billcoe

I see that the cost to buy (a home) is getting to @ the cost to rent in many cities. Assuming a 95% fill rate for rentals, that indicates to me that the bottom has been reached in those places. (this has NOT occurred in PDX). Given that there is usually an over reaction and things will continue down beyond what they should based on folks perceived notion that because they just went down then it is a bad investment, they will continue for a bit on the downward side. But as Larry says, it can be a good time for average folks, like his Grandmother, if they are paying attention, to get in the game. Larry, if you want to look at getting into this game, with no money down with nothing more than just your good looks and strong right arm wielding a hammer or saw, I'd recommend revising a few gems of yesteryear. Look for the hardcover versions, which can often be bought for $.01/ea plus $3.99 shipping. For many years of go-go real estate, this was not possible: but it's back and available to do now. In this first example, Allen "makes a bet with himself that he can train three persons, literally "from the unemployment line," to acquire a residential property within 90 days and put $5000 cash in the bank" . http://www.amazon.com/Challenge-Robert-G-Allen/dp/0671526189/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1298735144&sr=1-1 http://www.amazon.com/How-Buy-Manage-Rental-Properties/dp/0671644238/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298734912&sr=1-1-fkmr1#reader_0671644238 http://www.amazon.com/Build-Real-Estate-Money-Machine/dp/0910019428/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298735031&sr=1-4 It's not about being rich, or smart. It's about being brave and committing to a course of action. Lots of folks read this stuff, but never take the first step in doing it. Anyhow, we have some big assed shit hitting the fan all at once right now in this country. 1st, Prices will rise on about everything. I have an ounce of Gold bet that gas will hit $5.00 a gallon before the end of 2012. Look at the prices of anything though: food, cars, clothes. It's all going up. Partially driving that will be the Yuan/dollar moments that our government has insisted on and that will continue to be occurring. Next, the massive US debt is going to drive us into the shit hole. The Chinese appear to have stopped being the buyer of US treasure bonds and in response the Fed has stepped into that role. As of today, the largest creditor in the US is no longer China and Japan but the Fed. It happened almost overnight. Just to clarify, the citizens of the US are not the Fed, the fed is a bunch of private banks like JP Morgan. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10489 They own you now. Congratulations. 3rd) Our trade imbalance has continued to get worse and is about as upside down as it's ever been. We were funding a robust economy via credit, folks borrowing off their homes and heloc loans. That's over. The US gov't stepped in and is trying to keep it propped up. We'll see how that goes, it's all uncharted territory in many ways for many reasons. Without the gold standard to balance things, maybe they can continue to play these games. Maybe not. Perfect storm. Yet it doesn't mean that you, Larry, or anyone, can't find a niche and get rich. In fact, it's a better time than before. Right now. Good luck!

I figured that there was no point ever spraying again when I learned from a buddy that Rudys son, Drew, had climbed Churning in the Wake (5.13a) with no hangs or falls on his 4th or 5th shot at it. 10 years old. If his fingers stay healthy it will kind of make ya wonder what Drew and some of these other lil kids will be getting up in a couple of years. Anyway, welcome to CC.com J5891, don't forget to bring some pictures of where you've been. It's a little confusing but I'm pretty sure that when I was 10, my life didn't evolve around much more than playing with Tonka Trucks in the dirt, learning my Gazintas (ie, 2 gazinta 4, 4 gazinta 8, etc etc) and cross country hiking with my brothers.

Here's another winner, this time a Washingtonian who parked at the Billy Goat Trailhead by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. http://westernslopenofee.org/index2.php?display=yes&pageid=36 "THE CASE: Tom Halpin of Twisp, Washington, arrived at the Billy Goat Trailhead on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on August 20, 2010. The trailhead area contained only one of the six amenities (a toilet) and Tom engaged only in activities for which fees are prohibited. He parked his car (fees are prohibited "solely for parking"), entered the Forest (fees are prohibited for "general access"), and camped for six nights in a designated Wilderness Area (fees are prohibited for "camping at undeveloped sites"). Tom returned to find a federal Violation Notice affixed to his windshield charging him with "Failure to pay established parking fee." After reading the FLREA and considering his options, Tom decided to contest his Violation Notice on the grounds that the Forest Service had exceeded its authority by charging a fee at that location and for those activities. He drew inspiration from the outcome of U.S. vs Smith, a nearly identical case in Sedona, Arizona that was dismissed by a federal magistrate judge. Representing himself, and with advice from numerous people experienced in recreation fee law, Tom wrote and filed a Motion to Dismiss with the court. He looked forward to being able to bring his case before the judge and have the legal issues decided. The Forest Service, however, does not want the legal issues decided, presumably because they are unlikely to prevail. A loss in court could throw their whole trailhead fee program out as not in compliance with the law. They did not even respond to Tom's motion. Instead, they pre-empted him from having his day in court by dropping the charges against him, saying they had "discovered" that there was no picnic table at the Billy Goat Trailhead at the time he was charged. They claim to have since installed a table, and they contend that puts them within the law to go on requiring a Northwest Forest Pass at that location. The Forest Service did not address any of the other issues raised, such as the continuing lack of other required amenities, or the fact that regardless of amenities there are some activities for which fees are prohibited, period. It appears that, come the 2011 hiking season, they will continue their program of intimidation, issuing tickets that they know they cannot successfully prosecute. This cowardly behavior is unworthy of a federal agency charged with managing public lands in accordance with federal law. The Forest Service should be ashamed. You can read the documents in U.S. vs Halpin HERE." http://westernslopenofee.org/index2.php?newsdisplay=yes&newsid=32

