Dechristo

It's always fun until somebody loses an eye.

Man, you're so scared you're scaring me.

Is it the suspension of modern PC sensibilities of civility that scares you? Or the boldness to suspend only?

Dat wut. I enjoy a couple of Soft Machine albums on vinyl from that period.

October 2005 The Mountain Fund Newsletter News from and for our Members and Supporters Greetings! Thank you for making this newsletter the big success that it is. Nearly 500 people subscribe to this newsletter and I am always amazed to learn how many people continue to visit the online newsletter weeks after it comes out. Our goal is to make this better with every issue and bring you more news about what The Mountain Fund member agencies are doing to make this a better world. Thanks for your continued support. If you have any feedback for us on how we can make this a better newsletter for you, please let me know. Scott mtnfund@mountainfund.org Healthcare for all Nepal, A Unique Approach by Karing for Kids and Mountain Fund KFK eyes new outreach project nima This past spring Mountain Fund Executive Director, Scott MacLennan accompanied volunteer medical personnel on a trek in Nepal on their way to the Karing for Kids clinic in the Rasuwa District. One of the stops along the trail was the village of Thulo Syabru. Those of you who have been following all the newsletters may recall this trek from newsletter two on our website. While at Thulo Syabru I met and befriended Bhunima Lama, or Nima. He runs the Hotel Yak where we spent one night. Nima, upon learning that we had a clinic a days walk away was very anxious to have us start a clinic for his village. Some time after my return from Nepal I received the following e-mail from Nima, which is the catalyst for the outreach program contemplated in this article. I have reprinted it exactly as Nima wrote it. Hello, I am Nima writing from Nepal, Do you remember me? i live in (Syabru). i meet you in there when you was trekking from way back to Kathmandu. this time you are stayed in my lodge at Syabru. Hello, How are you and your family and all friend who spend a night in my house?? now you remember me. we are all very fine and doing very well. some days ago that we are arrievd in kathmanu becouse my wife was pregnant for 6 months but it was so sick of the fever, bommet,blowing and paining her baby stomack hardly. so we come to hospital in here. now from todayshe was in Hospital and checket all and waiting the report. Hello, in this time when you was in Syabru, we talk about that you will help for sending some nurse for checking sick people in there and latter on talking about you will open clinic in there. ihad talk with Chaieman of Village and i explan all about you helping in Chileme area. so he was so glade to requist for helping in there but he can not write and read,so therefore i write you about how is possibility from your project? but we can manage for what you needed. also i am the membership the School Commite, so we will diside accorting of the your massage. so for now this much with looking forward from you. with best regarts! NIma (SYABRU V.D.C) KFK and The Mountain Fund had been talking for some time before getting this e-mail about an outreach program. The nuts and bolts of this program includes sending one of the KFK clinic staff nurses to a different village each month to teach basic first aid and rural village health care to interested locals from a wonderful book called Where there is no Doctor. This book is published in Nepali and is written for the villager who lives far from medical centers. The book covers identifying and treating simple illnesses and uses a community approach to involve villagers to better each others health. Our expectation is that there will emerge a few villagers who will have the interest and take the initiative to establish a clinic, with our assistance. Our training program is meant to raise the level of awareness of healthcare in the village and begin the process of training the traditional healers in more effective medical treatment practices as a precursor to a clinic. If you would like to help us make this project a reality by buying a few copies of the book in Nepali or helping to pay the travel cost and wages of the KFK clinic staff to teach in Thulo Syabru, please visit the donation page at The Mountain Fund and note in the comments box the word Nima. We will direct any funds received with that comment to this project and of course keep you updated right here on our progress. Support this project here Keyword NIMA in the comments Daily Camera Article Leads to New Water Sanitation Project in Nepal by Mountain Fund Engineers Without Borders, Boulder Chapter our New Partner bordeers It's funny how one little thing can open all sorts of possibilities. A few months ago the Boulder Daily Camera ran an article about The Mountain Fund that featured our board member, Kevin Cooney. Kevin is a professional engineer who lives in Boulder and the article caught the eye of his peers. From that small event, a partnership has developed that will have profound and positive impact on three Tamang villages in rural Nepal. The Mountain Fund Executive Director, Scott MacLennan was invited by the Boulder Chapter of Engineers Without Borders to make a presentation on the opportunity for EWB to work with Mountain Fund Member Agency, Karing for Kids. The presentation showed that a majority of the medical patients at the clinic run by KFK were suffering as a result of the impoverished environment