big business was more dangerous.) By 62-20, they said government spending, under Obama, was “out of control.” So if voters differ so fundamentally with the president on the very essence of his program, why do they accord him high ratings? They are like the recently married bride who took her vows 100 days ago. It would be a disaster for her life if she decides that she really doesn’t like her husband. But she keeps noticing things about him that she can’t stand. It will be a while before she walks out the door or even comes to terms with her own doubts, but it is probably inevitable that she will. For Americans to conclude that they disapprove of their president in the midst of an earth-shaking crisis is very difficult. But as Obama’s daily line moves from “I inherited this mess” to “There are faint signs of light,” the clock starts ticking. If there is no recovery for the next six months — and I don’t think there will be — Obama will inevitably become part of the problem, not part of the solution. And then will come his heavy lifting. He has yet to raise taxes, regiment healthcare or provide amnesty for illegal immigrants. He hasn’t closed down the car companies he now runs and he has not yet forced a 50 percent hike in utility bills with his cap-and-trade legislation. These are all the goodies he has in store for us all. Obama’s very activism these days arrogates to himself the blame for the success or failure of his policies. Their outcome will determine his outcome, and there is no way it will be positive. Why? • You can’t borrow as much as he will need to without raising interest rates that hurt the economy; • The massive amount of spending will trigger runaway inflation once the economy starts to recover; • His overhaul of the tax code (still in the planning phases) and his intervention in corporate management will create such business uncertainty that nobody will invest in anything until they see the lay of the land; • His bank program is designed to help banks, but not to catalyze consumer lending. And his proposal for securitization of consumer loans won’t work and is just what got us into this situation. So Mr. Obama should enjoy his poll numbers while he may." _______________________________________________________________ -and- "100 DAYS, 100 MISTAKES Posted: 12:38 pm April 25, 2009 1. "Obama criticized pork barrel spending in the form of 'earmarks,' urging changes in the way that Congress adopts the spending proposals. Then he signed a spending bill that contains nearly 9,000 of them, some that members of his own staff shoved in last year when they were still members of Congress. 'Let there be no doubt, this piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability,' Obama said." -- McClatchy, 3/11 2. "There is no doubt that we've been living beyond our means and we're going to have to make some adjustments." -- Obama during the campaign. MORE: Obama's First 100 Days in Photos 3. This year's budget deficit: $1.5 trillion. 4. Asks his Cabinet to cut costs in their departments by $100 million -- a whopping .0027%! 5. "The White House says the president is unaware of the tea parties." -- ABC News, 4/15 6. "Mr. Obama is an accomplished orator but is becoming known in America as the 'teleprompt president' over his reliance on the machine when he gives a speech." -- Sky News, 3/18 7. In early February, the 2010 census was moved out of the Department of Commerce and into the White House, politicizing how federal aid is distributed and electoral districts are drawn. 8. Obama taps Nancy Killefer for a new administration job, First Chief Performance Officer -- to police government spending. But it surfaces that Killefer had performance issues of her own -- a tax lien was slapped on her DC home in 2005 for failure to pay unemployment compensation tax on household help. She withdrew. 9. Turkey tried to block the appointment of Anders Fogh Rasmussen as new NATO secretary general because he didn't properly punish the Danish cartoonist who caricatured Mohammed. France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Angela Merkel were outraged; Obama said he supported Turkey's induction into the European Union. 10. . . . and he never mentioned the Armenian genocide. 11. The picture of Obama and Hugo Chavez shaking hands. 12. Hugo Chavez gave him the anti-American screed "The Open Veins of Latin America." Obama didn't remark upon it. At least it wasn't DVDs. 13. Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega went on a 50-minute anti-American rant, calling Obama "president of an empire." Obama didn't leave the room. "I thought it was 50 minutes long. That's what I thought," he said. 14. Executives at AIG get $165 million in bonuses, despite receiving an $173 billion taxpayer bailout. 15. "For months, the Obama administration and members of Congress have known that insurance giant AIG was getting ready to pay huge bonuses while living off government bailouts. It wasn't until the money was flowing and news was trickling out to the public that official Washington rose up in anger and vowed to yank the money back." -- Associated Press, 3/18 16. "After pushing Congress for weeks to hurry up and pass the massive $787 billion stimulus bill, President Obama promptly took off for a three-day holiday getaway." -- New York Post, 2/15 17. MEGHAN CLYNE ON: "I WON" AND THE DEATH OF BIPARTISANSHIP "Obama soared to victory on the hopeful promise of a new era of bipartisanship. During his inaugural address he even promised an 'end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.' "Too bad it took all of three days for the promise to ring hollow. "Start with Obama's big meeting with top congressional leaders on his signature legislation -- the stimulus -- on the Friday after his inauguration. Listening to Republican concerns about overspending was a nice gesture -- until he shut down any hopes of real dialogue by crassly telling Republican leaders: 'I won.' Even the White House's leaking of the comment was a slap at the Republican leadership, who'd expected Obama to adhere to the custom of keeping private meetings with congressional leadership, well, private. "It's only gone downhill from there. The stimulus included zero Republican recommendations, and failed to get a single House Republican vote. "It's not just the tactic of using Republicans for bipartisan photo-ops, and then cutting them loose before partisan decisions, that irks Obama's