aint_this_great

I'm sure he'll enjoy the cocaine in prison too...but prob' not the sex.

What the *bleep*? Maybe the magnetic radioactive wotsit that supposedly caused Katrina is hidden inside the bunny.

It's called a sporran. Maybe the Scots are genetically inclined towards dangling from meathooks. Not sure why else he'd be wearing a kilt.

Well, John Adams said not long after this country came into existence that the two-party system would always be the ideal. Why? Because people find it easiest to choose one side of the fence or the other, whether they're a foot or a mile away from it. It doesn't surprise me that cc.com falls along the same lines, and you're right couloir, there's no reason to dislike each other for it. If I read something as funny as that essay I posted directed towards Kerry, I'd laugh at that too. Unfortunately, the Bush supporters seem to lean more towards evangelism than humor. And you're right, I think you're just as stupid for supporting Bush as you think I am for supporting Kerry. It scares me that a president who wasn't actually elected by a majority of individual voters the first time around won by 2 million votes the second time. It scares me that we're trying to become the police of the world again. Unlike those Bible-thumpers down in Mississippi, I'd like to travel the world, and I'd like to do it without being an object of derision wherever I go. Would having Kerry in office have changed any of that? I think so. But we can agree to disagree.

Hate to break up the hate party, but this is one reason I love America...people who write stuff like this exist: (and of course the general theme is hating America) > > Dear President Bush: > > Congratulations on your victory over all us > > non-evangelicals. Actually, we're a bit ticked off > > here in California, so we're leaving. California will > > now be its own country. And we're taking all the Blue > > States with us. In case you are not aware, that > > includes Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, > > Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and all of the > > Northeast. > > > > We spoke to God, and he agrees that this split > > will be beneficial to almost everybody, and > > especially to us in the new country of California. In > > fact, God is so excited about it, he's going to shift > > the whole country at 4:30 pm EST this Friday. > > Therefore, please let everyone know they need to be > > back in their states by then. > > > > So you get Texas and all the former slave > > states. We get the Governator, stem cell research > > and the best beaches. We get Elliot Spitzer. You get > > Ken Lay. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get > > OpryLand. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get > > WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. > > > > > > We get 85% of America's venture capital and > > entrepreneurs. You get all the technological > > innovation in Alabama. We get about two-thirds of the > > tax revenue, and you get to make the red states > > pay their fair share.> > > > > > Since our divorce rate is 22% lower than the > > Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy > > families. You get a bunch of single moms to > > support, and we know how much you like that. > > > > Did I mention we produce about 70% of the > > nation's veggies? But heck, the only greens the > > Bible-thumpers eat are the pickles on their BigMacs. > > Oh yeah, another thing, don't plan on serving > > California wine at your state dinners. From now on > > it's imported French wine for you. (Ouch, bet that > > hurts!) > > > > Just so we're clear, the country of California > > will be pro-choice and anti-war. Speaking of war, > > we're going to want all Blue States' citizens back > > from Iraq. If you need people to fight, just ask your > > evangelicals. They have tons of kids they're > > willing to send to their deaths for absolutely no > > purpose. And they don't care if you don't show pictures of > > their kids' caskets coming home. > > > > Anyway, we wish you all the best in the next > > four years and we hope, really hope, you find those > > missing weapons of mass destruction. Seriously. Soon. > > > > With the Blue States in hand, the Democrats > > have firm control of 80% of the country's fresh > > water, over 90% of our pineapple and lettuce, 92% of > > all fresh fruit production, 93% of the artichoke > > production, 95% of America's export quality wines, 90% > > of all cheese production, 90% of the high tech > > industry, most of the US low-sulfur coal, all living > > redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven > > Sister schools, plus Stanford, Berkeley, CalTech and > > MIT. We can live simply but well. > > > > The Red States, on the other hand, now have to > > cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their > > projected health care cost spike), 92% of all US > > mosquitoes, nearly 100% of all tornadoes, 90% of all > > hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, 100% > > of all Televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones > > University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. A > > high price to pay for controlling the presidency. > > Additionally, 38% of those in the Red states > > believe Jonah was actually eaten by a whale, 62% > > believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the > > death penalty or gun laws, 44% believe that evolution > > is just a theory, 53% that Saddam Hussein was > > involved in 9/11 and - most hard to grasp - 61% > > believe that Bush is a person of moral conviction

