murraysovereign

I've heard that the proposed standard would not give a temperature rating, but rather a rate of heat loss (BTUs/hr, or some such), with a suggested temperature range as well. People buying their first bag would go by the suggested temperature range, but after a while you'd learn what sort of BTU/hr figure to look for, depending on whether you're a warm sleeper or not, or what sort of temperature you expect to encounter. The temperature rating would still be highly subjective, but the heat-loss rating would not.

Yeah, that was the plan all along, as I recall. I'm a bit surprised it's going ahead so soon, but I shouldn't be. The last few seasons have convinced WB they need to expand their lift-serviced intermediate ski terrain at higher elevations in order to survive. The lower mountain was never been very reliable for snow, and now even the mid-elevation (where 90% of the intermediate terrain is presently concentrated)is warming up as well. It's the same rationale behind the Peak-to-Peak gondola idea.

Many routes on the Lower Malamute require you to approach along the railway right-of-way. Railways generally don't like people running around on their rights-of-way, for obvious safety reasons (trains can't turn real quick, and their stopping isn't much better). For years the railway tolerated the presence of a few climbers at the Lower Malamute, but in recent years the numbers were increasing, and the railway could no longer turn a blind eye. So they started enforcing their right-of-way. There was a concerted attempt by both the railway and local climbing community to address their concerns in a manner that would allow the Lower Malamute to re-open to climbing, but the railway was in the end unable to endorse the proposed solution. So it remains closed.

~Valhalla Pure~ outfitters (just this side of Starbucks) will be happy to keep an eye on your gear for you. We've got a fair bit of space in the back, and frequently stow people's packs and stuff back there while they're out doing things.

This is a pretty nice illustration of what they call a "cause-and-effect relationship." It's akin to me saying "I have spent a lot of time in Banff but only to soak in the hot springs. I find the place a bit one dimensional." I'm always amused by the climbers who hang around town, on a perfectly nice day, pissing and moaning about how there's nothing to do because the rock is still wet from last night's rain. What is it about being a rock climber that prevents you from doing anything at all except climbing on rock? I've been having a ball here for several years now, and in all that time the number of days I've spent rock climbing can probably be counted on my fingers. Hiking, biking, paddling, skiing, bushwhacking and exploring, waterfall-rappelling, making blue smoke with the outboard out on the ocean - who's got time for something as weather-dependent as rock climbing? If I had room to store the gear I could add scuba diving, windsurfing and kiteboarding, fly fishing, sailing, sea kayaking... One dimensional? Are you sure it's Squamish that's one dimensional, and not you?

Meanwhile, back in the real world "KPMG's biannual study measures 27 cost components, such as labour, taxes, utilities and real estate... France and the Netherlands are the most cost-efficient European countries, while the U.S. ranked seventh among the nine countries, the study said. Germany edged out Japan as the costliest place to conduct business." Spin, spin, spin...

The White House had a "domestic policy advisor"? Wow, talk about a cushy job, being a domestic policy advisor to an administration with no discernible domestic policy. I wonder if the position is still open - anyone know who I would call to apply?

Oops! Make that 8-0 in the 5th. Something called an "Inside the Park Home Run"? And now they're talking about something called "The Mercy Rule". What's that?

So there's some sort of baseball world tournament on the telly right now. Not the "World Series" which is an American-only event, mostly. This one seems to involve teams from all over the world, actually. Anyhow, there's a game in progress right now, and mid-way through the 4th inning the team from "USA! USA! USA!" is down 7-0 to a team from some place called "Canada". WTF?? Canadians don't play baseball, unless there's alcohol involved - most of us think (rightly) that it's a stupid, pansy kind of game. Hell, there's no checking, no high-sticking or tripping, and on the few occasions they try to really mix it up, they fight like girls. We just don't see the point of it. So, why would we be beating a bunch of guys who live and breathe the game from childhood? And now the home-town fans (game's being played in Phoenix) are actually starting to boo the team from "USA! USA! USA!" You guys suck!

It looks to me like the fat clown is carrying some sort of device for looking up women's skirts

OK, those of you who don't like Luge, or Short Track Speed Skating, or Boarder-Cross, are going to absolutely HATE this one, but I kinda like the idea of combining them!

This is part of the "10 Essentials Weekend" - they're demonstrating what can happen to your polypro when it's not adequately protected by shorts.

