Kimmo

hey rob, i'm hoping you can test the rock-fall in the country. pm me for the exact location. this is all getting a little weird.

if buckaroo was worth his weight in engineering skillz, that's exactly what he'd be doing, instead of obsessing over whether bin laden or a jd root ball knocked it off. time to fess up mr. I know you gots some sweet bottle jacks. no way man. i've heard you can go to jail for that kind of thing.

i was out at index for the first time in a long time, and witnessed some rock-fall in the country. it seemed like we heard some sort of explosion just before it fell.

if buckaroo was worth his weight in engineering skillz, that's exactly what he'd be doing, instead of obsessing over whether bin laden or a jd root ball knocked it off.

11c.

yeah that sounds kinda bad. thanks for head's up.

the bolt is loose, but not the nut? usually it's the other way around. unless they used loctite, i don't see how the nut would remain tight with a loose bolt. regardless, tighten it down and see if it bites again. it's possible it wasn't tightened enough in the first place.

shit, it just depends on what "trad" you are doing. it's silly to generalize about "trad" vs "sport" vs "bouldering", since they are so damn similar in the technical end of the spectrum. hard "trad" is "bouldering", so if you're pushing your limits in "trad", wear your "bouldering" and "sport" shoes. if you're just cruising below your limits, wear something comfortable, like an old stretched out pair of whatever slippers. my most fun "trad" days have been spent in an old pair of ninjas.

MOMENTUM!

the description "crusty old slab dog" kinda grosses me out, but: i don't think the grades are that far apart, but the style might be a bit different; style can make grades seem way different. also, don't get all bummed out by one single "failure". don't expect an across-the-board instant jump in your climbing level; instead, understand that it takes time for you to incorporate your new-found strength etc. improvements into the climbing game. the more mentally and emotionally balanced you can stay in the face of "defeat", the more you can learn from these episodes. otherwise, you just get dejected and start to think "all that training for nuttin'". just get back on the horse, stay open to learning, and you'll keep improving (yes, even a little bit of wetness can fuck a climb up! don't discount it). another point: there might be 10a's you'll get shut down on and not be able to figure out, and 10c's you might even flash in the near future.

ahhh one of those "don't worry about the grades, just go climbing" types, as they emphatically tell you what the grade of a particular route isn't! i've climbed at quite a few areas over the years, and yeah, i think TF would be around 11b or c at many other places, only because of the boulder problem. if you skirt the boulder problem, i'd say 10d. but in conforming to index's ratings, 11a with slab crux is certainly consistent. and yeah, nason's pretty fun. the steeps are unfortunately a bit of a rarity for us seattlites.

I think a more accurate way to rate Thin Fingers is 5.10 V3. There's no doubt that without the slab crux, the climb would be 5.10, and, in my mind, the slab crux is V3. So, in classical terms, it would be a 5.11c(ish).

yeah i agree it's a bit complicated. what's worse though is that this agency seems to have zero accountability, protected by legal rights to what seems like an egregious degree. anyone know Dow Constantine? he's the only one (i think) who can tell the agency what to do....

Any attorneys here familiar with the government procurement process, and its attendant legal issues? Company owner (me) involved in legal dispute, weighing all options.

funny, tad still doin his thing. here's somehing that's caught my inerest: [video:youtube] check out the double bass [video:youtube]

I wandered upon Mastodon Roof in Leavenworth somewhat by accident once, or so I seem to remember. I also never had heard people talking about it, but man, what a fun little gem of a roof!

nice work, drew! must be the finn in ya.

International comparison (personal income tax) Comparison of taxes paid by a household earning the country's average wage (as of 2005) single/married Australia 28.3% 16.0% Korea 17.3% 16.2% Austria 47.4% 35.5% Luxembourg 35.3% 12.2% Belgium 55.4% 40.3% Mexico 18.2% 18.2% Canada 31.6% 21.5% Netherlands 38.6% 29.1% Czech Republic 43.8% 27.1% New Zealand 20.5% 14.5% Denmark 41.4% 29.6% Norway 37.3% 29.6% Finland 44.6% 38.4% Poland 43.6% 42.1% France 50.1% 41.7% Portugal 36.2% 26.6% Germany 51.8% 35.7% Slovakia 38.3% 23.2% Greece 38.8% 39.2% Spain 39.0% 33.4% Hungary 50.5% 39.9% Sweden 47.9% 42.4% Iceland 29.0% 11.0% Switzerland 29.5% 18.6% Ireland 25.7% 8.1% Turkey 42.7% 42.7% Italy 45.4% 35.2% United Kingdom 33.5% 27.1% Japan 27.7% 24.9% United States 29.1% 11.9% Source: OECD, 2005 data [2] overlooking the fact that too much gets ignored when "average" wage is calculated (including the wage itself), the above still shows a couple of interesting facts: 1. you don't have to pay much more than our middle class tax rate to have an actual sense of security, ie. universal health, generous social safety nets, etc. 2. we subsidize child production way too heavily. if anything, it should be the other way around (although i'm ok with even steven).

all i know is i'm gonna start taking politics more seriously. seriously.

so my friend hears the koan "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" and to figure it out, he goes out and has unprotected sex with a friggin' prostitute. Fool.

i insist on a cape for my own ass. my ass is a beautiful thing to behold, yes, but i feel....vulnerable. especially since i've been outed. my identity, that is. not that there is anything else to out, mind you. this is an example of MOMENTUM!!!!

and which method is the default, if no choice is made. i'd guess lethal injection, since no risk of heads popping off.

don't pretend ignorance, seattle art guy. i think you have a good idea for a tattoo.

I wonder what kind of pay-off is involved?

to deny a critique of "statistics" (as it is used in the political process and other processes) is anti-intellectual demagoguery.