tvashtarkatena

If you wanna climb World Class Destinations, you gotta Take It To The Next Level.

The "value of our money" seems to be doing fine - inflation's really low, home prices are really low, borrowing costs are really low, exchange rates are stable (and excellent re: CAD). Sluggish job growth has a lot more to do with a popped real estate bubble (exactly the kind of thing that happens more regularly in an unfettered, Paulian economy), smaller, more urban (and thus less consuming) households, and technology's effect on individual productivity and the ability to share, rather than own, expensive assets. These are not conversations you'll see much on the tely - too intractable, real, and scary. They also poke pinpricks in the American Dream of owning a whole lot of shit and having that 2.2 kid family, which, of course, go hand in hand. There's no going back, so we're all going to have to adapt. Access to education one thing gubmint can help with - I noted that Romney wants us to have the best institutions (we already do), but fails to mention access to same - the real issue. Health care costs will eventually be brought under control by a single payer system. Delaying the inevitable will cause a lot more unnecessary pain, but we'll do exactly that, most likely. Bloated military spending is, of course, gubmint's other elephant in the room. Again, Romney fails to grasp a way forward, here. Tricky one, though. We've already seen higher unemployment among vets, and flooding an already shitty job market with same probably wouldn't make things too much better, right now. I wouldn't mind seeing some Tridents go commercial, though. Always wanted to con one of those fuckers, if only for a few paid minutes.

The media needs a story, and a comeback underdog is a sure bet. Obama sauntering over home plate doesn't make for riveting copy. The Great Re-Branding was an interesting twist. Looks like that Teabagger bowel movement has become somewhat impacted, and another VP pick has begun to sour. Romney badly needed a narrative, ANY narrative, to call his own. Now he's Friend to the Working Man, complete with apologies for everything he's said previously and everything. America love's a good public apology, too. Mitt couldn't quite muster tears, but still.

The web helps yet another climber overcome his shyness issues.

Is 'mixed climbing' included on purpose?

This is gonna make for one Xtreme Power Point presentation. Might I suggest a SlideTorial on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a finale.

The pitch per hour ratio may be less in the mountains, but you don't get to piss on a goat's head or wake up with a wood rat on your chest at the crag quite as often. Cragging is a sport, alpinism is a journey, and love means never having to say you're sorry.

Houston, we are venting something into space...

fkn floating rugrat kilt d Europan whales.

Apollo was incredible, inspirational, and a product of a different era. given the choice of camping on Mars v flyby, orbital, surface and subsurface robotic missions to nearly every body in our solar system (the latter still the cheaper option), anyone truly interested in discovery would go with the robots. machines will be smarter than humans across the board within a decade, with the possible exceptions of fingerpainting and jokes, without all the piss, shit, moods, and sketchy judgement of hairless monkeys. some astronauts did help design their missions...on the ground, not in space ( A 13 excepted, perhaps). after launch, they did nothing that couldnt b done much more reliably, comprehensively, and cheaply by tinker toys.

Fox now has several pieces on why you shouldn't trust the main stream media and how the national polls are rigged by the Democrats. Gallup is so last week. Its all Fifth column sleeper cells all the time, baby. That, and Obama's hiding a Big Secret About Libya cuz he's flippity floppin on his story about Da Movie. You know how black guys are after they be out doin sumtin baaad.

Mygyn Kylly's a sporto.

One of his best. I was going to enlist the Dawg to help decipher it.

The limitations on free speech in the USA are numerous. It's a pretty complicated subject. Offense has been used many times to limit speech, - pornography, flag burning, blasphemy, etc. but it hasn't fared well in court in recent years because of its obvious slippery slope and inherent subjective nature. We actually have the "God Hates Fags" folks, the American Nazi Party, and other helpful groups to thank for bolstering our right to offend.

I'd prefer if the president had shot from the hip and invaded Libya in response. The last one didn't seem to have a problem manning up. The news is slow, every time Romney gets in front of a mike he loses a percentage point, and Obama's playing rope a dope. Romney's "Gallup convergence", which lasted all of one day, has gone very stinky. Hence, this 'story' and other pieces no one could care less about (Bone excepted, of course) from FOX. Also on FOX within the last 3 weeks: "Madonna calls Obama a black muslim", and "Scientists close to developing warp drive" (recycled from a brief blurb published elsewhere in 2008) Basically, FOX is flailing in its attempt to come up with a distracting narrative while its pet candidate plummets earthward with all four engines on fire. Republican voter suppression laws may help him a percent or two come election day, but it's starting to look like a landslide for the Kenyan this time around. On the enlightened side, the news is pretty good across the board. MJ legalization and gay marriage are looking good in WA, hell, even Inslee's got a lead over dickhead, now. Obama's rolling in SuperPAC money from big donors these days...and guess who isn't? The one thing the 1% hates most is a loser. Maybe we'll survive this seemingly chronic neocon/teabagger/Kristian fungal infection after all.

Poo dipped chocolate doth not a Valentine make.

My diagram would be a Rorchach blot that crudely spells "thrutch" when viewed upside down by someone with Asberger's.

Sweet beJebus they shrunk it!

Looks like I will be getting a Discovery Pass after all.

Fox had an article earlier this morning about how Washington state needs to hire more private companies to advertise what our park system offers more effectively and run our parks like businesses, with more concessions, etc. They provided a photo of the Lost Arrow as an example of what our state parks have to offer. A piece about a man how shot a police dog has already replaced it, unfortunately. Anyone know where are park system moved that thing to?

XTREME SAFETY

Some suggestions: Have a pair of tiblocs and associated footloops for ascending a stuck rope. Fast enough to go all the way up if need be and free it, even on vertical terrain. Anchor the the bottom of the rope that isn't passed through the rap ring next time and ascend the other. Safer than assuming you won't pull the knot through the rap ring. If its a beautiful starry night, bivvy rather than SPOT. 3 guys + homo huddle = I LOVE TO PARTY.

I hear those who have pissed off Putin haven't fared well. Boots or rock shoes on the ridge line?

It's called being considerate of both the instructor (who, if a Mountie, is volunteering their time) and of your fellow students.

Oleg, you do kinda have that Putin eye thing going on. Looks like a hell of a nice trip - complete with creative bivvy architecture.