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Oh yeah! Look, any unfinished high alloy metal will have all kinds of issues from rust. Some alloys rust faster than others, but all of them can benefit from this crap: Eezox (or alternatively corrosion X is good). After you get home, toss your shit in a corner of the basement like you usually do, go pass out for a day like you also most likely do, maybe ya get a shower first, maybe not. When you come to, go over to your now dry tools and just lightly wipe them down with this stuff. It will soon dry to the touch and doesn't smell good so do it over something like a garbage can, no need to over do it. Works better than any oil. Of course, if you can dry them and then wipe this stuff on first, before you collapse, so much the better. http://www.eezox.com/ You can use it on any metal, tools, etc. You can surf the web for data and results, but here's some pics of salt spray tests against some other products. Salt is a corrosive, you can go to Detroit where they salt the roads and your cars last 4 years before they are rusted out to confirm it, but that's true. So a concentrated salt solution, called a salt spray test, is utilized to speed up the process of corrosion. Top Row: Left to right. Control, FP10, Corrosion-X | Bottom Row: Left to right. Eezox, Breakfree. Top Row: Left to right. Control, FP10, Corrosion-X | Bottom Row: Left to right. Eezox, Breakfree. Another group at 15 hours to compare: Top Row: Left to right. Control, Break-Free, Strike-Hold | Bottom Row: Left to right. Rem-Oil, Slip2000, Mobil-1 15W50 Regards and you're rust free now!

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*this was part of Miker's trip report and moved here in error by a mod and is not able to be deleted* Take care brahs, keep it clean, not personal or angry, and try to stay friendly. We're a community. Perhaps a dysfunctional one though.....

Would a climbing pic of Ivan at the Far Side help? nah, I didn't think so.

If you are going to toot, you should have a link. Otherwise, aren't you just talking out yer ass? It would be remarkable that you could accurately remember from years ago, when you do not appear to be able to often correctly replay what others are saying just moments later.

Hey Rooster, didn't the last person who used the primary term denigrating to females of your species get banned? (pst, that word is, shhhh, Chickenshit)

Ivan finds the Little People! This doesn't even need to be updated, same story!

Not everyone knows this motley crew:-) ? LOL! It was probably Larry Harpe that posted that. Larry is on the left. Pink (front), Kevbone(back) and Arent on the right. If you haven't met Arent yet: good dude. Honest contractor. Larry is living in Moab and is known for his Mad Rock shot of him on with a cowboy hat on a little bike with the mad rock pad on his back. The ad ran on the back cover of Climbing Mag for a long time. Larry was the guy who belayed Potter on Tombstone. Good guy and tough as nails. Too smart to get caught up in all this needless online drama. Pink in particular probably has a bunch of good stories about adventures with Larry.

MIKERRRRRRR!!!! Nice! On a 2 part positive note. If someone does put up a schweet heinous free route somewhere close, you might be blessing the dudes aiding up and toproping it to get a burn in marginal weather as they will be helping to keep the moss down. Next, we need to get all Pinks lines, names, locations, blah blah layed out so that we all know what's what out there. Tim O is coming out soon with the new guidebook and we missed the chance to get those in there, but it's not too late to get the knowledge out there on Barneys Rubble, Smoke and Mirrors etc etc for everyone to know about now and get in the book for next time. Unless it's suppose to be all secret. Maybe Jim could help with this by pointing all this out to folks? Miker and Geoff poach a campsite in the land of 10,000 squirrels:

Uhh, your copy is sadly lacking. In the newspapers or internet stories, these kinds of stories are always accompanied by a smokin hawt pic of Jolie. This helps sell papers, but gets all the guys to read it. Glad to be of service and help out, here ya go.