opponents. The new president wasted no time rushing forward with policies and legislation guaranteed to drive Republicans nuts. The first bill he signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- a partisan hot-button that drew all of eight Republican supporters in the entire Congress. Then there was the swift reversal of Bush policies on abortion and embryonic-stem-cell research -- issues dear to the Republican base. "And when Obama and the Democrats in Congress took up SCHIP -- the children's health-insurance bill that Republicans say vastly expands government's role in health care -- they had an easy chance for real bipartisanship. After all, the bill had been hashed out in the previous Congress, and a bipartisan accord was reached before President Bush responded with a veto. Did the Obama team push for the compromise version in the 111th Congress? Nope. They went back to the drawing board, ramming through the Democrats' dream version. "Of course, the lack of bipartisanship isn't limited to Capitol Hill. Obama has taken gratuitous swipes at the Republicans who recently decamped Washington, blaming President Bush for everything from the economy and the war to the lack of sufficient puppies and rainbows. And who could forget the Rush Limbaugh flap -- in which Obama's top advisers, including chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, orchestrated a public relations campaign meant to undermine the Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele, by framing talk-radio personality Limbaugh as the real head of the Republican Party. "For now, Obama's back-pedal on the bipartisanship promise just makes him look insincere. But the real consequences of the mistake will be felt soon enough. As Presidents Bush and Clinton could tell him, congressional majorities do change -- and at some point, Obama will need Republicans on his side. He'd be smart to spend his second 100 days making up for the serious snubs of his first." -- Meghan Clyne is a DC-based writer. 18. "The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned or suffering from the psychological effects of war is being replicated today." -- Department of Homeland Security intelligence report 19. Nixes a "buy American" provision in the stimulus bill. 20. "Yes, Canada is not Mexico, it doesn't have a drug war going on. Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country across a border, it's been across the Canadian border. There are real issues there." -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The 9/11 hijackers did not come across the Canada border 21. "The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay for overhauling the health care system. The proposal is politically problematic for President Obama, however, since it is similar to one he denounced in the presidential campaign as 'the largest middle-class tax increase in history.' " -- New York Times, 3/14 22. JOE SCARBOROUGH ON: PROMOTING FEAR "During his historic inaugural speech, Barack Obama promised to usher in a transformational age where hope would replace fear, unity would overtake partisanship, and change would sweep aside the status quo. But early in President Obama's first 100 days it is obvious that the only thing that is changing is the Candidate of Change, himself. "The same politician who proclaimed during his inauguration that 'on this day we have chosen hope over fear' soon warned Americans that the US economy would be forever destroyed if the stimulus bill was voted down. "Why was it that same man who promised to put Americans' interests ahead of his own political ambitions chose instead to use the suffering of citizens to advance his agenda? "Maybe he was following the guidance of Rahm Emanuel, who famously said, 'You never want to waste a good crisis.' "They didn't. "The White House's warnings were so over-the-top that Bill Clinton felt compelled to warn the new president against making such grim pronouncements. Americans would quickly warn that the White House would not channel FDR's eternal optimism but rather embrace the gloomy worldview of Edgar Allen Poe. "The Candidate of Hope also quickly adopted the Nixonian worldview that Americans voted their fears rather than their hopes. Over Mr. Obama's first 100 days, that cynical calculation paid off politically for a White House that seemed most interested in appeasing the most liberal members of his Democratic Party. "I expected more from Barack Obama. For the sake of my country, I hope I get it from the new president over the next 100 days." -- Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and author of "The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise" (Crown Forum), due out June 9. 23. Sanjay Gupta was in discussions to become Surgeon General, but the TV personality withdrew after he was criticized for his flimsy political record. 24. Rasmussen finds 58% of Americans believe the Obama administration's release of CIA memos endangers the national security of the United States. 25. Only 28% think the Obama administration should do any further investigating of how the Bush administration treated terrorism suspects. 26. "Obama thanked CIA employees for their work and said they're invaluable to national security. He explained his decision to release the memos, then told everyone not to feel bad because he was now acknowledging potential mistakes. Theirs, not his. 'That's how we learn,' Obama said, as though soothing a room full of fourth-graders." -- The Oklahoman, 4/23 27. By releasing the torture memos, Obama opened American citizens up to international tribunals. A UN lawyer said the US is obliged to prosecute lawyers who drafted the memos or else violate the Geneva Conventions. 28. In their first meeting, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave Obama a carved ornamental penholder from the timbers of the anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet. Obama gave him 25 DVDs that don't work in Europe. 