Actually, they sold pretty well, so we ordered more, and those sold pretty well also. But by late January we were still looking at a few left-overs that probably weren't going to sell, so we tore the back covers off to return for credit, and gave them away in exchange for donations. But yeah, most people buy them before New Year's, and certainly before the end of February. I'll have more coming sometime in October or November, if you don't mind waiting

Well, you could have bought one from me, but they're all gone now. In fact, up until a few days ago you could have had one in exchange for a $1.00 donation to the Bolt Fund 'cause we were basically giving them away starting mid-February. But NOOO! You never even thought to ask, did you? I'm hurt

Boy, doesn't that just warm your heart? You work so hard for so many years trying to instill your love of hockey in people on the far side of the world, patiently coaching and encouraging them, hoping some day their children will take to the ice with the same joyful enthusiasm you remember so well from your own youth. And you wonder sometimes if it's worth the effort and the stress and the worry, and then you see film like this and... well... I gotta admit, it brings tears to my eyes. I'm so damned proud of those Slovenian kids. They've come so far, so fast... sniff... it seems like just yesterday they were... sniff... I'm, I'm sorry, I can't go on. I need a minute...

Actually, a bunch of overpaid, overaged nancyboys who were too prima donna to put the puck in anyone's net were to blame. Good riddance to them - they never should have been there in the first place. Give the Olympics back to the Juniors. I'd rather watch a bunch of kids who still give a damn get their asses kicked, rather than watch a series of NHL All-Star games played by a bunch of guys who look like they couldn't care less what happens. Sure, I would have been happy if they'd won, but I was happier to hear they got the toss. Fuck'em.

Too bad you weren't in Torino - it sounds like all you needed to do to win a gold medal in ice dancing was to not fall down. You'd have been a shoe-in!

I had planned to paddle across the Squamish River and spend today bushwhacking up a creek and exploring a really cool slot canyon I found last week. But I was over there for two full days last week, and just couldn't get psyched to get going this morning. So I slept in instead, then went to the Brew Pub to do a bit of year end book-keeping and watch the women's hockey final. Canadian Girls It would have been more fun to beat the US for the gold, but those damned Swedes took them out in the semi-final, so we had to settle for playing against a bunch of Scandihuvians instead. Maybe the US can put a proper team together in time for Vancouver - it's only 4 years away. So, yeah, lazy day. Bushwhacking tomorrow and Wednesday now that I'm all rested up.

Lows of -19C for Squamish Friday and Saturday, -15C for Sunday. Highs about -5C. According to weathernetwork.com For now, at least, they're not predicting rain for the weekend

Jimmy Sturr? WTF!? Walter Ostanek absolutely owns the polka category. Walter Ostanek has forgotten more about polka than Jimmy Sturr has ever learned. This reeks of a fix - someone got paid off to screw Walter, just 'cause he's a Canadian. The whole music industry is corrupt to the core. Bastards!

Time for the annual disclaimer/reminder: from now until sometime in mid- to late-June, the Wednesday forecast for Squamish will be calling for rain on the weekend. This will be the case almost every week for the next four months. On occasion, the forecast of rain will prove to be accurate. Most weeks, it will prove to be wrong or at least overstated (80% chance of thunderstorms manifests itself as a brief shower up on the Tantalus Range late Saturday afternoon). This is a predictable pattern that has been observed for several years running now. The actual, accurate weekend forecast for Squamish will not be posted until some time Friday, or even early Saturday, if ever. Any forecast posted earlier than Friday should be viewed with grave suspiscion. By late June or early July, the mid-week forecast will become more reliable, but until then take it with a large grain of salt. That is all - carry on.

While it's fairly easy to say "cut them off unless they commit to this, that, or the other thing", there's a very real risk in doing so, in that it would force Hamas to look elsewhere for their financial support, and in so doing drive them further into the embrace of Syria, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, and greatly impair your own ability to exercise any influence or exert any pressure toward reform. The threat of cutting off their support is more valuable as a threat than as an implemented policy. Once you actual do it, you've not only lost your biggest bargaining chip, but you've also driven the Palestinians further into the orbit of the very powers you're trying to defeat. And remember, a good part of the argument for sending troops into Iraq (twice) was because "sanctions don't work." So that's all changed now?

It scores high enough that there's a thriving industry built around it - the winter weather in Tofino is so bad it's good, and people book "storm-watching" holidays to experience it. All the hotels and B&Bs along the shoreline have come to rely on truly appalling weather to stay profitable during the "off" season. It actually sounds pretty appealing - curl up on the sofa in front of a fireplace in a little shack with big windows facing the Pacific, and just hunker down inside watching all Hell break loose outside. Just be careful if you go for a walk along the shore - people get swept off the rocks by the waves from time to time, and your chances of survival would be slim to none.

As of yesterday Whistler has recorded 15 feet of snow since New Year's. That's very close to a record for January. 40cm of fresh yesterday alone. In places it was almost too deep to ski - I spent a fair bit of time breaking trail downhill trying to get to slopes steep enough to allow forward movement. No complaints, though. With any luck it'll be as good tomorrow - today my legs need plenty of rest.

You want that with or without the altimeter?