billcoe

At least someone is making a buck off of all this. http://rt.com/usa/news/naked-body-scanners-usa/ ".........As it turns out, former Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, now runs a security and risk management firm and one of his clients is Rapiscan, one of the biggest manufacturers of body scanning machines in the country. While the media continues to interview Chertoff about the value of body scanning machines, they fail to point out that he will benefit financially from the implementation of the machines. "He’s abusing his relationship with the public by pretending to be a public servant and talking about how these body scanners are going to make us safer… He stands to benefit because he's getting paid by the manufacturing companies to go all over the television networks saying that these scanners are the solution to security," said Kate Hanni, the director of Flyersrights.org, a non-profit dedicated to passengers rights. Talk about body scanners became increasingly popular after the failed Christmas Day bombing last year. After that incident, two major contractors with powerful lobbying groups in Washington, DC recieved contracts for about $160 million dollars each to build body scanners for airports across the country. One of those contractors was Rapiscan. "Americans should be angry because the $25 million in stimulus funds that were used to order the first 150 of these body scanners could have been used to create jobs. The taxpayers could have avoided what’s akin to martial law being implemented in the airport," Hanni said."

I don't know. I hear a proposal to do away with income tax. They said a national sales tax, 22% on everything, was the way to go. I'm like: what kind of fucked up rich dude thinking is that bullshit? Rich dude miser gets to pay the same as a poor person. In fact, as a percentage, the poor folks will be taking it in the ass. They still need to buy shoes, buy clothes, the same appliances except the percentage they pay will be huge. I thought that we were going to stop raping the poor when Bush left office, now I see that the current president is wanting to re-up the Bush tax cuts for the rich. So lets call them the Obama tax cuts for the rich. Not a problem he says, we can keep borrowing the money from the Chinese. Uhhh, shit. As a country we need to spend a shitload less and the tax cuts for the rich need to expire. Should have never done them in the first place.[/rant]

HUH? Was out by myself yesterday. No one came along. It was super nice once the rain stopped. Steve, no one could fault you for getting stuck, you had a plow horse (Ivan) and a rope in the car, that's usually all it takes:-)

The Labyrinth. ...can I say it without getting yelled at?

damn.

Clever! Don't ya need one of these symbols to own it and charge $? Besides, that's not very PC, shouldn't it correctly be "Tea challenged™"? Hmmmmmmmmmm, I suppose that just reads poorly. A sentence might read Sarah Palin is a Tea Challenged™ candidate. I suppose that it doesn't have the ring of "Bailin Palin©, giving you the old in and out" (of office) since 2009", which also works well if you flip her over and say "Palin: bailin' since 2009©" Can't we get back to talkin bout Brandy? Who could NOT vote for her?

You can continue to strive for mediocrity Dave, but you are top notch on the humor list. Steve is up there too, I almost blew coffee through my nose when I read this one: I gotta meet him some day! You guys are a couple of characters:-)

37 routes 6 bolts and probably as many fixed pitons here. I agree your routes are not overbolted Bryan. There are not any overbolted lines out there. Hopefully no one bolts the the shit out of any of the toprope climbs, but if anyone wants to put some in any of the routes I did have at it. Like to see it be a group decision, talked over first by those who are climbing at the place. Certainly when I was watching the 240 lb Ivan run out Sweet Fucker clipped to only a knifeblade between him and his maker/the dirt I was thinking that damn pin should be a bolt. Just because I haven't gotten to it doesn't mean it shouldn't happen. I think Jim just doesn't want the place to turn into a rock gym so it can remain a spot where people can go to confront their own fear vs skill and work on climbing and learning to climb on gear routes. Where you CANNOT hang dog with risk and fear, like in real climbing. That it's pretty serious stuff is just the way it is I guess. We are still mulling over putting in a bolt on Snake: that's Kyles call and he's waffling. I wanted to put it in. Bryan and I talked specifically about Boo Coup, I said put it in but haven't done it. ps, cleaned off Freak Freely yesterday and it looks great. It was slick out and I couldn't quite reach over to the next route to the right though, so maybe Ryan and/or Jon should clean Ur Babies Daddy, it's an unclimbable blackberry patch. Looking forward to buying the book Tim! If you get it out before Christmas, you might get a bunch of extra gift sales out of it.

It's probably just another white and black issue. Anyone who had seen Brandy rock the Tango in major perfect artistic mode would have voted for her over Palin..... Holy crap she's hot. Could be it really is rigged but that she had some mega-million $ movie to start on to, nothing like some controversy to sell some tickets as well.

The Taiwanese newz version: [video:youtube] ..and from our Nipponese allies for those 18 and over: http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DTEeRD26hDDw%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded

....Wait, half a wit libturds and democrap deniers like Pat are still blaming all this on Bush.....right? No need now for an alternative version that might shake them up. Still Bush's fault. Nothing to see here. Same-same as it's ever been with an extra slice of hope and change and this time we mean that last part.

