tvashtarkatena

A good point, however Obama was pretty clear in his re-election campaign that he doesn't think younger teenagers should have access to emergency contraception, so I don't think it's fair to take him off the hook here although I guess it's also unfair to be surprised by his administration's actions. Sebelius works for Obama, not the other way around, so I'm not sure I agree that this wasn't Obama's decision to make. Clearly, he holds authority over his cabinet members. Also, the Justice Department is also appealing this, so that's two cabinet members under Obama's administration pulling this shit. Either he's in agreement, or he's lost control of the Executive Branch -- either case pisses me off. You make a couple of good points here. Obama has endorsed Sebelius's direction publicly - and may well have influenced it - hell, he may have had a come to Jebus meeting with her at some point on the topic. I just thought to make the point that Sebelius is a) ultimately responsible for the appeal (she's working with the DOJ - that's where the lawyers are) and b) is otherwise a pretty damn good friend to civil liberties - one who has fought the good fight at some personal cost to herself. Was the decision probably politically motivated? Birth control as a political football? Here in the good ole science-based, civil rights respecting US of A?

FU Kathleen Sebelius would be more appropriate - this was not Obama's decision to make. That power falls to his Secretary of Health and Human Services, as it should. Sebelius is, otherwise, a strongly and very actively pro choice and a supporter of Planned Parenthood, despite her Catholic faith. She has been denied communion and suffered a lot of other retribution from her church because of her substantive pro choice actions, particularly as governor of one of our most conservative states, Kansas. All things in context. It's unclear, at least to me, why this otherwise staunch defender of the rights of women (and the LGBT community) took this decision. In any case, she may well be overruled by the court...again. Stay tuned.

The only single wall tents I've stayed in that didn't create their own internal weather due to condensation in higher humidity conditions have been a) A Tarptent Squall - presumably because it has lots of ventilation (netting skirt all around at the base - netting door). b) Integral Designs tents made with Tegraltex fabric. The tent may well have performed that way brand new, as now. This is a well known problem with many single wall tents. Foggy/misty conditions are really challenging. Leaky seams may also be exacerbating the issue in your case. Every technology has its ins and outs.

That was aweful....ly funny.

"Man jailed for raping goat, pleads guilty to touching girl" Just thought yall'd like to know.

About two climberz worth. It's kind of...compressed, having been in a crevasse for over a decade.

You should have plenty of neve in june, I would think. Retro fashionistas: don't pass up the Winthrop Gl. yard sale.

In aug we had 14000 freezing levels. At least we didn't have to get up very early that day (we wouldn't have been able to see the missiles). Your date sounds more sane. Post your pics!

No advice that isn't generic - have your food/water/electrolytes at hand while you climb, expect big temp differences bottom to top, and prepare to be on your front points for a while depending on snow conditions. Personally, I appreciated having a nice pair of curved shaft tools (Azterex and a Quark in my case) to keep my knuckles out of the ice/snow as much as possible. If you plan on pitching out much of it, have that puffy at hand. While the final half pitch of ice up top wasn't technically too difficult, it was hard and fairly smooth that late in the season - that's when I really started to feel the altitude a bit. We took 2 pickets and 5 screws, as I recall. That seemed like plenty. After that...watch for those crevasses - we had a little punch through up top. Oh, and check your headlamp. Finally, check the descent route conditions - the route changed significantly last year a couple of times from the norm due to crevasses/seracs as the season progressed. A lot of this depends on when you climb, of course. We had almost continual ice much of the way so late in the year - so a bit more of a calf burner. Also, a neck burner from all the craning trying to spot the incoming. A bit of a live fire exercise I'd rather not repeat, particularly below Thumb Rock. Speaking of Thumb Rock, say hello to the resident rosy finch for us!

Body armor. Make sure you sleep in it.

Looks like the Judge issued a couple of FUs to WW' lawyers - denying them fees for an unnecessary motion to remove the lookout immediately (thus buying time for a less ridiculous outcome), and reducing their hours, but you can only do so much within the law. Still, the Eugene lawyer billed at Seattle rates. Um...WTF? WW is a make-work business that knows who has the deep pockets. It's attorneys, inarguably, are in that business for profit. Do they substantively make the world a better place? Not so much. Ironically, one proposal is to helo the lookout to a non wilderness location (Circle Peak) that has previously had a lookout. FU again! Legislation proposed by Murray/Cantwell et al may provide the ultimate FU, however by enabling the FS to keep the lookout where it is. Stay tuned. BTW, there's a really good thread on this topic involving very knowledgeable FS folks on NWHikers.

Probably more common than you might think. MRNP's fatality list includes one bee sting victim. Now a swarm of hundreds of bees? OK, that's the Good Lord sayin' "Show's Over".

What, after all, is the price of a soul?

We'll all be dining on duck head marsala some day.

Can I interest you in a drumstick?

Because hunger strikes actually work to get action.

I knew you'd weigh in, Rooster, but you've got to believe that WE TRIED, but even Jaws couldn't get through that retread. It shoulda been one of your fat, tender girfriends.... Anyway, you didn't wind up in the garbage can - there were none! I think we had a drumstick throwing contest down the canyon, as I recall. They're probably still there.

FUCK YEAH Obama reconsiders closing Gitmo due to hunger strikes

In our 6 weeks climbing in the Khumbu, long, long ago: 5 porters skipped off after getting their half up front. 1 porter got kicked in the face by a horse. Broken cheekbone. What he was trying to do with the horse remains unknown. 1 yak with 2 duffels of gear fell in the Kali Gandaki. Recovered without injury, although there was a lot of screaming and some therapeutic rum drinking afterwards. 1 porter got PE, was sent down, then came back up the next morning because he 'felt better'. We listened to him gurgle all night, hoping he wouldn't die on us. He didn't, but he hated us afterwards for sending him down. Among our own party - 1 case of life threatening dysentery, for which we had to bribe our way onto a plane (weather was backing flights up), 1 case of Ronnie the Roundworm, 1 nagging flu. Most trekking parties we ran into were faring worse. Our 'cook' was nothing of the sort - just someone's nephew. After 2 weeks without meat, other than canned bacon (probably the most disgusting food I've ever seen), he finally relented and had a chicken slaughtered by our token non-buddhist. Actually, it was a rooster. Boiled. No one in our party could get their teeth through it, so we just threw it away. The drumsticks kind of bounced like super balls. We saw the same cook get water out of a cow pond - with the cows still standing in it. Not complaining, just relaying some realities of intercultural climbing. Thank Dog a couple of us had massive quantities of locally purchased hash on hand. What a life saver. We eventually shortened our Nepal leg by a week and went to Thailand. GREAT move.

Italians dress better.

The Sherpas did have their say. They issued a formal apology.

If Steck wasn't so Swedish he would have hired a couple of the top locals as 'guides'. It's not like he doesn't have the cash. Problem solved.

Doesn't sound like anything a short chat with Mister Lee Enfield couldn't clear up.

I'd say the Khumbu's Sherpas enjoy a cozy little negotiating position. Sherpas have been a lively bunch since climbers first started hiring them. Nothing new under the Himalayan sun.

I can understand the envy, of course. It comes from people who couldn't make it up Everest with or without the proper hair care products. People who Can't. People who Won't. The People of 'No'. Annabelle is a woman of 'YES'.