in which they live. Gastrointestinal diseases and respiratory infections count for nearly half of all patients treated at the KFK clinic. The public health issues that KFK ends up treating as illnesses can be traced to contaminated water supplies, lack of toilet facilities and wood smoke from poorly ventilated, inefficient stoves. Engineers Without Borders has addressed these issues many times, in many countries. On November 4th, Scott and three volunteers from EWB, Margot Rode, Mike Savoie and Ian Nienhueser, will travel to Nepal and make a site assessment of three Tamang villages as the first step toward a long term goal of cleaning up the water supply, providing sanitary toilet facilities and reducing wood stove smoke. These projects will greatly improve the health conditions for 7,000 villagers. The Mountain Fund is very excited to be working in partnership with Engineers Without Borders on this important project. Visit the EWB site Artist Supports Mountain Fund by Scott MacLennan Greg Frux donates print to silent auction frux When I asked Greg for a high-resolution digital print of the painting pictured here, he was more than kind and gracious in donating. Mountain Fund Member Agency Global Humanitarian needed items for their annual silent auction and Greg came through for us. Global Humanitarian hosts dental clinics throughout SE Asia and the proceeds from the sale of Greg's art is helping to bring dental care to the people that need it most. We asked Greg to give us the story of this beautiful work and this is what he said: It depicts a ridge of Cordillera Real around 5000 meters just outside La Paz, Bolivia. Looking east towards the Amazon basin where humid air builds into towering cumulus clouds every afternoon. The blinding whites and angular shapes are as close as I have come to capturing the experience of mountaineering. We were able to reach the spot by taking a truck to the mountain pass called "Cumbre" (Spanish for summit) and then climbing for about three hours. Our sincere thanks Greg. See more of Greg's work here Help Wanted - Peru by Article Author Inca Porters Still Need You peru porter Last month I reported that long time porters rights advocate Inka Porter Project had ceased operations in Peru, citing favorable changes in the working climate for porters as one of the reasons for leaving the country. This past week I spoke at length with a long-time friend and professional guide in Peru, Yure Chavez about conditions for porters in his country. While government actions have made a real improvement in the lives of those porters working the Inca Trail, several problems remain both for Inca Trail porters and those working other areas in Peru. Chief among these problems, according to Yure, is that many companies still do not provide proper clothing and shelter for porters. Government regulations have limited loads and mandated minimum wages for porters, but there is still a long way to go when it comes to the provision of adequate meals, backpacks and warm dry sleeping accommodations. International Mountain Explorers Connection, founded in 1996 to advocate for improved conditions for porters, believes that it is necessary to open an office in Peru to address these continuing issues. IMEC has offices now in Nepal and Tanzania where they run both successful clothing lending programs for porters and tourist education outreach. IMEC needs your help to bring support for porters back to Peru. Please visit their web site and make a donation today. Support this project at IMEC's web site Mountain Fund Staff Grows by Article Author Meet the Team team The outline of team members is a little inside joke related to the difficulties of getting staff photographs. With 19 Member Agencies and more joining every day, we've been a bit too busy at The Mountain Fund. Our new staff and interns arrived just in time. David Riggs. Assistant Director. Dave has a degree in Outdoor Recreation from Western State College of Colorado. He has worked for numerous organizations throughout the Western US introducing kids to the outdoors through climbing, hiking and backpacking. Working with disadvantaged children in the outdoors led Dave to spend the last few years managing a homeless education program in Central Oregon. Dave's primary interests are in social justice, environmentalism and bad movies. When he isn't thinking about such lofty ideals he can often be found hiking, canoeing, clinging to the side of a rock, or applying duct tape to his wounds. Lindsey Elizabeth Brown. Intern. Born and raised in Mississippi, Lindsey fell in love with the Colorado Rockies during a camping trip in high school. She has been a mountain girl ever since. Lindsey is a student of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico. When not in class, she participates in archaeological digs and explores climbing areas across the Colorado Plateau. Rachel Pasternak. Grant Writer. Rachel has a true passion for human rights and equal rights for women and children. Rachel is a recent graduate of the University of New Mexico, where she was an active participant in many human rights advocacy organizations. This included being the co-founder and Vice President of Amnesty International at the University of New Mexico, and a member of Justicia Sin Fronteras (Justice Without Borders). Cynthia McKean. Grant Writer. Cynthia is the sort of person who is bored without at least a dozen things going on. Being a mother takes care of that problem. Cynthia's children are her priority and her