rob

You are correct, it is a proper emergency device, not a commercial wilderness message service that masquerades as an emergency device.

Is that a racial joke?

Huh. I never ran into any trouble. I have pretty large life & disability policies (through my current employer) and neither of them care about climbing -- I asked specifically. And when I was insurance hunting, I looked at 3 or 4 different companies (I can't remember whom, but definitely State Farm was one of them) and none of them cared at all about climbing, either -- I asked, specifically. Strangely, nearly all of them had exclusions for piloting a small airplane, though.

Speaking of rastle cock, I didn't see The Bone on that list. But I didn't look very hard.

I would never recommend a SPOT locator -- if you want an emergency beacon, buy a real PLB, like this one. This is the one I purchased for my parents. The SPOT is sort of a Fischer-Price "My First PLB" and it relies on a commercial, civilian call center and the GlobalStar satellite system that is already being abandoned by users of satellite phones for it's poor coverage and reliability -- and they'll charge you for the privilege. I used to volunteer with a SAR/Mountain Rescue unit and the few times I was involved with a SPOT emergency, it was always a total clusterfuck working with the cheap, hourly employees in their call-center. I remember one time it took them several hours just to figure out how to contact us, and they were useless at helping us actually pinpoint the subject. I borrowed a SPOT once for a winter Rainier trip -- I was there for like 4 days and I could never once get an "I'm OK" message out through the cloud cover. Or some other reason. But it never worked. Good thing there was no emergency! A real PLB actually transmits on a free, government-operated search & rescue satellite network which is monitored by NOAA and will work anywhere on the planet, for free, and typically have a local radio "ping" so that you can be pinpointed once help is in the area. Cheers!

beeners.

back before they invented 'the icicle', dirt piles were all we had...and the Pinnacles. I'm still puzzled why my climbing friends always want to head up the icicle before we've climbed the dirt pile out.

No no no, the names should be more like "Sweet Fucker" and "My Naked Balls"

Oregon "secret crags" are always the best

People forget that the brain is the biggest erogenous zone

Not entirely accurate -- lots of whole grain breads and pastas are quite a lot better for you than their "wonder bread" alternatives. For example, there are lots of whole grain sprouted breads and organic whole wheat pastas that register significantly lower on the GI scale and contain significantly higher levels of fiber and nutrients, etc. You have an excellent point though that you have to pay attention, as noted in your "whole grain fruit loops" example -- there are lots of "whole grain" junk food products. But there ARE still lots of whole grain bread and pasta products that are much better for you. For example, the "Ezekiel" products that Food for Life puts out are excellent, even for someone like me who is prone to insulin resistance.

Who needs dreams, just ply her with vodka. And work your way back to her place. You can do it, I believe in you.

Whole grains are less processed and have more of the good stuff in them. Refined grains have had most of their good stuff removed by milling and contain far fewer nutrients and fiber. Also, processed grains tend to have a higher GI, though whole wheat is still pretty high GI. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-grains/NU00204

Dave, could you get me a supply of freeze-dried beetroot? That would be spectacular. I assume it would reconstitute in water "instantly" - I want to use it as a drink mix to make a strong juice

Not trying to be a dick, btw. Just speaking my mind. The original post did sound a bit more dramatic than it ended up being. But I get it, shit like that makes your blood pressure rise. I almost got into a fist fight this weekend in a bike race, so I know how you feel.

That sounds a lot different than your original post, which made it sound like he was basically harrasing you for a full 45 minutes -- not twice and then you left after the second time. That sounds a lot more reasonable than your original post, which sounded pretty dramatic: "the guy was trying to fight me for at least 45 minutes." Glad it worked out for you.

PURE SUPER FOOD!!!!

I really hope you didn't pay to fix the window.

So everyone is telling him to chill out, but he refuses to chill out, and after he broke the window with your body nobody kicked him out of the party or followed up on their empty threats? Not even your friend, the host?

Oh is that right, bill? So actually he didn't hang around for 45 minutes as someone used him to break windows? If someone used me to break a window, I would not a) offer to fix the window or b) stick around anyway and try to make nice

this story sounds bullshit. Some guy at your friends party picked on you for 45 minutes and nobody said anything (including your friend, the host) and you just sat there taking it without leaving while everyone watched? A) you're an idiot B) your friend is an asshole C) your friend's friends are assholes

Ethiopian food is quite saucy. But, where do they fit on your civilization scale? Fuck all, that's where.

Two words: fish sauce. It's the only substance on earth that smells more like fecal matter than actual turds do.

If I only had a few hours in Seattle, I'd spend them at the Stumbling Monk.

+ 1 million. In addition to driving back and forth to seattle for work every day, there is the additional downside that when you get back home at night you FUCKING LIVE IN INDEX.