rob

the USS Cole was an inside job. RON PAUL!!!!

Hey Austin, as far as finding partners: your best bet is probably to check back here in a few months when you're in town and ready to go do something. Not many people plan that far ahead, so if you post something in the partner's forum like "newbie looking to go cragging this weekend" or something, you might find some takers. Just be honest when describing your abilities -- there are plenty of people who don't mind taking new guys out. Additionally, since you're moving into the area, you might start looking into some of the climbing clubs we have around here. The Mountaineers, BOEALPs and the Washington Alpine Club come to mind. They all offer basic mountaineering courses which will cover things like belaying, basic knots and ropework, basic safety techniques like escaping a belay, etc. They're not the only way to learn, but some people like the organized setting (I don't). I think they mostly start their classes in January, so you could start planning for next winter. Also, buy a copy of Freedom of the Hills or The Mountaineering Handbook (or both) and read them cover to cover. That will give you something to do until June!

'specially if our enemies look like this! ... I would have given her the defense codes, too. What can I say?

What is it good for? Conquering and subjugating people. Worked for the Romans fine. Fuck yeah. The human race will do much better when we discover other intelligent species to dominate. We need more intergalactic warfare.

Elephant runs amok, enters rail station

And the elephants. Let's be fair, here

Elephants are violent.

A better way to limit unnecessary warfare would be to reduce military spending. I think that definitely would be better than a new draft. Don't you think? You guys are crazy.

I don't see what difference that will make, at the end of the day the guys in washington are never the guys being sent over to die -- draft or no draft. Wide-scale conscription of our entire youth seems a high price to pay for the hopes that some of the old white guys might happen to have draft-age male children. I guess you could call that the "take you down with me" approach. Interesting. Personally, I can't think of anything less American than the draft. If "the people" truly support a war, they'll contribute. If not, well, then I guess they don't care enough anyway, so it's moot. That's how it's supposed to work. Fucking A.

That worked really well in the past, that's why we never had crazy stupid wars nobody wanted until 9/11 right? Fucking genius

Disagree. I mean, to a point, sure we can be what we want. But so much of human nature is...well, nature. Just like any other animal. Our brains work a certain way, just like any other mammal, and our behavior tends to fit into a mold. Of course there are one-off examples that break the mold, but an animal is an animal. Of course environmental and social surroundings impact how we behave, but human nature significantly dictates how we react to these things, and controls even how easily (or not) we can change ourselves and so react differently. Agreed that humans are capable of many things. I'm not sure any other animal has the self-awareness to actually change its behavior the way that humans can. But there are still definitely parts of our basic nature that are part of who we are. Just like every other species.

But I thought your point was humans weren't a violent species. Or are you saying we're violent but not warlike? On average we are neither especially violent or warlike as shown by the overwhelming majority of humans who aren't that way. War and most violence aren't ineluctable as claimed by many, which was the main point I was making, but you probably should have gotten all of this from what I wrote in this thread. I kind of get your point -- most humans are probably not regularly engaged in violence. But the flaw in this logic is that it assumes that at least 51% of a species must be engaged in violence to assume a species is violent, which is a fallacy. Labeling a species as violent seems like a relativistic statement -- it doesn't matter how many humans are engaged in violence, it matters how such a propensity towards violence relates to other species. Referring to humans as a "non-violent" species obviously would be bad advice. So it's a matter of comparing our violence towards that of the other animals on this planet, and to that end it seems like humans indeed have quite a capacity for killing each other.

I used to bring them with me when I was new but I never ended up using them. Too much trouble. And I usually have a few old biners I wouldn't mind leaving behind, anyway, for when I'm worried about the rope not pulling smoothly. I like Dan's quick-link suggestion, though.

the "E" must be for elephant

watch out for the straight razor.

there HAS been plenty of studies? Really, Minx?

Popular routes already typically have slings at the rap points. Most people might cut away any old stuff that looks beat and maybe add another sling to the collection. Are you going to untie them all and put them through the rap ring you bought? And then retie them? And do that at every station?

But I thought your point was humans weren't a violent species. Or are you saying we're violent but not warlike?

wtf is an individual act of collective violence? are you using big words again?

yeah yeah yeah, and there are also some purely vegetarian cultures but that doesn't mean man in general is mostly vegetarian.

The Eagles would disagree with you

I'm better than all you jerkies.