JosephH

========================================================== Synthetic DNA on the Brink of Yielding New Life Forms Washington Post, December 17, 2007 It has been 50 years since scientists first created DNA in a test tube, stitching ordinary chemical ingredients together to make life's most extraordinary molecule. Until recently, however, even the most sophisticated laboratories could make only small snippets of DNA -- an extra gene or two to be inserted into corn plants, for example, to help the plants ward off insects or tolerate drought. Now researchers are poised to cross a dramatic barrier: the creation of life forms driven by completely artificial DNA. Scientists in Maryland have already built the world's first entirely handcrafted chromosome -- a large looping strand of DNA made from scratch in a laboratory, containing all the instructions a microbe needs to live and reproduce. In the coming year, they hope to transplant it into a cell, where it is expected to "boot itself up," like software downloaded from the Internet, and cajole the waiting cell to do its bidding. And while the first synthetic chromosome is a plagiarized version of a natural one, others that code for life forms that have never existed before are already under construction. The cobbling together of life from synthetic DNA, scientists and philosophers agree, will be a watershed event, blurring the line between biological and artificial -- and forcing a rethinking of what it means for a thing to be alive. . . . ... which side of the synthetic biology debate will get to call itself "pro-life." ========================================================== It really doesn't matter a wit if you believe in evolution or not, though one glance at the yellow pages under "Churches" to see the current state of the evolution of christianity should be enough to convince even the most die hard doubters. But, either way, evolution is getting along just fine without you. And the new twins, Genomics and Protenomics, with a bit more computing power will, some time in the fairly near future, deliver numerous definitive proofs of evolution by working through the mapping of genes to biopolymer (protein) production. Whatever form those proofs take, in all likelyhood they will simply be byproducts of expanding efforts in traditional and molecular taxonomy. The dark side of articles like the one above should really have you folks actively praying evolution doesn't exists, rather than denying it, because if we fuck up just once on our way down this road, evolution is going to be a harsh bitch. Either that, or pray one of your designers shows up to give our scientists a Sunday school lesson before they kill us all attempting to emulate your God.

Next thing you know they'll be making one of those damn atheists 'Man of the Year'...!

I wasn't determining or defining their 'welcomability' - I was merely responding to their own descriptions of the [suspicious] welcome they received from NPS and other climbers in their TR.

And, when you look at the history, much that is Christmas is not Christian at all...

I'd be interested. Where are you. I'm in PDX.

Many Atheists do, Buddhists too. Last time I was in Tokyo for Christmas the place was a mad house of Santas. Does that make Santa a hypocrite or simply a demonic pagan symbol...?

The difference is you're part of an extended fundamentalist community which seeks to spread it's influence across the globe. If you weren't, you'd wouldn't be taking your mission 'to places others can't or won't go' - and prayer wouldn't be the common reason you were on a mountain. I personally can't imagine the mountain or rock not being the essential reason I was there - it's the primacy of your mission and the fact you place it before, and drape it over, the mountain which so sets you apart from all the other folks there. The fact that you then go out of your way to let folks know the mountain is secondary to why you're there simply makes you that less welcome.

Hey, that meaninglessness of it all is my favorite part of living...! Why, hell, it's the quintessential LNT. Against that backdrop we create, propogate, and evolve a universe of stories which we try to pass from generation to generation for as long as we last. It's also not unlike the meaninglessness of rock - another medium we create our stories on. I consider all stories of gods as being rooted in fear which principally serve to placate and manipulate folks who can't live life with the ultimate boogey man - unanswered questions. Personally, the very idea of a god would remove all interest I have in doing FA's as it's the random meaninglessness that I'm counting on for a new story.

Just saw the weather report, actually looks fairly promising...

Ivan, still a bit tuckered out from my trip, but I may be up for joining you. Will keep you posted...