29. TIM CARNEY ON: PICKING BILL RICHARDSON AS SECRETARY OF COMMERCE "Richardson's value in Obama's Cabinet had everything to do with appearances. First, he was the Hispanic pick. Second, because Richardson had run against Obama for President, tapping him for the Cabinet helped the media write the Obama-Lincoln comparisons by burnishing the 'Team of Rivals' image. "But Richardson withdrew before Obama was even inaugurated when news came out about a criminal investigation involving David Rubin, president of a firm named Chambers, Dunhill, Rubin & Co. (although there was no Chambers or Dunhill), who had donated at least $110,000 to Richardson's campaign committees and had also profited from $1.5 million in contracts from the state government. "This was an early warning sign about Obama's vetting process (various tax problems and the Daschle problem would reveal this as a theme), but picking Richardson to run Commerce also highlighted that Obama and Richardson's promise of 'public-private partnerships' -- such as Detroit bailouts, Wall Street bailouts, and green energy--was an open door for corruption and was at odds with Obama's promise to diminish the influence of lobbyists. "The Richardson mistake was one of Obama's first, and it was emblematic. Richardson embodied Obama's attention to self-image and the problems inherent in his vision of an intimate business-government connection." -- Tim Carney is a Washington Examiner columnist 30. Timothy Geithner nomination as Secretary of Treasury was almost torpedoed when it was discovered he had failed to pay $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes. He also employed an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper. He was confirmed anyway. 31. . . . Not so lucky, Annette Nazareth, who was nominated for Deputy Treasury Secretary. She withdrew her name for undisclosed "personal reasons" after a monthlong probe into her taxes . . . 32. . . . or Caroline Atkinson, who withdrew as nominee for Undersecretary of International Affairs in Treasury Department, with a source blaming the long vetting process. Geithner still has a skeleton crew at Treasury, with no one qualified -- or willing -- to take jobs there. 33. "Barack Obama has been embroiled in a cronyism row after reports that he intends to make Louis Susman, one of his biggest fundraisers, the new US ambassador in London. The selection of Mr. Susman, a lawyer and banker from the president's hometown of Chicago, rather than an experienced diplomat, raises new questions about Mr Obama's commitment to the special relationship with Britain." -- Telegraph, 2/22 34. Obama's doom-and-gloom comments and budget bill push the Dow below 7,000, from which it's only recently recovered. 35. "You're sitting here. And you're -- you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at this and say, 'I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money--' How do you deal with -- I mean: Explain. Are you punch-drunk?" -- Steve Kroft, "60 Minutes," 3/22 36. "We have begun to modernize 75% of all federal building space, which has the potential to reduce long-term energy costs by billions of dollars on behalf of taxpayers. We are providing grants to states to help weatherize hundreds of thousands of homes, which will save the families that benefit about $350 each year. That's like a $350 tax cut." -- Obama, describing something that doesn't cut taxes. 37. "The Obama administration has directed defense officials to sign a pledge stating they will not share 2010 budget data with individuals outside the federal government." -- Defense News, 2/19 38. Backtracking on a campaign promise he made to black farmers, Obama significantly lowered the amount of money they could claim in a discrimination settlement against the Agricultural Department. "I can't figure out for the life of me why the president wouldn't want to implement a bill that he fought for as a US senator," said John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers Association. 39. "I've been practicing bowling. I bowled a 129. It was like the Special Olympics or something." -- Obama on "The Tonight Show" 40. Obama lifts travel and remittance restrictions on Cuba. 41. Obama considers dropping the embargo on Cuba. 42. After warming signs from Raul Castro, Fidel Castro says Obama "misinterpreted" his brother's words, and that Cuba would not be willing to negotiate about human rights. 43. Obama is considering dropping a key demand to Iran, allowing it to keep nuclear facilities open during negotiations. 44. In a letter to Dmitri Medvedev, Obama offered to drop plans for a missile shield in Europe in exchange for Russia's help in resolving the nuclear weapons issue in Iran. 45. Medvedev said he would not "haggle" on Iran and the missile shield. 46. Obama asked Congress for an extra $83.4 billion to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, a special funding measure of the kind he opposed while in the senate. As a candidate, Obama promised to cut the cost of military operations. 47. After trying to woo Europe as the "anti-Bush," Obama made an impassioned plea for more troops in Afghanistan. "Europe should not simply expect the United States to shoulder that burden alone," he said. "This is a joint problem it requires a joint effort." Only the UK offered substantial help, most others refused. 48. "While the online question portion of the White House town hall was open to any member of the public with an Internet connection, the five fully identified questioners called on randomly by the president in the East Room were anything but a diverse lot. They included: a member of the pro-Obama Service Employees International Union, a member of the Democratic National Committee who campaigned for Obama among Hispanics during the primary; a former Democratic candidate for Virginia state delegate who endorsed Obama last fall in an op-ed in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star; and a Virginia businessman who was a donor to Obama's campaign in 2008." -- Washington Post, 3/27 49. Obama bows to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at a G-20 meeting in London. 