fenderfour

You might be on to something there... Except that in it's current form, most people in the US ARE getting food. In fact, too much of it. I haven't heard about people with little or no education and poor employment prospects getting too much healthcare. ...and shit

My sister

I'm as in to fear mongering as anyone, but I can't really call this a compelling argument for the status quo. No one can represent my interests better than me. In seeking healthcare, my interest is the most informed, fastest, and successful treatment available, all of which cost money. The current structure has someone making decisions about my care who only has incentive to reduce money spent. Their interests are working in direct opposition to mine. ...and all of them were poor before they got into politics

Except they don't do the latter. Sorry, butthat tune has gotten old. The only example any of you patriot-act handwringers can come up with is Padilla (who has been convicted). As for the former, well, they'll be regulating every aspect of your health care, not just "ingrown toenails". They'll decide when you can be treated, how much it can cost, what medicine you are "permitted" to take, and so on, all under a bureaucracy about as caring and efficient as the DMV. You are pushing the logic of the "patriot-act handwringers" into universal healthcare. At least the "patriot-act handwringers" have a single data point for evidence. Currently, there is no evidence that government provided healthcare in the US won't work. If you have insurance there is already someone deciding what, when, and how you will be treated. The big difference is that the person controlling it today is motivated by profit and your illness is seen as a liability. The biggest change that will occur with government provided healthcare is simple; the current structure will die. Rich people won't be so rich.

thou shalt poo

I'll have what he is having.

Please tell me what the govenrment can't do to you today. I don't think denying you a surgery for an ingrown toenail is much of of persuasive tool when all they have to do is declare you a terrorist and throw you in jail. Look at all those oppressed swedes.

The military isn't the sum total of our beauracratic leadership. I like your half-assed extrapolation based on one data point.

Evolution picks will fit in the head. but... Evo picks were made for a different tool and have a different mountign angle. This might work for your style of drytooling, but I don't think you could get a decent swing into ice. I've done some drytooling with the Cascade picks and it works pretty well. I just dropped a pic in the gallery HERE

We don't yet know that the US government sucks at dealing healthcare to the people. At least give them a chance to fail.

When the solution to the problem is to have everyone purchase medical insurance, wouldn't it be easier to have it provided by the government? If you trust the government to protect your civil liberties while fighting a global terrorist threat, why wouldn't you trust them to remove your malignant tumor? I mean, they are doing a good job, right?

Vintage bikes are too much work. If you are not mech with a preternatural ability to track down rare replacement parts, you are hosed.

F*ck that. you are delicate flower. You are special and as unique as a snowflake.

"I got my Harley up to 100 mph the other day" "Oh yeah?" "yeah, but I had to slow down. The truck was shaking too bad."

Big companies like Boeing are killing the marketability and the salary of engineering fields. To be more marketable anywhere - get your PE. This could be difficult due to the work requirements. It is worth the effort. Product design is very cool stuff, but it's like architecture. It's hard to break in to and when you do get there, the pay sucks for a while since it is such a desirable field. Manufacturing is less glamorous, but there are lots of opportunities all over the world with all of the automation going on. Same goes for machine design. Hours, work environment, etc all goes with where you are working, not the job. Long term prospects are varied but usually come from the larger companies/firms. These are the places where the work will (generally) be less interesting. If you chose to contract you will make good money with an uncertain future. Contracting is a good way to open doors and gain experience in multiple areas while you are younger and less worried about health issues and retirement.

For hooman powered stuff, I build my own cheap bikes. Road Bike: No-name AL frame built with Shimano 105 stuff. Speed comes from the motor, not the frame. Mountain Bike: Access XCL frame with Shimano Deore XT and a Mazocchi MXR pro coil in front. I just sold it. Looking to build a 29er in the next year or two.

2000 BMW R1100R Likes: My dad's bike (inherited), Versatile, Sturdy, easy maintenance, Shaft drive Dislikes: EFI limited 120 mph

Way to go after it. You never know if you can until you try.

what do you ride?

...my rack is a little thin. Can we take yours?

twenty beautiful women were pounding on my bedroom door last night. Damned if I was going to let them out.

Is that some kind of fat crack?

Prusiks are the way to go. It will take way less time to prusik back up a rappel and to go down the correct route than it will to place one bolt.

By all means, please kick their asses.

absolutely not. I couldn't imagine anyone on this board knowing what movie that might have come from. I'm pretty sure we are all stumped on this one.