Hmmm, a story. Well, there is the night I learned about the coefficient of friction between old ropes on wet basalt. It was in one of those 100 degree spells two years ago and I was working nights on the column anchors off of the Upper Grassy Ledges. I was hauling the work load up a line I had fixed on Flying Dutchman and doing laps up the Corner all night doing it and having a great time just being out there. When I finally got over to Iron Maiden and Flying Swallow I was pretty excited as the top, west end of the Upper Grassy Ledges is one of my favorite places to hang out. I knew I was playing an iffy game with the rain that night, but one I seemed to be winning at the time. I had replaced the column-top anchor that serves both routes a day or two previously and was rapping down to augment Dean Caldwell and Kim Schmitz' original mid-anchor on Flying Swallow (Dean still knew which he drilled and which was Kim's) when the rain started. I'd done the rap before and new it pulled a little hard as the rope ran over about six feet of gently sloping, but otherwise seemingly smooth rock right off the anchor, but I was completely unprepared for what followed. I get down to the mid-anchor and, leaving it for history's sake, add another below it, and at that point it's beginning to rain - not hard, but steady. Not a big deal and I'm a bit protected by the overhanging column tops so take my time getting ready to get out of there, but when I go to pull the ropes they don't budge, as in even an inch. I'm pulling like mad - nothing - except now it's really beginning to pour. What I hadn't realized was that when fuzzy work ropes meet newly wetted basalt with a lot of common surface area an almost hyper-magnetic effect kicks in and the friction goes through the roof. I was going to have to come up with way more leverage if I wanted to get out of there anytime soon. But just as I start to go over my options I manage to let go of the pull-side of the two ropes and it swings out into the darkness in the direction of Blown Out and points east. Silly me. Great, now I am screwed. So, I have to basically dig out every sling and piece of gear I own, string it all together and put my three biggest cams on the end to try and snag the errant line. I spent the next hour and a half or so hung out as far as I could out in space to the right swinging my ensemble of junk into the void trying to 'catch' the rope to no avail - all to the tune of Dylan's 'Idiot Wind' going round and round in my head. But just then, as things sometimes turn out, I saw one of the more beautiful sights I've ever seen. Right in the midst of my futile hurling, I heard a slow, eastbound train headed for the base and when I looked back over that way all I could see was this stunning white cone of raindrops advancing through the trees - it was so dark out nothing else was visible except for this tunnel of lit droplets advancing along the track eventaully turning into a bright circle as it got really close. I can't really do the visual justice with words, but I remember freezing at the sight of it and just watching with the rain streaming down my face as it approached and passed. It still gives me a shiver thinking about it. In the end I did snag the rope, dig out the jumars and aiders, and managed an excruciatingly slow rope pull so I could get the hell out of there for the night - not a big story, but certainly a memorable evening and yet another valuable Beacon Rock lesson.

There is no 'fiction' required or involved and I don't have to create strawmen. Sure, on the surface these sorts of folks look relatively benign, but you go to their website and it doesn't take long to find the fundamentalist core of them hard at work under the quise of "religious freedom" in Islamic nations. Exactly this kind of missionary activity has accompanied and been at the 'point of the spear' of the actual and cultural genocide of aboriginal peoples throughout the world that continues in full swing today despite the denial of comfortable white suburbanites. Today many of these folks view themselves as 'warriors' in a cultural war with Islam. You need only look to indian reservations here in North America and see several centuries of genocide still hard at work in a 'mop up' operation that spans formal cultural, economic, and governmental programs. My own wife's tribe endured the most blatant and formal (Govt. and Christian co-managed) cultural genocide programs right through to the mid '70s as did aboriginal peoples across the US, Canada, and Australia. And very real genocide accompanies it as we speak in many parts of Latin America and Asia. Formalized and deliberate economic fraud and theft on the part of our Government associated with past and current indian treaty rights to the tune of $100 billion dollars is actively ongoing and well-documented by the judge in the Cobell v. Kempthorne case. In the end, groups like this look benign, but that is only a function of naivete and a lack of familiarity with their more radical members and the overall missionary movement they belong to.

