catbirdseat

Who, trask? Nonsense! Why we are practically soul mates! Most Americans have probably never heard of the Arrow, but I am sure that many Canadians, especially older ones, have. I wonder do they regrets about what happened?

FYI, there is a web page on the AVRO Arrow The demise of the Arrow had a traumatic impact on government policies and public support for research and development. In particular, the possibility of Canada undertaking any major technological initiative (especially in the defence field) was foreclosed due to loss of confidence in Canadian capabilities. Moreover, the government apparatus was unable to comprehend the key role of technological innovation in economic development and therefore incapable of providing the neces- sary leadership and stimulus. In the course of the abortive negotiations to solicit USAF funding for the Arrow, the U.S. Department of Defense offered to allow Canadian industry to bid on U.S. military procurement contracts in compensation for the industrial dislocation caused by cancellation of the Arrow program. As a result, the Canada-U.S. Defence Production Sharing Agreement was instituted in 1959 with the objective of achieving reciprocity in military equipment trade between the two countries. This arrangement locked Canada into the U.S. defence system and guaranteed that the Canadian Armed Forces would henceforth be equipped mainly with U.S.-developed hardware. Did you know they were working on a flying saucer in 1959?

It seems that the changes that accompany a change of government in Canada are even more wrenching than in the US.

Can you find and post a link for us Mr. Trask, please?

I just finished watching a 1997 movie starring Dan Akroyd called Arrow about a Cold War project by AVRO aviation to build the world's first supersonic interceptor jet. They had a prototype that could do Mach 2 at an altitude of up to 85,000 ft. It was the first delta wing jet. It had the first engine that could generate 20,000 lbs of thrust or 30,000 with afterburners. America didn't have anything like it for years. The F-104 was not nearly as capable. They had offers from both the French and the Americans to buy the engines and the Americans to buy the planes, but the new Prime Minister of the Conservative Government ordered every thing destroyed immediately. Nothing survived. The engineers went south to Boeing, NASA, Lockeed, North American and to France to work on the Concord. It seems to me that this was one of the biggest strategic blunders ever made in Canada and perhaps the beginning of a long slide that continues today. Anyone care to discuss? Bear in mind, I have done zero research on the subject other than what I remember from the movie.

DFA, I am appalled. You can do better than this.

That reminds me of the old parrot joke: Jimmy received a parrot for Christmas. The parrot was fully grown, with a very bad attitude and worse vocabulary. Every other word was an expletive; those that weren't expletives were, to say the least, rude. Jimmy tried to change the bird's attitude by constantly saying polite words, playing soft music... anything he could think of. Nothing worked. He yelled at the bird, and the bird got worse. He shook the bird, and the bird got madder and more rude. Finally, in a moment of desperation, Jimmy put the parrot in the freezer. For a few moments he heard the bird swearing, squawking, kicking and screaming and then, suddenly, there was absolute quiet. Jimmy was frightened that he might have actually hurt the bird, and quickly opened the freezer door. The parrot calmly stepped out onto Jimmy's extended arm and said, "I'm sorry that I offended you with my language and my actions, and I ask your forgiveness. I will endeavor to correct my behavior". Jimmy was astounded at the changes in the bird's attitude and was about to ask what had changed him, when the parrot continued, "May I ask what the Chicken did?"

Sounds as though you've solved it.

Asolo AFS Guide boots are warm boots. I have a pair, and my feet have never been cold, even when sitting or standing around doing nothing. They come with a closed cell foam liner that doesn't soak up perspiration and hence maintains its insulating value. To get the same in the Scarpa Inverno, you have to pay extra for the special alveolite liner. Having said all that, the boot is rather clunky for climbing. It is just fine for big glacier slogs, however.

Worst Case? Captain Caveman tries sport climbing with DFA... and likes it.

Trask. You sportin' silcone, now?

Welcome to chronic gumbydom. Do you suddenly feel different?

That's what I thought he meant, at first, but who would dream of trying a hip belay in a gym?

There was little or nothing on a search of the phrase "alpine belay". So I'm a newbie. Sue me. Alpine belay, as defined above, simply means an "inattentive belay". Even an inattentive belay can be reasonably safe if proper technique is used.

What, pray tell is an alpine belay? Explain, if you will, how something that is safe in the alpine environment would be unsafe in a gym?

Now you're talking!

Come on trask, old buddy, you can do it! You can drink all you want. We'll let you choose the beer, you can pass out on your own bed. No worries about DUIs! We'll even put a rubber sheet on the bed for you, so you won't soil it in your sleep.

Erik, you had a kegger at your house last year, did you not? You da man!

If some kind soul with a big living room and a big heart would agree to it, we could buy a keg and have a smoke free beer night. How about it Dwayner, Iceguy? We'd probably never be able to settle on the kind of beer to get. I can see it now, "beer wars". Before anyone suggests my house, I must say it is tiny and I just put in new hardwood floors. The answer is no.

Dwayner, I can tell by studying your cancer incidence chart that men have a lot of catching up to do with the women when it comes to cervical cancer. Also, women have made great strides in catching up to men in the lung cancer category. Thank Virginia Slims.

Come on dudes! This thread had such an auspicious beginning. Bring out more interesting stories. I've been loving it. Don't let it degenerate to all one liners yet.

It appears that currently that there are a lot of people who are creating multiple avatars to hide their true identities. The result of which is that new members are always under suspicion of being old members and treated with distrust. There ought to be a way to discourage the practice of multiple avatars. I can't think of a way, though. Most people probably don't have static IP addresses. There probably isn't a way.

Trask got the Little Hooter Girl from The Bob Rivers Show. He left out that you're supposed to sing it to the tune of the The Little Drummer Boy. It's even funnier that way.

Had to leave give my son a ride home and Dave needed a lift. Would have liked to have stayed longer.

The smoke at Lockspot didn't bother me at all. Not like at Teddy's. I wouldn't mind going there again sometime.