Sloth_Man

Cool. I'll be out there about 9:00 or so.

Political discussion always seem to diverge in this way. You've got the 'left leaning types' talking about their issues, then the right leaning types bring up their own set of issues. Few of these issues are mutually exclusive, and it's possible that both sides could agree on much of it. I know I do. Yet the sides remain distinct, each re-itterating their own pet issues. But all the while the people that really run the world continue un-affected by world public opinion. This whole 'debate' between the right and left is perfect cover for them. To listen to people you'd actually think they had a choice in what kind of world they live in. You'd think that when they went down to choose candidate X because of issue X they were making a decision that would affect the nation and the world. But is that really true? Sure there's some substantive differences between the Shrub and Clinton on the speed at which the wealthy are handed the keys to the kingdom, and there's differences about how the remaining 1% should be shared amoung the public. But the end result is the same and the people that truly have power over us are the same. The wealthy and the corporations will get what they want. The environment, the working man, and the poor will suffer. Of that there's no doubt. But in the mean time we argue over things like health care reform or wellfare reform. And it's all a ruse to make us believe we have choices that we really don't have; while in the background the media keeps pumping us full of the myths that benefit the worlds leaders. Myths like: the imperative of the growth economy, the pursuit of material as happiness, the differences between 'us and them', baby worship as life fullfilment, beauty as value, conformity as success...... And we buy it all. Both sides right and left accept these myths as truths and carry on with the discussion from that point. Much of this thinking was solidified from reading Noam Chomsky, but it rings true with me. We really can't discuss socio-political issues because the way in which we see them has been so colored by our surroundings that the basic assumptions that build our world views cannot be questioned. In short we cannot really have a political discussion, because we cannot question the basic truths/myths that govern our thinking. We can only argue the predictable position that we must argue based upon our world view,which is formed at an early age, and therefore we cannot ever have converts to our cause.

How late do you guys usually stay? I just got off the phone with a friend who says he's actually going to show up at my boat with a sander and help me out. Freeeeeeeekin amazing. There's a first time for everything I guess. In any case I can't pass that up so I've got to meet him there at 5:30. But later on a cold beer sounds great.

I'm still waiting to see the first public figure refrain from anything. It seems to rub off on regular people that success means having it all and getting some more and ending up with mass more than you could ever use. I doubt that many of us regular people get anywhere close to that, but I don't doubt that many people waste their lives trying to get it. I also don't doubt that all political moves in the last 10 years or more have been geared towards making it easier for people to do. What I'm waiting to see is the first 'famous' person stand up in public and say "Ya know I don't need all those millions. I already have enough stuff. I'm going to take the extra and do......" Maybe when that happens there'll be hope for the TV babies of America. But for now our behavior is simply a scramble to get as much of a diminishing pile as possible. Honor, self respect, restraint.... all bullshit words that are only used on children and have no place in the adult world of American society. And we want to export with force this empty materialist quest. But the only thing we have to wash it down with are the meaningless orwellian phrases about 'freedom' and 'democracy'.

After years of thought and meditation (and a few visitations) I determined that: Satan is God, and God is Satan So it's the best of both worlds. Please contact me on where to send contributions to the church of sloth.

And just after you've been pounded into the sand and the undertow is sucking you back in another one lands on your head. Yeah, shit comes in waves, big waves.

If it's in Ballard or Fremont or such I'll show up. I need to replenish my friend and partner supply. (I'm not that big of an ass honest) I just let them all slip away over time and now they're all married.

You wan't the truth? You can't handle the truth. Ok here it is anyway. You'll be very limited in what you can climb in the valley if you don't do 5.9/10 crack. Sure there's the nutcracker and some other easier climbs but not many, and what there are can have big crowds on them. It'll be hot, so maybe that will keep the crowds down. If you're doing a wall, don't buy into that big wall sandbagging shit. Walls are hard and scary, even the easiest of them. If you're going to the meadows be prepared to shit you're mind out in a tooth paste consistency. Climbs there are scaaaaaaaaaaaaaary. There's a few cracks, but for the most part you'll need to be prepared for some run outs. I don't know the area well, but Fairview dome has that 50 classic that isn't bad, but not great, and it also has Lucky Streaks which is ultra good and a crack all the way up for good pro. I guess in short I'm saying 'be prepared to be humiliated'. The only good way to prepare for the valley is with a trip to Indian Creek. That's my Yosemite advice.

I hate that shit. Those guys should get a power boat. I used to do that all summer in my step dads 50 footer. Boooooooring. Yep, I'm out there to sail. If I get caught too far from home to get back to work in time I'll motor, or if the wind dies completely, but otherwise I'm into the sailing. The boats an expensive project though and the next installment is a new engine.

Gotta have a motor to get in and out of the marina when it's blowing 25+ out of the south. In lighter winds I get in and out fine using the the dinghy engine. The engine also charges the batteries for running lights, instruments, and interior lights. In any case I don't make it as far away in a weekend as I used to 'cause the dinghy doesn't move the boat as well when the wind dies. I'm also pretty much stuck in the marina when it's windy. So yeah I need an engine, even on a sailboat.