world. One day they will become independent and use their own wings. When they do, Cynthia will not settle into her rocker and watch life spin by: there's an entire world of children that she wants to nurture and places she needs to see. Cynthia plans on being barefoot, somewhere in a jungle, teaching English and mending tiny spirits. You can learn more about the staff and board at our site No, Thank You! by Mountain Fund Staff thank you We get a lot of e-mail here at The Mountain Fund and some of these notes really give us a good feeling. Amy Krause works for The Mountain Forum as the North American Moderator and is located in Banff, Canada at the Banff Center. Dear Scott, Thank you very much for sharing this with me, and for featuring Mountain Forum on The Mountain Fund web site. This is just great of you. You've done an extraordinary job with the web site and the newsletter. Great work! I am impressed and really pleased to be able to collaborate with The Mountain Fund in a small way. The Goo Goo Dolls song is a nice touch too... Best, Amy. The Mountain Forum is a global community of individuals and organizations promoting regional and global action towards equitable and ecologically sustainable mountain development. This global platform facilitates networking and capacity building of those involved in mountain communities and the sustainable development of mountain areas across the world. Amy, in response to receiving our last newsletter sent us this nice note. Thank You, Amy! Visit The Mountain Forum GrantStation by Scott MacLennan Your Fast Track to Funding grantstation Member Agencies at The Mountain Fund automatically receive free access to GrantStation. A GrantStation Membership provides all the essential tools and resources for successful grantseeking. GrantStation does not simply collect and warehouse data. Instead, the company researches funding sources by interacting directly with funders nationwide. Members have access to the industry's most up-to-date contact information, and grantmaking priorities If you are a Member Agency in good standing (i.e. you paid your annual dues) and are not using GrantStation to raise more money, contact us right away and let's get you going. Send your inquiries about GrantStation to david@mountainfund.org Not only will you gain access to this powerful funding tool, but you'll also receive the weekly e-publication GrantStation Insider that is packed full of tips and ideas on where to find funding, how to write better grants and upcoming events of interest to anyone seeking to develop an effective grant writing program. Our staff grant writers are here to help too, so bring us your projects that need funding and let's work together to find the dollars you need. The Mountain Fund acknowledges the support of Cynthia M. Adams, CEO of GrantStation. She has been a source of inspiration to us on many occasions and is just a smart, upbeat and can-do sort of person. We have a quote from her on the web site you've probably seen many times now. Your website is beautiful. Your work is true. Rolling all the groups together under one hat is a smart, smart move. Check out GrantStation today I am the Mountain Help promote the Mountain Fund! FREE stickers! bumpersticker Now you can say it loud and proud, I am the Mountain If you'd like one of these awesome 3" x 10" bumper stickers for your car, truck, bicycle or portaledge just drop us a line at stickers@mountainfund.org and we'll send you one FREE ! Be sure to give us your Name, Address and Zip Code, and if you'd like to donate a couple of bucks for the postage, we'd sure appreciate that. pay for postage here All the News That's Fit to Print by Article Author Mountain Fund Website: More Web-Portal than Website rss The Mountain Fund news pages, along with our expanded topic enhancements such as research papers and bulletins from academic sources are here for some very particular, and very powerful reasons. We have all heard that "knowledge is power" and we at The Mountain Fund believe that knowledge can be turned into the sort of power that changes the world. Our news pages are an integral part of that process. To affect change we must know the issues, the protagonists, and see the world from the global perspective. Our responsibility extends beyond our immediate lives and families to the entire human family. These issues are not problems of one country or another but are global issues; and we must solve them as global citizens. To work together effectively we must reach the point where we have a shared understanding of the prevailing conditions, the effectiveness of existing programs and the priority areas where action is required. We are pleased to now offer our readers RSS news feeds to our site that update 24/7 with news from Central Asia, The Himalayas, Latin America, Tanzania and Kilimanjaro along with the latest news on human rights, healthcare, international travel and more. To delve deeper into the issues that you care about as much as we do at The Mountain Fund, we have a number of informative research papers available as downloads. Through the generosity and cooperation of The Mountain Forum you can also access the entire collection of their publication, "The Mountain Forum Bulletin." We've also added a link to our very own bookstore, courtesy of Powell's Books, where we have hand picked books that are on topic for our readers. The selection will be updated regularly so check it often, too. The more you know, the more you can move mountains. Check out our