50. "It wasn't a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he's taller than King Abdullah." -- An Obama aide 51. DANA PERINO ON: REMAINING IN CAMPAIGN MODE "Has it really only been 100 days? In many ways it feels like a lot longer. "That's partly because the new administration remains in campaign mode most of the time. Now that's not in itself a bad thing if you can do that and accomplish your agenda. But what's happened is that a popular new president has laid out a very bold agenda in the midst of an economic crisis, and I don't think Congress is going to get a lot of work done on those big ticket items this year. They'll eke out a couple of small wins on issues like healthcare and maybe energy, but the Democrats will hail them as big victories. The Republicans have been working like a cohesive and loyal opposition party, and they need to continue to outline positive new ideas like the recent one to help grow American's savings. "The early stumbles on the administration's high profile nominations -- Daschle and Richardson for just to examples -- acted like weights around their ankles. In addition, the partisan shots from the White House were unbecoming and I don't think we'll see more of that. Our allies and our enemies -- heck, even we ourselves -- are trying to understand the new foreign policy direction, which in some ways seems to be change just for the sake of change. The next moves by the leaders of other countries -- like Iran, North Korea and Venezuela -- probably will prove that really not much will change just because America has a new president. "In many ways, it's the next 100 days that will tell us more about our new president and what he'll be able to accomplish than we can forecast based on the first 100 days." -- Dana Perino was White House press secretary in the Bush Administration 52. "We can't afford to make perfect the enemy of the absolutely necessary." -- Obama, describing the stimulus bill 53. Three candidates for ambassador to the Vatican -- including Caroline Kennedy -- were turned down by the Holy See because they supported abortion, according to reports. 54. After saying he wouldn't have lobbyists in his administration, Obama made 17 exceptions in the first two weeks in office. 55. . . . including Tom Daschle, who worked as a top lobbyist yet was going to be appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services -- until his failure to pay income taxes derailed his nomination. 56. For an April 14 speech at Georgetown, the administration asked the university to cover up all signs and symbols -- including the letters "IHS" in gold, a symbol for Jesus. 57. Samantha Power, who resigned from the Obama campaign after calling Hillary Rodham Clinton a "monster," was hired to a position on the National Security Council. 58. "Chicago has yet to recoup the $1.74 million cost of President Obama's victory celebration in Grant Park -- despite a burgeoning $50.5 million budget shortfall that threatens more layoffs and union concessions." -- Chicago Sun-Times, 2/20 59. Firing Rick Wagoner as president of GM. 60. Threatening to fire Vikram Pandit as CEO of Citigroup. 61. Threatening to fire anyone the administration doesn't like from any company. 62. Not adopting a dog from a shelter. 63. "The GAO study asserts that officials from most of the states surveyed 'expressed concerns regarding the lack of Recovery Act funding provided for accountability and oversight. Due to fiscal constraints, many states reported significant declines in the number of oversight staff -- limiting their ability to ensure proper implementation and management of Recovery Act funds.' " -- ABC News, 4/23 64. "The National Newspaper Publishers Association named Obama 'Newsmaker of the Year.' The president is to receive the award from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House ceremony this afternoon. The Obama White House has closed the press award ceremony to the press." -- Los Angeles Times, 3/20 65. "Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards." -- Attorney General Eric Holder 66. "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances." -- Obama, on consulting with only "living" presidents 67. Obama quietly announced that he would not press for new labor and environmental regulations in the North American Free Trade Agreement, going back on a campaign promise. 68. NICOLE GELINAS ON: MISSPENT STIMULUS "One of Obama's most poignant missed opportunities was in not using the historic $787 million stimulus package to reorder state and local government's spending priorities. As states and cities continue to spend ceaselessly and without results on education and healthcare, they're crowding out investments in the physical infrastructure that the private sector needs to rebuild the economy. "In the stimulus, of the more than $200 billion that went directly to states and cities, nearly 70% went to education and healthcare spending. Only 24% went to infrastructure spending. "But the states and cities in the most trouble already spend way too much on education and healthcare, pushing taxes up and sending private industry away. They don't spend nearly enough on infrastructure, which attracts the private sector and builds the real economy. "As David Walker, former comptroller general of the US, said at the Regional Plan Association's annual meeting a week ago, nationwide, we are the 'highest in the world' on education. We are 'the highest in the world' on healthcare. 'Nobody comes even close.' On infrastructure, by contrast, we are 'below average' in both critical new investments and in much-needed maintenance spending. "And, as Democratic governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell said at the same conference, when President Dwight Eisenhower left office, infrastructure spending was about 12.5% of non-military domestic spending. Today, it's about 2.5%. "This shortfall is obvious to anyone who's ridden on an "express train" to the outer boroughs or driven on the Cross Bronx Expressway recently. But in New York, as elsewhere, the stimulus money has just allowed the state to ramp up spending on its wasteful, inhumane Medicaid program and its nosebleed public-school spending. "Meanwhile, the subways are about to crumble into oblivion -- taking the economy with them. The same is true of decaying infrastructure in California and in aging states across the nation. "The stimulus was a once-in-a-generation chance to change this. Instead, it made the situation worse." -- Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor to City Journal 69. "The Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to overrule Michigan v. Jackson, the 1986 Supreme Court decision that held that if police may not interrogate a defendant after the right to counsel has attached, if the defendant has a lawyer or has requested a lawyer. This isn't the first time the Justice Department, under President Obama, has sought to limit defendants' rights." -- TalkLeft blog 70. "By any measure, my administration has inherited a fiscal disaster." -- Obama 71. "Ahh, see. I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here." -- Brushing off questions from the White House press corps 