If you can pronounce Kosciusko I'll give you a carrot, and no it isn't in Kyrgystan. If you've seen the movie, think about the scene where he leaps over the edge of the mountain when you get to that stanza...they did a good job of pictorializing it. Oh, and thumbs up to whoever posted Robert Service - Sam McGee or Dan McGrew was a tossup with this. The Man from Snowy River There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around That the colt from old Regret had got away, And had joined the wild bush horses — he was worth a thousand pound, So all the cracks had gathered to the fray. All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far Had mustered at the homestead overnight, For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are, And the stock-horse snuffs the battle with delight. There was Harrison, who made his pile when Pardon won the cup, The old man with his hair as white as snow; But few could ride beside him when his blood was fairly up — He would go wherever horse and man could go. And Clancy of the Overflow came down to lend a hand, No better horseman ever held the reins; For never horse could throw him while the saddle-girths would stand, He learnt to ride while droving on the plains. And one was there, a stripling on a small and weedy beast, He was something like a racehorse undersized, With a touch of Timor pony — three parts thoroughbred at least — And such as are by mountain horsemen prized. He was hard and tough and wiry — just the sort that won’t say die — There was courage in his quick impatient tread; And he bore the badge of gameness in his bright and fiery eye, And the proud and lofty carriage of his head. But still so slight and weedy, one would doubt his power to stay, And the old man said, ‘That horse will never do For a long and tiring gallop — lad, you’d better stop away, Those hills are far too rough for such as you.’ So he waited sad and wistful — only Clancy stood his friend — ‘I think we ought to let him come,’ he said; ‘I warrant he’ll be with us when he’s wanted at the end, For both his horse and he are mountain bred. ‘He hails from Snowy River, up by Kosciusko’s side, Where the hills are twice as steep and twice as rough, Where a horse’s hoofs strike firelight from the flint stones every stride, The man that holds his own is good enough. And the Snowy River riders on the mountains make their home, Where the river runs those giant hills between; I have seen full many horsemen since I first commenced to roam, But nowhere yet such horsemen have I seen.’ So he went — they found the horses by the big mimosa clump — They raced away towards the mountain’s brow, And the old man gave his orders, ‘Boys, go at them from the jump, No use to try for fancy riding now. And, Clancy, you must wheel them, try and wheel them to the right. Ride boldly, lad, and never fear the spills, For never yet was rider that could keep the mob in sight, If once they gain the shelter of those hills.’ So Clancy rode to wheel them — he was racing on the wing Where the best and boldest riders take their place, And he raced his stock-horse past them, and he made the ranges ring With the stockwhip, as he met them face to face. Then they halted for a moment, while he swung the dreaded lash, But they saw their well-loved mountain full in view, And they charged beneath the stockwhip with a sharp and sudden dash, And off into the mountain scrub they flew. Then fast the horsemen followed, where the gorges deep and black Resounded to the thunder of their tread, And the stockwhips woke the echoes, and they fiercely answered back From cliffs and crags that beetled overhead. And upward, ever upward, the wild horses held their way, Where mountain ash and kurrajong grew wide; And the old man muttered fiercely, ‘We may bid the mob good day, No man can hold them down the other side.’ When they reached the mountain’s summit, even Clancy took a pull, It well might make the boldest hold their breath, The wild hop scrub grew thickly, and the hidden ground was full Of wombat holes, and any slip was death. But the man from Snowy River let the pony have his head, And he swung his stockwhip round and gave a cheer, And he raced him down the mountain like a torrent down its bed, While the others stood and watched in very fear. He sent the flint stones flying, but the pony kept his feet, He cleared the fallen timber in his stride, And the man from Snowy River never shifted in his seat — It was grand to see that mountain horseman ride. Through the stringy barks and saplings, on the rough and broken ground, Down the hillside at a racing pace he went; And he never drew the bridle till he landed safe and sound, At the bottom of that terrible descent. He was right among the horses as they climbed the further hill, And the watchers on the mountain standing mute, Saw him ply the stockwhip fiercely, he was right among them still, As he raced across the clearing in pursuit. Then they lost him for a moment, where two mountain gullies met In the ranges, but a final glimpse reveals On a dim and distant hillside the wild horses racing yet, With the man from Snowy River at their heels. And he ran them single-handed till their sides were white with foam. He followed like a bloodhound on their track, Till they halted cowed and beaten, then he turned their heads for home, And alone and unassisted brought them back. But his hardy mountain pony he could scarcely raise a trot, He was blood from hip to shoulder from the spur; But his pluck was still undaunted, and his courage fiery hot, For never yet was mountain horse a cur. And down by Kosciusko, where the pine-clad ridges raise Their torn and rugged battlements on high, Where the air is clear as crystal, and the white stars fairly blaze At midnight in the cold and frosty sky, And where around the Overflow the reedbeds sweep and sway To the breezes, and the rolling plains are wide, The man from Snowy River is a household word to-day, And the stockmen tell the story of his ride.