news today Poverty Study Gets Outside the Box The NEWS INTERNATIONAL, 05-09-2005 -Naveed Ahmad To curb poverty look beyond aid projects, debt relief wri One of the benefits to belonging to The Mountain Forum is that every few days some very bright and informed people write something that Amy Krause drops in your e mail box and you end up all the wiser for it. A few weeks ago I received one of those e mails that made me take a second look. Here are some excerpts from it... Traditional assumptions about addressing poverty treat the environment almost as an afterthought. ...the stark reality of the poor: three-fourths of them live in rural areas and their environment is all they can depend on. "Environmental resources are absolutely essential, rather than incidental, if we are to have any hope of meeting our goals of poverty reduction." ...environmental organisations have not addressed poverty and development groups have not considered the environment enough in the past. The model presented in the report details how natural resources -- soils, forests, water, fisheries -- managed at the local level are frequently the most effective means for the world's rural poor people to create wealth for themselves. For many of the 1.1 billion people living in severe poverty, nature is a daily lifeline -- an asset for those with few other material means. This is especially true for the rural poor, who comprise three-quarters of all poor households worldwide. I think this is worth a further look HOP NEPAL RESCUES GIRLS from Kelly Walters via e-mail Himalayan Outreach Project Now Open hopnepal Last month we announced that Himalayan Outreach Project is a new Member Agency at The Mountain Fund. Founder Kelly Walters traveled to Nepal this month and sent us this moving report from her trip. In all of my travels of the world, I have yet to find the enchantment of Nepal anywhere else - yet to find its wisdom and innocence, its tranquility and excitement, its calmness and discontent, its generosity and desperation and its vibrancy and squalor. It is these contrasts that send us to Nepal seeking clarity of the world, but instead bring us away with a deeper understanding of its complexity. It is these contrasts that weave and tangle themselves around us, forever making Nepal a part of whoever journeys here. Connecting through New York City, Paris, Delhi and Kathmandu, I finally make my way back to Pokhara, Nepal last night....the gateway town to the Annapurna Mountain Range. It is the peak time of year for tourism and trekking in Nepal though you would never know it by looking around. I was one of two Westerners in the whole domestic air terminal and the only one on my flight into Pokhara. Maoist insurgencies and civil war have travelers too nervous to come here. Though I'm happy to have Nepal to myself, tourism is the primary industry and the traveler drought is affecting everyone. There is a celebration on my arrival with my Nepali friends. We pick up where we left off from my last visit as though it was only yesterday. Unfortunately my time here is incredibly limited so we get straight to work on the Himalayan Outreach Project (www.hopnepal.org). There are 2 girls (ages 7 and 11) in a remote northern region of Nepal that we are working to rescue. Because of desperate times, their parents traded them away for 5 years into domestic servitude in exchange for 3 bags of rice, 2 bags of lentils and the promise of money. The girls live and work in extremely rough conditions. Their parents are yet to see a dime and could never afford to buy the girls out of servitude (about $60 US each). They have agreed to let us bring the girls to Pokhara to live in our home and be educated if we can negotiate them out. The task of their rescue is difficult and requires much planning. They are a 5 day walk from the nearest airstrip and negotiations will not be easy. The challenge of my work here is incredibly rewarding and worth all of the blood, sweat and tears. And though I am exhausted from all of the travel and transporting nearly 130 lbs of supplies from the US, it really is great to be here! I am safe, healthy and in good spirits. More to come, Kelly Learn more and support Kelly's efforts here Boarding School Serves Poor, Uneducated Maria Jojayya Addagatla Shantidhara's work in India. shantidhara The Situation Faced by Shantidhara The people living in the plain area villages of Visakhapatnam District are mostly farmers and laborers whose annual income for the whole family is US $ 320.00. These communities live in abject poverty and misery. Their lives are characterized by illiteracy, malnutrition, disease, squalid surroundings, high infant mortality and low life expectancy. Though parents realize the value of education, they cannot afford their children’s education and are often forced to send their children to work as manual laborers to supplement the meager income of the family. Some children who are fortunate enough to attend some schooling are limited by the standard of education available in their village. The result of such situation is the deprivation throughout their lives. Shantidhara initiated the "Children’s Hostel Project” in May 2004. The Children’s Hostel Project is in essence a boarding home for these poor children. The hostel enables them to attend a good school and live in safe surroundings. The education for these children is not confined to the three R’s. Shantidhara has always believed in facilitating children to develop their innate potential to the fullest through