Winter sailing rules. Although, since I still haven't got the engine into my boat yet I didn't get out this winter at all. But it rules, really, honest,... I did it once............long ago Summer is for climbing unless you can get to the Straights of Juan De Fuca, other wise summer in southern PS is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

"We're gonna make it" "I don't think so but vee shall continue with style"

As far as I can tell you're both full of shit and I haven't learned a thing from either of you.

Fuckin hillary-ious Post this whole thread over at that hiker sight.

Oh shit! It's clear to me now. The reason I like wallowing up hairy assed cracks is cause I really want to wallow in a hairy ass crack. Now I've had an epiphany. I'm moving to Capitol Hill tommorow.

So you're saying you're a gay climber who really wants to be a gay lover, but you haven't gotten over the residual manliness of your heterosexuality? Or are you just saying that sport climbing is gay, but there's not anything wrong with that. Or are you saying that sport climbing is like sex with a female while trad climbing is like sex with a male? Or are you saying sport climbing is for girls while trad climbing is for boys? I'm confused. I thought sport climbing was so that people could chestbeat about climbing higher grades without actually having to 'climb' the climbs they claimed to have climbed. Or was it just that face climbing is so much easier and less painfull than crack climbing but can't be done safely without bolts? Where's them mensa types to sort all this out for us?

Wow it's true the dog thing really works for getting attention from females.

I think suicide should be an option. Say you've got cancer in all your major organs. You poop and piss on yourself all day, can't get up to take a shower or feed yourself. You tellin me suicide wouldn't be a good option then? Bring back doctor Kavorkian. I'm gonna need that guy at some point. Just when the doctor/vampires start salivating over my insurance policy and potential for keeping me alive but comatose indefinitely. No this isn't a joke it's the real deal and I would like to have the option.

You've forgoten the ultimate cover. Jimi Hendrix's All Along The Watchtower I can hear it in my head now. Greatest rock tune of all time.

Yeah right. So they've got stuff like Kierkergard chimney there? So Midterm would only get a 5.9 there? I guess that makes the Entrance Exam and the Hollow Flake 5.8? Which I guess makes the Chimney on the Muir a 5.7? Damn they must have hard routes over there at Frenchman! Whenever you here somebody say 'our routes are harder than their routes' you can usually be certain those people are full of shit especially if they're comparing their shit to Yosemite.

The reason there's no traffic on this subject is because REI left us real climbers and hikers behind long ago in pursuit of the downtown North Face wearin poser crowd. They sell pillows and designer clothes now. Their sales staff has known less about gear than I do for about 15 years. They have nothing that I can't get elswhere from people I actually care about like Second Ascent and Pro Mountain. So who cares about REI. It's just another Starbucks to most of us.

Ok my bad. Just sounded like you moved into this guys space and started partyin from the posts. Since I'm a recovering southern californian (native of Seattle) I'm a little tired of the party till you die syndrome and flew off the handle there.

No Shit! You guys let us know where you'll be camping from now on so we can avoid that spot. You'll get yours at some point. Once you come down off the testosterone high long enough to realize that you're nothing but a piece of shit like the rest of us, and your presence and partyin fool show is about as interesting as the zits on your ass. You remind me of the guys who tried to weasel into my camp site at Josh a few years ago. Those dudes just about had an agro "I'll rip out your eyeballs" pissed off leprachaun all over them. Lucky for all of us they decided it was wiser to move along.

This is my take on it: $50 is a lot of money if you only go out once or twice so yeah I can see that being a problem. But for me I use the pass a lot so if I go out 25 times a year it's two bucks a shot. Not really an issue compared to gas and food and gear expenses. You know damn well the super yuppies aren't going to pay for shit. And if the right wingers get their way (which seems certain at this point) the only organizations getting government money will be large corporations and friends of people in high places, not trails and roads for hikers and climbers. So where will the money come from? Cheap bastards! I'll bet you spend more in a month on beer. If you guys would get half as upset about the tax money that goes to line the pockets of the wealthy maybe we'd have something going here, but you're always mum on subjects like that. Hell I wouldn't be surprised if half of you are from bellevue and driving up there in brand new SUV's. That's what you sound like anyway.

Messner is so old school. I'm surprised anybody even knows who he is anymore. But them old school guys should get some credit. Isn't there still an unrepeated 5.14 put up by Wolfgang Gullick? And what about that dude Chuck Pratt? Anybody ever try climbing those wide cracks with the same gear he did? There are some real legends in this sport and their accomplishments are still amazing years later. Yeah Messners a legend even if he only did half the stuff he claims. And he's a hero to us tree huggin climbers who could never stomach the 'because it's there' 'seige and conquer' mentality of high altitude mountaineering. Let's not forget Joe Tasker and Peter Boardman. Great climbers who would put the Ed Vistrouses of the world to shame if they'd lived. Those guys were real pioneers of extreme alpinism.