72. On Earth Day, Obama took two flights on Air Force One and four on Marine One to get to Iowa, burning more than 9,000 gallons of fuel. 73. "President Obama's plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs for the treatment of troops injured in service has infuriated veterans groups who say the government is morally obligated to pay for service-related medical care." -- Fox News, 3/17 74. "And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it." -- Obama during his first State Of The Union address. A German invented the automobile 75. RALPH PETERS ON: FUMBLING IN AFGHANISTAN, FAKING IT IN PAKISTAN "We're squandering blood and treasure in Afghanistan. Instead of concentrating fiercely on the vital task of destroying al Qaeda and its friends, the Obama administration's determined to erect a modern nation where no nation exists. Afghanistan isn't a country. It's a dysfunctional reservation inhabited by tribes that hate each other. There's no 'Afghan' identity. And even if our blind-to-reality efforts succeeded perfectly, the result would be meaningless. "Except as a target range where we can gun down terrorists, Afghanistan doesn't matter. Next door, Pakistan matters immensely. But we don't know what to do about it. With 170 million anti-American Muslims descending into chaos as Pashtuns, Baluchis, Punjabis, Sindhis and others claw each other over the country's shabby remains, Pakistan's corrupt president shrugs, its military cowers, its loathsome intelligence services collude with Islamist extremists, and the safety of its nuclear weapons grows doubtful. "Pakistan may be this generation's chamber of horrors. "The Obama administration's response? Drill more wells in the Afghan countryside. Dramatically reinforce our troops in Afghanistan, sticking them with an impossible mission of modernizing a pre-medieval landscape while exposing them at the end of an insecure 1,500-mile supply line through, of all places, Pakistan. "As for Pakistan itself, the Obama administration wants to send billions of dollars to a thieving government that makes Nigeria's look like a Quaker meeting and to hand Pakistan's military more arms -- weapons that might soon be used against us. "Pakistan was a bad idea when it was created in 1947. It's a worse one now. Afghanistan wasn't even an idea, just an accident of where other borders ended. We can't 'save' either one -- because neither wants to be saved on our terms. "Obama said the right things -- that Afghanistan isn't Iraq and that our goal should be the destruction of al Qaeda. But his policies just regurgitate our Iraq strategy (one he opposed) in a profoundly different context, while ambitious generals echo Vietnam-era calls for more forces. "Our troops will do whatever we ask, to the best of their magnificent abilities. But we should ask them to do things that make sense. We need creative strategic thought, but we're succumbing to sheer inertia. And the president's supporters who howled that we should abandon Iraq to concentrate on their candidate's 'good war' don't seem to be volunteering to do any fighting. Menwhle, our presient's trpped himself inside his own campaign promiseing, Vietnam!" -- Ralph Peters is the author of "Looking for Trouble: Adventures in a BeW" 77. "President Obama failed to consult Congress, as promised, before carving out exceptions to the omnibus spending bill he signed into law -- breaking his own signing-statement rules two days after issuing them -- and raised questions among lawmakers and committees who say the president's objections are unclear at best and a power grab at worst." -- Washington Times, 3/24 78. Adolfo Carrion was confirmed as Director of White House Office of Urban Affairs, but is serving under a cloud after allegations that he accepted thousands of dollars in cash from developers whose projects he approved. 79. KYLE SMITH ON: GOING AFTER RUSH LIMBAUGH "Every so often an unfocused athlete forgets about the field of play and climbs into the stands. Ty Cobb did it. Ron Artest did it. Maybe no one did it with more sick flir than the greasy, furious Hanson Brothers who, in 'Slap Shot,' climbed into the stands to give a beatdown to a fan. "In March, Barack Obama sent his own personal Hanson Brothers, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and spokesman Robert Gibbs, out to attack a non-politician -- Rush Limbaugh -- who was sitting innocently in the stands jeering the action. Limbaugh didn't even throw a cup of beer. "Senior White House staffers, who have already fallen into the classic trap of paying more attention to polls than fixing the country's problems, had become obsessed with surveys showing that Limbaugh was an unpopular figure with swing voters. Pretty soon Emanuel and Gibbs developed Limbaugh Tourette's. To paraphrase Joe Biden's witty putdown of Rudy Giuliani, for a few days every sentence they uttered contained three things: a subject, a verb and Rush Limbaugh. "El Rushbo, chuckling over his cigar as his ratings skyrocketed, could not have been more pleased if a picture had emerged of Obama wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt and burning the American flag on Harvard Square. Even that portion of the public that doesn't like Rush squirmed at the embarrassing spectacle of the president's men going all Mean Girls on an entertainer. George W. Bush's spokesmen maintained a dignified silence about Michael Moore. Picture them fanning out over the Sunday talk shows to denounce, and drive up the box-office receipts of, 'Fahrenheit 9/11.' Wouldn't you have loved that, Michael?" -- Kyle Smith is a Post columnist 80. Forced banks that didn't want TARP money to take it, then added on stipulations about pay and government control after the fact. Secretly forced Bank of America to buy Merrill Lynch, then allowed the bank to be criticized for overpaying. 81. "More than 90% of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United States," Obama said in Mexico, yet factcheck.org says, "The figure represents only the percentage of crime guns that have been submitted by Mexican officials and traced by U.S. officials. We can find no hard data on the total number of guns actually 'recovered in Mexico,' but US and Mexican officials both say that Mexico recovers more guns that it submits for tracing. Therefore, the percentage of guns 'recovered' and traced to US sources necessarily is less than 90%." 