a plethora of creative endeavors. Development of children’s latent talent through dance, drama, music, art and craft is being emphasized in the hostel. Though the project is going well, there are also problems Shatidhara is experiencing. At the same time, there are many unfortunate and deserving children in our target villages, who need help. * Last year one of the nearby schools, which was privately operated was sold leaving some of the children without a school or forced to change schools abruptly. * The hostel building itself is rented and Shantidhara is facing problems with owners. The owner has placed many restrictions on remodeling the property into a comfortable home for these children and the monthly rental cost is too high for Shantidhara. Shantidhara’s Vision Our vision is to create our own educational institution, hostel (dormitory) and playground for Shantidhara where the educational institutions are also open for the poor children in and surrounding villages who may study as day scholars. To realize this vision Shantidhara needs to acquire land upon which to build the school and the funds for construction of the classrooms and hostel. Shantidhara also needs sponsors for children so that the families can afford to allow the children to attend school instead of working. With your help these children can have bright future and dignified lives. Visit Shantidhara’s web site today by clicking the link below and learn more. Shantidhara Alpine Fund Fun Run by Alpine Fund The event of the year in Bishkek fr start The event of the year in Bishkek is the Alpine Fund's Fun Run. What started as a conversation about fund raising has now become an annual event that is more like an entire day of fun, food and entertainment. This year the run took place on October 15th. Sixty children from the Petrovka orphanage were brought to attend the event and they put on a puppet show of their own. New York Pizza was served, trained dogs performed and a raffle was held thanks to The North Face making generous donations of prizes. FUN RUN DETAILS * Running not required, it’s a FUN run, have fun * Raffle with great prizes! * Live entertainment including circus performances and traditional dancers * Face painting * Puppet shows * Musical performances * Refreshments * Socialize with the coolest people in Bishkek (Alpine Fund supporters). If you can't make it next year, write to them and maybe you can at least buy a T-shirt. I have one from last year that never fails to start a conversation at the gym. You marathon T-shirt junkies know what I am talking about. Visit the Alpine Fund for more Who, What, Where, When and Why by Scott The Why of the Mountain Fund In our last issue I talked about what inspires us at The Mountain Fund. In this issue, I hope to make clear Why The Mountain Fund was created. Let's begin with our mission. Our Mission: The Mountain Fund is dedicated to supporting the humanitarian and environmental work being done by small, grass-roots organizations operating in the mountainous regions of the world. The Mountain Fund facilitates a collaboration of "member agencies" who, by working together, increase our capacity to raise awareness of the issues facing the mountainous regions and raise the funds needed to address those issues. By using our combined resources and experience to problem solve we can strengthen our member agencies and improve conditions for those who need it most around the globe. The problems facing the world's mountainous regions and the people who occupy them are multi-faceted and require a wholistic approach. As publication "World Resources 2005: The Wealth of the Poor" asserts, environmental groups have not addressed poverty and development groups have not considered the environment. This is why The Mountain Fund believes in looking at the whole picture and is made up of such a diverse group of organizations. Each of our "member agencies" is expert in one part of the problem on one part of the planet. As a group, as The Mountain Fund, we have the combined expertise to coordinate and collaborate our efforts to approach problems on many levels. Consider, for example, just those organizations discussed in this issue and how they are working via The Mountain Fund to address the complex issues that are the world's mountainous regions. In the tiny Kingdom of Nepal, we have the American Alpine Club in conjunction with The Mountain Institute working to cure environmental degradation. We also have the Himalayan Outreach Project providing a home for young, unwanted girls, along with an education that will create a better future for all women in Nepal. Karing for Kids is working with IMEC to train porters in first aid, providing a valuable health resource for many Nepalese villages. At the same time, IMEC, Porters Progress and International Porter Protection Group are working to improve the conditions under which these men and women labor. Engineers without Borders has now entered the mix to address the issues underlying public health; clean water and basic sanitation. The Mountain Forum continues to publish the latest thoughts and research to keep all these projects on the cutting edge of what's possible. Through Sustainable Travel International, those of us traveling to Nepal can become more environmentally sensitive and responsible for what toll our travel takes on the global environment. That example is what we can do in one country when we are working together. Before The Mountain Fund, many of the organizations on the ground