faster_than_you

Extra publicity never hurt a car salesman. Remember Cal Worthington? This guy's mantra is could be: "Pursuing truth at altitude since 2000"

OMG... What a Nodder.

Woh, did you see the eyebrows on the tv guy?

I've been in the jungle searching out Nodders and missed this... OMG.

There sure is a lot of Nodder activity in this thread... Anyone seen The Nodder lately?

Cute, a moderator flexing their power.

Nisqually Icecliff dude, Nisqually Icecliff...

Cool news, thanks for the heads up! I guess I wasn't faster_than_you getting my copy!

Don't know if this made the rounds...

He talks about the importance of pace... I bet I'm faster than him.

From the TNT Chuck Norris’ tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. Ever. Chuck Norris counted to infinity – twice. Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch. He decides what time it is. And onward goes this new Internet fad, adding Chuck Norris “facts” to many long online lists created by neo-Norris worshippers. In 2006, when star mania strikes, it strikes globally. And Chuck Norris mania is in full effect right now. Ian Spector is generally credited with taking Chuck Norris worship to new heights. Sure, late-night talker Conan O’Brien has played a role in the resurgence of Chuckmania. He occasionally pulls a lever that starts “Walker: Texas Ranger” footage rolling. Scenes are often taken out of context for comedic value. And “Saturday Night Live” took a stab at the venerable martial artist in a musical “Young Chuck Norris” sketch. There are varying opinions about the online rebirth of Chuckmania. But Spector, an 18-year-old freshman at Brown University in Rhode Island, claims the phenomenon grew out of forums at his Web site, www.4q.cc. It was there that Spector started the star “facts” list. Vin Diesel and Mr. T had their moments, but when Spector asked readers to vote for which star should be next to receive the treatment, they begged him to put Norris on the ballot. “He won in a landslide,” Spector said in a recent phone interview. At last count, Spector recorded about 3,000 unique Norris “facts” on his site. • Chuck Norris can speak Braille. • Chuck Norris puts the “laughter” in “manslaughter.” • The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain. Spector and several volunteers sift through the many new facts that pour in ever day. His site gets between 500,000 and 800,000 hits per day. “Basically, if something makes us laugh, we’ll add it to our collection,” Spector said. “We’ll accept, edit or reject entries, and we reject about 90 percent of what we get. There are a lot of repeats.” On the Internet, the floodgates are open, and anyone with half a sense of humor (and a less-than-substantial grasp of grammar rules) can post Chuckisms. A recent Google search for “my space” and “chuck norris” pulled up more than 100,000 hits. Brian Spicer, co-owner of The Olde Shipwreck tavern in Tacoma, has some Chuck facts on his MySpace.com page. “It’s wild. It’s taken over the Internet,” Spicer said. He and his friends have had a lot of fun with the facts lists. “We passed them around the bar for about a week,” said Spicer, 24. “It’s become the joke around here; everything is served with a roundhouse kick to the face.” A longtime Norris fan (as a boy he dressed like Braddock, the hero of the “Missing in Action” movies, for Halloween), Spicer said he and his friends like to make fun of the actor’s roles, roles that seem “cheesy” now. Even so, there’s an element of respect in their joking. “I can’t think of any movie star today that is anything like Chuck Norris or that even comes close,” Spicer said. Everyone has their favorite Chuck Norris facts, even The Man Himself. “He does have his favorites,” said Jeff Duclos, Norris’ publicist, in a recent phone call from California. They change all the time, as more myths are added to lists all over the Internet, Duclos said. “His top two right now would be, ‘When the boogeyman goes to bed, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris,’” Duclos said, “and ‘They were going to put Chuck Norris’ face on Mount Rushmore, but the granite wasn’t hard enough for his beard.’” Norris takes the phenomenon “in the right spirit,” Duclos said, adding that Norris and Spector had a friendly meeting at a recent World Combat League event. Norris has been promoting the WCL as the NFL/NBA of martial arts with professional fighters representing United States cities. “Ultimately it’s pretty flattering,” Duclos said of the new Norris mania. “He’s been good sport about it. In a way, it’s nice. There’s a whole bunch of young people who don’t know him except through this. In a way, it opened him up to a new audience.” That’s not to say Norris doesn’t have real and lasting appeal, he said. “He’s a lot like one of his favorite heroes he had when he was a kid: John Wayne,” Duclos said. “He has a consistence of persona about him. Chuck Norris is Chuck Norris, regardless of the role he plays. … He is like John Wayne, with classic American male values: strength, leadership, responsibility and a strong sense of moral background.” WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW Guns don’t kill people. Chuck Norris kills people. Outer space exists because it’s afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris. When the Incredible Hulk gets angry, he transforms into Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door. Chuck Norris uses only one chopstick. The quickest way to a man’s heart is with Chuck Norris’ fist. Superman owns a pair of Chuck Norris pajamas. Chuck Norris can divide by zero. Geico saved 15 percent by switching to Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris’ cowboy boots are made from real cowboys. When Chuck Norris exercises, the machine gets stronger. If at first you don’t succeed, you are obviously not Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris is allowed to talk about Fight Club. America is not a democracy. It is a Chucktatorship. Sources: www.4q.cc, www.chucknorrisfacts.com THE REAL CHUCK NORRIS Born: March 10, 1940, in Ryan, Okla. Birth name: Carlos Ray Norris. Married: Diane Holechek, 1958-1988 (divorced; three children); Gena O’Kelley, 1998-present (two children – twins); three grandchildren. Martial arts: Six-time World Karate Champion; often trained with Bruce Lee; founded two schools of martial arts: Chun Kuk Do (“The Universal Way”) and American Tang Soo Do; founder of the National Tang Soo Do Congress and the United Fighting Artists Federation; 10th-degree black belt in Korean Tang Soo Do; 8th-degree black belt in tae kwon do; black belt in Brazilian jiujitsu. Political affiliations: The Republican Party, the NRA. Religion: Christian. Childhood idol: John Wayne. Movies: The “Delta Force” and “Missing in Action” series; “A Force of One,” “Good Guys Wear Black,” “The Octagon,” “Forced Vengeance,” “Code of Silence” and many others. TV: Best known for the title role in “Walker: Texas Ranger.” Infomercials: Spokesman for the Total Gym workout system. Debut novel: “Justice Riders,” Wild West fiction released in January. Pet project: World Combat League, the NBA/NFL of martial arts. Trivia: Norris was the original choice for the role of Red Forman on the Fox sitcom “That ’70s Show,” but he was filming “Walker: Texas Ranger” and had to turn it down. He also turned down the role of the evil Sensei John Kreese in “The Karate Kid.”