82. Obama: "[Jim Owens, the CEO of Caterpillar, Inc.], said that if Congress passes our plan, this company will be able to rehire some of the folks who were just laid off." Jim Owens: "I think realistically no. The truth is we're going to have more layoffs before we start hiring again." 83. "In America, there is a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive." -- Obama in Strasbourg, France 84. Joe Biden: "If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, if we stand up there and we really make the tough decisions, there's still a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong." 85. Joe Biden: "You all worked for change. You wanted to see change. Well, that wasn't a hard thing to try to communicate to the American people. Obviously, obviously, we needed a change almost no matter who was running." 86. Joe Biden: "You know, I'm embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number? I should have it in front of me and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed." 87. "There are more than 6.5 million trucks in the United States. The program Congress terminated allowed 97 Mexican trucks to roam among them. Ninety-seven! Shutting them out not only undermines NAFTA. It caused Mexico to retaliate with tariffs on 90 goods affecting $2.4 billion in U.S. trade coming out of 40 states." -- Charles Krauthammer, 3/20 88. DAVID M. DRUCKER ON: BOWING TO CONGRESS "Although the president possesses enormous political capital -- both because of high approval ratings and because his administration is still in its infancy -- he has generally declined to exercise it with Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, including when it comes to crafting legislation key to moving his agenda forward. "Rather he has allowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) to craft legislation as they see fit -- even though the very bills in question were proposed by the president and involve key planks in his agenda. Among them were Obama's signature $787 billion economic stimulus bill, his first major piece of legislation that was signed into law in February; and now health care reform, currently being negotiated on Capitol Hill with minimal input from the White House. "This soft-pedal style of leadership runs the risk of forcing Obama to embrace legislation constructed for narrow partisan interests rather than in a manner capable of garnering broad bipartisan support. Over time, the public might come to see Obama's deference to Pelosi and Reid as a weakness of leadership not befitting a president in tough times." -- David M. Drucker is a staff writer for Roll Call 89. "It has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census, there are irresolvable conflicts for me." -- Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who became the second failed Commerce Secretary nominee 90. In the third sentence of his first speech as president, Obama said, "44 Americans have now taken the presidential oath." The correct number is 43, as Grover Cleveland served twice. 91. The $49 million inauguration -- triple what taxpayers spent at Bush's first inauguration. 92. Giving the Queen of England an iPod full of his own speeches. 93. Three prime-time briefings in his first 100 days, eating into television revenues and this Wednesday pre-empting "American Idol." 94. "The United States government has no interest in running GM. Your [GM] warranty will be safe. In fact, it will be safer than it's ever been, because starting today, the United States government will stand behind your warranty." -- Obama 95. GM is given $15.4 billion in loans from the government. 96. The Obama Administration is trying to scuttle a lawsuit filed in federal court against Iran by former US embassy hostages. The lawsuit alleges that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was one of the hostage-takers who interrogated the captives. 97. GLENN BECK ON: BAD ECONOMIC PREDICTIONS "Ten days before his inauguration, the President's chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, Christina Rohmer, released a report describing what to expect economically during the first 100 days and beyond. It presented two starkly different scenarios: one good (if the stimulus were to be passed), and one terrifyingly bad (if we did nothing). Amazingly, the report estimated that if the stimulus package were to pass, the unemployment rate would not go above 8% at any time until at least 2014. "It's already at 8.5%. "In fact, while there is an acknowledged level of uncertainty, the projections estimated that the unemployment rate would be lower today if we had done nothing at all. This suggests one of two things: either the administration misjudged the seriousness of our economic problems, or the stimulus plan is actually making things worse. I suspect it's a little of both. "Remember, when the President's budget was released, he was roundly criticized for his never ending deficits, even under his own optimistic scenarios for growth. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected deficits that were even uglier. But, if the President and his economic planners were this far off, this soon, how much worse does the future look now? "The election was supposed to bring 'change,' but I was hoping for more than the letter after the President's name, the positivity of the media coverage, and the hypoallergenic qualities of the White House puppy. President Obama didn't get us into this situation, but so far he's doubling down on the same spending philosophy that did. Common sense tells us that new debt is not the cure for old debt. No matter what the slogans say, that won't change in 100 days or 100 years." -- Glenn Beck is the host of the "Glenn Beck" show, weekdays at 5 p.m. on Fox News. 98. "Education Secretary Arne Duncan has decided not to admit any new students to the D.C. voucher program, which allows low-income children to attend private schools ... For all the talk about putting children first, it's clear that the special interests that have long opposed vouchers are getting their way." -- Washington Post, 4/11 99. Obama enrolled his daughters in a DC private school. 100. "Don't think we're not keeping score, brother." -- Obama to Rep. Peter DeFazio, after the Democratic congressman voted against the stimulus bill. Due to an editing error, a portion of this piece originally was improperly credited to Sarah Palin, when it should have been attributed to Meghan Clyne."