in Nepal were not in communication, did not know what the group the next valley over was doing, had tried to do, or intended to try. As a part of The Mountain Fund, we can share our successes, our failures, our efforts and grow together. We can develop new opportunities and new ways of thinking that did not exist and are created solely from our participation. In his best selling book, The Tipping Point, author Malcom Gladwell says, things can happen all at once, and little changes can make a huge difference The Mountain Fund is more than an organization. It is a movement, a campaign of individuals and organizations committed to taking action and mobilizing individuals to take those steps that will cause a tip to take place and the world to change. Support The Mountain Fund today, click here American Alpine Club by MtnFund Your Environmental Club aac crest When you think of environmental stewardship, The American Alpine Club may not be the first thing that pops into your head, but perhaps it should. I was graciously invited to attend the AAC board meeting in Flagstaff recently. I was shocked to discover how little I knew about an organization I have been a member of for many years. I was impressed as well. The leadership of this organization is clearly dedicated, hard working, well informed and intent on delivering on their promises of Knowledge, Community and Conservation. In part one, of this two part series we'll take a look at what the AAC is doing about that last "C", conservation. I discovered that the AAC is participating in many projects that help conserve and protect the world we live in. In part one we'll take a look at a long list of AAC projects. In part two, we'll discuss a few of these in more depth. This is what the American Alpine Club is doing, those of you who are members should be proud. Those who aren't members should start to wonder, why not? * Clean Mountain Cans program on Denali for waste disposal * Khumbu Alpine Conservation and Restoration Project * Multi-lingual conservation and safety brochure for Yosemite big wall climbing. * Co-Host the first ever National Mountain Conference * Publisher of "Gentle Expeditions: A Guide to Environmentally Sound Mountain Travel" * Established the Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Fund * Funded an Everest Environmental Expedition * Sponsored and funded a clean up of the Nose route on El Cap * Established the David Brower Conservation Award Now that's conservation with a big "C" and it is not the entire list. In the next issue we'll focus on the Khumbu Alpine Conservation and Restoration Project in particular. This is a long term, multidisciplinary project being conducted by The Mountain Institute with a grant from the American Alpine Club. At the meeting in Flagstaff I was priveledged to see a slide show update on this program and found it fascinating, exemplarary and wonderful, all at the same time. We think you will too. Learn more about the AAC by clicking here IPPG News from the Field by IPPG/Trek Safe The Machermo porter shelter and rescue post, nearly completed At 4400m, the village of Machermo in Nepal is ideally suited to serve porters and trekkers descending from the upper reaches of the valley (Gokyo-Ri 5483m) and the passes leading into it (Renzo La 5600m and Cho La 5420m). Since the Spring season 2003 the post has opened each trekking season, for variable lengths of time. The Porter Shelter will also be used to promote interaction between porters and trekkers to improve mutual understanding. Netball competitions, cultural presentations, poetry readings have all been suggested and other good ideas are welcome. The Porter Shelter incorporates doctors’ accommodations and a treatment room. Research that focuses on porters and local people, but also includes trekkers will be encouraged, along with the participation of medical students. In the future we would like to have Nepalese doctors working at the Rescue Post. IPPG reported to The Mountain Fund that the post is nearly completed and will be open for the next season. IPPG is also proposing that weighing stations be introduced for trekking porters at all park gates in Nepal, to comply with the 30 kgs maximum weight regulation. Visit IPPG In our next issue next issue Our next issue already promises to be as full of exciting news from the field and stories from our member agencies as this one. * AAC and conservation part II of II. * Update from the Engineers Without Borders in Nepal. * Web Hosting from The Mountain Fund. * More profiles of new member agencies. * Global Child Magazine. * The Christmas List * How to beat the IRS legally. * The supportive programs of The Mountain Fund * The Mountain Fund Event Calendar * and much, much more Tell your friends to sign up too, click here... Contact Information email: mtnfund@mountainfund.org phone: 800-743-1929 web: http://www.mountainfund.org Join our mailing list! - - Our Featured Sponsor This issue is brought to you by our partner The American Alpine Club thanks to their support of The Mountain Fund. Check AAC out now... - - - - Order Christmas cards now. I know, it is only October but it will be November in one week and time to start writing those cards. The Mountain Fund recommends that this year you help some children while sending your annual family updates to friends. The Amani Children's Home in Moshi, Tanzania is home to 210 street children and AIDS orphans. The cards you buy help a lot. Order Christmas cards now... - Christmas is closer than you think! -

