faster_than_you

Bush Cuts National Park Funding By Chas Offutt, PEER WASHINGTON, DC – The Bush administration has directed the National Park Service to substantially decrease its reliance on tax-supported funding, according to internal documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In a turnabout from the last two presidential campaigns when candidate Bush promised greater funding of parks, new “talking points” distributed last week to all park superintendents urge them to begin “honest and forthright” discussions with the public about smaller budgets, reduced visitor services and increased fees. Using a new approach called Core Operations Analysis, each park is asked to develop budgets based on a 20 to 30% reduction in appropriation support. In this exercise, park superintendents decide which visitor services or other functions can be jettisoned (“staffing and funding alternatives based on realistic funding projections,” in the words of the Park Service). Whatever shortfalls in support for essential operations that remain must be made up for with fee hikes, cost shifting or increased reliance on volunteers. Once the Core Operation Analysis is finalized, each park is then put on a “glide path” to implement the agreed upon reductions during the next five years. In the talking points memo issued on April 11, 2006, park public affairs and budgetary staff provide coaching as to how individual parks should spin shrinking budgets and reduced visitor services, including: “The National Park Service, like most agencies, is tightening its belt as our nation rebuilds from Katrina, continues the war on terrorism and strives to reduce the deficit” and “Our satisfaction rating is over 96 percent nationally, and has remained high for several years. That’s a clear indicator that budgets have not reduced visitor enjoyment.” By contrast, prior to the 2004 election, park officials were ordered to avoid mention of cutbacks and instead use the euphemism “service level adjustments.” In talking points distributed on April 7, 2004, park managers were instructed to counter charges of lower budgets by declaring “NPS has fared well under President Bush.” “Rather than being honest about planned budget cuts, the Bush administration once again makes stealth policy decisions cloaked by management reform mumbo jumbo,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. “If our national parks are going to be reduced to performing only the bare minimum of ‘core operations’ the public ought to be given some say as to what is considered essential.”

Perhaps this is a self inflicted troll to create a little controversial spin on the descent??? Didn't these skiers know that Liberty R is one of the hardest routes in North America? How dare they ski it. Please, where are the third party skiers... OMG

And now you're talking... Anything less than a bunch of verifiers is probably just classified as a "party." It gets really complicated when factor in a few Fidos, Norris and Seagal types...

See, that's the problem Oly! You need a third party verifier to find truth. And then you need a 4th party verifier to verify that your 3rd party verifiers are truly 3rd party. Got that?

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...