Curious for sure....WTF is this all about? "The huge aircraft, which functions as Air Force One when the president is aboard, was taking part in a classified, government-sanctioned photo shoot,"........... "New York Police Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne said the department had been alerted to the flight by the federal agency "with directives to local authorities not to disclose information about it.""

LOL! Considering the alternative paths and the hole he had handed to him, this hasn't been as bad as it could have been. I mean, at least the Uber loser Bill Richardson didn't get in the cabinet. I think a lot of the bad stuff people think is occurring is actually inside of their minds and their own fears of the future running wild. I'd give the man a solid B+ at least. (graded on the curve) still plenty of time for it to all go to shit. Someones always got something to complain about, just like Bush, media makes money by complaining, even staunch Dems like these who have 100 bitches about the first 100 days: http://www.nypost.com -100_days__100_mistakes Expect it to go to total shit soon if history is any guide. I would urge yo all to remember what is truly of importance to you, and don't get whipsawed by the media (again)

We just talkin' about gear or is we trying to sell it Matt? (insert price here- $____.__)

I received this in my in basket today and thought I'd share with you folks. "Schools are finally starting to teach practical > math that these kids can use in real-world situations! > It's about time! > > > > NAME____________________ > > GANG/CREW NAME______________ > > CRIB_________________ > > > 1. Ramon has an AK-47 with a 200-round clip. He usually > misses 6 of every 10 shots and he uses 13 rounds per > drive-by shootin. How many mofos can Ramon ice on a > drive-by before he gotta reload? > > 2. Leroy has 2 ounces of cocaine. If he sells an 8 ball to > Antonio for $320 and 2 grams to Juan for $85 per gram, what > be the street value of the rest of his shit? > > 3. Dwayne pimps 3 ho's. If the price is $85 per trick, > how many tricks per day must each ho turn to support > Dwayne's $800 per day Crack habit? > > 4. Raul wants to cut the pound of cocaine he bought for > $40,000 to make 20% profit. How many ounce bags will he > need to make to gets the 20% upside? > > 5. Desmond gets $2000 for a stolen BMW, $1500 for stealing > a Corvette, and $1000 for a 4 x 4. If he steals 1 BMW, 2 > Corvettes and 3 4x4's, how many more Corvettes must he > steal to make the 10k for his brother's bail? > > 6. Pedro got 6 years for murder. He also got $10,000 for > the hit. If his common-law wife spends $100 of his hit > money per month, how much money will be left when he gets > out? > > 7. If an average can of spray paint covers 22 square feet > and the average letter is 3 square feet, how many letters > can be sprayed with three 8 oz. Cans of spray paint with 20% > paint left over? > > 8. Tyrone knocked up 4 girls in the gang. There be 20 > girls in his gang. What be the percentage of bitches Tyrone > knocked up? > > 9. LaShaunda is a lookout for the gang. LaShaunda also has > a Boa Constrictor that eats 5 rats per week and a cost of $5 > per rat. If LaShaunda makes $700 a week as a lookout, how > many weeks can she feed her snake with one week's > income? > > 10. Marvin steals Juan's skateboard. As Marvin skates > away at 15mph, Juan loads his 357 Magnum piece. If it takes > Juan 20 seconds to load his piece, how far away will Marvin > be when he gets whacked?"