and a side of coconut butter. It's humane to kill the bastard before its limbs are eaten.

Didya get some on ya? It washes off with lackey spray thinner.

board dumb is a pate of pine.

she can bring the bacon home and fry it up in a pan. Got a nine-inch Mr. Right don't need no jerk with a gland. wasn't there a deodorant by that name?

or they just rove around

...makes sense if the part in your ass is tame.

Thanks, E. A look of pleased semi-stupor on many of the faces. I can hang wit dat. Is that cat holding the woman hostage in the tent?

I find no birth or death less valid, noble, or fortunate than another... no matter the circumstance. Your birth was no less important than that of Jesus of Nazareth and your death no less than that of Mahatma Ghandi. Your contribution no more important than that of an aborted fetus; we all leave a mark and its significance, however limited, is inestimable in its effect. Everyone plays their part; good or evil, ugly or beautiful, miniscule or extensive. You are inimitable and unique. No one, but you, can perform your life. No one, but you, can perform your death. No one, but you, knows the fullness and sublimity of beauty from which your heart sups. Our deaths will find each of us doing our part.

malleability

Peace to you and yours, Lowell.

Are you emailing with Ashcroft?

You think we could/should roust-a-bout down there before roughnecking way up north? I have a prior standing request of myself for that.

Yeah, well, I have a standing request of myself to attend a gathering of cc.cahmers. A few years back, I journeyed about six hundred miles to meet and climb with a number of participants of another climbing website. The "rendezvous" drew folks from far-flung corners of North America, as well as, Switzerland, and England. It was a blast; immensely entertaining to meet in person folks you've only known through the strictures of a written word medium. Time will tell...

I'll bring 5 gallons of my Festivale and a full keg of either Breakfast Porter, IPA or my ESG (extra special golden) If nobody reaches a quick consensus on witch one, I'll bring the golden...it's very quaffable. I'll also bring the taps & the buckets. If any body wants to kick down for some ice, that would be nice. Unfortunatly, I don't know yet when I can take off, but I'll be there sometime between 5pm & midnight today. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you..I'm even looking forward to climbing some shit. - steve Damn! I'm missin' the chance to hang with a hero/priest/devotee of one of the world's great religions. Personally, my faith is grounded in a love for the extended duration of the communion/sacrament-taking.

Damn! That alone would make the trip worthwhile. Hope you all have a great time and flash belays a grade higher than your current best.

STDs?

Are the thermos's with buttons female?

I have an obligation to go to Boulder this weekend. I have trepidation. Are there any cautions or warnings I could benefit from? Do I need my passport? What is their currency and exchange rate? Any cultural taboos I might offend unknowingly?

What? No artificial vaginas near the keyboard?

?