I've been thinking of the Bibler I-tent, very similar to the Eldorado. (Eldo is slightly longer) For that, a couple of near identical versions exist. They're all very light and don't utilize flys. First, they took the single walled Todd-tex fabric Bibler I-tent and put on some big-assed side zip access doors and called it the the Awahanee. Woot! Real similar to an I-tent except for the doors that an old guy who gets leg cramps at night would prefer over the i-tent. Same material. On the Event fabric question: they took the 4 season Awahanee and used that design as a framework to build a superlight tent they call the "Lighthouse". Lighter poles combined with Epic and Silicon Nylon fabric make this thing sickly light at about 3+ lbs. Has the solid bathtub type floor they all share. Double Woot! You can do the research in depth on all of these, there are some differences. On the "made in China" thing....can't speak to that except that Black Diamond has done a good job transitioning their quality when they transition their work over there. I suppose that their cost probably dropped from @$250 a unit to significantly less than $100.

WTF is right. As the democrats have owned the house, senate and Presidency since the last election that brought us all the hope and change....it brings the question to the forefront. How have the 1 and and a half teabggers actually in congress, who's main agenda of reduced government, deficit reduction and actually spending less has been trampled into the mud like a gopher trying to halt a cattle stampede in the democrats rush to stimulate themselves, gotten to steer the truck while surrounded by all of these brilliant, anti-climate change, Democrats? Hmmm. Hope and change baby hope and change!

We'll pay extra for climbing pics Dave:-)

"Hmmmm - whatever that is.... it's big....might be a .45....only bigger".

Very interesting, it's true that gays who are out seem much happier than straights or closets, so congrats on coming out Mike. In either case I'm not asking and I'm not telling. What I'd like to see is my country pissing significantly less money down the toilet both in general and especially for shit like this. If we have to then we have to, but we didn't have to in this case and we borrowed the $ from the Chinese to do it. At the end of the day, if our economy goes toast from paying for bullshit military expenditures like this: we won't have the $ or the credit tomorrow for the next war where we might be in desparete need for it.

This isn't a rehash of that old "one hangs lower than the other and they are both wrinkly and greying thing again is it?" I thought we'd moved past that Ivan....

Moore reminds me of a librul and less intelligent version of Rush Limbaugh.

Awesome! Any chance that this year we can get 1/10 of 1% of the $ going to regular or testicular cancer?

sure, but not two...how about let's call the next cobblestone find in OR 'Smith'. I emailed Tim and asked him to just not include it, but of course, no one would get strokes that way. I suspect that despite what some folks think, Tims not putting FA info into the book. Much like your extension to Rhythm Method at Beacon. Your name is interestingly absent on that in the last version JH, but he mentions the extension. It's fine by me although I like looking at the stuff myself on occasion. I'd like to see the Farside included in there so that the routes stay clean. Tim will be happy with the new material as well I'm sure. Last Saturday I looked at Freak Freely and it was way overgrown -so I need to go clean on it. I don't mind cleaning something once, twice....OK, but at some point, just climbing is what I want to be doing, and not ripping out sticker bushes sticking out of a crack while standing on a poor stance with bare hands. Getting folks on that stuff will help keep it climbable. Kind of following up on what Brian is saying above, I've noticed that the few folks that have found the spot have given feed back that the routes are under graded. Not sure if it's the grades or the serious technical nature of the pro. One of these folks was 1/2 way up and expressing concern on one of the "lighter routes". This would have been easier on my mind if dude was a begineer, but it wasn't: it was someone who has done 2 different El Cap routes in a day and a bunch of badassed stuff like that. It makes me concerned for less experienced folks climbing 5.10 in the gym over the winter then buying Tims new guidebook and just heading out there in the spring and run up the 5.9s only to discover to their horror and sorrow that they are significantly more dangerous and difficult than any 5.10+ they've ever encountered. I am feeling a tad uncomfortable with that but don't know what to do. I had all these warning labels on the route list I was producing, but I understand those might be gone to be replaced with a homily to Jim. Well written homily and overdue for sure, but some words of warning for new folks might be in order as well. I like the British system.....the R and X isn't really doing it for this spot.

Bob? Who the hell is Bob? "There once was a service man who toured the Middle East and married a beautiful little China doll. He brought her back to the States and they were very happy. He always enjoyed looking at her rear end and telling her what a beautiful butt she had. Every day it was, "Darling I love you and what a beautiful butt you have." Every night it was, "Darling I love you and what a beautiful butt you have." Well his birthday was getting close and she wanted to surprise him with a tattoo on her rear end that said, "Beautiful Butt." So she finds a reputable tattoo artist and explains what she wants. Well the artist asks her to turn around and after a brief pause says, "There is no way I can get "Beautiful Butt" on your tiny little beautiful butt." But I can put a nice "B" on each cheek which will stand for "Beautiful Butt." A bit disappointed, she agrees and leaves with her B's. Well the big day arrives and after a candle light dinner, gifts, and a sip of brandy, she appears in the bedroom in her birthday suit, turns around and bends over. Quickly sitting up he exclaims, "Darling I love you, but who the hell is BoB?""

Probably the same kind of woman who would seek out and marry a guy imprisoned for life cause he murdered someone.

A feature interestingly shared by the base of El Cap, yet still people go there..... ....and they drop lots of pieces their little nuts and granola bars while eating... Which brings more mice..... Which brings more snakes... Speaking of things mice might eat..anyone see the story of new species JUST found in Yos last month? Story says it's the size or your thumbnail. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/new-species-found-in-yosemite-valley.html There are still lost of mystery's and unknown in the world.

In need of some anchor replacements.