catbirdseat

Hey, it's time to change my avatar image, I guess.

It is the lowering that abrades the end links, not the top roping. There is no tension in the rope most of the time when a climber is ascending on top rope, but when lowering the full weight is on the rope. There wouldn't be a significant impact on wear.

Holy smokes! I just found out they speak English over there. Amazing. They even use words like "troll" and "tool". I see that Dave Schuldt has left his calling card over there.

It takes a mighty powerful troll to bring forth Fairweather who has been seldom seen for many moons.

The last time I was there it was too cold to climb at Middle East Wall. Now that it's warm enough there are raptors there.

It happens because people take beginners there. A guy leads the route, but can't trust his second to rappel off without killing himself, so he puts the rope through the end links so he can top rope and then lower. I told Garth about one particularly bad set of cold shuts I saw yesterday.

Science Daily Article

I gag on those things. They are too dry and too greasy. Yuck! Never again.

Rock climbing? I'm sick of rock climbing. Okay, that's a lie, but I have to get in shape for Rainier. I'm planning on slogging up a big hill with some peak baggers. I hope I can walk when I get out of bed on Sunday.

The water coming out of the Mystery #3 adit near Monte Cristo stains the rock a lovely orange color. I would recommend against drinking it. It's full of arsenic.

He's not lying!

It is called an abuse of the terms of service.

Or Instrument of the Police State ? This guy is a threat to our freedom. As far as I am concerned any speech given in a public forum is public property, meaning anyone should be able to record it at will regardless of your wishes. If you don't want it recorded, don't give the speech. Scalia, do you stand behind your own words? You suck.

Thanks minx.

A certain amount of nitrogen trichloride is generated in swimming pools, because little kids like to pee in the water. The chlorine used to disinfect the water reacts with urea. Those who swim indoors frequently always seem to have the sniffles. I think it is from the NCl3. It's really not good for you.

The thread on rockclimbing.com is currently at 18 pages!

What was that famous quote? "No man's life, liberty or fortune is safe while our legislature is in session." -- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) US Founding Father Strike legislature and insert president.

You gotta give 'em credit for their creativity. I just loved this latest one with the "Norman" antivirus. Turns out there really is a Norman antivirus. Sounds a bit like Norton. Usually you'll get your ass sued if you try to make your name sound too much like a registered trademark.

Lummox is most likely talking about a solution of ammonia in water (or ammonium hydroxide), the pH of which is in the 9's depending on concentration. Cracked is probably right. The bleach is the sodium salt or conjugate base of a very weak acid hence it is a strong base. The real question is, why do you want to know? By the way, don't mix the two, or you'll be sorry.

Ignored as in not read or Ignored as in using the Ignore Poster feature or Ignored as in not reponded to or All of the above?

My understanding is that the rated working load is about one third of the breaking strength.

Darin, keep a stiff upper lip as the Brits, like to say.

I was once working on an idea for a subconjunctival implant designed to deliver anti-glaucoma medicine. It would deliver medicine and then eventually dissolve. It could be justified because it had a medical use- it would prevent blindness.