KaskadskyjKozak

Depending on your industry and career, it is possible to face a lot of instability and changes. 2 jobs back, our site closed and everyone was laid off. The best job I could find was twice as far... with a promise of relocating the entire site within a year. I considered it a temporary job until I could get something better and more permanent. Took a year and stilll I've got a 22 mile commute, and I'd hardly call it "stable". At least I don't have to commute 2-3 hours a day. There are plenty of people out ther doing that...

I do rent, but that doesn't mean I'm not qualified to say that folks ought to make an effort to live closer to their jobs or near mass-transit (yes, for the greater good). I've known plenty of people who've managed to find homes in places that don't force reliance on a car. I've tried to find a job closer to my home. In fact I moved to my home 7 years ago to be closer to a job. In order to do this again, and keep the same quality of life, I'll need to have a mortgage that is 150-200K higher, plus pay closing fees, and all that other fun shit. Moving is not so easy, and who's to say that I will not be out of a job 6 months after moving and have to commute again?

It's amazing how few people even consider this option. Easier said for single renters than people with homes, families, etc.

To address the Dick Cheney in you, you'd have to have a Lexus luxury sedan, not a Ford truck.

Someone should take away this guy's feeding tube. What a sick fothermucker.

I'm also considering spending my dividend on something else and going with Feathered Friends for a new down bag. Any feedback on their 15/20 degree bags would be appreciated as well...

I don't think this is phrased very well. It is perfectly fine for the legislative and judicial branches to contest eachother's work/decisions. Checks and balances, you know. But in this case, it is a state's rights issue, not a checks-and-balances issue. Some political consistency would be nice here from our congress. I don't like the outcome of the court's decision in this case, but the federal government should butt out.

Write down that you read about Tejas' FWA (solo) of Denali and plan to strap a 12-foot aluminum ladder to your back...

For some reason the episode from Seinfeld just popped in my head, where Kramer draws up his instructions for when to pull the plug...

This is embarassing to confess, but I use this PHAT -20 down bag for winter glacier trips. It's way overkill, but I since I have the bag, I might as well use it. Besides- it's SOO freakin' comfy. It also has the added bonus of being a booty magnet. What would be sufficient for a Feb climb of Rainier? A zero degree bag? A zero degree bag plus a silk liner? Just trying to get a feel for the range of use here...

Thanks Squid. Regarding 2., what would you use for winter volcanoes? As for breathing into the bag... I've been guilty of that on cold nights in my synthetic. I'll have to break that habit if I go with down...

I'm considering purchasing a down bag with my REI dividend. I'm currently looking at the Marmot Helium and the Mountain Hardware Phantom 15. Both bags are rated to 15 degrees. I currently own an REI Shasta 15 degree bag which is 3 lbs 4 oz and has a 9x21 stuff sack. I've used it for a couple of climbing seasons. My main motivations for the down bags are lighter weight and more compressability. My bag takes a lot of space in my (large) multi-day pack (Gregory Shasta), and adds over 3 lbs to an already heavy pack (6+ lbs). I am considering buying a smaller pack for most overnight glacier climbs (as well as day-hikes/scrambles/back country skiing) and a smaller sleeping bag would help make that feasible. My questions: 1) would it be better to go with a 30 degree bag for shorter trips, or should I stick with a 15 or 20 degree bag - it is the most versatile in the Cascades? 2) How does a 15/20 degree bag fair in cold conditions in Spring and Fall in the Cascades? When / for what climbs would it be insufficient? A winter ascent of Rainier or Baker? How about spring? (I'm considering going up Baker in a couple of weeks) 3) The Helium and Phantom are pretty comparable. The Helium is a bit wider (I am broad-shouldered), but the Phantom has a two-way zipper - good for venting the legs. Anything else people have noticed with either? Good experiences? Bad? 4) I know you don't want to get down wet. This means from the inside as well. How susceptible are these two bags to damp clothing, or breathing into the bag (a no-no?), or sweating? 5) I'm just under 6 feet tall. Is it a good or bad idea to go with a 6'6" bag to leave room for a water bottle or clothes you want to be warm/dry (socks). My synthetic bag is 6', and I don't put much in it with me. TIA

there's a profound difference between a person guilty of heinous crimes and an innocent who suffered a terrible accident.

Have you ever seen someone who is profoundly mentally retarded? Not much difference. I suppose they should all be euthanized as well. Hmm, reminds me of a certain 20th century, teutonic ideology... they are all Untermenschen, nicht wahr? Und wir muessen Lebensraum haben...

sheeple

Know anything about J2EE application development?

internationalism and world government

I'll be they do vote... along with the dead and felons...

Oh shit, I forgot all about that weird, white hermaphrodite whack-job...

We need something else to obsess about and occupy our empty lives with now that Scott Peterson has been sentenced and Robert Blake was acquited.

It's illegal to use them - let the law enforcement deal with this. Congress should have better things to spend their time on. They're just being pulled around by the latest media hype and public "outrage" (some leaders), or worse, are trying to capitalize on the issue to score some easy brownie points. Dumb asses.

Steroids are aid.

if it's yellow let it mellow...

Then this is what the opponents to drilling should be highlighting - not the environmental impact or the "small" amount of oil deposits - but that the oil will be exported and would not help DOMESTIC oil demand one iota.

If that's true, then that's a hell of a lot bigger lie than anything told leading up to the Iraq invasion.