Ah, so now it's a "calm philosophy" - hard to find a more benign wrapper than that. This does seem relatively benign and at worst only irritating or mildly offensive: "At Camp 4 we had a good, long group discussion concerning evangelism and sharing faith and testimony with climbers, and reviewed Scripture on the subject" "Worship at Camp 4 (14,000 feet) was wonderful, not at all diminished by the steady snowfall that confined the nine of us to our cook tent. We raised our voices in praise to our Lord. With Charleton leading us on the backpack guitar, we were likely heard throughout camp." or this "That child bicycling past your house or playing basketball down the street could be a climber, waiting to hear the Word of the Lord." But you start reading about their 'missions' to various Muslim countries and it all takes on a much less benign tone and set of consequences. And it's amazing how, in a world increasingly corrupted by fundamentalism - including our own country, that any time someone calls these folks on their shit they are immediately 'extreme', 'vehement', or otherwise painted as radical. Climbers for Christ is about exactly the kind of 'crusade' the world needs far less of and I make no apologies at all for my views on their activities.

Not in all, and the idea that people shouldn't speak out against fundamentalist religious activities is based on the misguided idea that they are benign and harmless. Nothing could be further from the truth. This kind of activity in a different guise, on both sides, has directly contributed to our current situation in the Middle East. It is also responsible for an ongoing cultural genocide among aboriginal peoples around the world that has been a steady staple of these "missions" for centuries. Drape it in climbing and bring it here, then yeah, you get a response.

When you've seen and experienced firsthand the affects of exactly these fundamentalist behaviors both at home and abroad as I have then you might feel differently. This is hardly a benign business around the world, but rather a dead serious affair and unfortunate one in just about every way.

You're the one advertising and explicitly stating 'preaching' is what you're all about. "We are the international Christian mountain climbing organization committed to getting people to high places." Basically your committed to continuing a centuries old legacy of cultural genocide by Christian missionaries. No swords, no smallpox, but still the tip of a spear. And the difference between Islamic and Christian fundamentalists? There isn't any - they're equally dangerous to our society. Sad as it ever was.

I'm pretty sure he is still climbing there. He is an old schooler. Have not seen him in almost 10 years but he used to be a craps dealer at Caesars. He may have retired by now though. Last time I saw him he said he was hoping to lead 5.13 by the time he turned 65, I think he was 63 at the time. Mike Ward knows him well , great climbing partner if you need one when there... One of the trad die hards that finally jumped on the bandwagon and started going to the climbing gym. After that, he got really good. Must be about 70ish now but I'm guessing he is still pulling hard. Larry said he knows him, though they've never quite pulled off climbing together. Larry said he's been at it pretty steady until recently when something went on with Wendell or his wife such that he hasn't seen him out quite as much of late.

We're still trying to get his space heater on the Internet, so there is hope.

The Blue Mountains are only 2hours outside of Sydney, the better December cragging destination.

Well, we told them we, or someone, would be back soon. As it was they were periodically strobing cars on the highway when I pulled up at the exit of the loop road. I answered their strobe with my headlights and then headed in. It had been about three hours since we had left earlier and I couldn't, in good conscious, leave them out there with no word after we told them someone would be back for them. And like I said, climbing was a way, way better option than eight more hours of sitting around getting colder and colder myself. Night climbing and roped-soloing are both sort of odd pre-occupations, but once you do them enough and get through the first 15-20 minutes, they pretty much get to be like regular climbing in your mind. And in an odd way they sort of complement one another. For anyone interested, here's a link to an rc thread where I described my rope-soloing system. It's not necessarily for everybody, but it is a good thing to know how to do. For the night climbing part, I used two headlamps on my helmet - my normal, higher power BD Zenix IQ above, and my backup, low power Petzl Zipka right below it. That gave good coverage both near (hand holds) and far (routefinding).

