selkirk

Any body know the current conditions on Observation Rock? Thanks in advance!

I believe it's time for an appropriate sendoff. , , , and a salute...... I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! I'm Rick James, Bitch! on.

I'd argue but it's obviously pointless.

Great pictures IG. So whens Das Toof climb?

How sufficiently random!

I agree, more power to the people on the ground. Now that were they're we need to give them whatever resources they need to come home safe. Don't get me wrong, i'm not for a half assed military effort. I think the officers and soldiers on the ground are doing the best they can with a bad situation and should have anything and everything they need. I just think the policy makers at the top screwed up.

Just because they're having more fun than you are isn't a reason to whine.

My word has it gotten ugly in the last 2 hours! Personally I think the newbie/girls trips are a great idea and I'm glad they're going well! It seems a few people need to pull their heads out and realize that men and women a have different learning and social stiles. In general women tend to learn better in the company of other women: less distraction, less male competition and chest beating, more support. The research is out there to that fact looking at learning in all girls / co-ed highschools, and classes as well. I'd volunteer to help out, but I think my presence would just be a nuisance, hence i've stayed the away. Just think of it this way, next time we all need climbing partners there's a better chance it won't be some chestbeating ego freak! Thanks for all your work IG!

ok, as I started the thread here's my .02. First off has anyone ever read "The Ugly American"? fictional book but nails one of the problems about the way we approach foreign policy. Like many other things when we see a problem we throw things at it. If it's a foreign problem it's generally either, money, troops or both. Prior to vietnam the US approach to the area was large construction projects... Lets build them ports and infrastructure and they'll be happy. The problem was the average, common, uneducated citizen benefited very little, while the those who were already wealthy prosperous and educated benefited tremendously... The attempt was effectively trickle down economics. However this doesn't always work well. If you look at what makes people happy one of the key factors is how well off you are compared to your neighbour, or compared to the society, not how well off you are in absolute terms. Building a port makes the wealthy, wealthier and doesn't affect many other people. The communists at the same time, went in in a very different fashion. They planted rice with the workers in the villages, and improved the lives of the people in immediate, tangible, and undesrtandable ways. IMHO more troops wouldn't have won the war in Vietnam, just like it won't win the war in Iraq. To create a lasting peace you not only need to eliminate those people trying to kill you but prevent the recruitment of new ones. And it seems our primary focus in both wars was to get rid of the immediate threat with adressing it at it's source. More money and more troops won't solve the threat. We need to change the way were percieved in that part of the world, in addition to bringing prosperity to it. It's insufficient to kill the terrorists and prevent the terrorists from striking, either domestically or internationally. Like vietnam, to win, were going to need to find a way to convince the populace as a whole, that were not a threat to them, or their way of life, and that the extreme islamic groups are. And in my opinion the message we sent with Iraq wasn't were not a threat to you, we can help you. But watch the out or we'll come after you. We may have gotten rid of saddam (granted one bad, despicable dude) but how many people did we alienate? I think we would have been much better served not invading, and sending in teachers and engineers to make the lives of each and ever person better in some fasion and show them that were not out to destroy their culture and their beliefs.

Wouldn't you much rather have a pocket

Liberals want you to be able to do whatever you want, so long as it doesn't infringe upon anothers rights. Conservatives just want you to do exactly the same thing they are, because darn it, they're sure they're right!

So Kerry isn't all he portrays himself to be. Is there anyone who things that Kerry is a paragon of virtue? Have any of our presidents ever been paragon's of virtue? Some of our best most productive and noteworty presidents have been deeply flawed individuals. The fundamental question should be can he do a better job running the country domestically, and shaping our foreign policy? and on a bit of thread drift, has anyone else noticed that none of the ancient, conservative supreme court justices are retiring, when a republican president is in office and they can be fairly sure they'll be replaced by another conservative?

Are you saying that aquatice monkey's aren't gud siance and math? I think I resemble that remark

Can anybody name 1 similarity between Iraq and Vietnam other than the fact that both are apparent cluster 's? Specifically about what it's going to take to "win the peace" in Iraq, and why we could never "win the hearts and minds" in Vietnam........

Did anyone else read the bit about Aquatic Monkeys giving birth to humans? And they say the athevolutionists are on crack. I think they must be dabbling in

uuuh, the picture isn't showing up minx.

Did Spain actually pull out? Prior to their elections one one party was planning to pull the troops, but post elections the last thing I heard was that the same party decided to double their presence?

so, as a belayer how many pieces of pro do you let pop and slide down in an unpleasant manner before letting the person on lead know that well, they don't have any pro at the moment? After all we wouldn't want to freak them out on lead, especially with no pro.....

from Here! My question is what's more dangerous? Having fewer police employed and on duty or the terrorists? In Seattle the government is about to release something like 1/2 of it's Parol officers due to budget shuffling and increased spending on homeland security. Now doesn't that make everyone warm and fuzzy knowing that people who are out on Parol are going to be at the very least much less supervised, if they're being supervised at all.

Taken by yours truly (Cascadeclimber). mmmmmm, poo and slugs! Does it get any better?

I don't know the picture of IG in the moonbat suit was pretty bad, though quite amusing. As for Phils, what in the world is hanging between his legs?

It's a miracle, and you should be giving thanks to the good Rev. Falwell....... Oh wait a minute, was that out loud?

Wankers, chalk's aid.

Has anyone ever read Feeding the rat about Mo Antoine? British Climber back in the 60's/70's. His wife could carry more weight than he could. Definitely not a womaon to mess with!

You can always just tie the pickets to the daisy chain (run a piece of webbing through the picket holes). I looked into using for an overnight glacier climb but was a bit too small. Seemed like the pickets would stay put though.