Eventually everything that a US company moves to be mfg in China seems to get ripped off. I'm holding out for fake Camalots. Thanks fo the notification Sweatin out Liquor.

Will they keep the theoretical bombs out?

So are you saying that saw these jackbooted regressions acting like pricks to other people and thought: "Ahhh haa", I can do that too? Take care!

As someone who would like to see us all use less shitty assed language and personal attacks, I'm OK with giving a time out, but in reviewing the terms posted up there, I don't see where it say's that a denigrating word that implies Misogyny is bad: but a word to denigrate in another manner, say, like ...ohhhh...FUCKWIT, is acceptable. ...jus sayin" .... Love all of you Clapping Funts!

I don't know jb, it would be interesting to see the whole package, as Hugh suggests up there, there are a lot of costs, some hidden, some not so much. BTW, one more point: gas is going up and will be more precious in the future. Looking 5 years down the road, it might be worth every penny and then some to keep rail in place, or modernize it. I really don't know the true facts, and it should be looked at in a serious manner and studied. Certainly the recent news that the Saudis had overstated their oil reserves should be an unsettling thing for policy makers looking out a bit in time. That Obama changed his policy in the middle east from disengagement before election to engagement afterwards speaks to the fact that the policy makers and wizards behind the curtains most likely already knew these facts and more, and are bracing for that bleak day coming up. We had some discussion * cough * cough * arguments, over what the gov't should be sticking their nose in, and I think that about everyone would agree that having an energy policy, as a country, that integrates into our foreign policy goals is critical. I'm sure we agree that's the Governments job to get in front of that and work the hell out of it, few things are more important.

I suspect that you do not actually know the reality of it. Do you know the actual numbers? ie, what the buses pay in tax on Diesel fuel, income taxes, sales taxes etc etc? I confess that I don't, but it would be interesting to look at real numbers. How would you back the cars out of the interstate highway costs? Difficult, but you could do it on a per mile thing I suppose. Cars are the big beneficiary of the highways, not buses, are they not?

And that is worth exactly how much money? Bus service is very very safe, and as noted, they pay into the tax system. Do you think it's fair to the bus companies that we subsidize rail with our taxes to compete with them? BTW, lots of old people get hit by trains. I haven't looked at the $, but I'd bet someone has. Finally, one big argument against the $53 billion is that Amtrak has been promising to be a money maker per goverment studies and claims and never come close.

I think this article has it pretty close. http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/transportation/amtrak/subsidies For myself, I'm not anti rail. I see people using gas like it's unlimited, not realizing that it is subsidized as well many ways on many levels so they can get it cheap. Great question from that article. "As former senator Russell Long once said, why is the government trying to get people "to leave a taxpaying organization, the bus company, and ride on a tax-eating organization, Amtrak?" My neice just road the bus back to college Sunday as they had canceled the Amtrak service. If I owned a bus company, I would find that Senators question of particular interest and concern. However, as I am being asked to pay for you or other people to ride the train, I think it's still germaine.

Uhhh, He asked for a single example so I was giving Nitrox the dams as a positive example. One that was paid back, in full and faster than projected in fact. I'm not argueing that it as a bad idea at all. $53 Billion for high speed rail on the other hand I'd have a 3 part disagreement with. 1st) Amtrak has been cutting services as they can't keep the existing trains full. 2nd) As current projects done like this always seem to have massive cost overruns, $53 billion will soon be $75 billion. Lastly) I'd want to see some serious cost analysis that focus on answering the question "what would be the best thing the US could do tight now". I highly suspect that we could use that $53 billion in a lot better places than a train system we might no utilize once it's built.

Those Columbia River/Beacon forum guys are gonna be pretty pissed when they see this. BTW, thanks! I've also noted that on that very same forum, Flapping cunt NOT allowed, Fuckwit!, IS allowed. Note to self, always use the word FUCKWIT! to call someone a name, (used in sentence "Rob is a FUCKWIT! for making fun of me") in place of Flapping cunt. Whew, so much to remember:-)

The Federal investment on the Columbia River dam system was HUGE at that time, and it was all paid back and has been both a huge money maker and generator of many ancillary business's for many years until recently. There's one for you, and its a big one. I'm not agreeing that this is a good investment, and I'd agree with you that it is critical to the long term health of our country to get out spending (military in particular) under control.