So speaking of the runaway bride...all the New Mexicans are het up because she accused a couple of fictitious New Mexicans of abducting her. I never heard the term "New Mexican" until I moved to New Mexico...you gotta wonder whether they mean "New Mexico"-ans or "new" Mexicans. I don't think she staged it, I think she got cold feet thanks to all the conservative Christians in her hometown pushing her towards marriage, and realized in the Greyhound that she was going to need a convincing story when the secret service branch of the religious right found her. And what's up with all you people freaking out about a 3 year engagement? Do you have a partner? Have you been with them for up to 3 years? Do you live with them? WHY DON'T YOU FRIGGIN' GET MARRIED ALREADY? I don't agree with that opinion, but it's just as valid an opinion as "oh my gawd they've been engaged for 3 years, why aren't they married yet." Sheesh.

work, work, work. what are weekends? went snowshoeing midweek...arizona has more snow than seattle.

Arizona has been hit by the weather. All this past week all the silly tourists from Seattle have been complaining about it being just like home, and why did they come to the desert if it's not hot and sunny. Well, I'm from Seattle, and I've been here a year, and I say three weeks of Seattle weather is just fine. The good news is, it's gone now. There is some decent climbing up near Flagstaff in a place called Jack's Canyon, and the Grand Canyon is only a skip and a jump away. Sure it ain't 5.6, but it's gorgeous. Plus you can always motor over to J-tree if you get bored of Arizona.

That probably has more to do with the general rule that (for instance) the last 20% of the weight loss takes 80% of the effort, and vice versa. I had the same experience - I learned how to climb with little or no technique and could do 5.8. It took some technique and more strength to do 5.9. 5.10 meant going climbing on a regular basis. 5.11 requires refinement of technique and more strength. So I think the sensation that grades are exponentially harder has more to do with the climber and less with the climb. And hell, just enjoy it. There's a 5.10b that's been kicking my ass for months, and I felt like thumbing my nose at it because I could do the 5.10c next to it. That's just the luck of the rating!

klenke, you never change. climbing website? what climbing website? this is a site for clarifying the meaning of little-known vocabulary words.

It's been awhile since I read much on here, but isn't there already a separate "trip reports" section? I would think a trip report about setting a new route could go there just fine, and everyone could go search for it, and it wouldn't get buried in all the spray. Which I do agree is frustrating, but I also agree that the spray is what keeps a lot of people reading. Me, for example.

speaking as someone who definitely does not work in the footwear department at the unmentionable co-op, these boots look like the wave of the future. if you've heard of the montrail ice-9, vasque is pretty much copying their integrated plastic idea, and kayland is following up with a version as well. I think the reason vasque is taking so long is that the moment they heard about the ice-9 they said "oh crap, we've gotta do that too," but didn't have the technology prepared. so they formulated a launch to get people excited and keep them from buying montrail's product. anyway, both the alpinista and the super alpinista should be pretty nifty, and may even (but don't hold your breath) be available in a women's last!

dare I add a to this mess?

I don't get it...why wouldn't you want your emails marked read? how will people like me ever remember which ones have been read already?