The number of climbers falling is better than lots of climbers falling. Mos Chillin... Are you sure technical rock climbing is really getting more popular? I spent a 45 days last fall (subtle chest beat) between 11-worth, Yosemite, J-Tree and Cochise and it never seemed like I had to wait for any of the classic climbs. I was particularly amazed at how sleepy J-Tree and Yosemite were. But I'm not complaining...

As they say "ball up." Maybe you can't handle the excitment.

Nisqually Icecliff, Mount Rainier.

It's 400% increase. And since they are announcing a $500 fee, what does a mythical $1000 fee have to do with anything? I can't imagine why opponents have difficulty gaining traction.... You again? If $200 is 100%, isn't $1000 5 times $200? We need a math person? As pointed out, they are suggesting a fee of 1k. Sun Tzu would recommend planning for all the possible outcomes. But your mythical point is taken, the entire discussion revolves around what the Chief Ranger told a bunch of guide service owners last Feb. As conceded earlier in the post, the increase is just a "rumor" b/c there has been no "offical" announcement. But hey, we've nothing better to do than to nit pick each other on cc.com.

Another astute CC.COM poster child redefines bitching as someone points out a 500% fee increase? Going from $200 to $500 isn't a 500% increase, it's a 150% increase. Isn't going from $200 to $1000 a 500% increase? That's what the the NPS told the guide services in Feb. That post from the other forum came from one of the guides in Talkeetna. The money isn't aimed at "padding" coffers. The proposal "would" be aimed to offset costs that are currently covered by the NPS. And it "aint" gas prices that driving up costs, it's the way the agency (and the public) view our activity. But hey, as climbers we do a better job arguing amongst ourselves than organizing against a fee increase or even agreeing that fee increase of 150% is too much. I can see the public meeting now. The NPS will put some alternatives on the table, and we climbers will be busy nit-picking each others responses.

I heard that Dru was consummed in his quest for The Nodder.

Finally... someone able to throw down a good roundhouse.

Another astute CC.COM poster child redefines bitching as someone points out a 500% fee increase? ...this sorta proves the point. Climbers can't seem to agree on anything...

This was posted in the AK forum... It has a few assumptions that seem a little off, but the premise of the fee increase is on the mark. As the story goes, the proposed fee increase was announced by the Chief Ranger at a meeting with the guide services. Rumor or not... I think they're planning to raise the fee. One interesting point in this post (which originated from a guide service owner) is that climbers don't complain. Or maybe what he's saying is that they don't orgranize as a group very well.

Hangover, or do you mean, POISON OAK?! I'm sure it was a fun trip...

Not knowing your skill, and assuming your proficient on 65 degree ice with a large pack at 13,500... Bring 4 screws and 4 pickets. More than likely, you wont need the screws (but if you do, you'll want them,) but the pickets could be useful for a variety of other reasons. Maybe what you're missing here is that very, very few people climb that route in April. You're a month and a 1/2 ahead of most. That's why there's a little poking going on. If you get pics, we'd all love to see them! And if you make it (or at least claim to have a good time,) we'll toast you too!

Again, I agree about the "rumor" part of this... Maybe we're just putting the word out. AK is a small place when it comes to climbing. General opinion can have a way of working itself into the system... Before you're looking at three alternatives in a NPS managed meeting. BUT now that I think about it, the NPS just raised the fee to $200 w/o public comment last time.

Your reading too much into my post. The outrage is over the amount! I did not make an issue of what the NPS is doing on the mountain. In fact, I reference the value of a climbing/resource protection program. I would also agree that $200 isn't "too" bad... but... $500, or more? I know to "climb elsewhere"... Thank you, how could I forget? But it sort of stinks to think Denali would be 2K (or 1K) for my climbing partner and me. As for the rumor, you're right. It may not happen that soon, or go that high, but I heard it from a reliable person... And with a gentle nudge agreed it might be good to nip this early. Seems easier to just wait... Anyone can do the research to figure out the names/emails of the people above.

Hey Neoday... You seem to be obsessing/stressing about a photo and the ice?? Are you sure you're ready for some moderately steep ice at altitude with a heavy pack? You should consider yourself fortunate if you make it up the bergschrund this time of year... Layton and OlegV are on the mark, just go find out. More than likely, it will be a lot of slogging.