Nice TR! God-bless global cooling.

Nice stuff up there! Weekend closer to home. This is what the knee looked like Saturday Am 2 days after the stitches have been taken out. I was going to sit around and watch my bros climb, thinking a 2 block walk from the car after a 25 min drive from the house would be OK. Instead, I carpooled with Kyle and everyone else slept in or went someplace dry Saturday. So I wa pressed into belaying and following Kyle on his FA. Kyle did a masterful job of "stitching" cams in horizontal flakes there. Sunday, I was only going to go for a short hike into a place @ 50 min from my house, and watch 2 buddies climb. Instead the road is snowed in about a mile below th trail head and the short hike becomes a couple miles longer in the slush. Normally this would have meant nothing..... Fortunately, I'm with 2 guys and get out of belay and climb duty so I took these pics of Adam leading pitch 2 on the 2nd ascent of the bolted crack "Jimmies Favorite" out at Jimmies. Kenny is in the pic belaying. Here's a closer look: 8 bolts, no gear just draws/slings, upgraded to 5.10B.

*Cough* slept in and didn't go climbing * cough*

you mean the old soft iron knifeblade, with a stardrive through the tip. The whole TR was awesome, but that was the icing on top of the cake for sure!

Which one is Hugh?

"See More Jugs"....heh heh. Maybe the CC.com user "Richard Noggin" will post next.

Someone let that cat out of the bag:-) Never less than 20 climbers a year plus later. Closer to 40-50 people on the 80 some odd routes.

Sure. Most here would agree with your sediment tarheel, however, some steep hard routes are near impossible to clean, so the custom evolved to leave the draws rather than spend 5 hours trying to get them down at the end of the day. Esp. if you will be back the next day in the am for a full day (or the day after if you get trashed and need a rest day). I don't sport climb, I'm an old fat weak mostly trad climber, and I see the draws in places and can totally understand another feeling slighted by their presence. Especially if it's a route they can't get up but some 10 year old ecotomorph from the gym is doing laps on with 1 arm or hold elimination...grrrr (I digress:-) but if someone is offended can't a person always grab the dude/dudette who left the trash (or leave a note that says "Hey asshole, I was going to do this route but your shit was here and I don't trust it so pull you shit next time..." or whatever you want to say), and still not steal someone elses stuff? I see it hanging there and it doesn't bother me at all. Frankly, on steep hard routes, as Lancegranite says, leaving permanent draws is not uncommon. Most of us just ignore and pretend we're adults: lord knows some of us ain't gettin up some of it without a stick clip, aiders, prayer or all 3:-)

I would think that democrats would be naturally more inclined to toss these regressive fees out. Wheres Ron Wyden and Earl Blumenhouer on this issue I wonder?

Rec'd from the Western Slope no fee co-coalition today. "We received word today that Senators Max Baucus of Montana and Mike Crapo of Idaho are set to re-introduce their bill to repeal the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. The introduction is anticipated for tomorrow, April 23, 2009. You can read the first press story in Bill Schneider's column at www.NewWest.net. It will take a few days for the introduction process to be completed and a bill number assigned, so don't start writing Congress quite yet, but get your pencils sharpened and your keyboards dusted off! It will take a full effort from all of us, but we WILL get this bill passed and signed into law! Stay tuned for more soon." http://westernslopenofee.org These fees are F*ed up big tie. I'm speaking as someone who paid more than most people made in income in income taxes this year, it ain't the money. I make a lot and pay a lot. big deal. Its the idea that a poor widow with 3 kids is forced to pay the same amount as a rich dude is just friggan wrong. These are public lands already. Either reduce your expenses or close the cost part of them down and make it free for all citizens and not discriminating against poor people. So screwed up to institute a NEW fee that will have to have NEW COSTS TO COLLECT AND ADMINISTER just to screw the poor people who want to spend a day out in the woods.

Bad Girl (insert finger wag and gratuitous tsk tsk here)! It sounded like one of the reprobates who post here:-) It was the time warp!

Shit yeah Bro!!!!

Nah it's all good Rob, I understand. From my viewpoint, I have some wide gear currently loaned out to that friend who had his rack stolen from the base of El Cap (so he can do some wide Indian Creek climbs). In the back of my head I have some concerns that my 3 or 4 #6 cams and larger big bros might not come home to papa if someone sees them in my friends car. He should be back now though, so they'll come home soon. I know this guys 110 percent honest, (not that I have any wide projects to do, but I found that with the gear I hate it less than I use to) and a father just worry's about his kids when they're away. Bret here probably just feels the same way about his draws.