Dave, no, I don't know Wendell - I'll have to ask the folks I do know about him. Area51, it was a mission to scope out a 'new' large wall high up on Mt. Wilson and the 'approach' had only recently been scouted and so we more or less scrambled and soloed our way to within four or so pitches of the summit. We had one twin rope with us and a couple of random pieces, but mostly when the going got strange one of us would solo a stretch and bring the other two up on the line. The pic was taken at our high point where we needed another twin and a full rack to get up the rest of the way to walk off. Karsten was for heading back down the way we came, I wanted to try going up, and Larry wanted to go for a 'first descent' down a gulley on south half of the front face and that's what we went with in the end. We did a bunch of raps on our one twin threaded through the supertape we slung on bushes. Thank god all the bushes held and the rope was long enough with a bit of downclimbing. Part way down we came across a badly-drilled, #10 hex threaded with 3/8" goldline and a steel ring so we couldn't claim a "first descent". It's still a mystery to me how we had to leave a sling on all these bushes to get down and the only sign of this person's descent from thiry-five or so years ago was the solitary hex. Man, that must have been either some stout downclimbing or some horrendous rope pulls. By the time we got down we'd used every available sling including the ones Larry had all his ancient Dolt nuts threaded on. Check out his state-of-the-art gloves too...

Bill, yeah, I was wearing it climbing up to the girls during the rescue and it was nice to have. Once I got up to them I was bordering on overheated with the UnderArmor layers I had on underneath it so one of the girls got the steaming warm down sweater and was pretty glad to get it. I looked at a couple of these things before forcing myself to buy the Patagonia one, but I didn't think to check either FF or Montbell's (bummer). I have to admit to being a bit shocked at the rate it sheds down (fast) and I wouldn't count on it being at all abrasion-resistant, at least not by Red Rocks standards. I also bought one of there 'Houdini' packs and added gear slings to it. It was also supposed to be abrasion-resistant with 30-denier fabric on the back surface of the pack. Well, two days before the Oak Canyon epic we had a twelve hour near-epic romp up Mt. Wilson and the Houdini pack was thoroughly sliced and diced by the time we made it back to the cars, so I don't think I'd have much faith in the durability of 20-denier fabric.

Ivan, in the morning we could see their ropes were stuck in a tall, narrow, deep, and bottoming slot about 5-8 feet tall, 2-5 inches wide at the top and real deep - pretty much a perfect knot catcher. The girls, at our direction, had weighted both sides of the lines with their combined weight with a prusik when they were first stuck in the early evening and the ropes were not coming out of there. In fact, some guys that went up the route in the morning were only able to free one of the lines, a party the next day got the other one. And no, they didn't have jumars, so an impromptu prusik ascent would have been the only option. That still presented a number of problems, though, and even with jumars, as the slot in question was above the lip of a pretty large roof. To have ascended in the dark you'd have to have decided that your free-hanging jugging wouldn't cut the rope over the edge of the roof and then there was the whole issue of clearing the lip and getting past a deeply slotted and stuck knot/line. How would you ascend past it? The only scenario for success would have been to ascend the knotless half of the line and pray it was slotted outboard of the knot and not inboard so you would have a chance of ascending past the slotted knot. Pretty much a total crapshoot in the dark, and not one with great odds. I personally would have taken a shot at it in a remote or alpine setting with zero possibility of rescue; but not on a trade route in a canyon known for sunlit buttresses. Their best option was definitely waiting for someone to bring them up a line. Yeah, the roped-soloing did come in handy. Two summers ago when it was way too hot during the day to work on the anchors out at Beacon I spent about two weeks of nights out there doing laps up to different column anchors on the upper Grassy Ledges in the dark and got pretty used to it by the end of the heat wave. Had the girls not coincidentally been on a route I had just done that day I probably wouldn't have gone up for them, but given they were, it wasn't that big a deal - and it sure beat freezing my ass off waiting around all night anyway.

I'll be there via the pubcam...

If they're running 3000 uranium enrichment centrifuges 24x7 like banshees and they have effective medium range, nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, then the question of whether or not they do or do not have an 'active' weapons program, while interesting, is a bit mute. Putting a device together once they have the material for a few warheads may be difficult, but it's no longer 'rocket science' per se. Nothing about the report makes me terribly comfortable while those centrifuges are still operating. But then it's a bit hard to get on Iran's case about nuclear proliferation when you've just cut a big nuke deal with India who is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. I could almost tolerate even the radical right agenda that so co-opted mainstream Republicanism in the '90s, if only the humans behind it and the policies which express it weren't so completely and boldly hypocritical at every single turn.